“[Kevin Feige] and I have kept in touch. We’re pals. [Jon] Favreau and Feige and I have kept in touch. I’m close with the Russo Brothers; we have other business we’re doing. So there’s this little kind of group of fellow travelers,” Downey explained on the Hollywood Reporter’s Awards Chatter podcast. “And I had this instinct that I wanted to go to Bob Iger, and I had an idea outside of the [Marvel] Cinematic Universe for how I could be of service to what’s going on in the parks and all their location-based entertainment.”
But before that meeting, Downey recalled, he and his wife and producing partner Susan Downey were chatting with Feige, and the Marvel boss brought up the idea of Downey returning to the MCU. “Susan was like, ‘Wait, come back as what?’ And I was like [speechless confusion]? And then we both realized over time that it was another thing that just disproves any doubt anyone could ever have about that guy—a very sophisticated creative thinker—about how can we not go backwards? How can we not disappoint expectations? How can we continue to beat expectations? And he brought up Victor Von Doom.”
Intrigued, Downey took a look at Victor Von Doom as a character. “I was like, ‘wow.’” he recalled. “Later on, [Feige] goes, ‘Let’s get Victor Von Doom right. Let’s get that right.’ So then I said to Kevin, ‘Can I go talk to Bob Iger?’ He goes, ‘About [what]?’ I go, ‘About everything.’ And I [went] to Bob’s house, which—I don’t know how to describe that experience. I’ve had a lot of really cool experiences. We go to Iger’s pad and we sit down and start saying, ‘I just really want to be…’ He goes, ‘I like it.’ He likes it,” Downey said. Then, Iger invited Feige and Downey to visit Disney’s Imagineering Campus, Disney’s research and development hub.
“[We] go to the imagineering campus, and you want to talk about two guys that they’re not easy to have their minds blown, let alone at the same time—I can’t say too much about [it], but what is going on there right now is so beyond my expectation of what was possible,” he teased. “It’s also the only way that I felt like I can give a certain entertainment-seeking audience something that they may have a hankering to have an experience of, in a way where I can continue to develop my interest in the future of entertainment … so it’s this crazy, weird thing that’s going on.”
Mysterious—but also intriguing! Perhaps we’ll realize what he’s hinting at here when the Russo Brothers-directed Avengers: Doomsday arrives May 1, 2026.
Listen to the Hollywood Reporter’s full Downey interview, in which he also shares memories of being cast as Iron Man nearly two decades ago, right here.
It wasn’t until about 10 a.m. PT on Saturday that Disney’s distribution team realized that the near-impossible was within reach: Deadpool & Wolverine was going to cross the $200 million mark in its domestic opening, an unimaginable feat for an R-rated pic. Case in point: the biggest R-rated opening until now was the $133.7 million collected by the first Deadpool in 2016.
By Sunday morning, the news was official. The Marvel Studios movie opened to an estimated $205 million, the eighth-biggest debut of all time among any film and by far the biggest launch for an R-rated film, not adjusted for inflation. The third outing in Ryan Reynolds‘ irreverent superhero franchise smashed numerous other records both domestically and overseas, where it launched to $233.3 million for a global start of $438.3, the biggest debut since Avatar: The Way of the Water in December 2022.
Reynolds has just returned home from a dizzying worldwide tour for the film with BFFs Shawn Levy, who directed Deadpool & Wolverine, and co-star Hugh Jackman. He conversed with The Hollywood Reporter on Sunday about his reaction to the opening, which exceeded all expectations. Most thought it could only get to $175 million to $180 million because of the rating, although one Disney insider says the studio was aware it had a shot at hitting $200 million — provided it got the required foot traffic.
Reynolds has his own theory about its success. “Disney probably doesn’t want me to frame it this way, but I’ve always thought of Deadpool & Wolverine as the first four-quadrant, R-rated film,” Reynolds tells THR. “Yes, it’s rated R, but we set out to make a movie with enough laughs, action and heart to appeal to everyone, whether you’re a comic book movie fan or not.”
There’s reason Disney and others may bristle at labeling it a four-quadrant film, which generally is reserved for movies that work equally for males and females over and under 25. Afterall, it is perhaps the most violent and bloody Deadpool movie yet.
Still, here’s evidence to back up Reynolds’ theory that it’s playing to a far more broad audience than the usual MCU movie, even if it’s skewing male by anywhere from 60 to 63 percent.
So far, 13.6 million people have bought tickets to see it, on par with last year’s Barbie, which was rated PG-13, according to Steve Buck’s leading research firm EntTelligence. That’s the most foot traffic ever for an R-rated movie.
More tellingly, 11 percent of the audience was under 17. R-rated films typically only have 5 percent, according to Buck’s outfit. At the same time, it should be noted that 21 percent of the audience for Marvel’s last five films, all rated PG-13, were under the age of 17, according to an unweighted analysis by EntTelligence.
Deadpool & Wolverine showed strength across all age groups — again, to Reynolds’ point — and not just the 18 to 34 crowd, which can make up as much as 60 to 70 percent of a superhero film’s opening weekend.
According to Entelligence, those between ages 18 and 25 made up 21 percent of ticket buyers; 28 percent were between 26 and 35; 33 percent were between 36 and 45; 12 percent were between 44 and 60; and 5 percent were 55 and older. PostTrack, another leading exit-polling service, had slightly different percentage breakdowns, but not by much. Other stats: 81 percent of the audience was non-family, 13 percent were family groups, and 6 percent were teenagers.
“Once thought of as a sure-fire way to limit potential box office, the R rating, when properly applied, can be the key to unlocking massive box office, and this has proven to be the secret sauce for the Deadpool franchise,” says chief Comscore box office analyst Paul Dergarabedian. “The creative freedom afforded by the less restrictive rating has enabled filmmakers to push the envelope and, particularly in the case of Deadpool & Wolverine, can deliver the kind of edgy, intense, profanity-filled comedy action that modern audiences are fired up to see on the big screen.”
