Latest news with #post-Avengers:Endgame
News.com.au
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Florence Pugh is the standout in fun Thunderbolts, Marvel's best movie since Avengers: Endgame
With a welcome returns to form for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, a better-than-most horror video game adaptation and bonkers action thriller, it's all go in the movie world this week. THUNDERBOLTS* (PG) Director: Jake Schreier (Robot & Frank) Starring: Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, Wyatt Russell, Lewis Pullman, Julia Louis-Dreyfus ★★★★ After too much calm, Marvel zaps up a storm For those who have kept the faith in all things Marvel while the comic-book studio powerhouse has struggled to snap itself out of its post-Avengers: Endgame slump, the wait is finally over. There won't be any talk of so-called 'superhero fatigue' this time around: Thunderbolts* marks a refreshing reclaiming of form that hopefully augurs well for more Marvel magic to come. While Thunderbolts* lands ever so slightly short of being truly great, its strengths as a well-acted, shrewdly-written and consistently entertaining movie experience are there for all to see and genuinely enjoy. Conceptually, Thunderbolts is structured like a tougher, gruffer variation of a Guardians of the Galaxy instalment, where a raggedy bunch of self-deprecating, second-tier superhero types must reluctantly join forces for the greater good. In many ways, this lot are more antiheroes than superheroes, all plucked from the substitutes' bench of earlier Marvel fixtures, and given substantial game time for the first time. The unofficial leader of this pack is Black Widow's Yelena Belova (a fantastic Florence Pugh), a shell of her former self who has recently been making ends meet as a black-ops mischief-maker for the CIA. The equally exiled likes of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier's John Walker (Wyatt Russell) and Ant-man and the Wasp's Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen) have also been pulling a pay cheque from the same employer. However, when the CIA's disreputable boss Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) tries to literally terminate all who have been doing her dirty work, the Thunderbolts begin to properly take shape. Former Captain America associate Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) has cause to join this fledgling task force, as does Yelena's vodka-fuelled dad, the very amusing Red Guardian (David Harbour). By movie's end, all will be pulling in unison to take down an all-new, ultra-destructive superhero named Sentry, a figure described as being the equivalent of all Avengers rolled into one. The only advantage that might end up working in favour of the Thunderbolts is that they used to know Sentry when he was merely a meek and mild fellow named Bob (Lewis Pullman). Longtime Marvel devotees will immediately recognise the uptick in quality achieved by Thunderbolts*. By the end of the movie's first act, its easygoing confidence has enlivened every aspect of the production. The better Marvel movies have always struck the right balance between individual characters and a unifying calamity, and Thunderbolts hits this all-important benchmark with ease. While the climax of the tale arguably lags in pacing and tone compared to all that has happened earlier, the vivid feelings of relief and elation generated by Thunderbolts* at its best are not to be taken lightly. Thunderbolts* is in cinemas now UNTIL DAWN (MA15+) ★★★ General release An engagingly nimble little horror movie that adequately mirrors (and sometimes, sneakily transcends) its origins as a well-known PlayStation game. The action centres on a strange place known as The Welcome Center, where five young friends have arrived in search of a member of their circle who has mysteriously disappeared. Before long, the group find themselves stuck in a grotesque, Groundhog Day-style time loop, where their search continually leads to guaranteed death, only for time to suddenly rewind back so they can start all over again. The key line that may help this mob make it out of this macabre maze is 'survive the night, or become a part of it'. If they can learn from their mistakes – and hopefully, not make any new ones – they just might make it until dawn. Yes, we have been in similar scenarios before, but there is still an energetic enthusiasm in play here that won't be denied. Director David F. Sandberg (Lights Out, Annabelle: Creation) is an underrated master of making little chills go a long way, and his willing cast of newbies merrily keep dying and keep trying right through to the end. HAVOC (MA15+) ★★★ Now streaming on Netflix It is called Havoc for one very good reason. Just as this unabashedly anarchic, all-stops-out action flick isn't here to make friends, it's not about to suddenly make sense at any given moment, either. Simple storytelling tools such as dialogue, character names and plotting are merely stepping stones to get us from one shootout, chase sequence or hand-to-head combat routine to the next. While you will need a GPS to follow exactly who is hating on who throughout – by my count, there are at least 20 corrupt cops, crime lords, mobsters, fixers, dealers, municipal politicians and their relatives jostling for fleeting prominence here – the only figure truly worth focusing on is a down-and-out homicide detective named Walker (Tom Hardy). That's him spending the night of Christmas Eve being funnelled through a series of implausibly deathly confrontations that would have Die Hard's John McClane laying down his guns and making a run for it. Aside from the occasional flourish of mumbled menace contributed by Hardy, the real stars are the movie's stunt choreographers, who come up with a number of hyper-ballistic ballets that can only be applauded. Co-stars Forest Whitaker, Timothy Olyphant.
