Does Marvel's 5-Year Plan Include The X-Men? Here's What Kevin Feige Says

Does Marvel's 5-Year Plan Include The X-Men? Here's What Kevin Feige Says

One of the biggest things to come from the merger of Fox and Disney is that Marvel Studios now has the film rights to the X-Men. With the confirmation that the upcoming Dark Phoenix will be the final chapter of the existing X-Men universe, fans are looking forward to what appears to be the inevitable inclusion of the characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, as things currently stand in the MCU, we may not be seeing the X-Men anytime soon. According to Marvel chief Kevin Feige, the current plan for the next five years of Marvel movies doesn't include the mutants. According to Feige...

It’ll be a while. It’s all just beginning and the five-year plan that we’ve been working on, we were working on before any of that was set. So really it’s much more, for us, less about specifics of when and where [the X-Men will appear] right now and more just the comfort factor and how nice it is that they’re home. That they’re all back. But it will be a very long time.

Kevin Feige tells i09 that Marvel had been working on plans for the next phase of the MCU long before the deal with Fox was made, and thus, those plans didn't include a place for the X-Men. Feige says that those plans haven't been significantly impacted by this addition, so it likely won't be until after the current plan is finished that new characters, like the X-Men, will be added.

On the one hand, this makes a lot of sense. While we don't have a lot of visibility to what Marvel has planned for its next phase, we can assume a lot of work has been done behind the scenes. A lot of that work would go out the window and need to be started over, all with a much shorter turn around time, if the X-Men were made an immediate concern.

While Marvel has yet to confirm anything officially after Spider-Man: Far From Home comes out this July, we do think we know what's coming. Movies about Black Widow, and The Eternals have been rumored. Sequels for Doctor Strange and Black Panther are expected, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 is back on the schedule, though it will now be coming out later than previously scheduled.

And there's really no need to bring in the X-Men too soon. There are plenty of other characters that can be focused on in future films and the longer the X-Men are left alone, the easier it will be to bring them back in a new, rebooted, form.

At the same time, as i09 points out, Marvel pivoted pretty quickly once the studio made a deal with Sony to get Spider-Man into the MCU, so it wouldn't be the first time plans had changed because new opportunities had presented themselves. There's always the possibility that, even if there are no specific plans to bring in the X-Men right now, those plans could always change.

Read More

Detective Pikachu Is Poised To Make A Ton Of Money In Theaters

Detective Pikachu Is Poised To Make A Ton Of Money In Theaters

These days there's really no such thing as a bad time for a big tentpole movie to release, but the "summer movie season" which these days starts around late April or early May, is still a period that gets a bit more love from studios. Big movies tend to open bigger and it looks like that's going to be the case for Detective Pikachu. Early tracking for the live-action Pokemon movie has it running at an opening weekend of between $75-$90 million with a total domestic run of somewhere around $250 million.

To put that in perspective, the only movie expected to do better than Detective Pikachu at the box office between now and when Pikachu opens May 10 is Avengers: Endgame. The rest of the major releases, Disney's live-action Dumbo, Shazam!, Hellboy, etc. are not expected to do anything close to what Detective Pikachu is looking at putting up.

This is certainly at least somewhat surprising. While Pokemon certainly has a lot of fans, in North America it would still have to be viewed as a niche property. While the success of more mainstream Pokemon games like Pokemon Go certainly have helped the brand achieve broader popularity, there was no guarantee that would translate to success elsewhere. However, based on these numbers it certainly does look like Detective Pikachu is set to be a huge hit.

The fact that Pokemon's international appeal has the potential to result in the film doing even better overseas means that when global numbers are tallied, Detective Pikachu could end up being one of the highest grossing movies of the year.

As Box Office Pro points out, there are some potential stumbling blocks to Pikachu's success. It will be opening during Avengers: Endgame's third weekend, and while that will likely give the superhero juggernaut enough breathing space, if that film is able to retain a sizable audience for that long, it could potentially cut into the business of the Pokemon movie.

Detective Pikachu will likely have about two weeks to make the bulk of its domestic cash. That's when Disney live-action Aladdin will be opening, which will likely appeal to the same wide audience that Pikachu looks to be wooing. The weekend in between will see the opening of John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum, which, as an R-rated action movie, is unlikely to draw too much away from the Pokemon audience.

Considering the movie is still well over a month away, these projections will almost certainly change. The only question is which direction they will go. There's a strong chance that as we get closer to release more people will begin to get excited about Detective Pikachu. It's very possible this movie will be even bigger than we think it's going to be.

