Chris Hemsworth Is The Latest Actor To Throw His Hat Into The Ring To Play James Bond

Chris Hemsworth Is The Latest Actor To Throw His Hat Into The Ring To Play James Bond

While Daniel Craig will be returning for one more go-round as super spy James Bond, the 25th Bond film will almost certainly be the last for Craig, and just as certainly won't be the final James Bond movie. Many names have been thrown around as potential new James Bonds, and now Chris Hemsworth is adding his to the growing list. The actor is surprisingly open about the fact that he'd love to play James Bond.

While many might only know Hemsworth as Thor, a role that's certainly a far cry from James Bond, the actor previously played another ultra-suave Englishman when he portrayed race car driver James Hunt in Ron Howard's Rush. It was apparently first suggested to Hemsworth back then that if he could play Hunt, he could play Bond, and Hemsworth is all-in on on the idea. According to the actor...

When we were shooting Rush someone had said that and I thought, ‘Cool, if this is my audition tape, then great.’I don’t think you’ll ever meet anyone who doesn’t want to have a crack at James Bond. I’d love to do it.

Back before Daniel Craig had agreed to reprise his role as James Bond the question of who would take on the role was one of the most debated questions around. Everybody from Tom Hiddelston to Tom Hardy was suggested, and it seems several people were seriously considered as potential replacements.

Rush was a criminally under seen movie that saw Hemsworth as a Formula 1 race car driver. It may not be the perfect comparison to James Bond, but it's certainly closer to that than Hemsworth's role as Thor. It was one of the first films that showed the actor had more range than what the Marvel movies required him to show. A scene like the one below, could easily work if Hemsworth was playing a somewhat laid back version of James Bond.

Of course, while Chris Hemsworth says he'd love to play Bond, he knows it's far from that easy. As he tells Balance, there are many other people he would need to impress in order to make the short list for such a coveted role, including James Bond producer Barbara Broccoli...

But that’s up to so many elements and is way beyond myself; it’s not one you can pitch yourself on to either. It’s something that the community of Bond fans, Barbara Broccoli and the whole crew there agree on, and it has to be a very organic decision from them. There have been a lot of names thrown out there and a lot of brilliant people can tackle that one.

For what it's worth, Chris Hemsworth wouldn't be the first Australian to tackle the role of James Bond. George Lazenby, who played the role in a single film, was also Australian, so that precedent has already been set.

It will likely be years before a new James Bond is actually cast. No public decisions will be made until the newest film has been released and made its money, and maybe Daniel Craig can be talked into coming back yet again. If not, maybe Chris Hemsworth will find himself with an all new franchise.

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Rocketman Will Debut A New Elton John Duet With Taron Egerton

Rocketman Will Debut A New Elton John Duet With Taron Egerton

Rocketman is the movie that will tell the sort of true story of Elton John, and as such, you can be sure the movie will be filled with many of the singer/songwriter's greatest tunes. However, in addition to the songs you know, the film will also include one brand new song, which will be a duet between the real Elton John and the man who plays him on screen, Taron Egerton.

The song, titled “(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again,” was written by Elton John and his songwriting partner Bernie Taupin specifically for the new film. The song's existence was confirmed by the release of the movie's full soundtrack listing. The song is the last of 22 tracks, which leads Variety to believe the song will likely play over the closing credits of the film.

One way that this new song separates Rocketman from Bohemian Rhapsody, which is the recent film that Rocketman is getting comparisons to, is that it gives the former film a shot at competing for an Oscar that Rhapsody, with all its nominations, wasn't able to be in the running for, Best Original Song. “(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again” is a brand new song written specifically for Rocketman which will likely make it a strong contender in the category regardless of how well the rest of the movie is received.

Interestingly, the brand new song appears to be the only place where Elton John's actual voice will be heard on the Rocketman soundtrack, and by extension, in the film itself. Unlike the recent Bohemian Rhapsody, where most of the vocals were from original Queen frontman Freddie Mercury, in Rocketman, all the music is actually being sung by Taron Egerton.

If you're interested in hearing how Taron Egerton sounds singing the music as Elton John, the first single from the film has been released, with Egerton performing the title song "Rocket Man." Check it out below.