The R rating afforded Reynolds the creative freedom needed to fulfill his vision. “When I saw rated-R movies when I was a kid, they left a huge impression on me because I didn’t feel like people were pulling punches, and it’s been a huge inspiration to so many of the things that I look to make now,” Reynolds recently told The New York Times.
“I’m not saying that other people should do this, but my 9-year-old watched the movie with me and my mom, who’s in her late 70s, and it was just one of the best moments of this whole experience for me,” Reynolds continued in the NYT piece. “Both of them were laughing their guts out, were feeling the emotion where I most desperately hoped people would be.”
If Disney is wary of declaring the new Deadpool film an all-audience film — aka, a four-quadrant film — it’s understandable considering it is the first R-rated film ever released by the studio. When Kevin Feige‘s Marvel Studios got its hands on the franchise after Disney absorbed 20th Century Fox, Disney chief Bob Iger went out of his way to assure audiences that Deadpool would retain its R-rating legacy.
For Reynolds, it’s been a long journey since Deadpool 2 was released by Fox in 2018, between the Disney-Fox merger, the pandemic and then the strikes, which shut down production for months. The movie, in fact, is replete with references to the Fox-Marvel handover, and its implications.
“I’ve been in some form of writing, producing, performing, editing and marketing of Deadpool & Wolverine for three years. I’d say it’s hard work, but it’s closer to obsession. The privilege and honor of making a movie with two of my closest friends in Shawn Levy and Hugh Jackman is never lost on me,” Reynolds tells THR. “Neither is the obscene talent and competence of a ruthlessly devoted post-production team.”
Among additional records domestically, the film is the top opening ever for Reynolds, Levy and Jackman and the fifth-biggest superhero launch. It’s also the biggest July opening of all time, the biggest opening of 2024 so far and Marvel Studios’ biggest launch since Spider-Man: No Way Home in December 2021.
Levy and Reynolds co-wrote the script with veteran Deadpool scribes Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, along with writer Zeb Wells. Reynolds, who is himself a master marketer, is also giving a tip of his hat to the team at Disney. The star tells THR: “Witnessing the prowess of Marvel/Disney’s promotional machine under Kevin Feige, Lou D’Esposito and Asad Ayaz was a learning experience I’ll never forget. I feel like I’ve waited my whole life to make this movie, and the outcome is icing on an already incredible cake.”
According to Variety, however, there’s nothing to fear as Marvel has smashed the panic glass by announcing Roberty Downey Jr.’s return to the MCU. During Saturday’s San Diego Comic-Con, RDJ returned to Hall H and announced he would return as Doctor Doom in Avengers: Doomsday.
“New mask, same task,” Robert told the stunned crowd. “I like playing complicated characters,” he said as fans chanted his name.
Thanks to the source material, they can take several routes with RDJ portraying Victor Von Doom. It’s unclear if he will play a Tony Stark variant that becomes the iconic villain, or if he will be a new version of the character.
Regardless, fans can rejoice as the MCU seems to have a solid path forward after a disappointing string of past releases.
Avengers: Doomsday hits theaters in May of 2026 and will also feature the return of the Russo brothers behind the camera.
Watch Robert Downey Jr. during Marvel’s Hall H presentation below.
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Marvel Studios returned to San Diego Comic-Con with dancing Deadpool variants and a choir for a panel that included news about the next two “Avengers” films and surprise guests, including Harrison Ford and Robert Downey Jr.
Downey is returning to Marvel’s films, but not as Iron Man. He’ll play the villain Victor Von Doom, or Doctor Doom, in at least one of the upcoming “Avengers” movies. Downey kicked off Marvel’s movie successes in “Iron Man” and played the popular character in nine films, but on Saturday appeared wearing Dr. Doom’s mask and a green cloak.
“New mask, same task,” Downey said to frenzied cheers.
The Russo brothers, who will be directing the movie featuring Downey, said his appearance in the film is “proof of the unimaginable possibilities in the Marvel multi-universe.”
The reveal capped a jubilant return by Marvel to Comic-Con’s Hall H.
Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige kicked off the panel by saying that due to this weekend’s success of “Deadpool & Wolverine,” the sprawling Marvel Cinematic Universe had now topped $30 billion in box-office earnings. In a nod to a scene in the movie, a choir sang Madonna’s “Like a Prayer” before Feige spoke.
“Deadpool & Wolverine,” released Thursday, has already broken one record and could shatter more in its opening weekend. Feige used Saturday’s panel to chart the course ahead for the MCU, revealing Ford’s character in the next “Captain America” film and revealing “Avengers: Secret Wars and “Avengers: Doomsday” as the titles of the next two films in the epic superhero team-up series. “Doomsday” will hit theaters in 2026.
Feige said all the actors introduced Saturday would appear in the upcoming “Avengers” movies, which will be directed by Joe and Anthony Russo. The brothers guided the “Avengers” franchise through its sprawling storyline capped by “Avengers: Endgame” in 2019 that included the death of Downey’s Tony Stark/Iron Man character.
“When we directed ”Avengers: Endgame,” Joe and I truly believed that it was the end of the road for us in the Marvel Cinematic Universe because we had put all of our passion, our love, our imagination into “The Winter Soldier,” into “Civil War,” into “Infinity War,” climaxing all of it with “Avengers: Endgame,” Anthony Russo said. “That four movie run was incredible and it left us creatively spent with all of our emotions on the film. In the time since, through a very special story, Joe and I have come to potentially see a road forward with you.”
They called “Secret Wars” the “biggest story that Marvel Comics ever told,” and Joe said it was the first comic book run he read as a child that made him “fall in love with comics.”
Saturday’s session comes after Marvel skipped the convention last year due to the Hollywood strikes, which prevented writers and actors from speaking on panels.
The cast of “Captain America: Brave New World” — Giancarlo Esposito, Tim Blake Nelson, Danny Ramirez and Anthony Mackie — joined the stage first and teased details about the upcoming film. Esposito revealed that he will be playing the villain, Seth Voelker, also known as Sidewinder.
