The Time Stone Shuffle: Marvel Studios Announces Release Date Changes

Deadpool 3 stands as the sole movie within the Marvel Cinematic Universe set for release in 2024

 

Disney has confirmed a long-rumored reshuffle of its Marvel lineup, resulting in the postponement of several franchise titles originally slated for a 2024 release, now rescheduled to 2025. This announcement follows the resolution of the SAG-AFTRA strike and occurs within the evolving landscape of the MCU.

The decision to reshuffle release dates has sparked industry discussions, with Anthony D’Alessandro from Deadline commending the move and attributing the lackluster performance of the titles to Disney’s extensive presence of the Marvel Cinematic Universe on Disney+, rather than reserving content specifically for cinemas. This perspective aligns with recent box office performances, as seen with the studio’s latest release, ‘The Marvels,’ which received a more subdued reception, earning only a modest $110 million in its opening weekend at the global box office.

Despite facing formidable challenges, Marvel Studios continues to reign as a global cinematic juggernaut, with a lineup of thrilling adventures poised to enthrall audiences across the globe.

Here are the updated release dates for the highly anticipated upcoming blockbuster MCU movies:

 

 

Final Deadpool
1200 x 1200_Captain America
Fantastic Movie
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Blade 2025

 

 

Initially set for a May 3, 2024 debut, ‘Deadpool 3,’ starring Ryan Reynolds as the main character and Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, is now scheduled to hit theaters on July 26, 2024. This marks a significant moment as Deadpool becomes part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) after existing in a separate continuity due to studio divisions.

The rescheduling of ‘Deadpool 3’ triggered a series of changes. Originally slated for a July 26, 2024 release, ‘Captain America: Brave New World’ has been moved to February 14, 2025. This latest installment in the Captain America series, featuring Anthony Mackie as the lead hero, reportedly finished filming before the industry strike. Online speculation hints at possible reshoots in the coming months, a common practice for Marvel films.

While ‘Fantastic Four’ maintains its original release date of May 2, 2025, ‘Thunderbolts,’ a movie uniting supervillains including Florence Pugh and David Harbour, was initially set to premiere on December 20, 2024. Instead, its release has been shifted to July 25, 2025. As for ‘Blade,’ an R-rated MCU entry starring Mahershala Ali, initially planned for February 14, 2025, it has been rescheduled to November 7, 2025.

 

 

Sources: Variety, Marvel, Deadline

Everything We Know About ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has gradually introduced the multiverse through various installments of its four phases, and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness will finally dive headfirst into the weirdness.

In Spider-Man: No Way Home doctor strange cast a spell that went wrong, cracking open the multiverse, allowing parallel universes to collide. The first trailer for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was shown to audiences after the movie, replacing the typical post-credits scene in a Marvel Studios picture. “Things just got out of hand,” Dark Strange adds ominously in the trailer, implying that there might be more problems with the multiverse at large.

As we anxiously wait to see how everything will unfold, here is everything we know so far about Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness:

 

Appearances in the MCU

The Prequel: Doctor Strange 2016

Doctor Strange Other Appearence

 

Doctor Stephen Strange was given a thorough origin story when we first met him: a skilled surgeon who crippled his hands in a car accident. Under the guaidance of the ‘Ancient One’ played by Tilda Swinton, he soon became the ‘Sorcerer Supreme’, guarding all things enchanted, including the time stone, which Thanos later used to wipe out half of the universe. The film grossed a staggering US$ 677.8 million worldwide.

 

Other Appearances

 

Though the Multiverse of Madness is only the second solo outing of Doctor Strange, this is Cumberbatch’s sixth time playing the hero on the big screen: He showed up briefly in Thor: Ragnarok, played a pivotal role in Avengers: Infinity War, was instrumental in Avengers: Endgame and will also be appeared in Spider-Man: No Way Home.