Read More

The Hulk Originally Could Have Turned To Dust In Avengers: Infinity War

The Hulk Originally Could Have Turned To Dust In Avengers: Infinity War

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has been on a serious roll in Phase Three, as every new blockbuster has been met with critical and box office success. The last decade of filmmaking will come to a head when Avengers: Endgame arrives in a matter of days, picking up the narrative from the shocking ending of Infinity War. The Russo Brothers broke fans hearts by wiping out half of all life, as moviegoers watched countless fan favorite characters fade to dust.

I didn’t know until I saw the movie. For one take, I did disappear, and then the other one I didn’t.

Well, this is wild. Bruce Banner/Hulk has been in every Avengers movie, so it's hard to imagine Endgame without the big green guy. But it looks like that was on the table for a while, as The Russo Brothers had Mark Ruffalo film a dusting scene of his very own.

In the end, all of the OG Avengers managed to survive The Decimation, along with supporting characters like War Machine, Rocket, Okoye, and Nebula. But it turns out that Bruce Banner could have perished, as Mark Ruffalo filmed both endings for his character. Ruffalo recently revealed this, saying:

Mark Ruffalo's comments to Yahoo are sure to puzzle cinephiles, given how Infinity War and Endgame were filmed directly after each other. As such, Hulk's fate presumably was only a question for a limited time. Because The Russo Brothers had the scheduling nightmare of working out shooting for Endgame, and would need Ruffalo to clear up his schedule in order to play Banner/Hulk alongside the rest of the living heroes.

The ending of Avengers: Infinity War was truly devastating, as the fandom didn't expect Thanos to win and exterminate so many iconic characters. And it seems The Russo Brothers experimented a bit with who would be a victim of the snap, and fade to dust before our eyes. Instead of merely being phased into a rock in the Hulkbuster armor, Bruce Banner could have also faded to dust from within the suit. And with that ending, Hulk wouldn't have gotten another chance to face off against the Mad Titan.

Luckily, Bruce Banner survived the snap, and should have a meaty role alongside the rest of the survivors when Avengers: Endgame finally hits theaters. Fans are especially eager to see Hulk return to the screen, as he was largely absent in Infinity War after losing a fight in the film's opening scene. As a reminder, you can check out that scuffle below.

Merchandise from Avengers: Endgame hints at a rematch for these two powerful characters, so it's a good thing that Hulk wasn't dusted during The Snap. It's also poetic to see the original team reunited in the upcoming blockbuster, allowing The Russo Brothers to end the narrative that started back with Iron Man in 2007.

Answers will come when Avengers: Endgame arrives in theaters on April 26th. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

Read More

Agent Coulson Was Originally Going To Have A Way Smaller Part In Iron Man, According To Clark Gregg

Agent Coulson Was Originally Going To Have A Way Smaller Part In Iron Man, According To Clark Gregg

Agent Phil Coulson will long be remembered as one of the most important lynchpins of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. When the franchise was first starting up, he was utilized as the character bringing everything together and one could easily argue that the movies wouldn’t be the same without him. Which makes it all the more amazing that his initial part in Jon Favreau’s Iron Man was much smaller than what we all saw in the finished cut of the film.

After about seven years away, Clark Gregg is now back on the big screen as Phil Coulson in Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck’s Captain Marvel, and it was during the movie’s recent Los Angeles press day that I learned just how tiny the character’s role initially was in the first Iron Man. During our interview I steered the conversation towards a reflection on his start in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and Gregg explained that Coulson in the script didn’t have anywhere near the impact on the movie that he ultimately does:

Agent Coulson was a small role, was two scenes, if anything. And they liked something about that repartee. They liked something about having the S.H.I.E.L.D. presence being there, and all of a sudden they added seven more scenes! Next thing I know Pepper Potts is going, 'Thank you, Agent Coulson.' And I was like, 'I've got a name now; this is cool.'

That’s right – apparently Clark Gregg’s character wasn’t even named Agent Coulson before an appreciation of the actor’s contribution on set led to an expanded part. And that expanded part, of course, led to future roles in Iron Man 2, Thor, The Avengers, and the still-running television series Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. He has been at the center at some of the most crucial moments in the history of the franchise.

It’s also worth noting that the impact isn’t limited to the big and small screen. Phil Coulson made his debut in the pages of Marvel Comics in January 2012, palling around with Captain America, the Avengers, and even Deadpool. And none of that would have happened if the character’s part in Iron Man was as big as it was in the script.

