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  • ‘The Batman’s Robert Pattinson Mapped Out Bruce Wayne’s Story for at Least Two Sequels

    ‘The Batman’s Robert Pattinson Mapped Out Bruce Wayne’s Story for at Least Two Sequels

    It’s clear to everyone that Matt Reeves has big plans for his take on the Dark Knight. The Batman will introduce the world to a new take on the iconic vigilante, as the director already mapped out multiple spinoffs. In the latest Empire magazine, Dylan Clark confirms that they have ambitious dreams in an interview to “lay a foundation that you can build stories upon” as the first entry will be quite the standalone experience. It seems that its main star, Robert Pattinson, is in for the long run due to having planned out Bruce Wayne’s emotional story arc throughout multiple films.

    I’ve made a kind of map for where Bruce’s psychology would grow over two more movies. I would love to do it.

    Robert Pattinson

    It’s unclear how long they want to have this take on the DC hero to go for, but a trilogy seems like something Reeves probably already mapped out. If they are already developing spinoff series for HBO Max, we can assume with good consciousness that Warner Bros. is all in with this new take on the Dark Knight, even as they still continue to expand the DC Extended Universe. So, we’ll see what the future holds for the Caped Crusader.

    Source: Empire

  • What I Heard This Week: A New Sony Spinoff

    What I Heard This Week: A New Sony Spinoff

    Spider-Man: No Way Home brought 3 generations of Spider-Man heroes and villains together on screen and the end result was arguably the best live-action Spider-Man film to date. The movie featured incredible performances across the board, including those by Andrew Garfield, Willem Dafoe and Jamie Foxx, whose return to roles from prior iterations were highlights of the film. While rumors swirl about Garfield returning as Spider-Man again down the road, a new rumor has reached us that sounds pretty great in its own right.

    Sony’s strategy to create films around Spider-Man villains has already proven successful twice with Venom and Venom: Let There Be Carnage proving successful at the box office. Their next effort, Morbius, has generated a great deal of interest as the trailers have hinted at connections to Venom and Spider-Man: Homecoming. And now, it seems that another project will head into development spinning out of the successful return of Foxx in Spider-Man: No Way Home. We have word that Sony is now interested in developing an Electro solo project starring Foxx.

    Foxx gave a new take on the Max Dillon he played in 2014’s The Amazing Spider-Man 2 that resonated with fans and lit up social media. The response and the success of the film have led Sony execs to invoke a clause in Foxx’s contract that was, according to the source, tied to the box office opening of Spider-Man: No Way Home. It is important to note that the project has not been given the green light to go into production. Over the years, Sony has developed many projects that haven’t made it into production, so there’s no guarantee that, even with the great response to Foxx’s return as Electro, that this will be any different. In development does not mean in production.

    Assuming it’s a film, should the spinoff make it through the development process, it would join Spider-Woman and Kraven the Hunter as Sony-led Spider films and would be yet another project based on a villain, albeit a more familiar one. With great success comes great productivity and Sony is ready.

  • ‘Cobra Kai’ Wraps Season 5’s Production Ahead of Season 4’s Release

    ‘Cobra Kai’ Wraps Season 5’s Production Ahead of Season 4’s Release

    Well, this is quite an interesting development. Cobra Kai has become quite a popular series, especially after it moved from YouTube Red to Netflix. It has been such a hit that Netflix has already greenlit a fifth season and it seems they already wrapped up production before the fourth has even premiered on the streaming service. It is eyeing a release on December 31st, as the perfect way to kick off the year. It’s uncertain what it might mean for when the fifth season will release, but it seems likely the wait is going to be a bit shorter. The announcement came through Jon Hurwitz‘s Twitter account:

    The series takes place 34 years after the events of the original Karate Kid, as the old generation including Ralph Macchio‘s Daniel, and William Zabka‘s Johnny teaches a new generation. The original gain quite a bit of fame for taking a very different approach and focusing on the original’s antagonist. Of course, things aren’t that simple, as the revival of Cobra Kai leads to a renewed rivalry but also brings back some long-forgotten foes. It’ll be exciting to see how this season’s events might lead into the fifth.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ Overtakes ‘Infinity War’ for Second Highest Opening, Swings Past $600M Worldwide

    ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ Overtakes ‘Infinity War’ for Second Highest Opening, Swings Past $600M Worldwide

    Just yesterday, we discussed that Spider-Man: No Way Home just barely scratched the $600M milestone at the box office. The film became the third-highest opening for the US, but it turns out the final numbers had a little more to say. Normally, you don’t see strong shifts from Sunday into the Monday finalized numbers, but the film#s $252M jumped to $260M. As such, it has passed Avengers: Infinity War‘s $257.7M to take the second spot after all. Internationally, the film now stands at $340.8M – still missing China mind you – but remains at the third spot for its international opening.

    Its Sunday numbers now stand at $64.175M domestically, which keeps it at the third spot ahead of Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Black Panther. The interesting number is that 83% of colleges are closed today according to Comscore, which means that it might have an incredibly strong Monday showing. Plus, the holidays are around the corner which will add another layer to its box office run. It’s now the biggest December release of all time and has set a new benchmark for what the future has in store in 2022.

    Source: Deadline

  • EXCLUSIVE: Harris Dickinson and Gemma Arterton Describe ‘The King’s Man’ As An ‘Anti-War’ Film

    EXCLUSIVE: Harris Dickinson and Gemma Arterton Describe ‘The King’s Man’ As An ‘Anti-War’ Film

    The Kingsman movies have never slouched when it comes to their action choreography. Director Matthew Vaughn is known for his energetic sequences, and his new franchise prequel is no exception. The difference this time around is that some of those sequences take place in an actual historical war. 

    We recently had a chance to sit down with The King’s Man stars Harris Dickinson and Gemma Arterton. During the interview, I was able to ask if this setting impacted the theme of the movie. When I brought up the phrase “anti-war,” breakout lead Dickinson responded surprisingly. For Dickinson, his character is keen to show there are other ways to solve issues rather than going to war.

    Yeah, no, I think that’s an astute point. I think that’s what’s so interesting about Ralph’s character…The point he’s trying to prove essentially is that there’s better ways to solve conflicts. Whether that’s directly linked to the point in question of war or whether it’s all conflicts in general. We’ve had a terrible history of wars and the human cost of it has been devastating. So, yeah.

    Harris Dickinson

    Arterton gave her own thoughts soon after Dickinson. For her, she feels Vaughn is commenting on the opposition of using violence to prevent violence.

    Yeah, I think you’re right. I think it is a message that Matthew wanted to convey, and I think he believes that very strongly. This Kingsman agency, having been created so that, y’know – the inevitability is that there will always be conflict. There will always be people disagreeing, and potentially wars breaking out. So, Kingsman being created to kind of protect and try to prevent that from happening. I guess it’s sort of a peaceful organization that uses, like, guns and violence and knives and stuff to stop these things from happening. So yeah…it’s the message of the film.

    Gemma Arterton

    As The King’s Man readies to hit theaters, a third Kingsman film is finally confirmed to be in the works with production kicking off in Sept. 2022. Vaughn, who confirmed the news, returns as the director. As it stands, no further details are currently available.

    The King’s Man hits theaters on December 22nd.

  • A Brief History of Denials by Marvel Studios Actors, V2

    A Brief History of Denials by Marvel Studios Actors, V2

    Charlie Cox

    After reports of his return to the role of Matt Murdock/Daredevil in Spider-Man: No Way Home began to circulate, Charlie Cox was peppered with questions for nearly a year. Steadfast in his denial at first (“My answer is no comment; I don’t know what’s going to happen. I genuinely don’t know.“), Cox softened over time. Cox made a brief but memorable cameo in No Way Home and is expected to show up again in She-Hulk.

    Benedict Cumberbatch

    Back in 2014, Benedict Cumberbatch spoke to MTV about the possibilities of him portraying Doctor Strange and he mentioned that at the time, it couldn’t work out because he was doing a little play called ‘Hamlet’ in London. “So I don’t think I could even if that was in the cards. It sounds like a fantastic project. It’s a shame if I miss out, but who knows?” Of course, Cumberbatch has already portrayed the character 6 times and just completed reshoots on Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, where he’ll be playing multiple versions of the character in his 7th MCU appearance.

