Chris Hemsworth will return as Tyler Rake in ‘Extraction 3’.
Director Sam Hargrave is back behind the camera.
Idris Elba and Golshifteh Farahani are also set to return.
Even though Chris Hemsworth‘s Tyler Rake seemed to die at the end of the first ‘Extraction’ movie back in 2020, audiences responded so well to the action thriller that director Sam Hargrave and the team found a way to bring him back for the second in 2023.
And now it appears Hemsworth will return for more, with Deadline reporting that he’s signed a deal to play Rake a third time.
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Hargrave is also back to call the shots (and punches, kicks, stabs etc.), with cast members Idris Elba and Golshifteh Farahani also back on board.
While we know that David Weil (‘Hunters’) is writing the script, the exact plot details are a mystery for now. But we can expect more crazed action from Tyler and the gang as they’re dispatched on another mission.
When will ‘Extraction 3’ hit screens?
Netflix has yet to confirm a debut date for the new movie, but it has scheduled a summer shoot to accommodate the star’s busy schedule (he also has to film ‘Kockroach’ starting this month), so we could predict a spring/summer 2027 release.
Chris Hemsworth attends the European Gala Screening for Amazons: ‘Crime 101’ at Odeon Luxe Leicester Square on January 28, 2026 in London, England. Photo: Kate Green/Getty Images for Amazon MGM Studios and Sony Pictures Entertainment.
Thanks to his work in the Marvel movies, Chris Hemsworth has become an international movie star and the pride of Australia.
(L to R) Chris Hemsworth, Kate McKinnon, Leslie Jones, Kristen Wiig and Melissa McCarthy in 2016’s ‘Ghostbusters’. Photo: Sony Pictures.
Following a ghost invasion of Manhattan, paranormal enthusiasts Erin Gilbert (Kristen Wiig) and Abby Yates (Melissa McCarthy), nuclear engineer Jillian Holtzmann (Katie McKinnon), and subway worker Patty Tolan (Leslie Jones) band together to stop the otherworldly threat.
Thor (Hemsworth) fights to restore order across the cosmos… but an ancient race led by the vengeful Malekith (Christopher Eccleston) returns to plunge the universe back into darkness. Faced with an enemy that even Odin and Asgard cannot withstand, Thor must embark on his most perilous and personal journey yet, one that will reunite him with Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) and force him to sacrifice everything to save us all.
Hoping to bring his family closer together and to recreate his childhood vacation for his own kids, a grown up Rusty Griswold (Ed Helms) takes his wife (Christina Applegate) and their two sons on a cross-country road trip to the coolest theme park in America, Walley World. Needless to say, things don’t go quite as planned.
The Men in Black have always protected the Earth from the scum of the universe. In this new adventure, they tackle their biggest, most global threat to date: a mole in the Men in Black organization.
(L to R) Natalie Portman and Chris Hemsworth in Marvel’s ‘Thor: Love and Thunder.’ Photo courtesy of Disney Studios.
After his retirement is interrupted by Gorr the God Butcher (Christian Bale), a galactic killer who seeks the extinction of the gods, Thor Odinson (Hemsworth) enlists the help of King Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson), Korg (Taika Waititi), and ex-girlfriend Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), who now wields Mjolnir as the Mighty Thor. Together they embark upon a harrowing cosmic adventure to uncover the mystery of the God Butcher’s vengeance and stop him before it’s too late.
A prisoner (Miles Teller) in a state-of-the-art penitentiary begins to question the purpose of the emotion-controlling drugs he’s testing for a pharmaceutical genius (Hemsworth).
Chris Hemsworth returns as Tyler Rake in ‘Extraction 2’, the sequel to Netflix‘s blockbuster action film ‘Extraction‘. After barely surviving the events of the first movie, Rake is back as the Australian black ops mercenary, tasked with another deadly mission: rescuing the battered family of a ruthless Georgian gangster from the prison where they are being held.
When Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) tries to jumpstart a dormant peacekeeping program, things go awry and Earth’s Mightiest Heroes are put to the ultimate test as the fate of the planet hangs in the balance. As the villainous Ultron (James Spader) emerges, it is up to The Avengers to stop him from enacting his terrible plans, and soon uneasy alliances and unexpected action pave the way for an epic and unique global adventure.
For their honeymoon, newlyweds Cliff (Steve Zahn) and Cydney (Milla Jovovich) head to the tropical islands of Hawaii. While journeying through the paradisaical countryside the couple encounters Kale (Hemsworth) and Cleo (Marley Shelton), two disgruntled hitchhikers and Nick (Timothy Olyphant) and Gina (Kiele Sanchez), two wild but well-meaning spirits who help guide them through the lush jungles. The picturesque waterfalls and scenic mountainsides quickly give way to terror when Cliff and Cydney learn of a grisly murder that occurred nearby and realize that they’re being followed by chance acquaintances that suspiciously fit the description of the killers.
Chris Hemsworth in 2009’s ‘Star Trek’. Photo: Paramount Pictures.
The fate of the galaxy rests in the hands of bitter rivals. One, James Kirk (Chris Pine), is a delinquent, thrill-seeking Iowa farm boy. The other, Spock (Zachary Quinto), a Vulcan, was raised in a logic-based society that rejects all emotion. As fiery instinct clashes with calm reason, their unlikely but powerful partnership is the only thing capable of leading their crew through unimaginable danger, boldly going where no one has gone before. The human adventure has begun again.
After the Evil Queen (Charlize Theron) marries the King, she performs a violent coup in which the King is murdered and his daughter, Snow White (Kristen Stewart), is taken captive. Almost a decade later, a grown Snow White is still in the clutches of the Queen. In order to obtain immortality, The Evil Queen needs the heart of Snow White. After Snow escapes the castle, the Queen sends the Huntsman (Hemsworth) to find her in the Dark Forest.
Against his father Odin’s (Anthony Hopkins) will, The Mighty Thor (Hemsworth) – a powerful but arrogant warrior god – recklessly reignites an ancient war. Thor is cast down to Earth and forced to live among humans as punishment. Once here, Thor learns what it takes to be a true hero when the most dangerous villain of his world sends the darkest forces of Asgard to invade Earth.
Lake Tahoe, 1969. Seven strangers, each one with a secret to bury, meet at El Royale, a decadent motel with a dark past. In the course of a fateful night, everyone will have one last shot at redemption.
A team of special forces head into Afghanistan in the aftermath of the September 11th attacks in an attempt to dismantle the Taliban.
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10. ‘Crime 101’ (2026)
Chris Hemsworth stars in ‘Crime 101’. Photo Credit: Dean Rogers.
Set against the sun-bleached grit of Los Angeles, ‘Crime 101’ weaves the tale of an elusive jewel thief (Hemsworth) whose string of heists along the 101 freeway have mystified police. When he eyes the score of a lifetime, his path crosses that of a disillusioned insurance broker (Halle Berry) who is facing her own crossroads. Convinced he has found a pattern, a relentless detective (Mark Ruffalo) is closing in, raising the stakes even higher. As the heist approaches, the line between hunter and hunted begins to blur, and all three are faced with life-defining choices–and the realization that there can be no turning back.
