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After @bosslogic shared the above interpretation of Serinda Swan as Catwoman with the world, the actor herself got a look at it. She posted about it over on Instagram, voicing her appreciation for the work. «Cats out of the bag? @bosslogic killing it w this art,» she wrote, putting her stamp of approval on the piece. She also commented on the original post, «I’ve been in love with catwoman since I was a kid. I absolutely love this, thank you.»

One has to wonder, if the opportunity were to arise in the coming years, would Swan have any desire to play Catwoman in the DCU? If this were the case, she wouldn’t be the only «Reacher» star ready and willing to join James Gunn and Peter Safran’s burgeoning superhero franchise — specifically on the Batman side of things. Jack Reacher himself, Alan Ritchson, has made it clear that he wants to replace Ben Affleck as Batman in the DCU. Much like Swan, Ritchson has proven a popular fan casting choice online.

At the time of this writing, the cast for the DCU’s first Batman-centric movie, «The Brave and the Bold,» has yet to come to light, so perhaps Ritchson’s dream will come true in due time. Maybe fans of «Reacher» will even see him and Swan reunite under the DC Studios banner at the movies.

In Marvel Comics, the first Nova is Richard Rider. He is born on Earth but receives remarkable powers from Nova Corps member Rhomann Dey, the Nova Prime who seeks out someone who can take up his mantle upon the destruction of Xandar by the warlord Zorr. One would imagine this backstory would change in the MCU. Irani Rael (Glenn Close) is Nova Prime in «Guardians of the Galaxy,» but Rhomann Dey also appears, played by John C. Reilly. One of them could’ve transferred their powers to Richard Rider before being killed at the hands of Thanos and his Black Order.

Such abilities include the typical superhero standbys, like enhanced strength, superior speed, and flight. However, Nova stands out through his use of energy manipulation, which has manifested in various ways. Through a power vessel known as the Nova Force, he can harness energy coming toward him and redirect it. He can also create forcefields and open hyperspace portals. Another interesting wrinkle in the character’s powerset is his connection to the Xandar Worldmind, which contains all Xandarian knowledge and occasionally provides Nova with advice in the comics.

Nova is an exceptionally powerful superhero, and Richard Rider would be a character worthy of Ryan Gosling’s talents. However, as of this writing, he hasn’t been cast, meaning it’ll likely be some time before a project gets off the ground. In March 2022, it was reported that «Moon Knight» writer Sabir Pirzada was working on something for Nova, so hopefully, more updates materialize soon.

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, director SJ Clarkson suggested that Dakota Johnson’s Madame Web character isn’t necessarily beholden to other Sony or Marvel movies. «She’s definitely in a standalone world. I was able to just have free rein and let the movie be what it needed to be, as opposed to trying to force it into something else.»

While this quote makes it sound like «Madame Web» is untethered to existing continuity, that likely isn’t the case. Emma Roberts plays a character who has yet to be named but whom fans believe is Mary Parker, Peter Parker’s mother. In one set photo, Roberts’ character appears to be pregnant, implying that «Madame Web» takes place just before the birth of Tom Holland’s incarnation of Peter. The movie’s 2003 setting corroborates this. If the reason Clarkson’s film isn’t bound to existing material is simply because it takes place before the events of any Holland Spider-Man movie, then her statement can still be true. It’s worth noting that Holland’s Peter was born in August 2001, so perhaps «Madame Web» will retcon some character details.

According to Jeff Sneider’s rumor — and presuming the belief about Roberts’ role to be true — even if neither Andrew Garfield nor Holland appears in «Madame Web,» Mary was once supposed to be pregnant with the future Garfield version of Peter Parker. Instead, the unborn child is Holland’s take on the character.

Regarding Sith troopers, Palpatine has the best of both worlds, no matter how twisted they may be. Born and not cloned like the head hooded honcho’s previous efforts, which led to the Clone Wars, Sith troopers are human, like the more recent forces that defended the Galactic Empire and, later, the First Order. The improvement (if you’re an absolute tyrant, of course) is that by being indoctrinated into the Sith Eternal from an early age, Sith troopers are far more devoted to their rulers. As a result, they have even less chance of establishing their own identity and defying their superiors. Taking away this little issue allows them to become a more imposing force that will remove anything or anyone who opposes the Sith Order.

