It isn’t an exact match, but the simple way of explaining the Thunderbolts is that they’re Marvel’s version of ‘The Suicide Squad‘: a group of villains –– or at least anti-heroes –– brought together by third-party schemers in a possibly ill-advised attempt to turn them into a force for good.
In Marvel’s case, they were originally assembled by Baron Zemo and the Masters Of Evil and have sometimes been linked to Hulk regular General Thaddeus ‘Thunderbolt’ Ross (hence the name). They made their debut in the pages of ‘The Incredible Hulk’ in 1996, introduced by writer and artist team Peter David and Mike Deodato. They continued to their own series the same year, created by Kurt Busiek and Mark Bagley, and have been brought back with a bunch of alternative line-ups in comics ever since.
David Harbour from ‘Thunderbolts’ at D23 Expo 2022.
We know (most of) the characters who will be showing up, since they were announced back in 2022 at Disney’s D23 event: Bucky Barnes (formerly The Winter Soldier), played by Sebastian Stan, is a key figure alongside Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova, Olga Kurylenko’s Antonia Dreykov/Taskmaster and David Harbour’s Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian, those three having been introduced in ‘Black Widow’.
Then there’s John Walker, AKA US Agent, played by Wyatt Russell and first seen in ‘The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’ and Hannah John-Kamen’s Ava Starr, the phasing character known as Ghost, who debuted in ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp’.
As for those overseeing the team, we have Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, AKA Val, played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who was also introduced in the ‘Falcon’ series and has since cropped up in the likes of ‘Black Widow’ and ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’. We also have Thaddeus Ross –– last seen in ‘Black Widow’ and played since ‘The Incredible Hulk’ by William Hurt. But because of the actor’s death in 2022, Marvel has had to recast the role, tapping genre icon Harrison Ford to take over.
Ross is reportedly the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s current President of the US (at least in ‘Captain America: New World Order’) so that’ll likely factor in. And ‘The Bear’s Ayo Edebiri is aboard in an unknown role.
Who is making ‘Thunderbolts’?
Jake Schreier (who worked with Yeun on ‘Beef’) is directing the film based on a script by Eric Pearson and Lee Sung Jin.
Production is scheduled to kick off in March, with the movie scheduled for July 25th, 2025.
(L to R) Denzel Washington and Director Antoine Fuqua between takes while filming in the Amalfi Coast on the set of Columbia Pictures ‘The Equalizer 3.’ Photo by: Stefano Montesi.
Denzel Washington will shoot back to our screens next month as government assassin-turned-do-gooding crusader Robert McCall in ‘The Equalizer 3’.
And while it could end up being the final outing (though nothing has been said) for McCall in his present form, director Antoine Fuqua is already thinking of an idea for an ‘Equalizer’ prequel which would use de-aging technology so Washington can star as a younger version of the character.
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What has Fuqua said about an ‘Equalizer’ prequel?
Director Antoine Fuqua and Denzel Washington on the set of ‘The Equalizer 3.’ Photo by: Stefano Cristiiano Montesi.
“I definitely thought about it a lot. Especially now with the new technology and the AI and all of that kind of stuff… Is there a story to be told about how [McCall] became this person — the younger version. I’ve had that conversation with [‘Equalizer’ screenwriter] Richard Wenk quite a bit.”
But don’t go booking your tickets to ‘The Equalizer: Young McCall’ just yet. Right now, it’s still only in Fuqua’s mind and he has yet to sound out Washington on the concept, which has been most recently deployed in the opening sequence of ‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’, winding back the clock to show Harrison Ford looking like he did circa ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’.
As he explains:
“I haven’t talked to Denzel about that yet. It’s all so fresh and new. I’m still watching [the technology]. I’ve watched Harrison Ford’s film and I know there’s other movies coming out. I think Sony has one coming out with Tom Hanks soon [Robert Zemeckis’ ‘Here’]. And I’m hearing the technology is getting better and better and better. So, I’m kind of watching it to see where it goes.”
