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).
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.
While Marvel usually prefers to keep its secrets close (at least, closer than the current government seems to manage), there is also the conflicting compulsion to promote the next movie in its sprawling cinematic universe, ‘Avengers: Doomsday‘.
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We’ve known for a while that the Avengers will be back to face the threat of Victor Von Doom (Robert Downey Jr.), but the rest of the cast was largely in the realm of speculation, even for those who have been part of the MCU family for years.
The company used a livestream to confirm who will show up in the new movie, consisting of footage of the backs of director’s chairs featuring the cast names.
We’re happy to see 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.
Any surprises? We’re not sure we predicted Tenoch Huerta Mejia –– who played Namor in ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ coming back, but his chair is among the others (not dripping with water –– missed joke opportunity there!).
(L to R) Lashana Lynch and Kelsey Grammer in ‘The Marvels’. Photo: Marvel Studios.
Lewis Pullman, who is introduced as a character called “Bob” (but who has since been revealed to be powerful character Sentry) in ‘Thunderbolts*’ is also listed. So we’re guessing his character –– who also appears to be an antagonist in the movie given the new trailer –– factors in somehow.
Last, but by no means least, the doors to the cavernous soundstage holding all the chairs opens up, and in strides Downey Jr., who sits in his own named chair and puts his finger to his lips. It’s over!
We’re sure there will be other announcements to come –– the company loves to hold back cameos and other roles, so we’ll have to wait and see if Tom Holland or Mark Ruffalo spoil the appearances or if an official press release arrives in due time.
If you’re desperate to see the Livestream, please click on the video player at the top of the page.
The new movie is now kicking off shooting in London, with Marvel veteran directors Joe and Anthony Russo –– who count the giant two previous Avengers outings ‘Infinity War’ and ‘Endgame’ on their shared resume –– back marshalling the chaos that is a team-up movie on this scale.
“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…’ ”
‘Avengers: Doomsday’: The Russos talk Robert Downey Jr.
Of course, one of the biggest plot elements for the new movies has already been revealed on Marvel’s terms, with Robert Downey Jr. taking the stage at last year’s San Diego Comic-Con to confirm he’s playing Victor Von Doom.
And according to the directors he’s very involved in helping to shape the character.
“It’s a very intense process developing the character. He’s so immersed in it. He is so dialed in. That’s the kind of artist he is. That’s the kind of actor he is. He just loves really rich three-dimensional characters and I think he sees a real opportunity here with that character.”
And following ‘Doomsday,’ we’ll see ‘Secret Wars’…
‘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.
When will the next two ‘Avengers’ movies head to screens?
Marvel is planning to have ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ on screens on May 1st, 2026, followed by ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’ on May 7th, 2027.
“You’re not Steve Rogers,” growls President Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross (Harrison Ford) at Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) during one especially tense moment in ‘Captain America: Brave New World.’ And while Chris Evans’ portrayal of the original Cap remains an iconic element of the first 10 years of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Mackie’s Sam Wilson certainly holds his own as the current owner of the shield and – according to this film – last Avenger standing.
Mackie is terrific in the film, as is Ford – who’s awake and engaged, unlike in ‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’ – and the movie itself, directed by Julius Onah, is neither a game-changer like ‘Captain America: Civil War’ nor an outright embarrassment like ‘Thor: Love and Thunder.’ With much of Phases 4 and 5 set in space, the quantum realm, or another universe, it’s also refreshing to watch an earthbound Marvel adventure for a change. While it still requires some homework – watching ‘The Incredible Hulk’ or ‘Eternals’ would be a good start – it’s an entertaining, engrossing action thriller carried by its leads’ charisma and flashes of that old Marvel allure.
‘Captain America: Brave New World’ opens with the election of former Hulk hunter and Avengers hater Ross to the presidency, but it’s clear from the start that not all is well with him. He’s estranged from his daughter and haunted by his past, to the point where he summons Sam Wilson to his office and asks him to rebuild Earth’s Mightiest Heroes after loathing them for years (as usual, where the members who aren’t dead or retired are currently hanging out is not really discussed).
