Every Marvel Studios Movie, Ranked By The CinemaBlend Staff

Every Marvel Studios Movie, Ranked By The CinemaBlend Staff

powered by

Create your own user feedback survey

If it isn’t entirely obvious from our years and years of coverage, we here at CinemaBlend are big fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Going back to 2008, the movies have continued to delight and surprise, and while some titles are better than others, each one has provided its own special flavor to the franchise that we’ve been able to appreciate in its own way. Of course, there are still many debates among the staff, from best villain to strongest hero, but one big question has always stood out among them all: what’s the best Marvel Studios film?

In order to get to the bottom of this everlasting conflict, our superhero podcast HeroBlend has spearheaded a little endeavor. A few weeks back we sent out a survey to interested members of our staff and had everyone rank the movies of the Marvel Cinematic Universe from best to worst. While no two rankings ended up being the same (seriously, you’d be surprised by the variety), we were able to average the results and determine our democratic picks.

Before we get into that, however, we want to get you in on this action too. Below you’ll find an exact copy of the same survey we sent out to our staff, and we’d love it if you would share your opinions on this great debate as well. We’ll then follow up by covering the final results of rankings in an upcoming episode of HeroBlend!

Now that you’ve done that, let’s dive into the rankings, shall we?

22. The Incredible Hulk

The Marvel Cinematic Universe was still trying to figure out what it wanted to be back in 2008, and while the franchise quickly made some interesting moves by foregoing a simple origin story when making The Incredible Hulk, in retrospect it’s not exactly their best effort. It has some good parts, and is a decent treatment of the character, but it’s also a mixed bag tonally, and doesn’t exactly have the most complex plot.

21. Thor: The Dark World

Sequels are usually a great opportunity to expand on characters and the specific worlds in which they live, but Thor: The Dark World is sadly a bit of a misfire. While it’s ultimately redeemed by its bonkers third act – which is a crazy amount of fun – this isn’t exactly the most exciting Marvel adventure, and it also notably has the weakest villain featured in the franchise to date (we’re still not entirely clear on what it was that Malekith and his Dark Elves were trying to ultimately accomplish).

20. Iron Man 2

There is no question that the Marvel Cinematic Universe wouldn’t be what it is today without Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark, but to paraphrase the genius/billionaire/playboy/philanthropist, Iron Man 2 is an example of a franchise running before it’s ready to walk. There is no denying the importance of this chapter, especially because it brought both War Machine and Black Widow to life for the first time, but its story is definitely messy as a result of too many plotlines competing for attention in the narrative.

19. Captain Marvel

After more than a decade in existence, Marvel Studios tried to shake up the traditional origin story in the making of Captain Marvel, and while the movie doesn’t fully work in that respect (ultimately still including a number of the traditional tropes and narrative moves), it’s also a blockbuster with some really big surprises. Brie Larson is most definitely a rad addition to the franchise, adding a great dose of spunk and charisma to the cosmic and Earthbound hero, and we're immensely excited about what kind of future adventures we'll soon see the character take on.

18. Iron Man 3

Phase Two of the Marvel Cinematic Universe offered up the opportunity for blockbusters to start melding the superhero characters with a wide variety of different genres, and Iron Man 3’s take on a noir detective story is a lot of fun, and packs more than a few significant twists. It’s a smart look at Tony Stark – is he the hero, or is it all about the suit? – and features some of the best one-liners in the MCU canon.

17. Avengers: Age Of Ultron

Expectations were crazy high for Avengers: Age Of Ultron back in 2015 – so high, arguably, that it never had a chance of fully reaching them – but the film is still an epic, thrilling, and fun example of super blockbuster storytelling. Both Scarlet Witch and Vision make for compelling and important new additions to the franchise, and it’s legitimately impressive what kind of threat the titular villain and his army of robots pose for Earth’s mightiest heroes.

16. Thor

Thor was a bit of a gamble for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, being a very out-there story being told as the franchise’s fourth feature, but it also provided a solid start on the big screen for one of the most important characters in the canon. It’s a film that was vitally important in establishing the tonal approach for almost every title that followed it, and it made some of the best early casting decisions in the brand’s history by bringing unknowns Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston into the fold (not to mention the star power of Natalie Portman, Anthony Hopkins, Rene Russo, and Idris Elba, among others).

