Latest news with #Shakman
Express Tribune
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Russo brothers direct post-credits scene in Fantastic Four First Steps to set up Avengers Doomsday
The Fantastic Four: First Steps director Matt Shakman has confirmed that Joe and Anthony Russo helmed one of the film's post-credits scenes, setting up the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday. In a conversation with Shakman explained that he was happy to pass the baton to the Russo Brothers, praising them as 'amazing' and 'generous' collaborators. He noted they were present during filming, eager to understand the new interpretations of Reed, Sue, Johnny, and Ben to ensure continuity and character integrity in future MCU entries. 'They're really good protectors of these characters as well,' Shakman said. 'I often think of working at Marvel like running a relay race… I passed it on to Joe and Anthony and they're off and running.' The moment mirrors Thunderbolts, where director Jake Schreier also handed off characters to future Marvel projects. The Russo Brothers' return to post-credit scene direction brings a sense of significance back to the tradition, reminiscent of the Infinity Saga's impactful stingers. Some recent Multiverse Saga teases have lacked narrative weight by comparison. New fan screenings of The Fantastic Four: First Steps continue to generate glowing reactions online. Set in a 1960s-inspired retro-futuristic world, the film reintroduces Marvel's First Family—Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal), Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby), Johnny Storm (Joseph Quinn), and Ben Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bachrach)—as they battle Galactus (Ralph Ineson) and his mysterious Herald, Silver Surfer (Julia Garner). They must also navigate the tension between their superhero duties and family dynamics. The ensemble cast includes Paul Walter Hauser, John Malkovich, Natasha Lyonne, and Sarah Niles in undisclosed roles. Robert Downey Jr. is rumored to appear as Doctor Doom, especially with Avengers: Doomsday approaching. The film, written by Josh Friedman, Cam Squires, and Eric Pearson, hits theaters on July 25, 2025.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Fantastic Four director Matt Shakman says Pedro Pascal's Reed Richards will "lead the Avengers", and let's spare a thought for Sam Wilson
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Fantastic Four director Matt Shakman has just revealed who will be leading the Avengers in Avengers: Doomsday. While speaking to Variety on the challenges of casting Reed Richards – a role that ultimately went to Pedro Pascal – Shakman said, "He goes from being the nerdy scientist who's locked away in the lab, to the husband and the father who'd do anything to protect his family, to the guy who's leading the Avengers." Given Marvel's proclivity for keeping pretty much every story beat and spoiler under wraps, this certainly could be seen as a slip of the tongue on Shakman's part. Right now, all we know about the makeup of the Avengers comes from the tease found at the end of the Thunderbolts post-credits scene. There, the newly-christened 'New Avengers' (Red Guardian, Bucky Barnes, Yelena, Bob/Sentry, Ghost, and John Walker) are in a legal battle with Sam Wilson's Avengers over the rights to the name. They're also monitoring interstellar activity, which is when Fantastic Four's ship arrives on the scene (though Marvel boss Kevin Feige's comments about what it may or may not be have only muddied the waters). Now, it appears Mr. Fantastic will be leading the way for Earth's Mightiest Heroes as they remain on track for a showdown with Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom. Speaking to GamesRadar+, Shakman also let us in on another sliver of story information – Galactus will be on a "collision course" with Reed and Sue's child, Franklin. "What was so charming about this movie is it's about the tiniest, youngest thing in the world and the oldest, biggest thing in the universe," Shakman teased. Fantastic Four, starring Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach hits cinemas on July 25. For more on the Marvel Phase 6 opener and future MCU projects, check out our complete guide to upcoming Marvel movies. Solve the daily Crossword
Perth Now
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Matt Shakman addresses Star Trek 4: ‘It changed dramatically'
Director Matt Shakman has revealed the fourth Star Trek movie had 'changed dramatically' before he exited the project in August 2022. The 49-year-old filmmaker was due to helm the next instalment in the Star Trek franchise, though had left the movie by the summer of 2022 due to scheduling conflicts with The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Now, Shakman has revealed that his Star Trek movie was already in pre-production before he parted ways with the project. He explained to Variety: 'We had stages, we had crew, we were moving ahead.' However, Shakman admitted that plans for the fourth Star Trek movie had shifted significantly: the crew were let go, the stages were removed and the film 'didn't have a start date anymore'. Meanwhile, good progress on The Fantastic Four: First Steps was being made, and so Shakman dropped out of Star Trek to focus on the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) blockbuster. While the director refused to give