As the MCU hurtles further into Phase 5, a question echoes through the minds of Marvel fans (at least some of them): where’s Gwyneth Paltrow‘s Pepper Potts? But don’t ask the actress for answers. EW reports that Paltrow has no idea what Kevin Feige & co. plan to do with her character, telling an Instagram Q&A that she’s “just sitting here” not knowing if Potts has a future in the MCU at all.

Continue reading No, Gwyneth Paltrow Doesn’t Know What’s Going With Pepper Potts In The MCU: “We Just Stopped Doing It Because Iron Man Died” at The Playlist.

Variety reports that on a recent episode of “The Goop Podcast,” Scarlett Johansson and Gwyneth Paltrow discussed their time in the MCU, including working together on “Iron Man 2.” And no, sorry Marvel fans, the actresses didn’t have a feud on that movie’s set.

READ MORE: Scarlett Johansson Feels Like Hollywood “Groomed” Her As A “Bombshell-Type” Actress In Her Early Career

“People ask me, ‘Is it true that you and Scarlett Johansson didn’t get along on “Iron Man”?” started Paltrow, to which Johansson replied, ““Is that a rumor?

Continue reading Scarlett Johansson & Gwyneth Paltrow Deny Rumors Of Feud On ‘Iron Man 2’ Set, Johansson Says She’s “Done” With MCU: “Chapter Is Over” at The Playlist.

If you were one of the millions of Marvel fans in the early screenings of “Avengers: Endgame,” it’s an understatement to say there were multiple moments of pure emotion, especially during the deaths of characters such as Black Widow and, obviously, Iron Man. But according to the Russo Brothers, the filmmakers behind the superhero epic, there were discussions that would have led to several more massive deaths in the film.

Continue reading The Russos Say Kevin Feige Originally Wanted To Kill Off All Of The Original Avengers In ‘Endgame’ at The Playlist.

While it remains to be seen if Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark will truly stay dead in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the narrative move was undoubtedly shocking to many audience members, given how beloved Stark and Downey was to fans. While everyone at Marvel obviously agreed it was the right move, one person really was against killing the character: Jon Favreau, who directed “Iron Man” in 2008, successfully launching the MCU and playing Happy Hogan in the Marvel Universe.

Continue reading The Russos Reveal Jon Favreau Tried To Convince Them To Not Kill Tony Stark In ‘Avengers: Endgame’ at The Playlist.

We’ve all assumed that Marvel Studios have grand, long-term plans for character arcs and the Marvel Cinematic Universe as a whole. Kevin Feige, the head of the studio, does a really good job convincing us that every move they make is mostly calculated and mapped out over a long period of time. Well, according to one of the franchise’s most prolific directors, that might not exactly be the case.

Joe Russo (“Avengers: Endgame”) spoke to Deadline at the Sands International Film Festival in St.

Continue reading ‘Avengers: Endgame’ Director Joe Russo Says The Brilliance Of Marvel Is “There Isn’t Really A Plan” at The Playlist.

Marvel Studios’ “Avengers: Endgame” is chock full of incredible, cheerworthy moments. Just look at YouTube reaction videos from screenings and you’ll hear fans lose their minds when Captain America picks up Thor’s hammer or when the heroes all band together in the “Avengers Assemble” scene. It’s clear to anyone watching the film, the filmmakers were aware that there needed to be “moments” during the final battle for the fate of the universe.

Continue reading ‘Avengers: Endgame’ Filmmakers Reworked All-Female Team-Up Scene To Avoid “Pandering” at The Playlist.

Plenty of fans and industry folks brushed off Scarlett Johansson‘s lawsuit concerning “Black Widow” pivoting from theatrical release to a hybrid model as something that could be resolved privately. But with Johansson’s legal team publicly coming out against arbitration and the lawsuit seemingly moving forward, the first bit of fallout at Marvel Studios has arrived, and it involves the Russo Brothers.

Continue reading Russo Brothers’ Return To MCU For Mystery Movie Stalls Due To Issues Raised In Scarlett Johansson Lawsuit at The Playlist.

Much like the character themselves in the events of “Avengers: Endgame,” “Black Widow” is dropping surprisingly early. Marvel Studios’ latest feature film is launching on all major digital platforms come August 10 and then on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD on September 14. While that may see seem disastrously early — the early release can’t help but feel like Disney simply throwing in the towel on “Black Widow’s” theatrical release, following major second and third-week drops after a pandemic record-setting opening weekend — to be fair, the timing of the quick home release does have precedent, however, with recent, would-be Disney blockbusters – with “Mulan” and “Raya And The Last Dragon” both hitting video-on-demand to own after just one month.

Continue reading ‘Black Widow’ Sets Early Release On Digital Platforms In August, DVD In September at The Playlist.

“Avatar” has reclaimed the title of the highest-grossing movie ever worldwide, taking the crown back from “Avengers: Endgame” on Saturday after a re-release in China that earned the James Cameron film an estimated $8.9M since Friday. This both closes and surpasses the $7.82M global box office lead held by the Marvel film prior to the re-release.

