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Movie Review: ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’

Tony Schaab - Senior Editor — Thu, 16 Feb 2023 21:30:18 +0000

New beginnings bring new excitement, but also new challenges. Such is the takeaway vibe I got from our advance screening of ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,’ the kickoff for Phase 5 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Let’s be clear from the get-go: Marvel has been giving us entertaining, high-quality films for a long time now. Almost 25 years, across dozens of television series, along with short films and literature tie-ins… this juggernaut is no slouch. Unfortunately, every entry into the series can’t be a home run – and that’s where we need to have some “real talk” about ‘Quantumania.’ The story itself is right in line with what viewers have been given across the over-arching MCU narrative to date: things on Earth appear to be “settling in” a bit post-Blip (although, frustratingly, ‘Quantumania’ still does not reference anything to do with the giant stone Eternal that is now sticking out of the Earth, half-stuck, as shown in the climax of ‘The Eternals,’ with this new film believed to be the 11th property to take place in the MCU timeline set after those events with absolutely zero remarks or tie-ins to it). The story does reference The Blip, of course, as […]

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Go Big Or Go Home With The New ‘Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania’ Trailer

Tony Schaab - Senior Editor — Mon, 24 Oct 2022 18:36:08 +0000

Marvel has made plenty of waves this year with both their newly-released MCU content (Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Thor: Love and Thunder, Moon Knight, Ms. Marvel, She-Hulk) and key announcements for the forthcoming Phases of film & TV. One of the most anticipated upcoming films easily has to be ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.’ After the first Ant-Man film was a pleasant surprise to both fans and critics alike, and its follow-up ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp’ continued to build on that success – not to mention casually dropping one of the most impactful pre-‘Endgame’ mid-credit scenes of all MCU time – fans now know that Marvel isn’t afraid to load this part of the MCU franchise with big reveals and important info. With that, today brings us the first trailer for the film that’s dropping in theaters in just a few short months. It gives us a better look at the newest big-bad of the Marvel on-screen universe, Kang the Conqueror, along with some very tantalizing tidbits about what secrets the Quantum Realm is holding – and how long Janet van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer) has truly known about these secrets. Take a good look for yourself: […]

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The New ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ Trailer Delivers Twice The Thor – And The First Look At The Film’s Villain

Tony Schaab - Senior Editor — Tue, 24 May 2022 03:08:53 +0000

It will almost assuredly be a trivia question years from now: who was the first character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe to get a fourth solo film? The answer, of course, will be Thor Odinson, and the film will be the movie that’s next headed to cinemas for audiences to enjoy: ‘Thor: Love and Thunder.’ The impending superhero film comes with a few twists and “extras,” however. The story will see not only Chris Hemsworth reprising his role as the iconic God of Thunder, but Natalie Portman also returns to the franchise – not just as mild-mannered human scientist and Thor’s love interest, Jane Foster, but ALSO as The Might Thor, wielding the reconstructed Mjolnir hammer and sporting some serious superhero(ine) cred of her own. Oh, and the fan-favorite Guardians of the Galaxy also feature in the film. There should be a lot to take in from this one! Speaking of the Guardians team, however – it’s hard to tell how heavily they will feature in the film, as not only is this not “their story,” but the newest trailer that just dropped really seems to minimize their involvement in the main plot of the film. This is a stark […]

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An Agatha Harkness ‘WandaVision’ Spin-Off is in the Works at Disney+

Ally Miller — Thu, 07 Oct 2021 20:14:41 +0000

According to a report from Variety, Disney+ plans to launch a ‘WandaVision’ spinoff based around the character of Agatha Harkness. As typical with most Marvel projects, details on this future Disney+ series are slim to none, however, we do know that Kathryn Hahn will revive her role as fan-favorite Agatha Harkness and it looks like Jac Schaeffer, head writer of ‘WandaVision,’ would be filling the slot as the writer and executive producer. While sources have described the show as a dark comedy, we know we can all look forward to one of our favorite witches returning to the screen in what is sure to be another captivating series. What do you think of an Agatha Harkness spinoff? Any thoughts on what plotline they might travel to? Sound off below and stay tuned for more details of this upcoming series!

