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  • What to Expect from Marvel Studios at D23

    What to Expect from Marvel Studios at D23

    Just two weeks after Marvel Studios made a splash at SDCC ’24 by announcing Robert Downey Jr. and the Russos were returning to the MCU in Avengers: Doomsday, Kevin Feige will be back on stage with more to share at D23. Marvel will have two chances to wow D23 attendees this weekend with a portion of Disney’s Entertainment Showcase carved out for their live-action slate and a separate panel dedicated to Marvel Animation.

    Before the festivities get started, let’s take a look at what’s likely to go down in Anaheim.

    Marvel Animation Sneak Peek (Saturday-12:45 PM PDT/3:45 PM EDT)

    On Saturday afternoon, the newly formed Marvel Animation studio will have its first D23 solo panel. There’s not much guesswork to be done here in terms of what to expect because Disney already paid it out on the official D23 website.

    Eyes of Wakanda and Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man were included on the studio’s 2024 slate as shared by Disney in late 2023 and there’s still plenty of time for both projects to steam, especially since Eyes of Wakanda only consists of four episodes. Teaser trailers will almost certainly be debuted for both and will likely also make their way online.

    Given the success of X-Men ’97, the hour-long panel will certainly feature a heavy dose of news on Season 2. With the second season already well into production, a teaser isn’t out of the question nor is a release date. Like Season 2 of X-Men ’97, Season 3 of What If…? is deep into production if not already complete. “What If…? Season Three is — that might be the one that comes out next, in terms of animation,” said Marvel exec Brad Winderbaum in May 2024. The studio already rolled out a teaser for Season 3 following Season 2’s streaming finale, so there’s no reason to think they won’t AT LEAST show that to the audience.

    We’re actually close to completing that one, and it really feels like you’ve gone through this amazing emotional experience with Uatu, in a way that’s… What’s great about The Watcher is that he presents himself as uncaring, and cold, and just an observer, but he cares more than everybody [and] anybody. That is on full display in that third season.

    -Brad Winderbaum on What If…? Season 3

    Outside of what’s promised in the description, only Marvel Zombies is known to be far enough down the road to be included in the panel; however, more than any other type of project, animated projects are far, far easier to keep under wraps so it’s entirely in the realm of possibilities that the folks at Marvel Animation have some tricks up their sleeve for their first big panel.

    Disney Entertainment Showcase (Friday-7 PM PDT/10 PM EDT)

    Friday night’s Entertainment Showcase is a two-hour-long presentation that will feature projects from across all of Disney’s major studios. That means Pixar, Lucasfilm, 20th Century Studios and Walt Disney Animation Studios will all join Marvel Studios in showcasing their upcoming theatrical and streaming slates. So while Kevin Feige won’t have an hour to himself like he did in San Diego, he’ll have a big chunk of time and since it’s Disney’s event, he’ll actually have as much time as he wants (in 2022 the two-hour panel took longer than two hours). Marvel Television will take the spotlight, especially after not being included in Feige’s hour-long SDCC panel but that doesn’t mean there might not be some update on the film slate. Here’s what to expect:

    Agatha All Along

    Kathryn Hahn‘s WandaVision spinoff is on deck for the studio and no insider information is necessary to know that Agatha All Along will be a focal point of Marvel’s portion of the panel. With the two-episode premiere just six weeks away, a new trailer for the streaming series is due. It’s likely a good chunk of the cast will be on hand to bow, wave and, more importantly, do the press line following the panel.

    In Agatha All Along, the infamous Agatha Harkness finds herself down and out of power after a suspicious goth Teen helps break her free from a distorted spell. Her interest is piqued when he begs her to take him on the legendary Witches’ Road, a magical gauntlet of trials that, if survived, rewards a witch with what they’re missing. Together, Agatha and this mysterious Teen pull together a desperate coven, and set off down, down, down The Road…

    -Official Synopsis, Agatha All Along

    Daredevil: Born Again

    Charlie Cox has already confirmed that he’ll be in Anaheim to promote Daredevil: Born Again and it would be shocking if co-star Vincent D’Onofrio weren’t there alongside him. With the 9-episode streaming series set to premiere in March 2025 and with production having wrapped several months ago, there’s certainly a trailer ready to roll. The question here is whether or not it’s a D23 exclusive for those in attendance or it the studio will release it to the public. Given the hype around the show, it would make quite a bit of sense to let it out into the wild but Disney isn’t always in the business of making sense.

    Longtime rivals Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) and Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio) try to leave behind their darker alter-egos to serve the people of New York only to have their pasts catch up to them.

    Synopsis, Daredevil: Born Again

    Ironheart

    First announced at Disney’s 2020 Investor Day, Ironheart has been in the can for a couple of years and still has no release window. Marvel Studios actually rolled out a first look at the project during Disney’s 2022 Entertainment Showcase at D23 and it looked like a lot of fun! At the time, Feige explained that the focus on “dark arts vs. technology” would be the “unique calling card” of the series which will pit Dominique Thorne‘s Riri Williams–introduced in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever–against Anthony Ramos‘s Parker Robbins, aka The Hood. “Parker believes truly that what he is doing is good,” Ramos shared at 2022’s D23. “He loves his people. I’m over-trying to dance around the plot because I can’t give you all the deets! Parker kicks ass. I don’t know if I can say that, but I said it already.” An in-person exclusive trailer is all but a sure thing and it wouldn’t be asking too much for Feige to reveal a release window for the series which had been targeting a September 2025 launch.

    Charming teenage super genius Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne) returns from MIT to her hometown of Chicago in her iron suit and begins to unravel threads that bring danger and adventure to her doorstep.

    -Synopsis, Ironheart

    Wonder Man

    Despite having completed production earlier this year, some fans still doubt that Wonder Man truly exists. While Marvel Studios exec Stephen Broussard confirmed its existence earlier this year, Wonder Man has never been mentioned by Feige at any conventions so a simple logo reveal and release window would be great; however, given it’s been wrapped for some time, it’s quite possible a sizzle reel or teaser could be shown to those in attendance.

    [Wonder Man will] be definitely influenced by the comics. One of the things that we’re excited about it is that it’s going to feel very unique. It’s not going to feel like anything you’ve quite seen in the MCU before. And the kind of stories we can tell on Disney+, which has been fun. Like streaming, serialized storytelling is a totally different muscle. So, we’re having a blast making that one.

    –Stephen Broussard on Marvel Television’s Wonder Man

    Vision

    Likely to join Wonder Man on Disney Plus in 2026, the Paul Bettany-led WandaVision spinoff was recently confirmed by Feige. It is expected to start production this Fall, so a title treatment and a release window are about all we might get unless Bettany is on hand to do a little song and dance.

