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  • ‘Secret Invasion’ Will Show a New, More Human Side of Nick Fury

    ‘Secret Invasion’ Will Show a New, More Human Side of Nick Fury

    Nick Fury has always been the MCU’s man with the plan. Always several steps ahead of the guy who thinks he’s the smartest guy in the room, Samuel L. Jackson‘s old spy has seen it and done it all. By the time the Chitauri invaded Earth in 2012’s The Avengers, ol’ Nick was already a seasoned veteran of alien affairs, having dealt with the Kree-Skrull War in the 1990s-set Captain Marvel. Next up for Fury is an alien invasion of a different kind in the Marvel Studios Disney Plus streaming series Secret Invasion and it’s set to show MCU audiences a whole new side of Fury.

    Secret Invasion will see Fury faced with his inability to keep a promise he made to the group of Skrull refugees he set out to help find a new home world nearly 30 years prior. As series co-star Emilia Clarke said, Fury “promised a lot of stuff a long time ago, and not a lot has happened. So understandably, a certain amount of resentment has been built.” According to Jackson, that Fury is not the same man featured in Secret Invasion. “Here you have a guy who’s showing his face, and showing his age,” said Jackson in a new interview with Empire, adding “It’s an opportunity to humanize someone that everybody thinks is superhuman.“

    In Marvel Studios’ new series “Secret Invasion,” set in the present day MCU, Nick Fury learns of a clandestine invasion of Earth by a faction of shapeshifting Skrulls. Fury joins his allies, including Everett Ross, Maria Hill and the Skrull Talos, who has made a life for himself on Earth. Together they race against time to thwart an imminent Skrull invasion and save humanity.

    Official synopsis of Marvel Studios Secret Invasion

    As opposed to the comic book event from which it takes its name, Marvel Studios Secret Invasion is anything but a superhero cameo fest. That’s by design, according to executive producer Jonathan Schwartz, who wanted to take the focus off the MCU’s godlike icons and place it on the shoulders of its mere mortals. “One of the things we really wanted to bring to this show that makes it a little bit unique in the Marvel universe is vulnerability,” explained Schwartz and that means putting characters like Fury, Maria Hill, Everett Ross and newcomer Olivia Colman‘s Sonya Falsworth at the center of the show’s action. “Nick Fury is just a human, Maria Hill is just a human. A single bullet could take them out. That’s something we don’t always get in the MCU. To bring that level of tension, fear and vulnerability into one of our shows was really exciting,” said Schwartz.

    And so when audiences reconnect with Fury at the beginning of the series, gone is the eye patch and trenchcoat so long associated with the character. “All those things are part of a Nick Fury that’s invulnerable,” Jackson explained and Secret Invasion is more about peeling back the layers of who Fury is…and who he has been behind all the secrets. “It’s great to have an opportunity to find out who he was and delve into how much of a toll his job actually takes on his personal life,” said Jackson adding that the new spin on the character has given him a renewed interest in continuing to portray the character, “I love playing him, and I love the fact that they’re opening him up to all these other possibilities and this whole life that he has.” With Secret Invasion hitting Disney Plus in just over a month, audiences will get to find out just what that life has been and what the cost of it might be.

    Sources: Empire, Vanity Fair

  • Vincent D’Onofrio Says ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ is “Not the Netflix Show”

    Vincent D’Onofrio Says ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ is “Not the Netflix Show”

    There is no greater debate in our time than whether or not the Netflix Daredevil series should be considered MCU canon. While stars Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio have reprised their respective roles from the series, Cox in particular has been very firm on the fact that Daredevil: Born Again will not be Season 4 of Daredevil but rather a “whole new deal.”

    For his part, D’Onofrio has given far murkier answers to the question of Daredevil’s canonicity, explaining on more than one occasion that he’s playing the same character he did in the Netflix series…until now. In an interview with Comic Book’s Adam Barnhardt, D’Onofrio now says Born Again is NOT the same show as the Netflix series.