When an unexpected enemy emerges and threatens global safety and security, Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), director of the international peacekeeping agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D., finds himself in need of a team to pull the world back from the brink of disaster. Spanning the globe, a daring recruitment effort begins!
Five friends (Hemsworth, Kristen Connolly, Anna Hutchison, Fran Kranz and Jesse Williams) go for a break at a remote cabin, where they get more than they bargained for, discovering the truth behind the cabin in the woods.
Tyler Rake (Hemsworth), a fearless mercenary who offers his services on the black market, embarks on a dangerous mission when he is hired to rescue the kidnapped son of a Mumbai crime lord.
As the Avengers and their allies have continued to protect the world from threats too large for any one hero to handle, a new danger has emerged from the cosmic shadows: Thanos (Josh Brolin). A despot of intergalactic infamy, his goal is to collect all six Infinity Stones, artifacts of unimaginable power, and use them to inflict his twisted will on all of reality. Everything the Avengers have fought for has led up to this moment – the fate of Earth and existence itself has never been more uncertain.
(L to R) Chris Hemsworth and Daniel Brühl in ‘Rush’. Photo: Universal Pictures.
In the 1970s, a rivalry propels race car drivers Niki Lauda (Daniel Brühl) and James Hunt (Hemsworth) to fame and glory — until a horrible accident threatens to end it all.
Nicholas Hathaway (Hemsworth), a furloughed convict, and his American and Chinese partners hunt a high-level cybercrime network from Chicago to Los Angeles to Hong Kong to Jakarta. As Hathaway closes in, the stakes become personal as he discovers that the attack on a Chinese nuclear power plant was just the beginning.
Thor (Hemsworth) is imprisoned on the other side of the universe and finds himself in a race against time to get back to Asgard to stop Ragnarok, the destruction of his home-world and the end of Asgardian civilization, at the hands of a powerful new threat, the ruthless Hela (Cate Blanchett).
As the world falls, young Furiosa (Alyla Browne) is snatched from the Green Place of Many Mothers into the hands of a great biker horde led by the warlord Dementus (Hemsworth). Sweeping through the wasteland, they encounter the citadel presided over by Immortan Joe. The two tyrants wage war for dominance, and Furiosa (Anya Taylor-Joy) must survive many trials as she puts together the means to find her way home.
(L to R) Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr. in ‘Avengers: Endgame’. Photo: Marvel Studios.
After the devastating events of ‘Avengers: Infinity War‘, the universe is in ruins due to the efforts of the Mad Titan, Thanos (Josh Brolin). With the help of remaining allies, the Avengers must assemble once more in order to undo Thanos’ actions and restore order to the universe once and for all, no matter what consequences may be in store.
Halle Berry stars in ‘Crime 101’. Photo Credit: Merrick Morton.
‘Crime 101’ really wants to be Michael Mann’s ‘Heat’ (and maybe some of his ‘Thief’ as well). Not that there’s anything wrong with that; epic crime thrillers are few and far between these days, and writer-director Bart Layton’s 140-minute L.A.-based drama has a lot of the scope and a glittering cast to make a run at it.
Based on gritty genre writer Don Winslow’s 2020 novella of the same name, ‘Crime 101’ doesn’t quite hit the heights of Mann’s 31-year-old masterpiece – it’s patterned almost too closely on that film’s narrative, for one thing, and it takes far too long to set itself up and finally get to the good stuff. But when it does work – thanks to some terrific work from some of that cast – ‘Crime 101’ can be suspenseful and absorbing.
Story and Direction
(L to R) Mark Ruffalo and Chris Hemsworth star in ‘Crime 101’. Photo Credit: Merrick Morton.
A mysterious man named Davis (Chris Hemsworth) is committing a series of flawlessly executed heists – mainly of precious jewels — up and down the length of California’s 101 freeway, from Santa Barbara to Los Angeles. Careful not to harm a single person during his crimes, Davis is also lonely, isolated, and socially awkward, with his only goal to reach a certain sum of money and his past shrouded in shadows.
While most of the LAPD squad assigned to the robberies just wants to close them out, Detective Lou Lubesnick (Mark Ruffalo) sees a pattern in them and is convinced it’s one man, annoying his superiors. His investigation brings him into the orbit of Sharon Coombs (Halle Berry), a claims adjuster whose insurance firm handles the kind of high-end clients who are taking a hit from Davis’ heists.
When Davis targets another of Coombs’ clients for what he hopes is his final job, that puts Coombs on his radar as well – but unbeknownst to Davis, his own benefactor (Nick Nolte) has put a second operator on the job, a psychotic, violent man-child named Ormon (Barry Keoghan) who does not share Davis’ moral code or any hesitation to hurt and kill.
(L to R) Monica Barbaro and Chris Hemsworth star in ‘Crime 101’. Photo Credit: Dean Rogers.
‘Crime 101,’ as with Winslow’s other works and the films that Layton emulates, walks the well-worn gray area of many a crime film where the lines between the criminals and the ‘good guys’ are often blurry and where thieves often have codes of honor that are tested to the breaking point by other forces. But a problem here that hampers ‘Crime 101’ is that it never creates a consistently rising sense of tension for a good portion of the film. Setup takes up a large chunk of its first half, and the narrative finds itself going down more than one blind alley.
There is more attention paid to character development, but only selectively, and often in ways that seem incongruous. But the movie does come to life in fits and starts, including a pulse-pounding car and motorcycle chase involving Davis and Ormon, some other scenes involving the latter, and almost all of the third act, as Davis, Lubesnick, Ormon and others are all drawn into Davis’ carefully calibrated plan. Layton also makes good use of real Los Angeles locations, from downtown to Malibu, effectively making the city very much a character itself, although Blanck Mass’ heavy-handed score, all synths and thunderous drums, works too hard to add extra gravitas.
Cast and Performances
(L to R) Chris Hemsworth and Halle Berry star in ‘Crime 101’. Photo Credit: Merrick Morton.
Strangely enough, the weakest component of the all-star cast here may be its leading man. Hemsworth’s Davis is a curiously flat character – and while much of his background is intentionally left murky, there’s not enough for Hemsworth to work with, rendering him kind of a blank. Also unhelpful is his almost complete lack of chemistry with Berry and especially Monica Barbaro, who shows up in the Amy Brenneman role from ‘Heat’ – the love interest who changes the thief’s perspective – and brings her own considerable magnetism in spades, even in a typically underwritten and stock role.
Despite looking like he just came right from the ‘Task’ set to this film – his rumpled, exhausted cops are virtually indistinguishable – Mark Ruffalo brings his usual wounded dignity and innate decency to the role of Lou, who you can’t help but love thanks to his dogged determination and, uh, attempts at yoga (too bad Jennifer Jason Leigh is wasted completely and barely seen as his estranged wife).
