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  • New Rumor Adds Another Hero to the Roster in ‘Daredevil: Born Again ‘

    New Rumor Adds Another Hero to the Roster in ‘Daredevil: Born Again ‘

    Daredevil: Born Again looks primed to be Marvel Studios most anticipated streaming series to date. Between the confirmed roles of Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio and the rumored return of Jon Bernthal as The Punisher, the hype around the series has grown steadily since it was revealed by Kevin Feige at SDCC ’22.

    Though the show doesn’t go into production for another few months and little about the plot has leaked out, Feige has indicated that Daredevil, along with Spider-Man, will lead the charge of street-level heroes in the MCU. To that end, a new rumor from a wildly inconsistent source claims that another street-level hero from the pages of the Marvel Comics will be making an appearance in Daredevil: Born Again. According to GFR, White Tiger will join Daredevil in the streaming series.

    The mantle of White Tiger has been carried by several characters over the years and Matt Murdock has a pretty solid history with a pair of them in Hector Ayala and Angela del Toro. The rumor claims that Marvel Studios has landed Jenna Ortega for the role, meaning Daredevil: Born Again will likely feature del Toro’s version of the character, who played a large role in and around New York City in the years prior to the Shadowland event.

    This is the part of the article where outlets tell you to take the information with a grain of salt; however, I’ll only say that not only does White Tiger make sense for an 18-episode street-level series but also that the character was mentioned to me this week in two different conversations, though at no point were actors discussed.

    Should Ortega indeed land the role, it would be her second within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Ortega previously played the daughter of Miguel Ferrer’s Vice President Rodriguez in 2013’s Iron Man 3. Cue the ridiculous fan theories. Daredevil: Born Again begins production in February of 2023 ahead of a 2024 release on Disney Plus.

    Source: GFR

  • All Hail The King! Winston Duke Confirms M’Baku’s New Role in the MCU

    All Hail The King! Winston Duke Confirms M’Baku’s New Role in the MCU

    Winston Duke’s star has been on the rise for over half a decade. Duke is best known for his roles in Black Panther and Us and for his thick thighs, which have made him an ongoing source of social media thirst. After garnering attention as M’Baku in Black Panther and Avengers: Infinity War, Duke’s role was beefed up significantly for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, where he served as an advisor to Queen Ramonda and Princess Shuri. The film’s final moments seemed to indicate that M’Baku may have taken on an even more significant role in Wakanda and now the star has confirmed it in an interview with Esquire. Spoilers to follow…

    The final moments of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever see Shuri, who became the Queen of Wakanda following the death of her mother, Ramonda, head to Haiti to be with her nephew, Prince T’Challa, and his mother, Nakia. Being in Haiti, she is not able to be present at Warrior Falls when M’Baku “challenges” her for the throne, seemingly allowing M’Baku to become King of Wakanda, though clearly with Shuri’s blessing. Though it seemed pretty clear, fans have questioned the outcome on social media but Duke came by to put those questions down, saying of the moment “Yeah, it’s kind of cool to be revealed asM the King of Wakanda at the end of the movie. That’s huge. So whatever that entails, it’s gonna be a fun one.”

    Though M’Baku sits the throne of Wakanda, Shuri remains the Black Panther. The post-credit scene would seem to indicate that she’s determined that her role as Protector of Wakanda is better filled in Haiti where she’s able to look to the safety of Prince T’Challa. Whether Marvel Studios ever intends to follow the story of the Prince’s claim to the throne or if the PCS simply serves to make good on the film’s subtitle and show that the Royal Family of Wakanda will live on for another generation isn’t clear. But having the Thigh King become the King of Wakanda is a brilliant way to show that part of T’Challa’s legacy was reuniting the long-fractured nation of Wakanda.

