Latest news with #Superman
Tom's Guide
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Tom's Guide
‘'The Fantastic Four: First Steps' review: A breath of fresh air for superhero fans
As a longtime comic-book reader, I've gotten used to the fact that most modern superhero movies don't look much like their source material. Starting with the all-black leather costumes in the '00s X-Men movies, superheroes on the big screen have usually opted for muted colors and streamlined design when it comes to their outfits, environments and even powers. That's why this summer has been so refreshing for viewers like me, first with James Gunn's 'Superman' and now with Matt Shakman's 'The Fantastic Four: First Steps,' both of which enthusiastically embrace the colorful silliness of the comic books that inspired them. While 'Superman' marks a fresh start for DC's movie universe, 'First Steps' is yet another installment in the never-ending Marvel Cinematic Universe, but it's consciously set apart from other MCU movies, and that leaves it much better off. Set on a retro-futuristic alternate Earth, 'First Steps' allows the story of the Fantastic Four to play out unencumbered by ongoing storylines or characters from other movies and TV shows, making it the most accessible and straightforward MCU movie in years. Like 'Superman,' it begins not with the team's familiar origin story, but with Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal), Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby), Johnny Storm (Joseph Quinn) and Ben Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) as established, well-known heroes in their world. Every bit of background information that viewers need to know is delivered in bite-sized bits of exposition via TV broadcasts and news headlines. Although it's taken a long time for them to enter the MCU, the Fantastic Four marked the beginning of Marvel's comic-book Silver Age in 1961, and 'First Steps' emulates that era, resembling a 1960s sci-fi movie. The technology is more advanced than what existed in 1961, but with a throwback design sense that looks nothing like actual modern technology. The team even gets its own kitschy robot named H.E.R.B.I.E., a variation on a character first introduced in the 1970s Fantastic Four animated TV series. It's the kind of stylized aesthetic that's common in comic books but less likely to be presented in a modern blockbuster movie, and it instantly sets 'First Steps' apart from the rest of the MCU. What also sets 'First Steps' apart is that the Fantastic Four are the only superheroes in their world, and they seem universally beloved. Following the outer-space accident that gave them their superpowers, they've taken on numerous threats, which the movie lays out quickly and clearly in an initial montage. There's enough material there for several movies, but Shakman allows it to exist as backstory, to establish how experienced and accomplished the Fantastic Four have become in the four years they've been active. 'First Steps' becomes slightly less distinctive as its main threat comes into play, and the characters travel back into space to confront the giant, planet-devouring entity known as Galactus (Ralph Ineson). Those CGI-heavy scenes resemble similar set pieces in other Marvel movies, although the team's spaceship retains its vintage look. As is often the case in the MCU, the villain proves to be the weak link, both visually and narratively. Galactus is still a meaningful enough threat for the stakes to be apparent, and what's more important is how the characters react. Married couple Reed and Sue are expecting their first child, and their protectiveness as prospective parents drives their decision-making. In the largely forgettable pre-MCU Fantastic Four movies, the team's family dynamic was often missing, but here the main characters feel like a genuine family unit, living together in their vast but cozy New York City headquarters and sitting down to Sunday dinner each week. Pascal and Kirby embody the movie's core relationship, and Kirby, in particular, brings range and complexity to Sue, who is a devoted mother but also an eager scientific explorer. That makes it easy for the audience to invest in the climactic showdown between Galactus and the Fantastic Four, with the fate of the world — but also Reed and Sue's baby — at stake. Shakman makes significant improvements on the dodgy special effects of past Fantastic Four movies, and Johnny (as the flame-based Human Torch) and Ben (as the rock-covered Thing) look much more convincing and substantial. It helps that so much of the space-age sets and costumes have the same weight and presence, although it renders Galactus' CGI clunkiness that much more obvious. The actors make up for the shortcomings, whether they're interacting directly with each other or reacting to phenomena that were obviously added in later. As Galactus' herald, the Silver Surfer, Julia Garner adds her own emotional depth to a character who is primarily regal and aloof. The performances and the visuals add up to a fun, fast-paced sci-fi adventure that never slows down, but also never feels rushed. The humor arises from authentic connections between the characters, rather than from strained quips, which makes 'First Steps' more earnest than most recent MCU movies. It's old-fashioned in an appealing, honest way, delivering a simple, engaging superhero story without franchise baggage. The requisite post-credits tease indicates a larger future for the characters (who are already set to appear in next year's 'Avengers: Doomsday'), but 'First Steps' stands on its own, with the kind of grand yet intimate adventure that superheroes embark on all the time in comic books, but all too rarely on the big screen.
