Deadline is now reporting that Dance will play Christopher Dent, the imposing (and, if lore holds, abusive) father to Harvey Dent, who will be brought to screens this time by Sebastian Stan.
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And we now also know that Scarlett Johansson, whose part until recently has been a mystery, will be Dent’s wife.
Little is known officially about what Pattinson’s Caped Crusader will tackle, but we do know that Farrell is back as Oz Cobb, the villainous gangster nicknamed “The Penguin” while Jeffrey Wright (James Gordon) is also predicted to be back.
We can probably expect to see Batman tackle another menace from his rogues’ gallery, with Barry Keoghan teased as a potential Joker at the end of the original movie, but nothing confirmed about him actually playing the role.
When will ‘The Batman: Part II’ be in theaters?
Following a variety of release date shifts as Reeves and co-writer Mattson Tomlin honed the script, the movie is currently set to land on screens on October 1, 2027.
Andy Serkis is returning for ‘The Batman: Part II.’
He’ll be back as Alfred Pennyworth.
Matt Reeves is once more directing.
While Andy Serkis already has one big movie job he’s busy with –– that would be preparing to direct and play Gollum once again in new ‘Lord of the Rings’ film ‘The Hunt for Gollum’, (not to mention promoting his animated ‘Animal Farm’) he’ll apparently find time in his schedule to revisit another previous gig.
“I’m pretty certain it’s all going to work out. Yeah, we’re working on it, but I think it’s all looking good. I won’t be joining them immediately, but by the end of the year, I will be”.
(L to R) Director Matt Reeves and actor Robert Pattinson on the set of ‘The Batman’. Photo: Warner Bros.
Little is known officially about what Pattinson’s Caped Crusader will tackle, but we do know that Colin Farrell is likely to return as Oz Cobb, the villainous gangster nicknamed “The Penguin” while Jeffrey Wright (James Gordon) is also predicted to be back.
We can probably expect to see Batman tackle another menace from his rogues’ gallery, with Barry Keoghan teased as a potential Joker at the end of the original movie, but nothing confirmed about him actually playing the role.
Following a variety of release date shifts as Reeves and co-writer Mattson Tomlin honed the script, the movie is currently set to land on screens on October 1, 2027.
As with Johansson, Stan’s casting is neither confirmed, nor do we know what role he might play. Though if you ask us, he’s a possible candidate for Harvey Dent/Two-Face, assuming Reeves is even including the character.
Little is known officially about what Robert Pattinson’s Caped Crusader will tackle, but we do know that Colin Farrell is likely to return as Oz Cobb, the villainous gangster nicknamed “The Penguin” while ‘The Batman’ actors Andy Serkis (Alfred) and Jeffrey Wright (James Gordon) are also predicted to be back.
We can probably expect to see Batman tackle another menace from his rogues’ gallery, with Barry Keoghan teased as a potential Joker at the end of the original movie, but nothing confirmed about him actually playing the role.
And there had been chatter about Clayface, but with the character set to get his own movie within the main DC Studios universe (as opposed to ‘The Batman’, which falls under the ‘Elseworlds’ banner of movies/TV that don’t fit there), we’d expect someone else to threaten our hero.
Following a variety of release date shifts as Reeves and co-writer Mattson Tomlin honed the script, the movie is currently set to land on screens on October 1, 2027.
Chris Evans in ‘Avengers: Infinity War’. Photo: Marvel Studios.
Preview:
Chris Evans has been confirmed as returning to the MCU.
He shows up in the first teaser for ‘Avengers: Doomsday.’
The footage was shown before ‘Avatar: Fire & Ash.’
While the man himself has been cagey in the past as to whether his time with the Marvel Cinematic Universe is done, there were reports back in December of last year that pointed to more MCU time for Chris Evans as Steve “Captain America” Rogers.
Chris Evans in ‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier’. Photo: Marvel Studios.
If you haven’t taken yourself out to one of the initial showings of James Cameron’s latest ‘Avatar’ movie, and you really want to know what’s included in the ‘Doomsday’ footage, read on…
The teaser shows Steve riding home on a motorbike, wearing a helmet reminiscent of his time as Captain America. He’s then seen handling his old uniform and cradling what is presumably his and Peggy Carter’s (Hayley Atwell) newborn child.
This first tease ends with “Steve Rogers will return for ‘Avengers: Doomsday.’ ” A countdown timer begins at the end that’s set to expire a year from now when ‘Doomsday’ hits theaters.
The cast for the next big Avengers team-up promises a mix of faces both old and new.
Robert Downey Jr. is back, though this time playing Big Bad Doctor Doom (Marvel has yet to reveal whether he’ll be a new character or a variant of Downey’s Tony Stark).
It’s fair to say that the Marvel movies, specifically the Marvel Cinematic Universe releases, have reached “cultural event” status. And there’s a strong case to be made that the MCU is a currently a pop culture juggernaut, the likes of which we haven’t since the original ‘Star Wars‘ trilogy hit theaters for the first time.
