AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR And AVENGERS: ENDGAME Soundtracks Coming To Vinyl In Beautiful Mondo Box Sets

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Press Release

Mondo, in conjunction with Marvel Music/Hollywood Records, is proud to present Alan Silvestri’s complete original scores to 2018’s Avengers: Infinity War and 2019’s Avengers: Endgame, available as individual 3XLP sets, or in one massive 6XLP Box Set.

The importance of Alan Silvestri’s four decades of scoring films cannot be understated. His iconic theme for the The Avengers (2012) is just one of his many landmark achievements in the world of film music. His scores for the epic conclusions to the Infinity Saga, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, are a masterclass in fantasy and science fiction film compositions.

His score for the penultimate chapter of the Infinity Saga, Avengers: Infinity War, is full of triumphant bombastic beats, and solemn down notes, perfect for one of the most shockingly tragic films of the genre. His score for the final chapter of the Infinity Saga, Avengers: Endgame, is brilliantly meditative, sweeping in scope, and features quite possibly one of the most beloved tracks of the genre, “Portals.” We are honored to present them both in their complete format on vinyl for the first time.

Featuring all new original artwork by Matt Taylor, housed inside of an exclusive slipcase, the score for each film is housed in their own tri-fold jacket, pressed on 180 Gram “Infinity Stone” vinyl.

AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR – Disc 1: Reality Stone, Disc 2: Soul Stone, Disc 3: Mind Stone.*
AVENGERS: ENDGAME – Disc 1: Time Stone, Disc 2: Space Stone, Disc 3: Power Stone.*
*Slipcase and vinyl colors are exclusive to the box set.

The Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame soundtracks and box set will be available for pre-order at MondoShop.com on Wednesday, April 29.

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SMALLVILLE Cast To Reunite Virtually With One Lucky Fan To Raise Money For Charity During COVID-19

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Are you a Smallville fan? If the answer was a resounding, “Oh, hell yeah I am!” then we have some good news for you.

Smallville stars Tom Welling (Clark Kent), Michael Rosenbaum (Lex Luthor), and Kristin Kreuk (Lana Lang) are taking part in a charitable event where they will reunite via video chat with one lucky fan.

“We’ve got something really super for you…a virtual cast reunion with Tom Welling, Kristin Kreuk and Michael Rosenbaum! That’s right, the trio you knew and loved for 10 seasons is hopping on a video chat together to hang out, talk and answer all your questions,” reads the Omaze page. 

“Get the behind-the-scenes scoop on your favorite episodes (you know the ones you watch over and over again). Find out their first impressions of each other – and how they changed after working so long together. Ask them what they miss most about the superhuman super-awesome show. Needless to say, you’ll be in for a memorable reunion.”

This video chat will give the aforementioned fan the chance to ask the cast all the burning questions they’ve been holding in since Smallville ended nine years ago, and the money raised with this campaign is going to help support the children and families at the Los Angeles Ronald McDonald House during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

“Crisis on Infinite Earths” showed how much love there still is for Smallville, and this Q&A with the cast would be an incredible experience which should offer plenty of exciting new reveals.

Click HERE for more Smallville news from CBM! 

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Doctor Strange Dons Iron Man’s Armor In New AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR Behind-The-Scenes Image

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Screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely took over ComicBook.com’s Twitter account for an Avengers: Infinity War quarantine watch party tonight, and they shared an awesome new behind-the-scenes shot from the movie.

We’ve seen come concept art of Doctor Strange wearing Iron Man’s (Robert Downey Jr.) armor already, but here we see actor Benedict Cumberbatch suited-up on set. Apparently, this image is taken from one of the many version of the Q-Ship rescue scene that was shot but never used because it was too long.

We’re not sure exactly what led to The Sorcerer Supreme borrowing Stark’s armor (Markus and McFeely didn’t elaborate), but we did also see some brief footage of Downey Jr. wearing Strange’s cloak of levitation a while back, so the heroes evidently switched outfits for some reason.

Check out the image below.



What do you guys think of this shot? Let us know in the comments, and if you fancy a recap of the events of Infinity War and Endgame, check out or spoiler breakdowns below.

To view all of the moments at once, simply click on the next button below!
 

We Lose loki And Heimdall In The Opening Scene

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We expected to lose someone here, but both Loki and Heimdall are killed off.

The movie opens with Thanos and his forces having already decimated the Asagardian refugee ship (half of them manage to escape). When the Mad Titan makes short work of The Hulk, Heimdall uses the last of his power to send Banner to earth, which costs him his life.

Then, Loki pretends to side with Thanos only to attempt an assassination. The Titan is ready for the attack, though, and crushes The God of Mischief’s throat in a particularly brutal scene.

The Hulk Gets Stage Fright

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After Banner crashes to earth via Doctor Strange’s Sanctum Santorum, The Hulk refuses to put in an appearance.

We see Banner try to summon the Green Goliath a couple of times during the early fight against Maw and Obsidian, and then again against the latter in the final battle – and Hulk always refuses.

So, we never get that scene of him smashing out of the Hulkbuster armor, and that slo-mo shot of him running towards Thanos’ army along with Cap, Widow and the others is not in the movie.
 

Stark And Strange Really Don’t Like Each Other

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Some tension was hinted at in the trailers and spots, but Tony Stark and Stephen Strange have a genuine dislike for one another in Infinity War that extends far beyond a bit of good-natured banter.

At one point, the good doctor actually tells Tony that he’d let him die in an instant to save the Time Stone – which is the right thing to do to protect the universe, but still pretty damn cold!

Of course, they do put their differences aside in the end, but it’s hard to imagine these two ever becoming bosom buddies.
 

Thor Gets A New Eye

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If you were wondering why Thor was shown with both eyes in some of the marketing material, it’s because The God of Thunder picks up a new peeper in Infinity War.

