The Russo Brothers Don't Think Iron Man Was Wrong About Ultron

The Russo Brothers Don't Think Iron Man Was Wrong About Ultron

Spoilers ahead for Avengers: Endgame.

Avengers: Endgame has been in theaters for three weekends, still maintaining the top spot at the box office over new releases like Detective Pikachu. The Russo Brothers did the impossible with the blockbuster, surpassing even Infinity War in regards to scope and character-driven story. Endgame was intimately connected to the previous 21 movies in the MCU, and that includes Phase Two's finale Avengers: Age of Ultron.

When Iron Man and Nebula were rescued by Captain Marvel and towed back to Earth in Endgame, Tony had an altercation with Steve Rogers. Exhausted and starving, he maintained he was right all along regarding the measures needed to properly protect the planet. Now The Russo Brothers have come to Tony's defense in regards to his Age of Ultron actions, with Joe Russo saying:

He was not wrong that there was a great threat coming, and they needed to build a suit of armor around the world, and at what point do civil liberties trump—no pun intended—do civil liberties come before the government’s ability to protect its citizens? I think what’s interesting is that to some extent, they had to go through this. There was a sense of destiny to this. They had to go through it to win it. And in a way both he and Cap were right.

Captain America and Iron Man's relationship started becoming strained during Avengers: Age of Ultron, as they had idealogical differences to the morality of superheroics. Ultron's inception came as a result of Tony's singular focus on protecting the planet, although Earth could have used it when Thanos and his forcea came knocking in Infinity War.

Of course, Joe Russo's comments to Slate also point out that Captain America has his own valid points in the argument. Both heroes had the best of intentions, but were ultimately unable to come together and find viable compromises. That powder keg eventually exploded in Captain America: Civil War, and it broke up the Avengers in the process.

Related: How Spider-Man: Far From Home Can Wrap Up Marvel's Phase Three

Ultron may have ended up turning against his creators and the planet, but the thought behind his creation was a big picture idea. Tony and Bruce Banner wanted to provide a more comprehensive protection of the planet, with Iron Man knowing that the Battle of New York was no fluke. Unfortunately, Ultron had other plans-- although Vision was also born in the process.

But Thanos was only able to be defeated because the surviving heroes were able to work together. Despite Tony's initial reaction to arriving home, he was able to bury the hatchet with Steve Rogers, and they made the time heist happen together. The duo also faced off against Thanos during the epic final battle, and Cap even witnessed Iron Man's final breath.

Avengers: Endgame is in theaters now. Be sure to check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

Rami Malek Says He Wouldn't Have Gotten Bohemian Rhapsody Role Without Mr. Robot

Rami Malek Says He Wouldn't Have Gotten Bohemian Rhapsody Role Without Mr. Robot

It is good to be Rami Malek right now. The actor was the lead in Bohemian Rhapsody, one of 2018’s most successful films, for which he won a BAFTA, a Golden Globe and an Oscar for his performance as Freddie Mercury. On top of that he’s dating his gorgeous co-star. Yet, he might never have gotten the role of Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody if it weren’t for his breakout role in USA’s Mr. Robot. According to Rami Malek:

This seemed to propel me into a different space. I wouldn't have gotten the role of Freddie Murphy in Bohemian Rhapsody if it wasn't for this show. [I] probably wouldn't have had the type of success I'm seeing in my career right now, so I'm so fortunate to this show, especially for giving me this platform, giving me one of the greatest characters that I could ever play, anyone could ever play.

It’s impossible to know for sure what would have happened, but at least as far as Rami Malek is concerned, his current career success, epitomized by Bohemian Rhapsody, is attributable to his role as Elliot Alderson on Mr. Robot. As he told ET, Sam Esmail’s mind-bending show gave him visibility and a compelling character with whom he could show the world what he was capable of.

Prior to Mr. Robot, Rami Malek had plenty of credits to his name, but he himself wasn’t an established name by any stretch. His roles were mostly on TV shows and his biggest film credits were in the Night at the Museum movies, as well as taking roles in The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn-Part 2 and in smaller films like The Master and Short Term 12. Mr. Robot was Rami Malek’s first big starring role and it put him on the map in a way he wasn’t before.

Mr. Robot was a huge hit in its first season and was watercooler TV that had people talking. Rami Malek’s work on the show got people’s attention and it is possible that his presence in a buzzed about TV show put him on the right people’s radar. He believes that eventually snowballed into him landing the role of Freddie Mercury, a role that has changed his life. Sometimes all it takes is that breakthrough performance to get the ball rolling.

