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Marvel Studios may have finally teased the answer to a seven-year-old MCU mystery in What If...? season 3, which could have major implications for the upcoming Ironheart series. While previous seasons of Marvel Animation's What If...? included only heroes who had already appeared in the McU's live-action projects, What If...? season 3 marked the debut of several characters who hadn't yet appeared in the MCU. One of these new additions perfectly sets the stage for an upcoming MCU series, and could have also solved an annoying Phase 3 mystery.

Among some of the new additions to the MCU in What If...? season 3, the most recent chapter of the animated Multiverse Saga series also featured a number of returning characters. This saw What If...? introduce variants of Sam Wilson's Captain America, Agatha Harkness, Riri Williams' Ironheart, Shang-Chi and Kate Bishop, among others. The latter two appeared as outlaws in the Wild West...

Through its six-season run from 2015 to 2020, ABC’s Fresh Off the Boat entertained audiences immensely. Set in the 1990s, the show followed the life and adventures of a Taiwanese-American family living in suburban Florida. The show was based on the eponymous 2013 memoir by food personality Eddie Huang, who also served as an executive producer on the show.

The Huang Family in Fresh Off the Boat | Credits: ABC

Fresh Off the Boat was culturally significant and did great in terms of Asian-American representation in mainstream media. Preceded by Margaret Cho-led All-American Girl, Fresh Off the Boat was the first sitcom on television, after over 20 years, with an all-Asian-American star cast. Apart from this socially important milestone, the show also managed to win people’s hearts.

It resonated deeply with people’s experiences of growing up in the 90s and left them in stitches with its chaotic humor. The characters, each unique,...

With so much of Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania set in the Quantum Realm, there wasn't time to continue exploring Scott Lang's personal life. As a result, both Bobby Cannavale's Jim Paxton and Judy Greer's Maggie Lang were missing from the threequel.

In an interview with The Direct, Greer broke her silence on being left out of the movie and admitted she was disappointed when Marvel Studios didn't ask her to return as Scott's ex-wife and Cassie's mother.

"I was in the last 'Guardians' as War Hog. War Pig, I believe, was my name in the last 'Guardians,' but in the first two 'Ant-Man' movies, I don't... There's been a lot of movies," she explained. "But the reason, I don't know why I wasn't in 'Quantumania,' by the way, but I went to the movie theater and saw it. I...

Warning: This article contains Spoilers for What If...? season 3's finale

It feels like the tide may actually be turning on MCU post-credits scenes, after years of Marvel setting the expectation for a future tease on every single project. It took until Avengers: Endgame for the trend of MCU post-credits to end, as the Russos chose to leave Tony Stark's death to breathe in a genius move. After 16 years, post-credits scenes have gone back to being what they always should be: non-guaranteed bonuses.

Sadly, some of those post-credits scenes in Phase 5 still feel like mistakes - Ant-Man & The Wasp: Quantumania's in particular - but Marvel's Phase 5 TV shows have pleasantly bucked the trend by leaving out post-credits scene almost entirely. In an area where future seasons are far less guaranteed (especially with the promise of a new approach to Marvel's small screen), empty stingers would be more frustrating.

Directed by Guillem Morales, “The Wasp” is a two-hander psychological thriller with Naomie Harris and Natalie Dormer. The film follows a sinister plan brewed by a married woman to seek revenge for her troubling past and repellent marriage. Harris plays the married woman in this equation, and Dormer plays her old-school friend. Written by Morgan Lloyd Malcolm, the screenplay is based on Malcom’s own 2015 play. It examines power equations in different settings to build a taut tale of vengeance that stings even more than it bites.

Spoilers Ahead

The Wasp (2024) Plot Summary & Movie Synopsis:

“The Wasp” follows Heather, a married woman who meets Carla, her childhood friend, after years with a strange proposal. Through their discussion, old wounds resurface, leading them on a wild ride. Before reading further, please note that the film covers themes of domestic abuse and childhood trauma.

What happens in Naomie Harris starrer ‘The Wasp...

One of the greatest actors in the MCU has returned in What If...? season 3 and has redeemed his forgettable debut from six years ago. The MCU has a stellar reputation for its casting decisions, starting strong with Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark and continuing to score wins with each of its main cast. Still, it isn't as if there have been no miscasts in the MCU, as the totality of its star-studded cast is bound to include misfires. These mostly comprise wasted castings, with some of Hollywood's greatest actors embodying some forgettable MCU roles.

Thankfully, the MCU has entered an era that can compensate for this wasted cast. The multiverse has provided the perfect conduit through which characters who fell by the wayside can return as variants from alternate universes. These variants can take on a variety of guises, either appearing identical to Earth-616's "originals" or as entirely different species.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has introduced some mighty powerful Avengers over the years, but which of them is strongest is a hotly debated matter. The Avengers have proven to be Earth’s mightiest heroes, but not all of them pose the same level of threat. Some are skilled fighters with specialized talents, while others wield cosmic powers that could reshape reality. From the likes of Captain America to Captain Marvel, this list ranks each Avenger based on their potential threat, focusing on how their abilities could influence the battlefield.

