Where Things Stand With Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn

After delivering her breakthrough performance in Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street, Margot Robbie was catapulted to worldwide fame when she was cast to play Harley Quinn in the first Suicide Squad movie, which followed Man of Steel and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice in the DCEU. She later reprised the role for Birds of Prey and The Suicide Squad, but there’s been no word about if she’ll return in the DCU or if a new actress will be cast to play Harley. Here’s what James Gunn had to say when Entertainment Weekly asked about this:

It sounds like Gunn, who wrote and directed The Suicide Squad ahead of being tapped to lead DC Studios with Peter Safran in late 2022, has already reached a decision on Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn, but isn’t willing to reveal it just yet. He also didn’t give any timeframe on when we can expect to learn this information. Maybe it’ll be before 2025 is over, maybe it’ll be some time next year.

I’m hopeful that Gunn plans to bring Margot Robbie back to play Harley Quinn, as I enjoyed her take on the character. However, she’s also a much more in-demand actress and producer compared to when she was bringing The Joker’s ex-girlfriend to life, especially since Barbie took the world by storm in 2023. It might be difficult to arrange for her to return to the role, whether it’s because of scheduling conflicts or because it’ll be more expensive to bring her aboard. Harley’s too popular a character to leave on the proverbial shelf, so that’d make it inevitable to hire a new actress in Robbie’s place, which is allegedly what’s likely to happen according to a new rumor.

James Gunn Wants To Bring Bloodsport Back

Fingers crossed we get clarification either way on Margot Robbie and Harley Quinn sooner rather than later. Meanwhile, James Gunn also shared his desire to have Idris Elba reprise Robert DuBois, a.k.a. Bloodsport, who’s only appeared in The Suicide Squad so far. Gunn said:

Bloodsport led the team that infiltrated Corto Maltese in The Suicide Squad, with his cohorts including Polka-Dot Man, Ratcatcher 2, Peacemaker and King Shark. Rick Flag Jr. and Harley Quinn later joined up with them, having survived their own team’s massacre, and Bloodsport and Harley got along well enough during their short time together, though not to the point she could remember his name. Since Bloodsport blackmailed Amanda Waller into letting him and the other surviving Task Force X members go free in The Suicide Squad’s ending, presumably he’s resumed being a mercenary, though I’d like to think he’s also making an effort to be a better father to his daughter Tyla.

Unlike the uncertainty surrounding Harley Quinn, James Gunn’s statement about Bloodsport makes it sound like he’d have Idris Elba reprise him rather than hire another actor in his place. Whether or not this character even resurfaces in the DCU, we’ll have to wait and see. For now, the next DCU project, Peacemaker, returns for its second season on Thursday, August 21.

What Did Eternals’ Kumail Nanjiani Say About Needing Therapy After The Movie’s Poor Performance?

Fan response to the many Marvel movies in order has changed radically over the past several years, as the post-Infinity Saga films haven’t exactly set the world on fire like the first decade or so of releases did. One of the movies that had the typical Marvel buzz, but disappointed when viewers checked it out was Eternals. Despite the massive star power on screen (along with Kumail Nanjiani, the superhero team included Angelina Jolie, Salma Hayek, Richard Madden, Gemma Chan, Brian Tyree Henry and more) and decent box office, the reviews were mixed at best.

Nanjiani recently appeared on the Working It Out podcast, where he and fellow comedian/host Mike Birbiglia got into the topic of working out new material for their stand-up acts. When asked what he’s been putting together lately, the Oscar nominee revealed that “the last 15 minutes” of his set now revolves around how Eternals’ negative reviews impacted him:

Boy, that’s rough, right? I can only imagine that there are several other actors who’ve have similar experiences. The Big Sick star also mentioned that the movie came out after some of the heat from the pandemic had passed and folks were allowed back into theaters, but this meant that he’d had about a year and a half of sitting at home and dreaming of how successful the film would be.

It might seem foolish for the Silicon Valley lead to have done this, but the fact is that this movie had been built up, even by those at Marvel. In early 2024, Nanjiani talked about how the thought was that the film would be “really, really well reviewed” so they lifted the review embargo early and sent the cast on the press tour at the same time, assuming they’d be able to bask in the glow of unbelievably positive word of mouth. But, that didn’t happen.

The lead up to the film’s debut also set his hopes high, because he mentioned signing on for “six movies, a video game, a theme park ride” believing that his time as Bollywood star/Eternal Kingo would last for at least a decade. While anything within the Marvel multiverse is possible, it seems unlikely that we’ll see Nanjiani or his fellow Eternals again in the near future, but at least it sounds like he’s come to terms with how the movie not quite living up to expectations affected him and can keep on keepin’ on.

What we know about Avengers: Doomsday is limited, but fans are hyped to see mutants back on the big screen. A rumor from Cosmic Circus claims that the X-Men will be wearing brightly colored costumes, which are more accurate to the comics and cartoons. Scooper Alex Perez writes:

D you hear that sound? It's comic book fans everywhere rejoicing. Because while the X-Men movies changed the costumes to black leather, fans have been hoping to see more brightly colored ones appear on the big screen. If this report is to be believed, that's exactly what we'll get when the OGs return as part of the Avengers: Doomsday cast. The lack of colorful, individual costumes has been a long-standing point of contention in the last series of movies.

This would be a major change to what the actors wore during their tenure in the original X-Men trilogy. Actors who will be returning (and apparently in bright, colorful costumes) are none other than James Marsden's Cyclops, Kelsey Grammer's Beast, Alan Cumming's Nightrawler, Ian McKellen's Magneto, Patrick Stewart's Professor X, and Rebecca Romijn's Mystique. Now we'll have to wait and see if this rumor about their costumes come to fruition.

X-Men '97 was acclaimed on Disney+, so it makes sense that Doomsday might be taking inspiration from that acclaimed animated series for the mutants' costumes. Moviegoers who spent years watching the Marvel movies in order have waited to see these colorful costumes on the big screen, so this seems like a big payoff for longtime fans.

Fans were finally treated to Wolverine's yellow suit in Deadpool 3, and the internet exploded when the first images of him arrived online. Considering how warmly this was embraced by fans, it makes sense that the studio might want to follow suit (pun intended) when we see the X-Men in Doomsday.

After the X-Men being noticeably missing from the MCU for its early stages, Disney's acquisition of 20th Century Fox allowed for mutants to finally join in on the fun. The Marvels' credits scene brought back Kelsey Grammer as a comic-accurate Beast brought to life with visual effects, and many fans assume that alternate universe's heroes will be in Doomsday.

All will be revealed when Avengers: Doomsday hits theaters on December 18th of next year as part of the 2026 movie release list. It should be interesting to see how mutants are handled in the MCU, especially as a new cast of actors is expected to join for whenever the X-Men get their own movie.

This is why fans freaked out a bit at recent viral comments from Daredevil: Born Again star Charlie Cox, which implied that the show may end following this second season. However, Cox’s co-star is jumping in to let fans know where things stand.

What Charlie Cox Said About Daredevil: Born Again’s “Final Season”

The viral clip in question has Charlie Cox at a recent Galaxycon event where he was answering a question regarding his favorite Daredevil suit over the course of his time playing the character. He mentioned a suit that will be seen in the upcoming Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 that he really loves, but in referencing it, he also implied it might be the last time we see Cox as Daredevil. He said…

Needless to say, Cox calling Season 2 of Daredevil: Born Again the “final” season got fans talking. While no seasons past Season 2 have been officially announced, neither had their been any confirmation that the show would end after the forthcoming season. This led one fan to specifically seek out Daredevil: Born Again’s other big star to try and get some clarification.

How Vincint D’Onofirio Responded To Panicked Fans

One of the upsides to social media is that sometimes you can interact directly with a famous person and get some real answers to your questions, and that’s what happened with Vincent D’Onofrio after Cox’s comments went viral. Somebody reached out to the Kingpin actor on Twitter and asked if he could confirm the flaim. While D’Onofrio didn’t indicate a third season was happening, he did indicate that it was something that could happen, saying…

Following his initial response regarding Daredevil's potential future, D'Onorio has been inundated with addtional questions from fans about the same clip, and the actor has continued to respond to seemingly every single one, giving roughly the same answer.

If nothing else, word that a third season is at least possible would seem to indicate there’s nothing in the upcoming Season 2 that would necessitate it being a “final” season. While Daredevil: Born Again is arguably the most violent thing you can watch with a Disney+ subscription, the show has been well received so far at it seems likely Marvel may want to keep it going if

Considering that Cox and D’Onofrio have both been intimately involved in everything surrounding Daredevil: Born Again up to this point, it seems unlikely that one would know something the other does not.

Cox may have just used the word “final” because the two seasons of Born Again were created together and tell a single story. That story, as far as we know, will come to an end at the end of the next season, which perhaps is what makes it a “final" season.

The Boys finished filming the final season in early July, with co-star Erin Moriarty reflecting on Starlight’s journey almost immediately, and some celebratory Emmy nominations being announced a couple of weeks later. It took Antony Starr a little over a month to bring all of his feelings out about closing the book on Homelander — presumably a book about nursing — but he shared quite a few heartfelt feelings on Instagram alongside a series of bloody and candid behind-the-scenes pics.

Starr began by generally addressing the Boys’ creative team being able to bring a show like this to life without any obstacles…well, except for those two industry-halting incidents, that is. In his words:

The actor also pulled focus in on Homelander himself, a character whose actions are almost always repugnant and shockingly skeezy, and yet we have to love him anyway. (Partially due to the threat of being laser-eyed out of existence otherwise.) Starr addressed the joy of portraying the all-powerful Supe, saying:

Series creator Eric Kripke, who is responsible for the final season's big Supernatural reunion between Jensen Ackles, Jared Padalecki and Misha Collins, understandably got a special shout-out in Antony Starr's farewell post. The fact that he straight up says the chapter is closed is kinda depressing, since I'm still holding out hope that he'll show up somehow in the upcoming spinoff Vought Uprising, as well as in Gen V Season 2. (But the latter is premiering before The Boys.)

Starr ended his post by giving thanks to all The Boys' fans watching the show with Amazon Prime subscriptions and keeping it atop Prime Video's Top 10 list. As he put it:

To be expected, Starr's post earned tons of love from fans who shared all kinds of positive and bittersweet comments about how excellent he was/is as Homelander, and how much that character will be missed.

The Boys Co-Stars Share Loving Replies

Also to be expected, several of Antony Starr's co-stars and Boys buddies shared replies of their own, as seen below:

• NATE MITCHELL: Love you buddy ❤️❤️❤️
• KAREN FUKAHARA: What a fucking time we had. Grateful to have had this experience with you + greatly miss it already 🫶🏻💛
• ERIN MORIARTY: a gift to get to watch your masterclass in acting, let alone boogie w you during it. 💛
• AYA CASH: Love ya buddy. ❤️❤️❤️
• PJ BYRNE: Stud!!

For now, it's unclear when The Boys' final season will drop, and it likely won't happen during the 2025 TV schedule, but perhaps we can kick off 2026 with some head-exploding, orgy-tastic good times. And, you know, hopefully the show debuts then as well. (Homelander would laugh awkwardly at that joke.)

Just like he did in 2004’s I, Robot, Alan Tudyk took part in Superman playing a friendly robot. This one was simply named Four… or at least, that’s how he’s known for most of the 2025 movie. By the end, however, he adopted the name Gary for himself, adding another heartfelt moment to enjoy following the Man of Steel’s over Lex Luthor. As it turns out, though, it wasn’t Superman writer and director James Gunn who came up with the name change, but rather Tudyk himself.

The Resident Alien actor revealed this while speaking with The Direct, first by explaining how he saw Four as the perfected Superman Robot that Clark Kent built in the Fortress of Solitude after the first three didn’t turn out well. That’s why Four is the leader of the automatons that followed. However, Tudyk wanted to infuse his character with a little more personality, which led to this:

Ad-libbing is known to happen during the moviemaking process, but I’m surprised this particular creative beat in Superman came from Alan Tudyk off the top of his head rather than James Gunn including it in the script. It sounds like the filmmaker was initially hesitant to do this, but with lead actor David Corenswet throwing his support behind the idea, Gunn was willing to give it a shot. It ended up paying off, although there had to be talks later about if including Four naming himself Gary in the final cut was worth it. Tudyk continued:

Alan Tudyk also mentioned that he didn’t learn that the Gary moment made it into Superman until the movie’s world premiere. Even then, he missed hearing when Superman acknowledged the robot’s new name, and it fellow Firefly alum and Guy Gardner actor Nathan Fillion who clued him in. Hopefully, we’ll see more of Gary if the Fortress of Solitude is revisited in the DCU, be it in a Superman sequel, next year’s Supergirl or some other upcoming DC movie.

Although Superman is still playing in theaters, you’ll be able to purchase the film digitally starting this Friday, August 15. It will then arrive on Ultra-HD Blu-ray, Blu-ray and DVD September 23. There’s been no announcement yet about when Superman will become streamable with an HBO Max subscription.

Across the course of the Marvel movies in order, we’ve seen nearly innumerable actors bring some of our favorite comic book characters to life, and many of them will continue doing so well beyond the 2025 movies schedule. However, some stars have had complaints about leading MCU films, but Guardians of the Galaxy villain-turned-good guy Karen Gillan recently explained why she has no plans of ever being counted among that number.

What Did Karen Gillan Say About Starring In The MCU?

Even though starring in a blockbuster franchise like the Marvel Cinematic Universe can lead to long-time guaranteed (and very large) pay days for many actors, there are some drawbacks. Pedro Pascal (who led The Fantastic Four: First Steps as Reed Richards and will return in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday) has talked about how taking on each of his franchise gigs has been “scarier” than the last, and (of course) there’s all that “cult”-like secrecy and security noted by Karen Gillan’s Guardians co-star, Zoe Saldaña.

When speaking with Photobook Magazine, though, Gillan said that for all of the potential stress that goes along with being a major player in such a big-budget franchise with long-established IP, she’d never complain about being involved in things like the MCU for one big reason. She said:

Something that movie lovers can often forget about superhero movies is that the best of them are always able to give viewers something we can relate to, despite their often otherworldly, action-packed plots. Nebula was hardly a one-note bad guy, with a lot of her early actions being attributed to how she was forcibly trained by Thanos (and alongside adopted sister Gamora) from childhood, leading to pretty much all of that “trauma” that Gillan had time to “explore” on screen.

