The story of Thor is one of the most interesting in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Chris Hemworth’s version of the hero is definitely a beloved character, but he’s not on the level of Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man or Chris Evans’s Captain America, despite being presented on the same level in the superhero community. A big reason for this is because of the quality of the Thor films – there are few individual franchises in the MCU whose reception is more negative among the fandom than the four movies starring Thor, his Asgardian allies, and their powerful foes.

There are multiple reasons why the Thor movies don’t have the same love as the Captain America series or Guardians of the Galaxy. However, a big one is that many feel like these movies didn’t do justice to Thor’s pantheon of characters. These five Thor characters got ruined by the Marvel movies, leading to checkered reputation of the God of Thunder.

Thor

The perfect place to start is with Thor himself. To begin with, Marvel Studios doesn’t really know what to do with powerful beings, especially heroes, so Thor’s powers and fighting skills wax and wane over the Thor and Avengers films. Sometimes, he’s a superlatively powerful god and other times he’s on the same level as Iron Man. This sort of inconsistency is the biggest problem with Thor in the MCU.

Related: The MCU Needs To Stay Away From This Wolverine Story

Thor is sometimes a wacky frat boy and other times he’s a Viking warrior with millennia of fighting experience. The hero is basically whatever the writers need him to be at any given time. So, in his first two movies, he’s a powerful god dealing with the problems in Asgard, and in his last two, he’s silly. Each Avengers movie has a totally different Thor in them, despite all being played by the same actor. His character arc in Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame gets a pass, but other than that, the inconsistency of Thor throughout the MCU has made sure he’ll never reach the same level as the comic version of the character.

Jane Foster/Mighty Thor

Natalie Portman’s Jane Foster was never really a character in the MCU; she was a romantic foil for Thor, which honestly wasn’t very different from the Jane in the source material. However, something happened to Jane in the comics that changed the character forever – she became The Mighty Thor after Thor Odinson lost his worthiness of Mjolnir, and starred in the bestselling Thor comics in decades.

Fans loved Jane Foster as Thor and many of them were excited that there was a chance to see her in the MCU Movies. Of course, the problem was she was a part of Thor: Love and Thunder, a movie that many fans and critics feel may be as bad as Thor: The Dark World, which up until Love and Thunder was considered the worst Thor movie. Foster’s Thor was never going to get the kind of development that she got in the comics, but Love and Thunder barely tried to develop her role. Porter did her best with Jane in the movie, but she could only work with what she was given. Jane Foster in the comics has become a three dimensional character, fighting against the greatest threats in the Marvel Universe. Movie Jane rarely even reached two dimensions, at best.

Odin

Casting Anthony Hopkins as Odin made a lot of Thor fans happy. Hopkins did a great job with the character – he’s Anthony Hopkins – but he could only do so much with the material he had. Odin in the MCU was the gruff king, and then he died.

This is a vast oversimplification of Odin in the comics who

is a warrior king, feared by enemies and allies alike. He’s an intelligent monarch, one who has spent millennia dealing with threats of all kinds. Odin is crafty, always one step ahead of everyone. In the MCU, Odin is a cliche who never really seems dangerous. He never feels like a mastermind, instead he was a put upon king who everyone can take advantage of. Anthony Hopkins’ skill was completely wasted as Odin.

Miek

Miek was introduced to MCU fans in Thor: Ragnarok, but in the comics Miek never met Thor. Miek came from the blockbuster story Planet Hulk, which introduced Sakaar, the setting for Ragnarok. A gladiator in both stories, Miek played a huge role in the Planet Hulk and World War Hulk storylines in the comics. He became one of Hulk’s first allies on Sakaar, helping him escape the gladiatorial games, and then helped lead the army that freed planet from the clutches of the Red King. In the end, Miek mated with a Brood alien, and was secretly responsible for the destruction of Sakaar, all because he wanted to keep fighting while Hulk wanted to settle down.

Miek was a master manipulator in the comics, and in the movies he was… there. That’s pretty much all you can say about Miek in the MCU. The alien doesn’t really do anything in the movies except hang around with Korg and Thor. Miek in the comics was a pivotal character in two of Marvel’s best stories of the 2000s; but in the MCU, Miek wasn’t even an actual character.

Volstagg

This could be any of the Warriors Three, but Volstagg has always been the best of the trio, so he was the one ruined the most. Played by the late great Ray Stevenson in the MCU, but right away longtime Thor fans realized that something was missing. In the comics, Volstagg is known as Volstagg the Voluminous and is a rotund warrior known for his love of food, drink, and fighting. He’s a fun character, always ready with a jest, and the MCU never really captures that part of the character. Stevenson never managed to showcase the size – both in body and personality – of Volstagg.

The Warriors Three were never going to be as cool in the MCU as they were in the comics, which meant that MCU fans were never going to understand why comic fans loved them so much. Volstagg and his compatriots were never more than background characters, and that’s a tragedy.

The post 5 Thor Characters Ruined by the Marvel Movies appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Happy new comic book day! It’s another big week in the world of comics, and the ComicBook staff have come together to break down and review as many of the new releases from this week as possible. Now obviously this isn’t every single comic on stands, but we’re breaking down new releases from Marvel, DC, Image Comics, BOOM! Studios, Dark Horse, Dynamite, Oni Press, IDW, Mad Cave Studios, DSTLRY, and more!

We’ve also carved out some additional space for two of this week’s biggest books in X-Men: Xavier’s Secret #1 and Detective Comics #1093 so if our smaller reviews here pique your interest, make sure to check out the full reviews for a much more comprehensive analysis of those issues. As for ratings, we keep things simple with a whole or half number out of five, and you can check out some of our previous reviews right here. With all that said, let’s get to this week’s new comics!

DC

Absolute Wonder Woman #4
Absolute Wonder Woman has brilliantly crafted a sense of awe, honor, and compassion around Diana, but to truly appreciate the picture that’s been painted, look no further than Etta and Gia Candy. In just one issue, Kelly Thompson has already established a meaningful role to play for Etta and her sister Gia, and not only do they get to shine of their own accord, but they also provide a welcome prism in which to better appreciate just how selfless and awe-inspiring Diana truly is. It doesn’t stop there though, as artist Hayden Sherman, colorist Jordie Bellaire, and letterer Becca Carey deliver unforgettable moments throughout the entire issue, delving into the steep price of magic and the power of loyalty in truly vivid ways. Also, when in doubt, giant swords absolutely rule, and there’s that too. Absolute Wonder Woman has been brilliant from the very start, and it’s already making a case to be one of the best books of 2025. – Matthew Aguilar
Rating: 5 out of 5

Black Canary: Best of the Best #3
The fight of the century has steadily become the ultimate underdog story in Black Canary: Best of the Best, but issue #3 sets the stage for an amazing comeback. Tom King brings that authentic big fight feel to the festivities, but it’s those small touches and moments between the punches that elevate it from a fight to a battle of titans. Ryan Sook, Dave Stewart, and Clayton Cowles, are true magicians at creating those visceral moments in the ring, creating the sense of tension and stakes that make these battles into such one of a kind spectacles. As the action plays out in the ring we also get more of a sense of the human stakes behind it all, and not going to lie, seeing Green Arrow get served is never going to hurt either. Black Canary: Best of the Best continues to live up to its name, and I can’t wait to see what happens when the comeback finally arrives. – Matthew Aguilar
Rating: 4 out of 5

Catwoman #72
While the narration structure that runs through the issue and frames the story overall is a little bit of a distraction from the more compelling action on the page, Catwoman #72 is a strong issue. Serving as both heist and subtle examination of Selina’s past, the issue gives readers what they want — Catwoman doing a little breaking and entering in order to attempt to retrieve her secrets form a safe — while also deepening the mystery of what exactly those secrets are and who she is up against. There’s a good bit of action in the issue, brought to life by some fantastic art but the use of color is the real star of the show.
– Nicole Drum
Rating: 4 out of 5

DC Horror Presents…#4
DC Horror Presents… #4 is an odd, but fun little book. There are two stories — one from Patton Oswalt and Jordan Blum featuring Catwoman and one from Steve Kostanski featuring Matter-Eater Lad — and while neither of them really feel like “horror” tales, they contain just the right balance of spooky and humor. “The Diamond that Steals Back” sees Catwoman haunted by disturbing images of a life she never got to have thanks to a demon-possessed diamond. There isn’t a lot to it, substantively, but the idea of the thief being stolen from makes for an interesting premise, particularly in how it factors in what would cause Catwoman the most pain. The Matter-Eater Lad story leans a bit more into comedy and borders on the gross, but it explores the weirdness of the hero’s ability in a way that is pretty unique. Both stories are perhaps a bit weak in terms of art, but overall, the issue’s not a bad read and doesn’t scare too much. – Nicole Drum
Rating: 3 out of 5

Detective Comics #1093
Whether the subtext rings true, Taylor and Janin have crafted a compelling mystery in the Batman mold. The villains feel appropriately arch, aloof, and dangerous enough to be worthy of Batman’s attention, and their victims are both sympathetic and relatively on personal and symbolic levels. If nothing else, Janin appears born to bask Gotham’s dingy streets in a grimy, neon glow, illuminating every violent secret it hides. Detective Comics is a finely packaged dose of grounded Batman storytelling at its best.
– Jamie Lovett
Rating: 4 out of 5 (Read the full review here)

Green Arrow #20
While the idea of a superhero fighting against a corrupt corporation may not be wholly original, it is rarely executed with such skill as seen in the current Green Arrow run. The visuals, focused entirely on mood and character over bombast, set the perfect tone to tell the story of a justified killer, one who has suffered from the indifference of the wealthy and been sacrificed to the bottom line of a corporation. And yet again, the characters are the thing. It’d be easy to paint Ollie here as a paragon of virtue of virtue, a superhero you can feel uncritically good about rooting for because he has the “correct politics.” But the writing here is nuanced enough that even if Green Arrow is broadly correct in his furor over the injustices that have befallen this vengeful woman, he still comes off as smug and self-righteous, someone who takes advantage of privilege at the same time, he’s calling out another for awarding it to him. It’s a much richer text for this complication. And then after all of that, the issue still managed one last well-paced surprise before the end. Green Arrow remains a top-notch superhero story with a fine noirish touch. – Jamie Lovett
Rating: 5 out of 5

Harley Quinn #47
There’s a delicious irony in how Harley Quinn oblivious takes advantage of the citizens of the neighborhood she’s sworn to protect from gentrification, a picture of an out-of-towner with online politics swooping in to save a community that never asked for their help. That illumination nicely primes readers for this issue’s story, which is all about Harley getting a bit overconfident about her abilities and getting duped as a result, her self-righteousness combined with her obliviousness forming a negligent callousness. But primarily, Harley Quinn is a cartoon character stuck in a cartoon rivalry with her cartoon nemesis, who happens to be on the other side of the gentrification struggle. There are delightful scenes of humor in this issue, including a wry, corporate-slogan-laden villain monologue from the object of Harley’s affections, undercut by Harley herself. The artwork in this book is entirely committed to that cartoonish flavor, with thick, bold linework and exaggerated features all around (and also a resemblance to Becky Cloonan’s work). It’s a tidy package of animated energy and satirical humor delivered with a lot of charm. – Jamie Lovett
Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Justice League Unlimited #3
It’s an embarrassment of riches in the Justice League Unlimited corner of the universe, and few teams are as adept at delivering big action and layered storytelling on a grand scale as Mark Waid, Dan Mora, Tamra Bonvillain, and Ariana Maher. Justice League Unlimited #3 touches all aspects of the bigger story at play while also exploring the ramifications from Absolute Power, and some of those moments are as grisly as they are unforgettable. Inferno really gets a bump this time around, and feel like a genuine threat to the world’s way of life, let alone the League itself. This book also continues to be a stunner, delivering epic action in one panel and then pivoting to full-on gruesome horror in the next. Justice League Unlimited has captured what made the original cartoon so brilliant and is adding its own signature flair, and I really can’t think of a bigger compliment to pay it.
– Matthew Aguilar
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Metamorpho: The Element Man #2
A hilarious indictment of generative AI and the goofballs that tout its “potential,” Al Ewing continues to write the comic that feels both modern and classic in nature, a rare feat. Steve Lieber’s art stylings are also the exact right look not only for this character but for the tone that this series is taking on. This is a must-read comic for fans of the medium as its timeless potential is already obvious two issues in. – Spencer Perry
Rating: 5 out of 5

Superman #22
If you were looking for an issue that crystalized the potential in Lois Lane’s Superwoman transformation, look no further than Superman #22. Clark is always a much better character when Lois is involved and in the mix, and that is equally true now that she finds herself superpowered and working alongside Superman in the field. Joshua Williamson never loses sight of their couple dynamic, but also adds layers to it as new scenarios present themselves, like say when an army of Doomsday haters come to collect him. The banter between Clark and Lois is simply delightful, as is Lois’ assessment of Radiant’s true motives, though equally worthy of celebration is the truly beautiful artwork from the dynamite team of Dan Mora, Alejandro Sanchez, and Ariana Maher. This book is simply stunning from beginning to end, with several pages knocking you for a loop both in terms of concept and brilliance of execution. Few books stun as much as Superman on a month to month basis, and it’s the latest chapter in one of the DC icon’s strongest eras to date.
– Matthew Aguilar
Rating: 5 out of 5

Wonder Woman #17
Wonder Woman #17 continues the needlessly long and drawn out story of the Sovereign explaining his history and story with Wonder Woman, this time narrating how the Wonder Girls decimated his stronghold by working together while in a parallel story Diana tells her infant daughter the story of her father, seemingly dazed by her own grief as she allows her allies to fight the Sovereign battle for her, at least for now. To be honest, there isn’t much new ground covered in this issue. We’re still very much in the same place we’ve been for a few issues, just with the Sovereign running to a new location that is being teased as being the ultimate one, but one that feels rather American-centric for a character that isn’t actually from our world. It’s an easy enough read, but it feels like we’re just reading water.
– Nicole Drum
Rating: 2.5 out of 5

Marvel

Doctor Doom & Rocket Raccoon #1
Doctor Doom & Rocket Raccoon is an interesting book. There’s a good bit of humor — that’s to be expected considering that it’s Rocket Raccoon and the idea of teaming him up with Doctor Doom is itself a little wacky. But there are also some funny little fourth wall breaks through editor “notes” that offer some levity on what is otherwise a little weighty with Doom looking to go back to before time existed to find the “why” of everything. While the actual story falls a little short — we get bogged down in details and some big esoteric things — it’s an interesting window into Doom’s mind, and a pretty fun adventure, too.
– Nicole Drum
Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Fantastic Four #28
Ryan North brings Reed and Sue into “One World Under Doom”, putting the crossover to good use in seeing Victor and Richards once again coming face-to-face. In trying to take down the new Sorcerer Supreme, the two “parents” of the Fantastic Four make a trip to Dane Whitman, aka the Black Knight, in an effort to fire magical fire with fire. While there are some clever twists and turns in here, the story progression is one that can be a tad confusing at times thanks to Mr. Fantastic and the Invisible Woman jumping through a time portal. While this one-off feels a tad too much like a one-off for a crossover rather than looking at the overall story of the FF, it still brings the goods when all is said and done.
– Evan Valentine
Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Hellverine #2
Benjamin Percy’s Hellverine is a testament to his writing ability, as he takes yet another concept that seems sophomoric and giving it gravitas and weight. The art by Raffaele Ienco (with colors by Bryan Valenza) captures not only the specific aura of the place Daken is investigating, but gets across a strong sense of character in all of the images. If there’s a fault to find, it’s minor, but Ienco’s work in many pages lacks a dynamic feel, with the posing of some characters feeling like still moments without energy, there’s no momentum between some of the panels. – Spencer Perry
Rating: 4 out of 5

Iron Man #4
Tony Stark is still licking his wounds following the Roxxon Stark War, and he’s getting a little help from a magical friend to dig into the Mysterium issue at hand. The best part of this issue, for me, was the Scarlet Witch’s journey into the magical plane, which might be free of speech but has some interesting and gorgeous art to see Wanda’s traversal to help out her fellow Avenger. This latest issue focuses far more on the “Iron” versus the “Man” but it still works well at pushing the story forward. Of course, the past once again comes back to bite Tony in the final pages and it will be interesting to see how this new wrinkle plays out.
– Evan Valentine
Rating 3.5 out of 5

Phoenix #7
Stephanie Phillips continues to do tremendous work with what is quietly one of the best comics Marvel is publishing. Not only do the characters themselves feel smart and grounded, but the plot is propelled by the actual personality and powers of the title hero. Phillips just GETS Jean, and this series shows. Marco Renna continues to turn in tremendous splash pages and action beats as well in this (his second issue), with color artist David Curiel elevating the already great work with depth and layers.
– Spencer Perry
Rating: 5 out of 5

Scarlet Witch #8
Wanda and Amaranth continue to work their magic in the pages of Scarlet Witch, and that magic absolutely pops thanks to the insanely talented team of artist Lorenzo Tammetta, colorist Ruth Redmond, and letterer Ariana Maher. While writer Steve Orlando keeps you guessing regarding the origin of these creatures, the moment to moment action screams with style, with some truly cinematic moments woven throughout. Orlando only ups the ante by continuing to find new ways for Wanda to be a complete badass, and while this doesn’t end on the highest of notes for Wanda and her new apprentice, it does leave the reader anxiously waiting to see what happens next, so mission accomplished.
– Matthew Aguilar
Rating: 4 out of 5

The Amazing Spider-Man #66
“The 8 Deaths of Spider-Man” may go down as the least consistent major superhero storyline ever produced. Once again, the story is handed over to writer Justina Ireland, who, along with artist Andrea Broccardo, presents a look at Peter Parker at his most destitute. Having sworn off Spider-Man yet again after undergoing existential trauma during his latest challenge against one of Cyttorak’s scions, Peter has gone full nihilist, seeing no point in anything, least of all trying to do good in a world gone bad. The message here is a bit muddied. As presented previously, Peter’s cynical streak is born out of a feeling of smallness, that on a longer enough timeline, nothing we do matters because, on a long enough timeline, we and everyone we know or help will die. But throughout the issue, Peter is more interested in bemoaning the evils of capitalism, a sense that good can’t ultimately defeat evil, rather than simply that neither side of the conflict matters in the long run. Even if you gloss over that, while it’s nice to have a quiet issue between the more bombastic ones, The Amazing Spider-Man #66 doesn’t offer any insights into Peter’s state of mind that wasn’t already clear by the end of the last scion’s challenge, doubly so for readers who read the Coulson-focused (and cumbersomely numbered) The Amazing Spider-Man #65.DEATHS, which already offered readers a glimpse into the life of The Fatalistic Spider-Man. Add to that the distracting artwork, with characters’ features shifting noticeably from panel to panel, and it’s hard to escape the sense that the issue is spinning its wheels and not in a particularly entertaining way. – Jamie Lovett
Rating: 2 out of 5

TVA #2
Marvel’s TVA #1 felt like an extension of Loki through and through, with a few comic elements thrown in for good measure, but issue #2 rather successfully turns that on its head. In what is a polar opposite approach, issue #2 feels far more firmly entrenched in the comics, with writer Katharyn Blair mixing in the Loki cast at key moments. Ghost-Spider and Gambit play off each other incredibly well, and are the two shining stars in the series so far, though the addition of a Loki series favorite should make the team that much more compelling, especially if we continue to get this much from Hellstrom. Speaking of Hellstrom, Pere Perez and Guru-eFX give the character a substantial aura that’s been missing in some of his other appearances, though the duo’s work on Gambit and Ghost-Spider is also praise-worthy, allowing the banter between the two to pop off the page. The ending few pages only raised the stakes that much higher, so if we can hit this type of balance moving forward, the series could really be onto something special.
– Matthew Aguilar
Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Uncanny X-Men #9
The Raid on Graymalkin was a storyline that failed to hit the same landing as the earlier issues of Gail Simone’s take on Marvel’s merry mutants, but luckily, issue nine is a return to form. While there are some issues with fill-in artist Andrei Bressan’s work here, especially when looking at some facial features of beloved characters, it’s a minor bump in the road. Introducing new young mutants in an X-Men story is a trope that has been examined many times before but the “outliers” feel like the freshest new recruits in recent memory. Seeing the likes of Rogue, Gambit, Wolverine, Nightcrawler, and Jubilee placed into a true role as teachers and mentors really works in pushing the new class of mutants here. Uncanny remains the best of the best when it comes to the X-Men line post-Krakoa and this issue once again shows why.
– Evan Valentine
Rating: 4 out of 5

Wolverine: Revenge #4
This alternate universe is one that is certainly seeing shades of “Old Man Logan” in its recent issue, deciding to take us twenty years into the future from Wolverine’s battle against Colossus, Sabretooth, Deadpool, and the others that became the target of Logan’s ire. In Revenge, however, there’s a sense of optimism and overall hope for a world that has been placed back at square one and how revenge can still factor into such an environment. Wolverine: Revenge feels like the X-Man’s best take on Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill, and it truly shines in focusing on Logan’s character and his inability to truly let his revenge go. It’ll be interesting to see if the fifth and final issue is able to stick the landing but this outing from Jonathan Hickman and Greg Capullo but all signs are looking good based on this penultimate outing. – Evan Valentine
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

X-Men: Xavier’s Secret #1
With the X-Men about to clash with the upcoming “Raid on Graymalkin” crossover and Jean’s adventures in the Phoenix series ongoing, putting the X-Men: From the Ashes Infinity Comic together is good timing. Not only does it remind regular readers of the events that brought them here, but for those who have been following the team less closely since the start of the Krakoa era, it serves as a quick primer for what might be an explosive next chapter. But while it’s timely and helpful, X-Men: Xavier’s Secret #1 feels mostly like a bridge to these larger stories. With some slight missteps in the stories being told, it feels like this is one series that didn’t necessarily need revisiting. – Nicole Drum
Rating: 2.5 out of 5 (Read the full review here)

IMAGE COMICS

G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #313
Most of the action in G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #313 is simply Destro making a straightforward descent toward the bunker where Cobra Commander hides. Leave it to Chris Mooneyham to make such an indoor stroll into a dramatic event. The subtle recurring gag of the G.I. Joe ninjas and the Drednok’s simply waiting outside for it all to happen is a nice, lightening touch, and Cobra Commander ultimately orchestrating his demise via his arrogance is character-perfect, but then one expects no less from Larry Hama when it comes to G.I. Joe. Having Cobra Commander narrate Destro’s approach somewhat undercut its power — one imagines the quieter version of this issue, where Destro stalks the halls silently, a force of nature that cannot be stopped. Regardless, what we do have more than lives up to the high standards that Hama and his collaborators have set during his decades writing the Joes’ adventures.
– Jamie Lovett
Rating: 4 out of 5

Hyde Street #3
While Hyde Street #3 would have hit a little differently during Christmas time, the issue does insert some new elements into the horror story. Pranky is more of a threat than ever, but we also see the introduction of a new character, Oscar, aka Matinee Monster who curiously intervenes in the taking of a soul. It throws a new threat into things, denying Pranky another soul but giving Mr. X-Ray something else to worry about. It also overall makes for an interesting twist on a heartwarming Christmas story of redemption of sorts.
– Nicole Drum
Rating: 3 out of 5

W0rldtr33 #12
W0rldtr33 returns with an issue revealing the origin of Ph34r, previously revealed to be Gabriel Winter’s younger sister, Sammi. The issue tells a familiar story of a closeted queer youth struggling to find her place. It being the late 1990s, it’s unsurprising that she would go looking for community online, only to find it lacking. But the Undernet serves as a symbol of the dark side of the internet, what one might stumble upon a young person, unprepared, and how it might alter their perception of reality. Tynion, Blanco, and Bellaire tell the story subtly, using an irregular grid with missing panels to represent young  Sammi’s distance from her peers, her isolation, the sensation of trying to fit into boxes that do not fit them, the juxtaposition of who she is against who the world expects her to be, fixation, the crossing of a threshold, and ultimately, that imprisonment. It’s a gauntlet of meaning pulled off admirably with a singular visual device, creating a strong throughline in this otherwise understated yet tragic tale. W0rldtr33 is back, and it is not taking prisoners, no matter how sympathetic they may be. – Jamie Lovett
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

BOOM! STUDIOS

House of Slaughter #29
There’s so much to love about the central premise of James Tynion IV and Sam Johns’ Azure, which delivers its fourth chapter in House of Slaughter #29. That’s partly why it’s so frustrating that it’s just not clicking in the way I want it to. This is truly a dream scenario in a lot of ways, as you have three different masks coming together to face what is one of the most intriguing enemies in the series thus far (which I won’t spoil here). Unfortunately moving between what’s going in on their minds and what’s actually happening in the present disrupts the flow of the story and the battle that’s playing out, and when you multiply that by three characters, it just becomes messy. There are some moments of gold here, especially in regards to Edwin, and some of the character spotlights by Letizia Cadonici, Francesco Segala, and Justin Birch are gorgeous, but the cluttered nature of how the story is playing out at the moment obscures those more positive aspects more often than not. – Matthew Aguilar
Rating: 2.5 out of 5

Power Rangers Prime #3
Power Rangers Prime got off to a stellar start, but issue #3 might even be better than its soaring debut. In just three issues writer Melissa Flores has brought together all five key players, each already equipped with their own individual motives and personalities, rough edges and all. It’s already created a solid foundation for evolving dynamics and relationships within the group, but adding in by far my favorite version of Rita Repulsa yet just makes this a can’t miss affair. That’s all wrapped in the showstopping artwork of Michael YG, Fabi Marques, and Ed Dukeshire, who bring a fresh edge and style to every page but in a way that feels unmistakably Power Rangers. Prime can’t miss, but issue #3 just set a new bar for the series and paints a bright picture of what’s to come.
– Matthew Aguilar
Rating: 5 out of 5

The post Comic Book Reviews for This Week: 1/22/2025 appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Nearly 20 years after Weta Digital replaced actor Doug Jones with a CG-animated Silver Surfer in 2007’s Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, Marvel Studios is using motion capture to transform actress Julia Garner into the Sentinel of the Spaceways. The Ozark Emmy winner and Wolf Man star is playing the Shalla-Bal version of the character in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, which is also using the technology — used in everything from Gollum in The Lord of the Rings to the Na’Vi in Avatar to the Hulk in The Avengers — for co-star Ebon Moss-Bachrach’s own rocky transformation into the Thing.

