Ever wonder what it would look like if The Lonely Island were put in charge of a Disney movie? Wonder no more. That movie is here, and it is Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers. The newest animated comedy from the House of Mouse is a perfect example of nostalgia done the right way. Director Akiva Schaffer manages to find a perfect blend between classic story of friendship and the admittedly insane amount of cameos and references pulled off during the film’s tight runtime. It’s family friendly, with lots for the little ones to love, but with plenty of jokes aimed specifically at the adult crowd as well.
Those jokes, however, aren’t necessarily the kind one might expect from a Chip and Dale picture. Gone are the high-pitched chipmunk voices of old, and in are the vocal chords of comedians Andy Samberg and John Mulaney. Naturally, this leads to a lot more deadpan quipping and observational humor than the cornball antics of the original animated series. The strange tonal pivot, which works surprisingly well, is explained away with a rather Roger Rabbit-esque revelation. Chip and Dale were never those famously squeaky detectives that folks tend to think of when their names come up. Instead, they are simply actors, living in a world where humans and cartoons co-exist peacefully. Now, decades after the end of their hit show, they’ve broken up and live relatively normal lives, working jobs that don’t exactly bring them the same kind of fulfillment as the Rescue Rangers once did.
From here, the movie gets pretty cliche. The duo’s old partner Monty, now voiced by Eric Bana, goes missing, forcing them to reunite and resolve their differences to save their friend. Most of the plot points and story beats are ones audiences will recognize, and most of what goes on is pretty predictable. It’s a really simple movie obviously designed with children in mind, paced quickly for short attention spans, making it easy to follow. However, the fact that so much of the film treads familiar water while also remaining fun for grown-ups is a testament to just how entertaining the rest of it is. Despite not breaking much new ground, Chip ‘n Dale is genuinely pretty funny from beginning to end.
The movie is injected with that specific style of new-age satire that allows it to be both earnest and self-aware at the same time. For every joke made at the expense of animation and it’s classic characters, there’s also a sense of pure love and admiration for the genre that the filmmakers so clearly grew up on. There are quite a few deep cut references to the history of animation too. Some are more on-the-nose, like Los Angeles’ slum being called the “Uncanny Valley” because it’s filled with poorly rendered CGI avatars from the “early 2000s.” Others, like a surprise appearance by the Tigra from Marvel’s flopped Avengers: United They Stand cartoon, are just weirdly obscure and specific enough to put a big smile on the face of an older audience. There are many more I’d love to get into here, but I wouldn’t want to spoil the fun of seeing it all for the first time.
Mercifully, most of the cameos and references happen in a pretty organic way. Trailers for the film made it seem like the Easter eggs may overpower any actual storytelling, but this isn’t the case. The Roger Rabbit setting allows for a litany of references and appearances to happen without anything being forced, with a multitude of famous faces popping in and out as the plot unfolds naturally. It’s essentially what many fans had hoped Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness might be, without the limitations of applause breaks or fear of “being too much.” There are quite a few vocal surprises as well, with guest stars voicing different characters than were advertised leading up to the film’s release. A lot of them produced excited chuckles from myself..
Ultimately, Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers succeeds in being a heartfelt tale for kids while also being a viable entertainment option for adults. Truthfully, the movie sort of plays like a project made specifically for people who grew up on the cartoon while simultaneously introducing the characters and concepts to a new generation. Most of the best jokes and surprises are really for the parents. So, get ready to sit down and gear up for a fantastic new family adventure. Sometimes some crimes go slipping through the cracks, but these two gumshoes are picking up the slack.
On the heels of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, much of MCU fandom is focused on the phases to come, particularly the next Avengers: Endgame-level event. For most of them/us, “Secret Wars” seems to be the destination. But trying to figure out exactly what form the MCU storytelling will take as it prepares to adapt Jonathan Hickman’s 2015 epic has been thorny, especially because the most recent Doctor Strange film gave us another thing to chew on: The Illuminati.
