Marvel Announces New Movies & Disney+ Shows at Disney's 2020 Investor Day Presentation

 
There's no escaping Marvel in 2021.

Marvel Studios was one of the big highlights yesterday from The Walt Disney Company’s 2020 Investor Day presentation.  Kevin Feige, president of Marvel Studios and chief creative officer of Marvel, revealed a number of new series coming to Disney+, along with new details of their upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe Phase 4 films.

Feige remarked, "The Cinematic Universe weaves storylines, heroes and villains across 23 feature films to date.  And with Disney+, we’re able to extend this way of storytelling to a new format — creating series that are connected to our theatrical releases, making the MCU more immersive than ever."

Here's the rundown of big reveals during the presentation:

WANDAVISION (Disney+, Premieres January 15, 2021)

The second trailer for the series was revealed, which you can check out HERE.

Wanda Maximoff and Vision are two super-powered beings living the idealized suburban life, but begin to suspect everything is not as it seems. The series has Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany returning to their roles as Wanda and Vision, respectively. Also joining the series are Kat Dennings, who reprises her role as Darcy Lewis from Marvel Studios' Thor and Thor: The Dark World; Randall Park, who reprises his role as Agent Jimmy Woo from Ant-Man and The Wasp; and newcomers Kathryn Hahn, who plays their plucky neighbor, and Teyonah Parris, who plays the adult Monica Rambeau, who was introduced in Captain Marvel.

THE FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLDIER (Disney+, Premieres March 19, 2021)

A First Look trailer for the series was revealed, which you can check out HERE.

Anthony Mackie returns as Sam Wilson a.k.a. The Falcon, and Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes a.k.a. The Winter Soldier. Sam and Bucky, who came together in the final moments of Avengers: Endgame, team up in a global adventure that tests their abilities—and their patience.  The six-episode original series also stars Daniel Brühl, reprising his role as Baron Zemo, Emily VanCamp, reprising her role as Sharon Carter, and newcomer Wyatt Russell as John Walker.

LOKI (Disney+, Premieres May 2021)

An Exclusive Clip trailer for the series was revealed, which you can check out HERE.

The God of Mischief is back — and now Loki is stepping out of his big brother’s shadow. Marvel Studios’ Loki takes place after the events of Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Endgame with Tom Hiddleston returning as the titular character.  Joining Hiddleston in the series are Owen Wilson, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Sophia Di Martino, Wunmi Mosaku and Richard E. Grant. Loki is directed by Kate Herron with Michael Waldron serving as head writer.

WHAT IF...? (Disney+, Premieres Summer 2021)

A First Look trailer for the animated series was revealed, which you can check out HERE.

Space. Time. Reality. It’s more than a linear path.  What If…?, which takes inspiration from the comic books of the same name, flips the script on the Marvel Cinematic Universe and reimagines famous events from the films in unexpected ways.  As revealed last year, each episode will explore a pivotal moment from the MCU and turn it on its head, leading the audience into uncharted territory, such as “What if Peggy Carter was the one who became a super soldier?”  What If…? focuses on different heroes from the MCU, featuring a voice cast that includes a host of stars who will reprise their roles, such as the previously announced Hayley Atwell as Peggy Carter. The series will star Jeffrey Wright as the voice of The Watcher.

SHANG-CHI AND THE LEGEND OF THE TEN RINGS (Film, Scheduled for July 9, 2021)

Opening Summer 2021, Simu Liu stars as Shang-Chi in Marvel Studios’ Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings. Shang-Chi must confront the past he thought he left behind when he is drawn into the web of the mysterious Ten Rings organization.  The film’s cast also includes Tony Leung as Wenwu, Awkwafina as Shang-Chi’s friend Katy, and Michelle Yeoh as Jiang Nan. Additionally, Fala Chen, Meng’er Zhang, Florian Munteanu and Ronny Chieng appear in the upcoming movie, which is directed by Destin Daniel Cretton.

MS. MARVEL (Disney+, Premieres Late 2021)

A Sizzle Reel for the series was revealed, which you can check out HERE.

Ms. Marvel, a newer character to Marvel Comics, has grabbed the world’s imagination and Kevin Feige, president, Marvel Studios, and chief creative officer, Marvel, was excited to announce during The Walt Disney Company’s Investor Day presentation that newcomer Iman Vellani will star as Kamala Khan aka Ms. Marvel in the series, Ms. Marvel, set to arrive on Disney+ in late 2021!  The Marvel Studios original series centers on fan-favorite Kamala Khan — a 16-year-old Pakistani-American growing up in Jersey City. A great student, avid gamer, and voracious fan-fic scribe, Kamala has a special affinity for superheroes, particularly Captain Marvel.

