Wait, Is Avengers: Endgame Getting An Intermission Internationally?

Wait, Is Avengers: Endgame Getting An Intermission Internationally?

One of the most talked about aspects of Avengers: Endgame has been the film's length. It clocks in at over three hours long, which has many people wondering how they're going to withstand it, sitting in a theater for that long, not really wanting to take a break for fear of missing anything. It turns out this might only be a problem domestically, as Avengers: Endgame may be getting an intermission in other countries.

The above image purportedly comes from a screening of Avengers: Endgame which recently took place in Italy, the film opened there on April 24. It appears that if you see the film in cinemas there, there is a five minute intermission inserted into the film.

This is something that a lot of people in North America would probably like to see. A five minute break to run to the bathroom or go get more snacks or just to stretch your legs would not be out of line. There are certainly going to be people who need to use the bathroom but aren't going to want to leave the theater for fear of missing something important in a movie that has built up over the last 11 years.

Intermissions aren't entirely unheard of in film, but they haven't been common in recent years. Films like Gone with the Wind and Lawrence of Arabia had intermissions built into them. Many films around three hours long did decades ago.

The most recent film with an intermission that I can recall was Quentin Tarantino's The Hateful Eight, though that was only included as part of the longer "Road Show" version of the film. I found it a nice break, and it was structured in such a way that it helped add to the tension of the story. You had a few extra minutes to wonder what was going to happen next before you saw the result. Certainly, such a thing could certainly happen with Avengers: Endgame. And if we're all here for over three hours, what's an extra five or ten minutes?

It's unclear how widespread this phenomenon is. It could be just Italy, or even just this one theater, that has added the intermission, but it certainly wouldn't be surprising to see other places do something similar.

While movies, especially of the epic blockbuster variety, are routinely breaking the two hour mark these days, a movie hitting three hours is still a fairly rare occurrence. It's just a long time and it's a potentially difficult thing to juggle. On the one hand, you don't want to go to the bathroom in the middle, so maybe you forego food and drink before the film. But then again, you don't want to be distracted by your own hunger during the movie, so maybe food is needed.

Some places may get an extra break, but it won't be happening here, so if you're prepping for Avengers: Endgame tonight, be ready for three straight hours of sitting. Hopefully the chair is comfortable.

The 10 Best Characters From The Classic Disney Movies

The 10 Best Characters From The Classic Disney Movies

Seeing the Walt Disney Pictures logo grace your television with the visual quiver of VHS error coming across the screen should be enough to get your nostalgia pumping like Casey Junior coming down the railroad track.

The films of Walt Disney have gifted us with many of the great animated movie characters in history. Most recently, we have Frozen's Elsa, the title characters of Moana and Wreck-It Ralph's fun friends, plus pretty much anything Pixar has created in the last 20 years. (We'll ignore The Good Dinosaur.)

While those "modern" classics are fine, I'm talking about even deeper cuts, like Cinderella or Quasimodo from The Hunchback of Notre Dame. The real classic characters from Disney as an animation company. We have sang with them, danced with them, cried with them, and even learned a few helpful lessons about life from them.

Yet, which of the many Disney movie characters are most memorable, iconic and, most importantly, lovable? I took a trip down memory lane and revisited the most classic Disney movies, ranking my own picks of the studio's greatest characters. Join me.

10. Bambi - Bambi (1942)

Felix Salten’s hooved hero served as the perfect central character for Disney’s tragic 1942 coming of age tale, Bambi.

Bambi is an adorable and innocent young deer enjoying an idyllic existence in the forest, until his life is changed forever after those superior on the food chain take the life of his loving mother for sport. From that moment, Bambi must immediately outgrow his childhood innocence if he wants to protect his home from the unsympathetic will of "Man."

Behind Bambi’s bright animation style lies a lesson in adult responsibility in the wake of life’s greatest challenges while also aggressively forcing you to empathize with nature. Bambi turns out to be more than a cute woodland animal; he is one of the most educational Disney characters of all time.

9. Sebastian - The Little Mermaid (1989)

The best kind of friend is the one who will break the rules for the sake of your happiness. Case in point: Sebastian’s reluctant disobedience to King Triton in support of Ariel in her quest for love with a royal landlubber in 1989’s The Little Mermaid.

Voiced by the lively, infectiously-entertaining Samuel E. Wright, the spirited crab Sebastian’s official title in the underwater kingdom is King Triton’s Advisor, but more often he looks after his daughter, Ariel. Even though he tries to convince the mermaid princess that life is better “Under the Sea,” he still gives into her wishes to help her become a part of the world above it.

Not only does Sebastian make living underwater sound like paradise, his empathetic support and talent for reggae are key to many of The Little Mermaid’s most iconic moments and one of the most lovable Disney movie characters I can personally think of.

8. Belle - Beauty And The Beast (1991)

During the opening number of Beauty and the Beast, it is made clear that Belle is the outcast of her French village. No one seems to really "get" this attractive, sweet bookworm with a killer singing voice.

But we (and, I suppose, Gaston, too) understand what makes Belle a on- in-a-million person, but not just for her brains and beauty -- for her genuine personality and bravery too.

Belle takes on the selfless task of enduring the Beast’s cruel imprisonment to save her father, and later comes to realize that her captor is not the evil monster he initially seems to be and learns to love him unconditionally, turning him into a better man.

Now, if we choose to ignore how easy it is to interpret this as textbook Stockholm syndrome, Beauty and the Beast is a sweet tale about choosing love for what is inside, not outside, and Belle serves as a great role model for staying true to oneself despite what other people may say.

7. Baloo - The Jungle Book (1967)

So, you’re an orphaned boy, raised by wolves, targeted by a ruthless Bengal tiger in the deepest, most dangerous reaches of the jungle. How do you cope? Just look on the bright side.

In Disney's 1967 animated adaptation of Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book, even in the most pressing moment of Mowgli’s life, his newfound friend, a bear named Baloo, teaches him to “look for the Bear Necessities” and enjoy life to the fullest. After losing everyone else in his life, Baloo becomes Mowgli’s most reliable friend, sticking with him through thick and thin until he finds his destined home.

While he may not be the best guide when it comes to avoiding certain death by the hands of a vicious predator, Baloo still resonates with us in the real world as a friendly reminder that life is not worth living if you cannot let loose every once in a while.

6. Mickey Mouse As The Sorcerer’s Apprentice - Fantasia (1940)

You were probably wondering if Mickey Mouse was going to appear on this list! Well, I could not think of a better way to honor the most Disney character than his now-iconic image in a robe and pointed, enchanted hat.

Mickey appears in Fantasia, Disney’s 1940 anthology of animated segments set to classic orchestral pieces, as the title character of an interpretation of the 18th century poem "The Sorcerer’s Apprentice."

The ambitious rookie gives into his temptation of using his master’s hat to bring a broom to life to help him carry pails of water. He becomes proud and comfortable with his achievement, and inadvertently creates an army of uncontrollable sentient brooms, forcing the sorcerer to intervene.

The Sorcerer’s Apprentice represents the side of all of us who would gladly pick automation over manual labor to get the job done, but also provides us with a moral lesson in the potential dangers of growing too reliant on convenience that may be more relevant today than ever.

5. Cruella de Vil - 101 Dalmatians (1961)

I mean, just look at her name. Just one mention of her and you know this woman is bad news.

