First Official Photo And Teaser Video Of Joaquin Phoenix As 'Arthur' In Todd Phillips' Upcoming Joker Movie

The current plan for DC movies has been just as confusing for fans as it has been for the studio themselves, but surprisingly amidst all the shakeups there's still some movies actually happening. One of these is the Joker movie starring Joaquin Phoenix as the title character, which will be completely separate from DCEU movies such as Justice League and Batman v. Superman. The way things are looking so far, this certainly may be for the better with the film aiming to even make some noise during next year's awards season. While we had heard a lot of rumors from the movie, we now have photos of Phoenix both pre and post his Joker transformation thanks to director Todd Phillips.

The first photo released early last week shows the character "Arthur Fleck" who will eventually become the Joker. Fans of the comics know that the Joker really doesn't have an identity or clear back story, so the floor is open for Phillips to basically create a whole new character from the ground up. What we've heard is that his character will be a struggling comedian (Similar to the comics) and will have a tragic past and family life that will eventually lead him down his psychotic path. Below you can see the first photo of Phoenix as Arthur, which seemingly fits with that character description: 

The movie which will include the talents of Zazie Beetz, Robert De Niro, Frances Conroy, and more was also set to feature Alec Baldwin as Thomas Wayne (Father of Batman himself) but the actor dropped out of the role. He has since been replaced by Brett Cullen, and here the character might actually be the illegitimate father of Fleck. Given that the movie will take place in the 1980s, its possible a young Bruce Wayne could make an appearance but it does seem this will be a very Joker centric story. Below you can see a short teaser video giving us our first look of Phoenix in the Joker makeup.

While a far cry from some of the classic looks of the Joker we've seen in the comics, this version seems much more reminiscent of Heath Ledger's version of the character. This may not be the final version of the character we see in the movie, but it fits with the gritty mafia type of film it has been described as. Fans have already begun comparing this version of the character to Jared Leto's infamous take, and it seems the first image already has some leaning towards Phoenix.

So how do you feel about what we've seen of Phoenix's Joker so far? Do you prefer the look over Leto's? Let us know below!

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'Avatar: The Last Airbender' Will Get A Chance At Redemption Thanks To A New Live Action Netflix Series

In the early days of this website, I didn't have the knowledge I do now about this little known website called Rotten Tomatoes. Had I known what I know now, I wouldn't have forced my family to see the dumpster fire that was M. Night Shyamalan's adaption of The Last Airbender. Thankfully the director has since gotten a second chance and has made the most of it with the hit film Split and its sequel Glass on the way. But Shyamalan apparently isn't the only one getting his chance at redemption, as apparently The Avatar himself will star in an all new Netflix series based on the Nickelodeon cartoon. The series is expected to start production in 2019, with its original creators serving as showrunners.

Creators Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko assure fans that this version of the show will feature "culturally appropriate" and "non-whitewashed" characters. This of course is directly addressing the controversy over how Shyamalan cast his movie, with white actors as the film's main three leads. Its likely young Asian actors will be found for these parts with DiMartino and Koniezko now involved, and with the Netflix brand on it the show could still bring in a big name or two for the adult roles.

Avatar was one of the most popular shows during my era of Nickelodeon growing up, and certainly has a mythology that lends itself to a big budget series more than a movie. In the same vein as the recently adapted Series of Unfortunate Events, both properties had an attempt at a film adaption that ultimately led to nothing. Series of Unfortunate Events was able to make the most of its second chance at Netflix, so I can only imagine The Last Airbender will do the same.

The original series follows a boy named Aang who is freed from ice by Katara and Sokka, and informed he is the last remained airbender on Earth. Is the new avatar Aang must learn to master all the elements (water, fire, and earth remaining) and does so by amercing himself in each benders separate tribe. He does all this amidst the threat of the evil Fire Nation, including one of the series main antagonists Prince Zuko. It'll be interesting to see who is cast as key characters such as Zuko, Katara, Sokka, and of course Aang in the coming months. 

So do you think The Last Airbender will work as a Netflix series? Who would you like to see play the main characters of the show? Let us know below!

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Henry Cavill Might Be Out As Superman; Supergirl And Michael B. Jordan Could Be Warner Bros.' Plan B

To be completely honest here, I've been waiting on writing this article hoping the dust would settle on this whole situation. Unfortunately, almost a week later we still don't have the slightest clue whats going on between Henry Cavill and Warner Bros. Last week the shocking news broke that Cavill was officially out as the DCEU iteration of the character, after talks broke down over a cameo in the upcoming Shazam! movie. Rumors then ran rampant about what would be the studios next plan of action, and fans and celebrities alike chimed in on their frustration over the studio's treatment of the actor. Cavill himself even added to the fire with a cryptic social media post that fans have been trying to decipher for days now. 

The news was originally broken by The Hollywood Reporter, and was later confirmed by Variety and The Wrap that Cavill was in fact no longer going to play the role. While originally it was believed Cavill was the one stepping down over frustration of the treatment of his character in the movie universe (Including his lack of a standalone sequel), other outlets now claim it was actually the studio who wanted Cavill out. If this does end up being the case, its likely we'll never see the Man of Steel sequel that has been rumored for years.

