As the Season 1 finale of Ahsoka wrapped up, Grand Admiral Thrawn found his way back from his exile. Thrawn’s return from Peridea to the familiar confines of the galaxy far, far away comes at a time when the Imperial Remnant’s Shadow Council’s plans are coalescing and Thrawn’s long-awaited homecoming will likely provide them enough confidence to emerge from the shadows. Of course, when they do there will be a group of heroes ready to oppose their efforts which means a war is coming to the Star Wars universe.
Lucasfilm’s Disney + Star Wars streaming series The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett and Ahsoka have nicely set up the coming war under the watchful eye of the studio’s newly named Chief Creative Officer Dave Filoni. That war is expected to unfold on screen in Filoni’s “Heir to the Empire” film but there’s still plenty of work to do before then with the live-action series Skeleton Crew (streaming sometime in 2024) and a fourth season of The Mandalorian (likely streaming in 2025) likely to continue to set the stage for Thrawn’s strategic strike. In an interview with Empire, Filoni teased what’s ahead for Thrawn and who will likely take the lead in opposing him.
“We set up Captain Pellaeon in The Mandalorian, and that’s a character that goes with Thrawn, so I’d love to see the two of them together,” said Filoni, referring to a character from Star Wars Legends that was introduced into canon in 2018 in Star Wars Rebels and made his live-action debut, played by Xander Berkeley, in Chapter 23 of The Mandalorian. Pellaeon was Thrawn’s right-hand man, remained loyal to him for years after he disappeared aboard the Chimaera and will certainly be by his side as the Heir to the Empire attempts to reestablish Imperial rule across the galaxy. But as teased in the closing moments of Ahsoka, one of Thrawn’s craftiest opponents will be ready to stand in his way.
While Ahsoka and Sabine were trapped on Peridea in the Ahsoka finale, Ezra Bridger was able to escape and reunite with the members of the Rebels crew now working with the New Republic, including Mary Elizabeth Winstead‘s Hera Syndulla who has proven to be a thrown in Grand Admiral Thrawn’s side. From what Filoni says, it sounds like that’s something that’s going to continue in the New Republic era stories yet to unfold. “His foil throughout Rebels was Hera“, said Filoni. “Pitting the two generals against one another is something that I find interesting.” And something Thrawn will no doubt enjoy.
Bob Iger‘s return to Disney and a pair of strikes have rendered nearly everything we once thought we knew irrelevant. Movies once slated for 2023 or 2024 have been moved to 2025 and the domino effect has probably only just begun. With so much having changed since last we ventured into the waters of the hypothetical calendar, it’s high time to relaunch them anew…and adifferent.
January 8th-March 5th: Daredevil: Born Again, Episodes 1-9
Following a major creative overhaul, the first episodes of Daredevil: Born Again–which were originally slated to debut in the Spring of 2024–are now TENTATIVELY on track to drop in January 2025. Though they didn’t throw the baby out with the bath water, it sounds like showrunner Dario Scardapane and new directors Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead are going to take their time and make sure the MCU’s first Daredevil project does the character justice and given Bob Iger‘s demands that the projects live up to the high standards previously set for Marvel Studios, that might mean this gets pushed even further. We’ll know more shortly after the first of the year as we’ve recently heard that production is meant to get underway in January.
February 14th: Captain America: Brave New World
Reports of significant reshoots on Cap 4 lined up with Disney’s decision to move the film into 2025. Those reports suggested that the film will undergo roughly 5 months of additional photography which is a longer period of time than the film was in production for the first time around. Now, the studio has brought on a brand new writer in Matthew Orton and though they are targeting a mid-2024 restart, production will not resume until his work on the script is done. Throw in the amount of time it’ll take to make the VFX hold up–especially with an appearance by the Red Hulk in the cards–and the February 2025 date makes all the sense in the world.
May 2nd: Fantastic Four
Fantastic Four was announced at SDCC ’19 and two long work stoppages have kept pushing it further and further down the road though it’s continually in the news cycle. At this point, all anyone wants is for the casting rumors around this project to come to an end and for cameras to roll. According to a relatively recent interview with director Matt Shakman, production should get underway next Spring and be ready to serve as the studio’s tentpole film for 2025 and launch the summer movie season…just as it should.
