6 Characters Hobbs And Shaw Needs To Bring Back

6 Characters Hobbs And Shaw Needs To Bring Back

Is it weird to say that it’s so damned easy to keep going back to watch the latest Hobbs and Shaw trailer over and over again? Revving up the motors for one of the potentially largest hits of 2019 certainly isn’t a hard prospect, especially when you have the right people for the job.

But mixed in the new footage we saw was an interesting development: Helen Mirren’s Magdalene, the matriarch of the Shaw clan, and in jail nonetheless. Which brings up one of the most fun pieces of the Fast and Furious franchise’s arsenal: surprise returning characters.

If Mother Shaw can cross over between franchises and return in Hobbs and Shaw, then the door is open for so many more possibilities. More specifically, there’s six characters that need to return in the Hobbs and Shaw side of the house, and they’ve all got some pretty good reasons to be brought back into the fold.

Cipher

At the end of The Fate of The Furious, Charlize Theron’s techno baddie Cipher escaped and made her way to Athens, probably planning some new plot to send the world into chaos. If that’s not the definition of a loose end, then the term needs to be revised for clarity.

However, with the Hobbs and Shaw team specializing in franchise extension, via saving the world from threats to security and intelligence, there’s a chance to tie off said hanging thread. With the titular pair ready to take on those who set out to destabilize the status quo, and Cipher being owed a proper villain rematch, the path is pretty clear to seeing these irresistible forces collide with more than a couple immovable objects.

Mr. Nobody

Returning audiences to the world of espionage in the Fast and Furious cinematic racetrack almost requires bringing other figures of the Diplomatic Security Service back into the fold. While we’ll probably be meeting some new personnel in this fairly new and shadowy organization in Hobbs and Shaw, it’d be nice to have a familiar face to help explain what’s going on.

It’d also be helpful to see professional smart ass/secret agent Mr. Nobody return in Hobbs and Shaw, because who doesn’t enjoy some good Kurt Russell snark? Of course, that snark is usually helpful whenever Nobody shows up, seeing as he’s the one with the intel for important missions ahead. When Mr. Nobody comes to town, you know the situation is serious, and we’d seriously like to see him back.

Little Nobody

The man we know as Little Nobody is a given for who should be brought into the Hobbs and Shaw world. Just as Mr. Nobody is the guy with the information and the plans needed to get the job done, Little is equally helpful, though a bit wet behind the ears.

As such, he still has something to learn when it comes to saving the world, and his lessons would be best conducted in the field, with bullets flying past his head. Scott Eastwood’s young spy in the making was a fun addition to The Fate of The Furious, and even if the character eventually stays in the more driven part of the canon, a Hobbs and Shaw mission wouldn’t hurt in the character development of Little Nobody.

Owen Shaw

Family is who you fight alongside, no matter the challenge. We’ve seen that Magdalene Shaw is coming back in Hobbs and Shaw, and with Vanessa Kirby being added to the family tree, it feels like another reunion is in order. Which means Owen Shaw needs to return yet again.

Undoubtedly Magdalene is going to need some help leaving her current place of incarceration. Knowing the Shaw family, reunions are always at the most inopportune times, so the quest to break mother out of the slammer will require all three of her currently known children. Not to mention, much like Deckard himself, Owen is owed a redemption, with Hobbs and Shaw feeling like the best place to get it.

Sean Boswell

While we saw Fast And Furious: Tokyo Drift’s Sean Boswell return for a cameo in Furious 7, we didn’t see him at all during The Fate of The Furious. This is in spite of the fact that we were told actor Lucas Black would be back for two more installments in the series, which has us thinking that a new plan may be in order.

Sean could easily become a cadet in the Diplomatic Security Service, as he’s dealt with underground criminal operations in international settings. Also, with his connection to the Toretto gang not being as strong as some of the other members, it wouldn’t be hard to win him over onto the side of the law. Of course, it’d be nice for him to have a partner to navigate this new world with, which leads to the most important character return for the Fast and Furious extended universe.

Han Lue

No one is going to let go of the fact that Deckard Shaw killed Han Lue in Fast and Furious 6, and some how became accepted as a good guy later on in this particular universe. But, as we’ve learned in the past, just because they say you’re dead doesn’t mean you died. Just as Letty came back from the dead, it’s time for Han to come back to the world of the living.

In fact, there’d be no better way to do that then to reveal that, surprise, he was drafted into the Diplomatic Security Service and has been working as a deep cover agent. Right there, you not only bring back a fan favorite, you also squash a serious beef in the Fast and Furious canon. Also, reuniting Sean and Han for some excitement is too good of an opportunity to pass up, and since he’ll definitely be coming back in some way for the Fast and Furious sequels, you’re basically killing two birds with one stone.

The Hobbs and Shaw franchise is just starting up with this first film, so the possibilities are still up in the air. But there’s plenty of good characters to pursue once things get going, provided that they don’t already show up in this initial entry.

We’ve still got some time to see where things go, as Hobbs and Shaw doesn’t hit theaters until August 2; but if anyone wants to get out there and film some nifty post credits scenes with any of the characters above, we’re willing to accept an Executive Producer credit as a thank you.

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There’s Already A Petition Against Robert Pattinson Playing Batman, Because Of Course

There’s Already A Petition Against Robert Pattinson Playing Batman, Because Of Course

It's only been about half a day since the news broke that Robert Pattinson is reportedly set to be the new Batman in Matt Reeves' upcoming film. That's plenty of time for the internet to organize into a mob of unstable rage monsters. Some are apparently already outraged with the decision to cast Pattinson in the iconic role of Bruce Wayne/Batman and so, the last bastion of the outraged, the online petition, has been broken out, and it asks Warner Bros. to reconsider the decision.

If you're wondering what the rationale behind the argument is, you might be surprised to learn that there really isn't one. The entire text of the petition is three sentences long and it simply asks WB to not make the "Batfleck mistake" again and to "stop trashing" the DC universe. There's no explanation of exactly why this casting decision would do that.

As of this writing the petition has only about 200 signatures on it. While that will certainly increase as the petition gains publicity, because, well, we're taking about it too, thus far it doesn't look like all that many people are seriously concerned with the choice as of yet.

And of course, it's entirely possible that all of this energy is being misplaced. While some reports claim that Robert Pattinson has earned the role of the next Batman, others are reporting that he's merely on the short list, alongside Nicholas Hoult as another potential dark knight.

While not stated outright, it seems clear that the Pattinson hate is due to the fact that several years ago the actor stared in a film franchise where he played a sparkly vampire. Of course, since then, Robert Pattinson has gone on to make a wide variety of films where he has received a great deal of acclaim. There's really no valid argument that the man isn't a good actor.