Feeling sorry for his multiple losses, Rocket gives his new friend a mechanical eye that he stole during one of his many double-crosses.

Thor looked pretty awesome with the patch, so this seems like an odd decision. Perhaps the Russos simply weren’t that keen?

Hawkeye Is Not In The Movie At All

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After being absent from all marketing, fans have been been wondering what role Hawkeye would play in Infinity War, and the answer is very simile: He doesn’t.

In fact, we only get a single mention of the archer when Black Widow informs Banner that he and Ant-Man took a deal to stay off the radar in order to protect their families.

We thought Jeremy Renner had filmed some scenes for this movie, but they were obviously for Avengers 4.

The Red Skull Returns

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In perhaps the biggest surprise of the movie, The Red Skull returns!

Fans have been wondering what happened to the villain since he vanished at the end of Captain America: The First Avenger, and it turns out the Tesseract somehow banished him to a far-off planet to become the keeper of the Soul Stone.

When Thanos and Gamora arrive, Skull (not played by Hugo Weaving this time) appears in a hooded cloak and explains what The Mad Titan must do to retrieve the gem.

Thanos Kills Gamora

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It turns out, Thanos must sacrifice what he loves to get the stone, and the only thing he truly cares about is his “daughter”, Gamora.

In one of the most heartbreaking scenes of the movie, The Mad Titan reluctantly flings Gamora to her death before waking up with the Soul Stone.

The dreamlike quality of the sequence may lead to speculation that the GOTG member could return at some point, but that seems highly unlikely.

Peter Dinklage Does Indeed Play Eitri The Dwarf

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There was a lot of speculation relating to Peter Dinklage’s role in Infinity War, and it turns out the majority of you were on the money about him playing Eitri.

In order to forge a new weapon to defeat Thanos, Thor, Rocket and Groot travel to Nidavellir only to find all but one of the Dwarves there slain by The Mad Titan. Their King, Eitri, still lives, but Thanos has taken away the use of his hand, forcing Thor and his new friends to forge Stormbreaker themselves.

Star-Lord Screws Everything Up

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If you or someone you know vanished in a swirl of ash leaves recently, blame Star-Munch.

Towards the end of the film, Stark, Spidey, Strange and the GOTG manage to subdue Thanos. They’re just about to remove the gauntlet when The Mad Titan admits that he killed Gamora, sending Quill into a rage. He smashes the villain in the head, allowing him to get free and travel to earth for the final stone.

What. A. Moron.

Strange Looks Into The Future/Gives Thanos The Time Stone In Order To Save Iron Man

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At one point, Doctor Strange uses the time stone to take a glimpse forward to see if there are any scenarios in which they defeat Thanos. Out of millions, there is only one.

Later, when Thanos seriously wounds Stark, Strange offers him the stone in exchange for his fellow Avenger’s life.

Though it’s never explicitly stated, both of these things seem to be connected and will likely factor into Avengers 4.

Thor Joins The Battle Of Wakanda And Kicks All Of The Asses

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Just as things are looking bleak for our Wakandan-based heroes, The God of Thunder shows up with Rocket and Groot and proceeds to wipe out Thanos’ Outrider army with the help of his powerful new weapon.

This is one of the most fist-pumpingly brilliant sequences in the movie, and is sure to result in goosebumps.

As if taking out Thanos’ forces wasn’t enough, Thor also manages to (temporarily) defeat The Mad Titan. If only he’d “gone for the head.”

Scarlet Witch Is Forced To Kill Vision… For Nothing

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When Shuri’s attempt to extract the Mind Stone from Vision fails, Wanda is forced to destroy it, and her lover, in one of the film’s most powerful moments.

Unfortunately, it’s all in vain, because Thanos uses the Time Stone to reverse what happened, before ripping out the stone himself and re-killing Vision in the process.

Ouch!

Thanos Snaps His Fingers And A LOT Of Heroes Die

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Right at the end of the movie, Thor buries Stormbreaker in Thanos’ chest – but the Mad Titan still has the wherewithal to snap his fingers, wiping out half of all life in the universe.

Of course, that also includes some of the main characters. It’s actually easier to list off who survives! On earth: Cap, Rhodey, Widow, Banner, Rocket Thor, Okoye and M’Baku. On Titan: Stark and Nebula.

Of course, it’s highly unlikely these heroes will stay dead, but it’s still quite shocking to see them all simply cease to exist in this manner.

We End On A Major Downer

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For the first time in the history of The MCU, a Marvel Studios movie ends on a downer with the bad guy winning.

Having made good on his mission to “balance” the universe, Thanos does just what he told Strange he would: sits and watches the sunrise with a smile on his face as we cut to credits.

Sure, we still have the second part of the story to come, but this is still a pretty risky move on The Russo’s part, and will likely wind up being a divisive one.

Post-Credits Scene Teases Captain Marvel

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There is only one post-credits scene, but it’s a doozy.

We see Nick Fury and Maria Hill discussing the invasion of Wakanda when they narrowly avoid a crash. Then, Hill and some of the background extras begin to vanish. Fury races to grab his phone, before beginning to fade himself.

However, as he disappears we see who he was attempting to contact: Carol Danvers, aka Captain Marvel!

Continue on for our Avengers: Endgame breakdown!

Captain Marvel To The Rescue

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We then cut to Tony Stark and Nebula aboard The Benatar, which they have managed to get into the air again but only temporarily. Now adrift, oxygen is running out and Stark is almost done.

Iron Man records his final message to Pepper, and lies down to prepare for the inevitable. Nebula then places him in the cockpit and bids a silent farewell, but all is not lost (obviously).

There was speculation that it’d be Pepper who would suit-up as Rescue to make the…um, rescue, but it’s actually Captain Marvel, who carries the ship down to Earth where the surviving members of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes are waiting.

Plan A

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It’s here that Stark and Steve Rogers have a somewhat low-key reunion (they do have a much better scene together later on), and it’s clear that there’s still some bad blood between them.

