At San Diego Comic-Con in 2022, Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige announced a swath of new Marvel movies and shows, outlining much of Phases 5 and 6 for his company.
With ‘Loki’s first season dropping the first breadcrumbs about the multiverse-spanning villain Kang (played by Jonathan Majors in the show and ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’), the plan was to build him up as the next big bad to follow Thanos.
That whole connected storyline was to have concluded in ‘Avengers: The Kang Dynasty’ in 2025 and ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’ in 2026.
It wasn’t long after that that Cretton was announced as director for ‘The Kang Dynasty’ as part of his big overall Disney/Marvel deal in the wake of ‘Shang-Chi’ doing well.
Now, though, after some release date shifts for both ‘The Kang Dynasty’ (to 2026) and’ Secret Wars’ (moving to 2027), the word has arrived via Deadline that Cretton has stepped away from the director’s chair for the former movie.
Between this news and rumblings about the future of Kang as a whole, it’s looking increasingly likely that Marvel might be moving away from the character altogether.
Talking on the House of R podcast, writer Joanna Robinson (who has plenty of Marvel sources having written a huge book on Marvel’s movies to date), mentioned that ‘Quantumania’ screenwriter Jeff Loveness, who had been on board to write ‘The Kang Dynasty’ was no longer working for the studio? The reason –– he’d been deep in planning the Kang storyline, but the studio appeared to be moving away from the whole idea.
It’s far from a giant shock, though, since Marvel has been wrangling over how to deal with the Jonathan Majors situation. With the actor involved in a thorny legal issue, he’s not exactly someone the company’s parent Disney is looking to be in business with.
Thanks to the multiverse idea, there is scope for the studio to pivot away from him.
Simu Liu in Marvel Studios’ ‘Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.’
Yet unlike Loveness, Cretton is staying on Team Marvel.
He’s been busy working on the ‘Wonder Man’ series he co-created with Andrew Guest, which has been delayed because of the actors’ strike. Now that is back in action, and he can dedicate more of his time to it.
Plus, Cretton remains attached to make the ‘Shang-Chi’ sequel, though that has no official release date yet.
From the sounds of it all, this is another wrinkle for Marvel, but the studio is naturally staying tight-lipped on its plans, so nothing is official until actual announcements.
Marvel Studio’s ‘The Multiverse Saga.’
Other Movies Similar to ‘Avengers: The Kang Dynasty:’
(L to R) Sebastian Stan, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Danai Gurira, and Chadwick Boseman in ‘Avengers: Infinity War.’ Photo: Marvel Studios.
Preview
Marvel is reportedly considering a return for some beloved Avengers stars.
Jonathan Majors’ ongoing legal problems are proving a headache.
The studio has faced issues with newer movies such as ‘Blade’ and others.
There was a time when Marvel was on top of the Hollywood tree –– its movies were almost always guaranteed hits, people were loving the interconnected storylines and there was hope that the Marvel Cinematic Universe could stretch its Hydra-like tentacles into the world of streaming, providing a wealth of content for Disney+.
These days, there is more trouble than an assault from Doctor Doom (who we’ll have to wait to see on screen). Recent releases aside from ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ have failed to set the box office alight and there have been quality concerns about visual effects on screens big and small, a key element of making the stories work.
(L to R) Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, and Robert Downey Jr. in ‘The Avengers.’ Photo: Courtesy of Marvel Studios.
While this is far from a concrete possibility, the Variety story cites sources saying there have been discussions about bringing back the likes of Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans and Scarlett Johansson to reprise their roles as fan-favorite Avengers characters.
Of course, all that would depend on whether the actors would even want to return at this point, and perhaps more crucially, the realization that the budget to pay the salaries of the likes of RDJ would require breaking several piggy banks.
Still, the idea of the Avengers as a selling point would help assuage issues with someone who was planned to be the big bad of future team-up films. ‘Avengers: The Kang Dynasty’ and ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’.
Yes, one of the biggest problems currently facing Marvel is Jonathan Majors, who appeared as different variations of the multiversal character Kang in ‘Loki’ Season 1 (he’s back as another version for Season 2) and ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’.
But Majors is embroiled in a huge domestic violence legal case with a trial set for later this month. And that is a giant headache for both Marvel and parent company Disney (which pulled the planned release of his Sundance movie ‘Magazine Dreams’ from the release slate amid all the legal worries).
The MCU team has yet to specify how it’ll address the issue going forward –– but it needs to figure it out quickly as the first of the new ‘Avengers’ movies was supposed to be shooting next year (though that could also be delayed thanks to the knock-on effect of the actors’ strike). There’s a chance the studio could recast the role or pivot to some other villain.
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‘Blade’s blunted path to screens
Marvel Studios’ ‘Blade.’
‘Blade’ was supposed to be one title that got fans particularly excited. Marvel boss Kevin Feige announced Oscar winner Mahershala Ali as the new version of the vampire-battling vigilante once portrayed by Wesley Snipes.
Yet that has faced its own issues – two directors so far, several writers, innumerable drafts of the script (including, reportedly, one where Blade was the fourth lead in his own movie) and a shutdown six weeks before shooting was to begin.
Michael Green, who wrote ‘Logan’, is the latest writer aboard and the aim is to shoot the movie on a cheaper budget next year.
(L to R) Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool and Hugh Jackman as Wolverine in ‘Deadpool 3.’ Photo courtesy of Ryan Reynolds Instagram account.
There are, at least, some positives if the Marvel team can get the right –– the Fox deal gave Disney the rights to the Fantastic Four and X-Men, and Feige and co. have been figuring out how to introduce two of the most famous comic book teams into the MCU.
‘Deadpool 3’, which was halfway through shooting when the actors’ strike shut it down, is certainly seeing some excitement, and that’s a potential way to bridge to the future.
And no one should write off the Marvel team completely –– they’ve shown a remarkable ability to bounce back and come up with hits.
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Hugh Jackman will return as Wolverine in Marvel Studios’ ‘Deadpool 3.’
Cast and crew of Marvel Studios’ ‘Secret Invasion’ at the red carpet premiere.
‘Secret Invasion’ is coming soon to Disney+, a series based on the popular comic book storyline where the shape-shifting species the Skrulls invade Earth. This is also the first Marvel TV series in MCU’s Phase Five.
