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  • James Gunn Reveals the One Major Marvel Mistake He Won’t Repeat in ‘Superman’

    James Gunn Reveals the One Major Marvel Mistake He Won’t Repeat in ‘Superman’

    After a nearly decade at Marvel Studios in which he built the foundation for the MCU’s Cosmic corner, James Gunn has now endeavored to build something far more massive. As the co-CEO of DC Studios, Gunn seeks to find the sweet spot that allows for DC Comics rich stable of characters and stories to carve out its own space in the spotlight while also providing a way to ensure the fledgling shared universe has the same kind of staying power Marvel Studios has managed to display.

    Gunn’s experience at as a filmmaker Marvel, where he directed three films and one special presentation in the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise, certainly wasn’t entirely positive. While Guardians of the Galaxy was nearly universally beloved, each of its sequels presented their own unique challenges, including, according to Gunn, some of his own making and one in particular that he’s eager to avoid as he builds the base of the DCU.

    While talking to Phase Hero about DC Studios’ first theatrical project, Superman, Gunn was asked if the film would feature any end credits scenes, a tradition fans of superhero projects have grown accustomed to thanks to Marvel Studios. Gunn‘s response indicated that his ideas on the popular scenes have evolved over time.

    “Sort of,” said Gunn when asked by Brandon Davis is Superman would have a credits scene. Before explaining what his plans were, he explained what they are not.

    “If you look at my credits scene on the Marvel movies, the one time I fucked myself was when I put Adam Warlock in because then I’m like, ‘Oh shit, now I gotta put Adam Warlock in the next movie,’ which actually was a pain in the ass.”

    -James Gunn

    Admitting to having painted himself into a corner by having to work Adam Warlock into Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 isn’t all that surprising both because Gunn has always been incredibly introspective and because it was fairly obvious to anyone who watched the film that the character wasn’t a great fit for the story. Gunn’s awareness that Marvel’s credits scene tradition, which began as fun, well-intended source of “water cooler conversation”, has developed into an issue for the studio is refreshing. The scenes have distracted from the films, aren’t always followed up and have dipped in quality over the years; in short, it’s time for them to go, or at least become less important. And it sounds as though that’s what Gunn has in mind for whatever credit scenes he has cooked up for Superman.

    “So I’m not gonna set up whole universes with end credits scenes,” Gunn told Savis. “I love giving audiences who sit through all of the credits end credits scenes but I’d rather it be something that’s fun for fans and not necessarily ‘Hey, we’re setting up the whole next part of the universe.” So while Nathan Fillion‘s Guy Gardner, who will debut in Superman, will have a role in the streaming series Lanterns, maybe don’t expect a scene that sets the stage for his role in the series… because that scene can just be included in the first episode of Lanterns and allow Superman to tell Superman’s story.

    As if Gunn’s pragmatic, experience-based reasoning isn’t enough, there’s also the fact that developing superhero projects has proven to be a very fluid process, something of which he’s keenly aware as DC Studios gets up, up and away. As he’s made clear, being in development and being in production are two very different ideas at DC Studios.

    Projects which seemed to be close to being realized when the DCU slate was first revealed in January 2024 have moved down the list while others have been bumped up. Gunn recently stated that Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow was not initially intended to be the DCU’s second film and Clayface, which will go into production early next year, wasn’t even part of the original list of Chapter One projects. So, as Gunn points out, why add something important to the end of a project when so much can change.”Because I know how it goes and I know what it’s like,” said Gunn of why the credits scenes shouldn’t carry so much importance. “You think of the best credits scene, but then you gotta adhere to that down the road.”

    Source: Phase Hero

  • Marvel Studios Reportedly Locking In on the MCU’s Jean Grey

    Marvel Studios Reportedly Locking In on the MCU’s Jean Grey

    It’s not easy being Jean. Despite having an entire film dedicated to her in each of Fox’s X-Men in the original Fox trilogy and in the alternate timeline reboot that followed X-Men: Days of Future Past, it is resoundingly safe to say that we still haven’t gotten a solid live-action version of Jean Grey. An Omega-level telepath whose true upper limit to her power remains undefined, Grey was never given proper agency in either iteration and was reduced to a supporting character in both of Fox’s efforts to tell a classic comic book story in which she is the main character. Watch X-Men: The Last Stand and ask yourself, if as Logan kills Jean, if you feel worse for her or him.

