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Source: @deadpoolmovie / Marvel
Just when it seemed like the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s popularity was dead in the water, Ryan Reynolds threw Marvel a much needed lifeline with his cult classic Deadpool & Wolverine and single-handedly resurrected interest in the struggling MCU.
Now that fans are once again on the Marvel bandwagon following the announcement of Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, many have been wondering what the future holds for Deadpool and Wolverine going forward, and it seems like we might have finally gotten some answers.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Ryan Reynolds is quietly plotting his return in Marvel’s upcoming Mutant Saga (which is rumored to be the focus over the next 10 years at Marvel Studios) and his next Deadpool film may feature more X-Men along with Wolverine. There has been rumors being thrown around for some time now that Deadpool may introduce X-Force in his next film as Marvel Studios continues to round out the cast for their upcoming X-Men film. Though there’s no word on which mutant characters would make an appearance in Deadpool 3, it seems like decisions will be made sooner than later as the project is already in the beginning stages of being written.
Per The Hollywood Reporter:
Reynolds is exploring ideas for a Deadpool movie that would feature X-Men characters, as well as continuing to script the Paramount comedy Boy Band after making writing a priority for much of this year before tackling other obligations, sources tell The Hollywood Reporter.
The multi-hyphenate is working on various treatments for an ensemble film featuring three or four X-Men characters. Deadpool would of course appear, but perhaps only as a supporting player. Reynolds is said to believe that keeping his f-bomb wielding anti-hero more on the sidelines could allow for the X-Men characters to be used in unexpected ways. Reynolds has been open about every Deadpool movie needing a strong reason to exist, and it’s possible this could provide the avenue he needs.
Truth be told we’ll have to wait to see how the everything pans out in the Marvel universe following the events of Doomsday and Secret Wars, which Deadpool and Wolverine are said to be a part of even though they haven’t been confirmed characters in the film as of yet.
As for Deadpool playing a supporting actor in his third installment, he’ll have to have some pretty popular mutant characters lead the film if that was to be the case. Either way we just want to see Deadpool standing alongside the Avengers or X-Men at some point, but even Reynolds admits that such a scenario may have some unexpected consequences.
At the time, Reynolds also told THR that he believed Deadpool could appear opposite the X-Men and the Avengers, but that the character joining those teams would have unintended consequences. “His ultimate dream is to be accepted and appreciated. But he can’t be accepted. His coping mechanism of deflecting shame through humor works only when used to pave over his many inadequacies. If and when he does become an Avenger or X-Man, we’re at the end of his journey.”
Nah, fans don’t want to see Deadpool’s journey come to an end anytime soon.
What do y’all want to see in a third Deadpool film? Let us know in the comments section below.
Rina Sawayama is headed back to the Wick-everse. The singer/actress who made her big screen debut in 2023 in John Wick: Chapter 4 as Shimazu Akira — the daughter of Osaka Continental Hotel manager and Wick pal Shimazu Koji — will reprise the role as the hotel’s concierge in an upcoming expansion of the film’s universe.
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According to Variety, Sawayama will once again play Akira in the Wick spin-off Caine, where she will appear opposite that film’s director/star/executive producer Donnie Yen. The legendary Hong Kong action star/producer played the blind High Table assassin Caine in the fourth installment in the blood-spattered action thriller series; Caine is slated to go into production later this year.
Yen had high praise for his co-star, telling Variety, “Most delighted to welcome Rina back into this new exciting journey with us. It will be my pleasure and attempt to elevate her amazing character that left us mesmerized from John Wick: Chapter 4!”
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Co-producer Chad Stahelski added, “Rina is such a badass. I love what she did with this role in Chapter 4 and can’t wait to see her cross paths with Caine once again.”
At press time there was no additional information on the plot, but according the magazine it is being billed as a “Hong Kong-style action thriller” similar to the Ip Man series that made Yen a star. Caine will reportedly continue the story arc in the wake of the fourth chapter of the series starring Keanu Reeves as a retired hitman lured back into the murder game after the killing of his beloved dog, with Caine now freed from his obligations to the mysterious High Table.
