Stan Lee Didn’t Get To See Avengers: Endgame Before He Died

Stan Lee Didn’t Get To See Avengers: Endgame Before He Died

Avengers: Endgame Spoilers Ahead

It's been weeks since Avengers: Endgame hit theaters, and the conversation surrounding the blockbuster is showing no signs of slowing. With the spoiler ban lifted, the cast and crew have been able to reveal more details, and answer lingering questions left after the film concluded. Endgame also marked Stan Lee's final cameo in the MCU, due to his death in November of 2018.

Stan Lee's Avengers: Endgame cameo doesn't disappoint, but unfortunately it doesn't look like the comic book icon got to see it before his passing. Kevin Feige recently broke the news that Lee didn't get to see Endgame, saying:

Stan loved to wait to see the final movie at the premiere, so unfortunately he did not get to see the finished movie. Stan got a download of the full story the day he came and shot his cameo.

What a bummer. But while Stan Lee didn't get to watch the epic and complex narrative of Avengers: Endgame before passing away, he was at least cued into movie's contents. And his final cameo is definitely one for the record books.

Kevin Feige's reveal about Stan Lee came from the Marvel Studio Head's recent Reddit AMA. Feige answered a variety of questions concerning the Marvel Cinematic Universe-- both its past and future. When asked if Lee got a chance to check out an early screener of Avengers: Endgame before his death, Feige revealed that the comic book legend preferred seeing them on the big screen.

It's that same childlike wonder that is what makes Stan Lee such a legend, and why his creations were able to transcend pop culture. And considering how visually stunning Avengers: Endgame was, it deserves to be seen on the biggest screen possible.

Related: Marvel Is Making A Supercut Of Stan Lee Cameos And Unused Footage

Especially the absolutely behemoth final battle at the Avengers Compound, which saw the dusted characters and countless characters engage Thanos' army. The visual effects are stunning, with a ton of action and characters to follow in every frame. It's only a shame that Stan Lee wasn't able to enjoy every payoff and applause-inducing moment.

Stan Lee appeared in Avengers: Endgame in the film's second act, during the super ambitious Time Heist sequence. After accidentally allowing Loki to escape with the Space Stone, Cap and Tony traveled back to S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters in 1970. As the exterior of the facility is set up, we see a car driving by with the license plate "excelsior". Lee is behind the wheel, telling the government agency to make love, not war.

It's hard to imagine the Marvel Cinematic Universe without Stan Lee, especially his iconic cameos. But his vision continues to live in the blood of the massive franchise, which is showing no signs of slowing down.

You can catch Stan Lee in Avengers: Endgame, which is ramping up for yet another weekend at the box office. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

Godzilla: King Of Monsters Director Teases Idea For An Avengers Crossover

Godzilla: King Of Monsters Director Teases Idea For An Avengers Crossover

We are only about one month away from the release of Avengers: Endgame and the end of this iteration of the MCU as we know it. Though the plot is being treated like a military-grade secret, it's likely that the Avengers will be in need of a new villain by the time the rumored three hour runtime is complete. There are plenty of villains to choose from, but director Michael Dougherty presented a really cool option: Godzilla.

Michael Dougherty is the director of the upcoming Godzilla: King of the Monsters, which will be hitting theaters in May. The sequel will find Godzilla going head-to-head against Mothra, Rodan, and King Ghidorah in a battle to decide who is the alpha Titan of planet Earth. Having three of Godzilla's most iconic monster foes in one movie must not have been enough for Dougherty because he'd like to see Godzilla go to town on the Avengers.

And it's not such a crazy idea! There's actually some real history in the comics to support this, something that Mike Dougherty knows well. The director took to social media posting a picture of a comic book in which the Avengers had to fight Godzilla. Dougherty wrote that this movie would "make the world a better place" and I'd have to agree with him.

The comic book in reference is back during the late '70s when Marvel had the licensing rights to Godzilla. Occasionally during the issues it released, Godzilla would encounter Marvel superheroes, in one case going up against the Avengers. The heroes are called in to stop one of Godzilla's rampages.

It's not too hard to see why Dougherty would be 100% down for this crossover. The Avengers are arguably the biggest box office success in history, and a movie where they meet Godzilla would be filled with enough spectacle to make your eyes bleed. I don't know how the Avengers could ever beat Godzilla, but I also don't know how they will reverse half the universe getting erased either.

Even though an Avengers and Godzilla crossover is just an impossible dream right now (movie rights are owned by different studios), it's not like there isn't plenty to look forward to from both franchises. Endgame is just right around the corner, and the movie is already projected to shatter box office records.

Meanwhile, Godzilla doesn't have a shortage of foes to beat as he fights his arch-nemesis King Ghidorah in King of the Monsters. The trailers have teased that this is the effects-heavy, big budget monster brawl that fans have ben waiting years for and it looks like a very entertaining movie.