Obviously it’s led to great things for Clark Gregg, but the actor also sees the whole situation very much reflecting why it is that Marvel Studios has been so incredibly successful in the last 11 years. As protective as they may want to be with the material, there is still a certain openness to new ideas that allows spontaneous greatness to be generated. Said Gregg,

But I've always thought to myself that there's a secret there, which is that even in those early days there was a trust of the filmmakers, a trust of what they were seeing. If something feels like it's working, they would go with that. There's a kind of flexibility that I think has as much to do with the longevity of this as anything else.

Captain Marvel, which is the 21st film from Marvel Studios, is further example of the company’s pop culture dominance, debuting this weekend with a $153 million three-day start. The blockbuster, which stars Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, Ben Mendelsohn, Jude Law and Annette Bening in addition to Clark Gregg, is now playing in theaters everywhere – and we’ll have plenty more content about the film coming your way in the next few days.

Read More

Wesley Snipes Is Playing A Villain On Screen Again And We Have The Details

Wesley Snipes Is Playing A Villain On Screen Again And We Have The Details

During his decades-long acting career, Wesley Snipes has played a variety of characters, many of whom have been good guys. However, he has occasionally taken on villainous roles, most notably Simon Phoenix in Demolition Man. Now, over 25 years after that Marco Brambilla-directed movie came out, Snipes is returning to antagonist territory with his upcoming movie, Payline.

Written by Rob Robol and Jay S. Boyd, Payline is described as a casino heist story in the vein of “Oceans 11 meets Free Fire.” The movie is about a small-town casino that turns into a battleground after two groups of criminals try to rob it on the same night. In addition to performing on camera, Snipes will also executive produce Payline for Dawn’s Light Media and Maandi House Studios alongside Alexander Ferguson, while Allan Ungar (who worked on that Uncharted fan film Nathan Fillion starred in), Richard Switzer and Jason Cherubini (the latter two are from Dawn’s Light) are attached as producers.

No specific details were provided about who Wesley Snipes is specifically playing. If I had to guess, he’s either the leader of the gang that’s being framed as the “bad guys” in this heist or he’s the manager/owner of this casino these groups are breaking into. In any case, since this is Snipes’ first villain role since Demolition Man, this is surely a momentous occasion for him. Here’s what the actor had to say about Payline overall:

We at Maandi House Studios along with our sister companies and strategic partners are extremely excited to be working with Dawns Light Media on the kind of action film not seen in years. This is a vehicle to demonstrate the next generation of indie-film making in a 5G powered world. It is our goal to show how a 100% Certified Renewable Energy film production can show love for the environment, community and still produce a kick-ass popcorn movie.

Although he’s stretching his villainous muscles again for the first time in nearly three decades, Wesley Snipes will arguably always be best known for his time as a superhero, having played Eric Brooks, a.k.a. Blade, across three movies from 1998 to 2004. Snipes has expressed interest numerous times over the years in reprising Blade for a fourth movie, though there’s still no indication that will happen. In any case, Payline allows him to once again operate on the side of corruption rather than justice.

In recent years, Wesley Snipes has appeared in movies like The Expendables 3, Chi-Raq, Armed Response and The Recall, as well as the TV series The Player. Along with Payline, his other upcoming projects include the Netflix movie Dolemite Is My Name, where he’s playing D’Urville Martin alongside Eddie Murphy’s Rudy Ray Moore; the RZA drama Cut Throat City, which also stars Terrence Howard, T.I. and Eiza Gonzalez; and the TV series Paper Empire, which also stars Robert Davi, Denise Richards and Robert Knepper.

Payline’s release date hasn’t been announced yet, so stay tuned for that information. In the meantime, you can find out what movies are hitting theaters later this year in our 2019 release schedule.

Read More

Are The Russo Brothers Open To Joining The DCEU?

Are The Russo Brothers Open To Joining The DCEU?

Change is a great force that keeps worlds, both personal and cosmic, moving into the future. Societies thrive on it, and in the entertainment world, it definitely helps to have a degree of flexibility that allows for change to take place. In the case of Anthony and Joe Russo, the directing masterminds behind this year’s three-hour epic Avengers: Endgame, change is a subject that has definitely been mentioned in recent conversations, as the brothers have been asked whether or not they’d do a film for the DC Extended Universe. While the answer is unclear, the pair definitely haven’t shot down the possibility just yet.

On the brink of what could be their crowning achievement in comic cinema history, Joe Russo had the following to say about whether or not he and his brother Anthony would consider directing for DC:

I mean, our brains are so fogged at this point, I don't know if we can consider anything. But you never say never.

It’s a scenario that we’ve seen happen plenty of times with on-screen talent: you debut in one comic universe, and whether it’s a boom or a bust, eventually there’s an opportunity to move into the next realm and continue the good work. So you’d have to be nuts not to wonder if The Russo Brothers would want to take the fantastic experiences they’ve had since starting their tenure in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and try to replicate them on the DC Comics team. Unfortunately, the answer is wobbly at best for now.

