And in the case of at least the first (though possibly both), they will also boast the voice of ‘Get Out’, and ‘Nope’ actor Daniel Kaluuya, who plays Spider-Punk.
Kaluuya, of course, is already a veteran of the main MCU (to which Sony’s Spider-Verse movies don’t yet directly connect), having played W’Kabi in 2018’s ‘Black Panther’.
The new movies continue the adventures of Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) and Spider-Gwen (Hailee Steinfeld) as they combat threats from across the Spider-Verse.
Alongside the returning heroes, we’ll see more from Spider-Man 2099 (AKA Miguel O’Hara, voiced by Oscar Isaac) and meet the likes of Jessica Drew/Spider-Woman), played by Issa Rae.
Marvel Comics Spider-Punk. Photo courtesy of Marvel.com
Spider-Punk, AKA Hobart “Hobie” Brown, is a more recent Marvel Comics arrival, created by writer Dan Slott and artist Olivier Coipel in 2015 via ‘The Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 3’ #10.
He’s described as a homeless teenager who becomes a hero to the oppressed citizens of New York in his dimensional universe.
On the villainous side, there is a deep cut from within Spidey’s rogues’ gallery.
Voiced by Jason Schwartzman, The Dot will feature a character design meant to call to mind an unfinished sketch, featuring blue construction lines that evoke a comic book artist’s rough drawing before the work goes to an inker. The design itself will evolve over the course of the film as the character changes and grows, taking on a more fearsome shape as he learns to better apply his own powers.
There will also be an appearance from more familiar The Vulture; though not the Michael Keaton character from ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’ and other live-action movies. Instead, this will be a different dimension’s version, voiced by Jorma Taccone.
Aside from the knowledge that our heroes will have to face off against those villains (and, likely some characters yet to be revealed), the story for both of the sequel movies remains largely a mystery. But given the continued presence of Lord and Miller in particular, we’re anticipating an inventive, funny, emotional and visually wild ride across the two films.
We’ll have to wait for ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ as it won’t land in theaters until June 2nd next year. And ‘Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse’ is even further away, arriving on March 29th, 2024.
Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) takes on The Spot (Jason Schwartzman) in Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation’s ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.’
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(L to R) Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Brad Pitt in Sony Pictures’ ‘Bullet Train.’
‘Bullet Train’, which opens in theaters today, looks to add some violent fun to a summer movie season that hasn’t had too many original films on its schedule.
Which isn’t to say that the movie is completely original, as Zak Olkewicz’ script adapts Kôtarô Isaka’s novel ‘Maria Beetle’.
Anchored by a laconic but funny performance from Brad Pitt, ‘Bullet Train’ is the story of Ladybug, an assassin who got out of the game and sought out a therapist after bad luck seemed to haunt his every job. Now, he’s back and looking for a relatively easier job for his first new assignment.
(L to R) Brad Pitt and Sandra Bullock star in ‘Bullet Train.’ Photo: Scott Garfield. Copyright (C) 2022 CTMG. All Rights Reserved.
His handler, Maria (Sandra Bullock, who is primarily heard over a phone line) assures him that grabbing a briefcase from a bullet train and getting off at the next station should offer him no real challenge.
Of course, it doesn’t work out that way at all. Turns out, the briefcase has connections to the kidnapping of a lethal crime lord’s son (Michael Shannon is the boss known as “White Death”, while Logan Lerman is his slacker kid), and a variety of other assassins.
Prime among them are Lemon (Brian Tyree Henry) and Tangerine (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), adoptive siblings who are also two of the most notorious hitmen around, who have rescued Lerman’s character and retrieved the ransom money – which is in the briefcase Ladybug has been sent to grab.
Elsewhere on the train is Kimura (Andrew Koji), looking for revenge on the person who injured his son, The Prince (Joey King), a young woman who uses her youth as a weapon as much as any gun or knife, The Wolf (Benito A Martínez Ocasio), with his own vengeful quest and The Hornet (Zazie Beetz), with a specific target for her poisonous talents.
Brad Pitt stars in ‘Bullet Train.’ Photo: Scott Garfield. Copyright: (C) 2022 CTMG. All Rights Reserved.
With Leitch in charge of the chaos (it’s worth remembering that he, along with Chad Stahelski, helped turn Keanu Reeves into a badass assassin for the first ‘John Wick’ movie), ‘Bullet Train’ is naturally crammed with inventive action. Leitch has spent his career performing stunts, coordinating them and now directing them and he knows how to craft a fun sequence that in places has echoes of Jackie Chan’s use of props as weapons.