Indian Express
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Superman got ghosted by the world, and Donald Trump might be the reason: Why James Gun thinks ‘The Man of Steel is not everyone's hero'
James Gunn's DC reboot with David Corenswet may have hit home with American audiences, but globally, the director feels the film's been caught in the crossfire of anti-U.S. vibes. Despite decent international numbers and the emotional reinvention of Superman working in its favour, the movie's still underperforming abroad, and that's clearly bothering Gunn. Domestically, it raked in a solid $253 million, but the overseas buzz just isn't matching up. 'Superman is not a known commodity in some places. He's not as big as Batman in some countries, and that affects things,' Gunn told Rolling Stone, responding to why the film isn't quite landing with global audiences like it did in the U.S. Also read: Is the new Superman movie 'too woke' or just true to its origins? Globally, Superman made around $173 million, according to The numbers have been dropping since, and James Gunn seems to think it's the 'anti-American' wave dragging the film down. 'We have a certain amount of anti-American sentiment around the world right now. It isn't really helping us,' he told Rolling Stone in a recent interview. Also read: Superman: James Gunn's idea of an India-coded country is regressive and riddled with stereotypes; the Man of Steel wouldn't stand for it The film stars Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, and has received glowing reviews from critics. But let's be honest, without fan-favourite Henry Cavill, some slowdown was inevitable. Still, Gunn gambled with a fresh face in David Corenswet and expected the world to instantly buy in. Didn't exactly pan out. And his recent statement has the internet asking, did Trump's global PR mess play a part? Since his return as the 47th president, he's withdrawn the U.S. from treaties and made trade and tariff moves that were scrutinised globally. Pew Research's latest says global sentiment towards the U.S. has dropped badly in Trump's second term, but whether that's affecting moviegoers is still up for debate. That said, Gunn is still hopeful. It's day 12 of Superman in theatres, already up against Fantastic Four, and he's still keeping the faith. 'We're doing better domestically, but international numbers are starting to rise too. Weekday numbers have been solid. Word of mouth is working,' he said. 'There are countries where it's actually performing well, like Brazil and the U.K.'
Indian Express
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Who would win between Lex Luthor and Galactus? The actors who played them were wondering the same thing
With The Fantastic Four First Steps set to release, the pressure couldn't be more. The film isn't just trying to revive the struggling Marvel Studios, but it also has to do better than the other legendary reboot made by the studio across town, DC's Superman. Both films attempt to retell the story behind iconic superheroes and villains, namely Lex Luthor and Galactus. The competition between the two has already begun, but not by the fans or the studio execs, but by the actors who are playing them, Nicholas Hoult and Ralph Ineson. Ineson has had a very weird journey with Marvel, going from playing an unnamed character in The Guardians of the Galaxy to playing one of Marvel Comics' most powerful villains. He does have some impressive projects under his belt, including films like Nosferatu (2024), The Green Knight (2021), and Ready Player One (2018). He met Hoult, who plays supervillain Lex Luthor, on the sets of Nosferatu, and both Ineson and Hoult quickly realised that they were essentially fighting for the same title, the baddest man in town. The Fantastic Four First Steps actor revealed in an interview with THR that the two actors in fact had a discussion about their characters, and Ineson extended a challenge to Hoult after reading positive reviews of Superman. ALSO READ: The Fantastic Four First Steps post-credits scene leaked online, reveals the future for Marvel's first family and a Robert Downey Jr tease He said, 'We actually had a text conversation this morning about it. I sent him something off social media that said that he gave the all-time greatest superhero villain performance, and I said, 'Hold my beer.' He then laughed and said, 'It's hardly fair. You're a cosmic entity; I'm just a guy.' And I said, 'Fair enough, but I am fighting four of them.' Hoult then told Ineson that a man who gets sick after eating spicy food should not be competing with a demigod, bringing the debate to a close. Ralph Ineson also talked about how he bagged the role in The Fantastic Four First Steps and admitted that the entire process was 'spookily easy'. 'I would've expected to tape and screen test for a while. But almost all the cast have the same story, which was a brief meeting with Matt and confirmation a few days later that they'd like you to play the part. So it was spookily smooth and easy. I do occasionally get offered parts straight nowadays, but they're not usually of this magnitude.' Ineson stated that he definitely felt the magnitude of the role once he put on the suit, which was so heavy that he had to take breaks during shooting to get a massage. 'It's true I had to get massages during lunch break. The suit wasn't uncomfortable, but it was just so heavy, and I am 55 years old, so it was making my knees flare up. To wear that suit and shoot under extremely bright white lights, it became very hot, and my 'pit crew' had a whole plan to keep me cool because Galactus can't sweat. I would have 30-second breaks, where one person would hold my gauntlet, the other would hold my helmet, while a third person would put the air conditioning unit on the back of my suit,' added Ineson. Even if Lex Luthor can't compete with someone who literally consumes planets, Nicholas Hoult's portrayal of the mad scientist was right on the money, and Superman's box office collection is growing by the day. Marvel will be hoping to create a similar effect with The Fantastic Four First Steps. The film releases on July 25.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
