Captain Marvel Reviews: What CinemaBlend Thought Of The Newest Marvel Movie

Captain Marvel Reviews: What CinemaBlend Thought Of The Newest Marvel Movie

There have been a lot of expectations for Marvel Studios newest project. Captain Marvel is the first female-led movie from the House of Ideas, which, in the opinion of nearly everybody, is long over due. But has it been worth the wait? Many of us at CinemaBlend have had the chance to see the film and, as per usual, we have a lot of opinions on the topic. Eric Eisenberg wrote the official review for Captain Marvel. He gave the movie four out of five stars and felt the movie was largely the exciting adventure it needed to be, that largely overcomes the manb hurdles set before it. According to the review.

Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck's Captain Marvel is absolutely a blockbuster to which the industry should look as it's doing its part to try and reinvent the wheel, and while doing so serving up a fantastic hero debut within a spectacular and twist-filled, 1990s-set adventure.

While Eric largely thought that Captain Marvel did a great job of being a fresh take at the superhero origin story, that's not to say the film completely avoids every ptfall and trope that comes with it. CinemaBlend writer Sarah El-Mahmoud largely loved the movie as well, but felt that ultimately, the film was a lot of setup for a payoff that has yet to come. Of course, when that payoff comes in any potential sequel, she'll almost certainly be there.

Captain Marvel is the '90s action flick that was missing from my (Disney princess-filled) childhood but better late than never! Brie Larson's Carol Danvers is an unapologetic badass, Sam Jackson's young Nick Fury & Goose the cat have stolen my heart & Lashana Lynch (!!!) There's tons to love about this one & but I was left finding it to be a bit incomplete on its own by the end. It's an origin story that screams sequel!

While Captain Marvel is the last movie before Avengers: Endgame ends many stories of the MCU, it actually takes place prior to the vast majority of them. It's a "period piece" because apparently something taking place in the 90s counts as a period piece now (get off my lawn). This means it gives us new insight into the larger MCU with a look at an era we hadn't seen before. Marketing Editor Adrienne Jones enjoyed the flashback to Marvel's past, and also the cat, of course.

Captain Marvel gives us a fun, action-packed look at the MCU's past that we didn't know we needed. While some of the effects come off as a bit cartoony, this is a great superhero debut from Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson shows us an enjoyable new side to Nick Fury and Goose the cat will not soon be forgotten.

While there are clearly elements that everybody at CinemaBlend enjoyed about Captain Marvel, the fact is that nearly every Marvel movie qualifies as "pretty good" and with the bar now set as high as it is, it's hard for anybody to clear it. CinemaBlend News Director Jessica Rawden was expecting a lot more than she got.

Captain Marvel has some mild laughs, it has some fun action sequences and it has a cat that gets plenty of screen time (if that's your thing). Regardless, it’s missing the energy, creativity and fun with tone a lot of the better Marvel movies have, and its story is super paint-by-numbers. I didn’t leave feeling disappointed, exactly, but I expected more from a character and a movie that had the privilege of taking us to the past while setting up for the MCU of the future. Maybe it was too large of a request. Nothing about Captain Marvel is inherently bad, it’s just fine, forgettable fluff.

One certainly begins to wonder if marvel is becoming a victim of its own success. Back when the first Iron Man came out, nobody was necessarily expecting it to be revolutionary. The fact that it was good was enough. Now, fans are clearly expecting not just good, but great. Iron Man largely follows the same origin story formula, but since there's wasn't a decade of movies preceding it, nobody was too upset by that. Now, audiences have seen this sort of story before, and there's an expectation to do something different, or at the very least, better.

Having said that, CinemaBlend Editor Adam Holmes seems to accepted the film for what it is, and enjoyed what it brought to the table.

While predictable at times, Captain Marvel is nonetheless an enjoyable watch. It wisely balances its '90s setting with cosmic action, and it did a solid job of setting up Carol Danvers as one of the new leading heroes going forward in the MCU. Samuel L. Jackson also gave a delightful performance as a younger, less cynical Nick Fury, and, of course, Goose the Cat is an absolute treasure. Captain Marvel isn't one of the MCU's most exceptional movies, but it definitely delivers on entertainment.

CB Project Manager Cody Beck is another that was ultimately expecting something more. In addition, he felt Captain Marvel had some pretty rough dialogue and visual effects that really weren't quite up to what we expect from the Oscar nominated Marvel Studios. Also, did we mention the cat was great?

Captain Marvel was a fun ride, but with cookie cutter storytelling. The messages are positive and the exposition abundant, but some of the dialogue used to deliver both is cringeworthy at best. Definitely not my favorite MCU entry, but also not my least favorite. Some of the de-aging and visual special effects didn’t seem quite up to par with other huge superhero blockbusters, but I’d go again just to see Samuel L Jackson and that scene-stealin', crazy cat.

The superhero origin story is something we've seen countless times before, including many different times from Marvel Studios. At this point, many are just tired of seeing the same formula play out over and over, and it does need to be said Captain Marvel, while it structures the origin in a unique and interesting way, still hits most of the same beats you're probably expecting. Having said that, I actually really enjoy origin stories for exactly those reasons.

I actually love origin story movies because there's nothing quite like that building of anticipation toward "the moment." It can only happen once. Captain Marvel makes you wait. Some things are worth the wait.

If there's a general consensus among CinemaBlend, it's that Captain Marvel is, well, a fun superhero movie. While there was once a time when that was all anybody asked for, and many might still be ok with it, if you were hoping for an Avengers level epic, then you may need to wait until the next actual Avengers movie. Captain Marvel is in theaters now.

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Universal Studios Hollywood Unveils New Details For Jurassic World: The Ride

Universal Studios Hollywood Unveils New Details For Jurassic World: The Ride

Universal Studios Hollywood opened its Jurassic Park attraction back in 1996. Nearly 25 years is a good long run for an attraction, but the franchise, much like the dinosaurs in the original film, has come back from the dead in recent years thanks to the Jurassic World films. So it was little surprise when we learned last year that Jurassic Park - The Ride was being shut down to make way for a new attraction. Get ready for Jurassic World - The Ride, set to open this summer.

Universal Studios Hollywood today confirmed that Jurassic World - The Ride will open sometime later this summer. No specific date was given but a number of new details about the upcoming refresh to the classic theme park attraction were unveiled. For the most part, those familiar with the classic Jurassic Park ride will likely find the new experience familiar. It will still put guests aboard rafts that will take you through a jungle like environment, inhabited by numerous dinosaurs. However, everything about the specifics of that has been redesigned and re-imagined. Newly created dinosaurs, new scenery and an all new storyline exclusive to the park have been created. The attraction will also boast an all new entrance for the rafts to pass through, including a new Jurassic World logo supported by new stone work pillars topped with flames, just like you see when entering the famous park in the movies. Likely looking something like this...

The new attraction will still sport the major high point of the previous iteration, an 84-foot waterfall drop that will bring guests splashing down to ground level. However, it will be part of an all-new sequence where a Tyrannosaurus Rex goes up against. what's being called one of the attractions "new behemoth dinosaurs." It doesn't say you'll see an Indominous Rex, but it certainly sounds like it.

In addition to the ride itself, the attraction will also include a couple of brand new areas. The Raptor Encounter will allow guests to get face-to-face with Blue and the other raptors from the Jurassic World films. Universal Studios has brought out free roaming "dinosaurs" for guests to interact with in the past and this sounds like a way to add that option permanently to the park. There will also be a Dino Play area that will give kids a chance to hunt for their own dinosaur fossils. Again, this part of the attraction seems to take strong inspiration from a segment of the films.

The new ride was developed by the likes of Industrial Light & Magic as well as franchise producer Steven Spielberg and Frank Marshall as well as director Colin Trevorrow. One certainly has to wonder if some bits of ideas from the upcoming Jurassic World 3 might make their way into the attraction.

The original Jurassic Park ride was a lot of fun so seeing it get refreshed for the current franchise, with a lot of new cool stuff to go along with it, looks pretty awesome. While no specific opening date has been given, expect to see it hit as soon as possible in order to bring in as many summer tourists as it can. There's nothing quite like a good splash down for a hot Southern California day, and this should be just what the doctor ordered.

