Why The New Spider-Man Movies Aren’t Rushing To Use The Daily Bugle

Why The New Spider-Man Movies Aren’t Rushing To Use The Daily Bugle

Although Peter Parker has a keen scientific mind, the main way he’s pulled an income over the decades has been working for The Daily Bugle, mainly by snapping photos of himself as Spider-Man. The Tobey Maguire Spider-Man movies included this element of the Spidey mythology and even Andrew Garfield’s Peter had a side gig at the newspaper in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, but so far, Tom Holland’s Peter is not affiliated with the Bugle in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

So what are the chances that the MCU’s Peter Parker could join The Daily Bugle and work with people like J. Jonah Jameson and Robbie Robertson in a future Spider-Man movie? While that option isn’t entirely off the table, executive producer Eric Carroll explained to CinemaBlend and other outlets last year on the Spider-Man: Far From Home London set that because life has changed with technology upgrades and the internet, it doesn’t make as much sense to have the high school-aged Peter working as a traditional newspaper photographer. In Carroll’s words:

We've absolutely talked and thought about those characters a lot. Even in specific reference to this film. And what we just want to make sure we're doing is presenting them in a way that doesn't make you feel instantly like you've seen it before. So, we have a couple of ideas -- some of which I can't really go into detail, because they're a spoiler. But it's absolutely something. Like, if we had an in for the Daily Bugle that wasn't just your traditional newspaper and Peter Parker... there's this cool-weird thing happening where being a photographer isn't necessarily a mark of distinction anymore. We all have better cameras in our pockets than most people owned 10 years ago.

He has a point. When the Sam Raimi-directed Spider-Man trilogy was unfolding last decade, while the internet was obviously popular, smartphones weren’t a thing yet, so it was a lot harder for a non-professional to take a good photo. Nowadays it’s a lot easier for anyone with an iPhone, Android or whatever your smartphone of choice is to snap some incredible shots, meaning there’s not as much incentive for Peter to want to work for The Daily Bugle if he’s not primarily interested in a journalism career.

Plus, Peter Parker is a youth who’s grown up as social media has become increasingly popular, so if he is curious about the kind of media presence Spider-Man has, he’s more likely to look at what people are saying on Twitter and Instagram. In any case, Eric Carroll also mentioned that Spider-Man: Far From Home tries honor the source material as much as possible, and there are apparently a few nods to Peter’s connection to The Daily Bugle. Carroll said:

So, how do we get Peter or somebody into that world without... do people really aspire to be photographers for the New York Times anymore? Or do they aspire to have their Tweet reposted and so on? So, we're trying to pay as much homage to the source material as possible, and we do think there are a couple of fun ideas like that in here -- again, most of which I don't want to spell out for you, but we want to pull out as much of the mythology that people love in a way that's totally faithful and what people love about it, but in a way that doesn't remind me you he is Spider-Man.

Given that the main hook of Spider-Man: Far From Home is watching Peter Parker travel to Europe with his friends and being recruited by Nick Fury to fight the Elementals with Mysterio, one probably shouldn’t get their hopes up about seeing him get a job at The Daily Bugle, let alone interacting with an irate J. Jonah Jameson. That said, one fun nod to the newspaper I could envision is Peter looking at its website or one of its social media platforms while he’s across the pond.

Although Sony is moving full steam ahead on its live action and animated Spider-verse franchises, it’s a good bet we can expect at least one more MCU-set Spider-Man movie, if not more. So even if Spider-Man: Far From Home has other things to focus on, maybe there’s still potential down the line for Peter to get some work experience at The Daily Bugle should he want to explore the world of media, perhaps after he graduates high school.

As far as how Peter Parker’s life is currently going, well, it’s quite the whirlwind of change. Like the rest of those who were dusted by Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War, Peter was brought back in Avengers: Endgame thanks to Hulk channeling the power of the Infinity Stones. However, he and everyone else who disappeared are the same as they were when Thanos snapped them out of existence, as opposed to being five years older like those who survived.