    “I think it’s definitely a new show. It’s not the Netflix show. It’s definitely a new show,” said D’Onofrio. “I mean, all I can say is that Charlie [Cox] and I are not bored. We are having a great time. We have a great cast, and I think everybody else is having a great time too,” he continued. D’Onofrio praised both his co-star and the direction of the show before returning to the question at hand and saying, “I’m trying to skirt around specifics, but I can only say that it is a different show and it feels like a different show.“

    Nobody is foolish enough to presume that D’Onofrio’s comments will convince the “Netflix is canon” crew to change those tune. In fact, even if the opening scroll of Born Again claimed the events of the Netflix show were unrelated to it, the great debate would still rage on…which makes the writing of this article a questionable use of time.

    Source: Comic Book

  • James Gunn Reveals Another Character Set to Appear in ‘Superman: Legacy’

    James Gunn Reveals Another Character Set to Appear in ‘Superman: Legacy’

    In many ways, James Gunn‘s Superman: Legacy is sounding more and more like a throwback. Though it is expected to be set in the modern continuity of the all-new, all-different DCU, Gunn has made it clear that the film, which DC Studios co-chair Peter Safran said will launch the new DCU, will explore some “old-fashioned” values and will see a Superman who stands for truth, justice and the American way. It’s an interesting challenge for Gunn because the perception that Superman represents a bygone era has made it tough for modern writers to crack new stories that resonate with modern readers; however, a pattern is emerging that might give some insight into how Gunn plans to take on that challenge.

    Part of keeping the old-fashioned spirit of Superman alive might be surrounding him with other old-fashioned characters, making Kal-El feel a bit less like a fish out of water. To that end, Gunn has already confirmed that Superman’s pal, Jimmy Olsen, is set to appear in his new Superman film. Olsen was a fixture in the comics and in the late 1970s/early 1980s Superman films played by Marc McClure. That Olsen came complete with an innocent “Aw shucks, Mr. Kent” persona that was in stark contrast to the CIA assassin version of the character that briefly appeared in the Snyderverse. It seems far more likely that Gunn’s version of the character would be in line with the original interpretation of the character, helping establish a more old-fashioned feel around Superman.

    Along those old-fashioned lines, it sounds as though James Gunn is set to drop another one of Superman’s friends in Superman: Legacy; in fact, it sounds like it’ll be (Super)man’s best friend: Krypto the Superdog! While promoting Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 with Chris Pratt, Gunn jokingly said he’d cast Pratt as the on-set reference for Krypto. When the interviewer asked if he had just gotten a scoop about Krypto’s appearance in the film, Gunn confirmed that he did!

    https://twitter.com/DCUWORLD/status/1655373029495406595?s=20

    When Warners was courting Gunn, the studio gave him his pick of properties, including Superman. Though Gunn never got far enough along to seriously consider tackling a Superman movie, the filmmaker did take a shine to the Man of Steel’s superpowered dog Krypto during his comics research — which makes sense for a man who turned a talking raccoon into one of Marvel’s most popular big screen characters.

    THR Heat Vision, 2019

    Gunn has always been a fan of Krypto and, dating back to when he first started work at DC has explored using the character in a project. Back in 2021, we erroneously reported that Gunn was developing a Krypto project for Warner Bros but Gunn’s interest in the character has clearly not waned. Adding Krypto to the mix seems to further ground the story of Superman: Legacy in those old-fashioned values Safran talked bout. A man’s best friend. A boy and his dog. However you put it, there’s a certain sentimentality to the idea of Superman having a canine sidekick with him on his new adventure.

    Superman: Legacy is currently set to hit theaters on July 11, 2025.

  • First Look at Michael Gandolfini from the Set of ‘Daredevil: Born Again’

    First Look at Michael Gandolfini from the Set of ‘Daredevil: Born Again’

    Despite a significant drop off in the volume of set photos showing up online, Marvel Studios Disney Plus streaming series Daredevil: Born Again is still filming in and around New York City. While the ongoing WGA strike may eventually shut production down, the series has continued with its business and last week one of the series’ stars was spotted for the first time.

