Ant-Man and the Wasp director Peyton Reed says comedian John Hodgman is still campaigning to play MODOK in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. MODOK, an acronym for Mental Organism Designed Only for Killing, is among the strangest supervillains in the Marvel Universe - and he's someone that has been long rumored to appear in the MCU for quite sometime but simply hasn't yet. Game of Thrones actor Peter Dinklage was originally rumored to play the character in Anthony and Joe Russo's Avengers: Infinity War, but as it turns out, he was playing the dwarf Eitri instead. But still, that hasn't stopped fans (and some actors) from hoping that he will appear in the shared universe down the line, and it looks like the Ant-Man 2 director keeps getting requests from an actor who wants to play the supervillain. In an interview with Heroic Hollywood for Ant-Man and The Wasp, Peyton Reed mentioned that he routinely getting text messages from The Daily Show's John Hodgman about him playing MODOK in the MCU. "Not only have you mentioned MODOK, but I will occasionally get texts from John Hodgman. He has long wanted to play MODOK. It’s his mission in life. He’s a huge Marvel Comics fan. John has been sort of lobbying for years ‘MODOK! MODOK!’. We always talk about MODOK because he’s maybe the most bizzarro character in the Marvel Universe." There was initially a possibility of MODOK appearing in Captain America: The Winter Soldier – only to be scrapped for Robert Redford’s Alexander Pierce - with franchise scribes Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely having been insistent on the character’s involvement in the MCU since 2011, and then nearly helped bring him into Avengers: Infinity War. However, the introduction didn’t seem to make sense, as MODOK is simply too unique and complicated to try and explain during the already jam-packed epic. In short, MODOK is the result of a bioengineering experiment to turn technician George Tarleton into a “living computer.” The experiment, however, mutated Tarleton, expanding his head to massive proportions and driving him insane while also bestowing superhuman intelligence and psionic powers. As for Hodgman, he first appeared on The Daily Show in 2005 and has had a wide-ranging career. Some may best know him as the PC in Apple’s “Get a Mac” campaign alongside Justin Long, while others will recognize him from roles in Bored to Death, Pitch Perfect 2, and Blindspot. Hodgman has proven time and again that he has fantastic comedic delivery and a sharp wit to match, which certainly seem to lend themselves well to a character like MODOK. While his head currently appears to be of normal size, Marvel would no doubt find a way to accommodate him. Plus, if nothing else, Hodgman has wanted to play MODOK for so long that he’s sure to bring a high level of passion to the role, should it ever happen.

Testifying before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, actor Terry Crews revealed that he turned down a role in The Expendables 4 after being asked by producer Avi Lerner to drop his sexual harassment claims against Adam Venit. Crews alleges that Lerner warned him of vague "troubles" arising if he didn't withdraw his civil suit. Standing 6'3" and weighing in at 245 pounds, Terry Crews is not the sort of person who typically comes to mind when one imagines a target of sexual harassment. It was for this reason that the Brooklyn Nine-Nine star came forward in 2017, at the height of the #MeToo movement, to show that even men famed for playing tough guys were not immune to the problem of men in power abusing their authority. Crews revealed that he had been inappropriately touched by an unnamed individual, in full view of Crews' wife, at a party in 2016. The individual was later identified as agent Adam Venit, who represents Expendables franchise creator Sylvester Stallone. Deadline reported on Crews' testimony, which was delivered in relation to the Sexual Assault Survivors’ Bill of Rights - a bill which was passed two years ago to provide specific rights for the victims of sexual assault at the Federal level. The video of Crews' testimony, which was aired live on C-Span "Hollywood definitely has been a problem area, simply because so many people view this as a dream. And what happens is, someone has power over these dreams," Crews stated. "And what happens also is that you get tricked into thinking that this type of behavior is expected, that it’s part of the job, that this harassment, abuse, even rape is part of your job description." When asked why he didn't approach authorities about the incident at the time it occurred, Crews claimed, mirroring the words of so many other victims of sexual harassment, that he feared that he wouldn't be believed. Worse yet, he believed he would be laughed at because of his reputation as a tough-guy and the prevailing attitudes that men - especially tall, muscular ones - cannot be the victim of sexual assault. "I probably would have been laughed out of the police station," Crews said. "A year later, once the #MeToo movement took full swing, it was safe to come out. When you are victimized, you are now behind enemy lines and you are trying to find a way out … You’re trying to find your way to safety. No one around is going to help you. No one is going to believe you." While the outcome of Crews' lawsuit has yet to be determined, and the status of The Expendables 4 itself is in question at this juncture, there is one thing that cannot be disputed. Terry Crews is to be commended for having come forward and becoming an advocate for every other man who has been the victim of sexual assault. Some actors only play at being brave and noble on camera, but, by his actions, Terry Crews has proven himself a real hero.

LeBron James may debut a trailer for Space Jam 2 after announcing his free agency decision this summer. A touchstone for children of the 1990s, the original Space Jam starred NBA icon Michael Jordan as a fictionalized version of himself. Jordan teamed up with Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and the rest of the Looney Tunes to defeat the Monstars in a basketball game that determined the fate of the beloved cartoon characters. Though Space Jam was far from a critical darling, it was a box office success, which of course meant a sequel was always a possibility. A Space Jam followup has been in development for a number of years, with James first expressing interest in 2012. It wasn't until May 2016 the project finally gained some concrete traction, with director Justin Lin becoming attached to helm. All's been relatively quiet on that front since, but now fans may have a reason to get more excited. According to Basketball Society Online, James is going to utilize the newly-launched Instagram TV app to unveil a Space Jam 2 trailer after signing a new NBA contract. James, who has spent the past four seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers (winning a championship in 2016), is set to become a free agent this summer, where multiple teams will be vying for his services. James should come to terms with a team in early July, meaning this teaser is right around the corner. Lin last commented on Space Jam 2's status in August 2017, when he made it sound like he was waiting for the right time before forging ahead on production. It is highly unlikely the movie was filmed in secret (James has spent the past several months busy with the 2017-18 NBA season); instead, this would probably be some kind of announcement teaser created specifically for Instagram, with James and Bugs revealing a release date, or other pertinent information. Perhaps production could take place during the NBA offseason, so Warner Bros. could premiere Space Jam 2 in either 2019 or 2020. The studio currently has multiple dates for untitled films secured in those years. James, who has cemented his legacy as one of the NBA's all-time greats, seems eager to make an impact in the realm of movies & TV. A few years ago, he had a scene-stealing turn in the comedy Trainwreck, and he's actively pursuing projects to produce, such as a reboot of the 1990 comedy House Party. It'll be interesting to see what becomes of Space Jam 2, but hopefully James finds a way to make it work. It's definitely something that's intrigued him for a long time, and it could be exciting for '90s kids (who are now all grown up) see their generation's defining NBA star in a Space Jam sequel.