    To be fair, the problem isn’t unique to the Fox films. Outside of Chris Claremont‘s time writing her, Jean hasn’t always been treated much better in the pages of Marvel Comics. The fact remains, however, that as one of the five original members of Charles Xavier’s X-Men, Jean Grey–codename Marvel Girl–has always been and should always remain an integral part of the team’s story and should be at the center of any efforts to tell it. And as Marvel Studios prepares to put its spin on the uncanny team of mutant heroes, a new report indicates that its version will not only include Jean but also that one name has risen to the top of a list to portray the MCU’s version.

    According to Jeff “The In” Sneider, Stranger Things and The Whale star Sadie Sink has emerged as the front runner to portray Jean Grey in the MCU.

    Though it may seem a touch early for the studio to be on the lookout for one of the stars of their X-Men reboot, Sneider provided some additional context about Sink’s potential involvement. Despite Marvel Studios’ X-Men film still being in the scripting stages and not expected to be released during the Multiverse Saga, Sneider’s sources believe that the studio is keen on casting the role of Jean Grey now to allow the character to appear in either or both of its next two Avengers films, Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars.

    Allowing important characters to debut in other properties before taking center stage in their own is a tactic Marvel Studios has employed to some success in the past. Both Black Panther and Spider-Man debuted in Captain America: Civil War ahead of starring in their own projects. Making the rumor more believable is that both Doomsday and Secret Wars are being directed by Joe and Anthony Russo who directed Civil War and who have, in the past, expressed a desire to be involved with the MCU’s X-Men. It could all be a coincidence, of course, and being a frontrunner is much different than being cast; however, it wouldn’t be surprising at all to see more mutants than just Jean–and more mutants than just the ones the studio plans to move forward with in the future–before the Multiverse Saga comes to a close.

    Source: Hot Mic Podcast

  • Image Comics Announces ‘Assorted Crisis Events’, by Assorted All-Star Creators

    Image Comics Announces ‘Assorted Crisis Events’, by Assorted All-Star Creators

    The monster creative team of Deniz Camp, Eric Zawadzki, Jordie Bellaire and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou have teamed up on an ongoing anthology book published by Image Comics. Set on a world where “time is having a crisis”, Assorted Crisis Events will “follow in the footsteps of normal people who are just trying to get through a normal day, but instead have to deal with time loops and space portals, confused time travelers from different eras, and alternate dimensional versions of themselves…all while just taking a stroll down the street.“

    In Assorted Crisis Events, time is having a crisis. Mingling in the red-light district, you can find actual cavemen, medieval knights, and cyborg soldiers on leave from World War IV. Victorian debutantes amble their way into cell phone stores, confused and bewildered (what is a data plan?). On their way to work, bleary-eyed commuters get trapped in time-loops, assaulted by alternate-reality versions of themselves, and try to avoid post-apocalyptic wastelands. And LOOK: the 3:15 bus just took a wrong turn…into the neolithic era. Rising stars Camp and Zawadzki, and Eisner-winners Bellaire and Otsmane-Elhaou, are proud to present Assorted Crisis Events, an ongoing, zig-zagging anthology series about the compromised clicks of our clocks—full of one-shot stories both beautiful and ugly, tragic and redemptive, surreal and somehow all too familiar. Stories of people (and reality) in crisis—trying to keep it together while the world is falling apart, second by twisted second…

    -Official Description provided by Image Comics

    “Assorted Crisis Events is like Crisis on Infinite Earths if it was happening to normal, everyday people, or Black Mirror, if the fabric of space and time were breaking down,” said the book’s writer, Deniz Camp. “But going deeper, Assorted Crisis Events has been one of the most ambitious and rewarding creative experiences of my life. The challenge of making every issue complete and personal and inventive, while playing out the larger story of the Crisis—what is causing it, can it be solved, who is The Broken Man?—across the series has been thrilling! Every member of the creative team adds so much to every issue—no one is just doing a job, they’re all artists in the truest sense, and I think every issue ranks among some of the best I’ve ever been a part of. If you’ve liked anything I’ve ever written before, please pick this up. You will not be disappointed.”

