What's The Deal With Peggy Carter In Avengers: Endgame?

What's The Deal With Peggy Carter In Avengers: Endgame?

Avengers: Endgame has been said to be a culmination of the MCU thus far, particularly for Robert Downey Jr’s Iron Man and Chris Evans’ Captain America, and because of this fans are likely expecting to gain some closure for the heroes. (Especially if and as they exit the franchise and hand off Avengers leadership to Captain Marvel). The most recent trailer for the highly-anticipated MCU Phase Three flick highlights these heroes, even giving us nostalgic black-and-white flashbacks to their pasts. Which, yes, even means Peggy Carter was brought into the fold.

The attention to Tony Stark in the Avengers: Endgame trailer was unsurprising since we knew from previous footage he will be sending a heartfelt message to Pepper Potts as his oxygen runs low in space. In the latest look, when it came to the segment devoted to Steve Rogers, his tragic love story with the late Peggy Carter was the focus, even featuring a voiceover from her from Captain America: Winter Soldier saying these words as a flashback of Cap holding up her casket was shown onscreen. Here's the quote in question:

The world hasn’t changed. None of us can go back. All we can do is our best and sometimes the best we can do is to start over.

Peggy told Steve this in another time of uncertainty, but it may resonate with the hero more than ever. Following the events of Infinity War, he is certainly dealing with a longing to go back and save the half of the universe turned to dust thanks to Thanos’ snap. Peggy’s voice is telling Steve he can’t go back, that it’s time to start over. This time around it reads as less of a longing for the past as it does foreshadowing for the future.

In the first trailer for Endgame, the picture of Peggy that Steve Rogers had when he crashed the Hydra bomber back in the ‘40s is shown in a moment in the upcoming film when Cap looks back at it and Black Widow stands beside him, right before the pair discuss their "plan," a plan they hope will work. Why does Peggy have such a prominent focus in setup for Endgame? Will we see her again as Captain America’s story wraps up or is Marvel tugging our heartstrings without the payoff these characters deserve?

Peggy Carter was introduced in 2011’s First Avenger as Steve Rogers’ love interest, but had to leave her behind when he was chilling in some ice for 70 years. In Winter Soldier, Cap gets to visit her in her elder years, when she says those recently referenced lines, again in Age of Ultron when Cap sees an illusion of her and referenced in Civil War when she passes. Peggy is also featured in the opening scene of Ant-Man and on ABC’s Marvel television series Agent Carter and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

She is really important to Cap’s character arc. Peggy symbolizes the life he could have had and lost because of taking up the mantle of Captain America. He’s never quite felt like he could really move forward because the life he wanted was taken from him, which also plays into his story arc with Bucky Barnes. He’s been displaced by time but what if he could go back? The popular theory for Avengers: Endgame is that the Avengers will travel back in time and reverse what’s been done by Thanos, so if that’s possible, a reunion with Peggy would also be.

With Cap always going back to Peggy in his mind, she really is the last loose end for the character to move on and wrap up his eight-year storyline. Since the teasers for the film are taking the time to touch on their tragic story, one would think we haven’t seen the last of Peggy or that she will fact in somehow during Endgame. There are a few ways this could go down.

Time travel through the Quantum Realm is certainly on the table here and depending where the Avengers land, Peggy could be alive in the timeline. A reunion with Peggy back in the ‘40s could also be a favor Ant-Man drums up for Cap after they save the universe. Guys. Just imagine if Steve Rogers’ story ended with him getting to keep that date with Peggy. I would never get over it. The hero certainly deserves a happy ending or a brief moment like this if he’s going to go out, given all he’s been through in the MCU.

Maybe Cap stays in the ‘40s or another point in the past. Then again we’ve all seen Back to the Future and changing things in the past can completely change the future and there would be consequences there. In fact, Peggy Carter is pretty important to the formation of S.H.I.E.L.D., which likely wouldn't be possible if she becomes a '40s era housewife. Plus, considering many have theorized Captain America will die in Avengers: Endgame, maybe self-sacrifice will be the character’s ticket to his love and he’ll have a sequence with her in the Soulworld, as Thanos had with young Gamora at the end of Infinity War.

If Hayley Atwell is in fact returning to the MCU for Endgame, she’s great at playing coy about it -- unlike some other MCU spoiler personalities out there. There has been zero word about her joining the cast on set. Still, almost a year ago she said “I wouldn’t rule it out” when asked if she might return to the franchise. Her comments hint at the possibility, but I’d hate to sound too hopeful when it may not happen. The past could stay in the past as far as Peggy goes. And the nods to Peggy could always be part of that extra footage The Russo Brothers have admitted adding to the trailers.

