How Avengers: Endgame’s Writers See Their Future With Marvel

How Avengers: Endgame’s Writers See Their Future With Marvel

In the last 11 years, few filmmakers have had as big an effect on the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely. Initially the duo were hired by Marvel Studios to write the script for Captain America: The First Avenger, but not only did they go on to pen the entire Captain America trilogy, but they also developed both Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame with directors Joe and Anthony Russo (not to mention they also created the Agent Carter television show). That’s an impressive track record all by itself – but fans will be excited to know that they still feel they have more to contribute to the franchise.

Last week I had the wonderful opportunity to interview Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely for the latest episode of our HeroBlend podcast, and in addition to doing a deep dive into Avengers: Endgame, I also asked them about their current relationship with Marvel Studios. As you would expect following the release of one of the biggest movies of all time, the two sides are currently on excellent terms, and Markus made it sound like the door is open for them to potentially collaborate on another movie for the franchise at some point in the future:

We're all great friends. We are not at the moment on a Marvel job, but that's not to say that we wouldn't take another one when the right opportunity came up. We can't write a bigger movie. We can't raise the stakes. We can't do better at the box office. So, you know, if and when we come back it will be for probably one character in a small situation, and re-expand from there. But I don't know who that is.

So while as of right now it looks like Phase Four may be the first era of the Marvel Cinematic Universe not to feature a film scripted by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, that might not necessarily continue to be the case. The two writers aren’t working on a project for the franchise right now, but given the right inspiration it sounds like they’d be happy to jump right back into the action.

But what could that potential project be? Given the legacy of Marvel Comics it’s actually hard to make a specific guess – and it’s an even greater challenge now that the merger between the Walt Disney Company and 21st Century Fox has been completed. Now the two writers could not only potentially take on any of the classic Avengers characters, but Fantastic Four and all of the X-Men are now up for grabs as well. We’ll just have to wait for them to find the story that they want to tell.

This was just one of the subjects that I had the chance to talk about with Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, and you can actually listen to the full interview now as part of the latest episode of HeroBlend:

Is there a specific character that you’d like to see Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely take on in the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Hit the comments section below with all of your thoughts, feelings, and ideas, and be sure to stay tuned here on CinemaBlend for a lot more of our Avengers: Endgame coverage!

Apparently China Is Really, Really Into Green Book

Apparently China Is Really, Really Into Green Book

This year’s recent Oscars ceremony may have ended in shock for many when Green Book took home Best Picture, but the movie's Oscar success has definitely been beneficial. Since the win, Green Book has seen been showing off its “Oscar halo” in 63 markets – including a 121% boost at the domestic box office and has just become No. 1 in China.

That’s right, China loves Green Book! The 2019 Best Picture opened at an impressive $17.2 million opening weekend behind How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (which made $33 million) and Alita: Battle Angel ($24 million) before rising to the top spot on Monday with an overall $25 million by Wednesday, per The Hollywood Reporter. Green Book is now the country’s second highest-grossing Best Picture winner, behind Titanic.

The movie is also scoring seriously high reviews from Chinese critics and moviegoers. For example, the movie received a 9.6 out of 10 rating on Maoyan, a Chinese ticketing app. But wait… Green Book is an all-American story about race relations in the deep South. What about that screams an instant hit for China? There are a few reasons why.

The answer is timing. The Academy Awards are well-followed in China and the Best Picture winner opened in theaters across the country just three days after the telecast. The award show created some effective buzz for Green Book, since the film took home three Oscars out of five nominations – including a second Supporting Actor win for Mahershala Ali and Best Original Screenplay.

Additionally, the richest man in China, tech tycoon and CEO of Alibaba Pictures, Jack Ma, was an investor on Green Book and made it well known to Chinese media. The film studio has also had a hand in investing Mission: Impossible – Fallout and Star Trek Beyond which made $181 and $65 million in China, respectively.

Another contributing factor to Green Book’s success in China is the same reason why the film was met with backlash and controversy over from American audiences. Many have criticized the movie for its mediocre approach in presenting the complexity of race relations and its use of the tiresome “white savoir” trope.

Green Book was also called out by the family of Don Shirley (played by Mahershala Ali), who called out the movie for being “full of lies” and the film is based off one of the film’s writers Nick Vallelonga recalling his own memories from his father (played by Viggo Mortenson). One important perspective of the race relations movie may seem to be missing due to this.

Many moviegoers in China don’t have intricate understanding of America’s complicated ties with racism, just as with Americans, many of us don’t claim to understand the history of the Chinese people. So what might have seemed “uninspired” to many in Green Book, may have been just China’s speed ­– as they needed little background knowledge to follow along.

Factors such as these is a good reminder of why some Hollywood movies become hits in unexpected markets and Green Book is the latest example.

What Is Really Going On With Robert Pattinson And The Batman Movie?

