Thunderbolts* won the box office this past weekend, and many seem to be buzzing about the latest Marvel Cinematic Universe film. Much of critics’ praise has been directed at Florence Pugh as well as the action, deep themes and the ensemble cast. A lot of ideas were pitched for this movie, as is the case with most MCU entries. Now, co-writer Eric Pearson is providing insight into some of the rejected concepts including some related to Kang the Conqueror and Hawkeye.
Eric Pearson has an extensive history with Marvel Studios, as he’s helped script and rewrite various flicks like Thor: Ragnarok and Black Widow. When the veteran scribe spoke to IGN about Thunderbolts*, he addressed the post-credits scene, which was directed by Joe and Anthony Russo. While I won’t discuss the specifics of that scene here, what I can acknowledge is Pearson’s reveal that he original conceived another end tag with a certain multiversal warlord:
So I was throwing together at the beginning a post-credit sequence that had to deal with Kang.
upcoming Avengers: Doomsday was initially subtitled The Kang Dynasty, so it would’ve made sense, a while back, to have a link to the villainous character. Of course, given where the narrative stands now, the idea that was ultimately chosen makes a lot of sense.
Interestingly enough, at some point, there was also a Thunderbolts* idea involving one of the OG Avengers — Clint Barton. This apparently would’ve wrapped back around to Barton’s TV series (which is streamable with a Disney+ subscription) and the Black Widow post-credits scene:
[Another idea] had to deal with more of a direct relation to the fact that [Julia Louis-Dreyfus’] Valentina [Allegra de Fontaine] sent Yelena after Clint Barton, after Hawkeye, [for] the Hawkeye show. But as time passes, you’re like, well, is anyone going to make that connection still to the thing that they haven’t seen in two or three years?
It’s probably best that they didn’t go for that callback, given that it may not have resonated with those who didn’t tune in for Hawkeye. This particular idea speaks to the intricacies that can come with choosing whether to pick up plot threads within the MCU. That has to be tough, especially considering just how many threads populate these shows and movies.
The reveal from Eric Pearson that really intrigues me, though, involves Baron Zemo, who last appeared on The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. The character is famously a member of the Thunderbolts in the comics, though it sounds like he would’ve played a somewhat different role had he been revealed in the film of the same name:
We wanted to do something different than ‘authority figure forces criminals to work together.’ And once you take that out, the people from the comics who have put them together [the team] in the past, the Baron Zemos, the Thunderbolt Rosses, they don’t fit the narrative in the same way. So while we’re very aware and we talked about these ideas and, hey, if there was ever a way to include them, it’s great because it makes sense and it honors the comics. But we also didn’t want to break our story that we were excited about just to do fan service.
It’s always intriguing whenever the creatives behind Marvel movies spill the beans on discarded ideas after the fact. On the one hand, it can evoke a “what could’ve been” feeling. However, given the reception to Thunderbolts*, it’s hard to argue with the finished product. In the grand scheme of things, I’m happy to have an excellent MCU movie that stands on its own but also perfectly lays the groundwork for Avengers: Doomsday.
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You can check out Thunderbolts* in its finished form now by heading out to see it at your local theater. Also, if you would like to explore more MCU fare, head on over to Disney+ and stream them to your heart’s content.
Lacey Chabert doesn’t see any end in sight to her Hallmark career and seems to constantly be signing up for new projects, paying no mind to any opinions saying she’s too old. She is set to head up more upcoming Hallmark movies, and some of those will certainly turn into favorites. She’s no stranger to playing the same character across multiple films on the network, and has revealed one role she definitely wants to return to, and I need it just as badly.
The Mean Girls alum has starred in 40+ Hallmark films since 2010, and her new multi-picture deal guarantees even more on the way. But despite the many roles she’s had and the many that are yet to come, Chabert admitted to Swooon that there’s one in particular she would love to reprise. In her words:
I always wanted to make another All of My Heart. It didn’t happen, but I just wanted to see those characters one more time so badly. But I love working with Brennan [Elliott]. I mean, 10 movies now.