The film’s MVPs, however, are Berry and Keoghan. The former is electric as a hard-working, quick-witted woman pushed to the brink by her obnoxious, sexist bosses, while the latter is genuinely frightening and unpredictable as the wild card psycho Ormon. Even though we’ve pretty much had enough Joker in recent Batman movies, Keoghan almost makes us want to see his cameoing Clown Prince of Crime from ‘The Batman’ show up again in Matt Reeves’ upcoming sequel.
Final Thoughts
Chris Hemsworth stars in ‘Crime 101’. Photo Credit: Dean Rogers.
Bart Layton definitely gets an ‘A’ for effort with ‘Crime 101’ – he really wants to make the kind of complex, morally ambivalent, tense, adult-oriented thriller that is harder to glimpse at the multiplex these days than an influencer staying off their phone for the entire length of a movie.
Yet Layton makes his melodrama almost too complicated; careful pruning of some subplots and sequences – he apparently likes one slowly rotating opening shot of the title motorway so much that he does it again later in the film – might have jacked up the pace and added more urgency to the proceedings. Still, while ‘Crime 101’ is not the epic crime drama the director-writer may have had in mind, it still manages to generate enough heat of its own to keep one interested.
‘Crime 101’ receives a score of 70 out of 100.
Corey Hawkins and Mark Ruffalo star in ‘Crime 101’. Photo Credit: Merrick Morton.
What is the plot of ‘Crime 101’?
As an elusive jewel thief (Chris Hemsworth) mystifies police with a string of heists along the 101 freeway in Los Angeles, his path crosses that of a disillusioned insurance broker (Halle Berry) who is facing her own crossroads. As the thief plans one final heist, a relentless detective (Mark Ruffalo) is closing in, raising the stakes even higher for all three.
Halle Berry attends the European Gala Screening for Amazons: ‘Crime 101’ at Odeon Luxe Leicester Square on January 28, 2026 in London, England. Photo: Kate Green/Getty Images for Amazon MGM Studios and Sony Pictures Entertainment.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of sitting down in person with Chris Hemsworth and Halle Berry to talk about their work on ‘Crime 101’, what fans can expect from the new movie, their complex characters, how Hemsworth connected to his role, and why Berry thinks the film is a “love letter to LA.”
(L to R) Halle Berry and Chris Hemsworth star in ‘Crime 101’.
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Hemsworth, Berry, and director Bart Layton.
Chris Hemsworth stars in ‘Crime 101’. Photo Credit: Merrick Morton.
Moviefone: To begin with, Chris, what would you say to audiences sitting down right now in a theater to watch this movie to prepare them for the theatrical experiences they are about to have?
Chris Hemsworth: Propulsive. Sophisticated. Relevant. Thought provoking. There’s a beautiful momentum in the film, and continuity from the action and the intensity there through the dramatic scenes. I think we’ve, and (director) Bart Layton speaks of this a lot, prioritized the action as the most important, impressive part. But the action means nothing if you’re not invested in those characters. Every time we cut to an action scene, right before that, you’re invested in the emotional content and then the interplay between the people that are about to collide. So, it’s fun.
MF: Halle, what would you say to moviegoers to get them excited for this film?
Halle Berry: Gritty. Sexy. Character driven. Action. We’ve got some chases you haven’t seen before. It’s a love letter to LA. You see it in a brand-new way. We haven’t seen the city like that in a very long time.
Halle Berry stars in ‘Crime 101’. Photo Credit: Merrick Morton.
MF: Halle, can you expand on that? What do you mean by a “love letter to LA”?
HB: Well, because you see all of what the city encompasses. You see the glamour and the glitz, but you see the underbelly, you see the real. I think there is beauty in the real. Anything that’s real and true, I think people see beauty and truth in. He captured it in a beautiful way and the cinematography highlights it in the best way.
MF: Chris, you just used the word “Relevant” to describe the film. What did you mean by that?
CH: Well, we didn’t write the script, Bart Layton wrote the script. It’s based on a short story. He talks about wanting to have it entertaining, but if you could smuggle in questions that we’re asking ourselves about, I suppose “relevant” now being the system being unfair and people breaking out of the social expectations or what we’re being told is the good and what we’re being told is evil and provoking more of the conversation around the ambiguity of things, the humanity in all of us, and how whatever side of the fence you may sit on, you’re going to find good and bad people. It’s not as clean cut as like, “Well, you’re from there. That means I can put you in that box.” It’s a lot more, open for discussion. The tropes that maybe you walk into a film and expect within these characters, I do feel we break out of those and there’s some unexpected turns. I think when I watch those movies, it certainly provokes a second discussion with yourself around, “Oh, I’ve met people like that and I assumed that in a second, and how wrong I was.” They’re going through something; they’re doing their best. Nothing’s as simple as we’d like to think.
(L to R) Chris Hemsworth and Halle Berry star in ‘Crime 101’. Photo Credit: Merrick Morton.
MF: Halle, how would you describe your character in your own words and how she connects to Chris’ character?
HB: Well, I think what we discovered about our characters, they both come from meager beginnings, right? That connected us as characters in the movie. But my character has worked hard as a woman of color to get where she got to in her insurance company. Rightfully so, she’s expecting the rightful promotion and the rightful place within that system. She gets painfully made aware that she has aged out and that and she’s no longer useful. That is the moment that I think she feared, always knew could come, but somehow thought she was different and realized she’s not. So, she got presented with a moral question about what will you do when you realize the system is unfair? How will you mitigate that? And she makes a choice.
MF: Chris, how would you describe your character and why he teams up with Halle’s character?
CH: There’s this crisis of identity, I think. I’m not going to speak for her, but with my character, what he thought was going to bring fulfillment and happiness, it was material wealth. He literally has a number of which if he gets to that number, it’ll solve all his problems. There’s this beautiful line that her character says, “Those who come from chaos, crave order.” I think that speaks volumes with many people’s experiences, especially if you’re in your formative years and there’s abuse and neglect and you don’t have that foundation to fall back upon. You seek it in all the wrong places, or you attempt to build structure and safety through outside acknowledgement or status or material wealth. We all know that that doesn’t hold true. What is important and what they need is love, connection, support, and to be seen by people who also have had similar experiences. That’s a true connection that they are both seeking.
Chris Hemsworth stars in ‘Crime 101’. Photo Credit: Dean Rogers.
MF: Finally, Chris, obviously you grew up differently than your character but how did you tap into his intensity for this film?
