Full Avengers: Endgame Trailer Just Answered A Major Question Fans Have Been Asking

Full Avengers: Endgame Trailer Just Answered A Major Question Fans Have Been Asking

It's an extremely exciting time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. With Captain Marvel now in the rear view (and making tons of money at the box office), the next movie down the pipeline is the highly anticipated Avengers: Endgame. Phase Three will come to a close, as The Russo Brothers complete the narrative of the current MCU, and follow-up on the surviving heroes in the wake of Thanos' finger snap of death (aka The Decimation).

The trailers for Avengers: Endgame have been slowly coming out, teasing the dark world Thanos left behind after wiping out half the galaxy. One of the biggest questions surrounding the upcoming release was the fate of Tony Stark and Nebula, who were left stranded on Titan after the snap destroyed the rest of the group who were fighting Thanos on his home planet. The first clips of Endgame showed Tony recording a goodbye message to Pepper Potts, although the final look at the blockbuster revealed than Iron Man and Nebula somehow make it home, and suit up with the rest of the survivors.

Whip out the Yaro Root, because it looks like Tony Stark and Nebula will somehow be rescued from being stranded on space. While the new trailer for Endgame doesn't reveal exactly how the not-so-dynamic duo will make it back home, there's some shots of Karen Gillan's signature character engaging in combat. And the piece de resistance was when the extended shots of The Avengers in their cool new suits, with Nebula and Tony seen alongside Black Widow and the rest of the heroes.

Personally, I'm hoping that the two stranded characters aren't rescued too quickly. Tony Stark and Nebula seem like a hilarious character pairing, and we didn't get to see them interact all that much in Infinity War, given that the focus was on the fight against Thanos. Nebula's no nonsense attitude will be an interesting foil to Iron Man's typical sassy mouth, especially with the two forced together for a long period time-- while also dealing with their shared grief.

Still, it's exciting to see those two characters will be part of the main narrative of Endgame, and not just left on the sidelines in space. The surviving heroes make a motley crew, as Rocket, Nebula, War Machine, Ant-Man and Captain Marvel join the original team.

As a reminder, check out the trailer below.

Noticeably missing from the trailers is Danai Gurira's Okoye, who watched in horror as T'Challa faded to dust. Okoye is in the Endgame poster so she'll definitely have a role, although it's unclear how she'll factor into the story. Is she helping to run Wakanda in the place of her king? Also, did Shuri really die as well?

The final trailer for Avengers: Endgame revealed that Tony Stark and Nebula eventually make it to Earth, but it's unclear exactly how this will come about. The duo's situation certainly looks precarious, as the first footage revealed that they were out of food, water, and low on oxygen. Furthermore, Tony seems to think that he's actually going to die, as he records a final message for his lover Pepper Potts.

It's unlike Iron Man and Nebula to go down without a fight, so the motley duo will probably be pulling out all the stops to ensure their survival. One brief clip from Endgame showed them working on some tech within the Guardians' ship, The Benatar. So perhaps they'll find a way to signal help, be rescued, and eventually brought back to Earth.

There's quite a few theories swirling around regarding how Tony and Nebula might be rescued from being lost in space. One of the most popular involves none other than Pepper Potts. A popular Endgame theory says that Pepper will don her own Iron Man armor, and take on the heroic mantle of Rescue. In addition to being a chance for Gwyneth Paltrow to kick some major ass, the name Rescue may tease that she goes into space to save her husband and business partner.

The rumors about Pepper Potts have gained steam thanks to photos Gwyneth Paltrow shared from the set of Avengers: Endgame. The posts showed her in a motion capture suit, so fans put the math together. Furthermore, possible leaked merchandise may have revealed the Rescue suit in advance. So yeah, the fans are hyped.

It also seems possible that Brie Larson's Captain Marvel could possibly rescue Nebula and Tony. Her massive powers thrive in space, and Carol Danvers is presumably venturing across space in response to Nick Fury's pager from the end of Infinity War. While the Captain Marvel mid-credits scene showed Carol appearing in the Avengers facility, maybe she picked up Tony and Nebula on the way? That, or she travels back into the cosmos to rescue them, and assemble the surviving heroes for their final conflict with Josh Brolin's Thanos.