    Future Streaming Projects

    Five streaming series is probably about all the studio will have time to discuss during its portion of the panel. However, if the studio is ready to move ahead with the second season of Hawkeye, having Jeremy Renner step on stage to announce it would certainly bring down the house. Rumors have the sophomore season headed to D+ for Christmas 2026 which means it’s certainly not “too early” to confirm it’s in the works. With the Nova series not a top priority and Bob Iger‘s mandate to cut down on content now fully integrated into the way Marvel Studios does business, further announcement seem highly unlikely.

    Theatrical Slate

    Disney loves marching out cast members during their big fan event. In 2022, the casts of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and their two 2023 releases, Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania, The Marvels all took the stage at D23. In addition, Feige used the big stage to announce the cast of what was then Captain America: New World Order, including the big surprise reveal that Tim Blake Nelson was returning to the MCU as Samuel Sterns.

    The core cast of Thunderbolts was also trotted out on the stage by Feige with some fun concept art displayed on the big screen behind them. What’s of interest here is that both Cap 4 and Thunderbolts were first announced at SDCC ’22 but Marvel saved the big cast reveals for D23. The One Above All may make the same move here, using the closing moments of his time on stage to bring out the full casts of any or all of the studio’s upcoming projects such as The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Avengers: Doomsday and/or Avengers: Secret Wars. It’s also reasonable to think that Feige might make mention of the two 2026 Marvel Studios films that remain untitled.

    Murphy’s Multiverse will be providing full coverage and recaps of both panels this weekend so count on us to deliver all the news you need!

  • Rumor Reveals Two Fan Favorite Characters Set to Lead Marvel Studios’ ‘X-Men’ Reboot

    Rumor Reveals Two Fan Favorite Characters Set to Lead Marvel Studios’ ‘X-Men’ Reboot

    After several years with little to no movement, Marvel Studios X-Men reboot began to gather some momentum last Fall when Kevin Feige began meeting with writers to discuss pitches for the project. By April, Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes writer Michael Leslie had landed the gig causing fans to wonder if the film might hit theaters far sooner than initially expected.

    While there have been mutants aplenty in the Multiverse Saga, Lesslie’s story is reportedly introducing the studio’s own live-action take on the team of mutants rather than dipping back into Fox’s well. To that end, it would be necessary to make efforts to set the new adaptation apart from what’s come before. One way to ensure fans don’t cross the streams would be to put the focus on characters other than Wolverine and Jean Grey and according to a new rumor from a trusted insider, it sounds as though Lesslie’s script does just that.

    Daniel RPK is reporting that the MCU’s first X-Men film will feature two fan-favorite characters as the leads: Kitty Pryde and Gambit.

    The focus on Pryde lines up with a previous report from the insider that suggested the X-Men reboot would focus on “main characters we all know” and be female-focused. Though Pryde appeared in the Fox films, the studio’s version–like most of the mutants in those films–was a poor interpretation of who the character truly is. It has long been expected that Kitty would be a featured character in Marvel Studios’ new take on the team of mutants heroes and that Feige would elevate her from the “sidekick” status she had in the Fox films.

    Equally unsurprising is the news that Remy LeBeau, one of the company’s most popular mutants for over 30 years, will be a central character. Gambit’s star is shining brightly on the heels of his incredible journey in X-Men ’97 and his appearance in Deadpool & Wolverine where Channing Tatum finally got the chance to show off his take on the Cajun.

    Putting Shadowcat and Gambit at the center of the reboot provides interesting options to not only build out the rest of the team based on key relationships with those two but also sets the stage for expanding the narrative well beyond what Fox accomplished.

  • The Power 15 List: Which Franchises Have the Most Juice With Fans Right Now?

    The Power 15 List: Which Franchises Have the Most Juice With Fans Right Now?

    1. Marvel Cinematic Universe (Disney/Sony)

    On the heels of winning San Diego Comic-Con with the Avengers news that shook the fandom, and with a film at the box office in Deadpool and Wolverine which is breaking records, the MCU is riding high. And this weekend’s D23 event may provide an additional jolt of enthusiasm about the franchise. However, with only Agatha All Along on Disney Plus to sustain content appetites for the rest of the year, we can expect to see some loss of momentum, particularly when the next shoe drops with respect to the beleaguered Blade film.

      2. Game of Thrones (WBD)

      This weekend’s House of the Dragon finale will likely cap a season that undoubtedly restored the feeling for the television franchise that reigned over the monoculture like a Targaryen Dynasty. And with additional spinoffs in the works, all skepticism about sustainability has been melted away with dragon flame. Warner Brothers Discovery’s flagship franchise is flying high, and we continue to whistle that iconic theme.

      3. Star Wars (Disney)

      The mixed reaction to The Acolyte and the continuing Culture War noise surrounding this franchise have really left Star Wars vulnerable. A Skeleton Crew trailer release is imminent, and maybe an infusion of Stranger Things energy into the graying, embittered fandom will do it some good. This is a franchise built on childlike wonder, and much of the recent content has been lacking in that regard.

      4. The Boys (Amazon)

      Head-to-head against The Acolyte, the most recent season of The Boys held its own in terms of mindshare, and even though Season 4 didn’t hit the highs of previous seasons, that hasn’t stopped Amazon from greenlighting a prequel spinoff to go with the Mexico-set spinoff announced a while back. The fact that the next season will be its final one will center it even more firmly in the discourse, as fans and critics will wonder if it can “stick the landing.” If anything, The Boys’ biggest Achilles heel might be the extent to which real-life steals its absurdist thunder.

      5. Dune (WBD)

      With one of the most critically and commercially successful films of the year, a sequel expected to be fast-tracked, and the spinoff prequel Dune: Prophecy series set for November on HBO, 2024 has been quite the year for the Dune franchise. And that’s before the memes. However, it does still remain to be seen how far the franchise climbs in the pop cultural consciousness, or whether this year will be its apex, given that other franchises were hobbled by the pandemic and the strikes, and given that things get extra weird on Arrakis from here on out.

      6. DC Elseworlds (WBD)

      While James Gunn‘s DCU prepares to pull out of the station, fans of those characters will get to visit Gotham twice this fall, as the HBO series The Penguin returns us to the world of Matt Reeves’ The Batman Epic Crime Saga. And although Robert Pattinson’s Batman is unlikely to feature heavily in the series, his shadow will likely loom over the story. And at the cinema, the highly anticipated sequel to the billion-dollar grossing Joker will offer us another glimpse into Todd Phillips’ Scorsese-tinged hyper-reality, as Lady Gaga‘s Harley Quinn enters the fray. Other alternate universe projects have yet to be announced, and details remain limited on the proper sequel to The Batman, but needless to say, the more successful these two projects are, the more likely that others will also see the light of day.