Marvel could be implementing Cap’s lost love in the set up for Endgame to just get us nostalgic for Cap’s emotional story arc. Peggy could simply be symbolism for all that Cap has lost or to remember the mantra she’s told him. While it’s tempting to manipulate time travel for his personal happiness, that may not really be in Cap’s wheelhouse. He’s pretty idealistic in his decision-making and I doubt he want be a staunch advocator of disrupting the time continuum and such.

There are tons of possibilities for the end of Captain America’s time in the MCU, but we hope it includes Peggy Carter. What do you think? Will she pop up in Avengers: Endgame and how do you think it will happen? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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New Men In Black International Clip Pokes Fun At Game Of Thrones’ Coffee Cup Debacle

New Men In Black International Clip Pokes Fun At Game Of Thrones’ Coffee Cup Debacle

The summer season, so far, has been all about the Avengers, but there are plenty more franchise looking to make a splash as the temperatures rise outside. Spider-Man will swing through his own sequel. The Toys are back in town for Toy Story 4, and Jean Grey (Sophie Turner) will absorb the power of the Phoenix in Simon Kinberg’s Dark Phoenix.

And then there are the Men In Black, who will add a fresh-faced new female recruit to their ranks when Tessa Thompson teams with Chris Hemsworth for Men In Black International. The promotional campaign is stepping up, as of late, including this clever and very timely use of the neuralyzer, which Game of Thrones fans probably want to use on its millions of viewers:

And no, this isn’t a dig at Dany laying waste to King’s Landing with her one remaining dragon (though seriously, a lot of Game of Thrones fans likely want their own neuralyzer to block out the bulk of season eight). This is a clever dig laid by Men In Black International about the coffee cup left on the Thrones set during a post-battle celebration. Happier times! Remember those?

With the help of a trusty neuralyzer, all one has to do is stare into the light, and the memory that you want gone is wiped. It was a funny bit every time Will Smith of Tommy Lee Jones did it in the original Men In Black films. We can’t wait to see how Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson use it in the new film.

When CinemaBlend visited the set of Men In Black International, we learned that the neuralyzer actually will play a bigger role in the story of this new team, with Chris Hemsworth’s character – Agent H – potentially suffering from a memory wipe after an early confrontation. Beyond that tease, details were kept under wraps, but we’ll know the full story once the movie comes out.

F. Gary Gray directs Men In Black International, recruiting Tessa Thompson out of the bureau’s New York office and then sending her to London where she’ll team with Chris Hemsworth and Liam Neeson on a globe-trotting adventure. The movie opens everywhere on June 14. For more from our visit to the London set of the movie, click here.

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Chris Evans Recalls His Big Concern With Playing Captain America

Chris Evans Recalls His Big Concern With Playing Captain America

Captain America can seem like vanilla ice cream -- a classic American favorite, but there's no real kick to it. It's sweet, but kinda bland. That was a concern for Chris Evans while considering the Marvel Studios role. He passed on it multiple times, and one of his question marks was how to make this square-jawed goody two-shoes interesting to a modern audience used to being wowed by jokesters and antiheroes?

There's no real darkness to him. How do I make this guy someone you want to watch? I don't get jokes. I'm not Wolverine. I don't have dead parents, like Batman. I'm just, like, 'Hi, I'll walk your dog. I'll help you move.'

Turns out, that was just fine -- at least with Chris Evans in the role and the right team in place to give him better material than dog walking. Not that I wouldn't watch his Cap walking dogs. In fact, where is that film?

Chris Evans told The Hollywood Reporter he hadn't read Captain America's Marvel Comics story before he was cast, and if he had he might've been even more hesitant to accept the role. Evans recently pointed to a scene in Captain America: The Winter Soldier as his favorite; that was directed by the Russo Brothers as their first MCU film -- followed by Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, and April's Avengers: Endgame. Anthony Russo said he and Joe Russo weren't really drawn to the old school Cap stuff either:

To be honest with you, that golden age Captain America never really appealed to us. We gravitated to the comics where people were starting to tear down ideas about what superheroes were. Frank Miller, et cetera. So when we started talking with Marvel about coming on to do [Winter Soldier], we were like, 'This is going to be the movie where we fully bring Captain America into the modern world. He's going to be a different person in this new world.' And Chris just grew with that character beautifully.

Chris Evans' Captain America became a three-dimensional hero -- a very human moral compass with personality and heart. Still a good guy, but not a dull guy.

Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige told THR Chris Evans wasn't on their initial list of Captain America prospects when they started looking for The First Avenger hero in early 2010, because Evans had just played Marvel's Human Torch/Johnny Storm in two Fantastic Four films.