I find the swipe at Ben Affleck to be maybe the most curious part of the petition. A lot of people, even those who have their issues with the previous DCEU movies, would argue that Affleck's Batman was one of the high points of the existing franchise. It's certainly true that not everybody was convinced of that when he was cast, but he brought a lot of people around.

The same has happened with other roles in the history of the Batman franchise. A lot of very vocal people thought casting Heath Ledger as the Joker was the worst possible idea, and an Academy Award later we all know the truth about that.

Is it possible that the guy who once played a sparkly vampire could actually turn out to be an excellent Batman? Of course it is.

These online petitions never amount to anything beyond letting people vent, and this one won't be any different. If Robert Pattinson has indeed been cast as the new Batman, that's not going to change. I, for one, can't wait to see how Pattinson makes the role, that has been played by so many, feel like his own.

Matt Reeves The Batman is set for release June 25, 2021.

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Phoebe Waller-Bridge Says Bond 25 Will ‘Treat Women Properly’

Phoebe Waller-Bridge Says Bond 25 Will ‘Treat Women Properly’

So here’s the tea: the Bond franchise hasn’t hired a female writer since 1963. That finally changed when Fleabag and Killing Eve creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge was recently hired to polish the script on Bond 25. These action flicks may always be high on the testosterone, but having a woman in the writer’s room couldn’t hurt, especially when it comes to the iconic Bond Girls.

Phoebe Waller-Bridge was reportedly approached by 007 himself to join the team of writers rounding out Daniel Craig’s last hurrah as the suave secret agent. He wanted some of her specific brand of “wit and quirkiness” he’s a fan of from Fleabag in the Bond 25 script. It will be exciting to see a bit of Waller-Bridge’s offbeat humor in the upcoming film. It also looks like her involvement will benefit the movie beyond that too. Check out her recent words:

There’s been a lot of talk about whether or not [the Bond franchise] is relevant now because of who he is and the way he treats women. I think that’s bollocks. I think he’s absolutely relevant now. It has just got to grow. It has just got to evolve, and the important thing is that the film treats the women properly. He doesn’t have to. He needs to be true to this character.

In a world where powerful men are being exposed left and right for taking advantage of women, James Bond’s womanizer ways isn’t exactly one to side with. But it’s the very nature of the character and has been for almost 70 years. Should James Bond change to reflect a more modern hero? Phoebe Waller-Bridge doesn’t think so.

Following the #MeToo era, there are still plenty of playboys left in the world, including James Bond in the fictional space. As Phoebe Waller-Bridge explains, it’s not important that his lifestyle changes because it’s more relevant than ever. The focus of the franchise going forward needs to be on crafting more three-dimensional women who reflect the world today, and per her words to Deadline, it looks like the Fleabag star will help make that happen in Bond 25.

The film has already hired several actresses, including the return of Léa Seydoux’s Madeleine Swann and Naomie Harris’ Moneypenny, as well as newcomers Lashana Lynch (from Captain Marvel) and Ana de Armas. Phoebe Waller-Bridge continued with this:

I just want to make sure that when they get those pages through, that Lashana, Léa and Ana open them and go, ‘I can’t wait to do that.’ As an actress, I very rarely had that feeling early in my career. That brings me much pleasure, knowing that I’m giving that to an actress.

In an additional effort to give Bond 25 a better edge, the film has reportedly hired an intimacy coordinator for the first time for the franchise to help the actors feel comfortable and during the movie’s sex scenes.

After Danny Boyle dropped the project last year, the director was replaced by Cary Joji Fukunaga. The new helmer best known for his work on It is also co-writing the script with Scott Z. Burns (The Bourne Ultimatum) and frequent Bond writing team Robert Wade and Neil Purvis. Phoebe Waller-Bridge is the latest addition to the movie hitting theaters on April 8, 2020.

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New Detective Pikachu Video Is A Great Primer If You Don't Know Anything About Pokemon

New Detective Pikachu Video Is A Great Primer If You Don't Know Anything About Pokemon

Picture the following scenario: a popular franchise is about to hit theaters with a brand new installment that promises to spark a new cinematic universe. While you’re interested in catching this film in theaters, you’re not sure if you’ll be able to as there’s a bit of a knowledge gap that stands in your way. That’s the time that a nice, easy video like the one Ryan Reynolds just shared for Pokemon: Detective Pikachu would be handy. If you’re not particularly familiar with the world of Pokemon, take a deep breath and watch the video below:

As you’ve now seen, the world of Pokemon is a pretty diverse ecosystem of creatures, each with their own classifications and abilities. So if you’ve been watching the trailers for Pokemon: Detective Pikachu and have marveled at the live-action debut of not only Pikachu, but also tons more Pokemon that will reach the eyes and hearts of audiences in May, you’re not alone in being interested to know more about their names and skill sets.

Of course, you don’t need to know anything about Pokemon to want to see Pokemon: Detective Pikachu, as anyone who enjoys a good crime caper and/or Ryan Reynolds’ comedy stylings might happen to be up your alley anyway. The trailers have certainly done a good job setting up the world of the famous pocket monster video games for the common moviegoer, and now with this extra bit of background, audiences should be ready for the adventure that Pokemon: Detective Pikachu is ready to dish out.

But if you really want to take in the world of Rime City, and the other locales that Pokemon: Detective Pikachu will travel to, it helps to know if that little pink creature in the coffee shop will write on your face, should you be lulled to sleep. Pop quiz, hot shot: that creature is a Jigglypuff, and it will draw on your face if you fall asleep to its song. If you knew that, you’re pretty well off, but if you didn’t, you might want to hit the books a couple more times before setting off.

Still, if you’re interested in the deeper world of Pokemon: Detective Pikachu, you have this video Ryan Reynolds posted to his Twitter account to start you off. After which, you’ll probably want to check out the film’s various trailers again, as you’ll basically have the visual equivalent of flash cards to help guide you. However, if you’re really industrious and ready to test yourself in the world of Pokemon, you should try getting into the official augmented reality game Pokemon Go.

Pokemon: Detective Pikachu begins its quest to be the very best on May 10. Though if Pokemon isn’t your thing and you’ve somehow found yourself tricked into reading this entire article, the 2019 release schedule is going to be your new best friend. And we promise, there’s nary a Jigglypuff to lure you to sleep.

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How Shazam! Changed An Important Sivana Scene During Its Reshoots

How Shazam! Changed An Important Sivana Scene During Its Reshoots

Warning: MAJOR SPOILERS for Shazam! are ahead!

