Recapping All The 'Star Wars' News From Disney Investor Day Including 'Ashoka', Patty Jenkins, and Hayden Christensen's Return

Like I did with all the Marvel stuff announced at Disney's Investor Day, I've decided to just condense everything we heard into one article. You'd think Star Wars lineup would pale in comparison to the heavy weights over at Marvel, but they proved they also had a lot in the works that even fans hadn't guessed. The success of The Mandalorian and backlash over the sequel trilogy has led to Disney changing their approach to Star Wars, specifically moving towards Disney Plus series rather than movies. They're also looking to fill in gaps of story between the past movies, and further exploring the world of Star Wars during that golden era which means familiar faces can show up at any point.

Hayden Christensen Will Return As Darth Vader

I figured I'd start with the biggest news of the day, as Katheleen Kennedy confirmed production of the Obi-Wan Disney Plus series is under way. She revealed it will take place ten years after the events of Revenge of the Sith, and that Anakin Skywalker actor Hayden Christensen would be playing Darth Vader. She also teased a "rematch of the century" which means the series will probably lead up to an inevitable face to face reunion between the two. Its unknown how much of Christensen will be seeing as he'll obviously be under the mask and be voiced over by James Earl Jones, but we will probably see Hayden as the burned Anakin in scenes with Ewan McGregor's Obi Wan.

Patty Jenkins Will Direct Rogue Squadron 

Kennedy confirmed that Taika Waititi would be working on an unknown Star Wars film which had been rumored for some time now, but she also revealed Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins would be helming her own movie. It will focus on a team of Rebel pilots and will be released Christmas of 2023. 

Lando Disney Plus Series

Little information was released for this one other than it of course will be about Lando Calrissian going on his own separate adventures. Its unknown whether the series will star Billy Dee Williams as the original Lando, or Donald Glover as the younger version from Solo. It honestly could even include both, but we'll have to wait and see.

Ashoka And Rangers Of The New Republic

Following the appearance of fan favorite of the Clone Wars animated series Ashoka in the recent Mandalorian episode, Rosario Dawson will be playing the character in an upcoming series. This could of course lead to her tracking down General Thrawne and Ezra Bridger, as well as learning more about Anakin since they last saw each other. Rangers of the New Republic will also be set in The Mandalorian timeline and focus on the Rebels seen in the show, with all three shows eventually leading to a crossover event. 

Andor

Andor will serve as a prequel series to the film Rogue One focusing on Diego Luna's character of Cassian Andor who is a Rebel spy during the rise of The Empire. A sizzle reel for the show was shown which will be released on Disney Plus in 2022. 

Other series The Bat Batch, The Acolyte, A Droid Story, Star Wars: Visions

So what do you think of all this Star Wars news? Which project excites you the most? let us know below!


Marvel Makes Announcements Including 'Black Panther 2', 'Fantastic Four', Disney Plus Series Trailers, And More

With Disney's Investor Day meeting taking place yesterday, us fans had a feeling we'd get some Star Wars and Marvel news. But I don't think anyone was expecting the amount of announcements and confirmations we got yesterday, its almost hard to keep track of it all. Rather than writing a separate article for each project that was announced yesterday, I've decided to just put everything Kevin Feige talked about here. That includes all the new Disney+ projects that were announced, along with release dates for some that were already in production, and trailers for three of the ones coming out next year. There's also casting confirmations, and even a new director pick Feige dropped yesterday. Scroll down to see all the updates.

Black Panther 2

So while this wasn't the first thing Feige talked about, its of course been a big topic of discussion given the sudden and recent passing of T'Challa himself Chadwick Boseman. Fans have wondered what the studio would do moving forward with the sequel already in the works, and under the belief no one really had the knowledge of Boseman's cancer so there weren't plans for this set. Feige put the rumors of a recasting to bed confirming Boseman will not be recast and that the movie is set for a July 8, 2022 release. He didn't give any other specifics other than that Ryan Coogler was working hard on the script, and one could expect there's still a lot of changes he has to make it work without original main star.

Fantastic Four

Fantastic Four actually got a shoutout from Feige at last year's event, but no other information was given other than confirmation they were working on their on version of Marvel's first family. Feige has apparently been much quicker to get the team into the MCU over the X-Men given their shakey movie history, and announced that Jon Watts director of all three of their Spider-Man movies will be directing this film as well. We can probably expect the team to be very connected to Spidey, especially with them sharing his home of New York. Are they the new inhabitants of Avengers tower? Where have they been all this time? Hopefully we'll get some hints from Watts in Spider-Man 3.