We thought, OK, well, he's that character. Let's keep looking. And as we [continued] not finding people, we went back to the initial lists. And that brought us back to Chris. And I thought, well, Patrick Stewart played Jean-Luc Picard and Charles Xavier. Harrison Ford played Han Solo and Indiana Jones. Who cares?

Fair points. But Chris Evans said it felt like the right thing to do to say no to that job. So he turned down Marvel's nine-film offer. He also turned down a six-film contract. Tony Stark himself, Robert Downey Jr., got involved to call Evans. After a lot of other consultations, Evans finally took the job as Captain America. And then he went to therapy for the first time in his adult life.

The fans are the ones who may need therapy after Avengers: Endgame, if Chris Evans does indeed hang up Cap's shield. He joked to THR that Endgame is over three hours and "my funeral's like an hour." He did, however, say he choked up three times.

We now have less than a month to see what really happens in Avengers: Endgame. The film opens in theaters Friday, April 26. Here's what we know so far about the highly anticipated MCU movie.

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Disney Is Deciding What To Do With The Gambit Movie

Disney Is Deciding What To Do With The Gambit Movie

Gambit is one of the more popular members of the X-Men, but barring a brief appearance in the largely forgettable X-Men Origins: Wolverine we've never seen the Cajun card thrower on the big screen. Channing Tatum has been working on getting a Gambit movie made for years, but the film has been stuck in development hell all that time, largely due to difficulties in finding a director. Now, the project is sitting in limbo again for an entirely new reason, Disney is now the company that gets to decide if the movie even happens.

The merger between Fox and Disney was recently completed and as part of that, Disney has now inherited every film project that the previous studio had on the books. In many cases, we would expect that things will continue to move forward following the plan that was already made, but producer Simon Kinberg says that currently Disney is reevaluating many or all of the in-development Fox projects, including Gambit, though he expects everything will be fine. According to Kinberg...

All of the movies at Fox are being evaluated. I love the idea of Channing playing Gambit. I think we have a great script for it and I think it’s a role he was born to play. It’s a character I grew up loving and I know the fans love. So I suspect, I hope it will happen.

Simon Kinberg had been one of the producers in charge of the entire X-Men universe over at Fox, going so far as to direct the upcoming Dark Phoenix. However, based on his comments to Variety, it doesn't sound like he's directly involved in the conversations at Disney regarding what to do with Gambit.

A lot has been going on at the new Disney since the acquisition of Fox became official. Many layoffs have already taken place, and at least one film label has been shut down. However, if you're interest is purely on the content side, there're many decisions left to be made. The fact is that several upcoming projects, even some that fully expected to move forward, could still be axed now that there are new people at the top of the food chain. While the Fox label will continue to exist, it's unlikely the division will be producing as many movies as the studio was before Disney took over, so it's quite likely that a few movies we thought we were getting could end up disappearing.

While Simon Kinberg thinks that Gambit has a good shot, because it has a solid actor cast in the lead and a good script, the fact is that it could still get chopped for any number of reasons. Everybody expects the X-Men to receive a franchise reboot at some point in order for them join the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Depending on what the timeline for such a move is, it's possible Gambit might conflict with those plans, and thus could end up not being made.

Alternately, unless the recent rumor that Channing Tatum himself is interested in directing is true, the movie could still end up on the refuse pile if the new studio has no better luck finding a director.

We'll likely be hearing about the fate of a lot of different movies in the coming weeks and months as Disney continues to sort out its newfound empire.

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Shazam! Producer Promises DC Movies Can Still Be Dark

Shazam! Producer Promises DC Movies Can Still Be Dark

The DC live-action universe has had a rocky life in theaters, full of very high highs and disastrous lows. Luckily for Warner Bros., things seem to be on the upswing after the poor critical and box office performance of Justice League. DC is still surfing on the high of Aquaman's success, and anticipation is at a fever pitch for David F. Sandberg's upcoming blockbuster Shazam!

Shazam! will hit theaters in a matter of days, bringing the dual-personal title character into live-action for the first time. The movie's tone is in stark juxtaposition to Zack Snyder's bleak dramas that started the universe. But according to Shazam! producer Peter Safran, that doesn't mean that the DCEU won't have dark and gritty installments. As he tells it:

I think that DC has the same idea we do now, which is every movie that they make should have the right tone for that particular character. Shazam is such a fun character. He is all about wish fulfillment. He is fun and funny, and that is the tone that you should have for the film. Aquaman has got a tone, fantastical element. Shazam! is fun and funny. Wonder Woman’s got her thing. I think they realize each tone has to be specific for each movie.

