Charles and Charles talk about Alfred Molina’s blatant disregard for spoilers, Jon Favreau’s return, Lucy Liu joining Shazam! 2 and more!
Tag: Spider-Man
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‘Spider-Man: Miles Morales’ Outsold ‘The Last of Us: Part II’ and ‘Ghost of Tsushima’
Here’s a curious showcase of staying power. The original Spider-Man game from 2018 was a massive success for PlayStation and Insomniac. Sony reported that it had already sold nine million copies worldwide by November after releasing in September of the same year. It beat out Naughty Dog’s Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, which held the record at 8.7 million. It didn’t stop there as it managed to continue to grow to sell 20 million copies since. Of course, the pressure is up for their follow-up, Spider-Man: Miles Morales, to perform similarly. Well, it looks like the game has been a mainstay in many people’s shopping lists.
Initially, the game sold 4.1 million in seven weeks. It wasn’t quite as high as its predecessor, but it saw a considerable boost during Christmas. Now, the game was launched alongside the PlayStation 5’s international launch and there seemed to be a heavy correlation between the two. NPD released sales data for March of 2021, which revealed that the game is still sticking to the top five positions. It has now sold more than other PlayStation exclusives The Last of Us: Part II and Ghost of Tsushima. The fact that PlayStation 5 remains the fast-selling U.S. console helps boost the continuous sales of the Spidey spin-off. Executive Director of the NPD Group, Mat Piscatella, shared their latest numbers on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/MatPiscatella/status/1383042822601777156?s=20
March has been a great year overall. Newcomers to Monster Hunter: Rise and Outriders, who have seen exceptional sales even with the release on Xbox Games Pass, had a great start into the sales charts. There were some returning champions, such as Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time getting new legs from 65th placement back into the top 15. Marvel’s Avengers also saw a good bump from 16th into the top ten on Xbox. Overall, it looks like Miles Morales won’t be stopping anytime soon and could potentially even surpass the 2018 original sales. It’ll be interesting to see how the sequel to the original will perform once it eventually releases.
Source: Venture Beat, Essentially Sports, Games Industry, NPD March, Games Industry (NPD), GameRant, Venture Beat (NPD), Twitter
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Alfred Molina Confirms Involvement with ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ And Shares First Set Details
Spider-Man: No Way Home might be the worst kept secret. We’ve seen countless reports on what characters are returning in their respective roles. Through various leaks, we learned that many of the iconic characters from past Spider-Man franchises will make a grand return in one way or another. One of the first to break was the return of Alfred Molina as Doctor Octopus in the threequel. Now, it seems he gave up on keeping the secret, as he talked with Variety on his role in Promising Young Woman:
When we were shooting it, we were all under orders not to talk about it, because it was supposed to be some great big secret. But, you know, it’s all over the internet. I actually described myself as the worst kept secret in Hollywood
So, he just went out of his way to confirm his involvement. Luckily, he even gave some insight about how it was returning to his role and reflecting on the fact he hasn’t played the character in almost 17 years.
It was wonderful. It was very interesting going back after 17 years to play the same role, given that in the intervening years, I now have two chins, a wattle, crow’s feet, and a slightly a slightly dodgy lower back.
He even revealed that director Jon Watts confirmed that his character is picking up where he died in the original Spider-Man 2. After tampering with a fusion reactor that was about to blow, he sacrifices his life to save his former student and New York City. What stands out in the interview is that he confirms Doc Ock will be de-aged in the film after he questioned how they would continue his story now that he is 67. The actor even references The Irishman, as he feared that he may look young but not able to move fast enough. Luckily, the good doctor has some helpers to keep him moving around without a problem.
I then remembered that it’s the tentacles that do all the work! My basic physical move as Doc Ock, as the actor, is just this. I just do that a lot, and the arms are doing all the killing and smashing and breaking. I’m just going —” he glared again — “with a kind of mean look on my face.
It sounds really exciting and that they considered the differences between the last times they played these characters. Now, the question is how this will tie into the universe and why Doc Ock will return from the dead. His teases offer our first real glimpse into what happened on the set. Now, we will wonder how it will all tie together.
Source: Variety, Variety (Interview)
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How ‘Falcon and the Winter Soldier’ Opened Darker Avenues for MCU’s Legacy Characters
The following article will include spoilers for the latest episode of Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Only continue at your own risk if you haven’t seen it yet.
