Though no direct sequel to Eternals is in the works at Marvel Studios, Head Honcho Kevin Feige recently teased that the events of the film will indeed continue to influence the ongoing shared narrative of the MCU. Tonight, during the studio’s big Hall H panel at SDCC ’24, the cat was let out of the bag.
After months of rumors, it was confirmed that the body of Tiamut–the large Celestial that began to emerge from the ocean in Eternals–is composed of adamantium and will be central to the plot of Captain America: Brave New World.
Brave New World will indeed introduce adamantoum to the MCU! Tiamut's body is made of the substance and will be vital to the plot. pic.twitter.com/oNyuo1OR0B
— Murphy's Multiverse (@MultiverseMurph) July 28, 2024
Marvel Studios’ Multiverse Saga has definitely not landed with everyone. While there have certainly been some wonderful projects theatrically and streamed on Disney Plus, projects such as Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania, Secret Invasion, Eternals and Thor: Love and Thunder were largely considered misses for the studio. With the return of Bob Iger to Disney came a mandate for the company’s larger studios to throttle down and focus on quality. Combined with a lengthy work stoppage in 2023, Marvel Studios was left with only one theatrical offering in 2024: Deadpool & Wolverine.
With all eyes on the project (and a growing number of people who simply want Marvel to fail), Marvel Studios marketed the hell out of the project, putting Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman everywhere over the last month, ensuring a major box office take. However, big bucks alone wouldn’t be enough to prove to critics that Marvel still has what it takes, nor would the Certified Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The true test, as always, is how the film lands with fans and now we know that answer as well.
Following its true opening night, fans gave Deadpool & Wolverine and A Cinemascore. That score is higher than Logan, which many consider one of the best superhero films of all time, and on par with Deadpool and Deadpool 2. What does it mean? While the film has been hammered a bit by critics for feeling a tad empty, audiences are having a good time in the theater which is, of course, the point of going to a theater in the first place.
Is Marvel Studios back? One good Cinemascore certainly doesn’t prove anything but Deadpool & Wolverine landing with fans on the heels of a few well-regarded projects such as X-Men ’97 and Echo can only help keep the positive momentum going.
From the sounds of the reviews of critics who were able to catch early screenings of Deadpool & Wolverine, the movie is no Quantumania but it’s no Endgame either. Wherever it ultimately lands in terms of fan and critical reception, there’s no doubt left that it will blow up the box office and that Hugh Jackman‘s return to inhabit the role of Wolverine once again has a lot to do with that. Jackman famously believed he had fully left the role behind him after 2018’s Logan gave the character an incredibly well-received send-off; however, a call from Ryan Reynolds and a long drive gave Jackman the clarity to decide that Deadpool & Wolverine provided a way back in without having to disturb the legacy of Logan.
Jackman’s return as Wolverine (along with FINALLY donning the iconic comic-accurate costume) has been central to the film’s marketing since the beginning and seems to have been worth the wait. Even before the film’s debut, fans were already begging for more of Jackman in the role, hoping that he’d star in one or both of the studio’s upcoming Avengers films. While that’s not been confirmed by Marvel yet, it wouldn’t be surprising to see them take advantage of Jackman’s presence in San Diego to make a major splash at their Saturday Hall H panel. However, even if Jackman does come back for another appearance or two, he can’t go on forever and whoever does ultimately replace him will have their claws full.
In an interview with Discussing Film, Marvel Studios One Above All, Kevin Feige, addressed the topic of Hugh Jackman‘s future as Wolverine and the idea of replacing the actor in a role he has owned for more than two decades. “Yes,” Feige answered bluntly when asked if someone other than Jackman would ever portray Wolverine in the MCU. “You know, Marvel is celebrating its 85th anniversary later this summer. That’s just the first 85 years, and Disney just celebrated 100 years as well. I think these characters will be around for another 100 years, long after all of us,” he continued, “so, for sure, there will be [eventually another actor as Wolverine]. I think it will be in a very different style and in a different way.” Feige finished the answer with a warning for whoever takes the handoff from Jackman, saying, “I also think if somebody were to attempt to do a Hugh Jackman as Wolverine impression, that would be a pretty big mistake.”
As Marvel Studios moves closer to launching their own take on the X-Men, it’s all but a sure thing that Wolverine (one of the most popular X-Men ever) will ultimately be part of their plans. It sounds as though that’s something Feige has already thought quite a bit about and that the folks behind the MCU’s X-Men reboot will be delivering their own take on Wolverine which will help distance it from Jackman’s iconic portrayal. “As comic readers know, there have been various and very, very different versions of these characters over the decades,” began Feige. “It would be fun to explore different ones someday down the line. Again, we don’t have immediate plans by any means. But in the decades to come, I think it’s inevitable. If that happens, it would have to be a very different and bold reinterpretation of [the character] because no one will be as great as Hugh Jackman at doing his version of Wolverine.”