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Disney Chooses To Bring ‘Black Widow’ To Digital Release Early, Adds 9 Deleted Scenes

Tony Schaab - Senior Editor — Mon, 26 Jul 2021 14:31:07 +0000

‘Black Widow’ marked the triumphant return to theaters for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but the film has seen its box office take decline sharply in the weeks since its opening. Possibly as a result of this, Disney today has announced that they are bumping up the digital release of the films across the various platforms; this, of course, is not to be confused with the “Premiere Early Access” that Disney+ subscribers can pay for to have access to the film via their account already. The digital release is now coming in just a few weeks, on August 10th. The film’s physical release on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD will follow on September 14th. Both digital and physical releases will feature a large amount of extra content, including a blooper reel, behind-the-scenes featurettes, and nine deleted scenes for fans to enjoy. Check out Disney’s official press release below, along with the trailer for the film. “Black Widow” stars Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow, Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova, Rachel Weisz as Melina, David Harbour as Alexei/Red Guardian, Ray Winstone as Dreykov, O-T Fagbenle as Mason, and William Hurt as Secretary Ross. Marvel Studios’ “Black Widow” arrives early on all major digital platforms on Aug. […]

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The God Of Mischief Is ’10 Steps Ahead Of You’ In The New ‘Loki’ Trailer & Photos

Tony Schaab - Senior Editor — Mon, 05 Apr 2021 14:54:31 +0000

Even with the success of the now-complete ‘WandaVision’ series and the in-progress ‘Falcon and the Winter Soldier’ series, Disney isn’t resting on their laurels or taking it easy when it comes to the future success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and its forays into interconnected televised content. As a perfect example: coming hot on the heels of ‘Falcon and Winter Soldier’ after that series concludes is the series that may be the most eagerly anticipated of all the Marvel small-screen work, the Tom Hiddleston-led ‘Loki’ mini-series. Seeming to pick up Loki’s story pretty much immediately following when audiences last saw him – opportunistically stealing the Tesseract during the time-hopping chaos of ‘Avengers: Endgame’ – the God of Mischief looks to have gotten himself mixed up with the Time Variance Authority (TVA). The TVA appears to function as a sort of space-time regulatory force, and from the hints we’ve been given so far, it would seem that Loki’s action have caused some temporal ripples that need ironed out, with the god’s semi-unwilling assistance, of course. From Disney, the “official” description of the series is as follows: Watch Loki—the imperious God of Mischief—who, after absconding with the Tesseract, is a fish-out-of-water when he […]

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Marvel Comics Announces Their New ‘Space Age’

Tony Schaab - Senior Editor — Fri, 22 Jan 2021 18:30:33 +0000

While 2020 and the COVID-19 pandemic weren’t exactly kind to the film industry, with many films seeing their release dates bumped an entire year or more in order to accommodate audiences being able to safely return to theaters, the realm of the comic book was able to keep plugging on, largely with business as usual. Marvel Comics, the inspiration for the widely successful Marvel Cinematic Universe and its groupings of movies and TV shows, has kept fresh stories coming forth featuring readers’ favorite characters; now they have announced that, in just a few short months, some of the world’s greatest superheroes will be entering a “new Space Age” of their own. Directly from Marvel: For Earth, there are the Avengers. For everywhere else, there’s the Guardians of the Galaxy. This April, writer Al Ewing teams up with artist Juan Frigeri for a new arc of his epic run on GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY. The double-sized milestone 175th issue, GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY #13, will introduce the book’s new lineup, reveal the Guardian’s bold new mission, and welcome readers to Marvel’s new space age! They were soldiers, misfits, mercenaries, thieves and a family. They were heroes… but times have changed. The […]

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Spoiler-Free Preview: ‘WandaVision’

Tony Schaab - Senior Editor — Thu, 14 Jan 2021 17:01:06 +0000

Thanks to the fine folks as Disney+, we were granted early access to the first three episodes of the first-ever MCU TV series, ‘WandaVision.’ This is a spoiler-free over-arching review, as we would never want to intentionally spoil anything for our readers! You’ll find individual reviews of Episode 1, Episode 2, and Episode 3 here on ScienceFiction.com, as they become available to the public. The first thing that jumps out at the viewer upon engaging with the new series is that this is definitely NOT your typical entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It’s no secret that the previews have shown the episodes with a decidedly “classic TV sitcom” type of vibe, and this is the general format that the show follows, with each episode “taking place” in a different chronological sitcom era, progressing forward through time (at least, through the first trio of episodes, anyhow); the first episode is set in a 1950s type of ‘I Love Lucy’ vibe, with episode two wandering into the ‘Bewitched’ feel of the 1960s, and the third episode moves things smoothly into the 1970s, with some of the televised technological advances that came with that era. A unique point of the series is […]

