Watch Nicolas Cage Go Ham Recording His Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse Role

Watch Nicolas Cage Go Ham Recording His Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse Role

In recent years, Oscar winner Nicolas Cage has become best known for what we’ll call his engrossing and often over-the-top acting style. That meme-worthy charisma and recognizable voice made him ideally suited to playing Spider-Man Noir in Best Animated Feature Film winner Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. In advance of the film’s upcoming home video release, a new featurette shows Nic Cage going ham recording his role as the hardened crime fighter. Check it out:

You have to love how self-aware Nicolas Cage is that upon getting notes during his first recording session. The veteran actor could sense that what the director really wanted was for him to let loose and go ham (not unlike his co-star Spider-Ham). With no need to hold back or be more reserved, the veteran actor went ‘Full Cage,’ and if Robert Downy Jr.'s character in Tropic Thunder were here, I imagine he would say "You always go Full Cage."

Going 'Full Cage' brought what the director wanted and audiences demand, delivering one of the film’s standout performances. Spider-Man Noir wasn’t exactly the kind of yelling and screaming Nicolas Cage that we saw in Face/Off or last year’s Mandy (solid 2018 for him), but that wasn’t what the role called for and he ‘brought the Cage’ in a different way, delivering some truly ridiculous and hilarious lines as the color blind crime fighter.

The actor, who is a noted comic book fan, totally gets what this hard-boiled Spidey is supposed to be, comparing him to the work of author Raymond Chandler, who wrote The Big Sleep and Farewell, My Lovely. Spider-Man Noir is the prototypical noir detective, he just also happens to be Spider-Man. Nicolas Cage also said that Spider-Man Noir is probably a fan of The Public Enemy actor James Cagney and Cage definitely seemed to be channeling Cagney in his performance.

Also, it must be mentioned that Nicolas Cage’s noir attire in this featurette with the fancy black jacket is a nice touch; call it method with style. If there is any justice in this world, in addition to the previously announced sequel and spinoff to Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, we’ll get another spinoff featuring Nicolas Cage’s Spider-Man Noir. He's just such a fun character and Nicolas Cage is so delightful in the role. There are limitless possibilities with the Spider-Verse and this one needs to be realized.

Fans can relive all the inter-dimensional hijinks and adventures when Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse hits Blu-ray, DVD and 4K Ultra HD on March 19. The film is already available on Digital HD.

Check our 2019 release schedule to keep track of all of this year’s biggest movies, including the return of Spider-Man in live-action and stay tuned to CinemaBlend for all your movie news.

12 Actors Who Almost Played James Bond Over The Years

12 Actors Who Almost Played James Bond Over The Years

To be offered the part of James Bond is, to some, one of the most sought after gigs ever to hit a casting call. Others, past and present, have seen that offer as either a typecasting nightmare or a public relations struggle, thus making it a poison pill... figuratively speaking. Either way, if your name comes up in reference to a role so huge as 007, it tends to make the rounds whether you take it or not.

And out of the history of the men who would be Bond, there are 12 actors who are surprise choices, as well as some prime targets, that all would have brought something different to the role. But in the case of this batch of a dozen candidates, none of them were issued that infamous license to kill.

Cary Grant

Right from the beginning of recorded franchise history, there was a surprise candidate on the shortlist to play 007 that would have changed the history of the character forever. Hollywood legend Cary Grant was offered the role as casting for Dr. No was underway, thanks to the fact that he was a personal friend/best man to the producer running the show, Albert “Cubby” Broccoli. While their friendship was strong, the British born, but American citizen Grant turned down the role for one important reason that was mentioned in The Guardian’s confirmation of this iconic story: at 58 years old, Cary Grant thought he had aged out of the part. Sean Connery was then cast, and the rest became history.