BlacKkKlansman reveals a brand new poster in anticipation of the new Spike Lee Joint. The film, based on the remarkable true story by Ron Stallworth, saw its world premiere earlier this year at the Cannes Film Festival, where it took home the Grand Prix award, and a Prize of the Ecumenical Jury Special Mention. BlacKkKlansman’s origins lie in a book first published in 2014. Black Klansman, written by Stallworth, recounts the true story of a police officer who infiltrated the Ku Klux Klan back in 1979. The writer, now retired from the force, kept his story a secret until 2014, but it wasn’t long before it was optioned for a film, which soon signed on prolific filmmaker and auteur Spike Lee to co-produce, direct, and co-write the script. The newly released movie poster for BlacKkKlansman features stars Adam Driver and John David Washington - who happens to be Denzel Washington’s son - standing before a white triangle reminiscent of a klan member’s hood. The simple tagline “Infiltrate Hate” aligns with the essential focus of the film, and additional credits illuminate the involvement of Get Out’s Jordan Peele, who co-produces the film alongside Jason Blum and his production company Blumhouse. Driver and Washington both feature prominently in the BlacKkKlansman trailer which dropped in May, playing the roles of Stallworth and his partner detective Flip Zimmerman, who attends face-to-face meetings with the Klan in Stallworth’s stead. This trailer also revealed actor Topher Grace, who plays white supremacist and former Grand Wizard of the KKK David Duke, hoodwinked by Stallworth in a phone call pretending to be an eager new convert to the cause. The relationship between Stallworth and Zimmerman seems effectively clarified in the poster as well, with Washington holding binoculars, demonstrating his practical coordination of the investigation from afar. Stallworth broke color barriers as a rookie officer in the Colorado Springs Police Department, and his extraordinary and ultimately successful undercover infiltration into the KKK sounds like an inspired basis for a summer film. Despite the apparently serious subject matter, the true story foundation, and the current era in which it’s presented, the trailer hints at an experimental and entertaining hook - BlacKkKlansman seems to combine the accessible nature of a buddy cop film with an insightful exploration of historic racism, a topic consistently relevant in our present day. Spider-Man: Homecoming’s Laura Harrier and Kong: Skull Island’s Corey Hawkins co-star in BlacKkKlansman, which releases August 10 and is distributed by Focus Features

Frequent collaborators Mark Wahlberg and Peter Berg will work together once again, this time teaming up for the Netflix movie Wonderland. The Wahlberg-Berg duo first came together in 2013 for Lone Survivor, a grueling war movie based on the experiences of real-life soldier and survivor Marcus Luttrell. Since then, the actor-director team has established a brand of sorts with a string of action-packed movies inspired by the exploits of real world heroes. Wahlberg and Berg's second collaboration along these lines was the 2016 thriller Deepwater Horizon, about the infamous 2010 oil rig explosion that led to the biggest oil spill in U.S. history. The duo came back later in 2016 with Patriots Day, a dramatization of the hunt for the Boston Marathon bombers. Wahlberg and Berg's next movie Mile 22, coming later in 2018, sees the duo moving away from stories inspired by true events for an action thriller starring Wahlberg as an elite intelligence officer on a dangerous mission. As reported by Variety, Wahlberg and Berg have now lined up their next project, signing on with Netflix for Wonderland, an adaptation of the book Robert B. Parker’s Wonderland by Ace Atkins. Sean O'Keefe is working on an adaptation of the novel, one of a series of 48 books about the detective Spenser, who was first created by the late author Robert B. Parker. Many will remember the character of Spenser from the TV series Spenser: For Hire starring Robert Urich. Variety reports Wahlberg pursued Wonderland to fill the gap after Warner Bros. pushed back The Six Billion Dollar Man upon losing director Damian Szifron due to creative differences. There had been talk that Berg himself would jump aboard Six Billion Dollar Man as director but instead, Berg and Wahlberg will next bring their services to Netflix for the first of what could conceivably be a series of films built around the Spenser character. Meanwhile, the delayed Six Billion Dollar Man is not expected to hit screens until 2020 at the earliest. After teaming up for a successful series of films built around real-life situations, it seems Wahlberg and Berg are searching around for a genuine action franchise they can work on together. Wahlberg has indeed already talked about Mile 22 getting a sequel, so he clearly has hopes the movie will be a hit and the character will carry on. Wonderland could have franchise-launching potential too, given the sheer number of Spenser stories that could be mined for follow-ups. The Six Billion Dollar Man unfortunately doesn't look like a very sure bet for Wahlberg right now, if indeed he had hopes of spinning the property into a franchise along the lines of Matt Damon's Bourne films or Tom Cruise's Mission: Impossible movies.

The latest Star Wars rumors imply Disney is struggling to find a replacement for Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy. To say it's been an interesting time for the galaxy far, far away recently would be an understatement. Just six months after The Last Jedi divided the fandom down the middle, Solo became the first Star Wars installment to lose money. In the aftermath of all that, the studio is reportedly putting other planned spinoffs on hold, raising questions about the franchise's future as they approach the post-Episode IX world. At the center of this is Kennedy, who took over Lucasfilm when George Lucas sold his company to the Mouse House. Despite being one of the most successful producers in history, Kennedy has drawn the ire of some viewers who are displeased with the current direction of the property and want to see some changes. Earlier this month, there was speculation suggesting Kennedy was looking to step down, but the latest implies Disney is keen on moving on from her. This information comes from Beyond the Trailer's Grace Randolph, who's heard Disney CEO Bob Iger is interested in replacing Kennedy, but he cannot find anybody for the job. Allegedly, J.J. Abrams (the only candidate Randolph mentions) was offered the position, but he definitively turned it down, as have others. The reason why this is so challenging for Iger is because Lucasfilm apparently is a house divided (Kennedy loyalists vs. those who predate Kennedy) similar to the fan base, and nobody wants to step into a situation like that. It is highly important for viewers to take this all with a grain of salt, as it's just a rumor. Star Wars is in a place where some things (namely marketing strategies and release dates) need to be reevaluated, but they likely aren't going to make any drastic moves at this point in time. Firing Kennedy or outright canceling projects would be tremendous overreactions to one movie flopping at the box office. The Last Jedi, for all the polarizing debates, still brought in$1.3 billion worldwide. Marvel and Pixar have rebounded from commercial disappointments in the past, so there's no reason why Star Wars can't, either. If Kennedy wants to leave on her own accord, that's her prerogative, but it would be surprising if she was shown the door after overseeing three movies that collectively earned more than $4billion globally. In some respects, Disney has itself to blame for the way Solo turned out, at least box office wise. Last week, it was reported Disney rejected Lucasfilm's plan to delay the spinoff to December 2018, forcing Solo to remain in its competitive summer window. Additionally, Disney wouldn't allow Solo to interfere with promotional plans for Avengers: Infinity War, putting Solo at a disadvantage. There's no denying the prequel was mismanaged all around (Kennedy deserves blame for the Phil Lord & Chris Miller situation that inflated Solo's budget), but it's something everyone can learn lessons from. Hopefully, what happened on Solo was a fluke and Star Wars goes back to thriving for years to come.