Marvel fans will no doubt be relieved that Tony's story didn't end in space, and that he'd finally be reunited with the likes of Captain America and Black Widow in Endgame's big battles. But Nebula's inclusion in the Avengers is even more fascinating, and show what a big arc Karen Gillan's signature character has already had in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 took the blue girl from vengeful villain to an emotionally and physically traumatized antihero. While she remained focused on killing her adopted father Thanos, audiences saw as she and her sister Gamora finally made peace.

It should be interesting to see how Nebula vibes with the various heroes. As many of the humans venture into space for the first time, Endgame should mark her first time on Earth. Just when we thought the fish out of water stories had run their course, we've got the likes of Rocket and Nebula on Earth, and finally interacting with the other characters. They're the only two Guardians left after Thanos' snap of death, so perhaps they'll also lean on each other in regards to their shared grief.

Answers will come when Avengers: Endgame finally arrived in theaters on April 26th. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

Avengers: Endgame TV Spot Reveals Which Character Was Originally Cut From The Trailer

Avengers: Endgame TV Spot Reveals Which Character Was Originally Cut From The Trailer

Avengers: Endgame is just days away, and the excitement is palpable. Marvel fans have been waiting a calendar year for the movie to arrive, following the shocking twist ending of Infinity War. Marvel Studios originally kept its secrets to allow for Ant-Man and The Wasp and Captain Marvel to hit theaters, but the marketing campaign for Phase Three's final installment has seriously ramped up.

When the second trailer for Endgame arrived, there was a shot that threw fans for a loop. It featured some surviving heroes outside the Avengers Facility, and there was a noticeable gap between Bruce Banner and Rhodes, likely a character that was cut. But a new TV spot has revealed who that hidden character was: Gwyneth Paltrow's Pepper Potts.

Pepper Potts may not have had a major role in Avengers: Infinity War, but she's set pop back up when Endgame arrives in theaters. What's more, it looks like she'll be with the rest of the surviving heroes when something arrives from above. But what could it be?

Pepper's increased presence in Avengers: Endgame was teased by the recent round of character posters, as Gwyneth Paltrow's signature Marvel persona got her very own. But Pepper has been mostly absent from the trailers, at least until now. While her role is still largely a mystery, moviegoers can expect Pepper to show up in the Avengers facility and interact with the surviving heroes. Let's just hope that includes some unexpected choices like Rocket.

Of course, there's always the possibility that this clip with Pepper is a red herring by The Russo Brothers. The co-directors previously admitted to adding fake footage to trailers, to help advertise their blockbusters without giving away their contents. So perhaps Pepper never makes her way to join the Avengers, and has a story more contained to her location in New York City.

Just how Pepper will appear in Avengers: Endgame has been a heavily theorized subject. Many comic book fans are hoping that she'll suit up in her own Iron Man armor, taking on the mantle of Rescue. There were also theories that she could be the one to save her fiancee and Nebula. That remains to be seen, although her new appearance in the recent TV spot is definitely exciting.

You can check out the TV spot featuring Pepper Potts in below, courtesy of Endgame's official social media.

Welcome back, Ms. Potts. Gwyneth Paltrow's character debuted in the very first MCU movie, when Iron Man arrived back in 2007. It's a relief to know that she didn't fade to dust as a result of The Decimation, although how meaty her role in Endgame is remains to be seen.

All will be revealed when Avengers: Endgame hits theaters on April 26th. In the meantime, fill out CinemaBlend's Endgame death pool, and be sure to check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

Tessa Thompson Explains Her Goals For An All-Female Marvel Team

Tessa Thompson Explains Her Goals For An All-Female Marvel Team

It took over 10 years, but Marvel Studios finally has its first female-led solo movie in theaters now, and its success has been unquestionably outstanding. Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck’s Captain Marvel is among the franchise’s most successful character launches, and very soon it will join the billion dollar club at the box office. There is very clearly a demand for female-led storytelling in this arena, and it’s a drumbeat that’s growing louder and louder every day.