Dick Van Dyke

When Sean Connery left the role of James Bond for the first time, after 1967’s You Only Live Twice, a lot of candidates were vetted to take over the role, including a young Timothy Dalton. But while Dalton’s youth seemed to be the stumbling block that prevented him from taking the job, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang star Dick Van Dyke didn’t get the leading role in another Ian Fleming adaptation because of his controversial English accent. According to knowledge that came out of an appearance on Kevin Pollak’s Chat Show, via Yahoo, Van Dyke’s work on that very film was what interested Albert Broccoli in asking him if he’d wanted the role. But that offer quickly passed, as Dick Van Dyke asked him if he’d remembered his accent from Mary Poppins, and the offer was rescinded as quickly as it was made. Though, at the very least, Van Dyke did eventually apologize at the BAFTAs for the whole accent situation.

Clint Eastwood

If there was an American who could have taken the mantle of James Bond and been believable in the process, Clint Eastwood is one of the few who could have done it. During the hunt that eventually delivered George Lazenby into the lead for On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, Eastwood’s name came up in the proceedings as his lawyer also represented series mastermind Broccoli. Even in the face of an offer that gave him the hottest ticket in town, and, according to The Telegraph, a pretty lucrative pay day, the acting/directing powerhouse couldn’t bring himself to accept because it didn’t feel right. Considering how unforgettable Sean Connery was in the role, even to Clint Eastwood himself in that very moment, one can’t fault him for passing.

Burt Reynolds

Just as Burt Reynolds admitted in his autobiography that Sally Field was the one that got away in his romantic life, the Smokey and The Bandit actor fully admits that he also let his chance to be 007 slip through his fingers as well. Though, via USA Today’s coverage of that book, But Enough About Me, the late actor admitted that he passed up on the role merely because he didn’t think the moviegoing public would believe him as Bond, James Bond. Being offered the role around the time he played detective Dan August on TV, Reynolds turned down the chance to play the lead in Diamonds Are Forever. While this eventually allowed Sean Connery to return a second and final time to the franchise proper, Burt Reynolds felt that in retrospect, he could have done a hell of a job in the position.

James Brolin

This is the closest we’ve ever come to having an American playing the role of James Bond, as The Amityville Horror star James Brolin was pretty much cast as James Bond during a crucial phase in his 1980s history. The actor was screen tested for 1983’s Octopussy, when Roger Moore looked to be exiting the series in favor of new opportunities, and pretty much had the part. However, as Den Of Geek pointed out, the production of a rival Bond remake starring Sean Connery, and the recent financial woes MGM and United Artists ran into, both influenced the studio to win Moore back to his record setting job. So just as Brolin was getting ready to relocate to England full time, it all fell apart, leaving him to move onto one of his most famous roles: Peter McDermott, the general manager of the St. Gregory hotel, on the popular TV series Hotel.

Mel Gibson

While 1983’s Octopussy brought Roger Moore back to the table for two more James Bond films, 1985’s A View to a Kill would eventually mark the man’s official departure from the role. And around that time in movie history, a young Australian actor by the name of Mel Gibson was making a name for himself by starring in the Mad Max series of films. His work in that trilogy undoubtedly helped MGM come around to offering him the role, just in time for The Living Daylights to get underway, but Gibson was unphased by this potential job offering. Per coverage of an appearance on The Graham Norton Show, via Express, the man who would eventually shift over to films like Lethal Weapon said he rejected the idea because he wasn’t at all interested. Which was better off for the studio, because Albert Broccoli was not convinced he’d be a good fit, and the role eventually opened up for Timothy Dalton to finally claim it.

Sam Neill

Getting Timothy Dalton into the role of James Bond wasn’t as easy or certain as you’d think, as not only did he have to wait a while after first turning down starring in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (he felt he was too young for the role at the time), but he also was a part of a pretty wide net cast for The Living Daylights. That net not only included Mel Gibson, but also Jurassic Park’s Sam Neill, who was apparently bullied into screen testing for the film by his agent. At least, that’s what his remarks to The Telegraph said at the time he admitted to it. The screen test footage did eventually see the light of day, but not until after the settlement of a mini-crisis involving that clip not being fully cleared for usage before being included on the initial DVD release of The Living Daylights.

