‘Thunderbolts*’ is now titled ‘The New Avengers’ and is currently playing in theaters. Photo: Marvel Studios.
Preview:
‘Thunderbolts* true title has been revealed.
Marvel has officially announced the movie as ‘The New Avengers.’
The movie had a successful first weekend at the box office.
So now we know what that asterisk was all about in the title for Marvel’s ‘Thunderbolts*.’
ySD9fRBhzaiO2TcznWDp2
At this point, we’d want to caution about spoilers, but if you’ve already read the headline, gotten this far into the story or seen the movie (or any of the announcements about it), you likely know what we’re going to say…
Yes, after months of speculation, Marvel Studios made it official, having the movie’s cast ripping a section of the poster away to show the new –– or rather, alternate –– title for the movie, ‘The New Avengers.’
There’s also this one, which shows Sebastian Stan –– who plays Bucky Barnes, AKA The Winter Soldier in the movie ––– pasting a whole new poster over a bus stop panel. If the acting gigs dry up, perhaps he’s found a new job!
Let’s be completely clear here, though –– despite the change happening on posters and some cinema marquees, it’s perfectly okay to still call the movie ‘Thunderbolts*’ since the ‘New Avengers’ thing is really more of a marketing gimmick and a way to link the movie to the MCU’s biggest and most reliable franchise name.
And the company waited until the movie was out to make the big announcement, having those who had seen it at earlier press and other screenings keep the reveal –– which happens at the end of the movie –– a secret.
‘Thunderbolts*’ has performed solidly at the box office so far. While it didn’t reach the same initial level as ‘Captain America: Brave New World’ ($76 million compared to ‘Cap’s $88 million opening weekend), the new movie has certainly enjoyed better reviews and audience reactions, pointing to a likely healthier run on the charts.
Globally, ‘Thunderbolts*’ finished the weekend with $162.1 million, including $86.1 million from international markets.
It’s also generating more positive word of mouth for the MCU, something that Marvel could do with following the negativity surrounding some other recent releases on screens both big and small.
While the movie behemoth shows no sign of stopping, it certainly hasn’t seen the sort of reactions as in earlier phases of its existence.
What’s the history of the ‘Thunderbolts*’ asterisk?
Marvel Studios’ Kevin Feige at Disney’s 2024 CinemaCon Presentation. Photo: Disney.
When it was first announced, the movie was simply known as ‘Thunderbolts.’ Zero asterisk to be found lurking.
It was first announced to be in development back in 2022, with director Jake Schreier reported as on board. At that year’s Comic-Con, Marvel boss Kevin Feige confirmed the movie, with that title, and no asterisk.
But later, we learned that the movie would be boasting the little addition. To maintain the mystery, Feige declined to explain it at CinemaCon in 2023:
“Yes, you’ll notice the asterisk on ‘Thunderbolts.’ That is the official title of ‘Thunderbolts’ and we won’t talk more about that until after the movie comes out.”
And here we are!
Here’s director Schreier talking to The New York Times about the change:
“It felt like, if Val is also trying to pull a switcheroo and sell the New Avengers to the world, we could do that, too. Especially given that the asterisk has been on the movie for a year, hopefully it doesn’t feel sweaty — it feels like this was a plan and we built up to it. It’s so interesting in this world, and Kevin talks about it sometimes, where sometimes they wanted things to leak and they don’t. I think we all assumed that it would be a bigger part of the conversation already, so it’ll be interesting to see what happens.”
What is the plot of ‘Thunderbolts*’/ ‘The New Avengers’?
A group of dangerous, unstable antiheroes and castoffs are set up on a doomed mission by a government operative (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), only to find themselves confronting a powerful new menace that threatens Earth.
When will we see the ‘New Avengers’ characters again?
We suppose we could have seen the Avengers thing coming, since a group of the ‘Thunderbol…’ Sorry, ‘The New Avengers’ cast were among the names announced during Marvel’s big ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ chairmageddon casting announcement video.
Ryan Reynolds is working on ideas for a new ‘Deadpool’ movie.
He’s looking into teaming the character up with the X-Men.
There’s no word on what might happen with the movie.
With last year’s smash success ‘Deadpool & Wolverine,’Ryan Reynolds leapfrogged into the position of being among the most valuable performers –– and creators –– among the Marvel ranks.
FW15JuJGFTtwqnkn4XqPf5
But since that movie’s release (which earned more than $1.33 billion worldwide), Reynolds has largely been playing coy about future plans for masked nuisance Wade Wilson. Neither he nor Marvel has confirmed whether he’ll show up in either of the two new team-up movies (those would be ‘Avengers: Doomsday,’ which recently confirmed the first part of its sprawling cast) and ‘Avengers: Secret Wars.’
He’s also been stepping back from the acting side of his career in the last few months, with word that he’s juggling several writing projects, including a comedy about a reforming boyband (more on that below) that could see him reunite with ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ co-star Hugh Jackman and director Shawn Levy.
Still, the Deadpool whispers continue, and according to The Hollywood Reporter, Reynolds is working on various treatments for an ensemble film featuring three or four X-Men characters. Deadpool would of course appear, but perhaps only as a supporting player.
The actor/writer/producer is said to believe that keeping his f-bomb wielding anti-hero more on the sidelines could allow for the X-Men characters to be used in unexpected ways. Reynolds has been open about every Deadpool movie needing a strong reason to exist, and it’s possible this could provide the avenue he needs.
Ryan Reynolds attends the UK Fan Event of Marvel Studios’ ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ at Eventim Apollo, London on July 11th, 2024. Photo by StillMoving.Net for The Walt Disney Company Limited.
Right now, it’s all just noodling, Reynolds figuring out what he wants to do without directly involving Disney and Marvel (though you know both companies will be interested to see what he comes up with).
And he’s said that he doesn’t intend to have Deadpool really find a place amongst the likes of the Avengers for storytelling reasons.
“I like that he’s isolated. If Deadpool becomes an Avenger or an X-Man, we’re at the end. That’s his wish fulfillment, and you can’t give him that.”
Not to mention that Marvel is already exploring its own X-Men future, with ‘Hunger Games’ prequel writer Michael Lesslie at work on a script for the mutant heroes.
Chances are we’ll have to wait a while to see what Reynolds comes up with –– he prefers to take his time honing his treatments, and went through several different variations of ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ at the early stage before it evolved into its final form (and that was partly thanks to Jackman’s decision to come back to the role of Logan/Wolverine).
(L to R) Hugh Jackman, Shawn Levy, and Ryan Reynolds attend ‘The Adam Project’ World Premiere at Alice Tully Hall on February 28, 2022 in New York City. Photo by Monica Schipper/Getty Images for Netflix.
The other big project Reynolds is scripting at the moment is tentatively titled ‘Boy Band.’
Right now, much of the movie is a mystery –– we don’t know exactly what aspect of the boy band life would be featured.
But given that Reynolds is looking to reunite with his friend and ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ co-star Jackman on the new movie, we can imagine something catching up with the former members of a boy band group who have since gone their separate ways.