 

Behind The Scenes

 Sam Raimi

 

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is directed by Sam Raimi. Scott Derrickson, who directed the prequel, was tapped to direct this sequel, but he dropped out owing to artistic differences. The story was written by Michael Waldron, who also created the Disney+ series Loki, while the music is by Danny Elfman. Michael Giacchino has been replaced by the renowned composer, who has worked on multiple Sam Raimi films, including the first two Spider-Man flicks.

 

Cast

 

The movie sees the return of the main cast; Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Strange, Benedict Wong as Wong, Rachel McAdams as Doctor Christine Palmer, and Chiwetel Ejiofor as Mordo. Both Doctor Strange and Wong appeared in the Infinity Saga’s final two Avengers films and Spider-Man: No Way Home, with Wong additionally making an appearance in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. According to Rolling Stone magazine, Doctor Strange almost made an appearance in WandaVision before being cut from the series finale. While McAdams plays Palmer in the Disney+ animated series, What If…?, Palmer and Mordo have been absent from Marvel films since 2016. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness properly reunites the cast for the first time in years.

 

Plot

 

 

The only thing we knew about Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is that it’ll continue to follow Dr. Stephen Strange’s research on the time stone. The film is set after the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home and will explore the multiverse of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Kevin Feige, according to Bloomberg, has stated that the film will also tie in with the Disney+ series Loki.

 

 New Characters and Cameos

 Doctor Strange - New Charecter

 

The only confirmed newbie is America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez), also called Miss America in the comics.

The teen superhero is one of the Young Avengers in the comics. While it’s unlikely that the Young Avengers will form in this movie, it’s worth noting that she isn’t the first member of the Young Avengers to join the MCU recently. Other Young Avengers include Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld, Hawkeye), Elijah Bradley (Elijah Richardson, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier), Billy Maximoff (Julian Hilliard, WandaVision) and Cassie Lang (Kathryn Newton, Ant-Man: Quantumania). Their introductions being so close together probably isn’t a coincidence.

Patrick Stewart Despite previously denying his involvement in the upcoming MCU film, has now entertained the possibility of a meeting between Cumberbatch’s sorcerer and his professor Xavier – and seemingly confirmed he will indeed appear in the film directed by Sam Raimi.

 

Villain in the Multiverse

 

Villain in the Multiverse

 

The ‘old friend turned enemy’ line almost certainly points to Ejiofor’s Mordo, who began to fulfil his comics destiny during the end credits of Doctor Strange by starting his shift toward supervillainy. He certainly fits the bill of a frenemy to Strange, making him the obvious choice.

But Marvel’s never been shy about zigzagging away from the obvious choice. Many fans suspect that the actual villain could be Olsen’s Wanda Maximoff, who was last seen in WandaVision honing her magic skills in isolation and in possession of the Darkhold, a book of black magic she took after besting rival witch Agatha Harkness in battle.

There’s also the possibility that Doctor Strange will be fighting… Doctor Strange. That is an evil variation of Doctor Strange from another timeline.

 

Trailers

The first look at Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness debuted during the post-credits for Spider-Man: No Way Home, which was released in theaters on Dec. 17.

On Dec. 22, Marvel shared the teaser trailer online alongside a quote from Doctor Strange that read, “The Multiverse is a concept about which we know frighteningly little.”

On Feb. 13, Marvel shared the official trailer online after it aired during the 2022 Super Bowl.

 

 

 

Recommended Catch ups

The good news is that you won’t need to rewatch every Marvel movie to comprehend this one, though a rewatch of Doctor Strange (2016) will likely be worthwhile, if only to refresh your memory on the movie series’ delightfully surreal aesthetics.

On the streaming side, Disney+’s WandaVision and Loki are also recommended catch ups in order to fully understand what ‘In the Multiverse of Madness’ has in store.

 

Release Date

The film was originally set to open before Spider-Man: No Way Home. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the film experienced multiple delays. For now, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is slated for release on 05 May, 2022 (a push-back from a previously intended March 2022 release).

