Latest news with #WandaVision
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Ironheart': Instant Emmy predictions for the latest Marvel series
Warning: This posts contains light spoilers for Ironheart. Have no fear — Ironheart is here. The Marvel Cinematic Universe's newest metal-encased hero flies onto Disney+ today looking to build on some of the pre-Fantastic Four momentum that Thunderbolts kinda-sorta launched. Starring Dominique Thorne, the six-episode series reintroduces us to Riri Williams, a young inventor with Tony Stark-level talent and ambition. The action unfolds in Chicago, where Riri falls in with a group of outlaws led by a hooded frenemy known, appropriately enough, as the Hood (Anthony Ramos). More from Gold Derby Paul Giamatti, Stephen Graham, Cooper Koch, and the best of our Emmy Limited Series/Movie Actor interviews 'The Penguin' star Colin Farrell would be the latest Batman villain to win a major award So just how high can Ironheart fly at the 2026 Emmys? Here are some instant predictions based on our viewing of all six episodes. To date, WandaVision remains the first — and only — live-action MCU-affiliated Disney+ series to land a "best in show" level nomination for its single season. Right now, it's unclear whether Ironheart will return for another adventure of this initial six-episode run, and keeping it one-and-done could work in the show's favor come Emmy voting time. Ryan Coogler's involvement as an executive producer certainly lends it major awards pedigree, given that Black Panther is still the sole big-screen Marvel movie to receive a Best Picture nomination. And Ironheart does aim its sights at reaching a similar level of cultural relevance, fusing timely themes of class struggle and minority entrepreneurship into its superhero armor. Riri would be an underdog among Limited Series contenders — and completely out of the running in the case of a Season 2 renewal — but then again, no one expected Iron Man to change the course of comic book movie history. Marvel Once again using WandaVision as a guide, Thorne could be the first actress since Elizabeth Olsen — and the first Black actress in Marvel Studios history — to receive an Emmy acting nod. (Angela Basset already claimed the Oscar equivalent of that Marvel-ous milestone for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, which introduced Riri into the MCU.) It's a performance that builds in intensity as the season progresses and Riri's ideals run into the realities that come with balancing great power and great responsibility. Read: What you need to remember about 'Ironheart' before the Marvel series premiere Don't judge a character by his name. Alden Ehrenreich may introduce himself as "Joe McGillicuddy" when his tech wizard meets Riri. But in the third episode, you learn his real identity — and it ties into vintage MCU lore. Turns out that Joe McGillicuddy is none other than Ezekiel Stane, son of Iron Man's first foil, Obadiah Stane, played by Jeff Bridges in 2008's Iron Man. Once he embraces his true self, Ehrenreich starts showing some of the same delight that defined Kathryn Hahn's WandaVision transformation from Agnes to Agatha. Not for nothing, she scored a nod in the Supporting Actress category for that reveal. Key to Riri's evolution is her relationship with her childhood best friend, Natalie, played by This Is Us star Lyric Ross. Though she's been gone from her life for years, Natalie remains a constant presence — even more so when she returns as a projection of the Ironheart suit. Ross' lively, funny performance provides the right counterweight to Thorne's stoic star turn. This is us predicting Emmy recognition. Sam Bailey and Angela Barnes share Ironheart directing duties with the former helming the first three episodes and the latter taking the series home in the back half. Both ably handle the technical demands of the effects-heavy production, particularly Barnes whose run of episodes takes the series into more fantastical effects territory. Whatever their mainline Emmy fates, Marvel shows always perform well on the Creative Arts Emmy side of things and Ironheart has multiple shots at multiple VFX, costume, and make-up categories. But a special shout-out should go to the main title design team, who find unique ways for the Ironheart name to show up in each episode. Best of Gold Derby Paul Giamatti, Stephen Graham, Cooper Koch, and the best of our Emmy Limited Series/Movie Actor interviews Lee Jung-jae, Adam Scott, Noah Wyle, and the best of our Emmy Drama Actor interviews Kathy Bates, Minha Kim, Elisabeth Moss, and the best of our Emmy Drama Actress interviews Click here to read the full article.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Marvel Finally Went There with Its ‘Ironheart' Finale — and a Killer Cameo
