It’s not a secret that Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the highly-anticipated follow-up to 2017’s Black Panther, was forced to undergo some changes in 2020. With production on the project already well underway, star Chadwick Boseman passed away unexpectedly from illness. As a result, changes had to be made to the story to account for his absence, leading to a very grief-focused sequel. Since the first plot details began to release on Wakanda Forever, fans have wondered what the film might have looked like before it lost Boseman’s King T’Challa. According to co-writer and director Ryan Coogler, it really wasn’t all that different.
Speaking to Inverse during a recent interview, the acclaimed creative revealed that Wakanda Forever was always going to be about grief. The main difference in the original script, however, was the subject of the lead’s regret. In the finished product, audiences will see Letitia Wright’s Shuri and Angela Bassett’s Queen Ramonda grieving the loss of their loved one, while in the initial version of the movie, it would have been Boseman’s T’Challa grieving the loss of time.
The tone was going to be similar. The character was going to be grieving the loss of time, you know, coming back after being gone for five years. As a man with so much responsibility to so many, coming back after a forced five years absence, that’s what the film was tackling. He was grieving time he couldn’t get back. Grief was a big part of it.
Ryan Coogler
Black Panther was one of many heroes who turned to dust in 2018’s Avengers: Infinity War, before returning to life the next year in Avengers: Endgame. It seems that the original take on Wakanda Forever would have joined the rest of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Phase 4 in dealing with the fallout of “The Blip.” As for Namor, the new film’s antagonist who strikes as Wakanda is at its most vulnerable, Coogler confirms he was always part of the story:
There were other characters, for sure, that we considered including. Namor was always there.
Ryan Coogler
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever hits theaters on November 11th.
The advantage of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s introduction of Spider-Man was that we skipped a big part of his origin. Most viewers already know the story of a kid that was bit by a radioactive spider. So, it made sense not to retread the same ground that the previous two entries did. Yet, it seems that while they had an idea of how they’d set the origin o the character, but never truly worked out the details according to director Jon Watts in Sean O’Connell‘s new book With Great Power.
I mean, God knows there would have to be something not unlike that, probably… But no, I wouldn’t say… I mean, I think he was bitten by a radioactive spider on a field trip. We never talked about that either, but I think that’s what happened.
Jon Watts
It’s curious that they never set the idea of how he got his powers and does make you wonder if they are keeping it open to potentially explore it in the future. There are ties to the character of Silk that could potentially be explored if they wanted to return to the fateful day of the spider bite. Still, Watts was quite happy not to retread that same ground.
It was just so nice to skip past it and just deal with more with the repercussions… and just explore it from the perspective of someone else finding out about it and having a lot of questions.
Jon Watts
That freedom definitely gave the trilogy a more distinct storyline, especially with how No Way Home essentially gave the MCU’s Spider-Man his Uncle Ben moment. While some hardcore fans weren’t the biggest fans of the character’s place in the bigger universe, it was a clever take on his mythos that combined older elements from the comics’ earlier days with some modern takes.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is closer than ever, but it’s not the only Black Panther project on the horizon. In collaboration with Marvel Studios and Marvel Entertainment, Proximity Media has announced an official podcast dedicated to the iconic character with a premiere date of November 3rd. Titled Wakanda Forever: The Official Black Panther Podcast, the six-episode limited series will be written and hosted by acclaimed creative Ta-Nehisi Coates. The goal of the project will be to explore the making of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the next major chapter in the Black Panther saga, while honoring the remarkable legacy of star Chadwick Boseman.
Wakanda Forever: The Official Black Panther Podcast will be executive produced by Ryan Coogler, the co-founder of Proximity Media and the director behind both live-action Black Panther films. Also producing are Paola Mardo, Proximity’s Head of Audio, as well as Zinzi Coogler and Sev Ohanian. Mardo released the following statement regarding the creation of the podcast:
Ever since Ryan, Zinzi, and Sev entrusted Proximity’s Audio division with this project, our goal has been to tell the story of the making of ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ with as much heart and authenticity as the film itself. With our premiere episode, we’ve accomplished this goal while breaking new ground in the process, thanks to the awesome collaboration between our incredible host Ta-Nehisi Coates, our talented podcast production team, and our collaborators at Marvel and Disney.