Ralph Fiennes

As the legal battle over the James Bond series flared up yet again in the late '80s, the delay between License To Kill and what would have been Timothy Dalton’s third Bond film eventually lead to the actor’s contract expiring without any attempt at renewal. Once the dust had settled and it was time to bring 007 into a post-Cold War world, Goldeneye was the name of the film that would make an actor the lucky spy to update the series. Believe it or not, we almost had actor Ralph Fiennes playing the role, as he admitted in an interview in Seven Magazine, via The Telegraph, that he was approached by the series’ producers. Ultimately, Fiennes wasn’t up to committing to a franchise, and he felt that the people in charge of the series were more stuck on Pierce Brosnan than anyone else. While he wasn’t too attached to Bond, Ralph Fiennes would eventually land a role that he’s still covetous of to this very day, Voldemort in the Harry Potter franchise. Still, he is the current M in the Daniel Craig era of films, so you could say that this was fate.

Ewan McGregor

If there’s anything the James Bond series has taught fans, it’s that if you don’t retire from the role, a big rift in history will do the job for you. That’s how Pierce Brosnan ended up vacating the franchise, as once Die Another Day was released, he would eventually find himself replaced, with a new round of recasting up and running. And a lot of names were considered to be James Bond in the run-up to Casino Royale, with Ewan McGregor factoring in pretty chiefly among them. Of course, were it not for his performance as Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Star Wars universe, he might not have felt typecast and would have taken the role. Though in more recent times, McGregor has admitted that if he were to ever be considered again, he’d be more inclined to take the part and run.

Hugh Jackman

Another pretty big name in the Casino Royale derby was the incomparable Hugh Jackman, of X-Men and The Greatest Showman fame. As the story he told Variety goes, his agent asked him if he’d want to be considered for the role, which was being recast around the same time that X-Men 2: X-Men United was about to go into production. Not a fan of the stories the James Bond series was running at the time, Jackman passed because he felt something edgier would have been his bag, and having another involved franchise on his plate would have complicated his schedule even more. So before it got too hot, Hugh Jackman politely declined, ironically just as the Bond series was about to reboot itself in that dark and edgy tone he probably would have said yes to.

Karl Urban

New Zealand native Karl Urban falls into a boat similar to that of American candidate James Brolin before him, as fate had other ideas when it came to his consideration for the role of James Bond. Only this time, as Urban told Nine.com, it was because of a prior engagement that he didn’t land the role of Casino Royale. While he met with the producers of the series, and things went rather well in that respect, all that was missing was one final screen test to seal the deal. And that deal was definitely not sealed, because Karl Urban’s filming schedule at the time prevented that screen test from happening. But as surprising as Urban’s name is on the short list, there’s one pretty big name that got to the final four, only to see Daniel Craig win out overall.

Henry Cavill

Still a couple years out from his career boosting role on Showtime’s The Tudors, as well as playing a very Bond-like figure in The Man From U.N.C.L.E., a then-22-year-old Henry Cavill was part of the final screen tests that would decide who got to star in Casino Royale back in 2005. Listed among Daniel Craig, Goran Visnjic and Sam Worthington in the BBC’s coverage of the event, Cavill’s rejection story is quite simple when compared to all the others that we’ve covered previously. He simply wasn’t selected in the field that included Craig’s candidacy, which left him open for other opportunities in franchise like the DC Extended Universe and the Mission: Impossible series. Though another lesson that we’ve learned from the Bond franchise is, quite simply, never say never.

Henry Cavill has expressed interest and enthusiasm about potentially becoming James Bond, while cooly rounding off the rumors that continue to dog him as saying he doesn’t know what’s in store for the series after Daniel Craig’s departure. He certainly wouldn’t be the first person to get a second bite at the apple, with the potential to win overall, so we won’t count him out of the race just yet.

