Kevin Feige‘s first trip to CinemaCon was impressive, revealing first look footage at Marvel Studios’ next two theatrical releases, Deadpool and Wolverine, out July 26th, and Captain America: Brave New World, slated for February 14, 2025. In addition to the footage, Feige talked about a pair of projects also set for 2025 releases, Thunderbolts* and The Fantastic Four. Notably absent from the panel, however, was another projected slated for 2025 that’s been the subject of fan concerns for some time.
Some Motherfuckers Are Always Trying to Ice-Skate Uphill
First announced at SDCC ’19, the development of Marvel Studios’ Mahershala Ali-led Blade reboot has been as nightmarish as Dominic Purcell‘s portrayal of Dracula in 2004’s Blade: Trinity. A new writer here (Michael Green is the sixth writer to work on the film’s script), a new director there and multiple delays to the start of production have led fans to wonder if the Daywalker will ever see the light of day.
Though recent rumors indicate the project is headed in the right direction–and it sounds like a pretty badass direction–fans are still hesitant to believe the film will hit theaters, much less make its current November7, 2025 release date. That concern was exacerbated when Feige failed to mention Blade at CinemaCon while every other 2025 film was given at least some level of attention.
The World You Live in Is Just a Sugar-Coated Topping
Is Blade cancelled? Has it been moved to 2026?
At this point, there’s been no indication that Blade won’t get made. In fact, as recently as March 2024, reliable sources indicated a late-2024 start of production in the UK was on the schedule. What’s more likely, especially with Bob Iger‘s return to Disney coming with a mandate to make sure projects don’t begin production until they’ve passed some quality checks, is that Disney isn’t sure if it will make its 2025 date or move into 2026.
And, at this point in time, that’s just fine. As the old adage goes,”a finely crafted blade will never meet as many blows on the battlefield as it did on the anvil.” With three films (Captain America: Breve New World, Thunderbolts* and The Fantastic Four) seemingly assured to release in 2025, Marvel Studios can comfortably take their time on the anvil to make sure their Blade is finely crafted.
Marvel Studios One Above All, Kevin Feige, took the stage at CinemaCon in Las Vegas for the first time and the head honcho did not disappoint. In addition to rolling out the first looks at footage from Deadpool and Wolverine and Captain America: Brave New World, Feige also confirmed a minor title change to one of their 2025 projects and left fans with a cryptic tease about its meaning.
During a recently staged behind-the-scenes video from Marvel Studios’ star Florence Pugh, a new logo and title for the studio’s Thunderbolts project was revealed. Originally titled Thunderbolts, the film’s new logo revealed it was now titled Thunderbolts*. About as minor of a change as one can imagine. During his time on stage in Las Vegas, Feige confirmed the title change while showing off the new logo and also leaving fans hanging as to the meaning of the asterisk. “Yes, you’ll notice the asterisk on Thunderbolts. That is the official title of Thunderbolts and we won’t talk more about that until after the movie comes out.” teased Feige, leaving fans to do what they do best: speculate wildly.
Florence Pugh is here to show you a few things she can't show you.
Typically when placed at the end of a word, an asterisk indicates some sort of footnote is being cross-referenced. That does not seem to be the case here which leaves a little mystery around the minor change to the title. It’s possible the asterisk indicates some additional context is needed to understand the title of the film which is also the title of the team of antiheroes who undertake a secret mission in the film. Given all the online hubbub about one purported explanation for how the team gets the name, it’s possible that the asterisk is indeed a reference to how the team chooses its moniker. However, fans are looking much deeper for explanations.
One possible explanation that’s beginning to take root is that the asterisk somehow indicates that the team will become known as the Dark Avengers, a team that debuted in Marvel Comics in 2009. Ironically enough, word reached my ears almost 6 years ago that Marvel Studios commissioned a writer to put a Dark Avengers script together. At the time, the studio was also still developing Eternals, Black Widow and sequels to hits like Black Panther, Doctor Strange, Spider-Man: Homecoming and Guardians of the Galaxy that were all intended to be set after Avengers: Endgame, which still hadn’t even hit theaters at the time. Time went on, COVID happened and we assumed that like many other projects that begin development–such as Power Pack–, Dark Avengers was moved to the bottom of the pile, never to be heard from again.