One person not afraid to make a lot of noise in this arena is Tessa Thompson, who made her Marvel Cinematic Universe debut in 2017 playing Valkyrie in Taika Waititi’s Thor: Ragnarok. She made headlines last year when she revealed details of a meeting she took with some of her female colleagues and Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige, and has announced ambitions to see some form of women-led team-up film. It’s a feeling that’s only been amplified with the release of Captain Marvel, as I learned speaking with the actress this past weekend:

Brie [Larson] is a friend, and I just like hanging out with her; and I'm so excited. Obviously it's been a long time coming for Marvel to have a movie led by one of their female characters that exists in the canon… Last year in the press there was this whole idea that I was on Kevin Feige about doing an all-female, A-Force or something. But really it just has to do with the fact that there's so many incredible, talented women in the MCU that I just want to work with selfishly. So I'm like, 'Well, why not do it in the context of like fighting folks and hanging out in space?’

I had the wonderful pleasure of sitting down with Tessa Thompson and writer/director Nia DaCosta on Sunday, and while the majority of our conversation was about their new collaboration – the upcoming thriller Little Woods – my last question to the actress was about her popular role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. My way into the conversation was inspired by Thompson’s recent social media activity, specifically back-and forths between herself and Captain Marvel star Brie Larson.

The two actresses have been regularly sharing fan art depicting Valkyrie and Captain Marvel together, and it inspired me to ask about her hopes for a future movie featuring the two characters teaming up. The question inspired a laugh, and Thompson took the idea to a bigger place, explaining her real desire for collaborations with the immensely talented actresses that populate the popular franchise.

As she continued, however, she also expressed why she feels a certain special level of parity with Brie Larson. While actresses like Scarlet Johansson, Zoe Saldana, and Gwyneth Paltrow each have been in the Marvel Cinematic Universe for more than five years, the experience is still relatively new for both Larson and Tessa Thompson, and they apparently are both still reveling in all of it.

This is particularly motivated, as you might expect, simply from the impact that they both feel that they can make with such significant parts on such a significant stage. They know that there is a generation of young women who are going to have a completely different perspective on the world than what previous generations got from pop culture, and they are a part of that.

And of course, there is the geek-out factor as well, as Tessa Thompson explained, referencing the fan art,

Of course I would love the chance to work with Brie. We were just like, 'Look! It's us together!' I think we're both new to the MCU, so we both retain the sense of like, 'Can you believe!?' We're just like, 'What? We got capes? What's happening?!' We're both really geeked out by having dolls and occupying this space. We're like women's women, so the idea of getting to do something that little girls are excited about, and people that identify as women feel excited about is cool. So who knows if we'll get to do something together; it's rad. But I'm just so happy for her, and for us and what it means culturally right now.

There are definitely a lot of expectations generated from the success we’ve seen, but the level of potential is also off the charts. Along with Valkyrie and Captain Marvel, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is now filled with some fantastic, unique heroines that all bring something special to the table, including Evangeline Lilly’s Wasp, Lupita Nyong’o’s Nakia, Danai Gurira’s Okoye, Elizabeth Olsen’s Scarlet Witch, Karen Gillan’s Nebula, Pom Klementieff’s Mantis, and more. There are exciting, fun, and dramatic stories to be told with all of these characters – solo, paired, or as group – and it will be tremendously exciting to see if and how they come together in Phase Four and beyond. Maybe at least a few of them can come together to create a new version of the Guardians of the Galaxy once James Gunn is done with his trilogy?

As Marvel fans know, exactly what the future holds for the massive franchise is being kept as a closely guarded mystery for now, and we won’t have any specific answers as to what’s going on until after the release of Spider-Man: Far From Home this summer – whether that includes an all-female team movie or not. Of course, between now and then we will also see the release of Avengers: Endgame, and it’s very possible that we could see a few kick-ass female team-ups within the runtime of that adventure. Hell, for all we know it might already give us the first Valkyrie/Captain Marvel partnership, and Tessa Thompson is just trying to maintain the surprise. We’re keeping our fingers very tightly crossed.

We’ll continue to keep you up to date with all of the latest developments from the Marvel Cinematic Universe (as always), but those of you also excited for more Tessa Thompson on the big screen will be getting a fantastic dose in just a few weeks. The aforementioned Little Woods, co-starring Lily Collins and James Badge Dale, will be in theaters in limited release on April 19th.