For now though, we’ll have Daniel Craig’s supposedly final James Bond film to look forward to, as Bond 25 is currently in production and set for an April 8, 2020 release date.

Fifty Shades Of Grey’s Jamie Dornan Reveals Why He Does Push Ups Between Takes

Fifty Shades Of Grey’s Jamie Dornan Reveals Why He Does Push Ups Between Takes

Fifty Shades of Grey actor Jamie Dornan is known for going shirtless in a lot of scenes. Previously, his co-star Dakota Johnson revealed he liked to do push ups – or press ups as people in the U.K. say – before sex scene takes.

Now, however, the actor has spoken out about why he does push ups between takes, and apparently, it’s not just for sex scenes. Although, he did tell Out To Lunch with Jay Raynor he definitely does push ups before his abs are on display, He starts out admitting he does a lot of exercise between takes before noting why,

Oh yeah, Jesus, yeah, yeah, yeah [I do a lot of push ups]. I’ve done that for various reasons. I’ve done that for reasons of I’m about to have my top off, and everything they film is committed to celluloid forever. Why not try to look as good as I can in that moment?

So, yes, Jamie Dornan does put effort into moments such as those that crop up time and time again in the Fifty Shades movies. He also worked to get more and more into shape as the franchise wore on, particularly for the second two movies, which filmed back-to-back.

In addition, apparently Jamie Dornan also does push ups for other reasons. He spoke out about doing push ups when he was tired during his TV series The Fall, for example. He also says he practices press ups when he is bored on set and scenes aren’t moving swiftly.

I’ve also done it sometimes when I’m particularly spent and exhausted after a scene where I’m running in The Fall or whatever. Sometimes I do it because I sometimes just have a lot of energy and I don’t know what to do with it. They’re fucking hanging around, ‘Oh, I just gotta fix this light, sorry Jamie.’ I’m good to go, champing at the bit to get rid of some of this energy, so I’ll drop and just do press ups just for something to do.

All in all, his press up habits mean that he can do quite a bit of push ups at a time. He told Jay Raynor that he doesn’t do “that many,” revealing that he can do 100 push ups.

Not that many… right.

Regardless of how many push ups he does on the average day, Jamie Dornan was really fit for the final flick in the franchise Fifty Shades Freed and he doesn’t seem to be slowing down in the fitness realm these days. Which is good, because we'll be seeing him onscreen quite a bit more coming up. For example, the actor has a Drake Doremus movie and Synchronic opposite Anthony Mackie coming out in 2019.

If you’d like to learn more about Jamie Dornan’s comments to Jay Raynor, we have you covered. Of course, if you're more interested in what is heading into theaters in the near future, take a look at our CinemaBlend's 2019 movies schedule.

Dark Phoenix Won’t Have A Stan Lee Cameo, But It Will Have A Tribute

Dark Phoenix Won’t Have A Stan Lee Cameo, But It Will Have A Tribute

As many exciting developments and projects we’ve heard about and seen in the world of comics and comic book movies over the last few months, there is still a persistent feeling of mourning in the community. Stan Lee, one of the great icons of the industry, passed away in mid-November of last year, and since then there has been a constant outpouring of love and appreciation for his legacy.

This most definitely extends to his legendary string of cameos in big screen Marvel projects - which has emotionally continued posthumously. Since November we’ve seen him with pop up roles in Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse and Captain Marvel, and it’s been reported that there are still a few left that we haven’t seen. Now we can confirm, however, that one of them isn’t featured in Simon Kinberg’s Dark Phoenix.

This weekend I had the opportunity to sit down with Kinberg and producer Hutch Parker at WonderCon in Anaheim, California, and it was at the end of the interview that I asked about the presence of Stan Lee in the upcoming blockbuster. In deference for the Marvel legend, the director didn’t play coy with his answer, opting to admit that there isn’t a cameo in Dark Phoenix, but he added that Lee’s presence will be felt when audiences see the film this summer. Said Kinberg,

We don't have a cameo. I'd rather say that than then keep it mysterious, out of respect for Stan. We do have some tribute to him, and it's something that obviously we weren't thinking about when we were making the movie because he was still very much alive. And he's been such a huge part of making these films over the years. He's had cameos; he's had input into the process of making them.

