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  • ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ Adds a Pair of MCU Vets to Its Cast

    ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ Adds a Pair of MCU Vets to Its Cast

    Despite having its release date significantly delayed, Marvel Studios Avengers: Doomsday is deep into production. While there have been plenty of looks at a set that seems to show a downed Sentinel and a video taken by a fan who was able to sneak onto the studio lot, MCU fans are still waiting to catch a glimpse at some behind-the-scenes action. With the studio supposedly taking measures to keep prying eyes away from the action, those glimpses may be hard to come by; however, set photos and videos aren’t the only way to glean information about projects in production.

    As the cast of Avengers: Doomsday prepares to film on location in Bahrain, actress Mabel Cadena and actor Alex Livinalli, who played Namor and Attuma, respectively, in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, were spotted at dinner with other members of the cast.

    With Anthony Mackie, Letitia Wright, Tenoch Huerta, Danny Ramirez, Simu Liu, Winston Duke and Hannah John-Kamen in Bahrain along with Cadena and Livinalli, it seems as though the Avengers will be turning to the Wakanda-Talokanil alliance for some assistance in solving the “space crisis” teased in Thunderbolts*.

    Bahrain’s unique location and architecture have fans theorizing that the capital of Manama could be used as a stand-in for Madripoor, which is believed to be visited in the film.

    While fans wait for another large-scale casting announcement, the returns of Cadena and Livinalli serve as a good reminder of just how large the scope and scale of Avengers: Doomsday will be. In addition to the rumored 60 “stars”, there will be plenty of other additions to the cast as the inhabitants of Earth-616 learn what’s coming their way.

  • Marvel Studios Guts Its Phase Six Theatrical Slate

    Marvel Studios Guts Its Phase Six Theatrical Slate

    Marvel Studios has made it clear that it plans to scale back on both its streaming and theatrical output. But knowing that doesn’t make it any less jarring when it happens. After originally planning to rollout four films in 2026, the studio will now release two: Spider-Man Brand New Day and Avengers: Doomsday.

    As part of a series of moves that saw Avengers: Doomsday move from May to December 2026, the studio also removed a pair of films from its 2026 release schedule. Originally set aside for untitled films, February 13, 2026 and November 6, 2026 were scratched from the calendar, joining the previously abandoned June 24, 2026 date on the scrap heap.

    Once upon a time, 2026 looked to be one of the studio’s most ambitious years yet; however, a series of delays and a changed approach have combined to leave only one of the four originally scheduled films (Sony schedules the Spider-Man films) Avengers: Doomsday, on the slate, arriving seven months later than its most recent rescheduling.

    2027 looks to be following a similar path, with Avengers: Secret Wars moving from May to December 2027 and a previously scheduled November 2027 film being removed from the slate. A July 23, 2027 date remains on the schedule for now.

  • Marvel Studios Shifts Release Dates for Next Two ‘Avengers’ Movies

    Marvel Studios Shifts Release Dates for Next Two ‘Avengers’ Movies

    On Thursday evening, Marvel Studios announced that the next two Avengers movies have been delayed. Avengers: Doomsday, which is currently in production, was initially meant to be released on May 1, 2026. Instead, the movie will now open on December 18, 2026. While Avengers: Secret Wars has been delayed to December 17, 2027 from its original release date of May 7, 2027.

    While it isn’t entirely clear why the films were moved, it’s suspected that the delay is to help production. Both Doomsday and Secret Wars are huge production for Marvel Studios, and the move comes as the studio is keen on putting its focus back on quality over quantity. Thunderbolts*, which was well received among critics and fans alike, is the first step in the right direction for the Marvel Cinematic Universe after suffering a few recent missteps. Previously, Marvel Studios has often scheduled releases a year out from the start of production, leaving little room for era both with the production and visual effects. The slight delays should prove beneficial for both titles, especially given the large cast expected in both films.

    Joe and Anthony Russo, the directing duo behind some of Marvel Studios’ biggest hits, return to helm the next two Avengers installments. Production kicked off on Doomsday back in April, following Marvel Studios’ cast reveal via use of set chairs. While Marvel Studios has yet to unveil any official footage from the film, it was revealed that the first official look at Robert Downey Jr. as Doom was unveiled during the recent Disney Blockbuster Consumer Products show.

    Source: THR.