15. Ant-Man And The Wasp

Given the nature of their powers, Ant-Man and The Wasp are characters who are best suited to star in “smaller” adventures, and Ant-Man And The Wasp delivers a super fun and fantastic one that wonderfully goes to all kinds of weird places. Picking up where they left in their first movie, Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly make for an awesome, kick-ass duo, and Peyton Reed does some delightful things with the action while utilizing the special growing and shrinking abilities.

14. Doctor Strange

Prior to the release of Doctor Strange, the Marvel Cinematic Universe was exclusively a science-fiction-based franchise, but the introduction of Benedict Cumberbatch’s titular hero totally changed the game. Featuring some awesome supporting performances from Tilda Swinton and Chiwetel Ejiofor, the movie is a mind-bender of the highest order, and features some of the most insane and beautiful visuals we’ve seen in modern blockbuster filmmaking. Even after multiple rewatches it’s still not entirely clear how the film was able to pull off some of its most bombastic sequences.

13. Ant-Man

Being one of the original Avengers, Ant-Man was one of the first films developed by Marvel Studios, and while it took an extra minute to arrive (and had a few behind-the-scenes issues), it’s still one of weirdest and best origin stories we’ve seen from the franchise. Under other circumstances a blockbuster about a shrinking hero who can control ants might not fly, but the special Marvel magic – not to mention the endless charisma of Paul Rudd – make this one a winner.

12. Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2

Audiences were left asking some big questions about the Guardians of the Galaxy following their big screen debut, and through thoughtful care and his excellent filmmaking abilities, James Gunn delivered yet another awesome story for the titular team with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. It’s still kind of nuts that we live in an era when a ridiculous comic book character like Ego The Living Planet can be brought to the big screen (and played by Kurt Russell, no less), but that’s the world we live in now, and along the way we’re also getting excellent stories with deeply-felt themes about family.

11. Captain America: The First Avenger

Captain America has arguably had the strongest run thus far in the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and it all started with his fantastic debut in Captain America: The First Avenger. The period storytelling gives it a style totally unto itself, with Joe Johnston perfectly recapturing the magic he previously generated with The Rocketeer, and Chris Evans immediately elevated the character beyond the simple boy scout/propaganda tool he could have been depicted as. It’s also extra fascinating to watch when you know the direction that the hero goes in as his big screen arc continues.

10. Black Panther

Ryan Coogler took on one of the greatest challenges so far in the Marvel Cinematic Universe by introducing the nation of Wakanda, and he not only successfully pulled it off, but crafted one of the most complex and philosophically intriguing chapters we’ve seen yet within the franchise with Black Panther. It’s crazy rare to see a blockbuster where both the hero and villain’s perspectives carry comparable weight and deserve equal consideration, and the Black Panther/Killmonger conflict brings just that – and on top of it all it’s fantastic to see how the simple addition of Vibranium can spice up an action sequence.

9. Iron Man

Marvel Studios movies have obviously come a long way in the last 11 years – explaining why only two titles in this Top 10 come from pre-2012 – but that being said Iron Man is still a phenomenal delight. Not only is Robert Downey Jr.’s charisma just totally off the charts, and the visual effects surprisingly spectacular, but even at the very start of everything the brand was upending expectations about what a big screen superhero story could be (we’ll never forget the way it tore down the secret identity concept with its final line). It’s a film we’re excited to watch every time we start a few franchise rewatch.

8. Captain America: Civil War

It was once thought that Marvel Studios would save all of its big team-up adventures for its Avengers movies, but then Captain America: Civil War came along in 2016 to blow minds. It’s honestly remarkable how the film perfectly plays on the developing arcs of both Cap and Iron Man, putting them on opposite sides of a smart and considered philosophical conflict, and on top of that it makes fantastic use of its broad ensemble of characters. These blockbusters are all crazy juggling acts, it’s amazing to see the way it manages to keep all of the balls in the air without missing a beat.

7. The Avengers

The Avengers is the picture-perfect definition of a game changer. Prior to 2012 it wasn’t entirely clear if the grand Marvel Cinematic Universe experiment would actually pay off, but Joss Whedon, armed with a very clear personal love for the characters and their history, put together a blockbuster that wonderfully highlights the greatest aspects of all of them – both when they are in extreme conflict and working together. It goes without saying that the franchise wouldn’t be what it is today if this one didn’t work, and its 45 minute-long third act action sequence remains as one of the best spectacles we’ve seen in modern cinema.

