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Christian Bale is a Dark Knight no more. The Oscar winner marks his Marvel debut as Thor’s nemesis Gorr the God Butcher in an eerie trailer for “Thor: Love and Thunder,” in theaters July 8.

Writer/director Taika Waititi helms the follow-up to 2017’s “Thor: Ragnarok.” Chris Hemsworth returns as the titular superhero in his first appearance since “Avengers: Endgame.” Tessa Thompson is also back as Valkyrie, as well as Chris Pratt as Star-Lord, Waititi as Korg, and Natalie Portman as Jane Foster, reprising her MCU character for the first time since 2013’s “Thor: The Dark World.”

Thor and Jane’s awkward reunion is teased in the trailer, narrated by Waititi as Korg, explaining that Thor has gone from “dad bod to god bod.” Jane (Portman) is shown wielding the hammer Mjolnir as Mighty Thor. Portman previously revealed that “Love and Thunder” might finally tackle her character Jane’s cancer arc from the comics,...

Netflix has released the first trailer for “The Gray Man,” the 200 million plus spy and espionage thriller that stars Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans. But they definitely don’t get along in this one.

Gosling is part of the Sierra program, a team of “reckless mystery men you guys send in when you can’t officially send anyone else.” He’s known as The Gray Man, and according to Chris Evans’ Lloyd Hansen, “he’s got some street cred.” But he’s apparently outlived his usefulness, and has become an important target.

Hansen is determined to hunt him down, and enlist anyone he needs to to get it done. Of course, the men have some pretty good banter along the way.

“Avengers: Endgame” filmmakers Joe Russo and Anthony Russo direct this epic spy thriller for Netflix, fresh off their drama-skewing “Cherry” for Apple TV+.

You can watch the full trailer...

With Mjölnir in hand and some friends by his side, Thor is returning to the big screen in “Thor: Love and Thunder,” coming to theaters on July 8. The full trailer dropped during Game 4 of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals, revealing a first look at Christian Bale as the film’s villain Gorr the God Butcher.

The Taika Waititi-directed Marvel film is the sequel to 2017’s “Thor: Ragnarok” and marks Thor’s return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe following “Avengers: Endgame” in 2019. Starring Chris Hemsworth in the title role, it also features Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie, Chris Pratt as Star-Lord, Waititi as Korg and Natalie Portman as Jane Foster, in her first appearance in the MCU since 2013’s “Thor: The Dark World.”

Following the fall of Asgard and the events of “Endgame,” Thor attempts to find inner peace, but is hindered by the threat of Gorr extinguishing the gods. Thor enlists the help of Korg,...

The latest “Thor: Love and Thunder” trailer is here. And it’s both hilarious and heartwarming. See for yourself here now, above.

According Marvel’s official synopsis, Thor recruits Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) — along with his old friends Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson) and Korg (Taika Waititi) to help stop Gorr the God Butcher (Christian Bale), who seeks the extinction of the gods.

Together, they embark upon a harrowing cosmic adventure to uncover the mystery of the God Butcher’s vengeance and stop him before it’s too late. And, because this is set to be a very 80s inspired film, the footage is all scored by the Guns N’ Roses’ hit “Sweet Child O’ Mine.”

Of course, along the way it sure looks like Thor and Jane might patch things up. Thor, clearly, has been carrying a torch for Jane. But right now, we’re more invested how he’s also...

There's much hype surrounding Netflix's "The Gray Man," as it brings Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans together in a tense spy thriller setting. Directed by Joe and Anthony Russo — who directed a few films in the MCU including "Avengers: Infinity War" and "Endgame — "The Gray Man" is based on Mary Greaney's book series, which follows a CIA agent who is hunted by global assassins after he stumbles upon nefarious (and well-kept) secrets.

The official trailer for "The Gray Man" is set to drop tomorrow, and while you wait, here are three character...

The post The Gray Man Character Posters: Ryan Gosling, Chris Evans, and Ana de Armas Star in the Russo Brothers Spy Flick appeared first on /Film.

NBC is parting ways with three of its bubble shows.

The network on Thursday announced it had canceled second-year comedies Kenan and Mr. Mayor, as well as freshman drama The Endgame.

Mr. Mayor got off to a decent start in the ratings last season, quickly landing a renewal for Season 2.

The series, starring Ted Danson and hailing from Tina Fey and Robert Carlock, was also blessed with good reviews.