It seems even more surprising that after finally nailing down the perfect army, Palpatine doesn’t use the Sith troopers before his contingency plan. Rather than deciding to wipe out the stormtroopers («all of them») and usher in an upgrade of military power, he leaves them collecting dust in the back end of nowhere, aka Exegol in «Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.» It is then that, somehow, Palpatine returns only to have another plan go up in flames and space dust, proving that he might not have been the right guy to take over the galaxy when you think about it. No offense, your royal evilness.

Directing has been an increasingly satisfying manner of expression for George Clooney as the years have gone on. But over 20 years ago, it’s unlikely that he could have seen himself at the helm of nine feature films. This big swing in career trajectory changed with 2002’s «Confessions of a Dangerous Mind,» which saw him step up as things were getting out of hand. 

The film chronicles the fictionalized accounts of the late game show host Chuck Barris (Sam Rockwell), who transitions to a life of espionage as a CIA hitman. The long-gestating project got its start in the ’80s when Columbia Pictures got the rights to Barris’ 1984 book «Confessions of a Dangerous Mind: The Unauthorized Autobiography of Chuck Barris.» Several directors came and went from the project, including Curtis Hanson,  David Fincher, Darren Aronofsky, and David Cronenberg, to name a few. 

With this and other production issues running rampant, Clooney took on the arduous task, even if it wasn’t his deepest desire. «No, it wasn’t something that I was looking to do,» Clooney shared in an About interview. «I directed it because it had fallen apart so many times that it wasn’t getting made. We were in pre-production, we were about eight weeks from shooting, and they pulled the plug from us financially.» Taking his childhood experiences of being on his dad’s game show set and with advice from filmmakers such as the Coen Brothers and Steven Soderbergh, Clooney helped save the production. Little did Clooney know, this hectic experience birthed what would ultimately become his passion. 

Margot Robbie certainly had an excellent 2023, as the Deadline interview notes. As the executive producer behind «Barbie» — who got Greta Gerwig involved as co-writer and director in the first place and championed the film to Warner Bros. and Mattel executives alike — Robbie made a huge bet, and it paid off handsomely. «Barbie» was the biggest film of the year, breaking box office records and earning rave reviews from critics; when Oscar nominations come out on January 23, it’s certainly expected to be a repeat contender. The past year was a game-changer for the performer, who firmly established herself as a savvy producer as well as one of Hollywood’s most talented stars.

Robbie herself agreed after briefly touching on her breakout film, «The Wolf of Wall Street,» which released on Christmas Day in 2013. «I feel there was a seismic shift in my life 10 years ago with ‘The Wolf of Wall Street,’ and now, after everything with ‘Barbie’ this year, it feels like this past decade has been wild, far beyond anything I could ever have dreamed for myself,» she mused.

Miss Harley Quinn herself also firmly believes that «Barbie» was a huge success because it was precisely the joyful experience that everyone needed in 2023. «A brilliant movie is a brilliant movie, whether it comes out now or in 20 years,» she said. «But especially in the case of ‘Barbie,’ I think the moment was what allowed it to hit in the exact way that it did. The temperature in the world just really wanted the big injection of joy that the movie represents.»

Unlike their fellow MCU fans, some viewers don’t seem to have too strong of a preference between the practical and CGI versions of Kelsey Grammer’s Beast. A user named @gregscottbailey wrote, «CGI Beast just feels more solid. But I like them both,» while @ReM102005 confessed, «It’s a great design but I’d still appreciate a mix of practical and CGI like [‘X-Men: First Class’] did. Loved that Beast look.»

Andy Park, Marvel Studios’ Director of Visual Development, previously revealed that there were multiple designs considered for the version of Beast featured at the end of «The Marvels.» Unfortunately for some of the fans mentioned above, none of the alternate designs for Beast’s cameo reveal whether or not a practical, makeup-driven approach to the character was ever considered. In all likelihood, the latest live-action iteration of the X-Men hero was always going to be rendered digitally.