What Is Really Going On With Robert Pattinson And The Batman Movie?

Ever since Ben Affleck confirmed he was retiring as Batman following his three-film run in the DC Extended Universe, fans wondered who would replace him as the Caped Crusader for Matt Reeves’ The Batman. And then, just two weeks ago, the internet was taken by storm with the news that Robert Pattinson would put on the cape and cowl… or at least, that’s how it looked at first, as word came in soon after that Dark Phoenix star Nicholas Hoult was also in the running for the role.

Whether or not you think Robert Pattinson would make a good Batman, it’d be nice if we had some official confirmation if he is actually succeeding Ben Affleck as the incredibly popular DC Comics superhero. Which brings us to today, where at first glance, it looked like it was finally set in stone that Pattinson will indeed star in The Batman. Once again, though, things aren’t exactly what they seem.

If Variety is to be believed, then Robert Pattinson playing Batman is a done deal, with the actor having closed a deal with Warner Bros. However, outlets like The Wrap and The Hollywood Reporter are saying that while Warner Bros has selected Pattinson to be the next Batman, a deal hasn’t been worked out yet. This is something IGN’s Jim Vejvoda echoed with the following tweet:

Officially, Warner Bros hasn’t said a peep about Robert Pattinson’s connection to The Batman, although Deadline’s report on the subject says that we should “expect an announcement imminently.” Unofficially though, going off these various sources, it seems like Pattinson has been selected over Nicholas Hoult to play Batman, and the only thing left to do now is for the actor to sign on the dotted line once everything in his contract is to his liking.

But there are other details that have come out today concerning The Batman, also courtesy of Deadline. For instance, reportedly the screen tests for Robert Pattinson and Nicholas Hoult occurred yesterday, and by the end of the day, Warner Bros decided Pattinson was the right man for the job. That’s an extremely quick turnaround, but I guess if you know immediately who is the better candidate, why wait on moving forward?

This report also mentioned that Robert Pattinson’s deal will include options for at least two more movies, which is hardly surprising given how often studios give sequels to superhero movies. It’s also noted that The Batman will track Bruce Wayne “in the formative stages of Batman,” hence why a younger actor was required to bring the Dark Knight to life.

The last interesting tidbit is that The Batman “will in no way carry on the work that Ben Affleck did as the older Batman in Batman Vs. Superman and Justice League.” Now obviously if The Batman is a direct prequel to those movies, then there’s no need to reference or allude to them since those events are approximately a decade away from happening.

However, given that Warner Bros is willing to release Joker, a standalone movie not set in the DCEU, I can’t help but wondering if The Batman might also not take place within that shared universe, and Robert Pattinson’s Caped Crusader will be his own entity rather than a younger version of Ben Affleck’s Batman. That would give Matt Reeves a lot more creative freedom with telling the kind of Batman story he wants and not needing to worry about it lining up with DCEU canon, but we’ll have to wait and see if this is indeed the case.

So far all that’s been revealed about The Batman is that it will be a noir tale that highlights the eponymous protagonist’s detective skills. Matt Reeves has also said it will features numerous Batman villains, with Penguin and Catwoman reportedly among them.

The Batman will cast its shadow in theaters on June 25, 2021, so stay tuned to CinemaBlend for more updates. In the meantime, you can learn what other DC movies are in the works with our handy guide.

Oscar Isaac Teases Lots Of Poe And Finn Scenes In Episode IX

Oscar Isaac Teases Lots Of Poe And Finn Scenes In Episode IX

The relationship between Oscar Isaac’s Poe Dameron and John Boyega’s Finn was one of the highlights of Star Wars: The Force Awakens and, depending on your perspective, something that was missing from Star Wars: The Last Jedi. The two heroes each had their own stories in the sequel trilogy’s middle chapter so we were denied their fun dynamic together. Fear not though, because Poe and Finn are set to have lots of scenes together in Star Wars: Episode IX as Oscar Isaac teased:

I think the one thing I can say is that it has been the most fun for me, particularly working with John Boyega because we have just had so much more to do together and we just really connected in a great way. It was really a wonderful way to finish it for me because John was the first person I met right when I screen-tested. It was just with me and him. So it just felt like a real full-circle thing.

Oscar Isaac couldn’t reveal much about the ultra-secretive Star Wars: Episode IX in this interview, but what he could reveal should be welcome news for fans who love the bromance between the Resistance pilot and the former Stormtrooper. He told Metro that he and John Boyega had so much more to do together in this film, which makes it sound like the two characters will share more scenes together in this final chapter in the Skywalker Saga.

We don't know the precise plot of Episode IX, but with Finn poised to take on a real leadership role in the Resistance and Finn finally committing to the fight himself, it makes sense that these two would be working together more closely than they did in The Last Jedi when Finn was off on his Canto Bight escapades.

