Latest news with #DCEU
Yahoo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Pedro Pascal was "appalled" by the way he looked in Wonder Woman 1984 and says he'll never go back to a clean-shaven look again "unless it were completely necessary"
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Pedro Pascal will go through a lot for a role. He'll get beaten to death with a golf club, he'll get his eyes gouged out in trial by combat, but he won't go clean-shaven. Not after Wonder Woman 1984, at least. "I grow such shit facial hair, but if I were to shave it all off… I really look very… Strongly disagree with a clean-shaven me," Pascal said in a new interview with LADbible. One role that involved being clean-shaven, however, was Maxwell "Max Lord" Lorenzano in the DCEU's Wonder Woman sequel, which was released in 2020. Max is a businessman who uses an artifact known as the Dreamstone to save his failing oil company and wreak havoc on the world. The character sports an '80s mop of blond hair, and a completely smooth face. "I was so appalled by the way I looked," he continued. "I loved the movie, but I was so appalled by the way that I looked that I never have gone back unless it were completely necessary. If they asked me to be clean-shaven for Fantastic Four, and if they had insisted, I would've done it. But it was a very collaborative creation for all of our looks in the movie." Now, of course, the DCEU is dead and James Gunn's rebooted DCU Chapter One has kicked off on the big screen with Superman (in which Sean Gunn briefly appears as Maxwell Lord). And Pascal has swapped DC for Marvel, playing Reed Richards, AKA Mister Fantastic, in The Fantastic Four: First Steps alongside Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach. The Fantastic Four: First Steps arrives in UK cinemas on July 24 and US theaters on July 25. In the meantime, get up to speed with our guide to watching the Marvel movies in order, or fill out your watchlist with our list of the other upcoming Marvel movies and shows still to come. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘I Hate It!': James Gunn Reacts to Peacemaker Cameos in Black Adam & Shazam 2
James Gunn has shared his reaction to the DCEU Peacemaker cameos and what they mean going forward for the DCU. Peacemaker Season 1 was technically part of the DCEU, which ended with Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. Peter Safran and Gunn have since launched a new shared DC universe, the DCU, which so far includes Creature Commandos and Superman. While the DCU is a new continuity separate from the DCEU, Peacemaker Season 2, which arrives next month, will be part of the DCU. Gunn has previously stated that the new season will address the continuity change. Peacemaker, however, wasn't just confined to the one season in the DCEU; John Cena 's character was part of The Suicide Squad, which was directed by Gunn, while Jennifer Holland 's Emilia Harcourt appeared in Black Adam. She and Steve Agee 's John Economos then return in a mid-credits scene featured in 2023's Shazam! Fury of the Gods. Rizwan Manji, meanwhile, plays Jamil in Peacemaker Season 1 and then shows up as an unnamed character in Fury of the Gods. Gunn has previously said that he thinks of the Shazam! character as 'Jamil's more successful brother.' What did James Gunn say about Peacemaker and the DCEU? Speaking with Den of Geek, Gunn confirmed that Black Adam and Shazam! Fury of the Gods are not part of the DCU despite the Peacemaker characters' appearances. He commented, 'They're not canon! I hate it!' Regarding how Peacemaker Season 2 handles the DCEU and DCU continuities, Gunn said, 'There are certain things from the old universe that we refer to in Peacemaker season 2, but until then, they're not canon. Almost everything from season 1 is canon, but season 2 will explain everything that is or is not canon.' Peacemaker Season 2 premieres on HBO Max on August 21, 2025. The season will have eight episodes. The first season, meanwhile, along with Black Adam and Shazam! Fury of the Gods, are both available to watch on the streaming platform at this time.