Rami Malek’s newfound success isn’t just limited to Bohemian Rhapsody and his award-winning performance as Freddie Mercury; the actor, now a name with a golden statue attached to it, is carrying that good fortune forward. Next year he joins a star-studded voice cast as Chee-Chee, opposite Robert Downey Jr.’s John Doolittle in The Voyage of Doctor Dolittle.

The actor also joins one of cinema’s most storied franchises as the villain in the as yet unnamed Bond 25. As Bohemian Rhapsody propels his career into the theatrical realm, Rami Malek will return one last time to the role of Elliot Alderson, to which he credits so much of his success, when Mr. Robot airs its fourth and final season later this year on USA. And of course, there's always the off-chance Bohemian Rhapsody could get a sequel.

We’ll keep you updated on what Rami Malek is working on next and in the meantime, check out our 2019 release schedule to gear up for all of this summer’s biggest movies.

The Latest Hobbs And Shaw Footage Totally Kicked Our Asses

The Latest Hobbs And Shaw Footage Totally Kicked Our Asses

Back in February we got our first look at a film that seems like it could be one of the most fun blockbuster releases to come out in 2019. Spinning off from the Fast & Furious franchise with two of the most charismatic stars in the ensemble, David Leitch’s Hobbs & Shaw looks like an over-the-top, insane, and ridiculous ride, packed with some brilliant action that should seriously thrill audiences worldwide this summer.

It seems, however, that what we’ve seen so far is only the tip of the iceberg. Today at CinemaCon in Las Vegas during the Universal Studios presentation, we got to see the latest trailer for Hobbs & Shaw, and it succeeded in not just blowing our minds, but also presenting some crazy set pieces that sent legitimate chills down the spine.

Wasting no time diving straight into the ass kicking, the Hobbs & Shaw footage began with the two titular characters in the middle of a mission and standing in front of a pair of twin doors. After some quick debate over which door belongs to who, Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham) makes the call to open the one on the right – and it turns out to be not such a great choice, as he suddenly discovers a team of henchmen waiting for him on the other side. As Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) mocks the choice that was made, Shaw immediately jumps into action and starts taking down his enemies with his impressive skills.

Meanwhile, Hobbs opens his door, and though there is only one dude standing behind it, he is so big that he actually makes the former Diplomatic Security Service agent look tiny, and he wields a giant wrench. Still, the hero is able to make quick work of his enemy, felling him with a single hit. As it happens, the two opposite hallways in which the eponymous characters find themselves are separated by a glass window, and so Hobbs is able to watch his partner fight as he himself casually strolls to the exit on the other side. Eventually they both reach the end, and Hobbs picks up his single foe and pushes his face against a scanner, opening a door. Staring back daggers, Shaw tries to replicate the action with one of his unconscious “companions,” but it doesn’t quite work – leading the British fighting machine to smash the guys face into the scanner multiple times with sincere frustration.

From there the trailer offered a bit more of the plot, explaining that bulletproof villain Brixton (Idris Elba) has put a target on the back of Hattie Shaw (Vanessa Kirby), Deckard’s sister, who has stolen a virus from him that could kill half of the human population. As Shaw and Hobbs debate family business versus world saving business, we briefly see a shot of Magdalene Shaw (Helen Mirren), Deckard’s mom, during a behind glass prison visitation telling Deckard to look out for his sister.

It’s agreed between the two heroes that the only way to succeed is to work together, but a full partnership doesn’t really seem to be totally possible. After all, we then see them in a jet preparing to use their ejector seats, and as Shaw counts down Hobbs pulls his frenemy’s cord and fires him out of the cockpit – laughing as he does it.

As the action continues, Brixton expresses a high opinion of himself, calling himself Black Superman, which the lead duo gets to experience first-hand when the villain jumps on to the back of a flatbed truck with them and proceeds to kick both of their asses – leading Hobbs to later agree, “Damn, he really is Black Superman.”

Understanding that they are in serious trouble, a plan is made by Hobbs and the two Shaw siblings to get off the grid, which then takes them to the island of American Samoa, where Hobbs is reunited with his family, specifically his mother and brothers. They’re all willing to work together so that they can save the world, but they are at a bit of a disadvantage. While they have plenty of cars to get the job done, it turns out that the Hobbs household has gotten rid of all their guns.

