Long before Thunderbolts* hit theaters, fans had plenty of theories about the asterisk added to the film’s title in early 2024. At the time, Marvel Studios One Above All, Kevin Feige, made it clear that the studio would not address the change until after the movie hit theaters. That time is now and the studio is addressing it in an unprecedented way.
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.
-Kevin Feige
Following the film’s very solid opening weekend in which it pulled in $162.1 M globally ($76 M domestic, $86.1 M overseas) and managed to secure an A- Cinemascore, the studio has begun a bold marketing move that officially reveals the meaning behind the asterisk.
In the film’s third act, the film’s titular team of lonely losers are introduced to the press as The New Avengers after saving New York City from The Void. It’s a move made solely to allow Valentina Allegra de Fontaine to save face but as the film’s post-credit tag reveals, the team is still active as Avengers 14 months later.
Retitling a film after release, even unofficially, isn’t something Marvel Studios has dabbled with in the past and it remains to be seen just how serious the studio is about the change. It appears, however, they’ve invested at least some capital in a second wave of marketing the film as The New Avengers begging the question if the film will indeed be rebranded for digital and home release.
Rewrites, reshoots and additional photography have become routine partsof the Marvel Studios production machine. It’s safe to say that no two projects undergo the same amount of changes and that they’re not always all-encompassing nor always favorable.
Both Captain America: Brave New World and Daredevil: Born Again were significantly reworked following the 2023 Hollywood work stoppages to varying degrees of success. Brave New World reshot its first act battle, gave The Leader a concerning makeover and shot a very awkward post-credit scene, none of which were well-received by fans. On the other hand, the creative retooling of Daredevil: Born Again, intended to connect it to the original Netflix series, seemed to please the bloodthirsty legion of edge lords who believe the character should suffer in darkness and misery. However, perhaps no project underwent a more complete overhaul than Thunderbolts*.
Originally drafted by Eric Pearson as a sequel to Black Widow, the project’s script was handed off to both Joanna Calo and Lee Sung Jin. Typically, it’s never made clear by the studio just how much a script changes from beginning to end; however, director Jake Schreier veered from the norm in an interview with EW, explaining that very little of the film’s original conceit survived.
"More powerful than all The Avengers rolled in one."
According to Schreier, the only big idea from the original script that made it to the big screen was the idea of the mismatched team of damaged people being revealed as the MCU’s New Avengers at the end. The idea was “in the script from the very first draft,” Schreier told EW, adding “Even though a lot of things, almost everything, changed around it.“
“There was the core idea of these operatives sent to kill each other, which I thought was such a neat twist on people expecting Marvel’s Suicide Squad,” Schreier explained. “And then that was the ending, and it went to a very different place, but that was the one thing that was like, no matter what we do, it’s going to end in that place.” Whatever the original version may have been, there will be very few fans disappointed with the direction the studio ultimately chose for the film.
Once upon a time, Thunderbolts* seemed to be on track to be a relatively run of the mill Marvel Studios movie that would serve as a sequel to 2021’s Black Widow. A few rewrites and an almost totally unknown director later, it sounds as though the studio’s work behind the scenes may have transformed Thunderbolts* into an MCU all-timer.
Without giving away too much, a lot of what David [Harbour] and Florence [Pugh] are working with as material in this movie relates to that past relationship. And there’s resonance to that, so I think it’s important to everyone to preserve that legacy of something that emotionally meant so much to people and make sure that we refer to that in the right way, and we protect it and make sure that it means something. I think we’re pulling from all of their histories and then trying to tell something new. I don’t think that it feels like a Black Widow sequel. I think it feels like it’s a sampling of people from different parts [of this universe]. It’s definitely a part of our story but it’s not the driving force that leads into this film.
-Jake Schreier
Following the film’s European premier and series of early screenings Thunderbolts* is being hailed as an overwhelming success, featuring the kind of heart missing from many recent efforts.
Also I need to sit with the film a little more but I think this is the best-looking MCU movie in years, not a single sequence that looks like rushed CGI or anything. Practical action sequences for the win!