 

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Confirmed Marvel Movies Releasing After Eternals

Here’s a list of all confirmed Marvel movies, releasing from December 2021 onwards.

 

Marvel Cinematic Universe was first introduced to audiences in Iron Man (2008) when Nick Fury tells Tony Stark: “Mr. Stark, you’ve become part of a bigger universe. You just don’t know it yet.” This was an ambitious attempt of ‘transmedia story telling’ – bringing the comic book continuity to the BIG Screen. 21 Marvel movies later, Avengers: Endgame marked the end of Marvel’s overarching storyline as we know it, but it is not the end of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Following a pandemic-mandated delay of Marvel’s Phase 4 slate, the studio debuted three series – WandaVision, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and Loki, and returned to the BIG screen in 2021 with Black WidowShang-Chi and the Legend of the 10 Rings and Eternals, revealing plans for its post-Infinity Saga future.

In this feature, we provide a summary of all confirmed Marvel movies that are releasing over the coming years, including Phase 4 and 5 , as well as the those that are currently in development.

 

Spider-Man: No Way Home – December 16, 2021

Arguably the most highly anticipated MCU movie since Avengers: Endgame. Tom Holland’s third solo outing as the web-slinging New Yorker is slated to hit theaters a little over a month after the debut of Eternals. With Spider-Man’s identity now revealed at the end of Far From Home, Peter asks Doctor Strange for help. When a spell goes wrong, dangerous foes from other worlds start to appear, forcing Peter to discover what it truly means to be Spider-Man. Hype has reached fever pitch since the release of the first trailer, as rumors ran rampant about the multiverse adventure set off by Doctor Strange. Some of those rumors have been confirmed in the second trailer, such as the appearance of Doc Ock, Electro, Lizard and Sand Man, while the others remain unconfirmed, though it seems all but guaranteed that both Maguire and Andrew Garfield will be reappearing as their own versions of Peter Parker.

 

Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness – May 5, 2022

After taking over as Peter Parker’s mentor in Spider-Man: No Way Home, Doctor Strange will get his second solo outing in 2022. Like many of the MCU’s upcoming films, he will be joined by a slew of Marvel heroes both familiar and new. Elizabeth Olsen will be returning as Scarlet Witch, Benedict Wong, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Rachel McAdams are also set to return while Xochitl Gomez will make her MCU debut as the dimension-hopping hero America Chavez. It’s also set to follow through on the promise of exploring the multiverse, something the MCU has yet to do in full force despite touching on it in shows like Loki and the upcoming Spider-Man: No Way Home.

 

Thor: Love & Thunder – July 7, 2022

Chris Hemsworth is breaking the trilogy mold of Marvel movies by starring in his fourth solo outing as the God of Thunder. After wowing audiences with his hilarious and irreverent Thor: Ragnarok, Taika Waititi is back in the director’s chair for another Thor adventure. At the end of Avengers: Endgame, Thor was last seen leaving earth with the Guardians of the Galaxy, as they set out to search for Gamora. The Guardians are also set to make an appearance in Love and Thunder. Jane Foster will also be back as Mighty Thor, as she prepares to wield Mjolnir. Also back are Jamie Alexander’s Lady Sif and Tessa Thompson’s Valkyrie. They’ll all have to face off against Christian Bale’s Gorr the God Butcher. Russell Crowe will also be playing Zeus, introducing Olympian gods to the fold and combining the cosmic adventures of Thor with mythological storytelling.

 

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever – November 10, 2022

The highly anticipated sequel to Black Panther released in 2018 (the only Marvel movie to be nominated for a Best Picture Oscar) has faced a long road to screens. After the tragic passing of T’Challa actor Chadwick Boseman, Wakanda Forever was retooled to tell a more expansive story about Wakanda while still honoring Boseman’s legacy as the iconic Black Panther. While the Black Panther sequel will focus on the various characters introduced in the first film, Wakanda Forever will also introduce Ironheart, played by Dominique Thorne. Wakanda Forever is sure to be one of the most emotional Marvel movies to date as it deals with T’Challa’s absence and how the African nation will be shaped by his legacy.

