Those looking for a sneak peek ahead at the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe were in luck this week, and not just because it was revealed Agent Carter Season 2 will set up elements of Doctor Strange. (Although, really, that's kind of great.) But in case you'd rather think about another superhero universe, there was also a tease and a glimpse at what's to come from the Warner Bros. DC cinematic universe as well. Here, as always, are the highlights of the last week's superhero movie news.
How will Marvel Studios deal with actors like Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, and others as they come to the end of their contracts? Joe Russo, who'll be directing 2018's Avengers: Infinity War — Part 1 with brother Anthony, offered a hint to the answer when taking to fans at the Wizard World New Orleans convention last weekend. Asked about the possibility that newcomers to the Marvel Cinematic Universe might get some time in the spotlight anytime soon, he said, "Some new Avengers in Phase 4 are going to become prominent and then maybe some Avengers might not be around anymore." Maybe Infinity War will see the death of the old guard?
Why this is super: Killing off the first wave of Avengers is a win for the studio, giving Infinity War a series of dramatic moments (The heroes we love are dead! Can the new guys step up?) and also giving the studio an out in having to negotiate new contracts with its stars. But will fans be able to accept a universe with no familiar faces...?
Elsewhere, Joe and Anthony Russo were also talking about their approach to Spider-Man, who'll receive his introduction to the Marvel Cinematic Universe via their May release, Captain America: Civil War. "We had thought back to the things that excited us about him as a character when we were younger, and one of the most important components of that was that he's a high schooler burdened with incredible powers and responsibility," Joe Russo told ComicBook.com. "That really differentiates him from every other character in the Marvel universe as opposed to other superheroes." Anthony Russo said that the character would also fit in with the MCU tonally, adding that they try to ground their movies in a sense of reality, and "we're bringing Spider-Man into the movie in that universe, now, in that specific tonal stylistic world."
Why this is super: Captain America: The Winter Soldier is arguably the best Marvel movie so far, so giving the Russos the keys to the Spider-Mobile makes a lot of sense—even if the idea of Spider-Man isn't necessarily one that lends itself to a grounded interpretation as much as Captain America.
Zack Snyder has been talking again about the reveal of Doomsday in the last Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice trailer, telling the Daily Beast it happened in a way that Snyder believes "was consistent with the escalation of the [marketing] campaign" for the movie—and that it might be a tease for next year's Justice League Part 1. Talking about the "bigger enemy" the super team will face in that movie, he said, "Well, you have Doomsday, right? He doesn’t just crawl out of the ground. He has his own mythology, right? So that has to be explored."
Why this is super: Does this mean Doomsday doesn't come from Lex Luthor's attempts to clone Zod, as the trailer suggested? You mean ... there's more to BvS than the trailer made it seem? What in the world kind of a marketing campaign is Warners running over there?!?
As if to remind people that Batman v Superman isn't the only DC movie out this year, David Ayer took to Twitter Monday to share a new look at August's Suicide Squad. Turns out, they're looking a little nervous, which doesn't bode well—well, aside from Harley Quinn, which almost makes it all a little scarier.
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Why this is super: As if this movie didn't seem entertaining enough from the Comic-Con footage released last year, the sight of a clearly freaking out Jai Courtney as Captain Boomerang has just sold us entirely. Bring on August, please.
It's been rumored for a while, and now it's official: Creed's Ryan Coogler will, indeed, be directing Black Panther for a 2018 release. Marvel officially announced the deal Monday, accompanied by a quote from Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige, who called Coogler "an esteemed filmmaker," and said that he was "easily ... our top choice" to direct the movie. "Many fans have waited a long time to see Black Panther in his own film and with Ryan we know we've found the perfect director to bring T'Challa's story to life."
Why this is super: OK, so we have a great director and a kick-ass star. Hopes are high that Black Panther ends up being every bit as good as it should be. Especially given that it'll be setting up events in Avengers: Infinity War, apparently.