That doesn’t mean a practical version of the character will never appear in the MCU. Not only does the variant of Beast who shows up in «The Marvels» exist in a different dimension than the MCU’s prime reality, but it’s possible that Marvel could decide to change its approach to the character in the future. That’s assuming, of course, that Marvel even intends to bring Grammer’s Beast back again, which isn’t something that the studio has confirmed one way or the other yet.

The kinds of projects we’re likely to see as a result of these copyrights expiring are only limited to the artist’s or creator’s imagination to some degree. However, as pointed out above, they will have to operate under the rules these characters had in their stories when they first came out. For example, Superman will not be able to fly initially, as the original version of the hero could only «leap over tall buildings in a single bound.» On the other hand, the CW superhero drama «Smallville» used this, as well as the absence of the character’s iconic suit, as a self-imposed rule and was still able to thrive for 10 seasons.

While the impending countdown on these established heroes and villains doesn’t seem to bode very well for DC, there are other factors worth considering during this transitional period. Over 20 years ago, Jay Kogan, DC’s deputy general counsel, saw this storm coming and came up with a series of countermeasures to help protect these properties. He suggested making regular changes to help keep the current design and mythology of the characters more distinctive to modern fans. 

«Keep ‘em fresh and up-to-date,» he wrote (per Variety). «By gradually changing the literary and visual characteristics of a character over time, a character owner can keep whatever the then-current image of the character is as the de facto standard in the public consciousness.»

Despite complaints about the CGI, Nicolas Cage’s Man of Steel cameo was special to DC fans because it finally allowed them to see the venerable actor version of Superman on the big screen. Cage’s «Superman Lives,» which was to be directed by Tim Burton, was canceled early in its production in 1998.

But while the shuttered DC film marked a disappointing setback in Cage’s prolific career, he told Deadline that he was still happy to see his version of the famed DC character in «The Flash.» More than 20 years after the project was shelved, he was thrilled that director Andy Muschietti shined a light on all the work that he, Burton, and their collaborators put into the look of the character for «Superman Lives.»

«I still wanted to see [costume designer] Colleen Atwood’s suit, which I maintain is a beautiful suit, and 50% of that [character] was my design,» Cage told Deadline. «I wanted Superman to have the long, kind of black Samurai hair and a vulnerable feeling — almost no blinking, a stillness in his eyes. And so, it was 50/50. It was Tim and myself, we had designed something, and it never came to light, so when I saw it moving, I was very happy that Andy Muschietti wanted me to do it.»

Meyer’s criticisms might seem strong, but he wasn’t the only one to have an issue with Abrams’ second «Trek» title. «Star Trek Into Darkness» fumbled its Khan mystery, trying to hide Cumberbatch’s character behind the alias of John Harrison, which, by sounding like a Dunder Mifflin employee, made him even more suspicious. Meyer saw that the sequel suffered from its execution by going through a checklist (a Treklist, if you will) of what audiences already anticipated when going off course would’ve been a more intelligent move.

«Other than doing all the things that people expect in a ‘Star Trek’ movie, I didn’t understand what those movies are about,» said Meyer. «I think the difference between an homage and a rip-off is that in an homage you’re supposed to add something. They should try to do something else besides trying to do ‘Star Trek II.’» 

That’s sound advice. While it might be one of the more favored «Star Trek» movies in the franchise critically, «Star Trek Into Darkness» still stands as the lowest-ranked entry from the Kelvin timeline, according to Rotten Tomatoes. Here’s hoping that whenever Chris Pine’s Enterprise crew does return following the promising update on «Star Trek 4,» should they face a new iteration of, say, Gul Dukat, they don’t try and fool audiences into thinking he’s just a normal, unsuspecting Cardassian named Greg Robertson.

Sharon Stone isn’t the only performer to have missed out on being plastic and fantastic. Also on this list is actor and comedian Amy Schumer, who entered negotiations to star as the titular doll in 2016 when the film was under the thumb of Sony Pictures. Her exit from the project in 2017, initially cited to be due to scheduling conflicts, was later revealed to have stemmed from creative differences. In anticipation of the Margot Robbie-starring version, Schumer told «Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen,» «I can’t wait to see the movie. I think it looks awesome. … It looks like it’s very feminist and cool.»