However, the numbers dwindled in its second season, which netted an average of 1.7 million viewers and a 0.29 rating among adults 18-49.

That was a drop of almost 50 between seasons, and unfortunately, not enough to keep the show around for a third season.

Kenan starred Kenan Thompson, and also took a massive hit in the ratings in its second season.

The series averaged 1.8 million viewers and a 0.31 rating -- down 34.

The Morena Baccarin-led Endgame was a midseason entry that failed to gather much traction.

Mr. Mayor just lost its bid for reelection. And Kenan has had its last laugh.

NBC on Thursday cancelled both sitcoms after two seasons, TVLine has confirmed.

More from TVLineThe Endgame Cancelled at NBCYoung Rock, Grand Crew RenewedAmerican Auto Renewed for Season 2

Meanwhile, as also reported on Thursday, NBC pulled the plug on The Endgame after one season, and renewed American Auto, Young Rock and Grand Crew.

In its second season, Mr. Mayor has shed nearly half of its already minuscule numbers, averaging just 2.4 million total weekly viewers and a 0.4 demo rating — and its May 3 episode hit series lows in both measures.

NBC is restocking its comedy shelves: Young Rock has been renewed for a third season, and freshman comedy Grand Crew has been renewed as well, TVLine has learned.

Young Rock hops across decades to tell wrestler-turned-movie star Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s autobiographical origin story when he was just “Dewey,” from growing up in a strong and resilient family to playing football at the University of Miami to starting a career in professional wrestling. Adrian Groulx, Bradley Constant and Uli Latukefu star as Johnson in different stages of his youth. Plus, the real Dwayne Johnson plays a version of himself...

American Auto still has plenty of gas left in the tank, having secured a Season 2 renewal at NBC, TVLine has confirmed.

American Auto’s 10-episode freshman run averaged 2.7 million total weekly viewers and a 0.5 demo rating (with Live+7 playback). Out of the five sitcoms NBC has aired this TV season, it ranks No. 1 in audience and ties Young Rock for the highest demo rating. According to our sister site Deadline, Season 2 will span 13 episodes instead of 10.

More from TVLineMr. Mayor and Kenan Cancelled at NBCThe Endgame Cancelled at NBCYoung Rock, Grand Crew Renewed

Hailing from Superstore creator Justin Spitzer, American...

George Lopez is returning to primetime: NBC has handed a series order to Lopez vs. Lopez, a new sitcom starring the comedian, TVLine has learned.

Lopez stars opposite his real-life daughter Mayan Lopez in “a working-class family comedy about dysfunction, reconnection and all the pain and joy in between,” per the official description. Selenis Leyva (Orange Is the New Black), Brice Gonzalez and Matt Shively (American Housewife) lead the supporting cast, with Laci Mosley (A Black Lady Sketch Show) and Kiran Deol (Sunnyside) in recurring roles.

More from TVLineMr. Mayor and Kenan Cancelled at NBCThe Endgame Cancelled at NBCYoung Rock,...

Given the continual expansion of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it can be difficult to stay up-to-date on every single project, try as we might to catch up on weekly Disney+ series and the latest theatrical releases. This is especially true with “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” which is the follow-up to several Marvel projects.

The MCU officially entered its Phase Four with the January 2021 premiere of the meta “WandaVision” Disney+ series and kicked off the new Phase’s theatrical era with the long-awaited “Black Widow,” which was released that summer in theaters and on Disney+. And now, another title is set to spur fandom excitement with the arrival of “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” the sure-to-be chaotic follow-up to the 2016 magical action-adventure starring Benedict Cumberbatch in the title role.

But before you eagerly head to theaters, there are several must-watch MCU entries you should get acquainted...

It's been apparent for quite some time that in the aftermath of "Avengers: Endgame" the multiverse was going to be the next big thing in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Even though it didn't truly reveal itself in "Spider-Man: Far From Home," a movie released mere months after "Endgame," the seeds were planted there. Now, between "WandaVision," "Loki," "Spider-Man: No Way Home," and, most importantly, "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness," there is no turning back. Phase 4 of the MCU is all about the multiverse, and that means so much is about to change.

With director Sam Raimi's "Multiverse of...

The post The Worst Marvel Shows and Movies Are Now Canon Thanks to Doctor Strange appeared first on /Film.