    Artist Eric Zawadzki was tasked with bringing the wild concept to life but was happy to take on the challenge. “This comic has been a dream project from the start. Deniz’s ambitions with pushing the boundaries of the medium of comics match my own,” he said. “Every script is a new challenge for me and it’s resulted in the proudest work of my career. I can’t believe my luck, being able to work with one of the best colourists and one of the best letterers in the comics industry, Jordie and Hassan, both of whom won the Eisner award for their respective crafts in 2024.“

    The all-star award-winning team of writer Deniz Camp (20th Century Men, The Ultimates, Absolute Martian Manhunter), artist Eric Zawadzki (Heart Attack, House of El), colorist Jordie Bellaire (They’re Not Like Us, Birds of Prey), and letterer Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou (Time Before Time, Poison Ivy) are teaming up for the new timeless ongoing anthology series, Assorted Crisis Events. Time has no bounds in this world, and readers will follow in the footsteps of normal people who are just trying to get through a normal day, but instead have to deal with time loops and space portals, confused time travelers from different eras, and alternate dimensional versions of themselves…all while just taking a stroll down the street. Meanwhile, the overarching story dives into what caused the rules of time to suddenly shift, and if it’s possible to reverse the damage. Fans of Crisis on Infinite Earths, Black Mirror, and Doctor Who will enjoy this time-bending, clock-shattering new series, with the first issue hitting shelves this March.

    Assorted Crisis Events #1 will available in your LCS on March 12, 2025.

    Source: Image

  • Marvel TV Boss Addresses the Canonicity of Marvel’s ABC Shows

    Marvel TV Boss Addresses the Canonicity of Marvel’s ABC Shows

    It’s all connected. For a decade, that tagline defined the MCU to the extent that it used as the subtitle for the first Marvel Cinema Universe Guidebook. Fans fawned over every fragment of connectivity, theorizing which character might show up where and how each post-credit scene might set up the next big thing. However, as Marvel Studios moved into the Multiverse Saga and a new era of streaming their own series on Disney Plus, comfort turned into confusion with the rapid expansion of projects and characters.

    In an effort to combat the confusion, Marvel Studios began rebranding its streaming projects. Beginning with a pair of special presentations (Werewolf By Night and The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special), the studio quietly moved from an era of “required reading” and toward a choose your own adventure model. Projects created under the Marvel Spotlight banner, such as Echo, were devised in order to ensure that “viewers don’t have to watch any other Marvel series to understand the plot.” Further rebranding of projects under newly formed Marvel Television or Marvel Animation banners were an effort by the studio to “signal to the general audience that we’re creating a lot of options, and you can follow your tastes within this brand,” cementing a less connected, more diacritical experience in which “the characters still live and breathe in the same universe, but the interconnectivity is not so rigid that you need to watch Project A to understand Project B,” according to Marvel TV head honcho Brad Winderbaum.

    There was a lot of pressure post-Avengers: Endgame on the public to feel obligated to watch absolutely everything in order to watch anything. Part of the rebranding was a signal to the general audience that we’re creating a lot of options, and you can follow your tastes within this brand. Some will be more comedic, some will be more dramatic, some will be animated, some will be live-action. Marvel is more than just one thing — it is actually many different genres that just happened to coexist in a single narrative.

    Marvel’s head of streaming, television and animation, Brad Winderbaum, on the studio’s rebranding, May 2024

    One of Marvel Television’s most anticipated upcoming projects, Daredevil: Born Again, may provide the first real opportunity to evaluate the effectiveness of the rebranding. Though the events of the news series will spin out of the events of the Netflix Marvel series from the mid-2010s,baudiences should not need to watch the 39-hour-ish long episodes of Netflix’s Daredevil in order to enjoy the upcoming Disney Plus streaming series, Daredevil: Born Again, even though all of Netflix’s Marvel series were recently retconned as Sacred Timeline canon.

    Now that some time has passed, now that we actually see how well-integrated the stories are, I personally, Brad Winderbaum, will confidently say that they are part of the Sacred Timeline.

    -Brad Winderbaum

    And while Winderbaum gave his stamp of approval to the canonicity of the Netflix series, he dodged, ducked, dipped, dove and dodged the issue of another fan-favorite series from the mid-2010s: Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. “I want to go down this road with you, you know I do, but we’re just gonna take a deep breath for a second,” said Winderbaum in an August 2024 interview with Screen Rant. Hardly a strong show of support for Phil Coulson and crew.

    As one might expect, Winderbaum‘s comments weren’t warmly received by AoS fans; however, given his position at Marvel, he would certainly be the one to know…and four months later, it seems nothing has changed.

