STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER Novelization Puts A Different Spin On Rey And Ben Solo’s Kiss

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Star Wars: The Last Jedi dropped some hints about Kylo Ren and Rey having a romantic connection, but J.J. Abrams decided to double down on that with The Rise of Skywalker. That culminated in a kiss between the two at the end of the Skywalker Saga finale, but was it just a smooch between friends? 

Well, in the latest excerpt from The Rise of Skywalker novelization to do the rounds online, the kiss is painted in a slightly different light, and it definitely doesn’t sound romantic in nature. 

“His heart was full as Rey reached for his face, let her fingers linger against his cheek,” it reads. “And then, wonder of wonders, she leaned forward and kissed him. A kiss of gratitude, acknowledgement of their connection, celebration that they’d found each other at last. But then she drew back, concern on her face. She could feel him growing cold. Ben smiled at her. He had given Rey back to the galaxy. It wouldn’t atone for the darkness he’d wrought, but it was what he could do.”

The mention of the kiss being a “celebration that they’d found each other at last” does come across as potentially pointing to the two being in love, but it’s too vague to say for sure. However, it being “a kiss of gratitude” and an “acknowledgement of their connection” suggests otherwise, and it’s possible they only locked lips because Rey was thankful for Ben bringing her back from the dead. 

Either way, the “Reylo” shippers were definitely grateful for this moment, and it’s another aspect of The Rise of Skywalker which is seemingly going to continue to divide Star Wars fans…


CLICK HERE to check out even more surprising changes and reveals from this novelization!

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THE SUICIDE SQUAD Cast And Crew Poster Teases A Bloody End For The Members Of James Gunn’s Task Force X

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While it won’t arrive in theaters until next year, there’s a lot of excitement surrounding James Gunn’s plans for The Suicide Squad. The filmmaker is clearly embracing the source material, and there are even rumours that one iteration of Task Force X could be dead and gone by the first act! 

That remains to be seen, but Gunn has now taken to Instagram to share the bloody cast and crew poster for his DC Comics adaptation. Designed by John Sloboda to mark the end of production, this won’t be used in the reboot/sequel’s marketing campaign, but it does drop some interesting hints about what’s to come.

As you can see, Task Force X’s weapons are sitting in a pool of blood. Most of them are generic, but we do see Harley Quinn’s mallet and Captain Boomerang’s boomerang.

That shouldn’t be taken as a sign their days are numbered as this is just a cool piece of imagery shared exclusively with those who worked on The Suicide Squad. However, if Idris Elba is indeed playing Vigilante in the film, then he’ll more than likely make good use of all those guns! 


Check out Gunn’s Instagram post below:

CLICK HERE to check out everything we know so far about The Suicide Squad‘s impressive cast! 

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THE BATMAN: Taking A Closer Look At The Batmobile And Robert Pattinson’s Batsuit

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We’d all been clamoring for a glimpse of the Batmobile ever since Matt Reeves unveiled that test footage of Robert Pattinson as The Batman last month, and the director has now made Bat-fans’ day with some stunning official shots of The Dark Knight and his iconic ride.

It’s immediately clear from even a brief glance that this is going to be a far less stylized take on The Caped Crusader’s vehicle than we’ve seen in previous big-screen outings, and actually has more in common with the modified 1955 Ford Lincoln Futura from the ’60s TV series with Adam West than, say, the militarized tank from Christopher Nolan’s trilogy.

The photos also gave us a our first full look at Pattinson in his Batsuit, and while he’s not featured as prominently as the car, we can make out a few new details.

Have a scroll through the slideshow below as we take a closer look.

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The Batmobile #1

Yes, this version of the Batmobile is definitely… a car!

Some fans were a little put off by this more realistic design because the past few iterations of the vehicle were so souped-up and borderline cartoonish, but, as Batman purists will no doubt be aware, The Caped Crusader has driven similarly minimalist Batmobiles in the comics many times. This particular take is reminiscent of Neal Adams’ design from the ’70s and ’80s.
 