So while it seems we’ve not seen the last of Jackman in the role just yet, it also sounds like a plan is in place to make sure the next guy in the suit doesn’t have to bear the weight of being compared too closely to him. Check out Jackman’s latest turn as Logan in Deadpool & Wolverine, in theaters now.
Marvel Studios’ Eternals opened to incredibly poor reviews when it hit theaters in 2021. At the time, seeing an MCU project miss so badly with critics was a bit of a shock. While several other projects have joined the Chloe Zhao-helmed film in the past few years that haven’t been well-received, it still stands out among the duds. More than other projects such as The Marvels or Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania, Eternals doesn’t truly seem to fit into the MCU mold despite its storyline having some major consequences for the shared universe.
Though rumors persisted for some time that a follow-up project or two were in the works, the gravity of its failure to land with anyone made it seem like a longshot to ever have a direct sequel. Now, as Marvel Studios looks to reestablish itself as the box office bull it once was, studio head honcho Kevin Feige has addressed the future of the franchise.
In an interview with Inverse, Marvel Studios One Above All made it crystal clear that the studio is not looking to develop a sequel to the 2021 film saying, “there are no immediate plans for Eternals 2.”
While Feige did also confirm the major world-changing events of Eternals will be addressed in the MCU–“There are, and I think you’ve seen maybe in a trailer we’ve released recently, an acknowledgment of some of those events. Certain giant things came out of the ocean,” Feige told Inverse–it’s unclear if any of the film’s ensemble cast will have any role in future projects. That’s not entirely surprising as Kumail Nanjiani, whose Kingo was one of the highlights of Eternals, indicated in a 2023 interview that he hadn’t heard of any plans to move forward with a sequel.
Yeah! I mean, listen, I have plans today. I don’t know if they have plans. I would love to come back. But I’m sort of waiting to hear when or if that’s going to happen. I’m hoping I get to do more. I had a great time playing that character. It’d be a shame if he’s a sort of one and done. But, you know, the decision’s not mine to make.
-Kumail Nanjiani on the future of the Eternals franchise
As it stands, it would seem that the loose ends of Eternals will stay loose and have no significant impact on the remainder of the Multiverse Saga.
Principal photography on DC Studios Superman is nearing an end but after a revealing few weeks in Cleveland, it seems as though fans may yet be treated to more set photos before the film wraps.
As filming in Cleveland was coming to an end, crews were spotted preparing for a shoot in Cincinnati at the city’s Union Terminal. After opening in 1933, Union Terminal was built as an Intercity railroad hub. The unique architecture of the building caught the eye of one of Hanna-Barbera’s background artists and served as the inspiration of the Hall of Justice which first appeared in 1973’s animated series Super Friends.
The Cincinnati Union Terminal is gearing up to presumably become the Hall of Justice in "SUPERMAN"
While it hasn’t been made official quite yet, it certainly seems as though director James Gunn plans to use the exterior of Union Terminal, which remains and active train station as well as a museum, as the entrance to the DCU’s Hall of Justice.
Looks like Mister Terrific has entered into the Cincinnati Union Terminal
Prior photos from the set of Superman have revealed that heroes Mister Terrific (who was spotted on the Cincinnati set), Green Lantern Guy Gardner and Hawkgirl are working together, presumably as the Justice League sponsored by Maxwell Lord. With that dynamic in play, it wouldn’t be surprising for the team to have an HQ and given Gunn’s respect for each and every prior iteration of all things DC, it makes sense he’d go right to the source of inspiration for the Hall of Justice and make it canon in the new shared universe.
It seemed…inevitable. Just hours after THR broke the news that directors Joe and Anthony Russo were in talks to return to Marvel Studios to helm Avengers 5 and Avengers: Secret Wars, rumors began to swirl that another pair of key contributors to the Infinity Saga may join them. According to multiple outlets, the Russos may be accompanied in their new venture by another creative tag team well-known to MCU fans: writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely.
According to both Daniel RPK and Jeff “The In” Sneider, Markus and McFeely–who teamed up to write the screenplays for a half dozen MCU films in Phases 1 through 3–are set to pen Avengers 5 and Avengers: Secret Wars. Interestingly enough, word of the duo’s return comes on the heels of unconfirmed reports that writer Michael Waldron had left Avengers 5.
While the Russos faces may have been more familiar to fans of the MCU, Markus and McFeely were every bit as much involved in the scaffolding of the Infinity Saga as the directing duo. In addition to writing the screenplays for Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, Markus and McFeely also penned Captain America: The First Avenger, Thor: The Dark World, Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Captain America: Civil War.
There are all sorts of characters that would be fun. Joe and Anthony keep saying Secret Wars and I keep going, “really, you want to take on another giant multi-character [crossover]?” I would personally be more drawn to setting up a single character again and taking them from the beginning.
While the Russos often shared their desire to adapt Marvel Comics Secret Wars for the MCU, Markus and McFeeley were less keen on the idea in a 2019 interview, suggesting they’d rather work with X-Men characters, with Cyclops at the top of their list. Should they start from scratch on Avengers 5, an adaptation of Marvel Comics 2012 crossover event, Avengers vs. X-Men, could scratch that particular itch and fit nicely into the ongoing Multiverse Saga plot, especially given where things left off in The Marvels.