New Avengers #2 (2013)
The Illuminati featured prominently in the Hickman New Avengers run that preceded Secret Wars, but unlike in Marvel Comics, where the Fantastic Four and X-Men have been mainstays since the 1960s, the appearance of Reed Richards and Charles Xavier in the MCU (albeit in its Earth-838 universe) was a momentous event, one that jump-started speculation as to how and when we’d see both the F4 and mutants properly introduced into the narrative. And while I do have my ideas about the role the Fantastic Four will play, I think that the bigger question centers on the mutants, and their biggest brand, the X-Men.
Back in November 2021, Marvel announced during its Disney Plus day special that a revival of the popular 1990s X-Men: The Animated Series, often referred to as “X-Men ‘92,” would debut in 2023 under the title X-Men ‘97. Storylines and continuity from the original series would be picked up on, as the timeline would press ahead. However, now that the MCU Multiverse is firmly in play, questions about the canonicity of these new episodes abound. Which brings us back to Secret Wars.
Avengers #44 (2015)
In Hickman’s “Time Runs Out” storyline, the narrative that led directly into Secret Wars, “incursions’” of alternate universes into the main 616 universe led to the Illuminati, among others, taking drastic steps to eradicate those universes so that ours would survive, until only two universes were left — the 616 and the Ultimate Universe, designated 1610, home to Miles Morales, the evil Reed Richards known as The Maker, and others. The finale, which immediately preceded Secret Wars, was an all-out battle between the two universes, which, although ultimately fruitless for both universes, was epic.
The MCU doesn’t have an Ultimate Universe; if anything its 616 universe, what with its Samuel L. Jackson-inspired Nick Fury and its teenage Peter Parker, shares quite a few similarities to it. And with a 15-year head start, there’s no time for Marvel to build up a new Marvel Universe for us to grow attached to. But what they can do is bring back a universe that we have a preexisting attachment to: the X-Men animated universe.
Once that classic theme song hits, our nostalgia feels will come rushing back, and an audience that has been fed a steady diet of uneven live-action X-Men content by Fox will be reminded of how good they once had it, and how good it could be again. By the end of the first season, I’m sure that fans will be fully reinvested in the characters and their universe. By the end of the second or third season, when their universe faces an incursion by the 616 MCU, fans won’t be eager to see that universe be sacrificed. And if that means X-Men battling Avengers, so be it.
Introducing X-Men into the MCU this way has many advantages. For the mutant concept to maximize its potency, the weight of history — of a world where they have been hated and feared for years, and where some characters have formed relationships over decades — should be maintained. That can be highlighted and reinforced, and the animated series can do that far better than the Fox films, which admittedly still have some goodwill, but are nowhere near as universally loved and revered.
Now, will it be tricky to eventually bring the characters from that animated series into live-action? For sure. But one needs to look no further than Marvel’s Disney Plus sister property, Star Wars, to see that it can be pulled off, and be well-received by audiences. And given the stakes of this universe-destroying cataclysmic battle, Marvel can be forgiven for a stunt casting or two alongside longer-term castings of characters who will return after Secret Wars and the eventual Multiverse realignment. But many of us have been waiting decades to see comic-accurate, iconic looks in live-action, so one should expect the fan reaction to those characters making the transition be massive.
After Avengers: Endgame, fans and media alike have been trying to figure out how Marvel could top itself, and Secret Wars could definitely be that. But more so than seeing different versions of the MCU heroes squaring off against one another, seeing Avengers face X-Men with their respective universes at stake would be a spectacle unlike any we’ve seen to date. And X-Men ‘97 could play a vital role in bringing that about. Both universes can encounter Kang variants, and both could experience Incursions that would lead the heroes of their respective universes to do whatever it takes to preserve them. It would be a massive, epic storyline, with the potential to energize and galvanize fans. And of, course, it could be the biggest Marvel event of all time.
A new image has been making its way through the Internet featuring a new look at King Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson) and Mighty Thor (NataliePortman). It’s unclear where they are but it does seem like some kind of meeting is taking place. What stands out, however, is a third character is included in the image. Everyone is sitting on a throne of some kind with our two main heroines sitting on one that seems to reflect where they are from. The Egyptian-inspired design and the cat ears on their helmet may be a signifier that this is our first look at the Goddess Bast, who we first met in Black Panther’s iconic opening as a giant panther.