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What Dumbo’s Cast Thinks About Animals Being Used In Entertainment

What Dumbo’s Cast Thinks About Animals Being Used In Entertainment

Looking back on the original Dumbo, it’s not exactly a film with a big message. After all, it only clocks in at a little over an hour long, and basically just about the misadventures of a baby elephant with big ears and his mouse friend. The same cannot be said about Tim Burton’s new live-action adaptation, however, and I recently had the chance to ask the film’s cast about one of the blockbuster’s key themes: the treatment of animals in entertainment.

Earlier this month I participated in the domestic press day for Dumbo in Los Angeles, and having the opportunity to sit down with Colin Farrell, Eva Green, and Danny DeVito, one subject that I brought up in every interview was one of the movie’s key messages. Each of them had a different perspective on the question, but also expressed a certain pride in how it comes across in Dumbo.

If the opportunities aren’t obvious, you might just not be familiar with the plot of the new film. Set in the wake of World War I, and primarily following a low-rent circus, Dumbo not only features all of the trauma of watching the titular elephant get forcibly separated from his mother, but also has a frank discussion about the exploitation of animals in entertainment. And not only is this something important to the plot of the film, but it’s also worth noting that the production itself made significant use of CGI animals instead of real ones (including for the creation of its eponymous character).

Not every animal in Dumbo is digitally added, as Colin Farrell’s character rides some very real horses in the movie. Interestingly, though, this led to some further consideration of their use in the movie by the actor, who definitely took the message of the movie to heart:

I've often questioned the use of horses and stuff, because at least a human being says, 'Yes, I want to be there,' and is getting paid for their services. Whereas a horse has no choice... I'd always be very adamant to make sure the horses, certainly anywhere close to me, aren’t mistreated in any way. And, and across the board, by in large, the horses have always, as far as I could see, have been treated wonderfully. But this film does make statements on the cruelty of the circus at that particular time, especially in relation to animals.

Playing aerialist Colette Marchant in the movie, who winds up performing an act with Dumbo, Eva Green had a lot of opportunity to do some non-animal acting in the film, and it seems that it wasn’t something that made the experience any more of a challenge. Even though working with a big green stuffed animal instead of a real creature meant using her imagination a bit more during production, being a part of a story like Dumbo and getting across its messaging was a point of pride for the actress. Green said,

We didn't have real elephants in, in this movie. We had wonderful CGI people who created some magic. I'm super proud to be in a Disney movie that promotes animal free circuses. Animals are not meant to live in captivity.

Dumbo, which also stars Michael Keaton, Alan Arkin, Nico Parker, and Finley Hobbins, arrives in theaters this Friday – and stay tuned here on CinemaBlend for more from my interviews with the actors and filmmakers!

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New DVD Releases June 2019: All The Latest Movies And TV Shows

New DVD Releases June 2019: All The Latest Movies And TV Shows

Although the summer months are geared toward plenty of outdoor activities, kids are also home from school and have plenty of free time. Which means there’s plenty of time for kids to plant themselves in front of a screen. Sure, there’s always YouTube and Netflix, but for the latest releases, look no further than this June list of titles.

This summer, we’ll see some big hits like Captain Marvel and Us finally being available in homes (the former will also be housed on Disney+). But don’t take it from me, check out the full list of the titles coming to DVD, Digital and Blu-ray below.

Early Digital releases are mentioned in the early Digital column; same day Digital releases come out when the DVD and Blu-rays do. As for DVD release, if you’re looking for May titles head here. In addition,

New DVD Releases June 4, 2019

Available currently for pre-order, this week will feature some indie hits, as well as Tyler Perry finally saying goodbye to Madea, a character that helped him to become a household name.

A Madea Family Funeral

Lost in Space: Season 1

Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan: Season One 

The Haunting of Sharon Tate

The Man Who Killed Don Quixote

Gloria Bell

Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

J.T. Leroy

The Kid

Woman at War

Delicious: Series 3

London Kills: Series 1

Batman (1989) - 4K Ultra HD

Batman Returns (1992) - 4K Ultra HD

Batman Forever (1995) - 4K Ultra HD

Batman & Robin (1997) - 4K Ultra HD

Early Digital Releases Week of June 4, 2019

Us

Wonder Park

New DVD Releases June 11, 2019

A big new Marvel release is usually something to celebrate, and this week will be no exception, as Marvel’s first titular female superheroine will be getting her own DVD release with Captain Marvel! In addition, there are quite a few fun TV releases out this week.

The Good Doctor: The Complete Second Season (June 10)

Captain Marvel (Digital out May 28)

Captive State

Orange Is The New Black: Season Six

Five Feet Apart

I Am The Night

The Blacklist: The Complete Sixth Season (June 13)

Early Digital Releases Week of June 11, 2019

High Life

The Aftermath

Hotel Mumbai

New DVD Releases June 18, 2019

Following a successful run at the box office, Jordan Peele's latest horror flick Us is making its way onto DVD and Blu-ray this week. It's one of several high profile releases coming out, although some fared better at the box office than others. Take a look.

Us

Wonder Park

The Beach Bum

Hotel Mumbai

Will & Grace (The Revival) Season Two

Patrick Melrose

Killing Eve: Season Two

Suits: The Complete Season 8

Slaughterhouse Rulez

Lords of Chaos

New DVD Releases June 25, 2019

So far, there are fewer new releases this week than I’ve seen in some time. Of these, the highest profile release is probably The Aftermath, a period drama starring Kiera Knightley. When Knightley was doing press for the movie, she revealed why she’s not longer excited about doing nude scenes.

The Aftermath

The Hummingbird Project

Maze

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Toy Story 4 Is Breaking Pre-Sale Records For Animated Blockbusters

Toy Story 4 Is Breaking Pre-Sale Records For Animated Blockbusters

Pixar’s upcoming Toy Story film will bring back a lovable ensemble characters and wrap up the long-running franchise with an emotional conclusion. Wait… is Toy Story 4 the Avengers: Endgame of animation? Signs point to yes (box-office wise anyway). The movie recently broke some records for the best first day pre-sale tickets for an animated movie ever. Woody and friends will not be collecting dust this summer, that’s for sure.

When Toy Story 4 pre-sale tickets went on sale on Tuesday, Fandango reported that movie outpaced the current record-holder: 2018’s Incredibles 2, which became the highest-grossing animated movie of all time during the same weekend last summer. What's more, the upcoming sequel also broke the same records for Fandango's competitor Atom.

The Pixar’s superhero sequel earned $182 million during its 3-day weekend opening and went on to make $608 million domestically and $1.2 billion worldwide. Toy Story 4 may now be on track to beat out these numbers, perhaps scoring a potential $200 million during opening weekend. This would place the flick well over last month’s tracking of $105 to $130 million previously predicted.

Toy Story 4 also brought in higher presale figures than 2016’s Finding Dory, the live-action Beauty and the Beast and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 on Fandango. And the Toy Story sequel also sold nearly 50% more tickets on Atom than the site’s top 3 animated titles combined (Incredibles 2, Ralph Breaks the Internet and Hotel Transylvania) in a 24-hour period.

If Toy Story 4 delivers on these expectations, it will easily be the most successful opening weekend for the franchise. It has been nine years since Andy’s toys graced the big screen. 2010’s third installment made $110 million during its debut and over $1 billion worldwide by the end of its run. It was 2010’s biggest movie of the year. NowToy Story 4 likely won’t top Endgame opening weekend but it has a strong chance to become the second best opening of 2019 since the MCU culmination.

Depending on how popular Frozen II fares in earnings later this year, Toy Story 4 could also become the highest-grossing animated film of the year. The first Frozen didn’t earn a huge first weekend, but became popular on the big screen as world of mouth caught on. This lead to a $1.2 million global gross, making it the most-successful animated worldwide release. On the domestic front, Toy Story 3 beat out Frozen by just $15 million, so it could be a close race to the top.