It’s understandable, though, that not everyone would have quite the same experience. Zachary Levi (who appeared in the middle two Thor movies before leading Shazam! and its sequel) admitted to enjoying his DC work much more than his time in Marvel, because his character in the latter “didn’t really do all that much.” Meanwhile, Thor himself, Chris Hemsworth has opened up about smaller irritants like the “exhausting” process of recording sound effects for fight scenes.

The mom of baby Clementine has already said that she’s willing to bring Nebula back at some point, should she be asked to do so, because “it's so much fun working in the Marvel world,” and it sounds like a lot of that has to do with how rewarding portraying the character has been. As Gillan added:

While we have no clue whether or not we’ll get another appearance from the Jumanji 4 actor’s Nebula in a future Marvel project, at least we can rest easy knowing that she’ll jump at the chance to dive back in, given her enjoyment of what’s come before.

Just recently, the 29-year-old British actor appeared in an episode of Icebreakers, a series from Men’s Health UK. Amid promoting his non-alcoholic beer, Bero, Tom Holland submerged himself in ice-cold water alongside the show’s host. When Holland emerged, his abs were revealed through his soaking wet shirt. The man seems to have been putting some serious work in, and the video, which has been posted to Instagram, is available to check out down below:

Those abs are serious! I have to give the Cherry star some serious credit for achieving that physique. Honestly, I’m getting chills from the clip but not so much from the A-lister’s body. It’s more so the fact that he did that plunge into the cold water, and the thought of feeling “frozen to the bone” like he does makes me shiver. Kudos to him, though, for not only taking part in that frosty feat but also for keeping himself in such great shape.

It would be an understatement to say that the Peter Parker portrayer isn’t the only MCU actor he’s devoted to being in superhero shape. Shang-Chi star Simu Liu has been working on his abs, given that he’s set to reprise his role as the martial arts master in Avengers: Doomsday. Deadpool & Wolverine star Hugh Jackman also seems to have abs for days. At present, Chris Hemsworth’s biceps also look huge, as he’s set to play Thor once more in Doomsday.

When it comes to Tom Holland, he’s had more than a few notable experiences in the gym. He previously worked out with Jake Gyllenhaal – one of his Spider-Man: Far From Home co-stars – and Holland’s own competitive nature prompted him to go a bit too hard. Another former workout partner of Holland’s is Mark Wahlberg, who encouraged him to work out more while they were making Uncharted. Holland is certainly devoted, and one needn’t look further than his electricity-infused workout methods to understand that.

As of late, Holland has been filming the highly anticipated Spider-Man: Brand New Day, and he’s been pumped about production. The actor recently shared a behind-the-scenes video in which he opened up about his first day of shooting. What made that particular “day one” so special for Holland was the fact that fans were present on set and that he was able to interact with them.

That time for interaction with the fans is, of course, just one aspect of Tom Holland’s filming experience, though. With principal photography only just having started, Holland still has a lot of work ahead of him. Considering how he’s historically approached work, I’d expect him to give it his all. Those efforts may very well also include making sure that his abs remain as pristine as they were when he did that water plunge. Be sure to check out Holland (and possibly his abs) when Spider-Man: Brand New Day opens on July 31, 2026.

Throughout the years Robbie played Harley three times in live action: Suicide Squad, Birds of Prey, and The Suicide Squad. While James Gunn confirmed a few heroes were sticking around, fans were left wondering about Robbie. A new report from THR's Heat Vision newsletter claimed that:

Obviously this is not a confirmation from the studio, and we might want to take it with a grain of salt. But since Gunn has never given any indication that he plans on collaborating again with Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn in the future, it's not looking great.

Back in January of 2024, Gunn confirmed there were not plans to bring back Margot Robbie's Harley just yet. And while he expressed interest in working with her again, it's possible that her tenure as the beloved DC antihero has come to an end.

The same report claimed that Weapons director Zach Creggers working on a possible upcoming DC movie called Henchmen. It would focus on the lower level criminals who work for Gotham's villains, but would also feature Joker and Harley Quinn. It remains to be seen if this project comes together, and who would play the latter character.

Personally, I wish that Margot Robbie would continue playing Harley Quinn in the DC Universe. She crushed the role under three different directors and three very different projects. And whoever possibly replaces her in the burgeoning shared universe is going to have some very big shoes to fill. So why not bring the Barbie star back for future projects as Ms. Quinzel?

Perhaps James Gunn's plans for the character include a full reboot, with her once again serving as Joker's girlfriend and assistant. This would be a major step backward from the character development we saw from Robbie's version throughout the DCEU. I'm just spitballing here, but there are plenty of reasons why the Oscar nominee not might reprise her signature role.

For now we'll just have to wait for some official word from James Gunn, Robbie, or the studio. The next DC movie expected to hit theaters is Supergirl on June 26th of next year as part of the 2026 movie release list.

In Tim Story’s two Fantastic Four movies, Michael Chiklis plays the role of Ben Grimm a.k.a. The Thing. Over the years, Chiklis has expressed pride over the superhero franchise he co-starred in during the early aughts. The veteran actor, however, gave a particularly passionate appeal as to why the two superhero flicks remain “underrated” to this day. When making his argument during an interview with Collider, Chiklis made note of the immense love that the two films have received from fans:

2005’s Fantastic Four opened to negative reviews and, as of this writing, it holds a 28% critics score (and a 45% audience rating) on Rotten Tomatoes. However, the movie was a commercial success, as it grossed over $333 million worldwide against a reported budget between $87.5 and $100 million. The 2007 sequel, Rise of the Silver Surfer, received lackluster reviews, too, and holds a critics score of 37% on RT along with an audience approval rating of 51%. Nevertheless, Surfer earned $301.9 million against a budget between $120 and $130 million.

While the reception to the two FF movies may not have been strong, it’s hard to deny that a subsection of the fandom still has affection for them. Michael Chiklis further emphasized the way in which people have taken to the “imperfect” flicks:

The legacy of those particular Fantastic Four movies is still alive and well, and that particular continuity is even referenced in Deadpool & Wolverine. Chris Evans reprises his role as Johnny Storm a.k.a. The Human Torch, and the character’s humorous role in the story results in him meeting a brutal demise. On a more sentimental note, though, the credits of that threequel also include sweet BTS footage from Tim Story’s FF productions. So believe me when I say there are still those who have affection for the movies.

Despite fiercely defending his movies, Michael Chiklis has also expressed excitement about First Steps. He penned a sweet message on social media about passing the torch to new Thing actor Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and he sent well wishes to the rest of the cast and crew. As time goes on, it’s likely that fans will continue to have their opinions about which big-screen version of Marvel’s First Family they love best and, ultimately, everyone is entitled to their own opinions.

Check out The Fantastic Four: First Steps, one of the marquee titles on the 2025 movie schedule, in theaters now. Also, anyone who’s feeling nostalgic can stream the Tim Story-helmed movies using a Disney+ subscription.

James Gunn's Superman was a hit in theaters, and did a bunch of world-building for upcoming DC movies. We were introduced to a live-action version of Krypto, who was arguably the biggest scene stealer in the blockbuster. But over on Threads, a fan took umbrage with the super powered pooch's name, claiming:

Of course, comic book fans will know that this wasn't a name given to the Kryptonian dog by James Gunn. Krypto has a long history in the comics and other media (some of which are streaming with a HBO Max subscription), so it was hardly the Guardians of the Galaxy filmmaker's decision. But that didn't stop him from debating with that particular moviegoer online.

James Gunn regularly shuts down rumors online, and often communicates with fans directly about his projects. So when he saw this discourse about Krypto's name, he defended DC's writing choice from back in 1955. In his words:

Mic drop. Rather than being cheesy, Krypto's name was a tribute to the ill-fated planet where Kal-El and his cousin Kara were born. The three of them are some of the few survivors of that world, so giving the superpowered pooch that name feels like a fitting tribute to the countless lives that were lost when the planet exploded.

Criticizing a character's name that was originated decades ago was definitely a bold choice for this particular fan, and I can't imagine how they might feel now that James Gunn has personally responded. Although since Krypto in Superman was inspired by his real-life dog, he's also got a very personal connection to the four-legged hero.

Luckily for fans of Kyrpto, he's already expected to reutrn to the burgeoning DCU sooner rather than later. Supergirl's cameo in Superman revealed he was actually her dog, so he's also going to show up in Milly Alcock's forthcoming blockbuster. And I'm eager to see if the the pooch acts any differently now that he's with his actual owner.

Superman is still in theaters now, and Supergirl is expected to follow suit on June 26 of next year as part of the 2026 movie release list.

When the Last of Us actress was asked in an interview with TVLine what her experience with The Rookie’s lead has been like, she wasted no time heaping the praise, but also pointing out the amusingly self-centered way he likes to text:

Look, if I had as many gifs of myself floating around the internet as Nathan Fillion does, I’d probably be breaking them out for texts too. Adding the stickers of himself to photos where he’s not present takes things an even funnier step forward. At least he keeps the conversation entertaining!

Isabela Merced went on to share how Nathan Fillion “loves people” and enjoys spending time with them, even outside of a work setting. She was impressed by the “sort of patience” he has with everyone, with her in particular, he went out of his way to make sure she was comfortable during the course of filming Superman. As she recalled:

As if all this wasn’t enough to impress Isabela Merced, she also took notice of how big of a fan he was of Superman even before he was cast to play the bowl-cut Guy Gardner, one of Earth’s Green Lanterns, in the first DCU movie. Merced wrapped up this portion of the interview by saying:

Guy Gardner is just the latest DC role Nathan Fillion’s snagged for his resume, with his past characters, including fellow Green Lantern Hal Jordan in various animated movies, Steve Trevor in 2009’s animated Wonder Woman movie, Vigilante in Justice League Unlimited, and T.D.K. in The Suicide Squad. Throw in his various Marvel roles from over the years, and he might as well be considered comic book media royalty. But as far as real life goes, it’s good to know that Merced’s experience working alongside Fillion was so pleasant, so fingers crossed they get to

While it remains to be when we’ll see Isabela Merced playing Hawkgirl again post-Peacemaker Season 2, let along if the winged hero will get her own movie, the good news is there’s more of Nathan Fillion’s Guy Gardner on the way in 2026. He’ll be back in action for the HBO series Lanterns, which stars Kyle Chandler as Hal Jordan and Aaron Pierre as John Stewart.

Fans who spent years watching the Marvel movies in order will recall how successful Deadpool 3 was, and are eager to see Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds back in upcoming Marvel movies. The latter actor recently set the internet ablaze thanks to a cryptic Instagram post, check it out below:

What does it mean?! Reynolds offered no caption to this post, which seemingly featured an alternate take on the Avengers logo. On top of folks wondering if he'll appear in either Doomsday or Secret Wars, there are also plenty of fans hoping that this means that the long-awaited question about why Thor was crying will be answered. Fingers crossed that happens sooner rather than later.

Fans on reddit tried to decode Reynolds' message, including that ongoing Thor question. While this debate rages on, one particularly passionate fan actually found where the image he posted originated from. Specifically, it's from another reddit post, where fans showed off t-shirts they made for Deadpool & Wolverine. So it's unclear if the actor/filmmaker is teasing more information about that threequel, or something new coming on the horizons.

Deadpool 3 featured a ton of cameos, including a short, but memorable appearance by Chris Hemsworth's Thor. In a clip the TVA acquired from the future of the Sacred Timeline, the God of Thunder is shown crying over Wade Wilson. But how this comes about remains a mystery.

At the time of writing this story, Ryan Reynolds hasn't been officially confirmed to appear in any of the net two Avengers movies. He was noticeably missing from the Doomsday cast announcement, which might be a logical place for Wade Wilson and Thor to finally share the screen. Although Kevin Feige did confirm that not every actor in the movie was included in that announcement. Alternatively, Deadpool could show up in Secret Wars instead.

The timing of Reynolds' above post definitely seems purposeful, as Doomsday is in the midst of filming as we speak. Whether or not this is n actual confirmation remains to be seen, but it's clear that fans are still obsessed over why Thor was crying over Wade Wilson. Hopefully the studio has plans to offer a payoff for this ongoing debate.

Avengers: Doomsday will hit theaters December 18th of next year as part of the 2026 movie release list. For now, we can re-watch the Deadpool movies on Disney+.

While Black Panther 3 has a rumored release window, basically nothing is known about what's going to happen in the big screen return to Wakanda. While Ryan Coogler said Washington was like family, exactly who he'll be playing in the MCU is a mystery. When speaking with ScreenRant about his new Spike Lee movie Highest 2 Lowest, he was asked about joining the beloved Marvel franchise. Unfortunately he only offered:

Fine, you can play it cool Mr. Washington. Almost nothing is known about what the third Black Panther movie will be about, and it seems like it's going to stay that way for the time being. After all Wakanda Forever's ending offered a number of thrilling narrative threads to pull from.

Of course, it's also possible that Washington might not actually know what will go down with his role in Ryan Coogler's threequel. The movie is seemingly only its in early development stage, and it's unclear how much writing the Sinners filmmaker has done so far. So we might all just have to try and be patient.

As previously mentioned, the events of the second Black Panther left a bunch of question about the future of Coogler's beloved franchise. At the end of the film Shuri became the next Panther, but didn't take the trial to try and rule her fictional country. Instead, it was hinted that M'Baku might be the new King.

Additionally, the Wakanda Forever credits scene revealed that T'Challa and Nakia had secretly had a baby. This could add another fold to who will ultimately sit on the Throne and be in control of the high tech society and its mines of Vibranium.

Ever since Washington let slip about his role in Black Panther 3, fans have been wondering who he might play in the forthcoming blockbuster. Fans who spent years watching the Marvel movies in order know that Coogler's franchise is a favorite, so the pressure is on for the third installment to deliver. Especially after recent sequels like Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania and Thor: Love and Thunder failed to resonate with audiences. No pressure.