When asked about what it was like to join a Marvel project, Esposito said it was a “dream come true.
“When your dreams come true and you get the call, you walk through the door,” he continued. “I have a great deal of gratitude for all the fans who really had this dream come true, because it was fan casting that linked us together.”
The cast then stepped aside to share a scene from the movie on the big screen, which revealed that President Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, played by Ford, is hoping to rebuild the Avengers with Mackie’s Sam Wilson. It also showed Ford’s character transform into the Red Hulk.
Ford joined the panel after fans were treated to clips from the movie and flexed his muscles to the roaring crowd. He also expressed excitement over his latest role, saying, “I am delighted, and proud to become a member of the Marvel Universe.”
The cast and director of “Thunderbolts(asterisk)” also surprised fans with a short clip from the movie. Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan and David Harbour (in full costume and speaking in character as the Red Guardian at first) stormed the stage and shared some more details about their characters.
The film is slated to be released in May 2025.
The final film teased at the panel was “The Fantastic Four,” starring Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn and Ebon Moss-Bachrach. The movie will begin filming on Tuesday in London, Feige said.
He said the film will hit theaters in almost exactly one year in July 2025.
Following a video director Matt Shakman created specifically for Comic-Con that featured the cast in full ’60s glory, he and Feige revealed the official title of the film, “The Fantastic Four: First Steps.”
The session included no mention of Jonathan Majors, who played the villain Kang the Conqueror and was previously a major part of Marvel’s “Avengers” plans. The actor was fired by the studio after he was convicted in December of assaulting a former girlfriend. He was sentenced to a yearlong counseling program in April and avoided jail time.
Marvel already took over Hall H on Thursday with an electric panel celebrating “Deadpool & Wolverine,” in which the audience was treated to a full screening and surprise guests joining stars Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman on stage.
The mounting enthusiasm for the film at Comic-Con was reflected across the country as the fans rushed to see it in theaters, securing the film as the new record holder for the Thursday preview for an R-rated movie. The comic book film sold an estimated $38.5 million worth of movie tickets from preview screenings Thursday.
The “Deadpool & Wolverine” success woke up a sleepy year for Marvel and assuaged worries about its box-office underperformance in late 2023. The superhero factory hit a record low in November with the launch of “The Marvels,” which opened with just $47 million.
While it’s a big week for Marvel Studios with the release of Deadpool & Wolverine, the behind the scenes corporate shuffle continues as Ike Perlmutter has finally released his grip from any attachments of the company where he was once chairperson.
The timing is purposeful, and the 81-year-old may not be done with Disney forever. According to the WSJ, Perlmutter said “he sold because he doesn’t have confidence in Disney’s current management and expects the company’s share price and financial performance to decline further. If Disney’s shares decline to $65 to $75 per share, he plans to buy much of his old stake back.” The paper also noted “he sold his stake between early April and mid-July at an average price of just under $115.”
Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine has defined the Fox era of X-Men movies. His storied tenure from the 2000 film all the way up to Logan gave us perhaps one of the most definitive live-action superhero performances of our lifetime. That makes the temptation of his return in Deadpool & Wolverine so potent—but for Marvel Studios’ head honcho, it was almost a curse.
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“I said, ‘Let me give you a piece of advice, Hugh. Don’t come back’,” Feige recently told Empire about advising Jackman on a potential return to the character he’d stunningly bid farewell to in 2017’s Logan. “‘You had the greatest ending in history with Logan. That’s not something we should undo.’” But Feige’s advice actually pushed Jackman to really consider what he’d want out of a return.
“I was about an hour into the drive,” Jackman said of his headspace after initial pitches. “And that question came into my head: ‘What do I want to do?’ And as soon as I asked the question, I wanted to do Deadpool & Wolverine. I just knew it. I drove for another hour. Couldn’t stop thinking about it. And I got out of the car, called Ryan [Reynolds], and said, ‘Ryan, if you’ll have me, I’m in.’”
What Jackman wanted to do was not actually return to the same character we saw perish in Logan, but offer a new take on Wolverine that, while drawing on his presence in the history of the Fox X-Men saga and its myriad permutations, also did something new with the character. Even if that ‘new’ was something as simple as finally letting Jackman put on the yellow spandex Logan and Cyclops had joked about way back in the first X-Men film. “We almost [had the suit on] in The Wolverine,” Jackman added. “But from the moment I put it on here, I was like, ‘How did we never do this?’ It looked so right, it felt so right. I was like, ‘That’s him.’ There are different sides of Wolverine we haven’t seen before in the movies. It was exciting for me.”
Hopefully we’ll see many more sides of Logan beyond just a costume change when Deadpool & Wolverine hits theaters July 26.
There’s exactly one Marvel Studios movie coming to theaters this year, but it’s one of the biggest to date. Deadpool & Wolverine is scheduled for release on July 26 and it won’t only be the first MCU film for Ryan Reynolds’ wisecracking killer, but also the MCU debut of Wolverine, played by Hugh Jackman.
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That alone already has fans excited and the number of people who watched the first trailer proved it again. Continuing the fun, Disney debuted new footage at CinemaCon 2024, and here’s what happened.
Wade Wilson grabs a staple gun, uses it to put on his wig, and says “Now let’s sell some certified pre-owned vehicles, motherfucker.” Smash cut to Wade in the back seat of a car with a family on a test drive. They ask him some questions but he keeps cursing and mentions he doesn’t have kids because he doesn’t have much vaginal sex. He’s bad at this.
Peter (Rob Delaney) apparently works there too and they talk in the locker room about how Wade may be a bad salesperson, but he can always go back to being a superhero. Wade explains that he’s done for good. This is the life he wants and if you “aim for the middle, you’ll never miss.” Peter shows him that he keeps an old Deadpool suit in his locker anyway.
Wade and Peter ride bikes home from work and Wade notices someone taking photos of them. The conversation continues about wanting to be superheroes again and Peter asks Wade if he’s just sad because it’s his birthday. He also mentions a very interesting piercing he’s just gotten.