Opening up about her closely-guarded Marvel role in an interview with the fashion and lifestyle publication Who What Wear, Garner confirmed that the Silver Surfer will be a motion-capture creation (rather than just CGI).

RELATED: MCU Schedule: Every Marvel Studios Movie and TV Show Release Date in 2025 and Beyond

“You have to imagine everything when you’re doing it, as if you’re auditioning,” she said. “Even though we had the sets, I didn’t have my costume or hair and makeup or anything.”

Performance capture, like superhero fare, is new territory for Garner. The actress is known for her roes in dramas like The Americans and The Assistant, and will next be playing the spacefaring herald of the planet-devouring Galactus (Ralph Ineson).

“Going into the Marvel space was a big interest,” she said. “I feel like what a lot of actors don’t value enough is trying to reach every kind of audience. I think that’s really important. I’d be crazy to expect that everybody is going to watch Inventing Anna or Ozark or The Assistant. But to reach all kinds of people and build fans from everywhere? I was really excited to step into that universe.”

Garner’s gender-swapped Silver Surfer is a departure from the character who debuted in 1965’s Fantastic Four #48: Norrin Radd, who volunteered to serve Galactus as his herald to spare his homeworld Zenn-La — and Shalla-Bal, the woman he loves — from Galactus’ hunger. (An alternate-universe female Silver Surfer appeared in the Earth X series.)

“With the Silver Surfer, there’s still something very mysterious about it,” Garner said. “That mystery is very important to me as an actor. It’s such an iconic character, and it felt very different for me. I’ve never played a character like that.”

Marvel’s Fantastic Four reboot, directed by Matt Shakman (WandaVision), is “set against the vibrant backdrop of a 1960s-inspired, retro-futuristic world,” per the synopsis, and introduces Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic (Pedro Pascal), Sue Storm/Invisible Woman (Vanessa Kirby), Johnny Storm/Human Torch (Joseph Quinn), and Ben Grimm/The Thing (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) as they “face their most daunting challenge yet. Forced to balance their roles as heroes with the strength of their family bond, they must defend Earth from a ravenous space god called Galactus and his enigmatic Herald, Silver Surfer. And if Galactus’ plan to devour the entire planet and everyone on it weren’t bad enough, it suddenly gets very personal.”

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is in theaters July 25.

The post The Fantastic Four: First Steps Star Confirms Marvel Character Is 100% Motion Capture appeared first on ComicBook.com.

While Marvel has not officially announced Doctor Strange 3, it sounds like the studio is developing the sequel behind-the-scenes, collaborating very closely with star Benedict Cumberbatch. In an interview with Variety, the actor — who has played Doctor Strange in the Marvel Cinematic Universe since 2016 — briefly touched on the possibility of headlining another solo film. “They are very open to discussing where we go next,” Cumberbatch said, describing the conversations he’s had with Marvel Studios. “Who do you want to write and direct the next one? What part of the comic lore do you want to explore so that Strange can keep evolving?”

Cumberbatch expressed excitement about the prospect of continuing to portray Strange, alluding to the plethora of creative opportunities available. “He’s a very rich character to play. He’s a complex, contradictory, troubled human who’s got these extraordinary abilities, so there’s potent stuff to mess about with.”

Through a combination of starring roles, supporting turns, and cameos, Cumberbatch has played Strange in six MCU movies, with a seventh (2027’s Avengers: Secret Wars) on the way. He remains hopeful that a third solo Doctor Strange film will eventually get made. Following the release of 2022’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, the actor shared his interest for future appearances, stating that he’s “still having a wild time playing [Strange]” even after all this time.

[RELATED – Predicting Marvel Studios’ Three Mystery 2028 Releases]

As fans await confirmation regarding Doctor Strange 3, there are signs the film is in the works. In October 2024, rumors suggested Sam Raimi, who helmed Multiverse of Madness, would return to the MCU to direct Doctor Strange 3. Disney has multiple release dates claimed for untitled Marvel movies; there are two in 2026 (February 13 and November 6) and three in 2028 (February 18, May 5, and November 10).

It’s encouraging that Cumberbatch is heavily involved with Doctor Strange 3 development. Not only does it highlight his enthusiasm to continue playing Strange, it illustrates Marvel’s interest in maximizing the character’s potential on-screen. After playing one role for so long, there’s always a risk things could become stale from a creative perspective. Cumberbatch’s comments indicate Marvel is committed to keeping the actor, a two-time Oscar nominee, around for the foreseeable future. By asking Cumberbatch which filmmakers he personally wants to work with and which comic storylines he’d like to explore on-screen, the studio is attempting to create an environment where he can continuously challenge himself within the expansive MCU sandbox.

With Marvel having these kinds of talks with Cumberbatch, it feels like it’s only a matter of time before Doctor Strange 3 gets added to the MCU release calendar. As for where it might fit on the studio’s slate, it may be too late at this stage for it to secure one of the 2026 dates (unless Marvel is planning to fast-track it in order to hit that November window). Doctor Strange 3 hitting theaters in 2028 could be more practical, and that would present the filmmakers with interesting narrative possibilities. Whoever directs would be able to explore how Strange handles the aftermath of Avengers: Secret Wars, allowing Cumberbatch to tap into the character’s fascinating traits and sensibilities.

The post Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange 3 Update Is Even Better Than We Hoped For appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The Punisher has had many memorable moments in movies and television, including three unforgettable standouts. Frank Castle, a.k.a. The Punisher, is well-known as one of Marvel’s most uncompromising antiheroes, with his predilection for killing and engaging in far more brutal methods than any Marvel superhero indulges in. Frank Castle has been played in live-action by Dolph Lundgren, Thomas Jane, Ray Stevenson, and Jon Bernthal, each of whom has brought a unique interpretation to the character.

With three movies, a solo streaming series, and two crossover appearances with Daredevil on his two streaming shows, the Punisher has made an unforgettable mark on comic book movies and TV. Here are the Punisher’s three greatest moments in movies and TV.

Frank Castle vs. The Russian – The Punisher

The most memorable scene of Jonathan Hensleigh’s 2004 actioner The Punisher is the movie’s wildly brutal yet darkly hilarious fight scene between Thomas Jane’s Frank Castle and the hired hitman known as The Russian (pro-wrestler Kevin Nash.) Taking place in Frank’s Tampa apartment after a pleasant dinner with his new neighbors, Frank is tossed and pummeled around the apartment by the hulking assassin, even narrowly avoiding a hand grenade explosion that the whole building feels.

Set to “La Donna e Mobile”, the fight scene was described during production as “the horrific clown show”, which perfectly captures the fight scene’s blend of humor and brute force. It also didn’t come without some real pain for the actors, with Kevin Nash accidentally being stabbed for real in the fight. In the end, Frank triumphs over his massive adversary, and his fight scene with the Russian continues to stand as one of The Punisher’s best movie moments.

Opening Action Scene – Punisher: War Zone

2008’s Punisher: War Zone saw the late Ray Stevenson take over as Frank Castle in Lexi Alexander’s reboot, and Frank’s new mission kicks off with an blood-splattering start in his raid of a meeting on a criminal compound. Frank enters the meeting like a slasher movie villain, killing the lights and activating a flair to make the presence of the Punisher known before going to work. And, by Punisher standards, going to work involves a lot of knife slashing, limb snapping, neck breaking, and opening fire on the mob while swinging upside down from a chandelier, all in the most over-the-top fashion imaginable.

Punisher: War Zone sadly bombed in theaters upon its release in 2008’s holiday season, but it has since built up a comic book movie cult following, with even comedian Patton Oswalt among its fanbase. Lexi Alexander has spoken many times of striving to bring the cartoonish, absurd levels of gore in the Punisher comics to life in live-action, and few could argue that Punisher: War Zone doesn’t succeed thoroughly in that endeavor. Between the movie’s financial failure and Ray Stevenson’s passing in 2023, Punisher: War Zone was sadly the one and only time he got to show what he could do as the Punisher. Nonetheless, the Marvel cult classic showed he not only captured the essence of Frank Castle splendidly, but also snagged the best entrance of any live-action Punisher, by far.

RELATED: Daredevil: Born Again Set Photo Reveals First Look at Jon Bernthal’s Punisher Return

Daredevil & Punisher’s Rooftop Showdown – Daredevil

For the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Jon Bernthal became the newest incarnation of the Punisher, making his debut in Daredevil season 2, before being spun-off into The Punisher series. While Bernthal has given an all-around fantastic performance as Frank with many memorable moments and action scenes, his rooftop scene with Charlie Cox’s Daredevil in the season 2 episode “New York’s Finest” (S2E3) is his best. While it’s one of the quieter Punisher scenes in any big or small screen iteration, paradoxically, that’s what makes it so great, with the focus being on the differing crime-fighting ideologies of Frank Castle and Matt Murdock.

As Daredevil, Matt seeks to battle the criminals of Hell’s Kitchen with as much mercy as possible, in order to give them a chance “to try again.” However, Matt’s restraint is something that Frank sees as doing more harm than good, since it gives criminals like the ones who murdered his family a chance to prey on the defenseless again. As Frank puts it, “You hit them and they get back up! I hit them, and they stay down!” Daredevil season 2 devotes much of its story to Frank and Matt’s polar opposite methods, but their extended rooftop debate is the real heart of their relationship on the show, and forms a strong foundation for Daredevil and Punisher meeting again in Daredevil: Born Again. Even for all his great Punisher action scenes on Daredevil and in his own series, Jon Bernthal’s most shining moment as Frank Castle remains his rooftop verbal sparring match with The Man Without Fear.

Both seasons of Marvel’s The Punisher can be streamed on Disney+.

The post 3 Best Punisher Moments in Movies and the MCU appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Marvel is weaving the next multiversal crossover event. After 2022’s End of the Spider-Verse and 2024’s Venomverse Reborn, it’s Spiders versus Symbiotes in Spider-Verse vs. Venomverse. The multiverse-spanning series — from writers Mat Groom (Ultraman X The Avengers) and Kyle Higgins (Winter Soldier) with art by Luciano Vecchio (Venom War: Venomous) — adds to the ever-expanding Spider-Verse and the Venomverse as the Spider-Characters tasked with protecting the Web of Life and Destiny and the Lethal Protectors of the Symbiote Hive-Mind collide to decide the fates of both ‘verses.

The arachnid war will begin with two one-shots. First, in March, Web of Spider-Verse: New Blood #1 will introduce Spider-Prowler, a new Spider-Hulk, and the vampiric Count Parker in stories from writers Groom, Greg Pak (Sam Wilson: Captain America), Chris Eliopoulos (Power Pack), Jordan Morris (Youth Group), and artists Sumit Kumar (Spider-Man: Black Suit & Blood), Alan Robinson (Spider-Man Unlimited Infinity Comic), and Eliopoulos and Vecchio.

RELATED: Who Is the All-New Venom Host? Marvel Teases the Four Suspects

April’s Web of Venomverse: Fresh Brains #1 features a new Eddie Brock Venom (whose 616 counterpart will debut as Carnage in Eddie Brock: Carnage in February), Venomouse, and a venomized Katie Power of Power Pack. That one-shot is from Groom, Eliopoulos, Erica Schultz (Daredevil: Woman Without Fear), and Marvel’s Ant-Man actor and Count Crowley writer David Dastmalchian, with art by Vecchio, Eliopoulos, Chris Allen (Black Panther), Dylan Burnett (X-Force), and Juan José Ryp (Venom War: Zombiotes).

In May, Spider-Verse vs. Venomverse #1 will kick off the five-issue limited series spinning out of Web of Spider-Verse and Web of Venomverse. Readers can expect to see Spider-Man (Peter Parker) and Spider-Ham (Peter Porker) alongside Weapon VIII (introduced in 2024’s Edge of Spider-Verse #1), Agent Venom, and many more.

“When Dan Slott and Olivier Copiel launched the Spider-Verse in 2014, it transformed the Spider-Man mythos and completely took over the world,” Groom said of the event that inspired everything from 2017’s Venomverse and 2018’s Spider-Geddon to the animated Spider-Verse movies. “Since then, creators like Donny Cates, Al Ewing, and Ram V have transformed the Venom mythos in a way that is arguably just as vital and transformative.”

Groom continued, “Crashing these worlds together is a genuine honor and a privilege— and it gives us an opportunity to push both sides to the breaking point, so we can all discover whether the Spider and Symbiote communities hold strong against the oncoming storm… or if they crack under the pressure!”

Vecchio, who has penciled issues of Edge of Spider-Verse, Black Widow: Venomous, and the Slott-penned Spider-Man, also serves as the character designer on the two lead-in titles. “Luciano’s superpower is building complex tapestries of intertwined characters and worlds… And I love that readers will get an early taste of that in New Blood and Fresh Brains,” Groom said.

Web of Spider-Verse: New Blood #1

The war of the Multiverse begins in WEB OF SPIDER-VERSE: NEW BLOOD #1. Spider-Man and his spider-compatriots across the Spider-Verse are the guardians of the Web of Life and Destiny… but they are heading for a confrontation with the OTHER Arachnid-Multiverse of the symbiote variety when they come into conflict with the VENOMVERSE!

In the buildup to that 8-fisted confrontation, meet three new Spider-Versers to see who has what it takes to fight in the web wars! Could it be Count Parker? Spider-Prowler? Or maybe Spider-Hulk? 

On sale: March 5

Web of Venomverse: Fresh Brains #1

In WEB OF VENOMVERSE: FRESH BRAINS #1, the Venomverse is upon us! The existence of Venom and symbiotes across the entire Venomverse will be at stake as they go head-to-head with their Spidery counterparts to defend the Symbiote Hive-Mind from the SPIDER-VERSE! As an eight-legged fight creeps to the surface, meet the three new symbiotes who could put the Spiders at the edge of their webs!

Which of them has what it takes? Could it be the devious Venomouse? The disorderly Katie Power? Or a whole new Eddie Brock?

On sale: April 2

Spider-Verse vs. Venomverse #1 (of 5)

The arachnid war is here! With the fates of the SPIDER-VERSE and VENOMVERSE hanging in the balance, these eight-legged warriors will stop at nothing from protecting their people – or die trying! Will Spider-Man and friends succeed in protecting the Web-Heart? Or will Venom and his symbiotic comrades prove that the Hive-Mind fights for its survival? Meet the newest Web-Head Spider-Prowler as well as the mysterious symbiote Yaleo as this savage battle risks their extinction!

On sale: May 14

The post Marvel’s Spider-Verse vs. Venomverse Event Reveals New Spider-Man and Venom Variants appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Marvel Rivals has become one of the most popular multiplayer games. It combines the hero shooter gameplay made popular by Overwatch and its sequel with the iconic cast from Marvel. With such a huge potential for characters across the various comics and series, developer NetEase has numerous options for what characters it can add, whether they be heroes or villains. Players and fans are always interested to see what is coming in future content, which has led to leakers becoming more prominent. While not always accurate, fans flock to these rumors, and it seems a new leak has hit the scene.

The most recent leak comes from XOXLEAK on Twitter, and it points to five characters being added. Each of these are heroes from a particular and iconic group: The X-Men.

View on X

RELATED: Marvel Rivals Patch Notes Revealed for New Spring Festival Update

The leak points to Gambit, Rogue, Jubilee, Beast, and Nightcrawler as upcoming characters in Marvel Rivals. The leak further suggests what role some would play. If the leak is true, Gambit would be a Duelist, Rogue would be a Strategist, and Nightcrawler would be a Duelist. Beast and Jubilee are listed as unknown.

Fans understand the choice for Duelist regarding Gambit and Nightcrawler, but some question Rogue as a Strategist. Rogue’s power in the comics revolves around copying others, so this will likely play a role in her kit for Marvel Rivals. Loki has a similar ability, though only his Ultimate allows him to turn into a character, copying all of their abilities.

It’s hard to say how a character who solely copies abilities would work. It could be chosen at random from teammates and enemies, but this could lead to an underpowered character. Rogue’s abilities could be triggered to steal abilities, but then she becomes largely dependent on what characters have been selected.

Beast makes the most sense as a Vanguard, and the role is sorely lacking in characters. Beast could be similar to the Hulk with more mobility considering his powers in the comics. He could also utilize various technology to showcase his intelligence and expand his kit.

One could argue that Nightcrawler could fit into the Strategist role since he has been seen to be able to teleport others, and this could be an interesting new mechanic. He could play like a faster and weaker Dr. Strange. Coming up with a way Nightcrawler heals would be harder though.

Regardless, it is important to take these leaks with a grain of salt. The X-Men are obvious picks for Marvel Rivals, but with such a large cast just within this group, what X-Men are selected is hard to say. There are multiple X-Men already in Marvel Rivals, and their popularity almost guarantees more will be added.

Season 1 of Marvel Rivals is currently ongoing, and it has already added Mr. Fantastic and The Invisible Woman. The Human Torch and The Thing are also confirmed to be coming. Art for the current season shows other characters as well, so it is hard to say when and if these X-Men will join the roster.

The post Marvel Rivals Leak Says More X-Men Are Being Added appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Even Doctor Strange’s all-seeing Eye of Agamotto didn’t see it coming. During its San Diego Comic-Con presentation in July, Marvel Studios announced that Robert Downey Jr. is returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe — not as Iron Man, but as the Fantastic Four villain Doctor Doom in Avengers: Doomsday (2026) and Avengers: Secret Wars (2027). The news came as a surprise for Downey’s Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame co-star Benedict Cumberbatch, who revealed his reaction to Downey’s Doctor Doom casting in a new interview.

Cumberbatch told Variety he was watching Marvel’s Comic-Con panel live when Downey was unmasked as the actor playing Victor von Doom. He then immediately texted Marvel Studios president and producer Kevin Feige: “‘What the f—?'”

“And then quickly added, ‘Good what-the-f—,'” Cumberbatch said. “I mean, good what-the-f—.'”  

RELATED: Marvel’s Doctor Strange Star Reuniting With Sam Raimi for New Movie

The actor, who first starred as master of the mystic arts Stephen Strange in 2016’s Doctor Strange, reprised his role in 2017’s Thor: Ragnarok and two Avengers movies before going on to appear in 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home and a Doctor Strange sequel, 2022’s In the Multiverse of Madness. Cumberbatch also confirmed that plans have changed, and he won’t be in Doomsday despite previously confirming his involvement in the fifth Avengers movie. Instead, Strange will be on a “hiatus” by the time of Doomsday, but will be back in time for Secret Wars in 2027.

In fact, Strange is “quite central” to the Anthony and Joe Russo-directed Secret Wars, which caps off Marvel’s Multiverse Saga and Phase Six of the MCU. (In the 2015 comic book storyline of the same name, Strange was the Sheriff of Agamotto and Right Hand of God Emperor Doom, who reshaped reality to his will after reality-destroying incursions.)

“I’m really excited not only to work with the Russo brothers again, but also to have 
Robert Downey Jr. returning as Doctor Doom,” Cumberbatch previousy told the outlet TV Groove. “I think there’s going to be some really cool developments ahead, and I’m excited to see what happens next.”

While Cumberbatch and Downey won’t reunite until Secret Wars, former Captain America actor Chris Evans is reportedly set to return in Doomsday in a mystery role. (After retiring Steve Rogers in 2019’s Endgame, Evans made a cameo in 2024’s Deadpool & Wolverine as Johnny Storm/Human Torch, his character from 2005’s Fantastic Four and 2007’s FF: Rise of the Silver Surfer.)

Marvel Studios has dated the Downey-led Avengers: Doomsday for May 1, 2026, and Avengers: Secret Wars for May 7, 2027.

The post Benedict Cumberbatch Reacts to Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom Casting: “What the F—?” appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Benedict Cumberbatch has conjured some spoilers concerning Doctor Strange‘s presence in Avengers: Doomsday. The actor plays Stephen Strange, who was once the Sorcerer Supreme of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He’s headlined two Doctor Strange movies so far, with a third film in the pipeline and an important role to play in Marvel’s Multiverse Saga. Just last month, Cumberbatch reminded fans that Doctor Strange was headed for Avengers: Doomsday in a showdown with Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom, but those plans appear to have hit a major roadblock. Because now Cumberbatch has let it slip that Doctor Strange won’t be a part of Avengers: Doomsday after all.

“Is that a spoiler?” Benedict Cumberbatch told Variety. “Fuck it!” The actor went on to reveal that plans changed for Doctor Strange when Jonathan Majors — who played the time-traveling Kang the Conqueror and was being setup as the central villain in the Multiverse Saga — was found guilty of assault and harassment of his ex-girlfriend, leading to Jonathan Majors being fired by Marvel Studios. The company pivoted by recruiting Robert Downey Jr. to make his MCU return as Doctor Doom, renaming Avengers: The Kang Dynasty to Avengers: Doomsday, and bringing directors Joe and Anthony Russo back to helm Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars.

[RELATED: Marvel Just Revealed How Chris Evans’ Captain America Return Could Make Sense]

Cumberbatch noted the reason Doctor Strange was removed from Avengers: Doomsday was due to “the character not aligning with this part of the story.” However, he said Doctor Strange is “in a lot” of Avengers: Secret Wars, which follows Avengers: Doomsday, so at least that should be good news to fans’ ears.

“He’s quite central to where things might go,” Cumberbatch teased. He also alluded to Doctor Strange 3, which is rumored to have Sam Raimi return as director. However, Cumberbatch didn’t divulge anymore than to say how he’s enjoyed the collaborative nature of working with Marvel Studios.

“They are very open to discussing where we go next,” he said. “Who do you want to write and direct the next one? What part of the comic lore do you want to explore so that Strange can keep evolving? He’s a very rich character to play. He’s a complex, contradictory, troubled human who’s got these extraordinary abilities, so there’s potent stuff to mess about with.”  

Avengers: Doomsday opens in theaters on May 1, 2026, followed by Avengers: Secret Wars a year later on May 7, 2027.

The post “Is That a Spoiler?”: Benedict Cumberbatch Comments on Doctor Strange in Avengers: Doomsday appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Ultimate Spider-Man has provided fans with several twists and turns from your typical Spider-Man story, and the recent developments with the symbiote suit are just the tip of the iceberg. The majority of stories featuring the symbiote have it coming from outer space, but Ultimate Spider-Man goes a different route by having the symbiote be an artificial intelligence picotech costume. It originates with Tony Stark but also has upgrades from Otto Octavius as well, making it truly unique. But the latest issue of Ultimate Spider-Man goes a step further by redefining the symbiote mythos like never before. WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Ultimate Spider-Man #13. Continue reading at your own risk!

Ultimate Spider-Man #13 comes from the creative team of Jonathan Hickman, Marco Checchetto, Matthew Wilson, and VC’s Cory Petit. The bulk of the issue deals with Spider-Man (Peter Parker) and Green Goblin (Harry Osborn) being prisoners of Kraven the Hunter, who is a member of Kingpin’s Sinister Six. But back in New York City, a black-clad Spider-Man is still patrolling the streets. But if Peter is missing in action, who is dressing up as Spider-Man?

[RELATED: Marvel’s Ultimate Spider-Man Is the Best Ongoing Comic Series (Golden Issue Awards 2024)]

In a surprising move, it’s Peter Parker and Mary Jane-Watson’s son, Richard Parker, who is working together with the symbiote/picotech suit. And to make things even better, they seem to have a wonderful working relationship going that can lead to some interesting developments in future issues.

Ultimate Spider-Man’s symbiote finds a new host

The previous issue of Ultimate Spider-Man revealed that the symbiote had taken Peter Parker’s place inside his family while Peter is missing. We also learn Peter and Harry Osborn haven’t been seen in two months. During Peter’s absence, Richard has secretly worn the symbiote and swung through the city stopping petty crimes. It freaks Richard out that the symbiote can make itself look like his Dad, but it does help that the symbiote is encoded with Peter’s brainwaves. So it has Peter’s speech pattern down to near perfection.

A good example of this is when Richard asks if his Mom and the suit have had any intimate moments while Mary Jane was unaware it wasn’t her husband. The symbiote reacts with wide eyes and outstretched arms, similar to how one would expect Spider-Man to respond if in the same position. The symbiote reveals Peter gave it three rules if something were to ever happen to him. One: No touching Mary Jane. Two: Protect the family. No matter what. And Three: No touching Mary Jane.

The symbiote also tells Richard that his father is alive, even though he’s been missing for two months. If Peter was dead, the suit would be able to sense it, alluding to the bond that a symbiote has with its host. Naturally, Richard asks if the symbiote can use that sense to find Peter, but it explains it doesn’t work that way. Plus, Peter balked at having the symbiote leave a trace of itself in his bloodstream so it could find him if anything were to happen. That’s a decision Spider-Man is probably rethinking considering the predicament he finds himself in.

Spider-Man’s son and the symbiote meet their first supervillain

After stopping a petty criminal late at night, Richard Parker and the symbiote are swinging back home when their tendril web is sliced from out of nowhere. The duo crash lands on a rooftop where they’re confronted by Felicia Hardy, the new Black Cat. Felicia replaces her father, the original Black Cat, who was left paralyzed after fighting Spider-Man and Green Goblin a few issues earlier. It would appear Felicia Hardy is looking for some payback, and is starting with Spider-Man. Unfortunately, the Spider-Man she finds isn’t the one that injured her father, but his teenaged son.

One can assume next issue will feature a fight between Black Cat and the Symbiote Spider-Man. But if their relationship in the Ultimate Universe mirrors that of Spider-Man and Black Cat on Earth-616, we could see some sparks start to fly. They both appear to be around the same age, so a romantic relationship between Richard and Black Cat isn’t out of the question. And that can happen with or without Black Cat discovering Richard’s secret identity.

The post Marvel Reinvents Spider-Man’s Symbiote Story With Wild New Twist appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Hot on the heels of the announcement that the King of the Monsters would be taking on Marvel’s jolly green giant, the Incredible Hulk, it seems that New York City’s favorite wall crawler is getting in on the action. Marvel has recently announced that Godzilla Vs. Spider-Man is the next comic on the drawing board for the kaiju-filled crossover, but this one’s going to be a little different. While the lizard king will be fighting against Peter Parker, this will be a different iteration of the beloved Marvel hero during a specific time in his life. Luckily, said time gives Spidey one of his most powerful iterations in his superhero career.

