Marvel Cinematic Universe Showbiz and Celebrity Breaking News

As everyone knows, the otherwise untouchable Marvel Studios had a particularly rough 2023. The disappointment of “Ant-Man: Quantumania,” the box office flop of “The Marvels,” and the critically reviled Disney+ series, “Secret Invasion,” severely put the studio on the ropes for the first time ever.

The Office and Harry Potter – has been cast as a villain in Marvel‘s The Fantastic Four.The 54-year-old Leeds-born actor will star alongside the likes of The Last of Us’ Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards (aka Mr Fantastic), The Bear’s Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm (aka The Thing), Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm (aka The Invisible Woman) and Joseph Quinn (Stranger Things) as Johnny Storm (aka The Human Torch).Ozark’s Julia Garner will play the Silver Surfer, while John Malkovich has also joined the film in an undisclosed role.Matt Shakman, who helmed the Marvel series WandaVision for Disney+ and Monarch: Legacy Of Monsters for Apple TV+, is set to direct the upcoming Fantastic Four film.Ineson first rose to fame for his role as Chris Finch in the UK sitcom The Office. He also landed a role in Harry Potter films, portraying the dark wizard Amycus Carrow and in Game Of Thrones as the warrior Dagmer Cleftjaw.Happy Valentine’s Day from Marvel’s First Family! Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Joseph Quinn are The Fantastic Four.Marvel Studios' #TheFantasticFour, in theaters July 25, 2025.

Marvel Cinematic Universe in the future, according to the CEO of Disney.Bob Iger was speaking to Wall Street analysts when he confirmed that he plans to release no more than three new Marvel films per year, as well as only two television series in the MCU.The studio head said that the plan is part of an overall strategy at Disney to focus on quality rather than quantity, with that applying particularly to their Marvel properties.“We’re slowly going to decrease volume and go to probably about two TV series a year instead of what had become four and reduce our film output from maybe four a year to two, or a maximum of three,” he said. “And we’re working hard on what that path is.”He continued that the MCU will have “a couple of good films in ’25 and then we’re heading to more Avengers, which we’re extremely excited about.”“Overall, I feel great about the slate.

Sometimes the fan campaigning really works, though in this case, the fan is actor Giancarlo Esposito, known for his roles in “Breaking Bad,” and “The Mandalorian.” In the last year or more, Esposito has made it no secret that he’s been eager to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe, seemingly talking it up every chance he gets and telling audiences. Previously, the actor revealed he had met with Marvel Studios and said he was keen to play a new version of Professor X in the “X-Men” movies.

As you are likely well aware, the Walt Disney Company bought 20th Century Fox back in 2019, just one year after “Deadpool 2” hit theaters, and in the process, became the owners of all of Fox’s Marvel properties, The Fantastic Four, X-Men, and the Deadpool franchise. But if you’re wondering why it took so long for a third ‘Deadpool’ movie to happen, six years after the second film, well, we finally have answers.

Robert Downey Jr. has said that he does not agree with Chris Hemsworth’s critique of his performance in Marvel’s Thor: Love and Thunder.The 2022 film was the fourth instalment in the MCU that focused primarily on Hemsworth’s character, and in a new interview, the Australian has said that he feels like he became “a parody” of himself in the film, and that he “didn’t stick the landing”.“Sometimes I felt like a security guard for the team,” he added.

When Taika Waititi released “Thor: Ragnarok” in 2017, the refreshingly comedic take on God Of Thunder was overwhelmingly well received, with fans loving the more irreverent take on the Norse God. Most critics and fans still consider it the best “Thor” film.

When the highly-anticipated blockbuster superhero film “Deadpool & Wolverine” slashes its way into theatres this July, fans can expect to see the nostalgic return of Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine and probably a whole ton of cameos, if the rumors and meta trailer jokes are any indication. However, as already reported, one character that viewers may have wanted to see but sadly won’t be in the anticipated blockbuster is Josh Brolin’s Cable, who previously appeared in “Deadpool 2.” Brolin’s absence from the film is already known; he was never reported as part of the film, and there’s no trace of him in any of the recent trailers; he even joked that he had beef with “Deadpool” star Ryan Reynolds.