It was actually for the X-Men franchise that Stan Lee did his first ever cameo in a big screen superhero movie, playing a hot dog vendor on a beach who watches Senator Kelly (Bruce Davison) emerge from the ocean in 2000’s X-Men. That was followed by appearances in Spider-Man, Daredevil, Hulk, Spider-Man 2, 2005's Fantastic Four, and more, but he did eventually return to appear alongside some of his mutant creations in X-Men: The Last Stand, Deadpool, and X-Men: Apocalypse.

Simon Kinberg actually specifically cited the X-Men: Apocalypse cameo during the interview, highlighting it as one that was particularly significant for Stan Lee. As while we’ve seen him in all kinds of crazy situations and contexts over the years, his appearance in the 2016 comic book movie was the only one to A) take place at Lee’s actual house, and B) co-star his wife, Joan Lee - who passed away about a year after the film was released. The director told me,

I've spent a lot of time with him. I've been lucky enough to spend a lot of time with him. We went to his house for his cameo in Apocalypse, with him and his wife - which was a really special one because it was with his wife. They were so close, and they were together for, I mean, I think most of their adult lives.

Stan and Joan Lee were actually married for 70 years – betrothed since 1947 – which by itself is really remarkable.

Of the movies in which Stan Lee cameoed, Simon Kinberg was a part of three as a producer and/or writer, and it was clearly an emotional subject for the filmmaker to discuss. He added that he really thinks that all of the feelings surrounding Lee’s death will also ultimately have an impact on the way that audiences view the film – if not partially because of the very real pride that Lee felt in regards to the team of mutant heroes that he created. Kinberg continued,

It was something that we all feel now, and we felt when we were in post-production on this movie. So it already felt like a special film for the X-Men, because it is the culmination of all of these movies in so many ways, and because Dark Phoenix is the ultimate X-Men run. But I think even more so, Stan Lee's passing gives even more weight to this film for us, because X-Men, to me, and I think to a lot of fans, and to Stan in some ways, was his sort of ultimate achievement.

So while we may not get to see Stan Lee in some kind of goofy, weird or even heroic situation in Dark Phoenix, it should still be recognized that the deep love for him is still in the DNA – and surely there will be a wave of chills felt when we get to see the aforementioned tribute that the film has planned.

You can see more of my interview with Simon Kinberg and Hutch Parker, as well as parts from my interviews with Dark Phoenix stars Sophie Turner, Tye Sheridan, Evan Peters, Alexandra Shipp, and Kodi Smit-McPhee, by clicking play on the video below!

The directorial debut of Simon Kinberg, Dark Phoenix takes audiences back to the 1990s, and sees the X-Men, led by Professor X (James McAvoy), in a situation we’ve never seen before: recognized worldwide as true heroes. The mutants are experienced working as a team, called on by governments and large organizations in times of crisis, and they are beloved. When their first mission in outer space winds up going sideways, though, they are left with a perilous situation they never saw coming – specifically Jean Grey (Sophie Turner) getting more and more powerful, and less willing to control her darker impulses. As she gets more dangerous, and people start to get seriously hurt, choices have to be made – choices that risk dividing the team.

Also starring Michael Fassbender, Jessica Chastain, Jennifer Lawrence, and Nicholas Hoult, Dark Phoenix will be hitting theaters everywhere on June 7th – and not only will we have more from my interviews with the cast and filmmakers coming your way here on CinemaBlend, but also a whole lot more of my coverage from WonderCon 2019.

