'The Batman' Gets Its Villain In The Form Of Paul Dano As Edward Nashton Aka The Riddler

So we went from months of being in the dark about casting for Matt Reeves' The Batman, to a month full of announcements. Just earlier this week we got word that Zoe Kravitz would be joining Robert Pattinson and Jeffrey Wright as our new Catwoman, but now we also know who will playing the film's villain. Early reports had suggested Jonah Hill was in talks to play the antagonist, but he and the studio ultimately couldn't come to an agreement. Just a day after that announcement, Reeves himself confirmed that Paul Dano (Prisoners) would be portraying the role of the iconic villain The Riddler.

Riddler has been a name we knew would show up in The Batman for quite some time now, alongside Penguin and Catwoman. This was the role that Hill was apparently up for, but Reeves' wanted to cast the actor as The Penguin. Between that and Hill's salary requests being double that of the movie's lead actor Pattinson, it seems Reeves finally decided to move on to a different name. Enter Dano who was Reeves' plan B, and by some accounts fits the role of Riddler more accurately than Hill would have. 

Although he may not have the accolades Hill has, Dano has made a huge impression on audiences and critics with his creepy performances in movies like There Will Be Blood and Prisoners. Dano fits the nerdy and quirky version of Riddler fans are used to from the comics, but can also take the character into a much scarier and dramatic place. Riddler hasn't been portrayed on the big screen since Jim Carrey's memorable yet campy take on the character in Batman Forever, so both Dano and Reeves have the freedom to take the character is whatever direction they please.

Its still hard to tell who is actually the main villain of this movie, with Kravitz' Catwoman probably serving as more of an antihero alongside Batman. There's been many rumors that the movie will follow the Long Halloween storyline which features many members of Batman's rogues gallery, but the main villain there was Calendar Man. Riddler could be serving as a substitute for that role in the story, but he could also just be a secondary villain to Penguin. Reeves is apparently still actively looking for an actor to play Penguin, and has shown interest in Seth Rogen but no formal offer has been made. 

So what do you think of Paul Dano playing The Riddler? Who would you like to see play Penguin? Are you disappointed Jonah Hill won't be in the movie? Let us know below!

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Actress Zoë Kravitz Will Play Selina Kyle/Catwoman In Matt Reeves' 'The Batman'

Just like with the Batman role itself, there has been months of speculation surrounding the casting of the role of Catwoman in Matt Reeves' 2021 reboot. The character has been rumored to appear in the film for a while now, yet there had been no solid casting rumors apart from fan suggestions. With Robert Pattinson (Good Time) set as our new Batman, Jeffrey Wright (Westworld) as Commissioner Gordon, and Jonah Hill (Wolf of Wallstreet) as an undisclosed villain, it was only a matter of time before Bruce Wayne's romantic flame was cast. After a shortlist of actresses screen-tested for the part, Zoe Kravitz (Big Little Lies) has reportedly won the role. 

Just a few weeks ago reports had come out that Warner Bros. was looking for a "Zoe Kravitz type" to play Catwoman and were looking at actresses of color for the role. These actresses included Tessa Thompson (Thor: Ragnarok), Alexandra Shipp (X-Men: Dark Phoenix), Lupita Nyong'o (US), Gugu Mbatha-Raw (Black Mirror), and Logan Browning (Dear White People). While it wasn't clear at the time why WB wouldn't just cast Kravitz herself rather than look for an actress similar to her, this was apparently due to her scheduling commitments to WB's other big franchise Fantastic Beasts. With that series in a sort of limbo at the moment, Kravitz was apparently freed up to take the role. 

Like with Pattinson who had to beat out Nicholas Hoult (Mad Max: Fury Road), Armie Hammer (Call Me By Your Name), and Aaron-Taylor Johnson (Kick-Ass) for the role of Bruce Wayne, Kravitz had to screen-test before winning over director Matt Reeves. According to THR the final names that screen-tested with Pattinson this weekend were fan favorites Ana de Armas (Blade Runner 2049), Eiza Gonzalez (Baby Driver), Ella Balinska (Charlie's Angels), and of course Kravitz herself. Its unknown if this race was as close as Pattinson and Hoult's reportedly was, but it seems Warner Bros. got the actress they wanted all along. 

