Chadwick Boseman left a legacy behind like no other and there was no simple task for Ryan Coogler and his crew to continue it with Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. They made the difficult choice to have his character T’Challa pass on. Yet, the biggest challenge was how they’d decided to tackle this sensitive topic and they only knew that they wanted to explore “the transformative quality of grief and trauma” as revealed in an interview with New York Times.
We wanted to have an emotionally intelligent conversation. It’s about the transformative quality of grief and trauma. There’s this expectation with emotional trauma that you just need time. ‘Oh, give them a couple weeks off; they’ll come back to work and get back to it.’ But that person is completely different in some ways. You just don’t see it because the change isn’t visible.
Ryan Coogler
He goes on to highlight the decision to not have someone external being responsible for the death of T’Challa, as it would mainly lead to Shuri’s grief being directed outward rather than exploring her own emotions surrounding the loss.
If somebody else would’ve taken T’Challa out, Shuri would’ve looked for that person. We wanted it to be a situation where the only place to go was internal.
Ryan Coogler
There’s something fitting with the choice, as it also reflects the grief that everyone involved went through in how Boseman just suddenly passed away and that feeling of having no control. The script also became a way for Ryan Coogler to handle the loss of his friend, going through the same challenge that Shuri was throughout the film handling the ever-persistent grief.
2023 is shaping up to be the last stand for the old guard of DC films before James Gunn and Peter Safran‘s new slate begins rolling out sometime in 2024. Still, there are 4 big dates on the calendar for the upcoming year including one for The Flash, which has been a film fans have looked forward to for years. Team MM shares their feelings about which DC film they’re looking most forward to in the new year with another special assist from our awesome followers on Twitter!
Ben Affleck has gone through quite the journey when it comes to superhero or franchise films. The actor has made quite the name for himself throughout his directorial and acting career, but it seems he may still be interested in revisiting a new role within an established franchise. A new rumor is making the rounds online that hints at Ben Affleck potentially taking on a role in an upcoming Marvel Studios project and it’s quite an interesting one: he may be in talks to tackle the role of Dario Agger according to @MyTimetoShineH.
For those that don’t know, Dario Agger is actually a villain better known as the Minotaur and was a recurring antagonist for Thor. At one point it was even who Christian Bale was going to play in Thor: Love and Thunder before he ended up taking on the role of Gorr the God Butcher. The character had a major role in the War of the Realms event in the comics as well as appearing in the iconic Immortal Hulk series.
His potential addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe would open up some rather interesting possibilities. If this is a one-time appearance, it would be fitting if he had a role in the new Captain America film subtitled New World Order. Agger is famous for also being the president of Roxxon Energy, a company that has been a part of the franchise since the beginning hinted at through various appearances in the background. But, who knows if there might be another project in development where he might appear in.
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.
Kurt Wagner made his way into both of Fox’s X-Men trilogies and, surprisingly enough, was not characterized nearly as poorly as many of his teammates. In fact, both Alan Cumming and Kodi Smit-McPhee brought the requisite pathos to their performances to make the character memorable despite not really playing a major role. Fox did a nice job with the look of both versions and found clever ways to showcase his trademark BAMFing. However, one of the greatest shortcomings with Fox’s X-Men films was responsible for inadvertently giving Nightcrawler short shrift.
Though the character was created by Len Wein and Dave Cockrum for 1975’s Giant-Size X-Men #1, the personality of Nightcrawler that comic book fans know and love was, by and large, the creation of legendary X-Men writer Chris Claremont. In a 2019 interview with SYFY, Claremont described Nightcrawler’s core characteristics and inadvertently (or perhaps deliberately) captured the problem with Fox’s character.
The thing with Kurt is, in his heart of hearts, he wants to be Errol Flynn, he wants to be a swashbuckler, he wants to kick the living daylights out of bad guys with a sword. Actually with three swords, using his tail as well. And he wants to be a romantic lead, and he wants to save the day, and he wants to be friends with everyone.
Chris Claremont
While Fox’s X-Men films were certainly quite full of teams of X-Men, they never really felt like teams. Short of some cool scenes where the X-Men teamed up to use their powers together in some neat sequences, the writing often made the X-Men feel like a collection of individuals rather than the close-knit surrogate family they often were in the comics. For lack of a better counter-example, Fox’s X-Men never had the same family feel as James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy. No character suffered more from this than Nightcrawler who, as Claremont said, wants to be friends with everyone.