Cruella de Vil, a fashionista who wants to turn a litter of innocent puppies into a fur coat in 1961’s 101 Dalmatians, is the only villain I have included on this list and for good reason. She is not only one of the greatest villainous Disney movie characters, but one of the most iconic villains in cinematic history. Period.

This woman is ruthless and unsympathetic, with a face that fixes into a bloodcurdling snarl when at rest. She even has a catchy theme song that rivals Darth Vader’s “Imperial March.” How could you not love to hate her?

4. Timon and Pumbaa - The Lion King (1993)

"Hakuna matata" is a Swahili phrase meant to encourage people not to concern themselves with problems outside of their control. It is a wonderful, beneficial mindset to adopt and we can thank the comic relief from one of Disney’s most epic achievements for it.

Timon, a plucky meerkat, and Pumbaa, an imposing-but-harmless warthog, are introduced at a pivotal and very tragic moment in 1993’s The Lion King. After Simba believes he unintentionally killed his father, he runs into exile, fortunate enough to befriend the funny, carefree jungle dwellers.

As a film with Shakespearean-levels of heavy subject matter, The Lion King thrives on Timon and Pumbaa, whose gleeful presence gives us the necessary breathing room in between the film’s most challenging scenes, which is why Disney would later give them their own series. Few onscreen duos come this iconic.

3. Jiminy Cricket - Pinocchio (1940)

One of the most endurable Disney movie characters over the last several decades had a much less pivotal role in Carlo Collodi’s original novel, The Adventures of Pinocchio. In fact, it was Disney that gave him a name (inspired by a common phrase of surprise) and an occupation for their 1940 adaptation of the children’s story about a sentient puppet.

Jiminy Cricket takes on the task of being Pinocchio’s conscience after the Blue Fairy brings him to life and would have done a bang up job had Pinocchio listened to him. Seriously, if you rewatch the movie, all of Pinocchio’s largest mistakes and misadventures are all consequences of ignoring Jiminy, who is literally the movie’s voice of reason.

Jiminy Cricket is Disney’s greatest example of who a role model should aspire to be and what are role models should inspire us to be. He teaches us to always let our conscience be our guide and that, in doing so, our dreams really do have a chance of coming true.

2. Mulan - Mulan (1998)

When China is invaded by the Huns, young maiden Mulan (voiced by Ming-Na Wen) disguises herself as a man to take her elderly father’s place in battle. As the folktale describes, she becomes one of China’s most famed heroes.

Let’s get down to business about why Mulan is awesome. Of all the female Disney animated movie characters now deemed as the “princesses” (although Mulan is technically not a princess), I cannot think of one who is a better inspiration to women.

Mulan single-handedly crushes her entire country’s traditional values of keeping men on the battlefield and women in waiting and proves that courage and will is not defined by gender. She continues to be an enduring feminist icon whose influence is sure to increase when Disney’s live action remake hits theaters in 2020.

1. Genie - Aladdin (1992)

I truly have never had a friend like the genie that Aladdin is lucky enough to befriend after finding a magic lamp, but it would be a wish come true if I did.

What makes Aladdin’s Genie the absolute best of the classic Disney movie characters? For one, it is unfair to call him just one character. He is a compendium of almost all personas that the late, great Robin Williams was capable of impersonating from behind the microphone, all channeled through this timeless magical being.

Furthermore, what else keeps you coming back to revisit Aladdin? Is it to hear “A Whole New World” again? Is it the magic carpet’s charisma? Is it Gilbert Gottfried as Jafar’s parrot Iago?

Of course not! Genie is who I picture first when I think about my favorite memories watching Disney movies and the one character that audiences of all ages can agree is one of Robin Williams’ most beloved performances.

Sorry Will Smith, but there is no way you will ever come close this Genie's perfection.

What do you think of our classic Disney movie characters rank? Did we mention all of your favorites, or are there some we unfairly left out?

Director Jon M. Chu Credits Movie Theaters For Crazy Rich Asians’ Success

Director Jon M. Chu Credits Movie Theaters For Crazy Rich Asians’ Success

We’ve been busy celebrating all things movies but also all things related to movie theaters at CinemaCon this week, and Crazy Rich Asians director Jon M. Chu went onstage in Las Vegas and talked about the history of making his movie Crazy Rich Asians and the choice to bring it to the big screen, crediting movie theaters for the film's success.

The general story behind Crazy Rich Asians’ big release is one that was told by the author of the book the film is based on, Kevin Kwan, previously. Kwan said before that multiple companies were bidding on the movie while it was coming together.

Both Netflix and Warner Bros. really wanted the movie to be theirs; at the time the author even noted Netflix was offering a lot of money for the project. But money wasn't necessarily the end goal. Both companies have very different release policies. Warner Bros. releases titles theatrically and there’s a distribution window before titles go out onto other platforms. Netflix typically releases movies on Netflix and Netflix only. Per Chu:

We had to make a choice of whether to tell CRA on a streaming service or theatrically, like Warner Bros. And it wasn’t an obvious choice to some, but to us it was very obvious. The producers, myself, the writer. We wanted to affect culture and we wanted to affect culture on a global scale to become part of the dialogue that had to be had and urgently.

While there are pros and cons and filmmakers are choosing both streaming and theatrical distribution these days, John M. Chu notes his entire team was in agreement with Warner Bros. being the right fit, and there was a big reason why they felt theatrical was the only way to go:

We knew there was only one way to present our movie and that was theatrically. No other medium in the world forces people to leave their homes make a choice to fight through traffic, stand in line, sit in a theater turn off the lights and say tell me the story with all my attention on the screen the way cinema does.

Ultimately, when watching a movie on streaming, a lot of us will also have our phone out or be watching while doing some other task, whether that be cooking, doing a crossword puzzle, knitting or myriad other activities. The theater is one of the only places that asks us to turn our phones off and sit in rapt attention while a piece of art is presented in front of us.

Crazy Rich Asians went on to be a global phenomenon. It made $238.5 million at the worldwide box office on a reported $30 million budget. It has also made movie stars out of its two leads, particularly Henry Golding, who was a travel show host prior to Crazy Rich Asians and went on to appear in A Simple Favor and now the upcoming Last Christmas opposite Emilia Clarke and Emma Thompson and The Gentlemen opposite Charlie Hunnam. Constance Wu will also be in Jennifer Lopez's new stripper movie, Hustlers.

Before that, when opening weekend happened, Jon M. Chu says he went to the theater to watch people watch his movie. He noted that something happened at the theater that was unexpected and touching -- people actually stayed in the lobby to talk about the movie for a long time after it let out.

The weekend became a can’t-miss pop culture event. But it wasn’t about the first weekend. Our audience came back for the second and the third and they brought their parents and grandparents and friends. Some people bought tickets for total strangers. I’ll never forget. My experience going to the theater for the opening, but at the end people stayed like in the lobby. Like they didn’t want to leave… It was contagious. I felt pride, true pride, for the first time in my life.

It's not often that full asian ensemble casts have been brought together on the big screen for a U.S. audience. In particular, during his comments at CinemaCon, Jon M. Chu talked about remembering seeing The Joy Luck Club when he was a young man and spending hours afterwards dissecting the movie as a family. It was the first time he'd experienced seeing his culture shown on a big screen at a movie theater. So, seeing the same thing happen in the lobby after screening Crazy Rich Asians sort of takes that story full circle.