The next Marvel movie hitting theaters is Spider-Man: Brand New Day on July 24th of next year as part of the 2026 movie release list. Fingers crossed that we get more information about Black Panther 3 sooner rather than later.

The cast of The Fantastic Four: First Steps convincingly formed a family unit for their roles, and their chemistry during the press tour was delightful. In a conversation with Vanity Fair, the subject of sandwiches was brought up. That's when Pascal offered a funny anecdote, where he'd go around stealing meals left out for Joseph Quinn. He shared:

Oops. Luckily these two actors seem to really like each other, because there are few things worse than stolen food. Now I have to wonder if Quinn will start getting club sandwiches from fans now that they know his penchant for the dish. I mean, he already had a strong following thanks to his time in Stranger Things.

Pascal and Quinn make up half of the titular team of heroes in The Fantastic Four, playing Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic and Johnny Storm/ Human Torch respectively. They were joined by Vanessa Kirby's Sue Storm/Invisible Woman and Ebon Moss-Bachrach's Ben Grimm/The Thing. The four of them had great chemistry on screen, and it looks like that also extends off camera.

Fans waiting for years for The Fantastic Four join the MCU, sandwiches and all. Disney's acquisition of 20th Century Fox finally opened up the doors for that, and they did so with a bang in First Steps. What's more, cast is already set to reprise their role in upcoming Marvel movies. Specifically, they were announced in the Avengers: Doomsday cast announcement, so they'll be back on the big screen next December.

Pedro Pascal might be the internet's daddy, but this anecdote revealed that he's also an accidental food thief. But when perfect club sandwiches started appearing around him, what else was the Last Of Us star expected to do? I know I'd start chowing down myself.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is still in theaters now, and Avengers: Doomsday will arrive next December 18th as part of the 2026 movie release list.

What we know about Spider-Man: Brand New Day is limited, but information is starting to trickle out now that it's filming. While the villain Scorpion is expected to appear, a fan who visited the set wrote a piece about what he saw for GlasgowWorld. Specifically he believes that Rhino might also appear in the forthcoming blockbuster. Let's break it all down.

Production is currently underway in Glasgow, including exterior shots that are visible to the public. We've already seen Spider-Man swinging through the air, and this report claims that a prop showed the outline of what looked like an animal. What's more that prop was reportedly being used in a tank chase scene, even further resembling a Rhino. Could that iconic Spider-Man villain finally be joining the MCU? Only time will tell.

Of course, we should take this with a grain of salt for the time being. Marvel's security is notoriously tight, so it would make sense if they were guarding its villains. As such, it's possible that this prop that's setting the internet ablaze is merely for something else entirely. We'll have to wait and see as production continues and official news comes from the studio.

Fans who spent years watching the Marvel movies in order will recall that Rhino hasn't always had a great track record on the big screen. He was teased in the final moments of The Amazing Spider-Man 2, but the possible third movie was scrapped. Most recently the character appeared in Kraven the Hunter, which was a box office bomb upon its release. So this might be the character's chance to truly take center stage on the big screen. Fingers crossed.

Rhino is a very popular Spider-Man villain, and is sometimes included in the Sinister Six. And while he's been featured in various media throughout the years, he's never gotten to be one of the main villains of the Spider-Man movies. So hopefully this rumor actually turns out to be true. I'd definitely love to see Tom Holland's wall crawling hero go toe to toe with that giant villain. What's more, it would be fun to see Rhino and Hulk fight, since Mark Ruffalo is expected to appear in the blockbuster.

All will be revealed when Spider-Man: Brand New Day hits theaters on July 31 of next year as part of the 2026 movie release list.

In the case of the hotly-anticipated Fantastic Four reboot, some might be satisfied with merely asking for sequels. I’m not one of those people though, as I recognize a special potential this pretty standalone movie could realize.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps Should Start A Parallel Universe Of Movies

As my friend and CinemaBlend colleague Dirk Libbey pointed out, First Steps takes advantage of the Marvel multiverse in a way that should have happened way sooner. Director Matt Shakman’s super-story revels in the retro-futuristic ‘60s of Earth-828, and it’s an artful contrast from what we’ve come to expect from most Marvel movies so far.

The closest analog I can think of is when Captain America: The First Avenger brought us back to the ‘40s of Earth-616. We haven’t seen that sort of gorgeous throwback given the feature-length treatment in some time;\, and the possibilities are too beautiful to let go.

Part of the reason is probably because the mainline MCU universe is preoccupied with the contemporary present, save for some flashbacks. Setting The Fantastic Four: First Steps in an alternate version of the past is pretty brilliant, and it’s a choice that I think should start a series of Earth-828 movies that exceed just sequels to one of my favorite movies of the summer.

More Retro-Futuristic Adventures In Earth-828 Would Be A Plus

If you need a brief crash course on the Marvel multiverse, we’ve covered that business elsewhere. Just know that with a new universe comes new opportunities to see characters realized in a new light. It's one that, in the case of First Steps, would look more like Walt Disney's Tomorrowland - a.k.a. "the future MCU I'm dreaming of."

Seeing as the team of Pedro Pascal's Reed Richards, Vanessa Kirby's Sus Storm, Joseph Quinn's Johnny Storm and Ebon Moss-Bachrach's Ben Grimm are considered the first superheroes of their home universe, there’s room for so much more to unfold. Like, say, an entire movie about Paul Walter Hauser’s scene-stealing Harvey “Mole Man” Elder.

In one of the several parallels between Iron Man and First Steps, it’s like Marvel Studios stepped back into 2008 with a fresh MCU to develop as it sees fit. If the ‘60s were this much fun, imagine how alternate versions of other decades in Earth-828’s history could play out? Also, with the Multiversal Theory requiring an “anchor being” to keep a certain world alive, figuring out who that is in this pocket of Marvel magic would only add to the fun.

Marvel Adopting DC's Elseworlds Model Could Fight "Superhero Fatigue"

As seen with DC Studios’ creative force/co-CEO James Gunn, the concept of Elseworlds is alive and well. While Superman is the cinematic kickoff for the DCU's Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters, Matt Reeves’ The Batman Crime Saga is allowed to exist concurrently due to it being an Elseworlds property.

That advantage could allow Kevin Feige and his team to explore the major phases of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. You could also potentially eliminate one of the biggest criticisms Marvel Studios seems to incur, allowing fans more time to “do the homework” with their Disney+ subscription.

Playing with other worlds that aren’t necessarily connected is kind of a clean slate to do anything that would go against the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s spirit. Three seasons of the Disney+ original What If… is a proper test case for being allowed to do such a thing.

Now take that thinking and use it to infuse unlimited creativity that operates on a scaled back budget. Marvel can follow all sorts of threads, like the long defunct Damage Control adaptation, while letting us have time to miss the MCU’s brand of adventure.

Adapting The Movies In The Fantastic Four's World Wouldn't Hurt Either

I can’t be the only person who wants to know more about films like The Emperor’s Twin, Attack of the Fungi and, of course, the potential Captain America easter egg that is Subzero Intel. Knowing that we were watching another universe in The Fantastic Four: First Steps had me questioning what the pictures of that world would look like - or what their stories would cover.

The upcoming Marvel TV show Wonder Man almost sounds like it’s covering similar ground, as Yahya Abdul-Mateen II’s Simon Williams is going to be shown as acting in his own superhero series. That cleverly meta-approach shouldn’t be reserved for Earth-616, as there’s some fun and original paths to be taken in the Marvel Cinematic Universe presented in these titles.

The MCU Would Have More Time To Rest Between Mainline Entries

Imagine if The Fantastic Four: First Steps had premiered in the post-Avengers: Endgame slot that Spider-Man: Far from Home had. Audiences could have had a break in-between The Infinity Saga and The Multiverse Saga, while also seeing some comic movie action in theaters.

That sort of breather could have allowed the Marvel Studios writers room to take a little more time to plot out where to go next, instead of basically using a marquee superhero’s next picture as a feature-length post-credits sequence.

With projects of this variety providing gaps in-between main events, The Multiverse Saga’s course corrections (like the change that saw Avengers: The Kang Dynasty morph into Doomsday) would have had extra time to truly develop. Even the bittersweet rewrites of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever could have benefitted, removing Team Marvel’s seemingly relentless march of progress from the equation, and allowing everyone time to properly grieve.

Back in 2014, Kevin Feige’s MCU wall chart was an innovation that changed the game in Hollywood. Several failed Hollywood cinematic universes, and some perceived whiffs from Marvel Studios, later, it feels like time to move on. That doesn’t mean massive shared stories need to go away, but rather we should be trying out hybrids that maintain serialization, while also allowing creativity to slip the leash and run wild.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps saw the First Family of Heroes save the day against Galactus. Should Marvel heed the lesson in this hypothetical scenario, they could rescue an entire cinematic money maker in the process too. Form your own opinions by seeing this fantastic movie, which is currently showing in theaters.

Which MCU Franchise Deserves An Animated Offshoot Like Eyes Of Wakanda And Why?

Although there are plenty of superhero-based franchises within the MCU, I’d argue that there are only a handful that have truly established distinct lore that’s worth excavating. One of those is the Shang-Chi property, which kicked off with 2021’s The Legend of the Ten Rings. That story squarely focuses on the eponymous kung fu savant and his attempts to confront his past. However, director Destin Daniel Cretton and co. also managed to introduce some other cool characters and developments into the narrative.

Marvel Studios’ first film to feature a predominantly Asian cast thrusts viewers into the history of the Ten Rings organization, which is led by the immortal, ten ring-wielding Wenwu a.k.a. The Mandarin. An animated limited series could center on Wenwu’s exploits, which span a thousand years. Writers could also theoretically dig deeper into Ta Lo, the mystical dimension that Shang-Chi’s late mother helped safeguard against outsiders. Surely, there are wondrous tales that can be told about that visually stunning land and its inhabitants.

All in all, what I’m saying is that this is a culturally rich IP we have here, and a beautifully animated show would be a great way to expand upon it. Not only that, but the corporate pieces could be in place for it to happen. Cretton now seems to be very tight with the creatives at Marvel, given he’s directing Spider-Man: Brand New Day and is a producer on Wonder Man, which hits the 2025 TV schedule later this year. Still, given the current state of his martial arts franchise, a show may just be a pipe dream.

What’s Going On With The Shang-Chi Franchise?

There’s been a lot of speculation about the next chapter in the Simu Liu-led MCU franchise. It’s long been known that a Shang-Chi sequel is in the works, but work on that has seemingly been slow. While the titular character headlined a 2024 episode of the animated series What If…? internet users have commented on his lack of visibility since his solo film. Liu has been shutting down rumors regarding the sequel being canceled, but I, along with other fans, remain anxious for more concrete updates.

Something that is known is that while Cretton oversees Tom Holland’s fourth Spider-Man movie, Simu Liu is reprising his superhero role in another project. Liu will play the character again in the upcoming team-up film Avengers: Doomsday alongside a number of other power players in the cinematic universe.

Despite that, the Shang-Chi franchise has been without a new installment for far too long. So, even if it doesn’t continue right away in the form of another live-action film, why not greenlight an animated prequel series to whet fans’ appetites? After all, Eyes of Wakanda does also serve as a nice bit of storytelling to tide viewers over ahead of the now-in-development Black Panther 3. It may be foolish to do so, but I’ll be holding onto hope that Marvel expands upon the lore of its resident martial artist using an awesome cartoon.

In the meantime, stream all episodes of Eyes of Wakanda and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings as well as other MCU movies and TV shows using a Disney+ subscription.

Marvel’s first family finally joined the MCU in The Fantastic Four: First Steps! After the movie barreled into theaters and the 2025 movie schedule earlier this summer, audiences were treated to a jaw-dropping final act that brought the family of superheroes into a street-level showdown with Galactus as he came for young Franklin Richards. Per co-writer Eric Pearson, though, the battle wasn’t always going to unfold against the backdrop of New York’s skyline. In early drafts, the climax was staged entirely in space—until creative and emotional priorities pushed it down to Earth.

Eric Pearson, one of five credited writers on First Steps, revealed the change in a wide-ranging interview with The Hollywood Reporter. During that chat, Pearson traced his journey from Marvel’s Writers Program to becoming one of the studio’s most reliable scribes. Over the past 15 years, he's had a hand in numerous superhero blockbusters, both released and upcoming Marvel movies. With First Steps, though, he says it was his call to pull the climactic battle with Galactus out of space and set it on Earth:

I found it interesting to hear that Pearson says the change wasn’t just a matter of trading starfields for skyscrapers, and it makes sense. This was about making the fight feel personal. Dropping Galactus into a world of familiar landmarks and everyday chaos instantly raises the stakes. You can picture the destruction, smell the smoke and feel the panic. And at the center of it all? Reed and Sue’s gut-wrenching decision to use their own child as bait. It’s “super f—ed up,” sure, but it also shows the movie's team isn't afraid to dive headfirst into the grayest, most morally complicated corners of superhero storytelling.

The THR profile paints Eric Pearson as a writer who thrives in collaborative, on-the-fly environments, as someone just as comfortable rewriting a scene on set as he is plotting a franchise tentpole in a conference room. His Marvel tenure began with uncredited ADR work on Captain America: The First Avenger, followed by contributions to the Agent Carter One Shot and subsequent Marvel TV series based on Hayley Atwell's character.

Pearson made the leap to blockbuster status with Thor: Ragnarok. he then clicked into Marvel’s rhythm with Black Widow and helped shape Thunderbolts* from concept to critical hit.

On First Steps, the Godzilla vs. Kong scribe helped realize a dream tha fans had, as he helped present a more comic-book accurate version of Galactus, played by Ralph Ineson. Even via earlier glimpses of the FF film, the nightmare-inducing size of the "Devourer of Worlds" was very present in the New York shots, and that lent credence to Pearson's reason for NY being the final battle ground.

All in all, Eric Pearson’s comments reveal a writer invested in the balance between spectacle and humanity. That balance, he believes, is what makes First Steps’ grounded finale work—because it’s not just about saving the world, it’s about the gut-punch choices heroes have to live with afterward.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is playing in theaters now. Be sure to check your local listings, and grab a Disney+ subscription to stream other MCU fare.