Upcoming Blumhouse Horror Movies

Upcoming Blumhouse Horror Movies

Since the release of 2009's Paranormal Activity, Blumhouse Productions has been a name that's synonymous with horror blockbusters. That reputation only grew with the addition of hit franchises like Insidious and The Purge, as well as award-winning surprises like Jordan Peele's Get Out. To cap off all of the amazing happenings that have occurred under producer Jason Blum's roof, he's also successfully revitalized the legendary horror franchise Halloween as part of his genre juggernaut. Though the company hasn't always been solely about all things horror. With the production company having been in the business for almost 20 years, they've touched various genres and even have an animated film on the books for 2021, entitled Spooky Jack.

Blumhouse's bread and butter is still generally considered to be the horror genre, though. With the boom in horror still showing box office strength and Halloween making great strides for the company's bottom line in 2018, it's a good time to look forward into the future of Jason Blum's bountiful empire. So for the purposes of the following list, we'll be locked in specifically on what's coming from the corner that deals with the scary and the mysterious realm of horror/thrillers. Also, past a certain point, these titles will be subject to change. So be sure to check back often for updates. Now, let's open the gates and see what Blumhouse Productions has in store to scare the living hell out of the world in 2019 and beyond.

Thriller

The concept for Thriller is pretty simple, but it sounds awesome. Take your standard "prank gone wrong" story that spawns a vengeful killer, set it during Homecoming weekend in south central L.A., and let it rip for a modern audience to latch onto. Thriller acts as the directorial debut of Dallas Jackson, and stars a cast of newcomers like Jessica Allain and Luke Tennie, as well as established actors such as RZA and Mykelti Williamson. Yet another festival darling that took its bow during last year's LA Film Festival, Thriller has snagged a Netflix distribution deal, and will bow soon as one the platform's original films.

Release Date: 3/31/19

Ma

Usually, if a group of kids befriends an older lady, you'd think something heartwarming would come of it. In the case of director Tate Taylor's Ma, the teens who befriend Octavia Spencer's central character are going to have something to fear as a result of paling around with her. A horror film bringing the director and co-star of The Help back together makes for quite the reunion, and seeing as Spencer won an Academy Award off of their last pairing, there's a chance that lightning could strike twice. Co-starring Luke Evans, Juliette Lewis, and Allison Janney, Ma went into production this past February. Slated for a Memorial Day weekend release, this could be the horror hit that this summer needs.

Release Date: 5/31/19

The Hunt

If you're a fan of Blumhouse Production's hit horror/thriller franchise, The Purge, then The Hunt will not only sound very familiar, it'll probably be right up your alley. Starring GLOW's Betty Gilpin and It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia's Glenn Howerton, the film is said to be about a group of "working class" people that are pursued by folks that would like to have a word with them. And by have a word with them, we mean kill them. The film was written by Lost and Prometheus mastermind Damon Lindelof, and has Z For Zachariah's Craig Zobel in the director's chair, with production set to complete in early April and its release being bumped to mid October.

Release Date: 10/18/19

Boogeyman Pop

From this point on, we'll be talking about Blumhouse horror projects that are either in development or are awaiting some sort of a release platform. In the case of Boogeyman Pop, the latter is the case, as the film had a festival premiere earlier this year, at the Cineapocalypse Film Festival. An anthology film of sorts, the three stories of the film are linked by the infamous killer, armed with a baseball bat and a black Cadillac. Sadly, even after screening for a hyped up festival crowd back in June, the film still has no official release window to speak of. But Boogeyman Pop is out there, like its central killer, ready to take on unsuspecting audiences.

Release Date: TBD

Bloodline

Seann William Scott might be the last person you'd think of as a psycho killer, but Bloodline appears to be selling just that. With his character Evan ready to protect his family by any means necessary, this father figure isn't afraid to get his hands dirty when it comes to family matters. Bloodline recently premiered at September's Fantastic Fest film festival, which gives it some time to shop itself around at the market. So at the moment, there's no official distributor or release date for this potentially bloody debut. But if enough word gets around about William Scott stepping outside of the box to play to a more sinister edge of his personality, that might soon change.

Release Date: TBD

Relive

Time travel, and protecting one's family seem to be on the menu in the "plot being kept under wraps" sci-fi/horror film Relive, which was previously titled Only You. While it isn't the first time that Blumhouse Productions has dabbled in the temporal arts, this film sounds like it'll be more emotional than most other horror films of this sort. David Oyelowo and A Wrinkle In Time's Storm Reid star in the film involves a police officer protecting his orphaned niece. From what, we're not sure of, but "sinister forces" are being mentioned as the culprit. No release date has been set, but Relive did premiere at January's Sundance Film Festival, so the film just needs to land a distribution deal to be seen by the public.