Godzilla Vs. Spider-Man #1 will arrive on April 30th this spring, bringing together some big creators for this giant crossover. Legendary comic writer Joe Kelly, who might be best known for his past work on Deadpool, The Amazing Spider-Man, and Uncanny X-Men, is leading the charge. Kelly will be joined by artist Nick Bradshaw, who has experience with titles like Wolverine And The X-Men, Strange Academy, and Fantastic Four. As mentioned previously, this crossover will take place shortly after the events of Marvel’s original Secret Wars storyline, meaning that Peter will be inside his classic symbiote costume. Of course, this now leaves open the possibility that a Venom-version of Godzilla might make an appearance, potentially creating the most powerful Venom we’ve seen to date.

[RELATED: Marvel Announces Godzilla Vs. Hulk]

The Itsy Bitsy Kaiju

Writer Joe Kelly detailed his excitement for diving into this new project, explaining how this crossover is his chance to ‘go nuts’ as a writer, “The second I heard that there was going to be a Godzilla x Spidey crossover set in the ‘80s, I almost leapt across the table to claim it. This book is a chance to go nuts and have a blast with two iconic characters and channel the chaos of the time period that I was actively collecting Spider-Man. Nick Bradshaw really captures the absurdity of the concept and the vibe I was going for, while at the same time giving Godzilla and Spidey (in his perfectly-normal-nothing-weird-here-black suit!) the prestige and gravity they deserve. It’s a love letter served with an earth-shattering roar!”

Of course, this isn’t the only major crossover that Peter Parker will participate in this year as another monster is stalking New York City’s streets. Announced last year, Predator Versus Spider-Man will see the legendary alien hunter attempting to add Spider-Man to his list of prey. Ironically enough, this crossover will also arrive this April, meaning that wall crawler fans will have a lot to look forward to in the crossover department.

Godzilla Vs. Marvel

Alongside Spidey, Godzilla is planning to fight both the Incredible Hulk and the Fantastic Four in respective outings beginning this March. The six issue mini-series has yet to reveal what the latter three issues will see the king of the monsters tackle, though we could certainly guess that the Avengers and the X-Men might take their crack at the kaiju.

Ironically enough, Marvel was beaten to the punch in fighting Godzilla in the current era as DC Comics recently ended Justice League Vs. Godzilla Vs. Kong. Not only did this series do some wild things like make King Kong a Green Lantern but it was successful enough to warrant a sequel that is currently in the works.

Want to see what other Marvel characters that Godzilla will tackle in 2025? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for the latest updates on the king of the monsters and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime.

Via IGN

The post Marvel Unveils Godzilla Vs. Spider-Man (With A Venomous Twist) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

For fans of the current era of Marvel’s X-Men, X-Men: Xavier’s Secret #1 won’t be exactly new. The one-shot collects the first six issues of X-Men: From the Ashes Infinity Comic which were released last year. But the repackaging aside, the series (or rather, this issue) offers two stories that are worth revisiting: Jean Grey and Scott Summers dealing with surprisingly relatable relationship issues before Jean’s departure from Earth and a revelation of Charles Xavier’s crimes during the Fall of the House of X.

Written by Alex Paknadel, X-Men: Xavier’s Secret offers two complete stories with two very different tones. In the first, “Eversong”, Paknadel explores what’s next for Jean and Scott now that she’s taken on the Phoenix — less in terms of what that means for the world and mutantkind, but what it means for them as a couple. It’s an interesting take on the situation, one that shines an important and needed light on the interpersonal relationship between these two characters. Framed as a horror story that happens to be set during a getaway for Jean and Scott, readers follow as something is luring people into the frigid Norwegian landscape searching for something. After a bit of conflict over Scott not being exactly forthright with Jean, Scott ends up among those being lured on the mysterious search. What works here is that we get to see Scott’s vulnerability and his genuine fears as well as how Jean doesn’t quite seem to hold them with the same weight he does. It’s an interesting look at the dynamic of their relationship and while the story ends in a seemingly solid place, readers might find themselves asking just how secure they really are.

Where the story falters, however, is that it tries to make a parallel between what is going on between Scott and Jean with the mysterious force controlling the minds of those being lured into the cold. It’s a bit heavy-handed and doesn’t really land. Whether or not it’s intentional, Jean comes across as misguided as the force she’s up against when it comes to Scott. The story’s horror framing also falls a little short with a too-tidy reveal of what is actually going on.

As for the second story, we delve into Sally Floyd’s investigation of Charles Xavier’s acts during the war, watching as the journalist spirals from simply doing a news story into a full-on conspiracy theory investigation, all while burdened by her own demons. In terms of the two stories, this one is a bit more successful. We follow along as Sally grows more and more obsessed with finding answers, digging deeper into Charles’ motivations and trying to sort out what would make him do the awful things he was accused of. However, the story doesn’t exactly exonerate Charlies. Sally does indeed get the full story, but we find that she’s gotten the full story a few times before — and every time Charlies meddles with it. There’s no real resolution, just what is presented as a seemingly temporary act of mercy that is likely to have consequences down the road.

In terms of art — both stories feature Diogenes Neves with colors by Arthur Hesli — both stories are visually pleasing. Particularly, “What Charlie Did…” is very nuanced, with Sally’s grief and self-sabotage through drinking presented in a way that feels like it goes deeper than the words on the page. This is especially noticeable when we get to the end and we see Sally transformed and what starting over looks like for her. The art is similarly nice in “Eversong”, though all of the characters have sort of a skeletal appearance that is, at points, a little distracting.

With the X-Men about to clash with the upcoming “Raid on Graymalkin” crossover and Jean’s adventures in the Phoenix series ongoing, putting the X-Men: From the Ashes Infinity Comic together is good timing. Not only does it remind regular readers of the events that brought them here, but for those who have been following the team less closely since the start of the Krakoa era, it serves as a quick primer for what might be an explosive next chapter. But while it’s timely and helpful, X-Men: Xavier’s Secret #1 feels mostly like a bridge to these larger stories. With some slight missteps in the stories being told, it feels like this is one series that didn’t necessarily need revisiting.

Published by: Marvel Comics

On: January 22, 2025

Written by: Alex Paknadel

Art by: Diogenes Neves

Colors by: Arthur Hesli

Letters by: Clayton Cowles

The post X-Men: Xavier’s Secret #1 Review: A Shady Past, An Uncertain Future appeared first on ComicBook.com.

For many fans, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has offered definitive takes on many different characters. These takes have had a very large influence on how the characters are often depicted in other media, including comic books, cartoons, and video games. However, that’s not always the case. When creating Marvel Rivals, developer NetEase wanted a take on Mantis that was different from the version depicted by Pom Klementieff in the Guardians of the Galaxy films. In an interview with ComicBook, Mantis actress Colleen O’Shaughnessey talked about how she was told to come up with her own voice for the character.

“I’m a huge Marvel fan and I of course have seen all the movies. And they’re like ‘it’s not the same Mantis that you know from the movies.’ And so that was a little strange for me, because that’s the picture I have in my head and that’s the character that I have in my head. It was challenging to make her different, to just do my own take on Mantis. Luckily, they liked what I did. But I love the Marvel Universe so it was so exciting to be part of that,” said O’Shaughnessey.

While O’Shaughnessey is new to voicing Mantis, she has voiced a number of other Marvel characters throughout various media. Most notably, the actress provided the voice of the Wasp in Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. In the years following that show’s conclusion, O’Shaughnessey would reprise the role of Janet Van Dyne across multiple video games, including Marvel Heroes and Disney Infinity. O’Shaughnessey says she isn’t much of a gamer herself (“Frogger, that’s more my speed”), but she’s still very happy about the positive reception Marvel Rivals has seen since launching late last year.

“The game is doing so well, it’s very exciting. And I get tweets or whatever, comments from people that are like ‘she’s a great character.’ I guess she’s sneaky or whatever. Somebody just sent me a thing the other [day], thanks to Mantis they got to some other level because of her,” O’Shaughnessey said with a laugh. “And I was like ‘great! Go you! You’re welcome!'”

RELATED: Spider-Man Actor Yuri Lowenthal Reveals His Favorite Version of the Marvel Hero 

Mantis is one of several characters that were available at launch for Marvel Rivals. A Strategist, Mantis is best used by players that prefer to serve as healers. While the developers were looking to go in a different direction from the character’s MCU voice, it’s worth noting that Mantis features plenty of callbacks to the Guardians of the Galaxy films. Her backstory in the game has her imprisoned by the Collector, and players can purchase skins based on her appearances in those movies. The approach to the character’s voice might be different, but for those that prefer the MCU take to the 616, there’s still a lot of connective tissue.

Do you enjoy playing as Mantis in Marvel Rivals? What do you think of O’Shaughnessey’s take on the character? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp, on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!

The post Marvel Rivals Mantis Actress Was Told Not to Use the MCU for Inspiration (Exclusive) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The good news for Marvel Rivals players is that the Marvel Rivals Infinity Comic series will continue after the conclusion of its first arc last January 20. The bad news is that fans will have to wait until Spring 2025 to read issue #7 of the series, which promises to keep exploring the lore of Marvel’s successful team-shooter game. While the waiting can be bothersome, the fact the series will move beyond its first planned arc underlines the game’s success. Furthermore, the announcement indicates Marvel is willing to use the Marvel Rivals as a narrative experience spread across different media platforms instead of just releasing the comic books as a one-off tie-in to celebrate the game’s release.

Writer Paul Allor expressed enthusiasm about continuing the series, highlighting the creative possibilities within the Marvel Rivals universe. “Working on the Marvel Rivals comic has been such a thrill, and seeing gamers latch on to our story has been truly heartwarming,” Allor shared. “Marvel and NetEase created a wonderful new world, filled with so much potential for fun, funny and action-packed storytelling.”

[RELATED: Marvel Rivals Hero Luna Snow Joins Doctor Doom’s Team in New Series]

The first story arc of Marvel Rivals Infinity Comic concluded by bringing stability back to Tokyo 2099’s timeline while protecting the Web of Life and Destiny. While specific details about the upcoming story arc remain under wraps, Allor teased that the new setting would be familiar to Marvel Comics fans. “I can’t tell you much about what happens next, but I can tell you that the setting will be very familiar to Marvel Comics fans, and will feature a mix of new characters, alongside a few returning favorites from our initial run,” the writer revealed.

Marvel Rivals Mixes Comic Books and Gaming Into an Absolute Success

The comic series expands upon the rich narrative foundation established by the Marvel Rivals video game, which launched on December 6, 2024, for PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S. The game’s story centers on a “timestream entanglement” triggered by a confrontation between present-day Doctor Doom and his 2099 counterpart. This collision of realities creates four distinct Chronoverses: the Techno-Dystopia of 2099, the Present timeline, the unstable Mosaic Timeline, and the Collapsing Timeline, where even Gods can perish.

The game distinguishes itself with its roster of over 30 playable characters, divided into three specialized roles: Vanguards (tanky characters like Hulk and Thor), Duelists (damage dealers such as Spider-Man and Iron Man), and Strategists (support characters including Invisible Woman and Loki). A unique “Dynamic Hero Synergy” system allows players to execute special moves when using specific character combinations, such as the classic “Fastball Special” between Wolverine and Hulk.

Marvel Rivals has maintained player engagement through regular content updates and seasonal events since its December launch. The game kicked off with a shortened “Chronovium” event, followed by the current “Eternal Night Falls” season that introduced the Fantastic Four as playable heroes and added new maps including the Sanctum Sanctorum, Midtown, and Central Park. Players can unlock various cosmetic items through battle passes, including alternative costumes based on both comic book storylines and MCU appearances, giving fans multiple ways to personalize their favorite Marvel heroes.

The continuation of the Marvel Rivals Infinity Comic suggests a long-term commitment to expanding the game’s universe through various media. With both the comic series and the game sharing the same complex multiverse setting, fans can look forward to new stories that further explore the consequences of the timestream entanglement when the series returns in Spring 2025.

New Marvel Rivals Infinity Comic issues will be available exclusively through Marvel Unlimited, where readers can currently access all six issues of the first arc.

The post Marvel Rivals Comic Series Gets an Update (But Fans Will Have to Wait) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Doomsday has taken an intriguing turn with Chris Evans joining Robert Downey Jr. in the cast. While Downey Jr.’s role as Doctor Doom was revealed at San Diego Comic-Con, Evans’ character remains a mystery, meaning MCU fans are trying to piece together all the puzzle pieces to uncover what Doomsday is about. A compelling new fan theory suggests Evans could reprise his role as Steve Rogers/Captain America, linking the events of Avengers: Endgame directly to the upcoming film’s multiversal crisis. The theory provides a potential explanation for Doctor Doom’s emergence while addressing one of the MCU’s biggest unresolved plot threads.

The theory connects to a pivotal moment from Avengers: Endgame, where Steve Rogers embarked on a mission to return the Infinity Stones to their proper timelines after the Time Heist. This crucial task was meant to prevent alternate realities from spiraling into chaos, as the Ancient One (Tilda Swinton) explained to Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo). However, instead of returning to the present after completing his mission, Rogers chose to remain in the past to live out his life with Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell). While this decision provided a touching conclusion to Cap’s story, the temporal implications of his choice were never fully explored in subsequent MCU entries.

[RELATED: New Black Panther Rumor Has Marvel Fans Fuming (But Some Are Happy With It)]

The time travel mission was complex, requiring Rogers to visit multiple historical points. Unfortunately, the logistics of this mission were never shown on screen, leaving room for speculation about what might have gone wrong during these delicate temporal operations. To make matters more complicated, according to Marvel’s established time travel rules, Rogers’ decision to stay in the past should have created a branch in the timeline, yet he appeared as an elderly man in the same timeline he left. Something seems off in the whole ordeal, so Avengers: Doomsday might address this event directly.

Did a Marvel Fan Guess What Avengers: Doomsday Is About?

Reddit user LollipopChainsawZz‘s theory presents an intriguing possibility: Avengers: Doomsday could be set in an alternate 1950s timeline created by Steve Rogers’ temporal displacement. The theory suggests that Cap’s decision to remain in the past had unintended consequences, leading to a butterfly effect that resulted in the emergence of the Fantastic Four, Doctor Doom, and the Baxter Building instead of the Avengers. This would explain why Tony Stark never became Iron Man in this timeline – instead, his genius took a darker turn, leading him to become Doctor Doom.

The theory aligns with the MCU’s current Multiverse Saga. Throughout Phases Four and Five, Marvel has explored the consequences of timeline manipulation, from Loki‘s TVA to the multiversal incursions in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. The concept of branching timelines has also been central to recent MCU storytelling, with projects like What If…? demonstrating how small changes can lead to drastically different outcomes. Having Rogers’ past actions serve as the catalyst for Doomsday would raise the emotional stakes by making one of the MCU’s most beloved heroes inadvertently responsible for its greatest crisis.

The concept of Rogers having to fix a reality he accidentally broke could provide precisely the kind of meaningful story that would justify revisiting the character after his bittersweet departure in Endgame. Plus, this narrative direction would serve to tie The Fantastic Four: First Steps into the larger MCU, as the upcoming movie is set in an alternate version of the 1960s. It’s an inspired idea that could help the Multiversal Saga to gain new meaning while allowing beloved characters to return.

Avengers: Doomsday is scheduled to premiere in theaters on May 1, 2026.

The post New Marvel Theory Could Reveal Chris Evans’ Role in Avengers: Doomsday appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The success of Marvel’s Netflix universe hinged not just on its leading heroes, but on the rich tapestry of supporting characters who made New York feel alive. Now, as Marvel Studios prepares for the March debut of Daredevil: Born Again, fans across social media are campaigning for the return of Rob Morgan’s Turk Barrett, the street-smart felon who appeared in every series of the Netflix era. From his first encounter with Charlie Cox’s Man without Feear in Daredevil to his final appearance in The Punisher’s second season, Barrett’s mix of criminal vocation and reluctant assistance to heroes made him the unlikely glue holding the street-level universe together while providing crucial links between storylines and valuable information to its vigilante protagonists.

Barrett’s significance to the Marvel/Netflix universe extended far beyond simple comic relief or convenient plot device. Starting as a human trafficker busted by Daredevil in the premiere episode of Daredevil, he evolved into a crucial informant whose finger remained firmly on the pulse of New York’s criminal underground. His dealings stretched from Hell’s Kitchen to Harlem, appearing in pivotal episodes of Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, and The Defenders while supplying weapons and intel to everyone, from high-powered attorney Jeri Hogarth (Carrie-Anne Moss) to the Russian mob.

[RELATED: How Daredevil: Born Again Will Fix the Netflix Show’s Biggest Problem]

Morgan’s portrayal of Barrett became particularly memorable through his encounters with each Defender, which often ended with him dangling off rooftops or being thrown into dumpsters. These scenes balanced humor with genuine tension, as Barrett’s self-preservation instincts repeatedly forced him to betray dangerous figures like Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio). Even when kidnapped by The Hand or caught in the crossfire between Luke Cage (Mike Colter) and Cornell “Cottonmouth” Stokes (Mahershala Ali), Barrett’s ability to survive and adapt while maintaining his distinctive personality made him an essential part of the Marvel/Netflix formula.

Daredevil: Born Again Is Reviving Netflix’s Defenders Universe

Marvel Studios’ upcoming Disney+ series is committed to honoring the Netflix shows’ legacy, underlining how Turk should be involved with the new show in some measure. What began as a potential soft reboot transformed following a creative overhaul, with the production bringing back numerous fan-favorite characters. Beyond Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio returning as Matt Murdock and Wilson Fisk, the series reversed its initial decision to exclude Deborah Ann Woll and Elden Henson, confirming their return as Karen Page and Foggy Nelson, respectively.

The addition of Jon Bernthal’s Punisher and Wilson Bethel’s Bullseye further cements Born Again‘s status as a true continuation rather than a reimagining of the Netflix series. In that context, Turk Barrett’s potential return would serve multiple purposes, preserving the series’ trademark mix of tension and humor while providing a familiar lens through which to view Hell’s Kitchen’s underworld. 

As the only character to cross paths with every major player in the Marvel/Netflix universe, Turk would be the perfect person to bridge the gap between streaming eras while maintaining the interconnected nature fans appreciated in the original shows. His return would also provide an opportunity to explore how Hell’s Kitchen’s criminal ecosystem has evolved in the years since the Netflix series concluded, offering context for both longtime fans and newcomers to the franchise.

Daredevil: Born Again premieres Tuesday, March 4th on Disney+.

The post Marvel’s Daredevil Fans Hope This Netflix Character Returns in Born Again appeared first on ComicBook.com.

As Moon Knight falls, a new Black Panther rises. The first year of Marvel’s Ultimate Black Panther, from writer Bryan Hill and artist Stefano Caselli, introduced the isolated kingdom of Wakanda and King T’Challa, the Black Panther. The vibranium-rich Wakanda has been at war with Ra and Khonshu — collectively known as Moon Knight — who have laid claim to the Upper and Lower Kingdoms spanning the continent of Africa. As Ra and Khonshu vowed to destroy Wakanda by the light of the moon, T’Challa formed a trusted inner circle of force: his wife, Queen Okoye, sister Shuri, and the guerilla fighters Erik Killmonger and Storm.

T’Challa’s counsel Matron Imala, Sacred Mother of the Vodu-Khan, told of an alchemical element that landed in Africa at the same time as indestructible vibranium. The unknown element acts counter to vibranium and has the ability to accelerate the growth of life — a power that Ra and Khonshu stole to terraform Africa, build the Kingdom of Khonshu-Ra, and empower their army that worships Moon Knight as a god.

RELATED: The Ultimates: Namor Surfaces, And a Captain America Villain Is The Punisher

As T’Challa sought to understand the anti-vibranium, he tasked Killmonger and Storm with finding a sorcerer supreme. Meanwhile, Imala questioned whether vibranium is more than just a metal — but a living substance with a consciousness and will of its own that formed a symbiotic relationship with Wakanda. “Are you certain that Wakanda controls vibranium, or does Wakanda serve it?” she asked the king.

When T’Challa was wounded with a dagger infused with the anti-vibranium, he began to experience dark dreams in which he kills Moon Knight. A cosmic spirit representing the vibranium appeared to T’Challa and told him: “You are vibranium.” Meanwhile, Killmonger and Storm found their mystic Godkiller: Inan, the Sorceress Supreme.

Shuri described T’Challa’s draw to the vibranium as an “infection of the spirit” caused by the anti-vibranium in his blood. He then accepted Khonshu-Ra’s challenge of a fight to the death, Black Panther versus Moon Knight, to decide the fate of Africa and the vibranium.

In Black Panther #12, T’Challa had a vision of brutally defeating Moon Knight and making his followers kneel to the Black Panther beneath the full moon. He recognized this gleeful bloodlust as something inside of him and turned to Imala, who explained he is becoming the great vessel for the God-substance speaking to him. “The moon will rise, and you will face Khonshu and Ra,” Imala said. Before Black Panther and Moon Knight’s moonlit duel to the death could end with T’Challa giving in to the vibranium’s urges to kill his opponent, he was stopped by Inan.

“You have a vibranium problem,” the Sorceress Supreme told T’Challa. “And it might not be too late to save everything you believe in.”

“Even though this is the Ultimate Universe, as it were, I still think there are some essential qualities of Black Panther and Wakanda that need to be carried through,” Hill previously told ComicBook about the ongoing title launched between Ultimate Spider-Man and The Ultimates. “So for me, it’s interesting because there’s always that balance of, ‘What would you do if this was simply your sand in the sandbox’? And then what would you do when you’re sort of honoring the spirit of the thing, but you also want to take some of the rules away.”

Hill continued, “I think it’s a combination of the minor rules and the major rules and the major rules I tend to leave alone, but the minor rules I tend to play with a little bit.”

Year two of Ultimate Black Panther begins in February with issue #13. T’Challa will then face a new enemy, the Progenitor, in March’s issue #14, before debuting an all-new suit in April’s Ultimate Black Panther #15 — possibly without vibranium. See what’s ahead in the second year of Ultimate Black Panther below.

Ultimate Black Panther #13

ULTIMATE BLACK PANTHER: YEAR TWO STARTS HERE! With MOON KNIGHT defeated and the Maker’s Council forced to regroup, T’Challa must learn the secrets of vibranium – because his very life and soul are at risk! The SORCERER SUPREME can help understand the truth of the terrifying element that built Wakanda, but her aid comes with a price…

On sale: Feb. 19

Ultimate Black Panther #14

WHO IS THE PROGENITOR? Black Panther’s dangerous reliance on vibranium becomes even more volatile when an ancient spirit attacks Wakanda! Only the Sorcerer Supreme can help T’Challa save Wakanda – and possibly his soul – from this fiend!

On sale: March 19

Ultimate Black Panther #15

THE NEW BLACK PANTHER! Battle-worn and beleaguered, a stripped-down T’Challa must go back to basics to prepare for battle against the new foes who have turned vibranium and its dark counterpart against him…

On sale: April 23

The post Marvel’s Ultimate Black Panther: Year Two Makes a Major Change to T’Challa (And Wakanda’s Vibranium) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Steve Rogers, a.k.a. Captain America, has been one of the most important characters in the massive Marvel Cinematic Universe. From foiling the Red Skull’s plan to bomb major American cities during WWII to saving the world from the Chitauri to bringing down HYDRA to, well, just being an amazing superhero across multiple movies, Captain America has been involved in some of the biggest and most impactful storylines in the MCU. But it’s not just Cap’s enhanced abilities or his shield that have made him such an amazing hero – it’s also his heart. While his old-fashioned morality may have made him stand out compared to his more modern teammates in the Avengers, Captain America’s “always do the right thing” mentality established him as one of the most honorable heroes in the MCU.

However, despite his prominence in the series, there’s still quite a bit about him that we don’t know, leaving audiences with plenty of questions that have yet to be answered. After disappearing following the events of Avengers: Endgame, we haven’t heard or seen anything from Rogers, other than the occasional reference to him, leaving several plotlines involving him a mystery to us, and it doesn’t seem Marvel Studios has any plans to give us answers. Let’s take a look at three Captain America cliffhangers that the MCU will never resolve.

What Happened During His Quest to Return the Infinity Stones

A major part of Avengers: Endgame involves Earth’s Mightiest Heroes going on a time heist to retrieve the Infinity Stones so that they can bring back everyone lost from Thanos’ fateful snap. After a mission well done, Steve Rogers is tasked with going back in time to put the Infinity Stones back in their proper places to ensure the timeline isn’t impacted. Steve does come back to the present, but not as his youthful self – he appears nearby, and considerably older, when it’s revealed that he went back to his past to marry Peggy Carter and live happily ever after.

It’s a beautiful way to wrap up Cap’s MCU storyline, but it leaves us with so many questions. Did he experience any hiccups traveling across time to drop off the Infinity Stones? After all, he would have had to confront his old nemesis the Red Skull when dropping off the Soul Stone on Vormir. And how did he reconnect with Peggy? For all she knew, he had died in the plane crash seen at the end of Captain America: The First Avenger. How did she take the news that not only did he survive, but that he came from the future?

[RELATED: Avengers: Endgame Iron Man Deleted Scene Resurfaces and Marvel Fans Are Shocked]

What Steve Rogers Has Been Doing After the Events of Avengers: Endgame

When Steve is seen at the end of Avengers: Endgame, he makes it pretty clear that his superhero days are over, having chosen married life and giving up the mantle of Captain America to Sam Wilson / the Falcon. Even though he had disappeared from public life, Steve is still very much remembered by the world. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier featured numerous characters speculating about his whereabouts; Spider-Man: No Way Home saw a massive red, white, and blue shield being erected on the Statue of Liberty; and there’s even a Broadway production about Captain America called “Rogers: The Musical” that was seen in Hawkeye.

But other than some references and nods to Steve, we’re never given any information as to what he’s been up to since returning from his mission to return the Infinity Stones. The guy certainly deserves a happy retirement, but would it kill the powers that be at Marvel Studios to simply have a character say something like, “Cap called me, he said he had a nice time fishing in Bermuda,” or something? What’s even weirder is that it seems like he hasn’t even been in contact with any of his Avengers colleagues. The occasional text would be nice, Steve.

Why He Picked Sam Wilson to Take Over as Captain America Instead of Bucky

When the elderly Steve Rogers appears at the conclusion of Avengers: Endgame, he gives his shield to Sam Wilson / the Falcon, indicating that he wants him to be the next Captain America. Sam is understandably reluctant to take on the title, and this plays a major role in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, wherein he doesn’t fully accept the responsibility until towards the end of the series. Sam, of course, will still be Captain America in the upcoming film, Captain America: Brave New World.