      7. DCU (WBD)

      Superman has recently wrapped, the first teaser trailer for Creature Commandos (dropping in December) has been released, and news items about upcoming projects continue to surface. Still, while anticipation for what James Gunn is cooking up remains high, excitement is muted. There was no SDCC panel, and it’s possible that audiences won’t get non-set leak Superman footage until 2025. So for the remainder of 2024, we could very well be in “wait and see” mode.

      8. Star Trek (Paramount)

      Although it’s been many years since the last Star Trek film (despite Quentin Tarantino‘s best efforts to give audiences “Hard R Trek”), the franchise has been flourishing on streaming, with a number of well-regarded series on Paramount Plus, and more on the way. And the recent announcement of the first live-action comedy in the franchise’s history could push Star Trek further into the mainstream than it’s been in years.

      9. MonsterVerse (Legendary/WBD)

      Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire was moderately successful at the box office, and the Monarch: Legacy of Monsters streaming series was well-received, albeit underappreciated, with a second season on the way. This franchise still has its drawing power, but its days at the top of the zeitgeist may be behind it.

      10. Spider-Verse (Sony)

      Tom Holland‘s MCU Spider-Man franchise is represented elsewhere, but through the power of the Spider-Verse franchise, every possible Spidey and Spidey-adjacent character — be they in the Amazon researching spiders before dying, bonding with goopy alien symbiotes in San Francisco, or…doing whatever Kraven is doing — is connected via multiversal web. And Beyond the Spider-Verse very well might connect these divergent threads. There’s still no word on when that movie will drop, but for now, fans of the Venom films can look forward to the conclusion of that trilogy in Venom: The Last Dance, which releases in October.

      11. Transformers/GI Joe (Paramount)

      Last year’s Transformers: Rise of the Beasts revealed that the two franchises were being merged, and while there’s a degree of uncertainty as to when we’ll get that film, next month’s Transformers: One animated film will give longtime fans the robot-centric big screen adventure they’ve clamored for since they first discovered Stan Bush’s “The Touch.”

      12. Lord of the Rings (WBD/Amazon)

      While technically, the rights to the Tolkien books have been bifurcated, and the Rings of Power series will likely never cross over with the LOTR projects in the works at Warner Brothers, each is capable of elevating the overall excitement around the stories told on Middle Earth. But unfortunately, Season 1 of Rings of Power, despite its budget and the advertising blitz around it, never really hit the mainstream, and it’s hard to see Season 2 breaking through.

      13. Jurassic Park/World (Universal)

      Yes, they’re still making these, and yes, the films still have a billion-dollar upside. But with less than a year until the next film, directed by Gareth Edwards and starring Scarlett Johansson and Mahershala Ali, is slated to hit theaters, it’s hard to see what new ground this franchise could stake out to fire up the fanbase.

      14. Harry Potter (WBD)

      Putting aside the toxic JK Rowling of it all, this franchise needs a cultural reset, and indeed, WBD is looking to introduce a new generation to the world of wizards and wands. They’re still a few years away from getting that project out, though, and who knows what nonsense JK could say or do to further sully the franchise’s legacy before then.

      15. Anne Rice Immortal Universe (AMC)

      Yes, The Walking Dead has been an AMC mainstay, but while that seems to be limping along, the series based on the Anne Rice novels seem to be gathering momentum. However, despite their highly engaged fan followings, particularly for Interview With the Vampire, the media landscape for these shows doesn’t seem favorable for a jump into the mainstream anytime soon.

      Honorable Mention:

      The Walking Dead (AMC), Mission: Impossible (Paramount), Fast & Furious (Universal), Mad Max (WBD), John Wick (Lionsgate), Ghostbusters (Sony), James Bond (EON)

    1. The Ultimate List of What to Watch Before ‘Alien: Romulus’

      The Ultimate List of What to Watch Before ‘Alien: Romulus’

      A fresh take on 20th Century Studios iconic sci-fi/horror franchise, Alien: Romulus is set to offer audiences a “truly terrifying cinematic experience.” Directed by Fede Álvarez (Don’t Breathe, Evil Dead), the new film is a standalone story yet still deeply rooted in the existing mythology of the Alien franchise. The beginnings of the story took root in Álvarez‘s mind while watching a deleted scene from 1986’s Aliens. “There is a deleted scene in Aliens, where a bunch of kids are running among the workers in the colony,” explained Álvarez. “I remember thinking about what it would be like for teenagers to grow up in a colony so small and what would happen to them when they reached their early 20s.“

      Álvarez presented his idea to Ridley Scott, who directed Alien, the groundbreaking 1979 film that birthed the franchise, who then pitched the idea to 20th Century Studios. Shortly after, Álvarez and co-writer Rodo Sayagues met with Aliens director James Cameron and began working on the script which features a core cast of young adults, a first for the franchise.

      While scavenging the deep ends of a derelict space station, a group of young space colonizers come face to face with the most terrifying life form in the universe.

      -Official synopsis for Alien: Romulus

      Opening on August 16th, Alien: Romulus is set to be one of the last big tentpole films of the Summer season. Whether you’re brand new to the Alien franchise or a longtime lover of the face-hugging/chest-bursting horror franchise, you’ll need to be prepared as you head into theaters. With that in mind, we present the Ultimate List of What to Watch Before Alien: Romulus!

      Tier One

      Alien: Romulus is a standalone adventure set within the Alien franchise, so technically, there’s no “required reading” necessary to enjoy the new horror flick. However, it is set in 2142, roughly 20 years after Ridley Scott‘s original which still stands as one of the best sci-fi/horror films of all time. So, whether you are a newbie or a vet, the bare minimum amount of prep you’ll need to do before heading to the theater is to check out the film that launched the franchise.

      Alien (1979)

      Set in the year 2122, Alien pits the crew of the commercial spaceship, the Nostromo, up against the terrifying Xenomorphs. After responding to what they believe is a distress signal, the crew–led by Sigourney Weaver‘s Ellen Ripley–discovers it was instead a warning and find themselves up against one of the universe’s most lethal organisms. Iconic doesn’t truly begin to describe Alien and if you’ve never seen it…well, what are you waiting for?

