Kevin Feige Says Spider-Man: Far From Home Will End MCU Phase 3, Not Endgame

Kevin Feige Says Spider-Man: Far From Home Will End MCU Phase 3, Not Endgame

Leave it to Kevin Feige to completely pull the rug out from under us. It's been widely believed that Marvel's Phase 3 would conclude with Avengers: Endgame. It wasn't a difficult thing to assume. The film has been teased as a true finale, closing out the story of The Infinity Saga. However, the Marvel Studios boss has officially stated otherwise, and it will instead be Spider-Man: Far From Home that wraps up the beloved MCU Phase 3.

While we know that Marvel has several projects such as The Eternals and Black Widow in development, none of those have technically been confirmed by Marvel Studios. As of now, the only two movies officially on the slate are Avengers: Endgame and Spider-Man: Far From Home. Of those two, you'd think the epic Avengers blockbuster would end Phase 3, but it will be the penultimate film of Marvel's current saga.

Tom Holland's Spider-Man will officially bring Phase 3 to the finish. During a fan event in Shanghai (via Newsweek), Kevin Feige stated that Far From Home was the final film of Phase 3. People had previously assumed that it was the first movie in Marvel's Phase 4 (or whatever they end up calling their next slate of films).

While this might seem like a change that makes very little difference, it's actually notable for a few reasons. For starters, this means Phase 3 is ending on a lighter note. This is similar to how Phase 2 ended with Ant-Man right after the dramatically heavier Avengers: Age of Ultron. It seems Marvel has a preference for ending its Phases with lighter comedies about bug-themed heroes to refresh the audience.

This also means that we now don't know any of the films slated for Phase 4. Marvel has never officially confirmed what it's working on, which means that Phase 4 is totally blank right now. I imagine that once Far From Home is out in theaters, it won't be long before Marvel makes a ton of announcements, hopefully in the style of its Phase 3 press conference. Marvel announced the entire Phase 3 slate in one go, so here's hoping we get something similar this year.

Tonally, I don't think this changes very much for Far From Home. It's still partially setting up what the MCU will look like in a post-Endgame world and it's fitting that it's a Spider-Man film. Spider-Man is sure to be a key player in the MCU's future, so it makes sense that he helps to usher in the new age of superhero films.

Thankfully, there isn't that much longer to wait for any Marvel movie. Avengers: Endgame is out on Friday, April 26 while Spider-Man: Far From Home is in theaters on July 2 (the movie was recently moved up a few days).

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Nick Fury Raises An Important Question In That Spider-Man: Far From Home Trailer

Nick Fury Raises An Important Question In That Spider-Man: Far From Home Trailer

Spoilers ahead for Avengers: Endgame. If you haven't seen it yet, check out one of our other stories!

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is in a fascinating place right now. Avengers: Endgame is finally in theaters, and moviegoers are still recovering from the wild ride The Russo Brothers took the fandom on. But there's still one more installment in Phase Three, as Spider-Man: Far From Home will arrive in a matter of months, and catch up with the shared universe after Endgame's events.

Fans are eager to see how the denizen of the MCU are moving on after the wild events of Infinity War and Endgame. Half of all life was dust for five years, before the surviving Avengers and Guardians managed to reverse the affects of Thanos' finger snap of death. Spider-Man: Far From Home has been teased to do just that, but Nick Fury asked another big question in the sequels' new trailer.

After Nick Fury recruits Spider-Man and introduces him to Jake Gyllenhaal's Mysterio, he reveals that "the snap" tore a hole in our dimension, and that the new character is actually from another one. The multiverse is a big concept for Spider-Man: Far From Home to play with, but there's one major question that's nagging me: which snap was Fury talking about?

Avengers: Infinity War ended by Thanos collecting the Infinity Stones, and killing half of all life in the galaxy with the snap of his finger. While that seems like the most obvious reference that Nick Fury might be making in Far From Home, The Russo Brothers actually included two more snaps in Avengers: Endgame. First, Professor Hulk snapped his fingers to bring back all the dusted characters. And when past Thanos rained fire on the Avengers Compound, Tony wielded the gauntlet and snaps Thanos and his forces out of existence forever.