So now Peter Parker has to go back to high school, and while it may feel to him like no time has passed since he was fighting Thanos on Titan, the world changed a lot in the last five years. Fortunately, there were others in his life, like Aunt May and Ned, who also turned to dust, so it’s not like Peter doesn’t have anyone to talk to who shared this experience.

But along with all this, Peter Parker is also coping with the death of Tony Stark, his mentor and father figure. So even though he’s going on vacation, Peter will have to balance battling threats to humanity and coping with personal pain. Such is the life of a superhero, particularly Spider-Man, who's dealt with a lot of trauma and loss over his decades of comic book and other media appearances.

Spider-Man: Far From Home will spin its web in theaters on July 2, so keep checking back with CinemaBlend for more coverage. Don’t forget to also look through our Marvel movies guide to see what else is coming up in the MCU.

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How Shazam! Changed An Important Sivana Scene During Its Reshoots

How Shazam! Changed An Important Sivana Scene During Its Reshoots

Warning: MAJOR SPOILERS for Shazam! are ahead!

Although the original plan for Shazam! was to have the eponymous protagonist face off against Black Adam, the clash is being saved for the future, as the villain/anti-hero also known as Teth-Adam will first debut in his own movie. Instead, Shazam! used Mark Strong’s Doctor Thaddeus Sivana as its main antagonist, and he definitely showed off his intimidation chops.

This was best demonstrated when Sivana killed everyone inside of a boardroom, including his own brother and father, using the Seven Deadly Sins. As it turns out though, that wasn’t originally the scene that showed just how frightening Sivana could be. I recently spoke with Michel Aller, the editor of Shazam! and frequent collaborator with director David F. Sandberg, and she informed me that during principal photography, Sivana’s display of incredible power happened in a different location. Speaking about the boardroom scene, she said:

It was a later addition. Originally the way Sivana confronts his family was completely different. It was at a Christmas party in his mansion. And so the whole idea of him confronting his family was re-conceived. So that was part of the additional photography.

The Christmas season can be a dramatic time among certain families, but killing your relatives and all the attendees of a holiday party is an entirely different beast. Something like that feels more appropriate during the Airing of Grievances in a Festivus celebration. But as Michel Aller explained to me, during Shazam!’s reshoots phase, it was decided to change things up, which is how the boardroom slaughter came to be.

In case you need a refresher, after Thaddeus Sivana, against the wizard Shazam’s protests, stole the Eye of Sin from the Rock of Eternity and became the new vessel for the Seven Deadly Sins, he traveled to Sivana Industries to confront his father and brother. Both of them had been emotionally abusive towards Thaddeus growing up, with his brother, Sid, blaming him for the accident that paralyzed their father. Now that he had the power to exact revenge, Thaddeus tossed Sid out the window and had the Seven Deadly Sins murder Mr. Sivana and everyone else in the room.

For those curious to see how this massacre was originally supposed to play out at the Christmas party, Michel Aller states that there’s a good chance this will be one of the deleted scenes included on the Shazam! home media release, although obviously the visual effects effects won’t be complete. In her words:

Yeah, I mean, I’ve submitted it and I believe that they’ll include that for sure.

Doctor Sivana didn’t get to enjoy his partnership with the Seven Deadly Sins for very long in Shazam!. Thanks to the World’s Mightiest Mortal and his adoptive siblings, who were able to become superheroes thanks to Billy Batson sharing his power, the Sins were contained back in the Eye of Eternity and redeposited to their prison in the Rock of Eternity, which is now officially the Shazam family’s lair.

However, don’t think this is the last we’ve seen of Sivana in the DC Extended Universe. In the Shazam! mid-credits scene, he was shown obsessively scrawling ancient runes on the walls of his prison cell, desperately trying to go back to Rock of Eternity to reclaim his lost power. However, he was then approached by Mr. Mind, who promised him that there are other ways to obtain power, and by working together, the two of them will be able to conquer the Seven Realms. In other words, Sivana’s days of slaughtering innocents probably aren’t done yet.