      Tier Two

      Alien: Romulus will be the seventh entry in the core Alien franchise. While it’s a standalone story, there’s still plenty of reason to view the other five films in the franchise after watching Alien. Although there’s no ongoing narrative you’ll need to be able to follow, these projects expand on the history and mythology of the Alien universe and provide a more comprehensive understanding of exactly what the young crew of Alien: Romulus is up against. The following projects are presented in the order in which they were released.

      Aliens (1986)

      Aliens finds Sigourney Weaver‘s Ripley right back on the same moon where she first encountered the Xenomorphs 57 years prior. Ripley escorts a crew of Colonial Marines led by Michael Biehn‘s Corporal Hicks back to Acheron where they locate only one survivor: an orphan named Newt who survived a Xenomorph attack. As if having the original film directed by the legendary Ridley Scott wasn’t enough reason to start watching the franchise, Aliens is directed by another member of sci-fi’s Mount Rushmore: James Cameron. A classic ’80s flick and one of the best sci-fi movies ever made, Aliens is worth your time even if it is set 37 years after Alien: Romulus.

      Alien 3 (1992)

      An immediate sequel to Aliens, Aliens 3 is an underwhelming follow up to its predecessor. After struggling to find a director for the film, David Fincher was hired for his directorial debut. In 2010, Fincher said of the film that “No one hated it more than me; to this day, no one hates it more than me.” Now that you have an idea what you might be getting into, you should also know that Aliens Cubed was intended to be the last film in the series until…

      Alien Ressurection (1997)

      Even though Alien 3 was a critical dud, it raked in enough money to keep the studio interested in pumping out more Alien films. Given that Weaver’s Ripley sacrificed herself as the end of the previous entry, the studio had to find a work around. Writer Joss Whedon did so by setting the film in 2381, nearly 200 years after the events of Aliens and Alien 3, and “ressurecting” Ripley via cloning. Alien: Ressurection gets pretty nutty but it does star Winona Ryder and end in a way that leaves the future of the franchise wide open.

      Prometheus (2021)

      Rather than push further into the future (Whedon did develop a script for an Earth-set Alien 5) the studio went in the opposite direction. Ridley Scott returned to the franchise to direct Prometheus, a quasi-prequel to the Alien quadrilogy set in 2093. Scott, who developed the premise of the film with Cameron, explained that while Prometheus shares “strands of Alien‘s DNA” it also stands on its own, exploring themes of creation and the co-existence of religion and science. Prometheus has an absolutely killer cast with Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron, Idris Elba, Noomi Rapace and Guy Pearce leading the way and is loaded with Easter eggs and symbology. If you’re into mythology, you’ll be into Prometheus.

      Alien: Covenant (2017)

      Set in 2104, 11 years after the events of Prometheus, Alien: Covenant serves as both a true sequel to that film and a true prequel to Alien. Fassbender reprises his role in Covenant and slays it while taking a sinister turn and the flick does a nice job of spanning the gap between Prometheus and Alien without serving as a direct set-up. While Scott has shared that he has plans for a third prequel film that would lead right into Alien, it’s unclear if Disney intends to proceed with it.

      Tier Three

      So you’ve made it through the first two tiers…

      Once you’ve watched the 6 films listed above, you’ve fully immersed yourself in Alien canon; however, it turns out there’s more to the Alien universe than the Alien films…and then there may be more than that! And if you’re a completist, you’re going to have one helluva watchlist to work through which includes some of the best sci-fi/action films ever created.

      While only the Alien films are considered canon in the Alien timeline, the Alien franchise crossed over with another great sci-fi franchise featuring a terrifying alien: the Predator franchise.

      Blade Runner (1982) and Blade Runner 2049 (2017)

      Two of the most surprising choices on the list, Blade Runner and Blade Runner 2049 make the list thanks to Ridley Scott who directed films in both franchises and himself made the case for their shared connective tissue.

      There’s almost like a connective tissue between all the stuff I went through on Alien into the environment of the Nostromo and people living within close proximity to people who still have Earth-bound connections and here we have people on Earth, so almost this world could easily be the city that supports the crew that go out in Alien. So, in other words, when the crew of Alien come back in, they might go into this place and go into a bar off the street near where Deckard lives. That’s how I thought about it.

      -Ridley Scott, Director’s Commentary on Blade Runner home media

      In addition to Scott’s thoughts, a bonus feature on the 20th Anniversary Alien DVD indicates that Tom Skerrit‘s Nostromo captain, Arthur Dallas, once worked for the Tyrell Corporation, the company which is responsible for producing the genetically-engineered replicants that populate the Blade Runner franchise. A similar extra exists on the home release version of Prometheus that connects the creation of replicants to the Weyland androids that populate the Alien franchise and a quick shot of what appears to be a prototype Engineer is seen in Blade Runner 2049‘s first teaser.

      Predator (1987), Predator 2 (1990), Predators (2010), The Predator (2018) and Prey (2022)

      You son of a bitch. While there’s no direct link to the Alien universe in Predator, if you’re watching the Tier Three films there’s no reason not to watch one of the greatest sci-fi action movies ever made…get to the choppa!

      If you’ve ever wondered to yourself, “Is that a Xenomorph skull on the Yautja’s trophy wall in that ship in Predator 2?”, the answer is yes. Predator director John McTiernan cut the idea from the original so rather than Arnold’s Dutch finding it, Danny “I’m Too Old for This Shit” Glover’s Lt. Harrigan got the honors. It was the first hint of a larger, shared universe in which Xenomorphs and Yautjas have a history…and a future.

      2010’s Predators is a solid entry in the Predator franchise unlike 2018’s The Predator and while they both flesh out the mythology of the Yautja, they don’t have much of anything to do with their history with Xenomorphs and are only worth a watch if you REALLY feel the need to be a completist. 2022’s Prey, on the other hand, is an absolute must-watch despite also adding nothing to the shared history of the two fiercest aliens in the galaxy. A wonderful reinvention of the franchise and quite possibly the best Predator movie ever made, Prey (you can check out or rankings of all 7 Predator franchise films here) is also a great pre-Romulus watch in order to evaluate if the new direction of the Alien franchise can match Dan Trachtenberg‘s vision.

      Alien vs. Predator (2004) & Alien vs. Predator: Requiem (2007)

      Let’s be honest: both of these movies are bad. Like all-time bad. It’s hard to imagine having to watch a pair of films like this when you’ll ultimately be comparing them to several classics but they do give you exactly what they promise: Xenomoroph on Yautja violence.

