Will Detective Pikachu Be Able To Best Avengers: Endgame At The Box Office?

Will Detective Pikachu Be Able To Best Avengers: Endgame At The Box Office?
Charizard about to eat Pikachu

The last couple of weeks at the box office have been all about Avengers: Endgame, as other studios gave the Disney juggernaut, which has now passed Titanic to become the second-biggest movie of all time, a wide berth both before and after its release. But now other contenders are coming for Thanos’ throne atop the box office, starting this weekend with a tiny, electric-type Pokémon that happens to sound a lot like Deadpool. So will Detective Pikachu be able to best Avengers: Endgame at the box office?


The short answer is probably not, but Detective Pikachu isn’t going to crash and burn like so many of its video game movie forbears either. According to Deadline, the Pokémon franchise’s first foray into live-action on the big screen is looking at a domestic opening weekend in the $50 million to $55 million range from over 4,200 theaters.


That should be good enough for second to Avengers: Endgame as the MCU’s history-making film continues its quest to topple Avatar. Endgame is tracking at making $75-$85 million in its third weekend in release, which will be enough to hold on to the top spot at the box office and withstand Pikachu’s thunder if the tracking proves accurate.




There’s no shame in taking second place to Avengers: Endgame. Pokémon is a global property and domestic audiences won’t be the only ones trying to catch ‘em all at the theater this weekend. Detective Pikachu is projected to make $90-$120 million overseas this weekend for a worldwide opening weekend of upwards of $160 million.


Of that overseas haul, $40-$60 million is expected to come from China, where Legendary Pictures’ parent company Wanda Group is based. That gives it a leg up and the film is receiving positive buzz, but it may not get an abundance of favorable showtimes from theaters due to it being treated like an animated movie.


The continued presence of Avengers: Endgame, which has naturally slowed but is still huge, makes it difficult to know just how well Detective Pikachu will do, but it does have some things going for it that could help it over-perform. In addition to the star power of Ryan Reynolds, Detective Pikachu is enjoying decent, but not glowing, reviews and currently sits at 68% on Rotten Tomatoes.




That’s better than most video game movies and Detective Pikachu also has the benefit of a large and resurgent fanbase thanks to the popularity of the Pokémon Go mobile game. These factors have some thinking that this movie could be a surprise at the box office.


Back in March, the long-range tracking on this $150 million film had it landing in the $75-$90 million range. So a $50-$55 million domestic opening weekend would be considerably less than that, but personally I feel like Detective Pikachu is being underestimated and could land closer to those earlier predictions, making it another example of the difficulty of box office prognosticating.


It may not make enough to topple Endgame; that may be a job for John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum or Aladdin. But either way Detective Pikachu is looking at a solid start to a likely franchise.




Detective Pikachu opens in theaters this weekend. Check out our 2019 Release Schedule to keep track of all the big movies headed your way this summer.


Why Dark Phoenix Reshot Its Original Ending, According To Simon Kinberg

Why Dark Phoenix Reshot Its Original Ending, According To Simon Kinberg
Sophie Turner is Jean Grey in Dark Phoenix

The following story will not contain spoilers for Dark Phoenix**. However, we will discuss the story a bit, so on the off chance you want to go into next week’s release knowing absolutely nothing, stop reading right now.**


Jean Grey (Sophie Turner) seems destined to interact with the Phoenix force. It happens in comics, in one of Marvel’s most popular comic storylines. It happened in the initial run of X-Men movies, captured in The Last Stand. And now that the timeline has been reset via X-Men: Days of Futures Past, it’s about to happen to the version of Jean that we met in X-Men: Apocalypse.


Longtime X-Men writer and producer Simon Kinberg steps into the director’s chair for Dark Phoenix, which opens everywhere on June 7. And in a recent chat with EW, he dropped a terrific tease of an alternate ending to his debut film that he ended up reshooting, mentioning only that it took place in outer space. (This isn’t so far-fetched, as trailers have shown us that the X-Men are on a space mission when Jean interacts with the Phoenix in this film.)