    In a new interview with Screen Rant’s Joe Deckelmeier, Winderbaum was pressed once more about the canonicity of Marvel TV’s  ABC shows and he hasn’t budged on his stance. When asked by Deckelmeier if Marvel TV’s Agent Carter, which ran for two seasons on ABC, was considered MCU canon, not only did Winderbaum refuse to confirm that it was but he also lumped it in with all of Marvel’s ABC shows.

    “Well, I’ll tell you this, and put it to you like this. It’s exciting for me to think about how to square those ABC shows with the canon,” said Winderbaum, indicating that while he has thought about how to canonize Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Agent Carter and Inhumans, he hasn’t figured out how to do so just yet.”That, to me, if you know me and the way my brain works, that is fun territory to imagine,” confirming that for now, imagination is the only place in which those series should be considered canon.

    While that’s made quite clear on Disney Plus, where those shows, along with a few others, can be found in an “Agents and Inhumans” category rather than in the “Complete MCU Timeline” category, fans of the series still find plenty of ways to make the events of the shows tie into the ongoing story of MCU. And at the end of the day, that’s just fine and what being a fan is all about.

    Source: Screen Rant

  • ‘Superman’ Star on Presenting a Different Type of Threat to Kal-El

    ‘Superman’ Star on Presenting a Different Type of Threat to Kal-El

    While Alexander Joseph Luthor is inarguably one of the greatest comic book villains of all time, he may also be one of the greatest comic book characters… period. For over 80 years, Lex Luthor has proven himself over and over again as a worth archenemy of Superman and capable of challenging the combined might of DC Comics’ greatest heroes, often defeated only by his own imperiousness and humanity.

    As DC Studios launches an all-new cinematic universe, Luthor will rightly find himself front and center in Superman, the DCU’s first theatrical offering. Given the task of bringing Luthor into the DCU and immediately establishing him as a true threat is Nicholas Hoult (Juror #2), who, among others, follows Gene Hackman, Michael Rosenbaum and, most recently, Jesse Eisenberg as the power-hungry genius. Following the release of the first trailer for Superman, DC Studios lifted a standing embargo on interviews with the cast, including one in which Hoult explained how he hoped to carve out his own spade among the many iterations of Luthor across multiple mediums.

    According to Hoult, part of what will make this Luthor different–perhaps a big part–is that he exists in a world full of heroes. Having learned to thrive in a world full of metahuman characters would certainly be a departure from previous iterations in which Luthor dealt only with Superman or was just coming into his own. “The thing about this Lex, I think that was most exciting to me was being in a James Gunn universe,” said Hoult. “Like you said, so emotionally raw and powerful, but huge in the scope of the world and what he’s creating.” For Hoult’s Luthor, that means leaning heavily into his ingenuity and ability to think ahead.

    He’s smart and ruthless and he has to outmaneuver Superman on certain levels because he can’t match him in others.

    -Nicholas Hoult on Lex Luthor in Superman

    While Gunn is adamant that Superman exists only to tell this story and not to set up the next several DC Studios’ projects. At the same time, he’s also made it clear that the future of the DCU is indeed riding on the success of Superman. Should it succeed, it’s nearly impossible to imagine a passionate comic book fan like Gunn would utilize Luthor as a one-and-done villain, allowing Hoult the opportunity to take on Superman again or, possibly, emerge as an even larger threat as part of the Legion of Doom. If that’s to happen, Hoult’s Luthor would need to be the type of villain that is both hateable and relatable, an idea of which the actor is keenly aware.

    “But there’s also something about this character, hopefully from my standpoint, where even though you perhaps don’t agree with his process, there’s an element where you can understand on some levels where he’s coming from and why perhaps what he’s pushing as his ideology is perhaps better for humanity,” explained Hoult. As with Marvel Studios Loki or Thanos, villains whose motoves the audience can at least partially understand make for wonderful cinema because they offer a true challenge to the hero. While this isn’t the type of Luthor that’s often been presented in animated or live-action Superman adaptations, it looks to be the goal here and given the character’s status, it’s well-deserved and well past time that Superman’s greatest for can offer more than some snide remarks and Kryptonite traps.