The official synopsis for ‘Secret Invasion’ is:
“In Secret Invasion, set in the present-day MCU, Fury learns of a clandestine invasion of Earth by a faction of shapeshifting Skrulls. Fury joins his allies, including Everett Ross, Maria Hill, and the Skrull Talos, who has made a life for himself on Earth.”
The series is directed by Ali Selim, who directed all six episodes. ‘Secret Invasion’ will premiere on Disney+ on June 21st, 2023.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of attending the global virtual press conference for ‘Secret Invasion’. Talent and filmmakers in attendance were Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige, producer Jonathan Schwartz, director Ali Selim, Samuel L Jackson, Ben Mendelsohn, Cobie Smulders, Emilia Clarke, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Olivia Colman, and Don Cheadle.
Here are 10 things we learned from the ‘Secret Invasion’ virtual press conference:
1. Where does ‘Secret Invasion’ take place in the MCU timeline?
Producer Jonathan Schwartz elaborated on how the show fits into MCU’s phase 5 and where it lands in the MCU timeline.
Jonathan Schwartz: It is present day MCU, that’s what we’re calling it. It exists basically along that timeline, along the timeline that the show’s coming out in. Post ‘She-Hulk’, post Blip, right at this exact present day in the MCU. I think that’s all I can say.
2. How the Idea for the ‘Secret Invasion’ Series Came About And How It Differs From The Comics
(L to R) Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige and director Ali Selim at the red carpet premiere of Marvel Studios’ ‘Secret Invasion.’
Kevin Feige recounts the first time he visited the idea of taking the ‘Secret Invasion’ storyline and turning it into a series.
Kevin Feige: I think if you really go back, it did start on ‘Captain Marvel’, even if it wasn’t a ‘Secret Invasion’ idea yet. I think it was the idea that there was more to do with this relationship and with these two characters, with Nick and with Talos. Then the Disney+ doors opened up, and we got the opportunity to play in more genres and expand the sandbox of what we can do. That made ‘Secret Invasion’ by itself a story that had great source material behind it and was a comic event that a lot of people knew and responded to, and was a very cool genre specifically for these two characters. I think that’s what really brought the show to life.
He also touches on how the series will differ from the comic book.
Kevin Feige: We knew we weren’t going to have every character in the Marvel Universe the way it is in the comics. It really was to focus on Sam Jackson and really to focus on this ensemble that you see here today in that, as we said, political thriller aspect to it. We had an amazing group of writers and our amazing director who helped to shepherd it all.
As for which upcoming MCU projects ‘Secret Invasion’ will lead into such as ‘Armor Wars’ or ‘The Marvels’:
Kevin Feige: You’ve named some of them. Yes. I mean, the repercussions will be felt in coming projects.
3. What inspired them to make ‘Secret Invasion’ as a darker, grittier spy-thriller show?
Kevin Feige: Jonathan came into my office a number of years ago, when we were thinking about what kinds of shows to do on Disney+, and he came in with this idea of translating the great ‘Secret Invasion’ storyline from the comics into a darker, grittier spy show, which we hadn’t done. We love to do different genres for everything. This was an attempt to really dive back into things we touched upon in ‘Winter Soldier’, but hadn’t in a while. Really delving into the tone of a spy show and seeing a very different dynamic between Fury and Talos than we had seen in our 90s buddy action movie, ‘Captain Marvel.’
4. The Current State Of Nick Fury In ‘Secret Invasion’
Samuel L. Jackson at the red carpet premiere of Marvel Studios’ ‘Secret Invasion.’
Nick Fury has been involved in the Marvel Cinematic Universe since the beginning – from ‘Iron Man’ in 2008. Fury has been through thick and thin with the Avengers and Thanos’ snap. Samuel L. Jackson talks about where his character is in this series.
Samuel L. Jackson: This is my second appearance post-snap, and he’s been gone for a while. He is a little tired, a little vulnerable, but he’s coming back to Earth because he’s been summoned, and we’ll see what happens. He’s got a bad knee now, and he’s not so happy.
Through the series, the audience will get the chance to learn more about Nicky Fury, the actor mentions that the more we find out about him, the more we’ll like him.
Samuel L. Jackson: We get new information. We go to his house. You got to watch to find out if I live in a condo or a real house, and see if I have a yard. That stuff. What furniture does Nick Fury have? Does he have an island in his kitchen? Can he cook?
5. What is Rhodey’s relationship like with Nick Fury in the series?
James “Rhodey” Rhodes (played by Don Cheadle) will appear in the series. The actor talks about what Rhodey has been up to and his relationship with Nick Fury.
Don Cheadle: I think we’re just finding out what’s happening with Rhodey as this series goes on. He’s in a different role. We see him as more of a political animal than we have in the past. He’s been more of the military man, but now he’s in some ways the right hand of the President and the special envoy in that regard. But I think what I’m looking forward to is just seeing more, getting under the hood of who he is, and seeing how this relationship, not only with Nick Fury but the other cast members evolves. Again, as Ben (Mendelsohn) said, no spoilers, but it’s going to be some fun stuff.
Samuel L. Jackson chimes in about never having any in-depth scenes with Cheadle until this series.
Samuel L. Jackson: We’ve been waiting to do this for years and years and years. It was wonderful to do and to have that little abrasive thing happen there. It’s great and nice to know that we have that relationship, or I assumed it was that.
Don Cheadle: I’ve known Sam for a long time and we’ve spent a lot of time talking about what it would be like to work together, looking for projects to do together. The central relationship between myself and Sam, and this was very important to me, and I was very glad to be brought on. I don’t think it was originally conceived that Rhodey was going to be in this, but when it came to me and Sam called, I was really excited about leaning into it. Also, being in a show like this that’s really a departure from what I have been in as far as the genre goes. It’s really an opportunity to act and really lean into some human stuff, which was also a lot of fun. As Emilia said, as Olivia said, as Kingsley said, as Ben said, this is a great cast. Ali was a great director, a great leader. It was just all upside, and I was very happy to look into who Rhodey is and to probe that more and find out what really makes him tick.
