The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in pretty much every major in-development movie and TV series being forced to shut-down, but now that restrictions have eased up a little (coronavirus hasn’t gone anywhere… even if a lot of people are acting like it has), several major projects are preparing to resume production.

We’ve already heard about a tentative restart date for The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and now we have a possible update for one of Marvel’s Disney+ shows that’s still in the casting stages. According to Murphy’s Multiverse, the extensive search to find someone to play the lead role of Kamala Khan in Ms. Marvel has resumed, with actresses being called back in (remotely, we assume) to continue to audition process.

That’s pretty much all there is to the report, but with Ms. Marvel slated to film in Atlanta and Georgia being one of the first regions to open back up to production crews, there’s a chance Marvel is trying to settle on someone to play Khan so they can get the ball rolling as soon as possible.

If that is the case, we may get official casting news fairly soon, so keep an eye out.

We still don’t know a whole lot about Ms. Marvel, but the characters of Red Dagger and Kamran are expected to make an appearance alongside the young hero of the title.

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Press Release

(BALTIMORE, MD) — (June 16, 2020) — On May 13, 2020, Diamond Comic Distributors and Alliance Game Distributors partnered to launch the “Back The Comeback2 campaign, a multi-part initiative designed to support local comic book and game stores as they began to safely reopen, restart, and rebuild following the easement of nationwide stay-at-home orders amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Now, as comic book and game stores across the country have resumed selling new weekly product, many publishers have rallied behind the campaign to support retailers by including the “Back The Comeback” logo on the cover of their newest titles. Marvel Comics is the latest publisher to support the initiative by including the logo on the cover of their July 15 on-sale title.

Empyre #1 from Marvel Comics will be hitting shelves on July 15, complete with the “Back The Comeback” featured on the front cover. In Empyre #1 (DEC198912; SRP $5.99), the Kree and the Skrulls have united under a new emperor – and their war fleet is on a collision course for our world. Meanwhile, the Avengers are on the moon ready to strike with the full power of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, but the Fantastic Four are seeking a diplomatic solution, and the two teams must come to an agreement in time to save the day.

Back the Comeback in-store promotions for game stores are in the works and will be announced shortly.

Fans can head to their local comic shop to purchase a copy of these “Back The Comeback” support titles from Marvel Comics. To find a comic shop near you, visit www.comicshoplocator.com. To stay up to date on “Back the Comeback” announcements visit the campaign’s social pages on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram or visit backthecomeback.com.
 

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Press Release

New York, NY— June 16, 2020 — After months of anticipation, Marvel has revealed THE RISE OF ULTRAMAN #1 will release in comic shops this September! Featuring a stunning main cover from legendary artist Alex Ross, Marvel’s upcoming series will reimagine the classic beginnings of one of the biggest worldwide pop culture icons: ULTRAMAN!

Storytelling masters Kyle Higgins (Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Winter Soldier) and Mat Groom (Self/Made), together with superstar artists Francesco Manna (Avengers, Fantastic Four) Michael Cho (Captain America) and Gurihiru (The Unstoppable Wasp) will take fans back into the days of darkness, where the terrifying Kaiju lurk. When these unfathomable monsters threaten all life as we know it, the only thing standing in their way…is the United Science Patrol! Who are these enigmatic defenders, and how do they perform their miracles? Shin Hayata and Kiki Fuji have spent half a lifetime trying to find out – and their quest is about to drive them toward a decades-old dark secret and put them on a collision course with a mysterious warrior from beyond the stars!

“Across the globe, Ultraman is as iconic and well-recognized a character as Spider-Man or Iron Man, so when the opportunity arose for us to introduce his mythos to a new generation, as seen through the Marvel lens, we didn’t take that responsibility lightly,” said Marvel Executive Editor Tom Brevoort. “For fans of the classic 1966 series, there’ll be plenty of Easter eggs that you’ll recognize. But for those who’ve never experienced an Ultraman story before, this series will start at square one—launching an epic showdown fit for the modern age.”

“With release of Marvel’s The Rise of Ultraman series, Tsuburaya Productions and our partners at Marvel Comics are taking ULTRAMAN a massive step forward onto the global stage,” said Tsuburaya CEO Takayuki Tsukagoshi. “Marvel’s rendering of the ULTRAMAN story has been faithfully created with the highest level of respect, quality and creativity resulting in a storyline that expands the ULTRAMAN universe.”

Ultraman has been a pop culture staple since the franchise debuted in the 1960s, and his thrilling stories have been depicted on both the page and the screen. Now, Marvel Comics will be able to add to this iconic character’s legacy. Stay tuned for more details about what can you expect from Ultraman’s adventures when THE RISE OF ULTRAMAN #1 hits stands this September!
 

THE RISE OF ULTRAMAN #1 (of 5)
Written by KYLE HIGGINS & MAT GROOM
Art by FRANCESCO MANNA with MICHAEL CHO and GURIHIRU
Cover by ALEX ROSS

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Zack Snyder’s Justice League is set to be released on HBO Max next year, and while he’s unlikely to return to the DC Extended Universe after that, the filmmaker continues to drop hints about what he had planned for this shared world.