It seems the two actors really connected and had a good relationship, so having the opportunity to reunite with John Boyega to bring "full-circle" closure to what they started together in The Force Awakens was quite rewarding for Oscar Isaac and simply made for a more fun filming experience. Their reunion also allowed the actors but not necessarily the characters to go out on a high note, although hopefully it's a characteristic that extends to the final film itself.

The Triple Frontier actor has said before that Episode IX was the most fun to film of the trilogy because of the looseness and energy on set, but now we know it was also because Poe got his friend back. This will no doubt reignite the flames of the Poe/Finn shipper fire, a fire that Oscar Isaac himself has stoked on occasion, but they may have to deal with a third wheel in Daisy Ridley’s Rey.

About a year ago we heard that Star Wars: Episode IX may not separate Rey and Finn, so if true, maybe the entire trio goes off on an adventure together or Finn is with Rey for part of the movie and Poe for other parts. Whatever the case, the duos of Rey and Finn and Finn and Poe have great interplay together and Episode IX can only benefit from more of that.

This is just the latest thing that Oscar Isaac has said that is a positive sign for J.J. Abrams’ film. The actor has said that Episode IX is a fulfilling end to the 9-film Skywalker Saga and that fans will be blown away. He clearly really enjoyed making this last movie and has genuine enthusiasm for what they made.

Hopefully we’ll get a better idea of what that is pretty soon. We are still awaiting the title and first trailer for Episode IX, but Star Wars Celebration is less than a month away and there would be no better movie to attach a big trailer to than April’s Avengers: Endgame.

Star Wars: Episode IX blasts into theaters on December 20. Check out our 2019 Release Schedule to keep track of this year’s biggest movies and stay tuned to CinemaBlend for all your movie news.

Buffy Actress Kristy Swanson Shares Sweet Photo Tribute To Luke Perry

Buffy Actress Kristy Swanson Shares Sweet Photo Tribute To Luke Perry

Since ‘90s heartthrob actor Luke Perry passed away earlier this week, his family, friends and former co-stars have shared an outpour of grief and love for the late actor, who died at the age of 52 on Monday after being hospitalized for a “massive” stroke a few days prior. During Perry’s early Beverly Hills, 90210 fame, the actor starred in the first crack at Buffy the Vampire Slayer before Joss Whedon developed it into the fan-favorite teen drama.

Luke Perry played Oliver Pike, the love interest to Kristy Swanson’s Buffy in the 1992 movie. In response to Perry’s passing, Swanson took to her Instagram to share a sweet photo of the pair together in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, along with sweet note in tribute to him. Take a look:

What a touching eulogy to the ‘90s actor. Kristy Swanson posted her reaction to hearing the sad news along with genuine word about how she found out about his passing – just after she thought about him and couldn’t sleep, she heard the news. She said the “tears won’t stop and never ever will”, and described their close friendship.

The 49-year-old actress also reminisced about her time on set of Buffy the Vampire Slayer with Luke Perry, with a behind-the-scenes photo of him with some crew members. She pointed out how he was unbothered by 20th Century Fox’s insistence on a clean-shaved face and donned a soul patch for the film. Here’s her second Instagram post:

Kristy Swanson has been friends with Luke Perry since before their starring roles on the ‘90s film. She recently penned an essay to The Hollywood Reporter where she discussed their friendship and expressed his positive vibes on set. Here’s how she put it:

I remember Luke telling me once that in high school he’d been the mascot during football games. That made total sense to me. I was playing a cheerleader in Buffy but he was really the on-set cheerleader while we were making that movie. He was always telling people how great they were doing. He was always positive and uplifting. He made everyone smile. And everybody loved him for it.

Additional to Kristy Swanson’s comments, Luke Perry’s family on CW’s Riverdale, where he played Archie’s father Fred Andrews since the show premiered in 2016 will dedicate the remainder of the third season to the actor’s memory. In a statement from the show’s executive producers, they described him as “father figure and mentor to the show’s young cast” along with other reactions from others who knew him.

Luke Perry is still best known for his decade-long role as Dylan McKay on Beverly Hills, 90210, but his role in Buffy the Vampire Slayer is also a career highlight. The highly-successful show that came after the movie is getting the reboot treatment, but don’t count on Buffy actress Sarah Michelle Gellar joining in.

Watch A Supercut Of Every John Wick Kill

Watch A Supercut Of Every John Wick Kill

John Wick, a.k.a. Baba Yaga, is the most feared assassin in the criminal underworld. If you interfere with his mission, you’re going down and almost certainly won’t get back up. With John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum finally hitting theaters this weekend, we’ve put together this supercut video of all the people John Wick has killed onscreen so far. Alas, you’ll still have leave the carnage he unleashed during his Impossible Task to the imagination.