There has also clearly been a lot of training involved, so the cast (and their stunt teams) throw themselves into the various fights and plot turns. It’s diverting to see the likes of Brian Tyree Henry, not normally known for his action work, give it their all.
Leitch and co., meanwhile have built a slick-looking set that keeps the action condensed and focused, cinematographer Jonathan Sela’s camera roaming the aisles and, later in the movie, heading outside the train to follow the combat as characters
Where it all goes off the rails (literally, at one point) is in the characters. Though some are handed backgrounds (Taylor-Johnson and Henry in particular), mostly the movie lets fists fill in the details.
(L to R) Bryan Tyree Henry and Aaron Taylor-Johnson star in Sony’s ‘Bullet Train.’ Photo: Scott Garfield.
The problem with prioritizing fight scenes over story is that the latter can’t completely carry the former, and when you have an entire sequence explaining how a water bottle came to be crucial to the plot and yet seems to rely on coincidence to make it work, you’re in trouble.
This is a movie that is all surface and little substance, and while that’s not the sort of dilemma that troubles summer movie audiences too much, ‘Bullet Train’ starts to feel like a numbing collection of traits, quirks and insults, like a movie conceived by some teenagers who figured they could write the ultimate script with all the stabbing, shooting, punches and kicks they could put into one movie.
Cliches crop up all over the place, including the henchman who show up at every station to threaten Ladybug and co., snarling about handing over the briefcase (which serves as a McGuffin in more ways than one).
And given the Japanese setting, it leans heavily on cliched iconography and the movie is relatively light on Asian faces. When they do appear, they’re given stereotypical roles and dialogue, while the Westerners (there a few fake British accents here among the Americans) get the lion’s share of the screen time.
(L to R) Bryan Tyree Henry and Brad Pitt star Sony’s in ‘Bullet Train.’ Photo: Scott Garfield.
Everyone is clearly having a blast beating each other up or figuring out how to survive as the train speeds to its destination, but while that’s fun for a while, it doesn’t always translate to the whole journey of the movie.
Pitt makes a solid stab at breathing life into Ladybug, who is obsessed with fate and luck, and really would rather not get into scraps (but is very adept when he does). And his chemistry with old real-life friend Bullock overcomes the fact that she’s largely off screen.
Likewise Taylor-Johnson and Henry, who generate real squabbling sibling energy but can’t quite make their characters feel more than archetypes. And King (despite some accent issues) makes for a cold, calculating killer.
Shannon gets to parlay his steely menace effectively, making the most of a relatively brief screen time allotment.
Brad Pitt stars in ‘Bullet Train.’ Photo: Scott Garfield. Copyright:(C) 2022 CTMG. All Rights Reserved.
The likes of Ocasio (normally found performing in the music sphere as Bad Bunny) and Hiroyuki Sanada (who plays Koji’s character’s father) are largely wasted in nothing roles.
There are also a couple of big celebrity cameos that we won’t spoil here, and the reveal of Beetz’ character is at least entertaining.
Imagine a crossbreed of Guy Ritchie’s repartee-filled early gangster films with the sort of action-heavy titles for which Leitch has become known and you’ve got the idea for this movie. Some of the comedy works, and a lot of the fight scenes are great, but ‘Bullet Train’ runs out of steam.
‘Bullet Train’ receives 3 out of 5 stars.
Brad Pitt stars in ‘Bullet Train.’ Photo: Scott Garfield. Copyright: (C) 2022 CTMG. All Rights Reserved.
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The movie stars Oscar winner Brad Pitt as Ladybug, an assassin tasked by his handler (Sandra Bullock) with retrieving a valuable briefcase from a bullet train leaving from Tokyo to Kyoto.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Brad Pitt, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Bryan Tyree Henry about their work on ‘Bullet Train,’ their wild characters, and working together on the movie.
(L to R) Brad Pitt and Aaron Taylor-Johnson in Sony’s ‘Bullet Train.’ Photo: Scott Garfield.
You can read our full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Brad Pitt, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Bryan Tyree Henry, Hiroyuki Sanada, and director David Leitch.
Moviefone: To begin with, Brad your character in the film, Ladybug, believes he’s unlucky. But some would say that he’s actually very lucky and it’s really just all about perspective. What was your perspective on Ladybug?