Spoiler Alert: This story discusses the main post-credit scene in “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” currently in theaters.

For as long as he’s been in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) — former genius neurosurgeon turned master of the mystical arts — has only had eyes for one person: Dr. Christine Palmer (Rachel McAdams). After breaking things off with her in 2016’s “Doctor Strange,” Strange spends a considerable amount of time in its sequel, “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” coming to terms that he and Christine were never fated to be together, in any universe.

Turns out, there’s room in the MCU for another woman in Strange’s life. And she’s played by Charlize Theron!

In the post-credits scene of “Multiverse of Madness” — or, technically, the mid-credits scene — we see Strange walking down a Manhattan street when suddenly, a white haired, purple-costumed Theron calls out his name.

Latin America generates 10.3m in previews, which are not included in opening day number.

Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness has raced to an estimated 27.2m after its first day of international release in 20 “material” markets, delivering impressive industry marks to provide further encouragement as the industry looks to emerge from the pandemic.

Disney distribution sources said the second entry in Marvel Studios’ Benedict Cumberbatch-led action adventure was tracking 153 ahead of the 2016 original, 201 ahead of The Batman and only 4 behind Spider-Man: No Way Home on a like-for-like basis.

From Wednesday (May 4) results South Korea is the lead market on 5.9m,...

Audiences love a good procedural drama. Fox’s “9-1-1” and CBS’ “NCIS” both scored top spots among Monday night’s primetime ratings.

“9-1-1” earned the title of highest-rated (as did the network overall). The Ryan Murphy series secured a 0.7 demo rating and 5.1 million total viewers in the 8 p.m. slot.

In terms of viewers, “NCIS” was the clear winner with 7.3 million people tuning in at 9 p.m.. The O.G. series as well as its spinoff, “NCIS: Hawai’i” were back with new episodes on Monday after a week of re-airings. The network also dominated viewership overall, averaging about 6 million viewers throughout primetime.

“American Idol” only aired for one hour instead of two, which didn’t impact its numbers too much. The singing competition still drew a 0.68 demo rating and 5.9 million total viewers. In the second hour of primetime, ABC aired a new episode of “Shark Tank,” which also fared well with...

Happy times are here again for movie theaters this weekend with Disney/Marvel’s long-awaited Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness set to fire up the summer box office season we didn’t have a year ago.

The movie, which fans are anticipating to be a three-prong sequel to previous Marvel blockbuster Spider-Man: No Way Home (which teed up events with the Benedict Cumberbatch character) and Disney+ series WandaVision and Loki is now eyeing a 160M-180M domestic start in what is the widest release ever during the pandemic era at 4,400 theaters, plus another 140M+ overseas.

That will yield at least a 300M worldwide start, which will rep the second best box office debut of the Covid era after No Way Home‘s 582M WW, and ahead of The Batman‘s 251M WW. Similar to Batman, Dr. Strange 2 won’t have Russia and China in its offshore bookings. In addition,...

Hopes that Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness would break the curse of Marvel movies not being released in China may now be dashed. The Benedict Cumberbatch-starrer has made waves on local social media over a scene in the opening bit of the sequel where a newspaper kiosk bears the Chinese characters for The Epoch Times, an international multi-language newspaper and media company which opposes the Chinese Communist Party.

We understand that Doctor Strange 2 has been submitted to the Chinese authorities for review, and that a release has not yet been nixed or approved. It appears the current brouhaha has been fueled by netizens doing a frame-by-frame analysis of the scene in question.

To wit: Doctor Strange battles Gargantos on the streets of New York, with the kiosk in the background. It’s off to the left of the screen and appears briefly. Having seen the footage for...

Part of the magic of "Avengers: Infinity War" and "Avengers: Endgame" is getting together the entirety of the Marvel Cinematic Universe in one place. The preceding films were full of lead and supporting casts of top-list actors. Marvel had to pony up the money and deal with the logistical fun of getting most of those folks together for a movie shoot.

When you get that many folks together, cliques are going to form. The human mind cannot connect to that many people at once, and to be honest, why would you want to? It's also logical that...

The post Paul Rudd Reveals Why the Ant-Man Crew were the Coolest Bunch at the Avengers: Endgame Funeral Shoot appeared first on /Film.

