Marvel Studios Negromancer Link-o-Rama - 2020 - Update #110

by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"

Support Leroy on Patreon:

TRAILERS, TEASES, and TV SPOTS:

From Marvel:   A first look at Disney+ series, "Loki" (Thurs., Dec. 10th, 2020)

From Marvel:   A first look at "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" (Thurs., Dec. 10th, 2020)

From Marvel:   A first look at Marvel Studios' "What If ... ?" (Thurs., Dec. 10th, 2020)

From YouTube:  The official trailer for the Disney+ series, "WandaVision." (released, Sun., Sept. 20, 2020)

From YouTube:  The "final trailer" for "Black Widow" (released Mon., March 9, 2020).

From Newsarama:  This Disney+ Super Bowl TV spot focuses on the upcoming Marvel Studios TV series, "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier," "WandaVision," and "Loki."

From Newsarama:  Here is the 30-second TV spot for "Black Widow" that was shown during Super Bowl LIV (Sun., Feb. 2nd, 2020).

From EW:  Here is the special look at "Black Widow" shown during the "College Football Playoff" Championship game between LSU (winner) and Clemson (Mon., Jan. 13th, 2020).

From Marvel:  See first official teaser trailer for Marvel Studios' "Black Widow" (Tues., Ded. 3, 2019).
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NEWS:

FRANCHISE - From WeGotThisCovered:   Rumors suggest that Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige wants most Marvel heroes to be women and people of color going forward.

WHAT IF...? - From YahooEntertainment:   Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige has confirmed that the late actor, Chadwick Boseman ("Black Panther") recorded a number of voice performances for Marvel's upcoming animated series, "What If...?"

DAREDEVIL - From WeGotThisCovered:   Rumors suggest that Marvel Studios will produce a "Daredevil" TV series in the vein of the one that streamed on Netflix - meaning it will be adult oriented.  Actor Charlie Cox, who played Matt Murdoch/Daredevil on the Netflix series, would return to the role.

THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER - From Marvel:  Oscar-winning actor, Christian Bale, is joining "Thor: Love and Thunder" as "Gorr the God Butcher."  The film is due May 6, 2022.

HAWKEYE - From Marvel:  Marvel Studios has announced that Oscar-nominated actress, Hailee Steinfeld, is joining the Disney+ series, "Hawkeye," as the character "Kate Bishop."

BLACK PANTHER 2 - From TheVerge:   Marvel Studios will not recast the role of T'Challa in the wake of the death of Chadwick Boseman who played T'Challa/Black Panther.  The sequel, "Black Panther 2," will begin shooting next year for a July 2022 release date.  It will focus on the other characters in the world of Wakanda.

FANTASTIC FOUR - From io9:   Marvel Studios makes it official and are rebooting the "Fantastic Four," with Jon Watts (Marvel's "Spider-Man" films) will direct.

CAPTAIN MARVEL 2 - From WeGotThisCovered:  According to an (alleged) Marvel Studios insider, actress Brie Larson is set to make a minimum of 15 million dollars for starring in "Captain Marvel 2."

SPIDER-MAN 3 - From MurphysMultiverse:   Reportedly, actor Charlie Cox, who played Matt Murdoch/Daredevil in Netflix/Marvel's "Daredevil" series will reprise the role in Sony/Marvel's third "Spider-Man" film.

SPIDER-MAN 3 - From Variety:   Actor Alfred Molina is apparently reprising his role as "Dr. Octopus" from "Spider-Man 2" (2004) for the third Sony/Marvel Studios "Spider-Man" film.

BLACK PANTHER - From BET:   To honor Chadwick Boseman, Disney has added new opening credits to the Disney+ streaming version of the Oscar-winning, 2018 film, "Black Panther."

BLACK PANTHER 2 - From THR:   "Black Panther 2" will begin shooting in July 2021, with the character "Shuri" (Black Panther's sister) having a larger role.  The actor Tenoch Huerta will reportedly play one of the film's villains.

DEADPOOL 3 - From Deadline:  Marvel Studios and Deadpool star, Ryan Reynolds, have chosen the Emmy-winning sisters, Wendy Molyneux and Lizzie Molyneux-Loeglin ("Bob's Burgers"), to pen the script for "Deadpool 3."  The film is in early development and will be Marvel's first shot at the character since the Disney-Fox merger brought the character to Marvel.

WANDAVISION - From GamesRadar:   "WandaVision" is currently scheduled to hit Disney+ January 15, 2021.

WANDAVISION - From IndieWire:   "WandaVision" filmed in front of a live audience and director Matt Shakman and Marvel boss Kevin Feige even consulted classic sitcom actor, Dick Van Dyke ("The Dick Van Dyke Show") - in order to capture the feel of a TV situation comedy (sitcom).

SPIDER-MAN 3 - From TheWrap:   First set photo from the third Sony/Marvel "Spider Man" movie reveals Tom Holland wearing two masks.

MOON KNIGHT - From Deadline:  Oscar Isaac (Star Wars' "Poe Dameron") is reportedly in negotiations to play the title character in Disney+/Marvel Studios' "Moon Knight," based on the comic book character.

BLADE - From THR:   In this article about studios hiring "diverse voices" in their filmmaking process, there is some "Blade" news.

DOCTOR STRANGE 2 -From Deadline:  Actress Xochitl Gomez ("The Baby-Sitters Club") will reportedly join Marvel Studios' sequel film, "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness."

MARVEL SPIDER-MAN 3 - From THR:  Sources tell the news site that Benedict Cumberbatch will appear as "Doctor Strange" in Sony/Marvel's third "Spider-Man" film.

MARVEL SPIDER-MAN 3 - From THR:   Sources say that Jamie Foxx, who played "Electro," a villain in 2014's "The Amazing Spider-Man 2," is in negotiations to return as the character in the third Sony/Marvel Studios "Spider-Man" film.

MS. MARVEL - From Deadline:   According to sources, Marvel Studios has chosen newcomer Iman Vellani to play "Ms. Marvel"/"Kamala Kahn" in the "Ms. Marvel" Disney+ series.

NICK FURY - From Variety:  Sources have told the venerable Hollywood news site that Disney is developing a "Nick Fury" TV series with Samuel L. Jackson for Disney+.

WANDAVISION - From Deadline:   Disney+/Marvel's "WandaVision" trailer draws 53 million views online in the 24 hours afters its debut during the 2020 Primetime Emmy Awards.

BLACK PANTHER - From Variety:   Disneyland unveils a "Black Panther" mural featuring the late actor Chadwick Boseman in its "Downtown Disney" shopping district.

SHE-HULK - From Deadline:  Sources tell the site that Tatiana Maslany ("Orphan Black") will star in Marvel's "She-Hulk" series for Disney+.

WANDAVISION - From ComicBook:  Apparently, Marvel Studios' "WandaVision" will make it to Disney+ this year.

ANT-MAN 3 - From Deadline:  Actor Jonathan Majors ("Lovecraft Country," "The Last Black Man in San Francisco") will play the super-villain "Kang the Conqueror" in the next "Ant-Man" movie... according to sources.

CHADWICK BOSEMAN - From Variety:  The actor Chadwick Boseman has died at the age of 43, Friday, August 27, 2020, after a four-year battle with cancel.  Boseman was best known for playing T'Challa/Black Panther in Marvel Studios' 2018, Oscar-winning, recording-setting film, "Black Panther."  Boseman also appeared in a number of biopics:  Jackie Robinson in "42" (2013); James Brown in "Get on Up" (2014), and Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall in "Marshall" (2017).

From THR:   Disney Grapples With How to Proceed on "Black Panther" Without Chadwick Boseman

From BET:   Chadwick Boseman's "Black Panther" co-stars react to his passing.

From Variety:  What Chadwick Boseman's "Black Panther" legacy mean.

From YahooEntertainment:  The Future of ‘Black Panther': What Can Disney Do to Continue the Franchise.
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BLACK PANTHER 2 - From YahooEntertainment:  The delays in film production caused by COVID-19 might decide who will be the cinematographer on "Black Panther 2."

CAPTAIN MARVEL 2 - From Deadline:  The site reports that it is "hearing" that Nia DaCosta, who directed the new "Candyman" film that COVID-19 is keeping out of theaters, will be the director of Marvel Studio's sequel to its 2019 billion-dollar hit, "Captain Marvel."  Disney and Marvel Studios had no comment on that for Deadline.

HAWKEYE - From YahooEntertainment: Andy Park, director of visual development at Marvel Studios, shared artwork on Twitter from the Disney+ series, "Hawkeye," featuring the character, "Kate Bishop."

DOCTOR STRANGE - From MarvelEntertainment:  "Doctor Strange" star, Benedict Cumberbatch, wanders into a comic book store... dressed as Doctor Strange!