The Netflix TV series ‘Girls5Eva’ covers similar territory, albeit from the point of view of a girl group.
“I’m on a second draft. The first draft was incredible and written by one of my favorite writers, Jesse Andrews [‘Me and Earl and the Dying Girl’]. Now I’m on my lonesome. There are no dates or anything just yet. I’m not filming anything for at least a year. This feels like it needs to have an extremely modest budget, and one that wouldn’t be all about going to pay above-the-line actors. Shawn, Hugh and I are open to creative ways to make this movie at an absolute bargain.”
And this was his quote about the trouble with boy bands:
“A lot of members of boy bands — and there are a lot of them — had managers who left them high and dry. They experienced levels of fame that would be very difficult for anyone to navigate, let alone an adolescent, when you are farming out your self-worth to an audience of screaming people. It creates a kind of arrested cultural development. They’re forever associated with that period of time in their lives. This would be about people in their 40s and 50s trying to get their lives back. I think there is something beautiful about that. The north star for me as a producer is joy. I feel like cynicism is a contracting industry and doesn’t have a great shelf life.”
When might we see a Deadpool/X-Men team-up movie on screens?
(L to R) Hugh Jackman, Wesley Snipes, Channing Tatum, Dafne Keen, Ryan Reynolds and Jennifer Garner in ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’. Photo: Marvel Studios.
This concept would likely be a few years away if it actually happens –– not only does Reynolds have to commit to a treatment and write (or co-write) it, but there’s also the matter of Marvel approving it and then finding space on its busy release schedule to get it into theaters.
Of course, Reynolds has a lot of sway after the success of ‘Deadpool & Wolverine,’ but the next couple of years alone are packed with planned movies, not to mention that while his most recent film had nods to the X-Men, the Marvel brass is also planning its own use of the classic characters in ‘Avengers: Doomsday,’ now filming. And the company is also putting the pieces in place for a rebooted mutant team in the future.
This writer doesn’t look to Marvel Studios for deep, penetrating, sober films about the existential crisis of the human race or the inner workings of the heart. At their best, Marvel movies have occasionally delivered something along those lines, but for the most part, they’ve offered the cinematic equivalent of the comic books themselves – fun, breezy to read, occasionally awesome, and genuinely surprising at times.
If that means we’re a little more forgiving of Marvel movies, so be it. But there’s no question that the franchise has had it rough the last few years, with a sense of aimlessness permeating even the best of the recent films and a miasma of apathy seeping out of the worst (hi, ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’). So it gives us great pleasure to report that ‘Thunderbolts*,’ directed by Jake Schreier (‘Paper Towns’), is a focused, fun, character-driven adventure that recaptures a lot of the spirit of the MCU at its best pre-‘Avengers: Endgame.’
The cast is superb, with several standouts, and largely expands on characters who have been mostly second-stringers up to this point. The action is crisp, not as heavy on the CG as in the past, and germane to the story, which is given a lot of heart, humor, and humanity in the script by Eric Pearson and Joanna Calo. And while no one would accuse the MCU of going too deep into more weighty topics, it does handle the subjects of mental illness and depression with sensitivity. ‘Thunderbolts*’ is a more human superhero story than we’ve seen in recent times from this franchise, and it’s all the better for it.
If ‘Thunderbolts*’ does have any major flaw, it’s that the story follows a pretty straightforward course that you can determine not just from the trailers, but from the fact that it’s been done more or less along the same lines with other MCU properties – specifically, ‘Guardians of the Galaxy.’ But the action is firmly earthbound here, as Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), sister of the late Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson), is sent on a clandestine mission by CIA director Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (a haughty Julia Louis-Dreyfus) to track someone who’s intent on robbing secret materials belonging to de Fontaine and her secretive OxGroup organization.
It’s clear early on (and from her previous MCU appearances) that de Fontaine is corrupt up to her eyeballs and dealing in things she doesn’t want the government to know about. That draws the attention of Congressman Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), who’s given up the superhero life for the Washington D.C. cocktail and committee circuit, although he’s already bristling at it. But he knows de Fontaine is up to something and wants to get the goods on her for impeachment or even jail.
Meanwhile, Yelena arrives at the OxGroup facility buried deep under the desert somewhere and quickly finds out that she – along with other de Fontaine operatives John Walker/U.S. Agent (Wyatt Russell), Antonia Dreykov/Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko), and Ava Starr/Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen) – have been set up: they’ve all been led there so that de Fontaine can incinerate them from afar and tie up her loose ends. But what no one has foreseen is the presence of a dazed, seemingly loopy young man named Bob (Lewis Pullman), who doesn’t remember how he got down there but whose very existence both alarms and excites de Fontaine once she finds out he’s alive.
Although this disparate group of “losers,” as de Fontaine describes them, initially distrust and dislike each other, they must work together to escape the facility and intend to bring down Valentina with the help of Yelena’s loud, colorful adopted father, Alexei Shostakov, aka Red Guardian (David Harbour), and Bucky, who discards his suit and tie for something more battle-ready. But their plan hits a new, potentially catastrophic snag as Valentina reacquires Bob – the only test subject to survive an experimental process to create a superbeing – and reawakens the power placed within him via the Sentry project. Except that Bob is not equipped mentally or emotionally to become a god.
Under Jake Schreier’s smooth, free-flowing, yet economical direction, ‘Thunderbolts*’ succeeds at giving its characters space to breath and its audience a chance to understand what makes many of them tick. Yes, some characters inevitably get short-changed – we’re thinking of Ghost and Taskmaster in particular – but there’s still enough time spent with almost all of them to earn their eventual (and inevitable) formation into a team. A number of the characters get their own individual moments, and thanks to an early ability exhibited by Bob we get to find out what haunts several of them as well.
Every one of these people is damaged in some way, and looking for peace of mind and acceptance. Since they’re castoffs, not heroes, and certainly not the Avengers (who we’re told are not coming back, although it’s never really been explained where everyone who’s still alive has scattered to), they have to find it where they can get it in a world that doesn’t know they exist and in which they don’t even trust each other.
‘Thunderbolts*’ also addresses depression and mental illness, in a comic book way to be sure, but still with enough tact to drive the pain of both home. Yelena, Walker, and Bucky all strive to find meaning in their lives, while Bob struggles to keep his darker impulses in check with disastrous results. This makes ‘Thunderbolts*’ darker than usual in some respects, although the film is still leavened with humor throughout. The third act, however, delves fully into the darkness, both on a physical and psychological level, making for one of the more satisfying MCU climaxes in a while.
While care has been taken to differentiate the action from some of the more generic Marvel set pieces of the past, Schreier’s strength is still with the characters. This is a quieter than usual Marvel movie in some ways, with long scenes of people talking, but that makes the action pop more when it happens. Some of the film’s scenes are well-suited to IMAX projection, making the movie look bigger than other MCU efforts, and it’s all powered by a propulsive yet nuanced score from Son Lux.
Does the film feel familiar in some ways? For sure. That template of a bunch of misfits coming together as a team is well-worn within the MCU. The movie doesn’t veer in the big picture from the Marvel house ‘feel’ and ‘style.’ But it does add enough depth to the characters and their actions to recover the energy that has been missing for a lot of the last five years.