Interscope Records’ marketing director, Allison Hsu, was first reported to be dating Simu Liu in late 2022. While the couple normally keeps their relationship low-key, their rare public moments leave me gushing over them every time. As the engaged couple prepares to say “I Do,” the Barbie actor shared his sentimental birthday comment to Instagram. The comment is short and sweet, but it seems to be a truly lovely summation of Liu's feelings for his fiancè:

Aww, I can’t take it! Based on all of the photos Allison Hsu posted, she and Simu Liu truly are a picture-perfect couple. It also looks like in one of the photos that the Canadian actor is also giving a dinner toast to his bride-to-be. If only I could've been a fly on the wall during that sweet-looking event.

Of course, I also can’t get over Simu Liu’s adorable dog making a cameo in the photos. Allison Hsu is incredibly lucky that she’s close to marrying not just an action star but a dog daddy as well.

Liu rarely provides insight into his relationship with his future wife. He previously recalled back in 2022 what a “stressful time” it was meeting her parents for the first time. But that’s only natural when it comes to meeting the people who could become your future in-laws. At the 20th Annual Unforgettable Gala, Liu also complimented Hsu for being a “badass” in everything she does. Considering Liu knows a thing or two about powerful superheroes, that truly says a lot coming from him.

The Liu/Hsu love story reached a brand new chapter in May when the Marvel actor proposed in Paris, marking the big moment with some sweet photos. In the engagement post Liu shared, he cheekily made a Marvel reference, saying that he still has “nine rings left.” The big rock he gave his fiancè may not have otherworldly powers like his Marvel superhero’s rings have, but the piece of jewelry itself was certainly impressive. (Seriously, it's quite the rock.)

It really does warm my heart to see Simu Liu continue to find sweet ways to honor or celebrate his bride-to-be. Finding love in any context -- whether a person is a celebrity or not -- can be difficult. So it's wonderful to see that Liu has been able to find a person he treasures and wants to spend the rest of his life with.

Revisit Simu Liu’s breakthrough performance in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings using a Disney+ subscription. Also, know that Liu's character is set to return in Avengers: Doomsday, which opens in theaters on December 18 as part of the 2026 movie schedule.

It’s true that large portions of many Marvel movies are shot on sound stages – not just for secrecy but for practicality as well. When it comes to Brand New Day, the highly anticipated film’s first day of production took place on the streets of Glasgow, Scotland. So a number of set photos and videos have been shared by fans across social media. Tom Holland chronicled his own experiences with the hyped bystanders as well, as can be seen in the lovely video he shared to Instagram. Check it out:

To be completely honest, I’m feeling a bit of FOMO after watching those admirers on set. I can definitely understand why so many people are so excited to be present for the shoot, and they’re all now, in a way, part of Marvel Cinematic Universe history. As cool as it is to see so many smiling faces, I really love how much this all seems to mean to the Spidey actor himself. The sentiments he shares in the clip exude not only enthusiasm but a sense of appreciation for his position and the presence of the fans:

That’s a great way to look at the situation, and these comments collectively amount to just another reason why I’m such a fan of Tom Holland. What’s particularly admirable is the way in which he seems to make time for the fans. The sight of Holland picking up that young fan dressed as the web-slinger and posing with him is particularly sweet. In short, Holland appears to be a man of the people and, quite frankly, it’s lovely to see.

Overall, there seem to be a number of reasons that fans should be excited for Brand New Day. Peter Parker’s fresh suit is cool enough, but there’s also the inclusion of Marvel TV fan-favorite Frank Castle/The Punisher, who’ll be played once again by Jon Berenthal. An Avenger is also featured in the film, as Mark Ruffalo is set to reprise his role as Bruce Banner a.k.a. Smart Hulk. What’s also exciting is that Michael Mando is returning as Mac Gargan a.k.a. the Scorpion, and Mando celebrated his reprisal with a sweet photo.

After much waiting, it’s comforting for me to know that the fourth movie in Tom Holland’s Spider-Man franchise is finally being filmed. Still, the most heartwarming aspect of all of this right now is that Holland seems to be soaking up the experience in positive fashion. Here’s hoping that Holland and co.’s shoot progresses smoothly and that they’re able to deliver something fresh, exciting and heartfelt.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day opens in theaters on July 31, 2026. In the meantime, stream past Spidey films from past decades using a Disney+ subscription.

In the image, which the director posted to his Instagram, fans quickly noticed David Corenswet’s phone tucked neatly into the front of the waistband of his classic red Superman trunks. Check out the image for yourself below:

Because the Internet never misses a chance to poke fun, the comments section quickly filled with jokes aimed at the filmmakers, the costume department, and of course, Superman himself. Here are some of the standout roasts:

• Mr. Gunn, give that man some super pockets. - _chefboyardean_
• WHY IS THE PHONE IN THE TRUNKS? 😭 - isaacjosephdantes
• So THAT'S WHY he wears the trunks! - travgetsinsta
• That phone is used to quickdraw against Supershit commenters. - nirvanic_artz
• Is that a phone in your pants, or are you just happy to see me? 😂- Andrewrainnie
• Give that man some pockets! - Travis Knight

Superpockets? Now, there is an idea!

In all seriousness, though, the trunks have been part of Big Blue’s look since his 1938 debut, but they almost didn’t make the cut this time around. James Gunn initially doubted they’d work on screen while Corenswet had strong feelings about them being included. Of course, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster weren’t exactly designing outer briefs with iPhones in mind. Had the filmmakers scrapped them entirely, Corenswet might’ve been in real trouble. Batman has his trusty utility belt, but Clark? He’s stuck improvising and, now, we’ve got photographic proof.

With Superman having finally arrived as part of DCU Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters, attention is shifting to what’s next — namely, Supergirl. Corenswet and Milly Alcock seem to have great chemistry on and off screen, but how will her solo outing compare? According to the former Guardians of the Galaxy helmer turned DC co-CEO, Kara Zor-El’s big-screen adventure will be a very different beast from her cousin’s. Gunn has teased that Supergirl will carry a much more “rock and roll” edge, so audiences might want to brace themselves when she takes flight next summer.

At present, Superman is still flying high at the box office so, if you’re one of the few who hasn’t seen it yet, now’s the perfect time to check your local listings. As for Alcock’s turn as Supergirl, fans got both a sweet behind-the-scenes shot of her with Supes and a quick (and slightly drunken) cameo in the film’s conclusion.

We’ll have to wait until Milly Alcock's Kara and Krypto return to the DCU, as Supergirl arrives on June 26, 2026. In the meantime, I can’t help but wonder … where will the Woman of Tomorrow keep her cell phone? Of course, fans can also use this time to stream other DC-related titles with the help of a trusty HBO Max subscription.

According to THR, Zach Cregger’s DC movie is called Henchmen, and it would follow “a low-level henchman in the Gotham crime world who gains notoriety after managing to incapacitate Batman through a stroke of luck.” The outlet has learned from sources that Joker and Harley Quinn would indeed be present in the story, and Batman himself could briefly appear. While Cregger hasn’t officially pitched Henchmen to DC Studios yet, the company is reportedly “aware of his interest.”

If this kind of story sounds familiar to you, that’s probably because you’ve seen the Batman: The Animated Series episode “The Man Who Killed Batman.” Originally airing on February 1, 1993, the episode saw an inept criminal named Sidney Debris accidentally knocking Batman to his seeming death in the middle of a drug run. Spoiler alert: Batman didn't die.

But until that big reveal, word gets around Gotham City of Sidney being the man who killed Batman, and he soon gets The Joker’s attention. Disgusted at the idea of someone like Sidney having eliminated his arch-nemesis, the Clown Prince of Crime and Harley Quinn arranged a jewel heist to confirm Batman was indeed dead. When the Caped Crusader didn’t show up, they held a funeral for him at the Ace Chemical Plant, which was really a ruse to knock off Sidney for taking Joker’s glory away from him. The funeral, seen below, as well as Mark Hamill uttering the line, “Without Batman, crime has no punchline,” are some of the reasons why this is one of my favorite BTAS episodes.

While I’m sure the events in Zach Cregger’s Henchmen unfold quite differently in comparison, I’d be shocked to learn if he wasn’t in any way inspired by “The Man Who Killed Batman” while writing his script. Regardless, as interesting as this idea may be, there’s no guarantee it’ll happen. James Gunn and fellow DC Studios head Peter Safran likely don’t want any Batman-related plans for the DC Universe to interfere with what Matt Reeves is doing for 2027’s The Batman: Part II and maybe even Part III, especially with Barry Keoghan playing the cackling villain in this continuity. Cregger is also already set to direct the Resident Evil reboot, so he’s keeping busy for the near future.

Still, with Weapons getting positive critical reception like Barbarian did, DC Studios would be wise to at least take a meeting with Cregger to hear his Henchmen pitch. Meanwhile, one Batman villain-focused DC Universe movie we can look forward is the Tom Rhys Harries-led Clayface, which opens in theaters on September 11, 2026.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a behemoth franchise, one that offers new content in theaters and streaming with a Disney+ subscription. One of the most highly anticipated upcoming Marvel movies is Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which will bring Tom Holland's title character back to theaters. Former director Jon Watts has offered some advice to future directors about how to film the hero's web slinging, but I'm kind of glad that newcomer Destin Daniel Cretton isn't listening.

What we know about Spider-Man: Brand New Day is limited, but production is officially underway. It'll mark the first entry in Tom Holland's franchise that isn't directed by Watts, with that honor instead going to Cretton (who previously helmed Shang-Chi). And the two filmmakers don't agree on how to film Spidey's web swinging for the big screen.

What Jon Watts Said About Practical Swinging.

Fans who have spent years watching the Marvel movies in order will recall how Watts did a killer job with the first three Spider-Man films. During a recent interview with Collider, he spoke about some of the lessons he learned while behind the camera. That includes how to capture Peter Parker's ability to swing through the air with his webs. He's not a fan of filming these sequences practically, and offered advice for future filmmakers on the matter. In his words:

Well, he certainly didn't mince his words. Since he's filmed a total of three Spider-Man movies, Watts knows what he's talking about. And while the character was shown swinging around New York City and more, those sequences were brought together through visual effects. And as such, there was no one actually swinging on a rope during these blockbusters' productions.

In the same interview, Watts went on to explain how he eventually came to this conclusion. Namely by trying to do these scenes practically before realizing how "boring" it actually looks. In his words:

I guess this makes sense. There's only so much stunt performers can pull off while swinging as Spider-Man, and it sounds like trying to film these sequences practically is time consuming and not worth it. He went on to say:

That was definitely honest. Unfortunately for Jon Watts, it doesn't seem like Destin Daniel Cretton is taking this advice as he films Brand New Day. At least, according footage of production that's made its way online.

How Destin Daniel Cretton Is Handling Swinging In Brand New Day

After Spider-Man: No Way Home's ending, fans are eager to catch up with Peter Parker. After all, Doctor Strange's spell succeeded in erasing everyone's memory of him... including MJ and Ned. Luckily production is underway, and set photos and videos have revealed that Cretton is, in fact, shooting some of the web swinging practically. A video from TikTok showed a stunt performer on harnesses, swinging away as explosions ignite behind Spidey. And in the Shang-Chi director's defense, the clip looks pretty cool;

Hints that this was being done practically first popped up on Tom Holland's Instagram, which featured two shots of him filming in costume. He's shown to be hooked up to harnesses, hinting that he was doing more practical swinging. Check it out below:

With a new filmmaker in the director's chair, I have to assume that this is just the first of many changes that are happening with Spider-Man: Brand New Day. We'll just have to wait and see how this shakes up, and if fans like the new way that web swinging in particular is being handled.

All will be revealed when Spider-Man: Brand New Day hits theaters a year from now on July 31st as part of the 2025 movie release list. We'll just have to wait and see what the Shang-Chi director has planned for this superhero flick.

Among the upcoming Marvel movies is the first Avengers movie since the universe-shattering Avengers: Endgame, and I’m sad to say that my hype for Doomsday is a lot more lowkey than I wish it was. And I think one big reason why actually has to do with the latest of Marvel post-credits scenes. I don’t think it had a big enough impact, and the missed opportunity has been eating at me.

I Found Doctor Doom’s Debut In Fantastic Four: First Steps Rather Underwhelming

Fantastic Four’s tease for Avengers: Doomsday takes place four years after the events of First Steps. The scene, which was actually directed by the Russo Brothers, involves Sue Storm and her son Franklin hanging out at home. She turns her head for a moment and goes to the other room before returning and seeing Franklin face-to-face with Doctor Doom.

Marvel fans have known for some time that Robert Downey Jr. will play Doctor Doom since he made a surprise appearance at Hall H at San Diego Comic-Con 2024. But, after seeing this post-credits scene, it’s clear to me that we’ll have to wait to see his take on the Marvel villain until Doomsday. While I understand why Marvel Studios would do this, seeing the back of Doctor Doom’s head didn’t necessarily make me anticipate Doomsday anymore.

The scene does perhaps suggest that Franklin and his amazing powers could have something to do with how the Fantastic Four and the Avengers link up, but it feels too vague for me to latch on to anything specific about it. I wish the scene had involved RDJ introducing his villain a lot more, and perhaps saying some memorable line that would stick with me for the next year and a half, but instead, I’m left with this feeling of what could have been.

I Can’t Stop Thinking About How The Infinity Saga Built Up Its Big Villain Better

Now, if you’ve been following what’s been going on with the MCU behind the scenes, you know that RDJ wasn’t always the plan for the big bad in the Multiverse Saga; it was Jonathan Majors’ Kang, who got fired after getting mixed up in some legal issues. That being said, I still can’t help but contrast how Doctor Doom is being teased after the previous saga built up the threat of Thanos across movies over the years.

By the time we got to Avengers: Infinity War, we had seen Thanos’ face, and some of the damage he could do through the Infinity Stones and so forth. But, I’m walking into Avengers: Doomsday not feeling any fear at all about Robert Downey Jr’s Doctor Doom. And I’m honestly a little worried about how the actor is going to portray a completely different character in the universe after being so beloved as Iron Man in the Infinity Saga.

