Dark Phoenix Won’t Have A Stan Lee Cameo, But It Will Have A Tribute

Dark Phoenix Won’t Have A Stan Lee Cameo, But It Will Have A Tribute

As many exciting developments and projects we’ve heard about and seen in the world of comics and comic book movies over the last few months, there is still a persistent feeling of mourning in the community. Stan Lee, one of the great icons of the industry, passed away in mid-November of last year, and since then there has been a constant outpouring of love and appreciation for his legacy.

This most definitely extends to his legendary string of cameos in big screen Marvel projects - which has emotionally continued posthumously. Since November we’ve seen him with pop up roles in Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse and Captain Marvel, and it’s been reported that there are still a few left that we haven’t seen. Now we can confirm, however, that one of them isn’t featured in Simon Kinberg’s Dark Phoenix.

This weekend I had the opportunity to sit down with Kinberg and producer Hutch Parker at WonderCon in Anaheim, California, and it was at the end of the interview that I asked about the presence of Stan Lee in the upcoming blockbuster. In deference for the Marvel legend, the director didn’t play coy with his answer, opting to admit that there isn’t a cameo in Dark Phoenix, but he added that Lee’s presence will be felt when audiences see the film this summer. Said Kinberg,

We don't have a cameo. I'd rather say that than then keep it mysterious, out of respect for Stan. We do have some tribute to him, and it's something that obviously we weren't thinking about when we were making the movie because he was still very much alive. And he's been such a huge part of making these films over the years. He's had cameos; he's had input into the process of making them.

It was actually for the X-Men franchise that Stan Lee did his first ever cameo in a big screen superhero movie, playing a hot dog vendor on a beach who watches Senator Kelly (Bruce Davison) emerge from the ocean in 2000’s X-Men. That was followed by appearances in Spider-Man, Daredevil, Hulk, Spider-Man 2, 2005's Fantastic Four, and more, but he did eventually return to appear alongside some of his mutant creations in X-Men: The Last Stand, Deadpool, and X-Men: Apocalypse.

Simon Kinberg actually specifically cited the X-Men: Apocalypse cameo during the interview, highlighting it as one that was particularly significant for Stan Lee. As while we’ve seen him in all kinds of crazy situations and contexts over the years, his appearance in the 2016 comic book movie was the only one to A) take place at Lee’s actual house, and B) co-star his wife, Joan Lee - who passed away about a year after the film was released. The director told me,

I've spent a lot of time with him. I've been lucky enough to spend a lot of time with him. We went to his house for his cameo in Apocalypse, with him and his wife - which was a really special one because it was with his wife. They were so close, and they were together for, I mean, I think most of their adult lives.

Stan and Joan Lee were actually married for 70 years – betrothed since 1947 – which by itself is really remarkable.

Of the movies in which Stan Lee cameoed, Simon Kinberg was a part of three as a producer and/or writer, and it was clearly an emotional subject for the filmmaker to discuss. He added that he really thinks that all of the feelings surrounding Lee’s death will also ultimately have an impact on the way that audiences view the film – if not partially because of the very real pride that Lee felt in regards to the team of mutant heroes that he created. Kinberg continued,

It was something that we all feel now, and we felt when we were in post-production on this movie. So it already felt like a special film for the X-Men, because it is the culmination of all of these movies in so many ways, and because Dark Phoenix is the ultimate X-Men run. But I think even more so, Stan Lee's passing gives even more weight to this film for us, because X-Men, to me, and I think to a lot of fans, and to Stan in some ways, was his sort of ultimate achievement.

So while we may not get to see Stan Lee in some kind of goofy, weird or even heroic situation in Dark Phoenix, it should still be recognized that the deep love for him is still in the DNA – and surely there will be a wave of chills felt when we get to see the aforementioned tribute that the film has planned.

You can see more of my interview with Simon Kinberg and Hutch Parker, as well as parts from my interviews with Dark Phoenix stars Sophie Turner, Tye Sheridan, Evan Peters, Alexandra Shipp, and Kodi Smit-McPhee, by clicking play on the video below!