None of that would likely have been possible without the big screen experience. Sure, Netflix offers a worldwide platform similar to theaters. It also has a large number of subscribers and is good at marketing its new products to the people most likely to be interested. The company is even big on choosing diverse projects for its streaming service. But the shared moviegoing experience is something completely different and it was that experience that was deemed to be the most important by the people who worked tirelessly to make Crazy Rich Asians a reality.

One major thing theatrical releases still have going over streaming releases is their ability to produce event weekends and a lot of buzz. Occasionally a Netflix product like Stranger Things has a similar trajectory, but there’s nothing like opening weekend for a new movie. If you are a big release, you're guaranteed to be the center of attention, and even if you land second or third on a busy box office week, a movie is still an event flick that is being talked about on blogs, in social media and at the dinner table. Don't get me wrong, people talk about Netflix shows and movies plenty, but it's often more of a slow burn thanks to people not binge-ing Netflix content at a consistent rate.

It could have been chancy if Crazy Rich Asians hadn’t dominated at the box office. But the movie did make money in most countries, leading to Crazy Rich Asians 2 getting greenlighted and more. Jon M. Chu has another project in the works right now, In The Heights based on the Lin-Manuel Miranda musical, but China Rich Girlfriend and the third movie in the franchise are expected to shoot back-to-back in 2020. In the meantime, keep an eye on the Crazy Rich Asians leads in their upcoming new projects.

Brie Larson Got So In Shape For Captain Marvel She Forced Jude Law To Up His Game

Brie Larson Got So In Shape For Captain Marvel She Forced Jude Law To Up His Game

It’s not a secret that if an actor or actress signs on to play a superhero that actor or actress also signs on to get ripped. For Captain Marvel, Brie Larson trained for nine months before she ultimately began sparring with Jude Law on the set of the Marvel flick. Apparently, it got to the point where Jude Law mentioned to director Anna Boden that he had to up his “game.” According to co-director Boden:

She kept Jude on his toes, oh, my God. I remember the first day that Jude got to set and went to stunt training with her to learn that scene, and him being like, 'Oh, I better up my game.’

For a long period where Brie Larson was getting into shape for Captain Marvel, she shared images and videos of herself training online. She threw weight balls and did crazy lunges. She worked with exercise bands and kickboxed. She literally got to the point where she could push a jeep by herself. She got fit, yo.

It all plays off in the early moments of Captain Marvel where Brie Larson’s character Vers spars with Yon-Rogg, her mentor, played by Jude Law in the film. Per Anna Boden, the two were on set when the older actor confided in the director, per USA Today, that he definitely needed to get moving for his three action scenes with.

It’s not as if Jude Law didn’t prepare for the gig as Yon-Rogg. He’s been open about doing boxing and martial arts for a long time, but he hadn’t really worked out in the Kree gear Captain Marvel demanded, previously revealing they “hide quite a bit of movement.”

Still, Jude Law’s training for Captain Marvel seems to be small potatoes compared to the nine months that Brie Larson went through. She recently told Harper’s Bazaar she got good enough that the movie shot the intense action sequence on the train during her first few days on set. She noted:

I jumped in head-first. The first three days of shooting were all the stuff on the moving train, so it was mostly physical. I had been in pretty heavy training for nine months. [These scenes] bought me some time to get a feel for the suit before we actually got into dialogue… I think everyone on set was like, ‘This is insane. I can't believe she's doing a fight sequence on a moving train and it's day two.’

Whether or not Jude Law felt as if he needed to keep up with Brie Larson, the end result of the training scene is pretty impressive and you can catch it in more detail below.

Marvel's first female-led superhero movie is still currently doing big numbers in theaters. If you haven't given it a watch yet, you can check it our, or see what else Marvel has coming up with our full guide. Next up, you can catch Brie Larson in the Netflix flick Unicorn Store, also opposite her co-star Samuel L. Jackson. Jude Law can be seen in The New Pope.

Jared Leto 'Definitely' Wants To Play The Joker Again

Jared Leto 'Definitely' Wants To Play The Joker Again

DC has two hits in a row with Aquaman and Shazam! both scoring positive reviews and nice box office totals. The next film to hit theaters will be Joker, an alternate take on the classic villain that's entirely divorced from the DCEU. That means that the film, which stars Joaquin Phoenix, will have nothing to do with the Joker played by Jared Leto. The future of Leto's Joker is pretty up in the air right now, but as far as the actor is concerned, he's down to clown whenever.

Jared Leto's take on the Joker has appeared so far in just one movie: Suicide Squad. The film was hit with negative reviews, many of which took issue with Leto's performance. Both critics and fans have had issues with the version of the Joker, from his controversial face tattoos to his odd acting choices.

Ultimately, several scenes featuring the Joker were cut, and it's been unclear what the future holds for character after he was poorly received. Despite the bad reception, Jared Leto wouldn't turn down a chance to play the character again.

I would definitely play the Joker again. It all depends on the script and the circumstances, as it always does.

Though it depends on a few factors, Leto told Variety that he would definitely return as the Joker if the stars aligned in just the right way.

While there were rumors that Jared Leto's Joker would get his own standalone film, that doesn't seem to be in the cards anymore. However, he's been rumored to appear in the upcoming Birds of Prey movie that features Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn. So, could he be back for that? Leto isn't quite sure.

I don't think so, but you have to ask them.

Either he's been purposefully cagey to hide spoilers or we genuinely shouldn't expect to see the Joker in Birds of Prey (which I am okay with). Either way, Jared Leto doesn't seem to mind much which film he's in. He had a great time filming the Joker in Suicide Squad and he thinks it's a real great time to be excited by superhero movies.

I loved it. I love these films because they get people excited to go to the movies again, or just period, I don't know about again. So I think that's a miracle. Five, 10 years ago, I don't know if we thought there would be people this excited to go to the movies this weekend. So I think that's a celebration. It created a mythology that people love, and the actors are phenomenal. I mean, I'm all in. I love it. I think it's a blast.

He's definitely right about how superhero movies are attracting large crowds to the theater. Avengers: Endgame is the ultimate proof of that and you can't blame Jared Leto for wanting to be a part of something so large.

It's cool that Jared Leto is still upbeat about his experiences as the Joker, considering the online reaction to both his performance and the movie itself. It's unclear if Leto will get a second chance, but he's currently busy filming another superhero movie with the Sony/Marvel film Morbius. Stick with CinemaBlend and we'll keep you updated on all the latest news.

Details About John Wick 3's Villain Have Been Revealed

Details About John Wick 3's Villain Have Been Revealed

Through the first two chapters of the John Wick franchise, Keanu Reeves’ legendary assassin has yet to come across a foe that can take him down, with only a few even providing a challenge to the lethal Baba Yaga. But in John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, John Wick will find himself outgunned like never before, on the run and with the world’s assassins united against him. The main villain in the film is one of those assassins, Mark Dacascos’ Zero.

Mark Dacascos has an extensive list of film and television credits like Cradle 2 the Grave, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Mortal Kombat: Legacy and Brotherhood of the Wolf, where he has showcased his stylish martial arts skills. He will bring those skills to bear again in John Wick: Chapter 3 as his character Zero tries to collect the $14 million bounty. Zero represents the biggest threat to Keanu Reeves exhausted hero who just wants to retire and play with his dog.