THUNDERBOLTS: it was AMAZING, SHOCKING, and AWESOME in every way. Florence Pugh and Lewis Pullman are absolutely STELLAR in this film and they're the highlights of the movie. Also, that asterisk reveal will SURPRISE you and make sure to stick for BOTH POST CREDITS. #Thunderboltspic.twitter.com/qJpZPjyzHY
#Thunderbolts is a real breath of fresh air for the MCU. Absolutely LOVED the team dynamic! It’s also rich with emotions tackling pretty serious self worth issues. Yelena carries the movie. Best part it’s 95% stand alone with 5% setup. But that 5% tho👀 Really felt like old MCU. pic.twitter.com/0O987OkxRI
According to multiple socmed accounts, Thunderbolts* is carried by strong performances across the board with Florence Pugh and Lewis Pullman leading the way.
#Thunderbolts is one of Marvel’s most enjoyable films in a while. It feels different than most of the studio’s projects. Its bold, funny, filled with great action and an unexpected emotional punch.
Florence Pugh is the star that shines the brightest. There’s a lot to love here.… pic.twitter.com/8wjgx9caIS
— The Hollywood Handle (@HollywoodHandle) April 22, 2025
Well #Thunderbolts is easily one of the best MCU movies in a long time (and maybe one of my new personal faves). Has so much spark, charisma, and tells a genuinely emotional story you connect with. A tear was shed. Florence Pugh in particular superb, just walks away with it pic.twitter.com/U7AzBgGZMl
I haven't felt this giddy leaving an MCU movie in YEARS! #Thunderbolts is FANTASTIC. A Phase One style character piece about finding fulfillment, embracing our demons and the support system needed to save us from the pull of the void. A witty, mature, singular vision from Jake… pic.twitter.com/zty4hD2sfj
While early screenings always generate “best ever” reactions, reading between the lines here reveals that Jake Schreier‘s approach to the project injected the film–and perhaps the MCU–with the shot of adrenaline it needed as it heads into the final phase of the Multiverse Saga.
The official announcement that Ryan Gosling was on board to lead Shawn Levy‘s Star Wars: Starfighter rightfully stole the show at Star Wars Celebration Japan. As A-list as it gets, Gosling‘s casting is a bit of an oddity for a franchise that looks to create stars, not cast them, so the repoers of Lucasfilm targeting him caught fans off guard and with so many projects going by the wayside, it seemed possible–even likely–that Levy’s film may never get made. With production set to kick off thos fall ahead of a May 28, 2027 release, it seems Starfighter is indeed happening and it won’t be alone.
As part of an official release via StarWars.com, Lucasfilm has confirmed that sic additional theatrical projects remain in active development at the studio.
One of several theatrical projects still in development from Lucasfilm, including films by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, James Mangold, Taika Waititi and a new trilogy by Simon Kinberg, Levy’s film — Star Wars: Starfighter — will star Gosling and go into production starting this fall.
Taika is on Taika time. I’ve just continually said to him, look, when you feel that you’re ready and you can really devote the time, we’re going to do it. We’ll be waiting. I’m just hoping we get there. That will be a great Star Wars movie.
While nothing official has been revealed about the project, a Star Wars film written and directed by Taika Waititi has been in development since May of 2020. The film was originally expected to begin production in 2023 but was pushed back as Waititi continued to work on other projects such as Thor: Love and Thunder and Klara and the Sun. Star Wars boss Kathleen Kennedy also revealed that Poor Things scribe Tony McNamara is working on the script for the film she says will ultimately be “a great Star Wars movie.”
We’re absolutely rolling fast and furiously. That has gone exceptionally well, and he’s literally going to script as we speak. We’ll see something probably around June. Simon, if you remember, he did some work with us years ago with the animated show, which was a really wonderful collaborative experience. And he then got very, very busy with X-Men and then recently became available again, and he segued into this space beautifully. We’re really excited about where that’s headed.