While Tony recovers, the others hatch a plan to track down Thanos and use the Infinity Stones to reverse The Decimation and return their friends – and half of all life in the universe – to the land of the living.

Danvers does a recon and finds no one on the garden planet aside from The Mad Titan, and the others move in.

Thor Goes For The Head

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After the team subdue a now weakened Mad Titan, they discover that he only used the Infinity Stones to reduce them to atoms, destroying them forever. Rhodey doesn’t believe him, but Nebula assures her hew friends that her father does not lie.

Then, just as the villain is about to admit that he may have been too hard on Nebula in the past, Thor takes the advice Thanos gave him in Infinity War and cuts his head clean off!

The end of Thanos? Not exactly.

Five. Years. Later

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A bit of a time-jump? How about five years!

We skip forward half a decade, as the world attempts to move on and restore some sense of normalcy. Cap talks things out as part of a group, while Nat holds down the fort at HQ getting regular mission updates from Okoye, Rocket, Danvers and Rhodey. The latter reveals that Barton has been taking out criminals in particularly violent fashion, and a clearly upset Black Widow asks him to track her old partner down.

At this point Cap drops by for a chat, and the pair are interrupted by none other than Scott Lang at the front gate.

Scott’s Plan

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Scott returns from the Quantum Realm completely by accident (a rat is basically responsible for saving the universe), and soon realizes what’s happened when he’s reunited with his now teenage daughter.

Though five years have passed on Earth, Lang was only in the QR for five hours, and believes this might be the key to reversing The Decimation. Because his theories are mostly based on Back To The Future, the team decides to seek the advice of someone a bit more qualified.

Morgan

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Tony Stark is now living an idyllic life with Pepper and their adorable daughter Morgan, who we first meet wearing the Rescue helmet her father his working on for his wife. Some foreshadowing, perhaps?

Tony basically dismisses Scott’s plan when the others show up to try to convince him to help, but, of course, curiosity gets the better of him and he ultimately figures out a way to safely travel through time.

Hulk Out

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In the meantime, the others have gone to see Bruce Banner, who has managed to combine his genius-level brain with the brawn of The Hulk after a few hours in the lab. “Professor Hulk” agrees to help, but warns them that quantum physics isn’t really his area of expertise.

What follows is a hilarious test-run scene, with Scott returning from The QR as a teenager, an old man, and a baby. Fortunately, Stark shows up with a fix, and it’s here we finally get to see him and Rogers make amends as Tony returns his old friend’s shield.

Thor Has… Let Himself Go

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Hulk and Rocket travel to New Asgard, where we’re reintroduced to Valkyrie. She hints that Thor is not The God of Thunder he once was, and that’s an understatement!

Thor has put on a few (okay, more than a few) pounds and has developed a slight drinking problem. He spends his days playing video games with Korg and Miek (yay), and is still wracked with guilt about how things went with Thanos.

He agrees to accompany his friends with the promise of beer, but it’s abundantly clear that The King of Asgard is dealing with a lot of baggage.

The Time Heist

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Banner points out that they can’t simply go back and stop Thanos from using the stones because that will only alter that timeline, so they decide to travel back and acquire the stones themselves. This means we get to revisit scenes from several previous MCU movies, and see a few old friends.

Rocket and Thor travel to Asgard for The Ether, where the latter gets to see his mother again and reacquires Mjölnir. Cap, Stark and Lang go for The Tesseract but lose it to Loki, forcing them to alter the plan. Tony settles on a time and place where they can get the Tesseract back and lift some more Pym particles in the process.

Meanwhile, Banner goes to see Doctor Strange but has to deal with The Ancient One instead. She eventually agrees to hand over The Time Stone when Bruce explains that Strange willingly gave it to Thanos in the first place, but only if he agrees to return each stone to its respective timeline once The Decimation is reversed.

Thanos Returns

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Rhodey and Nebula are tasked with retrieving The Power Stone on Morag, but they jump to a time when Thanos, Gamora and a very different version of Nebula are also in the vicinity.

Rhodey escapes with the stone, but Nebula is captured and bad Nebula takes her place. With past Thanos now aware of what happens in the future, he is able to plan an attack that The Avengers will never see coming.

Black Widow Does Whatever It Takes

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Nat and Clint travel to Vormir, where they encounter The Red Skull and must give up the same thing Thanos did in order to earn The Soul Stone. Both former S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents want to be the one to do whatever it takes and it looks like Hawkeye “wins” the right to leap from the mountain, but Widow manages to pin him to the side.

Clint is determined not to let her go, but Nat tells her friend that it’s okay, before pulling from his grasp and plummeting to her death in a sequence that plays out a lot (too much?) like the Gamora scene from Infinity War.

Hulk Snap

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Back in the present, the devastated heroes realize that they can’t get Widow back and swear that her sacrifice won’t be in vain.

Thor wants to be the one to use the new Gauntlet and reverse The Decimation, but Bruce knows he’s the only one strong enough to achieve this. The effort almost kills him and leaves him with a severely injured arm, but Banner manages to snap his fingers and restore the 50% of life in the universe that Thanos erased.

Unfortunately, it’s then that The Mad Titans launches his attack, and Avengers HQ is reduced to rubble.

Cap Is Worthy

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Iron Man, Captain America and Thor regroup and attack Thanos with everything they have, but even without the Infinity Gauntlet The Mad Titan proves to be too much for them to handle.

Just as the villain is about to drive Stormbreaker into Thor’s chest, he’s hit in the back by Mjölnir, which then flies back into the hand of… Steve Rogers! Yes, Cap is worthy to wild the mighty hammer of Thor, and uses it to put a serious beat-down on Thanos before he too is taken down.

Then, Thanos’ entire armada arrives on the scene, and Rogers faces down an army.