Zero will be John Wick’s greatest adversary, but it sounds like he won’t be a villain in quite the same way that the slimy Santino D’Antonio was in John Wick: Chapter 2 or Alfie Allen’s Iosef Tarasov was in the first film. Mark Dacascos told Empire Magazine that although rivals, Zero has respect for John Wick. He said:

He’s a huge John Wick fan, so you’ll see an essence of, ‘I have to kill you, but you know if I didn’t have to do that, we’d be besties!’

The brief shots we see of Zero in the trailer for John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum make him look like the Terminator, a stoic killer who never stops, so hearing this adds another interesting level to his character. We know that John Wick commands tremendous respect in the underground crime world and it sounds like Zero not only respects John, but also almost wishes he didn’t have to kill him (or try at least) so they could be friends.

I’m sure the fact that Zero is a fan won’t make John Wick feel any better when he’s trying to kill him, but I guess it is nice to be respected by one’s peers.

In the last film we saw that Common’s Cassian had respect for Baba Yaga, but when he went after John, it was for revenge for killing Gianna-- whom he was charged with protecting. When Zero goes after John, it seems that it will be absent emotion, a strictly business situation where Zero wants to collect on the $14 million, even if he actually really likes and respects John.

It’s an interesting dynamic and I’m curious how much we’ll find out about Zero and if he and John Wick have any history. Were they contemporaries who came up in the world of assassins at the same time, each making a name for themselves? Or did Zero come in after, idolizing John Wick and looking to match him?

Mark Dacascos and Keanu Reeves are basically the same age so it may not be a case of the young lion eating the old, but as an assassin who is a John Wick fan, Zero undoubtedly wants to be the one to claim the achievement of taking out Baba Yaga.

John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum opens in theaters on May 17. Check out our 2019 Release Schedule to keep track of all this year’s biggest movies.

Mark Hamill Isn’t Buying That Leaked Episode IX Poster

Mark Hamill Isn’t Buying That Leaked Episode IX Poster

We’re approximately nine months away from the release of Star Wars: Episode IX, and a lot of Star Wars fans are eager for an official first look at the movie. While Disney and Lucasfilm have yet to provide anything on that front, earlier this week an Episode IX poster made the rounds on social media. Some assumed this was a legitimate peek at the final chapter of the Skywalker Saga, but Mark Hamill doesn’t believe it’s the real deal. When a fan inquired if this poster had been leaked and tagged Hamill in the Twitter post, the Luke Skywalker actor responded:

Doubtful. Looks like the work of a #UPF.

UPF apparently means Ultra Passionate Fan, and you could definitely count on someone like that putting in the time and effort on a Star Wars poster. Granted, unless Disney and Lucasfilm outright come out and debunk that this Star Wars: Episode IX poster is legitimate, we don’t know with 100% certainty that’s the case, but Mark Hamill made it clear on Twitter that he’s not buying its authenticity, and he’s sticking to his guns. When another user, Indie Revolver, followed up on Hamill’s original comment and said that the Episode IX poster is indeed legitimate (though not necessarily meant for the public), Hamill posted:

Mark Hamill is referring to how C-3PO is holding a bowcaster, the kind of blaster Chewbacca frequently uses. The prospect of C-3PO firing on First Order stormtroopers is frankly hilarious given that aside from that time his head was attached to a battle droid’s body, the beloved, golden protocol droid has largely been a pacifist in the Star Wars universe. There are other interesting aspects of this Star Wars: Episode IX poster, like what looks to be the other Knights of Ren and red-colored stormtroopers resembling the Revenge of the Sith-era clone troopers, but for now, it’s unclear if it’s a true leak or a fan creation.

The only way we’ll know for sure whether or not this is an official Star Wars: Episode IX poster is when Lucasfilm finally starts marketing the movie, and that’s probably not too far off. Next month, the next Star Wars Celebration will be held in Chicago, and if it’s anything like the one in 2017, this could be when the first poster and trailer for Episode IX finally drop. It’ll be nice to finally have some footage/images to finally associate with Episode IX, although you can bet that keeping in ‘character,’ Lucasfilm will still remain as cagey as possible concerning what we can specifically expect from the plot.

No story details for Star Wars: Episode IX have been disclosed yet other than it will take place one year after the events of Star Wars: The Last Jedi, with the Resistance still putting up a fight against The First Order using guerrilla tactics. Along with returning faces like Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Adam Driver and, of course, Mark Hamill, the movie will also bring in newcomers like Naomi Ackie, Richard E. Grant, Dominic Monaghan and Keri Russell, as well as Billy Dee Williams finally returning to the big screen as Lando Calrissian.

Star Wars: Episode IX hits theaters on December 20, so stay tuned to CinemaBlend for continuing coverage. In the meantime, browse through our 2019 release schedule to learn what other movies are coming out later this year.

Captain Marvel Has Already Hit A Box Office Milestone

Captain Marvel Has Already Hit A Box Office Milestone

Phase Three of the Marvel Cinematic Universe continues to pump out the hits, as every single blockbuster has been a critical and financial success. This includes the newest installation, Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck's 90's origin story Captain Marvel. Brie Larson finally made her Marvel debut as Carol Danvers, in a capsulated story that had connections to the greater MCU, including Guardians of the Galaxy. And it's making a ton of money at the box office.

Prior to its release, it wasn't clear how much of a hit Captain Marvel would be. Audiences hadn't met the title character yet, and there was some backlash and online trolling directed toward Brie Larson. But that hasn't stopped the blockbuster from raking in the cash, as it recently broke $500 million at the global box office. And it's not even a week old.

This box office update comes to us from Variety, and shows how Captain Marvel is going higher, further, faster than the film's haters predicted. Captain Marvel's success was far from guaranteed in the time before it finally arrived in theaters, although moviegoers are clearly shelling out cash to meet the ultra powerful protagonist.

Captain Marvel is the first time a brand new character has gotten their own MCU blockbuster in years, as both Spider-Man and Black Panther appeared in Captain America: Civil War before getting their respective solo movies. And while Hope became a superhero in Ant-Man and The Wasp, fans knew and loved her from the first movie.

Pre-sales for Captain Marvel no doubt helped its strong box office performance, as the hardcore Marvel fandom ran to theaters to see the penultimate installment of the MCU's Phase Three. In fact, it was among Marvel's strongest in regards to pre-sales, so its domestic opening weekend was winning before it began. The international markets have been particularly kind to Carol Danvers, as the movie has made $325.6 million in its first week in theaters across the world.

Ahead of the film's release, Captain Marvel star Brie Larson came under fire for comments she made about diversity in the press. With the film industry's focus on inclusion both in front of and behind the camera, Larson lamented that most film critics were white men. This comment proved to be the catalyst for some serious trolling, as haters took to the film's Fandango and Rotten Tomatoes pages, and sent audiences scores plummeting.

But the haters who claimed they were boycotting Captain Marvel don't seem to have made much of a difference, given how quickly the film has ascended to the $500 million mark. It should be fascinating to see how much more money the blockbuster makes for Marvel Studios, and how Brie Larson's signature character becomes a larger presence in the greater MCU.

