Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow Is Looking At A Fighting With My Family Actress

Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow Is Looking At A Fighting With My Family Actress

With Marvel Studios still holding off on releasing their plans for Phase 4, we currently know very little about the status of the upcoming Black Widow movie - but one thing that's for sure is that the film is developing quickly. Naturally, Scarlett Johansson is attached to star - reprising the role she first played in Iron Man 2 - and Cate Shortland has been brought on to direct. Now we have the latest news about the project, which is that it's adding a second member to its cast: Fighting With My Family star Florence Pugh.

The news on this casting development comes from Variety, though the details sadly end there. Because next to nothing is known about Black Widow (including when the movie is actually set), there are no clues regarding what role Florence Pugh might play, or which side she will be playing when it comes down to good vs. evil. All that we really know is that Pugh is getting a lot of attention right now thanks to her turn in Fighting With My Family, and Marvel Studios decided that they wanted to be in business with her.

Born in Oxford, England, Florence Pugh has been acting since 2014, getting her first role acting opposite Game Of Thrones star Maisie Williams in Carol Morley's feature The Falling. Since then she has found work on both the big and small screens - arguably the biggest project before this year being David Mackenzie's Outlaw King with Chris Pine.

She is now very much a star on the rise, however, and it's in large part thanks to Fighting With My Family - a film that tells the backstory of WWE star Paige and has Florence Pugh as the lead. The movie wasn't exactly a huge box office success, earning just a little over $20 million domestically, but it earned rave reviews, particularly for Pugh's performance. That's the kind of stuff Marvel Studios notices, so this development isn't really that big of a surprise.

Again, nothing is really known about the part that Florence Pugh plays in Black Widow, but it is worth noting that the actress apparently beat out some interesting competition for the part. For example, Variety's Justin Kroll notes that Academy Award-nominee Saorise Ronan was also brought in for the potential gig, but Pugh wound up winning the role.

Jac Schaeffer, who wrote the upcoming Dirty Rotten Scoundrels remake The Hustle, is currently developing the script for Black Widow, and Cate Shortland is set to make the feature has her follow-up to the 2017 thriller Berlin Syndrome. The film is expected to be one of the earliest titles released as part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Phase Four (especially because Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is no longer lined up for 2020), so it's likely that we will start hearing more about this one very soon - including more additions to the cast. For all of the latest updates, be sure to keep checking in here on CinemaBlend.

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Walt Disney Studios Sued For Pay Inequality

Walt Disney Studios Sued For Pay Inequality

One of the most talked about issues in our current sociopolitical is that of wage inequality between the sexes. With male and female pay rates being significantly different for some time, the issue has been brought to the attention of many notable figures in the political spectrum, as well as the celebrity world. And one of the largest companies in the world is now being brought into the crossfire, as Walt Disney Studios is being sued over that very subject.

Two employees, LaRonda Rasmussen and Karen Moore, are suing Disney for damages pertaining to everything from benefits to pay lost from the alleged inequality. With the claims of a wage gap paying “tens of thousands” fewer dollars to female employees, this suit might get more intense as it looks like it will be set up as a potential class action complaint.

In addition to any monetary demands that result from this lawsuit, Rasmussen and Moore’s complaint also stipulates that Disney should create a framework inside of its corporate structure that remedies and prevents such inequality from happening within the company ever again. This is something that representatives for Disney have claimed already exists within the company, and has done so long before this complaint was filed.

While it remains to be seen just how valid these claims are, and what sort of proceedings and judgements will result from it, these legal movements come at an interesting time. Disney has recently completed its integration of 21st Century Fox into it corporate holdings, so this is the sort of story that most companies would love to not see land on their desk in the early days of such an undertaking. But like it or not, pay inequality is not an issue that will go away lightly, and whether this gap is present or not at Disney, the company will obviously have to address the matter until all parties involved are satisfied.

This complaint reported by Deadline is far from the first legal complaint that Disney has received from one of its employees, and it certainly wouldn’t be the last. Familiar with such a political firebrand of a complaint, Disney has taken big stances in certain issues of social importance themselves. So hopefully, this scenario can be resolved in due time, with the sensitivity required, and in a manner that can make everyone happy.

At the moment, this case seems to be in the earliest phases of development, so there’s a possibility that Disney might even be able to settle out of court, or agree to some sort of solution so as to avoid a trial altogether. For now, all we can do is watch, and wait.

Disney currently has Dumbo in theaters, with its next big release being Avengers: Endgame, set to break the world of the box office on April 26th.

