The Duchess of Sussex clearly wants to break back into Hollywood, and according to Mail Online (so take this with a pinch of salt), Markle’s agents are being told to “actively search” for a superhero role. The fact Disney owns Marvel Studios could obviously open the door to her joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and her name would bring a lot of eyes to any upcoming feature. 

Ana de Armas

Ana de Armas first came to our attention in Blade Runner 2049, but it was Knives Out that really put the actress on the map. She delivered a phenomenal performance in the Rian Johnson helmed murder mystery, and there’s now a huge amount of excitement to see her in action in No Time to Die. 

A James Bond movie will be the perfect place for de Armas to get used to the spy world, and the Cuban-Spanish actress would undoubtedly be a superb addition to Sony’s Spider-Man Universe. 

If Sony Pictures is hoping to launch a whole new franchise with Spider-Woman, de Armas would definitely fit the bill, and at 31, she’s the right age to play Jessica Drew over an entire series of movies. 
 

Natalia Reyes

Terminator: Dark Fate disappointed at the box office when it was released last October despite being perhaps the best instalment of the franchise since Terminator 2: Judgement Day. Natalia Reyes deserves a lot of credit for that, though, because she proved to be a compelling and exciting presence in the long-running series who definitely left us wanting more. 

That probably won’t happen, of course, but there’s nothing to say she can’t lend her skills to another big budget blockbuster. Reyes is another exciting possibility for Jessica Drew and it’s not at all hard to imagine her portraying the tough as nails spy. 

She could also bring a vulnerability to Spider-Woman which may be needed, especially if she ends up going on the run from whatever organisation she was working for before suiting up (in the comics, she was a double agent for S.H.I.E.L.D. and HYDRA but that likely won’t be touched on in the SUMC). 
 

Hailee Steinfeld

It’s sounding like Hailee Steinfeld will have to pass on the role of Kate Bishop in Hawkeye due to her Apple TV deal, and while that’s a great shame, it leaves the actress free to join another franchise.

Sony Pictures nabbing the Bumblebee star for Spider-Woman would be a smart move on their part, and it’s definitely fun to think about what she could bring to the table as Jessica Drew. We don’t know if the studio is hoping to have a younger actress play the hero or someone with a little more experience, but Steinfeld could pull off both an experienced hero and a rookie vigilante. 

Steinfeld is one of the most talented actresses working in Hollywood today and a big enough name to ensure that her casting would be every bit as noteworthy as Tom Hardy and Jared Leto’s. 
 

Katherine Langford

Katherine Langford ended up being cut from Avengers: Endgame, but she’s made an impact in 13 Reasons Why and Knives Out, so we know that the actress is a talent worth watching. In terms of appearance, she looks like a Jessica Drew who has just been torn straight from the pages of the comics, but a role like this requires more than just the right look.

In Langford’s case, it’s just a bonus, as she’s one heck of a talent and the right age to make a team-up of sorts with Tom Holland’s Spider-Man a very real and exciting possibility. 

The actress has some serious dramatic chops, and could make Jessica both a character who people fall in love with and someone they soon realise is a legitimate badass. If Sony is looking for someone to play Spider-Woman they can turn into a star, Langford is a downright excellent choice. 
 

Kiersey Clemons

The Flash has finally secured a release date, but after Kiersey Clemons was cut from Justice League, we have no idea whether the plan is still for her to play Iris West in DC Extended Universe. 

Even if she does join that shared world, there’s nothing to say she can’t also play Spider-Woman, and it feels like the actress is just one big role away from putting her name on the map for good. 

As we hope is obvious by this point, there’s absolutely nothing to say that Jessica Drew needs to be played by a white actress, and it would be great to see Sony add a talented, diverse star to its SUMC.
 

Florence Pugh

Yes, Florence Pugh is about to make her Marvel Cinematic Universe debut, but if Yelena Belova is only going to be in Black Widow, then there’s no reason Sony Pictures can’t be next to add her to a major superhero franchise. Her star is on the rise in a big way, and Pugh would add some legitimacy to the project as well. 