Claremont, of course, is right. Comic book Kurt is a friend and sounding board to so many of his teammates it’s hard to pinpoint just which one he means the most to. Wolverine? Storm? Colossus? Kitty? While there’s no argument that he is Wolverine’s best friend an easy argument could be made that he means just as much to the others it’s only that Wolverine’s otherwise loner status makes his relationship with Kurt seem more important. As Marvel Studios begins to outline what’s sure to be an X-Men universe within a universe, establishing a greater sense of family within the teams of X-Men should be a priority allowing for a truer portrayal of Nightcrawler’s greatest power: his love for his friends.
Avatar‘s first sequel, Avatar: The Way of Water, has hit theaters and is making quite a splash. Just yesterday night, it managed to pass the one billion mark and is likely to continue making headway with some impressive box office legs. Of course, we already know that a third entry is already on the horizon but not everything seems as set in stone as initially hoped for by everyone involved.
In an interview with The Wrap, director James Cameron reveals that they have everything mapped out up until the fifth entry of the Avatar series, but it does seem like they’re unlikely to hit their expected release dates; at least going by how Cameron hints at some uncertainties surrounding their production and wanting to give each entry a bit more time between the various sequels.
They exist. These stories exist. We know exactly what we’re doing. We know what these movies are gonna be. We just have to go through the process of getting them done. So, you know ideally two years from now, [Avatar] 3 comes out. Ideally maybe 3 years after that 4 comes out and then ideally maybe a couple years after that 5 comes out. So we won’t be away from the market place, so we’ll have that sense of a persistent world and ongoing story that I think people want. If they’re going to invest in these characters, they’re going to invest in this world, we want to give it to them in a regular cadence, ideally, and that was the game plan. That’s one of the reasons we were gone so long.
James Cameron
There’s always a risk when trying to adapt a franchise and Avatar so far has been quite the untested waters (pun intended) for Disney. It’s a high-investment franchise and if they want to make more sequels, it’ll be quite expensive to roll those out while also trying to ensure they remain profitable. As it stands, Avatar: The Way of Water seems to be heading in a good direction but no one can blame them for waiting it out a bit.
Operating under the assumption that Chastain is joining the MCU in a major, recurring, villainous role, we’re shooting the most ridiculous shot first and the logic isn’t as crazy as it may seem. If New World Order really does introduce Adamantium to the MCU, it’s likely to restart the Weapons Plus program (did it ever really stop?) and Nathaniel Essex has some pretty interesting ties to the program in the comics. Essentially immortal thanks to his work with cloning, Essex has been around since the mid-1800s and has always been interested in the study of genetics. It was the discovery of his abandoned labs during World War II that lead to the creation of the Weapons Plus Program and, over the years, Essex revisited the different iterations of the program in disguise. Sinister’s endless array of clone bodies means that he’s appeared as a woman more than once over the years under aliases such as Claudine Renko and Kate Kildare. A stretch and a longshot for sure, but with the mutant genome now present in the MCU it does seem like it’s only a matter of time before one of Marvel’s most fabulous villains enters the picture.
Karla Sofen/Moonstone
Another major, recurring villain and one that’s a little more probable for Chastain is Dr. Karla Sofen. While most fans would associate her with Captain Marvel, the character first appeared in Captain America #192. Though she later developed superpowers through exposure to the Kree Moonstone, Sofen’s psychiatric manipulation of her patients makes her dangerous and an interesting option for Chastain. Thaddeus Ross’s emergence as a villain in Captain America: New World Order is an interesting proposition because while he’s a major pain in the ass and a frustrating antagonist, he’s hardly been portrayed as an outright villain in the MCU. Interestingly enough, he and Dr. Sofen have a bit of a comic book history that includes her hypnotizing Ross. Having Ross manipulated by Sofen while Sterns orchestrates things behind the scenes seems a relatively believable scenario for Ross’s perceived villainy. Additionally, joining the MCU as Dr. Sofen for Cap 4 would also allow Chastain’s role to evolve over time. It’s not like everyone on the original Thunderbolts team is going to live forever and Moonstone would give Carol Danvers a powerful, Earth-bound foe down the road.