After Pixar has offered up a dizzying amount of sequels in recent years, it’s been said the studio will soon be going back to making original animated films after Toy Story 4, starting with Onward coming in 2020.

Toy Story 4 comes to theaters on June 21 and will see the return of classic characters such as Tom Hank’s Woody and a handful of new one’s such as Tony Hale’s Forky and Keanu Reeves’ Duke Caboom.

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Avengers: Endgame Sold Five Times As Many Advance Tickets As Infinity War In First Week

Avengers: Endgame Sold Five Times As Many Advance Tickets As Infinity War In First Week

Long story short, Avengers: Endgame is already breaking all kinds of records. It sold a stupid number of tickets in the first week of presales. That's not surprising -- even if it's good to hear people managed to actually buy tickets after all of the site crashes. No one should be surprised to hear Endgame is setting new ticket sale records. It already did so within 24 hours of ticket availability.

What's surprising, to me, is the sheer volume we're talking about.

For Fandango, Avengers: Endgame sold five times as many tickets in its first week as Avengers: Infinity War sold in its first seven days of presales.

For Atom Tickets, per CNBC, Avengers: Endgame sold nearly twice as many tickets in its first week as Aquaman, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Avengers: Infinity War, and Captain Marvel combined. Nearly twice as many -- combined! All of those other films made at least $1 billion at the box office, with Infinity War doubling that.

Fandango reports that thousands of showtimes are already sold out across the country. You probably knew that at some point when you tried to get tickets yourself.

What's cool is the note that theaters have been adding new showtimes -- some as early as 4:00 am and 6:30 am Friday, April 26 -- to meet the fan demand to see the three-hour movie ASAP on opening day.

As you might expect, Endgame now holds Fandango's records for both the best first day and best first week of presales, knocking out Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

In terms of what this could mean for Avengers: Endgame's opening weekend, and ultimate box office total? Well, I've already put it on the record that I think this movie could rival Avatar. I know. That might be pushing it, even if we don't adjust for inflation. But look at these pre-sales -- and fans are probably going to watch the 3-hour movie multiple times, especially if Avengers 4 does say goodbye to some or all of The Original 6 Avengers.

For comparison, since Endgame just broke Star Wars: The Force Awakens' record for Fandango, The Force Awakens made $2,068,223,624 worldwide. Avengers: Infinity War made $2,048,359,754 worldwide. And Endgame just sold five times as many presale tickets in the same period of time as Infinity War.

We're definitely look at at a film in the 2 Billion Club. But how long will the movie leg out? Opening weekend anticipation for Endgame is so high because fans don't want to be spoiled on what happens. How do the Avengers beat Thanos and reverse or at least change Infinity War's Decimation? So it's not shocking that fans are rushing to see this movie opening night, even before opening night, or at least opening weekend.

Fandango Managing Editor Erik Davis even added this note about the April 26 demand:

I wouldn’t be surprised to see a record amount of fans reporting sick to work or taking the day off on Friday, April 26 because they’ll be attending opening day screenings of Avengers: Endgame.

Productivity is going to take a dive that day, with the exception of movie theater employees, who should be paid extra. So, on that note, please respond in the poll below if you plan to take work or school off in order to see Endgame. Don't worry, it's an anonymous poll...

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Cillian Murphy's Odds To Play James Bond Have Gone Way Up

Cillian Murphy's Odds To Play James Bond Have Gone Way Up

The next James Bond movie has been slightly delayed, but the movie is happening, and Daniel Craig will be back in the lead role. Of course, it seems quite likely that Craig will be done after this next film and whatever happens, at some point, sooner rather than later, Craig will be done playing Bond, but the role will certainly go on. The question of who the next James Bond will be will exist until there is one, and right now the odds on Cillian Murphy getting the role just got a lot better.

When I talk about the odds, I'm speaking quite literally, as I'm talking about bookmakers in Britain who actually do keep odds on who the next James Bond will be. Cillian Murphy had seen odds of 7/1 but those odds have just dropped to 100/30 (slightly worse than 3/1 if you don't want to do the math). He's not the front runner, but he's now in second place behind Tom Hiddleston and Richard Madden who both have 2/1 odds.

If there's a reason the odds have gotten so much better for Murphy, it's not entirely clear. His name has never been entirely absent from any conversation about the next James Bond. When Danny Boyle was set to direct the next film, but before Daniel Craig had agreed to return, Yahoo says Murphy's name had come up a possible replacement, but obviously it never came to that.

Murphy may be best known for playing the villain Scarecrow in Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins. He also had a role in Nolan's WWII epic Dunkirk and has had a successful TV run on the series Peaky Blinders.

Considering the time that it took to get Daniel Craig to commit to playing James Bond one more time, it seems likely this will be his last go-round as the super spy, though the film has not been announced to be his last. If he hasn't already told producers this is his last, then assume we'll all go through the "will he, won't he" one more time as Eon Productions tries to get him to do one more movie, before the producers even consider looking elsewhere.

Once we get there, however, there are a lot of interesting candidates. Everybody from Idris Elba to Tom Hardy has been rumored as a possible Bond in the past. Expect all of them to get thrown into the mix once again. Even an actor who might not have been a hot prospect a couple years ago when producers were last looking could be in a very different place a couple years from now when the hunt is on again. There will probably be some young actors who aren't even on our radar now who will also be contenders.

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How Much Avengers: Endgame Made Opening Night

How Much Avengers: Endgame Made Opening Night

Avengers: Endgame pre-sales have been insane ever since they went on sale, so people should already be fully aware that the new Marvel movie was going to have a big opening night. But being aware that a movie is big and understanding exactly how big a movie is are two different things, which is why we’re about to talk opening night numbers here.

Obviously, Avengers: Endgame absolutely dominated on opening night, with early reports indicating the flick could bring in at least $43 million. At the time, thanks to all the myriad showings that happened beginning at 6 p.m. yesterday evening, Deadline reported that the number could ultimately be as high as $57 million. Yes, for one evening of showings.

In fact, however, once the final numbers dropped, the movie made even more money domestically. Variety is reporting Avengers: Endgame opened to a record-breaking $60 million dollars. That would be a lot for an entire opening weekend, but it's an excessive number for just one night.

The previous number to beat for opening night was for Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which made $57 million domestically in its initial entrance into theaters. Over the weekend, Avengers: Endgame will play in over 4,600 theaters, so the numbers should only grow moving forward.

We’ve been reporting for weeks that Avengers: Endgame would open to record numbers. Certain showtimes have been sold out in various parts of the country for days and days. The AMC on 42nd Street had most showtimes until the middle of the night sold out, with only screenings at 1:45, 2:30 and 3:30 a.m. available, for example.

If Avengers: Endgame actually hit $57 million last night, the final Phase Three movie could be well on the way to making the $800 million that was estimated as a possibility by early box office trackers in terms of worldwide numbers. And I’m not talking $800 million in total; instead, I’m saying this movie could make $800 million during opening weekend. How ‘bout them apples?

To compare, when Avengers: Infinity War opened around this time last year, that movie also had an incredible opening weekend, pulling in $640.4 million during its first few days in theaters worldwide. For that movie, the flick opened a little later in China, which is why some are anticipating Endgame could blow past the $800 million mark.

This time around Avengers: Endgame is already breaking records in China in terms of pre-ordered ticket sales, so theoretically the numbers could be even higher there.

Domestically, Avengers: Endgame is also expected to be a winner and early numbers have U.S. and Canada totals at just under $300 million. With $57 million to kickstart that, the movie should be in good shape, as Friday nights and Saturdays are even bigger moviegoing days. (Although presumably a lot of people went Thursday night so as not to get spoiled.)

Ultimately, so far this year the box office has been a little sluggish compared to previous years. While titles like Glass, Us, and Captain Marvel have done well, there hasn’t been a Black Panther-type of movie to really rally insane numbers into theaters prior to this weekend. Avengers: Endgame could ramp things up considerably. I’m sure theaters are hoping it does.

Are we on our way to a record box office year? Only time will tell. But we will definitely keep you updated in regards to Endgame. In addition, to see when the likes of Godzilla: King of the Monsters and The Lion King will have their own chance to shine in the sun, take a look at our full movies schedule.