“John Wick: Chapter 4 introduced us to so many compelling, original characters, including Akira,” said Lionsgate Motion Picture Group chair Adam Fogelson. “We’re beyond thrilled to have Rina coming back to the franchise — Caine and Akira have unfinished business, and this next chapter in their stories will be explosive.”
The critically acclaimed Wick series is rapidly expanding its cinematic universe, with an upcoming spinoff starring Ana de Armas, Ballerina (June 6), as well as a recently announced animated Wick movie and a fifth chapter of the original film series.
Sawayama fans are still waiting for word on the follow-up to the multi-hyphenate’s 2022 sophomore album, Hold the Girl. The singer most recently appeared alongside Paris Hilton on the influencer and sometime singer’s 2024 comeback single, “I’m Free.”
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Source: Warner Bros. Pictures / Warner Bros.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock as of late (or MAGA country), you’d know that Ryan Coogler’s latest film Sinners has become a cultural phenomenon; the likes that haven’t been seen since white folks flooded theaters to see Leonardo DiCaprio turn into a ice popsicle in the name of love in James Cameron’s Titanic (what a burger).
Now that we’re all aware that Sinners is the must-see film of 2025, the film will see a re-release on IMAX screens later this month, and best believe fans cannot wait to experience the horror film filled with heart and soul once again.
According to Variety, on May 15, Sinners will once again be premiering in theaters. But this time the Ryan Coogler classic will be shown at specific IMAX theaters across the United States so that viewers can truly experience the magic of the move that was shot in 70mm film. Tickets for the film are on sale on the IMAX website, and best believe these will be hard to come by as May 15 inches closer. So if you plan on getting a seat or two, now would be the time to act.
Per Variety:
“Audiences have spoken and we listened. If ever a film needed to be experienced in this incredible larger-than-life format, it’s ‘Sinners,’” Warner Bros. Pictures president of global distribution Jeff Goldstein said in a statement. “Ryan has delivered a film that has been embraced by fans who appreciate the craftsmanship that goes into creating a film for this screen-filling format and we wanted to give everyone the opportunity to see it — or see it again — in 70mm Imax.”
“Sinners” will be back in Imax 70mm at the City Walk Stadium 19 + Imax (Los Angeles), Irvine Spectrum and Imax (Irvine), Lincoln Square 13 + Imax (New York), Metreon 16 + Imax (San Francisco), Indiana State Museum (Indianapolis), Arizona Mills IMAX (Phoenix), Autonation Imax (Ft. Lauderdale), Webb Chapel Imax (Dallas) and Colossus Imax (Toronto).
Already having grossed $161 million against its modest $90 million budget, Sinners is already proving to be a great success for Ryan Coogler. Fans are now saying that Marvel should have put this man in charge of writing and directing Blade. Interestingly enough, there’s rumors that Sinners was supposed to be Coogler’s origin story for Blade (who he says is his favorite Black vampire), but was ultimately turned into an original vampire film. The rest is history.
Will you be checking out Sinners when it hits IMAX theaters later this month? Let us know in the comments section below.
Charli xcx has lined up yet another major acting gig. According to Variety, the singer will star in and produce the next movie from Japanese horror director Takashi Miike (Yakuza Apocalypse, Ichi the Killer). At press time no information was available about the film’s plot, but the unnamed film will be the second project Charli […]
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Anadolu / Ruth E. Carter
We continue to learn more about Marvel Studios’ Blade reboot, currently stuck in limbo, from those who were initially attached to the project.
Two-time Academy Award-winning costume designer, Ruth E. Carter, is spilling the beans on Mahershala Ali’s Blade reboot that can’t seem to get off the ground.
Speaking on the Designing Hollywood podcast, Carter discussed her experience preparing for Marvel Studios’ Blade movie, revealing that the iteration of the film she was attached to at the time was going to be a period piece.