  • Marvel’s Punisher Special Presentation May Take Inspiration from a Gritty Comic Classic

    Marvel’s Punisher Special Presentation May Take Inspiration from a Gritty Comic Classic

    Frank Castle may not have won the battle against Wilson Fisk’s Anti-Vigilante Task Force in the Daredevil: Born Again Season One finale, but he spilled plenty of blood. Most importantly, he lived to fight another day, escaping his dungeon cell and setting up the next chapter in his story. Set to stream on D+ in 2026, The Punisher Special Presentation, co-written by star Jon Bernthal and Reinaldo Marcus Green, will film later this year but to date, no details about the project’s plot or cast have been officially revealed.

    It’s like a shotgun blast of a story, but also has all the pathos and emotion that you want out of a Frank Castle story.

    -Brad Winderbaum

    When the Special Presentation was first announced in February 2025, Bernthal posted a picture of the cover of The Punisher #53, the first of a seven-part arc entitled “The Final Days.” Published in 1991, “The Final Days”, written by Mike Baron, saw Castle tangle with Wilson Fisk. Given that Fisk is the central villain in the street-level corner of the MCU, an adaptation of “The Final Days” in which Frank takes down the Fat Man would make plenty of sense. However, it sounds as though the new project may be introducing a new crime boss to the MCU for Frank to set his sights on.

    According to insider Daniel Richtman, The Punisher Special Presentation is currently searching for an actress to play a female crime boss who will serve as the primary antagonist of the project.

    I care very deeply about Frank, I’m really grateful that I’m getting the opportunity to tell the story that I think the fans deserve. We’re giving it our all and we’re trying to tell a Frank Castle story that we’re going to turn our back on the audience — it’s not going to be easy, it’s not going to be light, and I think it’s the version that this character deserves and I’m just beyond honored and grateful that we get the opportunity.

    -Jon Bernthal

    Though that’s about as generic as a character description can be, the information has fans beginning to believe that the villain will be Isabella “Ma” Gnucci, the head of the Gnucci Crime Family who tried to take Castle out in Volume 5 of The Punisher, written by Garth Ennis. The 12-issue arc, known as “Welcome Back, Frank”, launched Ennis’ 49-issue run with the character and has long been hailed as a classic Punisher tale. Harboiled and gruesome, “Welcome Back, Frank” took the character back to his roots and allowed him to do what he does best: kill bad guys with extreme prejudice…and a flamethrower. In terms of MCU Punisher continuity, Ma Gnucci makes quite a bit of sense as an antagonist for the project given that Frank wiped out several members of the Gnucci Crime Family, including her son Tony, in Episode 1.01 of The Punisher, “3 AM.“

    Earlier this year, Bernthal promised fans that the D+ Special Presentation would match the tone set over the two seasons of The Punisher, which streamed on Netflix. “It’s going to be dark; Frank has no interest in breaking out the darkness,” Bernthal said. “It’s not going to be easy. I don’t know if that’s the Netflix tone then that’s what it’s going to be. It will not be Punisher-lite, I promise you that.” If Bernthal’s new Punisher story does indeed draw inspiration from Ennis’ “Welcome Back, Frank” arc, there’s plenty of darkness from which to draw.

    Sources: THR

  • First Look at Robert Downey Jr.’s Doom Reveals Classic Inspiration for the MCU’s Take on the Villain

    First Look at Robert Downey Jr.’s Doom Reveals Classic Inspiration for the MCU’s Take on the Villain

    The recent Disney Blockbuster Consumer Products was not the sort of place one would expect first looks at Marvel Studios upcoming projects; however, it seems to have been the most revelatory convention for the studio in some time.

    Marvel reportedly let is slip that Scorpion, Boomerang and Tombstone were set to antagonize Tom Holland‘s Peter Parker in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, potentially putting to rest a number of rumors about the film’s plot and villains. As if that wasn’t enough, a short sizzle reel of footage from Avengers: Doomsday was also shown and according to on attendee, it provided the first look at that film’s villain, Doctor Doom, played by Robert Downey Jr.

    According to Film Threat’s Chris Gore, Doom’s face will indeed be disfigured and, in his opinion, looks to be inspired by the look of creatures from “classic Universal Monster movies.”

    Without any additional context, Lon Chaney‘s Phantom of the Opera would seem to be one possible comparison and would like up with Jack Kirby‘s belief that Victor Von Doom was “paranoid” because of the damage done to his face. The extent of that damage has varied widely over the years, with Kirby drawing it as only a small scar, others, such as Esad Ribic depicting a much more complete disfiguration and John Byrne drawing something intermediate to the the two extreme ends of the spectrum.