The notion of using AI and CG to de-age actors has been a controversial one; beyond the wider argument about AI and its impact on performers (which is a key point in the current SAG-AFTRA strike, it has been seen as a hit-and-miss idea.
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What’s the story of ‘The Equalizer 3?
Denzel Washington in ‘The Equalizer 3.’ Photo: Stefano Montesi.
Since giving up his life as a government assassin, Robert McCall has struggled to reconcile the horrific things he’s done in the past and finds a strange solace in serving justice on behalf of the oppressed.
Finding himself surprisingly at home in Southern Italy, he discovers his new friends are under the control of local crime bosses. As events turn deadly, McCall knows what he has to do: become his friends’ protector by taking on the mafia.
“The first film was about [McCall] finding a purpose. And it’s very external, right? He’s helping people. The second one is more about making peace with his past. He’s betrayed by his friends and [his colleague] dies and his wife has passed away… And then this one is more of a moral dilemma because he’s a darker character… He’s struggling with the violence and brutality.”
‘The Equalizer 3’ is in theaters on September 1.
Denzel Washington in ‘The Equalizer 3.’ Photo: Stefano Montesi.
While this film may be the last time we’ll see Harrison Ford don the fedora and the whip, it doesn’t mean we can’t go on one final globe-trotting adventure with the famed archeologist.
“Daredevil archaeologist Indiana Jones races against time to retrieve a legendary dial that can change the course of history. Accompanied by his goddaughter, he soon finds himself squaring off against Jürgen Voller, a former Nazi who works for NASA.”
‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’ first premiered at the 76th Canne Film Festival, exactly 15 years after ‘Indiana Jones and The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull’ premiered at Canne. Leading man Harrison Ford also received the Palme d’Or d’honneur for lifetime achievement at the festival.
“They say when you’re about to die, you see your life flash before your eyes, and I just saw my life flash before my eyes,” Ford said as he accepted the award.
The previous installment, ‘The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull,’ was not received well by the audience, earning a 53% score on Rotten Tomatoes. However, ‘The Dial of Destiny’ received an 88% score from the audience, with many comments calling out certain classic Indy moments in the film.
Using the de-aging technology, the story takes us back in time to see a younger Indy, with a great action sequence aboard a moving train with the film’s antagonist Voller (Mads Mikkelsen). It had all the classic Indiana Jones movie moments and also set up the film’s McGuffin – the Archimedes dial.
Ford has been playing the globe-trotting, Nazi-punching archeologist for over 4 decades, debuting the character in ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’ in 1981. Now at 80, the actor returns to the role once again. We find Indiana Jones in a very interesting time – weighed down by his failed relationship with his wife Marion, being forced into retirement, and dealing with the loss of his son Mutt (Shia LaBeouf). This is certainly different than the Indy we know and remember, but Ford brings sincerity to the role and is ever committed to big action sequences and a high-speed car chase through the city as he and Helena go after the Dial.
The movie opened in theaters on June 30, 2023, and is available in various formats, such as Dolby Cinema, IMAX, 4DX, and ScreenX. ‘The Dial of Destiny’ still playing in theaters, so be sure to check your local listings and Moviefone below for showtimes in your area.
‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’’ has a total runtime of 2 hours and 35 minutes.
Watch the official trailer for ‘The Dial of Destiny’ below:
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Can’t make it out to the theater? Don’t worry. Since the movie is under the Walt Disney Studio banner, it will surely make its way to Disney+. Typically, Disney Studios films adopt a 45 to 90-day theatrical release window before it arrives on the streaming platform. This was the case with films such as ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ and ‘Ant-man and the Wasp: Quantumania.’ No official date has been announced for the film’s release on the streaming platform or VOD.
Indiana Jones is one of the most beloved characters in cinematic history!
Ever since the character, created by George Lucas and played by Harrison Ford, was first introduction in the unforgettable opening sequence of 1981’s ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark,’ which was directed by Steven Spielberg, Indiana Jones has become a staple in pop-culture.