Paola Mardo
The debut episode will feature a conversation between Ryan Coogler and Coates, in which the two friends reflect on the cultural impact of 2017’s Black Panther and the late Boseman. After the series’ November 3rd premiere, subsequent episodes will release weekly beginning in January of 2023. Scheduled guests include actors Dominique Thorne and Angela Bassett, composer Ludwig Göransson, production designer Hannah Beachler, writer Joe Robert Cole, producer Kevin Feige, and many more. Each episode will weave scripted host narration with an original score from Göransson, film clips, and field recordings. Fans will be able to experience the making of Wakanda Forever like never before.
The first episode of the podcast drops on November 3rd. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever arrives in theaters on November 11th.
It looks like the upcoming remake of Your Name, based on the animated film by the director Makoto Shinkai, is moving forward with Blindspotting and Raya and the Last Dragon director Carlos López Estrada set to tackle the project for Paramount, Toho, and Bad Robot. He is not only tackled to direct the remake but also to rewrite the current script, which was helmed by Eric Heisserer known for his work on Arrival and Bird Box.
J.J. Abrams is producing the film alongside Genki Kawamura, who worked on the original adaptation, Hannah Minghella and Jon Cohen. The original Your Name made $230M in Japan alone and was quite the international hit, which led to the interest in adapting the romance story. Estrada is currently working on an animated documentary and also Disney’s live-action adaptation of Robin Hood.
The remake will follow two teenagers swapping bodies as a disastrous event could change their lives in many ways. Distribution in Japan will be by Toho with Paramount taking the rest of the world. No casting has been done as of yet, as they are still in the middle of the rewriting phase and with Estrada busy for the coming years, it’s unclear how long we’ll have to wait to see the film release in theaters.
Spider-Man: No Way Home was the third and final solo Spidey film to come out of the unprecedented collaborative agreement between Sony and Disney. With it becoming the #6 all-time highest-grossing film, it seemed like a no-brainer that the two studios would ultimately renew the deal and get to work on not only a new trilogy of films starring Tom Holland but also on finding other Marvel Studios projects in which he could appear. In late 2021, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige revealed that he had begun working with Amy Pascal on developing the future of the character, however, without a new deal in place no official progress could be made, causing fans to wonder if they’d ever see Holland swinging through the MCU again.
A new rumor might help some fans feel a little better in that regard. According to one YouTuber, Sony and Disney have apparently been at the negotiating table and are closing in on a new collaborative arrangement. The rumor states that once closed, the two studios could then begin working with Holland on sorting out the terms of his deal, which would likely consist of another Spider-trilogy of Sony films produced by Marvel Studios in addition to scheduling him for appearances in Marvel Studios films. With two Avengers films on the slate for 2025 and 2026, those would seem to stand as obvious choices, but it is possible that Marvel might like to have Spidey appear in their Fantastic Four film, which is also scheduled for 2025.
As it stands, No Way Home could serve as a fine ending for Spidey’s MCU story. Peter made some heavy sacrifices, but by the end of the film, he seemed to have come to terms with them and found himself in a new suit swinging across the NYC skyline during the holiday season. Of course, having Holland back on board during the Multiverse Saga allows Marvel Studios a lot of freedom in exploring Spidey’s relationship with a character that fans have been clamoring to see join the MCU for some time now: Miles Morales.
With no deal in place, there’s currently no timeline set for Spider-Man 4, though given Feige’s comments from late 2021, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the project come together fairly quickly once the deal is in place.
With the confirmation that the legendary Harrison Ford was joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe as General Thunderbolt Ross, replacing the late William Hurt, came speculation that Marvel Studios must have plans to have Ross finally become the Red Hulk and take on the Hulk. As it turns out, the studio has plans Ross to end up at odds with another hero: Captain America.
