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See - Sada Elbalad
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- See - Sada Elbalad
Marvel Plans to Recast X-Men, Tony Stark after "Secret Wars"
Yara Sameh A new X-Men and an all-new Tony Stark are coming to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In a wide-ranging conversation with press on Saturday , Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige confirmed that the company will introduce a new cast for the mutants in its upcoming 'X-Men' movie, directed by Jake Schreier ('Thunderbolts*'), following the events of 2027's 'Avengers: Secret Wars,'. Many actors who starred in the 'X-Men' movies of the 2000s and 2010s are reprising those roles in 2026's 'Avengers: Doomsday,' including Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Alan Cumming, Rebecca Romijn, James Marsden, and Kelsey Grammer. In future films, the X-Men characters who appeared in previous movies will be played by new actors, along with mutants making their big screen debut. The decision echoes changes in the composition of the Marvel comics following the 2015 'Secret Wars' storyline, which involved multiple timelines collapsing and re-converging, mixing up the characters of the main Marvel timeline in the process. 'We're utilizing that [story] not just to round out the stories we've been telling post-'Endgame,' just as importantly — and you can look at the at the 'Secret Wars' comics for where that takes you — it very, very much sets us up for the future,' Feige said. ''Endgame,' literally, was about endings. 'Secret Wars' is about is about beginnings.' Feige, however, was also careful not to label the changes as a 'reboot,' instead, the executive said 'Secret Wars' will serve as a 'reset' for the MCU. 'Reboot is a scary word,' he said. 'Reboot can mean a lot of things to a lot of people. Reset, singular timeline — we're thinking along those lines.' Later, he added, ''X-Men' is where that will happen next.' Feige noted that the X-Men comics, with their focus on Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, naturally centered on stories about adolescent characters. 'They have been a place to tell stories about young people who feel different and who feel Other and who feel like they don't belong,' he said. 'That's the universal story of mutants, and that is where we're going.' Even more intriguingly, the executive also indicated that other Marvel characters will eventually be recast, including its most iconic roles, like Tony Stark and Steve Rogers. He pointed to many other major film franchises that have done the same thing, multiple times over. 'Amy Pascal and David Heyman are now searching for a new James Bond,' Feige noted, referring to the producers of Amazon MGM's upcoming Bond film. 'David [Corenswet], the new Superman — he was awesome. That will always be the case.' Feige acknowledged that stars who've retired their original MCU roles like Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans have made it difficult to imagine anyone else in their characters' shoes. But it isn't an impossible task. 'I think it's hard for anybody to do that when an actor has done such a great role,' he said. 'How are they going to ever replace Sean Connery [as James Bond], right?'. At least two legacy actors may still appear in the MCU, as well. Asked about his plans for a follow-up to Marvel's 2024 blockbuster 'Deadpool & Wolverine' with Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman, Feige, in typical fashion, made no definitive statements, but also did not close off any possibilities. 'I think there is more fun to be had with both of those characters,' he said. 'But we'll see where.' read more New Tourism Route To Launch in Old Cairo Ahmed El Sakka-Led Play 'Sayidati Al Jamila' to Be Staged in KSA on Dec. 6 Mandy Moore Joins Season 2 of "Dr. Death" Anthology Series Don't Miss These Movies at 44th Cairo Int'l Film Festival Today Amr Diab to Headline KSA's MDLBEAST Soundstorm 2022 Festival Arts & Culture Mai Omar Stuns in Latest Instagram Photos Arts & Culture "The Flash" to End with Season 9 Arts & Culture Ministry of Culture Organizes four day Children's Film Festival Arts & Culture Canadian PM wishes Muslims Eid-al-Adha News Israeli-Linked Hadassah Clinic in Moscow Treats Wounded Iranian IRGC Fighters Arts & Culture "Jurassic World Rebirth" Gets Streaming Date News China Launches Largest Ever Aircraft Carrier Videos & Features Tragedy Overshadows MC Alger Championship Celebration: One Fan Dead, 11 Injured After Stadium Fall Lifestyle Get to Know 2025 Eid Al Adha Prayer Times in Egypt Arts & Culture South Korean Actress Kang Seo-ha Dies at 31 after Cancer Battle News "Tensions Escalate: Iran Probes Allegations of Indian Tech Collaboration with Israeli Intelligence" Sports Get to Know 2025 WWE Evolution Results News Flights suspended at Port Sudan Airport after Drone Attacks Business Egyptian Pound Undervalued by 30%, Says Goldman Sachs
Express Tribune
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Kevin Feige confirms Marvel's post-Secret Wars reset with MCU recasts and what's next
Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige has confirmed that the Marvel Cinematic Universe will undergo a major reset following Avengers: Secret Wars. The announcement came during a press briefing for Marvel's upcoming projects, where Feige outlined long-term plans for the franchise's evolution beyond its current slate. As part of this reset, Marvel will gradually transition into a new era, which includes recasting several iconic characters such as Tony Stark (Iron Man) and Steve Rogers (Captain America). Feige clarified that Secret Wars will serve as a narrative reset, distinct from a full reboot, using the multiverse to streamline the MCU into a refreshed continuity. While acknowledging the lasting legacy of original heroes, he emphasized the need to introduce a new generation of talent to carry the franchise forward. While Kevin Feige did not confirm any return for Robert Downey Jr. or Chris Evans, he acknowledged that legacy characters could potentially reappear if handled with care. He cited Hugh Jackman's upcoming role as Wolverine in Deadpool & Wolverine as an example of how past heroes can return without undermining their previous story arcs. Feige emphasized that any such moves would need to honor what has already been established in the characters' journeys. Feige also confirmed a slowdown in the MCU's release schedule, citing a renewed emphasis on storytelling quality. Projects like Blade and Fantastic Four will follow restructured timelines, and Disney+ content will be more selectively developed. The goal, he stated, is to reduce franchise fatigue and restore focus to individual character journeys. Looking ahead, Feige said that announcements surrounding the X-Men and the introduction of Miles Morales are expected in the coming months. Specific casting has yet to be revealed, but post-Secret Wars plans will begin taking shape after the conclusion of Phase 6.
Time Magazine
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Magazine
What Superman's End‑Credits Mean Amid Franchise Fatigue
Warning: This post contains spoilers for the endings of Superman, Sinners, and 28 Years Later. Let's get this out of the way. Does Superman have an end-credits scene? Yes. In fact it has two. Do they matter? They do not. One involves Superman cuddling his dog Krypto—cute but not exactly offering up anything in the way of plot development. In another he banters with Mister Terrific, a superhero who helped save the world by closing up a portal to another dimension, about the imperfect alignment of the two halves of Metropolis that got ripped apart in that cataclysmic incident. Again, funny, but offers no hint as to the future of Superman or his various friends and foes in the DC Comics film adaptations. The lack of substance in these two scenes may come as a surprise to many moviegoers. We've come to expect our summer blockbusters to conclude with a sequence buried in the credits that sets up the sequel or spinoff or next chapter in the superhero saga we just watched. The Marvel Cinematic Universe didn't invent the end-credits scene: '80s comedies like Airplane! and Ferris Bueller's Day Off wrote stingers for laughs. But the MCU jumpstarted the modern trend way back in 2008 when Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury showed up to recruit Robert Downey Jr.'s Iron Man into a new supergroup. (Spoiler alert: They're called the Avengers.) Nearly every Marvel movie since has tacked on a scene or two during the credits teasing the upcoming movies in the franchise. Other cinematic universes—the DCEU, Fast & Furious, Pirates of the Caribbean, John Wick—followed suit, training audiences to stay put in their seats, just in case. Superman is launching the brand new DCU (the DC Universe, rebranded from the old DCEU or DC Extended Universe). So one would expect Superman director and co-creative mastemind of the DCU, James Gunn, to seize the opportunity to tease one of the DC projects coming out next year like the Supergirl movie, the horror film Clayface, or even the HBO show Lanterns. But he opted for a more comedic direction instead. Some fans might welcome the Superman stingers as refreshingly light diversions. After all, audiences seem to have rebelled against the amount of homework they've been asked to do to keep up with superhero films and series these days, a frustration that has manifested in cratering box-office returns and depressed streaming numbers. Others might wonder why they sat through a long string of credits only to be rewarded with style over substance. In theory, the answer might be the immeasurable value of learning the names of the many, many stunt performers and CGI programmers who worked on this film. But let's be real, you were probably scrolling your phone during the credits, weren't you? It begs the question, what are post-credits scenes for these days, anyway? Three of this year's biggest movies—Superman, Sinners, and 28 Years Later—take three notably different approaches to their ending scenes. The evolution of the stringer suggests that directors are eager to evolve the rote end-credits scene into something more innovative or, let us hope, entertaining. Sinners puts a crucial scene in the credits On the opposite side of the post-credits scene conundrum from Gunn's Superman sits Ryan Coogler's Sinners: The horror film's mid-credits scene serves as an essential coda to the story. Before my