James Marsden Would Totally Play Cyclops For The MCU

James Marsden Would Totally Play Cyclops For The MCU

Can you believe it? We are approaching the end of an era for Marvel movies. First it will be “endgame” for quite a few of the OG Avengers with the highly-anticipated MCU flick hits theaters later this month. For the X-Men, Dark Phoenix will close out the longtime Fox franchise that started almost twenty years ago with the Disney/Fox merger now finalized, and Disney laying out plans to bring the mutants to the MCU.

Fox’s X-Men franchise has certainly seen a lot of highs and lows, switch-ups and time jumps on the big screen. James Marsden played Cyclops in the first trilogy and made an appearance in Days of Future Past before Tye Sheridan took over as a younger iteration of the role for 2016’s X-Men: Apocalypse. Marsden has now told ComicBook.com that he would don those red-tinted sunglasses all over again if given the opportunity. Here's what he said:

Sure, I'd be down. I think that world, there just are no rules. You can do whatever you want. If there's some iteration down the line where we're involved...that's been a special thing to be a part of for a good period of my life and I love those fans and I love playing that character so, yeah, I'd be totally open to that.

The actor doesn’t seem to need much convincing to join the massive MCU, and we don’t blame him – there’s some seriously amazing things coming up for the Marvel franchise. It would be interesting to see Disney carve out a place for the actor in the future as his iconic role of Cyclops, as long as we don’t have to witness anything close to The Last Stand, which left a bad taste in the mouths of many for some odd years.

However, it does look like Disney’s take on the X-Men may try to differentiate themselves from what’s been established in the past 20 years, and reboot these characters in a new and refreshing way. So bringing back an original character from Fox’s X-Men movies just doesn’t sound like it’d likely be on the table. James Marsden could certainly be a great fit for another comic book character out there in the X-Men universe, and if he’s chosen for it, this would allow the actor to bring something new to the franchise-- while his presence would also be a nice nod to its roots.

Not every member of the X-Men family has shown the adamant interest James Marsden recently has about joining the MCU. Alexandra Shipp, who will soon reprise the role of Storm in Dark Phoenix said she was against it because her character already doesn’t have many lines already. James McAvoy also recently admitted the strength in numbers with the Avengers, plus the mutants just may not well work together.

James Marsden's schedule does look quite stacked between Westworld, his upcoming Netflix series Dead To Me and the Enchanted sequel in the works, but we know he's down! Would you like to see James Marsden reprise his Cyclops role or perhaps take on another comic book role in the MCU? Feel free to leave your thoughts below.

Why Booksmart Feels So Similar To Superbad

Why Booksmart Feels So Similar To Superbad

In the years since John Hughes arguably carved out the high school movie as its own unique genre, many have risen to the challenge of creating iconic movies to define specific eras. Superbad very much did that when it hit theaters back in 2007, and it did so by taking DNA from films like Dazed and Confused and melding it with a Judd Apatow-style comedy focusing on friendship.

Now, Olivia Wilde is doing the same with her directorial debut, Booksmart. In fact, as producer David Distenfeld explained to CinemaBlend and other outlets during a visit to the film’s set earlier this year, the comparisons to Superbad make a lot of sense because the movie focuses on a friendship set against the backdrop of a crazy evening. The producer said:

In terms of the Superbad comparison, it's that friendship. Yes, there was all that craziness going around Michael [Cera] and Jonah [Hill], but friendship is what the movie is about. As much as they go through that crazy night, the friendship of these two girls is really what sort of grounds it.

So, it sounds like we can generally expect Booksmart to go to some pretty wild places when it finally premieres. The movie is aiming to heighten reality in a very similar way that Superbad did, but it’s also going to do so while anchoring the narrative in the friendship of two lovable characters.

Viewing a project like Booksmart through that lens, producer David Distenfeld seems to think the comparison to Superbad is actually fairly apt.

Of course, Superbad is not the only film that features this type of structure or narrative style in the creation of a high school movie. Despite the similarities between Superbad and Booksmart, it’s also worth noting that films like American Graffiti and Dazed and Confused have similarly employed the one-wild-night structure in the creation of legendary high school movies.

Superbad just happens to feel like one of the most apt comparisons because it specifically focuses on a pair of awkward teens making their way through a raunchy, hard-R night.

Booksmart centers on two young, intelligent girls on their last day of high school. Upon coming to the realization that they have squandered their four years focusing on academics and not paying attention to the social scene, they set out to have one wild night before graduation.

