Bradley Whitford Is The MVP Of Godzilla: King Of The Monsters

Bradley Whitford Is The MVP Of Godzilla: King Of The Monsters

Warning: SPOILERS for Godzilla: King of the Monsters are in play. If you haven’t seen the film yet, bookmark this page until you’re caught up.

There were quite a few new Titans introduced to audiences in Godzilla: King of the Monsters. But in addition to those monsters, a lot of new human friends were introduced to us along the way through the film’s focus on Monarch and its organizational chaos.

Out of all of the folks making their MonsterVerse debut in director Michael Dougherty’s addition to the Godzilla canon, there’s one that I think is the MVP of the film, without question. After seeing the film twice, I cannot recommend more enthusiastically that Bradley Whitford’s Dr. Rick Stanton be named the official champion of the already impressive supporting cast of human characters.

Now this isn’t putting down any of the work done by any of the other fine actors, returning or debuting, in Godzilla: King of the Monsters, as there’s one hell of a character roster with an equally impressive cast to back it up. But if we’re going for someone who both made a huge impression, as well as helped draw the mythos of the MonsterVerse in greater detail, Bradley Whitford’s Dr. Stanton is the guy who comes through like a hero. Here are some big reasons why:

Rick Is The Perfect Surrogate For The Audience

Wading through a world of Titans and men isn’t easy, especially if you’re a human in such a world. Even if you’re an experienced viewer in the Godzilla universe, there’s quite a bit to take in with this brand new interpretation of the mythos.

As Dr. Rick Stanton is positioned as both a scientific expert and a grade-A smart-ass, he’s in the perfect place to appeal to both newbie and expert who sit down to see Godzilla: King of the Monsters. One moment, he’s reacting a serious crisis with readings and vital information, and the next he’s cracking jokes about having Godzilla in for beers or how he’d rather avoid radioactive materials in the name of preserving any future offspring.

Many of the other characters in the film, such as Kyle Chandler’s Mark Russell or even Charles Dance’s villainous Colonel Alan Jonah, are stoic figures that push the events that need to happen in Godzilla: King of the Monsters so that Godzilla vs. Kong and the rest of the MonsterVerse goes off without a hitch. But with Dr. Stanton firmly in place between those temperaments, its easy to keep the audience invested with someone asking the same sorts of questions they’d be thinking up in their seats.

Dr. Stanton’s Sense Of Humor Helps Move The Film Along

Circling back to Rick’s sense of humor, it’s also extremely helpful to have someone who isn’t afraid to help move the story along with some quick wit. And as Bradley Whitford is given a lot of opportunities as Dr. Stanton to lighten the mood, it assists in not only moving along the heavier moments, but also the entirety of Godzilla: King of the Monsters.

Think of the movie as a plate of food, with the Titan action as the meat and the human story as the potatoes that compliment said meat. There obviously needs to be seasoning in order to help everything mesh together, and that ingredient comes from the personalities of characters like Dr. Rick Stanton. With Rick dropping quips in-between moments of legitimate backstory and exposition, it just makes everything move easier in a film that already has a pretty well paced clip.

It also helps that Bradley Whitford happens to get some of the most sarcastic roles in Hollywood to begin with, be it in heroic and kinder parts like Josh Lyman on The West Wing or in his various villainous turns in films like Get Out and Billy Madison. So not only are you given a good dose of humor to help keep the Titan-ic story of Godzilla: King of the Monsters fresh as ever, you have a comedic assassin delivering lines that kill from the trailer to the final cut.

His Backstory Helps Tie Kong: Skull Island Into The Universe

While it’s merely hinted at in the film, Dr. Rick Stanton has a huge connection to the events of Kong: Skull Island. The connection mentioned during Godzilla: King of the Monsters is the fact that Rick is a fan of the “Dr. Brooks’ Hollow Earth Theory,” which alludes to his knowledge of Dr. Houston Brooks’ work.

Houston shows up not only in Kong: Skull Island, played by Corey Hawkins, but he also appears in this film in the Mothra cocoon scene, as portrayed by Joe Morton. But as noted in his official Monarch biography, Dr. Stanton is actually a colleague of Dr. Brooks, as they both worked for LandSat, the company that was present for the secret mapping mission in Kong: Skull Island.