      Soldier (1998)

      While its inclusion, even in Tier Three, can be debated–mostly due to writer David Peoples not being able to keep his own story straight–Soldier is so bad that it’s good. Regardless of whatever Peoples takes during interviews that took place 40 years apart, there’s plenty of dialogue and even some visual cues to suggest that the adventures of Kurt Russel‘s Sergeant Todd 3465 are in fact part of a Blade Runner “sidequel” as originally stated by Peoples.

      How to Watch the Core Alien Universe Films in Chronological Order

      • Prometheus set in 2093
      • Alien: Covenant set in 2104
      • Alien set in 2122
      • Alien: Romulus set in 2142
      • Aliens set in 2179
      • Alien 3 set in 2179
      • Alien: Ressurection set in 2381

      How to Watch the Expanded Alien Universe Films in Chronological Order

      • Prey set in 1719
      • Predator set in 1987
      • Predator 2 set in 1997
      • Alien vs. Predator set in 2004
      • Alien vs. Predator: Requiem set in 2004
      • Predators set in 2010
      • The Predator set in 2018
      • Blade Runner set in 2019
      • Soldier set in 2036
      • Blade Runner 2049 set, surprisingly enough, in 2049
      • Prometheus set in 2093
      • Alien: Covenant set in 2104
      • Alien set in 2122
      • Alien: Romulus set in 2142
      • Aliens set in 2179
      • Alien 3 set in 2179
      • Alien: Ressurection set in 2381

      About Alien: Romulus

      A truly terrifying cinematic experience from producer Ridley Scott and director/writer Fede
      Alvarez, 20th Century Studios’ Alien: Romulus opens in theaters nationwide August 16, 2024. The sci-fi/horror-thriller takes the phenomenally successful Alien franchise back to its roots: While scavenging the deep ends of a derelict space station, a group of young space colonizers come face to face with the most terrifying life form in the universe.

      -Official Press Announcement for 20th Century Studios’ Alien: Romulus

      The film stars Cailee Spaeny (Priscilla), David Jonsson (Agatha Christie’s Murder is Easy), Archie Renaux (Shadow and Bone), Isabela Merced (The Last of Us), Spike Fearn (Aftersun) and Aileen Wu. Fede Alvarez (Evil Dead, Don’t Breathe) directs from a screenplay he wrote with frequent collaborator Rodo Sayagues (Don’t Breathe 2) based on characters created by Dan O’Bannon and Ronald Shusett. Alien: Romulus is produced by Ridley Scott (Napoleon), who directed the original Alien and produced and directed the series’ entries Prometheus and Alien: Covenant, Michael Pruss (Boston Strangler), and Walter Hill (Alien), with Fede Alvarez, Elizabeth Cantillon (Charlie’s Angels), Brent O’Connor (Bullet Train) and Tom Moran (Unstoppable) serving as executive producers.

      Alien: Romulus will open exclusively in theaters nationwide August 16, 2024.

      Source: 20th Century Studios Press Releases

    2. Ryan Reynolds Reveals the Major ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Cameo That Wasn’t

      Ryan Reynolds Reveals the Major ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Cameo That Wasn’t

      Deadpool & Wolverine cleverly took advantage of The Void to include characters from movies that were great (Dafne Keen‘s X-23 from Logan), movies that were good (Wesley Snipes Daywalker from Blade), movies that were “mid” (Chris Evans‘ Johnny Storm from Fantastic Four), movies that were terrible (Jennifer Garner‘s Elektra from Daredevil and Elektra) and movies that never were (Channing Tatum‘s Remy LeBeau from the Fox Gambit film that never materialized). More than cameos, the characters who made up the Void’s Resistance to Cassandra Nova played a significant role in Deadpool & Wolverine and, in one case, the potential to appear again down the line.

      While the identities of the characters were a fairly well-kept secret (we had them all for you here), the cats are now out of the bag. Following the film’s successful second weekend, director Shawn Levy posted a pair of photos of the Resistance minus Johnny Storm who met an unfortunate end before making it back to their base.

      As great as the appearances of all the characters ended up being, it has led to a conversation about characters who did NOT show up. Where was Hacker Doom from Fant4stic Four? Why couldn’t Anya Taylor-Joy‘s Magik show up? What about Thomas Jane‘s Frank Castle or Nic Cage‘s Johnny Blaze? While they might sound like more crazy fan wishes, at least one of them was a distinct possibility according to Deadpool & Wolverine star Ryan Reynolds.

      When asked if the thought of having Cage reprise the role of Ghost Rider for Deadpool & Wolverine, Reynolds simply responded “Yes,” before adding that “It] came to a conversation for sure. Yeah, but no.” Seeing Cage’s Blaze roar through the Void’s Mad Max-ian landscape on his Hell Cycle would seem to have been a no-brainer but for reasons that we may never know, it didn’t work out. However, with Marvel Studios speeding toward the end of the Multiverse Saga, it’s not entirely unreasonable to wonder if Cage’s return to the role might happen after all in 2027’s Avengers: Secret Wars.

      Deadpool & Wolverine is currently in theaters everywhere!

      Source: Collider

    3. A Closer Look at Marvel Studios’ Updated Slate and Its Efforts to Prune Its Own Multiverse

      A Closer Look at Marvel Studios’ Updated Slate and Its Efforts to Prune Its Own Multiverse

      In what’s either the most brilliantly coordinated marketing move in its history or a spectacular coincidence, Marvel Studios looks to be following the plot of the recently released Deadpool & Wolverine as it attempts to accelerate the conclusion of the Multiverse Saga. Launched in 2021 with the studio’s first streaming series, WandaVision, the Multiverse Saga has now toddled into Year 3 with a track record pockmarked by an unprecedented run of projects that simply failed to land with the fanbase. Beginning with 2021’s Eternals, the studio dropped a series of duds into theaters. Though the cringeworthy Thor: Love and Thunder made plenty of money at the box office, it also raised plenty of concerns about what was happening behind the scenes. Those concerns seemed justified when, in 2023, Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania–one of the Multiverse Saga’s most important stories–was DOA at the theaters and became a critical and financial bomb.

      What followed has been well documented and won’t be rehashed here in detail; however, a new mandate by Disney big cheese Bob Iger, the loss of the entire creative team and star of Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and an extended Hollywood work stoppage have all combined to metamorphose the future of Marvel Studios. And now it seems as though Kevin Feige and crew wish to euthanize the Multiverse Saga and move ahead into whatever all-new, all-different saga is on deck. While that assumption is purely speculative, comparing the studio’s original plans for the Multiverse Saga with the latest iteration does provide a compelling foundation from which to make an argument that Marvel has chosen to prune its current saga.

