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  • First Reactions Hail ‘Blue Beetle’ as a Much-Needed Hit for DC

    First Reactions Hail ‘Blue Beetle’ as a Much-Needed Hit for DC

    Once upon a time, Blue Beetle was destined for release on HBO Max; now, the film is being hailed as a huge win for Warner Bros. just when audiences had all but given up on its line of DC films. The film, which stars Xolo Maridueña as hero Jaime Reyes, screened last night ahead of its theatrical debut this weekend and positive reactions have been coming in droves.

    A Surprise Hit

    Many of the film’s most positive reactions have marked it as one of the best surprises of the summer, which in itself is unsurprising given its less-than-awesome marketing scheme.

    Xolo Maridueña is a Star!

    Fans of Cobra Kai already know how charismatic and loveable Blue Beetle star Xolo Maridueña can be and it sounds like the new film is his breakout performance.

    Family

    Jaime Reyes’ family is at the center of the film and according to many of the first reactions…that’s a very good thing!

    Though it’s very common for most films to have positive first reactions from the media members invited to the screening, it seems as though Blue Beetle might be the boost Warner Bros. needed to keep interest in their DC films afloat until the all-new, all-different DCU–which Blue Beetle will be apart of–gets rolling.

  • James Gunn Reaffirms Jaime Reyes’ Place in His New DCU

    James Gunn Reaffirms Jaime Reyes’ Place in His New DCU

    For those that have paid attention since its inception, Blue Beetle has been fun to watch develop. Initially planned as an HBO Max release, the Angel Manual Soto-helmed DC flick was promoted to a full theatrical release in December 2021. That theatrical release is now just days away and in another interesting development, the film–which was greenlit and produced before James Gunn and Peter Safran took the reigns at DC Studios–will connect to the all-new, all-different DCU. Gunn has said as much on more than one occasion but reiterated it at the film’s recent screening.

    Blue Beetle will introduce audiences to hero Jaime Reyes, played by Xolo Maridueña, who Gunn now says “will be an amazing part of the DCU going forward!”

    Exactly how Reyes will tie into the future of DC Studios slate, which is expected to kick off with the animated adventure Creature Commandos, remains to be seen; however, given that Gunn’s Superman: Legacy takes place in a world where metahumans are already well-established, it’s possible that the new DCU could build out from the world introduced on-screen in Blue Beetle. Of course, given the nature of superhero projects, any number of other measures could be taken to make sure Reyes ends up sharing the universe with Kal-El.

    Blue Beetle opens in theaters on August 18th.

  • First Look at Live-Action ‘One Piece’s Young Straw Hats Leaked Early

    First Look at Live-Action ‘One Piece’s Young Straw Hats Leaked Early

    The official live-action One Piece Instagram account may have shared the next batch of images a bit earlier than initially planned. They dropped a post that included a new batch of images that actually give us our first look at the younger versions of everyone’s favorite Straw Hats in the upcoming Netflix series.

    As saved by @DesnesCitrus, we have received our first look at a young Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, and Nami. They definitely are going to explore all their iconic flashbacks from the manga, which are the essential aspects of what defines them as characters. It’ll be interesting to see just how much time we spend with the younger cast throughout the series.

    https://twitter.com/DesnesCitrus/status/1691475464668241920

    A younger Usopp has also surfaced online from the Instagram posting, where he even has the iconic Scream-inspired crossbones bandana that we saw in the manga. The sequence likely being from one that many manga and anime enjoyers will easily recognize.

    It’s great to get a tease of the young cast and there’s a chance they might officially post it later today or at some point this week. We’re still waiting for an update on the character posters for the new series. We’ll likely still get two or three clips as we near the release on August 31st.

    Source: Instagram via Twitter

  • Rumor Control: ‘Daredevil: Born Again’-Part 1

    Rumor Control: ‘Daredevil: Born Again’-Part 1

    Within moments of its announcement at SDCC ’22, Daredevil: Born Again immediately became one of Marvel Studios most controversial projects. Though stars Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio had already reprised their roles from the Netflix Daredevil series, each actor seemed to have a different take on whether or not their characters were the same as those characters and with the series taking place during the Multiverse Saga, there are plenty of opportunities for them not to be. While D’Onofrio was pretty bullish on the idea that the Wilson Fisk seen in Hawkeye was the same guy from Netflix, Cox began to make people wonder after calling Born Again “a whole new deal” rather than a continuation of Daredevil, which ended after 3 seasons. Later, D’Onofrio’s tune changed a bit saying that the Disney Plus series is “definitely a new show” and “not the Netflix show.” When production on the series started, there were certainly plenty of set photos and rumors that really didn’t help clear up what Netflix fans should expect. However, with production now on hiatus due to the ongoing WGA and SAG strikes, now’s a great time to look at some of those rumors and see what’s real and what’s imaginary.