Said mission intrigued Rick earlier in his career, and as he got more familiar with Houston’s role in the venture. This in turn lead to an introduction to Dr. Serizawa, and then his work as Monarch’s big time Crypto-Sonographer.

He Could Also Be The Best Link To The Future Of The Franchise

At the end of Godzilla: King of the Monsters, we’re told about expeditions that Monarch is carrying out as part of researching “The Hollow Earth.” Now you have to know that whether it’s spelt out or not, Dr. Rick Stanton would sign up for those missions in a heartbeat, leaving him to be a potentially strong link into the events of Godzilla vs. Kong.

On top of that, if Dr. Stanton volunteers to go on one of these missions, his good friend Dr. Houston Brooks would undoubtedly be joining those expeditions as well, as his work is crucial to the Hollow Earth Theory. Which means that the friendship between these characters could see Bradley Whitford and Joe Morton’s characters stealing the screen together in Godzilla vs. Kong, or any other project their storyline would be present for.

Should this come to pass, and frankly there’s no reason it shouldn’t, having Bradley Whitford and Joe Morton playing off of each other would be a hell of an exciting prospect. Not to mention, if this isn’t something Godzilla vs. Kong explores, then you have a compelling side-story/short film that could be used to help flesh out the further MonsterVerse. And you know Dr. Stanton would have a hell of a riff on the debate to whether Godzilla is a male or female Titan.

If you haven’t given Godzilla: King of the Monsters a shot, we hope we haven’t spoiled too much of the film for you. But it has to be said that with his comedic timing and his ability to deliver gags, as well as pseudo-scientific information and readings, Bradley Whitford really is the MVP of the MonsterVerse’s latest chapter. He is a valuable asset in a cast full of heavy hitters, and no matter where this film franchise goes next, Dr. Rick Stanton should be along for the ride.

Godzilla: King of the Monsters is in theaters now, with Godzilla vs. Kong set to make its debut on March 13, 2020. If you’ve looking for excitement in-between those two dates, let our 2019 release schedule be your guide to adventure and merriment.

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8 Things You Might Have Missed In The Joker Trailer

8 Things You Might Have Missed In The Joker Trailer

This morning, Warner Bros and DC Comics released their first look at the Todd Phillips directed Joker film, set to be released this October. While the project has always sounded like a very experimental prospect, seeing it in action just made us all the more aware of how exciting this film could be. Not only is it a period piece, but it’s also a version of the Joker we’ve never seen before; a man who we literally get to see crumble before our eyes.

And along the way through the Cliff’s Notes version that the trailer presented us of said downfall, there were some interesting nods and clues that show a very interesting first look at what the world of Joker is going to look and feel like. Some are quick references to history, others are interesting points of interest that have us thinking what they’ll mean in the long run. All are present in the first trailer for Joker, which you can watch below before we start to dive into the deeper details:

Now let’s take a look at some of the little things scattered through Joker’s trailer that caught our eye.

The Bob Kane Tribute

One of the legendary forces behind Batman’s creation, Bob Kane was one of the two men that made the Caped Crusader the man that he is. The same applies for his archnemesis, as The Joker was also one of Kane’s legendary creations. So throughout the Batman universe, it’s been a tradition to include his name among the various easter eggs that can be found through various mediums, and Joker gives up one pretty quickly. At the beginning of the trailer, if you look closely at the ID tag of the social worker that’s speaking with Arthur, you’ll see that her name is Debra Kane, undoubtedly a nod to the man who helped both Gotham’s greatest hero, and its biggest villain, come to living breathing life.

Wayne Hall

What would a movie taking place in Gotham be without having at least one reference to the richest, most visible family that lives in the city? Though judging by what we’ve read on Joker’s plot, as well as its cast of characters, it feels like the Waynes will make more than just cameo appearances in the film. Still, when the name “Wayne Hall” flashed up on the screen, it was something we’d totally have noticed without the gold letters and spotlights. Though judging by what we’ve heard about the incarnation of Thomas Wayne in this film, that was probably the only way to play this whole thing.

