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  • First Reactions Hail ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ as a Beautiful and Epic Return to Pandora

    First Reactions Hail ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ as a Beautiful and Epic Return to Pandora

    Sixteen years ago, James Cameron introduced audiences to the world of Pandora in Avatar. Three years ago, Avatar: The Way of Water expanded the mythology of Pandora’s interconnected biosphere while once again stretching the boundaries of filmmaking. In just a few weeks, the next installment in the franchise, Avatar: Fire and Ash, hits theaters, introducing new villains while keeping the focus on the Sully family.

    The film screened for critics ahead of its December 19th release and following the lifting of the social media embargo, reactions to the film have arrived online. As always, it’s worth noting that these types of reactions don’t always line up with full-length reviews from critics; however, they can provide a glimpse of what to expect. In this case, one thing seems clear: Cameron has crafted another stunning visual masterpiece.

    Cameron has spent an enormous amount of time, effort and money on pushing VFX to their limits to create an immersive experience for the audience. In this case, according to Cameron, that involves seeing the film in theaters with 3D Dolby Vision and Atmos, as was the case with the previous film.

    The previous two films scored 81% and 76% Fresh scores on Rotten Tomatoes, respectively, and while Fire and Ash does retread familiar franchise territory to some extent, it’s likely to accrue a similar score while also blowing up the box office.

  • New Rumor Has Millie Bobby Brown Headed to the MCU Again in Major X-Men Role

    New Rumor Has Millie Bobby Brown Headed to the MCU Again in Major X-Men Role

    Millie Bobby Brown is no stranger to rumors about her involvement in MCU things. Her visit to the set of Avengers: Infinity War had fans convinced she was joining the franchise. Rumors persisted that Brown was set to play Eternals Peter Pan analogue, Sprite, and while Brown teased that she’d had discussions with Marvel Studios, that role went to Lia McHugh and Brown has spent the last several years filming Stranger Things Season 5, limiting her availability for other major projects.

    The return of the directors Anthony and Joe Russo to the MCU to helm Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars has lead to renewed rumors and speculation that Brown, who the lair directed in the Netflix’s Electric State, would join the MCU now that shes closed the book on Stranger Things. The directing duo have made no bones about their admiration for the young actress, saying they would “put her in anything” they make moving forward.

    Millie is on the list for every project. You just can’t ask for a bigger star right now. And [she is] somebody who is passionate about the work, passionate about promoting the movie, passionate about getting up every day and coming to set, making the crew feel good, she has adopted hundreds of dogs, she brings them to set with her; it is like everybody is having an emotional care day with he dogs. She is just lovely. Yeah we will put her in anything.

    -Russo Brothers

    Though there’s been no word of Brown joining the cast of either film just yet, it’s possible she’s poised to join one or both film, with additional photography planned for Doomsday this spring ahead of principal photography for Secret Wars. However, even as Marvel Studios prepares to end its current saga, work is already underway for the next, which will feature a heavy dose of mutants…and new rumor suggests that Brown may be in line for a key role as a member of the studio’s first team of X-Men.

    According to social media scooper My Time To Shine Hello, Marvel is considering casting Brown as one of the core members of the team, though stops short of naming the role.

    After several years with little to no movement, Marvel Studios X-Men reboot began to gather some momentum in the Fall of 2023 when Kevin Feige began meeting with writers to discuss pitches for the project. By April 2024, Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes writer Michael Leslie had landed the gig and rumors quickly emerged that that the MCU’s first X-Men film would feature two fan-favorite characters as the leads: Kitty Pryde and Gambit.

    In May, Thunderbolts* director Jake Schreier signed on to direct what he’s called a “complex” take on the X-Men. With the Russos rumored to be joining the Marvel Studios’ Parliament to help oversee the “Mutant Saga,” could Brown be in the mix for Kitty Pryde, a character Feige has long been rumored to want to have at the center of Marvel’s X-Men stories? She certainly carries a ton of cache with young audiences and, at 21, fits the bill for the studio’s “youth-focused reboot.” Casting on X-Men should get heated up after the New Year–it not even in the next few weeks–so this particular rumor may resolve itself one way or another relatively soon.

