We live in a world where many actors have made their respective roles very much a reflection of themselves. Many can’t look at Iron Man and not think of Robert Downey Jr. or even recently Iman Vellani truly personifying Ms. Marvel in live-action. The same could be said about Ryan Reynolds, who was long the fan-favorite to play the Merc with a Mouth, Deadpool, even before he took on the role in X-Men Origins: Wolverine back in 2009.
Yet, it seems that he wasn’t always set to take on the role, as Supernatural and The Boys star Jensen Ackles revealed during an appearance at SPN PHX J2, he was originally cast to play the character before scheduling conflicts got in the way. It’s crazy to think that we may have had a very different version of the character.
There was definitely a movie that I was very much in talks about… I wasn’t available, so the train just kind of stopped there. But, had I been available, I would’ve had to, you know, jump through the studio hoops and jump through the, you know, producer hoops and stuff. But I had a really good shot, and it’s a movie that I really, really like. [What was the movie?] Deadpool. It was probably a good thing because my ex-girlfriend was on there and so that probably would have been awkward, so it probably worked out for the best. I think that whole cast was amazing. I probably would’ve messed that up for a lot of people had I been a part of it, so probably best I didn’t. But that would’ve been cool.
Jensen Ackles
Ackles‘ performance as Soldier Boy in The Boys may be a good indicator that he’d make a great superhero, but it’s always tough to say if he’d nail exactly what makes Deadpool special even among the many quippy superheroes out there. It also raises the question if we’d even have the two films (with a third on the way) if it weren’t for Reynolds‘ heavy involvement in the process. No matter what, it’s a fun little detail to find out and who knows if they want to play around with a Deadpool multiverse-inspired storyline that could see him play a Variant of the character.
Rumors have been abounding as of late, as we’re about to enter the next phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. No matter where one feels on Phase 4, we’re about to enter a new and exciting era that’ll offer some unique projects. among them is the first non-Avengers team-up film in the form of Thunderbolts. An unlikely group of anti-heroes is stuck together to take on a mission for Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, and it seems that they might be in for more than they bargained for.
A new rumor is making the circles that they are currently trying to cast the main antagonist for the upcoming Thunderbolts film, who hints at it being an “Evil Superman.” What makes this interesting is that there are two characters that could potentially take on that very role with Squadron Supreme’s Hyperion, a more direct parallel to the Justice League and Superman, or the other powered individual known as Sentry.
What adds to it is that they are already eyeing the casting of Ryan Gosling or Alexander Skarsgard, who would make two very interesting additions to the MCU. Gosling has highlighted his interest in joining the franchise but was more hopeful of taking on the role of Ghost Rider; a very popular choice at the moment. So, we’ll see if he’d even be interested in this role though it may also depend on what direction they are going.
If they are indeed going for a villain storyline, Sentry does seem like the most interesting direction given his connection to the Void. Though, Squadron Supreme as part of the Multiverse Saga would also make sense with elements leaking into the mainline MCU timeline that ends up setting up the future Avengers films. There are many potential directions they could take this storyline but we’ll have to wait a bit longer until we find out.
The Deadpool franchise is back in action with Deadpool 3 in the active works. The film marks the Merc with a Mouth’s Marvel Cinematic Universe debut after the Disney-Fox acquisition. Ryan Reynolds will star alongside fan favorite Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine for an event that is sure to be special on its own but also within the context of Marvel Studios utilizing newly obtained Fox properties. Still, the threequel apparently is not the only Deadpool movie impacted by the Disney acquisition.
Just in time for the holidays, Reynolds revealed to The Hollywood Reporter that a fully-written Deadpool Christmas movie exists, but that it never got made. The actor and producer said:
Four years ago, Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick and I wrote a Christmas movie starring Deadpool. But it got lost in the shuffle of Disney acquiring Fox and it never got made…Maybe one day we’ll get to make that movie. It’s not a musical, but it’s a full DeadpoolChristmas movie. So one day.