This ranking will focus on the Avengers as seen throughout Phases 1–3 of the MCU timeline, better known as the Infinity Saga. This period saw the Avengers come together to face off against powerful villains like Loki, Ultron, and Thanos, in some of the best MCU movies ever. From strategic skill to raw strength, each hero played a distinct role in protecting...

The McU's introduction to Kang always faced on uphill battle, but it was the choice to have the character's fate mirror that of another character in another film that makes Kang's debut feel doomed before it even began. Ant-Man & The Wasp: Quantumania was the next installment of the series following Ant-Man and the Wasp, and was the biggest adventure for the titular characters yet. In the end, the film didn't land with critics and barely broke even at the box-office, and essentially wasting the introduction of the McU's next big villain.

Kang was once promised to be the next big bad of the MCU in the same vein as Thanos, but that is all but gone. In fact, prior to everything happening with Kang, his role in the MCU might have been doomed before it even began. How the MCU tried to tell the story of Kang fell flat,...

Since hearing Buffalo and The Wasp, we had a feeling we knew who would be beneath the masks. It wasn’t surprising to find out that we would need to wait until The Masked Singer season 12 finale to find out who were beneath all the masks.

The final saw the return of Rita Ora, who had to miss the semifinals due to an illness. She came back at the right time, as she share her own guesses with the other panelists to figure out who were beneath those final masks.

This season certainly brought some big an exciting names. There’s no doubt that some of them took us by surprise, but there are always a couple of masks we just know. The voices are those we’ve listened to for years. We just have to look at Neyo, Chris Daughtry, and Nick Carter for the reminder of how easy...

Michael Douglas is discussing changes in Hollywood over an Oscar-winning acting career that has culminated with the rise of digital technology and streaming platforms.

“The biggest change in my lifetime and career has been digital,” especially in sound production, Douglas said during an informal conversation at the Red Sea Film Festival in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Friday. He recalled in the 1970s filmmakers having more control over the production process, while the studios focused on the distribution business.

“It’s gone the other way in terms of both studios or in this case streaming services and now this latest chapter is the advent of Silicon Valley dumbing down and just taking over what we thought was this big industry,” Douglas argued.

“Between Apple, Amazon and Netflix, the designs of their companies, they’re so huge, they can afford so much,” he added.

During the wide-ranging conversation that focused in large part on his early achievements,...

The team here at Empire HQ spends a lot of time watching movies. On streaming, at the cinema, on disc, on the little screen on the back of a plane seat — we can't get enough of them. And because we love movies, and watch so many of them, we also love movie trailers. That heart stopping first glimpse at our next cinematic adventure; that perfectly chosen, tone-setting needle drop; that perfectly balanced edit that teases a banger without revealing all of its secrets. The art of the movie trailer is one that's easy to get wrong, and incredibly difficult to get right. And so, as has become an annual tradition, we'd like to take a moment to reflect on the trailers that entertained and enticed us in 2024, stoking conversation and adding to our ever-growing watchlists. Read on for Empire's list of the very best movie trailers we've seen over the past twelve months.

New filming details for Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars have made me hopeful that Phase 6 will pull off something that Infinity War and Endgame didn't do in Phase 3 of the MCU. Concluding the McU's divisive Multiverse Saga, Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars are expected to be Marvel Studios' most exciting projects yet, but recent teases have me thinking that Phase 6 could be much bigger than just these two crossover movies. New comments from returning directing duo the Russo brothers have only compounded my hopes for the McU's Phase 6.

With the Russo brothers rejoining Marvel Studios to helm Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars, I've been wondering how similar these movies will be to the Russos' last MCU projects, Infinity War and Endgame. I reckon the Russo brothers are the perfect choice to direct Marvel's upcoming Avengers movies, especially since they'll be adapting some of Marvel Comics' biggest and most important events.

Robert Downey Jr. may be preparing to put on a new mask as the McU's Doctor Doom in the near future, but the Oscar-winning Oppenheimer star isn't done with taking on original projects just yet it would seem. Having starred in Park Chan-wook's The Sympathizer and made his Broadway debut leading Ayad Akhtar's new play McNeal this year already, Deadline are now reporting that Downey Jr. is being eyed to lead an adaptation of Julianna Baggott's short story The Hider at Universal.

According to Deadline's article, Universal have snapped up the rights to Baggott's short story, whose plot details currently remain firmly under wraps. Ant-Man And The Wasp and Transformers One duo Andrew Barrer and Gabriel Ferrari are working on the script for the adaptation, which is the latest in an increasingly long line of projects based on Baggott's works to enter development. Others include a screen...

