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Tag: Kingsley Ben-Adir

  • New Trailer for ‘Secret Invasion’

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    Plotting with all the tactics of a military campaign, the Marvel team has been drip-feeding information about its upcoming Disney+ series ‘Secret Invasion’, which sees the full return of Samuel L. Jackson’s eyepatch-sporting (though not always here, more on that below) tough nut and former S.H.I.E.L.D. boss.

    We got some character information on Olivia Colman and Emilia Clarke’s ‘Invasion’ characters in a new piece just before the weekend. So naturally, it’s time for a new trailer.

    'Secret Invasion,' exclusively on Disney+.
    ‘Secret Invasion,’ exclusively on Disney+. © 2023 Marvel.

    What’s the story of ‘Secret Invasion’?

    The new series catches us up with not only Fury but also the Skrull aliens we met in ‘Captain Marvel’, primarily led by Ben Mendelsohn’s Talos.

    Originally believed to be a threat, they were actually revealed as refugees from a catastrophic war with the more dangerous race known as the Kree (for whom Brie Larson’s Carol Danvers initially fought before realizing their less friendly nature and helping Fury fight them alongside Talos).

    Yet decades later, the Skrulls haven’t received what humanity promised –– access to a new homeworld of their own and real help –– so there is now a faction dedicated to taking what they’re owed, but duplicity or force.

    Led by Gravik (Kingsley Ben-Adir), the group uses their shape-changing powers to wreak havoc. And among their number is someone close to Talos (spoiler alert: it’s his daughter, G’iah, played by ‘Game of Thrones’ veteran Emilia Clarke.)

    To combat this threat, Fury turns not to his Avengers-level super-friends (the trailer makes a point of that, so perhaps the series will explain his thinking) but to some more down-to-Earth associates, including Talos, loyal lieutenant Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders) and Everett K. Ross (Martin Freeman).

    And sitting squarely in between the two sides of the conflict we have Olivia Colman’s character, Special Agent Sonya Falsworth, a high-ranking member of Britain’s intelligence service MI6 (think the real-world organization that employs James Bond in a whole other fictional universe). She’s apparently been both friend and foe to Nick Fury in the past.

    Casting-wise, we’ll also see Carmen Ejogo, Christopher McDonald, and Marvel veteran Don Cheadle, back as James Rhodes, here in more of a political capability than his usual War Machine style (though we’d be shocked if he didn’t suit up at some point).

    Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury.
    Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury.

    Related Article: ‘Secret Invasion’: New Details for Olivia Colman and Emilia Clarke’s Characters

    What’s up with Nick Fury in ‘Secret Invasion’?

    Oh, and talking of a changed style, Fury also has an altered look at times –– he’s not always wearing his trademark eyepatch, which covers a damaged eye.

    Says Jackson, speaking to Vanity Fair:

    “He just doesn’t wear the patch. The patch is part of who the strong Nick Fury was. It’s part of his vulnerability now. You can look at it and see he’s not this perfectly indestructible person. He doesn’t feel like that guy.”

    The series promises to be more of a global political spy thriller, albeit with the alien overtones and of course healthy dollops of MCU lore. But it’ll be a personal mission for Fury, who has been off-planet since the events of ‘Avengers: Endgame’ and realizes that he’s been out of touch in more ways than one. And kicking some scheming alien butt might just be his way to make contact again.

    Here’s what executive producer executive producer Jonathan Schwartz says about Fury:

    “Sins from his past start to haunt him once again. We often see Nick Fury doing the right thing. We don’t always see him doing it in a perfectly morally correct way. All of those things have ramifications. Without getting too specific, the things that Nick Fury’s had to do to protect the Earth have costs.”

    And here’s more from Jackson:

    “Nick had a whole Skrull spy network because they could shape-shift and go places that people couldn’t go. They kept their word. They worked for him, but he hasn’t done what he said he was going to do. They want a home. They want to live. They want to live like they are. They want to live in their skin. They don’t want to live in ours.”

    ‘Secret Invasion’ kicks off on Disney+ on June 21st.

    Marvel Studios' 'Secret Invasion.'
    Marvel Studios’ ‘Secret Invasion.’