any details on what his Star Trek movie would have looked like, Shakman teased the main concept of the film hadn't been changed to his knowledge. He said: 'The core idea, I think, remains the same. I really hope they get a chance to make that movie.' Shakman was announced as the director for the fourth Star Trek film back in 2021, and the movie would have seen the return of Chris Pine's Captain Kirk and Zachary Quinto's Spock. While updates on the next Star Trek movie have been slow, Paramount Pictures has confirmed the project is still in development, though has not announced a release date for the film yet. Despite its development difficulties, the cast is still keen to return for another Star Trek movie. Zoe Saldana - who portrayed Nyota Uhura from 2009's Star Trek to 2016's Star Trek Beyond - said she would be 'grateful' if she were given the chance to make another Star Trek film. The 47-year-old actress told 'I just heard they're gearing up to do a new one with a younger, sort of, take on it ... I don't know if it's from the before or the after, but that they really still hope to grab all of us veterans and bring us back for one last round. 'Listen, I know it's a lot to wrangle a whole bunch of people with busy schedules. But working with [director] J.J. Abrams, and for J.J. Abrams at Bad Robot, was always just a wonderful and beautiful experience for me. So, if I get to do that one last time, I would be so grateful.' Meanwhile, Simon Pegg - who played Scotty in the Star Trek trilogy - said he would want to appear in a fourth Star Trek movie, though insisted the film would be 'forever tainted' by the untimely death of Pavel Chekov actor Anton Yelchin, who passed away at the age of 27 in June 2016 following a car accident. Appearing on Katee Sackhoff's podcast The Sackhoff Show, the Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning star said: 'I'd love to do more. Obviously it's been forever tainted because we lost Anton, and that was a really hard thing for everyone involved, and for the real world, let alone anything else. 'If we do come back, if there is another opportunity to come back, then I'd love to. Because as we were saying earlier on, it's a group of guys that I dearly, dearly love and don't get to see very often. It would be good to get back together with them.'
Tom's Guide
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Tom's Guide
Bad news for 'The Fantastic Four: First Steps' — this legendary actor has been cut from the film
"The Fantastic Four: First Steps" is only a mere week away, but the film's director just gave fans some "heartbreaking" news. In an interview with Variety, director Matt Shakman dropped the bombshell that John Malkovich's performance as Red Ghost was being cut from the movie entirely. 'It was heartbreaking not to include him in the final version of the movie," Shackman said in the interview. "He's one of my very favorite humans and one of my biggest inspirations." For those who are unfamiliar with Red Ghost, his real name is Ivan Kragoff and he was a Soviet scientist who trained a team of Super-Apes to try and claim Earth's moon for the Soviet Union. He's one of the earliest villains to battle the superhero quartet in the comics, first appearing in "Fantastic Four" No. 13 by Jack Kirby. Malkovich's portrayal of the villain was meant to pay homage to this early appearance. He and his Super-Apes were part of a long sequence early in the film detailing Marvel's first family in their early years as superheroes. But despite Shakman calling the performance "brilliant," the director ultimately left Malkovich's scenes on the cutting room floor — though you can still get a glimpse of him at the 1:19 mark in the first teaser trailer for the upcoming MCU movie. Ultimately, it sounds like Shakman made the right call, cutting Malkovich's performance from the film. Yes, it hurt my soul to type those words, but by Shakman's own account, the extended sequence Malkovich's appearance was in didn't really serve the film. 'There were a lot of things that ultimately ended up hitting the cutting room floor,' Shakman told Variety in the same interview in which he revealed Malkovich's omission from the movie. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. 'When we were building a '60s retro-future world, introducing all of these villains, introducing these four main characters as a group, as well as individually, introducing the idea of a child — there was a lot of stuff to balance in this movie and some things had to go ultimately in terms of shaping the film for its final version. This streaming bundle deal is a total steal if you're looking to get both Disney Plus and Hulu on a budget. Bloat doesn't work for any film, and certainly not Marvel ones. It's no coincidence that one of the best-reviewed Marvel films in recent memory, "Thunderbolts*," was also one of the leanest. So hopefully, this only bodes well for "The Fantastic Four: First Steps," even if we do miss out on an incredible performance from a legendary actor. Malcolm has been with Tom's Guide since 2022, and has been covering the latest in streaming shows and movies since 2023. He's not one to shy away from a hot take, including that "John Wick" is one of the four greatest films ever made. Here's what he's been watching lately: Follow Tom's Guide on Google News to get our up-to-date news, how-tos, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button.
