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  • Rumored ‘Spider-Man 4’ Subtitle Supports Leaks of Super Symbiote Team Up

    Rumored ‘Spider-Man 4’ Subtitle Supports Leaks of Super Symbiote Team Up

    As Tom Hardy prepares for one last dance as Venom and recent reports have Tom Holland preparing for a very busy 2025, there’s been increasing buzz that the two stars will team up in an unprecedented studio crossover event film. Recent rumors have indicated that Knull, the big bad in Sony’s Venom: The Last Dance, will survive the film and crossover into the MCU for future projects. Now, a new rumor lends some support to that possibility.

    Scooper Cryptic HD Quality, who has been quite reliable in the past, took to Twitter to share that he’d heard a potential subtitle for the fourth installment in Sony and Marvel Studios’ Spider-Man franchise. And if what he’s heard is true (note that even he is skeptical of the rumor) it cements Knull entering the MCU.

    Cryptic HD Quality shared that the as-yet-undated film could be titled Spider-Man: The King in Black.

    For those unfamiliar with the Marvel Comics character, Knull is an Eldritch god who created the symbiote race. Long after being imprisoned and losing his connection to them, Knull broke free and slaughtered billions during a cosmos-wide rampage of terror in which he attempted to once again control every symbiote and their hosts. Eventually, Knull’s search brought him to Earth where he faced off with Venom and Earth’s Mightiest Heroes in a 5-issue event titled The King in Black.

    Given that Tom Hardy‘s Eddie Brock left a piece of his symbiote behind after visiting Earth-616, all the necessary ground work for Knull to enter the MCU has already been done. The rumors also line up with recent reports that before hiring Destin Daniel Cretton to direct the film, Marvel Studios and Sony overhauled the script for Spider-Man 4 which once featured Spidey and Daredevil teaming up against Wilson Fisk in a street-level Civil War. With production on Spider-Man 4 reportedly getting underway in the first half of 2025, it’s likely that we’ll gain some clarity on these rumors over the next few months.

  • Marvel Studios May Be Planning Unprecedented Crossover Event

    Marvel Studios May Be Planning Unprecedented Crossover Event

    For forty years, Marvel Comics’ crossover events have brought characters from every corner of the Marvel Universe to tell stories larger in scale and scope than could be done on the pages of any individual series. While not every event has been well-received, many of the arcs stand as some of the genre’s most exciting. Jim Starlin‘s Infinity Trilogy, Mark Millar‘s Civil War and Brian Michael Bendis‘ Secret Invasion have already been adapted by Marvel Studios which will next turn to an adaptation of Marvel’s first crossover event, Secret Wars, as the capstone to the Multiverse Saga. While fans wait to see just how that project comes together, new reports indicate that the studio may also have plans for a different type of crossover that would involve an unprecedented level of collaboration.

    As Sony prepares to take its Venom franchise for one last spin around the dance floor, rumors and reports have begun to emerge that suggest that the story of Tom Hardy‘s Eddie Brock may continue in the MCU.

    After revealing that Knull, the terrifying villain of Venom: The Last Dance, was portrayed via motion capture by Andy Serkis, industry insider Daniel RPK shared the news that the character was set to appear in future projects down the road. WIth Sony having confirmed that the upcoming film will be the final installment in the Venom franchise, that has led to speculation that the character may be making the jump to the MCU.

    While it’s purely speculative at this point, there’s enough circumstantial evidence to allow for the possibility to be considered. Knull, also known in the comics as the King in Black, is an incredibly complex character but what’s important for the context of this potential crossover is that he is an eldritch god who created the symbiote race of which Venom is a part. After losing his connection to them for a time, Knull sought to regain control of them and take over the cosmos. As seen in trailers for Venom: The Last Dance, Knull is sending creatures to Earth in search of symbiotes and it could be assumed that he’s doing so to bring all of his “children” back to him. With a piece of the Venom symbiote having been left behind in the MCU, it’s not too hard to imagine that Knull could be making his way there soon.

    It’s interesting that the news comes just ahead of the release of Venom: The Last Dance and as Sony and Marvel Studios begin to prepare for production on Spider-Man 4. After recently undergoing a major overhaul, the fourth installment in the Tom Holland-led Spider-Man franchise has reportedly shifted from featuring a “street-level Civil War” to potentially featuring a Multiversal story that could tie directly into Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. Holland is reportedly set to play a leading role in both Avengers films and a meeting with Hardy’s Eddie Brock and a battle with Knull could work to put his Peter Parker in the black symbiote suit that first debuted in Jim Shooter‘s 1984 crossover event, Secret Wars, just in time for the 2027 MCU film of the same name.

