Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Movies

  • Murphy’s Team-Up Volume 30: One Must-Have Character in James Gunn’s DCU

    Murphy’s Team-Up Volume 30: One Must-Have Character in James Gunn’s DCU

    James Gunn has a big job ahead of him in creating a shared cinematic universe out of the ashes after nuking the old guard. While he’ll smartly focus on Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and the Justice League, he’ll also have to keep it fresh by bringing some new blood to the DCU. With that in mind, we have a handful of suggestions for Mr. Gunn as he gets things moving ahead in 2023.

    Joao Roque Pinto on Mister Terrific

    Dream casting: John Boyega, John David Washington, Scarlett Johansson

    When thinking of a character that will allow for interesting storylines (be it through solo outings or as part of a team), with interesting powers without them being too out there, someone who big screen audiences have little to no knowledge of who it is and its back story, and that will be able to play well with the biggest names in the DC catalog, Mister Terrific (Michael Holt) came immediately to mind.

    Gunn usually thrives when defining characters within team dynamics and Mister Terrific can be integrated into several teams the character has been a part of over the years. From the Justice League to the Justice Society of America, from Task Force X’s subdivision Checkmate to The Terrifics. His Genius-level intellect, “a natural aptitude for having natural aptitudes”, can also allow for a more plot-driven type of story, moving away from the spectacle that most team-up movies tend to be.

    Not discounting his use of T-Spheres, he remains a character that can easily be combined with almost any sort of comic book movie approach, from the more grounded to the most fantastical, all while also bringing to the table a representation factor into the larger DC Universe that should never be dismissed.

    Jeffrey Peterson on Clayface

    Dream casting: Denzel Washington, Josh Brolin, or Brad Pitt.

    An origin story that starts in the 60s, maybe 70s, but definitely after the ‘golden age’ of cinema. Automatic buy-in through casting a respected Hollywood star that’s on the older side, but the film also gains the benefit of really only effects of makeup or CGI when really necessary. The film can still use noir and thriller elements of The Batman while leaning into a more physiological terror space. The movie has the opportunity to discuss body dysmorphia and alteration, self-help, generational trauma, and the arts, specifically film, without doing any of it too directly. The other golden opportunity is that Clayface’s abilities only have to be hinted at since those actors are good character actors anyway. The more monstrous reveal once the powers get out of hand can naturally happen in the third act or the first, depending on the classic film a director (Jordan Peele or Alex Garland) wants to reference.

    Dalbin Osorio

    I know there’s going to be a consensus for all sorts of Green Lanterns to show up, so I’m going to get in front of that and say that Simon Baz is the Lantern we need to see. As a hero who ends up wielding a fusion of Sinestro and Hal Jordan’s power ring, and as the Corps’s first Arab-American member, Simon has the chance to bring some much-needed diversity to a DC Slate that is predominantly cis hetero white men. Showing Simon’s street racing, and racial persecution following a subsequent car accident, would make some amazing TV.

    Now, who to play him, you ask? How about 40-year-old Lee Majdoub, who played Agent Stone in Sonic The Hedgehog? You’ll next see him playing the villain in Assassin’s Creed: Mirage, and he’s still young enough to where he could theoretically play this Lantern for 10 years.

    Jared Kirschenbaum

    Bat-Mite, as John Economos puts it in Peacemaker, is “a two-foot-tall interdimensional imp who stans Batman.” There are many interesting things DC Studios could do for a Bat-Mite project or an appearance elsewhere. Bat-Mite is similar to the Superman villain Mister Mxyzptlk, with a very different characterization. He is a being from the Fifth Dimension, which means Bat-Mite has access to phenomenal cosmic powers. And while Mister Mxyzptlk uses his powers to toy with Superman, Bat-Mite uses his powers to “help” Batman, because Bat-Mite is at his core, not a bad guy. His biggest problem is just that he is irritating. Basically, Bat-Mite is the fan from hell. He critiques Batman, makes things more difficult, and ruins Batman’s plans. The closest thing to Bat-Mite is probably Syndrome from The Incredibles. And in the wrong situation, Bat-Mite is dangerous. Sure, he likes Batman and wants Batman to succeed, but if Bat-Mite gets angry at Batman or wants to make a task more difficult for him to make it more fun to watch, there really are not many limits to what Bat-Mite can do. He is a nerd who just cannot help himself. Sometimes he is more bad than good, but a lot of the time, in his heart, he does just want to help.