The Batmobile #2

This next pic gives us a better look at Bats (Robert Pattison) standing beside the car.

The test footage did provide a detailed look at certain parts of the armor and we have seen those set photos of the stunt double, but this is the first time we’ve seen a full shot of Pattinson in the costume.

The reaction to this has been mostly positive, although some fans were hoping that this incarnation of the Batsuit would differentiate itself a little more from previous movie versions. It might have been cool to see those angular ears from the hero’s earliest appearances, at least.

The Batmobile #3




A closer look at what will likely turn out to be a homemade engine.

This is further evidence that Pattison’s take on the character will favor function over fashion, as it appears as if Bruce Wayne has basically just added a few bells and whistles to a standard muscle car. This is the Batmobile, though, so don’t be surprised if it’s hiding a few surprises for the bad guys somewhere.

What did you guys make of this first look at the Batmobile? Were you hoping for something different? Let us know in the comments.

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LOKI: More Set Photos Feature A Closer Look At Lady Loki, Owen Wilson’s Character, And A Possible Roxxon Nod

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Earlier today, some low-res shots from the set of Loki found their way online. Now, we have the full gallery courtesy of Just Jared, and there are even more exciting reveals about the Disney+ series.

For starters, we can now see that the Time Variance Authority (TVA) member in the hood is, in fact, Owen Wilson. The actor is rocking a moustache, and clearly not Kang the Conqueror…unless he’s a very early version of the villain, of course! He’s definitely working closely with the God of Mischief, though, and it could be that’s the only way for Loki to earn his freedom. 

The gallery also features a more detailed shot of Sophia Di Martino, and it now seems clear that the British actress is indeed portraying a female version of Loki in the show. Their costumes are almost identical, and it doesn’t seem likely that Enchantress would be imitating the villain in that way. 

Finally, we see what looks like a pretty desolate landscape, and it’s possible this is either the future or a post-Snap MCU. Interestingly, there’s a “Roxxcart” Evacuation Shuttle, and we can’t help but wonder whether that’s an offshoot of Roxxon (a villainous organisation that could factor into Thor: Love and Thunder in a big way if Taika Waititi is planning to follow the comics).

Check out the photos below:

We have the very first look at the “Loki” set photos featuring Tom Hiddleston, Owen Wilson, and more in character for the Disney+ show! Check out the pics: https://t.co/6058i9Bcf2

— JustJared.com (@JustJared) March 4, 2020

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UNCHARTED Star Mark Wahlberg Compares The Video Game Movie To INDIANA JONES

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Mark Wahlberg is currently doing the rounds to promote Neflix’s Spenser Confidential, and he’s been fielding questions about the upcoming Uncharted movie starring Tom Holland as Nathan Drake. The actor plays that character’s mentor Sully in Ruben Fleischer’s big screen adaptation of the hit video game franchise, and he’s now shed more light on what fans can expect. 

“I start filming in about two weeks time,” he tells Collider, confirming that Uncharted is actually happening after countless delays. “It’s exciting because, without giving too much away, it’s more of an origin story. Meeting them, and Nathan becoming Nathan. Sully and him meeting, trying to not only get over on each other, but also starting to partner up and develop that relationship.”

“It’ll be very cool,” Wahlberg continued. “It’s the first time I’m in a movie that’s a movie. I felt like when I was reading it, I was reading Indiana Jones or Thomas Crown Affair. It’s got these great elements of these heist movies and adventure movies like I’ve never been a part of.”

While it’s not necessarily the Uncharted movie a lot of fans were hoping for, it definitely has some potential, and you have to believe Sony Pictures is already mulling over the future of the franchise.

However, in a separate interview with IGN, Wahlberg revealed that he’s currently only signed up to star in the one instalment. “Well, they’re thinking a lot but, you know what, I’m in for one right now so we’ll see.” That’s probably Hollywood-ese for “I’ll sign up for a sequel, but only if Sony gives me a pay rise,” but it’s hard to say how this first chapter is going to play out right now anyway. 