6. Spider-Man: Homecoming

Prior to the release of Spider-Man: Homecoming, it wasn’t entirely clear if the world was ready for yet another film about the wall-crawler – specifically because the hero had already been featured in two other separate franchises. Fortunately Spidey’s first solo film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe totally changed everybody’s mind by offering up a fresh, funny, and exciting new take on the high school-aged character. Not only is Tom Holland perfect in the lead role, but Michael Keaton’s Vulture is one of the best villains we’ve seen in the canon thus far – managing to somehow both be sympathetic and scary.

5. Thor: Ragnarok

As reflected in the rankings above, Thor didn’t have the greatest run when it came to solo movies prior to 2017, but Taika Waititi totally changed that pattern in the best way with Thor: Ragnarok. It required stripping away everything the character loves, including his father, his hammer, and even his hair, but the reinvention works perfectly, and it’s shocking just how funny the film is. It’s also arguably the best depiction of Hulk we’ve seen on the big screen to date, with the big green monster not only finding a voice, but also doing quite a lot of exciting smashing.

4. Guardians Of The Galaxy

Prior to 2014, nobody knew who the Guardians of the Galaxy were, but James Gunn worked his magic and now they are some of the most popular heroes around the globe. How? Because Guardians of the Galaxy is one of the best space operas ever committed to celluloid. The writer/director took some liberties with the source material, brought together some bizarre misfit heroes, and put together one of the best MCU casts, and end result was two-plus hours of delightful fun unlike anything any other comic book movie had previously attempted. Marvel took an absolutely massive swing with this property, but wound up hitting a home run on the first pitch.

3. Avengers: Infinity War

The Marvel Cinematic Universe started teasing the arrival of Thanos all the way back in 2012, and while some thought it was building too much hype to possibly pay off, Avengers: Infinity War proved all doubters wrong. Taking the spotlight in the 2018 blockbuster, the Mad Titan proved to be every bit the formidable and dangerous foe that audiences were promised, and the results are incredible and epic – all building to one of the most devastating endings in blockbuster history. The scope of the film is remarkable, not to mention the careful treatment of its absolutely massive ensemble, and it is amazing how it highlights just how much we’ve grown to care about these characters over the years.

2. Captain America: The Winter Solider

Joe and Anthony Russo never directed a blockbuster before taking on Captain America: The Winter Soldier, let alone an action movie, and that’s a stunning fact in retrospect. The movie’s plot channels 1970s conspiracy thrillers in the best way, crafting a wonderful mystery surrounding its two eponymous characters, but what truly makes the film standout is its endless series of insane and pulse-pounding action sequences that make you want to leap out of your chair every five minutes. After this debut, it was a surprise to nobody that Marvel trusted the brothers with three of their most ambitious projects ever.

1. Avengers: Endgame

It should have been an impossible task distilling 11 years-worth of films into one epic blockbuster, but the craftsmanship in the making of Avengers: Endgame is second to none – which explains why our staff has ranked it as the best Marvel Studios film we’ve seen so far. It’s not only an immensely satisfying experience for fans who have been following the franchise from the beginning, it’s also just a ridiculous crowd-pleaser in every respect. It’s hilarious; it’s tear-jerking; it’s thrilling; and it’s endlessly surprising. It’s everything you want it be after 22 movies, and makes our imaginations run wild thinking about what the next 22 movies might bring to the big screen.

How does our list compare with yours? If you haven’t already, go back to the top and take our survey, and stay tuned for more of our Marvel Cinematic Universe coverage here on CinemaBlend!

Read More

Sylvester Stallone Previews 40 Years Of Rocky Documentary

Sylvester Stallone Previews 40 Years Of Rocky Documentary

Rocky Balboa has been showing us the power of heart, perseverance and training montages since 1976’s Best Picture, Rocky. Last year’s Creed II, the eighth film in the Rocky saga, seemingly marked the cinematic end for Sylvester Stallone’s Italian Stallion after over 40 years. Now, after the final bell has rung at the end of the final round for film’s most famous pugilist, Sylvester Stallone is previewing a new documentary that looks back to the beginning. Take a look:

If you’re a fan of Rocky (and who isn’t), this sounds awesome. With Rocky’s cinematic journey now seemingly at an end, this documentary, 40 Years of Rocky: The Birth of a Classic, will give audiences the opportunity to look back on the film that started it all. It was an underdog in its own right with an unknown star, and it wound up launching a successful multi-decade franchise that defined Sylvester Stallone’s career.

