Moviefone Editorial

Tag: thunderbolts

  • Steven Yeun No Longer Part of Marvel’s ‘Thunderbolts’

    Steven Yeun as Danny in 'Beef.'
    Steven Yeun as Danny in ‘Beef.’ Photo: Andrew Cooper/Netflix © 2023.

    Preview:

    • Steven Yeun has dropped out of Marvel’s ‘Thunderbolts’.
    • Schedule changes mean he’s no longer in the cast.
    • Jake Schreier is on board to direct the team-up title.

    Bad news for fans of Steven Yeun, and for anyone who was excited to see him join the Marvel Cinematic Universe in ‘Thunderbolts.’

    Yeun, though never officially confirmed by Marvel, had spoken about joining the film, and, at least according to his old ‘The Walking Dead’ and ‘Invincible’ boss Robert Kirkman (who accidentally spilled the beans on a YouTube Show) had been due to play the character of Sentry.

    But now, because of schedule shifts following the strikes this summer, he’s no longer able to appear. The new was broken by twitter account DCULeaks and confirmed by The Hollywood Reporter.

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    Just who are the Thunderbolts?

    Marvel Studios' 'Thunderbolts.'
    Marvel Studios’ ‘Thunderbolts.’

    It isn’t an exact match, but the simple way of explaining the Thunderbolts is that they’re Marvel’s version of ‘The Suicide Squad‘: a group of villains –– or at least anti-heroes –– brought together by third-party schemers in a possibly ill-advised attempt to turn them into a force for good.

    In Marvel’s case, they were originally assembled by Baron Zemo and the Masters Of Evil and have sometimes been linked to Hulk regular General Thaddeus ‘Thunderbolt’ Ross (hence the name). They made their debut in the pages of ‘The Incredible Hulk’ in 1996, introduced by writer and artist team Peter David and Mike Deodato. They continued to their own series the same year, created by Kurt Busiek and Mark Bagley, and have been brought back with a bunch of alternative line-ups in comics ever since.

    Related Article: Marvel’s ‘Thunderbolts’ Recruits ‘Nope’s Steven Yeun for Mystery Role

    Who is in the Thunderbolts movie so far?

    David Harbour from 'Thunderbolts' at D23 Expo 2022.
    David Harbour from ‘Thunderbolts’ at D23 Expo 2022.

    We know (most of) the characters who will be showing up, since they were announced back in 2022 at Disney’s D23 event: Bucky Barnes (formerly The Winter Soldier), played by Sebastian Stan, is a key figure alongside Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova, Olga Kurylenko’s Antonia Dreykov/Taskmaster and David Harbour’s Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian, those three having been introduced in ‘Black Widow’.

    Then there’s John Walker, AKA US Agent, played by Wyatt Russell and first seen in ‘The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’ and Hannah John-Kamen’s Ava Starr, the phasing character known as Ghost, who debuted in ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp’.

    As for those overseeing the team, we have Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, AKA Val, played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who was also introduced in the ‘Falcon’ series and has since cropped up in the likes of ‘Black Widow’ and ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’. We also have Thaddeus Ross –– last seen in ‘Black Widow’ and played since ‘The Incredible Hulk’ by William Hurt. But because of the actor’s death in 2022, Marvel has had to recast the role, tapping genre icon Harrison Ford to take over.

    Ross is reportedly the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s current President of the US (at least in ‘Captain America: New World Order’) so that’ll likely factor in. And ‘The Bear’s Ayo Edebiri is aboard in an unknown role.

    Who is making ‘Thunderbolts’?

    Jake Schreier (who worked with Yeun on ‘Beef’) is directing the film based on a script by Eric Pearson and Lee Sung Jin.

    Production is scheduled to kick off in March, with the movie scheduled for July 25th, 2025.

    Steven Yeun as Danny in 'Beef.'
    Steven Yeun as Danny in ‘Beef.’ Photo: Andrew Cooper/Netflix © 2023.

    Other Movies Similar to ‘Thunderbolts:’

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  • ‘Deadpool 3’ Aiming to Start Shooting Again Soon

    Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool and Hugh Jackman as Wolverine in 'Deadpool 3.'
    (Right) Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool and Hugh Jackman as Wolverine in ‘Deadpool 3.’ Photo courtesy of Ryan Reynolds Instagram account.

    Preview:

    • Production on ‘Deadpool 3’ was shut down for the strike.
    • The film should be starting up again this month.
    • Ryan Reynolds let slip that the Dogpool character concept will be in the movie.

    Like so many movies in production, ‘Deadpool 3’, the third outing for Ryan Reynolds’ “Merc with a Mouth” Wade Wilson was shut down back in July when actors joined the Writers Guild on the picket line to strike for a new deal.

    Since then, director Shawn Levy has said that he and his team were halfway through filming when the shutdown hit. Since then, he has been able to come back to work editing what footage was shot and overseeing any effects shots for those sequences.

    But with the performers’ union SAG-AFTRA making a tentative deal for a new contract, Levy, Reynolds and the rest can get back to work.

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    What is the plan for ‘Deadpool 3’ now?