    …he’s a good-looking guy, and he only has a tiny scar on his cheek, but because he’s such a perfectionist, he can’t bear to see that imperfection. He isn’t hiding his face from the public, he’s hiding it from himself.

    -Jack Kirby
    Doom as drawn by Jack Kirby
    Doom as drawn by John Byrne
    Doom as painted by Esad Ribic

    The description of a disfigured Doom certainly helps explain the tracking dots seen on Downey’s face in a recent behind the scenes photo of the actor and may indicate that Ribic’s interpretation of the character’s face, seen in Jonathan Hickman‘s 2015 Secret Wars, inspired the villain’s MCU appearance. With less than a year until Avengers: Doomsday hits theaters, perhaps it won’t be long before the studio chooses to let the whole world behold the face of Doom.

  • ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ Villains Reportedly Revealed

    ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ Villains Reportedly Revealed

    With production set to kick off on Spider-Man: Brand New Day in just a few months, it’s relatively incredible how little is known about the Sony and Marvel Studios collaboration. While there have been plenty of rumors about potential plots, characters and locations, little has emerged outside of the casting of Sadie Sink, whose role may be linked to Sam Raimi‘s Spider-Man Trilogy. However, in an unexpected turn, it’s possible Disney revealed a great deal of information all at once.

    Instagram user Chris Higashi was in attendance at the Disney Blockbuster Consumer Products presentation and took to his account to share what he took in, including the identity of THREE villains set to appear in Spider-Man:  Brand New Day.

    According to Higashi, the fourth installment in Sony’s MCU-set Spider-Man franchise will feature Tom Holland’s Spidey taking on Scorpion, Boomerang and Tombstone.
    https://www.instagram.com/p/DJ215H_PDij/?igsh=MnJxbXVxMWkwMnk5

    If accurate, the trio of villains is miles apart from the rumors that have made the rounds over the past few years. Additionally, it would call into question the legitimacy of recent reports of Mister Negative being the film’s protagonist, though it’s still possible he could appear if one of the other villains, such as Boomerang, wasn’t meant to have a major role or, as happened in the comics, he’s also a friend of Peter’s.

    Should Scorpion be among those tangling with Spidey in Brand New Day, it would follow up on one of the MCU’s many unresolved post-credit scenes and should mean the return on Michael Mando in the role. Interestingly, Scorpion and Tombstone featured in Marvel Animation’s Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man.

    While no confirmation has come down on these characters appearing in the film, it’s also not yet been debunked. We’ll continue to monitor this interesting development

  • ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ Rumored to Feature a Major Connection to Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man Trilogy

    ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ Rumored to Feature a Major Connection to Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man Trilogy

    The fourth film in Sony and Marvel’s MCU-set Spider-Man franchise, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, won’t begin production for several more months but that hasn’t stopped the project from routinely making headlines.

    After years of rumored plot lines that stretched from a street-level Civil War to a massive Multiversal adventure featuring The King in Black, the casting of Stranger Things star Sadie Sink set off an all-new, all-different wave of rumors centered on the identity of her character. Originally rumored to be a contender for the role of Jean Grey in Marvel Studios’ upcoming X-Men reboot, Sink‘s likely isn’t portraying that character in Spider-Man: Brand New Day but was, at one point, reportedly playing an alternate universe Mary Jane Watson which would be incredibly disappointing. Now, a new rumor suggests Sink will not be playing Mary Jane but rather someone with whom she would be awfully familiar.

    According to the Hot Mic Podcast’s John Rocha, Sink is set to portray May “Mayday” Parker, the daughter of Tobey Maguire‘s Peter Parker and, presumably, Kirsten Dunst‘s Mary Jane Watson.

    Tied to the controversial 1990s Clone Saga in which Mary Jane and Peter’s baby was stillborn, Mayday was brought back into the fold in What If…? #105 and was a major character in Marvel’s MC2 imprint. The character was so popular that the studio launched a Spider-Girl solo book by creators Tom DeFalco and Ron Frenzy that, at the time, grew to become Marvel’s longest-running female-centric title.

    Should Sink indeed be portraying Mayday, it might truly be a stroke of genius by the studio. As the daughter of Peter-Two/The Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, Mayday would not only introduce another web-slinger (with one of THE best Spider suits ever designed) to work alongside star Tom Holland but also potentially become a major player in Avengers: Secret Wars. And, should Sony and/or Marvel so choose, become either a key player in the next MCU saga or help Sony relaunch its Spidey-related efforts.

