Latest news with #Thunderbolts
Yahoo
17 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Apple TV app
Top Movie Purchases and Rentals (US) 1. Ballerina: From the World of John Wick 2. Thunderbolts(asterisk) 3. Karate Kid: Legends 4. Final Destination Bloodlines 5. Warfare 6. The Phoenician Scheme 7. Sinners 8. A Minecraft Movie 9. The Amateur (2025) 10. A Working Man
Time of India
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
CBFC's Kryptonite: Superman may save the world, but smooching is off limits in India
James Gunn's Superman was set to soar high in Indian cinemas this month. Instead, audiences were left puzzled when the superhero's tender moments vanished mid-scene. India's Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) cut two kissing scenes, including a much-talked-about 33-second mid-air embrace, calling them 'overly sensual'. These edits were made so the film could get a UA (13+) rating before its 7 July certification. Many felt the cuts were unnecessary and reeked of double standards. Actor Shreya Dhanwanthary posted, 'If this is true, this is RIDICULOUS!!! Some ridiculous crap happens every day. Every. Damn. Day. Sure this is the least of our worries but is something done about anything else? There is some crap every day. Every. Damn. Day.' — jammypants4 (@jammypants4) by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Lana Green Is Retiring - Her Final Jewelry Pieces Are 80% Off The Heritage Journal Read More Undo Digital creator Amol Jamwal joined in, writing on X, 'You can have lewd double meaning jokes in Housefull 5. Beheadings & gory violence in Jaat But…. Superman kissing Lois Lane is where we draw the line.' — shreyadhan13 (@shreyadhan13) — pranavgngadhrn (@pranavgngadhrn) Live Events — madmanweb (@madmanweb) Another user summed up the contradiction: 'CBFC would allow horrific scenes of violence and sexual assault in a U certified film that kids are freely allowed to watch, but won't allow consensual kissing in a U/A comic book movie that kids should watch under adult supervision.' Old tension, new flashpoint This isn't the first film to get snipped for 'morality'. Earlier this year, the Brad Pitt-led F1 movie saw a middle-finger emoji replaced with a harmless fist. Thunderbolts lost its swear words. Last year, the CBFC blocked The Apprentice, a Donald Trump biopic, after director Ali Abbasi refused to comply with cuts. Abbasi said, 'I ran away from Iranian censorship only to meet corporate censorship of the US. Now India. Really? Censorship seems to be an epidemic at the moment.' Santosh, an award-winning film on police violence and misogyny, faced the same fate when its director Sandhya Suri called the cut requests 'disappointing and heartbreaking'. Why it stings The anger is not just about Superman. Many see this as part of a bigger problem. While Hollywood kisses get the chop, Indian films with explicit violence, stalking and misogyny glide through with minimal fuss. Some Bollywood blockbusters like Animal, often slammed for glorifying toxic masculinity, have no trouble with censors. Controversial releases like The Kashmir Files and The Kerala Story, accused of distorting facts and stoking communal tensions, sailed through with political support. A lost right to appeal Much of this boils down to power with no oversight. The CBFC's guidelines promise freedom of expression but tag it with 'reasonable restrictions' for 'decency or morality'. The Film Certification Appellate Tribunal, which once gave filmmakers an industry-level appeal, was scrapped in 2021. What remains is a tedious and expensive court battle, out of reach for many local and foreign studios trying to hit global release dates. Indian cinema's awkward dance with on-screen kissing goes back decades. Until the 90s, kisses were mostly replaced by symbolic shots — flowers brushing, birds flying. The 1933 film Karma broke the mould with a four-minute kiss but little changed for years. Attitudes have softened in urban pockets but plenty of India still clings to older, conservative views, keeping the censor's scissors busy. While Superman's hopeful tone lives on, this debate is not going away. For now, fans in India will have to imagine what a 33-second mid-air kiss between Superman and Lois Lane might have looked like. Variety has reached out to the CBFC and Warner Bros. Discovery for comment but silence holds. The question left hanging is simple: where does India draw the line between free expression and forced restraint? Many in the industry want an answer.