USA Today
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
'Fantastic Four' first look: Meet the 'complicated' foes for Marvel's heroes
In Marvel Comics lore, Galactus is one of the biggest – literally – supervillains in the galaxy, a being that devours entire worlds. Now, Ralph Ineson will be the first to allow that his ginormous character in 'The Fantastic Four: First Steps' (in theaters July 25) seems like a pretty bad guy, especially to the residents of Earth, where he's feasting next. 'But I would say he is not evil because he's just pursuing what he does,' says the British actor. 'There's no kind of actual human malice.' Set in the retrofuturistic 1960s, 'Fantastic Four' introduces four Marvel heroes: stretchy Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal), invisible woman Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby), human torch Johnny Storm (Joseph Quinn) and rock monster Ben Grimm, aka the Thing (Ebon Moss-Bachrach). The movie also debuts new foes including Mole Man (Paul Walter Hauser) and Shalla-Bal (Julia Garner), the Silver Surfer and herald of Galactus. Join our Watch Party! Sign up to receive USA TODAY's movie and TV recommendations right in your inbox This 'complicated' trio exemplifies 'the best kind of villains,' says 'First Steps' director Matt Shakman, 'the ones that you can understand and you can relate to.' Here's an exclusive peek at the Fantastic Four antagonists of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, in order of increasing existential threat: Paul Walter Hauser digs Mole Man, the Fantastic Four's first foe The Mole Man was the first bad guy faced by the Fantastic Four in the debut issue of their 1961 comic book, a nuclear engineer who led a race of subterranean creatures and monsters. The MCU version of Harvey Elder is 'really more of a union boss than a supervillain,' Shakman says. Hauser notes the comic version is 'vicious and heinous and unrelenting,' while his character is aligned with humanity. 'He is living sort of in the shadows like a villain would, but he's also taking care of an entire race of people and trying to live his life without being bothered.' And his opposition to the Fantastic Four is political in nature, Hauser teases. 'It's a power struggle, but within that, there are compromises and alliances made.' Adds Shakman: 'He's all about community, and that's why Sue and Harvey have a good relationship and they get along. They understand each other.' Julia Garner's Silver Surfer brings doom to Earth The Silver Surfer arrives on her super-cool surfboard with a bleak message for the Fantastic Four and the rest of Earth: She heralds the coming of Galactus after finding the planets that make up his next meal. Yet while the delivery seems chilly, there's some serious emotion going on under her shiny facade. 'This is someone who's sacrificed a lot in order to save something in their past, and that is noble. So it's kind of a classic anti-hero character,' Shakman says, adding that her backstory connects with the movie's themes of family. 'She carries a lot of guilt for what she's done,' Shakman says. "There's part of her speech that she's been told to deliver, which is 'Your planet is marked for death.' And then there's her own addition to it, where she says, 'Hold your loved ones close. Speak the words you've been afraid to speak.' Part of it is what she chooses to share because of her empathy, and part of it is what she has to do for her job.' Ralph Ineson's Galactus has a gigantic appetite for destruction There's good reason why we haven't seen Galactus in his full glory yet. Trailers have shown his boots or the back of his helmeted head, and even here folks can just see his massive chest. 'It's a big moment when the Fantastic Four get to see him for the first time,' Shakman says, 'and I'd love for that to be the same for the audience.' Ineson agrees the buildup is exciting, but 'slightly terrifying from my end.' While Garner played the Surfer via motion capture, Ineson wore a helmet and full suit of armor to play the kaiju-sized Galactus, even needing his own pit crew to keep him cool between takes. Ineson would venture to the top of tall buildings and try to capture the day-to-day perspective of 'a 14 billion-year-old cosmic vampire.' Galactus is 'an essential force of the universe,' who helps keep the balance of the cosmos, Ineson says. 'Whatever is crawling around on the planet that he's going to devour, it's of no real consequence to him unless there is something he wants.' And therein lies the rub in the new movie: Galactus wants Reed and Sue's newborn baby. 'He's willing to bargain,' Shakman says. 'He did it with Shalla-Bal and he's going to attempt to do it with the Fantastic Four.'