Exclusive: Universal Pictures is looking to get back in business with its Oscar-winning Oppenheimer star as sources tell Deadline the studio has landed the rights to Julianna Baggott’s short story The Hider with Robert Downey Jr. eyed to star. Andrew Barrer and Gabriel Ferrari will adapt the short story.

Plot details being kept under wraps. The project is in early development.

Downey Jr., Susan Downey and Amanda Burrell will produce through Team Downey. Tory Tunnell and Joby Harold will produce through Safehouse Pictures. Julianna Baggott will executive produce and Finneas Scott will co-produce.

Universal’s Executive Vice President of Production Development Matt Reilly will oversee the project for the Studio.

The reunion comes after Downey Jr. took home the Oscar for best supporting actor for his critically-acclaimed role in Universal and Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer.

Deadpool has a nearly impossible task ahead of him if the hero is to ever surpass the Marvel Cinematic Universe Avenger that continues to rank above Wade Wilson when it comes to the box office. Deadpool & Wolverine just cemented the power of the mutant's franchise. Not only did the movie reunite Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman on the big screen, but it also brought back several stars from past Marvel movies as part of Deadpool & Wolverine's surprise multiverse characters. The MCU movie broke box office records left and right.

According to the specialized box office tracking website Box Office Mojo, Deadpool & Wolverine is currently at $1.32 billion worldwide. That makes the MCU movie the highest-grossing R-rated film of all time by a comfortable margin. Reynolds' Deadpool franchise has a history of success, be it under Marvel Studios or Fox, as the two non-mcu Deadpool films also broke many box office records.

Guillem Morales’ psychological thriller The Wasp might catch you off guard. At first glance, it seems to be a film about a bad marriage—well, it is that and so much more. The characters are layered, the plot is simple, and the narrative keeps you interested. The flaw lies in how conveniently the story is told, but nonetheless, it is quite entertaining.

Heather was in a loveless marriage with Simon. She knew that he was cheating on her, yet she never confronted him. Lately, she had become extremely frustrated with the wasp nest in her house. She wanted it gone, but Simon didn’t seem bothered to act on it. Heather ritualistically killed one wasp at a time, until one day she decided to take matters into her own hands.

Spoiler Alert

Why did Heather contact Carla?

After organizing a party for Simon’s colleagues, Heather turned her attention to the smoke alarm,...

It’s been a good while since we had a proper Marvel team-up movie. Post-Endgame, we’ve had a few dysfunctional families of galactic oddbods in Eternals and Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3. But there hasn’t been anything close to an Avengers-level event – a clash of egos, a group brought together to try and make something better than themselves. But the first trailer for Thunderbolts* has arrived, and teases something of an Avengers-style gathering – though rather than a group of primary-coloured do-gooders, these are all depressed antiheroes with shady pasts, each in desperate need of a second chance. Check out the extended teaser here:

There’s plenty to unpack here – notably, the first half of the trailer positioning this as something of a Yelena Belova movie, placing Florence Pugh’s Black Widow-adjacent character at the forefront. That makes sense, since her father-figure Alexei (aka David Harbour’s...

Agatha All Along's Rotten Tomatoes score has been slowly rising since its premiere, as fans have their say on the most recent MCU TV show. When looking at the upcoming MCU TV shows after X-Men '97, Agatha All Along received a mixed perception. Some were excited about the continuation of WandaVision's story, while others felt it was unnecessary to the overarching story of the MCU. However, by the time of Agatha All Along episode 2's ending, it seems the show has won audiences over. While not the best-ranked MCU TV show, the response has been more positive than first thought.

This upturn in positive reception is notable via Agatha All Along's Rotten Tomatoes score. Upon the show's debut, Rotten Tomatoes indicated that 76% of audiences who had reviewed the show gave it a positive rating. Since then, the audience approval rating has increased slowly to 81%, surpassing several MCU properties.

European sales, production and finance company mk2 films has announced a multi-year slate financing deal with investment fund manager Ipr.Vc, which will provide “significant financial backing for a slate of future projects”.

The French firm did not divulge details of the value of the deal or how many projects it was projected to include, but said Ipr.Vc’s financial support would enable it to deliver a robust slate of projects and further strengthen “its status as a leading force in auteur-driven cinema”.

“We are thrilled to work with Ipr.Vc and its experienced management team, and to have found the perfect partners to allow us to scale our efforts while maintaining the artistic integrity that defines mk2 films and our commitment to bold, visionary filmmaking,” mk2 films CEO Nathanael Karmitz and Managing Director Fionnuala Jamison said in a joint statement.

Recent mk2 films successes include Justine Triet’s Oscar-winning Anatomy of a Fall,...