In honor of Indy’s new and possibly final adventure, ‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,’ which was directed by James Mangold and opens in theaters on June 28th, Moviefone is ranking every Indiana Jones movie ever made, including the latest.
(L to R) Shia LaBeouf as Mutt Williams, Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones and Karen Allen as Marion Ravenwood in ‘Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.’
Set during the Cold War, the Soviets, led by sword-wielding Irina Spalko (Cate Blanchett), are in search of a crystal skull which has supernatural powers related to a mystical Lost City of Gold. Indy (Harrison Ford) is coerced to head to Peru at the behest of a young man (Shia LaBeouf) whose friend, and Indy’s colleague, Professor Oxley (John Hurt) has been captured for his knowledge of the skull’s whereabouts.
Finding himself in a new era, approaching retirement, Indy (Harrison Ford) wrestles with fitting into a world that seems to have outgrown him. But as the tentacles of an all-too-familiar evil return in the form of an old rival (Mads Mikkelsen), Indy must don his hat and pick up his whip once more to make sure an ancient and powerful artifact doesn’t fall into the wrong hands.
(L to R) Kate Capshaw as Wilhelmina “Willie” Scott, Ke Huy Quan as Short Round and Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones in ‘Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.’
After arriving in India, Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) is asked by a desperate village to find a mystical stone. He agrees – and stumbles upon a secret cult plotting a terrible plan in the catacombs of an ancient palace.
(L to R) Sean Connery as Henry Jones, Sr. and Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones in ‘Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.’
In 1938, an art collector appeals to eminent archaeologist Dr. Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) to embark on a search for the Holy Grail. Indy learns that a medieval historian has vanished while searching for it, and the missing man is his own father, Dr. Henry Jones Sr. (Sean Connery). He sets out to rescue his father by following clues in the old man’s notebook, which his father had mailed to him before he went missing. Indy arrives in Venice, where he enlists the help of a beautiful academic, Dr. Elsa Schneider (Alison Doody), along with Marcus Brody (Denholm Elliott) and Sallah (John Rhys-Davies). Together they must stop the Nazis from recovering the power of eternal life and taking over the world!
Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones in ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark.’
When Dr. Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) – the tweed-suited professor who just happens to be a celebrated archaeologist – is hired by the government to locate the legendary Ark of the Covenant, he finds himself up against the entire Nazi regime.
The fourth and final season of the popular Prime Video series ‘Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan,’ starring Krasinski, is set to premiere on June 30th.
In honor of the final season of the series, which introduces Michael Peña as Domingo “Ding” Chavez, who could receive a spin-off of his own in the future, Moviefone is counting down the best Jack Ryan movies of all time.
When the president of Russia suddenly dies, a man whose politics are virtually unknown succeeds him. The change in political leaders sparks paranoia among American CIA officials, so CIA director Bill Cabot (Morgan Freeman) recruits a young analyst (Ben Affleck) to supply insight and advice on the situation. Then the unthinkable happens: a nuclear bomb explodes in a U.S. city, and America is quick to blame the Russians.
When a squad of Russian soldiers kills his family in retaliation for his role in a top-secret op, Sr. Chief John Kelly (Michael B. Jordan) pursues the assassins at all costs. Joining forces with a fellow SEAL (Jodie Turner-Smith) and a shadowy CIA agent (Jamie Bell), Kelly’s mission unwittingly exposes a covert plot that threatens to engulf the U.S. and Russia in an all-out war. Torn between personal honor and loyalty to his country, Kelly must fight his enemies without remorse if he hopes to avert disaster and reveal the powerful figures behind the conspiracy.
A new technologically-superior Soviet nuclear sub, the Red October, is heading for the U.S. coast under the command of Captain Marko Ramius (Sean Connery). The American government thinks Ramius is planning to attack. A lone CIA analyst (Alec Baldwin) has a different idea: he thinks Ramius is planning to defect, but he has only a few hours to find him and prove it – because the entire Russian naval and air commands are trying to find him, too. The hunt is on!
What is the plot of ‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’?