Cobie Smulders reprises her role as agent Maria Hill in the spy-thriller series, and talks about Maria’s relationship with Fury and what it’s like to work with Samuel L. Jackson
Cobie Smulders: Working with Sam is my favorite thing, it’s true. It was really exciting to come back. But speaking again about strain, I think the relationship is quite strained because she’s been calling, and he hasn’t been answering.
The actress touches on how Maria Hill was also affected by the Blip and how that affected her state-of-mind.
Cobie Smulders: I think Maria Hill came back and someone else was sitting in her desk, and immediately kicked them out and got to work. I think there was just a mountain of cases to get to, which is a part of her resentment toward Fury because he was not around.
Jackson added:
Samuel L Jackson: Well, yeah, it definitely has a mental health effect on you, and it causes a different rift between you and the people that you’ve been around or people that you’re supposed to be close to. I mean, like I said, I hadn’t been returning her calls. There are a few other people that I hadn’t been calling back either.
Olivia Colman joins the cast of ‘Secret Invasion’ as Sonya Falsworth. The actress talks about being a part of the MCU, who Sonya is, and her dynamic with Nick Fury.
Olivia Colman: After every Marvel film that landed in cinemas, I phoned my agent and said, “Please, could I be in a Marvel movie.” Finally, either she got fed up of me calling her, or it happened. It wasn’t why ‘Secret Invasion’? ‘Secret Invasion’ called, and without any mention of the word “Marvel” I went, “Yes, please.” That’s why. I had an absolute ball and it lived up to everything that I was hoping for.
On the dynamic between Sonya and Nick Fury:
Olivia Colman: I was just so excited to meet Samuel L. Jackson. They have a lovely friendship, although she does quite like to bully you with her heavies. It doesn’t strike me as much of a friendship, but they’ve got history. They trust each other, which I think I’m allowed to say.
Coleman talks a little more about who Sonya is:
Olivia Colman: Sonya works for MI6. She likes wearing red and she’s quite funny and she’s potentially a little bit not that nice sometimes.
Samuel L. Jackson adds:
Samuel L. Jackson: And possibly the most dangerous woman in the UK. She lives in a dark corner of the UK and nobody can access it.
Another newcomer to the MCU is Emilia Clarke, who is no stranger to major franchises and being tight-lipped on spoilers. The actress talks about her experience working with Ben Mendelsohn, given the relationship between the two characters.
Emilia Clarke: I just love Ben. I love working with Ben. It was so much fun. It was really easy because obviously, we are playing. There’s tension all over the shop, but there is obviously a deep familiarity, shorthand and knowledge of each other that it’s just so easy and free acting with Ben, and it was just gorgeous.
Mendelsohn remained cryptic on where we find Talos in the series, but he touches on the current mindset of Talos and his relationship with Nick Fury.
Ben Mendelsohn: We’re finding Talos in a difficult time. It’s a bad time. By the way, (Nick Fury) up there? We could have used him. I’m just saying he’s been away a bit, the mate, you know?
Played by Kingsley Ben-Adir, Gravik is a Skrull and an original character created for the series. The actor talks about exploring this brand-new character.
Kingsley Ben-Adir: I think we had many conversations for hours at the beginning. I guess like Gravik, I didn’t really trust why anything was coming to me, but he just felt like a part that I hadn’t been approached for before. There was an opportunity to do something a little bit different with this one. I just wanted to make him as unsentimental as possible. There’s something interesting about how much he hates Nick, and that was really enticing.
10. ‘Secret Invasion’ is not just a superhero story
(L to R) Kingsley Ben-Adir, Ben Mendelsohn, Samuel L. Jackson, Emilia Clarke, Olivia Colman, Don Cheadle, Cobie Smulders, Dermot Mulroney, and director Ali Selim at the red carpet premiere of Marvel Studios’ ‘Secret Invasion.’
Director Ali Selim talks about the inspiration for the tone of the show
Ali Selim: Well, I think it’s a very human show. It’s the Nick Fury story. He’s a human. He does have his own version of superpowers, but they’re not like superhero superpowers. It’s a story about him putting his feet back on the ground once again after some time. I like that because I like human stories that come from the heart, and are human-scaled and reach for a universal appeal rather than the reverse of that. I liked the espionage political thriller element, and we went back to look at ‘The Third Man’ and ‘The Conversation’ and things like that, that are very grounded, real and human. I hope that we brought enough of that to create the tone. Then, without a spoiler alert, I think there is a point in the story where Nick Fury realizes this is his own battle, and he becomes a classic American Western hero. The tone shifted in the later episodes to Nick Fury as John Wayne.
Director Ali Selim speaks more about how the series delves into human emotions and the personal and inner life of Nick Fury.
Ali Selim: Well, I think it’s the script which was brilliantly written. I think it’s the fact that it’s the Nick Fury story rather than a superhero story. I think it’s the fact that it really tried to delve into very simple human emotions like trust and suspicion, and the personal life of Nick Fury and the inner life of Nick Fury. It’s very different than people flying through the air.
Samuel L Jackson: See, but I don’t think it’s just a Nick Fury story because we got all these other interesting people that are flowing around through it. It’s a Gravik story, it’s Emilia’s story, and it’s Olivia’s story. It’s all these people that are being introduced that make you want to say, well, I want to go home with them too and see what’s happening.
‘Secret Invasion’ premieres with its first episode on Disney+ on June 21, 2023.
Of course, history ended up going a very different way: Julian McMahon ended up playing Victor Von Doom in Tim Story’s superhero movie and Robert Downey Jr. saw his career skyrocket to new heights playing Tony Stark in the first film Marvel Cinematic Universe.
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The revelation came from ‘Iron Man’ director Jon Favreau, who sat down with Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige for a video looking back at the making of the 2008 movie.
Says Favreau in the video (which you can watch above),
“I remember you had all met with him already for like Doctor Doom or something on another project. I think he had come through on maybe ‘Fantastic Four,’ so everybody sort of knew who he was.”
Robert Downey Jr. in ‘Iron Man 3’
Fantastic future?
It’s fun to speculate on what might have happened with Downey and the ‘Fantastic Four’ movies had he ended up in the role. Would he have made more of an impact than McMahon (who admittedly came back for the sequel)? Almost certainly. Might it have turned those ‘Fantastic Four’ movies into a hugely successful franchise and spared us all the gloomy 2015 reboot? Less certain.