Marvel‘s Deadpool & Wolverine has finally arrived – watch it below.Released last night (April 22), Marvel – and Ryan Reynolds – has at long last released a full trailer for Deadpool & Wolverine that finally showcases Hugh Jackman‘s Wolverine. In the action-packed trailer, we’re introduced to Logan/Wolverine as he sits in a bar before being propositioned by Deadpool to join him on a world-saving mission.The pair don’t seem to get along, trading blows before finally uniting to save Deadpool’s world.

Tom Holland has confirmed that he is definitely returning for a fourth instalment in his run of Spider-Man films.The actor has portrayed the superhero in three lead entries in the Marvel Cinematic Universe to date (2017’s Homecoming, 2019’s Far From Home and 2021’s No Way Home), as well as appearing in Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.And now, during an appearance at the Sands International Film Festival in St. Andrews, Scotland, Holland has said that he will be returning in the next MCU Spider-Man movie.“The simple answer is that I’ll always want to do Spider-Man films,” Holland said. “I owe my life and career to Spider-Man.

While he’d only shot a few films up to that point, thanks to his compelling turn in season four of “Stranger Things,” British actor Joseph Quinn quickly shot into the stratosphere and became a much-in-demand up-and-comer. Following that series, he promptly booked roles in “Gladiator II,” “A Quiet Place: Day One,” and, of course, the much-coveted role of Johnny Storm in Marvel’s upcoming “The Fantastic Four” movie, arriving in the summer of 2025.

Deadpool & Wolverine director Shawn Levy has addressed rumours that Taylor Swift could appear in the film.The singer has been at the centre of speculation over a potential surprise appearance in the upcoming Marvel film as superhero Dazzler.However, when asked by Entertainment Tonight about the rumours, Levy replied: “That is hardly confirmed nor denied in this interview. I’m going to literally walk out of the frame and save myself, otherwise Ryan [Reynolds]’s taking a hit [out] on me.”Speaking about his own attendance of a game to support Swift’s boyfriend Travis Kelce last year, which helped fuel speculation, the director said: “All that’s known is that I went to a football game, and those hours were well-documented and that’s all I’m gonna say. What can I say? I think intrigue is fun.”This isn’t the first time Levy has spoken about the rumours, with the director asked about his attendance at the game last October by TheWrap.“They sure are loud,” he said.

While the Marvel Studios narrative generally goes: an unimpeachable run at the box-office and with critics until 2023’s flop “The Marvels,” a closer inspection of the whole story arguably shows chinks starting to show in the armor during the pandemic. While it’s unfair to compare the box office of pandemic-era movies like “Shang Chi” and “Black Widow” to their non-pandemic counterparts, one film that seemed to take it in the teeth, regardless, was Chloe Zhao’s “Eternals” (read our review here).

Robert Downey Jr. has revealed that he would return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, should the opportunity arise.Downey Jr. gained global recognition for starring in 10 films as Iron Man, concluding with Avengers: Endgame in 2019.Following more than a decade spent as a key part of the franchise, the actor has shared that he would “happily” return to the role.In a recent interview with Esquire, the American actor answered a question about returning to the MCU with: “Happily.

Ozark star Julia Garner has been cast as Shalla-Bal, a version of the Silver Surfer, in Marvel’s The Fantastic Four.The Emmy and Golden Globe-winning actress will star alongside Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards (aka Mr. Fantastic), Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm (aka the Invisible Woman), Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm (aka the Human Torch) and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm (aka the Thing).Matt Shakman, who helmed the Marvel series WandaVision for Disney+ and Monarch: Legacy Of Monsters for Apple TV+, is set to direct the upcoming Fantastic Four film.The Silver Surfer was previously portrayed by Doug Jones and voiced by Laurence Fishburne in 2007’s Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer.Speaking on how The Fantastic Four will differ from previous Marvel films, Shakman said in October: “It’s different in so many ways.