    Source: Esquire

  • Marvel EP Nate Moore Says ‘Armor Wars’ Was Too Big for D+

    Marvel EP Nate Moore Says ‘Armor Wars’ Was Too Big for D+

    After having been announced as a streaming series at Disney’s 2020 Investor Day presentation, it was recently revealed that the Don Cheadle vehicle Armor Wars was changing gears and being developed as a feature film. Other than the idea that the events of Armor Wars will spin out of the 2023 streaming series Secret Invasion, Marvel Studios hasn’t let much slip about what to expect from the project. However, in an interview with Matt Belloni, Marvel Studios Executive Producer and Parliament member Nate Moore gave some insight into how its development involved and what fans can expect.

    First and foremost, Moore made it clear that the series became “too big” of a project for the streaming service.

    “Yeah, I mean in that case, there were some great ideas that were coming out for that show but that, to be quite honest, felt too big for that show.”

    Nate Moore

    When asked if “too big” referred to budget constraints or the scope of the story, Moore elaborated.

    Kind of both. Kind of conceptually and from a… Our Disney+ shows are awesome and we love them, but the budgets are not the same as the features, that’s not secret. And when you’re talking about a show that wants to be about seeing all the cool armors, and Don Cheadle interacting with all these armors, and the legacy of Tony Stark, that became cost-prohibitive to do as a show.

    Nate Moore

    Moore went on to explain that the large role Armor Wars is set to play in the future of the MCU also weighed heavily into the decision to shift the story to the big screen.

    And we realized as a feature, not only can we get into some of the beautiful imagery that is from publishing and there’s certainly an Armor Wars run, but also there’s ways then to leverage the ideas of that movie that affect other movies down the line. So it becomes a multiplication really of, once you figure out what is cool about something…

    Nate Moore

    Given Marvel Studios’ theatrical slate is pretty full for the next several years, it’s not clear exactly when Armor Wars will make its way onto it, though with the story seeming to serve as a follow-up to Secret Invasion and a bridge to projects beyond it, it would seem Marvel Studios wouldn’t want to wait too long.

    Source: The Town with Matthew Belloni

  • Angela Kang Boards Sony and Amazon’s ‘Silk: Spider Society’

    Angela Kang Boards Sony and Amazon’s ‘Silk: Spider Society’

    Amazon and Sony are officially looking to expand the Spider-Man universe on the small screen with Silk officially a go. After first being announced in September 2020, the series seemed to land Watchmen‘s Tom Spezialy as its showrunner. However, The Walking Dead‘s Angela Kang is now overseeing the project for both Sony and Amazon/MGM. The project has also received a new title in Silk: Spider Society.

    Kang, who was originally set to showrun the upcoming Norman Reedus-led The Walking Dead spinoff, has since moved her overall deal to Amazon. Kang exited the spinoff series earlier this year after Melissa McBride exited the project. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Kang’s overall deal with Amazon has been in the works for a bit now, and that is why she ultimately exited that project. Regarding the move, Kang expressed her excitement over both getting to work on Silk: Spider Society, as well as other various projects for Amazon.

    “I’m beyond thrilled to be joining the Amazon Studios family for this next chapter of my career. I look forward to working with the executive team on diverse, character-forward, watercooler shows for a global audience and am so excited to dive in to my first challenge — bringing Korean-American superhero Silk to life on screen.”

    In a statement to the press, Sony Television president, Katherine Pope, expressed excitement over working with Amy Pascal, Phil Lord, Chris Miller and Kang to bring Cindy Moon’s story to life in live-action. She also revealed that the series will debut domestically on MGM+ before hitting Prime Video globally.

    “We can’t wait to bring the adventures of Cindy Moon to life, thanks to the creative dream team of Chris and Phil, Angela and Amy, along with our partners at Marvel and Amazon. We know this exciting series with new and never-before-seen characters and storylines will wow audiences watching first on linear MGM+ and then around the world on Prime Video.”

    Silk: Spider Society is the first of many series being developed by Sony as the studio looks to expand its Spider-Man universe on the small screen. As of now, it’s unknown what other projects are in development, although THR has teased that characters from Into the Spider-Verse might be on the table.

    Source: THR.