(Left to right) De Armas, Gonzalez, and Balinska

This news also finally confirms that Catwoman will indeed be in the movie after months of rumors but no confirmation. The character will most likely be an anti-hero in the movie as she is in the comics, and serve as a love interest for Bruce Wayne. The character has been brought to the big screen by both Michelle Pfieffer and Anne Hathaway, so it'll be interesting to see what approach Reeves takes with the Selina Kyle. We also still don't know what villain Jonah Hill is playing or whether he's officially been cast, but Kravitz's Catwoman may be associated with him or helping Batman take him down.

So what do you think of Kravitz as Catwoman? Would you have preferred one of the other rumored actresses in the role? Let us know below!

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First Look At Brandon Routh And Tom Welling's Reprisals Of Superman From CW's 'Crisis On Infinite Earths'

Its been a while since we've gotten to see Superman on the big screen, with Henry Cavill's time as the character still up in the air, we've only had a brief cameo of from the big blue boy scout in Shazam! to keep us satisfied. Thankfully CW seems to be well aware of this Superman drought, as they're providing us with not one, but three different Clark Kents from alternate universes in their upcoming crossover event Crisis On Infinite Earths. Months ago the big news that Brandon Routh, who played Kal-El in Superman Returns and has since found a place at CW as The Atom, would be playing a Kingdom Come version of the character. And in some more shocking news, we found out Tom Welling would also be returning as his version of Clark from Smallville.

Now with pretty much all the big announcements out of the way, the network has begun to give us a look at what both actors will look like as their versions of the character. Its important to note that Routh won't actually be playing the exact version of Clark that he played in Returns, as that was of course a continuation of Christopher Reeves' version. He will instead be playing an adaption of the older version of the character from the Kingdom Come storyline of the comics, which is evident in the suit that includes the black Superman symbol as well as the grey temples in his hair. 

Welling on the other hand is playing the exact version of Clark Kent that he did in Smallville, and will be accompanied by his version of Lois Lane played by Erica Durance. Lex Luthor actor Michael Rosenbaum was apparently offered to return for the event as well, but ultimately declined due to personal reasons and lack of information about the script. Its unknown whether Welling will actually finally suit up fully as Superman in Crisis On Infinite Earths, having never worn the suit throughout the entirety of Smallville back when he was just known as "The Blur".

The Arrowverse of course already has its own version of Superman played by Tyler Hoechlin, so its been clear for some time that Smallville took place in an alternate universe despite them both being CW shows. There's other big cameos from actors who have played DC characters in the past including voice actor Kevin Conroy as an older version of Batman, the original Robin Burt Ward from the 60s series, and Ashley Scott as Huntress from the Birds of Prey CW series. There's also been rumors that Lynda Carter could be making a surprise appearance as a version of Wonder Woman, but this has yet to be confirmed. 

So what do you think of Routh and Welling's returns to the Superman role? Are there any other versions of characters you'd like to see appear? Let us know below!

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New Trailer For Martin Scorsese's 'The Irishman' Puts De-aged De Niro, Pacino, And Pesci On Full Display

Mafia movie fans and cinephiles have been waiting for the release of Martin Scorsese's upcoming project The Irishman, which unites heavy hitter De Niro, Pacino, Keitel, and Pesci together for the first time on screen. But thing haven't exactly gone smoothly with the movies release, with issues over the movies cinematic release as well as the extensive technology used to de-age the actors all leading to years of delays. Well after the long wait its finally happening, and The Irishman will be hitting theaters and Netflix this November just in time for the award season. The new trailer gives us not only a better idea of the film's plot and relationship between its characters, but also shows off the controversial de-aging used on the main stars.

Below is the second trailer for The Irishman:

The first trailer for The Irishman released a month ago didn't get nearly as positive a reaction as this one, with some even being concerned Scorsese may have a flop on his hands. Thankfully this trailer seems to be a lot of those doubts at rest, and shows off the relationship between each of the characters. We know De Niro will be the main lead of Frank Sheeran who is hired as a hitman for the Bufalino crime family, led by Russell who's played by Pesci. The story is told for Sheeran's perspective as he recounts his life and what he did for the Bufalinos. We also see Pacino as Jimmy Hoffa, as labor leader who De Niro is assigned to take out.