    New York Newswire Director of Photography Steve Sands snapped several shots of Daredevil newcomer Michael Gandolfini in action on the set of Born Again.

    No official word has come from Marvel Studios on who Gandolfini will be playing in the series, rumors have swirled that he’ll be portraying a younger version of Wilson Fisk during flashback sequences. The set photos certainly give away anything that seems to confirm nor deny that rumor.

    As of now, Daredevil: Born Again is expected to stream on Disney Plus sometime in 2024.

  • As ‘Blade’ Production Pauses, Rumors about the Film Begin to Fly

    As ‘Blade’ Production Pauses, Rumors about the Film Begin to Fly

    Marvel Studios Mahershala Ali-led Blade reboot has had the most turbulent pre-production periods in the studio’s 15+ year history. After being announced at SDCC ’19, the film has seen multiple changes in its creative team cause production delays that set the film back well over a year. Just when it looked like they’d buttoned things up and were ready for cameras to roll, the WGA strike forced the production to go on hold. It seems all but certain now that the film will see yet another new release date but as fans wait on the next bit of news about the film, some interesting rumors have surfaced.

    In the wake of the news of the film’s indefinite production delay, insider Daniel RPK has shared a good deal of information about the film’s new script and its cast. To start, it seems that over the course of rewrites on that film, actor Aaron Pierre‘s character, who was set to be the villain of the piece, was removed entirely. While there is no word on who Pierre was set to play, the film’s new villain is sire to generate some social media buzz.

    It seems that rising scream queen Mia Goth, who only recently joined the film has been cast as Lilith. Interestingly enough, there are two villainous Lilith’s in the pages of Marvel Comics and it’s not readily clear which of those Goth will be playing. While one of the two is the daughter of Dracula and makes the most sense for a vampire film, the other Lilith is known as the Mother of Demons and would provide a much more nefarious threat…and plant a seed for a potential Midnight Sons crossover.

    According to RPK, Goth won’t be the only antagonist in the film. When he was cast,any fans assumed that star Delroy Lindo was on board to play Blade ally and mentor Jamal Afari. It looks like the role of Afari will be filled by Saul Williams while Lindo is set to play Deacon Frost, the vampire who bit Blade’s mother while she was pregnant with him. The unique circumstances led to Blade’s unique hybrid Daywalker physiology.

    Given the uncertainty around when the film could begin production, it may be some time before any more information about the film comes to light. At this point, it seems all but certain that the project will find itself released in 2025, 6 years after it was first announced.

  • ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ Introduces [SPOILER] into the MCU

    ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ Introduces [SPOILER] into the MCU

    If you continue reading only do so at your own risk as some major story elements will be discussed in this article.

    At the end of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, we meet a new group of Guardians that are all under the leadership of Rocket Raccoon. After facing his experiences and past with the High Evolutionary, he embraces who he is and also takes over from Star-Lord, who has returned to Earth and spent some time with the family he believed he had lost all the way back in the first Guardians of the Galaxy film.

    Among the members of this team are some familiar faces with an even bigger Groot, Kraglin, and Cosmo. Though, there are two new members with Adam Warlock joining after his encounter with the team throughout the third film. The biggest reveal is the inclusion of a small girl that was among the group of High Evolutionary’s next creations.

    Surprisingly, the film doesn’t really say her name but subtitles reveal that she is, in fact, Phyla-Vell. It’s quite a departure from her comic origins, as she was the daughter of the original Captain Marvel and an Eternal. To be fair, she wasn’t conceived in a normal matter but rather the Eternal Elysius took some of his matter after he died from cancer and impregnated herself.

    The first person born from this unusual creation was Genis-Vell, who would take on the Captain Marvel mantel. Though, after he lost his mind and created a new universe, Elysius redid the process and gave birth to Phyla-Vell and would also take over the title of Captain Marvel. She would eventually take on the mantle of Quasar when she joins the Guardians of the Galaxy in the comic event Annihilation.