press screening of that film, a docent was sent into the theater to instruct journalists to remain seated through the credits, despite the fact that by Coogler's own assertion, Sinners is a stand-alone work, not the first in a burgeoning vampire universe. Good thing he did, because without the heads-up, I would have missed a key moment of closure to the story. The movie, set during the Jim Crow era, flashes forward to the 1990s. First comes a bit of stunt casting: Legendary blues musician Buddy Guy plays an aged version of the main character Sammie (portrayed in the rest of the movie by Miles Caton). He has grown from aspiring singer to successful musician playing a club in Chicago. Then, a moment of surprise: Vampire versions of Miles' family members, Michael B. Jordan's Stack and Hailee Steinfeld's Mary, have survived the epic battle at the end of the film and come to chat with Sammie. Coogler elicits a chuckle from the audience with Jordan's and Steinfeld's period-accurate, completely over-the-top '90s getups. But the heart of the scene is the moment of closure for Sammie. Sammie once abandoned his priest father and religion to pursue the blues in a metaphorical deal with the devil. He found happiness in doing so, despite carrying the scars of the night when he summoned demons with his angelic voice. When Stack arrives at the night club, he tells Sammie that the old musician will die soon and offers to make him immortal. Sammie turns Stack down. Sammie has lived a full life but also seen the ills of the Earth and will be ready to depart. He admits that while the night he fought vampires and lost nearly everyone he loved still haunts him, the preceding day setting up the juke joint that Stack opened with his twin brother Smoke was the best of Sammie's life. In a movie that wrangles with the complexities of religion and the vampiric state of a predominantly white-run music business that feeds on the creativity Black artists, among other themes, Sammie's happy ending—and, seemingly those of Stack and Mary—hold real power. The film is not complete without this conversation and Sammie's decision to forge his own path rather than the one laid out for him by the metaphorical devils and angels on his shoulder. As I left the theater, I wondered aloud to a colleague why Coogler would have inserted that scene mid-way through the credits rather than simply ending the film on that moment. I worried that some audience members would walk out without seeing a crucial piece of Coogler's story, and when I saw the film again a few weeks later, at least a handful of people did. That's a loss. According to Coogler himself, "The whole script was about that moment." Coogler, like Gunn, was forged in the fires of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the former having helmed two Black Panther movies, the latter three volumes of Guardians of the Galaxy. They seem to have come away from the experience with different lessons. Marvel has recently developed a reputation for introducing character and plot points in post-credits scenes that never manifest in future films. There was the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 spinoff super-team involving Sylvester Stallone and Michelle Yeoh that disappeared from the MCU. Charlize Theron popped up in the stinger for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, never to be seen again. Brett Goldstein made his debut as Hercules in a Thor: Love and Thunder end-credits scene that seems to be headed nowhere. And remember when Eternals previewed three different superheroes—Mahershala Ali as Blade, Kit Harington as Black Knight, and none other than Harry Styles as Eros— never to speak of those character again? Gunn, newly minted as the head of a competing cinematic universe, might be wary of overpromising and underdelivering. Fair enough. But Coogler finds himself embracing what is, perhaps, inevitable: Movies of a certain size may always contain these scenes. And he decides to deliver poignancy and character development instead of that mild hit of serotonin we get from hearing a new superhero name dropped onscreen. 28 Years Later teases a trilogy pre-credits That's all well and good if, like Coogler, you're determined to escape franchise filmmaking and direct movies that feel holistic and complete: The writer-director has said he has no plans to film a Sinners sequel. But what to do if you're helming one movie as part of a series and don't want to fall into the teaser trap? The latest entry in the 28 Days Later zombie franchise, 28 Years Later, offers yet another answer. The new zombie film, directed by Danny Boyle, is the first in a planned trilogy. Nia DaCosta will direct a 28 Years Later sequel called The Bone Temple, and then Boyle plans to return for a third and final movie. Rather than relying on a post-credits scene to set up DaCosta's film, Boyle opted instead for a tonally jarring final act to his movie. The bleak but moving film—whose third act brings the death of the main character Spike's mother and the birth of a miraculously uninfected baby from an pregnant infected—takes a major zag as Spike sets off from his old sequestered home to find his way alone on the dangerous mainland. A character named Jimmy, who appears as a young