And now, it has proved successful enough that the company has commissioned a spin-off, one that will revolve around Colonel Lee Shaw, the character played in his younger days by Wyatt Russell.
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The new series doesn’t yet have a title, but we do wonder if this means there won’t be any opportunity for the older version of Shaw –– played by Russell’s father, Kurt Russell –– to show up.
What’s the story of the new ‘Monarch’ spin-off series?
Wyatt Russell in ‘Monarch: Legacy of Monsters,’ coming soon to Apple TV+.
The show will focus on Russell’s Colonel Shaw, an American operative who in 1984 went on a secret mission behind enemy lines in an attempt to stop the Soviets from unleashing a horrific new Titan big enough to destroy the U.S. and turn the tide of the Cold War.
‘Monarch: Legacy of Monsters’ Spin-off: the showrunner and studio speak
‘Monarch: Legacy of Monsters,’ coming soon to Apple TV+.
Here’s Joby Harold’s statement on the new show:
“I could not feel more privileged to be a part of building out this wildly iconic universe,” says Harold. “Apple and Legendary have been exemplary partners throughout this process, and we will continue to bring these Titans of cinematic history to audiences with the reverence they deserve.”
And this was the comment from Apple TV’s head of international development Morgan Wandell:
“Viewers around the world haven’t been able to get enough of ‘Monarch: Legacy of Monsters’ since its global debut, and we cannot wait to unleash the electrifying new stories that Joby and the entire cast and creative team have been working on. With Joby at the helm, and alongside our terrific partners at Legendary, this new spinoff will kick off an epic Monsterverse expansion that brings audiences even closer to their favorite Titans along with fantastic character-driven storytelling.”
When will the ‘Monarch: Legacy of Monsters’ spin-off series be on screen?
Wyatt Russell in ‘Monarch: Legacy of Monsters,’ now streaming on Apple TV+.
There has been no launch date reported for the new series, but the second season of ‘Monarch’ will arrive on Apple TV on February 27.
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.
(L to R) Wyatt Russell and Dennis Quaid in ‘Broke’. Photo: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Wyatt Russell and Dennis Quaid about their work on ‘Broke’, if as a former professional hockey player Russell could relate to what his character is going through, why Quaid’s character is so hard on his son, working with actress Mary McDonnell, training for the horse-riding scenes, and how they shot the snowstorm sequence.
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interview.
(L to R) Dennis Quaid and Wyatt Russell star in ‘Broke’.
Moviefone: To begin with, Wyatt, as a former professional hockey player, could you relate to what your character is going through and his passion for his sport?
Wyatt Russell: That was one of the original draws for me, to be honest, the authenticity of what this world brought. I don’t like doing any sports movies. I don’t like watching any sports movies, to be honest, that feel inauthentic. This felt very authentic. I asked the director, “Do you know about this world?” He was like, “Yeah, because this is what I do when I’m not writing or directing movies.” I felt like I was in good hands, and I just knew that so much of what True goes through in the story is what I went through in hockey. I had concussions. Doctors tell you not to play. You feel like you get better, you go back, you have other issues, and you just won’t let them take you off the ice. In this instance, you can’t rip me off the horse, and you just got to keep getting back on. I went through it. I had to finally have someone tell me, “You can’t play anymore,” for me to stop playing and enter a life of the arts. It was just so different from what I was doing. I know it sounds crazy, and people are like, “Well, I don’t understand.” You didn’t do it. I was there doing it. When you must change gears like that, it’s daunting. It’s a whole new life. It’s a whole new you. You must change your identity, and so a lot of that was played into the film.
MF: Dennis, can you talk about your character’s relationship with his son, the tough love that he gives him, and working on that dynamic with Wyatt?
Dennis Quaid: Carlyle, who wrote the script and directed it, just from the first page, it is descriptions, which I say I’d never read except here. He’s so authentic, just the way he describes shooing a horse and what goes through there. Does this guy really know these people? He knew this life, and this world. These are men that don’t even know their own feelings. Forget about expressing them, which is gargantuan. The littlest breakthrough is a big one in a sense. He’s a guy out there trying to make it and trying to pass something important onto his sons, based upon the way he grew up, which is all we ever know. I think a lot of people can relate with that. I had Wyatt to do this with, which we had a good relationship to begin with. He knows what he is doing, and he’s very authentic. So, I wanted to be a part of it.
Wyatt Russell in ‘Broke’. Photo: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.
MF: Wyatt, what kind of training did you do to prepare for the bronco-riding scenes?