 

The Marvels – February 16, 2023

The sequel to 2019’s Captain Marvel will kick off the MCU’s 2023 slate. Brie Larson’s Carol Danvers will be joined by Teyonah Parris’ Monica Rambeau, who has a bone or two to pick with the cosmic hero. Iman Vellani will also appear as Ms. Marvel after her debut in a solo Disney+ show in 2022. As is common for Marvel movies this far out, very little is known about the plot, but the events of The Marvels are seemingly already being set up in the MCU.

 

Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 – May 4, 2023

James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is the only MCU movie not to be delayed recently and that’s because Gunn has been ready to direct the film for several years. In addition to being the last outing of the original members of the team, Guardians 3 will also introduce Adam Warlock, who is set to be played by Will Poulter. Gunn has also hinted dozens of other secret roles have been cast for the film, indicating a massive send-off for some of the most beloved MCU characters. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will also expand the cosmic side of the MCU further after both Thor: Love and Thunder and The Marvels spend some time away from earth.

 

Ant-Man & The Wasp: Quantumania – July 27, 2023

While the Ant-Man films have always been more tangentially related to the MCU at large, that all changed when Paul Rudd’s plucky Scott Lang played a big role in Avengers: Endgame. The third Ant-Man film will go even further than that. Not only does Cassie Lang, Scott’s daughter, seem primed to become a hero in her own right, but the Lang family is set to face off against who many presume to be the MCU’s next Thanos. Jonathan Majors’ Kang the Conqueror was introduced in Loki as He Who Remains, but the foreboding overlord of the citadel beyond the end of time warned of dangerous variants of himself who would be unleashed if the Sacred Timeline was destroyed. Now that that’s happened, it looks like Scott, Hope van Dyne, Janet van Dyne, and Hank Pym are set to face off against one of the MCU’s most dangerous villains, making Ant-Man & the Wasp: Quantumania an integral installment in Marvel’s wider plans.

 

Fantastic 4 – 2023

Marvel’s First Family will finally make their MCU debut – it’s just a matter of when. Now that Disney owns 20th Century Fox, the rights to the Fantastic Four are finally in the hands of Marvel Studios and Kevin Feige announced plans for a movie about the superhero team in December 2020. Spider-Man: No Way Home director Jon Watts will also helm Fantastic Four, so as soon as Peter Parker’s third solo film releases, Watts should be able to begin work on the highly anticipated film. While Marvel has yet to set a date of release for the film, it seems safe to assume it could come in late 2023 or early 2024.

 

Blade – 2023

Two-time Academy Award winner Mahershala Ali will take on the role of vampire hunter Blade as the MCU looks to continue exploring the scarier side of Marvel lore with characters like Moon Knight and the upcoming Disney+ Halloween special that will reportedly include Werewolf by Night.  Blade will represent a shift in the MCU as a whole and there’s no one more perfect than Ali to take on the role. With a director and writer both attached to the film, Blade will be one of the Marvel movies releasing in 2023.

 

Deadpool 3 – 2024

The famous “Merc with a Mouth,” Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool is officially making his way to the MCU in Marvel’s first R-rated feature. Bob’s Burgers writers Wendy Molyneux and Lizzie Molyneux-Logelin are attached to pen the screenplay with filming beginning sometime in 2022. Right now, Deadpool is the only character who will remain the same in crossing over from 20th Century Fox to Disney, and there’s no better character to do so than Wade Wilson. With filming commencing next year, it seems likely that Deadpool 3 will hit theaters sometime in early 2024.

 

Captain America 4 – TBA

Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson is officially the MCU’s new Captain America after he wrestled with taking on the mantle in Disney+ series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Little is known about Captain America 4, including whether or not Sebastian Stan will appear after Bucky Barnes and Sam Wilson teamed up in their show. Still, it seems safe to assume that Stan could make a comeback alongside Emily van Camp’s Sharon Carter, who was revealed as the Marvel villain Power Broker at the end of that series. With no writer or director attached to Captain America 4, it could be a while before the movie comes out, but Kevin Feige has said he does have a release date in mind.