I would have thought Fantastic Four would be the perfect place for the MCU to establish what to look forward to in the next Avengers a bit more, but I’m going to have to wait for the Avengers: Doomsday release date in December 2026 instead. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still very excited, but I wish Fantastic Four had me leaving the theater absolutely hyped and on the edge of my seat for what’s next.

What we know about Avengers: Doomsday is limited, but comic book fans are hyped to see the return of so many X-Men stars. James Marsden debuted as Cyclops back in 2000, and fans have wanted to see him return for years now. During an interview with Vanity Fair, he spoke about reprising that character years later. He said:

Cyclops is a beloved X-Men character, one who fans usually want to see more of. While James Marsden heard from fans wanting him to appear in the MCU for years, Disney's acquisition of 20th Century Fox finally opened those doors. Sure, the character was killed in X-Men: The Last Stand, but with the multiverse anything is possible. And technically, Days of Future Past's ending already revived him.

Fans like me were shocked when the Avengers: Doomsday cast announcement included a number of OG X-Men stars. In addition to Marsden, we'll also see the return of Patrick Stewart's Charles Xavier, Ian McKellen's Magneto, Alan Cumming's Nightcrawler, Rebecca Romijn's Mystique, and Kelsey Grammer's Beast. Later in the same interview, the star of Paradise (which is streaming with a Hulu subscription) spoke more about filming the next Avengers flick, offering:

I don't know about you, but I am seriously hyped. Marsden is the first actor to play Cyclops in live-action, with that role eventually going to Tye Sheridan in X-Men Apocalypse and Dark Phoenix, none of those actors are expected to pop up in Doomsday.

Exactly how the OG X-Men are going to join the story of that blockbuster is a total mystery at this point, but fans have some ideas. The Marvels' credits scene brought back Grammer's Beast, so that would be a logical way for the team of mutants to appear. Then again, Brie Larson and Teyonah Parris haven't been listed as part of the Doomsday cast.

All will be revealed when Avengers: Doomsday hits theaters on December 18th of next year as part of the 2026 movie release list. Hopefully, we get more information about the movie as filming continues.

The 2025 movie schedule is rolling right along, and with it we’ve seen the ever-increasing number of Marvel movies in order continue to do the same. While The Fantastic Four: First Steps was pretty successful at rounding out this year’s big-screen MCU blockbusters, there are still numerous upcoming superhero movies where our favorites will return. With that, it’s hard not to think about those who portrayed past heroes and villains, like Josh Brolin. He’s now opened up about whether or not he’d like to return as Thanos or Cable, and had a very thoughtful position on the matter.

What Did Josh Brolin Say About Playing Thanos Or Cable Again?

There are several actors who have played more than one MCU role in the Marvel multiverse, and we can count Weapons star Josh Brolin among that number. The actor helped make The Mad Titan a force to be reckoned with across several films in the Infinity Saga, and also appeared as the futuristic, cybernetic revenge-seeking soldier Cable in 2018’s Deadpool 2.

We are currently a little over a year away from another major Marvel team-up movie, as the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday hits the 2026 movies that December. While there’s no reason (right now) to think that Brolin will return as either character, when speaking with the Happy Sad Confused podcast, the topic of his work as both did come up. After revealing that Thanos was originally supposed to only be a cameo, he added:

Brolin didn’t go into details about why he, seemingly, holds Thanos so close to his heart that he’d be willing to drop everything, pull on those motion-capture pajamas again and play the Big Bad. However, it sounds like his love for former Iron Man Robert Downey, Jr. (who’s starring in Doomsday as Doctor Doom) and the Russo brothers has a lot to do with it. He continued:

The Oscar nominee explained that he and Joe Russo are embarking on a business endeavor together, but noted his fondness for the siblings, saying, “I love both of them. I think they’re amazing.” So, when he was asked about possibly being able to bring Thanos back (which has been rumored) in some way, Brolin confirmed that he has complete faith in the Russos’ ability to make such a shocking turn of events work within the story they’re now building. Brolin said:

Though it would be severely premature to get excited about the idea of Brolin’s Thanos returning to the MCU, at least we know that he’s down for the opportunity if it arises.

James Gunn has spoken before that he knew David Corenswet was a strong contender as soon as he saw him audition. However, it turns out that this happened on the first day of auditions.

The Twisters actor was one of the first people to audition for the role of Clark Kent/Superman, which meant that Gunn had his star early, but he continued to see actors. According to GQ, there were about 400 people the director saw after Corenswet, who had no idea they were competing with him for the part. Gunn said…

One imagines that in any casting process, a director is going to be comparing any performance against whatever the best one they’ve seen so far is, but that doesn’t always mean the powers that be are sold on somebody from the first read. In this case, that appears to be the case, though. If James Gunn had just quit after seeing David Corenswet, we would have gotten exactly the same movie, and a bunch of actors who never really had a chance could have saved some time.

However, it was important to see as many actors as possible to really make sure they got the right guy.

What makes the story even more remarkable is that essentially the same thing happened with Lois Lane. Gunn saw Rachel Brosnahan very early, and he simply found himself in shock that he had seemingly found his power couple that quickly. He continued…

James Gunn may have known who he wanted to play Lois Lane early, but he certainly gave others a chance. David Corenswet himself thought Emma Mackey likely had the role, considering the work they had done together as part of the process.

Gunn’s reaction here actually may help understand why he continued to audition actors after already liking what he saw with David Corenswet. Part of it was surely due diligence. The possibility of seeing somebody even better was always there. But beyond that, he might have felt unsure of himself for feeling like the process was so easy.

Gunn says that a handwritten letter from Corenswet following the audition also factored into him getting the part, which does indicate the director hadn’t made a final decision yet. He was still leaving himself open to another actor rising to the top, but nobody ever did.

In the end, one of the others who auditioned for Superman would ultimately still find his role. Nicholas Hoult tried to be Clark Kent, but found himself as Lex Luthor instead. Hoult himself also realized early on that Corenswet was right for the part. Everybody else went home empty-handed, which was always going to be the case with a role as high-profile as Superman. But it’s remarkable that, out of 400 people, the person who would get the role was seen on day one.

Robert Downey Jr. is coming back to the Marvel Cinematic Universe in next year’s Avengers: Doomsday. It’s a big deal because no single actor is as responsible for the success of the MCU as Downey. Had the original Iron Man not been the success it was, the franchise likely wouldn’t be here today, and it’s incredible that the movie worked as well as it did, considering they were basically making it up as they went along.

Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark is absolutely one of the coolest characters in the MCU, and you can tell because he’s often wearing sunglasses, an accessory that he wears significantly more than most of his Avengers buddies. It turns out the reason for the glasses, at least in one key scene, was as much for function as fashion, as Downey once told Vanity Fair he wore them to hide the fact he was reading his lines. Downey said…

It’s unclear if Tony Stark's penchant for sunglasses was born entirely from this scene, or not, or if the continued use of sunglasses was done for the same reason, but it honestly wouldn’t be surprising. If Downey wasn’t originally going to be wearing sunglasses in a scene that takes place on a bright sunny day in the desert, then why would he in so many other scenes?

I had never come across this explanation before, and while it all makes perfect sense, it’s also sort of fascinating that this was something that needed to be done. For a franchise that would become revolutionary for the way that it seemed to put thought into creating connections between different characters and films, the first Iron Man wasn’t thought out in advance at all.

It makes the success of the film, as well as the franchise that would follow from it, all the more remarkable. The possibility of making a misstep is certainly increased if one doesn’t really have a plan. Clearly, however, what Favreau and Downey knew they wanted to make was exactly what it needed to be. Downey continued…

Considering the massive size of the Avengers: Doomsday cast, making up as they go along likely has not been an option. Still, fans will be excited to see Robert Downey Jr. again in a new Marvel movie, although considering his Doctor Doom mask, he’ll probably skip the sunglasses.

Grillo explained to IGN that this stemmed from how his work on Superman overlapped with filming the Sylvester Stallone-led series Tulsa King. As such, playing Bill Bevilaqua on the Paramount+ subscription-exclusive show necessitated that his hair remain the same color, continuity issues in the DC Universe aside. As the actor recalled:

For the average moviegoer, Rick Flag Sr. having black hair isn’t a big deal, as they were just meeting the newly-appointed ARGUS director for the first time. But for those already familiar with him from Creature Commandos, I can understand why they’d be confused by rhetorical sudden change. Still, did people really have to be mean in front of Frank Grillo about it? It’s not like he made the decision to avoid the white hair. Besides, James Gunn already provided an in-universe explanation for this by telling Collider that Flag dies his hair for vanity reasons.

By the way, Rick Flag Sr.’s black hair isn’t going away, as we’ll continue seeing it when Peacemaker Season 2 premieres on the 2025 TV schedule next month. However, it sounds like for the next project Flag appears in after that, Frank Grillo will advocate for his character finally boasting white hair. Let’s just hope that 1, nothing bad happens to Flag in the next batch of Peacemaker episodes, and 2, Grillo doesn’t have to deal with scheduling overlaps with Tulsa King again.

Rick Flag Sr. was last seen in Superman watching the Justice Gang thwart Boravia’s invasion of Jarhanpur, and Peacemaker Season 2 will see him looking to exact revenge on John Cena’s title character for killing his son, as depicted in 2021’s The Suicide Squad. The new season premieres on HBO Max August 21, and Tulsa King Season 3 will premiere September 21 on Paramount+.

It’s been a few years since we’ve seen Chris Hemsworth as the God of Thunder, but it’s been confirmed he’s finally suiting back up in one of the upcoming Marvel movies, and I couldn’t be more excited to see the comic book character back in action. But for as little as we know about his role in the Avengers: Doomsday release, we’re not entirely surprised to see him already getting asked about the next Thor movie.

Marvel fans currently find themselves in Phase 6, which will be the final batch of movies from the Multiverse Saga. Along with Doomsday, we know that this era of MCU movies will include Tom Holland's return in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which begs the question of if another solo Thor adventure on the table. Here’s what Hemsworth recently said when asked by BBC News:

It sounds like Chris Hemsworth is staying really present with the future of Thor (to the public anyway) for the time being, and that makes a lot of sense considering all the secret plotlines he’s surely hiding under those baby blues. I would imagine there’s a lot that will be illuminated to audiences once we see Avengers: Doomsday next December. Then there’s its follow-up, Avengers: Secret Wars, which could include a lot of developments for Thor and the other Marvel heroes as well.

So far, we know very little about the future of Thor, except that Chris Hemsworth was confirmed to be in Doomsday when the cast was revealed over a five-hour rollout of the roster of actors. Hemsworth’s Thor is set to be the only original Avenger to be in the upcoming movie, but Robert Downey Jr. is in the cast as Doctor Doom instead of Iron Man. Other original actors from the MCU's Phase 1 that will join him include Tom Hiddleston’s Loki and Sebastian Stan’s Bucky Barnes

Also in the mix is the Fantastic Four, Thunderbolts, some original X-Men cast members, Anthony Mackie’s Captain America, Letitia Wright's Shuri, Winston Duke's M'Baku, Tenoch Huerta Mejía's Namor from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Paul Rudd’s Ant-Man, and Simu Liu’s Shang-Chi. So far, Hemsworth has said he’s felt like “one of the elders now” on the set of Doomsday.

Just a few months ago, Chris Hemsworth went viral for posting about how playing Thor has been “one of the greatest honors” of his life along with thanking fans for their “passion”, “cheers” and “love.” A lot of fans thought he was saying goodbye to the character, but the actor also recently shared that the post was a “moment of gratitude” and got “misconstrued.”

Needless to say, it sounds like Hemsworth still loves playing Thor, and while we don’t have any details right now about the future of the character, I think we’ll know a lot more once the upcoming superhero movie, Avengers: Doomsday, hits theaters next year.

The Batman: Part II Is Getting Ready To Begin Filming

As shared by Productionlist, which is part of the Film & Television Industry Alliance, The Batman: Part II has entered preproduction and is set to begin filming on January 1, 2026 at Warner Bros. Leavesden in London. Its predecessor also shot in England’s capital, so it’s not surprising the sequel will roll cameras at that same WB location. As described in the announcement, the Leavsden facility provides access to “ high-end soundstages and set-building facilities—ideal for Gotham’s gritty transformation and sweeping practical environments.”

With five months to go until The Batman: Part II’s principal photography kicks off, the remainder of 2024 will be spent organizing the project’s departments, including production design, art direction, stunt coordination, costume, makeup, grip, lighting, camera, VFX, and post-production planning. It’s also mentioned that casting calls and crew notices will start going out in the fall. The former is especially notable, as it means we’ll likely learn which new actors are coming aboard for Part II before the year is done.

James Gunn Has Been Shutting Down The Batman: Part II Villain Rumors

It’ll be nice when that casting information starts coming in, particularly when it comes to The Batman: Part II’s villains. As is often the case with superhero movies, rumors have been running rampant about which baddies are going to cause trouble for Robert Pattinson’s Dark Knight this time around. The latest bout of speculation points to Tommy Elliot, a.k.a. Hush, occupying the main antagonist position. James Gunn debunked that a few days ago, saying “Again everything you've heard is a total guess or made up.”

As the co-head of DC Studios, Gunn is one of the few people who knows what’s being planned for The Batman: Part II, and he read through the script in early July. But outside of calling what Matt Reeves and Mattson Tomlin penned “great,” he’s naturally not willing to share any specific details about this highly-anticipated upcoming superhero movie. The only villain we know for sure will be present in Part II is Colin Farrell’s Penguin, who was the focus of the Emmy-nominated miniseries that aired on HBO last year. Even Barry Keoghan’s Joker is guaranteed to appear following his shadowy cameo in The Batman’s ending.

The Batman: Part II will cast its shadow over theaters on October 1, 2027, and Robert Pattinson and Colin Farrell will be joined again by Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth and Jeffrey Wright as James Gordon. I look forward to getting a clearer picture of what this sequel holds in store as we move towards its production start date. Until then, continue to be skeptical about any villain rumors you come across.

