Captain Marvel Almost Included A Tie-In To Thor: Ragnarok

Captain Marvel Almost Included A Tie-In To Thor: Ragnarok

Spoilers ahead for Captain Marvel. If you haven't seen the latest Marvel blockbuster, turn away!

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has been on a serious roll in Phase Three, as every blockbuster has been a critical and financial success. While all eyes are on how the narrative will conclude with the apocalyptic story Avengers: Endgame, Carol Danvers was finally given her origin story last weekend with Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck's Captain Marvel. With plenty of familiar faces in the cast, the movie has an interesting connection to the greater MCU, although it almost included a great reference to Thor: Ragnarok.

With the movie finally in theaters, Captain Marvel's pair of directors can get a bit more chatty about the film's contents. After all, Marvel security is no joke. When crafting the film's conclusion and end-credits scene, they almost put Jude Law's villainous Yon-Rogg on the scrap planet of Sakaar from Ragnarok. As Ryan Fleck recently revealed:

There was an idea on the table about having Jude Law […] emerge from his pod on Sakaar and then have him look around and see the Devil's Anus behind him and wonder, 'Where the hell am I?'

Is anyone else's FOMO going through the roof right now? Because while Captain Marvel had its own quirky end credits scene, this scrapped connection to the Thor threequel would have sent fans through the roof. Especially the inclusion of the Devil's Anus.

Ryan Fleck's comments to Empire Online shows how collaborative the process at Marvel Studios actually is. While fans see a streamlined finished product and phases of new releases, the filmmakers still have the opportunity to play and mold each individual blockbuster. This includes the credits scenes, which have become a beloved tradition in the MCU.

Thor: Ragnarok was a game changer for Chris Hemsworth's franchise, a Taika Waititi brought a ton of comedy and new cosmic locations to the table. Sakaar was a major setting in the threequel, as the God of Thunder and Hulk were trapped on the trash heap planet, and forced to start a revolution to escape and return to Asgard. The Devil's Anus (lol) was a massive wormhole on Sakaar, which would have served as the perfect setting for Yon-Rogg to end up on if the original plans for Captain Marvel's ending came to fruition.

Ultimately, Yon-Rogg's fate was left unclear, likely so Jude Law's character might pop back up in a potential sequel. He was sent back to Hala to warn the Supreme Intelligence, with that conflict presumably keeping Carol Danvers busy for the decades until she pops up in Avengers: Endgame. And Goose was given one final gag during the post-credits scene.

Captain Marvel is in theaters now, and Brie Larson will return to the MCU when Avengers: Endgame arrives on April 26th. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

Tom Holland Explains Why He Missed The Avengers: Endgame Premiere

Tom Holland Explains Why He Missed The Avengers: Endgame Premiere

Did we make it? Tonight millions will see Avengers: Endgame on the big screen for the first time on opening night. For many going out to see the superhero epic, it’s all about going out to see it before we stumble on spoilers online. (Pro tip: Avoid the comment section, that’s how Force Awakens was ruined for me back in 2015.)

While it will certainly be tough for fans to keep quiet about Endgame once it comes out, imagine the stress the star-studded cast of the franchise who have had to remain tight-lipped about the blockbuster for YEARS. Especially, poor ‘ole Tom Holland and Mark Ruffalo, who have proven that secrets aren’t the safest under their protection in the past.

Have no fear! The Russo Brothers seemed to have taken extra measures to keep Holland from having loose lips about the highly-anticipated flick: he died in Infinity War, therefore wasn’t part of the Endgame press tour and was not present at the Los Angeles premiere on Monday. While many would guess Spidey just wasn’t invited to keep him from spilling any Endgame details, looks like he was just tied up on another film set. Holland took to his Instagram (via People) to explain:

Hey everyone. I just wanted to do a little message and say sorry I wasn’t at the premiere last night. I’m here in Alabama — not I’m not, I’m in Atlanta — shooting Chaos Walking.