In between Schumer and Robbie, «The Devil Wears Prada» and «Interstellar» star Anne Hathaway was also considered for the role but left once Sony’s rights to the Mattel brand expired in 2018. Not only was she blown away by the final product, but she believes it to be superior to her version. «They hit a bullseye,» she shared on the podcast «Happy Sad Confused.» «The bullseye caused the entire world to reach this level of ecstasy. Now imagine that much energy, that much anticipation, that much emotion, but it’s not the right version. So I actually think of it as a lucky thing.»

From Stone to Schumer to Hathaway to Robbie, getting Barbie on the big screen may have been a decades-long battle, but it’s safe to say the outcome was more than worth it.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a multibillion-dollar business, so fans and critics alike are a little confused as to why the visual effects tend to be, well … bad. But the conversation is more critical than that because, according to just about everyone, the CGI is actively getting worse as the MCU progresses. «Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings» and «Moon Knight» received cutting backlash for specific moments of questionable CGI but «She-Hulk: Attorney at Law» and «Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania» were considered project-wide failures. Good visual effects usually require time, money, and passion, and the MCU should have all three, so what’s going on here?

The simple and depressing answer is that Marvel Studios reportedly underfunds and overworks the visual effects studios that it hires. In 2022, former VFX artist Dhruv Govil tweeted (via CBR), «Working on Marvel shows is what pushed me to leave the VFX industry. They’re a horrible client, and I’ve seen way too many colleagues break down after being overworked, while Marvel tightens the purse strings.» Possibly in response to stories like Govil’s, Marvel has slowed down its release schedule for the foreseeable future. 

On a broader scale that affects the full breadth of Hollywood, moviegoers are exhausted by the overuse of CGI. Maybe that’s why something practical and raw like Brandon Baum’s Marvel parody video, which is admittedly a silly little thing, feels so important. It’s not just CGI, it’s charmingly real. But just how real is it? 

Even though Lindsay Lohan didn’t approve of the «fire crotch» joke in «Mean Girls,» she did care enough for the newer version of the film in the sense that she put in a cameo appearance. Playing a small role that was kept secret until the movie’s debut, Lohan can be seen as a moderator in a mathlete competition where Cady scores a heroic triumph for her new high school. 

It’s a very nice passing-of-the-torch moment, and one Angourie Rice appreciated while filming it. «It is such a rare experience to really get in the head of a character and then meet someone who’s done the same thing. Just to have that shared experience, it means a lot,» she told People Magazine. 

Lohan herself has remained proud of her «Mean Girls» legacy, appearing in a 2023 Christmas commercial for Walmart based around the movie and reuniting with fellow actors from the original, namely Lacey Chabert, Amanda Seyfried, Daniel Franzese, and Rajiv Surendra. With this new film reaching a whole new generation of teens, perhaps whatever bad feelings remain will someday be left behind in favor of a new sequel.

Godzilla has thrown down with King Kong, King Ghidorah, Mothra, and Rodan, among others, yet the King of the Monsters flies solo in «Godzilla Minus One.» As much as we love seeing the Titans tangle, we don’t miss the other residents of Monster Island (though we’d love to see them in a sequel). Some would argue that «Godzilla Minus One» boasts the most exciting SFX of the entire «Godzilla» series, (yes, even the much bigger budgeted Monsterverse movies), and frankly some of the most impressive action scenes of any blockbuster, period, in years. 

Godzilla’s de facto mano y mano with the military feels fresh, Godzilla’s nuclear breath will leave you breathless, and the scene of Godzilla stalking the minesweeper (in a clear homage to «Jaws») is one of the most memorable moments from any «Godzilla» movie — or from any movie last year. While we’ve seen Godzilla stomp cities into submission countless times, «Godzilla Minus One» manages to make these familiar scenes feel like the first time, with a ground-level POV that conveys the true horror of seeing a skyscraper-sized reptile burn your home to the ground.