With the creative team for the next Avengers films now seemingly complete (again), it’s reasonable to assume Marvel Studios will include the projects in their Hall H panel at SDCC ’24 on Saturday, July 27th.
Finally, the Russo brothers have come back to Marvel. After sheparding the studio through Phases 2 and 3 and helming both Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, Joe and Anthony Russo are preparing to get back in the saddle.
According to THR’s Boys Kit and Aaron Couch, the brothers Russo, who also directed Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Captain America: Civil War fir the studio, are in talks to direct the next two Avengers films.
While Avengers 5 awaits a new title and, according to THR, a new focus, the sixth Avengers film is still set to adapt Secret Wars. It may be no coincidence that the direction of that film ended up in the hands of the Russos as the brothers have discussed its big screen potential for years. As recently as 2022, Joe Russo described the duo’s adoration for the comic book and discussed the possibility of returning to direct it alongside his brother.
Our love for Marvel is based on the books we read as kids and the books that we fell in love with. The one series that we adored growing up was Secret Wars. It’s incredibly ambitious. It would be bigger than Infinity War and Endgame, but it’s a massive undertaking and those two movies were very hard to make. Trying to imagine making another two movies even bigger than those two…we’re going to have to sleep on it.
-Joe Russo on adapting Secret Wars
While the talks for the pair to return are said to be in the early stages, it looks as though Joe and Anthony have slept on it and determined they were up to the task.
After spending a little more than a year in development, Amazon and MGM+ are now moving forward on their live-action Spider-Man Noir streaming series starring Nic Cage. After debuting in the animated Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Cage’s character became a fan favorite which led producers Phil Lord, Chris Miller, and Amy Pascal to put gears in motion on the project with Oren Uziel developing the scripts. The series, titled Spider-Noir, series will tell “the story of an aging and down on his luck private investigator in 1930s New York, who is forced to grapple with his past life as the city’s one and only superhero.” Now, as casting on the project gets underway, details about Spider-Noir have begun to emerge.
As was originally reported, Cage’s Depression-era hero won’t be a variant of Peter Parker but rather Ben Reilly. Brendan Gleeson was recently cast and some new information on the project from a reliable source may reveal which Spidey villain he’ll be playing. Insider Daniel RPK has shared a brief of the project’s plot which includes NYC mob boss Silvermane and cop turned vigilante Yuri Watanabe.
We follow Ben Reilly, a PI, as he stumbles down a rabbit hole of corruption in 1933 New York City, while also establishing his past as a superhero. Reilly investigates the death of Edward Addison, which leads him to discover that the Mayor is up to something nefarious that involves crime boss Silvermane and femme fatale Yuri Watanabe.
-Spider-Noir details via Daniel RPK
It does seem possible that Gleeson could fill the role of Silvermane though there’s already some speculation that he might portray the Noir universe’s Norman Osborn. Gleeson joins a cast that currently only consists of Cage and Lamorne Morris (New Girl), who is set to play Daily Bugle editor Robbie Robertson. With casting underway, Spider-Noir should begin filming late in 2024 which means much more information on the project will come to light over the next several months.
Since Shira Haas was first revealed to be playing Ruth Bat-Seraph in Captain America: Brave New World, the character has been the center of online controversy, including calls for her to be removed from the film. In 2022, Marvel Studios made it clear that rather than remove her from the film, they took a “new approach” in reimagining her for the MCU. Now, shortly after the first look at the film hit social media, that new approach is becoming very clear.
While our characters and stories are inspired by the comics. They are always freshly imagined for the screen and today’s audience, and the filmmakers are taking a new approach with the character Sabra who was first introduced in the comics over 40 years ago.
-Official Statement from Marvel Studios on Ruth Bat-Seraph in Captain America: Brave New World
Haas‘ brief appearance in the teaser trailer for the film didn’t give much away about what changes may have been made to the character, however, a follow-up piece on Marvel.com shed some light on what to expect. Rather than appearing in the MCU as a member of the Israeli Secret Service, Ruth is described as “a former Black Widow,” who “is now a high-ranking U.S. government official who has the trust of President Ross.” Given how Black Widow played out, the change works just fine but according to a new trade report, the changes don’t stop there.
In the comics, Ruth Bat-Seraph also went by the alias Sabra; however, according to THR, the studio chose to drop that code name entirely as well as her allegiance to Israel. Essentially, Marvel Studios’ new approach to the character was to keep the name and recreate her entirely–and it’s hardly the first time they’ve done such a thing. Though it’s unlikely that the changes made by the studio will relieve any of the tension online, it does show at least some semblance of awareness by the execs while also calling into question why the chose to use the character in the first place when an original character would have worked well in her place.
Captain America: Brave New World hits theaters February 14, 2025.
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