If Marvel Retconned X-Men For The MCU, I Wouldn't Shed A Tear

If Marvel Retconned X-Men For The MCU, I Wouldn't Shed A Tear

It's a wild time in the X-Men franchise. Fox's second attempt at a movie centered on Phoenix in due in June, and The New Mutants is presumably coming at some point as well. The larger news, however, is that Disney will soon be getting control of the mutants via the Disney-Fox merger, and there's been endless speculation about how the Marvel Cinematic Universe could incorporate the characters. It's either taking the existing lineup of characters and folding them them in, or scrapping the entire franchise and starting from scratch with a reboot.

Truth be told, if Marvel retconned the X-Men franchise to incorporate it into the MCU, I wouldn't shed a single tear. In fact, it's my preferred strategy for the merger at this stage, as incorporating the current characters in with Phase 4 and beyond would be a big mistake. Why? It comes down to a recent revelation I had after seeing the powdery blue new look that Jennifer Lawrence is sporting in Dark Phoenix:

This particular makeup job is arguably representational of the X-Men franchise at large over the years. It started off as one thing, constantly changed over the years, and has varied drastically in quality. Sometimes the franchise is looking good, like Mystique in X-Men: First Class. Then there's the other times where it's been less than good, and it's more like her latest appearance.

There's been good X-Men films, and there's been horrifically bad ones - and it's a level of inconsistency that we thankfully haven't seen in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Even the Rotten Tomatoes score of Thor: The Dark World is higher than X-Men: The Last Stand, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and X-Men: Apocalypse. It's gotten to a point where, as an audience, we've come to expect the quality of an upcoming film is a dice roll at best, and that's a problem when it comes to merging the brands.

This is particularly true for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which is in the process of saying goodbye to several heroes integral to its success throughout the past decade. It will be a big enough task for Marvel Studios to lay new groundwork and attempt to replicate its success over another decade, and adding the currently existing X-Men franchise to canon would make that so much harder. Hard enough, at least, that one has to sit back and wonder if it's really worth doing at all.

Admittedly bringing the X-Men into the Marvel Universe would potentially net the franchise some solid talent. James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Sophie Turner, and Evan Peters would all make for great additions provided they're on board. That's a big if, though, because let's not forget, Dark Phoenix takes place decades before the events going in the contemporary MCU.

So, either Marvel could age up the characters in makeup, which seems unlikely, or they could continue the continuity with a new set of actors, such as the original X-Men cast. The latter doesn't seem likely, though, given the bulk original X-Men's cast is approaching or beyond 50. Plus, let's remember that, no offense to the rest of the cast, the two main people most fans would want to return are now dead in the X-Men timeline. For years many have begged for Hugh Jackman's Wolverine to appear in an Marvel Cinematic Universe feature, but it's just not a realistic dream to hold anymore. Bringing Jackman back to play the character now would create another plot inconsistency in the X-Men timeline, and kind of shit on the emotional weight and awesomeness of Logan - which also saw the death of the other aforementioned beloved hero: Patrick Stewart's Professor X. There was once a time where this was a great dream to have and fight for, but those days are long gone.

The remaining character in the X-Men continuity seemingly worth keeping around is Deadpool. I count myself among those who want to see his integration happen, but also worry that keeping the X-Men out or rebooting the team for the Marvel Cinematic Universe would keep him from ever being included. The hope is that the Merc With The Mouth's nature could help him in this arena. He's pretty far-removed from the franchise as is, and his fourth-wall breaking abilities make it easy enough for him to outwardly address the elephant in the room in a comedic way rather than having to create some elaborate plot to explain the situation.