It’s unlikely that Downey Jr. would have enjoyed the same freedom and collaboration that he had with Favreau and the scrappier, still-an-independent company Marvel. Back in 2005, ‘Fantastic Four’ was a tentpole for 20th Century Fox and we doubt the riskier shooting style would have been embraced. In the same video, Favreau opens up about both the re-writing process of the film and how RDJ’s casting unlocked ‘Iron Man’ for him and his team.
Julian McMahon as Victor Von Doom / Doctor Doom in 2005’s ‘Fantastic Four.’
“Once it was him, that’s when my life got a lot easier, because he understood. He understood the voice of the character. And then one by one, people were just signing on board because now it became something interesting.”
Downey’s casting was a domino that then led to opportunity to add Gwyneth Paltrow, Jeff Bridges, Paul Bettany and more, and the rest, as they say, was history. The MCU was born and would go on to earn more than $29.5 billion at the box office alone.
Had someone else ended up as Tony Stark (historically, Tom Cruise was circling the role years before Marvel’s version), who knows whether the movie would have taken off to the same degree. So perhaps we are living in the best timeline when it comes to that history.
Marvel, of course, is producing its own take on the ‘Fantastic Four,’ with ‘WandaVision’s Matt Shakman directing and casting rumors flying thick and fast –– currently Margot Robbie, Adam Driver and Paul Mescal are those being talked about, but nothing has been officially confirmed. With Comic-Con next month, we’re expecting to learn more.
Julian McMahon as Victor Von Doom / Doctor Doom in 2005’s ‘Fantastic Four.’
Other Movies Similar to ‘Iron Man’ and ‘Fantastic Four’:
(L to R) Shioli Kutsuna as Yukio and Brianna Hildebrand as Negasonic Teenage Warhead in ‘Deadpool 2.’ Photo courtesy of 20th Century Fox.
With the cameras now reportedly rolling on the third ‘Deadpool’, director Shawn Levy has been busy gathering the cast he needs to surround Ryan Reynolds’ titular Merc With A Mouth, who also goes by the name Wade Wilson.
Some are new recruits –– ‘The Crown’s Emma Corrin, for example is reportedly playing one of the movie’s main villains, while ‘Succession’sMatthew Macfadyen is also aboard in an unknown capacity (we could see him being a Weasley character of some sort, though he might want to do something different after years of Tom Wambsgams).
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And the headliner, of course, is Hugh Jackman, who after two films (and years of a fake rivalry with his good friend Reynolds) is bringing Wolverine to both the ‘Deadpool’ franchise and the MCU (since the new movie will be overseen by producer Kevin Feige and counted as part of the sprawling superhero universe for the first time).
Hildebrand has played sullen, sarcastic teen X-Men hero Negasonic Teenage Warhead (who has the ability to generate nuclear explosions) since the original, while Kutsuna joined in the second as her girlfriend, the cheery Japanese mutant ninja Yukio.
(L to R) Shioli Kutsuna as Yukio and Brianna Hildebrand as Negasonic Teenage Warhead in ‘Deadpool 2.’ Photo courtesy of 20th Century Fox.
Alongside Hildebrand and Kutsuna, many of the movies’ veteran characters are coming back. Morena Baccarin, who plays the main character’s great love, Vanessa, will return (thanks to some convenient time-travel shenanigans that retconned her character’s death at the start of the second movie). Karan Soni is once again playing humble, nervous taxi driver Dopinder, while Leslie Uggams will be the sardonic Blind Al, Wade’s roommate. And we’ll also see more from stoic, metallic X-Men member Colossus, brought to life via performance capture and CGI by Stefan Kapicic.
Those have all been with the franchise since the original. Joining from ‘Deadpool 2’ is Peter (Rob Delaney) the unassuming human who stumbled into Wade’s auditions for his X-Force team and somehow ended up joining the group. Though Peter ended up dying like (most of) the rest of the ill-fated squad, Wade also used time travel to save him at the end of the movie.
(L to R) Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman discuss Marvel Studios’ ‘Deadpool 3.’ Photo courtesy of Ryan Reynolds YouTube channel.
What will ‘Deadpool 3’ be about?
So far, director Shawn Levy, who collaborated with regular writers Reynolds, Paul Wernick, Rhett Reese and new recruit Zeb Wells, has not said explicitly what the storyline will be.
Yet we know from comments that Jackman in particular has made, that we can expect Wolverine and Deadpool to butt heads (probably literally at several points), and there will of course be knowing nudges at Wade’s new superhero reality –– we’d be shocked if there aren’t at least cameos from one or two MCU characters.
‘Deadpool 3’ is currently targeting a November 8th, 2024, release date.
Hugh Jackman will return as Wolverine in Marvel Studios’ ‘Deadpool 3.’
In other news, Ridley Scott is rounding out the cast for his long-anticipated sequel ‘Gladiator 2’ –– but he’s been required to make a change as he does.
Hechinger’s casting is just the latest piece of news on the film, and he’s part of an eclectic group of fresh additions to the movie.
Also new this time? ‘Moon Knight’ breakout May Calamawy, who was picked after an extensive audition process and is apparently a key character in the movie.
Besides her, Lior Raz, Peter Mensah (no stranger to gladiators after appearing on Starz series ‘Spartacus’ as Doctore) and Matt Lucas are all playing new characters. Plus, Derek Jacobi, who played Senator Gracchus in the original movie, will be reprising the role in the sequel.
Nielsen, of course is another returning veteran of the originally, and she’ll be reprising the role of Lucilla, mother to Lucius, played as a boy by Spencer Treat Clark in the original and now by ‘Aftersun’s Paul Mescal.
And there has been chatter that Djimon Hounsou, Juba from the original, will be back for this one.
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How does the sequel continue the story of ‘Gladiator’?
You’ll recall that the 2000 original saw Russell Crowe as Maximus, a Roman general betrayed by the scheming Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix) who killed his father the emperor and seized power.
While Maximus isn’t likely to show up –– short of CG-enhanced flashbacks since the character died in the original and went to a lush heavenly zone to reunite with his slaughtered family –– the story for the new movie, written by David Scarpa, sets the clock forward by several years.