Although the original plan for Shazam! was to have the eponymous protagonist face off against Black Adam, the clash is being saved for the future, as the villain/anti-hero also known as Teth-Adam will first debut in his own movie. Instead, Shazam! used Mark Strong’s Doctor Thaddeus Sivana as its main antagonist, and he definitely showed off his intimidation chops.

This was best demonstrated when Sivana killed everyone inside of a boardroom, including his own brother and father, using the Seven Deadly Sins. As it turns out though, that wasn’t originally the scene that showed just how frightening Sivana could be. I recently spoke with Michel Aller, the editor of Shazam! and frequent collaborator with director David F. Sandberg, and she informed me that during principal photography, Sivana’s display of incredible power happened in a different location. Speaking about the boardroom scene, she said:

It was a later addition. Originally the way Sivana confronts his family was completely different. It was at a Christmas party in his mansion. And so the whole idea of him confronting his family was re-conceived. So that was part of the additional photography.

The Christmas season can be a dramatic time among certain families, but killing your relatives and all the attendees of a holiday party is an entirely different beast. Something like that feels more appropriate during the Airing of Grievances in a Festivus celebration. But as Michel Aller explained to me, during Shazam!’s reshoots phase, it was decided to change things up, which is how the boardroom slaughter came to be.

In case you need a refresher, after Thaddeus Sivana, against the wizard Shazam’s protests, stole the Eye of Sin from the Rock of Eternity and became the new vessel for the Seven Deadly Sins, he traveled to Sivana Industries to confront his father and brother. Both of them had been emotionally abusive towards Thaddeus growing up, with his brother, Sid, blaming him for the accident that paralyzed their father. Now that he had the power to exact revenge, Thaddeus tossed Sid out the window and had the Seven Deadly Sins murder Mr. Sivana and everyone else in the room.

For those curious to see how this massacre was originally supposed to play out at the Christmas party, Michel Aller states that there’s a good chance this will be one of the deleted scenes included on the Shazam! home media release, although obviously the visual effects effects won’t be complete. In her words:

Yeah, I mean, I’ve submitted it and I believe that they’ll include that for sure.

Doctor Sivana didn’t get to enjoy his partnership with the Seven Deadly Sins for very long in Shazam!. Thanks to the World’s Mightiest Mortal and his adoptive siblings, who were able to become superheroes thanks to Billy Batson sharing his power, the Sins were contained back in the Eye of Eternity and redeposited to their prison in the Rock of Eternity, which is now officially the Shazam family’s lair.

However, don’t think this is the last we’ve seen of Sivana in the DC Extended Universe. In the Shazam! mid-credits scene, he was shown obsessively scrawling ancient runes on the walls of his prison cell, desperately trying to go back to Rock of Eternity to reclaim his lost power. However, he was then approached by Mr. Mind, who promised him that there are other ways to obtain power, and by working together, the two of them will be able to conquer the Seven Realms. In other words, Sivana’s days of slaughtering innocents probably aren’t done yet.

Be sure to read CinemaBlend’s review of Shazam! and stay tuned for updates concerning Shazam! 2. In the meantime, catch up on all the other DC movies in development by looking through our handy guide.

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Annabelle 3 Has An Official Title, And It’s Great

Annabelle 3 Has An Official Title, And It’s Great

Although the main Conjuring film series began in 2013 and will return with its third installment next year, this horror franchise became a proper cinematic universe in 2014 with the release of Annabelle, centered on the eponymous creepy doll introduced in The Conjuring. She returned in 2016 for Annabelle: Creation and will be back again this summer, and we’ve now learned that Annabelle 3 will be officially, and fittingly, titled Annabelle Comes Home, as you’ll see below.

At first glance, Annabelle Comes Home may not seem like a particularly special title, but when looking at where this movie’s set within the Conjuring timeline, it makes sense. It was revealed last year that the threequel will be set after the beginning portion of The Conjuring, with Annabelle being kept in the museum of Ed and Lorraine Warren, the protagonists of the Conjuring movies. So after two movies of seeing Annabelle’s horrifying exploits in years past, she’s finally “returning” to the family that launched her film career, although within the Conjuring chronology, not much time has passed.

It’s nice to finally know what the third Annabelle movie’s being called, and this video is certainly spooky. Still, with only three months to go until the movie’s release, ideally fans will be treated to a trailer relatively soon. In a summer season that’s packed with various genre offerings, Warner Bros will want to start showing off footage from this latest Conjuring franchise fright fest to get more people hyped for its release.

The first Annabelle spinoff took place in 1967 and depicted how Annabelle Higgins died and the demon impersonating her spirit going on a killing spree, eventually inserting itself into that porcelain While met with mixed-to-negative reception, Annabelle did quite well for itself commercially, making $257 million worldwide off a $6.5 million budget. Annabelle: Creation wound the clock back even further to 1955 and show how Annabelle, originally known as Janice, became demonically possessed. Creation earned a much better critical reception than its predecessor and made $206.5 million worldwide off a $15 million budget.

For the third spinoff, Annabelle Comes Home will see Annabelle terrorizing the Warrens’ daughter, Judy, in the family’s home, and the doll’s presence will have an effect on the other supernatural artifacts being kept under lock and key. Along with Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga reprising Ed and Lorraine, respectively, Annabelle Comes Home’s main cast includes Mckenna Grace as Judy, Madison Iseman as Mary Ellen, Katie Strife as Daniela, Stephen Backehart as Thomas, Steve Coulter as Father Gordon Paul Dean as Mr Palmeri and Luca Luhan as Anthony Rios.

Directed and written by Gary Dauberman, with Conjuring mastermind James Wan producing alongside Peter Safran, Annabelle Comes Home scares its way into theaters on June 28, so keep checking back with CinemaBlend for continuing coverage. For now, don’t forget to look through our 2019 release schedule to learn what other movies come out later this year.

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Miss Klaus? See The Originals' Joseph Morgan At His New Movie's Screening

Miss Klaus? See The Originals' Joseph Morgan At His New Movie's Screening

Klaus Mikaelson is gone but not forgotten to fans of The Originals and The Vampire Diaries. Klaus is regularly name-dropped on The CW's current spinoff series Legacies, keeping him fresh in fans' minds. It happened again this week in a big Klaroline way, leading many fans to wistfully wonder what actor Joseph Morgan is up to.

Well, if you'll be in the Southern California area in early April, you may be able to see for yourself. His short film Carousel is working the film festival circuit, and the actor himself teased the the next screening would be April 3 in Beverly Hills:

Joseph Morgan tweeted out a link to the Beverly Hills Film Festival, hoping to see fans there. Morgan directed Carousel, which he also co-wrote and co-starred in alongside Persia White. The two stars are also married, after meeting on the set of The Vampire Diaries, where she played the recurring role of Abby Bennett Wilson.

