One of the best anime series to come out of the 2000s, Fullmetal Alchemist will soon be made into a live action movie. Director Fumihiko Sori has been put in charge of making the adaptation come to life and actor Ryosuke Yamada (who played title character Hajime Kindaichi in the Kindaichi Case Files TV shows) will play main character Edward.
Fullmetal Alchemist is the story of Edward Elric and his brother Alphonse who in an effort to bring their mother back to life commit the ultimate taboo in Alchemy. Doing so causes Edward to lose an arm and a leg and Alphonse to lose his entire body. Now with Alphonse’s soul bound to a suit of armor and Edward’s lost limbs replaced with mechanical ones called Automail, the two are on a quest to find the legendary Philosopher’s Stone, which they believe will help them return to normal.
Japan has had an increase in the number of live action adaptations based on animes in recent years. Movies based on manga and shows such as Assassination Classroom, Rurouni Kenshin, and Parasyte have all been released and met with a good level of fan appreciation for their look and faithfulness to the source material. The crew will have to make sure to put their best foot forward as Fullmetal Alchemist is a series with a huge fanbase.
Hopefully given the fact Funimation released the Fullmetal Alchemist series, they will also see fit to release the live action. Last year they released the live action movies of the Attack on Titan series which fans were glad to see come to America. Hopefully, they will take the initiative and release the Fullmetal Alchemist live action movie as well.
There have been quite a few complaints (justified and not) directed towards last weekend’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, but above all else, most people seem to agree that the blockbuster is “too dark.” The film’s grim tone, bleak presentation and humorless plot was fairly off-putting for some, and recognizing that some people like to, you know, have some fun when they go to the movies, new reports suggest Warner Bros. is spending millions on reshoots for this August’s next DC chapter, Suicide Squad, believing it’ll add little more levity to not only these proceedings, but the blossoming cinematic universe as well.
The scoop comes from Birth.Movies.Death., whose “excellent” unnamed source reports that January’s excellent second trailer for David Ayer’s upcoming film — the one that boasted massive stunts, fast quips and accompaniment by Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” — didn’t give a fair shake on what’s to come. “Every joke in the movie is in that trailer,” they noted. And based on how well audiences responded to the lighter tone of the trailer and how negatively they reacted to the dourness of Zack Snyder’s latest, the studio demanded some reshoots, hoping to add some more cheekiness and fun to the film.
Considering how outspoken fans have been vocalizing their disinterest towards Warner Bros. and their behavior conducting the DC cinematic universe thus far, this should bode over well. Because, generally, audiences like knowing what they responded to the most in the trailers is actually represented in the final film. And this should also set the stage for some more goofiness and lightheartedness to be found in future films, most notably the soon-to-begin-shooting Justice League films. But will adding such slapdash scenes to Ayer’s film only make the tone more uneven and disjointed by the time it comes into theaters? One will have to find out when Suicide Squad bursts into theaters guns a-blazing on August 5.
Now The Walking Dead has a real propensity for killing characters, and the continuously hyped-up entrance of Negan promises a high death toll for the show’s sixth season finale. And while it’s hard to say for sure which characters are going to eat it on Sunday, there are definitely some characters that deserve it more than others. Here’s a list of five characters that seem like good bets for death.
ABRAHAM
Now as a quick COMIC BOOK SPOILER, Abraham was meant to take the arrow that killed Denise in “Twice as Far.” He took that in the comics, but apparently the show runners see Abraham as too important of a character to die. Only thing is, that immunity doesn’t seem wholly justified. His main purpose was to yell at the group for not taking Eugene to D.C, but since that storyline’s ended, Abraham doesn’t have any real specific new goals, aside from dropping Rosita for Sasha. Plus, Eugene and Abraham are very similar – they’re white guys that talk funny. Eugene’s now earned his “Level 2” actual usefulness in combat, so if he can hit Abraham’s combat use AND have his own higher intellect, Abraham doesn’t really need to be around. He’s managed to cheat death thanks to Denise, but there’s no reason death shouldn’t get him back.