Be sure to read CinemaBlend’s review of Shazam! and stay tuned for updates concerning Shazam! 2. In the meantime, catch up on all the other DC movies in development by looking through our handy guide.

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Those '90s Songs In Captain Marvel Are Suddenly Really Popular Again

Those '90s Songs In Captain Marvel Are Suddenly Really Popular Again

When it comes to music in the MCU, Guardians of the Galaxy is the one that has the reputation for the most rockin' soundtrack. The cosmic franchise's Awesome Mix of '70s and '80s hits has been massively popular, but it's Captain Marvel that has all the '90s love. The new Marvel film features a soundtrack of '90s tunes and it's clearly leaving a big impact on audiences because all of these songs combined jumped 464% in downloads.

Captain Marvel is the newest MCU film and follows Brie Larson's Carol Danvers as she tries to discover her past while stuck in the middle of a war between two alien races. The film is set in the '90s and contains several memorable throwbacks to the decade, such as Blockbuster and dial-up internet.

To help keep everyone in the spirit of the '90s, the film's soundtrack includes hits from bands like Nirvana, No Doubt, and Elastica. It's a nostalgic throwback that has the millions of people who have seen the superhero movie in the '90s mood, because these songs have skyrocketed in downloads and streams since the the movie premiered on March 8.

Captain Marvel features 13 rock, pop, and rap songs on its soundtrack. Combined, they collected a 464% gain in sales in the U.S. in the four days after Captain Marvel released in theaters, according to Nielsen Reports (via Billboard). That means that combined, the songs were downloaded 9,000 times -- compared to 2,000 just four days before March 6.

Apparently, The Marvelettes' "Please Mr. Postman," which Nick Fury sings for all of five seconds, is included in this measurement.

For those curious which song was the highest-seller from the soundtrack, that title goes to "Celebrity Skin" by Hole. The song jumped 2,222% in sales to nearly 2,000 downloads during the tracking span. Other songs that saw over 1,000 downloads include Garbage’s “Only Happy When It Rains” (up 1,351%), No Doubt’s “Just a Girl” (up 720%), and Nirvana’s “Come As You Are” (up 371%).

Of course, we can't forget to look at streaming, and the 13 songs saw some notable gains in that area. Collectively, the soundtrack saw a 43% gain, which equates to 4.09 million streams on March 7-10. Comparatively, the collected songs had 2.85 million from March 3-6.

Never underestimate the power of a good throwback! The soundtrack is clearly playing well with people and now it makes me curious if the inevitable Captain Marvel 2 will continue the trend and feature more '90s songs. If the sequel takes place in space or the present day, it probably wouldn't make too much sense.

You can listen to this rippin' soundtrack in Captain Marvel, which is in theaters everywhere. For everything else hitting theaters this year, check out our 2019 movie release guide.

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How Avengers: Endgame Could Set Up Hawkeye's Partnership With Kate Bishop

How Avengers: Endgame Could Set Up Hawkeye's Partnership With Kate Bishop

With just weeks to go until Avengers: Endgame, more and more news about the film and what comes after is slowly but surely circulating the web. The latest is that Disney+ will reportedly have a Hawkeye series that will focus on the hero passing the torch to another character that some have speculated will appear in Avengers: Endgame for some time, Kate Bishop.

With reputable sources reporting Kate will be a part of the Hawkeye series, it's a possibility Marvel fans will get to see her first at some point in Avengers: Endgame. How this would go down, like most things about Avengers: Endgame at the moment, is a mystery, but here are some logical guesses that could predict how she's brought into the picture in the upcoming movie and how she links up with Clint Barton.