Rather than look at the franchise as a whole, it appears that this documentary will really zero in on that original film and the alchemy that turned the underdog story into a true classic. What’s especially exciting is that, as Sly says in his Instagram post, this new documentary will feature behind-the-scenes footage from Rocky that has never been seen before.

That there is footage we haven’t seen before in the past four decades is really cool. That means that this documentary could give us new and even greater insight into a movie that we thought we knew pretty much everything there was to know about.

We’ll hear it all through Sly’s own voice too as he narrates the doc, so you’ll be hearing about this life-changing experience from the actor who lived it. The anecdote in the preview is endearing and classic Sly too, as he recalls being overwhelmed in the moment, but having his inner Rocky come through from the start.

40 Years of Rocky: The Birth of a Classic comes from documentary director Derek Wayne Johnson, who brings a wealth of experience and seemingly a lot of interest in tackling this subject. Derek Wayne Johnson wrote and directed the documentary John G. Avildsen: King of the Underdogs, about the Oscar-winning director of Rocky who also brought the world The Karate Kid and Lean on Me. He also wrote and directed the documentary Stallone: Frank, That Is, about Sylvester Stallone’s brother, Frank Stallone, and his less heralded, but still impressive career.

This isn’t the first documentary about the Rocky franchise. In 2011 there was a TV documentary movie called The Rocky Saga: Going the Distance, which covered the entire franchise to that point. Also, coinciding with the release of Creed in 2015, there was a one-hour documentary From Rocky to Creed: The Legacy Continues, narrated by Michael B. Jordan.

There was no release date or platform revealed for 40 Years of Rocky: The Birth of a Classic, but we’ll keep you updated. In the meantime check out our 2019 release schedule to see all the biggest movies headed your way this year.

Read More

Mark Ruffalo's Marvel Behind-The-Scenes Tribute Video Will Make You Feel All The Feels

Mark Ruffalo's Marvel Behind-The-Scenes Tribute Video Will Make You Feel All The Feels

Ending a run of films as big as the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Infinity Saga is bound to be emotional for both fans and cast members alike. This is especially true when it comes to fans making tribute videos in honor of films like Avengers: Endgame that are so touching, people like Mark Ruffalo just have to share. That’s exactly what the big guy has done with the video below, complete with a beautifully emotional message, take a look:

Comprised of outtakes from what looks like almost every film from Marvel Studio’s first cinematic arc, there’s plenty of goofing around from cast members included in this tribute reel, set to ELO’s “Mr. Blue Sky.” Among some of the highlights are the many funny faces that Chris Evans has been known to make, even in costume as Captain America. You'll also see a lot of smiles from cast members ranging from Chadwick Boseman and Scarlet Johansson, to of course, a lot of Robert Downey Jr. smiling mischievously and making faces that might not make it into a Disney-produced picture!

So yeah, it’s a video that’ll make Avengers: Endgame fans totally emotional, as it acts as kind of a family scrapbook of moments that led to the huge finale that fans had been waiting for across the span of 11 years and 22 movies. With the finale also marking the end of Joe and Anthony Russo’s current tenure at Marvel Studios, the reaction seems to indicate that emotional isn’t even the word for how folks may be feeling at the moment.

With Avengers: Endgame poised to surpass Avatar at any moment in the near future, this Twitter post is a good reminder of just how and why the Marvel Cinematic Universe has hit with the folks that helped make it possible. Even Mark Ruffalo knows that as he shares this video, honoring both his co-stars and the moviegoers who made their collective job an honor and a privilege.

The future of the MCU, and just what its next saga will entail, is still up in the air to a certain point. We’ll probably receive a lot of clues with Spider-Man: Far From Home acting as the official end of Phase Three, and the first step into a post-Infinity Saga world. Even then, the announcement of whatever Phase Four and beyond hold will be the ultimate clue as to where fans will be headed next.