    Superman lands in theaters on July 11, 2025

    Source: Comic Book

  • Hell is Empty…New Rumors Suggest All the Devils Are in ‘Spider-Man 4’

    Hell is Empty…New Rumors Suggest All the Devils Are in ‘Spider-Man 4’

    Perhaps no Marvel Studios movie took hardcore fans for more of a ride before it was released than Spider-Man: No Way Home…and that madness may have already been surpassed by its sequel.

    In 2021, ahead of the release of Spider-Man: No Way Home, which put a bow on the MCU-set Spider-Man trilogy, Marvel Studios One Above All, Kevin Feige, assured fans that development on a fourth Spidey film had already begun in collaboration with Sony. Star Tom Holland reportedly struck a deal to stay on as the Wall-Crawler in 2022 shortly after Feige revealed that Spider-Man and Daredevil were set to lead the MCU’s crew of street-level heroes through the Multiverse Saga.

    In an early 2023 interview with EW, Feige revealed that the studio cracked the story for Spider-Man 4 and that development on the script had begun. “All I will say is that we have the story,” said Feige. “We have big ideas for that, and our writers are just putting pen to paper now.” Though the work stoppages of 2023 slowed progress on putting that story together, details on the plot of the first installment of the new Spidey trilogy emerged. Spinning, in part, out of the events of the D+ streaming series Daredevil: Born Again, Spider-Man 4 was rumored to feature a “street-level civil war” that would see Spidey and Daredevil gather a team of heroes to take on Wilson Fisk’s Kingpin in an adaptation of Marvel Comics Devil’s Reign that would feature Spidey teaming up with Daredevil to take on Wilson Fisk.

    More recent buzz had the film evolving into an unprecedented high-stakes crossover event that would feature Sony’s latest Venom villain, Knull, the King in Black. However, despite Venom: The Last Dance just touching “the beginnings of his story”, rumors of the project being titled Spider-Man: The King in Black quickly pivoted to another comic-based title: Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

    Following the events of Doomsday, Peter Parker is determined to lead a normal life and focus on college, stepping back from his responsibilities as Spider-Man. However, peace is short-lived when a deadly new threat emerges, endangering his promise. With stakes higher than ever, Peter reluctantly returns to his Spider-Man identity and finds himself teaming up with an unlikely ally to protect those he loves.

    -Reported synopsis of Spider-Man: Brand New Day via Prodcution Weekly

    Though the latest rumored synopsis for synopsis skirted the issue, the Brand New Day subtitle will certainly ring a bell with comic book readers as the follow up to the controversial One More Day arc that saw Peter Parker strike a deal with the devil. Now, a new report from a longtime Hollywood insider points the pitchfork at a potential appearance by that very devil…and another…in Spider-Man 4.

    In a bit of a chaotic scoop, Jeff “The In” Sneider revealed that Sacha Baron Cohen‘s Mephisto, set to make his MCU debut in 2025 in Marvel Television’s Ironheart, may appear in Spider-Man 4…but that he also may not…but that it would be great if he did…but there’s no confirmation that he will. Sneider did, however, feel far more confident that Charlie Cox‘s Daredevil would indeed appear, though whether or not it would be as part of the rumored Devil’s Reign adaptation was not addressed.

    While Sneider ‘s sources are mixed on an appearance by Mephisto, there’s no doubt that the state in which Parker’s life was left  at the conclusion of Spider-Man: No Way Home would absolutely leave the door open for the Whisperer in Darkness to attempt to make one of his foul pacts. And, perhaps coincidentally, that would align with the rumored Spider-Man: Brand New Day synopsis. Pragmatically, it’s likely the rumor mill is only a quarter turn or so through its most frustrating rotation as fans should buckle in for another “are Garfield and Maguire in No Way Home” scenario.

    Spider-Man 4 is set to begin filming next summer and is due in theaters on July 24, 2026.

  • Matt Reeves Confirms When ‘The Batman Part II’ Will Begin Production

    Matt Reeves Confirms When ‘The Batman Part II’ Will Begin Production

    Recent news about the state of the sequel to 2022’s The Batman has raised concerns among fans. Direct word from DC Studios’ co-CEO James Gunn indicated that writer/director Matt Reeves had not turned in a complete script yet and with the Gunn having made it clear that projects will not be given the green light to move into production without completed and approved scripts, buzz started to grow that The Batman Part II may not make its 2026 release date.

    That concern was alleviated to some extent when World of Reel shares news that the film was on track for a May 2025 start of principal photography and that the project is expected to “blow away” fans of the Caped Crusader. However, as encouraging as that was, nothing is officially official until it’s official…and now it’s official.

