Kevin Feige Teases The Return Of The Mandarin And The Ten Rings In The MCU

Kevin Feige Teases The Return Of The Mandarin And The Ten Rings In The MCU

We have the Ten Rings terrorist organization to thank for Tony Stark becoming a superhero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, because without them, Tony would have never built his first Iron Man suit. And while the group’s leader, The Mandarin, proved to be a fraud in Iron Man 3, we later learned that there really is a Mandarin out there running The Ten Rings and keeping a low profile.

It’s been five years since the All Hail the King short film clued us in on the real Mandarin’s existence, and since then, not only have we not learned anything else about this mysterious individual, but the Ten Rings hasn’t popped back up either. However, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige has now teased that we could see this terrorist organization and/or its leader in the coming years.

During a Reddit AMA, Kevin Feige was asked if there were any plans for The Ten Rings or the real Mandarin for the future. His response: a simple “Yes.” Just to be clear, Feige didn’t indicate what he was saying yes to. It could be just one of those things or both of them, but nevertheless, this gives us another little peek into what’s coming up for this superhero franchise.

Then, when Trevor Slattery was in prison and living the high life thanks to his fellow inmates respecting him, he was visited by a documentarian named Jackson Norriss, who was really a Ten Rings agent sent to break Slattery out of prison and deliver him to the real Mandarin. We haven’t heard anything about The Mandarin or Slattery’s fate since then, although it’s not unreasonable to assume that regarding the latter, Aldrich Killian’s former stooge is probably dead.

In case you need a refresher, the Mandarin the world was introduced in Iron Man 3 was actually just a drunken actor named Trevor Slattery who the movie’s real villain, Aldrich Killian, hired to take responsibility for the ‘attacks’ across the world, when the destruction was actually being caused by Killian’s Extremis experiments. Killian later claimed that he was the real Mandarin, but outside of having some dragon tattoos, there was nothing about him that screamed true Mandarin.

So for the sake of argument, let’s assume that both The Mandarin and The Ten Rings will appear in the MCU again. Where will this be? I previously suggested Shang-Chi would be a good place to bring The Mandarin into play, as he would serve as an effective substitute for the eponymous protagonist’s father from the comics, Fu Manchu, a.k.a. Zheng Zu.

One thing we won’t get to see The Mandarin do in the MCU is fight Iron Man, as Tony Stark sacrificed his life to save all of existence in Avengers: Endgame. Nevertheless, The Mandarin is one of those villains who’s antagonized all sorts of heroes in the Marvel universe, and given The Ten Rings’ reputation in the MCU, it would be easy enough to pit him against someone else.

Stay tuned to CinemaBlend concerning what the future holds for The Ten Rings and The Mandarin in the MCU. For now, if you’re curious about what this superhero franchise has coming down the pipeline, head to our Marvel movies guide.

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Every Marvel Movie To Date, Ranked

Every Marvel Movie To Date, Ranked

Growing and expanding since 2008, Marvel Studios has managed to create the most successful franchises of all time. Year after year they manage to release hit after hit, and it doesn't look like they will be slowing down any time soon. With the release of Avengers: Endgame there are now 22 films in canon -- but that begs the question: how do they rank against each other?

Well, I've done my part in answering that question. I've taken a look back at the entirety of the big screen Marvel Cinematic Universe and as you will see below and on the next few pages, ranked them from worst to best. Read on and see where the various films place!

22. Thor: The Dark World

If Marvel Studios has had any one consistent issue with their films, it's that the villains for the most part have been small-time and forgettable. Perhaps the best example of this is featured in Alan Taylor's Thor: The Dark World, as Christopher Eccleston's Malekith never manages to get interesting, and it's a shame because the entire plot is dictated by his actions. The movie definitely has one of the best spectacle-driven third acts in the MCU, but the movie still can't really be called one of Marvel's best, and to date it's really the franchise's worst.