So long as Marvel Studios and the cast of those upcoming movies continue to uphold the believe that fan and actor alike are what make this enterprise truly special, the success is likely to follow in both the undertaking and release of such projects.

Avengers: Endgame is in theaters now; with the final flick in the phase, Spider-Man: Far From Home, webbing up the box office on July 2nd. However, if you’re ready to look for another movie to entertain yourself with, you can take a look at the 2019 release schedule to see what other options are open.

Read More

Netflix Has Finally Agreed To Remove Bird Box's Disaster Footage

Netflix Has Finally Agreed To Remove Bird Box's Disaster Footage

Three months ago, Netflix’s viral release Bird Box rocked the boat when Canadians recognized the movie included footage of Lac-Megantic Rail disaster, and demanded the streaming service remove the tragedy killed 47 people in 2013 from the film. After Netflix previously disagreed to do so, the company is no longer taking a blind eye to the controversy.

The streaming giant has now told The Canadian Press that they will now remove the images of the train disaster from Bird Box in the next two weeks, and will be replacing the footage with a new clip for the scene illustrating the chaos all around Europe to Sandra Bullock and Sarah Paulson’s characters before the sci-fi phenomenon that forces a group of survivors to don blindfolds hits home.

Netflix paired this announcement with an apology to the Lac-Megantic community, who have been outspoken about the potential harm the film has to family and friends to victims of the rail disaster. The town’s mayor, Julie Morin, who joined in on demanding Netflix remove the footage offered her satisfying reaction to Netflix’s new decision. In her words:

Yes, there was a delay, but I think in the end, what’s most important for me, is that we have a solution to this situation we felt was important to settle.

When requests were initially made to the streaming service about taking out the footage in Bird Box, the company responded with an apology and promise to do better in the future, but a refusal to delete the footage. Netflix cited the inability to make alterations to finished content to justify the decision.

Canada was so displeased with the rail disaster footage that the country’s parliament passed a motion asking Netflix to pay the Lac-Megantic community for their grief following the film’s release. The streaming site never seemed to address this motion, but are pulling back on their initial decision to keep the insensitive footage in Bird Box.

The same footage was also previously featured in an episode of Netflix’s Travelers television show, though the show producers agreed to remove it back in January. It’s unclear as to why Netflix took so long to comply to the Bird Box situation that angered many ­– perhaps the studio needed time to find a replacement clip or was waiting for the Bird Box pop culture high to wind down.

Bird Box faced multiple controversies after it was released in December 2018, including a trending Bird Box Challenge, which proved dangerous when people placing blindfolds and attempting tasks such as driving caused concern. Netflix had to issue a warning for fans to refrain from ending up “in the hospital due to memes”. Otherwise, the film was one of the streaming sites most-watched original films ever.

Read More

John Wick Chapter 3 Has Screened, See What People Are Saying

John Wick Chapter 3 Has Screened, See What People Are Saying

The John Wick franchise is one that has built up a lot of fans over the previous two films, and now those fans are excitedly looking forward to what one expects to be the end of a trilogy, John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum. While the rest of us pour bastards still have to wait a couple of weeks, the movie has screened for some critics, and they're now letting us know that if you were a fan of the first two films, you're probably going to like John Wick: Chapter 3.

CinemaBlend's own Mike Reyes was one of those lucky enough to get an early view of John Wick: Chapter 3, and he thought the film took its trademark stunts and highly stylized action to another level. It also, quite interestingly, still leaves the franchise in a place that it could go forward. According to Mike...

John Wick 3 is yet another round of kick assed action, and intriguing world building. Keanu Reeves continues to clean up & the stunt bar has been raised yet again. There are so many places this franchise could go from here, and all of them are exciting.

One of the most interesting parts of the John Wick films is the way the franchise has created its world of organized professional assassins, but done so with a limited amount of expository dialogue. Most of what we know about the world John Wick lives in, the Continental hotel, and the High Table all comes from watching these elements simply be introduced. We learn about them by the way characters react to them, rather than having them explained.

It seems that the world will still leave itself open to more stories, whether John Wick himself could be part of those stories, we'll have to wait and see.