Universal Pictures and DreamWorks Pictures have announced new released dates for Welcome to Marwen and Green Book. With these latest announcements, both films face each of their own potential success at the holiday box office, as well as Oscar consideration. Green Book, which stars Viggo Mortensen, centers around a nightclub bouncer whose job as chauffeur to a famous African-American pianist takes him into the Deep South during the 1960s. Alongside Mortensen, the film stars Linda Cardellini and Academy Award winner Mahershala Ali. Where Green Book looks to find audiences through its depiction of the past, Welcome to Marwen looks to captivate viewers through art as a path to recovery. Following a brutal attack, Mark (Steve Carell) struggles to return to normalcy within his life, finding that a unique inclusion of art may be the only means of rediscovering himself. Directed by Academy Award winning director Robert Zemeckis, with a compelling trailer for Welcome to Marwen released last week, it looks to be potential Oscar gold. As reported by Coming Soon, Welcome to Marwen will be moving from a previously publicized release date of November 21, 2018 to December 21, 2018. With this new release date, Welcome to Marwen will find tough competition during the holiday box office by facing off against Aquaman and Transformers franchise spinoff Bumblebee. While the competition may seem fierce at the box office, the studio seems to have increased confidence in the film, with the new release date placing Welcome to Marwen in the heart of Oscar season. Green Book will now open on November 21, 2018, facing off against its own tough showdown including Creed II, Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck It Ralph 2 and Robin Hood. While both films initially seem poised for success with the Indie film and Oscar motivated crowd, the risks in story, art and original content, especially with regards to Welcome to Marwen, leaves room for surprises. Universal Pictures has been observing a profitable year with many of its films finding success worldwide. With the recent release of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom this past weekend, the studio is celebrating the sequel's current running total of $700 million worldwide - making it the third highest grossing film of 2018. While not always box office successes, studios of every kind stuff the final months of each year with movies they feel will be most likely to represent them in the Oscar race. While Universal Pictures has not had a Best Picture winner since A Beautiful Mind in 2002, with these latest release dates for Welcome to Marwen and Green Book, confidence seems high to change all that.

A Quiet Place writers Scott Beck and Bryan Woods will team up again, this time to adapt Stephen King's early short story The Boogeyman. Directed by John Krasinski, A Quiet Place stunned audiences while scaring up blockbuster numbers for a very grateful Paramount, finishing with $325 million in worldwide grosses. After a performance like that, it's no surprise that writers Beck and Woods are already conjuring up ideas for a sequel to A Quiet Place. With its classic fright-film premise of a family trying to survive amid an invasion of sound-sensitive aliens, A Quiet Place drew plenty of comparisons to the work of horror master Stephen King. Indeed, King himself publicly expressed admiration for the film, calling it "extraordinary." King's work has itself become a hot commodity on the movie market, after the massive success of last year's IT, based on the author's voluminous 1986 novel of an evil clown terrorizing a small Maine community across the decades. Multiple King adaptations are currently in the works, including a remake of Pet Sematary, a new feature film based on Tommyknockers and a TV series version of his most recent novel The Outsider. In a case of a potentially perfect marriage of writing talents, Deadline reports that A Quiet Place scribes Scott Beck and Bryan Woods will help bring yet another Stephen King work to the screen, adapting his early short story The Boogeyman. Twentieth Century Fox is putting the deal together with 21 Laps, the Shawn Levy-led production company responsible for Stranger Things (another series filled with echoes of King). The Boogeyman has previously been adapted multiple times as a short film, but this is the first time it will come to life as a feature. Originally published in 1973 and later reprinted in King's wildly popular short story collection Night Shift, The Boogeyman concerns a man named Lester Billings, who has seen three of his children die at the hands of a supernatural entity that lives in a closet. The story is mainly set in a psychiatrist's office as Billings tells the horrific story of how he and his wife attempted to evade the Boogeyman, only to lose yet another child to the monster. Like many King stories, including IT, Cujo and Pet Sematary, the story taps into primal fears about children falling prey to evil forces. Indeed, A Quiet Place itself tapped into many of the same terrors that King has explored in The Boogeyman and so many of his other works. Twentieth Century Fox is hoping that the pairing of King with the men who helped conjure up the creatures of A Quiet Place will result in monster box office returns.

Eight new posters have been released for Drew Goddard's Bad Times at the El Royale. The 1960s-set noir mystery features an all-star ensemble that includes Chris Hemsworth, Jon Hamm, Dakota Johnson, Jeff Bridges, Nick Offerman, and Russell Crowe. Bad Times' main cast also includes Lewis Pullman (The Strangers: Prey at Night) and Cailee Spaeny (Pacific Rim Uprising), as well as Cynthia Erivo - who, between Bad Times and her role in Steve McQueen's dramatic crime thriller Widows, could end up becoming one of this fall's breakout stars. Bad Times takes place in 1969 at the eponymous hotel, which literally straddles the line between California and Nevada. The film's character posters call further attention to this, while at the same time alluding to the air of mystery surrounding the movie's players and their reasons for stopping at the El Royale, on the same fateful night. Those players include Daniel Flynn (Bridges), a priest (or so he says) who's seen better days; Darlene Sweet (Erivo), a singer who's down on her luck; Laramie Sullivan (Hamm), a vacuum salesman; Emily Summerspring (Johnson), a Southern gal traveling with her sister (Spaeny); and Billy Lee (Hemsworth), a hippie-type cult leader. These characters all have their own posters now, along with Pullman as the concierge who's working the night shift when Bad Times takes place. A poster has also been released for Offerman's as-yet undisclosed character in the film. You can check out those one-sheets (courtesy of Fox), below. Select members of the press got to watch 20 minutes of Bad Times this past week, and it sounds like the footage was quite impressive on the whole. According to the breakdowns posted to Twitter, the Bad Times footage included an exceptional 5-minute extended take that required eight months preparation and 27 takes. Goddard also confirmed that he shot Bad Times in 35 mm, just like his previous feature length directorial effort The Cabin in the Woods. Much like the Bad Times trailer, the press footage is described as being very creepily atmospheric and paranoid. Further, it seems the film itself is as stylish as these posters, which draw from a distinctly noir-ish color palette to bring the El Royale to life. Far from being an exercise in pure style, Bad Times seems to have a lot on its mind, in the sense that its story examines what happens when various aspects of '60s culture (represented here by the characters) collide with one another. For these reasons alone, Goddard's new film is definitely one that cinephiles will want to keep an eye out for. Bad Times at the El Royale opens in U.S. theaters on Friday, October 5.

Abby Ryder Fortson, the actress who portrays Cassie Lang in Ant-Man & The Wasp, has teased that her character will eventually become Stature in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It looks like Marvel has big plans to add another superhero to its lineup of characters that will appear beyond its current phase. In Marvel Comics, Cassie is the daughter of Scott Lang. She eventually discovers that he is Ant-Man and starts experimenting with Hank Pym's Ant-Man and Pym Particle technology on her own. She eventually gains the ability to increase and decrease her size, similar to her father. In the first Ant-Man movie, Cassie is still pretty young and estranged from her father, who is fresh out of prison. It seems that she will grow closer to her father in Ant-Man & The Wasp and find inspiration in him, eventually leading her to become the superhero known as Stature. In an interview with Marvel, Fortson spoke about Cassie's relationship with her father and how that will eventually lead her to becoming a superhero, too. She said, "I think in this movie she really shows that she's really interested in becoming a superhero. In the last movie, she doesn't really wrap her head around it, so in this movie, she really wants to fight with her dad." When asked who she would become, Fortson answered, "Stature." Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige recently spoke about Cassie, Stature and potential future plans for the character. In the comics, Stature becomes part of the Young Avengers, and it seems that the MCU may have similar plans for the superhero. Although a Young Avengers movie is not yet a done deal, Feige confirmed that it is definitely a possibility. But one thing is clear, fans may soon see Stature in the MCU. That leaves the question of when Stature will make her debut. Will she suit up for the first time in Ant-Man & The Wasp? The answer is probably not, but that doesn't mean fans won't get to see her in Avengers 4 or Ant-Man 3. A new actress was reportedly cast as an older Cassie Lang for Avengers 4, so it would make sense that she'll be Stature by then. Plus, Paul Rudd, the actor who portrays Ant-Man, hinted that a family of superheroes is something he would like to see in the future, particularly considering the relationship between Scott and Cassie in Ant-Man and the Wasp. This is all part of Marvel's future plans for Phase 4 of the MCU. It is very likely that Stature is one of those superheroes that fans will get to see as Marvel continues moving forward with its next round of storylines.