Modern Times

During the split second of Wayne Hall’s exterior being shown, it’s revealed that Charlie Chaplin’s classic film Modern Times is playing at the grand opening of that very event space in the fall. This is doubly interesting, first because Joaquin Phoenix’s Arthur has a bit of a Charlie Chaplin-esque look about him when he’s dancing as a sign spinner towards the beginning. So one of his comedic influences is, undoubtedly, The Tramp himself. But even more surprising is the fact that Modern Times was a satire that drew attention to the economic hardship of the Great Depression era worker, which looks like something the Wayne family didn’t take into account when deciding to use it as their self-named hall’s opening event.

Thomas Wayne Gets Political

As if on cue at the thought of his very name, Thomas Wayne appears in the trailer for Joker. First coming in as a voiceover, but then showing his face through actor Brett Cullen, Thomas is afraid for Gotham City. He thinks it's lost its way, and that only a cold blooded coward in a mask could perpetrate the crime he's lamenting in this clip. It very well may be a murder, probably Arthur's first in a possible series. But even scarier is the fact that we've previously assumed that while Thomas isn't the same man he's portrayed to be in previous incarnations, his deadly fate might be just the same. In which case, this sort of taunting might not be wise in hindsight.

A Very Different Arkham

Arkham Asylum is one of those locations that undeniably anchors the Batman series in the consciousness of its fans. Usually depicted as a high tech facility with all the bells and whistles and an extremely gothic flavored decorative style, it’s where all of the baddies that Batman catches tend to go to. Before they break out into the world again, that is. But in Joker’s version of Arkham, it’s not even labeled as an asylum, as it’s known in this world as Arkham State Hospital. And rather than look like somewhere you’d expect The Riddler to be hatching his next, post-escape plan, it looks like the sort of run down mental facility you’d expect from the 1980’s lowest of lows. Gritty realism has found a new way to infiltrate the world of Gotham, and it’s super effective.

The Killing Joke

One of the plot aspects that’s been brought to mind with Joker is the fact that Arthur is trying to be a stand-up comedian during the course of the film. We see several shots of him going to Pogo’s Comedy Club, laughing it up, and eventually taking his own spot on the main stage. Which nails one particular Batman story right on it’s head: The Killing Joke. Part of The Joker’s origins in the Alan Moore penned story involved him being a frustrated wanna-be comedian, in the hopes of going pro and caring for his pregnant wife. While there’s no wife here, there is his mother. And as we see in some flashes of footage, it looks like he might make it to a certain point of stardom as a funnyman. Which leads us to one of the most surprising references in this entire trailer.

The King Of Comedy

Martin Scorsese’s underrated classic The King of Comedy told the story of, get this, a frustrated wanna-be comedian who would do anything to get his moment in the spotlight. That film’s protagonist was played by none other than Robert DeNiro, which was a fact that was not unseen when his casting in Joker was announced to be for the role of a TV host that drives Arthur mad. With Scorsese executive producing this film as well, it feels like Joker is a pseudo remake of that very film, with DeNiro playing a role similar to the one Jerry Lewis played against him in the original. Extra bonus points go towards the production designers for invoking the look of the 80’s era sets that Johnny Carson used during his tenure as the host of The Tonight Show.

Bruce Wayne Behind Bars

Just as I discussed the inclusion of the Wayne family in Joker, there was one pretty big piece of that puzzle dropped into place during a scene where Arthur befriends a little boy. That young lad seen in the trailer just happens to be none other than Bruce Wayne, as played by Dante Pereira-Olson. Separated by a gate with iron bars, Arthur tries to get his young friend to smile, albeit in a creepy, hands on sort of way. How this budding friendship will turn out is yet to be seen, but if our hunch is correct, it’s not going to last for long, if it gets to start at all.

We’ve still got some time between now and Joker’s debut in theaters, and a whole bunch of surprises are probably still waiting to be thrust upon the public at the right time. In fact, I could still be totally wrong about what we think is going to happen in the film. But what's been seen so far is promising, and definitely invoking the right spirit to become a socially subversive take on a classic comic villain. You could even say, it puts a smile right on our faces.

