Author Archives: Shoshana

Spider-Man to Appear in Marvel Cinematic Universe While 4 Marvel Release Dates are Pushed Back

Posted on by

spider-man newspaperSony and Marvel Studios have formed a Spidey-based partnership, according to Marvel’s official site:

Under the deal, the new Spider-Man will first appear in a Marvel film from Marvel’s Cinematic Universe (MCU). Sony Pictures will thereafter release the next installment of its $4 billion Spider-Man franchise, on July 28, 2017, in a film that will be co-produced by Kevin Feige and his expert team at Marvel and Amy Pascal, who oversaw the franchise launch for the studio 13 years ago. Together, they will collaborate on a new creative direction for the web slinger. Sony Pictures will continue to finance, distribute, own and have final creative control of the Spider-Man films.

Notably, the release refers to the character as “Spider-Man” rather than “Peter Parker,” with one exception:

“Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios share a love for the characters in the Spider-Man universe and have a long, successful history of working together. This new level of collaboration is the perfect way to take Peter Parker’s story into the future,” added Doug Belgrad, president, Sony Pictures Entertainment Motion Picture Group.

While Belgrad doesn’t explicitly state that Peter and Spidey are one-and-the-same in this case, it is implied. If they are indeed the same, it will be the second film reboot of Peter Parker as Spider-Man in less than five years and the third film version of the character in less than fifteen. I’d find a film starring Mile Morales, the current Spider-Man in Marvel’s Ultimate comics universe, to be a breath of fresh air, but if don’t get to have that, perhaps they’ll at least get more creative with Spidey’s casting this time and choose an actor who isn’t white.

In addition to the news that they and Sony will be working together on Spider-Man, Marvel has pushed back the release dates of four previously announced films, possibly to give the new Spider-Man film some space. Thor: Ragnarok, previously scheduled for July 2017, will now be released on what had previously been Black Panther‘s release date of November 3, 2017, Black Panther will now come out on Captain Marvel‘s old release date of July 6, 2018, Captain Marvel is getting Inhumans‘ previous date of November 2, 2018, and Inhumans will now be released on July 12, 2019. You can read Marvel’s full announcement on the moved release dates here.

All of Legend of Korra Streaming Online

Posted on by

If you missed seeing Legend of Korra, the fantasy action adventure animated series with a kick-ass WoC main character, the first time around or if you just want to watch it again (because really, who wouldn’t want to watch it again? Someone who is not me, that’s who), you’re in luck! Yesterday Nickelodeon posted the entire series online for free streaming on their website. Check it out here.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have cartoons to marathon.

All Three Prequels to be Shown in 3D at Celebration–Including Revenge of the Sith

Posted on by

RotS 3D logoThe latest issue of Star Wars Insider reveals that there will be 3D screenings of the entire Prequel Trilogy, as well as standard screenings of the Original Trilogy, at Celebration Anaheim. These screenings will include the long-delayed 3D premiere of Revenge of the Sith, so if you’ve been waiting to see it you will now have a chance.

(via Yakface)

All-Ages Comics With Queer Representation: Some Recommendations

Posted on by

Character and/or relationship spoilers for several comics and one recently concluded animated series lay below. Be warned.

There is a severe lack of queer representation in children’s media, as the surprise and discussion caused by the recent finale to the animated series Avatar: The Legend of Korra illustrates. It is sadly rare to find a character who falls outside the heterosexual cisgender mold at all, much less one who is both a major character and respectfully portrayed. Seeing oneself reflected in one’s culture is always important, but in childhood and adolescence people are already struggling to find identity and to figure out how they relate to the world.

Fortunately, things are improving, if slowly. An increasing number of all-ages and young adult comics, for instance, predominately feature queer characters. Here are three really great ones.

Continue reading →

Andy Serkis Answers 10 Questions About The Force Awakens

Posted on by

"The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" New York PremiereWhile none of the actors are able to tell us much about The Force Awakens yet, in an interview with Entertainment Weekly Andy Serkis shared a few things that he can tell us about the movie and his work on it. His answers to EW’s questions, unsurprisingly, don’t give us a lot of detail about the story or characters, but he does reveal that he plays only one character in the film and that his voice in the teaser is unaltered.

One question that he’s not able to give an answer to is whether or not his character is performance capture, which is unsurprising, given the amount of information one could likely draw from the answer.

Cumberbatch Confirmed as Doctor Strange, We are Less Than Pleased

Posted on by

ITV3 Specsavers Crime Thriller Awards 2012 - LondonToday Marvel confirmed that Benedict Cumberbatch of Sherlock fame will indeed be portraying Doctor Strange in the 2016 film of the same name.

And we sigh. We sigh so heavily.

I have nothing personally against Cumberbatch and find him to be a talented actor but just what proportion of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is made up of white dudes? Of the fourteen Marvel films focusing on a single hero that have been announced and/or released, only two are not about a white guy.

Two. Out of fourteen. And we had to wait six years for even that much.

A big reason so many people are so excited about the Black Panther and Captain Marvel films, besides them simply being great characters who deserve the full cinematic treatment, is because we have been waiting for years to see a film starring someone who is not a white dude. Yes, we’re finally getting a film about a character of color and a film about a woman and that is wonderful and that is progress. But Doctor Strange was an opportunity to even the scales a little more and make the MCU a little bit more diverse.

While Doctor Strange is typically portrayed as white in the comics, there is no reason why he has to be white–or even male–in an adaptation. Marvel’s previously cast actors of color as characters who were white in the comics, casting Idris Elba as Heimdall and Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury. This isn’t without precedent. Heck, Warner Brothers cast Jason Mamoa as the star of Aquaman a few months ago. If Aquaman can be played by a person of color, there is zero reason why Doctor Steven Strange, Sorcerer Supreme, can’t be as well.

Marvel had an opportunity to make things a little less overwhelmingly white-dude-ish, to stop focusing on just one sort of character the vast majority of the time, and Marvel didn’t take that opportunity. At this point, they’ve already built two phases of movies around films focusing on white male characters, setting up those movies and those characters as the foundation for all that comes after. I had hoped that they might try to bring a little more balance and diversity to their universe. I am disappointed.

Star Wars Teaser Trailer Confirmed for Select Theaters This Friday

Posted on by

Earlier today, Bad Robot tweeted a note by J.J. Abrams that confirms that the first teaser for Star Wars: The Force Awakens with debut this Friday, November 28 in select theaters and that it will be 88 seconds long:

In case that image isn’t loading for you, the note says

A tiny* peak at what we’re working on–this Friday in select theaters. Hope you enjoy, and have a most excellent Thanksgiving!

Best,

JJ

*88 seconds

Regal Entertainment has posted a picture of Mon Mothma and a note to check their website soon for information about which of their theaters will be involved in the teaser debut, implying that at least some of the select theaters will be theirs.

As of yet, no theaters have been officially confirmed for the debut.

UPDATE: AMC had joined Regal in confirming that some of their theaters will be involved in the debut:

The specific theater locations that will show the teaser remain unconfirmed.

UPDATE THE SECOND: Cinemark has joined the league of theaters debuting the teaser, posting this tweet in confirmation:

Again, still no word on specific theater locations.

UPDATE THE THIRD: The official site has confirmed the theater locations that will show the teaser on Friday, as well as confirming that the teaser will be in theaters worldwide after this weekend. There are thirty locations total, 28 of which are in the US and two of which are in Canada. Check out the complete list here.