WandaVision

Being that its the first show we're getting next January, the WandaVision footage was the longest of the day. It showed off the many different eras of sitcoms that have inspired the world Wanda created in her mind, but also shows many of the people she has brought into this world glitching out. It also shows people trying to get in contact with her and possibly manipulating her into doing this, as well as the involvement of S.W.O.R.D. the organization that replaced S.H.I.E.L.D. We also see Wanda wanting to fight them off, showing she may now want to leave this world she created where Vision is still alive, even if evil forces are manipulating her. It'll be interesting to see not only who the big villain manipulating Wanda is, but also how this will tie into Doctor Strange In The Multiverse of Madness which she's set to appear in. 

Loki

Loki was the Disney+ show we actually still hadn't seen footage from up until this point, but we do get a reminder of the scene in Endgame that sets this show up when he escapes with the tesseract. We see the show will follow Loki time traveling and meddling with historic events to have his way with the world. We also see this has gotten the attention of the Time Variance Authority, who capture Loki for all the mischief he's causing through timelines. Loki will apparently be given tasks by the TVA in exchange for his freedom, which could include the rumor of hunting down alternate timeline versions of himself including Lady Loki. 

The TVA also opens the door for some answers to how much damage The Avengers did to the Multiverse, and possibly also set things up for Spider-Man 3 and Doctor Strange 2. There's also Jonathan Major's Kang who is the TWA's biggest headache in the comics as a big time traveler villain, who we know will be appearing in Ant-Man 3. Overall the shows seems to have a wacky and chaotic vibe similar to Ragnarok, and even shows Loki learning of the fate he meets in the Infinity War timeline we know. 

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier

This trailer was a little  more straight forward, mainly action showing and location shots shown throughout very visually similar to the previous Cap films. We see Bucky now sporting a shorter hairstyle and new suit, alongside our new Captain America Sam Wilson who still hasn't taken the mantle yet by the looks of it. We see that the show will obviously deal with Sam struggling with the void left by Steve the pressure of replacing him. We also see the returning Baron Zemo at a memorial of Sokovia, showing he's still seeking his revenge. We see a masked girl who is believed to be the character Songbird from the comics who's part of a group known as the Flag Smashers who appear to be working with Zemo. There's also another shot of US Agent who is the Cap replacement selected by the government while they oppose Steve's selection of Sam as his predecessor. Feige also revealed the show will be hitting Disney Plus March 19, 2021.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

Not much was announced here other than the title which clearly hints to more Quantum Realm antics. Feige also confirmed the casting of Jonathan Majors as villain Kang the Conquerer who is well known for being a time travel and coming from the future, so this MCU's connection between that and the Quantum Realm makes sense for this movie. Director Peyton Reed is returning along with the cast Paul Rudd, Michelle Pfieffer, Michael Douglas, and Evangeline Lily. The role of Scott Lang's daughter has also been recast from Endgame with actress Kathryn Newton, which probably signals she'll have an expanded role in the MCU's future. 

She-Hulk

Last year at this time is when the She-Hulk was announced, a comic book character who is the cousin of Bruce Banner and receives similar powers after receiving a blood transfusion. Tatiana Maslany was confirmed as the lead, and Mark Ruffalo will also be joining the cast. The most surprising addition here though was Tim Roth returning as Emil Blonsky aka Abomination, the character who was a villain in The Incredible Hulk. This makes Roth the second cast member from Incredible Hulk to return after William Hurt's General Ross. Feige also teased the She-Hulk will be a lawyer for superheroes, so we can expect some surprise appearances. 

Ms. Marvel

Ms. Marvel was another show announced last year, and while we get some footage of Kamala Khan with her family, the majority of the footage focused on the casting process and finding Iman Vellina. We know she's a young Pakistani girl growing up in New Jersey with her family, but we don't yet know how she'll get her powers. We we do learn is she idolizes Captain Marvel and she will be appearing in the sequel for the movie alongside Brie Larson. 

Armor Wars and Ironheart

Two shows connecting to the world of Iron Man were announced, one of which will involve Don Cheadle as James Rhodes aka War Machine. It will deal with Rhodey tracking down people who have stolen Tony Stark's technology and using for harm. Ironheart follows a young African American girl genius who creates her own armor inspired by what Tony Stark did and will be played by actress Dominique Thorne. 