That could be necessary for a movie many moviegoers will probably dismiss as “Spider-Man…but a girl!” and if you’ve seen Fighting With My Family, you’ll know how tough Pugh comes across.

She also has an extremely likeable side, and that’s essential for a hero who has a murky past and is no stranger to being a double agent. In some ways, this could be too similar to her role in the MCU as another Black Widow, but depending on what route Sony takes Spider-Woman in, there’s no reason this couldn’t work.
 

Jessica Henwick

Jessica Henwick recently revealed that she came close to playing Rey in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, and that’s something a lot of fans would have liked to see, especially after her work in Iron Fist. 

The Netflix series won the actress a lot of fans, but with her unlikely to get the opportunity to return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it would be great to see her instead suit up in the SUMC.

She could be a truly badass version of Spider-Woman, and has the fighting skills to make Jessica Drew feel like a true force to be reckoned with on the big screen. That’s a must for this hero! 
 

Rosa Salazar

Rosa Salazar is another up and comer who won’t get the opportunity to return to the role that put her on the map. Alita: Battle Angel boasted a huge budget (making it impossible for it to turn a decent profit), but Salazar’s performance – which was heavily enhanced with CGI – stood out.

She’s a likeable, talented presence who is no stranger to action, and she could bring a human quality to Jessica Drew which Tom Hardy’s Eddie Brock, for example, was lacking. 

He wasn’t a character it was fun to spend time with until he transformed into Venom but Spider-Woman needs to be more than that, and we’re confident Salazar has all the necessary qualities to make it work. 
 

Lana Condor

Lana Condor had a bit part in X-Men: Apocalypse as Jubilee, but she’s since gone on to do much more than that. She’s excelled in To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before and its various sequels, while it was recently revealed that the actress also came close to landing the role of Rey in Star Wars. 

That aside, and Condor is another fresh face whose big break is surely on the horizon and it’s not hard to see why she would make a good choice for a character such as this.

Yet again, she’s not necessarily someone fans would suggest for the role, but if you can’t picture her playing a badass superspy, we’re not sure what to say! This would be something different, but that’s no bad thing, and it would add a diverse and exciting talent to the planned movie. 
 

Kaitlyn Dever

Kaitlyn Dever may not seem like the most obvious choice to play Spider-Woman, but she’s an incredible actress who has delivered amazing performances in the likes of Unbelievable and Booksmart.

Remember, in the Ultimate Universe, Jessica Drew is a female clone of Peter Parker’s, and with Sony not having access to S.H.I.E.L.D. and HYDRA, Sony could easily choose to take things in that direction.

In that case, Dever could be a perfect fit, and she would bring a youthful energy to the webbed warrior which helps her stand out as a vibrant and unique new addition to Sony’s own shared world. 

According to Deadline, the audience for this one has mostly been made up of males over the age of 25, but a lot of women have also come out to support the Elizabeth Moss-led release. 

The Invisible Man comes after a string of poorly received horror movies in 2020, such as The Grudge and Brahms: The Boy II. With a stellar 90% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, this film is a big win for Universal Pictures and Blumhouse, and it’s easy to imagine it spawning a series of sequels moving forward.

After all, it did only cost $7 million to produce!

In related box office news, Sonic the Hedgehog now sits at #2 with $15.2 million, while The Call of the Wild has slipped to third place with $12.8 million. Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey, meanwhile, has slipped down to sixth place with a $3.9 million weekend and a total domestic haul of $78.5 million. 

Talking of Sonic the Hedgehog, see if you can spot a quote from our review in the video below! 
 

He’s clearly in a superhero costume, of sorts, and there’s a huge star on his chest which is an obvious nod to what Battlestar wears in his comic book adventures. 

For those of you unfamiliar with Lemar Hoskins, he received augmented strength from the Power Broker, and acted as sidekick to his close friend John Walker when he assumed the role of Captain America. In other words, he’s going to be the Bucky to the MCU’s (deranged?) new Captain America.