It is a great time to watch the Marvel movies in order now and you can watch them all on Disney Plus in 4K format. You can even plan virtual Marvel movie nights with your friends using Disney+ GroupWatch feature.
(L to R) Chris Evans and Sebastian Stan in ‘Captain America: The First Avenger’. Photo: Marvel Studios.
During World War II, Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) is a sickly man from Brooklyn who’s transformed into super-soldier Captain America to aid in the war effort. Rogers must stop the Red Skull (Hugo Weaving) – Adolf Hitler’s ruthless head of weaponry, and the leader of an organization that intends to use a mysterious device of untold powers for world domination.
The story follows Carol Danvers (Brie Larson) as she becomes one of the universe’s most powerful heroes when Earth is caught in the middle of a galactic war between two alien races. Set in the 1990s, Captain Marvel is an all-new adventure from a previously unseen period in the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
After being held captive in an Afghan cave, billionaire engineer Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) creates a unique weaponized suit of armor to fight evil.
Scientist Bruce Banner (Edward Norton) scours the planet for an antidote to the unbridled force of rage within him: the Hulk. But when the military masterminds who dream of exploiting his powers force him back to civilization, he finds himself coming face to face with a new, deadly foe.
With the world now aware of his dual life as the armored superhero Iron Man, billionaire inventor Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) faces pressure from the government, the press and the public to share his technology with the military. Unwilling to let go of his invention, Stark, with Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) and James ‘Rhodey’ Rhodes (Don Cheadle) at his side, must forge new alliances – and confront powerful enemies.
Against his father Odin’s (Anthony Hopkins) will, The Mighty Thor (Chris Hemsworth) – a powerful but arrogant warrior god – recklessly reignites an ancient war. Thor is cast down to Earth and forced to live among humans as punishment. Once here, Thor learns what it takes to be a true hero when the most dangerous villain of his world sends the darkest forces of Asgard to invade Earth.
When an unexpected enemy emerges and threatens global safety and security, Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), director of the international peacekeeping agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D., finds himself in need of a team to pull the world back from the brink of disaster. Spanning the globe, a daring recruitment effort begins!
When Tony Stark’s (Robert Downey Jr.) world is torn apart by a formidable terrorist called the Mandarin, he starts an odyssey of rebuilding and retribution.
Thor fights to restore order across the cosmos… but an ancient race led by the vengeful Malekith (Christopher Eccleston) returns to plunge the universe back into darkness. Faced with an enemy that even Odin (Anthony Hopkins) and Asgard cannot withstand, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) must embark on his most perilous and personal journey yet, one that will reunite him with Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) and force him to sacrifice everything to save us all.
(L to R) Chris Evans and Scarlett Johansson in ‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier’. Photo: Marvel Studios.
After the cataclysmic events in New York with ‘The Avengers’, Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), aka Captain America is living quietly in Washington, D.C. and trying to adjust to the modern world. But when a S.H.I.E.L.D. colleague comes under attack, Steve becomes embroiled in a web of intrigue that threatens to put the world at risk. Joining forces with the Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Captain America struggles to expose the ever-widening conspiracy while fighting off professional assassins sent to silence him at every turn. When the full scope of the villainous plot is revealed, Captain America and the Black Widow enlist the help of a new ally, the Falcon (Anthony Mackie). However, they soon find themselves up against an unexpected and formidable enemy—the Winter Soldier.
Light years from Earth, 26 years after being abducted, Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) finds himself the prime target of a manhunt after discovering an orb wanted by Ronan the Accuser.
When Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) tries to jumpstart a dormant peacekeeping program, things go awry and Earth’s Mightiest Heroes are put to the ultimate test as the fate of the planet hangs in the balance. As the villainous Ultron (James Spader) emerges, it is up to The Avengers to stop him from enacting his terrible plans, and soon uneasy alliances and unexpected action pave the way for an epic and unique global adventure.
Armed with the astonishing ability to shrink in scale but increase in strength, master thief Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) must embrace his inner-hero and help his mentor, Doctor Hank Pym (Michael Douglas), protect the secret behind his spectacular Ant-Man suit from a new generation of towering threats. Against seemingly insurmountable obstacles, Pym and Lang must plan and pull off a heist that will save the world.
Following the events of ‘Age of Ultron’, the collective governments of the world pass an act designed to regulate all superhuman activity. This polarizes opinion amongst the Avengers, causing two factions to side with Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) or Captain America (Chris Evans), which causes an epic battle between former allies.
Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) aka Black Widow confronts the darker parts of her ledger when a dangerous conspiracy with ties to her past arises. Pursued by a force that will stop at nothing to bring her down, Natasha must deal with her history as a spy and the broken relationships left in her wake long before she became an Avenger.
Following the events of ‘Captain America: Civil War’, Peter Parker (Tom Holland), with the help of his mentor Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), tries to balance his life as an ordinary high school student in Queens, New York City, with fighting crime as his superhero alter ego Spider-Man as a new threat, the Vulture (Michael Keaton), emerges.