One way that the franchise could potentially continue, apparently, is through the new character introduced in John Wick: Chapter 3 that is played by Halle Berry. Erik Davis of Fandango thinks she needs her own film series. He also thinks the new film is the best of the trilogy.

Finally allowed to say that John Wick 3 is hands down the best of the three movies. Ridiculously inventive fight scenes, lots more world building & great villains. There is a knife fight in this movie that is aces. Also, Halle Berry’s character needs her own series.

In addition to the John Wick films creative world building, the franchise is also defined by its practical stunts and beautifully choreographed action sequences. Courtney Howard says that John Wick 3 elevates both elements.

John Wick 3: A eye-popping, jaw-dropping, show-stopping killer. Extends world-building dynamics beautifully, but also assigns meaningful resonance to character-driven action. Keanu Reeves is perfect, Asia Kate Dillon is magnetic & Halle Berry kicks ass.

Not bad for a franchise that was all started by a dog. The first film saw John Wick, a retired professional hitman, run afoul of some thugs who proceed to beat him up, steal his car, and kill his dog. This brings him out of retirement to hunt down those responsible.

However, his decision to come back results in him needing to make good on a marker he owed before going underground. John Wick: Chapter 2, follows Wick as he does this, but when Wick makes the decision to break the rules of the underworld that he lives in, he finds a price on his head and a lot of people trying to collect. That's where John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum picks up.

Assuming that the complete reviews come in as glowing as these social media reactions, John Wick will be the rare movie trilogy that sees its entire franchise getting stellar reviews. Scott Mendelson from Forbes is another who praises the new movie, though, unlike some, he doesn't necessarily think the third movie is the best.

Oh, and John Wick 3 is another gorgeous and inventive action extravaganza. I think JW2 is a "better" movie, but this one is completely entertaining and a living video game. Keanu Reeves is once again a force of nature. He actually looks his age, which adds to the pathos.

So basically, if there was any question, if you're looking forward to watching Keanu Reeves kick ass. John Wick 3 delivers. As Slashfilm's Hoai-Tran Bui, puts it, the movie rules.

Pure visceral cinema. After the dramatic world expansion of Chapter 2, Chapter 3 returns to a leaner, exhilarating story chock full of breathless, bone-crunching action and even a few laughs. I was sweating 30 minutes in. This movie RULES.

Is there anything wrong with John Wick 3? IGN's Terri Schwartz admits that some of the decisions perplexed her, but that the problems were far from big enough to impact her enjoyment of the film, saying...

Some of the storytelling and character decisions left me scratching my head and questioning motivations when I left the theater, but that won't stop me from going back for the inevitable John Wick: Chapter 4.

In addition, Mike Rougeau from IGN says that some of the additions to the mythology don't necessarily work, and some of it might actually be controversial for fans.

John Wick 3 continues to build on the series' mythology and has some of the coolest action and most memorable side characters of the entire series. I'm not sure about everything it adds, and certain things will be controversial.

Overall, it looks like John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum is going to be everything that fans have been waiting for. Based on the fact that most movie franchises these days are trilogies, we certainly may have expected the story to end with Chapter 3, though based on some of these comments, it sounds like the franchise may not be quite through yet.

I for one am certainly looking forward to John Wick: Chapter 3, it's probably my favorite modern action franchise. I find both of the previous films endlessly rewatchable and if the new movie is added to that list so much the better.

John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum opens wide on Friday May 17.

Read More

Rumored Bond 25 Title Just Got Shut Down

Rumored Bond 25 Title Just Got Shut Down

There has been a ton of talk about Bond 25, starting almost directly after the release of Spectre. Daniel Craig's comments about not wanting anything to do with the role gave fans reason to pause, although he ended up singing on to play 007 one last time. Fans are eager to see how Craig's version of the character will be sent off, as the project continues its development and pre-production process.

In addition to casting rumors, there's also been a few potential titles being thrown around by the rabid Bond fandom. One of them is Shatterhand, a theory that has made the rounds online. Now it's been officially given the kabosh by the very head of the Bond franchise: Barbara Broccoli. While signing a Shatterhand logo designed by a Bond fan, Broccoli also made sure to clarify that was not the title of the 25th installment. You can check out a photo of the autograph, reposted by the official James Bond Instagram page.