[Editor's note: The following article contains spoilers for Marvel's 'Ironheart' finale.] Where were you when you first learned about Mephisto? More from IndieWire Trey Parker and Matt Stone Allege Paramount Global and Skydance Media Merger Is 'F**king Up' 'South Park': It's a 'Sh**show' 'The Bear' Renewed for Season 5 at FX I was at my parents' house during COVID, when Marvel began its erratic foray into television with the powerful 'WandaVision.' In Marvel Comics, Mephisto is literally the devil; he crops up with various heroes and villains across the comics under thin aliases (Beelzebub? who could that be?), leaving his mark on the lives of everyone from Spider-Man to Doctor Strange, and more. He's connected to Scarlet Witch through her sons, who were introduced in Jac Schaeffer's Emmy-winning series. And as the world Wanda (Elisabeth Olsen) built around herself started to fracture, fans thought the devil was in the details — but he never broke through. Eager theorists tabled their disappointment (easy to do when Kathryn Hahn is the one guiding you into the unknown) with the hope that Mephisto would pop up in the upcoming slate of films and shows. But he didn't. There were whispers around 'Loki' and 'Spider-Man: No Way Home.' Surely he'd appear in 'The Multiverse of Madness,' which brought Scarlet Witch face-to-face with Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch). By then, however, the villain of the phase had been introduced as Kang (Jonathan Majors), with pieces falling into place for an epic battle against him, leaving little room for a second big bad. As someone who was scrambling for Mephisto crumbs during 'WandaVision,' I've been saddened by my growing distance from the MCU since then. But between 'Thunderbolts' and 'Ironheart,' I feel something stirring that has been dormant since the days of lockdown. For one thing, I was removed enough to miss the whispers that Mephisto would debut in 'Ironheart,' and if I did catch this news item blowing the entire reveal over two years ago, I simply forgot! Watching the screeners all at once meant no week-to-week theorizing, so by the time Sacha Baron Cohen arrived on screen I was too absorbed in stunt casting to even consider who he was playing. It wasn't until a few lines before the character identifies himself that I remembered a name I had long forgotten — and realized that not only could this be him, but it had to be. 'You can call me Mephisto,' he said. To my own surprise, I shrieked. Mephisto is the one who gave Parker (Anthony Ramos) his hood as part of a sinister 'deal,' and he's the devil who will offer Riri (Dominique Thorne) what she most desires in exchange for what's sure to be a deadly price. The shriek was less of shock than disbelief — or maybe I've been holding it in for years? Finally, we got there — so where do we go next? This character and 'Ironheart' took a long time to reach our screens (that 2022 leak was from the set), but seeing Baron Cohen eat up the role was immensely satisfying, regardless of the wait. Not only is it a departure from the actor's usual repertoire (I couldn't ID him with full confidence with the American accent), but it instantly stood out from the slew of gratuitous and garish MCU cameos in the past few years. (Harry Styles and Brett Goldstein come to mind.) Mephisto has presence and purpose, and his powers remain a mystery to the audience because they're a mystery to our protagonist. Their deal slightly betrays Riri's journey with grief throughout the season, but that's the kind of character heel turn that indicates a larger plan within the franchise. The MCU has struggled with memorable villains (remember Malekith? of course you don't) enough to approach them more thoughtfully over time; crafting a good one is hard enough, and more than one at a time would dilute their overall impression. With Kang out of the picture, there was a brief an opening for HBIC (Head Beelzebub in Charge, if you will), but that role got reworked into Doctor Doom (Robert Downey Jr.), whos scheduled to be the central villain of 2026's 'Avengers: Doomsday.' 