    So, the version we are introduced to here is quite a bit different. She’s part of a race created by the High Evolutionary as the “perfect lifeform” that he was going to use to re-populate a new planet. She doesn’t have any connections to Annette Benning’s Mar-Vell but there’s a chance her DNA could’ve played a role in this character’s creation. It’s also unclear if she has the powers from the comics, as there’s no mention of it.

    Phyla seemingly has endless stamina when compared to a normal human and she is part of a bigger group of children that have the same origin. Also, there’s some uncertainty if the Guardians will actually return in the future given how the film simply states that Star-Lord will return. Rocket’s new group may as well do their thing in the galaxy but we don’t see them anytime in the near future.

    It’s a shame if this is our introduction to such an important cosmic character alongside Adam Warlock, but we’ll have to wait a bit until we find out what exactly the future has in store. Given that her race is genetically created, there’s a good chance that she will grow into adulthood just as fast as Adam did. They might have a sibling-like rivalry that would be a fun dynamic if we see more of them moving forward. For now, it’s a great little Easter egg for comic fans knowing the character now exists in the universe.

  • ‘Guardians of the Galaxy 3’ Dances Up a $114M Opening Weekend, Dominates Internationally

    ‘Guardians of the Galaxy 3’ Dances Up a $114M Opening Weekend, Dominates Internationally

    It looks like Marvel Studios is facing a rather curious development with the latest installment of its Marvel Cinematic Universe. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is expected to end the weekend with around $114M domestically, which is slightly higher than the predictions going into the weekend and lands it a bit below the hoped-for $120M by Disney. Though that should not be a mark of end times, as its biggest challenge lies ahead with the second weekend.

    Still, as pointed out by movie consulting firm Franchise Entertainment Research David A. Gross “for superheroes, average is in the stratosphere” with Marvel Studios opening above $100M even with some believing a tepid response after Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. The film did open below Vol. 2’s powerful $146M but ahead of the first’s overall box office. There’s also a chance that the waiting period for this loosely tied Marvel film ending a trilogy after six years just lost a bit of its momentum alongside an overall tepid year besides the surprise Super Mario Bros. Movie.

    Speaking of, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 did manage to dethrone the plumber from his throne to a still impressive second spot with $18.6M. Sony’s romantic comedy Love Again, however, didn’t bring in enough momentum with a B CinemaScore, 13% on RottenTomatoes at a rather tiny $2.4M opening weekend. The film only costs $9M but it still would require some momentum to recuperate its costs. Evil Dead Rise has been pulling quite some numbers as well, as it already stands at $110M globally which is quite bloody great for a $15M budgeted film. Horror still remains the low-budget, high-earners they’ve always been.

    It should be noted that while the domestic box office is a bit behind, globally the Guardians 3 film is doing some impressive numbers. It opened to $168M in 52 markets and now stands at $282M. China has generally been quite behind with any Hollywood production (which means comparisons to previous box office records also need to be kept in mind) but had an actually strong $28M start and very strong word-of-mouth.

    That’s kind of what Marvel Studios’ biggest hope should be. A soft opening is one thing but given Ant-Man 3 didn’t manage to pass $500M. Still, pulling in $465M is something many others still dream of as other big releases like Shazam: Fury of the Gods, and sadly Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves barely made their production budget back. Maybe it’s time to talk less about superhero fatigue and rather about blockbuster fatigue.

    Overall, Marvel’s latest still beat its global expectations with the uncertainty in the Asian market since last year, as China and Korea have kind of backed off especially as Marvel embraced science-fiction with its latest projects; something not too keen in those markets. The film is 70% ahead of the first and pretty much on par with Vol. 2. If you take out China it’s even ahead by 13%, which highlights the difficulties of post-COVID box office discussions.