Yes, it’s Wade’s birthday. He goes into his apartment and it’s a surprise party. There are all his friends from the first two movies: Negasonic, Colossus, Dopinder, Blind Al, and others. Wade goes around the room and catches up with everyone. One highlight of this is Wade and Al going back and forth with a ton of insults. She asks him if he wants to do some cocaine and he says that’s the one thing Kevin Feige said was off the table. She rattles off a bunch of different fake names and he says Feige knows them all. Finally she says, “Do you want to build a snowman?” To which he says, yes but I can’t.
Vanessa is also there and they are no longer together. She’s seeing someone from work though, and Wade is happy for her, though he’s not seeing anyone.
The group sings “Happy Birthday” and then Wade gives a heartfelt speech about how much he loves everyone in this room. He says that despite some tough years, he’s truly happy now because of them. He then goes on to blow out the candles… and the second he does, there’s a knock at the door.
You’ve seen some of this in the trailer. It’s the TVA. Wade assumes they’re a group of men who are there to have sex with him and he gets very dirty about what he wants them to do with all his holes. They then get fed up, knock him out, and put him through one of those TVA doors.
In the TVA, Mr. Paradox (Matthew McFayden) tells Wade that a) he soiled himself, and b) what the TVA does. “That’s a shit ton of exposition for a threequel,” Wade says. Mr. Paradox tells him he knows that Wade has been abusive of the timeline previously, with Cable’s time travel device, but that’s not why he’s there.
Apparently Wade has been chosen for a higher purpose. One that’s even unclear to the TVA. He needs to save the sacred timeline from a grisly fate at some point in the future. The two guys joke that it needs to be “Avenged.” That they’re going to “Marvel” at how “Cinematic” is. Wade says he wants it all, cameos, variants, the works.
They turn to the screen and on it is Steve Rogers as Captain America. Wade knows him and salutes the screen. “You’re no longer lost,” Mr. Paradox says, “You can now be a hero.” At this point, Wade notices a screen where Thor is holding a dying Deadpool and crying. “Why is Thor crying?” he asks. Wade isn’t supposed to see that though; that’s something that happens in the distant future.
Wade is all in and says he will return and help. He then turns to the camera, runs toward it, grabs it, shakes it and says “Suck it Fox! I’m going to Disneyland!” He also fellates the boom microphone a bit.
“Oh, there’s one more thing I need,” Wade says. It’s a costume. A TVA tailor makes him a brand new upgraded Deadpool costume, which comes together in a quick series of fast edits… which include more than a few of the tailor grabbing Wade’s crotch.
Wade loves the new costume, even if he has to tell them the tailor is a predator. He also mentions that his samurai swords are made out of adamantium. He jokes around that one of the TVA employees is eyeing him up and his underwear is getting tighter. The employee picks up the phone to call HR.
That leads into a montage of action scenes largely from the first trailer. Dog Pool running in slow motion. Lots of shooting. Wade in the back seat of a bloody car. And then, finally, we see him and Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine sitting together in a car.
“What’s with the suit?” Wade asks. “Do the X-Men make you wear it?” He comments he looks like he fights crime for the Los Angeles Rams, but Wolverine isn’t having it. “I’m just trying to bond a bit,” he says.
Directed by Shawn Levy, Deadpool & Wolverine stars Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman. It opens July 26.
Update: the headline on the original post was updated to more accurately describe the length of the footage.
So-called activist investor Nelson Peltz, who’s aiming to win two Disney board seats, has stirred up some controversy by calling out Disney’s recent era of “woke” strategy through diversifying its slate of films at Marvel Studios.
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The 81-year-old businessman, whose experience is with food companies including Wendy’s and H.J. Heinz as well as having once supported the DeSantis presidential campaign, had a lot to say about The Marvels and Black Pantherin an interview with the Financial Times. “Why do I have to have a Marvel [movie] that’s all women?” Peltz asked the publication. “Not that I have anything against women, but why do I have to do that? Why can’t I have Marvels that are both? Why do I need an all-Black cast?” Side note: Peltz happens to be the father of Nicola Peltz, who played Katara in 2010’s infamously very white Last Airbenderadaptation.
He continued, “People go to watch a movie or a show to be entertained. They don’t go to get a message.” Since he also claimed that he doesn’t have experience in media, it’s interesting to note that Peltz’s Trian Partners is pushing for this vote as part of Ike Perlmutter’s hopes for retaliation against Disney CEO Bob Iger, who terminated him from Marvel Entertainment last year. Variety reported that, “Trian controls roughly $3.5 billion worth of Disney stock, 79% of which is owned by Perlmutter.” This goes back to Perlmutter’s feud with Kevin Feige, who pushed for Black Panther and Captain Marvel. Perlmutter fought against diversity in Marvel’s slate until Iger stepped in to force his hand and allow the films to be made.
Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther, starring the late Chadwick Boseman, was a hit with $1.35 billion at the worldwide box office; it kicked off the Academy Award-winning franchise and brought more inclusivity to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Proving Perlmutter wrong publicly while revealing the lengths the forner Marvel exec went to in order to stop diverse superhero toys, merch, and movies being made really propelled Feige into the public’s good graces. Recent misses for the studio including The Marvels havecaused some Marvel watchers to wonder if Feige’s position should be called into question. When asked by the Financial Times if it should, Peltz responded, “I’m not ready to say that, but I question his record.”
Disney board member George Lucas recently stood up against Peltz by releasing a statement (reprinted in Variety and elsewhere) to support Bob Iger in rejecting his bid. “Creating magic is not for amateurs,” Lucas said in a shot right at Peltz, who also admitted to the Financial Times he’s been a bit of a bully. (“What sense is being a billionaire if you’re not a bully?” Peltz has been quoted as saying.) Which is such a strange stance to bring into Disney, standing directly against all it represents.