As a rabid fan of the X-Men characters, I was curious about this original ending, though when I asked Kinberg about it during a recent press event in London for Dark Phoenix, he candidly told me why he thought the space finale had to be changed. He told CinemaBlend:



That was a version that was when it was sort of the less-grounded version of the movie. … It wasn’t a version of the movie where the X-Men and the family are -- we weren’t as focused on them coming together at the end of the movie. It was really more entirely Jean, and what it lacked was this sort of emotional closure. Thinking of this movie as the sort of culmination of all of the X-Men movies, where these strangers have become this sort of surrogate family, and then in this movie they get challenged like they’ve never been challenged before, it felt like at the end of the movie, it would be much more satisfying for the audience to both see Jean have extraordinary power… but also see the X-Men come back together as a family and perform. I sort of wanted to do both.



How they come together, we will leave it for you to learn by checking out Dark Phoenix. But it can be shared that one of the most exciting elements of the new film is the fact that we see the X-Men working together as a team for one of the few times in franchise history (for real, this group is usually so fractured and ostracized), so it makes sense why Simon Kinberg made the decisions that he made.




In Dark Phoenix, the X-Men must figure out a way to contain one of their own after Jean (Sophie Turner) encounters an alien force that greatly amplifies her natural mutation.


The movie co-stars X-Men alums James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence and Nicholas Hoult, while giving more screen time to Tye Sheridan, Alexandra Shipp, Evan Peters and Kodi Smit-McPhee. Dark Phoenix is being viewed as the culmination of this X-Men saga, so see where the story goes on June 7.


To 3D Or Not To 3D: Buy The Right Avengers: Endgame Ticket

To 3D Or Not To 3D: Buy The Right Avengers: Endgame Ticket
Brie Larson In Avengers Endgame

Avengers: Endgame hit theaters last weekend, and by now a lot of us have caught it at least once. If you are thinking about a second viewing, there are options to trade up from a regular screen and try IMAX, 3D screenings, DLX screenings and more. While I can't give you all of the nitty gritty details about every single one of the viewing options out there, I can capably answer whether or not it's better to 3D or not to 3D.


Please note this isn't a traditional review for Avengers: Endgame. If you are looking around for our review, you can head over to our detailed, yet spoiler-free review. This column is all about watching in 3D and the mileage you'll get compared to a regular screening of Marvel's biggest event movie so far.


So, if you haven't already, throw on some comfy clothes, grab some popcorn and make sure you have your 3D glasses handy as we figure out together whether or not it's worth shelling out some extra moolah for a 3D ticket. You'll be helping the movie hit $2 billion at this point, after all.




Avengers: Endgame is exactly the type of movie you'd expect to get a 3D conversion. It's an action movie with lots of eye-popping digital effects and it had a giant budget to play with, so there are no concerns about skimping on the 3D here. If you are a fan of 3D, this is likely exactly the type of movie you would see in 3D, other than something specifically shot for 3D, like Avatar or the upcoming Gemini Man. Barring those, this is a high tier candidate for seeing a movie in 3D. That said, while the 3D conversion is pretty admirable, there are scenes in this movie that don't really beg for 3D effects, so I'm dropping this to a 4--still a strong score.


In terms of planning and effort, obviously, as noted prior, Avengers: Endgame was conceived as an action movie and not a 3D feast for the eyes first. Despite that, care was absolutely taken with the 3D; if anything it just means that certain scenes didn't lend themselves as much as other scenes to a 3D narrative. A scene with Hawkeye chasing bad guys (really too vague to be a spoiler) who break through glass windows may stand out in 3D while a few seconds later a showdown with the same character has much less noticeable 3D value. This seems like it has more to do with a lack of planning specifically for 3D than a lack of effort. So, I'd say very good here, but not great.


Again, while I could argue not every scene in Avengers: Endgame has great "Before the Window" value, aka, the ability for objects to come off the screen, the stuff that works really works. In particular, anytime there's a heavily reliant CGI scene -- like the space scene teased in the trailer -- the 3D also pops. In particular, there's also a scene where Tony Stark is working in his home and the camera is at an angle from above on a stairwell. There's a pole that jumps out onscreen that gives real spacial dimension. Small details like that stand out without ever feeling goofy.




