Charlie Hunnam Still Doesn't Regret Quitting Fifty Shades Of Grey

Charlie Hunnam Still Doesn't Regret Quitting Fifty Shades Of Grey

One notorious casting that ultimately led to an actor leaving a popular movie occurred just before Fifty Shades of Grey started shooting. The role was supposed to have gone to Triple Frontier actor Charlie Hunnam; however, Hunnam left the project and Jamie Dornan was signed on in his stead.

Since news broke that it could have been Charlie Hunnam who played Christian Grey, there’s been sort of a fascination in terms of the “what if” factor. Ultimately, however, Hunnam still doesn’t regret quitting the role. He said in a recent interview:

I don’t see myself in that role at all because it would have been totally different. I think what acting is, is trying to create a character and you put half of yourself into it, [a] bit more than half. So that’s Jamie Dornan’s character, you know? I haven’t seen them but I’m sure he did an excellent job.

According to Charlie Hunnam, the actor has no interest in watching Fifty Shades of Grey or its two follow-ups, also revealing he really doesn’t “want to have an opinion” on Jamie Dornan’s performance or how the movie turned out during his interview with Newsweek. I don’t really blame him, considering more than a year after the final movie in the franchise came out he’s still getting asked about the decision.

As for why he quit Fifty Shades of Grey, Charlie Hunnam said:

I started to realize that my, my vision of who that guy was, was not everybody else’s vision. You can’t get into a film, let alone three films, totally at odds with the rest of the filmmaking community or the creative community involved in something because it’s just going to be [a] miserable experience... it was better for me just to extract myself from the process, but no regrets.

Previously, Charlie Hunnam has had varying accounts for why he quit Fifty Shades of Grey. This time, he’s saying the character fans love from the books was at odds with how he wanted to play it. He’s also said that he is aware he would be a “lot wealthier” if he had said yes to the gig that eventually went to Jamie Dornan, noting,

Well, I'd be a lot wealthier. I'd be a lot wealthier. I was gonna get paid a fortune. So much.

He’s said before he was just really busy at the time the first movie was going to start filming, revealing he was also doing Crimson Peak and Sons of Anarchy and it all just felt like a lot at the time.

And I was going to shoot that film, wrap that on the Wednesday and the following Monday I was going to start shooting Crimson Peak in Toronto. I just had like ... frankly, something of a nervous breakdown.

So, it sounds as if there were myriad reasons to say no and the money wasn’t enough to say yes. (Although, he really did give up on quite a bit of money.) Interestingly, Charlie Hunnam is known for intense workouts and even being shirtless on both the big and small screen. That's something that Jamie Dornan has come out and really worked on after he wasn't able to get super into shape for the first movie, given the limitations of the timeline after he was cast in Fifty Shades of Grey.

In fact, in some ways Charlie Hunnam may have dodged a bullet. Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson have had to really work to take on different types of roles in the wake of the popular franchise movie. (Although they likely increased their visibility as well.) In addition, while filming Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed seemingly went off without too much of a hitch, filming Fifty Shades of Grey ultimately ended up being a bit of a different situation. Specifically, the director of that movie Sam Taylor-Johnson has come out and said that things were so bad she wouldn’t do it again.

With the benefit of hindsight would I go through it again? Of course I wouldn't. I'd be mad. It was a struggle and there were lots of onset tête-à-têtes, with me trying to bat it into the [right] place. I like everyone -- and I get really confused when they don't like me. I was so confused by E.L. James. I don't understand when I can't navigate a person, when there's no synergy.

She also ultimately left the franchise, leaving leads Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson to navigate the rest of the franchise with new director James Foley. All in all, though, fans of E.L. James’ books seem at least fairly satisfied with how the movies played out on the big screen.

While we have no real gauge for how Charlie Hunnam would have played Christian Grey, it’s still fun to think about how the universe would have been with a totally different actor in the role. Ultimately, it made Jamie Dornan a household name and went on to be a financial success with that actor.

You can catch Charlie Hunnam in the new Netflix movie Triple Frontier, which has already hit the streaming service. Or take a look at what else Netflix has coming this month with our full guide.

Everything Chris Hemsworth And Tessa Thompson Could Tell Us About Their Men In Black International Agents

Everything Chris Hemsworth And Tessa Thompson Could Tell Us About Their Men In Black International Agents

Why have audiences flocked to Men In Black movies over the years? Some come for the comedy. Others want to see creative alien species, potentially living among us in our over-populated cities. But most want to enjoy the yin-yang chemistry of the lead agents, which was on full display when Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones wore the signature suits and sunglasses of the MiB.