There was a leak that the character would be played by an actress named Akosia Sabet on Showcase. So, there’s a high chance that she might appear, especially if Gorr the God Butcher is making his god butchering grand tour. Still, it’s not a definite confirmation and only the design is a real hint at who this character might be. There’s a chance it could be someone completely different, but there are enough hints to make the connection. She’s had a humanoid form in the comics as well, and it wouldn’t be too surprising she could change between that and her giant Panther form in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as well.
The Egyptian design also hints at the connection due to Bast actually being part of the Egyptian pantheon. We’ve never fully explored her history and how she came in contact with the first man to become Black Panther and who would eventually found Wakanda. Perhaps we get a tease in the film in a conversation between her and Valkyrie. For now, it’s still speculation but it’s certainly interesting if she was indeed accidentally revealed with this new image. There’s also the question if this segment or shot makes it into the final cut.
In what will serve as a return to the Hunger Games franchise, Tom Blyth has been cast as Coriolanus Snow in the upcoming prequel film The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. The role of Snow was originally played by Donald Sutherland in the original franchise. Blyth is best known for starring in the Epix’s recent Billy the Kid series as the titular character. Francis Lawrence, who served as director for all three sequel films in the franchise, will be returning to helm this new project.
The film, based on the prequel novel by author Suzanne Collins, is set to follow the narrative of Coriolanus Snow, the main antagonist of the original Hunger Games novels and film adaptations, as he struggles to navigate the political sphere of Panem and the franchise’s titular competition as a young man. He will be paired with a character named Lucy Gray Baird, a tribute from District 12 as she takes part in the 10th annual Hunger Games.
When discussing the upcoming film, director Francis Lawrence gave a background into Snow’s character and how they feel Tom Blyth became the ideal choice for the role.
Coriolanus Snow is many things — a survivor, a loyal friend, a cutthroat, a kid quick to fall in love, and a young man ambitious to his core. Tom’s take on the character showed us all the complex ambiguities of this young man as he transforms into the tyrant he would become.
Francis Lawrence
It will be not able to follow if this film helps in elevating their career for Blyth, much like the Hunger Games franchise did for the likes of Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, and Liam Hemsworth.
It’s been considered a somewhat confounding decision by author Suzanne Collins to transition the franchise into the point of view of the franchise’s tyrannical antagonist. Though it will certainly be interesting to see what is done to make this a worthwhile endeavor back into the young adult franchise. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is currently scheduled to release on November 17, 2023.
There’s been a lot of discussions surrounding Amber Heard‘s role in the upcoming Aquaman sequel. As Johnny Depp had to leave the Fantastic Beasts sequel as production started, many were surprised that Heard was still on board for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. As it turns out, Warner Bros. didn’t want her on the production and she fought for joining.
During the proceedings of their lawsuit, she was asked about her involvement with the Aquaman sequel, where she confirmed that she had to fight “really hard to stay in the movie.”
I have. I fought really hard to stay in the movie. They didn’t want to include me in the film.
Amber Heard
While she managed to stay on board for the production, after all, it seems her role had been quite minimized. She goes on to highlight that her role was “very pared-down version” of the initial script as they reworked it throughout production.
I was given a script. Then given new versions of the script that had taken away scenes that had action in it, that depicted my character and another character, without giving spoilers away, two characters fighting with one another. They basically took a bunch out of my role. They just removed a bunch.
Amber Heard
It definitely sounds like Warner Bros. was in a no-win situation if she fought for remaining in the film even as they tried to take a step back from Heard due to the allegations, especially the PR and the current legal battle. We’ll see just how much of her role made it into the film and what that may mean for the Aquaman sequel.
Zack Snyder has found himself quite a comfortable home at Netflix after his stint over in the DC Extended Universe. Just last year Snyder released his first project, Army of The Dead, with hopes that it could spawn a franchise for Netflix. Snyder isn’t sticking to just one franchise, as he is currently developing yet another film titled Rebel Moon with hopes that it could also lead to sequels and spin-offs later down the road.
Production on Rebel Moon has already begun but it seems some issues have led to the film having to recast its main antagonist. Rupert Friend was initially set to play the role of the tyrant Regent Balisarius, who’d set out to conquer a colony on the edge of the galaxy. The role now belongs to Deadpool actor Ed Skrein. Joining him on the project are Cleopatra Coleman, Fra Fee, and Rhian Rees whose roles in the film currently remain under wraps.