Reference: The Biggest Way Avengers: Endgame Should Affect Spider-Man: Far From Home

There are three separate snaps that might have been the cause of the hole in the dimension, and it'll be interesting to see which one Nick Fury is referencing once Spider-Man: Far From Home arrives in theaters. Jon Watts' highly anticipated sequel will show how Earth has moved on since the last two Avengers movies, and it looks like there are still some major consequences from Thanos' assault.

As a reminder, check out the new trailer for Spider-Man: Far From Home below.

If one snap was able to tear a hole in the dimension, one has to imagine that three are enough to send the multiverse into chaos. But considering the massive power of the Infinity Stones, their affect on the galaxy doesn't seem out of the question. Will Spider-Man: Far From Home focus on Spider and Mysterio closing tears in the multiverse? Or is the new trailer just another Marvel red herring?

If we're going to believe Spider-Man: Far From Home's trailer regarding the multiverse and a tear in our world, then the Marvel Cinematic Universe may be going to more ambitious places in Phase Four. We already know that the cosmic side of the MCU will be further explored, but interdimensional travel has the potential for endless new and interesting narrative possibilities.

The multiverse has been briefly teased in Doctor Strange, but it really came into play during Avengers: Endgame's time heist. In order to avoid accidentally creating multiple chaotic universes, the Avengers steal (and return) the Infinity Stones from various points in the MCU's timeline. But not everything goes just as planned, and it was implied that new universes were jumpstarted during their mission.

When Bruce Banner, Ant-Man, Cap, and Iron Man travel back to the Battle of New York, they attempt to snag a handful of Infinity Stones at once. But in their attempt to get the Space Stone, 2012 Loki manages to swipe it and vanish. That version of Loki should be able to have an entirely different fate, which should presumably have a grave affect on that dimension. Could it even be the soft launch of Loki's upcoming Disney+ series?

Spider-Man: Far From Home seems to reference title character's European trip with his friends from school, but it could be teasing something much bigger. Like maybe Spidey traveling to Mysterio's home dimension. That would certainly be far from his humble beginnings in Queens, and would be a plot twist that isn't obvious from the film's marketing material thus far.

Mysterio is typically a Spider-Man villain, and one that doesn't have the powerful abilities that Jake Gyllenhaal has shown off during the first Far From Home trailers. Rather than flying and shooting magical energy blasts from his hands, Quentin Beck is usually a special affects pro that masters in illusions and hypnotism. That's a backstory that's in stark juxtaposition to the character that was shown battling various elemental creatures across Europe.

Of course, Mysterio could totally be lying, and there might not be a tear in our dimension. Perhaps the is using the affects of Endgame and the post-Thanos world to manipulate the likes of S.H.I.E.L.D., Nick Fury, and Spider-Man. It's another option for an excellent twist, and one that would definitely make comic book purists happy. After all, Mysterio isn't supposed to be superpowered or a good guy, let alone both.

Given how truly mind-blowing Avengers: Endgame was, there is going to be some added pressure and interest in Spider-Man: Far From Home from the fandom. Moviegoers will likely run to theaters to see what happened after the dusted characters returned, and in the wake of various Avengers' deaths. The new trailer revealed that Tony Stark's death is weighing on Peter Parker and Happy Hogan, so that's one major connection.

Smart money says Spider-Man: Far From Home will also have a post-credits scene, hopefully teasing what's coming in Phase Four. As such, we should expect the upcoming sequel to make serious money at the box office.

Avengers: Endgame is in theaters now, and Spider-Man: Far From Home will arrive on June 2nd. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

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Looks Like Avengers: Endgame Could Have A Massive Opening Weekend

Looks Like Avengers: Endgame Could Have A Massive Opening Weekend

It goes without saying that Avengers: Endgame is going to be a huge movie. Story-wise, it’s the final chapter of both Phase 3 and this iteration of the Marvel Cinematic Universe that began with Iron Man, and commercially, given how Avengers: Infinity War performed last year, it’s been expected that Endgame do just as well, if not better. Sure enough, current estimates place Endgame as making upwards of $200 million opening weekend.