The dynamic will change later this summer when Men In Black International casts Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson as the lead agents on a massive new case. So CinemaBlend traveled to London to visit the set of International and find out exactly how these two Thor: Ragnarok veterans will blend on this new adventure. Hemsworth began by describing his own arrogant agent, Agent H, and explained:

My character certainly kind of does things his own way. He’s pretty reckless in his approach, and... he doesn’t take advice from others. He works alone, usually. And then in this particular instance, [my character and Tessa’s character] sort of teamed up together, I think outside of either of their first choice I think. They’d prefer… she’d probably rather be saddled with someone a little more [laughs] on book. But, as I said it gives us somewhere to go and gives us a nice arc.

Tessa Thompson, in trying to nail down their approach to the partnership, referenced back to the relationship built by Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones in the first three Men In Black movies. She elaborated:

[Our characters] both misunderstand each other and one thing that we’ve talked about a lot, Chris and I, is this idea of what do they teach each other? I think that was something that was so touching about Will and Tommy’s dynamic for the course of the three films is you felt like they really offered each other something. They were able to just be better men, frankly, from being in the company of each other, that they made each other stretch and grow in a way. And that’s played with the easiness that this franchise has, but that it’s inherent. And so, we were talking about that and obviously because, you know... there’s also some other layers of dynamics between it because we’re--he’s a guy and I’m a girl and...and you know. [laughs].

Ah yes, the inevitable romance question. It remains to be seen if Men In Black International will pair Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson that way. That certainly would be a departure from what we’ve seen in this series to date. But Thompson connected the chemistry shared between her and Hemsworth to more iconic duos in Hollywood history. She told CinemaBlend:

These characters, there’s some like Princess Leia/Han Solo in there. There’s Hepburn and Tracy, you know there’s... there’s real sort of texture, and to me, when we’re really singing, it reminds me of some of those iconic duos. And I think with a lot of those, there’s this undercurrent of emotion, but there are so many directions in which the relationship can go and the thing that really is the most exciting about those relationships, I think, is a true meeting of mind and of wit, and a sort of back and forth with that. That creates tension.

The Men In Black International creative team wasn’t done making comparisons to classic on-screen duos as they spoke about the bind being formed by Hemsworth and Thompson. When CinemaBlend got the chance to speak with producer Walter Parkes about this continuation, he compared his leads to the two main characters from James L. Brooks’ classic comedy Broadcast News, and that certainly got our attention. He said:

You know, Holly Hunter was so like, hyper-rational and Bill Hurt was so kind of at ease with the world and sort of bigger than the world and smaller than the world at the same time, and the way they connected was certainly an inspiration for understanding what this character relationship might be.

You can see some of this in action in the main Men In Black International trailer, which we’re happy to share below:

Men In Black International looks to take the action of the series away from New York City (where it primarily rested for three movies) and through several other different global locations. The sequel co-stars Hemsworth and Thompson, though they will be joined by Rafe Spall, Rebecca Ferguson, Liam Neeson and Emma Thompson, reprising her role as Agent O.

The movie hits theaters on June 14. Stay tuned for even more coverage from our visit to the London set up the upcoming blockbuster.

Christopher Nolan's New Movie Tenet Is Putting Together A Fantastic Cast

Christopher Nolan's New Movie Tenet Is Putting Together A Fantastic Cast

Christopher Nolan is a filmmaker who, even at his most generous, loves to keep the public in the dark about what he's working on until the last possible moment. His latest film, slated for release next summer, is certainly no exception, as it has just recently unveiled its title, Tenet, on this the first day of shooting. Plot details are also sparse, as the recently provided description of “North By Northwest meets Inception” was dismissed as quickly as it had arrived, though the film being "an action epic evolving from the world of international espionage" remains the premise.

With such a diverse and dangerous setting comes a cast of impressive actors taking on the task of working with Nolan himself. So fresh off the back of Tenet getting a title, and a few new members to its' cast, now is a good time to run down the line and see who's on board for this would be blockbuster of summer 2020! We'll start with Mr. John David Washington himself!

John David Washington

The first lead cast in Christopher Nolan's Tenet, John David Washington will be adding this sought after role on top of a year that's brought him a lot of notice. His role in the HBO series Ballers saw its fourth year of action in 2018, with his lead role in Spike Lee's BlacKkKlansman netting him several prestigious award nominations in that very same year. Washington's recent credits also include Monsters and Men, as well as The Old Man and The Gun.