Here's the film description on the Night Owl Productions site:

Carousel is a story of love, loss and the hope for redemption when a criminal escapes death and gets a second chance at life in more than one way. As we delve into an emotional journey that beckons us to consider how the consequences of our past actions, like a carousel, keep returning to us again, and again, until time runs out.

Check out the trailer:

Carousel has traveled to many film festivals since October 2018, and you can check the site to see if it will be playing anywhere near you, or if it might become available to watch in other ways.

Persia White and Joseph Morgan also produced the comedy Juice Truck, which is listed as playing at the Los Angeles Women's International Film Festival in March 2019.

The Originals Season 5 finale, also the series finale, aired August 1, 2018. So it hasn't even been a full year since the first Vampire Diaries spinoff went off the air. Still, there had been hope that we'd see Joseph Morgan back on screen with the Gone Baby Gone series. He had the role of Patrick Kenzie, the same role Casey Affleck had in the 2007 movie. But in May 2018, Deadline revealed that Fox had passed on the Gone Baby Gone pilot.

If you're looking for other stars of The Originals, Riley Voelkel (Freya Mikaelson) joined The CW's Roswell, New Mexico, which also co-stars Vampire Diaries alum Michael Trevino. And Charles Michael Davis (Marcel Gerard) is a new addition to For the People Season 2 on ABC. Of course, Joseph Morgan's on-screen daughter Danielle Rose Russell (Hope Mikaelson) is now the star of the spinoff Legacies, which just saw the return of another supporting character from The Originals this past week.

Earlier in Legacies Season 1, we got an update on what happened to Klaus in the afterlife. Unfortunately, The Originals finale pretty much ruled out Joseph Morgan's return to the show, unless they want to do the vision/spirit thing.

The Vampire Diaries ended a full two years ago, as of this past March 10, and those stars have also been keeping busy on TV and in some films through 2019. Keep up with everything headed to the big screen this year with our 2019 movie release schedule.

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Guy Ritchie Is Returning To His Crime Roots With The Gentlemen, And I Am Pumped

Guy Ritchie Is Returning To His Crime Roots With The Gentlemen, And I Am Pumped

In recent years, Guy Ritchie has become a go-to director when studios are developing new brand products. It started back in 2009 when Sherlock Holmes became a surprise success, and since then all of his features have been based on pre-existing properties – including Sherlock Holmes: A Game Of Shadows, The Man From U.N.C.L.E., King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, and the upcoming Aladdin.

At the same time, though, there are still plenty out there who continue to admire him for his early work in the crime genre, as he wouldn’t be where he is today without the cult popularity of titles like Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels, and Snatch. And while he hasn’t made a movie in that vein in more than a decade, that streak is soon coming to an end, as he’s returning to his roots with his new movie for STX Films: The Gentlemen.

Obviously we’re still waiting for Aladdin to be released (it’s scheduled for late May this year), but earlier today at CinemaCon in Las Vegas – the annual convention for theater owners – we got our very first look at The Gentlemen, and it definitely has us keyed up. The project has had a few different names as it’s moved through development, including Toff Guys and Bush, but regardless of what it’s called, what makes it really stand out is it’s absolutely fantastic ensemble cast playing bad people who do bad things to other bad people.

Admittedly it was a bit challenging to get a full read on the full plot of the movie, as it appears that there is a whole lot going on, but the footage did get across the basic idea. Charlie Hunnam, who played Guy Ritchie’s lead for King Arthur, is our protagonist, and a criminal who is stuck in a steadily escalating conflict between an eccentric, marijuana-specializing kingpin (Matthew McConaughey) and forces that want to see him pushed out – led by a character played by Henry Golding. Those three names alone create some serious expectations, but they’re joined in the insanity by Colin Farrell, Jeremy Strong, Eddie Marsan, Michele Dockery, and Hugh Grant (sporting an awesome cockney accent that is thousands of miles away from the posh inflections we typically hear from the actor).

This is the kind of filmmaking and storytelling that helped Guy Ritchie stand out when he was first making a name for himself in the late 1990s, and while one can’t really fault him for his more mainstream project choices recently, it’s exciting to see him pursue something like this. The fact that it’s totally original is obviously its own bonus, but what particularly stood out in the Gentlemen footage was the pitch-perfect dark comedy tone. Whether it was a dude doing a full sprint past his captors after being let out of a car trunk; or kids being chased for their cell phones after filming a man tripping and falling off a balcony, the preview gave the sense that Ritchie’s sharp, black-as-night sense of humor is just as strong now as it was nearly 20 years ago.

STX Entertainment acquired the film for distribution earlier this year, but sadly they have not yet announced a release date – which means that we are still in the dark as to when exactly it is coming out. That being said, production on The Gentlemen began last November and ended this past February, and it’s not exactly a movie that looks like it is stuffed to the gills with visual effects. If Guy Ritchie gets to put all of his attention towards it when he finishes promoting Aladdin, is it possible that we could see it come out some time before December? Right now we don’t know, but we will be keeping our fingers crossed, and we will keep you up to date with all of the latest information right here on CinemaBlend.

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Star Wars’ Admiral Ackbar Is Not Happy About His Death In The Last Jedi

Star Wars’ Admiral Ackbar Is Not Happy About His Death In The Last Jedi

The Star Wars franchise has been on a hot streak over the last few years, ever since Disney acquired the rights to Lucasfilm. A ton of new and exciting additions to the beloved space opera have already been made, and the property is showing no signs of slowing down. The sequel trilogy will end with The Rise of Skywalker, and J.J. Abrams' return to the franchise will also complete the nine-film narrative that started with A New Hope.

The current trilogy brought back plenty of familiar faces, including Rebel leader Admiral Ackbar. While fans were delighted to see him have a bit part in The Force Awakens, he was unceremoniously killed off in The Last Jedi, when Leia's bridge was attacked by a TIE Fighter. Actor Tom Kane has voiced Ackbar since the death of Erik Bauersfeld, and recently revealed his dismay with the character's fate, saying:

I’ve been Ackbar for about six years... and I was not really thrilled about how they blew him out the side of the ship. I’m like, ‘Who is this Holdo woman? Nobody knows her, no one’s invested in her — who is she? Why is she saving the fleet?’ If anyone was gonna save the fleet it’d be Ackbar.