Everyone does excellent work here, but Florence Pugh is the clear leader of the pack. Facing an existential crisis of her own and still grieving the death of her sister, Yelena is deeply haunted by the copious red in her own ledger as well as a future than she only sees as bleak. “Your light is dim even by Eastern European standards,” Alexei tells her solemnly, although even he can’t reach her (nor does he try very hard at first). Pugh gives a full, emotional, and complex performance, while also effectively portraying Yelena’s compact, deadly physicality.
Equally heartrending to watch is Lewis Pullman as Bob, who is one of the better supervillains of recent MCU vintage. Like Yelena and the others, Bob is damaged goods, but his wounds may run deeper than anyone’s and ultimately manifest themselves in more dreadful ways. Pullman’s heel turn from slightly off, clumsy, yet enigmatic doofus to frightening harbinger of death and destruction is chilling and believable.
Of the rest of the pack, Sebastian Stan is so comfortable with Bucky now that he’s the grounding presence of the movie, linking it to adventures past. David Harbour’s Red Guardian is hilarious and scenery-chewing throughout – until he isn’t, in a scene with Yelena that’s lovely and emotionally resonant. Wyatt Russell’s John Walker – the “dime store Captain America,” as he’s reminded – was hard to like in ‘The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’ and initially obnoxious here, but grows into a genuine hero despite his own personal pain. And Julia Louis-Dreyfus clearly relishes having her most screen time yet as de Fontaine, who can be charming, deceptive, and manipulative all at the same time and enjoying every minute of it.
It goes without saying that you should stick around for the end credits of ‘Thunderbolts*’. The mid-credits scene is amusing if slight; the post-credits scene is not only important, but actually points to a not-too-distant payoff, unlike many other recent bonus scenes in Marvel movies (ask Harry Styles, Brett Goldstein, and Charlize Theron how they feel about theirs).
That fact alone only adds to the impression that Marvel has at least started a major course correction with ‘Thunderbolts*,’ which at one time was arguably considered a kind of also-ran in the MCU release schedule. Yet this under-the-radar movie fixes a lot of the problems that have become more visible in other Marvel entries, while telling an entertaining, exciting, quite dark, and also moving story populated by characters you like to spend time with and wouldn’t mind seeing again.
ySD9fRBhzaiO2TcznWDp2
What is the plot of ‘Thunderbolts*’’?
A group of dangerous, unstable antiheroes and castoffs are set up on a doomed mission by a government operative (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), only to find themselves confronting a powerful new menace that threatens Earth.
Who is in the cast of ‘Thunderbolts*’?
Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova
Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes
Wyatt Russell as John Walker/U.S. Agent
David Harbour as Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian
Hannah John-Kamen as Ava Starr/Ghost
Olga Kurylenko as Antonia Dreykov/Taskmaster
Lewis Pullman as Robert “Bob” Reynolds
Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Valentina Allegra de Fontaine
Disney presentation at CinemaCon 2025 in Las Vegas. Photo: Disney.
Preview:
Disney brought several movies to its CinemaCon 2025 presentation.
The likes of ‘Tron: Ares,’ ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ and more were showcased.
‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ also showed footage, alongside Pixar’s Elio, Freakier Friday and the new, live-action/CG ‘Lilo & Stitch
While it is still looking to rebuild its fortunes, Disney can at least look back on 2024 as one with several big hits, especially ‘Inside Out 2’ and ‘Deadpool & Wolverine.’
But it will have to prove that this year’s slate can match past successes. Luckily, the Mouse House has more strings to its bow than even the likes of Universal or Warner Bros., and heavy hitters including Pixar, Marvel and James Cameron’s ‘Avatar’ series primed and ready with new entries, plus the return of ‘Tron’ to the grid… er, cinemas.
Following the usual stuff about sponsors and theater owners (got to play to the crowd!), the Disney presentation signaled the end of CinemaCon’s studio events and began with the traditional sizzle reel of upcoming movies, framed in amusing fashion by having ‘Lilo & Stitch’s titular blue troublemaker wander through the rest of the slate.
Getting the presentation off to its formal stage start was Alan Bergman, co-chairman of Disney Entertainment.
He was joined by Andrew Cripps, head of theatrical distribution at the studio to unveil the typically packed schedule of movies the studio will have across the rest of the year, and to extol the fact that Disney movies are Disney movies are typically in theaters an average of three weeks longer than any other studio.
2025’s live-action ‘Lilo & Stitch’. Photo: Walt Disney Pictures.
The latest animated-to-live-action conversion project faces additional pressure following ‘Snow White’s poor showing at the box office this past month. With Disney bosses pushing pause on a planned ‘Tangled’ live-action movie, ‘Lilo’ will need to perform in order to keep that particular strand of the company’s strategy alive beyond ‘Moana,’ due next year.
Some fresh, sneak peek footage from the new movie was screened for the crowd, featuring Stitch on a trip with Lilo and family; they go to a restaurant where the little blue alien causes the requisite chaos even as Lilo tries to teach him to behave. Some of what was shown has already popped up in the trailer, including Stitch squirting her with a soda gun.
(L to R) Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis at the Disney presentation at CinemaCon 2025 in Las Vegas. Photo: Disney.
Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan were ushered on stage to promote this sequel to the 2003 original, which moves the story forward and features even more body-switching chaos than last time as Curtis’ Tess and Lindsay’s Anna Coleman switch places with their teenage daughter/granddaughter.
Curtis and Lohan cued up a look at some brand new footage from the movie, which according to the duo has been playing well with test audiences.
Curtis says that the film was…
“Made to be seen on a big screen.”
The scene played showed Tess and Anna trying to win back Anna’s boyfriend –– but in different bodies.
‘Freakier Friday’ brings body swap chaos to theaters on August 8th.
(L to R) Jared Leto and Jeff Bridges at the Disney presentation at CinemaCon 2025 in Las Vegas. Photo: Disney.
The studio went all out with a light show to promote the third ‘Tron’ movie, and also brought Jeff Bridges and new franchise face Jared Leto to the stage.
Bridges said,
“To be back on the grid was incredible, and working with Jared… It was a great time.”
For his part, Leto said he was obsessed and this was everything he wanted from a movie. It took him to a world he had never seen before.
Leto described his character, Ares:
“An advanced program that crosses over to real world to fulfill his directive.”
After confirmation of Nine Inch Nails doing the music for the new movie, we got a look at some new footage.
What was screened was a look at Ares riding his bike in the real world, with Bridges’ Kevin Flynn narrating. We also see him ask Ares, “Are you ready? Because there is no coming back…”
‘Tron: Ares’ departs the grid for our world on October 10th.
With ‘The Amateur’ due on screens next week, its chunk of the presentation was minimal, limited to a full version of the scene in the pool we glimpse in the trailer, but show full-length here. It was followed by the trailer.
‘The Amateur,’ as mentioned, will find a way into theaters on April 11th.