Kate Appears As An Adolescent

As we've mentioned in past coverage, there's something suspicious about that scene from the Avengers: Endgame trailer that shows Hawkeye training a young girl how to use a bow. While some have speculated this is his daughter, there are others who think it's actually a misdirection and that he's training a young Kate Bishop to be Hawkeye.

There's even a possibility it could be both, although there would be questions as to why Clint's daughter would be Kate Bishop and not Lila Barton. There are simple explanations for this that fans needn't get hung up on, and there's probably just as many scenarios in which these two have no relation and were brought together by circumstance. After all, quite a few kids surely lost parents in the snap, so perhaps Kate and Clint formed a bond through that.

One would assume that any scene with a young Kate Bishop in Avengers: Endgame wouldn't feature a ton of hero work, as her training to be Hawkeye is said to be a premise of the upcoming Disney + series. Therefore, if we do see Kate Bishop as a kid, don't expect a lot of ass-kicking. At least, not so much ass-kicking that she's already made hero status or something.

Kate Appears As An Adult

Regardless of whether Kate Bishop is the girl Hawkeye is teaching archery to or not in the trailer, it's also possible she's seen as an adult. Kate Bishop's origin typically starts with the Young Avengers, as she's a combat-skilled civilian and capable archer who sneaks onto the team by stealing the gear of Mockingbird and Hawkeye.

Things probably won't happen exactly like that in Avengers: Endgame, given the premise of the television show. That said, it's not an entirely impossible scenario as Hawkeye has traded out his gear for Ronin duds, and Kate could be an emboldened civilian wishing to help and stop feeling so helpless following the snap. A situation similar to her origin plays out where she takes Hawkeye's gear, but is sent away by the hero with a promise he'll train her later.

An adult version of Kate Bishop feels likely, especially given that we still don't know what Katherine Langford's role in Avengers: Endgame is. She has the look and the television experience thanks to her breakout role on the Netflix original series 13 Reasons Why to shoulder a lead role in the Hawkeye series. Introducing her in the film as Kate Bishop would be a subtle way to introduce her and promote the upcoming show which would explore more of her story.

Kate Appears As Hawkeye

Clint Barton's been separated from The Avengers from some time, so it's possible he may have been training Kate Bishop and none of Earth's Mightiest Heroes was aware of it. This would explain why he's Ronin now, as Bishop may already have the mantle of Hawkeye. It's a quick turnaround to create a hero, but when half of existence gets wiped out, one could imagine no one's complaining about beefing up the hero numbers a bit.

Should this be the case, there's a chance that the young girl shown with Hawkeye in the Avengers: Endgame trailer is not Kate Bishop. Some time will pass in Avengers: Endgame, but I would assume not so much that a child can go from middle-schooler to young adult. If that did happen, it could be because The Avengers used time travel and Hawkeye stayed behind to train Kate and keep the world safe in the time between the heroes traveling.

Which isn't a bad idea, because that leaves a gap of time for the Hawkeye series to take place. A series set within a timeline before the Avengers reset the events of the Snap would be cool to explore, and not entirely impossible to believe considering that Loki series could be a prequel. Not every Disney+ Marvel series necessarily has to take place post-Avengers: Endgame, so don't rule this one out as a possibility just yet.

Kate Appears As A Member Of Young Avengers

Another popular theory surrounding Avengers: Endgame is the possibility of a Quantum Realm-fueled jump into the future that puts the original Avengers face to face with The Young Avengers. There the team could meet Kate Bishop as the new Hawkeye and fight alongside her in battle. Once back in a present timeline, Clint realizes he needs to find that girl and train her to be the hero she could eventually become.

It's a far-reaching theory considering fans know nothing about the latter acts of the 3+ hour film that apparently won't have dull scenes for pee breaks, but there are some roots. Marvel's dropped breadcrumbs that imply an older Cassie Lang will appear as a hero, and she just so happens to be another key member of the Young Avengers alongside Kate Bishop. Now that Kate is confirmed to be a part of Marvel's future plans, this somewhat strengthens the theory.