Chadwick Boseman as T’Challa / Black Panther in 2018’s ‘Black Panther.’
King T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) returns home to the reclusive, technologically advanced African nation of Wakanda to serve as his country’s new leader. However, T’Challa soon finds that he is challenged for the throne by factions within his own country as well as without. Using powers reserved to Wakandan kings, T’Challa assumes the Black Panther mantle to join with ex-girlfriend Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o), the queen-mother, his princess-kid sister, members of the Dora Milaje (the Wakandan ‘special forces’) and an American secret agent, to prevent Wakanda from being dragged into a world war.
After his career is destroyed, a brilliant but arrogant surgeon (Benedict Cumberbatch) gets a new lease on life when a sorcerer takes him under her wing and trains him to defend the world against evil.
Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is imprisoned on the other side of the universe and finds himself in a race against time to get back to Asgard to stop Ragnarok, the destruction of his home-world and the end of Asgardian civilization, at the hands of a powerful new threat, the ruthless Hela (Cate Blanchett).
Just when his time under house arrest is about to end, Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) once again puts his freedom at risk to help Hope van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) and Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) dive into the quantum realm and try to accomplish, against time and any chance of success, a very dangerous rescue mission.
As the Avengers and their allies have continued to protect the world from threats too large for any one hero to handle, a new danger has emerged from the cosmic shadows: Thanos (Josh Brolin). A despot of intergalactic infamy, his goal is to collect all six Infinity Stones, artifacts of unimaginable power, and use them to inflict his twisted will on all of reality. Everything the Avengers have fought for has led up to this moment – the fate of Earth and existence itself has never been more uncertain.
After the devastating events of Avengers: Infinity War, the universe is in ruins due to the efforts of the Mad Titan, Thanos (Josh Brolin). With the help of remaining allies, the Avengers must assemble once more in order to undo Thanos’ actions and restore order to the universe once and for all, no matter what consequences may be in store.
Shang-Chi (Simu Liu) must confront the past he thought he left behind when he is drawn into the web of the mysterious Ten Rings organization and his father, Xu Wenwu (Tony Leung).
Peter Parker (Tom Holland) and his friends go on a summer trip to Europe. However, they will hardly be able to rest – Peter will have to agree to help Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) uncover the mystery of creatures that cause natural disasters and destruction throughout the continent.
Tom Holland in ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home.’ Photo: Marvel Studios.
Peter Parker (Tom Holland) is unmasked and no longer able to separate his normal life from the high-stakes of being a super-hero. When he asks for help from Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) the stakes become even more dangerous, forcing him to discover what it truly means to be Spider-Man. Teaming with other Multiverse Spider-Men (Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield), they must now work together to take out the Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe), Doctor Octopus (Alfred Molina), Electro (Jamie Foxx) and other Spider-Man villains from around the multiverse.
The Eternals are a team of ancient aliens who have been living on Earth in secret for thousands of years. When an unexpected tragedy forces them out of the shadows, they are forced to reunite against mankind’s most ancient enemy, the Deviants.
Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), with the help of mystical allies both old and new, traverses the mind-bending and dangerous alternate realities of the Multiverse to confront a mysterious new adversary.
After his retirement is interrupted by Gorr the God Butcher (Christian Bale), a galactic killer who seeks the extinction of the gods, Thor Odinson (Chris Hemsworth) enlists the help of King Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson), Korg, and ex-girlfriend Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), who now wields Mjolnir as the Mighty Thor. Together they embark upon a harrowing cosmic adventure to uncover the mystery of the God Butcher’s vengeance and stop him before it’s too late.
On a dark and somber night, a secret cabal of monster hunters emerge from the shadows and gather at the foreboding Bloodstone Temple following the death of their leader. In a strange and macabre memorial to the leader’s life, the attendees are thrust into a mysterious and deadly competition for a powerful relic—a hunt that will ultimately bring them face to face with a dangerous monster.
Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett), Shuri (Letitia Wright), M’Baku (Winston Duke), Okoye (Danai Gurira) and the Dora Milaje fight to protect their nation from intervening world powers in the wake of King T’Challa’s (Chadwick Boseman) death. As the Wakandans strive to embrace their next chapter, the heroes must band together with the help of War Dog Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o) and Everett Ross (Martin Freeman) and forge a new path for the kingdom of Wakanda.
On a mission to make Christmas unforgettable for Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), the Guardians head to Earth in search of the perfect present. The special follows Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista) and Mantis (Pom Klementieff) as they set out to give Quill the best Christmas ever, after discovering that Yondu (Michael Rooker) ruined the holiday for him as a child.
Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), still reeling from the loss of Gamora (Zoe Saldaña), must rally his team around him to defend the universe along with protecting one of their own. A mission that, if not completed successfully, could quite possibly lead to the end of the Guardians as we know them.
