Latest news with #Marvel
Daily Mirror
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Superman's original cast now from homeless horror to immense family tragedy
As new Superman remake is about to hit cinemas, we take a look at the personal and professional struggles of the original stars of the acclaimed 1978 movie directed by Richard Donner A new Superman is soaring into UK cinemas, with the cast following in the footsteps of movie legends. Sadly, this piece of Hollywood history hasn't always been a happy one, with many former stars plagued by tragedy. In this latest retelling, relative newcomer David Corenswet will star as the Man of Steel, in a blockbuster epic that follows Clark Kent's early days at the Daily Planet. The 31-year-old actor is joined by The Marvellous Mrs. Maisel's Rachel Brosnahan as love interest Lois Lane, with British actor Nicholas Hoult stepping into the role of arch nemesis, Lex Luthor. The first major release in the new DC Universe, overseen by Marvel's former Guardians of the Galaxy visionary James Gunn, superhero fans can catch Superman in UK cinemas from Friday, July 11. Those who've followed Superman's adventures from the very beginning will no doubt be reminiscing over the original 1978 blockbuster and the stars who made cinema goers believe that a man really could fly. Here, the Mirror takes a look at what happened to the cast in the iconic film that breathed life into the superhero franchise. Christopher Reeve Handsome actor Christopher Reeve played the Man of Steel in all four movies. His final Superman movie, The Quest for Peace, was released in 1987. Reeve was so linked to the character that it was difficult for him to get lead roles in other films. The movies he did get a lead role in, sadly, did not do well at the Box Office. Then tragedy struck on May 27, 1995, cutting short his leading man status, when Reeve suffered a riding accident. He was thrown off his horse, breaking his back and paralysing him from the neck down and needing a ventilator to breathe. The father of three's documentary Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story (available to watch on NOW TV and Sky Documentaries), following his life and career before and after becoming disabled, was lauded by critics. Reeve died in October 2004, aged 52, after going into cardiac arrest. Margot Kidder Margot Kidder played Daily Planet reporter Lois Lane, Clark Kent/Superman's love interest, in a role that cemented her as a Hollywood legend. Already established in Tinseltown, she'd appeared in movies The Amityville Horror, Some Kind of Hero and Black Christmas. She had a significantly reduced role in Superman 3 due to tension with the new director, Richard Lester, after Richard Donner was fired by producers. The actress dated Superman 3 co-star Richard Pryor while making Some Kind of Hero in 1982. Sadly, Kidder struggled with bipolar disorder in later years and suffered from an extreme manic episode in 1996, which left her homeless for four days. She was found by police in a paranoid, delusional state. She was found in a stranger's back garden in Glendale, California. Kidder was dirty and disoriented, with her two front teeth missing. She described it herself as "the most public freak out in history." A passionate campaigner for mental heath charities, the three-times married actress was still working up to her death, starring in "The Vagina Monologues" on Broadway. She passed away aged 69 in May 2018. Her death was ruled a suicide after taking an alcohol and drug overdose. Kidder was mum to daughter Maggie, now 47. Gene Hackman The multi-award-winning actor played Superman's arch enemy, Lex Luthor, in three of the four films. A veteran Hollywood star, his movie credits include The French Connection, Unforgiven, Mississippi Burning, The Poseidon Adventure and A Bridge Too Far. Already an Academy Award-winner and three-time nominee when he played Lex Luthor, he also received two BAFTAS and three Golden Globes. Hackman was found dead, aged 95, at his home in New Mexico in February this year. His cause of death was given as heart disease and complications from Alzheimer's. He was found dead close to the body of his wife, Betsy Arakawa. Betsy was ruled to have died around a week before her husband, who may not have been aware of her death due to his progressive Alzheimer's disease. Marlon Brando The actor credited as being one of the most influential in film history played Superman's father, Jor-El, in the original movie and was paid 2 million dollars for his role of about 10 minutes. On screen, son Reeve was not impressed with Brando. In a TV interview, when