CH: I mean, I grew up in a beautiful household, but we had very little money and were certainly aware of the financial burden my parents were under. It was week to week paychecks to pay for food and bills. I’d see and feel the stress that was on them. I literally was like, “Oh, I could become an actor and I could pay the house off finally.” I remember asking my dad, “When will you pay it off?” He was like, “Oh, never mate.” My dad worked as a social worker in child protection and was doing one of the most important jobs, protecting those who were the most vulnerable of us, that being children. Yet, he was tied to the bank in that way and was never going to escape it. So, I empathized or connected with the idea of that financial burden, if I could solve that thing, that will fix it. Then I did that, and then you arrive at an existential crisis of, “Well, now what?” It brings you happiness for a period, but then it’s about something else. Then you go into your second mountain of life. It’s like there’s something deeper, there’s some other burning inner desire. Your psyche stops speaking up, and your soul wants something else. None of that I have answered yet, but it’s been around my brain a lot in the recent times.
Editorial Note: President & COO of Moviefone, Rahsan-Rahsan Lindsay, conducted this interview and contributed to this article.
(L to R) Mark Ruffalo and Chris Hemsworth star in ‘Crime 101’. Photo Credit: Merrick Morton.
What is the plot of ‘Crime 101’?
A jewel thief named Mike Davis’ (Chris Hemsworth) heists along the 101 freeway have left police baffled. When he sets his sights on the ultimate score, his plans intersect with those of insurance broker Sharon Colvin (Halle Berry). A detective named Lou Lubesnick (Mark Ruffalo) believes he has cracked Mike’s pattern and is determined to bring him down before the next job.
Halle Berry attends the European Gala Screening for Amazons: ‘Crime 101’ at Odeon Luxe Leicester Square on January 28, 2026 in London, England. Photo: Kate Green/Getty Images for Amazon MGM Studios and Sony Pictures Entertainment.
Chris Evans in ‘Avengers: Infinity War’. Photo: Marvel Studios.
Preview:
Chris Evans has been confirmed as returning to the MCU.
He shows up in the first teaser for ‘Avengers: Doomsday.’
The footage was shown before ‘Avatar: Fire & Ash.’
While the man himself has been cagey in the past as to whether his time with the Marvel Cinematic Universe is done, there were reports back in December of last year that pointed to more MCU time for Chris Evans as Steve “Captain America” Rogers.
Chris Evans in ‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier’. Photo: Marvel Studios.
If you haven’t taken yourself out to one of the initial showings of James Cameron’s latest ‘Avatar’ movie, and you really want to know what’s included in the ‘Doomsday’ footage, read on…
The teaser shows Steve riding home on a motorbike, wearing a helmet reminiscent of his time as Captain America. He’s then seen handling his old uniform and cradling what is presumably his and Peggy Carter’s (Hayley Atwell) newborn child.
This first tease ends with “Steve Rogers will return for ‘Avengers: Doomsday.’ ” A countdown timer begins at the end that’s set to expire a year from now when ‘Doomsday’ hits theaters.
The cast for the next big Avengers team-up promises a mix of faces both old and new.
Robert Downey Jr. is back, though this time playing Big Bad Doctor Doom (Marvel has yet to reveal whether he’ll be a new character or a variant of Downey’s Tony Stark).
It’s fair to say that the Marvel movies, specifically the Marvel Cinematic Universe releases, have reached “cultural event” status. And there’s a strong case to be made that the MCU is a currently a pop culture juggernaut, the likes of which we haven’t since the original ‘Star Wars‘ trilogy hit theaters for the first time.
It is a great time to watch the Marvel movies in order now and you can watch them all on Disney Plus in 4K format. You can even plan virtual Marvel movie nights with your friends using Disney+ GroupWatch feature.
(L to R) Chris Evans and Sebastian Stan in ‘Captain America: The First Avenger’. Photo: Marvel Studios.
During World War II, Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) is a sickly man from Brooklyn who’s transformed into super-soldier Captain America to aid in the war effort. Rogers must stop the Red Skull (Hugo Weaving) – Adolf Hitler’s ruthless head of weaponry, and the leader of an organization that intends to use a mysterious device of untold powers for world domination.
The story follows Carol Danvers (Brie Larson) as she becomes one of the universe’s most powerful heroes when Earth is caught in the middle of a galactic war between two alien races. Set in the 1990s, Captain Marvel is an all-new adventure from a previously unseen period in the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
After being held captive in an Afghan cave, billionaire engineer Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) creates a unique weaponized suit of armor to fight evil.
Scientist Bruce Banner (Edward Norton) scours the planet for an antidote to the unbridled force of rage within him: the Hulk. But when the military masterminds who dream of exploiting his powers force him back to civilization, he finds himself coming face to face with a new, deadly foe.
With the world now aware of his dual life as the armored superhero Iron Man, billionaire inventor Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) faces pressure from the government, the press and the public to share his technology with the military. Unwilling to let go of his invention, Stark, with Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) and James ‘Rhodey’ Rhodes (Don Cheadle) at his side, must forge new alliances – and confront powerful enemies.
Against his father Odin’s (Anthony Hopkins) will, The Mighty Thor (Chris Hemsworth) – a powerful but arrogant warrior god – recklessly reignites an ancient war. Thor is cast down to Earth and forced to live among humans as punishment. Once here, Thor learns what it takes to be a true hero when the most dangerous villain of his world sends the darkest forces of Asgard to invade Earth.
When an unexpected enemy emerges and threatens global safety and security, Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), director of the international peacekeeping agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D., finds himself in need of a team to pull the world back from the brink of disaster. Spanning the globe, a daring recruitment effort begins!
When Tony Stark’s (Robert Downey Jr.) world is torn apart by a formidable terrorist called the Mandarin, he starts an odyssey of rebuilding and retribution.
Thor fights to restore order across the cosmos… but an ancient race led by the vengeful Malekith (Christopher Eccleston) returns to plunge the universe back into darkness. Faced with an enemy that even Odin (Anthony Hopkins) and Asgard cannot withstand, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) must embark on his most perilous and personal journey yet, one that will reunite him with Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) and force him to sacrifice everything to save us all.
(L to R) Chris Evans and Scarlett Johansson in ‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier’. Photo: Marvel Studios.
After the cataclysmic events in New York with ‘The Avengers’, Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), aka Captain America is living quietly in Washington, D.C. and trying to adjust to the modern world. But when a S.H.I.E.L.D. colleague comes under attack, Steve becomes embroiled in a web of intrigue that threatens to put the world at risk. Joining forces with the Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Captain America struggles to expose the ever-widening conspiracy while fighting off professional assassins sent to silence him at every turn. When the full scope of the villainous plot is revealed, Captain America and the Black Widow enlist the help of a new ally, the Falcon (Anthony Mackie). However, they soon find themselves up against an unexpected and formidable enemy—the Winter Soldier.
Light years from Earth, 26 years after being abducted, Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) finds himself the prime target of a manhunt after discovering an orb wanted by Ronan the Accuser.
When Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) tries to jumpstart a dormant peacekeeping program, things go awry and Earth’s Mightiest Heroes are put to the ultimate test as the fate of the planet hangs in the balance. As the villainous Ultron (James Spader) emerges, it is up to The Avengers to stop him from enacting his terrible plans, and soon uneasy alliances and unexpected action pave the way for an epic and unique global adventure.