Secret Invasion

Another surprising announcement was the adaption of the Secret Invasion storyline involving the Skrulls disguises themselves throughout the Earth. This was obviously teased in Captain Marvel and will see the return of the Skrull character of Talos along with Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury in the series. Many expected this storyline to make it onto the big screen so seeing it as a Disney+ series was a bit of a surprise, but it makes sense given how much multiverse and time travel is going on already in the MCU. 

Thor: Love and Thunder, The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, I Am Groot, Hawkeye

Alright so I'll just group this together since I'm sure you don't want to keep scrolling and I really don't want to keep writing either. I'll do us both a favor. Christian Bale is playing Gorr the God Butcher, the villain of Thor: Love and Thunder. A Guardians Holiday Special will be released on Disney+ in 2022. Hailee Steinfeld is confirmed as Kate Bishop, Clint Barton protege in the Hawkeye series coming later next year. 

So what did you think of all these announcements? Which projects are you most excited for? Let us know below!

It's Happening! Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield, Kirsten Dunst, Emma Stone, and Alfred Molina Join 'Spider-Man 3'

For the last couple of months the internet has been repent with rumors that we may be getting a live action Spider-Verse movie at some point from Sony. Little announcements here and there this year have done nothing but fuel that fire, specifically the announcement Sam Raimi (Original Spider-Man trilogy) would direct Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness, and that Strange himself would be in the next Spider-Man movie. But then came the big yet confusing news that Jamie Foxx would be returning as Electro in Tom Holland's Spider-Man 3, reprising the role he last played in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 in 2014. Now the inevitable news we were all waiting for is apparently here, with so many other names being either confirmed or rumored to appear in the film.

The first news that broke seems the most official, with major trades such as Variety and THR confirming Alfred Molina would returning as Doctor Octopus in Spider-Man 3. The news not only confirms the movie will somehow crossover into the world of the Raimi movies, but also probably means Foxx's Electro is in fact the same one from Amazing Spider-Man 2. Some thought Foxx might just be playing a new MCU version of the character, but it seems much too specific for Marvel to bring back these specific actors from their two past versions of Spider-Man.
Then later that same day came the report we were all waiting for from Collider's Jeff Sneider, who confirmed that Kirsten Dunst and Andrew Garfield have already signed on for the movie. He also say Tobey Maguire is currently still in talks, as is Emma Stone "pregnancy permitting". The news sort of all came at once as a huge shock, even if it what fans have been speculating about, it still just seemed like a pipe dream. But now we know it definitely isn't, and if all the deals go through we'll be seeing all three Spider-Men on screen together.
Of course no one at Marvel has confirmed anything, but there have been some signs pointing to it here and there. Tobey Maguire was reportedly sighted attending a costume fitting for the movie in LA, while Zendaya was grilled about the return of the previous two Peter Parkers in an interview with Jimmy Kimmel last week. Rumors have suggested the appearances will only be cameos and that Spider-Man 3 won't be the full on Spider-Verse movie Sony is clearly planning. This also sets the stage for a Sinister Six led by Molina's Doc Ock and assembling villains across the different films most likely including Vulture, Morbius, Venom, Scorpion, and Foxx's Electro. 

There was also some rumors that stated Charlie Cox will be reprising his role of Matt Murdock aka Daredevil from the now canceled Netflix series. This would be huge news as the Netflix shows and the characters in them appeared to have no future in the MCU given rights issues, leading many to believe he'd probably be recast. There's been fans campaigns all of the internet specifically asking for Marvel to somehow keep Cox version of Daredevil, along with Vincent D'Onofrio's Wilson Fisk in the MCU. We might expect Matt Murdock to be the lawyer who defends Peter Parker following being framed by Mysterio and having his identity revealed in Far From Home

So with all this news to take in how do you feel about everyone returning? Who are you most excited to see back? Are there any other faces you want to see from the old movies? Let us know below!

Zack Snyder Releases The Trailer For His Version Of 'Justice League' Set To Be Released In Four Parts

I can't believe its 2020 and we're still talking about the first Justice League movie, but here we are. After Zack Snyder was replaced by Joss Whedon on the original JL movie it was clear the movie's final product was not what the original director had intended. From Henry Cavill's strangely deleted mustache, to a whole new color palette to some scenes, Snyder fans were left wondering what the original version would've looked like. Now they've finally got their wish after months of lobbying for its release on social media and even getting involvement from the film's cast themselves, the film will be released in four one hour parts on HBO Max next year.