-Kathleen Kennedy on Simon Kinberg’s Star Wars Saga trilogy
Finally, the press release confirmed that work remains ongoing on the trilogy in the works from Star Wars Rebels co-creator Simon Kinberg. In February 2024, Kennedy explained that the new trilogy would be “the next iteration, the new saga that moves us into the future” of the Star Wars franchise.
It’s official. Months after rumors suggested Ryan Gosling was set to head to a galaxy far, far away, Lucasfilm confirmed the actor has joined the Star Wars franchise during Star Wars Celebration Japan. The news was revealed by director Shawn Levy, who brought the actor out to confirm his casting. The duo then revealed his previously untitled Star Wars movie had finally received a title: Star Wars: Starfighter. The movie is set to enter production this Fall for a 2027 release date.
While there is still a fair amount of secrecy surrounding the project, Levy and Lucasfilm did confirm that Starfighter will take place approximately five years after the events of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. As for Gosling, the actor will play a brand-new character yet to be unveiled by the studio.
Along with confirming Gosling will star in Levy’s forthcoming Star Wars movie, Lucasfilm also revealed that Star Wars projects from Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, James Mangold, Taika Waititi and a new trilogy by Simon Kinberg remain in development. Obaid-Chinoy, of course, is set to direct a new Star Wars movie starring Daisy Ridley‘s Rey, while Mangold’s Star Wars film is expected to be a prequel to Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi.
Star Wars: Starfighter will fly into theaters on May 28, 2027.
In 1937, Walt Disney Productions ushered in an all-new age of film with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The studio’s first full-length animated film which introduced the first Disney Princess, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs featured groundbreaking animation and opened the door to a golden age for the genre. By almost every standard, it is considered one of the greatest films of all time.
The same cannon he said for Disney’s recent live-action reimagination, Snow White. Mired in controversy before its release, the new film foundered at the box office amid harsh critical reception. And while its animated predecessor launched Disney into a new age, the 2025 versionay we’ll have been the final straw for the studio’s plans to remake its animated classics.
According to THR, as the studio navigates the fallout of its failure with Snow White, it has paused development on its planned live-action reimagining of 2010’s Tangled.
According to THR, it’s unclear if Disney will decide to move forward with Tangled down the road. For now, the studio looks to be waiting to process the critical and audience response to two already-completed live-action remake projects, Lilo & Stitch and Moana, before making a decision.
With all the major production studios in Las Vegas for CinemaCon 2025, Sony didn’t want to come up short leading off the event, which brings theater owners from around the world together to preview upcoming slates. As part of its two-hour panel, Sony played a pre-recorded video message from Spider-Man star Tom Holland in which he revealed the title of the next installment in the franchise.
After apologizing for not being able to attend in person because of his filming schedule on Christopher Nolan‘s The Odyssey, Holland promised a “fresh start” for the Web-Slinger in the new film before sharing the title.”I know we left you with a massive cliff hanger at the end of No Way Home, so Spider-Man: Brand New Day is a fresh start. It is exactly that. That’s all I can say. That’s all I’ve been allowed to say,” said Holland, who then (sort of) jokingly added “And I’m well over the hump of giving away spoilers, so don’t be worried. I’m not going to do that today.“
Director Daniel Destin Cretton, who was on stage in Las Vegas, gave some insight into the prep work he and the rest of the creative crew on the film are putting in ahead of production.”I’m spending my time exploring the next stage of this amazing character with a team of the most incredible artists in the world,” teased Cretton. “We’re all, just daily, nerding out over the suit, how to swing, how to create an event, an emotional story, and a ride that we haven’t really seen before,” said Cretton of Brand New Day, which was confirmed to be headed into production this summer.
While it’s now clear that neither of those two rumored plots will unfold in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, the title reveal does call to mind a November 2024 report from Production Weekly in which the not-always-reliable outlet shared a synopsis for the fourth Spider-Man film while also accurately revealing the correct subtitle.