Lucas continued, “When I sold Lucasfilm just over a decade ago, I was delighted to become a Disney shareholder because of my longtime admiration for its iconic brand and Bob Iger’s leadership.” He added, “When Bob recently returned to the company during a difficult time, I was relieved. No one knows Disney better. I remain a significant shareholder because I have full faith and confidence in the power of Disney and Bob’s track record of driving long-term value. I have voted all of my shares for Disney’s 12 directors and urge other shareholders to do the same.”
Peltz aims to add more board seats for his hedge fund firm through his Disney bid and support the agenda that Ike Perlmutter, his silent third party partner, has advocated for during his Disney tenure. The Hollywood Reporter disclosed that Perlmutter had this up his sleeve as soon as he was terminated, as he immediately pledged his stakes in Disney to Peltz. Before Iger came back Peltz had attempted a proxy battle with the company as a result of its losses, but was held off by his return. With this seat bid he hopes for round two in having more direct influence on the company board.
Look, I get it. It’s incredibly hard to deny that the Marvel Cinematic Universe boasts one of the most spectacular achievements in the history of cinema. And credit has to be given where it’s due, specifically to the leadership and guidance of Marvel head Kevin Feige.
It’s furthermore hard to deny that the “Marvel Method” (aka pre-planned reshoots for the sake of pivoting with the MCU’s ever-evolving canon) played a role in the culturally impactful one-two punch of Infinity War and Endgame. It’s imperative to point out, however, that said reshoots should be used for just that purpose. The reshoots shouldn’t be used to de-fang a performance like Ray Winstone as villainous General Dreykov in Black Widow.
Speaking recently to Radio Times, the actor reflected on what he called a “soul-destroying” experience during the Black Widow reshoots. Winstone revealed that some of the producers told him to tone down his performance, an egregious demand for such a storied actor.
“It 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. It can be soul-destroying because you feel like you’re doing great work.”
Reshoots are one thing, but this seems like a case of Marvel sanitizing their movie for the sake of Disney’s dire commitment to banality. No one in their right mind would cast Ray Winstone (of all people!) and then tell him to “tone it down.” Nor would any sensible producer neuter a film’s potential because they wanted nothing more than a brand-committed product.
Moral of the story? Follow Barbie‘s lead, and stop letting the non-artists have so much say in the art.
(featured image: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
When you look at Dave Bautista, the last thing you think of is failure. Even if he wasn’t a former wrestling superstar turned mega movie star, if you saw this tall, muscular, tattoo-covered man walking down the street, you’d instantly think he’s got it figured out. But in Dune: Part Two, Bautista’s character doesn’t have anything figured out. And the actor loves him for it.
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Once again, Bautista is Glossu Rabban Harkonnen, nephew of Baron Harkonnen and the new lord of Arrakis… having massacred almost the entire Atreides family for the privilege. Rabban is given the task of taking over the entire planet for his family, with almost no knowledge of the formidable Fremen force he’s up against. It results in the character not faring too well in the eyes of his family, which is exactly why Bautista was so excited about the film.
In his chat with io9, we talked about playing the pathetic villain, his relationship with director Denis Villeneuve, the chip on his shoulder when it comes to acting, and if he’s really done with his famous Guardians of the Galaxy character, Drax. Check it out.
Rabban in Part OneImage: Warner Bros.
Germain Lussier, io9: Rabban doesn’t have a huge role in Part One—it’s a much bigger role here in Part Two. Was there ever a conversation between you and Denis to say, like, hey, we might not make the second movie, but if we do, [your character] will have more to do?
Dave Bautista: Well, I always knew that my role in the second film was going to be bigger. We never [laughs]… I only heard rumblings that there might not be a second film. We never had that official conversation with Denis. I think he always had confidence that there would be. I think he’s a person who has a vision and he doesn’t stray from that vision. I think his vision was never one film, so I think he never abandoned that. So we never had the conversation. And I also was pretty confident because I saw the first film and I was like, it’s amazing. It’s not only beautiful storytelling, but it just really cuts off and it leaves you hanging. And I didn’t see a world where people wouldn’t want to have closure on that. So I never lost faith at all. But it was a sign of the times we were living in. It was uncertain times. And I think a lot of people were cheated, not through the fault of anyone, but by not being able to see the first film on a big screen because that is what it what was designed for. That’s what it was meant to be. But yeah, I never thought that there wouldn’t be a second film.
io9: Most of the guys you play, for obvious reasons, are pretty capable, right? However this guy, besides his size and strength, is kind of an idiot.
Bautista: [Laughs]
io9: And kind of a failure. So was it fun to play somebody that is the butt of all the jokes?
Bautista: For sure. Yeah. For me, that’s why I’m in this, man. Because I want to play characters that are layered and interesting, and not clichés or generic. That’s also the challenge. But I also think that’s my obsession. So that’s what I loved about him. I was so excited when I read the script for the second film and I was even more excited after I had the conversation with Denis because I knew that there was so much for me to play with here. I mean, I always search out roles because I do have this chip on my shoulder. It’s never going to go away. I want to prove myself as an actor because guys like me, they want to put in a lane. And I never wanted to be stuck in that lane. So I came out of the WWE, came out of the gates refusing to be stuck in that lane. And so this gives me the opportunity to prove my point.
io9: Yes.
Bautista: So I thought, this character is so great because you would think about him in one way. He’s just one way. He’s just a brute and that’s all he is. But I thought, if I can take this character and make him not only that, but make him so pathetic that you almost feel sympathy for him.
io9: “Almost.”
Bautista: Yes, almost. [Laughs] I only need one little hint of sympathy when you’re like, you feel sorry for him for a second, then it’s like, “Nahhhhh, I don’t feel sorry for him.” But if I just had that one opportunity, then that could be a real accomplishment.
Bautista with Villeneuve and Austin Butler.Image: Warner Bros.
io9: Oh I think you nailed it. I think also he’s so angry early on in the movie—what was it like to be so vocal and angry?