    Reynolds as Deadpool
    Ryan Reynolds in 20th Century Fox’s ‘Deadpool.’

    A new report in Variety says that the movie, a big priority for Disney/Marvel, will be gearing up to get back to shooting in the coming days and weeks, with the current aim to have production in the UK up and running before Thanksgiving (which this year falls on November 23rd).

    The rush is partly because the holiday period will mean another shutdown for festivities over Christmas and the New Year, and also so that the movie can meet its planned summer 2024 release date.

    Related Article: Shawn Levy says ‘Deadpool 3’ is “Director Heaven”, and Promises It Will Be “Raw and Audacious”

    What’s the story of ‘Deadpool 3’?

    Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman discuss Marvel Studios' 'Deadpool 3.'
    (L to R) Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman discuss Marvel Studios’ ‘Deadpool 3.’ Photo courtesy of Ryan Reynolds YouTube channel.

    The ‘Deadpool’ team have yet to release formal details of the third movie’s plot, but we do know it’ll see Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine meeting up with Reynolds’ Wade Wilson –– and that things will not necessarily go well, since the pair tend to fight when they interact in the comics.

    We’re promised plenty of the usual meta madness inherent to Deadpool’s adventures. This time around, expect prods at the X-Men’s (and Wade’s) previous home at 20th Century Fox (before Disney’s purchase of it nabbed them the rights to the characters), and plenty of cameos from other people, including Jennifer Garner as Elektra.

    Several of the cast from the first two ‘Deadpool’ movies are returning for this one, with Morena Baccarin, Brianna Hildebrand, Leslie Uggams, Karan Soni and Rob Delaney all aboard, joined by new recruits Emma Corrin and Matthew McFadyen (whose characters are still a mystery, though Corrin is reportedly a villain.)

    Who is Dogpool?

    Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) reacts to Colossus’ (voiced by Stefan Kapicic) threats in 'Deadpool.'
    Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) reacts to Colossus’ (voiced by Stefan Kapicic) threats in ‘Deadpool.’

    Reynolds, who is once more allowed to promote the movie since the strike has been called off, hit twitter today to reveal that the comics character known as “Dogpool” will be showing up in the movie (assuming he’s not joking, but it doesn’t seem that way).

    For those who might not be up on the sprawling history of Deadpool in the comics, the idea was introduced in a storyline where Deadpool traveled to Earth-103173, a parallel reality in which scientists conducted Weapon X-level experiments on a dog named Wilson, transforming him into Dogpool. The canine hero would become a member of the Deadpool Corps., a team of alternate-reality Deadpools.

    Think the likes of Alligator Loki in the Disney+ series named for Tom Hiddleston’s God of Mischief. Marvel has been using the Multiverse a lot in its current run of movies and TV series, so naturally this is something they could explore with Deadpool.

    When will ‘Deadpool 3’ arrive in theaters?

    The rapid start looks to be somewhat in vain, though, at least in terms of getting the movie ready for its planned May 3, 2024 opening. According to Variety, the movie is now shifting to July 26th of that year (so still summer at least).

    ‘Deadpool 3’ is inheriting that July date from ‘Captain America: Brave New World’, which though it was thought to be closer to finished, is now moving to February 14, 2025. We’d assume that is to allow the Marvel team to maintain their hefty MCU chronology.

    The changes mean ‘Thunderbolts’, which hadn’t yet kicked off filming when the strikes hit, is shifting from December 2024 to July 25th, 2025. And the troubled ‘Blade’ will now hit screens on November 7th, 2025.

    Zazie Beetz as Domino, Ryan Reynolds as Wade Wilson / Deadpool, and Terry Crews as Bedlam in 'Deadpool 2.'
    (L to R) Zazie Beetz as Domino, Ryan Reynolds as Wade Wilson / Deadpool, and Terry Crews as Bedlam in ‘Deadpool 2.’

    Other Movies Similar to ‘Deadpool 3:’

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  • ‘Deadpool 3’ Moves Off Its May 2024 Release Date

    (Left) Ryan Reynolds in 20th Century Fox's 'Deadpool.' (Right) Hugh Jackman as James Howlett / Logan / Wolverine in director James Mangold's 'Logan.'
    (Left) Ryan Reynolds in 20th Century Fox’s ‘Deadpool.’ (Right) Hugh Jackman as James Howlett / Logan / Wolverine in director James Mangold’s ‘Logan.’

    Preview

    • What is causing the delay for ‘Deadpool 3’?
    • Who will be returning for ‘Deadpool 3’?
    • Hugh Jackman’s return as Wolverine, and why it won’t affect James Mangold’s ‘Logan’

    Looks like we may have to wait a bit longer to see Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman share the in ‘Deadpool 3’. The film may be moved off its May 2024 release date due to the actors strike, reports Deadline. Disney has not officially confirmed or commented on the release date change.

    The third installment of ‘Deadpool’ was originally slated to be released on September 6, 2024. Later, it was pushed back to November 8, 2024, until Disney announced the new date of May 3, 2024. The movie began filming in late May of this year during the WGA strike, but the production halted once the SAG-AFTRA strike began on July 14.