We went into Deadpool & Wolverine expecting the movie to close the door on the Fox-verse. Instead, it celebrated Earth-10005 and set the stage for that world to continue to flourish alongside Earth-616/the Sacred Timeline. 

While we'd hoped for cameos, the threequel upped the ante by taking us into the Void before giving Elektra (Jennifer Garner), Blade (Wesley Snipes), Gambit (Channing Tatum), and X-23 (Dafne Keen) a second chance. It felt really special but has got us thinking...which other Earth-10005 heroes and villains deserve a second chance in the MCU? 

This could be in an upcoming Multiverse Saga project (which seems most likely) or even in the softly rebooted MCU which is rumoured to be the plan for this shared world post-Avengers: Secret Wars. Hopefully, the names before surprise you!

You can find out which characters have made the cut by clicking on the "Next"/"View List" buttons below.

The Multiverse Saga of the MCU had locked in Jonathan Majors as its antagonist, having the actor appear in multiple films and TV shows in preparation for Avengers: Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars. However, following his conviction for assaulting his ex-girlfriend Grace Jabbari, the actor was promptly fired from Disney, with the Kang Dynasty switching its title to Doomsday.

Jonathan Majors as Kang from MCU | Credits: Marvel

Since then, it seems that Majors has fallen on some hard times, given that sources close to the actor and his current girlfriend, Meagan Good, have reported to Life & Style Magazine that the latter has been covering Majors financially, even going so far as to pay his child support for his daughter, who was the product of a previous relationship.

Meagan Good has been allegedly supporting Jonathan Majors since his exit from Marvel Meagan Good in Shazam: Fury of the Gods || Credit: Warner Brothers.

Game of Thrones was famous for its death scenes. Whether it's Ned Stark getting his head chopped off, his wife and son getting betrayed at the Red Wedding, or Margaery and Loras Tyrell blown to bits at the Sept of Baelor, death was always just around the corner for these characters.

The Sept of Baelor explosion is probably my favorite scene from the show. Cersei Lannister didn't just off her rival Margaery and her tormenter the High Sparrow; she also killed her uncle Kevan Lannister and a ton of randos who hadn't hurt her in any way. I didn't like how she suffered basically no consequences for those collateral deaths, but the scene itself was tremendous:

Absolute insanity to this day. I love this scene, but star Natalie Dormer, who played poor doomed blown up Margaery, actually has some misgvings about it, or at least, about the way Margaery went out.

Michelle Pfeiffer plays the McU's Janet Van Dyne and, following the original Wasp's return from the Quantum Realm in Ant-Man and The Wasp, finally took centre stage in last year's Quantumania.

Of course, as we're sure you're all aware, Pfeiffer's first major superhero role was 1992's Batman Returns where she delivered an iconic take on Selina Kyle, a.k.a. Catwoman.

A third movie set in Tim Burton's gothic take on Gotham City never became a reality and neither did Batman Beyond (which was set to revisit Bruce Wayne and Selina's romance in the present day). Now, Pfeiffer has taken to Instagram to share a glimpse inside her original script for Batman Returns...when it was known simply as Batman II.

There are a few fun Easter Eggs in the pages the actor posted, including the fact Gotham City's Mayor referred to Batman as "The Caped Crusader" in this early draft.

Early on in “The Wasp,” Naomie Harris provides an elaborate description of tarantula hawks, a species of spiders that feeds on other tarantulas. They paralyze their prey before eating them alive. It’s a gruesome idea that writer-director Guillem Morales clearly intends to circle back around to in his twisty two-hander, which stars Natalie Dormer and Harris as two former friends embroiled in a cat-and-mouse game of violence and intimidation. Unfortunately, Harris’ monologue marks the highlight of the film. None of the plot swerves — and there are far too many of them — manage to reach that apex of encroaching dread.

Harris is Heather, a wealthy childless Londoner in a tense marriage with Simon (Dominic Allburn). In middle school, she was friends with Carla (Dormer), who’s now a grocery store cashier with four kids, a fifth on the way and a hopeless drunk gambler for a husband. The disparity in...

The Wasp is finally making its way to theaters nationwide after a successful run on the festival circuit, and audiences aren't prepared for the cinematic feast that awaits them. Spanish filmmaker Guillem Morales directed the project from a screenplay by Morgan Lloyd Malcolm, who adapted her stage play for the screen with aplomb. The story follows a troubled woman named Heather (played by Naomie Harris) whose unhappy marriage leads her to seek out an estranged childhood friend, Carla (played by Natalie Dormer of Game of Thrones fame).

Rather than seeking to reminisce or recapture her youth, however, Heather's reconciliation with Carla is focused on creating a future without her husband Simon in it. Dominic Allburn and Jack Morris also star in The Wasp as the two women's husbands, but it is the complicated layers of friendship and betrayal that demand the viewer's attention. The movie is a powerfully crafted thriller...