Elle Fanning at the Disney presentation at CinemaCon 2025 in Las Vegas.Photo: Disney.
The new ‘Predator’ movie from ‘Prey’s Dan Trachtenberg immediately looked interesting, since the Predator creature is more of a protagonist in this one, and it takes place on a new planet where he’s been exiled and must fight his way back.
Star (no, not as the Predator!) Elle Fanning arrived on stage to confirm that this movie breaks new ground in the ‘Predator’ universe. She also said something unprecedented happens. Her character is not being chased, she teams up with Predator and you see him in new light.
She cued up the first trailer for the new movie, which sees the Predator battling a giant, nearly invincible beast with Fanning’s help.
‘Predator: Badlands’ stalks into cinemas on November 7th.
Strong, for the record, plays Jon Landau, Springsteen’s manager and producer. He said he sees the role as Lewis to Springsteen’s Clark.
White, meanwhile, explains that the movie charts Springsteen’s teenage years to around 1982.
Jeremy Allen White as Bruce Springsteen in ‘Deliver Me From Nowhere.’ Photo: 20th Century Studios.
We got a first look at the trailer for the new movie, which is directed by Scott Cooper. The footage wraps up showing Springsteen in concert performing ‘Born to Run.’
‘Deliver Me from Nowhere’ has yet to announce when it’ll be delivered to theaters.
(L to R) Emma Mackey and Jamie Lee Curtis at the Disney presentation at CinemaCon 2025 in Las Vegas. Photo: Disney.
James L. Brooks’ new comedy drama stars Emma Mackey as an idealistic young politician who juggles familial issues and a challenging work life while preparing to take over the job of her mentor, the state’s longtime incumbent governor (Albert Brooks).
She co-stars with Jamie Lee Curtis, and the latter returned to the stage alongside Mackey for the presentation.
Brooks, meanwhile, received the Cinema Vérité Award on stage and called for more movies to have a 35-day window in theaters.
Director James L. Brooks receives the Cinema Vérité Award at the Disney presentation at CinemaCon 2025 in Las Vegas. Photo: Disney.
He also had a great quote about previewing movies with audiences:
“A woman came up to me and said the loveliest words: ‘they’re crying in the ladies toilet.’ Compare that to data.”
After Brooks’ emotional speech, we got a first look at the movie itself. The scene that played took place in a bar, where Curtis’ character takes Ella to meet her father, Woody Harrelson. They haven’t spoken in years after he dated her friend.
That was followed the trailer.
‘Ella McCay’ will be in cinemas on September 19th.
ZdI8jUr4o56vWbUrbCbB5
From there, it was time to look at team Searchlight’s output, following a victory lap for the awards success of ‘A Real Pain’ and ‘A Complete Unknown.’ The studio arm’s new offering is…
Unlike the 1989 version, this Jay Roach-directed sees Cumberbatch and Colman as a successful chef and her businessman husband whose lives start to fall apart when he’s fired.
Things go from bad to worse, and as we saw in the trailer that played, it gets to the point where she has him at gunpoint.
‘The Roses’ fights for its place in theaters on August 29th.
Talking of guns, we moved on to one of the studio’s biggest… Marvel!
First up was the next movie from the prolific superhero franchise.
(L To R) David Harbour, Hannah John-Kamen, Wyatt Russell, Florence Pugh, David Harbour, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus at the Disney presentation at CinemaCon 2025 in Las Vegas. Photo: Disney.
The ‘Thunderbolts*’ portion of the show kicked off with a funny bit about the cast being MIA –– Wyatt Russell appeared to have lost a lot of cash in the casino with co-star Julia Louis-Dreyfus hoping the movie makes money so they can pay his debts!
The scene featured the Thunderbolts driving through New York as Harbour’s Red Guardian tries to bond with Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan). The team has to fight their way through bad guys to Avengers tower.
(L To R) Hannah John-Kamen, Sebastian Stan, Florence Pugh, David Harbour, and Wyatt Russell in ‘Thunderbolts*’. Photo: Marvel Studios.
We got an extended look at the Avengers Tower scene where Louis-Dreyfus gathers the gang –– after having sent them to kill each other and being frustrated that they teamed up.
There was also a very brief look at the introduction of Sentry (Lewis Pullman). And following that? A sizzle reel of scenes from the movie, which appears to be full of chaotic fun.
‘Thunderbolts*’ heads to cinemas on May 2nd. Less than a month for this one, folks!
ySD9fRBhzaiO2TcznWDp2
That was followed by Marvel boss Kevin Feige, currently in the UK on the set of ‘Avengers: Doomsday,’ (which is “days away from the start of production”) confirming the appearance of the original X-Men team in the new movie.
We also got our first look at Julia Garner as the Silver Surfer, who cautions that planet Earth is “marked for death.” Kirby’s Sue Storm says they’ll “fight the threat as a family”.
‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ flies into theaters on July 25th.
z9uHs9M5vfCiKZCJCNg4I6
To switch tracks (but still be galactic rather than Galactus), it was the turn of the animation arm(s).
Zoe Saldaña at the Disney presentation at CinemaCon 2025 in Las Vegas. Photo: Disney.
Pixar’s latest finds a young lad dreaming of being abducted by aliens.
Zoe Saldaña, who plays the title character’s Aunt Olga, arrived on stage to talk about the new ‘toon.
A scene from the movie was shown in 3D, showing Elio brought on board an alien spaceship that is more like a living planet via a tractor beam, where he meets the vessel’s AI. He’s been recruited to join the universe’s smartest creatures to work together as a collective… But have they made a mistake? Elio meets and bonds with a young alien creature.
‘Elio’ heads into space (and theaters) on June 20th.
Ke Huy Quan introduces ‘Zootopia 2’ at the Disney presentation at CinemaCon 2025 in Las Vegas. Photo: Disney.
Thanksgiving sees the return of Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) and Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman), the mismatched buddy duo of rabbit police officer and crafty fox. This time around, they’re on an undercover mission to stop a murderous reptile (Ke Huy Quan’s Gary).
In a video introduction, we got Bateman changing the show’s title to “ZinemaCon” and there are animal jokes about theaters –– AMZ, Pandango, Fur D X, followed by giving other Disney movies critter-like makeovers (‘Thundercolts,’ ‘Sealio,’ ‘The Fantastic Fur.’)
‘Zootopia 2’. Photo: Disney.
Quan arrived on stage to discuss the sequel and his role as Gary the snake. And that Judy and Nick go to a therapy animal (played by ‘Abbot Elementary’s Quinta Brunson) to sort their strained friendship –– which we saw in a scene from the movie. That was followed by a scene of Nick and Judy at Marsh resort trying to track down Gary.
‘Zootopia 2’ goes wild in theaters on November 26th.
Zoe Saldaña at the Disney presentation at CinemaCon 2025 in Las Vegas. Photo: Disney.
James Cameron appeared via video from New Zealand, where he’s still at work on the latest ‘Avatar’ outing. He was sorry he isn’t there in person, but he did tell the crowd he’d sent some footage.
He promised “increased emotional heart and soul,” and that the Sully family will be put through the wringer (again) as they face the Ash People. We’ll also meet the Wind Traders.