    With the ongoing strike and the film being unfinished, the alleged delay is inevitable. On top of the ‘Deadpool 3’ release date change, other Marvel films could face the same fate, such as ‘Thunderbolts’, which was slated to release on December 6, 2024. ‘Thunderbolts’ also halted production in May due to the writer’s strike.

    ‘Captain America: Brave New World’ will be the next Marvel film to release in 2024, no word on whether this film will face a release date change.

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    Who Is In ‘Deadpool 3’?

    Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman discuss Marvel Studios' 'Deadpool 3.'
    (L to R) Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman discuss Marvel Studios’ ‘Deadpool 3.’ Photo courtesy of Ryan Reynolds YouTube channel.

    ‘Deadpool 3’ is directed by Shawn Levy and will see the return of Ryan Reynolds as the fourth-wall-breaking merc with a mouth Deadpool/Wade Wilson. Joining Reynolds is Hugh Jackman, reprising his role as Wolverine/Logan. Also returning to the franchise are Morena Baccarin as Vanessa, Leslie Uggams as Al, and Karan Soni as Dopinder. Zazie Beetz, who played Dominio in ‘Deadpool 2,’ is not reported to return.

    Also returning to the threequel are Stefan Kapicic as Colossus, Brianna Hildebrand as Negasonic Teenage Warhead, and Shioli Kutsuna as Yukio.

    Related Article: ‘Deadpool 3’ the Biggest Production to Shutdown Yet as the SAG-AFTA Strike Impacts Hollywood

    Hugh Jackman’s Return As Wolverine

    Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool and Hugh Jackman as Wolverine in 'Deadpool 3.'
    (L to R) Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool and Hugh Jackman as Wolverine in ‘Deadpool 3.’ Photo courtesy of Ryan Reynolds Instagram account.

    The announcement of Hugh Jackman joining ‘Deadpool 3’ came about in an unconventional way, yet on brand for the franchise. In a video released in September 2022 on Reynold’s YouTube channel, the actor revealed that Hugh Jackman would be donning the adamantium claws again as Wolverine. “His first appearance in the MCU obviously needs to feel special,” the actor starts in a voiceover through a montage of walking through the woods and working on a typewriter. Reynolds continued to talk about staying true to the character and finding depth before trailing off, saying, “…and I have nothing.” All this build-up leads to Hugh Jackman nonchalantly walking across the screen as Reynolds poses the question, “Hey Hugh, you wanna play Wolverine one more time?’. Jackman answers, “Yeah. Sure, Ryan.”

    Jackman’s return as Wolverine caused a wave of excitement through the fans. The last we saw the actor in the role was in James Mangold’s ‘Logan’. Although Jackman will be playing Wolverine again, Reynolds explicitly states that ‘Deadpool 3’ would not affect the end of Mangold’s film. This could mean the Wolverine we’ll see in ‘Deadpool 3’ is from another universe or timeline, as the MCU has leaned into the multiverse in recent films like ‘Avengers: Endgame’, ‘Doctor Strange In The Multiverse of Madness’ and shows such as ‘Loki’.

    Hugh Jackman will return as Wolverine in Marvel Studios' 'Deadpool 3.'
    Hugh Jackman will return as Wolverine in Marvel Studios’ ‘Deadpool 3.’

    Other Movies Similar to ‘Deadpool 3:’

    Buy ‘Deadpool’ Movies On Amazon

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  • Marvel, HBO and More Skipping Comic-Con

    Kevin Feige at the world premiere of 'Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3' at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood CA on Thursday, April 27, 2023.
    Kevin Feige at the world premiere of ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3’ at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood CA on Thursday, April 27, 2023. Photo: Alex J. Berliner/ABImages.

    The last few years have not been kind to San Diego’s huge celebration of all things pop culture, Comic-Con. Despite a high point in the early-mid 2000s where massive crowds showed up to hear about new developments in franchises such as ‘Twilight’ and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the view of the event as a premium launching point for new movies and TV shows has taken a hit more recently.

    And the COVID pandemic, which saw the 2020 and 2021 versions of the event reduced to a sparse virtual shadow of its former self, didn’t help.

    But while hopes were raised by a largely triumphant return last year (including the traditional big panel from Marvel announcing its upcoming slate and trotting out stars and creators to generate buzz), it appears that the biggest issue on Hollywood’s mind will now have an impact on which companies are bringing anything to the event.

    Writers’ strike delays

    Marvel Studios' 'Blade.'
    Marvel Studios’ ‘Blade.’

    According to a new story in The Wrap, Marvel in particular has decided to make this a skip year, deciding not to bring any of its shows or movies to the huge Hall H space where it has traditionally been a highlight of the four-day event. It will still, however, have a presence on the trade show floor of the Con.

    While the studio has not shown up before (or had a reduced presence due to it saving some big reveals for parent company Disney’s own D23 event, which falls after the July dates of the Con), the writers’ strike is reportedly behind the new move.

    Movies such as ‘Blade’ and ‘Thunderbolts’, along with TV series including ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ are all being delayed, and all the various release date shifts are impacting what will be worth showing off.

