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  • Kevin Feige Details Why the Conclusion of the Guardians Trilogy Feels Different

    Kevin Feige Details Why the Conclusion of the Guardians Trilogy Feels Different

    As Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 opens across the globe this week, fans are sure to exit their showing feeling a mix of emotions. Early reviews of the movie have indicated that the capstone of James Gunn‘s trilogy works as a heartbreaking sendoff to a group of a-holes that have gone from unknown to some of Marvel Studios most beloved heroes. While it’s clear that the journeys of some of these heroes will continue in the MCU, Gunn–and more than one of the film’s talented actors–have made it clear that Vol. 3 is the end of the road for them adding to the emotions of the film.

    Marvel Studios has completed several trilogies before including, most recently, the Ant-Man trilogy; however, none of them have seemed to pack the emotional punch that Vol. 3 seems prepared to unleash. During the global press event for the film, host Nathan Fillion asked Marvel Studios One Above All, Kevin Feige, if he could put his finger on why this one feels so much different. “You know, we’ve had trilogies before. We’ve had a number of them, actually,” said Feige. “And I was thinking, why does this feel so different and so much of a passage of some sort? And it’s because Guardians really was the first movie that was completely outside of the realm. It tied in with Thanos and Infinity Stones. But The Avengers were not in it. And we weren’t setting up Tony Stark’s next adventure, or Captain America. And it was really our attempt of saying, we don’t wanna just do superhero movies.“

    Sean Gunn, Vin Diesel, Pom Klementieff, Chris Pratt, Karen Gillan, Bradley Cooper and Chukwudi Iwuji attend the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 Premiere at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood CA on Thursday, April 27, 2023. (Photo: Alex J. Berliner/ABImages)

    Longtime fans of the MCU likely recall the trepidation that swirled after Guardians of the Galaxy was first announced. Given that most fans had never heard of the characters, it was widely presumed that the film would flop. While it was certainly a gamble for the studio, as Feige explained, for the MCU to grow, it had to be more than the core Avengers and the Guardians opened that door. “We don’t want to just do Iron Man movies or Avengers movies. And we wanted to do, as James said earlier, a big space movie,” Feige explained, “and it worked in a crazy way. It worked entirely because of James Gunn. So, it just feels like this trilogy, and James writing and directing all three of them, it represents something unique within the pantheon of the MCU, that I’m very proud of.”

    In hindsight, Gunn‘s Guardians captured lightning in a bottle. Like the team itself, the odds were stacked against the first film launching as successfully as it did and with the enormously high expectations that every Marvel Studios project has hanging over it now, it seems unlikely we’ll ever see a feelgood story like the Guardians again.

  • Sydney Chandler to Star in ‘Alien’ TV Series

    Sydney Chandler to Star in ‘Alien’ TV Series

    Noah Hawley‘s Alien series has set its first cast member. The Hollywood Reporter revealed on Monday that Sydney Chandler is set to star in the forthcoming series. Details regarding Chandler’s role are currently unknown, however, the series is not expected to be a reboot of the films. Instead, the series will serve as an extension — and reinvention — of the beloved franchise.

    The series, which was first announced in 2020, is expected to take place on Earth. According to John Landgraf, the CEO of FX, confirmed the show’s setting and that it takes place “70-odd years from now.” As for the decision to set the show on Earth, Landgraf called the decision a move to think about the franchise and its future.

    Along with the upcoming television series, a new Alien film is in production. It is being directed by Fede Alvarez and will star the likes of David Jonsson, Archie Renaux, Spike Fearn and Aileen Wu and Isabela Merced.

    Chandler has appeared in titles such as Pistol, SKAM Austin and The Golden Rut.

    Source: THR.

  • Marvel Studios Reportedly after Margot Robbie for ‘Fantastic Four’

    Marvel Studios Reportedly after Margot Robbie for ‘Fantastic Four’

    As casting for Marvel Studios Fantastic Four continues, the possibilities seem to get better and better. With the studio keen on building the cast for the project until they’ve found their Sue Storm, the casting process seems to be in a holding pattern as a growing list of Hollywood’s best actresses continue to go through the rumor mill. Now a new report is matching up one of the industry’s most coveted roles with one if its most sought after talents.