Brad Pitt: I think you just nailed it. Thank you very much, that was so easy. Yeah, that’s it. I can’t say it any better. He’s just a bit of a whiner.
MF: Your character has a very peaceful approach to his mission. In real life, how does Brad Pitt maintain peace in his life?
BP: I don’t know. Peace. That is the old struggle, isn’t it? I don’t know. I just got some lovely friends. I try to stay in nature. I try to stay creative. I try to stay centered and just relax.
Brian Tyree Henry: It takes a village to raise a Brad Pitt. It’s all hands-on deck. See, you got to make sure that he’s centered. You want to make sure he is taking his vitamins.
MF: Is that what it’s like working on a Brad Pitt movie?
BP: Yeah. They’d give me pep talks when I get down. They’d come up and go, it’s all right, buddy. You got this. I’d go, “Thanks, man.” They were really supportive.
BTH: We really were there for him, man. He’s incredibly needy.
BP: That’s true. I’m a delicate flower, and it’s in my contract too.
(L to R) Bryan Tyree Henry and Aaron Taylor-Johnson star in Sony’s ‘Bullet Train.’ Photo: Scott Garfield. Copyright: (C) 2022 CTMG. All Rights Reserved.
MF: Brian, your character and Aaron’s character are partners in the film and referred to as “the twins.’ Can you talk about their working relationship together?
BTH: You know what, man? I lucked out in the hugest way to have a co-star like Aaron Taylor-Johnson. He was the most amazing scene partner to have and the chemistry between he and I was immediate once we met. David Leitch let us play around with the relationship between Lemon and Tangerine, because we found that between Aaron and me. We just really got along and really cared about each other, so we wanted the audience to go along with that.
We wanted the audience to feel that. We just played. Honestly, I think that characters that you see really caring about each other and having such a good time, it’s undeniable that you have to go along with them. So, that’s what we wanted to bring to both of them because that’s who we were. We were very carefree and wanted to have fun.
MF: Finally, Aaron what was it like for you working with Brad Pitt?
Aaron Taylor-Johnson: I love this man, honestly. It was important for us. But it was also really rare. That doesn’t happen often, but we clicked instantaneously, and it was just magic. This guy’s beautiful.
BP: These guys are so funny in this movie.
(L to R) Bryan Tyree Henry and Brad Pitt star Sony’s in ‘Bullet Train.’ Photo: Scott Garfield.
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Brad Pitt stars in ‘Bullet Train.’ Photo: Scott Garfield. Copyright: (C) 2022 CTMG. All Rights Reserved.
If you’re an assassin by trade, can you really claim that it’s bad luck that people keep dying around you? If you’re Brad Pitt’s character in upcoming action comedy thriller ‘Bullet Train’, you might actually have a point.
The latest trailer for the movie is now online and is full of all the Pitt vs. assassin action you could hope for. It opens with Pitt’s Ladybug – a title given to him by his handle, Maria Beetle (Sandra Bullock), in the hopes that it might mean good luck – ticking off the ways that previous gigs have gone badly wrong. And even times when he’s not actively trying to murder someone, the bodies keep piling up. He’s stressed and looking for a less death-laden life.
Dispatched on what would seem to be a routine, relatively harmless mission to pick up an important briefcase on a Bullet Train in Japan, Ladybug hopes for a quieter time of things. Fate, however, may have other plans, as this latest job puts him on a collision course with lethal adversaries from around the globe – all with connected, yet conflicting, objectives – on the world’s fastest train… And he’s got to figure out how to get off.
Cue fists flying, swords swinging and Pitt nailing Aaron Tylor-Johnson with a bottle of fizzy water. Taylor-Johnson plays Tangerine, one half of a deadly duo with Brian Tyree Henry’s Lemon, with the pair after the very same suitcase. And they are not the only dangerous passengers onboard.
With David Leitch, the stuntman-turned-filmmaker who kickstarted his directing career with ‘John Wick’ and has since made movies including ‘Atomic Blonde’ and ‘Deadpool 2’ in charge here, the movie looks stylish and slyly funny, especially that moment in the quiet car (and Pitt punching a mascot who refuses to give up the case).
And, because this is Leitch we’re talking about, you can naturally expect a lot of inventive action within the cramped confines of the train, as his 87 Eleven stunt team goes to work finding new ways to create chaos.