Super-Hero partners Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) and Hope van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly), along with with Hope’s parents Janet van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer) and Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) , and Scott’s daughter Cassie Lang (Kathryn Newton), find themselves exploring the Quantum Realm, interacting with strange new creatures and embarking on an adventure that will push them beyond the limits of what they thought possible and pits them against Kang the Conqueror (Jonathan Majors).
Carol Danvers (Brie Larson), aka Captain Marvel, has reclaimed her identity from the tyrannical Kree and taken revenge on the Supreme Intelligence. But unintended consequences see Carol shouldering the burden of a destabilized universe. When her duties send her to an anomalous wormhole linked to a Kree revolutionary, her powers become entangled with that of Jersey City super-fan Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani), aka Ms. Marvel, and Carol’s estranged niece, now S.A.B.E.R. astronaut Captain Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris). Together, this unlikely trio must team up and learn to work in concert to save the universe.
After meeting with newly elected U.S. President Thaddeus Ross (Harrison Ford), Sam (Anthony Mackie) finds himself in the middle of an international incident. He must discover the reason behind a nefarious global plot before the true mastermind has the entire world seeing red.
After finding themselves ensnared in a death trap, seven disillusioned castoffs must embark on a dangerous mission that will force them to confront the darkest corners of their pasts.
Against the vibrant backdrop of a 1960s-inspired, retro-futuristic world, Marvel’s First Family is forced to balance their roles as heroes with the strength of their family bond, while defending Earth from a ravenous space god called Galactus (Ralph Ineson) and his enigmatic Herald, Silver Surfer (Julia Garner).
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with director Jake Schreier about the ‘Thunderbolts*’ digital release and his work on the film. The director discussed his initial pitch to Marvel, selecting the characters, the asterisk in the title, the ‘New Avengers’ reveal, the ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ cameo in the second end credit scene, deleted scenes, and Florence Pugh’s opening scene stunt, as well as addressing the rumors that he will direct the MCU’s upcoming new ‘X-Men’ movie.
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interview.
‘Thunderbolts*’ director Jake Schreier.
Moviefone: To begin with, can you talk about your first meeting with Marvel Studios and the pitch that got you the job directing ‘Thunderbolts*’?
Jake Schreier: Well, know the pitching process at Marvel takes a long time. I think there were maybe seven meetings over the course of seven months. So, the first meeting was just me talking to Brian Chapek and just having a very loose conversation about the idea for the movie, which I thought was neat. Eric Pearson and he had come up with this great setup where it was about a set of contract killers being sent to kill each other and to be disposed as opposed to being put together in some sort of team, which was a neat slip on the expectation. I just talked about my favorite movies that related to that and that sense of tension and what you would want to bring to a movie like that. Then the conversation grew month after month. Each time I would bring something a little bit new. I like to pitch on things, show people, if we were already making the movie together, this is the sort of stuff that I would start doing. I think the second one is that I did make a kind of reference reel of movies. Not that the movie should be like this movie, but these are kind of moments of tension within other movies about groups of people that don’t trust each other, and how important that was to what we were building here. I think that included ‘Ronin’, and it included ‘Toy Story 3’, a very disparate group of movies and ‘Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol’, all kinds of different stuff. Then at subsequent meetings, there was concept art for what the void could look like, and then a storyboard in certain sequences from the film. We had talked about the elevator sequence, this funny idea of if it was all about trust or a trust fall, if they must climb up back-to-back, which is an idea that Brian had, that was fun. I took that and storyboarded it just to show what that might feel like. So yeah, it was more of a long beat by beat process. I think, one thing about working at Marvel was, Kevin (Feige) always says, “Always be fussing.” The movie is never really done until they kind of pry it out of your hands and you must release it. You’re always looking to improve it. So, to some degree, it’s not so much about the specific pitch or everything kept changing after I came on board, but it’s about will this work out as a working relationship? Are the ideas flowing and will you push each other to make it better? It felt like Brian, and I worked so well together in this movie, and that felt like a really strong core to build from.
MF: Was the core cast of characters already selected when you came on board and were there characters you wanted to include but were unable to?
JS: They were mostly chosen. I attempted to give input, which was quickly shot down, which I think on the first one I was like, “What if Man-Thing was involved,” which has now been picked up by the internet as though that was ever going to happen, which it wasn’t. They quickly and politely were like, “He was in ‘Werewolf by Night’, which I didn’t know. So that didn’t happen. But then I think before I came on board, they added Robert Reynolds to the mix. That was the biggest change. Then once that was part of it, I mean even in our pitch conversation, everything really ran towards thinking about what it meant to have a character like Sentry and the Void in this movie, and how that tied into Yelena and what she’s going through, and how important that was to build that kind of connection and have that drive the story.
‘Thunderbolts*’ is available on digital now and 4K and Blu-ray on July 29th.
MF: Was the asterisk in the title your idea, and at what point was it decided that the team would really become the ‘New Avengers’?
