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  • Sandrine Holt Could Be Playing One of Wolverine’s Shadiest Associates in ‘Daredevil: Born Again’

    Sandrine Holt Could Be Playing One of Wolverine’s Shadiest Associates in ‘Daredevil: Born Again’

    The cast of Daredevil: Born Again is rounding out fairly quickly as business in Hollywood gets close to wrapping up for 2022. Over the past week, four major additions have been made to the cast. One of the latest additions to the cast was 24 and House of Cards alumn Sandrine Holt, who was cast to play a South Asian character in the series. Trade reports of her casting indicated she may be a possible love interest for one of the series leads (Charlie Cox or Vincent D’Onofrio) and while that may be the case, her character will be formidable in the series and Holt’s contract seems to include options for her to appear in other MCU projects. While the internet went wild theorizing who Holt might be, most of the guesses were drawn from a pretty shallow pool of characters who are well associated with Daredevil or Kingpin. However, given the scope of Daredevil: Born Again, it’s possible that Holt might be playing someone from outside Hell’s Kitchen. In fact, she might be playing someone who’s as far from Hell’s Kitchen as it gets.

    Over the course of its 18-episode season, Daredevil: Born Again is rumored to eventually find Wilson Fisk running for Mayor of New York City. That’s a pretty tall order for a guy who was working out of a garage and running the Tracksuit Mafia before being shot in the face in the season finale of Hawkeye. Part of Fisk’s arc to becoming Mayor of NYC may take place in Echo, which is rumored to feature another gang known as the Black Knife Cartel, but fans should expect most of that arc to take place in Born Again. Whatever the case with Fisk, he certainly can’t be running for Mayor while most of income can be traced to organized crime. Even the Kingpin might need to clean some of that money to look legit and in the MCU, there’s one place where that kind of business gets done on the daily: Madripoor.

    First visited in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, Madripoor is a criminal safehaven located in Southeast Asia where, for the most part, anything goes. Run by Sharon Carter, aka the Power Broker, Madripoor has plenty of crime, organized and otherwise, and was shown to be big into cryptocurrency. Cryptocurrency has become the modern hub for money laundering and in the MCU, it wouldn’t be hard to believe that Madripoor could be the hub for laundering. Should Kingpin be in the market for such a racket, one particular character who is a major player on the island nation in the comics comes to mind quickly.

    Jessán Hoan is exactly the kind of criminal Wilson Fisk might find himself turning to in order to clean a boatload of money quickly. A financial genius who once worked at her family’s major international bank, Hoan wound up in Madripoor where she quickly rose up the ranks, ultimately becoming the island’s overlord: the Queenpin of Madripoor. Better known as Tyger Tiger, Hoan is a known associate of Wolverine, or Patch as he calls himself on the island, and owns the Princess Bar that he so loved to frequent. Ruthless and brilliant, Tyger Tiger is just the type of associate Fisk would seek out.

    Is Holt Playing Tyger Tiger?

    It is certainly one option, but given the lack of information on the character, it’s impossible to tell. Given there’s only one South Asian location that’s currently established within the Marvel Cinematic Universe and that Holt is playing a South Asian character, there’s at least one potential link to Tyger Tiger. The character is also described as “confident”, “knowledgable” and willing to say what’s on her mind. Those descriptors all certainly match the comic’s presentation of Tyger Tiger. While there’s no comic book history between Tyger Tiger and Kingpin, the MCU isn’t exactly known for keeping to the pages of the comics these days. Madripoor exists. It’s the kind of place a guy like Fisk would certainly know about and depending on how they wish to film it, Fisk might not even have to visit The Princess Bar: Tyger Tiger could visit him in NYC. A return trip to Madripoor and a look around the Princess Bar would be pretty fantastic, though, and could easily be done while filming in New York City.

    As is always the case when guessing at the identity of an unknown character, it’s more likely Holt is anyone else other than Tyger Tiger; however, Tyger Tiger is one intriguing option for Sandrine Holt, who is likely to return to the MCU down the line.

    Who else could Holt be playing? We’d love to hear your ideas on Twitter.

  • Star-Lord Cannot Die in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’

    Star-Lord Cannot Die in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’

    Somebody(s) will die in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. James Gunn has promised an emotional conclusion to his trilogy and we know that the film is the last ride for this version of the Guardians. Vegas should probably open the betting line on who fans think will die in the film (maybe they already have) and pretty much any death will pack a heavy emotional punch, but there’s one character who should have a lot more gas in the tank in the future of the MCU: Star-Lord. Marvel Studios Peter Quill absolutely cannot die in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.