  • A New Rumor Suggests Wanda Maximoff Will Return for ‘Avengers: Doomsday’…But Elizabeth Olsen May Not

    A New Rumor Suggests Wanda Maximoff Will Return for ‘Avengers: Doomsday’…But Elizabeth Olsen May Not

    Despite a lengthy absence from the MCU, Elizabeth Olsen remains one of Marvel Studios’ highest-profile stars. Incredibly talented and beloved by a coven of stans rivaled only by Tom Hiddleston‘s crew, Olsen has made Wanda Maximoff one of the shared universe’s most complicated characters.

    I just wanted everything to feel like some version of an advancement, even if the advancement is someone feeling a different reaction to the pain and loss. We also haven’t seen her have a reaction to what happened in Westview. Even if we watched her go through trauma and loss, we haven’t seen her go through the loss of the children. I think, for any parent — I would assume, because I’m not one — the loss of the child would always be much harder than the loss of anyone else important in your life. I just wanted to make sure it was a constant evolution forward and not repetitive…How do we make this different but still part of the woman that we know?

    -Elizabeth Olsen

    Shaped by continued trauma, Wanda has gone from villain to hero to villain again but despite her apparent death in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, there’s still plenty more runway for the character to return to the MCU. Kevin Feige has teased a future for Wanda and Olsen has remained open to returning to the role, though despite being at the center of multiple rumors, the actress has denied involvement in any upcoming projects, including Avengers: Doomsday, saying “nothing has been agreed on” in regards to her future in the MCU. However, a new rumor has kicked up some interesting ideas online, including the potential return of the character without Olsen in the role.

    Social media scooper James Mack passed along word from a source that a “good and heroic version of the Scarlet Witch” from Earth-10005 will appear in Avengers: Doomsday. Interestingly enough, despite having a description of the character’s costume, Mack mentions he is uncertain if Olsen will be playing this new variant.

    It’s an all together wild collection of tidbits but it can’t be completely ruled out as fabrication. While Olsen does not seem to have been on set during principal photography on Avengers: Doomsday, extensive additional photography is planned to get underway early next year. With rumors that the film’s script may not have been complete while filming was underway, it’s entirely possible that Olsen…or whoever else steps into the role…might not have had to have been on set yet.

    With the Young Avengers/Champions coming together and her two, reincarnated sons counted among their number, it’s hard to imagine the character and the star behind her will be left on the sidelines for long.

  • Review: Marvel’s Greatest Cosmic Hero Is Back On Top in ‘Nova: Centurion’ #1

    In the late 1960s, Marvel Comics began to truly carve out the cosmic corner of its universe. With the Fantastic Four Galactus Trilogy, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby shifted the scope of the Marvel Universe beyond Earth-based villains and into the vastness of space. With imaginations running wild, Lee and Kirby–with the Kree hero Mar-Vell at the center–created entire civilizations complete with complex histories and mythologies all their own.

    For 15 years, Captain Marvel led the publishing house’s charge into space, introducing dozens of characters, many of whom became major players in their own right. Following 1982’s The Death of Captain Marvel, Cosmic stories continued–mostly via the mind of Jim Starlin–with characters such as Thanos, Adam Warlock and the Silver Surfer taking center stage. Starlin‘s spin strayed a bit from the traditional hero-vs.-villain dynamic, crafting a complex, almost philosophical, and ultimately symbiotic relationship between Thanos and Warlock.

    In 2006, a new era of Cosmic story telling began, one that may ultimately be counted among the House of Ideas finest hours. Primarily helmed by writers Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning, Marvel kicked off what is generally considered to be a five-part epic story. Annihilation, Annihilation: Conquest, War of Kings, Realm of Kings and The Thanos Imperative formed a continuous saga that re-established and redefined the Guardians of the Galaxy, Inhumans, Nova Corps, and other major cosmic players while elevating Peter Quill and Richard Rider to A-listers.

