Over the last couple of years, we’ve seen major hiccups and pivots across the world of superhero moviemaking. Warner Bros. Discovery brought in James Gunn and Peter Safran to reboot the DCU via the newly formed DC Studios after they decided to end the Snyderverse experiment with a new “Superman” reboot currently in production. Sony Pictures, on the other hand, while achieving success with their animated “Spider-Verse” films, their live-action spinoffs like the PG-13 vampire project “Morbius” and the dead-on-arrival pic “Madame Web” have struggled to thrill general audiences.

Continue reading Chris Evans Defends Superhero Filmmaking, Says Marvel Has “Objectively Phenomenal Films”: “If It Were Easy, There’d Be A Lot More Good Ones” at The Playlist.

Marvel Studios typically hates when set photos get leaked and fans around the world get a sneak peek at one of the upcoming films or TV shows. But it’s not so bad, I suppose, when someone from Marvel is actually doing the leaking, as is the case with Anthony Mackie giving people a behind-the-scenes look at the new “Captain America” film.

READ MORE: Florence Pugh Says The Indie Film World Was “Really Pissed Off” When She Signed Her Deal With Marvel

Not only did Anthony Mackie share an image of himself and co-star Harrison Ford on the set of the next “Captain America” feature, but he also revealed the revised title for the film, ‘Brave New World.’ When it was originally announced, “Captain America 4” was given the name, “Captain America: New World Order.” However, it appears Marvel Studios has thought twice about that title.

Continue reading ‘Brave New World’: Anthony Mackie Shares Behind-The-Scenes Image & New Title For ‘Captain America 4’ at The Playlist.

It’s hard to argue that Chris Evans’ Steve Rogers, aka Captain America, hasn’t been one of the MCU’s bright points. The beloved character has been the heart of the massive cinematic universe since the beginning with “Captain America: The First Avenger,” giving us a superhero with a moral compass that matched his brawn.  

During a recent chat with MTV News to promote his new Pixar flick “Lightyear,” Evans was asked about potentially returning to the Johnny Storm part from the “Fantastic Four” films for a possible Multiverse appearance.

Continue reading Chris Evans Says Reprising His ‘Fantastic Four’ Role In The MCU Would Be An “Easier Sell” Than Returning As Cap at The Playlist.

Marvel‘s “Black Widow” finally releases this week and will likely be the final MCU outing for actress Scarlett Johansson. The actress has been playing the former Russian spy Natasha Romanoff since joining the massive superhero sandbox in 2010’s “Iron Man 2” after Emily Blunt had to exit the role over a scheduling issue with the long-forgotten Jack Black comedy “Gulliver’s Travels.”

READ MORE: Marvel Phase 4: The Films & Shows That Will Lead The MCU Into The Future

When she did sign on to appear in the “Iron Man” sequel, she had to sign a massive deal, not unlike other early MCU peers like Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, and Samuel L.

Continue reading Kevin Feige Says Days Of Signing Marvel Actors To Massive Longterm Studio Contracts Are Over at The Playlist.

With the end of “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” revealing that Anthony Mackie has become the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s new Captain America, there has already been a lot of effects being felt in the culture. Captain America isn’t just Chris Evans, a handsome white guy. The character is now a Black man with no superpowers who brings a new perspective to the star-spangled hero.

Speaking in a new interview with Variety, Anthony Mackie talked about his new role as Captain America in the MCU and what he hopes the future might hold for Sam Wilson’s version of Cap.

Continue reading Anthony Mackie Says He Has “A Solid 6 To 8 Years” Left In Him To Play Captain America In the MCU at The Playlist.

As you are probably well aware, “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” wrapped up its six-episode run last Friday on Disney+. And with it, the world was finally introduced to the new Captain America, Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie). So, this seems like a great time to speak with director Kari Skogland, the filmmaker responsible for all six episodes. And in this episode of The Playlist Podcast, you better believe we got into spoilerific details about what happened.