Ryan Reynolds
It is not often that shelved and forgotten movies make a magical comeback. But with Marvel Studios leaning into holiday specials like Werewolf By Night and the Guardians of the Galaxy Christmas-themed special, anything is possible.
Deadpool 3 is slated for a November 8, 2024 release date.
While those that got a look at Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania during D23 teased the arrival of MODOK, which stands for Mental Organism Designed Only for Killing. The character has long been hoped to become a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, especially because he is one of the more insane designs that would seem impossible in live-action. So, there was a lot of excitement to see him make his debut, though the first officially released trailer did not offer a glimpse at his design.
Surprisingly, it seems our first look at the character won’t be int eh second trailer but rather a Funko Pop that has seemingly found its way into stores a bit earlier than expected. Influencer Cris Parker shared a poster on his Twitter account that includes a first look at the design, which would match with descriptions that found their way online during D23. It’s still only a rumor who is behind the mask but it’s insane to see this design hinting at a rather comic-accurate design making its way to the comics. The only addition is the mask giving him a very familiar grin but also hiding his identity.
It’ll be interesting to see what this design looks like in action, but it definitely is promising. There’s always the danger that it goes a little too goofy, especially if that is in fact a faceplate. Though they could surprise us and make use of his silly design to build upon. Who knows how he also connects to the arrival of Kang the Conqueror in the MCU but perhaps there’s a conflict in the Quantum Realm that was just waiting to unravel beyond its dimension.
It definitely looks like Marvel Studios’ projects are quite frontloaded in their release, as even Black Panther Wakanda Forever with an A CinemaScore faced a harsh Friday-to-Friday drop. It pulled in between $17.9M and stands at a chance of making up to $70M. It’s definitely a harsh 79% drop but not the worst that Marvel Studios has seen this year, as Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness dropped by 81% on its second Friday. It’s even lower than Thor: Love and Thunder‘s 80% and not too far from Black Adam’s 72%. Perhaps it’s a general genre trend in a market with less to offer.
As Deadline points out, there’s a chance it’ll make up to $70M and could stand at a 65% drop for its second weekend total. At that rate, it’s only around 3% lagging behind Multiverse of Madness, which is massive considering it was a prime summer release in May. Plus, Thanksgiving and Black Friday are around the corner which could give it a massive boost with very little competition. So, it does seem safe to assume it’ll hold the top spot going into its third weekend.
The Black Panther sequel already passed $400M worldwide and could be moving similarly to the previous entry. For those wondering if it’ll pass the billion-dollar mark: it doesn’t seem like a sure thing but if it holds after this weekend there’s still a chance it could outdo the Doctor Strange sequel. Even if some want to call this “the end of Marvel” once again, the films are still financially doing better than most and after much-calling fatigue since even after Avengers: Endgame‘s release. It’s the kind of fatigue many others would dream about.
When Ryan Reynolds revealed that Hugh Jackman was returning as Wolverine for Deadpool 3, it was met with equal measures of shock and excitement. Fans, and even Jackman, believed that Logan was the swan song for the actor in the role he’d dedicated the better part of two decades to play. As the film draws nearer to its scheduled April start of production, more information about it has begun to trickle out, including a working title that might give an idea of just how big Jackman’s role in the film will be.
According to insider Daniel RPK, the working title of the film is no longer Deadpool 3, but rather Untitled Deadpool and Wolverine Film. If the character’s name is in the title, audiences can definitely expect a heavy dose of Wolverine and not just a glorified cameo. If anyone has doubts, the title confirms that Wolverine will absolutely share the spotlight with Deadpool in the Marvel Studios film.
As information about the plot of the film has begun to leak out, it sounds increasingly more likely that at least part of the plot will involve time travel and/or multiverse shenanigans. Owen Wilson is rumored to be reprising his role as TVA Agent Mobius and recent rumors have pointed to the film visiting the universes inhabited by the characters from Marvel films not made under the Marvel Studios banner. One possibility could see the film adapting the comic arc Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe, and which could lead to a wild ride for everyone involved as Deadpool Kills multiple non-MCU universes.