FUTURE - From Epicstream:  A rumor:  Marvel is considering Emmy-nominated actor, Giancarlo Esposito (Moff Gideon of "The Mandalorian") to play the iconic Marvel Comics villain, Doctor Doom.

HELSTROM - From BleedingCool:  Cast and creatives of the new Hulu/Marvel Studios' series, "Hellstrom," talk about the show, which is due to debut October 16th, 2020.  There is also a new teaser trailer.

SPIDER-MAN - From Deadline:  Sony Pictures moves its sequel to "Spider-Man: Far From Home" (a co-production with Disney/Marvel) to December 17, 2021.

FALCON AND WINTER SOLDIER - From Variety:  Marvel Studios/Disney+'s "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier will not make its August 2020 release date.  The production remains shutdown because of COVID-19.

DOCTOR STRANGE 2 - From YahooEntertainment:  Actor Chiwetel Ejiofor, who played "Karl Mordo" in the film, "Doctor Strange," says that Sam Raimi is perfect to direct the planned sequel.

ANTHONY MACKIE - From CinemaBlend:  Anthony Mackie ("Falcon") gives his honest (and blunt) assessment on Marvel Studios' lack of diversity.

ANTHONY MACKIE - From YahooEntertainment:  Twitter loves the interview MCU star, Anthony Mackie, gave when he appeared in "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon," Thurs., June 11th.

WANDAVISION - From MurphysMultiverse:  Evan Peters, who played "Quicksilver" in Fox's "X-Men" movies signed on to play a mystery role in "WandaVision," and he has apparently already filmed his scenes.  Could he be playing Quicksilver again?

SPIDER-MAN - From EW:  J.K. Simmons says that he has signed on to reprise the role of "Spider-Man" character, "J. Jonah Jameson," hot-tempered editor of "The Daily Bugle."  When and where will he appear? Time will tell.

CAPTAIN AMERICA - From THR:  While promoting his Apple+ miniseries, "Defending Jacob," Chris Evan stated that he initially kept saying "No!" to the part of Steve Rogers/Captain America.

OBIT - From Variety:  Leslie A. Pope, the set decorator for "Avengers: Endgame," has died at the age of 65, Wednesday, May 6, 2020.  Pope had received an Oscar nomination for her work on 2003's "Seabiscuit" ("Best Art Direction," which she shared with Jeannine Oppewall).

IRON MAN 2 - From YahooUK:  What went wrong with "Iron Man 2" (2010), Marvel Studios most troubled production?

FALCON-WINTER SOLDIER - From THR:  Sebastian Stan talks about his latest film, "Endings, Beginnings," and his role as Bucky Barnes/The Winter Soldier in Marvel Studios' "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier."

DOCTOR STRANGE 2 - From Variety:  "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" gets another release date change, March 25, 2022.

DOCTOR STRANGE 2 - From ComingSoon:  Director Sam Raimi seems to officially confirm that he is directing the Marvel Studios film, "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness."

THOR 4 - From Deadline:  Director Taika Waititi and star Tessa Thompson tease the upcoming "Thor" sequel, "Thor: Love & Thunder."

GUARDIAN GALAXY 3 - From GamesRadar:  Director James Gunn teases that "Rocket" is a big part of what happens next for the "Guardians of the Galaxy."

ANT-MAN 3 - From THR:  Writer Jeff Loveness has been hired to write a draft of "Ant-Man 3."  Loveness is known for being a writer and producer on Cartoon Network's popular "Rick and Morty" animated series.  Loveness has also written issues of Marvel Comics' "Groot" and "Nova" comic book series.  Peyton Reed, the director of the first two "Ant-Man" films, has been signed to return for the third film.

FUTURE - From Variety:  Because of the COVID-19 outbreak, Walt Disney has changed the release dates of several of its films, including a big shift for all Marvel Studios films through 2022.

BLACK WIDOW - From FilmMusicReporter:  Lorne Balfe is composing music for the "Black Widow" film.  There isn't any word on the music already composed for the film by Oscar-winner Alexandre Desplat.

COVID-19 - From BusinessInsider:  In an opinion piece, the article says that the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) faces a big test as shifting movie release dates challenges its meticulous story planning.  The release of "Black Widow" has already been postponed indefinitely because of the coronavirus/COVID-19 outbreak.

THOR: THE DARK WORLD - From IndieWire:  Director Patty Jenkins explains why she left "Thor: The Dark World."  [It wasn't a big loss - Ed.]

LOKI - From DiscussingFilm:  Actor Richard E. Grant, who recently appeared in "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker," has joined Disney+/Marvel Studios TV series, "Loki," in a secret role.

FALCON AND WINTER SOLDIER - From Deadline:  Shooting on Disney+'s "The Falcon & the Winter Soldier" in the city of Prague has shut down over coronavirus concerns.  The series is due to debut August 2020.

WHAT IF - From Variety:  Marvel Studios has picked the Quebec, Canada-based animation studio, "Squeeze," to create five episodes of its "What If...?" series.

BLACK WIDOW - From EW:  Scarlett Johansson talks about the "closure" of appearing in the standalone "Black Widow" film.  This article includes a video interview.

THOR 4 - From ETOnline:  Tessa Thompson ("Valkyrie") says that Christina Bale will play the villain in 2021's "Thor: Love & Thunder."

From CinemaBlend:  Vin Diesel says that the "Guardians of the Galaxy" will appear in "Thor: Love & Thunder."  Diesel voices the GotG character, "Groot."

FALCON AND WINTER SOLDIER - From Newsarama:  "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" star Anthony Mackie says the Disney+ shows are shot completely differently from the Marvel Cinematic Universe films.

HAWKEYE - From BleedingCool:  Jeremy Renner talks about working out for the Disney+ "Hawkeye" series.  This suggests that the rumors that the series was being cancelled or that Renner was being replaced are not true...

ETERNALS - From Newsarama:  Kumail Nanjiani says that the character he plays in Marvel's "The Eternals" is the "biggest Bollywood star."

SHE-HULK - From ComicBook:  Mark Ruffalo says that he has had some preliminary talks to reprise his role as Bruce Banner/Hulk in the planned Disney+ series, "She-Hulk."

FALCON & WINTER SOLDIER - From Deadline:  Actor Carl Lumbly ("Supergirl") has reportedly joined the cast of Disney+'s "The Falcon & the Winter Soldier."

ETERNALS - From NewNowNext:  Actor Haaz Sleiman says that he will be the husband of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's first openly gay superhero in "The Eternals."  He says that the film will feature the first "gay kiss."

LOKI - From Variety:  The actress Gugu Mbatha-Raw has been cast in Disney+/Marvel Studios' "Loki."

THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER - From Variety:  Jennifer Kaytin Robinson is reportedly joining recent Oscar winner, Taika Waititi, to writer "Thor: Love and Thunder."

DOCTOR STRANGE 2 - From Variety:   Sam Raimi is in talks to direct "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness."  Raimi previously directed Sony's original "Spider-Man" trilogy.

FUTURE - From THR:  Including the upcoming "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier," "WandaVision," and "Loki," Disney CEO Bob Iger says that there are seven other Marvel TV series in various stages of development.

DISNEY+ - From Newsarama:  There are new synopses for Disney+/Marvel Studios' TV series, "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier," "WandaVision," and "Loki."

BLACK WIDOW - From Newsarama:  There are new character posters for "Black Widow," and a new story synopsis.

LOKI - From ComicBook:  Actor Owen Wilson has signed on for a major, but unknown role in Disney+/Marvel Studios' "Loki."

CAPTAIN MARVEL - From ShowbizCheatSheet:  Rumors suggest that "Captain Marvel" might lead two super-teams.

FALCON AND WINTER SOLDIER - From Deadline:  Actor Noah Mills (NBC's "The Enemy Within") is joining "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" in an unnamed role.

FALCON AND WINTER SOLDIER - From GamesRadar:  An alleged leaked photo from the set of "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" Disney+ series may include a reference to the world of the "X-Men" comic books.

THE ETERNALS - From GamesRadar:  Leaked set photos from "The Eternals" shows what is supposed to be the character, "Ikaris," in flight.

CAPTAIN MARVEL 2 - From THR:  A sequel to the billion-dollar film, "Captain Marvel," is apparently in the works.  Megan McDonnell, writer of Disney+/Marvel's "WandaVision," is in talks to pen the script.

FUTURE - From GamesRadar:  Sir Patrick Stewart, who played Professor X in several of Fox's "X-Men" movies, says that he has he recently met with Marvel Studios president, Kevin Feige, to "talk shop."  Stewart said that Professor X came up in the conversation, but also said that he is through with the character.