Joker takes the stage in theaters on October 4th. Though laughs aren’t that far off in the box office future, as you’ll see by consulting our 2019 release schedule. That's no joke!

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The Russo Brothers Suggest Watching Two MCU Movies Before Avengers: Endgame

The Russo Brothers Suggest Watching Two MCU Movies Before Avengers: Endgame

We are T-minus 22 days until Avengers: Endgame hits theaters, and that gives fans just enough time to rewatch the 21 movies of the Marvel Cinematic Universe to date before The Infinity Saga comes to a close. You could do one movie a day, binge them, or you could take part in AMC’s epic 59-hour marathon. But if you don’t have time for that or you’re already committed to rewatching Game of Thrones (seriously, how awesome is April?) the Russo Brothers have suggested two MCU movies you should check out before Endgame. According to Anthony Russo:

It's a great question, and I will say we do work hard to make sure that the story works in a way that even people who haven't seen any thing [can still enjoy the movie] because we feel like that's very important. I think you see this movie after movie, the audience keeps growing for these films. So what that tells us is that people are seeing these movies who haven't seen the previous ones. So it's important that we are speaking to an audience that is perhaps seeing these stories for the first time. That being said, there's certainly an interconnected story being told. I would say, certainly, Civil War and Infinity War are probably the two biggest lead-ins to this movie in the sense that Civil War created the situation where the Avengers were divided.

Speaking to Fandango, Anthony Russo explains that he, his brother and Marvel endeavor to make sure that the MCU movies are accessible and can bring in new fans and they have been successful in that. The hope is that you could theoretically come in to watch Avengers: Endgame cold, why you would do that is a mystery but the idea is that you could.

Nevertheless, this is obviously a story many films in the making and if you wanted to only hit the bullet points to enter this world or refresh your memory before Endgame, you should watch Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War. These picks make the most sense, as they are the last two MCU films the Russo Brothers directed. And that makes them natural primers for Avengers: Endgame.

That you should rewatch Avengers: Infinity War is obvious. These two films were originally conceived of as two parts of a giant film and Infinity War set up the cliffhanger that will need to be resolved in Endgame. You need to know or refresh your memory on Thanos, the Infinity Stones, how they Avengers fought and how and who they lost.

Anthony Russo also says that you should watch Captain America: Civil War because that was the movie that divided the Avengers. That was the first film out of the gate in Phase 3, and it set up the fractured nature of the heroes that continued through Avengers: Infinity War. When Bruce Banner came back to Earth in Infinity War he found out that the Avengers were no more.

The various teams in Infinity War weren’t the product of a divide and conquer strategy, they were the natural result of the heroes no longer communicating with one another and working together. Consider that they might have had more time to save Vision and destroy the Mind Stone if Cap and Co. weren’t in exile and knew about the threat sooner.

To defeat Thanos for good the Avengers must truly assemble and that means healing the deep wound suffered in Captain America: Civil War. We’ve already seen Cap and Tony reuniting in the trailers for Endgame, so that schism will clearly be addressed and if you don’t remember exactly how it happened in the first place, rewatching Civil War is a sound idea.

Tickets are now on sale for Avengers: Endgame, hopefully you’ve managed to get yours during the website-breaking frenzy that took place yesterday. Avengers: Endgame hits theaters on April 26. Check out our 2019 Release Schedule to keep track of all this year’s biggest movies.

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Avengers: Endgame Writer Is Teasing Big Changes After Phase Three

Avengers: Endgame Writer Is Teasing Big Changes After Phase Three

While Avengers: Endgame is barely over a month away, we still have no idea what's going to happen to the Marvel Cinematic Universe after it's over. Yes, we're going to get a Spider-Man movie, but how will the events of Endgame change the characters and stories we're going to get in Phase Four of the MCU? We don't really know the answer yet, but one of Avengers: Endgame's writers wants us all to know those changes are going to be real and they're going to be big. According to Christopher Markus...