Below is the trailer for Zack Snyder's Justice League:
The trailer shows off many of the deleted scenes and aspects of the movie that never made into Whedon's version, specifically the actual appearance of Darkseid. While he's mentioned as a looming threat in the original movie, here we actually see a flashback scene to Darkseid before he gets his omega power. This scene was actually in the theatrical cut but featured Steppenwolf instead of Darkseid fighting off armies of Atlanteans, Amazonians, and Green Lanterns for the mother boxes in the past. Its rumored this actual fight scene will be much longer in Snyder's version. There's also Steppenwolf's very different look which is similar to the design Snyder used in the deleted scene from Batman v. Superman which featured the character.

Then there's of course all the things we had heard about over time such as the black suited Superman, many more Cyborg scenes and his actual backstory, and the Flash scene featuring Iris West. Snyder confirmed we'll be getting to see Flash actually time travel in this version, and it will likely connect to the Darkseid ravaged future we see in the trailer and saw in Batman v. Superman. This may also finally connect to the scene where Flash come back to warn Bruce in BVS, a scene which still has yet to be given an explanation in the MCU but was likely a part of Snyder's plans.

As far as what was added by Whedon and won't be in this version of the movie, we know several of the comedy scenes including those between Bruce Wayne and Barry and some of Ben Affleck's lines during the fight against Superman won't be in the movie. We also know Cyborg and Barry won't have their moment bonding when they dig up Superman's grave, as it appears Cyborg is now doing that alone in a much more dramatic scene. Meanwhile Flash may be busy during this time time traveling to the Darkseid post apocalyptic future and to warn Bruce of Superman becoming evil. Evil Superman was a brief moment that was taken care of quickly in the Whedon version, but here it'll likely be a much larger storyline with Darkseid using the anti-matter equation on him which is what leads to the scene we saw in Batman v. Superman during Bruce's visions.

So what do you think of the trailer for the Snyder cut? Do you think you'll prefer this version over Whedon's? Let us know below!

First Official Trailer For 'The Batman' Premieres At DC Fandome And Shows Off His Second Year Under The Cowl

Something just didn't feel right for comic book movie fans this summer. Between our usual summer releases and Comic-Con announcement, the time span between May and August has almost become comic book Christmas. Thankfully DC has still managed to bring us some excitement amidst the Covid 19 pandemic, with their own version of a virtual Comic-Con known as DC Fandome. The event brought us several video game announcements, as well as sneak peaks of upcoming movies like the Snyder Cut of Justice League, The Suicide Squad, Black Adam, Shazam 2, Wonder Woman 1984, and of course the grand finale of the first trailer for Matt Reeves' The Batman.

Below is the first trailer for The Batman:
From the start of the trailer the masked man we're seeing taping up his victim is actually Paul Dano's Riddler, which is of course very different from his over top hat and cane look from the comics. Reeves' here seems to be taking a page out of Nolan's book, moving away from the comic look for a more modern and realistic look for the character. This also is a huge divergence from the looks Zack Snyder was going for with his world and Ben Affleck's Batman, which by all accounts was visually much closer to the aesthetic of the comics. We also get a good look at his smaller Batmobile and Batcave, which all just add to the darker more realistic feel especially for a much younger inexperienced Batman.

You may not have realized The Penguin is also in this trailer, and Colin Farrell looks unrecognizable as the character under all the makeup and facial prosthetics. Its hard to tell how important he'll be to the story as he's probably just still Oswald Cobblepott here, but we do see him in a chase scene with Batman. Matt Reeves' has revealed the movie will focus on the corruption of the Gotham PD which may tie into Cobblepott as well as Jeffrey Wright's Commissioner Gordon who already clearly has a relationship with Batman here. The Riddler seems to have a vendetta against them but has also clearly singled out Batman and wants his attention as scene with the uni-bomber scene at the funeral, and the riddle he left for him on the card.

Zoe Kravitz' Catwoman is also seen is a very early version of her suit, so its likely she's just getting started around the same time as Batman. The two share fight scene in the trailer but its hard to tell how important she'll be, and if she'll be on Batman or Riddler side. The movie seems to be following a Long Halloween style of storyline with The Riddler creating this elaborate plot for Batman and him having to use his detective skills to get the bottom of things. Reeves also confirmed several things including the fact the show will take place in year two of Batman's career, it will tie into the Gotham PD series he's developing for HBO Max, and it will have no connection to any of the previous DC movies. 

So what did you think of The Batman trailer? Are you excited to see Reeves and Pattinson's take on the character? Let us know below!