James Marsden Reveals Dark Phoenix's Cyclops Actor Sent Him A Lovely Letter When He Took Over

James Marsden Reveals Dark Phoenix's Cyclops Actor Sent Him A Lovely Letter When He Took Over

It's no secret that superhero movie are everywhere. Over the past few years, the comic book genre has become the most profitable of the film world, with various studios creating shared universes in an attempt to cash in. But before the MCU introduced serialized storytelling to the masses, there was Fox's X-Men franchise. Hitting theaters back beginning in 2000, a trio of movies was released in theaters before a new class of actors was introduced to reboot the property.

James Marsden was the first actor to bring Scott Summers/Cyclops to life in live-action, and played the character in the original X-Men trilogy (in addition to a quick cameo in Days of Future Past). Since then, two other actors have played younger version of the mutant, with Ready Player One's Tye Sheridan reprising his role in Dark Phoenix. And it turns out that Sheridan wrote his predecessor a sweet message when he was cast. As Marsden recently revealed:

He wrote me a handwritten letter when he took over the role. A lovely young man. They’re giving [the storyline] the justice it deserves.

Well, this is heart warming. While some actors might have a hard time seeing young talent take on their iconic roles, it seems that James Marsden is happy to see Tye Sheridan playing Cyclops in the silver screen. And that may be partly because the 22 year-old reached out to his predecessor in such a way.

The X-Men franchise is fascinating, thanks to its multiple timelines and just how many decades the property has covered. X-Men: The Last Stand was the finale of the original trilogy-- at least until Days of Future Past brought both generations of mutants together into one ambitious crossover movie. So when the character was eventually recast for movies like X-Men: Apocalypse, it's not like James Marsden was still that connected to the role.

Related: Does Marvel's 5-Year Plan Include The X-Men? Here's What Kevin Feige Says

Rather than being recast just to get a bigger name, Tye Sheridan's time as Cyclops is simply due to how time is being utilized in the franchise. The new Cyclops entered the narrative in X-Men: Apocalypse, as mutant who was new to both Xavier's School and superheroics. He ultimately stepped up to battle Oscar Isaac's title character, and audiences will catch up with a more experienced version of the hero in Dark Phoenix.

In his same conversation with Variety, James Marsden addressed Dark Phoenix's upcoming release, and expressed how excited he is to see that beloved comic book plot be adapted for the silver screen. As he put it:

I obviously know the Dark Phoenix story — the saga was close to me because my character is closest with Jean. It’s cool to see Sophie Turner up there kicking ass as the young version of Jean.

What a class act. Despite leaving the role of Cyclops behind years ago, James Marsden is still a fan of the X-Men, and eager to see the iconic Jean Grey plot line on the silver screen in Dark Phoenix. And he's not the only one.

Tye Sheridan made a strong first outing as Scott Summers in X-Men: Apocalypse. Audiences watched as he blossomed with his abilities, and saw he and Sophie Turner's Jean Grey fall in love as young students. Scott didn't get his signature visor until Apocalypse's coda in the Danger Room, so we should expect Cyclops to be a much more capable fighter when he pops back up in Dark Phoenix.

While Cyclops was a supporting character in Apocalypse, it looks like the fan favorite mutant will have a larger focus when Dark Phoenix finally arrives in theaters. Once Jean goes out of control thanks the Phoenix Force, the other characters will be split regarding what they should do. But Scott should presumably always be on Jean's side, and will no doubt help fight for her humanity.

Tye Sheridan's letter to James Marsden seem to have went over really well for the Westworld actor, but not all of the new class of X-Men were quite so lucky. Alexandra Shipp took on the role of Storm in Apocalypse, and reached out to Halle Berry ahead of her debut. But her e-mail might have made her seem a bit too eager, and it doesn't look like Berry actually responded. Halle Berry is still hoping the character will someday get a spinoff, so perhaps the Oscar winner is hoping her Storm-ing days aren't over.

Dark Phoenix has a ton of pressure associated with it, as it may be the final installment of the X-Men franchise as we know it. Aside from capping off the last four movies' overarching narrative, the movie will also be the second attempt at adapting the beloved Dark Phoenix saga onto film. While the comic book story is far more complicated and involves the Hellfire Club, the fans are anxiously awaiting to see if 20th Century Fox got it right the second time.