    Foggy and Karen

    Easily the biggest hot button for Netflix fans is the idea that Daredevil: Born Again will take place without two of Daredevil’s biggest supporting cast members. Rumor has it that neither Foggy Nelson nor Karen Page will appear in Born Again…and that rumor is mostly true. While there’s still plenty of time for reshoots and additional photography to change things, neither Nelson nor Page are set to have any significant screen time. In fact, their absence from the series is one of the opening arc’s most important plot points. It’s very possible that Elden Henson filmed some scenes as Foggy but as far as the first arc of the series goes, those scenes are likely to be flashbacks or used to explain why he’s not around.

    A popular rumor as to why the two supporting characters wouldn’t be in the new Disney Plus series was that it would be set during the Blip. In sad but true news, that’s just not the case. While there are a lot of flashbacks in Daredevil: Born Again, the main portion of the series is not set during the Blip (the fact that the PymvanDyne Foundation is seen in set photos disproves that) and that’s not the reason Foggy and Karen aren’t around.

    Mayor Fisk and His Anti-Vigilante Agenda

    Set photos confirmed the long-standing rumor that D’Onofrio’s Wilson Fisk would be running for and becoming the Mayor of New York in Daredevil: Born Again. But what about the rumored anti-vigilante agenda? It’s absolutely true and as we understand it, one of Matt’s big trials is connected to it. We’ve heard that Fisk will publicly go after a handful of costumed heroes including Daredevil, Punisher, one being defended by Matt…and masked menace known as Spider-Man.

    The Punisher

    “We’re not the same.”

    Jon Bernthal’s return as Frank Castle gave another boost of adrenaline to an already highly-anticipated series. However, the character’s return immediately became steeped in controversy when it was rumored that it would feature the character taking on–and taking out–a group of racist cops who have misappropriated his logo. It ain’t gonna be pretty, folks, but it is in the cards. Hopefully, it helps rectify the horrid scenario that unfolded in his last appearance where he massacred a group of teens right before a touching tribute to Stan Lee came on screen.

    Matt’s Love Interests

    Always a lady’s man, Matt Murdock has had several lovers in and out of his life over the years. With Karen Page out of the picture and no sign of Elektra, rumors have not one but two of Matt’s comic book flames set for Born Again in Heather Glenn and Kirsten McDuffie and we’ve heard the same. Margarita Levieva is set to play party girl Heather Glenn while Nikki M. James will portray Kirsten McDuffie. In the comics, McDuffie’s relationship with Matthew was a bit of a slow burn while Glenn’s was a bit more short-lived. That’s probably why James’ contract came with options while Levieva signed a one season deal.

    With the series set to run for 18 episodes, there are plenty more rumors out there to sort through at a later date! Daredevil: Born Again is currently slated for a 2024 debut on Disney Plus.

  • Sasheer Zamata’s ‘Agatha: Coven of Chaos’ Role Confirmed

    Sasheer Zamata’s ‘Agatha: Coven of Chaos’ Role Confirmed

    In late 2022, Deadline broke the news that SNL alum Sasheer Zamata had joined the cast of the WandaVision spinoff, Agatha: Coven of Chaos. Once shrouded in secrecy, plot details of the upcoming Disney Plus streaming series started rolling out pretty steadily once Zamata’s co-star, Patti LuPone, broke Marvel Studios’ well-known vow of silence. Rumors about the project–both legit and bogus–have been commonplace since including one about the identity of Zamata’s character. Now, in an interview with Mashable, Zamata followed LuPone’s lead and confirmed which witch she’ll be playing in Agatha: Coven of Chaos.

