Despite what it might feel like, it's not all been Star Wars, Star Wars, Star Wars on the Internet this week. Whether it's been Captain America's latest enemy being unmasked or rumors about Batman's strategizing and Doctor Strange's main squeeze, things have been jumping on the superhero movie news front. And that's not even getting into confirmation that Hulk will appear in the third Thor movie and Anthony Mackie's unexpected presidential endorsement (one entirely at odds with his comic book character's current feelings). If you're catching up on this week's superhero movie news, here's what you need to know.
Bad news for those hoping that Rachel McAdams was in the running to play Clea, queen of the Dark Dimension and all-powerful magician in Marvel's Doctor Strange: A rumor uncovered by Latino-Review suggests she'll be playing Night Nurse, instead. Yes, there was a Night Nurse in Daredevil, but this will be a different one, because apparently the Marvel Cinematic Universe needs two Night Nurses.
Why this is super: Bringing in Night Nurse seems like an odd choice—the "Doctor/Nurse" pun notwithstanding. She's not traditionally a Doctor Strange character, although the two teamed up for a 2006 miniseries, and bringing a second Night Nurse into the MCU just underscores the, well, strangeness of what could be happening if this rumor turns out to be true. Maybe someone at Marvel has a thing for nurses. And yet, Night Nurse is kind of cool in her original incarnation.
If there's one thing that Marvel comic book fans know about Baron Zemo, it's that he wears a purple mask that covers up his features entirely, with a tiara to keep it on. (No, really: see for yourself. He's also either a Nazi or the son of a Nazi, depending on which Zemo you're talking about, but that's neither here nor there.) So, guess what won't be the case when the character shows up in Captain America: Civil War next year? "He does not wear the mask," actor Daniel Brühl told Business Insider about his character. He also said that the cinematic Zemo is "different from what you'd think. ... That's what I like about the Marvel guys, some of the characters and things they're dealing with always reference to current events so my character is from a different area than you would think."
Why this is villainy: Zemo wasn't even in the original Civil War comic books (Yes, I know he was in the Thunderbolts tie-ins, before you try and correct me, pedants), so the idea that this won't be a faithful adaptation isn't a surprise. That said, ditching the most distinctive thing about Zemo seems like a pointless move, especially considering how great that visual is. All we'll be left with is another attractive generic villain, like... oh yeah, almost every other Marvel movie.
Wondering if Vin Diesel can convince Marvel that he should play the lead in the 2019 Inhumans movie? You're asking the wrong question, according to Diesel. "It's not a matter of me wooing Marvel, it's a matter of Marvel wooing me," the actor told MTV. "I love them, but I'm just saying, show me a dope script and show me a great director, all of which I know Kevin [Feige] is capable of... I'm not doing anything just for work. I'm doing things that I can feel passionate about, and that I feel like I can contribute to."
Why this is super: We're not sure this was the intent, but it feels as if Vin just dissed Marvel's Inhumans plans to date, and told them to try harder. While that might not have been the smartest move career wise, it nonetheless makes us like Vin a little more, and—presuming that he'll eventually end up in Inhumans when it gets made—manages to make that movie seem a little bit better at the same time. Who knows: Perhaps smack talk can be productive, after all.
OK, so we might not be anywhere close to a live-action Batgirl movie, but the character will make her big-screen debut in the Lego Batman movie currently in development for a 2017 release. A spin-off of last year's Lego Movie, the flick will see Will Arnett reprise his role as the Caped Crusader, alongside Michael Cera as Robin, Zach Galifianakis as the Joker, and now Rosario Dawson as Batgirl. Can this movie get any more fun? All we're saying is, we remain hopeful that this will end up being a Lego-ized remake of the 1960s Batman movie, and will therefore feature Lego Penguin, Lego Riddler and Lego Catwoman as well. Hey, Warner Bros.: call us.
Why this is super: If you need to be told why Rosario Dawson being Batgirl in a Lego Movie spin-off is awesome, we're not sure what to tell you.
On a related note, there's a theory floating around that Lego sets tying into next year's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice might include a spoiler about the movie's climactic fight between the two heroes. Said spoiler? The fact that Batman reportedly has a gun that fires kryptonite bullets. Bear in mind, the trailer for the movie does feature Lex Luthor looking at a glowing green rock, suggesting that the movie will introduce the radioactive meteor rocks that can hurt the Man of Steel, so it's not entirely coming out of nowhere...
Why this is super: While the idea of Batman using a gun that doesn't include the prefix "grappling-hook" feels massively counter-intuitive, the suggestion that he'll be using kryptonite to even the odds of what would otherwise be a massively unfair fight does suggest that cinematic Batman plans ahead in addition to fuming cartoonishly. If only Green Arrow could show up to help out with that...