The MCU continues to exist. What happens to be in it is a fluid and evolving thing where, because it's all connected, you can't reboot one. All the parts have to work together. Things continue, but like life, losses are real, and change is real.

We have some expectations of what some of the big changes that are coming will be. Certain actors are set to leave the MCU and as such those characters may die or be written off in some other way. Maybe the hero and the costume will live on being worn by another, maybe not. However, if you were expecting things to largely go back to something resembling "normal" once these few changes happen, Christopher Markus' statement would seem to discount that idea.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe was an attempt to take the long term continuity and crossover aspects of the comic book world into the cinema. In the comics, while each character is largely left to their own devices most of the time, things do happen in one part of the world that can have repercussions on others. The MCU, because there are far fewer movies than there are issues of comic books, feels these changes in a much greater way.

However, Markus' comments to Empire would seem to spotlight one major place where the MCU and comics differ. It's an area I had wondered about myself previously. In the comics, while things do go through major upheaval from time to time, the world always returns to the status quo eventually. Steve Rogers has died and lost his powers at different points and others have taken up the shield, but eventually Steve Rogers is Captain America once again. That's not going to happen in the MCU.

Whatever changes we see at the end of Phase Three, as Christopher Markus says, will be real. If Steve Rogers dies in Avengers: Endgame, he's almost certainly going to stay dead. If Robert Downey Jr. is too expensive to keep in the MCU now, that's not going to change in the future. And at some point these actors will simply not want to return to these roles, even if they're offered all the money in the world. Eventually, these characters will change for good and there will be no return to the status quo.

While this is, on the one hand, going to be frustrating for those that lose their favorite heroes, it's also incredibly exciting. Major, real change in a persistent universe is something that Marvel has never really tried in the comics. How well will it all work? What new exciting characters or major changes to existing ones could happen that will take stories in entirely new directions? We'll begin to find out very soon.

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Someone Edited Deadpool Into The Avengers: Endgame Trailer, And You Can’t Unsee It

Someone Edited Deadpool Into The Avengers: Endgame Trailer, And You Can’t Unsee It

While we may not know the fate of everybody in the Marvel Cinematic Universe following the events of Avengers: Infinity War, it does appear that Deadpool survived, as a fan who has been making a habit of inserting Deadpool into Avengers trailers has now given the same treatment to the latest Avengers: Endgame trailer, and the result is actually pretty entertaining. Check it out.

The Deadpool-filled trailer gives us all of the video that we got with the new Avengers: Endgame trailer, but replaces all of the audio with commentary by Deadpool, or at least a reasonable facsimile provided by the Mightyraccoon! YouTube channel. If you've seen any of the previous trailers the channel did that added Deadpool, you'll know what you're seeing here. We get a combination of Deadpool making sardonic comments to the Avengers as well as becoming several of them at various points in the trailer.

There are a couple of rock solid highlights, which come when Deadpool actually becomes part of the trailer, in the flashback shot from Captain America: The First Avenger, Deadpool actually lifts the pre-super soldier Steve Rogers so that he can better see himself as a soldier, which is great, and a nice bit of video manipulation. Then, at the end, Deadpool gets clocked in the back of the head by Stormbreaker. It's a simple gag, but an effective one.

It's actually sort of nice to get this shot of humor in the Avengers: Endgame trailer. The Marvel movies usually have a good sense of humor to them, but the dour and desperate circumstances surrounding the new movie means that everybody is very serious and nobody is cracking a smile. There's probably some humor in the film, but showing it off in the trailers would almost certainly shift the tone quite radically.

Of course, with the expectation that the Disney/Fox merger will be officially complete as of later this week, one can't help but wonder if something like what we see here is actually in our future. The Deadpool movies are one of the few parts of the Fox/Marvel universe that are hits and likely to survive the merger without being rebooted. Does that mean we could see Deadpool along side the Avengers in a future movie? It seems like a long shot, but at this point pretty much anything is possible.

With this likely being the last trailer we will see before Avengers: Endgame hits theaters, it could be our last Deadpool-infused trailer. We have no idea at this point if there will ever even be another Avengers movie, or what characters it will include if we do see it. We're not sure what MCU movies we'll get after Spider-Man: Far From Home. While we now know that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will happen, it's going to come much later than originally planned.