    To be fair, since he is not showing up in a Batman movie anytime soon, James Gunn could totally make a Bat-Mite movie and it would probably be a lot of fun. However, this is not really where he would be the most useful in the DCU, especially since Bat-Mite has already come up in Peacemaker. And since a second season of Peacemaker will probably factor into whatever Gunn is cooking as Co-chairman and CEO of DC Studios and is more of a lock than the majority of other DCU projects, Bat-Mite should 100% show up as part of season 2. Imagine, Bat-Mite shows up floating next to Peacemaker. Only the audience and Peacemaker can see or hear Bat-Mite as he spends most of the show telling Peacemaker that he is not as cool as Batman. Is Bat-Mite real or is he a figment of Peacemaker’s imagination or some subconscious manifestation of his inadequacy? Who knows? But a stylized cartoon or weird CGI-man thingy floating around Peacemaker in season 2, telling him how he needs to do a better job of being a hero like Batman is the totally out-of-left-field choice that Gunn would absolutely make. When season 1 started, nobody thought that Peacemaker would be fighting aliens. So, why not throw in a being from the Fifth Dimension, especially one who would not really work in many other movies or shows? Bat-Mite as the angel and devil on Peacemaker’s shoulder in Peacemaker season 2 would be so much fun. 

    MTF III

    Who better to be an entry point character for the present state of the Batman Family and all of its tentacles than Bruce Wayne’s son, raised by Ra’s Al Ghul in the world of assassins, then introduced into the world of vigilantes as the next to carry on the legacy of Robin? Through him, we can meet all of Bruce’s surrogate sons and daughters and explore a different dynamic with Bruce, as he needs to find his softer side to connect with an offspring who might be more intense than even him.

    My #2 choice would be Nubia. While the idea of a “Black Wonder Woman” might seem at first glance to be one note, through her we can learn about the secret history of the lost Amazon tribe of Bana-Mighdall, who left Themyscira’s magical protection and gave up their immortality to create a society of warrior women in the Amazon way, but amidst the tumult of Northern Africa. Through interactions with Diana, Nubia could be a doorway into juxtaposing a more militant vision of the Amazons against the utopian one we were exposed to in some of the previous Wonder Woman outings. Nubia’s heroic journey can be about her learning to inspire hope in Man’s World rather than instilling fear.

    Charles Murphy on The Spectre

    As Marvel Studios’ fans wait for Ghost Rider to make his way into the MCU, DC’s own Spirit of Vengeance could serve an important role in James Gunn‘s new DCU. The being known as Aztar is as old as the universe and serves as the hand of divine vengeance for DC’s One Above All. There have been a whole lot of different iterations of the character over the years and Aztar has been bound to a few different human hosts, but a combo of the New 52’s modern version of Gotham PD officer Jim Corrigan mixed with the brilliant work done by John Ostrander in the 1990s offers the perfect mix of a character tied into the connected universe Gunn is building while also being able to do his own thing. Is this the right superhero role for Gunn’s bestie Nathan Fillion?

  • New Avengers and Multiversal Avengers Lineups Rumored for ‘The Kang Dynasty’ and ‘Secret Wars’

    New Avengers and Multiversal Avengers Lineups Rumored for ‘The Kang Dynasty’ and ‘Secret Wars’

    The MCU has gotten much larger since Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame wrapped up the Infinity Saga. Thanks in part to Disney Plus, new heroes and villains have quickly accumulated and with two years to go until the next Avengers double-feature kicks off with Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, those numbers will surely continue to grow. With so many new heroes joining those who survived Endgame, putting together a team of heroes to take on Kang the Conqueror shouldn’t be too hard. However, with Secret Wars set to follow up shortly after, are there too many heroes?

    A new rumor from @MyTimeToShineH suggests that in order to keep the runtime of Secret Wars a little more manageable, Earth-616’s Avengers will be the main focus of The Kang Dynasty but kept to the sidelines for most of Secret Wars, which will “focus on the heroes from other universes.” It sounds like the events of the 2026 film will involve a group of Multiversal Avengers!