Beyond the chance to potentially succeed doing something incredibly challenging, there doesn't seem to be much reason for the Marvel Cinematic Universe to absorb the current X-Men continuity. Doing so would only put the burden of its uneven and sometimes incomprehensible story lines into a universe that's been so well constructed, and basically the gold standard for a shared universe. What's so bad about starting fresh and introducing a rebooted batch of mutants that can carry us into the next decade and beyond? This is especially true when Marvel has story lines like Avengers vs. X-Men, which, while polarizing within the comic book world, would still be an absolute blast to see on the big screen. Plus imagine a future Avengers lineup that includes characters like Cyclops or Storm, or even a new Wolverine. Sure, there may never be another actor to play the character as well as Hugh Jackman, but we'll never know until Hollywood tries someone else.

Do you feel the same way, or do you think there is good reason why the X-Men movies franchise should exist as canon in the Marvel Cinematic Universe? You can feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section, and vote in our poll below. Dark Phoenix is due out in theaters June 7th, and New Mutants will be released August 2nd - and it's possible we'll have a much better idea of what the future holds for the X-Men then. Check out the latest international trailer in the meantime, and read what the director had to say about the film's delay.

How The Child's Play Reboot is A 'Greek Tragedy' For Chucky

How The Child's Play Reboot is A 'Greek Tragedy' For Chucky

This summer, movie fans will be reunited with a beloved toy-based franchise: Childs' Play, which coincidentally comes out on the same day as Toy Story 4. The horror movie reboot will be changing a few key traits of the murderous Chucky, such as making him a twisted AI, but this brings some depth to the character, according to director Lars Klevberg. In fact, the director sees this reboot as a Greek tragedy for what Chucky goes through in the film.

If you are a fan of the original Child's Play movies, then you've likely noticed that the reboot has gone off script a bit. Rather than having Chucky be a serial killer who used voodoo to transfer his soul into the body of a doll, the reboot's version is an AI that goes bad.

It's certainly less complicated and maybe less fun, but this gave the reboot a chance to make a more sympathetic Chucky who changes over the course of the film. Director Lars Klevberg told Collider that in this way, the story becomes more tragic for Chucky.

When I read the script, one of the first things I recognized was that Chucky was a great character in terms of that he changed. He had his motivations, and it came through his interaction with humans. His way of becoming sympathetic – that was something I really wanted to look into. I viewed the story as a Greek tragedy [for] Chucky… So Chucky having different emotions in this film was important to me.

The jury is still out on whether the story is as tragic for the people that Chucky is definitely murdering.

However, despite the fact that Chucky will become close friends with a knife before the end of the movie, the character will go through numerous changes to reach that point. Whereas in the original films he was always crazy, the new Child's Play will show how the AI reaches its murderous conclusions.

[Chucky’s] motivation is understandable from his point of view but also to us. We can understand why he’s behaving like that. If you understand the antagonist and his motivations, then you can identify with him. That’s why Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein is one of my key inspirations… [How Chucky questions] his purpose once he starts to understand from us human beings.

The Child's Play series has always undergone changes from movie to movie. The original was a straight-up horror film before later sequels become more comedy-driven. Making Chucky more sympathetic sounds like it could round him out as a villain and while the end result (him trying to murder everyone) is probably the same, it might make for a better ride.

The Child's Play reboot is all set to hit theaters on June 21. For everything else hitting theaters, check out our 2019 movie release guide.

Is Shazam! OK For Kids? Here's What The Director Says

Is Shazam! OK For Kids? Here's What The Director Says

It's clear from the trailers that Shazam! is a somewhat different superhero movie than we are used to seeing. It looks a lot funnier and many of the main roles are played by young kids. But if kids are the stars of Shazam! does that mean Shazam! is also a movie for kids? A fan recently asked director David F. Sandberg this question, and he replied that parents worried about too much violence shouldn't need to worry too much, as Shazam! is no worse than a classic blockbuster...

I’d say the type of violence and scares are comparable to Jurassic Park so if they can handle that it should be fine.

A fan on Twitter was all set to bring a pair of young children, ages four and nine, to see Shazam!, but had recently heard the film was much scarier in some scenes than the trailers we'd seen had implied. David F. Sandberg does seem to confirm that here are some potentially scary bits of the movie that certainly aren't like anything we've seen in the film's promotion so far, but if your kid can get through Jurassic Park ok, then they shouldn't have much problem with Shazam!.