    And it’s not just the writers –– acting union SAG-AFTRA has yet to make its own deal with the studios, and that could mean talent on strike, unavailable to take the stage since they a forbidden from promotional duties while engaged in industrial action. Which would put a dampener even on projects Marvel could conceivably promote, including ‘Captain Marvel’ sequel ‘The Marvels’.

    Related Article: ‘Avatar’, ‘Avengers’ and ‘Star Wars’ Movies all Get New Release Dates in Big Disney Schedule Shift

    Other companies?

    President & CEO of Discovery Streaming & International JB Perrette.
    President & CEO of Discovery Streaming & International JB Perrette. Photograph by Jeff Kravitz/Warner Bros. Discovery.

    Marvel is not alone in this decision, as The Wrap additionally mentions that Universal and HBO are among the other names mentioned as pondering whether to show up this year.

    HBO is perhaps understandable, since its own parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery is on a serious cost-cutting run (including news that it is exploring licensing big HBO series for viewers to watch on Netflix to drum up extra revenue) and would not want to splash the cash to bring talent to the Con when hotel accommodation and other expenses would be extremely high. And, like Marvel, the companies are also seeing projects being pushed back because of the strike.

    Comic-Con is still scheduled to run between Thursday July 20 and Sunday July 23, but it sounds like its impact will be smaller this year.

    Louis D'Esposito and Kevin Feige at the world premiere of 'Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3' at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood CA on Thursday, April 27, 2023.
    (L to R) Louis D’Esposito and Kevin Feige at the world premiere of ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3’ at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood CA on Thursday, April 27, 2023. Photo: Alex J. Berliner/ABImages.

    Upcoming Marvel Studios Movies: 

    Buy Marvel Movies On Amazon

  • Disney Shuffling Release Dates for Marvel Movies and More

    The ongoing writers’ strike (and potential action from other guilds such as the actors’ union) is having a major impact on studio output. And Disney is not immune to changes in schedule. The company has announced that it is moving the release dates for a lot of its big upcoming movies, and that means we’ll all have to be patient when it comes to the likes of Marvel, James Cameron’s ‘Avatar’ and the ‘Star Wars’ galaxy.

    MCU shifts

    Falcon/Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) in Marvel Studios' 'The Falson and the Winter Soldier' exclusively on Disney+.
    Falcon/Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) in Marvel Studios’ ‘The Falson and the Winter Soldier’ exclusively on Disney+. Photo by Chuck Zlotnick. ©Marvel Studios 2021. All Rights Reserved.

    Marvel, of course, has been delaying some of its films’ production and that is having a domino effect for the highly connected cinematic universe, which relies on films to set up the next entries. Lest the tapestry all unravel, that means moving some movies back.

    ‘Captain America: Brave New World’ is moving to August 26th next year, which pushes ‘Thunderbolts’ to December 20th, 2024, ‘Blade’ to February 14th, 2025, and the still in-development ‘Fantastic Four’ to May 2nd, 2025.

    And because there is only so much space on the calendar (and Disney seemingly already takes up a third of it), that means the next giant, phase-ending team-up movies are also on the move. ‘Avengers: The Kang Dynasty’ will be bumped back a year, to May 1st, 2026, inheriting the release date for follow-up ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’, which itself is headed to May 7th, 2027.

    It’s not all delays for the MCU, though; ‘Deadpool 3’, which is in production, will move up from its original November 8th, 2024, date to May 3rd of that year.

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    More ‘Avatar’ delays

    'Avatar: The Way of Water' will be available exclusively to purchase on Digital March 28th.
    ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ will be available exclusively to purchase on Digital March 28th.

    Though James Cameron’s movies would seemingly not be impacted by a writers’ strike since their scripts are essentially finished, the series can’t avoid the release date shuffle.

    That means ‘Avatar’ fans, already well used to the waiting game, will see their patience tested further, since ‘Avatar 3’ has moved to December 19th, 2025, ‘Avatar 4’ to December 21st, 2029, and ‘Avatar 5’ all the way to December 19th, 2031! which means the apparent final movie will land 22 years after the original 2009 film.

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    New ‘Star Wars’ movie dates

    Director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy and Daisy Ridley at Star Wars Celebration 2023.
    (L to R) Director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy and Daisy Ridley at Star Wars Celebration 2023.

    Related Article: ‘Star Wars’ Movie News and a New ‘Indiana Jones’ Trailer Revealed at Star Wars Celebration

    If you were starting to wonder when we might ever see a new ‘Star Wars’ movie, then there’s good news.

    2026 will see two movies set in that galaxy far, far away from Lucasfilm, one on May 22nd, 2026 (not the fourth?) and another set for the more traditional recent slot of December 18th that year.

    A third film is reportedly headed our way on December 17th, 2027. Disney has yet to clarify any details of which of its in-development movies are taking those berths, but we can assume one is the Rey follow-up starring Daisy Ridley which has Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy in the director’s chair and was confirmed at Star Wars Celebration. On the basis of that, we can also predict that Dave Filoni’s film and possibly James Mangold‘s movie might be in the other two slots.

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    Live-Action ‘Moana’ and more

    Dwayne Johnson announces live-action 'Moana.'
    Dwayne Johnson announces live-action ‘Moana.’ Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios.