JS: So, they were always introduced as the New Avengers. Even in the first draft that I read before I came on board. I did pitch the asterisk thing. I think in my last pitch meeting before I got the movie, but I did not expect it to be in the actual title. I thought, “Oh, maybe there could be a billboard somewhere with an asterisk, and they’ll say, “Until we come up with something better.” But yeah, I mean that was the fun thing about working with those guys, and everyone in marketing. They’re very open and collaborative, and they would take ideas like that and really run with them and put their own spin on it. There was just a lot of openness on this movie, I think, to kind of take risks and try to do something different.
MF: So, this was always going to be a ‘New Avengers’ movie, is that right?
JS: Yes, it was always ended. That moment was always baked in. I mean, at least from the time I met on it, that was always where the story landed.
MF: Did you feel added pressure knowing that this was secretly an ‘Avengers’ movie?
JS: I mean, look, there’s enough pressure on these movies no matter what you’re doing. I think obviously it meant that we felt we had to build a story that at one time was this kind of very different story within the MCU about different characters, but it did need in its own way to live up. It was never going to be at the scale of a normal ‘Avengers’ film. But to the legacy of these kinds of great movies that had been made in the MCU, that when you get to that moment, even if it’s through a route that you never expected, you can kind of splint. Even if at first, you’re like, “Wait, what?” You kind of think about it and you’re like, “Okay, no, maybe this could work.” Or at least I want to see them try and see what happens going forward.
MF: Can you talk about the second end-credit scene that teases ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’? What was your involvement in that scene and when and where was it shot?
JS: That was late. I mean, I was there, I went to London. So that’s on the set, I think of the new ‘Avengers’ movie (‘Avengers: Doomsday’) that the Russo’s are directing. I think that might’ve been, it was one of the first scenes they shot for it. So, the idea was going to be part of that movie, and then also our end credits scene. So, there were things that it kind of had to do for where our story went, but we also wanted it in a way to be this handoff. It was fun to watch them directed and directed in that context and have it been this sort of, leap of seeing. I think Florence said it was like “Being dropped off at school by your parent, and you look back and like, all right, we’ll have fun guys. Good luck out there. You’re in a new grade now.” So yeah, it was just fun to have everyone kind of collaborate on that and get to see them take that next step on their next journey.
MF: Will there be deleted scenes available on the digital and home entertainment releases, and if so, can you talk about why those scenes were ultimately cut?
JS: Yes. I mean, I must be honest, there’s not a lot that was left on the cutting room floor of this movie. There are little things that got cut out. In the edit, we trimmed things down, but it was more really kind of honing the scenes than it was dropping a lot of full scenes. At first, I was like, “I don’t want any deleted scenes.” Then they were like, “You have to have a few.” So, I put them in there. What I can say is that there’s a very extensive behind the scenes featurette, and a very funny gag reel, which mostly is just cute. But I think the behind-the-scenes stuff, again, we did so much practically on this movie and in camera, and practical effects and returning to this old school style of filmmaking. I think I had a lot of fun, and they really did a great job of capturing that stuff, getting to watch the way those things were put together. I think, again, it’s just a testament to how hard everyone works on these movies, and I think that is fun to see.
MF: I understand that Florence Pugh insisted on doing the stunt in the opening scene where she jumps off a skyscraper herself. Can you talk about working with her and the stunt team to make that possible?
JS: I mean, we had this idea for it, Lee Sung Jin, who wrote multiple drafts of the script, had written in this stunt. That was sort of our version of a Bond opening, but it’s more of an emotional stunt, in a way, where it’s like, it almost seems like it could be a suicide. Then it’s just her kind of malaise in her job, but it takes you into this real character beat that then becomes an action sequence. But again, it’s our spin on it, because it’s what the depressed spy would do. So, I think what was exciting about it was obviously the stunt itself and going somewhere and really doing something like that, because it’s Florence having this great acting beat at the start of that shot. In the same take, we watch her step off the second-tallest building in the world. So, she had to take that on because we can’t really ask her to do that. We could say it was an idea we had. We didn’t even know we were going to shoot it. She was like, “I love heights. Let’s do it.” So, through the whole production, it was kind of finding a place that would make sense. Then, Malaysia seemed promising, but Jason Tamez, our incredible line producer, had to do months of work to coordinate getting up there. Then I think it took three different engineering firms to sign off on the rig, and (Stunt Coordinator) Michael Huggins and our entire rigging team. I mean, the amount of trust that Florence had to have in our team, and you can see how much she trusts them. They are the best at what they do. I can’t believe she did that. Florence is amazing, but also the amount of coordination and work that it takes from everyone else involved to pull something like that off and to be able to stand by it and say, “We could do this.” Because again, at first, Disney Health and Safety quite reasonably just said, “No.” So, it took a lot of pushing and a lot of groundwork on everyone’s part to make it happen.
MF: Finally, there have been several online rumors recently that you will be directing the upcoming ‘X-Men’ movie that Marvel Studios is planning for after ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’. Without confirming the rumors, do you have a particular take on those characters and is that a world you would be interested in exploring as a director if given the chance?