TOBIN
Aside from keeping Carol and Daryl apart, Tobin is one of the new Alexandrians that just hasn’t provided a lot for the show. Denise was a doctor that had to harden up, Spencer is the innocent idiot that needs to learn how to fight without his mother. And the Anderson clan had the brief job of giving Rick a surrogate family before all dying via zombie mosh pit. Aaron was a great character, back when he was given screen time, but out of all the Alexandrians, Tobin has been getting more time than most – and why is that? Tobin can build stuff, but that’s about it. It’s not enough to make him a mainstay, and it seems like The Walking Dead’s finale this season is the perfect time to boot him off.
GABRIEL
Honestly, who would be sad about this death? Gabriel’s evolved a little bit since his introduction, but he hasn’t been around enough to see that. He’s mostly been a whiny moral worrywart that’s been against Rick’s more violent tendencies – you know who does that now? Morgan. He’s been a more interesting character that the show’s been willing to give screen time to, so why keep Gabriel in the mix? The Walking Dead has a surplus of side-characters, so if some of them are getting picked off, it may as well be one that won’t be missed. Plus, once AMC puts Preacher on the air, it’ll really highlight how cool Gabriel could be, and how sad it is that he’s not.
CAROL
There was a time when Carol was the only character I really wanted to survive. She was an incredible badass, intelligent strategist, and didn’t let anyone stand in her way. However, over the course of this past half season, Carol has been turned into an entirely different character. Now, Carol can’t take out a single Savior without shedding tears & gripping rosary beads. What with Carol and Morgan’s tumultuous relationship, it seems her character arc’s set to make her as anti-death as he is, and no one wants that. And I know that Carol is a fan-favorite on The Walking Dead, but she hasn’t been that character for a while, and she may not be going back to that, so it’s high time she met her end. And as much as you mate hate me for that choice, odds are you’ll be even more unhappy with this next one…
DARYL
Yup, the ultimate fan favorite character. There have been plenty of clues flying around that Daryl may be meeting his death, including the teaser at the end of last week’s episode. He doesn’t do enough for the show at this point, aside from being backup muscle for the others. His most interesting trait was being the former racist jerk turned badass ally, but that plot line hasn’t mattered for several seasons now. He then took on the mantle of Beth’s mentor, but again, that’s long done. And what with the nonsense surrounding the faked Glenn death, and the likely reality that Daryl’s “death” at the end of last week’s episode is also a fake-out, the show needs a real, heart-wrenching death to ground itself again. If this show is supposed to be about the characters fighting the concept of death itself, there needs to be more death that matters, and killing Daryl would give it that gravity.
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
Rosita, who’s only been important for the two most recent episodes, which does NOT bode well for her.
Heath, the Alexandrian survivor who I continuously forget exists.
Judith, because how long can a baby really last in the zombie apocalypse?
What characters do you think should die? Which of these 5 do you think should live forever? How deadly do you think Negan’s entrance will end up being? Leave any thoughts on the matter in the comment section below.</>
There have been many great villains in fantasy fiction: from Sauron in Lord of the Rings to Harry Potter’s nemesis Lord Voldemort. A sequel to 2012’s Snow White and the Huntsman is set come out in theaters and has Charlize Theron returning as Queen Ravenna. Theron stole the show in 2012 in Snow White and the Huntsman and now has to compete with Jessica Chastain and Emily Blunt in the sequel – as well as Chris Hemsworth respiring his role as Eric the Huntsman.
Queen Ravenna was one of the most prominent female fantasy villains in recent years – so to celebrate her return let’s look at the best female villains fantasy cinema has to offer.
10. Queen Ravenna – Snow White and the Huntsman
Starting this list is the villainess who influenced it – Queen Ravenna. Charlize Theron earned a lot of praise for her performance as the evil queen, chewing the scenery as she yells and screams at her subordinate and is allowed to be as evil as possible.
In Snow White and the Huntsman Queen Ravenna usurps the thrones after killing her husband and locks her step-daughter up in the dungeons. She is supported by her brother and an army of glass knights. Ravenna is a tyrant, but the people are powerless to overthrow her. The Queen is also a powerful magic user, about to steal the youth and beauty of other women to keep herself young, resulting in women scarring themselves and their daughters to protect themselves.
According to the trailers for The Huntsman: The Winter’s War, Ravenna is responsible for the death of her sister’s baby resulting in her sister becoming like Elsa from Frozen.