The directorial debut of Simon Kinberg, Dark Phoenix takes audiences back to the 1990s, and sees the X-Men, led by Professor X (James McAvoy), in a situation we’ve never seen before: recognized worldwide as true heroes. The mutants are experienced working as a team, called on by governments and large organizations in times of crisis, and they are beloved. When their first mission in outer space winds up going sideways, though, they are left with a perilous situation they never saw coming – specifically Jean Grey (Sophie Turner) getting more and more powerful, and less willing to control her darker impulses. As she gets more dangerous, and people start to get seriously hurt, choices have to be made – choices that risk dividing the team.

Also starring Michael Fassbender, Jessica Chastain, Jennifer Lawrence, and Nicholas Hoult, Dark Phoenix will be hitting theaters everywhere on June 7th – and not only will we have more from my interviews with the cast and filmmakers coming your way here on CinemaBlend, but also a whole lot more of my coverage from WonderCon 2019.

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Disney's Bob Iger Is Taking A Major Pay Cut Ahead Of Fox Merger

Disney's Bob Iger Is Taking A Major Pay Cut Ahead Of Fox Merger

Among the many things Mickey has in store for his Thanos-like quest for universal domination in 2019 is the closure of Disney’s purchase of 21st Century Fox. Pending any unforeseen complications, all signs point towards that deal closing sometime this year. With that merger looming, the head of the Mouse House, Disney CEO and Chairman Bob Iger, is taking a major pay cut.

Disney has adjusted Bob Iger’s compensation in a way that drastically reduces the potential pay he would have made upon the closing of the Fox deal, according to Deadline. A $500,000 annual increase has been eliminated and Bob Iger’s base salary will remain at $3 million. Also being cut is an annual $8 million increase in Iger’s annual target bonus. That potential bonus will remain at $12 million.

A long-term incentive award for the chairman has also been reduced by $5 million a year from $25 million to $20 million. Factoring in all the cuts and reductions to bonuses, Bob Iger’s potential annual pay will be reduced by up to $13.5 million. In a statement Bob Iger seemed to indicate that the reduction in his pay was a decision that he and the company came to together. He said:

I am proud to be leading The Walt Disney Company through this important time and believe the changes I, with the Board, have made are in the best interest of the company.

It seems that this pay cut was the result of mutual decision made between the CEO and Disney’s board to better position Disney for success and profitability for shareholders during this transitional period when the company has so much going on.

I think we can all agree that $13.5 million is no small amount to lose out on, but try not to feel too bad for Bob Iger. He is still one of the highest-paid executives in the industry. He made $65.7 million in 2018, an 80% increase over 2017. That included a stock grant that was an incentive for him to stay with Disney until 2021, beyond his planned retirement date to help shepherd the company through the Fox deal.

Bob Iger also received a stock award as a part of the Fox deal, valued at $35.35 million with the potential to increase to as high as $149.6 million when the deal closes and if the company performs.

Although no specific reasoning was given for Bob Iger’s reduced compensation in Disney’s SEC filing, in the company’s annual shareholder meeting last year, a majority of shareholders voted against Disney’s plan for executive compensation. At the time, the board said that it would take the vote under advisement for future decisions about CEO compensation, according to CNBC. This move comes in advance of Disney’s next annual shareholder meeting, which will be held on March 7.

Reduced pay or not, this is a big year for Bob Iger and Disney, and one that could cement the former’s legacy and set up the latter’s future for years to come. The $71.3 billion purchase of 21st Century Fox expected to close in the first half of the year, thus changing the entertainment landscape and giving Disney even more firepower at the box office. 2019 will also see the launch of the Disney+ streaming service and the addition of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge to Disney’s theme parks, not to mention the slew of massive Disney movies headed to theaters.

Check out our 2019 release schedule to keep track of all of this year’s biggest movies.

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Shazam! Producer Promises DC Movies Can Still Be Dark

Shazam! Producer Promises DC Movies Can Still Be Dark

The DC live-action universe has had a rocky life in theaters, full of very high highs and disastrous lows. Luckily for Warner Bros., things seem to be on the upswing after the poor critical and box office performance of Justice League. DC is still surfing on the high of Aquaman's success, and anticipation is at a fever pitch for David F. Sandberg's upcoming blockbuster Shazam!