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Ranking All 7 Chucky Movies - From Child's Play To Cult Of Chucky

Ranking All 7 Chucky Movies - From Child's Play To Cult Of Chucky

For a little over 30 years, and seven films, the Chucky movies have turned what started as Child’s Play into a regular Cult of Chucky. And it’s all thanks to a little black magic, a Good Guy doll, and some unsuspecting families that have taken Chucky in from time to time.

The killer formerly known as Charles Lee Ray, and played by legendary character actor Brad Dorif, has executed a reign of terror on par with some of the best slashers in the horror genre; and it’s not hard to see why.

So, with the 30th anniversary of Child’s Play just past us as of last year, and a rebooted version of the origin story headed our way very soon, it’s time to revisit our dear friend Chucky and rank his movies in the order of least favored to most.

7. Child’s Play 3 (1991)

At the bottom of the totem pole is Child’s Play 3, the entry that saw Andy Barclay (then played by Justin Whalin) heading off to military school. it isn’t long before his newly resurrected pal Chucky comes back for a third round of villainy, ready to torment Andy and an academy full of cadets that stand in his way of reincarnating himself into the body of young Ronald Tyler (Jeremy Sylvers.)

Frankly, the only reason Child's Play 3 is square at the bottom is because it’s one of the two sequels that basically remade the first film, just in a slightly re-skinned setting. The series has had its share of reinventions and retreads, but the off-kilter charisma of Brad Dourif’s Chucky basically makes even the most basic entry in the series its own brand of fun.

6. Seed Of Chucky (2004)

On the more ridiculous end of the Chucky movie scale, Seed of Chucky’s extremely meta humor came out to play in a fiercer way than any of the previous Child’s Play films had ever allowed. This time, reincarnation is a family affair, as Chucky, his girlfriend Tiffany (Jennifer Tilly,) and their child Glen (Billy Boyd) are all looking to jump into human hosts of their own.

Mixing some inside baseball humor pertaining to Hollywood into a story that follows the typical Child’s Play pattern of murder and possession might seem like a bit of a stretch, and it definitely is. But something about Seed of Chucky having Jennifer Tilly facing off against her own porcelain doppelganger, and John Waters as a sleazy paparazzi trying to get the bottom of it all, makes it just weird enough to enjoy. Though dark comedy would find its way into the series in a better way with its predecessor, Bride of Chucky.

5. Child’s Play 2 (1990)

Cycling back to the half of the Child’s Play series that plays things a bit straighter, the first sequel in the Chucky saga saw Brad Dourif’s killer doll stalk Andy Barclay for a second time. Still played by original actor Alex Vincent, Andy was placed with his first of many foster families, while Chucky was resurrected by factory refurbishment, ready to try and possess Andy yet again.

Child’s Play 2 acts as a sort of typical horror sequel that remakes the first film with different kills and a mostly new cast of characters. But the big advantage the first sequel has, in addition to keeping Alex Vincent in the picture as young Andy, is the fact that Chucky starts to play around with more gallows humor in his conquests.

So, Brad Dourif gets to still be menacing, but he also gets to have some smart-assed remarks to sprinkle through the film. When the humor is properly tempered with the right amount of edge, it works. Plus, Child's Play 2 works better when compared to Child's Play 3's slightly diminished returns on the same sort of idea.

4. Bride Of Chucky (1998)

In terms of the more humorous half of the Chucky movies, Bride of Chucky's introduction to Jennifer Tilly as Tiffany Valentine is the proof that when done right, outrageous humor can mesh rather well with the killer darkness that the Child's Play franchise has been known to contain. With a story that centers around teenaged lovebirds Jesse and Jade (Nick Stabile and Katherine Heigl) being held hostage by Tiffany and her darling Chucky, another possession is in the offing.

Instead of just focusing on the murdering spree and the intent of Chucky and Tiffany to possess Jessie and Jade, Bride of Chucky actually plays around with the comedy that comes with dysfunctional relationships. As the teens try to sort their own feelings out, the dolls find out that maybe their relationship wasn't as much about fun and games as they made it out to be.

It's interesting stuff to throw into a movie that sees kills as creative as a mirrored ceiling getting shattered, as well as an evil John Ritter playing a human protagonist that goes against his good guy image, and it's what made Bride of Chucky a series-revitalizing hit, as well as one of the better Child's Play movies.

3. Curse Of Chucky (2013)

With the Child's Play series dividing the Chucky mythos almost firmly down the line, with one half being the more serious films involving young Andy Barclay and the other pertaining to the darkly comedic relationship of Chucky, Tiffany, and their child, it's hard to reconcile the two sides of the Child's Play universe. Which makes the story started with Curse of Chucky one of the best decisions the series ever made.

While the film starts as a standard murder spree, involving young paraplegic Nica (Fiona Dorif) and her own series of escalating incidents involving Chucky (still played by Fiona's father Brad), Curse of Chucky turns into a film that eventually bound both sides of the Child's Play series into one cohesive whole.

The wicked humor is still present, but this installment of Don Mancini's horror franchise brings back the gravitas needed for fans to take things seriously again. Best of all, the film brings back Alex Vincent's Andy and Jennifer Tilly's Tiffany in the service of setting up one hell of a follow-up.

2. Cult Of Chucky (2017)

While Curse of Chucky reinvented the Child's Play franchise as a more serious, and more cohesive whole, Cult of Chucky took that foundation and turned the series into a force to be reckoned with once more. Continuing the story of poor Nica, and her incarceration in a mental health facility, the threads of her story,as well as Andy's, tie together into one frightening whole.

Somehow, Chucky's sense of humor, still crazy as ever, doesn't derail the series' trajectory in any way shape or form in Cult of Chucky. The entire story of this film puts a nasty edge back into what was once known as the Child's Play series, but at the same time it allows Chucky to be Chucky. Plus, the film's finale let's Don Mancini's franchise do something pretty spectacular with a new film, should he decide to make one outside of the upcoming TV series.

Bringing Alex Vincent and Jennifer Tilly back to the franchise again, as Andy and Tiffany respectively, Chucky now has a stable group of characters he can play with. Amazingly, for a seventh entry in an ongoing series, Cult of Chucky has the right tools to make this old doll new again.

1. Child’s Play (1988)

After over 30 years of action, and seven movies in the Child's Play series, there are still none that have beaten the original film in its balance of horror and laughs. To be fair, Child's Play is the one Chucky movie you can take deadly seriously, even with some pieces of its lore not aging so well. Seeing Charles Lee Ray take the leap into his toy-bound form, and the slow unveiling of his actions throughout the first entry, is part of why the series has become such an iconic franchise.

It's easy to get carried away with Chucky's antics in any of the films that followed Child's Play, but the serious drama of a mother and police detective who have to wonder if young Andy is telling the truth or not is what really anchors that first film's suspense filled story. What little we get of Chucky in Child's Play is pretty effective, and preserves his threat as a serial killer hellbent on taking over young Andy's body and soul.

Without the core drama of Child's Play, none of its sequels would be the movies they are today. Even when the series was at its lowest, the basic rules and structure of a Chucky movie were present, grounding the entire universe of this horror classic in reasonable fashion. Many will try to outdo that first film's magical results, but Child's Play is an origin that may never be equaled, but merely complimented by a particularly excellent sequel.

MGM's new Child's Play reboot will obviously take a different road than the more supernaturally inclined franchise that spawned it. In time, we might even see how Mark Hamill's Chucky stacks up to Brad Dourif's original, not only in performance but also in how their cinematic universes differ. But considering what we've got now, the Chucky movies that already exist are a solid example of a series managing to perform admirably, even in the least rewarding of circumstances. Let's hope this new reboot universe takes that very lesson to heart.

Child’s Play, the reboot, will be in theaters on June 21st; while all other films are available through Digital HD and physical media releases.