9. Maleficent – Sleeping Beauty
There have been many great female villains in Disney animated movies, including Queen Grimhilde (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs), The Red Queen (Alice in Wonderful), Ursula (The Little Mermaid) and Mother Gothel (Tangled). Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty is the most iconic villain from Disney’s fantasy movies. Maleficent was a powerful sorcerer who is scorned when she was not invited by King Stefan for his daughter’s christening – admittedly not the greatest motivation. Maleficent curses the princess to fall into permanent slumber on her 16th birthday after pricking her finger on spinning wheel.
Maleficent has an iconic look – clad in black with huge horns, green skin and armed with a staff and had a pet crow. She is also a very powerful villain, as well as using spells and curses she also has the ability to turn herself into a dragon.
Maleficent even earn herself a live action film with Angelina Jolie as the famous villain. 2014’s Maleficent was a retelling of Sleeping Beauty through Maleficent’s eyes, making her out to be a fairy who fell in love with a human, but was betrayed by him and had her wings cut off. She curses Princess Aurora as revenge against her ex-lover but ends up falling in love with Aurora as a daughter.
Maleficent was a very generic fantasy movie but Jolie was brilliant at playing the famous Disney villain.
8. Mombi – Return to Oz
The pseudo-sequel to the Wizard of Oz, Return to Oz, was a box-office success upon its release but has become a cult classic and is considered one of the scariest family movies ever made. Mombi was one of the main villains in the film, working with the Nome King. She is a princess and a powerful witch, having a powder that can make anything come alive and has the ability to change heads, having them all on display, a truly terrifying place to visit. She plans to make Dorothy’s head as a part of her collection.
Mombi was actually a combination of two characters from the Oz books. The first was Mombi from The Marvelous Land of Oz, a sorcerer who made a deal with the Wizard of Oz to disguise the rightful ruler of Oz as a boy and use them as a slave: this was retconned later books. The other was Princess Langwidere from Ozma of Oz, who has the head changing ability and attempts to steal Dorothy’s head. However, the book version was slightly more sympathetic because she was made the ruler of the land of Ev after her Uncle sold his family to Nome King for a long life and only took the job of regent because there was no one else left to do it.
7. Artemisia – 300: Rise of an Empire
Eva Green had a killer 2014, being the best thing in the two Frank Miller adaptations that year had to offer. One of them being 300: Rise of an Empire, the sequel to 2007 300, playing the main villainess of the movie.
300: Rise of an Empire‘s Artemisia was very loosely based on the real woman of the Artemisia I of Caria, who commanded the Persian navy at the Battle of Salamis. The movie version portrays Artemisia as a Greek woman whose family was killed by Greek hoplites, stole into sex slavery and left for dead but saved by the Persians. Artemisia was trained up by the Persians to be their best warrior and commander. Artemisia is the one who convinces Xerxes to become the god-king of Persia and invade Greece.
Artemisia was a woman driven by revenge, using the might of the Persian Empire to achieve this and she is so blinded by her mission that she commits numerous atrocities along the way. She is also willing to use her sexuality if military force does not work. She meets her match, physically and mentally, when facing the commander of the Greek navy Themistocles.
6. Bellatrix LeStrange – Harry Potter Series
Bellatrix LeStrange is the first of two female villains from the Harry Potter series to make it on this list. Bellatrix is Narcissa Malfoy’s sister and Draco Malfoy’s aunt.
Bellatrix was one of Voldemort’s most loyal followers, but also one of the most sadistic. She tortured Neville Longbottom’s parents to the point of making living husks. Bellatrix was driven to insanity when was sent to the wizard prison of Azkaban and when she did escape she killed Sirius Black and tortured Hermione Granger for fun. She was one of Voldemort’s most vicious soldiers.
Helena Bonham Carter was perfectly cast as Bellatrix – she is an actress known for crazy, maniac characters and easily played out the crazed fanatic.
5. Yubaba – Spirited Away
Hayao Miyazaki is responsible for making some of the best anime movies ever, including Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki’s Delivery Service, Princess Mononoke and Howl’s Moving Castle. His 2001 movie Spirited Away is considered by some his best movie and it is one of his most successful, making $289.1 Million worldwide and has a 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Spirited Away tells the story about a 10-year-old girl, Chihiro, who ends up in a fantasy world when moving home. Her parents are turned into pigs, and she is made to pay off their debt by the witch Yubaba. Chihiro is made to work in a bath-house and to ensure obedient Yubaba takes Chihiro’s name, renaming her Sen.