But of course, there’s a lot of history that ties the pair to the MCU. They first put their stamp on it with 2014’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and have continued to help tie the entire universe together in their subsequent films Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War.

This response to MTV News’ Josh Horowitz, while seeming non-committal as any good Marvel Studios professional would be in this situation, is also particularly understandable. It has to be considered that Joe and Anthony Russo have literally just locked Avengers: Endgame into its final form as of this weekend.

Putting the finishing touches on Avengers: Endgame marks the end to a shoot that saw two gigantic epics filmed back-to-back, with the actors not even knowing which half their particular scenes were going into. So not only did they have to keep themselves straight on how the story was working out, they had to navigate those waters carefully for their cast as well.

The Russo Brothers do indeed have the full right to feel fogged over at this point, as they’ve just put to bed what has the potential to be the biggest film in the history of modern blockbusters. It’s such a frenzied event that fans sold out opening weekend showings in record time, broke ticketing apps in the process, and have even begun selling their Avengers: Endgame tickets for obscene amounts.

And yet, at this moment, some executive at Warner Bros. has to be weighing the pros and cons of making an offer to the Russos for a DC Comics crossover that has such spectacular ramifications, that only the pair that have handled Marvel Studios’ most ambitious pair of films to date could handle it. Naturally, while an outright yes or no would be foolish at this juncture, Joe Russo is wise to not dismiss the notion wholesale.

While the question of whether or not the Russo Brothers will work in the DCEU is not an open and shut answer, it is a possibility that should continue to engross fans and delight decision makers at DC Comics until the day that a final statement has been issued on the matter. So if you’re hoping that somehow the DC Rebirth arc will be adapted, and allow for the series to start over with a renewed purpose and the Russos at the helm, you might want to make your voice heard about now. You never know what the future will bring.

Avengers: Endgame breaks down the walls of your local theater on April 26th. But, of course, if you’d like to get some fun into your box office calendar before that point, you'll want to see our 2019 release schedule, as it has the information you’ll need before heading out to the theater.

Read More

David Harbour Responds To Black Widow Rumors

David Harbour Responds To Black Widow Rumors

It's an extremely exciting time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with just one blockbuster left in Phase Three. 21 movies and a decade of filmmaking will come to a head when Avengers: Endgame arrives in theaters, picking up on the action after the devastating loss to Thanos in Infinity War. But aside from Spider-Man: Far From Home, Marvel Studios' plans for the future are largely a mystery.

There are some exciting projects being developed, even if their release date is currently unclear. Chief among them is the Black Widow movie, which will finally give Scarlett Johansson the chance to lead a Marvel blockbuster. Director Cate Shortland seems to be making some steps toward casting the movie, with the latest report indicating Stranger Things favorite David Harbour landed a role. Now Hopper himself has responded to those reports, saying:

Yeah man, like I want to do the movie. [Marvel would] kick me out so fast…[if I reveal anything]. Look here's what I will say. It's being directed by this woman Cate Shortland who is a phenomenal director. She directed a movie called Lore. She's a phenomenal director, so what's really exciting to me about it is it's gonna be like a real deep, interesting film. And so yeah, I'm just excited for it as a film as well as a superhero movie

While clearly nervous to anger the Marvel gods before he can even begin, David Harbour confirmed his excitement about the Black Widow movie, especially when it comes to working with the director. Fresh off his debut as Hellboy, the Golden Globe nominee is going to head to another comic book adaptation.

David Harbour's comments to ET are sure to excite his many fans, who are hoping to see more of him on the big screen. His debut as Hellboy will arrive in theaters shortly, offering an R-rated romp free disconnected from Guillermo del Toro''s previous set of movies. But Harbour joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe is perhaps more exciting, especially with the future currently so unclear.

Black Widow's movie has been a long time coming, and David Habour's comments make it seem like nothing we've ever seen before in the MCU. Scarlett Johansson's signature character has been a major presence in the shared universe, but she's never gotten her own time to really shine. This is especially hard because Widow is one of the most complicated and badass Avengers, and we've gotten only small glimpses into her sordid past. But according to Harbour, the movie is going to be an intimate look at the character.

For now we'll have to wait as Black Widow's movie is developed, and hope for details regarding the cast, plot, and settings. Because depending on her fate in Endgame, a prequel film might not be out of the question.

Black Widow will return to theaters when Avengers: Endgame arrives in theaters on April 26th, and you can catch David Harbour in Hellboy on April 12th. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

Read More