Routh, who can currently be seen in the new movie Ick, appeared on The Sackhoff Show to talk about his career with host Katee Sackhoff. While discussing with The Mandalorian actress how one audience could respond differently to an actor’s performance compared to others, the former Superman shared the following:

Serving as a spiritual sequel to Christopher Reeves’ first two Superman movies, Superman Returns (which can be streamed with an HBO Max subscription) saw Brandon Routh’s Clark returning to Earth five years after he embarked to find Krypton’s remains and see if there were any surviving Kryptonians. In the time he was gone, Lois Lane became engaged to Jason White, nephew of The Daily Planet’s editor-in-chief Perry White, and they had a five-year-old son named Jason. At one point, Superman hovered near the family’s house to listen and watched (using his X-ray vision) Lois talk about her past relationship with the Man of Steel, denying she ever loved him.

Granted, it was later revealed that Jason was actually Lois and Superman’s biological son, but that’s not the point here. From Brandon Routh’s perspective, it never occurred to him to think of Superman as “pervy” because it’s not in character for him. It’s not like Clark is going to be a creep and stick around as Lois and Richard engage in NSFW activity. So that particular criticism hasn’t made sense to him, but it’s common enough that multiple people have brought it up to him.

Although Brandon Routh’s time as Superman on the big screen ended up being a one-and-done deal after Superman Returns sequel plans were scrapped, he reprised the role over a decade later for the Arrowverse’s Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover on The CW. He also left another mark on DC media playing Ray Palmer, a.k.a. The Atom, in that same small screen franchise. As far as I know, Ray’s never been called “pervy,” but feel free to let me know in the comments if you think otherwise.

One of the best battle sequences in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man is the final battle between the titular hero and the Green Goblin. The web-slinger’s villainous foe delivers violent blows towards him, and it's hard watching Peter on the verge of being broken down. Plus, much of that scene plays without a musical score, as the focus remains on the raw intensity of the moment. Interestingly, an ever-astute X user named @InternetH0F noticed one particular BTS goof involving a Green Goblin stunt:

Well, now we know the trick behind Green Goblin being able to nail that impressive flip! A trampoline was underneath the stunt actor, and it allowed him to accomplish that stunt. Whenever I watch the movie moving forward, it's going to be hard for me not to envision this, that's for sure.

Per the post's caption, this Spider-Man clip came from the unseen open matte version of the movie, which gets cropped to a widescreen format for its theatrical release. Because open matte versions reveal more of the frame than originally intended, it’s not unusual to catch things that weren’t meant to be visible—like a trampoline.

When you find clips of this scene on YouTube, the trampoline is non-existent. It’s hard to know if the movie mistake is in the DVD cut, but it’s apparently seen in the TV edit, at the very least.

It's hard not to chuckle when spotting major movie mistakes, and there are plenty of notable ones. A perfect example would being the sight of a car in a wide shot from the first Lord of the Rings movie. Of course, it's also hard to forget the infamous Starbucks cup that appeared in Game of Thrones. Still, at least a Spider-Man crew member quickly took the trampoline out of the shot instead of leaving it there.

While Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy used CGI and green screens, you have to commend the comic book adaptation for its brilliant use of practical effects. For example, the scene in which Peter catches Mary Jane’s falling lunch tray with all of the food landing perfectly on it took Tobey Maguire 156 takes. As time-consuming as that shot must have been for everyone on set, the payoff was well worth it.

Just when I thought I'd seen every bit of detail within Spider-Man, it turned out there was at least one tidbit I was unaware of. The blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment is a reminder that underneath all of that movie magic, there are still practical elements at work, which may or may not show up in a frame.

First off, let's talk about the pay...

How Much Were Crossover Actors Offered Pay-Wise?

Crossovers were an integral part of the Arrowverse and were an annual thing once The Flash joined the fun. On paper, it's great for the fans; it's great for the casts to get to mingle. According to Danielle Panabaker, it also led to low morale for her and some of the other young actors on the show.

That first year was a bit of a learning curve for everyone, and not just because of what was involved to bring the crossover to life. Panabaker, who portrayed Caitlin Snow/Killer Frost on The Flash, was asked by Michael Rosenbaum on his Inside of You podcast if actors are paid more if they crossed over. She admitted she was only paid $10K, much less than what she made for a regular episode at the time.

The actress also explained that when The Flash had just come out, they didn’t “bake crossovers,” meaning they didn’t put the crossovers into their contracts. Once Supergirl and Legends came around, crossovers were in the contracts. Even then, she alleges it was stated that if they did the crossover, they were only going to be paid a fraction of whatever they were being paid for a regular episode.

Given some of the crossovers had myriad big names attached, I don't find this to be a huge surprise, nor is it a shock that not everyone was happy about the amount they was being paid. She admitted there were times when people had refused to do the crossovers because of the low salary, and they were written out.

Even working twice as hard, the salary wasn’t great, as Panabaker pointed out:

Unfortunately, the low pay was not the only problem for the crossovers.

More Issues With The Crossovers Plagued The Cast

The Sky High actress also opened up about having to be a “team player.” This meant doing her best, making sure that she was punctual and prepared, and that she knew her lines. Looking back at it, Panabaker doesn’t know if being so keen served her, especially since people who weren’t behaving the same way she was were receiving better treatment, in her estimation.

Danielle Panabaker did reveal things had changed as the years went on, but that it was mostly for Stephen Amell, Grant Gustin, and Melissa Benoist, who were the top billed Arrowverse cast. Unfortunately, there was still little improvement for the rest of the cast. At the very least, she was able to direct some episodes and branch out, even if she didn't love directing herself.

It’s a disappointment knowing how things were behind the scenes when the crossovers were arguably one of the best parts about the Arrowverse, but at least almost everyone was in the same boat. Fans can see the sweat and tears that went into the crossovers with an HBO Max subscription and a Netflix subscription.

Back in May, Chris Hemsworth posted a video celebrating the legacy of Thor in the MCU. Considering it came just a few weeks after Hemsworth was officially confirmed as part of the Avengers: Doomsday cast, many wondered if the video indicated that the upcoming Marvel movie would be his last time wielding the hammer. Hemsworth recently spoke with THR and clarified the situation, saying…

Hemsworth’s video certainly got fans talking. Some wondered if he was simply saying goodbye to Thor then and there. Others, knowing about his Avengers: Doomsday casting, seemed to be getting prepared for Thor to be killed off in the movie or otherwise see the story reach some sort of ending.

While the Australian actor says there was no need for “damage control,” it’s still good to hear him clarify his thought process behind the video. Whatever else Chris Hemsworth does in his career, it’s difficult to imagine he’ll ever do anything that will be quite as big as Thor. With that, I think his decision to honor the character is a worthy endeavor.

Also, certainly when we see Thor in Doomsday, he’ll be a very different sort of character than he was in the last Avengers movie. While 2022's Thor: Love and Thunder wasn't as well-received as its predecessor, it was a major turning point for Thor as a character. It seems that was at play in posting the video, as it celebrated the first chapter of Thor, with a new one on the horizon.

Of course, we still can’t entirely discount the possibility that Thor’s days may be numbered. He’s one of the few original Avengers still kicking around in the MCU. If most of the Asgardian warrior's days are behind him, I wouldn’t exactly be shocked. With the news that Avengers: Secret Wars will function as some sort of MCU reboot, it’s difficult to know just which characters will make it to the other side, and which ones will be played by the same actors, as recasting Marvel heroes is absolutely on the table.

That's still a little ways off, though, and fans can still look forward to seeing Chris Hemsworth as Thor, at the very least, in Avengers: Doomsday, which hits theaters on December 18, 2026. In the meantime, stream the God of Thunder's various movie appearances using a Disney+ subscription.

Really, this isn't a surprise, because I've liked all of the Fantastic Four movies, and yes, that includes both the Chris Evans Fantastic Four movies, as well as the Michael B. Jordan one that nobody likes. That said, the new one is far and away the best FF movie ever made, and for a number of reasons.

However, one reason that I really haven't heard people talking about is just how much of a female empowerment movie this is. I've heard people call it “woke,” but a lot of people use that word for any movie they don't like. So, why is this movie all about girl power? Well, you're about to find out.

First Off, Sue Storm, Not Mister Fantastic, Is The One Who Was Sent To Speak For The Future Foundation Summit

When people first learned that Pedro Pascal was playing Reed Richards, it left a bad taste in some people's mouths. However, now that we've seen how good he was, I think he deserves an apology, because he was, er, fantastic!

That said, so many people were focused on Mister Fantastic and The Thing's voice that they didn't really put much focus on Sue Storm, a.k.a. The Invisible Woman. Vanessa Kirby's casting was kind of just shrugged off, with the only comments I heard online being that they would “wait and see” if she could fill Jessica Alba's invisible shoes.

The answer to that is a resounding “yes!” and I would argue that Kirby is the best Sue we've ever gotten. I think a lot of that is due to what a prominent role she plays in the film. For example, in a lot of ways, she's the leader of the team, not Reed.

Why else would she be the one who speaks at The Future Foundation Summit? In the comics, Mister Fantastic forms the organization, but in this film, we see Sue speaking, which might be because she (not Reed) is the voice of reason, which I'll get into next.

She's Also The One Who Gets The Earth On Their Side Once People Turn Against The Fantastic Four

In a lot of ways, Reed is actually portrayed as a bumbling genius in First Steps. A lot of fans of the character might not like that the smartest man in the world is portrayed as having difficulty communicating to anybody outside of his family. But, I love that he needs to rely on the other three to get his ideas across to the public.

When the team returns from an unsuccessful discussion with Galactus, Reed stupidly informs the public that the giant said he would spare the earth if they gave him their baby, which immediately makes them public enemies number one (or rather, one through four) since the world views them as selfish for endangering the whole planet for one person.

Who ends up doing damage control? Well, none other than Sue. Showing immense bravery, she takes their child out in public and gives a rousing speech about how she won't give up her baby for the earth, but also won't give up on the earth for their baby.

This is the speech that actually gets people on their side, and if not for Sue, then the eventual plan to save their world likely never would have gotten off the ground. As I said before, she is the true leader of the team, which is refreshing to say the very least.

And Probably, Most Importantly, She Beats Galactus, Making Her The Most Powerful Member Of The Team

When we first got a glimpse of Galactus, it pretty much gave us nightmares for days. Unlike in Rise of the Silver Surfer where Galactus was a giant cloud, we actually saw him in all of his glory in First Steps, and he really did need to be seen to be believed.

I honestly had no clue how the team was going to beat such a monster, but in no way did I ever envision that Sue would essentially defeat him all by herself.

I mean, yes, she got help from the other three, as they created a diversion while Sue did her, er, thing, but that was Sue pushing Galactus toward the trap that initially failed against him. That was Sue using her powers, which were literally moving A PLANET SWALLOWER toward his doom, all by herself.

Actually, there are a lot of powerful women in the MCU (which is another reason why I'd love to see something A-Force related). However, even though people like to debate whether Captain Marvel or The Scarlet Witch is stronger, I'm now under the impression that Sue Storm is the most powerful woman in the MCU, as she beat freaking Galactus! Incredible!

Shalla-Bal Also Gives The Ultimate Sacrifice To Do The Right Thing

Okay, now I know one of the reasons that people called this movie “woke” is because of the gender-swapped Silver Surfer. However, that just shows people's ignorance because this version is NOT gender-swapped at all, as it is not meant to be Norrin Radd, who is the original Silver Surfer.

No, Julia Garner is actually playing Shalla-Bal, who is another character in the comics. She was in the very first Silver Surfer comic, and she is the empress of her planet, Zenn-La. Yes, Radd is the one who offers himself up as Herald in the comics, but this is the multiverse, and in this world, Shalla-Bal is the Herald.

Anyway, all throughout the film, Bal feels guilty for what she has to do in order to save her own planet, and Johnny Storm ends up convincing her to help them fight Galactus, to which she initially thinks there's no hope.

That said, in the last moments, when Johnny heroically decides that he wants to sacrifice himself in order to give that final push to Galactus, it is Shalla-Bal who pushes him out of the way and slams into Galactus. In the end, it was two women who ultimately sacrificed themselves to save the earth. Did I mention that this movie is all about female empowerment?

Lastly, Most Marvel Movies Don't Make An Inherently Female Topic Like Motherhood So Central

Finally, can I just close on how this movie is both fantastic AND also about being fecund. What I mean is, having and protecting babies is a major theme throughout this film. In fact, this film has many themes about parenting that don't often get explored in Marvel films, which I think is pretty cool.

The whole basis for why Galactus is coming to earth is not to eat it, but to take Sue's and Richard's child, and Sue is NOT having it. I mean, Reed isn't, either, but Sue is the one who will sacrifice everything to save him. A lot of the film is also about Reed's fear of raising a child, and Sue's calm acceptance of motherhood.

This is a seismic leap from the days of Wanda being the angry, scorned mother of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. In First Steps (I mean, the baby allusion is right in the title!), Sue is also an angry mother, but one who will not allow her child to be taken from her, unlike Wanda, who unfortunately couldn't prevent it.

In this way, it was really refreshing to see a positive movie about motherhood, and I'd wish we'd see more of them in the MCU. What do you think? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Wanda Maximoff seemed to perish under a mountainside at the end of Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness. Since then, we have seen nothing of her in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and Agatha All Along seemed to confirm that she was truly dead. That said, when ScreenRant asked WandaVision director and producer Matt Shakman about Wanda’s fate, he seemed quite sure that we’ll see the Scarlet Witch again, saying…

While Wanda Maximoff has been a popular character following her introduction, between the events of WandaVision and Multiverse of Madness, people truly fell in love with the magic-wielder. This made it somewhat unfortunate that the character then died at the end of that arc.

Considering how popular Wanda now is, and the fact that characters tend to come back to life in comic books, many fans have believed that we might see Scarlet Witch in an upcoming Marvel movie or TV show one day. Although, based on everything that Elizabeth Olsen has said, we shouldn’t be expecting to see her back in the upcoming Avengers movies. While she may be trying to prevent spoiling a return, she's been pretty straightforward that she isn't currently under contract to Marvel. Taking her at face value, if that's the case, then evidently we won't be seeing Wanda again anytime soon.

Of course, Marvel Studios is being somewhat open that Avengers: Secret Wars will be acting as a sort of soft reboot for the MCU. So certain characters who have died could return, and we’re expecting some to be recast. As such, even if we don’t see Elizabeth Olsen before this phase of the MCU ends, we might still see her in the future.