    Andrew Garfield

    After more substantial rumors about his return as Spider-Man in Spider-Man: No Way Home began to show up online, Garfied began to feel the heat. When asked about his potential reprisal in the Spring, Garfield said, “They might be doing something, but ain’t like I ain’t got a call.” To his credit, he kept up the lie up until the film’s release, telling Wired, “No, I’m not. I’m not! Crying out loud. But I’m really excited to see what they’re gonna do with the next movie because I just love them,” just a week before the film’s release.

    Tom Holland

    Unfortunately for Holland, nobody was forced to lie more about the returns of previous Spider-Man Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire. The denials are too numerous to list here, but the poor guy has to be feeling relieved now.

    Brie Larson

    Larson was revealed as Captain Marvel at SDCC ’16 but rumors of her involvement pre-dated that by quite a bit. In a 2015 interview with MTV, Larson did less denying and more playing dumb when asked about the character:


    So would I be playing a man? This is interesting, I’m kind of into it… I thought I was always forever going to be stuck playing female roles but I’m down to play Chris Evans. Oh wait no, Chris Evans is Captain America. Who’s Captain Marvel? I have no idea what I’m talking about. But people want me to play this? OK good to know. I guess I gotta start reading the comic book.

    Larson finally appeared as Carol Danvers in 2019’s Captain Marvel and recently completed filming on The Marvels after making a cameo in Shang-Chi and The Legend of the Ten Rings and is expected to be a Marvel Studios mainstay over the next decade.

    Evangeline Lilly

    Taking the lead from her Ant-Man co-star, Evangeline Lilly denied the rumors of her being the female lead in Ant-Man back in 2014. She stated back then that “No, I can’t. I don’t know anything about those rumors.” Lilly’s character became the first female MCU title character and joins Rudd in returning for the third Ant-Man film.

    Jonathan Majors

    After Jonathan Majors was cast as Kang the Conqueror, rumors surfaced that the character would first appear in Loki. Given the timing of his casting, the rumors made a lot of sense, but Majors went on record denying the rumors saying, “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” To be fair, the rumors weren’t entirely accurate as he portrayed He Who Remains, technically a Variant of Kang, so Majors might have some wiggle room.

    Tatiana Maslany

    Just a month after a trade reported that Maslany had signed on for the role of Jennifer Walters/She-Hulk, the actress went into full denial mode, saying:

    That actually isn’t a real thing and it’s like a press release that’s gotten out of hand. I’ve been connected to these things in the past and press has gotten onto it, but it’s not actually a thing, unfortunately. I don’t know how these things get – I don’t know, I don’t know. You know better; I have no idea.

    Trade reports are about as good as it gets in terms of accuracy and this one hit the mark as well. Maslany will be seen in She-Hulk sometime in 2022.

    Jeremy Renner

    Even an original core member of the Avengers had denied he was cast. Back in 2010, Jeremy Renner stated that the Hawkeye rumor was “just one of those things that got blown way out of proportion. It was an idea…So there’s truth that we talked about it, but there’s no truth to me doing it. “ The actor first popped up for a cameo in Thor and now Renner has been an MCU mainstay, finally leading his own project and potentially moving into a second decade of work as the Avenging Archer.

    Paul Rudd

    Let’s all go back to a simpler time, 2013. Paul Rudd is fresh off production from Anchorman 2. By that time, Variety had released a report saying that Rudd and Joseph Gordon-Levitt were the frontrunners to portray Ant-Man in the MCU. When asked about the subject, Rudd stated said “It’s all rumor, man!”. Rumor indeed, Paul! Rudd just completed principal photography on Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania, which will be the 7th time he has portrayed the character he was only rumored to portray, including voicing him in What If…?.

    At this point, it’s modus operandi for Marvel Studios but it truly serves no purpose other than to create a sense of mistrust in the actors. However, it is unlikely to change, so we’ll just keep updating this list.

