Shazam! Producer Calls The Marvel And DC Rivalry ‘Bullshit’

Shazam! Producer Calls The Marvel And DC Rivalry ‘Bullshit’

Marvel and DC Comics have been business rival for decades. It makes sense. The two companies are in the same business of publishing comic books, largely about superheroes. Now, both companies are making movies about those same superheroes. While the competition may make sense from a business standpoint, Peter Safran, producer of the upcoming Shazam!, doesn't think the rivalry ever needs to extend to fans. He thinks fans of superhero comic books have more in common than they realize, which goes beyond the label on the book, and he's got some pretty strong words for those that disagree.

As an example of this, Safran points out that director James Gunn is getting ready to helm both a DC movie (The Suicide Squad) and a Marvel movie (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3). For him, this is a prime example that both sides of this debate can get along. According to the producer...

I’ve always believed, that which unites comic book fans, is much greater than that which divides us. And so the whole Marvel, DC rivalry thing is kind of bullshit. Because really we’re all fans of the same thing. I love the fact that he’s directed a movie for Marvel and directed a movie for DC. And the Earth is not spinning off its axis. It’s okay.

It seems that picking sides is an intrinsic part of being a fan of something, whether people are drawing a line between comic book characters or video game consoles. Once a person chooses to invest emotionally or financially in one thing, defending it against attacks from the other side becomes part of being a fan. That's certainly the case in the classic Marvel/DC rivalry which has now spilled over into the the cinematic universes that both companies have created. It seems like most people, or at least the most vocal, have chosen which one they love, and have written off the other.

However, as Peter Safran tells Uproxx, there might be a crack in the wall between Marvel and DC. Zachary Levi actually had a small role in Marvel's Thor franchise before he became the title character of Shazam!, but now, we have the first director who will make films in both franchises.

It was an interesting turn of events when James Gunn was removed from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, only to eventually find his way to writing and directing the second Suicide Squad movie. It certainly made sense, both were comic book movies that focused on a team of dysfunctional heroes. However, things took an even stranger turn when we learned that Gunn had been hired back by Disney and would actually direct both films, one after the other.

People will always need to make choices with their entertainment dollars and not everybody is going to be able to afford to go see every comic book superhero movie in the theaters. In that case, choices must be made, and one might decide to spend their money on one cinematic universe exclusively over the other. But even then, there's no reason you can't also be a fan of the other. Having a favorite superhero doesn't mean you can't also like all the other ones, regardless of which brand they're associated with.

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Did J.K. Rowling Skip Her Annual Harry Potter Death Apology Or Was It Just Very Subtle?

Did J.K. Rowling Skip Her Annual Harry Potter Death Apology Or Was It Just Very Subtle?

Every year since 2015, J.K. Rowling has tweeted an apology on May 2, the anniversary of The Battle of Hogwarts. Fans waited and looked for the annual apology on Thursday, but it never arrived. Some fans were disappointed, while others were worried, since the Harry Potter author hasn't tweeted anything since March 16. Did she quit Twitter?

Other fans, though, wondered if J.K. Rowling did share a 2019 apology through a more visual clue -- the changing of her header:

It's possible J.K. Rowling changed her Twitter header to a starry sky in honor of Sirius -- the brightest star in the night sky and also the name of Harry Potter's beloved godfather, Sirius Black.

But Sirius didn't die in the Battle of Hogwarts, you might point out. True! But neither did Dobby, and J.K. Rowling apologized for killing Dobby in last year's May 2 tweet.

In 2014, J.K. Rowling honored the anniversary of the Battle of Hogwarts by simply saying how much she hated killing off some of those characters. The next year, she started her annual apology tradition by apologizing for killing off Fred Weasley during the battle.

In 2016, she apologized for killing Remus Lupin. In 2017, she apologized for killing Severus Snape. Last year, she apologized for killing Dobby.

So maybe that starry sky is an apology to Sirius, who was killed in the Ministry of Magic in the fifth book and movie, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Gary Oldman's character did appear in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2, so maybe that could be considered the Battle of Hogwarts connection.

J.K. Rowling used to tweet frequently -- sometimes about Harry Potter, often about politics. She hasn't tweeted since mid-March, shortly after giving more details on the relationship between Albus Dumbledore and Gellert Grindelwald. There was backlash to her comments, for differing reasons, and it's possible that's when she decided to take a break from Twitter.

Maybe her Twitter absence has nothing to do with that, she might just be busy. But the timing is interesting. If she were going to return, fans thought it would be to tweet her annual apology. And maybe she did, with that subtle header change.

Harry Potter fans are a passionate lot, and so is their queen. She has her own opinions about everything and it would be great to see them again in some form, whether fans agree with them or not.

As far as we know, though, J.K Rowling is busy polishing her script for Fantastic Beasts 3, which recently delayed production again. It was originally going to start filming this summer, then that was pushed to late fall. It was recently pushed again to start filming in spring 2020 for a release in theaters in November 2021.

Keep up with everything we know so far about Fantastic Beasts 3, and raise your wands in support of J.K. Rowling if you want her to return to social media. Or maybe the rest of us should leave with her, honestly. She might be the one on the right track.

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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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