If Avengers: Endgame debuts in the $200 million-$250 million domestic range that Variety reports, it would join Avengers: Infinity War as one of only six films to ever surpass $200 million in ticket sales during its first weekend. Currently Captain Marvel holds the record of best North American debut in 2019 with $153 million, but it’s practically guaranteed that Endgame will rocket past that amount. After all, people came out in droves (figuratively speaking) to buy tickets online, breaking records for both Fandango and Atom Tickets.

One thing that might affect Avengers: Endgame’s overall box office performance is runtime. The movie will be just over three hours long, making it the longest MCU entry yet. This long runtime means that theaters can’t hold as many screenings as they could if it was the standard two-two and a half hour runtime, meaning less butts will be put in seats. But that’s a minor nuisance at best. Marvel has proven itself several times over as a powerhouse franchise, meaning that it’s a given that a lot of people will be seeing this epic story on the big screen. Plus, as we’ve seen in the past with movies like Return of the King, long runtime doesn’t always hinder the box office haul, as the final entry of the Lord of the Rings trilogy walked away with over $1.1 billion at the end of its theatrical run.

That said, Avengers: Endgame still has a long road ahead if it wants to take the record for largest opening of all time domestically. That’s currently held by Avengers: Infinity War, which crushed initial predictions and gathered a monstrous $257 million during its first days in theaters, knocking Star Wars: The Force Awakens and its $247 million to second place. Perhaps Endgame will also soar past its initial box office estimates and make $260 million or more opening weekend stateside, which would be astounding. As far as the global launch goes, Endgame is expected to surpass Infinity War’s take, helped by the fact that it’s opening in China the same day. Put simply, we can reasonably assume that Endgame will become the eighth MCU movie to cross the $1 billion mark.

With the universe reeling from The Decimation, which saw Thanos wiping out half of all life, Avengers: Endgame will see the surviving MCU heroes gathering together and try to undo The Mad Titan’s genocide, which will require them to get their hands on the Infinity Stones. Beyond that, Marvel is still keeping a lot of plot details close to the chest, though there’s been no shortage of theories that time travel will factor into the tale. However this movie unfolds, Marvel doesn’t have to worry about gathering audiences to check it out.

Avengers: Endgame hits theaters on April 26, so stay tuned to CinemaBlend for continuing coverage. For now, you can find out what the future of the MCU looks like in our Marvel movies guide, or you can learn what other movies are coming out this year in our 2019 release schedule.

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Is Rocketman Having Issues With Its Nudity And Gay Content?

Is Rocketman Having Issues With Its Nudity And Gay Content?

As Rocketman, the “musical fantasy” biopic showcasing Elton John's life and career, has been progressing through production, there have been certain promises made to the audience. Namely, that it will be a fantastical spin that also tells Sir Elton's personal story, including a no holds barred approach. Well, it looks like that promise is already coming into question, as recent whispers indicate that Paramount, the studio releasing the film, wants a nude scene cut from the film.

The story goes as follows: there's an approximately 40 second scene where Taron Edgerton and Richard Madden have what's been referred to as a “nude cuddle” in Rocketman. Reportedly this scene is offensive enough to the studio that they want it cut, and the filmmakers are fighting this decision through “heated discussions.” In other words, it sounds like the studio is balking at the more adult oriented approach, and those making the film aren't having it.

Some may think this argument is odd, considering Rocketman is poised to do what Bohemian Rhapsody would not in regards to same sex attraction. It's expected to be a biopic that could appeal to Elton John fans, while also showing his more R-rated vices, warts and all. However, the Bryan Singer directed film is exactly what Paramount is probably thinking about when putting the finishing touches on this piece of musical history; especially considering the meteoric ride that film has taken to the bank and a slew of Oscars.

With $879 million dollars in international grosses, and four wins out of five Academy Award nominations, Bohemian Rhapsody is more than likely going to be the benchmark most studios aim for when it comes to musical biopics. And that film has one key advantage when compared to Rocketman's more adult approach: its PG-13 rating allowed it a wider swath of audience members that could enjoy it in theaters.