Kirsten Dunst has opened up about her iconic upside-down kiss scene in Spider-Man, saying it was a “miserable” experience.Dunst played the role of Mary Jane Watson in Sam Raimi’s trilogy of Spider-Man films that starred Tobey Maguire: Spider-Man (2002), Spider-Man 2 (2004) and Spider-Man 3 (2007).In the scene from the 2002 film Dunst is referring to, Mary Jane removes Spider-Man’s mask halfway to give him a “thank you” kiss in the pouring rain as he hangs upside down.Speaking on ITV’s Jonathan Ross Show, Dunst said: “I remember Sam Raimi giving me a book of famous kisses to be inspired, but also he really wanted to make it special, even though it was kind of miserable actually doing it. It was pouring with rain, freezing, Tobey couldn’t breathe so it was almost like I was resuscitating him.”Maguire has also spoken about the difficulty of filming the scene two years ago for the film’s 20th anniversary and said he was “practically suffocating” performing the scene.“It was really tough, actually.

Iron Man which kicked off the Marvel Cinematic Universe alongside Robert Downey Jr. as main character Tony Stark.

Nicolas Cage has confirmed that he’s in talks to star in the live-action Spider-Man Noir TV series.Cage, who voiced the titular character in 2018’s Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, revealed in a recent interview with Collider at SXSW that he’s been having “conversation[s]” about reprising the role for the upcoming show.“Well, I can say that we have been talking,” he said. “It’s no secret that I love the character.

The Crown star Emma Corrin will appear in Deadpool & Wolverine as Cassandra Nova, the evil twin sister of X-Men leader Professor Charles Xavier.The news was confirmed on the film’s official copyright, where Corrin’s name is listed next to her character Cassandra.The character’s appearance in the film had been speculated by fans after a mysterious bald head was spotted in the first Deadpool 3 trailer. Marvel fans also correctly guessed that Corrin would be taking on the role.Cassandra was first introduced as Charles Xavier’s evil twin sister back in 2001, appearing in the New X-Men #114 comic written by Grant Morrison.In the comics, Cassandra started out as a psychic entity from the Astral Plane who latched onto Charles in the womb.Plot details for Deadpool 3 (offically named Deadpool & Wolverine) have not yet been revealed, but from the teaser, we know that Ryan Reynolds’ Merc with a Mouth will meet up with Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine after being pulled through time by the Time Varience Authority to carry out a secret mission.The teaser opens at Wade Wilson’s birthday party, where he tells his friends and family: “It’s been a challenging few years, for sure, but I’m happy – and that’s because of each and every one of you.

Ray Winstone has described filming Marvel‘s Black Widow as a “soul-destroying” experience.In a new interview with with Radio Times magazine, the actor, who played villain Dreykov in the Scarlett Johansson-led 2021 action-thriller, admitted that filming the Marvel movie “was fine until you have to do the reshoots.”“Then you find out that a few producers have come down, and your performance is too much, it’s too strong… That’s the way Marvel works,” Winstone said. “It can be soul-destroying because you feel like you’re doing great work.”The Sexy Beast actor said that he wanted to give up on the project altogether, but realised couldn’t as he was contractually obliged to complete it.“I actually said, ‘You ought to recast it because that was it for me.’ And you end up doing it again because you’re contracted to do it,” he explained.

Brie Larson has refused point blank to answer a question about the future of her involvement in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).READ MORE: ‘The Marvels’ review: a quirky cosmic caper that lacks punchLarson plays Carol Danvers, aka Captain Marvel, in the franchise. The all-powerful character inspired Samuel L.

Marvel and Star Trek actor Kenneth Mitchell has passed away aged 49.The news of the actor’s death due to complications from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) was announced by his family over the weekend.“With heavy hearts we announce the passing of Kenneth Alexander Mitchell, beloved father, husband, brother, uncle, son and dear friend,” they said in a statement.They added: “For five and a half years, Ken faced a series of awful challenges from ALS. And in truest Ken fashion, he managed to rise above each one with grace and commitment, to living a full and joyous life in each moment.A post shared by Kenneth Mitchell (@mr_kenneth_mitchell)“He lived by the principals that each day is a gift and we never walk alone.

Marvel‘s upcoming Fantastic Four film has found its core cast – see the cast below.Yesterday (February 14), Marvel took to social media to reveal its four main characters in the upcoming superhero film via a poster. In the poster, we Marvel’s First Family as they celebrate Valentine’s Day, characterised by drawings of Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn and Ebon Moss-Bachrach.Additionally, the film has been confirmed to release on July 25, 2025. See the film’s first poster below.Happy Valentine’s Day from Marvel’s First Family! Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Joseph Quinn are The Fantastic Four.Marvel Studios' #TheFantasticFour, in theaters July 25, 2025.