This was apparently so that the studio could go in a new direction with the character, specifically a recast. While actors such as Matt Bomer who resembles Cavill initially come to mind, it makes more sense that WB's reason for moving on from someone so perfect for the traditional version of the character is in order to try something completely new. This is reportedly why the idea of Michael B. Jordan playing the last son of Krypton has been thrown around at the studio, although this remains to be concerned. Following the success of Black Panther at Marvel, and recent initiatives at Warner Bros. to make their films more diverse, its certainly a feasible idea. 

Rumors have also suggested the studio plans on shifting the focus to Supergirl, a character who is also Kryptonian and the cousin of Superman in the comics. The idea is supposedly being thrown around as an alternative to Kal-El himself, with a standalone movie possibly featuring Brainiac being one of the rumors currently making the rounds. The final possibility is of course that Cavill may be returning to the role after all, but with no planned movies for his character set in stone right now everything is up on the air. Cavill's agent seemingly denied he has abandoned the role for good, and this is a sentiment Cavill's own video on Instagram may be expressing. Only time will tell what will really happen with the future of the character. 

So how would you feel if this really is the end of Cavill's Superman? What direction would you like to see WB go in next with the character? Let us know below!

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Comic-Con Trailer For DC's 'Shazam!' Gives Us Our First Look At The Superhero Version Of 'Big'

DC movies have become notorious for their dark and gritty tones, which to some fans doesn't exactly match with the way the characters were written in the comics. With Superman already having taken this route due to the influence of Zack Snyder, its been a mystery as to just what kind of tone they would use for their adaption of Shazam!. With the story focusing on a young kid who becomes a full grown powerful superhero, and the lighthearted Zachary Levi in the title role, most of us expect a pretty family friendly movie. Well it seems like we'll be getting just that, with the latest trailer for the movie showing us a much different side of the DC universe then we've gotten so far.

Below is the first official trailer for Shazam!:

Comparisons to the Tom Hanks movie Big were pretty much inevitable, and it definitely feels like the movie is channeling this. It seems it'll be dealing a lot with the fun a kid would have if he just woke up with these powers one day, and his interactions with his best friend played by Jack Dylan Grazer who seems to be a big fan of the current Justice League roster (As made evident by his Batman T-shirt and are merchandise in his room). It'll be interesting to see just how much the idolization of those other more accomplished heroes will effect Billy Batson.

The mythology of Shazam! stills seems very much intact with the grand wizard being the one who gives him his powers. We also get a look at Batson's foster family who are eventually gifted powers and alter egos of their own in the comics, but its unknown if we'll be seeing any of that in this movie. What will probably disappoint fans most is the lack of Shazam's arch nemesis Black Adam, who will be played the Dwayne The Rock Johnson in the DCEU. The villain here will instead be Dr. Thaddeus Sivana played by Mark Strong, a character made famous by the recent Geoff Johns run of the character.

So what did you thank about the first trailer for Shazam? Are you happy DC went for a lighter tone? Let us know below!

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DC Doesn't Stop Rolling The Punches With The First Trailer For James Wan's Epic 'Aquaman' Movie

With Marvel Studios surprisingly sitting out this year's Comic-Con, all the attention was DC's to lose this weekend. Thankfully the studio hasn't disappointed, with the first trailer for Shazam! having already made it debut, and now they've given us a trailer for Aquaman as well. The James Wan directed epic starring Jason Momoa as the led has already sounded very ambitious from what we've heard about it, and the footage we see here lives up to that standard. Adapting a superhero who wasn't taken seriously for years and lives in a complex under water society is no easy feat, but thankfully Wan has boldly taken on that challenge. 

Below is the first official trailer for Aquaman:

Alright so there's a lot to pack in from this trailer, but one thing it makes clear as this is indeed partially an origin story. While Arthur Curry has already participated in the events of Justice League at this point, this will be his first time returning to Atlantis to retrieve his rightful thrown. This has already brought up a striking similarity to Black Panther, where an outside character returns to the society he was born in to become its ruler. Only in this case, Curry will have to take on his half brother Ocean Master (Patrick Wilson) for that honor. The trailer makes clear that Ocean Master is indeed the main villain of the movie, and apparently wants to wage a war with the surface world.

We get glimpses of Curry's past which seems reminiscent of what we saw of Clark Kent's childhood in Man of Steel, so we'll be getting a lot more explanation of who his parents were and how his mother ultimately meets her end. We also see a teenage Arthur training with the Atlantian Vulko played by Willem Dafoe, who will apparently be his main remaining tie to Atlantis growing up. Although most of the movie takes place in Atlantis from what we've seen, we'll apparently be seeing land adventures with Arthur and Mera (Amber Heard) featuring the human Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II).

Its unknown just how important Manta will be in this movie, but its likely he'll serve as a secondary villain working with Ocean Master in some capacity. The character is donning a suit basically straight out of the comics, and will also apparently have an army with him who are similarly armored. This version of Black Manta is apparently a pirate taken out by Arthur Curry earlier in the narrative, so its likely this is why he hold a vendetta against him. Manta ends up being Aquaman's arch rival in the comics, so we can probably expect his role to be expanded on even more in sequels.