In 1944, American archaeologist and adventurer Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) helps colleague Basil Shaw (Toby Jones) against Jürgen Voller (Mads Mikkelsen), a Nazi, from obtaining a mysterious dial known as the Antikythera. Twenty-five years later, Jones is uneasy over the fact that the U.S. government has recruited former Nazis to help beat the Soviet Union in the competition to make it to space. He is about to be forced into retirement when, surprisingly, his goddaughter, Basil’s daughter Helena Shaw (Phoebe Waller-Bridge), accompanies him on his journey for the Dial. Meanwhile, Voller, now a NASA member and ex-Nazi involved with the Apollo Moon-landing program, is also after the dial, and wishes to use it to make the world into a better place as he sees fit.
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Who is in the cast of ‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny?’
‘Dial of Destiny’ is an improvement from ‘Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull,’ but still not a great ending for Indiana Jones’ story. The screenplay is confusing and convoluted, while the pacing is slow at times. Director James Mangold does an efficient job but the “Indiana Jones” magic is still missing from this installment. Harrison Ford gives a strong and emotional performance, while Phoebe Waller-Bridge breathes some fresh air into the franchise, but ultimately the film feels like an epilogue rather than a definitive final chapter.
The movie begins in 1944 at the end of World War II with an excellent sequence that takes place on a moving train. Ford is de-aged for the scenes, and while the VFX don’t entirely work, Mangold shoots the actor as sparingly as possible, as a little bit goes a long way. The sequence is classic Indiana Jones and one of the best set pieces in the film. But once the story cuts to present day, it drags to the next action sequence. Many of the characters’ motivations are unclear, as is the true power of the dial, this film’s McGuffin. And without giving away the ending, that seemed to come out of nowhere, like Indy meeting aliens in the last movie.
James Mangold is a very accomplished director, having made such films as ‘3:10 to Yuma,’ ‘Logan,’ and ‘Ford v Ferrari,’ and does a good job with the action sequences and the drama, but the pacing and the tone never seems quite right. This is the first film in the franchise not directed by Steven Spielberg, and while I certainly did not like ‘Crystal Skull,’ I have to wonder if the “magic” missing from this movie isn’t him? Mangold leans heavy on the nostalgia, which serves the film well with several cameos and callbacks. The director stages some impressive action scenes including the opening, a parade chase through the streets of New York, and a final mind-bending sequence.
Overall, the movie feels more dramatic than necessary and lacks the fun of the first three films. The 1969 setting of the movie is refreshing and contrasts Ford’s age and the flashback sequences well. Using the idea of Nazis working with NASA on the space race was a clever idea, but not really explored enough. Nor is the true power of the dial, which is problematic because they’ve been chasing after it for the entire movie and we don’t really understand what it is capable of until the end.
Harrison Ford will always be Indiana Jones! The actor returns to the role a little more gruff, but it suits the character well. Ford gives a great performance, but it is more dramatic than I expected. As an actor, Ford is excellent, but I question taking the character in this direction, as it sucks some of the fun out of the movie. Indiana lost his son Mutt Williams (Shia LaBeouf) in Vietnam, his wife Marion (Karen Allen) has since left him, he is being forced into retirement, and he seems to have a drinking problem. It’s a different way of looking at Indy, and while it’s not my idea of a fun time, Ford brings a lot of sincere emotion to his beloved role. And it is nice to see him wear the Fedora and crack the whip one more time.
Phoebe Waller-Bridge gives a wonderful and cheeky performance as Indy’s goddaughter Helena. It’s a fun character and Waller-Bridge breathes fresh life into the film with her role. However, I do question the way the character was written, as her motivations are unclear at times and seem to change on a whim. That said, she is a good foil for Indy, and has lovely chemistry with Ford.
Several new characters are introduced, but most of them have limited roles. Toby Jones plays Helena’s father and Indy’s friend Basil Shaw. He’s only seen in flashbacks, but is good in his scenes with Ford, especially in the beginning. Antonio Banderas is introduced as an old friend of Indy’s, and while his presence was more than welcomed, we don’t spend enough time with the character to really get to know him. But the most confusing addition was Ethann Isidore as Teddy, an ally of Helena. No offense to the young actor, who was fine in the role, but the character seemed unnecessary and his relationship to Helena was vague and never really explained.