21. The Incredible Hulk

While it didn't hit the bottom of our rankings, there definitely is a degree to which The Incredible Hulk is the forgotten sibling in the Marvel Cinematic Universe family. For years, the only actor from the movie to actually reprise their role in a second film was Robert Downey Jr. On beyond that, though, the 2008 movie is really the only title in the catalogue that doesn't have the trademark tongue-in-cheek humor and sense of fun that has made Marvel so popular. It's not a bad movie, but Marvel would go on to do much better work.

20. Iron Man 2

When looked at from the macro perspective, Jon Favreau's Iron Man 2 honestly serves as a key piece of the puzzle in building the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and it has some great things going for it (the Monaco Historic Grand Prix sequence in particular is memorable and cool). All by its lonesome, however, it is a bit of a mess. It's also very jumbled plot-wise (trying to do way too much), has a poor villain in Mickey Rourke's Whiplash, and it never really properly hangs together.

19. Thor

Given its origins in Norse mythology, and a fantasy-esque element not really seen before in comic book movies, Kenneth Branagh's Thor in many ways felt like the first big risk that Marvel Studios took (beyond just the launch of the MCU). That being said, it wound up paying off in a great way, and established both Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston as bona fide stars. It strikes the perfect Marvel tone, and introduces some great new concepts to the world -- and while it has its flaws (pacing is too fast, not enough Asgard,etc.), it ultimately holds up.

18. Ant-Man

Peyton Reed's Ant-Man works on a much smaller scale than many of the other titles in Phase 2 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and is a bit more straight-forward than you want it to be -- but boy, is it a hell of a lot of fun. The 2015 movie succeeds by featuring a handful of fantastically entertaining performances and characters, with the most important piece of the puzzle being Paul Rudd -- who will surely keep MCU fans entertained for years to come.

17. Doctor Strange

From a visual standpoint, director Scott Derrickson's Doctor Strange is unlike anything audiences have ever seen. Interdimensional travel and magic create some absolutely gorgeous and bombastic set pieces that audiences will remember for a very long time, and the triumvirate of Benedict Cumberbatch (Dr. Strange), Tilda Swinton (The Ancient One), and Chiwetel Ejiofor (Mordo) is fantastic. Unfortunately it's all weighed down by a standard origin story and an underdeveloped villain, but it's definitely an exciting introduction for the future Sorcerer Supreme.

16. The Avengers: Age Of Ultron

Joss Whedon carried some incredible weight bringing The Avengers: Age of Ultron to the big screen, working under immense pressure and scrutiny. While the final product isn't as good as its predecessor, it's still an impressive, epic blockbuster that honestly feels like a major Marvel Comics event brought to life. The stakes are big, some great new characters are introduced, and it sets an interesting table for the events that transpire in Phase Three.

15. Captain Marvel

With Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck's Captain Marvel, audiences everywhere have the chance to meet one of the most powerful heroes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and it's definitely one of the most exciting debuts we've seen thus far in this franchise. It is a bit dragged down by the familiar aspects of its origin story, but it also has a number of unexpected twists, and provides fans with is plenty of exciting new looks at the expanded continuity - such as events from the MCU in the 1990s, the Kree-Skrull War, and even a bit more of the Tesseract. Of course, at the center of it all is also a badass new protagonist who has tremendous potential for awesome cosmic and Earthbound stories in the future.

14. Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2

As will be discussed later, James Gunn totally changed the Marvel game with 2014's Guardians of the Galaxy, but in doing so set the most ridiculous of high bars for its sequel to reach. The bad news is that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 isn't quite as good as its predecessor, but the great news is that it's an incredibly fun intergalactic romp. It smartly sacrifices scope in favor of character, and it's a legitimate cinematic treat to see Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax, Rocket and Groot back up on the big screen.

13. Iron Man 3

Shane Black's Iron Man 3 is unquestionably the most underrated Marvel movie. While some audiences complained about the Mandarin twist and lack of Iron Man screentime, the other way to look at those two things is the power of the movie's ability to defy expectation, and the way in which it enriches Tony Stark as a character outside of his armor. It's a fun piece of noir storytelling, and a great comeback after the mediocre Iron Man 2.