Could the asterisk point to a Dark Avengers adaptation? Possibly, though the composition of the current roster of Thunderbolts (Yelena Belova, Taskmaster, Ghost and John Walker) is a long way from the collection of scum and villainy that Norman Osborn put together for the Dark Avengers. Even thematically, the name change doesn’t truly fit since the Dark Avengers were almost all non-redeemable sociopaths and psychopaths. However, as we say far too often, Marvel Studios has no qualms about co-opting names and titles without any intention of comic-accurate adaptations, as proven by the fact that their roster of Thunderbolts features not a single character from the original team despite Daniel Bruhl’s Zemo, founder of the OG team in the comics, being fully established in the MCU. Thunderbolts* is cool but Dark Avengers has the A-word in it and the A-word sells.
Thunderbolts* is currently slated to hit theaters on May 2, 2025.
About Dark Avengers
The Dark Avengers, a formidable and morally ambiguous team within Marvel Comics, emerged as a stark departure from the traditional hero archetype. Introduced during the “Dark Reign” storyline, orchestrated by writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Mike Deodato, the Dark Avengers debuted in “Dark Avengers” #1 in 2009.
Led by Norman Osborn, the former Green Goblin and head of the clandestine organization H.A.M.M.E.R. (replacing S.H.I.E.L.D. during the “Dark Reign”), the Dark Avengers were a twisted reflection of the original Avengers. Osborn meticulously handpicked each member, often selecting individuals with dark pasts and a willingness to embrace villainy or anti-heroism.
One of the most notable aspects of the Dark Avengers was their masquerade as Earth’s mightiest heroes. Osborn, now rebranded as the Iron Patriot, donned a modified version of Iron Man’s armor and positioned himself as the leader of this new Avengers team. The team roster comprised individuals who assumed the identities of classic Avengers characters, albeit with their own unique twist. For instance, Bullseye took on the mantle of Hawkeye, Moonstone portrayed Ms. Marvel, Venom (Mac Gargan) became Spider-Man, and Daken, the son of Wolverine, assumed the guise of his father.
The dynamic within the Dark Avengers was fraught with tension and moral ambiguity. While some members harbored genuine desires to reform or redeem themselves, others reveled in their newfound power and embraced their darker impulses. This internal conflict often led to explosive confrontations and power struggles within the team.
Despite their dubious motives and methods, the Dark Avengers proved to be a formidable force, wielding significant influence over the Marvel Universe during the “Dark Reign” era. Their actions challenged the very fabric of heroism, blurring the lines between good and evil and forcing readers to question the nature of heroism itself.
Over time, as Osborn’s machinations unraveled and his grip on power weakened, the Dark Avengers disbanded, with each member returning to their own path, whether it be redemption, continued villainy, or anti-heroism. However, their legacy continues to linger in the annals of Marvel Comics, serving as a testament to the complexity of the human condition and the ever-shifting nature of morality in a world of super-powered beings.
For a film that hasn’t even begun principal photography, Marvel Studios’ The Fantastic Four is certainly generating a lot of hype. Known for typically keeping secrets locked up tightly until big events, the studio has been uncharacteristically forthcoming with information about the film, using social media to drive interest in the project. First, it was a Valentine’s Day reveal of the cast through some stylized concept art, new title and new release date; then, on April 4th, another piece of concept art was shared along with a link to Marvel.com that ultimately landed fans on a page created by the Future Foundation. That page contained links to five Marvel Comics that fans have (probably) rightly concluded have had some level of influence on the plot of the 2025 film. And then, of course, scoopers and leakers have been scooping and leaking and much of what they have had to share lately has led to some interesting discussion at all the usual places. What’s the latest buzz? What’s real and what’s bullshit? Let’s take a look!
Alternate Universe
The most notable rumor making the rounds is that Marvel Studios The Fantastic Four will be set in a universe other than the MCU’s version of the 616. To be totally fair, given what Marvel Studios has provided for fans to look over, no insider access is necessary to come to that conclusion. Both the original cast photo and the new concept art of the Human Torch provide plenty of inferences that the film is set elsewhere in the Multiverse. The Valentine’s Day artwork which was used to announce the cast made it clear that the First Family was active during the 1960s. There’s a lot we don’t know about the past of the MCU but it’s almost impossible to imagine what sort of horrific retcons director Matt Shakman and the film’s team of writers would have had to fabricate in order to explain how nobody in the MCU’s 616 knows who the Fantastic Four are.