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Captain Marvel Directors Agree Carol Should Team Up With This MCU Character

Captain Marvel Directors Agree Carol Should Team Up With This MCU Character

After debuting in her solo movie, Captain Marvel finally got to meet the rest of the MCU in Avengers: Endgame. While she ultimately didn't have a very large part, fans were still happy to see Carol with the Avengers. However, there's one character above all others that fans really want Carol to team up with, and that's Valkyrie. The paring is popular on the internet and the directors of Captain Marvel, Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, told CinemaBlend they'd love to see the two heroes team up some day.

While Captain Marvel made a very large billion dollar-sized first impression, Valkyrie made her debut in Thor: Ragnarok. Played by Tessa Thompson, Valkyrie quickly became a fan favorite character. Seeing as they are two of the most physically strong female characters, it's no wonder fans want to see a team-up.

Stars Brie Larson and Tessa Thompson have also been cheering for a team up between their characters. So when CinemaBlend's own Eric Eisenberg asked Captain Marvel co-directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck which character they'd like to see Carol team with in the future, they went for the obvious choice.

Ryan Fleck: There's been a lot of... look, I have no idea what the plans are for the future. But the speculation online about Carol and Valkyrie teaming up, I think, is a pretty cool, pretty cool idea.

Anna Boden: She's one of my favorite women of Marvel.

Part of the joy of the MCU is pairing wildly different personalities together and seeing what sticks. It's how we got grade-A team ups like Thor and Rocket or Tony Stark and Doctor Strange. While only a handful of people know what the future of the MCU looks like, there's every possibility that Captain Marvel and Valkyrie will cross paths one day.

While Captain Marvel and Valkyrie would kick a lot of butt together, one hope for the pairing is romantic. There's no love interest in Captain Marvel, and some fans have identified queer themes in the film. While Carol's sexuality has yet to be addressed in the MCU, this is the internet, and it didn't take long for people to start pairing Carol up with Valkyrie, who was almost confirmed to be bisexual in Thor: Ragnarok.

Whether that's a romantic pairing is anyone's guess at this point. Marvel has promised that more LGBTQ characters are on the way, with rumors circulating that the first openly gay character will appear in The Eternals.

The future is a little unclear for these two characters, as Marvel Studios has yet to make any official announcement on its Phase 4 slate of films. However, you better believe that news will be coming soon, so stick right here at CinemaBlend, and we'll be sure to keep you updated with new information as soon as it becomes available.

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Samuel L. Jackson Is Giving Mixed Signals About Working With The Cat On Captain Marvel

Samuel L. Jackson Is Giving Mixed Signals About Working With The Cat On Captain Marvel

It's a particularly exciting time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as there are just two more releases left in the highly successful Phase Three. Before it all comes to an end with Avengers: Endgame, Carol Danvers will get a 1990's origin story in Captain Marvel. In addition to bringing the title character to audiences, Anna Boden and

Ryan Fleck's Marvel blockbuster will also feature plenty of familiar faces including Phil Coulson, Ronan The Accuser, Korath, and Nick Fury. The latter is played by the always delightful Samuel L. Jackson, who is saying some conflicting things about Carol's pet cat Goose.

Goose has been rumored to be stealing the show in Captain Marvel, which arrives in theaters in a matter of days. Samuel L. Jackson and Brie Larson had to work with a number of cats during filming, and it doesn't seem like either of them are exactly cat people. When speaking with CinemaBlend's own Sarah El-Mahmoud, Jackson seemed to have worked well with his feline co-stars, saying:

There were actually four cats, Reggie was the main cat we worked with, he adjusted to us and was more people friendly than I think the others were. Yeah, always a good day when he was there. All snack based, you give them the right snack at the right time and use the right tone of voice. He was a very accomplished and fun cat to work with. He always hit his mark, always look at you and do what he was supposed to do, he was friendly.

Cats aren't known for being overly friendly, so it must be somewhat nerve-wracking to act alongside them. But as Samuel L. Jackson told CinemaBlend, there was one Goose actor that was a bit more easy to get along with. That cat was Reggie, who is reportedly doing much of the film's heavy lifting as Goose the cat. But now the question is: is Reggie the one on the awesome character posters?

You can check out Sarah El-Mahmoud's conversation with Samuel L. Jackson below.

Seems like Samuel L. Jackson had a pretty copacetic relationship with the cats on Captain Marvel's set, right? Well, it turns out he might have been a bit less enthused than he let on to CinemaBlend.