Spoiler Alert: This post contains details about the opening of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

On Wednesday, Disney Theatrical Distribution boss Tony Chambers told CinemaCon attendees that advance ticket sales for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness are now at 42 million. As we told you back on April 7, the first 24-hour ticket pre-sales for Doctor Strange 2 scored a year-to-date record for Fandango.

Projections for the movie are around 150 million, however, given how these big superhero tentpoles — i.e., Spider-Man: No Way Home (260M) and The Batman (134M) — have been besting their pre-weekend estimates, don’t be surprised if this Benedict Cumberbatch movie about the Marvel wizard blows away that number.

“The entertainment landscape has definitely changed quite a bit over the past few years but the one thing that hasn’t changed and never will is the power of the movies. Nothing can beat the combined power of Disney,...

The following contains spoilers from the April 25 episode of NBC’s The Endgame.

Things… are not looking good for The Endgame‘s Elena Federova (played by Morena Baccarin), who in the penultimate Season 1 episode of the NBC drama found herself buried alive (!) by some members of shady President Wright’s equally shady Secret Service detail.

More from TVLineThe Endgame Sneak Peek: Is Potus Walking Into One of Federova's Traps?The NFL Is Planning Its First-Ever Christmas Day Triple-HeaderCharlie Barnett Reflects on Chicago Fire Dismissal: 'It Broke Me For a Long Time'

Potus (played by Sasha Roiz) had ordered Elena’s...

You could say that Michael Waldron had to find the glorious purpose in “Loki” when he joined the show as head writer and executive producer. After all, you could really do anything with the God of Mischief (Tom Hiddleston) after he escaped the Battle of New York with the Tesseract during the time heist in 2019’s “Avengers: Endgame,” setting off a new timeline.

“For me, it was first and foremost, this had to be a Loki show,” Waldron tells Gold Derby (watch the exclusive video above). “We had to focus on the character. You could do as cool of a time travel plot as you wanted, but it had to be a show befitting such a great, nuanced character and the tremendous performer who plays him, so my first focus was really on Loki and how could we tell a new story with him. How could we take advantage of...

A glance at the cast list for Thor: Love and Thunder reveals many fan favorites and Academy Award winners. We get Natalie Portman returning to the MCU as Jane Foster, Christian Bale and Russell Crowe crossing over from the DC Universe to play Gorr the God Butcher and Zeus, respectively. With Ragnarok standouts Korg and Valkyrie coming back, there’s really only one major franchise character missing in the latest Asgardian adventure: Loki, Thor’s half-brother and chief antagonist.

Some people consider this an unforgivable omission. After all, Loki has been part of Thor’s story even before either character appeared in Marvel Comics. The tension between the duplicitous trickster and arrogant thunder god has been the driving force in some of humanity’s finest stories in Norse Mythology and modern fantasy, as well as comic books. For many storytellers, Thor and Loki define one another.

Furthermore, Tom Hiddleston’s...

The Endgame Beauty and the Beast Plot Synopsis, Director, and Air Date — NBC‘s The Endgame: Season 1, Episode 9: Beauty and the Beast plot synopsis, director, and air date have been released. Cast and crew The Endgame stars Morena Baccarin, Ryan Michelle Bathé, Costa Ronin, Jordan Johnson-Hinds, Kamal Bolden, Noah Bean, and Mark Damon [...]

Continue reading: The Endgame: Season 1, Episode 9: Beauty and the Beast Plot Synopsis, Director, & Air Date [NBC]...

Even though the first Thor movie grossed almost 450 million in 2011, few people walking out of the theater probably thought the God of Thunder would go where Captain America and Iron Man could not and earn a fourth entry in his franchise. Sure, some of this achievement has to do with Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr. completing their stories in Avengers: Endgame. But it has just as much to do with the revelation of Chris Hemsworth’s comedic abilities and the total tonal shift director Taikia Waititi brought to Thor: Ragnarok.

For this unprecedented fourth solo movie, Thor: Love and Thunder, Hemsworth and Waititi not only reprise their roles as Thor and Korg but they’re joined by a team of Academy Award winners and fan favorites. These remarkable talents will help tell the next chapter in Thor’s story, which finds him looking for his place in the galaxy...