      How It Started

      Despite getting underway in 2021, the Multiverse Saga was not known as such until July 2022 when Marvel Studios One Above All, Kevin Feige, revealed the title and what ultimately became the first of many drafts of the saga’s future slate. At that point in time, six films (Black Widow, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Eternals, Spider-Man: No Way Home, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Thor: Love and Thunder) and seven streaming series (WandaVision, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, Loki, What If…? Hawkeye, Moon Knight and Ms. Marvel) had already been released as part of Phase 4. Feige then revealed that Phase 4 would wrap up with She-Hulk: Attorney At Law and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, bringing the total number of Phase 4 projects to 15, only 8 fewer than that ENTIRE Infinity Saga. Phase 4 played out as planned with each project making its scheduled release date.

      The cookie crumbled a little differently for most of the one dozen projects that originally made up Phase 5. That number quickly changed to 13 when the then untitled third Deadpool film was added to the phase just a couple of months later in September 2022…and from there, the shuffle was on. For the purposes of this discussion, it’s not worth counting the number of times each project was given a new release date, only to point out that as of publication, 6 Phase 5 projects (half of the original number) have yet to be released despite the original plan calling for the phase to wrap up with the release of Thunderbolts on July 28, 2024 (the date on which Deadpool & Wolverine ultimately was released). As it stands, the final six projects of Phase 5 are currently set to be released in 2025.

      Though not much of it was revealed at SDCC ’22, Phase 6 was originally intended to be made up of at least 11 projects. As of July 2022, only three of those projects were “known” and they were all films (Fantastic Four, Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars). At that time, the Multiverse Saga was on track to be composed of an incredible 39 projects with 8 of them being unknowns. Additionally, as of July 2022, only two projects were slated for release between the fifth and sixth Avengers films–which were both set for a 2025 release–and only one of them was believed to be a feature film, though the identity of it was unknown at the time.

      Post-SDCC ’22, fans already found it hard to believe that the studio would roll out two Avengers films in one year and by October 2022, they were proven right. The studio moved Avengers: Secret Wars into 2026 which meant there was now room for 3 movies to be released between the fifth and sixth Avengers films. By February 2023, Disney had moved Blade into 2024 and bumped The Marvels into the November 2023 release. By June 2023, the schedule had been rearranged again to include a total of 10 films to release in the Multiverse Saga after the theatrical debut of The Marvels (a net increase of 1 film from the original plan) with only 2 in between Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars.

      This plan remained intact through Disney’s April release schedule update with Deadpool & Wolverine being the first of 10 films released after The Marvels with Avengers: Secret Wars still in place to be last of the 10.

      Deploy the Time Ripper!

      Matthew Macfadyen as Mr. Paradox in 20th Century Studios/Marvel Studios’ DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE. Photo by Jay Maidment. © 2024 20th Century Studios / © and ™ 2024 MARVEL.

      Following SDCC ’24, Disney released another updated version of its theatrical release schedule on August 2nd, 2024. While it’s highly unlikely to be the final version of Marvel Studios’ Multiverse Saga slate, the latest update removed the July 24, 2026 theatrical date from the schedule. Marvel Studios had not named the film intended for that date and it seems very likely that Sony will quickly pounce on it as the release date for Spider-Man 4; however, Spider-Man 4 was always coming and it was always coming from Sony so Marvel dropping the date is a net loss of one project from the Multiverse Saga, putting things back to where they stood in July 2022 with only one film set to hit theaters in between Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. So if they’re back to where they started, how can the argument be made that they are trying to accelerate the ending of the saga?

      We’re slowly going to decrease volume and go to probably about two TV series a year instead of what had become four and reduce our film output from maybe four a year to two, or a maximum of three. And we’re working hard on what that path is.

      Bob Iger on the reduction of content being produced by Marvel Studios

      To truly make the argument, one must look at the overall reduction in content as mandated by Bob Iger who, in this instance, is playing the part of Mr. Paradox. Once set to be composed of AT LEAST 39 projects (21 films and 18 streaming series), that number has been greatly reduced–although not entirely quantifiable at this point. The studio was originally willing to release as many as 5 live-action streaming series in a year, a number that has already been reduced to 2. Where once the studio planned to roll out Echo, Season 2 of Loki, Ironheart, Agatha All Along and Daredevil: Born Again over the course of 12 months spread between 2023 and 2024, Daredevil: Born Again is now set for a March 2025 release and Ironheart, while still expected to be released, remains in limbo. Beyond those shows, only Wonder Man and the Paul Bettany-led Vision series have been confirmed by the studio and are not likely to arrive on Disney Plus until 2026. Looking back at the original Phase 6 reveal, it seemed as though the studio had planned for as many as 5 streaming series to be released within it. Even if Wonder Man and Vision were among them, it seems very hard to believe that the studio will then push out 3 more streaming series in 2027 before the release of Avengers: Secret Wars.

      DISNEY UPFRONT 24 – The Disney Advertising Upfront is a showcase event that brings together all the content corners of The Walt Disney Company on one stage. On Tuesday, May 14, 2024 at North Javits in New York City, an incredible roster of all-star talent will tout their connections to storytelling, Disney, and each other while showcasing their latest projects for the upcoming year. (Disney/John Argueta) CHARLIE COX, VINCENT D’ONOFRIO

      The strongest indicator that the studio is looking to put the Multiverse Saga out of its misery is the recent reduction of films between the newly retitled Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. While it does return the slate to the state of its initial reveal at SDCC ’22, nobody believed that was the final draft at the time. Reducing the number of projects in between the films results in the reduction of efforts to further explain or further explore what’s going on in the Multiverse. Where it once seemed likely that Armor Wars, a sequel to Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and Doctor Strange 3 were all destined to be part of the Multiverse Saga, that’s no longer possible given the most recent release schedule update; where Phase 6 once looked to be comprised of 6 films, it’s now down to 5 and that is with Blade, which was originally a Phase 5 film, having slid into Phase 6 due to struggles to get production underway. Whatever film lands in between the two Avengers films will have some seriously heavy lifting to do as it seems increasingly unlikely that a streaming series would be required viewing for an Avengers saga finale.

      Moreover, the perceived importance of some projects and characters has already been upended following Marvel’s SDCC ’24 announcement. Many believed the Shang-Chi sequel would serve as a major chapter in the Multiverse Saga by connecting the Ten Rings to Kang and that the Quantum Bands introduced in Ms. Marvel would factor heavily into the fight against the conqueror. While it’s probably been determined internally, it seems more likely that Doctor Strange 3 is a much more important project in terms of moving the Multiverse Saga to its end than either Armor Wars or Shang-Chi 2. With only two untitled Marvel Studios films left on the schedule (one immediately preceding Avengers: Doomsday and the other immediately preceding Avengers: Secret Wars), it would not be shocking to see Armor Wars and Shang-Chi 2 get bumped down the road and be replaced by films that help speed the Multiverse Saga on its way.