FALCON AND WINTER SOLIDER - From TheWrap:  Here is a first look at actor Wyatt Russell as "John Walker/U.S. Agent" in "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier."

RED SKULL - From YahooMoviesUK:  Hugo Weaving said that he did not reprise his role as "the Red Skull" in "Avengers: Endgame" because Marvel was impossible to deal with.

DOCTOR STRANGE 2 - From Newsarama:  The film industry site, "Backsgate," may have the synopsis for "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

BLACK WIDOW - From Newsarama:  There is a video "featurette" that delves into Black Widow's history.

ETERNALS - From Newsarama:  A new synopsis of Marvel's "The Eternals" reveals story details.  The film also ties into "Avengers: Endgame" and seems to borrow plot elements from Neil Gaiman's 2008 "Eternals" comic book series.

FALCON & WINTER SOLDIER - From Variety:  Production has been delayed on "Falcon & Winter Soldier" due to the Jan. 7th and Jan. 11th earthquakes in Puerto Rico.

KEVIN FEIGE - From ScreenRant:  Managing Marvel Comics may prove to be quite a challenge for Marvel Studios' boss, Kevin Feige.

SHANG-CHI - From Newsarama:  Who is Shang-Chi? And what are the "10 rings?"

NEW MUTANTS? - From Newsarama:  D23, the official Disney fan club, seems to think that, "The New Mutants," the X-Men film that Disney inherited after buying 20th Century Fox, is part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.  The MCU is comprised of films produced by Marvel Studios.

FRANCHISE - From YahooMovies:  Why you'll never see James Dean (or any other dead actor) in the Marvel Cinematic Universe

DOCTOR STRANGE - From Deadline:   Director Scott Derrickson has left "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" due to "creative differences."  Derrickson directed the 2016 original film.

ABC - From Deadline:  The ABC Network is in talks with Marvel Studios' Kevin Feige about Marvel developing a new TV series for the network.  The net's long-running "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." is coming to an end.

BLADE - From Newsarama:  Stephen Dorff played the villain, "Deacon Frost," in the original "Blade" film from 1998.  He said that he wouldn't mind reprising the role in the planned new Blade films starring his pal, Mahershala Ali."

THOR: LOVE & THUNDER - From THR:  Oscar-winner Christian Bale ("The Fighter) is in talks to join "Thor: Love & Thunder."

THOR: LOVE & THUNDER - From Gamespot:  Director Taika Watiti says that "Thor: Love & Thunder" is scheduled to begin shooting in Australia in August 2020.

SHANG-CHI - From THR:  Director Destin Daniel Cretton talks about moving from directing his current drama, "Just Mercy," to his next film, "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings."

THE ETERNALS - From YahooEntertainment:   Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige has revealed that Marvel's first transgender character will appear in "The Eternals," which is due November 2020.

WANDAVISION - From Newsarama:  Disney has moved the release date for the Disney+/Marvel Studios' series, "WandaVision" to 2020 from 2021.

DOCTOR STRANGE 2 - From Collider:  Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige says that "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" is not "exactly a horror movie," although it will have scary scenes.

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Click here for the 2019 edition of "Marvel Studios Negromancer Link-o-Rama."

Click here for the 2018 edition of "Marvel Studios Negromancer Link-o-Rama."

Review: "Knives Out" a Fresh Cut of Murder Mystery

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 15 (of 2020) by Leroy Douresseaux

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

Knives Out (2019)
Running time:  130 minutes (2 hours, 10 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for thematic elements including brief violence, some strong language, sexual references, and drug material
WRITER/DIRECTOR:  Rian Johnson
PRODUCERS:  Rian Johnson and Ram Bergman
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Steve Yedlin (D.o.P.)
EDITOR:  Bob Ducsay
COMPOSER:  Nathan Johnson
Academy Award nominee

MYSTERY/COMEDY

Starring:  Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Shannon, Don Johnson, Toni Collette, LaKeith Stanfield, Christopher Plummer, Katherine Langford, Jaeden Martell, Riki Lindhome, Edi Patterson, Frank Oz, K Callan, Noah Segan, M. Emmet Walsh, and Marlene Forte

Knives Out is a 2019 mystery film written and directed by Rian Johnson.  The film is a modern whodunit and a murder mystery inspired by the works of the legendary mystery novelist, Agatha Christie.  Knives Out focuses on a master detective investigating an eccentric, combative family after the family's patriarch is found dead.

Knives Out introduces wealthy crime novelist, Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer).  He has invited his family to his Massachusetts mansion for his 85th birthday party.  The following morning, Harlan's housekeeper, Fran (Edi Patterson), finds Harlan dead, with his throat slit.  Local police Detective Lieutenant Elliott (LaKeith Stanfield) believes Harlan's death to be a suicide.  However, an anonymous party among the family has secretly paid private eye, Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig), to investigate Harlan's death as a homicide.  Blanc finds his suspects among the members of the family, and each one is either eccentric or combative.

Blanc learns that Harlan's relationships with his family were strained.  Blanc is keeping an eye on particular members of the family.  There is Harlan's eldest daughter, Linda Drysdale (Jamie Lee Curtis), a real estate mogul, and his youngest son, Walt Thrombey (Michael Shannon).  There is also Joni Thrombey (Toni Collette), Harlan's daughter-in-law and the widow of his late son, Neil, and his son-in-law, Richard Drysdale (Don Johnson), Linda's husband.  Even Harlan's nurse and close friend, Marta Cabrera (Ana de Armas), is a suspect... or at least has knowledge that will answer important questions.  And where is Harlan's grandson, Ransom “Hugh” Drysdale (Chris Evans), the spoiled playboy son of Linda and Richard?

Whodunit... if it is true that someone did anything criminal?  Or is the truth more complicated and too obvious for even world-famous private investigator Benoit Blanc to discover?

Rian Johnson's Knives Out starts with an excellent screenplay, not necessarily in terms of the mystery's plot.  That is mostly just an exercise in genre elements and trappings – similar to the twists and terms found in the works of Agatha Christie and those stories inspired by Christie.  The best of Knives Out is in the characters, the kind that character actors can use to chew up movie scenery.

The cast of Knives Out is comprised of actors who have been at or near the top of their professions in film or television at some point in their careers.  They are not really known as character actors because they have been or still are headliners.  However, they are mostly veteran actors, and they can do what character actors do best, and that is deliver performances that create the kind of characters of which film audiences cannot get enough.

That is what Rian Johnson did with this film.  He composed a topnotch script, and then, he directed his actors to topnotch performances.  The result is a mystery film that grabs the viewers and holds them from start to finish.  I certainly felt as if I could not let stop watching Knives Out; it is truly a fun film to watch.  It is not perfect; there seems not to be enough screen time for some of the best characters, such as Jamie Lee Curtis' Linda Drysdale, Michael Shannon's Walt Thrombey, and Toni Collette's Joni Thrombey.  And Chris Evan's Ransom Drysdale seems misused...

Still, get yourself to Knives Out, dear reader.  It is one of the funniest and most enjoyable murder mystery films in quite some time.

8 of 10
A

Saturday, June 20, 2020


NOTES:
2019 Academy Awards, USA:  1 nomination: “Best Original Screenplay” (Rian Johnson)

2019 BAFTA Awards:  1 nomination: “Best Screenplay” (Rian Johnson)

2019 Golden Globes, USA:  3 nominations:  “Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy,” “Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy” (Ana de Armas), and “Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy” (Daniel Craig)


The text is copyright © 2020 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site or blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from July 12th to 18th, 2020 - Update #20

by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"

Support Leroy on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS:

NETFLIX - From Variety:  Chris Evans and Ryan Gosling are set to star in "The Gray Man," a 200 million dollar thriller from Netflix.  "Avengers" filmmakers, brother Joe and Anthony Russo, will direct from a script by Joe and “Endgame” screenwriters. Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely.  The goal is to create a franchise and create a universe from that.

COMIC BOOKS - From USAToday:  A-list actor Keanu Reeves is now a superstar comic book creator.  He is writing "BRZRKR," which Alessandro Vitti will drawn and BOOM! Studios will publish.  This article has some preview art from the series.

TELEVISION - From ShadowandAct:  NBC has set "Home Sweet Home," an unscripted "social experiment" series from filmmaker Ava DuVernay and Warner Bros. TV.

POLITICS - From MotherJones:  Senator Jeff Sessions political career goes out in a blaze Ku Klux Klan glory.

CELEBRITY - From VanityFair:  Oscar and Emmy-winning actress Viola Davis is the cover feature on the new issue of "Vanity Fair."  For the first time in the venerable magazine's history, an African-American photographer photographs an African-American cover subject (Viola Davis).

