Chris Claremont, the writer behind some of the most popular X-Men stories ever told, is coming back for at least one more go-around. Monday, Marvel announced Claremont as the writer behind the upcoming Wolverine: Deep Cut Series. Claremont crafted the mini-series with artist Edgar Salazar, which will take place during the time when the X-Men were briefly stationed in the Australian Outback.

"One of the amazing things about Chris Claremont's work is how rich and multi-layered his X-Men stories have always been," Marvel editor Mark Basso shared in a press release. "In UNCANNY X-MEN #246, he had to move Wolverine off-stage to get to the plethora of other characters and plotlines he had going."

Wolverine: Deep Cut, naturally, takes place when the character wasn't involved in the Uncanny X-Men line between #246 and #251.

"DEEP CUT is going to finally step back and show what there just wasn't time or space to show of Wolverine before he returned in #251, and make good on that title in all senses of the word!" he continued. "And, in true Marvel fashion, the story here will stand completely on its own, so if you have no idea what those plots entailed, rest assured you've got a complete adventure in this series."

This isn't the first time Claremont and Salazar worked on an X-Men book together. Earlier this year, the two released Wolverine: Madripoor Nights.

"Hard to believe, Bub, I've known Logan for 50 years!" Claremont said in a statement at the time. "And Natasha was in the first Marvel story I ever wrote. This trip back to Madripoor reveals hidden truths about two of my favorite characters on the adventure that shaped their lives."

Philip Tan, the artist charged with doing the covers on Madripoor Nights is also doing the cover work for Wolverine: Deep Cut. Wolverine: Deep Cut #1 is currently scheduled to be released in local comic shops on July 3rd.

Marvel Entertainment is the latest corner of the entertainment industry to reportedly be hit with layoffs. On Monday afternoon, it was reported that the company has laid off fifteen employees, both at Marvel Entertainment's New York offices and Marvel Studios' offices in Burbank. According to reports, the layoffs included a number of junior employees at Marvel Studios' production and development arms.

The decision was reportedly made amid the company's efforts to both streamline its slate of upcoming projects, something that both Marvel Studios CEO Kevin Feige and Disney CEO Bob Iger have hinted at the company doing. Marvel Studios currently only has one film, Deadpool & Wolverine, scheduled for its 2024 slate. Other layoffs were reportedly done to cut redundancies caused when Marvel Entertainment was folded into Marvel Studios in the spring of 2023.

Will Marvel Studios Make Less Movies?

Iger has hinted that Marvel Studios might be scaling back on future projects, both with regards to Disney+ original series and theatrical ventures. As Iger put it, the franchise will be able to better prioritize Marvel projects -- and the needs of the audience -- going forward.

"A lot of people think it's audience fatigue, it's not audience fatigue. They want great films," Iger said during an interview with CNBC last month. "And if you build it great, they will come and there are countless examples of that. Some are ours and some are others. Oppenheimer is a perfect example of that. Just a fantastic film," Iger said. "Focus is really important. We reduced the output of Marvel, both number of films they make, and the number of TV shows, and that really becomes critical, but I feel good about the team. I feel good about the IP we're making. I talked about a lot of the projects. We look years ahead, really. And it's iterative."

What Is Marvel Studios' Next Movie?

In Deadpool & Wolverine, Deadpool will change the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe with Wolverine. The film will star Ryan Reynolds as Wade Wilson / Deadpool, Hugh Jackman as Logan Howlett / Wolverine, Morena Baccarin as Vanessa Carlysle, Leslie Uggams as Blind Al, Karan Soni as Dopinder, Stefan Kapi?i? as Piotr Rasputin/Colossus, Matthew Macfadyen as Agent Paradox, and Emma Corrin in a currently-unknown role. Jennifer Garner is expected to reprise her role as Elektra from the Daredevil and Elektra films of the 2000s. Deadpool & Wolverine is directed by Shawn Levy, with a script from Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick.

"As far as crafting the Deadpool and Wolverine story, I just felt privileged every day because you're talking about two massive movie stars in their most iconic roles," Levy shared in a recent interview with ScreenRant. "It also gave me an opportunity. It's the third Deadpool movie, but it's not Deadpool 3. It's a different thing that's very much Deadpool & Wolverine. And it's not trying to copycat anything from the first two movies. They were awesome, but this is a two-hander character adventure."

What do you think of Marvel Studios being hit with layoffs? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

h/t: Deadline

Below you'll find a breakdown of the new Marvel Legends releases along with release dates and pre-order links where applicable. Note that this article will be updated with additional launch dates and links when the info becomes available.

MARVEL LEGENDS SERIES WOLVERINE (MARVEL 85TH ANNIVERSARY) - $24.99 / Pre-orders will launch here at Entertainment Earth and here on Amazon on 4/16 at 10am PT / 1pm ET: "With unstoppable healing powers and adamantium metal claws, the astonishing Wolverine battles threats alongside the mutant X-Men team. Celebrate the MARVEL UNIVERSE and 85 years of MARVEL COMICS with this MARVEL LEGENDS SERIES WOLVERINE (MARVEL 85TH ANNIVERSARY) figure. This quality 6-inch scale figure features deco inspired by the character's appearance in Marvel's Astonishing X-Men comics. The figure features extensive articulation and is highly posable for display and play. Includes figure and 6 comics-inspired accessories including masked and unmasked heads and hands with and without claws."

MARVEL LEGENDS SERIES SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN (MARVEL 85TH ANNIVERSARY) - $29.99 / Pre-orders will launch here at Entertainment Earth and here on Amazon on 4/16 at 10am PT / 1pm ET: "When Doc Ock swaps bodies with Peter Parker, gaining his powers and conscience, he becomes the unlikely hero Superior Spider-Man. Celebrate the MARVEL UNIVERSE and 85 years of MARVEL COMICS with this MARVEL LEGENDS SERIES SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN (85th ANNIVERSARY) figure. This quality 6-inch scale figure features deco inspired by the character's appearance in Marvel's The Superior Spider-Man comics. The figure features extensive articulation and is highly posable for display and play. Includes figure and 11 comics-inspired accessories including alternate head and Spider-Arms with removable backpack."

MARVEL LEGENDS SERIES IRON FIST AND LUKE CAGE (MARVEL 85TH ANNIVERSARY) - $49.99 / Pre-orders will launch here at Entertainment Earth and here on Amazon on 4/23 at 10am PT / 1pm ET: "Luke Cage and Iron Fist reach new heights as heroes when they're called to join the roster of New Avengers, teaming up to fight for justice. Celebrate the MARVEL UNIVERSE and 85 years of MARVEL COMICS with this MARVEL LEGENDS SERIES IRON FIST AND LUKE CAGE (85TH ANNIVERSARY) 2-pack. These quality 6-inch scale figures feature deco inspired by the characters' appearances in Marvel's The New Avengers comics. The figures feature extensive articulation and are highly posable for display and play. Includes 2 figures and 12 comics-inspired accessories including alternate head and hands for each figure."

MARVEL LEGENDS SERIES GHOST RIDER (DANNY KETCH) (MARVEL 85TH ANNIVERSARY) - $49.99 / Pre-orders will launch here at Entertainment Earth on 4/30 at 10am PT / 1pm ET: "When Danny Ketch crosses paths with a cursed motorcycle, he is transformed into the Spirit of Vengeance, wielding supernatural powers as Ghost Rider. Celebrate the MARVEL UNIVERSE and 85 years of MARVEL COMICS with this MARVEL LEGENDS SERIES GHOST RIDER (DANNY KETCH) (85TH ANNIVERSARY) figure set. This quality 6-inch scale figure and vehicle features deco inspired by their appearances in Marvel's Ghost Rider comics. The figure features extensive articulation and is highly posable for display and play. Set comes with 6-inch scale Hell Cycle vehicle with moveable foot peg, semi-translucent fire wheels, and fire stands for displaying on 2 wheels or 1. Includes figure, bike and 9 comics-inspired accessories including motorcycle display pieces and alternate hands and chain for figure".

MARVEL LEGENDS SERIES SKAAR, SON OF HULK (MARVEL 85TH ANNIVERSARY) - $39.99 / Fan Channel Exclusive / Release Date TBA: A born fighter from the brutal world of Sakaar, the Son of Hulk seeks the power needed to destroy his enemies. Celebrate the MARVEL UNIVERSE and 85 years of MARVEL COMICS with this MARVEL LEGENDS SERIES SKAAR, SON OF HULK (85th ANNIVERSARY) figure. For the first time, fans can add Skaar, the son of Hulk to their collection. This quality 6-inch scale deluxe figure stands 8 inches tall and features deco inspired by the character's appearance in Marvel's Skaar: Son of Hulk comics. The figure features extensive articulation and is highly posable for display and play. Includes figure and 5 comics-inspired accessories including alternate head, hands, and weapons accessories."

MARVEL LEGENDS SERIES MARVEL'S WARBIRD (MARVEL 85TH ANNIVERSARY) - $24.99 / Target Exclusive / Release Date TBA: "After damaging her powers while saving Earth's sun, Carol Danvers joins a team of Avengers and takes on the codename of Warbird. Celebrate the MARVEL UNIVERSE and 85 years of MARVEL COMICS with this MARVEL LEGENDS SERIES MARVEL'S WARBIRD (85th ANNIVERSARY) figure. For the first time, fans can add Carol Danvers as Marvel's Warbird to their collection. This quality 6-inch scale figure features deco inspired by the character's appearance in Marvel's Avengers comics with her black Warbird-era costume from her time on the Avengers team. The figure features extensive articulation and is highly posable for display and play. Includes figure and 5 comics-inspired accessories including alternate head, hands, and power FX."

Jeffrey Veregge, known for his stunning cover work at Marvel Comics, IDW Publishing, and Valiant Comics, has passed away at the age of 50. Marvel's social media account shared the sad news of Veregge's passing. Veregge was diagnosed with a severe form of lupus back in 2021, derailing his promising career and leaving his family with hospital bills in the millions. His wife, Christina, shared that Jeffrey passed away unexpectedly on the morning of April 12th from a heart attack.

"We are saddened to learn artist and writer Jeffrey Veregge has passed away," a post from the Marvel Entertainment account on X (formerly Twitter) reads. "His striking and beautiful use of formline designs celebrated both pop culture and tradition, reimagining Marvel and beyond in ways that will never fade. Our hearts are with his family and loved ones."

We are saddened to learn artist and writer Jeffrey Veregge has passed away. His striking and beautiful use of formline designs celebrated both pop culture and tradition, reimagining Marvel and beyond in ways that will never fade. Our hearts are with his family and loved ones. pic.twitter.com/A5t8cc9aNj

-- Marvel Entertainment (@Marvel) April 15, 2024

His wife, Christina, wrote on Facebook, "We're heartbroken to share the devastating news that our beloved Jeffrey passed away unexpectedly this morning from a heart attack. Our family is in shock and trying to process this unimaginable pain.

For 1025 days he fought lupus like the superhero we knew him to be. The strength, faith, determination and courage he showed while being in the hospital for a total of 925 days was an inspiration to us all. He fought so hard for his family and his 3 children who were his absolute pride and joy. He will be missed more than words can express. This world was a better place because of him.

Please keep us in your prayers as we grieve this indescribable loss."

Jeffrey Veregge rose to fame with a mesh of formline designs and what he dubbed "Salish Geek" creativity, using his Native American background to craft breathtaking covers for some of the biggest publishers in comics. His work and murals are also found in the New York City Smithsonian, Seattle's Citizen M hotel, and soon the Climate Pledge Area, the future home of Seattle's hockey team, The Kraken.

Jeffrey Veregge was the cover artist for Marvel's Red Wolf ongoing series, which launched in 2015. Red Wolf was Marvel's first Native American hero. "There's not a character like Red Wolf out there right now," Veregge said. "As a native, I'm really excited to see that he can do things, he can figure out things and stand with Captain America, and hold his own in this universe. That's what's awesome about it: You have all these characters of different nationalities and ethnicities, but it's not all about their culture. It's about them being a hero."

The Veregge Family has a GoFundMe open to help raise money for his fight against Lupus. ComicBook.com sends our condolences to the family and all fans of Jeffrey Veregge's work.

CinemaCon came to an end in Las Vegas earlier this week, and many major studios teased their upcoming films, including Disney. There was a big presentation that features a peak at some of Marvel's upcoming projects, including Deadpool & Wolverine. During the event, director Shawn Levy spoke with various outlets and talked about everything from avoiding leaks to the Taylor Swift rumors. While chatting with ScreenRant, Levy also explained why the most isn't Deadpool 3.

"As far as crafting the Deadpool and Wolverine story, I just felt privileged every day because you're talking about two massive movie stars in their most iconic roles," Levy shared. "It also gave me an opportunity. It's the third Deadpool movie, but it's not Deadpool 3. It's a different thing that's very much Deadpool & Wolverine. And it's not trying to copycat anything from the first two movies. They were awesome, but this is a two-hander character adventure."

What Is Deadpool & Wolverine About?

Deadpool & Wolverine was helmed by Shawn Levy from a script written by Bob's Burgers' Wendy Molyneaux and Lizzie Molyneaux-Loeglin, with Deadpool and Deadpool 2 writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick also returning to contribute to the script. Not much is known about the plot, but there has been a lot of speculation and exciting teases.

In addition to Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool/Wade Wilson and Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, Deadpool & Wolverine will also star Morena Baccarin as Vanessa Carlysle, Leslie Uggams as Blind Al, Karan Soni as Dopinder, Stefan Kapi?i? as Piotr Rasputin/Colossus, Emma Corrin, and Matthew Macfadyen.

"I always wanted Hugh to come back," Reynolds explained in a previous interview with Collider. "My first meeting with Kevin Feige when Disney bought Fox years ago, maybe three years ago, or three and a half, four years ago, I'm not sure, was about doing a movie with the two of us, a Deadpool/Wolverine movie. And that was not possible at the time. And then Hugh just happened to call at that perfect moment and express that he'd be interested in coming back and doing this one more time. And the contents of that conversation, I'll let Hugh, because I know it's only inevitable that you and Hugh are going to speak at some point soon, I'm sure. I'll let Hugh answer that on his own. But he expressed interest in coming back, and then it was my job to take that to Kevin Feige one more time and sell it."

While speaking with the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Levy addressed the many wild rumors surrounding the film and talked about the movie's connection to the greater MCU.

"I'm so wary of giving anything away because I've learned the hard way that even with a few titles - like any Marvel title - everything and anything you say can lead to not only rumors but misinformation. I'll just say this: It's very much part of the MCU, what a privilege, what a wealth of resources and knowledge."

Deadpool & Wolverine hits theaters on July 26th.

James Howlett. Logan. Weapon X. Wolverine. The adamantium metal-clawed hero with a mutant healing factor has had many lives spanning decades, but only one life story. Marvel Comics will tell the Life of Wolverine, a special origins one-shot collecting the digital Marvel Unlimited comic in print for the first time. Written by Jim Zub (Marvel's Thunderbolts) with art by Ram?n F. Bachs (X-Men: Blue), the story was originally published as a companion comic to the X Lives of Wolverine / X Deaths of Wolverine exclusive to Marvel Unlimited, the publisher's online comic subscription service.

The story sees telepaths Jean Grey and Professor Charles Xavier of the X-Men head into "unexplored territory": Logan's mind. With Jean acting as a mental anchor to send Logan's consciousness back through time, Life of Wolverine presents Wolverine's life in chronological order. The story spans more than a century as Logan relives his formerly forgotten past, from his childhood in 19th century Alberta, Canada, through Team X and the Weapon X programs, and into the modern age.

The official description: "Hitting stands just in time for the character's 50th anniversary, hardcore Wolverine fans and newcomers alike will walk away an expert after this action-packed trip through key moments of Wolverine's storytelling history!

Wolverine has been mindwiped, manipulated and given false memories so many times, what is the truth of his long life? Now, as a journey into his own past becomes paramount to the survival of mutantkind! Delve into the true story of Logan's life, from his earliest days in the late 1800s, to the many wars he's fought alongside comrades like Captain America and Sabretooth, to the Weapon X procedures that changed his life forever, his days on the X-Men and more! All in continuity, this includes some adventures and links to the past never before revealed, giving the most complete picture of Wolverine's history ever assembled!"