Deadpool 3, which aired during the Super Bowl 2024.As well as being a big night for American football and music, the Super Bowl broadcast also traditionally features a number of highly-anticipated trailers and teasers.The teaser opens at Wade Wilson’s (played by Reynolds) birthday party, where he tells his friends and family: “It’s been a challenging few years, for sure, but I’m happy – and that’s because of each and every one of you. I’m the luckiest man alive.” As he blows out the candles on his cake, though, a knock at the door interrupts the festivities and rips him away from the party.As he prepares to become Deadpool again, he declares: “I am the Messiah.

Echo, the newest series in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), has been labelled by many critics as its most violent show to date.The five-episode run, which is streaming now on Disney+, is a spinoff from the series Hawkeye from 2021, and follows the character of Maya Lopez, aka Echo, played by Alaqua Cox.In the show, Lopez returns to her hometown in Oklahoma, where she is forced to reckon with her past and reconnect with her Native American roots, in an effort to embrace her family and community.This series was first speculated upon back in 2021, with Echo, who is a deaf amputee with the ability to perfectly mimic the movements of others, heavily rumoured to be the subject of the show, even before Hawkeye had been first aired.Echo is the first show to be released under the ‘Marvel Spotlight’ banner, which they have introduced for select products that focus on “grounded, character-driven stories” and less on impacting the broader MCU narrative.Marvel Studios’ Head of Streaming, Brad Winderbaum, said: “Just like comic fans didn’t need to read Avengers or Fantastic Four to enjoy a Ghost Rider Spotlight comic, our audience doesn’t need to have seen other Marvel series to understand what’s happening in Maya’s story.”Many reviews have focused on the surprising levels of violence in the show’s action sequences.In a three-star review, The Guardian wrote: “The show is significantly gnarlier than its Disney+ predecessors, with far bloodier violence than has graced the streamer before.”“While Echo doesn’t quite cure the pandemic of Marvel fatigue currently raging across the globe, it shows there may be some life in the old gal.”Empire Magazine, who also give the show three stars, also points to the excitement in some of the

Marvel’s Avengers: Infinity War/Endgame and as one of the elite female warriors in Black Panther, was one of nine people who was struck by a driver at 1:30am while walking past a food stand in the city with friends.In a response to Deadline, Bernans’ publicist confirmed that she was struck at Chirp, a Peruvian restaurant in midtown Manhattan, when a driver crashed into the venue before reversing and hitting a car while allegedly attempting to escape.Bernans’ mother, Patricia Lee, shared an update about her daughter’s condition on Instagram, saying she was still suffering.Lee wrote: “She’s in so much pain but healing. She was involved in a traumatic incident in NYC where a man, early 40s, was trying to escape a hit and run and ran into multiple cars before hitting a food stand that her friend [and] her were walking near.“It ended up knocking her unconscious and pended her under the stand.

OK, it’s that time of year, the holidays. As you generally know, we mostly avoid the scuttlebutt of daily internet rumors.

Marvel takes a trip down more alternate timelines in the second season of What If…?Created by A.C. Bradley, the anthology series explores what would happen if various key moments across the Marvel Cinematic Universe had panned out differently – including if Ultron had won against the Avengers, to if T’Challa had become Star-Lord.The series is narrated by the Watcher (Jeffrey Wright), with many actors from the MCU reprising their roles to voice animated versions of their respective characters.The first episode of season two will debut on Friday December 22.

Marvel will reportedly “change” the title of the forthcomng Avengers movie after lead star Jonathan Majors was found guilty of assault.On Monday (December 18), the actor was dropped by Marvel Studios immediately after the verdict, which saw a jury find him guilty of assaulting his ex-girlfriend, Grace Jabbari. He could now be facing up to a year in prison.Majors previously played the role of Kang the Conqueror in 2023’s Ant-Man And The Wasp Quantumania and the Disney+ series Loki.