    Putting aside the argument that could be made about just how hard it might be to actually kill Peter Quill in the first place, Quill needs to survive the events of the final entry in Gunn’s trilogy. Quill has already proven himself among the universe’s greatest heroes, saving Xandar from destruction at the hands of Ronan, participating in the Battle of Titan and the Battle of Earth; however, should Marvel Studios so choose, Quill’s best days could still be ahead of him as well as one of his greatest friendships.

    Surviving Vol. 3 would also mean that whatever comes next for Quill would come from someone other than James Gunn. Gunn has carefully crafted Quill’s arc over the course of the 3 Guardians films and had input into the character’s appearances in Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame and Thor: Love and Thunder. Should he survive Vol 3., allowing a new team of creatives to put him on a new path might not be a terrible choice. Chris Hemsworth has indicated that being allowed to reinvent the character has kept him interested in coming back for more adventures as Thor, so it’s possible that Chris Pratt might find a similar chance equally as intriguing. To that end, having Quill go on some solo adventures through the galaxy, as he did in his early days in the comics might result in just that sort of shift in characterization Or, should they be so bold, they could follow Al Ewing’s recent Master of the Sun arc. These solo adventures could be the subject of one of Marvel Studios Special Presentations or a Disney Plus series. Going on a series of solo adventures could be just the type of change Quill might need before facing his biggest adventures yet.

    Over the course of Marvel Studios Infinity Saga, the ebbs and flows of the relationship between Tony Stark and Steve Rogers helped push the plot of the shared narrative going. The tension first felt in Avengers erupted in Captain America: Civil War and left Earth without its Mightiest Heroes when it needed them most. As Marvel Studios moves deeper into its Multiverse Saga and beyond and, hopefully, look to develop more stories in the cosmic corner, a similar relationship could develop between Quill and another cosmic hero who is set to enter the MCU soon: Nova. While Nova was a central figure in Marvel Comics’ modern cosmic comics, Star-Lord was right there beside him most of the time and the two developed a rivalry and a friendship worthy of being told on the screen. While Quill has already done his fair share of saving the universe, pairing him up with Nova as they face threats such as Annihilus and a war that threatens to destroy the galaxy echo the Stark-Rogers relationship and fuel the future of the MCU’s cosmic stories.

    Completing such an arc would likely require Pratt to sign on for another decade or so of MCU projects. At age 43, he’d be playing Star-Lord into his mid-50s, putting him in the company of Robert Downey Jr. who was 53 years old when Avengers: Endgame was released. As Pratt ages, his perspective on playing the character would likely shift, allowing him to find corners of the character he may not have been able to explore 8 years ago when Guardians of the Galaxy hit theaters. In this way, it seems that both Pratt and Quill may have more to give, allowing one of Marvel Studios’ most beloved heroes to keep on keeping on. If Marvel Studios decides to invest as heavily in the cosmos as it did on Earth in the Infinity Saga, Star-Lord absolutely has to be along for the ride. For that reason, Star-Lord cannot die in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. There’s too much left in the tank both in terms of stories to be told and character development to let Pratt and Star-Lord fade away.

  • All-Star Ensemble Cast Set for ‘Book of Clarence’

    All-Star Ensemble Cast Set for ‘Book of Clarence’

    An elite cast of Hollywood names has been announced to join Jeymes Samuel’s second feature film, Book of Clarence. Benedict Cumberbatch, James McAvoy, Anna Diop, David Oyelowo, RJ Cyler, Alfre Woodard, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Caleb McLaughlin, Eric Kofi Abrefa, Babs Olusanmokun, and Tom Glynn-Carney are set to join LaKeith Stanfield and Omar Sy in roles for the film. Book of Clarence has officially just now begun its production in Italy.

    Book of Clarence is based on Biblical-era epics that used to be a tried and true genre in Hollywood. The story follows Clarence, played by Stanfield, in an attempt to capitalize himself as a celebrity off the back of the Messiah. The film is said to be an exploration of the themes of faith and how it can come from unexpected places.