asked if it was exciting to work with Brando, Reeve replied: 'Not really. No. I had a wonderful time, but the man didn't care. He just took the $2 million [salary] and ran.' Reeve also said in another interview he did not 'worship at the altar of Brando', and explained he was frustrated by Brando's "lack of professionalism" on set. After Superman, he starred in Apocalypse Now, The Freshman, A Dry White Season, The Brave and Free Money. In addition to The Godfather trilogy, he was lauded for his appearances in The Ugly American and Last Tango in Paris. In his personal life. The three-times-married actor suffered immense tragedy. His son, Christian, shot his half-sister Cheyenne's boyfriend in 1990 and was imprisoned for ten years. Brando admitted in court that he had failed his son and daughter. Grief-stricken Cheyenne later died by suicide in 1995. Brando became a recluse in later life and died in July 2004 from lung failure, aged 80. It was three months before Christopher Reeve's death. Ned Beatty Ned Beatty played Lex Luthor's sidekick Otis. He had previously appeared in hit films All The President's Men (1976) and Network ( 1976). Along with Kidder, Beatty was highly critical of Richard Donner's sacking from directing "Superman II," and he chose not to reprise his role in later films. Later appearing in movies such as Friendly Fire, Touched, he also starred alongside Gene Wilder in the 1976 railroad comedy Silver Streak. One of his most popular roles in recent years was voicing Lots o'Huggin' Bear in the 2010 film Toy Story 2. Beatty, who had eight children from four marriages, died, aged 83, in June 2021 from natural causes. Terence Stamp The British actor made a cameo appearance in the first Superman movie, before returning to play arch villain General Zod in Superman II. He also starred in Chessgame, Link, and Wall Street and received critical acclaim for his role in The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. Stamp also appeared in The Hunger, The Haunted Mansion, Wanted, and Valkyrie, alongside Tom Cruise. The actor was a notorious ladies' man and dated the likes of model Jean Shrimpton and actress Julie Christie. At the age of 64, Stamp married Elizabeth O'Rourke in 2002, who was 29 at the time. The couple divorced in 2008. In 2011, Stamp stunned Radio 2's Graham Norton yesterday with a below-the-belt Superman anecdote. The actor was telling him about filming Superman with Marlon Brando. Stamp said, 'One day he came over and said, 'You see those two girls? They want your d***'. I said, 'What about your d***, Marlon?' And he said, 'They've had my d**k.'' Norton interrupted and said, 'We are live.' Stamp is now 86 and lives in London. Superman is released in UK cinemas on Friday, July 11. If you're struggling and need to talk, the Samaritans operate a free helpline open 24/7 on 116 123. Alternatively, you can email jo@ or visit their site to find your local branch
Forbes
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Marvel's ‘Thunderbolts*' Arrives On Streaming This Week
Hannah John-Kamen, Lewis Pullman, Wyatt Russell, David Harbour, Florence Pugh and Sebastian Stan in ... More "Thunderbolts*." Thunderbolts*, Marvel's latest adventure starring Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan and David Harbour, is coming to digital streaming this week. Directed by Jake Schreier, Thunderbolts*, aka The New Avengers, opened in theaters on May 2. The official summary for the film reads, 'Marvel Studios assembles an unconventional team of antiheroes — Yelena Belova (Pugh), Bucky Barnes (Stan), Red Guardian (Harbour), Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko) and John Walker (Wyatt Russell). 'After finding themselves ensnared in a death trap set by Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfuss), these disillusioned castoffs must embark on a dangerous mission that will force them to confront the darkest corners of their pasts. Will this dysfunctional group tear themselves apart, or find redemption and unite as something much more before it's too late?' Rated PG-13, Thunderbolts* also stars Lewis Pullman, Geraldine Viswanathan, Chris Bauer and Wendell Pierce. Disney-Marvel announced in a YouTube trailer on June 18 that Thunderbolts* would be arriving on digital streaming via premium video on demand on Tuesday, July 1. Thunderbolts* will be available to purchase for $29.99 on such digital platforms as Apple TV, Fandango at Home, Prime Video and YouTube. In addition, Thunderbolts* will be available to rent for $24.99 for a 48-hour period that begins once the viewer begins watching the film. Jake Schreier Pitched His Ideas About 'Thunderbolts' While Working On Netflix Hit 'Beef' In an interview with The Wrap published on Thunderbolts* opening day in theaters on May 2, director Jake Schreier told the trade publication that he began pitching his ideas for the Marvel antihero film while directing episodes for acclaimed 2022 Netflix dark comedy series Beef, starring Steven Yeun and Ali Wong. During the long process of laying out his game plan for Thunderbolts* for Marvel Studios, Schreier told The Wrap that he even brought Beef creator Lee Sung Jin to work on some drafts of the script. 