    According to industry insider Daniel RPK, Marvel Studios has offered the role of Sue Storm to Margot Robbie. Since her breakthrough role in The Wolf of Wall Street, Robbie has become one of Hollywood’s most well-known talents and a driving force for change in the industry. The two time Academy Award nominee has already held one high profile comic book role as Harley Quinn and will lead two major 2023 films in Asteroid City and Barbie.

    With production on Fantastic Four set to kick off early next year, it’s likely Marvel Studios One Above All, Kevin Feige, director Matt Shakman and casting director Sarah Finn would like to finalize casting in the very near future. Should Marvel Studios intend to make a splash at SDCC ’23, there’s no bigger splash they could make than trotting out the cast of the reboot they first announced in Hall H four years ago. Should Robbie be apart of that cast, it would mark one of the studio’s most impressive castings.

  • Ridley Scott’s ‘Gladiator’ Sequel Adds Pedro Pascal

    Ridley Scott’s ‘Gladiator’ Sequel Adds Pedro Pascal

    Pedro Pascal has been piling on project after project. He’s been seeing a slew of major projects pile on with The Mandalorian, the recent HBO series The Last Of Us, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, and many more. It’s crazy to think how far his career has come since Narco and Game of Thrones. Now, he has seemingly added one more big production to his belt in the form of Ridley Scott’s return to Gladiator.

    It seems he is using the breaks between the production of the first and second seasons of The Last of Us to film the untitled Gladiator sequel. He’s joining a stacked cast that includes Barry Keoghan, Joseph Quinn, Denzel Washington, Connie Nielsen and is spearheaded by recent breakout Paul Mescal. There is, sadly, no information on what role exactly he’ll have in the film but it’s definitely great to join a production that famously was a career-builder for Russell Crowe many years ago.

    It seems he’ll have just enough time to film before The Last of Us starts filming next year and he was weighing out quite a few options before tackling that project. Luckily for The Mandalorian, he mostly appears with his helmet, and isn’t necessary to film every scene. So, if they are moving forward with a fourth season, they aren’t dependent on the actor’s direct performance as part of the production. His next projects include Strange Way of Life, which recently released a trailer, Drive Away Dolls in September, and Freaky Tales sometime this year.

    Source: Deadline

  • Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley Join Chloé Zhao’s ‘Hamnet’

    Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley Join Chloé Zhao’s ‘Hamnet’

    It looks like Paul Mescal has already set his sights on the next project. While he was busy spearheading the next Gladiator entry, he is now in talks to join Chloé Zhao’s upcoming adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s Hamnet. He will be joined by Jessie Buckley in retelling the story of Agnes, William Shakespear’s wife, who struggles with the loss of her son, Hamnet.

    It’s a fictional novel exploring the concept of what may have happened to inspire Shakespeare’s iconic play Hamlet which went on to become a New York Times bestseller. Buckley is famous for her work on a variety of projects, such as Apple TV+
    s Fingernails, Woman Talking, and The Lost Daughter. She’ll also star alongside Olivia Colman in the upcoming Wicked Little Letters.

    Mescal has been making quite the rounds as of late. He got an Oscar nomination for his work in A24’s Aftersun and went on to get the title role in Ridley Scott’s return to the world of Gladiator. Most interestingly though is the fact that he was heavily rumored to have been offered the role of Johnny Storm, better known as the Human Torch. Of course, it still remains nothing more than a rumor for now but the timing seems fitting.

    Source: Deadline

  • Sugar Bear Set to Return for ‘Deadpool 3’

    Sugar Bear Set to Return for ‘Deadpool 3’

    X-Force’s most surprising member is back for another round in Deadpool 3! According to Deadline, Rob Delany who played Peter, aka Sugar Bear, in Deadpool 2 has signed on the dotted line for a return to the role.

    Like almost all of the members of Deadpool’s X-Force, Peter met a grisly fate during the team’s first mission in Deadpool 2. While attempting to save Zeitgeist from a woodchipper, Peter was killed by Zeitgeist’s acidic vomit. However, during the post-credit scene to Deadpool 2, Deadpool used Cable’s time-traveling device to save Sugar Bear from his fate.