After a stellar run in festivals, The Wasp is finally releasing in theaters nationwide. Directed by Guillem Morales from a screenplay by Morgan Lloyd Malcolm (and incidentally based on her stage play), the stress-inducing thriller pits Naomie Harris and Natalie Dormer against each other and offers them awards-worthy material to chew on. The plot's many twists and turns are best witnessed without prior preparation, but the story follows Heather (Harris) as she seeks a way out of her unhappy marriage with help from her estranged childhood friend Carla (Dormer).

Harris and Dormer are joined by Dominic Allburn and Jack Morris, who play their respective husbands, but The Wasp is primarily focused on the dynamic between the two women. As they plot their tenuous future together, their difficult past starts coming to light and threatens to upend their carefully laid plans. The genre is thriller without a doubt, but the movie...

“The Wasp” is a new ‘psychological thriller’, directed by Guillem Morales, starring Naomie Harris, Natalie Dormer, Dominic Allburn, Jack Morris, Leah Mondesir-Simmonds, Rupert Holliday-Evans, Naomi Richards and Evelyn Temple, opening August 30, 2024 in theaters:

“…estranged childhood friends, ‘Heather’ and ‘Carla’, reunite for a cup of tea after not having spoken in many years.

“But at their meeting, Heather presents a very unexpected proposition …

‘…asking her to kill the abusive man in her life, that will change their lives forever…”

Click the images to enlarge...

Ghost's story in Thunderbolts* hints at a hero death, setting the stage for added emotion and stakes. Descriptions of Ghost's story in the movie combined with the seeming absence of Bill Foster suggests his potential death. Killing off Bill Foster off-screen in Thunderbolts* could potentially gloss over crucial story elements and remove emotional weight.

The MCU has convinced me that a Marvel hero has been killed off before Thunderbolts* after 7 years. While the MCU timeline is known for fake-out deaths that mirror the comics, the franchise also hasn't been afraid to kill off characters permanently when the need arises. Plenty of heroes and villains alike have found themselves being offed in various fashions, and for every character that has come back after a seeming demise, there are several who find themselves - at least for the time being - permanently dead.

However, it's worth noting that these deaths tend...

Guillem Morales’s thriller The Wasp is about two women, Heather (Naomie Harris) and Carla (Natalie Dormer), who haven’t spoken since high school. They both still live in the same English town, and their houses are probably only a brief bus ride apart. But they live in different worlds, mostly because only one of them would ever take the bus.

Living a prettified suburban existence, Heather has a posh accent, a beautiful home, and a stylish wardrobe. Her husband, Simon (Dominic Allburn), is successful, though the audience never finds out exactly what he does, just that his is the sort of job that involves hobnobbing with other elegantly dressed people over bottles of presumably expensive wine.

As for Carla, she huddles up with her four kids inside a cramped apartment alongside her husband, Jim (Rupert Holliday-Evans), who seems to divide his time between snoozing in his armchair and gambling away their rent money.

Naomie Harris and Natalie Dormer lead director Guillem Morales’s psychological thriller The Wasp, adapted from Morgan Lloyd Malcolm’s acclaimed stage play. Morales crafts an unnerving tale of two former friends whose chance meeting turns ominous.

Heather, a housewife feeling trapped in her marriage, seeks out Carla after years apart. Once classmates, their lives have diverged greatly. Heather now lives comfortably but struggles with isolation and infertility. Meanwhile, single mother Carla scrapes by on low wages, with money troubles adding to daily stresses.

When these women meet again, it’s not for a pleasant catch-up. Heather has a disturbing proposal for Carla – she wants her to commit murder. Kill Heather’s husband in exchange for a handsome payoff. Shocked but desperate, Carla hears Heather out. Their teacup chat soon reveals hidden depths to both characters, and dark secrets from their shared past.

As tensions rise, memories emerge of childhood events that shaped these friends-turned-foes.

Someone out there has a recording of the Thunderbolts* trailer shown at last month's San Diego Comic-Con and, right now, it appears the idea is to release it frame-by-frame.

The next round of screengrabs has hit social media this morning, anyway, starting with a new look at Hannah John-Kamen as Ghost. Now decked out in a black costume with a white mask, this is a drastic overhaul when compared to her appearance in both Ant-Man and The Wasp and the comics (where she is a he).

On the plus side, the lights on each side of the helmet do pay homage to the source material.

We never got to learn what became of Ava after Scott Lang travelled into the Quantum Realm to find her life-saving quantum energy, so assuming she wasn't among those Blipped, the villain may have continued down the dark path she was already on...

Here's a...

Deadpool & Wolverine, which is still being aired in cinemas, starring Hugh Jackman as Wolverine and Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool, is, for many fans, the most anticipated movie of the year. After much anticipation, fans can now finally see these two iconic characters on the big screen as they share a major adventure on the big screen.

