Tag: Marvel Movies

‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’s Chukwudi Iwuji Teases His “Powerful” and “Complex” Character

It’s James Gunn‘s world and we’re just living in it. The director has been making headlines with one hit project after another, as he directly followed up his work on The Suicide Squad with a spinoff on the character of Peacemaker, as played by John Cena. All that was just the warm-up, as he already jumped straight to directing his third – and likely final – Guardians of the Galaxy film. In it, a familiar face from his latest HBO Max series will make a return, Chukwudi Iwuji.

Iwuji‘s involvement was first confirmed in a photo from the set back in November, and it’s still unclear who exactly he is playing – even if there are quite a few rumors offering a hint at who exactly that might turn out to be. That hasn’t stopped the actor from teasing the role in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, as he believes his character might be “the most complex character” we’ve seen yet in the MCU. His full quote:

Powerful. Extremely powerful. Complex. James and I were talking about it, but he’s certainly one of, if not the most complex character we’ve seen in the freaking Marvel universe. So he’s deeply complex and deeply powerful, and I hope intriguing. I hope I bring that to it
Chukwudi Iwuji

It’s quite something to tease and Gunn is known for his talent of bringing complex characters to life on the silver screen. Iwuji‘s wording of “powerful” would add to the possibility of him playing a villain. Most of the MCU’s villains have been rather one-note, but that has started to change with their latest projects. So, if he is indeed playing one, the tease would add a lot to the franchise’s rogue’s gallery.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

January 24, 2022
Kit Harington’s Black Knight May Return in Mahershala Ali’s ‘Blade’

The end of Eternals finally introduced the MCU to the Ebony Blade. Kit Harington‘s Dane Whitman opened a box to unleash the cursed weapon, but that was not all. He is suddenly greeted by a voice off-screen that was later confirmed to be Mahershala Ali‘s Blade. Of course, it made us wonder what this might mean for the character’s future as the Black Knight and it seems that they may be setting up an appearance in his upcoming solo film.

ComicBook had the chance to sit down with Eternals VFX Supervisor Stephane Ceretti, who revealed that the Ebony Blade will return in the upcoming Blade solo film, as he talks about passing on the work they did so that Martin Lawson, who is taking over a similar role for the upcoming solo film, can build upon that.

The funny thing is my second on the show, which is Martin Lawson my additional supervisor, is actually going to be supervising Blade very soon. So I told him, I said, ‘I’m giving that to you as a gift, use it wisely and make good out of it.’ But I’m sure it’s going to do actually even better.
Stephane Ceretti

It would make sense that they build upon the scene from Eternals, but we also know very little about the plot of the upcoming vampire-hunting film. Perhaps Whitman becomes an unlikely ally that has to help him in stopping a new type of vampire. He would make for a great everyman and actually be involved with the story unlike in his introduction. Of course, there’s always the chance that the blade might make an appearance, but it would seem strange not to include its iconic wielder.

Source: ComicBook

January 24, 2022
High-Quality Images Released for ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ Finale

It’s surprising that it took this long before we got any official stills or images from the film featuring all three Spider-Man together. Spider-Man: No Way Home is a powerhouse at the box office, and it’s likely that everyone who wanted to see it, already has. Yet, Sony never offered an official look at its full cast. Hell, we never even got special posters highlighting the return of Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield in their respective roles. Luckily, high-quality looks at the final were released as part of an interview with visual effects supervisor Chris Waegner over at before & afters.

Waegner highlights that he has quite the history with the Spider-Man franchise, as he worked on quite a few of them during his tenure at Imageworks. So, he naturally was able to bring that passion and realize each one of the character’s unique aspects to life. They had to rebuild a lot of their assets for the film, as the old assets were no longer viable due to how far technology has come. Plus, Tobey and Andrew aren’t the same age when they previously played the characters, which also became a key factor.

They also had to work on some previous villains making their grand return in the film. In a way, it would seem like modern technology would’ve made work easier on bringing these characters to life once again. A big part is their approach to Sandman, who already was pushing boundaries back during the release of Spider-Man 3. Waegner highlights that they were able to optimize their approach, such as making him feel more like a sand storm if the story or moment required it.

In the interview, he also praised the practical work that was done to support their CG work, as the Liberty island was recreated with a practical set. A lot of the scaffolding featured in the sequence was real and also helped their team to realize their vision, as they worked on the finale. Plus, the set choice offers a lot of reference material to utilize and work from to bring the effects-heavy aspects to life in a much easier way. He does highlight that it was quite the undertaking for their Modeling and Environments team.