Shazam! will hit theaters in a matter of days, bringing the dual-personal title character into live-action for the first time. The movie's tone is in stark juxtaposition to Zack Snyder's bleak dramas that started the universe. But according to Shazam! producer Peter Safran, that doesn't mean that the DCEU won't have dark and gritty installments. As he tells it:

I think that DC has the same idea we do now, which is every movie that they make should have the right tone for that particular character. Shazam is such a fun character. He is all about wish fulfillment. He is fun and funny, and that is the tone that you should have for the film. Aquaman has got a tone, fantastical element. Shazam! is fun and funny. Wonder Woman’s got her thing. I think they realize each tone has to be specific for each movie.

Rather than trying to make one uniform movie, it looks like the DC universe will continue giving more power to the directors. As such, a dark movie will happen as soon as the story and characters call for it.

Peter Safran's comments IGN are sure to be a relief to DC fans who enjoy all the darkness its stories have to offer. While Shazam! is light hearted, there's been tragic stories for many of the characters on the page. Especially Batman, whose origin in based in trauma and childhood loss. The Dark Knight and others simply need to be dark, and have a ton unlike the two most recent releases.

In the same interview from Shazam!'s red carpet, Peter Safrin directly addressed Batman and Todd Phillips' Joker, which is expected to be a dark drama focused on a mentally ill villain. Safrin expanded his thoughts, saying:

Listen, there are certain characters like Batman, like the Joker, that dark tone is perfect for them. It’s what you really want to see.

So while Billy Batson and Freddy may have their childhood games in Shazam!, we shouldn't expect the entire DC Universe to go family friendly. There are projects coming down the pipeline which should have their share of dark material, so the studio is going to have to flip between vastly different projects. In addition to Joker and The Batman, Birds of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation Of One Harley Quinn) should utilize a mixture of drama and comedy. There's also Wonder Woman 1984 to look forward to, although that Patty Jenkins has up her sleeve for the sequel is anyone's guess.

Shazam! will bring something unique to not only the DC universe, but the superhero genre as a whole. Still functioning as an origin story, the blockbuster will follow 14 year-old Billy Batson as he's given amazing powers from a magical wizard. By saying the word "Shazam", Billy transforms into an adult sized superhero, capable of flight, super strength, and electricity manipulation. But since Billy doesn't know much about superheroes, his foster brother Freddy will step in to guide him toward his destiny.

This marks the first time that a modern superhero focus on the perspective of kids. In cinematic universes, there are tons of us regular folks who are living in a superheroic world. Children have a specific experience; for instance, Billy's friend Freddy is a superfan. Freddy has been following the events of movies like Batman v Superman and Justice League, so he'll be able to help Billy become Shazam.

Shazam! look it's going to be a super fun big screen adventure, and it's early reception has been positive. But moviegoers are still going to want dark and gritty installments later in the DC universe. Aquaman might have focused on family drama and a Game of Thrones-esque struggle for underwater power, but James Wan's blockbuster wasn't especially dark.

Darker subject material and tone will no doubt accompany Todd Phillips' Joker, which isn't going to be connected to the rest of the DC universe. Phillips will give the iconic Batman villain an origin story, and explain how a clown became Gotham's biggest threat. Starring Joaquin Phoenix, the project is expected to be decidedly darker than the most recent installments in the shared universe.

On the same page, Matt Reeves' The Batman should have some darkness to it. Gotham's Protector is usually surrounded by loss and murder, and the developing blockbuster will reportedly include a few members of Batman's rogue gallery. The project will follow a younger version of Bruce Wayne, and focus on Batman's top notch detective skills. This is a new approach to the character onscreen, so let's also hope there's the proper amount of darkness in the movie.

Birds of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) should be an interesting movie, as it'll walk the line between serious mob drama and quirky action romp. Cathy Yan's upcoming blockbuster will once again focus on the denizens of Gotham City, including the villainous Black Mask and Bat-family member Huntress. The movie is also a spinoff for Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn, who debuted in Suicide Squad. Harley's inclusion obviously means there will be plenty of comedic beats in Birds of Prey, but the characters that make up the ensemble have tragic and violent pasts. Plus, Black Mask is known as a ruthless mob boss in Gotham.