Real backgrounds don't lend themselves to 3D depth as much as animated or CGI backgrounds do. While there are a few scenes that work particularly well in the "Beyond the Window" category, I wouldn't say this is anywhere close to Avengers: Endgame's 3D strength. Backgrounds are not consistently blurry or anything, but Endgame is often a stark and not a lush movie; it's just not really exciting to make 3D walls or cars parked on the street in the background stand out.


Brightness score is a tough one, because certain scenes in Avengers: Endgame are notably dark. However, despite this, I never felt as if my 3D experience was too dark due to the format or the 3D glasses. Plus, a lot of scenes in Endgame both lend themselves to 3D and are really bright in 3D. So, I’m going to give this category a 5, but know that the movie is not the same consistent level of brightness throughout and please factor that in.


While we don't want blur while watching a 3D movie with glasses on, consistent blur when taking the glasses off, you know to wipe the tears off your face during particularly sentimental scenes or whatever, is a good thing. I periodically took my glasses off during Avengers: Endgame, not to cry (OK maybe to cry), and I found the blur factor to be consistent and to be prevalent over most of the screen, giving the movie a satisfying level of depth and consideration. Do not try watching this movie with your glasses off.




Having seen Avengers: Endgame once before, this was actually the category I was most dreading. There's a lot of action in this film, and scenes with a lot of movement typically have the most trouble in this category as action in 3D can often make people queasy. Avengers: Endgame is unlike some of the earlier Marvel movies in this respect, as its action, even during scenes with a lot of characters moving at once, is very smooth and engaging in 3D. There is one scene early on in the movie that did feel too jiggly for a hot second, but it was during a quick moment of action and it was the only time I noticed this being an issue during the whole film. If we gave half scores in this column, I might bump it to a 4.5 because of that, but that's not enough of an issue for me to grade a 4 in this category, so 5 baby!


While not perfect, I really did enjoy Avengers: Endgame in 3D and would see it again in 3D if someone wanted to go with me to another viewing. I should note I also saw the film on a Superscreen DLX (similar to IMAX but a little smaller), which meant I had a bigger screen than some 3D moviegoers, and your experience could vary a little because of that.


Ultimately though, if you like 3D, there really should be nothing stopping you from seeing this in 3D, particularly given the myriad screenings as well as the quality of the 3D conversion. While I wouldn't say you 100% absolutely must see this movie in 3D, I wouldn't shy away from recommending it, either. I will say, no matter what option you choose, see it on the biggest screen possible. It's the endgame, after all.




Sophie Turner Calls Working With Bryan Singer On X-Men: Apocalypse ‘Unpleasant’

Sophie Turner Calls Working With Bryan Singer On X-Men: Apocalypse ‘Unpleasant’
Sophie Turner in Apocalypse

It's no secret that superhero movies are everywhere. The comic book genre is massively popular, so tons of studios are trying to get in on the game. But before comic book movies became commonplace, the X-Men franchise was there. Starting back in 2000, the mutant-centric property has routinely released new blockbusters, with Dark Phoenix set to arrive this summer.


Sophie Turner is taking center stage on Dark Phoenix, after being introduced as a young mutant in X-Men: Apocalypse. That movie was directed by franchise creator Bryan Singer, and brought in some new characters alongside the First Class ensemble and Oscar Isaac. But according to Turner, she didn't have a good time working with the controversial director. She recently spoke to this, citing Rami Malek's recent comments about Singer. As she put it:



Our time together was, like Rami said, unpleasant.






While becoming a superhero was a great did for Sophie Turner, it doesn't look like she enjoyed her time working alongside Bryan Singer in X-Men: Apocalypse. Ultimately she seems to have persevered, as she'll be the titular character of Dark Phoenix.


Sophie Turner's comments come from her recent profile from Rolling Stone. Bryan Singer has had a long career as a filmmaker, but he's currently got his share of controversies. Singer was recently accused of sexual misconduct, and was seemingly removed from a variety projects in response. He was famously removed from Bohemian Rhapsody before it was completed, which put the project in jeopardy during filming. And recently, Singer was removed from his Red Sonja reboot.