Well, that's seems pretty cut and dry. With just a little bit of social media sass, the James Bond franchise has officially put the name Shatterhand to bed. Of course, that likely won't stop other fan theories from popping up in its place, until the official name of Bond 25 is finally revealed to the public.

007's Instagram post may have retired Shatterhand from the rumor mill, but the franchise was careful to not actually release any information about the developing project. Considering the early stages of the film's life, there's a certain level of care and secrecy needed, as the pieces of the cast and crew are assembled. But that won't stop Barbara Broccoli from not so subtly nipping false information in the bud. We'll just have to wait and see how long it takes for the official title to be released.

Considering Bond 25 will be Daniel Craig's swan song as James Bond, the pressure is on to deliver a satisfying finale for this set of 007 movies. Spectre spent a ton of time setting up the iconic villain Ernst Stavro Blofeld, played by Christoph Waltz. The origin story was finally completed with Spectre's ending, but it's unclear if Waltz will be back to play Blofeld. Rami Malek is reportedly in talks to play the film's villain, following up his Oscar win for Bohemian Rhapsody with the longest running franchise in film history. What a year.

But Rami Malek's involvement hasn't been officially confirmed, nor has any of the cast aside from Daniel Craig. So the generations of Bond fans will have to patiently wait for Barbara Broccoli and the rest of Eon Productions to settle down on a concrete plan, and allow the public to be privy to what is coming next. Regardless, it's clear that fan interest is there, which should hopefully spell further box office success for the franchise. After all, Spectre was one of the most expensive films of all time.

Bond 25 is currently set to arrive on April 8th, 2020. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

Read More

DC's Super Pets Movie Has Been Pushed Back

DC's Super Pets Movie Has Been Pushed Back

Early this year, Warner Bros. planted its flag on the calendar, setting release dates for a few of its upcoming DC films, including Matt Reeves’ The Batman, James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad soft reboot and the newly-announced animated movie DC Super Pets. The latter of those films was set for release on May 21, 2021 but has now been pushed all the way back into the following year.

Warner Bros. has pushed its DC Super Pets movie back an entire year and the movie about the crime-fighting pets of DC’s biggest superheroes will now release on May 22, 2022 according to Deadline. No specific reason has been given as of yet to why DC Super Pets has been pushed back so far.

Earlier this week, on the heels of John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum’s successful box office debut, John Wick: Chapter 4 was announced and slated for release on May 21, 2021. That would have had it opening the same weekend as DC Super Pets, although I doubt that was the reason for the move. There may be some small overlap, but in general an animated kids movie and an R-rated action film aren’t competing for the same audience.

DC Super Pets now lands in a 2022 calendar that is largely populated by untitled films from the various studios and franchises. The dates have been claimed, but we don’t know what will be coming out on them as of yet. But we can now look forward, way forward, to seeing something quite different from DC in the form of DC Super Pets in three years time.

It's worth clarifying that DC Super Pets, from directors Jared Stern and Sam Levine, is not based on the Capstone Publishing line of the same name, though there could be some similarities. That imprint followed the crime-fighting adventures of the pets of DC characters like Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman. Among the furry heroes were Superman’s Krypto the Super-Dog, Batman’s Ace the Bat-Hound, Wonder Woman’s kangaroo Jumpa, Aquaman’s seahorse Storm and the space squirrel and Green Lantern B’dg.

From 2012-2013, a series of animated shorts based on the characters aired on Cartoon Network’s DC Nation block. It will be interesting to see how this DC Super Pets movie compares to the previous comics and animated shorts, but feel free to check out a clip of DC Super Pets from Cartoon Network below to see what the previous onscreen incarnation was like.

While we all love cohesive cinematic universes like the MCU, it is exciting that something as obscure and silly and fun as DC Super Pets is going to eventually make its way to the big screen. Last year’s big screen DC animated film, Teen Titans Go! To The Movies only made $52 million. But its budget was only $10 million and it gave audiences, especially the younger ones, something different from the standard superhero blockbuster.

Hopefully DC Super Pets can continue that trend and like Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, give us some variety in our cinematic superhero adventures.

DC Super Pets may be delayed until 2022, but 2021 still has two huge DC movies with The Batman on June 25 and The Suicide Squad on August 6. That’s all a long way off though so check out our 2019 Release Schedule for movies you can see this year.

Read More