While Rocketman is still essentially a biopic of Elton John, the trailers have shown that the movie will have a bit of the fantastic added in for good measure. It's a bit more of a traditional musical structure with characters bursting into song and dance rather than simply seeing songs performed as part of concerts or recording sessions.

Rocketman arrives in theaters may 31. if you can't wait to hear all the music from the new film, the soundtrack will be available a week earlier on May 24.

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Why Chris Hemsworth Wants Thor To Have More Scenes With Black Panther

Why Chris Hemsworth Wants Thor To Have More Scenes With Black Panther

As fans gear up for Avengers: Endgame in a couple weeks, they can expect more fun match-ups between the Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, and more recently introduced MCU characters. Throughout Chris Hemsworth’s time as Thor, over eight years, he’s had tons of memorable moments playing off other characters in the universe. But if he had to choose one to work alongside with, it would be the King of Wakanda:

I'd say Black Panther Chadwick Boseman. I don't think Thor and him have hung out before and I think they'd get along. I think they'd have some fun. Maybe it would be fun for us to go and do something completely different. He's just a great guy, and very kind, and a lot of fun to work with. We'd do something different, yeah.

Marvel, are you listening? Because we need this to happen! The God of Thunder and T’Challa teaming up is a great choice from Hemsworth, from his an interview with MTV, and we hope they’ll get to share the screen in the MCU at some point. When Chadwick Boseman’s Black Panther was introduced during Captain America: Civil War, Thor was notably absent. In Infinity War, Thor spent much of his time with Rocket and Peter Dinklage’s Eitri before wreaking havoc in the Wakanda battle, though he didn’t have much (if any) screen time alongside Black Panther.

We have no idea whether Thor and Black Panther will be sharing scenes in Endgame because T’Challa was one of the dusted Avengers. When asked about his return to the MCU, Chadwick Boseman recently went viral with his blunt "I’m dead" responses. However, the character is set to return in Black Panther 2, coming up in Phase Four, so there may be more opportunities for the two characters to interact… that is, if Thor makes it out of Endgame alive.

Since the film is the culmination of the MCU thus far, fans are bracing themselves for some potentially sad goodbyes – most looking to the original six Avengers. Chris Hemsworth seems game to keep going with the MCU, recently even stating his interest in doing a Disney+ series with Thor's Australian roommate Darryl, his co-star for a few funny Marvel shorts.

Per an Endgame scene from the trailers that has Thor interacting with Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel, some fans have speculated the two heroes may have a romantic storyline together. The first MCU leading lady was purposefully not given a love interest in Captain Marvel to best serve her individual storyline. Instead, fan art started to emerge of Carol and Tessa Thompson’s Valkyrie.

There’s tons of possibilities as far as the MCU is concerned, and with Chris Hemsworth’s sharp humor and fun Thor character, we hope he stays on for more MCU films and gets some moments with T’Challa someday. Who knows? Maybe he’ll have a scene with him in Endgame when it hits theaters on April 26.

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Star Wars: Episode IX Is Really Aiming To Please Fans Of The Original Trilogy, And It's Working

Star Wars: Episode IX Is Really Aiming To Please Fans Of The Original Trilogy, And It's Working

Say what you will about most other entries in the Star Wars saga, but that original trilogy of films is still the strongest bedrock that the franchise has ever had to call its base. While the series needs to appeal to the fans it’s won in the more recent years, there’s always going to be that fanbase that came to the dance starting with 1977’s initial offering.

I became a Star Wars fan while growing up through the Original Trilogy and a smattering of now de-canonized Expanded Universe material. But I’d always heard that story of that fabled first and third trilogy to round off the saga, and longed for the day they’d exist.

Now, we see the close of the third trilogy coming with Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, and it looks like director J.J. Abrams and all involved are looking to please those dyed-in-the-wool fans. Here some reasons why that not only feels like the approach that’s being executed, but also why I think it’s working out rather well.

It Promises The End Of The Skywalker Saga

As I mentioned before, one of the biggest sticking points in Star Wars lore was the fact that George Lucas has allegedly planned out three trilogies in the Skywalker Saga. The prequel trilogy scratched the itch fans had for seeing Anakin Skywalker’s origins as Darth Vader, and for a little while, it felt like the last three episodes of the entire nine-part saga would never come.