However, Kamala struggles to fit in at home and at school — that is, until she gets super powers like the heroes she’s always looked up to. Life is easier with super powers, right?  Joining Vellani in Ms. Marvel, the cast also includes Aramis Knight, Saagar Shaikh, Rish Shah, Zenobia Shroff, Mohan Kapur, Matt Lintz, Yasmeen Fletcher, Laith Naki, Azher Usman, Travina Springer and Nimra Bucha.  Fans will get to meet Ms. Marvel in her series before Iman Vellani joins Brie Larson (Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel) and Teyonah Parris (Monica Rambeau) in the upcoming feature film, Captain Marvel 2, directed by Nia DaCosta, which will open in theaters on November 11, 2022!

HAWKEYE (Disney+, Premieres Late 2021)

Marvel has confirmed Hailee Steinfeld will join Jeremy Renner, who reprises his role as Clint Barton a.k.a. Hawkeye, in his series Hawkeye, as the well-known archer from Marvel Comics, Kate Bishop.  Rounding out the cast of the original Marvel Studios series are Vera Farmiga, Fra Fee, Tony Dalton, Zahn McClarnon, Brian d’Arcy James, and newcomer Alaqua Cox who will star as Maya Lopez.

DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS (Film, Scheduled for March 25, 2022)

Currently in production, the Sam Raimi-directed sequel stars returning cast Benedict Cumberbatch (Doctor Strange), Benedict Wong (Wong), Rachel McAdams (Christine Palmer), and Chiwetel Ejiofor (Mordo), as well as the addition of Elizabeth Olsen (Wanda Maximoff) and newcomer Xochitl Gomez who will portray America Chavez, a new fan-favorite from the comics.  The Marvel Studios adventure, set to debut in theaters March 25, 2022, will connect the events of next month’s WandaVision, the original new series debuting on Disney+, and the upcoming Spider-Man film.

THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER (Film, Scheduled for May 6, 2022)

With Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Natalie Portman (Jane Foster), and Tessa Thompson (Valkyrie) returning to their roles, they will be joined by Christian Bale, who will portray the villain Gorr the God Butcher.  The fourth film in the Thor franchise, Waititi previously revealed, "When we were shooting Ragnarok, I was reading one storyline by Jason Aaron, called THE MIGHTY THOR. And for those of you that don't know that storyline, it's incredible and full of emotion and love and thunder. And it introduces, for the first time, a female Thor,” confirming that Jane Foster, played by Portman, will become the Mighty Thor, Goddess of Thunder.

BLACK PANTHER II (Film, Scheduled for July 8, 2022)

Marvel Studios’ Black Panther 2 will continue to honor the legacy of Chadwick Boseman and his portrayal of King T’Challa, and will not recast the character. The sequel will continue to explore the incomparable world of Wakanda and all of the rich and varied characters introduced in the first film.  Written and directed by Ryan Coogler, who was behind Black Panther, the film will be released on July 8, 2022.

CAPTAIN MARVEL 2 (Film, Scheduled for November 11, 2022)

Returning to her role as Carol Danvers in Marvel Studios’ Captain Marvel 2, Brie Larson will be joined by Iman Vellani, who makes her debut as Ms. Marvel in the Disney+ series of the same name. Additionally, joining the cast is Teyonah Parris, who portrays grown-up Monica Rambeau — a character introduced as a child in Marvel Studios’ Captain Marvel — in Marvel Studios’ WandaVision.  The film, directed by Nia DaCosta, is slated to open November 11, 2022.

THE GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY HOLIDAY SPECIAL (Disney+, Premieres December 2022)

A ragtag bunch of misfits. The holidays. James Gunn. Do we really need to say anything else?  Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn is returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe to write and direct The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special for Disney+!  Before Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax, Rocket, and Groot hit the big screen with the next Guardians of the Galaxy film in 2023, watch the Guardians engage in some spirited shenanigans in an all-new original special, created for Disney+, during the 2022 holiday season.

SHE-HULK (Disney+, Premiere Date TBD)

It’s time to dive into the world of superhuman-oriented legal cases with Marvel Studios’ She-Hulk, a brand new comedy series coming to Disney+. Tatiana Maslany stars in the show as Jennifer Walters — a.k.a. She-Hulk — a lawyer who specializes in this specific kind of legal case.  Additionally, the show will welcome a bevy of different Marvel characters to the series, including the Hulk, once again played by Mark Ruffalo, along with the Abomination, with Tim Roth returning to the role.  She-Hulk is directed by Kat Coiro and Anu Valia, with Jessica Gao serving as head writer.

MOON KNIGHT (Disney+, Premiere Date TBD)

The Marvel Studios original series for Disney+ centers on the character Marc Spector a.k.a. Moon Knight, a complex vigilante who suffers from dissociative identity disorder. These multiple identities who live inside him are distinct characters in the series and will appear against a backdrop of Egyptian iconography.  The action-adventure Marvel Studios’ Moon Knight series, created for Disney+, is directed by Mohamed Diab.

SECRET INVASION (Disney+, Premiere Date TBD)

They might have gotten off to a rocky start in Marvel Studios’ Captain Marvel, but now Nick Fury and Talos are back!  Marvel Studios’ Secret Invasion, a new series coming to Disney+, has Samuel L. Jackson and Ben Mendelsohn reprising their roles as the former S.H.I.E.L.D. director and Skrull, respectively.  The crossover comic event series showcases a faction of shapeshifting Skrulls who have been infiltrating Earth for years.