Batfleck Backlash

On August 22nd, 2013, Ben Affleck was announced as the new Batman for what was then being billed as an untitled Man of Steel sequel. Despite his impressive turns in movies like The Town and Argo, there was an immediate backlash and fans really weren’t on board with him playing the Caped Crusader.

Here on CBM, the article revealing the news received over 1500 comments with gems like, “[I’m] just really not a fan of this news… [I] feel like DC hates us,” “Nothing about Affleck screams Bruce Wayne or Batman,” and “NO. No way, this has got to be a joke surely? I mean, BEN AFFLECK? BEN AFFLECK!?!?!?!? No way. I refuse to believe it.” And those are just the clean ones! 

This wasn’t a good start for Batfleck and the actor later talked about being told by Warner Bros. to not pay too much attention to what was being said online. Unfortunately, things would only get worse for him from there…

Batman v Superman Bombs

As time passed, the images and trailers made it clear that Affleck was a great choice to play the hero (visually, at least) and when Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice hit theaters, pretty much no one had anything bad to say about his version of the character.

Unfortunately, the movie took an absolute pounding and the actor became a meme thanks to an interview which saw him dubbed “Sad Affleck.” He clearly wasn’t happy with the way things were going, but remained attached to direct a Batman movie he’d been writing with comic book scribe Geoff Johns and was lined up to appear in Suicide Squad. 

Still, he can’t have been pleased about starring in a critical flop as it hurt his status as a director and was like Daredevil all over again.
 

A Pointless Suicide Squad Cameo

When set photos showed Batman chasing down The Joker and Harley Quinn, fans were extremely excited to see how that would play out in Suicide Squad. Unfortunately, his appearance there boiled down to an underwhelming car chase in which he never interacted with the Clown Prince of Crime and a far too brief battle with Deadshot which was a total disappointment. 

On the plus side, we did get a pretty cool mid-credits scene featuring Bruce Wayne and Amanda Waller.

The main problem was that Suicide Squad was another critical flop for Warner Bros. and while Batman’s role was brief, this was another bad superhero movie (according to the critics, at least) that Affleck’s name was attached to. It was at this point that he clearly started to grow frustrated with the role. 
 

Ben Affleck’s Frustrations

“With Live by Night, it took me a year and a half to write and get ready, and I worked really hard and — it’s just, nobody gave a sh*t!,” Affleck told Jimmy Kimmel when asked for an update on The Batman. “But with Batman, I keep on getting, ‘Where’s the f***ing Batman script?!’ I’m like, ‘Whoa — I’m working! Give me a second!'”

It seemed like the pressure was getting the best of him. Live by Night (which Affleck directed while shooting Batman v Superman and Justice League, thereby taking his attention away from that movie) was a critical disappointment and that really can’t have helped. 

It was around this time that rumours about him being done with Batman after Justice League started gaining traction and it seemed as if his days as the hero might be numbered. However, fans held out hope because The Batman was still in the works. Well, not for much longer, unfortunately! 
 

The Batman Falls Apart

Affleck’s version of The Batman would have pitted the Dark Knight against Joe Manganiello’s Deathstroke and that was an idea fans could get on board with (especially with Johns contributing his comic book knowledge to the script). 

On January 30th, 2017, the actor issued the following statement about no longer directing the movie:

“There are certain characters who hold a special place in the hearts of millions. Performing this role demands focus, passion and the very best performance I can give. It has become clear that I cannot do both jobs to the level they require. Together with the studio, I have decided to find a partner in a director who will collaborate with me on this massive film. I am still in this, and we are making it, but we are currently looking for a director. I remain extremely committed to this project, and look forward to bringing this to life for fans around the world.”

That was it for his version of The Batman but things still looked good because at least Affleck was going to team up with a new director to bring the movie to life, while still playing the Caped Crusader. Hell, he even declared at Comic-Con that, “I am the luckiest guy in the world, Batman is the coolest f***ing part in any universe.” Matt Reeves was hired but things didn’t go as we thought. 
 