Yubaba is a tyrant who treats her workers poorly, holds a river spirit, Haku as a slave, is very greedy and lives in opulence. But she does have a softer side, willing to throw herself into danger situations and dotes over her infant son.
4. Dolores Umbridge – Harry Potter Series
The other villainess from Harry Potter to make this list is Dolores Umbridge, who like Bellatrix was introduced in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Imelda Staunton played Umbridge, who became the new Defense of the Dark Ages teacher at Hogwarts – parachuted by the Ministry of Magic to enforce their control over the school.
On the surface Umbridge was a sickly sweet who dresses in pink, decorates her office with cat plates and speaks in a soft voice, but it is really one of the most sinister characters in the Harry Potter universe. She uses her position to get a power fix, enforcing new ordinances from the Ministry of Magic, elevates students from Slytherin into powerful positions so she can use them as her personal heavies and uses veritaserum (truth serum) to forcibly extract information. Umbridge most harness act at Hogwarts was torturing students by making them write lines with a magic quill that made them bleed the more they wrote.
When Umbridge returned in the series in Harry Potter and the Deadly Hallows Part 1 she was leading a committee within the Ministry to hunt for Muggle-born wizards and witches, a job she relished. She was enacting the will of Voldemort without even realizing it.
3. Morgana Le Fay – Excalibur
1981’s Excalibur is the most loyal adaptation of Arthurian legend, being based on Thomas Malory’s 15th-century work Le Morte d’Arthur and embraced the darker elements of King Arthur’s story that has been forgotten over time. Helen Mirren starred as one of the main villains of the movie, playing Morgana Le Fay, Arthur’s half-sister. Morgana is seeking revenge after Arthur’s father Uther Pendragon killed her father and tricked her mother into conceiving the once and future king. Morgana does this by assuming the form of Guenevere and through their incestuous relationship births Arthur’s greatest nemesis Mordred.
Director John Boorman cast Nicol Williamson as Merlin to play opposite Mirren, knowing they had a falling out after performing in a production of Macbeth and wanted to use the animosity for their on-screen roles.
Excalibur was a modest success when it was first released and now a cult classic (it was even referenced in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice). It is a great fantasy movie and easily the best adaption of Arthurian legend. Bryan Singer was linked to a remake, but it is currently on hold.
2. The White Witch – The Chronicles of Narnia Series
The White Witch is one of the most famous female villains in fantasy fiction and the most recognizable villains from The Chronicles of Narnia series – to the point that her role was expanded in the film series.
The White Witch was portrayed by Tilda Swinton in the series in one of her most mainstream roles. In The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe – The White Witch had conquered the land of Narnia for 100 years, making it a land of permanent winter where Christmas never comes. But her power is challenged when the Pevensie children come to Narnia: who could fulfill a prophecy. She was still a formidable foe, even when her winter turns to spring, she commands an army filled with wolves, dwarves, and minotaurs, has the power to turn anyone into ice and stone and even killed Aslan, the great lion of Narnia (although that was Aslan’s intention).
After The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe The White Witch’s followers attempted to resurrect their leader using black magic to achieve it. This event especially created for Prince Caspian. She also reappeared in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader as one of Peter’s visions – representing his guilt for his betrayal in the first movie.
1. The Wicked Witch of the West – The Wizard of Oz
The Wicked Witch of the West in 1939’s adaptation of The Wizard of Oz is one of the most iconic villains in movie history -not just fantasy cinema. Played by Margaret Hamilton The Wicked Witch of the West is the greatest villain in the Land of Oz, the most powerful witch in the world and a tyrant over the Winkie. She seeks revenge against Dorothy after the death of her sister: The Wicked Witch of East is crushed by a house.
The Wicked Witch of the West is one of the most recognizable looks, having green skin, wears a black dress and pointy hat and carries a broomstick – basically the archetypical witch.
The Wicked Witch was the fourth best villain American Film Institute’s list of the 50 Best Movie Villains of All Time and voted as the 90th Best Greatest Movie Character by readers of Empire Magazine. The character received a reinterpretation in Gregory Maguire’s Wicked: The Life and Times of Wicked Witch of the West which was adapted into a hit musical. She also received an origins story in 2013’s Oz: The Great and Powerful, but the less we say about Mila Kunis’ performance, the better.