Still, that doesn’t stop them from engaging in full on war, leading to an epic ground battle that is previewed in bits and pieces. The big showstopper is delivered at the end, however, when Hobbs, Shaw, and Hobbs’ brothers are driving cars and doing battle with a military helicopter. While driving, the giant Samoan is able to throw a giant hook on to the chopper, and at the same time more hooks and chains are connected between the family’s vehicles to combine their strength. The end result is pure cliffside madness, as the helicopter tries to fly away, pulling the cars, while the cars at the same time try to pull the helicopter down – with Luke holding on to a chain and pulling with all of his might.

Nothing previewed thus far at CinemaCon has been able to match the epic-ness that was on display in the Hobbs & Shaw footage, and while I was already way beyond simple anticipation for the blockbuster, that excitement has only gone way, way up. Everything we’ve seen from this movie thus far has suggested it could be the biggest and most bodacious story in the entire Fast & Furious canon, and it truly can’t get here soon enough.

At this time we don’t know if this specific footage will eventually be making its way online, or when the next official trailer for Hobbs & Shaw will hit, but take our word that you are going to want to pay attention. The movie is still a few months away, set for release on August 2nd, but you can be sure that we’ll be writing a lot more about it between now and then. Be on the lookout for more of our stories, as well as plenty more coverage out of CinemaCon 2019.

John Boyega Doesn’t Think He’ll Play Finn Again After The Rise Of Skywalker

John Boyega Doesn’t Think He’ll Play Finn Again After The Rise Of Skywalker

The Star Wars franchise has been rolling out new and exciting content over the past few years, thanks to Disney's acquisition of Lucasfilm. There's been standalone films and the upcoming Mandalorian TV series, although all eyes are still on the main franchise. The sequel trilogy and Skywalker Saga will come to an end with J.J. Abrams' Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, which is set to arrive in theaters this holiday season.

The generations of Star Wars fans are eager to see how J.J. Abrams wraps up so many stories, including the decades-long narrative that began with George Lucas' A New Hope. Lucasfilm's Kathleen Kennedy has teased that the characters from the sequel trilogy may pop up in the myriad developing future movies, but John Boyega doesn't seem to agree. When asked about reprising Finn in a future installment he said:

Honestly, the bottom of my heart, I don’t think I am. I don’t think I am. I really do feel that way. This really is that movie, I think everyone doesn’t believe it, but this is that war that just ends everything.

Well, that seems pretty cut and dry. While other sequel characters may appear in the movies being developed by Lucasfilm, we should count Finn out. John Boyega things The Rise of Skywalker is the perfect final for his Stormtrooper turned Rebel.

John Boyega's comments to MTV News should illicit a mixed bag of emotions from the Star Wars fandom. One one hand, moviegoers may be disappointed to see that The Rise of Skywalker will be our last outing with Finn. He's one of the trio of new protagonists, and we've seen his journey toward the light side of The Force. And now that he's a full fledged Resistance Leader, fans might want more time with him.

Related: 12 Exciting Shots From The Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker Trailer

Then again, John Boyega's feelings may speak very highly for the quality of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. There is a ton of pressure for J.J Abrams to deliver with the threequel, and meet all the film's expectations. The blockbuster must complete the story he started with The Force Awakens, and reveal the fates of the new heroes and Adam Driver's constantly conflicted Kylo Ren.

But The Rise of Skywalker is also the last film in a nine-movie narrative begun by George Lucas back in 1977. J.J. Abrams will have to give General Leia a proper sendoff, through unused footage of Carrie Fisher from the previous films. Mark Hamill is also in the cast, and the first trailer revealed that even Palpatine will factor into the story.

With all of those balls in the air, its going to take some serious filmmaking to satisfy the fans. But if John Boyega things The Rise of Skywalker is a fitting end to Finn, then perhaps the fandom can rest easy, and make it until December.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker will arrive in theaters on December 20th. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

Jordan Peele's Us Opening Easily Tops Get Out, Sets New Box Office Record

Jordan Peele's Us Opening Easily Tops Get Out, Sets New Box Office Record

You can look at tracking, pre-sales and comparable film openings to give you an idea of how well a movie will open, and those are valuable tools, but ultimately that’s all just speculation and educated guesswork. It’s only once a film is actually open that you get a real sense of just how well it will do. And after Jordan Peele’s Us broke records when it opened in theaters on Thursday night, it is looking like the horror flick will do pretty well.