The Irishman reunites Scorsese with Pesci and De Niro who he worked with on Goodfellas and Casino, but marks the first time the director works with Pacino. Other big names involved are Harvey Keitel, Ray Romano, Bobby Cannavale, Anna Paquin, and Stephen Graham amongst others. The movie is already getting great buzz after its first screening for critics last night, with the de-aging technology being complemented and the film hailed as one of Scorsese's best in years. There's a strong chance we could see the movie make a big mark at the Oscars this year if this praise continues and with so many big names involved. 

So what did you think of the new trailer for The Irishman? Does the de-aging technology bother you? Let us know below!

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Sony And Disney Agree To Deal That Will See Spider-Man Return To The MCU With A Movie Set For July 16, 2021

No this isn't a joke or a prank, the news that Spider-Man fans never thought they'd get has finally arrived. After a month of frustration and disappointment over the standoff between Sony and Marvel that would see Tom Holland's Peter Parker written out of the MCU, peace has finally be restored. Marvel Studios and Sony have a agreed to a deal that will see them collaborate on the upcoming third film that now has an official release date of July 16, 2021. Not only will the third film now be a part of the MCU, but Spider-Man has also been confirmed to appear in another Phase 4 MCU movie that has yet to be revealed. 

The story itself courtesy of Deadline almost reads as fan fiction, as the chance of both sides ever coming to a deal was looking very slim, but they seemingly did just last night. Both Sony and Disney had been public about moving on in their own separate direction, with the MCU working to focus on many of their other characters, and Sony hoping to incorporate Holland's Spider-Man into their own Venom cinematic universe. This still might be the case with the deal seemingly only being temporary and much shorter than the first Spider-Man deal, and Sony eventually still wanting the character to themselves for their own planned shared universe.

This deal does allow Marvel Studios to give their version of Spider-Man a proper conclusion, rather than having the character suddenly disappear after being so key to their last phase of films. Far From Home of course ended with a major cliffhanger with Mysterio having revealed Peter's identity to the world, so getting to see that explored in the MCU and what implications it causes is much more interesting than seeing it play out in a basically all new Sony universe. This also allows the references to Tony Stark, appearances from Happy Hogan and other Marvel heroes, as well as the events of Endgame to be referenced and used in the third movie. 

Its also been revealed that Jon Watts, director of both Homecoming and Far From Home will be returning for the third film. There had been rumors Disney and Sony were in a bidding war for Watts' services, with Sony wanting him to finish the trilogy for their own planned third film, while Disney wanted him to direct another one of their MCU properties. Its still unknown which future movie Spider-Man will be appearing in, but some rumors have suggested it may be in the planned Fantastic Four reboot, a group Spidey crossed paths with often in the comics, or a yet to be announced Avengers team-up. Its possible the MCU could also now be more tied into the Venom-verse than we initially thought, with each universes movies referencing the others and allowing Holland's Peter to co-exist in both. 

So what do you think of the news of Sony and Disney coming to a deal? Or you happy with what we're getting or do you wish it was longer? Let us know below!

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Marvel Studios' Kevin Feige Developing A New 'Star Wars' Movie For Disney With Kathleen Kennedy

Kevin Feige's name has been in headlines more than usual lately, with his name having come up in all the back and forth between Disney and Sony over the rights to Spider-Man on screen. Feige is of course known as the mastermind behind the MCU, a producer who worked his way up from working on the original Sam Raimi Spider-Man trilogy to becoming the architect behind one of the biggest franchises in the world. So it shouldn't come as a surprise that yet another Disney owned franchise finely came knocking on Mr. Feige's office door, and thats none other than Star Wars.

The Hollywood Reporter has revealed that Feige is attached to an all new Star Wars film thats in the works over at Disney. This project will be separate from the current trilogy which is coming to an end this year with Rise of Skywalker, and also will have to relation to the upcoming Star Wars films by Rian Johnson or the one being written by D.B. Weiss and David Beinoff (Game of Thrones). Its unknown what this project will actually be about but it will likely also focus on new characters as the franchise looks to move on from the Skywalker saga.