The Flash/Supergirl Crossover Brings Acclaim & Ratings Boost
I’ll start this off by saying I’ve never watched an episode of CBS’s ‘Supergirl‘ but I’ve kept my eye on it. I do however watch CW’s ‘The Flash‘. So this week, I tuned into their highly anticipated crossover episode that aired on CBS. I can gladly say this episode sold me on why I need to be watching ‘Supergirl‘ immediately! Bringing in over 7 million viewers, I think the public agrees with me as well.
The latest episode “World’s Finest“, picks up in the middle of all of Kara Danvers’ drama as she balances work life at CatCo & life as Supergirl. This time though, The Flash just stumbles onto her Earth during one of his speed tests. This mashup has been rumored since her show was announced & those rumors gained more steam has The Flash showed Supergirl in some time portal; the same time portal that hinted at a ring from DC Comic’s Legion of Super-Heroes. The ring later appears in a Supergirl episode titled “Solitude“.
Could this be the early signs of something much larger to come?
While the DC Extended Universe is focusing on a much more traditional version of the Justice League, I believe the DC TV Universe could be building their own version of it, that version being the Legion of Super-Heroes. The Legion has seen different incarnations since their 50’s debut but the early versions mostly featured Superman or Superboy as a lead role. Could Kara Zo-El A.K.A Supergirl be the live-action leader of this group? Could Barry Allen’s Flash & Oliver Queen’s Green Arrow also be a part of this? There was a reference to Barry Allen being a founding member of a group in a season one episode of ‘The Flash‘; many thought it was a nod to Justice League but it could be something different.
If the relationship between Supergirl & Flash in this episode was anything to go by, I would gladly see them join together when the time is needed. Their banter felt natural and they seemingly match each other in adorable awkwardness. The duo made a great team when it came to taking down Banshee & Livewire; Flash using his speed and Supergirl using her brute strength.
This episode also taught Supergirl a lesson; something about her crime fighting and something about her love life. It was kind of odd hearing Barry tell Kara to speed up her relationship when he and Iris are still awkwardly staring at each other. The Scarlet Speedster taught the Girl of Steel about planning ahead and thinking before you attack. It took Barry an entire season to learn that lesson; let’s see if Supergirl keeps these notes Flash gave her for the future.
Speaking of the future, the addition of Martian Manhunter, Green Arrow, Black Canary, and The A.T.O.M…we could be building a strong team to face an evil so big it crosses over not only shows but networks. Will this collaboration be one-time or could we see more superhero team-ups later?
As X-Men: Apocalypse closes in, it signals the end an error in the X-Men Cinematic Universe. What seems typical industry standards for superhero films are the actors involved sign a three picture deal. That means James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, and Jennifer Lawrence are free agents after X-Men: Apocalypse.
Fassbender could be your next James Bond, and Lawrence in March of last year stated this is her last film in the X-Men Cinematic Universe. In the land of comic books, movies, and lots and lots of money, never say never. Since that March 2015 interview, Lawrence has a different opinion on the subject.
“I am dying to come back. I love these movies; I love being in them. I love ensemble movies because it’s not on anyone’s shoulders,” said Lawrence to Empire Magazine.
Latino-Review and ComicBookMovie.com are speculating that Mystique will not survive X-Men: Apocalypse and Lawrence was joking around in the interview.
X-Men: Apocalypse is directed by Bryan Singer and stars Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, James McAvoy and Nicholas Hoult, Oscar Isaac (Apocalypse), Sophie Turner (Jean Grey), Tye Sheridan (Cyclops), Alexandra Shipp (Storm), Lana Condor (Jubilee), Olivia Munn, and Kodi Smit-McPhee.
Ancient mutant Apocalypse is unearthed after 5,000 years and recruits his four horsemen; Magneto, Psylocke, Storm, and Angel. The Four Horsemen of Apocalypse try to reboot the world through destruction.
The film is set in the 1980s and we will see younger versions of previously seen characters.
X-Men: Apocalypse opens in theaters on May 27, 2016.
After multitudes of moviegoers spend years begging, stomping and pleading for Hollywood to unite Bryan Cranston — Emmy and Tony-winning actor behind Breaking Bad and Broadway’s All the Way — and Kevin Hart — the MTV Movie Award and Kids’ Choice Award-winning actor behind the Think Like a Man and Ride Along films — together at last, their prayers will finally be answered. The equally-renowned actors have agreed to finally lend their talents beside one another for The Intouchables, the long-promised American remake of the French comedy smash. Ring the bell. Sing to the mountains. Fetch the finest goose. This is a glorious day upon us.