Rachel Leighton/Diamondback
A classic Captain America character who always had a complicated relationship with Steve Rogers, Rachel Leighton would make for an interesting double-agent type of character for Chastain to play in Captain America: New World Order. Leighton’s a sexy, seductive merc whose mission to Tiamut could have her crossing paths with Sam Wilson for whom she could cause all sorts of problems. Like Wilson, Leighton possesses no superpowers but is a highly-skilled fighter which would put Chastain in familiar territory given her work on the action thriller Ava. In the comics, she and Steve Rogers did a lot of flirting before ending up in a romantic relationship that jeopardized them both, something that could work well with Sam has he steps into a larger role as a leader.
Madame Viper
Hydra is never really gone and if they are to reemerge, it should be in a Captain America project. One of Marvel Comics most complex and fascinating female villains, taking on the role of Viper would allow Chastain to showcase her considerable range and become part of the MCU for multiple projects. Everything about Viper screams that she’s exactly the type of character to emerge from the shadows in a project subtitled New World Order. If Adamantium is truly at the center of the plot, Hydra would absolutely be involved in any efforts to take possession of it. Viper’s presence in the film could be a little nod to SecretEmpire, one of Marvel’s most controversial comic events, and Viper/Hydra has to be a top choice for the individual/organization that takes control of Tiamut by the end of the film. While rumors have Tiamut being referred to as the island of Genosha by the time Thunderbolts rolls around, remember that Hydra has its own island as well and it resides near enough to Indian Ocean in the comics that the little change wouldn’t really matter. Hail Hydra!
Monica Rappaccini
Like Hydra, A.I.M. would certainly come back out of the shadows in order to get their hands on Adamantium and they have their own history of owning a cool, bad-guy island. A.I.M. has played no real role in the MCU since Aldrich Killian ate shit in Iron Man 2, but they are far too important of an organization in the comics to disappear forever. Under new leadership from their Scientist Supreme, Monica Rappaccini, an organization such as A.I.M. would undoubtedly want to investigate the corpse of a Celestial. What could they do with their findings? Build a Super-Adaptoid, of course.
Dr. Diedre Wentworth/Superia
Similar to Monica Rappaccinni and Viper, Diedre Wentworth would be in it to get control of Tiamut and the Adamantium, however, her goal might be a touch different: Superia would use Adamantium to lead her army of Femizons to subjugate the men of the world to her rule. The Femizon leader’s misandry would put her at odds with a self-imagined alpha male like Thaddeus Ross and allow Sam to really stretch his empathic wings. Superia is another classic Cap villain who could end up causing more problems down the line.
Dr. Valerie Cooper
While not traditionally a villain, Cooper makes sense as a potential role for Chastain because of her ties to the United States government. Ross is rumored to be the President of the United States by the time Captain America: New World Order rolls around and, in the comics, Dr. Cooper worked for the NSA where her specialty was mutants. Dr. Cooper was concerned that the continuing emergence of powered mutants caused a national security threat to the United States and believed a new “arms race” was at hand. Given the Israeli mutant known as Sabra will be played in the film by Shira Haas, New World Order could be the starting point of the MCU version of the “mutant arms race” and Cooper could be working on putting together the U.S.’s own government-sanctioned mutant super team, the kind of thing a Sokovia Accords’ champion like Ross would get behind. Cooper worked on a device that would allow her to detect mutant powers, was a key member of the Commission on Superhuman Activities that claimed the title of “Captain America” belonged to the U.S. government and “fired” Steve Rogers from the job. With Sam just picking up the mantle of Captain America, having the U.S. government claim the title and fire him from the job would certainly be a rude welcome. Cooper also went on to head the Office of National Emergency (O*N*E*) which essentially served as a mutant oversight and management office. Again, while Cooper has never been a true villain, she could serve as a worthy antagonist to Sam and his allies.
If we were betting, we’d take the field over Chastain ending up playing any one of these seven characters, but they all certainly present interesting possibilities for the Oscar winner.