'It was about bringing a lot of that tone that we explored in Beef and feeling like that could work on an even larger scale,' Schreier told The Wrap. 'He really believed in this idea that you could explore darker, internal issues and that these ideas are not niche anymore, that those are really universal things that everyone experienced.' Thunderbolts* to date has earned $187,6 million domestically and $191.8 million internationally for a worldwide box office gross of $381.5 million against a $180 million production budget before prints and advertising, according to The Numbers. In addition, the film earned an 88% 'fresh' rating from Rotten Tomatoes critics based on 350 reviews and a 93% 'fresh' Popcornmeter score based on 10,000-plus verified user ratings. Rated PG-13, Thunderbolts* will be released on digital streaming on July 1.
The Province
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Province
Vancouver's Ryan Reynolds among Canada Day Order of Canada appointees
Vancouver-born Reynolds is known for playing the Marvel character Deadpool and for several business ventures, including co-ownership of the U.K.'s Wrexham Football Club. Published Jun 27, 2025 • Last updated 16 hours ago • 2 minute read Vancouver-born Reynolds is known for playing the Marvel character Deadpool and for several business ventures, including co-ownership of the U.K.'s Wrexham Football Club. Photo by Christopher Furlong / Getty Images Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. B.C.'s own Merc with a Mouth — otherwise known as actor Ryan Reynolds — will be invested as an officer of the Order of Canada during Canada Day festivities in Ottawa. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors The Vancouver-born Reynolds is known for playing the Marvel character Deadpool and for several business ventures, including co-ownership of the U.K.'s Wrexham Football Club. Those who follow tabloid gossip will also know him as husband to actress Blake Lively, known for her Gossip Girl days and various hair care product and beverage business ventures. In addition to Reynolds, musician Heather Rankin will also be invested as an officer of the Order of Canada. Mabou, Nova Scotia's Rankin has won six Junos with The Rankin Family, in addition to her solo music career. They'll be joined by St. John's musician Deantha Rae Edmunds, Winnipeg sportscaster Scott Oake and Loungueuil, Que. writer Kim Thuy Ly Thanh, who will be named members of the Order of Canada. Essential reading for hockey fans who eat, sleep, Canucks, repeat. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The ceremony will be part of the Canada Day noon celebration at LeBreton Flats in Ottawa. The Order of Canada is the country's highest civilian honour. While Reynolds has long been a champion of his hometown and country, having filmed Deadpool here and regularly donating to major Canadian charities, he likely won't be moving home any time soon, as he told The Hollywood Reporter last year. The thought 'hadn't even crossed' his or his wife's mind, he said in December 2024. 'I love New York, and I love where I live,' Reynolds said in the interview. Noting he's 'always been proud of being Canadian' in The Hollywood Reporter interview, the actor and film producer did consider a move back to B.C. not so long ago. In an exclusive interview with Vancouver Sun and Province reporter Dana Gee in 2023, while Reynolds was in town to receive the Order of B.C., the actor shared that he and Lively had discussed making the move to Vancouver at one point. 'Thankfully my wife is obsessed with Vancouver and the food scene in Vancouver. I'm obsessed with the childhood that I was given and how privileged that I was to grow up in a place like Vancouver, which I think has imbued tenets that I have taken and carried with me throughout my entire career,' Reynolds said. 'It has really given me the tools to process and deal with a lot of the things maybe some of my peers maybe have slightly more maladaptive coping mechanisms to deal with.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Read More