In an interview with Collider, Marvel Studios’ Parliament member Nate Moore confirmed Ford’s casting and gave some insight into what fans can expect from him when he turns up in Captain America: New World Order.
Well, look, Sam Wilson’s Captain America, he is going to bring his own team to play. It’s no secret that Samuel Sterns is making his return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which is fantastic because Tim Blake Nelson’s the best. Harrison Ford is taking on the role of General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, and to see Sam Wilson and Thunderbolt Ross, which if you remember actually threw him in prison at the end of Civil War because he violated the Sokovia Accords. There’s going to be some natural sparks there, which I think are going to be really fun.
Nate Moore
With the project not expected to start filming until February or March, Moore’s comments stand as some of the best insight into the plot of the film to date. Director Julius Onah has gone on record in sharing his excitement about Tim Blake Nelson’s The Leader serving as the villain of the piece, saying he’ll “put Sam through the wringer” in what he’s calling a paranoid thriller. And now it sounds like Sam might have more than just The Leader standing in his way in his first big screen outing as Captain America.
Captain America: New World Order is currently set to hit theaters on May 3, 2024.
Marvel Studios held the purple carpet World Premiere of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever last week in Hollywood and early word is that the film is not only action-packed but serves as a touching emotional tribute to Chadwick Boseman. To continue to honor the star, who passed away from cancer in 2020, director Ryan Coogler and several members of the cast were in Washington D.C. on Sunday, October 30th for a special screening of the film at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture in support of The Chadwick Boseman Foundation for the Arts.
WASHINGTON, DC – OCTOBER 30: Danai Gurira, Tenoch Huerta Mejía, Winston Duke, Lupita Nyong’o, Angela Bassett, Letitia Wright and Kevin Youngattend the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Red Carpet Screening at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture on October 30, 2022 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Shannon Finney/Getty Images for Disney)
Director Ryan Coogler and stars Letitia Wright, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Winston Duke, Tenoch Huerta and Angela Bassett attended the red-carpet event last tonight hosted by Walt Disney Studios, Marvel Entertainment, Chadwick Boseman Foundation for the Arts and the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.
Disney
Founded in 2020, The Chadwick Boseman Foundation for the Arts is a non-profit organization with the mission “to encourage, support, and promote the intellectual, spiritual, and artistic growth of young people of the African Diaspora.”
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will be in theaters beginning November 11th.
The news of Hugh Jackman’s return to the role of Wolverine for Marvel Studios 2024 Deadpool 3 is still generating buzz even a few weeks after the news broke. Jackman is so beloved in the role and so well-associated with the character that the news was well-received by most all fans, something that seems almost impossible most of the time. While talking with the Associated Press, Jackman made it clear that it’s not only the fans who are excited.
I can tell you I’m gonna have the time of my life. I can tell you that I’ve started back at the gym and I’m eating a lot and I feel bad for the cast of Music Men, the amount of protein shakes I’m having. But it’s a lot of fun. It’s been five years and I really never thought I’d come back and I’m really, really excited about it. Actually, I do know a bit about the script, but I’m not gonna tell you.
While Jackman didn’t want to let any plot info out of the bag just yet, he was willing to answer one of the AP’s questions about whether or not his return to the role was going to bring with it a kinder, gentler characterization.
There’s no choice. He’s definitely the angry and acerbic, grumpy…and he’s gonna take a lot of free shots at Ryan Reynolds, let me tell you. Physically, that is.
Hugh Jackman
Deadpool 3 is set to begin filming next year ahead of a 2024 release.
Welcome to the first edition of the Murphy’s Multiverse Sunday Paper, where the biggest news of the past week is brought to you all in one place. Sit back, relax, and catch up before you have to deal with whatever the upcoming week has to offer. This past week had some pretty big news across the board, so let’s break it down by subject.