  • ‘DISENCHANTED:’ Director Adam Shankman on the Long-Awaited Sequel

    ‘DISENCHANTED:’ Director Adam Shankman on the Long-Awaited Sequel

    When Enchanted was released in 2007, it’s safe to assume no one could’ve predicted just how popular the film would go on to become. The fairytale musical earned an impressive $340 million worldwide on an $80 million budget, and fans began to wonder when – and if – a sequel would come. It would take thirteen years for a sequel to be announced and nearly two more years for the movie to finally hit Disney+. A long wait for an enchanting sequel that director Adam Shankman was ready to make shortly after talking to Disney’s Sean Bailey.

    During last week’s virtual press conference for the film, Shankman noted how the sequel eventually came to life. As he tells it, while talking to Bailey and discussing the sequel, he used Giselle’s newfound life as a stepmother as the jumping-off point for Disenchanted. “I walked in and I was talking to Sean Bailey, the president of Disney, and he was talking about how the project was sitting there, and as we discussed it, I said, “Well, basically,” I was like, “you know Giselle’s the stepmother. She’s Morgan’s stepmother.”

    He elaborated by explaining that he wanted to use Giselle’s life as a stepmother to continue this fairytale story. Using a more mature Morgan, who would be incredibly different from the little girl who loved fairytales, was the “low-hanging fruit” according to the director. “And that for me became the absolute jumping-off point. I was like, “That’s low-hanging fruit.” This is perfect in terms of a continuation of that because she has this, you know, now-developed daughter who probably doesn’t believe in magic anymore. And then I was like, “Let’s go from there,” and it was just sort of a thrill ride from there. It just was a luge of finding stuff like that.”

    Of course, while Morgan’s struggles with believing in magic and growing up might’ve been a jumping-off point, they weren’t the only thing Shankman had to consider with the sequel. Disenchanted, much like Enchanted, is still very much Giselle’s story and it was important Amy Adams was on board with the sequel’s plans, too. And thankfully, she was.

    “But again, as Barry said, the whole thing starts with Amy and Giselle,” Shankman said. “I wanted to work with Amy for so long because we speak a very similar language. We’re friends. And we’re both musical nerds and Disney nerds. And I suddenly thought, I want to make a movie not with Amy, but for Amy as well.”

    Disenchanted, the charming sequel to Enchanted, will hit Disney+ tomorrow.

  • Matt Murdock Will Find a New Love Interest in ‘Daredevil: Born Again’

    Matt Murdock Will Find a New Love Interest in ‘Daredevil: Born Again’

    Daredevil: Born Again looks to be Marvel Studios’ most ambitious foray into streaming yet with a nearly year-long production timeline and an 18-episode season set to hit Disney Plus in 2024. Both Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio are confirmed to reprise their respective roles as Matt Murdock and Wilson Fisk, but though casting is underway no additional roles for the series have become public knowledge to date. Of course, fans haven’t let that stop them from speculating who will be in it and predetermining who should be in it and a common name on both those lists is Deborah Ann Woll’s Karen Page. While fans are eager to see her reprise the role, Woll may have delivered some bad news.

    In an interview with Inside of You podcast, Woll revealed that she hasn’t been invited back for the role yet despite filming being scheduled to kick of in February. When asked about her potential involvement in Daredevil: Born Again, Woll got straight to the point.

    I can say this: they have not called me yet. So as of now, I am not a part of it. I would be thrilled to get to be a part of it. They know where I am. Like I said, I love the character Karen Page. I love telling that story. I feel like I have more to say. But it is up to them what kind of story that they want to tell.