Kevin Feige reveals why all of the original Avengers survived Thanos' genocidal snap in Avengers: Infinity War. Marvel's epic crossover was very different from most MCU installments in that it saw its villain achieve his or her ultimate goal. After acquiring the six Infinity Stones, Thanos used the Gauntlet's power to wipe out half of the universe's population, leaving those left scrambling to make sense of it all. Of course, some heroes had to be left alive in order for there to be an Avengers 4, and savvy viewers picked up on something shortly after Infinity War's premiere. The characters who did turn to dust, such as Spider-Man, Black Panther, and most of the Guardians of the Galaxy, are newer faces of the franchise who weren't around during the Phase 1 days. That old guard, led by Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor, are still around, and Feige admits that's not a coincidence. Things were planned to happen this way. In an interview with io9, Feige touched on the Infinity War survivors, providing a glimpse into Marvel's thought process when crafting the two films (which were shot back-to-back): “I think for a film series that is going on 10 years and is gearing towards a conclusion with Avengers 4, which you don’t usually have in these kind of movies, you can sort of do the math. And realize it’s the original Avengers that are left.” It's long been said Infinity War and Avengers 4 act as the culmination of the MCU to date, essentially closing one book before starting a new one. With that in mind, it makes sense to give the original six one last hurrah before they bow out and pass the torch. Of course, Iron Man, Captain America, and friends will be getting extra help in the form of Rocket, Ant-Man, and Captain Marvel, but chances are much of the focus will be on the heroes who first laid the foundation for the MCU and helped make it what it is today. Contracts are expiring and with the franchise successfully integrating a bevy of new heroes the past few years, a case can be made that Marvel has grown beyond that first team Nick Fury put together. Audiences will always love what those specific characters represent, but they can only go on for so long. Infinity War's bold ending drew criticism in some circles because most viewers know (despite how Marvel tries to spin things), Peter Parker, T'Challa, and other "deceased" heroes aren't actually gone. They'll all return to lead their sequels in Phase 4 (some of which start filming in the near future), but perhaps this was the best decision for Avengers 4. Infinity War's roster of characters was so bloated, arguably the only way to give the Phase 1 crew the proper sendoff they deserve was to clear the deck and eliminate most of the newcomers. Now, there's more time to concentrate on the veterans one last time.

Speaking to Marvel Entertainment at the world premiere of Ant-Man & the Wasp, Laurence Fishburne - who plays Bill Foster, a.k.a. Goliath - may have just unwittingly revealed the film's big twist. Recent Marvel movies have enjoyed building up to a shocking twist partway through the film, one that transforms the entire story. The most effective was undoubtedly Spider-Man: Homecoming, with a horrified Peter Parker learning that the Vulture is actually his girlfriend's father. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 had another classic example, with the revelation that Ego had killed Peter Quill's mother. For Ant-Man & the Wasp, the plot twist has seemed likely to be the identity of Ghost - a character who's only been glimpsed in the marketing up till now. Fishburne, it seems, didn't get the memo. Speaking on the red carpet at the world premiere of Ant-Man & the Wasp, he revealed the secret of Ghost's identity, and how that fits into the film's themes. "I have this sort of surrogate daughter, this character called Ghost played by Hannah John-Kamen who is incredible, and we sorta have a father-daughter thing going on." In Fishburne's defense, he was responding to a very specific, probing question about how the theme of family informs his character's arc. What's more, viewers were already beginning to suspect this arc; we recently published a theory that Ghost could be Bill Foster's daughter. It sounds as though the truth is a little more complex, with Fishburne describing Ghost as a "surrogate daughter." It's still surprising to see this openly stated, though. Up until now, all the marketing had avoided revealing anything specific about Ghost. We knew her powers were somehow connected to the Quantum Realm and Hank Pym's technology, and that she could adjust her density at will and seemingly go in and out of phase with reality. But the villain's identity, and even her motivations, have been an absolute mystery. There's been no villainous monologue, not even a menacing line of dialogue. All we've had are brief glimpses and hints of thrilling action sequences. Even when we visited the set of Ant-Man & the Wasp last year, Marvel insiders were reluctant to say anything about Ghost. It may even be that Ghost isn't the main villain of Ant-Man & the Wasp, but rather that Bill Foster is instead. After all, Fishburne was asked about the fact that he is trying to protect his family - although it's not clear quite what it is he's protecting his family from. We recently learned that Bill Foster may actually suit up as Goliath by the end of the film, but it's likely that won't involve his being a hero.

Producer Jason Blum doesn't think he would have produced A Quiet Place if the project had come his way. Blumhouse has come to dominate the modern horror scene in the last decade, with the production company's business model favoring high concept ideas produced on a low budget, which typically peak at $5 million. This method has paid off beautifully, with the company being behind franchises like The Purge, Insidious and the Oscar-winning smash Get Out. Despite Blumhouse's success, Blum sticks rigidly to the low budget model, and even their high-profile Halloween sequel is being made for a modest $10 million. The company is also known for being director friendly and hands-off, and they insist that if a sequel is being made to one of their movies, then the original creative team must return. This is also why they brought back Jamie Lee Curtis and John Carpenter for the latest Halloween. Some moviegoers might have seen horror hit A Quiet Place and assumed it was a Blumhouse production, but it was actually produced by Michael Bay's Platinum Dunes. The budget of the movie was over $20 million, which is around double the price of even the most expensive Blumhouse production. Blum reveals this is the reason he likely wouldn't have made the movie in a new Variety interview. I could not have pulled it off. I would have loved to produce the movie, but I don’t think we would have done it as well as they did it, because it’s a totally different space that we operate in. It’s a big movie. The producer reveals the extensive creature effects in A Quiet Place would have been the major issue, and that Blumhouse wouldn't have been able to afford such nice-looking monsters. The effects in that movie were spectacular. Effects in horror movies are almost impossible to do well and that’s why you rarely see them in our movies. You get a good look at the monster, which is usually a real no-no in horror. It’s a no-no, because every time you get a look at it, it’s often much less scary than what you could have imagined. That’s not true in this movie, and that’s to their credit. The unique concept of A Quiet Place - combined with the movie's mix of scares and emotion - carried it to critical and financial success. The movie also showcases some freaky looking alien monsters, and as the story progresses, isn't afraid to let the camera linger on them. It's possible Blumhouse could have retooled the project to feature fewer scenes with the creatures or show them in shadow, but like Blum himself states, that may have worked against the movie. A Quiet Place was such a success it may spawn an unlikely franchise, with director/star John Krasinski stating a sequel might focus on new characters. Blumhouse in the meantime has a typically full plate, with some of their upcoming projects including prequel The First Purge and eagerly anticipated sequel Glass.