Creative Differences?

Reeves quickly made it clear that he was not only making changes to Affleck and John’s script; he was totally rewriting it from scratch. What was going to be an action movie along the lines of The Raid was to be transformed into a noir thriller and the director clearly had a different vision for how Batman’s story should play out, hence why we started hearing rumblings about it being a prequel.

Whether or not Affleck’s departure had something to do with creative differences behind the scenes is hard to say, but it really didn’t feel like these two were ever on the same page and that when Warner Bros. hired Reeves, they knew he wanted to essentially reboot the character and take him down a more standalone path which isn’t necessarily connected to the wider DC Extended Universe.
 

The Justice League Dilemma

We really don’t need to recap what went wrong with Justice League again but the fact is, this was the third DC movie that Affleck starred in which was met with scathing reviews from critics. 

He can’t have been happy with that and the writing was on the wall at this point.

Sure, we were hearing stories that he might play Batman one final time in Flashpoint to bring a close to his time as the character while a younger actor would take over in The Batman, but once that fell apart and Warner Bros. decided to focus on standalone story, it was apparent that it was simply a matter of time before it was made official that he would no longer be playing Bruce Wayne.
 

A New Batman

It feels like we spent all of 2018 sifting through rumours about who could be the next Batman and names like Jack O’Connell, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Richard Armitage continued popping up online. 

Nothing concrete was revealed, of course, and as far as we were concerned, Affleck was technically still attached to the role. His personal life was in disarray, though, as he re-entered rehab and clearly had more on his plate than playing a superhero again.

The trades and fansites weighed in but nothing was made official until earlier this week. 
 

Batman, No More

This week, The Batman got a release date: June 25th, 2021. It won’t star Ben Affleck, though, and a new actor is being sought after by Matt Reeves. The movie will reportedly be a noir-type detective story that finally sheds some light on why the Dark Knight has been described as the World’s Greatest Detective. 

We don’t know if this will be a reboot, a prequel, or a standalone adventure unrelated to Justice League. However, after months of conflicting reports and rumours, we now know that Affleck is done as Batman and that’s a shame because it’s hard to escape the feeling that we missed something special here. 

Had things played out differently, we could have very easily seen his Batman on screen for years to come but it wasn’t meant to be.
 

Now, director Jeff Fowler has confirmed that the speedster nearly entered his “Super Sonic” form in an earlier draft of the screenplay. He ultimately decided not to head down that route, and it sounds like it’s something he would rather delve into once its been earned in this franchise. 

Some Familiar Villains

The movie kicks off in Sonic’s home, a land that’s clearly based on the Green Hills Zone from the original video game. However, his peaceful life doesn’t last long as a group known as the Echidnas soon attack. It’s important to note that Knuckles was a member of the Echidna Clan, but the group here seem to be based on the Nocturnus Clan. 

They rule over a realm called the Twilight Cage and have some pretty nefarious plans for Earth.

Why they want Sonic is hard to say, but if we had to hazard a guess, they would certainly make a pretty fitting choice of villains in the sequel (especially if they’re looking to steal those rings). 
 

The Flash Comic Books

Sonic has a lot of cool hobbies, and seems to be fascinated (understandably so) with speed. As a result, it’s hardly a surprise that he’s shown reading comic books featuring The Flash! 

DC Comics’ Scarlet Speedster is a much more fitting choice than Quicksilver – that pile of comics would be pretty small if Sonic was only reading his solo adventures – and it’s easy to see why Sonic would be a fan. Perhaps most surprising is that Warner Bros. happily greenlit this particular reference. 

Sonic’s Race Car Bed

The movie ends with Sonic being asked to live with Tom and Maddie, and they present the hero with his own bedroom in their loft. Look closely during that sequence, and you’ll notice that they’ve got him a race car shaped bed, something which you might dismiss as a nod to the aforementioned racing games the SEGA character has starred in over the years. 