Henry Cavill Is Reportedly In Talks To Reprise His Role As Superman, But It Won't Be In 'Man of Steel 2'

Now that we finally have gotten confirmation that Warner Bros. will be releasing the Zack Snyder version of Justice League next year on HBO Max, fans have been wondering how the new film could impact the future of DC. Well it seems the ripples are already starting to have their effect, as its being reported that Henry Cavill will indeed be playing Superman again in future projects for the studio. This news some after speculation has been rampant the last few years that Warner Bros. had no future plans for Cavill's Superman, and a growing belief that the actor would inevitably be recast. Now after years of those rumors, we can now rest assured that we will be able to see Cavill return to the part of Kal-El after all.

The news comes courtesy of Deadline who make it clear that although Cavill will be playing Superman again, the studio won't be giving him a new standalone film. Instead they want to use him as a sort of Nick Fury figure for their DC universe by having him appear in several of their other films. The most likely of these seem to be the upcoming Shazam 2! and Black Adam, two characters who have crossed paths with Clark Kent often in the comics and share similar powers to him. The character of Superman actually made a brief cameo in Shazam!, but the part was played by a double due to the hold out between Cavill and the studio at the time. The idea of Superman and Shazam teaming up against Black Adam has already been brought to the comics, and The Rock himself has said he would love to see it in one of his films.

This really does come as a surprise given the years of news we heard about Warner Bros' lack of interest in Cavill's version of the character, instead wanting to focus on Supergirl or even recasting Superman with an actor like Michael B. Jordan. While most of those rumors were later debunked, there was also talk that Cavill was unhappy that he never got a Man of Steel 2. The film that launched the DCEU in 2013, other characters such as Wonder Woman, Aquaman, and Shazam! saw their sequels green-lit almost immediately while his never did. DC's focus on team-up films like Batman v. Superman and Justice League seemed like a reasonable explanation for there being no Man of Steel 2 at the time, but once the studio had apparently begun to distance themselves from an expanded universe the justification became less clear.

Its very possible that the Snyder Cut has brought some new life to this shared universe idea, with an eventual future team-up film coming way down the line. Having Cavill's Superman show up in some of these sequels could be a good way of letting audiences know they still all exist in the same universe. Cavill has really only shown up in three DC movies over the span of almost the last decade, which I'm sure pales in comparison to the trilogies and Justice League sequels he was originally pitched in 2012. When you compare that to the amount of times Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr. made MCU appearances throughout that time, it obvious his Superman has been severely underused. Cavill himself has always been a big fan of the character and has become a fan favorite, so seeing him come back in any capacity will surely make him and the fans very happy.

So how do you feel about Cavill coming back as Superman? Do you think he should get his own sequel or do you like the idea of him making cameos? Let us know below!

New Trailer For Christopher Nolan's 'Tenet' Confirms The Movie Will Hit Theaters At Some Point

Movie fans had many projects they were looking forward to seeing this summer, but one of its staples was going to be a new time travel film from Christopher Nolan. But of course the COVID-19 pandemic has made the chances of the film's release in theaters this July seem less and less likely, but the director who has been vocal about wanting audiences to see his movies on the big screen had been persistent Tenet will still get that very treatment. The movie still holds it July 17th release date while other big project have completely vacated the next three months of release dates, but it still remains unclear if it will eventually be moved as well.

Below is the trailer for Tenet:
As for the film itself it definitely gives off a vibe most similar to Nolan's classic Inception, but this time dealing with inversion and time travel rather than dreams. Nolan is well known for not giving away too much about the movie's plot in his trailers, so of course its hard to really figure out everything going on here (Which makes it really hard to right an article about, but I'll give it a shot). What we do know is John David Washington (BlacKkKlansman) will be the main protagonist who is being brought in to learn about these methods of time travel through experts like Elizabeth Debicki and Robert Pattinson's characters.

Like Inception, it seems that the film will see a sort of team of characters form including Debicki, Pattinson, Michael Caine, and Himesh Patel (Yesterday). Nolan has once again assembled an impressive ensemble of young actors here, and really has only brought back one of his frequent collaborators with Caine. Kenneth Branagh will clearly be playing the movie's main villain who is a Russian bent on starting World War III, and who wants to acquire the Tenet technology. 

We also get a look at some major action set pieces, including a chase scene in a theater that feels like it came right of Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy. There's also the car chase scene where time is reversed that we saw in the first trailer, as well as a scenes of a plane being crashed into a building which Pattinson's character jokes about at the end. Knowing Nolan's love of practical effects, it shouldn't come as a surprise that most of these scenes are real and just make the movie even more appealing to film fanatics. 

So what did you think of the Tenet trailer? Do you have any theories about what the movie could be about? Do you think it will get a new release date soon? Let us know below!