June 27th: Spider-Man 4
No project on this hypothetical calendar is more hypothetical than this one. If all the rumors are true, its release is partially dependent on Daredevil: Born Again–and that’s IF the creative threads that originally tied the two projects together stay in the series with the new showrunner taking over. Throw in that there’s been no official announcement from Sony about this project and that Tom Holland‘s “new deal” hasn’t been officially announced either and you’ve got even more reason to think this one may not happen in 2025 at all. However, a script has been in the works for most of the year, Sony has this date on the calendar for a Marvel film and, at the moment, doesn’t have any other projects that seem to fit the date. On the other hand, rumors persist that Jon Watts may be on board to direct and plans are being made to film next summer…
July 25th: Thunderbolts
By the time production finally starts on this project, the entire plot will have been leaked online. Despite multiple creative retoolings and a revolving door of writers, Thunderbolts is ultimately only delayed by a year from its original July 26, 2024 release date. Production is currently set to get underway in the spring with a TENTATIVE April start on the books.
September 3rd-October 8th: Ironheart
A project that has been in the can for quite some time, Ironheart is on track to release 2 full years after it was originally slated to hit Disney Plus. It’ll be interesting to see if Disney ever addresses exactly why this series took so long to release (not even VFX touch-ups and reshoots can explain away a 2-year move), especially when the footage shown at 2022’s D23 looked pretty fun.
All in all, this is a major revamp from the last time we rolled out a hypothetical 2025 calendar. With things at Disney never having been in flux more than they are now, it’ll be fun to see just how much of this holds true.
Just last week, insider Daniel RPK indicated that–as has been expected for some time–Daredevil will team up with Spider-Man in Spidey 4. However, according to RPK, while The Man Without Fear seems set for a major role in the film, another Marvel hero might join him in a…smaller role…as Paul Rudd‘s Scott Lang has been mentioned as potentially having a role similar in size to that of Tony Stark in Spider-Man: Homecoming or Doctor Strange in Spider-Man: No Way Home. As has been rumored for quite some time, the film would see Spidey and his pals take on Wilson Fisk’s Kingpin, who is rumored to become the Mayor of New York in Daredevil: Born Again and set his sights on the city’s vigilantism.
According to Cryptic HD Quality, Marvel and Sony are treating Spider-Man 4 as their “Street Level CIVIL WAR,” referencing Captain America: Civil War, the film in which Holland made his MCU debut as Spidey.
Mhm.. Honestly can't wait for this film tbh. Ik things aren't really set up and in motion but it was described to me to be a Street Level CIVIL WAR. https://t.co/4myckfldNK
Putting together a street-level Civil War would mean that Spidey would need to bring in some more of his amazing friends, and according to the rumor mill, that’s exactly what he’ll be doing. Cryptic HD Quality went on to reveal that Peter Parker would be aided by a roster of heroes that includes–but is not limited to–Haille Steinfeld‘s Kate Bishop, Alaqua Cox‘s Maya Lopez/Echo and Jessica Jones. Jones has long been rumored to return in multiple projects such as Echo and Daredevil: Born Again and the studio has been eager to work with actress Krysten Ritter who has also expressed an interest in revisiting the character who she first played in 2015 in Netflix’s Jessica Jones.
I would absolutely just die to play Jessica again. I had the best time doing it and I just love her so much. I’m so proud of that character. Not only because it was like a great role and she’s such a bad-ass, but that character has really resonated with people in a way that I don’t know who else has. Really, really resonated with women and girls, trauma survivors. It’s just so, so big and such a thing I’m so grateful to have been a part of. So if there’s ever an opportunity for me to put on those boots, I will be there in a flash.
Krysten Ritter on returning to the role of Jessica Jones
It would be easy to believe that Marvel Studios Thunderbolts would feature General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross. A common misconception is that the comic book team, which first appeared on the page in 1996, was named for the character or that he started the squad. In fact, the team was first formed by the villainous Baron Zemo who chose the title because it was “crypto-fascist and friendly”, so it would be easy to believe that Zemo might appear in the 2025 film as well. There’s been plenty of speculation and debate online as to whether or not they’ll show up and different insiders have reported on both sides of the debate. Now, one of the film’s stars has spoken out about whether or no either of those characters will show up.
In an interview with The Playlist, Wyatt Russell, who will reprise his role as John Walker in Thunderbolts, indicated that he doesn’t expect either of the characters to appear…unless they’ve been included in an updated version of the script. “Daniel [Bruhl] is not going to be it, [but] he could play a part in it. I don’t know. I haven’t read a script yet, but as of now, I’m not sure,” said Russell when asked if the actor behind Zemo’s mask was set to return after his last appearance in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier.