Rather than trying to make one uniform movie, it looks like the DC universe will continue giving more power to the directors. As such, a dark movie will happen as soon as the story and characters call for it.

Peter Safran's comments IGN are sure to be a relief to DC fans who enjoy all the darkness its stories have to offer. While Shazam! is light hearted, there's been tragic stories for many of the characters on the page. Especially Batman, whose origin in based in trauma and childhood loss. The Dark Knight and others simply need to be dark, and have a ton unlike the two most recent releases.

In the same interview from Shazam!'s red carpet, Peter Safrin directly addressed Batman and Todd Phillips' Joker, which is expected to be a dark drama focused on a mentally ill villain. Safrin expanded his thoughts, saying:

Listen, there are certain characters like Batman, like the Joker, that dark tone is perfect for them. It’s what you really want to see.

So while Billy Batson and Freddy may have their childhood games in Shazam!, we shouldn't expect the entire DC Universe to go family friendly. There are projects coming down the pipeline which should have their share of dark material, so the studio is going to have to flip between vastly different projects. In addition to Joker and The Batman, Birds of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation Of One Harley Quinn) should utilize a mixture of drama and comedy. There's also Wonder Woman 1984 to look forward to, although that Patty Jenkins has up her sleeve for the sequel is anyone's guess.

Shazam! will bring something unique to not only the DC universe, but the superhero genre as a whole. Still functioning as an origin story, the blockbuster will follow 14 year-old Billy Batson as he's given amazing powers from a magical wizard. By saying the word "Shazam", Billy transforms into an adult sized superhero, capable of flight, super strength, and electricity manipulation. But since Billy doesn't know much about superheroes, his foster brother Freddy will step in to guide him toward his destiny.

This marks the first time that a modern superhero focus on the perspective of kids. In cinematic universes, there are tons of us regular folks who are living in a superheroic world. Children have a specific experience; for instance, Billy's friend Freddy is a superfan. Freddy has been following the events of movies like Batman v Superman and Justice League, so he'll be able to help Billy become Shazam.

Shazam! look it's going to be a super fun big screen adventure, and it's early reception has been positive. But moviegoers are still going to want dark and gritty installments later in the DC universe. Aquaman might have focused on family drama and a Game of Thrones-esque struggle for underwater power, but James Wan's blockbuster wasn't especially dark.

Darker subject material and tone will no doubt accompany Todd Phillips' Joker, which isn't going to be connected to the rest of the DC universe. Phillips will give the iconic Batman villain an origin story, and explain how a clown became Gotham's biggest threat. Starring Joaquin Phoenix, the project is expected to be decidedly darker than the most recent installments in the shared universe.

On the same page, Matt Reeves' The Batman should have some darkness to it. Gotham's Protector is usually surrounded by loss and murder, and the developing blockbuster will reportedly include a few members of Batman's rogue gallery. The project will follow a younger version of Bruce Wayne, and focus on Batman's top notch detective skills. This is a new approach to the character onscreen, so let's also hope there's the proper amount of darkness in the movie.

Birds of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) should be an interesting movie, as it'll walk the line between serious mob drama and quirky action romp. Cathy Yan's upcoming blockbuster will once again focus on the denizens of Gotham City, including the villainous Black Mask and Bat-family member Huntress. The movie is also a spinoff for Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn, who debuted in Suicide Squad. Harley's inclusion obviously means there will be plenty of comedic beats in Birds of Prey, but the characters that make up the ensemble have tragic and violent pasts. Plus, Black Mask is known as a ruthless mob boss in Gotham.

There will be plenty of room for darkness in the future of the DC live-action universe in the future. For now, fans can celebrate that the studio seems to have finally found its footing, and is producing a variety of exciting projects. And with Shazam! flying into theaters in just days, we may have another DC success story on our hands. And that's in no small part due to its unique tone.

Shazam! will arrive in theaters on April 5th. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

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When The Black Widow Movie Should Start Filming, According To David Harbour

When The Black Widow Movie Should Start Filming, According To David Harbour

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is in a truly fascinating place right now. Avengers: Endgame is just weeks away, and the future of the MCU is largely a mystery. Marvel Studios is keeping its plans close to chest for Phase Four, as releasing the next slate of films has the potential to spoil the events of Endgame. But there are a few developing projects to keep an eye out for, including the long-awaited Black Widow movie.

The Black Widow movie has been slowly coming together, as director Cate Shortland has been assembling her cast and crew. Joining Scarlett Johansson for her first Marvel solo flick is Stranger Things fan favorite David Harbour, who already dipped his toes into the superhero genre with Hellboy. Harbour recently revealed when Widow's movie might begin filming, saying:

I think it’s slated to start in June. I don’t think they have it fully-boarded yet, but it’s a great character. I’m really excited about it. The cast is fleshing out (with) Scarlett and Florence Pugh, I think they said. I know they were talking about Rachel Weisz. There’s some really great actresses.