After all, it could go either way with Fleischer at the helm, and video game adaptations remain as tricky to crack as ever (even with a hit like Sonic the Hedgehog). 

What do you guys think? 

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THE BATMAN Reportedly Adds TEEN WOLF Twins Charlie And Max Carver In “Sizable” Roles

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Wonder Twin powers, activate? Okay, so they won’t be playing Zan and Jan (unless director Matt Reeves has some big surprises in store), but a new report from AV Club claims that identical twin Teen Wolf actors Max and Charlie Carver have been added to the cast of The Batman.

No details on their characters were provided, but their roles are said to be “sizable,” which is obviously going to spark a lot of speculation.

They may not be playing established DC Comics characters at all, of course, but if they are then the most likely possibility would probably be Mad Hatter’s muscle, Tweedledum and Tweedledee. Hatter has been rumored to appear for a while now, although he has yet to be confirmed. There’s also Two-Face’s henchmen Max and Min, and the more obscure Trigger Twins.

What do you guys think? Let us know in the comments, and check out our ranking of the previous DC Films Universe movies below.

The Batman is set to hit theaters on June 25, 2021 and stars Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne; Zoë Kravitz  as Selina Kyle; Paul Dano as Edward Nashton; Jeffrey Wright as James Gordon; John Turturro as Carmine Falcone; Peter Sarsgaard as Gotham D.A. Gil Colson; Jayme Lawson as Bella Reál; Andy Serkis as Alfred; and Colin Farrell as Oswald Cobblepot.

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Aquaman

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You probably weren’t expecting to see this at the bottom of the list! I’m completely aware that I’m in the minority here, but James Wan’s hokey farce of an Aquaman movie did nothing for me at all.

Arthur Curry’s first solo film almost falls over itself in an attempt to change the perception that the DCEU was too “dark and depressing.” Wan’s movie is bright, colorful (garish, really), and tries to inject a sense of fun and old-fashioned adventure into pretty much every scene. Unfortunately, it forgets to include little things like compelling characters and an engaging story along the way.

The script is perfunctory, the performances range from passable to outright egregious (seriously, where did they find the kid that played teenage Arthur?), and almost every line of dialogue is either exposition, an eye-rolling cliche or some brotastic, juvenile one-liner.

I did laugh several times during this movie, but it definitely wasn’t at any of the “jokes.”

On the plus side, Aquaman does feature some stunning visuals and brilliantly creative creature designs, all of which come together for a pretty damn bonkers finale – though by that stage I was on my second watch check.

Suicide Squad

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I actually enjoyed David Ayer’s Suicide Squad to an extent, but considering the movie we got was nowhere near as good as its awesome trailers promised, it has to be considered a major disappointment.

The film begins well enough, but as it goes on it just gets messier and messier until it pretty much loses all sense of cohesiveness. Add baffling character choices, bizarre need drops, and a pair of laughable villains to the mix and it’s not hard to see why so many fans and critics dismissed it entirely.

And yet, Suicide Squad does have its moments. Some individual scenes work very well (Batman’s face-off with Deadshot, for example) and the cast is mostly on form, with Margot Robbie, Will Smith and Viola Davis, in particular, putting in great performances.

Not a complete washout, but man this should have been so much more.

Justice League


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Like a lot of its fellow DCEU entries, I believe Justice League gets a bit of a bad rap and is a far more entertaining movie than many give it credit for. That said, there’s no denying that the first big-screen team-up of DC’s best and brightest should have been a lot better.

What went wrong? It’s probably quicker to list off what didn’t, but it’s clear that Zack Snyder being replaced by Joss Whedon had a major impact on the finished product. Would it have been a better movie if one or the other had been able to direct the whole thing? We’ll probably never know (the “Snyder Cut” is possible, but unlikely), but it certainly would have been a more tonally consistent one.

As it stands, Justice League is loud, brash, campy, exciting, funny, and… kind of a mess. Most of the characters are well served, though, and there is fun to be had – it’s just a shame this wasn’t the cinematic event DC fans were hoping for.