It’s a better excuse than what the world was already thinking! Chaos Walking is a post-apocalyptic thriller also starring Star Wars’ Daisy Ridley, Nick Jonas, Cynthia Erivo and David Oyelowo about a world where there are no women and all living creatures can hear each other's’ thoughts. The film is undergoing major reshoots after initial cuts were reportedly deemed “unreleasable”. Tom Holland continued his message with these words:

I noticed on the red carpet that there was a thank you cam for all our fans, our amazing fans, so I wanted to do my own and say thank you for letting me be part of this amazing Marvel journey. It’s really changed my life and I could’ve never imagined this would happen to me. So, thank you so much.

Tom Holland’s Marvel journey started with the Russos when he was cleverly introduced in 2016’s Captain America: Civil War before getting his own flick in 2017’s Spider-Man: Homecoming and reprising his role in Infinity War. So of course he wanted to be there and would have been welcome if he wasn’t half across the U.S. working on another project.

There’s a solid reason why many might have been under the impression he just wasn’t invited. Remember that time when he yelled “I’m alive!” in a theater full of people who had not yet seen Infinity War? For Endgame he wasn’t trusted with a script, just his own lines. We do know one thing… we’ll be seeing Spidey again after Endgame, since he’ll return for Spider-Man: Far From Home on July 3.

Jared Leto Explains Why He’s So Excited To Play A Vampire In Morbius

Jared Leto Explains Why He’s So Excited To Play A Vampire In Morbius

Although Jared Leto’s return to the DCEU as The Joker may is looking slim these days, with Joaquin Phoenix soon taking on the role in a standalone movie, the actor will be playing a comic book villain on the Marvel side. Following the massive success of Sony’s first Spider-Verse installment, Venom, Leto will star as anti-hero Morbius the Living Vampire.

In the midst of filming Morbius in London ahead of the title’s summer 2020 release date, Jared Leto has shared why playing a vampire has always been an interest of his with these words:

When I was a kid, I remember being at my grandmother’s house in Louisiana and the original OG would come on and just being pretty transfixed as some many of us were when we saw that. And then the Anne Rice era was big for my brother and I. We passed those books around to each other.

During his childhood, Jared Leto loved watching classic vampire movies, perhaps including 1931's Dracula starring Bela Lugosi. He was also an avid reader of Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles novels, which were adapted to film in the form of 1994’s Interview with the Vampire and 2002’s Queen of the Damned.

The actor also cited Gary Oldman’s Dracula in Francis Ford Coppola’s Bram Stroker’s Dracula from 1992 as a favorite, along with fellow vampire films The Hunger and Thirst. In the Variety interview, he did admit to skipping over Hollywood’s last popular vampire franchise, the Twilight movies, because he was “just too damn old.”

Morbius is a villain who popped up in the Spider-Man comic books in the ‘70s. He was originally Dr. Michael Morbius, a biochemist who attempts to cure his rare blood condition by using a serum made of vampire bat DNA. The treatment results in Morbius taking on traits of a vampire such as having bloodthirst, an aversion to light, super strength, super speed and healing abilities.

The film will also star Adria Arjona from Triple Frontier as Martine Bancroft, who is his fiancée in the comics. Doctor Who’s Matt Smith as the film’s villain, Loxias Crown, who is Morbius’ best friend and also suffers from the same blood disease. Jared Harris will play a mentor to Morbius and Tyrese Gibson will play an FBI agent on the vampire’s blood red trail.

Morbius is the beginning of Sony’s big plans to create their own Marvel universe based on Spider-Man characters. Following the success of the MCU from Disney and Warner Bros’ DCEU, the rival studio wants to use its Marvel rights to their full potential and reportedly has the next eight years mapped out with Spider-Verse movies and television shows underway.

Jared Leto’s vampire character is set to hit theaters on July 31, 2020. Are you excited to see him take on his next villainous role this time from Marvel? Sound off in the comments below.

