Category: News

  • Michael Shannon Joins The Cast of ‘The Flash’

    Michael Shannon Joins The Cast of ‘The Flash’

    The MCU’s multiverse blew up this year thanks to Loki, What If…?, Spider-Man: No Way Home, and soon, the DCEU will follow suit with The Flash. While characters like Supergirl and Michael Keaton‘s Batman are expected to return, one particular villain is set to make an unexpected appearance as well. The official Warner Bros. listing of the film has Michael Shannon as one of its cast members. This likely means we’ll be seeing more of General Zod.

    Zod won’t be the only evil Kryptonian making a return as Faora-Ul, played by Ante Traue, is listed next to Shannon as well. Their return bodes for some interesting problems Ezra Miller‘s Barry Allen will have to face. Perhaps we could see a variation of the events of Man of Steel, through the eyes of a time-traveling Barry Allen. Maybe there’s an Earth where Zod and his army successfully terraform our planet.

    Source: Warner Bros

  • New ‘Doctor Strange’ Trailer Includes Updated Version of Original Marvel Fanfare Used in ‘X-Men’, ‘Spider-Man’, And More

    New ‘Doctor Strange’ Trailer Includes Updated Version of Original Marvel Fanfare Used in ‘X-Men’, ‘Spider-Man’, And More

    Here’s a rather curious detail. For some time, Marvel Studios has been highlighting its intros in new and creative ways, as fanfare has become an essential aspect of any Marvel viewing experience. It also makes them distinct from other studios that used the logo, such as Sony who included the “In Association With” during airings of their spinoffs like Venom. Interestingly enough, the first trailer has dropped for next year’s ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and it includes an interesting detail.

    In the brief showcase of the fanfare getting split apart by what is likely the multiverse, similar in design to What If…?’s crystal effect, you can spot the original Marvel opening that was used for the original X-Men, Spider-Man, or any classic Marvel film. Early on, even Marvel Studios used it only adding the “Studios” part to make it distinct.

    It’s not a direct reference, but the logo nowadays includes the live-action characters in its opening rather than comic depictions. It looks like an updated or slightly altered version of the original, if you compare it to Logan, for example.

    The current version is quite a bit different, as it opens up with the comic logos but doesn’t showcase the Marvel logo until much later. What is interesting is that you can see a 3D version of the classic logo included as well. Perhaps we get a unique intro fanfare in the Doctor Strange sequel, which would make it stand out even more. It would be fun for them to explore different versions of their intro to highlight what the series or film focuses on, as they expand with cosmic and grounded storylines.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ Trailer Released, Includes New Logo

    ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ Trailer Released, Includes New Logo

    The trailer has finally dropped for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. It was first included as a post-credit sequence during the release of Spider-Man: No Way Home, which made a lot of sense if you consider how that storyline continues the multiversal storyline that kicked off during Loki. As Strange is about to face off against his own darker reflection, we got a first look and poster. Not just that, but even a new logo is highlighted at the end that offers a streamlined version of what was used in the original announcement.

    https://twitter.com/DrStrange/status/1473684762011189248
    Image

    The logo is surprisingly simple, as they dropped the visual design to make Strange’s name stand out. Of course, there’s always the chance that this is the version used in the film, as they stick to the previous version in the film’s marketing. The poster noticeably is lacking the logo, which is quite a curious choice and highlights the potential power they have with this project. It was also really clever to advertise the film through the post-credit sequence of Spider-Man: No Way Home, which has been breaking records left and right.

    Source: Twitter

  • New ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ Artwork Offers Closer Look at Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire’s Suits

    New ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ Artwork Offers Closer Look at Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire’s Suits

    There have been many rumors surrounding Spider-Man: No Way Home. Now that the film has finally been released, we have some closure on the various multiversal guests that appear throughout the film. Luckily, Marvel updated their site and offered a closer look at the new villain’s designs. Luckily, they also offered some artwork on the two most iconic returning characters, Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfields‘ take on Peter Parker.

    The interesting thing is that their characters are given names to make them easier to distinguish from each other. While Garfield‘s already has the “Amazing” moniker, Maguire‘s gets the added “Our friendly neighborhood hero swings into the MCU in his iconic suit,” which is a nice touch given he’s the first live-action version of the character.