Ant-Man and The Wasp director Peyton Reed is well aware of the expectations and dangers that go into sequels, and kept these in mind during production of the follow-up to Ant-Man. In a chat with Marvel Entertainment, Reed explained how he made sure that doubling up on the action and humor did not blot out the emotional content in the story. Ant-Man and The Wasp is the sequel to 2015’s Ant-Man, which Reed also directed, from a screenplay and story that began partially with Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead, Scott Pilgrim vs The World) and Joe Cornish (Attack the Block), among others. Ant-Man was a considerable success, grossing more than $500 million at the box office, and Paul Rudd’s humorous turn as Scott Lang / Ant-Man added some additional levity to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. All eyes are on how Reed follows up his big blockbuster, and now he's explained his process. In an interview with Marvel Entertainment at the press premiere of the new film, Peyton Reed spoke about his approach to bringing back the characters in Ant-Man and The Wasp. Paul Rudd returns to star alongside Evangeline Lilly in the follow-up, which heads to theaters next month and sees the director delivering his first career sequel. Well it’s interesting because, you know, I just approached it from...we’re all moviegoers, and we know what we like and don’t like in sequels. So, really, it was just like, let’s try and make it funnier, let’s try and make it more nuts and, you know, kinda keep the things that hopefully people liked about the first movie. Like the, you know, the father/daughter stories, and the emotion and stuff, so. That’s really how we approached it. Reed went on to relate some of discussions he had with Rudd, considering that the first film saw an actor most known for comedies and dramedies playing the part of an action hero for the first time: “Now that we know he’s an action hero, it's like...we’ve got to make [him] even funnier in this movie...And the same with Michael Douglas, I promised Michael—I know you’re Dr. Hank Pym, and you’re kind of crabby a lot of the time, but let’s give you some jokes, let’s give you some action.” Considering the plenitude of excitement and support that arrives alongside Ant-Man and The Wasp’s release, the care that’s been put into the production of the sequel seems apparent. Additionally, the film is the first to follow the considerably dour events in the finale of Avengers: Infinity War, a matter which prompted producer Kevin Feige to describe the Ant-Man sequel as a “breath of fresh air.” It’s worth noting that Ant-Man and The Wasp reportedly takes place prior to the newest Avengers film, though its exact placement in the chronology remains somewhat vague.

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom may be taking the world by storm, but there's one aspect of its marketing that frustrates producer Colin Trevorrow. When one considers that its 2015 predecessor Jurassic World was the fifth-highest grossing film of all time - and held the #4 slot prior to the arrival of Avengers: Infinity War - it's not at all surprising that Fallen Kingdom has taken off as well as it has at the box office. Despite just recently hitting theaters stateside, a massive international run has already seen director JA Bayona's sequel snap up over $700 million worldwide. That's all despite Fallen Kingdom doing pretty poorly with critics, sporting a 50% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Audiences felt quite differently, with the film earning an A- CinemaScore, just slightly below the A earned by prior 2018 blockbusters Infinity War and Deadpool 2. Part of the draw is of course that people at large continue to be fascinated by the majestic creatures known as dinosaurs, and the big-budget CGI renditions found in the Jurassic Park/World franchise represent some of the best opportunities to witness what said creatures might have been like. It turns out though that Fallen Kingdom producer Colin Trevorrow - who also co-wrote the sequel, as well as directed the first Jurassic World - isn't exactly pleased with just how eager Universal's marketing department has been when it comes to proudly displaying some striking dino-based images from the film to the public. In a recent interview with io9, Trevorrow revealed that he wishes footage from two particular scenes - the mosasaurus hunting surfers in the open ocean, and a T-Rex exchanging roars with a lion - had not been given away to audiences before Fallen Kingdom was released to theaters. “It was very frustrating for me,” he said. “That’s a relationship that we have with marketing [and] there are a lot of different needs. I try to be very lucid and rational about it, [but] to speak frankly, there is a very, very small percentage of people who watch all the trailers. The rest of the world might only see one.” Trevorrow thinks marketing chose to use those images because the Jurassic franchise is “constantly asked to prove the validity of its own existence with every movie that we make,” thus he feels the commercials need to “entice people to come back” more than some other franchises. “Which, actually, is great,” he added. “It stops us from resting on our laurels or just assuming the audience is going to show up. The downside is it feels like marketing is constantly feeling the need to make the case. I would definitely have preferred those images not be seen, but, if you haven’t watched the trailers, just go see the film.” It's easy to understand why Trevorrow is upset about Universal's decision to include the aforementioned scenes in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom's marketing campaign. While seeing those clips obviously doesn't provide potential viewers with the context behind those sequences, the clips do in essence give away two large plot points in the film. The first happens early on, when the enormous, water-dwelling mosasaurus makes a meal out of a few hapless humans, and escapes into the open ocean to feed. The second is that near the end of the film, many dinosaurs - including Rexy herself - are released into the wilds of America, with no constraints on what they might do next. Making the choice of those images even more striking is that both are seen in the very last minutes of Fallen Kingdom, as viewers are shown a montage of escaped dinosaurs getting up to no good in the USA. Interestingly, the marketing also gave away a large portion of Dr. Ian Malcolm's (Jeff Goldblum) ending speech, which wraps up with the line "Welcome to Jurassic World." That also kind of spoils the fact that the dinosaurs escape, although people watching the trailers could just as easily have thought he was talking about the titular theme park, so it's not surprising that Trevorrow doesn't seem bothered by that one. Trailers and marketing spoiling films is by no means a new phenomenon, and will likely continue to annoy directors, writers, and producers well into the future. Unfortunately, what might seem most attractive to include in a trailer, may also give away vital plot information. It's a delicate balance to strike, and sometimes studios fail.

Ant-Man & The Wasp villain Ghost is intentionally very different from previous MCU villains like Black Panther's Killmonger and Avengers: Infinity War's Thanos, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige says. After his involvement in Captain America: Civil War, Paul Rudd's Scott Lang is back in his own standalone adventure, but this time, he gets a brand new partner in Hope van Dyne's new incarnation of the Wasp played by Evangeline Lily. The duo's first order of business is to save Michelle Pfeiffer's Janet van Dyne, the original Wasp and Pym matriarch, from the Quantum Realm, where she's been trapped for decades. In the process, they would also need to battle it out against mysterious villain Ghost, played by Hannah John-Kamen. Despite the film only a little bit more than a week from hitting theaters, not much is still known regarding Ghost. Based on trailers and spots, fans know that she can phase through objects and she's somehow unleashed by Hank and Hope, possibly while trying to retrieve Janet from the Quantum Realm - but that's basically it. One thing is for sure, however, people can expect a different type of villain in her than Marvel Studios' two previous bad guys this year. Stopping to talk to the fans via Marvel Entertainment's YouTube live stream before the film's Los Angeles premiere, Feige and his Marvel Studios co-president Louis D'Esposito were asked what's the reasoning behind choosing Ghost as the primary antagonist for Ant-Man & The Wasp. Feige explained that while the decision mainly came from director Peyton Reed, the writers, and producer Stephen Broussard, they were very particular in looking for a villain that is significantly different from Infinity War's Thanos and Black Panther's Killmonger: "It was our producer Stephen Broussard and Peyton Reed and our writers who're looking for a different kind of villain, a different, unique villain. We knew this film will be coming off of Thanos, will be coming off of Killmonger, how do we find a villain that is very different and very unique and when people see the movie, I think they'll see that we found it in Ghost." Originally an Iron Man villain in the comic books, Reed took the creative liberty to change things up for the character - which, unfortunately, doesn't help when it comes to looking for clues about her real motivations. As previously mentioned, Hope has implied in Ant-Man & The Wasp previews that she and her father may have something to do with unleashing her and that the villain wants to destroy the world. But what's most interesting, however, is that at the same time, there are shots in the trailers where she looks a little queasy in her suit - as if she doesn't really know how to fully control her powers just yet. Marvel Studios deciding to be very secretive about Ghost better be worth it, especially since she's following the footsteps of possibly two of the best MCU villains out there. And considering that the franchise isn't really known for well-developed, multi-layered bad guys, it would be nice for Feige and his team to go three out of three well-received antagonists on their 10th anniversary year.