In her conversation with Rolling Stone, Sophie Turner directly mentioned Bohemian Rhapsody star Rami Malek. About two months ago, Malek finally broke his silence about Bryan Singer, in the wake of his sexual misconduct allegations. When describing his working relationship with the director, he said:






I've sat here and talked about how everyone deserves a voice and anyone who wants to talk about what happened with Bryan deserves to have their voice heard. In my situation with Bryan, it was not pleasant, not at all. And that's about what I can say about it at this point. ... For anyone who is seeking any solace in all of this, Bryan Singer was fired. Bryan Singer was fired, I don't think that was something anyone saw coming but I think that had to happen and it did.



Rami Malek's quote was meant to give solace to some of Bohemian Rhapsody's critics, as the movie was celebrated, and therefore so was Bryan Singer's work as director.


It's fascinating to see how both Sophie Turner and Rami Malek had such a hard time working with Bryan Singer, considering his long tenure in the business. It's a wonder that someone could be so successful, while also being so difficult to work with. But in the modern age, this seems like a trend that is falling out.





You can see Sophie Turner return as Jean Grey when Dark Phoenix arrives in theaters on June 7th. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.


Forrest Gump Is Getting A Bollywood Remake

Forrest Gump Is Getting A Bollywood Remake
Tom Hanks in 1994 film Forrest Gump

Have you ever imagined the iconic line “Run Forrest Run” being said in Hindi, perhaps as the titular character starts off an extravagant musical number? Life really is like a box of chocolates, because an upcoming Forrest Gump movie will be the latest Hollywood hit to be remade by Bollywood.


The 1994 Best Picture winner has caught the eye of Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan, who will take on the Tom Hanks role and co-produce an Indian version of the movie to be titled Lal Singh Chaddha, per Variety. The remake will be developed by both Viacom 18 Motion Pictures and Khan’s production company.


Aamir Khan explained during the press announcement in Mumbai that he has always loved the Forrest Gump script, complementing the Oscar winner’s “life-affirming story” that is a feel good film for the whole family. The superstar hopes to come back from his 2018 commercial failure Thugs of Hindostan, the highest-budget Bollywood film ever, which lost big at the box office after many negative reviews.





The Bollywood star’s movies put together has also made the most at the box office worldwide than any other Indian actor. So it makes sense for Aamir Khan to take on the role famously played by America’s sweetheart, Tom Hanks, of course!


The recent announcement of the Indian Forrest Gump also came with the production’s plans to start filming this October and be released in 2020. It would certainly be interesting to see how Bollywood adapts the film, which has draws on many moments in American history such as Elvis Presley, the Vietnam War, racial desegregation, Watergate and Apple computers. Will the movie take on the events of the American film or draw on elements of Indian history?


The foreign genre is known for its huge song-and-dance numbers and melodrama, and some aspects of Forrest Gump certainly can be translated this way. It’s a larger-than-life story with a mix of romance, drama and comedy, and it would be a blast to see this kind of retelling.





India has remade tons of Hollywood movies in the past including Ms. Doubtfire, Christopher Nolan’s Memento, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, When Harry Met Sally and another Tom Hank’s led movie, Big. The genre certainly seems to be fans of what the industry in America has produced and keeps finding inspiration by them.


Forrest Gump was the highest-grossing movie of 1994 – it made $677 million worldwide, though only made $46,282 in Indian theaters. The movie still holds the top spot for a summer drama release and received high-critical praise. Forrest Gump was nominated for 13 Oscars and won six for Best Picture, Best Actor for Tom Hanks, Best Director for Robert Zemeckis, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Editing and Best Visual Effects.


It’ll be exciting to see how Lal Singh Chaddha does when it comes out in 2020. Anyone want to delve into a Bollywood Hollywood remakes marathon after this?





The Story Behind Good Omens And All The Queen References

The Story Behind Good Omens And All The Queen References
good omens david tennant crowley amazon

Spoilers ahead for Good Omens on Amazon.


When Good Omens premiered on Amazon as an adaptation of the Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett novel of the same name, it proved three things: the apocalypse can be hilarious, the characters could not have been better cast, and the music of Queen makes everything better.


