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Did GLADIATOR II Cut a Gay Kiss? The Kiss Controversy, Explained

Listen, if there’s one thing that’s for sure, it’s that the Gladiator franchise could be gayer. I mean, have you ever looked at ancient Rome? That was a literal haven for gay and queer relationships of all kinds. The answer to how queer was ancient Rome is “very.” With a cast that consists of Pedro Pascal, Paul Mescal, Denzel Washington, and Joseph Quinn (best known for another character who really could have been queer, Eddie Munson), we would have loved to see Gladiator II reach for the gay stars. But recent press makes it sound like that probably didn’t happen. But did a gay kiss purposefully get cut out of Gladiator II? There’s been a lot of conversation about it, so let’s dive into the facts.

Denzel Washington Said a Gay Kiss Was Cut From Gladiator II

The first we heard of a gay kiss in Gladiator II was from Denzel Washington. He shared with Gayety (in answer, ironically, to “How gay is the Roman Empire?”): “I actually kissed a man in the film, but they took it out, they cut it, I think they got chicken…” Washington added, “I kissed a guy full on the lips, and I guess they weren’t ready for that yet. I killed him about five minutes later. It’s ‘Gladiator.’ It’s the kiss of death.”

Denzel Washington sounds here like he’s pretty sure that he full-on kissed a man while filming Gladiator II. And he sounds a bit like he feels that the kiss was cut because the creators of Gladiator II were not ready to feature a gay kiss on film. Sadly, that does seem possible. But according to Ridley Scott, it’s not what went down.

Ridley Scott Denies Cutting a Gay Kiss From Gladiator II, Says It Never Happened

When asked if he cut the aforementioned gay kiss from Gladiator II, director Ridley Scott seemed affronted at the suggestion. He told Variety, “No, that’s bullshit… They never did. [kiss] They acted the moment — it didn’t happen.”

Ridley Scott denies that Denzel Washington's same-sex kiss that was cut from #Gladiator2 happened: "They acted the moment — it didn't happen." pic.twitter.com/FstxCHBKRt

— Variety (@Variety) November 19, 2024

You can watch the video of Scott’s response above. Honestly, the denial the kiss happened is clear, but what “they acted the moment” means is a bit less so. My best guess is that Ridley Scott is trying to explain that Denzel Washington and whichever man he purportedly kissed blocked the scene but never went for it. It’s possible, but it does seem like Washington was pretty sure the gay kiss was filmed during Gladiator II‘s production. Then again, maybe the cameras weren’t rolling, or memories have just gotten complicated with time.

Either way, as mentioned, Ridley Scott seems pretty adamant a gay kiss was not filmed for Gladiator II and, thus, was not cut.

Denzel Washington Updates to Say Gay Kiss Was More of “A Peck”

Meanwhile, returning to the source of the Gladiator II gay kiss news himself, Denzel Washington shares that the gay kiss controversy is “much ado about nothing.” Washington notes, “It really is much ado about nothing… They’re making more of it than it was. I kissed him on his hands, I gave him a peck, and I killed him.” And that’s the latest detail we have on the Gladiator II kiss in question.

Paramount Pictures

Ultimately, Washington doesn’t seem to share in Ridley Scott’s vision that there was no Gladiator II gay kiss in play. Instead, he now leans more toward the idea that if the kiss has been lost, it’s not really meaningful because it wasn’t really a full-on kiss as some people might be imagining it. His conviction about it being removed due to folks being chicken seems to have left the building. But there we have it, all the accounts of the controversial Gladiator II kiss.

So, Was There a Gay Kiss in Gladiator II?

So, ultimately, did Gladiator II film and cut a gay kiss from the movie? The world may never know. But what do we take away from this? What we would have taken away even if Denzel Washington had participated in gay “kiss of death” on screen. That Gladiator II is just not gay enough. And certainly not as gay as the Roman Empire was.

Paramount Pictures

To be fair to Gladiator II, Denzel Washington’s character and others are noted to be queer on-screen. Paul Mescal also shared an anecdote that revealed that Ridley Scott approved of his kissing Pedro Pascal on the forehead while filming Gladiator II. He told Entertainment Weekly, “There was a moment when we were rehearsing my fight scene with Pedro, and I had an idea towards the end of the scene to kiss Pedro on the forehead… I did it in one of the takes, and then we’re getting the radio messages back to Ridley [in video village], and I was like, ‘Ridley: Kiss on the forehead, did you like it? Yay or nay?’ There was radio silence for a second. His radio crackles back, and [Ridley] goes, ‘I’m afraid I did.'”