Hallmark has been making decisions fans haven’t loved lately, it’s hard to tell whether they’ll really take Chabert up on the sequel. The network hasn’t been doing as wel as before, and there’s one big change I’m hoping they make with their upcoming Christmas lineup and that is having more high tier scripts. Perhaps that’s where All of My Heart could come in as a sequel. A Christmas sequel. One can dream.
Hallmark may not be thinking about a sequel to All of My Heart any time soon, but another one of Lacey Chabert’s movies could get a spinoff. There have been talks of her 2024 film, His and Hers, getting a sequel or TV series. Coincidentally, it co-starred Brennan Elliot, so perhaps the network just loves the idea of the two of them working together, and they’re not the only ones.
When actors and directors work well together, they tend to work together frequently. James Gunn has a few actors who tend to show up in his projects again and again, including Nathan Fillion and Michael Rooker. Now it looks like there may be a new member of Team Gunn, as it’s being reported Guadians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’s Will Poulter could be getting ready to become part of an upcoming DC TV show.
According to a report from Gunnverse, Poulter is currently in talks to join James Gunn’s DCU in the role of science fiction hero Adam Strange. Strange is set to be the focus of an upcoming DCU series for Max. This would mark the second time that Poulter played an outer space hero named Adam in a project involving James Gunn, which isn’t a lot, but it’s weird that it happened twice.
Will Poulter Could Become Adam Strange
Will Poulter previously played Adam Warlock for Gunn in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. While the character was a bit superfluous for the movie, he played the role well. If Poulter and Gunn are looking to work together again, they must have both enjoyed the experience. Although, based on the report, it doesn’t appear Gunn is writing the series, as other are reportedly circling the series for that job instead.
Considering that everybody in the Guardians of the Galaxy cast seemed to love James Gunn, even signing a letter asking for him to be brought back when it looked like he might not direct Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, a lot of people have wondered if members of the threequel’s cast might join Gunn in the world of DC. Most of the cast, Dave Bautista especially, have seemed to be quite open to the possibility, though there hasn’t been any indication that anybody has been seriously considered for a role of late.
That makes Poulter the biggest name from a Guardians film to join the DCU so far. Technically speaking, his Adam Warlock is still kicking around the Marvel Cinematic Universe as well, as a member of the new Guardians of the Galaxy team. However, since nobody in that group was part of the recent Avengers: Doomsday cast announcement, it doesn’t appear there are any plans for those characters, at least in the near term.
There Are Still A Lot Of Outstanding Questions regarding James Gunn’s DCU
Adam Strange isn’t exactly a household name, though he did appear on the short-lived Krypton TV series. The character’s story is somewhat similar to that of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ John Carter, as Strange is an explorer who inadvertently finds himself teleported to an alien world, where he becomes part of their culture. This would certainly make for a strong opportunity to tell a focused story that’s not dependent on a larger universe, but still allows for those connections as desired.
James Gunn has said casting doesn’t happen if there isn’t a script, which, if this news is accurate, means there is already a story for Adam Strange. This would put it further along than many of the projects that James Gunn first announced as part of his Gods & Monsters first chapter of the DCU, many of which already appear to be in limbo. Between this series and the upcoming Clayface movie, it seems some newer projects are taking precedence over older ones.
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This year, we know we’ll see Superman, as well as Peacemaker Season 2. The Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow movie is in production right now, as is the Lanterns series. Beyond that, we don’t really know what the future holds. The initial report suggests that Adam Strange will first be introduced in some other DC project before his solo series happens. Maybe we’ll get an idea of what that could be when and if this is confirmed.
As soon as we heard Denzel Washington and ASAP Rocky would star in a Spike Lee movie, anticipation was bound to skyrocket. With such a talented cast and crew behind the upcoming A24 movie, I’m already expecting a success on our hands. As the first footage of Highest 2 Lowest arrives online, Spike Lee can’t contain his excitement, saying, “U been waiting hella long.”