So if Zemo won’t appear, surely Ross–who was a member of one iteration of the Thunderbolts in the comics–will, right? Afterall, when Harrison Ford’s deal to play the character became public, it was widely reported he’d show up in Thunderbolts after starring in Captain America: New World Order Brave New World. Not so fast. “Harrison’s in Captain America 4, I think,” said Russell. “I don’t know, I haven’t read a script, so I don’t know who exactly who’s in it,” he continued, before switching gears to talk about actors he’s sure ARE in the film.
I know Florence [Pugh] is in it, I know Sebastian’s [Stan] in it. I know David Harbour is going to be in it. David Harbour is another guy who’s, like, so good. I love everything he does. I love his NHL commercials. He plays this, like, insane NHL fan guarding the Stanley Cup. I love everybody in it so much. And the director, [Jake Schreier], who [directed me in HBO’s] Lodge 49 or [directed] a lot of ‘Lodge 49’— I feel very, very lucky. I hope it ends up being as good as I feel lucky. And yeah, I’m really excited.
Wyatt Russell on the cast and director of Thunderbolts
The script has gone through multiple drafts–originally it was very much a sequel to 2021’s Black Widow and Zemo was definitely not in it–and, asRussell stated recently, has come close to staring production multiple times. It’s currently slated to get underway next April ahead of its July 25th, 2025 release date.
Iron Man. Nick Fury and Maria Hill–or rather Talos and Soren. Doctor Strange. In each of the films in the MCU-set Spider-Man trilogy, Tom Holland’s Web-Slinger has teamed up with a Marvel hero to help save the day. The deal that Sony and Disney struck to co-create these films was all about the tradeoff: Marvel Studios can use Spidey in their films as long as some Marvel characters show up in the Sony Spidey films. And with a fourth installment in the franchise already in development—and probably already drafted by now despite having been webbed up a bit by the WGA strike–fans have been speculating which character(s) might show up next.
Among the most talked about potential partners for a team-up is Charlie Cox’s Daredevil. Cox made his MCU debut in Spider-Man: No Way Home and there have been plenty of rumors that the streaming series, Daredevil: Born Again, will set up part of the plot of Spider-Man 4. Those rumors certainly make sense given their extensive history of working together in the comic books and Daredevil turning up in the next film feels like a real possibility given Kevin Feige’s revelation that he and Spidey would lead the studio’s “street-level” heroes. Now, a new rumor from a credible MCU insider indicates that Cox may indeed be suiting up for the next MCU-set Spidey film…but he won’t be the only one!
According to insider Daniel RPK, who has had a torrid stretch of hitting big on Marvel Studios-related scoops, Spider-Man 4 will indeed feature Daredevil teaming up with Holland’s Spidey and, in a very unexpected twist, the film may also include Paul Rudd’s Scott Lang. Should Daredevil: Born Again set up Kingpin as the villain of the fourth Spidey film–something star Vincent D’Onofrio has gone on record as desiringon more than one occasion–including Daredevil makes sense but where would Scott Lang, who recently returned from an adventure in the Quantum Realm where he faced off with Kang, fit in?
Though it’s expected to undergo significant reshoots, photos from the set of Daredevil: Born Again taken in March 2023 were full of paraphernalia with the Pym van Dyne Foundation logo. If the rumor is true, it’s possible that Lang’s role in the film wouldn’t be major and that it could simply follow up on whatever role the Foundation has in Born Again. Though Lang and Spider-Man don’t have a long history of teaming up in the comics, they have worked together on occasion in the past and he has taken on a handful of Spidey’s villains and served as a street-level hero from time to time, even joining one iteration of Heroes for Hire. Of course, the appeal is less Ant-Man and more Rudd, who brings his trademark smarm to the role and would fit in nicely with Cox and Holland.
With Ryan Gosling having departed the project prior to the SAG strike, Universal has been searching for a new leading man for director Leigh Whannell’s Wolf Man for quite some time. According to a trade report, they have found him in Poor Things star Christopher Abbot.
Gosling had been attached to the project, which he pitched to Universal, since it was first announced in 2020. Derek Cianfrance (Cage Fighter, I Know This Much Is True) was on board to direct but like Gosling bailed on the project earlier this year. He’s now been replaced by Whannell, who previously helmed 2020’s The Invisible Man for the studio.
Wolf Man is a collaborative effort between Universal and Blumhouse. Whannell, who also wrote the film along with Corbett Tuck, Lauren SchukerBlum and Rebecca Angelo, is a frequent collaborate with Blumhouse having directed not only The Invisible Man but also Upgrade and Insidious 3 and working as a writer on several other projects.
The Wolf Man is currently slated to hit theaters on October 25, 2024.