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Looks Like Aladdin’s Gilbert Gottfried Isn’t Happy About Being Replaced By Alan Tudyk

Looks Like Aladdin’s Gilbert Gottfried Isn’t Happy About Being Replaced By Alan Tudyk

Along with a brand new trailer for the new live-action Aladdin, yesterday revealed that the character of Iago, the villainous parrot of antagonist Jafar, will be voiced by Disney's go-to voice talent Alan Tudyk. In the original animated classic the character was portrayed by Gilbert Gottfried, and it appears that Mr. Gottfried isn't too thrilled with being overlooked for the live-action remake, as he's been retweeting several comments from fans who are various degrees of irate over the decision to not bring him back.

The spectrum of fans who are angry that Gilbert Gottfried isn't returning to the role of Iago covers quite a range. Some are confused, others are F-bomb dropping irate. Gottfried has had no problem over the last day retweeting angry fans, including the ones who are swearing up a storm over the decision. If nothing else, Gottfried seems to appreciate the support he's getting from fans. Clearly, his performance in the original Aladdin was quite important to a lot of people.

Many seem to feel that Gottfried's performance is on par with that of James Earl Jones in The Lion King. Some of the tweets point out that Jones is returning to the role of Mufasa for the new remake, and so, as precedent, Disney is certainly willing to bring the original voices back for the new versions.

Certainly, bringing Gilbert Gottfried back would have been a big nostalgia move, but that might also be exactly the reason it didn't happen. With Will Smith coming in to voice the iconic Genie, that character, and thus the entire movie, is going to have a very different tone and feel. Recasting another voice actor would have the effect of causing those watching the new film to remember the old one all the more while they watch it, and that might not be the best way to go. Letting the new Aladdin stand on its own and be its own thing is likely the best way to achieve success.

It's also far from clear just how much Alan Tudyk does as far as his voice of Iago. We saw Iago in the new trailer, but we have yet to hear him speak. Iago is the only animal character to be fully voiced in the animated version, and we know that the live-action movie will give Jafar a new henchman character, so the movie might just make Iago a non-speaking parrot (beyond the speaking actual parrots can do) to match Jasmine's tiger Rajah and Aladdin's monkey Abu a little better in a movie that's supposed to be more "real."

Alan Tudyk did voice the chicken Hei-Hei in Moana, who never said a word and just spent the entire film clucking, so bringing Tudyk in to record parrot squawks would not be the craziest thing he's ever done.

What do you think? Should Disney have brought Gilbert Gottfried back to voice Iago? Let us know in the poll below.

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Stan Lee Has A Few Marvel Cameos Left

Stan Lee Has A Few Marvel Cameos Left

Last November, longtime Marvel Comics heavyweight Stan Lee died at 95, and needless to say it was a heavy blow to the world of comic book media fandom. That said, it didn’t mark the last time we’d see him since months before his passing, Lee filmed/recorded several more of his trademark cameos, including his quick scene in Captain Marvel, which hit theaters this past weekend. Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige has now clarified that there are still a few Lee cameos left to be shown to the masses. When asked if Lee will appear in Spider-Man: Far From Home, Feige responded:

We'll see. We're heading-- We shot a couple of others, so we're coming up on the last of them, yes.

Avengers: Endgame co-director Joe Russo said shortly after Stan Lee died that the comic book icon did shoot something for Endgame, as it was grouped together with various other MCU cameos that Lee shot during a short period. That said, it’s been unclear if Lee shot anything from Spider-Man: Far From Home, and Feige’s comment to ET is cagey in that regard. That said, an Endgame cameo is definitely on the table, and the fact that Feige said “the last of them” indicates that there’s more than just one cameo to look forward to.

Spider-Man: Far From Home filmed from last July to October in England, New York and several other countries. Stan Lee wasn’t able to travel much in his final years, but as with his other recent cameos, presumably it would have been easy enough to get him to a movie set in California where he could shoot something quick for Far From Home. Nothing’s official yet, but I’m guessing that it’s likelier than not that Lee will have some presence in the next live action Spider-Man movie, whether it’s on screen like all his other past MCU contributions or if he was only able to record a vocal cameo, like what he did for last December’s Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, where he played a shopkeeper who interacted with Miles Morales.

Stan Lee already had an extensive cameo resume even before the MCU launched with Iron Man in 2008, but in that particular franchise, he was a regular fixture, with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 revealing that he was actually the same character who was keeping tabs on things around Earth and other areas of the galaxy on behalf of The Watchers. Sadly, all things must come to an end, and either Avengers: Endgame or Spider-Man: Far From Home will mark his last film appearance. That said, future MCU movies could take a cue from the Marvel Netflix shows and include a picture of Lee in tribute to the man who helped make Marvel the powerhouse company it is today.

Warning: SPOILERS for Captain Marvel are ahead!

Along with being his second or third-to-last MCU cameo, Captain Marvel was also special for Stan Lee because he was basically playing himself. While Carol Danvers was aboard a train searching for a disguised Skrull, she passed by Lee, who was practicing his lines for Mallrats, Kevin Smith’s second movie which, where Lee had a small, but important role. That movie came out in 1995, the same year Captain Marvel was set. Danvers studied Lee for a moment and then gave a smirk when she realized that he was 100% human.

But that wasn’t the only way that Captain Marvel paid tribute to Stan Lee. The Marvel Studios intro also replaced artwork and clips of its various superheroes with Stan Lee’s various cameos in this franchise over the last decade. Kevin Feige explained how shortly after Lee died, he and others at Marvel Studios were figuring out how to honor Lee and whether it should be something that’s part of a movie or released online. They eventually decided on the former, and rather than attach something “depressing at the end,” Feige settled on something “touching and rousing up front,” hence that heartwarming intro. Feige continued.

I know that, not specifically but in general, a celebration is what Stan always wanted as opposed to any sort of mournful event. So, it happened very, very quickly soon after we got the unfortunate news.. We put that together and our visual development department, led by Ryan Meinerding, illustrated all those illustrations of him that you see, before we then go into the clips.

We may only have a few more Stan Lee appearances left, but because of what the man accomplished through his long life, his characters will live on for decades more. Although Stan Lee didn’t have a hand in creating Carol Danvers, writer Roy Thomas and artist Gene Colan have that honor), he did co-create (with Colan) her comics predecessor, Mar-Vell, who was portrayed by Annette Bening in the Captain Marvel movie.

Captain Marvel was the first MCU movie of 2019, but there’s a lot more to look forward to this year. In less than two months, Avengers: Endgame will pick up where Avengers: Infinity War left off, with half of all life in the universe being wiped out by Thanos and his Infinity Stones-powered fingers. Marvel is still keeping tight-lipped about specific plot details, but we can at least look forward to the surviving heroes banding together to defeat Thanos and undo his genocide. Carol Danvers will be part of this group, and the Captain Marvel mid-credits scene showed her arriving at New Avengers base questioning where Nick Fury was, as before turning to dust, the former S.H.I.E..L.D. director summoned her using his spruced-up pager.

Then in July, Spider-Man: Far From Home will kick off Phase 4 with Peter Parker traveling to Europe over summer vacation. Unfortunately, Peter won’t get a break from his superhero lifestyle during this trip, as Nick Fury will recruit him to fight the Elementals alongside Quentin Beck, a.k.a. Mysterio. Since Spider-Man was arguably Lee’s most famous creation, it would be a shame if Far From Home didn’t involve him in some way, so fingers crossed that gets to be his final cameo.

Don’t forget to read CinemaBlend’s review of Captain Marvel, and stay tuned for more updates on the MCU. Avengers: Endgame hits theaters on April 26 and Spider-Man: Far From Home follows on July 5. You can also find out what non-Marvel movies are coming out this year by looking through our 2019 release schedule.

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New Spider-Man: Far From Home Trailer Moves On After Avengers: Endgame

New Spider-Man: Far From Home Trailer Moves On After Avengers: Endgame

We’re out of the Endgame now. The MCU is in a bold new place, where beloved characters have moved on, and it’s time for the universe – as a whole – to pick up the pieces. One of the first movies tasked with picking up the baton and running with it post-Avengers: Endgame is Jon Watts’ sequel Spider-Man: Far From Home, and we now have a better idea why Peter Parker (Tom Holland) wants to take a break from superhero adventures in this movie. The second full trailer just arrived from Sony and Marvel Studios. Let’s see what’s up with the webslinger:

Well, that was chock full of shocking MCU surprises! From the jump, Tom Holland is warning people that this trailer for Spider-Man: Far From Home will contain spoilers for Avengers: Endgame, and it really, really does. Peter is grieving the loss of Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), with Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau) telling Pete that Tony wouldn’t have sacrificed himself unless he knew Spider-Man would carry on.