From shooting adversaries in the head to stabbing them with a pencil, there’s no shortage of ways for John Wick to slay someone. By the video’s end, Keanu Reeves’ deadly character has racked up 202 kills. Needless to say that number will rise once John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum comes out.

All of this bloodshed could have been avoided had Iosef Tarasov and his buddies had just refrained from breaking into John Wick’s house to steal his car and kill his dog, the one thing his recently deceased wife left him. John had already killed enough people to fill up several lifetimes, and he’d spent the last four years living in bliss and far way from darkness.

But no, these idiots unwisely came into the picture, and with the grief of losing Helen still fresh on his heart, John Wick dished out hell on Iosef, his father Viggo and anyone remotely connected to them… well, except Kevin Nash’s Francis. He correctly decided to “take the night off” when John offered the opportunity.

Of course, that’s just covering the first movie, which ended with John Wick bringing a new dog back home. At the beginning of John Wick: Chapter 2, after he retrieved his stolen car, John was content to return to his quiet life, but Santino D’Antonio, the man who helped John with his Impossible Task, got in the way.

Santino demanded John make good on the marker he gave him, blowing up John’s house when the protagonist initially refused to comply with his demands. Making matters worse, even after John traveled to Italy to kill Gianna D’Antonio, Santino opened a $7 million contract on John to wrap up loose ends. The only way John saw fit to end this was to gun Santino down on Continental grounds, which is a big no-no in this crowd.

Which brings us to John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum, where John is now on the run because assassins are after the now-$14 million contract Santino’s associates on the High Table have put out. Making matters worse is that John has also been declared excommunicado, meaning he’s lost all his underworld privileges and access.

So how will John Wick fare against this latest round of people trying to kill him? In the eyes of his friend Winston, the odds are about even. It’s already clear that John will manage to get out of New York, but it remains to be seen just how many bodies he’ll drop both in the Big Apple and elsewhere in the world.

John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum opens in theaters on May 17, but if you’re wondering what movies are hitting the silver screen after that, be sure to browse through our 2019 release schedule.

Godzilla: King Of The Monsters' Worldwide Opening Numbers Are Massive

Godzilla: King Of The Monsters' Worldwide Opening Numbers Are Massive

There is perhaps no more appropriate movie to usher in the summer months than one in which a bunch of giant monsters fight each other. That is what we are getting with this weekend’s Godzilla: King of the Monsters from director Michael Dougherty. As befitting a movie with beasts of leviathanic proportions, the sequel to 2014’s Godzilla is looking to stomp its way into theaters in grand fashion with massive worldwide opening numbers.

Godzilla: King of the Monsters should reign supreme at the worldwide box office this weekend with an opening in the range of $230-$235 million according to Deadline. That’s a massive worldwide opening and one that would be a great start for a movie that may have had a production budget of $170 million before print and advertising.

Such an opening would give Godzilla: King of the Monsters the top spot at the worldwide box office, and the ability to say it’s the biggest movie in the world in TV spots, as well as besting Aladdin’s impressive $213.5 million opening from last weekend. An opening of $230-$235 million would also crush Legendary’s previous two MonsterVerse movies, Godzilla, which opened to $196 million and Kong: Skull Island, which opened to $146.1 million.

As far as how that $230-$235 million breaks down, domestically the tracking for King of the Monsters has the film landing between $50-$55 million. This is on the upper end of the long-range tracking from a couple months back that had the sequel opening between $40-$60 million.

However, there is an expectation that the Rotten Tomatoes score could have an effect on the domestic box office for Godzilla 2. Namely, if negative reviews continue to drag the film’s score on the Tomatometer down into the 20th percentile range, that could damper the enthusiasm of domestic audiences and thus hurt the film’s chances to enjoy that $50-$55 million debut.

Nevertheless, as anyone who follows the box office of films of this ilk could probably guess, Godzilla: King of the Monsters was always going to live and die overseas. On that front, the kaiju clash is expected to top the box office in 75 offshore markets for an international debut of $180 million. That would best the $140 million and $160 million international openings for Godzilla and Skull Island respectively.

Godzilla: King of the Monsters’ opening crucially includes China and where the movie ultimately lands on the weekend will depend a great deal on how it fares in the Middle Kingdom. A great debut there could possibly push Godzilla to $200 million international in its opening weekend. High anticipation and an international cast could work in its favor, with Godzilla 2’s Chinese debut estimated to be in the $75-$90 million range.

Also opening this weekend and hoping to counterprogram against Godzilla and friends is Rocketman. The Elton John musical from Dexter Fletcher is looking at a $25 million domestic bow and $45+ million worldwide. It obviously won’t take the crown from Godzilla, but it shouldn’t get drowned out either, as other would-be counterprogramming success stories have this year.

Godzilla: King of the Monsters hits theaters on May 31. Check out our 2019 Release Schedule to keep track of all of this summer’s biggest titles.