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Julia Garner defends her role as Shalla-Bal in Fantastic Four, fans come to her defence and trash Marvel's CGI instead
This year has been a rollercoaster for superhero films. James Gunn officially took over the DC Universe and released a new Superman that's been met with mixed reactions. Over at Marvel, fans are still riding high on the unexpected success of Thunderbolts*, a gritty anti-hero ensemble that's been praised for bringing fresh energy to the genre. But now, all eyes are on Marvel's Fantastic Four reboot—especially after the reveal that a woman is now playing the Silver Surfer. Julia Garner as Shalla-Bal Actor Julia Garner, best known for her roles in Ozark (2017) and The Wolf Man, is stepping into the role of the Silver Surfer. Some fans weren't thrilled about the gender switch, questioning why a traditionally male character wasn't being kept that way. But Garner? She's unfazed. Speaking to the BBC at the London premiere of Fantastic Four, the 31-year-old actor addressed the backlash head-on: 'I said, 'I'm just going to still do my job,'' she said, choosing to focus on the work rather than the noise. Garner also pointed out that her character is not a direct reimagining of Norrin Radd, the original Silver Surfer, but a different take altogether. 'Also, it's Shalla-Bal, so it's different,' she added. For those unfamiliar with the comics, Shalla-Bal first appeared in The Silver Surfer #1 in 1968. She's often portrayed as a female counterpart or love interest to Norrin Radd. This means that Garner's casting isn't a total rewrite, but rather a dive into a lesser-explored character from the source material. Netizens react Now, there were definitely a bunch of comments that trolled Garner's casting. 'Is there reason the more iconic version was not used?' was one comment on X. Another said, 'Poor herald choice to open the franchise with.' One more comment read, 'No. She is a terrible character. They didn't wanna a male herald. Fine. Pick a good female one. They couldn't even do that.' And since female characters taking on roles traditionally played by men are often met with resistance from cult audiences, it's no surprise Garner feels defensive about hers. But after a thorough scroll on social media, it's noteworthy that many of the comments were quite supportive of Garner's role, even going so far as to research the origin of her character, Shalla-Bal. 'Not gender swapped. It's Noran Radd's wife. Comic accurate,' said one. Another claimed, 'Comic accurate so the only people who care are outing themselves as fake fans.' One more comment said, 'People are unnecessarily upset about her casting. She is a great choice, and none of us has even watched the movie yet. Also, the Silver Surfer has a female version in the comics, and she is playing Shalla-Bal. Those who are complaining should take some time to read the comics before jumping to conclusions.' Furthermore, many are claiming that the outrage is not about the gender-swap, it's about the CGI. 'It's not about the Gender swap. It's the CGI,' claimed one comment on X. 'Only issue I see is how awful the CGI is- I can't believe that CGI seems to actually have gotten worse,' read another comment. About the film The upcoming film will mark Fantastic Four's official entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Set against a retro-futuristic 1960s backdrop, the movie will follow the group as they embark on some of their earliest missions. As for the cast, it's stacked with big names from the industry. Pedro Pascal stars as Reed Richards (Mr. Fantastic), Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm (Invisible Woman), Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm (Human Torch), and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm (The Thing). Ralph Ineson plays Galactus, with Paul Walter Hauser, Natasha Lyonne, and John Malkovich rounding out the ensemble. The movie is set to release on July 25.
India Today
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- India Today
Censor Board faces flak for cuts in Superman and F1, fans say grow up
The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has come under fire for cutting a 33-second scene from James Gunn's latest 'Superman' film, which features a romantic moment between Superman, played by David Corenswet, and Lois Lane, portrayed by Rachel Brosnahan. Released on July 11, 2025, the film was granted a U/A certificate after the removal of what the CBFC deemed a "sensual visual". This decision has provoked significant debate on social media, with many questioning the board's consistency in IS THE CONTROVERSY?The controversial decision centred around the scene's suitability for the U/A 13+ rating, intended for audiences above the age of 13 with parental guidance. The CBFC argued that the scene was overly sensual and inappropriate for younger viewers, leading to a slight reduction in the film's runtime, though the final length remains undisclosed. However, the decision has sparked sharp criticism from fans and viewers who feel the board is applying double standards. On social media platform X, users expressed frustration at the seeming inconsistency, particularly when compared to Bollywood films. One user remarked, "CBFC cuts a 33-second kiss in