X-Men: The Last Stand was the first live-action go at the Dark Phoenix Saga, and it left much to be desired. Jean's powers didn't come from the cosmic Phoenix Force, but were dormant in her from childhood. She rose from her watery grave at Alkali Lake, and unceremoniously kills off James Marsden's Cyclops and Professor X. She was ultimately manipulated by Magneto, before being killed by Wolverine in the film's final battle.

The Dark Phoenix trailers seems to tease a more comic book accurate version of the plot line, although the movie's various delays have given the fandom some pause. What's more, the upcoming blockbuster has the added pressure of being the grande finale in the larger franchise, as 20th Century Fox was officially acquired by Disney. So the pressure is certainly on to bring a satisfying conclusion to the larger narrative, as well as service Jean's story in a proper way.

Cyclops will return to the big screen when Dark Phoenix arrives in theaters on June 7th. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

Captain Marvel Has A Cute Moment With Thor In The New Avengers: Endgame Trailer

Captain Marvel Has A Cute Moment With Thor In The New Avengers: Endgame Trailer

Brief spoilers for Captain Marvel can be found in this article.

In its latest trailer for Avengers: Endgame, Marvel gave us a lot of satisfying moments and ideas to chew on, including but not limited to Tony making it home or new suits for the remaining Avengers. In fact, especially if you haven’t caught Captain Marvel yet, the new Avengers: Endgame trailer introduces Captain Marvel to Thor with a cute scene that even has her briefly interacting with Stormbreaker. Take a look.

After quickly grabbing his weapon from just under Captain Marvel’s nose, Thor simply declares he “like[s] this one,” adding a little levity into the mix. Overall, the final Avengers: Endgame trailer is pretty serious given the subject matter, but what I like most about the moment between Thor and Captain Marvel is that it is lighthearted and it ends the trailer on a fun note rather than a somber one.

It’s sort of similar to how in the last trailer we got a lot of serious moments and then Ant-Man inexplicably showed up to add a little humor in and mix things up. (I say inexplicably given what happened at the end of Ant-Man and the Wasp.)

We’ve known for a while Captain Marvel would get her day in the sun. Her solo movie finally hit theaters this past weekend and included a post-credits tease at the upcoming Avengers: Endgame during which Carol Danvers showed up literally at the remaining Avengers’ doorstep. However, if you haven’t caught Captain Marvel yet, seeing Marvel casually throw Brie Larson into the mix was likely a bit of a shock and hopefully a fun one.

There’s a ton of other stuff to peruse in the final Avengers: Endgame trailer as we head into the home stretch before release. If you haven’t caught the full thing, please find a way to watch right meow.

We learned a few days ago that Captain Marvel almost tied in to Thor: Ragnarok back in 2017 with a scene that would have included Jude Law and a Devil’s Anus. That probably would have made a moment between Captain Marvel and Thor meeting in the flesh come full circle, but it’s fun either way.

Be sure to catch Avengers: Endgame when it finally hits theaters on April 26. In addition, take a look at what we know about the upcoming flick ahead of its release.

Dumbo Box Office: The Baby Elephant Doesn't Quite Soar

Dumbo Box Office: The Baby Elephant Doesn't Quite Soar

Disney has pretty much every one of its major brands in operation this year - with Marvel, Pixar, and Walt Disney Animation all putting out big titles - but one area where the studio is really going all-in this year is with its live-action remakes of animated classics. There are a total of four titles being released between now and the end of December, with movies including The Lion King, Aladdin, and Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, but after this past weekend one wonders if there might be some concern growing. Because while Tim Burton's Dumbo did nab the top spot at the box office, it's numbers aren't exactly spectacular. Check out the Top 10 below, and join me after for analysis!