The currently untitled Deadpool and Wolverine Film will hit theaters in November 8, 2024.
The start of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Phase 5 will finally give us the third and final James Gunn-directed entry of Guardians of the Galaxy. It’ll be the end of an era for one of Marvel’s most popular teams. The film is bound to have an emotional resolution for various characters, one of which will be the Bradley Cooper-voiced Rocket Raccoon. While in an interview with the Phase Zero podcast, James Gunn confirmed this to be the case. The director discussed how Vol. 3 will focus on the origins of the animal and how that plays into the end of this saga.
It tells this story about Rocket and where he came from and where he’s going, and how that ties into everybody else, and the end of this iteration of The Guardians.
James Gunn
After being a seminal part of this universe, it’s fitting that the Guardians of the Galaxy would take a turn for the emotional heading into the ending of their trilogy. And the story of Rocket Raccoon appears in line to be the main arc of Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 3, especially with the casting of Chukwudi Iwuji as the main antagonist in the High Evolutionary. And having seen the initial trailer for the film at San Diego Comic Con this year, this author can confirm the film will be leaning heavily into more serious themes while wrapping up the stories of these characters.
The concept of weight-filled emotional themes was prevalent on the mind of James Gunn while in production for Vol. 3. And it’s why he found special solace in producing the more light-hearted Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special in tandem with the Marvel Studios feature film. This is what the director had to say about balancing the two tonally different projects at the same time.
Doing this goofy thing like once every four days, and then going and shooting four days of Guardians Vol. 3, and then going back, it almost created a lot of whiplash. But it was also almost like TheGuardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special days were like snow days, you know? Those were the… that was recess. That was fun!
James Gunn
In addition, James Gunn confirmed that he considers The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special to be “required watching” in order to best experience Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 3 this coming May. Gunn elaborates on concepts that will be introduced for the team and how the short film allowed him to spend less time on exposition in the first act of the feature film.
People should see the Holiday Special. You’re obviously gonna learn a lot about where the Guardians have been in the past few years. You know, you’re gonna see how they now inhabit Knowhere. They’ve got a new ship called the Bowie. They’ve got a dog [who] is part of their crew now who has telekinesis named Cosmo. So where you get to learn all that, and then there’s a couple of bigger pieces of spoiler-y lore. You’re gonna learn all of those things. In a way, the Holiday Special was a Trojan Horse for me to sneak in stuff that becomes important in Volume 3, so I don’t have to spend a lot of time at the beginning of that movie explaining it.
James Gunn
The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special releases on Disney+ on November 25. Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 3 releases exclusively in theaters of May 5, 2023.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever delivered a fascinating backstory for the underwater nation of Talokan and its God-king, Namor. Writer/director Ryan Coogler created a unique version of the legend of Atlantis that allowed for the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s take on the Sub-Mariner to stand apart from the comics while still staying true to the character’s core characteristics. Interestingly enough, despite nearly entirely recreating the character, Coogler also left room down the road for Namor to retroactively become a part of a comic book-based team with which he’s long been associated: the Invaders!
In the pages of Marvel Comics, the story of the Invaders was first told via flashbacks to World War II. Originally comprised of Namor, Captain America and John Hammond, the Original Human Torch, the Invaders were a group of heroes who sought to take on the Axis powers of Europe in the 1940s. The team grew to include teen sidekicks Bucky Barnes and Thomas “Toro” Raymond and, over the years, dozens of other characters. The original members of the team have reunited over the years but the bulk of their great stories took place during WWII fighting against one of the greatest evils the world has ever known. Despite just being introduced into the MCU in its present day, it seems that nothing about Namor’s known history could prevent him from being a part of such a team in the MCU.