It looks like Tom Kane would have preferred for Laura Dern's Vice Admiral Holdo to have been excluded from The Last Jedi, in favor of giving Ackbar the big heroic death sequence. Unfortunately, he perished in the shocking opening sequence.

Tom Kane's comments from his recent appearance at Star Wars Celebration (via Comic Book) seem to echo some of the fan complaints for Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Director Rian Johnson purposefully subverted fan expectations, and provided surprise after surprise in his divisive sequel. That was shown early during the movie's runtime, as the Resistance Leaders were pulled into the vacuum of space after being hit by a TIE Fighter.

While Leia would manifest her Force abilities and get to safety, Admiral Ackbar wasn't so lucky. And it was his loss that ultimately made way for Laura Dern's Vice Admiral Holdo to take control of The Resistance while Leia recovered. If Ackbar had survived, Holdo's conflict with Poe would have never occurred. What's more, she wouldn't have gotten that iconic moment of self sacrifice during The Last Jedi's third act.

Holdo's big sacrifice, which Tom Kane seems to take umbrage with, brought the most sensory moment of The Last Jedi. As the movies' various conflicts came to a head, the Resistance leader turned on her ship's hyperdrive and used it to ram through the First Order forces, including the massive ship Supremacy. The movie was suddenly silent, as a flash of light showed her destructive power in Holdo's final moments.

You can't blame Tom Kane for wanting Admiral Ackbar to get that already iconic Star Wars moment. Ackbar has been with the franchise for a long time, and his "It's a trap!" line has been the subject of countless memes. But he was less of a presence in The Force Awakens, and ultimately perished without much fanfare during The Last Jedi's first big battle scene.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker will arrive in theaters on December 20th. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

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Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge Will Feature Yoda, Other Surprising Returning Personalities

Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge Will Feature Yoda, Other Surprising Returning Personalities

Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge promises to open up a new corner of the Star Wars universe. It creates an outpost on a planet at the edge of wild space where guests will be able to interact with new characters, eat new food, and experience all new attractions. However, it wouldn't be Star Wars if the new land didn't also include those elements of the franchise that we're familiar with. At the recent Star Wars Celebration it was revealed that several classic characters will appear in the new land, including Jedi Master Yoda.

Of course, since the time period for the new Galaxy's Edge land is set in the era of the new trilogy, don't expect to actually see Yoda anyplace in the new land, except possibly as merchandise. Yoda has been long dead by the point in which this part of the story is taking place. However Chris Beatty, the Executive Creative Director at Walt Disney Imagineering did reveal that Yoda would be heard someplace in the new land, and that Yoda's voice was being provided by Frank Oz, the voice of Yoda throughout all of the films.

Exactly how the voice would be heard wasn't revealed. It could be part of one of the E-ticket attractions inside the new land, though neither of them strikes me as particularly Jedi enough to make Yoda make sense there. Perhaps Yoda will help guide you as you build your own custom lightsaber, which will be something you'll be able to schedule for yourself in one of the Black Spire Outpost shops.

However, Yoda isn't the only classic voice who will be returning for Galaxy's Edge. Fans of the original Star Tours will remember the pilot, named R3x, who was voiced by Paul Reubens. While the current version of the attraction doesn't have R3x flying, Galaxy's Edge will have the character back, as a DJ at Oga's Cantina.  Margaret Kerrison, Story Editor at Walt Disney Imagineering says the new R3x is going to be a lot of fun...

We worked with so many incredible voice-over actors. One of the ones that we definitely wanted to bring back was Paul Reubens. We were super excited to bring him back and nobody was more excited than Paul. He was really great to work with. He really, really was. He brought in a lot of inspiration and new lines for us. Let’s just say you will be thoroughly entertained in Oga’s Cantina.

Reubens apparently recorded a lot of new dialogue for his new role, where he'll be playing a lot of brand new music written specifically for the land. Some of that music is being attributed to the band Figrin D'an and the Modal Nodes, which is the group more widely known as the "Cantina Band" from Star Wars: A New Hope. Take a listen to some of it below.

One more classic Star Wars character who will be seen at Black Spire Outpost is the alien Nien Nunb. First seen as Lando Calrissian's co-pilot during the attack on the second Death Star in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, Nien Nunb was seen as an X-Wing pilot in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and he's also a background character in Star Wars: The Last Jedi who survives until the evacuation on Crait.

Nien Nunb will also appear in Galaxy's Edge in some capacity, and he will be voiced by the same man who gave him a voice back in Return of the Jedi, even though, according to Galaxy's Edge project lead Scott Trowbridge, making that happen was a little bit tougher this time around...

I love this story because Nien Nunb, when he was voiced in his original appearance, was voiced by a young man who was a student in the bay area at the time. Actually, was from Kenya. He spoke a unique dialect and had a unique sounding voice. But then, time passed and the gentleman, whose name is Kipsang, went back to Africa. We kind of lost track of him. But when we decided we were going to bring Nien Nunb back for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, we actually went to Kenya, tracked him down, to record the original voice actor for Nien Nunb to play in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge because that’s the kind of thing you want us to do.

All of these characters get added to the list of Star Wars characters we already knew would be appearing. All of the main heroes and villains of the current trilogy will also appear on Batuu. We'll see Rey, Finn, Poe Dameron, and even Kylo Ren as part of the Rise of the Resistance attraction. Fans of the Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Rebels animated series will meet an incredibly life like animatronic of Hondo Ohnaka

Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge will also see new music written for it created by John Williams, the man who has written nearly every note of music for the galaxy far, far away. It won't simply be ambient music throughout the land, as that would potentially break the illusion that you actually standing on an alien world. I'm sure, however, that Disneyland and Walt Disney World have found plenty of other ways to include the music.

Whatever your level of love for Star Wars, there's going to be so much going on in Galaxy's Edge that you're going to find something that strikes a chord. Disney never gives the entire game away and with all this announced only slightly over a month before the new land opens, there's almost certainly more to see and hear that we don't know about yet.

We'll find out when Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge opens at Disneyland on May 31 and at Walt Disney World August 29. If you want to guarantee yourself access to the new land, you'll need to book a Disneyland Resort hotel stay during the land's first three weeks, as that will get you a no-cost reservation to enter Black Spire Outpost.