Given how much buzz is around Goose's role in Captain Marvel, Samuel L. Jackson has fielded plenty of questions about the feline cast member. After all, there's that old saying about working with animals and children in show business. When speaking with io9 about his role as Nick Fury, Jackson revealed he wasn't a big fan of the cats. Mostly because he's not a pet person in general. As he tells it:

No, I am not a cat person. But I’m also not a dog, bird or a fish person, either. I don’t engage pets. You know, Reggie is like most animals that people bring to set that have been trained to do this, that, or the other — he’s snack-oriented. You give him something to eat, he shows up. You give him something to eat, you talk softly and nice to him, give him something to eat again. They love you. You know, so, it works out. And… there were actually four cats, but Reggie did the majority of the heavy lifting most of the time.

Well, that certainly paints a different picture. It looks like working with Reggie and the rest of the cats wasn't exactly Samuel L. Jackson's cup of tea. But Nick Fury has no fear, so Jackson had to put his game face on, and try to connect with Carol Danver's pet Goose on camera. Fury can be seen petting the cat during the trailers for Captain Marvel, already proving that the actor succeeded in making that specific situation work. As if we'd expect anything else from Sam Jackson.

Goose may be poised to be a scene stealer in Captain Marvel, but some changes were already made to the character from the Marvel comics. Namely, Carol Danver's pet was given a different name. In the comics, he's called Chewie-- named after Chewbacca from the Star Wars franchise. That ultimately got canned for the live-screen adaptation, and he was given the name of another well-known fictional character: Goose, Anthony Edwards's character from Top Gun. This is an especially adept pop culture reference, given that Tom Cruise will bring back the franchise with Top Gun: Maverick.

The cat's name was changed from Chewie to Goose to it would relate even close to Carol Danver's mysterious time on Earth. Brie Larson's hero is an Air Force pilot, so it makes sense that Top Gun might be an important movie from her past. This will no doubt create plenty of opportunities for comedy in Captain Marvel, as the MCU has made levity an important part of its formula over the years. We'll see just how much Goose factors into the narrative when Captain Marvel arrives in theaters in a matter of days.

Smart money says that Goose won't be just a regular cat in Captain Marvel. With the movie's story tied to the cosmic side of the MCU, fans assumed the cat might end up actually being an alien of some sort. That also vibes with Chewie's backstory from the page. The cat is actually a creature called a Flerken, and has even come to blows with Rocket Raccoon. If Goose joins Captain Marvel for her highly anticipated role in Avengers: Endgame, that could even come to fruition in The Russo Brothers' upcoming blockbuster.

Indeed, Captain Marvel has been teased to have a major role in the future of the MCU. With so many of the OG Avengers likely departing due to actors' contracts coming to an end, the new class of heroes will be needed to fill in the gaps. Cue Brie Larson's Carol Danvers, teased to be the most powerful hero in the shared universe.

You can judge for yourself when Captain Marvel arrives in theaters on March 8th, and the character will pop back up again in Avengers: Endgame on April 26th. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

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James Marsden Reveals Dark Phoenix's Cyclops Actor Sent Him A Lovely Letter When He Took Over

James Marsden Reveals Dark Phoenix's Cyclops Actor Sent Him A Lovely Letter When He Took Over

It's no secret that superhero movie are everywhere. Over the past few years, the comic book genre has become the most profitable of the film world, with various studios creating shared universes in an attempt to cash in. But before the MCU introduced serialized storytelling to the masses, there was Fox's X-Men franchise. Hitting theaters back beginning in 2000, a trio of movies was released in theaters before a new class of actors was introduced to reboot the property.

James Marsden was the first actor to bring Scott Summers/Cyclops to life in live-action, and played the character in the original X-Men trilogy (in addition to a quick cameo in Days of Future Past). Since then, two other actors have played younger version of the mutant, with Ready Player One's Tye Sheridan reprising his role in Dark Phoenix. And it turns out that Sheridan wrote his predecessor a sweet message when he was cast. As Marsden recently revealed:

He wrote me a handwritten letter when he took over the role. A lovely young man. They’re giving [the storyline] the justice it deserves.

Well, this is heart warming. While some actors might have a hard time seeing young talent take on their iconic roles, it seems that James Marsden is happy to see Tye Sheridan playing Cyclops in the silver screen. And that may be partly because the 22 year-old reached out to his predecessor in such a way.

The X-Men franchise is fascinating, thanks to its multiple timelines and just how many decades the property has covered. X-Men: The Last Stand was the finale of the original trilogy-- at least until Days of Future Past brought both generations of mutants together into one ambitious crossover movie. So when the character was eventually recast for movies like X-Men: Apocalypse, it's not like James Marsden was still that connected to the role.