With Marvel Studios untitled Deadpool and Wolverine film continuing to bring back all sorts of characters from previous Fox Marvel films and the plot clearly revolving around time travel/multiversal hijinks, it’s easy to believe that just about anything is fair game for the 2024 films. The Fox X-films were certainly not known for their attention to continuity details so any plot thread left dangling could be in play as well as continuing some stories that were ongoing when Disney and Fox struck a deal for the live-action rights to the X-Men, the Fantastic Four and related characters. Foremost among those, it would seem, would be the events of the post-credit scenes to Deadpool 2 in which Wade Wilson used Cable’s time-traveling tech to undo some damage done in the film, including saving the life of his fiancée, Vanessa, played by Morena Baccarin. Earlier in the year, the actress explained that she had not finalized terms to return but that’s all changed now.
In an interview with CBM, Baccarin confirmed that she had struck a deal with Marvel Studios to appear in the film. “It did work out! I finished my shooting days on it, already,” said Baccarin, indicating she’s most likely finished work on her part well before the mid-summer work stoppage. “I think the film is now underway again after the strike and I think it’s going to be quite good! Yeah, I think fans are in for a fun surprise.”
Given the rumored presence of the TVA in Deadpool 3, and what is already known about the organization, it’s a safe bet they’d be pretty unhappy with the Merc with a Mouth’s actions in Deadpool 2. The threequel is shaping up to be quite something and with it being Marvel Studios only 2024 film, it’s sure to be under intense scrutiny. Whatever director Shawn Levy and stars Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman have in store, it’s rumored to be tightly tied to the overarching Multiverse Saga narrative and lead into the events of Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars. Let’s see if any of the film goes unspoiled before its July 26th, 2024 release.
With Superman: Legacy having significantly rounded out its cast over the past several weeks, director and DC Studios co-chair James Gunn has turned his attention to some major world-building for the new DC Universe. According to a trade report, Gunn has cast his brother, Sean Gunn (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1-3), as one of DC Comics more intriguing supervillains.
Deadline reports that the actor is set to portray Maxwell Lord, a one-time ally of the Justice League turned nemesis, who first appeared in 1987’s Justice League #1. If the character sounds familiar, it’s because he was recently played by Pedro Pascal in 2020’s Wonder Woman 1984. Additionally, Lord appeared on the small screen in both Smallville and Supergirl.
According to Deadline’s sources, Lord will be referenced in Superman: Legacy but is not expected to appear on screen. With the streaming series Waller set to debut ahead of Superman: Legacy and Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow and The Brave and the Bold up next on the theatrical slate, it looks like Gunn’s been cast for the long haul. It’s entirely possible that Lord shows up in multiple projects in Gods and Monsters: Chapter One and could even be the driving force behind the formation of the DCU’s Justice League.
Just in time for the holiday season, Disney+ has released a new Diary of a Wimpy Kid animated movie. Loosely based on the 2011 book Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever, Diary of a Wimpy Kid Christmas: Cabin Fever follows Greg on mischievous winter adventures with his best friend Rowley while also enjoying Christmas with his family. It may not be a direct adaptation of the book, but it keeps many of the same storylines and overall is another solid entry into the animated franchise.
With the movie debuting during the holiday season, it’s key that it touches on some traditional holiday themes. When a big snowstorm shuts everything down it forces Greg to spend time with his family at a time when he wants nothing more than to be away from them. Another one of Greg and Rowley’s typical dumb ideas leads to a series of events that brings Greg face-to-face with the driver of a broken snow plow. Their interaction leads Greg to realize that being with his family isn’t the worst thing in the world and he learns to start to cherish those moments.
From a kid’s perspective, Christmas is too often all about presents and that’s definitely something Greg deals with in this movie. For most of the movie, Greg is obsessed with this year’s “best gift ever”: a gaming system. Also in typical kid fashion, Greg justifies his snooping and grows paranoid about his elf on the shelf observing his behavior. Greg’s obsessive behavior over the present ultimately leads Greg to learn the most important lessons about the holiday season, not everyone is as fortunate as him, and giving is better than receiving.
Author Jeff Kinney’s continued creative input into the movies allows him to tweak the storylines for the new medium and for modern times. Aimed at younger viewers, Diary of a Wimpy Kid Christmas: Cabin Fever offers laughs and lessons wrapped up in a cute animated package delivered on Disney+.