JS: I think just knowing the way the internet works, for right now, if it’s okay, I’m going to plead the fifth on that question. But I can say that I would be very excited. I had a great time working at Marvel, and I’d be very excited to work with them again.
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.
(L to R) Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Pedro Pascal, and Joseph Quinn in ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’. Photo: Marvel Studios.
Preview:
The end-credit scene of ‘Thunderbolts’ very clearly connects to the events of ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ by revealing their ship arriving in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
There are several possibilities and theories regarding who exactly is on the ship.
This scene likely takes place immediately after the events of ‘The Fantastic Four: The First Steps’.
Marvel fans have been waiting what feels like forever for ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps‘, so it came as no surprise when the team was introduced a little bit early into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, during the end-credit sequence of ‘Thunderbolts*‘. Even though all we got was a glimpse of their ship entering the atmosphere, excitement rippled through social media thanks to the fandom.
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While we cannot say for sure yet who is on The Fantastic Four ship and how exactly the events of both films will connect, we can make some pretty good guesses. One thing is for sure, the speculation that the majority of ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ is not set in the Marvel universe we know and love must be accurate, considering The New Avengers team reveals the ship is an interdimensional ship.
For those who do not recall, the end of ‘Thunderbolts*’ teases the arrival of Marvel’s first family by literally bringing them into the MCU, which was a shock to many. The team is now called The New Avengers and is comprised of Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), John Walker (Wyatt Russell), Red Guardian (David Harbour), and Bob, also known as Sentry/Void (Lewis Pullman).
When the team is notified that there is a space crisis, it is then discovered that an interdimensional ship has made its way into the Earth’s atmosphere. A close-up on the ship reveals The Fantastic Four logo. There are no more details other than that, which has set the internet ablaze with speculation.
But Who Could Actually Be On The Fantastic Four Ship?
There are many theories about who is actually arriving via The Fantastic Four ship. Most fans do not believe that it will actually be the first family, which includes Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal), Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby), Johnny Storm (Joseph Quinn), and Ben Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bachrach). We know that Sue Storm is not only pregnant with her first born, Franklin Richards, in ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’, but also that she births him because he is seen as a baby in some of the TV spots and trailers.
Comic book readers know how smart this young child is, so it is not far-fetched to think that he is alone on that ship, off looking for help for his planet now that Galactus (Ralph Ineson), the planet eating, monsterous villain, has come to devour it. That said, I highly doubt that is accurate.
Others think that Franklin might be on the ship with Doctor Doom (Robert Downey Jr.), which will be revealed during the end-credit scene of ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’. While there is a good chance the connection of the two movies will be confirmed during the end-credit scene, not having the core four characters be on the ship is unlikely. That said, the possibilities are (almost) endless.
Looking at the trailers that have been revealed to the public, it can be inferred that Sue Storm is pregnant when Silver Surfer (Julia Garner) arrives to tell the planet that they will be consumed by Galactus soon, but that she gives birth shortly after, because Franklin is shown later on, several times. However, fans have learned to never trust a Marvel trailer, because if you remember, Hulk was shown fighting in the ‘Avengers: Infinity War‘ trailer and yet he was not in the entire movie. Not even once.
The greatest possibility is that the entire family is on board the ship, with Doom hot on their tails – he has to arrive in the MCU somehow before ‘Avengers: Doomsday‘. This would mean that their home universe was destroyed and they needed to find somewhere else to live, an easy task for Reed Richards. If they did indeed defeat Galactus, then there is a chance Doom has kidnapped Richard using the family’s ship, and they will be eventually following behind it.
The most likely scenario out of all of the above is that Galactus succeeds in consuming the home of The Fanastic Four, forcing them into another dimension. Possibly to save only themselves, or some people that they were able to rescue (similar to how Thor saved some Asgardians after their home was destroyed).
If indeed Galactus has survived, this means that he has the ability to return in the Marvel Cinematic Universe down the line. Considering that he is one of the most powerful, and most beloved Marvel villains, it would be smart to keep him around. The Fantastic Four might be his biggest rival in the comics, but they are not the only one. Seeing him come back, much like Thanos, is something fans would love to see, no matter who he is going up against.
Whatever happens in ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’, we will not have to wait much longer to find out, as the film releases in theaters on July 24th.
Disney and Marvel have shifted the release dates for the next two ‘Avengers’ movies.
‘Doomsday’ and ‘Secret Wars’ are moving from their May slots to December premieres.
Dates for ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ and ‘The Dog Stars’ were also confirmed.
Turns out, making two giant ‘Avengers’ movies back to back is going to take a little longer than originally thought.
Disney and Marvel have announced that the next two team-up films from the comic book behemoth are now set to arrive a little later in theaters than originally planned –– ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ is shifting from a planned May 5th, 2026 slot to December 18th, 2026.
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Likewise, ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’ will now decamp from a May 5th, 2027 release date to –– you guessed it! –– December 18th that year.