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  Fox New personality Tucker Carlson expressed some fury on the Mon., July 13th edition of his show, "Tucker Carlson Tonight."  Carlson is angry that people are happy that his head writer, the African-American-hating, LGBTQ-hating, woman-hating Blake Neff, resigned from the show after Neff's penchant for anonymously posting his hate online was revealed by CNN.

BREAKING NEWS - From TMZ:  The body of former "Glee" actress, Naya Rivera, has reportedly been found and removed from Lake Piru in Ventura County, California.  She had been missing since a Wed, July 8th boat outing with her four-year old son.

From YahooNews:  Naya Rivera "Mustered Enough Energy: to Get Son on Boat but 'Not Enough to Save Herself': says Police
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STAR TREK - From Deadline:  There is key art and a trailer for the animated comedy "Star Trek: Lower Decks."  The series debuts August 6, 2020 on the streaming service, CBS All Access.

TELEVISION - From EW:  Matthew Cherry is turning his Oscar-winning animated short film, "Hair Love," into "Young Love," a 12-episode animate series for HBO Max.

LITERATURE - From Deadline:  Stephen King’s latest bestselling four novella collection, "If It Bleeds," has quickly garnered three option deals.  A fourth option needs some extra deal-making because it involves a preexisting character htat just starred in an HBO series adaptation.

OBITS:

From CNNPolitics:  Iconic American Civil Rights Movement leader, Congresmman John Lewis (D-Georgia), has died at the age of 80, Friday, July 17, 2020.  Lewis was chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), and he was one of the "Big Six" leaders of the groups who organized the 1963 March on Washington.  Lewis played many key roles in the movement, including being one of the original 1961 Freedom Riders.

From CNN:  Iconic American Civil Rights Movement leader and minister, C.T. Vivian, has died at the age of 95, Friday, July 17, 2020.  Among the many important things he did and in which he participated, the images of him being beaten by Alabama sheriff, Jim Clark, helped galvanize wider support for the Civil Rights movement.  In 1961, Vivian also participated in the "Freedom Rides."

From THR:  The TV and film actress, Galyn Gorg, has died at the age of 55, Tuesday, July 14, 2020. George appeared in a number of TV series as a star and as a guest star, including "Twin Peaks," "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, "Star Trek: Voyager" and "M.A.N.T.I.S," to name a few.  She has memorable supporting role in the 1990 film, "RoboCop 2" as "Angie" an ambitious bad girl addicted to the drug "Nuke."

From THR:  Roboticist, electrical engineer, and TV personality, Grant Imahara, has died at the age of 49, Monday, July 13, 2020.  Imahara was known for TV series, "MythBusters" and "White Rabbit Project."  He also worked for Lucasfilm for over a decade.

From Deadline:  The body of actress, model and singer, Naya Rivera, has been found.  She has died at the age of 33.  Rivera began her television acting career on the short-lived series, "The Royal Family" (1991-92, CBS).  Rivera was best known for the role of "Santana Lopez" on the FOX TV series, "Glee" (2009-15).  The "Deadline" link connects to the site's page dedicated to articles about Naya Rivera.

From Deadline:  The film and TV actress Kelly Preston has died at the age of 57, Sunday, July 12, 2020.  She was best known for her roles in such films as "Twins" (1988) and "Jerry Maguire" (1996).  Preston was also married to Oscar-nominated actor, John Travolta.

BLACK LIVES MATTER NEWS:

From RSN:  The four corners of police violence

From TheIntercept:  Black Lives Matter Wants to End Police Brutality. History Suggests It Will Go Much Further.

From YahooNews:  "The Confederacy of California": life in the valley where Robert Fuller was found hanged

From CNN:  Colorado police officers involved in the death of Elijah McClain reassigned for safety reasons.

From Truthout: " Three North Carolina Police Fired for Racist Rants, Threats to Kill Black People" - and what they said is crazy and scary

From Truthout: Bryant Gumbel Gives Powerful Commentary on the 'Black Tax,' the 'Added Burden' of Being Black

From YahooEntertainment:  Oscar-nominated songwriter and Grammy Award-winning recording artist, Ray Parker, Jr., may be best known for writing the theme to the film, "Ghostbusters," but when he was a teenager, Parker was beaten by Detroit police officers.

From RSNewYorker:  Jelani Cobb: An American Spring of Reckoning.

From NBCNews:  Baton Rouge, LA activist, Gary Chambers, makes an impassioned speech about changing the name of Robert E. Lee High School in Baton Rouge.

From YahooNews:  Racial violence and a pandemic: How the Red Summer of 1919 relates to 2020

From DemocracyNow:   Fear Grows of Modern-Day Lynchings as Five People of Color Are Found Hanged

From NYPost:  Caramel, Indiana Catholic priest suspended for comparing Black Lives Matters activists to maggots.

From NBCNews:   NYPD is disbanding a unit that is the 'last chapter' of stop-and-frisk

From YahooLifestyle:  A history of the "Karen."


CORONAVIRUS/COVID-19 NEWS:

From CDC:   The Centers for Disease Control has a "COVID Data Tracker."

From YahooNews:  Why does COVID-19 kill some people and hardly affects others?

From YahooNews:  Yahoo has a dedicated page of links updating news about COVID-19.

From Deadline:  The news site "Deadline" has a dedicated page for news about coronavirus and the film, TV, and entertainment industries.

From TheNewYorker:  The venerable magazine has a dedicate COVID-19 page free to all readers.

From YahooNews:  Re: the federal government's response to COVID-19: What if the most important election of our lifetime was the last one - 2016?

From YahooLife:  What is "happy hypoxia?"  And do you have this COVID-19 symptom?

From JuanCole:  Remeber when President Donald went crazy and suggested that we ingest household cleaning supplies and UV light to fight COVID-19.  Here is the video and commentary from Juan Cole.

From TheIntercept:  The federal government has ramped up security and police-related spending in response to the COVID-19/coronavirus pandemic, including issuing contracts for riot gear, disclosures show. The purchase orders include requests for disposable cuffs, gas masks, ballistic helmets, and riot gloves...

From NPR:  A sad milestone: over 100,000 American have died due to COVID-19.

From TheAtlantic:  The Coronavirus Was an Emergency Until Trump Found Out Who Was Dying. The pandemic has exposed the bitter terms of our racial contract, which deems certain lives of greater value than others.

From ProPublica:  Hospital's Secret COVID-19 Policy Separated Native American Mothers From Their Newborns

From Truthout:  Trump Moves to End Federal Support for Testing Sites Amid Record COVID Spikes

From TheGuardian:  More than 20 million Americans could have contracted COVID-19, experts say.

From RSN/WashPost:  The COVID-19 mutation that has taken over the world.

7/13 - From YahooSports:  Maybe a pandemic means that there will not be college football this fall.

7/13- From YahooNews:  The CDC adds four new symptoms (including nausea and purple or blue lesions on feet and toes) to the list of COVID-19 symptoms.

7/15 - From Truthout:  Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt (R) becomes the first governor known to test positive for COVID-19, a pandemic he initially treated with skepticim.

7/16 - From YahooInsider:  This California woman's actions inside a Starbucks concerning wearing masks is indicative of a particular side of the American character.

7/17 - From YahooNews:  A 37-year-old U.S. Army veteran who went viral for not wanting to wear a mask... has died of complications of COVID-19.


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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from February 16th to 22nd, 2020 - Update #21

by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"

Support Leroy on Patreon:

STREAMING - From Variety:  NBCUniversal is looking to buy Wal-Mart's streaming service, "Vudu."  [I didn't know Vudu was a Wal-Mart service!!! - Leroy]

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DISNEY - From YahooEntertainment:  Pixar's upcoming "Onward" introduces the first LGBTQ character in Disney animation history.

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STREAMING - From THR:  The reunion special of the popular TV series, "Friends," is official at HBO Max.

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TELEVISION - From Deadline:  Julia Roberts Sean Penn, Armie Hammer and Joel Edgerton are joining "Mr Robot" creator Sam Esmail for a "Watergate" drama series.

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MOVIES - From Variety:  Eli Roth will direct a film adaptation of the video game, "Borderlands," for Lionsgate.

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TELEVISION - From Variety:  NBC has renewed its long-running TV series, "The Blacklist," for an eighth season.  [I did not realize that it had been on this long. - Leroy]

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CRIME - From TMZ:  20-year-old up-and-coming rapper, Pop Smoke, was killed in his Hollywood Hills house during a home invasion early Wednesday morning, Feb. 19th.

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TELEVISION - From Deadline:  Sony Pictures Television is developing a TV series based on the venerable pulp fiction hero, "Doc Savage."

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STREAMING - From Variety:   Jennifer Lawrence to star in Adam McKay's comedy film, "Don't Look Up," for Netflix.

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MARVEL-CONTEST - From Newsarama:  Actor Chris Evan is raffling off a Captain America shield prop that he used in "Avengers: Endgame" for the charity, "Girl Powerful."