Armed with the astonishing ability to shrink in scale but increase in strength, master thief Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) must embrace his inner-hero and help his mentor, Doctor Hank Pym (Michael Douglas), protect the secret behind his spectacular Ant-Man suit from a new generation of towering threats. Against seemingly insurmountable obstacles, Pym and Lang must plan and pull off a heist that will save the world.
Following the events of ‘Age of Ultron’, the collective governments of the world pass an act designed to regulate all superhuman activity. This polarizes opinion amongst the Avengers, causing two factions to side with Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) or Captain America (Chris Evans), which causes an epic battle between former allies.
Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) aka Black Widow confronts the darker parts of her ledger when a dangerous conspiracy with ties to her past arises. Pursued by a force that will stop at nothing to bring her down, Natasha must deal with her history as a spy and the broken relationships left in her wake long before she became an Avenger.
Following the events of ‘Captain America: Civil War’, Peter Parker (Tom Holland), with the help of his mentor Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), tries to balance his life as an ordinary high school student in Queens, New York City, with fighting crime as his superhero alter ego Spider-Man as a new threat, the Vulture (Michael Keaton), emerges.
Chadwick Boseman as T’Challa / Black Panther in 2018’s ‘Black Panther.’
King T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) returns home to the reclusive, technologically advanced African nation of Wakanda to serve as his country’s new leader. However, T’Challa soon finds that he is challenged for the throne by factions within his own country as well as without. Using powers reserved to Wakandan kings, T’Challa assumes the Black Panther mantle to join with ex-girlfriend Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o), the queen-mother, his princess-kid sister, members of the Dora Milaje (the Wakandan ‘special forces’) and an American secret agent, to prevent Wakanda from being dragged into a world war.
After his career is destroyed, a brilliant but arrogant surgeon (Benedict Cumberbatch) gets a new lease on life when a sorcerer takes him under her wing and trains him to defend the world against evil.
Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is imprisoned on the other side of the universe and finds himself in a race against time to get back to Asgard to stop Ragnarok, the destruction of his home-world and the end of Asgardian civilization, at the hands of a powerful new threat, the ruthless Hela (Cate Blanchett).
Just when his time under house arrest is about to end, Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) once again puts his freedom at risk to help Hope van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) and Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) dive into the quantum realm and try to accomplish, against time and any chance of success, a very dangerous rescue mission.
As the Avengers and their allies have continued to protect the world from threats too large for any one hero to handle, a new danger has emerged from the cosmic shadows: Thanos (Josh Brolin). A despot of intergalactic infamy, his goal is to collect all six Infinity Stones, artifacts of unimaginable power, and use them to inflict his twisted will on all of reality. Everything the Avengers have fought for has led up to this moment – the fate of Earth and existence itself has never been more uncertain.
After the devastating events of Avengers: Infinity War, the universe is in ruins due to the efforts of the Mad Titan, Thanos (Josh Brolin). With the help of remaining allies, the Avengers must assemble once more in order to undo Thanos’ actions and restore order to the universe once and for all, no matter what consequences may be in store.
Shang-Chi (Simu Liu) must confront the past he thought he left behind when he is drawn into the web of the mysterious Ten Rings organization and his father, Xu Wenwu (Tony Leung).
Peter Parker (Tom Holland) and his friends go on a summer trip to Europe. However, they will hardly be able to rest – Peter will have to agree to help Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) uncover the mystery of creatures that cause natural disasters and destruction throughout the continent.
Tom Holland in ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home.’ Photo: Marvel Studios.
Peter Parker (Tom Holland) is unmasked and no longer able to separate his normal life from the high-stakes of being a super-hero. When he asks for help from Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) the stakes become even more dangerous, forcing him to discover what it truly means to be Spider-Man. Teaming with other Multiverse Spider-Men (Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield), they must now work together to take out the Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe), Doctor Octopus (Alfred Molina), Electro (Jamie Foxx) and other Spider-Man villains from around the multiverse.
The Eternals are a team of ancient aliens who have been living on Earth in secret for thousands of years. When an unexpected tragedy forces them out of the shadows, they are forced to reunite against mankind’s most ancient enemy, the Deviants.
Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), with the help of mystical allies both old and new, traverses the mind-bending and dangerous alternate realities of the Multiverse to confront a mysterious new adversary.
After his retirement is interrupted by Gorr the God Butcher (Christian Bale), a galactic killer who seeks the extinction of the gods, Thor Odinson (Chris Hemsworth) enlists the help of King Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson), Korg, and ex-girlfriend Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), who now wields Mjolnir as the Mighty Thor. Together they embark upon a harrowing cosmic adventure to uncover the mystery of the God Butcher’s vengeance and stop him before it’s too late.
On a dark and somber night, a secret cabal of monster hunters emerge from the shadows and gather at the foreboding Bloodstone Temple following the death of their leader. In a strange and macabre memorial to the leader’s life, the attendees are thrust into a mysterious and deadly competition for a powerful relic—a hunt that will ultimately bring them face to face with a dangerous monster.
Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett), Shuri (Letitia Wright), M’Baku (Winston Duke), Okoye (Danai Gurira) and the Dora Milaje fight to protect their nation from intervening world powers in the wake of King T’Challa’s (Chadwick Boseman) death. As the Wakandans strive to embrace their next chapter, the heroes must band together with the help of War Dog Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o) and Everett Ross (Martin Freeman) and forge a new path for the kingdom of Wakanda.
On a mission to make Christmas unforgettable for Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), the Guardians head to Earth in search of the perfect present. The special follows Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista) and Mantis (Pom Klementieff) as they set out to give Quill the best Christmas ever, after discovering that Yondu (Michael Rooker) ruined the holiday for him as a child.
Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), still reeling from the loss of Gamora (Zoe Saldaña), must rally his team around him to defend the universe along with protecting one of their own. A mission that, if not completed successfully, could quite possibly lead to the end of the Guardians as we know them.
Super-Hero partners Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) and Hope van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly), along with with Hope’s parents Janet van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer) and Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) , and Scott’s daughter Cassie Lang (Kathryn Newton), find themselves exploring the Quantum Realm, interacting with strange new creatures and embarking on an adventure that will push them beyond the limits of what they thought possible and pits them against Kang the Conqueror (Jonathan Majors).
Carol Danvers (Brie Larson), aka Captain Marvel, has reclaimed her identity from the tyrannical Kree and taken revenge on the Supreme Intelligence. But unintended consequences see Carol shouldering the burden of a destabilized universe. When her duties send her to an anomalous wormhole linked to a Kree revolutionary, her powers become entangled with that of Jersey City super-fan Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani), aka Ms. Marvel, and Carol’s estranged niece, now S.A.B.E.R. astronaut Captain Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris). Together, this unlikely trio must team up and learn to work in concert to save the universe.