Captain America: New World Order has made more than its fair share of news lately as rumors of its plot have gotten fans excited about the possibilities for the 2024 film. The plot is heavily rumored to involve the discovery of Adamantium on the corpse of Tiamut, the Celestial who had been growing inside Earth and was killed in Eternals. If that’s the case, Sam Wilson’s first theatrical outing as Captain America is shaping up to be a wild ride as it will see Sam and a group of heroes foil some sort of villainous plot to obtain the Adamantium hatched by Harrison Ford‘s Thaddeus Ross, Julia Louis-Dreyfus‘ CIA Director Valentina Allegre de Fontain and Tim Blake Nelson‘s Leader. Now, a spicy new rumor sure to be a YouTube pundit pleaser has another villain joining the fray and Marvel Studios has an Oscar-winning actress in mind for the role.
Twitter user MyTimeToShineHello claims that Jessica Chastain, who as you all remember well played the memorable villain Vuk in Simon Kinberg‘s magnum opus, Dark Phoenix, is Marvel Studios’ choice for the “main villain” of Captain America: New World Order.
Jessica Chastain is being eyed to play the main villain in Captain America: New World Order.
This is a spicy rumor, to be sure, given that whatever character Marvel Studios allegedly wants Chastain to portray is now the third character that’s been described as the main villain of the film. If the film’s plot does indeed revolve around the discovery of Adamantium on Tiamut’s body, which resides in the Indian Ocean, the rumor that the film would have multiple heroes and villains does make sense, however, as it would stand to reason that governments around the world would want to get their hands on the precious metal for their own ends. Given Chastain’s prominence and the number of juicy roles she could be up for, this rumor is one worth keeping an eye on as production on Captain America: New World Order draws nearer.
It has been more than a year since Marvel Studiosreleased Eternals, a blockbuster film that has been met with a multitude of reactions from audiences and critics alike. As we commemorate the first anniversary of its release, it is fitting to reflect on the film’s production, its place within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and the creative process of its director, Chloé Zhao.
Upon its initial release, Eternals garnered 400 million dollars in revenue, cementing its success as a new franchise within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, its future within the franchise remains uncertain due to its more mature tone and lack of humorous elements, which diverge from the usual “aesthetic” of Marvel films.
Despite its financial success, the release of Eternals was not without its challenges. The film faced significant censorship in Chinese markets and faced a boycott campaign in the United States by conservative political parties due to its premise of diversity and representation. This irony is not lost on Zhao, who aimed to create a film that truly represents the diverse world we live in, a world where people of all backgrounds and experiences coexist and shape our society. In doing so, Zhao also sought to bring together a cast that represents those who are often seen as misfits, outcasts, and underdogs in mainstream media, showcasing their strength, resilience, and inherent worth. The ultimate goal was to give the audience a sense of connection to these characters, to see them not as representatives of their ethnicity or nationality, but as a loving family.
On the technical side, the flick is a masterclass in visual storytelling and technical proficiency. From the very beginning of the film, Zhao’s unique visual style is evident, as she uses a variety of techniques to draw the viewer into the world of the film.
One of the most notable aspects of Zhao’s direction is her incorporation of elements of classical cinema into the film. She frequently employs long takes and elaborate camera movements, reminiscent of the work of directors likeStanley Kubrick, to heighten the emotional impact of key moments in the film. Additionally, she incorporates elements of classical Hollywood glamour, such as glamorous costume design and sweeping, epic score, to add a sense of grandeur and timelessness to the film. These nods to the golden age of cinema lend Eternals a sense of timelessness and classicism, and further reinforce the themes of legacy and eternity that are central to the film’s narrative.
Eternals (2021)2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
Eternals has the potential to be more than just a typical superhero film and offer a deeper and more complex viewing experience. One possibility for showcasing Eternals within the MCU could be to present it as an anthology series, separate from the main MCU story, which would allow for a more in-depth exploration of the characters and world without being restricted by the overall continuity. The final decision on how to present Eternals in the MCU will depend on the filmmakers and the studio, but it is definitely an exciting possibility worth considering.
Marvel Studios’ Eternals is suddenly back in the conversation, and its possible resurgence could open quite a few doors for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. A new rumor making the rounds online has the film’s third act impacting several future MCU projects, with 2024’s Thunderbolts at the center of it all. Industry insider Daniel RPK reports that the reformed supervillain team will gather for a trip to Tiamut, the massive Celestial that froze solid in the middle of the ocean at the end of Eternals, which has since become a full-blown island. According to RPK, there’s a chance Tiamut has become a natural supplier of a valuable new resource, Adamantium, which the team and several other parties have grown an interest in. How this could potentially play out is still a mystery, but if true, it might indicate the surprise return of a major Eternals character – Ikaris.