Clearly, directors Joe Russo and Anthony Russo have decided the new movies will require some more work than they figured. Which honestly, is no bad thing –– better to wait and get it right in the hopes of an ‘Infinity War’ and ‘Endgame’-level success, than pump out something quickly.
The sprawling cast for at least the first movie (we’re expecting several to appear in both) was first announced in a viral video Marvel put online showing director’s chairs with the actor’s names on them.
Simu Liu will return as Shang-Chi, a character who really has deserved a sequel before now. And Danny Ramirez, who was introduced as Joaquim Torres in ‘The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’ and reprised the role in February’s ‘Captain America: Brave New World’ will show up as the new Falcon.
Finally, because you can’t really have ‘Doomsday’ without Doom, Robert Downey Jr. is making his big MCU return, this time playing classic ‘Fantastic Four’ villain Doctor Doom.
We’re sure more cast will be announced before ‘Doomsday’ arrives, but Disney has more time to get the message out.
“We’re very close with Kevin [Feige] and Lou [D’Esposito, Marvel Studios’ Co-President] and the entire Marvel team and we’ve had conversations through the years. We’ve talked about a lot of ideas. Really what happened was, we ended up stumbling upon a [‘Secret Wars’] idea that activated all of us, you couldn’t see it coming until it came, and once it came it was like, ‘Well, that’s a story we need to tell.’”
And that creative spark extended to regular collaborator Stephen McFeely, who is also back writing the new movies.
While other co-writer Christopher Markus is so far sticking with the Russos’ AGBO company to keep it running, McFeely was tempted back into the MCU machine.
Here’s what Joe told Empire:
“There were ideas that we were trying to wrap our heads around that preceded this one, and we just never found the story. I remember calling Steve and said, ‘Hey, crazy idea. What do you think if we all go back and do Secret Wars?’ He was like, ‘F*** no. Absolutely not.’ And then he hung up. And the next morning at 7.30 he called and were like, ‘Alright, I have an idea…’ ”
‘Secret Wars’ would draw from (through the usual Marvel movie filter where changes will be made) a pair of 1980s comic book series focused on an all-powerful antagonist known as the Beyonder, who in the first installment pitted Marvel’s heroes and villains against each other on a planet known as Battleworld.
In a 2015 revival by Jonathan Hickman, the resulting conflict left the multiverse collapsed, the survivors living on a single planet ruled by classic villain Doctor Doom.
The Russos have previously talked about their enthusiasm for ‘Secret Wars,’ so this one made sense.
What other movie release dates were announced?
Director James Cameron at D23 2024 presenting ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’. Photo: Disney.
In a Thanos-like snap, three Marvel dates have disappeared from the calendar completely. The place holders for February 13th, 2026, November 6th, 2026, and November 5, 2027, have all been removed from Disney’s calendar, pointing towards the result of Marvel’s commitment to quality over quantity.
It wasn’t all Marvel changes –– Disney also confirmed the dates for some of the movies headed our way via its 20th Century Studios, including Ridley Scott’s post-apocalyptic thriller ‘The Dog Stars,’ starring Jacob Elordi and Josh Brolin. That one will be released on March 27th, 2026.
Then there is sequel ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2,’ which will see the return of Meryl Streep‘s imperious magazine editor Miranda Priestly as she navigates the challenges of the declining print industry. The comedy drama sequel is due on May 1st, 2026.
Marvel says Sam Wilson will assemble his Avengers team off screen before ‘Avengers: Doomsday’
Who will Sam Wilson recruit for his new team?
SPOILER ALERT: Some spoilers for ‘Thunderbolts*’ and possibly ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ below.
Back in April, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige announced at CinemaCon that the upcoming ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ “will focus on The Avengers, Wakandans, Fantastic Four, Thunderbolts and original X-Men all fighting Doctor Doom (Robert Downey Jr.).”
That’s quite a promise! But now that ‘Thunderbolts*’ has been released in theaters, fans have learned that they are really the New Avengers, and the movie’s end-credit scene reveals that Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) has filed a copyright claim against the team for the rights to the name and is putting together his own group of Avengers.
Marvel has recently announced that Wilson will assemble his Avengers off screen, so the real question is who will be on his team in ‘Avengers: Doomsday’? Luckily, Marvel has also released many of the names of ‘Doomsday’s cast in a recent video stunt, which could, by process of elimination, give us a basic idea of who will be on Wilson’s team.
With other new and returning cast members yet to be announced, Moviefone is breaking down the cast list to guess who could be on Sam Wilson’s Avengers team.
‘Thunderbolts*’ is now titled ‘The New Avengers’ and is currently playing in theaters. Photo: Marvel Studios.
The end of the ‘Thunderbolts*’ sees Julia Louis-Dreyfus‘ Valentina Allegra de Fontaine saving public face by holding a press conference and announcing that Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan), John Walker/U.S. Agent (Wyatt Russell), Ava Starr/Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian (David Harbour) and Bob Reynolds/Sentry (Lewis Pullman) are the New Avengers.