Continue reading ‘Falcon’ Director Kari Skogland Talks Anthony Mackie As The New Captain America, Where Valentina Goes Next & More [The Playlist Podcast] at The Playlist.

**Spoilers for “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” ahead, but let’s be real, if you haven’t watched the finale, you were bound to get spoiled eventually**

Anthony Mackie has finally become Captain America. After six episodes of “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier,” Mackie’s character, Sam Wilson, has fully accepted his new role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as the latest person to pick up the shield.

Continue reading Anthony Mackie Found Out About ‘Captain America 4’ From A Guy At The Grocery Store at The Playlist.

Part of the journey is the end, and given that statement, one of the biggest surprises of “Avengers: Endgame” is that death appears to be permanent for most of its characters (Gamora aside). But one character ending in ‘Endgame’ isn’t a death and gives Marvel and Kevin Feige wiggle room for a return down the road. In the film’s postscript, Chris Evans’s Captain America is sent back in time to put each Infinity Stone back in their rightful places.

Continue reading Russo Brothers Say Old Cap Has Created A Branch Reality In The MCU at The Playlist.

“Avengers: Endgame” has grossed an astonishing $2.730 billion worldwide. It’s the second highest grossing film of all time, and it’s just under $60 million away from beating the “Avatar” all-time worldwide record of $2.788 billion globally, though its grosses have slowed to a crawl of late. Can it beat the James Cameron film? That’s a story for another time. And speaking of potentially tantalizing stories that need to be put on hold for the moment, the ‘Endgame’ filmmakers have an intriguing story of this ilk that they would like to tease.

Continue reading Russo Brothers Tease Another Chris Evans/Captain America Story To Tell “One Day” at The Playlist.

True believing fans of Marvel comics know one of the joys of the comics are the wonderfully weird and strange “What If” line of comic books. In short, “What If” is the series that reimagines classic Marvel stories in “Twilight Zone”-ish one-off, what if adventures that sometimes have dark and unexpected endings. What if the Hulk had the brain of Bruce Banner? What If Jane Foster had found the hammer of Thor?

Continue reading Marvel Reveals Animated ‘What If?’ Series For Disney+; MCU Actors Will Lend Their Voices at The Playlist.

It’s the last full week in August, but just before Summer Madness segues into Fall Folly, we thought we’d have a go investigating a claim we’ve been hearing asserted with some frequency: that Summer 2017 is one of the best blockbuster seasons in recent memory. We decided to pit it against the 17 other summer seasons this century (yes, pedants, we count the year 2000) to see how it stacks up.

Of course, the several-billion dollar questions are: how do we define “Summer Season” and how to we define the kind of films we want to focus on?

Continue reading The Best Blockbuster Summers Of the Century So Far at The Playlist.

Luc Besson‘s filmography is fairly impressive for a director that’s never really received support from critics. He directed “Nikita,” “Leon,” and “The Fifth Element” back to back to back from 1990-1997. Fine. Those three films alone have allowed him enough creative freedom to direct whatever he’s wanted to since. The problem is the ensuing films weren’t very good (“The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc,” “Angel-A,” “Arthur and the Invisibles,” “The Family“).

Continue reading Luc Besson Hates On Superhero Movies & Calls ‘Captain America’ “Propaganda” at The Playlist.

You’ll remember when Chris Evans was first approached to play “Captain America” for Marvel, the star originally turned the role down. The reason? A six-film commitment and the trepidation of getting stuck in a franchise.

“One of my biggest fears was that the movies were going to be good,” he told the English paper The Telegraph recently. “Because if things worked out, I’d have to do all six of them.

Continue reading Chris Evans Says He Agreed To Star In ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ Because It “Wraps Everything Up” at The Playlist.

It’s kind of old news, but it has resurfaced that Chris Evans‘ contract to play Captain America for Marvel will end following the next two ‘Avengers’ movies, which are now shooting. The report comes from Esquire, who reveal in a recent profile:

Settling in on the couch, he groans. Evans explains that he’s hurting all over because he just started his workout routine the day before to get in shape for the next two Captain America films.