    The film is being produced by Legendary Pictures and will be one of the first films from the studio following its new deal with Sony Pictures. The film is to be released theatrically, unlike Samuel’s debut film, The Harder They Fall, which was a Netflix original. With The Harder They Fall playing as a pastiche to classic Western film, it will be interesting to follow if Jeymes Samuel can do the same with this genre of vintage Hollywood history. Based on the directorial style he brought in his debut and mixed with the all-star cast assembled, one would think that this has the potential to be another success story for the young director.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • ‘Ghostbuster: Afterlife’ Sequel Lands Director; Jason Reitman Returns to Co-Write

    ‘Ghostbuster: Afterlife’ Sequel Lands Director; Jason Reitman Returns to Co-Write

    Earlier this year, Sony slated a sequel to 2021’s Ghostbusters: Afterlife for a December 20, 2023 release. Right on time, the studio has now found a director for the film in Oscar nominee Gil Kenan. Afterlife director Jason Reitman, whose father Ivan created the franchise with 1984’s Ghostbusters, will produce and co-write the sequel with Kenan, who also shared script duties for the first film.

    In a statement published by Deadline, Kenan confirmed his involvement with the film:

    It’s an absolute honor to pick up the proton pack and step behind the camera for the next chapter of the Spengler family saga. I just wish I could go back to 1984 and tell the kid in the sixth row of the Mann Valley West that one day he was going to get to direct a Ghostbusters film.”

    Gil Kenan

    Kenan’s directorial debut was 2006’s Monster House, which was nominated for 2007’s Best Animated Feature Film. Kenan also directed the 2015 Poltergeist reboot as well as one episode of Scream: The TV Series. The Afterlife sequel will be the second film on which Kenan will serve as both writer and director, joining 2021’s A Boy Called Christmas.

    The trade report indicates that Afterlife stars Paul Rudd and Carrie Coon are expected to return and that the sequel will make good on the post-credit scene that saw Ernie Hudson’s Winston Zeddemore returning to New York City hinting at the future of the franchise.

    Source: Deadline

  • Ezra Miller’s ‘The Flash’ Shuffles Its Release Date Again

    Ezra Miller’s ‘The Flash’ Shuffles Its Release Date Again

    DC’s The Flash will now open one week earlier than previously expected, moving to June 16, 2023. The film, which was originally slated to hit theaters on March 23, 2018, is now on its seventh release date since being announced.

    The film has been a considerable source of controversy as star Ezra Miller was at the center of a series of increasingly bizarre scenarios. Amid these scenarios, rumors have swirled about a potential recasting but at the same time, early screenings of the film have been generally positively received.

    According to director Andy Muschetti, the film will be an adaptation of the iconic DC Comic story Flashpoint, though not a one-to-one page-to-screen translation. Principal photography for The Flash ran from April through October of 2021. The most recent move gives the DC film one more week to breathe ahead of the release of Indiana Jones and The Dial of Destiny, which is slated for a June 30th debut.

  • Amazon’s ‘God of War’ Live-Action Series Should Adapt 2018’s Original Pitch

    Amazon’s ‘God of War’ Live-Action Series Should Adapt 2018’s Original Pitch

    God of War Ragnarok has just recently released and the withdrawal is already setting in. Who knows when we can expect a new entry into the franchise, especially with how little direct teases there are of what a future entry might bring. Many believe we’re about to visit another pantheon, though the question remains if our Greek former God of War will remain the series’ sole focus. There are a lot of questions, but one thing is for certain: we have a live-action series in some form of production heading our way at some point in the future.

    In early 2021, we had our own theories on how they could simply retell the original God of War trilogy with the many subplots from the spinoffs sprinkled throughout. An official announcement wouldn’t follow until March of 2022, where it was revealed that Amazon has been eyeing the chance to adapt the franchise themselves. We haven’t heard anything on the project since, not even news on if they might already be pitching for a showrunner to tackle the adaptation based on Santa Monica Studio’sgaming series.

    While we continue our wait for any hint at God of War‘s future, it’s the perfect time to revisit what may have been.Going down the rabbit hole of Cory Balrog‘s initial pitch of potentially setting the story in Egypt with Kratos stumbling upon a boy that he’d start building a connection with. Eventually, they would go with Norse mythology and scrapped the original plans. Atreus would end up becoming his actual son and Santa Monica offered a heartwarming storyline about coming to grips with one being more than the sum of your mistakes.