You can catch Avengers: Endgame on April 26, while Godzilla: King of the Monsters will follow about a little over a month later on May 31.

Oscar Isaac Is Glad Leia Was Brought Back For Episode IX

Oscar Isaac Is Glad Leia Was Brought Back For Episode IX

Throughout the first two episodes of the Star Wars sequel trilogy, General Leia Organa and ace pilot Poe Dameron have been the faces and leaders of the Resistance effort against the First Order. The loving and sometimes contentious relationship between these two characters took center stage in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, a fact that didn’t come as a surprise to Oscar Isaac, as he explained:

I wasn’t surprised because I remember we were doing that, we worked a lot. [Fisher] and I worked together so much. We would talk about the scenes, and we got very tight during the shooting of that. So it was a beautiful thing to see, and it gets carried over into the new film as well.

Oscar Isaac spent a lot of time with Carrie Fisher working through scenes and becoming friends, so he knew that the relationship between their characters would factor heavily into Episode VIII. He seems to have really treasured that relationship and how it came together in the film and is happy that Leia is being brought back for Star Wars: Episode IX.

As he told Sirius XM’s John Fugelsang, the narrative thread and relationship between Poe and Leia continues in Star Wars: Episode IX. Unused footage of Carrie Fisher’s Leia from the previous two films is being repurposed for J.J. Abrams new movie to complete her arc, and because of how closely the late actress and Oscar Isaac worked on the previous films, it makes sense that there is enough footage to allow their characters’ relationship to develop even further.

It also sounds like Oscar Isaac will be acting in new scenes opposite old footage of Carrie Fisher, an experience that was strange for the actor. He said about the experience:

It was definitely an unusual thing, but I also think it was right to engage with her character, and not just let it be something that fades away.

Acting opposite the actress’ footage and not Carrie Fisher herself sounds like a bittersweet and strange thing, but Oscar Isaac felt that Princess Leia deserved a proper sendoff and he seems to be among the many that are happy that Lucasfilm found a way to continue the character’s story. For a character this important, who meant so much to Carrie Fisher, it wouldn’t feel right for her to just be written out of the film and have her die or disappear offscreen without getting to see her.

It will be good to see Poe and Leia together again and the continuation of their interesting relationship that saw them butting heads in The Last Jedi. Poe needs to become a leader and Leia was teaching him hard lessons. Like Jeor Mormont once told Jon Snow on Game of Thrones, if you want to lead one day, you first have to learn how to follow, and I expect Poe will be a true leader before the end of Episode IX.

Given that Oscar Isaac has said that Star Wars: Episode IX will blow fans away and is a fulfilling end to the Skywalker Saga, we can infer that he was pleased with the way J.J. Abrams concluded the story and Leia’s arc.

Star Wars: Episode IX blasts into theaters on December 20. Check out our 2019 Release Schedule to keep track of all the biggest movies coming your way this year.

John Wick Has A Deleted Scene Out There Showing His Totally Unexpected Hobby

John Wick Has A Deleted Scene Out There Showing His Totally Unexpected Hobby

John Wick was already a fascinating dude, but now I want to see the scenes they cut showing his "hobby" and "vocation." Keanu Reeves is out promoting John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum, and he revealed they actually did film a scene for the first 2014 movie showing his hobby.

The story came up when Keanu Reeves was asked about John Wick's hobbies. What did he do in his free time, or what would he be doing if they hadn't killed his beloved Beagle puppy, launching the drama of the three films so far?

In the first script they had John Wick described as working with old leather-bound books and book restoration. [...] Yeah, we filmed it. It’s not in the movie, but we filmed it.

Book restoration. I ... never would've guessed John Wick would retire from the hitman life just to go into book restoration. I need to see this.

John Wick starts with the title character grieving the death of his wife Helen to illness. She's the one who gave him little Daisy as a gift, knowing he'd need some help to cope after she was gone. So if the Russian gangsters hadn't shown up to steal his car and kill the puppy, John would quietly be doing book restoration right now instead of running for his life. As Keanu Reeves continued to Uproxx:

Yeah, he had a hobby and a vocation. That’s what he did. Best case, yes, his wife had passed, and that’s what he had decided to do once he got out after the impossible task, that was his vocation.

The "impossible task" was referenced in the first film. When John Wick wanted to retire, Viggo Tarasov (Michael Nyqvist) gave John an "impossible task" -- apparently a bunch of assassinations in a short time -- and John actually succeeded. John earned the legendary status of Baba Yaga (boogeyman).

Maybe when all of this is over -- even if it's 10 years from now -- John Wick will go back into book restoration. It would be easier on his body than all the stunt work he's had to do to stay alive through the past two movies.