Saldaña (who has been part of the franchise since the 2009 original) returned to the stage to introduce the footage.
Zoe Saldaña at the Disney presentation at CinemaCon 2025 in Las Vegas. Photo: Disney.
We saw Jake and wife Neytiri (Saldaña) flying a dragon creature to Wind Traders’ ship where Miles “Spider” Socorro (Jack Champion), the son of Miles Quaritch, lives now.
That preceded a reel of other scenes, including Jake telling Neytiri they can’t live in hate, humans attacked the Na’vi, a shot of the whale-like creatures we met in ‘The Way of Water,’ the return of Stephen Lang’s Quaritch and Varang, the Na’vi leader of the volcano-dwelling Ash People threatening Kiri (Sigourney Weaver), the daughter of Dr. Grace Augustine’s Na’vi avatar who was adopted by the Sully family.
‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ welcomes us back to Pandora on December 19th.
FWuSGLyAAvtzTcYFpQsOf6
And that’s all, folks!
(L To R) Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Wyatt Russell, and Hannah John-Kamen at the Disney presentation at CinemaCon 2025 in Las Vegas. Photo: Disney.
While Marvel usually prefers to keep its secrets close (at least, closer than the current government seems to manage), there is also the conflicting compulsion to promote the next movie in its sprawling cinematic universe, ‘Avengers: Doomsday‘.
aulDnGXPFkuVgP2q8dOyT6
We’ve known for a while that the Avengers will be back to face the threat of Victor Von Doom (Robert Downey Jr.), but the rest of the cast was largely in the realm of speculation, even for those who have been part of the MCU family for years.
The company used a livestream to confirm who will show up in the new movie, consisting of footage of the backs of director’s chairs featuring the cast names.
We’re happy to see Simu Liu will return as Shang-Chi, a character who really has deserved a sequel before now. And Danny Ramirez, who was introduced as Joaquim Torres in ‘The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’ and reprised the role in February’s ‘Captain America: Brave New World’ will show up as the new Falcon.
Any surprises? We’re not sure we predicted Tenoch Huerta Mejia –– who played Namor in ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ coming back, but his chair is among the others (not dripping with water –– missed joke opportunity there!).
(L to R) Lashana Lynch and Kelsey Grammer in ‘The Marvels’. Photo: Marvel Studios.
Lewis Pullman, who is introduced as a character called “Bob” (but who has since been revealed to be powerful character Sentry) in ‘Thunderbolts*’ is also listed. So we’re guessing his character –– who also appears to be an antagonist in the movie given the new trailer –– factors in somehow.
Last, but by no means least, the doors to the cavernous soundstage holding all the chairs opens up, and in strides Downey Jr., who sits in his own named chair and puts his finger to his lips. It’s over!
We’re sure there will be other announcements to come –– the company loves to hold back cameos and other roles, so we’ll have to wait and see if Tom Holland or Mark Ruffalo spoil the appearances or if an official press release arrives in due time.
If you’re desperate to see the Livestream, please click on the video player at the top of the page.
The new movie is now kicking off shooting in London, with Marvel veteran directors Joe and Anthony Russo –– who count the giant two previous Avengers outings ‘Infinity War’ and ‘Endgame’ on their shared resume –– back marshalling the chaos that is a team-up movie on this scale.
“We’re very close with Kevin [Feige] and Lou [D’Esposito, Marvel Studios’ Co-President] and the entire Marvel team and we’ve had conversations through the years. We’ve talked about a lot of ideas. Really what happened was, we ended up stumbling upon a [‘Secret Wars’] idea that activated all of us, you couldn’t see it coming until it came, and once it came it was like, ‘Well, that’s a story we need to tell.’”
And that creative spark extended to regular collaborator Stephen McFeely, who is also back writing the new movies.
While other co-writer Christopher Markus is so far sticking with the Russos’ AGBO company to keep it running, McFeely was tempted back into the MCU machine.
Here’s what Joe told Empire:
“There were ideas that we were trying to wrap our heads around that preceded this one, and we just never found the story. I remember calling Steve and said, ‘Hey, crazy idea. What do you think if we all go back and do Secret Wars?’ He was like, ‘F*** no. Absolutely not.’ And then he hung up. And the next morning at 7.30 he called and were like, ‘Alright, I have an idea…’ ”
‘Avengers: Doomsday’: The Russos talk Robert Downey Jr.
Of course, one of the biggest plot elements for the new movies has already been revealed on Marvel’s terms, with Robert Downey Jr. taking the stage at last year’s San Diego Comic-Con to confirm he’s playing Victor Von Doom.
And according to the directors he’s very involved in helping to shape the character.
“It’s a very intense process developing the character. He’s so immersed in it. He is so dialed in. That’s the kind of artist he is. That’s the kind of actor he is. He just loves really rich three-dimensional characters and I think he sees a real opportunity here with that character.”
And following ‘Doomsday,’ we’ll see ‘Secret Wars’…
‘Secret Wars’ would draw from (through the usual Marvel movie filter where changes will be made) a pair of 1980s comic book series focused on an all-powerful antagonist known as the Beyonder, who in the first installment pitted Marvel’s heroes and villains against each other on a planet known as Battleworld.
In a 2015 revival by Jonathan Hickman, the resulting conflict left the multiverse collapsed, the survivors living on a single planet ruled by classic villain Doctor Doom.
The Russos have previously talked about their enthusiasm for ‘Secret Wars,’ so this one made sense.
When will the next two ‘Avengers’ movies head to screens?
Marvel is planning to have ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ on screens on May 1st, 2026, followed by ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’ on May 7th, 2027.
‘Stranger Things’ Sadie Sink has joined ‘Spider-Man 4.’
Her role is a mystery for now.
Tom Holland is returning to star as the titular web-crawler.
While we’ve been waiting for a while for fresh news about the next ‘Spider-Man’ movie, it’s clearly starting to crank into gear, as the first new piece of casting news has dropped for ‘Spider-Man 4‘.
awhHMJKDYrfBPpvA5aIUj6
It does not come, however, from either Disney, Marvel or Sony which tend to be tight-lipped when it comes to casting announcements for their big superhero projects, but instead from Deadline’s sources, which has heard that ‘Stranger Things’ star Sadie Sink will be joining the fourth outing of everyone’s friendly neighborhood web-slinger.
With Holland currently at work on Christopher Nolan’s ambitious adaptation of ‘The Odyssey’ (along with a starry ensemble big enough to fill a small theater), shooting for the next Spidey movie should kick off this year once the actor’s schedule is worked out.
Tom Holland in ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home.’ Photo: Marvel Studios.
Given that ‘No Way Home’ changed things in a huge way for Tom Holland’s Peter Parker –– as you’ll likely recall, it ended with a spell that wiped everyone’s memory of him so as to protect the people he loves –– the storyline going forward is naturally something of a mystery.
Here’s what Holland said to The Hollywood Reporter about the movie:
“The first few meetings were about, ‘Why would we do this again?’ And I think we found the reason why.”