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

Jeremy Renner Shares Video Right Before Getting His Avengers: Endgame Mohawk

Jeremy Renner Shares Video Right Before Getting His Avengers: Endgame Mohawk

It's been two long weeks since Avengers: Endgame arrived in theaters, and the fandom is still recovering from the film's myriad twists. The Russo Brothers meticulously crafted the blockbuster, connecting the story to myriad other installments and giving the original Avengers lineup significantly more screen time. This includes Jeremy Renner's Hawkeye, who returned from his Infinity War absence with a fresh new haircut and penchant for murder.

Ahead of Endgame's release, there was a ton of talk about Hawkeye's new mohawk. Play on words aside, Clint Barton's new do has been turned into countless memes, and is already iconic in its own right. Now Jeremy Renner has shared a video from the movie's set, revealing the moments before his mohawk was born. Check it out.

Way to cut out the big ending, Renner. This video shows Hawkeye moments before the new mohawk arrived. If only the actor knew how many jokes would come out of Twitter.

This new video, which comes to us from Jeremy Renner's official Instagram, is a peak behind the curtain of Marvel Studios' top secret process. Since the MCU is such a well-oiled machine at this point, it's easy for the public to forget that the franchise is just full of regular people doing their job. This includes the hair and makeup team, who are tasked with creating each characters' signature look. Cue the Hawkeye fade.

The contents of Avengers: Endgame were kept under wraps until the film's release, with both the studio and Russo Brothers doing everything they could in order to guard the myriad twists. This means the cast must follow strict guidelines, with many actors not given full scripts or the details of scenes before filming. And videos needed to be kept under lock and key for years.

Now that Avengers: Endgame is going into its third weekend in theaters, the cast and crew are finally getting more chatty about the massive blockbuster's contents. Co-directors The Russo Brothers officially lifted the spoiler ban after Endgame's second weekend in theaters, so social media and regular water cooler talk has really stepped up in regards to the myriad plot twists of the 22nd MCU installment.

Related: The Avengers: Endgame Trailer Has Us Obsessing Over Everyone's Hair

With the spoiler ban lifted, cast members from the Marvel Cinematic Universe have been slowly revealing behind the scenes look at Avengers: Endgame. Jeremy Renner wasn't the only Avenger to snap videos from the set, with Chris Pratt posting clips from the film's epic final battle. Plus, we've seen photos from the all-female Marvel lunch, which was apparently thrown by Robert Downey Jr. himself. Overall, it looks like Endgame was a blast to make--despite the sky high anticipation and pressure coming from the fans.

Avengers: Endgame is in theaters now. Be sure to check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

Disney Just Dropped Its First Fox Project After The Merger

Disney Just Dropped Its First Fox Project After The Merger

For all the glee that came with the X-Men and the Fantastic Four now being freed up to come to the MCU, Disney’s purchase of 21st Century Fox carries some major downsides. People will and have lost their jobs as a result of it and projects in development at Fox face the potential axe under Mickey’s regime. Now Disney has dropped its first project after the merger, the big budget adaptation Mouse Guard.

The high-profile film from The Maze Runner director Wes Ball was a mere two weeks out from the production start date when Disney decided to suddenly halt the project, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Yet, although Mouse Guard is the first casualty to come post-merger, it isn’t necessarily dead; it just won’t be releasing under the Disney or Fox banner. Mouse Guard may yet see the light of day because the producers of the film are being allowed to shop it around to other studios.

Mouse Guard is a four-quadrant blockbuster with franchise potential that is ready to start filming, so there is already interest from other studios. One of the film’s producers, Planet of the Apes series and future Batman helmer Matt Reeves, has an existing production deal at Netflix, so Mouse Guard could land there. Another possibility is Paramount, where Maze Runner producer Wyck Godfrey is the head of the motion picture group.

Mouse Guard is based on the comic series of the same name written and illustrated by David Petersen. It tells the story of a world free of humans where anthropomorphic mice live in a harsh medieval world where the brotherhood of the Mouse Guard is sworn to help keep their fellow mice safe. Given the medieval setting, Mouse Guard has naturally earned the elevator pitch 'Game of Thrones with mice.'

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and After Earth scribe Gary Whitta handled the adaptation for the film that is set to star Idris Elba, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Samson Kayo and Andy Serkis. With an acclaimed source material (and presumably a built-in audience), big name actors already attached and production so close to beginning, Disney pulling the plug seems strange. So why did Mickey drop Mouse Guard? What’s the cause of this mouse on mouse violence?

While it is not clear exactly why Disney gave the medieval mice the axe, one of THR’s sources indicated that it has to do with the fact that Mouse Guard was set to use motion capture and digital effects, provided by WETA, to bring the creatures of the film’s world to life. The concern was that this was a bit too similar to what Disney is already doing with “live-action” remakes like The Jungle Book and The Lion King.

Personally, I would find that to be an odd line of thinking considering both of those aforementioned titles have been or will be major box office hits (Lion King isn’t out yet, but come on). And Mouse Guard would be completely different than either of those two. Maybe Disney has a live-action remake of The Rescuers in the works we don’t know about.

Another possible reason for the red light is that Disney wants its newly acquired Fox arm to stay out of the blockbuster realm and instead focus on low-cost family films as well as PG-13 and R-rated movies, with the exception of James Cameron’s Avatar series. At a budget of $170 million, Mouse Guard definitely doesn’t qualify as low-budget.

Hopefully Mouse Guard finds another home because it has a lot going for it and it sounds like it has the potential to be something new and different in the blockbuster landscape.

We’ll keep you updated on Mouse Guard and the continuing fallout from the Disney-Fox merger. In the meantime check out our 2019 Release Schedule to see all the biggest movies headed to theaters this year.

Looks Like Aladdin’s Gilbert Gottfried Isn’t Happy About Being Replaced By Alan Tudyk

Looks Like Aladdin’s Gilbert Gottfried Isn’t Happy About Being Replaced By Alan Tudyk

Along with a brand new trailer for the new live-action Aladdin, yesterday revealed that the character of Iago, the villainous parrot of antagonist Jafar, will be voiced by Disney's go-to voice talent Alan Tudyk. In the original animated classic the character was portrayed by Gilbert Gottfried, and it appears that Mr. Gottfried isn't too thrilled with being overlooked for the live-action remake, as he's been retweeting several comments from fans who are various degrees of irate over the decision to not bring him back.

The spectrum of fans who are angry that Gilbert Gottfried isn't returning to the role of Iago covers quite a range. Some are confused, others are F-bomb dropping irate. Gottfried has had no problem over the last day retweeting angry fans, including the ones who are swearing up a storm over the decision. If nothing else, Gottfried seems to appreciate the support he's getting from fans. Clearly, his performance in the original Aladdin was quite important to a lot of people.

Many seem to feel that Gottfried's performance is on par with that of James Earl Jones in The Lion King. Some of the tweets point out that Jones is returning to the role of Mufasa for the new remake, and so, as precedent, Disney is certainly willing to bring the original voices back for the new versions.

Certainly, bringing Gilbert Gottfried back would have been a big nostalgia move, but that might also be exactly the reason it didn't happen. With Will Smith coming in to voice the iconic Genie, that character, and thus the entire movie, is going to have a very different tone and feel. Recasting another voice actor would have the effect of causing those watching the new film to remember the old one all the more while they watch it, and that might not be the best way to go. Letting the new Aladdin stand on its own and be its own thing is likely the best way to achieve success.