David Leitch helped co-direct the first John Wick movie with Chad Stahelski, and in the directors' commentary ,Leitch said the original cut was over two hours long. They cut over 39 minutes of footage, including a fight between John and Viggo. Leitch also said (via CBR) there were "a ton of great shots... that's just Keanu Reeves walking in cool environments" that had to be left on the cutting room floor.

Back when they were making the first movie, they had no idea the John Wick franchise would become so popular. Now that fans are eager for the third movie to open next week, it would be a great time to dig up all of the old deleted scenes and share them with the class.

John Wick 3 is meant to be a lot bigger than the past two movies, and that means a higher death count. Mr. Wick is on the run, with a global contract out for his life. Parabellum has gotten rave reviews so far, and it should do some healthy business at the box office.

Heck, maybe it could even top Avengers: Endgame at the May 17-19 weekend box office. If anyone can kill off Marvel's streak, it's John Wick.

Christina Hendrick’s Toy Story 4 Character Sounds Super Creepy

Christina Hendrick’s Toy Story 4 Character Sounds Super Creepy

For a family-friendly franchise all about the cute, adorable and fluffy toys of our childhood, Toy Story has featured some rather spooky characters. Remember Babyface from Sid’s room in the first film? What am I talking about, of course you do – that character’s creepy face is likely singed into the brains of everyone who watched it, especially if you were a kid.

Soon Toy Story 4 will introduce a completely new generation to the emotional damage that comes with being a neglected toy, when Christina Hendricks’ new character Gabby Gabby debuts on screen. The Mad Men and Good Girls actress will be a vintage ‘50s doll who comes complete with a heartbreaking backstory and her own army of dolls to scare the children of today into sticking with video games for good. Here’s what the movie’s director Josh Cooley told Entertainment Weekly of the character:

She can just tell her henchmen of ventriloquist dummies to do her bidding for her, and they do. She’s like the Godfather, where she doesn’t really have to do much to do a lot.

Did I say Toy Story can be creepy yet… because chills. Some of the most powerful villains can just sit back and watch her followers do the dirty work for them, and that looks to be exactly what Gabby Gabby does with the ventriloquist dummies Woody will meet in Toy Story 4. The pull string doll has apparently been collecting dust in an antique store for more than 60 years, and never been held and loved by a child because she was made with a broken voice box.

Because she has a defect in her voice, she sympathizes with the silent ventriloquist dummies and speaks on their behalf. Therefore, they seem to follow her every beck and call without batting an eye. Why did the filmmakers decide to include these eerie dolls in the upcoming Toy Story movie? Josh Cooley said this:

I’ve always loved The Twilight Zone and that Talking Tina-type of thing. We’ve never seen creepy, old dolls like that in Toy Story, and this was an opportunity to do that.

Gabby Gabby and her ventriloquist army will join some of the other villainous characters in the Toy Story universe such as Prospector, Lotso, Emperor Zurg, Sid and Big Baby. Have no fear, the new Pixar film is also introducing a slew of other new characters who seem a bit more delightful.

Keanu Reeves will play Duke Caboom, a Evel Knievel-type daredevil who will assist Woody and Bo Peep in their mission. Key and Peele will play carnival stuffed animals named Ducky and Bunny and the tiniest toy in the franchise Giggle McDimples will be played by Ally Maki. Toy Story 4 heads to theaters on June 21… on the same day the Child’s Play remake will be released. Coincidence? With Gabby Gabby on board, maybe not.

Watch Keanu Reeves Recap The First Two John Wick Movies Ahead Of Parabellum

Watch Keanu Reeves Recap The First Two John Wick Movies Ahead Of Parabellum

Among the many summer movies to look forward to in the coming months is John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum, which is finally arriving a little over two years after its predecessor. But what if you haven’t seen the first two John Wick movies. Well, the first course of option is to actually watch them, but if you find yourself strapped for time, not to worry. Keanu Reeves has provided the following minute-long recap of what has already happened to his assassin character.

Talk about cutting to the chase! Keanu Reeves does a great job summarizing the events of 2014’s John Wick and 2017’s John Wick: Chapter 2, from how this all kicked off when the idiotic son of a mobster stole his car and killed his dog, to how John is now on the run after killing someone on Continental grounds, which is a big no-no. In just a minute, folks who’ve never seen these movies are caught up to speed, and those who only saw them once will have their memories refreshed.

Of course, there’s obviously a lot that this video didn’t cover, like John’s relationship to Willem Dafoe’s Marcus in the first movie to his short-lived conflict with Santino D’Antonio’s second-in-command, Ruby Rose’s Ares, in Chapter 2. Nevertheless, if all you’re looking for is a bare-bones summarization of the John Wick franchise thus far, then watching this video is your best bet. You’ll definitely be able to follow along with John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum’s overall story, even if some of the subtler character dynamics are foreign.