Ikaris, portrayed by Richard Madden in his first cinematic appearance, was last seen flying directly into the sun after betraying his fellow Eternals in the name of Arishem and the Emergence. It was assumed this act of self-punishment resulted in Ikaris’ death, but as Eternals so distinctly showcased, this does not exactly spell the ultimate end of an Eternal. Created by Celestials, the Eternals are built to last, and come with a near-endless amount of backup bodies should their current form be destroyed. It’s not a stretch to imagine Ikaris will make a comeback at some point in the MCU’s next phase, even if it’s not the exact version of the cosmic warrior fans previously saw perish. In fact, if Ikaris’ body was completely melted by the intensity of Earth’s sun, it would stand to reason Arishem and the Celestials would feel there’s enough at stake to send out another Ikaris with a new mind and a new mission. Return to Earth, and protect what’s left of Tiamut.
The Celestials, or at least Arishem, are now keeping a keen eye on Earth and its people. If Tiamut is actually an unexpected means of the MCU gaining Adamantium, the Celestials could view that as an undue advancement of humanity and send Ikaris to prevent the massive changes that might come with societies claiming the alien metal as their own. Whether or not this could make Ikaris the “evil Superman” figure rumored to act as the secret villain of Thunderboltsis, of course, still unknown. Other reports have made claims for the Sentry fitting that role, starting as part of the Thunderbolts roster sent after Tiamut’s Adamantium before losing his mind and becoming the main threat of the film. Perhaps both Sentry and Ikaris will appear in the movie, becoming rivals throughout the story. After all, if Sentry is a major antagonist in the project, the Thunderbolts will need a little extra help from someone a little more powerful if they have any hope of emerging victorious.
Aside from the undeniable “cool factor” of pitting two God-like superbeings against each other, the inclusion of Ikaris in Thunderbolts could also be a very smart “big picture” move on Marvel Studios’ part. If Eternals 2 is indeed coming, and it’s truly based on the recent Judgement Day comics written by Kieron Gillen, then Ikaris’ potential role in Thunderbolts would become a very useful throughline between the Eternals and the wider MCU. Judgement Day features a conflict between the Eternals, the Avengers, and the X-Men, over new discoveries in the Eternals’ purpose and the mutants’ gene code. If Tiamut is actually destined to transform into Genosha and play a role in the impending mutant side of the MCU, having a version of Ikaris aware of the way it affects the planet would act as an excellent prelude to an Eternals: Judgement Day film. Maybe, if Marvel Studios really wanted to get crazy, they could even have Ikaris’ meddling on “Genosha” factor into the island’s mutant evolution. It’s important to remember these are all just rumors at the moment. However, the events of Eternals and the franchise’s future playing such a vital role in the MCU would be a wonderfully unexpected way to resolve the Eternals’ arc and push the greater universe forward in a creative manner.
It might not be too surprising, but it looks like Glass Onion‘s opening weekend was already quite the success for Netflix, as the film managed to pull in 82.1M hours viewed over the weekend from December 19th until 25th. Going by its total runtime of over two hours, the film was watched by around 35M households during its opening weekend.
The Knives Out sequel received a limited theatrical run, which had many scratching their heads on why they didn’t let it run for longer given it managed to pull in quite a bit of money and had a good chance of winning the weekend’s box office. Given the lack of mid-budget films in theaters, it could’ve been the one project to potentially push Netflix’s gross from its initial $450M investment for the exclusive rights to Glass Onion and its yet-to-be-filmed sequel.
Netflix also invested another $40M to get the film produced (yes, that investment did not include the actual production cost) but the film currently is slightly behind 2021’s The Unforgivable‘s opening of 85.9M. It’s on the lower end of the most popular films on the streaming service. Still, it’s a Christmas opening when most people are spending time with family and it has quite a long runtime.
One thing is clear, we’d definitely get a third Benoit Blanc sequel but the viewership numbers could be the selling point for a slew of sequels beyond just the two. While it seems unlikely that director Johnson will get his chance to get the “Knives Out Mystery” title changed, the viewership seems like a great sign for many more entries in the future.
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