There will be plenty of room for darkness in the future of the DC live-action universe in the future. For now, fans can celebrate that the studio seems to have finally found its footing, and is producing a variety of exciting projects. And with Shazam! flying into theaters in just days, we may have another DC success story on our hands. And that's in no small part due to its unique tone.

Shazam! will arrive in theaters on April 5th. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

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Kumail Nanjiani May Be Joining Marvel’s The Eternals

Kumail Nanjiani May Be Joining Marvel’s The Eternals

The upcoming culmination of the MCU thus far, Avengers: Endgame, is coming in quick, and while release dates following Spider-Man: Far From Home have yet to be announced, Marvel is quietly setting up Phase 4. After it was reported last week that Angelina Jolie was in talks with the studio to star in The Eternals, another actor is now attached – Silicon Valley’s Kumail Nanjiani.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the actor is in negotiations to star in the adventure project based on the Marvel comic book series about near-immortal beings with superpowers ahead of filming, which will start this year. The Eternals is said to be a romance spanning thousands of years and centering on the titular cosmic beings and their monstrous counterparts, the Deviants. It will be directed by Chloe Zhao.

Neither Angelina Jolie or Kumail Nanjiani’s roles have been disclosed yet, but perhaps they will play Sersi and Ikaris, who have been reported to be a part of the film’s main plot. Ikaris is the leader of the Eternals and Sersi is one who isn’t shy about living among humans.

The 41-year-old comedian has already made quite a splash in Hollywood in the past few years after holding multiple supporting roles in comedy films and breaking out as a lead in the Golden Globe-nominated HBO tech company comedy in 2014. He scored Oscar recognition for his 2017 indie rom-com The Big Sick, which he co-wrote with his wife Emily Gordon, based off their own love story.

Kumail Nanjiani most recently starred in the pilot episode of Jordan Peele’s Twilight Zone, titled "The Comedian." He will have a voice role in Men in Black: International and in the upcoming buddy action-comedy Stuber with Guardian of the Galaxy’s Dave Bautista this summer. The actor also has a voice role in The Voyage of Doctor Dolittle, which stars Robert Downey Jr., and he has another rom-com on the way alongside Issa Rae.

If Kumail Nanjiani ends up striking this deal on The Eternals, this will certainly be his highest-profile role yet, not to mention he'd be working with one of the biggest female action stars there is. Marvel has a knack for taking comedy actors such as Nanjiani for their projects. Take how Chris Pratt was propelled into stardom following his lead role in Guardians of the Galaxy – before then he was primarily known for his role as Andy Dwyer in Parks and Recreation.

If the actor is the film’s lead, he’d also be the first Pakistani-American actor to star in a Marvel film and in this scale of an action film ever. Marvel has made it clear that going forward, its focus is on diversity. This can be affirmed by the prominence of Black Panther, Captain Marvel’s new key role in the Avengers, the Shang-Chi movie in the works and recent comments of an openly gay character in a Marvel film, which the studio has been reportedly been seeking for The Eternals.

To see what else Marvel Studios has in store for the next upcoming chapter of the MCU, take a look at our guide to What We Know About Phase 4.

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How Robert Downey Jr. Changed And Improved Tony And Peter’s Gut-Wrenching Infinity War Scene

How Robert Downey Jr. Changed And Improved Tony And Peter’s Gut-Wrenching Infinity War Scene

Tom Holland has become an instant favorite in the Marvel Cinematic Universe among fans. And a major reason why is because of the young actor’s chemistry with Robert Downey Jr., playing mentor to Peter Parker in both Captain America: Civil War and Spider-Man: Homecoming. The Iron Man and Spidey kinship helps explain why audiences were so devastated by Peter’s death in Avengers: Infinity War, turning “I don’t feel so good” into a Marvel meme.