Paramount Pictures

While that gay-ish kiss is not in Gladiator II‘s final version, Scott has said, perhaps in jest, that it would make the director’s cut.

But regardless of crumbs, with a cast that features so many men in ancient Rome, someone ought to have been in a full-on gay relationship that can’t be cut with the removal of one scene. And that fact holds true regardless. We’re not totally sure that the argument of “we didn’t purposefully cut the gay kiss because we didn’t have a gay kiss to cut” is really that effective. Nor is the argument of “the gay Gladiator II kiss was cut, but it wasn’t really all that juicy” very compelling. Make Gladiator gay, chickens!

Gladiator II releases in theaters on November 22.

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New Video Details SECTION 31 History Across the STAR TREK Timeline

Next year, the long-awaited Star Trek: Section 31 movie starring Michelle Yeoh finally hits Paramount+. Originally conceived of as a series, Paramount later reimagined it as a movie for the streaming service instead. But many casual Star Trek fans may not know just what the titular Section 31 even is. After all, arguably the two most popular Star Trek series, the original and The Next Generation, didn’t use it. Luckily, Paramount has released a short video explainer on Section 31, and its long history in Star Trek lore, going back to its first appearance on Deep Space Nine. You can watch the video right here:

The video pretty much covers all the basics of Section 31. It explains how the name originates from Article 14, Section 31 of the Starfleet Charter, allowing for “extraordinary measures to be taken in times of extreme threat.” This was first explained in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, set in the late 24th century. In that era, many viewed the notion of a pristine Federation needing a secretive black ops division as a relic of the past. Most officers in Starfleet thought of Section 31 as a myth. In Deep Space Nine, they did incredibly unethical things to win the war against Starfleet’s enemy, the Dominion.

Paramount+

Later series like the prequel show Enterprise showed that Section 31 existed even before the Federation charter, when Starfleet was a United Earth organization only. Star Trek: Discovery, taking place roughly a century later, further expanded on Section 31’s role in Trek history. That’s when Michelle Yeoh’s character, Empress Phillipa Georgiou, joined up. Section 31 even exists in the alternative Kelvin-timeline universe of the J.J. Abrams films. It played an important role in Abrams’ second entry, Star Trek Into Darkness. Maybe the new film will explain how Section 31 went from open secret to galactic myth a century later.

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THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD: James Gunn Shares Update on DCU BATMAN Movie

Not too long ago, James Gunn dropped a number of bombs with regard to the brand new, revamped DCU. (First, it’s no longer the DCEU) Among the things he said were movies like Matt Reeves’ The Batman sequel and Joker: Folie a Deux will get a clear “Elseworlds” label to let people know—much like in the comics—that they are not connected to the overarching DCU. Gunn also gave us a huge list of movies and shows coming to our screens. One of those will be the DCU’s new Batman, a feature film titled The Brave and the Bold. And this Batman movie will have a familiar director at the helm.

DC ComicsThe Latest Updates on Batman: The Brave and the Bold

Naturally, people are eager to hear about the progress of the DCU’s Batman movie. But James Gunn says that the movie will begin to see movement when it’s ready and not a moment before. He shares the DCU isn’t in a rush to get Batman on our screens. Instead, there’s no set time when Batman: The Brave and the Bold will go into production—that will be determined solely by its story:

There’s no set timeline for anything. The one thing that I’ve tried to make clear to people from the beginning, in the way that I hope we’re different, is that everything in DC is going to be based on the writers. Until we have a screenplay that I’m totally happy with, that movie is not going to get made , no matter what it is. So, we have been really fortunate with some screenplays. You know, ‘Supergirl‘ came in and just, wow Ana [Nogueria] did such an amazing job, the ‘Lanterns‘ pilot came in, and now the whole ‘Lanterns‘ series came in, and it’s like ‘Wow that’s wonderful, wonderful work.’ And there’s a couple of other things that people don’t know about, a couple of movies and TV shows that are greenlit or near greenlit. But it’s going to be based always on that, on the story, because at the end of the day if we’re happy with the story that we’re telling, that’s what matters most. And once ‘The Brave and the Bold‘ gets to that point, then we’ll make the movie.