Marvel fans need a "breath of fresh air" like Ant-Man & The Wasp after going through the horrifying ending of Avengers: Infinity War, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige said. While it's been already two months since Thanos was officially introduced to the MCU, it seems like a huge chunk of the fandom still hasn't gotten over processing Earth's Mightiest Heroes first defeat, not to mention the deaths of several other heroes. But with the Peyton Reed-directed sequel coming out in just a little bit more than a week, fans can look forward to a funnier time at the cinemas. Ant-Man and Wasp may have been left out of Infinity War, but it won't be that long before the duo comes on the big screen for their own film. Dealing with the ramifications of Scott getting involved in the events of Captain America: Civil War, he, alongside Hope and Hank will have to come back to once again team up with each other in the hopes of rescuing Michelle Pfeiffer's Janet van Dyne, the original Wasp and Pym matriarch, from the Quantum Realm where she's been stranded for three decades now. Talking to the fans via Marvel Entertainment's YouTube live stream before the Ant-Man & The Wasp's Los Angeles premiere, Feige teased about what fans can look forward to in the sequel. Starting with pointing the movie's running theme of centering on familial relationships, he also said that the humorous film is a great way to follow a darker-toned movie like Infinity War. "Our fans went through a lot recently in a movie called Infinity War and the whole notion to have a breath of fresh air, and to have some fun, and to have some, I think, surprising emotion, Scott Lang, and his daughter is amazing." Admittedly, many were initially worried about Ant-Man & The Wasp following two blockbuster Marvel films in Infinity War and Black Panther and closing out the franchise's momentous 10th year anniversary. But now, it makes sense that Feige wants to end MCU's 2018 on a lighter note - and what better way to do it than rolling out the sequel to possibly their funniest sub-franchise yet. As a plus, early reactions to Ant-Man & the Wasp are very positive. Aside from saving Janet, Ant-Man and Wasp will also have to deal with a brand new threat, the mysterious villain known as Ghost, played by Hannah John-Kamen. Not much is known regarding the antagonist as Marvel Studios continues to be very cagey about the character, her origins and her ulterior motive for terrorizing the Pyms. But, previously released trailers for Ant-Man & The Wasp have revealed that she's able to phase through objects which makes for an interesting fighting dynamic between her and the shrinking heroes.

The official synopsis for season 7 of The CW's Arrow suggests that the series will adapt the plot of a canceled Green Arrow film while pitting Oliver against a brand new enemy. Arrow season 6 ended in a shocking cliffhanger that saw Oliver reveal his secret identity as the Green Arrow before being sent to a supermax prison. At the beginning of season 6, viewers were led to believe that the leader of the hactivist organization, Cayden James (Michael Emerson), was the show's next big bad. However, halfway through the season it was revealed that James was merely a red herring. The real mastermind behind Oliver's troubles was low level drug dealer Ricardo Diaz (Kirk Acevedo), who was loosely inspired by DC martial arts super hero Richard Dragon. After manipulating James, Diaz used the money James extorted from Oliver to take control of Star City. In announcing Arrow's panel for next month's San Diego Comic Con 2018, Warner Bros. Television released the official synopsis for Arrow season 7, giving fans a glimpse of what's to come: "There has been no shortage of close calls for Oliver Queen when it comes to protecting his Super Hero identity, but in the season six finale, he was finally backed into a corner and forced to reveal himself to the world as the Green Arrow. Now, Oliver will come face-to-face with many of the criminals he placed behind bars, as he makes a new home for himself at Slabside Maximum Security Prison. Oliver will find himself vulnerable in a way unlike ever before when a mysterious new enemy begins to unravel his work as Green Arrow, challenging him to redeem his name or risk losing everything." According to the synopsis, season 7 will feature some of Oliver's old enemies who we can expect will be looking to take revenge on the person who sent them to prison. It's unclear if Oliver will be dealing with specific enemies from past seasons, or criminals who were subdued off-screen. Though Oliver may have his hands full with enemies from his past, the real threat of the season appears to be something new. The synopsis reveals that a "mysterious new enemy" will begin to "unravel his work as the Green Arrow." Oliver will either have to "redeem his name" or "risk losing everything." It could be that the villain of season 7 is someone who Oliver won't meet in prison. Instead, it may be a character who will wreak havoc on Star City, which would certainly put them at odds with what's left of Team Arrow. If so, this new villain could be what forces Oliver to escape from the supermax. Oliver's escape from the supermax was actually the plot for a Green Arrow film written by Man of Steel writer and Syfy's Krypton producer David S. Goyer. The film would have told the story of Green Arrow getting arrested for a crime he didn't commit and getting locked up in a super max with criminals he had previously locked up. To escape, Green Arrow would have no choice but to team up with his enemies. The movie never moved forward, but maybe fans will finally get to see the film's story brought to life--in the form of Arrow's new season. Arrow season 7 premieres on The CW on Monday, October 15.

Benedict Cumberbatch sports a very different look than his fans are used to in the first photo from Brexit, the upcoming TV movie from Channel 4. Directed by Sherlock and Black Mirror's Toby Haynes, Brexit takes a look at the strategists behind the 2016 vote in which residents of the UK shockingly elected to withdraw from the European Union, a move that many say will lead to dire economic consequences. Brexit stars Cumberbatch as Dominic Cummings, the chief strategist and Campaign Director for Vote Leave, the organization that successfully convinced UK residents to vote in favor of withdrawal. This, of course, is not the first time the versatile Cumberbatch has played a controversial real-life figure in a TV series or film. Cumberbatch earned an Oscar nomination for his performance as legendary computer scientist Alan Turing in the 2015 film The Imitation Game. The actor earned somewhat more mixed reviews for his performance as Wikileaks founder Julian Assange in 2013's The Fifth Estate. For his latest real-life role, Cumberbatch is going in a decidedly de-glamorized direction, sporting a receding hairline and a somewhat slovenly appearance in order to play political strategist Dominic Cummings. Cumberbatch looks a far cry from Doctor Strange or Sherlock in the first image from Brexit. See the pic below (h/t Digital Spy). Though he's established himself as a major film star with an Oscar nomination and a central role in a multi-billion-dollar comic book franchise, Cumberbatch clearly still enjoys the challenge of working on the small screen as well. Of course, before he joined the MCU, Cumberbatch first gained a huge and adoring fan following for his performance as the titular detective on the BBC series Sherlock. Currently, Cumberbatch is earning critical raves for his performance as a heroin addict lawyer in Showtime's Patrick Melrose. With Brexit, Cumberbatch gets to once again prove his versatility, playing a character who certainly appears normal and unspectacular on the surface, but nevertheless may prove to be a figure of historic significance after his role in making Brexit happen. In addition to focusing on Cumberbatch's Cummings, Brexit will take a look at strategists who worked for the other side, and will generally zero in on how modern data-driven techniques helped influence one of the most historic votes of all-time. The movie also stars Rory Kinnear (Skyfall), John Heffernan (The Crown), Richard Goulding (The Windsors) and Liz White (Ackley Bridge). Brexit is set to air on Britain's Channel 4 in 2019.