Source: befores & afters

January 24, 2022
New ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ Promo Art Offers Full Look at Gargantos

There’s been a lot of discussion about who will Doctor Strange face off against in the upcoming film Doctor Stange in the Multiverse of Madness. When merchandise started finding its way online, it gave us our first look at a villain named Gargantos. It confused many of us, as rumors pointed to Shuma-Gorath being the villain, not a Kraken-like monster from an old Namor comic. Well, it turns out that Gargantos is the film’s take on the iconic multiversal villain due to the potential restrictions on the characters naming rights. The first merchandise offered a look at him adding to the fact it’s the same character and a new promo art has found its way online that offers a full look at the character’s design in all its glory.

It’s probably the most comic-accurate we’ve ever seen a design in the films, especially with the fleshy eyebrows that stick out above the giant eye. This is the most “cosmic” we’ve seen the character as well, who appeared in the first trailer flinging a bus at Strange. Here’s hoping we do get a massive version of Gargantos, as there are hints that we may meet more than just a singularity throughout the MCU’s multiverse. We cannot wait to find out what the future has in store for us once it releases in May.

Source: Walmart via The Direct

January 22, 2022
‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ Passes ‘Scream’ to Take Top Spot at the Domestic Box Office Again

Last weekend, it seemed like Spider-Man: No Way Home‘s hold on the international box office had come to an end, as the newly released Scream took over the top spot from the film in the domestic market. It didn’t take long for the box office juggernaut to once again return to the top, as it’s on its way to end the weekend with $13.5M while the horror film dropped by 61% to make $11.7M over its second weekend. The drop isn’t bad, as it’s on par with previous entries and is still one of the better second weekends for the franchise.

As of now, No Way Home stands as the 4th highest domestic release with $720.4M by the end of the weekend. It’ll require another $40.1M to pass Avatar at the box office, which is a bit uncertain as of now, but the film has proven to have quite a bit of staying power, especially with it taking back the top spot again. Yet, it was still a frontloaded release, which isn’t too uncommon for Marvel films.

The thing working against it is also that the box office is currently a bit dead until the next major releases in February with two very different entries, Roland Emmerich‘s next world-ending film Moonfall and the return of a childhood classic prankster group in Jackass Forever. So, we’ll see if it gives the box office a jolt, but it seems more likely that we won#t see another strong performance until The Batman releases in March, whose 3-hour runtime raises some interesting predictions given the character’s box office draw and how longer films still managed to become box office darlings.

Source: Deadline

January 22, 2022
New ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ Banner Offers New Look at America Chavez, Wanda, And More

We sadly still have to wait a bit until Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness releases in theaters, but that isn’t stopping Marvel Studios from preparing their marketing material. They offer a look at what’s to come in the new film. Most of the material we’ve seen so far from the Doctor Strange sequel have been teases of the main cast and what may be their main threat, Shuma-Gorath with the new name Gargantos. It looks like a new banner has found its way online that offers a new look at the film’s cast, such as a new look at Wanda Maximoff, Wong, Doctor Strange, and America Chavez, as shared by @feiticeiraescbr.

Novos banners promocionais de "Doutor Estranho no Multiverso da Loucura" divulgados pela Amazon. pic.twitter.com/egFeSmSM59
— Feiticeira Escarlate Brasil (@feiticeiraescbr) January 22, 2022

It’s curious we’re seeing so much of America Chavez in the promotion material, but she was barely used in the film’s initial trailer. There’s a good chance she might get a stronger focus once the next one arrives, but their marketing team is certainly focusing a lot on her. While the second image is familiar – especially for comic fans – the first banner offers a clue on her abilities, which was even teased in the initial trailer with Defender Strange floating as a star-shaped energy field was behind him. It’ll be interesting to see if she and even Gargantos might get a stronger focus in the sequel.

Source: Twitter

January 22, 2022
‘Thor: Love and Thunder’s Tessa Thompson Teases Valkyrie’s LGBTQ Romance

Thor: Love and Thunder teases its main focus in the name of the film. While we’ll get our usual action, director Taika Waiti teased that he wanted to explore romance just a bit more in the upcoming project. There have been quite a few rumors that Valkyrie might have a romance of her own throughout the film’s story, and Tessa Thompson teased what’s to come in an interview with The Wrap. She shares her excitement on exploring this new aspect of her character in the film, as she states that:

It’s totally exciting. We talk so much about representation and obviously, in terms of the LGBTQIA community, there’s still so much work to be done. But if you look at the comics in the canon, there are so many queer characters! It’s hard because Taika (Waititi, who directed both of Thompson’s “Thor” films) and I would’ve even liked to go further, but in the context of the movies, there’s only so much we can do. Unfortunately, there’s not a lot of time invested in love stories in Marvel movies in general. I think that will be a little different on the new “Thor,” which is exciting. And getting to play a character that historically is not written for somebody that looks like me, all of that felt exciting.
Tessa Thompson

It would be interesting to find out what their original vision might’ve been, but there’s always the chance they could expand it through a Disney+ series or spinoff film at a later time. Valkyrie is a character with a lot of history that is worth exploring. If Waititi still has some stories he wants to tell – and he’s also no stranger to long-form storytelling, there might be a chance that he and Tessa Thompson can take another swing at it later down the line, as it’s definitely a story worth telling.