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Nia DaCosta reflects on directing The Marvels and the moment it turned into a "learning curve": "Okay, this isn't going to be the movie that I pitched"
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. The Marvels director Nia DaCosta has reflected on her time on the cosmic MCU entry, as well as speaking for the first time about how the Captain Marvel sequel deviated from her original idea. "They had a date, and they were prepping certain things, and you just have to lean into the process hardcore," DaCosta said at the Storyhouse festival (via Deadline) of the production of the Marvel Phase 5 entry that brought Brie Larson's hero into the orbit of Ms. Marvel (Iman Vellani) and Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris). DaCosta added, "The way they make those films is very different to the way, ideally, I would make a film, so you just have to lean into the process and hope for the best. The best didn't happen this time but you kind of have to trust in the machine." That machine – the Marvel Studios behemoth, headed up by Kevin Feige and a band of seasoned producers and behind-the-scenes talent – seemingly led to DaCosta's initial concept being scrapped – as far into the process as the editing booth. "It was interesting because there was a certain point when I was like, 'Ok, this isn't going to be the movie that I pitched or even the first version of the movie that I shot' so I realised that this is now an experience and it's learning curve and it really makes you stronger as a filmmaker in terms of your ability to navigate," DaCosta said. The Marvels ended up as one of the MCU's big post-Avengers: Endgame disappointments both critically and commercially. It currently sits on 62% on Rotten Tomatoes and grossed only $206 million at the box office, a significant loss from its reported $300 million-plus budget. DaCosta's career, though, hasn't stalled after her Marvel outing failed to soar. She's set to direct Tessa Thompson in the upcoming film Hedda, while DaCosta will also helm 28 Years Later sequel The Bone Temple. For more, check out the upcoming Marvel movies headed your way soon – including Avengers: Doomsday, which is now filming after its epic five-hour-long cast reveal. Then, dive into our guide on how to watch the Marvel movies in order.
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Deadpool' Creator Calls For Marvel's Kevin Feige To 'Get Off The Mound' After ‘Captain America: Brave New World's Box Office Crash: 'He's Spent'
Deadpool co-creator Rob Liefeld had something to say about Marvel Studios' Kevin Feige after seeing the box office results of Captain America: Brave New World. The post-Avengers: Endgame era at the box office has been challenging for Marvel, with only a few exceptions like Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and Deadpool & Wolverine. More from Deadline Neon Sees 2nd Biggest Opening With 'The Monkey' At $14M+ In Midst Of 'Anora' Awards Season Tear – Box Office Deadpool Co-Creator Rob Liefeld Is Retiring From Marvel Character After 33 Years 'Captain America: Brave New World' Nears $300M Global As 'Bridget Jones 4' Charms Overseas Cinemas With $70M+; 'Mufasa' Hitting $700M WW, 'Ne Zha 2' Approaches $1.9B - International Box Office Box office results for the second weekend of Captain America: Brave New World showed a 68% drop week-to-week, positioning it as the third most significant drop in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The two films that fared worse were The Marvels, with a 78% dropoff, and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, with a 68% dropoff. Following the report of Brave New World's results, Liefeld took to X (the microblogging platform formerly known as Twitter) and posted, 'Get Feige off the mound. He's spent.' Liefeld quoted all the Marvel films that have dropped more than 60% at the box office in its second weekend, saying in another X post that the 'MCU is on an extended downside.' 'This is beyond a trend, it's become the norm,' Liefeld said. 'If this was sports, Feige would be removed. Marvel brand is like Dodgers, Lakers, Yankees, Celtics, coaches that win championships are removed a year later when the results are disappointing.' In another X post he added, '8 movies crash over the last 3 years. Don't we want better movies? You get the curiosity crowd then plunge.' Earlier this year, Liefeld opened up about feeling snubbed by Marvel at the Deadpool & Wolverine premiere in 2024. Liefeld said on the Robservations podcast that he was ignored by Marvel head Kevin Feige on the red carpet and found out his family was not invited to the after party. The comic book creator also said that he posed for pictures on the red carpet with Deadpool & Wolverine creatives but found out they were ultimately deleted and were only taken to appease him. Best of Deadline 'Severance' Season 2 Release Schedule: When Do New Episodes Land On Apple TV+? All The Songs In 'Severance' Season 2: From The Who To Ella Fitzgerald How To Watch The 2025 Oscars Online And On TV