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How Much Did Robert Downey Jr., Chris Pratt, Scarlett Johansson And The Other Cast Members Make From Avengers: Endgame

How Much Did Robert Downey Jr., Chris Pratt, Scarlett Johansson And The Other Cast Members Make From Avengers: Endgame

There is a very good chance that you've seen Avengers: Endgame by now. The mega-blockbuster is smashing box office records left and right, and it's well on its way to becoming the highest grossing movie of all-time —domestically and globally — even though it has been in theaters for only a little over two weeks now. It is the cumulation of 22 movies-and-counting inside the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and Phase Three will continue in earnest with July's Spider-Man: Far From Home. In short, the Marvel brand is a money-making machine, and Endgame's payday won't slow down soon.

Now the dust is starting to settle (no unfortunate pun intended, Thanos), and the movie is currently playing in thousands of theaters all around the world, it's time to reflect on the series as a whole and evaluate the star power of some of the franchise's most distinctive actors and actresses, including the likes of Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson and Chris Pratt. The whole Avengers series is winding down, at least as far as we know it, and the folks who have seen the film can attest the franchise wouldn't be the same now that the credits have rolled on Avengers: Endgame. Nevertheless, with this humungous movie making all kinds of cash at the box office, let's take a look at the paydays for some of its primary performers, and how they were wrestled the amount of money they made through their work.

Also, it should be noted that we were very cautious to not dive our toes into serious spoiler territory. However, if you haven't seen the film yet and you are fearful for anything being revealed in this article (especially with the Russo brothers declaring that the ban on spoilers has been lifted), you should know that there might be a few minor spoilers to be found in this article. So, check out the film already, and learn more about the business side below.

How Much Did Robert Downey Jr. Make For Playing Iron Man?

Having started the whole enterprise with 2008's Iron Man, Robert Downey Jr. has been at the root of the Marvel Cinematic Universe from the very beginning -- the very first scene of the franchise, in fact. And with his star-renewing role in that acclaimed film, Downey Jr. found himself with a second career in the superhero franchise, leading to nine film appearances in total throughout the past 11 years. (Ten, in fact, if you count his brief cameo in 2008's The Incredible Hulk.) In many respects, Robert Downey Jr. became the face of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And with his final cinematic appearance in the MCU, Robert Downey Jr. made sure that he received a whole lot of moolah for his work in both Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.

According to estimations from THR, Robert Downey Jr. is believed to have made somewhere in the ballpark of $75 million for his final appearance as Tony Stark. That appears to be counting backends and specifically-worded phrasing in his contracts, but it's clear the A-list actor took full advantage of his clout and notoriety in this extensive franchise when it came time to say goodbye to his most famous role. It's only fitting that Robert Downey Jr. would make a hell of a lot of money for playing billionaire Tony Stark in this franchise-spanning character, particularly given the early risk with the role. He signed onto Iron Man without knowing what would become of the project. The whole thing was a crapshoot when he first agreed to play the part, and it was only when that first movie exploded that he had lawyers renew his contracts and make the whole thing more beneficial for his bank account. The Marvel Cinematic Universe wouldn't be the same without him, and he drained out every penny he could make from this series when it came time for his triumphant end.

How Much Did Chris Pratt Make For Playing Star Lord?

Once merely known as "The Guy From Parks and Recreation," Chris Pratt became a bonafide movie star when he first appeared in 2014's Guardians of the Galaxy. Easily among the most profitable installments in the extended franchise, and a more sizable box office hit than most people anticipated, there was no denying that Chris Pratt was now in the big leagues thanks to his endearing performance as Star-Lord. And when it came to his work in Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame, you can bet that the funny man was laughing all the way to the bank with his paycheck.