It’s also possible, maybe even likely, that while the actress may have moved on, Wanda will be back. We could see a recast Scarlett Witch in the franchise. Considering that Matt Shakman specifically says “Wanda” never dies, this could be one way for the character to return, with or without her existing MCU backstory.

It certainly does seem likely that we will see Scarlet Witch again, it’s just a question of when and how. Fans of the character will ultimately be happy either way. Anybody who wants to see Elizabeth Olsen’s particular Scarlet Witch return, however, might be a bit more disappointed.

If the display of “anger” shown during Corenswet’s joint interview with Nicholas Hoult for MTV is any indication, one would think that you could get away with murder in his proverbial court. Obviously joking about his rage over The Batman’s leading man not sending any word, the Twisters antagonist then reflected on this touching experience he had with two of his caped predecessors:

In the cinematic wreckage of what was supposed to be the DCEU, Henry Cavill’s tenure saw him embody Kal-El in three full movies. There was also a smattering of cameos, which ended with that infamous Black Adam post-credit scene. It was a relatively darker incarnation than Tyler Hoechlin’s leading role in the CW’s Superman and Lois; which felt to some like an antidote to the Snyderverse’s version of the character.

No one holds that cape forever, as we saw with Superman and Lois’ four season run coming to an end last December. Hoechlin’s heartfelt message on the show’s end saw him encouraging successors like David Corenswet, which is a total Clark Kent move. That fact wasn’t lost on Superman’s star, as he explained in his continued remarks:

You can take the actor out of the cape, but in most cases fans would agree that you can’t take that Smallville spirit out of the men who’ve played the defender of Metropolis. Indeed the Metahumans in DC Comics seem to be banding together; which kind of makes Robert Pattinson’s lack of communication fitting, considering Batman doesn’t have powers.

Perhaps now with The Batman: Part II’s completed script, the cinematic Bruce Wayne can get in touch with David Corenswet, and talk about trying to work on getting James Gunn to fulfill our Batman/Superman wishes. That'll have to wait, as we can all still bask in the glow of Superman, currently showing in theaters.

Today brings word that Sony is in early development on an animated feature centered on Daniel Kaluuya’s Hobie Brown, a.k.a. Spider-Punk. In addition to reprising his role from the 2023 movie, which he’ll also be doing in Beyond the Spider-Verse, Kaluuya is writing the script with Primetime’s Ajon Singh. Deadline reports that no other deals are currently in place, and plot details are being kept secret.

Based on the character created by Dan Slott and Olivier Coipel, Daniel Kaluuya’s Spider-Punk hails from Earth-138, where he uses his guitar and punk rock attitude as his main weapon against the totalitarian regime in control of his world. Hobie teamed up with Miles Morales, Gwen Stacy, Pavitr Prabhakar and more to combat The Spot, and Hobie in particular helped Miles escape from Miguel O’Hara and the Spider Society after they’d imprisoned him. By the end of Across the Spider-Verse, Hobie was among the Spider-heroes Gwen recruited to help her find Miles in the multiverse (he ended up trapped on Earth-42, the world where the spider that bit him came from).

This isn’t the first time we’ve heard about a Spider-Verse spinoff movie being worked on. Shortly before Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse was released in 2018, Sony announced a feature focusing on three generations of Spider-heroines, including Gwen Stacy, Jessica Drew and Cindy Moon. As of 2023, that spinoff was still in development, but it’s unclear if that remains the case two years later. Given how well received Daniel Kaluuya’s version of Spider-Punk was received, I’d like to think that improves the chances of his spinoff officially being greenlit, because I’m definitely keen on seeing this.

Along with Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, 2023 also saw Kaluuya making his filmmaking debut with Netflix’s The Kitchen, when he co-directed with Kibwe Tavares and co-wrote with Joe Murtagh. Looking beyond… Beyond the Spider-Verse, the actor has two A24 projects lined up. The first is co-starring in the untitled Chris Rock movie that began filming last month, and the second is the adult-focused Barney movie, which he’s producing through his 59% banner and has The Bear’s Ayo Edebiri attached.

Assuming there aren’t anymore setbacks, Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse will swing into theaters on June 25, 2027, and it’s hard to say how long after that the Spider-Punk spinoff would arrive if it does indeed move forward. Meanwhile, you’re welcome to revisit Across the Spider-Verse by streaming it with a Disney+ subscription.

Cain recently spoke to Variety about his career, which launched with the five-season television series in which he played Superman. While he mostly has good memories from the experience of starring in the movie, there was at least one element of the show he didn’t love, and his co-star truly hated. Apparently the flying sequence left him in pain and Hater in tears. Cain said…

While playing Superman on TV might seem like a glamorous thing, it seems there was a lot of hard work that went into looking like a man could fly. Cain, one assumes, at least got used to the difficulties of the flying harness, as he had to do it more often. For Teri Hatcher, flying with Superman was a more occasional thing, and it doesn’t sound like she ever got used to it.

It sounds awful. If the harness was so painful that it cut off blood flow and left one of the stars in tears, then I can imagine the actress tried to avoid flying scenes as much as possible. I would absolutely dread anything that I knew was going to cause me that much pain.

And it doesn’t sound like things are honestly that much better today. New Superman David Corenswet recently revealed that he ended up with multiple bumps and bruises as a result of the flying harness for the new Superman movie. He even injured a testicle. While a lot about making Superhero movies and series has certainly improved over the decades, making somebody fly on screen is still a difficult and painful process.

Something tells me this is the kind of scene Hatcher was more fond of.

Lois and Clark ended after five seasons with an unresolved cliffhanger. While a lot of fans were probably frustrated that the show didn’t continue, it’s entirely possible Teri Hatcher at least saw a silver lining if the flying sequences were that terrible for her. While both stars have talked about a Lois & Clark revival over the years, it's unclear if either of them has considered what it would mean to get back in the flying harness.

A post on Twitter is going viral, as it appears to show a behind-the-scenes shot of Tom Holland as he films Spider-Man: Brand New Day. The post points out that the tight Spider-Man costume is seemingly doing Tom Holland a big favor. This led to one response from somebody who claims it was once a VFX artist's job to… adjust Tom Holland’s package. The post claimed…

This unconfirmed statement, of course, must be taken with a grain of salt. That said, if it was decided that Tom Holland’s bulge was something that needed to be dealt with on screen, one would fully expect that digital tools could be put to work for this specific purpose. Considering how many frames of Avengers: Infinity War would've required VFX work anyway, adding Holland to the list of items to be… manipulated would have been simple enough.

Being the one VFX artist put in charge of Spider-Man’s package doesn't exactly sound like the most glorious job. However, I suppose somebody would have to do it. Also, to be sure, if this was done, it’s not like anybody has noticed that it was done for years, which means the theoretical visual effects work was done very well.

Of course, the internet being the internet, this has led fans in the replies to request to see the “Penis Parker Cut” in order to see what the allegedly unaltered footage from Infinity War, and potentially other MCU movies with Spider-Man, would look like. If I were Tom Holland in the situation, I’m not sure if the appropriate reaction would be to be flattered or disturbed by this.

So we can add the “Penis Parker Cut” to the “Cats Butthole Cut” on the list of edits of major motion pictures that the world claims they need to see, despite the fact that the world doesn’t actually need to see it. Although, now that we’re here, I wouldn't be surprised if there will be a lot of people comparing the final version of Spider-Man: Brand New Day to behind-the-scenes images like these to see if there are any significant…. alterations.

Due to the delay in Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars, Spider-Man: Brand New Day will be here, comparatively, sooner than we thought. The film is set to open in theaters on July 31, 2026. Most fans are excited to see what the next adventure for Peter Parker will be. Some, however, may have more on their mind. In the meantime, stream Infinity War and other Marvel flicks using a Disney+ subscription.

I’ve really been looking forward to Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. Not so much because I’m pumped for the massive finale of the latest MCU saga, but mostly because I’ve been looking forward to the Multiverse Saga finally coming to an end so the Marvel Cinematic Universe can move on to something more interesting.

I haven’t been a fan of the Multiverse Saga since we learned that the period following Avengers: Endgame would be the Multiverse Saga. I just thought it was a bad choice of direction for the MCU. But then, I saw Fantastic Four: First Steps, and now I’m much more interested in the Marvel Multiverse. I just wish Marvel hadn’t waited so long to make it.

The Multiverse Saga Has Failed To Interest Me

On paper, it’s easy to see why the Multiverse has been popular in comic books for decades. What’s better than your favorite superhero? How about five of your favorite superheroes, each one slightly different? The problem is that the Multiverse has rarely been home to interesting stories. Rather, it’s been a way to explain away continuity issues, and those massive crossover events are ultimately designed to simplify storytelling that has become too unwieldy.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe wasn’t broken, and thus didn’t require fixing. While the MCU was massive compared to other movie franchises, it was still relatively small compared to the comic books that inspired it. The story wasn’t actually that hard to follow.

With the recent news that Avengers: Secret Wars will act as some sort of reboot of the MCU, including potentially bringing back dead characters as well as recasting them, it feels like the entire Multiverse Saga may have existed simply to achieve that goal, which is frustrating, as the fact that time actually flows in the MCU in something that resembles reality, unlike the comics, has been one of the most interesting things about it.

It’s not that I dislike most of the Multiverse saga films. I think the best of them are truly great, and the worst of them are simply forgettable. However, none of them made me feel like the Multiverse Saga was a thing that needed to exist until The Fantastic Four: First Steps.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps Is The Multiverse Done Right

For all the talk of the continuity and connections of the MCU, the fact is that most of the movies in the franchise actually stand alone just fine. That said, The Fantastic Four: First Steps told a story that stood on its own in a way no Marvel movie had since Iron Man. It was entirely self-contained as it took place from start to finish in a separate universe.

The movie acknowledges the existence of the Multiverse, and we know from the post-credits scene of Thunderbolts* that the Fantastic Four will come to the MCU eventually, but none of that was important to the movie that’s currently in theaters, and it’s glorious.

The particular details of Fantastic Four and its retro-future aesthetic are absolutely “my jam,” as it were, and so I loved those elements specifically, but what I really loved was the idea of taking a superhero movie and giving us an entire story set in one of those universes. It works with new characters easily, but I wouldn’t hate to see a Captain America movie done this way.

Why Did Marvel Do This So Late?

If this had been the Multiverse Saga from the beginning, a series of movies that were only connected by the Multiverse and were otherwise stand-alone, I would have been much more interested. We could have seen different worlds, different heroes. The potential creativity would have been limitless. Then you could have a crossover event that brings those characters from different worlds together to fight a bad guy, and it could have been excellent.

If superhero fatigue is a real thing, this could have been a way to prevent it by keeping things fresh and not simply continuing to follow the same stories. Putting the Fantastic Four in an alternate universe was likely the easiest way to explain their existence in the MCU without doing major retocons in the main universe, but as soon as they stumbled on the idea, Marvel should have realized what they had.

And yet, one assumes that, once the Multiverse Saga is over, the Multiverse will cease to be an active concern. First Steps may be the only movie of its kind we will ever see. The Multiverse may not even technically exist in the MCU after Doomsday and Secret Wars. If that happens, then this door into new and interesting ideas will be closed. Honestly, I think now I hate the Multiverse Saga even more for what it could have been.

Could Avengers: Secret Wars Give Us More Movies Like Fantastic Four?

But maybe it could still be that? The final part of the MCU that has thus far been announced is Avengers: Secret Wars, currently set to hit theaters in December of 2027. The film is set to be the end of the Multiverse Saga as far as we know, but recently, Kevin Feige and others have referred to the film more as a beginning than an end.

A couple of years ago, my colleague Eric Eisenberg suggested that Secret Wars shouldn't be simply a film in the MCU but rather an entire phase, as the comic story that inspired the name opens the door to a host of potential multiverse stories that could each have a place in the MCU.

Depending on exactly how the events of Avengers: Secret Wars play out, we could still get exactly that. If whatever multiversal cataclysm is likely to be at the center of Doomday and/or Secret Wars isn't resolved by the end of the latter film, the possibility certainly exists that we could get an entire phase of Marvel movies, each one set in its own universe, perhaps with versions of characters that are first introduced in those movies.

Even if the Multiverse ceases to be a focus after Secret Wars, as long as the concept of the Multiverse survives, the door will always be open to a movie set on a different Earth. If there's an idea for a story set elsewhere, I certainly hope we can still see it.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is the latest entry in the 2025 movie schedule to dominate the box office, and for many, including me, it’s a great soft reset of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. One of the things I most liked about it was that it wasn’t heavy on the MCU-cameos like so many others have been.

That doesn’t mean there weren’t any cameos, however. In fantastic nod to an oft-forgotten bit of Marvel movie lore, all four cast members of the ill-fated, Roger Corman-produced, unreleased Fantastic Four movie from 1994 turned up in the latest. I’d love to see Marvel do more of this.

First Steps Is Full Of Tributes

The latest MCU movie features several tributes to the history of Marvel, most notably a major, long-overdue tribute to Jack Kirby, the co-creator of The Fantastic Four. Not only is there a quote from Kirby at the end of the film, but the Earth-828, where the movie is set, is in honor of Kirby’s birthday, August 28th, 1917. There is also a scene portraying Kirby and co-creator Stan Lee in the movie.

Those aren’t all, however. One cameo (or cameos) that you might have missed is the four actors who played the First Family of Marvel in the wild adaptation that B-Movie legend Roger Corman produced in 1994. The movie was famously shelved at the time and has yet to see the light of day. Still, First Steps director Matt Shakman found a wonderful way to pay tribute to the movie.

At the beginning of the movie, there is a montage of people thanking The Fantastic Four for everything they have done. In one of those floating bubbles are four unassuming actors who express their gratitude. Those four actors -- Rebecca Staab, Alex Hyde-White, Jay Underwood, and Michael Bailey Smith -- play Reed, Sue, Johnny, and Ben, respectively, in the infamous adaptation. I say, why stop now? Let’s get some more cameos from actors in long-forgotten Marvel adaptations in a pre-MCU world.