    Those other heroes could be from Fox’s Fantastic Four or X-Men films, the Sam Raimi or Marc Webb Spider-Man films or other universes populated with versions of heroes that haven’t been visited yet. It’s an interesting rumor that also happens to fit most peoples’ wishes for the film. Given the previous rumor about Hugh Jackman and Tobey Maguire fighting alongside each other, it would seem that they’d be leading the squad. What characters would you like to see on the team of Multiversal Avengers?

  • ‘Wakanda Forever’ Was Always Originally Going to Feature 2 Black Panthers

    ‘Wakanda Forever’ Was Always Originally Going to Feature 2 Black Panthers

    Yes, you read the title right. It seems that Shuri was always meant to inherit the title of Black Panther, but not in the way Chadwick Boseman‘s tragic death led the story. It seems that they originally wanted to have Letitia Wright‘s character also inherit the title and explore the dynamic that persists of two characters holding it at the same time.

    Instead, the mantle has now been passed on due to T’Challa also passing away in the universe. So, the story had to take a different direction with her being the sole heir to the title and a surprising twist on who will rule Wakanda. In an interview with Empire, Wright got a chance to reflect on the original plans and the weight of carrying the title.

    It was bittersweet. Shuri was always gonna do it. But it was gonna be done in a different way where her brother was gonna be alongside her, really explore that, like the comic books, the ways that T’Challa and Shuri would be Black Panther alongside each other and try to figure out how to defend their nation. But unfortunately that’s not how it panned out. I knew the responsibility, I knew the weight of it, but it was just bittersweet, something I struggled with a lot. But I’m extremely proud of myself, had great support.

    Letitia Wright

    The more we hear about the original storyline behind Wakanda Forever, the more it seems that most of the pieces were always in place but had to reshape it surrounding a much stronger story of grief. It matched the overall theme of Phase 4 but it always leaves one wondering what could’ve been.

    Source: Empire Movie Podcast via ScreenRant

  • ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’ Rumored to Feature an Epic Marvel Team-up

    ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’ Rumored to Feature an Epic Marvel Team-up

    Avengers: Endgame brought together heroes from every corner of the Marvel Cinematic Universe for one of the most memorable action sequences of all time. How can Avengers: Secret Wars top that portal scene? By bringing together heroes from every corner of every Marvel movie universe. And a new rumor suggests that’s just what will happen.

    @MyTimeToShineH has shared that Tobey Maguire and Hugh Jackman are rumored to team-up and fight “alongside” each other in Marvel Studios big saga-ending event in 2026.

    Maguire recently revisited the role of Peter Parker in Spider-Man: No Way Home, Jackman finalized a deal to return as Wolverine in Deadpool 3 and both actors have been rumored to make an appearance in Avengers: Secret Wars. Seeing their respective versions of these characters, who were the superheroes of the 2000s, come together on screen would certainly be the type of major crossover that would allow Secret Wars to feel “bigger” than Endgame. However, given that the script for the film is still being written and production is years away, don’t get too attached to any ideas about Secret Wars no matter how great they might sound.

  • ‘Avatar 3’ Will Introduce A Fiery New Na’vi Tribe

    ‘Avatar 3’ Will Introduce A Fiery New Na’vi Tribe

    Everything will change when the fire nation attacks – or, at least, when James Cameron shows audiences a fiery new kind of Na’vi. The veteran director, fresh off the successful release of his long-awaited sequel Avatar: The Way of Water, has revealed the next chapter in the epic saga will introduce a fire-based tribe of Na’vi living on Pandora. According to Cameron, they will be known as the “Ash People”, and they might not be as welcoming as the forest and water-based tribes viewers have grown accustomed to in the first two films.

    Speaking with the French outlet 20 Minutes, Cameron was asked to comment on what’s to come in the currently-untitled Avatar 3. His response focused on the potential diversity in culture of his fictional world:

    Different cultures from those I have already shown. The fire will be represented by the “Ash People.” I want to show the Na’vi in a different light because, so far, I have only shown their good sides. In the early films, there are very negative human examples and very positive Na’vi examples. In Avatar 3, we will do the opposite.

    James Cameron

    It sounds like each entry in the Avatar franchise will continue to add layers to the Na’vi and their societal structure. The exact plot of Avatar 3 is still unknown, but it appears the “Ash People” are set to play a large role, potentially as a new antagonist.

