Ah yes, Marvel Studios. That behemoth of entertainment which immediately brings to mind superheroes, box office records, and rabid fandom. Despite massive success across 15 years of projects, things seem to be settling to a less than ideal performance with recent releases. It’s been mostly doom and gloom from industry insiders, citing numerous things like bad VFX (“She-Hulk“), overly bloated budgets with limited returns (“Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania“), and a star who is leading the next phase of the MCU getting arrested and awaiting trial (Jonathan Majors).
So, what’s next for the media magnate? We know some of the projects still on the slate, and possible directions for in the future releases. “Fantastic Four” and “X-Men” are finally options for Marvel Studios, but there doesn’t seem to be much in the way of confirmed news or plans for either yet. “Deadpool 3” is in the works with Hugh Jackman returning as Wolverine, yes, but not really anything beyond that.
Things seem bleak for anticipated projects like “Blade” with Mahershala Ali and “Daredevil: Born Again” with Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio both returning. 5 reported scripts, three different directors, and now a massive budget cut for “Blade” has reports claiming Ali was close to leaving the film. Similiarly with “Daredevil,” a cleaning house of writing staff and showrunners for a complete “tonal shift” have fans concerned.
Which is why it shouldn’t come as any surprise some sources are saying the powers that be at Marvel Studios are seriously considering getting the “Avengers” band back together. Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Jeremy Renner, and Scarlett Johansson led the landmark superhero flick, launching an empire we’re not likely to see again. But, as we’ve known for some time, a reunion is unlikely as two of those original heroes are canonically dead. Sure, superhero source material is funnypages soap opera- no one is ever REALLY dead. Clones, twins, alternative timelines and universes; there’s always a way to bring someone back.
But we really, REALLY hope they don’t, no matter what Variety’s unnamed sources say. The budget alone would be astronomical. We’re talking NASA project levels, with reports claiming RDJr.’s payout for “Avengers: Endgame” was an astounding $75 million (with box office bonuses and 8% return added). So, just think about how much money such a film would need to make. Sure, sometimes it seems like Disney has more money than God, but would this be the right choice? There’s also the matter of the very messy Johansson vs. Disney lawsuit, making a Black Widow return even more unlikely.
Only time will tell. We’ll let you know what we hear about this and other news.
Mary Anne Butler
Mary Anne Butler (Mab) has been part of the fast-paced world of journalism since she was 15, getting her start in album reviews and live concert coverage for a nationally published (print) music magazine. She eventually transitioned to online media, writing for such sites as UGO/IGN, ComicsOnline, Geek Magazine, Ace of Geeks, Aggressive Comix (where she is still Editor-in-Chief), Bleeding Cool (where she was News Editor), and now Nerdbot as Editor-In-Chief. Over the past 10 years, she’s built a reputation at conventions across the globe as a cosplayer (occasionally), photographer (constantly), panelist and moderator (mostly), and reporter (always). Interviews, reviews, observations, breaking news, and objective reporting are the name of the game for the founder of Harkonnen Knife Fight, a Dune-themed band with an international presence. Though she be but little, she is fierce.
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