CinemaBlend will bring you more information related to Booksmart as new details about the film are made available to us. Keep it here for more updates related to Olivia Wilde’s directorial debut, and head on over to our movie premiere guide to read up on all of the films that will hit the big screen before the end of the year.

Why Captain Marvel Crushed At The Box Office

Why Captain Marvel Crushed At The Box Office

It’s a familiar refrain, ‘X superhero movie made X amount of dollars in a huge opening weekend.’ We are over a decade, arguably almost two, into the comic book movie boom and it is common knowledge that superhero movies make a lot of money, those from the Marvel Cinematic Universe especially so. Yet the predictable nature of these successes does not make them any less impressive, and sometimes a movie surprises us, surpassing even the loftiest of expectations and thus warranting further examination.

It happened with Black Panther and Aquaman last year and now it is happening with Captain Marvel.

This is not to say that Captain Marvel will reach the heights of those aforementioned films, it’s far too early to tell, but it is off to an incredible start. Captain Marvel obliterated the most optimistic forecasts, rocketing to $153 million domestically in its opening weekend. Carol Danvers (Brie Larson) was an international hit as well. The movie earned $302 million overseas for a worldwide opening weekend of $455 million according to Deadline.

Those numbers are good enough for the 6th highest global debut of all time, the biggest March opening ever and the 2nd biggest worldwide opening for the MCU and superhero movies overall. So how did Captain Marvel go higher, further and faster than so many films before it to crush at the box office? Here are some ideas.

Avengers: Infinity War’s End-Credits Scene

Captain Marvel has not historically been an A-list character, and anecdotally, I don’t think she enjoyed the same cultural cachet or name recognition prior to her MCU debut of any of her forbearers save the Guardians of the Galaxy. So what did Marvel do? It gave her the ball in the red zone, a running start, a softball to knock out of the park via the end-credits scene of Avengers: Infinity War.

Captain Marvel really couldn’t have been teed up better than it was thanks to that end-credits scene, which came on the heels of the most jaw-dropping, cliffhanger-y ending to the biggest superhero movie ever. Thanos had snapped his fingers and the Decimation scattered half our heroes to the winds, we were looking for answers and most importantly, hope.

That hope came when Nick Fury, in his dying act, when the hour was most late, called out for help using a strange pager that showed a symbol unfamiliar to many. That symbol was Captain Marvel’s and whether the majority of audiences knew that or not at the time, they probably found out and only became more curious to see the debut of the hero that could be the key to defeating Thanos.

That made Captain Marvel necessary viewing for Avengers: Endgame (although maybe audiences should have paid more attention to Ant-Man and the Wasp). It’s kind of remarkable that the Captain Marvel trailers and marketing didn’t lean into this by beginning with Nick Fury’s page, but it is clear that it didn’t matter.

Captain Marvel Is A New Hero

The MCU has grown by leaps and bounds since it began in 2008 but it still largely revolves around the same core group of characters. And while we love Black Widow, Thor, Captain America, Iron Man and the rest, it is always exciting when a new hero gets introduced. It’s like unlocking a new character in a fighting game, we’re eager to see who they are and what they can do.

The introduction of new characters acts like a soft reset for the universe, like a new coat of paint or a software update, opening up new storytelling possibilities and different permutations for how they will interact with existing pieces. When that character is a new female hero leading her own movie, displaying powers we haven’t seen before, it feels fresh and different and that’s exciting for audiences.

Moreover, there is a reason that superhero movies go back to the well of origin stories so often, and that’s because they work and audiences love them. The last time we got a big new hero being introduced with their own solo movie in the MCU was last year’s Black Panther and before that in 2017 with Spider-Man: Homecoming.

Both of those characters were introduced first in Captain America: Civil War and their successes and the opening weekend of Captain Marvel shows that audiences are ready to meet new characters and see this universe expand. And that’s a good sign with many established characters likely leaving the universe as we head into Phase 4 and new ones take up their mantles.

The Release Date

As is the case with most MCU movies, Captain Marvel entered the weekend unopposed by any other major studio releases, so competition was null. More than that though, Captain Marvel came into the marketplace at a time when audiences were thirsting for a new blockbuster. The first two months of the year have not exactly been full of movies that have forced audiences to brave the winter cold.

Despite wonderful family friendly animated fare like The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part and How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World hitting theaters, they don’t really motivate mass audiences to go to the theater the way a live-action, PG-13 tentpole does. The only real movie that could qualify as a blockbuster in the same vein as the MCU flick is Alita: Battle Angel, which sadly didn’t have the power of the Marvel brand behind and was somewhat ignored by domestic audiences, despite being, I would argue, a better movie.