While that’s entirely possible, this is more likely a hat tip to the Sonic the Hedgehog comic book series which also used to see Sonic kick back and take some naps in a bed shaped like that!

“Sanic”

Sonic has become something of an urban myth in his home of Green Hills on Earth and only one of the town’s residents believes he’s real (mostly because the speedster enjoys toying with him).

That’s “Crazy Carl,” and a drawing he’s done of Sonic looks eerily familiar. That’s because it’s based on that weird Sanic the Hedgehog meme which was started after YouTuber 0nyxheart uploaded his drawing a decade ago. It’s an unexpected nod, but one meme lovers will appreciate. 

A Familiar Logo

While Sonic is hanging out in his cave, he plays around with some nunchuks and dons a headband. 

Well, look closely at that and you’ll notice that it’s emblazoned with the character’s classic logo…the only thing that’s missing is Sonic himself! This is a fun throwback to his video games, but another comes in a slightly less obvious fashion which is definitely a highlight here. 

While the gold rings in this movie are used to travel between worlds and locations, almost every time Sonic is hit, he drops them and that’s a nod to what happens in the games. 
 

The Chaos Emerald

Before seemingly being killed by the Nocturnus Clan, Longclaw gives Sonic a map directing him to Earth and that mushroom planet (which is another level from the games).

However, look closely at that and you’ll notice a mention of the Chaos Emerald. 

That mystical gem – and the seven others like it – have played a huge role in the video games, and they’ve since become the franchise’s go-to MacGuffins. It’s possible this reference will pay off in the sequel as this might be another reason that Clan was targeting Sonic. 
 

“BADNIKS”

By the time the post-credits scene rolls around, Dr. Robotnik has become the “Eggman” we know and hate from the video games. However, there are some early hints about his transformation. 

After the power surge which shuts his ride down, Robotnik searches for a control panel to reboot the system, and a label can be seen which says “BADNIKS” on it. That’s a reference to Eggman’s original robots, and quite possibly something we can look forward to seeing in the sequel. 

Sonic’s Love Of Chilli Dogs

This is a fun one. 

Sonic is show to be a huge fan of chilli dogs in this movie, and that’s another concept which was introduced in the Archie Comics Sonic the Hedgehog series. Later, that was added to the animated series as well, and both Sonic and Tails would frequently eat them…and nothing else! 

Added to the video game franchise with Sonic Unleashed, they’ve stuck around ever since. 

A Familiar Animation

If you’ve played enough Sonic video games, then you’ll know that the speedster’s “idle animation” is him putting his hands on his hips and tapping his foot impatiently. 

Well, when time slows down around the iconic video game character as Robotnik shoots those missiles at him, Sonic recreates that exact same animation from the games.

Tails

Sonic the Hedgehog is an absolute blast, but the movie definitely would have benefited from spending a little more time on the hero’s homeworld. Thankfully, it looks like that could be a strong possibility in the sequel because the post-credits scene introduces us to beloved icon, Tails. 

Armed with a tracking device, he seemingly wants to bring Sonic home and is shown using his familiar flying power thanks to the tail he can spin around exactly like a helicopter. It’s an awesome visual nod to the games and it’s clear now that Tails will be a key player in the eventual follow-up.
 

Product Placement

Sonic’s sneakers may look like they’ve been lifted straight from the games, but when Tom’s niece presents them to him, you’ll see that they boast tiny Puma tabs. Before the character was redesigned, he was going to wear actual Puma sneakers which can presumably be bought in stores.

There’s a lot of product placement in the movie, though, including frequent mentions of Olive Garden!

“Gotta Go Fast!”

As you might expect, Sonic’s iconic catchphrase finds its way into the movie when he’s woken up by Tom’s wife with smelling salts. It’s a fun nod to the games and a clever way of including it.

Equally as fun is seeing Sonic perform a patented spin dash in the movie while he’s facing off with some of Robotnik’s creations during that standout chase with Tom on the highway.