Shazam!

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Shazam! was envisioned as a more family-friendly DC movie with the focus placed on heart over grit, and in that respect, David F. Sandberg delivered. It’s endearing, funny and engaging (at least until it overstays its welcome), but it’s also overlong, a little too twee, and ultimately just not particularly memorable.

That said, it’s never less than entertaining thanks to a terrific cast, a genuinely warm and funny script (take note, Aquaman) and some exciting, if slightly iffy CGI-heavy, action sequences.

At the end of the day, Kids seemed to love Shazam!, and that’s really all that matters.

Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice

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It really wouldn’t be accurate to call the reviews for Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice mixed, because the majority of critics hated the movie with a passion.

To be fair, Zack Snyder’s follow up to Man of Steel does have a lot of problems. It’s messy, disjointed, over-long by a good 20 minutes or so, and – most crucially for purists – offers radically different takes on the iconic DC heroes of its title. But despite all of this, I believe BVS is quite a bit better than its reputation would suggest.

I’m not one of these Snyder die-hards that thinks it’s some kind of misunderstood masterpiece, but I do believe many critics – and fans – chose to focus on what the movie did wrong while completely disregarding everything it did right.

The first big-screen meeting of DC’s Trinity was definitely not the cinematic event it could (or should) have been, and that “Martha” scene is probably destined to be ridiculed and misunderstood in equal measure for many years to come, but give it another watch some cold, rainy night and you might be surprised by how well it holds up.

Wonder Woman

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For many, Wonder Woman will take the top spot here, and that’s completely understandable. Not only was it the first solo big screen outing for one of the most popular superheroes in history, but it was also the first female-led comic book movie from any major studio since Elektra back in 2005. Oh yes, there was also the small matter of a lot of people pinning their hopes on Patty Jenkins’ film to be the one that “saved” The DCEU.

While I wasn’t necessarily of the opinion that The DCEU needed saving, there’s no denying that Jenkins knocked it out of the park.

If you were of the belief that WB desperately needed to inject a bit more heart into The DCEU, then Wonder Woman must have been a breath of fresh air. It’s funny, engaging and action-packed, with a strong emotional core and a star-making turn from Gal Gadot. It does have some problems (the third act flounders a little and lays on the cheese), but overall, Jenkins’ old-school adventure served as a terrific setup for Diana’s cinematic future.

Birds of Prey

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Birds of Prey better than Wonder Woman? There wasn’t much in it, but Cathy Yan’s bonkers girl-gang flick is simply more my cup of tea. The movie is currently struggling at the box office despite highly positive reviews, and that’s a real shame because BOP is an absolute blast.

If you’ve seen the trailers, you’ll have a pretty good idea how things play out. The film isn’t really concerned with clever twists or major surprises and the plot is very straightforward, even a little cliched. That’s not to say things ever get boring (one thing this movie definitely is not, is boring) or that there’s no creativity on display, and the cornucopia of colorful characters are more than enough to keep us engaged.

Sure, it’s a little uneven and maybe not quite as subversive as it’d like to be, but, for my money, The Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn is still the most purely entertaining movie on this list.

Man of Steel

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Just like many will scoff at Aquaman placing so low, Man of Steel coming in second (first if you don’t count Joker as a DCEU film) is bound to be a controversial choice. But, I honestly believe Zack Snyder’s Superman reboot remains one of the most underrated and underappreciated comic book movies of all time.

Highly divisive upon its release and panned by many critics, Snyder’s take on the iconic DC hero was widely criticized for being too “grimdark,” but look beyond the visual aesthetics and more somber tone (when compared to the Richard Donner movies, at least) and the brighter themes most closely associated with the character do shine through.

The movie also features some incredible action sequences, a career-best performance from Henry Cavill in the lead, and a stunning score from Hans Zimmer.

There are some problems, but, for the most part, Snyder succeeded in rebooting Superman for the modern era, and laid the groundwork for Warner Bros.’ shared DC movie universe. Granted, things didn’t quite work out moving forward – but Man of Steel was a stellar start.