There’s also a hint that Pitt and some of others (those left standing by the time the train reaches its destination) might actually end up joining forces to combat Shannon’s murderous men. It’s certainly more dangerous than the threat of a cancelled train or a blocked toilet stinking up a whole carriage.
‘Bullet Train’ will pull into theaters on August 5th.
(L to R) Brad Pitt and Sandra Bullock star in ‘Bullet Train.’ Photo: Scott Garfield. Copyright (C) 2022 CTMG. All Rights Reserved.Brad Pitt stars in ‘Bullet Train.’ Photo: Scott Garfield. Copyright: (C) 2022 CTMG. All Rights Reserved.Brad Pitt stars in ‘Bullet Train.’ Photo: Scott Garfield. Copyright: (C) 2022 CTMG. All Rights Reserved.
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You might have seen the sneaky teaser for new Brad Pitt-starring action thriller ‘Bullet Train’, which purported to be a commercial for Japanese train service Nippon Speed Line. The full trailer has now arrived, which is much more a traditional promo for the movie.
Yes, while the teaser gave itself away earlier thanks to Pitt’s voice-over and his bruised appearance late on, the new trailer offers no such trickery. We’re introduced to his character, an assassin who seems to be tired of the killer life.
In contact with Sandra Bullock’s Maria Beetle, who appears to be his handler, Pitt’s Ladybug is complaining that every time he goes to work, someone dies. Dispatched on what would seem to be a routine, relatively harmless mission to pick up an important briefcase on a Bullet Train in Japan, he hopes for a quieter time of things.
(L to R) Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Brad Pitt in Sony Pictures’ ‘Bullet Train.’
Unbeknownst to him, the deadly duo Tangerine and Lemon are also after the very same suitcase, and they are not the only dangerous passengers onboard.
Satoshi, “the Prince,” with the looks of an innocent school child and the mind of a viciously cunning psychopath, is also in the mix and has history with some of the others. Risk fuels him as does a good philosophical debate… like, is killing really wrong? Chasing the Prince is another assassin with a score to settle for the time the Prince casually pushed a young boy off of a roof, leaving him comatose.
When the five assassins discover they are all on the same train, they realize their missions are not as unrelated as they first appear.
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Cue fists flying, swords swinging and Pitt nailing Aaron Tylor-Johnson with a bottle of fizzy water.
With David Leitch, the stuntman-turned-filmmaker who kickstarted his directing career with ‘John Wick’ and has since made movies including ‘Atomic Blonde’ and ‘Deadpool 2’ in charge here, the movie looks stylish and slyly funny, especially that moment in the quiet car. Plus, the trailer is scored to a Japanese cover of “Staying Alive,” which offers a big nod to the tone that the director’s setting here.
(L to R) Brian Tyree Henry and Brad Pitt in Sony Pictures’ ‘Bullet Train.’
And, because this is Leitch we’re talking about, you can naturally expect a lot of inventive action within the cramped confines of the train, as his 87 Eleven stunt team goes to work finding new ways to create chaos.
Pitt’s never one to shy away from throwing himself into action (he’ll be in even spoofier form – and once again working with Sandra Bullock – in ‘The Lost City’, due on March 25), but this looks like another level for him.
‘Bullet Train’ will pull into theaters on July 15. The big question is, who will survive and what will be left of them? Which is not something you usually hear on an Amtrak train.
Brad Pitt in Sony Pictures’ ‘Bullet Train.’
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Brad Pitt in Sony’s ‘Bullet Train.’ Photo Courtesy of YouTube.
When is a commercial for a relaxed-looking transportation service not a commercial for a relaxed-looking transportation service? When it’s very clearly also a viral marketing video for new action thriller ‘Bullet Train.’
And how do we know this? Why don’t we think this is simply Brad Pitt in one of those famous commercials featuring a Hollywood star pitching a product to Asian audiences they hope Western eyes never see? Because A) Pitt is the star of ‘Bullet Train’ and B) it’s about a Bullet Train, which is about a big a clue as you could possibly ask for.
Yes, while this purports to promise a smooth ride and a comfortable journey, the quick glimpse at Pitt’s battered face near the end is a real giveaway. Plus, you can imagine that fake train company Nippon Speed Line is the carrier on whose train major mayhem will break out.