Life of Wolverine #1 is on stands July 3. Marvel will also commemorate Wolverine's 50th anniversary with the Wolverine Wolverine Wolverine Variant homage cover series, the new limited series Deadpool & Wolverine: WWIII, and the extra-sized Wolverine #50, which will end the 10-part Sabretooth War with the bloody final confrontation between Victor Creed and the currently-powerless Wolverine clad in the Adamantium Armor suit.

[Warning: This article contains spoilers for X-Men '97.] Midway through its 10-episode first season, Marvel Animation's X-Men '97 is at a turning point. What started with a faithful homage to '90s nostalgia got a real-world wake up call in Wednesday's episode 5, which saw a pack of Homo superior-hunting Wild Sentinels attack and decimate the mutant nation of Genosha. By the end of the heart-wrenching episode, titled "Remember It," Gambit (A.J. LoCascio), Madelyne Pryor (Jennifer Hale), and X-Men leader Magneto (Matthew Waterson) were among the casualties of a mass mutant extermination event.

Marvel Studios has already renewed X-Men '97 for a second season, and future episodes will "up the ante" even more, according to series co-composer Taylor Newton Stewart.

"We're working on season two. But we haven't started yet. I know a little bit of the storylines and characters," Stewart, one half of the Newton Brothers, told The Direct. "It's always upping the ante. I mean, it's pretty intense what happens. Yeah, immediately when I was told, I was just like, 'Oh my gosh, what's happening? This is incredible.' So, just as a fan alone, I am very excited."

Across its first five episodes, Marvel's revival of X-Men: The Animated Series has adapted versions of such classic '80s X-Men comic book storylines like Lifedeath and Inferno, and 2001's E is for Extinction.

Brad Winderbaum, head of streaming, television, and animation at Marvel Studios and executive producer for X-Men '97, recently told ComicBook that coming episodes would continue to pull inspiration from Chris Claremont's definitive Uncanny X-Men run up through Grant Morrison's New X-Men.

"Just like the original series that was drafting so heavily from Chris Claremont's work, we're continuing that. We're looking at that late '70s, mid '70s to early '90s kind of era," Winderbaum said. "We do start to play outside of the Chris Claremont sandbox a little bit into the '90s, almost getting to Grant Morrison. But it's definitely just like the OG series, it's drafting from the stories from the books."

New episodes of Marvel's X-Men '97 are streaming Wednesdays on Disney+.

It looks as though Electronic Arts' upcoming Black Panther video game will be set in an open world. In case you forgot, EA announced this past summer that it was working on a game associated with the Marvel superhero at the newly established studio Cliffhanger Games. At the time of its announcement, EA opted to not share much information about the project, but it looks as though we've now gathered a few new details in an unexpected way.

In a new job listing on EA's website, the publisher was found to be hiring a "Principal Sandbox Designer" for Marvel's Black Panther. The description of the position says that the eventual hire would need to design various gameplay mechanics and systems that would function in "a rich, sandbox environment." As a result, it seems clear that Marvel's Black Panther is going to be an open world game, which is something that EA previously hadn't disclosed.

"We're dedicated to delivering fans a definitive and authentic Black Panther experience, giving them more agency and control over their narrative than they have ever experienced in a story-driven video game," said Cliffhanger boss Kevin Stephens at the time of the game's reveal. "Wakanda is a rich superhero sandbox, and our mission is to develop an epic world for players who love Black Panther and want to explore the world of Wakanda as much as we do."

For the time being, EA and Marvel Games haven't provided even a broad release window for Marvel's Black Panther. Given that EA is still in the midst of hiring for key positions at Cliffhanger Games, it's assumed that the project is still many, many years away. Alongside Black Panther, Marvel Games has also greenlit a bevy of other games that include Marvel's Blade, Marvel's Wolverine, Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra, and Marvel's Iron Man. This Iron Man title also happens to be in development at EA along with Black Panther.

How do you feel about the potential of an open world Black Panther game from EA? And which upcoming Marvel title do you happen to be anticipating the most? Be sure to let me know either down in the comments section or reach out to me on social media at @MooreMan12.

This year marks 13 years since Tom Hiddleston first played Loki in Thor. Since then, the actor has appeared in The Avengers, Thor: The Dark World, Thor: Ragnarok, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, and Loki. The second season of Loki came to an end on Disney+ back in November, and many are wondering if Hiddleston will ever return to the MCU as the God Mischief. This week, Hiddleston participated in an FYC event for the second season of Loki alongside some of his co-stars. During the event, Hiddleston explained why he never saw the character as a villain, despite his shady track record.

"Playing Loki has changed the course of my whole life, no question." Hiddleston reflected (via Deadline). "And I feel so proud of where we've ended up in Season 2. It was very creatively fulfilling to bring something full circle. I always saw him from the very first film as a broken soul with a shattered heart who felt like he didn't belong ... all that grief hardens into grievance. That's what binds him to Sylvie."

"And the grievance is what drives him to become a villain in the Avengers and the Thor movies, and this second chance that he's given by Mobius to rediscover that glorious purpose that he feels he's always been burdened with ... it comes in a shape he would have never recognized and would never have anticipated. And it gave him a kind of catharsis that he wasn't ready for," he added.

Loki shared similar thoughts during a recent appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!

"I'm aware that he's made some interesting choices, which could be accumulated into a picture that looks like he's a villain, and once upon a time, he was making some misguided choices," Hiddleston said. "You know, trying to take over New York and the Avengers having to assemble to stop him, that was a bad day in the office. I'd like to think that 14 years later he's making some slightly more generous, loving, and heroic choices."

Will Tom Hiddleston Play Loki Again?

"I don't know," Hiddleston told Kimmel. "I really don't know. I know that we've reached some sort of narrative conclusion with season two, which feels very satisfying to me."

"I truthfully don't know," Hiddleston said in another recent interview when asked about Loki Season 3. "I am so proud of where we landed in Season 2. To go from this lost, broken soul in Asgard, and be given a second chance and learn so much about life that he actually gives himself to protect other people has been such an honor."

You can watch Hiddleston talk about playing Loki here.

Movie-themed popcorn buckets are all the rage these days, and they've gotten even more attention thanks to the Dune: Part Two popcorn bucket that came out this year. The souvenir sandworm bucket from AMC Theatres caused a huge stir online with many making NSFW jokes that resulted in a hilarious Saturday Night Live sketch. This week, Kevin Feige took the stage at CinemaCon during Disney's presentation and revealed Deadpool & Wolverine will have an "intentionally crude" popcorn bucket. They have yet to reveal the upcoming bucket, but fan-favorite digital artist Bosslogic came up with their own design, and it certainly fits Feige's description.

"In theatres July 2024 #deadpoolandwolverine," Bosslogic captioned the post. You can check out the design below. Warning: The following image is NSFW!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Kode Abdo (@bosslogic)

AMC Exec Reacts to Dune Popcorn Bucket Backlash

This week, Variety spoke with Elizabeth Frank, the Chief Content Officer for AMC. During the interview, Frank addressed the response to the Dune: Part Two bucket.

"We continue to learn and evolve. We would have never imagined the Dune thing. We would have never created it knowing it would be celebrated or mocked," Frank explained. "Absolutely," she added when asked if the SNL sketch felt like a "seal of approval." "And you couldn't make it happen if you wanted to. It wouldn't be fair to pull our creative talent aside to say, 'We hope it makes SNL.'"

"Some fans are collectors. There's another group of people who are specific film fans, buying three different Ghostbusters products. It's all a mix. It's a material part of our food and beverage business, but it's not the majority of it. It also makes the movies more fun. It's like going home from a concert with a T-shirt. There is a lot of creative energy from it," she added.

What Is Deadpool 3 About?

Deadpool 3 was helmed by Shawn Levy from a script written by Bob's Burgers' Wendy Molyneaux and Lizzie Molyneaux-Loeglin, with Deadpool and Deadpool 2 writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick also returning to contribute to the script. Not much is known about the plot, but there has been a lot of speculation and exciting teases.

In addition to Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool and Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, Deadpool 3 will also star Morena Baccarin as Vanessa Carlysle, Leslie Uggams as Blind Al, Karan Soni as Dopinder, Stefan Kapi?i? as Piotr Rasputin/Colossus, Emma Corrin, and Matthew Macfadyen.

"I always wanted Hugh to come back," Reynolds explained in a previous interview with Collider. "My first meeting with Kevin Feige when Disney bought Fox years ago, maybe three years ago, or three and a half, four years ago, I'm not sure, was about doing a movie with the two of us, a Deadpool/Wolverine movie. And that was not possible at the time. And then Hugh just happened to call at that perfect moment and express that he'd be interested in coming back and doing this one more time. And the contents of that conversation, I'll let Hugh, because I know it's only inevitable that you and Hugh are going to speak at some point soon, I'm sure. I'll let Hugh answer that on his own. But he expressed interest in coming back, and then it was my job to take that to Kevin Feige one more time and sell it."

Deadpool & Wolverine hits theaters on July 26th.

X-Men '97 is currently five episodes deep on Disney+, and the series features the return of many voice actors from X-Men: The Animated Series. Original cast members Cal Dodd (Wolverine), Lenore Zann (Rogue), George Buza (Beast), Alison Sealy-Smith (Storm), Adrian Hough (Nightcrawler), and Christopher Britton (Mister Sinister) reprise their roles from the '90s series while returning cast members Catherine Disher (original Jean Grey), Chris Potter (original Gambit), and Alyson Court (original Jubilee) voice new characters. This week, the show revealed that Potter's new character is actually another returning character: Cable.

Earlier in the season, Madelyne Pryor and Scott Summers had to say goodbye to their new baby, Nathan. After being kidnapped and experimented on by Mister Sinister, Nathan was infected with a techno virus that could only be cured in the future. The baby was taken to the future by Bishop, and when Cable returned to the present day, he visited Madelyne, who realized he was her son.

In the original series, Cable was voiced by Lawrence Bayne. Interestingly, Bayne has lent his voice to a couple of different characters in X-Men '97. He was Carl Denti in "To Me, My X-Men," and a FOH Soldier in "Mutant Liberation Begins." Now that Potter is voicing Cable, A.J. LoCascio has taken over the role of Gambit.

Why Are X-Men: The Animated Series Actors Voicing Different Roles in X-Men '97?

X-Men '97 director/producer Jake Castorena recently spoke with RadioTimes and explained why some of the voice cast has changed.

"If we're doing this show, we got to do it with the legacy cast - that was the decision from day one," Castorena explained. "[But] time hits us all - it's been 30 years and so, unfortunately, some of the legacy voice cast is no longer with us, and some of the legacy voice cast, voices and things just change."

"Finding people to take up the mantle for the legacy cast, to fill in the roles, was an absolute process, but I absolutely love and appreciate all of our new cast taking on their new roles - and to hear the blessings from the legacy cast has been also awesome, too," he added.

"For those who wanted to come back and for whatever reasons weren't able to do the voice, we brought them back to play other characters, to make sure we still had everybody in the sandbox... because how do you invite one person to come play, but not somebody else? Especially when they're game and they want to. It's like, 'We'll find something for you,'" Castorena continued.

"Honestly, it's a way to get everybody back. It's the best way to get everybody back, as best as we could."

X-Men '97 releases new episodes on Wednesdays.

Things are heating up on X-Men '97, especially after the fifth episode, "Remember It," dropped on Disney+ this week. There are a lot of theories floating around as fans try to figure out who was behind the sentinel attack on Genosha that killed many mutants. Many believe Cassandra Nova will be revealed as the show's next big bad. Created by Grant Morrison and Frank Quietly in 2001's New X-Men #114, Cassandra Nova is the long-lost twin sister of Charles Xavier/Professor X whose mission is to destroy everything in Charles' life. However, director/producer Jake Castorena recently told Inverse that Cassandra Nova isn't going to show up in the season's remaining episodes.

"I wouldn't get my hopes up for Cassandra Nova being a huge villain in our show," Castorena revealed. "But what I will say is, I don't think people will be disappointed with our choices."

However, X-Men '97 director Emi Yonemura did share some love for the Marvel villain.

"I love her because she is a challenge for Xavier," Yonemura explained. "I really love the tensions that she brings, the whole other level that she brings. I love her character design as well. I cannot say where we go, but I think what's so nice about using the original series and the comics for where we start [is that it] gives us so many options with so many rich characters like Cassandra to get to play with."

Is Emma Corrin Playing Cassandra Nova in Deadpool & Wolverine?

While Cassandra Nova may not be showing up in X-Men '97, there is a chance she'll be seen in the upcoming film, Deadpool & Wolverine. While the casting hasn't been officially confirmed, there have been many rumors that The Crown's Emma Corrin is playing Charles' sister in the threequel.

In addition to Corrin, the film also stars Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool, Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, Morena Baccarin as Vanessa Carlysle, Leslie Uggams as Blind Al, Karan Soni as Dopinder, Stefan Kapi?i? as Piotr Rasputin/Colossus, and Matthew Macfadyen.

While speaking with the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Levy addressed the many wild rumors surrounding the film and talked about the movie's connection to the greater MCU.

"I'm so wary of giving anything away because I've learned the hard way that even with a few titles - like any Marvel title - everything and anything you say can lead to not only rumors but misinformation. I'll just say this: It's very much part of the MCU, what a privilege, what a wealth of resources and knowledge."

Deadpool & Wolverine hits theaters on July 26th. X-Men '97 releases new episodes on Wednesdays.

X-Men '97 is now five episodes deep on Disney+, and the series continues to shock and delight fans of X-Men: The Animated Series. The new show takes place right where the original series left off in 1997, and critics and audiences agree that the reboot is more than a worthy follow-up. The newest episode, "Remember It," featured the biggest shocker yet when a gala on Genosha was attacked by a giant Sentinal, killing many mutants. Warning: Spoilers Ahead! One of the characters to meet a dark fate was Gambit/Remy LeBeau (A.J. LoCascio). Gambit's death was confirmed when Rogue (Lenore Zann) couldn't "feel" him at the end of the episode. Zann recently spoke with CinemaBlend about the episode's devastating moment.

"Well I was devastated too," Zann shared. "I really feel that Rogue loves Remy deeply, and in this episode, we also find out how deeply... The fact that she says to Magneto, 'Some things are deeper than skin.' That's so important because this is what Gambit said, and she repeats that. Anybody who knows Rogue knows that not being able to touch anyone skin to skin has been part of her trauma her whole life. She wants to touch people skin to skin, but she realizes, 'No, some things are deeper than skin,' that, for me, just speaks galaxies and universe of deep, deep love."

Is Gambit Really Dead?

Considering the fact that Rogue couldn't feel Gambit, the character's death seems pretty undeniable. However, the episode also featured the return of Cable, who is voiced by Chris Potter. Interestingly enough, Potter was the original voice of Gambit in X-Men: The Animated Series. With Cable in the mix, anything is possible since he's known for traveling through time and changing history. With any luck, Gambit's death will be reversed. LoCascio also recently spoke with CinemaBlend about his character's death and admitted it was hard on him.

"I was sad, I was pretty devastated, especially since this is a character I've loved for so, so long, and then to get to play the character and then to find out they're dying halfway through the season. I was devastated," LoCascio shared. "Yeah, I had to go through my own mourning process in the same way you would with a friend or a loved one in a weird way."

"I mean, obviously not to the same degree, but there was this feeling of, 'Welcome to the world of X-Men!' And then it's like, 'And then you die!' And I was like, 'You couldn't even wait a couple more episodes!' It's very strange and bittersweet. I'm thrilled to voice Gambit in any capacity, so to do it in these pivotal moments was an honor. But yeah, I definitely felt heartsick and sad. Jake [Castorena] and Beau [DeMayo] had to call me and placate me and tell me, 'It's ok, this is a good story.' I was like, 'Ok...' So I felt very sad."

X-Men '97 releases new episodes on Wednesdays.

X-Men '97 has been a huge hit with critics and audiences alike, earning a 98% critics score and 93% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. The fifth episode of the series, "Remember It," was released this week and it featured some big shockers. Warning: Spoilers Ahead! The show really heated up when a gala on Genosha was attacked by a giant Sentinal, killing many mutants. One of the characters to meet a tragic end was the longtime fan-favorite, Gambit/Remy LeBeau, who is voiced by A.J. LoCascio. During a recent interview with CinemaBlend, LoCascio opened up about Gambit's shocking death.

"I was sad, I was pretty devastated, especially since this is a character I've loved for so, so long, and then to get to play the character and then to find out they're dying halfway through the season. I was devastated," LoCascio shared. "Yeah, I had to go through my own mourning process in the same way you would with a friend or a loved one in a weird way."