While there were still potential arguments to be made (after all, Doctor Strange made everyone forget Peter Parker), the retrofuturistic city in the background of the “Happy 4-4 Day!” poster really erases any doubt that The Fantastic Four will take place in an alternate universe. What’s more interesting though is that the retofuturistic city also sort of implies that Doctor Reed Richards and his Future Foundation have had a profound impact on the Earth they inhabit. Honestly, it’s interesting that the Future Founation exists at all on this new Earth because it implies that Reed has done an admirable job of solving everything which makes one wonder if this Reed Variant is so intelligent that he’s become aware of the Multiverse, has built The Bridge and has met other Reeds.
Whether Reed has knowledge of the Multiverse or not, the audience certainly does. Beginning with Avengers: Endgame and continuing throughout several Multiverse Saga projects (Loki, Spider-Man: No Way Home, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, The Marvels and What If…?), Marvel Studios has opened the floodgates to the Multiverse. MoM alone introduced over a dozen new universes. So where is The Fantastic Four set? Definitely not in the 616 and definitely not on Earth-838 because that universe’s Reed wasn’t so smart, as it turns out. As much as fans might want to see the film set in a familiar universe–or at least one that’s been seen on screen before–that really doesn’t make sense from a story telling perspective. Any “known” universe would come with pre-existing limitations, no matter how small (sorry, Binary and Beast universe). To open it up to truly unlimited creativity and potential, the story would simply just have to be set in a universe that has previously not been seen. No muss, no fuss.
Rumor Control: Yes, The Fantastic Four is set in another universe and it is one that has yet to be explored in the MCU.
Franklin Richards and Galactus
One of the more interesting rumors to follow Marvel Studios’ new last week was that Reed and Sue’s son, Franklin, will appear in the film. The rumor suggests that Sue will be pregnant when she’s first seen in the film and that Franklin will be born in space. If Marvel Studios has proven anything, it’s that they aren’t particularly concerned about faithfully adapting stories or characters from the comics; however, Franklin Richards is a singular character even in a world of marvels, so his inclusion is of note.
In the comics, Franklin is a mutant with immeasurable telepathic and telekinetic abilities who also happens to be capable of reshaping reality. Indeed as a young child, Franklin saved Earth’s heroes from Onslaught by creating an entire pocket dimension for them. Following the 2015 event Secret Wars, Franklin restored the Multiverse by creating all-new, all-different realities. Recent events in the comics have stripped Franklin of all his powers but for one day a year, however, thanks to time travel and flashforwards in the comics, some of his future has also been told and those stories may factor into The Fantastic Four.
Relevant to the film’s potential plot, Franklin Richards has a long history with Galactus. When Franklin was just a young boy, The Great Devourer of Worlds already feared his power. By the time he was an adult, Franklin became so powerful that Galactus served as his herald. In the alternate Earth-X universe, Franklin became Galactus. It’s not clear exactly what ties Matt Shakman’sThe Fantastic Four will establish between the two characters but some buzz has reached our ears that there will be some connection between Franklin and Galactus in the film.
It’s clear that Reed, Sue, Johnny and Ben have been active for quite some time in their universe and that Franklin’s birth takes place after the team is well-established as heroes. That means it’s likely that whatever Galactus is up to, this may not be the first time the team has encountered him.
Rumor Control: Franklin Richards does look to play an integral role in the film, which will establish some connection between the young powerhouse and Galactus.
The Fantastic Four starts production this Summer and is currently scheduled to hit theaters on July 25, 2025.
Deadpool and Wolverine won’t hit theaters for another 3+ months but but there will be plenty of marketing and promotion to help pass the time. While the film’s two title characters will clearly be the stars of the show, there will be plenty of other highlights and it’s becoming clear that some version of the Deadpool Corps will be one of them.
In the comics, the Deadpool Corps was a team of alternate-universe versions of Deadpool that assembled in 2010’s Prelude to Deadpool Corps to take on a multiversal threat. With Deadpool and Wolverine largely set in The Void, it seems that the MCU’s iteration of the Corps will be Variants who have been pruned from their timelines.
The promo art gives us our best look yet at the members of the Corps: Dogpool, Headpool, Kidpool and Babypool(?). Absent from the art but also rumored to appear in the film is Lady Deadpool.
Another piece of art for the project sees Deadpool and Wolverine face to face and provides a great look at Wolverine’s comic accurate mask. Nearly 25 years after his first film appearance, Hugh Jackman will finally be sporting a comic-accurate costume when Deadpool and Wolverine hits theaters on July 26th.
Known for years for their intense secrecy around their projects, Marvel Studios seems to be taking an all-new, all-different approach with The Fantastic Four. After first revealing the film’s cast alongside an updated logo and release date on Valentine’s Day, the studio is celebrating “4-4 Day” (April 4th) with a little viral fun.