What is that reason? It’s only known to those involved with the movie right now and soon to anyone who talks to Tom Holland if his talent for divulging spoilers accidentally continues to hold.
We do at least know that Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers, who contributed to or wrote the previous three Spider-outings, are back on board for this one.
Holland also told Jimmy Fallon that the movie will be shooting this coming summer. Here’s what he had to say:
“Next summer, we start shooting. Everything’s good to go. We’re nearly there. “The project is super exciting.”
Who will appear in the new ‘Spider-Man’ movie?
Zendaya in ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming.’ Photo: Marvel Studios.
Though the game was changed considerably in ‘No Way Home’, we can’t imagine that the franchise would continue without Zendaya as MJ (Peter’s big love interest) and Jacob Batalon as Ned (his best friend). Surely a way will be found to have them remember him?
Yet Sink’s casting throws an interesting wrinkle in –– what if the plan is for MJ and Ned to have smaller roles while a new supporting cast rises to importance in Peter’s life, given the fallout of the mind-wiping spell.
As you might expect at this point, Sink’s role is a mystery, one that Marvel and Sony will look to keep that way as long as possible (executives are probably already looking for a spell to wipe Holland’s mind of plot details to help that).
But speculation has already begun, with a few potentials floating out there.
Deadline’s story mentions the theory that Sink could be playing Jean Grey, the hugely powerful mutant character from the ‘X-Men’ comics who has enjoyed a variety of storylines in the pages and on screens, including the memorable “Dark Phoenix” arc.
The X-Men, are, of course, the next big group for Marvel to incorporate into the MCU and we’ve already seen examples of them in the dimension-spanning likes of ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,’ ‘The Marvels’ and ‘Deadpool & Wolverine,’ though none have been pointed up as the official versions of the characters to make the leap to Earth-616.
Using the ‘Spider-Man’ movie to introduce one or more characters could work, as the Marvel team has a history of seeding new recruits in other movies.
But if the focus is more on Peter’s story, there’s a chance that Sink might be Gwen Stacey, another famous love interest for our hero, who has appeared in other Spider-stories. Another option is Felicia Hardy, AKA Black Cat.
And, of course, Sink’s red hair could make her a natural fit for classic Peter partner Mary Jane Watson, but with Zendaya’s MJ (albeit not using the same name) filling that role, it seems unlikely.
Sink, of course, saw her career skyrocket after landing the role of Max Mayfield in Netflix monster hit ‘Stranger Things.’
The fifth and final season is headed our way later this year.
Here’s what co-creator and co-showrunner Ross Duffer said about post-production process at this year’s SCAD TVfest:
“We’re focused on visual effects sequences right now, which started back in January. It’s going well. We’re actually ahead of schedule, which is rare for us. I will say that it is coming this year. We’re definitely on target.”
In addition to that, Sink has the lead in post-apocalyptic musical drama ‘O’Dessa’ due in theaters on March 20th.
And before she starts work on ‘Spider-Man 4,’ she’ll be treading the boards on Broadway in the play ‘John Proctor Is the Villain,’ which opens April 4th.
When will the new ‘Spider-Man’ movie be in theaters?
‘Spider-Man 4’ (or whatever it ends up being titled –– we’d guess they may move away from the “home” branding of the previous three to potentially launch a new run of movies) will swing into theaters on July 31st, 2026.
That date, perhaps not-so-coincidentally, puts it in between the two new ‘Avengers’ movies, ‘Doomsday’ and ‘Secret Wars,’ so the events of the first may (depending on when both it and the new ‘Spider-Man’ entry occur on the timeline) impact the events of this movie.
Tom Holland in ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’. Photo: Marvel Studios.
Movies and TV Shows Featuring Spider-Man Characters:
So too, is there increased focus on the next two ‘Avengers’ movies, which have long been the big tentpole events in Disney and Marvel’s release calendars, also proving to be profitable money spinners.
Making the press rounds for their latest film, Netflix sci-fi title ‘The Electric State,’ the pair have naturally been fielding questions about their plans for the new ‘Avengers’ entries.
“We’re very close with Kevin and Lou [D’Esposito, Marvel Studios’ Co-President] and the entire Marvel team and we’ve had conversations through the years. We’ve talked about a lot of ideas. Really what happened was, we ended up stumbling upon a [‘Secret Wars’] idea that activated all of us, you couldn’t see it coming until it came, and once it came it was like, ‘Well, that’s a story we need to tell.’ ”
And that creative spark extended to regular collaborator Stephen McFeely, who is also back writing the new movies.
While other co-writer Christopher Markus is so far sticking with the Russos’ AGBO company to keep it running, McFeely was tempted back into the MCU machine.
Here’s what Joe told Empire:
“There were ideas that we were trying to wrap our heads around that preceded this one, and we just never found the story. I remember calling Steve and said, ‘Hey, crazy idea. What do you think if we all go back and do Secret Wars?’ He was like, ‘F*** no. Absolutely not.’ And then he hung up. And the next morning at 7.30 he called and were like, ‘Alright, I have an idea…’ ”
What did the Russos say about preserving ‘Avengers’ on-set secrets?
While a lot of both ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ and its follow-up, ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’ will naturally film inside soundstages (which are much easier in terms of protecting cameos or plot developments), there will be some location based work in the UK where the production is being based.
And according to the Russos, they’re ready to defeat snoopers.
“We’re pretty good about shutting that down. We’ve sort of strategized to hopefully be effective with that. We don’t want people getting photographs, so we are being pretty stringent. The location work we are doing, we have picked those locations with that in mind, as well.”
According to the pair, each of the two new movies will take around six months to shoot, which means their lives are about to be very ‘Avengers’-centric for the next couple of years at least.
‘Avengers: Doomsday’: The Russos talk Robert Downey Jr.
Of course, one of the biggest plot elements for the new movies has already been revealed on Marvel’s terms, with Robert Downey Jr. taking the stage at last year’s San Diego Comic-Con to confirm he’s playing Victor Von Doom.
And according to the directors he’s very involved in helping to shape the character.
“It’s a very intense process developing the character. He’s so immersed in it. He is so dialed in. That’s the kind of artist he is. That’s the kind of actor he is. He just loves really rich three-dimensional characters and I think he sees a real opportunity here with that character.”
Alongside Downey and freshly-introduced ‘Fantastic Four’ cast, rumors have swirled about Chris Evans (whether as Steve Rogers or another character), though he has since denied them, and Hayley Atwell as Peggy Carter.
Anthony Mackie is very likely to show up as Cap, and Benedict Cumberbatch has been talked about to return as Doctor Strange. We’ll have to wait and see whether the likes of Tom Holland’s Peter Parker/Spider-Man or any of the other stalwarts will be back.
There’s good money on Chris Hemsworth as Thor (since he’s still active) and hopefully the likes of Simu Liu’s Shang-Chi and Sebastian Stan’s Bucky Barnes will report for duty.
And following ‘Doomsday,’ of course, will be ‘Avengers: Secret Wars.’
