The Oscar nominations have finally arrived and it looks like Marvel Studios once again remains a strong contender in the Visual Effects department, as Shang-chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings alongside Spider-Man: No Way Home was nominated. They join other projects like Dune, Free Guy, and No Time To Die in the category. Sadly, they once again did not receive any other nominations, while Denis Villeneuve’s latest film was quite the favorite at this year’s announcements including Visual Effects, Best Film, Film Editing, and more.
Marvel tends to land mainly in this category, which is a shame as there are many talented people involved with these projects. Black Panther was the first Marvel Studios project to beat the odds and even land a nomination for Best Picture, but that was quite an uncommon occurrence. It’s great to see other projects like Free Guy also land a nomination, which had some stunning visual effects playing on classic video game tropes. At this point, it’s anyone’s game but Dune or No Time to Die seems like the more likely choice to get chosen by the committee. Until the event takes place, all bets are open and we’ll see if the Marvel Studios projects can nab an Oscar this year.
Spider-Man: No Way Home has just dominated the international box office, and eyes are already on when it might find its way into our homes. It turns out, the big winner might end up being Starz, as Deadline unveils in an interview with its CEO Jeffrey Hirsch that it’ll release on the service sometime “over the next six months.” So, we can expect its release sooner rather than later, as they aim to utilize big-name projects to grow their original offerings as well by creating strong viewership retention.
Ours is a retention game, not an acquisition game. Lining up content week to week, 52 weeks a year. Seeking to move our core audience from one show to the next.
Fan-favorite Hollywood creatives Phil Lord and Chris Miller have a lot on their plates with the highly-anticipated sequel to their smash hit Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. The next film in the series, the first of a two-part story, promises to introduce audiences to a plethora of new and exciting spider-verses. Just which ones viewers will see is still being kept mostly under wraps, though the world of Marvel 2099 seems like a safe bet, and the realm of Spider-Man: India was teased in the movie’s first trailer.
One fun idea fans haven’t been able to shake is the idea of a crossover with the live-action MCU. While the thought might have once seemed far-fetched, the multiversal shenanigans of Spider-Man: No Way Home have made anything seem possible. During a recent interview with the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Miller and Lord were asked directly about the possibility of a surprise universal overlap, and a connection between the MCU’s multiverse and their own. The answer was more optimistic than expected:
The Multiverse is big and wide. And all things grow… Why would you think a Multiverse, in which many things are possible, that [those things are] not related?
Chris Miller
Lord continued with the quip, “Everything’s possible except for this one thing that everyone wants.” Obviously, this confirms nothing. However, it does leave the door open for an animated Tom Holland to swing his way Across the Spider-Verse. Or even better, for a live-action Shameik Moore to appear as Miles Morales.
A handful of actors are breathing sighs of relief since the film they’re in, Spider-Man: No Way Home premiered a little under two months ago. One of those actors is Charlie Cox, who in his MCU debut reprised his role as Matt Murdock. Cox, for the past few months, has been doing his best to mask his excitement over the truth. That’s now over though as the actor has finally given his first interview since the film’s release.
I don’t think I’ve done any interviews. I still don’t know what the rules are. Obviously, it’s now known that I’m in Spider-Man. So, yeah. But more than that, I don’t know, and the little I do know, I’m obviously not going to say. But the only thing I would say is that for a long time I was asked these questions and I genuinely had not heard anything.
Fans who diligently follow leaks and rumors are aware that Daredevil may be slated for a handful of appearances down the road, with the most likely one being She-Hulk. In addition to that, those rumored appearances are said to feature Daredevil with his Silver Age yellow suit. Should this turn out true, the little Cox knows may not be so little after all.
Cox defended himself a little bit by jokingly stating that while he lied, he hadn’t been lying as long as fans assumed.
For years, I have been asked questions about returning as Daredevil, and the genuine truth was I 100% assumed that was gone, that ship had just sailed. I didn’t hear from any of the folks at Marvel for a couple of years. It does now look like I was lying for a long time, I actually wasn’t, I was only lying for a little bit of time. You still don’t want to spoil it for people.
Charlie Cox’s return as Matt Murdock in Spider-Man: No Way Home teased a potential future in which The Man Without Fear is free to pop up anywhere in the MCU in the future and that potential has fans buzzing and theorizing what’s next for the character. Rumors have him showing up everywhere the next couple of years, from Moon Knight to She-Hulk to Armor Wars, and hope continues to build that he’ll be back in a larger capacity in the next Spider-Man film.