    Deborah Ann Woll

    Given Daredevil’s abrupt cancellation at Netflix, it stands to reason that Woll, along with many other actors and actresses who were a part of the show’s 3 seasons, would believe that their individual character arcs were not complete. In fact, given how key Page was to the events of the first 3 seasons of Daredevil, it’s hard to imagine continuing the story without her. However, Marvel Studios One-Above-All Kevin Feige has indicated that Daredevil: Born Again is not considered to be Season 4 of the Netflix show and Cox has called the D+ series a “whole new deal”, so it’s possible that the Marvel Studios series will be exploring a new take on the character, complete with the sort of retellings that Cox has readily teased. And it looks like, for the time being at least, that means having Murdock move on without Page. Could a love interest like Kirsten McDuffie be headed for Daredevil: Born Again in Page’s absence? With casting right around the corner, perhaps fans will find out soon enough.

    Source: Inside of You Podcast

  • ‘Letterkenny’ Season 11 to Premiere this December

    ‘Letterkenny’ Season 11 to Premiere this December

    Wayne and the gang are back this December for Season 11 of the hit series, Letterkenny. Season 11 of Letterkenny will officially hit Hulu on December 26th, while fans in Canada will get to watch the season a day earlier thanks to Crave.

    The official synopsis for the season promises plenty of hijinks for fans of the series, including an influencer invasion and the usual Skid business.

    The residents of Letterkenny belong to one of three groups: the Hicks, the Skids, and the Hockey Players, who are constantly feuding over seemingly trivial matters that often end with someone getting their ass kicked. In Season 11, the small town contends with the best chip flavors, lost dogs, an influencer invasion, Skid business, a mystery at the Church Bake Sale, unwanted guests at beer league, and the Degens stirring up trouble. And that’s just for starters.

    Letterkenny stars Jared Keeso as Wayne, Nathan Dales as Daryl, Michelle Mylett as Katy, K. Trevor Wilson as Dan, Dylan Playfair as Reilly, Andrew Herr as Jonesy, Tyler Johnston as Stewart, Evan Stern as Roald, Jacob Tierney as Glen, Patrick McNeil as Connor, Lisa Codrington as Gail, and Dan Petronijevic as McMurray.

    All six episodes of Season 11 will hit Hulu on December 26th. For those not yet caught up, all ten seasons are currently streaming on Hulu, along with this year’s International Women’s Day special. Fans can also check out the spinoff series, Shoresy, on Hulu now.

  • REVIEW: ‘Christmas with You’

    REVIEW: ‘Christmas with You’

    November marks that time of year when networks and retailers begin their seasonal push for the holidays. The Hallmark Channel essentially becomes the Christmas movie channel, and commercials seek to remind customers the Holidays are fast approaching. Over the years, Netflix has sought to try and capture some of that Christmas magic. And the streaming giant has successfully done so with The Princess Switch films and the Christmas Prince series. Now, Netflix is looking to expand its holiday collection even further with the addition of Christmas with You.

    Christmas with You follows the usual Christmas movie formula. One party forgets why Christmas is special, while the other party helps to remind them after they return “home” or “to their roots” for answers. It’s a popular trope because it works so wonderfully with the holidays. This movie, however, decides to throw in a teeny-tiny hiccup into the mix as it includes the harsh realities of the music industry. Christmas with You opens with a very early 2000s pop-star sequence as our leading lady, Angelina (Aimee Garcia), films a video for one of her songs. She’s had a long music career and has done everything in her power to stay relevant in a constantly changing climate – including restricting her diet, faking a relationship and changing up her look and sound as needed. But when she’s told she needs to deliver a hit Christmas song in order to stay relevant, Angelina decides it is time to do something different and truly connect with her fans. What happens next will change everything for the pop star.

    Simple premise, absolutely, and yet, Christmas with You still manages to be a delight to watch. Garcia delivers a great performance – and a believable one at that – while her leading man, played by Freddy Prinze Jr., seems to struggle from start to finish. Despite Prinze Jr. overacting each and every scene he’s in, Christmas with You is somehow captivating. Is any of it realistic? No. But is it a nice escapist fantasy? Yes. It’s a movie about family, love, and allowing oneself to be authentic.