‘Secret Wars’ would draw from (through the usual Marvel movie filter where changes will be made) a pair of 1980s comic book series focused on an all-powerful antagonist known as the Beyonder, who in the first installment pitted Marvel’s heroes and villains against each other on a planet known as Battleworld.
In a 2015 revival by Jonathan Hickman, the resulting conflict left the multiverse collapsed, the survivors living on a single planet ruled by classic villain Doctor Doom.
The Russos have previously talked about their enthusiasm for ‘Secret Wars,’ so this one made sense.
When will the next two ‘Avengers’ movies head to screens?
Marvel is planning to have ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ on screens on May 1st, 2026, followed by ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’ on May 7th, 2027.
Vin Diesel as Groot in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.’ Photo: Marvel Studios.
Preview:
Vin Diesel says there’s a chance of a ‘Guardians’ spin-off featuring Groot.
He also makes mention of the campaign to film the final ‘Fast’ movie in Los Angeles.
The actor teased other projects he’s working on.
Vin Diesel is not a man to let a chance to show you what he’s excited about go to waste, especially when it comes to work projects. Like his good friend –– or is it still frenemy? –– Dwayne Johnson, Diesel is fond of hitting social media to tease projects that may or may not end up on our screens.
Prime among them –– according to Diesel, at least, since there has been zero official word from either Disney or Marvel, is the chance of a movie focused on the living tree creature Groot, as featured in the ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ movies and who has popped up alongside his teammates elsewhere in the MCU, including ‘Avengers’ films and ‘Thor: Love & Thunder.’
This is what Diesel had to say about the possibility:
“Disney wants their Planet X! Which some say is Marvel’s most anticipated movie, haha. The film where Groot returns to his home planet.”
Whether or not we actually see this happen remains to be seen; after all, Marvel is more focused on building to the new ‘Avengers’ movies and other projects.
After all, Groot got his spin-off, in the form of animated series ‘I am Groot’ on Disney+.
So let’s dig into what else Diesel has cooking, starting with the latest in the ‘Riddick’ franchise that began with ‘Pitch Black’ way back in 2000, and sees the actor as tough guy alien Richard B. Riddick.
Vin Diesel as Riddick in 2000’s ‘Pitch Black.’ Photo: USA Films.
In the new movie, Riddick finally returns to his home world, a place he barely remembers and one he fears might be left in ruins. But there, he finds other Furyans fighting for their existence against a new monster — and some of these Furyans are more like Riddick than he could have ever imagined.
Who is making ‘Riddick: Furya’?
Vin Diesel as Riddick in 2013’s ‘Riddick.’ Photo: Universal Pictures.
Returning for the new movie is writer/director David Twohy, who has overseen all the entries so far. He’ll also produce the film alongside Diesel and his One Race company, while Rocket Science is representing the rights to the film internationally (and has already hatched several deals).
What else is Diesel working on?
Vin Diesel as Kaulder in 2015’s ‘The Last Witch Hunter.’ Photo: Lionsgate.
In addition to the new ‘Riddick’ outing, there are a number of projects vying for Diesel’s attention. He’s attached to star in an adaptation of Mattel game property ‘Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots’, a cinematic take on TV detective drama ‘Kojak’ and a new entry for extreme sports-loving hero Xander Cage in another potential ‘xXx’ outing.
And not forgetting a nod towards a rumored follow-up to 2015’s ‘The Last Witch Hunter,’ which despite making only $147 million from a $90 million budget, is still a possibly exploitable chunk of IP for Lionsgate, and with Diesel’s name attached, may end up spawning a new adventure.
The references to New York and directing, meanwhile, point to him finally making the aforementioned ‘Kojak’ movie happen.
YRSYLOAnBK3LoNJ9byFTg2
And what about the next ‘Fast & Furious’ outing?
Vin Diesel as Dom in ‘Fast X,’ directed by Louis Leterrier. Photo: Universal Pictures.
Prime in both studio minds and sporting the biggest fan base, of course, is the long-running ‘Fast & Furious’ franchise, which last released ‘Fast X’ in 2023, and ended with a cliff-hanger touting the return of the characters for ‘Fast X: Part 2.’
QQzr1mlNX9taNeEHrC9Cs3
Yet despite apparent momentum and a director attached (Louis Leterrier is back in the driver’s seat), it has seemingly stalled since then.
The one recent development is Diesel dropping word that co-star Jordana Brewster had urged him to move filming of the apparent final ‘Fast’ movie back to where it began, in Los Angeles.
“Los Angeles is where ‘Fast and Furious’ started filming 25 years ago… And now Fast will finally return home.”
In his more recent post, he mentions that he’s still fighting for that to happen. Naturally, there are financial considerations, but given how much Universal has spent on the movies so far, we imagine there’s going to be some movement in the near future.
With most of the titles still in development, your guess is as good as ours in terms of release dates.
‘Riddick: Furya’ appears to be on the right track, listed as filming on the IMDb, so that should see the light of day (or maybe a dark night would be more fitting?)
And we know that Universal wants to keep the ‘Fast & Furious’ motor running, so that should be cranking cameras this summer, whether it ends up in Los Angeles or some other locale(s).
‘Daredevil: Born Again’ receives 7.5 out of 10 stars.
Landing on Disney+ on March 4th with the first two episodes (before going weekly), ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ finds Disney and Marvel seeking to segue Charlie Cox’s titular vigilante from his slightly cheerier Marvel Cinematic Universe entrance to the darker tones of his days on Netflix.
The big questions the show needs to answer are, can that style of show truly still co-exist within the MCU without sticking out like a sore thumb and what impact did the behind-the-scenes creative overhaul have on the new series?
Related Article: Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio Talk Disney+’s ‘Daredevil: Born Again’
Does ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ do the character justice?
If the new show was looking to emulate the style, feel and success of at least the first season of the Marvel/Netflix ‘Daredevil’ (which you can find on Disney+ these days), then the answer to all three parts is, “mostly.”
With Marvel at least having established the likes of ‘Echo’ as being able to co-exist with other characters while maintaining a much darker feel, there is precedent for ‘Born Again’ to unleash itself. This is no pat, Disney-fied take on Daredevil (a couple of younger characters aside, who in some ways feel forced upon the creative team to up the youth appeal), but instead a show that wears its heart on its sleeve and isn’t afraid to keep the body count high.
Yet if the appearance of Elden Henson’s Foggy Nelson and Deborah Ann Woll’s Karen Page had you thinking this will directly replicate the original series, be warned: that’s not the case. And if you’ve been itching to see Cox truly back in the suit and the level of fight scenes that the Netflix show established, that’s also something you may have to be patient about. Don’t get us wrong; there is some intense action to be found in the episodes. They’re just primarily, because of the direction the story takes, focused on Matt Murdock rather than his costumed alter ego.
Dario Scardapane, who has experience running Netflix’s ‘The Punisher’ series which spun off Jon Bernthal’s tough-nut character was brought in to take over the show after executives got a look during the production shutdown for the actors’ strike at what had been written and shot by original showrunners Matt Corman and Chris Ord, and decided that it wasn’t working. Scardapane’s version, which retains some legal elements of the series but adds in more of a serialized feel certainly has value and weight, chronicling Matt Murdock’s decision to essentially hang up his horns following a tragedy.