The Flash‘s Andy Muschietti Will Direct the DCU’s Batman Movie

Speaking to Variety, James Gunn revealed that Andy Muschietti will direct the DCU’s The Brave and the Bold Batman movie. Gunn noted:

We saw The Flash; even before taking the reins at DC Studios, and knew we were in the hands of not only a visionary director but a massive DC fan. It’s a magnificent film – funny, emotional, thrilling – and Andy’s affinity and passion for these characters and this world just resonates through every frame. So, when it came time to find a director for The Brave and the Bold, there was really only one choice. Luckily, Andy said yes. Barbara signed on to produce with us and we were on our way. They’re an extraordinary team, and we couldn’t have better or more inspiring partners as we embark on this thrilling new adventure in the DCU.

Of course, Muschietti already directed Batman or two in The Flash, Michael Keaton’s Batman and Ben Affleck’s Batman, to be specific. But there’s no telling yet how similar or different the DCU’s Batman will be when he arrives. Still, experience is never a bad thing.

The Brave and the Bold in DC Comics

Traditionally, The Brave and the Bold at DC Comics pointed to any number of team-ups, usually involving heroes who wouldn’t normally work together. The Silver Age was the big heyday for this title. Beginning in issue #59 the title shifted to almost exclusively a Caped Crusader book, owing to the popularity of the Adam West Batman TV series. While the movie Gunn announced will feature Batman and Robin, it won’t be the familiar dynamic duo most fans know.

The movie will adapt Grant Morrison’s run of Batman comics from the mid-2000s. Morrison took Batman all over the place, killed him off, sent him through time, and then franchised him across the globe. But in specific, Gunn said The Brave and the Bold will focus on Bruce Wayne’s Batman and perhaps Morrison and artist Andy Kubert’s most important contribution to Bat Family canon, his adolescent son Damian Wayne. Damian is Batman’s son with Talia al Ghul, whom Talia and Ra’s al Ghul raised as an assassin.

DC Comics

As Gunn says, the movie will follow Batman’s journey to take the violent nightmare child Damian under his (bat)wing and teach him how to be Robin. While Morrison’s run proved incredibly dark, with new villains like the terrifying Professor Pyg, it was also quite funny.

DC films have long shied away from the idea of Robin, entirely because of the campiness of the Schumacher films. However, Robin is a huge part of the Batman lore. Perhaps using Damian, a darker version, will be a good gateway for people. And Gunn said it will introduce the “Bat Family,” so we might even see a grown-up Dick Grayson, Tim Drake, and Barbara Gordon in the film too.

No word yet on casting, but we are, as with all of these announcements, we are jazzed to all heck.

Originally published on January 31, 2023.

Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Instagram and Letterboxd.

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Check Our First-Look Image of JURASSIC WORLD: REBIRTH

Universal isn’t waiting around to relaunch one of its signature franchises. The studio is already developing a seventh film, Jurassic Park/World movie, Jurassic World: Rebirth. And it won’t take long to arrive in theaters. Universal has already carved out a prime 2025 summer release date. Who will star in it? Who is making it? And what is it about?

For now, we have our first look at the new Jurassic World movie. In it, we see star Scarlett Johansson ready to take on some dino dangers with a complicated gun in her hand. Gulp!

EXCLUSIVE 🦖#JurassicWorldRebirth "goes back to what I loved about the original", Gareth Edwards tells Empire.

READ MORE: https://t.co/bdpunysirc pic.twitter.com/tTNhfnaH08

— Empire (@empiremagazine) November 15, 2024

Director Gareth Edwards teases the movie will capture the heart of what audiences love about the franchise. He reveals, “It goes back to what I loved about the original, with an embarrassment of riches of different set-piece-type scenarios and tense, fun action moments. There were a lot of opportunities as a filmmaker to have a lot of fun and try and play games with the audience.” Empire shares that the film “set five years after the events of Jurassic World Dominion… continues the dinos-in-the-wild premise established across that trilogy, while beginning ‘a whole new chapter in the timeline of Jurassic.'”

New look at Scarlett Johansson in ‘JURASSIC WORLD: REBIRTH’ 🦖

(Via: https://t.co/B4lLiakRR5) pic.twitter.com/F9FKPZCZCG

— The Hollywood Handle (@HollywoodHandle) November 21, 2024

The movie will be chock full of dinosaurs, of course. According to Edwards, “There are certain dinosaurs it would be a crime against cinema not to include.” But humanity will be in play as well. Scarlett Johansson plays Zora Bennett, who is “leading an epic dino-DNA hunt.” Gareth notes, “She’s looking for meaning in her life after leaving the military, and this opportunity comes along where [after it] basically she’d never have to work again. But through that journey, she starts to question the ethical rights and wrongs of what they’re doing.”