    It also tackles the realities female artists face within the music industry – things we’ve seen mentioned by some of pop’s biggest stars. Angelina struggles with eating, fearful of gaining weight. She struggles with being perceived as older or old, knowing how quickly the industry will write her off in favor of a younger star. She also seems keen to forgo her own happiness in favor of appeasing the record label because she spent so long trying to build her career, she’s fearful of losing it. It’s a rather depressing topic to take in with such a cheerful movie, but the two blend together wonderfully. Realistic or not, the fact that Christmas with You exists as more than a Christmas movie is notable. The cheese factor is there, yes, and that only makes it all the better — but there’s also heart in this movie, a whole lot of it.

    Final verdict: Netflix’s Christmas with You is an adorable Christmas movie that is a million times better than anything Hallmark has to offer.

  • Quentin Tarantino Reveals His Marvel Studios’ Pitch

    Quentin Tarantino Reveals His Marvel Studios’ Pitch

    Quentin Tarantino is not a big fan of modern superhero films. The acclaimed director recently told the Los Angeles times he’s never helmed one because he’s “not a hired hand” and while “the writing’s not quite on the wall yet”, he believes the fascination with superhero films will eventually fade similar to when audiences tired of big-budget musical productions in the 1960s. Films like 1961’s West Side Story and 1964’s A Hard Day’s Night thrilled audiences for the better part of a decade before interest waned and filmmakers were forced to look elsewhere. Tarantino stated that he and other modern filmmakers “can’t wait for the day they can say that about superhero movies.”

    Of course, rather than making reporters ask Tarantino fewer questions about the potential for him to step behind the camera for a superhero flick, his comments inspired more…and somewhat surprisingly, Tarantino had an answer at the ready. In an interview with Variety, Tarantino revealed that were he to have his choice of Marvel IPs to bring to the big screen, it would be a classic book that inspired his 2009 film Inglorious Basterds.

    In a 2009 interview with MTV, Tarantino shared that the 1963 Stan Lee and Jack Kirby series Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandoes was an inspiration for the main crew of Inglorious Basterds.

    “[The Basterds] are a kind of comic book. A big influence on the Basterds was Marvel Comics’ ‘Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos.’ That was definitely an influence on that flick.

    Quentin Tarantino

    Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandoes ran for nearly 20 years and saw 167 issues published about the adventures of Nick Fury and his ragtag team that included Dum Dum Dugan, Gabe Jones, Izzy Cohen, Jim Morita and more. A version of the team, lead by Dugan and featuring many of those listed, was featured in 2011’s Captain America: The First Avenger. While fans probably shouldn’t hold their breath, the though of Tarantino revisiting that team and some of their unseen adventures in World War II is titilating.

    Sources: Los Angeles Time, Variety, MTV

  • ‘Wakanda Forever’ Production Designer Provides BTS Details About Namor’s Throne

    ‘Wakanda Forever’ Production Designer Provides BTS Details About Namor’s Throne

    One of the money shots of the marketing footage for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever showed the descent of Namor onto his massive, underwater throne. Namor has always been a big throne guy in the comics, but the crew on Wakanda Forever really upped the ante in adapting the Sub-Mariner and his throne room for the MCU, having Namor seated in the jaws of an ancient beast! Fans have been buzzing about the set piece since first seeing it, speculating on just what sort of creature the jaws belonged to and now they have their answer.

    Production Designer Hannah Beachler, who won an Academy Award for her work on Black Panther, returned to work on Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and took to Twitter recently to detail some of the fascinating features from some of the most breathtaking sets from the film including Namor’s throne.

    As fans believed, Namor’s throne was indeed created from the jaws of a Megalodon. The extinct Megalodon is the largest species of shark to have ever lived. Recent estimates indicate the average Megalodon was likely 34 feet long (Great Whites average 20 feet, for comparison) with teeth about 7 inches long! The production design team did their homework not only in depicting the size of the jaws but also in keying in on the fact that more than a quarter of the total number of Megalodon fossils have been found around the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea.

    Given the details of the piece, including the description carved into the lower jaw, it would be a shame if it weren’t seen again soon in the MCU!