It's also far from clear just how much Alan Tudyk does as far as his voice of Iago. We saw Iago in the new trailer, but we have yet to hear him speak. Iago is the only animal character to be fully voiced in the animated version, and we know that the live-action movie will give Jafar a new henchman character, so the movie might just make Iago a non-speaking parrot (beyond the speaking actual parrots can do) to match Jasmine's tiger Rajah and Aladdin's monkey Abu a little better in a movie that's supposed to be more "real."

Alan Tudyk did voice the chicken Hei-Hei in Moana, who never said a word and just spent the entire film clucking, so bringing Tudyk in to record parrot squawks would not be the craziest thing he's ever done.

What do you think? Should Disney have brought Gilbert Gottfried back to voice Iago? Let us know in the poll below.

How Much Money Will Other Movies Make During Endgame's Opening Weekend?

How Much Money Will Other Movies Make During Endgame's Opening Weekend?

As you must have heard by now, Avengers: Endgame is in theaters and it's doing pretty well for itself. That's obviously an understatement, as the film shatters box office records and is poised to break a few more before long. However, Endgame isn't the only movie in theaters right now. Those films have absolutely zero hope of getting first place, but how will they perform when one movie is the center of all the attention? Relatively decent, by the looks of it.

Other than Endgame, the other films currently in nationwide theaters include The Curse of La Llorona, Shazam!, Captain Marvel, Breakthrough, Dumbo, Little, Missing Link, Pet Sematary, and Us. A lot of different options for moviegoers to choose from, but on the whole, none of these films are projected to make more than $11 million this weekend.

The Curse of La Llorona is likely to take second place this weekend. The horror film, which follows a mother in the 1970s trying to protect her kids from a ghost, is currently projected to gross $10.5 million, according to Box Office Mojo. The movie opened last week to $26.3 million. Llorona has grossed $65.2 million worldwide. Overall, the Conjuring Universe film has performed well and, seeing as its one of the newer releases, it makes sense that it takes second place.

Following Llorona is likely to be DC's Shazam! The superhero movie is projected to close out the week with $9.1 million. Shazam! opened a few weeks ago to favorable reviews and has enjoyed a healthy box office run so far. The film currently sits at $328.6 million worldwide, which isn't too bad for standalone first time superhero.

Endgame isn't the only Marvel movie in town. Captain Marvel is still kicking. The film has already made over $1 billion worldwide and cemented Carol Danvers into the MCU, but this weekend will still see it gross around $7.3 million more. Funnily enough, you can also see Captain Marvel appear in Endgame for a double dosage of Carol.

Those three are the most significant numbers of the bunch. The rest are currently projected to be as follows: Breakthrough, $6.1 million; Dumbo, $3.8 million; Little, $3.8 million; Missing Link, $2.4 million; Pet Sematary, $2.3 million; and Us, $1.9 million. Not exactly numbers to write home about, but some of these titles have been in theaters for a while now, so it's natural that they are grossing much smaller numbers.

We'll have to wait and see how next week shakes out. The two big releases are Ugly Dolls and the comedy Long Shot, but it doesn't seem likely that either will be able to dethrone Endgame. That honor might go to Detective Pikachu the following week on May 10, but who can say at this point?

You can see any of the above movies in theaters (unless your local theater shut out anything not called Endgame), or you can go see Avengers: Endgame again.

Ford May Be Making Pickup Trucks Into Movie Theaters

Ford May Be Making Pickup Trucks Into Movie Theaters

Nowadays, there are so many ways to enjoy a movie other than the traditional theater experience. Netflix has started producing its own high-profile films for cinephiles to tune into conveniently at home, along with the ability for moviegoers to take their favorite films on the go to their phones, laptops and such.

What if you could turn the back of your pickup truck into its own movie theater with minimal installation required? Ford Motors has just patented an accessory for a pickup bed that does just that, per a Fox News report. Take a look at the design from the patent below:

The system is made of two telescoping supports that can mount into the receptacles built into the side of the pickup truck bed. The design allows for a movie projection screen, television or projector to be placed along with a place for a speaker system. It even allows for a TV screen to have the option to swivel.

It’s specifically designed to work on a Ford F-150 or Super Duty truck, and is meant to be better than a custom setup, because it doesn’t require drilling holes into the bed, which can lead to corrosion down the line. Ford has not announced plans to release a manufactured version of the design for purchase, but considering they patented it, this could be on the way.

This is an exciting idea, especially for tailgaters and campers who have dreamt of having a high-quality movie experience before the big game or under the stars next to their tents. Of course, there’s always the careless consumer, who might decide to keep TV on while on the freeway and distract other drivers from the road.

The design follows some other recent innovations to go along with pickup beds such as the Honda Ridgeline, which offers a bed-as-a-speaker system and the 2019 GMC Sierra 1500, which allows for an auxiliary stereo system to be built into a folding MultiPro tailgate. So it was only a matter of time before “pickup truck movie theaters” started being designed as well.

This is an idea that certainly only caters to an owner of a truck who often park them in places that demand for entertainment such as this but it’s certainly a unique one that can spice up one’s definition of movie night.

In the past, there was also a bed that could turn into a movie theater, that had a projector installed to the headboard and panels that can come down at the sides, for a comfy at-home movie viewing. It’s no wonder movie theaters are offering subscription services and Netflix to up-ing their game with special releases, given all the new innovations to make viewing movies easy and different.

Shazam!’s Official Rotten Tomatoes Score Revealed

Shazam!’s Official Rotten Tomatoes Score Revealed

April is going to be a bigger month than usual when it comes to movies based on comic book heroes. While we, of course, have the massive Avengers: Endgame closing out the month, we also have Hellboy before that. However, the first superhero movie out of the gate next month will be DC's Shazam! and if the film's reviews are any indication for what is to come, April will be a very good month. The film has already been certified fresh by Rotten Tomatoes  with a RT score of 93%.

Of the 81 reviews that have been submitted to the aggregation site, so far 75 of them are considered positive, giving Shazam! a lot of positive buzz going into next week's big opening. It's a pretty impressive result considering the movie is still a week away. There will certainly be many more reviews to come between now and next Friday, Shazam! only has a fraction of the total number of reviews that your average wide release film receives, but if the ratio holds up, it will remain looking strong.

While Shazam! may not have quite as many reviews as some of the other recent box office movies, as a percentage, it's one of the best reviewed films in recent weeks. The 93% score puts Shazam! ahead of How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part, and Captain Marvel. It's only one point behind Jordan Peele's Us.

CinemaBlend's own review of Shazam! is one of those being counted in the plus column. Our review, and many others, praised Shazam! for the way it was able to be both a light-hearted and fun story while still being the rousing superhero adventure that audiences are seemingly always in the mood for.

The power that the Tomatometer has over the audience is difficult to actually gauge, but there are certainly those that believe it has a huge sway over the moviegoing public. Many in Hollywood have taken aim at the site in recent years, believing that it has the power to cause audiences to dismiss movies out of hand if the majority of reviews are bad, rather than give them a chance.