So audiences were ready and waiting for something like Captain Marvel to hit theaters and specifically they were waiting for an MCU film. In a lesson Star Wars could learn from, Captain Marvel arrived 3 months since the last big superhero film Aquaman; 8 months since the last MCU film Ant-Man and the Wasp and nearly a year since Avengers: Infinity War.

That build up since our last visit to the MCU meant that the public was eager to return and Captain Marvel arrived just in time to get us ready for Avengers: Endgame. Arriving on International Women’s Day was also a nice touch.

The Marvel Brand

Success breeds success and there is no more successful brand at the multiplex right now than Marvel Studios. Marvel movies crush at the box office both domestically and overseas and thanks to Captain Marvel’s performance, the Marvel Cinematic Universe will soon cross $18 billion at the box office over 21 films.

This level of unprecedented success isn’t just a result of the quality or entertainment value of the individual films themselves, it is the achievement of the Marvel brand. The MCU is more than the sum of its parts and audiences turn up on opening weekend because it is a Marvel movie. The Marvel name is a trusted one among general audiences, a guarantee of quality and entertainment regardless of what hero gets top billing.

That’s why nothing is really a gamble for Marvel anymore. The days when it was feared that Guardians of the Galaxy might be too obscure and weird to succeed are long gone. Marvel can take perceived risks with its films, like its first female-led superhero film with a lesser-known character because it’s not really a risk with the Marvel name attached.

That Marvel name also lets audiences know that this is the next chapter in the cinematic television series that is the MCU. Skipping out on Captain Marvel would be like missing an episode in a serialized television show. You have to see it because you want to be part of the conversation and see how this impacts things moving forward.

Captain Marvel Offered Something Different

The last reason I think Captain Marvel is crushing at the box office is because of all the things that it brings to the table that seem to set it apart from what’s come before. Captain Marvel herself is a new hero and this is Marvel’s first female-led superhero movie and that’s exciting but this film also offered us smaller things that may have appealed and enticed audiences to come to the theater.

For one the Skrulls and their shape-shifting ability offered a new type of villain in these movies and something that looked like it could be a lot of fun, as the battle with granny Skrull on the train in the trailers showed.There is also the fact that this is Marvel’s first film set in this time period. Many of the people who went to see this film may have lived through or grown up in the 1990s and have some affinity and nostalgic sentiment towards that decade.

Lastly, this film featured some strong supporting players. Audiences have been following Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury since 2008 and we all wanted to see him be in a buddy cop movie with Carol Danvers and find out how he lost his eye. Plus Goose, I mean come on; featuring the cat in the marketing was a smart play.

These elements may be superficial and ultimately Captain Marvel feels like fairly standard superhero origin story stuff, but it doesn’t matter because it looked different and interesting enough for people to show up and help it crush at the box office.

Whatever the reason for its success, Captain Marvel's debut has gotten the MCU's year off to a great start ahead of the all-important Avengers: Endgame next month and it is a positive sign that Carol Danvers can be one of the faces of the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the years to come.

Captain Marvel is now playing. Check out what we thought of the film and what ticket you should buy when you see it. For everything else you can look forward to this year, take a look at our 2019 Release Schedule.

I Wasn't A Horror Fan But These Movies Have Won Me Over To The Genre

I Wasn't A Horror Fan But These Movies Have Won Me Over To The Genre

Being uninterested in horror was never about being scared of the dark. It was because bloody gore, unnecessarily grotesque creatures and one-dimensional scream queens seemed to rule the genre. It was the jump scares, me yelling at the television screen, asking them to (PLEASE) “find the damn light switch! It’s literally right behind you!” before shaking my head, burying it out of the view of the screen. It happens every time! They literally never learn. It’s stressful y’all. Don’t get me wrong, this is fun every once in a while but I’ve never been an opening-night-ticket-buying horror fan or one that really followed or cared about what was going on with the genre. (Like I would never have guessed there was anywhere close to 11 Halloween movies if my life depended on it.) Cut to today, in which I find myself absolutely geeking out about what the genre has to offer.

I don’t think this is about my own personal growth as a movie fan. I probably could have gone my whole life without seeing bugs infest a decapitated child (if you know, you know). There have been some really amazing entries in the horror genre that have successfully banded together and surrendered me into loving the genre. This horror newbie now has a lot of ground to cover and missed gems, franchises and remakes to start paying attention to, but let’s start with the movies that were my “gateway drugs” in a sense into the genre.