    Source: 20 Minutes

  • SPECIAL: The Sunday Paper— Greatest Hits of 2022

    SPECIAL: The Sunday Paper— Greatest Hits of 2022

    Murphy’s Multiverse’s Extremely Talented João Roque Pinto

    The Marvel Cinematic Universe

    This should come as no surprise. Of course, fans flock to MCU news. Splitting it into films and Disney+ series, the biggest movie news seems predictable. But our readers’ interest in the series is perhaps a bit unique. Of course, in general, the most interesting MCU news this year came from San Diego Comic Con’s debut of Marvel Studios’ slate for Phases 5 and 6, culminating in Avengers: Secret Wars.

    MCU Movies

    With the news that Phase 6 will include Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars, the speculation of multiversal proportions has begun. Our readers, though, have been most interested in a rumor about who the first Avengers to potentially bite the dust in The Kang Dynasty will be.

    New Rumor Reveals the First Avengers to Fall in ‘The Kang Dynasty’

    Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was a big moment in 2022 for countless reasons. The MCU's newest anti-hero, Namor, finally made his live-action debut. While many want to see the return of the character, it may not be in the form of a solo film. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever producer Nate Moore confirmed that the character can definitely return in a future project, but Disney is not able to produce a standalone project based around the character. It seems the rights are still with Universal, who also holds the rights to Hulk and was the reason that character never got a sequel since the Edward Norton film back in 2008.

    Other major MCU movie news includes, of course, Deadpool 3. While fans have been clamoring for any information on the character's MCU debut, we were treated this year with the knowledge that Hugh Jackman will return as Wolverine, and a new working title (that includes "Wolverine") for the film seems to make it clear how important and big his role will be.

    New Working Title for ‘Deadpool 3’ Reveals the Size of Hugh Jackman’s Role

    While not directly about any particular MCU film, once again this year legendary director Quentin Tarantino made negative remarks about Marvel and/or superhero films which gave film Twitter fuel to rave for days. One of the things that peaked our readers' attention was learning that Tarantino actually has or had an idea for an MCU film based on the Howling Commandos.

    As a side note, MM readers apparently got a kick out of our Ultimate Lists of What to Watch Before Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Thor: Love and Thunder. If you thought the Multiverse of Madness list was chaos, just imagine what the Ultimate List for Secret Wars will look like (hint: the entire MCU and then some). Rest assured, an Ultimate List for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania will hit the internet soon.

    The Ultimate List of What To Watch Before ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’

    MCU Disney+ Series

    If you were to guess what our readers clicked on most in 2022, would you guess Moon Knight? If so, you're a winner. Not only was our most-read article about how Moon Knight beat out Hawkeye's viewership on Disney+, but fans were all in on Moon Knight costumes. Theorizing alter ego Jake Lockley's costume (which did not come to fruition) was a fun pastime, and others were extremely interested in some of the unused suit designs for the series. Clearly, fans seem interested in more of the series. Will we get it? We still don't know, but we have a general guess we could see it in 2025.

    ‘Moon Knight’ Beats Out ‘Hawkeye’s Overall Viewership on Disney+

    Readers also flocked to news about the upcoming Secret Invasion. Perhaps fitting for the show, some of the most-read articles involved leaked set photos or rumors about the identity of characters—specifically Emilia Clarke's character—whose identity will further be questioned throughout the series.

    Emilia Clarke’s ‘Secret Invasion’ Skrull Identity Rumored to be Revealed

    What would the past few years have been without the constant Daredevil dialogue? Of course, fans jumped on all news Charlie Cox-related. It ultimately paid off when fans learned he would return in his own MCU show, Daredevil: Born Again as well as cameo in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. Still, the thing that got fans stirred up the most was when Cox finally broke his silence about his wild appearance in 2021's Spider-Man: No Way Home and re-ignited the renew Daredevil campaign.

    DC

    To be honest, DC has been a mess for quite some time. Whether you love(d) the DCEU (and/or all of the things that were in the DC multiverse but not the DC Extended Universe, which makes no sense), hated it, or (most likely) were indifferent to it, it existed. However, late this year all of it was thrown into complete additional chaos when it was announced that James Gunn and Peter Safran would be taking over as co-leaders of the newly-formed DC Studios. There is plenty to try and unpack so far—for example, Henry Cavill is no longer Superman. Who else will be recast? What will they do with their current 2023 slate that includes The Flash, Aquaman 2, Blue Beetle, and Shazam 2?