There Is A Rich History Of Pre-MCU Movies And TV Shows To Draw From

The MCU is great about including cheeky cameos. This reached a zenith in 2021 with Spider-Man: No Way Home when Toby Maguire and Andrew Garfield returned as their pre-MCU versions of the web-slinger. I think they could go deeper. Much deeper.

The first show in the pre-MCU world that stands out to me, as a Gen Xer, is the 1970s television show, The Amazing Spider-Man. Nicholas Hammond played Spidey in that version. Hammond, who is most famous for playing Friedrich von Trapp in The Sound of Music, is still working, with his most recent film credit coming in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. We’ve got a new Spider-Man movie coming next year, let’s see a cameo!

Another fun choice for a random cameo would be David Hasselhoff, who played the role Samuel L. Jackson has made most famous, Nick Fury, in Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., a made-for-TV movie that was intended to be a pilot for a show that never happened in 1998. How much fun would that be? Hasselhoff, of course, did make a cameo as himself in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.

The list is not endless, but there are so many options. Eric Allan Kramer, who played Thor in a TV movie in the ‘80s, Matt Salinger, who starred in a straight-to-video Captain America movie in the ‘90s, and Peter Hooten, star of the forgotten 1978 TV movie, Doctor Strange, are all excellent candidates.

Let’s pay tribute to those actors who took on these roles in low-budget, almost doomed-from-the-start productions, but helped keep Marvel going in the lean times, in some upcoming Marvel movies. It's the right thing to do and a fun way to do it!

Peacemaker Season 2 will be here before we know it, as its just a few weeks away from finally debuting. Getting a glimpse of the title character in Superman was exciting for fans like myself, and a video from Peacemaker's Twitter offered a peek behind the curtain. Regarding how he ended up in James Gunn's blockbuster, Cena revealed:

How fun is that? While superhero movies and shared universes can appear like they're meticulously planned, sometimes serendipity and inspiration result in movie magic. Cena's cameo in Superman wasn't vital to the plot, but seeing Peacemaker shortly before getting Season 2 of his series was a great way to buoy excitement. Now I already want to see that character in an upcoming DC movie.

Gunn was doing a ton of world-building during Superman, on top of telling an emotional story about the Man of Steel. The movie featured other DC heroes, and also briefly introduced Sean Gunn's Maxwell Lord and Milly Alcock's Supergirl. Peacemaker showing on TV showed how many vigilantes are at play in the burgeoning franchise, and confirmed the filmmaker's plans to keep things connected.

Later in the same interview, John Cena spoke about Gunn's influence, and how that played into him showing up in Superman. He explained:

Talk about loyalty. But considering that James Gunn collaborated with Cena on The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker Season 1 before the filmmaker became co-CEO of DC Studios, it makes sense. They'e got years of experience together, and were deep into the work for Season 2 when the idea of his Superman cameo came up. Sounds like he was thrilled to get in on the fun and help expand the world for the Guardians of the Galaxy filmmaker.

Sometimes coincidence is part of Hollywood, and it sounds like the Season 2 Peacemaker costume was completed just in time for Cena's cameo in Superman. Hopefully he'll get to come face to face with David Corenswet's hero sometime in the future.

Superman is in theaters now as part of the 2025 movie release list, and Peacemaker Season 2 will premiere August 21st on HBO Max. The DCU is here, and it seems like just about anything is possible.

In recent posts on Threads, fans were hammering Gunn with questions on anything from the reported Teen Titans movie to New Gods. Unsurprisingly, the next big-screen outing for Robert Pattinson's Dark Knight was also a topic of discussion. While fans shot some theories at Gunn, like asking about the inclusion of Hush as a villain, Gunn held his ground and provided a very direct answer to the onslaught of rumors and speculation:

Gunn is typically very direct when responding to fans about such topics. So, considering his track record (and position as DC Studios' co-head), there doesn't seem to be any reason to doubt him here.

One thing that isn’t made up, though, is that Matt Reeves finally has finally turned in a completed script for The Batman: Part II. A post recently shared by Reeves showed him and co-writer Mattson Tomlin in the background with the completed script at the forefront. That screenplay has been a long time, with even Robert Pattinson thinking he might be getting too old to play Batman. Also, Gunn recently revealed the script in question is very good.

Even though Gunn has no problem instilling confidence in future DC projects, he has still insisted on staying mum about potential villains and any casting conversations. While Pattinson is still expected to reprise his role as the Caped Crusader in the sequel to The Batman, the Matt Reeves films remain outside the extended universe that Gunn and the team at DC are building. The team is expected to cast a different actor as Batman to participate in the extended universe, which David Corenswet’s Superman is a part of.

No matter what James Gunn says, though, fan theories will likely never stop. Batman villains especially are some of the juiciest characters, with actors like Heath Ledger, Cillian Murphy and Paul Dano absolutely nailing their roles. A character like Hush would be yet another incredible opportunity for an actor to showcase what they can do within the superhero genre. As much as this could all be a guess, like Gunn said, I think any new idea is worth mentioning to the DC head honcho.

The Batman: Part II still hasn’t gone into production yet, though it's known that the film is set to finally hit theaters on October 1, 2027. In the meantime, fans can revisit Matt Reeves' first Batman film now with an HBO Max subscription. For more information on other films heading to the big screen under James Gunn’s supervision, make sure to consult the schedule of upcoming DC movies.

The Slither filmmaker recently posted a behind-the-scenes video on his Instagram showing the cast and crew filming a shot that’s gotten a lot of flak. In the clip, Supes actor David Corenswet is strapped into a rig on a soundstage at Trilith Studios. A crew member spins him around to create a cool mid-air roll effect while giant LED screens display a snowy mountain backdrop that was filmed in Svalbard, Norway. Check it out below.

The footage shows a blend of classic practical effects and modern digital backgrounds, putting to rest earlier ideas that the shot was fully CGI. It’s pretty similar to how Disney’s The Mandalorian (streaming with a Disney+ subscription) and the Game of Thrones spin-off, House of the Dragon, are filmed. They use this cool tech called "The Volume," or StageCraft, which replaces traditional green screens with a massive curved LED wall and ceiling. This setup displays real-time, super realistic backgrounds that are created using Unreal Engine.

This flying sequence in particular got people talking when it first showed up in a Superman TV ad earlier this year. Some fans thought it looked a bit “off” and even claimed that Corenswet's face had been digitally altered. But James Gunn cleared it all up with a behind-the-scenes look a while back. He straight-up addressed those rumors and complaints, revealing that there was “zero” CGI used on Corenswet’s face, but the difference fans were picking up on was because of the wide-angle lenses, which tend to warp people's faces when shot in profile.

The new video reveals that the Pearl performer is actually on a physical rig, with real elements in the shot, contrary to what many people thought. Gunn’s reveal gives us a peek into the creative process that makes Superman’s flight feel so real. It’s not the first time he’s done this, though; he used the same tech for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 during the Adam Warlock flying scenes, which now seem like a bit of a trial run for how he approached Supes.

It's worth noting that the specific barrel roll sequence that prompted so much online discussion does not appear in the film as it did in the trailers and TV spots. The movie’s team used some visual effects to enhance the shot, making it appear much less jarring in the final film. In case you somehow missed it, I encourage everyone to see Superman, as it's terrific, still playing in theaters, and serves as the kickoff for DCU Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters.

There is also one element from Matt Reeves’ comic book crime epic that is decidedly minor in the grand scheme of things, but proved to be a major relief for me and other BatFans. Now that I know who is responsible for this detail, I would like to show my appreciation.

Robert Pattinson's Lingering Eye Makeup In The Batman Was Mattson Tomlin's Idea

Viewers may recall how, in The Batman, anytime Bruce Wayne returns from a night out lurking the streets of Gotham City, the black eye shadow he wears beneath his cowl remains on his face. Mattson Tomlin, who did some uncredited script revisions on the film, confirmed in an X post that he was the brains behind this visual detail. Check out the post here:

There may not be a more important detail contributing to The Batman’s reputation as one of the most grounded comic book films of its time than this, and it makes me proud to see Tomlin officially credited as Reeves’ co-writer on the Batman Part II screenplay, which was finished in June. Now, on the chance that you are confused over why I have such a high opinion of the film acknowledging eye makeup as part of Batman’s costume, allow me to explain.

Why It Matters That The Makeup Stays On In The Batman

There is no such cowl that could comfortably or practically fit perfectly to the contours of Batman’s eyes, which is why it has always been important that Bruce Wayne masks that recognizable area of his face with eye shadow. Yet, just about any time he is seen removing the cowl in a comic book or screen adaptation, the makeup is somehow absent.

One of the most widely scrutinized examples of this comes from 1992’s Batman Returns, in which Bruce (Michael Keaton, arguably the greatest live-action Batman actor), who is clearly wearing the eye shadow under his rubber cowl, rips it off to reveal the makeup has magically disappeared. Speaking as someone who loves the Tim Burton movies, this scene has always annoyed me. So, it should go without saying how much I appreciated that The Batman not only shows black circles around Pattinson’s eyes after he removes his cowl, but even shows a glimpse of him applying the makeup early on.

This past Halloween, my wife and I went dressed as Catwoman and Batman, and I made sure to include the eye shadow as part of my outfit. The number of compliments I received for my costume should provide enough evidence for why it is essential to Bruce’s after-hours ensemble and why Mattson Tomlin deserves the praise he has received for this addition to The Batman. I am looking forward to seeing what other contributions to the Dark Knight’s lore he may bring in The Batman Part II, which comes out in 2027, and, hopefully, in many more upcoming superhero movies.

Although news of Scorpion’s return came from legitimate news outlets, Michael Mando’s role was not officially confirmed by Marvel Studios or Sony. With that, I really appreciate that the actor himself had no problem lending credence to this exciting turn of events. The actor took to Instagram to share a teasy selfie. The black-and-white pic shows Mando facing a mirror, with only half of his face being visible. What can be seen, however, is the scorpion tattoo that Gargan famously has on his neck. Check out the photo, complete with Mando’s A+ caption:

It’s been a while since Gargan appeared in the MCU, as he was last seen in 2017’s Spider-Man: Homecoming. (That franchise starter of a film is available to stream with a Disney+ subscription.) Mac is featured as a potential buyer of merchandise sold by Adrian Toomes a.k.a. The Vulture. However, the web-slinger breaks up the deal, leading to Gargan being facially scarred and taken into custody by the FBI. Gargan, who wants revenge against the teen hero, is last seen crossing paths with (the also-arrested) Toomes and unsuccessfully tries to see if he actually knows Spidey’s true identity.

Michael Mando more than has the intensity and charisma to pull off the role of the Scorpion. For me, the proving ground for Mando’s talent would be Better Call Saul, in which he played the role of Ignacio "Nacho" Varga. Mando is the kind of actor who cannot only deliver dialogue but is also skilled when it comes to body language. In short, he can say so much by doing so little. Of course, I’d imagine that the Scorpion role will be somewhat grandiose, possibly requiring him to chew a bit of scenery – and that excites me.

Scorpion isn’t the only familiar face from the MCU who’ll be showing up in the Destin Daniel Cretton-directed Brand New Day either. Fan-favorite actor Jon Berenthal is returning as Frank Castle – a.k.a. The Punisher – the role he originated on Marvel TV shows. An Avenger is also in the mix, as Mark Ruffalo’s Bruce Banner/Hulk is set to return as well. Plot details are, unsurprisingly, scarce at the moment. At the very least, though, it’s been said that this is a street-level story, and it seems it’ll be set before the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars.

I don’t want to get too far ahead of myself when it comes to Michael Mando’s return, as it’s far from clear just how big a role his character will actually play in the fourth Spidey film. Still, his mere presence and the possibility of him suiting up with a giant, mechanical tail are too much for me not to get hyped about. Here’s hoping Mando has a great shoot and that he manages to get his fair share of screen time this time around.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day is set to swing into theaters on July 31 as part of the 2026 movie schedule.

What Did James Gunn Say To Seth Meyers About Superman And The Batman?

During the press tour for his 2025 movie release, James Gunn stopped by Late Night to chat with the program’s host, who happens to be a fan of superheroes and comic books. Seth Meyers astutely pointed out the fact that Gunn decided to go with Supes for his first major big-screen production instead of going for a lesser known character. (That latter route was, of course, taken by Marvel Studios out of necessity.) Gun proceeded to explain that the decision was greatly motivated by historical precedence:

Considering the logic that the Guardians of the Galaxy director shared during the interview (which is on YouTube), it makes sense as to why he wanted to start with Clark Kent. I’ve also seen the DCU movie for myself, and I have to say that it serves as a great first movie for this continuity. It not only gives audiences a firm introduction to this latest iteration of the Man of Steel, but it also firmly establishes the world in which he exists. Of course, as that cinematic universe takes shape, there’s been continued talk about the Bat-verse.

How Are Things Going With Matt Reeves’ Batman Franchise?

Like so many other fans, I’ve been enamored with what Matt Reeves and his collaborators have managed to do with the world of The Batman. The IP’s continued popularity is why so many have been curious about what lies ahead – and why I couldn’t help but make note of the fact that James Gunn mentioned it during his interview. On the surface, it seems Gunn merely mentioned it as a way of clarifying that the film was already in the works when he and Peter Safran took over the reins at DC.

There are many admirers who are hoping for more, though. Many have specifically been crossing their fingers that Robert Pattinson’s Batman joins the DCU and teams up with David Corenswet’s Superman. Matt Reeves himself addressed that possibility, saying that it “really comes down to whether or not it makes sense.” James Gunn, on the other hand, has been cagey, especially since his new continuity will have a Dark Knight, who will headline the film The Brave and the Bold.

With that, fans probably shouldn’t take the Super helmer’s comments during his interview with Seth Meyers as nothing more than mere excitement for the upcoming sequel. The Batman: Part II is in the works, and a major update on the project arrived this past June, at which point it was revealed that the script had been completed. Plot details are being kept under wraps right now, though it’s known that the film will hit theaters in late 2027.

Regardless of which characters cross over with each other, I’m excited for what lies ahead when it comes to DC-related content. A number of fans have been waiting for a major creative reset, and it seems that’s finally playing out. Those who want to get in on the excitement should check out Superman in theaters now. Also, grab an HBO Max subscription to stream The Batman.