12. Ant-Man And The Wasp

There is an argument to be made that first sequels in the Marvel Cinematic Universe have a specific advantage over their predecessors. After all, origin stories are essentially fixed expositional vehicles used to establish key characters; but once those introductions are made, what's left is the purely creative opportunity to craft a wholly original, specific story natural to those heroes. Peyton Reed's Ant-Man And The Wasp is a perfect example of this. The movie beautifully capitalizes on everything we loved about the first Ant-Man (Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly are genuinely perfect together), putting its wonderful ensemble through an expertly-molded comedic thrill ride in the vein of After Hours and Midnight Run - ultimately coming together as a romp that is hilarious from beginning to end.

11. Captain America: The First Avenger

Landing right in the middle of this list is Joe Johnston's Captain America: The First Avenger: another origin story, but one that takes the audience back in time to the days of World War II. There is a rightful complaint in that the third act of the film doesn't have quite the punch of Marvel's better titles, but it's also one of the studio's best introductory tales, and features some perfect performances from both Chris Evans and Hayley Atwell (performances that would completely change their individual careers).

10. Thor: Ragnarok

The Thor movies have never been one of Marvel's strongest series - as evidenced by their rankings on this list. That's why Marvel had director Taika Waititi rebrand the whole thing with Thor: Ragnarok, and the results are fantastic. The tone is not only much lighter than its predecessors, resulting in one of the funniest titles in the franchise to date, but the character work is just phenomenal. It's the most compelling arc we've seen for Chris Hemsworth's God of Thunder, Mark Ruffalo is phenomenal as a Hulk who can finally have a conversation, and their thrust together in one of Marvel's most vibrant and fun adventures.

9. Spider-Man: Homecoming

As a big screen character, Spider-Man was at big risk of reboot fatigue going into Jon Watts' Spider-Man: Homecoming, but nothing dissipates audience apprehension quite like quality - and boy, did this one bring it. In his second Marvel Cinematic Universe appearance, Tom Holland perfects both being Peter Parker and the wall-crawler, and the film succeeds by actively differentiating itself from anything that's come before - skipping the overdone origin story and fully embracing the new movie's position in MCU continuity with a strong supporting role for Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark. It's a crazy fun adventure, full of youthful energy that gets us excited for the web-slinger's franchise future.

8. Iron Man

Jon Favreau's Iron Man, of course, was the film that kicked off the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but while that's a significant feat, it's only part of the larger reason why we have it ranked so high. It's also the film that brought the amazing Robert Downey Jr. back to us, the actor doing his part to create what has become a truly iconic character, and the movie in and of itself is a fantastic story of redemption and facing down demons. It's a superhero blockbuster that will go down in history -- which makes it actually kind of impressive on Marvel's part that it's only number five on our list.

7. The Avengers

Marvel's Phase One films are, on the whole, enjoyable pieces of entertainment, but Joss Whedon's The Avengers was when the Marvel Cinematic Universe truly became the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Not only one of the greatest event movies of all time, it also beautifully, dazzlingly,, and unexpectedly delivers on a four year long promise of bringing some of comics' greatest heroes together on the big screen for the first time ever. For the longest time the whole thing just seemed like an impossible dream, but Whedon and Marvel delivered in the biggest way imaginable, and it's a finished product that can be rewatched endlessly with enjoyment

6. Black Panther

After 10 years of franchise-building and 17 films, you'd think that Marvel Studios would struggle at this point putting together effective introductory solo films. The truth, however, is that they'll keep being successful so long as the studio continues to hire filmmakers with vision - and that's exactly what they did bringing in writer/director Ryan Coogler to make Black Panther. The movie is not only a remarkable exercise in world-building - introducing audiences to the remarkable land of Wakanda - but also very much has something important to say, and says it compellingly. The narrative regarding the African nation's relationship with the rest of the planet is impressively sophisticated in a blockbuster package, and Michael B. Jordan's Erik Killmonger, equipped with understandable and powerful ideology, is arguably Marvel's greatest villain to date.