The controversy around Thor’s weight gain in “Avengers: Endgame” has been reignited on social media following the debut of the first “Thor: Love and Thunder” trailer. Chris Hemsworth’s superhero infamously packed on the pounds for “Avengers: Endgame” (the internet dubbed this iteration of the character “Fat Thor”), which led many to wonder how the upcoming “Thor: Love and Thunder” would handle the character’s weight gain. Although Thor has his “Endgame” weight when the trailer begins, it’s not long before there’s a brief training montage (Thor exercising with chains) and then the return of the muscular Thor from the pre-“Endgame” Marvel movies.

“Fat Thor” proved controversial and made headlines for much of summer 2019 during the record-breaking run of “Avengers: Endgame.” While some fans were delighted to see a new side of Thor, others accused the movie of being fat-phobic since it frequently used Thor’s...

We’re exactly one month away from the mind-bending release of “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” Marvel Studios’ latest superhero romp. And in order to keep the hype train going, a new spot has been released, designed to get your blood pumping.

The minute-long spot opens with the Everly Brothers’ version of “All I Have to Do Is Dream” (written by Boudleaux Bryant back in 1958), except it’s fuzzy and distorted. We see Doctor Strange standing in front of a very haunted-looking house. We see more images destined to inspire countless YouTube explainers: Strange with some kind of futuristic shackles around his wrists; Christine (Rachel McAdams) in a wedding dress; Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen) reconnecting with her children from “WandaVision.”

We then get some familiar stuff from earlier marketing materials – a giant monster throwing a bus at Strange (and Strange slicing it in half with a spell), plus a...

As someone who just rewatched "Avengers: Endgame" and sniffled through a number of scenes, I love this story. Karen Gillan was promoting her new film "The Bubble," and spoke to The Wrap about the upcoming film "Guardians of the Galaxy 3." She spoke about improv, and even gave us a peek at the improv scene she did in "Endgame."

The scene in question is the one at the beginning on the ship with Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark. She calls this game football, though I remember calling it Trapper Keeper soccer as a kid. (Children, Trapper Keepers were a type of folder in which we all...

The post Karen Gillan Reveals the Avengers: Endgame Sequence That Was Completely Improvised appeared first on /Film.

A script for James Gunn’s “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” was definitely written — but the actors aren’t always sticking to it. According to Karen Gillan, who plays Nebula in the MCU, the “Guardians” threequel marks the most she’s ever improvised with her character.

“There’s been way more improv for me this time around than I have ever given before,” Gillan told TheWrap while promoting her new Netflix comedy “The Bubble.”

That’s not to say she hasn’t improvised with Nebula in the past. In fact, one line in particular that fans latched onto from “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” was when Nebula violently spits out a bite of a Yaro Root and calmly says “It’s not ripe” — and that was improvised. Then of course, there was Nebula and Tony Stark’s journey after “Infinity War,” when they were stranded in space.

“I will say,...

(Superhero Bits is a collection of stories, updates, and videos about anything and everything inspired by the comics of Marvel, DC, and more. For comic book movies, TV shows, merchandise, events, and whatever catches our eye, this is the place to find anything that falls through the cracks.)

In this edition of Superhero Bits:

"Morbius" gets an insanely bizarre promo.

Another very weird "Moon Knight" poster has been released. 

"Avengers: Infinity War" and "Endgame" were incredibly expensive.

A beloved DC character made his way to "Jeopardy!"

All that and more!

Here is the official promo for the tenth...

The post Superhero Bits: A Very Bizarre Morbius Promo, The Real Avengers: Endgame and Infinity War Budgets & More appeared first on /Film.

In a recent interview on the "Happy Sad Confused" podcast, professional Tommy Lee impersonator and Marvel sad boy Sebastian Stan revealed that he had a particularly difficult time shooting "Avengers: Endgame" due to the arguably unreasonable levels of secrecy and intentional confusion surrounding the film's plot, which included the refusal to give actors full scripts -- or even giving them pages for fake scenes. Since he only shows up near the end of "Endgame," Stan was among the actors who weren't permitted to read the script in its entirety. 

This came up in response to podcast host...

The post Sebastian Stan Says Avengers: Endgame Was 'Tough' to Shoot Because He Wasn't Allowed to Read the Script appeared first on /Film.

Though "Star Trek: Voyager" isn't held in quite as high esteem as some of its fellow "Star Trek" series, it still contains a number of episodes that are worth watching. Who could forget season 3's "The Chute," which featured Bff's Harry Kim (Garrett Wang) and Tom Paris (Robert Duncan McNeill) working together to survive an alien prison? Or the emotional series finale "Endgame," which crosses time and space to bring the crew of the Voyager back to Earth? 