Robert Pattinson

Initial reports have mentioned that Christopher Nolan's latest film is to have two male leads, with a female lead around the same age range. Robert Pattinson is the most recently cast male out of the two, with his credits of late being represented in the sci-fi drama High Life, and the western/comedy Damsel. His casting in Tenet seemed sure to set off the rumor mill, as Pattinson's name has been come up as the all but confirmed as a successor to Ben Affleck in the role of Batman. Which makes Robert Pattinson's collaboration with the director of the still highly regarded Dark Knight Trilogy practically kismet.

Elizabeth Debicki

Also part of the previously known cast for Christopher Nolan's Tenet is none other than rising star Elizabeth Debicki. 2018 was also good for Debicki, as Steve McQueen's Widows saw her impressing the hell out of critics and fans alike, as one of the titular stars alongside Viola Davis, Michelle Rodriguez, and Cynthia Erivo. Previously, Debicki was seen in franchise sequels The Cloverfield Paradox and Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2, as well as the Guy Ritchie feature film adaptation of The Man From U.N.C.L.E.

Dimple Kapadia

Primarily known for her work in the Indian film world, actor Dimple Kapadia has been added to the cast of Tenet in the film’s most recent run up to production. Kapadia has been a fixture since the 1980’s, most recently starring in Welcome Back, alongside fellow Indian actor/crossover star Anil Kapoor. Tenet marks Dimple Kapadia’s first Hollywood film.

Aaron Taylor-Johnson

Best known for his roles as both Quicksilver in Avengers: Age of Ultron, and the lead in Mark Millar’s comic adaptation Kick-Ass, Aaron Taylor-Johnson is another one of Tenet’s latest additions to the cast. Most recently seen in Netflix’s Outlaw King, Taylor-Johnson will also be seen in the Kingsman: The Great Game, which will see the famed spy organization’s origins in the 1900’s.

Clémence Poésy

If you’re struggling to remember where you’ve seen Clémence Poésy before, we’ll go ahead and tell you that you most likely recognize her from her role of Fleur Delacour in the Harry Potter film franchise. You may even remember her from films like In Bruges and 127 Hours. But lately, this Tenet star has been seen in TV shows like National Geographic’s Genius: Picasso, where she played French icon Françoise Gilot, as well as the British/French TV procedural, The Tunnel.

Michael Caine

Known quite well as the lucky charm to Christopher Nolan, as well as an actor of great distinction and honor, Michael Caine makes his return to appearing on camera for Nolan with Tenet. Previously, Caine made an uncredited cameo as the voice of Fortis Leader, guiding Tom Hardy and his air squadron in Dunkirk. Caine’s notable credits in the cast range from classics like Alfie and The Italian Job to more recent films like Now You See Me 2.

Kenneth Branagh

In what looks like his addition to the Christopher Nolan repertory company, Kenneth Branagh is the last and latest addition to the Tenet cast. Much like Michael Caine, Branagh was also part of the massive cast that made Nolan’s Dunkirk come to life. More recently, Branagh starred and directed in the Shakespeare biopic All Is Well, and has Artemis Foul ready to go for release next summer through Disney.

As the cast for Tenet continues to form up, and more details besides those provided previously are made known, we'll update this list to reflect the new changes. But until then, know that this newly titled Christopher Nolan event film will be released in conventional and IMAX theaters on July 17, 2020. So, it's probably best you find some movies throughout the rest of 2019's release schedule to pass the time in-between.

Wesley Snipes Is Playing A Villain On Screen Again And We Have The Details

Wesley Snipes Is Playing A Villain On Screen Again And We Have The Details

During his decades-long acting career, Wesley Snipes has played a variety of characters, many of whom have been good guys. However, he has occasionally taken on villainous roles, most notably Simon Phoenix in Demolition Man. Now, over 25 years after that Marco Brambilla-directed movie came out, Snipes is returning to antagonist territory with his upcoming movie, Payline.

Written by Rob Robol and Jay S. Boyd, Payline is described as a casino heist story in the vein of “Oceans 11 meets Free Fire.” The movie is about a small-town casino that turns into a battleground after two groups of criminals try to rob it on the same night. In addition to performing on camera, Snipes will also executive produce Payline for Dawn’s Light Media and Maandi House Studios alongside Alexander Ferguson, while Allan Ungar (who worked on that Uncharted fan film Nathan Fillion starred in), Richard Switzer and Jason Cherubini (the latter two are from Dawn’s Light) are attached as producers.