    The level of collaboration between the two studios that would be required to make this sort of studio crossover is unprecedented but also carries some potentially incredible implications. While Marvel Studios recently had major characters from non-Marvel Studios’ produced films appear in Deadpool & Wolverine, the studio had regained the right to all of those characters. In the imagined scenario where Venom and Knull appear in a film set within the MCU, the studio would be using characters solely owned by Sony and would have no choice but to adhere to the prior storytelling that brought them to where they are. Of course, with the Multiverse Saga in its back half, it is now or never for such an opportunity.

    Venom: The Last Dance hits theaters on October 25th.

  • DC Studios Developing Animated Robins Film ‘Dynamic Duo’

    DC Studios Developing Animated Robins Film ‘Dynamic Duo’

    When DC Studios’ co-chairs James Gunn and Peter Safran revealed the initial plans for the DCU in January 2022, they made it clear that animation would play a central role in the shared narrative. True to their word, the co-chairs are launching the DCU this December with an animated series, Creature Commandos, and now Gunn has shared news of another animated project in development.

    Via Instagram, Gunn revealed that the studio has greenlit Dynamic Duo, which will tell the origin stories of two of Batman’s most well-known Robins, Dick Grayson and Jason Todd.

    Written by Coco and Lightyear scribe Matthew Aldrich, Dynamic Duo will tell the story of “the early days of Dick Grayson and Jason Todd aka the Robins. The duo call themselves the Dynamic Duo. They’re orphan thieves, best friends who share dreams of a better life, but their friendship will be tested by competing visions of a future out of which will come a new Dynamic Duo.“

    DC Studios will be working with Swaybox, a new and innovative animation studio that uses a “Momo animation” process that Deadline described as “a cross between CGI animation, practical elements of stop-motion, and live-action real-time performance.”

    The Batman Epic Crime Saga creator, Matt Reeves, will produce the film through his 6th and Idaho production company though according to Deadline the project is not part of Reeves’ Elseworlds narrative. Swaybox co-founder Arthur Mintz is set to direct the project.

    I have wanted to make a film with Arthur and Swaybox for many years, and for that film to be Dynamic Duo, an incredibly special and unique Batman and Robin story for families, is a dream.

    -Matt Reeves

    Source: Deadline

  • ‘Thunderbolts*’ Adds ‘True Blood’ Star to Its Ensemble Cast

    ‘Thunderbolts*’ Adds ‘True Blood’ Star to Its Ensemble Cast

    It’s still too early to tell, but Thunderbolts* may well be the poster child for Bob Iger‘s successful return to Disney when it’s all said and done. Though it hadn’t quite fallen from grace, Marvel Studios was on thin ice following a string of projects like The Marvels that either weren’t doing big business at the box office or projects that were simply subpar efforts like Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania and Secret Invasion.

    It seemed that in the studio’s rush to flood the market with Marvel content, quality was taking a back seat and that was something Iger wasn’t willing to allow to continue. Among the projects targeted by Iger was Thunderbolts* which underwent a series of script rewrites that reportedly reworked the film into something quite worthwhile despite its inauspicious start as a sequel to Black Widow. Of course, the success of any film is partially dependent on the work of its cast and Thunderbolts* has a collection of stars at its center with Florence Pugh, Wyatt Russell, Sebastian Stan and David Harbour leading the way. And now comes word that an actor from one of HBO’s most beloved series also has a role in the film.

    According to an official project profile for Thunderbolts*, True Blood star Chris Bauer landed a role in the 2025 film.

    Bauer, who played Bon Temps Sheriff Andy Bellefleur for 81 episodes over True Blood‘s seven seasons, has been a staple of serial television for 25 years with major roles in The Wire, Third Watch, The Deuce, and recently as Wild Bill Hancock in Starz’s Heels, created by Marvel Studios’ writer Michael Waldron. It’s unknown what the nature of Bauer’s role in Thunderbolts* is and he joins Jack Ryan star Wendell Pierce as a surprise addition to the cast.

    Thunderbolts* will be in theaters on May 2, 2025.

