The end of Eternals finally introduced the MCU to the Ebony Blade. Kit Harington‘s Dane Whitman opened a box to unleash the cursed weapon, but that was not all. He is suddenly greeted by a voice off-screen that was later confirmed to be Mahershala Ali‘s Blade. Of course, it made us wonder what this might mean for the character’s future as the Black Knight and it seems that they may be setting up an appearance in his upcoming solo film.
ComicBook had the chance to sit down with Eternals VFX Supervisor Stephane Ceretti, who revealed that the Ebony Blade will return in the upcoming Blade solo film, as he talks about passing on the work they did so that Martin Lawson, who is taking over a similar role for the upcoming solo film, can build upon that.
The funny thing is my second on the show, which is Martin Lawson my additional supervisor, is actually going to be supervising Blade very soon. So I told him, I said, ‘I’m giving that to you as a gift, use it wisely and make good out of it.’ But I’m sure it’s going to do actually even better.
Stephane Ceretti
It would make sense that they build upon the scene from Eternals, but we also know very little about the plot of the upcoming vampire-hunting film. Perhaps Whitman becomes an unlikely ally that has to help him in stopping a new type of vampire. He would make for a great everyman and actually be involved with the story unlike in his introduction. Of course, there’s always the chance that the blade might make an appearance, but it would seem strange not to include its iconic wielder.
Apple TV made a big splash last week picking up the rights to Legendary’s MonsterVerse streaming series. The series, written by Chris Black, is set to focurs on the Monarch organization present throughout the recent Godzilla and Kong films. Little info was shared last week about the series, co-created by MattFraction, but now we are able to exclusively reveal some new details.
The Monarch-spinoff is tentatively titled Hourglass, a clear reference to the secret organization’s logo. Casting is currently underway for the series, with production currently scheduled to get underway in May. Cameras are expected to roll until November as the series moves around the globe, splitting time between Tokyo, Vancouver and Hawaii.
Hourglass picks up “following the thunderous battle between Godzilla and the Titans that leveled San Francisco and the shocking new reality that monsters are real. It’s said to focus on “one family’s journey to uncover its buried secrets and a legacy linking them to the secret organization known as Monarch.”
It’s surprising that it took this long before we got any official stills or images from the film featuring all three Spider-Man together. Spider-Man: No Way Home is a powerhouse at the box office, and it’s likely that everyone who wanted to see it, already has. Yet, Sony never offered an official look at its full cast. Hell, we never even got special posters highlighting the return of Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield in their respective roles. Luckily, high-quality looks at the final were released as part of an interview with visual effects supervisor Chris Waegner over at before & afters.
Waegner highlights that he has quite the history with the Spider-Man franchise, as he worked on quite a few of them during his tenure at Imageworks. So, he naturally was able to bring that passion and realize each one of the character’s unique aspects to life. They had to rebuild a lot of their assets for the film, as the old assets were no longer viable due to how far technology has come. Plus, Tobey and Andrew aren’t the same age when they previously played the characters, which also became a key factor.
They also had to work on some previous villains making their grand return in the film. In a way, it would seem like modern technology would’ve made work easier on bringing these characters to life once again. A big part is their approach to Sandman, who already was pushing boundaries back during the release of Spider-Man 3. Waegner highlights that they were able to optimize their approach, such as making him feel more like a sand storm if the story or moment required it.
In the interview, he also praised the practical work that was done to support their CG work, as the Liberty island was recreated with a practical set. A lot of the scaffolding featured in the sequence was real and also helped their team to realize their vision, as they worked on the finale. Plus, the set choice offers a lot of reference material to utilize and work from to bring the effects-heavy aspects to life in a much easier way. He does highlight that it was quite the undertaking for their Modeling and Environments team.