Geek Tyrant
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Geek Tyrant
James Gunn Says He "Hates" Those PEACEMAKER Cameos in BLACK ADAM and SHAZAM 2, Promises Clarity in Season 2 — GeekTyrant
James Gunn continues to draw a line between the old DCEU and his new DCU, but the situation has been anything but simple. The filmmaker admits that certain cameos and references from the past era have only made things more confusing, and he's not thrilled about it. In a recent interview with Den of Geek, Gunn promised that Peacemaker Season 2 will finally sort out the messy continuity fans have been scratching their heads over. Gunn explained: 'There are certain things from the old universe that we refer to in Peacemaker season 2, but until then, they're not canon. Almost everything from season 1 is canon, but season 2 will explain everything that is or is not canon.' That means the weird limbo Peacemaker currently exists in, caught between two cinematic universes, will finally be addressed. For now, though, Gunn has made it clear what's out: those cameos in Shazam! Fury of the Gods and Black Adam . 'They're not canon! I hate it!' Gunn said, adding that he previously had 'no idea' why characters like Harcourt and Economos were recruiting for the Justice Society in those films. It's a fair point. Right now, remnants of the DCEU keep bleeding into the reboot, and for fans hoping for a clean slate, the result is pure chaos. Still, Gunn is confident that Season 2 of Peacemaker will bring order to the madness. The upcoming episodes will explore John Cena's unhinged hero as he officially crosses into the DCU, and based on the latest trailer, things are going to get wild. Gunn confirmed that the new season will dive deep into the concept of 'pocket universes,' an idea first introduced in his upcoming Superman film. When asked about the pocket universes, Gunn replied: 'The whole [second] season of Peacemaker revolves around that. Yes, absolutely it is. You'll see in Peacemaker [season 2], too… It's just Lex's version is much jankier than the one in Peacemaker . The one in Peacemaker works better. What the whole season of Peacemaker revolves around is that.' Gunn wants fans to know this isn't a typical multiverse mashup like Spider-Man: No Way Home . He described his approach as something more intimate: 'I think of Peacemaker as more of a high-concept story about one other world. It's more akin to Philip Roth's [1996 novel] The Counterlife than it is to the third Spider-Man movie… I love that movie, but it isn't about that. 'It isn't Deadpool & Wolverine . It's really a very simple, simple story about [Chris Smith's] relationship to this one other world.' While Gunn is keeping big-picture DCU details under wraps, he recently teased that there's a central narrative thread connecting these projects, something nobody has guessed yet. 'It's not what anyone thinks. It's not what anyone would guess. But I think if people watch the next season of Peacemaker , they'll see where a lot of these things are going, and have a little bit more of a sense of maybe what can happen.' Peacemaker Season 2 hits HBO on August 21, and if Gunn is to be believed, this is where all the confusion finally gets sorted out.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
DC boss James Gunn says Wonder Woman has always been a "priority" and they have "good writers" working on the movie, but "they have to not be somebody who's gonna take two years to write a script"
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn has provided an update on the DCU's upcoming Wonder Woman movie, but it seems like there's still a way to go until it makes its way to our screens. "I don't know what they mean by fast-tracking," Gunn told Rolling Stone when asked about recent reports that the movie was being fast-tracked after Superman's critical and commercial success. "I've always had Wonder Woman as a priority. But we got the first few things started, and there's some other things that are really close to green-lighting – like there's a television show that I hope that we're gonna be green-lighting in the next few days. "So now a little time has passed, and we really need Wonder Woman and we really need Batman, because they're so important to us. And so it's become a little bit more like going to everybody at DC and being like, we need to figure this out. We have good writers on Wonder Woman and we just have to make sure it's working and they have to not be somebody who's gonna take two years to write a script." Last month, news broke that a new Wonder Woman movie was in the works. Gal Gadot, who played Diana Prince in the DCEU, will not reprise the role, but no one else has been cast just yet. Superman kicked off the theatrical arm of the DCU Chapter One earlier this month with David Corenswet playing the Man of Steel. Gunn has previously said that DC's main trio of Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman will eventually re-team in the DCU, but not just yet (and the Caped Crusader has yet to be recast either). Superman is out now in theaters. For more on the movie, check out our Superman review or our spoiler-heavy guide to the Superman ending explained. Solve the daily Crossword
Daily Maverick
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Maverick
Up, up and hooray! Superman is a refreshing joy