WBTV's 2018 San Diego Comic-Con schedule includes a Hall H presence for Riverdale, along with the customary Ballroom 20 panels for the Arrowverse shows. Most of WBTV's original programming airs on The CW, but there some notable exceptions. That includes Syfy's Krypton and CBS' The Big Bang Theory, along with new shows like Castle Rock and the first DC Universe digital streaming series, Young Justice: Outsiders. All of these shows will have a presence at SDCC this year, along with The CW newcomer Legacies (the network's latest Vampire Diaries spinoff) and its sole non-Arrowverse superhero TV show, Black Lightning. This year's SDCC will kickoff with Preview Night on Wednesday, July 18. WBTV will be screening the pilot for its NBC plane crash mystery series Manifest, along with a new episode of The 100 season 5 and episodes of the CW Seed animated series Freedom Fighters: The Ray. WB's TV show panels will then kick-off, starting on Friday, July 20. TVLine reports that panels for the animated Outsiders and DC Super Hero Girls will take place in Room 6DE on Friday, July 20, along with Ballroom panels for Big Bang Theory and Castle Rock. Outsiders is the long-awaited third season of Young Justice and a good showing at SDCC would give DC's streaming service a boost, ahead of its August launch. Similarly, Hulu hopes to draw attention to its J.J. Abrams and Stephen King collaboration by showing the first Castle Rock episode during its panel. Black Lightning and the four Arrowverse TV shows (Arrow, The Flash, DC's Legends of Tomorrow, and Supergirl) will have Ballroom 20 panels on Saturday, July 21. In addition, several new series regulars will be attending the panels, including Supergirl's Jesse Rath, Legends of Tomorrow's Jes Macallan, and both The Flash's Jessica Parker Kennedy and Hartley Sawyer. Meanwhile, Krypton, Manifest, and Legacies will all have panels in Indigo Ballroom that day. Finally, WBTV's SDCC lineup will conclude on Sunday, July 22, with Hall H panels for Supernatural and Riverdale. The Hall H upgrade for Riverdale is a testament to just how popular the Archie Comics TV series has become after two seasons. Riverdale's core cast will by and large attend the event, along with Vanessa Morgan, who plays Toni Topaz and has been upped to series regular status for season 3. The 2018 International Comic-Con in San Diego takes place from July 19-22 next month.

A new TV spot debuted in the middle of last night’s BET Awards, showcasing Netflix’s black creators, whose accumulated work in television and film has thrived on the streaming platform. Under the title “A Great Day in Hollywood,” the spot included a total of 47 individual creators and actors, including Luke Cage’s Mike Colter, Primetime Emmy-winning actress and filmmaker Lena Waithe, Spike Lee, and Stranger Things’ young star Caleb McLaughlin, who also narrates the video. Conceived and created by Strong Black Lead, an initiative led by a group of black employees and executives working for Netflix that formed over the past year, “A Great Day in Hollywood” was originally drawn from photographer Art Kane’s “A Great Day in Harlem.” This portrait, taken in the late 1950s, presented 57 jazz musicians who gathered together for posterity in front of 17 East 126th Street, the same exact address and building serving as the backdrop for Strong Black Lead’s referential homage. The historic photograph has been previously paid homage on several occasions, with this newest example directed by Lacey Duke, the award-winning black filmmaker who shot the official video for Janelle Monáe’s “I Like That” back in April. Unlike the photograph that inspired it, the “A Great Day in Hollywood” video has the added context of McLaughlin’s narration, whose recitation confirms that, “...This is not a moment; this is a movement. We are strong black leads. Today is a great day in Hollywood.” Watch the spot above and see the new image below. The timing for this new video statement is unusually apt in light of Netflix’s recent termination of Jonathan Friedland. The former PR executive reportedly made “insensitive remarks” during business meetings, with sources stating that he had used the N-word on two occasions, as reported by THR. Netflix’s CEO Reed Hastings promptly dismissed Friedland on June 22, which was two days prior to the debut of Strong Black Lead’s video spot. Logically speaking, there’s no realistic way that the video could have emerged as a coordinated response to Friedland’s dismissal, considering the timeline. Strong Black Lead conceived the project months ago, but its airing during the BET Awards on Sunday remains as a profound conclusion to the events that preceded it. Netflix recently debuted the full second season of Luke Cage on June 21. On that same day, Justin Simeon’s Netflix series Dear White People was confirmed for renewal, with an upcoming third season set to arrive at an undisclosed date.

AMC has canceled Kevin Smith's Comic Book Men after seven seasons and 96 episodes. Debuting in 2012, Comic Book Men followed the exploits of geeks Brian, Walter, Mike and Ming at Jay and Silent Bob's Secret Stash, the New Jersey comic book store owned by Smith. Filmmaker, podcaster and comic book superfan Smith's involvement in the series was mostly limited to appearing in filmed podcast bits that tied together the show's various segments. The Comic Book Men format was roughly reminiscent of other reality shows like Pawn Stars, with fans bringing in their beloved memorabilia to be appraised by the comic store's experts with sometimes humiliating results. The show also featured the cast becoming involved in wacky challenges that played off their various personalities. The show received a good boost upon its premiere, being featured along with The Walking Dead as part of AMC's Sunday night lineup, but its presence on the network became less prominent as AMC moved away from plans to expand their reality programming. Now, after seven seasons and 96 episodes, Kevin Smith has taken to social media to announce the cancellation of Comic Book Men. Smith and the now-former Comic Book Men cast appeared together on Smith and Scott Mozier's SModcast to eulogize the canceled series and share stories about its seven years on AMC. See his tweet below: Comic Book Men was once a central piece of AMC's geek-friendly Sunday night lineup that included The Walking Dead and its companion talk show Talking Dead. Now, Comic Book Men is canceled, The Walking Dead is in the midst of major cast and story upheaval after two years of sagging ratings and Talking Dead is without host Chris Hardwick after his suspension in the wake of abuse allegations leveled by ex-girlfriend Chloe Dykstra. Talking Dead is expected to continue, almost certainly with a new host. As for Comic Book Men creator Smith, the prolific filmmaker and commentator shows no signs of slowing down despite suffering a near fatal heart attack after a stand-up performance earlier this year. Upcoming projects Smith has announced or at least mentioned include a reboot of Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, the horror movies Killroy Was Here and Moose Jaws (described as "Jaws but with a moose") and the animated comedy Helena Handbag. Smith also continues to be a prominent voice in geek culture, speaking out on everything from the DCEU and Star Wars to the Tom Hardy-heavy first Venom trailer.