Sam is understandably suspicious, since it was just a few years ago that Ross (back when he was Secretary of State) had Wilson and other superheroes thrown in the maximum-security prison known as the Raft. And Sam himself is still coming to terms with the enormous responsibility and pressure of wielding the shield, although his confidence is boosted by original super soldier Isaiah Bradley (Carl Lumbly), who’s still getting over his bitterness regarding the way he was treated by his own government (uh, yeah, watch ‘The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’ too).
Ross has other things on his mind as well: the giant Celestial that fell into the ocean in ‘Eternals’ a few years back turns out to be made out of an incredible, previously unknown element which Ross calls “adamantium,” a word which should set off five-alarm sirens in fanboys’ brains. Wary of what could happen should adamantium get out in the world, Ross is trying to nail down a groundbreaking treaty with Japan – in whose territory the Celestial landed – to explore the element’s uses peacefully, a sign that he’s desperate to change his formerly bellicose ways.
No sooner does Ross announce the finalization of the treaty, however, then there is a terrorist attack on his life. How that attack takes place and who does it throws everything – including the cautious rapprochement between Sam and the president – into chaos, but Sam, with the help of the newly minted Falcon, Joaquin Torres (Danny Ramirez), is determined to find out exactly what happened, who is behind it all, and what their ultimate agenda is.
The rest of the story involves clashes with Serpent terrorist organization leader Sidewinder (Giancarlo Esposito), presidential security chief Ruth Bat-Seraph (Shira Haas), and various other players, with Sam unsure of who he can trust and who might turn at a moment’s notice. At the heart of it all is a ghostly apparition from the early days of the MCU in the form of Samuel Sterns (Tim Blake Nelson), who’s pulling the strings for purposes unknown.
‘Brave New World’ deliberately channels the paranoid thriller bona fides of what is still one of the MCU’s finest films, ‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier,’ although in this case Julius Onah’s direction doesn’t have nearly the style of Anthony and Joe Russo’s work (although if this film went through massive reshoots as reported, it still mostly holds together). And there is a lot of clunky exposition in the script (which bears five writers in the credits) to either recap what’s happening or bring us up to speed on some of the plot points from other movies.
But even if ‘Brave New World’ chugs along instead of truly soaring, it’s still a tight two hours of superhero entertainment. Marvel’s biggest successes have led to outsized expectations and an eventual critical backlash, but it’s almost unfair to expect each entry to be a ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ or an ‘Avengers: Endgame.’ ‘Brave New World’ is a solid double, a fun, action-packed adventure that occasionally channels the vibe of older, finer MCU movies. It may rattle or stall out here and there, but it gets where it’s going with efficiency and energy.
As mentioned earlier, Anthony Mackie handles the lead role with aplomb and grace, differentiating himself from the Evans version of Cap simply by virtue of the fact that he’s not a superhuman; he can get hurt, sometimes badly, he doesn’t have super strength, and he has to depend a bit more on the accoutrements of his tricked-out uniform (courtesy of Wakanda) than his predecessor did. This is a vulnerable Cap whose confidence occasionally wavers: at one point he confesses to an old friend, “[Steve] stopped two alien invasions. What made me think I could follow that?” Yet he also throws himself unconditionally into battle in the best tradition of his title, while also deploying empathy as a tool in his arsenal.
It might be enticing to wonder what the late William Hurt would have done with “Thunderbolt” Ross’ biggest MCU appearance to date, but Harrison Ford steps smoothly into the role and embraces Ross’s steely demeanor and the character’s seemingly earnest yearning to atone for his past. But that past still catches up to him, making the character both flawed and tragic, and Ford chomps down on it in a livelier performance that we’ve seen from him in a while. Of course, it’s no spoiler to mention his transformation into Red Hulk, and the climactic fight between him, Cap, and a good chunk of the armed forces mostly lives up to its billing, some rough visuals aside.