Our dude, however, just wants to go on vacation. He’s shelving the Iron Spider suit, and heading to Europe with his classmates. And he plans on wooing MJ (Zendaya)… until it all starts to hit the fan.

The biggest reveal comes in the form of Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal). Not that he’s in the movie. We knew that much. But when Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) introduces Peter Parker to his new ally, Quentin Beck, he clarifies that Beck is from Earth… just, not our Earth. Fury explains that Thanos’ snap ripped a hole in the universe, and now there’s access to Multiverses.

Multiverses are now alive and well in the MCU.

We can barely unpack all that this means for the MCU, so let’s just focus on Spider-Man for the time being. He’s trying to move on from the events of Avengers: Endgame. But he also feels a strong pull to be the next Iron Man. Why can’t he just be the first Spider-Man? That’s so much better, anyway.

There’s also an important reveal later in the trailer, as MJ basically tells Peter that she knows that he is Spider-Man. This is the second important person in Peter’s life to decipher this secret (after Marisa Tomei’s Aunt May), which means that for a superhero, Spidey is really shit at keeping secrets.

Then again, there is a lot of misdirect at play in these trailers. The Nick Fury line about it being “nice to meet you” has been changed – since, obviously, they met at Tony’s funeral. And as much as people want to see Mysterio as an ally, I still subscribe to the notion that it’s a bait-and-switch, and he’s really a bad guy who is responsible for the Elementals that are attacking the world’s top cities.

We’ll find out for sure when Spider-Man: Far From Home opens in theaters on July 2!

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6 Questions We Still Have About Captain Marvel

6 Questions We Still Have About Captain Marvel

We are just a few days away from the release of a brand new Marvel movie. Thanks to critics, we have an idea of Captain Marvel's quality, and it's tracking for a massive $100 million domestic opening, with some analysts going as high as $135 million. But there's still a whole bunch that we don't know about Captain Marvel. Those answers aren't going to come to us until Thursday night, but we can't help lingering on the mysteries.

Marvel has gotten pretty good at keeping its cards close to the chest for its blockbusters; It wouldn't even share the title of Avengers: Endgame until last December. That secrecy extends to Captain Marvel, which has a few mysteries involving characters names, origins and the true nature of a certain cat. Things are bound to leak, but unless it's been confirmed by Marvel, then it doesn't really count. Here are the six big questions we still have about Captain Marvel.

How Does Carol Get Her Powers?

Captain Marvel is an origin story, but it bucks the trend by starting with a fully-formed superhero. The twist is that Carol doesn't remember how she got her powers, and it's an answer she (and the audience) will discover throughout the film. That's a nice way to ditch the origin story formula, and at the moment we are left guessing as to how she learned to shoot photon blasts. There aren't too many hints, but footage has shown Carol during her years as pilot getting caught in an explosion that's likely related to the Kree. In the comics, a blast of Kree DNA is what gives Carol her tremendous powers, so we'll see if that's still the case for the film.

How Does Carol End Up On Hala?

Captain Marvel was raised on Earth, but she somehow finds herself on an elite team of warrior heroes for the Kree. Carol lives on the homeworld of the Kree, known as Hala, which is maybe trillons of light years away from Earth. One would figure that the Kree took her under their wing after whatever incident grants her her powers. It's pretty significant when you just move to a new state, so a new planet is a pretty far leap. With Carol's amnesia, I have to wonder if her relocation was entirely her choice to begin with. Given that Carol doesn't know anything about her past, that increases the chances that the Kree haven't been entirely truthful to her.

Why Does Captain Marvel Have Amnesia?

Well, this woman is just a regular bag of mysteries, right? The reason that Carol doesn't know the origin of her powers or of her time on Earth is because she has amnesia. An incident with the Skrulls sends her back to Earth in search of answers, which are likely to be a big revelation. It's possible that the incident that gave her powers also caused the amnesia or that her memories were hidden by the Kree to cover something up. Amnesia is usually a pretty suspicious thing to have and I doubt it's a random side effect of her powers. At least a good chunk of the film will be devoted to Carol piecing together the remnants of her past.

How Will Nick Fury Lose His Eye?

You know that joke in Hot Tub Time Machine where the guy is destined to lose his arm, and you just keep waiting for some horrible accident to take it from him? That's what I'm going to feel like watching young Nick Fury in Captain Marvel. Nick Fury's eye patch is an iconic part of his look, but he hasn't yet lost an eye when he first meets Carol Danvers in the '90s. There's no way that we aren't going to see him lose the eye, so it's just a matter of how. Fury once said it was because he trusted someone, so could a shape-shifted Skrull be the cause? Another important question with Fury is how this experience leads him to become the always-prepared Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. we know best.

What Are the Skrulls After?

The center of the conflict of Captain Marvel is the centuries-old war between the Kree and the shapeshifting Skrulls. Captain Marvel and Earth will be right in the middle of this conflict, and the Skrulls have been billed as the main villains of the movies. We can see a group of them on Earth led by Talos (Ben Mendelsohn), but their ultimate objective is unclear. Are they looking for Carol? If so, then why? Is there some kind of MacGuffin on Earth to turn the war in their favor? They must have a reason for infiltrating the planet and it might be leading to a major comic book storyline called Secret Invasion for further down the road.

Is This Cat An Alien Or What?

Finally, we get to the most important question! Goose the cat may seem like an ordinary cat, and for all we know he will be, but comic book fans know that he's more than what he seems. In the comics, Goose -- actually called Chewie -- is an alien that just looks like a cat, but on the inside it's got a bunch of purple tentacles for swallowing people whole. The alien species is called Flerken, they lay eggs and are generally really weird. There's been no indication that's the case for the movie, but given how much the cat has been involved in the marketing, it might just be a secret alien.

So, clearly, there's still a lot that we don't know about Captain Marvel. Carol Danvers is a ball of secrets wrapped inside of an enigma waiting to be unpackaged by moviegoers. Marvel has become so skilled at secret-keeping over the past decade that it can build hype for their films by barely telling us anything. At least we don't have to wait too much longer for the answers to finally be revealed because the movie is out in theaters on March 8. But seriously, that cat better be an alien.

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Salma Hayek Is Sporting A New Chest Tattoo For The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard

Salma Hayek Is Sporting A New Chest Tattoo For The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard

We’ve known for a while now that Salma Hayek would be returning to The Hitman’s Bodyguard universe for the impending sequel, and this week the actress gave us a fun glimpse at her character in the new movie, Sonia Kincaid. But we don’t just get to see the actress; instead, we also get a look at her tattoo for the movie.

Lest you think this were Salma Hayek’s personal tattoo, the actress makes it very clear in her “sneak peek” at the new look that this isn’t her own body adornment.

There are a few locations on a woman’s body where she would be able to hide a secret tattoo, but for The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard, it’s going directly on her breast. The tattoo belonging to her character Sonia Kincaid looks to be a bird of prey.

The image has been exceedingly popular on Instagram, where it has racked up more than 354 thousand likes.

In the 2017 movie, Salma Hayek also played Sonia Kincaid, who happens to be the wife of Samuel L. Jackson’s Darius Kincaid. Sonia is a major catalyst in the first movie, as Darius only agrees to testify as part of a deal that will allow his wife to be released from prison. She ultimately -- and spoiler -- gets out of prison at the end of the movie, assumedly leading to a series of events that will allow a sequel to make sense.

In the upcoming The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard, the new movie will again bring back the original cast members, as well as add a few new faces for a story that will be set in the Amalfi coast. (Because if you are doing a sequel, why not set it in a beautiful place?) Antonio Banderas, Frank Grillo, Morgan Freeman and Tom Hopper have all joined the franchise for the new movie.