Credit writer, director and SFX director Takashi Yamazaki, pulling triple duty, who makes the movie’s approximately $15 million budget (close to what catering costs on a Hollywood production) look like $150 million. Yet, ironically, Yamazaki’s limited resources may have been to the movie’s benefit. He couldn’t just throw cash at any problem; he had to use creativity. Pardon the pun, but the results are simply smashing.

The reason the mirror motif seems especially appropriate is that the most famous version of the character, the one played by Willem Dafoe, memorably speaks to himself in the mirror while losing his mind in «Spider-Man.» Meanwhile, in Subi Özil’s fan art, the demonic Goblin mask and a clawed green hand can be seen breaking up the image.

While Dafoe’s Green Goblin is almost completely green in Sam Raimi’s «Spider-Man» trilogy, Özil seems to have taken some pointers from the classic design, which «Spider-Man: No Way Home» also nods to with the villain’s purple hood and cowl. This comes through in the fan art by way of Özil’s choice to give the suit a dark purple color that helps complete the look.

Though we may never see Michael Shannon in the role of Green Goblin, art like this shows that the actor would be a great fit as the «Spider-Man» villain. Who knows? We could still see him join the dozens of other big names in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, that is, if they can find the right role for his intense and intimidating style.

The Phoenix Force has remained a prominent entity in Marvel Comics. Besides having different hosts over the years (Maya Lopez, aka Echo, is its current keeper), it was revealed in 2022 that the Phoenix played a crucial role in Thor’s early childhood. Not only did it serve as matchmaker between Odin and Thor’s biological mother, Gaea, but it also passed some of its power onto the adorable little God of Thunder when it resurrected him after he was killed shortly after being born.

It’s stories like this that, while ever so slightly bonkers, could work as a great buildup to integrating the Phoenix into the MCU and eventually covering the love triangle that didn’t get the correct treatment previously. After having already been adapted twice in live action, it would make for an intriguing storyline in the broader world of heroes and mutants whenever the X-Men become a more solid part of the MCU and not just limited to post-credits scenes.

While Tom Holland and Zendaya’s relationship is seemingly going strong, the same can’t be said for their movie counterparts — «Spider-Man: No Way Home» leaves MJ, along with the rest of the world, not even knowing who Peter is. But beyond the on-screen drama, both actors have cast doubt on whether they even want to reprise their roles for a «Spider-Man 4.»

While rumors are swirling about the potential fourth movie featuring two fan-favorite Marvel heroes in Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) and Daredevil (Charlie Cox), Holland said at a 2023 Critics Choice Association press conference (via Collider), «I won’t make another one for the sake of making another one. It will have to be worth the while of the character.» That same year, Zendaya told Elle, «As I get older, you know, I can’t play a teenager for the rest of my life.»

Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige has said that «Spider-Man 4» is already in development, but we don’t have any details on storylines or returning cast members. It’s probably unlikely we’ve seen the last of Holland as Spider-Man, but even if Peter and MJ never reconnect in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, at least the actors will always have «Homecoming» to look back on.

Mila Kunis and Justin Timberlake co-starred in the comedy «Friends with Benefits» in 2011, back when Timberlake was still new to Hollywood. The pair participated in a press event in Moscow, where most of the discussion was in Russian. The Ukrainian-born Kunis speaks fluent Russian, so she had no problem understanding the questions without assistance. On the other hand, Timberlake required real-time translation to take part.

When someone asked Timberlake about his transition into acting from the music industry, Kunis immediately jumped to her friend and colleague’s defense. Kunis was offended by the way the reporter framed the question — she essentially asked why Timberlake felt he could jump from one industry to the other. Kunis fired back, asking for clarification, and the reporter repeated what she had said, asking why Timberlake was in movies.

Kunis asked, «Well, what would you rather have him do?» The reporter asked if his career in showbiz wasn’t enough, and Kunis said, «Well, if he wants to make movies, and he can, why shouldn’t he? What kind of question is that? Why are you here?» Throughout this entire exchange, Timberlake sat there taking it all in, and he did not need to jump into the conversation other than to point to his co-star and say, «This is my bodyguard.»