Feige's involvement make come as a surprise to some Marvel fans who are surprised to see him crossover into another franchise, but he will still remain the head of Marvel Studios and for now isn't taking on a bigger role at LucasFilm. Kathleen Kennedy who has assumed a similar position to Feige's MCU role and the overseer of the Star Wars films has taken some criticism in the last few years, specifically with fans frustration over the direction of the new trilogy, and lack of creative control given to directors working on their projects. Bringing Feige on board should be a relief to fans who know he has already proven he has a way for crafting cinematic universes, and will hopefully see his impact felt in other upcoming Star Wars projects.

Reports have also suggested Feige already has a big name star lined up to star in the project, and that it may be an actor he has already worked with in the MCU. Feige's passion for Star Wars as a fan apparently drew him to eventually get involved in a project with them and ultimately led to this partnership with Kennedy. The Star Wars films have been not only distancing themselves from the Skywalker saga, but also any prequel or spinoff films following the disappointing performance of Solo: A Star Wars story. The franchise has instead turned to Disney+ for many of their projects such as The Mandalorian and the upcoming Obi-Wan Kenobi series, so we can expect all of these new projects to be completely new stories with all new characters just set in the Star Wars universe. 

So what do you think of Kevin Feige's involvement with Star Wars? Do you hope he'll take on a bigger role at LucasFilm? Let us know below!

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Jeffrey Wright Joins 'The Batman' As Commissioner Gordon; Jonah Hill In Talks For Villain Role

Things have been pretty quiet as far as casting for Matt Reeves' upcoming reboot The Batman, with the only confirmed cast member being Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne himself. Now after months of rumors and speculation, we finally have two names we can add to that list; Jeffrey Wright (Westworld) and Jonah Hill (Wolf of Wallstreet). Wright will be taking over the role of Jim Gordon, the commissioner of the Gotham Police Department who works closely with Batman. Hill's role is still under wraps, but rumors have suggested the actor will probably be playing the classic Batman villain The Riddler. 

Wright's casting as the new Commissioner Gordon confirms that Reeves' version of Batman will have no connection to the previous Ben Affleck one. Some rumors had circulated that The Batman could be a prequel to Affleck's DCEU caped crusader, but its pretty clear Wright is not playing a younger version of J.K. Simmons' Gordon from Justice League. Simmons casting was one of the most heavily praised of the DCEU, so it'll be a shame to see him go after only one portrayal of the character. Wright has many credits to his name including roles in Source Code, Casino Royale, Westworld, and Boardwalk Empire, with a recent gig ironically in the MCU as the voice of The Watcher in the upcoming What If? series on Disney Plus.

Prior to Wright's casting there were rumors that Giancarlo Esposito (Breaking Bad), Jamie Foxx (Django Unchained), and Mahershala Ali (Moonlight) were up for a role in the movie, with the assumption being it was also for Gordon. Ali of course has taken on the role of Blade for Marvel, while Esposito has also recently been rumored to join the MCU in a mystery role. Its unknown how important Commissioner Gordon will be to the plot of The Batman, but its likely he'll be pretty key given that he's the second casting announcement. Gordon is just one of many well known supporting characters in the Batman universe including Robin, Lucius Fox, and of course Alfred, all of whom have yet to be cast or confirmed to be appearing in the movie at all.

As for Jonah Hill's casting, the actor is reportedly still in negotiations over his salary for the part and things could still fall through. He had been rumored to be in the running to star in the movie months ago, but this is the first official confirmation of his involvement. While early fan speculation was that he would be playing The Penguin, a character rumored to be the movie's main villain, Collider's Jeff Sneider reports he's actually in talks to play The Riddler. Riddler was also rumored to be a part of the movies plot which will apparently feature many members of Batman's rogues gallery. Riddler was brought to the big screen by Jim Carrey in Batman Forever, but hasn't been in a Batman film since, despite several rumors of him appearing during Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy.

So what do you think of the casting of Wright and Hill? Were there other actors you would've preferred in these roles? Let us know below!

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Amazon's 'The Boys' Season 2 Casts Goran Visnjic And Claudia Doumit Along With Other Returning Characters

This summer brought us one the most surprising and dark takes on the superhero genre in Amazon's The Boys, and it shouldn't be a surprise that a second season is already in the works given the show's success. Following all the crazy events of season 1, the show-runners still have many questions left to answer and plot lines to continue. While we know most of the original cast will be returning including several members of The Boys and The Seven, we now know some of the new faces that will be joining in on the madness and what characters they will be playing. 