First up is 2017’s Get Out – yes, cliché maybe. The thing about Jordan Peele’s debut into horror is it wasn’t just a must see for the genre, it was a phenomenon that dominated a lot of different conversations about politics, race, Hollywood industry & diversity and was so many things in of itself; a comedy and “social thriller” so I ended up getting around to it. The movie showed me that horror wasn’t just about shock value, it could actually say something profound about the world we live in and in an incredibly smart way that has enticed discussion and theories were still talking about two years later.

Peele is all about intentional filmmaking: which we movie fans absolutely love to pick apart. I love the kind of movies that you can notice something new about with each viewing and you want to jump right back in again and watch immediately after the credits roll. Get Out filled a bit of a hole we forgot was possible to dig up in the movie-watching experience. There’s something beautiful about not having it all spelled out to you on-screen. Something that unravels a conversation much deeper than “Oh, it was pretty good! What did you think?” out of us.

So Get Out felt like a bit of a once-in-a-lifetime kind of horror spectacle but then I found myself intrigued by the idea of checking out A Quiet Place one weekend with a friend. To be honest, some of this was based on my interest in seeing Hollywood’s power couple John Krasinski and Emily Blunt finally share the screen. I’m still thanking myself for experiencing this movie in the theater because what a crazy experience. Krasinski (who was also the film’s director) did something special when he played around with silence. I found myself carefully chewing my popcorn and holding off on blurting expletives in service of the environment created so masterfully in A Quiet Place.

There are a ton of reasons why I love A Quiet Place such as the way it disguises itself as an incredibly loving family drama. Without having the genre on its side, it would not have played as well. It taught me a bit about why horror filmmaking can be such a cool and interesting type of movie. It’s all about manipulating the senses and being able to take hold of the audience so well that they are actually able to feel the fear the characters are experiencing. It doesn’t have to be about grossing me out or having a “gotcha moment” with a jump scare. Thus, my horror movie geek out continued.

There were a couple of other recent movies that cemented my interest into giving the genre a real shot. While I’m still confused to this day about what exactly went on in last year’s Annihilation, I loved how weird it was, and the “girl gang” cast featuring Natalie Portman and Tessa Thompson. As a sci-fi fan the title spoke to me and the twists that leaned into the “horror” elements added to it and complemented the other, along with delivering a really intriguing message to contemplate.

While I initially ran into the other direction of the Happy Death Day franchise because there was an antagonist with a knife and mask and seemingly some more “2D” teens to unpack (the perfect recipe for typical lazy horror), it delighted me with its subversion of this cliche. Unlike most “horror” with its general description, the movies are made to portray teens as a college-set lighthearted movie would, it gave the main characters their own agency in the situation instead of simply surviving the masked killer. I certainly wouldn’t call the sequel of the “horror” genre but it’s definitely worth checking out!

Then came my “big girl” reintroduction into horror: Hereditary. While all my other picks so far genre-bend in their own rights, Ari Aster’s debut film is straight-up horror and wow was I blown away by what this film had to offer. A couple years ago, I wouldn’t have even given this title the time of day, but after these other movies paved the way into opening my mind to the genre, me, the ex-horror-hater was able to enjoy this very scary, gory, disturbing horror flick thanks to some newfound intrigue into the genre. I already need to see this again. Who am I? What have I become?!

I think horror is having a big-time resurgence and golden age right now as Jordan Peele’s Us  unmistakably strikes a chord with audiences (as shown by its huge opening weekend box office record), and remakes for Pet Sematary, Child’s Play and It soon making their way into theaters. In addition, the Hereditary filmmaker continues with Midsommar, while James Gunn mixes superheroes and horror for his executive-produced Brightburn. I’m ready for them all.

John Wick Box Office: Beloved Hitman Takes Out Avengers: Endgame

John Wick Box Office: Beloved Hitman Takes Out Avengers: Endgame

You can't win the weekend box office forever. Even E.T., which somehow won the weekend box office sixteen different times, was eventually defeated. After surviving a close race with Detective Pikachu last weekend, Avengers: Endgame came into this weekend a bit beaten up, and John Wick 3 took full advantage, topping $57M in its debut weekend and almost doubling up Captain America and friends, which slipped to number two for the first time after winning its initial three weekends.

You can check out the full weekend box office results, including those for other newcomers A Dog's Journey and The Sun Is Also A Star below...