Us earned a stellar $7.4 million in preview screenings Thursday night. That’s phenomenal for an R-rated movie and puts Us behind only Paranormal Activity 3, It and last year’s Halloween for biggest Thursday preview gross for an R-rated filmm according to Forbes. Those other three titles ahead of it are obviously established horror brands. That means that Us now has the record for Thursday preview performance for R-rated films that aren’t sequels or based on some existing property.

More than just being great for an R-rated film, Us looks like it may have the biggest Thursday preview gross for a wholly original movie, surpassing The Secret Life of Pets’ $5.3 million. This is quite the jump for Jordan Peele’s sophomore effort, blowing well past the $1.8 million Get Out opened to in 2017. So now that the first receipts have come in, how high does it look like Us will go this weekend?

Playing at 3,741 North American locations, Us is now projected to slay the competition and murder expectations with a $68 million opening weekend, according to Deadline. This comes after a Friday box office of an estimated $28+ million. This positions Us to maybe double Get Out’s $33.4 million opening weekend. It will also blow away the earlier tracking on Us, which ranged anywhere from as low as $35 million to as high as $48-$50 million.

It is looking good that Us will even beat last year’s A Quiet Place, which also surpassed expectations with a noisy $50.2 million. If that happens, it would give Us the best opening ever for an original horror movie. If Us goes past Ted’s $54.4 million, it would have the best opening ever for an original R-rated movie. Us is also looking like it will snag the biggest original live-action March opening, in addition to being the biggest opening of the year after Captain Marvel.

It will be interesting to see where Us ultimately lands and how the box office fluctuates over the weekend. Jordan Peele’s film entered the weekend with a lot going for it, including excellent reviews, a great Rotten Tomatoes score, and the ability to say "From the director who brought you Get Out." Yet, Us might not be quite the crowd-pleaser as Peele’s debut, with a "B" CinemaScore versus Get Out’s “A-.”

That isn’t bad by any stretch, and it’s a far cry from Hereditary’s “D+” but it could indicate some dissatisfaction with the ending. So we’ll have to see if that has any effect on word of mouth. I suppose a polarizing ending could drive more people to see the film to be part of the conversation, or as Winston Duke has recommended, repeat viewings.

If nothing else, hopefully the performance of Us reiterates that original movies from bold filmmakers have a place in the marketplace and can perform.

Us is now playing. Check out what we thought of the movie and come back after you’ve seen it to read our breakdown of the ending. Keep an eye on our 2019 Release Schedule to see what’s headed your way in the coming weeks and months.

Walt Disney World's April Fools Day Joke Is So Great I Wish It Was Real

Walt Disney World's April Fools Day Joke Is So Great I Wish It Was Real

You've got to be careful when you're checking out social media on April 1st, because there's a good chance a lot of what you're seeing isn't real. Unfortunately, the way a lot of April Fool's Day jokes get you is by telling you a story that you want to be real. That was the way that I felt when I first saw Walt Disney World's Twitter post this morning, revealing the newest addition to the park, a glorious combination of theme park merch and theme park food. Check out Snears.

While the attractions are always a major draw when it comes to visiting Walt Disney World, the importance of the food and gear cannot be overlooked. As such, it makes perfect sense to combine these two popular elements with Snears, which take the most popular piece of merchandise in the park, Mickey Mouse ears, and gives them cups which can be filled with your favorite park snack.

This is, of course, not real. It's an April Fool's Day joke. As somebody who writes news for a living, I sort of hate this day with a deep passion. However, I can get behind a joke like this, because it's clearly and obviously a joke. You might be taken in for a brief instant, but then you realize that if these things were real they'd be ridiculous. It's just a funny thing that Disney Parks did, as opposed to something truly meant to fool you. Although, if, in that brief moment, you considered buying a pair of Snears, you might not feel like this is a very nice joke.

Putting a pair of turkey legs in your ears might sound awesome, but actually walking around with them in there isn't feasible. The weight distribution is so uneven they'd obviously fall out. Filling them with popcorn might work slightly better, as long as you don't look down at your phone to confirm your upcoming FastPass+ reservation, because then it's all coming out. It's a shame that this isn't practical because sometimes you want to carry your favorite snack while also keeping your hands free to take pictures or while checking out the gift shop.