Even with Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ big reveal, it wasn’t certain that we’d see the end of the line, as George Lucas was out of the process altogether, and episode numbers were eventually dropped.

Why It Works: Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker being the definitive end of the Skywalker clan's story frees the series for new ideas to take root. But more importantly, it brings that storied end to the legacy of the very family that started the Star Wars franchise, fulfilling a promise from long ago.

Leia Will Finish Out Her Role In The Star Wars Universe

Due to the untimely passing of Carrie Fisher, another big question was whether or not General Leia Organa would be brought back in some shape or form to close out her own story. After a period of long thought and deliberation, it was confirmed that Fisher’s General Leia would return in previously filmed outtakes from the last two Star Wars films, The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi.

The context of her place in the story, and how much shooting around the footage that was available will affect that is yet to be seen, but this decision is just as important as the one that allowed Luke Skywalker to return.

Why It Works: Seeing our first look at Leia’s return in this final film is pretty convincing stuff. While how the pre-existing story will work with what specific footage they have of Carrie Fisher’s previous performance is definitely a bit of a challenge, it’s good to see the General back for one last adventure. And if the Skywalker Saga is about to end, both of Anakin and Padme’s twins deserve proper closure.

It Looks Like We’re Going Back To A Familiar Desert

The trailer for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker shows a lot of one particular element that’s always been important to the saga’s storytelling environment: sand. With Rey’s big lightsaber flip and some action between Finn and Poe being showcased in the recent teaser, there’s a lot of the rough stuff primed and ready for action.

Which means we’re probably going back to one of two places. Either Jakku or Tatooine are in the mix for the ninth episode of the Skywalker Saga, but either way, this is a pretty big deal when it comes to wrapping up the story started in the Original Trilogy.

Why It Works: Much like the Original Trilogy’s story, bringing our heroes back to where the action started is a classic move of resolution. Anakin and Luke had to return to Tatooine before becoming the men they set off to be, and Rey will more than likely be heading back to Jakku in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. More powerful than when she left, this new Force user will more than likely learn some important knowledge about her origins, before setting off on whatever big battle she’s marching towards.

Lando Calrissian Is Back And Flying The Millennium Falcon Again

One of the most criminally underused characters in the Star Wars galaxy has to be Lando Calrissian. A dashing charmer with a criminal past, Billy Dee Williams’ iconic supporting player is one of those figures that has always been brought up when questioning what moves the next Star Wars films would take to connect the future of the franchise to its historical past.

With so much room for his character to be expanded and enhanced upon in the brand new canon, especially after the discarding of the now-reclassified Legends line of Expanded Universe material, it was a pleasant given that the decision to reinstate Lando would be made.

Why It Works: If there’s a character whose legacy has positively loomed larger than his actual screen time in the Star Wars saga, it’s Mr. Calrissian. While the return of some characters seems more like an exercise in fan service than in storytelling (C-3PO, we’re looking in your direction), having Lando return is a smart way to close the story in the absence of Han Solo. Not to mention, there’s always a spot reserved for a roguish smuggler in the Star Wars universe.

The Series Is About To Go On Hiatus After The Rise Of Skywalker

Some Original Trilogy fans have been worried that the Star Wars franchise of films has overextended its reach a little bit. While Rogue One: A Star Wars Story was a hit and seemed to do pretty well overall, the reaction to Solo was way more tepid than usual. Even Disney CEO Bob Iger realized that the pace of the series was unsustainable, which lead him to announce that the series would go into hibernation after Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.

Why It Works: Fans are always going to show up for the Skywalker Saga entries in Star Wars’ cinematic universe. That said, it’s going to take some time and tweaking to realize just what the fans will want out of the series outside of that now-ending run. It’s nice to see the studio management to realize that, and learn the lesson if you want to keep your fanbase happy, sometimes absence makes the Force grow stronger.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker will define the legacy and its storytelling approach for some, while proving whether it adheres to the rules that the Original Trilogy played by for so long. As long as the rest of the decisions made in telling this story match up to the quality of those listed above, there should be a good chance that fans of the Original Trilogy will be very pleased with the finished product.