Again, in a far too limited role, John Rhys-Davies returns as Sallah, who first appeared in ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’ and last in ‘Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.’ He has only a few scenes but they are all with Ford, and it’s great seeing the two together again. Davies also has one of the best lines in the movie, but I wish the character could have been more involved with Indy’s journey.
Is Marion Ravenwood in Dial of Destiny?
Yes. Karen Allen returns as Marion Ravenwood, but like Davies, she really only has a cameo. However, the character plays a pivotal role in the film and is the reason for most of Indy’s actions and motivations.
Mads Mikkelsen plays a strong Indiana Jones villain with his performance as Nazi turned NASA scientist Jurgen Voller. The actor plays the role surprisingly differently than you might expect, and is a worthy adversary for our hero. While the actor never hides the characters motivations or true intentions, the story fails him at times when it becomes too convoluted. Voller’s role with the CIA is also confusing, working with agent Mason (Shaunette Renee Wilson), who seems unclear on why she’s helping him. And Boyd Holbrook basically plays the same role he did in Mangold’s ‘Logan,’ as Voller’s lead henchman.
Without giving away the end of the movie, we eventually learn that the Dial’s power has to do with time. This leads to an absolutely preposterous ending, that again, I won’t spoil. But it feels like something someone would write in fan-fiction and not a proper ending to Indiana Jones’ journey. In fact, the ending is so ridiculous its laughable and took me out of the film completely. That being said, it’s not as bad as Indy meeting aliens, but I do wonder if the franchise wouldn’t have been better off ending with ‘The Last Crusade,’ which was pretty much a perfect movie and the best in the franchise next to ‘Raiders.’ Still, it is fun seeing Ford as Indy one more time, and I do appreciate his thoughtful and emotional performance.
In the end, ‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’ just didn’t work for me. Mangold fills the movie with great action, and lots of nostalgia and dramatic emotion, but the story is all over the place, along with the tone and pacing. The returning characters that you want to see more of are limited, and too much time is spent on ancillary characters. Both Waller-Bridge and Mikkelsen give fresh and fun performances, but just like Indy, Harrison Ford swoops in and saves the movie. If for nothing else, the film is worth seeing just to get a glimpse of Ford as his signature character one more time.
‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’ receives 6.5 out of 10 stars
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.
The ongoing strike, which sees writers taking industrial action for a fairer deal from the studios, is starting to have more and more impact on movies and TV series.
Most of the main networks have indicated that they’re planning to change their fall schedules to favor reality, other unscripted series and reruns because of the lack of new scripts. Much of their scripted output has been moved to mid-season and other changes are on the way. During the most recent strike, in 2007-2008, US screens saw a rebounded era of reality television, which doesn’t require union writers.
Even Marvel is not safe from delays and issues with its shows and movies. The company recently hit pause on ‘Daredevil: Born Again’, had had been in the midst of a lengthy shoot in New York, while ‘Wonder Man’ shut down also. And it faced another delay on ‘Blade’, which had already been through its share of problems, including a director switch and script re-writes. But with no work allowed on the screenplay, production will have to wait.
‘Blade’ is not the only movie facing delays –– according to Deadline, ‘Thunderbolts’, the company’s anti-hero adventure, which was due to kick off filming in Atlanta in three weeks, is also shutting down until a deal is reached and the strike ends.
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Who is in the Thunderbolts movie?
We know (most of) the characters who will be showing up, since they were announced last year at Disney’s D23 event: Bucky Barnes (formerly The Winter Soldier), played by Sebastian Stan, is a key figure alongside Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova, Olga Kurylenko’s Antonia Dreykov/Taskmaster and David Harbour’s Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian, those three having been introduced in ‘Black Widow’.