The big story here, of course, is John Wick 3. The previous two installments of the movie definitely had nice little runs at the box office, but round three almost doubled the weekend opening of round two, per Box Office Mojo. That's definitely a sign of a franchise trending in the right direction. Whether there will be a Chapter 4 is still unclear (info here WITH SPOILERS), but there's still the spinoff rolling forward over at Starz and it's hard to imagine Hollywood deciding to pass on a cash cow. As such, I'd expect to see another film too, whether it's a direct sequel or a spinoff.

Obviously, we should all tip our caps to Avengers: Endgame, as well. The film may not have won a historically significant number of weekends, but it'll go down as one of the highest grossing movies of all-time. That's ultimately a lot more important than winning a fourth weekend, which is as much related to competition as it is to absolute popularity. Obviously, the natural question moving forward is where the MCU goes from here and what the new normal as far as box office grosses might be. I don't think anyone at the Mouse House will be expecting numbers like this anytime soon, but it remains to be seen whether franchises like Black Panther will be able to eclipse their prior entries now that the MCU isn't directly building toward a clear climax.

All involved with Detective Pikachu should be happy with the film's solid second weekend, as well. Fans are already speculating on what Pokemon movies they'd like to see next, and it now seems certain we'll see another movie with a sizeable budget in the near future, which is the entire goal of trying to launch a franchise. Now whether that movie will include Pikachu or Ryan Reynolds is anyone's guess, but Detective Pikachu still deserves all the credit for proving enough people are invested in Pokemon to make a $100M+ budget a reasonable expense.

Scarlett Johansson Might Make More Money For The Black Widow Movie Than We Thought

Scarlett Johansson Might Make More Money For The Black Widow Movie Than We Thought

While Avengers: Endgame may have signalled some emotional goodbyes to fan favorites when it opened over the weekend, there is still a standalone Black Widow movie in the works over at Marvel once Phase 4 kicks off. Although the new line-up hasn’t yet been officially confirmed by the studio, it looks like Scarlett Johansson may be picking up a bigger paycheck for her first solo outing then earlier reports have projected.

The Black Widow actress might be earning a whopping $20 million range for starring and producing in her own Marvel flick. This is quite the jump from last year’s forecast of $15 million she was said to be receiving. Scarlett Johansson has come quite the way from her over $1 million she made for 2012’s Avengers.

The paycheck would eclipse Chris Hemsworth and Chris Evans’ earnings of $15 million for their solo films Thor: Ragnarok and Captain America: Civil War. The two actors also reportedly made the same sum for Infinity War and Endgame.

Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow reported pay would also be significantly higher than Robert Downey Jr’s 2008 Iron Man first outing of $500,000, Chadwick Boseman’s $2 million and Brie Larson’s $5 million Captain Marvel earning. The difference here is Scarlett Johansson is already an established MCU character who has starred in seven other flicks from the studio, whereas these other lump sums were given for first appearance roles.

No other salary will likely top that of RDJ’s, who makes money on the backend of Avengers movies.The Hollywood Reporter projects the actor walked away with at least $75 million after the success of Infinity War and Downey also apparently received $5 million a day for three days as Iron Man on 2017’s Spider-Man: Homecoming.

The Black Widow movie that has started assembling a cast that could include Stranger Things’ David Harbour, Fighting With My Family’s Florence Pugh and The Favourite’s Rachel Weisz, will be directed by Cate Shortland and written by Jac Schaeffer and Ned Benson.

According to David Harbour, the movie may start shooting this June, making it awfully likely that Black Widow will be one of the earlier Phase Four releases. Many speculate we’ll be seeing it on the big screen in 2020, though all Marvel announcements are on hold until Spider-Man: Far From Home hits theaters in July.

The actress’ shot at her own Marvel flick has certainly been a long-time coming, as it’s been almost a decade since she first made her appearance as Natasha Romanoff in 2010’s Iron Man. Avengers: Endgame broke just about every box office record in the book with its recent $1.2 billion global opening weekend. Fans may have a similar anticipation coming into Black Widow, so Johansson’s projected $20 million looks like a fair paycheck.

The Russo Brothers Share Their Favorite Character Arc in the MCU

The Russo Brothers Share Their Favorite Character Arc in the MCU

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is on the edge of a precipice, with just days left before Avengers: Endgame finally arrives in theaters. The Russo Brothers will bring Phase Three of the MCU to an end, and the stakes could not be higher. Given the state of the shared universe at the end of Infinity War, fans have spent the last year theorizing about what could come next, now that Thanos wiped out half of all life.