Release Date: TBD

The Gallows Act II

The Gallows shocked audiences in 2015 with both its horrific story of a High School drama production gone wrong and the supposed curse it had cast on the very show the film gets its name from. Two years later, a surprise sequel was announced in The Gallows Act II, with a viral video challenge being the catalyst for the latest round of horror. As of this past August, the film was announced as being completed, with Jason Blum saying that The Gallows Act II could be out by or around May of next year. So if you're ready for the return of the vengeful spirit known as Charlie, you might not have to wait for too much longer.

Release Date: TBD

Prey

Sometimes, a movie can go into production, but not quite so clearly come out on the other side. That seems to be what's happened to director Franck Khalfoun's Prey, a teen thriller starring Logan Miller and Kristine Froseth. Taking place on an island where Miller's lead character is apparently undergoing "behavioral rehabilitation." Usually, when a teenager is being subjected to any sort of treatment that sounds painful and traumatizing, any setting could be tense. But a desolate island definitely ramps up the stakes. Prey started shooting in 2016, and is supposedly in "post production," if IMDB is to be believed. Let's hope the film hasn't lived up to its title and been taken out forever.

Release Date: TBD

Sweetheart

And now, for the most secretive Blumhouse Productions film ever: Sweetheart. Beyond the fact that the film is set to star Kiersey Clemmons, with the director of fellow Blumhouse Productions alum Sleight, J.D. Dillard, set to helm, nothing is known about this film. The potential plot, or what sort of "survival horror" awaits its cast, are unknown at the moment. Though judging by the title, there's a chance that a romantic admirer may be stalking their prey through the events of Sweetheart. So, right now, this film could be in production in your neighborhood, staring at you from the bushes, and you'd barely even know it.

Release Date: TBD

Run Sweetheart Run

Sweetheart is not to be confused with the even more recently announced flick Run Sweetheart Run, which is also set up at Blumhouse Productions. Billed as a "feminist horror" film, we know quite a few details when it comes to this Blumhouse film. Writer and director Shana Feste's story for the movie is about what starts as a blind date, but eventually turns into a violent hunt across Los Angeles. The hunted party is the woman who went on the date, while the hunter is whatever person she decided to go out on said date with. Run Sweetheart Run is currently in development, with no cast or shooting schedule announced at the moment.

Release Date: TBD

Five Nights At Freddy's

If there were ever a video game that felt ripe for an adaptation, Five Nights At Freddy's is definitely that candidate. Based on the video game of the same name, the story of murderous animatronics looks to be aimed at its younger audience. Blumhouse Productions knew that when the company snagged the project for an intended 2020 release date, though there will be a bit of a delay. Apparently, the game's creator, Scott Cawthon just announced that he's tossed out his greenlighted and approved script to director Chris Columbus' big screen adaptation. Cawthon apparently had a better idea, and it was worth throwing away an entire script. So fans of the series will have to wait that much longer for the adaptation of Five Nights At Freddy's to come to the silver screen.

Release Date: TBD 2020

Spawn

Hardcore Todd McFarlane fans have been waiting for a proper, R-rated Spawn reboot for quite some time now. Considering the comic created by McFarlane involves some rather nasty demons (and even more depraved people), a mere PG-13 should have never been in the cards the first time around. While the project had been cooking with its creator for over a decade, Blumhouse Productions didn't jump on until 2017. Jason Blum confirmed his participation at that year's San Diego Comic Con, and a year later, two of the film's crucial roles were cast: Jeremy Renner as Detective Maximilian Steven Percival "Twitch" Williams III, and Jamie Foxx as Al Simmons / Spawn himself. Production is set to start in June 2019, after several early delays, and promises that this version of Spawn's story would make children cry if they ever saw it.

Release Date: TBD

The Craft

While a remake of The Craft is certainly not a new prospect, it appears that the 1996 cult classic is starting over with a new iteration, courtesy of Blumhouse Productions. It's early days for the project, but what we do know is that Zoe Lister-Jones, best known for her roles in TV shows like The New Girl and Life In Pieces, will write and direct this new version for Columbia Pictures. Whether the original plan of a contemporary sequel, with shades of a reboot mixed in, will be followed or discarded is up in the air, but for now, it's nice to know that the weirdos will be coming back into town at some point in the future.