"I mean, obviously not to the same degree, but there was this feeling of, 'Welcome to the world of X-Men!' And then it's like, 'And then you die!' And I was like, 'You couldn't even wait a couple more episodes!' It's very strange and bittersweet. I'm thrilled to voice Gambit in any capacity, so to do it in these pivotal moments was an honor. But yeah, I definitely felt heartsick and sad. Jake [Castorena] and Beau [DeMayo] had to call me and placate me and tell me, 'It's ok, this is a good story.' I was like, 'Ok...' So I felt very sad."

Which Voice Actors Return in X-Men '97?

Original X-Men: The Animated Series cast members Cal Dodd (Wolverine), Lenore Zann (Rogue), George Buza (Beast), Alison Sealy-Smith (Storm), Adrian Hough (Nightcrawler), and Christopher Britton (Mister Sinister) reprise their roles from the '90s series while returning cast members Catherine Disher (original Jean Grey), Chris Potter (original Gambit), and Alyson Court (original Jubilee) voice new characters. The cast also includes Ray Chase (Cyclops), Jennifer Hale (Jean Grey), JP Karliak (Morph), AJ LoCascio (Gambit), Holly Chou (Jubilee), Isaac Robinson-Smith (Bishop), and Matthew Waterson (Magneto).

Why Was Beau DeMayo Fired From X-Men '97?

As fans were gearing up for the release of X-Men '97, the surprising news broke that showrunner Beau DeMayo had been fired from the series. Details of his firing have remained under wraps, but Brad Winderbaum recently addressed the news in an interview with Entertainment Weekly.

"I can't talk about the details," Winderbaum explained. "But I can say that Beau had real respect and passion for these characters and wrote what I think are excellent scripts that really the rest of the team were able to draw inspiration from [to] build this amazing show that's on screen." When asked if he would consider what happened with DeMayo as a "firing" as had been the wording used in the press, Winderbaum added, "I don't. 'We parted ways' is the best way I could say."

X-Men '97 releases new episodes on Wednesdays.

Loki's Tom Hiddleston shared a new story about Owen Wilson from filming the Disney+ series. The Marvel star explained an excellent addition to his first Mobius interrogation scene. Loki is up for a Hugo award this year and last night, The Ankler hosted a live Q+A about the series. One fan in attendance managed to catch the origin of a subtle detail from the first episode. (Massive credit for Ella the Hiddlestoner on Twitter for coming through with the goods.) Hiddleston explained that Wilson managed to work a personal interaction into their interrogation scene. People love the Mobius and Loki dynamic, and its so cool to see how certain moments came about!

"Mobius is a scholar of Loki, he knows Loki better than Loki does. And, He wanted me to take him through my journey up to that point of playing Loki," Hiddleston began. "So, I watched some clips and we talked a bit. He asked me, 'Tom, what what do you love about playing Loki?' I think I said, 'I just love that he's so he's got such range. I get to play, like if Loki is a keyboard or the piano, I get to play the light keys up top. Of wit, and charm and playfulness. But I also get to play the heavy keys, down in the left hand, about grief, pain, loneliness and loss.'"

HERE IS TOM RAVING ABOUT OWEN WILSON FOR 6 MINUTES!!!
(A thread:)

I was viciously grinning during this, Tom is just too adorable!!! I think he must have been excited to reunite with Owen today after one and a half years ???#TomHiddleston #Lokius pic.twitter.com/MULF4rR99d

-- Ella the Hiddlestoner (@Laufeyson4eva) April 13, 2024

"And in this first scene and the first episode of the first season, he quoted that back to me," Hiddleston revealed. "As Mobius is sort of part of the interrogation, he said, 'See, I can play the heavy keys too.' His capacity for invention is just... he's so spontaneous, he's so alive on set."

What's The Future For Loki?

There's been tons to say about Loki this week. Hiddleston has been doing the media circuit and he stopped by Jimmy Kimmel Live! to discuss the journey so far. The Loki actor doesn't know when the God of Stories will return to the MCU. But, he feels very accomplished with chronicling the fan-favorites journey through the multiverse.

When asked about the future, Hiddleston offered, "I don't know. I really don't know. I know that we've reached some sort of narrative conclusion with season two, which feels very satisfying to me."

The Marvel actor also mentioned that he didn't consider Loki a villain at this juncture. However, he playfully noted that the God of Stories made some "interesting choices" during his long MCU run.

"I'm aware that he's made some interesting choices, which could be accumulated into a picture that looks like he's a villain, and once upon a time, he was making some misguided choices," Hiddleston recalled. "You know, trying to take over New York and the Avengers having to assemble to stop him, that was a bad day in the office. I'd like to think that 14 years later he's making some slightly more generous, loving and heroic choices."

Do you love the Mobius and Loki dynamic? Let us know in the comments down below!

We're halfway through the first season of X-Men '97, and the Disney+ series is definitely surprising fans with each new episode. On top of continuing the narrative of X-Men: The Animated Series, the show has folded in some unexpected elements from Marvel's comics, many of which are directly lifted from existing story arcs. That has included an adaptation of the iconic "LifeDeath" storyline -- and the introduction of a horrifying new villain.

The recent "LifeDeath, Part 1" episode began to illustrate the romance between Ororo Munroe / Storm (Alison Sealy-Smith) and Forge (Gil Birmingham), which becomes complicated when they uncover each other's traumatic past. As the duo begin to grapple with their traumas, and Forge's role in creating the technology that depowered Storm earlier in the season, they continue to see an owl nearby Forge's house. By the end of the episode, the owl reveals itself to be The Adversary, a demonic bird-like entity forcing Storm to have macabre visions. So, who is The Adversary, and what is the character's Marvel Comics history?

What Is Marvel's Adversary?

Created by Chris Claremont and John Romita Jr. in 1984's Uncanny X-Men #188, The Adversary is initially a demonic entity summoned by Forge on the battlefield of the Vietnam War. Intent on destroying the universe, The Adversary was able to be summoned back on Earth from that point onward, including in a fight between the X-Men and the Dire Wraiths from Rom.

As far as the "LifeDeath" storyline is concerned, The Adversary appears in that arc to manipulate both Storm and Forge, while also utilizing a false version of Naze. Eventually, both Storm and Forge are sent by The Adversary into a demonic dimension, where he offers to make them his human underlings when he remakes the Earth. This ordeal ultimately pushes Forge to restore Storm's powers, so it will be interesting to see if the same ordeal happens in the second half of the "LifeDeath" arc on X-Men '97.

What Is X-Men '97 About?

Marvel Animation's X-Men '97 revisits the iconic era of the 1990s as The X-Men, a band of mutants who use their uncanny gifts to protect a world that hates and fears them, are challenged like never before, forced to face a dangerous and unexpected new future.

The voice cast of X-Men '97 includes Ray Chase as Cyclops, Jennifer Hale as Jean Grey, Alison Sealy-Smith as Storm, Cal Dodd as Wolverine, JP Karliak as Morph, Lenore Zann as Rogue, George Buza as Beast, AJ LoCascio as Gambit, Holly Chou as Jubilee, Isaac Robinson-Smith as Bishop, Matthew Waterson as Magneto, and Adrian Hough as Nightcrawler. Beau DeMayo served as head writer; episodes are directed by Jake Castorena, Chase Conley and Emi Yonemura, and the series is executive produced by Brad Winderbaum, Kevin Feige, Louis D'Esposito, Victoria Alonso and DeMayo.

New episodes of X-Men '97 debut on Wednesdays exclusively on Disney+. If you haven't signed up for Disney+ yet, you can try it out here.

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The last fans saw Loki, he had found his glorious purpose by stepping out of time to become the God of Everyone's Stories in the Loki Season 2 finale. It was a moment in the character's journey that has left fans wondering when they'd next see beloved character and it turns out, even star Tom Hiddleston isn't sure. During a recent appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! Hiddleston said he doesn't know if he'll return as the character -- but he's also very happy with where Loki's story has landed.

"I don't know," Hiddleston said. "I really don't know. I know that we've reached some sort of narrative conclusion with season two, which feels very satisfying to me."

Hiddleston also said that he doesn't necessarily consider Loki a villain at this point, though he does concede that Loki has made some "interesting choices" in his overall journey.

"I'm aware that he's made some interesting choices, which could be accumulated into a picture that looks like he's a villain, and once upon a time, he was making some misguided choices," Hiddleston said. "You know, trying to take over New York and the Avengers having to assemble to stop him, that was a bad day in the office. I'd like to think that 14 years later he's making some slightly more generous, loving and heroic choices."

Will There Be a Loki Season 3?

It's unclear if there will be a third season of Loki, something that Hiddleston himself has addressed previously.

"I truthfully don't know," Hiddleston said recently. "I am so proud of where we landed in Season 2. To go from this lost, broken soul in Asgard, and be given a second chance and learn so much about life that he actually gives himself to protect other people has been such an honor.

Hiddleston's The Night Manager Has Been Renewed For Multiple Seasons

Hiddleston's BBC series, The Night Manager, has been renewed for a second and third season which will now see BBC partner with Primer Video, eight years after the first season, which aired in 2016.

In The Night Manager, Jonathan Pine, night manager of a luxury hotel in Cairo and former British soldier, is recruited by Angela Burr, the manager of a Foreign Office task force investigating illegal arms sales, to infiltrate the inner circle of arms dealer Richard Roper.

Season 1 of The Night Manager also starred Olivia Colman, Tom Hollander, Elizabeth Debicki, Alistair Petrie, David Harewood, Douglas Hodge, Antonio de la Torre, and Tobias Menzies. The series was written by series creator David Farr and directed by Susanne Bier.

We're a little over a year out from the debut of Marvel's Thunderbolts movie, the new ensemble film surrounding a number of Marvel Cinematic Universe antiheroes. Although production on Thunderbolts still ongoing, we got a major -- and unexpected -- update on it during this week's CinemaCon presentation. As part of Walt Disney Studios' presentation at the event, Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige unveiled a new title treatment for Thunderbolts, confirming that the film's current title is actually Thunderbolts*. Feige teased that the asterisk will be narratively explained, saying "that is the official title of Thunderbolts* and we won't talk more about that until after the movie comes out."

This new detail has launched a flurry of speculation about the titular Thunderbolts team, and whether or not they might rebrand themselves into a different name. In particular, some have wondered if there's a chance that Thunderbolts* could ultimately become a Dark Avengers movie.

Will Thunderbolts* Become a Dark Avengers Movie?

In the pages of Marvel Comics, the concept of the Dark Avengers originates during "Dark Reign", as the main Avengers are disbanded by the government in the aftermath of "Secret Invasion." In their absence, Norman Osborn attempts to use the Avengers name to hide his secret team of villains and antiheroes in plain sight, forming a team that can be disguised as alternate versions of established heroes.

Granted, the potential transformation from the MCU's Thunderbolts to the Dark Avengers probably wouldn't happen in the same exact way, especially when nearly all of the team's confirmed members are variations of a sword-and-gun civilian. Still, if the Avengers really are disassembled, as the new details surrounding Captain America: Brave New World seem to suggest, then it stands to reason that Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfuss) and President Ross (Harrison Ford) could use that power vacuum to help launch the team more officially. (The change from Thunderbolts* to Dark Avengers would also help sell the concept of the movie to general audiences, but that's a whole separate conversation in and of itself.)

What Is Thunderbolts* About?

Thunderbolts* is expected to be based on the Marvel Comics team of the same name, an alliance of antiheroes and villains who reluctantly work for the government. The cast of Thunderbolts includes Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova, Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes / Winter Soldier, David Harbour as Red Guardian, Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, Wyatt Russell as John Walker / U.S. Agent, Hannah John-Kamen as Ava Starr / Ghost, Olgya Kurylenko as Taskmaster, and Harrison Ford as Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross. New cast members will include Lewis Pullman as Robert Reynolds / Sentry, and Geraldine Viswanathan in a mystery role.

"I just made a joke about [how] it's like Dungeons and Dragons, where you meet in a tavern and it's like there's a dwarf drinking a beer and then there's like an elvish figure over there, we all come together and then there's this ghost... it's not gonna happen like that, I don't think," Harbour told ComicBook.com in a 2022 interview. "But I think that's one of the mysteries of the movie is what is their relationship, and as you say, there is a lot of exciting things as you wrap up the next phase in terms of sort of what their part of the whole universe is in this random, chaotic way. So, you know, we can't say too much at this point, but they're an exciting introduction of this team together again, that's going to be a lot of fun."

What do you think of the Thunderbolts* title change? Do you think the film will become a Dark Avengers story? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

Thunderbolts* is set to be released exclusively in theaters on May 5, 2025.

The fifth episode of X-Men '97, "Remember It," was released this week and it featured some big shockers. In addition to the ongoing romantic drama, things really heated up when a gala on Genosha is attacked by a giant Sentinal, killing many mutants. The episode combined some of the darkest storylines from the comics, and a recent tweet from Marvel Studios could be heading into a dark Magneto storyline. Magneto's fate was left uncertain at the end of the episode, and some suspect he might resurface in disguise as Xorn.

Today, Marvel tweeted a sign that says, "Magento Is Right," which is a popular slogan. It's no surprise to see it after the attack on Genosha, but could it have a deeper meaning? There's a chance Magneto could now be seen as a martyr for supposedly sacrificing himself, but he might be plotting something bigger against those who attacked his people. This could lead to him returning as Xorn.

In the comics, Xorn first appeared in New X-Men Annual 2001. The mask-wearing mutant was created by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely, and was originally said to be a Chinese mutant with a "star for a brain." However, he was eventually revealed to be Magneto in disguise. There have been retcons and explanations in the comics that backtrack the reveal, and Excalibur (Vol. 3) #1 established that Xorn never was Magneto. However, the show could be taking an alternate rote. Whether or not Xorn is a part of the storyline, we're willing to bet Magneto is about to return with a vengeance. You can check out Marvel's post below:

#XMen97 pic.twitter.com/eznBDbqSMH

-- Marvel Studios (@MarvelStudios) April 12, 2024

Which Voice Actors Return in X-Men '97?

Original X-Men: The Animated Series cast members Cal Dodd (Wolverine), Lenore Zann (Rogue), George Buza (Beast), Alison Sealy-Smith (Storm), and Christopher Britton (Mister Sinister) reprise their roles from the '90s series; returning cast members Catherine Disher (Jean Grey), Chris Potter (Gambit), Alyson Court (Jubilee), and Adrian Hough (Nightcrawler) voice new characters.

ComicBook.com's Phaze Zero podcast recently spoke with producer Brad Winderbaum, and he explained why setting the show in 1997 was an advantage.

"Well, actually, it was kind of liberating to be able to stay in the 90s," Winderbaum began. "It allowed us to go places that we could just do what we want. To be so iterative. Things that we couldn't do if we were more MCU adjacent like What If...? is. I mean, What If...? is like we're literally remixing the MCU. So, it's harder to introduce characters. Because you want to see them in live-action. Although, we do see Bill Foster as Giant Man in the second season. That's new!"

X-Men '97 releases new episodes on Wednesdays.

There have been no shortage of rumors surrounding Deadpool & Wolverine, the new Marvel Studios sequel to the beloved R-rated superhero franchise. One long-standing rumor has concerned pop superstar Taylor Swift, who fans are hoping will cameo in some capacity. Even though Swift did not appear in the first trailer for Deadpool & Wolverine, that hasn't stopped fans from speculating about her potential involvement. In a recent interview with Entertainment Tonight, Deadpool & Wolverine director Shawn Levy spoke about the Swift rumors, and teased that fans will definitely be surprised by all of the cameos once the film hits theaters.

"I can't even believe that you would dare ask me a question that you know I can't answer," Levy replied. "You know I can't answer. All of America knows I can't answer that. I will say as I said earlier here at CinemaCon. The proliferation of rumors about who is and isn't in this movie is fabulous. Because no one will ever know the truth until July 26th."

When specifically asked about Swift, Levy continued, "That is hardly confirmed nor denied in this interview. I'm going to literally walk about of the frame and save myself, otherwise Ryan's taking a hit [out] on me... All that's known is that I went to a football game, and those hours were well-documented and that's all I'm gonna say. What can I say? I think intrigue is fun."

Will Taylor Swift Play Dazzler in Deadpool 3?