So what did you think of the first Aquaman trailer? Do you think DC has a hit on their hands? Let us know below!

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Jake Gyllenhaal Reportedly In Talks To Play The Villain Mysterio In 'Spider-Man: Homecoming 2'

So its pretty great to wake up in the morning, check your phone, and see a text from your friend that Jake Gyllenhaal is playing our next Spider-Man villain. In a pretty surprising bit of news, the talented has apparently been all but confirmed to be playing the baddie Mysterio in his big screen debut. This comes just weeks before the sequel is set to begin shooting with returning star Tom Holland in a story that will be taking the web-slinger out of his native New York City and to the streets of Europe. Not only did we get news of Gyllenhaal's casting and what character he's playing (Which allows us to skip over months of guessing), but we also no so cast members who will be returning from the first film.

The news originally came courtesy of The Sun as a rumor, but has since been confirmed by the likes of THR, Deadline, and Variety. The actors is in talks for the role of Quentin Beck aka Mysterio, a failed special effects technician who uses his skills against Spider-Man. Gyllenhaal has made a huge name for himself a talented actor in Hollywood with recent projects such as Prisoners, Stronger, and the critically acclaimed Nightcrawler, which makes this just another huge get for Marvel Studios.

Spider-Man movies have become known for casting some pretty impressive actors including the likes of Willem Dafoe, Alfred Molina, and Jamie Foxx to name a few. The standard was set by the Sam Raimi films, which ironically enough almost featured Gyllenhaal taking on the role of Spider-Man. Following a back injury sustained during the filming of Seabiscuit, Tobey Maguire was nearly recast with Gyllenhaal for Spider-Man 2. Looks like things have finally come full circle, and the actor will get his chance to star in a Spider-Man movie all these years later (He can ask Donald Glover what thats like). 

Its unknown how Mysterio will be used in the sequel especially considering the now confirmed return of Keaton's Adrian Toomes aka The Vulture (via Variety), and whether the two will have some kind of alliance. The bread crumbs for the villain team-up of the Sinister Six have already been set with the likes of Scorpion, Vulture, Shocker, and now Mysterio all having been introduced, so we could always see that further teased. Mysterio has never been featured on screen, but brings about a lot of amazing cinematic ideas thanks to his use of illusions and special effects to mess with Spider-Man's mind. 

So how do you feel about Jake Gyllenhaal playing Mysterio and Spider-Man: Homecoming 2? Would you have preferred to see a different villain or actor join the film? Let us know below!

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'IT: Chapter Two' Casts James Ransone And Andy Bean As Adult Versions Of Eddie And Stanley

This past September, the kids of the Losers Club made an impression on audiences around the world and managed to make IT one of the biggest films of the year. Following the success of the first film we already have a sequel in the works that will follow the plot of the original Stephen King novel, with the now adult group of friends returning to their home town of Derry to once again face Pennywise the Clown. Fans and movie websites alike have been rampantly suggesting who they feel should play the adults for the last few months, but now we finally get to see who the studio themselves have decided on. With the likes of James McAvoy, Jessica Chastain, and Bill Hader reportedly all on board, we now have our grown up Eddie and Stanley.

Andy Bean will be portraying the role of Stanley Uris, who you'll remember as the tall kid who was terrified of the picture of the old lady. Bean takes over the role from Wyatt Oleff, who he has an uncanny resemblance to. Bean is best known for his role as Greg on the Starz show Power, with roles also in films such as Transformers: The Last Knight and Allegiant. Stanley didn't have a very big role in the first film, and if the second one will be following the book faithfully then his character will find himself facing a tragic fate pretty early on in the narrative.

As for the role of Eddie Kaspbrak, the germophobic mama's boy who was a fan favorite in the first film, experienced horror movie actor James Ransone will be taking on the role. Ransone starred in the role of The Deputy in both Sinister films, so a role in IT: Chapter Two seems right up his ally. Like Bean, Ransone shares an extremely accurate resemblance to the young actor who portrayed his character in the first movie; Jack Dylan Grazer. We can only hope Ransone brings that same great and scene stealing energy Grazer did, and has the same banter and chemistry with Bill Hader's Richie Toizer.

With such a talented cast already put together, it seems director Andrés Muschietti has put together a nice mix of big stars and smaller name actors. Personally I feel this is a good call, as we'll be able to see these characters as if they really could be what the kids were like when they grew up, much in the same way the group of kids felt very real. The roles of Ben Hanscom and Mike Hanlon both have yet to be cast, but I'd personally love to see Derek Luke and Chris Pratt (I know he's a big name star, but he's too perfect for it) in these roles. I'm sure we can expect some official casting news about the last two remaining members of the Losers Club in the days ahead, but until then, we can still fancast while we have the chance. 

So what do you think of Ransone and Bean playing Eddie and Stanley? Are there other actors you would've preferred to see get the roles? Who would you like to see play Ben and Mike? Let us know below! 

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