We could speculate all day, but if there's one theory I'm feeling confident on, it's that Kate Bishop will appear in Avengers: Endgame in some way. Excluding her when there's a chance to promote the upcoming series with her appearance would be a mistake, and Marvel has been pretty good about cross promotion. Then again, the studio has somewhat dropped the ball on that in regards to television, but with Marvel Studios involved in these shows, things may be different.

The world will see if or how Kate Bishop appears in Avengers: Endgame when it premieres Thursday, April 25. Stick with CinemaBlend for all updates on the film and other entertainment news in the meantime.

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Shazam! 2 Will Likely Follow This Cool Comic Storyline

Shazam! 2 Will Likely Follow This Cool Comic Storyline

Warning: MAJOR SPOILERS for Shazam! are ahead!

With all the money it’s made at the box office so far and the amount of positive reception it’s earned, it’s safe to say that Shazam! is another hit for Warner Bros and DC. It’s likelier than not that a sequel will move forward, and producer Peter Safran acknowledged that Shazam! 2 will have to come together quickly since the young cast members are quickly growing up.

Fortunately, like many superhero movie’s before it, Shazam! used its mid/post-credits scene to foreshadow set up what’s to come. Assuming a misdirect isn’t in the cards, it looks like this upcoming story will be based on the currently-running Shazam comic book by writer Geoff Johns and artist Dale Eaglesham, which hasn’t even wrapped up its first story arc yet!

For those who need a refresher on Shazam!’s mid-credits scene, Mark Strong’s Thaddeus Sivana was seen obsessively scratching ancient runes on the walls of his prison cell, desperately trying to get back to the Rock of Eternity so he can reclaim his last power. Suddenly, a nearby voice tells him that there are other ways to obtain powers, and by the forming alliance, Sivana and these two can conquer the “seven realms.”

We soon see that this voice doesn’t come from a giant, foreboding figure, but from a tiny, yet still unnerving, super intelligent caterpillar named Mister Mind. He was first seen in Shazam! trapped in a glass case when the adolescent Sivana was brought to the Rock of Eternity, but had managed to escape confinement by the time Billy Batson showed up at the wizard Shazam’s lair.

Although the Shazam! movie drew from all across Shazam’s comic book history, it was primarily based off the New 52 origin story written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Gary Frank. That story also ended with Mister Mind proposing an alliance to Dr. Sivana, although in this instance, the two of them met when Dr. Sivana tried to break back into the Rock of Eternity following Black Adam’s defeat, with Mister Mind trapped inside of a glass case. In this case, though, Dr. Sivana was desperate for magical power to “save his family,” hence why he’d entertain working with a sinister caterpillar.

Five years after Shazam’s New 52 origin story concluded, DC finally debuted an ongoing Shazam comic book series starring these new incarnations of the Shazam family. At the time of this writing, only four issues have been released, with issue #5 coming out on May 8.

However, Shazam!’s tease of Sivana and Mister Mind working together, Mind’s “seven realms” comment and some weirdness Billy Batson and his adoptive siblings deal with in the Rock of Eternity indicates that Shazam! 2 will be based off the tale that Geoff Johns and Dale Eaglesham are currently delivering on the printed page.

In the current Shazam comic book, Billy and his siblings discover a passage way in the Rock of Eternity that leads to a old fashioned-looking train station providing transportation to other corners of the Magiclands, which is comprised of seven magical realms: the Earthlands (a.k.a. our reality), the Funlands, the Gamelands, the Wildlands, the Monsterlands, the Woznerlands and the Darklands. Thus far, the latter three realms haven’t been shown yet, but the others are all kinds of weird.