Release Date: TBD

Previously Released Films

Glass

Unbreakable started M. Night Shyamalan's venture into a world where superheroes and their equally powered villainous counterparts exist underneath the surface of everyday life. Split resurrected that world, after being dormant for almost two decades. Now Bruce Willis, Samuel L. Jackson and James McAvoy are teaming up to help Shyamalan officially seal up the universe between the two films, with the third film in this trilogy, Glass. While it might have been a more even-handed battle with just Elijah and David fighting the first time around, there could be more superpowered beings where that came from. Also starring Sarah Paulson and Anya Taylor-Joy, the universe we could only dream of after Unbreakable is finally happening.

Release Date: 1/18/19

Happy Death Day 2U

Picking up where the surprise hit of 2017 Happy Death Day left off, Happy Death Day 2U sees Tree Gelbman (Jessica Rothe) re-entering the same endless loop she lived through in the first film. Much like the previous go 'round, she has to die in order to reset the loop, in hopes of figuring out how to restore her timeline. However, things are a little different this time around. Not only is there another killer on the loose this time out, but the events are just a little bit different in the new loop's chain of events. Add the fact that previous killer Lori (Ruby Modine) is back with a vengeance, and you've got a killer sequel.

Release Date: 2/14/19

Us

When Get Out became a gigantic critical and financial hit for Blumhouse, it should have been a sign that writer/director Jordan Peele would eventually team up with the studio for another spin of the wheel. Thankfully, that very scenario was confirmed when Peele dropped a cryptic tease for his next film, Us. While the story for the film is still tightly underwraps, we do know that it's a horror film dealing with a relationship of some sort. Also, the cast has been the one public point of knowledge, with Lupita N'yongo, Winston Duke, Tim Heidecker, and Elizabeth Moss being included in the ranks. So while we don't know what the story may be for Us, we do know that the cast and creative talent behind the film promises a solid experience.

Release Date: 3/15/19

Which Blumhouse movie are you most looking forward to? Take a look at what else is coming with our full movies schedule.

Dark Phoenix’s Alexandra Shipp Isn’t Sure About Joining The MCU

Dark Phoenix’s Alexandra Shipp Isn’t Sure About Joining The MCU

The superhero genre is in an interesting place right now, as there are a ton of moving parts coming from the myriad studios producing comic book adaptations. The Marvel Cinematic Universe as we know it will end with Avengers: Endgame, while Dark Phoenix may be the swan song of the long running X-Men franchise. Because with Disney's acquisition of 20th Century Fox is official, with the House of Mouse in control of all future X-Men projects.

Comic book fans are eager to see the X-Men join the greater Marvel Cinematic Universe, although it's unclear how/when that might happen. Will Disney utilize some of the current cast, or start totally fresh with the iconic mutants? Alexandra Shipp is the current Storm of the X-Men franchise, set to reprise her role in Dark Phoenix. But she's not sure she'd want to join the MCU, believing it would push her character further into the background. As she recently put it:

I would and I wouldn’t, because Storm barely has anything to say as it is. I don’t know about you all (other actors) but like we never talk. So it would be really nice if we weren’t piled into yet another jam packed cast, in which you only see me in the back of the shot like fucking sasquatch.

Well, that's one way of putting it. Sasquatch aside, Storm hasn't typically been the protagonist of the X-Men movies. So Alexandra Shipp may have valid concerns about joining an even bigger pool of iconic heroes.

Alexandra Shipp's comments come from a recent round table discussion at WonderCon (via LRM). While gearing up for her second appearance as Storm in the X-Men franchise, she also took the time to lament the character's fate in the franchise overall. While the Weather Witch is an iconic character that has already appeared an impressive five times in live-action, Ororo Munroe has never really taken the spotlight onscreen. That isn't expected to change in Dark Phoenix either, at least if Shipp's statements are any indication.