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Benedict Cumberbatch Is Officially Bringing Doctor Strange To ‘Spider-Man 3’

Tony Schaab - Senior Editor — Thu, 08 Oct 2020 20:46:16 +0000

Things just keep getting more interesting for the next film installment of everyone’s friendly neighborhood web-slinger. Hot on the heels of the recent news that Jamie Foxx will be reprising his franchise-jumping role of Electro in ‘Spider-Man 3,’ news has broken today that Benedict Cumberbatch will appear as Doctor Strange in the film as well – and his appearance could potentially serve as an explanation of sorts for Electro’s presence in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Foxx’s Electro appeared once on-screen, in 2014’s ‘The Amazing Spider-Man 2.’ This, of course, is not the direct sequel to the upcoming Spider-Man film, but rather the end of Sony’s failed attempt to bring Spidey back to the big screen with Andrew Garfield in the lead role. Sony does still own the rights to Spider-Man and related characters, but they have struck a deal with Marvel to incorporate the hero, now portrayed on-screen by Tom Holland, into the MCU. The deal was at risk of expiring late last year, but the two companies worked it out, and Marvel is now set to produce ‘Spider-Man 3,’ the first film in this trilogy which they will be so doing. So, that’s a long-winded way to say that Foxx’s […]

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Scarlett Johansson Shares Her True Feelings On Black Widow’s MCU Fate

Tony Schaab - Senior Editor — Tue, 29 Sep 2020 13:57:41 +0000

If 2020 was a “normal” year, we would have all seen the ‘Black Widow’ solo film from Marvel and the Marvel Cinematic Universe in theaters already. Unfortunately, this year has been anything but normal, and due to the global pandemic, the film has been pushed from its originally-planned May 1st premiere date to what was then planned for a November 2020 release, and recently Marvel bumped the film even further, with the premiere now scheduled for February 12, 2021. The forthcoming film, of course, is a “prequel” of sorts to the most recent Avengers films, ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ and ‘Avengers: Endgame,’ because as audiences know, Natasha Romanoff valiantly sacrificed herself in the latter movie so that the superhero team might have a chance to defeat Thanos and restore their world to a semblance of pre-Snap normality (which they did). In a recent interview, Scarlett Johansson spoke about her character and her feelings on how the character met her on-screen end: “I love Natasha. She’s had an incredible 10-year journey, and I felt that she was finally able to make an active choice. It seemed very in-character, that ultimate sacrifice that she makes. She’s made peace with that, and, in some […]

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Jonathan Majors Cast In ‘Ant-Man 3’ As A Classic Marvel Villain

Tony Schaab - Senior Editor — Thu, 24 Sep 2020 15:16:36 +0000

shutterstock A star who is significantly on the rise, Jonathan Majors has been cast in the forthcoming ‘Ant-Man 3,’ one of the next installments in the wildly successful Marvel Cinematic Universe. Marvel itself has not confirmed which role Majors will play, but Deadline reports confidently via “sources close to the project” that he will play the iconic villain Kang the Conqueror. Created by legendary Marvel Comics powerhouses Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, Kang made his first appearance in 1964 in ‘The Avengers’ comic-book series and has had a long and illustrious career of tormenting pretty much every major Marvel hero and team, including the Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, the Inhumans, and the X-Men. Here’s the character’s brief description from Wikipedia: Kang the Conqueror is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is most frequently depicted as an opponent of the Avengers. A time-traveling entity, several alternate versions of Kang have appeared throughout Marvel’s titles over the years, including his respective future and past heroic selves, Immortus and Iron Lad. In 2009, Kang was ranked as IGN’s 65th-greatest comic book villain of all time. Starring in the as-yet-untitled […]

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Marvel’s ‘WandaVision’ Gets A New Trailer And Confirmation Of A 2020 Release Date