Steve passing on the title of Captain America to Sam actually happened in the comics, so it’s nice that the MCU is staying true to the source material in that regard. However, do you know who took on the role of Captain America before Sam in the comics? Bucky Barnes, a.k.a. the Winter Soldier. Steve has known Bucky for far longer than Sam, so why did he pick Sam to follow in his footsteps? Perhaps the two had a conversation about this before Steve revealed his decision to Sam; Bucky’s mind has been tampered with by HYDRA, so it’s possible that they concluded that Bucky’s somewhat unstable mental state would disqualify him from the role. Whatever the case, some clarification on the matter would be nice.

The post 3 Captain America Cliffhangers MCU Fans Will Never See Resolved appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Daredevil: Born Again‘s first trailer has rekindled a fire under the Marvel fandom, as it both represents the return of the fan-favored Marvel-Netflix franchise, as well as an exciting “event” project for the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s run of Disney+ TV shows. However, while there is considerable hype for Daredevil: Born Again, the project also represents a very pivotal moment in the MCU brand – a make-or-break moment, if we’re all being honest.

A Tale of Two Eras

Before we can dig into the point of the second section of this essay (see below), we have to break down the contextual information in this first section. Daredevil: Born Again is distinct from every other MCU project before it (and likely after it) in that it was made – and then remade – to fit two very different eras of the franchise.

Initially, Daredevil: Born Again was put into production as part of Disney CEO Bob Chapek’s ‘Flood the Zone’ strategy, which saw exponential increases in big franchise universe content (Marvel, Star Wars) being pushed onto Disney+. Originally, Born Again was set to be a wholly original take on the Daredevil character than the Netflix show was – a courtroom procedural with superhero elements, and the only connective thread to the Netflix show being the re-casting of Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock/Daredevil, and Vincent D’Onofrio as Wilson Fisk/Kingpin. Disney-Marvel shot a handful of episodes for that version of the show, before the overall failures of Chapek’s run as CEO forced a course-corrective move by Disney.

Bob Chapek was removed from his CEO position in November of 2022, with former Disney CEO Bob Iger re-taking the reigns; a little less than a year later, the six episodes of Daredevil: Born Again that had already been shot were deemed to be creatively off the mark, the creative team was replaced, and the show concept was retooled to be a direct continuation of the Netflix series. Born Again will now bring back many additional characters from the Netflix show, including Bullseye (Wilson Bethel), Frank Castle/Punisher (Jon Bernthal), Karen Page (Deborah Ann Woll), and Foggy Nelson (Elden Henson).

[RELATED: Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 Is Already Filming]

Daredevil: Born Again Will Prove If Marvel Studios Righted the Ship

As stated, the contextual information about Daredevil: Born Again‘s start-stop-restart production is necessary for explaining why the series is now a make-or-break release for the MCU brand.

Between 2023 and 2024 there has been no shortage of headlines about the MCU’s diminished brand value, as well as the behind-the-scenes troubles that have been occurring since Chapek took over. In 2024, Marvel Studios PR made a charge to take back the narrative, letting fans know that course corrections are being made. Playing the hits and focusing on quality content over quantity has been the new set of marching orders under Iger – turning that ship around has been a slow process, but it’s been clear that Daredevil: Born Again is the symbolic marker from which to measure whether or not Marvel Studios can turn this ship around.

If Daredevil: Born Again cannot take the DNA of the Netflix series – one of the most groundbreaking TV shows of the 2010s – and spin it into both an acclaimed and fan-favorite MCU experience, then it’s the surest early sign we’ll have that Iger’s return and the refocused content strategies aren’t saving graces it was hoped they’d be. If Born Again can’t tap into that same thrilling vein as the Netflix series, it’s also a damning sign that Marvel Studios isn’t the single undisputed king of adapting these characters for the screen.

Some fans may point out that Captain America: Brave New World will arrive in theaters first, and that it is potentially the greater portent of the MCU’s decline if it doesn’t perform at the box office. However, Brave New World started production in March of 2023, and arguably is still coasting on the final fumes of the Chapek era; Daredevil: Born Again is a project that was specifically overhauled to dispel any lasting influence of that era – it will be the first “pure” piece of content to come out of Iger and Kevin Feige’s Dream-Team return era. If it’s a hit, MCU fans will be able to chant “We are so back!” with deserved confidence. But if it’s not a hit, then MCU fans will have equally deserved reason to be worried that the franchise’s time is fading.

Daredevil: Born Again will premiere on Disney+ on Tuesday, March 4th.

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Marvel is relaunching its Star Wars ongoing series by pivoting it to the time period during the New Republic, right after the events of Return of the Jedi. Recognizable characters like Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia Organa, and Han Solo will continue to star in the title written by Los Angeles Times Book Prize winner and bestselling author Alex Segura with art by Phil Noto. Segura and Noto are no strangers to the world of Star Wars, with Segura having written a novel focusing on Poe Dameron and the Battle of Jakku limited series of comics, and Noto providing covers for various Star Wars projects.

“It’s a huge honor — and massive responsibility — to steer the Star Wars flagship, and I couldn’t ask for a better collaborator than Phil Noto, who is just a masterful artist, and a Star Wars visionary,” Segura told StarWars.com.

[RELATED: Star Wars: Cavan Scott Reveals What Scares the Jedi in The High Republic Phase III Finale]

“I’ve been a giant Star Wars fan since A New Hope and have been lucky enough in the past decade to realize my childhood dream of drawing Star Wars as a job,” Noto added.

“Alex is an amazing writer and has come up with some great storylines and new characters for this series and I’m thrilled for the opportunity to bring them to life on the page! It’s also been exciting to draw the classic characters in the post-Return of the Jedi era because there’s no existing film or TV versions of them,” Noto said. “I get to create new looks for them while also having reference of the actors from the 80s to help sell the look of this timeline.”

The next iteration of Star Wars publishing fills the gaps between Star Wars: Return of the Jedi and Star Wars: The Force Awakens, told across three intertwined limited series all tied to the Battle of Jakku:  Insurgency Rising, Republic Under Siege, and Last Stand. 

“Now that we’ve put the period at the end of the Galactic Civil War with the Battle of Jakku, we can speed ahead into a new, uncharted era, with some new galactic threats, foes, and mysteries for our beloved heroes to grapple with, blending the familiar with the new and shocking,” added Segura. “These stories will be packed with action and the character moments Star Wars fans have come to expect, featuring twists on the galaxy and landscape we know, with an eye toward making sure people can jump in easily and with any issue. We can’t wait.”

Star Wars #1

• Written by Alex Segura
• Art by Phil Noto
• Cover by Phil Noto
• Variant Cover by Leinil Francis Yu
• AN EPIC NEW ADVENTURE BEGINS FOR LUKE, LEIA AND HAN IN THE WAKE OF RETURN OF THE JEDI!
• New York Times best-selling author ALEX SEGURA launches the bold next era of STAR WARS.
• LUKE SKYWALKER must defend the NEW REPUBLIC from a bloodthirsty gang of mercenaries!
• HAN SOLO investigates a deadly underworld mystery — and saves a surprising ally!
• LEIA ORGANA must grapple with a new alliance opposed to the goals of the New Republic!

Star Wars #1 goes on sale May 7, just in time for Star Wars Day.

The post Star Wars Announces New Republic Era Series Starring Luke, Leia, and Han appeared first on ComicBook.com.

When you’re smiling, the whole world smiles with you — but there’s nothing to smile about for Joker: Folie à Deux. The Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga-fronted bomb tied Sony’s Spider-Man Universe spinoff Madame Web, video game adaptation Borderlands, the Dennis Quaid-led Ronald Reagan biopic Reagan, and Francis Ford Coppola’s costly mega-flop Megalopolis for the most nominations at the 2025 Razzie Awards. The Golden Raspberry Awards, which sent ballots to 1,202 Razzie Members (movie buffs, film critics and journalists) to vote on the worst films of 2024, revealed those five films lead this year’s nominations with six noms each.

Joker 2, Madame Web, Borderlands, Reagan, and Megalopolis are all nominated for the “$4.97 gold spray-painted” statuette awarded to Worst Picture of 2024. (They averaged a 23 percent “rotten” score on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.) The Joker sequel, with a budget estimated to be between $190–200 million, received a “D” CinemaScore — the worst for any comic book movie — before suffering the worst-ever second weekend drop in the genre’s history and finishing its box office run with $206 million (a steep plunge from the $1 billion its predecessor took in five years earlier).

Phoenix, who won an Oscar for his role as Arthur Fleck in 2019’s Joker, is nominated in the Actor category alongside Zachary Levi (Harold and the Purple Crayon), Jack Black (Dear Santa), Dennis Quaid (Reagan), and Jerry Seinfeld (Unfrosted), while fellow Oscar winner Gaga is up for Actress alongside Johnson (Madame Web), Bryce Dallas Howard (Argylle), Jennifer Lopez (Atlas), and two-time Oscar winner Cate Blanchett (Borderlands).

Black received a second nomination in the Supporting Actor category for his voice role as Claptrap in Borderlands, as did co-star Kevin Hart’s Roland, and Tahar Rahim as the villain Ezekiel (Madame Web), Shia LaBeouf for Clodio Pulcher (Megalopolis), and quadruple nominee Jon Voight, who made a boner by appearing in Megalopolis as well as Reagan, Shadow Land, and Strangers.

Supporting Actress names Oscar winner Ariana DeBose for her roles in Argylle and Sony’s Kraven the Hunter, Emma Roberts (Madame Web), Leslie Anne Down (Reagan), FKA twigs (The Crow), and Amy Schumer (Unfrosted). Madame Web director S.J. Clarkson’s feature debut earned her a Worst Director nom, as did Jerry Seinfeld’s feature directorial debut on Netflix’s Pop-Tart origin story Unfrosted. The directing nominees include Coppola, Eli Roth (Borderlands), and Todd Phillips (Joker 2).

Phoenix and Gaga’s Arthur/Joker and Lee/Harley Quinn are recognized as Worst Screen Combo, which includes the following: “Any Two Obnoxious Characters (But Especially Jack Black)” for Borderlands, “Any Two Unfunny ‘Comedic Actors'” for Unfrosted, “The Entire Cast” for Megalopolis, and Dennis Quaid and Penelope Ann Miller for “Ronnie and Nancy” in Reagan.

Joker 2 also earned a nomination for Worst Prequel, Remake, Rip-Off or Sequel, and will compete against the remake of The Crow, Disney’s Lion King sequel/prequel Mufasa, the SSU installment Kraven the Hunter, and Zack Snyder’s Rebel Moon 2: The Scargiver. And finally, the Joker sequel is nominated for Worst Screenplay alongside Reagan, Kraven and Madame Web, and Megalopolis.

In a press release, the Razzies boasted that Madame Web (11 percent), starring Dakota Johnson in the title role as the clairvoyant Cassandra Webb, was touted as a “serious Razzies contender” in scathing reviews that described the Sony movie as a “Marvel knock-off” and the “kind of superhero B-movie you’d find buried in the Walmart dollar bin.”

Megalopolis (45 percent), the star-studded passion project from the director of The Godfather and Apocalypse Now, is an “incoherent $120 million mess” dubbed “WTF the Movie,” while Reagan (18 percent) is described as “a love letter to the 40th President that ‘borrowed’ its plot structure from Citizen Kane (with Jon Voight imitating Bullwinkle’s nemesis Boris Badenov as its narrator).”

The Razzies knocked Joker: Folie à Deux (31 percent) as a jukebox musical that “had its protagonists express their mental illness and villainy – by singing and dancing,” and Borderlands (10 percent) as “a big budget video-game-based bomb that racked up 90% negative reviews” on Rotten Tomatoes and reportedly lost over $100 million at the box office.

The 45th Annual Razzie “Winners” will be announced in a video press release on Oscar Eve, Saturday, March 1. See the full list of Razzie nominees below.

2025 Razzie Award Nominations Complete List

Worst Picture
Borderlands
Joker: Folie a Deux
Madame Web
Megalopolis
Reagan

Actor
Jack Black / Dear Santa
Zachary Levi / Harold and the Purple Crayon
Joaquin Phoenix / Joker: Folie à Deux
Dennis Quaid / Reagan
Jerry Seinfeld / Unfrosted

Actress
Cate Blanchett / Borderlands
Lady Gaga / Joker: Folie a Deux
Bryce Dallas Howard / Argylle
Dakota Johnson / Madame Web
Jennifer Lopez / Atlas

Supporting Actor
Jack Black (Voice Only) / Borderlands
Kevin Hart / Borderlands
Shia LaBeouf (in drag) Megalopolis
Tahar Rahim / Madame Web
Jon Voight / Megalopolis, Reagan, Shadow Land, Strangers

Supporting Actress
Ariana DeBose / Argylle and Kraven the Hunter
Leslie Anne Down (as Margaret Thatcher) / Reagan
Emma Roberts / Madame Web
Amy Schumer / Unfrosted
FKA twigs / The Crow

Director
S.J. Clarkson / Madame Web
Francis Ford Coppola / Megalopolis
Todd Phillips / Joker: Folie a Deux
Eli Roth / Borderlands
Jerry Seinfeld/ Unfrosted

Screen Combo
Any Two Obnoxious Characters (But Especially Jack Black) / Borderlands
Any Two Unfunny “Comedic Actors” / Unfrosted
The Entire Cast of Megalopolis
Joaquin Phoenix & Lady Gaga / Joker: Folie a Deux
Dennis Quaid & Penelope Ann Miller (as “Ronnie and Nancy”) / Reagan

Prequel, Remake, Rip-Off or Sequel

The Crow
Joker: Folie a Deux
Kraven the Hunter
Mufasa: The Lion King
Rebel Moon 2: The Scargiver

Screenplay

Joker: Folie a Deux
Kraven the Hunter
Madame Web
Megalopolis
Reagan

The post Joker 2, Madame Web Lead Razzie Nominations for “Worst” 2024 Movies appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Sam Raimi is returning to his horror roots. The Spider-Man trilogy and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness filmmaker is directing and producing Send Help, a new horror-thriller from Disney’s 20th Century Studios. Rachel McAdams, who reprised her MCU role as Dr. Christine Palmer in the Raimi-directed Doctor Strange 2, is set to star opposite 20th Century’s Maze Runner star Dylan O’Brien. Deadline first reported the casting news.

Send Help is described as a survival horror thriller about “two colleagues who become stranded on a deserted island, the only survivors of a plane crash,” the synopsis states. “On the island, they must overcome past grievances and work together to survive, but ultimately, it’s a battle of wills and wits to make it out alive.”

RELATED: 10 Best Horror Movies of the 2010s, Ranked

2022’s Doctor Strange sequel was Raimi’s first film behind the camera since Disney’s Wizard of Oz prequel, 2013’s Oz the Great and Powerful. The Evil Dead director has also produced such horror films as Poltergeist (2015), Don’t Breathe (2017), Crawl (2019), The Grudge remake (2019), and Evil Dead Rise (2023) via his Ghost House Pictures. Send Help is from 20th Century and Raimi’s newly formed production company, Raimi Productions, behind recent thrillers 65 (2023), Boy Kills World (2023), and Netflix’s Don’t Move (2024).

Damian Shannon and Mark Swift, who penned 2003’s Freddy vs. Jason and 2009’s Friday the 13th remake, wrote the original script as their first project since the Dwayne Johnson-starring Baywatch reboot in 2017.

O’Brien recently starred in Caddo Lake, the Max original thriller film produced by M. Night Shyamalan, and as a young Dan Aykroyd in Jason Reitman’s Saturday Night. In addition to his role as Thomas in 20th Century’s blockbuster Maze Runner trilogy and Stiles in TV’s Teen Wolf, O’Brien’s credits include Love and Monsters, Infinite, and the upcoming thriller Anniversary about a movement called “The Change” that tears apart a close-knit family as it envelops the United States.

McAdams is best known for her roles as Regina George in the original Mean Girls and Allie in The Notebook. Recent credits include True Detective, Game Night, Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret., and FX’s Dave.

In October, it was reported Raimi is in talks to direct Doctor Strange 3 for Disney’s Marvel Studios after replacing Doctor Strange director Scott Derrickson on the second movie that starred McAdams alongside Benedict Cumberbatch, Elizabeth Olsen, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Benedict Wong. McAdams isn’t expected to return for the third movie, which has yet to be formally announced by Marvel Studios. Raimi, who infused the multiverse-spanning movie with a horror touch, has also expressed interest in directing a future Batman movie and a potential Spider-Man 4 with Tobey Maguire.

The post Marvel’s Doctor Strange Star Rachel McAdams Reuniting With Sam Raimi for New Movie Send Help appeared first on ComicBook.com.

One of the biggest appeals for superheroes is how they help others. It’s not just about fighting the bad guys, cool powers, and bombastic action. Being a hero means helping the community and saving lives. Sometimes, superhero films pull focus away from this. Man of Steel, for instance, focused so much on the fight between Zod and Superman that a key plot point to its Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice sequel, is that Superman is seen by the members of the public (including Batman and the government), as a threat instead of a hero. As a result, this depiction of Superman does not feel like a symbol of hope – something that is so important to the character. Where some films pull focus from this message of hope, others — namely Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 2 and Richard Donner’s Superman II — show exactly why it’s important that heroes are symbols of hope for their communities.

Throughout the first Spider-Man and Superman films, audiences see these heroes help their communities outside of fighting their respective big bads, and that carries over into their sequel films. They are not just power figures with awesome abilities. They are role models and pillars of their community, and the impact they have goes well beyond just the lives they have saved.

Metropolis Stands By Superman Even When He Is Down

In both heroes’ sequels, we find them on the ropes against their respective villains. For Superman, he is outnumbered and overpowered by Zod, Ursa, and Non. While he puts up a good fight, Superman is not always on top. That is especially the case once Zod and Co. realize Superman’s weakness is the people. Once they target ordinary citizens, Superman focuses on saving as many lives as possible, and takes a beating as a result. Plus, the collateral damage is massive, with a section of the city being destroyed.

Despite the damage to their city, the people don’t lose hope in Superman. Even when all seems lost, the civilians hold onto hope. Some are even willing to join the fight while Superman is down – despite being at such a disadvantage against Zod, Ursa, and Non. He inspires them to hold onto hope, and he inspires them to try to be heroes themselves when he cannot.

New Yorkers Will Always Have Spider-Man’s Back

Similarly, in Spider-Man 2, Spidey has a moment of extreme exhaustion after saving a train full of people. He alone keeps the train from going over the rails, which would have likely killed nearly everyone onboard. While he is successful, Spider-Man passes out while not wearing his mask, but the NYC civilians catch him and bring him on board.

Everyone in that cart sees who Spider-Man is – a young man who is just like any other New Yorker. They do not just swear to keep his identity a secret, but when Doc Ock bursts into the train, everyone on board stands in his way. They threaten him that if he wants Spider-Man, he will need to go through all of them.

Like with Superman, the civilians see their hero hurt and at a disadvantage. However, they do not lose hope; instead, they are inspired to step forward themselves and help in any way they can because they know Spider-Man would do the same for them. Also, like Superman, Spider-Man does not let the civilians fight his battles for him, but the impact he’s had on these civilians is clear.

[RELATED: Biggest Superhero Movie Flops]

Both Superman and Spider-Man have dedicated their lives to saving others and helping their communities. They do it time and again, whether that means helping with natural disasters, saving lives, stopping criminals, or fighting a big bad. They often prioritize the safety of the civilians in their communities, and as a result, they have become figures of hope for their communities.

Along with giving the people someone to look up to, the people understand that if their heroes falter it is not a reason to lose hope or condemn them. Instead, they step up and be heroes in their own ways, giving Spider-Man and Superman the time and grace needed to pick themselves back up and join the fight yet again.

You can stream Superman II on Max and Spider-Man 2 on Disney+.

The post Superman & Spider-Man’s Sequel Films Capture the Importance of Being a Symbol of Hope for Your Community appeared first on ComicBook.com.

They’re the forgotten marvels: Super soldier Steven Rogers, a.k.a. Captain America. The android avenger Jim Hammond, a.k.a. the Human Torch. And the avenging son Namor McKenzie, a.k.a. the Sub-Mariner. On Earth-616, they fought alongside James “Bucky” Barnes and Toro as the Invaders: the greatest superheroes of World War II. But on the alternate Earth-6160, a multiversal Reed Richards known as The Maker traveled through time to create his ideal world by systematically preventing anyone from ever becoming a superhero.

But this world’s Reed Richards, a.k.a. Doom, and Tony Stark, a.k.a. Iron Lad, have been on a mission to fix the world before The Maker is freed from his prison in The City in two years’ time. First, they fished a frozen Captain America out of the icy depths, reclaimed the Human Torch’s body from a superhero mass grave in a secret Damage Control facility, and then recruited more heroes to the Ultimates Network: Asgardians Thor and Sif, Giant-Man (Hank Pym) and the Wasp (Janet van Dyne), Hawkeye (Charli Ramsey), the She-Hulk (Lejori Joena Zakaria), and America Chavez.

RELATED: Marvel’s Ultimate Universe Phase Two: Ultimate Wolverine, Luke Cage, and the Guardians of the Galaxy

After a battle with the Hulk and his Immortal Weapons left Stark comatose in an iron lung, and with ten months until the Maker’s return, the Doom-led Ultimates are expanding their ranks. The Guardians of the Galaxy of the 61st century — Star-Lord, Cosmo Starstalker, the Ultimate Nullifier, and Captain Marvel — traveled through time to warn the Ultimates of a catastrophic future in which the “Unmaker” wins in the 21st century, and then departed to track down the other time-displaced Guardians.

The Ultimates resume their recruitment drive with the introduction of Ultimate Luke Cage in February’s Ultimates #9, followed by the debut of Ultimate Namor in Ultimates #10 in March. According to a solicit, Steve Rogers and Jim Hammond will attempt to recruit an old ally as they face the Red Skull and the Red Skull gang (shown wearing the blood-red insignia of The Punisher).

Ultimates writer Deniz Camp previously told ComicBook that “almost every issue” of the book “is going to introduce a new version of a classic Marvel character.”

“The entire purpose of the book is to change the status quo, to change the world,” Camp said. “In 616 that would be kind of an empty threat; in the Ultimate universe it’s not only possible, it’s probable — whether they change it for the better or worse is a different story.”

Camp continued, “What I like most about this project is that it’s an opportunity to build something pretty much from the ground up. I’m kind of touched, and a little frightened, by the confidence Marvel has put in us. I love continuity, but this feels a lot more like writing a creator owned book, albeit one that is directly working with classic Marvel iconography and archetypes. I consider it a real responsibility, and I’m doing my best to live up to it.”

Ultimates #9

LUKE CAGE AND THE ULTIMATE PRISON BREAK! Juan Frigeri joins Deniz Camp to bring us the history and the future of Luke Cage! Spider-Man isn’t the only success story of Ultimates 1.0…meet the man who has been quietly sabotaging the Maker’s Council from behind bars!

On sale: Feb. 5

Ultimates #10

NAMOR AND THE RED SKULL! Captain America and the Human Torch lead a team to recruit their old comrade – Namor! But they’ll have to get through the Red Skull Gang first!

On sale: March 5

The post Marvel’s Ultimate Namor Surfaces With a Captain America Villain as The Punisher appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The Juggernaut is here and he’s rampaging right towards us! At least, that’s what he looks like in this exclusive version of the Mondo soft vinyl Juggernaut Vinyl Figure. Mondo has created a few different 12-inch Juggernaut variant figures in the past, and each one has sold out despite a high price tag. However, you have a chance to score this Entertainment Earth exclusive Prisoner Yellow variant, which clocks in at 5lbs. If you want Juggernaut as part of your team, then head to Entertainment Earth here and pre-order ASAP where it is priced at $219.99 (free US shipping slated for February). Only 300 pieces were made for this drop, and we don’t expect them to last long. Check out more details below. 

Entertainment Earth Exclusive- Juggernaut Prisoner Yellow Variant Soft Vinyl 12-Inch Figure – $219.99 / “BOOM! The Juggernaut has broken free—again! The Entertainment Earth Exclusive Prisoner Yellow Variant Juggernaut is here, and he’s looking even meaner than before. Powered by the unyielding Crimson Gem of Cyttorak, this colossal figure stands 12 inches tall and stretches 15 inches wide. He’s not just any figure; he’s the biggest, baddest force to ever grace your shelf! With swivel articulation at the arms, fists, and boots, you can pose him as he prepares to break out and lay waste to everything in his path. Sculpted with pure muscle by Hector Arce, Tommy Hodges, and Alex Brewer, this figure captures the brutal strength and defiance that make me legendary.” / Pre-order here at Entertainment Earth / Estimated Arrival: February 2025

Gender-Bent Juggernaut Almost Made it Into Deadpool & Wolverine

Last year’s Deadpool & Wolverine became one of the biggest blockbusters of the year, one of the reasons being their inclusion of some awesome super-cameos. Concept artist for the film, David Masson San Gabriel, posted on his own Instagram about a special cameo that was almost included, a gender-bent version of the terrifying Juggernaut! The concept art features a female version of Cain Marko aka Juggernaut, centered around the costume that Vinnie Jones wore in X-Men: The Last Stand. 

“I was asked to do a concept of juggernaut from x3 but as a woman, it didn’t end up in the movie, but ngl this could be pretty badass!! Costume designer @mayesrubeo ”
Want to stay up to date with all the latest X-Men news and collectibles? Then keep an eye on our Gear Page!

The post Giant Juggernaut Vinyl Figure Is a Limited Edition of 300 appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Marvel Rivals has burst onto the gaming scene and exploded in popularity with its iconic cast of heroes and villains from Marvel as well as its engaging hero shooter gameplay. The core gameplay loop is reminiscent of Overwatch and Overwatch 2, and fans are always eager to see what comes next in the game. Developer NetEase has been quick to provide updates to the game, including characters, skins, and more. The latest update revealed by Marvel Rivals showcases a new game mode coming to the cross-platform game, and NetEase has shown off the gameplay players can expect in the upcoming game mode.