“I was prepping Blade for Marvel, and it was a 1920s Blade story, and it got shut down because of the writers’ strike and the actors’ strike, so I was just in limbo,” Carter revealed. “Having done a lot of research for this period piece about a vampire—Blade is a vampire story—[Coogler]’s wife, Zinzi, who also was a producer on [Sinners], she gave me a call and said, ‘I’m not gonna tell you the story, but Ryan has a story he’s going to tell you about … It is a period piece about vampires.’ And I thought, ‘Okay, I have already been living in that space for quite a long time prepping Blade, and Blade‘s not going to happen, so let me hear it.’”
Marvel Studios’ Blade’s Troubled Development
Since its announcement in 2019, the Blade reboot has had several different iterations. According to The Hollywood Reporter, one version of the film was supposed to take place on a “massive train.”
The version Ruth was attached to, the period piece, also starred Mia Goth as a vampire villain named Lillith who had a thirst for Blade’s daughter.
Goth is still attached to the project, but it sounds like we will never see that version of the film. Thankfully, for Carter, she was able to take that mindset from Blade to Sinners, helping her long-time collaborator deliver another box office win.
This latest development comes on the heels of Delroy Lindo speaking about his character in the Blade reboot and revealing that production “went off the rails,” leading to his departure from the project. He subsequently joined Coogler’s Sinners, where he is currently receiving praise for his performance in the film.
At this point, we hope this Blade movie starring Ali still happens.
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Source: Marvel Studios / Thunderbolts*
Word on the streets is that Marvel Studios is back (even though they never left), according to reactions from those who saw the latest entry in the MCU, Thunderbolts*.
Fans and critics, including our very own Bernard “Beanz” Smalls, got to see Thunderbolts* ahead of its May 2 release, and the consensus is that the movie is a return to the top-tier comic book movie form we have come to expect from Kevin Feige and Marvel Studios.
Most reactions praise the film for its surprisingly emotional tone, a quality often lacking in Marvel flicks. Others are praising Florence Pugh’s performance as Yelena, who is now headlining her first film since her debut in the underrated Black Widow film and a guest appearance in the Disney+ series Hawkeye.
Pugh’s performance is being hailed as “superb,” with Beanz adding in his first reaction that she was the film’s “MVP.”
“#Thunderbolts was awesome. Tons of implications on how the MCU is moving forward. The team works well together, plenty of emotion. Yelena is my MVP. Definitely a super fun movie,” Beanz’s full reaction read.
Another reaction read, “#Thunderbolts is A24 meets Superhero character study. Raw. Fresh. Hilarious at times. Sad at others. It has you rooting for this scrappy ensemble on the edge of your seat. Big implications, but still it’s own thing. If this is how the MCU is doing films now, BRAVA.”
We couldn’t have said it any better ourselves.
Film writer Emily Murray described Thunderbolts* as “easily one of the best MCU movies in a long time,” adding it “Has so much spark, charisma, and tells a genuinely emotional story you connect with. A tear was shed. Florence Pugh in particular superb, just walks away with it.”
“Biggest compliment I can pay #Thunderbolts is that it felt like Infinity era MCU. A focus on the characters and story, rather than fan service or future set-up (until lengthy post-credit scene). Terrific cast, led by the always-excellent Florence Pugh,” said another user on X.
Hit the #Thunderbolts hashtag on X, and you will be hard-pressed to find a negative reaction. We shall see if the critics all agree when reviews drop next week.
Until then, hit the gallery for more reactions.
1. All facts here
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Anadolu / Delroy Lindo
Marvel Studios’ take on Blade starring Mahershala Ali has become a running joke in Hollywood, and Delroy Lindo is providing some insight on why the film can’t seem to get out of limbo.
Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Lindo, who is currently promoting Ryan Coogler’s epic vampire flick, Sinners, opened up about the troubled Marvel Studios project, touching on issues like creative differences that have hampered production for the film, which was announced in 2019.
Lindo was announced to be joining the Blade reboot in 2021, subsequently exiting the project, revealing to the publication that it “went off the rails.”
“When Marvel came to me, they seemed to be really interested in my input,” the Da 5 Bloods actor said. “And in the various conversations I had with producers, the writer, the director at the time, it was all leading into being very inclusive. It was really exciting conceptually, but it was also exciting in terms of the character that was going to form. And then, for whatever reason, it just went off the rails.”