No specific details were provided about who Wesley Snipes is specifically playing. If I had to guess, he’s either the leader of the gang that’s being framed as the “bad guys” in this heist or he’s the manager/owner of this casino these groups are breaking into. In any case, since this is Snipes’ first villain role since Demolition Man, this is surely a momentous occasion for him. Here’s what the actor had to say about Payline overall:

We at Maandi House Studios along with our sister companies and strategic partners are extremely excited to be working with Dawns Light Media on the kind of action film not seen in years. This is a vehicle to demonstrate the next generation of indie-film making in a 5G powered world. It is our goal to show how a 100% Certified Renewable Energy film production can show love for the environment, community and still produce a kick-ass popcorn movie.

Although he’s stretching his villainous muscles again for the first time in nearly three decades, Wesley Snipes will arguably always be best known for his time as a superhero, having played Eric Brooks, a.k.a. Blade, across three movies from 1998 to 2004. Snipes has expressed interest numerous times over the years in reprising Blade for a fourth movie, though there’s still no indication that will happen. In any case, Payline allows him to once again operate on the side of corruption rather than justice.

In recent years, Wesley Snipes has appeared in movies like The Expendables 3, Chi-Raq, Armed Response and The Recall, as well as the TV series The Player. Along with Payline, his other upcoming projects include the Netflix movie Dolemite Is My Name, where he’s playing D’Urville Martin alongside Eddie Murphy’s Rudy Ray Moore; the RZA drama Cut Throat City, which also stars Terrence Howard, T.I. and Eiza Gonzalez; and the TV series Paper Empire, which also stars Robert Davi, Denise Richards and Robert Knepper.

Payline’s release date hasn’t been announced yet, so stay tuned for that information. In the meantime, you can find out what movies are hitting theaters later this year in our 2019 release schedule.

Queen’s Brian May Thinks Bohemian Rhapsody Was Treated Poorly During Awards Season

Queen’s Brian May Thinks Bohemian Rhapsody Was Treated Poorly During Awards Season

Bohemian Rhapsody has mostly had a charmed awards season after its release in November of 2018, likely propelled along by the fact that Queen band members Brian May and Roger Taylor were actively involved in the press leading up to the release of the flick and the awards season that came after. While Brian May was actively engaged in Bohemian Rhapsody and its success, he recently revealed that the negativity from the media took a toll on him.

The actor was very blunt in his concerns about the way the awards season race is run, although he was also quick to point out that he is grateful Bohemian Rhapsody was in the conversation at all this awards season. In a lengthy post, May revealed how he felt about the long ride to the Oscars, noting:

I was, and I am, deeply grateful for our Freddie film being recognised in a way we never had the audacity to expect. But I found the public activity behind the whole awards season, and the behaviour of the media writers surrounding it, deeply disturbing. If you look at the Press and Internet discussions that took place over the last few months, you can see that 90% of it is aimed at discrediting one or other, or all of the nominated films by innuendo and smears, rather than discussing their merits and admiring the skills that went into making them. Vitriol and dishonesty, and blatant attempts to shame and influence the members into voting the way they, in their arrogance required them to.

Bohemian Rhapsody, despite being the lowest rated Golden Globes winner since Out Of Africa, stood up well against the naysayers during the latest awards season. The movie went on to win numerous accolades – most notably for Rami Malek’s performance—and even took home four statues at the recent 2019 Oscars event.

The Full List Of Oscar Winners 2019, See The Complete List.

During the Oscars, a performance from Queen + Adam Lambert really got the event off to a rocking start, and both Brian May and Roger Taylor seemed into being at the event. Apparently, that joy at performing was tempered a bit for Brian May, who revealed on Instagram that the politics and news noise surrounding awards season took a great toll.

It’s not the fault of the awards panels - they stood up well. It’s a kind of vindictive sickness that seems to have gripped public life. All through it, I’ve been biting my tongue, not wishing to influence the results of the ballots even by a hair. But, when the curtain came down, I was left with very mixed feelings

What Happened Leading Up To The Oscars

Both Green Book and Bohemian Rhapsody had to suffer through months of people complaining about how the movies didn’t fully stick to factual details concerning the real-life individuals the movie followed. For Green Book, this meant Dr. Donald Shirley was not portrayed accurately. For Bohemian Rhapsody, the focus was less on Freddie Mercury’s personal life than some would have preferred. In addition, some people were unhappy with timeline changes.