    There are also dates on the calendar now for films that didn’t have them previously –– the live-action ‘Moana’ is set to surface on June 27th, 2025, while Fede Álvarez’ movie set in the ‘Alien’ universe is arriving on August 16th next year. Espionage thriller ‘The Amateur’, starring Rami Malek, is set for November next year.

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    Frustration ahead for film fans, then, but hopefully the movies will be worth the wait.

    Star Wars Celebration 2023.
    Star Wars Celebration 2023.

    Delayed Disney Movies: 

    Buy Disney Movies On Amazon

     

  • Marvel Pauses ‘Thunderbolts’ Shooting

    Marvel Studios' 'Thunderbolts.'
    Marvel Studios’ ‘Thunderbolts.’

    The ongoing strike, which sees writers taking industrial action for a fairer deal from the studios, is starting to have more and more impact on movies and TV series.

    Most of the main networks have indicated that they’re planning to change their fall schedules to favor reality, other unscripted series and reruns because of the lack of new scripts. Much of their scripted output has been moved to mid-season and other changes are on the way. During the most recent strike, in 2007-2008, US screens saw a rebounded era of reality television, which doesn’t require union writers.

    Even Marvel is not safe from delays and issues with its shows and movies. The company recently hit pause on ‘Daredevil: Born Again’, had had been in the midst of a lengthy shoot in New York, while ‘Wonder Man’ shut down also. And it faced another delay on ‘Blade’, which had already been through its share of problems, including a director switch and script re-writes. But with no work allowed on the screenplay, production will have to wait.

    ‘Blade’ is not the only movie facing delays –– according to Deadline, ‘Thunderbolts’, the company’s anti-hero adventure, which was due to kick off filming in Atlanta in three weeks, is also shutting down until a deal is reached and the strike ends.

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    Who is in the Thunderbolts movie?

    We know (most of) the characters who will be showing up, since they were announced last year at Disney’s D23 event: Bucky Barnes (formerly The Winter Soldier), played by Sebastian Stan, is a key figure alongside Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova, Olga Kurylenko’s Antonia Dreykov/Taskmaster and David Harbour’s Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian, those three having been introduced in ‘Black Widow’.

    Then there’s John Walker, AKA US Agent, played by Wyatt Russell and first seen in ‘The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’ and Hannah John-Kamen’s Ava Starr, the phasing character known as Ghost, who debuted in ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp’.

    As for those overseeing the team, we have Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, AKA Val, played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who was also introduced in the ‘Falcon’ series and has since cropped up in the likes of ‘Black Widow’ and ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’. We also have Thaddeus Ross––last seen in ‘Black Widow’ and played since ‘The Incredible Hulk’ by William Hurt. But because of the actor’s death last year, Marvel has had to recast the role, tapping genre icon Harrison Ford to take over. Ross is reportedly the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s current President of the US (at least in ‘Captain America: New World Order’) so that’ll likely factor in.

    And more recently, we learned that ‘The Walking Dead’s Steven Yeun and ‘The Bear’s Ayo Edebiri are also aboard in mystery roles.

    Jake Schreier is on board to direct, with his ‘Beef’ collaborator Lee Sung Jin the most recent writer.

    Julia Louis-Dreyfus from 'Thunderbolts' at D23 Expo 2022.
    Julia Louis-Dreyfus from ‘Thunderbolts’ at D23 Expo 2022.

    Related Article: Marvel’s ‘Thunderbolts’ Recruits ‘Nope’s Steven Yeun for Mystery Role

    Amazon and more

    Marvel is far from the only company with projects seeing delays. Lionsgate stopped work on Aziz Ansari’s new film, ‘Good Fortune’, which has Keanu Reeves and Seth Rogen in its cast. It’s the latest blow to Ansari’s directorial career, which had seen previous effort ‘Being Mortal’ curtailed following claims of inappropriate behavior on the part of star Bill Murray.

    Amazon’s Prime Video had been about to start shooting ‘Blade Runner 2099,’ the live-action sequel series to the original 1982 movie and 2017 sequel ‘Blade Runner 2049’.

    The series was scheduled to shoot in Northern Ireland, but the strike means that it’s also been delayed.

    Here’s what the country’s film had to say on the matter:

    “Northern Ireland Screen is extremely disappointed that ‘Blade Runner 2099’ is not going ahead at this time due to the ongoing writers’ strike. The project has been prepping on the ground in Belfast for many months now. The WGA strike has been halting production all over the world and we hope a fair deal is reached soon so crew can get back to work.”

    1982's 'Blade Runner' Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures.
    1982’s ‘Blade Runner’ Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures.

    If the delay is significant, it’s likely to shift the show’s production back until next spring, a significant postponement. Silka Luisa, showrunner of Apple TV+’s ‘Shining Girls’, is writing and executive producing ‘Blade Runner 2099,’ which comes from Alcon Entertainment and Ridley Scott’s Scott Free Productions (Scott, of course, directed the original movie and has been involved in the franchise ever since).