This game mode comes just in time to celebrate the Spring Festival giving players a way to celebrate the Chinese event. In addition to the new game mode, NetEase is adding a bunch of other goodies as well. With its limited time, players will want to check out the Clash of Dancing Lions game mode on January 23 when it drops.

RELATED: Marvel Rivals Hero Luna Snow Joins Doctor Doom’s Team in New Series

The Spring Festival Clash of Dancing Lions game mode in Marvel Rivals features gameplay similar to Rocket League and Overwatch’s LucioBall. Teams consist of three players, and it looks like players can choose between Iron Fist, Starlord, and Black Widow.

Players must work together to take a Spring Festival-themed ball to the opposing side of the court and score. Each player can use their character’s abilities to try and score a goal while protecting their own. Teamwork will be crucial in the Clash of Dancing Lions game mode.

Using Iron Fist, Star-Lord, and Black Widow’s abilities will allow players to steal the ball from opposing players and take it down the field. Star-Lord’s flight will come in handy, but players will need to watch out for Iron Fist’s flying kicks. Black Widow can quickly sprint down the field and score a goal against unsuspecting teams.

In addition to the game mode, NetEase is adding various unique rewards. The standout reward is the free Star-Lord costume seen in the trailer, which is likely earned by playing the game mode similar to the Jeff the Shark costume. A nameplate and much more are also planned as part of these unique rewards.

A gallery card customization event is also coming with the update, titled Fortune & Colors. What is included in this is yet unclear, but it will likely share the same theme as the Spring Festival and Clash of the Dancing Lions. Whatever it is, more content is always a plus for Marvel Rivals fans.

The event is scheduled to begin on January 23, at 1 AM PST. No word has been given for how long the event will run, but this will likely be revealed when the Clash of Dancing Lions event goes live. Lucioball may be gone until the summer, but fans can check out Marvel Rivals’ new game mode in the meantime!

The post Marvel Rivals Trailer Reveals New Game Mode Releasing This Week appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Move over Batman and Robin – Marvel’s dynamic X-Men duo is making a comeback! Wolverine and Kitty Pryde is the new X-Men team-up series coming our way, written by legendary X-Men comics writer Chris Claremont! Marvel made the official announcement about the project today, along with the details that X-Men Unlimited artist Damian Couceiro will be drawing the book, while another X-Men icon, artist Alan Davis, will be doing select covers for the books, with Rickie Yagawa, Marcus To, and Adi Granov named in the list of variant cover artists. Wolverine and Kitty Pryde will be a five-issue limited series, that debuts on April 30th.

The setting and story of the book will be another Marvel throwback adventure, with Claremont delving into some unexplored history from Logan and Kitty’s time in Japan together, as chronicled in the classic Kitty Pryde and Wolverine limited series by Claremont and Al Milgrom (1984-1985). As the synopsis teases:

“When Kitty Pryde nearly lost her soul to Ogun during her journey to Japan, Logan was there to keep the youngest X-Man on the path to good. But as a mysterious force threatens their lives while staying with Mariko Yashida, it’s going to take all of their combined mutant, ninja, and fighting skills to protect those they love!”

[RELATED: The MCU Needs to Leave THIS Famous Wolverine Story Alone]

If you are not an X-Men historian (and you need to be, at this point): A major turn in Kitty Pryde/Shadowcat’s character development came in that original Kitty Pryde and Wolverine limited series; Kitty was possessed by the mutant ninja (and psychic) Ogun, who trained her to be a ninja assassin doing his bidding. Wolverine had to rescue Kitty and then free her mind from Ogun’s hold, via a rigorous sensei/student bonding process. That period forever bonded the two characters and added a darker persona to Kitty’s character – one that has recently resurfaced in the finale to X-Men’s Krakoa Era, where Kitty returned to her ninja ways to mercilessly kill off leaders of anti-mutant organizations.

Kitty and Wolverine eventually left Japan together and linked back up with the X-Men team. Now, Claremont will reveal the “untold” part of the story that occurred between the end of what we saw in the final panels of Kitty Pryde and Wolverine, and when the characters showed back up in the pages of Uncanny X-Men (#192).

“It’s really great returning to this arc, especially since it’s being presented by a wonderful artist, Damian Couceiro,” Chris Claremont said in a statement. “It’s the story of what happens between the end of the original Kitty Pryde and Wolverine mini-series and Logan and Pryde’s return home to rejoin the X-Men. Five issues, more than a single story, complete with surprises galore!”

Marvel Comics Editor Mark Basso also issued a statement, saying, “Obviously, that Kitty Pryde and Wolverine miniseries is so iconic, taking Kitty from the ‘junior’ X-Man to the fully fledged hero we see when she returns to New York,” Basso said. “But there was a clear gap between the end of this Ogun situation and when Wolverine and Kitty arrive in New York in Uncanny X-Men #192, and we were thrilled Chris was ready to show what happened in that intervening window. Why was Kitty in such a different headspace when they got back? And hey, where’d Kitty’s father get to? Now you’ll get to see.”

Wolverine and Kitty Pryde #1 will hit shelves on April 30th.

The post Marvel Announces Wolverine and Kitty Pryde Series From Legendary X-Men Writer appeared first on ComicBook.com.

After shutting down in the U.S. over the weekend, Marvel Snap came back online last night, and players can enjoy the game without having to use a VPN workaround. That’s certainly welcome news, but developer Second Dinner wants to ensure that this situation doesn’t happen again. In a pair of posts on Bluesky, Second Dinner chief development officer and co-founder Ben Brode addressed the game’s return, and shared plans to seek out a new publisher. The announcement was light on details, and Brode did not reveal how long it might take for the change to happen.

“WHEW. MARVEL SNAP is back online in the U.S. But to make sure this NEVER happens again, we’re working to bring more services in-house and partner with a new publisher. This is the start of a new era for MARVEL SNAP,” Brode wrote on Bluesky. “We know this probably leaves you with more questions than answers. We appreciate your patience, but in the meantime, enjoy playing MARVEL SNAP.”

Marvel Snap‘s current publisher is NuVerse, a subsidiary of ByteDance. The shutdown of Marvel Snap was a direct result of the shutdown of all ByteDance apps this past weekend. While the shutdown of TikTok was long anticipated, the developers at Second Dinner were taken by complete surprise when Marvel Snap went down. Thankfully, the game was brought back quickly, but the situation has been a source of frustration for everyone involved. While many fans have been understanding about the shutdown, others have asked for some kind of compensation for the trouble.

While Marvel Snap is back to being playable, it’s not available to download again on all platforms. As of this writing, the game cannot be found on the App Store. In a reply to one Marvel Snap player, Brode said that “we don’t believe that will come up until a bit later, not exactly sure on the timing right now,” before adding that the team is “working on it.” Thankfully, the game remains available on Steam, for those interested.

RELATED: Marvel Snap Is the Year’s Best Ongoing Game of 2024

It’s actually pretty impressive that Second Dinner was able to get Marvel Snap back up so quickly, but it’s easy to see why the team wouldn’t want to deal with a situation like this again. Live service games like Marvel Snap can only continue to thrive as long as they keep players invested, and willing to sign in each day. When a game goes down for a day or two, that’s a lot of potential revenue lost, at a time when live service games as a whole are struggling. That’s not to mention the potential players that can’t currently download the game on Apple products. Hopefully Second Dinner can find a new publisher for Marvel Snap quickly, and leave this whole situation in the past.

Are you happy Marvel Snap is looking for a new publisher? Did you try playing the game during the time it was down? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp, on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!

The post Marvel Snap Developer Seeking New Publisher Following Recent Shutdown appeared first on ComicBook.com.

One of the more comedic and heartwarming pairings in the Marvel Cinematic Universe was between Spider-Man and Iron Man. The heroes shared a mentee-mentor relationship that abruptly ended after Iron Man sacrificed himself to stop Thanos in Avengers: Endgame. With Iron Man gone, Spider-Man found someone else to look up to in the form of Doctor Strange. The web-slinger and the Sorcerer Supreme teamed up in Spider-Man: No Way Home and while they butted heads at times, they worked well together. The friction fans witnessed in Spider-Man: No Way Home pales in comparison to what’s happening with them in the comics. *WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Amazing Spider-Man #65.DEATHS. Continue reading at your own risk!

Amazing Spider-Man #65.DEATHS comes from the creative team of Derek Landy, Kev Walker, Wade Von Grawbadger, Mattia Iacono, and VC’s Joe Caramagna. It’s a special one-shot tie-in to “The 8 Deaths of Spider-Man” storyline where Doctor Doom has gifted Spider-Man with magical armor and eight lives to take down the Eight Scions of Cyttorak. This is typically a job for the Sorcerer Supreme, but after Doctor Doom stole the mantle from Doctor Strange, Doom lobbied for Spider-Man to do his dirty work for him. But that doesn’t mean Doctor Strange has been absent from the event.

[RELATED: 8 Deaths of Spider-Man: Where to Start Reading the New Era of The Amazing Spider-Man]

Doctor Strange pays a visit to Peter Parker after his most recent challenge, where he had to bear witness to and feel the deaths of countless people — including Aunt May and Mary Jane. This amount of trauma was enough for Spider-Man to give up as Earth’s champion in the fight against the Eight Scions of Cyttorak. The meeting between Spider-Man and Doctor Strange illustrates just how complicated their relationship has become, and how it’s nowhere near as bad as what audiences witnessed in Spider-Man: No Way Home.

Doctor Strange tries to talk Spider-Man out of quitting the superhero game

Spider-Man is one of the most strong-willed heroes in the Marvel Universe, and the last thing anyone would suspect him of being is a quitter. However, Spider-Man has lost his fair share of loved ones in the line of duty, from Gwen Stacy to Uncle Ben. Compound that with having to feel hundreds and hundreds of deaths over and over again, it can leave a lasting toll on a person. Spider-Man has decided enough is enough and heads back home to hang up his tights for good.

Doctor Strange has other ideas. Stephen Strange shows up at Peter Parker’s apartment to tell him that the covenant must be upheld, meaning the battle between Earth’s protector and the Eight Scions of Cyttorak has to continue to its completion. Spider-Man has spent four of his lives over five of the challenges so far, so he’s already halfway done with the Scions. However, Spidey is sticking to his guns and not budging.

What makes things even more complicated is the presence of Phil Coulson, who fans will remember from Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Coulson was killed years ago in the comics during the Secret Empire event, but was recently brought back to life as the embodiment of Death via a new Infinity Stone, coincidentally called the Death Stone. Phil Coulson also shows up at Peter’s apartment, and he may be the only person who understands what Spider-Man is going through. Doctor Strange urges Coulson not to act like the Watcher and actually interfere to talk some sense into Spider-Man. If anyone can understand what it’s like to experience thousands of deaths, it’s Phil Coulson, the new Death Stone bearer.

Spider-Man: No Way Home changed Peter Parker’s relationship with Doctor Strange

The big fallout from Spider-Man: No Way Home was how Doctor Strange cast a spell that made the entire world forget that Peter Parker is Spider-Man. That also includes Doctor Strange, who fought alongside Spider-Man in the Battle of Earth in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. After Spider-Man’s secret identity became public knowledge, Spidey turned to the Sorcerer Supreme for help to undo it. This resulted in the opening of the multiverse, causing villains from Sony’s Spider-Man movies like Doctor Octopus, Electro, Green Goblin, and Sandman to travel to the MCU.

Doctor Strange wanted to send the villains back to their proper universes, where they all met untimely deaths while fighting Spider-Man. Peter couldn’t live with sending them to their deaths, which is where the conflict between Spider-Man and Doctor Strange came in. Though they had differing philosophies, the heroes ultimately worked together alongside Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Men.

Spider-Man and Doctor Strange worked well together, but it remains to be seen if the two will ever fight side-by-side again. Spider-Man 4 is currently in development, and Doctor Strange will inevitably return for Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. We’ll have to see if a new set of Spider-Man movies will keep him out of the MCU multiverse drama for more personal stories, or if he’ll be back with Earth’s Mightiest Heroes once again.

The post Spider-Man and Doctor Strange’s Relationship Is Even More Complicated Than in No Way Home appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Last year, Marvel Comics announced that it was planning to unleash a titanic crossover that would feature the world’s most popular kaiju. While the first battle on Godzilla’s entrance into the 616 would see the legendary behemoth taking on Marvel’s First Family, the Fantastic Four, the next opponent for the lizard king has been determined. Godzilla will take on Bruce Banner in a brand new battle that will pit the strongest green representatives of both fictional universes. Not only has the release date and creative team been confirmed for the Emerald Giants confrontation but Godzilla’s official social media account has given fans a first look.

When it comes to the Hulk fighting giant kaiju, Marvel Comics has given Bruce Banner more than his fair share of monsters to fight in the past. Perhaps the most comparable creature in Marvel’s roster to Godzilla is Fing Fang Foom, a beast that Banner has fought more times than we can count. While Foom might be seen as the superior creature to Godzilla thanks to both its intelligence level and ability to fly, the Hulk has been able to beat it back regularly. We’ll need to see how Bruce Banner stands up to Godzilla when the two begin their battle on April 16th.

[RELATED: Godzilla Rampages Across the Marvel Universe (With One Major Catch)]

Green Goliaths Collide

Godzilla Vs. Hulk will arrive on the stands on April 16th, with writer Gerry Dugan and artist Giuseppe Camuncoli creating this wild new crossover. While story details are few and far between when it comes to the larger-than-life fight, this will continue to be one of several different fights that will pit the King of the Monsters against Marvel’s finest. You can check out the full first cover and more details below.

Godzilla Vs Hulk Creators Talk Titanic Tussle

Writer Gerry Duggan has long been a fan of the king of the monsters, hyping up the upcoming crossover, “I grew up loving Godzilla movies and Marvel Comics, and it’s a thrill to be able to collaborate with Giuseppe Camuncoli on the absolute craziest comic I think I’ve ever been a part of, and I worked on over a hundred issues of Deadpool and once wrote a comic about Conan killing a zombie with a call girl’s leg. I won’t tell you who wins – the Hulk or Godzilla – but either way, the fans are going to be thrilled.”

The other side of the equation, artist Giuseppe Camuncoli, shared his excitement in bringing this crossover to life, “When Marvel called with this offer, I was quite thrilled. It felt very cool to draw this titan, although the real challenge was to make the iconic ‘70s version look extra scary and dangerous. Thanks to Gerry Duggan’s blazing script, it was quite easy – lots and lots of super crazy scenes to illustrate, I knew this was going to be so much fun. Two of the most powerful and relentless characters and forces in the pop culture world face to face for the first time… I couldn’t resist to be the one to draw that!”

The official description for the upcoming battle reads, “GENERAL ROSS has no tolerance for monsters in any form. With his anti-kaiju taskforce THE THUNDERBOLTS he’s taken down or imprisoned the biggest and baddest monsters on the planet: Fin Fang Foom, Mothra, Kumonga, even the Hulk. Now all that’s left is his biggest hunt of all…GODZILLA. But the Thunderbolts’ efforts to bring their last monster to heel may just result in the most destructive battle royale to ever rock the earth. It’s time to figure out who’s really the strongest there is!”

The Kaiju Crossover To End Them All

If you want more back story on how this meeting of the green giants came about, Marvel Editor-In-Chief C.B. Cebulski discussed the Godzilla crossover in detail in December of last year. Here’s what the EIC had to say, “We approached them initially for our reprints, but a while after those conversations, it was clear that both of our teams were excited to do more together. These crossovers started coming together over that time, in direct collaboration with Toho, and we felt the perfect time for them was for Godzilla’s 70th anniversary next year. We’ve been thrilled to work with them on these, and we hope this will be a sign for more exciting projects to come.”

Marvel’s President of Comics & Franchises, Dan Buckley, was more than happy to share the company’s history with the lizard king and the creative teams’ method in creating the crossover, “For us, kaiju—and specifically Godzilla—are important parts of Marvel’s comic history, so we knew we wanted to explore something with their teams. We’ve always been fans of Godzilla, but with the steady rise in Godzilla’s popularity over the years, it’s part of our current cultural zeitgeist and a perfect example of the fun that the comics industry can bring. We’re focused on the storytelling first and foremost, but fun opportunities for crossovers like this give both of our fans an entertaining escape that they won’t want to miss.”

Want to see what other Marvel figures the King of the Monsters will fight in the future? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for the latest updates on Godzilla and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime.

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Eight of the 19 biggest movies in history at the worldwide box office are superhero movies. These titles have proven enduringly popular to global moviegoers of all stripes, with mega-hits like Avengers: Endgame and Spider-Man: No Way Home becoming popular enough to enter a rare breed of movies to crack $1.9+ billion worldwide. Looking at the highest box office points of superhero cinema, it’s easy to imagine that this is a bulletproof domain for major studios. Surely a superhero movie is the closest thing a studio can do to printing money, right?

Of course, anyone who tracks both this realm and box office geekery is well aware that not every superhero movie becomes a Black Panther-sized success. Throughout history, many superhero movies have lost tons of money for their financiers and studios. The seven biggest superhero movie flops in history especially reflect that no amount of money or familiar brand names can save feature film concepts people just aren’t interested in. Ranked from “lowest” to greatest losses, these seven gargantuan flops depict a “bulletproof” subgenre bleeding tens of millions of dollars despite arriving with Marvel or DC monikers.

Fantastic Four (2015)

“It’s fantastic” is one of the last lines uttered in Josh Trank’s Fantastic Four. That same sentiment was not expressed by 20th Century Fox executives once receipts came in for the film’s box office haul. Initially expected to launch a new franchise that would keep the Fantastic Four property out of the hands of Marvel Studios, this dud only grossed $167.9 million worldwide. That included a dismal $56.1 million lifetime domestic haul that resembled the North American opening weekends of the two Tim Story Fantastic Four movies. It was later reported that the feature’s losses amounted to roughly $100 million, an embarrassing outcome.

Black Adam

Once set to the change “the hierarchy of power in the DC Universe,” Black Adam instead was greeted with a shrug by general audiences. Worldwide, the film’s $393.3 million gross was underwhelming but not inherently disastrous. However, Black Adam cost a mighty $200 million to make even before counting marketing costs. Variety would later report that the film’s losses could reach $100 million. Though Dwayne Johnson would later try to counter such claims, years later, it’s clear Black Adam was a costly dud for Warner Bros. No wonder the DC Universe went in a radically different direction.

The Suicide Squad

Like Wonder Woman 1984, The Suicide Squad is one superhero movie box office bomb that comes with a major asterisk. This James Gunn directorial effort also debuted on HBO Max simultaneously with its theatrical release. Additionally, that first Suicide Squad being so toxically recieved (not to mention the five-year gap between installments) couldn’t have helped this production strike a positive chord with moviegoers. No wonder this $185-million-budgeted tentpole only grossed $167.4 million worldwide, leading to roughly $119.5 million in losses.

[RELATED: You Won’t Believe These Actors Were Once Rumored For 2015’s Fantastic Four Movie]

Dark Phoenix

Once upon a time, 20th Century Fox’s X-Men movies regularly scored $400+ million box office hauls. Even as late as 2017, Logan was still scoring $700+ million global box office cumes. Dark Phoenix closed out this era of mutant cinema on an atrocious note, though, with this lambasted sequel only grossing $252.4 million worldwide on a $200 million budget. This led to it losing an estimated $133 million, a far cry from the sizable profits of past X-Men installments.

Wonder Woman 1984

There was once lots of hype surrounding Wonder Woman 1984 because, after all, it was following up a beloved 2017 box office juggernaut. Since its December 2020 release, though, Wonder Woman 1984 has become a widely derided punchline. Its dismal box office numbers haven’t helped its reputation. Released simultaneously in theaters and on HBO Max on Christmas Day 2020, Wonder Woman 1984 had a significantly smaller theatrical footprint than its predecessor despite a heftier $200-million budget. This awkward release strategy led to the project only grossing $166.5 million worldwide and losing an alleged $136.5 million.

The Flash

Before its release, The Flash was talked about by film industry figures and various artists as one of the greatest superhero movies ever created. This film did end up making history for superhero cinema when it hit theaters, but not in a way anyone at Warner Bros. expected or wanted. For a few months, The Flash was the costliest superhero movie flop in history. Grossing just $271.3 million worldwide on a budget that’s been reported to run as high as $220 million, The Flash lost $155 million for Warner Bros. Pictures. That staggering loss exemplified how far The Flash had sped off from pre-release expectations.

The Marvels

Everyone behind The Flash must’ve breathed a sigh of relief once the box office numbers for The Marvels began to come in. This $274.8 million sequel to Captain Marvel grossed a disastrous $199.7 million worldwide. That global haul was more than $1 billion less than the original Captain Marvel. To rub salt into its financial wounds, the $84.5 million domestic haul of The Marvels made this the very first Marvel Cinematic Universe title to miss the $100 million mark domestically. In the end, The Marvels lost an eye-popping $237 million for Disney and Marvel Studios. The rare title in the history of cinema to lose over $200 million in its box office run, The Marvels was a stunning box office misfire and a sign of just how badly superhero movies can do at the box office.

The Marvels is now streaming on Disney+.

The post 7 Biggest Superhero Movie Flops of All Time appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The new Captain America is taking flight with some old tricks. Captain America: Brave New World pits star-spangled Avenger Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) against the raging Red Hulk, the hulked-out alter-ego of U.S. President Thaddeus Ross (Harrison Ford). As shown in 2021’s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Sam turned down taking the serum that transformed Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) into a super soldier — a serum that a former HYDRA scientist was able to recreate using the blood of Isaiah Bradley (Carl Lumbly), the first Black super soldier.

While the replicated serum empowered Karli Morgenthau’s (Erin Kellyman) Flag Smashers and the U.S. government-sanctioned Cap John Walker (Wyatt Russell), Wilson’s winged Captain America was able to hold his own with an upgraded version of his EXO-7 Falcon flight suit created by the Wakandans.

RELATED: Who Is Red Hulk in the MCU? Captain America: Brave New World Villain Explained

Outfitted by the Wakandans, the suit’s mechanized collapsible wings were reinforced with near-indestructible vibranium, the strongest and rarest metal on the planet that absorbs and reflects kinetic energy. It’s stronger (but lighter) than steel, bulletproof, and vibration absorbent, and has been used in everything from Captain America’s shield to the Winter Soldier’s (Sebastian Stan) vibranium arm and T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) and Shuri’s (Letitia Wright) Black Panther armor.

New footage from the Marvel Studios movie (above) shows that Captain America’s new Wakandan-made suit has the same kinetic absorption capability as Black Panther’s suit, which can contain and redistribute that energy into a powerful, purple shockwave (first seen in 2018’s Black Panther.) This is made possible due to nanotechnology and kinetic disbursement embedded in the armor.

“With the serum, you can fight anybody. When you don’t have the serum, you have to be smart and engineer different ways of defeating [enemies],” Mackie said during Disney’s APAC Content Showcase in November. “With Sam, him being a counselor, he uses more of his brains than his brawn. He uses more of his wit than his fist.”

After all, it will take more than brawn to fight the Red Hulk, who retains Ross’ intelligence while transformed (unlike his green-skinned counterpart).

“It’s a high-tech suit,” Mackie added of his helmeted flight suit. “I went to Wakanda, met with everybody in Wakanda, we had dinner. It was a great time. They threw me a welcome party. It was dope. But when I was leaving, they gave me a suit, right? I put it on. I can kick harder, I can fly faster, and it gives me the ability to be more agile in my skills, so it’s taking all my skills to a completely different level.”

In the comics, Red Hulk’s weakness is his susceptibility to overheating. When the Hulk gets angry, he gets stronger; when Red Hulk gets angry, he gets hotter, and he’s able to disperse absorbed gamma radiation as fiery heat. So Red Hulk may be stronger, but Sam Wilson is smarter.

Tickets are now on sale for Marvel Studios’ Captain America: Brave New World, which opens in theaters Feb. 14.

The post Black Panther Easter Egg Explains How Captain America Can Fight Red Hulk in Brave New World appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Long before Robert Downey Jr. was set to return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Doctor Doom in Avengers: Doomsday, he was actually another villain on the small screen as he appeared in one of Family Guy’s classic episodes as the Fat Guy Strangler. Family Guy has had a number of major stars joining the series in various guest roles over its 25 year history (with its recent Halloween special even recruiting Twisters and Hit Man star Glen Powell, for example), but Robert Downey Jr. probably has had one of the most memorable guest appearances as he was a part of the extended Griffin household in an unexpected way.

In Family Guy’s Season 4 episode, “The Fat Guy Strangler,” Lois Griffin finds out that she actually has an older brother that her parents had admitted to a mental health facility for years without her knowledge. As soon as she finds out, she goes to free her brother as Patrick Pewterschmidt is introduced to both the Griffin family and the audience. Voiced by Robert Downey Jr., it turns out Patrick has been in the mental facility for a very good reason as he starts strangling overweight men to death after being set off by Peter.

Who Is The Fat Guy Strangler?

In “The Fat Guy Strangler,” Peter finds out that he’s overweight and begins a coalition where he teams up with other overweight men in the area. The “National Association for the Advancement of Fat People” is what is running in the secondary plot of the episode as Lois meets her brother Patrick for the first time. Patrick (voiced by Robert Downey Jr.) seems a little off at first as he has imagined himself living with an invisible wife, but Lois is intent on believing that he’s not causing any harm. That is until he starts a killing spree where he strangles overweight men.

Dubbed as the “Fat Guy Strangler,” it’s revealed that Patrick has a problem with overweight men since seeing his mother have sexual intercourse with Jackie Gleason. Peter actually set him back when he imitated Gleason right to Patrick’s face, and this leads to Patrick almost strangling Peter to death as well. But thankfully Lois gets there in time, and Patrick is sent back to the mental facility. He does make later appearances in the series after this, however.

RELATED: The Simpsons and Family Guy Are Getting a Massive Schedule Change in 2025

Does Patrick Ever Come Back?

Because Patrick is part of the extended Griffin Family, this isn’t the final time he’s seen in the series. Family Guy brings the character back in the Season 10 episode, “Killer Queen,” when he’s accused of killing once more when a new fat guy strangler serial killer suddenly appears. It turns out he’s completely innocent, and he turns out to play a key role in stopping this new strangler before Chris is killed. But in this follow up appearance, he’s voiced by Oliver Vaquer instead.