  • ‘Jack Ryan’ Star Joins MCU in Undisclosed Role

    ‘Jack Ryan’ Star Joins MCU in Undisclosed Role

    Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan had a solid four-season run for Amazon Prime before coming to an end in 2023. As a modernized adaptation of Clancy’s series of novels, the streaming show combined good writing, decent action and wonderful casting, including some names that may not have been familiar to audiences before viewing.

    While series lead John Krasinski was certainly a household name, Jack Ryan gave Hollywood vets like Michael Kelly and Wendell Pierce strong supporting roles that allowed them to shine. Kelly parlayed his success into a role in a comic book property, landing a gig in HBO’s The Penguin as Falcon family underboss Johnny Viti. Now, it looks as though it’s Pierce’s turn to enter the world of superheroes.

    As revealed in an official project profile for Marvel Studios Thunderbolts*, Pierce has joined the film’s ensemble cast in an undisclosed role.

    Recent rumors suggest that Thunderbolts* will serve to introduce the MCU’s New Avengers and while it’s unlikely that Pierce will be joining that team, the gruff demeanor might make him perfect for a government liaison to the team. To that end, he could be playing anyone from Henry Gyrich to nameless CIA guy #7.

    Thunderbolts* will land in theaters on May 2, 2025.

  • ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’: Meet The Resistance

    ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’: Meet The Resistance

    With Deadpool & Wolverine now available digitally after a record-breaking theatrical run, some fans are catching the buddy comedy for the first time from the comfort of their home theater. Though Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman are the film’s stars and the ones out to save the day, they get plenty of help from a surprising group of heroes.

    Despite being made by Marvel Studios and containing a scene set in the MCU’s Sacred Timeline, most of Deadpool & Wolverine takes place on Earth-10005, multiple other Earths across the Multiverse or in The Void at the End of Time. While there’s plenty of fun had as Wade hops from Earth to Earth in search of the right Wolverine for the job, it’s in The Void where the film really flexes its creativity, bringing in a ragtag team of washed up heroes known as The Resistance. The Resistance generated a lot of buzz during the film’s theatrical run and is likely to do so again as the project’s second life begins. So, who are the characters who make up The Resistance and why are they there? Let’s take a look!

    The Members of The Resistance

    Johnny Storm/The Human Torch

    Played by: Chris Evans

    References: Fantastic Four (2005) and Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007)

    The first member of The Resistance met by Wade and Logan, Johnny Storm also meets a horrible fate at the freaky hands of Cassandra Nova. The film cleverly exploited Evans‘ return, baiting the audience into believing they might be seeing the triumphant return of Captain America. While that didn’t turn out to be the case, Evans gave Johnny a proper sendoff which includes a profanity-laced tirade for the ages.

    Thank you to Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman and Shawn Levy for letting me be a part of such an incredible movie! They’re three of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet. Special thank you to Ryan for making it all happen. Playing Johnny again was a dream come true and he’ll always have a special place in my heart.

    Chris Evans

    Elektra Natchios

    Played by: Jennifer Garner

    References: Daredevil (2003) and Elektra (2005)

    After debuting as the character along Ben Affleck‘s Matt Murdock/Daredevil in 2003 and leading an Elektra film in 2005,  Jennifer Garner suited back up as the assassin almost 20 years later and didn’t miss a beat.

    I didn’t know that Elektra and I needed an ending, but Shawn and Ryan did. They are gifted in many ways, but seeing and elevating people around them is at the top of the list.

    Jennifer Garner

    Eric Brooks/Blade

    Played by: Wesley Snipes

    References: Blade (1998), Blade II (2002) and Blade: Trinity (2004)

    A decade before the MCU kicked off with Iron Man, Wesley Snipes brought Blade the Vampire Hunter to the big screen, lending legitimacy to superhero properties and changing the pop culture landscape forever. Despite Reynolds and Snipes having a fairly well-known feud with one another while filming Blade: Trinity, Reynolds reached out and the two found a way to not only bring Blade back but give him the proper send-off he never got.

    Well, if you can make it happen. Sure. I’ll come and do it. I did not think it was possible. I didn’t think he would be able to pull it off. I didn’t think that Marvel was into it. Disney was into it.