    We do not know. But to be honest, MM readers have not spent too much time tracking the fire tornado that is DC. But Gunn has reassured fans that more will be known early this year.

    Hot Take

    It’s Time for Marvel Studios to End Their Most Well-Known Tradition

    We also generated plenty of discourse around the MCU's post-credits scenes. One unknown member of the site, Charles Murphy, wrote a piece on why Marvel should end its post-credits scene tradition:

    Given they distract from the movies, aren’t always followed through on and the disturbing trend in their quality, it really is time for the Marvel post-credit scene to be retired. We’ll always have that kiss between Jane and Thor…before Jane disappeared for a decade.

    Charles Murphy

    If you still have too many opinions about it, feel free to hop right back into that conversation. But screaming into the Twitter void about movies feels so 2022. 2023 is better...right?

    Honorable Mentions

    It's not all about superheroes, though MM readers certainly love them. But in 2022 we had some major interest in several other things. Check out some of the most noteworthy ones below.

    Chris Hemsworth Shares First Set Photo from ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ Prequel ‘Furiosa’ as Production Starts
    EXCLUSIVE: Live-Action ‘One Piece’s First Season No Longer Ten Episodes
    Leaked ‘The Mandalorian’ Season 3 Set Photos Tease Sith-Themed Mandalorians
    Jason Blum Offers Update on ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s Film
  • 12 Days of X-Mas: Day 8, Shadowcat

    12 Days of X-Mas: Day 8, Shadowcat

    The X-Men are coming to the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Marvel Studios has no small task ahead of them in making sure that the iconic team can lead the franchise in Phase 7 and beyond. Marvel Studios is also sure to make every effort to separate their adaptation of the team(s) from what came before. To celebrate the 12 Days of Christmas, we’ve decided to put together a list of which characters might play a key role and how Marvel Studios can ensure nobody will confuse them with their Fox counterparts or, in this case.

    The Kitten

    Another victim of Fox’s focus on cool displays of powers rather than proper characterization, Kitty Pryde was reduced to meme status after being Juggernaut bitched in X-Men: The Last Stand. The character returned in 2014 for a role in X-Men: Days of Future Past where she got to touch Logan’s temples for a while and then became a teacher in the new timeline established at the end of the film. In essentially every way possible, Fox wasted a top-tier X-Men character who was portrayed by an incredibly talented actor. Outside of correctly using her phasing ability, Fox seemed to have absolutely no understanding of Kitty nor how important of a character she could be. That’s something that Kevin Feige will almost certainly remedy when he brings his version of the X-Men to the MCU.

    A bit of a child prodigy, Kitty showed genius-level aptitude in computer science and attended a prestigious engineering school as a child. She joined Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters and became a member of the X-Men when she was just 13 or 14 years old. Kitty is just about the perfect poster child for Wolverine’s side of the debate with Cyclops over using teens as “soldiers” in Xavier’s crusade. Over the years, Kitty has grown close with Storm, Wolverine and Colossus, with whom she’s had an on-again-off-again romantic relationship. Kitty has arguably had one of the most chaotic and interesting lives of any X-Man and has battled demons, vampires, aliens and all other sorts of baddies and has always emerged from her battles as a central figure to the success of the team.

    What Fox failed to understand about Kitty Pryde is that despite being introduced in the comics as a teenager, she’s no sidekick. In fact, used appropriately, Kitty is probably the perfect point-of-view character to launch the MCU’s look at the inner workings of Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters. That’s not to say that the other characters aren’t incredibly important, only that Marvel Studios could take the unique approach of giving the audience Kitty’s perspective of entering the madness of the mutant world. Though Fox’s X-Men were always in danger, the question of whether they should have been was never fully explored in the Singer or Kinberg films. The Fox films never explored the true nature of Charles Xavier (as detailed here), something that could be done wonderfully by changing the lens through which he’s viewed. Marvel Studios has many characters from which to choose as they think about which character they want to be the eyes through which they meet the larger world of the X-Men, but there’s no better choice than Kitty Pryde. Shadowcat should be right out front as mutants step into the spotlight in the MCU.