Quentin Tarantino’s scrapped Star Trek film has been compared to an unexpected Marvel movie.Earlier this week, news emerged that the Oscar-winning director had reportedly abandoned the project because he didn’t want it to be the final film of his career.The director has long spoken of his intention to retire after his tenth and final film, the title of which, The Movie Critic, was revealed earlier this year.Screenwriter Mark L. Smith, who worked on the script for Tarantino’s Star Trek film, explained in a new interview with Collider that after some “back and forth”, the director “started worrying about the number, his kind of unofficial number of films”.He went on to shed some light on what the scrapped project might have been like, comparing it to the script for Taika Waititi’s Thor: Ragnarok, in that that it would have been very different to the rest of the franchise.“I liked it because I think it’s different, but the way that [Thor] Ragnarok changed things.

John Boyega to replace Jonathan Majors as Kang the Conqueror in the Marvel Cinematic Universe – but don’t expect him to take on the role.Majors was dropped by Marvel Studios on Monday (December 18) just hours after he was found guilty of assault and harassment against his ex-girlfriend, Grace Jabbari.Following the announcement, fans have been suggesting actors who could replace Majors in the role on social media, with Boyega being among the most-mentioned.“Get John Boyega in that purple and green suit STAT #Kang,” one fan wrote on X.Another added: “Jonathan Majors is officially out as Kang. Bring in my boy John Boyega!”Last month (November 20), however, Boyega responded to the fan speculation prior to Majors’ trial, where he shut down hopes of him taking up the role.

Jonathan Majors has been found guilty of reckless assault in the third degree and harassment following a trial in New York.The actor, who faced four charges of assault, aggravated harassment and harassment, was found guilty on two of the charges in court on Monday (December 18). Majors was found not guilty on one of the counts of assault in the third degree and aggravated harassment in the second degree.As reported by Variety, his sentencing is set for February 6, with the actor facing up to a year in prison.Majors was arrested in New York in March after he allegedly assaulted ex-girlfriend Grace Jabbari in the backseat of a car. The actor pleaded not guilty to all the charges against him.In the trial, Jabbari said she grabbed Majors’ phone after seeing a text message from another woman, which read: “Oh how I wish to be kissing you.” As Majors attempted to retrieve his phone, Jabbari said she felt “a hard blow” across her head and that he twisted her arm.The prosecution claimed Majors was manipulative and controlling throughout their two-year relationship, which culminated in the car incident.

Jonathan Majors‘ ongoing trial for alleged assault have been made public. The Marvel actor denies the allegations against him.The newly-released evidence, which was shared in court last week, is between Majors and his ex-girlfriend Grace Jabarri, who accused him of assaulting her in the backseat of a car in March.As reported by Variety, the evidence includes text messages in which Majors threatened to kill himself, and an audio recording of an argument in which the actor told Jabarri that she needed to act more like Coretta Scott King and Michelle Obama to support his career.The text messages are from September 2022 and centre on a prior incident between Majors and Jabarri when they were a couple.

Avengers: Endgame, after she stopped watching Marvel movies “at some point”.The actor, who played Pepper Potts in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, explained why she hadn’t seen the 2019 superhero crossover blockbuster during a career retrospective talk at the Red Sea Film Festival in Saudi Arabia.Speaking at the festival on Wednesday (December 6) about Marvel movies (via Deadline), Paltrow said: “To be honest, I stopped watching them at some point. I’ve never seen Endgame. I can’t keep track of who’s what.

Marvel film, Blade.Since first being announced at the San Diego Comic Con event in 2019, Marvel’s Blade reboot has faced numerous production hurdles including script rewrites, delays due to the now-concluded writers and actors strikes, and its original director leaving the project.However, all of those hurdles are now seemingly being cleared up, with Ali – who will star as the titular hero – telling Entertainment Weekly that he’s “sincerely encouraged” by the direction the film is heading in.“We’re working on it. That’s the best I could tell you,” the actor told Entertainment Weekly.

Tom Holland has said his partner Zendaya is the person he trusts to be the “most honest” with him about his acting performances.The Spider-Man actor opened up about Zendaya’s advice while speaking to the SAG-AFTRA Foundation.He explained: “Zendaya is probably the most honest with me. Which I love, ‘cause you need that” (via The Independent).