Marvel Studios has made an essential move with the latest episode of Falcon and the Winter Soldier. At one point, it was going to be the first Disney+ show based on the Marvel Cinematic Universe to release. As fate wanted it, WandaVision took over that position and gave us a very experimental series exploring grief through unconventional ways. It opened up the question of what Sam and Bucky’s story might add to expand the ever-expanding world. The latest episode may have set a new potential within the universe that could echo throughout other shows and films. We were introduced to the first legacy character to go off the deep end.
The MCU is no stranger to the concept of legacy characters. Hank Pym passed on the mantle of Ant-Man to Scott Lang to ensure his research wouldn’t fall into the wrong hands. Lang was a thief, but he was a good person at heart. The entire point of Spider-Man: Far From Home was for Spider-Man to escape the legacy that the world was trying to force upon him. In a way, he was his protégé. It made sense that he could take on the mantle, but he was Spider-Man, not Iron Man. Avengers: Endgame was the first official passing of a torch when Steve gave Sam his shield.
Yet, just like Peter, Sam didn’t want the legacy. His unwillingness led to the mantle landing in the hands of John Walker. In reality, it landed in the hands of the government. It was a new legacy getting continued without any involvement of the old. John Walker didn’t know or interact with Steve. There is a reason he wanted Sam to join his side. He’s not carrying the legacy of the person. In his hands is only the symbol. They don’t have much say in their carrier. They can easily become a means to an end. Yet, they also have weight. Without the guidance of those that came before, it can easily pull one down. It was very evident that the title of Captain America did that.
The echoes of this misdeed will besmirch the shield and what it stands for. Yet, it also sets a precedent that the heroes’ iconic titles aren’t safe. Kate Bishop’s upcoming role in Hawkeye does not exclude the possibility of her facing some demons along the way. It won’t be as easy as Scott stealing the suit and getting welcomed to take on the role long-term. It’ll be a harrowing journey for some. It also opens up the possibility that not every legacy character will carry on the mantle in a positive light. We’ve been theorizing that Black Widow would see Florence Pugh‘s Yelena Belova take on Natasha’s title. Yet, it doesn’t mean she will become an Avenger. She may have a darker road ahead of her than we might expect at first. Her paths might even cross with this newly formed agent of the United States.
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Netflix Will Become Sony Pictures’ Exclusive Streaming Home
It looks like we won’t be getting a Sony streaming service shortly. According to IndieWire, Sony Pictures and Netflix have made a deal to turn Netflix into their exclusive streaming home as of 2022. Its upcoming films like Venom: Let There Be Carnage, Morbius, Uncharted, and Bullet Train will be heading directly to Netflix after they left theaters and are released physically. They’ve also inked a first-look deal. So, we will see more Netflix Originals produced by Sony. It’s another massive gain for the streaming service after crossing the 200M subscriber mark and purchasing the Knives Out sequels. Netflix’s Head of Global Films, Scott Stuber, gave the following statement:
Sony Pictures is a great partner and we are thrilled to expand our relationship through this forward-thinking agreement. This not only allows us to bring their impressive slate of beloved film franchises and new IP to Netflix in the U.S., but it also establishes a new source of first run films for Netflix movie lovers worldwide.
Now, there is one big question mark that hangs over everyone’s head, and that is how this will affect Sony’s relationship with Disney. The current live-action Spider-Man films are co-produced by the studios. Marvel Studios tackles the creative output so that it aligns with their Marvel Cinematic Universe. It may not directly affect their production, but it does mean that the latest adaptations won’t be available on Disney+ anytime soon. There is a chance that they might make an additional deal and share the rights, but anything is game in the current streaming wars. Deadline confirms that the Spider-Man installments are part of the deal. So, it doesn’t look like the wall-crawler will be available on Disney+ anytime soon for the foreseeable future.
Source: IndieWire
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‘SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME’ Set Photo Reveals a Key Location in the Threequel
Principal photography on Spider-Man: No Way Home has wrapped but there are still bread crumbs to be found in the Atlanta area. Today the Twitter account of Houston Coley posted an interesting prop that was left behind on set:
https://twitter.com/Blockbustedpod/status/1379182613890539533?s=19
The prop combines the iconic Statue of Liberty with the less-than-equally-but-still-pretty-damn-iconic shield of Captain America. The shield’s legacy is currently front and center in Marvel Studios Disney Plus streaming series, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, so seeing it front and center on this prop in a film that should chronologically follow the series is interesting! It’s great to see NYC’s most recognizable landmark make its way into this film and we’ve been told that it will serve as the backdrop for a KEY scene in the film, so this is more than just a throw-away prop! Great catch, Houston!
Spider-Man: No Way Home swings into theaters on December 17, 2021!