Marvel Studios
The Marvel Cinematic Universe had an active news week with multiple trailer drops and marketing for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in full swing. First, plenty of new footage and promos for Wakanda Forever have been released (check some out here and here), and critic reactions came out after press premieres this week (check out MM’s Hunter Radesi’s reaction here.) While the film does not hit theaters for another couple of weeks, you can listen to Rihanna’s first song in six years made for the film.
Marvel Studios
The first teaser trailer for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania also dropped this week, and William Jackson Harper has joined the cast. (Read more here). Marvel also released the film’s official synopsis:
“In the film, which officially kicks off phase 5 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Super-Hero partners Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) and Hope Van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) return to continue their adventures as Ant-Man and the Wasp. Together, with Hope’s parents Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) and Janet Van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer), the family finds themselves exploring the Quantum Realm, interacting with strange new creatures and embarking on an adventure that will push them beyond the limits of what they thought was possible. Jonathan Majors joins the adventure as Kang. Director Peyton Reed returns to direct the film; Kevin Feige and Stephen Broussard produce.”
Marvel Studios
That didn’t stop Marvel Studios from releasing a trailer for the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, set to hit Disney+ on November 25, 2022. It looks like Kevin Bacon will appear as himself, Cosmo the Space Dog will make her first appearance since the original Guardians of the Galaxy, and Michael Rooker will even likely make an appearance of some sort.
Marvel Studios
It was also confirmed this week that Marvel Studios is developing a WandaVision spinoff titled Vision Quest, in which we will follow Vision on his path to regaining his memories and humanity, and it’s possible the Scarlet Witch makes an appearance. (Read more here.) Speaking of WandaVision spinoffs, Agatha: Coven of Chaos has a bit of news of its own. WandaVision staff writer Megan McDonnell is among the team of writers working on the upcoming Disney+ streaming series Agatha: Coven of Chaos, (read more here) and a recent rumor suggests that the series may be adapting the Scarlet Witch-related Children’s Crusade comic book arc. (Read more here.)
We’ve also gotten a better look at Ironheart this week as set photos offer a look at Anthony Ramos’ villain the Hood (see it here), and a wrap gift teases Ironheart’s new armor’s faceplate (see it here). After not appearing in the Thunderboltspromotion at D23, Baron Zemo actor Daniel Brühl teased the return of his character (read more here), and Charlize Theron also teased Clea’s return to the MCU. (Read more here). Speaking of teases, Hugh Jackman discussed his return as Wolverine and a likely title change for Deadpool 3. (Read more here.)
Lastly, there are a few more rumors making the rounds. Blade may have found its new director in Elegance Bratton, a relatively new director. (Read more here.) Believe it or not (it is a rumor after all), Dr. Doom may not be the main villain of the upcoming Fantastic Four film (read it here), and an official Disney site listed Emilia Clarke’s character in Secret Invasion as Abigail Brand, though the Skrull possibilities are endless. (Read more here.)
Star Wars
If a new rumor proves true, Ezra Bridger, the beloved protagonist of Disney XD’s animated Star Wars: Rebels, may receive a solo live-action series after the character’s appearance in the upcoming Disney+ series Ashoka. It is unclear clear if the rumored solo series, led by actor Eman Esfandi will be a direct sequel to Rebels or not. (Read more here.)
Oscar Award-winning director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, who recently directed a couple of episodes of Ms. Marvel, has been chosen to direct what’s being described as a “secret” Star Wars film based on a script from Damon Lindelof and an as yet unnamed co-writer. Though the film is still in the early stages of development, the report indicates that it has gained steam at Lucasfilm and is among its top priorities on its theatrical slate (Read more here.) The Star Wars film is also apparently set to take place after the events of 2019’s Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, and could possibly bring back some of the sequel trilogy’s characters. (Read more here.)
Last but not least, a teaser trailer for Tales of the Jedi dropped. (Watch it here.)