Many were surprised when Ethan Hawke revealed he was joining the upcoming Marvel Studios’ series, Moon Knight. It just didn’t seem like the usual project he would tackle, but his involvement offered a glimpse of hope that this project might make the iconic character stand out from the rest. We got our first true glimpse at his character in a poster, as he was showcased seemingly as a leader of some kind of cult – and with him out during daylight, there went our Dracula theories. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, he talked about how psychiatrist Carl Jung and the infamous cult leader David Koresh were the inspirations of his character, as he also wanted to avoid the boring clichés you expect from a villainous character.
The uber-rich villain mastermind isn’t interesting to me. I love the ones who believe that they’re a good person and that’s why they have to kill you. That, I find really terrifying.
Ethan Hawke
It was the series star, Oscar Isaac, that convinced him to join the project after believing he might not be the right choice for a comic book adaptation, but after spending some time with the character, it seems he came to love the idea of tackling a character that doesn’T has as much baggage as others.
So it just became about the project, and it wasn’t an intellectual decision at all; it was like, ‘Oh, let’s do something cool with these guys.’ And the more I learned about the Moon Knight, the more turned on I got, because it’s so much better than trying to create something that the audience already has a big agenda with. Like, if you do Batman or Superman or Hulk, any of these famous ones, the fans have so many preconceived things that they want from it. It’s like playing Hamlet. […] And with Moon Knight, we get to create a world and a character. The fan in me always enjoys the first movie. I love learning about how the hell Captain America came to be — those are my favorite parts of the story.
Ethan Hawke
He’s certainly a great addition to the project, and he definitely might add something special to make it stand out. Even the trailers were selling us on a more mind-bending adventure than what we are used to within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Here’s hoping we spend quite a bit of time with his character and uncover what exactly his role is throughout the six-episode series.
At this point, we might see the entire cast of Secret Invasion through set photos if more continues to find its way online. We got our first look at Emilia Clarke on the set just yesterday, and it seems, even more, have found their way online. This time though, we get a good look at Kingsley Ben-Adir on set. He’s another actor who has appeared in person and not as a Skrull, which makes sense with the whole “secret” part of the Disney+ series’ title. @SInvasionNews has shared the image provided by Instagram account donnajuds
It’s still very likely that Kingsley Ben-Adir is a Skrull, as he was initially cast as the series’ antagonist. Of course, we don’t know exactly who he might be playing, which is the big question mark and the fact we haven’t seen any Skrulls on this set does also lead us to wonder if they are keeping those reveals for in-door sequences. Of course, he may also be a red herring that the series is setting up to catch us off-guard during our viewing.
It’ll be fun to see how the series plays with our expectations, especially with such an iconic premise. Plus, we don#t know if some familiar faces might make a return from the films or other TV series, which raises the question of just how far have the Skrulls gone with their inflation. We might not be able to trust everyone in the projects to come.
Chris Evans is looking to return to the world of action films as he joins Dwayne Johnson‘s latest action-comedy film Red One for Amazon. The film, directed by Jumanji helmer Jake Kasdan, is described as “a globe-trotting, four-quadrant action-adventure comedy, imagining a whole new universe to explore within the holiday genre,” which sounds like a holiday version of the similarly titled Red Notice.
Evans hasn’t been in films much since his 2019 victory lap with Avengers: Endgame and the hit mystery film Knives Out. This year sees his return in Pixar’s Lightyear and The Gray Man, a film directed by The Russo Brothers.
Before Peacemaker premiered, people were a bit uncertain about how the series would be adapting Vigilante, especially after how the character was handled on Arrow. With Adrian Chase serving as one of Peacemaker’s leads and having been recast midway through production on the series, there was some uncertainty surrounding the character. It eventually led to some major payoff, however, with the creative decisions made with Vigilante being among the best in the series.
The version of Adrian Chase we meet in Peacemaker has a different background than his comic counterpart. Vigilante is basically DC’s version of the Punisher, set on a path of vengeance following the death of his family at the hands of mobsters. Adrian Chase was a former district attorney who sought out new ways of enforcing the law.