Source: The Wrap

January 21, 2022
Marvel Studios Makes a Major Change to The Phase One Timeline

Disney Plus has now added all of Marvel Studios One-Shots to their streaming library, giving fans a chance to relive some of the memorable shorts that once accompanied the home releases of their films. Agent Carter, All Hail the King and more are now streaming on the service and have all been added into the official, chronological viewing order. Interestingly enough, one of the One-Shots has knocked one of Marvel Studios biggest hits out of its place as a bookend to Phase One.

As you can see from the screenshot, the 2012 One-Shot Item 47, which was released on The Avengers Blu-Ray, is now the official end of Phase One. The 12-minute short, which was heavily tied to ABC’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., starred Lizzy Caplan and Jesse Bradford as a couple who, in the wake of the Battle of New York, find a Chitauri weapon and use it to go on a crime spree. S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents Sitwell and Blake, played by Maximiliano Hernandez and Titus Welliver, respectively, intervene on the couple’s spree and eventually incorporate them into S.H.I.E.L.D.

While the events of the series were never mentioned again and neither Caplan nor Bradford’s characters were ever seen again, the One-Shot, directed by Louis D’Esposito, led directly to Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. getting the green light on ABC. Bob Iger, who was Disney’s CEO at the time, gave the go ahead on AoS after watching Item 47 and the series debuted one year later on the network. Of course, Agents Sitwell and Blake continued on in the series and, in Sitwell’s case, the films with Sitwell dying during the events of Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Blake pretty much just disappearing.

January 21, 2022
Official Japanese Marvel Site Removed ‘What If…?’ and ‘Secret Invasion’ From 2022 Line-Up

Just last week we reported on the official Japanese Marvel site that included an overview of its 2022 Disney+ and film slate. What surprised us was the inclusion of Secret Invasion and What If…? Season 2, as both were not announced for that year. Especially with their placement, it seemed like we’d have six Disney+ series premiering in just one year. Interestingly enough, the site has been updated and those two series have been removed. Not only that, but they also seemingly adapted the order of release.

When we first reported it, the line-up seemed quite deliberate with Moon Knight ahead of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. She-Hulk was then placed after that film’s release, which implied it would also follow in May or June. Now, the order has Ms. Marvel ahead of She-Hulk, but the films are given their own separate location. So, either they accidentally uploaded it in the wrong order, or things have shuffled around. Moon Knight even has its March 30th release date included now, but with Ms. Marvel planned for the summer, She-Hulk might not release until November.

Marvel Studios has been known for their steady output of content and with films has always been ver upfront about when they will release. Disney+ has been a very different experience, as they don’t truly advertise a show’s release until around two months in advance. While no one expects concrete release dates, it’s been strange we haven’t gotten release windows for some of the shows, especially when Ms. Marvel was originally going to be a 2021 release. The pandemic has affected productions quite a bit and could be a factor, but we still know very little about their plans for this year. We’ll have to see if we get more information as the year goes on.

Source: Marvel

January 21, 2022
‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ Concept Art Reveals a Sick Doctor Strange

It’s not uncommon that films are rewritten as production continues. Reshoots have become such a mainstay in the industry, as it supports directors to adjust plot points or pacing issues they noticed in the rough cuts. Marvel Studios’ films are famous for going through many different stages, and it seems Spider-Man: No Way Home almost featured a very different meeting between Doctor Strange and Peter Parker.

Artist Sean Hargreaves has published some concept art that has some curious implications about the film’s original plot. Early on, Peter asks for Strange’s help before their views start to head in different directions. Yet, it seems that Strange was going to be sick at some point in the story, and Peter come to visit him as he rests in his chambers. His description reveals that:

Peter talks to a sick Strange as Stranges cloak sits as guard at the foot of the bed. Struck from the final film.

He highlights that this was cut from the film, and it could be a scene after the spell goes wrong. Perhaps the energy he used would’ve weakened the sorcerer. Yet, one could also look at it as a connection to his film Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Originally, the multiverse-spanning adventure was going to release first. Perhaps the events of that film weakened him and he ended up bed-bound as shown in the artwork. It’s certainly up for interpretation, but this one piece of concept art could be a hint at a grim fate for the doctor.

Source: Art Station

January 20, 2022