In addition to being Lucilla’s son, he was the nephew of Commodus. Maximus saved Lucius and Lucilla while avenging his own family and left a strong impression on the young boy.
Quite what Lucius is up to in the new film remains to be seen, but there’s a chance he’ll be ending up in the arena himself, especially since Mescal has reportedly been training for the role.
Knowing Scott’s current prolific output, there’s every chance he’ll be hopping on to a different film as soon as ‘Gladiator 2’ is in good shape. He already has ‘Napoleon’ (a reunion with Phoenix) due in theaters on November 22nd this year.
‘Gladiator 2’, meanwhile, has earmarked the same date –– November 22nd but for next year.
(Right) Russell Crowe in director Ridley Scott’s ‘Gladiator.’
Director James Gunn and the cast of ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ at the world premiere at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood CA on Thursday, April 27, 2023. Photo: Alex J. Berliner/ABImages.
When the movie opens, our beloved band of misfits are settling into life on Knowhere. But it isn’t long before their lives are upended by the echoes of Rocket’s turbulent past. Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), still reeling from the loss of Gamora (Zoe Saldaña), must rally his team around him on a dangerous mission to save Rocket’s (Bradley Cooper) life — a mission that, if not completed successfully, could quite possibly lead to the end of the Guardians.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of attending the global virtual press conference for ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ along with several other members of the press. In attendance were James Gunn, Chris Pratt, Karen Gillan, Sean Gunn, Will Poulter, Chukwudi Iwuji, Pom Klementieff, Maria Bakalova and President of Marvel Studios Kevin Feige.
Here are the 10 things we learned from the ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ global virtual press conference:
1. James Gunn Will Miss Working on the Movies
Writer and director James Gunn at Los Angeles premiere of ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.’
James Gunn: I think it’s changed me in so many ways. I mean, everything I’ve learned from Kevin and Lou (executive producer Louis D’Esposito). I think also, in terms of just this family of people, I’ve been really good at hiring non-jerks. Not only non-jerks, but people who are actually positive, compassionate, loving, kind people. And so, I’ve just grown incredibly close to these people. I really love them. And it makes making movies a much more pleasant experience. So, my main memories are not going to the premieres or, you know, going on these press junkets. It’s being on set and having the little moments. It’s doing bits with Chris in between sets. It’s, talking to Sean. Watching Chuk turn in an amazing performance. Goofing around with Pom, wondering what the hell she’s talking about. I’m gonna miss the characters. That’s the saddest part for me, is I really, truly love these characters. I love all of them. I think there’s certain ones that I have a special fondness for, especially Rocket. And yeah, the saddest part of all of this. I’m gonna see all these people again. They’re all friends of mine. But I’m not gonna see the characters. I’m not gonna be writing the characters again, at least not in the near future. And so, that’s a real sadness.
2. Chris Pratt Says We Find His Character in a Bad Emotional Place
Marvel Studio’s ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3.’ Photo courtesy of Marvel.com.
Pratt talked about how Peter “Star Lord” Quill is still recovering from the losses he’s suffered.
Chris Pratt: I think, oftentimes, we find ourselves in our relationships or in the affiliations we have with a team or a family or whatever. And he has been lost. So, yeah, in the beginning, he was running away from the death of his mother, but he got to pretend to be this character based on these pop culture icons of his childhood of the late-’80s. And so, he was dancing around, but all of that was really, he had found himself there. But it was kinda B.S., you know? And then he found himself with the Guardians of the Galaxy. And then he thought he could find himself with who his father was. So, he’s a guy who’s constantly been searching for who he is. And then he found it again in his relationship with Gamora. And so, when that’s stripped away from him, he’s a guy who’s realizing that all of these various people that he’s found that are Quill, none of them have been the real him. And so, he is, he’s lost. And that probably does mean that he’s sad.
3. Kevin Feige Says ‘Vol. 3’ is Different From Other Marvel Trilogies
Kevin Feige at the world premiere of ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3’ at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood CA on Thursday, April 27, 2023. Photo: Alex J. Berliner/ABImages.
The Marvel boss explained the thinking behind the new movie.
Kevin Feige: We’ve had trilogies before. We’ve had a number of them, actually. And I was thinking, why does this feel so different and so much of a passage of some sort? And it’s because Guardians really was the first movie that was completely outside of the realm. It tied in with Thanos and Infinity Stones. But The Avengers were not in it. And we weren’t setting up Tony Stark’s next adventure, or Captain America. And it was really our attempt of saying, we don’t wanna just do superhero movies. We don’t want to just do ‘Iron Man‘ movies or ‘Avengers‘ movies. And we wanted to do a big space movie. And it worked in a crazy way. It worked entirely because of James Gunn. So, it just feels like this trilogy, and James writing and directing all three of them, it represents something unique within the pantheon of the MCU, that I’m very proud of.
4. Pom Klementieff Explained the Differences Between the Comic-book Mantis and the Movie Version
(L to R) Dave Bautista as Drax the Destroyer and Pom Klementieff as Mantis in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.’ Photo courtesy of Marvel.com.
Mantis, the emotion-and-memory manipulating character we met in ‘Vol. 2‘ has changed a lot from the comic book version.
Pom Klementieff: I think it was so interesting to give a different version of Mantis. I mean, in the comic books, she was great, too. She was, like, very powerful. But kinda similar to a lot of other female characters in the Marvel universe or in other superhero movies. I think it was so interesting to give a different take on a female character and make it give more comedy and more awkwardness and something different.
James Gunn also talked about the character.
James Gunn: I think it’s also cool to have somebody who their superpower is empathy. It is feelings. Emotions are so important to Mantis. And we’re so used to this very male, hardcore, macho, shooting rays out of their arms, or throwing automobiles and shooting people.
5. Sean Gunn on Kraglin Finding His Place Among the Characters
Gunn (brother to James), who plays the Ravager-turned-Guardian Kraglin, explained how his character’s journey mirrored his own.