  • ‘Hawkeye’ From Page to Screen: Episode 5

    ‘Hawkeye’ From Page to Screen: Episode 5

    The Hawkeye series finally introduced none other than Kingpin at the very end of its penultimate episode, after quite some time teasing the villain’s introduction. While Kingpin did not play a particularly central role in the Matt Fraction and David Aja My Life as a Weapon comic, it’s clear that his role in both the comics and show has some major overlaps worth exploring. Is the Kingpin, better known as Wilson Fisk, just the man behind the curtain, or is he more involved than it seems?

    In the comic he is heavily involved in three major areas of interest: (1) he’s at the top of the Tracksuit Mafia food chain; (2) he was at a black-market auction to buy incriminating evidence on Clint Barton; and (3) he was involved in hiring an assassin to kill Clint Barton. This article will explore each of these elements in turn and how they relate to the Hawkeye series.

    The Guy Clint’s Been Worried About

    • Marvel Studios’ ‘Hawkeye’ Episode 5
    • Marvel Studios’ ‘Hawkeye’ Episode 5

    One thing we know about Kingpin in every adaptation is that he is at the top of the New York City criminal organization pyramid. We know little so far from the Hawkeye series, but in the comics, Kingpin is a general presence that overshadows much of the crime syndicates below him. In both the series and the comic, Clint is hesitant to work with Kate or go about his general business, not because of the Tracksuit Mafia, but because of who they work for. In the series, Clint tells Kate that they do not want to get too involved, because they could run into the “Big Guy”. In the comics, Kingpin delivers a speech to a cohort of villains that “Clint Barton must die,” for interfering with their plans. The Tracksuit Mafia makes it pretty clear the Clint that they work for someone much more powerful. Later on, it’s obvious that Fisk is at least one of who they are referring to. As seen below, the comics make it much more explicit than the Disney+ series does.

    ‘Hawkeye’ #6 (2012)
    ‘Hawkeye’ #8 (2013)

    The Auction

    Curiously, both the comics and the series feature a black market auction for Barton and Avengers-related items. In the series, of course, we see people bid on the Ronin sword, but the Tracksuit Mafia break into the event to grab the still-mysterious Avengers-related watch before it goes up for sale. While Clint tells Kate that the watch could blow the cover of his friend, in the comics a tape of Clint assassinating targets on behalf of S.H.I.E.L.D. goes up for auction. Kate manages to buy the tape – in disguise as Madame Masque – and, you can guess, Kingpin is not too happy.

    ‘Hawkeye’ #4 (2012)
    • ‘Hawkeye’ #4 (2012)

    In the series, the first episode shows Jack and Armand Duquesne at the said auction that featured several items found from the destroyed Avengers compounds, including Ronin’s sword, suit, and the mysterious watch. While we did not see Kingpin physically at the auction, we know the Tracksuit Mafia—that he controls—broke in to steal the watch. As little as we know about the watch, it’s clear it might have the same effect on the owner and Clint’s tape in the comics did on him.

    ‘Hawkeye’ #4 (2012)
    Marvel Studios’ ‘Hawkeye’ Episode 1

    The Assassin

    • ‘Hawkeye’ #9 (2013)
    • Marvel Studios’ ‘Hawkeye’ Episode 4

    In the comics, Kingpin is one member of a group, including the Tracksuit Mafia, that decides to hire an assassin to kill Clint Barton. He hires Kazimierz Kazimierczak in the comics, who is otherwise known as the Clown. The Kazi in the series definitely strays from the Kazimierz in the comics, so we have not seen any elements of the “Clown” at this point. But in the series, Episode 5 tells us that Kate’s mother Eleanor hired Yelena Belova to kill Clint. Shortly after, we find out that Eleanor appears to be working with Kingpin, begging the question as to whether he was involved in the live-action scheme to take down Clint Barton.

    While Kingpin’s introduction was fairly small in Hawkeye Episode 5, it’s worth noting the connections he has to the Fraction-Aja comics. We’ll find out more about Kingpin’s involvement in the Hawkeye finale on Wednesday, December 22, 2021, when it airs on Disney+.

  • ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ Almost Featured Morgan Stark

    ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ Almost Featured Morgan Stark

    Spider-Man: No Way Home is filled to the brim with characters from across the multiverse. The story is a love letter to Spider-Man and his cinematic history, as well as pushing Tom Holland‘s character forward in new and interesting ways. Who knows how many scenes ended up on the cutting room floor due to just how much they already had to balance from the get-go. Well, it seems we found out about one, as Avengers: Endgame‘s Lexi Rabe, who famously played Tony’s daughter Morgan Stark, revealed she was cut from the film.

    It’s a curious surprise, as it makes you wonder what role she may have had specifically in the story. Of course, it’s still too early to discuss what was in the film, but there are a few moments where we may have had a brief moment of her appearing. The Stark connection does exist, as Tony did end up deciding to change the world to bring Peter back, who he probably saw as a surrogate son. We’ll see whatever storyline that could’ve been set up with her appearance might get revisited, as it is uncertain what future the character has in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

    Source: Instagram

  • Murphy’s Team-Up, Volume 11: Reviewing ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’

    Murphy’s Team-Up, Volume 11: Reviewing ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’

    Anthony Canton III

    Spider-Man: No Way Home is the epitome of what an epic superhero film should be. It’s attention to the history of Spider-Man films is in some ways so on point it’s jarring. Emotionally it’s gut wrenching and heartbreaking, yet hopeful. Tom Holland is a superstar of the highest order. It’s a satisfying conclusion to a wonderful trilogy yet it leaves something on the table for the future. It enters my top 5 MCU films as even with its long awaited hype and knowledge, it still delivers. There are character performances from many that are excellent and full of depth. Willem Dafoe specifically delivers a performance the likes of which we might never see again. The theater experience was at Infinity War/Endgame levels. They have a tough act to follow to top this film, but I’ll be happy to see them try. The opportunity to tell new stories will be excellent for the franchise going forward.

    Filip Manka

    Wow, they made it. After all the misgivings, disastrous leaks, and promotional material, I got a really good and coherent Peter Parker/ Spider-Man story. It’s not a perfect movie. There’s a lot of bad editing and scripted scenes, the visuals and CGI are miserable for the most part, and the dialogue in many scenes leaves a lot to be desired. However, the amount of heart, the understanding of this character, the world with really surprising interactions, and the meta layers were something really good. It was an amazing experience, a fan event that did a great job of embracing a large amount of fan service emotionally.
    I had a great time. There was a lot of emotion, laughter, and at times embarrassment, but I’m happy that underneath all that content, we got a good conclusion to the trilogy. The future promises to be wonderful!

    Hunter Radesi

    I’ve been disappointed in this Spider-Man for months. I never wanted this movie to tackle the multiverse, and I definitely didn’t want what felt like a clear trajectory for Tom Holland’s Peter Parker to be sidetracked by studio-driven money grab. This is why, against all odds, it brings me great joy to say I actually really liked No Way Home. I suppose what I wasn’t expecting was for the film to be so aggressively Spider-Man in nearly every way. Holland’s Peter gets an arc that works with his previous story, while propelling him forward into his next era. As much as I wanted to see new villains close out this trilogy, I could not contain my nerdy excitement when personal favorites like Willem Dafoe and Andrew Garfield showed their faces again. And boy, did they show them. Absolute top tier performances from the duo, as well as Holland and Zendaya. While I did miss the lower-level, high school hijinks of the previous installments, there’s just something about a theater going insane together that can’t be beat.

    John Sabato

    Spider-Man: No Way Home is an incredible closing film of the Homecoming trilogy. While the film’s biggest fault is the spell plot, it makes up for it with brilliant character work and performances from everyone. Tom Holland shines in this film, truly his best performance as Spidey: he’s giving it everything he’s got. Willem Dafoe is another standout here; his return is unhinged and wildly unpredictably, the way he’s able to just turn it on and off is what makes him so interesting, and almost sympathize with him. The end of the film is what really seals the deal and promises an interesting path forward and will surely give the fans everything they’ve wanted with MCU Spider-Man in the next trilogy.