Following the events of Doomsday, Peter Parker is determined to lead a normal life and focus on college, stepping back from his responsibilities as Spider-Man. However, peace is short-lived when a deadly new threat emerges, endangering his friends and forcing Peter to reconsider his promise.With stakes higher than ever, Peter reluctantly returns to his Spider-Man identity and finds himself teaming up with an unlikely ally to protect those he loves.
While the plot of the new film remains a tightly-guarded secret,the Brand New Day subtitle will certainly ring a bell with comic book readers as Dan Slott’s follow up to the controversial One More Day arc that saw Peter Parker strike a deal with the devil, making it the perfect subtitle for the new film given that Spider-Man: No Way Home loosely adapted One More Day.
All Chris Evans wants is to be done with his Marvel roles…but he won’t quit coming back. While he’s yet to step back into to MCU as its First Avenger after 2019’s Avengers: Endgame, Evans reprised the role of Johnny Storm for a foul-mouthed appearance in 2024’s Deadpool & Wolverine. Beyond that, Evans has been true to his word, having yet to pick up the shield again despite regular rumors to the contrary.
Yeah, maybe. I’ll never say never, just because it was such a wonderful experience. But I’m also very precious with it. It’s something that I am very proud of. And like I said, sometimes I can’t believe it even happened. And I wouldn’t want the black eye if it felt like a cash grab or if it didn’t live up to expectations or if it just felt like it wasn’t connected to that original thing. So, no time soon. And ultimately I really hope to just maybe act a little bit less in my life. I have a lot of other interests.
First shared by social media’s busiest bee, My Time To Shine Hello, then given support by other similar online personalities, the latest rumor has Evans suiting up in an unknown role in The Fantastic Four: First Steps.
Treating it simply as nothing more than an interesting possibility, one can quickly wonder if Evans‘ return in that film might well be as the Sacred Timeline’s Steve Rogers. Much has been made of the retrofuturistic 1960s setting of The Fantastic Four: First Steps and that could tie neatly into Steve Rogers’ decision to leave the Sacred Timeline to live a life with Peggy Carter in 1949. While there are plenty of other options, such as Evans appearing as Hydra Supreme or even another Variant of Johnny Storm, reprising his original role would neatly dovetail Marvel’s two Sagas together. Given what’s been explained about Incursions so far, it would seem Captain America’s presence in another timeline would be somewhat problematic.
Despite chicken little claims about superhero fatigue, superhero projects remain king in the 21st century. Advancements in technology have allowed studios to tell stories, through films and streaming series, that 80s and 90s kids always dreamt of seeing. However, even as Hollywood continues to seek to advance and elevate the genre, the first modern superhero film still sets the standard in at least one aspect.
Released in 1998 (yes, the previous century), Stephen Norrington‘s Blade, starring Wesley Snipes, jumpstarted the superhero craze, making way for Sony to bring Sam Raimi‘s Spider-Man franchise to live and allowing for Fox to dream big with the X-Men. But despite the dozens of comic book movies that have followed it into theater’s, Blade continues to hold the championship belt for having THE best opening scene. Unmatched nearly 30 years later, the iconic “Blood Rave” blitzed unsuspecting audiences with a raw and visceral introduction to Blade’s world. Replete with hard-pumping music and harder-pumping action, the “Blood Rave” left its mark on fans and film makers alike.
Though it’s never been said outright, one of the last decade’s most beloved action franchises often feels as though it could have drawn inspiration from Blade‘s opening scene. Three of the four films in Keanu Reeves‘ John Wick franchise has featured an action-packed scene set in some sort of club that, like Blade’s “Blood Rave”, feels like it was crafted with the intention to overload the audience’s senses. And now, a karmic circle moment may be right around the corner.
According to Jeff “The In” Sneider, Marvel Studios May have lielned up John Wick franchise director Chad Stahelski to inject some life into its (un)dead Blade reboot.