Of course, the differing takes surrounding Brian Singer’s exit from Bohemian Rhapsody, although he retained a director credit, took up some time as well.

On the bright side, Brian May did reveal after he performed at the Oscars that there was a bright spot that came from one of the people putting together the event. He mentioned of the Oscars,

The head of local production came up to me and shook my hand as we left the auditorium. He said, ‘I’ve been doing the Oscars for 40 years, and that was the best opening we ever had!’ A lovely moment.

Shortly before the Oscars aired, Brian May and Roger Taylor reacted to performing, with May noting he was ready to “make [Oscars people] proud.”

What Brian May Has Said When He Has Spoken On The Topic Before

This isn’t the first time that Brian May has spoken out regarding a lot of the criticism that Bohemian Rhapsody faced after its release. He previously said of the criticism that it has been steeped in “similar jealous righteousness” to what Queen faced when the band was producing new music. Ending on a positive note, he also said:

My feeling is … that on the whole, between Graham, and Fox, and the whole team — including DoP, Editor, Sound, crews, extras, and us — we made the right film. It makes me happy to see the fine work done by our team recognized, as it has been.

Bohemian Rhapsody may not have endeared itself to every critic out there, but at the end of the day, it certainly endeared itself to a wide swath of fans. The movie made a boatload of money worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing musical biopic at the box office ever. It's also already available on home entertainment, and was the #1 debut in those sales during its first week of release in February.

It's one of several movies this awards season that were more populist winners and went on to do quite well at the box office, including Black Panther and A Star Is Born, as well. We'll have to wait and see if this ends up being a pattern during awards season or if indie darlings will end up being the main contenders once more.

Bond 25 Production Suspended After Daniel Craig Suffers Injury

Bond 25 Production Suspended After Daniel Craig Suffers Injury

Production on the as-yet-untitled James Bond 25 has reached a standstill as lead actor Daniel Craig apparently has injured himself badly on set and needs time to recover.

Daniel Craig and the rest of the cast and crew for Bond 25 were in Jamaica filming scenes for the upcoming 007 thriller, due to reach theaters in 2020. According to The Sun, Craig slipped while running in his signature Bond suit, and he fell awkwardly, causing himself an enormous amount of pain. It’s believed that Craig injured his ankle while running, and the actor was flown to the States for X-rays to determine the extent of the damage.

According to the report, Daniel Craig was filming one of his last scenes in Jamaica, with filming set to resume in London’s Pinewood Studios afterward. For the time being, that schedule has been put on hold as the crew decides what to do next. The Sun notes that production bosses hope that Craig’s injury doesn’t cause a long delay.

Daniel Craig has been recognized as the more physical James Bond from the moment he joined the franchise in 2006’s Casino Royale, and he has endured his fair share of bumps, bruises and bodily harms as a result of playing 007. As is documented in The Sun, Craig lost two teeth after absorbing a blow to the face while filming his first-ever stunt scene as 007.

Since then, Craig also has suffered a muscle tear while filming Quantum of Solace (during which he also sliced off the tip of a finger), and sustained a serious knee injury while filming a fight scene for Spectre, which caused production to shut down for weeks.

Who is on set telling Daniel Craig to slow it down a tad? Maybe the studio needs to hire a coach who encourages Craig to give the stunt guy more work? Granted, without Craig in the role, we wouldn’t get memorable action set pieces like this:

But does Daniel Craig still feel like this physical pain is worth it? The 51-year-old actor hemmed and hawed about returning to 007 in the press, leading to rampant speculation that he’d be replaced by an alternate Bond. Even now though it hasn’t been officially stated by anyone, many seem to believe that Bond 25 will be Craig’s final turn in the tuxedo, and on-set injuries probably help convince him to hang it up.

Cary Fukunaga directs Bond 25, with a story we know very little about. The cast was in Jamaica to announce the start of production, knowing that the location has a lot of personal and professional connections to author Ian Fleming and the Bond movie series, as a whole.

We’ll see how Daniel Craig fell when Bond 25 opens in theaters on April 8, 2020.

How Marvel Movies Are Affected By The Russo Brothers' Bold Plot Moves

How Marvel Movies Are Affected By The Russo Brothers' Bold Plot Moves

Joe and Anthony Russo have made three films for Marvel Studios prior to Avengers: Endgame, and each time out they have done something to totally upend the Marvel Cinematic Universe as we know it. Working alongside screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, they’ve exposed S.H.I.E.L.D. as a corrupt institution, broke up the Avengers, and killed half of all living things. It’s a pretty shocking legacy to have, but according to the directors, it’s all part of the role they see themselves have as storytellers.