Avengers, Assemble

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Just as all hope seems lost, we hear Falcon in Cap’s earpiece, and all of the “dusted” heroes are transported to the battle by Doctor Strange, Wong and their fellow sorcerers. They also bring hundreds of Wakandans, Asgardians and various others as backup.

As Giant Man emerges from the rubble with Hulk, Rhodey and Rocket in hand, the scene is set for one of the most jaw-dropping battles in cinema history. “Avengers,” shouts Captain America as he calls Mjölnir to him; “Assemble.”

“You Can Rest Now, Tony”

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Captain Marvel shows up to take out Thanos’ warship, but The Mad Titan still manages to get his hands on the new gauntlet. After a tussle with Stark, he snaps his fingers and… nothing. Tony managed to get all of the stones away from him and fashions a new gauntlet from his own armor to house them.

Responding to Thanos’ “I am inevitable” with “I am Iron Man,” Stark snaps his fingers and wills The Mad Titan and his forces out of existence.

This proves to be Tony Stark’s last heroic act, as he succumbs to his catastrophic injuries after an emotional goodbye to Rhodey, Spidey and Pepper.

The Funeral

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That scene we heard about that was said to feature pretty much every main character in The MCU? It’s Tony’s funeral, and it’s an incredibly emotional sequence for a variety of reasons.

After watching a holographic recording of a message Tony left in the event of his death, Pepper places the “Proof that Tony Stark has a Heart” keepsake she gave him in the lake, and the camera pans back over the assembled heroes and their families before stopping on Nick Fury.

Asgardians of The Galaxy

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After the funeral, Thor decides to take Frigga’s advice and focus on being the man he is and not the man he’s meant to be. He leaves Valkyrie as Queen of New Asgard, and joins the Guardians of The Galaxy for some new adventure.

On The Milano, we’re treated to another terrific scene between Thor and Star-Lord as they argue about who’s in command.

Please let Thor be part of the team in GOTG Vol. 3!

Old Cap/New Cap

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Cap decides to return The Infinity Stones to their rightful timelines, but when Bruce can’t bring him back they assume something must have gone wrong. It’s then that Bucky spots an old man sitting nearby on a bench, and Sam goes to investigate.

After he returned the stones, Steve decided to live the life he never got to before going into the ice. He presents Falcon with his shield, passing on the mantle of Captain America.

The Dance

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Turns out Steve didn’t spend his time in the past alone! Sam notices a wedding ring and asks his friend if he’ll talk about “her,” but Rogers declines.

The final shot of the film pans into a house where music is playing, and we see Steve and Peggy Carter finally having that dance. Rogers kisses the love of his life, and we fade to black.

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GOD OF WAR Art Director Adds The Dark Knight To His BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES Character Designs

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God of War art director Raf Grassetti has been sharing some awesome designs for characters from the classic Batman: The Animated Series to his Instagram page, and he’s finally added a hero to his series of portraits.

Joining Joker, Harley Quinn, Two-Face, Scarecrow, Bane, Killer Croc, Penguin, Clayface, Man-Bat, CatwomanPhantasm, Mr. Freeze and The Ventriloquist, The Riddler, and Poison Ivy is the Dark Knight himself.

We’ve seen dozens of takes on DC’s iconic Caped Crusader on the big and small screens over the years, but for many fans, the great Kevin Conroy’s version of the character from Batman: TAS remains one of the best interpretations yet. Robert Pattinson will look to put his own stamp on the legendary crime-fighter in Matt Reeves’ The Batman, which we recently found out has been given a new release date and will now hit theaters next October.

Check out the Batman design along with the the full image below, and let us know what you think

Batman: The Animated Series 🦇

A post shared by Raf Grassetti (@rafagrassetti) on

Batman: The Animated Series is an American superhero animated television series based on the DC Comics superhero Batman. Developed by Bruce Timm, Paul Dini, and Mitch Brian, and produced by Warner Bros. Animation, it originally aired on Fox Kids from September 5, 1992, to September 15, 1995, with a total of 85 episodes. For the final fifteen episodes, the series was given the on-screen title The Adventures of Batman & Robin, which was also used for reruns of earlier episodes. The series became the first in the continuity of the shared DC animated universe; spawning further animated TV series, feature films, comic books and video games with most of the same creative talent.

Be sure to keep an eye out for more of Grassetti’s awesome art.

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Sebastian Stan Says FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLDIER Feels Like A Massive Action Movie; Talks Remaining Filming

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Marvel’s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier was among the first major productions to postpone filming due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, and while it was believed at the time that the upcoming Disney+ miniseries was on the verge of wrapping its six-episode season prior to the global production shut down, star Sebastian Stan recently revealed that they were actually a little further out than we may have anticipated. 

When pressed on whether they had about a week of shooting left during a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, he answered, “No, we were probably at least two or three [weeks away], but don’t quote me on that.

Additionally, the Avengers: Endgame alum spoke at length about what to expect from the upcoming miniseries and compared it favorably to a massive action movie, likening his experience filming to  working on Captain America: The Winter Soldier, which is a personal favorite of his and widely regarded as one of the finest films in the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe.

It felt like both. In a lot of ways, it felt like a movie. Again, we’re not finished; we still have some stuff to do. What I loved about it was that, tonally, it was very much in the same world that Captain America: The Winter Soldier was, which was one of my favorite experiences that I’ve ever had, period. So, in a sense, it was grounded and very much in the world as we know it. But, it’s also really jam-packed with a lot of massive, massive action scenes mixed with deep focus on character. That’s what’s really exciting about this. We’re getting to keep it in the world of the movies, so it’s recognizable that way, but at the same time, these characters are getting so much more mileage for all of us to explore them. We can put them in situations that we’ve never been able to put them in before because you now have six hours as opposed to two. It’s always a discovery.