 

X-Men – TBA

 Like Deadpool and the Fantastic Four, X-Men mutants are officially being introduced to the MCU. Of all the upcoming Marvel movies, the one centered around mutants may be the most mysterious. Marvel will want to differentiate itself from 20th Century Fox’s long-running X-Men franchise and doing so could mean holding back on introducing fan-favorite characters like Wolverine, Storm, and Cyclops. However, it happens, it’s sure to be another landmark event for the MCU following Eternals, but it will be quite some time before they finally appear. That won’t stop Marvel Studios from slyly laying the groundwork for mutants’ eventual appearance, though.

 

Source: Screenrant

 

(more…)

Ready for the Return of Spidey this July?

Look out …. here comes the Spidey!

Spider-Man marks his much-anticipated return this July with Spider-Man: Far from Home – symbolizing a new era for the Marvel Cinematic Universe as it moves beyond the aftermath of ‘Thanos’.

Not only will this be the first movie since Marvel’s earth-shattering release – Avengers: Endgame, but also the second solo movie in the Spider-Man narrative starring the iconic ‘Queens superhero’ (Tom Holland),  who will be joined by Quentin Beck aka Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal) –  one of Spider-Man’s oldest and most iconic arch-enemies.

The movie’s most recent trailer offered the first look at the post-Endgame Marvel Cinematic Universe – along with substantial Avengers: Endgame spoilers, and also provided confirmation on the existence of alternate universes (Multiverse) when Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) introduced Peter Parker to Mysterio, who revealed himself to be a man from an alternate dimension – Earth-833.

The trailer – which released on Monday 6th May 2019, had the biggest digital launch in Sony Entertainment’s history with over 135 million views in 24-hours.

Avengers: Endgame broke records and surpassed Titanic (1997) as the second highest grossing movie of all time with US$2.5 billion in worldwide revenue –  including Dh40 million at UAE box office, and Spider-Man: Far from Home is expected to halo this tremendous success. Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) ranked 4th in ‘UAE’s Top 10 Movies of 2017’ – screening for a period of 16 weeks and doing over 380K admissions. As per our analysis, Spider-Man: Far from Home will have forecasted admissions of approximately 400K.

If the trailer is anything to go by, Disney seems to be giving fans the indication that Spider-Man is gearing up to be the focal point of the Marvel Cinematic Universe in our now ‘post-Tony Stark world’.

 

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Sources: Digital Trends, Digital Spy, Slash Films and TechnoBuffalo

Avengers: Endgame Sets a New Benchmark in the World of Cinema

Avengers: Endgame marks the culmination of what is arguably Hollywood’s greatest ever storyline, one which began with the release of Iron Man more than a decade ago and has captured the imagination of a generation ever since. This blockbuster has broken several records in the past few months which include – the highest-grossing worldwide opening weekend, highest admissions in the UAE, highest trailer views within 24 hours and the longest runtime in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

The unprecedented anticipation surrounding this film has led to exceptional box office numbers.

Highest-Grossing Worldwide Opening Weekend

As announced by Disney, Avengers: Endgame pulled in an estimated $1.2 billion in worldwide box office in its opening weekend –  effortlessly smashing the record of $640.5 million done by Avengers: Infinity War which released last year. The figure makes this star-studded movie the first film in history to surpass $1 billion in ticket sales in its debut weekend – creating a new benchmark in the world of cinema.

 

Highest UAE Admissions

With over 485k admissions, Avengers: Endgame broke records in the UAE for having the highest admissions in the first four days since its release (Wednesday 24th April – Saturday 27th April 2019), beating the record held by The Fate of the Furious (2017) by 39%.