That’s an investment that should pay off long after Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker hits theaters on December 20. Though, that doesn’t mean the Star Wars fun has to end, as Disney+ will undoubtedly keep the fires stoked as The Mandalorian debuts on the platform’s launch date of November 12.

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Sarah Connor Utters The Iconic ‘I’ll Be Back Line’ In New Terminator: Dark Fate Video

Sarah Connor Utters The Iconic ‘I’ll Be Back Line’ In New Terminator: Dark Fate Video

As far as sci-fi properties go, there are few quite as beloved as the Terminator franchise. James Cameron brought the titular robot to the big screen back in 1984, and its never been far from theaters in the decades since. But out of the entire series, Terminator 2: Judgement Day remains the undisputed fan favorite. Plus, it's the last movie that Cameron was intimately involved in. That is... until now.

The franchise is coming back to theaters with Terminator: Dark Fate, which will be a direct sequel to T2. James Cameron is involved as a producer, and the new movie will also welcome Linda Hamilton back to her signature character Sarah Connor. The first Dark Fate trailer was super exciting, and a new clip has Sarah Connor uttering the most iconic line from the entire franchise: "I'll be back." Check it out below.

Does anyone else have chills? On top finally uttering the line made by Arnold Schwarzenegger in the original Terminator, Linda Hamilton does so in perhaps the most badass way possible. Namely, by popping a grenade as she did it, and calmly walking away from the impending explosion.

This new clip just hammers down what a total badass Sarah Connor has remained since we saw her in Terminator 2: Judgement Day. Linda Hamilton had a massive transformation between her two appearances, with T2 taking her from victim to deadly mental patient. And she's remained just as capable through the decades, as the first trailer for Dark Fate showed her going toe to toe with Gabriel Luna's new Terminator model.

The Terminator franchise may have never really left theaters, but the various sequels lacked the same tone as the first two. These movies resulted as a combination of James Cameron and his stars Linda Hamilton and Arnold Schwarzenegger. And now that the trio have once again collaborated on Terminator: Dark Fate, and it looks like there will be plenty of references to the start of the franchise. That includes using some iconic lines of dialogue that are synonymous with those movies.

Aside from including lines like "I'll be back", Terminator: Dark Fate will also deeply connect to Terminator 2 through the use of flashbacks. The upcoming sequel will include new scenes of a younger Sarah Connor and her son John-- who is noticeably missing from the film's cast. CGI will be used to de-age Linda Hamilton, while the same type of visual affects will bring Edward Furlong's likeness as John back to the silver screen. It's an exciting concept, especially as movies like Captain Marvel and Rogue One have proven how far that technology has come.

Related: Arnold Schwarzenegger Looks Totally Badass In First Terminator: Dark Fate Image

Given the footage from the above video, it should be interesting to see if more iconic Terminator lines end up making their way to Dark Fate. "Come with me if you want to live" seem like an easy bit of dialogue to fit into such an action-packed sequel. And with the original Terminator and Sarah Connor reuniting, there's also the opportunity for Arnold Schwarzenegger to say "I'm a friend of Sarah Connor." We'll just have to wait and see what Deadpool director Tim Miller has up his sleeve for the generations of Terminator fans.

All will be revealed when Terminator: Dark Fate arrives in theaters on November 1st. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

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Idris Elba Has A Flamethrower In New Hobbs And Shaw Image

Idris Elba Has A Flamethrower In New Hobbs And Shaw Image

The life of the Fast and the Furious franchise has been fascinating. What started as car racing movies has become one of the biggest action franchises in the world, consistently making a ton of money at the box office. And it's showing no signs of slowing down, with a variety of different projects coming down the line. The franchise is breaking new ground with Hobbs & Shaw, the property's first spinoff starring The Rock and Jason Statham.

The many Fast and the Furious fans are eager to see the franchise branch out, especially as Hobbs & Shaw will focus on a pair of fan favorite badasses. There's some serious talent attached to join the duo of actors, with the most notable being Idris Elba as the superpowered villain Brixton Lore. Brixton has been genetically engineered to have superpowers, and that's not going to be the end of his badassery. Because a new image just dropped featuring Elba with a massive flamethrower. Check it out.