Although, I do like the idea that the band is supposed to be refrigerated, because keeping cold Dole Whip on your head might actually work out ok, and it would be nice to have it available whenever you needed it. I could use some right now.

While Snears might not be practical, that doesn't make them less fun. The essential premise, that Mickey Mouse ears and Walt Disney World food are two essential parts of any vacation to the park, is absolutely true. My biggest problem when visiting Disney World or Disneyland isn't that I might not have enough time to experience all the attractions I want, it's that my stomach isn't big enough to eat all the food that I want. There are simply too many great restaurants and too many tasty snacks worth checking out.

How Rocketman's Taron Egerton Feels About Bohemian Rhapsody

How Rocketman's Taron Egerton Feels About Bohemian Rhapsody

Last year’s Freddie Mercury biopic Bohemian Rhapsody was a massive global success that also earned the film an abundance of awards, particularly for star Rami Malek. So naturally, this month’s Rocketman, which similarly tells the story of another legendary rock star, is being compared to that film. Taron Egerton, who plays Elton John in Rocketman, revealed how he feels about Bohemian Rhapsody and the parallels between the two films, saying:

Inevitably the film has drawn comparisons with Bohemian Rhapsody. Rami Malek’s performance in that movie is astonishing… He’s one of the most talented actors of our generation. I’m very, very proud that we are mentioned in the same breath… That film has been such a global phenomenon and success and rightly so. It is a great rip-roaring piece of entertainment and it’s great fun. I can’t remember who did that and who finished it off.

Taron Egerton was effusive with praise for both Bohemian Rhapsody and star Rami Malek, who won an Oscar for his portrayal of Freddie Mercury. An Oscar is a symbol of the respect of one’s peers, and Rami Malek certainly has Taron Egerton’s respect, with the Rocketman actor calling him a generational talent. So for his performance to be compared in any way to what Rami Malek did in Bohemian Rhapsody is immensely humbling for Taron Egerton.

He also rightly acknowledges what a phenomenon Bohemian Rhapsody was all over the world and he has previously said that he would be happy for Rocketman to have even half of that film’s success. Who could blame him?

Although Bryan Singer’s name is the one in the credits as director on Bohemian Rhapsody, Rocketman director Dexter Fletcher is the one who came on to finish the film when Singer was fired. Taron Egerton alludes to that in his comments at the Cannes Film Festival (via Variety), giving credit and love to his Rocketman director.

The actor seems to have genuine love and respect for Bohemian Rhapsody and the talent involved with it, yet although he is complimented and flattered by the comparisons, he also wants to make it clear that these are two different films. He explained how Rocketman differs from Bohemian Rhapsody saying:

But our movie is a different animal. Our movie is a musical so it requires an actor that can sing in the lead role. For a biopic that’s not necessary because it’s a biopic and they’re just performance pieces that are singing. I’m very grateful that people compare us and hopefully it shows that there is an appetite for movies of this nature. However, that movie is a unicorn and I don’t want to be forever judged by it.

Although on the surface Bohemian Rhapsody and Rocketman are both biopics, Taron Egerton sees his film as more of a musical or a musical fantasy, and that has different requirements, specifically an actor with singing chops. Unlike Rami Malek, who didn’t do the majority of the singing on Bohemian Rhapsody, Taron Egerton does all his own singing in Rocketman and much of the pre-release hype about the movie has centered on that very fact.

Ultimately, although he is grateful for the comparisons that put Rocketman in such esteemed and successful company, Taron Egerton doesn’t want Rocketman to be judged with Bohemian Rhapsody as the measuring stick. As he astutely said, that film is “a unicorn,” an unprecedented success that took the world by storm and could not have been predicted.

He wants his film to be judged on its own merits and rightfully so. If Rocketman doesn’t match Bohemian Rhapsody’s near $1 billion at the box office or if Taron Egerton doesn’t also earn a Best Actor Oscar, that in no way makes the Elton John musical a failure.

While the Bohemian Rhapsody comparisons are unlikely to end anytime soon, signs are good that Rocketman will be able to stand on its own as a worthwhile film in its own right. The film made its debut at the Cannes Film Festival and the early reactions are very positive, with Taron Egerton’s transformative performance the consensus highlight.

Rocketman opens in theaters on May 31, but Fandango is hosting advance screenings this weekend. Check out our 2019 Release Schedule to keep track of all this summer’s biggest movies.