Overall this was a strong weekend at the box office, and Disney is seeing cash rolling in from two of the top three movies in the country, but the studio certainly must have had higher expectations for Dumbo. Prognostications from earlier this month estimated that the three day haul for the elephant-centric family feature would be around $50 million, and it's not wonderful that the film fell $5 million short of that bar. It's worse when you consider that the first predictions suggested a high end of $65 million.

Those estimates were proven to be too high, but when you look at the numbers, it's not hard to figure out why the pros were a bit off. Disney has been having a tremendous amount of success in recent years with their live-action remakes of animated classics, and with the exception of the 2016 sequel Alice Through the Looking Glass they all arrived with strong openings. Prior to the release of Dumbo, the lowest first weekend total was Kenneth Branagh's Cinderella, which made $67.9 million back in March 2015. That film wound up making over $200 million domestically - but at this point it doesn't look like the 2019 release will be crossing that particular milestone.

It's definitely all far from doom and gloom, however, thanks to a few positive factors. For starters, while Dumbo received a mostly tepid response from critics, those who went to go see it seem to be digging it, and delivered it an "A-" on CinemaScore. As for the numbers, the film is also obviously going to get a big boost from international ticket sales. It has already made over $70 million from foreign markets. So while it won't be the billion dollar hit that Tim Burton's Alice In Wonderland was back in 2010 (arguably the release that fueled this entire trend), it still will be a profitable release for Disney.

Sticking with the Mouse House for a minute, while Dumbo may not wind up being a member of the three comma club, Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck's Captain Marvel absolutely will. And while the film didn't quite get there this weekend, it most definitely will be happening in the next few days. The ticket sales abroad over the last three days, as well as the $20.5 million it made here at home, have now brought its global total to $990.6 million. To put that in some perspective, that means it is now the seventh most successful Marvel Cinematic Universe film, having passed the $880.2 million that Spider-Man: Homecoming made in 2017. What's more, it's not entirely out of the question that it could wind up beating Captain America: Civil War as well, which made $1.2 billion three years ago. That's one hell of a launch for a hero expected to play a massive role in the franchise going forward.

Jumping back to the number two slot, Jordan Peele's Us had a solid, if not unspectacular second weekend, dropping about 52 percent and adding $33.6 million to its domestic total. Not only was the money more than enough to push the film across the $100 million mark, but it also now looks like it is indeed on pace to make more money at the box office than Peele's Get Out did in 2017. The director's sophomore effort did have a budget four times the size of its predecessor - $20 million vs. $4.5 million - but that's basically negligible when you consider the numbers that the release is ultimately looking at. Factoring in the money from outside North America, it's already gone north of $174 million, and one nice trick it has in its back pocket is that it's a feature that begs to be seen more than once. There is no questioning Peele's status as a blockbuster director at this point, and expectations are only going to get higher for whatever he does next.

What's also helping take a bit of heat off of Dumbo is the disappointing release of Harmony Korine's The Beach Bum - which sadly now exists as the worst opening of Matthew McConaughey's career, and is the second big disappointment for the Oscar winner this year following the release of Serenity back in January. The movie had a much smaller release than most titles found in this weekend's Top 10, only showing in 1,100 theaters nationwide, but it doesn't exactly have a high per screen average either. It's not all-together unexpected, as the film got a fairly tepid response when it premiered a few weeks ago at SXSW, and that buzz has been consistent since. Still, it won't look good in the history books next to Korine's last feature, Spring Breakers, which made a surprising $31.7 million in its worldwide theatrical run back in 2013.

Looking ahead, we should see some major shake ups in the Top Five this week, as we are about to see some anticipated features arrive in wide release. The first is another dose of kick-ass superhero action, this time arriving in the form of David F. Sandberg's Shazam! (which is looking at a three day total between $40 and $45 million, and is expected to become the new number one movie in America). Also arriving, though, is the latest Stephen King adaptation: Kevin Kolsch and Dennis Widmyer's Pet Sematary - which could not only steal some attention from the new DC Extended Universe feature, but also Us. How will things shake out? You'll have to come back next Sunday for our box office column to find out.