5. Avengers: Infinity War

To paraphrase Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige, Joe and Anthony Russo's Avengers: Infinity War was built on the idea of it being the capstone for every Marvel Cinematic Universe film that preceded it. A full decade was spent watching Infinity Stones be revealed, and Thanos being teased, and it seemed like there was just far too much pressure on the blockbuster for it to actually be any good. Boy, did they prove us wrong. Finally getting his chance in the spotlight, the Mad Titan proves to be an absolutely terrifying force of nature, and the film is filled with too many shocking, disturbing and amazing moments to count. Its in every way the movie fans were promised.

4. Captain America: The Winter Soldier

For Phase Two, Marvel Studios made a point of not just making superhero movies, but making complex genre films that happen to feature superheroes. For Captain America: The Winter Soldier, directors Joe and Anthony Russo infused the blockbuster with the structure and spirit of a 1970s conspiracy thriller, and the result is absolutely stunning. No other feature in the Marvel Cinematic Universe features fight choreography that is as visceral, and the character dynamics between Cap, Black Widow, and Falcon are thoughtful, unique, and fun.

3. Guardians Of The Galaxy

James Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy is a legitimately special movie. Only tangentially part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the film is unlike any comic book feature we've seen -- even in the modern era -- and has everything a person could want from a summer blockbuster. It's hilarious, with not just star Chris Pratt getting fantastic laugh-out-loud lines; it's action-packed, with a third-act spectacle that will boggle the mind; and it's even emotional, creating amazing bonds between characters. It stood as Marvel's best work for a couple years... but then 2016 rolled around.

2. Captain America: Civil War

As ridiculously huge as the first two Avengers blockbusers were, directors Joe and Anthony Russo somehow managed to up the ante even further with Captain America: Civil War. The third Captain America movie is shockingly emotional (particularly in the showdown between Cap and Iron Man), stunningly action packed (the Leipzig Halle Airport fight is among the best we've ever seen), and gives us some amazing new characters in Spider-Man and Black Panther. It's spectacularly crafted storytelling with a real gut-punch ending, and to date the best film in the MCU.

1. Avengers: Endgame

Joe and Anthony Russo's Avengers: Endgame is a film that really shouldn't be as phenomenal as it is. It should be impossible to make a blockbuster that is able to perfectly capitalize on the 21 blockbuster in the series that preceded it. And yet that's exactly what this movie does. It starts with the fallout from Avengers: Infinity War, with the surviving heroes picking up the pieces of their lives following their battle with Thanos and massive defeat, but where it goes from there coalesces as one of the most bombastic, jaw-dropping, and remarkable big screen experiences we've ever seen. It may not technically be the end of Phase Three, but it's still the perfect ending for the first three phases of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

How do you personally rank the films of the Marvel Cinematic Universe? We want to hear from you, so hit the comments section below with your thoughts on the last decade-plus of Marvel Studios titles.

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It Doesn't Look Like Keanu Reeves Is Retiring From John Wick Anytime Soon

It Doesn't Look Like Keanu Reeves Is Retiring From John Wick Anytime Soon

When the John Wick franchise started, John Wick was a retired man, and he had every intention of staying that way until Theon Greyjoy’s poor decision-making seeped across franchises and brought him out of retirement. That set off a series of events and now John Wick is back, and even with John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum arriving this month, Keanu Reeves doesn’t look to be retiring from the character anytime soon. Speaking about the franchise's future, Keanu Reeves said:

It’s not really up to me. Well, eventually. But the opportunity to do it was up to the audience, right? And that’s up to if whether we made a film that people enjoy or not.

There you have it, folks: if you want to see more John Wick, the answer is to vote with your dollar, because that’s what gives Keanu Reeves the opportunity to keep playing Baba Yaga. As long as the audience still cares, enjoys these movies and goes to see them, John Wick can keep racking up kills for years to come.

Keanu Reeves said it’s not up to him how long the John Wick franchise goes, and that's true in many respects. That said, if it were up to him, it seems that he would choose to keep playing the character for the foreseeable future as he seems to genuinely enjoy it.