IRONHEART (Disney+, Premiere Date TBD)

Marvel Studios’ Ironheart stars Dominique Thorne as genius inventor Riri Williams who creates the most advanced suit of armor since Iron Man himself, Tony Stark.

ARMOR WARS (Disney+, Premiere Date TBD)

What happens if Tony Stark’s tech falls into the wrong hands? Find out in the newly announced series, Marvel Studios’ Armor Wars, coming to Disney+.  Don Cheadle returns to the role as James Rhodes — aka War Machine —  who must face these tech consequences in this classic Marvel story.

ANT-MAN AND THE WASP: QUANTUMANIA (Film, Release Date TBD)

It’s a family affair! Kathryn Newton joins the cast of Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania as Cassie Lang, the daughter of Scott Lang. Paul Rudd reprises his role as Ant-Man, alongside Evangeline Lilly as Hope van Dyne/Wasp. Joining them are returning cast members Michael Douglas as Dr. Hank Pym, and Michelle Pfeiffer as Janet Van Dyne — aka, Hope’s parents.  Additionally, Jonathan Majors will portray Kang the Conqueror, with three-time repeat Ant-Man director Peyton Reed returning behind the camera.

FANTASTIC FOUR (Film, Release Date TBD)

Make way for Marvel’s First Family — Reed Richards (Mister Fantastic), Sue Storm (Invisible Woman), Johnny Storm (Human Torch) and Ben Grimm (The Thing)!  Closing out The Walt Disney Company’s Investor Day presentation, Kevin Feige revealed the studio will bring one of Marvel’s most iconic families to the big screen with the release of Marvel Studios’ Fantastic Four! Spider-Man veteran Jon Watts is on board to direct.

Disney Acquires 21st Century Fox, FANTASTIC FOUR & X-MEN Returning to Marvel

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is about to get a lot bigger.

After recent acquisitions of Marvel Comics and Lucasfilm Ltd., The Walt Disney Company has officially announced they have agreed to acquire 21st Century Fox, including the Twentieth Century Fox Film and Television studios, along with cable and international businesses, for the sum of $52.4 billion in stock.

This means that Disney will now control the movie and TV rights to the Fantastic Four and X-Men properties, allowing them to be brought into the Marvel Cinematic Universe and interact with other MCU characters.  This deal includes other Fox franchises such as The Simpsons and Alien.

Oh, look...Here's a press release from Disney!

The Walt Disney Company To Acquire Twenty-First Century Fox, Inc., After Spinoff Of Certain Businesses, For $52.4 Billion In Stock

21st Century Fox to spin off Fox Broadcasting network and stations, Fox News, Fox Business, FS1, FS2 and Big Ten Network to its shareholders

• Acquisition complements andThe Walt Disney Company To Acquire Twenty-First Century Fox, Inc., After Spinoff Of Certain Businesses, For $52.4 Billion In Stock enhances The Walt Disney Company’s ability to provide consumers around the world with more appealing content and entertainment options
• Transaction to include 21st Century Fox’s film and television studios, cable entertainment networks and international TV businesses
• Popular entertainment properties including X-Men, Avatar, The Simpsons, FX Networks and National Geographic to join Disney’s portfolio
• Expands Disney’s direct-to-consumer offerings with addition of 21st Century Fox’s entertainment content, capabilities in the Americas, Europe and Asia; Hulu stake becomes a controlling interest
• Addition of extensive international properties, including Star in India and Fox’s 39% ownership of Sky across Europe, enhances Disney’s position as a truly global entertainment company with world-class offerings in key regions
• Robert A. Iger to remain Chairman and CEO of The Walt Disney Company through 2021

The Walt Disney Company and Twenty-First Century Fox, Inc. (21st Century Fox) today announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement for Disney to acquire 21st Century Fox, including the Twentieth Century Fox Film and Television studios, along with cable and international TV businesses, for approximately $52.4 billion in stock (subject to adjustment). Building on Disney’s commitment to deliver the highest quality branded entertainment, the acquisition of these complementary assets would allow Disney to create more appealing content, build more direct relationships with consumers around the world and deliver a more compelling entertainment experience to consumers wherever and however they choose. Immediately prior to the acquisition, 21st Century Fox will separate the Fox Broadcasting network and stations, Fox News Channel, Fox Business Network, FS1, FS2 and Big Ten Network into a newly listed company that will be spun off to its shareholders.

Under the terms of the agreement, shareholders of 21st Century Fox will receive 0.2745 Disney shares for each 21st Century Fox share they hold (subject to adjustment for certain tax liabilities as described below). The exchange ratio was set based on a 30-day volume weighted average price of Disney stock. Disney will also assume approximately $13.7 billion of net debt of 21st Century Fox. The acquisition price implies a total equity value of approximately $52.4 billion and a total transaction value of approximately $66.1 billion (in each case based on the stated exchange ratio assuming no adjustment) for the business to be acquired by Disney, which includes consolidated assets along with a number of equity investments. 

