Black Widow Time Period Confirmed
One thing that fans have been wondering regarding the currently-shooting Black Widow movie is when the film takes place. Considering the fate of the Scarlett Johansson character in Avengers: Endgame, a sequel seemed highly unlikely.
And now we know that in fact Black Widow is a prequel. David Harbour, who plays Red Guardian in the film, has confirmed to IGN that the film takes place between Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War. That means the film will be covering the period when Natasha Romanoff was on the lam after siding with Cap during the superhero civil war.
Avengers: Endgame to Beat Avatar at Worldwide Box Office
Just as the Marvel festivities at San Diego Comic-Con began, parent company Disney and Marvel Studios announced that, with the expected box office gross of Avengers: Endgame through the weekend, it will now officially be the highest-grossing movie of all time worldwide, beating out James Cameron's Avatar.
As reported by THR, Disney and Marvel have confirmed that, as of Saturday, Avengers: Endgame will have hit $2.7892 billion at the worldwide box office, and is expected to make over $500,000 on Sunday. This will allow it to surpass Avatar's $2.7897 billion total. (Box office totals for weekends are normally projected before the weekend ends, which is why, for those who don't follow box office tallies week by week, Disney and Marvel would be making such a claim this early.)
Doom Patrol Renewed for Season 2 on DC Universe and HBO Max
Good news for DC Universe subscribers. Doom Patrol has been officially renewed for a second season.
The news came out of the DC Universe panel at Comic-Con tonight, with star Diane Guerrero and executive producer Jeremy Carver announcing the show's return.
Interestingly, the series will debut simultaneously on DC Universe and WarnerMedia's upcoming HBO Max streaming service. We also learned that Season 1 will be available on HBO Max at launch.
Carver admitted that he and Guerrero only recently learned the news themselves, so don't expect the second season to debut until at least 2020.
"This was just an introduction. I want to see more adventure. I want to see them working as a team," said Guerrero.
Del Toro Answers How Mature Scary Stories Movie Really Is
R.L. Stine’s Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark creeped out an entire generation of young readers, but it’s taken almost four decades for a film adaptation to hit the big screen. So who is this new film for? The now considerably older adults who have a fond, if fearful nostalgia of the books? Or a new crop of budding horror fans that may not be allowed out past curfew? Producer Guillermo del Toro (Pacific Rim, Pan’s Labyrinth) and director André Øvredal (Troll Hunters) joined IGN during Comic Con 2019 to give us the answer.
“It’s PG-13, number one,” del Toro said. “The other thing that is important is we’re trying to capture the same audience as the books. These books have now entertained three generations. A lot of fathers know that the stories are campfire stories basically. They have a factor of fun. None of them are gory. They’re all creepy. They all have a humorous slant or very human. So we’re trying to cultivate the same PG-13, but spooky and fun.”
Marvel Teases X-Men for the MCU
Marvel Studios' San Diego Comic Con 2019 Hall H panel included the confirmation of a host of MCU Phase 4 movies and TV shows, and teases for Black Panther 2, Fantastic Four, and more. And as for the X-Men, well...Marvel Studios' Kevin Feige mentioned them, but didn't quite give Marvel's mutants much time in the spotlight.
At the tail-end of Marvel's panel, Feige confirmed several upcoming MCU sequels, a new Blade, the Fantastic Four's arrival in the MCU, and for the X-Men said "No time left to talk about mutants." And that's it.
Hideo Kojima Comments on Streaming as the Future of Gaming
The next five to 10 years are going to look very interesting for video games, according to Hideo Kojima.
During his storytelling panel at Comic Con 2019 – where he talked Death Stranding, movies, and more with friend and director Nicolas Winding Refn – Kojima addressed the blurring lines between games and film introduced by streaming platforms, the interactive opportunities those open up, and how he thinks streaming will affect the future of our entertainment.
"Gaming will be streaming too," says Kojima, drawing a direct line between the birth of movies and the theater going experience, to television, and now, to streaming. "In the near future, games and movies will come closer, in a similar category. So I think we're going into an era with a lot of possibilities. It will not just be interactive or non-interactive, there will be something inbetween as well."
Marvel Confirms Fantastic Four, Black Panther 2, and more for MCU
Marvel Studios revealed its planned Phase 4 Marvel Cinematic Universe schedule, and also confirmed a slew of titles, including the integration of the Fantastic Four into the MCU, are also on the way.
During Marvel Studios' Hall H Comic-Con 2019 panel, Kevin Feige confirmed Black Panther 2, Guardians of the Galaxy 3, and Captain Marvel 2 are all on the way as well as the announced Phase 4 lineup, plus the introduction of the Fantastic Four to the MCU.
As for the introduction of the X-Men to the MCU following Disney's acquisition of Fox properties, including Fox's licensed Marvel IP, Feige simply said "No time left to talk about mutants."
Marvel Announces Blade Starring Mahershala Ali
Marvel Studios has announced Blade starring Mahershala Ali.
Blade is returning to the big screen following Wesley Snipe's portrayal as the vampire hunter in 1998's Blade, 2002's Blade II, and 2004's Blade: Trinity. Sticky Fingaz also played Blade in the 2006 television series that aired on Spike.
Mahershala Ali is a prolific actor who has won two Oscars for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in 2016's Moonlight and 2018's Green Book.
Black Widow Movie 2020 Release Date, Cast Announced
The Black Widow solo film is officially confirmed, and will be released on May 1, 2020.
Marvel finally confirmed the Black Widow solo movie we knew was happening. Cate Shortland will direct and Scarlet Johansson will return as the super spy. Other cast members announced for the Black Widow solo movie include: David Harbour (Stranger Things) as Alexei, Florence Pugh (Midsommar) as Yelena, Rachel Weisz (The Mummy) as Melina, and O.T. Fagbenle (Handmaid's Tale) as Mason.
The cast took the stage of Marvel Studio's Hall H panel to discuss more about their roles in the film. Harbor says his character has a complicated view of Captain America, while Weisz calls her character "a pretty tough chick." Pugh's character is being described as a sister figure to Natasha. A press release later confirmed that Harbour will be playing the Red Guardian.
Thor: Love and Thunder Announced for 2021
Thor 4 received its official title and release date at San Diego Comic-Con during the Marvel Studios panel in Hall H on Saturday, with Natalie Portman being confirmed as female Thor.
Thor: Love and Thunder will be released on November 5,2021. Taika Waititi, Chris Hemsworth, and Tessa Thompson were onstage for the announcement.
Hemsworth joked that, Thor “may be on the couch, but I think Taika’s got something." The poster itself has an '80s vibe, and Korg and Meek were heavily hinted to be in the film.
Natalie Portman joined the cast on stage and wielded Mjolnir onstage. She said, “It feels pretty good,” to be back in the MCU, but with a Hammer.
In reference to the script, Waititi said they have not seen one yet, but it is being pulled from an existing comics storyline – The Mighty Thor, by Jason Aaron.