    According to Mashable, Zamata will be playing Jennifer Kale, a character with some interesting connections in the Marvel Comics. The daughter of the leader of an ancient cult, Kale has shared adventures with some of Marvel’s most heavy-hitting supernatural characters such as Doctor Strange, Ghost Riders Johnny Blaze and Danny Ketch and recent MCU newbie, Man-Thing. Interestingly enough, she’s also been part of the Midnight Sons, a team that’s oft-rumored to be on its way to the MCU. However, according to Zamata, the MCU’s Kale might be a bit different than the one first introduced in the comics in 1972.

    “I definitely did do as much [comic book] research as I could,” said Zamata, “but the way we formed this character is very different from what I think people expect.” As long-term fans of Marvel Studios projects know all-too-well, that could very well mean that the character is essentially an entirely original character who is simply borrowing a name from an established comic book character. Whatever the case, Zamata made it clear that the production took its witchiness seriously, calling her time on set “magical and ethereal.” “It brought that out of everyone on set,” explained the actress, saying “there were crystals and candles everywhere. We saged and cleansed the stage all the time. It was the perfect environment for me.“

    Though Agatha: Coven of Chaos completed principal photography before the WGA and SAG strikes began, there’s still no firm release date for the project. While it’s expected to stream in 2024, it is believed that–like all MCU projects–it’ll need some additional photography and reshoots which won’t be able to be completed until the strikes come to an end. At this point, it seems like it’s now destined to be released at some point in the second half of 2024.

    Source: Mashable

  • ‘The Marvels’ Will Impact the Avengers Films…But Nobody Knows How

    ‘The Marvels’ Will Impact the Avengers Films…But Nobody Knows How

    As Marvel Studios has rolled out its post-Endgame slate, it’s become more and more obvious that while there’s a plan in place that gets the MCU to Avengers: Secret Wars, the finer details of that plan haven’t quite been worked out yet. It would seem that there’s a lot of “that’s the next guy’s problem to solve” as projects are handed off from one team to the next (you can’t convince me that anyone knows if Kang the Conqueror is really alive or dead following the events of Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania…and that’s just fine) but it’s not something that’s been talked about…until now.

    In the latest issue of Total Film, The Marvels director, Nia DaCosta, and executive producer, Mary Livanos, both came clean on the subject. While they both admit that the story of The Marvels will result in something that the Avengers will ultimately have to deal with, they also make it clear that neither of them are quite sure what that will mean. And if those two–who know more about the film than anyone–don’t know…it’s quite possible nobody does.

    “It definitely leads to plentiful opportunities for the future of the MCU, whatever the Avengers and Secret Wars teams may want to do with them,” said Livanos of the conclusion of The Marvels, which will see Kree villain Dar-Benn, played by Zawe Ashton, look to unlock the full power of Kamala Khan’s bangle by reuniting it with its rightful paired partner. Though nobody’s saying it quite yet, those bangles sure seem like they might be the MCU’s versions of the Quantum Bands and may just have some sort of connection to the Multiverse Saga’s big bad, Kang. But do they?

    Zawe Ashton as Dar-Benn in Marvel Studios’ THE MARVELS. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. © 2023 MARVEL.

    “That’s a question for [Marvel boss] Kevin Feige,” says DaCosta of how The Marvels fits into the larger shared narrative of the Multiverse Saga. “I have lots of thoughts. But I actually have no idea what they’re going to do in the Avengers movies. I do know that those guys who are doing that watch the films, see what we’re doing. I have things I really want [to happen]. But I’m not sure.” And that means it’s the “next guy’s” problem which Livanos explained.

    “The plot [of The Marvels] deals with some fluctuations in time and space, and there’s definite danger afoot that could affect the multiverse,” said Livanos. “Where it all leads is a bit of a spoiler, and exactly how it’ll all pan out in an Avengers movie is currently being figured out right now. But we’re definitely ending our characters in places that allow for plentiful opportunity.” Who is figuring it all out? At one point, it was definitely in the hands of Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania writer Jeff Loveness, who was hired to pen Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, but there have been relentless rumors that he’s since left the project after completing a portion of the script. Will the next writer start from scratch and get left solving whatever problem the ending of The Marvels leaves for the Avengers? Or will the ending of The Marvels become the next 616 Mordo and never be seen or heard from again?