    It’s crazy to think that a “tepid” box office opening for a Guardians of the Galaxy film is still the 50th highest opening globally of all time. Hell, it’s also the 18th title to do so in May. This does mark the lowest summer opening in some time but Deadline points out that this is actually a more realistic showcase of Guardians‘ box office prowess and Vol. 2 simply had a bit more momentum going into it with appearances in other Marvel movies. Perhaps the lesson is to once again tease future releases rather than an unknown future on the horizon for Marvel.

    Ant-Man was also quite inflated with the arrival of Kang the Conqueror which also gave it a much bigger opening than it probably would’ve had outside of the last two releasing post-Avengers films carrying over that momentum. Guardians didn’t introduce anything new and as a trilogy “ender” it’s also going to speak to its core audience more than newcomers. Overall though, the summer is looking at a $100M average opening so this might not just be Marvel but rather a showcase of so many films releasing after a long time, people might be more selective. All Guardians 3 needs now are strong legs and to beat what has happened to the franchise post Avengers: Endgame to make its $250M budget profitable.

    Source: Variety, Deadline

  • [SPOILER] Will Return Beyond ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’

    [SPOILER] Will Return Beyond ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’

    The following article major spoilers for the end of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Only continue at your own risk if you haven’t watched the film yet.

    Going into Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, many wondered if any of the former members would continue their journey in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Some actors like Zoe Saldana and Dave Bautista have openly talked bout leaving their characters behind, which also led to the theory that most of them would die off as a result of the film’s events. Luckily, now that the film has been released we know what exactly the future looks like for this unlikely team of misfits.

    In a surprising twist, none of the core members died during the events of this film. While it would be the usual approach for films to end a character’s storyline by killing them off, this time they took a Captain America route by simply letting them go their own way. It also slightly opens the window for a return if they’d ever be open to doing so in the future. Given that the multiverse is around the corner, they have a way to bring back these characters with a new cast.

    Still, there is some confusion with the first post-credit sequence revealing Rocket’s new team of Guardians. We meet a new character in the form of Phyla-Vell a young child that was going to be part of High Evolutionary’s next step of creating the perfect being. Cosmo and Adam Warlock officially join the team, who are newly introduced to the franchise and seemingly characters set to return.

    The question is mostly if the same is going to affect Rocket, as Bradley Cooper has seemingly hinted this might be his last run with the character. They could find a new voice for the character and likely there won’t be a new Guardians film for some time but it seems a bit confusing. There’s a chance this is simply saying these characters still exist out there in the galaxy and keep the door open, but it would be odd not to bring back at least some of the newer additions.

    The big reveal, however, is the fact that the one confirmed returning member of the Guardians will be Chris Pratt’s Star-Lord. Even though he hung up the Elemental Blasters and returned to spend time with his grandfather. In the second post-credit, we see him just enjoying cereal before the title “The Legendary Star-Lord Will Return” appears on the screen. So, we will very likely see him at some point in the future, and is, so far, the only confirmed returning member of the cast.

    Not everyone truly hung up their mantle, and the ending definitely keeps the door open if anyone is down to potentially try their hands at the character again. It was a fitting end for this version of the team and here’s hoping that we still have some more time with Rocket, Nebula, Groot, and Mantis alongside Star-lord in the Marvel Cinematic Universe moving forward.

    Source: Cool943

  • BOOK REVIEW: ‘Zhara: Guardians of Dawn’

    BOOK REVIEW: ‘Zhara: Guardians of Dawn’

    Goodreads Link: Zhara by S. Jae-Jones

    Rating: 4 of 5 stars

    Release Date: August 1st, 2023

    When I received Zhara in the mail, I wasn’t quite sure what to make of it. The cover is absolutely stunning, of course, but I hadn’t read anything by S. Jae-Jones previously and knew next to nothing about this book beforehand. The back cover calls Zhara “Sailor Moon meets Cinder” and I have to say that is a decent comparison. (Side note: If you haven’t read Marissa Meyer‘s Cinder, get on that.) There’s magic. There are monsters. There’s romance. At times it can feel like too much, but for the most part, it’s an enjoyable, action-packed read.