Last year, Avengers: Infinity War ran for a total of 23 weeks in the UAE and did over 730,00 admissions, making it the No. 1 movie in UAE’s ‘Top 10 Movies of 2017’. Avengers: Endgame is most likely to garner a larger lifetime admission figure of close to 750k admissions in the UAE.

As per Gulf News, a Disney source confirmed that Avengers: Endgame released across 300 screens and has collected Dh26.4 million since its opening day. A well-placed UAE cinema source also stated that the 22nd film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe recorded well over 500k admissions across the first five days of its screening, becoming the biggest film to ever release in the country.

As of May 7th 2019, the movie has done over Dh40 million at UAE box office.

VOX Cinemas has also confirmed Endgame’s record run since its opening. As per a spokesperson from VOX, “Avengers: Endgame broke our record for advance ticket sales, more than doubling the number of tickets sold in our previous record for the film Baahubali 2. The movie contributed [towards] 80 per cent of the three-day weekend box office and the highest recorded admissions across VOX Cinemas on 26th April 2019.”

Reel Cinemas reported a ‘record-shattering’ opening weekend with the release of Avengers: Endgame, adding that it had doubled its box-office results over its prequal – which took six days to reach the same collection.

VOX Cinemas and Reel Cinemas, together with other cinema exhibitors across the Middle East – such as AMC Cinemas (KSA), screened the movie throughout the day (on a 24-hour basis) during the opening weekend to match the demand of ticket sales.

In addition to Dubai and Abu Dhabi, VOX Cinemas also confirmed that the film broke records in Muscat (Oman) and Kuwait.

 

Highest Trailer Views

According to Disney, the first official trailer of Avengers: Endgame – released on December 7th 2018, is the most viewed trailer across 24 hours in movie history with over 289 million views (tabulated across multiple platforms – YouTube, Facebook and Twitter). This anticipated trailer surpassed previous records set by Avengers: Infinity War of 230 million views and The Lion King teaser which racked up 224.6 million views.

Avengers: Endgame Highest Trailer Views in 24 Hours 

 

Longest Runtime in the MCU

While most MCU movies are over two hours long, Avengers: Endgame is the first installment to cross the three-hours threshold with a runtime of 3 hours and 2 minutes – 22 minutes longer than Avengers: Infinity War.

In 2018, not only did Avengers: Infinity War top the worldwide box office, but it was also the only movie to hit more than the $2 Billion mark in worldwide box office revenue of 2018 – making it the fourth highest grossing movie of all time after Avatar (2009), Titanic (1997) and Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015). Avengers: Endgame is forecasted to be an even bigger hit than its prequel, and moreover, it has a chance of becoming the highest-grossing film of all time – on pace to dethrone Avatar.

Avengers: Endgame is expected to gather momentum as one of the most successful movies in history with fans already booking to watch the movie for the second time round.

 

Upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe films:

Spider-Man: Far from Home –  4th July 2019
Black Widow – 1st May 2020
The Eternals – 6th November 2020
Black Panther 2 – 12th February 2021
Shang-Chi – 7th May 2021
Doctor Strange 2 – 5th November 2021
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 – 6th May 2022

 

 

Sources: Screenrant, Hollywood Reporter, Gulf News, , The National, Arabian Business and CNBC

Here’s the First Look at Captain Marvel!

Captain Marvel is on the cover of Entertainment Weekly’s latest issue, and we’ve got the first look at Brie Larson’s part-Kree, part-human hero. Audiences briefly saw Captain Marvel’s symbol in the end-credits scene of Avengers: Infinity War, but come March 2019, the Air Force pilot with alien powers will be getting her own origin story.

Photo Credit: Entertainment Weekly

 

Not only is Captain Marvel the first solo, female-led movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), but it’s an introduction to the most powerful hero the MCU has ever seen.