    In the wider world, we know that the likes of ‘Stranger Things’, ‘Cobra Kai’, ‘The Last of Us’, ‘Loot’ and ‘Abbott Elementary’ are among the big-name series seeing the impact, but while those will be later arriving, viewers are already seeing the impact, as the late-night shows, such as those hosted by Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert are on indefinite hiatus and ‘Saturday Night Live’ has curtailed its season.

    As mentioned, it will be a while before we see the total fallout of the strike, since some shows, including ‘House of the Dragon’ and ‘Good Omens’ have second seasons that were finished before the strike began.

    Some companies and networks –– especially the CW, though that appears to have been its policy even before the strike –– are looking to shows produced outside of the States to fill gaps and help maintain viewers.

    And there will be a full program of movies for at least the next year and likely into 2024 as many productions were at least wrapped or in post-production.

    It is also an issue for companies looking to promote their work, either for upcoming releases or (in the case of TV shows) awards consideration, as talent is skipping interviews and events in solidarity with the writers.

    Finally, there is more trouble for studios on the horizon since the Directors Guild and SAG-AFTRA, which represents actors, still have to work out their contracts and their members have already been showing their support for their fellow creatives on strike lines.

    David Harbour from 'Thunderbolts' at D23 Expo 2022.
    David Harbour from ‘Thunderbolts’ at D23 Expo 2022.

    Other Movies Similar to ‘Thunderbolts:’

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  • Sebastian Stan and Maria Bakalova Attached to New Spy Comedy

    (Left) Sebastian Stan at D23 2022, (Center) Director Paul Feig at the premiere of 'The School for Good and Evil,' (Right) Maria Bakalova in 'Bodies Bodies Bodies.'
    (Left) Sebastian Stan at D23 2022, (Center) Director Paul Feig at the premiere of ‘The School for Good and Evil,’ (Right) Maria Bakalova in ‘Bodies Bodies Bodies.’

    Given that comedy director Paul Feig had a big success with 2015’s Melissa McCarthy comedy ‘Spy’, which earned more than $235 million worldwide, it’s understandable that he might be tempted by a new film looking to combine laughs and espionage.

    Which is good news for an untitled spy comedy in development at Paramount, which already has some potential casting in place –– as MCU stalwart Sebastian Stan and ‘Borat’ sequel star Maria Bakalova –– are attached to star.

    Jenny Bicks, whose comedy series ‘Welcome to Flatch’ is produced by Feig (and returns for a second season this fall) has been hired to write the script.

    Laurie Feig and Paul Feig attend the World Premiere Of Netflix's 'The School For Good And Evil' at Regency Village Theatre on October 18, 2022 in Los Angeles, California.
    (L to R) Laurie Feig and Paul Feig attend the World Premiere Of Netflix’s ‘The School For Good And Evil’ at Regency Village Theatre on October 18, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Netflix.

    What’s the story of this new spy movie?

    Details are scarce on this one, but according to Deadline, the concept originally appeared in a pitch to the studio about a failed double agent who becomes an unlikely success. Whether the agent would be played by Stan, Bakalova or someone else remains to be seen.

    And though you could conceivably see this as a way for Feig to finally realize the long-rumored sequel to ‘Spy’, it’s more likely the new movie is entirely unconnected, especially since that film was produced by the pre-Disney 20th Century Fox. And if Feig and co. were going to revisit it, you’ve got to figure the announcement would not be wrapped in such secrecy.

    If the spy comedy does end up in production, Feig will produce the movie as well as direct it, with Stan also producing.

    Sebastian Stan as Winter Soldier/Bucky Barnes in 'Captain America: The Winter Soldier.'
    Sebastian Stan as Winter Soldier/Bucky Barnes in ‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier.’ Photo: Film Frame. © 2014 Marvel. All Rights Reserved.

    Related Article: Paul Feig Talks ‘The School for Good and Evil’

    If it all comes together, this new spy movie could be fun: Stan certainly has action chops and has also proved he can do comedy of different flavors in ‘Fresh’, ‘I, Tonya’ and his quippy back-and-forths with Anthony Mackie in his Marvel appearances. Bakalova, meanwhile, broke out in ‘Borat Subsequent Moviefilm’ and has since cropped up in the likes of ‘Bodies Bodies Bodies’, ‘The Bubble’ and the upcoming ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’, in which she voices Cosmo the Space Dog (that will be in theaters on May 5th).

    Bicks has also written for shows such as ‘Sex and the City’, ‘Divorce’ and ‘The Big C’, while on the film front, she’s scripted movies including ‘The Greatest Showman’ and ‘Rio 2’.

    Feig most recently released ‘The School for Good and Evil’, which debuted on Netflix and debuted top of the streaming service’s charts despite some very mixed reviews. He’s currently shooting ‘Grand Death Lotto’ a dystopian action comedy about a California lottery where the winner can legally be hunted down by other citizens, who can claim the prize should they kill the winner.

    Awkwafina is starring as the current winner, who has to go on the run, with John Cena and Simu Liu as private bodyguards vying to keep her safe. It should be in theaters next year.

    Sacha Baron Cohen and Maria Bakalova in 'Borat Subsequent Moviefilm.'
    (L to R) Sacha Baron Cohen and Maria Bakalova in ‘Borat Subsequent Moviefilm.’