      Given the response of the audience to the multiverse portions of the Multiverse Saga, the reduction of projects almost certainly happened as a result of Iger and Marvel Studios’ creative cohort, The Parliament, recognizing they were on very thin ice with fans. And while that is indubitably a “good thing”, it does not alleviate the perception that they’d like to get this chapter of the MCU over as soon as possible. While we will have to wait a bit longer to be able to say just how many fewer projects will ultimately make up the Multiverse Saga, it is clear it will be fewer than intended and that Iger’s return to Disney coincided with the push to deploy the Time Ripper against it.

      Doomed to Fail

      SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – JULY 27: Robert Downey Jr. speaks onstage during the Marvel Studios Panel in Hall H at SDCC in San Diego, California on July 27, 2024. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney)

      Hindsight is, as they say, 20/20; however, the Multiverse Saga was always a risk. And before Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania flopped and Jonathan Majors‘ legal troubles deep-sixed Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, Kang was always going to be a problem…and a problem the studio should have foreseen following Avengers: Endgame. There are plenty of reasons why hardcore sci-fi media never really lands with general audiences but time travel, alternate dimensions and the infinite possibilities of a multiverse are definitely near the top of the list. For a decade, MCU films were easily digestible popcorn blockbusters. Avengers: Endgame changed that and the online dialogue following the film stands as a testament to the difficulties general audiences have with key hardcore sci-fi concepts. Not even the writers of Endgame agreed with the directors on how time travel worked.

      We are not experts on time travel, but the Ancient One specifically states that when you take an Infinity Stone out of a timeline it creates a new timeline. So Steve going back and just being there would not create a new timeline.

      -Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely on how time travel works within the MCU

      Both Ancient One and Hulk were right. You can’t change the future by simply going back to the past. But it’s possible to create a different alternate future. It’s not a butterfly effect. Every decision you made in the past could potentially create a new timeline. For example, the old Cap at the end movie, he lived his married life in a different universe from the main one. He had to make another jump back to the main universe at the end to give the shield to Sam.

      -Anthony and Joe Russo on how time travel works within the MCU

      Tracking and understanding the multiple realities created by time travel in Avengers: Endgame became an obsession and a wonderful lesson of why it is important not to engage in online dialogue about nuanced and complicated fictional topics. What should have been a teachable moment for the Parliament became anything but. Rather than avoid dipping back into the deep end of the sci-fi pool, they doubled down by choosing to enter the Multiverse Saga and by choosing Kang as its center. Even the most dedicated and long-standing fans of Marvel Comics would have a difficult time explaining the convoluted nature of Kang to a fellow dedicated and long-standing fan. Making Kang the “anchor being” of the Multiverse Saga was never the right choice. And despite the correct decision to eliminate the saga’s “anchor being” following Majors‘ legal troubles, it nonetheless accelerated the end of the saga, forcing them to turn to where they should have always started.

      The studio was ultimately betrayed by its continued divergence from comic book canon and the need to create its own narrative rather than steer more closely to the wonderful source material from which the MCU was born. If Avengers: Secret Wars was always the “endgame” of the Multiverse Saga, there were much simpler paths and each and every one of them involved Victor Von Doom. Sure, direct adaptations of Jonathan Hickman‘s Time Runs Out and Secret Wars would have been far too complicated to land with general audiences but there’s also a sweet spot that exists somewhere between Hickman’s work and Jim Shooter‘s original 1984 Secret Wars, both of which feature Doom as a central character.

      Now, it seems, the studio heads chose to learn the hard way and in a move that has been described as “desperate”, turned to Doom to save the Multiverse Saga…and turned back to their biggest star (Robert Downey Jr.) and their most consistent shepherds of content (McFeely and the Russos). Superficially, pivoting to Doom indicates that the Parliament “was listening to fans” and let them help drive the bus to the end of the Multiverse Saga. On the other hand, the move to Doom seems hurried, and, in all the worst ways, Avengers: Doomsday could turn into the MCU’s Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice: a rushed and contrived mash-up that tried to do too much too fast and ended up as an abject failure.

      Can Doom replace Kang as the anchor being and save the Multiverse Saga? That’s not a question that can be answered until the entire saga can be viewed retrospectively. However possible it may be, it may be hard for longtime fans of the MCU (and even harder for longtime fans of the Victor Von Doom found in the pages of Marvel Comics) to accept the Multiverse Saga as a success. All things die and with so many options available for Marvel Studios to choose from for their next saga, it might be hard to find many fans who mourn the accelerated end of the Multiverse Saga.

      Marvel Studios is expected to provide some measure of an update on the Multiverse Saga on Friday, August 9th during its portion of Disney’s Entertainment Showcase as part of D23.

    4. Marvel Studios Dates Its First Two Post-Multiverse Saga Films

      Marvel Studios Dates Its First Two Post-Multiverse Saga Films

      Ahead of next week’s D23 panel during which it is believed they will provide additional updates to those given at SDCC, Marvel Studios has provided an updated theatrical slate. While there were no changes to the previous 2025 schedule–indeed Blade surprisingly remains firmly staked in 2025 along with Captain America: Brave New World, Thunderbolts* and The Fantastic Four: First Steps–the studio revealed changes to both the 2026 and 2027 release schedules.

      For the first time, the studios has planted flags for films beyond the anticipated conclusion of their ongoing Multiverse Saga. While Avengers: Secret Wars, which is believed to be the final Phase 6 film and the last film of the studio’s second saga, remains on track for a May 7th, 2027 release, Marvel unveiled plans to release two more films in 2027.
      SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – JULY 27: (L-R) Joe Russo, Anthony Russo and Kevin Feige, President, Marvel Studios speak onstage during the Marvel Studios Panel in Hall H at SDCC in San Diego, California on July 27, 2024. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney)

      According to Variety, Marvel Studios first post-Multiverse Saga film will hit theaters on July 23, 2027 and will be followed by another MCU adventure on November 5, 2027. Though no titles for those films were revealed, it’s possible that one of the features will be the studio’s X-Men reboot. The new project became an emerging priority in Fall 2023 and by May 2024 Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes writer Michael Lesslie had begun negotiating with the studio to write the new adaptation.