While his exact budget for the movie is a bit murky, it's believed that Chris Pratt probably made upwards of eight figures for his work in the latest Marvel Cinematic Universe team-up films. Though some reports claim that it might've been closer to $5 million. The actor reportedly made $1.5 million for his work on Guardians of the Galaxy, and while he is certainly a big movie star, his appearance in Avengers: Endgame was definitely minor. Most of his screen time was found in Avengers: Infinity War. While he definitely had a few scenes, it wasn't necessarily his movie in many respects. Nevertheless, Chris Pratt will return to the MCU with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, which should begin production in the next couple years and should theoretically be the actor's most lucrative MCU project to date.

How Much Did Scarlett Johansson Make For Playing Black Widow?

Since her first appearance in Iron Man 2, Scarlett Johansson has continued to boost her star power by appearing as Black Widow in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The actress is a bonafide superstar in her own right, but she never quite rose through the ranks as much as some of her fellow co-stars. She doesn't have her own solo movie (yet!), and most of her work in the franchise is found in other actor's films, including Captain America: The Winter Solider. With that noted, while her salary for the Marvel movie isn't known exactly, it's believed that she earned less than her co-stars for her work in Avengers: Endgame.

While Scarlett Johansson's salary isn't quite as high as some people would hope it would be, it appears the actress will make up for the shortage with her own movie, Black Widow, which is expected to hit production within the next year or two. According to early reports from THR, Johansson is expected to make $20 million on the solo feature, which is equal to what Chris Hemsworth and Chris Evans earned for their respective appearances in last year's Avengers: Infinity War. So, even though she didn't make as much as her co-stars in Endgame, she'll definitely be getting a big payout soon.

How Much Did Chris Evans Make For Playing Captain America?

Essentially the leader of The Avengers, Captain America has a lot of responsibilities inside the core superhero group. While he didn't have a lot of screen time in Avengers: Infinity War (to the disappointment of beard-lovers everywhere), Captain America played a significant role in this new film. It was his last curtain call in the part, and the final time we are expected to see the actor play the patriotic day-saver — at least, in any major respect.

Sure enough, as arguably the lead of Endgame, the actor was expected to make a lot of money for his work in the latest two Avengers-based films. It was reported that Chris Evans' contract allowed the actor to make upwards of $15-20 million for his appearances in his final two Avengers movies. That's a great deal of cash, but it was probably to be expected. Similar to Robert Downey Jr, it was Cap's last hurrah, and it was expected even before the release of Avengers: Endgame that it would be the very last time we'd see Captain America in the iteration we've come to know and love. The role has grown to be the actor's most famous to date, and while he wasn't able to wrangle as much cash in his contract as Downey Jr., he certainly made a hefty amount of money.

How Much Did Chris Hemsworth Make For Playing Thor?

Among the first actors to appear in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Chris Hemsworth first played the part of Thor in the 2011 film of the same name. And since then, he has become a staple of the Avengers series. While there were a few rough spots (notably, 2013's Thor: The Dark World), the actor found himself on top in the end with his well-received work in Thor: Ragnarok and The Avengers films — including, most notably, Avengers: Endgame, in which he plays a very memorable part of the proceedings.

Sure enough, Chris Hemsworth is one of the highest-paid actors in Avengers: Endgame. It's believed that he made roughly the same amount of money as Chris Evans, in fact. His salary is believed to be between $13-15 million, and that's pretty impressive considering how his time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is hopefully going to continue following the events of Endgame. Nevertheless, he's a core member of the MCU, and that commitment to the franchise earned the actor a healthy payday at the end of the day.

How Much Did Bradley Cooper Make For Playing Rocket?

While Bradley Cooper has proven himself in many different respects outside of his work in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it can be easy to forget that he plays such a crucial role in the expansive universe. In fact, he's so good at embodying the character of Rocket there is a good chance some people don't even know it's his voice! While some folks were weary about his participation in Guardians of the Galaxy when it was first announced that Bradley Cooper was taking on the role, it didn't take long before people grew endeared to the character, and it's safe to say that in many respects, he's the film's beating heart.

In Avengers: Endgame, Rocket Raccoon plays a much more significant part than his fellow Guardians of the Galaxy. Still, despite Bradley Cooper's popularity and the character's primary position in the new film, his salary appears to be less than you would expect for such a high-grade actor, which may have to do with the fact his work is via voice work only and not live action. In any case, Bradley Cooper continues to impress in the role, as he does in many respects throughout his career, and he is a very welcomed and memorable addition to the Avengers team.