boy at the beginning of the film, returns as a full grown man. Flanked by a tracksuit-clad group of parkour enthusiasts, Jimmy rescues Spike from a horde of zombies. The fighters call themselves the Jimmys and dress like Jimmy Savile, the British television presenter who was accused after his death of committing hundreds of instances of sexual abuse, many involving children. (In this universe, the zombie outbreak happened before Savile was outed as an alleged abuser.) Much of the film deals with icons of British culture—images of the queen, clips from Shakespeare adaptations, quotes from Rudyard Kipling—so a group of young boys' pop culture obsessions crystalizing when the infection took hold of the U.K. only for those young men to end up worshipping a monster does fit thematically in the film. Still, the allusion to a serial abuser has already stirred controversy. Whatever the actual influences behind the finale, it seems a prime candidate for a post-credits scene because of its major tonal shift, its clear agenda to set up a sequel, and its distracting reference to a disgraced television personality. And yet Boyle eschewed the convention, perhaps a sign that directors are trying, in different ways, to free themselves from the tyranny of the end-credits. Don't ring the death knell for the end-credits scene yet. It won't disappear. But it is evolving. Perhaps it's a sign that we have entered an era of post-MCU dominance. Captain America: Brave New World and Thunderbolts will probably end the year in the top 10 highest grossing films, but they were beaten out at the international box office by A Minecraft Movie, the latest Mission: Impossible, and a handful of children's films: Superhero movies are not the assured home run they used to be. As audience expectations shift in search of something more original that doesn't strictly follow the MCU playbook, we can expect more freedom and experimentation. That's always a good thing. The next time you're watching a summer blockbuster in the movie theater, you might as well stay until the very end, just in case. You may see something unexpected. If nothing else, you may catch the names of a few hardworking grips and makeup artists.
The Verge
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Verge
James Gunn's Superman is exactly what DC's movies have been missing
For years, Warner Bros. Discovery has been playing a desperate game of catchup in hopes of recreating the success that Marvel achieved with its live action comics adaptations. DC movies had their moments, but they never managed to come together in a way that felt right or intentional. And for a long time, it seemed like WBD simply did not know how to pull itself out of a very expensive and artistically hollow downward spiral. Things got so bad that the studio eventually pulled the plug on the entire enterprise and decided to start over with a new cinematic universe crafted by James Gunn and Peter Safran. It felt like a risky bet both because of WBD's track record and the public's waning interest in superheroes. But as iffy as WBD's bet on Gunn seemed at first, his new Superman film is a shining example of what all the studio is capable of when the right creatives are in charge. Like most great comic books, the new Superman movie is as big as it is simple. It assumes you know most of the basics about its titular hero, but knows that there are weird little pieces of his lore you probably aren't familiar with and will be delighted to learn about. Even though it hits a lot of the same beats as previous Superman movies, it does so with a slick panache that feels wholly different from the kind of storytelling that WBD has been doing over the past few years. It feels like the sort of movie that the studio should have led with from the jump — one that's romantic, and a little silly when it needs to be. And its message about how immigrants are what makes the United States a beautiful vibrant place could not come at a more appropriate time. Though Superman (David Corenswet) is a known quantity in this world who has been saving people from disasters for a bit of time, very few people know that he is also bumbling journalist Clark Kent. There are a couple of clever reasons that most folks don't recognize Clark when he takes off his glasses. But the duality of his identity is something that Daily Planet reporter Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan) understands well. Clark and Lois' colleagues Perry White (Wendell Pierce) and Jimmy Olsen (Skyler Gisondo) can kind of smell the Superman charade as well. But with Metropolis constantly being attacked by aliens and monsters, the people in Clark's life – aside from Lois – don't really have the mental bandwidth to put two and two together to realize that he's a superpowered man from another planet. Superman's alienness is something that consumes billionaire Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult), a man who insists that his technological creations are the solutions to all of humanity's problems. Lex would never admit it, but he's also just kind of a Superman stan whose desire to kill the last son of Krypton is rooted in a deep insecurity that Lex's girlfriend Eve Teschmacher (Sara Sampaio) can't fix. Even though he's