Marvel’s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is one of many upcoming Marvel Studios-produced Disney+ miniseries and will star Anthony Mackie (Avengers: Endgame), Sebastian Stan (Avengers: Endgame), Daniel Brühl (Captain America: Civil War), Emily VanCamp (Captain America: Civil War), Wyatt Russell (Overlord), Adepero Oduye (The Big Short), Desmond Chiam (The Shannara Chronicles), Miki Ishikawa (The Terror), Noah Mills (The Enemy Within), and Carl Lumbly (Supergirl).

Primetime Emmy-nominee Kari Skogland (The Punisher) is directing the six-episode miniseries with Malcolm Spellman (Empire) serving as showrunner.

It’s currently slated to premiere in August, but with filming not yet complete, that premiere date is likely subject to change due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

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THE CLONE WARS Star Sam Witwer Teases Dave Filoni’s Mind-Blowing THE MANDALORIAN Season 2 Plans

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Work on season two of The Mandalorian is believed to have concluded, so the hope is that we’ll get to watch it later this year on Disney+ as planned. All we really know is that Moff Gideon will be seeing action while wielding the Darksaber and that Rosario Dawson is set to make an appearance as Ahsoka Tano, but actor Sam Witwer has teased some of executive producer Dave Filoni’s big plans. 

He’s been working with the director on The Clone Wars (where he plays Maul), but it sounds like Witwer has been made privy to at least some of his plans for the live-action series. “There are things that [Dave Filoni] has coming in The Mandalorian Season 2 that are going to blow people’s minds. Because the thing is that Dave and George always had the same instinct when it came to this.”

Interestingly, Witwer would go on to say that he was on a shortlist for a small role in season one of The Mandalorian, but some confusion led to him turning that down (without Filoni officially offering it).

“I got put on a shortlist on Mandalorian for some role and I thought maybe that was from Dave [Filoni], but then I found out it was actually from casting. Casting came up with the idea. So I relayed that to Dave, and I think it was awkward because I was saying “When I’m on the show” and this and that.”

“But what I was actually trying to say was I actually took myself off that list because I don’t want to mess with your show [Laughs],” he continued. “I was trying to say that. I don’t want to mess with the show, nor do I want to take the risk that I’m wrong for the show and then you hire me because I’m your buddy. I was trying to say that but it came off wrong [Laughs].”

“And there was this awkward silent moment. I think I need to text the guy and tell him that’s not what I meant! But what I meant to say was that if [Dave] had a need for me and there’s something I can do for you, you can tell me yourself. I’m not going to try to get in the way.”

It would definitely be fun seeing Witwer take on a live-action role in the Star Wars Universe, but perhaps he’s holding out for something a little more memorable than a bit part? He is, after all, responsible not only for playing Maul, but bringing Starkiller to life in those classic video games. 

What do you guys think? 

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BATWOMAN Season 1, Episode 18 Stills “If You Believe In Me, I’ll Believe In You” Released

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Batwoman‘s first season is continuing to play out on the CW despite current world events, and in the next instalment of the series, an old flame will return to Kate Kane’s life, and Julia Pennyworth is back in Gotham. We also get to see the new Dark Knight in chains and at the mercy of a gangster.

However, perhaps most noteworthy is the fact that Arrowverse veteran James Bamford is directing the episode, and you just know that should mean we’ll get some killer action scenes. 

Here’s the synopsis for the episode which is titled “If You Believe In Me, I’ll Believe In You”:

WHO CAN YOU TRUST? – Batwoman (Ruby Rose) enlists Luke (Camrus Johnson) and Julia (guest star Christina Wolfe) for an undercover mission to recover one of the most important items from her cousin’s arsenal. While Alice (Rachel Skarsten) continues developing her devious plans within Arkham’s walls, she gets an unexpected visit from Jacob Kane (Dougray Scott) who needs her help. Meanwhile, Mary (Nicole Kang) tries to prove herself to Kate. As Sophie (Meagan Tandy) gets closer to a co-worker, Kate reunites with an old flame. James Bamford directed the episode written by James Stoteraux and Chad Fiveash (#118). Original airdate 5/3/2020.

To check out these stills from the next episode of Batwoman, hit the “Next” button below. 
 

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Batwoman — “If You Believe In Me, I’ll Believe In You” — Image Number: BWN118a_0001b — Pictured: Brianne Howey as Reagan — Photo: Katie Yu/The CW — © 2020 The CW Network, LLC. All rights reserved.
 

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Batwoman — “If You Believe In Me, I’ll Believe In You” — Image Number: BWN118a_0195b — Pictured (L – R): Christina Wolfe as Julia Pennyworth and Ruby Rose as Kate Kane — Photo: Katie Yu/The CW — © 2020 The CW Network, LLC. All rights reserved.
 

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Batwoman — “If You Believe In Me, I’ll Believe In You” — Image Number: BWN118a_0241b — Pictured (L – R): Ruby Rose as Kate Kane and Nicole Kang as Mary Hamilton — Photo: Katie Yu/The CW — © 2020 The CW Network, LLC. All rights reserved.
 

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Batwoman — “If You Believe In Me, I’ll Believe In You” — Image Number: BWN118a_0335b — Pictured: Ruby Rose as Kate Kane — Photo: Katie Yu/The CW — © 2020 The CW Network, LLC. All rights reserved.
 

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Batwoman — “If You Believe In Me, I’ll Believe In You” — Image Number: BWN118a_0433b — Pictured (L – R): Ruby Rose as Kate Kane and Brianne Howey as Reagan — Photo: Katie Yu/The CW — © 2020 The CW Network, LLC. All rights reserved.
 

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Batwoman — “If You Believe In Me, I’ll Believe In You” — Image Number: BWN118B_0231b — Pictured (L – R): Ruby Rose as Kate Kane and Carmine Giovinazzo as Johnny Sabatino — Photo: Colin Bentley/The CW — © 2020 The CW Network, LLC. All rights reserved.
 