Here’s everything we know about the new Jurassic World movie so far.

Title

The new Jurassic Park/Jurassic World movie is officially called Jurassic World: Rebirth.

Jurassic World: Rebirth‘s PlotUniversal

Jurassic World: Rebirth will explore a “new” Jurassic era and story, in what is being described as a franchise reboot. If history is any guide it will also launch another trilogy. Here’s what the official synopsis shares about the new Jurassic World movie:

Academy Award® nominee Scarlett Johansson plays skilled covert operations expert Zora Bennett, contracted to lead a skilled team on a top-secret mission to secure genetic material from the world’s three most massive dinosaurs. When Zora’s operation intersects with a civilian family whose boating expedition was capsized by marauding aquatic dinos, they all find themselves stranded on an island where they come face-to-face with a sinister, shocking discovery that’s been hidden from the world for decades.

Mahershala Ali is Duncan Kincaid, Zora’s most trusted team leader; Emmy nominee and Olivier Award winner Jonathan Bailey (Wicked, Bridgerton) plays paleontologist Dr. Henry Loomis; Emmy nominee Rupert Friend (Homeland, Obi-Wan Kenobi) appears as Big Pharma representative Martin Krebs and Manuel Garcia-Rulfo (The Lincoln Lawyer, Murder on the Orient Express) plays Reuben Delgado, the father of the shipwrecked civilian family.

The cast includes Luna Blaise (Manifest), David Iacono (The Summer I Turned Pretty) and Audrina Miranda (Lopez vs. Lopez) as Reuben’s family. The film also features, as members of Zora and Krebs’ crews, Philippine Velge (Station Eleven), Bechir Sylvain (BMF) and Ed Skrein (Deadpool). 

Jurassic World: Rebirth CastMarvel Studios

The upcoming Jurassic World movie will feature an all-new cast headlined by original Avenger Scarlett Johansson. Co-starring with Johansson are Mahershala Ali and Jonathan Bailey. Rupert Friend (Obi-Wan Kenobi) is also getting in on the modern prehistoric mayhem.

Other performers in the new Jurassic World include Luna Blaise (Manifest), David Iacono (The Summer I Turned Pretty) and Audrina Miranda (Lopez vs. Lopez) as Reuben’s family. The film also features, as members of Zora and Krebs’ crews, Philippine Velge (Station Eleven), Bechir Sylvain (BMF), and Ed Skrein (Deadpool). 

Behind the ScenesUniversal

David Koepp, who wrote both Jurassic Park and its sequel The Lost World, is returning to pen the franchise’s seventh installment. Rogue One‘s Gareth Edwards will direct after The Fall Guy‘s David Leitch stepped down. Filming will begin this year and will have a quick post-production timeline.

Jurassic World trilogy producer Frank Marshall is returning for the series’ latest installment. Series alum Patrick Crowley is also back for dinosaur mayhem. And original franchise director Steven Spielberg is also serving as an executive producer via Amblin Entertainment.

The latest news about the new Jurassic World suggests the movie is heading to Thailand. Per Variety, we saw that Thailand’s Natural Resources and Environment Minister Phatcharavat Wongsuwan noted that Thailand is honored to host the filming, however “It is strictly required that they comply with relevant laws and regulations, and must not affect and damage natural resources and the environment.” That sounds like a fair deal to us.

Jurassic World: Rebirth‘s Release Date

pic.twitter.com/GJhiqIgCJc

— Jurassic World (@JurassicWorld) February 6, 2024

We won’t have to wait long for Universal’s Jurassic World: Rebirth movie. It will come to theaters on July 2, 2025.

Originally published on July 9, 2024.

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Check Out the First Trailer for WALLACE & GROMIT: VENGEANCE MOST FOWL

Just about 31 years ago, a kindly inventor who loves cheese and his intelligent, all-too patient dog dealt with true evil. That is, evil in the form of a penguin who dresses up as a chicken, of course. The Wrong Trousers, the second Aardman Animations short to feature Wallace & Gromit, won the Oscar for best animated short in 1994 and is still maybe the best animated short I’ve ever seen. In it, the duo invents a pair of robotic slacks that eventually go haywire, while at the same time an evil penguin tries to kill them.