READ MORE: Kate Winslet Describes James Cameron’s ‘Avatar’ Studio: “Anything Is Possible”

The numbers on “Avatar” are expected to continue growing throughout the coming days, a bit over a decade after the film was originally released in China.

Continue reading James Cameron Says ‘Avatar’ Is “A Timeless Film” As It Surpasses ‘Avengers: Endgame’ At The Global Box Office at The Playlist.

At the end of “Avengers: Endgame,” it was shown that Tony Stark, aka Iron Man, died saving the universe with the snap of his fingers. But the hero did leave behind his wife, Pepper Potts, and their young daughter. And as with everything in the MCU, it is assumed that Gwyneth Paltrow, who has been playing Potts for more than a decade, would be able to return at some point, if needed.

Continue reading Gwyneth Paltrow Is Only Interested In More Marvel Appearances If She Can Film Them In “A Day Or Two” at The Playlist.

It’s been more than a decade since James Cameron’s “Avatar” arrived in cinemas and basically destroyed nearly every record along the way. For months, the film was a must-see event that drove legions of people to theaters to sport 3D glasses and watch blue aliens fight for their planet. “Avatar” would eventually become the biggest box office hit of all time for nearly a full 10 years. That is, until “Avengers: Endgame” came and took that title.

Continue reading ‘Avatar’ Heading Back To Chinese Cinemas & Could Beat ‘Avengers: Endgame’s’ Box Office Record at The Playlist.

Back in 2014, in the lead-up to the release of “Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” there was a lot of talk about how the Russo Brothers were mixing the political espionage film with a typical superhero feature. Since then, the Russos and other Marvel filmmakers have talked about the real-world and cultural influences on the features, mixing genres and making kinda-sorta (never really overt) political statements. And according to the Russo Brothers, that’s exactly how they view their ‘Avengers’ work.

Continue reading The Russo Brothers Say Their ‘Avengers’ Films Are A “Powerful Tool” To Combat The Last 4 Years Of Political Turmoil at The Playlist.

Most people know Frank Grillo from his role as Crossbones in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Others might know him from his roles in films such as “Warrior,” “The Purge: Anarchy,” or 2018’s “Donnybrook.” But now, everyone is going to see Frank Grillo fully embrace his action star awesomeness in the new Joe Carnahan film, “Boss Level.” And this week, on The Playlist Podcast, Frank Grillo joins Charles, Brian, and Mike to talk about “Boss Level,” his recipe for a quality action film, what’s going on with that remake of “The Raid,” and much, much more.

Continue reading Frank Grillo Talks ‘Boss Level,’ The Action Film Algorithm, ‘The Raid’ Remake & More [The Playlist Podcast] at The Playlist.

Paul Bettany is clearly having the most fun of his Marvel Studios career right now in the new TV series, “WandaVision.” In the show, his android superhero character is attempting to fit into suburban life by pretending to be the doofus sitcom husband. But after the end of “Avengers: Infinity War,” when Vision was shown dead and completely without hope of returning, it would have been crazy to think that a few years later, Bettany would be playing the character again in a sitcom.

Continue reading Paul Bettany Says Dead Vision Was Going To Originally Appear In ‘Avengers: Endgame’ at The Playlist.

The Russo Brothers haven’t stopped to take a breath after their massive success from “Avengers: Endgame” toppling “Avatar“‘s box office record, they moved directly into making the Tom Holland thriller “Cherry” and are about to begin shooting their $200 million-plus budgeted spy film “The Gray Man” for Netflix with a stellar cast that includes Ryan Gosling, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Jessica Henwick, Wagner Moura, and others. 

Continue reading The Russo Brothers To Direct Millie Bobby Brown In Sci-Fi Movie ‘The Electric State’ at The Playlist.

For the first time in a decade, we are living through a year that won’t include a brand-new Marvel Studios film. Not since 2009 has Marvel Studios been silent at theaters. But then again, COVID-19 is a problem that not even Disney can solve. That doesn’t mean we can’t look to the future of the ‘Avengers’ franchise and what that might include. And according to a “Black Panther” star, one project might be the all-female team-up film that was teased in last year’s “Avengers: Endgame.”

READ MORE: Letitia Wright Says It’s “Strange” To Think About Doing ‘Black Panther 2’ Without Chadwick Boseman

Speaking to Yahoo, “Black Panther” star Letitia Wright was asked about her role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Continue reading Letitia Wright Says Marvel Is Working On An All-Female ‘Avengers’ Film: “It’s Only A Matter Of Time” at The Playlist.

Josh Brolin had a pretty big superhero year in 2018. Not only was the star (arguably more so than even Chris Evans or Robert Downey, Jr.) in “Avengers: Infinity War” as the villain Thanos, but he also starred as anti-hero Cable in “Deadpool 2.” Both films were massive box office hits, cementing the actor’s legacy as a superhero film legend.

Continue reading Josh Brolin Calls His ‘Deadpool 2’ Experience “More Of A Business Transaction” Than ‘Avengers’ Films at The Playlist.