Bautista: So, for me, screaming for me is just another way to get rid of my anxiety. I’ve always known that about myself. I discovered that in WWE and I just let it all out. On one side of the curtain in WWE, before I came out, I was dry heaving. I was a nervous wreck. I was a mess, and I was always thinking, “God, everything’s going to go wrong. I’m not ready. I’m not warmed up enough. Oh man, I don’t know what to do.” As soon as I hit that curtain, walked out the curtain, lights, music, [crowd roars]—anxiety gone. And it’s the same with this. So it just allowed me the opportunity to just shake that anxiety, and then I can just kind of slowly transform to this performance. But again, I mean, just the richness of the character, the layers of the character and the support and encouragement from Denis, he just made this very easy for me.
io9: Very cool. Now obviously this a big ensemble piece but, by the nature of your character, you don’t really get to act with most of the people in the movie. Is that isolating? Do you form a bond with the other people that you’re with?
Bautista: Yeah, for sure. No matter what you spend a lot of time with people in makeup trailers or on set or socially. There’s always a get-together, especially for the ensemble cast, where the director wants to meet with the cast. And so there’s always going to be that camaraderie. [But] selfishly, personally, like I want those scenes. I want scenes with Timmy [Chalamet]. I want scenes and Zendaya. I want scenes with Florence [Pugh]. I want a scene with Christopher Walken. But it just, you know, it wasn’t meant to be.
io9: You get a scene with Josh Brolin.
Bautista: You know, I love Josh. Josh is one of my favorite people in the world. I’ve known Josh for years now through our Marvel experiences. So I was pretty giddy getting to share scenes with him on this in this film. And it was just nothing but fun. And I love that our characters just despise each other. So it’s great.
Dave Bautista Opens Up About His Relationship With Denis Villeneuve
Dave Bautista Opens Up About His Relationship With Denis Villeneuve
io9: One of the things I love about your career, you talk about having that chip on your shoulder, is you work with such incredible filmmakers. Obviously, there’s Gunn, Snyder, Shyamalan, and Villeneuve. What sets Denis apart from the other ones you’ve worked with?
Bautista: Our conversations are different. And it’s hard for me having these conversations without sounding… because I never want to be dismissive of anybody else that I’ve worked with. They’ve all been special experiences. And they’ve all made me rise as a performer and helped me in my career. James Gunn changed my life. His belief in me, his support of me, changed my life. But our conversations have been different. Denis supports me in a different way.
Our conversations are more intimate. I’ve never had a director until Denis, since Denis, say to me that you’re a very strong actor. And he said this to me on the first film. I was holding back because I was self-conscious [and] I was. I was very unsure of myself. And he came to me. He said, “I feel like you’re holding back.” He said, “You’re a very strong actor, my friend. Just follow your instincts.” And so I started belting it out, and I started finding this character. He not only loved it so much, but he was so supportive of my performance that he wanted to capture other people’s reactions to my performance. And so when you’re getting that kind of support, that was an experience I’ve never had before or since, with a director of that caliber. So it means everything. It’s validation.
Image: Warner Bros.
io9: Wow, that’s awesome. SoI’m talking to Stellan [Skarsgård] after this and you have a lot of scenes with him. What is it like working with him in that suit? Because it’s got to be weird. Do you laugh or are you just serious? What’s the vibe?
Bautista: It’s very serious. We are respectful because we know that it’s harsh. The experience he’s gone through, like what he’s living with and what he’s dealing with. And you can tell through conversations while he’s working, that he’s already exhausted because he’s been in a makeup chair eight hours before we even started working. Eight hours, you’re typically leaving work.
io9: Right, right.
Bautista: He’s just starting work. And so it’s very respectful of him and what he’s going through. So we’re very respectful of his time. Everybody this is from the top down. But also the actors were very, aware that he’s suffering.
io9: Last thing is, I know you said on Guardians 3 that you were done with Marvel, but is there any way that you would come back, or have you just kind of put that part of your career aside?
Bautista: No, no. When I said that I was done, I was really just done with my journey as Drax. I still have a relationship with Marvel. I’ve seen Kevin Feige again, Lou [D’Esposito] as recently as two weeks ago. And they know that I would be up for a role. I love the universe—the superhero universe, I love it. I’m a fan. So Marvel or DC, if they call, I would answer the phone. And if the role makes sense, I’d be all over it. I just would like the opportunity to do a bigger role, a different role. Maybe a deeper role. I’d love to have the opportunity to play, like an ominous villain in the superhero universe. Yeah. But never. I’m not done with it. But my journey with Drax is over.
Elizabeth Olsen is offering advice to future MCU actors.
The actress, who’s starred as Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch in the Marvel Cinematic Universe since 2014, revealed a business-minded game plan on how to get more “creative control” in the universe for actors thinking about joining.
Her advice is simple — “just give them one [Marvel project]” — the “WandaVision” star shared during her appearance on Josh Horowitz’s the “Happy Sad Confused” podcast.
“That way you have more control over… If you, let’s say, ‘Oh my God, this is the most fun I’ve ever had and I love this character so much, I want to do it again,’ you now have more creative control for the next one,” Olsen said.
“Don’t tell [David] Galluzzi that. [He’s] business affairs at Marvel,” she joked.
Over the years, the actress has reprised her role of Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch in several Marvel projects, including the last three “Avengers” films, two “Captain America” movies, 2022’s “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness”, and the Disney+ spinoff series “WandaVision”, which won three Emmy awards in 2021. Olsen’s performance in the show also scored her a nod for lead actress in a limited series.
Last year, Marvel president, Kevin Feige, told Variety that the studio “[only attempted] something like ‘WandaVision’ because Lizzie is such an outstanding actor.”
Meanwhile, a new “WandaVision” spinoff led by Kathryn Hahn, titled “Agatha: Coven of Chaos”, is currently in the works.
Furthermore, Feige noted that “there really is so much more to explore” in Wanda’s future. “We still haven’t touched on many of her core storylines from the comics.”
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is in a weird phase right now, and no, I don’t mean Phase Five which began with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Over just a few short days, it became clear that the shared movie universe is undergoing a lot of change, and not for the best reasons. From actors to workers and even top leadership, Marvel’s going through it right now.