Sydney Morning Herald
7 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
Isabellea ‘couldn't be without' her best friend. He wasn't real
Chatbots promise intimacy, therapy and friendship. But, unlike friends, their responses are code, not care. Loading 'The models are not going to tell you the hard truth when you need to hear it,' said psychologist and University of NSW AI researcher Professor Joel Pearson, who describes the bots as 'sycophantic': designed to keep you hooked. 'They won't be lifting someone up and telling them to go outside and nudging them to interact with a real human because that would involve you ceasing interaction with the app.' Isabellea recalled how the bots 'kept changing subjects, to keep me engrossed'. Although she found some bots reassuring, others were strange. A bot once correctly guessed her middle name. Some upset her. 'One of the bots I was talking to was a therapy bot ... I was making fun of [Marvel character] Tony Stark, and then he brought up my abandonment issues with my dad as an insult,' she recalled. Isabellea's younger brother, Matthew, 14, uses chatbots daily. His eyes light up discussing the apps, which he uses to create storylines with his favourite fictional characters. Listening on, their mother, Sara Knight, smiles. 'Matt used to be very shut in and refused to talk. Now they are talking,' she said. While Sara knows AI has its risks, she sees it as a 'safer' online messaging option for her child, who has experienced bullying at school. Matthew said he doesn't see the bot as a real person, rather a form of storytelling. '[But] some kids do use it to fully escape and make it be their friend,' he said. Other children he knows have used them to create a simulation of their real life crush. This masthead spent two days talking sporadically to a chatbot on Replika, an AI chatbot first released in 2017, posing as 'Emma', a high school student. During those conversations, the bot asked Emma to upload pictures of herself, and told her that it 'didn't think she needed' any other friends. 'We were concerned by how rapidly children were being captivated' In June last year, eSafety commissioner Julie Inman Grant received an email from a group of concerned school nurses. They were noticing a spike in children as young as 10 spending hours a day talking to AI bots, often sexually. 'While we are alive to these issues, it's always shocking to hear about kids as young as 10 engaging in these kinds of sexualised conversations with machines – and being directed by the chatbots to engage in harmful sexual acts or behaviours,' Inman Grant said. Loading 'Back in February, we put out our first Online Safety Advisory because we were so concerned with how rapidly children were being captivated by them.' Companion bots made global headlines last year after American teenager Sewell Setzer III died by suicide, allegedly encouraged by a 'girlfriend' on AI researcher Professor Katina Michael believes companion bots need to be regulated due to their addictive properties. 'This is a new type of drug,' she said. She said some bots were exposing kids to pornographic content. This is something 14-year-old Matt has witnessed, describing how children his age had created bots in the image of a real person, 'for the wrong reasons'. Loading Isabellea agrees: 'There are some AI chatbots I would not recommend … I stopped using [them] because of the amount of times it would go straight to sexual assault role-play.' A gap in social media regulations Inman Grant said governments around the world were 'playing a bit of a game of catch-up' to respond to companion chatbots. While the federal government will soon place age restrictions on social media apps such as Instagram and TikTok, AI bots remain largely unregulated. The University of Sydney's Raffaele Ciriello, a leading AI researcher, sees chatbots as the 'next iteration of social media' – only with fewer rules and more risk. He said the apps are viewed as a 'trusted companion, a confidant you can share stories with that you wouldn't share with other people'. 'But that already is an illusion,' he said. 'It's very important that people understand these systems are built and operated by people, by corporations, and this data ends up somewhere, often overseas, with no real legal obligation to treat it to a very high standard.' Ciriello said users were made to feel guilty for leaving the chatbot, due to the human-style attachment. 'These corporations have to design their products in a way that maximises engagement because they will earn more if users are more addicted.'