Hayley Atwell isn't sure if she'd be down to reprise Peggy Carter if a Marvel's Agent Carter revival happens. Two years after the period TV series was unceremoniously canceled, calls for its revival once again picked up steam in the last few weeks after fans pushed for the show to replace Roseanne's vacated primetime slot on ABC, only to be further intensified by Marvel TV boss Jeph Loeb's comments about finding the small screen project a new network. While fans are optimistic about Peggy's eventual return on the big screen with next year's Avengers 4 (due to the possibility of time-travel) and/or Captain Marvel (considering it takes place in the early '90s), there are some who would rather see the character back on the small screen in her own TV series. However, it seems like even if there are plans for a revival, it turns out that Atwell isn't sure if she's signing back up for it. Appearing on a panel at Ace Comic-Con over the weekend (via ComicBook), Atwell was asked during a Q&A session whether she's down to reprise her memorable Marvel role should an Agent Carter revival happen. However, the actress candidly shared that while she loved playing Peggy, she's unsure if she'll be willing to step back into her shoes just because a third season is happening. “Well, I feel incredibly lucky to have been able to play a beloved character for so long, as is. It’s very unusual. I wouldn’t have thought starting off in my career that that would happen. You do one character for however many months and then you go and do the next. So I think it’s an unusual position to be in - it would be very unusual to have the choice to do that again.” “I think the main thing, though, is if it were - if there were interest in Netflix or in her being in a film or something - that it would have to feel... it would have to feel right. I wouldn’t want to go over old ground. It would have to be new, there would have to be higher production values so she could do more. I’d have to feel like it’s not just, you know, ‘a case a week with Peggy Carter.’ If she’s had an impact on audiences, let that impact grow, so it delights them, but I think it should be to do with more of the current climate now. What are smart issues to bring up? How to create any sort of kind of social weight, an emotional kind of gravitas to the show.” “So I think on the principle of it, if somebody approached me with it, I would be appropriately kind of tentative about it. Because I would go, ‘Well, but, you’ve got to convince me of why we need this, and what for, and how is this a development of the two seasons that we’ve done?’ So that’s more of the question - I’d just want to do something new with her.” Atwell's most recent comment about the possibility of coming back to an Agent Carter revival is noticeably different from her previous stance on the matter. In past interviews, the actress was very open in wanting to reprise the role if a third season ultimately happens - something that the fans are still interested in seeing. Having said that, Atwell's explanation about her seemingly change of heart is perfectly understandable considering that at the end of the day, she's the face of the show and she obviously wants to represent a project that she's proud to be part of. To say the least, Atwell would be pleased to know that there's still a need for a Marvel's Agent Carter show - or frankly, any Peggy-centric stories. Despite MCU efforts to increase their female presence both on the big and small screen with characters such as Black Widow, Pepper Potts, Scarlet Witch, Gamora, Shuri, Okoye, Valkyrie, Jessica Jones, and Daisy Johnson, as well as the imminent arrival of the Wasp and Captain Marvel, the franchise is still far from having an equal number of male and female players. And while Peggy isn't a superhero in the traditional sense, she represents female empowerment not just in the MCU but in geek culture in general.

Former The Walking Dead actor Chandler Riggs claims he was shocked at the exit of his on-screen father, Andrew Lincoln. After appearing on the AMC zombie apocalypse series since its very first season, Riggs was surprisingly killed off in The Walking Dead's most recent run, as his character, Carl Grimes, succumbed to a routine zombie bite. Riggs' exit came with no small amount of controversy. Not only were fans upset at the decision to write out a key character but Riggs' own father took to Twitter to criticize AMC's decision to kill off Carl, heavily suggesting that the actor had no desire to leave the show. Unfortunately, The Walking Dead's exit drama didn't stop there and shortly after the conclusion of season 8, reports began to emerge claiming that the show's lead actor, Andrew Lincoln, had decided to leave his role as Rick Grimes. Neither AMC nor Lincoln himself have officially confirmed the news but fellow actor Norman Reedus posted an ominous looking farewell on social media and a frequent director on The Walking Dead directly addressed the news online before quickly deleting his post. Speaking at the Fandemic fan convention, Chandler Riggs says he was shocked at the reports of Lincoln quitting The Walking Dead but can understand the reasons behind his decision. Asked by Good Day Sacramento's Kevin Hernandez if he was shocked by the news, Riggs replied: "Of course, yeah. I mean Andy has been on the show so long and he's had to leave his family every single year, so I was surprised but at the same time it's gonna be good for him to get back to his family and raise his kids... I haven't actually [talked to him about it], I haven't talked to him in months but, yeah." While it's clear that Riggs doesn't have any insider knowledge with regards to Andrew Lincoln leaving The Walking Dead, his suggestion that spending more time at home is the most likely reason for the actor to depart is certainly in line with what many fans assumed to be the case. Despite his gravelly American tones in The Walking Dead, Lincoln was born in the United Kingdom and, as Riggs states, is forced to leave his family for long periods in order to film on TWD. In the same interview, Riggs also makes some interesting comments regarding his own departure from The Walking Dead. The young actor hints at a certain level of fear at the prospect of leaving the role that made him famous and once again implies that the decision to kill off Carl is something that he had no input over, claiming "it wasn't fun having to leave the show." If Carl's death seemed like a bad idea to some fans at the time, the reports of Andrew Lincoln's impending exit make the decision look even more foolish in hindsight. While losing Rick Grimes would always have been a huge blow for The Walking Dead, the impact could've been softened by shifting focus onto Rick's son, with Carl Grimes still a hugely important and popular character in the comic books to this day. However, with Carl already gone and Rick seemingly set to follow, there's a strong argument to be made that The Walking Dead simply cannot continue successfully. The Walking Dead season 9 is set to premiere later this year.

Grand Admiral Thrawn returns in a new Star Wars novel - and this time he’s bringing Hayden Christensen's Anakin Skywalker along for the ride. First introduced as a villain in the 1991 novel Heir to the Empire by author Timothy Zahn - though that book along with many others were taken out of continuity when Disney acquired Lucasfilm - the fan-favorite villain has since made a return to canon. While he was a major force in the Empire in both the original and new continuities, Thrawn spent relatively little time in the company of Emperor Palpatine’s other major lieutenant, Darth Vader. In Zahn’s new novel, Thrawn: Alliances, the blue-skinned military strategist finds himself working with the Dark Lord of the Sith. It also reveals that the two have an unusual history together, having met some time before Anakin Skywalker’s transformation into Vader. Lucasfilm has now released the cover art for the new book, featuring a stern Thrawn standing just in front of a shadowy Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker. It’s a striking image accompanied by a short excerpt from the novel and audio book detailing an awkward first conversation between the cerebral Chiss and impetuous (former) Jedi. Anakin has journeyed deep into space on a personal question, and from the outset, it’s clear that Thrawn knows much more than he’s letting on. Take a look: Anakin may be a central character to the saga, but as the cover art reinforces, this is Thrawn’s book. The character’s first appearance kicked off a wave of in-continuity Star Wars novels that helped form what was then called the Star Wars Extended Universe. Disney may have relegated those works to out-of-continuity Legends, but they clearly saw the appeal of the character. Thrawn first returned as the primary villain of the third and fourth seasons of the animated Star Wars Rebels. There he retained much of Zahn’s original characterization, proving an intelligent and dangerous foe for the early Rebellion. By contrast, Anakin Skywalker has been a character as long as Star Wars has been around, though Christensen’s specific interpretation didn’t win over many fans. The character was better received in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and Darth Vader continues to enjoy massive popularity, but there hasn’t been much clamor for the adventures of young Anakin. Considering their very different personalities and philosophies, teaming these two could be very promising. From the movies to the books, Disney seems intent on exploring the many nooks and crannies of the Star Wars universe under their guidance. Bringing recognized characters like Thrawn back in is a smart move, especially with Zahn returning to the helm. Of course, many fans are still hopeful for a live-action appearance from the Grand Admiral, but in the meantime at least they can treat themselves to new stories featuring one of the galaxies greatest villains.