The film is set to follow a Seven Samurai-inspired story in which a young woman, played by Sofia Boutella, sets out to recruit warriors from neighboring planets so that they can band together and take a stand against the incoming invasion from Balisarius. Rebel Moon is sporting quite the impressive cast with Boutella and Skrein starring alongside Charlie Hunnam, Ray Fisher, Cary Elwes, Corey Stoll, Alfonso Herrera, Djimon Hounsou, Doona Bar, Stuart Martin, and Michiel Huisman.
The film is set to be directed by Snyder who co-wrote the script alongside Shay Hatten and Kurt Johnstad. This is the first project to come from Snyder’s recent first-look deal with Netflix and will be produced under his production company Stone Quarry.
At this point, it’s hard to say who hasn’t been rumored to appear in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. While it has been pointed out in the past that some rumored cameos weren’t ever truly on the board outside of early talks, most notably Tom Cruise as Iron Man, a new rumor is adding some more fuel to the fire to what may have been left on the cutting room floor throughout the film#s production. The Weekly Planet podcast’s James Clement has reportedly shared a few more members of the Marvel multiverse that may have appeared.
So somebody sent me a list of five characters that were going to be in this movie that were cut… So apparently, yeah, the Wanda killing MCU Mordo, that was real. That was going to happen. Michael Fassbender was going to turn up as Magneto… I said [to my source], ‘Were any of these filmed?’ And this person said, ‘Filmed but ultimately cut from the theatrical version,’ which is what my source relates… Balder the Brave as mentioned, though not given a name… Ghost Rider, which is very interesting as a member of the Illuminati.
James Clement
He goes on to highlight that he was going to fight Wanda as well, but even he couldn’t truly survive the onslaught that is Wanda’s fury in Multiverse of Madness. There’s no word, however, if this would’ve been Nicolas Cage reprising his role as Ghost Rider. The mention of Balder the Great was hinted at being the role that Daniel Craig originally was going to tackle. He also goes on to highlight that Deadpool was going to be part of a post-credit sequence.
He was going to fight Wanda and probably die… and Deadpool was going to be in the post-credits scene.
James Clement
So, it’s a little hard to chew that they would film entire sequences but end up just leaving it on the cutting room floor, especially if they managed to get Michael Fassbender to film sequences as Magneto. It also seems unlikely that they would film these sequences and not include them, but the wording could hint at a bonus for the digital release, or perhaps even for an additional theatrical release to give the film the last push to reach a billion. For now, we’ll have to see if anything about this rumor is true.
While Pixar is busy promoting its upcoming animated film Lightyear, which will take a closer look at the inspiration behind Toy Story’s Buzz Lightyear, the news has arrived on what we can expect from their upcoming release on June 16th, 2023. It turns out the next feature film will be titled Elemental and Disney has released a first look at the key concept art behind the Pixar film.
The feature film will be directed by The Good Dinosaur‘s Peter Sohn with producer Denise Ream attached. It’ll follow the story of an unlikely pair named Ember and Wade. While polar opposites due to their elemental backgrounds, they will swiftly learn they have something in common in their world where people made of fire, water, land, and air reside. Sohn goes on to highlight the inspiration for this project.
My parents emigrated from Korea in the early 1970s and built a bustling grocery store in the Bronx. We were among many families who ventured to a new land with hopes and dreams—all of us mixing into one big salad bowl of cultures, languages and beautiful little neighborhoods. That’s what led me to ‘Elemental’.
Peter Sohn
In a world where elements are alive, it’s an interesting concept to see how they interact with each other. The concept art already teases how water and fire may not quite mesh well and who knows what other types of characters might find their way into the story. It sounds like a concept that perfectly fits into Pixar’s creative take on storytelling and we’ll see how they bring life to elements in creative ways.
There’s something rather interesting about Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. A lot of discourse surrounding the film has mainly been about the Illuminati and its members, Sam Raimi’s directing style, and how it “feels different” from the usual Marvel fare. Yet, after the film’s release, there’s been a hot debate regarding its rating as a PG-13 film, which has sparked an online discourse on if it should’ve been R-rated given some of the takedowns at the hands of Wanda. While some are understandably annoyed by the notion that one looks bad at horror elements in genre films, it does highlight Marvel studios’ biggest challenge when advertising the DoctorStrange sequel and ironically highlighting the current trend within its Phase 4.