Watch Zachary Levi Lose His Mind Over Shazam! Toys

Watch Zachary Levi Lose His Mind Over Shazam! Toys

The DC live-action universe has already had plenty of peaks and valleys, although things appear to be on the upswing. Warner Bros. is currently surfing on the massive success of James Wan's Aquaman, with a sequel and spinoff already being developed by the studio. The next release coming down the pipeline is Shazam! which looks to have a tone unique to anything else from the genre. Early reception for Shazam! has been overwhelmingly popular, especially focused on the performance by Zachary Levi as the title character.

Thor alum Zachary Levi is playing the superheroic half of Shazam, and must maintain a sense of childlike wonder throughout the upcoming blockbuster. Luckily, that doesn't seem to be much of a problem. Because the actor was recently given the chance to play with merchandise from the movie, and went bonkers with excitement. Check it out below.

I mean, come on. Just from this clip, you can see how Zachary Levi ended up being cast as the title character of Shazam! He's living his best life as a DC superhero, and is particularly tickled with all the merch in his likeness. Because who doesn't want to be an action figure?

The above video shows Zachary Levi feasting his eyes on Shazam! toys for the very first time. They include a large action figure, a smaller one, a chest plate, as well as his collectible Funko Pop doll. They all make Levi freak out for different reasons, and his excitement is a bit contagious. For instance, he seems pleased as punch that his action figure has plenty of points of articulation, and is super flexible. Meanwhile, merely having his own Funko Pop is giving the Marvelous Mrs. Maisel actor reason to cheer.

Zachary Levi also seems excited for how well his likeness was captured on his action figures. While toy faces can sometimes deviate from the real actor's appearance as they're produced in mass, Levi seems to think they nailed it for Shazam!'s toys. But perhaps the biggest reaction came from the Shazam chest plate, which makes noises and lights up, giving its owners the powers of lightning in the process.

Overall, this video just proves how Zachary Levi was the only choice to play the superheroic title character of Shazam! His childlike wonder was already obvious in the film's trailer, as 14 year old Billy Batson struggles with his myriad abilities. But acting jazzed about becoming a superhero might not have been much of a stretch for Levi, as he's been giddy throughout the process.

Luckily for the fans, Shazam! will arrive in theaters in about a month, so it won't be much longer to wait until Zachary Levi's DC debut finally arrives. Levi is no stranger to the superhero genre, having played Fandral in the last two Thor movies. But his character never really got fleshed out, so Levi was happy to be killed off in Ragnarok so he could pivot to DC and lead his very own franchise. Not a bad deal.

Shazam! will arrive in theaters on April 5th. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

Why James Wan Probably Won’t Direct Another Conjuring Universe Movie, According To Peter Safran

Why James Wan Probably Won’t Direct Another Conjuring Universe Movie, According To Peter Safran

James Wan has an impressive history when it comes to launching and contributing to franchises, but he also notably doesn’t stick around in the director’s chair for very long with them. Going back to the start of his career, he’s brought us Saw, Insidious, and chapters of both Fast & Furious and the DC Extended Universe, but of all the direct follow-ups to those movies (a total of 11), he’s only directed two.

This is a trend that most recently continued with the developing Conjuring 3, with Michael Chaves (The Curse Of La Llorona) set to replace Wan after he directed the first two chapters in the series. This was seen as disappointing, if not unsurprising news, but now a bit of salt is being put in the wound, as producer Peter Safran has gone on the record saying that he believes the filmmaker’s time helming Conjuring Universe titles in general is probably at an end:

I don't think he will [direct another Conjuring movie]. That’s just me. My instinct is that he won’t. I think he really left everything out on the field with Conjuring 2. Just being by his side as he made that movie, I feel that he put everything that he'd learned up to that point into that film, from character development to scares to crafting sequences, just everything. I love the movie and I think that he felt like he did it, he really showed people exactly what he wanted to show them. The skills of a filmmaker telling a great story.

The subject of James Wan’s future with the Conjuring Universe was one that surfaced when I joined a small group of journalists to visit the set of the in-production Annabelle Comes Home on the Warner Bros. lot in Burbank, California late last year. After having toured the Warren home and interviewed some of the lead actresses, we had the chance to sit down with Peter Safran and get his thoughts and opinions about the Annabelle trilogy-capper, and it was at the end of the conversation that the Wan question came up.