There wasn’t a train station to be seen in Shazam!’s version of the Rock of Eternity, but it does have its own gateways to other worlds. While Billy and the kids were trying to escape Sivana, they came across a cavern filled with countless doors. One of them led to a room where three crocodile-men (modeled off the kinds of creatures that Shazam/Captain Marvel has battled numerous times in the comics) were playing cards, another door containing a tentacle creature resembling the Demogoron from Stranger Things, and a third door that just tried to suck in everyone.

Aside from visits to the Rock of Eternity, Shazam! only took place on Earth, but these doorways and Mister Mind aspiring for multi-dimensional domination foreshadow that Shazam! 2 will likely have the Shazam family visiting other magical realms. Whether or not these realms will directly resemble the Magiclands from the comics remains to be seen, although the presence of these crocodile men and the prospect of bringing the anthropomorphic tiger Tawky Tawny, a longtime member of the Shazam mythos (who was subtly referenced in Shazam! via a stuffed tiger toy), suggest that the Wildlands could at least appear.

Oh, and it’s also worth mentioning that Dr. Sivana and Mister Mind are involved in the current Shazam comic book. Thus far the full extent of their machinations hasn’t been revealed yet, but they’re definitely up to no good, as Mind instructed Sivana to kill a doctor because the “tongue of a medicine man” is required for a spell they’re casting.

We also learned how Mind is believed to have originated from the Wildlands and nearly destroyed the Council of Eternity. Perhaps this backstory will be retained for Shazam! 2, especially given that Mind was imprisoned at the Rock of Eternity for an untold period of time.

Assuming that Shazam! 2 is based off of Geoff Johns’ current Shazam arc, it would be just another way the writer’s work has influenced the DCEU. Justice League was based off of the opening issues of his New 52 Justice League run, and Aquaman drew from his acclaimed New 52 Aquaman run, as well as incorporated elements of his scrapped "Rise of the Seven Seas" event. Johns had previously helped guide the DCEU as DC Entertainment president, but he stepped down from that role and Chief Creative Officer last year to focus on comic book writing and producing more projects.

Shazam! hasn’t even been theaters for a week, so it may be a while before we hear any specific information about what’s in store for Shazam! 2. Still, much like how Aquaman set the stage for a Black Manta/Stephen Shin team-up in Aquaman 2, Shazam! showed audiences that Mister Mind is work with Dr. Sivana, and it’s a good bet that whatever they have planned will require the Shazam gang to venture out into the magical beyond.

Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for more updates on Shazam! 2, which will be written by the man who penned the first movie, Henry Gayden. But for now, you can pick up the Shazam comic book series digitally or at your local comic book store to get a sense of what might be depicted on the big screen, and don’t forget to look through our handy guide to learn what else the DCEU has coming up.

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George Lucas Writes Sweet Tribute To Peter Mayhew

George Lucas Writes Sweet Tribute To Peter Mayhew

Star Wars fans were saddened to learn about the recent death of Peter Mayhew, the man who brought the Wookie Chewbacca to life for the majority of the franchise. Friends and colleagues have been sharing their thoughts on the iconic actor. George Lucas, the creator of Star Wars has penned his own tribute to the man where he talks about how Mayhew was discovered and placed in the film that would define his career.

According to George Lucas, finding somebody to play Chewbacca was actually quite complicated. While all Lucas was really looking for was somebody tall enough to play the part, finding that proved difficult. Eventually however, a hospital attendant named Peter Mayhew was found and Lucas cast him as soon as he saw how tall the man was. According to Lucas...

Peter was a wonderful, wonderful man. He kept his job in the hospital through the first three movies. But he fell in love with the character. And then as Star Wars grew in fame, and he started doing more festivals and public appearances, he realized he could actually make a living just off the personal appearances. He was very gentle, very sweet, very easy to get along with. He was more like a Wookie than I originally imagined a Wookie to be. Originally, I envisioned Chewie as some big ferocious beast, but Peter's Chewie wasn't really ferocious. No matter how hard he tried, he wasn't ferocious. He would be your best friend until he got angry, then stand back. He was a gentle giant.