    Tobey Maguire, Spider-Man

    Of course, you can’t forget Garfield‘s take on the character, whose design was a bit more streamlined when he donned the suit. Sadly, he never got the one he wore in The Amazing Spider-Man but the more recognizable version from the sequel. He comes with the tagline “The one and only Amazing Spider-Man webs his way into the MCU.”

    These namings do make you wonder what Tom Holland‘s Spider-Man goes by. He seems like the perfect choice to go by the Spectacular moniker. We don’t know if the next entry will follow the current title setting, but it would be good to move away from the “Home” tagline that has persisted so far. While No Way Home and Far From Home are surprisingly fitting subtitles, it does seem like their options are slowly running out to make it work.

    Source: Marvel via The Direct

  • Oscars’ Visual Effects Shortlist Includes ‘Shang-Chi’, ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ And More

    Oscars’ Visual Effects Shortlist Includes ‘Shang-Chi’, ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ And More

    It looks like the shortlists have found their way online and Marvel Studios is dominating the Visual Effects category for the upcoming Oscars. Keep in mind, these are not the actual nominations, which won’t follow until January 27th until February 1st. The final announcement for the Oscars will follow on Tuesday, February 8th. As of now, Black Widow, Eternals, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, as well as Spider-Man: No Way Home are all up for the category.

    No Way Home may have a good shot this year given its massive success and cultural relevance, especially during the pandemic. The competition is fierce with 20th Century Studios’ Free Guy, Sony’s Ghostbusters: Afterlife, MGM’s No Time to Die, Warner Bros.’ Dune, The Matrix Resurrection, and Godzilla vs. Kong. It’s once again very noticeable that this category is mainly dominated by blockbuster releases.

    The latest Spider-Man entry has also entered the shortlist for the Sound nomination alongside big hitters like West Side Story, and Tick, Tick … Boom!, who might have the best chances given their respective musical foundation. Jon M. Chu‘s In the Heights is surprisingly absent though. DC also has gained some attention with The Suicide Squad nabbing a spot in the Makeup and Hairstyling part, which ironically its predecessor won back in 2017. So, we’ll see if it has the same chances.

    Source: Variety

  • Disney Dominates the 49th Annie Awards With ‘Encanto’, ‘Raya and the Last Dragon’ and More

    Disney Dominates the 49th Annie Awards With ‘Encanto’, ‘Raya and the Last Dragon’ and More

    It’s been quite a reward season for Disney. The announcements have now arrived for the Annie Awards as the House of Mouse dominates the 49th season. Raya and the Last Dragon as well as Encanto are dominating with ten and nine nominations respectively. Luca currently holds eight alongside Sony’s The Mitchells vs the Machines. The latter being a personal highlight of this year’s releases. Belle, Pompo the Cinephile, and Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko are standing strong in the best Indie feature. This year’s nominations are in for the run for 36 categories. Frank Gladstone, the executive producer of the Annie Awards shared the following on this year’s nominations:

    In spite of everything or maybe because of what we and the world around us have been through for nearly two years, we all want to return to some sort of normal.

    The category for Best TV/Media is between Bob’s Burgers, Love, Death + Robots, Star Wars: Visions, and Arcane. Raya and the Last Dragon‘s Kelly Marie Tran, Encanto‘s John Leguizamo as well as Stephanie Beatriz, Jack Dylan Grazer from Luca, and The Mitchells vs. the MachinesAbbi Jacobson are currently in the running for the Voice Acting – Feature category. Marvel Studios is also present with their What If..? episode “What If…Ultron Won?” which is nominated for Best Editorial – TV/Media. It’ll be interesting to see what the future has in store.