So if Paramount has even a thought of making Rocketman a close to billion dollar success, it's more than likely that the studio wants to have a cozy PG-13 rating attached to it. Which makes this latest item from Baz Bamigboye's Twitter all the more believable, as well as that much more unfortunate. The issues that the studio seems to have with director Dexter Fletcher's movie don't seem rooted in any sort of moral grounding, but rather it feels like this is a business decision being made for the commercial viability of the film.

It'd be interesting to hear what Sir Elton John thinks of the Rocketman debacle, as he's been a driving force behind getting this project off the ground for some time now. With everyone from Justin Timberlake to Tom Hardy having their names put into the ring for consideration, it's been quite the road to where the film currently resides. If these reports get back to the right people, sooner or later there has to be a clarification as to whether the film will include the sex and nudity it's talked up, or if they back down and trim the film to a more blockbuster friendly extent.

Rocketman burns out its fuse in theaters, alone, on May 31, 2019.

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Why Captain Marvel Changed Annette Bening's Role From Male To Female

Why Captain Marvel Changed Annette Bening's Role From Male To Female

Spoiler Warning: Again, you should see Captain Marvel before reading this article. Come back after you've seen the movie!

Captain Marvel is finally out theaters and it looks like it'll be a healthy opening weekend for the MCU's latest. Fans seeing the movie this weekend finally got the long awaited answers to some questions, including the true identity of Annette Bening's character. She was previously confirmed to play the Supreme Intelligence of the Kree, but there's an extra twist to her character -- or should I say characters.

Annette Bening also plays Wendy Lawson, otherwise known as a Kree named Mar-Vell, the character who most inspires Carol Danvers. In the comics, Mar-Vell is a man (Walter Lawson) who goes by the superhero name Captain Marvel and is a love interest of Carol. Marvel Studios decided to flip the genders for the role, and Kevin Feige shed some light on why they decided to take that route.

It was late in the development of the movie. Frankly, as we were approaching shooting, we were casting male -- We were looking for a male Mar-Vell and developing the script at the same time, as we often do. We spoke to a few people, but as you've now seen in the movie, it's a limited role, because of the nature of the structure of the story. It was, I believe, Anna [Boden] who came up with the suggestion in a script meeting that, "Why don't make the S.I., the vision that she sees, Mar-Vell?" The idea was just before we brought Annette on. So, it was relatively late in the development process and one of a handful of things that happened as the script was taking on its final form, that was an epiphany that Anna had, and it was like, "Oh, of course! That's perfect!" And we stopped looking for another actor.

As Kevin Feige told ET, it sounds like they were originally bringing Annette Bening on board to only play the Supreme Intelligence. In the film, the S.I. is the AI leader of Kree and takes the form of the person most admired by whoever it's speaking to. Co-director Anna Boden had the idea that Carol's vision should be of Mar-Vell. Thus Mar-Vell would also have to be played by Bening.

Because the role of Mar-Vell was limited to begin with, it was an idea that worked out pretty well for the movie. Gender flipping the character certainly doesn't have a negative impact on Captain Marvel and there's never a reason to turn down adding more Annette Bening to anything.

You can see Annette Bening as Mar-Vell whenever you want because Captain Marvel is in theaters right now. To learn more about the movie before your showing, here's what we know so far.

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I’m A Female Critic, And To Be Honest, I Didn’t Love Captain Marvel

I’m A Female Critic, And To Be Honest, I Didn’t Love Captain Marvel

Captain Marvel hits theaters this weekend, and although a huge faction of people have not caught the movie yet, there’s already been a lot of the conversation around the movie, specifically about gender and movie criticism.

From people trolling the film on Rotten Tomatoes to conversations about representation to worries from some (who haven’t even seen the movie) that it would perhaps have too much of a social agenda, the chatter around Captain Marvel has seemingly been about everything other than the movie itself. In fact, it has even sparked conversations about whether all or at least half of the reviews on Rotten Tomatoes should be from female critics.