Peacemaker’s Chase is not a district attorney, he isn’t even a lawyer, instead, he’s a busboy at a local restaurant who spends his free time killing anyone who breaks the law, no matter how minuscule the crime is. He is also obsessed with Peacemaker, confirmed by the thousands of voicemails left on Peacemaker’s phone while he was in prison. This Vigilante is a massive goofball and very akin to the likes of Deadpool, a merc with a mouth who works by a code.
Vigilante was never really a big name in the comics. He was often dry and uninteresting as everything he did had been done before, there was never a ton of defining moments for the character. He would basically just run around the DC universe looking like a really angry Olympic skier with his red goggles and striped outfit.
Gunn is notorious for his work with lesser-known characters and making great strides when adapting them to the big screen. Gunn took Adrian Chase and made him lovable: he may be a ruthless killer but there is an actual character with substance there. He instantly lights up scenes while also stealing them at the very same time. While he may be committing some truly heinous crimes in the name of justice, as Peacemaker does in the name of peace, there’s something admirable to his mission. He isn’t a bad person. He’s got good intentions and just strives to help the world, it’s just that he’s got a really bad way of showing it. The most recent episode showed the great lengths Adrian would go not only to save the mission but also to free Peacemaker from the shadow of his abusive father.
It wouldn’t be the same without Freddie Stroma, brought in during the recast of the character, bringing a quirky and charming attitude to the character. Stroma definitely was the perfect fit for the character. While we haven’t seen what Conrad would’ve brought to the role, and maybe never will in the end I think it definitely worked out quite well.
Not too long ago, we’ve learned that Moon Knight may have become Disney+’s most anticipated entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Not only did it get the most likes of any series, it even managed to become its second-most-watched entry within 24 hours. It’s crazy to think how popular it is if you consider that Moon Knight has mostly been known either from a meme calling Dracula a nerd or many Batman comparisons. There’s a lot more to the character, of course, but there must be something about this series that appeals to viewers with its trailer.
I think its biggest selling point lies in the tonal change from the rest of the MCU. The Disney+ shows have been unique and offer different takes on what it means to be a hero, villain, and more. Yet, there’s something much darker at play with Moon Knight compared to the rest. It may be similar to why Loki and WandaVision were such darlings during their release, as they offered something truly unique. We’ve seen enough superheroes and now Marvel Studios has started to break the mold. And, on top of it all, they provided one of their best trailers that found the perfect mixture of intrigue, action, and character.
Their next Disney+ series feels like a psychological horror film that was combined into ChristopherNolan‘s Memento. The initial trailer offers so much intrigue that forces anyone to question what is real. Comic fans might fully grasp the many personalities of Marc Spector and the existence of Khonshu, but an everyday viewer will have no clue. All they saw, was this strange monster stalking him, and the way the first trailer implies it may just be in his head. It’s an eye-catcher in many ways, as you might question how real is Moon Knight as a hero in this universe.
Oscar Isaac‘s performance of a mentally disturbed man, fighting to figure out what is real or not would probably drag quite a few people into theaters if this wasn’t a Disney+ series. Throw in the possibility of him becoming a hero more in line with Punisher or Daredevil‘s Netflix run, you might reach an audience that has been clamoring for exactly that. The poster with a bloody crescent moon-shaped weapon certainly seems to promise that Marvel Studios isn’t holding back this time around.
Disney+ is a family-oriented streaming program at the end of the day, and there were concerns that it could hold back Marvel Studios’ expansion. If they can make this concept work within the perceived limitations of a Disney-owned streaming service, the future of Marvel’s darker characters, which includes Daredevil, Punisher, Ghost Rider, and more, seems – for a lack of a better term – quite bright. Moon Knight may be the point where Disney+ starts to mature and opens the floodgates to welcome in more stories like it.
The weekend box office numbers are finally in and as predicted, Sony’s latest release, Spider-Man: No Way Home, has taken the top spot of the domestic box office back and continues to grow even in its sixth weekend. As of now, it has garnered another $14.1M from 3,705 theaters within the domestic market. Now it stands at $721M as the fourth-highest earner in that market. It’s total gross as of now stands at $721M domestically and $970M internationally. So, in total it has now passed The Lion King‘s $1.66B and Jurassic World‘s $1.67B to become the sixth highest-grossing film worldwide.