Eventually the actor may run out of steam since John Wick is certainly a more physically exhausting role than Keanu Reeves’ rom-com parts or Duke Caboom in Toy Story 4. But at the moment, he’s good to go and hasn’t lost any interest in playing John Wick, and thus has no plans on retiring from him anytime soon.

This is bad news for the character John Wick, who at this point has to be in desperate need of a nap, a shower and serious medical attention, but it's good news for fans of the franchise. As much as we all want John Wick to find happiness and walk off into the sunset, his dog by his side with no more deaths left to deal, John Wick being back in the hitman business is too entertaining to call for his retirement just yet.

Keanu Reeves has expressed his enthusiasm for the John Wick franchise before, and his John Wick: Chapter 3 co-star Ian McShane figures it could go for another decade. That’s quite a lofty prediction, but considering that John Wick: Chapter 2 basically doubled the domestic and worldwide box office of the first film, and Parabellum is tracking to open even bigger than its predecessors, who knows, maybe in a few years John Wick will be Keanu Reeves’ most iconic character instead of Neo.

In his conversation with Uproxx, Keanu Reeves mentioned that the continuation of the franchise is dependent on the audience and ultimately whether or not the film is good and people enjoy it. At least on that end, it would appear that requirement has been fulfilled.

The early reactions to John Wick: Chapter 3 are very positive and indicate that the threequel continues to up the ante for cinematic action while expanding the scope and world of the film, opening up possibilities for future installments in the franchise. That bodes well for John Wick's retirement being postponed indefinitely.

John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum opens in theaters on May 17. Check out our 2019 Release Schedule to see all of the big movies you can look forward to this summer.

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Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge Will Feature Yoda, Other Surprising Returning Personalities

Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge Will Feature Yoda, Other Surprising Returning Personalities

Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge promises to open up a new corner of the Star Wars universe. It creates an outpost on a planet at the edge of wild space where guests will be able to interact with new characters, eat new food, and experience all new attractions. However, it wouldn't be Star Wars if the new land didn't also include those elements of the franchise that we're familiar with. At the recent Star Wars Celebration it was revealed that several classic characters will appear in the new land, including Jedi Master Yoda.

Of course, since the time period for the new Galaxy's Edge land is set in the era of the new trilogy, don't expect to actually see Yoda anyplace in the new land, except possibly as merchandise. Yoda has been long dead by the point in which this part of the story is taking place. However Chris Beatty, the Executive Creative Director at Walt Disney Imagineering did reveal that Yoda would be heard someplace in the new land, and that Yoda's voice was being provided by Frank Oz, the voice of Yoda throughout all of the films.

Exactly how the voice would be heard wasn't revealed. It could be part of one of the E-ticket attractions inside the new land, though neither of them strikes me as particularly Jedi enough to make Yoda make sense there. Perhaps Yoda will help guide you as you build your own custom lightsaber, which will be something you'll be able to schedule for yourself in one of the Black Spire Outpost shops.

However, Yoda isn't the only classic voice who will be returning for Galaxy's Edge. Fans of the original Star Tours will remember the pilot, named R3x, who was voiced by Paul Reubens. While the current version of the attraction doesn't have R3x flying, Galaxy's Edge will have the character back, as a DJ at Oga's Cantina.  Margaret Kerrison, Story Editor at Walt Disney Imagineering says the new R3x is going to be a lot of fun...

We worked with so many incredible voice-over actors. One of the ones that we definitely wanted to bring back was Paul Reubens. We were super excited to bring him back and nobody was more excited than Paul. He was really great to work with. He really, really was. He brought in a lot of inspiration and new lines for us. Let’s just say you will be thoroughly entertained in Oga’s Cantina.

Reubens apparently recorded a lot of new dialogue for his new role, where he'll be playing a lot of brand new music written specifically for the land. Some of that music is being attributed to the band Figrin D'an and the Modal Nodes, which is the group more widely known as the "Cantina Band" from Star Wars: A New Hope. Take a listen to some of it below.

One more classic Star Wars character who will be seen at Black Spire Outpost is the alien Nien Nunb. First seen as Lando Calrissian's co-pilot during the attack on the second Death Star in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, Nien Nunb was seen as an X-Wing pilot in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and he's also a background character in Star Wars: The Last Jedi who survives until the evacuation on Crait.