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MOVIES - From Deadline:  Actress Dichen Lachman ("Animal Kingdom," TNT) has joined the cast of "Jurassic World 3."

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SCANDAL - From GuardianUK:  In regards to the Harvey Weinstein trial, actress Rosanna Arquette says that victims of sexual abuse will never be silent again.

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CELEBRITY - From YahooLifestyle:  Actress Rosario Dawson has come out.

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CRIME - From Deadline:  Famed Hollywood family and sex therapist, Amie Harwick, was killed Sat., Feb. 15, 2020 at her home in the Hollywood Hills.  Her ex-boyfriend has been arrested.

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MOVIES - From Deadline:  Director Martin McDonagh ("Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri") is planning to re-team with his "In Bruges" stars, Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson.

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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  The winner of the 2/14 to 2/16/2020 weekend box office is "Sonic the Hedgehog" with an estimated gross of 57 million dollars.

From Variety:  Did the Internet backlash that lead to a redesign of "Sonic the Hedgehog" save the film from box office disaster?

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MOVIE TRAILERS - From THR:  The site offers a roundup of seven recently released film trailers, including for such films as "The French Dispatch" and "The Green Knight."

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ECO-TELEVISION - From TheGuardian: The BBC is planning a documentary TV series focusing on teenage climate activist, Greta Thunberg.

OBITS:

From THR:   The actress and singer-songwriter, Ja'Net Dubois, has died at the age of 74, Tuesday, February 18, 2020.  She is best known for playing the role of "Willona Woods" in the CBS sitcom, "Good Times" (1974-79).  DuBois also co-wrote and sang the theme song, "Movin' On Up," for the CBS sitcom, "The Jeffersons" (1975-85).  A noted voice actress, DuBois won two Primetime Emmy Awards for her role as "Ms. Avery" in the animated series, "The PJs" (1999-2001, Fox/The WB).

From YahooEntertainment:  The young actress, Nikita Pearl Waligwa, has died at the age of 15, Saturday, February 15, 2020.  Nikita appeared in the 2016 Disney film, "Queen of Katwe."  She died as the result of a brain tumor.

From CNN:  Former Major League Baseball (MLB) player, Tony Fernandez, has died at the age of 57, Saturday, February 15, 2020.  Born in the Dominican Republic, Fernandez was a shortstop and played for 17 seasons, most notably with the Toronto Blue Jays where he was part of the 1993 World Series Championship team.

Review: "Avengers: Endgame" is All A-Game

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 7 (of 2019) by Leroy Douresseaux

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

Avengers: Endgame (2019)
Running time:  149 minutes (2 hours, 29 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action throughout, language and some crude references
DIRECTORS:  Anthony Russo and Joe Russo
WRITERS:  Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely (based upon the comic books created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby)
PRODUCER: Kevin Feige
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Trent Opaloch
EDITORS:  Jeffrey Ford and Matthew Schmidt
COMPOSER:  Alan Silvestri

SUPERHERO/ACTION/DRAMA/FANTASY/SCI-FI

Starring:  Robert Downey, Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Josh Brolin, Don Cheadle, Paul Rudd, Benedict Cumberbatch, Tom Holland, Chadwick Boseman, Brie Larson, Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Karen Gillan, Tom Hiddleston, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Danai Gurira, Dave Bautista, Stan Lee, Bradley Cooper (voice), Vin Diesel (voice), Letitia Wright and Samuel L. Jackson

Avengers: Endgame is a 2019 superhero movie directed by Anthony and Joe Russo and produced by Marvel Studios.  The film is the direct sequel to 2018's Avengers: Infinity War and is the 22nd film in the “Marvel Cinematic Universe” (MCU).  This film is also based on the Avengers comic book created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.  Endgame finds the Avengers and their remaining allies assembling once more to restore a universe devastated by their greatest enemy..

Avengers: Endgame opens three weeks after Thanos (Josh Brolin) used the Infinity Stones to disintegrate half of all life in the universe.  The Avengers and their allies make a vain attempt to force Thanos to undo what the snap of his fingers wrought, but that mission ends in disaster.

Five years later, Black Widow/Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) oversees the surviving heroes:  Captain America/Steve Rogers (Chris Evans); War Machine/James Rhodes (Don Cheadle), Okoye of Wakanda (Danai Gurira) as they protect Earth.  Rocket (Bradley Cooper) and Nebula (Karen Gillan) of the Guardians of the Galaxy and the newly arrived Captain Marvel/Carol Danvers (Brie Larson) patrol the rest of the universe.  It is a time of sadness where there is little hope.

Then, Ant-Man/Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) appears out of nowhere, claiming to have escaped the Quantum Realm, and he believes that this realm may provide a way to reverse what Thanos did.  First, the remaining Avengers will have to convince estranged Avengers:  Iron Man/Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.), Hulk/Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), and Hawkeye/Clint Baron (Jeremy Renner) to return to the fold.

Avengers: Endgame is one of the best superhero films ever made and one of the best films ever adapted from a comic book.  There is so much going on in this film that it seems impossible to review it, but I will try.  I can say simply and with as few words as possible that the acting, directing, writing, cinematography, film score, editing, production design, sound mixing/editing, and special effects and visual effects are all of exceedingly high quality.  They are all as good as you would hope, and I can say that often in this film, they are even better than we would expect.

Avengers: Endgame is not really about the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.  Rather,  Endgame resolves the story that began in Avengers: Infinity War.  It revisits some past films and offers closures and happy endings regarding some characters and key moments in past Marvel films.  Avengers: Endgame is the kind of happy ending the greatest modern film studio, Marvel Studios, absolutely had to deliver after giving us so many unbelievably popular and high-quality films.

Last year, I wrote that Avengers: Infinity War was the best Marvel Studios movie after Black Panther.  Now, I can say that Avengers: Endgame is the best Marvel Studios film after Black Panther; heck, Endgame might even be better than Black Panther.  Like Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame is brand maximization – the height of what Marvel Studios offers audiences through its films, and that is just fine.  In Avengers: Infinity War and now in Avengers: Endgame, directors Anthony and Joe Russo; writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely; the cast and the crew and the producers have created the very best of Marvel Studios.

10 of 10

Tuesday, April 30, 2019


The text is copyright © 2019 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.

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Academy Announces First Round of Presenters for 91st Oscars

ROUND ONE: STARS LINE UP FOR THE OSCARS

Awkwafina, Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Tina Fey, Whoopi Goldberg, Brie Larson, Jennifer Lopez, Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph, Amandla Stenberg, Charlize Theron, Tessa Thompson, Constance Wu

Gustavo Dudamel and the Los Angeles Philharmonic to Perform During the “In Memoriam” Segment

Oscar® producer Donna Gigliotti, and co-producer and director Glenn Weiss, announced the first round of presenters for the 91st Academy Awards®. The show will honor the incredible slate of nominees – from blockbusters to independent films – and embrace the diversity of the global movie-going audience. The Oscars® airs live on the ABC Television Network, February 24, 2019 and will be broadcast in more than 225 countries and territories.

“The Oscar nominees have generated tremendous worldwide attention through their captivating stories, achievements and performances,” said Gigliotti and Weiss. “We want to give the public an opportunity to once again experience the moments that have moved us all. It is a celebration of our universal love of movies.”

The producers will continue to announce talent joining the show in the coming weeks, and, as previously announced, the show will feature musical performances of the five Original Song nominees.

“From blockbuster hits to intimate tales of the human spirit, the movies we celebrate at the Oscars connect us in a way that is both moving and powerful,” said Karey Burke, President, ABC Entertainment. “Donna and Glenn will deliver a tribute worthy of the talent that will present and receive Oscar gold, and I’m so proud that ABC is home to this monumental night.”

“The Oscars is the most-watched live entertainment event of the year,” said Academy president John Bailey. “The show connects us with the power and history of the movies as it reconnects home audiences with their favorite films and stars.”

“This is an important moment in Oscar history,” said Academy CEO Dawn Hudson. “This year’s show maintains Oscar traditions, and is also evolving to reflect our global audience.”

The 91st Oscars® will be held on Sunday, February 24, 2019, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live on the ABC Television Network at 8:00 p.m. EST/5:00 p.m. PST.

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from February 10th to 16th, 2019 - Update #19

Support Leroy on Patreon:

MOVIES - From Variety:  Denis Villeneuve's "Dune" gets a November 2020 release date.

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TELEVISION - From Deadline:  Chris Rock wild direct comedy pilot, "Saving Kenan," the NBC is developing for Kenan Thompson.

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STREAMING - From TheWrap:  Amazon teases its much-anticipated TV series, "The Lord of the Rings," with a map.

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MUSIC - From PhillyMag:  Meet the lawyer who sued Led Zeppelin.