    While we may visit Egypt in the next God of War game, it sparked the idea that this unexplored story would be perfect for the live-action adaptation.While many would want to explore Kratos’ journey starting in Greece, there’s something interesting about exploring what may have been through a new adaptation. Not only would it help the live-action series stand out from what came before, but it could even be a way to focus on Kratos’ most interesting story arc without simply retracing the same ground as the 2018 game did.

    Kratos was quite a one-note yet badass character in the original Greek Saga. So, he may not be as enthralling as a main character by just going on his usual revenge-filled path. Yet, using a new setting with an ash-covered stranger may open the door to catching an audience that has no idea what God of War actually is. Most adaptations are dependent on making changes to adapt to the new medium while also easing in viewers to pre-existing stories.

    Exploring Kratos’ exhausting travels and desperate of leaving his mistakes in Greece creates a curious mystery for new viewers. Sprinkled as flashbacks throughout the series’ run, we see what exactly transpired between the Ghost of Sparta and the Greek pantheon. While players might know the exact events, it creates an interesting mystery for newbies of the franchise. We also get a more human element in him trying to build a connection with the boy he found lost in the desert’s sands.

    Their journey forces them to survive in a location that barely gives them resources, putting the former god in a position where even he needs time to truly embrace his former strength. The young boy has no idea who the stranger is that found him, but sees his best chance of survival alongside the man with the red tattoos. Even as they have their disagreements, once the Egyptian pantheon catches on that a God Killer has entered their realm and they won’t just rest to let him do whatever he wants.

    Unlike the Norse Saga, they don’t have a pre-existing bond as father and child, which means that there’s even more distrust to whoever the stranger might be and what his intentions are. Perhaps they may build upon a similar twist of the first games’ Loki reveal with the kid having a connection to the pantheon. Perhaps a young exiled god that was hoping to find his purpose but one mistake led to him alone in the desert.

    Little did Kratos know, he may have a fellow God of War by his side as the young boy reveals to be named Montu. At least he has that role in the original mythology and given Kratos’ arrival he ends up pushed into a new direction. The franchise’s modern interpretations have focused on discovering the meaning of war and its many facets. Plus, it would end up as a fun twist on the title being not only about the man that arrived in the deserts but also the fate of the boy from the dune’s of godhood.

    Of course, whoever may end up getting the chance to develop a series based on God of War will likely stick to its Greek origins as it gives them the chance to explore Kratos at his peak. Any adaptation similar to the game will get a lot of eyes on it, especially with how impressive the set pieces were. Yet, there’s something so special about the modern take that offers a strong emotional core. Plus, just retreading old ground seems like a waste if you have someone like Kratos that can travel from one pantheon to the next by just repeating what the games have already done.

  • ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Adds Margarita Levieva and Sandrine Holt in Major Roles

    ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Adds Margarita Levieva and Sandrine Holt in Major Roles

    The time has come, as we’re getting our first real casting announcement for the upcoming Disney+ continuation of Daredevil, Daredevil: Born Again. Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio are the only known cast to return with Matt Corman and Chris Ord acting as showrunners on the new adaptation of the iconic Man Without Fear. Deadline has just revealed that they have cast Margarita Levieva and Sandrine Holt in major roles, which are even described to potentially be love interests for the leads.

    Yes, you read that correctly for both leads. It does raise the question if potentially one of them might be a recasting for Vanessa, the Kingpin’s long-time lover from the comics and the original Netflix series where she was played by Ayelet Zurer. There’s still the big question if we’ll see other actors from that series return and this casting does raise some questions on how Marvel Studios will tackle their take on the character.

    Levieva is no stranger to Disney+ series, as she has also recently been cast in the Star Wars series The Acolyte. Perhaps her involvement with that project caught the attention of Marvel Studios, who always had a habit of casting rising stars. Holt has made a name for herself in American Gigolo, but has an extensive TV background with House of Cards, Better Call Saul, The Expanse, MacGyver, and many more. With this casting out, there’s a good chance we might hear more about additional cast members in the near future as the series gets ready for production.

    Source: Deadline

  • Margot Robbie is All In to Explore Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy’s Relationship in Live-Action

    Margot Robbie is All In to Explore Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy’s Relationship in Live-Action

    Harley Quinn has gone through many iterations throughout the years and became a cornerstone of DC Comics. It’s quite curious if you consider that she wasn’t originally a character introduced as part of the comics but rather the animated series Batman: The Animated Series. Still, she has seen a big surge in popularity when she was brought to live action by the always incredible Margot Robbie.