Well, this is exciting. The casting process may still be under way, but it looks like Black Widow's movie may start production in the near future. June isn't all that far away, so it looks like the solo flick will end up being one of the first releases of Phase Four. As long as nothing goes awry, that is.

David Harbour's comments to Den Of Geek are sure to excite the rabid Marvel fanbase, who are eager to see Scarlet Johansson's signature Marvel character get her time in the sun. While little to no information has been shared regarding the movie's contents, development amping up and possible June filming makes it all seem much more real. And the movie is a long time coming.

Despite being an OG member of The Avengers and one of the biggest characters in the MCU, Black Widow has surprisingly not been given her own solo movie yet. Instead, Natasha Romanoff served as a supporting character in a variety of other projects, including Iron Man 2 and Captain America: The Winter Soldier. But considering how mysterious and complicated the character is, she's still been underused in this capacity.

But that should change with her solo movie, although it's unclear what that project will contain. Black Widow is one of the surviving characters in Avengers: Endgame, but it seems possible that she might perish in the battle against Thanos. If that's the case, perhaps the solo movie will be a prequel, allowing for Widow's dark backstory to finally be fleshed out onscreen.

Black Widow will return to theaters when Avengers: Endgame arrives in theaters on April 26th, and you can see David Harbour in Hellboy April 12th. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

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Captive State Was Inspired By Some Surprising Classics

Captive State Was Inspired By Some Surprising Classics

When new science-fiction films are about to be released, it’s common that we hear a lot of filmmakers talk about what are fairly standard inspirations – films like Star Wars, Alien, Blade Runner, and 2001: A Space Odyssey. Obviously this makes sense, as it’s logical to take cues from some of the best genre films of all time, but interestingly that’s not the story behind the new film Captive State. As while the movie is definitely a sci-fi tale featuring a full-scale alien invasion, it wasn’t actually classic alien invasion movies that gave co-writer/director Rupert Wyatt ideas of what he wanted to do with the feature.

The subject of Captive State’s sources of inspiration came up early in a conversation that I had with Rupert Wyatt last week, talking over the phone about his work on the new film. I started the interview asking him about where the initial idea came from, and how it developed as a movie he wanted to make, and I’ll admit that he sincerely surprised me with the titles that he namedropped:

I've always been a fan of stories about characters that rage against the machine, and that'll fight back against the institutions. So Randle P. McMurphy in One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, or Paul Newman [as Lucas "Luke" Jackson] and Cool Hand Luke. And I've also been a real fan of stories, or films, rather, that deal with that on a macro level - on a national level. So Battle Of Algiers is one of my favorite films, and Army Of Shadows about the French resistance, Jean-Pierre Melville.

Rather than approaching Captive State from a purely genre perspective, Rupert Wyatt was compelled to tell this story because of a personal fascination with iconoclasts, which he brought to his work on the script alongside co-writer Erica Beeney. What’s more, he was particularly interested in the idea on both small and large scales, noting examples of both personal struggles – namely battles within the walls of mental hospitals and prisons – as well as full scale revolts.

This certainly tracks with the plot developments of Captive State, which is an ensemble film set in the not-to-distant future following an invasion of extraterrestrials known as the Legislators. The story tracks a number of different narratives to show life in this world, including those both trying to maintain a level or order, and those who are trying to take down what they see to be an oppressive system.

Rupert Wyatt is no stranger to science-fiction, having previously directed Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes, but his approach to genre with this one was a bit secondary. Taking the inspiration he did from the films mentioned above, he felt he wanted to tell a story in America, but not one that has already been told. As a result, it was felt by the filmmaker that the best move would be to tell a story set in the future instead of the past. Said Wyatt,

I thought it would be really interesting to be able to tell a story like that, but on the footprint of America - North America. And rather than delve back to the American revolution when they were kicking the likes of me out of the country, I thought what about if I kind of push into the future and put a documentary film crew into the future and tell that story - but in a very near future, and the occupying beings being an alien species. It really sprung from that.

It’s ultimately an impressive juggling act, but one that Captive State pulls off – both creating a heavily-detailed world and a number of engaging characters with compelling specific missions. The film, which stars Ashton Sanders, John Goodman, Vera Farmiga, Alan Ruck, James Ransone, and Kevin Dunn, arrives in theaters this Friday, and we’ll have more for you about the movie heading your way in the next few days here on CinemaBlend.

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