    While that’s not intended to be a comprehensive history of Marvel’s Cosmic continuity, it’s certainly the highlights. Though Marvel has never abandoned its Cosmic pursuits, space epics aren’t for everyone, nor can everyone write them well enough to appeal to the masses. Arguably, the biggest issue facing Marvel Comics has been its struggle to consistently leverage the legacy of Mar-Vell to sell Cosmic stories.

    Primarily due to Mar-Vell’s definitive, respected death and the subsequent proliferation of his title and power set among other characters, an overt set of challenges have complicated Marvel’s own efforts. So, for every Annihilation, there’s an Empyre, which, once again, attempted to lean into the legacy of Mar-Vell to make space fun again…and fell short once again.

    From those ashes came Jonathan Hickman‘s Imperial, which circumvents the half-hearted attempts to recognize Mar-Vell’s importance, ultimately placing his true successor back in his rightful place as Marvel’s Cosmic champion.

    Despite its efforts to make Quasar, Silver Surfer, Star-Lord and even Mar-Vell’s own offspring the next Cosmic hero, Marvel has never done better then Richard Rider and the last-reamining Nova is front-and-center again, not only headlining his own solo series since 2017.

    Under Jed MacKay, who has been perfecting his craft since 2011, Richard Rider resumes his rightful throne as the heir to Mar-Vell in Nova: Centurion #1, which sees the last remaining Nova set sail on what looks to be a stellar adventure willing to delve into the publishing house’s deep Cosmic legacy.

    The issue pulls no punches, boldly boasting Rider’s own bequest as not only Nova Prime but Marvel Comics’ Cosmic Prime.  Rider–reciting his own resume while, once again, rolling the dice–showcases his wide-range of heroic characteristics, which inarguably allows him to stand beside Steve Rogers and Thor as the most noble heroes to ever grace the pages of Marvel Comics. It’s only one issue but ’nuff said: MacKay gets right to the core of Rider, allowing him to shine like the Supernova he is.

    With Imperial, Hickman did as he does, resetting the board by cleverly crafting a story from a corner where nobody was looking. That story resulted in a new Cosmic order in which Rider found himself on the outside looking in…and that’s always where the man has done his best work. Nova: Centurion #1 picks up with Rider–the last Nova–smartly using the terrors of space against it to save a cruise vessel before revealing the dire nature of his circumstances. And before you know it, MacKay‘s alchemical first issue pays homage to prior iterations of the Cosmic glory days, pairing Rider with the hedonistic Starlin-era scoundrel Pip the Troll while bringing Annihilation-era sideckick-turned-space bandit Cammi back into the fold as a mystery surrounding the Hickman-era X-Men precious metal mysterium points Nova in the direction of one of his old foes.

    All any reader can glean from a new #1 is a glimmer of hope that the series is in good hands and on the right track. MacKay‘s Nova Centurion #1 deftly blends what’s probably nostalgia, though it might be too obscure for many readers to notice, with the best parts of modern Marvel to put the Human Rocket back in the driver’s seat and promise an adventure worth a second chapter.

  • DC Studios’ Next Streaming Series Officially Delayed

    DC Studios’ Next Streaming Series Officially Delayed

    All signs point to DC Studios’ HBO Max streaming series Lanterns having quite a bit going for it. Led by what DC Studios’ co-chair James Gunn labeled as a crack team of writers, the project has begun to sound more and more like a potential prestige series for HBO. After nabbing Kyle Chandler to portray Hal Jordan, the studio landed star-in-the-making Aaron Pierre to play John Stewart.

    Lanterns will see Pierre‘s Stewart, who the actor says “radiates strength and fortitude,” being prepped as a replacement for Hal Jordan which, as one might expect, will cause some friction between the two. They’ll have to get over that quickly, however, as they’ll have to take on one of DC’s darkest villains, the Black Hand, and probably deal with some nonsense from potential Legion of Doomer Sinestro, played by Ulrich Thomsen.

    According to Gunn, the show will feature Lanterns who “find this ancient horror on Earth, and these guys are basically supercops on “Precinct Earth.” It sounds like it’ll be one helluva ride…but it looks as though fans will have to wait a bit to take it.