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90s ‘Spider-Man: The Animated Series’ Voice Actor Rumored for ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’ Sequel
It looks like the 90s kids might get their Spider-Man back. That Hashtag Show reports that Christopher Daniel Barnes, who voiced the web-slinger in the 1994 Spider-Man: The Animated Series, will be coming back for Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse 2. The report says the actor will only return for a small part. His role in the much-anticipated sequel will reportedly only amount to a few scenes, which make up around no more than five-to-ten minutes of screen time.
Nonetheless, it should be a thrill for fans of the cult classic animated series to see their Spider-Man back in action. Barnes was the voice of one of the most popular Marvel characters for nearly a decade. He will surely be welcomed back with open arms if the rumor turns out to be true. Spider-Man: The Animated Series ran for five seasons, which are all available on Disney+. It was the precedent for an entire animated universe that adapted the world of Marvel. Many former viewers have expressed their desire to see Barnes return to the role in the past.
He came back to voice the Noir version of the character in the video game Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions but didn’t return to the role since. Into the Spider-Verse 2 has the potential to bring back many fan-favorite versions of Spider-Man, and Barnes’s version of the character might be the beginning of a new and exciting line-up. Around two months ago, we reported that it seemed like The Spot would join the film as the main antagonist. So, we might see one of the Spider-Mans’ most insane stories yet that will continue to expand the Spider-Verse.
Source: That Hashtag Show
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No Seriously, There’s Going to Be Carnage Eventually, We Promise: Sony Bumps ‘VENOM’ Sequel By One Week
Despite having wrapped production prior to the pandemic, Sony’s follow-up to 2017’s Venom has yet to be seen and, yesterday, got just a little further away. After originally being set for an October 2020 release, Venom: Let There Be Carnage moved to June 2021 before recently getting pushed back to September 17, 2021. Now, the studio has slightly adjusted the date again, moving the Tom Hardy vehicle to September 24, 2021.
The sequel is set to see Hardy reprise his role as Eddie Brock/Venom with Woody Harrelson back in an expanded role as serial killer Cletus Kasaday. The film was directed by Andy Serkis, who recently teased we might get a first look at the project sometime soon.
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Latest ‘Spider-Man: Miles Morales’ Update Includes a New Free Suit
Here’s an interesting little update. We’ve been talking a lot about Marvel’s Avengers game until now, but it looks like the other 2020 Marvel game, Spider-Man: Miles Morales, is getting some more love. Insomniac and Marvel Games took to Twitter to announce that the upcoming patch will include a nice little bonus suit. As shown in the tweet below, we will get the Advanced Tech Suit, which combines Miles’ iconic color scheme with a more technologically advanced version. It seems inspired by Peter Parker’s Anti-Ock Suit from the first Insomniac Spider-Man game.
The Spider-Man games have been incredible at adapting iconic costumes. The latest remaster of the first game even added some new skins. Of course, Peter Parker has a long history in the comics and live-action. So, they were able to include a long list of costumes that we’ve seen throughout our childhood. Miles Morales may be a recent addition, but he also includes some incredible costumes. Insomniac has also included some great-looking original costumes, which they continue with the latest free inclusion. I always like how the designers play around with the iconic Spider symbol by making them feel more distinct with each suit. It’ll be interesting to see what the next Spider-Man game might surprise us with.
Source: Twitter
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Tom Holland Confirms ‘SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME’ Production Wraps Today
At the moment, much is being speculated about the story this film is meant to tell. Many believe that we’ll see Peter Parker on the run from the law as he tries to clear his name for the accusations against him regarding the “murder” of Quentin Beck aka Mysterio in Spider-Man: Far From Home. After months of following rigorous safety guidelines and health protocols, Spider-Man: No Way Home has reached its final day of production. The news was confirmed via a social media post by Tom Holland via an Instagram story.
The film will be quite the beast, as it may reintroduce Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock. Others have now begun to suspect that the film will delve into the multiverse, as Benedict Cumberbatch is confirmed to return as Doctor Strange in a mentor role. Jamie Foxx is reprising his role as Electro and Alfred Molina as Doctor Octavius has also been revealed. That wasn’t the end, as more theories started to grow when Willem Dafoe and Thomas Hayden Church were rumored to appear in this film. Just recently, Andrew Garfield‘s stunt double, William Spencer, seemingly leaked his involvement in the upcoming Spider-Man feature. However, even with all the speculation, the film has managed to keep much of its plot under wraps. Even Tom Holland has been behaving and hasn’t leaked anything for now. We still have some time before it releases on December 17, 2021, but it is slowly turning into a must-watch for the year.
Source: Instagram