The Week In Games: New Tales From Gotham And The Borderlands
Marvel as a subset of Disney was just part of a huge set of layoffs earlier this week, with Mickey Mouse and friends slashing over 7000 jobs. Only the first wave of those cuts happened this week, and the final 7000 number is expected to come sometime in April. Company-wide, personnel is being dropped by one of the biggest corporations in the world, but even outside of egregious labor issues, Marvel has been dealing with a few more precise changes in its workforce.
Top executives are being let go
Marvel recently fired Victoria Alonso, who AV Club describes as “one of the biggest architects of the Marvel Cinematic Universe,” having been with the connected universe project for over a decade before her leaving the company earlier in March. At the time of her departure, she was Marvel’s president of physical production, post-production, VFX and animation. According to a Variety report, this came as part of a joint decision between Disney’s human resources, legal department, and executives including but not limited to Disney Entertainment co-chairman Alan Bergman. Kevin Feige, president of Marvel Studios, reportedly didn’t intervene, and Alonso was “blindsided.” The entire situation is wading into legal territory. Disney says Alonso’s firing came as part of a breach of contract because of her production work on Argentina, 1985, a non-Disney film, though Alonso’s team claims she had permission to do so.
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On top of this, there seems to have been conflict between Alonso and Disney/Marvel in regards to queer issues within the company, according to Variety and The Hollywood Reporter. Alonso, who is gay, reportedly clashed over an issue where Disney wanted a scene in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania altered to blur out a shop window that included Pride memorabilia in Kuwait, which has anti-LGBTQ+ laws in place. This is after she publicly spoke out against then-CEO Bob Chapek at the GLAAD awards for Disney’s reaction to Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill, and was told she would no longer be allowed to do press for Marvel. Attorney Patty Glaser, who is representing Alonso, released the following statement to Variety:
“The idea that Victoria was fired over a handful of press interviews relating to a personal passion project about human rights and democracy that was nominated for an Oscar and which she got Disney’s blessing to work on is absolutely ridiculous,” Glaser says. “Victoria, a gay Latina who had the courage to criticize Disney, was silenced. Then she was terminated when she refused to do something she believed was reprehensible. Disney and Marvel made a really poor decision that will have serious consequences. There is a lot more to this story and Victoria will be telling it shortly—in one forum or another.”
While Alonso’s influence on the MCU is significant and dates back to the earliest films like the original Iron Man, she’s also been named in ongoing reports about the dire state of the animation industry as reported by Vulture and allegedly blacklisted artists working on Marvel projects that she took issue with. In general, Marvel’s animation and VFX workers have been coming forward about apparent toxic work environments and unfair contracts while working on the studio’s projects. This has reportedly been especially difficult on Disney+ projects like She-Hulk, with smaller budgets and shorter turnaround times still expecting movie-quality work.
Another high-profile departure is that of Ike Perlmutter, who was let go from the company this week. Perlmutter has had a long, storied history with Marvel, including a stint on the board of directors (as well as the chairman of the board), working as the vice chairman of the company in the early 2000s, moving up to the chief executive officer position in 2005, then remaining the CEO after Disney acquired the comic company in 2009. He oversaw Marvel Studios up until 2015 while reportedly being very tight on production budgets and also claiming Black people “look the same” regarding Don Cheadle’s replacement of Terrence Howard as James Rhodes in the MCU. He operated as a chairman from 2017 until his eventual layoff.
Jonathan Majors’ domestic violence case is ongoing
While executive departures will have an effect on things down the line, the most immediate problem Marvel movies have to contend with is the ongoing domestic violence case against actor Jonathan Majors. The actor, who plays Kang the Conquerer most recently in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, was arrested in Manhattan on assault, strangulation, and harassment charges. Majors’ legal team led by attorney Priya Chaudhry claims he’s innocent and released text messages allegedly sent by the victim in the case. The texts say this was “not an attack,” claim fault for the dispute because she was “trying to grab [Majors’] phone,” and disputed the strangulation charges. The alleged texts say the authorities were called due to the woman fainting, and that when there was a suspicion of a domestic dispute, Majors was arrested per mandatory arrest laws associated with domestic abuse cases in New York.
Majors’ future in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is unclear as the investigation is ongoing, but the U.S. Army has pulled ads featuring the actor until the investigation is complete. The reason this is so significant in Marvel’s view is Majors’ character, Kang the Conquerer, is essentially Marvel’s main villain right now. He’s only appeared in two projects thus far, one being the Loki Disney+ show, and the second being Quantumania. But the shared universe franchise is leading up to Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars, both of which are set to feature Kang as the primary antagonist. He’s a Thanos-style character that Marvel can’t simply pluck from the story. Should the investigation lead to a guilty verdict, it’s likely Majors will be recast.
While all of these developments have happened for different reasons, whether that be corporate greed, office politics, and a domestic violence case, Marvel as a production is seeing some serious shake-ups right now. Not all of it seems to be of the company’s volition, but things are changing for Marvel at a time when the brand has been losing a lot of its staying power. Quantumania is the last movie Marvel released in theaters, and it was one of the series’ most poorly received and is sitting at a 47 percent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
While Marvel movies still make more money than you or I will ever see in a room at once, the franchise has been trending somewhat downward at the box office. Quantumania still made $470 million in its theatrical run, but that’s significantly lower than Ant-Man and the Wasp made in 2018, which was around $623 million. Several Marvel movies have made below the half-a-billion mark in recent years, such as Eternals and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Black Widow is one of the lowest-performing movies in the franchise’s lifetime with $379 million but was notably hindered by the covid-19 pandemic making fewer people willing to head out to theaters in 2021. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever did manage to bring in over $859 million, but that was even down from the original’s $1 billion.
It’s unclear what, if any, changes this might bring to the franchise, but figureheads and workers that have been with the brand for a long time are gone. Reading over it all now, ultimately, I sympathize most with the workers who were subject to the layoffs. Alonso and Perlmutter will be fine, but the people who worked (and apparently suffered) under them are in a much worse position.