Nien Nunb will also appear in Galaxy's Edge in some capacity, and he will be voiced by the same man who gave him a voice back in Return of the Jedi, even though, according to Galaxy's Edge project lead Scott Trowbridge, making that happen was a little bit tougher this time around...

I love this story because Nien Nunb, when he was voiced in his original appearance, was voiced by a young man who was a student in the bay area at the time. Actually, was from Kenya. He spoke a unique dialect and had a unique sounding voice. But then, time passed and the gentleman, whose name is Kipsang, went back to Africa. We kind of lost track of him. But when we decided we were going to bring Nien Nunb back for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, we actually went to Kenya, tracked him down, to record the original voice actor for Nien Nunb to play in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge because that’s the kind of thing you want us to do.

All of these characters get added to the list of Star Wars characters we already knew would be appearing. All of the main heroes and villains of the current trilogy will also appear on Batuu. We'll see Rey, Finn, Poe Dameron, and even Kylo Ren as part of the Rise of the Resistance attraction. Fans of the Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Rebels animated series will meet an incredibly life like animatronic of Hondo Ohnaka

Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge will also see new music written for it created by John Williams, the man who has written nearly every note of music for the galaxy far, far away. It won't simply be ambient music throughout the land, as that would potentially break the illusion that you actually standing on an alien world. I'm sure, however, that Disneyland and Walt Disney World have found plenty of other ways to include the music.

Whatever your level of love for Star Wars, there's going to be so much going on in Galaxy's Edge that you're going to find something that strikes a chord. Disney never gives the entire game away and with all this announced only slightly over a month before the new land opens, there's almost certainly more to see and hear that we don't know about yet.

We'll find out when Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge opens at Disneyland on May 31 and at Walt Disney World August 29. If you want to guarantee yourself access to the new land, you'll need to book a Disneyland Resort hotel stay during the land's first three weeks, as that will get you a no-cost reservation to enter Black Spire Outpost.

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The Russo Brothers Share Their Favorite Character Arc in the MCU

The Russo Brothers Share Their Favorite Character Arc in the MCU

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is on the edge of a precipice, with just days left before Avengers: Endgame finally arrives in theaters. The Russo Brothers will bring Phase Three of the MCU to an end, and the stakes could not be higher. Given the state of the shared universe at the end of Infinity War, fans have spent the last year theorizing about what could come next, now that Thanos wiped out half of all life.

Our questions will be answered shortly, as Endgame is just days away from arriving in theaters. The upcoming blockbuster will end the MCU as we know it, and wrap up the characters arcs from many of the OG Avengers. CinemaBlend's Jeff McCobb recently spoke with The Russo Brothers, and asked the co-directors about their favorite arc in the MCU. Joe Russo piped in first, saying:

Cap obviously because we spent so much time with him. And he has gone on a very extreme journey, from First Avenger to Infinity War. He went from a patriot to an insurgent, that’s a very complicated arc.

This answer shouldn't come as much of a surprise. The Russo Brothers joined the MCU in Captain America: Winter Soldier, which is widely considered one of the shared universe's best outings. Since then, they became the architects of Phase Three, and utilized the title character in three more movies, including Endgame.

Joe Russo's comment does make some valid points, as moviegoers have watched Steve Rogers have a pretty unbelievable journey throughout the last eight years. Captain America's story spans decades, and featured him doing an about-face in regards to his belief system. So while the other Avengers have grown before our eyes, Cap arguably had the most seismic change this character.

In the same conversation with CinemaBlend at CinemaCon 2019, Anthony Russo echoed his brother's sentiments, agreeing that Captain America was their favorite. He said,

I would have to say Cap. It’s just, we’ve been so focused on that character. He was our access point to the MCU as storytellers. Having been born, and grown up, and come of age during World War II. Having that all torn away from you, and waking up 70 years later. It’s a really profound journey that character’s been on. A lot of hardship. And a lot of nobility in his heart. And we’ve had a lot of fun trying to figure that character out over the years.