With Superman, filmmaker James Gunn brings the focus back to the 'man' as much as the 'super,' says Kervyn Cloete — and yes, there's room for fun too. The result is a strong start for the new DC Universe. While it still has its defenders, the general consensus is that Zack Snyder's DCEU ended with a whimper rather than a bang. But as the old adage goes, the one upside to being at the bottom is that there's nowhere else to go but up. And in the case of Superman, that's up, up and away! Ushering in a brand-new DC Comics cinematic universe faster than a speeding bullet, Superman is DC Studios co-head and writer/director James Gunn's soaring effort to achieve something you would think is simple, but which somehow has been fairly elusive: Make a comic book movie. Many filmmakers – including Gunn himself – have given us amazing cinematic adaptations and interpretations of our beloved comic books, but very rarely do they feel like a comic book in movie form. In Snyder's own work he was a master at capturing splash page visuals, but seldom tapped into the voices of the characters and their worlds. Watching Gunn's Superman, though, feels as close to grabbing a random issue of Action Comics off the rack as this writer has ever experienced. And much like opening that first title page of a comic, a rather succinct on-screen text is all that sets up this entire new universe, introducing us to a Clark Kent (David Corenswet) already three years into his public career as Superman. No exploding Krypton here. This is a world where superpowered metahumans are commonplace and the Man of Steel's rivalry with Metropolis's resident genius billionaire Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) is already fired up. Clark's romantic relationship with Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan), his 'punk rock' journalist co-worker at the Daily Planet, is also a fair bit along – although, hilariously, not as secretive as they seem to think it is. Into this, Gunn adds a colourful ensemble cast (including the obligatory 'Superman's friend' everyman), that classic comic book trope of Superman getting involved in global politics, zany science-fiction concepts (Pocket universes! Anti-proton rivers!), some wildly dynamic slobberknocker action beats, and an unabashed heaping of golly-shucks corn-fed charm. Most notably, this superhero movie features a hero being heroic. I would be remiss not to mention how important that concept is right now, given the state of our world. I can't think of a better time to be reminded that doing what is right is often not easy, but it is always necessary, even in the face of crippling personal doubts and societal pressures. If you think that sounds preachy, it's because it is. But Superman has been dishing out morality lessons directly to the audience since his inception in the 1940s. Why it works here – and where this Superman differs so much from some previous on-screen incarnations – is humanity. This is not an all-powerful deity swathed in godly raiment speaking down to scraggly mortals from his lofty moral mountaintop. Gunn has remembered that along with the 'super' comes the 'man'. David Corenswet as Superman in 'SUPERMAN,' a Warner Bros. Pictures release. All of that would fall apart, though, if not presented sincerely. And luckily, in Corenswet Gunn has found a very likeable and charismatic lead actor who is not only able to play both Clark and Superman effectively, but his innate humanity and all the complex emotions that come with that shine through in every frame. With a suit as well designed as his personality (drawing heavy inspiration from the Superman creative greats like Jerry Siegel, Joe Schuster, John Byrne, Curt Swan, Dan Jurgens, Grant Morrison, Frank Quitely and Gary Frank), he is as effortlessly at home fighting giant monsters as he is having his first big lover's fight with Lois. It certainly helps that Corenswet and Brosnahan's chemistry together is more powerful than a locomotive. Hoult's villainous Luthor also skilfully straddles a fine line between sympathetic and moustache-twirling, with the young actor clearly having a blast as he makes his energetic hatred of Superman almost understandable, if not agreeable. The cast is rounded out by fellow heroes Michael Holt/Mr Terrific (Edi Gathegi), Guy Gardner/Green Lantern (Nathan Fillion) and Kendra Saunders/Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced), cub reporter Jimmy Olsen (Skyler Gisondo), Daily Planet editor-in-chief Perry White (Wendel Pierce), not-so-good-boy Krypto the Super-dog, metahuman Rex Mason/Metamorpho (Anthony Carrigan), Luthor's girlfriend Eve Tessmacher (Sara Sampaio), Luthorcorp henchwoman and future member of The Authority Angela Spica/The Engineer (María Gabriela de Faría), Ma and Pa Kent (Neva Howell and Pruitt Taylor Vince), and more. That's a lot. And I haven't even mentioned the surprise cameos. With a two-hour runtime, it means that most of the cast outside of the top three billings of Corenswet, Brosnahan and Hoult don't really get a lot of screen real estate to establish themselves fully. The exception here is undoubtedly Mr Terrific, whose constant scene-stealing will quickly erase the disappointing memory of the last time he was adapted on screen (Sorry, Arrowverse fans). (L to R) Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner, Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl and Edi Gathegi as Mr. Terrific in DC Studios' and Warner Bros. Pictures' 'SUPERMAN,' a Warner Bros. Pictures release. With all of those things to juggle, though, it does mean that Superman is not a perfect movie. The central plot through-line often feels a bit muddled, and you can see even how even the world's strongest hero starts to buckle slightly under the weight of setting up an entire universe. It also doesn't help that Gunn doesn't know to get out of his own way at times – his now signature needle drops and some mild but still jarring strong language feel out of place. And staying with the music, it's disappointing that composers John Murphy and David Fleming's score is not better, given this franchise's iconic history. Following in the footsteps of John Williams and Hans Zimmer is a herculean task, and the effort here is certainly not without merit, but by choosing to build a main theme around Williams's historic jingle, we end up with a score that just feels like some hastily copied homework. Despite these discordant parts, though, there's one thing that Gunn nails from the film's very first opening moments right to its two post-credit scenes (neither of which is narratively important, I might add), and that's fun! Superman is a refreshing joy to experience. It's playful and imaginative in all the best ways, never showing a scrap of embarrassment for wearing its heart on its blue sleeve as it sets out to inspire goodness in people. Embracing its comic book roots, delightful goofiness and all, with gusto, it's a Superman movie made by somebody who clearly loves Superman. A wild concept, I know, but it doesn't just work – it soars! DM