    In other Marvel news, there has been another change behind the scenes on the movie front.

    ‘Fantastic Four’, the proper introduction (following John Krasinski’s cameo as leader Reed Richards in ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’) of the classic comic book characters to the MCU has ‘WandaVision’ director Matt Shakman aboard, and Jeff Kaplan and Ian Springer on script duty, but a change is being made.

    While Kaplan and Springer are more known for comedy writing, Josh Friedman has some big sci-fi bona fides.

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    What has Josh Friedman worked on?

    Most recently, Friedman was part of James Cameron’s writing team for the ‘Avatar’ sequels (he has a story credit on ‘The Way of Water’). He’s also worked on the script for next year’s ‘Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’.

    Before those, he co-wrote Steven Spielberg’s ‘War of the Worlds’ and wrote the story for ‘Terminator: Dark Fate’ but might be better known on the ‘Terminator’ front for ‘Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles’ on TV.

    Also on the small screen, he’s run or been part of the development for ‘Foundation’ and ‘Snowpiercer’.

    Whether this means a complete re-write or beefing up the sci-fi side of things remains to be seen, but ‘Fantastic Four’ is still currently scheduled to arrive in theaters on February 14th, 2025.

    Marvel Studio's 'Fantastic Four.'
    Marvel Studio’s ‘Fantastic Four.’

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  • Marvel’s ‘Secret Invasion’ Reveals New Character Details

    Marvel Studios' 'Secret Invasion.'
    Marvel Studios’ ‘Secret Invasion.’

    The title might be ‘Secret Invasion’ and it might hail from Marvel –– notoriously a company that likes to keep details of its movies and series under wraps –– but we’re finally learning more about the next MCU series to arrive on Disney+.

    ‘Secret Invasion’ will see Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury and Ben Mendelsohn’s Skrull Talos facing off a brand new threat from a splinter group of the latter’s alien race.

    As covered on Entertainment Weekly (and originally reported by Vanity Fair), the show also features Olivia Colman and Emilia Clarke in key roles, and now we have new details about them.

    Ben Mendelsohn as Talos in Marvel Studios' 'Captain Marvel.'
    Ben Mendelsohn as Talos in Marvel Studios’ ‘Captain Marvel.’

    When did we first meet the Skrulls?

    A longtime enemy in the comics, the Skrulls were given a fresh twist by 2019’s ‘Captain Marvel’, as it was revealed that the Skrulls were actually alien refugees of a devastating conflict with fellow extraterrestrials the Kree.

    Though Skrulls such as Talos and his team used their shape-shifting abilities (they can mimic any person) to push their agenda, they soon let Carol Danvers (Brie Larson) and Fury know the true nature of their struggle.

    At the end of the movie, Fury promised to help the Skrulls find a new home, but since ‘Captain Marvel’ was set in the 1990s and there has been little progress since then, the story has taken another turn.

    There is a facet of Skrulls, unhappy with the situation, who are now taking matters into their own hands.

    Led by Gravik (Kingsley Ben-Adir), this splinter group has become radicalized, and aims to get what they believe they’re owed by stealth or by force.

    Emilia Clarke in 'Terminator Genisys.'
    Emilia Clarke in ‘Terminator Genisys.’

    Related Article: D23 Expo 2022: Lucasfilm, Marvel, and 20th Century Studios Presentation

    Who does Emilia Clarke play in ‘Secret Invasion’?

    Among Gravik’s followers is someone very close to Talos, his daughter G’iah, played by ‘Game of Thrones’ veteran Clarke.

    Here’s what Clarke says about the situation:

    “These people promised a lot of stuff a long time ago, and not a lot has happened. So understandably, a certain amount of resentment has been built. There’s a lot of emotions that live within her, and there’s a lot of confrontational aspects to her character that have come from circumstance. You understand why she has the feelings that she does.”

    And here’s what Clarke says about her character:

    “There’s a kind of punk feeling that you get from this girl. She’s a refugee kid who’s had Talos for a dad, you know what I mean? Maybe the fact that we didn’t know he had a kid up until this point tells you everything you need to know about their relationship.”