That bad bird, Feathers McGraw, is back in the first full trailer for Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl. Check it out below.

Boy that looks fun! Our favorite inventor and his put-upon dog up to new shenanigans in a gloriously elaborate Claymation world is all we could have hoped for. This movie is a feature film follow-up to The Wrong Trousers and will also see Wallace and Gromit invent a robot gnome named Norbot. This marks only the second feature film with the perennial stop-motion team. The first was the Oscar-winning The Curse of the Were-Rabbit in 2006. Other shorts in the franchise include 1989’s A Grand Day Out, 1995’s A Close Shave, and 2008’s A Matter of Loaf and Death.

Netflix had previously released a short teaser for the film which shows some different beats of adventure, et al. You can watch that below.

Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl will premiere January 3, 2025, on Netflix. The official synopsis is below.

Netflix

Gromit’s concern that Wallace is becoming too dependent on his inventions proves justified, when Wallace invents a “smart” gnome that seems to develop a mind of its own. When it emerges that a vengeful figure from the past might be masterminding things, it falls to Gromit to battle sinister forces and save his master… or Wallace may never be able to invent again!

Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl will hit Netflix streaming January 3, 2025.

Originally published October 16, 2024.

Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. He hosts the weekly pop culture deep-dive podcast Laser Focus. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Instagram and Letterboxd.

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M3GAN 2.0 Sets June 2025 Release Date, Shares First-Look Photo

If there’s one thing horror fans love, it’s an icon they can root for. And root they have! Early and often. One of the first theatrical releases of 2023, Blumhouse and Atomic Monster’s M3GAN has made a whole heap of cash and its titular robotic moppet has marched into the hearts of fans everywhere. Kind of like a mix of the Terminator and Chucky in the guise of a little girl. Except M3GAN is way saltier and likable. (She did nothing wrong!) And those myriad successes have allowed the studios to announce a sequel. M3GAN 2.0 will now drop on June 27, 2025, slightly pushed out from its initially planned January release. And that means plenty of time to master that dance, friends.

M3GAN 2.0 First-Look Photo

While we wait before M3GAN 2.0 hits our screens, we do have a first-look photo from the sequel movie. In it we see M3GAN 2.0… and she looks, well, like M3GAN 1.0. But we’re sure she has some new tricks up her striped sleeve.

First BTS look at ‘M3GAN 2.0’

In theaters on June 27, 2025.

(Source: https://t.co/pfXBqUorCY) pic.twitter.com/wA0jG87dC1

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) November 21, 2024

More About M3GAN 2.0Universal

We originally learned about M3GAN 2.0 from The Wrap, who report the whole band will be back together for M3GAN 2.0. Stars Allison Williams and Violet McGraw will return, with the original film’s screenwriter Akela Cooper penning the script. Williams will produce with Atomic Monster founder James Wan and Blumhouse founder/CEO Jason Blum. The movie has made over $91 million in its two weeks of release against a $12 million budget. That is a hefty win for both Blumhouse and Atomic Monster. Cooper and Wan co-wrote Wan’s 2021 nutso horror flick Malignant, so we hope this means we’ll get a sequel where M3GAN has to fight Gabriel, the back-of-the-head evil of twin. We can dream, can’t we?

Lucasfilm

Additionally, Deadline recently reported that Ahsoka‘s Ivanna Sakhno will play a “major role” in M3GAN 2.0. What that role entails exactly remains under wraps for now.

The first film followed Cady (McGraw) having to stay with her aunt Gemma (Williams) following the tragic death of her parents. Luckily for the young, grieving girl, her aunt is a robotics genius who has made a life-size robot toy prototype who learns from a child its paired with. That robot is, of course, M3GAN, who takes it upon herself to protect Cady, physically and violently if necessary. And it’s necessary a lot of times.

We look forward to M3GAN (2.0) and her new murderous exploits.

Originally published on January 18, 2023.

Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Instagram and Letterboxd.

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Anthony Mackie Says Sam Wilson Is ‘More Brains Than Brawn’ in CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD

Steve Rogers is either dead or a very old man, but the world still needs Captain America. Fortunately for Earth, someone just as worthy of that title as Steve took on the job. No, not John Walker. (Definitely not John Walker.) On The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, Sam Wilson finally accepted the mantle his friend tried to give him at the end of Avengers: Endgame. Now Anthony Mackie is ready to lead the superhero franchise into the future with the MCU’s fourth standalone Captain America film.