Each time out the Russos have taken some big swings with beloved characters and aspects of the popular franchise, and it all links back to an approach that tries to shake things up and leave the world in a different place than where it was when they started. This was a subject that came up during my recent interview with the filmmakers prior to the release of Avengers: Endgame, and as I learned from Anthony Russo, it’s all about forward progress:

We look at it as our challenge. How do we construct a narrative that actually pushes these characters into those places? How does Captain America travel that road? How do we create circumstances where you're going to believably see him behaving in new ways as the movies go on? Because that's the key to the longevity. We want to see these movies go on forever. We love them. But the only way to really do that is to keep finding new colors to bring to the surface.

Simply put, the Marvel Cinematic Universe doesn’t get to make 22 successful movies unless each one is bringing something new to the table, and one of the best ways to get that done is by having a story introduce a bombshell that totally changes the face of things as we know it.

This is something at which the Russos see themselves as being particularly skilled, and it’s been a part of their work for years – even before they started making Marvel blockbusters. As Joe Russo noted, it’s also something that’s very much present in their television work – specifically the two much-loved and metatextual comedy series that they helped bring to life:

We lined up very well with where we came into the Marvel Universe because we're disruptors, and we like to make disruptive choices and deconstruct. Go look at Arrested Development or Community. They're both deconstruction of shows. And everything we've done with the Marvel universe is deconstruct because we're interested in what happens post-deconstruction. Those are the things that are most compelling to us. And so getting to make each movie after we deconstruct something, we tend to use that next movie to examine the deconstruction.

This approach has led them to tell stories within the continuity that leave the Marvel Universe in precarious positions, but it’s really all part of the plan. According to the directors, writing themselves into a corner is actually something that they do on purpose, as it ultimately allows them to really flex their creative muscles as they try and find the best way for their characters to get out of impossible situations and scenarios.

This has also never been a challenge that they’ve shirked from, as each one of their Marvel movies have had a significant effect on the next. The fall of S.H.I.E.L.D. in Captain America: The Winter Soldier led to its titular character being unable to trust authority, and that eventually fed the central conflict featured in Captain America: Civil War. This led to the members of the Avengers no longer trusting each other, and because they were divided they got their asses kicked by Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War. Now in Avengers: Endgame the heroes have to pick up the pieces and do what they can to right the horrific wrong that has led to trillions of deaths around the universe.

As Joe and Anthony Russo explained, these endings not only carry significant emotional weight, but force the heroes to change in ways that they otherwise wouldn’t:

Anthony Russo: The ending of that movie, it's a difficult ending, the ending of Infinity War, and it's really important for us to double down on that and commit to that, and figure out how does someone move forward from a moment like that? How do these heroes move forward from a moment like that? That's the story that we want to know.

Joe Russo: They lost.

Anthony Russo: Exactly. And that's a real experience. So we wanted to give that its due.

Joe Russo: It was a unique opportunity for us in Infinity War, which is an exceedingly expensive movie, and we had a studio very supportive of us killing half the characters at the end of the movie. That as filmmakers is a really rare opportunity, and we wanted to take advantage of that opportunity.

Of course, the choices that are being made aren’t entirely insular, as the Marvel Cinematic Universe at large is made up of multiple filmmakers telling a wide variety of stories with these shared characters. You’d think that this would make the kind of big swings the Russos are interested in executing a challenge to sell, but as Anthony Russo explains, what plays a significant role is the fact that they have the full support of Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige. And when you have someone in that kind of position backing your creative moves, you can be bold:

I think that's part of the magic of what Kevin Feige can do, is that he understands the importance of giving every movie the freedom to do those things. Because if you don't you're shackling what the narrative can do, or where it can go. And I think why we've done four movies with Marvel is because we've had that freedom; we've had the freedom to go to surprising, shocking, even problematic for the studio places with the storytelling, and Kevin gets fed off of that. He knows that that's part of the vitality of surprising audiences, and for as complicated as it may be on a business level, on a creative level, that's all that matters.

You can hear Joe and Anthony Russo discuss their big moves in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as well as other subjects, by watching my full interview with the directors below:

All of the work the Russos have done in the last five years has led to Avengers: Endgame, and now audiences worldwide can experience the capstone for themselves – as the film is now playing in theaters worldwide. Be sure to not only check it out this weekend, but also stay tuned here on CinemaBlend for a whole lot more of our Marvel Cinematic Universe coverage.