For those who haven't seen the show, there will be some major spoilers for Season 1 ahead. As well all know the first season ended with some pretty major cliffhangers, the biggest being the death of one of the heads of Vought Madeline Sitwell (Elisabeth Shue) after it is revealed she has been keeping secrets from Homelander (Antony Starr). We also get the big reveal that Billy Butcher (Karl Urban)'s wife never actually died during childbirth, and she has given birth to a raised the son of Homelander. Meanwhile The Boys including Hughie (Jack Quaid), Mother's Milk (Laz Alonso), and Frenchie (Tomer Kapon) are all now on the run after being rescued by Starlight (Erin Moriarty) from a vengeful A-Train, who has seemingly overdosed on ComboundV.

That's obviously a lot to take in, and there's several different directions the show can take and decisions these characters can make. We know that Homelander will most likely be the clear main antagonist of Season 2, but we also know he has created several super terrorist around the world using ComboundV. We also don't know if Homelander will still be loyal to Vought or The Seven, or if the team even will exist now with the possible death of A-Train (Jessie T. Usher). Fans have already speculated The Deep (Chace Crawford) could be getting a redemption arc at some point switching sides against Vought ala Steve Harrington from Stranger Things, but as far as we know the character still is in Ohio.

One of the returning names recently confirmed is Malcolm Barrett (Timeless) as Vought marketing employee Seth, who was revealed to have had a tragic sexual encounter with a supe in the support group Billy and Hughie visit. Some of the new characters being introduced are Victoria Neuman played by Claudia Doumit (Timeless), who will be a young congresswomen. Its likely she'll play a role in the on going argument over having superheroes join the military from season one, and how the reveal of the super terrorists has affected this. Meanwhile yet another Timeless alum Goran Visnjic will play Alistair Adana, the head of a mysterious church. We've already seen how religion has played a role in the world of The Boys as shown through Ezekiel and the way Vought used it to make supes believe their powers were god given rather than made in a lab. This will likely play into that and possibly more of Starlight or even Homelander's past, or could just be a whole new organization introduced to the show.

So what do you think of these new characters joining Season 2? Do you have any predictions for what will happen next season? Let us know below!

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Tom Holland And Kevin Feige Comment On Spider-Man's Future And Seemingly Confirm His MCU Exit

With everything that's been playing out through the media regarding them, you'd think Tom Holland and Kevin Feige would like to be as far away from reporters right now as possible. Unfortunately for them, the two both had to make appearances at this weekend's D23 conference to talk about their upcoming projects. While Holland was their to only promote his upcoming Pixar movie with Chris Pratt called Onward, and Feige took the stage to announce Black Panther 2, questions about the future of Spider-Man were inevitable. The two sat down with Entertainment Weekly to basically confirm that Spidey's future will see him outside of the MCU, and the two gave their first official comments on the matter. 

In the presentation for Onward that I mentioned above, the crowd attending the event apparently gave a loud applause for Holland once he took the stage. While at that moment he didn't specifically talk about the drama unfolding he reportedly appeared emotional onstage when he stated the following: “It’s been a crazy week but I want you all to know from the bottom of my heart I love you 3000”. The clear node to Iron Man's quote from Endgame could be interpreted as a final thank you or goodbye to the MCU, as well as the support he's been getting online from fans. The actor has not only had a tough week due to the Spider-Man news, but also because of his upcoming Uncharted film losing its director just a few days ago. 

While there was no further mention of Spider-Man on stage, Holland did a sit down interview later in the day to more specifically talk about Spidey's future. The actor made sure to confirm that no matter what happens he'll still be playing the character, amongst some rumors he may not have been signed on and was frustrated over having to leave the MCU. In the video below you can see Holland's comments on the matter, which will vague and optimistic also seemingly confirm the character's exit. Feige also sat down to shed some light on the whole situation, stating that Marvel always knew their access to the Spider-Man character was temporary and they feel they were able to tell the story they wanted.  