    Wesley Snipes

    Remy LeBeau/Gambit

    Played by: Channing Tatum

    Reference: None

    Though a version of Gambit appeared in the absolutely awful X-Men Origins: Wolverine, there’s little more to the story of this particular version portrayed by Channing Tatum. When Disney and Fox merged in 2019, Tatum’s long-developing Gambit film went by the wayside as the Fox X-Men franchise was euthanized. Tatum’s passion for the character came through in Deadpool & Wolverine, leading for fans to call for his return as the Cajun down the road.

    I thought I had lost Gambit forever.

    -Channing Tatum

    Laura/X-23

    Played by: Dafne Keen

    Reference: Logan (2017)

    Dafne Keen first starred as X-23, a clone of Wolverine, in 2017’s Logan and instantly became a fan favorite. While her return to the character was rumored months ahead of the film’s premiere, Keen kept the secret from almost everyone. Unlike the other members of The Resistance, Laura eventually ended up on Earth-10005, seemingly promising more in store for the character in the MCU.

    Shawn [Levy] told me this lovely story about him reading this scene where Deadpool was telling Wolverine about X–23, and thinking, ‘Maybe we should just have X-23.’ She’s a big emotional motor for Wolverine, and Wolverine is her entire emotional motor.

    Dafne Keen

    Deadpool & Wolverine is now available for purchase on digital platforms.

    Sources: Variety, THR, Deadline

  • DC Studios Developing Big Batman Baddie Team Up

    DC Studios Developing Big Batman Baddie Team Up

    Very few, if any, comic book superheroes boast a rogues’ gallery that rivals the one accumulated by Batman over the years. While the mainstays like Joker, Riddler, Penguin and Catwoman have found their way into many of the different versions of Batman’s theatrical and television stories over the years, the Caped Crusader has another dozen or so villains who are arguably more formidable than many other heroes’ archenemies.

    As Matt Reeves‘ Batman Epic Crime Saga unfolds, it’s clear that his grounded Gotham will continue to focus on the aforementioned baddies as well as the city’s organized crime families. Meanwhile, DC Studios’ co-chairs James Gunn and Peter Safran are charting a separate course for their vision of Batman who will play within the DCU sandbox that is still very much under construction. As part of the first public reveal of the plans for the DCU, the co-chairs shared the news that they were developing The Brave and The Bold as a vehicle to introduce not only Batman but also an as-yet undisclosed number of members of the Batfamily. Now, even as that project continues to be developed, a new report indicates the studio will utilize a pair of Batman’s deadliest rogues in another project.

    According to THR’s Borys Kit, DC Studios has hired Captain America: Brave New World rewrite scribe Matthew Orton to develop a script that features Batman baddies Bane and Deathstroke.

    Both villains have appeared in prior Batman films with Tom Hardy bringing Bane to life in The Dark Knight Rises and Joe Manganiello portraying Slade Wilson in the DCEU. A follow-up report by Deadline indicated that the nature of Orton’s project is not clear and that the film may not feature Bane and Deathstroke as the central characters of the piece but rather as part of a larger ensemble. As such it remains unclear what the project is but numerous online personalities are already laying down hints that Orton may be writing a Secret Six film for DC Studios.

    Source: THR, Deadline

  • ‘Lanterns’: DC Studios Search for John Stewart Reportedly Nearing Its End

    ‘Lanterns’: DC Studios Search for John Stewart Reportedly Nearing Its End

    Lanterns will be the first HBO original series created under the DC Studios banner that will be part of the shared narrative of the all-new, all-different DCU.  Described by DC Studios’ co-chair Peter Safran as a “terrestrial-based investigation story” in the vein of HBO’s True Detective, the series will be focused on Green Lantern Corps members Hal Jordan and John Stewart who “find this ancient horror on Earth, and these guys are supercops on “Precinct Earth” which will play “a really big role leading us into the main story” of the studio’s initial shared narrative.

    Developed by what Safran’s partner James Gunn described as “a crack team of writers” that consists of Tom King, Chris Mundy and Damon Lindelof, the series was ordered straight to series by HBO earlier this year. Shortly thereafter, the studio began searching for a star to portray Jordan and after being turned down by a few big names, landed Emmy-award-winning actor Kyle Chandler for the part. With Chandler on board, the search for Stewart is underway and it seems to be moving quickly. Just hours after a rumored shortlist of actors for the part made its way online, THR’s Borys Kit reported that only two actors are left in contention.

    According to Kit’s report, either Rebel Ridge breakout star Aaron Pierre or Stephan James (Beacon 23 and Selma) is expected to land the role. Additionally, Kit’s sources believe that the casting could be finalized quickly with a decision being made before the end of September.