With superhero movies being so popular there are certainly a legion of young viewers who would like to see their favorite superheroes on the big screen. And while, with the exception of the Deadpool movies and Logan, the vast majority of audiences would have little problem with any of them, there have certainly been some that could be too intense for some younger viewers. Shazam! certainly looks ok for those young kids. It probably mostly is.

Shazam! is rated PG-13, which is the standard rating for every superhero movie under the sun. It's become such a popular and well used rating that at this point it can cover quite a lot of ground. There's a lot of violence or language that might be too much for the PG rating but not technically bad enough to justify the R. This means that parents might find some PG-13 movies acceptable for younger kids, and others not so much.

Jurassic Park certainly had its intense moments. The T. Rex sequence as well as the one where the two child characters attempt to hid from a pack of hungry raptors, are certainly moments that ratchet up the tension and you can easily see some kids not doing well with those moments. Heck, there are probably some adults that get anxious in those moments.

Since two of the main characters in Shazam! are kids, though one takes the form of Zachary Levi much of the time, there probably will be moments where children are in similar jeopardy in this movie.

The early reaction to Shazam! has been overwhelmingly positive. That means even more people will likely want to see the movie. It looks like most of them will be able to enjoy it.

Shazam!’s Director Is Totally Reading The Early Reviews

Shazam!’s Director Is Totally Reading The Early Reviews

On Thursday night, early viewers of DC’s Shazam! were given the go-ahead to share their early reactions of the film ahead of its April release… and the reviews are glowing! Critics are raving about the upcoming superhero flick for being a delightful, humorous and lovable addition to the DCEU.

Looks like Shazam’s director David F. Sandberg was lurking around Twitter just as fans started to sing their praises. The filmmaker recently took to Instagram to share some of the positive reactions to the film. Take a look:

David F. Sandberg captioned the slideshow of radiant reception with “my evening” – probably amidst celebration and sighs of relief to see his film out in the world and embraced with open arms.

Since most of us have yet to see Shazam!, the Twitter blurbs offer some hype for the coming blockbuster. Early comparisons are to 1978’s Superman, The Goonies, Harry Potter, Big and Home Alone. There have also been reports that it’s the best DCEU movie yet, while being family-friendly and heartful. The main cast of Zachary Levi and Jack Dylan Grazer were additionally given a pat on the back as well.

The Instagram post ends with the filmmaker hitting F5, a.k.a. the refresh button, to probably bask on more positive takes on Shazam! We can imagine David F. Sandberg is on cloud nine after all of those nice words about a project he has been developing for some time and many fans are getting ready to buy their tickets!

Shazam! is certainly David F. Sandberg’s biggest directorial project to date, as he has helmed just two other feature length films prior: horror films Lights Out and Annabelle: Creation. The hero also isn’t exactly as popular as say Batman or Superman. The DCEU hasn’t always been seen in a positive light, so it was certainly wasn't a surefire winner when the filmmaker took it on.

The upcoming movie looks like it delivers on humor and action, per the footage we’ve seen thus far. And these early reactions certainly give moviegoers more confidence to check it out. Shazam! follows a 14-year-old foster kid, Billy Batson (Asher Angel) who is chosen to become an adult superhero (Zachary Levi) and has fun with his new powers alongside his friend Freddy Freeman (Jack Dylan Grazer), until a formidable villain, Dr. Sivana (Mark Strong) comes into the picture.

Shazam! will hit theaters on April 5, in between Marvel’s releases of Captain Marvel and Avengers: Endgame. Early tracking has Shazam! opening at $50 million but as the release draws closer, we’ll have a better idea of how much of a success it will be. Last time DC released a superhero flick it made over one billion worldwide (Aquaman), so who knows? This early positive buzz certainly can only help the movie at the box office.