As for Robert Downey Jr., he’s been in nothing but massive projects since this Family Guy episode aired in 2005. After headlining the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Tony Stark for a decade, he’s now set to make his return as Doctor Doom in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday. Scheduled to be making its premiere some time in 2026, Downey Jr. is likely far from the only actor who will be making their comeback for the new Avengers film. But he is currently the only star confirmed for the new film as of the time of this publication.

The post Family Guy: Remember When Avengers: Doomsday Star Robert Downey Jr. Was the Fat Guy Strangler? appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Daredevil’s Charlie Cox has hinted at how long he will assume the role of lawyer and vigilante Matthew “Matt” Murdock. The actor, who debuted as the superhero in Netflix’s Marvel Television’s original Daredevil series in 2015, shared the tidbit during the Daredevil: Born Again Panel at FAN EXPO San Francisco 2025. Cox was joined by co-star Wilson Bethel, who plays Bullseye, to discuss the eagerly awaited and upcoming Daredevil: Born Again series, and highlighted key production moments.

“When you play a character — I’ve been playing him for 10 years — he gets older which is disconcerting,” Cox began. “What’s weird about it is in 2018, when the show was cancelled I had like breaking up period, a mourning period because we thought we were gonna do a Season 4 then that didn’t happen and overnight we got a phone call and it was like, ‘We’re done, it’s finished'”.

During the panel discussion, when asked how excited they were to release Born Again into the world, Cox reflected on his decade-long career as the character before alluding to his eventual and final outing as Matt Murdock, much to many fans’ relief. The superhero star began by recapping how long he’d been playing Daredevil, before reassuring audiences he may be still around for longer than we thought possible.

[RELATED: 7 Daredevil Episodes You Need to Rewatch Before Born Again Premieres]

Cox joked, “But like all breakups, we got back together.” Adding, “But now I’m aware there will presumably come a time where it really does stop happening … and the longer it goes on the harder it will be to let go of … But when I was at Comic-Con I was chatting with a couple of the Daredevil writers, comic team, and they’re getting ready to release a Daredevil comic that takes place when Matt Murdock is in his 60s, so I was like, ‘Oh, okay, great, so we’ve got some time'”.

The actor began explaining, “One of the wonderful things that’s come from the job is my association with the visually impaired community; and I feel very humbled when I hear from people who have a visual impairment, or any disability actually, tell me that [Daredevil] and this character has been important to them, and help them overcome some of the adversity in their life because of their respective disabilities.”

He continued, “That’s something we always took very seriously, and it’s of immense importance that we got that right, and I hope we have, I believe we have, but it’s really cool. Only a couple of weeks ago I was visiting a visually impaired community school in New York and it’s very moving, it’s very touching to meet with the kids who care so deeply with the character because they’ve got that extra connection towards it.”

In a synopsis shared by Marvel, the upcoming series will see Matt Murdock fighting for justice via his law firm, while ex-mob boss Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio) pursues his own political agenda in New York. When their former identities start to resurface, both men find themselves on an “inevitable collision course.”

Daredevil: Born Again premieres March 4th on Disney+.

The post Charlie Cox Teases Length He’ll Play Daredevil (It’s Longer Than You Think) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Ultimate Wolverine is the latest smash hit in Marvel’s revival of its Ultimate Universe, and there’s a new look at the title’s second issue. Wolverine is arguably the most popular member of the X-Men, but as of now you won’t find him in Marvel’s Ultimate X-Men comic. Instead, Ultimate Wolverine drastically alters Logan while also keeping him somewhat close to his roots. He’s still being used as a weapon, but his former teammates on the X-Men have turned Wolverine into the Winter Soldier. It’s one of those former X-Men teammates that clashes with Logan in the Ultimate Wolverine first look.

Marvel released a first look at Ultimate Wolverine #2 by Chris Condon, Alessandro Cappuccio, and Bryan Valenza. The four pages pick up after the events of the debut issue, where Ultimate Wolverine killed Nightcrawler and Mystique after being unleashed on a covert mission. Nightcrawler and Mystique were a part of the Opposition who opposed Colossus, Magik, and Omega Red’s Eurasian Republic. In the Ultimate Universe, Piotr and Illyana Rasputin are villains who work for The Maker, the evil Reed Richards who changed the past to prevent any heroes from reaching their true destinies.

[RELATED: Marvel Reveals Wolverine’s Ultimate Form (and It’s Terrifying)]

The Maker split up the Ultimate Universe into different regions which are ruled over by members of his evil council. The triad of Colossus, Magik, and Omega Red started a secret government division called Directorate X to exploit mutants, with Wolverine being one of their successful test subjects. Wolverine was the only survivor of an attack on an Opposition stronghold, and once Directorate X’s Dr. Prostovich saw his potential, she recommended him for skeletal enhancement, aka the Adamantium bonding process. The rest, as you can say, is history.

The preview pages feature Maker setting a building on fire (possibly the Charles Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters), soldiers being attacked in the snow, a meeting of Directorate X, and Colossus choking Ultimate Wolverine and violently tossing him towards the reader. Ultimate Colossus is much different from his heroic counterpart on Earth-616. Sure, Colossus has danced between good and evil at different times, most notably when he joined with Magneto and his Acolytes after the Master of Magnetism ripped the Adamantium from Wolverine’s skeleton. But Ultimate Colossus appears to be one of the ringleaders of the Eurasian Republic, and has no problem killing to achieve his goals.

“THE MAKER’S COUNCIL AND THEIR ULTIMATE WEAPON!” a description of Ultimate Wolverine #2 reads. “Colossus, Omega Red and Magik put the Ultimate Wolverine to the test by seeing how well he handles the OPPOSITION, a group fighting for mutant liberation!”

The first look at Ultimate Wolverine #2 is below. The issue goes on sale Wednesday, February 19th.

The post Ultimate Wolverine First Look Features a Showdown Against an X-Men Teammate Gone Bad appeared first on ComicBook.com.

While Charlie Cox has earned widespread acclaim for his portrayal of Matt Murdock in Marvel productions, the actor has now expressed interest in taking on one of DC’s most iconic villains: Joker, the Clown Prince of Crime. During a recent Fan Expo panel in San Francisco, where Cox appeared alongside Daredevil: Born Again co-star Wilson Bethel, the conversation ventured into dream roles within the DC Universe. Cox’s response reveals the star’s ambition, as Joker is one of the quintessential DC characters, capable of making or breaking careers. Yet, Cox could be a right fit for the job, as he expressed a lot of consideration for the immense legacy he would need to honor, particularly given the legendary performances that have defined the Joker across different eras of film and television.

During the panel discussion, Cox carefully articulated his interest in the role while acknowledging its challenges. “I wouldn’t want to take it on based on the actors you have in the past because they’re so brilliant, but I was thinking, like, the Joker would be a lot of fun,” Cox shared. The actor highlighted Heath Ledger’s towering influence over the role, adding, “If you could find a way to do something… You know, I mean, Heath Ledger, for me, nailed that part, obviously. If you could find a new take on it in some way, that would be cool.”

[RELATED: 7 Daredevil Episodes You Need to Rewatch Before Born Again Premieres]

The Joker’s cinematic legacy spans multiple decades and interpretations, each adding new dimensions to Batman’s greatest nemesis. The role has continually evolved from Cesar Romero’s debut in 1966 to Jack Nicholson’s defining turn in 1989. Still, Ledger’s Oscar-winning portrayal in The Dark Knight revolutionized the character. Subsequent interpretations by Jared Leto, Joaquin Phoenix, and Barry Keoghan have each attempted to live up to the audience’s expectations. 

Ledger remains arguably the definitive version of the villain in live-action, which explains Cox’s caution when expressing his desire to play Joker. However, as Cox underlined, in the hands of a creative team capable of finding a new angle into the Joker legacy, the role could be incredible fun for a talented actor.

Charlie Cox’s Marvel History Is Far From Over

While Cox contemplates potential DC roles, his immediate future remains firmly in the Marvel universe with Daredevil: Born Again. Following the show’s creative overhaul during the 2023 Hollywood writers’ strike, new showrunner Dario Scardapane has crafted what promises to be a darker, more complex take on the Man Without Fear. As such, the series builds upon Cox’s recent MCU appearances in Spider-Man: No Way Home, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, and Echo, while maintaining the mature themes that defined the original Netflix run.

The new series dramatically raises the stakes by reuniting Cox with Vincent D’Onofrio’s Wilson Fisk, who has transformed from Hell’s Kitchen crime lord to mayor-elect of New York City. This political plot creates a complex dynamic where Matt Murdock must battle corruption through both legal channels and vigilante action. The show also welcomes back fan-favorites Deborah Ann Woll as Karen Page and Elden Henson as Foggy Nelson, while introducing new characters, including Margarita Levieva as Matt’s love interest Heather Glenn and Genneya Walton as BB Urich.

The series promises to delve deeper into the moral ambiguities of vigilante justice while examining how Matt Murdock’s faith and principles are tested by a city where his greatest enemy has achieved legitimate power. Cox’s ability to navigate these complex themes in Daredevil suggests why he might be particularly well-suited to tackle a character like the Joker, having spent years perfecting the balance between light and darkness in his portrayal of the Man Without Fear.

Daredevil: Born Again premieres March 4 on Disney+.

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Beau DeMayo, the creator and head writer of the highly-acclaimed X-Men ‘97, took to X (formerly Twitter) to address fan criticisms of episode four, “Motendo / Lifedeath – Part 1.” According to DeMayo, the episode was supposed to feature more of the relationship between Storm and Forge, but stated that the show’s co-executive producer (who he left unnamed) “stole the episode away and gave it to an editor on #WhatIf to redo it to her vision, which coincidentally eviscerated about 1/3 of Storm’s story and split Ep4 into two separate pieces.”

While this story hasn’t been corroborated elsewhere as of this writing, it does seem to explain why so many viewers thought that the episode felt rushed. DeMayo revealed that the plan for the episode was supposed to be much more faithful to the “Lifedeath” storyline from the original X-Men comics, which included more of the romance between Storm and Forge, as well as additional buildup toward Storm’s confrontation with the Adversary.

The episode was also supposed to begin with a recreation of the page from the comics that saw Forge attending to a weakened Storm. However, according to DeMayo, that was one of the portions that were removed from the episode by What If…?’s editor; DeMayo stated on X, “When I argued that she’d cut life-death’s iconic opening, I got the usual stop being a comic collector speech from them.”

[RELATED: X-Men ’97 Creator Pitched a Nova Series Inspired by Starship Troopers (and It Sounds Perfect)]

DeMayo revealed further troubles related to the production of “Motendo / Lifedeath – Part 1.” The writer said on X that he reached out to Yellowstone actor Gil Birmingham to play Forge on the series. However, because Birmingham had been previously cast in another Marvel Studios film only to have his role cut without being notified, he was reluctant to work on another MCU project. Yet DeMayo managed to convince him to give Marvel Studios another chance, tweeting, “I assured him 1) such disrespect would not happen on my watch and 2) outlined my multi-season plan for his character…We had an amazing 2 hour meeting. The guy is so cool. And he agreed, much to Marvel’s chagrin that I’d repaired a relationship they’d spat on. I was able to keep that promise, barely.”

Unfortunately, parts of Forge’s story with Storm were cut during the mandated editing process, so time will tell if Birmingham will return yet again after having his role heavily tinkered with for a second time.

Though DeMayo had begun writing the second season of X-Men ‘97, he was fired in March 2024 for alleged misbehavior, including sexual misconduct. DeMayo has denied these accusations and has taken to X since his firing to share his frustrations working with Marvel Studios.

X-Men ‘97 is available to watch on Disney+.

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Ice up! Superhero, K-pop superstar, and Marvel Rivals strategist Luna Snow is one of the dozens of heroes fighting to save the world from the despot Doctor Doom in the hit video game, but Seol Hee is joining Team Doom in Doom’s Division. From writer Yoon Ha Lee (Machineries of Empire, Marvel’s X-Men: The Wedding Special) and artist Minkyu Jung (Star Wars: Doctor Aphra, Magnificent Ms. Marvel), the new five-issue comic book series finds South Korea’s Tiger Division in the service of Sorcerer Supreme Victor von Doom — Emperor of the World and the ruler of a new United Latveria.

In the One World Under Doom tie-in series, Tiger Division’s original members assembled by the National Intelligence Service — powerhouse Tae-Won/Taegukgi, the Kumiho Ami Han/White Fox, card-wielding sorcerer Lady Bright, street-brawling demigod Mr. Enigma, the fast-talking robot Gun-R II, the living Totem known as the General, and the cryokinetic popstar Seol Hee/Luna Snow — will be joined by three new members from across Asia as they become Doom’s Division.

The telepathic mutant Xuân Cao Mạnh/Karma, along with the wind-wielding Lei Ling/Aero and the water-manipulating Pearl Pangan/Wave of the Agents of Atlas, are recruited to the new Doom’s Division on a mission to face Japanese mutant Shiro Yoshida and the raging fury of Sunfire.

RELATED: Marvel Rivals Season 1: Eternal Night Falls and Marvel’s Dracula in the Comics, Explained

“When I was in high school in Seoul, a friend hooked me on Marvel comics,” Ha Lee said in a statement announcing Doom’s Division. “Decades later, I’m honored by the privilege of writing for Taegukgi and friends in One World Under Doom—힘내!”

Added Jung, “South Korea has a painful history, but we always overcome them, and this time, Marvel’s South Korean super hero team is facing tough times. I can’t wait to see how they are going to show that spirit during One World Under Doom and I’m grateful to be a part of this event.”

After Tiger Division thwarted Doom during a plot by Tae-Won’s old friend Min-Jae to steal his powers (in 2023’s Tiger Division #5), Doom told the heroes, “I never forget those who have crossed me. This isn’t over.” That story will continue when Doom takes over the world and assumes control of Tiger Division in One World Under Doom #1 on Feb. 12.

In addition to her appearance in Doom’s Division, Marvel Rivals fans can get more Luna Snow in the Marvel Rivals #1 one-shot collecting all six issues of Marvel Unlimited’s digital Marvel Rivals Infinity Comic in print for the first time.

Written by Paul Allor (Avengers United Infinity Comic) with art by Luca Claretti, the comic features Marvel Rivals fan-favorites Luna, Peni Parker, and Jeff the Land Shark alongside Spider-Man, Venom, Captain America, Wolverine, and more. (Marvel Rivals #1 goes on sale April 2.)

“It all started with Netmarble’s specific request for an ‘ice magician who could both heal and deal damage,'” Marvel Future Fight director Bill Rosemann previously told ComicBook about introducing the breakout video game character who went on to join the New Agents of Atlas and Tiger’s Division in the Marvel comic books. “Whenever we receive a request for an exact gameplay, we first look to see if we have any existing characters that match the power set. In this case, we jumped on the opportunity to create an all-new character that would have a great impact in the game and resonate with both the Netmarble team and our amazing fans in Korea.”

Doom’s Division #1 (of 5)

Doctor Doom rules the planet! But instead of chaos, he’s created world peace. Where does that leave Tiger Division, South Korea’s foremost defenders? As agents of the National Intelligence Service under White Fox, they’re ordered to uphold the new world order – with the help of some new team members! But not everyone is content in Doom’s utopia. Tensions are high, and the stakes are higher as Tiger Division imposes Doom’s will throughout the Marvel Universe!

On sale: March 26

Doom’s Division #2

AN ALL-NEW SUPER-TEAM UNITES! Under Doom, Tiger Division has three new members from across Asia: Wave, Karma and Aero! Their first mission brings them to Japan to stop a resistance being led by the molten mutant, SUNFIRE! But Sunfire isn’t the only danger that awaits them in the perilous waters off Japan’s coast…

On sale: April 30

Marvel Rivals #1

Set in Tokyo 2099, the time rift has disrupted the Web of Life and Destiny, leaving the world’s heroes to battle it out over the best way to fix it. One group, led by Peni Parker, wants to plug the Web into Cyberspace to repair it. The other group, led by Spider-Man, favors a more conservative approach of using Chronovium to strengthen the web and allow it to repair itself. The time rift makes rivals out of us all, but which team will overtake the other?

On sale: April 2

The post Marvel Rivals Hero Luna Snow Joins Doctor Doom’s Team in New Series appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The superhero subgenre is so storied and jam-packed by this point that it’s fair to call it its own genre. From serials in the ’40s to Richard Donner’s Superman in the late ’70s to the advent of the MCU, DCEU, and DCU, it’s been a long road. And, for the most part, that road has been filled with Marvel and DC movies, even before the crafting of those aforementioned universes. But there have also been superhero flicks based on properties from smaller publishers and, sometimes, just straight from the mind of a director.

In other words, stuff like Spawn, The Shadow, Bloodshot, and The Phantom. That said, Birdman operates more as a character-piece drama than a superhero film, so it wasn’t considered for inclusion. Without further ado, the best non-DC and Marvel movies out there, ranked.

10) The Rocketeer

20 years before director Joe Johnston gave the MCU what is still one of its best installments with Captain America: The First Avenger he directed the similarly fun throwback The Rocketeer. A critical success but a financial flop, The Rocketeer is nonetheless the exact type of movie that develops an audience over time thanks to services like Disney+.

Like the Pacific Comics (then Eclipse Comics, Comico, Dark Horse, and finally IDW) source material, The Rocketeer harkens back to the serials of the ’30s and ’40s. It’s certainly successful in emulating that time period’s entertainment, and while it can be visually dated in some respects, it’s as entertaining now as it was for the ’90s and aughts kids who grew up with it. Not to mention, the cast is great, with Jennifer Connelly, Little Miss Sunshine‘s Alan Arkin, Goodfellas‘ Paul Sorvino, and 007 Timothy Dalton all delivering standout work.

9) The Mask

If any actor had any one great single year in Hollywood, it was Jim Carrey in 1994. The Mask was the second of three movies he fronted that year, all of which were successful. It’s not quite as hysterical as Dumb and Dumber, but it’s a nice stylistic merging of Carrey’s goofball sensibilities and the darker Dark Horse source material.

As notable as The Mask is for its special effects and further cementing Carrey in the public eye, it’s arguably most well-known for serving as the film debut of Cameron Diaz. All the aforementioned elements help keep Chuck Russell’s movie entertaining, but it’s the chemistry between Carrey and Diaz that truly makes the movie a ’90s minor classic.

8) Mystery Men

Like Small Soldiers, Mystery Men is the definition of a late ’90s cult movie. Arguably overproduced but ridiculously entertaining, it’s a star-studded charmer with an interesting tone and a silly sense of humor.

Mystery Men works as a superhero film, but it excels when it’s a superteam film. There are a few comedy cinema heavyweights present, e.g. Ben Stiller (in between There’s Something About Mary and Meet the Parents), Hank Azaria, and Pee-wee Herman himself, Paul Reubens, but there are also a few fairly serious actors like William H. Macy, Wes Studi, and Geoffrey Rush as the villain, Casanova Frankenstein. Impressively enough, everyone seems to be on the same page as to what the final product should look like. And, while audiences didn’t flock to it at the time, it’s only gotten better as the superhero movie market has become more saturated.

7) Unbreakable

Before it was unnecessarily stretched out to a trilogy (though Split is solid), Unbreakable was just M. Night Shyamalan’s mildly disappointing but still compelling follow-up to The Sixth Sense. In some ways, the movie can feel rushed, but with a beautiful blue color tint, devoted lead performances from Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson, and a nice twist, the good greatly outweighs the bad.

It’s more a movie about loving comic books than it is a comic book movie itself, and that’s a focus that helps it stand out amongst the crowded subgenre. Again, Split is a worthy surprise follow-up, but the less said about Glass, the better.

6) Hellboy II: The Golden Army

Arguably Dark Horse’s biggest property, Hellboy lucked out in getting an auteur like Guillermo del Toro behind it when Hollywood got interested. And, while del Toro’s first film is fun and well-shot, the sequel, Hellboy II: The Golden Army is even more so, and equipped with a better villain as well as a cast more comfortable in their roles.

Naturally, Ron Perlman is as much an asset to The Golden Army as del Toro, and it’s really just a shame that this 2008 film’s relative underperformance at the box office (the same summer as Iron Man and The Dark Knight) led to the franchise being ended here. The combination of actor and director is what really makes The Golden Army just about as all-around terrific and macro-scale accessible as a Hellboy film could be, as was seen with the regrettable and unpleasant 2019 reboot.

5) Super

Before James Gunn was helming the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy and was given the reins to the DC cinematic kingdom, he was directing the much smaller “super” hero flick Super. A very dark black comedy, Super is not for everyone, but those who can get on its wavelength will get much out of it.

It’s been rare that The Office‘s Rainn Wilson has been the lead in a feature film, but he’s a knockout here as short-order cook Frank Darbo, who makes up for his perpetual lack of ambition with a surplus of imagination. But, now that his wife, Sarah (Liv Tyler), has been “kidnapped” (really, she’s left Frank by her own volition) for the drug peddling Jacques (Kevin Bacon), he’s turning that imagination into action. Too bad he’s just flesh and blood, and his actions could very well get him killed.

4) Darkman

In between his start creating the Evil Dead franchise and making Sony hundreds of millions with the Spider-Man trilogy, there was a project that ultimately amounts to a combination of both IPs: Darkman. Starring an up-and-coming Liam Neeson as scientist Peyton Westlake and a pre-Fargo Frances McDormand as his attorney girlfriend, Julie Hastings, it’s also something of a nice timepiece. The narrative follows Westlake as he’s viciously attacked, burned, and left for dead after Hasting begins digging into the business of a mobster.

It’s after that when the film gets interesting and, to this day, stands as fairly unique. Westlake uses his scientifically inclined brain to give himself an experimental treatment that blesses him with increased strength, but a damaged mind. And, to exact revenge on his attackers, Westlake employs the synthetic skin he has yet to perfect. The face-swapping and Westlake’s turning the gang against itself is the highlight of the film, but Neeson, McDormand, and Larry Drake as the evil Durant are the ones who keep Darkman from feeling silly and collapsing in on itself. The former two are sorely missed in the direct-to-video sequels.

[RELATED: Liam Neeson, Jack Dylan Grazer, and More in Talks for 4 Kids Walk Into a Bank Movie]

3) The Crow

The 2024 remake may not be quite as awful as it was made out to be, but it doesn’t hold a candle to the beautiful dark power of Alex Proyas’ 1994 masterpiece. The Crow is perpetually elevated by the presence of Brandon Lee, whose accidental death while working on the film gives its grief-fueled narrative some extra oomph.

It’s not just Lee that makes the film work as well as it does, though. There’s plenty of grim style in the vein of the original 1989 Caliber Press series, Ernie Hudson gives a tender performance as Sergeant Albrecht, and Michael Wincott is flat-out iconic as the sinister Top Dollar.

2) Dredd

Judge Dredd fans had been burned before when the Sylvester Stallone-fronted disaster hit theaters in the mid-’90s. Then, nearly 20 years later, Dredd, a modern action classic, hit theaters with an absolute thud. Even with a modest $45 million budget, the Karl Urban vehicle couldn’t even break even (it would be interesting to see if that would be the case now that he has The Boys under his belt).

Stylistic and riddled with bone-crunching violence, Dredd is essentially a trippy variation on Die Hard and The Raid: Redemption. Toss in terrific supporting work from Olivia Thirlby as genetic mutant rookie Judge Cassandra Anderson and a great villain performance from Lena Headey as “Ma-Ma” and the film was one of the biggest surprises of the year for those who were lucky enough to be able to see it on the big screen.

1) Kick-Ass

The 2010s got off to a rough start when it came to comic book movies, at least as far as Marvel and DC were concerned. On the DC side, there was Jonah Hex and on the Marvel side, there was Iron Man 2. That was it for 2010. Suffice it to say, Matthew Vaughn’s Kick-Ass was easily the best superhero movie of the year and ended up being one of the best of its respective decade.

Kick-Ass is a movie loaded with style, dark humor, and a star-making turn from Chloë Grace Moretz. All of it works, including Nicolas Cage’s gonzo performance. It’s not for the faint of heart, but Kick-Ass, well, kicks ass.

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The Fantastic Four are doomed. When Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Johnny Storm, and Ben Grimm were exposed to cosmic rays during an experimental space flight in 1961’s Fantastic Four #1, Marvel’s First Family of superheroes was born: Mister Fantastic, the Invisible Woman, the Human Torch, and the Thing. But now the core four will be down to two as the ongoing Fantastic Four comic run by writer Ryan North and artist Cory Smith is impacted by One World Under Doom.

Marvel has been teasing that the Fantastic Four will suffer a brutal defeat at the hands of their archnemesis Doctor Doom in One World Under Doom #2. Now that he’s taken on the mantle of Earth’s new superior Sorcerer Supreme, Doom will use his newfound powers to depower the Fantastic Four — one member at a time.

Fantastic Four #30 reveals the aftermath of One World Under Doom #2, in which Emperor Doom mystically strips the Thing of his powers. Renamed the Fantastic Three, the former foursome will then be rechristened the Fantastic Two in April’s Fantastic Four #31 as Reed and Sue attempt to recreate the cosmic storm that granted the four their powers. See the solicitations below.

RELATED: One World Under Doom, Explained: How Doctor Doom Became Marvel’s New Superior Sorcerer Supreme

“I wrote Issue #7 of Fantastic Four as a Doctor Doom story and I think we started talking about it after that. It’s something that’s been in my head for years and years,” North told ComicBook ahead of the nine-issue event series (on sale Feb. 12). “Part of me almost thinks you need a big event like this whenever you have Reed and Doctor Doom in the same room because they are such opposites, but also so much like each other. And neither of them will ever admit it. It’s such a fun dynamic.”

“What happens in this One World Under Doom event affects the Marvel Universe for the next 10 months, the rest of the year,” North teased. “That obviously touches what goes on in Fantastic Four. There are a lot of one-shot stories and one-and-dones under this status quo of, ‘Doom is in charge. What are we going to do about it?'”

Four No More? A History of the Fantastic Four Three

The core four have all left the team at one point, and even Doom has joined their ranks when the Fantastic Four expanded with the Future Foundation. Crystal of the Inhumans temporarily joined the team while Sue was on maternity leave (in Fantastic Four #81), and another of the Inhumans, Medusa, replaced Sue when she took a leave of absence (in FF #130-159). Luke Cage, a.k.a. Power Man, briefly replaced the Thing when Ben temporarily lost his powers (in FF #168), and the Four disbanded for a time as they went their separate ways (FF #191-196).