    Mary Maerz

    I thought No Way Home was wonderfuI was impressed that it managed to be a great movie and experience despite the ridiculous build up to it. It somehow delivered on all of its “promises” but yet the movie didn’t really suffer from the “it’s trying to do too much” plague that caused plenty of other comic book movies to not be successful, including past installments of Sony’s Spider-Man franchise. While Tom Holland’s Peter Parker definitely got a genuinely emotional and strong story, the best parts of the movie (to me, by far) were still the Sony crossovers. The dialogue and character interactions were very strong, especially considering how forced the situations in which the characters found themselves in actually were. I do not truly understand the Endgame comparisons–yes, it was a very ambitious crossover and finale-type event, but Endgame was a culmination of 22 movies worth of essentially the same story, whereas No Way Home was more of a celebration of the three live-action eras of Spider-Man within Holland’s third solo movie. So No Way Home is no doubt one of the biggest solo movies of all time, but it didn’t hit anywhere near as hard as Endgame did for me. Because of how much it relied on the Sony crossovers, I am curious to see how this movie ages once the novelty wears off. Last but not least, No Way Home’s plot really made no sense and there are countless plot holes or at least major questions that the movie just completely ignores. To be fair, No Way Home was great even with that caveat, but I’m always going to be frustrated by that.

    Charles Murphy

    The most comic booky Marvel Studios movie to date. The most Spider-Man Spider-Man movie to date. The most Peter Parker Spider-Man movie to date. Spider-Man: No Way Home is all these things. Emotionally, this film is on par with Infinity War and Endgame. And while part of that comes from Tom Holland, who has delivered on these scenes time and time again, there’s no doubt that the return of Andrew Garfield, whose masterful understanding of the character was enhanced by his turn here as an older, embittered Spider-Man, caused an emotional overload. Peter has been put through the ringer during his first few years as Spider-Man and No Way Home boldly tackled those themes and allowed Holland’s Peter to learn the true cost of being Spider-Man. Parker Luck was on full display. The returning characters served the story well and their arcs show that both Spider-Man and the Marvel Studios crew have grown in the way they deal with and treat villains. Helping people is what Spider-Man is supposed to do and, at the end of the day, that’s what happened here. Easily the best movie of the year and the best live-action Spider-Man film to date.

    Megan Murphy

    Spider-Man: No Way Home has got to be the best Marvel Studios production yet. Differing from other Marvel movies, I never had a moment to blink or a hint of boredom. This movie had such an intriguing plot that never skipped a beat. The incorporation of both Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield has opened up a whole new world for Marvel (literally and metaphorically). Although characters from other universes have shown up in Loki , What If?, and Into the Spider-Verse, this movie by far takes the cake on opening new opportunities. With Spider-Man being such a popular character and the popularity the Spider-Man movies have gained, I think that the true idea of the multiverse will be able to come to light after Spider-Man: No Way Home. Marvel Studios will now have so many opportunities to introduce new characters and the audience will have a better understanding of the multiverse and its extremities. In the end, this movie was one of the best ever Marvel movies with many to choose from.

  • ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ is Sony’s Biggest Opening Weekend Ever With $587M Worldwide

    ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ is Sony’s Biggest Opening Weekend Ever With $587M Worldwide

    the news just broke that Spider-Man: No Way Home has taken the spot of third-highest opening weekend in the domestic box office. Well, the international numbers are just in and it has continued that very trend worldwide. The film is just shy of a $600M opening with $587M. It’s now only the sixth film to open past the $500M mark and has instantly taken the sixth spot of biggest openers of the year. Keep in mind, what makes this an impressive accomplishment lies in the fact it is without a Chinese release.

    There are still hints it’ll open in the Middle Kingdom at some point, but the fact it’s already the biggest opening of the year and very likely to pass $1 billion internationally. It managed $253M domestically, which is great if you consider that no film since before the pandemic could scatch the $100M surface. It has managed to take in $334M worldwide as we enter the end of MCU Spider-Man’s trilogy that reintroduces some familiar faces of the character’s cinematic past.

    At this rate, even if it faces a 70% drop, there’s a good chance that the film will pass $1 billion around its third week. There’s no defined release date in China, but if it does manage to release in the coming weeks, there’s a good chance the film might near around $1.5 billion potentially, but anything near $2 billion seems a bit unlikely. There is a chance that the stories surrounding the Omnicom variant may also shift its development, but its performance is certainly impressive.

    Source: Deadline