    Source: Total Film via Games Radar

  • ‘Ahsoka’ Release Schedule, Runtime of Two-Episode Premier Revealed

    ‘Ahsoka’ Release Schedule, Runtime of Two-Episode Premier Revealed

    The next entry in Dave Filoni’s New Republic era of stories, Ahsoka, is now less than two weeks away from its Disney Plus premiere. The series, which will see star Rosario Dawson reprise the role of the former Jedi, will not only move the Mandoverse story ahead but also serve as a sequel to Star Wars Rebels. Ahsoka will feature the live-action debuts of Rebels characters Hera Syndulla, Sabine Wren, Ezra Bridger and Grand Admiral Thrawn and could also pull off any number of surprises so needless to say, there’s a lot of story to tell. It looks like Lucasfilm is happy to give the story room to breathe as it’s not only an eight-episode series but also has a very generous runtime for its two-episode debut.

    According to Cryptic4KQual, a Twitter account that has a well-established track record for reporting accurate runtimes of Disney Plus projects, the two-episode premiere will run for a total of 1 hour and 36 minutes including credits and just shy of 90 minutes without. Feature films such as Zombieland (87 minutes), Attack the Block (88 minutes) and Stand By Me (89 minutes) made 90 minutes feel like plenty of time to tell a compelling story and these two episodes are just the opening act for Ahsoka.

    https://twitter.com/Cryptic4KQual/status/1689410104100069376?s=20

    Following the two-episode debut, Ahsoka will continue to release on a weekly basis for the next six weeks with the final episode streaming on October 4th as Lucasfilm is sticking with Wednesdays for their Star Wars releases.

    The series has already built some significant buzz and looks to be a pivotal chapter in the ongoing Mandoverse narrative.

    Set after the fall of the Empire, Star Wars: Ahsoka follows the former Jedi Knight Ahsoka Tano as she investigates an emerging threat to a vulnerable galaxy.

  • ‘One Piece’ Creator Was “Tough In the Beginning” on Netflix’s Live-Action Adaptation

    ‘One Piece’ Creator Was “Tough In the Beginning” on Netflix’s Live-Action Adaptation

    At this point, it’s no secret that mangaka Eiichiro Oda took a very proactive role in the development of the live-action One Piece series, which is set to hit Netflix later this month. And it looks like co-showrunner Matt Owens was quite nervous about tackling a series he loved dearly, as he shares that he’s never “been more nervous for anything in my entire life” when tackling this series.

    I don’t think I’ve ever been more nervous for anything in my entire life. Here was this person who has created this story I hold so much love and reverence for, and I’m asking him to trust me with his baby.

    Matt Owens

    Though, he does highlight that Oda needed some to warm up. It seems that this wasn’t the first attempt at a live-action adaptation, which led to him being a bit worried going into the production. Though Owens highlights that “once he realised we were coming from the right place” everything seemed to start falling into place.

    I’m not going to lie, he was tough in the beginning – this wasn’t the first attempt at a live-action One Piece, and we weren’t the first people to try to express it in a new way. But I think once he realised we were coming from the right place – trying to protect this series and create a new avenue for even more people to fall in love with it – he started to trust us.

    Matt Owens

    His goal to make more people fall in love with the series is the right approach; though quite a task when considering just how big One Piece already is just based on sales. Oda has shared quite a few messages of his thoughts on the production and that they did make changes here or there. It’s not uncommon with adaptations and while things will likely not be exactly the same, it’ll lead a new generation into exploring the manga and the journey many of us started over 25 years ago.

    Source: SFX via GamesRadar

  • Rumor Control: ‘Agatha: Coven of Chaos’

    Rumor Control: ‘Agatha: Coven of Chaos’

    As the first of Marvel Studios’ streaming efforts, WandaVision blazed the Disney Plus trail for the MCU and that wasn’t always a good thing. Matt Shakman’s nine-episode series was a wonderful character study of Wanda Maximoff but week after week outrageous fan theories led to outraged fans. One such outrage came when the obvious villain of the series, Agatha Harkness, was revealed to be the actual villain of the series. Kathryn Hahn was wonderful in the role and is set to reprise it in an Agatha-centric series, Agatha: Coven of Chaos, which is tentatively slated to release in 2024. The series has been closely followed by the very same fans of WandaVision whose uproarious online behavior made early 2021 so memorable and the rumor mill around the sequel series has been churning for quite some time. Let’s look at the most popular rumors and see what’s what.