Then there’s John Walker, AKA US Agent, played by Wyatt Russell and first seen in ‘The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’ and Hannah John-Kamen’s Ava Starr, the phasing character known as Ghost, who debuted in ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp’.
Marvel is far from the only company with projects seeing delays. Lionsgate stopped work on Aziz Ansari’s new film, ‘Good Fortune’, which has Keanu Reeves and Seth Rogen in its cast. It’s the latest blow to Ansari’s directorial career, which had seen previous effort ‘Being Mortal’ curtailed following claims of inappropriate behavior on the part of star Bill Murray.
The series was scheduled to shoot in Northern Ireland, but the strike means that it’s also been delayed.
Here’s what the country’s film had to say on the matter:
“Northern Ireland Screen is extremely disappointed that ‘Blade Runner 2099’ is not going ahead at this time due to the ongoing writers’ strike. The project has been prepping on the ground in Belfast for many months now. The WGA strike has been halting production all over the world and we hope a fair deal is reached soon so crew can get back to work.”
1982’s ‘Blade Runner’ Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures.
If the delay is significant, it’s likely to shift the show’s production back until next spring, a significant postponement. Silka Luisa, showrunner of Apple TV+’s ‘Shining Girls’, is writing and executive producing ‘Blade Runner 2099,’ which comes from Alcon Entertainment and Ridley Scott’s Scott Free Productions (Scott, of course, directed the original movie and has been involved in the franchise ever since).
In the wider world, we know that the likes of ‘Stranger Things’, ‘Cobra Kai’, ‘The Last of Us’, ‘Loot’ and ‘Abbott Elementary’ are among the big-name series seeing the impact, but while those will be later arriving, viewers are already seeing the impact, as the late-night shows, such as those hosted by Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert are on indefinite hiatus and ‘Saturday Night Live’ has curtailed its season.
As mentioned, it will be a while before we see the total fallout of the strike, since some shows, including ‘House of the Dragon’ and ‘Good Omens’ have second seasons that were finished before the strike began.
Some companies and networks –– especially the CW, though that appears to have been its policy even before the strike –– are looking to shows produced outside of the States to fill gaps and help maintain viewers.
And there will be a full program of movies for at least the next year and likely into 2024 as many productions were at least wrapped or in post-production.
It is also an issue for companies looking to promote their work, either for upcoming releases or (in the case of TV shows) awards consideration, as talent is skipping interviews and events in solidarity with the writers.
Finally, there is more trouble for studios on the horizon since the Directors Guild and SAG-AFTRA, which represents actors, still have to work out their contracts and their members have already been showing their support for their fellow creatives on strike lines.
David Harbour from ‘Thunderbolts’ at D23 Expo 2022.
(L to R) Director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy and Daisy Ridley at Star Wars Celebration 2023.
Star Wars Celebration is happening now at the Excel Center in London, so of course the announcements are coming thick and fast about that galaxy far, far away.
Yet, following a fallow period after ‘The Rise of Skywalker’ that featured any number of big, exciting promises but nothing in the way of actual movies, it’s hard not to view the news with a slightly cynical eye –– how many times have must we be told about something Rian Johnson is cooking up, or Taika Waititi’s planned film –– before we start to cross our arms as a fandom and say, “we’ll believe it when we see it!”
Our patience (young Padawans) might yet be rewarded, as Kathleen Kennedy and the Lucasfilm team took to the stage to confirm a new trio of films that hopefully have a lot more chance of coming to fruition (though, of course, we all said that about Patty Jenkins’ ‘Rogue Squadron’, still yet to leave the development hangar and waiting for a slot on the roster.)
So what did get announced today?
(L to R) Director James Mangold, Dave Filoni, and director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy at Star Wars Celebration 2023.
What is Dave Filoni working on?
Dave Filoni, of course, is one of the masterminds (alongside Jon Favreau) of the current run of small screen ‘Star Wars’ that has helped to keep the flame alive for fans including ‘The Mandalorian’ and ‘The Book of Boba Fett’ and the upcoming likes of ‘Ahsoka’ and ‘Skeleton Crew’.