As shown in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Namor is over 450 years old and despite his desire to keep Talokan and its people hidden from the surface world, the film’s events do not depict the first time he’s had contact with humans. Not only has Namor been spotted on beaches in and around the Yucatan Peninsula, but he also burned down a plantation and murdered several of its inhabitants as a young boy. Though he serves as the antagonist of Wakanda Forever, Namor is no villain. Arrogant, prideful and extremely temperamental, Namor is also compassionate and has a strong sense of justice, so while he holds no love for the surface world, you can be sure that he would share Captain America’s sense of disdain for the Nazis.
Historically speaking, the Nazis had a very real fascination with the lost continent of Atlantis and undertook several attempts to find it. As outlined here, it wouldn’t take much to retcon what audiences know of the MCU’s WWII era to bring Namor, Steve Rogers and John Hammond (who was introduced in Captain America: The First Avenger) together to fight Nazis. In fact, all it would take would be a threat to Talokan to invoke Namor’s imperious impulses and find himself compelled to fight alongside other righteous heroes. If Marvel Studios did it right, it might even explain why Nick Fury had an icon in the Atlantic Ocean on his map of superhero hot spots seen in Iron Man 2.
That map has been widely interpreted to represent the locations of heroes Fury was following closely. The icon in the Atlantic has been thought to be Atlantis while the one in Africa thought to be Wakanda. However, there’s no reason to believe that those icons couldn’t simply represent places where interesting activities have taken place in the past rather than events that were taking place in and around the events of Iron Man 2. Fury didn’t have to know the exact location of Wakanda, for example in order to have become aware of some past incident in the area that drew his attention. The same could be said for the area in the Atlantic. The Nazis were known to be searching the seas far and wide for any potential signs of Atlantis so there’s no reason they couldn’t have engaged with Namor and the Invaders in that region, which is not insignificantly located near Tristan da Cunha, the most remote island archipelago in the world with a current population of only 264 inhabitants. Should a battle involving the Nazis, a flying fish man, a flaming, flying android and the Star-Spangled Man with a Plan have taken place in such a location, it wouldn’t take much imagination to figure out why it wasn’t part of the history books in the MCU but a guy like Fury would have means to find out about it.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever delivers a great origin and introduction for K’uk’ulkan and does an equally wonderful job of not cutting off any more stories for the character, past present or future.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is in theaters now.
Winston Duke’s star has been on the rise for over half a decade. Duke is best known for his roles in Black Panther and Us and for his thick thighs, which have made him an ongoing source of social media thirst. After garnering attention as M’Baku in Black Panther and Avengers: Infinity War, Duke’s role was beefed up significantly for Black Panther: WakandaForever, where he served as an advisor to Queen Ramonda and Princess Shuri. The film’s final moments seemed to indicate that M’Baku may have taken on an even more significant role in Wakanda and now the star has confirmed it in an interview with Esquire. Spoilers to follow…
The final moments of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever see Shuri, who became the Queen of Wakanda following the death of her mother, Ramonda, head to Haiti to be with her nephew, Prince T’Challa, and his mother, Nakia. Being in Haiti, she is not able to be present at Warrior Falls when M’Baku “challenges” her for the throne, seemingly allowing M’Baku to become King of Wakanda, though clearly with Shuri’s blessing. Though it seemed pretty clear, fans have questioned the outcome on social media but Duke came by to put those questions down, saying of the moment “Yeah, it’s kind of cool to be revealed asM the King of Wakanda at the end of the movie. That’s huge. So whatever that entails, it’s gonna be a fun one.”
Though M’Baku sits the throne of Wakanda, Shuri remains the Black Panther. The post-credit scene would seem to indicate that she’s determined that her role as Protector of Wakanda is better filled in Haiti where she’s able to look to the safety of Prince T’Challa. Whether Marvel Studios ever intends to follow the story of the Prince’s claim to the throne or if the PCS simply serves to make good on the film’s subtitle and show that the Royal Family of Wakanda will live on for another generation isn’t clear. But having the Thigh King become the King of Wakanda is a brilliant way to show that part of T’Challa’s legacy was reuniting the long-fractured nation of Wakanda.
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