Popular Entertainment Properties to Join Disney Family

Combining with Disney are 21st Century Fox’s critically acclaimed film production businesses, including Twentieth Century Fox, Fox Searchlight Pictures and Fox 2000, which together offer diverse and compelling storytelling businesses and are the homes of Avatar, X-Men, Fantastic Four and Deadpool, as well as The Grand Budapest Hotel, Hidden Figures, Gone Girl, The Shape of Water and The Martian—and its storied television creative units, Twentieth Century Fox Television, FX Productions and Fox21, which have brought The Americans, This Is Us, Modern Family, The Simpsons and so many more hit TV series to viewers across the globe. Disney will also acquire FX Networks, National Geographic Partners, Fox Sports Regional Networks, Fox Networks Group International, Star India and Fox’s interests in Hulu, Sky plc, Tata Sky and Endemol Shine Group.

“The acquisition of this stellar collection of businesses from 21st Century Fox reflects the increasing consumer demand for a rich diversity of entertainment experiences that are more compelling, accessible and convenient than ever before,” said Robert A. Iger, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, The Walt Disney Company. “We’re honored and grateful that Rupert Murdoch has entrusted us with the future of businesses he spent a lifetime building, and we’re excited about this extraordinary opportunity to significantly increase our portfolio of well-loved franchises and branded content to greatly enhance our growing direct-to-consumer offerings. The deal will also substantially expand our international reach, allowing us to offer world-class storytelling and innovative distribution platforms to more consumers in key markets around the world.”

“We are extremely proud of all that we have built at 21st Century Fox, and I firmly believe that this combination with Disney will unlock even more value for shareholders as the new Disney continues to set the pace in what is an exciting and dynamic industry,” said Rupert Murdoch, Executive Chairman of 21st Century Fox. “Furthermore, I’m convinced that this combination, under Bob Iger’s leadership, will be one of the greatest companies in the world. I’m grateful and encouraged that Bob has agreed to stay on, and is committed to succeeding with a combined team that is second to none.”

At the request of both 21st Century Fox and the Disney Board of Directors, Mr. Iger has agreed to continue as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Walt Disney Company through the end of calendar year 2021.

“When considering this strategic acquisition, it was important to the Board that Bob remain as Chairman and CEO through 2021 to provide the vision and proven leadership required to successfully complete and integrate such a massive, complex undertaking,” said Orin C. Smith, Lead Independent Director of the Disney Board. “We share the belief of our counterparts at 21st Century Fox that extending his tenure is in the best interests of our company and our shareholders, and will be critical to Disney’s ability to effectively drive long-term value from this extraordinary acquisition.”

Benefits to Consumers

The acquisition will enable Disney to accelerate its use of innovative technologies, including its BAMTECH platform, to create more ways for its storytellers to entertain and connect directly with audiences while providing more choices for how they consume content. The complementary offerings of each company enhance Disney’s development of films, television programming and related products to provide consumers with a more enjoyable and immersive entertainment experience.

Bringing on board 21st Century Fox’s entertainment content and capabilities, along with its broad international footprint and a world-class team of managers and storytellers, will allow Disney to further its efforts to provide a more compelling entertainment experience through its direct-to-consumer (DTC) offerings. This transaction will enable Disney’s recently announced Disney and ESPN-branded DTC offerings, as well as Hulu, to create more appealing and engaging experiences, delivering content, entertainment and sports to consumers around the world wherever and however they want to enjoy it.

The agreement also provides Disney with the opportunity to reunite the X-Men, Fantastic Four and Deadpool with the Marvel family under one roof and create richer, more complex worlds of inter-related characters and stories that audiences have shown they love. The addition of Avatar to its family of films also promises expanded opportunities for consumers to watch and experience storytelling within these extraordinary fantasy worlds. Already, guests at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World Resort can experience the magic of Pandora—The World of Avatar, a new land inspired by the Fox film franchise that opened earlier this year. And through the incredible storytelling of National Geographic—whose mission is to explore and protect our planet and inspire new generations through education initiatives and resources—Disney will be able to offer more ways than ever before to bring kids and families the world and all that is in it.

Noah Hawley Developing DOCTOR DOOM Movie for Fox

Show me the puny mortal who does not tremble at the name of Doctor Doom!

According to the Hollywood Reporter, at the end of yesterday's San Diego Comic-Con 2017 panel for the FX series Legion, showrunner Noah Hawley teased that he's developing a movie based on Marvel Comics supervillain Doctor Doom for Fox, which holds the rights to the character and his archenemies, the Fantastic Four.  

"Two words," said Hawley. "Doctor.  Doom."

The article claims "Hawley is developing a feature project centering around one of Marvel Comics' most recognizable villains with an eye to direct."

The project would presumably be part of another attempt to create a Fantastic Four film franchise for Fox, which had mediocre success with 2005's Fantastic Four and 2007's Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, followed by the outright failure of Fox's 2015 Fantastic Four reboot, a box-office bomb that reportedly cost $120 million to make and only brought in $56 million in domestic ticket sales.