So from this we can pretty much get that Feige and Marvel are moving on from the character, or at least making it appear so. While it isn't hard to believe that the studio always had the possibility of losing Spider-Man in their head, it is a little far fetched to think this is all the story they wanted to tell. After all, Spider-Man: Far From Home still had many MCU character playing a role in Peter's life despite the absense of Iron Man, and seemed to be setting him up as one of the new faces of the universe going forward. With the cliffhanger of the world now knowing Peter's identity, and seemed like something that would change the state of the MCU for the future. There's also the eventual next interpretation of The Avengers, which almost certainly would've featured Holland's Spider-Man in a key role.

Although this is all disappointing for fans, it is good to know that Holland will at least be returning as the character and we won't have to sit through yet another reboot. Now how different Peter and his world will be without the MCU and in the hands of Sony has yet to be seen, and how they will explain all the missing elements that were so important in the last movie (I guess Aunt May's single again). We also now have confirmation writers Chris McKenna and Eric Sommers who wrote Far From Home will be returning to write the third film for Sony. Jon Watts on the other hand still isn't under contract for the sequel, and Sony and Marvel have reportedly gotten into a bidding wore to get the director to work on their future projects.

So what do you think of Feige and Holland's comments? Do you think Spider-Man 3 can still work without the MCU? Let us know below!

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Marvel Reveals New Disney+ Series 'Ms. Marvel', 'She Hulk', and 'Moon Knight' Along With Other Casting News

Amidst all the Spider-Man drama playing out right now between Sony and Disney, Marvel Studios seemingly wants to still give fans something to lift their spirits. While the studio made most of their upcoming project announcements at this year's Comic-Con, they apparently saved some for this week's D23 conference in Anaheim. While their had been rumblings Disney would announce another big project, they instead gave us three which include the likes of Ms. Marvel, She Hulk, and Moon Knight. Similar to the early Marvel Netflix shows, the studio felt these character were best served on as a streaming series rather than films. But unlike with the Netflix characters, we know these three will definitely be connected to the MCU.

Ms. Marvel is a character who has become very popular in recent years in the comics with her alter ego being Kamala Khan who will be the first Muslim character in the MCU. She comes from a Pakistani-American religious family who lives in New Jersey, and she looks up to her idol Captain Marvel. The character is a teenager in the comics so this addition also brings in a new young hero who could join The Avengers down the line, and may end up partially taking the place of Spider-Man as the "new kid". 

She-Hulk is a character who has been rumored for some time, and with Hulk seemingly never getting his own solo movie in the MCU the options to introduce her character were becoming slim. In the comics she's Bruce Banner's cousin, a lawyer named Jennifer Walters who gets a blood transfusion from him and ultimately gives her similar powers. It'll be interesting to see if Mark Ruffalo makes an appearance in the show, especially given how much Disney wants these shows to tie into the big screen MCU.

Then there's Moon Knight, a character who many fans wanted to see join the Netflix Marvel universe back when Daredevil and Punisher were getting their own shows. He's considered one of the darker Marvel superheroes, and even sometimes referred to as their answer to Batman. A series or movie based on him was almost inevitable, and sure enough fans have finally gotten what they wanted. The character has ties to ancient Egypt and some supernatural elements, and with Mahershala Ali's Blade now joining the MCU Moon Knight should fit in nicely.

Some other announcements and footage was shown for Disney+ shows that were already announced. We now know that Emily VanCamp's Agent Sharon Carter (Niece of Beggy) will be returning for The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, along with Wyatt Russell playing the new role of US Agent. In the comics US Agent serves as a sort of Captain America wannabe, so its possible this version of the character could have been the government's attempt to replace Steve Rogers. We also know that WandaVision will apparently almost be a 1950s sitcom, with it being the way Wanda imagines her life with Vision in her head. MCU comedic relief character such as Kat Denning's Darcy and Randall Park's Agent Jimmy Woo will also be regulars on the show. 

So what do you think of all these announcements? Which series excites you the most? Let us know in the comments below!