There are many Easter Eggs in the movie, which is currently having a great time in theaters across the globe, and fans are always finding and counting them. Of course, the majority have been found and made public thus far, but it’s possible that you’ve overlooked one or two, or that you have not properly interpreted some of them.

In an interview given to ComicBook.com, director Shawn Levy discussed one special reference made in the movie, a line that Deadpool utters fairly early in the film and a line that made...

When Marvel Studios introduced Kang (a.k.a. He Who Remains) in Loki, it felt like the MCU was about to get an even greater big bad than Thanos.

However, the studio made a major misstep by adding his most well-known Variant, Kang the Conqueror, to Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania. In the movie, the Kang we expected to be the Multiverse Saga's endgame was soundly beaten by the title heroes. Then, to make matters worse, rising star Jonathan Majors was dropped from the role after a well-publicised domestic abuse trial.

Marvel Studios has since decided to move on from Kang and will instead focus on Doctor Doom in the next Avengers movies. Since The Kang Dynasty (now titled Doomsday) was announced two years ago, a lot has been revealed about what it would have looked like and we've rounded up everything you need to know here.

From a villainous...

Videogame IP, a remake, and a children’s film: August’s blockbuster titles don’t really need marketing help. So, Borderlands (August 9), The Crow (August 23), and Harold and the Purple Crayon (August 2) go heavy on the Photoshop to slap something on the wall and rake in the cash. If Bill Skarsgård didn’t look so much like Jared Leto’s Joker, I’d probably be more interested in his film’s goth artistry. Alas.

That leaves the little guys. And not just the indies either—although they take up most of the space below. Because despite one title’s own IP legacy and another’s director’s pedigree, those two Hollywood productions aren’t necessarily slam dunks. Every bit of intrigue therefore helps. Tease the horror and suspense to come.

Drips

First up is B O N D’s Strange Darling and its slow melt of candle wax. Not quite...

Here’s the thing about Deadpool: he knows that he’s in a movie. So he’s probably aware that his long-awaited first MCU entry Deadpool & Wolverine has finally been screened to critics and that those critics are sharing their thoughts about the movie on social media. But is he reading the tweets and jumping in joy or blowing himself up a la Deadpool 2? The studio betting big on the character’s latest theatrical outing is definitely hoping it’s the former.

After the relative box office and critical failures of Ant-Man & The Wasp: Quantumania and The Marvels, Deadpool & Wolverine is the sole Marvel movie making it to theaters this year (unless we count Sony trash such as Madame Web). Marvel hopes that star Ryan Reynolds and his Deadpool will help turn the tide of superhero fatigue and make the MCU the sensation that it once was.

Things are not progressing smoothly for Avengers 5, as a new report suggests that yet another writer has exited the project.

Losing a key creative member of your team can happen to any film production and for all sorts of reasons. However, losing a string of creative personnel in the fashion that Marvel Studios currently has with Avengers 5 (formerly Avengers: The Kang Dynasty until it lost its title too) and you begin to wonder just what’s going on.

To recap: The original version of the film was set to be directed by Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings’ Destin Daniel-Cretton, with a script by Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania’s Jeff Loveness and star Jonathan Majors as Kang, the main villain. For one reason or another, all of those creatives have now departed, which in itself is not unusual: Marvel is significantly overhauling Avengers 5...

"Are you sure you want him actually dead?" Oh, I bet she does... Shout Studios has revealed the official trailer for an indie thriller titled The Wasp, adapted by Morgan Lloyd Malcom from her acclaimed play of the same name. This doesn't seem to be about a Wasp, rather it's about a wasp, as in the bee-like insects with big scary stingers that like to menace humans (and other bees). In this tense, twist-filled psychological thriller, Naomie Harris and Natalie Dormer deliver captivating performances as two estranged friends who reunite over tea, only to unveil a dangerous and deceptive plot that will irrevocably alter both of their lives. Described as "a masterclass in suspense," this seems to be about murdering a husband, but that's not so easy to pull off. And maybe that's not all that's going on? Also with Dominic Allburn & Jack Morris. This premiered at the 2024 Tribeca Film Festival,...

Shout! Studios will be giving the psychological thriller The Wasp, starring Naomie Harris of Skyfall and Natalie Dormer of Game of Thrones, a theatrical release on August 30th, and with that date just eight weeks away a trailer for the film has made its way online. You can check it out in the embed above.

Julia’s Eyes director Guillem Morales was at the helm of The Wasp, working from a screenplay written by Morgan Lloyd Malcolm, based on Malcolm’s stage play of the same name. Harris and Dormer are said to deliver captivating performances in this “tense, twist-filled” film as two estranged friends who reunite over tea, only to unveil a dangerous and deceptive plot that will irrevocably alter their lives.