While critical reviews and box office numbers might frequently be in agreement, it's certainly true that they can quite frequently conflict as well. Many movies that critics love fail to capture a massive audience. Just as many movies that critics pan become box office juggernauts. While Rotten Tomatoes may have some of the power that critics claim, it's certainly not absolute.

Does the Rotten Tomatoes score really matter to you? Let us know in the poll below if Shazam! current score is influencingyour decision to see the movie.

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.

Why Shaft Is Changing The Relationship Between Samuel L. Jackson And Richard Roundtree's Characters

Why Shaft Is Changing The Relationship Between Samuel L. Jackson And Richard Roundtree's Characters

Back when Samuel L. Jackson first took up the mantle of Shaft in director John Singleton’s 2000 reboot, John Shaft II’s relationship with Richard Roundtree’s John Shaft was that of a nephew and an uncle. It may not have been what folks were expecting back then, as typically two generations of character would be assumed to follow a straight line of parent and child, but it’s what worked back in the days of that first reboot.

Now however, that relationship is about to assume the more traditional path, as director Tim Story’s Shaft reboot has retconned John and John II to be father and son. An interesting choice to make 19 years later, granted, but when CinemaBlend was on hand for a set visit early last year, the question was put into the room asking why that decision was made at this point in time.

The answer we got, courtesy of Samuel L. Jackson himself, was the following:

That choice is because they want three generations, in terms of grandfather, father, and son. And it’s not unusual, strangely enough, in black families for somebody to think their ‘uncle’ was their uncle.

With no further films existing between Shaft 2000 and Shaft 2019, there should thankfully be no issues involving continuity in the extended run of the franchise. That having been said, it’s a pretty interesting decision to make the previous two generations of John Shaft father and son. But looking at the story for Shaft on the whole, it makes total sense.

John Shaft II is trying to protect his son JJ (played by Jessie T. Usher), as well as teach him the ropes of the family’s private investigator game. After 25 years of being separated from his son and Maya, the woman who raised JJ and still holds a special place in John II’s heart (played by Regina Hall), he’s getting reacquainted with the family.

Bringing John Shaft I into the mix, and as John II’s father, only makes sense when you look at Shaft as an action comedy that literally brings the family together. During the set visit we took part in early last year, we saw a sizzle reel of footage that showed us bits and pieces of the film that gave us a taste of the tone the film was aiming for. The decision to bring in three generations of Shaft men is one that totally works, as the comic energy shown in both that reel, and the trailer for Shaft, confirms this team-up is a wise one.

Should Shaft’s latest reboot happen to do well enough, it wouldn’t be all that surprising if this family matter sparked another entry into this already legendary canon. In which case, it’ll be interesting to see if any other family members in the Shaft family tree find their way into this ever-growing picture.

Shaft is in theaters on June 14th, and we’ll have more coverage as we get closer to the film’s release date. So, be sure to stay tuned to us here at CinemaBlend.

Black Widow’s Big Avengers: Endgame Scene Originally Went Down Differently

Black Widow’s Big Avengers: Endgame Scene Originally Went Down Differently

Spoilers ahead for Avengers: Endgame

Avengers: Endgame may have already been in theaters for weeks, but the public hasn't recovered from from the film's wild events. The Russo Brothers masterfully brought the blockbuster to theaters, in a story that balanced character-driven story with epic action. But Endgame went through quite a few changes before finally arriving theaters, including Black Widow's story.

Black Widow has been the soul of The Avengers since early in the group's formation, sharing an intimate bond with all of the OG members. So her sacrifice to procure the Soul Stone was fitting and emotional, as was the tension between she and Hawkeye as they tried to stop each other. But it turns out that the Soul Stone sequence in Endgame could have contained even more action, with Thanos and his forces arriving to stop the Avengers. Endgame editor Matthew Schmidt recently revealed this, saying:

On script and what we first shot was an excellent scene. Thanos and his soldiers show up on Vormir and a small battle ensues between them and Natasha and Clint. Natasha decides to run off the cliff. Clint tries to stop her while also fending off the attack.

Well, that's a different type of heartbreaking. Because while Natasha was always meant to sacrifice herself for the Soul Stone, the journey toward her death changed throughout the course of Endgame's development. In the theatrical cut, Hawkeye and Black Widow were left to ponder Red Skull's comments, and decide who should end up jumping in order to complete the Time Heist. But it originally included the duo being attacked by Thanos' forces, adding in an extra level of drama and action to the scene.

It may have been thrilling to see Black Widow and Hawkeye team-up in battle one more time in the scene described to Business Insider, but I think that the correct version of Endgame's Soul Stone scene was ultimately in the theatrical cut. Cutting out the threat of Thanos and his outriders allowed the scene to breathe, and for Clint and Natasha to have one last tender moment with each other. What's more, the two Avengers scuffling in order to try and sacrifice themselves was unique type of action for the blockbuster.

Related: Avengers: Endgame Originally Gave Black Widow A Heartbreaking New Job

Black Widow's death was the first big one in Avengers: Endgame, and showed what a massive arc the character had gone through within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. She refers to the Avengers as her family to War Machine, and helped to regulate superheroic efforts in the wake of Thanos' snap. She was also the most determined to fight back and reverse the snap-- whatever it takes.

It should be interesting to see what comes next for Scarlett Johansson's Black Widow. While Hulk wasn't able to bring her back with his snap, the character will finally get her own solo movie in Phase Four. Smart money says it'll come in the form of a prequel, finally revealing Natasha's sordid past. ScarJo's contract with Marvel is also up with Endgame, so the actress should get a serious pay bump for another appearance.

You can watch Black Widow's sacrifice in Avengers: Endgame, in theaters now. Be sure to check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

Captain Marvel’s Powers Explained

Captain Marvel’s Powers Explained

Warning: MAJOR SPOILERS for Captain Marvel are ahead!

We’ve met a lot of superheroes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, each with their own unique powers and/or skill set. This weekend marks the introduction of one of the mightiest yet: Carol Danvers, a.k.a. Captain Marvel. Teased last year at the end of Avengers: Infinity War, Carol is being primed to be one of the new leading protagonists in the MCU going forward, and the Captain Marvel movie turns the clock back to 1995 to tell her origin story. Lest you think that’s the last we’ll see of her this year, Carol will be return at the end of April to help out the surviving Avengers in Avengers: Endgame.

Captain Marvel is a heavy hitter in the Marvel Comics universe, and for years it’s been promised that she’ll be incredibly powerful; perhaps the most powerful of the Marvel protagonists. But what exactly are Carol Danvers’ powers? What is she able to do after absorbing the Tesseract’s energy and being turned into a human/Kree hybrid that makes her such a formidable opponent and a key ally in the upcoming rematch with Thanos? Let’s go over the special abilities she shows off in the Captain Marvel movie to get the full scope of what she’s capable of (and no, traveling through time is not one of those things).

Super Strength

When Carol Danvers was brought back to the Kree homeworld Hala after the Light-Speed engine was destroyed, she was given a transfusion of Yon-Rogg’s blood. As a result, Carol, a.k.a. Vers during her amnesiac days, has the enhanced physiology that all Kree have, thus making her faster, more durable and agile than your average human. However, perhaps the biggest advantage of having Kree DNA is the super strength. Even before her powers kicked up several notches in Captain Marvel’s climax, Carol was throwing punches that would send opponents flying across the room and bent a steel bar around some door handles to delay some S.H.I.E.L.D. agents from capturing her and Nick Fury. Even when her hands were handcuffed so she couldn’t use her energy powers (more on that soon), Carol managed to fight off a squad of Skrulls.