After meeting with newly elected U.S. President Thaddeus Ross (Harrison Ford), Sam (Anthony Mackie) finds himself in the middle of an international incident. He must discover the reason behind a nefarious global plot before the true mastermind has the entire world seeing red.
After finding themselves ensnared in a death trap, seven disillusioned castoffs must embark on a dangerous mission that will force them to confront the darkest corners of their pasts.
Against the vibrant backdrop of a 1960s-inspired, retro-futuristic world, Marvel’s First Family is forced to balance their roles as heroes with the strength of their family bond, while defending Earth from a ravenous space god called Galactus (Ralph Ineson) and his enigmatic Herald, Silver Surfer (Julia Garner).
Disney and Marvel have shifted the release dates for the next two ‘Avengers’ movies.
‘Doomsday’ and ‘Secret Wars’ are moving from their May slots to December premieres.
Dates for ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ and ‘The Dog Stars’ were also confirmed.
Turns out, making two giant ‘Avengers’ movies back to back is going to take a little longer than originally thought.
Disney and Marvel have announced that the next two team-up films from the comic book behemoth are now set to arrive a little later in theaters than originally planned –– ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ is shifting from a planned May 5th, 2026 slot to December 18th, 2026.
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Likewise, ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’ will now decamp from a May 5th, 2027 release date to –– you guessed it! –– December 18th that year.
Clearly, directors Joe Russo and Anthony Russo have decided the new movies will require some more work than they figured. Which honestly, is no bad thing –– better to wait and get it right in the hopes of an ‘Infinity War’ and ‘Endgame’-level success, than pump out something quickly.
The sprawling cast for at least the first movie (we’re expecting several to appear in both) was first announced in a viral video Marvel put online showing director’s chairs with the actor’s names on them.
Simu Liu will return as Shang-Chi, a character who really has deserved a sequel before now. And Danny Ramirez, who was introduced as Joaquim Torres in ‘The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’ and reprised the role in February’s ‘Captain America: Brave New World’ will show up as the new Falcon.
Finally, because you can’t really have ‘Doomsday’ without Doom, Robert Downey Jr. is making his big MCU return, this time playing classic ‘Fantastic Four’ villain Doctor Doom.
We’re sure more cast will be announced before ‘Doomsday’ arrives, but Disney has more time to get the message out.
“We’re very close with Kevin [Feige] and Lou [D’Esposito, Marvel Studios’ Co-President] and the entire Marvel team and we’ve had conversations through the years. We’ve talked about a lot of ideas. Really what happened was, we ended up stumbling upon a [‘Secret Wars’] idea that activated all of us, you couldn’t see it coming until it came, and once it came it was like, ‘Well, that’s a story we need to tell.’”
And that creative spark extended to regular collaborator Stephen McFeely, who is also back writing the new movies.
While other co-writer Christopher Markus is so far sticking with the Russos’ AGBO company to keep it running, McFeely was tempted back into the MCU machine.
Here’s what Joe told Empire:
“There were ideas that we were trying to wrap our heads around that preceded this one, and we just never found the story. I remember calling Steve and said, ‘Hey, crazy idea. What do you think if we all go back and do Secret Wars?’ He was like, ‘F*** no. Absolutely not.’ And then he hung up. And the next morning at 7.30 he called and were like, ‘Alright, I have an idea…’ ”
‘Secret Wars’ would draw from (through the usual Marvel movie filter where changes will be made) a pair of 1980s comic book series focused on an all-powerful antagonist known as the Beyonder, who in the first installment pitted Marvel’s heroes and villains against each other on a planet known as Battleworld.
In a 2015 revival by Jonathan Hickman, the resulting conflict left the multiverse collapsed, the survivors living on a single planet ruled by classic villain Doctor Doom.
The Russos have previously talked about their enthusiasm for ‘Secret Wars,’ so this one made sense.
What other movie release dates were announced?
Director James Cameron at D23 2024 presenting ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’. Photo: Disney.
In a Thanos-like snap, three Marvel dates have disappeared from the calendar completely. The place holders for February 13th, 2026, November 6th, 2026, and November 5, 2027, have all been removed from Disney’s calendar, pointing towards the result of Marvel’s commitment to quality over quantity.
It wasn’t all Marvel changes –– Disney also confirmed the dates for some of the movies headed our way via its 20th Century Studios, including Ridley Scott’s post-apocalyptic thriller ‘The Dog Stars,’ starring Jacob Elordi and Josh Brolin. That one will be released on March 27th, 2026.
Then there is sequel ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2,’ which will see the return of Meryl Streep‘s imperious magazine editor Miranda Priestly as she navigates the challenges of the declining print industry. The comedy drama sequel is due on May 1st, 2026.
Marvel says Sam Wilson will assemble his Avengers team off screen before ‘Avengers: Doomsday’
Who will Sam Wilson recruit for his new team?
SPOILER ALERT: Some spoilers for ‘Thunderbolts*’ and possibly ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ below.
Back in April, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige announced at CinemaCon that the upcoming ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ “will focus on The Avengers, Wakandans, Fantastic Four, Thunderbolts and original X-Men all fighting Doctor Doom (Robert Downey Jr.).”
That’s quite a promise! But now that ‘Thunderbolts*’ has been released in theaters, fans have learned that they are really the New Avengers, and the movie’s end-credit scene reveals that Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) has filed a copyright claim against the team for the rights to the name and is putting together his own group of Avengers.
Marvel has recently announced that Wilson will assemble his Avengers off screen, so the real question is who will be on his team in ‘Avengers: Doomsday’? Luckily, Marvel has also released many of the names of ‘Doomsday’s cast in a recent video stunt, which could, by process of elimination, give us a basic idea of who will be on Wilson’s team.
With other new and returning cast members yet to be announced, Moviefone is breaking down the cast list to guess who could be on Sam Wilson’s Avengers team.
‘Thunderbolts*’ is now titled ‘The New Avengers’ and is currently playing in theaters. Photo: Marvel Studios.
The end of the ‘Thunderbolts*’ sees Julia Louis-Dreyfus‘ Valentina Allegra de Fontaine saving public face by holding a press conference and announcing that Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan), John Walker/U.S. Agent (Wyatt Russell), Ava Starr/Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian (David Harbour) and Bob Reynolds/Sentry (Lewis Pullman) are the New Avengers.
With Pugh, Stan, Russell, John-Kamen, Harbour, and Pullman all confirmed to return for ‘Avengers: Doomsday’, it is now clear that they will be referred to as the New Avengers and not the Thunderbolts, nor will they be members of the team Sam Wilson is recruiting. In fact, it was also recently revealed that the ‘Thunderbolts*’ end-credit scene setting up the Fantastic Four’s MCU arrival was shot on the set of the ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ by directors Anthony and Joe Russo.
Which ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ characters could be on Sam Wilson’s Avengers team?