A Multiversal Level of Expectation
The term “multiverse” has become synonymous with the potential of cameos and actors returning in roles they once popularized. Spider-Man: No Way Home certainly proved that very fact with Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield‘s return. Yet, it also became a hindrance finding dragging expectations for Multiverse of Madness to new levels, as people expected a romp throughout Marvel’s extended cinematic history. The tease of Patrick Stewart‘s return definitely raised the bar in that regard, with many expecting more Fox characters arriving in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Ironically, it’s been an underlying issue ever since WandaVision was first teased, as many put out their hopes that each time she shows up, the X-Men and mutants would make their arrival within the cinematic franchise. Yet, that was obviously never the intention; Evan Peters‘ Ralph Bohner should’ve been the very obvious warning for that very notion. Yet, on some level, Marvel Studios must’ve been aware of that expectation as their marketing started leaning hard into the “who might appear” notion of the project.
Illuminati getting a highlight in the last trailer almost seemed like a call to get people to wonder who else might show up and deter any thoughts of “so it’s only the Illuminati” early on. The rumor mill has gone rampant in a way that true believers started guessing who could appear with Kang, Deadpool, Wolverine and so many more getting even just a passing reference. Yet, the Doctor Strange film stayed true to what it is, a Doctor Strange story. The marketing doesn’t shy away from it either; they barely even hid Scarlet Witch’s turn to evil. Yet, people may have still expected an Avengers-level crossover leading to its potential frontloaded box office due to what No Way Home offered them only a few months before.
Any story dabbling in the multiverse is going to have this preconception built-in, may it be the eventual arrival of Kang and even other franchises like Warner Bros.’s upcoming The Flash film. Even comparisons made to Everything Everywhere All At Once are a showcase of a story element being interpreted in a specific way, while also letting previous releases shape the “expectation” going in. Multiverse of Madness was never advertised in any way similar to the Michelle Yeoh film, but it naturally became the “next” benchmark going into the other. Even if it’s an indie film with no real expectations going in, story, structure, or brand-wise, it was about the multiverse and that’s all it needed for “easy” comparison material.
A Horror-Defining Genre of Challenges
There’s an interesting juxtaposition between the film’s take on horror and how it was presented through its marketing. We’ve known for a while that this was going to be a horror film, a genre that is popular but also extremely niche. The highest-grossing horror film to date is the first entry of 2017’s It at a domestic gross of $327.5M. Even the more action-oriented Meg couldn’t break beyond $145.4M, which is quite far away from its 1975 inspiration Jaws, which was the originator of the term “blockbuster” release.
The 2017 film broke horror boundaries to gross $701M worldwide and still stands at the top of the board if you go by unadjusted box office numbers; a showcase of an exception rather than the rule. Yet, the film was very obviously an R-rated horror film with the added nostalgia factor from the 1990s It miniseries. In a way, it was the first true blockbuster horror film in a while to make bank, but it never shied away from what it is. Yet, even that film couldn’t escape a B+ CinemaScore rating when it was released.
There was a lot of discussion surrounding Multiverse of Madness‘ CinemaScore with a B+; some even hinting at the general audience’s not liking the film as a result. Yet, if you look at horror’s history with that broad of a target demographic, they rarely score above B. Even the well-received Scream revival from 2022 with a 76% acceptance rate by critics and 81% Audience Score couldn’t escape a B+ scoring. Last year’s Candyman received a B rating even with a 72% Audience Score and 85% Tomatometer score from critics. It’s simply a genre that doesn’t seem to mesh well with the general audience; something that tends to get forgotten in the discussion. Marvel Studios’ latest is compared with Marvel Studios’ previous, but that might not be as simple anymore
Moving forward, if their projects start to dabble more with new concepts and different directions, this might become the norm. Not that every film in the MCU will end up with a B or B+ evaluation, but that there will be more projects that may stick out from some more audience-friendly fare. Spider-Man: No Way Home has a strong A+ rating, which strongly showed in its cinematic staying power. Shang-Chi and Black Widow enjoy an A and A- rating respectively. The latter two dipped their toes in kung fu and spy cinema as the base of their inspirations. So, Doctor Strange and even Eternals may be exceptions rather than the rule, which we could see happen more often.