WR: I’ve done a lot of movies where I had to have horse training. I always would talk to the horse guys and be like, “Can I come out again?” Because it’s fun to learn. They’re always amazing people too. We had the eight-time national cutting champion, and I was like, “Can you teach me how to do stuff?” They’re free lessons. This was something I got to be able to go do and do a little bit of what I think is exciting to do on horseback. With Carlyle, we worked on roping skills, which was a big one because that wasn’t something that I was comfortable doing. I hadn’t done any of that. There was a lot of little things that we worked on, just the little details, so it didn’t look like I didn’t know what I was doing, or I hadn’t done that before. But you can tell when someone gets up on a horse immediately whether they’re a rider. I like being able to be authentic in things, and it was what I felt I could bring to this because I did have some ability.
MF: Dennis, had you ever worked with actress Mary McDonnell before and what was it like working with her on this project?
DQ: No, that was really a first. Gosh, she’s good. She made it seem so real to me as well, those people who live out there and what their life is like and what they endure. It really felt like a marriage, with a history to it.
Dennis Quaid in ‘Broke’. Photo: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.
MF: Finally, Wyatt, can you talk about shooting the snowstorm scenes, and were you as cold and miserable as it seemed like you were while you were shooting them?
WR: We made this movie for very little money, and we had to have a snowstorm. We shot it in two seasons, obviously, but we had to have a snowstorm. It had to happen. It wasn’t happening. But suddenly, boom, we get a cold snap. It was a negative 35 degrees in Wisdom, Montana. There’s no service up there. We had a skeleton crew wherever we were. There were two days, one where I had to go in the river, which is gnarly. The other one was where I had to bury myself in snow and pop up out of it. I had to be under there for a few minutes, until they set the camera up, and then I hear, “Okay, action.” Then I pop up, and I’ve got snow everywhere. I had a little snorkel. We didn’t have anything. My trailer was a rental car. We didn’t have any money. I was producing the movie. I was like, “Hey, get used to being uncomfortable”. I’m in a jean jacket and jeans, and let’s go. I’d come home, and I’d take a cold shower. I learned this. I would come home, and I would take a cold shower every night, because getting comfortable made it way worse. So, for that two-and-a-half weeks, I tried to stay as uncomfortable as possible because the more comfortable I got with being uncomfortable, the easier it became. Not so horrible. The weather was too gnarly to get warm and cozy.
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What is the plot of ‘Broke’?
A bronc rider (Wyatt Russell) in denial about his fading rodeo career battles against brain injury and a sudden blizzard while reflecting on how it became so difficult to achieve his dreams.
This writer doesn’t look to Marvel Studios for deep, penetrating, sober films about the existential crisis of the human race or the inner workings of the heart. At their best, Marvel movies have occasionally delivered something along those lines, but for the most part, they’ve offered the cinematic equivalent of the comic books themselves – fun, breezy to read, occasionally awesome, and genuinely surprising at times.
If that means we’re a little more forgiving of Marvel movies, so be it. But there’s no question that the franchise has had it rough the last few years, with a sense of aimlessness permeating even the best of the recent films and a miasma of apathy seeping out of the worst (hi, ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’). So it gives us great pleasure to report that ‘Thunderbolts*,’ directed by Jake Schreier (‘Paper Towns’), is a focused, fun, character-driven adventure that recaptures a lot of the spirit of the MCU at its best pre-‘Avengers: Endgame.’
The cast is superb, with several standouts, and largely expands on characters who have been mostly second-stringers up to this point. The action is crisp, not as heavy on the CG as in the past, and germane to the story, which is given a lot of heart, humor, and humanity in the script by Eric Pearson and Joanna Calo. And while no one would accuse the MCU of going too deep into more weighty topics, it does handle the subjects of mental illness and depression with sensitivity. ‘Thunderbolts*’ is a more human superhero story than we’ve seen in recent times from this franchise, and it’s all the better for it.
If ‘Thunderbolts*’ does have any major flaw, it’s that the story follows a pretty straightforward course that you can determine not just from the trailers, but from the fact that it’s been done more or less along the same lines with other MCU properties – specifically, ‘Guardians of the Galaxy.’ But the action is firmly earthbound here, as Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), sister of the late Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson), is sent on a clandestine mission by CIA director Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (a haughty Julia Louis-Dreyfus) to track someone who’s intent on robbing secret materials belonging to de Fontaine and her secretive OxGroup organization.
It’s clear early on (and from her previous MCU appearances) that de Fontaine is corrupt up to her eyeballs and dealing in things she doesn’t want the government to know about. That draws the attention of Congressman Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), who’s given up the superhero life for the Washington D.C. cocktail and committee circuit, although he’s already bristling at it. But he knows de Fontaine is up to something and wants to get the goods on her for impeachment or even jail.