‘Bullet Train’, which is on track to arrive this summer via Sony, has a script from ‘Fear Street Part 2’ writer Zak Olkewicz, who adapts Kôtarô Isaka’s novel ‘Maria Beetle’. While the movie has yet to post an official synopsis, we can intuit some of what may make it to screen based on the book’s plot description.
Nanao, nicknamed Lady Bird — the self-proclaimed “unluckiest assassin in the world” — boards a bullet train from Tokyo to Morioka with one simple task: grab a suitcase and get off at the next stop. Unbeknownst to him, the deadly duo Tangerine and Lemon are also after the very same suitcase, and they are not the only dangerous passengers onboard.
Satoshi, “the Prince,” with the looks of an innocent schoolboy and the mind of a viciously cunning psychopath, is also in the mix and has history with some of the others. Risk fuels him as does a good philosophical debate… like, is killing really wrong? Chasing the Prince is another assassin with a score to settle for the time the Prince casually pushed a young boy off of a roof, leaving him comatose.
When the five assassins discover they are all on the same train, they realize their missions are not as unrelated as they first appear.
David Leitch, the stuntman-turned-filmmaker, has a reputation for inventive action, and we can’t wait to see how he pulled off the set-pieces in the tight confines of a train carriage while also observing pandemic protocols. And was the craft service in the restaurant car? Enquiring minds and all that.
The March 2nd date suggests the trailer is due next Wednesday. Assuming there are no problems with the route, ‘Bullet Train’ should chug into theaters on July 15. Best get your tickets in order.
Drowning in too many characters, convoluted plotting and disappointingly bad visuals, Chloé Zhao’s ‘Eternals,’ based on comic book characters created by Jack Kirby in 1976, follows a group of immortal aliens who have spent the last seven thousand years protecting the humans of Earth from evil, primitive, animalistic creatures called Deviants. They seemingly accomplish their mission, forcing the Deviants into extinction. As the film progresses the group learns more about the true nature of their mission, the Deviants return, bigger and badder than ever, and the heroes must learn to face the most human of all traits: free will.
Zhao’s cast is filled with mostly character actors who finally get an A-list treatment. At the center is Gemma Chan as an empathetic Sersi who can manipulate matter through physical contact. Chan is an intriguing actress who often brings complex emotions to her characters, so the casting is apt, though unfortunately the film rarely allows her the time to feel like a true protagonist. Same goes for Richard Madden, as her sometime love interest Ikaris, who much like in Greek mythology can fly, but also harbors some dark secrets. Madden is all brooding looks, an immortal Superman-esque sadboy.
Much hype was made of Kumail Nanjiani‘s physical transformation as Kingo, who can shoot cosmic energy from his hands, and for the last hundred or so years, has built himself up as an acting dynasty in Bollywood. Nanjiani is the actor best suited for the witty banter that has become a trademark of the MCU, but much of his one-liners land flat amongst a cast ill-prepared to match him snap for snap. Bollywood mainstay Harish Patel often steals the show as Kingo’s manager Karun, who is effortlessly funny, yet also adds some much-needed poignancy to the film’s more emotionally urgent moments.
Brian Tyree Henry does the best he can as Phastos, a scientist and the MCU’s first openly queer character. It’s a pity that he has absolutely no chemistry with his on-screen husband, and is mostly strapped with fairly hetreonormative ideas of queer life. In perhaps the film’s most absolutely ill-conceived scene, not only does he blame his technology for the bombing of Hiroshima, Zhao shoots the sequence with him being comforted amongst the bleak, blasted remains of thousands of nameless Japanese.
Also, for a film touted as queer representation, Zhao’s insistence on pairing off all the Eternals into heteronormative couplings, as if the only outcome of spending thousands of years together is that the male-presenting and female-presenting immortal beings will eventually end up together, feels like a slap in the face. I’d almost rather go back to a sexless MCU than this aggressive heteronormativity.
The biggest disappointment in terms of untapped potential is Barry Keoghan as Druig, who can manipulate the minds of others. Keoghan is a once-in-a-generation presence on screen. There is currently no one doing unsettling like him, and you can see glimmers of what makes him such a beguiling presence on screen every so often. Yet it seems Zhao is determined to damper the unique energies of her performers, to turn down their shine until they all feel like a similar shade of bland.