One of the biggest rumors surrounding Swift's role in Deadpool 3 has been that she could play Alison Blaire / Dazzler, a beloved mutant pop star with the ability to bend light. Swift was previously rumored to play Dazzler in 2016's X-Men: Apocalypse, but that did not come to fruition. Levy, who has acted in Swift's All Too Well: The Short Film, has previously played coy about the possibility of her appearing in the film.

"They sure are loud," Levy said, referring to fans of Swift wanting the superstar to play Dazzler. "I'm going across the board. 'No comment' because that's a double whammy. That's Taylor-related. And it's MCU-related. I'm no dummy. You're going to have to wait and see."

What Is Deadpool & Wolverine About?

In Deadpool & Wolverine, Deadpool will change the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe with Wolverine. The film will also star Morena Baccarin as Vanessa Carlysle, Leslie Uggams as Blind Al, Karan Soni as Dopinder, Stefan Kapi?i? as Piotr Rasputin/Colossus, and Emma Corrin and Matthew Macfadyen in currently-unknown roles. Jennifer Garner is expected to reprise her role as Elektra from the Daredevil and Elektra films of the 2000s.

Deadpool & Wolverine is directed by Shawn Levy, with a script from Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick.

In this episode, the ComicBook Nation Crew reviews the new Fallout series from Amazon Video as well as the new episode of X-Men '97 and all the craziness from CinemaCon. That includes the new footage from Deadpool and Wolverine, Sonic 3, Inside Out 2, Gladiator 2, & Captain America: Brave New World! We also break down the big reveals (like that Transformers and GI Joe crossover) and even some comics with Ultimate X-Men, so get ready for a big show!

Civil War Review

Here's what host Kofi Outlaw said in his Civil War (2024) review:

With Civil War Garland takes on his most ambitious story yet, writing and directing a vision of what it would look like if America's Culture War explodes into an all-out Civil War - and not in some distant dystopian future, but right here, and right now.

By the end of the film, that sentiment persists, as we're left to wonder if a nation so violently divided could ever be healed again - even with significant symbolic action or "victory," on one side. More terrifying yet is the notion that all this horror and carnage is bubbling just below the surface of our current society, waiting to make this film all too real.

Civil War will not be an easy film to engage with, but it is an important one to consider.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Fallout TV Series Review

Here's what ComicBook gaming editor Tanner Dedmon said in his Fallout TV series review:

Even where the Fallout show slips on occasion with an unneeded kiss or a questionable encounter, time and time again, I kept marveling at how authentic the world felt. The original story told in Fallout is paramount to this trait since it lets us focus on the characters, world, and narrative rather than getting hung up on shot-for-shot remakes of key moments. Fallout is technically canon, according to Bethesda's Todd Howard, so it'll be under the microscope for nitpicking and "well actually" moments, but even when the show takes leaps to expand on the world, it always feels deserved.

Rating: 4.5/5

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Marvel is peeling back the curtain on the new relaunch of the ongoing X-Men series by Jed MacKay and Ryan Stegman. Fans and readers are following the adventures of the X-Men in its Fall of X storytelling, which leads directly into the franchise's From the Ashes era. Jed MacKay (Avengers, Vengeance of the Moon Knight) and Ryan Stegman (Amazing Spider-Man, Venom) are the creative team on X-Men, one of three flagship titles joined by Uncanny X-Men and Exceptional X-Men. While the creative teams and lineups for all three X-Men comics have been announced, Marvel is now revealing more of the story beats for X-Men.

X-Men will be the first title to launch in the "From the Ashes" era, with Cyclops gathering a team of his most trusted allies, reliable soldiers, and mutantkind's future to tackle their biggest threats. Curiously, one of those threats is teased to rise from the remains of Orchis. Cyclops' team of X-Men will also call Alaska home as they make the state their new headquarters.

"Taking on the X-Men is always a daunting prospect, but I'm extremely psyched to take this team of mutants back into the world with Ryan!" MacKay said.

"When I first got into comics, drawing X-Men was THE job you wanted as an artist," Stegman added. "To have the opportunity now is mind-blowing."

What is X-Men: From the Ashes about?

The description of X-Men #1 reads, "FROM THE ASHES! Krakoa is gone, ORCHIS has fallen...but the X-Men remain, always. Cyclops leads, because that is what he does. Beast builds, because that is what he does. And from their new home in Alaska, the X-Men raise a flag of defiance. Mutant business is their business. Join Cyclops, Beast, Magneto, Psylocke, Magik, Kid Omega, Temper, and Juggernaut as new forces in the world move into position, battling for the destiny and philosophy of the mutant species."

The other two flagship titles are Gail Simone and David Marquez' Uncanny X-Men, which delivers globetrotting super hero adventures as the X-Men show the world all the good mutantkind can accomplish, and Eve L. Ewing and Carmen Carnero's Exceptional X-Men, which focuses on the trials and training young mutants need to undergo to survive in a world against them.

Three satellite series were also announced: Geoffrey Thorne and Marcus To's X-Force, Stephanie Phillips and Alessandro Miracolo's Phoenix, and Collin Kelly, Jackson Lanzing, and Francesco Mortarino's NYX.

X-Men #1 goes on sale July 10th.

Deadpool & Wolverine stole the show at CinemaCon this week and now we've got a look at some new concept art of Wade Wilson from the movie. Marvel Studios artist Andy Park shared a quick peek at Deadpool's look that he designed for the MCU movie. It's a classical take on The Merc With A Mouth. The red and black are there, but there have been some nips and tucks to update his costume from the FOX days. With the movie poised to celebrate a lot of that era of X-Men films, it makes sense that the creative team would want Ryan Reynolds' hero to stand out from previous incarnations of Deadpool. Check out the first look at the art book down below!

Park wrote on social media: "MARVEL STUDIOS' DEADPOOL AND WOLVERINE: THE ART OF THE MOVIE comes out THIS October! Note: Not final cover art BUT it does showcase my concept design of Deadpool #deadpool #deadpoolandwolverine #conceptart"

MARVEL STUDIOS' DEADPOOL AND WOLVERINE: THE ART OF THE MOVIE comes out THIS October!

Note: Not final cover art BUT it does showcase my concept design of Deadpool ?#deadpool #deadpoolandwolverine #conceptart pic.twitter.com/Kds8XYy7ZO

-- Andy Park (@andyparkart) April 12, 2024

Deadpool & Wolverine Brings Back Jackman

MCU fans have been waiting for this movie for a while now. Reynolds has managed to craft an unparalleled hype train for Deadpool & Wolverine. The second part of that title is a huge reason for all this fervor. Even the most positive Marvel fan didn't know if Hugh Jackman would ever come back to be his iconic X-Men character in live-action. But, that dream is now a reality. Reynolds told Collider that this has been his dream too, and he's so excited to bring this to fans.

"I always wanted Hugh to come back," Reynolds told the outlet. "My first meeting with Kevin Feige when Disney bought Fox years ago, maybe three years ago, or three and a half, four years ago, I'm not sure, was about doing a movie with the two of us, a Deadpool/Wolverine movie. And that was not possible at the time."

"And then Hugh just happened to call at that perfect moment and express that he'd be interested in coming back and doing this one more time," he continued. "And the contents of that conversation, I'll let Hugh, because I know it's only inevitable that you and Hugh are going to speak at some point soon, I'm sure. I'll let Hugh answer that on his own. But he expressed interest in coming back, and then it was my job to take that to Kevin Feige one more time and sell it."

X-Men Having A Major Moment

All the old X-Men stuff is coming back. (Heck. Even the 90s cartoon is getting another day in the sun.) ComicBook.com recently askedd Simon Kinberg about Deadpool & Wolverine and the love for the FOX universe stuff. Needless to say he's both amused and touched by all the chatter around a franchise he's been a part of.

"It's a good question because it's outside of actually being inside the process of making anything. The truth is, with the Marvel movies, if I answer anything, I'm just afraid there's gonna be a sniper's little red dot on my forehead and my children will be fatherless," Kinberg smirked with us. "So I'm just gonna say, I'm such a massive fan of everything that Hugh [Jackman]'s done with Wolverine. I think I made five movies he was in, in one form or another, as Wolverine and I'm very excited for the film. I know that for him, and for Ryan [Reynolds] and for Shawn [Levy], exploring some aspects that perhaps we haven't explored before, I would imagine is appealing."

Do you like the new Deadpool design? Let us know in the comments down below!

Veteran Marvel artist Russell Dauterman, who has spent the last decade working on titles like The Mighty Thor, X-Men, and Scarlet Witch, is preparing to launch a crowdfunding campaign for a new art book, titled The Marvel Art of Russell Dauterman. The campaign -- you can sign up here to be notified when it launches -- will feature exclusives such as a 1,000 piece Women of Marvel puzzle, Hellfire Gala and X-Men 24" x 36" posters, an X-Men trading cards set, and collectible stickers, as well as the 216-page 9" x 12" high end coffee table book and 5 fantastic 11" x 17" prints: X-Men Legends, Jean Grey & Emma Frost, Scarlet Witch, The Mighty Thor, and The Marvel Art of Russell Dauterman cover.

Russell's costume designs for Storm, Jean Grey, Scarlet Witch, and the bestselling X-Men event Hellfire Gala were the talk of the comics industry. Now Clover Press and Marvel Comics are collaborating on The Marvel Art of Russell Dauterman, the latest in Clover Press' series of high-end, boutique artbooks that showcase legendary Marvel Comics artists, featuring iconic images alongside rare and never-before-seen artwork. The Kickstarter campaign for the book is now live.

"Since I saw X-Men: The Animated Series as a seven-year-old, I've loved the X-Men," said Dauterman. "That show led me to a love of Marvel Comics and to a career as a comic book artist. I'm so grateful to work for Marvel and to draw the characters I've loved for nearly my whole life. I'm beyond thrilled to share that art in this book!"

Here's a look at the dustjacket art:

"Russell's art is stunning. His sense of design and composition, plus his modern sense of storytelling, makes him one of Marvel's top artists to follow, " said Hank Kanalz, Publisher of Clover Press. "And follow they do - it was great to see his X-Men '97 #1 variant cover go viral on social media when he and Marvel revealed it, leading into the animated series debut. His love for these characters comes through with every page."

The Marvel Art Of... books are a series of high-end, boutique artbooks that showcase legendary Marvel Comics' artists, featuring iconic images alongside rare and never-before-seen artwork. The Marvel Art Of... series debuted in 2023 with The Marvel Art of David Mack, The Marvel Art of Alex Maleev, and The Marvel Art of David Nakayama, all of which will be available as add-ons in the new campaign.

As part of the campaign, Clover Press will offer a signed edition of The Marvel Art of Russell Dauterman, a signed edition with remarque, and a Limited Edition Exclusive Slipcase.

You can check out some more of the book's art below.

X-Men '97 continues to blow fans away with their excellent episodes, but the fun isn't stopping there. The new show picks up right where X-Men: The Animated Series left off when it came to an end after five seasons in 1997, so Marvel Studios has been leaning into the '90s nostalgia. They've been releasing ads that are very of the era, including Saturday morning-style commercials for toys that tie in with the show. Today, a new ad dropped for the X-Men '97 Hasbro products.

"Commercial break! Become a part of the team with all-new @Hasbro products inspired by Marvel Animation's #XMen97, now streaming on @DisneyPlus," Marvel shared on Instagram. You can check out the ad below:

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X-Men '97 Producer Explains Why Retro Setting Was Major Advantage:

ComicBook.com's Phaze Zero podcast recently spoke with producer Brad Winderbaum, and he explained why setting the show in 1997 was an advantage.

"Well, actually, it was kind of liberating to be able to stay in the 90s," Winderbaum began. "It allowed us to go places that we could just do what we want. To be so iterative. Things that we couldn't do if we were more MCU adjacent like What If...? is. I mean, What If...? is like we're literally remixing the MCU. So, it's harder to introduce characters. Because you want to see them in live-action. Although, we do see Bill Foster as Giant Man in the second season. That's new!"

Original X-Men: The Animated Series cast members Cal Dodd (Wolverine), Lenore Zann (Rogue), George Buza (Beast), Alison Sealy-Smith (Storm), and Christopher Britton (Mister Sinister) reprise their roles from the '90s series; returning cast members Catherine Disher (Jean Grey), Chris Potter (Gambit), Alyson Court (Jubilee), and Adrian Hough (Nightcrawler) voice new characters.

Why Was Beau DeMayo Fired From X-Men '97?

As fans were gearing up for the release of X-Men '97, the surprising news broke that showrunner Beau DeMayo had been fired from the series. Details of his firing have remained under wraps, but Brad Winderbaum recently addressed the news in an interview with Entertainment Weekly.

"I can't talk about the details," Winderbaum explained. "But I can say that Beau had real respect and passion for these characters and wrote what I think are excellent scripts that really the rest of the team were able to draw inspiration from [to] build this amazing show that's on screen." When asked if he would consider what happened with DeMayo as a "firing" as had been the wording used in the press, Winderbaum added, "I don't. 'We parted ways' is the best way I could say."

X-Men '97 releases new episodes on Wednesdays.

The growing Marvel Rivals community got its first detailed look at one of the game's maps this week with Marvel and NetEaser revealing a trailer for Yggsgard. Described as a mashup between Asgard and the Yggdrasill itself, this first Marvel Rivals map is under the control of Loki and is filled with structures and symbolism Marvel fans would see in Asgard in the comics and movies. The map reveal comes just a few weeks before the first Marvel Rivals playtest gets underway with the closed alpha scheduled to start in May.

Marvel Rivals has already been compared to Overwatch 2 thanks to its hero shooter setup, so it follows suit that the first map reveal would look like how we see some of those Overwatch 2 maps revealed as well. The trailer below offers a flythrough of Yggsgard to show off some off the different halls and open areas players will fight through in the game's 6v6 mode and whatever modes come after that.

"After the Timestream Entanglement, Asgard fused with Yggdrasill, the World Tree that connects all Ten Realms," an overview of the new Yggsgard map explained. Now Loki, the God of Mischief, uses his tricks to seize control and build his new kingdom: Yggsgard in Marvel Rivals!"

Loki himself is one of several Marvel characters that have been confirmed for the Marvel Rivals roster which includes a mix of heroes and villains. Other Marvel characters known to be in the game are Black Panther, Doctor Strange, Groot, Hulk, Iron Man, Luna Snow, Magik, Magneto, Mantis, Namor, Peni Parker, Rocket Raccoon, Scarlet Witch, Spider-Man, Storm, Star-Lord, and The Punisher.

Eagle-eyed Marvel fans may have spotted another character in this trailer, however. Danny Koo, the senior director working on Marvel Rivals, said in the game's Discord that the map itself was full of Easter eggs, and one of those can be seen around 14 seconds into the trailer wherein a portrait of Hela is shown to the left of the room.

You could argue that that's just clever worldbuilding for a map like Yggsgard, but it's worth recalling that this technically isn't the first time that we've seen this map shown off. Prior to today's trailer, a different version of the Yggsgard map was shown off prematurely before being taken down by the Marvel Rivals team, but not before it could be hosted elsewhere on social media. At the end of that trailer, there's a focus on this exact same Hela design which sure looks like it's a tease that Hela might end up being a playable character, too.

Galacta is also in the game, though not as a playable character. Given that the closed alpha hasn't even happened yet, expect more reveals be they characters, maps, or otherwise to happen between now and May.

Ms. Marvel and Wolverine, aka X-23, headline the latest comic in Marvel's X-Men relaunch. As the Krakoan era comes to an end, the X-Men are transitioning into its "From the Ashes" era with a slew of new titles and creative teams. Three series will headline the relaunch - Jed MacKay and Ryan Stegman's X-Men, Gail Simone and David Marquez's Uncanny X-Men, and Eve L. Ewing and Carmen Carnero's Exceptional X-Men. Those three titles are joined by X-Force, Phoenix, and the newly announced NYX, featuring a team of young mutants taking the Big Apple by storm.

NYX features a group of former X-Men students navigating young adulthood, discrimination, and new threats in the greatest city on Earth. The series is written by Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing (Timeless, Alien: Black, White & Blood) and artist Francesco Mortarino (Avengers, Cult of Carnage: Misery). The name NYX is a callback to the 2000s original series and stars Ms. Marvel, Anole, Wolverine/X-23, Prodigy, and Sophie Cuckoo.

What is the new X-Men series NYX about?