Spike Lee was very low-key about Highest 2 Lowest in his latest interview on 7 PM in Brooklyn with Carmelo Anthony. He described the plot as a “reinterpretation” of Akira Kurosawa’s Japanese crime flick of a music mogul involved in a kidnapping. But knowing that ASAP Rocky and Denzel Washington would be sharing screentime made me impatient to see some footage of the 2025 movie release. Fortunately, the wait is over, as Lee posted new footage of Highest 2 Lowest on Instagram and didn’t hold back his excitement:
I Know U Have Been Waiting “HELLA LONG” And Here Is DA TEASER TRAILER (Finally????) For Da 5th Return Of D And LEE- HIGHEST 2 LOWEST. And Dat’s Da WASHINGTONS/LEES FAMILY TRUTH,RUTH. YA-DIG? SHO-NUFF. STRAIGHT UP????????????????????????????
Denzel Washington’s movies so iconic, like Mo’ Better Blues, He Got Game and Malcolm X. Almost 20 years later, Highest 2 Lowest will mark their fifth collaboration, with success sure to follow. Washington’s well-known characters in Lee’s movies have always been layered, tackling their inner demons while facing moral challenges. If the Cannes Film Festival premiere flick does the same thing, we’ll be in for another powerful performance.
The first teaser for Highest 2 Lowest still doesn’t present a clear plot for the new movie. At the same time, it’s not necessary. Just seeing talent like Denzel Washington, ASAP Rocky and Jeffrey Wright in the trailer is enough to sell me. Not to mention, it’s an A24 movie, which is normally an appealing feature point in my book.
We also see quick glimpses of heavy activity like shootouts, police sirens and Denzel Washington’s character dropping a bag down a train. I’m already expecting a high-stakes story that will bring together a complex storyline that the BlacKkKlansman filmmaker is known for. You can watch Highest 2 Lowest’s first footage below:
Just like we’ve all been waiting for the teaser of Highest 2 Lowest, Spike Lee has been feeling the same way, with so much excitement for audiences to see his movie. With a stellar cast and anxiety-inducing action, I know we’ll be in for a real treat with Lee’s passion project. The neo-noir crime thriller will play in theaters on August 22nd and stream with your Apple TV+ subscription on September 5th.
Months after NBC announced its first renewals for the 2025-2026 TV schedule, the network finally has good news for its three biggest dramas. Chicago Fire, Chicago P.D., and Chicago Med will all be back in the fall 2025 TV schedule, and it’s a safe bet that the hit One Chicago Wednesday lineup with remain intact rather than split up over NBC’s primetime lineup.
It’s not a huge shock that One Chicago received renewals across the board despite some FBI cancellations elsewhere in the Dick Wolf TV universe, but those cast changes that were announced for Fire reportedly won’t be the only shifts for the shows to come back once again. But let’s start with what has the One Chicago glass half full!
Renewed For The 2025-2026 TV Season
Mariska Hargitay’s Law & Order: SVU elsewhere on NBC, but there’s a lot to celebrate.
In fact, in addition to the guarantee that the upcoming season finales won’t be the end of the line for any of these characters, a renewal means that P.D. will reach the 250-episode milestone and Med will reach that 200-episode milestone that I’ve been waiting for. Depending on episode count, Chicago Fire will be getting close to hitting 300 episodes.
The Chicago Fire cast members are the ones who came together to announce the renewals:
Hopefully Jocelyn Hudon’s role in the announcement means that she’ll be back as Novak for Chicago Fire Season 14! Only time will tell on that front, but I imagine that it’s possible that we’ve already heard about all the cast cuts for the original One Chicago series at this point. Two series regulars won’t be brought back for the 2025-2026 TV season: Daniel Kyrie and Jake Lockett.
Changes On The Way
In case anybody was hoping that Kyrie and Lockett being cut from Fire would be the only big One Chicago changes for the new seasons, there’s some bad news coming out of a report from Deadline. Despite the three shows ranking as NBC’s top linear scripted series in the ratings and doing well among fans with a Peacock subscription, budget cuts had to be worked into the deals for new seasons.