Doctor Doom was featured in all three films, played by Julian McMahon in the first two, and Toby Kebbell in the reboot.

Created in 1962 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, Doctor Doom first appeared in Fantastic Four (vol.1) #5 as Victor Von Doom, who was part of a tribe of Latverian Romani people under the rule of an unnamed nobleman called the Baron. Victor's mother was a witch named Cynthia Von Doom who died by Mephisto's hand while Victor was young.  His father, Werner, was the leader of the tribe and a renowned medicine man who kept his wife's sorcery quiet in order to protect Victor from a similar fate.  Soon after Cynthia's death, the Baron's wife grew incurably ill from cancer and Werner was called to the capitol to heal her. When she succumbed to illness, the Baron labeled Werner a murderer and called for his death. Werner escaped with young Victor, having realized the night before the woman would die. He died of exposure on the mountainside, cradling the boy in a final embrace and giving him his garments to keep him warm. Victor survived and, on return to the Romani camp, discovered his mother's occult instruments and swore revenge on the Baron.  Victor grew into a headstrong and brilliant man, combining sorcery and technology to create fantastic devices which would keep the Baron's men at bay and protect the Roma people.  His exploits attracted the attention of the dean of Empire State University, who sent someone to the camp.  Offered the chance to study in the United States, Victor chose to leave his homeland and his love, Valeria, behind.

Once in the United States, Victor met fellow student and future nemesis Reed Richards, who was intended to be his roommate, but Victor immediately disliked him and asked for another roommate.  After a time, Victor constructed a machine intended to communicate with the dead. Though Richards tried to warn him about a flaw in the machine, seeing his calculations were a few decimals off, Victor continued on with disastrous results.  The machine violently failed and the resulting explosion seemingly severely damaged his face. Expelled after the accident, Victor traveled the world until he collapsed on a Tibetan mountainside.  Rescued by a clan of monks, Victor quickly mastered the monks' disciplines as well as the monks themselves.  Victor then forged himself a suit of armor, complete with a scowling mask, and took the name Doctor Doom.  As Doctor Doom, he would go on to menace those he felt responsible for his accident—primarily, Reed Richards of the Fantastic Four.  He succeeded in taking over Latveria, taking an interest in the welfare of the Roma.

In his first appearance, Doctor Doom captured the Invisible Girl, using her as a hostage so the Fantastic Four will travel back in time to steal the enchanted treasure of Blackbeard which would help him conquer the world, but he was fooled by Reed Richards, who swapped the treasure with worthless chains.  Over the years, Doctor Doom became the central foe of the Fantastic Four and eventually menaced Spider-Man, the Avengers, the X-Men, Doctor Strange, and other Marvel superheroes.  

In the recent Secret Wars storyline, Doom usurped the power of the Beyonders with the aid of Doctor Strange and the Molecule Man,  collecting what he could of the destroyed multiverse and forming a new Battleworld consisting of different alternate realities.  He also assumed the role of God and claimed complete dominion of this new world and its inhabitants, controlling them into thinking he was always the almighty force of creation. Richards and a ragtag collection of heroes and villains that survived the destruction of all universes challenged him and, with the help of Molecule Man, were able to take his power and restore the multiverse.  Opting to heal rather than harm, Richards finally uses the Beyonder's power to heal Doom's face and turn him into a good man.  Following the defeat of Tony Stark at the hands of Captain Marvel at the conclusion of Civil War II, Doom remembered his unsatisfaction as a God and decided that it was his role to help heal the world.  Inspired by Stark, Doom currently fights for his unique brand of justice as the Infamous Iron Man.

First FANTASTIC FOUR Reboot Trailer Is Not Very Fantastic

Well, that was...interesting.

After months of posts on the interwebz from outraged Fantastic Four fans, the first teaser trailer to Josh Trank's Fantastic Four reboot finally dropped to an overall "Meh."  The good news is, the trailer isn't completely horrible and actually has some impressive visuals along with a strong science fiction emphasis.

The bad news is, it's not the Fantastic Four.  At least, not the one Marvel and its fans want.

With the Marvel logo nice and prominent (and oh, how they must love that), sad piano music begins to play and a rumbly Reg E. Cathy asks "How did we get this far?  Human beings have an immeasure desire to discover...to invent...to build.  Our future depends on us furthering these ideals, a responsibility that rests on the shoulders of generations to come."

And at this point, as sad violin music accompanies the sad piano, you start to wonder if you're watching a trailer for the sequel to Christopher Nolan's Interstellar instead.

We see Reed Richards (Miles Teller), apparently fresh out of high school and looking around at what appears to be an impressive research facility.  Susan Storm (Kate Mara) is intently analyzing various global monitoring screens while rocking some Beats by Dre headphones.  Ben Grimm (Jamie Bell) appears to be trying out for high school baseball (note the school bus in the background), while Johnny Storm (Michael B. Jordan) seems to be working on his car inside a garage that looks like my college apartment living room.