Meanwhile, Yelena arrives at the OxGroup facility buried deep under the desert somewhere and quickly finds out that she – along with other de Fontaine operatives John Walker/U.S. Agent (Wyatt Russell), Antonia Dreykov/Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko), and Ava Starr/Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen) – have been set up: they’ve all been led there so that de Fontaine can incinerate them from afar and tie up her loose ends. But what no one has foreseen is the presence of a dazed, seemingly loopy young man named Bob (Lewis Pullman), who doesn’t remember how he got down there but whose very existence both alarms and excites de Fontaine once she finds out he’s alive.
Although this disparate group of “losers,” as de Fontaine describes them, initially distrust and dislike each other, they must work together to escape the facility and intend to bring down Valentina with the help of Yelena’s loud, colorful adopted father, Alexei Shostakov, aka Red Guardian (David Harbour), and Bucky, who discards his suit and tie for something more battle-ready. But their plan hits a new, potentially catastrophic snag as Valentina reacquires Bob – the only test subject to survive an experimental process to create a superbeing – and reawakens the power placed within him via the Sentry project. Except that Bob is not equipped mentally or emotionally to become a god.
Under Jake Schreier’s smooth, free-flowing, yet economical direction, ‘Thunderbolts*’ succeeds at giving its characters space to breath and its audience a chance to understand what makes many of them tick. Yes, some characters inevitably get short-changed – we’re thinking of Ghost and Taskmaster in particular – but there’s still enough time spent with almost all of them to earn their eventual (and inevitable) formation into a team. A number of the characters get their own individual moments, and thanks to an early ability exhibited by Bob we get to find out what haunts several of them as well.
Every one of these people is damaged in some way, and looking for peace of mind and acceptance. Since they’re castoffs, not heroes, and certainly not the Avengers (who we’re told are not coming back, although it’s never really been explained where everyone who’s still alive has scattered to), they have to find it where they can get it in a world that doesn’t know they exist and in which they don’t even trust each other.
‘Thunderbolts*’ also addresses depression and mental illness, in a comic book way to be sure, but still with enough tact to drive the pain of both home. Yelena, Walker, and Bucky all strive to find meaning in their lives, while Bob struggles to keep his darker impulses in check with disastrous results. This makes ‘Thunderbolts*’ darker than usual in some respects, although the film is still leavened with humor throughout. The third act, however, delves fully into the darkness, both on a physical and psychological level, making for one of the more satisfying MCU climaxes in a while.
While care has been taken to differentiate the action from some of the more generic Marvel set pieces of the past, Schreier’s strength is still with the characters. This is a quieter than usual Marvel movie in some ways, with long scenes of people talking, but that makes the action pop more when it happens. Some of the film’s scenes are well-suited to IMAX projection, making the movie look bigger than other MCU efforts, and it’s all powered by a propulsive yet nuanced score from Son Lux.
Does the film feel familiar in some ways? For sure. That template of a bunch of misfits coming together as a team is well-worn within the MCU. The movie doesn’t veer in the big picture from the Marvel house ‘feel’ and ‘style.’ But it does add enough depth to the characters and their actions to recover the energy that has been missing for a lot of the last five years.
Everyone does excellent work here, but Florence Pugh is the clear leader of the pack. Facing an existential crisis of her own and still grieving the death of her sister, Yelena is deeply haunted by the copious red in her own ledger as well as a future than she only sees as bleak. “Your light is dim even by Eastern European standards,” Alexei tells her solemnly, although even he can’t reach her (nor does he try very hard at first). Pugh gives a full, emotional, and complex performance, while also effectively portraying Yelena’s compact, deadly physicality.
Equally heartrending to watch is Lewis Pullman as Bob, who is one of the better supervillains of recent MCU vintage. Like Yelena and the others, Bob is damaged goods, but his wounds may run deeper than anyone’s and ultimately manifest themselves in more dreadful ways. Pullman’s heel turn from slightly off, clumsy, yet enigmatic doofus to frightening harbinger of death and destruction is chilling and believable.
Of the rest of the pack, Sebastian Stan is so comfortable with Bucky now that he’s the grounding presence of the movie, linking it to adventures past. David Harbour’s Red Guardian is hilarious and scenery-chewing throughout – until he isn’t, in a scene with Yelena that’s lovely and emotionally resonant. Wyatt Russell’s John Walker – the “dime store Captain America,” as he’s reminded – was hard to like in ‘The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’ and initially obnoxious here, but grows into a genuine hero despite his own personal pain. And Julia Louis-Dreyfus clearly relishes having her most screen time yet as de Fontaine, who can be charming, deceptive, and manipulative all at the same time and enjoying every minute of it.