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Sony And Marvel Reportedly End 'Spider-Man' Deal Removing Tom Holland's Peter Parker From The MCU

As a huge Spider-Man fan, I think I can speak on behalf of all of us when I say we've been through some serious ups and downs this last decade. Between the cancellation of Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 4, the reboot starring Andrew Garfield, and the eventual integration of the character into the MCU played by Tom Holland, there hasn't exactly been stability for fans of the webslinger. Well just when we had got our footing, it seems Sony has now ended their deal with Marvel Studios. This deal was what allowed Tom Holland's version of the character into the MCU specifically for big events movies like Civil War, Infinity War, and Endgame. The character will now apparently be going back on his own away from all the other Marvel characters, and will remove Spidey and all his supporting characters from availability in future MCU projects.

The news in devastating for a number of reasons, but at first its important to note that Sony was never purchased by Marvel unlike the recent deal with Marvel Studios. Where as characters such as the X-Men and Fantastic Four are now fully under Marvel Studios' control with not threat of leaving, the Sony deal saw a partnership between the two studios that would allow them to use the character and share in the profit. Unfortunately this always left the door open for the possibility of Sony wanting to fully take back the character for themselves, especially after a new successful version of the character was launched by the MCU.

The deal was made in the first place due to struggles Sony was having with the Amazing Spider-Man franchise and the Sony hacks that took place around the same time. There was always the thought this deal could be temporary and that now seems to be the case, with the renegotiating of the deal between Sony and Marvel falling through. Marvel reportedly wanted a 50/50 agreement that would see the pay half for each of the movies in order to receive half of the profit. Sony was not interested in this and feel they can move on from the character without the help of Marvel or Kevin Feige. 

Tom Holland's version of the character seemed to be set up as a future staple for the MCU, with the majority of his last film dealing with the legacy left behind by his mentor Iron Man. There were also several non Spider-Man MCU characters involved including Happy Hogan, Nick Fury, and Maria Hill. Its unknown how Sony will account for all these characters or even mentions of them in their new movies, especially with how important they were in Peter Parker's life. Its possible Sony could go the multiverse route by having this Peter crossover into another reality without any of those characters, or focusing on an entirely new version of the character still played by Holland. Overall the whole situation is going to create a headache for both parties involved from a storytelling standpoint. Perhaps the writing was on the wall at this years Comic-Con, where there was no mention of Holland's Spidey at Kevin Feige's Hall H Marvel Panel.

So how do you feel about Spider-Man leaving the MCU? What do you think Sony will do with the character? Let us know below!

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Marvel Studios Announces Full Phase 4 Slate Including 'Thor: Love and Thunder', 'The Eternals', 'Black Widow', and 'Blade'

One of the most exciting events for movie fans every year has become the Marvel Studios' Hall H panel at San Diego Comic-Con. Over the last ten years of the MCU, Hall H has been the location of many memorable events including the announcement of the cast for The Avengers, the title for Age of Ultron, and the trailer for Infinity War. But now with the Infinity Saga having come to a close and the events of Endgame leaving the future of the MCU as a big mystery, this year's Comic-Con finally gave fans the roadmap for whats to come courtesy of the mastermind himself Kevin Feige.

Below is the list of all the MCU projects announced at Hall H this year, some of which we knew about and some that were huge surprises. These include new solo projects, Disney+ shows, and sequels along with their directors, logos, and some of their cast. They're in order of release date, but some of these projects still don't have official dates set. 

Black Widow - May 21, 2020

Despite pretty much all of us knowing this movie was in the works, Marvel decided to announce Black Widow as the last movie on its panel (Or so we thought). While the actual announcement of the movie and its release date weren't much of a surprise, we did get some new details including the fact that the movie will take place after Civil War. We also know David Harbour will be playing some version of Red Guardian from the comics, and Taskmaster will be the villain as revealed in some concept art.

The Eternals - November 6, 2020

Eternals is a very mysterious property to some casual comic book fans, and they are characters who will give us a much better understanding of the mythos and history behind the MCU. Going with such an unknown group of characters is one of Marvel's bigger risks, but the cast they've put together has certainly eased fans. This panel included the confirmation of the cast which includes Angelina Jolie, Richard Madden, Kumail Nanjiani, Bryan Tyree Henry, Salma Hayek, and more. 