A series of events that seems to long and painful to relive again here has resulted in Marvel Studios’ Blade remaining in development hell after first being announced in 2019. It’s enough to know that after years of stops and starts, the film was removed from the studio’s 2025 slate and never given a new release date. As director after director have left the project, fans have often called for Marvel to being in Stahelski, who has plenty of experience in both the superhero genre and with vampire projects and went on record in 2022 calling Blade “the one interesting thing” he would like to do at Marvel Studios, under one condition.
And he [Kevin Feige] actually asked me, ‘What could we ever do?’ I was like, ‘Look, I’m not going to lie to you. I don’t know if I fit that kind of studio mold, but Blade would be the one interesting thing I’d like to do. I don’t know if I would’ve been the best choice for that in the direction they wanted to go. If you want to do the edgy rated R version, yeah, give me a call. If you want to be non-apologetic, yeah. That’s me. But I think they’re protecting their brand, they’re doing their thing. The individual they selected, I think is a very good director, and I think will do a great job in the direction that I think they want to take the property.
For nearly five hours, Marvel Studios had as many as 10 million fans on the edges of their seats by showing them…empty seats. In a barely-teased-but-definitely-not announced social media live stream, the cast of Avengers: Doomsday–or at least a good chunk of it–was revealed one at a time. By the time Robert Downey Jr. took a seat in his chair, the cast had grown to 27 members, many of whom were not part of any of the incredible amount of rumors about the 2026 project.
While it’s unlikely the entire cast, or even the entire main cast, has been revealed, let’s take a look at the biggest surprises from the event.
Fox’s OG X-Men
While Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen had previously been rumored to be working with Marvel Studios on something, nobody had the returns of Alan Cumming, James Marsden and Rebecca Romijn on their bingo cards. Kelsey Grammer‘s Dr. Hank McCoy is set to return as well but it’s unclear if he’ll be the Earth-10005 Beast, the “Binary” universe Beast or if those two universes are the same, as has been theorized by many. Just what these heroes will be up to in the film remains to be discovered but it sure looks like the pieces could be in place for some Avengers vs. X-Men shenanigans.
Ch’ah Toh Almehen Is Back
It’s not too surprising to see Wakanda play some role in another MCU event film. It is, however, somewhat surprising to see Ch’ah Toh Almehen, aka K’uk’ulkan, aka El Niño sin Amor, aka Fish Man, aka Namor back in action for Avengers: Doomsday. Tenoch Huerta Mejia‘s name was the first real surprise of the day and fans are already dreaming of the potential interactions between Namor and Vanessa Kirby‘s Sue Storm and wondering just how much rizz the King of Talokan will lay on the Invisible Woman.
Cap’s Wingman…
(L-R) The Falcon/Joaquin Torres (Danny Ramirez) and Captain America/Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) in Marvel Studios’ CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD. Photo by Eli Ad??. ?? 2024 MARVEL.
Incredibly, despite potentially being the most annoying character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Danny Ramirez‘s Joaquin Torres is tagging along with Anthony Mackie‘s Captain America to… take on Doctor Doom? Worst case scenario: He does a few Fortnite dances and acts like an overgrown high schooler; best case scenario: Magneto strips him of his Falcon gear in mid-flight, and we never see the character again.
Shang-Chi Stays in the Lineup
When the film was originally being developed as Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, word was that it was essentially a sequel to Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. When Marvel scrapped the original idea and pivoted to Doomsday, Destin Daniel Cretton, who directed Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and was on board for The Kang Dynasty, left. At that point, it seemed as though Simu Liu‘s character would have to wait a while before making his way back to the big screen. Obviously the size and importance of his role in Doomsday remains to be discovered but Shang-Chi does possess some of the most powerful weapons in the MCU and does have access to the realm of Ta Lo and a pretty cool dragon.
A Pair of Powerhouses
With both Chris Hemsworth and Lewis Pullman, Avengers: Doomsday will feature two characters who are purt near indefatigable, invincible or otherwise really hard to kill. The real question here, though, is…whose side will Sentry be on? And if he’s not on Thor’s side, can Thor survive a tussle with him?
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