      Marvel Studios Current Upcoming Theatrical Slate

      2025

      February 14, 2025-Captain America: Brave New World
      May 2, 2025-Thunderbolts*
      July 25, 2025-The Fantastic Four: First Steps
      November 7, 2025-Blade

      2026

      February 13, 2026-Untitled Marvel Studios Film
      May 1, 2026-Avengers: Doomsday
      November 6, 2026-Untitled Marvel Studios Film

      2027

      May 7, 2027-Avengers: Secret Wars
      July 23, 2027-Untitled Marvel Studios Film
      November 5, 2027-Untitled Marvel Studios Film

      Source: Variety

    5. Marvel Studios Rolls Out New 2026 Theatrical Schedule

      Marvel Studios Rolls Out New 2026 Theatrical Schedule

      Just two years ago, Marvel Studios Multiverse Saga was set to conclude on November 7, 2026 with Avengers: Secret Wars. At that time, the sixth Avengers movie was the studio’s only planned theatrical release for 2026. Things, however, have changed… frequently.

      As part of yet another update of their film slate, Marvel Studios has reduced the number of films on their 2026 slate from four to three.

      Marvel Studios 2026 Film Slate

      While the headliner for 2026 will certainly be Avengers: Doomsday–which will feature Robert Downey’s Jr’s return to the MCU–the studio will also release two films which are currently untitled.

      February 13th, 2026-Untitled Marvel Studios film

      May 1, 2026-Avengers: Doomsday

      November 6, 2026-Untitled Marvel Studios film

      As per the recent mandate passed down by Bob Iger, the slate represents a reduction in output by the studio with a previously Untitled Marvel Studios film dated for July 24, 2026 being removed from the schedule.

      Though two-thirds of the 2026 slate is currently unknown, it is possible that Marvel could use part of its time during next week’s D23 panel to reveal which films will join Doomsday on the schedule.

      Source: Variety

    6. Kevin Feige Confirms the Return of Another Major ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ & ‘Avengers: Endgame’ Star

      Kevin Feige Confirms the Return of Another Major ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ & ‘Avengers: Endgame’ Star

      With the Multiverse Saga in danger, Marvel Studios turned to its big guns to save it. To end its Hall H panel at SDCC ’24, the studio brought Anthony and Joe Russo on stage and announced that the brothers were returning to the fold to direct the next two Avengers film, Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. Then, as an intended cherry on top, the Russos revealed that Robert Downey Jr., the actor behind the greatest hero of the Infinity Saga, was set to join them in returning to the MCU, this time to play Victor Von Doom.

      It remains to be seen how the move to bring Downey back as a villain will be received. It’s not yet entirely clear whether he’s playing Victor Von Doom or a Tony Stark Variant gone rogue. If it is the latter, however, it turns out Downey won’t be the only actor putting a new spin on his MCU character.

      In an interview with Inverse, Marvel Studios One Above All, Kevin Feige, confirmed that the studio is working with Star Trek: Picard show runner Terry Matlas to develop a Vision streaming series for star Paul Bettany.

      A Vision-centric series has been reported to be in the works since 2022 with WandaVision and Agatha All Along creator Jac Schaeffer developing the streaming series. In May 2024, Variety reported that Matlas had taken over for Schaeffer as the show runner with an eye on a Fall 2024 start of production on the UK.

      Despite the trade reports over the years, the project had never been publicly discussed by Feige until recently when he confirmed Matlas was working on the series. In an interview with Inverse, Feige revealed he turned to Matlas to develop the series after having seen Season 3 of Star Trek: Picard.

      “That’s how I got to know him,” said Feige of Matlas  “It was from his amazing [work on Picard Season 3. I said: This is incredible. I don’t know how this exists. Let me find the person who made this.”

      It’s no secret that Feige is a Star Trek fan; now, his love for that universe has brought the show runner of one of Star Trek’s most highly-acclaimed series to the MCU to help craft a new path forward for one of the Infinity Saga’s mightiest heroes.

      Though no mention of the Vision series was made at SDCC, one might expect some information to be shared during D23.

      Source: Inverse

    7. First Look, Release Date Revealed for Lucasfilm’s Next Star Wars Streaming Series

      First Look, Release Date Revealed for Lucasfilm’s Next Star Wars Streaming Series

      As fans continue to digest Lucasfilm’s latest Star wars streaming series, The Acolyte, the studio has turned its attention to its next project. Via People Magazine and official Star Wars social media accounts, Lucasfilm has provided the first look at Star Wars: Skeleton Crew.

      Co-created by MCU Spider-Man trilogy director Jon Watts and and Spider-Man: Homecoming writer Christopher Ford, Skeleton Crew follows four kids on a journey through the galaxy far, far away. Child actors Ravi Cabot-Conyers (Wim), Kyriana Kratter (KB), Robert Timothy Smith (Neel) and Ryan Kiera Armstrong (Fern) will star alongside Jude Law, who plays Jod Na Nawood, in the new series which will make its streaming debut on December 3rd in Disney Plus.

      “It is a fun place to be, the universe of Star Wars,” said Law, adding that “seeing children in that environment in a Star Wars environment is thrilling and very, very unique.”

      When four kids make a mysterious discovery on their seemingly safe home planet, they get lost in a strange and dangerous galaxy. Finding their way home, meeting unlikely allies and enemies will be a greater adventure than they ever imagined.

      -Official Synopsis, Star Wars: Skeleton Crew

      Being part of the Star wars universe means joining one of Hollywood’s longest running shared narratives in mid-stream. Skeleton Crew is set during New Republic era (home to The Mandalorian and Ashoka) and according to Law, “there are great references to old films and recent episodes and series. There’s a lot of originality and I hope that will bring the feeling of fun to those who watch it.“

      The series has been compared to Richard Donner‘s 1985 classic, The Goonies, and based on Law’s comments, that seems like a fair comparison. all in constant state of confusion and jeopardy and challenge.” He adds that Skeleton Crew is “very much a piece about working together and overcoming fears and overcoming…perhaps [one’s] opinion of oneself or one’s own weaknesses in order to succeed.” Sounds like a bit of Jedi wisdom being shared by Law, though he’s not the only help the kids will have along the way.

      In addition to Law’s Nawood, the kids will be added in their journey by “the first mate of a mysterious ship,” according to Watts. That first mate will be “a rusty old, cranky droid” known as SM-33. Voiced by Shaun of the Dead star Nick Frost, SM-33 “sort of reluctantly helps the kids along the way,” says Watts while nothing Frost’s voice work was “fun” and “perfect.” It’s not Star Wars without a droid!

      With D23 just a week away, fans might expect a teaser trailer for the series to be right around the corner.

      Skeleton Crew wil begin streaming on Disney Plus on December 3rd.

      Source: People.com