The Falcon and The Winter Soldier - Disney+ Fall 2020

Along with Loki and WandaVision, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier was one of the first Disney+ series we heard would be in development. We now know that Falcon has taken up the mantle of Captain America after he was given the mantle by old Steve in Endgame, and Winter Soldier is now his partner in crime. The rumors of Daniel Bruhl returning as Baron Zemo after the events of Civil War are true, and he will indeed be the villain of the series and even wear the character's iconic mask.

Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings - February 12, 2021

Shang-Chi is another project we've recently learned Marvel had in active development, and is the only movie here where we're fully being introduced to a single lead character in their own solo movie. We know the movie will be directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, and will star newcomer Simu Liu in the title role. Whats probably most interesting about this announcement is that Marvel will be bringing the real Mandarin to the MCU after the controversial twist from Iron Man 3. Actor Tony Leung will be playing the role, and some rumors have suggested this version of the character could be Shang-Chi's uncle. 

WandaVision - Spring 2021

The second Disney+ we'll be getting is the already confirmed Vision and Scarlet Witch series, that will apparently see the return of the character after his death in Infinity War. Feige emphasized how its one of the strangest projects Marvel has ever created, which may confirm rumors that the show will partially take place in the 1950s as well as in alternate timelines. We also know the character of Monica Rambeau who was a young girl in Captain Marvel will now be an adult played by Teyonah Parris, and will serve as one of the series main cast.

Loki - Spring 2021

Sometime alongside the release of WandaVision will be the premiere of another Disney+ series focused on Tom Hiddleston's fan favorite Loki. Although the character also met his end in Infinity War, we know the alternate timeline version of Loki from the past The Avengers went back to is still alive and has the tesseract in his possession. The show will apparently feature him also traveling through time and possibly even the multiverse, so it'll be interesting to see The God of Mischief put his plan into action.

Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness - May 7, 2021

A Doctor Strange sequel has been rumored for a while now but we weren't sure what direction they'd take the character in, but the title alone here is a huge giveaway. With original director Scott Derrickson returning, the movie has been described as Marvel Studios' first horror film. Scarlet Witch will be in the film which likely means it will directly tie into the events of WandaVision. This also confirms the multiverse does exist in the MCU despite Mysterio lying about it in Far From Home, so this opens the door to different version of characters and possibly the introduction of some of the Fox characters like the X-Men.

Hawkeye - Fall 2021

Just like Black Widow, her partner in crime Clint Barton will be getting his own solo outing, only his will be in the form of a Disney+ series. Jeremy Renner will be starring alongside a yet to be announced actress as his protege Kate Bishop, who Barton trains in the comics to become the new Hawkeye. Bishop's character was heavily rumored to appear in Endgame with some believing the scene early in the film with his daughter could mean she would be taking up the mantle, but we now know Bishop will indeed by a new character in the MCU. This also is likely setting the stage for an eventual New Avengers or Young Avengers film with Bishop as the new Hawkeye, and Barton in retirement with his family.

Thor: Love And Thunder - November 5, 2021

This one probably would've been a bigger shocker if we hadn't already heard that Taika Waititi would be returning to work on Thor 4 earlier in the week. With no character having received a fourth film yet in the MCU, and Thor now seemingly part of the Guardians, many of us believed the next time we would be seeing him was in Guardians 3. There was still a big surprise left for the stage though as it was revealed Natalie Portman would be returning as Jane Foster and the film would adapt the comic where she becomes The Mighty Thor. While Portman had seemed to have a falling out with Marvel with her character written out of the films, Taika's involvement may bring us a whole new layer to the character we haven't yet seen. 

Confirmed Phase 5 Projects Without Release Dates

Just when everyone thought the panel was over, Kevin Feige revealed he still had another surprise up his sleeve. Oscar Winner Mahershala Ali took to the stage and revealed he would be playing Blade in a new film reboot for the character, made famous by Wesley Snipes in the 90s. Although Blade is not part of Phase 4 and doesn't have a release date or director yet, we did get a logo and of course our main actor announcement. Feige also assured fans Black Panther 2, Captain Marvel 2, Guardians 3, Fantastic Four, and X-Men are all in development seemingly for Phase 5. While he never mention Spider-Man 3 or Ant-Man 3, its possible these projects could've slipped his mind as the announcement were made pretty off the cuff. 

So what do you think of all of Marvel's Phase 4 projects? Which one are you most excited for? Let us know below!

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