Giancarlo Esposito and Carl Lumbly are reliably excellent with less to do, with the latter especially bringing an emotional center to the movie. Shira Haas is striking as Ruth, the president’s security chief with a past of her own, while Danny Ramirez delivers enthusiasm but not a ton of personality as the new Falcon. Our favorite? Tim Blake Nelson, returning after 17 years to the character known as The Leader in the comics, who’s sinister, snarky, and – in his cheesily macabre prosthetics and glowing eyes – rather eerie.
It’s a bit jarring to see the U.S. and Japan, of all countries, almost get into a shooting war, but fear not, the politics of ‘Brave New World’ are not nearly as topical as those of ‘The Winter Soldier’ or, hell, even the original ‘Iron Man.’ In fact, the geopolitical ramifications here are, while perhaps important for the MCU, generally an inch deep.
And that’s probably the biggest criticism of ‘Brave New World’: it echoes the MCU’s past, sometimes literally, but doesn’t quite channel the surprising emotional depth that the first decade managed to convey (one scene near the end, a heart-to-heart between Sam and someone else, recaptures some of the chemistry of the characters in that first round of films). The script and visuals, while stronger than other recent outings, still fall down from time to time. But ‘Brave New World’ also manages to get back up and keep punching, delivering superhero antics without a whole lot of pretension. It may not be especially brave or new, but it’s fun.
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What is the plot of ‘Captain America: Brave New World’?
Now operating as Captain America, Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) uncovers a deadly conspiracy centered around President Thaddeus Ross (Harrison Ford) and fights to discover who is behind it before an international war breaks out.
Who is in the cast of ‘Captain America: Brave New World’?
Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson/Captain America
Harrison Ford as Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross/Red Hulk
Joaquin Phoenix has left Todd Haynes’ new movie days before shooting was to start.
It’s a romantic drama focused on two men that Phoenix himself developed.
The movie likely now won’t get made and the team is angry at the actor.
Joaquin Phoenix is a man who can be quirky when it comes to his acting performances; some might even describe him as precious about the work. Still, though some filmmakers have expressed frustration with him in the past, he has certainly had some winners, including nabbing an Oscar for ‘Joker’ and other directors who have happily worked with him multiple times.
We’re not sure that Todd Haynes is about to join that club anytime soon.
Because recently, Phoenix walked away from Haynes’ new, untitled movie mere days before it was due to start shooting in in Guadalajara, Mexico, leaving the production not just scrambling, but effectively shut down.
Joaquin Phoenix in director Ari Aster’s ‘Beau Is Afraid.’
Only the most basic details emerged about the new movie’s plot, which Haynes and Phoenix worked on alongside ‘Showing Up’ and ‘Night Moves’ writer Jonathan Raymond.
It was known to focus on an intense romance in the 1930s between Phoenix’s character and a man played by co-star Danny Ramirez, of ‘Top Gun: Maverick’.
What happened with Joaquin Phoenix on the new Todd Haynes film?
Director Todd Haynes attends Netflix’s ‘May December’ Los Angeles premiere at Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on November 16, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Natasha Campos/Getty Images for Netflix.
No one is saying exactly why Phoenix suddenly got cold feet about the project, a situation which is even more surprising given that Phoenix brought the idea to the director in the first place.
“The whole experience was prompted by Joaquin. It was prompted by his daring, his desire to push through barriers and to really get into the uncomfortable places about this relationship. And yet it felt like a very organic process.”
So what happens now with the movie? The production team, which includes Christine Vachon and Pamela Koffler’s Killer Films, is focused now on paying those crewmembers who actually did show up in Mexico to start work on the movie. There appears to be no move to recast the main role, which would likely mean finding someone on Phoenix’s level who would want to take on the part.
For this part, Haynes is reportedly pivoting to focus on directing HBO limited series ‘Trust,’ an adaptation of Hernan Diaz’s novel about upper-class financial ruin in the 20th century, with his ‘Mildred Pierce’ star Kate Winslet in the lead.
In the wake of the Haynes movie mess, reports of other issues with the Oscar-winning actor, who has previously said he’s almost always nervous about taking on new roles.