The official Marvel Studios Twitter account shared a new piece of concept art for the film featuring the Human Torch along with a link to Marvel.com/Fantastic Four.
Once at the link, you’re greeted by H.E.R.B.I.E. and clever 404 “PAGE NOT FOUND” error. Upon closer inspection, a QR code can be seen inside H.E.R.B.I.E. which leads a new page with a Future Foundation logo at the top. There, 5 comics can be found which are likely key issues in which hints about the film’s plot could be found.
The issues involve the FF’s first appearance and their fight against Mole Man, the three-issue arc that introduced Galactus and the Silver Surfer and Mark Russell’s 2021 Fantastic Four: Life Story #1 which detailed the team’s adventures in the 1960s.
Given yesterday’s news that Julia Garner had joined the cast as a version of the Silver Surfer, the three-issue arc all but confirms the long-standing rumors that the film would feature the team taking on Galactus. And if it wasn’t clear yet, the inclusion of Life Story confirms the ’60s setting of the film.
Additionally, the inclusion of the Future Foundation in the viral campaign adds credence to the rumors that Franklin and Valeria Richards will be included in the film. The Future Foundation was created by Reed Richards as a way to help shape the future of science by helping young people learn to think creatively. The Richards’ children were two of the Foundation’s many members.
We’ll continue to keep an eye on Marvel to see if they have more in store on April 4!
In what’s easily one of the more surprising casting moves to date by Marvel Studios, Julia Garner (Ozark) has joined the cast of The Fantastic Four as…The Silver Surfer.
The character has long been expected to be part of the film; however, the surprise comes in that according to Deadline, Garner will play a very different version of the character than what fans have been anticipating. The trade claims that Garner will be playing Shalla-Bal, a character who is more well-known as the former lover of Norinn Radd, the original Silver Surfer. Though Radd serves as the Surfer in nearly every alternate universe in the pages of Marvel Comics, Ball did join him as a silver-clad sentry of the spaceways in Jim Krueger’s Earth X limited series.
The casting of Garner as The Sentinel of the Spaceways could be another feather in the cap of the idea that Marvel Studios’ The Fantastic Four is set in an alternate universe. Choosing to have Radd’s fate befall Bal, could work to further separate the MCU project from previous versions and give Matt Shakman’s film a very different vibe from what’s expected in an MCU project.
The Fantastic Four is set to hit theaters on July 25, 2025.
On Valentine’s Day, Marvel Studios revealed the cast, release date and new title for 2025’s The Fantastic Four via social media. Though the talented group of actors that were cast as Marvel’s First Family wasn’t truly a surprise (rumors had all four of them in the roles for months ahead of Marvel Studios’ announcement), the concept art that accompanied the reveal did hint at something very interesting about the film’s setting. Both the magazine being read by Ben Grimm and the portrait of him pre-cosmic ray incident seemed to indicate that the events of the film were going to be set in the 1960s, something that could be a bit problematic in the MCU’s Sacred Timeline. If the Fantastic Four had ben around since then, why had nobody heard of them? Why didn’t Hank Pym or Peggy Carter ever mention them? Now a new rumor about the Matt Shakman-helmed film might clear up all those problems.
According to insider Daniel RPK, Marvel Studios’ The Fantastic Four will be set in an alternate universe somewhere in the MCU’s Multiverse.
Should this rumor turn out to be accurate, it’ll certainly be controversial; however, it’s a wise choice by the studio as it gives the project room to breathe and truly set itself apart from other MCU projects. By simply setting it outside of the MCU’s 616-universe, Shakman has the creative freedom to completely ignore any and everything fans know, love and hate about the “Marvel formula.” Assuming this universe it not one that we’ve seen in the MCU so far, the characters don’t have to play by any of the rules or be painted into a corner by any of the stories told so far. The family of explorers can be allowed to explore new corners of the universe, just as Stan Lee and Jack Kirby intended.
Marvel Studios’ The Fantastic Four is currently set to hit theaters on July 25, 2025.
As part of the cast reveal on Valentine’s Day 2024, Marvel Studios made a tiny change to the title of their Fantastic Four film. Introduced in 2019 as Fantastic Four, the Matt Shakman-led project- –which is set to begin principal photography this August–became The Fantastic Four. As changes go, adding an article to the beginning of the title is pretty minor; however, a change is a change and the news is the news. In that regard, it’s worth pointing out that Marvel Studios has made another minor, but interesting change, to the title of another 2025 film.