It goes without saying that you should stick around for the end credits of ‘Thunderbolts*’. The mid-credits scene is amusing if slight; the post-credits scene is not only important, but actually points to a not-too-distant payoff, unlike many other recent bonus scenes in Marvel movies (ask Harry Styles, Brett Goldstein, and Charlize Theron how they feel about theirs).
That fact alone only adds to the impression that Marvel has at least started a major course correction with ‘Thunderbolts*,’ which at one time was arguably considered a kind of also-ran in the MCU release schedule. Yet this under-the-radar movie fixes a lot of the problems that have become more visible in other Marvel entries, while telling an entertaining, exciting, quite dark, and also moving story populated by characters you like to spend time with and wouldn’t mind seeing again.
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What is the plot of ‘Thunderbolts*’’?
A group of dangerous, unstable antiheroes and castoffs are set up on a doomed mission by a government operative (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), only to find themselves confronting a powerful new menace that threatens Earth.
Who is in the cast of ‘Thunderbolts*’?
Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova
Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes
Wyatt Russell as John Walker/U.S. Agent
David Harbour as Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian
Hannah John-Kamen as Ava Starr/Ghost
Olga Kurylenko as Antonia Dreykov/Taskmaster
Lewis Pullman as Robert “Bob” Reynolds
Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Valentina Allegra de Fontaine
While Marvel usually prefers to keep its secrets close (at least, closer than the current government seems to manage), there is also the conflicting compulsion to promote the next movie in its sprawling cinematic universe, ‘Avengers: Doomsday‘.
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We’ve known for a while that the Avengers will be back to face the threat of Victor Von Doom (Robert Downey Jr.), but the rest of the cast was largely in the realm of speculation, even for those who have been part of the MCU family for years.
The company used a livestream to confirm who will show up in the new movie, consisting of footage of the backs of director’s chairs featuring the cast names.
We’re happy to see Simu Liu will return as Shang-Chi, a character who really has deserved a sequel before now. And Danny Ramirez, who was introduced as Joaquim Torres in ‘The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’ and reprised the role in February’s ‘Captain America: Brave New World’ will show up as the new Falcon.
Any surprises? We’re not sure we predicted Tenoch Huerta Mejia –– who played Namor in ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ coming back, but his chair is among the others (not dripping with water –– missed joke opportunity there!).
(L to R) Lashana Lynch and Kelsey Grammer in ‘The Marvels’. Photo: Marvel Studios.
Lewis Pullman, who is introduced as a character called “Bob” (but who has since been revealed to be powerful character Sentry) in ‘Thunderbolts*’ is also listed. So we’re guessing his character –– who also appears to be an antagonist in the movie given the new trailer –– factors in somehow.
Last, but by no means least, the doors to the cavernous soundstage holding all the chairs opens up, and in strides Downey Jr., who sits in his own named chair and puts his finger to his lips. It’s over!
We’re sure there will be other announcements to come –– the company loves to hold back cameos and other roles, so we’ll have to wait and see if Tom Holland or Mark Ruffalo spoil the appearances or if an official press release arrives in due time.
If you’re desperate to see the Livestream, please click on the video player at the top of the page.
The new movie is now kicking off shooting in London, with Marvel veteran directors Joe and Anthony Russo –– who count the giant two previous Avengers outings ‘Infinity War’ and ‘Endgame’ on their shared resume –– back marshalling the chaos that is a team-up movie on this scale.
“We’re very close with Kevin [Feige] and Lou [D’Esposito, Marvel Studios’ Co-President] and the entire Marvel team and we’ve had conversations through the years. We’ve talked about a lot of ideas. Really what happened was, we ended up stumbling upon a [‘Secret Wars’] idea that activated all of us, you couldn’t see it coming until it came, and once it came it was like, ‘Well, that’s a story we need to tell.’”
And that creative spark extended to regular collaborator Stephen McFeely, who is also back writing the new movies.
While other co-writer Christopher Markus is so far sticking with the Russos’ AGBO company to keep it running, McFeely was tempted back into the MCU machine.
Here’s what Joe told Empire:
“There were ideas that we were trying to wrap our heads around that preceded this one, and we just never found the story. I remember calling Steve and said, ‘Hey, crazy idea. What do you think if we all go back and do Secret Wars?’ He was like, ‘F*** no. Absolutely not.’ And then he hung up. And the next morning at 7.30 he called and were like, ‘Alright, I have an idea…’ ”
‘Avengers: Doomsday’: The Russos talk Robert Downey Jr.