    In a 2018 interview with Empire, Reynolds explained why Deadpool chose to use the device to save only Peter, the only unpowered member of the team, rather than any of the other members of X-Force. “I love that he just completely ignores this marquee cast that he could’ve saved of useful and wonderful superheroes, but instead went back and saved [Peter],” explained Reynolds, adding, “I always felt that it was important to save Peter, just because in the helicopter before we jump, I say to him ‘I’d never let anything happen to you, sugar bear. I’m just saying this to impress the other guys.’” So, I felt like that was a promise that Wade made early on in the movie, and it was nagging him, so he went back and got Peter.“

    Delany joins Fox holdovers Hugh Jackman, Monica Baccarin, Karan Soni, Stefan Kapicic and Leslie Uggams in the jump to the MCU. The returning crew will be joined by Emma Corrin and Matthew Macfadyen, whose roles have yet to be revealed. Deadpool 3 is set to begin production later this month.

    Source: Deadline, Empire

  • ‘Fantastic Four’ May Include One of Galactus’ More Ignoble Heralds

    ‘Fantastic Four’ May Include One of Galactus’ More Ignoble Heralds

    Though the Silver Surfer is by far the most well-known of the Heralds of Galactus, he was neither the first nor the last to serve The Hunger That Does Not Cease. Due to his role in the comics, various animated series and his appearance in the 2007 film Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, he is often at the forefront of most conversations surrounding Marvel Studios Fantastic Four reboot. Given his heroic nature and status as one of Marvel’s greatest cosmic heroes, there’s no doubt that The Sentinel of the Spaceways will be part of Marvel Studios plans, however, it seems that the studio might be willing to explore other of Galactus’ heralds as they introduce the character into the MCU.

    Several beings have been imbued with the Power Cosmic and served as a Herald of Galactus, searching out planets for the Devourer of Worlds to consume. While the more heroic Silver Surfer did so begrudgingly and often sought to lead Galactus to unpopulated planets, not all of Galactus’ Heralds were so noble. According to an interesting bit of info shared by Twitter scooper MyTimeToShineHello, Marvel Studios Fantastic Four may feature one of Galactus’ most immoral Heralds: Terrax the Tamer.

    Sought out by Galactus for his unconscionable personality, Terrax was once a powerful mutant named Tyros who ruled the planet Birj with an iron fist. Unlike the Silver Surfer, Terrax took joy in finding his master fertile and populated planets to destroy, often culling part of the population himself for sport. Though he was a successful Herald, Terrax wasn’t loyal to Galactus and used his power to enslave an entire planet which he then ruled over as their god. Ultimately, he was stripped of his power by Galactus and left for dead.

    At this point, it’s tough to read too much into the inclusion of Terrax in Marvel Studios Fantastic Four. While his time in the comics as Herald of Galactus comes after Silver Surfers, Marvel Studios has continued to stray further and further from the comics as they develop their films so it shouldn’t be assumed that Terrax’s time as Herald comes after the Silver Surfer’s or that the Surfer won’t play a part in the MCU. Rumors persist that a Silver Surfer solo project remains in the works and it’s hard to imagine an MCU that can finally include all the wonderful characters associated with the Fantastic Four would not include one of the most beloved from that group.

  • Joe Locke’s ‘Agatha: Coven of Chaos’ Role Revealed Disappointing Dozens

    Joe Locke’s ‘Agatha: Coven of Chaos’ Role Revealed Disappointing Dozens

    Ever since he was cast in Marvel Studios WandaVision spinoff Agatha: Coven of Chaos, Joe Locke has been at the center of one of the greatest controversies of our time. Would Locke’s character, described as “a gay teen with a dark sense of humor” and “a fanboy”, be an immensely popular character from the Marvel Comics who fits the description perfectly and, like Agatha, is connected to the events of WandaVision or would he be a character that dozens of fans of Wikipedia skimming recently discovered?