James Gunn says Superman's most shocking death was originally even darker: "Lex looks down and sees the blood is about to get on his shoes"
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Nicholas Hoult's Lex Luthor does some pretty villainous stuff in James Gunn's Superman, from starting a global smear campaign against the Man of Steel and kidnapping Krypto to holing every person who's ever crossed him up in a pocket universe prison. Seriously, what a jerk! Now, though, writer-director James Gunn has revealed that the scene that sees Luthor kill Metropolis citizen Malik after Kal-El fails to answers his questions was originally even darker -- and featured a bunch more blood. "So, Lex shoots a guy in the head. That was always done in an extreme wide [shot], so it's not too graphic," Gunn explained on Josh Horowitz's Happy Sad Confused podcast. "But the guy fell on the ground, and blood is pouring out onto the platform. Lex looks down and he sees that the blood is about to get on his shoe and he's like, 'Oh my god!' He's like me, I'm very OCD. He's like, 'Ghurkos, get down on the ground and soak up the blood!' "And Ghurkos goes, 'What? No!' and Nick's delivery is great because he just looks at him straight and he's like, 'No?' Then Ghurkos just, sheepishly, trudges forward and lays down on his back and starts soaking up the blood. And Nick looks over to Superman and says, 'See you tomorrow'. That was a scene that we shot, but we cut it early so I don't even think it made it to a test screening." Dropping us right in the middle of the action, Superman picks up with David Corenswet's Big Blue three years after he's publicly announced himself as the titular world saver. Despite priding himself on his do-gooder deeds, Supes' reputation is in tatters, having inserted himself into the politically delicate Boravia/Jarhanpur conflict. When dark details from his past comes to light, Superman has to forge his own path; figuring out what being a hero really means as he flirts with Lois Lane and bests bad guys. Superman is in theaters now. For more, check out our guide to the most exciting upcoming superhero movies heading our way.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
James Gunn Reveals The 1 Superman Scene He Nearly Cut After Audience Feedback
Never mind the casting of a brand new Superman, the decision to put him back in pants or tiresome complaints of the movie being 'woke', it's a scene within the film itself that appears to have sparked the most contention since its release. The new superhero blockbuster starring David Corenswet arrived earlier this month and marks the launch of a brand new era in the DC cinematic universe (DCU) from former Marvel director James Gunn. After a strong opening weekend (though some less favourable critics' reviews), the hype for the fresh instalment in the iconic superhero franchise is still going strong. But there was one important moment in the film that nearly didn't make the final cut, despite pretty much everyone's insistence that it should go. Speaking in a recent interview with Rolling Stone, the Guardians Of The Galaxy director revealed that the scene in which the Man Of Steel pauses to save a squirrel from a destructive monster proved to be one of the most divisive details in the whole movie. 'It was probably the second- or third-most hotly debated moment in the movie,' he explained, adding that they received strong test audience feedback from viewers who 'did not like the squirrel'. 'They're like, 'Why the fuck is he saving a squirrel? Why is he taking time out, saving a squirrel?' There was a cut where I cut it out and I'm like, 'I really miss the squirrel. He's gotta save the squirrel',' he added. The director added that there were some 'geographical' problems regarding where Superman ended up if he didn't fly over the squirrel. 'So I put the squirrel back in despite the protestations of some of my people on my crew,' he added. Of course, it's not just a silly throwaway moment – it shows Superman's empathy and kindness to another living creature. In a separate interview with The New York Times, James explained how he believed the debate came down to 'do you like squirrels or not?'. Meanwhile, another key detail caused huge debate even earlier in the filming process, as the filmmaker agonised over whether to have Superman in his iconic red pants again. According to an interview with Gizmodo last year, the Slither director said he 'screened tested with trunks and no trunks', before they ultimately decided on bringing Superman back to his retro look. Related... What's Next In The New Superman Franchise And DC Cinematic Universe? Loved The New Superman? Watch These 9 James Gunn Movies Next James Gunn Reveals The 1 'Most Challenging' Detail Of Filming Superman – And It Might Surprise You