Mackie spoke at the Disney APAC Content Showcase in Singapore in November 2024 about Sam Wilson’s Captain America and how he’s different from Steve Rogers, particularly the lack of Super Soldier Serum. “It’s very different with the serum — you can fight anybody,” said Mackie. “When you don’t have the serum, you have to be smart and engineer different ways of defeating [enemies]. With Sam, him being a counselor, he uses more of his brains than brawn. He uses more of his wit than his fist. He’s more of a friend to everyone.”

He also opened up about this film’s world and the suit that Sam Wilson dons as Captain America. “…This movie stays in the line with the original Captain America, of that thrill, of that espionage, of that grounded nature with storytelling and really investing the actual audience into the story,” said Mackie.

“It’s a high-tech suit,” he added. “I went to Wakanda, met with everybody in Wakanda, we had dinner. It was a great time. They threw me a welcome party. It was dope. But when I was leaving, they gave me a suit, right? I put it on. I can kick harder, I can fly faster, and it gives me the ability to be more agile in my skills, so it’s taking all my skills to a completely different level.”

A new Marvel featurette celebrating 85 years of Marvel recently gave us our first good look at Captain America: Brave New World‘s Red Hulk, played by Harrison Ford.

Marvel Studios

Here’s everything we know about Captain America: Brave New World.

Title

Marvel first announced Captain America 4‘s official title as part of its Hall H panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2022. It was originally called Captain America: New World Order. But in June 2023, Marvel changed the movie’s name. It is now called Captain America: Brave New World.

Captain America: Brave New World‘s Plot

We now officially have a synopsis and trailer for Captain America: Brave New World. It reads:

After meeting with newly elected U.S. President Thaddeus Ross, played by Harrison Ford in his Marvel Cinematic Universe debut, Sam finds himself in the middle of an international incident. He must discover the reason behind a nefarious global plot before the true mastermind has the entire world seeing red.

You can watch the trailer above.

Marvel Studios

Additionally, the film’s title echoes both the main conflict of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier and Aldous Huxley’s dystopian classic. Marvel executives have shared some tasty additional breadcrumbs about the movie, though.

That began with Nate Moore, VP of Production & Development at Marvel Studios, talking about how Harrison Ford will replace the late William Hurt as General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross in Brave New World. In an interview, Moore said:

Well, look, Sam Wilson’s Captain America, he is going to bring his own team to play. It’s no secret that Samuel Sterns is making his return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which is fantastic because Tim Blake Nelson’s the best. Harrison Ford is taking on the role of General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, and to see Sam Wilson and Thunderbolt Ross, which if you remember actually threw him in prison at the end of Civil War because he violated the Sokovia Accords. There’s going to be some natural sparks there, which I think are going to be really fun.

Marvel StudiosBehind the Scenes

Malcolm Spellman (The Falcon and the Winter Soldier) and Dalan Musson are co-writing the film. Matthew Orton will also contribute to the writing. Julius Onah (The Cloverfield Paradox) is set to direct.

Ca ptain America: Brave New World‘s Cast

In addition to Anthony Mackie and Harrison Ford, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier‘s Carl Lumbly will return as Isaiah Bradley. As will Danny Ramirez as Joaquin Torres.

Additionally, Brave New World will bring back Samuel Sterns (Tim Blake Nelson) from The Incredible Hulk. Sterns, of course, is also known as The Leader. He will likely act as the film’s villain. Shira Haas will join the film as Sabra. Xosha Roquemore has joined the movie in an unknown role, and WWE wrestler Seth Rollins was spotted in costume on set.

Another original MCU star will also return after a long absence, too. Liv Tyler will reprise her role as Betty Ross. She originated the role in The Incredible Hulk.

Marvel Studios

Additionally, we know we’ll see the character of Red Hulk in Captain America: Brave New World.

Marvel Studios

The trailer for the movie has confirmed this inclusion now, but originally, an ad for a McDonald’s toy line for the movie revealed Red Hulk’s appearance to us in Captain America: Brave New World. We thought it was Harrison Ford’s Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross transformed and SDCC 2024 revealed a teaser clip that affirms this.

McDonald's toys for 'CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD'! gives us our first look at Red Hulk, Ruth/Sabra, Falcon, and Diamondback! 👀

(Source: colecionaveis_fastfood | IG) pic.twitter.com/ooxl2ajKIk

— MCU Film News (@MCUFilmNews) April 18, 2024

Giancarlo Esposito has been teasing for a while that he’ll join the MCU. And in Captain America: Brave New World‘s first trailer, we finally get to see him in action. You can check out our first-look at Esposito in the MCU movie below as Sidewinder, the King of the Serpent Society.