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Batwoman — “If You Believe In Me, I’ll Believe In You” — Image Number: BWN118B_0250b — Pictured: Ruby Rose as Batwoman — Photo: Colin Bentley/The CW — © 2020 The CW Network, LLC. All rights reserved.
 

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Batwoman — “If You Believe In Me, I’ll Believe In You” — Image Number: BWN118B_0291b — Pictured: Carmine Giovinazzo as Johnny Sabatino — Photo: Colin Bentley/The CW — © 2020 The CW Network, LLC. All rights reserved.
 

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Batwoman — “If You Believe In Me, I’ll Believe In You” — Image Number: BWN118B_0443b — Pictured: Nicole Kang as Mary Hamilton — Photo: Colin Bentley/The CW — © 2020 The CW Network, LLC. All rights reserved.
 

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Batwoman — “If You Believe In Me, I’ll Believe In You” — Image Number: BWN118B_BTS_0697b — Pictured: Ruby Rose as Batwoman — Photo: Colin Bentley/The CW — © 2020 The CW Network, LLC. All rights reserved.
 

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Batwoman — “If You Believe In Me, I’ll Believe In You” — Image Number: BWN118B_BTS_0725b — Pictured: Nicole Kang as Mary Hamilton — Photo: Colin Bentley/The CW — © 2020 The CW Network, LLC. All rights reserved.
 

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CASSIAN ANDOR: The Timeline Of The Disney+ Series Has Been Revealed

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Last night, the trades revealed that Mon Mothma actress Genevieve O’Reilly and Denise Gough had been cast in the upcoming Rogue One: A Star Wars Story prequel series coming to Disney+. 

However, in a subsequent post from StarWars.com, it’s been revealed that Cassian Andor takes place five years before the events of that movie. That means it’s set 5 BBY (Before the Battle of Yavin) in the official timeline of these stories set in a Galaxy Far, Far Away, a date which makes sense when Rogue One leads directly into the opening few minutes of A New Hope

This also means the Empire has been in power for fourteen years following the events of Revenge of the Sith (which is in 19 BBY). It’s hard to imagine how different the Galaxy will be at this point, but you have to believe the Rebellion will still be in the very early stages of coming together.

For the most part, though, it sounds like Cassian Andor is going to focus on the hero’s early years and some of the darker moments in his past which Rogue One only alluded to. With this five-year gap, it’s hard to imagine the Disney+ series lasting for more than a season or two. 

Are you guys excited to explore this period in Cassian Andor?

Click on the “Next” button below to find out which characters
could star in the new female-led Star Wars series coming to Disney+!

 

10. Captain Phasma

Phasma

Following her introduction in The Force Awakens, fans expected big things from Captain Phasma. Unfortunately, she was killed off with little fanfare by Rian Johnson in The Last Jedi, and her story came to a premature, and undeniably abrupt, end. 

Novels and comic books have filled in some of the gaps in the character’s history, but there are no doubt more stories to be told, particularly when it comes to both her past and how The First Order went about recruiting all those children for their army. 

What made Phasma tick and why was she so damn evil? These are questions a limited series could answer, while potentially addressing some lingering questions from the sequels. 
 

9. Mara Jade

Mara

The desire to see Mara Jade in a live-action setting is huge, and while there are huge chunks of her history which will need to be rewritten, it’s not something outside the realm of possibility. 

Introduced in Timothy Zahn’s critically acclaimed Thrawn Trilogy, we learn that Jade was trained as the Emperor’s right hand, with her final mission being to assassinate Luke Skywalker. However, she quicky sees the error of her ways, and eventually gets married to the Jedi Master. 

As we mentioned, much of that will have to be forgotten, but it gives Lucasfilm the opportunity to reinvent the character and give fans something new to enjoy, while finally bringing this hero to TV.
 

8. Qi’ra

Qira

After making a $77 million loss, there’s no way we’re getting a Solo sequel. However, it’s clear from the way that movie ended there are more storied to be told, and that’s where a show like this could come in handy. We learned at the end of the spinoff that Qi’ra was working for Maul, and who wouldn’t want to see more of that villain’s intriguing backstory before his demise?

It helps that Emilia Clarke was so great in this role, and with a cameo appearance from Alden Ehrenreich’s Han Solo, we could even get some answers about why things ended between these two.

This isn’t a series we can imagine needing more than the one season, but Lucasfilm has the chance to wrap up some lingering plot threads here, while making fans happy with a pseudo Solo 2
 

7. Ashoka Tano

Ashoka

As you’ve likely heard, there are already rumblings that Lucasfilm is planning to use the episode of The Mandalorian which introduces a live-action version of Ashoka Tano as a backdoor pilot for her own series. With that in mind, it’s highly likely that’s exactly who this show will focus on. 

With Rosario Dawson playing the character, it’s understandable why a Disney+ TV series might be a priority, and given the popularity of Ashoka, it’s pretty much guaranteed to be a hit. 

Whether the series takes place before or after the events of The Mandalorian, there are a lot of stories it could explore. Personally, we would like to see it serve as a Star Wars Rebels sequel!
 

6. Rey “Skywalker”

Rey

Is it too soon to return to the world of the sequels? Fans are understandably curious to find out what happened after Emperor Palpatine’s final defeat, while the list of unanswered questions we have from this trilogy continues to grow with every new minor piece of information which is revealed.

Serving as an epilogue of sorts, this star-studded series could reveal what Rey “Skywalker” did next and show what happens to a Galaxy without the influence of the First Order and Sith. 

Characters like Finn and Poe Dameron could also get slightly more satisfying conclusions to their respective story arcs, and Rey could be redeemed after some of the damage done to the character in J.J. Abrams and Chris Terrio’s Skywalker Saga finale. It’s unlikely, but a strong premise for a series.
 

5. Padmé Amidala

Padme

Natalie Portman’s run as Padmé Amidala was something of a mixed bag in the prequels, and her best moments came when she got to see some action. For the most part, it was a lot of fun spending time with the character, but there are definitely ways a show like this could improve on that.