Set in the 1990s – another Marvel first, Captain Marvel follows Danvers as she becomes one of the universe’s most powerful heroes after earth gets involved in a galactic war between alien races. Larson leads an all-star cast that includes Annette Bening, Gemma Chan, Colin Ford, Mckenna Grace, Robert Kazinsky, Jude Law, Lashana Lynch, Ben Mendelsohn, Chuku Modu, Algenis Perez Soto, Vik Sahay and Rune Temte.

Expect to see a few actors from previously released movies in the MCU, including Clark Gregg as Phil Coulson, Djimon Hounsou as Korath, Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury and Lee Pace as Ronan the Accuser.

The Captain Marvel costume is largely what fans likely expected from the Marvel Studios movie. Like the designs of fellow MCU heroes, it honors the comic book character while also adapting the costume so that it works in a live-action film. As seen by the second photo, which appears to be a still from the film, Captain Marvel’s costume will have slightly less vibrant colors in the movie than on the EW cover. While fans might like the vibrancy of the magazine cover, it’s unrealistic for a fight suit to remain as clean as shiny as that.

Photo Credit: Chuck Zlotnick/Marvel Studios

 

The film sidesteps the traditional origin-story template, and when it begins, Carol already has her powers. She’s left her earthly life behind to join the elite military team Starforce on the Kree planet of Hala. Directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck describe Starforce as the SEAL Team Six of space.

Photo Credit: Chuck Zlotnick/Marvel Studios

 

Jude Law plays the commander of Starforce, who views Carol as a mentee and pet project. “These extraordinary powers she has, he sees them as something of a blessing and something that she has to learn how to control,” Law says. “That’s a motif throughout the piece, the element of learning to control one’s emotions and to use your powers wisely.”

Photo Credit: Chuck Zlotnick/Marvel Studios

 

The film also introduces one of Marvel comics’ nastiest and most notorious baddies: the Skrulls. Ben Mendelsohn plays their leader, Talos, seen here in all his bright-green glory. But he’s got another face, too…

Photo Credit: Chuck Zlotnick/Marvel Studios

 

As any Marvel comics fan knows, the Skrulls are especially dangerous because of their unparalleled ability to shape-shift. On Earth, Mendelsohn’s Talos goes undercover as a human working within S.H.I.E.L.D. (seen here with directors Fleck and Boden). “It’s not easy being green,” Mendelsohn quips.

Photo Credit: Chuck Zlotnick/Marvel Studios

 

MCU fans have met the Kree race before in Guardians of the Galaxy, and two familiar faces — Hounsou’s Korath and Lee Pace’s Ronan the Accuser — will appear in Captain Marvel. In Guardians, Ronan is an outcast with extremist views, but here, he’s still a high-ranking member of Kree society.

Photo Credit: Chuck Zlotnick/Marvel Studios

 

Back on Earth, the 1990s are in full swing. Expect plenty of era-appropriate references — and fashion, judging by Carol’s Nine Inch Nails T-shirt.

Photo Credit: Chuck Zlotnick/Marvel Studios

 

Captain Marvel marks Samuel L. Jackson’s ninth appearance as Nick Fury, but this Nick is a lowly S.H.I.E.L.D. desk jockey (who hasn’t yet met any superheroes). He’s younger than we’ve ever seen him (Jackson was digitally de-aged for the role), and perhaps most shocking of all, he’s missing his signature eyepatch.

Photo Credit: Chuck Zlotnick/Marvel Studios

 

Even before she became Captain Marvel, Carol was an accomplished Air Force pilot, and Larson spent time with actual pilots for research.

Photo Credit: Chuck Zlotnick/Marvel Studios

 

The film also introduces Lashana Lynch as Maria Rambeau, one of Carol’s oldest friends. She’s a top-notch Air Force pilot with the call sign “Photon,” and she’s also a single mother to a young daughter.

Photo Credit: Chuck Zlotnick/Marvel Studios

 

Watch the first trailer for Captain Marvel:

 

MCU Key Release Dates:

 

 

Sources: Entertainment Weekly, ScreenRant, gadgets.ndtv, E News, Marvel and YouTube