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New Toy Story 4 Clip Has Toys Realizing They're Made Of Fluff

New Toy Story 4 Clip Has Toys Realizing They're Made Of Fluff

One of the themes that has been present throughout the Toy Story series is toys coming to grips with the fact that they are toys and finding out what it means to be a child’s plaything. It appears that theme will continue on in Toy Story 4 to hilarious results. A new clip from Toy Story 4 has some of the movie’s new characters getting an unsettling look at what they’re made of. Take a look:

The stuff on the inside is generally supposed to stay on the inside, and when it comes out it can make for a traumatic experience, as Jordan Peele and Keegan-Michael Key’s Bunny and Ducky find out here. Their shocked and frightened responses to seeing a fellow plush toy bisected by the razor sharp claws of a house cat is quite the turn from earlier in the clip where they had a cavalier and antagonistic attitude towards Buzz Lightyear.

The scene is like something out of a horror movie where there is blood everywhere, only in this instance, it is fluff and, as is often the case with toys in this series, they aren’t really prepared to be confronted with their own mortality and nature in such a dramatic way. It’s a funny clip that shows that these new characters will provide plenty of humor and great lines in the fourth installment of this series.

I also dug the idea that this cat is a true menace, a boogeyman to toys that must be avoided at all costs. It just goes to show that when you leave the comfort and relative safety of the carnival and go on an adventure with Andy’s/Bonnie’s toys you’re going to see some stuff and be put in harm's way.

Maybe the plastic toys that aren’t filled with fluff like Buzz and Bo Peep can take point on this one. Where is Keanu Reeves’ Duke Caboom when you need him?

This clip also gave us another look at Bo Peep, who has become something of an Indiana Jones-like toy in her time since she left Woody and the gang and became a lost toy. She is clearly well equipped for this kind of adventuring (maybe she has a squirt bottle). Whether she is ultimately a good guy or not is an open question though.

Even if it was planned all along, making a sequel to an already perfect trilogy is a tricky proposition, and there is an argument to be made that Disney shouldn’t have done it. We won’t know for sure if Disney was right to do so until we see it, but judging by the trailers and clips we’ve seen from Toy Story 4, it has the heart, humor, great character moments and clever insights into life as a toy that we’ve come to expect from this series.

Toy Story 4 arrives in theaters on June 21. Check out our 2019 Release Schedule to keep track of all the big movies headed your way as we approach prime blockbuster season.

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Avengers: Endgame Got An A+ CinemaScore, But How Would You Grade It?

Avengers: Endgame Got An A+ CinemaScore, But How Would You Grade It?

Avengers: Endgame is already on track to have the highest opening weekend in history, but money isn't the best judgement of quality. We already know that critics mostly loved the movie, giving it a 96% over on Rotten Tomatoes at this point. We here at CinemaBlend also loved the film, but what does the moviegoing audience think? That's where CinemaScore comes in and Avengers: Endgame is sitting at an extremely healthy A+.

For those who may not know, CinemaScore doesn't work the same way as other review aggregators like Rotten Tomatoes or Metacritic. Rather than give a movie a ranking based on reviews, CinemaScore polls the feelings of the audience. Audience members are surveyed outside the theater after their showing and assign the movie a grade from A+ to F.

In that sense, the results can be a little skewed, because people are surveyed right at the height of their hype (or lack thereof) and might feel differently after a little time. Generally, though, it's a good way to get a consensus on a movie.

In the case of Avengers: Endgame, audiences love the movie right now. The Marvel blockbuster sits at the highest possible ranking of A+. CinemaScore doesn't usually go into much more detail than that, but there's plenty to love in Marvel's latest.

The score is pretty comparable to the rest of the MCU's 22 film library. The vast majority of the films got some version of an A grade. However, the only other movies that have an A+ are The Avengers and Black Panther, so Endgame is part of a select club within the MCU.

Interestingly enough, the only MCU to not have an A grade at all is the very first Thor movie, which has a B+. Not even The Incredible Hulk and Iron Man 2, generally agreed to be two of the worst MCU films, have lower than an A-.

So, people generally really love MCU movies, but only a few ever get the highest ranking. However, we want to know what YOU think of Avengers: Endgame. The movie is a finale and those tend to be divisive, but it seems like people are on the same page with Endgame.

Taking a page from CinemaScore, we've put together a poll ranking the movie based on the aggregator's ranking system. Just click the score you think applies to Endgame and we'll see were it goes. My own ranking is in the A to A+ category, but don't let me sway you.

If you haven't seen it already, Avengers: Endgame is in theaters right now and currently dominating everything in its path. For more on the hit blockbuster, be sure to visit CinemaBlend where we will continue to update you on Endgame, from its box office performance to our own questions about the movie.

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Jimmy Fallon Made Mark Ruffalo Take An Avengers: Endgame Lie Detector Test

Jimmy Fallon Made Mark Ruffalo Take An Avengers: Endgame Lie Detector Test

While nobody likes being spoiled, that doesn't stop fans from getting absolutely obsessive when it comes to wondering what is going to happen in their favorite movie franchises. Avengers: Endgame is set to be the biggest Marvel movie yet and Mark Ruffalo is known to be less than perfect at keeping secrets. However, last night Jimmy Fallon took no chances when he decided to hook the Incredible Hulk himself up to a lie detector. The results were... interesting. Check it out in the clip below.

It seems that every time that Mark Ruffalo is on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, the host is ready to grill him for answers one way or another. This time Fallon decided he wanted to have incontrovertible evidence of accuracy. For what it's worth, Fallon does appear to have a legitimate lie detector device on his desk. It certainly looks like the real deal.

Fallon starts by asking if the Hulk is, in fact, a Skrull, a pertinent question coming on the heels of the release of Captain Marvel, which introduced the shape shifting aliens to the MCU. Mark Ruffalo says he can't answer, though the machine claims that he could. Ruffalo also refuses to answer questions about the relationship status of Bruce Banner and Black Widow. He also seemingly reveals that there are secrets in the original trailer that nobody has discovered, by claiming that there are not.

As entertaining as all this is, it was obviously played for comedy and so we can't exactly take any of it to mean anything. It appears the machine was being manipulated for comedic purposes, but even if it wasn't, many of Fallon's questions were asked in such a way that the machine wouldn't read things properly anyway. And does anybody believe Jimmy Fallon actually knows how to hook somebody up to a lie detector?

Mark Ruffalo has been in something of the Marvel doghouse of late, as the guy has a tendency to spill things about the movies, however accidentally. He previously left his phone on and streamed portions of Thor: Ragnarok that he wasn't supposed to. He also actually gave away the emotional ending of Avengers: Infinity War, though luckily his comments only got wide spread play after the fact.

Considering his previous gaffs in the area of spoilers, Mark Ruffalo is probably one of the safer people to put out in public leading into Avengers: Endgame. He's paying that much more attention to every word that he's saying.