The Trek based podcast Inglorious Treksperts recently hosted Bryan Fuller, who served as a writer/story editor/co-producer on "Voyager" -- and would later develop "Star Trek: Discovery." During the podcast episode,...

The post One Of Star Trek: Voyager's Most Memorable Episodes Could Have Been An Entire Season appeared first on /Film.

If you ask someone what their favorite "Star Trek" series is, "Star Trek: Voyager" probably won't be the first choice — or even the second. Debates surrounding the series run hot, from the various characters within its ensemble to how it resolved the story of the U.S.S. Voyager's travels through the Gamma Quadrant. Even the series' stars have their own thoughts on how things were handled; Jeri Ryan, who played fan-favorite character Seven of Nine, is no different.

During an interview with the official "Star Trek" website in 2011, Ryan discussed the series finale "Endgame" and her issue with the sudden relationship between Seven of Nine and Commander...

The post The Star Trek: Voyager Plotline Jeri Ryan Wishes She Could Do Differently appeared first on /Film.

While Chloé Zhao’s “Eternals” managed to gross $402 million worldwide at the pandemic box office, the film strongly divided critics and Marvel fans. “Eternals” boasts a 47% score on Rotten Tomatoes, making it the lowest-rated Marvel movie on the aggregation website. In a new interview with Empire magazine, Zhao opened up for the first time in detail about the polarizing reception to her Marvel movie.

“Eternals” was originally supposed to open in November 2020, but the pandemic delayed the project’s release by an entire year. In its original November 2020 slot, “Eternals” would’ve more closely followed the opening of “Avengers: Endgame.” Zhao said the release day combined with the pandemic set “Eternals” up for divisiveness.

“‘Eternals’ was planned to be released soon after ‘Endgame,’ and not at a time when everyone is having an existential crisis,” Zhao said. “The film itself is about existential crisis, both for humanity and God. So...

Oscar winner Chloé Zhao followed up Best Picture breakout “Nomadland” with Marvel’s “Eternals,” but even Zhao knew the film would yield divided opinions.

“‘Eternals’ was planned to be released soon after ‘Endgame,’ and not at a time when everyone is having an existential crisis,” Zhao told Empire magazine. “The film itself is about existential crisis, both for humanity and God. So I think we definitely felt it was coming.”

The gulf between critics and audiences on “Eternals” didn’t necessarily affect its box office: Even in the pandemic, it still earned more than $400 million at the box office.

Yet Zhao remained unfazed by the critical reception of the mythological ensemble superhero film, starring Angelina Jolie, Gemma Chan, Richard Madden, Salma Hayek, Kumail Nanjiani, and more. For many, the ensemble was just too sprawling, with many a clunky backstory and tangled plot twist. (Not to mention a first-of-its-kind Marvel sex...

Recent Sales Success

I had the recent fortune of some puzzle pieces all falling into place at the same time. It only resulted in me selling one comic but I think the turn of events involved was worth documenting. It all started the morning after the Superbowl. I had the day off as it was my birthday and I awoke to see the words Doctor Strange, Illuminati and Professor Xavier all trending online! Of course, the first thing I did was to watch the new trailer and like a lot of people I was blown away. I am really looking forward to this movie. It’s amazing to think how they are still trying and succeeding at keeping things fresh and exciting after Endgame. I slept on Spider-Man No Way Home and just never got around to seeing it. I enjoyed the first Doctor Strange movie and am looking forward...

We conclude our look at the five movies nominated for Best Visual Effects at the Oscars with “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” currently the third highest-grossing domestic release of all time (not accounting for inflation), and Sony’s third “Spider-Man” movie with Tom Holland. Check out my write-ups on its fellow nominees “Dune,” “Free Guy,” “No Time to Die,” and “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.”

One of the many reasons the fan-favorite movie has blown audiences away to the tune of over $1.8 billion worldwide is the way it brings back characters from all previous “Spider-Man” movies. Like any proper superhero film, visual effects were absolutely crucial in pulling this off, but they also were necessary in order to set the movie in New York City, despite actually filming in Georgia.

SEEDon’t worry, ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home,’ your category will still be presented live at Oscars — but these...