Other filming locations include Bulgaria and Croatia for the new sequel.

The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard was confirmed to be filming by Samuel L. Jackson and Ryan Reynolds earlier this spring and a few weeks later, Ryan Reynolds also mentioned he had wrapped on the flick.

Salma Hayek has also shared other stuff from the set of The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard.

Unfortunately, there’s still going to be a little bit of time for the flick to undergo the editing process. The movie isn’t slated for release until 2020, but while we wait, be sure to take a look at our full 2019 movies schedule.

You can also catch Ryan Reynolds, or at least his voice, coming up in Detective Pikachu, which hits theaters in May. Samuel L. Jackson will next star in the big summer release Shaft, unless he pops up in Avengers: Endgame, which kicks off it's preview night tonight. And Salma Hayek can currently be seen in Drunk Parents.

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James Gunn Has Returned To Direct Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3

James Gunn Has Returned To Direct Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3

Well, folks, it happened. Last summer, one of the biggest news in the movie-sphere was how James Gunn was fired from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 due to controversial social media posts he’d made over a decade ago resurfacing. However, today it’s been announced that Gunn has been reinstated into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and will return to direct Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.

You’ll recall that last August, approximately a month after James Gunn was let go from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, it was reported that Disney had not changed its mind and would not rehire him. Well, according to Deadline, Gunn has returned to helm the threequel, and apparently this was decided months ago among the respective Disney and Marvel Studios leadership teams. Walt Disney Studios president Alan Horn reportedly met with Gunn several times and, persuaded by Gunn’s public apology and handling of the matter afterwards, decided to bring him back into the fold.

Now some of you may be asking, “Wait, what about Suicide Squad 2, a.k.a. The Suicide Squad?” After all, several months after James Gunn was let go from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, he hopped aboard the DC train to write and direct the next movie starring Task Force X, which is said to be less of a direct sequel to 2016’s Suicide Squad and more of a relaunch of the property. Well, Gunn signing on to The Suicide Squad complicated Marvel’s plans to bring him back for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, but as things stand now, Gunn will work on The Suicide Squad first, and once it’s finished, then he’ll turn his attention to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. So Gunn gets to wrap up his Guardians trilogy as originally intended and leave his stamp on another superhero franchise.

While Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 was initially believed to be one of the first Phase 4 movies to be released, but James Gunn’s firing last year placed the project on indefinite hold. Since The Suicide Squad is set for release on August 6, 2021, that means Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will probably arrive a year or two later at the very least, so we’re still in for a long wait for it to arrive. Nevertheless, this is a major turn of events following months of reports, and while Marvel was already planning on using James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 script regardless of who direct the movie, now Gunn gets to oversee the production just like he did two times before.

No plot details for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 have been revealed yet, although the story is reportedly quite the tear-jerker. Regardless, before we get to that adventure, we have to see what goes down next month in Avengers: Endgame. Avengers: Infinity War saw all the Guardians except for Rocket Raccoon and Nebula being turned to dust by Thanos, and while Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista and Pom Klementieff are all confirmed to be appearing in Endgame (hopefully Vin Diesel will provide some Groot vocals as well), we don’t know with absolute certainty yet which of their characters will be brought back to life and which will appear in flashbacks, hallucinations etc.

Keep checking back with CinemaBlend for more updates on Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’s development, but for now, look through our Marvel movies guide to learn what else is coming down the MCU pipeline.

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Captain Marvel Just Passed Two More Movies On The List Of Highest-Grossing Films

Captain Marvel Just Passed Two More Movies On The List Of Highest-Grossing Films

This has been an eventful week across the board, so it's understandable that Captain Marvel slipped under-the-radar with her own quietly impressive news.

There's all this talk about the Game of Thrones finale, but also John Wick 3 topping Avengers: Endgame in its opening weekend, with Endgame topping Avatar at the domestic box office. Endgame is well on its way to taking the all-time worldwide title from Avatar, but it's not there yet.

Avengers: Endgame is up at #2 on the list of highest-grossing films of all time, just behind Avatar. But down at #22 is Captain Marvel, which came out in March and has been getting some extra box office juice from the release of Endgame not quite two months later.

Captain Marvel didn't make huge money this week, and in fact it didn't even crack the top 10 at the May 17-19 domestic box office. But from last Sunday to today, its domestic total jumped $2 million, and that's not counting the money it's still making overseas. All told, the past week or so has been enough to push Captain Marvel's worldwide gross above two competitors:

22. Captain Marvel (2019): $1,125,411,720

23. Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011): $1,123,794,079

24. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003): $1,120,237,002

Those numbers aren't adjusted for inflation, so we're not talking about total tickets sold here, just the overall dollar amount. It's kind of shocking to me that Michael Bay's third Transformers movie was even that high on the list. Captain Marvel topping the final Lord of the Rings movie is a bit surprising to me, but we have had some ticket price hikes in the past 16 years.

You know who is next on the list above Captain Marvel? I don't think Carol Danvers can top her fellow superheroes, but here they are:

20. Captain America: Civil War (2016): $1,153,304,495

21. Aquaman (2018) $1,147,761,807

Yeah, I suspect Captain Marvel will be sticking with No. 22 for a while, and possibly pushed down along with some others after 2019 closes out. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker wants a place in the top 20, at the very least, and Toy Story 4, The Lion King, and Frozen 2 will be making plays as well.

Check out the current list of highest-grossing movies, per Box Office Mojo. (I'm never going to get over Minions cracking the top 20, but there it is at No. 19. It topped Carol, Cap, and Arthur Curry.)

The list is packed with superhero and Star Wars movies, and we have more to come this year. On the MCU front, we still have Spider-Man: Far From Home in July. Disney's Toy Story 4 opens in June with Frozen 2 in November. Then Star Wars Episode IX ends the Skywalker Saga in December. Keep up with all of the 2019 release dates with our handy guide.

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Kevin Feige Says Spider-Man: Far From Home Will End MCU Phase 3, Not Endgame

Kevin Feige Says Spider-Man: Far From Home Will End MCU Phase 3, Not Endgame

Leave it to Kevin Feige to completely pull the rug out from under us. It's been widely believed that Marvel's Phase 3 would conclude with Avengers: Endgame. It wasn't a difficult thing to assume. The film has been teased as a true finale, closing out the story of The Infinity Saga. However, the Marvel Studios boss has officially stated otherwise, and it will instead be Spider-Man: Far From Home that wraps up the beloved MCU Phase 3.

While we know that Marvel has several projects such as The Eternals and Black Widow in development, none of those have technically been confirmed by Marvel Studios. As of now, the only two movies officially on the slate are Avengers: Endgame and Spider-Man: Far From Home. Of those two, you'd think the epic Avengers blockbuster would end Phase 3, but it will be the penultimate film of Marvel's current saga.

Tom Holland's Spider-Man will officially bring Phase 3 to the finish. During a fan event in Shanghai (via Newsweek), Kevin Feige stated that Far From Home was the final film of Phase 3. People had previously assumed that it was the first movie in Marvel's Phase 4 (or whatever they end up calling their next slate of films).

While this might seem like a change that makes very little difference, it's actually notable for a few reasons. For starters, this means Phase 3 is ending on a lighter note. This is similar to how Phase 2 ended with Ant-Man right after the dramatically heavier Avengers: Age of Ultron. It seems Marvel has a preference for ending its Phases with lighter comedies about bug-themed heroes to refresh the audience.

This also means that we now don't know any of the films slated for Phase 4. Marvel has never officially confirmed what it's working on, which means that Phase 4 is totally blank right now. I imagine that once Far From Home is out in theaters, it won't be long before Marvel makes a ton of announcements, hopefully in the style of its Phase 3 press conference. Marvel announced the entire Phase 3 slate in one go, so here's hoping we get something similar this year.

Tonally, I don't think this changes very much for Far From Home. It's still partially setting up what the MCU will look like in a post-Endgame world and it's fitting that it's a Spider-Man film. Spider-Man is sure to be a key player in the MCU's future, so it makes sense that he helps to usher in the new age of superhero films.