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One isn’t particularly surprising. The new approach to featuring series regulars in fewer episodes starting back in 2023 is reportedly continuing, although the usual two episodes missed per cast member could be bumped to 2-4 episodes. Some cast members of the three series will also have to pass on the usual 5% raise.
One change that I didn’t see coming was that cast members have been requested to officially make the move to Chicago to establish an Illinois residency, and doing so could prevent those actors’ from losing more episodes from their totals. Like the Law & Order shows filming on location in New York City, the One Chicago shows have filmed in the Windy City going back to the earliest days of Fire.
The seasons may also be shorter for the 2025-2026 TV season, although likely not by too many episodes. Contracts will need to be renegotiated with longtime cast members, one of whom is reportedly top-billed Chicago Fire star Taylor Kinney. With talks said to be underway, I for one am going to keep a close eye on the last few episodes of One Chicago’s current season to see if anybody could be set up for a cliffhanger to potentially write them off in the fall.
Daniel Kyrie and Jake Lockett may not be the only cast departures confirmed this spring, which makes me more concerned for P.D. than Med. While there are certainly characters on the medical drama that I absolutely would not want to lose, P.D. has the smallest cast of familiar faces, to the point that I at least find it’s almost always obvious when one of the actors is missing vs. easier to overlook with Fire and Med. Plus, with the exceptions of Benjamin Levy Aguilar and Toya Turner, all the main cast members have been on board the police procedural from the first season.
Now, is the sky falling just because some changes are going to happen with the One Chicago renewals? Of course not, and the three shows have survived big shifts in the past. All in all, I think fans have plenty to be happy about for the time being, and any significant worries can wait until closer to the end of the current season. For now, new episodes of Chicago Med air at 8 p.m. ET, Chicago Fire at 9 p.m. ET, and Chicago P.D. at 10 p.m. ET on Wednesdays, all on NBC. The finales for all three will debut on May 21, and stream next day on Peacock.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is regularly expanding, thanks to new projects hitting theaters and streaming with a Disney+ subscription. One of the biggest hits from recent releases is Deadpool & Wolverine, which featured Channing Tatum as Gambit. While Marvel’s Avengers: Doomsday live stream announced he’d be back for the upcoming Marvel movie, the actor’s comments seemed to put doubt on the future. Let’s break it all down.
What we know about Avengers: Doomsdayis limited, but some of the ensemble cast was announced thanks to a live stream event which methodically revealed actors’ chairs. Fans who spent years watching the Marvel movies in order were hyped that Tatum was included, but during a conversation with Extra TV he didn’t confirm he’d have a role in the blockbuster. In his words:
Personally, all I was guaranteed was a chair. They said that I have a chair, and I can at least watch the movie from the chair. You know, and it was just my name, it wasn’t exactly Gambit. So, I work in the world of just like, of binary yes or no’s, and I’ve only been guaranteed so far a chair to watch the movie in, so that’s where I’m at.
the X-Men franchise, making it look like mutants are going to have a major role in the multiversal blockbuster.
Of course, it’s more than possible that Tatum is simply lying to keep the studio’s secrets. Marvel security is notoriously tight, and actors like Andrew Garfield lied for years about their inclusion in the shared universe. But if he actually doesn’t appear as Gambit after the announcement, fans like myself will be seriously annoyed.
While Tatum’s performance in Deadpool & Wolverine finally scratched the itch he’d had since before his movie was cancelled, the characterization of Gambit also really tickled audiences. He looked cool, but Tatum’s accent was also the subject of jokes throughout his appearance and afterward.
It looks like Avengers: Doomsday will feature a number of superhero teams. In addition to the inclusion of X-Men, the Thunderbolts* cast was also announced to be returning. It should be interesting to see how these groups interact, and how dynamic the movie’s action sequences are as a result of their superpowers. That being said, I’m now going to be nervous about Gambit’s inclusion and it’s all Tatum’s fault.
Unfortunately, fans will have to wait because Avengers: Endgame isn’t on the 2025 movie release list and won’t arrive until May 1st, 2026. But luckily Thunderbolts* is in theaters now and will be followed by Fantastic Four: First Steps on July 25th.