But as it turns out, there were helpful emotional suggestions made to that scene by Robert Downey Jr. himself that the Russo Brothers believe nailed the significance of the moment and cemented Peter and Tony as spiritual touchstones in the MCU.

During a recent interview with Joe and Anthony Russo on CinemaBlend’s own ReelBlend podcast, the duo looked back on Avengers: Infinity War and the daring choices they made that had to be addressed in Endgame. When we circled around to Peter Parker’s dusting scene – an iconic MCU moment, by this point – Joe Russo elaborated on how that scene came together, and how Downey helped them get to where they needed to be. He said:

We had done a take or two… where it plays quicker than all of the other ones. We thought, ‘This has to be climactic.’ He's got spider sense, so he could feel it coming before it actually gets him. And we thought, wouldn't it be interesting too if your own emotional or spiritual core could hold [the dusting] off for a second or two longer than someone else. Because this is a magical event. It's nothing that's based on anything in the physical universe.

We just started talking to Tom and Downey. Downey is always extremely helpful in blocking. And we started saying, ‘This isn't having the emotional impact it needs to have. Tom, what if, you know, you’re a kid. This is scaring the shit out of you. What if this is something that you don't want to have happen. You can't, you know, you're scared. You don't want to go. So what would happen?’ And then he started improvising. ‘I don't want to go!’ And Downey, I think, he helped with the blocking of [Holland] falling into Robert and Robert laying him down on the ground. Frankly, it took about five or 10 minutes to shift. And in the next take, we went out and they nailed it and that was it. Everybody was crying on the set.

What’s that? You want to be devastated by this sorrow? Well, OK. Here’s that scene, in case you haven’t watched it 1,000,000 times before.

During the press run up to Avengers: Infinity War, the brothers were not able to discuss specifics, so as to protect spoilers. And they are in a similar situation with Avengers: Endgame. Yes the movie is out and dominating at the box office. But they are trying to protect the big reveals from the new movie as much as possible, which is why we used some small portion of our time with them to go back over the best parts of Infinity War.

Here is the first half of our conversation with Joe and Anthony Russo, as part of the ReelBlend podcast:

Not that you need to be told this, but Avengers: Endgame is in theaters as we speak. Come back to CinemaBlend next Monday, when we will post the second half of our conversation with the Russos, which is filled with MCU and Endgame spoiler talk. It’s worth the wait.

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Netflix's Wine Country Trailer Reunites SNL's Funniest Ladies For Day Drinking

Netflix's Wine Country Trailer Reunites SNL's Funniest Ladies For Day Drinking

Whenever you get together with a group of friends for a day of drinking, there are bound to be some laughs. In Netflix’s new original movie Wine Country, those friends just happen to be played by some of the funniest women in showbiz, so the laughs are going to flow even more freely than the alcohol. The trailer for Wine Country reunites Saturday Night Live’s funniest ladies for some day drinking in Amy Poehler’s directorial debut. Take a look:

With a cast like this, you would expect to find a lot of laughs in Wine Country, and fortunately this first trailer provides just that. The basic premise of a group of old friends coming together to celebrate one of their own turning 50 by planning a trip to Napa is ripe with comedic possibility. We quickly see that you don’t have to be in your 20s to be a sloppy and entertaining drunk.

In addition to the physical comedy, which actresses like Maya Rudolph do so well, on display in this trailer, it also has some really funny lines. The bit about the “lavender popping corn” is great and really highlights some of the absurdity and pretentiousness that you might find at a fancy restaurant. With a script from SNL writer Emily Spivey and The Last Man on Earth writer Liz Cackowski, there should be plenty of smart comedy in this movie.

It was also a fun wink (intentional or not) to Parks and Recreation fans to see Amy Poehler’s character in this film, Abby, handing out itineraries for the wine country trip. They were just folders, but you can’t help but think of Amy Poehler’s Leslie Knope, who was a huge fan of planning everything out and micro-managing with massive binders full of information.

While there will clearly be plenty of great humor from this cast, it is evident from this trailer that Wine Country will also have plenty of heart. The drunken falling down, wine-fueled shenanigans and debauchery is only the surface level stuff, and as Tina Fey’s blunt Tammy warns, the alcohol will let out plenty of truthful confessions and that will put a strain on their friendships.