Joker

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Joker isn’t technically considered part of the DC Films Universe because of its standalone nature, but until Warner Bros. officially confirms that it won’t tie into its wider universe in any way, it earns a spot in this list. If you disagree that’s no prolem… simply count Man of Steel as #1!

All of the hullabaloo surrounding Joker in the buildup to its release proved to be totally unfounded, but the movie still remains a controversial and highly divisive film. While I certainly understand some of the criticism that has been leveled at it, I believe Todd Philips’ Joker is a stunning achievement overall and the best DC Comics adaptation WB has produced in the modern era. 

It is not an easy watch, there’s no doubt about that. If you’re looking for some comic book movie escapism this is not the movie for you. It’s violent, disturbing, and pretty much unrelentingly bleak. But it’s also a stunningly shot, haunting character piece with a mesmerizing score from Hildur Gudnadottir and a truly outstanding central performance.

It definitely won’t be for everyone and one could argue that Phillips does revel in nihilism to some extent, but at the end of the day this is an R-rated origin story for one of the most deranged, murderous villains in fiction, and the film reflects that. It may not make you feel good, but it will make you feel something, and sometimes that’s enough.

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FANTASTIC FOUR: Marvel’s First Family Gets The Mondo Treatment With Posters, Pins, And More

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Mondo is known for creating limited-edition posters, premium collectibles, vinyl soundtracks, and games inspired by their love for film, art, music, and pop culture. Now, in a move that will likely please many fans of Marvel Comics, Mondo has decided to turn their attention to Marvel’s first family, the Fantastic Four.

The iconic team consists of Mister Fantastic (Reed Richards), Invisible Woman (Sue Storm), Human Torch (Johnny Storm), and The Thing (Ben Grimm). Their adventures usually include longtime ally Silver Surfer (Norrin Radd) and enemies Doctor Doom (Victor Von Doom) and Galactus, the devourer of worlds.

Mondo has given this team the poster treatment as they often do with the other Intellectual Properties they utilize. One features Galactus while the other spotlights Silver Surfer, and there are variants of each as well.

In addition to the posters, there are enamel pins designed with the likenesses of all seven of the above listed Fantastic Four characters. There is also a double-sided Fantastic Four slipmat which features the iconic logo on one side and Doctor Doom on the other.

Take a look at all of these products for yourself below, and let us know which is your favorite down in the comments!


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FANTASTIC FOUR: Galactus
by Kilian Eng
24″ x 36″ Screenprinted Poster
Edition of 225
Printed by Lady Lazarus Press
$50
FANTASTIC FOUR: Galactus (Variant)
by Kilian Eng
24″ x 36″ Screenprinted Poster
Edition of 100
Printed by Lady Lazarus Press
$60
Poster expected to ship in April 2020
Ships to United States and other countries internationally


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FANTASTIC FOUR: Silver Surfer
by Dániel Taylor
24″ x 36″ Screenprinted Poster
Edition of 175
Printed by DL Screenprinting
$50
FANTASTIC FOUR: Silver Surfer (Variant)
by Dániel Taylor 24″ x 36″
Screenprinted Poster
Edition of 100
Printed by DL Screenprinting
$75
Poster expected to ship in May 2020
Ships to United States and other countries internationally


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FANTASTIC FOUR Slipmat
By Bruce Yan
Dye sublimated double-sided felt slipmat
$12
Slipmat expected to ship March 2020
Ships to United States and other countries internationally



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FANTASTIC FOUR Enamel Pins
Designed by Tom Whalen
Mr. Fantastic (1.42″ H), Invisible Woman (1.25″ H), Human Torch (1.4″ H), The Thing (1.28″ H)
Doctor Doom (1.22″ H), Galactus (2.75″ W), Silver Surfer (1″ H)
All on 1.25″ x 2.375″ backings, Galactus on 1.5″x3″ backing; Soft enamel on shiny silver nickel
$10 Each/ Galactus is $13
Enamel pins expected to ship March 2020
Ships to United States and other countries internationally

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