How Much Did Tom Holland Make For Playing Spider-Man?

The friendly neighborhood Spider-Man can often seem like the most humble of the group. He is a fresh-faced newcomer who is still left in awe of his fellow world-saving Avengers whenever he makes contact with them, and his plucky spirit and good morality make him a fun, enjoyable and surprisingly fresh screen presence, considering that Tom Holland is now the third actor to play the role in a significant fashion these past 20 years.

When it comes to his earnings for these new Avengers movies, Tom Holland is believed to have made a reported $3 million for his work in Infinity War, and he is expected to make around the same amount of money for his work in Endgame. The actor is certainly on the up-and-up. He made a good impression on folks in Captain America: Civil War, and his first leading role in Spider-Man: Homecoming was a comfortably free and fun-loving performance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. With this summer's Spider-Man: Far From Home serving as the official wrap-up for Phase Three, the actor will likely only continue to rise in status in the MCU. And we should expect him to make more money in the future, especially if he's expected to replace Iron Man in a few respects later on down the road.

There was little doubt that Avengers: Endgame would be a monster success at the box office. And with a lot of money spent in this expansive finale-of-sorts, it shouldn't come as much of a surprise that many of the primary actors involved wanted to get their fair share of the pie. While it's safe to say that some actors were compensated way more than others, at the end of the day, they are all making a ton of money — either now or at a later date.

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Solo 2: Writer 'Grateful And Galvanized' By Viral Campaign For Star Wars Sequel

Solo 2: Writer 'Grateful And Galvanized' By Viral Campaign For Star Wars Sequel

The first Star Wars movie opened 42 years ago today on May 25, 1977. That's when we first met Han Solo, as played by Harrison Ford. Over 40 years later, we finally got Han's backstory in Solo: A Star Wars Story, with the young scoundrel played by Alden Ehrenreich. Solo ended up a Star Wars scapegoat, since the box office wasn't quite what was expected for a franchise movie. Reviews were mixed, but the fans who loved it are staunch defenders for it. Those fans recently launched a campaign to continue the story, getting #MakeSolo2Happen trending. Solo director Ron Howard had a simple reaction, but co-screenwriter Jon Kasdan had more expansive thoughts:

Yeah, Solo was set several years before the first Star Wars movie and ended with potential for how to continue Han's story until reaching the point of Episode IV - A New Hope. Solo 2 could've filled that timeline easily -- and maybe still could?

Jonathan Kasdan worked on the Solo script that his father, longtime Star Wars writer Lawrence Kasdan, had started before joining the The Force Awakens writing team. Solo infamously hit a rough patch when initial directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller left the film. One of the rumored issues behind-the-scenes was the directors encouraging a lot of improvisation away from the script. Ron Howard took over as director for the rest of filming, and reshoots.

The resulting film has a 70% fresh rating from 442 critics and a 64% audience score from nearly 41,000 RT users. Solo also has an A- CinemaScore from polled moviegoers, which is slightly down from the A that Rogue One, The Force Awakens, and The Last Jedi all received. But the A- ties all three prequels, and it's still better than the B- that The Clone Wars got in 2008, marking the lowest Star Wars CinemaScore.

Solo wasn't everyone's cup of blue milk, but it's clear the film still has a lot of fans out there, and they have "galvanized" Jon Kasdan. Maybe he's gearing up to make a new argument to Lucasfilm to give Solo 2 a chance -- either in theaters or (more likely?) on the new Disney+ streamer launching in November. Never tell him the odds!

Meanwhile, there's disagreement in the rest of the galaxy when it comes to the Star Wars movies that will hit the big screen. There's a petition against the Star Wars movie being made by the Game of Thrones showrunners, and some fans aren't excited about The Rise of Skywalker after The Last Jedi. But on the flip side, some fans are thrilled about the new Star Wars movies coming, especially The Rise of Skywalker as it ends the nine-film Skywalker Saga. Keep up with everything heading to theaters this year with our 2019 movie schedule.

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