DC
While Black Adam flew through its first full week in theaters with strong box office numbers, DC has a much bigger week in the news than anyone would have predicted. Of course, the Superman cameo in the film was turning heads before it was even released. However, Henry Cavill himself on Monday took to social media to confirm his return as Superman. He posted a video for his fans along with the caption, “A very small taste of what’s to come, my friends. The dawn of hope renewed. Thank you for your patience, it will be rewarded. #Superman.” (Read more and check out his full Instagram post here).
In fact, this week seemed to signal a new era for DC Entertainment on an even bigger scale, as it looks like Warner Bros. has finally found its Kevin Feige(s). In a surprising announcement, James Gunn and Peter Safran have been tapped to lead the DC’s future film, TV, and animation slates. They will act as co-chairs and co-CEOs of DC Studios, which was recently led by Walter Hamada under the title of DC Films. (Read more here.)
DC also left bits and pieces of news floating around throughout the week, though perhaps less exciting than the big hitters above. Joker: Folie à Deux, the sequel to 2019’s Joker, is reportedly set to start production soon. According to cinematographer Lawrence Sher, the film will begin filming “in five- or six-weeks’ time.” Additionally, the film will “largely be shot in sound stages in Los Angeles, as well as on location in New York, where the project is set.” (Read more here.) On the other hand, The Batman 2 won’t be headed to theaters until 2025 at the earliest. (Read more here.) However, it looks like the film will not be associated with the new DC Studios, and it is unclear if The Batman franchise will be either. (Read more here.) In other words, DC’s universe will still remain, to some extent, in its oddly organized, splintered form we all know and love.
Speaking of the Wild West of DC, there is more. The Batman universe untitled Arkham Asylum spin-off series is finally moving forward. Variety has shared that the creator of The Staircase, Antonio Campos, has joined the production as its showrunner. (Read more here.) Set photos from the filming of The Flash’s ninth and final season have seemingly confirmed that actress Javicia Leslie—who previously played an original character on Batwoman–will return to The CW as the multiversal villain Red Death, (read more here), and actor Elijah Rashad is set to join Doom Patrol’s fourth season. (Read more here.)
HBO Max is looking to redevelop its previously announced Green Lantern series. The show, which hailed from producer Greg Berlanti and writer Seth Grahame-Smith, was originally set to star Finn Wittrock (Ratched) and Jeremy Irvine (War Horse) as the respective Green Lanterns. Reportedly, the new series will instead turn the focus over to John Stewart, one of DC’s first black superheroes. (Read more here.)
In Other News
Some other news worth noting—Henry Cavill is departing The Witcher, with Liam Hemsworth to take on the role. (Read more here.) Andy Serkis apparently will not be back to direct Venom 3 and writer Kelly Marcel will helm the film instead. (Read more here.) Avatar: The Way of the Water might have a whopping 3 hours and 10 minutes run time, and House of the Dragon showrunner Ryan Condol discussed the season finale and about the direction the series will take in the future. (Read more here.)
It looks like Black Adam broke the frontloading curse internationally that has seemingly haunted most projects in the superhero genre. Yet, it did face a steeper drop domestically, especially when compared to Dwayne Johnson‘s usual marketability. The film isn’t breaking any records or shifting the hierarchy of power at the box office, but it’s still doing well.
Now, the film has added $39M internationally, which marks a 45% drop and now puts it at $139M. Halloween hasn’t always been a big pull as Black Adam domestically drops by 59% in its second weekend with $27.7M. Now, it’s certainly not as high as the big opening Marvel movies of this year but when compared to Johnson’s projects like Rampage with 44% and San Andreas with 53%, it does make a difference.
Still, the film has now passed $250M which is no small feat and the 10-day gross is ahead of his biggest release with Hobbs and Shaw, which banked off of the success of the Fast and Furious franchise. So, while the drop was bigger than his usual fare, it still is performing well. For now, the film seems to leg out and could end with around $165M domestically once it ends its run in theaters, though its going beyond $400M worldwide may depend on a China release.
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