  • ‘Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania’ Concept Art Offers Great Look at Jonathan Majors’ Kang

    ‘Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania’ Concept Art Offers Great Look at Jonathan Majors’ Kang

    A new trailer for Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania will be coming our way soon, but from what fans have seen of the film so far, Marvel Studios is really leaning into comic booky looks for the villains. M.O.D.O.K. hasn’t been fully revealed yet, but nobody would mistake his look as having come from a “grounded” universe. More importantly, Jonathan Majors‘ Kang the Conqueror looks to have been ripped straight from the pages of Marvel Comics. The purple and green scheme and the blue mask seem to capture the otherworldliness of the character that Stan Lee and Jack Kirby had in mind back in 1964 when he appeared in Avengers #8.

    As fans wait for the first truly great look at a fully geared up version of Kang, a new piece of concept art will give them something to tide them over.

    While Marvel Studios may miss the boat from time to time with the characterization of some of the characters they adapt for the MCU, their track record on character designs is much stronger. This look for Kang is another example of making minor and necessary modifications to the comic book look while capturing the essence of that look.

    Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania hits theaters in just 48 days!

  • New Rumor Reveals the Avengers Final Foe in ‘Secret Wars’

    New Rumor Reveals the Avengers Final Foe in ‘Secret Wars’

    As Phase 5 prepares to kick off soon with Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania, fans are just starting to get a sense of what Marvel Studios Multiverse Saga is going to truly all about. After the revelation that the new saga will conclude in 2026 with Avengers: Secret Wars, fans have been sure that someone other than Jonathan Majors‘ Kang would be the villain of the piece. It turns out they may have been right…sort of.

    A new rumor from Twitter user MyTimeToShineHello has revealed that Secret Wars is set to introduce a classic Marvel Comics character and the entity behind the original 1984 Secret Wars event: the Beyonder. The rumor comes with a twist, however, in that the MCU’s version of the Beyonder will be yet another Variant of Majors’ character.

    While a lot of online conversation about a potential villain centered on Doctor Doom, who was the primary antagonist of the 2015 version of Secret Wars, it seems, if the rumor is true, that Marvel Studios has chosen to make their big saga-ender a mashup of the 1984 and 2015 events with both incursions and the Beyonder playing roles.

  • 2023’s Must-See Movies With Surging Stock

    2023’s Must-See Movies With Surging Stock

    With so many movies to look forward to in 2023, it’s hard to know which ones to invest your time in. Murphy’s Multiverse has curated a list of must-see movies that should be on your list, including some that may surprise you.

    February

    17th-Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania

    The ageless Paul Rudd and his crew are back for the witty, action-packed franchise that is Ant-Man. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania features some new faces including Jonathan Majors as “Kang the Conqueror” and (checks notes) Bill Murray as a character from Janet Van Dyne’s past.

    March

    3rd-Creed III

    Jonathan Majors has been a busy man! He plays another villain, this time in the boxing ring as Adonis Creed’s opponent in Creed III. Tessa Thompson and Phylicia Rashad are also back in this installment alongside Michael B. Jordan, who reprises his role and makes his directorial debut.

    10th-Scream VI

    Scream VI is the sequel to 2022’s Scream, but this storyline is a bit different for the franchise: there is a new killer, a new city, and new rules. Some names to keep an eye out for include Jenna Ortega, Hayden Panettiere, Melissa Barrera and Courtney Cox. Unfortunately, franchise staple Neve Campbell won’t make an appearance after contract negotiations broke down.

    17th-Shazam! Fury of the Gods

    Zachary Levi is back to give us more Shazam. Levi will bring along a star-studded cast this time that includes Helen Mirren, Lucy Liu, and Rachel Zegler joining returners like Asher Angel, Adam Brody, and Megan Good. New villains played by Liu and Mirren will give the Shazamly all it can handle.

    24th-John Wick: Chapter 4

    Like fine wine, Keanu Reeves gets better with age. After a two-year pandemic-related delay, Reeves is front in center in John Wick: Chapter 4. Fans will see John Wick in the throws of a war with the High Table, one that could prove to be costly.