All movies go through script changes, especially franchises with as many moving parts as the MCU. So when screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, as well as Anthony and Joe Russo took to social media for a watch party of both “Avengers: Infinity War” and “Avengers: Endgame” the result was a series of fun behind the scenes stories and ideas that almost made it to the final movie, including Doctor Strange wearing Iron Man’s suit.

Continue reading ‘Avengers: Endgame’ Filmmakers Reveal A Bunch Of Deleted Scenes, Including Doctor Strange Wearing Iron Suit at The Playlist.

Over the weekend, filmmakers Joe and Anthony Russo celebrated the one-year anniversary of the release of “Avengers: Endgame,” the monster Marvel hit that shattered just about every box office record and effectively closed out a decade worth of storytelling. And even a year later, after their time with Marvel has come to an end, it would appear that the Russos still look forward to the day they’ll work with the studio again.

Continue reading Russo Brothers Are “Sure” They Will Make Another Marvel Film “When The Right One Comes Along” at The Playlist.

Today is Good Friday, for those who celebrate such things. So, it’s fairly fitting that we discuss a sacrifice that saved countless lives and shaped the future of a universe. But on this occasion, Jesus Christ is taking a backseat to Black Widow, and the world we’re talking about is the MCU.

READ MORE: Marvel Studios Shifts Phase 4 Release Dates: ‘Black Widow,’ ‘Eternals,’ ‘Captain Marvel 2’ & More

In a three-hour film featuring dozens of characters and serving as the end of a decade-long story that has spanned nearly two dozen features, such as “Avengers: Endgame,” there’s always going to be a debate about what could have been done differently.

Continue reading Black Widow’s Sacrifice Almost Very Different In This Alternate Scene From ‘Avengers: Endgame’ at The Playlist.

As China begins to allow its residents to leave their homes and attempt to get back to business as usual, the country is also beginning to reopen its cinemas. As of this week, THR is reporting that 600 to 700 theaters in China have reopened their doors to customers. And to help entice them back to the cinema, the country is using some of the biggest films of all-time.

READ MORE: Chinese Cinemas Will Reopen With Older Films To Allow Exhibitors To Keep 100% Of Revenue

We already reported that China is utilizing older films as a way to ease people back into going to the movie theater, and by releasing previously-run films, the cinemas can keep all the revenue.

Continue reading China To Re-Release ‘Avatar’ & ‘Avengers’ Films To Help Lure Customers Back To Cinemas at The Playlist.

Chris Pratt is on a big publicity tour for his upcoming Pixar animated film, “Onward.” And as if that film wasn’t enough to talk about, it appears that the actor just can’t escape questions about his massive franchises, including the billion-dollar “Jurassic World” films. While speaking on “Ellen,” the actor shed some light on the upcoming third film in the series, and how it reminds him of another blockbuster he recently appeared in.

Continue reading Chris Pratt Calls ‘Jurassic World 3’ The ‘Avengers: Endgame’ Of The Dinosaur Franchise at The Playlist.

For most of the members of the Oscar-nominated “Avengers: Endgame” visual effects team, this hasn’t just been a two-film adventure. In fact, most of the artists also worked on “Captain America: Civil War,” “Captain America: Winter Soldier” or “Iron Man 3.” So, imagine spending close to an entire decade working on these iconic characters. When it finally came to the climactic scene where a legion of heroes arrives to help take out the villainous Thanos, they knew it had to be something special.

Continue reading ‘Avengers: Endgame’ VFX Team On Smart Hulk & That Money Shot [Oscars] at The Playlist.

The Art Directors Guild handed out the 2020 ADG Awards on Saturday night and whether they had any real influence on the upcoming Oscars remains to be seen. The guild has three different film categories and this year’s winners were Barbara Ling for “Once Upon A Time In Hollywood” (Period Film), Charles Wood for “Avengers: Endgame” (Fantasy Film) and Lee Ha-Jun for “Parasite” (Contemporary Film).

Continue reading ‘Parasite,’ ‘Avengers: Endgame’ & ‘Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’ Among 2020 Art Directors Guild Awards Winners at The Playlist.

Hugo
Weaving was an Australian
character actor whose exposure internationally had mostly been relegated to the
voice of a sheepdog in the two “Babe” movies. But starting with the
Wachowskis’ mind-melting “The Matrix” in 1999, he became a staple of big
budget franchise films, appearing in all three “Lord of the Rings” films
for Peter Jackson and the subsequent “Matrix” sequels for the Wachowskis,
along with three “Transformers” movies for Michael Bay, both “Happy
Feet” movies, one of the “Hobbit” sequels and “Captain America:
The First Avenger.” In recent years he’s been most franchise-free, save for
a turn in the Jackson-produced would-be blockbuster “Mortal Engines,”
and his involvement in two of the series he was best known for have remained
open question marks.

Continue reading Hugo Weaving Says He Won’t Be in ‘Matrix 4’ and Explains Why He Didn’t Return to the MCU at The Playlist.