The Four were Three when Reed disappeared (FF #257-261), and She-Hulk replaced the Thing when he chose to stay on the Beyonder’s Battleworld as “Rocky Grimm” after the events of 1984’s Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars. When Reed and Sue took a leave from the Fantastic Four, they named Crystal and Ms. Marvel (Sharon Ventura) as their replacements (FF #305-326). Following Reed’s apparent death battling Doctor Doom in 1993’s FF #381, Sue, Johnny, and Ben operated as a trio (with the book “retitled” as The Fantastic Three) until Ant-Man (Scott Lang) joined the team in 1993’s FF #384.

More recently, the team’s roster has included the then-married Black Panther and Storm (in 2007’s FF #544), Spider-Man (2011’s FF #1), and Lang formed a new Fantastic Four with She-Hulk, Medusa, and Miss Thing (Darla Deering) in 2012’s FF #1. In 2017’s Marvel 2-In-One #1, the Fantastic Four were reduced to a duo of the Human Torch and the Thing when Reed and Sue were missing and presumed dead. The Four were eventually reunited — just in time for an appropriately-titled “Family Reunion” (2018’s Fantastic Four #3).

Fantastic Four: One World Under Doom

One World Under Doom #1

ONE WORLD UNDER DOOM! Six months ago, Doctor Victor Von Doom became Sorcerer Supreme – then disappeared behind Latveria’s closed borders. For most, there’s enough going on in the world that Doom’s absence is not a priority, and some time without him feels like a blessing. Only a few recognize it for what it truly was…the calm before the storm. It is a storm that has now arrived. The world has woken up to a new reality: Doctor Doom, Earth’s Sorcerer Supreme, has magically taken over every broadcast medium on the planet and declared himself Emperor of the World – the ruler of a new United Latveria! And shockingly, impossibly, all of Earth’s leaders seem to be going along with this. Luckily, whether it’s mind control or Doombots, whatever’s affecting them hasn’t affected Earth’s heroes – and so they quickly form a strike team to stop Doom’s machinations. But will they succeed? And what happens when some begin to welcome their new Emperor with open arms, clamoring for One World Under Doom? Marvel’s biggest and most shocking event ever begins right here with ONE WORLD UNDER DOOM #1.

On sale: Feb. 12

Fantastic Four #29

The impossible has happened! DOCTOR DOOM has taken over the world! And the Fantastic Four are NOT going to let that stand. As Reed locks himself in his lab, trying to solve the Problem of Doom, Ben treats Sue to a trip to NYC with their mutual friend, JEN “SHE-HULK” WALTERS, to help get her mind off of things. But tensions after vampires overran the world in their Blood Hunt remain, and when Ben, Sue and Jen find themselves on the wrong side of mob justice, they face a choice…and it’s one they will not be able to take back!

On sale: Feb. 26

One World Under Doom #2

Doctor Doom has taken over the world, and Earth’s mightiest heroes have failed twice: first to stop him, and now to overthrow him. But the Fantastic Four know Doom better than anyone, which makes them ideally suited to take on Earth’s new Emperor…except for the fact that he knows THEM just as well. As Reed Richards, Ben Grimm, and Sue and Johnny Storm prepare to face down Doom at the United Nations, Doom pays a secret visit to speak to the only person on Earth who holds both his favor, his respect…and his love. But can Valeria Richards change her uncle’s mind? And if she fails, what will stop Doom from visiting a shocking fate on the Fantastic Four that not even he can undo? And, as the Avengers reel from their losses, the course of the Marvel Universe will change – and Marvel’s First Family won’t be the same!

On sale: March 19

Fantastic Four #30

FANTASTIC THREE! After Ben Grimm has suffered a terrible (and very public) defeat at the hands of Doom, he’s left lost, adrift – and more vulnerable than he has been in years. And when a trip to New York goes wrong and his fate suddenly turns from bad to worse, Ben has never been more vulnerable – and soon takes a shocking shortcut he won’t be able to undo! This is one Thing and Alicia story you won’t soon forget!

On sale: March 26

Fantastic Four #31

On sale: April 30

The post Four No More: Marvel Renames the Fantastic Four appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Adrien Brody is accepting calls from Marvel Studios. In an interview with podcast host Josh Horowitz this week, Brody said that he would be very open to appearing in the Marvel Cinematic Universe — but not just any role. He said he would consider any offers based on what he could bring to the table as an actor and his ability to collaborate with the director. Like others, it sounds like Brody is wary of studio mandates and restrictions, but open-minded about what he could bring to the table. To date, Brody has never appeared in a comic book adaptation, though he has done his fair share of genre fiction.

“Like I said, if I was presented with an opportunity to play an interesting character with a filmmaker that elevated me and gave me space to do something vastly different in that world, it sounds amazing,” Brody said. “You have this wonderful machine [with Marvel]. [They] know all the techniques and tools to stand behind these movies and they’ve done something I think is enormous.”

“People love them. Who wouldn’t want to be part of something beloved?” Brody added. “It would take a tone I related to. It wouldn’t be just to…you know.”

Brody is currently promoting The Brutalist — a biopic about architect and holocaust survivor László Tóth, which is currently in theaters. In online discourse among film buffs, that’s about as far as you could get from a blockbuster franchise like the MCU. However, Brody isn’t above doing a popcorn movie — he starred in the underrated 2010 sequel Predators, and the 2015 historical fantasy Dragon Blade, just to name a few.

Brody nearly made his comic book movie debut in 2008, as he revealed in this interview. He said that he met with director Christopher Nolan about the possibility of playing the Joker in The Dark Knight, but quickly added, Oh no, I wasn’t close. It was a role that I felt very suited to do. Heath did such a remarkable job in that movie. It was indelible. Such beautiful work. Any actor who has a degree of edge would like to delve into a character like that, especially with a filmmaker like Christopher Nolan who brought such a profound vision.”

That might give us a hint about what Brody would want from a comic book movie director, if he were to take such a role. For now, fans can catch him in The Brutalist in many theaters around the U.S. The MCU will be back in theaters next month with Captain America: Brave New World on February 14th.

The post Adrien Brody Reveals One Condition for Starring in a Marvel Movie appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Deadpool & Wolverine‘s massive success has meant that it’s only a matter of time before Wolverine shows up again in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. There have been rumors that Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine is going to show up elsewhere in the MCU, with many assuming that he’ll make appearances in the upcoming Avengers films. Wolverine is one of Marvel’s most popular characters, right up there with Spider-Man, so it’s only a matter of time before Wolverine returns for his own story in the MCU and not just hangingout with Deadpool.

As Marvel Studios uses comic stories as starting points for their adaptations and Wolverine has a lot of amazing stories to choose from, there is a wealth of comic content we could see brought to life. However, there’s one Wolverine story that Marvel Studios should never touch – Old Man Logan. This classic story is a fan favorite – and was teased in Deadpool & Wolverine – but it needs to stay in the comics.

Old Man Logan Isn’t the Type of Story Marvel Studios Does Well

Marvel Studios has gone all in with its multiversal storytelling – it’s the entire reason Deadpool & Wolverine worked in the first place. However, looking at their track record with multiverse projects, things aren’t exactly rosy. Loki and the aforementioned Deadpool & Wolverine are beloved and critically acclaimed, but other multiverse-centric Marvel projects – Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, and What If…? aren’t. Quantumania‘s failure played a big role in the end of what was once called the Multiverse Saga. Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness gets points for director Sam Raimi’s stylish direction, but for basically nothing else. Marvel Studios entirely missed the point of What If…? as a concept with interconnected arcs and repeated characters.

Two out of five isn’t exactly good, and that’s reason enough to not want Marvel Studios to touch Old Man Logan. Old Man Logan is a simple story – it’s basically the movie Unforgiven with superheroes – but what makes it special is the worldbuilding. Mark Millar and Steve McNiven do a brilliant job of using their tale to tell the story of this villain conquered world. Some of the storytelling comes from the dialogue and captions, but some of it is done with the visuals. It’s a visceral story, not as needlessly edgy of many of Millar’s other Marvel work, and has a depth to it that has eluded most of Marvel Studios’ multiverse content – in fact, a depth that’s eluded much of Marvel Studios’ content period.

[Related: Why Marvel Is About to Have a Big Year in 2025]

Old Man Logan is exactly the kind of story that Marvel Studios would want to adapt, but they aren’t going to do a very good job. Old Man Logan is a dark and complex story, its violence an integral part of its narrative. Injecting it with MCU style storytelling isn’t going to help it, it’s going to weaken it. Marvel has never meant a tense scene it couldn’t ruin with a joke, and Old Man Logan doesn’t need that sort of thing. Seeing the Venom possessed tyrannosaurus or the corpse of a giant Ant-Man on the big screen would be great, but we don’t need to see Captain Carter show up. We don’t need Old Man Logan cracking jokes while cutting up the Hulk Gang.

Old Man Logan is an extremely popular story, but it would be better for Marvel Studios to start with something like Weapon X – the origin of his adamantium skeleton glimpsed in X-Men: Apocalypse – or one of the many great Wolverine/Sabretooth stories instead of a multiverse Wolverine story. Old Man Logan‘s popularity has meant that Logan has returned many times since the story’s end in 2009, but it doesn’t need an adaptation. Not now, and maybe not ever.

Old Man Logan Should Stay Where It Belongs – the Comics

Old Man Logan is a sensational comic. It’s probably Mark Millar’s – the man who wrote Civil War, the inspiration for Captain America: Civil War – best Marvel work. Steve McNiven’s art is breathtaking and is perfect for the story. It’s not the most original story in the history of the comic industry – dystopian futures controlled by villains where beaten down old heroes try to survive are very common – but its so well-crafted. Part of that is the fact that it is a comic. Some comic stories work so well because of the medium of sequential storytelling, the way that words and pictures combine to tell the tale. Old Man Logan is one of those stories.

There’s a reason that Logan didn’t actually adapt Old Man Logan. The story just doesn’t work as well outside of the comic medium. There’s too much of it that depends on being a comic. Marvel Studios does great work at times, but their multiversal stories, more often than not, aren’t their best work. If Marvel Studios needs to do a multiversal Wolverine story, they should look to The Age of Apocalypse Wolverine miniseries (which is also called Weapon X, by the by) or maybe the What If… where Wolverine becomes a vampire lord. Leave Old Man Logan in the comics, where it belongs.

The post The MCU Needs To Stay Away From This Wolverine Story appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Marvel movies have a reputation of being filled with clever Easter eggs, especially when those Marvel movies are dealing with the never-ending possibilities of the multiverse. The most noticeable of these Easter eggs hint at other corners of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, or perhaps pay homage to the beloved characters and creators from Marvel Comics that inspired the films. Then again, there are those incredibly deep cut Easter eggs that almost no fan will be able to notice, even on repeat viewings. That appears to be the case for Spider-Man: No Way Home, but the well hidden Easter egg actually has nothing to do with Marvel at all.

Spider-Man: No Way Home director Jon Watts and longtime collaborator Christopher Ford recently spoke to Screen Rant about their recent co-creation, Star Wars: Skeleton Crew. Watts explained in the interview that No Way Home has a reference to the short film projects that he and Ford used to make and publish on YouTube. Unsurprisingly, no one has picked up on it yet.

“I will preface this by saying there is an Easter egg in No Way Home that no one has found,” Watts explained. “It’s a hard one, but people found a lot of our intentionally placed Easter eggs. There was also a thing where people find Easter eggs that we didn’t put there. We’re like, ‘Yeah, great.’ And then there’s some very, very deep-cut references to dumb videos that Ford and I made on YouTube a long time ago.”

“Yeah, it’s like people pick up the ones that are from super famous movies. And then the ones that are references to our own short films, somehow people don’t know those ones,” joked Ford.

[RELATED: 7 Daredevil Episodes You Need to Watch Before Born Again]

Before making their jump to the feature film scene with 2014’s Clown, Watts and Ford made several short films together that they released on YouTube. The hidden Easter egg in Spider-Man: No Way Home apparently references one of those movies, which are now more than a decade old, but there’s no telling which one.

Watts certainly isn’t the only Marvel filmmaker to leave behind an impossible-to-find Easter egg in one of his movies, though his might be the most obscure. James Gunn has famously spent years teasing Marvel fans about a major Easter egg hidden within Guardians of the Galaxy. There are entire fan communities on the Internet dedicated to trying to crack the code and figure out what Gunn left behind.

The post Spider-Man: No Way Home Has Undiscovered Easter Egg (But It’s Not a Marvel Reference) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

This weekend, Marvel Snap players were shocked to discover that the game was removed from the App Store and Google Play Store, and can no longer be played by users in the United States. There has been a lot of confusion among players, but the app went offline as a result of the current issues with ByteDance, the owner of TikTok. ByteDance happens to own Nuverse, the publishers of Marvel Snap. While the shutdown of TikTok was long expected, the situation surrounding Marvel Snap was a complete surprise, not only to players, but apparently to Nuverse and developers at Second Dinner.

In posts on the social media platform Bluesky, Second Dinner chief development officer and co-founder Ben Brode has addressed the situation surrounding Marvel Snap. The team is working to get things resolved, and is telling fans that the use of a VPN set to Canada is a temporary workaround. While a lot of fans have expressed frustration and disbelief that Second Dinner wouldn’t have had some advance notice, Brode disputed those claims. In a reply to one user, Brode said “it doesn’t help us to bring the game down then bring it back up – that doesn’t make us extra money somehow.”

While some fans are clearly skeptical, there had been no signs that Marvel Snap was in any type of trouble, or would be winding down support in the U.S., or anywhere else for that matter. The game had a new season launch this month centered around the Dark Avengers, bringing in cards based on characters like Iron Patriot and Victoria Hand. The game had also just featured content based on Marvel Rivals. It would stand to reason the developers would have given fans some advance notice had they known. Unfortunately, this doesn’t help anyone that recently spent money on the game.

Hopefully the situation is resolved quickly, and Marvel Snap becomes playable for those in the U.S. sometime soon. While the ban on ByteDance owned media was passed with bipartisan support among U.S. lawmakers, the Biden administration had said that enforcement would be up to Donald Trump, the incoming president. Basically, there was no reason for the ban to go in effect as early as it did. Ironically, it was former President Trump that had discussed banning TikTok during his first term in office. Now, ByteDance seems to be counting on the incoming president to announce that he won’t enforce the ban, even though it was upheld by the Supreme Court.

RELATED: Marvel Snap Is the Year’s Best Ongoing Game of 2024

At this time, there’s no telling how long the ban on Marvel Snap will remain in place. It’s possible it could get reversed ahead of any decisions on TikTok, or we could be waiting for some kind of announcement until after President Trump takes office. There’s simply no way of knowing, but Marvel Snap players will have to use the VPN workaround in the meantime.

Are you hoping to see Marvel Snap restored to working in the U.S.? Had you recently spent money on the game? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp, on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!

The post Marvel Snap: Here’s Why It Was Removed From the App Store appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Daredevil: Born Again will continue The Man Without Fear’s adventures, and there are a collection of episodes from Netflix’s Daredevil that are particularly relevant to it. Daredevil first began on Netflix in 2015 as the first of Marvel’s street level heroes showcased on the platform. Daredevil ran for three seasons, as well as The Defenders crossover, and while it has been a long time coming, Charlie Cox’s Daredevil will finally return to headline his own show again after cameos in Spider-Man: No Way Home, She-Hulk, and Echo.

While the Marvel-Netflix shows were originally a bit distant from the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe, Daredevil: Born Again itself underwent a rather significant reworking mid-production to bring it closer to Daredevil on Netflix. With that retooling of the show, for all intents and purposes, Born Again has effectively become Daredevil Season 4. With the relationship between the two shows that much more direct, here are seven Daredevil episodes fans should rewatch before the debut of Daredevil: Born Again.

“Cut Man” (Season 1, Episode 2)

The second episode of Daredevil‘s first season, “Cut Man,” is arguably the episode that really made the series the hit that it became. “Cut Man” focuses on Matt going on a mission to rescue a kidnapped child, placing great emphasis on the physical toll he puts himself through night after night as he pushes on through his mission after taking a stab wound and nursing several cracked ribs. It all comes to a head in the episode’s epic one-shot hallway fight that drew inspiration from fight scenes in Oldboy and The Raid, and by itself made Daredevil an instant superhero hit.

“Cut Man” proved so influential that single-take fight scenes became a staple of the series in its subsequent second and third seasons. The raw grit and determination of the wounded Matt battling his way through half a dozen opponents while writhing in pain under his mask also established Daredevil, and Marvel-Netflix as a whole, as the tonal inverse of the MCU on the big-screen, and made clear that its fight scenes were like nothing being seen anywhere else in the MCU. Another one-shot fight sequence seemingly goes without saying for Daredevil: Born Again, and fans of The Man Without Fear would do well to go back and enjoy where it all started.

“Daredevil” (Season 1, Episode 13)

The Season 1 finale of Daredevil finally puts Matt Murdock in his classic horned red suit, with the episode’s title also bestowing Matt’s proper superhero name to him. Directed by Season 1 showrunner Steven S. DeKnight, Daredevil‘s Season 1 finale sees Vincent D’Onofrio’s Wilson Fisk finally busted by Matt Murdock and taken into custody. Of course, the Kingpin would never go down without a fight, and fight he does in his and Daredevil’s climactic showdown on the streets of Hell’s Kitchen.

While the Daredevil suit itself is better designed in subsequent seasons, it is nonetheless a tremendous pay-off to see Matt finally don his red suit and horns right out of the comics to face off with the Kingpin. Indeed, the fact that the suit is saved until Season 1’s finale is also testimony to how much of a worthy alternative Matt’s black ninja suit is. Add in D’Onofrio’s enthralling villain monologue in the back on the armored police van and the sheer captivating power of the final Daredevil vs. Kingpin fight scene, and Daredevil Season 1 most certainly ends on a high note well worth revisiting before Daredevil: Born Again.

“New York’s Finest” (Season 2, Episode 3)

Aside from telling the next chapter of Matt Murdock’s story, Daredevil Season 2 also served as a backdoor pilot for The Punisher series on Netflix, and Season 2 made Matt Murdock and Frank Castle’s opposing ideologies of crime-fighting the very center of its story. Nowhere is that better captured than in Season 2’s third episode “New York’s Finest,” which largely acts as a philosophical debate between Daredevil and Frank Castle (Jon Bernthal), with the former chained up and trying to talk Frank out of his mindset that killing criminals is the only effective way to fight crime.

For as action-packed a show as Daredevil is, its down-to-earth human drama is just as essential to its success. “New York’s Finest” sells Daredevil and The Punisher as Marvel’s ultimate yin and yang, one a hero who believes in the possibility of redemption for even the darkest of villains and the other a vigilante who believes such optimism is a lost cause that also endangers the lives of the innocent. To top it off, “New York’s Finest” also concludes on Daredevil Season 2’s showstopping one-shot fight scene, an even more souped-up brawl of Matt battling over a dozen adversaries in a stairwell.

“A Cold Day in Hell’s Kitchen” (Season 2, Episode 13)

Daredevil Season 2 brings Matt Murdock’s old flame Elektra Natchios (Elodie Yung) back into his life, with Matt reluctantly teaming up with her and his old mentor Stick (Scott Glenn) to take down the sinister ninja army known as The Hand. Daredevil Season 2 reaches its climax with Matt and Elektra’s last stand against The Hand in its season finale “A Cold Day in Hell’s Kitchen,” which ends in tragedy with Elektra dying in their final rooftop confrontation against their ninja adversaries.

“A Cold Day in Hell’s Kitchen” is one of the most pivotal episodes of Daredevil on multiple levels. As a highlight of Daredevil and Elektra’s relationship as both partners and lovers, it also showcases how much both mean to Matt on a personal level, as well as his mix of distrust and respect for Stick as his martial arts mentor. “A Cold Day in Hell’s Kitchen” also concludes with Matt revealing himself as Daredevil to Karen Page, and is also Daredevil and The Punisher’s last canonical meeting in the MCU pre-Born Again. Frank Castle bids Matt farewell with “See you around, Red,” making “A Cold Day in Hell’s Kitchen” another Daredevil episode fans should pull up again before Matt and Frank do indeed meet again in Daredevil: Born Again.

[RELATED: How Daredevil: Born Again Will Fix the Netflix Show’s Biggest Problem]

“Resurrection” (Season 3, Episode 1)

Picking up right where Marvel-Netflix’s crossover series The Defenders left off, Daredevil Season 3 begins with the fittingly titled “Resurrection.” Emerging from his apparent death as a man with a wounded body and a broken heart after witnessing Elektra’s descent into villainy, “Resurrection” sees Matt gradually regain his heroic resolve and fighting spirit while being nursed back to his feet in a local Catholic Church.

Daredevil Season 3 took perhaps the deepest dive of the show into The Man Without Fear’s comic book mythology, with the season adapting Frank Miller’s acclaimed story Daredevil: Born Again and introducing Sister Maggie (Joanne Whalley) as Matt’s mother. Even with the standards of its first two seasons to build upon, Daredevil Season 3 started off extremely strong with “Resurrection,” focusing upon the season’s internal conflict of Matt overcoming his internal despondency through hard work and determination, even if Matt doesn’t truly come back into the light until much later in the season.

“The Devil You Know” (Season 3, Episode 6)

Daredevil Season 3 finally brought in The Man Without Fear’s other great enemy, the mysterious and frighteningly accurate assassin Bullseye (Wilson Bethel). In Daredevil Season 3’s adaptation of Born Again, Benjamin “Dex” Poindexter as an FBI agent who becomes Wilson Fisk’s right-hand man, and who also dons a replica of Matt’s red Daredevil suit in order to frame him as a villain. Daredevil Season 3’s sixth episode “The Devil You Know” brings Matt and Bullseye head-to-head for the first of many epic fight scenes throughout the season, with the two battling in an office of the New York Bulletin.

With Daredevil‘s exceptional martial arts fight choreography dialed up to 11, “The Devil You Know” also plays like a horror movie cat-and-mouse game in the darkened office setting. Bullseye’s ability to pick up any object and turn it into a projectile instrument of death also ramps up the stakes of Daredevil fight scenes like never before. Wilson Bethel will return as Bullseye in Daredevil: Born Again, and to prepare for Daredevil’s upcoming showdown with Bullseye, fans just might want to go back and check out their first again.

“A New Napkin” (Season 3, Episode 13)

Daredevil Season 3 ends with another confrontation between The Devil of Hell’s Kitchen and the Kingpin in the season finale “A New Napkin,” and it is their most epic showdown yet. In “A New Napkin,” Fisk’s wedding to Vanessa (Ayelet Zurer) comes crashing down with not only Daredevil arriving to finally put a stop to him, but Bullseye turning on the Kingpin, culminating in a three-way smackdown between them. As a martial arts fight sequence, Daredevil’s battle with the Kingpin and Bullseye ranks among the show’s best and most impactful, but it is also the fight scene and overall episode that leads the most directly into Daredevil: Born Again.

Fisk seemingly leaves Dex immobilized with a spinal injury in the fight, but the season’s final scene sets up Bullseye as undergoing the surgery from the comics to augment his abilities and make him a threat to both of his sworn enemies again. That will now see its long-awaited payoff in Born Again. Meanwhile, Matt’s decision not to kill Fisk, the uneasy truce they strike as Fisk heads to prison, and Matt’s declaration at the top of his lungs that “This city rejected you, it beat you! I BEAT YOU!” will all undoubtedly play into their meeting in Daredevil: Born Again, especially with Fisk becoming mayor of New York City in the time jump between Daredevil and Born Again. If there’s just one episode for Daredevil fans to rewatch before the arrival of Daredevil: Born Again, “A New Napkin” is definitely the one.

Daredevil: Born Again arrives on Disney+ on March 4th, and all three seasons of Daredevil can also be streamed on Disney+.

The post 7 Daredevil Episodes You Need to Rewatch Before Born Again Premieres appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Marvel has announced they are bringing Spider-Man into a whole new kind of manga world with the original new series, Spider-Man Manga: Shadow Warrior now in the works for a launch later this Fall. Spider-Man is no stranger to manga as Marvel has launched the hero into all kinds of manga worlds. This has even been increasing in the past couple of years as Marvel has kickstarted new partnerships to increase their footing in the manga world with unexpected team ups and new releases expanding the Spider-Verse. But this next new manga is going to be a bit different from the others.

Spider-Man Manga: Shadow Warrior is a brand new original manga story that sees Spider-Man, Miles Morales, and Spider-Gwen travel back to feudal Japan in order to stop Kingpin, who has mysteriously taken control. But upon getting there, a new surprising host bonds with the Venom symbiote to become a whole new kind of Venom. You can check out the first look at Spider-Man Manga: Shadow Warrior (as shared by ScreenRant) below to get the feel for what this is going to look like when it hits this September.

What Is Spider-Man Manga: Shadow Warrior?

Written and illustrated by Shogo Aoki, Spider-Man Manga: Shadow Warrior will be making its debut on shelves beginning on September 16th later this year. As for what to expect from this new manga story, it begins to tease itself as such, “Travel to 19th century Japan, where the Kingpin Wilson Fisk has fled America and established himself as Governor of Edo. Peter Parker, Miles Morales, and Ghost-Spider are hot on his trail.” So it seems like it’s going to be a bit of a time travel and Isekai story putting these heroes into a new kind of world.

The synopsis for Spider-Man Manga: Shadow Warrior continues to tease its Venom spin on the story as such, “But the Kingpin has a trick up his sleeve: He’s brought an alien parasite capable of granting extraordinary powers. When a young man named Hyo accidentally bonds with the symbiote and seemingly transforms into the infamous Venom, things go from bad to worse! This new book is perfect for manga and super-hero fans alike!” And if the new series is anything like we have seen in the rest of Spider-Man’s manga releases thus far, it’s going to offer something unique for fans too.

RELATED: Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Yearbook: Every Marvel Character Confirmed to Appear

Spider-Man Has a Long History With Manga

Spider-Man has had a very long history with the world of manga as Marvel has experimented with all sorts of team ups and collaborations over the years. Not only did Spider-Man star in his own manga release with Spider-Man: The Manga years ago, but Marvel has also seen the character in all sorts of different collaborations over the years. These included crossovers with Attack on Titan, a special one-off with Iron Man written and illustrated by the late Yu-Gi-Oh creator Kazuki Takahashi, and even a series from My Hero Academia: Vigilantes creators Hideyuki Furuhashi and Betten Court on a Spider-Verse spin-off that ended recently.