After quite a few delays as part of Disney’s 2023 slate shuffles, filming is finally underway on the Jake Schreier-helmed Thunderbolts project. In a surprise but welcomed move, star Florence Pugh took to social media to post a “sneaky” video from the set of the project. During her trip around the stage, Pugh bumped into Schreier whose director’s chair revealed a new logo and title for the film. Later, the video was reposted to social media by Marvel Studios apparently confirming that the film is now called Thunderbolts*.
Florence Pugh is here to show you a few things she can't show you.
Again, as title changes go, placing an asterisk at the end of the pre-existing title is about as minor as it gets; however, it’s also fairly puzzling because it came with no explanation. Typically when placed at the end of a word, an asterisk indicates some sort of footnote is being cross-referenced. That does not seem to be the case here which leaves a little mystery around the minor change to the title. It’s possible the asterisk indicates some additional context is needed to understand the title of the film which is also the title of the team of antiheros who undertake a secret mission in the film. Given all the online hubbub about one purported explanation for how the team gets the name, it’s possible that the asterisk is indeed a reference to how the team chooses its moniker.
As for the video itself, it’s fairly harmless and other than a quick peek at the vault in which Lewis Pullman‘s Robert Reynolds is being held at the beginning of the film, it doesn’t give away much. However, it’s part of a welcome change in the way Marvel Studios has gone about the business of revealing information about their projects for quite some time. It cleverly takes advantage of Marvel well-known and incredibly obnoxious secrecy on set and gives fans a little reason to be excited which ultimately builds hype for the project.
Thunderbolts* is currently slated to be in theaters on May 2, 2025.
Deadpool and Wolverine may be Marvel Studios only theatrical release in 2024 but it’s definitely playing for keeps. The upcoming film, which is largely set in the Void introduced in Season 1 of Loki, will feature Variants of Deadpool and some familiar X-Men villains from Fox’s retired franchise. It’s also rumored to feature cameos from heroes and their Variants from across the Multiverse, including those who have appeared on film before and those who have not. Now, a new rumor suggests an X-Men Variant from an unproduced film will be making an appearance and hoping to make his momma proud.
Following a social media interaction between Hugh Jackman and Channing Tatum, social media leaker GWGST claimed that Tatum, who was cast as Remy LeBeau in Fox’s unproduced Gambit film will make an appearance as dat thieving Swamp Rat in Deadpool and Wolverine.
Written into X-Men canon in 1990, Gambit’s popularity skyrocketed following his inclusion in X-Men: The Animated Series which gave the character a large role and a larger-than-life personality. According to the rumor, Tatum’s Gambit will be sporting the familiar comic-accurate/TAS-accurate suit complete with the signature trench coat.
Though it’ll be Tatum’s first time bringing the charming Cajun to life, it’s not the first appearance of the character in a CBM. Taylor Kitsch portrayed Remy in 2009’s atrocious X-Men Origins: Wolverine when Tatum was unavailable to fill the role. Ironically, Tatum’s Gambit–which had directors Gore Verbinski, Doug Lyman and Rupert Wyatt attached to direct at different times in development–was killed by Disney’s acquisition of 21st Century Fox, which will almost certainly provide some fertile ground for jokiness around how the character ended up in the Void, non? C’est la vie, mon ami.
Director Jon Watts delivered three highly successful Spider-Man films for Marvel Studios and Sony but as the studios look to take the character and franchise in a new direction, it seems they are also looking for new talent behind the camera. As news comes that the studios optimistically hope for production on Spider-Man 4 to begin this Fall, a surprising name has emerged as a potential director to take the helm.
According to Jeff “The In” Sneider, Justin Lin is among the names being considered to take the lead on Spider-Man 4.
Best known for directing six films in the Fast & Furious franchise, Lin certainly fits the bill as a change of pace from Watts. Lin has made his mark by elevating the Fast & Furious franchise from a fun, street-level wrenchfest into one of the world’s highest-grossing action franchises. Lin also directed 2016’s critically successful Star Trek Beyond and worked as an executive producer on Space Jam: A New Legacy, providing additional experience generating new ideas on beloved IPs.
Sneider was quick to point out that Lin is only one name on a list of possible directors and that no decision has been made as to who will ultimately take control of the creative vision for Spider-Man 4. However, with a potential Fall start of production, Sony will need to move fast and furious to find their director.
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