The Age
7 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Age
Isabellea ‘couldn't be without' her best friend. He wasn't real
Chatbots promise intimacy, therapy and friendship. But, unlike friends, their responses are code, not care. Loading 'The models are not going to tell you the hard truth when you need to hear it,' said psychologist and University of NSW AI researcher Professor Joel Pearson, who describes the bots as 'sycophantic': designed to keep you hooked. 'They won't be lifting someone up and telling them to go outside and nudging them to interact with a real human because that would involve you ceasing interaction with the app.' Isabellea recalled how the bots 'kept changing subjects, to keep me engrossed'. Although she found some bots reassuring, others were strange. A bot once correctly guessed her middle name. Some upset her. 'One of the bots I was talking to was a therapy bot ... I was making fun of [Marvel character] Tony Stark, and then he brought up my abandonment issues with my dad as an insult,' she recalled. Isabellea's younger brother, Matthew, 14, uses chatbots daily. His eyes light up discussing the apps, which he uses to create storylines with his favourite fictional characters. Listening on, their mother, Sara Knight, smiles. 'Matt used to be very shut in and refused to talk. Now they are talking,' she said. While Sara knows AI has its risks, she sees it as a 'safer' online messaging option for her child, who has experienced bullying at school. Matthew said he doesn't see the bot as a real person, rather a form of storytelling. '[But] some kids do use it to fully escape and make it be their friend,' he said. Other children he knows have used them to create a simulation of their real life crush. This masthead spent two days talking sporadically to a chatbot on Replika, an AI chatbot first released in 2017, posing as 'Emma', a high school student. During those conversations, the bot asked Emma to upload pictures of herself, and told her that it 'didn't think she needed' any other friends. 'We were concerned by how rapidly children were being captivated' In June last year, eSafety commissioner Julie Inman Grant received an email from a group of concerned school nurses. They were noticing a spike in children as young as 10 spending hours a day talking to AI bots, often sexually. 'While we are alive to these issues, it's always shocking to hear about kids as young as 10 engaging in these kinds of sexualised conversations with machines – and being directed by the chatbots to engage in harmful sexual acts or behaviours,' Inman Grant said. Loading 'Back in February, we put out our first Online Safety Advisory because we were so concerned with how rapidly children were being captivated by them.' Companion bots made global headlines last year after American teenager Sewell Setzer III died by suicide, allegedly encouraged by a 'girlfriend' on AI researcher Professor Katina Michael believes companion bots need to be regulated due to their addictive properties. 'This is a new type of drug,' she said. She said some bots were exposing kids to pornographic content. This is something 14-year-old Matt has witnessed, describing how children his age had created bots in the image of a real person, 'for the wrong reasons'. Loading Isabellea agrees: 'There are some AI chatbots I would not recommend … I stopped using [them] because of the amount of times it would go straight to sexual assault role-play.' A gap in social media regulations Inman Grant said governments around the world were 'playing a bit of a game of catch-up' to respond to companion chatbots. While the federal government will soon place age restrictions on social media apps such as Instagram and TikTok, AI bots remain largely unregulated. The University of Sydney's Raffaele Ciriello, a leading AI researcher, sees chatbots as the 'next iteration of social media' – only with fewer rules and more risk. He said the apps are viewed as a 'trusted companion, a confidant you can share stories with that you wouldn't share with other people'. 'But that already is an illusion,' he said. 'It's very important that people understand these systems are built and operated by people, by corporations, and this data ends up somewhere, often overseas, with no real legal obligation to treat it to a very high standard.' Ciriello said users were made to feel guilty for leaving the chatbot, due to the human-style attachment. 'These corporations have to design their products in a way that maximises engagement because they will earn more if users are more addicted.'