    In an interview with The Batman co-star Zoe Kravitz, Reeves confirmed that while he has not completed the script for The Batman Part II, principal photography remains on track to get underway in 2025.

    “Yeah, we’re finishing the script. We’re going to be shooting next year,” Reeves said in response to Kravitz inquiring as to if he was writing the script for the sequel.

    As World of Reel reported, a May 2025 start of filming would allow for the film’s star, Robert Pattinson, to complete his obligations on Christopher Nolan‘s next project in time to prepare for his return as Vengeance. Should things stay on track, The Batman Part II should have no problem meeting its October 2, 2026 release date.

    Sources: World of Reel, Variety

  • Marvel Studios Releases Official Synopses for All Eight Episodes of the Final Season of ‘What If…?’

    Marvel Studios Releases Official Synopses for All Eight Episodes of the Final Season of ‘What If…?’

    The final season of Marvel Animation’s multiversal adventure, What If…?, is almost upon us and Marvel Studios has begun the final marketing push. The studio recently revealed the titles of the final eight episodes of the show, giving away a surprise or two in the process. Now, just four days away from the debut of the first episode, official synopses for each episode have been released by Disney.

    Episode 1: What If…The Hulk Fought the Mech Avengers?

    Captain America/Sam Wilson must suit up in a colossal mech suit to battle Bruce Banner after an attempt to cure himself of the Hulk goes horribly wrong. Bucky Barnes, Monica Rambeau, Moon Knight, and others must join Sam as his new team of Mech Avengers.

    Episode 2: What If…Agatha Went to Hollywood?

    Howard Stark may have helped the Allies win World War II…but what he really wants to do is direct! On the set of Stark Pictures’ first production, the playboy auteur quickly finds himself enchanted by his bewitching lead actress, Agatha Harkness. Little does she know there will be another superpower co-star on the call sheet…Kingo.

    Episode 3: What If…The Red Guardian Stopped The Winter Soldier?

    It is 1991, and the Red Guardian takes it upon himself to join a high-profile mission and prove himself to his Red Room superiors. When his antics interfere with the Winter Soldier’s own mission to kill Howard Stark, the two Soviet supersoldiers must form an alliance to escape the United States.

    Episode 4: What If…Howard the Duck Got Hitched?

    Howard the Duck and Darcy Lewis find themselves on an intergalactic pleasure cruise. When dangerous factions from across the galaxy descend to threaten their trip, they must discover their own cosmic powers to withstand the onslaught.

    Episode 5: What If…The Emergence Destroyed the Earth?

    In a Universe where The Eternals never stopped The Emergence, the birth of an incubating Celestial shatters the Earth. Civilization endures on the rocky remnants of our planet, where Quentin Beck leads an authoritarian regime until freedom fighters recruit Riri Williams on a deadly mission to take him down.

    Episode 6: What If…1872?

    In a universe where the heroes of the MCU live in the Old West, Shang-Chi and his pistol-packing partner, Kate Bishop, traverse the frontier, saving the innocent from the evils of The Hood.

    Episode 7: What If…The Watcher Disappeared?

    The Watcher must stand trial for his many interventions.

    Episode 8: What If…What If?

    The end of the beginning… 

    The third and final season of What If…? begins streaming daily episodes on December 22nd.

  • Kevin Feige Confirms a Major Marvel Studios Sequel Is on the Way

    Kevin Feige Confirms a Major Marvel Studios Sequel Is on the Way

    Released in 2018, Black Panther still stands as Marvel Studios’ third highest-grossing film with only Avengers: Endgame and Spider-Man: No Way Home having raked in more at the domestic box office. Six years later, it also remains the studio’s most critically acclaimed project and beloved by fans. Following the tragic death of its star, Chadwick Boseman, the franchise continued with Letitia Wright taking over as its lead in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Released into a different box office environment than its predecessor, Wakanda Forever, held together by a strong creative team, also did extremely well at the box office, taking in $453M domestically, placing it 8th on the MCU’s all-time list.

    While writer and director Ryan Coogler undoubtedly stands as the driving force behind the Black Panther franchise, Marvel Parliament member and executive producer Nate Moore was also an integral piece of the team behind the scenes. Now, Moore–who produced seveb projects at Marvel Studios including the upcoming Captain America: Brave New World–is taking his career in a different direction but not without finishing what he started.