What is The Endgame for the enigmatic and clearly brilliant Elena Federova?

Thus far on NBC’s freshman mystery-thriller airing Mondays at 10/9c), Morena Baccarin‘s criminal mastermind has vexed FBI Agent Val Turner (played by First Wives Club‘s Ryan Michelle Bathé) and her G-man colleagues, as well as those of us watching at home. To date, Elena has orchestrated the robbing or hijacking of no fewer than seven New York City banks (in keeping with some “Snow White” theme) — and exposed the secrets of some government stooges along the way — all whilst calmly cooling her heels in a cell in Queens’ Fort Totten.

Last we left ABC’s The Good Doctor, Shaun had told Lea that he could no longer marry her — and Monday’s midseason premiere did little to assure fans that the series’ central couple would get their happily ever after.

What I found most interesting was the series harkening back to a conversation that Shaun and Lea had almost exactly two years ago, in the Season 3 episode “Autopsy.” At the time, Carly had ended her relationship with Dr. Murphy, realizing that her boyfriend was very much in love with Lea. But when he confronted Lea and said he wanted to be with her,...

It’s commonly accepted that the greatest villain in Fantastic Four history is Doctor Doom, but what’s typically less understood is that the second greatest villain in the F4 pantheon is Reed Richards himself. Or at least parallel versions of him. And what’s absolutely fascinating about the world we live in now is that Marvel seems to be doing their damnedest to turn the movie version of Doctor Strange into the comics version of Reed Richards.

To understand how Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness might take a good chunk of its inspiration from the journey of Reed Richards in Marvel Comics, let’s first take stock of how Doctor Strange has been depicted in the MCU.

What If…? and the Multiverse of Strange

The Stephen Strange of the MCU is a distant one. In fact, his whole story thus far, whether in the main MCU or...

Talk about a fashionable entrance. NBC’s The Endgame series premiere begins with criminal mastermind Elena Federova (played by Gotham‘s Morena Baccarin) being detained in a giant box, out of which she exits wearing a fabulous blue gown.

The American authorities have brought Elena in — or kidnapped her, as she calls it — on 105 federal charges stemming from her mercenary operations, dubbed Snow White. At the same time, a bank is robbed, during which a note is found: “Bow to the queen.” Elena hands the attorney general a piece of paper, instructing him to check his pocket, which contains another note: “I’m the queen.

Well, “Everything Has Changed,” indeed. On Thursday, Ed Sheeran released the Taylor Swift-featuring remix for “The Joker and the Queen” — and its music video continues the storyline of the pop icons’ first collab. (Warning: you might cry.)

The 2013 video for “Everything Has Changed,” a track from Swift’s 2012 album Red, follows Sheeran and Swift’s imaginary children (who look very much like the singers) as they fall in love in elementary school. Nearly 10 years later, the same actors reprise their roles — this time as college students at different schools...

No one is more suited to playing a godlike otherworldly creature. Yet no one, surely, needs this kind of movie less. Unless…

There is something going on with Eternals, Oscar winner Chloé Zhao’s debut dip into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Perhaps it’s that this is one of the first MCU episodes to arrive almost fully formed, without endless teases and character introductions during previous instalments. Maybe it’s the way August’s final full trailer seemed to apologise for this in advance, explaining that Earth’s cosmic guardians had not bothered taking down mean ol’ Thanos during the Earth-shattering events of Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame because they had been told not to by some pesky unknown entity. But more likely it’s that ... hang on, is that Angelina Jolie in a blond wig and silver spandex?

Yes, the almost infinitely famous Jolie is playing Thena, an elite...

Will it be “Squid Game on!” for Netflix?

The Korean series about 456 people who are lured into playing (incredibly) deadly versions of children’s games is on track to become the streaming giant’s most sampled series ever. As such, it seems inevitable that a second season will be greenlit.

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Out of the gate, Squid Game...

The Queen's Gambit may not have seen this legal move coming. Soviet chess icon Nona Gaprindashvili has sued Netflix for $5 million claiming defamation and false light invasion of privacy. In court documents obtained E! News, Nona and her attorneys claim that a false statement was made in The Queen Gambit's season one finale. During the "End Game" episode, a statement is made that compares Nona's real-life accomplishments to that of Anya Taylor-Joy's fictional character Beth Harmon. "The only unusual thing about her, really, is her sex, and even that's not unique in Russia," a commentator quips as Beth plays in a white-knuckle match in Moscow. "There's Nona Gaprindashvili,...