Dominic Allburn (A Place to Call Home), Jack Morris (Into the Deep), Rupert Holliday-Evans (Silent Witness), Naomi Richards (The Ballad of Lucy Sands), Jake Donald-Crookes (Hill of Vision...

I can guarantee, you've never seen Naomie Harris and Natalie Dormer quite like this. Last month's Tribeca Film Festival here in New York gave attendees a unique opportunity to get in on the ground floor for a number of the best and most fascinating non-franchise movies of the year. Of all the standouts, however, "The Wasp" was one that managed to crawl under our skin and bury itself down deep as one heck of a dark, disturbing, and unforgettable experience. Playing out almost like a stage play -- which was not a coincidence, given that it's adapting Morgan Lloyd Malcom's play of the same name -- the plot follows estranged childhood friends Heather (Harris) and Carla (Dormer), who reconnect as adults under awfully inauspicious circumstances: a good ol' fashioned murder for hire.

This afternoon, Shout! Studios and XYZ Films released the first official trailer for "The Wasp" and, while marketing...

“The Wasp” is a new ‘psychological thriller’, directed by Guillem Morales, starring Naomie Harris, Natalie Dormer, Dominic Allburn, Jack Morris, Leah Mondesir-Simmonds, Rupert Holliday-Evans, Naomi Richards and Evelyn Temple, opening August 30, 2024 in theaters:

“…estranged childhood friends, ‘Heather’ and ‘Carla’, reunite for a cup of tea after not having spoken in many years.

“But at their meeting, Heather presents a very unexpected proposition …

‘…asking her to kill the abusive man in her life, that will change their lives forever…”

Click the images to enlarge...

How do you get away with murdering your husband? In the new thriller, “The Wasp,” the answer comes from a reunion of sorts.

As seen in the trailer, “The Wasp” tells the story of a woman in an abusive relationship. She’s driven to the edge of sanity when she reconnects with an estranged friend from school. As they talk, the woman decides that this friend would be the perfect person to kill her husband.

Continue reading ‘The Wasp’ Trailer: Naomie Harris & Natalie Dormer Plot A Murder In Upcoming Thriller at The Playlist.

(L -R): Paul Bettany as VIsion and Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff in Marvel Studios’ Wandavision exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. ©Marvel Studios 2020. All Rights Reserved.

In 2021, Disney+ aired nine episodes of “WandaVision”. The first Marvel Studios series created exclusively for Disney+, it starred Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff, Paul Bettany as Vision, and Teyonah Parris as Monica Rambeau, who was introduced to audiences in “Captain Marvel.” Kat Dennings reprised her role as Darcy from “Thor” and “Thor: The Dark World,” and Randall Park reprised his role as Jimmy Woo from “Ant-Man and The Wasp.”

“WandaVision” was a blend of classic television and the Marvel Cinematic Universe in which Wanda Maximoff and Vision – two super-powered beings living idealized suburban lives – began to suspect that everything was not as it seemed. The series was directed by Matt Shakman with Jac Schaeffer as head writer. The composers were...

The Wasp debuts a never-before-seen costume in Avengers: Twilight #6 with a jaw-dropping design. The new black and blue suit enhances The Wasp's abilities with bio-electric "stingers" and increased durability when she changes size. The surprise return of The Wasp leaves fans speculating about the origins of her upgraded outfit in this alternate future and what it means for the character moving forward.

In Marvels near future, the age of The Avengers is over after a devastating event dubbed H-Day saw the world's villains target the secret identities of the superhero community along with their friends and family members in brutal and often deadly ways. Following older versions of Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Ms. Marvel, and more, one particular founding Avengers member The Wasp has just received an upgraded costume in her return to the fold, one with a jaw-droppingly perfect design.

A costume debuting in Avengers: Twilight #6, this issue...

We're expecting/hoping that Marvel Studios will clarify its plans for the Avengers franchise at next month's San Diego Comic-Con, but some early details have found their way online today courtesy of The Cosmic Circus. 

According to Alex Perez, the idea is for Avengers 5 to follow a similar pattern to Infinity War, with several teams divided and battling different villains before assembling to face a much greater threat as they did in Endgame.

The site has also managed to compile a list of characters - based on several months of talks with inside sources - we'll see taking centre stage in the next Avengers movie:

Captain America (Sam Wilson) Falcon (Joaquin Torres) Wong Captain Marvel Monica Rambeau Shang-Chi Katy Black Panther Ironheart She-Hulk Hulk Thor Valkyrie Spider-Man Daredevil Doctor Strange Clea America Chavez Ms. Marvel Stature (Cassie Lang) Kate Bishop Clint Barton Ant-Man & The Wasp

There are some surprises in there,...