Like the 2000s groundbreaking original series, NYX won't shy away from reflecting the harsh realities of life as a mix of iconic and fan-favorite mutants reenter a world filled with bigotry, mistrust, and misinformation. Free from the X-Men's guidance and Krakoa's protection, they'll shut out the noise and overcome the hate by doing what they do best--EVOLVING. But if you can count on anything, it's that mutants are never all in agreement, and some are having a really hard time letting Krakoa go...

This is a book about mutants living past the end of their world and into a new beginning. This is Ms. Marvel embracing her mutant life in the neon streets of the Lower East Side. This is Anole trying to keep his head above water. This is Wolverine in the shadows of Bushwick, protecting her own. This is Prodigy writing history as it happens - and Sophie Cuckoo finding her own way. The news reports are bleak. The streets feel dangerous. There's something lurking underground. Evil coming from every direction. But they're determined to make it. This is mutant community. This is mutant pride. THIS IS NYX!

"This is the kind of book we came to Marvel to create," Kelly shared. "When the Hivemind first formed, Collin and I bonded over books like Runaways, Young Avengers, and the original NYX - stories that showcased that tense, wonderful place where the mundane world and marvels collided. And no book has embodied that more in recent years than Ms. Marvel - Kamala Khan is one of the most definitive protagonists in the Marvel canon, and we're deeply honored to be inheriting the character from Iman [Vellani] and Sabir [Pirzada], while chronicling a whole new phase in her growth as a young adult."

"The opportunity to take on these characters is both an incredible challenge and an amazing honor," Lanzing added. "Sophie, Anole, and Prodigy have been personal favorites since their time on the New Mutants and New X-Men - in a sense, we've become who we are right alongside them. And returning Laura to NYX - while in a radically different context that centers her heroism over her victimhood - feels like the chance to really bring the character full circle and help her grow into the next phase of her life."

"I was a big fan of Joe Quesada and John Middleton's version, so I was thrilled when Editor Annalise Bissa asked me to draw NYX!" Mortarino said. "I'm so glad to have the opportunity to work on characters like X-23 and Ms. Marvel, and NYC is a location that I love, so I'm eager to deliver the city vibes that I would see in books like Daredevil and Spider-Man! I've been really enjoying Jackson and Collin's scripts, and I can't wait to bring them to life!"

NYX goes on sale July 24th. Let us know your thoughts on the team's cast in the comments!

After the first footage from Captain America: Brave New World was revealed to the world at CinemaCon, Marvel Studios has released the first photos of the upcoming sequel through Entertainment Weekly. The first image features Anthony Mackie walking through an unknown location in plain clothes but still carrying his shield, while the second reveals Mackie's Sam Wilson in his new Captain America costume while speaking with Harrison Ford's President "Thunderbolt" Ross. Both of these images seem to be directly related to the footage that was just revealed by Marvel Studios.

Speaking in an interview with EW about the film, star Anthony Mackie said that Captain America: Brave New World is "10 times bigger" than the Disney+ series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and denoted that it's not just "Part 2" to that series. Mackie revealed a key conversation they had in the development of Captain America 4 was making sure the film had its "own story, with its own characters." Despite that, he still has a partner to tango with in the form of Danny Ramirez's Joaquin Torres aka the new Falcon.

"This movie is a clear reset. It really reestablishes the idea of what this universe is and what this universe is going to be," Mackie revealed to the outlet. "I think with these movies, you're getting a clear, new branding of what Marvel is headed towards the same way they did with Captain America: The Winter Soldier."

The above photo was a key part of the Captain America: Brave New World footage that was shown at CinemaCon. Harrison Ford's President Ross greets Sam Wilson at The White House in the footage. In their conversation they make a joke not only about Sam being the new Captain America but Ford replacing the late William Hurt as Thunderbolt Ross, with Mackie's Sam telling him: "I have to admit, I'm still not used to the new look."

Ross responds, "Me either, they said lose the mustache or lose the election." Ross goes on to admit he is no fan of superheroes but won't deny the good Sam has done. He then has a suggestion for Wilson, "I want Captain America to help me rebuild The Avengers." Sam questions what happens if they don't agree on how to handle a situation.

In addition to Anthony Mackie's Sam Wilson leading the cast of Captain America: Brave New World with Danny Ramirez as Joaquin Torres and Harrison Ford as Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross, the film will also star newcomer Shira Haas as Sabra. Tim Blake Nelson will also reprise his role from The Incredible Hulk of Samuel Sterns aka The Leader, appearing with Liv Tyler as Betsy Ross; both haven't appeared in a Marvel Studios feature film since the 2008 movie.

Captain America: Brave New World is set to open in theaters February 14, 2025.

On Thursday afternoon, Disney hosted the final presentation of 2024's CinemaCon event in Las Vegas. The studio has a packed slate of films over the next couple of years, with a number of titles previewed for exhibitors and press during the event. Marvel Studios, Fox, Lucasfilm, Pixar, and more studio banners were plastered onto the screens outside of the Colosseum in Caesar's Palace ahead of the event.

The presentation kicked off with Deadpool & Wolverine walking through a tunnel. "So, I heard Secret Wars is finally gonna introduce...." Deadpool says. A phone starts ringing. Wolverine pushes him out of the way and looks into the camera. "Hey, bub! You're in a movie theater, turn off you're f-cking phone!" Wolverine declares, followed by more obscenities and f-words. Deadpool jumps back into the frame to say hearing him talk that way make his d-ck vibrate. "Nice fourth wall break, didn't think ya had it in ya!"

This leads to a sizzle of upcoming films. Captain Ameirca: Brave New World with Harrison Ford in the footage, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, Deadpool & Wolverine, Snow White, Mufasa, Inside Out 2, Moana 2, and more are featured. The presentation emphasized wanting movies to feel like events with Disney noting biggest franchises, Avatar, Avengers, Star Wars, Toy Story, and Frozen have new installments coming.

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes CinemaCon Footage

The footage starts very peacefully, following a bird high above a very green world. Apes are running free, swinging on the overgrown remains of what was once a metal building but this city is now all trees and rivers. A trio come upon a nest of bird eggs and the older ape instills the law and lessons upon them, reminding them they have to leave one egg behind and can't take all of them as it is the law.

"We will raise them together like we were raised," one of the apes says.

They come to a gap between the structures and Noa, the apparent leader of the bunch, uses a piece of metal to lunge ahead and lock into the other structure. Climbing to the top, he finds four more eggs in a nest perched above the structure. As he reaches for it, a bird comes flying in and strikes him with its talons. Noa falls down and the concrete crumbles, he continues to fall and is unable to get a grip on anything. He eventually slides off the edge and grabs a piece of the hanging structure. His friends are terrified until relief consumes them when they find he survived.

The Fox logo takes the screen and scenes start to play out more quickly. Noa's father is waiting for him at the village. "There are dangers beyond our village," one ape says. A king declares, "What a wonderful day," before his followers. Chaos begins as Noa's village seems to be torches with apes on horseback raiding it. Noa tries to reach his father to save him but an enemy, a much bigger ape, has gotten there first. Noa fights the gorilla but it unsuccessful and falls away from his father to the fiery ground, waking to the ash in a sunny, gray scene. Noa stumbles through the rubble and finds a vulture picking at the area, only to move closer and discover his fallen father. A tremendously performed and animated facial expression captures the weight of the moment as Noa shrinks into a ball beside the corpse. Moments later, he has buried his father.

"Father, I will find them, I will bring them home," he says to the grave. A bird chirps to him and flies, guiding him. He rides out on horseback, taking one last look at his destroyed village before leaving, spear in hand. A vast, overgrown skyline concludes the footage.

Young Woman and the Sea was the next title, with producer Jerry Bruckheimer introducing it. Daisy Ridley plays a swimmer wanting to get across a 21 mile journey with the world watching and largely doubting her while also trying to hold her down.

Next up is Inside Out 2, with Amy Pohler taking the stage to talk about it. "Inside Out is such an incredible story told by the brilliant filmmakers at Pixar," she said. "There was not even a millisecond of pause when they asked me to return for Inside Out 2." She notes that this movie captures all of the emotions we experience on a daily basis. She introduced the first 35 minutes of the movie.

Kevin Feige takes the stage and goes with no teleprompter. "We make movies for movie theaters," he said. "I love when a popcorn bucket can capture the zeitgeist and go viral."

Florence Pugh sent a video while eating macaroni and cheese on the set of Thunderbolts*, referencing her character enjoying it in Hawkeye.

Feige notices theater owners want more types of movies across the calendar. The first movie he talks in-depth about is Captain America: Brave New World, due out in February 2025.

"10 years ago, we release a movie called Captain America: The Winter Soldier. In the 10 years that has gone by...it really has stayed with the fans, with the audience...One [reason] is the genre. It is a fast-paced political thriller...The other thing is it introduced the world to Sam Wilson played by the great Anthony Mackie. That is what we're doing...it is a relatively grounded action thriller...Sam Wilson has taken on the mantle of Captain America."

Captain America: Brave New World CinemaCon Footage

Anthony Mackie takes the stage to inroduce footage. Harrison Ford is President Ross, greeting Sam Wilson in the White House.

"I have to admit, I'm still not used to the new look," Sam says.

"Me either, they said lose the mustache or lose the election." Ross admits he is no fan of heroes but won't deny the good Sam has done. "I want Captain America to help me rebuild the Avengers," he said. Sam questions what happens if they don't agree on how to handle a situation.

Later, elsewhere, Ross explains to an audience that Joaquin Torres and Captain America successfully completed a mission to grant the world their safety again. "What we do next with this discovery, will determine how history..." Music starts playing, prompting the President to stop talking. Isaiah Bradley (Carl Lumbly) is in the audience and the music activates him as though he were part of the Winter Soldier program. He takes a security guard's gun and shoots him, then blasts through glass with it. He grabs Sam by the neck and launches him. Another man is moving as though possessed, as well. The President is evacuated. Gun shots ring out. World leaders are shot at. Sam helps save them. The White House is in chaos. Bradley launches a table at people before jumping out of a window. "Next year...." the screen says. Sam Wilson is explaining the inner circle has been compromised. He is attached by men with electric batons, blocking them, kneeled down with his shield over his head.

"You're not Steve Rogers," Ross tells him.

"You're right, I'm not," he responds.

Deadpool & Wolverine CinemaCon Footage

Kevin Feige turns to Deadpool & Wolverine. "It's f-cking awesome," he declares, before bringing director Shawn Levy to the stage.

"If you're a director and you get to play in the most audacious sandbox there is which is the phenomenal Deadpool franchise... to get to be there everyday, seeing this team up that all of us as fans and audience members have waited 15 years for...to get to see Hugh and Ryan in their most iconic roles, bringing their A+ of A-games everyday was remarkable," Levy said. "Maybe the most sweet part of this is imagining the team of medical professionals that are monitoring the entire Disney executive staff...We're about to release the first R-rated movie in the MCU."

Levy thanks the audience for the "endless stream of rumors." He says theres "so many spoilers" and he lives in fear or Ryan trying to assassinate him. A "spoiler-ish free 9 minutes" are being played.

Wade Wilson gears up to sell cars and in the car, riding in the back between two kids, he curses about the car while describing it and jokes that he doesn't "have a lot of vaginal sex." Peter is back, seeing Wade back at their lockers, and suggests he go back to super hero-ing. Wade says, "I'm done and I'm fine with being done." He does admit, "is this the life I always imagined for myself? F-ck no."

Elsewhere in New York, Peter and Wade ride bikes. "We're Deadpool," Peter tells him, which Wade disputes. Someone across the street is taking photos of them and Wade notices, denying that today being his birthday is throwing him of. In his apartment, a surprise part is waiting for him. "This was fiveyears ago, you'd all be dead," he jokes. Shatterstar is there, not entertained by Dopinder's stories. Blind Al asks Wade about his sales and is getting impatient about waiting for money from him.

"I pray everyday that fire finds your body and finishes the job that God didn't have the nuts to do," she tells him.

Colossus has been watching Great British Bakeoff. Negasonic and Yuko are still together. Blind Al wants to do cocaine and Wade says, "Cocaine is the one thing Feige said is off limits!" Wade catches up with Vanessa, who is seeing a guy named Dermot. Wade is left sad before talking to the group. "It's been a challenging few years," he says. "But I'm happy and that's because of each and every one of you and this is about how proud I am, how grateful I am, to be standing in a room with every single person I love. I'm the luckiest man alive.." He makes a wish and blows out the candle. Someone knocks on the door. It's the TVA.

Wade thinks they're strippers and that their pruning sticks are for pegging. A portal opens and Wade is pulled through it. He wakes up to Paradox sitting across from him.

"We're in charge of defending what's known as The Sacred Timeline," Paradox said.

"That's a shit ton of exposition for a threequel. Is this because I used Cable's time device?" Wade says

The TVA is aware of the "abuse" of the timeline but this has nothing to do with that. Instead, Paraodox claims Wade can save the entire timeline .

"I suppose I'm going to marvel at how cinematic it is? Indiscriminate cameos?" Wade asks. Paradox tees up footage of Captain America on the screens and Wade salutes them. A clip of Thor hovering over Loki dying in Thor 2 sees Deadpool replacing Loki and Wade is terribly concerned and confused. Paradox believes he is ready to leave his timeline and join the world he has always wanted to.

"I smell what you're stepping in," Wade says. "I am a messiah. I am Marvel Jesus." Wade runs to the camera, pulls the mic in to frame. He headbutts the lens and it shatters. He gets a whole new suit in another room from a man with a stylish beard and some extra booty spanks. He now has adamantium katanas.

"Yes, your underwear is getting tighter," Wade declares.

The footage cuts to another scene. Wolverine and Deadpool are riding together and Deadpool mocks his suit. "The X-Men make you wear that?" he asks. "Friends don't let friends leave the house looking like they play for the Los Angeles Rams."

Alien: Romulus CinemaCon Footage

In a pre-recorded message from Ridley Scott, the director has high praise for Alien: Romulus; "It's f-cking great."

Two young girls discover a body. Another man is looking around the ship, glowing with red lights. Samples encased are starting to move. A piece of technology shows that there is a light which can see through body parts, showing ligaments and bones. The man who was looking around had a button in his neck pushed, prompting him to freeze and stare up at the cieling with his eyes rolled back as he reboots. Meanwhile, facehuggers are hatching in front of him and dropping into the water at his feet. The rest of the crew notices something swimming by but are unaware... until one of them gets knocked over. It jumps out and hugs his face but gets launched into the glass. Another jumps off of the frozen Andy onto another's face, jabbing its legs into his mouth and eyes. The crew tries to close doors behind them and escape but one of the aliens gets through, prompting them to swat it back into glass which cracks and let's them all in.

In a clip from later, Navarro is not feeling well and grips their chest. The device to see through the body is used, showing the alien trying to break out of their ribs. Navarro collapses, foams at the mouth, convulses, accidently kicks the ship into motion, and the alien bursts out of their chest in a a bloody, visceral moment. The ship continues floating until it eventually crashes into a bigger one and a teaser trailer with chaos, full grown Xenomorphs, and terror ensues.

Mufasa: The Lion King CinemaCon Footage

Mufasa: The Lion King promises "new songs" in the movie but can't say who from, director Barry Jenkins described the movie as an "epic story." Scar and Mufasa go on a journey to discover the circle of life. "This is a massive f-cking film and my job was to fill it with massive heart," he said. He worked with the same team form Moonlight to achieve that.

The footage starts "on the other side of the light."

"A lion was born without a drop of nobility in his blood," the narrator says. Mufasa is a child, ultimately being shown as a cub, trotting across the backs of hippos and growing into a bigger lion that can be a predator in the wild. Many animals flash across the screen and younger versions of familiar characters, like Timon and Pumba and Rafiki. The classic Lion King musical numbers accompany it.

Moana 2 CinemaCon Footage

Moana 2 closed the presentation. Dwayne Johnson took the stage with a Polynesian performance. He thanks the performers who were with him and then theater owners for their support.

"Playing the character of Maui has been one of the most lifechanging experiences for me," he said. "It's my culture...but also the character of Maui was inspired by my grandfather the High Chief Peter Maivia." He promises an "unforgettable new adventure" and all new songs with it. NATO emerges to grant Johnson with their "Spirit of the Industry" award.

In the footage from Moana 2, Moana is singing, "Finally we are back to who I'm meant to be," as she sails to the village. The village is also singing while building and expanding. Moana is the subject of the song, dubbed a "livng legend and she's besties with a demigod!" Photos etched into cloth are shownto kids. Moana's dad greets her at sea and races her to shore.