In 1973 Marvel latched onto the Bruce Lee, Kung Fu craze and launched the character of Shang Chi into high octane kung fu action in the pages of their comics. Now it is my turn to latch onto the latest craze and talk all things Master of Kung Fu. Firstly I haven’t seen the movie yet, but I am delighted to see it performing so strongly. Everything I have heard has been all positive. With it being only the third Marvel movie since Endgame (the first with a new character) the vultures we undoubtedly circling. Movie goers are always waiting for the MCU movie that breaks the camals back, particuarly when they cross over into new genres. A lot of the positive talk focuses on how fresh it feels. When you consider it is the first ‘origin’ story since Captain Marvel which feels a life time ago now. To pull...

Classic characters. A madcap adventure. Road trips that led to so much more.

Days of Our Lives: Beyond Salem Season 1 offered viewers a throwback to the past... in the form of five digital episodes on Peacock TV.

Our TV Fanatics Jack and Christine are joined by Christine's daughter, Kate, as well as Tony from My Hourglass: A Days of Our Lives Fan Forum to discuss the Shane/Drew switcheroo, the series' campiness, and whether we would watch a second season. Read on for our thoughts!

Were you surprised that Drew turned to be posing as Shane to steal back all the jewels, or did you predict this twist?

Kate: Well, as I am new to Days in general, I didn't really know the character Shane or Drew; therefore, I was indeed pretty surprised.

Though if I had known about the Shane-Drew situation, I might have had a suspicion, but I...

The first trailer for the upcoming Disney+ series Hawkeye dropped Monday, and the teaser featured a unique tone.

Set around the time of Christmas, the Marvel series starring Jeremy Renner as Clint Barton, aka Hawkeye, was presented as more of a comedy, holiday romp, albeit with a ton of action.

Running about two minutes long, the first look at Hawkeye shows fans will catch up with the Avenger after the events of Endgame. Happily back with his family, trouble comes calling when Clint must face the repercussions for being a violent vigilante to cope with losing his family due to “the snap”...

The first trailer for the upcoming Disney+ series Hawkeye dropped Monday, and the teaser featured a unique tone.

Set around the time of Christmas, the Marvel series starring Jeremy Renner as Clint Barton, aka Hawkeye, was presented as more of a comedy, holiday romp, albeit with a ton of action.

Running about two minutes long, the first look at Hawkeye shows fans will catch up with the Avenger after the events of Endgame. Happily back with his family, trouble comes calling when Clint must face the repercussions for being a violent vigilante to cope with losing his family due to “the snap”...

The 73rd Primetime Emmys take place on September 19 and air live coast-to-coast on CBS. But the majority of trophies for TV’s highest honor will be handed out at the three Creative Arts Emmy ceremonies that take place in the weekend prior. On Saturday, September 11, and Sunday, September 12, the television academy handed out its Creative Arts Emmy Awards, honoring the best behind-the-scenes artists as well as achievements in animation, documentaries, reality TV, variety, and short form programming.

Saturday’s single ceremony is devoted to crafts while Sunday has back-to-back events with the afternoon focused on reality and documentaries and the evening on acting, music and variety.

Scroll down for the complete 2021 Creative Arts Emmy winners list. Winners are noted with an X and in gold.

Guest Acting

Best Comedy Guest Actress

Yvette Nicole Brown, “A Black Lady Sketch Show”

Issa Rae, “A Black Lady Sketch Show”

Jane Adams, “Hacks”

Maya Rudolph,...

This article contains spoilers for “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.”

“Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” has arrived, bringing a new hero to the MCU, powered by new — or perhaps very old — technology. And below the surface is an interesting wrinkle — there’s meaningful circumstantial evidence that it doesn’t take place in the present day of the MCU, but rather in the interval between when Thanos snapped half the population away and when the Hulk snapped them back.

We don’t have enough info to draw any firm conclusions. “Shang-Chi” doesn’t explicitly tell you what year we’re in during the present narrative — but it does tell us that Shaun’s mother and father met in 1996, when they have their epic almost-dance fight. The present of the MCU is 2023 at the earliest, and Shaun is 24 years old during “Shang-Chi.” Without any other dates to go by,...