While all the Queen tunes came as no surprise to book fans, viewers who never picked up a copy of the novel were undoubtedly at least a little perplexed at all the Freddie Mercury. Well, there is a reason for all the Queen, and the answer lies early in the text of Good Omens.




Viewers probably noticed that the Queen tunes generally played in scenes featuring Crowley and/or the Bentley. The explanation comes in the first 15 pages of Good Omens, saying this:



Crowley was currently doing 110 mph somewhere east of Slough. Nothing about him looked particularly demonic, at least by classical standards. No horns, no wings. Admittedly he was listening to a Best of Queen tape, but no conclusions should be drawn from this because all tapes left in a car for more than a fortnight metamorphose into Best of Queen albums.



When Good Omens was published in 1990, tapes were the non-radio way to play music in cars. Neil Gaiman revealed to Vulture that the joke about metamorphosing Queen tapes started when he and Terry Pratchett concocted the theory "that any cassette left in a car long enough turned into the best of Queen."




If the joke had stopped with just the one Queen mention in the book, the Good Omens show probably wouldn't have been packed with Queen songs. Instead, the book continued to show Crowley (and Aziraphale, on one occasion) trying to play some non-Queen music, only to be blasted with the tunes of Freddie Mercury.


Vivaldi's "Four Seasons" turned into "Bohemian Rhapsody," The Traveling Wilburys turned into a rendition of "Radio Ga Ga," Aziraphale was dismayed to hear "Another One Bites the Dust" play from a tape labeled "Tchaikovsky," and the angel and demon's attempts to listen to William Byrd, Beethoven, and Vaughan Williams turned into "We Are The Champions," "I Want To Break Free," and "Fat Bottomed Girls."


Crowley briefly considered putting the tape on which he'd trapped Hastur into the Bentley and leaving it for a fortnight, turning him into Freddie Mercury. He decided against it because, in the immortal words of Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, "He might be a bastard, but you could only go so far."




Now, the differences between book and television meant that the show had the freedom to use Queen more liberally than the book, which basically required Crowley to be in the Bentley on the page. The show could just blast a Queen classic over whatever scene seemed most fitting.


Given that technology in the past 30 years has definitely moved away from cassette tapes, the Good Omens adaptation was bound to get creative with including the running Queen joke from the book. So, let's take a look back at some of the most notable Queen sequences from the show!


Crowley's Arrival - "Bohemian Rhapsody"


Although Crowley technically made his debut earlier in the first episode at the Garden of Eden, his arrival in the Bentley to the tune of "Bohemian Rhapsody" to pick up the Antichrist was a real entrance. Could the show have done anything more perfect than blast the "Beelzebub has a devil put aside for meeeeeeee" line as he pulled up?




Crowley's arrival was actually only one instance of "Bohemian Rhapsody" used in the series, as he was listening to it again later in the episode when Satan broke in with some instructions for the Antichrist. The song would play again at the end of the fifth episode and beginning of the sixth, when Crowley made an epic entrance at the airfield, followed shortly by the flaming Bentley exploding.


So why does Crowley's arrival get special mention among the many uses of "Bohemian Rhapsody" in the show? Well, not only was it the first Queen song in the series, but it also marked an instance of a song playing in-universe for Crowley in the Bentley and as part of the soundtrack. "Bohemian Rhapsody" became his anthem thanks to this scene.


Anathema Hitches A Ride - "Bicycle Race"


Another memorable Queen sequence came in the second episode after a collision between Crowley in the Bentley and Anathema on her bicycle. Despite Aziraphale's shocked statement that Crowley hit somebody, Crowley countered that somebody hit him. (For what it's worth, Anathema did plow into the side of the Bentley.) Crowley begrudgingly agreed to giving Anathema a lift home, and the drive back to her cottage was oh-so-perfectly set to "Bicycle Race."




This scene is an example of a completely on-the-nose use of Queen for a Good Omens scene, and it appeared not to be a song actually playing in Crowley's car. Even if Crowley would have been impassive about it, surely Aziraphale or Anathema would have had a reaction to Crowley blasting "I want to ride my bicycle!" after colliding with Anathema on her bicycle.