Lindo revealed that his character in the Blade reboot was supposed to have a “Marcus Garvey-esque” persona.
“I’m not saying that it would’ve been an out-and-out Garvey-ite. Not that, but just in terms of how this man’s philosophy, his ethos, and what was driving him. He was a character who had, very similar to Sinners, created a community, a Black community. He was a character who was the head of this community,” Lindo added.
It sounds like we missed out on something epic.
Welp.
Ali’s Blade Movie Is Currently A Joke
Since Ali’s Blade has failed to enter the MCU, the Academy Award-winning actor has appeared in other films, as well as the forthcoming entry in the Jurassic Park film franchise, and in other movies that were announced around the same time as the reboot, which has become a constant gag.
Wesley Snipes, who successfully brought the Daywalker to the big screen in three feature-length films, and recently reprised the role in Deadpool & Wolverine, has even taken shots at Ali’s Blade movie.
Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige insists that Ali is still very much involved with the Blade project and that it’s coming. We will continue to put faith in the man that is finally giving us the X-Men we have wanted to see for years, and delivered some of the greatest comic book movies of all-time.
He deserves that much grace.
Ben Affleck has nothing but nice things to say about his ex Jennifer Lopez. More than a year after Lopez filed for divorce following the couple’s whirlwind second shot at romance, the actor told Entertainment Tonight that the “Dear Ben, Pt. II” singer remains a vital, loving part of his family’s life.
“For the record, Jennifer Lopez is spectacular, great to my kids, great ongoing relationship with them,” he said on Wednesday night’s (April 17) red carpet for his action-packed sequel to his 2016 drama about an autistic CPA who does forensic accounting for criminal gangs. The praise appeared to be in reference to Lopez’s ties to Affleck’s three children with ex-wife, actress Jennifer Garner, Violet, 17, Seraphina, 16 and Samuel, 13.
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Affleck intimated that he also has affection for Lopez’s children, 17-year-old twins Max and Emme, whom she shares with her ex-husband singer Marc Anthony. “I love her kids. They are wonderful,” he said. “She is enormously important, [a] tremendous person of a lot of integrity who I adore and am grateful to.” The Oscar-winning actor and producer also noted that he was “thrilled” to have his kids and Lopez’s children with him at the movie’s premiere in Los Angeles.
“That’s the kind of thing where the relationship that you have with children like that is a joy in my life,” he said, noting that he was “very excited” to have the whole blended family out with him. “Those kids are amazing and I’m glad that this is a movie they want to come to… I love when all the kids come out.”
Despite the tabloid-magnet allure of the couple’s relationship over the past few years, Affleck noted that he doesn’t, “read the stuff online much and sometimes I get the sense that people perpetuate this idea of like, I don’t know, they want to find something negative to talk about.” Affleck and Lopez, both 55, first began dating in 2002 and got engaged before calling things off in 2004.
They reunited in 2021 and got married the following year. Lopez filed for divorce in February 2024, just months after the release of This Is Me Now: A Love Story, a movie co-written by the couple that was loosely based on their real-life love story. A candid behind-the-scenes doc, The Greatest Love Story Never Told, was also released at the time, opening up a window into their private lives. The couple’s divorce was finalized in January.
In March of this year, Affleck opened up for the first time about their second split, saying he had “nothing but respect” for Lopez, adding that there was “no scandal, no soap opera, no intrigue” about their divorce.
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Source: YouTube / Marvel Studios
Marvel is back, even though it never really left. The official trailer for The Fantastic Four: First Steps has arrived and it’s loaded with all the comic delights that makes the MCU great and leaves movie fans begging for more.
A proper rendition of The Fantastic Four—Mister Fantastic aka Reed Richards (portayed by Pedro Pascal), the Invisible Woman aka Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby), the Human Torch aka Johnny Storm (Joseph Queen aka dude from that last season of Stranger Things) and The Thing aka Ben Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bachrach)—has had several attempts, and fails, but the 2025 version is a reset (well, a rero-futuristic take apparently) that’s shaping up like a proper represenation of the fan-favorite franchise.