Once again, the Russo Brothers show that they're great at working together. The co-directors have shared a singular vision for the MCU, and done the impossible with their work on large ensemble projects like Captain America: Civil War. And through it all, Chris Evans' signature character has been their favorite Avenger to see onscreen.

You can't blame The Russo Brothers for having some favoritism, as the Captain America franchise was how they were able to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and eventually rose to the top of the creative ladder. They brought a surprising amount of realism and grit to Captain America: The Winter Soldier, including stunning action sequences and plot twists that rocked the shared universe to its core.

Related: Avengers: Infinity War’s Writer Knows Captain America Didn’t Get Enough Lines

Captain America: Civil War is another great feat, and their second go in the MCU. But rather than focusing solely on Steve Rogers, The Russo Brothers were given the challenge of bringing in most of MCU's heroes to the playing field. It wasn't an easy task, and moviegoers had some trepidations going into theaters. But the directors juggled a big cast, and fractured The Avengers as we know them.

You can check out our conversation with The Russo Brothers at CinemaCon 2019 below.

From the interview above, you can really see how much Captain America means to Joe and Anthony Russo. And while they've gotten to know all the major Marvel characters with their work on Civil War and the Avengers movies, Steve Rogers continues to be their favorite arc in the shared universe.

While plenty of moviegoers have their favorite Avenger, you can't deny the validity of The Russo Brothers' points. Just look at how his journey compares to other major Marvel characters. Tony Stark went from billionaire playboy to a superheroic leader, but he hasn't changed that much since the first Iron Man movie ended. Scarlett Johansson's Black Widow continues to be a mystery, although that might change when her solo outing finally arrives. And while Thor is more responsible and humble, he's still largely the same God of Thunder we met in his first flick.

The Russo Brothers might have a favorite in Captain America, but they've got plenty of character arcs to wrap up when Avengers: Endgame arrives next week. Many of the original Avengers actors are coming to the end of their contracts, so fans may finally bid goodbye to folks like Cap, Iron Man, and Thor. And given the high stakes after Thanos' snap of death (aka The Decimation), it seems likely that at least one of those icons will end up being killed off.

In addition to ending certain character arcs, The Russo Brothers also have the responsibility of opening up narrative possibilities. While Marvel Studios hasn't revealed their plans for Phase Four yet, the fandom is expecting quite a few sequels over the next few years. But with Black Panther, Spider-Man, Doctor Strange, and the Guardians all faded to dust as a result of Thanos' victory, the future is currently unclear.

Most moviegoers assume that the dusted heroes will somehow be resurrected throughout the course of Avengers: Endgame. Exactly how that'll be done is unclear, but it seems like Phase Four depends on it. Because unless the future is filled with prequels, it doesn't seem like the MCU can continue on any other way.

Answers should finally come once Avengers: Endgame arrives in theaters on April 26th. In the meantime, fill out CinemaBlend's Endgame death pool, and check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

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The Flash’s Ezra Miller Is Now Working On The Script With A DC Comics Heavyweight

The Flash’s Ezra Miller Is Now Working On The Script With A DC Comics Heavyweight

Despite being one of the first DC Extended Universe projects to be announced, The Flash has faced numerous obstacles over the years. Ezra Miller first cameoed as Barry Allen in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad, and later made his full debut as the Scarlet Speedster in Justice League, but the Flash movie itself has continually been delayed due to director departures, script changes, scheduling issues, etc. Now Miller is reportedly tackling writing duties on The Flash as well, but he’s not alone, as longtime DC Comics writer Grant Morrison is helping him out.

According to THR, this latest development on the script front comes as a result of conflicting creative visions between Ezra Miller and The Flash directors John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein. The duo, who were tapped to helm The Flash early last year, want to go in a lighthearted direction with the movie, similar to what’s been done with Aquaman, which has grossed over $1.1 billion worldwide, and Shazam!, which is getting positive early buzz. Miller, on the other hand, wants The Flash to be darker, and he subsequently took the initiative to work on the script with Grant Morrison, whose DC Comics credits include runs on Batman, Justice League of America, Doom Patrol and, especially fitting here, The Flash, not to mention miniseries like All-Star Superman, Final Crisis and The Multiversity.