Peyton Reed's 2018 film "Ant-Man and the Wasp" was released in the wake of "Avengers: Infinity War," one of the major team-up movies that occasionally punctuates the Marvel Cinematic Universe. "Wasp" served, some have said, as a palate cleanser after the major, widely-seen event film, trying to keep the McU's mood light. This ethos was also employed with Reed's original "Ant-Man" from 2015, which followed "Avengers: Age of Ultron."

"Wasp" took place concurrently with the events of "Infinity War" and was a brisk, comedic heist movie featuring a very human villain played by Walton Goggins. Ant-Man, aka Scott Lang, (Paul Rudd) was under house arrest, which explains why he wasn't present for the big Thanos fight in "Infinity War." The Wasp, aka Hope van Dyne (née Pym), (Evangeline Lilly) and her father Hank (Michael Douglas) have, meanwhile, built a massive, high-tech shrinking tunnel which will serve as an entrance to the Quantum Realm,...

New York City's annual Tribeca Festival always brings something for everyone: from its series of short films made by all the most promising up-and-coming talent to several documentaries about a wide range of topics to the buzzy narrative features both international and close to home, all vying for Tribeca's various top prizes. Co-founded by none other than acting legend Robert De Niro in the aftermath of 2001's 9/11 attacks in an effort to revitalize the Tribeca neighborhood located in Lower Manhattan, the film festival has carefully curated its own identity over the years. While its famous big brothers like Cannes, Sundance, and the Toronto International Film Festival will always receive the bulk of attention, Tribeca tends to feel like the scrappy, blue-collar breeding ground for all the most under-the-radar offerings that the indie system has to offer.

This year's event was no exception, providing all sorts of opportunities for the curious and open-minded moviegoer.

The tension and suspense in The Wasp is incredible, leading to wild and engaging twists. Natalie Dormer and Naomie Harris deliver exceptional performances that leave a lasting impact. The directing and writing of The Wasp are top-tier, creating a thrilling and enthralling viewing experience.

Adapting a play into a film is no easy task. Something that can be so intimate onstage may not always translate well onscreen. But the way in which director Guillem Morales interprets Morgan Lloyd Malcolms material in The Wasp a script Malcolm adapted herself is truly transcendent. Naomie Harris and Natalie Dormer give awards-worthy performances, trusting each other and the filmmakers to deliver intense, nail-biting portrayals of characters who are each deserving of sympathy. I didnt really know what to expect from The Wasp, but I can say the less you know about its plot, the better.

The Wasp (2024)

Director Guillem MoralesRelease Date June 8, 2024Writers Morgan Lloyd MalcolmCast Jake Donald-Crookes,...

It is safe to say that Phase 5 of the MCU has not been the best ride for the Marvel franchise. With Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Secret Invasion, and The Marvels failing to make an impact with fans, Marvel seemed to be looking down the barrel in more ways than one. With a lot riding on Kevin Feige to resurrect the MCU, the franchise head has now gone down a tried and tested path to achieve success.

A still from The Marvels (image credit: Marvel)

In the latest information coming in, Feige seems to have found the perfect solution to do damage control by roping in none other than Joe and Anthony Russo, popularly known together as the Russo Brothers. The duo who gave Marvel two huge blockbusters Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, will step in as producers for one massive project which netizens are seeing as an excellent move.

As the Marvel Cinematic Universe continues to expand, those looking to further immerse themselves into the superhero world might find watching the films in chronological, or timeline order versus release order helpful.

In order of release, the films came out in phases. The Infinity Saga has three phases. Phase one consists of Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man 2, Captain America: The First Avenger and  The Avengers. Phase 2 contains Iron Man 3, Thor: The Dark World, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Guardians of the Galaxy, Avengers: Age of Ultron and Ant-Man. Phase Three contains Captain America: Civil War, Doctor Strange, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Spider-Man: Homecoming, Thor: Ragnarok, Black Panther, Avengers: Infinity War, Ant-Man and the Wasp, Captain Marvel, Avengers: Endgame and Spider-Man: Far From Home.

The Multiverse Saga contains two planned phases so far. Phase Four has reached completion with Black Widow, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,...

Reconnecting with a childhood friend is always a little strange, but "The Wasp" takes it to a whole other level. This psychological thriller is all about Heather (Naomie Harris), a seemingly put-together, well-off woman who reaches out to Carla (Natalie Dormer), a standoffish pregnant former classmate who barely seems to remember her. Heather wants to hire Carla to do a dangerous, morally dubious task, but more importantly she wants to talk through everything that happened back when they were kids. Their childhood friendship fell apart the day young Carla killed a wounded bird in front of young Heather; as we learn throughout a suspenseful, emotional 96 minutes, things are weird between them for reasons far more complicated than that. 

I hesitate to say more about the plot, because "The Wasp" is one of those movies where it's best to know as little as possible going in. It's a film split into three clear acts,...