Related: Does Marvel's 5-Year Plan Include The X-Men? Here's What Kevin Feige Says

Rather than being recast just to get a bigger name, Tye Sheridan's time as Cyclops is simply due to how time is being utilized in the franchise. The new Cyclops entered the narrative in X-Men: Apocalypse, as mutant who was new to both Xavier's School and superheroics. He ultimately stepped up to battle Oscar Isaac's title character, and audiences will catch up with a more experienced version of the hero in Dark Phoenix.

In his same conversation with Variety, James Marsden addressed Dark Phoenix's upcoming release, and expressed how excited he is to see that beloved comic book plot be adapted for the silver screen. As he put it:

I obviously know the Dark Phoenix story — the saga was close to me because my character is closest with Jean. It’s cool to see Sophie Turner up there kicking ass as the young version of Jean.

What a class act. Despite leaving the role of Cyclops behind years ago, James Marsden is still a fan of the X-Men, and eager to see the iconic Jean Grey plot line on the silver screen in Dark Phoenix. And he's not the only one.

Tye Sheridan made a strong first outing as Scott Summers in X-Men: Apocalypse. Audiences watched as he blossomed with his abilities, and saw he and Sophie Turner's Jean Grey fall in love as young students. Scott didn't get his signature visor until Apocalypse's coda in the Danger Room, so we should expect Cyclops to be a much more capable fighter when he pops back up in Dark Phoenix.

While Cyclops was a supporting character in Apocalypse, it looks like the fan favorite mutant will have a larger focus when Dark Phoenix finally arrives in theaters. Once Jean goes out of control thanks the Phoenix Force, the other characters will be split regarding what they should do. But Scott should presumably always be on Jean's side, and will no doubt help fight for her humanity.

Tye Sheridan's letter to James Marsden seem to have went over really well for the Westworld actor, but not all of the new class of X-Men were quite so lucky. Alexandra Shipp took on the role of Storm in Apocalypse, and reached out to Halle Berry ahead of her debut. But her e-mail might have made her seem a bit too eager, and it doesn't look like Berry actually responded. Halle Berry is still hoping the character will someday get a spinoff, so perhaps the Oscar winner is hoping her Storm-ing days aren't over.

Dark Phoenix has a ton of pressure associated with it, as it may be the final installment of the X-Men franchise as we know it. Aside from capping off the last four movies' overarching narrative, the movie will also be the second attempt at adapting the beloved Dark Phoenix saga onto film. While the comic book story is far more complicated and involves the Hellfire Club, the fans are anxiously awaiting to see if 20th Century Fox got it right the second time.

X-Men: The Last Stand was the first live-action go at the Dark Phoenix Saga, and it left much to be desired. Jean's powers didn't come from the cosmic Phoenix Force, but were dormant in her from childhood. She rose from her watery grave at Alkali Lake, and unceremoniously kills off James Marsden's Cyclops and Professor X. She was ultimately manipulated by Magneto, before being killed by Wolverine in the film's final battle.

The Dark Phoenix trailers seems to tease a more comic book accurate version of the plot line, although the movie's various delays have given the fandom some pause. What's more, the upcoming blockbuster has the added pressure of being the grande finale in the larger franchise, as 20th Century Fox was officially acquired by Disney. So the pressure is certainly on to bring a satisfying conclusion to the larger narrative, as well as service Jean's story in a proper way.

Cyclops will return to the big screen when Dark Phoenix arrives in theaters on June 7th. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

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Robert Downey Jr. Shares Video Of Tony’s Emotional Endgame Reunion

Robert Downey Jr. Shares Video Of Tony’s Emotional Endgame Reunion

Spoilers ahead for Avengers: Endgame!

It's been three weeks since Avengers: Endgame finally arrived in theaters, and conversation about the blockbuster is showing no signs of slowing down. The Russo Brothers crammed a ton of exciting content into the movie, so each frame has been dissected and discussed by the rabid fanbase. Endgame succeeded in many ways, but it really did justice to OG Avengers like Tony Stark.

Iron Man was given quite the arc in Avengers: Endgame, one that was deeply reflective on everything he'd gained and lost since Thanos snapped his fingers and wiped out half of all life. After the time jump, Tony was shown living a happy life with Pepper Potts and their daughter Morgan. But he was haunted by his failures, especially Peter Parker's dusting during Infinity War. Iron Man's eventual reunion with Spider-Man was super emotional, and now Robert Downey Jr. has shared a video filming that scene. Check it out below.