But Filoni, whose province has been on the small screen for years now, is being rewarded with a shot at the big one.
He will direct a big-screen adventure tying in to ‘The Mandalorian’, a “cinematic event” that tells a vital part of the “escalating war between the Imperial remnant and the New Republic.” It’ll continue to flesh out the time between ‘Return of the Jedi’ and ‘The Force Awakens’ –– though it’s currently unknown whether it’ll mark a final chapter in the wider ‘Mando-verse’ story, or whether Filoni and Jon Favreau’s epic yarn will continue beyond the big-screen tale.
Also unknown at this point? The title or any specific details on which characters might appear. But we’d put serious credits on a certain green, big eared charmer showing up in some capacity.
(L to R) Dave Filoni, Daisy Ridley and director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy at Star Wars Celebration 2023.
This one sounds most likely to thrill fans of the ongoing Skywalker storyline, since it’ll see the return of a big part of the sequel trilogy.
The will take place at the furthest end of the ‘Star Wars’ timeline, moving 15 years beyond ‘The Rise of Skywalker’. Her film, set in an era described as the New Jedi Order, will be all about establishing a bountiful new age of Force-users in the wake of the Skywalker Saga. And the Jedi building that future? None other than Rey herself, with Daisy Ridley confirmed to return in the role she originated. “My heart is pounding,” Ridley stated as she took to the Celebration stage, to huge cheers from the audience.
(L to R) Director James Mangold, and Dave Filoni at Star Wars Celebration 2023.
James Mangold to direct a Star Wars Movie
Finally, there is news of a third movie to be directed by another filmmaker drafted in from a different corner of the Lucasfilm empire.
For his film, he’s going right back to the beginning –– exploring “the first Jedi to wield the Force” as he explained on stage. It goes back to the earliest part of the newly-updated set of Star Wars eras, the Dawn Of The Jedi.
“It takes place 25,000 years before Episode IV, and it’s about the discovery of the Force,” he explains. His influences extend to historical theological epics. “I told Kathy [Kennedy] I wanted to make a kind of Bible movie, a kind of ‘Ten Commandments‘ of ‘Star Wars’ –– kind of a Cecil B. DeMille film about the arrival of the Force, and that’s what I’ve been pecking away at between press events. That’s the idea.”
None of the movies have a release date or name announced yet, though with Disney/Lucasfilm targeting a December 2025 slot for a new ‘Star Wars’ movie, there’s a chance one of them could fill it. And at least it sounds like they have a plan –– now we wait and see if it works out.
(L to R) Director James Mangold, Mads Mikkelsen, and Phoebe Waller-Bridge from ‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’ at Star Wars Celebration 2023.
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A new Indiana Jones trailer
Talking of Mangold, Team Lucasfilm also revealed the latest look at ‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’, the fifth and likely final outing for Harrison Ford’s artifact-hunting adventurer.
With the story (aside from a prologue set in the 1940s at the peak of Indy’s adventures and featuring some impressively de-aged shots of Ford) now taking place in the late 1960s, an older and wiser––debatably––Dr. Jones is more content to lecture than to put his life at risk to find some mythical treasure. It’s not the years, as he once reminded us, it’s the mileage.
But when he’s contacted by his goddaughter Helena (Phoebe Waller-Bridge), he realizes that he can’t escape his past entirely. The title gadget is being sought by a Nazi sleeper cell (including Mads Mikkelsen’s Voller) who plan to use it to correct Hitler’s “mistakes” and see the Reich restored.
They discovered it, Jones took it from them way back when and now –– as this new footage reveals –– Helena takes it from him, since she’s found a bidder willing to pay richly for it. Cue another adventure for our hero.
The new trailer, which stylishly blends the Rolling Stones’ ‘Sympathy for the Devil’ with the classic Indy theme is sure to get fans excited.
Following a premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, the next Indy movie is due in theaters on June 30th.
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President of Lucasfilm Kathleen Kennedy at Star Wars Celebration 2023.
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.
