Deadpool & Wolverine Director Says Sequel Doesn’t Need Any Prior MCU Knowledge
Following the launch of original Marvel series on Disney+ in 2021, there have been more than a few fans complaining about the number of MCU shows to stay on top of, in addition to multiple movies per year. However, there’s only one Marvel Studios movie in 2024: Deadpool & Wolverine. And according to director Shawn Levy, you won’t need to watch any previous MCU show or movie to enjoy the sequel.
“I was a good student in school,” related Levy during an interview with the Associated Press. “I’ll do my homework as an adult. But I am definitely not looking to do homework when I go to the movies. I very much made this film with certainly a healthy respect and gratitude towards the rabid fan base that has peak fluency in the mythology and lore of these characters and this world. But I didn’t want to presume that. This movie is built for entertainment, with no obligation to come prepared with prior research.”
Ironically, the Time Variance Authority from Loki will be used in this film to explain how Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool gets a new mission in the MCU multiverse, as well as the introduction of a previously unseen incarnation of Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine. Presumably Levy means that Deadpool & Wolverine will adequately explain the TVA without the need to touch on anything that happened in Loki.
While the film itself may be largely free of MCU lore, the callbacks to the previous X-Men movies were readily appearance in the most recent trailer for Deadpool & Wolverine. Lady Deathstrike and other previous X-Men movie villains appear to be working with the movie’s primary antagonist: Cassandra Nova (Emma Corrin).
Deadpool & Wolverine will hit theaters on Friday, July 26.
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Furiosa’s Chris Hemsworth Felt Rejuvenated By Playing Dementus
Chris Hemsworth has played the heroic Thor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe since 2011, but even he has been vocal about the shortcomings of his latest MCU outing, Thor: Love and Thunder. Hemsworth’s next role is in Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga as Warlord Dementus, the film’s primary villain. According to Hemsworth, getting the chance to play that part helped break him out of the creative rut that he was in.
“I felt stuck in what I had been doing,” Hemsworth told The Times. “I’d run out of things to say creatively and Furiosa reinvigorated the artistic energy that was dormant… I was bored of myself… I was not bored of the opportunities I’d been given, but it all started to feel familiar. I’d done film upon film that fell into a similar space and I wasn’t stretching myself. If you play a character again and again you owe it to the audience to bring something new and make it fresh for yourself too. We did so with Thor: Ragnarok. But for Love and Thunder, for me it got a bit jokey. Too improv.”
The end credits of Love and Thunder said that Thor will return, but Hemsworth seemed uncertain about whether it will happen. But if Hemsworth does make another Thor movie, he’s not sure how his performance would change.
“If I ever went back to [Thor], I’d wonder how we could change it again,” added Hemsworth. “But there is a superhero curse in the sense you get pigeonholed, and I’ve felt a little hamstrung with what I could do, so desperately wanted something to scare the s**t out of me. And Furiosa did.”
Additionally, Hemsworth still stands up for the Marvel movies when they are bashed by directors like Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola.
“It felt harsh,” recalled Hemsworth. “And it bothers me, especially from heroes. It was an eye-roll for me, people bashing the superhero space. Those guys had films that didn’t work too–we all have. When they talked about what was wrong with superheroes, I thought, ‘cool, tell that to the billions who watch them. Were they all wrong?'”
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga will hit theaters on May 24.
Chris Pratt Expects “Lots” More Nintendo Movies In The Future
Nintendo is working on multiple movies currently based on its franchises, including another Mario animated film and a live-action Zelda movie. Chris Pratt, who voiced Mario in 2023’s box-office smash The Super Mario Bros. Movie, has now teased that he is “very excited” about the prospects for more Nintendo films.
“I can’t tell you much but I can say that there is another Mario movie coming. It gets me very excited thinking about the world of Mario and Nintendo in general, I think over the next decade we will be seeing lots of stories coming out of that world,” he told GamesRadar. “I was thrilled, honored, and blessed to be part of the first one and moving forward I’m open to doing as much and as little as they want from me. I can’t say much but I am just as excited as everyone else.”
Nintendo has not said if the next Mario animated film is a direct sequel to the 2023 film or something else. Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto, who created Nintendo and is a producer on the film, said, “This time, we’re thinking about broadening Mario’s world further. It will have a bright and fun story.”
This untitled Mario animated movie, which is being made by Minions studio Illumination, is set to debut in theaters in April 2026. In addition to this next animated Mario movie, Nintendo and Sony are teaming up for a live-action Zelda movie that has Maze Runner and Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes director Wes Ball signed on. This film currently has no release date, nor do we know who may star in it.
Outside of Nintendo franchises, there are dozens of other video game films in the works, including the Borderlands film that comes out this year.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie earned more than $1.3 billion at the box office to become 2023’s No. 2 highest-grossing movie, trailing only Barbie. The Super Mario Bros. Movie was 2023’s most profitable big movie, though, grossing a reported $500 million+ after all of its costs were factored in.
April 3, 2026
Lord Of The Rings And The Hobbit Illustrated Editions Are Super Cheap Right Now
Amazon’s buy one, get one 50% off sale has officially ended, but several books included in the event are still on sale. The most notable books are by J.R.R. Tolkien, with a variety of Lord of the Rings books down to some of their best prices of the year.