At the time of this writing, Captain Marvel is currently running at an 83% in critical reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. Although the film hasn’t achieved the heights of say Black Panther (97%), Thor: Ragnarok (92%) or Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.1 (91%), that’s a very respectable score, with both positive and negative reviews coming from both men and women—although just counting the first page of reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, there were 16 men to 4 women represented.

It’s a refrain we’ve actually heard from celebrities before. Most notably in recent memory, the cast of Ocean’s Eight coming out to discuss the fact they felt the movie wasn’t made for men and that perhaps male critics didn’t get it. There's a thought that perhaps only women should be responsible for reviews for movies starring women.

To be honest, however, I’m a female critic and I didn’t really love Captain Marvel.

I think Captain Marvel does a fine enough job of setting up the character’s origin story. The de-aging wasn’t half bad either, and there were some laughs to be had. It’s a totally acceptable movie and I would have said that in my review.

But I didn’t review Captain Marvel for CinemaBlend. In fact, our reviewer, who is male, thought the movie was delightful. He didn’t have the problems with the weak jokes, the unidentifiable tone and even the music that I had. He enjoyed the origin story and really admired the digital work that Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck put in, noting it’s “absolutely a blockbuster to which the industry should look as it's doing its part to try and reinvent the wheel.”

To me, however, Marvel has set the bar high with its movies. Avengers: Infinity War was astonishing and had such a shocking and spry script that capably showcased a wide variety of characters. The wonder of Wakanda and even the rhinos bought to life an incredible new world in Black Panther. Thor and The Guardians and even Ant-Man have separated themselves out by having fun and tonally different takes than anything else in the MCU or in other blockbuster flicks.

Captain Marvel is missing a lot of those different types of sparks and for me it didn’t offer anything on its own terms that is new or exceptional or necessary to see on the big screen. It’s a fine enough movie, but especially because I think the expectations were so high with Marvel’s first lead superheroine, I do think some people will be disappointed. I was.

I’m paid to live, breathe and opine movies, to be moved by them, to take joy in all kinds of visual wonders and funny moments, to immerse myself in gripping dialogue and action. I spend a lot of time in front of a screen and I see a lot of bad movies as well as good ones. Sometimes I agree with the consensus. Sometimes I don’t.

But what I would really hate would be to be to be told that I don’t deserve to have an opinion on Creed II because boxing movies are not really in my wheelhouse. Or that I don’t get to feel lukewarm about Ocean’s Eight because I’m a woman.

A long time ago, people were familiar with their neighborhood movie critics. They might know if action or rom-coms were not in that critic’s wheelhouse and take those opinions with a little bit of salt based on their own personal taste.

In the vastness of the Internet, one person’s voice may not matter as much as the collective whole, but they should still all be shared.

I think at the end of the day, what we all really want is probably the same thing. Diversity in movie criticism is only going to grow our understanding of what works and doesn’t in movies by leaps and bounds. It could even lead to different movies finding success or Hollywood tackling different projects.

But only half of getting to that place is opportunity. The other half is respectfully allowing everyone to have a voice, whether or not it’s the “right type” of movie for that person.

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Dumbo Has Screened, See The Early Reactions

Dumbo Has Screened, See The Early Reactions

2019 is the year Disney goes all in on the remakes of its animated classics. Later this summer we'll see both Aladdin and The Lion King hit the screen. But first, it's all about the flying elephant. Dumbo was Disney's fourth animated feature film, which makes it now the earliest one to get the live-action treatment. How does the new film stack up against the original, as well as the other Disney remakes? A few critics were lucky enough to see Dumbo early and most of them are pretty complimentary.

Film critic Courtney Howard has one of the more glowing responses to Dumbo, complimenting both the message of the movie as well as the CGI title character.

Dumbo has a blessedly surprising pro-animal rights agenda wrapped in a subtle, rebellious meta-commentary on a band of outsiders shaking up a corporate establishment. Its aesthetic design is dazzling, gorgeous & meticulous. The CG elephant is absolutely adorable.