For the better part of a year, Cox had to dissemble a bit as he was peppered with questions about his return to the role, but now that the cat is out of the bag, he’s able to give some more insight on his return, as he recently did in an interview with Australia’s Supanova Comic Con. When asked about how he hoped the future of the character would look, Cox replied:
I feel so lucky to have been cast in that role and it is the gift that keeps on giving. I loved every single minute of making the show. To be asked to come back and to be involved in any capacity is absolutely thrilling to me. And I hope…I don’t want to sound greedy…but I hope I get to do loads more. I hope I get to be involved way, way more for many years. I hope it never ends. I hope it gets to the point where people are like, “You’re too old to be playing this part.” I don’t know what their plans are but my hope is that I get to do as much as I’m allowed to do and to be involved.
An excited Cox continued on by explaining that having Daredevil enter the MCU has opened up a world full of possibilities where he can meet up with other characters:
The one thing that being in the MCU allows that we couldn’t really do with the Netflix stuff is that I can now interact with other MCU characters. So that would be really cool. Crossovers is the thing I would like to do next. I don’t know what that looks like and I don’t know what they’re planning and all that kinda stuff but, you know, there are some really interesting stories there that I would like to, I would love for the character to explore.
As Cox said, the Netflix-verse offered very little in terms of crossovers as the studio only had the rights to a select group of characters. Now that he’s entered into the MCU, let’s hope Cox gets his wish to play the character as long as he wants and get started on those crossovers immediately.
Attention, Daredevil fans! Some thoughts from the one and only Charlie Cox on the future of The Man Without Fear! 😈
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is currently busy filming, as James Gunn returns to finish the trilogy he started back in 2014. The story will see the ragtag team continue on their quest after whatever may happen between them and Thor in Thor: Love and Thunder. We still don’t know what the future has in store for this intergalactic team, but we know we’ll be getting a lot more of Groot. Vin Diesel has shared his excitement on exactly that as he shared a video on his Instagram as he returns to record voicing the character.
Curiously, he didn’t confirm what project this recording is for, as there are currently four projects that we can expect to see Groot return. The before-mentioned Love and Thunder, the animated I Am Groot Disney+ series, the third Guardians film, and its Holiday Special. It wouldn’t be surprising if he is recording all the projects in one sitting, especially as the next Thor entry won’t release until July. Plus, the animated series is confirmed to release this year.
It’s sweet he is sharing the video not only highlighting that he started recording for the character, but also giving a shoutout to his history of recording the voices of characters that say very little, like his time on The Iron Giant. It’s strange to think that he ended up tackling a similar role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which still opens up the possibility for him to join a project in a different capacity at some point in the future. Yet, it’s hard to beat just how iconic he made Groot since he first appeared in 2014.
It’s really hard to choose the MCU team-up I’d most like in Phase 4. Normally, I’m most interested in 2nd or 3rd order interactions. The kind of question that usually gets me going is something like, ‘who will be teaming up with each other in 3 years time?’ but right now the source of my thoughts seems to come from projects we saw in 2021. The feeling that seems to follow around potential selections, is excitement for seeing familiar characters reactions to newness in other characters. As one of my favourite characters, I’m supportive of whatever Wanda does in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and am enthused to see reactions to her development as The Scarlet Witch. I’m also ready to see familiar Avengers characters react to Sam Wilson as Captain America, and I’m ready to see Sam lead a team of Avengers. Finally, I’m intrigued to see where Yelena Belova pops up next, so, no matter who she connects with I’ll be absorbed by her interactions with the rest of the MCU. Out of those three, I’m definitely most excited to see what Wanda gets up to, and what the reactions to it are!
Mary Maerz
Sam Rockwell’s Justin Hammer with just about anyone. I don’t have any deeper thoughts about it. Put him with Doctor Strange. Spider-Man. Sersi. Abomination. Korg. Miek. Jack Duquesne. Party Thor. Zombie Iron Man. Guy who filmed Shang-Chi on the bus. I don’t care.
Charles Murphy
Despite being surrounded by gods and monsters, there’s no more down-to-earth hero in the MCU than Sam Wilson. The Falcon and The Winter Soldier allowed us to get a better handle on who Sam is and, simply put, he’s a no-nonsense guy with a straightforward approach to solving problems. He speaks from his heart. He wears his emotions on his sleeve. He knows EXACTLY who he is.
By the time we see Sam in the MCU again, a character who has absolutely no idea who is will have joined the fray. Given who Sam is, teaming him up with Moon Knight might provide some killer character interactions. Sam’s training as a counselor might make him feel as though he can connect with the Fist of Khonshu, but he’s not ready for Moon Knight’s particular set of issues. The Lunar Legionnaire could be an absolutely fascinating fly in Sam’s ointment in Cap 4.
Dalbin Osorio
For me, I’m really anxious to see a team up between the new Captain America and the new Black Panther. There’s a scene in the comics where Sam Wilson asks that his suit be made by the Wakandans, and he goes on to explain the importance of the African nation and how he should be connected to them in some way. In the MCU, we’ve now seen the beginning of that play out with Sam getting his new costume from the Wakandans. Seeing the new Black Panther’s reaction, and subsequent dialogue, to the new Cap being Black would be a a bad ass moment.