    Despite it making much more sense for Locke to be playing Billy Kaplan, the former of the two characters, more than one insider and plenty of fans were sure he was playing the latter: Nicholas Scratch. The mystery was deepened even further recently when actress Patti LuPone, who admittedly has no clue what the MCU is all about much less too much about the comics on which it’s based, said Locke was playing a “familiar” in Coven of Chaos. LuPone’s words threw fans into a tizzy but fortunately, it seems everyone can relax as Locke’s body double has revealed the Heartstopper star’s role.

    The Scarlet With Update Twitter account uncovered stunt actor Jamie Sears‘ resume which lists Locke’s character as Billy.

    The news comes as a major shot to the gut to the legions of Nicholas Scratch fans out there. If Locke truly is playing Billy Kaplan, it may mean that all of Nicholas Scratch’s great comic book arcs may never be realized in the MCU. Fortunately, with or without Scratch, there’s still plenty of room for Salem’s Seven to appear on Coven of Chaos when it hits Disney Plus next year.

    What’s your favorite Nicholas Scratch story? Let us know in the comments.

    Source: Twitter

  • Rumor: Paul Mescal Offered Major Role In Marvel Studios’ ‘Fantastic Four’

    Rumor: Paul Mescal Offered Major Role In Marvel Studios’ ‘Fantastic Four’

    We are closer than ever to the casting reveals for Marvel Studios’ Fantastic Four, according to multiple insiders. The project was first announced by Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige during 2019’s San Diego Comic-Con and has been stuck in development ever since. The initially-attached director Jon Watts left the project, and Matt Shackman filled in for him. Jeff Kaplan and Ian Springer’s screenplay for the movie is now being rewritten by Josh Friedman.

    According to industry scooper Daniel Richtman, Paul Mescal was offered the role of Johnny Storm aka The Human Torch for Marvel Studios’ Fantastic Four. It is currently unknown if Mescal turned down the role or accepted it.

    Paul Mescal

    Another name widely rumored for Johnny Storm is Elvis‘ Austin Butler. Last year, Jeff Sneider reported on The Hot Mic that Butler was running for a major role in Fantastic Four and that the actor’s agents were “putting him up for Human Torch.”

    The film is directed by Matt Shakman, while Josh Friedman pens the script. It will commence production in early 2024. No cast members of the movie have been officially announced yet. The movie releases in theaters on February 14, 2025.

    Source: Twitter

  • Mamma Mia! ‘Super Mario Bros. Movie’ Passes a Billion at the Box Office

    Mamma Mia! ‘Super Mario Bros. Movie’ Passes a Billion at the Box Office

    Nothing is stopping the Italian plumber from dominating the box office until Chris Pratt’s next film, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, hits theaters next week. Still, it was ample time for the Super Mario Bros. Movie to pass the always coveted one billion milestones at the worldwide box office. It took the film 26 days in total to pass that mark and now stands at $490M in the US with an additional $532M internationally. That makes it the fifth film to accomplish this during the pandemic since Spider-Man: No Way Home gave theater owners hope for the future.

    The film opened to a powerful $204M across five days and marks the second-highest debut for an animated film and the biggest opening weekend of the year following Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’s still impressive opening in February. For now, the Nintendo film is the biggest earner of the year with quite a bit of competition on the horizon ready to take its mantle. The film has the advantage of being one of the biggest brands in the world and has a heavy nostalgia element tied to the project, which helps boost the otherwise dead family market we saw earlier in the year.

    The question remains what this might mean for the future of video game adaptations? We’ll very likely see a boom as it is the next “superhero genre” trend in the market even as that genre of filmmaking still remains surprisingly strong even with a much softer development earlier this year. Ant-Man 3 opened strongly but fizzled out due to Disney’s streaming strategy in the past but it’s not a clear sign of a true “fatigue” as some have been maliciously waiting for.

    The biggest takeaway from those that hit a billion is the nostalgia of it all. No Way Home re-introduced the world to some major characters from their childhood with Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield returning in their respective roles. Top Gun Maverick hit a chord with older audiences due to its callbacks to an old era of star-first productions, which oddly many want back even with its strong restrictions of actors in samey roles and the industry depending even more on individual stars rather than giving smaller ones a chance.

    Source: Variety