What. A. Badass. This image reiterates that Hobbs & Shaw is leaning into the over the top action that the larger franchise has become known for. And the title characters have one seriously tough enemy to unite against when the spinoff arrives in theaters.

This new image comes to us from producer Hiram Garcia's personally Twitter page. While the Fast and the Furious franchise is known for being larger than life, Idris Elba is taking things to another level as Brixton Lore in Hobbs & Shaw. The villain's superpowers is a game changer, and arguably taking the franchise farther from reality than ever before. Rather than trying to ground the character in other ways, he's going to be even bigger. Like giant flamethrower big.

Idris Elba's latest photo as Brixton is undeniably badass, and will likely add more fuel to the rumors about his possible involvement in the James Bond franchise. With Daniel Craig leaving the role of 007 after Bond 25, the franchise will soon have to find a replacement to take on the mantle. Fan lists have been happening for years, and Elba is usually toward the top. While the actor has shut down these reports, seeing him with a flamethrower is sure to cause endless more rumors.

Idris Elba's starpower has been steadily building over the past few years, so it's a great time to play the central villain in a Fast and the Furious movie. The franchise is insanely popular, and there will be a mass of moviegoers who shell out cash to see all the action on the big screen. Aside from fans of the franchise, Elba was also recently named the Sexiest Man Alive, which should excite more casual moviegoers.

Aside from Hobbs & Shaw, Idris Elba has another big blockbuster coming in the form of James Gunn's The Suicide Squad. Elba will be playing the role of Deadshot, the character played by Will Smith in the original film. He also recently wrapped up his tenure as Heimdall in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, playing the Asgardian in all three Thor movies and two Avengers appearances.

Hobbs & Shaw will arrive in theaters on August 2nd, complete with Idris Elba's flamethrower-toting villain. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

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Avengers: Endgame’s Jeremy Renner Shares Set Photo From That Black Widow Scene

Avengers: Endgame’s Jeremy Renner Shares Set Photo From That Black Widow Scene

It’s been a little over a month since Avengers: Endgame hit theaters. Fans are finally on the road to recovery, even though all those major character deaths still may sting. Then Jeremy Renner has to post sentimental pictures such as this one and get us all emotional once more.

Check out the Hawkeye actor’s latest reminder of Endgame’s MCU culmination below:

I’m not crying, you’re crying! The Instagram picture has Scarlett Johansson and Jeremy Renner sweetly holding hands on set during their big scene together that ends tragically for Black Widow. Renner refers to ScarJo as the “goddess” that she is with this behind-the-scenes image of their scene on Vormir.

In Avengers: Endgame, the dynamic duo team up once again to retrieve the Soul Stone, with the cost unknown to them. Once Red Skull explains that one of them will have to sacrifice their life in order to complete their mission, the two compete to keep the other alive. Black Widow ends up with the short stick when she falls off the cliff and shares the same fate as Gamora did in Infinity War.

Jeremy Renner previously addressed the scene on social media, admitting it was a difficult day to film but one of the best. The pair actually shot another version of the scene on Vormir that would have had Hawkeye and Black Widow fighting off Thanos’ soldiers together before Scarlett Johansson goes for the cliff. Instead of Endgame including a final battle alongside each other, it was cut down, likely due to the movie’s pacing.

The scene certainly is one fans have debated since Johansson’s Black Widow is finally getting a standalone movie in Phase Four. Perhaps it’s a prequel? Some think that when Captain America goes back to Vormir at the end of Endgame to return the Soul Stone, Black Widow may also be resurrected.

The Endgame writers called the trade an “everlasting exchange,” so Black Widow’s technical future could be bleak. The Black Widow movie has already cast a few stars for the flick including Stranger Things’ David Harbour and Fighting For My Family’s Florence Pugh, and is rumored to begin filming in June, so the film will likely be one of Phase Four’s early entries.

Additionally, Jeremy Renner’s Hawkeye will be explored on an original series for the new streaming service Disney+. It is reportedly set after Endgame and will follow Clint Barton training Kate Bishop to be the new Hawkeye.

Even though the characters will still live on in these upcoming projects, their time on Vormir in the scene pictured above could potentially be the last time Black Widow and Hawkeye share the screen. At least they’ll always have Budapest!

Keep checking back with us for more news on the future of the MCU as they are revealed!

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