Aziraphale's Bookshop Burns - "You're My Best Friend"


Things were getting out of control by the time Crowley climbed into his Bentley and raced to Soho to find Aziraphale in Episode 5, having just escaped Hastur and Ligur. Queen's uplifting "You're My Best Friend" played as Crowley grimly drove to the bookshop, which he discovered in flames. Regardless of the inferno, Crowley entered the bookshop in search of his best friend. It was a heartbreaking and fiery scene contrasting with the cheerful song to great effect.


The use of "You're My Best Friend" was unique in a couple of ways. Although it began while Crowley was in the Bentley, it wasn't clearly playing in-universe until Crowley raced into the burning bookshop when it could be heard coming from Aziraphale's dying gramophone. Since I'm guessing Aziraphale didn't deliberately buy a version of Queen's Greatest Hits for his gramophone, I'm going to count this as a subtle nod to the cassette joke from the book.




Crowley Braves The Blaze - "I'm In Love With My Car"


It was a sign of Crowley's desperation that he was willing to drive his beloved Bentley into the inferno surrounding London. When Hastur escaped from the answering machine tape and popped into the passenger seat of the Bentley, Crowley popped a CD into the player and floored it into the flames... to the tune of "I'm In Love With My Car."


If the gramophone playing "You're My Best Friend" was a subtle nod to the Queen cassette tape joke from the book, then "I'm In Love With My Car" was a total shoutout. Not because the book mentioned this particular Queen song -- because it didn't -- and not because Crowley really is pretty much in love with his car.


No, before "I'm In Love With My Car" actually began to play, the fifth episode showed Crowley popping a Mozart CD into the player. Crowley must have left it in his glove compartment for too long!




Crowley Needs Directions - "We Will Rock You"


By the time Crowley arrived in Tadfield in Episode 5, he was holding the burning Bentley together by sheer strength of will and imagination. He also never looked more demonic than when he pulled up in a flaming car, dressed in all black, and showing his yellow snake eyes without any sunglasses. His demonic look was contrasted with his polite request for directions from a Tadfield resident


Why is this one of the most noteworthy uses of Queen in Good Omens? Well, it's such a great combination of comedy, absurdity, and urgency, and "We Will Rock You" really highlights the ridiculousness of the situation in the best way. It is a ridiculous situation, as were most of Crowley and Aziraphale's attempts to stop the apocalypse. Of course this is one of the best sequences!


It was also arguably the last big moment for the Bentley, which would be destroyed shortly after arriving at the airbase in Episode 6 when Crowley had to start focusing on things other than holding his car together.




Honorable Mention: "Under Pressure" Trailer


Amazon released two big trailers for Good Omens ahead of the premiere, and both used Queen to perfection. The first showcased the relationship between Crowley and Aziraphale with "You're My Best Friend," but the second used "Under Pressure" to hype everything that was to come.


The right music can make a trailer completely unforgettable, as with Stranger Things' "Thriller" trailer for Season 2 and "Baba O'Riley" trailer for Season 3, and "Under Pressure" was guaranteed to get stuck in your head and make you remember that Good Omens was on the way. For folks who had never read the book and didn't really know what was in store, "Under Pressure" was a great way to build anticipation.


You can catch all six episodes of Good Omens (with all of these and more Queen songs) streaming on Amazon now. The finished product is a wild ride, made all the better for one hilarious scene that almost didn't happen.




Why The New Spider-Man Movies Aren’t Rushing To Use The Daily Bugle

Why The New Spider-Man Movies Aren’t Rushing To Use The Daily Bugle
J.K. Simmons as J. Jonah Jameson in Spider-Man

Although Peter Parker has a keen scientific mind, the main way he’s pulled an income over the decades has been working for The Daily Bugle, mainly by snapping photos of himself as Spider-Man. The Tobey Maguire Spider-Man movies included this element of the Spidey mythology and even Andrew Garfield’s Peter had a side gig at the newspaper in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, but so far, Tom Holland’s Peter is not affiliated with the Bugle in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.