All of this took play last night, prior to the release of this morning's brand new trailer. It, like everything else we've seen in the promotions department, tells us remarkably little about what's actually going to happen in Endgame. It also tells us remarkably little about what Mark Ruffalo himself is even going to be doing in the movie.

On the plus side, we have barely more than a month before we'll get all our answers. Avengers: Endgame will be here April 26.

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Avengers: Endgame Has Screened, Here’s What People Are Saying

Avengers: Endgame Has Screened, Here’s What People Are Saying

Avengers: Endgame had its world premiere last night, and that means there are a select group of people walking this earth who know how it all ends. Those people know, but they're not talking, because they're decent human beings. They are, however, talking in much more broad strokes about what they thought of Endgame as a whole. In a word, well, it was a marvel. Critics began tweeting their thoughts after the premiere last night and not only are they basically overwhelmingly positive, they're flat out in shock.

CinemaBlend's own Eric Eisenberg was one of the people lucky enough to attend the premiere, and he is still coming to terms with what he saw.

This can't be understated: Avengers Endgame is everything you want it to be and more. I am absolutely floored. A perfect reflection on the last 11 years that pays off everything in the best way possible. Without question my new favorite Marvel Cinematic Universe film. Stunned.

Fans are likely breathing a sigh of relief right about now. The build up to Avengers: Endgame has been immense. Infinity War left things with an incredible conclusion that even those familiar with the story weren't necessarily expecting. It was hard for people to imagine how Marvel would top that.

And that's the challenge after all. Ending a story isn't easy. Finding a way to make things satisfying for the audience, especially because expectations are so high, is that much harder. However, Slashfilm's Peter Sciretta says that expectations will be met, and likely exceeded. Also, bring tissues...

Imagine the best possible version of Avengers Endgame and somehow the film still surpasses all expectations. I cried 5-6 times. It’s the most emotional, most epic, MCU film. A tribute to ten years of this universe and holy shit the great fan service in this movie. Soooo good.

Certainly, nobody could have imaged 11 years ago when the first Iron Man was released that the experiment that was the Marvel Cinematic Universe would become quite this successful. When The Avengers came out and set box office records that was an achievement all on its own. And yet, things continued forward and a story began to take shape that as eventually going to lead things to an even bigger conclusion.

Spoiler heavy material has leaked onto the internet, a difficult thing to avoid happening with something this in demand, but hopefully most fans have successfully avoided it. Kara Warner of People urges all fans to go in to the movie knowing as little as possible.

Wow Avengers Endgame. Just wow. What a supremely satisfying film. See it as soon as you can and go in as blind as possible.

Leaked videos notwithstanding, Marvel has done a remarkable job of keeping a lid on things. Even the trailers, while they've given us the film's basic setup, really haven't shown us much beyond that. I doubt there's a single shot in the trailers that doesn't come from the first hour of the movie, and considering the film is three hours long, that leaves a lot of additional material that we know essentially nothing about.

Does anybody have a bad thing to say at all about Avengers: Endgame. Not really. One of the few critical statements I could find came from i09's Germain Lussier, who admitted that the film is long, which means that it actually felt long, and that it's not entirely perfect. Beyond that, still amazed.

Wow. Avengers Endgame is staggering. It’s surprising in ways I never saw coming and satisfying in ways I didn’t realize I needed. It’s kind of the ultimate gift to fans of the MCU. It’s very long and has a few hiccups, but is everything you’re hoping for and more.

People have been waiting for more than a decade through more than 20 movies to get to this point. If you've seen them all, you've certainly been on a journey. Fandango's Erik Davis says that dedication will be rewarded, as Endgame is actually able to expand on the entire MCU and make you see the entire series in a new way.

Avengers Endgame is a masterful epic - a true culmination of 22 films that not only concludes the story, but expands upon it. You’ll learn more about the other movies while this one unfolds. If Infinity War is the brawn, Endgame is the brains. And wow, what an ending!

Is there anything at all to be critical of? Well, as one might expect of a three hour epic of a movie, it's a slow build. Yolanda Machado admits that younger viewers may not get behind some of the slower bits, and it sounds like there might also be some scarier parts, but in the end, it's all worth it.

More on Avengers Endgame. The story is a long, slow build but the payoff is fantastic. Kids under 10 might not handle the first half, for a few reasons, but older kids will dig it. I cried, and there's one moment I just screamed YASSSS!!! Then I cried some more. I just loved it.

If it was possible for Avengers: Endgame to be hyped any more than it already has been, that seems to have been accomplished. The good news is that all corners seem to indicate that's ok, as the movie will meet or exceed all of our expectations. If it was able to work for basically everybody in attendance at the premier in that way, then it will almost certainly satisfy theaters full of people when it debuts this weekend.

In the end, it's not a question of if Avengers: Endgame is going to be big, it's just a question of how big it will be. Any worry that Endgame wasn't going to stick the landing should be gone now. Will the end of this epic story become the highest grossing movie of all-time? The film has already set pre-sale records, meaning the movie will likely set opening weekend records. The fact that some theaters are running screenings overnight will help that too.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has had no shortage of epic moments, but it seems like we may have several more in store for us very soon. What happens next? Not even those at the premiere know the answer to that, if they do, they're not saying.

Full reviews for Avengers: Endgame will be hitting later today, so if you want more information, come back to CinemaBlend this afternoon.

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The Fast And Furious Franchise Might Give Charlize Theron’s Cipher A Spinoff

The Fast And Furious Franchise Might Give Charlize Theron’s Cipher A Spinoff

With this summer’s Hobbs and Shaw release, the Fast and the Furious franchise is officially expanding into spinoff territory. And why not? The Universal property has made the studio over $5 billion in box office earnings worldwide. After Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham have their own blockbuster moment this summer, the next spinoff may shift its gear to techie badass Cipher, from 2017’s The Fate of the Furious played by Charlize Theron.

In addition to Hobbs & Shaw, and the upcoming ninth and tenth installments from the main franchise, Universal is reportedly exploring a female-fronted Fast and Furious spinoff built around Charlize Theron’s character Cipher. Universal reportedly has been promised three Fast and Furious spinoffs, including a previously announced female-fronted film. Is this the film starring Charlize Theron’s Cipher or an additional project?

A few months back, Vin Diesel said a female-led Fast movie was officially in the works from two of the Captain Marvel writers Nicole Perlman, Geneva Robertson-Dworet and Lindsay Beer. Furthers details have not yet been announced, but many assumed Michelle Rodriguez’s Letty would be leading the film since she’s been the franchise’s leading woman since 2001. So THR's new report about Cipher is especially surprising.