The Love, Simon actress does have a point, and highlights the potential problem with bringing the X-Men to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The MCU has grown exponentially over the first decade of filmmaking, and there are a ton of heroes already in play. Just look as the massive ensemble cast of Avengers: Infinity War. And while some OG Avengers are set to depart the franchise after Endgame, there still doesn't seem to be enough room to add a large group of heroes into the mix. Even ones as iconic as the X-Men.

Storm is a beloved X-Man, and one that has had a fascinating life in theaters. While she's been more of a supporting character in the X-Men franchise, perhaps she could become a larger presence once the character is brought into the MCU. Although whether or not Alexandra Shipp will be offered the opportunity to stay on (and whether she'd take it) is another conversation entirely.

Alexandra Shipp's comments about Storm are brutally honest, but she's not wrong. The mutant character may have been in the X-Men franchise since Bryan Singer's original 2000 flick, but that doesn't mean she's gotten nearly as much screen time as Wolverine or Jean Grey. Originally played by Halle Berry, she was a supporting presence in the first two X-Men movies, failing to really progress or develop as a character. And while Scott and Professor X's deaths in X-Men: The Last Stand let Berry get a few more lines, the character still didn't really go anywhere.

X-Men: Apocalypse welcomed Alexandra Shipp's version of the character, as a younger mutant girl trying to survive in Egypt. After being given more power by the titular villain, Storm was one of Apocalypse's four horsemen of death, helping him in his quest to end the world. But she eventually saw the error in her ways, and joined the good guys in the final moments of the battle. She was last seen in the Danger Room with the new team of X-Men as Apocalypse concluded.

Despite having only one movie under her belt, Storm's showing in Apocalypse is arguably the most complex version we've gotten on screen. It should be interesting to see how Ororo Munroe changes during the course of Dark Phoenix. She's been with the team for a decade, so Storm should have specific relationships with each of her fellow mutants. And when the Phoenix Force takes control of Jean Grey, the conflict will split the X-Men.

Alexandra Shipp has teased that Storm will get to really unleash her weather manipulation mutation during Dark Phoenix, so we should expect some pulse pounding action from the upcoming blockbuster. She's been shown flying and firing electric bolts from her hands, and mourning during Mystique's funeral at the X-Mansion. She also has a chilling warning in a recent trailer, teasing she may be against Jean once dark cosmic power consumes her.

It should be fascinating to see what Marvel Studios ends up doing with the X-Men, now that Disney has the rights to the characters. Will they slowly trickle in mutant characters to existing franchises, like the founding Avengers were individually introduced before their crossover movie? Or will the studio go the more classic route, and assemble a new class of X-Men to introduce in an ensemble film? The MCU managed to start a new Spider-Man franchise just years after the Andrew Garfield movies, so anything is possible.

Dark Phoenix is hitting theaters this June, but it's unclear if any other planned X-Men movies will ever make it to theaters. This includes Josh Boone's The New Mutants, which has already been pushed back a number of times. The horror inspired blockbuster has yet to commence reshoots, and not even the cast seems to know what's going on how if/when the movie will be released. With Disney+ starting up shortly, some believe New Mutants may end up on the streaming platform. But hopefully reshoots will occur first, so the film could be actually completed.

Alexandra Shipp will make her sophomore appearance as Storm in Dark Phoenix on June 7th. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

Disney And Fox’s Merger Is Officially Complete

Disney And Fox’s Merger Is Officially Complete

Back in November 2017 the first news leaked revealed the Walt Disney Company had been in talks with Fox to purchase the company's film and cable television divisions. It was massive news from both a business and entertainment standpoint. Over the next few weeks, the potential merger seemed to become more and more likely. It was only a month later that the two sides came to agreement. A year after the deal was struck, the respective shareholders of the two companies approved the merger. Now it's official. 21st Century Fox is part of the Walt Disney Company. Nothing will ever be the same again.

Officially, the ownership transition will happen at 12:02 a.m. eastern time on March 20th, but for all intents and purposes, the deal is done, according to a press release from 21st Century Fox.

There's really no understating just how big a deal this is in the entertainment industry. A company that used to be one of the major film studios in the world, one of the "big six," is now a subsidiary of another. Whatever your thoughts on Fox or Disney, there's now less competition among the remaining film studios. That's not necessarily a good thing. If nothing else, it's a major change to the industry landscape that will surely have repercussions, some we may not even be able to predict.