After her powers kicked up several notches, Carol’s strength increased far past what you’d expect from a normal Kree, allowing her to stop one of the missiles Ronan the Accuser launched at Earth and send it back to the other missiles. But even that strength boost is just the tip of the iceberg, as Brie Larson said last year that Carol is able to move planets, a feat only Thanos has previously been able to accomplish with the help of some Infinity Stones. Someone’s clearly been eating their Wheaties.

Energy Manipulation

Manipulating energy is definitely the most visual of Carol Danvers’ powers, although she was led to believe during her time as Vers that this ability was a gift from the Supreme Intelligence, and one that could be taken away. This placed limits on Carol was initially able to do with this gift, but she nonetheless put it to good use, mainly through the use of photon blasts, which she could either use as projecting force or to enhance her already impressive strength. Carol was also able to generate enough energy to melt through steel doors and walls, as well those Skrull power-dampening cuffs after several minutes of effort.

When Carol’s memories returned and she learned that her energy powers actually came from absorbing the energy emitted from the Tesseract when she blew up the light-speed engine on Earth, that was just the key to awakening her full potential. After destroying the device on her neck that had actually been inhibiting these powers rather than giving them to her, Carol’s photon blasts were powerful enough to easily knock down numerous Starforce operatives and once and shoot down several Kree ships. This cosmic energy Carol can unleash is arguably what distinguishes her most from the other Marvel heroes, and it could be the key to finally defeating Thanos, particularly since, just as was the case with Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver, this power came from an Infinity Stone.

Flight

Originally, like any other normal human and Kree, Carol Danvers was earth-bound. When the escape ship she used to get off the exploding Skrull ship in the beginning portion of Captain Marvel was destroyed, she helplessly fell to Earth, and it’s only because of her Kree physiology and whatever energy reserves she could draw on that she survived that crash into the Blockbuster store. She also had to travel with Nick Fury, Talos, Maria Rambeau and Goose to reach Mar-Vell’s hidden base aboard that enhanced aircraft. But once that Kree inhibitor device was gone, Carol was given free reign to the sky and space.

During Captain Marvel’s climactic conflict, once again, Carol found herself crashing to Earth, but at the last minute, she stopped her fall and began floating. From there, it was easy enough for her to fly back into space to stop the Kree attack on Earth. But Carol’s isn’t just flying at ‘normal’ speed; as a result of her cosmic powers fully awakening, Carol can now fly at the speed of light, as she accompanied the Skrull refugees on their journey to find a new home. Mar-Vell indirectly succeeded in creating light-speed travel, it just wasn’t a ship that received that capability, it was a person.

Longer Life Span

I’ve already discussed how durable Carol Danvers is after becoming a human/Kree hybrid, and this enhanced physiology also means she heals faster from the wounds she does receive. That said, Carol also now ages more slowly compared to the average human. This was shown in Captain Marvel’s mid-credits scene when she suddenly appeared at the New Avengers base after Nick Fury’s pager was activated and she looked exactly the same as she did over two decades ago.

Most aliens in the MCU have much longer lifespans than humans, and now we can count Carol among them. Similar to when Steve Rogers was awakened after almost 70 years on ice, it will be interesting to see Carol back on Earth both reuniting with people from her past who are now much older and acclimating to how times have changed since she was last home, although I doubt this will be explored in-depth during Avengers: Endgame since that movie has a lot on its plate. Unlike Steve, though, if the MCU ever decides to release a movie set decades or even centuries in the future, there’s the potential for Carol to appear and either still look the same or only slightly older. She may not live as long as someone like Thor, but Carol could continue leaving a big impact on this superhero universe when most of the other heroes around now have passed.

Be sure to read CinemaBlend’s review of Captain Marvel and stay tuned for more updates on Carol Danvers’ future. As for what else is coming down the MCU pipeline, look through our handy guide for that information.

Godzilla: King Of The Monsters Director Has Big Ideas For What Happens Right After His Movie Ends

Godzilla: King Of The Monsters Director Has Big Ideas For What Happens Right After His Movie Ends

Warning: SPOILERS for Godzilla: King of the Monsters are ahead!

The general public wasn’t aware that the Titans existed before the events of Godzilla, but the giant reptile’s clash with the MUTOs changed everything. Five years later, Godzilla’s collision with Rodan, Mothra and King Ghidorah in Godzilla: King of the Monsters resulted in even more destruction across the world, and now the public is fully in the loop on these beasts since Monarch shared the information it’d collected about them over the decades.

So how does humanity go forward from here? Obviously we’re not done with Titan fights by a long shot, as Godzilla vs. Kong is less than a year away. But in terms of the overall status quo, Godzilla: King of the Monsters director Michael Dougherty told CinemaBlend’s own Jeff McCobb that the population will need to heed the late Dr. Ishiro Serizawa’s (played by Ken Watanabe) advice and make peace with the Titans’ existence. As Dougherty put it:

I feel like humans have no choice but to live by Serizawa’s words, which is that we have to learn how to coexist with the Titans. Now that the genie’s out of the bottle, we have no choice but to accept the fact that mankind is no longer at the top of the food chain.

During Godzilla: King of the Monsters, there was a debate over whether it was better to learn to coexist with the Titans or if we were better off killing them. The U.S. government certainly tried its best to kill both Godzilla and King Ghidorah with its Oxygen Destroyer, but the weapon only seriously harmed Godzilla, with King Ghidorah barely being fazed.

Had Dr. Ishiro Serizawa not sacrificed his life to revive Godzilla so that the reptile could defeat his arch-nemesis once and for all, Earth would be destroyed. So as Thomas Middleditch’s character, Sam Coleman, mentioned early in the movie, there are some Titans that are here to help us, and some that are here to threatens us. It’s great to learn which is which, but humanity now needs to learn that the beasts have been here longer than us and are here to stay.

Judging by the Godzilla: King of the Monsters credits, it looks like a lot of folks are getting used to this. Along with Monarch publishing all its research, it was also revealed that some cruise ships have passed by Godzilla himself, prehistoric plants are popping up that some consider to be “superfood,” and Earth is starting to be healed thanks to the Titans no longer being influenced by King Ghidorah, who wasn’t even native to our world.

Still, that doesn’t mean that everything is all fine and dandy in the MonsterVerse now that King Ghidorah is gone. It was also noted in the Godzilla: King of the Monsters credits that Skull Island has started to become unstable, with many new Titans setting up shop there, which will undoubtedly not sit well with the island’s ruler, King Kong.

This sets the stage for Godzilla vs. Kong, which will see these two behemoths clash for the first time in an American production. While their battle will be the main draw, the fourth MonsterVerse entry will also show Monarch delving into the Titans’ origins and a conspiracy to wipe out these creatures being uncovered.

You can listen to Michael Dougherty’s full remarks about the post-Godzilla: King of the Monsters MonsterVerse in the video below.

Be sure to read CinemaBlend’s review of Godzilla: King of the Monsters, and stay tuned for coverage on Godzilla vs. Kong, which hits theaters on March 13, 2020.