Just like the actress is returning to the MCU to play Jane Foster, whose to say she couldn’t come back to Star Wars in order to fill in some gaps in Padmé’s history? Alternatively, as she’s not a little older, a more likely possibility is that she could play one of the character’s lookalike handmaidens, exploring what became of them following Padmé’s death and the rise of the Empire. 

That’s actually something the current Darth Vader comic book series is touching on, so we’ll have to wait and see how it plays out there before being sure if it’s something that would work on TV.
 

4. Aurra Sing

Sing

After making a brief appearance in The Phantom Menace, the “Expanded Universe” would make Aurra Sing an interesting character who became something of a breakout villain in the process. An associate of Jango Fett’s, we learned that she was responsible for training Boba Fett as a bounty hunter, and even accompanied him when he tried to kill Mace Windu.

Exploring that iconic character’s origin story would be a good way to increase interest in a show revolving around Sing, and it would kill two birds with one stone. 

On the one hand, we’d have a tale about a badass female warrior, and on the other, the series could fill in some huge gaps in Star Wars history which would definitely draw the interest of long-term fans. It would also be fun to revisit the era of the prequels as they’ve been largely ignored thus far.
 

3. Cara Dune

Dune

Not too long ago, reports surfaced that Lucasfilm was working on a number of spinoffs tied to The Mandalorian, and Cara Dune has to be among the most likely possibilities (we love IG-11, but let’s face it, he’s probably not a character who could hold his own across eight episodes). 

While we definitely want to see more of Dune in the first of the live-action Star Wars TV shows to come to Disney+, exploring her history would be no bad thing, especially if that takes us back to her time as part of the Rebellion and allows us to revisit the events of the original trilogy. 

The question is, is the character interesting enough to hold her own in a series like this one? 
 

2. Doctor Aphra

Aphra

Doctor Aphra has developed a huge fanbase thanks to her comic book adventures, and fans have been hoping for the past few years now that she’ll make the leap from page to screen.

Given how much of her story has already been covered by Marvel, it’s hard to imagine what could be done with her in a live-action setting, but we’re sure there are more stories to tell, all of which could tie into what we’ve seen in the comics. She’s a huge amount of fun to spend time with, and with the right actress, we can imagine that same being the case on Disney+ too. 

Time will tell, but a TV show wrapping up her story feels like the right fit for this streaming service.
 

1. An Original Character

Sloane

We’ve explored a lot of exciting possibilities with some familiar faces thus far, but who’s to say the lead of this series won’t be someone completely new? 

The Mandalorian may have taken advantage of a familiar alien race by creating “Baby Yoda,” but the titular character is an original creation. Despite that, he’s already a firm fan-favourite, and that just goes to show Lucasfilm is more than capable of coming up with compelling new heroes without necessarily turning to those they’ve already introduced. 

We could follow someone on the side of good or evil here, pretty much in any time period. That’s an intriguing prospect, and one made possible by focusing on a new addition to this Galaxy. 
 

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AVENGERS: ENDGAME Earned Disney Nearly $900 Million In Profit; Robert Downey Jr. Scored A $75 Million Payday

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Avengers: Endgame earned $1.2 billion worldwide during its opening weekend, and according to Deadline, that alone covered the $511 million production and marketing costs. That’s a first for a big budget blockbuster, and so it’s no wonder the Marvel Cinematic Universe is set to continue dominating theaters moving forward (well, once they re-open). 

After grossing $614.3 million in China – making it the biggest US title in the Middle Kingdom’s history – Disney ended up getting 25% of that ($153.5 million) back due to how things work in the country. 

However, after Avengers: Endgame ultimately ended up earning $2.797 billion worldwide, and after Disney saw around $1.8 billion in theatrical rentals and when home entertainment and TV streams brought that figure up to $1.789 billion. Unfortunately, merchandise costs haven’t been revealed. 

Despite that, the net profit ended up being a mind-blowing $890 million. That’s 78% higher than Avengers: Infinity War‘s $500 million profit, and a number no one could have ever imagined. 

Interestingly, the trade notes that after receiving $20 million upfront, Iron Man actor Robert Downey Jr. walked away with $55 million in back-end profits. 

Another Avengers movie being released is inevitable, but there’s no sign of one in Phase 4 and that’s likely because the studio wants to build anticipation. When it finally arrives in theaters, it will almost certainly be a hit, and that’s a smarter business decision that rushing another out too soon. 

Click on the “Next” button below to check out some Phase 1
moments Disney wouldn’t allow to happen in the MCU today!

 

10. Bruce Banner Can’t Get Laid

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In The Incredible Hulk, Bruce Banner goes on the run alongside Betty Ross, and the former couple start getting close again in a motel room. However, just as it looks like the Jade Giant’s alter-ego will see some action, his heart-rate monitor starts going haywire, and he realises that having sex runs the risk of him transforming into The Hulk. 

Yes, Bruce couldn’t have sex with Betty because he was scared he would lose control during the act! 

What was meant to be a somewhat edgy piece of humour came across as dumb and bordered on being a complete misunderstanding of how Banner’s powers work. Honestly, there’s just no way one of the current Marvel Studios movies would take this sort of risqué look at a hero’s sex life.
 

9. Tony Stark’s Stripper Pole

Stripp

Before he became Iron Man, Tony Stark lived a hedonistic lifestyle and certainly enjoyed himself as an eligible bachelor. That was evident from the fact his private plane was outfitted not only with plenty of booze, but stripper poles which the “flight attendants” certainly made good use of. 

Yes, Tony was able to transform his plane into a strip club on a whim, and while there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that (it’s not as if he was married or doing anything morally objectionable), this sort of non-PG content wouldn’t fly – no pun intended – in today’s Marvel Cinematic Universe. 

These days, there would probably be some sort of massive outcry on social media to a scene like too, and it’s just not something that fits Disney’s family friendly image in any way, shape, or form.
 