We’ve reached out to Marvel, Majors, and Alonso for comment on this story and will update it should we hear back.
Update: This piece has been updated with information about Alonso’s reported disputes with Disney regarding queer content in its movies.
The face of Peter Parker in the Spider-Man sequel is always a matter of question, as fans are always excited to find out who that one person will be. Since Tom Holland took on the role, fans have been waiting to see if he would reprise his role as Peter Parker ever since Spider-Man: No Way Home was released in 2021. At the time, Tom disclosed that there was no agreement in place for him to return. The idea to do a sequel Spider-Man trilogy starring Tom Holland was teased by producer Amy Pascal but Sony never confirmed anything.
Now that Spider-Man 4 is being written, Kevin Feige has confirmed that Tom would absolutely reprise his role as Peter.
Spider-Man: Homecoming, which was released in 2017 and had a $175 million budget, grossed $880 million worldwide; Spider-Man: Far from Home, which was released in 2019; and Spider-Man: No Way Home, which had a $200 million budget and grossed $1.9 billion worldwide. This marked Holland’s huge success, and for the same reason Kevin Feige would not take a hit by replacing Tom Holland in the upcoming sequel.
Kevin Feige’s response to Spider-Man Fourth Installment
When asked if Tom Holland’s character Peter Parker might appear in a future movie, Kevin responded in a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly. The producer then declared that Tom is certainly involved in Spider-Man 4 and that it would surely happen. He teased in a way stating that: “All I will say is that we have the story. We have big ideas for that, and our writers are just putting pen to paper now.”
The future of Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire’s involvement in the trilogy is presently unknown. Nevertheless, with the success of Spider-Man: No Way Home, both actors have indicated an interest in reprising their roles as Peter. Additionally, Miles Morales may accompany Peter Parker in Spider-Man 4 according to Amy Pascal’s hint.
As of now, depending on the news, it is said that Tom Holland will be the first Spider-Man to officially get the fourth installment.
Disney and Marvel Studios’ Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the sequel to the 2018 blockbuster Black Panther, earned $84 million on its opening day Friday, making it the 10th highest opening day sales ever, beating Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness—and it’s expected to finish the weekend with nearly $200 million.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever actor Lupita Nyong’o, one of the stars of the Marvel sequel.
WireImage
Key Facts
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’s $84 million opening day total includes the $28 million the highly anticipated sequel to director Ryan Coogler’s Oscar-winning Black Panther earned in previews on Thursday.
That beats this year’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness in opening day earnings ($54.7 million)—that Marvel sequel had the biggest opening weekend of the year ($187 million).
The Black Panther sequel, which opened in 4,396 locations Friday, has big shoes to fill, however, in order to outperform its predecessor in opening weekend earnings (The first Black Panther made $200 million domestically on its opening weekend, and has since grossed more than $1.3 billion worldwide).
Wakanda Forever is expected to earn between $185 million and $200 million this weekend, according to Variety, although Deadline puts its weekend earnings slightly lower, at $175 million to $185 million.
So far, it’s received favorable ratings, with critics giving it an 84% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a 68% on Metacritic, while audiences have given it a 95%.
Big Number
$716 million. That’s how much Top Gun: Maverick has earned domestically since it opened in May, making it the highest grossing film this year, followed by Doctor Strange ($411 million), Jurassic World: Dominion ($376 million) and The Batman ($369 million), according to Box Office Mojo.
Key Background
The original Black Panther was Marvel’s first movie to be nominated for the Academy Award for best picture. It also won Oscars for best costume design, original score and original song, and was nominated for best picture at the Golden Globes. Two years after its release, however, Chadwick Boseman, who played the lead role T’Challa, died of colon cancer, sending shockwaves through Hollywood—he hadn’t previously made his diagnosis public. Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige made the decision not to recast the role, saying, “it just felt like it was much too soon.”
Surprising Fact
The movie’s impressive opening day could also be attributed to Veterans Day falling on a Friday, meaning kids were off from school and many adults were off work.
Tangent
Another big release on Friday was The Fabelmans, director Steven Spielberg’s semi-autobiographical film about his own childhood and the movies that inspired him to become a filmmaker. The movie has a 95% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and an 83% rating on Metacritic.
Marvel’s Phase 4 can feel a little disjointed depending on your perspective. That’s why it’s helpful that Kevin Feige explained how it all works out. People have a few gripes about Phase 4 and the state of the MCU in general right now, but hopefully, those are on their way to being fixed.
A lot of people feel like Phase 4 has been all over the place, with more Disney+ series than movies. The movies have also been of wildly varying quality. During the previous three phases, most of the films that came out were universally loved. That’s not the case now. Movies like Eternals and Thor: Love And Thunder got amongst the worst reviews in Marvel history, and reactions to She-Hulk have been mixed.
Despite all of that, excitement for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is at an all-time high, and if all goes well, it could be one of the best films in Phase 4. One of the biggest elements of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is the introduction of Namor. Namor’s extremely important to a ton of Marvel stories, and beyond that, he’s just cool. In the comics, he’s from Atlantis. He also dates back to Marvel Comics #1, which was released in 1939.
According to Kevin Feige, Namor and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever are the key to understand what all of Phase 4 of the MCU — starting with WandaVision on Disney+ and concluding with Wakanda Forever in theaters — has been all about. At the Wakanda Forever premiere, Feige explained…
The reason [Black Panther: Wakanda Forever] anchors Phase 4 — and the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special — is because the phases are all about introductions. And Phase 4, think about all the characters we’ve met. And now, finally, in the finale of Phase 4, looking at it by phases, we meet an entire new kingdom and a character who is the very foundation of what we do at Marvel.
You can watch the whole interview with Kevin Feige below. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever opens in theaters everywhere on November 11.
Marvel’s Upcoming Phase Four, Five, and Six Movie and TV Lineup
Here’s every movie and show Marvel currently has scheduled for release in Phase Four, Five, and Six of their cinematic universe.