We're just a few months away from the debut of Deadpool & Wolverine, which has already become one of the most-anticipated projects on the Marvel Studios pipeline. In addition to featuring the onscreen return of Ryan Reynolds' Deadpool and Hugh Jackman's Wolverine, the film is expected to take a unique approach to the canon of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. A number of new and returning faces will be involved with that journey, including Succession and Pride & Prejudice star Matthew Macfadyen, who was revealed to be an agent of the Time Variance Authority in Deadpool & Wolverine's first trailer. Now, we have a bit more of an idea of that TVA agent's role, thanks to footage that was screened exclusively at Walt Disney Pictures' CinemaCon presentation.

As the new Deadpool & Wolverine footage confirmed, Macfadyen will be portraying Agent Paradox in the film. While the character has only had a single appearance in Marvel Comics, he could prove to be a significant part of the film's multiversal shenanigans.

Who Is Marvel's Agent Paradox?

Created by Dan Slott in 2005's She-Hulk #3 (which was She-Hulk's 100th legacy issue), Mr. Paradox is a member of the Time Variance Authority, and a judge at their tribunal over crimes to the Marvel Comics canon. Paradox presides over She-Hulk's trial, but dies in the same exact issue after he is hit by the Retroactive Cannon, which can unravel people backwards in time and erase them from existence.

In the comics, Mr. Paradox is another doppelganger of Mobius M. Mobius (who himself is modeled after the likeness of real-life Marvel writer and editor Mark Gruenwald). Deadpool & Wolverine is obviously taking a different approach, since the MCU's version of the TVA certainly hasn't taken the same approach to its various employees, casting different actors instead of making every character identical to Owen Wilson's Mobius. There have also been theories that Macfadyen's Agent Paradox could ultimately turn into one of Deadpool & Wolverine's antagonists, which could certainly complicate things even more.

What Is Deadpool & Wolverine About?

In Deadpool & Wolverine, Deadpool will change the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe with Wolverine. The film will also star Morena Baccarin as Vanessa Carlysle, Leslie Uggams as Blind Al, Karan Soni as Dopinder, Stefan Kapi?i? as Piotr Rasputin/Colossus, and Emma Corrin and Matthew Macfadyen in currently-unknown roles. Jennifer Garner is expected to reprise her role as Elektra from the Daredevil and Elektra films of the 2000s.

Deadpool & Wolverine is directed by Shawn Levy, with a script from Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick.

Are you excited for Deadpool & Wolverine? What do you think of this new look at Hugh Jackman's return as Wolverine? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

Deadpool & Wolverine is set to be released exclusively in theaters on July 26th.

The doctor is in. Marvel Comics unveiled the cover for Ultimate Spider-Man #7, and it teases the newest addition to the Ultimate Universe: Dr. Otto Octavius. The issue, which hits stands in July, kicks off the second arc of writer Jonathan Hickman and artist Marco Checchetto's hot-selling run that has already introduced new versions of supervillains Shocker, Kingpin, Bullseye, and the Green Goblin -- a heroic Harry Osborn clad in goblin-like OBSTRK Mark 004 armor, courtesy of Stane/Stark Industries.

As it happens, it was teenager Tony Stark, a.k.a. Iron Lad, who outfitted this universe's Peter Parker with his picotech stealth suit featured on the cover below. It appears that the Otto Octavius of Earth-6160 is an employee of Oscorp Industries, but whether he's friend or foe -- or destined to become Doctor Octopus -- remains to be seen.

The official synopsis: "The start of an all-new arc, the issue picks up after Green Goblin and Spider-Man's intense battle with the Kingpin, where they learned they aren't as ready to reshape the world as they hoped. Harry and Peter get to work, while Ben and Jonah work on 'the truth'... And problems for their resistance arise when Tony Stark checks in on Peter!"

Ultimate Spider-Man #1 ended with Stark -- the son of Howard Stark, a.k.a. Iron Man -- gifting Peter with the radioactive spider that would have bitten him 20 years earlier... were it not for the interference of Reed Richards, the Maker, who traveled through time and erased (most) of the world's heroes from existence. Now the Maker's cabal, The Council, controls this world from the shadows, and framed Tony Stark as the terrorist responsible for the attack that killed Peter's Aunt May and Harry's father, Oscorp CEO Norman Osborn.

The six-issue first arc of Ultimate Spider-Man continues with issue #4 on April 24, followed by issue #5 on May 29 and issue #6 on June 19. Ultimate Spider-Man #7 is on sale July 3 from Marvel Comics.

Ultimate Bullseye is on point. In January, Jonathan Hickman and Marco Checchetto's Ultimate Spider-Man #1 introduced a middle-aged Peter Parker, married to Mary Jane with two kids, who worked at The Daily Bugle with his Uncle Ben. That was until the Bugle underwent an "editorial restructuring" that ousted longtime newsmen Ben Parker and J. Jonah Jameson in the wake of their dogged coverage of the "Stark terror attack." Secretly, the Maker's Council carried out the attack and framed the teenage Tony Stark as a terrorist, with the cabal conspiring with the Daily Bugle's owner: Wilson Fisk, the Kingpin of Crime.

And where there's Kingpin, there's Bullseye. Marvel Comics has revealed a new look at Ultimate Bullseye, who will make his mark in Ultimate Spider-Man #3 (on stands March 27). The master marksman and assassin appeared, albeit unnamed, as Fisk's unspeaking and eyepatched henchman in the first two issues.

After the black suit-clad Spider-Man tangled with his first supervillain -- the Shocker -- upcoming issues of Ultimate Spider-Man will feature another new vigilante: Harry Osborn, the Green Goblin. According to the synopsis for issue #3, Spider-Man and the hero Goblin will team up to fight Bullseye as they work together to expose secrets about the cabal controlling North America on Earth-6160.

See the covers and official solicits for Ultimate Spider-Man issues #3-#6 below.

Ultimate Spider-Man #3 (March 27, 2024)

PETER PARKER'S NEW LIFE GETS EVEN MORE COMPLICATED... Spider-Man sizes up the new hero Green Goblin! As they team up to fight a new super villain, secrets about the corporations running North America are revealed... And you'll never guess who discovers Spider-Man's secret identity!

Ultimate Spider-Man #4 (April 24, 2024)

WHO IS THE GREEN GOBLIN? Peter Parker's secret life starts fraying the edges of his personal life! J. Jonah Jameson and Ben Parker's pursuit of truth - or, at least, the news - stirs unrest with the world at large... And now that Spider-Man may not have to operate alone, the real work of rebuilding this corrupt world can begin!

Ultimate Spider-Man #5 (May 29, 2024)

THE SECRET HISTORY OF HARRY OSBORN! How does the heir apparent of Oscorp become a masked vigilante? And what does Green Goblin know of the true status of the world he lives in? All and more will be revealed!

Ultimate Spider-Man #6 (June 19, 2024)

Jonathan Hickman and Marco Checchetto present the shocking conclusion to their opening arc in Ultimate Spider-Man #6. Spider-Man must finally confront the head honcho himself: Wilson Fisk, the Kingpin! Kingpin, as owner and operator of the Daily Bugle, has been working with the Maker's Council to control the spread of information in their favor... Which means he's the first domino that must be toppled to end their regime! PLUS: Mary Jane holds her own. 'Nuff said!

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is integrating its first outsider franchise this summer. After Disney's acquisition of 20th Century Fox was finalized in early 2019, Marvel President Kevin Feige teased plans to weave the previously Fox-owned Marvel heroes into the proper MCU canon. Flashes of this came in projects like Ms. Marvel and The Marvels when mutants were name-dropped and showcased, respectively. Those teases reach a fever pitch when Deadpool & Wolverine commenced production, as this project represented the first and only time thus far that Marvel Studios is finishing a trilogy that another studio started. Deadpool & Wolverine's first trailer indicated that the threequel would be a full-blown multiversal adventure, beginning in the timeline that Deadpool 2 left off on and eventually continuing in and across the grander Marvel multiverse.

Disney's CinemaCon presentation kicked off with Deadpool & Wolverine walking through a tunnel. Deadpool says to Logan,"So, I heard Secret Wars is finally gonna introduce...." A phone starts ringing. Wolverine pushes him out of the way and looks into the camera.

"Hey, bub! You're in a movie theater, turn off you're f-cking phone!" followed by more obscenities and f-words.

Deadpool jumps back into the frame to say hearing him talk that way make his "d-ck vibrate."

"Nice fourth wall break, didn't think ya had it in ya!"

This footage was likely shot exclusively for this moment, but there's potential for it getting released in tandem with the movie.

"If you're a director and you get to play in the most audacious sandbox there is which is the phenomenal Deadpool franchise... to get to be there everyday, seeing this team up that all of us as fans and audience members have waited 15 years for...to get to see Hugh and Ryan in their most iconic roles, bringing their A+ of A-games everyday was remarkable," director Shawn Levy said to the CinemaCon crowd ahead of the Deadpool & Wolverine footage. "Maybe the most sweet part of this is imagining the team of medical professionals that are monitoring the entire Disney executive staff...We're about to release the first R-rated movie in the MCU."

Deadpool & Wolverine Showcases New Footage at CinemaCon

In the Deadpool & Wolverine CinemaCon footage, Wade Wilson gears up to sell cars and in the car, riding in the back between two kids, he curses about the car while describing it and jokes that he doesn't "have a lot of vaginal sex." Peter is back, seeing Wade back at their lockers, and suggests he go back to super hero-ing. Wade says, "I'm done and I'm fine with being done." He does admit, "is this the life I always imagined for myself? F-ck no."

Elsewhere in New York, Peter and Wade ride bikes. "We're Deadpool," Peter tells him, which Wade disputes. Someone across the street is taking photos of them and Wade notices, denying that today being his birthday is throwing him of. In his apartment, a surprise part is waiting for him. "This was fiveyears ago, you'd all be dead," he jokes. Shatterstar is there, not entertained by Dopinder's stories. Blind Al asks Wade about his sales and is getting impatient about waiting for money from him.

"I pray everyday that fire finds your body and finishes the job that God didn't have the nuts to do," she tells him.

Colossus has been watching Great British Bakeoff. Negasonic and Yuko are still together. Blind Al wants to do cocaine and Wade says, "Cocaine is the one thing Feige said is off limits!" Wade catches up with Vanessa, who is seeing a guy named Dermot. Wade is left sad before talking to the group. "It's been a challenging few years," he says. "But I'm happy and that's because of each and every one of you and this is about how proud I am, how grateful I am, to be standing in a room with every single person I love. I'm the luckiest man alive.." He makes a wish and blows out the candle. Someone knocks on the door. It's the TVA.

Wade thinks they're strippers and that their pruning sticks are for pegging. A portal opens and Wade is pulled through it. He wakes up to Paradox sitting across from him.

"We're in charge of defending what's known as The Sacred Timeline," Paradox said.

"That's a shit ton of exposition for a threequel. Is this because I used Cable's time device?" Wade says

The TVA is aware of the "abuse" of the timeline but this has nothing to do with that. Instead, Paraodox claims Wade can save the entire timeline .

"I suppose I'm going to marvel at how cinematic it is? Indiscriminate cameos?" Wade asks. Paradox tees up footage of Captain America on the screens and Wade salutes them. A clip of Thor hovering over Loki dying in Thor 2 sees Deadpool replacing Loki and Wade is terribly concerned and confused. Paradox believes he is ready to leave his timeline and join the world he has always wanted to.

"I smell what you're stepping in," Wade says. "I am a messiah. I am Marvel Jesus." Wade runs to the camera, pulls the mic in to frame. He headbutts the lens and it shatters. He gets a whole new suit in another room from a man with a stylish beard and some extra booty spanks. He now has adamantium katanas.

"Yes, your underwear is getting tighter," Wade declares.

The footage cuts to another scene. Wolverine and Deadpool are riding together and Deadpool mocks his suit. "The X-Men make you wear that?" he asks. "Friends don't let friends leave the house looking like they play for the Los Angeles Rams."

Deadpool & Wolverine hits theaters on July 26th.

Over-the-top popcorn buckets are becoming all the rage with new movie releases, but nothing caught people's attention more than the Dune: Part Two popcorn bucket from AMC Theatres. The bucket caused a huge stir online with many making NSFW jokes that resulted in a pretty funny Saturday Night Live sketch. While the folks behind the Dune: Part Two bucket (probably) didn't intend for people to view it in a lewd way, Marvel Studios has decided to take the idea and run with it for Deadpool & Wolverine. Kevin Feige took the stage at CinemaCon today during Disney's presentation and revealed the movie will have an intentionally risqu? popcorn bucket.

"Deadpool & Wolverine is getting a popcorn bucket which will be intentionally crude and lewd. #CinemaCon," ComicBook.com's Brandon Davis shared on Twitter while attending the presentation. Move over Dune, because the Merc with the Mouth isn't afraid of stirring the pot.

What Is Deadpool 3 About?

Deadpool 3 was helmed by Shawn Levy from a script written by Bob's Burgers' Wendy Molyneaux and Lizzie Molyneaux-Loeglin, with Deadpool and Deadpool 2 writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick reportedly also returning to contribute to the script. Not much is known about the plot, but there has been a lot of speculation and exciting teases.

In addition to Ryan Reynolds in the titular role and Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, Deadpool 3 will also star Morena Baccarin as Vanessa Carlysle, Leslie Uggams as Blind Al, Karan Soni as Dopinder, Stefan Kapi?i? as Piotr Rasputin/Colossus, and Emma Corrin and Matthew Macfadyen in currently-unknown roles.

"I always wanted Hugh to come back," Reynolds explained in a previous interview with Collider. "My first meeting with Kevin Feige when Disney bought Fox years ago, maybe three years ago, or three and a half, four years ago, I'm not sure, was about doing a movie with the two of us, a Deadpool/Wolverine movie. And that was not possible at the time. And then Hugh just happened to call at that perfect moment and express that he'd be interested in coming back and doing this one more time. And the contents of that conversation, I'll let Hugh, because I know it's only inevitable that you and Hugh are going to speak at some point soon, I'm sure. I'll let Hugh answer that on his own. But he expressed interest in coming back, and then it was my job to take that to Kevin Feige one more time and sell it."

While speaking with the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Levy addressed the many wild rumors surrounding the film and talked about the movie's connection to the greater MCU.

"I'm so wary of giving anything away because I've learned the hard way that even with a few titles - like any Marvel title - everything and anything you say can lead to not only rumors but misinformation. I'll just say this: It's very much part of the MCU, what a privilege, what a wealth of resources and knowledge."

Deadpool & Wolverine hits theaters on July 26th. Stay tuned for more updates from CinemaCon.

Captain America: Brave New World won't head to theaters until next February, but Marvel fans are already hyped for Anthony Mackie's return as Sam Wilson. Now, during Disney's CinemaCon presentation on Wednesday, those in attendance got a first look at footage from the eagerly anticipated MCU film and ComicBook.com was on hand for that first glimpse. Here's an exclusive recap of what was shown from the eagerly anticipated Captain America 4.

Marvel head Kevin Feige compared Captain America: Brave New World to The Winter Soldier during his remarks at CinemaCon, calling the film "a relatively grounded action thriller" before Anthony Mackie took the stage to introduce the footage.

Harrison Ford is President Ross, greeting Sam Wilson in the White House. "I have to admit, I'm still not used to the new look," Sam says. "Me either, they said lose the mustache or lose the election." Ross admits he is no fan of heroes but won't deny the good Sam has done. "I want Captain America to help me rebuild the Avengers," he said. Sam questions what happens if they don't agree on how to handle a situation.

Later, elsewhere, Ross explains to an audience that Joaquin Torres and Captain America successfully completed a mission to grant the world their safety again. "What we do next with this discovery, will determine how history..." Music starts playing, prompting the President to stop talking. Isaiah Bradley is in the audience and the music activates him as though he were part of the Winter Soldier program. He takes a security guard's gun and shoots him, then blasts through glass with it. He grabs Sam by the neck and launches him. Another man is moving as though possessed, as well. The President is evacuated. Gun shots ring out. World leaders are shot at. Sam helps save them. The White House is in chaos. Bradley launches a table at people before jumping out of a window. "Next year...." the screen says. Sam Wilson is explaining the inner circle has been compromised. He is attached by men with electric batons, blocking them kneeled down with his shield over his head. "You're not Steve Rogers," Ross tells him. "You're right, I'm not," he responds.