So this newest manga is going to hit right in that sweet spot as Marvel has been really amping up their reach in this medium. Spider-Man Manga: Shadow Warrior is a great step forward in bridging that gap as Spider-Man just works in a manga context. It’s a character design that perfectly works in any kind of style, and Spider-Man has such a fun power set, allies, and a rogues gallery that manga is just the right way to help explore it all.

The post Spider-Man Announces Brand New Marvel Manga With First Look appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Every villain in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is guilty of crimes against humanity in some form, but they aren’t all equally as despicable. Certain adversaries, such as the Scarlet Witch and Loki, come across as remarkably sympathetic, yet others are sinister through and through. From Kingpin to Thanos, the most hateable MCU villains come from all over the franchise, taking their wicked deeds from one world to the next. Without a doubt, these 10 bad guys are the worst of the worst.

Wilson Fisk/Kingpin

Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio), also known as Kingpin, first appeared on-screen in Netflix’s Daredevil series, which ran from 2015 to 2018. D’Onofrio reprised his role in the 2021 Disney+ show Hawkeye, marking the character’s MCU debut. Although Fisk’s tragic upbringing being abused by his father may attract some sympathy, he’s become a truly awful human. Fisk’s endless quest for power has compromised any morals he may have, as his reprehensible actions include murder, bombings, and organized crime activities. Even though his ex-protégée Maya Lopez (Alaqua Cox) supposedly shot him dead in Hawkeye‘s finale, Fisk survived his wounds and came back like always does. Kingpin’s refusal to ever stay down makes him all the more detestable. He will show up in Daredevil: Born Again to once again contend with Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox).

Obadiah Stane/Iron Monger

The primary villain of 2008’s Iron Man, Obadiah Stane (Jeff Bridges) also went by the name Iron Monger. Obadiah was Tony Stark’s (Robert Downey Jr.) former business partner, and was secretly working with the Ten Rings organization in an attempt to eliminate the entrepreneur who eventually became Iron Man. Obadiah’s links to terrorism, along with his cartoonishly evil personality, make him an easy villain to hate.

Darren Cross/Yellowjacket/M.O.D.O.K

Darren Cross (Corey Stoll) first appeared in the MCU in 2015’s Ant-Man. Having previously worked under Hank Pym (Michael Douglas), Darren later became obsessed with quantum technology. He intended to sell weapons to HYDRA and the Ten Rings after taking over as the CEO of Pym Technologies, but instead donned his Yellowjacket suit to fight against Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) and his cohorts. Getting sucked into the Quantum Realm severely disfigured Darren, and thus, he became M.O.D.O.K., appearing in 2023’s Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Like Obadiah, Darren acted like a stereotypical evil mastermind who will stop at nothing to get what he wants.

Aldrich Killian

Aldrich Killian (Guy Pearce) is madness personified. The main villain of Iron Man 3 founded Advanced Idea Mechanics and thought it best to achieve his goals by creating human suicide bombs derived from his Extremis program. Killian’s villain origin story involves being rejected by Tony Stark as a young researcher who struggled with various disabilities growing up, but that doesn’t excuse his antagonistic actions. Killian’s other deeds prior to his death include the kidnappings of Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) and then-President of the United States Matthew Ellis (William Sadler).

Arishem

Debuting on-screen in 2021’s Eternals, Arishem exists as the Prime Celestial. He created the Deviants to aid in the births of Celestials, and later made the Eternals to protect worlds against them after the Deviants went rogue. In the film, Arishem serves as a god-like figure, insisting that the Emergence of Tiamut — a world-ending event — must happen on Earth. Thankfully, the Eternals put a stop to Arishem’s plan and saved the planet. Arishem’s maliciousness stems from his act of hiding the Eternals’ true purpose from them and his belief that a single Celestial is worth more than billions of humans.

[RELATED – 5 MCU Villains That Should Cameo in Marvel’s Thunderbolts]

Kang the Conqueror

Kang the Conqueror (Jonathan Majors) and his many variants were once meant to become the MCU’s next big bad. The character debuted in the Disney+ series Loki before taking on a bigger villain role in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Exceptionally dangerous due to his self-obsession and hunger for power, Kang led a crusade to rule every reality in the Multiverse, much like the empire he established in the Quantum Realm. There’s no telling what level of havoc he would have wreaked had his storyline continued.

The High Evolutionary 

Hardly anyone can sympathize with an animal abuser, and the High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji) is no exception. Featuring in 2023’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, the villain conducted genetic experiments on various life forms with the goal of creating a utopian civilization occupied by perfect species. The High Evolutionary’s test subjects included Rocket the racoon (Bradley Cooper), Lylla the otter (Lina Cardellini), Teefs the walrus (Asim Chaudhry), and Floor the rabbit (Mikaela Hoover). Countless others were horrifically abused and killed under his supervision. The High Evolutionary’s complete lack of compassion toward animals and his sinister ideology set him apart from the majority of MCU bad guys.

Thanos

Although plenty of MCU viewers believe that Thanos (Josh Brolin) had logic on his side when he eliminated half of the universe with a snap of his fingers, that argument strays far from reality. Put simply, the Mad Titan committed the most enormous genocide in history. Thanos’ “solution” to overpopulation and a dearth of resources was shortsighted, as he did not account for the fact that the universe’s population would one day reach the same number again. And of course, Thanos held no regard for the suffering the mass-killing event would inflict on the survivors. Thanos never cared about the perseverance of all worlds, he merely wanted to play god. On top of everything else, Thanos severely mistreated his own daughters Gamora (Zoe Saldaña) and Nebula (Karen Gillan), sacrificing the former’s life and physically torturing the latter.

Red Skull

Johann Schmidt, aka Red Skull (Hugo Weaving), was introduced in 2011’s Captain America: The First Avenger as the leader of HYDRA, who acted as a covert branch of Nazi Germany during World War II. In an effort to become an immortal leader, Schmidt used the Super Soldier serum on himself, bringing about his transformation into Red Skull. The villain also sought to use the Tesseract to complete his plan for world domination, making him a figure as dangerous and despicable as Adolf Hitler.

Dreykov

It’s hard to imagine worse than a man who abducts girls and turns them into chemically subjugated killers. General Dreykov (Ray Winstone) forced this reality on millions of young women, including his own daughter, Antonia aka Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko). The villain of 2021’s Black Widow once had adopted sisters Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) and Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), as well as their mother, Melina Vostokoff (Rachel Weisz), under his control. Even though they and the other Red Room assassins were eventually liberated, nothing could erase all of the trauma they endured.

The post 10 Most Hateable Marvel Cinematic Universe Villains appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Marvel Studios has had difficulties with both Shang-Chi and Blade in recent years, and it is clear which of the two Marvel should prioritize as they develop their future film slate. Both characters have found big cinematic success, with the Daywalker becoming a household name in the original Blade trilogy from New Line Cinema, and Shang-Chi bringing his kung fu mastery to the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2021’s Shang-Chi & the Legend of the Ten Rings. However, since then, things have been shockingly quiet for both characters.

Marvel has poured a great deal of effort and resources into getting Blade back into vampire hunting action with the studio’s planned reboot led by Mahershala Ali. However, Marvel has still failed to get Blade going despite the movie’s long development history. Here is why Marvel Studios should instead return their attention to kicking development on Shang-Chi 2 into high gear.

Shang-Chi Was A Genuine Success, So Why Is Shang-Chi 2 Taking So Long?

Marvel Studios wasn’t able to fully envision their release plans for Shang-Chi & the Legends of the Ten Rings, with the movie having to be postponed from its February 2021 release window (to capitalize on the Chinese Lunar New Year, similar to Black Panther‘s release during Black History Month in 2018) to September due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, that mattered little when Shang-Chi finally hit theaters; the movie earned $432.2 million worldwide and received an overall positive reception. Simu Liu’s performance as the steadfast warrior Shang-Chi was widely praised, as was the comic relief Awkwafina brought as his friend Katy. Meanwhile, Shang-Chi also delivered in spades as the MCU’s first full-blown martial arts film.

While superhero movies frequently utilize martial arts in their fight scenes to varying degrees, Shang-Chi took it to a whole new level with the film’s first half playing like a hard-hitting Hong Kong kung fu movie, and its second having the elegance and flair of a wuxia epic. The finesse of Shang-Chi‘s fight choreography owes greatly to its stunt team that included Jackie Chan Stunt Team alumni Andy Cheng and the late Bran Allan (who unfortunately passed away just a month before the movie’s release.) Additionally, Shang-Chi‘s two end-credits scenes set up the character’s larger MCU role. One depicts his meeting with Wong (Benedict Wong), Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), and Captain Marvel (Brie Larson), while the other sees Shang-Chi’s sister Xialing (Meng’er Zhang) become the new leader of the Ten Rings. With a set up like that, Shang-Chi‘s overall strong reception, and the best fight choreography of any MCU movie, the slow progress on Shang-Chi 2 is nothing less than baffling.

[RELATED – Marvel’s Shang-Chi 2: 6 Directors Who Could Replace Destin Daniel Cretton]

Marvel Has Had Blade In Development For Years With Nothing To Show For It

Marvel Studios’ attempt to bring Blade back to cinema screens has become a punchline, as well as the first real instance of an MCU film slipping into development hell. The reboot was first announced at 2019’s San Diego Comic-Con, with Mahershala Ali stepping on stage to confirm his involvement. Blade‘s development since has consisted of over half a decade of rewrites, retooling, directors departing, and rumors of Ali himself coming closer and closer to leaving Blade. In that time span, Blade’s only MCU presence has been a voice cameo by Ali in the end-credits scene of Eternals, speaking to Kit Harrington’s Dane Whitman as he holds the Ebony Blade.

Eventually, Blade was removed from the Marvel release calendar altogether, though the project has not been officially cancelled, with Ali reportedly still attached. Worse still, 2024’s Deadpool & Wolverine even managed to bring the OG Blade Wesley Snipes out of retirement for the movie’s Multiverse story, with the Daywalker taking a not-so-subtle dig at the Blade reboot’s production troubles with the line, “There’s only been one Blade, there’s only ever gonna be one Blade.” Ryan Reynolds himself has since even gone as far as to publicly advocate for Snipes to return in a Logan-style Blade send-off movie, a prospect that many fans have latched onto with an enthusiasm eclipsing the MCU Blade reboot. With nearly six years of the Daywalker’s proper MCU debut going in circles, the Blade reboot has clearly fallen through the cracks of the franchise’s plans.

Shang-Chi Needs To Be A Bigger MCU Priority Than Blade

Comparing Shang-Chi and Blade directly, it is clear that the former has far more going for him. With one popular box office hit already under his belt, and the distinction of bringing Hong Kong-style martial arts action into the MCU fold, Shang-Chi has always had a lot of potential as a future MCU pillar. The problem is that that Marvel also failed to strike while the iron was hot by not fast-tracking Shang-Chi 2 right after its predecessor’s release. As the disastrous box office downturn from Captain Marvel to The Marvels demonstrates, allowing a new character or property to cool down too much following their debut can have significant financial consequences.

Blade, by contrast, hasn’t even gotten as far as Shang-Chi has, with a reboot that’s simply run in place for over half a decade and counting. The only real notable achievement Blade as character has accomplished in that time is Snipes’ Daywalker return in Deadpool & Wolverine, which itself makes a compelling case to swap the MCU Blade reboot for Reynolds’ proposal of a Logan-esque ride for Snipes. It also highlights that Marvel needs to return their attention to getting the ball rolling on Shang-Chi 2.

With the absence of Shang-Chi himself since his first solo movie, he would likely benefit from a cameo or supporting role in another MCU project as a means to re-energize audience enthusiasm for his adventures, before proceeding directly into Shang-Chi 2. However Shang-Chi’s next adventure is handled, it’s clear that Marvel needs to give his return a renewed priority status after how long they’ve spent trying to ice skate uphill with the Blade reboot.

Shang-Chi & The Legend of the Ten Rings can be streamed on Disney+.

The post Forget Blade, Marvel Needs to Finally Bring Shang-Chi Off the Bench appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Marvel Rivals avoided a common launch pitfall by having a stacked roster of over 30 playable characters, with 4 more joining the mix throughout season 1. That will continue to grow by around 2 a season according to recent reports, and while there are obviously some big mainstream names being added to the game, Rivals has shown it’s open to adding lesser known characters to its roster as well. That got us to thinking about which deep cut characters we’d love to see added to Marvel Rivals, so while we may never see some of these in the game, we still have a small modicum of hope that we will.

Darkhawk

We’re starting with one of my favorite Marvel heroes, and that’s Darkhawk. While I am clearly bias a bit, I can honestly say that Darkhawk would make a brilliant fit for Rivals, especially if the game embraced his later storylines that introduced the Fraternity of Raptors.

Darkhawk would likely be a Duelist, but he could also have abilities that lean Vanguard like Mr. Fantastic. Darkhawk would be a huge asset in the air and on the ground, and while he can shoot a long distance beam of energy courtesy of his amulet, the key here would be to give him abilities that would maximize him at melee range as well, allowing him to swoop in from the air, mix it up with combos, and then soar back out again.

He would be able to generate quick shields for others near him as well, and for his ultimate, he could transform into one of his enhanced Raptor armor configurations for a short period of time. As for team-ups, Darkhawk and Spider-Man could easily have one, as they teamed up quite a bit in the past, but my money would be on a cosmic team-up with a character that should be a no-brainer addition to the roster in Nova.

[RELATED: 10 Comics Costumes We Absolutely Need in Marvel Rivals]

Exodus

Shifting to the X-Men side of the universe, we’re heading into villain territory with Exodus. Exodus first entered the Marvel Universe as one of Magneto’s staunchest supporters, and though that soured over time, they would work together again during the Krakoa era. Obviously, this paves the way for a major team-up attack between the former allies, though Exodus could be a beast all on his own as well, making him a perfect candidate to be a strategist.

Exodus’ psionic abilities are omega level, and he bring a variety of things to the battlefield. Exodus’ telekinetic abilities are incredibly powerful, and he has a history of using his abilities for healing as well as destruction. Exodus would be able to disperse a wide blasts of healing and then a smaller more precise blast of healing, and these would also damage opponents. He would also be able to create space by forging telekinetic constructs, hitting someone from far way with a piercing spear or pushing someone away up-close with a huge fist.

Two of his most interesting aspects though could be utilized as a passive buff or even an ultimate ability. The first is that Exodus can feed on other characters’ psionic energies, and then he can channel that absorbed power into either an offensive or defensive ability. The other element is that Exodus actually gets more powerful when those around him have faith in him, and this could be utilized in the form of a passive buff that gave his shields or attacks higher potency.

Elsa Bloodstone

Moving over to the Marvel monsterverse, it’s time for Elsa Bloodstone to make her Marvel Rivals debut. Bloodstone is a monster hunter and utilizes a number of weapons and magical artifacts to help get the job done. Combined with the power of the bloodstone itself, that opens the door for any number of abilities in the game, creating a Duelist that could be a unique mix of Punisher and Scarlet Witch.

The bloodstone is what grants her superhuman strength and agility, as well as a top tier healing factor, but she can also use it to deliver lethal energy blasts. She would have a base energy blast that would take a little longer to recharge but would hit hard. You could use her genie’s lamp to teleport a short distance quickly, and then she could have a double barrel shotgun that could hit enemies with two quick high damage shots.

For her ultimate, you could have her unleash the power of the bloodstone with a wild blast that can hit random opponents nearby and slow everyone so that she can go in and clean up with the shotgun, amassing even more kills. As a team-up, he’s not in the game yet, but whenever Deadpool does enter the fray, they absolutely need to have a special one-two punch.

Speedball

Get ready to throw your controllers, as we are welcoming in Robbie Baldwin to the mix, aka Speedball. I say throw your controllers not because he won’t be extremely fun to play (because he absolutely will be) but because good luck trying to get a shot in on a Speedball that’s just bouncing all over the screen.

Speedball is a longtime member of the New Warriors, and has the unique ability to create a kinetic field around himself. That’s pretty normal as far as superheroes go, but his is very unique, as it absorbs all kinetic energy thrown his way and can literally bounce off of objects. Speedball learned to harness this by bouncing from object to object and keeping his momentum as he moves across locations.

You could have Speedball bouncing across the ground and in the air from object to object, and then tie an area attack to it when he lands that gains power the more energy he builds up on the way there. He is also able to form energy around his hands to increase his melee damage, and if you wanted to you could even make him a strategist, allowing him to heal allies that he comes into contact with as he bounces across the screen. He could also unleash a powerful blast of energy that damages himself in the process for his ultimate, tapping into his Penance powers, but you could just as easily have him bounce around the screen at hyper speed, dealing out damage but also additional shielding to allies.

Blink

Moving back to the X-Men for a bit, let’s talk about the powerful teleporter Blink. While Nightcrawler seems like a shoe-in for Marvel Rivals at some point, he’s not the only teleporter that should be considered, as Blink offers a powerful skillset that also makes her a prime candidate for the game.

Blink can create portals that allow multiple people to move through to another place, which is an incredibly handy core ability if you’ve ever faced a Doctor Strange on the Rivals battlefield. Unlike Strange though, the portals are also tied to Blink’s other offensive and defensive capabilities, as she can create energy knives from that portal energy.

That would be cool in itself, but Blink is able to use these knives to teleport those they come in contact with, and she can use this in a number of ways. She can hit an incoming projectile with them and teleport them back towards the attacker for instance, or she cold connect with an attack on someone and teleport them a short distance away and get them out of the fight. This could be insanely powerful, and she would be a killer duelist to have on the roster, especially if you give her an effective ultimate that can send the opposing team scrambling to get back into position, perhaps by teleporting everyone in an area to different scattered spots.

Goldballs

You can thank the Krakoa era for turning the mutant at one time known as Egg into Goldballs, and we’re carving out a little time to make his case for being included in Marvel Rivals. Goldballs, aka Fabio Medina, is a mutant with the ability to create literal gold balls from his body at a variety of sizes and speeds. Now, on its own, that doesn’t seem all that useful, but he’s shown over the years that he can be effective n he battlefield with this, damaging enemies with them and gaining more control over the preciseness of those attacks.

The real kicker though was when it was revealed that those balls were shockingly infertile eggs, which was utilized by The Five to create the revival process that resurrected dead mutants. With all this in mind, it would make most sense for Goldballs to be a Strategist, as he can hit a widespread area with gold balls that heal and then turn around hit a blast-like attack that damages enemies (continuous would be better to differentiate from Jeff’s attack). Then as his ultimate you could have him revive a dead teammate, but the best part would be that he would revive them with a fully charged up ultimate, instantly making them a huge threat.

Maggott

Speaking of cult favorite X-Men characters, the 90s run of X-Men produced one of my personal faves in Maggott. His character design quickly set him apart, and that was also due to his two sidekick slugs known as Eany and Meany, who devour just about anything and then return to Maggott, giving him a power boost in the process.

Maggott would be a perfect Vanguard, with a kit based around Eany and Meany consuming energy and doing damage to bulk Maggott up, which would in turn increase his damage deliver and his damage resistance. He would be able to command Eany and Meany back at anytime, so it would be about targeting the right person and calling them back at the right time to maximize their effect.

An Ultimate would likely play around with the idea of being consumed by two giant versions of Eany and Meany, or perhaps having the form around someone and squeezing the lifeforce out of them bit by bit like an anaconda, which would assuredly frustrate a few duelist damage dealers for sure. He would be a complex her to master, but if they got the levels right, Maggott could become a fan favorite for those looking to take on a challenge.

Glob

A more recent addition to the X-Men is the lovable mutant known as Glob, and you seriously can’t miss him. That’s because Glob’s mutant ability is tied to the pink living wax (known as bio-paraffin) that surrounds his body.

The living wax is transparent, so there’s no hiding his skeleton and intestines, but it’s also quite useful, as it gives Glob superhuman strength and makes him incredibly difficult to kill. The wax is resistant to pretty much everything, including fire and being separated into pieces, which makes for a pretty impressive combo.

That resistance also helps when Glob wants to get in some offense, as he an set himself on fire and pretty much not feel it, and that allows him to throw globs of essentially flaming hot wax at enemies. In Rivals, Glob would be a tank-like Vanguard, and his core attack would be to fling wax particles out opponents.

There would be some sort of ability that would allow him to set those projectiles on fire for higher damage or even perhaps lingering damage from being burned, but he would also be able to light himself on fire completely and launch into a group of enemies. His superhuman strength could also be bulked up in some way (ala Hulk), and I would personally love to see his culinary skills reflected with some sort of buff, but that’s reaching even further.

Cardiac

Maggott’s not the only personal favorite to make the list, and for this spot we move over to the world of Spider-Man. That’s where we find the man named Eli Wirtham, though he’s better known as Cardiac. Cardiac has a completely unique look, even amongst ’90s creations, and Rivals could work wonders with his design, but he also offers up something not yet featured in the game.

Cardiac generates beta particles from his artificial heart, and he uses his power staff to focus those particles into powerful blasts. To put that into perspective, he can moderate the force of his blasts, so you could have light quicker blasts and heavier blasts that produced bigger damage, but he can also wield his staff as a melee weapon, something that’s not been tapped in Rivals yet.

Cardiac can be a monster at medium range, and he can also use his staff to catapult him a small distance as a speed boost. He’s also got a glider called bird that he can hook onto and catch some air with, and he can even funnel his power blasts through the glider to hit from enemies from the sky. Cardiac would likely be a duelist, though you could absolutely make him a Strategist if you were to allow his blasts to combo as healing like Rivals did with Invisible Woman. Being able to use healing blasts from the glider would also bring something fresh to the mix, so there are several options to make Cardiac an immediately impactful character.

TypeFace

For this last one we’re going to the alphabet, and that’s because this entry is about Gordon Thomas, aka Typeface. For those who aren’t familiar (and we don’t blame you), Typeface is a former villain turned hero who wears letters on his face and body that all stand for something, including the A that stands for Annihilation.

After regaining his sanity, he became a vigilante, and in the absence of powers he developed his own arsenal of letter-themed weapons. As an ex solider he already has extensive military training in combat, but he also added blades shaped like letters and letter bombs that exploded on contact.

To be clear, I’m not actually saying you should have him as a Duelist in Marvel Rivals, but wouldn’t it be hilarious to see letters flying through the air at Iron Man or explosive letters hitting the ground in front of Hulk? It absolutely would, and that’s why he should at least get a nomination for the roster.

Alright, that’s our list, but let us know which Marvel Rival characters you would absolutely hope to see in the game. You can talk all things Marvel Rivals with me on Bluesky @knightofoa!

The post 10 Wild Marvel Rivals Characters We’d Love to See (But Probably Won’t) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

One of the more requested characters in regards to the Marvel Cinematic Universe is Nova, and his MCU debut has been rumored for years. Late last year it was finally confirmed that Nova will make his long awaited MCU debut through an in development TV series, but there have been pitches for a Nova series in the past that never made it to the screen. Former X-Men ’97 showrunner Beau DeMayo recently detailed his previous pitch for a character series that brought in elements of the cult hit Starship Troopers, and he was in talks to start development on it after season 3 of X-Men ’97 was completed.

On X DeMayo was asked about a recent report regarding a Starship Troopers-themed pitch, and he reveals the pitch was indeed his. “Hahaha I can’t speak to the larger plans but the Starship Troopers pitch of it was def me. Was in the midst of discussions about developing #Nova once #xmen97 Season 3 wrapped,” DeMayo wrote.

That’s when DeMayo revealed that his series would have themed things around Annihilation, which is one of Marvel’s biggest cosmic stories. “My idea was you treat Annihilation Wave like the bugs in Starship Troopers and then tell the story of the guy who joins the army to impress a girl, Namorita. Build a band of friends that we then slowly kill as Rick and his friends experience the horrors of intergalactic war,” DeMayo wrote.

“You juxtapose this with Rick realizing the Nova Corps use propaganda a la Starship Troopers to police and control the truth on outer space, and are trying to hidethe coming Annihilation Wave, eventually forcing Rick and his team to go rogue a la Mission Impossible,” DeMayo wrote. “I planned to borrow from Veerhoven and do his dark satirical style, with Nova Corp Bulletin break ins that paint a very diff pic then what Rick and his friends are facing, which explains how why other heroes aren’t showing up. Nova Corps keeping them out.”

[RELATED: Marvel’s Kevin Feige Confirms Nova Project Is a TV Show, Reveals Timeline for Release (Exclusive)]

DeMayo also figured out a way to make sure things stayed on track regarding the budget. “To avoid ballooning the budget, I planned to have Rick and his team get stranded on an outer planet around episode 3-4, a utopia world that’s now mysteriously a ghost town that they’ve been sent to figure out what happened,” DeMayo wrote. “While there, the vibe here is very Pitch Black for the rest of the season as they’re trying to survive on the planet by Annihilus monsters. slowly being killed one by one, as we’re seeing Nova bulletins about how everything is fine”

“Eventually, Rick and the survivors discover that these seemingly monstrous bugs are being controlled by a “king bug” (Annihlus) and that Nova Corps have known about him but redacted everything about him,” DeMayo wrote. “This sets Rick and his team up in season 2 to go rogue to hunt down Annihilus before the wave comes to the core planets of the MCU. So starship troopers meets mission impossible, either Rick not knowing who he can trust in the Nova Corps.”

That project will not be happening now obviously, but there is a Nova project in the works. During a previous interview with ComicBook, Head of Streaming, Television and Animation at Marvel Studios Brad Winderbaum revealed the current plans for Nova, teasing that it will hit the screen when they are fully happy with the show and overall vision.

“So Nova’s in development right now. We are. But I will say we’re developing more than we make. This is part of the new Marvel,” Winderbaum revealed. “But we should talk about this because at Marvel everything has a spotlight on it and everyone gets super excited and we love Nova. And we want to get it right. But it’s in development. We got a few things in development and we’re not going to go on a show until we are happy with a pilot. Happy with the bible. So it is in development right now.”

What do you think of the pitch for Nova, and what do you want from a Nova series? You can talk all things Marvel with me on Bluesky @knightofoa!

The post X-Men ’97 Creator Pitched a Nova Series Inspired by Starship Troopers (and It Sounds Perfect) appeared first on ComicBook.com.