About Diary of a Wimpy Kid Christmas: Cabin Fever
Get ready for the Wimpiest Christmas ever! The original animated adventure, Diary of a Wimpy Kid Christmas: Cabin Fever, the latest animated movie based on Jeff Kinney’s wildly successful book series, will premiere December 8, 2023, exclusively on Disney+. The film is a hilarious and heartfelt holiday tale centered around everyone’s favorite disaster-prone middle school student.
The winter holidays are turning out to be especially stressful for Greg Heffley this year. After accidentally damaging a snowplow while making a snowman with best friend Rowley Jefferson, Greg worries he won’t get the new video game console he so desperately wants for Christmas. To make matters worse, he gets snowed in with his family, including his grumpy older brother Rodrick and annoying younger brother Manny.
Directed by Luke Cormican (Teen Titans Go!) and written and produced by Jeff Kinney, Diary of a Wimpy Kid Christmas: Cabin Fever features the voices of Wesley Kimmel (The Mandalorian), Spencer Howell (Ithaca), Chris Diamantopoulos (Beavis and Butt-Head), Erica Cerra (Power Rangers), and Hunter Dillon (Deadpool 2).
Wesley Kimmel (The Mandalorian) is the voice of Greg Heffley, the disaster-prone middle school student having a stressful winter holiday. He is trying to be on his best behavior so he will get the new video game console he desperately wants for Christmas but gets into trouble with best friend Rowley Jefferson when they damage a snowplow while innocently building a snowman.
Spencer Howell (Ithaca) voices Rowley Jefferson, who enjoys spending the winter holidays inside sipping hot cocoa and singing Christmas carols with his parents, eagerly anticipating the arrival of Santa Claus on the big night. He is an unwilling accomplice to Greg Heffley’s snowplow cover-up.
Erica Cerra (Power Rangers) is the voice of Greg Heffley’s mother, Susan, who lives for the Christmas holiday season and all its traditions. She is happiest when the family can celebrate the Yuletide season together.
Chris Diamantopoulos (Beavis and Butt-Head) voices Frank, Greg Heffley’s father, who is so busy anticipating a massive winter snowstorm that he is missing out on the family’s holiday traditions that are so important to his wife Susan.
Hunter Dillon (Deadpool 2) is the voice of Greg’s older brother, Rodrick Heffley, who is spending the winter holidays lazy and unmoving from the couch until he decides he will find the culprits wanted by the police so he can take the reward money for himself.
Lisa Ann Walter (Abbott Elementary) voices Gabby, who drives a snowplow to make extra money for the holidays. She is a single mother to her son Tyler, who is the light of her life.
Elfriendo is a homemade doll from Susan Heffley’s childhood who keeps watch over children and reports any bad behavior to Santa and his elves at the North Pole.
The Filmmakers
Jeff Kinney (Writer/Producer) is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series and the Awesome Friendly Kid series. He is a six-time Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Award winner for Favorite Book and has been named one of Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World. He spent his childhood in the Washington, D.C., area and moved to New England, where he and his wife own a bookstore named An Unlikely Story.
Luke Cormican’s (Director) numerous animated credits include over 78 episodes of Teen Titans Go, on which he served as writer, producer, and director, as well as The Penguins of Madagascar, Brandy and Mr. Whiskers, The Buzz on Maggie, and Ren and Stimpy Adult Party Cartoon, among others. Cormican also served as head of story on Teen Titans Go to the Movies.
John Paesano (Composer) is a BAFTA-winning, Emmy®-nominated composer with a range of credits that include The Maze Runner film trilogy, both of PlayStation’s Spider-Man videogames, 50 episodes of Marvel’s Defenders and Daredevil and 100 episodes of the How to Train Your Dragon series (for which he won an Annie Award).
Given that Kinney and Disney had done so much work on The Last Straw before pivoting to Cabin Fever, it stands to reason that they would not let that work go to waste. In talking with Kinney about Diary of a Wimpy Kid Christmas: Cabin Fever, we asked if he believed The Last Straw would be next up and possibly ready for a 2024 release on Disney Plus.
“I‘m hoping so,” exclaimed the author. “You never know what the landscape is going to look like in streaming. That world is kind of a work in progress but I’m really hoping that that story gets told.” As Kinney explained, the decision to move to an adaptation of Cabin Fever was at the behest of Disney to provide a holiday special for their streaming service and not an indication of any problems with The Last Straw. Given all those variables, it seems very logical that they’d like to finish production on that project and have it ready for 2024. However, as Kinney points out, things can change very quickly in the entertainment industry.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid Christmas: Cabin Fever debuts at 12 AM PST/3 AM EST on December 8th only on Disney Plus.
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