    The Identity of Joe Locke’s Character

    One of the most ridiculous controversies around Agatha: Coven of Chaos centers around the character being played by one of the series co-stars, Joe Locke. While semi-obscure comic book character Nicholas Scratch became one of the most popular characters in the history of Marvel Comics overnight as people were led astray in believing Locke was set to portrary the weird wizard, that’s simply not the case. Locke is set to play Billy Kaplan, as we’ve believed since October of last year. That’s not to say Scratch have an impact on the series but he’s certainly not played by Locke and isn’t even expected to appear.

    While it’s great that Wiccan is finally going to appear in the MCU, Locke’s Kaplan isn’t going to be an exact translation from the comics. In fact, the path the people at Marvel have chosen to explain how Billy Maximoff becomes Billy Kaplan seems incredibly odd on paper and may end up ruffling more than a few feathers. Whatever the case, Locke’s your Wiccan and will be paired up with Agatha over the course of the series.

    Salem’s Seven

    Not too very long ago, a plot summary of Agatha: Coven of Chaos emerged which indicated that the witches of Salem’s seven were out for revenge. As explained here, it’s not too hard to figure out what these witches have been holding against Agatha for a few centuries. Agatha’s lust for power put her in a bad spot and she responded by…taking more power and killing 8 witches, including her mother. That leaves 7 other witches whose descendants will be coming for vengeance now that Agatha’s hiding spot has been revealed to the world thanks to The Hex.

    Aubrey Plaza’s Character

    As was recently revealed, Aubrey Plaza’s Rio and Agatha have a LONG history together that will be explored in the series. Were they married? Not married? I truly don’t know but whatever the case, the two WERE lovers and did have a son (told you Scratch had some part in all of this). In the comics, Agatha Harkness is over 20,000 years old and while these two haven’t known each other that long in the MCU, their time together can be measured in thousands of years. While Plaza’s character seems to be an original character, her identity as the Green Witch could have been influenced, in part, by James Robinson’s work with the Scarlet Witch for Marvel Comics. In 2015, Robinson introduced the Emerald Warlock to the witchy world of the comics and while Plaza’s character is certainly not him, the idea of different witches tied to different colors is certainly a theme in Agatha: Coven of Chaos.

    Fans looking for a page-to-screen adaptation of Billy Kaplan’s origin story, The Children’s Crusade or James Robinson’s Scarlet Witch series will be sorely disappointed with Agatha: Coven of Chaos as that’s just not what Marvel Studios does. Instead, buckle up for an original adaptation inspired by (parts of) those stories–and more–that while may be full of some weird choices has some very good performances and sets the stage for another project set in the same corner of the MCU…should it ever come to fruition given the absolute chaos in Hollywood and the climate around the TV side of things at Marvel Studios.

  • New BTS ‘One Piece’ Image Confirms Nami’s New Look Inspired by Unused Concept Art

    New BTS ‘One Piece’ Image Confirms Nami’s New Look Inspired by Unused Concept Art

    One Piece is only a few more weeks away and we’re slowly getting more and more teases of what’s to come. Netflix’s live-action adaptation of the popular manga will not only take inspiration from the original but even go beyond to take elements from Eiichiro Oda’s 25+ years of work on the series and its complex world.

    We saw that most of the Straw Hats’ outfits will be taken from various sources such as One Piece’s color illustrations as well as the various manga covers. A new behind-the-scenes post from the official One Piece Twitter account has seemingly given us a confirmation that we can expect a rather interesting costume design for Nami that might be familiar to those that have been with the series since its early days.

    Emily Rudd’s outfit with the orange-striped legging is inspired by the early design of the character of Nami before she was introduced into the manga. Early concept art featured her with similar black jeans, the orange-striped legging, and a white top. She even had her hair tied back but we won’t be getting the giant axe anytime soon.

    These kinds of teases showcase just how deep the love for One Piece is for everyone involved with the production. Even small things as the costumes are taken from Oda’s work. The fact they even found a way to include the concept art feels like a great way to let some of his earlier ideas finally make it into the story. Here’s hoping the show can live up to that love and go on for many more seasons.

    Source: Twitter