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AVATAR - From ScreenRant:  James Cameron's "Avatar" sequels to start filming live-action sequences this spring.

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STAR TREK - From Newsarama:  Nickelodeon is developing an animated "Star Trek" TV series for children.

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STREAMING - From Variety:  Spike Lee's next project is a Vietnam veteran drama film for Netflix.  Chadewick Boseman eyed for a lead role.

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MOVIES - From Variety:  Octavia Spencer is joining Anna Hathaway in a new adaption of "The Witches" (from the Roald Dahl book) for Robert Zemeckis.

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COMICS-FILM - From Deadline:  Millennium Film has put its "Red Sonja" film project on hold.  It was to be directed by Bryan Singer, who has been hit with multiple child sex-abuse allegations over the last few years.

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MOVIES - From Deadline:  Actor Chris Evans, director Antoine Fuqua, and super-producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura and producer Mark Vahradian team for "Infinite."

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MOVIES - From BleedingCool:  Fox Searchlight releases the first teaser trailer for "Tokien," it biopic of "Lord of the Rings" creator, J.R.R. Tolkien.

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COMICS-FILM - From THR:  Warner Bros. has hired David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick to start writing "Aquaman 2."  He co-wrote the first film.

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GRAMMYS - From Deadline:  Here is a complete winners list.  Kacey Musgraves wins "Album of the Year" for her album, "Golden Hour."  Childish Gambino (Donald Glover) becomes the first rapper to win "Record of the Year" and "Song of the Year" for his acclaimed song, "This is America."

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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:   The winner of the 2/8 to 2/10/2019 weekend box office is "The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part" with an estimated take of $34.4 million.

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AWARDS - From TheWrap:  The 2019 BAFTA Award winners have been announced.  "Roma" wins best film and best film not in the English language as well as best director for Alfonso Cuaron (one of four trophies for Cuaron tonight).  "The Favourite" was named best British film.

2019 / 72nd British Academy Awards (BAFTAs) winners list:

BEST FILM
“Roma” *WINNER

OUTSTANDING BRITISH FILM
“The Favourite” *WINNER

OUTSTANDING DEBUT BY A BRITISH WRITER, DIRECTOR OR PRODUCER
“Beast,” Michael Pearce (Writer/Director), Lauren Dark (Producer) *WINNER

FILM NOT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
“Roma” *WINNER

DOCUMENTARY
“Free Solo” *WINNER

ANIMATED FILM
“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” *WINNER

DIRECTOR
“Roma,” Alfonso Cuarón *WINNER

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
“The Favourite,” Deborah Davis, Tony McNamara *WINNER

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
“BlacKkKlansman,” Spike Lee, David Rabinowitz, Charlie Wachtel, Kevin Willmott *WINNER

LEADING ACTRESS
Olivia Colman, “The Favourite” *WINNER

LEADING ACTOR
Rami Malek, “Bohemian Rhapsody” *WINNER

SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Rachel Weisz, “The Favourite” *WINNER

SUPPORTING ACTOR
Mahershala Ali, “Green Book” *WINNER

ORIGINAL MUSIC
“A Star Is Born,” Bradley Cooper, Lady Gaga, Lukas Nelson *WINNER

CINEMATOGRAPHY
“Roma,” Alfonso Cuarón *WINNER

EDITING
“Vice” *WINNER

PRODUCTION DESIGN
“The Favourite” *WINNER

COSTUME DESIGN
“The Favourite” *WINNER

MAKE UP & HAIR
“The Favourite” *WINNER

SOUND
“Bohemian Rhapsody” *WINNER

SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS
“Black Panther” *WINNER

BRITISH SHORT ANIMATION
“Roughhouse” *WINNER

BRITISH SHORT FILM
“73 Cows” *WINNER

EE RISING STAR AWARD (voted for by the public)
Letitia Wright *WINNER

Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema: Elizabeth Karlsen and Stephen Woolley

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GRAMMYS - From CNN:  Top nominees Kendrick Lamar and Drake and also Childish Gambino decline invitations to perform at tonight's 61st Annual Grammy Awards.

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STREAMING - From DreadCentral:  Shudder begins production on a "Creepshow" TV series with "The Walking Dead's" Greg Nicotero.

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TELEVISION - From Variety:  AMC has announced the cancellations of its TV series, "Into the Badlands" and "The Son."

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COMICS-FILM - From HeyUGuys:  The third film in the "Kingsman," series will be a prequel, "Kingsman: The Great Game."  Aaron Taylor-Johnson ("Kick-Ass) and Gemma Arterton ("Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time") are joining the film.

OBIT:

From TheWrap:  Former President and CEO of The Walt Disney Company, Ron W. Miller, has died at the age of 85, Saturday, February 9, 2019.  Miller was president from 1978 to 1983 and was CEO in from 1983 to 1984.  Miller was married to Walt Disney's daughter, the late Diane Marie Disney, with whom he had seven children.  Miller also served in the U.S. Army and played one season in the NFL for the Los Angeles Rams.

Marvel Studios Link-o-Rama 2018 - Update #140

Support Leroy on Patreon:

Leroy Douresseaux's "Avengers: Infinity War" review is here.
Leroy Douresseaux's "Ant-Man and the Wasp" review is here.

TRAILER - AVENGERS: ENDGAME - From Marvel:  Here is the first trailer from "Avengers: Endgame," formerly "Avengers 4."

TRAILER - CAPTAIN MARVEL - From Marvel:  Here is the first official trailer for Marvel Studios next film, "Captain Marvel," starring Brie Larson and Samuel L. Jackson.  The film arrives in theaters March 8, 2019.

TRAILER - CAPTAIN MARVEL - From YouTube:  Captain Marvel official trailer #2 (released Monday, December 3, 2018).

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KEVIN FEIGE - From Variety:  In this "Playback Podcast," Feige talks about ten years of Marvel Studios and "Black Panther" in Oscar contention.

BLACK PANTHER - From AwardsWatch:  "Black Panther" named best picture of 2018 by the Black Film Critics Circle.

SPIDER-MAN - From Collider: Tom Holland, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Jacob Batalon appear at Brazil's Comic-Con CCXP, and they revealed new details about "Spider-Man: Far From Home."  It seems Mysterio and Spider-Man work together.

BLACK PANTHER - From TheWrap:  Andy Serkis says that Chadwick Boseman nearly broke his ribs during the filming of a fight scene for "Black Panther."

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY - From GeekTyrant:  James Gunn's script for "Guardians of the Galaxy 3" is apparently quite good, even making some people cry.  Of course, Disney fired Gunn as director of the film...

MARVEL TV - From TheWrap:  Amy Rutberg, an actress on Marvel/Netflix's "Daredevil," says that it was Netflix's decision to cancel the series after three seasons.

DOCTOR STRANGE - From THR:  Reports say that Scott Derrickson will return for a "Doctor Strange," which could hit theaters in 2021.

AVENGERS - From Newsarama:  Marvel Studios is saying that the "Avengers: Endgame" trailer is the most viewed film trailer in history with 289 million views in the first 24 hours of posting it, breaking the record that the film trailer "Avengers: Infinity War." set

SPIDER-MAN - From Collider:  See Spider-Man's "stealth suit" for next summer's "Spider-Man: Far From Home."

AVENGERS - From Deadline:  Joe and Anthony Russo, the masterminds behind the second and third Captain America films and Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers 4, talk about the future.

CAPTAIN MARVEL/AVENGERS - From GeekTyrant:  The second full "Captain Marvel" trailer will debut during the Dec. 3th telecast of "Monday Night Football" on ESPN.  Rumors say that the "Avengers 4" trailer will debut Wed., Dec. 5th.

AVENGERS - From YahooEntertainment:  Joe Russo, do-director of the recent Avengers movies with his brother Anthony, says that Chris Evans is not finished with Captain America.

STAN LEE - From ScreenRant:  Marvel Comics' legendary writer-editor, Stan Lee, who recently died, has made cameo appearances in numerous films based on Marvel Comics characters.  He has appeared in all the Marvel Cinematic Universe films, beginning with 2008's "Iron Man."  He reportedly already filmed cameos for the upcoming "Captain Marvel" and "Avengers 4."

BLACK PANTHER - From ThePlaylist: Director Ryan Coogler admits that he did not think that "Black Panther" would work, and also talks about the pressures of the sequel.

CAPTAIN MARVEL - From CBR:  The latest photo image from "Captain Marvel" may indicate what year in which the film is set.

AVENGERS - From WeGotThisCovered:  Is there more evidence that "Avengers 4" will be entitled "Avengers: Annihilation."

KEVIN FEIGE - From ThePlaylist:   Marvel Studios boss, Kevin Feige, gives updates on "Guardians of the Galaxy 3" (It's on hold.).  He also says that a trailer for "Avengers 4" is due before the end of the year.