This could well cause bad blood for Phoenix moving forward, but the actor has ‘Joker’ sequel ‘Folie à Deux’ due in October, with a world premiere set for the Venice Film Festival.
The notoriously press shy actor will have even more reason to dodge questions this time, but if the movie is a success like the 2019 original, that will no doubt mean producers and directors will still want to work with him –– and he already has other jobs either in the can or lined up.
Joaquin Phoenix in Director Todd Phillips’ ‘Joker: Folie à Deux.’ Photo courtesy of Todd Phillips’ Instagram account.
He’s been dropping hints about a big-screen role in the MCU, which drove speculation wild around a debut as a major character. Now, according to The Hollywood Reporter, we know a bit more about where he’ll show up –– and its turns out, he’ll be a villain in ‘Captain America: Brave New World’.
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What’s the story of ‘Captain America: Brave New World’?
While the major plot points are, in Marvel tradition, still mostly a mystery, the new movie –– which sees Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson/Captain America (a role his character first took on in small screen outing ‘The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’) dealing with a crisis at the highest levels of government.
Described by Marvel boss Kevin Feige at CinemaCon as more of “relatively grounded action film” (think ‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier‘) albeit set within the MCU, the movie will nevertheless feature plenty of drama (and probably a Hulk).
Who is appearing in ‘Captain America: Brave New World’?
Harrison Ford at D23 Expo 2022.
Alongside Mackie, we can expect to see Harrison Ford (who inherits the role of Thaddeus ‘Thunderbolt’ Ross from the late William Hurt, with the character now President of the United States), Liv Tyler (as Betty Ross from ‘The Incredible Hulk’), Tim Blake Nelson (as villain Samuel Sterns/The Leader also from the MCU Hulk movie), Danny Ramirez (as ‘The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’s Joaquin Torres, who is the new Falcon) and Rosa Salazar in an unknown role.
As to who Esposito is playing? There are no concrete details yet beyond mention of him as a baddie. We’re left to wonder whether he’ll be a one-off or if this is setting up someone who will recur in later movies (given the actor, our guess is the latter).
What has happened with ‘Captain America: Brave New World’ so far?
Directed by Julius Onah, the movie had its original shoot in early 2023, and after test screenings is now headed for some extensive (though not as much as, say, ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ or ‘The Marvels’) addition footage work, with ‘Moon Knight’s Matthew Orton having cranked out on new script material, which presumably includes Esposito’s character.
There has been much chatter about the movie being in trouble, but extra footage filming is built in to Marvel movie schedules.
Still, there is pressure on the company to get its hit ratio back up after the likes of ‘The Marvels’ didn’t score well at the box office. It only has one movie arriving this year (‘Deadpool & Wolverine’, landing July 26th) and has been having trouble getting other projects, including ‘Blade’ off the ground.
‘Captain America: Brave New World’ itself has shifted release dates at least once already, from its original slot, which was inherited by Deadpool’s latest outing.
When will ‘Captain America: Brave New World’ be in theaters?
Pending another shift, Marvel wants the movie in theaters on February 14, 2025.
Giancarlo Esposito attends the panel for “The Mandalorian” series at Star Wars Celebration in Anaheim, California on May 28, 2022. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney).
Other Movies and TV Shows Similar to ‘Captain America: Brave New World’:
What’s the story of Sam Wilson as Captain America so far?
We’ve known for a while that Mackie’s Sam “Falcon” Wilson will be back on the big screen, this time in the guise of Captain America.
The handover, of course, first occurred at the end of ‘Avengers Endgame’, where Chris Evans’ Steve Rogers arrived back from his trip to return the Infinity Stones to their rightful place in time, having decided to live a full life instead of using the quantum time-jumping system.
An elderly Steve hands a version of his iconic shield off to Sam, who is unsure whether he’s worthy. Asked how it feels, he replies, “Like it’s someone else’s”. “It isn’t,” says Rogers.
Yet it would take a lot more wrangling for Sam to finally feel ready to wield the shield and assume the mantle of Cap, an internal – and external – debate chronicled in Marvel’s Disney+ series ‘The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’.