Deadline announces this most joyous news. The upcoming film, a never-ceasing quest for our brave producer Harvey Weinstein, has been kicking around for nearly half a decade. The original, a crowdpleaser that grossed $416 million worldwide and launched the career of star Omar Sy, is a tale of charming characters and keen social insight. It tells the story of a prickly quadriplegic aristocrat who forms an unlikely bond between his poverty-stricken, street-wise caretaker. Surely, Hart will make sure such comedic restraint will be retained in this new take.
And speaking of restraint, Paul Feig (Bridesmaids, Ghostbusters 2016)— the filmmaker who hasn’t made a comedy under two hours since 2006 — is still attached to write the remake, but still isn’t on board to direct at this time. Tom Shadyac (Bruce Almighty, The Nutty Professor) also once flirted with the project before he, too, backed away. And now it remains a mystery as to who’ll take over the reigns, likely because every director in Hollywood is too scared they’ll mess up such a beautiful, sensible pairing as these two lead actors. But fear not, for talks are reportedly underway at the moment, and the announcement for who’ll fill this sacred chair is expected to be imminent.
Hart will take on the role that won Sy a Cesar award, while Cranston will play the rich scrooge that finds his heart warmed by his new friend’s actions. And while Colin Firth was once attached to play the latter role, it’s evident he was just holding onto the part until Cranston could play wish-fulfillment by finally silencing the outcries of those many who’ve questioned why Heinsberg hasn’t made a movie with the star of Get Hard. In the meantime, we’ll have to wait until this sure-to-be comedy phenomenon decides to grace us with its holy presence. What a time to be alive.
It wasn’t long ago when Ewan McGregor reprised his role of Obi-Wan Kenobi, but you’d be forgiven if you missed it. His one-line cameo in Star Wars: The Force Awakens proved he didn’t have any qualms revisiting the Star Wars universe, and it looks as though the Scottish actor might soon find himself returning to the force. In a recent interview with Collider, McGregor admitted that he’d be open to putting the robes back on for his own spin-off movie.
While discussing his role in this Friday’s Miles Ahead, the conversation quickly tampered off onto Star Wars, as it does. When asked if he would be willing to return for more than a voice cameo in future installments, he said that he would “very much” like to do a standalone film. Like many fans, he believes “there’s a story” between Episode III and Episode IV for his character. “I think that’s the Obi-Wan Kenobi movie, if there was one,” he noted. “It’s the one that bridges my Obi-Wan Kenobi and Alec Guinness’ Obi-Wan Kenobi.”
And, indeed, in the twenty-or-thirty years that Obi-Wan spends roaming the desert, there surely must be a story looming around. Chances are, he wasn’t just spending his time throwing around rocks and waiting to find Anakin’s son. And with this fall’s Star Wars spin-off, Rogue One, taking place between the first two trilogies, it’s not impossible to believe there could also be an Obi-Wan Kenobi movie somewhere down the line. And while McGregor plays coy about whether or not he’s been approached by Lucasfilm, he admits he’s “very interested” in making such a hypothetical film.
In fact, he doesn’t rule out the possibility of just one Obi-Wan film. “There could be a trilogy,” McGregor confesses. So it sounds like McGregor wants in on the space pie, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves just yet. He makes a point to note that he hasn’t really been approached to play a Space Ghost in any of the upcoming episodes, and that he’s “not really in the picture” for these upcoming films. In fact, he doesn’t even know how that would work at this point, as Guiness played the part at that stage. But he does note that he, like many fans, “loved” J.J. Abrams latest installment. So that’s encouraging, at least. That’s certainly nicer than he’s been to his own prequel films in the past.
So while it’s not definitive, it looks like McGregor wasn’t scared off by the prequels, and that it’s very possible he’ll summon the cloak and lightsaber again in the near future in a galaxy not so far away.
Even the biggest detractors of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice have to admit Ben Affleck did a pretty good job as the Caped Crusader. The once-controversial casting proved to be for naught, as Affleck’s take on an older, bitter, more menacing Batman rightfully won over quite a few admirers and impressed many contractors. The meanest reviews I’ve read still called Affleck’s performance at least “fair.” So it’s safe to say that, if anything should come out undamaged from the imploding DC cinematic universe, it would be Affleck’s role as the Dark Knight. So, thankfully, the steps are already in motion to have him stay in the suit at least a little while longer.