Michelle Rodriguez has also been vocal about her past disappointment with the series’ treatment of female characters. This could have led Universal to think up two female-led movies, one with Letty and one with Cipher, they could be in the same movie or Rodriguez may not be involved in the upcoming Fast and the Furious spin-offs at all.

In 2017, Charlize Theron joined the franchise as the main villain Cipher, a cyber terrorist who blackmails Vin Diesel’s Dominic into betraying his crew. In Fate of the Furious it was also revealed that she played a larger role in events in other films in the franchise, making her a key character to perhaps explored in another movie.

Not to mention the impressive track record the Oscar winner has with fronting action flicks in the past. Theron has played the lead in Mad Max: Fury Road, Atomic Blonde and The Huntsman: Winter’s War. Another notable connection here is the director of Hobbs & Shaw also helmed Atomic Blonde, so if Universal is planning a continued collaboration with David Leitch, the pair may jump at the opportunity to work with one another again.

Following Theron’s debut in the Fast and the Furious franchise, she seemed open to reprising her role in another film, hinting at impending conversations with Universal. Perhaps it lead to a more meaty role for the actress to take on in a future?

The Fast and the Furious franchise will first continue with Hobbs & Shaw coming to theaters on August 2 and then with Fast and the Furious 9 on May 22, 2020. Do you want to see Charlize Theron’s Cipher return for a spinoff? Let us know in the comments below.

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The Batman’s Filming May End Up Being Delayed

The Batman’s Filming May End Up Being Delayed

While the DC Extended Universe is embarking down a different path than what was initially planned, one of its most popular heroes isn’t going anywhere. The Batman is still chugging along, and while someone else will be taking over the Caped Crusader role from Ben Affleck, it remains one of the DCEU’s most highly anticipated projects. However, delivering exceptional products takes time, and in The Batman’s case, that could result in another filming delay.

Back in March, writer/director Matt Reeves, who’s been attached to The Batman since early 2017, said that it looked like the movie would start rolling cameras “around year’s end.” Now Variety’s Justin Kroll has heard that some script changes might result in that launch date being pushed back a bit. He wrote:

It’s taken a while for The Batman script to come together, as Matt Reeves was still busy with War for the Planet of the Apes when he first boarded the project, and he also re-wrote it from scratch to allow for more creative freedom. The script is closer than ever to completion, but polishing up the story is part of the game, and moving back production by just a couple months isn’t too big of a deal.

However, The Batman delaying production isn’t set in stone just yet. If these script changes don’t end up taking too much extra time, The Wrap reporter Umberto Gonzalez has heard that filming is set to begin on November 4 in London. So The Batman is still gearing up to finally begin principal photography, the question now is whether it will be unfold pre or post-Christmas 2019.

Of course, even if The Batman begins production within the next year, it’ll still be a long journey for the finished product to arrive. The movie isn’t being released until summer 2021, and while there are a few DCEU movies before then to keep fans entertained, it’ll have been four years since Ben Affleck’s Batman made his final appearance in Justice League. Still, it was a seven-year wait between Batman & Robin and Batman Begins, so this isn’t as bad.

Ben Affleck Confirms He's Done Playing Batman

In any case, it sounds like we’re still in for a long wait regarding who will inherit the Batman mantle from Ben Affleck. All we know for certain is that a younger actor is being sought to put on the cape and cowl, and that Matt Reeves reportedly wants someone famous. It’s also worth clarifying that even though this Batman will be younger, The Batman is not an origin story akin to Year One.

Beyond that, Matt Reeves revealed that The Batman will a noir-driven story that highlights the eponymous protagonist’s detective skills, which weren’t prominently featured in previous Batman movies. He also noted that many members of Batman’s rogues gallery would appear, with The Penguin reportedly among them.

The Batman will cast its shadow over theaters on June 25, 2021, so stay tuned to CinemaBlend for more updates. In the meantime, you can look through our DC movies guide to find out what else is coming down the DCEU pipeline.

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That Time Charlize Theron Ended Up In The Hospital Filming Long Shot

That Time Charlize Theron Ended Up In The Hospital Filming Long Shot

She’s been an evil queen, an imperator in an apocalyptic wasteland, a secret agent, a cyberterrorist and a serial killer, but for her next film, Long Shot, Charlize Theron is playing a role we don’t often see her in: romantic comedy lead. Perhaps Charlize Theron should have stayed in the safe confines of the action genre though, because her rom-com adventure was dangerous enough to land her in the hospital, as she explained:

This is so stupid. We had to do a small little action thing, like a tiny little thing. And this really nice stunt guy wanted to put some kneepads on me. And as I sat down just to put the kneepads on, my hand slipped and my head hit a bench behind me. And I ended up in the ER. It was so stupid, I was like ‘This is so embarrassing.’

Head trauma is no joke, but Charlize Theron is right, smashing your head while putting on kneepads does sound embarrassing. It wasn’t even before doing some super elaborate and daring stunt either; this wasn’t Tom Cruise literally jumping from one building to another. As Charlize Theron told Seth Meyers on Late Night, it was a small, easy bit of action.

To be extra cautious, the stunt guy wanted Charlize Theron to wear kneepads. That overabundance of caution proved to be her downfall as the actress somehow slipped putting on the kneepads and hit her head, no doubt sending the stunt guy and the crew around her into a panic.

Maybe Charlize Theron is just so used to being a badass in movies that wearing something as decidedly un-badass as kneepads had an Achilles’ heel/kryptonite effect on her.

Long Shot isn’t an action film, but as you can see from the trailer, there is some action in it. Of course, given the fall his character Fred Flarsky takes in the trailer, you would think that Seth Rogen would have been the one more likely to get injured, I mean, he's the one that's admittedly high all the time, while Charlize Theron has cut back.

But alas, it was a trip to the emergency room for the Oscar-winner who plays Secretary of State Charlotte Field in the movie. It’s not the kind of role you’d think would be an injury risk, but as an action-film veteran, Charlize Theron also told Seth Meyers “It’s always the ones you least expect.”

The actress elaborated that it’s usually not the action films where she gets injured, but instead the films that don’t look as dangerous, where she isn't expecting it. Another such example is Tully, where she gained 50 pounds and wound up getting a herniated disc in her back due to carrying around the extra weight.

That’s not to say that action films are entirely harmless endeavors either. While training for Atomic Blonde, Charlize Theron cracked her teeth in a brutal fashion that actually wound up requiring surgery. Thankfully, Charlize Theron is fine and her injury on the set of Long Shot seems rather tame by comparison.

Long Shot is now in theaters. Check out our 2019 Release Schedule to see all of this summer’s biggest movies, and for the latest movie news, stay tuned to CinemaBlend.

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