On the content side, there certainly are some potentially good things on the horizon. Fox had the rights to make and distribute films about Marvel's X-Men and Fantastic Four as part of a deal the company had made before being acquired by Disney. This deal will bring the rights back to Disney, setting up the opportunity to see all the characters become part of the popular Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise, which certainly has the potential to add new and interesting stories.

Fox also had a number of rights attached to the original Star Wars movie, which will now also revert to Disney, who acquired Lucasfilm back in 2012.

While the merger may be done expect for the ink drying, it will likely still be some time before we really begin to see it have an impact on the industry. Fox has numerous films in various states of production that will almost certainly continue forward and be released just as they would if 21st Century Fox was still an independent entity.

Of course, it's also possible Disney could hit the ground running. We will likely see some changes to the release calendar, if only to see Fox and Disney films moved around the schedule so that they don't compete with each other too much. There's also the question of the two oft-delayed X-Men franchise films, Dark Phoenix and The New Mutants, it's been suggested that one or both movies could end up being moved to a streaming service like Disney+ or Hulu. If something like that is in the cards, those announcements could come as early as tomorrow.

Tomorrow, everything changes. It's the end of an era, as a company that's been around since 1935 becomes part of the Disney machine.

How Shazam! Managed To Keep Its Major Spoiler A Secret

How Shazam! Managed To Keep Its Major Spoiler A Secret

Warning: spoilers for the third act of Shazam! are in play. If you haven’t seen the film yet, please bookmark this article, and come back once you’re caught up.

Despite the fact the comic history behind Shazam! has integrated the idea of an entire family of heroes, all signs pointed to the DC Comics film being centered solely around Asher Angel’s Billy Batson and his super heroic alter ego played by Zachary Levi. Prior to the film’s release, there wasn’t even a whisper about the rest of the family’s eventual appearance during a pivotal moment in the third act. This is a pretty rare occurrence in this modern age of spoilers and leaks, and director David F. Sandberg recently revealed the following strategy was what made such a unique surprise possible:

We cast the kids first, and then sort of looked for a physical resemblance. And then, to keep things under wraps, just because things leaked as much as they do, we actually wrote custom scenes for each character that weren't from the movie. So the people who came in to audition had no idea that they were basically reading for a superhero.

As seen in this weekend’s #1 movie, Shazam! eventually expands the roster of superheroes to include Billy Batson’s five foster siblings. Just as Asher Angel and Zachary Levi were cast to be the mortal and magic halves of the child/hero coin, there was obviously a need for other adult versions of all the other children in the family. Which eventually lead to the need to cast said adults, without letting them in on any big secrets that could accidentally leak into the world.

It’s an ingenious move that other top secret productions have used to help throw off the scent of any potential spoilers. Basically, instead of having actors like D.J. Catrona or Adam Brody reading for the big showdown at the Chilladelphia Winter Festival towards the end of Shazam, fake scenes were written so the actors would get the gist of their characters during auditions, without revealing the big secrets.

One can never be too careful when it comes to a project as high profile as Shazam!, or any superhero franchise entry for that matter, because while it’s easy to discredit any leaks under the guise of fake spoilers, the eventual truth comes out once those first showings hit. David F. Sandberg not only understands this, but he also broke down the strategy, and one of the alternate scenes written, in the example from his talk with Screen Rant:

It was just sort of everyday scenes with characters that had the traits of them. So for Darla, Meagan Good, she read for a scene with a girl that's doing a driving test, and she's like a fast-talking character... I hope we can maybe put that on the Blu-ray or something, because they're fun scenes with these great actors.

Based on the results shown in the film, this method paid off, especially in the case of Good’s portrayal of Darla, because it bases itself off of the very same sort of principal that any good comic adaptation like Shazam! builds its proper screenplay around. While nailing the look of a hero is important, getting the language and feel of the story into the script is paramount as well. If you can put that to bed easily, then you can write the characters you’re tackling in any context, as seen here.

With Shazam! in theaters now, and Shazam! 2 retaining that first film’s screenwriter, it’s probably a safe bet that whomever auditions for crucial roles in that film’s narrative might not even know it until they’ve signed on. So if you happen to be auditioning for Warner Bros and/or David F. Sandberg in the near future, you’ll probably want to make sure you take that SAT prep scene uber-seriously.