Sean Gunn: I think that, just like all the Guardians, Kraglin had to figure out what his place in the family was. And one thing that really impresses me about the movies is how I do feel, in a way, that the journey of the cast has mirrored the journey of the characters, in a way. And that for me, being there in the first movie and feeling like, ‘oh, I’m the director’s brother and I’m here and I’m kind of on the outside.’ And Kraglin is just on the peripheral, and he comes in and says his things here and there. And then learning that, over the course of the movies, that I felt as much at home with all these people, that I felt fully accepted and a full member of the cast and of the group.
6. Kevin Feige Talked About the Challenges of the ‘Guardians’ Movies to Begin With
(L to R) Zoe Saldaña, Chris Pratt, Rocket, Dave Bautista and Groot in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy.’
He was, he says, “nervous” about tackling the characters, but had faith in Gunn.
Kevin Feige: It always makes me nervous. But the goal has always been to do justice to the audience members who have loved these characters their whole lives, and to audience members who’ve never heard of these characters, or who heard of them for the first time in the trailer or in the poster. Which, for ‘Guardians’ in particular, was certainly the majority of the audience. Now on the flip side of that, there are people who go, “Well, people don’t really know the Guardians, so you really have a lot of leeway to do new things.” Which you do, but James was constantly going to the comics and constantly referring to the comics and constantly building off of the storylines. So, people who did know these characters from the more recent run at the time, or the early run, saw things they could get excited about. And just as important, people who never heard of this crazy spaceman with a tree and a raccoon.
7. Maria Bakalova Loves Playing Cosmo the Space Dog
Maria Bakalova and Cosmo the Spacedog at the world premiere of ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3’ at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood CA on Thursday, April 27, 2023. Photo: Alex J. Berliner/ABImages.
The ‘Borat’ sequel star brought the canine character to life on set via Performance Capture
Maria Bakalova: When I was auditioning for the part, I was, “How can I play this?” And it was so interesting, because you can make it be a little bit more over the top, because she’s a puppy and she has more energy. And then, when I found out that I can be on set, actually, and work with a mo-cap suit, and imagine that I’m a child again and use my imagination to be like, “Okay, today I’m going to be a dog. Tomorrow I will be a flower. The next day, I’m going to be a butterfly.” It’s interesting, we tend to forget about imagination when we grow up. And it’s been just incredible.
8. James Gunn Has A Policy for the Music in the ‘Guardians’ Movies
‘Vol. 3’, like its predecessors is full of great tunes. And Gunn curates his soundtracks carefully.
James Gunn: I want to give good music to people by good bands! And I snuck a couple of favorites in there. I snuck my friends, you know, The Replacements in there. I snuck Alice Cooper, my hero, in there. When I’m writing, I put the music in along with the script. I write it in. But sometimes I change it. Sometimes on this, it was very difficult choosing the music for this movie because in the first two movies, they were basically all am ‘70s pop hits. In this one, it takes place after Yondu (Michael Rooker) gives Peter Quill a Zune at the end of the second movie. And it’s music from the ‘70s, ‘80s, ‘90s, 2000s. I could choose from anything. So, it was very difficult because of that.
9. Pratt Would Happily Make More Movies with James Gunn
(L to R) James Gunn and Chris Pratt attend the ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ premiere at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood CA on Thursday, April 27, 2023. Photo: Alex J. Berliner/ABImages.
While Gunn might not be making any more ‘Guardians’ films, Pratt still wants to work with him.
Chris Pratt: First of all, I’d jump at the opportunity. Making movies is really fun. When you get to do it with people that you love, it’s even more fun. That’s the journey, right? The destination, it sometimes sucks. You have this great time with all your friends, and you get together and you work hard. And then you see the movie and you’re like, “Boy, that movie sucked. But, hey, that was a lot of fun to make it.” With James, it’s been both the journey and the destination have been glorious. The films are incredible. I don’t know how he does it. And so, just selfishly, I’d be willing to deal with a terrible journey to get to this destination.
10. Karen Gillan Enjoyed Nebula’s Character Development
(L to R) Karen Gillan as Nebula and Zoe Saldaña as Gamora in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.’ Photo courtesy of Marvel.com.
Nebula has evolved from an antagonist in the original movie to a key member of the team here.
Karen Gillan: It’s been beautiful to see. Nebula was always the kind of bitter one. So jealous of Gamora. And then, she evolved and Gamora kind of helped her gain some compassion along the way. And now they’ve switched places in a way. Which has been really interesting to play around with. But yeah. It’s been really beautiful to watch their relationship evolve and become what it is. It’s been amazing.
The cast of ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ at the premiere at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood CA on Thursday, April 27, 2023. Photo: Alex J. Berliner/ABImages.
Other Movies Similar to ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3:’
Witten and directed by James Gunn, the Sci-Fi action adventure comedy ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ is scheduled for release from Marvel Studios on May 5th 2023.
1977’s ‘Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope.’ Credit: Lucasfilm.
Cast your mind back a long time ago, to a galaxy far, far, awa…. Well, actually just a couple of days ago. That was when we brought two ‘Star Wars’ updates: one, that ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ directors Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert were explaining their decision to direct an episode of incoming Disney+ series ‘Star Wars: Skeleton Crew’ and two, that Damon Lindelof (along with co-writer Justin Britt-Gibson) was no longer attached to the untitled, under wraps new ‘Star Wars’ movie that Lucasfilm has in development.
We mentioned at the time that Above The Line, which broke the story, hadn’t heard who might replace the pair on the script, but Variety scooped the news that ‘Peaky Blinders’ creator Steven Knight, who has also worked extensively on the movie front, including writing ‘Eastern Promises’, ‘Locke’ and the Oscar-nominated ‘Spencer’, will be taking over.
Steven Knight at the 2018 British Academy Television Awards. Photo: BBC YouTube channel and the British Academy Television Awards.
What is this new ‘Star Wars’ movie about?
As of right now, Lucasfilm has been able to keep the details of this film behind rigorous blast shields, meaning we don’t know the plot of this one at all yet, or indeed when it’s set in the ‘Star Wars’ timeline.
There’s some (New) hope that it might represent a move away from the established characters, i.e. zero mentions of the Skywalker family or their associated heroes and villains.
And given that it was started by Lindelof and Britt-Gibson and will be continued (or re-drafted) by Knight, it certainly sounds like there’s an interesting angle to be found.