Of course, one of the biggest plot elements for the new movies has already been revealed on Marvel’s terms, with Robert Downey Jr. taking the stage at last year’s San Diego Comic-Con to confirm he’s playing Victor Von Doom.
And according to the directors he’s very involved in helping to shape the character.
“It’s a very intense process developing the character. He’s so immersed in it. He is so dialed in. That’s the kind of artist he is. That’s the kind of actor he is. He just loves really rich three-dimensional characters and I think he sees a real opportunity here with that character.”
And following ‘Doomsday,’ we’ll see ‘Secret Wars’…
‘Secret Wars’ would draw from (through the usual Marvel movie filter where changes will be made) a pair of 1980s comic book series focused on an all-powerful antagonist known as the Beyonder, who in the first installment pitted Marvel’s heroes and villains against each other on a planet known as Battleworld.
In a 2015 revival by Jonathan Hickman, the resulting conflict left the multiverse collapsed, the survivors living on a single planet ruled by classic villain Doctor Doom.
The Russos have previously talked about their enthusiasm for ‘Secret Wars,’ so this one made sense.
When will the next two ‘Avengers’ movies head to screens?
Marvel is planning to have ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ on screens on May 1st, 2026, followed by ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’ on May 7th, 2027.
The powerhouse director and producer, still seen as one of the most famous and successful filmmakers in the world, has a mysterious new movie in the works, and Wyatt Russell is the latest to join the swelling thespian ranks.
Director Steven Spielberg on the set of ‘The Post’. Photo: 20th Century Fox.
That’s the one thing that has really been kept quiet about the director’s latest project. While it has been talked about as an “event movie” –– as opposed to his last two movies, ‘The Fabelmans’ and ‘West Side Story’, which verged more towards awards season prestige than summer blockbuster territory, this one will be squarely more in the wheelhouse of movies such as the ‘Indiana Jones’ movies and ‘Jurassic Park.’
Or perhaps we should say ‘Close Encounters of the Third Kind’ or ‘War of the Worlds’ as the new film is reportedly once more focused on alien (or at least UFO) interaction. Nothing on that front has been confirmed, though, and Spielberg has the clout to keep it that way for now.
Still, ‘Jurassic Park’ is also a touchstone, since writer David Koepp, who wrote the first two outings of the dino-franchise (and recently returned to pen ‘Jurassic World Rebirth,’ which director Gareth Edwards shot), crafted the script for the new movie based on an idea from Spielberg.
The director is also producing the film via his Amblin company.
Who else is in Spielberg’s new movie?
Samuel L. Jackson at the red carpet premiere of Marvel Studios’ ‘Secret Invasion.’
As with Nolan’s latest film, Steven Spielberg is the sort of director who can lock down pretty much any talent that he requires, short of them being unavailable.
Most recently, Samuel L. Jackson –– who appeared in ‘Jurassic Park’ –– signed on to reunite with the director.
In the spirit of the rest of the movie, we don’t know what roles that ensemble will be taking, as the only concrete information appears to be a plan to shoot next spring in the tax break-friendly state of Georgia.
This is what Blunt had to say about meeting the director and landing the role:
“We start in February, and that’s all I can tell you. I was so awestruck to even get the call. And then in the meeting, he goes, ‘Would you like to know why you’re here?’ And I was like, ‘Yes please.’ I was trying not to dork out and just talk to him about endless scenes from ‘Jaws’ that I’ve been obsessed with for years. He’s really magical. I’m very happy.”
What else is Steven Spielberg developing?
(L to R) Gabriel LaBelle and co-writer/producer/director Steven Spielberg on the set of ‘The Fabelmans.’
Honestly, at this point, it’s easier to list projects that the prolific Spielberg isn’t involved with.
There are also the many projects on his sprawling to-do list as a director, including a new ‘Tintin’ movie, a film continuing the story of the character from ‘Bullitt,’ and one about Ulysses S. Grant.
And recent rumors have seen the director linked to an adaptation of author John Scalzi’s ‘Old Man’s War’ books, though Scalzi has warned not to get too excited about that news for now.
Where else have I seen Wyatt Russell?
Wyatt Russell in ‘Monarch: Legacy of Monsters,’ coming soon to Apple TV+.
(L to R) Rita Moreno and director Steven Spielberg on the set of ‘West Side Story’. Photo: Walt Disney Studios.
Universal and Amblin Entertainment have handed the movie a May 15th, 2026, release date, setting it squarely in the summer blockbuster territory that Spielberg himself helped establish way back in the 1970s with the likes of ‘Jaws.’
It means Spielberg will be filling one of that year’s summer slots alongside Nolan’s new project (headed our way on July 17th) and –– assuming he sets a release date –– Abrams.