SPIDER-MAN - From YahooUK:  Tom Holland shares Instagram post as "Spider-Man: Far From Home" wraps production.

AVENGERS - From ComicBook:  Jim Starlin, who created the Marvel Comics' character, Thanos, wanted Arnold Schwarzenegger or Idris Elba to play the character.  In the Marvel Studios films, Josh Brolin plays Thanos.

BLACK PANTHER - From THR:  Ryan Coogler has signed on to write and direct "Black Panther 2."

CAPTAIN MARVEL - From BleedingCool:  Brie Larson apparently has a 7-picture deal to play Captain Marvel for Marvel Studios.

BLACK WIDOW - From THR:  According to this article, Scarlett Johansson, will get a $15 million payday for a "Black Widow" stand alone film.

AVENGERS - From GeekTyrant:  Chris Evans ("Captain America") has announced that he has officially wrapped production on "Avengers 4."  He leaves a heartfelt message for fans... that sounds like a goodbye.

AVENGERS - From GoldDerby:  The site writes "5 reasons why ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ deserves a Best Picture Oscar nomination"

AVENGERS 4 - From TheWrap:  Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson head to Atlanta to the set of "Avengers 4"...

THE ETERNALS - From Variety:  Chloe Zhao is reportedly the director of Marvel Studio's in development film, "The Eternals," based on the comic book created by Jack Kirby.

MARVEL TV - From Variety:  "Wonder Woman" screenwriter developing a Marvel female superhero series for ABC.

STREAMING - From Variety:  Marvel Comics characters like Loki and Scarlet Witch will get their own series on Disney's new streaming TV service.  The actors who portrayed them in film are expected to portray them on the new television series.

AVENGERS - From Deadline:  Mark Ruffalo says that "Avengers 4" reshoots are about finishing the film.

AVENGERS - From DarkHorizons:  Jeremy Renner teases his return to the next "Avengers" films as Hawkeye.

BLACK PANTHER - From TheNewYorker:  Contributor Awol Erizku takes a look at the career of costume designer Ruth E. Carter, who designed stunning costumes for "Black Panther."

CAPTAIN MARVEL - From EW:  Entertainment has an exclusive "first look" at Marvel Studios' next film, "Captain Marvel," with 10 images from the film.

BLACK PANTHER - From YahooGQ:  Marvel Studios' smash hit film, "Black Panther," is now on Netflix.

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY - From Deadline:  Dave Bautista says that he may not return for "Guardians of the Galaxy 3" in the wake of Disney firing Guardians franchise director, James Gunn.

BLACK PANTHER - From YahooEntertainment:  Yahoo has a first look at the "Black Panther" animated series, "Marvel's Avengers: Black Panther's Quest," which is the fifth season of Disney XD's "Avengers Assemble" series.

KEVIN FEIGE - From BleedingCool:  The Producers Guild of America will honor Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige with the "David O. Selznick Achievement Award."

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY - From THR:  Disney and Marvel Studios has put production on "Guardians of the Galaxy 3" on hold, in the wake of the firing of director James Gunn.

FUTURE - From WeGotThisCovered:  "Ironheart" rising?  Is it evident?

CAPTAIN MARVEL - From WeGotThisCovered:  New promotional art reveals a fuller look at Brie Larson in Captain Marvel suit.

AVENGERS 4 - From ExpressUK:  Leaked photos from the "Avengers 4" set may be validating fan theories that Captain America, Iron Man, and Thor travel through time to stop Thanos.

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY - From Variety:  Disney AND Marvel are reportedly standing firm on the firing of "Guardians" director James Gunn from the third installment of the franchise.

From ThePlaylist:  Marvel Studios is apparently trying to convince their Disney bosses to reverse the firing of "Guardians 1 & 2" director James Gunn as director of the franchise's third film.
-------------------------------

CAPTAIN MARVEL - From WeGotThisCovered:  Actor Ben Mendelsohn is assumed to be playing the villain in Marvel Studio's 2019 film, "Captain Marvel."  Some believe he will play a Skrull (a classic Marvel Comics alien race) general.

BLACK PANTHER - From THR:  "Black Panther" finally crosses the $700 million mark in domestic box office, becoming the third film to do so, without adjusting for inflation.  [Several films from the distant past would cross that mark if their tickets sales were converted to today's prices.]

SPIDER-MAN - From BleedingCool:  Marvel and Sony release the official logo for next summer's "Spider-Man: Far From Home," the sequel to "Spider-Man: Homecoming."

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY - From CinemaBlend:  The primary cast of Marvel Studios' "Guardians of the Galaxy" films release a statement in support of the "Guardians" franchise director, James Gunn, who Disney recently fired.  Read the full statement at the link.

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY - From Deadline:   James Gunn responds to Disney firing him from the third "Guardians of the Galaxy" film.

ANT-MAN AND THE WASP - From THR:  David Dastmalchian plays Russian ex-con, Kurt, part of Scott Lang/Ant-Man's crew.  "The Hollywood Reporter" has a feature on Dastmalchian, who got a big break in Chris Nolan's "The Dark Knight."

RUMORS - From WeGotThisCovered: Marvel Studios commissioned a script in which Iron Man go from being Tony Stark to Riri Williams, a character in the comic books who is mentored by Stark.  Oh, and Riri is an African-American girl.

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY - From Deadline:  Disney has fired James Gunn, the director of Marvel Studios' "Guardians of the Galaxy Franchise, over old social media posts.

FRANCHISE - From Deadline:  "Iron Man" At 10: How One Film Set A Dominant Path For Marvel, Kevin Feige, Robert Downey Jr. & Jon Favreau

BLACK PANTHER - From Forbes:  "Black Panther" still stalking the $700 million mark in domestic box office.

BLACK WIDOW - From Collider:  Cate Shortland will direct the "Black Widow" stand-alone movie... according to sources.

BLACK PANTHER - From Variety:  Sean "Diddy" Combs calls "Black Panther" film a "cruel experiment."

SPIDER-MAN - From ShadowandAct:  Actor, comedian, pitchman, JB Smoove, joins "Spider-Man: Far From Home."

ANT-MAN AND THE WASP - From Variety:  "Ant-Man and the Wasp" leads the global box office with an estimated haul of $161 million.

From Variety:  "Ant-Man and the Wasp" leads the 7/6 to 7/8/2018 weekend box office with an estimated haul of $76 million.
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THE FUTURE - From Polygon:  Here’s who could direct the Black Widow movie that’s finally happening

ANT-MAN AND THE WASP - From BRAdvocate:  Michelle Pfieffer threated to quit "Ant-Man and the Wasp," in which she portrays "Janet Van Dyne"

AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR - From DenofGeek:  Details and release date for the "Infinity War" DVD/Blu-ray.

ANT MAN & THE WASP - From CinemaBlend:  8 Things to Remember Before Seeing Ant-Man and the Wasp

AVENERS 4 - Esquire:  Is "Avengers 4" really entitled "Avengers: End Game."

THE FUTURE - From WinonaDailyNews:  Marvel Studios president, Kevin Feige, says that will Marvel will continue to introduce new characters.

ANT-MAN AND THE WASP - From THR:  The Hollywood Reporter reviews the new film and says, "An enjoyably goofy respite from Marvel's A-list musclemen."

THE FUTURE - From EW:  Marvel Studios chief says that Marvel Cinematic Universe will soon include two openly LGBTQ characters.

SPIDER-MAN - From TechnoBuffalo:  "Spider-Man: Homecoming" sequel has a title.  It is "Spider-Man: Far From Home"

ANT-MAN AND THE WASP - From Yahoo:  Marvel screens "Ant-Man and the Wasp" for entertainment writers, who seem to like the film.  The film opens in North America July 6th.

From YahooView:  "Ant-Man and the Wasp" star Evangeline Lilly was on ABC daytime talk show, "The View," to talk about the fim.

BLACK WIDOW - From ThePlaylist: Australian director, Cate Shortland, is reportedly on a shortlist to helm Marvel's possible "Black Widow" film.

CAPTAIN MARVEL - From WeGotThisCovered:  Samuel L. Jackson says that Captain Marvel is the most powerful hero in the Marvel Universe.

AVENGERS - From JoBlo:  "Avengers: Infinity War" has crossed the $2 billion dollar mark.

THE BOSS:  From Deadline:  Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige talks about Marvel's success, female directors, and "Infinity War 2."

THE FUTURE - From ComicBook:  Writer-director Jay Chandrasekhar (the "Super Troopers" films) says Marvel Studios has reached out to him to gauge his interest in a future project.

BLACK PANTHER - From QZ:  There is a lawsuit over a music video from Kendrick Lamar related to the Black Panther soundtrack.