"But with every new discovery," continues Voiceover Guy as we see the Four don spacesuits and enter a dimensional travel machine as Susan and Johnny's father Dr. Storm (Reg E. Cathey) looks on with grave concern, "there is risk...there is sacrifice...and there are consequences."

We then see the Four either crawling around slowly on the ground, bursting out from a big rock (Hi, Ben!), venting flame out of his special space-wacey suit (Hi, Johnny!), or stretching his left arm towards something off screen (Hi, Reed!) before the FANT4STIC...errr, Fantastic Four title comes up.

Lastly, we see programmer and blogger (I kid you not) Victor Domashev (Toby Kebbell), lying stretched out on a medical table as Reed looks on.  "Be ready for what's coming," whispers Doctor Doomashev.

"What is coming?" asks Reed.

"The answers," replies Doctor Doomashev as we hear some dramatic nail hammering noises, and see the Fantastic Four (with Ben all nice and rocky as The Thing) looking up at a huge stream of energy shooting upward from a series of stone pillars and ripping open the sky.

Yes, even the Fantastic Four is now dark and gritty.  Thanks, Hollywood.

If you'd like to see the full trailer, you can check it out below thanks to JoBlo.com's official YouTube account...




Fantastic Four is scheduled to arrive in theaters on August 7, 2015.

Fox Finds FANTASTIC FOUR Reboot Cast, Facepalming Resumes

And here you thought Ben Affleck, Jesse Eisenberg and Gal Gadot were bad casting decisions...

The Hollywood Reporter claims their sources confirm that 20th Century Fox is making deals with Miles Teller, Michael B. Jordan, Kate Mara and Jamie Bell (shown above) to star as Mr. Fantastic, the Human Torch, the Invisible Woman and The Thing, respectively, in Josh Trank's Fantastic Four reboot based on the Marvel Comics series.

The project, still scheduled for just over a year away, so no rush or anything, was first announced in 2009 and was about to happen last fall until rewrites forced a delay.  Simon Kinberg signed on as co-writer and producer in October 2013 and the film now appears to have a script that sufficiently pleases the studio.

The decision to go with a younger cast hints that the reboot may adapt Marvel Comics' Ultimate Fantastic Four series, which featured younger versions of the Fantastic Four that gained their superpowers from a malfunctioning teleporter accident instead of rocketing into space as adults and being bombarded by cosmic rays.

Fox's previous films directed by Tim Story, Fantastic Four and Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, did well for the studio, making over $330 million and $289 million worldwide respectively before home video sales.  However, the films were panned by both critics and comic fans, and with former Human Torch Chris Evans moved on to considerably more success as Captain America, it's no surprise the studio has decided to go with a different cast.

A rumored storyline for the film was posted on Under the Gun Review, only to be denied by Trank.  However, Trank also denied many of the casting rumors, so it's possible the storyline rumors could end up actually being legit.  Here's what was posted...

'The Fantastic Four’ will tell the story of two very young friends, Reed Richards and Ben Grimm. After an event transforms the boys, they find themselves empowered with bizarre new abilities. Reed becomes a scientific genius who can stretch, twist and re-shape his body to inhuman proportions. Ben becomes a monstrous, craggy humanoid with orange, rock-like skin and super strength. However, the two end up being owned by the government and used as weapons. But after they mature, two others with powers come into the picture – Sue Storm 'The Invisible Girl' and Johnny Storm 'The Human Torch.'

And as you might expect, the internet already has a few choice opinions about the casting, some of it positive, some of it...not so much.  Here's what you can find using the Twitter hashtag #FantasticFour...

The Fantastic Four reboot is currently scheduled, believe it or not, for June 19, 2015.

Fox NOT Developing FANTASTIC FOUR VS. X-MEN Movie (UPDATED)

Well, of course they are aren't.

In an apparent attempt at studio one-upmanship, media conglomerate 21st Century Fox is looking to cross its licensed Marvel Comics properties The Fantastic Four and The X-Men into a film to rival Warner Bros.' upcoming Batman vs. Superman project.

Investment site The Motley Fool reports that Fox is looking to combine the two largest properties still remaining at the studio in an Avengers-style epic that should make their shareholders happy.  The article describes the movie's plot as "Based on a 1987 four-issue comic called Fantastic Four vs. [the] X-Men, the movie will see the characters against each other because of secrets regarding the Fantastic Four's origin."

In the four-issue limited series by writer Chris Claremont and artist Jon Bogdanove, X-Man Kitty Pryde loses control over her phasing abilities, and the atoms of her body begin drifting farther apart.  Magneto turns to Fantastic Four leader Reed Richards for help, sending the two groups into conflict with one another after a journal supposedly written by Reed claims that he deliberately planned the accident with cosmic rays that gave the Fantastic Four their superpowers.  The journal, naturally, turns out to be a fake, planted years ago by the FF's archenemy Doctor Doom and used in an attempt to make the X-Men indebted to him by saving Kitty's life.