The idea that Peter Mayhew kept his job working at a hospital while also being in the biggest movie franchise of all-time is just adorable and hilarious.

While Mayhew would have a handful of other acting jobs over the course of his career, he really did just make a living being Chewbacca for the most part. It's clear he truly loved playing the character.

Mayhew hasn't played Chewbacca at all in the last couple films, with the costume being handled by Joonas Suotamo in both Star Wars: The Last Jedi and Solo: A Star Wars Story. Mayhew hadn't been in the best health of late, so his passing wasn't necessarily a shock, but it was still sad news.

George Lucas' comments in THR are a wonderful tribute from the man who created Chewbacca and found the perfect person to give him life. While Lucas says he initially envisioned Chewbacca as a ferocious beast, it was Mayhew who turned him into the lovable giant he became. It's impossible to think of Chewbacca as anything else now.

Chewbacca will live on. Joonas Suotamo is set to bring the character back in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. While Mayhew may never inhabit the suit again, his contribution will certainly never be forgotten.

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Apparently The Suicide Squad Is Bringing Back Jai Courtney’s Captain Boomerang

Apparently The Suicide Squad Is Bringing Back Jai Courtney’s Captain Boomerang

While not a hit on the critical spectrum, 2016’s Suicide Squad was quite the commercial success for the DC Extended Universe, taking in nearly $747 million worldwide. With a financial performance like that, it’s no wonder that Warner Bros gave the green light to a sequel, although now that James Gunn is writing and directing The Suicide Squad, the project has been described as more of a reboot. However, it can’t be fully classified as such, as we’ll apparently be reuniting with some familiar faces, including Jai Courtney’s Captain Boomerang. The actor confirmed his involvement in The Suicide Squad thusly:

We're getting ready to shoot in a few months' time. There's not much else I can reveal about it but, yeah, you'll be seeing Boomerang back for sure.

Like his comic book counterpart, Captain Boomerang, real name Digger Harkness, was one of the original members of the DCEU’s Suicide Squad, and while he was definitely the most cowardly of them, he managed to survive their first mission against Enchantress and Incubus. Evidently Amanda Waller or whoever is currently heading up Task Force X still sees value in him, as Jai Courtney confirmed to Business Insider that he’ll be present for The Suicide Squad, also saying that though the movie will be a “different” experience, it will also be “great.”

Assuming the report that Margot Robbie will reprise Harley Quinn in The Suicide Squad is also correct, that makes two Suicide Squad actors who are back for the sequel/relaunch. Deadshot will also return, but due to scheduling conflicts, Will Smith has vacated the role and Idris Elba is succeeding him as Floyd Lawton. There’s still no word if Viola Davis will reprise Amanda Waller, but Joel Kinnaman reportedly won’t reprise Rick Flagg. Beyond that, it’s been said that The Suicide Squad will primarily consist of brand-new characters, but Courtney and Robbie returning, as well as Deadshot still being present, provides some connective tissue to the first Suicide Squad movie, thus ensuring The Suicide Squad isn’t an actual reboot akin to Batman Begins or The Amazing Spider-Man.

Although Jai Courtney is the second actor to play Captain Boomerang in live action (the first being Nick Tarabay on Arrow), Courtney’s version is definitely the version more well-known to audiences, with a lot of folks probably learning about the character’s existence in Suicide Squad. Given that Courtney also has some star power on his side, it makes sense why he’s being brought back for this follow-up. We might not ever see Boomerang clash with The Flash again, but at least he can still lend his unique talents to this black ops team in exchange for a reduced prison sentence… provided his antics don’t compromise the mission.

The Suicide Squad charges into theaters on August 6, 2021. Don’t forget to look through our DC movies guide to learn what else is coming down this superhero franchise pipeline, as well as our 2019 release schedule to plan your silver screen experiences this year accordingly.

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