SPIDER-MAN - From PopSugar:  Jake Gyllenhaal is in talks to play Spider-Man supervillain, Mysterio, in the follow-up film to "Spider-Man Homecoming."

From WeGotThisCovered:  Tom Holland Tips His Hat To Marvel Legend Stan Lee Following Spidey Praise

CAPTAIN MARVEL - From Nerdist:  Here are new "Captain Marvel" rumors.

BLACK PANTHER - From ComicBook: Marvel Stunt Drivers Describe 'Black Panther' On-Set Experience

THE FUTURE - From TheWrap:  Marvel Studios boss, Kevin Feige, says that the studio will develop a film starring Muslim female superhero, Ms. Marvel, who is 16-year-old Pakistani-American, Kamala Kahn.

AVENGERS - From ComicBook:  "Avengers: Infinity War" is now the highest grossing superhero movie of all time.

THE FUTURE - From CinemaBlend:  Simon Pegg wants to bring "Captain Britain" to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

IRON MAN - From Yahoo: Robert Downey, Jr.'s original "Iron Man" suit was stolen from a prop facility in Pacoima, California.

CAPTAIN MARVEL - From SlashFilm:  Annette Bening has a secret role in 2019's Captain Marvel.

THOR - From THR:  "The Boundless Potential of Thor"

AVENGERS - From CNNMoney:  "Infinity War" makes its to $1 billion in worldwide box office in record time, 11 days.

AVENGERS - From Variety:  Box Office: ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ to Hit $1 Billion in Record Time

ANT MAN AND THE WASP - From ScreenRant:  There is a new "Ant Man and the Wasp" trailer.

BLACK PANTHER - From BleedingCool:  Black Panther Star Chadwick Boseman Gets Honorary Doctorate, Will Deliver Howard University Commencement Address

SPIDER-MAN - From BritishGQ:  Rising star, Tom Holland (Spider-Man: Homecoming") is the future of the Marvel franchise.

AVENGERS - From Deadline:  "Avengers: Infinity War" may have an opening weekend box office gross ($245 million) that will be second only to the record set by "Star Wars: The Force Awakens."

AVENGERS - From TheVillageVoice:  Yes, “Infinity War” Goes on Forever, but Thanos Makes It Worth the Time

AVENGERS - From TheNewYorker:  Complete List of Characters in “Avengers: Infinity War”

AVENGERS - From Variety:  $39 million in Thursday night shows for "Infinity War," the fourth highest total in box office history.

AVENGERS - From Variety:  "Avengers: Infinity War" opens in 21 overseas markets for a total $39 million.

AVENGERS - From Variety:  "Avengers: Infinity War" Heads to Monster $225+ Million Opening Weekend

AVENGERS - From Variety:  First reactions on "Infinity War" are in.  Full reviews are embargoed until 3 pm, Tuesday, April 27, 2018.

PHASE FOUR - From BleedingCool:  Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige confirms that "Eternals" is one of the projects in development.

SPIDER-MAN - From SlashFilm:  Spider-Man will travel the globe in "Spider-Man: Homecoming" sequel.

AVENGERS - From YahooGMA:  Chris Evans says "this could be it" for him and a few Marvel stars whose contracts are expiring soon.

BLACK PANTHER - From ShadowandAct:  Unsegregated 'Black Panther' Screening Marks New Age Of Entertainment In Saudi Arabia After Decades-Long Cinema Ban

AVENGERS - From ThePlaylist:  More "Avengers: Infinity War" cameos revealed... accidentally?

MARVEL TV - From EW:  Meet the cast of Freeform's "Cloak and Dagger."

BLACK PANTHER - From BleedingCool:  The post-credit scene featuring The Winter Soldier in "Black Panther" was apparently longer than what was scene in theaters.

AVENGERS - From THR:  Carrie Coon will play a villain, "Proxima Midnight," in "Avengers: Infinity War."

AVENGERS - From YahooEntertainment:  Russo Bros. not ready to reveal the title for "Avengers," which is due May 2019.

AVENGERS - From TheWrap:  Co-director Joe Russo is shocked to learn that Indonesia's Film Censorship Institute has cut seven minutes from "Avengers: Infinity War."

AVENGERS - From BleedingCool:  Anthony and Joe Russo says that "Avengers: Infinity War" finishes the story they began in "Captain Marvel: The Winter Soldier" (2014).

PHASE FOUR - From WeGotItCovered:  Rumors say Marvel Studios is set to announce a movie based on the "Eternals" comic book characters created by Jack Kirby.

CAPTAIN MARVEL - From CinemaBlend:  Clark Gregg (Agent Coulson from "Marvel's Agents of SHIELD) arrives on the set of "Captain Marvel" and sends a teasing Instagram.

AVENGERS - From YahooVariety:  Fandango tracker record-setting pace for ticket pre-sales on "Avengers: Infinity War."

BLACK PANTHER - From YahooNewsweek:  "Black Panther" will arrive on DVD, Blu-ray, and "Steel Book" editions May 15th with snazzy extras.

AVENGERS - From CBR:  Even the cast has not seen "Avengers: Infinity War."

BLACK PANTHER - From YahooTheWrap:  There is a "Black Panther" toy shortage.

AVENGERS - From Variety:  Marvel release an intense new teaser trailer for "Avengers: Infinity War," entitled "The Chant."  Yibambe!

BLACK PANTHER - From THR:  Marvel's "Black Panther" is the #3 top-grossing film in North American box office (not adjusted for inflation).

MARVEL STUDIOS - From BleedingCool:  Marvel Studios Production Chief Victoria Alonzo talks social change and #TimesUp.

BLACK PANTHER - From Variety:  When Marvel's "Black Panther" (via Disney's Middle East distribution partner, Italia Film) makes its debut in Saudi Arabia on April 18th, it will be first screening of a film since movie theaters were banned in the kingdom in the early 1980s.

AVENGERS - From Variety:  "Avengers: Infinity War" on Track for Massive $200 Million Opening

AVENGERS - From YahooEntertainment: Marvel unleashes 22 poster images for "Avengers: Infinity War."

BLACK PANTHER - From Mashable:  "Black Panther" has passed "Jurassic World" in all-time U.S. box office.  Next up is "Titanic."

DOCTOR STRANGE - From CinemaBlend:  If "Doctor Strange" writer C. Robert Cargill gets to write a sequel to the film, he wants Nightmare to the be the villain.

BLACK PANTHER - From Forbes:  "Black Panther" just set another box office milestone.

CAPTAIN MARVEL - From WeGotThisCovered:  Brie Larson reports for duty as "Captain Marvel" begins filming.

ANT-MAN AND THE WASP:  From WeGotThisCovered:  Marvel Studios begins promo "100 Days" campaign for its upcoming film, "Ant-Man and the Wasp."

BLACK PANTHER:  From TheFederalist:  What The Success Of ‘Black Panther’ Says About The American People

BLACK PANTHER:  From SlashFilm:  Marvel's "Black Panther" is now the highest grossing superhero movie ever in the United States with a domestic take of $624 million.

AVENGERS - From ThePlaylist:  Chris Evans says that he is done with Marvel Studios after "Avengers 4."

AVENGERS:  From NerdlyUK:  Disney Channels UK and Ireland launch "Marvel Avengers" channel.

BLACK PANTHER - From CNET:  "Black Panther" beats "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" as most-tweeted-about movie of all time.

BLACK PANTHER - From Forbes:  Why "Black Panther" should terrify every Hollywood studio.

AVENGERS - From WeGotThisCovered:  "Avengers: Infinity War" will apparently have a running time of 156 minutes (2 hours, 36 minutes).

AVENGERS - From YahooEntertainment:  Final riveting "Avengers: Infinity War" trailer debuts.

AVENGERS - From YahooTheWrap:  Who is that guy torturing Doctor Strange in new "Avengers: Infinity War" trailer?

BLACK PANTHER - From Truthout:  Wakanda in Schools: The "Black Panther" Curriculum Makes Its Debut

THE FUTURE - From WeGotThisCovered:  If the X-Men do make it into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (via the Disney's planned acquisition of Fox), British actor, Tom Payne, "Paul 'Jesus' Rovia" of "The Walking Dead," want to play Wolverine.

LUKE CAGE - From Variety:  Marvel/Netflix's "Luke Cage" Season 2 debuts June 22, 2018.

MCU - From WeGotThisCovered:  Beyond Black Panther: 8 Black Marvel Heroes Who Should Join The MCU Next

TRAILERS/VIDEO:

From YouTube:  Watch the recent "Cloak and Dagger" promo trailer, "Powers."  The TV series, based on the Marvel Comics title, debuts on Freeform, June 7th.

From TheVerge:  Watch the first trailer for season 2 of Marvel’s Luke Cage