Continue reading Don’t Panic About The End Of Chris Evans’ Marvel Contract; James Gunn Promises ‘Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3’ at The Playlist.

There are few films this awards season — or even over the past year — that will make you feel more like you’ve consumed a rich, satisfying novel than Kenneth Lonergan‘s “Manchester By The Sea.” The movie, about a man who is forced to face his troubled past when his brother suddenly passes away, leaving him the legal guardian of his new nephew, is a detailed look at the complexity of familial relationships, and the lingering pain of regret.

Continue reading Kenneth Lonergan Discusses The Battle Over ‘Margaret,’ The Problem Of Predictability In Film & More In 71-Minute BAFTA Talk at The Playlist.

I think it’s okay if we stop referring to John Krasinski as “Jim from ‘The Office.’ ” While his role on the sitcom remains his most defining performance, he’s been busy expanding his career into others avenues, directing pictures like “Brief Interviews With Hideous Men” and this month’s “The Hollars,” and taking on brawnier roles in films like Michael Bay‘s “13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers Of Benghazi,” and the lead role in Amazon‘s upcoming “Jack Ryan” series.

Continue reading John Krasinski Says He’ll Face ISIS In ‘Jack Ryan’ Series, Talks ‘Captain America’ Audition at The Playlist.

It’s no surprise that “Captain America: Civil War” did gangbusters at the box office last weekend; Marvel has been pumping out hit after hit. But what did come as a surprise to some (this writer in particular) was the character-driven nature of the film: The conflict, which had hints of potential mass destruction, was never predicated on world-ending battles like so many other superhero movies of late. Instead, it was driven by character conflicts, ideological differences, and miscommunication, which lead to a more tense and enjoyable film.

Continue reading Watch: 10-Minute Video Essay Asks If Captain America Really Is An American Hero at The Playlist.

Who Are The Remaining Unused Marvel Characters And Could They Make A Viable Movie?

Continue reading Who Are The Remaining Unused Marvel Characters And Could They Make A Viable Movie? at The Playlist.

Continue reading 1990 ‘Captain America’ Getting Director’s Cut, BluRay Release & Fantasia Festival Appearance at The Playlist.

Continue reading First Look: Set Photos From ‘Captain America’ at The Playlist.

“Right now, I’m working on a movie that’s got enormous stipulations and is going to be changing and fluid every second. I’ve come up with dozens of scenes and lines and exchanges and monologues that I adore that are not going to be in it. But while I’m writing them they feed me, excite me and they ultimately inform the character.

Continue reading Joss Whedon Says ‘The Avengers’ Script Has “Enormous Stipulations” & Scenes That Likely Will Be Ditched at The Playlist.

“To be in something that had a second and a third film following it, we felt that Tron already had that, you know,” he said.

Continue reading Garrett Hedlund Only Wanted To Be The Hero Of ‘Tron,’ Turned Down ‘Captain America’ at The Playlist.

The first and most important moment, however, happened during an ugly melee between presentations for “Resident Evil: Afterlife” and “Paul” as a dispute erupted over seats in Hall H, where most Con guests merely camped out in expectation of the Marvel panel.

Continue reading SDCC ’10: ‘The Avengers Assemble At Rowdy Panel, Kevin Feige Booed Over ‘Hulk,’ Natalie Portman Confirms She’ll Only Be In ‘Thor’ Films at The Playlist.

Both “Thor” and “Captain America” are confirmed for the stereoscopic treatment.

“We came to feel that in our case 3D could be the very good friend of story and character for a different kind of experience,” Kenneth Branagh told the L.A. Times in a piece published early this morning. That’s a great quote and all, but it fails to illicit the key point.

Continue reading First Look At Anthony Hopkins & Tom Hiddleston In ‘Thor’: Branagh’s Film & ‘Captain America’ Both Confirmed For Conversion 3D at The Playlist.

Continue reading Breaking: Chris Evans Likes His ‘Captain America’ Jeggings at The Playlist.