Now, he’s told fans on Vero that he hoped to eventually have Carrie Kelley take over the Robin mantle (just like in The Dark Knight Returns). 

As Snyder originally served as an executive producer on these early DCEU movies, it’s possible that Carrie was set to be introduced in Ben Affleck’s version of The Batman. However, it’s arguably more likely that the Caped Crusader would have been joined by Carrie in the bleak “Knightmare” future Snyder intended to explore in his Justice League sequel.

In The Dark Knight Returns, this Robin joined the ageing Batman in a desolate future not all that different to a world that had been ravaged by Darkseid and the mind-controlled Superman. 

Whether Zack Snyder’s Justice League will drop any hints about Carrie remains to be seen, but earlier today, we learned that the movie will somehow address Robin’s fate after he was murdered by the Clown Prince of Crime years before the events of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.

Check out Snyder’s comments below:
 

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Despite some big creative changes behind the scenes, Obi-Wan Kenobi remains on track for a debut on Disney+ in the not too distant future, and star Ewan McGregor has now confirmed that when the show starts shooting next year, it will utilize the same VFX technology used in The Mandalorian. 

“The Volume” has been fully explored in Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian, and projects real-time environments on screen which move along with the camera in a similar fashion to Virtual Reality technology. That’s meant that The Mandalorian‘s cast and crew haven’t had to travel the globe, and will save Obi-Wan Kenobi from heading to countries like Dubai and Tunisia to recreate Tatooine as we catch up with the Jedi Master in the years following the events of 2015’s Revenge of the Sith. 

“I think I am going to enjoy it much more,” McGregor started. “[The prequels] were all blue screen and green screen and it was hard to imagine, but nowadays I think things have moved on so much, and I think a lot of what you see is gonna be what we see on the set. I don’t know if you’ve seen the behind-the-scenes of The Mandalorian series, but they employ that incredible screen.”

“It’s pretty amazing. It makes you feel like you’re in the place, it’s going to feel realer for us as actors,” he continued. “And I think we’ll be using some of that technology on our show.”

With The Mandalorian director Deborah Chow in charge of Obi-Wan Kenobi, the show has someone with experience of “The Volume” behind the camera, and that’s definitely good news. This also gives us an idea of what the series will look like, and it’s likely this technology will become the norm for these Star Wars TV shows on Disney+ moving forward. 

What do you guys think?

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Not including the unreleased 1994 Fantastic Four film; Marvel’s First Family had their cinematic debut in 2005, with a sequel released in 2007. FOX took a good look at the Sam Raimi Spider-Man success and decided they can do more than just X-Men films. 

Well, critics and fans didn’t agree with their execution. While the first F4 film brought in 333.5 million dollars in the box office, it only scored 27% on Rotten Tomatoes, with fans not liking it much more with a 45% score. So then we had a sequel, bringing newcomers like Galactus (not really) and the Silver Surfer. Reviews for that movie were slightly better, but with a box office of 301.9 million, FOX decided to wave the white flag and ended that franchise. 

First things first, let’s see what they got right. The Fantastic Four are more than just superheroes who live under the same roof. They are a close-knit family that has average family problems and virtues. What makes them so interesting, is that this family is always put in otherworldly situations. So in terms of feeling like a family, this cast did that pretty well, along with playing their characters decently. 

Before Chris Evans had a shield, he pulled off a charming and hilarious Johnny Storm. Ioan Gruffudd did a solid job as Reed Richards. Not only did he play him well, but he also looked precisely like Mr. Fantastic from the comics. Then there’s Michael Chiklis, who honestly knocked the role out of the park. He provided a top-notch, grizzly voice, and gave his Ben Grimm heart and soul. Other than being pretty short for The Thing, he was the best one of the cast. Jessica Alba was passable, but out of the four, she is the most forgettable. 

Other than that, both movies had some great comedic parts, as well as some downright impressive CGI and effects for its time. That Thing suit, while incredibly uncomfortable for the actor, was tremendous. 

Unfortunately, that’s where the positives come to a halt. Neither of the F4 films had any weighty substance. In the comics, the F4 are explorers first, superheroes second. However, neither of the films made that a priority in their stories. Also, Doctor Doom is supposed to be a terrifying, brilliant ruler of his own country. This Doctor Doom (Julian McMahon) was nothing more than an irritating businessman with a few metal scars here and there. So, they completely flopped on the villain end for both films. 

Overall, both Fantastic Four and its sequel were simply decent, popcorn flicks. If you hate both of them, it’s not preposterous at all. However, you have to admit you had a good laugh at least a few times for either of the F4 films. That’s more you can say about the 2015 Fantastic Four reboot, which made me shiver just typing those words. Hopefully, Kevin Feige and his bountiful MCU world can give respect and love the F4 deserve. 

Let’s be real… It’s not like they have a high bar to clear in the first place. 

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