So what are the chances that the MCU’s Peter Parker could join The Daily Bugle and work with people like J. Jonah Jameson and Robbie Robertson in a future Spider-Man movie? While that option isn’t entirely off the table, executive producer Eric Carroll explained to CinemaBlend and other outlets last year on the Spider-Man: Far From Home London set that because life has changed with technology upgrades and the internet, it doesn’t make as much sense to have the high school-aged Peter working as a traditional newspaper photographer. In Carroll’s words:



We've absolutely talked and thought about those characters a lot. Even in specific reference to this film. And what we just want to make sure we're doing is presenting them in a way that doesn't make you feel instantly like you've seen it before. So, we have a couple of ideas -- some of which I can't really go into detail, because they're a spoiler. But it's absolutely something. Like, if we had an in for the Daily Bugle that wasn't just your traditional newspaper and Peter Parker... there's this cool-weird thing happening where being a photographer isn't necessarily a mark of distinction anymore. We all have better cameras in our pockets than most people owned 10 years ago.





He has a point. When the Sam Raimi-directed Spider-Man trilogy was unfolding last decade, while the internet was obviously popular, smartphones weren’t a thing yet, so it was a lot harder for a non-professional to take a good photo. Nowadays it’s a lot easier for anyone with an iPhone, Android or whatever your smartphone of choice is to snap some incredible shots, meaning there’s not as much incentive for Peter to want to work for The Daily Bugle if he’s not primarily interested in a journalism career.


Plus, Peter Parker is a youth who’s grown up as social media has become increasingly popular, so if he is curious about the kind of media presence Spider-Man has, he’s more likely to look at what people are saying on Twitter and Instagram. In any case, Eric Carroll also mentioned that Spider-Man: Far From Home tries honor the source material as much as possible, and there are apparently a few nods to Peter’s connection to The Daily Bugle. Carroll said:



So, how do we get Peter or somebody into that world without... do people really aspire to be photographers for the New York Times anymore? Or do they aspire to have their Tweet reposted and so on? So, we're trying to pay as much homage to the source material as possible, and we do think there are a couple of fun ideas like that in here -- again, most of which I don't want to spell out for you, but we want to pull out as much of the mythology that people love in a way that's totally faithful and what people love about it, but in a way that doesn't remind me you he is Spider-Man.





Given that the main hook of Spider-Man: Far From Home is watching Peter Parker travel to Europe with his friends and being recruited by Nick Fury to fight the Elementals with Mysterio, one probably shouldn’t get their hopes up about seeing him get a job at The Daily Bugle, let alone interacting with an irate J. Jonah Jameson. That said, one fun nod to the newspaper I could envision is Peter looking at its website or one of its social media platforms while he’s across the pond.


Although Sony is moving full steam ahead on its live action and animated Spider-verse franchises, it’s a good bet we can expect at least one more MCU-set Spider-Man movie, if not more. So even if Spider-Man: Far From Home has other things to focus on, maybe there’s still potential down the line for Peter to get some work experience at The Daily Bugle should he want to explore the world of media, perhaps after he graduates high school.


As far as how Peter Parker’s life is currently going, well, it’s quite the whirlwind of change. Like the rest of those who were dusted by Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War, Peter was brought back in Avengers: Endgame thanks to Hulk channeling the power of the Infinity Stones. However, he and everyone else who disappeared are the same as they were when Thanos snapped them out of existence, as opposed to being five years older like those who survived.




So now Peter Parker has to go back to high school, and while it may feel to him like no time has passed since he was fighting Thanos on Titan, the world changed a lot in the last five years. Fortunately, there were others in his life, like Aunt May and Ned, who also turned to dust, so it’s not like Peter doesn’t have anyone to talk to who shared this experience.


But along with all this, Peter Parker is also coping with the death of Tony Stark, his mentor and father figure. So even though he’s going on vacation, Peter will have to balance battling threats to humanity and coping with personal pain. Such is the life of a superhero, particularly Spider-Man, who's dealt with a lot of trauma and loss over his decades of comic book and other media appearances.


Spider-Man: Far From Home will spin its web in theaters on July 2, so keep checking back with CinemaBlend for more coverage. Don’t forget to also look through our Marvel movies guide to see what else is coming up in the MCU.