    John Stewart and Hal Jordan are two of DC’s most compelling characters, and Lanterns brings them to life in an original detective story that is a foundational part of the unified DCU we’re launching next summer with Superman.

    –James Gunn and Peter Safran on HBO’s Lanterns

    Gunn and Safran’s DCU will debut this December with the animated streaming series Creature Commandos but, according to Gunn, kicks off in earnest when Superman hits theaters on July 11, 2025. Fellow Green Lantern Corps member Guy Gardner, played by Nathan Fillion, will appear in Superman, setting the stage for the introduction of Jordan and Stewart when Lanterns hits HBO, presumably in 2026.

    Source: THR

  • ‘Rebel Ridge’ Breakout Star Atop Rumored Shortlist for DC Studios John Stewart

    ‘Rebel Ridge’ Breakout Star Atop Rumored Shortlist for DC Studios John Stewart

    DC Studios has found one half of its buddy space cop duo, having recently landed Kyle Chandler to fill the role of Hal Jordan in the HBO series, Lanterns. With Chandler on board for the “I’m too old for this shit” part of the team, the studio has now turned its attention to landing a star for the role of John Stewart ahead of an expected January 2025 start of principal photography.

    Part of the process of finding an actor for the co-starring role will likely involve readthroughs that will help test for chemistry between Chandler and the potential Stewarts. And while DC Studios almost certainly cast a wide net in its search for the former Marine turned Lantern, a new rumor claims that its narrowed down the choices to an impressive short list of talent.

    According to social media scooper MyTimeToShineHello, Damson Idris (FX’s Snowfall) and Aaron Pierre (Rebel Ridge) sit atop the studio’s wishlist for Stewart while Ted Lasso star Toheeb Jimoh, Sope Dirisu and Kelvin Harrison Jr., who played Martin Luther King in Genius fill out its presumptive top five.

    Once attached to star alongside Mahershala Ali in Marvel Studios’ woebegone Blade, Pierre recently turned heads with a breakout role in Netflix’s Rebel Ridge. Ironically enough, Pierre delivered a star-making performance as a former Marine in Rebel Ridge and now may be staring at stepping right into those shoes again as Stewart.

  • Marvel Studios Rumored to Have Begun the Search for a New Female Lead for ‘Spider-Man 4’

    Marvel Studios Rumored to Have Begun the Search for a New Female Lead for ‘Spider-Man 4’

    With the writing team of Chris McKenna and Eric Sommers back for a fourth go-around and Destin Daniel Cretton on board to direct, the creative team for Sony and Marvel Studios’ Spider-Man 4 looks to be in good shape. With the studios hoping to get principal photography underway in the first half of 2025 to get the film ready for 2026, the next step is assembling talent around star Tom Holland. While the supporting cast of the first MCU-set Spider-Man trilogy had several key members play large roles in each film, Spider-Man: No Way Home remade Peter’s status quo, leaving room for potential new friends and enemies.

    The spell cast by Doctor Strange at the behest of Peter Parker in the final act of the Spidey threequel was intended to make everyone forget they knew the man behind the mask of the Wall-Crawler. And as revealed before the film wrapped, the spell was a success. Happy Hogan, MJ and Ned all interacted with Peter with no recognition of their friend. With his friends safe from enemies who would otherwise exploit them to get at Peter and Aunt May having been killed by The Green Goblin, Peter is set up for a brand new day…which may just include a new love interest!

    According to social media scooper MyTimeToShineHello, as Spider-Man 4 heads for a May 2025 start of production, the project is searching for a new female lead.

    While the scooper didn’t provide any follow-up details, it hasn’t stopped fans from speculating that the character may well be one that’s been both slated to rumored to appear in Spidey movies in the past: Felicia Hardy, aka Black Cat.

    A cat burglar with a bit of a vengeful streak, Hardy has engaged in an on-again, off-again romantic relationship with Peter.  The plot for Spider-Man 4 has yet to be revealed though rumors about the film involving either a street-level civil war or a crossover battle with Sony’s Eddie Brock/Venom, played by Tom Hardy. In either case, it’s not clear what role Black Cat would play but then again, neither plot is confirmed nor is it clear that she is the new female lead. With the studios moving quickly toward production, however, it wouldn’t be too surprising if more information about the project was revealed soon.