Lia McHugh plays Sprite, a pixie who can project life-like illusions but is forever trapped in the body of a pre-teen girl. There’s an episode of ‘Highlander: The Series’ that is more nuanced in the way it explores what it’s like to be an immortal child, if you’re interested in seeing this story done well. We’ve also got the MCU’s first deaf character in Makkari (Lauren Ridloff), who can run really, really fast. That’s pretty much all we get to know about her. Also, she’s after some green tablet, but we never find out what its significance is.
Then there is Salma Hayek, at the helm of the group, as Ajak. She communicates with their leaders, the Celestials, and has hidden the true nature of their mission from the heroes. She’s also barely given anything to do beyond a few stern speeches to her team. How you waste a star like Hayek would be the biggest mystery in the film if it didn’t also star Angelina Jolie. How can you cast a star with her megawattage as Athena – here called simply Thena – the goddess of war, and make her so dull is truly one for the ages. Aiming for shell-shocked and wise, Jolie’s performance is undercut every time she begins to do something remotely interesting, as Zhao’s camera cuts away to something else. Even her connection with fellow Eternal Gilgamesh (Don Lee) is so undercooked it’s hard to see why he’d sacrifice anything for her, and later why she’d be moved to seek revenge for him.
Hampered by too many characters, the plot is equally underdeveloped beyond the major beats. After learning the true purpose of their existence, suddenly our heroes have a ticking clock set before the actual end of the world. This is where American exceptionalism becomes human exceptionalism, and the safety of our planet is weighed as more important than thousands of other civilizations waiting to be born. Okay. Sure. I guess that makes sense when all the terrible things humans have actually done to the planet, like the melting of the ice caps, are easily explained away by the Celestials’ actions. It’s easier to see us as better than we are when there’s a big bad out there in space actually to blame.
More disappointing than any of the ham-fisted plotting or underdeveloped characterization, is the filmmaking itself. The stunning compositions and natural light that permeate Zhao’s earlier films made with long-time cinematographer Joshua James Richards are rendered flat under the weight of the Marvel house style, mostly lensed by Ben Davis. Even the shots in South Dakota have none of the majesty we know Zhao and Richards have brought to the location in the past. How everything that felt fresh and unique and uncompromising in her earlier films is completely lacking in this film serves as a testament to how important the collaboration between director and cinematographer can truly be.
Ultimately, ‘Eternals’ is a story about how empathy is the greatest strength of all, unfortunately that lesson is hampered by the physical strength-based action set pieces on which the MCU has built its style. One can only hope this is a failure solely based on Zhao being the wrong filmmaker to work within the confines of the Marvel machine, and not a sign of things to come from her in the future.
Marvel’s ‘Eternals’ brings together the most cosmic team the studio has ever introduced! If you thought the Guardians of the Galaxy were out there, welcome to the Celestials! Coming from the pages of 1970s and the mind of legendary Jack Kirby. But who are the Eternals? We’ve put together some details to get up to speed on the new team in ‘Eternals.’ A quick note, unless stated, every character was first introduced in The Eternals (1976) written by Jack Kirby.
Sersi is the Eternal who wields magic, similar to ‘Doctor Strange,’ just immensely more powerful. A master in the art of illusions and transmutation, which makes her most likely one of the bigger threats in the group. Seeing as the Eternals were made to watch over humanity, it’s safe to say that Sersi has heard of the “Sorcerer Supreme.”
Ikaris is a hands-on type, at least when it comes to a fighting. He uses his superhuman strength and even shoots energy beams from his eyes (or sometimes considered disintegration beams, as the trailers show them in action). In the comics, he’s the Eternal that’s seemingly always ready to jump into battle, maybe even a bit of a showoff. We get a hint of that in the trailers with his insane, flying action scenes.
Perhaps even more than Ikaris, Thena is probably the Eternal with the most skill in hand-to-hand combat, as the trailer shows her conjuring a spear and shield. With a knowledge of every weapon and style of combat ever used in earth’s history, she is most likely the worst person you want to go up again. Interesting enough, all Eternals have a weakness around their own mental control. The less control they have over their body, the more they are likely to get injured. It’s curious to see if the film will touch on this.
Now for one of the more interesting additions to the film; Ajak in the comics was the leader of the Eternals. And male. But, in the movie, we have the talented Salma Hayek playing the most powerful and dutiful of the group. Ajak is indeed a male character, but in comic lore, he did start off as female. Could we see this play out in the movie? It’s unlikely, as Marvel cast just a highly talented and beloved actress for the role, but it is a possibility. But, as Marvel has showed with recent TV show choices, it’s not out of the realm of possibility.