Peter Safran and James Wan have a built a solid working relationship, having made six films together in the last six years, so when the former expresses a particular read about the latter, it’s probably based on strong intuition. Furthermore, he definitely has a great beat on what the future holds for The Conjuring Universe, as he has produced every title released as part of the franchise so far.

On beyond the fact that James Wan seems to have a certain “rarely look back” perspective, Peter Safran brings up some really great points about The Conjuring 2. That movie is a beautiful and seriously scary piece of work, and one could definitely see why Wan may not feel compelled to return to the universe as a director going forward, instead pursuing other creative endeavors (like, perhaps, the developing Aquaman 2… which hasn’t yet nailed Wan down to direct just yet).

Of course, many in this situation would point out that it’s typically never smart to ever say “never” in this industry, as circumstances change all the time in Hollywood, and tomorrow James Wan could be struck with an idea he feels he must personally execute. Peter Safran most definitely left this possibility on the board with his answer, making particular note of Wan’s close relationship with the horror genre over the last 15 years. Said the producer,

I would be surprised if he ended up doing another one, but you never know. Guys like James, for him scares, it's in their blood. They need an outlet for it at some point, so maybe he is getting it as a producer. There is something very compelling about sitting there just wanting to scare the shit out of people.

Even if he’s not directing, James Wan’s relationship with The Conjuring Universe is as strong as ever, as he has produced every sequel and spin-off that has been made thus far, including the upcoming Annabelle Comes Home. We’ll just have to wait and see what the future holds.

On the subject of the third Annabelle film, it will be arriving in a theater near you very soon, as it is set up to be a nice summer scare-fest with its June 28th release date. Written and directed by Gary Dauberman (who makes his directorial debut after scripting all of the Annabelles and The Nun), the story is set over the course of one night as Judy Warren (McKenna Grace) and her babysitter (Madison Iseman) are tormented by the movie’s titular doll. Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga, and Katie Sarife co-star.

This is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to stories from my Annabelle Comes Home set visit, so be sure to stay tuned here on CinemaBlend over the next few days for more!

Sylvester Stallone Teases Rambo 5's Surprising 'Battle To The End'

Sylvester Stallone Teases Rambo 5's Surprising 'Battle To The End'

Apparently the previous Rambo movies were like pulling teeth to edit, but Rambo V: Last Blood is coming together "beautifully." Sylvester Stallone just gave fans a couple of updates, posting more photos from the film and also a video sharing his excitement for the fifth Rambo movie. Sly says this movie will surprise a lot of fans, especially with its "unexpected" ending...

I just want to talk about something that I think is really exciting. Usually when you're in the editing process of a film, it can be painful. What you thought was great is not so great. It's kind of like going to the dentist and having your teeth pulled with no Novocaine. Get the picture? But this last Rambo is just coming together beautifully. Today we're going to screen it for the studio and that's going to be fantastic. I'm just looking forward to of course their notes. But we'll go back. And I think this film is going to surprise a lot of people. It's a really good story, and the ending is so unexpected. So I just want to say, come September 20, Rambo is coming your way.

Hopefully the studio doesn't give Sylvester Stallone too many notes, 'cause that could certainly dampen his current high spirits. Sly shared his excitement in a cool new Instagram video, which you can watch here:

His enthusiasm is pretty infectious, and it's good to hear this movie is having an easier birth than the previous ones. I'm slightly worried about the surprise ending, though. Hopefully it doesn't mean anything bad for Vietnam vet John Rambo, although if this is "last blood" that might suggest a definitive end.

Speaking of the ending, though, right before posting that video, Sylvester Stallone posted a couple of images with the ominous caption "A brutal Storm is about to burst ... this is beginning of battle to the end ... Sept. 20..." Battle to the end, eh? Here's that post:

A brutal storm about to burst. The beginning of the battle to the end. Huh. We're on standby for a trailer, and that may help fill in some of the gaps. The movie is meant to follow Rambo as he travels to Mexico to help save a friend's daughter, who was kidnapped by the Mexican cartel.