I'm not crying, you're crying. It looks like Tony and Peter's brief scene on the battlefield went through some variations, including different lines of dialogue. And they're likely all emotional gut punches.

This video comes to us from Robert Downey Jr's official Instagram page. With the spoiler ban for Endgame officially lifted by the Russo Brothers, the film's cast and crew has been able to get more chatty about their experience. Plenty of actors have been posting footage from Endgame's set, revealing potentially illegal videos they took working on the massive blockbuster.

In the above clip, you can see Robert Downey Jr. working alongside Tom Holland. The latter actor is wearing his signature motion capture pajamas, and strikes a pose before limping onto the set and catching up with his onscreen Marvel mentor. Those who remember the emotional reunion in Avengers: Endgame will notice that the actors are saying different lines. It almost seems improvised, so perhaps they were given freedom to play, and not necessarily parrot the same words from the script.

Personally, I love how Peter asked Tony what all the "grey stuff" in his beard was. RDJ brilliantly delivers his response, revealing they're just grey hairs. It's a great comedic beat, although the theatrical cut included Peter discussing his return from the dead, and Doctor Strange's magical abilities.

Related: How Spider-Man: Far From Home Can Wrap Up Marvel's Phase Three

Another change in the scene was how Tony embraced his superheroic protegee. He hugs Peter for much longer than what we saw in Avengers: Endgame, even giving the young hero a kiss on the cheek in the process. Peter and Tony's relationship with hugging has spanned multiple movies, as their connection grew deeper in Spider-Man: Far From Home and Avengers: Infinity War.

Peter Parker's relationship with Tony should be a major plot line in Spider-Man: Far From Home, as the new trailer teased a protagonist that was deeply in mourning. The adventure will also pair Peter with Nick Fury, Maria Hill and Happy Hogan, allowing RDJ's signature character to still have a presence, despite his epic death scene.

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

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Sorry, Ms. Marvel Was Not Teased During Captain Marvel

Sorry, Ms. Marvel Was Not Teased During Captain Marvel

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has been on a serious roll with Phase Three, as every single installment has been a box office and critical success. This includes the most recent release: Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck's Captain Marvel. The 90's origin story has been making some serious money during its first week in theaters, as the MCU is expanded further thanks to recurring characters Nick Fury, Phil Coulson, Korath, and Ronan.

But there is another character that Marvel fans were looking out for: Kamala Khan aka Ms. Marvel. The teenage hero is usually a denizen of Jersey City, and is inspired heavily by Carol Danvers' superhero identity. While some fans were hoping Kamala might have been hinted at during Captain Marvel's runtime, Kevin Feige recently shut down these rumors, saying:

I think she's a contemporary story. I don't think she was a little kid in 1990. I'm not sure she was born in 1995.

Touche. While the Marvel Cinematic Universe's timeline hasn't always been super clear to the fandom, Kevin Feige's math makes sense. Kamala Khan will need to be a teenager for her story to function, so there's no way she'd be around in 1995 when Captain Marvel is set. But when will she finally show up?

Kevin Feige's comments to Comic Book may illicit a mixture of emotions from the hardcore Marvel fans. For one, there's relief. If Ms. Marvel was teased during the events of Captain Marvel, it means that the first week of audiences didn't notice it. But since Kevin Feige shut that fan theory down, cinephiles can simply sit and enjoy the latest Marvel blockbuster, without having to pour over every frame.

Then again, there are plenty of fans who are waiting and hoping that Kamala Khan ends up being brought into the massive Marvel Cinematic Universe. Ms. Marvel made history as the first Muslim hero to come from Marvel's pages, and became a massively popular figure in the comic book universe. Mindy Kaling and Riz Ahmed have both voiced their interest in working on a Ms. Marvel movie for Marvel Studios. Plus, Brie Larson hopes the character pops up in the Captain Marvel sequel.

The MCU has been a more inclusive place in Phase Three, as people of color and women were given the chance to shine in projects like Black Panther, Captain Marvel, and Ant-Man and The Wasp. As such, it might be the perfect time for Marvel Studios to move forward and bring Kamala Khan's Ms. Marvel to the silver screen for the first time. And it looks like Kevin Feige might have ideas brewing.

Unfortunately, Phase Four of the MCU is a complete mystery, as the studio is keeping its cards close to the chest until the release of Avengers: Endgame next month. The release schedule would presumably include potential spoilers, especially regarding who survives the final battle against Thanos. So we'll just have to wait and see if Ms. Marvel ever makes it to theaters.

Captain Marvel is in theaters now, and Avengers: Endgame will arrive on April 26th. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

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