Weight of Audience Expectations
Doctor Strangein the Multiverse of Madness has faced a sharp drop in its second weekend by 67%, but the film still is only a few days away from crossing $700M. While it seems unlikely it’ll become the first horror film to pass $1 billion, the film is definitely taking many cues from Raimi‘s time with Evil Dead and Drag Me to Hell. If it comes to superhero storytelling and that director’s name, Spider-Man is what many might think of. In a way, we did expect horror elements, but Marvel Studios purposefully hid away any brutal takedowns that took place in the film. There are hints of Wanda crushing an Ultron bot, but no one expects her to literally turn Mr. Fantastic into spaghetti before his head pops.
In a report by Deadline, besides the rather bizarre “Uncle Vinny” section, a statement is made that only 27% of viewers would rewatch the film. It includes a curious statement by the Kentucky-Delaware exhibition head Rick Roman, who highlights that the film lacks rewatchability.
The movie has to be loved and enjoyed enough to want to see it a second time. My moviegoers feel the film is not good enough to see again.
Rick Roman
The article highlights that viewers’ negative reactions were mostly in regard to the “MCU discussion about storylines that may have jumped the shark and high expectations from the trailer to the actual film” which connects to the points made above. People have continuously expected the multiverse storylines to be the next Captain America: The Winter Soldier that reshapes the entire franchise moving forward. This is even highlighted by the Uncle Vinny rant in the article that there’s no clear path because Marvel Studios decided to play a long con this time around.
Word-of-mouth definitely played a key fact, as people probably expected horror but not Evil Dead going into the film. Some may have hoped for their usual Marvel fare and were met with something quite different and, like Eternals, unabashedly trenched in a different genre. One could make a similar discussion with the Chloé Zhao film, which faced a harsher critical reception. In a way, the echoed indie film’s reception from the general audience, which doesn’t usually get CinemaScores to begin with. So, the only current comparisons would be The Northman‘s B and The Unbearable Weight of massive Talent at B+.
It even reflects the critical reception of these stories, as many are pointing out to “X director’s style not meshing with Marvel’s usual flair” highlighting a very interesting trend in how perception has shaped what makes an “MCU film.” While critically, there has been an ongoing wish for more innovation and creative freedom in regards to Marvel projects. Yet, as it has happened, we’re seeing the natural reaction of something being “off” due to it not following the preconceived notion. If one expects specifics going in, anything that moves away from that will stick out like a sore thumb, which might be something that falls once those expectations are dropped on a rewatch; only if it actually gets one.
Can’t Make an Omelette Without
The same Deadline mentioned earlier highlighted that their approach to “plus-ing,” a Disney process where they keep adding to a project even if it’s deemed as the “worst” at one point, could potentially be reaching its limit. The concept strongly focuses on building upon what worked and what didn’t, which some tend to connect with a more formulaic and I strongly disagree with the “factory” view of their productions, as more and more behind-the-scenes statements highlight how surprisingly effective the company is at improvising. Yet, the standardized view of how more mainstream productions work has led to overshadowing what Phase 4 really is trying to do.
It’s hard to deny that most of the current projects stand out for different reasons; even if controversial ones. Marvel Studios very likely saw the challenge of following Avengers: Endgame and tried to take a step back rather than double down. Complaints have become so varied, that they may be reflecting how the general audience is feeling post-COVID many have felt a loss of control. Now, if the perceived “usual Marvel fare” is starting to try out new things and evolve to stay relevant, some might need a while to adjust.
Moon Knight‘s mind-bending fourth episode may have ruffled some feathers with those expecting a more straightforward experience. Thor: Love and Thunder is very likely going to continue this trend, as Taika Waititi has publicly teased its romantic comedy elements. They may or may not fully dive into similar to Multiverse of Madness‘ horror, and it is very much something Waititi has been dabbling with such as his work on Our Flag Means Death. We might see a wild variety of receptions throughout Phase 4 as Marvel Studios continues to find a more diverse footing to break beyond expectations and offer different audiences unique experiences.