    In statements released to the trades, Moore, along with Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige and Co-President Louis D’Esposito, revealed that while Moore is leaving the company, he will return to work with them in some capacity on Black Panther 3, marking the first confirmation from studio brass that the project is in development.

    In 2022, still reeling from the emotions of moving ahead in the franchise without its star and close friend, Coogler explained that he had yet to figure out what was next for him, much less when he might be ready to tackle Black Panther 3. While Feige confirmed that he and Coogler had some “ideas pitched back and forth“, he made it very clear that while a new director could possibly take over the franchise, it was his strong preference to move forward with Coogler when he was ready. It seems as though that time is drawing near.

    Nate is a fantastic executive and colleague as well as a wonderful friend to all of us here at Marvel Studios. He has been a core member of our team since 2010, and his influence will continue to reverberate in our storytelling. Although we’ll miss him a great deal, we look forward to watching what he does next while also having the good fortune of working with him in a new way on our next Black Panther movie.

    “Nearly everything I know about producing I’ve learned from my time at Marvel Studios. I feel lucky to have worked with a group of people who love filmmaking and storytelling as much as my Marvel colleagues and the cast and crew of our films,” said Moore. “But I couldn’t be more excited to apply my experience and passion for film towards theatrical movies in all genres, including returning to the world of Wakanda for Black Panther 3.”

    It’s unclear at this time if the third installment in the Black Panther franchise is far enough along in its development to be included in the Multiverse Saga (there are currently two Untitled Marvel Studios films scheduled for release in 2026) or if the studio would release the threequel as part of its next saga, which will begin in 2027.

    Source: Deadline

  • Lucasfilm Reportedly Locking S-foils Back into Attack Position on Scrapped Star Wars Project

    Lucasfilm Reportedly Locking S-foils Back into Attack Position on Scrapped Star Wars Project

    Though much has been made recently of Lucasfilm’s indecision around what direction they wish to advance theatrically, especially with Daisy Ridley‘s Rey, struggling to develop ideas into finished Star Wars films is truly old hat for the studio. One such example of the slip betwixt cup and lip is Rogue Squadron, originally announced during Disney’s 2020 Investor Day presentation and was on track for a December 2023 release with Patty Jenkins directing from a script by Matthew Robinson. Since then, the film has been reported to have been delayed, scrapped, unscrapped, delayed again, back in development and dead in the waters of Dagobah. Now a new report indicates has added another ring to the circus that Rogue Squadron has become.

    According to insider Daniel Richtman, Lucasfilm has once again set its sights on getting Rogue Squadron into theaters, putting the project back into active development.

    Though previous reports indicated Lucasfilm had moved on entirely from Rogue Squadron, meshes with a 2022 statement from Jenkins. “[Lucasfilm] made a new deal with me. In fact, I am still on [Rogue Sqauadron] and that project has been in active development ever since,” said Jenkins via social media. “I don’t know if it will happen or not. We never do until the development process is complete, but I look forward to its potential ahead.” Jenkins explained that her commitment to WB’s Wonder Woman 3 had taken priority and she planned to return to Rogue Squadron once her work on the DC project was done. With a new era underway at DC Studios and Wonder Woman 3 no longer part of their plans, Jenkins seemingly went back to work with Lucasfilm on Rogue Squadron.

    I originally left Rogue Squadron after a long and productive development process when it became clear it couldn’t happen soon enough and I did not want to delay WW3 any further. When I did, Lucasfilm asked me to consider coming back to RS after WW3, which I was honored to do, so I agreed.

    -Patty Jenkins on the status of Rogue Squadron, December 2022

    Of course, making any guesses, educated or otherwise as to when Rogue Squadron or any other Star Wars film might start production, much less land in theaters, is a fool’s errand. As of now, Lucasfilm’s Star Wars slate is made up of The Mandalorian and Grogu, in theaters May 22, 2026, and an Untitled Star Wars film dated for December 17, 2027. To that end, Rogue Squadron may or may not have as good of a chance of landing in theaters in 2027 as James Mangold‘s Dawn of the Jedi, Dave Filoni ‘s “Heir to the Empire”, the first film Simon Kinberg‘s recently announced trilogy or Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy‘s Rey-led, New Jedi Order film, if that project is even still part of the studio’s plan.