We already saw the namesake heroes in the teaser but the trailer up the ante with our first looks at world-eater Galactus and his herald The Silver Surfer (portrayed by a woman, Julia Garner—that will surely get the panties of the toxic fanboys in a bunch). Later for those bozos, because these visual look stunning.
We also get to see Mr. Fantastic in action, and he manages to not look corny.
Watch the trailer for Marvel’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps below as well as giddy social media reactions in the gallery. It hits theaters Juky 25, but feel free to move that date up, Marvel.
1. Facts, they matter.
4. Is that a compliment?
5. Already mad.
Miley Cyrus‘ anticipated visual album, Something Beautiful, will get its world premiere at the 2025 Tribeca Festival. The wide-ranging event that will take place in New York from June 4-15 will feature the first look at the film co-directed and co-written by Cyrus, Jacob Bixenman, Brendan Walter and produced by Tribeca alum Panos Cosmatos (Beyond the Black Rainbow).
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The “one-of-a-kind pop opera” features 13 original songs from Cyrus’ upcoming album of the same name.
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In addition to the premiere, Cyrus will sit down afterwards for a conversation at the event, which will kick off with the previously announced world premiere of the doc Billy Joel: So It Goes, directed by Emmy Award winners Susan Lacy and Jessica Levin. The doc is described as a “sweeping portrait of a true New York icon, this definitive documentary captures the grit, genius, and soul of William Martin Joel — from his Long Island roots to sold-out stadiums. With rare archival footage and revealing new interviews, the film charts the rise of one of America’s greatest singer-songwriters, whose music became the heartbeat of a city and the soundtrack of a generation.”
This year’s stacked music doc lineup will also spotlight films about the Counting Crows (Counting Crows: Have You Seen Me Lately?) and Culture Club (Culture Club), as well as exclusive performances from Billy Idol (Billy Idol Should Be Dead), Becky G (Rebecca (AKA Becky G) and Pearl Jam singer Eddie Vedder (Matter of Time) following the world premieres of their films.
In addition, members of Metallica (Metallica Saved My Life), Depeche Mode (Depeche Mode: M) and rappers WizKid (Wizkid: Long Live Lagos) and Ty Dolla $ign (Still Free TC) will sit for post-premiere conversations. Among the other musicians slated to appear in the Tribeca lineup are Demi Lovato, who co-stars alongside Rose Byrne and Oscar-winner Octavia Spencer in the movie Tow and the Wu-Tang Clan’s RZA, who wrote, produced and directed the drama One Spoon of Chocolate, starring Shameik Moore, Paris Jackson, Jason Isbell, Blair Underwood and RJ Cyler.
The queer roots of house music will also be chronicled in the doc Move Ya Body: The Birth of House, which will be followed by a house music dance party with Celeste Alexander, Lori Branch and Lady D. Other standouts include The Rose: Come Back to Me, a documentary about the bond between the members of South Korean indie band The Rose and The Sixth Borough, which charts Long Island’s impact on the evolution of hip-hop, with a special after-screening performance by De La Soul and Rakim.
“Tribeca has always been more than a festival—it’s a home for artists navigating an ever-changing industry and an ever-changing world,” said Tribeca Festival co-founder and Tribeca Enterprises CEO Jane Rosenthal in a statement. “For over two decades, we’ve championed emerging voices, celebrated established storytellers, and built a creative community where artists can grow, connect, and thrive. We’re proud of the ecosystem we’ve cultivated and can’t wait to share it with the world this June.”
Attendees can also check out the world premiere of I Was Born This Way, which tells the story of Archbishop Carl Bean’s 1977 disco hit “I Was Born This Way,” the world’s first gay anthem, featuring interviews with Lady Gaga, Billy Porter, Questlove and Dionne Warwick.
The festival will also feature the U.S. premiere of K-Pops!, a musical comedy directed by and starring Anderson .Paak as a “down-on-his-luck journeyman musician who takes a gig in Seoul with the house band of a K-pop competition show only to discover one of the show’s aspiring superstars is his long-lost son.” Rapper Logic will also premiere his film Paradise Records — which he wrote, directed and produced — which follows the crew of rag-tag employees at the record store of the same name.