Who else is involved in this new ‘Star Wars’ movie?
Despite the change in writers, director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, a documentarian who has also worked on animated movies and shot episodes of ‘Ms. Marvel’ for Disney+, is still on board to call the shots. But again, she’s said nothing about what the movie might be, nor has Lucasfilm officially confirmed any of this.
We’re expecting news about this (assuming it’s at a point where the company feels confident in announcing it) at Star Wars Celebration, which will run between April 7-10th in London.
‘The Mandalorian’ season 3 starring Pedro Pascal premieres March 1st on Disney+.
What else is going on with ‘Star Wars’
Outside of the ever-expanding TV shows (‘The Mandalorian’ is back on our screens now and we can expect ‘Skeleton Crew’ and ‘Ahsoka’ for definite this year, plus the return of animated series ‘Star Wars Visions’ and the launch of fellow animation ‘Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures’), the forward momentum of the franchise has been lacking.
On cinema screens, we haven’t seen a movie since ‘The Rise of Skywalker’ in 2019 as Disney and Lucasfilm pumped the brakes on their schedule.
(Left) President of Marvel Studios Kevin Feige, and (Right) ‘Wonder Woman’ director Patty Jenkins.
Even as ‘The Mandalorian’ has returned to our screens and a variety of other ‘Star Wars’ TV series get set to roll out in the coming months, it would seem as though the development on big screen adventures set in that galaxy far, far away is moving about as fast as a Jawa sandcrawler.
And now Variety brings word that there have been movements on a few of the movies –– and not in a positive direction.
According to the trade magazine, the ‘Star Wars’ movies being shepherded by ‘Wonder Woman’ director Patty Jenkins and Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige are no longer in active development at Lucasfilm.
That’s a blow, particularly as Disney had saved a release date slot in 2025 for a new ‘Star Wars’ title, but we’ll have to wait and see which of the potentials –– if any –– fills it.
Oscar Isaac in Lucasfilm’s ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens.’
What’s the story of Patty Jenkins’ film?
Though Patty Jenkins movie, ‘Rogue Squadron’, about Rebel X-Wing pilots, was announced with much fanfare at Disney’s 2020 Investor Day, it has suffered from a lack of real news updates in the time since.
While leaving the ‘Squadron’ on the development backburner, Jenkins had switched to focus her efforts on a third ‘Wonder Woman’ movie. But when DC bosses shut that down in favor of the new DC Universe, she appeared to return to the ‘Star Wars’ fold. “I am still on it and that project has been in active development ever since,” she said last December. “I don’t know if it will happen or not. We never do until the development process is complete, but I look forward to its potential ahead.”
There’s potentially better news for the ‘Thor: Love & Thunder’ director’s in-development movie, as he’s still at work on a script. And according to Variety’s report, he may also star in it in some capacity (and no, we doubt it’ll focus on his ‘Mandalorian’ droid IG-11).
Elsewhere, Rian Johnson still says he wants to make more movies in the ‘Star Wars’ universe, but his focus for now is split between another movie featuring Daniel Craig’s mystery-solving Benoit Blanc and the second season of TV series ‘Poker Face’.
And while neither Lucasfilm nor Disney has refused to confirm anything, a film is still in development from ‘Ms. Marvel’ director and documentarian Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, with a script from Damon Lindelof and Justin Britt-Gibson.
The Star Wars Celebration event happens in London the weekend of April 7th, and we can expect announcements about any chosen new film then –– along with updates on the various shows.
The cast of Lucasfilm’s ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens,’ which was directed by J.J. Abrams.
Hugh Jackman as James Howlett / Logan / Wolverine in director James Mangold’s ‘Logan.’
‘Deadpool 3’ remains one of the most anticipated superhero movies in the works –– and with the film speeding towards pre-production ahead of a planned shoot in London this year, the stars of the movie are talking about it, including main man Ryan Reynolds and, most recently, his friend and ‘X-Men’ icon Hugh Jackman, who will show up as Logan AKA Wolverine in the story.
Interviewed by Le Parisien about his latest film, Florian Zeller drama ‘The Son’, Jackman dropped a tantalizing hint about the new movie, nodding towards the chance of more than one version of Wolverine.
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What did Hugh Jackman say about ‘Deadpool 3?’
“Yes, it will even be a dual role,” he said, which immediately sets the speculation machine into action, making us wonder whether he actually means a variant Wolverine (which wouldn’t surprise anyone given how many variant characters have cropped up in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the last few years) or if he could actually be playing an entirely other character in the movie. Maybe even himself, to keep with the ‘Deadpool’ franchise’s history of meta references, particularly around Wolverine.
Jackman seems happy to be back at work with his buddy. This is what else he said about preparing for the film:
“Ryan and I have been friends for twenty years; we have a lot of fun together. We are filming this summer,” Jackman adds. “That’s why I’m so happy to be in Paris right now and to be able to enjoy French gastronomy. Because very soon, I’m going to have to put myself on a strict diet to remake my Wolverine body: steamed chicken and broccoli!”
(L to R) Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman discuss Marvel Studios’ ‘Deadpool 3.’ Photo courtesy of Ryan Reynolds YouTube channel.
‘Deadpool 3’ has been in the works for a while now, with Reynolds naturally driving development. Animation veterans Wendy Molyneux and Lizzie Molyneux-Logelin worked on the early drafts of the script, and more recently, regular ‘Deadpool’ writer duo Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick came aboard to help Reynolds get it into shooting shape. Because as we know, the screenplays for these movies are usually heavily reliant on the star and others riffing as well as established pages.
As for the plot? That is being kept quiet for now, aside from Logan and Wade meeting at last.
It’s exciting for Marvel fans, as this movie will mark the first time Deadpool will be properly in the MCU, and studio boss Kevin Feige is involved as one of its producers. Oh, so many targets for Wade Wilson to crack wise about…
Right now, ‘Deadpool 3’ is set for release on November 8th, 2024.
Hugh Jackman will return as Wolverine in Marvel Studios’ ‘Deadpool 3.’
Tom Holland as Spider-Man in ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home.’