    Originally intended to stream in in spring or early summer 2026, the series has now officially been delayed to the “end of summer 2026.”

    Gunn previously described Lanterns as playing a “really big role leading us into the main story” of the DCU’s Chapter One: Gods and Monsters while DC Studios’ co-chair Peter Safran as a “terrestrial-based investigation story” in the vein of True Detective. As it stands now, the series will follow Supergirl‘s theatrical release and is currently the only streaming project on the DC Studios slate.

    Source: The Wrap

  • ‘Daredevil: Born Again’: Bullseye’s Full (Mostly) Comic-Accurate Suit Has Been Revealed

    ‘Daredevil: Born Again’: Bullseye’s Full (Mostly) Comic-Accurate Suit Has Been Revealed

    Following the takeover of New York City by Mayor “Kingpin” at the end of Season 1 of Daredevil: Born Again, Matt Murdock vowed to out together an army to stop his archenemy from destroying the city. Whole the new season was a hit, it felt frustrating at times, surely in part to it being almost entirely overhauled in mid-production. According to one of the show’s producers, Sana Amanat, any issues that impacted Season 1 were not an issue while making the sophomore season.

    “The landscape was open, and that was so liberating,” said Amanat in an interview with Empire. “We were like, &We can do whatever we want.’” And part of that looks increasingly like a team-up between Charlie Cox‘s Daredevil and Wilson Bethel‘s Bullseye.

    Photos from the NYC set showed the two apparently working together while also providing fairly clear looks at their updated Season 2 costumes. Recently leaked promo art gave a much better look at the costumes, revealing some comic accurate details on Dex’s new gear but nothing quite so comic-accurate as a second leak which clearly shows the character’s traditional logo on his mask.

    https://twitter.com/variablelace/status/1990525409700852052?t=Aka2yng4nt4ejHOOOXL3kQ&s=19

    While it’s clearly a much more subdued color scheme than the drastic black and white contrast, it is unmistakable. With a show (and fanbase) so unbelievably obsessed with darkness, it’s probably as close as we’ll get to the outlandish Bullseye costume from the comics but it’s a solid step forward from the first iteration.

    Source: Empire

  • Mayday, Mayday: Mystery Surrounding Sadie Sink’s Role Takes a New Twist as Star Joins ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’

    Months after being cast in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Sadie Sink‘s role is still the subject of speculation among fans and insiders. Reports and rumors have pegged the Stranger Things star as Jean Grey, Mayday Parker, Gwen Stacey and even the shape-shifting insectoid deity Shathra. Even after appearing on set in the UK, Sink’s role remains a mystery and how it’s taken a new twist.

    According to Deadline’s Baz Bamigboye, Sink has joined the cast of “the next Avengers picture.”

    Spider-Man: Brand New Day is scheduled to open on July 31. There has been much speculation about the role Sink has in the Spidey film, and frankly, I do not know the answer, but I do know that she’ll join the cast of the next Avengers picture that shoots here in London later in 2026.

    -Baz Bamigboye

    Though Bamigboye’s wording obfuscates the message to some extent, it would seem as though he’s referring to Avengers: Secret Wars which is, of course, NOT the “next Avengers picture,” but will shoot “later in 2026.” Of course, with the Russos preparing to shoot additional photography on Avengers: Doomsday early next year, it is possible Sink will appear in that film instead–or in both!

    The news certainly calls into question the nature of Sink’s role and would seem to launch Jean Grey and Mayday Parker back to the top of the list. The latter becomes especially interesting with the recent report of Tobey Maguire returning to the MCU in Avengers: Doomsday. Whatever the case, while surprising, it’s not shocking that the studio has cast an actress of Sink’s caliber and demand in something more than a one-off.

    Source: Deadline

  • Additional ‘Man of Tomorrow’ Casting Info Intensifies Wonder Woman Buzz

    Additional ‘Man of Tomorrow’ Casting Info Intensifies Wonder Woman Buzz

    On the heels of a report that DC Studios was searching for a character believed to be Wonder Woman for a key role in Man of Tomorrow, a second report has surfaced containing additional details about the role.