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  • Steven Yeun Joins Marvel’s ‘Thunderbolts’

    Steven Yeun in 'Nope.'
    Steven Yeun in ‘Nope,’ written and directed by Jordan Peele. © 2022 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.

    Steven Yeun’s career has been on a roll lately, and ever since leaving ‘The Walking Dead’, he’s been enjoying plenty of success on screens big and small. He was Oscar nominated for 2020 family drama ‘Minari’ and last summer appeared in Jordan Peele’s hit horror/sci-fi thriller ‘Nope’.

    It was, perhaps, only a matter of time until he caught Marvel’s attention, and he’s now been cast in ‘Thunderbolts’. The movie has Jake Schreier directing and ‘Black Widow’s Eric Pearson writing the script.

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    Just who are the ‘Thunderbolts?’

    It isn’t an exact match, but the simple way of explaining the Thunderbolts is that they’re Marvel’s version of The Suicide Squad: a group of villains –– or at least anti-heroes –– brought together by third-party schemers in a possibly ill-advised attempt to turn them into a force for good.

    In Marvel’s case, they were originally assembled by Baron Zemo and the Masters Of Evil and have sometimes been linked to Hulk regular General Thaddeus ‘Thunderbolt’ Ross (hence the name). They made their debut in the pages of ‘The Incredible Hulk’ in 1996, introduced by writer and artist team Peter David and Mike Deodato. They continued to their own series the same year, created by Kurt Busiek and Mark Bagley, and have been brought back with a bunch of alternative line-ups in comics ever since.

    David Harbour from 'Thunderbolts' at D23 Expo 2022.
    David Harbour from ‘Thunderbolts’ at D23 Expo 2022.

    Related Article: Marvel’s ‘Thunderbolts’ Recruits ‘The Bear’s Ayo Edebiri

    Who is in the ‘Thunderbolts’ movie so far?

    We know (most of) the characters who will be showing up, since they were announced last year at Disney’s D23 event: Bucky Barnes (formerly The Winter Soldier), played by Sebastian Stan, is a key figure alongside Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova, Olga Kurylenko’s Antonia Dreykov/Taskmaster and David Harbour’s Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian, those three having been introduced in ‘Black Widow’.

    Then there’s John Walker, AKA US Agent, played by Wyatt Russell and first seen in ‘The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’ and Hannah John-Kamen’s Ava Starr, the phasing character known as Ghost, who debuted in ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp’.

    As for those overseeing the team, we have Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, AKA Val, played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who was also introduced in the ‘Falcon’ series and has since cropped up in the likes of ‘Black Widow’ and ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’. We also have Thaddeus Ross––last seen in ‘Black Widow’ and played since ‘The Incredible Hulk’ by William Hurt. But because of the actor’s death last year, Marvel has had to recast the role, tapping genre icon Harrison Ford to take over. Ross is reportedly the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s current President of the US (at least in ‘Captain America: New World Order’) so that’ll likely factor in.

    And more recently, we learned that ‘The Bear’s Ayo Edebiri is also aboard in a mystery role.

    As for Yeun, Marvel has yet to say –– and Deadline couldn’t dig up –– what part he’s playing, but he’s apparently a key figure in this movie, one who could well end up recurring in the MCU.

    ‘Thunderbolts’ is scheduled to land in theaters on July 26th next year.

    Marvel Studios' 'Thunderbolts.'
    Marvel Studios’ ‘Thunderbolts.’

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  • ‘The Bear’s Ayo Edebiri Joins ‘Thunderbolts’

    Marvel Studios' 'Thunderbolts.'
    Marvel Studios’ ‘Thunderbolts.’

    Ayo Edebiri has gained a lot of attention lately for her role as driven chef Sydney Adamu in FX’s ‘The Bear’, for which she has been nominated for several awards and won some trophies.

    Which has led to her getting a call from the Marvel team, and now Deadline reports that Edebiri has been recruited for the ‘Thunderbolts’ cast.

    Ayo Edebiri from 'The Bear.'
    Ayo Edebiri from ‘The Bear.’ Photo courtesy of FX.

    Originally confirmed as in development by Marvel boss Kevin Feige at the company’s 2022 San Diego Comic-Con panel, the main casting line-up was later announced at Disney’s D23 event last September.

    It isn’t an exact match, but the simple way of explaining the Thunderbolts is that they’re Marvel’s version of The Suicide Squad: a group of villains––or at least anti-heroes––brought together by third-party schemers in a possibly ill-advised attempt to turn them into a force for good.

    In Marvel’s case, they were originally assembled by Baron Zemo and the Masters Of Evil and have sometimes been linked to Hulk regular General Thaddeus ‘Thunderbolt’ Ross (hence the name). They made their debut in the pages of ‘The Incredible Hulk’ in 1996, introduced by writer and artist team Peter David and Mike Deodato. They continued to their own series the same year, created by Kurt Busiek and Mark Bagley, and have been brought back with a bunch of alternative line-ups in comics ever since.

    Sebastian Stan from 'Thunderbolts' at D23 Expo 2022.
    Sebastian Stan from ‘Thunderbolts’ at D23 Expo 2022.