While the new show does follow Murdock the lawyer more than his heroic side, there is plenty of action and drama to be found within, and a fair sprinkling of other Marvel comics characters (including a nod to other MCU shows that are fun easter eggs rather than requiring any homework to make the story work).
A scene early on between Cox’s Murdock and Vincent D’Onofrio’s Wilson “Kingpin” Fisk recalls the diner conversation from ‘Heat’ and there is much mileage to be gotten out of Fisk’s running to be mayor of New York, with plenty of Trumpian parallels.
It doesn’t all completely work –– a lot of Season One here ends up feeling like setup for Season Two, and there are passages that feel less essential than others. But it’s definitely good to have Daredevil back on our screens.
One of the smartest moves for the new show was hiring directors Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead to take over the visual look during the overhaul. While they may be better known for their weird indie movies and the stylish quirk they brought to MCU Disney+ entries ‘Moon Knight’ and ‘Loki’s second season, here they are operating more in a street-crime mode, yet with a stylish flair that sometimes brings to mind Christopher Nolan’s work on the Batman movies.
Charlie Cox knows how to play Matt Murdock/Daredevil by this point, and the script certainly gives him enough to chew on –– there are several callbacks to the character’s faith and the struggles with it, and a solid arc for him to play.
Yet D’Onofrio might have come off even better; Fisk was always one of the most compelling elements of the original series (and missed in subsequent seasons), and here he’s back to being presented as a more human threat, albeit still a morality-free monster when called upon. The actor’s exchanges with Fisk’s great love, his wife Vanessa (Ayelet Zurer, similarly returning from the Netflix era), now estranged, are great.
Likewise, both are surrounded by solid supporting casts –– Cox has the likes of Margarita Levieva as therapist Heather Glenn, with whom he strikes up a relationship that gives him extra layers, while Nikki M. James makes an impact as fellow legal eagle Kirsten McDuffie.
Jon Bernthal as Frank Castle in Marvel’s ‘The Punisher.’ Photo: Netflix.
Jon Bernthal is also back, and while Frank Castle only gets a couple of scenes (so far; expect more from him next year), the performer is typically great, Kudos also to Michael Gandolfini, who registers well as Daniel Blade an ambitious young man who joins Kingpin’s staff.
If there’s someone who gets shortchanged, it’s Deborah Ann Woll as Karen Page, who rarely gets to do much as Karen besides worry about Matt. Still, all signs point to more from her also next season.
This is a confident, often impressive return for a character, and certainly hews closer to his Netflix days than even the version we’ve seen in the likes of ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home.’
Still, there are some signs that the need to overhaul the show has left some scars behind, and hopefully those will be more healed by the in-the-works season two.
UPLl9v8DcuODJ0OGYMYxF3
What is the plot of ‘Daredevil: Born Again’?
Blind lawyer Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) fights for justice while former crime boss Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio) pursues his campaign as the mayor of New York City, causing their past identities to collide.
Matthew Lillard on Prime Video’s ‘Bosch’ season 2. Credit: Aaron Epstein. Copyright: Amazon Studios.
Preview:
Matthew Lillard is joining ‘Daredevil: Born Again.’
His unknown character will first appear in Season 2.
Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio star in the show.
The first season of the latest Disney/Marvel offering for Disney+, ‘Daredevil: Born Again,’ is only just about to launch on the streaming service, yet plans are already in place for Season Two.
In actual fact, a two-season order has been the idea for some time now (more on that below).
And according to Deadline, we now know at least one person who will join the cast when the second season kicks off shooting this week, as Matthew Lillard is aboard the show.
Quite what he’ll be doing in the ‘Daredevil’ universe is a mystery for now –– in keeping with usual behavior, neither Marvel nor Disney would be drawn on who he is playing.
Current speculation is leaning towards some comic book villains, though as ever with the MCU series, there’s a world of possibilities, and chances are even if he plays someone who has popped up in the Marvel pages, the screen version could be quite different.
A continuation of the ‘Daredevil’ series that aired on Netflix from 2015 to 2018, ‘Born Again’ picks up with our hero Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox), a blind lawyer with heightened abilities, amid a continued fight for justice through his bustling law firm.
At the same time, former mob boss Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio) pursues his own political endeavors in New York. When their past identities begin to emerge, both men find themselves on an inevitable collision course.
Woll, Henson, Zurer and Bernthal, are, of course, veterans of the original series, with Woll and Henson playing Matt’s colleagues Karen Page and Foggy Nelson, Zurer as Fisk’s wife Vanessa and Bernthal as Frank Castle, AKA the violent veteran vigilante known as The Punisher.
After seeding the previously Netflix-based characters of Murdock and Fisk into the MCU via the likes of ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’, ‘Hawkeye’ and ‘She-Hulk’, Marvel was riding high on the reaction to news that the two would be the focus of their own Disney+ series.
‘Daredevil: Born Again’ was supposed to be Marvel triumphantly proving it can take a character that has been brought to TV screens elsewhere and merge them into the wider, more directly canonical comic book-based universe.
Commissioned from writers Chris Ord and Matt Corman, it was set for a mammoth 18-episode shoot and cameras started rolling back in March of 2023.
Yet less than half the episodes had been filmed when the writers’ strike closed down production, and when executives got a look at the footage, they were unimpressed. Ord, Corman and the directors were let go and a new creative team, including Netflix ‘Punisher’ Dario Scardapane as showrunner and ‘Loki’ Season 2 directors Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead, was hired.
We’re finally about to see the fruits of their labors…
Where else can we see Matthew Lillard?
Matthew Lillard in 1996’s ‘Scream’. Photo: Dimension Films.
Even with a healthy and prolific career, Lillard is probably best known for playing two main roles –– that of Stu in ‘Scream’ and Shaggy in various versions of ‘Scooby Doo,’ but most notably the live-action movies.
He’s returning to both roles in the future; he and Scott Foley were announced at the end of January as joining ‘Scream 7’ (though Lillard’s exact capacity is unknown, since Stu has been dead for years at this point, but that hasn’t been a hurdle for other characters). That movie is set for February 27th next year.
Lillard will be heard as Shaggy in a new Scooby TV series which has yet to confirm a date. Also on the small screen, he’s appearing in the second season of Prime Video’s ‘Cross,’ the adaptation of the James Patterson novels.
Besides any of those, he’s reprising the role of William Afton in ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s 2’, the sequel to 2023’s successful Blumhouse adaptation of the video game franchise. It’ll be out on December 5th.
When will ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ be on our screens?
Season One of the show –– AKA the first nine episodes –– kicks off with its first two installments on Disney+ on March 4th.
Season Two, which as mentioned is only now setting its cameras in motion, and consists of the second batch of nine episodes, will likely debut a year from now if Disney keeps to any sort of annual schedule.
Marvel Studios’ ‘Daredevil: Born Again.’
Movies and TV Shows Featuring Characters in ‘Daredevil: Born Again:’