    Following the initial report by insider Daniel Richtman, Nexus Point News has come through with some new information that certainly makes the new character sound like Wonder Woman. Take a quick look at a breakdown of the key points:

    • Late 20s
    • Has “an edge to her”
    • Height requirement/taller actresses
    • Strong physique
    • Character is a warrior

    As NPN pointed out, though the description does lend itself to Diana, there are indeed other tall, female warriors that could be pulled from the deep DC Comics roster. However, with a Wonder Woman film on the way, having the character appear in Man of Tomorrow does seems relatively sensible.

    Source: Nexus Point News

  • New Casting Information for ‘Man of Tomorrow’ May Point to Another of DC’s Trinity Joining the Battle Against Brainiac

    New Casting Information for ‘Man of Tomorrow’ May Point to Another of DC’s Trinity Joining the Battle Against Brainiac

    After months of speculation that the sadistic supervillain Brainiac would finally make his big screen debut in DC Studios Man of Tomorrow, a trade report confirmed the Coluan Collector of Worlds would indeed serve as the catalyst bringing Superman and Lex Luthor together. With Hawkgirl confirmed to return and other heroes such as Supergirl and John Stewart also believed to be joining the fray, plenty of Superfriends will be on hand to assist in the battle against Brainiac. However, new casting information has fans believing another hero might be set to appear as well and if speculation is correct, it’s one of DC’s heaviest hitters.

    …a story about Lex Luthor and Superman having to work together to a certain degree against a much, much bigger threat.

    -James Gunn on Man of Tomorrow
    Following a report from insider Daniel Richtman that DC Studios is searching for an actress in her 20s for a major role in Man of Tomorrow, speculation is growing that Wonder Woman will make her DCU debut in the film.

    It’s important to note that Richtman’s report doesn’t provide anywhere near enough information to determine that the female character will be Wonder Woman. However, with DC Studios co-chair James Gunn recently saying that the character was crucial to the success of the fledgling shared universe and that a script for a new Wonder Woman project by Ana Nogueria was in the works, it’s not the worst guess.

    With principal photography on Man of Tomorrow set to kick off in April, casting is certainly underway, so if the character is indeed Wonder Woman, expect trades to get on the case soon and try to figure out what actresses are in the mix for the role.

  • Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man Reportedly Set to Return in ‘Avengers: Doomsday’

    Tobey Maguire‘s appearance in Spider-Man: No Way Home was rumored long before the film opened in theaters but despite plenty of legitimate proof that the star was in the film, legions of fans refused to believe it until he walked through his portal. And while folks may not have believed Maguire was part of the project, it turned out he and Andrew Garfield were instrumental in pulling things together.

    The film’s writers, Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers, revealed that Maguire and Garfield had significant input on the way their characters shaped the film, making sure the focus stayed on Tom Holland‘s Peter while the other two Spideys helped Holland on his journey.

    He was really excited to be back. You could tell it really meant a lot to him. Him putting the suit on again. Us getting back together. It was awesome.

    -Tom Holland on Tobey Maguire’s return as Spider-Man

    Since the film, fans have become fascinated with the idea of seeing more of Maguire‘s Spidey, whether back in the MCU or in a fourth Sam Raimi Spider-Man film. While the latter remains an intriguing option, a new report indicates that Maguire will be suiting up again quite soon.

    According to insider Daniel Richtman, Tobey Maguire‘s Spider-Man will appear in Avengers: Doomsday, set to be in theaters in December 18, 2026.

    Maguire’s name has been floated for both Doomsday and the follow-up, Avengers Secret Wars, for some time now. The possibility of Maguire sharing the screen with members of the Avengers, Fantastic Four, X-Men–specifically Hugh Jackman‘s Wolverine–seems to appeal to audiences. Richtman’s report doesn’t indicate if that’s set to happen in Doomsday or if Maguire is expected to return for Secret Wars but with Incursions ending universes, there’s a pretty clear entry point for just about any character into the next two films.