'Ironheart' was originally filmed before Marvel cut ties with Majors, so there was at least a plan for Mephisto to coexist with Kang, if not others upon his introduction. There's always the chance that this is a long game and Mephisto will work in the shadows throughout the events leading up to and following 'Doomsday,' stepping into the spotlight during Phase… 7?? Admittedly, that's not as enticing as imagining him in 'Fantastic Four: The First Steps' later this month, given his overlap with those characters, and it's also entirely possible that this character missed his window and joined the party too late. But one way or another, Mephisto has finally entered the MCU, and the timing is such that I'm less concerned about the path forward than the road it took to get here. Through two Phases, 16 shows, and 13 movies, I finally got to release that scream, and I might just dare to get excited about what the future might bring. All episodes of 'Ironheart' are now streaming on Disney+. Best of IndieWire The Best Lesbian Movies Ever Made, from 'D.E.B.S.' and 'Carol' to 'Bound' and 'Pariah' The Best Thrillers Streaming on Netflix in June, from 'Vertigo' and 'Rear Window' to 'Emily the Criminal' All 12 Wes Anderson Movies, Ranked, from 'Bottle Rocket' to 'The Phoenician Scheme'
Elle
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Elle
Romantasy Fans, The 'Fourth Wing' TV Show Just Took A Big Step Forward
For those awaiting the arrival of a 'Fourth Wing' TV show, the delays can seem long. And many fans of the Empyrean series of books by Rebecca Yaros may have worried that the show was lost in a development purgatory with little to no news ever being announced. But yesterday, the show took a big step forward - one that should reassure fans that the show is still in with a good chance of making it to their screens before too long. It was reported by Deadline yesterday that Moira Walley-Beckett, who was tapped as the showrunner by Amazon Prime Video (who are creating the show) over a year ago, has left the project. Then the industry publication updated their story to say that Jac Shaeffer could be the show's new showrunner. Although no decision has been made yet, sources told them the creator has signed a deal with the studio and is in discussions to lead the romatasy series as writer, executive producer and showrunner. For fans of the show desperate for nuggets of information on what their favourite book might look like on screen, Schaeffer is perhaps best known for her work on the Marvel fan-favourite series, Agatha All Along and WandaVision. So at the very least you know it'll be fun and stylish. In more industry-ish news, another producing team has been added to the show - Deadline says: 'Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy's Amazon MGM Studios-based Kilter Films (Prime Video's Fallout, The Peripheral) has joined Michael B. Jordan's Outlier Society, which had been on board since Amazon MGM Studios secured the rights to The Empyrean book series in 2023, along with Premediated Productions.' What does that mean? Well, it means more hands and money at the wheel - and at the very least, some reassurance for fans that their favourite book will end up on Amazon Prime Video sooner rather than later. Yaros' books are at the forefront of the romantasy movement which has taken over the world - the Empyrean series is planned to be five books. The first three, Fourth Wing (which spent 88 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list), Iron Flame and Onyx Storm have been released to worldwide success, with fans desperate to read the final two. In the books, dragons and their riders meet at an elite school known as Basgiath War College. There, Violet—small, underestimated, and with a chronic condition similar to Ehlers-Danlos syndrome—eschews what she thought would be a quiet life as a scribe for a chance to spar alongside other riders and bond with not one but two dragons. She also meets the traitorous (read: hot) Xaden Riorson, a wingleader already bonded to the dragon Sgaeyl, as he helps train Violet for dragonback—and for the war threatening their homeland, Navarre. ELLE Collective is a new community of fashion, beauty and culture lovers. For access to exclusive content, events, inspiring advice from our Editors and industry experts, as well the opportunity to meet designers, thought-leaders and stylists, become a member today HERE.