Thankfully, there isn't that much longer to wait for any Marvel movie. Avengers: Endgame is out on Friday, April 26 while Spider-Man: Far From Home is in theaters on July 2 (the movie was recently moved up a few days).

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Kevin Feige Explains Why Captain Marvel Wasn’t Given A Love Interest

Kevin Feige Explains Why Captain Marvel Wasn’t Given A Love Interest

Spoilers ahead for Carol Danvers' origin story.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is an ever expanding place, and the stakes couldn't be higher at the moment. Captain Marvel has finally arrived, and has made a ton of money in theaters. After years of waiting, Brie Larson's Carol Danvers has joined the massive shared universe, and she'll crossover with the rest of The Avengers when Endgame arrives next month.

Captain Marvel's brief scene in the final Endgame trailer shows her interacting with Chris Hemsworth's Thor, with the two powerful heroes having a silent standoff of some kind. He eventually says he likes her, and some Marvel fans have been hoping that the duo might have a romantic connection in the upcoming blockbuster. But Marvel Studios' Kevin Feige recently addressed the lack of a love story in Captain Marvel, saying:

Well that was something as we were developing the script and queuing off of the comics as always, it never even occurred to have a love interest. That's not what the movie was about. It was about Carol finding herself and growing and making mistakes and being bolstered up by her female mentors and female friends. And that relationship with Maria was very important.

It looks like Carol Danvers was always going to fly solo in Captain Marvel. Instead of navigating a romantic connection on top of her memory loss, Captain Marvel focused on its title character's interpersonal relationships with her friends, and her former Kree allies.

Kevin Feige's comments to ScreenRant show that Captain Marvel was never going to be a love story. Kevin Feige previously promised that the movie would be a new type of origin story, and the project ultimately did just that. Carol's fractured memory served as the backdrop behind her journey on Earth, and she had a unique family unit with Maria and Monica Rambeau. Their connection was the heart of the movie, so there was no need to get Captain Marvel all dewey eyed about a boy.

If Carol Danvers was given a love interest in Captain Marvel, the movie would have been closer to the origin stories from back in Phase One. Iron Man, Thor, The Incredible Hulk, and Captain America: The First Avenger all saw the title character fall in love, while also becoming a superhero. It would have been too by the numbers to have Captain Marvel follow suit, especially when Phase Three has been such an ambitious and artistic set of films.

But just because Carol Danvers doesn't have a love interest yet doesn't mean that it can't occur sometime in the future. Captain Marvel has had romantic storylines in the comics, after all. As for those rumors about Thor in Endgame, the God of Thunder has been single for a while now. So who knows?

Captain Marvel is in theaters now, and she'll return to the MCU when Avengers: Endgame arrives on April 26th. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

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7 Top Dave Franco Movies That Show He's Talented In His Own Right

7 Top Dave Franco Movies That Show He's Talented In His Own Right

Being primarily known as so-and-so’s sibling can be a tough gig – one that Dave Franco was certainly burdened with a decade ago as his brother James Franco found early fame in his roles in Freaks and Geeks, the Spider-Man trilogy and Pineapple Express. It’s not only that, though, James Franco certainly is no stranger to memorable performances, from chopping off his arm at the end of his Oscar-nominated role in 127 Hours to donning cornrows and platinum teeth in Spring Breakers.

In the past few years, Dave Franco moved out of the shadows, paved his own path as an actor and made a name for himself in the industry. The 33-year-old actor is primarily known for starring in comedies, but has made some interesting career choices and showed off dramatic chops we didn’t know he had. Maybe a little sibling rivalry can do some good? On the surface, it may be easy to compare the brother’s accomplishments, but there are movies that you can check out which really showcase Dave’s talent on the big screen, so be sure not to ignore the films listed below!

21 Jump Street

The younger Franco first made a splash as the “cool” high school kid that buddy cops Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill have a run in with during the undercover mission in 21 Jump Street. He plays the perfect calm, cool and confident heartthrob much of the time, but then hilariously erupts into cry fits when the action of the film really takes hold in the third act of the movie. The role showed that Dave Franco can roll with big comedy stars and complement their humor in it, which isn’t something that the typical high school “pretty boy” types have always been able to bring to a movie like this. Ja feel?

Now You See Me

Now You See Me was a fun ensemble thriller featuring an impressive cast including Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher, Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine. So, one might think a newcomer such as Dave Franco would get lost in the crowd and become forgettable in a big film like this. Franco comes to play, though, and helps make his street thief character amongst the team of magicians an intriguing one. He can do impressive card action stunts and even bring you over to his side with sympathy when the mission goes awry and the fate of his character comes in question. Franco complemented the star-studded cast well and stood out in all the right moments.

Neighbors

Dave Franco’s casting in the Seth Rogen (who is often James Franco’s partner in crime) comedy could have been due to some talking up by his brother, but Dave could certainly pull off playing a college student and the role became a great showcase of his “bro comedy” skills. With Zac Efron by his side as his fraternity brother, the duo make for some entertaining adversaries to the young parents (Seth Rogen and Rose Bryne) who live next to them. Efron and Franco spoof the stereotypical frat boys as they party and prank their new neighbors with some pretty funny scenes. And, Franco’s Robert De Niro from Meet the Parents impression during their “De Niro” party? Flawless.

Nerve

Dave Franco was paired with American Horror Story’s Emma Roberts in a fun thrill ride about two 20-somethings who participate in a vicious real-life game of “truth or dare” that serves as entertainment in the world they live in. The film was an adrenaline rush of a Black Mirror-esque story that showed off Dave Franco as a lead taking on the action, romance and drama of Nerve as his and Roberts’ characters must push the boundaries and break rules in order to survive the game they find themselves in. The two stars made for an entertaining pair to watch as they bring some humor and heartwarming moments to the reality video game flick.

The Disaster Artist

In 2017, Dave Franco finally joined his brother for the Oscar-nominated The Disaster Artist, about the making of Tommy Wiseau’s cult-classic The Room. While James Franco took on the role of director and lead to tell this unbelievable true story, he enlisted Dave to play Wiseau’s other half, Greg Sestero. With some incredible makeup work, the two don’t even look like brothers as they play actor friends trying to make it in Hollywood.

Dave’s realistic portrayal perfectly grounds the film while James blows it out of proportion with his detailed portrayal of the larger-than-life personality of Wiseau. Part of why the movie works is due to the brothers’ natural chemistry with one another and ability to play off each another. Dave has the job of playing a real person just as James does, and gives his most memorable performance to date.

The Little Hours

It’s one thing to star in a comedy, but signing on to an ambitiously raunchy movie about nuns who say “fuck” every other word and roll their eyes at their priest is something else. Dave Franco starred in this peculiar indie comedy gem alongside Aubrey Plaza, Fred Armisen, Nick Offerman, John C. Reilly and Allison Brie, which was a very modern retelling of The Decameron, and it was epic. While the movie is certainly not everyone’s cup of tea and won’t go down in history as the actors’ best works, it shows that Franco isn’t afraid to commit to a weird bit for the fun of it – and, in my opinion, that’s better than always opting for the same, average story.

6 Balloons

Dave Franco has also recently started working with Netflix, first as a guest star on the comedy Easy, and also in the recent drama 6 Balloons alongside Broad City’s Abbi Jacobson. The emotional film has Franco portraying a heroin addict who has relapsed. His sister (Jacobson) attempts to confront and help him with his problem but they run into issues with paying for his health care, his 4-year-old daughter’s presence and a party they are trying to attend. It’s a harrowing watch with a message that certainly shows Franco is more than capable of carrying more dramatic fare.

The actor has certainly come a long way in making a name for himself and showing his own talents in the past decade, first as a scene-stealer in comedies and now as an accomplished lead actor. What will he do next? Well, Dave Franco is set to star in another one of his brother’s directorial projects, Zeroville, later this year and a Michael Bay film called 6 Underground alongside Ryan Reynolds. He is also writing and directing his own horror movie called The Rental starring Alison Brie (his frequent collaborator and wife) and Dan Stevens.

What’s your favorite role from Dave Franco and what would you like to see the actor take on next? Sound off in the comments below!

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