Superman, but item numbers with half-naked dancers and vulgar lyrics get a free pass? What's the logic?"In addition to the kissing scene, the CBFC also muted several curse words throughout the film. Another scene featuring an eight-second foul gesture was trimmed and replaced with a two-second has reignited discussions about the board's inconsistent standards, with critics noting that similar censorship does not seem to apply to domestic film productions. Another user on X stated, "What's wrong with the Indian censor board? They cut out the kisses between Clarke and Lois. What kind of oversensitive morons are running the censor board? You think Indian audiences can't handle kissing? You think children today don't know what kissing is?"Read all the comments here: The decision has sparked accusations of cultural bias, with many questioning why intimate scenes in Hollywood films are censured while Bollywood's suggestive song-and-dance numbers are not. One social media commenter wrote, "Why is a kiss between Superman and Lois Lane a problem, but Bollywood's item numbers with provocative moves are okay for kids?"A user wrote, "Like changing the middle finger emoji to a fistbump emoji in 'F1' movie, that totally changed the meaning and left the audience confused. CBFC, grow up (sic)."HOW DID IT BEGIN?This controversy follows a recent incident where the CBFC altered a middle finger emoji to a fist emoji in the film 'F1', starring Brad Pitt, leading to criticism for changing the intended meaning. Similary, five abusive words - 'a*', 'ahole', 'dks', 'b**h' and 'prick'- were muted from the Marvel film 'Thunderbolts'.Such actions have led to calls for a review of the CBFC's guidelines to ensure consistent application across all films, regardless of the debate continues, the CBFC has yet to comment publicly on the criticism. The board remains under scrutiny for how it balances cultural values with cinematic expression, particularly in the context of international the films are currently running in theatres.- EndsWith inputs from Tushar JoshiMust Watch
Geek Culture
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Geek Culture
Avengers: Doomsday Leak Shows Fantastic Four, New Avengers, And The Avengers Uniting
Leaked set photos from the production of Avengers: Doomsday shared on X (formerly Twitter) have shown three cast members together in their respective costumes. Although the backdrop of the set is unfortunately a blue screen, the photos still reveal some interesting details for fans. Thunderbolts * The images show Joaquin Torres/Falcon (Danny Ramirez, Top Gun: Maverick ) from Sam Wilson/Captain America's (Anthony Mackie, Altered Carbon ) new Avengers team, John Walker/US Agent (Wyatt Russell, Lodge 49 ) from the newly-renamed New Avengers, and Ben Grimm/The Thing (Ebon Moss-Bachrach, The Bear ) from The Fantastic Four. Other than Moss-Bachrach, who is in a mocap suit, Ramirez and Russell are both outfitted in their respective characters' superhero costumes. It is particularly notable that Ramirez's Falcon appears to have made a full physical recovery and repaired his suit since the events of Captain America: Brave New World (2025). Meanwhile, Russell's US Agent can be seen wearing the same black beret that he wears in the post-credits scene of Thunderbolts* . The surroundings of the set, featuring large curved windows and a semi-circular retro-futuristic control panel, seem to indicate that this may be a spaceship, perhaps more specifically, The Fantastic Four's spaceship that can be seen in both the post-credits scene of Thunderbolts* as well as in the trailer of The Fantastic Four: First Steps . Given these details, fans have theorised that the scene in this set leak photo may be happening right after the events of the T hunderbolts* post-credits scene, wherein the New Avengers and the Avengers may come face-to-face with The Fantastic Four for the first time. Eagle-eyed fans have also been quick to spot a black and silver shoe in the bottom right corner of the photo, and some are already theorising it is Letitia Wright's ( Death on the Nile ) Black Panther. Given that Wright's Shuri had previously interacted with members of the Avengers before taking on the mantle of the Black Panther, she's possibly present in this scene to aid or represent the Avengers. While details about the plot of Avengers: Doomsday remain tightly kept under wraps, the leaked set photos seem to corroborate a plot leak of the film's first act. At the very least, these leaks tease some interesting interactions from the massive crossover movie event set to happen in 2026. With the tension between the New Avengers and Sam Wilson's Avengers brewing at the end of Thunderbolts* , fans can only look forward to The Fantastic Four: First Steps for answers on how this interaction between the three teams will happen and how it will all shake out. The Fantastic Four: First Steps will take its first steps into theatres in Singapore on 24 July 2025. Conversation with Ting Wei is like chatting with a weird AI bot programmed only with One Piece lore and theories, sitcom quotes and other miscellaneous pop culture references. When he's not sleeping, he's highly likely reading manga. In fact, the only thing he reads more than manga is the Bible, and it's honestly pretty close.