    31st-Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

    If you’ve played the game Dungeons & Dragons, this movie is the stuff dreams are made of. Chris Pine, Hugh Grant, Regé-Jean Page, Michelle Rodriguez, Sophia Lillis, and Justice Smith will star in Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves dropping Spring 2023.

    April

    7th-The Super Mario Bros. Movie

    From the producer who created Despicable Me, The Super Mario Brothers Movie is also hitting screens this spring. Chris Pratt stars as Mario and Charlie Day will play Luigi. Keegan-Michael Key will voice Toad with Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach. Finally, the crew rounds out with the hilarious Jack Black and Seth Rogen voicing the characters of Bowser and Donkey Kong.

    May

    5th-Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

    Chris Pratt is back as the beloved character Peter Quill in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Franchise staples Zoe Saldana, Bradley Cooper, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, and Pom Klmentieff are also back for one more ride. Quill is still mourning the loss of his Gamora and asks the crew to help him defend the universe as their fate could depend on it.

    19th-Fast X

    “I don’t have friends. I got family,” says Dominic Toretto. Family has been the theme of the Fast and Furious franchise and Fast X will likely be no different. The tenth installment brings back Toretto’s crew in an assumed two-part franchise finale that is sure to thrill.

    26th-The Little Mermaid

    Singer Halle Bailey stars in The Little Mermaid as the red-headed mermaid beauty and is sure to bring a soulful and powerful twist to this endearing classic. Joining her is Melissa McCarthy as Ursula, Awkwafina as Scuttle, and Javier Bardem as King Triton. The Little Mermaid becomes part of your world Memorial Day Weekend.

    June

    2nd-Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

    What’s better than one Oscar-winning movie? Two! Well, we’re probably a bit early in predicting that, but there are high hopes for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. Shameik Moore, Hailee Steinfield, and Oscar Isaac are back as Miles Morales, Gwen Stacy and Miguel O’Hara. The thrilling Issa Rae from HBO’s Insecure is also joining the cast as Spider-Woman.

    16th-The Flash

    DC Comics is joining the plunge into multiverses with Andy Muschietti’s The Flash.

    30th-Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

    James Mangold will direct Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, the follow-up to Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Harrison Ford is joined by Antonio Banderas, Mads Mikkelsen, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, and Shaunette Renée Wilson.

    July

    14th-Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning, Part One 

    Does Tom Cruise age? The man has matured as Ethan Hunt for nearly 30 years. Cruise returns to the big screen in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning, Part One with some familiar faces. Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames, Rebecca Ferguson, Henry Czerny, and Vanessa Kirby are all back, with Esai Morales playing the film’s main villain.

    21st-Barbie

    There isn’t anything Margot Robbie can’t do and that includes playing Barbie in Greta Gerwig’s adaptation. Ryan Gosling joins Robbie as her character is expelled from Barbieland and joins the real world in search of happiness.

    28th-The Marvels

    In case you didn’t get enough of the phenomena that is Brie Larson, she returns to the big screen in The Marvels. Larson will be joined by Teyonah Parris, Iman Vellani and the incomparable Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury in the sequel to Captain Marvel.

    November

    17th-The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes

    The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes is the prelude to the original film franchise starring Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutchinson. The film details the life of Coriolanus Snow before he became the brutal dictator of Panem. Rachel Zegler, Hunter Schafer, Tom Blyth, and Jason Schwartzman round out the cast.

    December

    15th-Wonka

    In a world of pure imagination, Timothée Chalamet plays a young Willy Wonka as his world collides with the Oompa-Loompas. The cast of Wonka also includes Olivia Colman, Sally Hawkins, Keegan Michael-Key, and Rowan Atkinson.

    20th-The Color Purple

    The Color Purple was originally released in 1985, featuring a star-studded cast. The 2023 adaptation has some serious shoes to fill, but it’s off to a good start. Pulling in a smorgasbord of talent, the cast features Danielle Brooks, Halle Bailey, Fantasia-Taylor, Taraji P. Henson, Louis Gossett Jr., Corey Hawkins, Deon Cole, and H.E.R.

    25th-Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom-December 25th

    More Jason Momoa? Yes, please! Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom should be a treat for fans as it’s slated to debut on Christmas Day. Momoa will reprise his role and will be joined by Patrick Wilson, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, and Amber Heard as Mera.