    Olivia Colman in 'Empire of Light.'
    Olivia Colman in ‘Empire of Light.’ Photo by Parisa Taghizadeh, Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2022 20th Century Studios All Rights Reserved.

    Who is Olivia Colman in ‘Secret Invasion’?

    On the other side of the conflict, we have Olivia Colman’s character, a high-ranking member of Britain’s intelligence service MI6 (think the real-world organization that employs James Bond in a whole other fictional universe). She’s apparently been both friend and foe to Nick Fury in the past.

    Says Jackson of Colman’s character,

    “It’s somebody that you’ve never seen her play before. She’s cold-blooded and just relishes being that person.”

    The cast for the series, which reportedly, though it has yet to be officially confirmed, kicks off on Disney+ on June 21st, also includes returning MCU veterans Cobie Smulders, Martin Freeman and Don Cheadle.

    Marvel Studios' 'Secret Invasion.'
    Marvel Studios’ ‘Secret Invasion.’

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  • ‘Barbie’ Adds More to Cast

    Barbie doll
    Barbie photo courtesy of Mattel.com.

    ‘Barbie’ is one of those movies that it’s hard to get a handle on. When you know that Mattel is working with Warner Bros. to adapt the iconic toy, your first thought might be of a cheap animated cash-in designed to sell more of the plastic princess.

    Instead, the idea – even before it arrived at Warners – appears to be looking to make a more interesting live-action version that explores the character in different ways.

    Especially given that ‘Little Women’s Greta Gerwig, not a name associated with cash-ins, is directing, and that she wrote the script with Noah Baumbach. Yes, ‘Marriage Story’ and ‘Frances Ha’s Baumbach, who probably came closest to what people expect from a ‘Barbie’ movie when he penned ‘Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted’.

    And the casting for the new movie has been, shall we say, eclectic, with the latest crop including ‘One Night in Miami’s Kingsley Ben-Adir, ‘Cheers’ veteran Rhea Perlman, ‘Sex Education’ scene-stealer Ncuti Gatwa, and ‘Promising Young Woman’ Oscar winner Emerald Fennell (here acting as opposed to her ‘Promising’ work behind the camera).

    The ensemble, though, is anchored by Margot Robbie, who jumped aboard as star and producer, ready to play the Malibu favorite who, according to the actor “comes with a lot of baggage, and a lot of nostalgic connections. But with that comes a lot of exciting ways to attack it.”

    And attack it she has, teaming up with Gerwig and Baumbach to figure out something that, for now at least, is shrouded in mystery.

    Kingsley Ben-Adir in 'One Night in Miami.'
    Kingsley Ben-Adir stars in ‘One Night in Miami.’ Photo: Patti Perret/Amazon Studios.

    Even most of the roles are being kept quiet for now, though we do know that Ryan Gosling (yet another actor not traditionally associated with blockbuster money grabs) is playing Ken.

    Since the core duo was attached, ‘Barbie’ has slowly been building its cast, and has certainly kept us all guessing with the people jumping aboard. America Ferrera, Kate McKinnon and ‘Shang-Chi’s Simu Liu were among the first group.

    They were soon joined by trailblazing trans performer Hari Nef and Alexandra Shipp, most recently seen in the Oscar-nominated ‘Tick, Tick… Boom!’. Also on the list? Ariana Greenblatt and Will Ferrell, who unlike many of the others, actually has a potential role – he’s rumored to play a toy company CEO (wonder if he’ll be anything like ‘The Lego Movie’s President Business?)

    Among the most recent additions to the cast are Issa Rae, Michael Cera, Sharon Rooney, Scott Evans, Ana Cruz Kayne, Ritu Arya, and ‘The Afterparty’s Jamie Demetriou.

    And Gatwa isn’t the only person from Netflix hit series ‘Sex Education’; his co-stars Emma Mackey and Connor Swindells are also on board.

    Before it was at Warners, ‘Barbie’ was in development at Sony, where Amy Schumer and Anne Hathaway were attached at different times to play the lead, while ‘Juno’s Diablo Cody wrote at least one draft of the script.

    Gerwig has been shooting the movie since early this year at Warner Bros.’ Leavesden Studios just outside of London. ‘Barbie’ doesn’t have a set release date yet but should be in theaters next year.

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