The characters in Wine Country are enjoying a vacation, but they are also dealing with some of the real issues people encounter as they get older and discover how old friendships are both difficult to maintain, but also hugely important. Those emotional beats should help give Wine Country something heartfelt to say in addition to the good laughs.

Amy Poehler has assembled many of her old friends and put together a positively stacked cast of actresses for Wine Country. Joining SNL actresses Ana Gasteyer, Rachel Dratch, Maya Rudolph and Amy Poehler onscreen are two SNL writers that have helped make everyone so funny over the years, Paula Pell and Emily Spivey. Naturally these two writers have some of the trailer’s funniest lines. Plus, former SNL writer and cast member Tina Fey is briefly in the trailer, but looks to have a fun role.

Wine Country arrives on Netflix and in select theaters (Netflix may soon have its own!) on May 10. Check out our 2019 Release Schedule to see all the biggest movies headed to theaters this year, and for all the joys of day drinking with none of the consequences, stay tuned to CinemaBlend.

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Forrest Gump Was Originally Getting A Sequel, And It Sounds Wild

Forrest Gump Was Originally Getting A Sequel, And It Sounds Wild

Forrest Gump was the rare film that succeeded at the box office while also being a major award winner. With something like that, you can practically hear the studio green-lighting the sequel, but one never happened. However, it turns out a sequel actually came quite close to happening. Eric Roth, who won an Oscar for his screenplay of the original Forrest Gump, actually completed work on a script for a sequel. Unfortunately, the new script had just about the worst possible timing. According to Roth...

Literally, I turned it in the day before 9/11. Tom and I and (director Robert Zemeckis) got together on 9/11 to sort of commiserate about how life was in America and how tragic it was. And we looked at each other and said, ‘This movie has no meaning anymore,' in that sense.

Forrest Gump was a movie that was built entirely out of optimism. The main character almost always had a positive outlook and attitude that carried him through life. On 9/11, you can bet that few people were feeling such optimism. Clearly, the team behind the first film looked at this new sequel and just figured the world they were now in was not a place where a Forrest Gump 2 made any sense.

Of course, even if things had gone differently, one has to wonder just how well a sequel to Forrest Gump would have actually worked, because this story was weird. The first film was all about watching Forrest Gump coincidentally find himself part of major historical events, and the sequel would have continued that idea, while moving the story closer to the modern day. This included, as Roth tells Yahoo, somehow making Gump part of the O.J. Simpson murder case.

I had (Forrest) in the back of (O.J. Simpson's) Bronco. He would look up occasionally, but they didn’t see him in the rearview mirror, and then he’d pop down.

Needless to say, putting Forrest Gump in O.J.'s famous white bronco is an...interesting choice. It was certainly a moment that everybody watching the film would remember, but not exactly in the best way. It's not quite the same as watching him report the Watergate break-in.

Forest Gump also had a tendency to have certain skills that made him incredibly good at various activities. In the original movie it was football and table tennis. In the sequel, we would learn that Forrest Gump was an excellent ballroom dancer, a skill which would apparently result in him dancing with Princess Diana at one point.

Forrest would also begin a new relationship in the sequel, with a Native American woman. This would lead to what actually may have been one of the major reasons the script died. It included a sequence that would likely have been viewed very poorly as a post-9/11 movie.

The big event in that, which you could see was only diminished in tragedy, I guess,because it's the same tragedy. Every day he'd go wait for his native American partner. She taught nursery school at, sort of a government building in Oklahoma City. And he was sitting on the bench waiting for her to have lunch, and all of the sudden the building behind him blows up.

Somehow, I feel like the decision to not make a sequel to Forrest Gump was probably the right one, regardless of the reasons why it didn't happen. While enough time may have passed now for moments like these to have a similar impact to the original movie, back in the early 2000's these sorts of things would have been too fresh in our minds. It feels a lot less like the pleasant nostalgia of the first movie a lot more like making references for their own sake.

What do you think of these ideas for a Forrest Gump sequel? Let us know in the poll below

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