    For the movie we know (most of) the characters who will be showing up: Bucky Barnes (formerly The Winter Soldier), played by Sebastian Stan, is a key figure alongside Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova, Olga Kurylenko’s Antonia Dreykov/Taskmaster and David Harbour’s Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian, those three having been introduced in ‘Black Widow’.

    Then there’s John Walker, AKA US Agent, played by Wyatt Russell and first seen in ‘The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’ and Hannah John-Kamen’s Ava Starr, the phasing character known as Ghost, who debuted in ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp’.

    Wyatt Russell from 'Thunderbolts' at D23 Expo 2022.
    Wyatt Russell from ‘Thunderbolts’ at D23 Expo 2022.

    As for those overseeing the team, we have Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, AKA Val, played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who was also introduced in the ‘Falcon’ series and has since cropped up in the likes of ‘Black Widow’ and ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’. We also have Thaddeus Ross––last seen in ‘Black Widow’ and played since ‘The Incredible Hulk’ by William Hurt. But because of the actor’s death last year, Marvel has had to recast the role, tapping genre icon Harrison Ford to take over. It’s unknown what position Ross will have in the new movie––the former General was Secretary of State in ‘Captain America: Civil War’.

    Julia Louis-Dreyfus from 'Thunderbolts' at D23 Expo 2022.
    Julia Louis-Dreyfus from ‘Thunderbolts’ at D23 Expo 2022.

    Given Marvel’s typical shroud of secrecy, nothing is yet known about how Edebiri will fit into the story or what character she’s playing. She could be a character drawn from the comics, but even if that’s the case, her backstory could be changed for the film’s story.

    So far, all that is really confirmed about the film beyond the main cast is the presence of ‘Paper Towns’ and ‘Robot and Frank’ director Jake Schreier and ‘Black Widow’ writer Eric Pearson providing the script.

    ‘Thunderbolts’ will be in theaters on July 26th next year.

    David Harbour from 'Thunderbolts' at D23 Expo 2022.
    David Harbour from ‘Thunderbolts’ at D23 Expo 2022.
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  • Harrison Ford is Reportedly Joining the MCU

    Harrison Ford at D23 Expo 2022.
    Harrison Ford at D23 Expo 2022.

    There has been chatter about this in the recent past (mostly about how it was supposed to be announced at last month’s D23 event but never materialized), but the idea that Harrison Ford will take on the mantle of the MCU’s Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross has taken a big step closer to reality.

    Reporters Jeff Sneider and John Rocha brought word on their Hot Mic Podcast that the iconic actor has indeed closed a deal to play Ross in at least a couple of upcoming MCU movies.

    According to the pair’s sources – which tend to be solid – Ford will make his debut as the character in ‘Captain America: New World Order’ in May 2024 and have a bigger role to play in ‘Thunderbolts’, due in theaters July of that year.

    Ross was introduced to the MCU in ‘The Incredible Hulk’ back in 2008. As originally played by William Hurt, he’s the stern, no-nonsense military man and father of Betty Ross (Liv Tyler in the movie). And he’s no fan of the idea that she’s in love with Bruce Banner (Edward Norton, in his solo appearance as the character).

    The Hulk connection has faded in the years since, but Ross has popped up a few times, including in ‘Captain America: Civil War’, where he is now the U.S. Secretary of State, pushing the Sokovia Accords, designed to limit superhero behavior.

    He was also seen in ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ and ‘Avengers: Endgame’, and his final appearance was in ‘Black Widow’ last year.

    Hurt died in March of this year, and while there was thought that Marvel might simply retire the character (he’s not exactly a main player in the MCU), the decision has instead been made to cast Ford.

    Marvel Studios' 'Captain America: New World Order.'
    Marvel Studios’ ‘Captain America: New World Order.’

    Of course, given the actor’s age, no-one expects him to be bounding around as a superhero, but since most of Ross’ scenes involved him gruffly demanding things of the Avengers, that’s certainly something Ford can handle.

    And even if the studio does decide to go down the route of having Ross somehow transform into the powerful Red Hulk (as he has in the comics), well… that’s what stunt teams and visual effects are for.

    Marvel has, somewhat predictably, said nothing so far about the casting, though the team at Slash Film were able to independently confirm the news.

    Securing Ford would be a huge coup for Marvel, and certainly generate plenty of headlines.

    Ross is a necessary part of the ‘Thunderbolts’ story, since he’s the one who puts the team (which in the movie will include Florence Pugh’s Yelena, David Harbour’s Red Guardian, Hannah John-Kamen’s Ghost, Sebastian Stan’s Winter Soldier, Wyatt Russell’s US Agent, Olga Kurylenko’s Taskmaster) together with the help of Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ Valentina.

    The wait begins to see when (or even if) Marvel decides to officially announce this, though there’s every chance Ford’s version of Ross could pop up in a future end credits sting.

    Meanwhile, he’ll more solidly be back on our screens for the fifth ‘Indiana Jones’ movie, headed to theaters on June 30th next year.

    Marvel Studios' 'Thunderbolts.'
    Marvel Studios’ ‘Thunderbolts.’
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