Julianne Moore Was Fired From Can You Ever Forgive Me And It's Still 'Painful'

Julianne Moore Was Fired From Can You Ever Forgive Me And It's Still 'Painful'

Oh, sweet rejection! We’ve all faced it at one point in our lives, and actors are certainly no stranger to it in the cutthroat business of Hollywood. Even with the status and acclaim Oscar winner Julianne Moore has achieved in her over 30 years as an actress, she is not untouchable to it either.

During a recent visit to What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, Julianne Moore was asked why she left the film Can You Ever Forgive Me? which was a buzzy award season title. Here’s her blunt response:

I didn’t leave that movie, I was fired. Yeah, yeah, Nicole [Holofcener] fired me. ... I think she didn’t like what I was doing. We hadn't [started filming yet], we'd just been rehearsing and pre-production and stuff. And I think that her idea of where the character was was different than my idea of where the character was, and so she fired me. I haven't [seen the movie] yet, because it's still kind of painful. I love Melissa McCarthy, I worship her, I think she's fantastic, so I'm sure she's great.

Wow! It’s hard to wrap our heads around such a phenomenal actress being fired from a role. However, every director has a vision, and if the way Julianne Moore played the part didn’t match up with that, it certainly happens! Melissa McCarthy was later cast instead in the true story of best-selling biographer Lee Israel, who decides to forge letters from famous deceased authors and playwrights.

Julianne Moore admitted that she took the firing pretty hard, continuing with these words:

The only other time I was fired was when I was working at a yogurt stand when I was 15. So, yeah it felt bad.

The 58-year-old actress has been enjoying over 40 years without career rejection (after already nabbing a role anyway), so her pain surrounding the situation is understandable. That’s without mentioning the high praise the movie received throughout award season.

Can You Ever Forgive Me? also earned three nominations at the Oscars, including a Best Actress nod for Melissa McCarthy (in Moore’s former role), Richard E. Grant for Best Supporting Actor, and a nod for Best Adapted Screenplay.

Julianne Moore signed on to the project back in 2015 when the screenplay writer, Nicole Holofcener, was also going to direct the film as well. Soon after Moore was fired, Marielle Heller took Holofcener’s place as director and Melissa McCarthy was cast. Chris O’Dowd was also previously attached to play Richard E. Grant’s role of Jack Hook; here’s what O'Dowd told the BBC in February about it:

What a heartbreak… We were ready to go, it was myself and Julianne Moore, and we had moved to New York, and maybe two days before we started filming, there was some creative differences that I wasn't really involved in. I was surprised, that the film wasn't going ahead at the last minute.

At the end of the day, Chris O’Dowd feels like it was meant to be for Richard E. Grant, and thought he did a wonderful job, but does note “I would've preferred if it was me!” The actors above all else seemed bummed because it was a project they were excited to be a part of. McCarthy and Grant delivered some incredible performances and Moore and O’Dowd will certainly have more chances to dazzle on screen.

Rambo: Last Blood Trailer Has Sylvester Stallone Going Full Home Alone

Rambo: Last Blood Trailer Has Sylvester Stallone Going Full Home Alone

John Rambo has survived war, become war, and ultimately released himself from the bonds of war over the course of the four films we’ve already seen in the Rambo franchise. Now, with Rambo: Last Blood heading our way, the formidable warrior is about to embark on what should be his last mission; and you can get your first look at the battle field in the first trailer released for the film.

In what promises to be his big swan song, Sylvester Stallone’s John Rambo has retired to the family ranch that he returned to at the end of the previous film, Rambo. But just as he was ready to give up the ways of violence, a new crisis springs him into action.

In Rambo: Last Blood, the stakes are at their most personal, as John is waging war against a drug cartel that’s kidnapped the sister of one of his friends. And it’s going to spur him to become his most dangerous self, complete with a house full of booby traps that’d qualify Kevin McCallister for a spot on The Expendables.