Which brings us to John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum, which picks up immediately after the events of Chapter 2 with John on the run with no access to his underworld resources and a $14 million bounty on his head going live in one hour. John is no stranger to fighting off assassins, but this is unquestionably his biggest fight yet, as it’s the High Table, the council of crime lords that are the ultimate authority in the underworld, that wants his head.

John’s main goal will be to escape New York City at the start of John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum, and the previews have shown that he manages to this since he’s also seen walking through a desert. Beyond that, we don’t know what specifically is in store for John, though you can count on him leaving a trail of bodies wherever he goes.

Along with Keanu Reeves obviously being back for a third round of bullet-riddled action, John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum also sees the return of Ian McShane’s Winston, Lance Reddick’s Charon, John Leguizamo’s Aurelio and Laurence Fishburne’s Bowery King. As for new faces, they include Halle Berry’s Sofia, Angelica Huston’s The Director, Asia Kate Dillon’s The Adjudicator, Mark Dacascos’ Zero, Robin Lord Taylor’s The Administrator and Jason Mantzoukas’ Tick Tock Man.

John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum hits theaters on May 17, so keep checking back with CinemaBlend for more coverage on the threequel and our review. In the meantime, you can scan through our 2019 release schedule to plan your moviegoing trips later this year accordingly.

The Russo Brothers Explain Black Widow’s Endgame Story

The Russo Brothers Explain Black Widow’s Endgame Story

MASSIVE spoilers ahead for Avengers: Endgame. If you haven't seen it, look away!

It's been over a week since Avengers: Endgame arrived in theaters, and the public is still recovering from the massively ambitious blockbuster. Despite the dizzying amount of characters that popped up to move the story forward, Endgame was really about the survivors of Thanos' snap-- especially the original Avengers lineup.

Chief among these characters is Scarlett Johansson's Black Widow, who has been with the shared universe since back in Iron Man 2. Natasha Romanoff went through a massive arc during her tenure in the MCU, and Endgame was no exception. Because after holding together the survivors in the wake of the snap, she ultimately sacrifices herself in exchange for the Soul Stone during the time heist.

This is a decision that has rocked the fandom, and there are some critics who aren't a fan of how Widow went out. Now The Russo Brothers have opened up about the death scene, with Joe Russo saying:

The theme of the movie is, can you change your destiny, and what does it cost to do it? And are you willing to pay that cost?It’s a resounding yes from the Avengers. In [Infinity War] they said, ‘We don’t trade lives,’ and there was a desire to protect. And in this movie, there’s now a desire to sacrifice in order to accomplish the goal.

You've got to admire how methodically The Russo Brothers have thought out their pair of Avengers movies. Since they were filmed essentially at the same time, their connective tissue is strong. So thinking back on Infinity War may help the fandom come to terms with Natasha's sacrifice.

During Avengers: Infinity War, Thanos' collection of the stones seemingly could have been prevented fairly easily. Vision was willing to sacrifice himself to destroy the Mind Stone, but the Avengers refused to let their comrade go without a fight. Shuri wasn't able to finish her work before being attacked, and it seems Vision was always destined to perish.

Related: The 25 Most Emotional Moments In Avengers: Endgame

In contrast, the surviving Avengers were willing to lay down their lived in Endgame. The team's name never felt more appropriate, as they were truly Avenging the fallen... whatever it takes. And that includes Hawkeye's entire family.

Natasha and Clint's relationship was consistent throughout the Avengers franchise, and was able to really take the spotlight when the two Avengers traveled to Vormir for the Soul Stone. She ended up sacrificing herself in hopes that they'd reverse the snap, reuniting Hawkeye with his wife and children. During his conversation with EW, Joe Russo went on to say:

We open the movie on [Hawkeye’s] family. She reminds him of it in the scene. They both may have the mission in that moment where, ‘I’m not going to let you kill yourself,’ but Hawkeye has mixed agendas there, which I feel takes the edge off his focus in a way that she doesn’t.

In many ways, Black Widow has been the soul of The Avengers. Aside from Clint, she's got strong personal connections with Captain America, Iron Man, and Bruce Banner. And following the snap and Thanos' death at the hands of Thor, she took lead and kept in communication with their allies around the world. So the Soul Stone was a fitting means to an end, even if it was hard for moviegoers to watch.

Given how dense Avengers: Endgame is, plenty of fans will flock to theaters to see the movie more than once. Perhaps Black Widow's fate will seem different the second time around, especially now that The Russo Brothers are able to finally speak about Endgame's contents. We should expect plenty more discussions in the future, as the co-directors believe that spoilers can be let out of the bag after the movie's second weekend in theaters.

Avengers: Endgame is in theaters now, complete with Black Widow's somewhat controversial death. Be sure to check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.