Sylvester Stallone has been sharing photos and updates on Rambo 5 every step of the way. He wrapped filming on the movie in early December 2018, and shared some poignant words on the franchise:

Well that was it, that was my final shot [on] Rambo 5: Last Blood, at least that's what they are calling it, thus far. And it's been an amazing journey, it really has. This character was presented to me in 1980. And no one wanted to do it. As a matter of fact, I was the eleventh choice. People looked at this as almost as a cursed project. I looked at it and said this was an amazing opportunity...

The first Rambo movie was called First Blood, after the 1972 novel by David Morrell. The 1982 movie was followed by Rambo: First Blood Part II in 1985, then Rambo III in 1988, Rambo in 2008, and now Rambo V: Last Blood.

Sylvester Stallone recently said he had to take a break from gym time because making Rambo 5 roughed him up so much. But he's apparently back in the gym -- where he sometimes runs into old co-stars like Billy Dee Williams -- and I'm just hoping he's working on getting himself in top shape for The Expendables 4. There haven't been many official details on that movie in a while, but Sly hyped up the franchise just last week, reminding us all that the fourth movie should still be on its way. Stallone also has Escape Plan: The Extractors in the works. He's keeping busy at 72!

Rambo V: Last Blood is set to open in theaters on September 20, as one of the many movies worth keeping an eye on through our 2019 movie release date schedule.

There’s A Star Wars Burlesque Parody, Check Out The Trailer

There’s A Star Wars Burlesque Parody, Check Out The Trailer

While the release of Star Wars: Episode IX may feel like a galaxy far, far away, fans of the franchise can once again see their favorite Star Wars characters in burlesque show The Empire Strips Back, which is heading back to the United States and Canada-- following a successful debut last year. That’s right, the blockbuster space opera has inspired a highly-successful erotic show tour full of female Stormtroopers, a fiery take on Boba Fett and of course bikini Leia and Jabba the Hutt. Check out the show’s teaser below:

The Star Wars Burlesque Parody show promises appearances from just about every character in the film’s lore, including Chewie, C3PO, R2D2, a female Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader and the Emperor’s Royal Guard from The Last Jedi! The show’s trailer nudges at some sultry and seductive takes on the characters of the franchise, while also setting a comedic tone-- as Greedo sprays on some hairspray in a dressing room and a cover of David Bowie’s “Star Man” plays in the background. Don’t be fooled – this show is geared for 18 and over!

The Empire Strips Back originated in Australia in 2011 and made its way to the United States in 2018. This year’s tour expands the show to Canada for two shows in Toronto and Montreal for the first time. The 20-date tour starts at the Balboa Theatre in San Diego, California on March 30 and closes out on May 4 (a.k.a. Star Wars Day) at the Playstation Theatre in New York City. Tickets start at around $39, depending on the venue.

When the show first made its way to the US last year, it apparently went through some “red tape” but could be shown thanks to similar parody laws between Australia and the United States. The show’s website gives this description. Read below:

…be prepared for some seriously sexy Stormtroopers, a dangerously seductive Boba Fett, some tantalising Twi'leks, a delightfully luke-warm Taun Taun, a lady-like Skywalker, the Droids you are looking for and much, much more!

The show was met with sold out tickets and rave reviews last year and has included Han Solo dancing out of carbonite to Michael Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal”, the Death Star coming on stage to the tune of Miley Cyrus’ “Wrecking Ball” and many more hilariously strange moments of undress and escapism during the show.

Star of Firefly and The Rookie Nathan Fillion reps the show on the site with the words: “The best episode of Star Wars I’ve ever seen…” Of course if you're not into burlesque, another upcoming Star Wars attraction is the recently moved up opening of Galaxy’s Edge in Disney World on August 29 and Disneyland May 31.