Speaking with THR, Affleck’s agent Patrick Whitesell revealed that not only is the Academy Award-winning actor/director tapped to make the two Justice League movies (duh), but that “there’s a script that he’s written that is a really cool [Batman] idea, so that’s out there as an option.” While Affleck starring in and possibly directing a solo Batman movie has been in the cards since last year, this is the first official word we’ve received that the ball is now rolling on the potential project. Especially since, before BvS’ release, word was pretty tentative from Affleck’s camp regarding whether or not the project would actually come into fruition.
Early talk suggested that Affleck was working on the script for the new Batman film with Geoff Johns, Chief Creative Officer at DC Comics. And, indeed, Affleck revealed that he is most certainly working on “something” with the legendary comic writer in the future. But he didn’t make it explicit if it would be this new Batman film at the time. Though, one would have to assume it is. Warner Bros. is probably pushing hard to have Affleck make this his next top priority, and it seems like he’s pretty persuaded so far. If he did direct it, it would be his fifth film behind-the-camera, after Gone, Baby, Gone, The Town, Best Picture-winner Argo and this fall’s Live By Night. The latter three were all produced and distributed under WB, and that would certainly be the case again for this new superhero movie.
In addition to the films mentioned above, Affleck is also expected to make a brief cameo appearance in Suicide Squad on August 5. Batfleck is officially out of his cave, and it looks like he’s ready to fly high into the night.
Despite smashing box office records, Batman vs. Superman is not the biggest blockbuster battle of the summer. Team Iron Man vs. Team Cap won’t be either. The major battle this summer is Marvel vs. DC; fighting it out for your dollars to claim box office supremacy.
The way the companies are laying out their movie-verses are about as different as Rocky and Drago’s training regimens. Their business plans, on the other hand, appear to be as similar as their movies are different.
For this write-up, I’m only going to count movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and DC Cinematic Universe (DCU), so that means no Deadpool, no X-men and no DC animated movies. That leaves us Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice, Captain America: Civil War, Suicide Squad and Doctor Strange.
SLOW BURN VS QUICK FIX
You could easily make a case that Marvel has been setting up Captain America: Civil War since the Tony Stark first put on his iron armor. I seriously doubt they had plotted out the MCU that far back then, but I’m sure Marvel and Kevin Feige have had this course set since at least Winter Soldier and even maybe before that.
This super-sweet super-cut from Charles Villanueva over at MCU Exchange makes a pretty compelling case that all the movies and TV shows have been leading up to this point.
Marvel’s strategy has been pretty straight forward: introduce each individual hero, team them up in one blockbuster, and then tear them apart in another. Marvel may not have had a choice. Outside of Spider-Man, Marvel’s cast of characters wasn’t exactly chock-full of household names. It’s why making Iron Man was considered such a big risk. In order to make MCU work, Marvel needed you to know its heroes and villains.
DC doesn’t have the problem. Everyone knows Superman. Batman has been on the air and big screen since the 60s. And Wonder Woman has been the go-to female superhero forever.
Sure, DC made Man of Steel first, but it only really serves now to set up Batman and Wonder Woman in this one. Throw in a few superhero cameos in Dawn of Justice and the Justice League is all set. DC seems to be going Reverse-Feige: team-up first, solo movies later.
KNOWN VS UNKNOWN
What both studios are doing the same is using their big names to mitigate the risk that comes with the lesser knowns. Marvel has been doing this for years. In 2014: Captain America: Winter Soldier was followed by Guardians of the Galaxy. 2015: The Avengers: Age of Ultron was followed by Ant-Man. And in 2016, Civil War will be followed by Doctor Strange. In each case, they knew the first movie would be a huge hit, so if the second didn’t do as well, the movie studio still made money for the year.
Now DC is following the same business plan. It has two of its biggest names fighting on-screen right now then later this year will roll out the Suicide Squad of relative unknowns. If Suicide Squad flops, DC will just have to dry its tears with its BvS money.
WHO WINS?
So who wins this comic-movie clash? Everyone does. Marvel and DC cash in, you get to see fun movies and more will keep being made as long as you are willing to pay to see them.