Seriously though, take a look at the modifications that Rambo makes to his farmhouse in Rambo: Last Blood. Crossbows outfitted with trip wires, a tunnel system that has a pitchfork just waiting to meet some guy’s chest, and enough vantage points to give Rambo his best shot every shot are all part of Rambo: Last Blood’s house of horrors. All that’s missing are some explosive Micro Machines and mini wrecking balls made out of paint cans, and you’ve got an R-rated version of Home Alone that’s ready for you, the mature adult, to enjoy in theaters.

It’s not all about wanton violence though, as John Rambo is in quite a reflective mood in Rambo: Last Blood’s trailer. With his past weighing on him, and that world of death making him into the grizzled veteran that he is, Rambo looks mostly content with his new life. But he's ready to pay his past debts as they come due.

And while these debts don’t take American Express, they can surely be paid by rifles, crossbows, and pitchfork traps. If Rambo: Last Blood really is the final entry in the John Rambo saga, then rest assured, it looks like he’s going to close that book with his most chaotic chapter yet.

And looking at the film’s first teaser poster shown below, that theory only seems to be supported by the amount of smoke and flames obscuring John Rambo from frame:

Sylvester Stallone has done pretty interesting work when it comes to revisiting or even saying goodbye to his most iconic roles of movie making history. If his work on Rambo: Last Blood is as good as it has been on films like the Creed series, then you can pretty much count us in for an opening night seat. Though unless Rambo takes the big train to the sky at the end of this film, we’ll still be inclined to believe that Stallone will change his mind, as he’s been known to do now and again.

Rambo: Last Blood closes old wounds on September 20th.

Turns Out Charlize Theron Was Actually Approached To Play Wonder Woman’s Mom

Turns Out Charlize Theron Was Actually Approached To Play Wonder Woman’s Mom

Back before Charlize Theron was a well-known action heroine and Patty Jenkins broke the glass ceiling when she directed Wonder Woman, the pair worked together for the 2003 crime drama Monster-- and it won the actress an Oscar. So naturally, when Jenkins was tasked with casting the Amazons in the DC epic she took the opportunity to try to work with her again. At first, however she didn’t understand right away that she wasn’t being asked to play the iconic hero herself. Check out what Theron said:

This is a great example of how Hollywood slaps you in the face when you start aging. So somebody had said to me ‘There’s action on this thing Wonder Woman, we just want to make you aware of it.’ And I was like ‘I’m just not familiar with it, what does Wonder Woman do?’ And this person said ‘No, it’s for Wonder Woman’s mom.’ It’s fine, it’s the defining moment where I crossed over. And I wasn’t fully aware of it.

Well this is awkward. While Charlize Theron was on recently on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen promoting her romantic comedy Long Shot, she was asked about a previous report that she turned down a role on the DCEU origin story. The actress revealed that she assumed she’d been asked to play the lead… and why wouldn’t she? Theron has pulled off playing a badass action star countless times in films such as Mad Max: Fury Road and Atomic Blonde.

Theron didn’t turn down the role of Hippolyta because she was offended of the casting offer. Here’s what she said years ago of the Wonder Woman role that could have been:

We're friends. I think the world of her. We have a mutual respect for each other. She did come to me, and at the time I was either working on something or I don't know. There was a reason I couldn't do it.

The actress has been consistently swamped with film projects for years so this isn’t an answer that’s difficult to wrap our heads around, though it would have been a treat to see her take on the role of Diana’s mother and the Queen of the Amazons. When the rumors surfaced, many imagined she was asked about Robin Wright’s role of General Antiope. Theron could certainly have pulled off Hippolyta as well, though it now belongs to Connie Nielson. Take a look:

Maybe there’s still time for Charlize Theron to join the franchise? Patty Jenkins does have plans to complete Diana Prince’s story arc with a third Wonder Woman movie at some point. The actress will have a chance to play a comic book character in an upcoming Netflix adaptation of Image Comics’ The Old Guard, which was penned by Wonder Woman writer Greg Rucka. It's perhaps a better place for the actress since she may not be ready to move over to playing moms just yet and she certainly shouldn't have to be.