What Is Captain America: Brave New World About?

Captain America: Brave New World will follow the new adventures of Sam Wilson / Captain America (Anthony Mackie) following the events of The Falcon and Winter Soldier. The film will also star Danny Ramirez as Joaquin Torres / Falcon, Carl Lumbly as Isaiah Bradley, Liv Tyler as Betty Ross, and Shira Haas as Sabra. Xosha Roquemore, Seth Rollins, and Rosa Salazar have been cast in currently undisclosed roles.

"It kind of brought my Marvel experience full circle because we shot in D.C. at the same hotel that we shot 'Winter Soldier' at," Mackie said of the film in a previous interview with The Wrap. "One of my first Marvel scenes was me sitting at a table talking to the senator and me and Chris [Evans] and Scarlett [ Johansson] kidnapping him and we go back and we stay at the same hotel and we shot at that same area. So, in that regard, it was really emotional to think how far my character has come and where he is now after the 10 years that I've been in the MCU."

Some Familiar Faces Won't Be Appearing in Captain America 4

Recently, Mackie revealed that there are a few familiar faces that won't be appearing in Captain America: Brave New World -- specifically Bucky Barnes actor Sebastian Stan and Zemo actor Daniel Br?hl.

"The Falcon and [the] Winter Soldier, I really enjoyed doing that show," Mackie explained. "I was actually excited to do a second season, just so me and Sebastian [Stan] can get paid to hang out. Because it's like me, him, and Daniel Br?hl. It's kind of like the perfect storm of happiness."

He added, "When they decided to go back to the movies, it is what it is, but I don't have my friends anymore, so it kind of dampens it a little bit. Anything I can do to hang out with Daniel, a dancing Daniel Br?hl, makes me very happy."

Captain America: Brave New World is set to open in theaters February 14, 2025.

Thunderbolts, the latest Marvel Cinematic Universe ensemble movie has just gotten an interesting update. On Thursday, during Marvel Studios' portion of Walt Disney Pictures' CinemaCon panel, Kevin Feige confirmed that the official title of the film is Thunderbolts*. The asterisk was first added to the title of Thunderbolts* in a set video from star Florence Pugh last month, which was subsequently officially shared by Marvel Studios. According to Feige, the reason for this slight title change will be explained once the movie is out into the world next year, which could help fuel speculation that the film's team might really change their name to Dark Avengers or some other variation.

"Yes, you'll notice the asterisk on Thunderbolts*," Feige explained. "That is the official title of Thunderbolts* and we won't talk more about that until after the movie comes out."

"Yes, you'll notice the asterisk on Thunderbolts. That is the official title of Thunderbolts and we won't talk more about that until after the movie comes out." #CinemaCon pic.twitter.com/lN2lqS5Jog

-- BD (@BrandonDavisBD) April 11, 2024

What Is Marvel's Thunderbolts* About?

Thunderbolts* is expected to be based on the Marvel Comics team of the same name, an alliance of antiheroes and villains who reluctantly work for the government. The cast of Thunderbolts includes Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova, Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes / Winter Soldier, David Harbour as Red Guardian, Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, Wyatt Russell as John Walker / U.S. Agent, Hannah John-Kamen as Ava Starr / Ghost, Olgya Kurylenko as Taskmaster, and Harrison Ford as Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross. New cast members will include Lewis Pullman as Robert Reynolds / Sentry, and Geraldine Viswanathan in a mystery role.

"I just made a joke about [how] it's like Dungeons and Dragons, where you meet in a tavern and it's like there's a dwarf drinking a beer and then there's like an elvish figure over there, we all come together and then there's this ghost... it's not gonna happen like that, I don't think," Harbour told ComicBook.com in a 2022 interview. "But I think that's one of the mysteries of the movie is what is their relationship, and as you say, there is a lot of exciting things as you wrap up the next phase in terms of sort of what their part of the whole universe is in this random, chaotic way. So, you know, we can't say too much at this point, but they're an exciting introduction of this team together again, that's going to be a lot of fun."

When Will Thunderbolts* Be Released?

Thunderbolts* is currently poised to debut in May of 2025, after having multiple release date changes and delaying production amid last year's Hollywood strikes. Those delays actually led to Steven Yeun, who was heavily rumored to be playing Sentry, dropping out of the project.

"I think for me, time passing and things shifting kind of pulled me out of it," Yeun explained. "But [director] Jake [Schreier], I know, is going to do an incredible job."

What do you think of the latest details surrounding Marvel's Thunderbolts*? Are you excited for the upcoming movie? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

Thunderbolts* is set to be released exclusively in theaters on May 5, 2025.

X-Men '97 is officially a major hit for Marvel animation and Disney+ - but more than that, the continuation of X-Men: The Animated Series has done something nearly impossible: recapturing some beloved nostalgia while still adding a modern flavor to the content and wading out to the deepest, geekiest waters of X-Men comic book lore.

...And that's exactly the combination of things we need to see from the Marvel Cinematic Universe reboot of the X-Men!

The debut of X-Men '97 and its popularity has been a testing run for the modern Marvel fandom. Thanks to the MCU, an entire generation (or more) has grown up with an image of "The Marvel Universe" that does not include the X-Men. Kids who know of Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Spider-Man, and the larger Avengers team as the main heroes of the MCU - easily discernable as heroic figures standing against evil. It's a superhero movie/TV show formula that's been easy to digest but has rarely challenged viewers on any serious socio-political-philosophical level.

The X-Men Universe has always been the corner of the Marvel franchise that's most directly connected to serious social issues (race, sexuality, diversity) and politics. It's been one of the biggest concerns about X-Men coming to the MCU: whether Disney and Marvel Studios would be able to fit the serious subtext of the characters and their world into the "fun" and "spectacle" of an MCU project. Well, X-Men '97 is providing it can be done - at least on the animated level. Many MCU fans that didn't watch the original X-Men: TAS are now coming to X-Men '97 and getting to see the comic-accurate version of the X-Men for the first time (the Fox movies were big departures...) and its seems they are really digging it.

The most striking distinction MCU fans seem to notice while watching X-Men '97 is the family dynamic of the group and the almost soap opera-level drama that constantly happening between them. Whether it's the romantic entanglements (Cyclops-Madelyne Pryor-Jean Grey-Wolverine-Morph; (Gambit-Rogue-Magneto), or the powerful socio-political parallels (rise of extremist groups, genocide, insurrection, debates on imperialism vs terrorism, etc.), X-Men '97 is cooking on a level of seriousness and resonance that most MCU content simply is not - and if the live-action version of X-Men hopes to distinguish itself from both The Avengers franchise and the previous era of Fox X-men movies, it needs to do the same.

That said: X-Men '97's seriousness has not sacrificed one bit of the colorful, campy, geeky goodness of the X-Men comics - and the live-action MCU version needs to strike the same balance, so that the X-Men actually fit into a universe where the Avengers exist. While modern X-Men comics (the Krakoa Era) have their appeal, the aesthetic and vibe of the animated X-Men has always had greater mass appeal - and it's clear that Marvel Studios knows it.

Films like Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and The Marvels have made it a point to use X-Men: The Animated Series as the source material being adapted into live-action. Whether it was an appearance by Patrick Stewart's Prof. X clearly in costume as the animated version of Xavier (and theme music to match), or a Marvels post-credit scene that clearly had the Animated Series' Beast and X-Mansion, fans have been overwhelmingly pleased to see the animated version getting shown love in the MCU.

So why stop there?

The "Multiverse Saga" storyline of the MCU allows every opportunity for the franchise to literally bring the world of X-Men '97 directly into the MCU franchise, before, during or after a culminating event like "Secret Wars." The '97 X-Men would be a welcome faction in the battle royale between different Marvel movie realities (and franchises) - and if that's what Marvel Studios has planned, it would be even smarter to use X-Men '97 as a sort of Trojan Horse to soft launch the X-Men Universe that's coming to the MCU.

And if that's not the plan - maybe it should be. X-Men '97 is clearly striking a major chord - so why should Marvel Studios change the tune for the live-action version?

X-Men '97 is streaming on Disney+.

Spider-Man series star Kirsten Dunst addressed all the chatter about her potentially returning for Spider-Man 4. IndieWire interviewed the actress ahead of Civil War releasing. It seems like she's just as aware of the chatter as the fanbase is. However, Dunst doesn't believe Spider-Man 4 is imminent. Funnily enough, the star said that the script would have to be absolutely fantastic because the only way she would come back is if there was a legitimate story to tell. Sam Raimi has addressed these murmurs too. But, he said Sony hasn't asked yet. So, the jury's still out. For now, Dunst remains open, but acknowledges there's some danger about revisiting the past.

"I don't think we need that. I don't know. It was so long ago. I just don't know how they would, what the story would be. I don't know," Dunst admitted. "It seems like ... I don't know! It would really depend on the script, and also, I don't know, you're really putting yourself out there in a way that ... let's maybe leave things when they were good. You know what I mean?"

Could Spider-Man 4 End Up Happening?

Spider-Man 4 has been a constant source of chatter on social media for the better part of a month. To be clear, ComicBook.com has been right there as well. We interviewed Thomas Haden Church a few weeks ago. The actor believes that the Raimi sequel isn't as far-fetched as some detractors would say. So, hope beats on, endlessly against the current of the relative silence and denials from Sony.

"You know, Jack, I don't think it's ever gonna happen," Church shared. "There were some conversations about it probably three years ago. There were some conversations about maybe, but it's such a unique thing. You know, I never really spoke to Paul [Giamatti] about it. We exchanged messages. I did talk to Alexander a little bit about it and then the producer Michael London and, of course, Searchlight was chomping to do it, you know, because that's an automatic hit. Especially with Alexander, Paul, and I together again ... They pitched me the story of what they wanted us to do, which was a great idea and there was some talk about it but then it just sort of, I don't know, it just drifted away."

"But Sandman, there's been some rumors that they might ask me to do another Spider-Man, and I'd do it tomorrow," Church continued. "You know, they've never asked me to show up in another movie, another Marvel film," he added when ComicBook.com's Chris Killian suggested Secret Wars as a possible place for Church to pop up. "But, you know, I think Sam is gonna do another Spider-Man with Tobey [Maguire], and that's the one that ... They had an option for me to do Spiderman 4 when there was going to be a Spiderman 4. They had an option on me to come back. So if it happens, that would be fantastic. I'm getting a little old."

Do you think Spider-Man 4 will happen? Let us know down in the comments!

X-Men '97 is teasing a surprising crossover with a beloved Avengers character. Captain America's shield is right there in the new teaser trailer just came down from Marvel. Anyone who saw X-Men '97 episode 5 is in absolute shambles after that tragic ending. Could help be on the way from Earth's Mightiest Heroes? Captain America is one of the characters that cameoed in X-Men: The Animated Series, so the possibility is absolutely out there for this to come true. This moment from the trailer could be an Easter egg, but Marvel knows what they're doing leaving that in there.

Talking to Men's Health recently, Marvel Animation head man Brad Winderbaum mentioned that these X-Men already have a larger Marvel universe that they're a part of. That means, it's conceivable that the heroes could pop-up in X-Men '97 at some point. Will it be this week? Well, that remains to be seen. In the meantime, we'll just have to wait for Wednesday.

"We have a great executive who works for us named Drew River, who manages the continuity of the timeline. And obviously that becomes more complex as you enter the multiverse saga and tracking multiple timelines," Winderbaum shared. "X-Men '97 fits into that '90s timeline, along with the OG series, as well as those concurrent '90s shows that would sometimes cross over with the X-Men. The potential is always there. Without going into spoiler territory, the original show does have a lot of fun cameos, and '97 carries that torch."

Could We See More Marvel Cameos Moving Forward?

Marvel fans have been begging for more X-Men for a while. Now, with the prospect of MCU-style cameos on the table, they're swinging for the fences. It feels like anything is possible. ComicBook.com's Phase Zero podcast talked to director Jake Castorena about Marvel cameos in the animated series. While he didn't confirm anything, he argued that these short appearances are in the show's lineage.

"Here's the best part: We're in the MCU. The X-Men show, the OG show, was the MCU before the MCU became 'The MCU' right? And, certain things that being a spiritual successor, a revival, that the show had ingrained in its DNA, we got to have that ingrained in our DNA too," the director mentioned. "Cameos were a big thing. The expansion of the MCU overall, of the characters, the side stories, the many derivatives of books that came out from the team, that's all ingrained in the show."

"My favorite thing to say about those cameos and the best little tidbit of history that Larry [Houston] gave me was, 'every cameo in that show was illegal.'" Castorena smirked. "They didn't have rights to all of the characters at the time. So, people weren't familiar with the characters at the time. So if you put, instead of Doctor Strange, as Larry did, 'Professor with book'.... Thanks to Larry, we have a team of people that look out for that stuff now."

What Avengers do you want to see pop-up? Let us know down in the comments!

[Warning: This article contains spoilers for Wolverine #47.] Adamantium, the near-indestructible steel alloy that coats Wolverine's skeleton and claws, makes the X-Man the best there is at what he does. But it's his mutant healing factor and regenerative powers that have helped Wolverine survive his decades-long feud with his arch-nemesis Victor Creed, a.k.a. Sabretooth -- until the blood-spilling Sabretooth War. After slaughtering Wolverine's family and friends with his army of alternate-reality Sabreteeth, Creed used Quentin Qire's severed head as a psychic tool to trick his old friend-turned-foe into infiltrating Forge's secret underwater lab beneath Orchis-controlled Krakoa.

It was there that Creed ripped Toad to shreds and had Wolverine kill the mutant Melter of the Exiles. Creed then shot Wolverine using a weapon stolen from the lab: Forge's depowering gun that once stripped Storm of her mutant powers. Wolverine #46 ended with a depowered Wolverine at the mercy of Sabretooth... without his healing factor.

This week's Wolverine #47, from writers Benjamin Percy and Victor LaValle and artist Geoff Shaw, began with a SNIKT as Wolverine unsheathed his adamantium metal claws to fight Sabretooth -- possibly for the last time. But Creed had yet another secret weapon: Orchis technology that turned the disembodied Quentin Qire into a psionic gun capable of causing brain death with a single shot.

"Putting you down like this is not what I had in mind," Creed told Wolverine, who survived the blast because Quentin resisted Creed's control. "I wanted you kicking and screaming. I wanted you raw and rough." But it's Creed who went kicking and screaming as the Exile Nekra, empowered by her hatred, avenged Toad and Melter with the seed that Doug "Cypher" Ramsey entrusted her with back in Sabretooth #5. ("That seed won't kill him," Doug told her. "He'll wish that's all it did.") And then the seed swallowed Creed into the pit he once escaped.

But with one Creed defeated temporarily, another returned: Sabretooth's son, Graydon Creed, who was exiled to another dimension after slaying Sabreteeth across the multiverse. The cyborg then told Camo Sabretooth (of Earth-33441) and Savage Sabretooth (of Earth-1912) that he had to "become someone new, something new to survive," and that he no longer recognized the name Graydon Creed. "I'm the child of Sabretooth and Mystique," he said. "What else could I turn out to be? I'm the Bad Seed."

Meanwhile, Nekra, Oya, and Third Eye extracted Wolverine from Krakoa while Wolverine's daughter, Laura Kinney, hacked and slashed her way through Orchis Station Five, the Sabreteeth space station. Once safely aboard Ship, Wolverine told Oya that there's more Sabreteeth that need to be stopped. Now without his powers, Wolverine replied: "I'm gonna need a new suit. And a weapon."

Marvel has been teasing that Wolverine will don the Adamantium Armor created by Forge in Wolverine #49. The issue, which hits stands May 8, is the penultimate chapter of Sabretooth War. On May 22, the 10-part epic will end with a final showdown between Sabretooth and the powerless Wolverine in the volume-ending Wolverine #50, an extra-sized issue celebrating 50 years of Wolverine.

ARMOR UP FOR THE PENULTIMATE PART OF SABRETOOTH WAR! WOLVERINE is powerless - but not defenseless. FORGE made LOGAN one last invention, and with the lives of the X-MEN and all mutants on the line, it's time to unleash the ultimate weapon! COLLECTORS' NOTE: Featuring the full debut of the Adamantium Armor!