Though we’re sure he’d prefer to keep everything under wraps until he’s fully ready to reveal them, Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige is sometimes called upon to sit down and discuss future plans for movies (and, increasingly, TV series) adapted from Marvel Comics into the sprawling, endlessly evolving chain of entertainment known as the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The release of a new movie, in this case ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’, is one of the occasions where Feige meets the press. And he was typically enthusiastic about this latest outing and his team’s future ideas.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’s Big Bad: Why Jonathan Majors?
Asked about the reasons for casting Jonathan Majors in the latest ‘Ant-Man‘ adventure (which led to multiple roles across different projects, including last year’s ‘Loki’ Season 1), Feige was clear on the choice of the actor for the new main villain.
Feige says, “For years, we’ve always had the inkling that Kang would be an amazing follow-up to Thanos. He’s got that equal stature in the comics, but he’s a completely different villain. Mainly, that’s because he’s multiple villains. He/s so unique from Thanos, which we really liked. And in the early days of ‘Quantumania’ [test audiences], Jonathan started to pop in a big way. He’s the highest-testing villain we’ve ever had in any of our friends and families [screenings]. That’s really saying something with a movie like this. Even early on without the effects, Jonathan is his own effect. He was working from the start. It’s always one of the fun rolls of the dice that we do at Marvel, which is to say: ‘Hey, we’re going to make multiple movies around this character, and we’re going to start before the audience has even had a chance to meet him.’ We really go all in on these ideas and this casting. It was a big relief when the season ender of ‘Loki’ season 1 happened.”
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What is Spider-Man’s future?
While ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ seemed to wrap up the Tom Holland story, Feige also confirmed that there are more Spider-plans bubbling away at Marvel HQ. It’s early days, but here’s what he admitted,
“All I will say is that we have the story. We have big ideas for that, and our writers are just putting pen to paper now.”
(L to R) Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman discuss Marvel Studios’ ‘Deadpool 3.’ Photo courtesy of Ryan Reynolds YouTube channel.
Feige also talked up Hugh Jackman’s surprising return to the role of Wolverine for ‘Deadpool 3’, announced last year by the movie’s star, Ryan Reynolds.
The executive is clear on his joy at having Jackman back, especially given their connected history, since Feige worked on the ‘X-Men’ movies when 20th Century Fox had the rights.
Comments Feige, “It’s amazing. And we’ve got Hugh Jackman coming back for our first ‘Deadpool’ film within the MCU. That’s our first R-rated film. To have Hugh come back is incredible. For me, personally, that is where I started. I remember sitting behind the camera—well behind the camera—at his audition for the [first ‘X-Men’] film. It was his first on-set audition, and he flew up to Toronto to do a read with Anna Paquin. For him, and for me, and I think for all of the fans of Marvel, it’s unbelievable what has happened in those 23 years. It’s very full circle having him come back in this new ‘Deadpool’ film.”
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Marvel Studios’ ‘The Marvels’ opens in theaters on July 28, 2023.
What makes ‘The Marvels’ work?
One of Marvel’s exciting titles this year is ‘The Marvels’, the sequel to 2019’s ‘Captain Marvel’, which introduced Brie Larson’s powerful character Carol Danvers.
Directed by Nia DaCosta, the new film finds Carol interacting with Kamala Khan (AKA Ms. Marvel, introduced in her own eponymous Disney+ series last year) and Teyonah Parris’ Monica Rambeau, the adult version of the character introduced as a child in ‘Captain Marvel’, but seen as an adult in ‘WandaVision’ when she also gained super powers.
Feige can’t wait for audiences to see the interactions between the three women.
He comments, “That’s what the entire movie is about. There are fun cosmic elements to it. Marvel comic fans will recognize elements of the Kree-Skrull war. And it’s picking up directly after the end of ‘Captain Marvel’, not in timeline but in story. We also do that in our upcoming Disney+ series ‘Secret Invasion’, and those are two very different follow-ups to that movie. Tonally, they couldn’t be more different. But there’s something immensely powerful about seeing Monica and Kamala and Carol together in a frame. To me, it’s only akin to the first ‘Avengers’ movie and seeing the six of them together in a frame. It’s chill-inducing. They’re so great together, and they all have different histories with one another.”
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Marvel Studios’ ‘Captain America: New World Order.’
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Where does Harrison Ford fit in to Captain America’s future?
Further down the production line is ‘Captain America: New World Order’, which will bring the new Captain America––AKA Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson––to theaters following his assuming the mantle properly in ‘The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’. Mackie’s character will be interacting with a new President of the United States, embodied by an established character with a different face. That would be Thaddeus Ross, formerly played by the late William Hurt and now to be brought to screens by Harrison Ford.
Feige was effusive about the new casting choice…
“We start filming relatively soon. I’m sure anyone you’ve ever talked with about Harrison Ford says this, but it’s unbelievable that we get to meet and talk with him and that he’s embracing this role. He’s tireless with the amount of work that he does. This is certainly a big part for Thaddeus Ross. He’s the president of the United States in the film. And with Harrison, you think about ‘Air Force One’ and you think about some of his confrontations with the president in ‘Clear and Present Danger’, There’s a dynamic between President Ross and Sam Wilson. They have a history together, but in this film, we’ll be seeing the dynamic between Captain America and the president of the United States in a way that is just incredible.”
Marvel Studios’ ‘Blade.’
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What has become of Blade?
There was also good news for fans of Daywalking half-vampire/half-human her ‘Blade’, whose own movie hit some creative road bumps last year when original director Bassam Tariq walked away due to creative differences and script issues.
From the sounds of it, ‘Blade’, starring Mahershala Ali as the main character, is back on track, with Feige offering that it’ll start shooting within the next 10 weeks.
And finally, Feige dropped a hint that we might finally learn more about his company’s plans for ‘Fantastic Four’, with the famous characters finally aiming to enter the MCU in 2025 via a movie directed by ‘WandaVision’s Matt Shakman.
According to Feige, “’Fantastic Four’ is the foundation for everything that came after in the comics. There’s certainly been versions of it [on screen], but never inhabiting the storytelling of the MCU. And that’s something that is really exciting for us. People will start to hear more about that soon. We plan on that being a big pillar of the MCU going forward, just the way they’ve been in the comics for 50 or 60 years.”