It's interesting, though not too surprising, to hear that there's an animal rights element to the new Dumbo. Several of those who have seen the movie remarked upon it. The fact is that the 1941 original is a movie that hasn't necessarily aged all that well. Many elements that were not seen at the time as being any issue, we now realize were inappropriate. Many people remember, or are at least aware, of the crow characters that give Dumbo his "magic feather." The fact is that's not even the only racially problematic sequence in the film. But beyond race, there's even more about Dumbo that's potentially a problem now.

The fact is that circuses themselves are largely viewed now as something that should be left in our past. Few, if any, of the circuses that remain in business today even use animal acts. Regardless of how well a circus may attempt to treat its animals, the issue of them being repeatedly caged can't be overlooked. The sequence that leads Dumbo's mother to be taken away, as one example, is the sort of thing that would likely result in the entire circus being shutdown, and a host of lawsuits being filed. Dumbo is also repeatedly put at great physical risk for the entertainment of people. We know now such things are entirely wrong. Not at least pointing out this fact would have been a missed opportunity.

One of the more unique aspects of this particular story is that the title character of the film is an elephant created entirely with CGI that never actually speaks. It's safe to say that if the elephant doesn't work, the movie doesn't work. However, one item that pretty much everybody seems to be in agreement on is that the elephant is adorable and emotional. As writer Nick Kazden put it...

I wasn't sure what to expect, but I can say that Dumbo is a genuinely heartwarming, entertaining movie that is definitely worth your time. The cast is enjoyable but the VFX Dumbo is so damn expressive that he steals the show everytime he's onscreen.

Dumbo is directed by Tim Burton. While he's mostly known for making movies about more macabre subjects, this isn't the first time he's made a movie designed to warm the heart, and many are in agreement that he's done a good job with Dumbo. Slashfilm calls it one his best live-action films in years.

I enjoyed Dumbo. Fantastic art/production design, a surprising/necessary pro-animal rights message. One of the best live action films Burton has directed in years. Unlike most Disney adaptations, its in the unique position to be 35% an adaptation and 65% a sequel, which is cool.

The idea of Dumbo being a sequel likely comes from the fact that Dumbo only actually shows the world he can fly in the last minutes of the original film. As it seems clear that's not the case here, most of this version of Dumbo would have taken place after the original movie was over. This gives Tim Burton a lot more to work with, which may be where his creativity is allowed to shine.

The sentiment that Burton is at his best is also echoed by Attractions Magazine, though without the caveat of "live-action..."

t’s absolutely wonderful - a beautiful story, quite different than the original, that won’t leave a dry eye in the theater. The cast is kismet together on screen. It’s one of Tim Burton’s best in a long time.

Of course, few films receive entirely perfect responses from all corners, and while few seem to have truly hated Dumbo, many still found it lacking. While the remake may offer a bit more substance than the animated original, Nerds of Color still found the new version fairly thin...

Dumbo the character is quite cute. But unfortunately, though it looks great, the movie lacks the sincerity and heart that made the animated original a classic. Too manufactured, and it’s super talented cast is a bit wasted on paper thin characters and relationships.

Similarly, IGN felt that the movie was simply missing the heart of the original, and that the stories of the human characters, the part of the live-action film that is entirely original, never felt fully realized...

Watched Dumbo last week. Despite some great visuals, a very fun Michael Keaton performance, and an adorable baby pachyderm, the movie never really gets you caring as much about what's going on as the original. The human stories feel undercooked and it really rains on the parade.

Dumbo is an interesting movie to want to remake in the first place. While it's got some beautiful visuals and musical moments, the story itself leaves a bit to be desired. The movie isn't very long, and it still has moments, like the well-known "Pink Elephants on Parade" that are mostly just filler designed to show off Disney's animation talent.

The new version was always going to need something to give it a bit more substance. The decision was to create a collection of new human characters who come into conflict over Dumbo's fate, but it seems not everybody agrees they have all that much substance themselves.

There are clearly a lot of fans of the animated classic that will likely want to check this one out. Some are saying it is much better than some of Disney's more recent remake efforts. The rest of us will find out when Dumbo hits theaters March 29.

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