Chris Hemsworth in ‘Thor: The Dark World’. Photo: Marvel Studios.
Now that we know the Thunderbolts are the New Avengers, and assuming none of them will crossover to Sam’s new team, it’s not hard to have an idea who might be recruited by the new Captain America for his Avengers team.
We can also eliminate the cast of ‘Fantastic Four: First Steps’ and the returning ‘X-Men’ actors, as one would assume that they will be on their own teams and not Sam’s. It is possible that Channing Tatum‘s Gambit could crossover, since he was not an “original” X-men from the previous films, but I think he will most likely be on the Mutants’ side, especially because the character has no ties to the Avengers in the comics.
As a founding member of the original Avengers, it makes sense that Chris Hemsworth’s Thor would be a member of Sam’s new team. Sam partied with him at Avengers Tower in ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’, and even fought side by side against Thanos with Thor in Wakanda during ‘Infinity War’. We also know that Danny Ramirez’s Joaquin Torres/Falcon was asked to join the team by Sam during the events of ‘Captain America: Brave New World’, so it’s safe to say that you can expect to see him fighting as a member of Sam’s new team in ‘Doomsday’.
Besides Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) and Bucky Barnes, Paul Rudd‘s Scott Lang/Ant-Man is probably the Avenger that Sam is closest to in the MCU having appeared in 2015’s ‘Ant-Man’ and helping to recruit him for Captain America’s team in ‘Captain America: Civil War’. So, it would also make sense for Scott to join Sam’s team. Sam also has close ties to Wakanda, with Shuri (Letitia Wright) helping to create his Captain America suit and wings. Now that she is the new Black Panther, I also assume she will be on the new team as well.
Actor Winston Duke has been confirmed to return for ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ as M’Baku, and while it is possible for him to be recruited for Sam’s team along with Shuri, Feige’s CinemaCon comment mentions “Wakandans fighting against Doctor Doom”, which makes me think he will be leading the Wakandans and not joining Sam’s team.
Having been introduced in ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’, and having a close connection to Shuri, I would also bet that Tenoch Huerta Mejia’s Namor will appear on Sam’s new team. Simu Liu’s Shang-Chi, who was introduced in his own 2021 movie will most likely join the team as well. The end-credit scene for that movie saw the character being recruited for the Avengers by Wong (Benedict Wong), Captain Marvel (Brie Larson) and Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), making his inclusion almost a forgone conclusion.
Of the announced cast, that just leaves Tom Hiddleston’s Loki, but given how his character’s arc ends in season 2 of Disney+’s ‘Loki’, I’m guessing he won’t be a member of Sam’s team and instead saved for a different role in the movie.
Who could be on Sam Wilson’s Avengers team that has not been announced yet for ‘Avengers: Doomsday’?
(L to R) Charlize Theron and Benedict Cumberbatch in ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.’ Photo: Marvel Studios.
There have been rumors that Wong, who is now the Sorcerer Supreme in Doctor Strange’s absence, could appear in the movie. Rumors have also swirled around the eventual return of Captain Marvel and Bruce Banner/Hulk, and with their inclusion in the ‘Shang-Chi’ end credit scene, if they are added to the cast, all three characters could align themselves with Sam Wilson and his new team of Avengers.
There have also been rumors of Benedict Cumberbatch and Charlize Theron returning as Doctor Strange and Clea, respectively, both last seen in 2022’s ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’. But, with Wong being the new Sorcerer Supreme, I doubt Strange and Clea will join Sam’s team, and more likely, just like Loki, would have a different role in the plot of the film.
Finally, there have also been rumors about Jeremy Renner’s return as Hawkeye, and Tom Holland’s return as Spider-Man. But we’ve also heard that Holland’s character may sit out ‘Avengers: Doomsday’, next appearing in ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ before returning for ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’.
And with Renner’s recent admission that he declined returning for ‘Hawkeye’ season 2 due to having his salary cut in half by Marvel, his return to the franchise is completely up in the air. Even if he does return, Renner could be playing a multiverse version of his character and therefore not be joining Sam’s new team.
Marvel is planning to have ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ on screens on May 1st, 2026, followed by ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’ on May 7th, 2027.
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What is the plot of ‘Avengers: Doomsday’?
Fourteen months after the events of ‘Thunderbolts*’, the Avengers, Wakandans, Fantastic Four, New Avengers, and the “original” X-Men team up to face Doctor Doom.
Chris Hemsworth has boarded a new submarine thriller.
Patrick Vollrath will direct the movie, called ‘Subversion.’
It’s set to shoot this fall in Australia.
Director Patrick Vollrath is clearly a filmmaker who gets something out of movies set in enclosed spaces.
He made his directorial debut with 2019’s ‘7500,’ starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt as a pilot stuck in his cockpit while his plane is hijacked, and he’s now attached to a movie that will primarily be set inside a submarine.
Chris Hemsworth at the Comic-Con 2022 ‘Transformers One’ presentation. Photo: Paramount Pictures.
Writer Andrew Ferguson, who has a number of scripts floating around the Blacklist of favored unproduced work, and has 2020 short film ‘Love Thy Neighbor’ on his resume, has cooked up the story, described as a “ ‘Die Hard’ on a submarine”-style thriller that centers on a once-promising Naval commander (Hemsworth) who is blackmailed by a cartel-like operation into piloting a dangerous submarine carrying illegal cargo across international waters.
Thrust into a high-stakes game of cat and mouse, the man must outmaneuver blockades and navigate perilous threats both in and outside of the submarine.
Lorenzo di Bonaventura is producing via his di Bonaventura Pictures company, and the movie is setting up to start the cameras rolling this fall in Australia.
What else is Chris Hemsworth working on?
Chris Hemsworth in ‘Thor: The Dark World’. Photo: Marvel Studios.
Hemsworth was recently confirmed to be returning for the next big Marvel team-up movie, ‘Avengers: Doomsday,’ his name announced first among a sprawling list of veteran and more recent characters from the giant cinematic universe.
Coming up for the actor is Bart Layton’s new thriller ‘Crime 101,’ which sees a detective tracking a jewel thief adhering to the “Crime 101” rules –– a strict set of guidelines for the perfect heist.
He’s been at work making a third ‘Extraction’ outing, with Sam Hargrave back directing for Netflix and has been linked to a couple of projects that seem to be in development limbo; the ‘G.I. Joe’/‘Transformers’ crossover that Paramount is hoping will unite two of its biggest franchises and live-action Disney movie ‘Prince Charming,’ which is on hold since the box office failure of ‘Snow White.’
When will ‘Subversion’ sail into theaters?
‘Subversion’ is under the banner of Amazon MGM Studios, but the company has yet to confirm a release date.
(L to R) Ben Affleck, Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Daniella Pineda and Jon Berthal at the Amazon/MGM presentation at CinemaCon 2025 in Las Vegas.Photo: Amazon/MGM.