Tony Schaab - Senior Editor — Mon, 21 Sep 2020 17:03:40 +0000

For anyone who was debating canceling their Disney+ subscription anytime soon, Marvel has thrown down the (Infinity) gauntlet and smoothly said “on your left” with the release of the first full trailer for the forthcoming ‘WandaVision’ series, the first series from Marvel Studios to stream exclusively on their parent company’s online service. Unleashed upon the world during the broadcast of the 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards, Disney has confirmed via their marketing materials sent to us that the series will premiere sometime before the end of this calendar year. With Star Wars series ‘The Mandalorian’ already slated to debut on Disney+ on October 30th of this year, the likely landing point for the ‘WandaVision’ premiere would be somewhere around or shortly after the Thanksgiving holiday in late November. Check out the trailer and its official description below: Welcome to WandaVision. Coming soon to Disney+. Marvel Studios’ captivating new series “WandaVision” stars Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany, and marks the first series from Marvel Studios streaming exclusively on Disney+. The series is a blend of classic television and the Marvel Cinematic Universe in which Wanda Maximoff and Vision—two super-powered beings living idealized suburban lives—begin to suspect that everything is not as it […]

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Clark Gregg Says Goodbye To ‘Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D.’ In A Heartfelt Video

Jax Motes — Mon, 10 Aug 2020 13:00:03 +0000

“If you had told me, while I sipped coffee on ‘Iron Man’ I, that I would go this many layers into this character… it’s really bittersweet to let that journey go. I can only be grateful for it,” laments Clark Gregg as ‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’ is set to leave airwaves at the end of the current seventh season. Indeed, Gregg’s S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Phil Coulson was an early breakout fan-favorite thanks to his humorous role in ‘Iron Man’. Charming everyguy Coulson returned in ‘Iron Man 2’, and ‘Thor’, starred in two of his own ‘One-Shot’ shorts, “The Consultant” and “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Thor’s Hammer.” But the ride appeared to be over when, in ‘Avengers’, Coulson died at the hands of Loki. But even his death scene was funny and endearing. You can’t keep a good side character dead, so Gregg and Culson became the foundation for an ongoing TV series, with the mystery of his being alive as one of the central mysteries. As ‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’ prepares to sign off, Gregg recorded a heartfelt goodbye message to the show itself and to the loyal fans. You can check it out below: Accompanying Gregg on his […]

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‘Candyman’s Nia DaCosta Set To Direct ‘Captain Marvel 2’

Jax Motes — Thu, 06 Aug 2020 00:53:14 +0000

Tribeca Film Festival award-winner Nia DaCosta has landed the job of helming the sequel to Disney/Marvel Studios’ ‘Captain Marvel’. DaCosta’s latest film is the remake of ‘Candyman’, executive produced by Jordan Peele, the release of which has been delayed until October 16, 2020, due to COVID-19. In 2018, her debut film, ‘Little Woods’, which she financed through Kickstarter, debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival and was awarded the Nora Ephron Award for “excellence in storytelling by a female writer or director.” Beyond that and ‘Candyman’, DaCosta’s only other professional directing job has been on two episodes of the British TV series ‘Top Boy’. And now she’s in the big leagues! DaCosta becomes the first Black woman to direct a Marvel Studios movie, and only the second Black woman to direct any comic book movie, following Gina Prince-Blythewood, who helmed Netflix’s ‘The Old Guard’, which was released just weeks ago. Reportedly, DaCosta met with Marvel Studios CEO Kevin Feige over the weekend and it seems he liked what he heard. She replaces Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, who co-directed the first ‘Captain Marvel’. That picture grossed over $1 billion worldwide. The screenplay for the sequel is being penned by Megan McDonnell, a […]

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Disney+’s ‘Hawkeye’ Targets Its Directors

Jax Motes — Sat, 18 Jul 2020 00:58:36 +0000

All of the Marvel Studios shows set for Disney+ are on hold due to coronavirus shutdowns, but one show has taken a significant step forward. ‘Hawkeye’ has lined up a trio of directors. One “block” of episodes will be helmed by ‘Troop Zero’s Bert and Bertie, and the other will be by ‘Saturday Night Live’ vet Rhys Thomas. Jonathan Igla serves as head writer and showrunner. Katie Mathewson and Tanner Bean are also part of the writing team. Jeremy Renner will return to play Clint Barton… possibly for the last time, as it is believed that the show will depict him passing his bow on to a new Hawkeye, Kate Bishop. No one has been cast in that role yet. At one point, Hailee Steinfeld was the top choice and Steinfeld herself seemed interested, but her commitment to her Apple TV+ series ‘Dickenson’ may prevent that. (Then again, who knows when this show will actually be able to begin production? She could have outgrown the role by that point.) It looks as though Disney+ is experimenting with methods of producing its series. ‘The Mandalorian’ S1 was directed by several different individuals. However, ‘The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’ will be […]

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