8. General “Thunderbolt” Ross’ Love Of Cigars

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The original plan for The Avengers was for Earth’s Mightiest Heroes to square off with The Hulk. That’s why The Incredible Hulk’s post-credits scene revolved around Tony Stark approaching General “Thunderbolt” Ross to offer him some help, but there was something in that moment which Disney would never allow to grace the silver screen. 

While he’s getting drunk, Ross is puffing on one of his trademark cigars, but Disney doesn’t allow smoking in any of their films!

Captain America: Civil War actually featured a nod to Ross’ love of cigars when he mentioned having a heart attack, something you have to believe came as a result of the way he used to both smoke and drink. It was a fun way for Marvel Studios to explain why his cigars were nowhere to be seen.
 

7. Tony Stark’s Alcoholism

Tony-Drunk

Marvel Studios never fully went down the “Demon in the Bottle” route in the MCU, but Iron Man 2 definitely addressed the fact that Tony Stark’s drinking had become a major problem. 

The hero’s drunken behaviour at his party endangered guests and led to Rhodey taking his old armour and subsequently becoming War Machine after realising his friend could no longer be trusted. By the time The Avengers rolled around, though, Tony was shown enjoying a drink as he sparred with Loki in Stark Tower, and his possible alcoholism was never mentioned again.

That was seemingly just too dark a topic for a superhero in a world now overseen by Disney to tackle, and it’s a shame in many ways as the comic books handled it in a meaningful, impactful way.
 

6. Sexualising Black Widow

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Scarlett Johansson is extremely talented…and insanely beautiful. Marvel Studios really played on her sex appeal in Iron Man 2, and as well as some saucy lingerie photos, “Natalie Rushman” walked around in a lot of tight-fitting clothing and was clearly an object of Tony Stark’s desires.

That was the point in some ways, of course, as she was undercover for S.H.I.E.L.D., but some sexist remarks were sent her way courtesy of Happy Hogan (who watched her change in the back of Tony’s car), and a female superhero being portrayed like this these says seems doubtful. 

Joss Whedon managed to slip some borderline NSFW shots of Black Widow into The Avengers (mostly of her butt), but the way the hero was portrayed in the MCU after Iron Man 2 was vastly different.
 

5. F-Bombs

Stern

It may have been bleeped (barely), but Iron Man 2 featured the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s first F-Bomb! It came during a confrontation with Senator Stern as he shouted “F*** you, buddy” at Tony as he left that congressional hearing about his future as Iron Man. 

It wasn’t hard to figure out what he said, and while Guardians of the Galaxy teased another F-Bomb, it was nowhere near as obvious as this one, and not something Disney would ever allow to make the final cut of one of their movies. Bear in mind that Spider-Man: Homecoming and Far From Home’s “What the fu-” moments were in films produced by Sony Pictures, not Disney.

Regardless, this was a pretty blatant use of the word in a Marvel movie, and not something we expect to hear again.
 

4. Recasting Rhodey

Rhodey

After Terrence Howard demanded a huge pay rise for his Iron Man 2 return, Marvel Entertainment Chairman Isaac Perlmutter ordered Kevin Feige to recast the role…because no one would notice.

In case you need us to spell it out to you, Ike believed that because the character of Rhodey is black, moviegoers wouldn’t notice that Don Cheadle had replaced him. It’s a horrible way of thinking, but he was in charge at the time, and with Howard wanting such a huge amount of money, it was inevitable that he wouldn’t come back for the sequel. 

These days, recasting still happens, but something tells us there would be a better reason for it…and that execs at Disney wouldn’t be under the belief no one would realise for such racist reasons!
 

3. “Thunderstruck”

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Iron Man 2 was a messy movie, but as well as pushing the boundaries with Tony Stark’s alcoholism and the way Natasha Romanoff was portrayed, it also featured a lot of other sexualised imagery.

The opening sequence (which originally featured a hungover Tony throwing up into a toilet) saw Iron Man surrounded by scantily clad dancers, and while it was all very tame, it’s also not the sort of imagery we’re used to seeing from Disney. It’s hard to imagine them being okay with this, especially when those girls are pulling off some, ahem, eye-catching moves! 

The sequel wouldn’t have suffered without a scene like this, but by the time Iron Man 3 rolled around, the Armoured Avenger had very much put his hedonistic, playboy ways behind him once and for all. 
 

2. Captain America Punches Hitler

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Captain America: The First Avenger didn’t really include Nazis and instead overlooked what they did during World War II by focusing on Steve Rogers’ battle with the Red Skull and HYDRA.

It’s hard not to wonder whether that was a creative decision influenced by Disney as they had acquired Marvel Studios at this point, but there’s one scene, in particular, we can’t help but wonder might have been a step too far for Disney. That’s the scene where Captain America punches an actor who is dressed up as Adolf Hitler while Steve is performing for the USO. 

It was a moment paying homage to the source material and a classic comic book cover, but would Disney be happy with one of their superheroes beating up one of the most evil men in history? It’s hard to say, but we can’t help but wonder whether this would have led to some strong discussions behind the scenes. 
 

1. Sex Scenes

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As we’ve established, the early Iron Man movies didn’t shy away from portraying Tony Stark as a billionaire playboy who most definitely wasn’t ready to settle down with future Stark Industries CEO Pepper Potts. That was evident from the fact that he wasted no time in bedding Christine Everhart in a surprisingly non-PG-13 sex scene! 

The next morning, Christine (played by the beautiful and talented Leslie Bibb) wanders through Stark’s Malibu home in just the bedsheets, and that’s yet another example of imagery which is far too provocative for today’s MCU. 

Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger didn’t feature any sex scenes, but that was mostly for story reasons. However, it’s hard not to wonder what those might have looked like had things played out slightly differently (especially after what we saw in the Iron Man franchise). 
 

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