Scream managed to land on $12.5M, which brought it to a strong $51.3M domestically. It’s quite the success for a legacy franchise that hasn’t had a new entry in some time, as it now stands at $84.9M worldwide. The only other competition was Sing 2 which was far behind at $5.7M, which has now made around $241.1M worldwide. The newcomer Redeeming Love – which you can read our review of here – made around $3.7M in 1,903 theaters but still managed to take the fourth spot. D.J. Caruso‘s film had a stronger following in the South, which is a given with its California Gold Rush backdrop and Christian romance plot.
There was one more new release over the weekend with The King’s Daughter, which didn’t manage to get into the $1M club and fell behind with $700K at the eighth-spot while the top five was rounded out by 20th Century and Disney’s action prequel The King’s Man. The film managed to crack the $100M mark worldwide over the weekend but is still far from what one would expect from the franchise.
Loved every second of it. From the shot of Egypt that made me immediately think of the Eternals to the use of one of Marc’s alter-egos to the shot of the criminally underrated Ethan Hawke (he’s who everyone pretends Jared Leto is), it set the tone far more than a teaser should. It gave us our first shot at many intriguing things (was that a Lycan? An Animus?), While also setting the stage for what seems to be a more visceral show than we’ve gotten from the MCU on Disney+. FWS had it’s moments, but this seems to up the violence ante. There’s some concern that Marvel didn’t cast a Jewish actor in the title role and that this means they’re going to retcon that for Isaac’s character, and this trailer did nothing to confirm/deny that. It left me wanting more, especially considering I believe MoonKnight will tie into Blade and some of the other properties coming down the pipe. All in all, mission accomplished.
Filip Manka
That trailer put me at ease. Despite my huge hype for this show, I still had some concerns in the back of my mind about adapting this character into a live-action feature. However, the trailer is absolutely fantastic for me and I can’t remember the last time I looked forward to a Marvel project this much. The trailer gave me the emotions I was expecting: disorientation, surreal atmosphere, and confusion.
The focus on DID and the character’s psychological problems is gratifying. The beginning of the trailer in terms of execution is very much in the style of directors Moorehead and Benson, enclosing the character in tight frames with a close-up camera. Somewhere in the back, there is the symbolism of the surroundings being reflected in puddles and mirrors, which I also think will at times serve as an interesting means of expression in portraying Marc’s problems.
Another huge plus is that the story will begin from the perspective of Steve Grant, Marc’s alter ego. I like how the subconscious has repressed Marc’s death, which by the way is very consistent with how DID works. The subconscious has separated the trauma and grief to protect the person from themselves. Such a theme gives room for many interesting narrative treatments, and I hope that the further into the woods the story becomes less linear.
I was also very positively surprised by the fact that the series will be mostly based on the series from 1985. Ethan Hawke’s character himself is named Arthur Harrow, who debuted in the comics in 1985, and the hero himself was studying the theory of pain. Here I think that they will combine Harrow with Sun King and I know that Moon Knight’s fans may turn their noses up a bit because the plot with Sun King was poor, but such a synthesis of these two characters may come out on a good note.
I do love this outfit. I’m glad that they didn’t go for any armor, but something mystical and out of the ordinary for the MCU. Once again, I associate it with the 1985 run where the theme of Egypt and mysticism was present, and according to the description, this element will also be important in the series.