Preview:
‘Project Hail Mary’ and more were showcased at Amazon MGM’s CinemaCon presentation.
There was news of ‘Masters of the Universe’ and Luca Guadagno’s latest.
Ryan Gosling, Ben Affleck and more showed up to support their movies.
Amazon has popped up at CinemaCon a couple of times in the past, but usually partnered with one of the big theatrical studios. But as Amazon MGM Studios plans to hugely expand its cinematic footprint (having also joined the Motion Picture Association), it is also making its big, proper debut at the movie trade show.
Given the recent giant news about Amazon gaining full control of the Bond franchise, there was plenty of expectation of some announcement about that, though even with the hiring of producers Amy Pascal and David Heyman to oversee the company’s plans, unless the deal to bring them in was sealed a lot earlier than reported, was it likely that we’d have anything beyond the company touting the new arrangement?
It was an unusually late schedule time-wise, presumably because the likes of Sony, Warners, Disney and co. had snapped up the prime spots. But as a statement of intent from the new kid on the block, it had to deliver.
It’s another tale of a reluctant astronaut, this one played by Ryan Gosling, who has to try and save the Earth. The presentation kicked off with the impressive first teaser for the sci-fi movie. Set to Harry Styles’ ‘Sign of the Times,’ it looks very different to other Lord/Miller movies, but also great.
Gosling plays a schoolteacher recruited by Sandra Huller to save the planet, which is threatened by a dying sun. “You want the right stuff. I’ve got the wrong stuff! I put the NOT in astronaut. I can’t even moonwalk!” he claims amusingly (it’s even funnier coming from the man who played Neil Armstrong in ‘First Man.’)
Mike Hopkins, Head of Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios took the stage to announce that the company is committed to theatrical releases, with 14 working titles being readied for next year and 15 planned for 2027. They’re apparently ahead of schedule.
And the ‘Project Hail Mary’ team –– Lord, Miller and Gosling –– arrived on stage to caution the crowd that all the footage was work in progress, with Gosling singling cinematographer Greig Fraser (who also worked on the ‘Dune’ movies) out for particular praise.
Lord and Miller explained how much of themselves they poured into the movie, the biggest project they’ve ever worked on.
Gosling: “This is why we go to the movies, and I’m not just saying it because I’m in it. I’m ALSO a producer on this movie.”
Says Miller:
“Thank you for seeing movies on the big screen with the most weird and disturbing popcorn buckets imaginable.” Can’t wait to see their ‘Hail Mary’ bucket…
‘Project Hail Mary Blasts’ off in theaters on March 20th, 2026.
‘The Thomas Crown Affair’ apparently “has a few unexpected, modern twists.” Bradford Young is the cinematographer on the movie, and ‘Black Panther’s Ruth E. Carter will handle the costumes.
‘Verity,’ meanwhile, had a teaser to show, featuring the song ‘Fade Into You’ by Mazzy Star, and introduced by a fun video by the cast.
‘Verity’ has a May15th, 2026 release date set, while ‘Thomas Crown’ is too early in the process to score its own slot yet.
The latest drama from the prolific Luca Guadagnino stars Julia Roberts and Andrew Garfield and follows a professor whose career is derailed by scandal. Andrew Garfield’s character is accused of assaulting Ayo Edebiri’s, and it becomes major news after Julia Roberts’ character, an attorney, takes on his case.
Edebiri and Garfield showed up on stage with Guadagnino, and Garfield praised his director, who he said he’d wanted to work with for 15 years.
The first footage from the movie was screened for the audience via a trailer.
‘After The Hunt’ will head to theaters on October 17th.
The new Chris Pratt sci-fi pic ‘Mercy’ was the next to be spotlighted, with the first footage of the movie, directed by Timur Bekmambetov.
It’s a blend of courtroom drama and action where an AI program serves as the judge, jury, and executioner. Pratt has 90 minutes to prove he didn’t kill his wife, using all technology available.
Since the trailer introduces the audiences to a high-tech chair where Pratt’s character is confined, what better way to promote than by having Pratt in said chair on stage for the presentation, jokingly forced to say a proper thank you to the assembled exhibitors, lest he had to Uber home.
Co-starring Rebecca Ferguson, the film will be in cinemas on January 23rd, 2026.
Lest you start checking again whether we’ve turned the clock back to April Fool’s Day, this is in fact a very real movie, directed by ‘Despicable Me’ veteran Kyle Balda, and is a live-action murder mystery where the detectives are sheep.
Director Layton, who says that from the very beginning, this movie was written, imagined, planned and dreamed for the big screen, is joined by Hemsworth and Berry on stage to introduce a trailer.
Layton also says he wrote Keoghan’s part as a dirt bike-riding maniac especially for him.
Hemsworth added that they wanted to make a gripping and thought provoking thriller that really captures L.A.
Director Aleshea Harris makes her cinematic debut with an adaptation of her play.
Vivica A. Fox took the stage with some of the other cast to show a trailer.
It’s the story of two little girls and their mother who were the victims of an arson attack at the hands of their father (Sterling K. Brown). Their mother’s dying wish? That the two girls, now adults, kill their father.
After that, head of film Courtenay Valenti and marketing chief Sue Kroll were introduced to extoll the company’s commitment to theatrical and that it is ramping up more productions from the Orion and United Artists.
From there, it was back to film promotion with…
Daniel Craig as James Bond in ‘Casino Royale.’
Bond! But there isn’t very much to tell yet (as we guessed), with more of a mention that chosen producers Amy Pascal and David Heyman are getting down to work in London to figure out next steps.
“(We are) committed to honoring the legacy of Bond while bringing a fresh take.”
With the movie finally in production after years in development limbo, a behind-the-scenes featurette screened, which included a lot of work-in-progress props, and some sound bites from the powers that be promising a movie that is loyal to the cartoon and the toys.
Director Travis Knight gushed about having wanted to make this movie for years, adding:
“I have been a fan of Masters of the Universe pretty much my entire life. It was something I lived and breathed. I had the toys. I even had a He-Man haircut.”
‘Masters of the Universe’ will be on screens on June 5th, 2026.
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Headed our way more imminently (as in, a couple of weeks) is…
(L to R) Ben Affleck, Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Gavin O’Connor, Daniella Pineda a and Jon Berthal at the Amazon/MGM presentation at CinemaCon 2025 in Las Vegas.Photo: Amazon/MGM.
Affleck, Bernthal, Cynthia Addai Robinson and O’Connor were there to present an extended trailer for the action movie, which indicates that this sequel leans into the buddy comedy interplay between the brothers played by Affleck and Bernthal. While the trailer’s humor worked, the scripted banter on stage left something to the imagination, though it wasn’t really the fault of the cast.
‘The Accountant 2’ shoots for screens on April 25th
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Amazon MGM Studios’ presentation wrapped up with much talk of the past, present and future for the company’s ambitions –– and the assembled talent from their projects taking a selfie.