Geek Tyrant
7 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Geek Tyrant
IRONHEART's Wild Final Twist: Ryan Coogler, Dominique Thorne on That Surprise Cameo and Riri's Future in the MCU — GeekTyrant
Marvel's Ironheart finale cracked open a whole new dimension of the MCU. What began as a grounded story about teen genius Riri Williams building armor to protect her world took a sharp left turn into the supernatural. SPOILERS Ahead! After duking it out with a supercharged Ezekiel Stane (Alden Ehrenreich) and finally taking down The Hood, Riri comes face to face with a mysterious cloaked figure in the rubble of a neighborhood pizzeria and it's Mephisto, played by none other than Sacha Baron Cohen. 'I learned in the midst of our shooting,' Dominique Thorne told Variety. 'So, by the time they gave me the correct name in the script, it was like 'Whoa, the Reddit guy! The guy from all the rumors. He's in this show? OK, y'all are serious!'' Thorne sees the reveal as a sign that Marvel is going all-in on Riri. 'The true Marvel fans know that Marvel always has a plan,' she said. 'So, to know that they've chosen to introduce him here with Riri Williams, with Parker Robbins, it's strategic… It is just a joy to get a seat on that ride.' Ryan Coogler agrees, saying: 'I just absolutely love that we're not meeting him in WandaVision or Agatha [All Along] . You're meeting him through this stressed-out, young Black genius... That's where he's gonna be: in a pizza shop in Chicago, like, where you would absolutely never expect him.' For Coogler, the show's blend of street-level grime and mystical high-stakes is what makes Ironheart so good. When reflecting on how quickly Riri's story escalates from garage tinkering to demonic negotiations, he said: 'I love the compression that we have in this show. Watching Riri get so in over her head, not just at street level, but Armor War level…' Chinaka Hodge, the show's head writer, said the choice to bring Mephisto in came through 'a collaborative effort,' though one person in the room championed the idea. 'And I'm eternally grateful for him leading us that direction.' Originally, Dormammu was the front-runner for the demon role as Parker's powers trace back to him in the comics, but Marvel's Zoie Nagelhout said Mephisto ultimately made more thematic sense. 'He offered a sort of interesting and heightened way to tie together the characters' journeys — and in particular, Riri's — so it became almost like a no-brainer to have him.' Director Angela Barnes was the one who first pitched Cohen for the role. Nagelhout recalled, 'She pitched it, and we couldn't unsee it.' Once he signed on, Marvel went to great lengths to keep his cameo under wraps. 'If he was outside, we wrapped him up in tarps… We would cast extras who were family members and beg everyone to keep it a secret.' As for Baron Cohen's take on the infamous Marvel villain, Hodge explained: 'He does two or three different versions of the Mephisto in the episode. Because Mephisto is a shape-shifter… It's a key to open many doors.' So where does Riri go next? Ryan Coogler, said: 'I don't know jack shit,' he laughed. 'I think the audience is going to take to that ending and I can't wait to see those characters again.' What did you think about the finale of Ironheart and the introduction of Mephisto.
Geek Tyrant
7 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Geek Tyrant
Pedro Pascal Wanted to Go Full 1960s for Reed Richards in THE FANTASTIC FOUR but Marvel Pulled Him Back — GeekTyrant
Pedro Pascal is going full brainiac as Reed Richards in Marvel's The Fantastic Four: First Steps , but it turns out his vision for the character was way more era-specific than Marvel expected. In a recent Vanity Fair interview, Pascal revealed that he tried giving Reed a classic mid-century flair, right down to a Transatlantic accent. Given the film's alternate 1960s setting, it made perfect sense to him. he explained: 'They had to keep on pulling me back from a very Mid-Atlantic, early '60s kind of talk. They had a dialect coach that was sort of gonna help us into that kind of dialect. And I took to it so well… They were like, 'Uh, talk more like yourself.'' Pascal didn't exactly drop the idea overnight. He was deep in the headspace. He added: 'I had a hard time doing that because I was so into the era, which for me was something to step into so that it's different than what we've seen before. I think that what they've created is something that we haven't seen.' They should've let Pascal run with it! That could have added an interesting detail. Regardless, he is joined in the film by Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm, Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm, Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm, Ralph Ineson as Galactus, and Julia Garner as Silver Surfer. With WandaVision 's Matt Shakman directing, and Pascal clearly invested in giving Reed Richards his own retro flavor, The Fantastic Four: First Steps is shaping up to be something distinct in the MCU. 'Set against the vibrant backdrop of a 1960s-inspired, retro-futuristic world, The Fantastic Four: First Steps introduces Marvel's First Family—Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic, Sue Storm/Invisible Woman, Johnny Storm/Human Torch, and Ben Grimm/The Thing—as they face their most daunting challenge yet. 'Forced to balance their roles as heroes with the strength of their family bond, they must defend Earth from a ravenous space god called Galactus (Ralph Ineson) and his enigmatic Herald, Silver Surfer (Julia Garner). And if Galactus' plan to devour the entire planet and everyone on it weren't bad enough, it suddenly gets very personal.' The Fantastic Four: First Steps in theaters on July 25, 2025.