Our questions will be answered shortly, as Endgame is just days away from arriving in theaters. The upcoming blockbuster will end the MCU as we know it, and wrap up the characters arcs from many of the OG Avengers. CinemaBlend's Jeff McCobb recently spoke with The Russo Brothers, and asked the co-directors about their favorite arc in the MCU. Joe Russo piped in first, saying:

Cap obviously because we spent so much time with him. And he has gone on a very extreme journey, from First Avenger to Infinity War. He went from a patriot to an insurgent, that’s a very complicated arc.

This answer shouldn't come as much of a surprise. The Russo Brothers joined the MCU in Captain America: Winter Soldier, which is widely considered one of the shared universe's best outings. Since then, they became the architects of Phase Three, and utilized the title character in three more movies, including Endgame.

Joe Russo's comment does make some valid points, as moviegoers have watched Steve Rogers have a pretty unbelievable journey throughout the last eight years. Captain America's story spans decades, and featured him doing an about-face in regards to his belief system. So while the other Avengers have grown before our eyes, Cap arguably had the most seismic change this character.

In the same conversation with CinemaBlend at CinemaCon 2019, Anthony Russo echoed his brother's sentiments, agreeing that Captain America was their favorite. He said,

I would have to say Cap. It’s just, we’ve been so focused on that character. He was our access point to the MCU as storytellers. Having been born, and grown up, and come of age during World War II. Having that all torn away from you, and waking up 70 years later. It’s a really profound journey that character’s been on. A lot of hardship. And a lot of nobility in his heart. And we’ve had a lot of fun trying to figure that character out over the years.

Once again, the Russo Brothers show that they're great at working together. The co-directors have shared a singular vision for the MCU, and done the impossible with their work on large ensemble projects like Captain America: Civil War. And through it all, Chris Evans' signature character has been their favorite Avenger to see onscreen.

You can't blame The Russo Brothers for having some favoritism, as the Captain America franchise was how they were able to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and eventually rose to the top of the creative ladder. They brought a surprising amount of realism and grit to Captain America: The Winter Soldier, including stunning action sequences and plot twists that rocked the shared universe to its core.

Related: Avengers: Infinity War’s Writer Knows Captain America Didn’t Get Enough Lines

Captain America: Civil War is another great feat, and their second go in the MCU. But rather than focusing solely on Steve Rogers, The Russo Brothers were given the challenge of bringing in most of MCU's heroes to the playing field. It wasn't an easy task, and moviegoers had some trepidations going into theaters. But the directors juggled a big cast, and fractured The Avengers as we know them.

You can check out our conversation with The Russo Brothers at CinemaCon 2019 below.

From the interview above, you can really see how much Captain America means to Joe and Anthony Russo. And while they've gotten to know all the major Marvel characters with their work on Civil War and the Avengers movies, Steve Rogers continues to be their favorite arc in the shared universe.

While plenty of moviegoers have their favorite Avenger, you can't deny the validity of The Russo Brothers' points. Just look at how his journey compares to other major Marvel characters. Tony Stark went from billionaire playboy to a superheroic leader, but he hasn't changed that much since the first Iron Man movie ended. Scarlett Johansson's Black Widow continues to be a mystery, although that might change when her solo outing finally arrives. And while Thor is more responsible and humble, he's still largely the same God of Thunder we met in his first flick.

The Russo Brothers might have a favorite in Captain America, but they've got plenty of character arcs to wrap up when Avengers: Endgame arrives next week. Many of the original Avengers actors are coming to the end of their contracts, so fans may finally bid goodbye to folks like Cap, Iron Man, and Thor. And given the high stakes after Thanos' snap of death (aka The Decimation), it seems likely that at least one of those icons will end up being killed off.

In addition to ending certain character arcs, The Russo Brothers also have the responsibility of opening up narrative possibilities. While Marvel Studios hasn't revealed their plans for Phase Four yet, the fandom is expecting quite a few sequels over the next few years. But with Black Panther, Spider-Man, Doctor Strange, and the Guardians all faded to dust as a result of Thanos' victory, the future is currently unclear.

Most moviegoers assume that the dusted heroes will somehow be resurrected throughout the course of Avengers: Endgame. Exactly how that'll be done is unclear, but it seems like Phase Four depends on it. Because unless the future is filled with prequels, it doesn't seem like the MCU can continue on any other way.

Answers should finally come once Avengers: Endgame arrives in theaters on April 26th. In the meantime, fill out CinemaBlend's Endgame death pool, and check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.