WOLVERINE #49
Written by: Victor Lavalle and Benjamin Percy
Art by: Geoffrey Shaw
Cover by: Leinel Francis Yu
On Sale: 5/08

We're now halfway through the first season of X-Men '97, and the Marvel Animation series has been delivering plenty of twists and turns thus far. The series' fifth episode, which made its debut this week, took things to some especially shocking heights -- and may have set the stage for a complicated villain in the process. Spoilers for X-Men '97 Episode 5, "Remember It", below! Only look if you want to know!

The last act of "Remember It" sees Genosha's gala attacked by a giant Sentinel, disrupting the island nation's plans to provide a safe haven for mutants. The ensuing fight proves to be lethal, appearing to kill Magneto, Gambit, and a number of other characters. While we do not learn who sent the "Godzilla Sentinel" to Genosha, its bug-like design does point to one character -- Cassandra Nova.

Who Is Marvel's Cassandra Nova?

Created by Grant Morrison and Frank Quietly in 2001's New X-Men #114, Cassandra Nova is the long-lost twin sister of Charles Xavier / Professor X. After the two fought each other while in their mother's womb, Cassandra was stillborn and survived for years, making it his mission to destroy everything in Charles' life. She has become one of the X-Men's more unique antagonists in the years since, and her most controversial moment in the comics is her massacring millions of mutants on Genosha, not unlike what happened in X-Men '97 Episode 5.

While there certainly isn't confirmation at this point that Cassandra Nova is headed to X-Men '97, there definitely could be a fascinating narrative in store if she is. The "death" of Charles Xavier at the start of the series could lead to her targeting the X-Men and mutantkind writ large, and could set up an interesting conflict with Magneto in the process. The fact that she is expected to make her big-screen debut a few months later in Deadpool & Wolverine certainly doesn't hurt the theory either.

What Is X-Men '97 About?

Marvel Animation's X-Men '97 revisits the iconic era of the 1990s as The X-Men, a band of mutants who use their uncanny gifts to protect a world that hates and fears them, are challenged like never before, forced to face a dangerous and unexpected new future.

The voice cast of X-Men '97 includes Ray Chase as Cyclops, Jennifer Hale as Jean Grey, Alison Sealy-Smith as Storm, Cal Dodd as Wolverine, JP Karliak as Morph, Lenore Zann as Rogue, George Buza as Beast, AJ LoCascio as Gambit, Holly Chou as Jubilee, Isaac Robinson-Smith as Bishop, Matthew Waterson as Magneto, and Adrian Hough as Nightcrawler. Beau DeMayo served as head writer; episodes are directed by Jake Castorena, Chase Conley and Emi Yonemura, and the series is executive produced by Brad Winderbaum, Kevin Feige, Louis D'Esposito, Victoria Alonso and DeMayo.

Trina Robbins, the cartoonist and artist known for her decades-long career in the underground comix movement, has passed away at the age of 85. The news was broken on Wednesday night, with comic writer Gail Simone paying tribute to Robbins in a Facebook post. Beginning in the 1970s, Robbins became one of the most instrumental female voices in underground comix, contributing to or editing a number of anthologies or papers. She was also a prolific advocate for chronicling the history of women in comics and cartooning, publishing over half a dozen books on the subject.

"My hero, friend and mentor, Trina Robbins, has passed, Simone's post reads in part. "Not only was she a legendary creator of comics, she was also one of comics' greatest historians and researchers, and a guiding light to countless girls and women who had a hard time believing there was space for them in this art form. She proved there was and fought endlessly to remind people of the legacies of the incredible female creators that were often overlooked and undervalued over the decades. She was one of the first creators to speak to me about comics before I ever even considered writing a script and she treated my goofy questions with far more kindness and scholarship than they likely deserved."

Born Trina Perlson on August 17, 1938 in Brooklyn, New York, Robbins' comics career began in the underground papers East Village Other and Gothic Blimp Works. In 1970, she and Barbara "Willy" Mendes produced the first-ever comic book created entirely by women, the one-shot It Ain't Me, Babe Comix. For two decades, she was subsequently involved with the anthology Wimmen's Comix.

She also worked as contributor and editor on Choices: A Pro-Choice Benefit Comic Anthology for the National Organization for Women, and created the series GoGirl!, which was published at both Image comics and Dark Horse Comics.

In addition to her unground work, Robbins designed the original costume for Warren Publishing's heroine Vampirella, and was the first-ever woman artist to draw DC's Wonder Woman. Robbins illustrated the character on the 1986 four-issue miniseries The Legend of Wonder Woman, and wrote the 1998 one-shot Wonder Woman: The Once and Future Story. She even cameoed in 1989's Wonder Woman Annual #2. She also created the Millie the Model spinoff Misty for Marvel's Star Comics.

Robbins' advocacy work included co-founding Friends of Lulu, a non-profit designed to educate and encourage women in the comic book industry. She also worked on multiple non-fiction books chronicling the history of women cartoonists or comic creators -- Women and the Comics, A Century of Women Cartoonists, The Great Women Superheroes, From Girls to Grrrlz; A History of Women's Comics from Teens to Zines, The Great Women Cartoonists, and Pretty in Ink. Her most recent book was 2023's Gladys Parker: A Life in Comics, A Passion for Fashion.

Outside of her work in comics, Robbins operated a clothing store in the 1960s. She developed a close friendship with various members of the 1960s music scene, even being referenced in Joni Mitchell's iconic song "Ladies of the Canyon."

Our thoughts are with Robbins' family, friends, and fans at this time.

Marvel Studios has built its franchise off closely intertwined stories, with plot points and characters routinely popping up in different properties throughout the years. Now that the production house is in the business of telling stories in the medium of animation, things have been a little different. Although Marvel's What If...? features the same characters and actors as Marvel's live-action properties, none of the stories carry over, nor does the story further the storytelling of Marvel's films. In fact, none of the animated shows have had anything to do with one another...until now.

In Wednesday's episode of X-Men '97, Jeffrey Wright's Watcher was seen in silhouette, examining the events of the episode from afar. As has been previously established, The Watcher watches all corners of the multiverse without interfering, and it looks like he now has his eyes set upon the universe X-Men '97 has been born in.

Although Marvel Studios has yet to solidify a crossover between its animated properties, the Burbank-based outfit will eventually release Marvel Zombies, a series born out of a What If...? Season One episode. Zombies largely centers on Iman Vellani's Kamala Khan, who the actor calls the center of the show.

"We've done the whole thing. It was amazing. It was so much fun. And I love--there are a lot of cool characters in the 'Marvel Zombies' show. And Kamala is kind of the center of the show," Vellani said in an interview with The Direct last year. "They described it to me, it's like, 'She's basically the Frodo of the story.' And I was like, 'That's amazing.' And I get to interact and meet all these people along her journey. And, yes, they're only the voices, and I don't get to hear their voices in real-time. But just, it's my fantasies, right? Like, knowing Kamala is going to interact with some really cool people, even if it's just animation, is so special in a lot of ways."

Between the crossover between What If...? and Zombies, it would seem it's only a matter of time before the events of X-Men '97 are addressed on a future season of What If...?.

New episodes of X-Men '97 debut on Wednesdays exclusively on Disney+. If you haven't signed up for Disney+ yet, you can try it out here.

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X-Men '97 Episode 5 "Remember It" has left viewers reeling, after the X-Men's animated world took a seriously dark and tragic turn.

(SPOILERS) Magneto was called back to his mutant nation of Genosha after it is admitted into the UN, to serve as leader of the Genoshan Council that governs the nation. Magneto chooses Rogue to be his co-ruler, giving the X-Men a presence in the country and providing a heroic example to the world to balance out Magneto's image as a terrorist. Magneto's reign is kicked off with an inaugural gala, which is suddenly interrupted by the arrival of a "Wild Sentinel," a massive Sentinel robot made from composite parts of other Sentinels. The Wild Sentinel annihilates the gala and most of Genosha; Magneto and Gambit both sacrifice their own lives to stop the Wild Sentinel and save their fellow mutants, leaving Rogue battered and emotionally broken sitting on the ashes of the once-happy mutant nation.

X-Men '97 Episode 5 Comic References Explained

At this point it's clear that X-Men '97 is distilling many X-Men comic storylines into single episodes - and Episode 5 is no different. Writer Beau DeMayo and Director Emi Yonemura pull together at least three of the most horrific mass-killing moments from years of X-Men Comics:

The Mutant Massacre

The infamous 1980s storyline saw the Morlocks (a group of mutants that could not blend into society as "normal looking" people) having their subterranean home invaded by Mister Sinister's Mauraders (led by Sabertooth), and their people wholesale slaughtered. The X-Men, X-Factor, Thor, and the Power Pack eventually got into the Morlock tunnels and stopped the genocide - but not without heavy losses to the X-Men, including Angel (Warren Worthington) being crucified by the villains. It was eventually revealed that Gambit helped the Marauders find the Morlocks and aid in the massacre.

X-Men '97 gives a small but important nod to the Mutant Massacre, by singling out a group of Morlocks (including the childlike Leech) that Magneto gives his life to protect during the Wild Sentinel attack - as well as a more heroic role for Gambit. The Morlocks represent the most marginalized communities around (like the homeless) and the Morlock Mutant Massacre became a transformative part of X-Men, giving their world the deepest of stakes: survival in a world of fear and hatred.

On a dark note, The Mutant Massacre also set the benchmark for a tragic tradition in X-Men storytelling...

E is for Extinction

In 2001, writer Grant Morrison launched the New X-Men volume of X-Men comics with the jaw-dropping storyline "E is For Extinction." That story built off of the 1990s X-Men storyline "X-Tinction Agenda", which saw the Genoshean nation's barbaric system of artificially creating "mutates" and then enslaving them as mindless workers finally overthrown by the X-Men, X-Factor, and the New Mutants - as well as the 1999 Magneto Rex limited series, which saw the UN hand over Genosha to Magneto as ruler of a sovereign mutant nation.

In "E is For Extinction" Charles Xavier's twin sister Cassandra Nova unleashes the Wild Sentinel on an unsuspecting Genosha, catching Magneto as he's seated on his throne. The Wild Sentinel annihilates 16 million mutants in the attack - an exponential leap in the level of death and genocide that Marvel mutants had suffered.

Morrison and artist Frank Quitely's execution of the Genoshan Massacre (no pun) was so fast and matter-of-fact that it was hard to feel deep emotional resonance with it. Well, X-Men '97 Episode 5 clearly takes its heaviest inspiration from "E is For Extinction" and its Wild Sentinel attack on Genosha - but this time, we get to see the horror, fear, and death suffered by all the mutants in the path of annihilation, and it certainly leaves a much different impression than the comic.

Hellfire Gala Massacre

The last few years of X-Men comics have seen Marvel's heroic mutants build a whole new sovereign nation - alongside Magneto and other "Evil Mutants" - on the sentient mutant island of Krakoa. The X-Men and Krakoa's governing body, The Quiet Council, threw a major party event called "The Hellfire Gala", which was hosted by the White Queen, Emma Frost. The event was used as an annual reboot of the X-Men team, with a new team roster revealed during each gala event. The Hellfire Gala gues list included likenesses of major celebrities from sports, music, and entertainment - as well as various Marvel characters like The Avengers (Tony Stark, Steve Rogers) or Wilson Fisk/Kingpin. The Hellfire Gala was quickly becoming a major annual event for Marvel - until it was shattered by a dark twist.

The 2023 Hellfire Gala debuted its new X-Men team as planned - only to have them instantly slaughtered in an ambush by future Sentinel Nimrod and his partner Omega Sentinel, who were working with anti-mutant organization Orchis. The Hellfire Gala became the scene of a mass killing, while Prof. X was coerced into psychically commanding nearly every mutant on Earth into walking through portals that transported them into another dimension. Orchis took Iron Man's technology and created a new line of Stark Sentinels, which took control of Krakoa and sent the surviving X-Men into hiding. Thus began the "Fall of X" storyline that is now about to wrap up in X-Men comics (at the time of writing this).

X-Men '97 Episode 5 kept things current with its head nod parallels between Genosha and Krakoa - including the ruling council of Genosha, and an Inaugural Gala that's a clear ode to the Hellfire Gala. Unfortunately, the X-Men animated series gala ended just as tragically, with a mutant nation falling.

X-Men '97 is streaming on Disney+.

Deadpool & Wolverine won't be in theaters for another few months, but the Marvel Cinematic Universe film has already been the topic of a fair amount of speculation. Marvel fans have been thinking a lot about which characters could cameo in Deadpool & Wolverine, either as new additions to the franchise or previous portrayals of Marvel favorites. The latest to weigh in on that possibility is Famke Janssen, who portrayed Jean Grey in X-Men, X2, X-Men: The Last Stand, The Wolverine, and X-Men: Days of Future Past. Despite Janssen's former co-star Hugh Jackman reprising his role as Wolverine in Deadpool & Wolverine, Janssen has admitted that she does not appear in the film.

"I'm not in [Deadpool & Wolverine]. No," Janssen revealed in a recent interview with ScreenGeek. "Everybody keeps asking. So, at some point, I was like, 'Wait, am I in Deadpool, and I just don't know it yet?' But, no. I'm not. No, no."

How Is Hugh Jackman Returning in Deadpool & Wolverine?

At the moment, it is unclear exactly how Jackman's return in Deadpool & Wolverine will be explained, especially given the character's canonical death in 2017's Logan. Reynolds and Jackman have already confirmed that the events of the film will not undo Logan, and Reynolds has indicated that his biggest priority is to deliver a quality story.

"I always wanted Hugh to come back," Reynolds explained in a previous interview with Collider. "My first meeting with Kevin Feige when Disney bought Fox years ago, maybe three years ago, or three and a half, four years ago, I'm not sure, was about doing a movie with the two of us, a Deadpool Wolverine movie. And that was not possible at the time. And then Hugh just happened to call at that perfect moment and express that he'd be interested in coming back and doing this one more time. And the contents of that conversation, I'll let Hugh, because I know it's only inevitable that you and Hugh are going to speak at some point soon, I'm sure. I'll let Hugh answer that on his own. But he expressed interest in coming back, and then it was my job to take that to Kevin Feige one more time and sell it."

What Is Deadpool & Wolverine About?

In Deadpool & Wolverine, Deadpool will change the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe with Wolverine. The film will also star Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool, Morena Baccarin as Vanessa Carlysle, Leslie Uggams as Blind Al, Karan Soni as Dopinder, Stefan Kapi?i? as Piotr Rasputin/Colossus, and Emma Corrin and Matthew Macfadyen in currently-unknown roles. Jennifer Garner is expected to reprise her role as Elektra from the Daredevil and Elektra films of the 2000s.

Deadpool & Wolverine is directed by Shawn Levy, with a script from Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick.

Are you excited for Deadpool & Wolverine? What do you think of Famke Janssen confirming she is not returning in the film? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

Deadpool & Wolverine is set to be released exclusively in theaters on July 26th.

There is a reason why X-Men '97 is being praised the world over. Following its launch earlier this year, the Disney+ title has overcome every expectation. From impressive battles to flashy original arcs, X-Men '97 has been a joy to watch. But in the wake of episode five, well - it seems that X-Men '97 has left the entire fandom devastated.

So please, be warned! There are major spoilers below for "Remember It". Read on with caution.

This week, X-Men '97 steps forward with a gorgeous episode directed by Eli Yonemura, and it follows Magento once Genosha has been admitted into the UN. The nation is celebrating its entry to the world with heroes like Rogue, Gambit, Nightcrawler, and more on its side. As the nation for mutants comes together, its peace is rocked when Cable makes a sudden appearance before Jean. It is there he warns an attack is coming, but by then, the warning comes too late.

X-Men '97 follows Master Mold as the villain brings a horde or Sentinels to Genosha. What proceeds is a sobering genocide that we see through Rogue's eyes. As death and chaos reigns in Genosha, two heroes stand up in sacrifice to protect others. Magneto and Gambit are killed in their pursuit to stop the invaders and succeed by killing Master Mold. So in its final moments, fans watch as Rogue sobs while holding Gambit's corpse in her lap.

As you can imagine, the whole episode is a mess of emotions, and its second half left fans in tears. X-Men '97 has been ranked as one of the best shows produced by Marvel to date, and this episode might be the company's most devastating period. Its raw emotion and horrific violence is impossible to swallow. And at just five episodes in, X-Men '97 still has half a season left go before its finale.

What do you think about this latest episode of X-Men '97? Let us know what you think in the comments below as well as on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your take!