constantly in the news for saving civilians, Superman's used to having haters. But it does perturb him to some extent the way that the members of the Justice Gang (yes, that's their name because the team is very new) — Mister Terrific (Edi Gathegi), Green Lantern Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion), and Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced) – look at him askance. Gunn's specific understanding of what makes DC Comics fun and different from Marvel fare is evident from the moment Superman starts. Everything is heightened and just shy of being over-saturated in ways that feel cartoony, but exactly the right kind of aesthetic vibe that a comic book movie should be leaning Justice Gang are only a couple of people, and so when a kaiju of Lex's making starts tearing through Metropolis, Superman is the only person around who can do anything about it. And because the creature is so large, it takes all of his strength to put it down in a way that will keep the city safe. The kaiju is just one of the many harebrained schemes Luthor has cooked up in hopes of turning the public against Superman. It's a plot point the movie repeatedly reinforces in ways that illustrate the fact that Superman, as a character, has always been an embodiment of what it means to be an immigrant. No matter how much good Superman does in the world, Lex can only see him as a foreign invader — even though Superman looks and sounds every bit the American claims to be. That idea also comes to the fore in moments when Clark has to rush back to Smallville, Kansas to see his mother Martha (Neva Howell) and father Jon (Pruitt Taylor Vince). You're meant to see the Kents as humans who are very different than Clark, but whose love has inspired within him a deep responsibility to protect other people regardless of their differences. Superman also makes very clear that its world is very populated by different kinds of metahumans — some of whom are destined to become heroes, while others like the Engineer (María Gabriela de Faría) are dead set on being murderous villains. Gunn does a tremendous job of making Superman's action gorgeous and reflective of the power fantasy that's built into Clark Kent. There's a cool, but playful energy to the way the movie depicts Superman flying around and letting his laser eyes fry through enemies who mean to harm civilians. Every set piece works to remind you that, in a world populated by superhumans, Superman's the best of the best. But he's also just a farm boy who happens to have excellent chemistry with a woman who wants the world to see him for what he truly is. There's a very pointed cheesiness to Clark and Lois' love story that feels like a complete 180 from the energy WBD and DC leaned into in the Snyder era. It's goofy, but it's fun and comes across like the kind of romance classic, Golden Age comics excelled at. It's refreshing to see that kind of energy on display in a genre that's felt decidedly devoid of intimacy and yearning. And it speaks to Gunn's grasp of what it takes to make these kinds of movies work across all ages. Superman absolutely feels like a strong launching point for a new era of DC projects, but what's less certain is the degree to which all of the studio's currently-announced projects will be able to match this movie's energy. Superman has always been the centerpiece of DC's brand, and the new film gets what makes these characters work. Now comes a much harder task: keeping this momentum going.
Hypebeast
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Hypebeast
'Jurassic World Rebirth' Propels Scarlett Johansson to Become Highest-Grossing Actor Ever
Summary Scarlett Johanssonhas officially made cinematic history, becoming the highest-grossing actor of all time at the global box office. This monumental achievement, driven significantly by the massive opening of her new film,Jurassic World Rebirth, sees her surpass fellowMarvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)giants, includingSamuel L. JacksonandRobert Downey Jr., to claim the top spot. Johansson's role as Zora Bennett inJurassic World Rebirthprovided the final push, adding to a career total that now stands at an astonishing $14.8 billion USD in worldwide box office gross. While her nine appearances as Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow in the MCU, including ensemble blockbusters likeAvengers: Endgame, were the primary contributors to her previous standing, the impressive $318 million USD global launch ofJurassic World Rebirthin its first six days cemented her new record. This film, which opened on July 2nd, marks her as the lead star of the dinosaur franchise, taking over from Chris Pratt. This milestone not only highlights Johansson's individual star power but also underscores the unprecedented box office dominance of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as the top five highest-grossing actors globally are now all MCU alums. Despite having exited the MCU withBlack Widowfour years ago, Johansson has continued to diversify her portfolio with projects like theSingfranchise and other standalone films, proving her consistent appeal across various genres and cementing her legacy as one of Hollywood's most bankable and impactful stars.