That show saw Sam and Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) dealing with a variety of threats (including an out-of-control US Agent, played by Wyatt Russell, who was initially crowned Cap’s replacement by the American government) but ultimately ended with Sam suiting up as the new Captain America.
And the connective tissue between the show and the new movie doesn’t end there, as Malcolm Spellman, head writer for the series, is at work on the film’s script alongside Dalan Musson, who was on his writing staff.
Besides Mackie and Ford (who is playing General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, taking over the role from the late William Hurt, with the character reportedly now President of the United States), the cast list for the new movie includes Liv Tyler as Betty Ross, Rosa Salazar, Tim Blake Nelson, Shira Haas, Xosha Roquemore, plus Danny Ramirez and Carl Lumbly reprising their ‘Falcon and the Winter Soldier’ roles as Joaquin Torres and Isaiah Bradley respectively.
The movie is currently on track to hit theaters on May 3, 2024.
Directed by Julius Onah, and produced by Marvel Studios, and Kevin Feige Productions, ‘Captain America: New World Order’ is scheduled for release from Marvel Studios on May 3rd 2024.
Tom Cruise plays Capt. Pete “Maverick” Mitchell in ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ from Paramount Pictures, Skydance and Jerry Bruckheimer Films.
We feel the need, the need to relive the action of ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ right from the comfort of our couches.
The highly anticipated sequel soared into theaters on May 27, 2022, and quickly became the summer movie to see. With a Rotten Tomatoes score of 96% from critics and 99% from the audience, the Tom Cruise-led film has now earned over $1.4 billion worldwide.
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‘Top Gun: Maverick’ is a follow-up to the 1986 ‘Top Gun’, directed by Tony Scott. It’s been over 36 years since the original film and even with all the delays due to COVID and scheduling conflicts, fans patiently awaited for it to arrive in theaters. The film centers around Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Tom Cruise) who has been ordered to return to Top Gun flight school to train the next group of pilots for a dangerous mission.
The official synopsis for ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ is below:
“After more than 30 years of service as one of the Navy’s top aviators, Pete “Maverick” Mitchell is where he belongs, pushing the envelope as a courageous test pilot and dodging the advancement in rank that would ground him. Training a detachment of graduates for a special assignment, Maverick must confront the ghosts of his past and his deepest fears, culminating in a mission that demands the ultimate sacrifice from those who choose to fly it.”
Tom Cruise on the set of ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ from Paramount Pictures, Skydance and Jerry Bruckheimer Films.
With today’s technology, ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ brought the action to new heights. Utilizing practical stunts and gravity-defying flight sequences, the film puts the audience right in the cockpit with heart-dropping drops, rolls, and dives. The actors themselves also experienced g-forces and top-speed flying.
The aviation-action title was nominated in several categories for the 95th Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Sound, Best Original Song (performed by Lady Gaga), Best Film Editing, Best Visual Effects, and Best Adapted Screenplay. The film brought home the Oscar for Best Sound.
Tom Cruise plays Capt. Pete “Maverick” Mitchell in ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ from Paramount Pictures, Skydance and Jerry Bruckheimer Films.
Tom Cruise is known for delivering top-tier stunt sequences in his movies often performing the stunts himself, such as hanging on to the door of a commercial aircraft during takeoff in ‘Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation’. For ‘Top Gun: Maverick’, while he is an experienced and licensed pilot, Cruise did not actually fly the Boeing F/A 18F Super Hornet jet used in the film. Due to military regulations, the actor flew in the backseat of the aircraft while a Navy pilot controlled the plane. This was the same scenario for the cast. But this doesn’t mean the cast had an easy time – the intense flying sequences require serious training for the actors and Cruise himself designed an intensive three-month training program for the cast to go through prior to filming.
On top of the intense training, the cast had to be their own cinematographer while they were in the air. The F18 aircraft did not allow room for additional crew, and during the flight sequences, director Joseph Kosinski was not able to communicate with the cast or see the footage being filmed. Therefore it was up to the actors to make sure they were framed and lit properly.