Marvel StudiosCaptain America: Brave New World‘s Release DateMarvel Studios

Captain America: Brave New World will fly into theaters on February 14, 2025.

Originally published on February 14, 2023.

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POKEMON GO Uses Player Photos to Teach AI Model

For better or worse, it’s an AI world, and we’re all just living in it. Yes, even if that world is the world of Pokémon GO. Via the folks at IGN, we’ve learned that Pokémon GO developer Niantic is currently creating an AI designed to auto-complete real-world locations. This is done with a limited amount of information, using data collected by Pokémon GO players. It seems this is but a new form of ChatGPT. But instead of text, it’s actually applied to the physical world. What this AI does is train on what real-world places look like, using that data to produce information on what real places it has not seen yet may actually look like. Here’s what Niantic had to say about their latest technology:

The Pokémon Company

Imagine yourself standing behind a church. Let us assume the closest local model has seen only the front entrance of that church, and thus, it will not be able to tell you where you are. The model has never seen the back of that building. But on a global scale, we have seen a lot of churches, thousands of them, all captured by their respective local models at other places worldwide. No church is the same, but many share common characteristics. An LGM [Large Geospatial Model] is a way to access that distributed knowledge.

This is all able to exist because users are constantly scanning their surroundings while using Niantic’s apps, chief among them Pokémon Go. According to Niantic, they currently have 10 million scanned locations all over the globe. Not to mention, one million usable with its VPS service. They get around one million new scans every single week, containing hundreds of discrete images. Right now, this is all used for the wholesome fun of Pokémon Go. We’ll see what tomorrow brings with this kind of new technology in use for something less fun.

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Daniel Craig and Luca Guadagnino Teaming Up to Bring SGT. ROCK to Life for DC Studios

A new film in James Gunn and Peter Safran’s DCU has been announced, and it’s probably not one anyone was expecting. According to a report from Deadline, the Oscar-nominated Italian director Luca Guadagnino, who this year alone directed the critically acclaimed Challengers and Queer, is re-teaming with his star from the latter film, Daniel Craig, for a big screen adaptation of DC Comics’ World War II series Sgt. Rock. Guadagnino recently announced a remake of American Psycho, but his DC Studios film is coming together first, as the script is already far along.

Sony/DC Comics

Sgt. Franklin John Rock has a long history at DC Comics. He first appeared in the series Our World at War in 1959, presented as a no-nonsense John Wayne soldier type. Writer Robert Kanigher, famous for his Silver Age Wonder Woman comics, and legendary artist Joe Kubert created him. He led his battalion, known as Easy Company, through many battles in World War II. He was so popular, that in 1977, he received his own self-titled series, which lasted until 1988, long past other World War II-centric comics. In fact, his adventures in the war lasted 25 years longer than the war itself did in real life. In DC continuity, Sgt. Rock died by the last bullet fired in the very last battle of World War II.

Luca Guadagnino is a very surprising choice for a potential blockbuster DC film, after having directed only quirky dramas. Another surprising choice is the character of Sgt. Rock himself. A Sgt. Rock movie was once planned in the ’80s, meant to star Arnold Schwarzenegger. But it never came together. In the comics, Sgt. Rock rarely crossed over with DC heroes from the era. He mostly remained in a more realistic bubble, away from superheroes. But maybe Gunn and Luca Guadagnino have other ideas, and hope to tie him more into DCU lore. We could see him working with the World War II era Creature Commandos. When it comes to Sgt. Rock, we can’t wait to see what DC Studios have cooked up.

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STAR WARS: Jude Law & His Youngling Co-Stars Talk Skeleton Crew & Joining the Galaxy Far, Far Away

Star Wars: Skeleton Crew stars Jude Law (Jod Na Nawood), Ryan Kiera Armstrong (Fern), Ravi Cabot-Conyers (Wim), Kyriana Kratter (KB), Robert Timothy Smith (Neel), director/writer Jon Watters, and executive producer/writer Christopher Ford sit down with Nerdist’s Michael Walsh to discuss Jude Law’s experience finally joining the Star Wars universe, how well his young co-star’s know his previous work, and the importance of kids in the galaxy far, far away.

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