    In an interview with ComicBook.com’s Jamie Jirak, she got the chance to talk about a story line she always wanted to explore in the live-action DC universe and that is Quinn’s romance with Poison Ivy. While it seems there are no exact plans, she’s definitely excited to give that romance a chance eventually in a project.

    I have been pushing for that for years, I cannot tell you how hard I’ve pushed for that. I honestly when I picture it, I always picture Poison Ivy in the comics, don’t picture an actress doing it.

    Margot Robbie

    The fact she only pictures Poison Ivy from the comics is interesting, but perhaps Jirak‘s question inspired her to explore ideas of who might be perfect int he role. With James Gunn having now taken on this new role as the co-head of DC Studios, perhaps we’ll get a chance to explore this romance sooner rather than later.

    Source: Twitter

  • Zoe Saldana Says Working With Marvel Studios Is Like ‘A Cult’

    Zoe Saldana Says Working With Marvel Studios Is Like ‘A Cult’

    At this point, Zoe Saldana is a superhero veteran. The actress has been playing Gamora, reformed daughter of Thanos and the universe’s deadliest assassin, since 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy. Since debuting as the character, Saldana has gone on to reprise her role in four more films, with the latest effort being Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 – next year’s grand conclusion to Marvel Studios’ space-faring trilogy. Her future with the company past this point is currently unknown, though she has quickly become a favorite among fans who would probably love if she stuck around.

    While the thespian herself has yet to comment on what comes after Vol. 3, a recent appearance on the hit YouTube series Hot Ones shed some light on how she feels working for a massive studio like Marvel. Speaking on her unique experience portraying an alien warrior in multiple blockbuster movies, she explained:

    When you work for Marvel, it feels like a cult, everybody’s like, ‘What’s going on? I’m dressed in green after four hours in makeup, we must be shooting something, what is it?’ [Laughs] That has advantages and disadvantages, the advantages are you savor the surprise for the end, and you don’t ruin it and the audience is able to have an amazing adventure when they go to the movies to watch it. The disadvantage is mainly for the actor, because you don’t know what you’re getting, you don’t know where you’re going, you don’t know what you’re saying, you don’t know what’s going to happen, and that can be a little nerve-wracking.

    Zoe Saldana

    Many performers who’ve played in the Marvel Cinematic Universe sandbox have spoken on their unconventional style of filmmaking in the past. The studio tends to film several projects at once, and enjoys keeping as much of their work secret as possible. As a result, actors are often left in the dark about scenes they’re not in, and sometimes aren’t even sure which project they’re filming for. Saldana lays out the pros and cons of this system pretty well, and her joking spirit seems to indicate the process isn’t actually all that bad. Perhaps just a tad unusual for those more accustomed to doing one thing at a time.

    Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 hits theaters on May 5th, 2023, but Saldana can next be seen reprising an entirely different blockbuster role when Avatar: The Way of Water arrives on December 16th.

    Source: Hot Ones

  • HBO Max and Discovery+ Merger May Simply be Named “Max”

    HBO Max and Discovery+ Merger May Simply be Named “Max”

    You read that title correctly, but it seems a name has potentially been found for the merging of two streaming giants. If you’ve questioned Warner Bros. Discovery’ overall direction since CEO David Zaslav took over, it seems that their plans to simply title the merger of HBO Max and Discovery+ “Max” is a curious choice. The plans are to launch it in the near future, but there are still many questions on what their focus is moving forward.

    HBO Max and Discovery+ were infamously compared with very distinct focus groups, and the Discovery head has no interest to truly invest into creatives if there’s no clear return on investment. AS such, his main focus with streaming will be to push cheap content that can draw in a massive crowd. So, reality TV is definiteley on their radar, such as when they shared with pride their 90 Day Fiance Universe tagline during an earnings call after the merger.

    The source from CNBC has pointed that the company’s lawyer is currently vetting the name, which isn’t the definite name as of now. They may have other ideas on the table, but it’s surprisng they aren’t trying to bank on the Warner Bros. brand if they are moving away from HBO. Supposedly, they are taking inspiration from Disney+’s design with brand focused sections. It will be interesting if they keep some of the elements alive from the original streaming services, especially with HBO Max being among the most visually stunning.

    Source: CNBC