    Zhara focuses on a teenage girl named Jin Zhara. She lives in a world where magic is forbidden and those found to be magicians are brought to their deaths for being “abominations.” Having lost her father because of his magical abilities, Zhara has learned to survive in a world where she doesn’t really fit in. She lives with her stepmother, the Second Wife, and her younger sister, and she’s forced to take care of them for the sake of her own survival, but that doesn’t mean the Second Wife makes her life easy. The Second Wife is the typical evil-stepmother in this tale, forcing her step-daughter to take care of the household. While Zhara understands how poorly she’s treated by the Second Wife, she continues pushing through because of her younger sister, having harbored a secret for years relating to her sister’s blindness. But things change when Zhara meets a mysterious young man named Han one day. Together, the two will have to work together to restore harmony to the world alongside the Guardians of Dawn.

    Here’s the thing, Zhara is very much a Young Adult book. The romance is cute. It can often be predictable. But it’s utterly delightful. The chosen one trope is used in this book, yes, but it’s used wisely. This isn’t a case of our hero suddenly figuring everything out without issue. No, the kids struggle and they fail. They make mistakes and they learn from them. That’s important to note because this is very much a story about self-growth and acceptance.

    It’s hard not to love Zhara, even if she is often naive and her “giggle” fits can become a bit frustrating at times… but when you remember that she’s meant to be a teenage girl, one that hasn’t really had a chance to be a proper teenager, it’s easy to overlook her annoying traits. She’s a well-written character, and seeing her grow over the course of the book is exciting because by the end, it’s hard not to consider what she’ll be capable of in future installments. The Zhara readers meet at the beginning of the book is a far cry from the Zhara readers get to know by the book’s end. She’s more confident. She’s happy. And more importantly, she’s ready for whatever the world throws her way.

    Han, on the other hand, doesn’t really get much character growth throughout the book. He’s very much presented as handsome with muscles and not all that bright. Thankfully, despite this, the secondary characters (Xu and Yuli) tend to help make him more bearable.

    Zhara is a book full of magic, wonder and thrills. The magical aspect is well-crafted, as are the battle scenes, and there’s so much more that the author can do with future installments. With such an expansive world and a truly unique tale, the Guardians of Dawn series is surely one to watch.

    Disclaimer: I received a physical copy for review – this had no impact on my rating/review.

  • ‘Stranger Things’ Final Season Production Halted in Solidarity With the WGA Strike

    ‘Stranger Things’ Final Season Production Halted in Solidarity With the WGA Strike

    The WGA Strike is going strong, as various productions have been slowly getting paused. Hollywood is still trying to push a few through that have finished scripts; though writers being on set is also an essential aspect to ensure adaptations can happen to tighten scripts along the production timeline. Marvel Studios just recently put a hold on Blade which was set to start production soon.

    Oddly though, they are not planning anything for Deadpool 3 as of now but that might just be them playing chicken until production has to start and the script might be deemed more “done” than the other that only recently revealed another writer was attached. Yet, we’re slowly seeing more and more productions affected such as Stranger Things writers and creators the Duffer Brothers confirming they have paused production until the strike is over on Netflix’s flagship series.

    This is a huge blow to the streaming service that greatly has been trying to build up its offerings as it first faced a drop in subscribers not too long ago. They also have been rumored to be one of the big holdouts during the meetings with the WGA. Either way, this is an important move by the Duffer Brothers and a showcase of how important this current strike is.

    Streaming services have changed the way we watch our favorite movies and shows, but they also left quite an impact on how writers earn their money. They have smaller writing rooms with a lot more work put on the backs of fewer people. More importantly, they also have less money as a result of this new model and can no longer rely on residuals. Here’s hoping that these talks end in favor of those that create the series and films we love so dearly.

    Source: Twitter