    Source: Deadline

  • Dark Horse Comics Finds New Home in Swedish Gaming Company Embracer Group

    Dark Horse Comics Finds New Home in Swedish Gaming Company Embracer Group

    Here’s a rather curious surprise. Dark Horse, the famous indie comic publisher, has hinted at its interest in selling to find a new home for some time. They’ve been setting up a lot of future projects together with Netflix, especially after their success with The Umbrella Academy yet they were still seeking a new home even as they continue their first-look deal with the streaming service. After a long wait, it looks like they found it in a Swedish gaming conglomerate, the Embracer Group. Dark Horse CEO Mike Richardson offered the following statement on the purchase:

    The synergies that exist with the Embracer network of companies promise exciting new opportunities not only for Dark Horse, but also for the creators and companies we work with. I’ve had a number of compelling conversations with Embracer CEO Lars Wingefors and I’m very impressed with him and what he and his team have built. I have to say, the future for our company has never looked brighter

    Mike Richardson

    The financial dealings have not been shared by both companies involved with the project. It does seem like the Swedish company is interested in keeping the comics ongoing dealings alive, as they bolster around 300 untapped intellectual properties, which includes Timecop, Hellboy, The Mask, and many more. It’ll be interesting to see what the future has in store for everyone involved.

    Source: Hollywood Reporter

  • New Spider-Man Suit Featured in Latest ‘No Way Home’ Teaser

    New Spider-Man Suit Featured in Latest ‘No Way Home’ Teaser

    It looks like spoilers are fair game, as the official Spider-Man: No Way Home account has shared the official first look at the new suit featured in the film’s ending sequence. After going through the multiversal madness, Peter creates a new suit on his own merits that pays tribute to the original design the character is famous for, as it focuses on the red-blue from the comics that many tend to call his “classic suit.” It is briefly showcased in the opening of the new trailer, which you can check out here:

    The design is probably one of the film’s best, which is filled with some great designs as Peter moves on from his Stark suit era. We don’t know if his eyes will move as they did before, but it would seem unlikely they’d move away from the expressiveness it provided to the character stuck behind a mask. We also don’t get a good look if he started creating any elements to add his arsenal in combat against thugs across New York City. We are moving into a new era for the MCU’s take on the character and perhaps we’ll get a bit more straightforward version, who mainly relies on his web-shooters and agility moving forward. It’s an exciting new era and with a fourth entry on the way, it’ll be exciting to see what the future has ready for Tom Holland’s Peter Parker.

    Source: Twitter

  • Marvel Studios Calls ‘Hawkeye’s Upcoming Episode a “Season” Not Series Finale

    Marvel Studios Calls ‘Hawkeye’s Upcoming Episode a “Season” Not Series Finale

    A new and potentially final poster has dropped ahead of the release of Hawkeye‘s finale. It shows off most of the main players outside of the returning Kingpin, who is still purposely held in the shadows even though we got a glimpse at him in a photograph. Yet, there’s a rather curious detail in the Instagram post, as it includes the rather curious detail that this is, in fact, a “season finale” and not a series finale.

    The season finale of Marvel Studios’ @HawkeyeOfficial starts streaming tomorrow on @DisneyPlus

    There are no set rules in what series gets a continuation over at Disney+. Not every show requires a follow-up season, as WandaVision and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier were never given a greenlight. The first time we got any confirmation was during the post-credit sequence of Loki. What If…? was renewed ahead of its release and only hinted at during interviews. Some time ago, we even got a hint for the upcoming She-Hulk series, whose first season still has no release date.

    While calling it a “season finale” doesn’t directly confirm that we’ll get a second season of Hawkeye, but there are many plot threads that have the potential to become the center of a second season, especially if we continue exploring Kate Bishop’s journey. Our very own Hunter Radesi has explored the potential of a second season, which you can check out here.

  • James Gunn Confirms Weekly Release for ‘PEACEMAKER’

    James Gunn Confirms Weekly Release for ‘PEACEMAKER’

    The DCEU may be dead-silent following the release of last summer’s The Suicide Squad but 2022 is set to open with a loud bang as Peacemaker debuts on January 13th. In the face of that anticipated release, there has been some question regarding the series’ release format, whether it would be a weekly affair or a Netflix-style binge release. Series creator and director James Gunn confirmed on Twitter that the show would follow a weekly release after the season premiere on HBO Max.

    https://twitter.com/JamesGunn/status/1473335583430758403?t=OYpqEmnYBFCCuVMaRxadBg&s=19

    Just like how the Marvel Studios Disney+ shows are dominating on social media on a weekly basis, it isn’t surprising to see HBO Max opt the same for their first major DCEU series. Fans will have a lot to chew on with the hefty 3-episode premiere on January 13th, followed by more 5 weeks of action-packed hilarity starring John Cena. MCU fans will have to wait until they get some Marvel content so this will have to do.