One thing is clear, the general audience still enjoys these films. Even if massively frontloaded, one cannot downplay Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness‘ initial draw at the box office. There are quite a few different elements possibly at play here and the challenge will be to keep that early momentum. There’s no clear trend that general audiences “are done” with Marvel films, quite the positive so far. No Way Home definitely created some good faith and there’s a chance that Disney+ releases give these projects a new life that extends into the cinematic experience, a counteract to the 45-day release window affecting its cinematic release.
One thing is for sure, Marvel Studios’ future endeavors might not be as simple to dissect as they start embracing more avenues moving forward.
We’ve heard some time ago that Disney was developing sequels based on the popular Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. While Johnny Depp has openly stated he has no interest to return, as they kicked him from the initial project amongst the allegations made by Amber Heard, there have been rumors that a new sequel was in development with a plan to have Margot Robbie lead the project. In a new article by The Times, producer Jerry Bruckheimer has revealed that they are still working on the sequel, and are currently working on two scripts for the film, each one depending on if she joins the production or not.
Yes. We’re talking to Margot Robbie. We are developing two Pirates scripts — one with her, one without.
Jerry Bruckheimer
He’s also asked if that means we’ll see Johnny Depp potentially return, but he only stated “Not at this point. The future is yet to be decided.” The actor, however, has very publicly stated that he has no interest in ever returning to the franchise. It seems the original plan for the sequel was to act as a final send-off for Jack Sparrow, which he was co-writing at the time. It won’t be the same to have the franchise continue withou this inclusion, and it does seem like he’s done with the franchise given what has transpired. For now, we can only wait and see what the future has in store for the production.
We use cookies to improve your experience on our site. By using our site, you consent to cookies.
This website uses cookies
Websites store cookies to enhance functionality and personalise your experience. You can manage your preferences, but blocking some cookies may impact site performance and services.
Essential cookies enable basic functions and are necessary for the proper function of the website.
Name
Description
Duration
Cookie Preferences
This cookie is used to store the user's cookie consent preferences.
30 days
These cookies are needed for adding comments on this website.
Name
Description
Duration
comment_author_email
Used to track the user across multiple sessions.
Session
comment_author_url
Used to track the user across multiple sessions.
Session
comment_author
Used to track the user across multiple sessions.
Session
Statistics cookies collect information anonymously. This information helps us understand how visitors use our website.
Google Analytics is a powerful tool that tracks and analyzes website traffic for informed marketing decisions.
Contains information related to marketing campaigns of the user. These are shared with Google AdWords / Google Ads when the Google Ads and Google Analytics accounts are linked together.
90 days
__utma
ID used to identify users and sessions
2 years after last activity
__utmt
Used to monitor number of Google Analytics server requests
10 minutes
__utmb
Used to distinguish new sessions and visits. This cookie is set when the GA.js javascript library is loaded and there is no existing __utmb cookie. The cookie is updated every time data is sent to the Google Analytics server.
30 minutes after last activity
__utmc
Used only with old Urchin versions of Google Analytics and not with GA.js. Was used to distinguish between new sessions and visits at the end of a session.
End of session (browser)
__utmz
Contains information about the traffic source or campaign that directed user to the website. The cookie is set when the GA.js javascript is loaded and updated when data is sent to the Google Anaytics server
6 months after last activity
__utmv
Contains custom information set by the web developer via the _setCustomVar method in Google Analytics. This cookie is updated every time new data is sent to the Google Analytics server.
2 years after last activity
__utmx
Used to determine whether a user is included in an A / B or Multivariate test.
18 months
_ga
ID used to identify users
2 years
_gali
Used by Google Analytics to determine which links on a page are being clicked
30 seconds
_ga_
ID used to identify users
2 years
_gid
ID used to identify users for 24 hours after last activity
24 hours
_gat
Used to monitor number of Google Analytics server requests when using Google Tag Manager
1 minute
Marketing cookies are used to follow visitors to websites. The intention is to show ads that are relevant and engaging to the individual user.
Pinterest Tag is a web analytics service that tracks and reports website traffic.