  • Marvel Television’s ‘Wonder Man’ Adds Béchir Sylvain in Mystery Role

    Marvel Television’s ‘Wonder Man’ Adds Béchir Sylvain in Mystery Role

    Seven months before it’s scheduled release on Disney Plus, Wonder Man remains largely shrouded in mystery. The Destin Daniel Cretton-created series will feature Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Simon Williams with Ben Kingsley reprising his role as Trevor Slattery and Demetrius Grosse filing the role of Eric Williams, brother to Simon and, in the comics, known as the villain The Grim Reaper. Beyond that, the roles of the rest of the cast haven’t been made clear and much of the cast hasn’t been revealed at all. However, one new name did emerge following Disney’s Upfront presentation.

    According to Variety, Béchir Sylvain (Black Summer, BMF and Diarra from Detroit) has joined the eight-episode series in a “mysterious role.”

    Based on the character of Wonder Man, one of Marvel’s oldest characters, first introduced in 1964 in the pages of Avengers No 9. Known as Simon Williams, a celebrity actor and stuntman. In a nutshell, it is a story of two actors struggling to make it in the Hollywood of the MCU, [asking] the big question what does Hollywood look like in a world where super heroes are real?

    -Official Synopsis for Marvel Television’s Wonder Man

    Once dismissed by The Avengers and Avengers: Age of Ultron director Joss Whedon, longtime Avenger Wonder Man will finally join the MCU this summer and it sounds as though the studio will be strongly influenced by the comics. “If you’re a fan of the West Coast Avengers, you know a little bit about Simon Williams…you’re going to be very excited to see how much homage to the source material there is actually in the show,” said Marvel TV boss Brad Winderbaum. However, as the studio continues to work to keep the new series a mystery, we’ll have to wait to find out just what that influence will be.

    Source: Variety

  • ‘Wonder Man’ Set for a December Release

    ‘Wonder Man’ Set for a December Release

    Marvel Studios unveiled its first official look at Wonder Man during its portion of the Disney upfronts on Tuesday. While the studio has been rather quiet regarding the series, which stars Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Ben Kingsley, it did confirm the series will debut on Disney+ sometime in December. The studio also confirmed that the series will consist of eight 30-minute episodes.

    Brad Winderbaum, Marvel’s head of television and animation, revealed that the studio is looking to take a tighter approach with its Disney+ offerings. The goal for the studio is to focus on shows that have the possibility of having multiple seasons. Per Winderbaum, Marvel is looking to release two live-action shows a year, along with two animated shows a year. This year, Ironheart and Wonder Man will serve as the show’s live-action titles, with the former releasing next month and the latter debuting later this year. As for whether or not the shows will have multiple seasons, they’re being developed with multiple seasons in mind. However, it ultimately depends on how they perform before the studio confirms multiple seasons of either title.

    As of now, an official release date for Wonder Man has not been released. That should, hopefully, change as it nears closer to the end of the year.

    Source: THR.

  • Krysten Ritter Joins Season 2 of ‘Daredevil: Born Again’

    Krysten Ritter Joins Season 2 of ‘Daredevil: Born Again’

    It’s official. Krysten Ritter is set to reprise her role as Jessica Jones in Daredevil: Born Again Season 2. The news was revealed during Marvel Studios’ portion of Disney’s upfront presentation to advertisers Tuesday. Ritter, of course, played the roles of Jones in three seasons of Jessica Jones on Netflix, and also appeared in the limited series, The Defenders. Since it was announced that Marvel Studios was looking to bring back other Defenders following the return of Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock/Daredevil – and later Jon Bernthal as The Punisher – fans have been hopeful Ritter’s return would soon follow.

    As for whether or not Ritter’s return will open up doors for her other Defenders – Mike Colter‘s Luke Cage and Finn Jones‘ Iron Fist – it’s currently unclear. Brad Winderbaum, Marvel Studios’ head of television and animation, noted that it was more about telling the best possible story rather than trying to fit in more characters simply for the sake of it.

    “It’s about not rushing and telling the best story. Yes, it’s exciting to think about characters interacting, but it’s about the reasons why. At times we’ve done that very well, at times we’ve rushed. The story has to lead the path.”

    While it’s currently unknown how many episodes Ritter’s Jones will appear in, it seems likely she’ll have a decent sized role. After all, she’s one of the allies Cox’s Daredevil will reach out to following the events of Season 1 of Daredevil: Born Again in hopes of fighting back against Fisk.

    Source: THR.