The standout offer is for The Lord of the Rings: Special Edition Illustrated (Hardcover), as it’s just hit its lowest-ever price. Typically listed for $250, you can snag the 1,248-page tome for just $106. The book includes all three novels along with illustrations by the author, making it one of the best ways to experience the trilogy. It’s bound in a gorgeous red hardcover and includes a matching slipcase for easy storage. Whether you’re buying it for yourself or the dad on your Father’s Day shopping list, this is a pretty impressive deal.
There’s no expiration date listed for the price cut, so consider checking it out soon.
Other good discounts include The Hobbit Illustrated (Hardcover) for $43 (down from $75), The Silmarillion Illustrated (Hardcover) for $30 (down from $75), and The Lord of the Rings 3-Book Box Set (Hardcover) for $35 (down from $60). The LOTR Box Set is particularly notable, as it comes with a unique pocket slipcase to hold the collection and gives you a cool way to display the books on your shelf.
If you’re not sold on anything above, here’s a look at all the Tolkien and Lord of the Rings content up for grabs.
Best LOTR Book Deals
Anya Taylor-Joy Has 30 Lines Of Dialogue In Furiosa
Charlize Theron’s Furiosa wasn’t overly talkative in Mad Max: Fury Road in 2015, but her successor, Anya Taylor-Joy, will have even less to say in the upcoming prequel film, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. The new movie will chronicle 15 years of Furiosa’s life as she transforms from a captive into a warrior. But Furiosa will only have 30 lines of dialogue in the entire two-and-a-half-hour film.
That info came from The Telegraph‘s feature on director George Miller, who explained his philosophy that dialogue slows things down when a film’s pace should be going at full speed. He also shared his appreciation for the classic silent films of Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin, which didn’t need words to be understood. “[Alfred] Hitchcock defined as movies where they don’t have to read the subtitles when they’re screened in Japan.”
Miller also shed some light on the 15-minute action sequence in Furiosa that took 78 days to film. The scene in question is Furiosa’s first road war as her vehicle is pursued by bandits on “flame-propelled parachutes, hang-gliders and kites.” And the sequence wasn’t achieved through CGI trickery.
“We had to work out how to do it for real,” said Miller. “Because the brain is very good at gauging physics. If the movements of those vehicles aren’t totally genuine, your audience is far less likely to buy into anything else.”
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga will hit theaters on May 24.
Disney World’s Splash Mountain Replacement, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, Opens In June And It Smells Good
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, the ride that replaces Splash Mountain at Walt Disney World, will open on June 28, it has been announced. The ride closed for good in January 2023 as part of an effort to redesign the iconic water ride after it was criticized for stereotypes about black people and the glamorization of the American South after the civil war. Water from the original ride hit eBay for more than $150.
Functionally, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is similar to Splash Mountain in that guests will ride a boat through a dark area before plummeting five stories down into the water with a big splash. Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will feature characters from Princess and the Frog, including Princess Tiana, Mama Odie, Louis, and “all-new friends.” The ride will feature jazz music and aims to capture the essence of a “New Orleans celebration.” It also has Disney’s newest impressive animatronics, which you can see below.
The ride features cute critters like an otter, rabbit, raccoon, beaver, and others who are playing instruments made of natural materials local to the bayou. The music will be a blend of Zydeco, Rara, and Afro-Cuban tunes, as well as new, original music and songs from the movie.
Some of the actors from the movie are lending their voices to the ride, too, including Bruno Campos as Prince Naveen, Jenifer Lewis as Mama Odie, Michael-Leon Wooley as Louis, and Anika Noni Rose as Princess Tiana.
For guests waiting in line, you’ll see artwork from Louisiana-based artist Malaika Favorite, along with metalwork designs from master blacksmith Darryl Reeves and his apprentice, Karina Roca. Also, the smell of beignets warm in the oven will be pumped into the attraction to help guests feel as if they are walking through the French Quarter of New Orleans.
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is also coming to Disneyland in California later in 2024, but a specific opening date has not been announced yet.
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is located at Disney World’s Magic Kingdom park. Disney is planning to majorly expand the park as part of a $60 billion expansion, though many key details remain unknown.
Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes Starts Strong, Biggest For 20th Century Since Avatar 2
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes opened in theaters this past weekend and it had a strong start. The movie made $56.5 million in North America for the Friday-Sunday period. It made $72.5 million from international markets. Combined, the film opened globally with $129 million.
For the domestic numbers specifically, $56.5 million is the second-best start of the new Apes series, trailing only Dawn of the Planet of the Apes ($72.6 million). It’s also the best start ever for director Wes Ball, who previously made the Maze Runner movies. What’s more, it’s the biggest opening for movie studio 20th Century since Avatar: The Way of Water premiered in December 2022 (via Fandango’s Erik Davis).
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes had a reported $160 million production budget, and this doesn’t include any advertising expenses, according to Variety.
Overall, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is the 10th Planet of the Apes movie dating back to the franchise’s debut in 1968 that starred Charlton Heston. This newest movie is set years after the reign of Andy Serkis’ Caesar. It tells the story of a young ape named Noa (Owen Teague) who befriends a human named Mae (Freya Allan) as they try to foster peace between humans and apes.
Ball is set to direct a live-action adaptation of The Legend of Zelda next. He recently said Zelda was one of the last “untapped” properties that was due for a cinematic adaptation.
GameSpot’s Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes review scored the film a 7/10.
“It’s the sort of movie that will probably leave you with some unnecessarily nagging questions, but as an experience, it’s unique and well-constructed enough that I can overlook most of those issues,” reviewer Phil Owen said.