Mary Maerz
I loved it. Take out the last 10 seconds or so, and you wouldn’t even know it was a Marvel or superhero-type series. It definitely came across as more of a psychological thriller with a smattering of horror and a smidge of action. I really like that combination, but it will be interesting to see what that balance actually is in the series, since it’s a solid bet the action (and actual Moon Knight part) will be more prominent. I’m extremely curious how they will handle and explore Marc Spector’s D.I.D., and I hope it doesn’t take 5 episodes to explain it or to reveal Jake Lockely. I definitely felt some elements of the Lemire run with Marc (or Steven) going in and out of perceived realities in really abrupt and harsh ways, and I would love if they played into that consistently throughout the whole series. If Ethan Hawke’s Arthur Harrow is actually who I think he could be, I’m very interested to see how they develop the dynamic between the two in this context. We only really saw Moon Knight going to town punching something in a bathroom for a few seconds, so honestly in my mind the jury is still very much out on the Moon Knight himself. But it’s looking good.
Nathan Miller
I enjoyed thetrailer. I think Marvel Studios got almost exactly the right mix of attraction for a casual audience and for more dedicated fans. The trailer makes it clear we are going to have Steven Grant as a gateway to the character of Moon Knight with some subtleties of the wider Moonie mythos. There is a mystery to unravel for Steven as there is for the audience. All of my friends who watch Marvel Studios TV and films in a late-casual way thought ‘it was unlike any other Marvel thing’ they had seen, and were really excited about it. So in that sense, it’s job done. The only thing I think could maybe have been improved on is the music for this particular trailer, as it didn’t get me as hyped up as other Marvel Studios trailer music has done, but it’s not a deal-breaker by any means in my enjoyment of the trailer. I’m excited for the next trailer and for the show itself!
Charles Murphy
My thoughts are simple: the most non-Marvel trailer I’ve seen in a while and I love it. The only real piece of info I had on this show was that it would be partially inspired by Christopher Nolan’s Memento: the trailer showed us that is probably the case and that makes for a very interesting dynamic for the audience, especially anyone who doesn’t have a good handle on who Moon Knight is. I love the quasi-Earth X inspired costume. I think this has the makings of an incredibly fun series that will probably have weekly conversation on the level of WandaVision as fans try to piece together the mystery.
Anthony Canton III
The trailer is interesting in so many ways. First, for the MCU at large this feels like something entirely different than anything we’ve ever seen. For the uninitiated to the character it has to feel trippy as it not only is mysterious, but incredibly psychological. The tone of the trailer is a dark one, bringing us inside the mind of someone who’s clearly lost theirs. Oscar Isaac has a chance to do something special here in playing multiple personalities. Ethan Hawke’s character seems very influential without us knowing exactly who he is. There’s intrigue in all of this, and the Moon Knight suit itself looking so good on screen. Lastly, the brief physicality of seeing Moon Knight hammering a creature of some sort (Anubis perhaps) is exciting as we haven’t seen a fighting style like this one in the MCU. The fans are in for quite the ride with Moon Knight.
Joseph Aberl
The Moon Knight trailer probably goes down as one of my favorites alongside WandaVision and Loki. There’s something about the atmosphere that makes it stand out, especially with the psychological thriller aspect. Khonshu’s arrival as this horror monster makes me wonder just how they might approach the story, and even the strange accent by Oscar Isaac adds that something is off throughout. I really hope the series completely leans into that aspect and sticks to it throughout its runtime, as us questioning if Moon Knight is real or not could make for a great storyline before he enters the wider MCU.
Joao Pinto
For me what stood out the most in the Moon Knight trailer was the project’s apparent cinematic-quality. All other Disney+ MCU series have been great in terms of bringing a lot of the Marvel Studios big screen expertise to streaming, but Moon Knight’s footage seems to be on a different level. The series will be the first MCU show not to count on previously established characters within the franchise to help sell the property and therefore it might be going the extra mile in terms of presenting itself as a must-see television event based on looks alone.
The trailer itself hasn’t given out much in terms of plot, but if the feeling of its footage is anything to go by in terms of the overall quality of the series, one of the most enigmatic characters Marvel has decided to bring into the MCU might very well end up with the best-looking show, on par with the movies. Something that Marvel has been promising ever since its streaming strategy was announced, but that seldomly has been delivered.
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