With Pugh, Stan, Russell, John-Kamen, Harbour, and Pullman all confirmed to return for ‘Avengers: Doomsday’, it is now clear that they will be referred to as the New Avengers and not the Thunderbolts, nor will they be members of the team Sam Wilson is recruiting. In fact, it was also recently revealed that the ‘Thunderbolts*’ end-credit scene setting up the Fantastic Four’s MCU arrival was shot on the set of the ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ by directors Anthony and Joe Russo.
Which ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ characters could be on Sam Wilson’s Avengers team?
Chris Hemsworth in ‘Thor: The Dark World’. Photo: Marvel Studios.
Now that we know the Thunderbolts are the New Avengers, and assuming none of them will crossover to Sam’s new team, it’s not hard to have an idea who might be recruited by the new Captain America for his Avengers team.
We can also eliminate the cast of ‘Fantastic Four: First Steps’ and the returning ‘X-Men’ actors, as one would assume that they will be on their own teams and not Sam’s. It is possible that Channing Tatum‘s Gambit could crossover, since he was not an “original” X-men from the previous films, but I think he will most likely be on the Mutants’ side, especially because the character has no ties to the Avengers in the comics.
As a founding member of the original Avengers, it makes sense that Chris Hemsworth’s Thor would be a member of Sam’s new team. Sam partied with him at Avengers Tower in ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’, and even fought side by side against Thanos with Thor in Wakanda during ‘Infinity War’. We also know that Danny Ramirez’s Joaquin Torres/Falcon was asked to join the team by Sam during the events of ‘Captain America: Brave New World’, so it’s safe to say that you can expect to see him fighting as a member of Sam’s new team in ‘Doomsday’.
Besides Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) and Bucky Barnes, Paul Rudd‘s Scott Lang/Ant-Man is probably the Avenger that Sam is closest to in the MCU having appeared in 2015’s ‘Ant-Man’ and helping to recruit him for Captain America’s team in ‘Captain America: Civil War’. So, it would also make sense for Scott to join Sam’s team. Sam also has close ties to Wakanda, with Shuri (Letitia Wright) helping to create his Captain America suit and wings. Now that she is the new Black Panther, I also assume she will be on the new team as well.
Actor Winston Duke has been confirmed to return for ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ as M’Baku, and while it is possible for him to be recruited for Sam’s team along with Shuri, Feige’s CinemaCon comment mentions “Wakandans fighting against Doctor Doom”, which makes me think he will be leading the Wakandans and not joining Sam’s team.
Having been introduced in ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’, and having a close connection to Shuri, I would also bet that Tenoch Huerta Mejia’s Namor will appear on Sam’s new team. Simu Liu’s Shang-Chi, who was introduced in his own 2021 movie will most likely join the team as well. The end-credit scene for that movie saw the character being recruited for the Avengers by Wong (Benedict Wong), Captain Marvel (Brie Larson) and Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), making his inclusion almost a forgone conclusion.
Of the announced cast, that just leaves Tom Hiddleston’s Loki, but given how his character’s arc ends in season 2 of Disney+’s ‘Loki’, I’m guessing he won’t be a member of Sam’s team and instead saved for a different role in the movie.
Who could be on Sam Wilson’s Avengers team that has not been announced yet for ‘Avengers: Doomsday’?
(L to R) Charlize Theron and Benedict Cumberbatch in ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.’ Photo: Marvel Studios.
There have been rumors that Wong, who is now the Sorcerer Supreme in Doctor Strange’s absence, could appear in the movie. Rumors have also swirled around the eventual return of Captain Marvel and Bruce Banner/Hulk, and with their inclusion in the ‘Shang-Chi’ end credit scene, if they are added to the cast, all three characters could align themselves with Sam Wilson and his new team of Avengers.
There have also been rumors of Benedict Cumberbatch and Charlize Theron returning as Doctor Strange and Clea, respectively, both last seen in 2022’s ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’. But, with Wong being the new Sorcerer Supreme, I doubt Strange and Clea will join Sam’s team, and more likely, just like Loki, would have a different role in the plot of the film.
Finally, there have also been rumors about Jeremy Renner’s return as Hawkeye, and Tom Holland’s return as Spider-Man. But we’ve also heard that Holland’s character may sit out ‘Avengers: Doomsday’, next appearing in ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ before returning for ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’.
And with Renner’s recent admission that he declined returning for ‘Hawkeye’ season 2 due to having his salary cut in half by Marvel, his return to the franchise is completely up in the air. Even if he does return, Renner could be playing a multiverse version of his character and therefore not be joining Sam’s new team.
Marvel is planning to have ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ on screens on May 1st, 2026, followed by ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’ on May 7th, 2027.
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What is the plot of ‘Avengers: Doomsday’?
Fourteen months after the events of ‘Thunderbolts*’, the Avengers, Wakandans, Fantastic Four, New Avengers, and the “original” X-Men team up to face Doctor Doom.
‘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*.’
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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.