Fantastic Four vs. X-Men would presumably be a sequel to Fox's Fantastic Four reboot by Chronicle director Josh Trank currently slated for release on June 19, 2015.  With the movie now less than eighteen months away, there still hasn't been any official confirmation of the cast, with Michael B. Jordan possibly having the role of Johnny Storm, the Human Torch.  In addition to Jordan's involvement, the rumored plot synopsis for the film has also been somewhat controversial for diverging from the original source material:

'The Fantastic Four' will tell the tale of two very young friend, Reed Richards and Ben Grimm. After an even transforms the boys, they find themselves empowered with bizarre new abilities. Reed becomes a scientific genius who can stretch, twist and re-shape his body to inhuman proportions. Ben becomes a monstrous, craggy humanoid with orange, rock-like skin and super-strength. However, the two end up being owned by the government and used as weapons. But after they mature, two others with powers come into the picture -- Sue Storm 'The Invisible Girl' and Johnny Storm 'The Human Torch.'

Meanwhile, the X-Men films are still chugging along, with Bryan Singer's X-Men: Days of Future Past scheduled to arrive on May 23, 2014 and another sequel, X-Men: Apocalypse, planned for May 27, 2016.  If the Fantastic Four reboot does well enough to justify Fantastic Four vs. X-Men, you can probably expect that sometime in 2018.

*** UPDATE AS OF 12/30/13 ***

Earlier today, I received the following message on Twitter from The Motley Fool, saying this report was an error from an overzealous writer.  The Motley Fool has since corrected their article.

@CharlesSkaggs FYI, Fox isn't making an X-Men/FF crossover movie. That was an overzealous report from a freelance writer. #weregrettheerror
— The Motley Fool (@themotleyfool) December 30, 2013

Ah, well.  Nothing to see here, I suppose.  Move along...

FANTASTIC FOUR Film Reboot Set for 2015

Of course it's for 2015.  Everything else is going that way, so why not?

ERCBoxOffice posted yesterday that 20th Century Fox's scheduled reboot of its Fantastic Four film franchise is scheduled for March 6, 2015.  The movie will be directed by Josh Trank, who helmed this year's superpowers/"found footage" film Chronicle, and adds to an increasingly crowded geek calendar year that includes Star Wars Episode VII, Justice League and The Avengers 2.

Trank's film is expected to relaunch the FF in a different direction from their previous depictions in 2005's Fantastic Four and 2007's Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, both directed by Tim Story.  And with the addition of comics writer Mark Millar as Fox's Marvel Adaptations Consultant back in September, it seems Fox is making their opening move to establish their own Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Millar commented on Trank, saying "Hiring Josh Trank for Fantastic Four…It could just not be more different than the first Fantastic Four movie from what I’ve seen so far.  Even just as a fan, I’m very, very excited by the level of talent they have on the directors side of things."

The March 2015 date announcement is interesting though, because it shows Fox is really anxious to get Fantastic Four on the board as fast as possible, but also that they realize the summer is already booked up with two huge superhero flicks and a Star Wars movie.  Makes you wonder what they're planning for Christmas 2015 instead...

Fox Hires Mark Millar as Marvel Adaptations Consultant

You can almost imagine 20th Century Fox studio execs sitting in their meeting room..."What the--?!  Marvel signed Joss Whedon to direct Avengers 2, develop a S.H.I.E.L.D. TV series AND oversee Phase 2 of their cinematic universe?  Dammit, who do we have...?!"

Well, now they have Scottish comics writer and movie property developer Mark Millar.  In a new press release, Fox has announced that Millar will serve as a consultant on upcoming movie adaptations of Marvel Comics properties that the studio still has in terms of movie rights.  Here's the release...

Marking an expanded commitment to some of its most important franchises, Twentieth Century Fox has brought on comics superstar Mark Millar to serve as a creative consultant on the studio’s upcoming projects based on Marvel Comics properties.

Millar wrote several celebrated Marvel books such as The Ultimates, Civil War and Wolverine: Old Man Logan, before moving on to found Millarworld (millarworld.tv), where he continues to develop existing film franchise titles Wanted and Kick-Ass, as well as newer comic properties The Secret Service, Superior, and Nemesis — the latter also in development at Fox. Millar will work with Fox on developing new avenues for its "X-Men" and "Fantastic Four" tentpoles.

Commented TCF production president Emma Watts: “We are excited to be working with Mark. In addition to his groundbreaking Marvel work, he is simply one of the most original voices in comics today and will be an invaluable resource to us and to our filmmakers as we look for fresh opportunities to innovate within our shared Marvel universe."

Upcoming for the studio is THE WOLVERINE, starring Hugh Jackman, directed by James Mangold; X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST, helmed by Matthew Vaughn; and a reboot of “FANTASTIC FOUR, to be directed by Josh Trank (Chronicle).