In the comics, Kingo hailed from the Japanese mountains, later becoming a film star in the same country. In the new movie, Kingo has a long-lasting film career, but he keeps his age a secret from his fans.
Sprite has a very fun history in the comics. In Marvel lore, Sprite is forever in the body of a child, and they were the inspiration for both the Shakespeare character Puck and the creation of Peter Pan. They were also another Eternal, besides Ajak, that started off male, and then later changed to female. In the comics, Sprite is considered a trickster, using their magic to play pranks on unsuspecting victims. It’ll be interesting to see how the child actress Lia McHugh portrays a character meant to be a millennia year old in the body of a small child.
The Eternals’ technological expert, Phastos, in the comics, was the creator of many of their weapons and gadgets for the group. Using his Celestial smarts and abilities, he’s partially the reason the Eternals have won all their battles – his tech gives them some great advantages. In the film, it appears he is the member of the group that has grown accustomed to “human” life the most, even getting an apartment and normal, human furniture! While we doubt we’ll see this in the movie, he did have a shaky alliance with Thanos during a major story arc, making us wonder if he’s not above teaming up with other cosmic level threats.
Makkari is the child of two other Eternals, Veron and Mara. An engineer and a speedster, they combined both loves and made multiple gadgets related to high velocity transport. In the comics, they were also called Mercury, who is the Greek god of eloquence, communication and many other things. In the trailers, they confirm the comic lore that the Eternals were the basis for the ancient Greek gods, and presumably others as well. Another Eternal that had changed genders in the comics, it’s possible Marvel could be leaving most of their comic lore intact.
Finally, Druig is the next major villain to make an appearance in the MCU. A fellow Eternal, the Celestial worked with the likes of Ajak and his cousin, Ikaris. But all too often, he has grown too power-hungry, even summoning a giant Deviant that Thor needed to help the Eternals defeat.
There you have it! Every member of the Eternals that you need to know watching the movie. While the comics and films are obviously two different mediums, we can only hope that Marvel Studios embraces the Cosmic weirdness of the Celestials and the Eternals, because it’s given us some amazing (if not completely mind-boggling) stories, events and battles over the years.
The upcoming sequel to 2018 horror hit “A Quiet Place” is making some significant changes, with one leading star bowing out of the project, and another coming in to take his place.
The good news is that it doesn’t appear that there will be too much delay caused by Henry’s exit, since his replacement has already been found: Oscar nominee Djimon Hounsou will be taking on the actor’s part. The film also stars returning “A Quiet Place” cast members Emily Blunt, Millicent Simmonds, and Noah Jupe, as well as series newcomer Cillian Murphy.
Writer-director John Krasinski — who also co-wrote and helmed the first flick — revealed last month that production had begun on the sequel. It’s unclear how much, if any, of the film will need to be reworked now that Hounsou has stepped in for Henry, though filmmakers have some wiggle room before the film’s release to figure things out.
“A Quiet Place Part II” is currently slated to hit theaters on March 20, 2020.
Talking to Observer, he said that we’ll see more of why the Joker (Joaquin Phoenix) is the way he is:
“I think it’s going to be very different [from previous versions] because it really goes into just the origin story. Villains are never born that way, they’re made. There’s something that happens in their lives that they give up their faith in humanity; they see the flaws of humanity and mankind and feel like they must correct it. And what happens with Joker is you start to see how he really was a happy person. He really was trying to find this…hope in humanity until it broke him down and he just had to give up and reshape it.
Also, there’s going to be a connection [made] about a boy and his mother. That is another thing that you’re going to see—that he was capable of love at some point. But, at the end of the day, I think it’s all about how he was made that way, how he didn’t start being that kind of person.”
Frances Conroy is listed as playing “Penny Fleck” in the film (the Joker’s real name here is “Arthur Fleck”), so we look forward to seeing what she’ll do with the part.
The actor also talked what we can expect in the sequel to “A Quiet Place,” which he just signed onto:
I’m still trying to find that out, but I really think that what we’ll do is we’ll see more of that family continuing to survive and finding out that they’re not the only ones. And I think that we’re also going to get a few answers to the origin of where and how this whole thing happened. I think that people want to know that. But I think you’re just going to see another side of it…more of humanity that survived this thing in this next story.
“Joker” is out October 4, 2019. “A Quiet Place 2” is set for May 15, 2020