Needless to say that Ezra Miller working on The Flash’s script is going the extra mile, and the report notes that the actor is “deeply committed to the character.” That said, depending on how this all works out, it could affect Miller’s future as The Fastest Man Alive. If Warner Bros decides it doesn’t like Miller’s take on The Flash, then the actor might leave the project. Miller’s holding deal on The Flash also apparently expires in May, so the involved parties will, ironically, need to work fast to settle all this if the actor is going to stay on board. This new script could be turned into the studio as early as next week.

It should be noted that even if Ezra Miller were to depart from The Flash, it wouldn’t mark the end of his relationship with Warner Bros. He’s still attached to reprise Credence Barebone in Fantastic Beasts 3, which begins shooting this fall. Nevertheless, the prospect of Ezra Miller leaving Flash behind if he can’t reach an understanding with the studio would be a big shakeup, although that wouldn’t be the only DC superhero recasting in the DCEU. In January, Ben Affleck confirmed in January he won’t play Batman again, and a younger actor is being looked for to play the Caped Crusader in Matt Reeves’ The Batman.

We’ll have to wait and see what creative direction The Flash ultimately ends up going and whether Ezra Miller will be a part of it, but at least the actor has a comic book veteran in his corner to help him hash out the story he has in mind. When we last saw Miller’s Barry Allen at the end of Justice League, he had been hired by the Central City Police Department and was continuing his superhero activities. At one point the Flash movie was going to be an adaptation of 2011’s Flashpoint, and while that no longer appears to be happening, it is one of the darker Flash comic book storylines, so maybe the script Miller and Grant Morrison are working on could draw inspiration from it.

Keep checking back with CinemaBlend for any updates on The Flash’s progress, but in the meantime, look through our DC movies guide to learn what else is in development for this superhero franchise.

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How To Train Your Dragon’s Director Felt Like A Failure While Writing Each Movie

How To Train Your Dragon’s Director Felt Like A Failure While Writing Each Movie

The How to Train Your Dragon movies have been one of the more successful film franchises of any kind in recent years. All three films have been overwhelmingly popular with fans and have done quite well at the box office. While the creators of the series make it look easy, franchise director Dean DeBlois says it's anything but, as when he closes himself off to work on the story of each film, it feels like it's all going to fall apart. According to DeBlois...

But there is always a moment where we isolate ourselves from everyone else, and it’s just the two of us, in the case of the first film, or alone on the second and third, where I just work with an outline and kind of hammer that out in the most classic way possible. Just with pads of paper and lots of crumpled sheets in the trash. We’re trying to work out the structure of the story. Then we take that outline and transcribe it into script pages, fleshing it out and really developing character and plot that way. It’s a lonely and difficult process for me, because it’s full of self loathing and procrastination, and just feeling like a failure.

Considering what a success every movie has been, it's hard to imagine somebody feeling like a failure, but that's what Dean DeBlois tells Cartoon Brew. At the same time, each story is created from scratch, and there's no guarantee that just because you made one good movie, the next one will be any good. While you're writing it you can't be completely sure that your ideas will work, and the more success you have, the more you second guess yourself.

As both the writer and director of the How to Train Your Dragon series, there's nobody else to help you or to even tell you that you're on the right track. Dean DeBlois worked with collaborators on the first movie, but the second and third were all him.

Luckily, whatever magic that struck on the first movie hung around on the two sequels. All three films were massive hits and the newest one, How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World is being praised for the way it brings the series to a close. Ending a franchise has to be tough, it has to be done in a way that those who have been following from the beginning feel like it's all been worthwhile. Lots of stories that start out great have difficulty sticking the landing. Not this one.

Of course, now that Dean Deblois has ended the story, he has to find a new story to tell, which likely means the process will start all over again. Of course, we know that the How to Train Your Dragon movies were no fluke, so we can be confident that wherever he goes, a good story is likely to follow.

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