Where Can I Watch ‘Top Gun: Maverick’?
The film first premiered at Cinema Con on April 22, 2022. It opened in the US on May 27th and was available in IMAX, 4DX, ScreenX, ad Dolby Cinema. The film earned $126.7 million on its opening weekend. While it’s been almost 10 months since it’s premiere, there are still theaters playing the film, though it is limited. ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ has a total runtime of 2 hours and 11 minutes.
Watch the official trailers for ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ below:
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When Will It Be Available To Stream Online?
You can stream ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ on Paramount+, with a subscription fee ranging from $5 to $10 monthly, or MGM+ (formerly Epix) for $6 a month. Both services offer free trials for those looking for a new streaming platform.
Additionally, it is also available to rent (pricing varies) or purchase for $19.99 digitally on various platforms.
‘Top Gun: Maverick’ is available to purchase on DVD and Blu-Ray with over 80 minutes of special features. For the collectors, there’s a limited-edition Steel book available on Amazon.
Please click on the video player below to watch our interviews with actors Danny Ramirez, Lewis Pullman, Greg Tarzan Davis, and Charles Parnell, as well as producer Jerry Bruckheimer about ‘Top Gun: Maverick.’
Liv Tyler in director Bryan Bertino’s ‘The Strangers.’
Given that we already know that ‘Captain America: New World Order’ will have some connections to ‘The Incredible Hulk’ –– most notably “Thunderbolt” Ross (now played by Harrison Ford following William Hurt’s death) and Samuel Sterns, AKA The Leader, played by Tim Blake Nelson, whose villainous future was only hinted at in the 2008 movie, we suppose it was only a matter of time before Betty Ross returned.
And so she has, with Liv Tyler joining ‘New World Order’ as the character who in her first appearance (and often in the comics) was the great love of Bruce Banner (though there’s no word yet on whether Mark Ruffalo will show up as Bruce).
The Hollywood Reporter brings word that Tyler is returning, which of course will make for a more emotional storyline for Ford’s first appearance as Ross (who at this point has become President of the United States).
And while a tricky rights issue means Marvel can’t make a solo Hulk movie, that hasn’t stopped them placing Betty in at least one other project –– she was seen (albeit briefly) in an episode of animated series ‘What If…?’, though there the character was voiced by Stephanie Panisello.
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What’s the story of ‘Captain America: New World Order’?
It remains to be seen how all these Hulk hangovers affect the plot of ‘New World Order’, but the focus will be on Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) who was chosen to carry on as the new Captain America by Chris Evans’ Steve Rogers at the end of ‘Avengers: Endgame’.
Sam spent the duration of the Disney+ ‘The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’ debating whether he should take on the mantle but embraced the role towards the end. Now he’ll be facing fresh threats as the new Cap makes his big screen debut.
While we’ve yet to learn whether The Winter Soldier –– AKA Sebastian Stan’s Bucky Barnes ––will return for the film, Danny Ramirez’ Joaquin Torres, the US Air Force lieutenant and intelligence officer to whom Sam passed the Falcon mantle (and wing suit) once he became Captain America, is back.
And Isaiah Bradley (Carl Lumbly) a former super soldier who was ill-treated by the American government will also appear.
New to the cast are Shira Haas, playing comic book character Sabra and Xosha Roquemore in an unknown role.
Behind the scenes, ‘The Cloverfield Paradox’s Julius Onah is calling the shots on the movie, which has is now in production. He’s working from a script by ‘The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’s Malcolm Spellman and Dalan Musson.
Whether this all means that we can expect to see more of Betty in future MCU entries remains to be seen, but it’s good to have her back.
‘Captain America: New World Order’, is scheduled for release in theaters on May 3rd, 2024.
Marvel Studios’ ‘Captain America: New World Order.’
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Directed by Julius Onah, and produced by Marvel Studios, and Kevin Feige Productions, ‘Captain America: New World Order’ is scheduled for release from Marvel Studios on May 3rd 2024.