“As someone who has spent his entire life obsessed with both comic-books and movies, this is essentially my dream gig as it's a unique combination of both,” stated Millar. “I spent ten years working at Marvel and am really happy with the work I did on the comic side of things so the idea of working with these characters now in a brand new medium is enormously exciting for me. I really like the Fox team, love this bold new direction they have for their franchises and am proud to be working alongside some of modern cinema's biggest talents. James Mangold is incredible, Matthew Vaughn's one of my closest pals and Josh Trank gave us, in my opinion, one of the greatest superhero movies of the last decade with Chronicle. The invitation to join this crew was maybe the coolest phone-call I've ever had.”

About Mark Millar
Mark Millar is the writer of Civil War, Marvel's biggest-selling series of the fifteen years, Ultimate X-Men, Wolverine: Old Man Logan, Spider-Man, Ultimate Fantastic Four and The Ultimates (described by Time magazine in 2010 as the best comic series of the decade). His Millarworld line of comics boasts a roster of creator-owned books such as Wanted, turned into a blockbuster movie starring Angelina Jolie; Kick-Ass, which starred Nicolas Cage; and Nemesis, which Fox is presently developing as a theatrical feature. Kick-Ass 2 is currently filming in London and Toronto, starring Jim Carrey and Chris Mintz-Plasse and Universal is also developing his War Heroes series with Mike DeLuca producing. The Secret Service, co-created with Watchmen legend Dave Gibbons and X-Men First Class rector Matthew Vaughn, is also currently indevelopment. In his native UK, he's the editor of CLiNT magazine, an advisor on film to the Scottish government and managing director of his film and television company Millarworld Productions."

About 20th Century Fox Film
One of the world’s largest producers and distributors of motion pictures, 20th Century Fox Film produces, acquires and distributes motion pictures throughout the world. These motion pictures are produced or acquired by the following units: Twentieth Century Fox, Fox 2000 Pictures, Fox Searchlight Pictures, Fox International Productions and Twentieth Century Fox Animation.

You'll note that this doesn't include Daredevil, because Fox ended up allowing the rights to revert back to Marvel after being unable to get a second movie into production by the October 10th deadline.

Fox Insiders Claim Galactus Off Studio Negotiating Table

In this high-stakes poker game between 20th Century Fox and Marvel Studios/Disney, at what point does somebody go "all in"?

Variety reported earlier today that Fox was engaged in "backroom dealings" with Marvel Studios in the hopes of getting a deadline extension to prevent the film rights to the Marvel Comics character Daredevil from reverting back to Marvel.  The reason, supposedly, was that Fox wants The A-Team director Joe Carnahan to direct "a Frank Miller-esque, hardcore '70s thriller" on Daredevil, although Carnahan has yet to receive an official offer.  In order to get that extension, Variety claimed that Fox would be open to giving characters Galactus and The Silver Surfer, last used in the 2007 film Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, back to Marvel instead.

Well, guess what...Deadline has now come along with another article citing equally-unnamed Fox "insiders" who say that Galactus isn't on the negotiating table.  They claim that Fox is big on Josh Trank directing a reboot of the Fantastic Four movies and wouldn't want to give up a major FF bad guy/cosmic force like Big G.  Another given reason is that Fox isn't all that excited about rebooting Daredevil, so unless Disney is interested in co-financing Carnahan's take, Fox may go ahead and let the rights revert back to Marvel.

I imagine the real story is buried deep in there somewhere, but if Deadline's sources are more accurate, I personally can't see Disney co-financing a Daredevil reboot if Marvel gets the film rights by Disney doing nothing.  To be continued...

DAMN Good Comics -- FANTASTIC FOUR #603

Y'know, it's a damn shame so little happens in Fantastic Four these days...Ahem.

Part Four of Jonathan Hickman's epically-epic "Forever" continues the redemption of the title as "The World's Greatest Comic Magazine."  On a cosmic scale not seen since the days of creators Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, Hickman keeps unloading everything he's been building since he took over with issue #570 into a final storyline that FF fans are going to remember well into their old age.

This issue starts off, quietly enough, with world-eater/planet-killer Galactus duking it out in space with a group of Mad Celestials that speak just like Daleks from the TV series Doctor Who.  From there, we learn that the Interdimensional Council of Reeds was constructing a god-killing weapon called Sol's Anvil, which "our" Reed hooks up to four (of course) power bases located on Old Atlantis, The Negative Zone, The Blue Area of the Moon and The Forever City.  This ends up with one of the Invisible Woman's finest moments, as she defiantly defends her unconscious husband from an assault by the Mad Celestials.

And this isn't even the conclusion.

Although the art for this issue isn't by regular artist Steve Epting, Barry Kitson more than ably steps in to give Hickman's script enough visual gravitas.  Scenes of a towering figure like Galactus facing a combined Mad Celestial megabeing at least five times his size look great, especially to see the Big G having his cosmic behind blasted all the way into an impact crater in Africa.  However, it's the Invisible Woman's tearful look of defiance against the Mad Celestials where Kitson is most effective, selling the scene perfectly.

So just one more issue of "Forever" to go.  The adult versions of Franklin and Valeria Richards have jumped all the way from Fantastic Four #582 to get here, so here's hoping crossing all that space and time was worth it.  If next month's issue turns out as well as this one did, it definitely will be.