Hunter Radesi
This isn’t exactly a unique choice, but there probably isn’t a live-action Marvel pairing I’ve fantasized about more than Spider-Man and the Human Torch. Anyone who’s read the original run of ‘Marvel Team-Up’ knows this is the foremost duo, with meetings both humorous and touching coming in their respective solo titles as well. Peter and Johnny have an interesting chemistry, as young heroes with something to prove operating on opposite ends of the personality spectrum. Sure, the MCU may not have even cast it’s Torch yet, but this is a team-up that’s finally (finally!) possible for the first time on the big screen and I have a sneaking suspicion it will happen sooner than later.
Anthony Canton III
Considering the way Spider-Man: No Way Home ended, there’s one team up I feel would give Peter Parker not only the family vibe but a little bit of fun. What if Peter, in trying to stop a criminal, runs into Scott Lang? They never interacted in Captain America: Civil War, so it would be a fresh pairing, and while Scott doesn’t know who Peter is it could be used for some fun dialogue. Spidey and Luis could trade some stories and Ant-Man could help Spider-Man deal with whatever problem he has in the interim. Imagine a story where there’s an arms dealer (Justin Hammer perhaps?) and Spidey needs a little help against some formidable robots. Scott being a family man could give Peter some advice on whatever he’s currently dealing with. You get Scott, Hope, Cassie, and the rest of the crew and you have a fantastic team up movie.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is just a few more months away, as Marvel Studios has been busy getting their merchandise out for the upcoming film. We’ve seen a strong focus on the film’s upcoming supporting cast and the tease of the many Strange variants we’ll see in the film. One of them is even strongly inspired by the Defender run of the character. A new piece of merchandise may have revealed another classic comic costume.
A new line from the Titan Hero Series Doctor Strange and the Scarlet Witch. What stands out is that Strange’s design includes a very familiar blue design that fans of Greg Pak and Emma Ríos‘ Doctor Strange: Season One might be familiar with:
For those not familiar, Doctor Strange: Season One was a retelling of the iconic character’s origins. Pak and Ríos gave new life to help new readers catch up on the Sorcerer Supreme’s early beginnings. The cover art featured a blue design that seems to be an inspiration for the upcoming film’s take on the character.
It’s great to see the films pull in more designs from the comics, and it’s certainly a deep cut to pull from. There’s still a chance that the version in this merchandise isn’t the one we’ve been following since the first Doctor Strange film, as we already know it’ll feature a variety of Variants. So, we’ll see if we get a better look once the next trailer releases.
We were all scratching our heads when it was announced that Sony is eyeing Dakota Johnson to join a Spider-Man spinoff film based on Madame Web. Not only is the character commonly depicted as an elderly lady, but she is also a minor supporting character that doesn’t have much of a story to explore. Of course, her involvement wasn’t confirmed yet at the time, but it seems in a now-deleted Instagram Story, Johnson may have confirmed she joined the project, as shared by @dakotaj_updates.
The Story doesn’t include much, but the use of a web emoji with a dark background. Given the timing with the announcement that she is currently is in talks for the role, it seems like a pretty clear indication of why she shared it. We’ve seen actors tease their involvement in the past as a way to confirm the talks or even hint that they’ve already joined the project.
OMG! Dakota just confirmed she is playing Madame Web 🕸 #DakotaJohnson
It’s unclear exactly what they are trying to do with the character, as Madame Web’s limited role in the comics doesn’t quite lend itself to a solo project. So, they might take this chance to write a story around her as she is simply the person pulling the strings. Perhaps they aim to bring back Tom Holland, Andrew Garfield, and Tobey Maguire to potentially star in another multiverse-focused storyline with Web requiring their assistance. It would be the perfect way to build upon No Way Home‘s storyline.
Tom Holland has just started promoting his next film Uncharted, but that isn’t stopping people from asking him about what the future has in store for him with his time as Spider-Man after the massive success that is No Way Home. In an interview with Esquire Middle East, he was asked about his reference about not wanting to be Spider-Man when he is 30 years old, but revealed that it was more about not being the only one with that title. He goes on to say that:
That quote has been slightly misconstrued. What I was basically trying to say is that if I am 30 still playing Spider-Man and haven’t passed on the baton to a Miles Morales, or a Spider-Woman, or something more diverse, then I would have done something wrong in the duties that I have to the character.
Tom Holland
He goes on to say it wasn’t about wanting to give up on the role, especially as he believes in the team that brings it to life. His sentiment sounds like something that Peter Parker would say, which highlights just how perfect he is for the role and it would be exciting to see him take on the mentor role in the near future after finding his bearings in a world that forgot who he is.
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