Marvel News: Florence Pugh to star alongside Scarlett Johansson in 'Black Widow;' Destin Daniel Cretton to direct 'Shang-Chi'
With so much on the immediate horizon for Marvel Studios, it feels a bit silly to look into the future of the all-powerful superhero brand. After all, Avengers: Endgame is less than six weeks away, and the aftermath of that monumental event will give us a much better picture of what to expect in Phase 4 and beyond. Will Tony Stark and Steve Rogers die? What about Thor and the Incredible Hulk? Will all of the snapped characters be returned back to life? Or do Kevin Feige and the Russo Brothers have something trickier up their sleeve?
Right now, we know these films are included in Marvel's post-Endgame plans- Jon Watts' Spider-Man: Far From Home (this summer), Scott Derrickson's Doctor Strange 2, Ryan Coogler's Black Panther 2, James Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3, and Chloe Zhao's The Eternals. That's a pretty solid line-up all things considered, but today's round-up of Marvel news actually involves two additional films that are quickly coming together at the studio.
Despite rumors that Scarlett Johansson's Natasha Romanoff could be one of many characters to sacrifice themselves for the good of the universe in Endgame, Marvel is rapidly moving forward with a Black Widow stand-alone movie, which will reportedly debut in May 2020 (the slot originally held for Guardians 3 before the Gunn controversy). Berlin Syndrome's Cate Shortland is directing, with Ned Benson and Jac Schaeffer on screenplay duties. All around, this is an immensely promising project.
Even though Feige would likely prefer to keep everything under wraps until Endgame rolls around, the upcoming timeline means that certain pieces have to be in place. Yesterday, Variety reported that Florence Pugh, star of the recent Fighting with My Family and Ari Aster's upcoming Midsommar, is now in talks to join the cast in what is billed as the "second lead role." With roles in films and TV shows from David Mackenzie, Park Chan-wook, and Greta Gerwig, Pugh is on her way to becoming a massive star, and a role in a high-profile Marvel movie can only help in that regard. Variety's report notes that it's still unknown whether Black Widow is a prequel or sequel- and Feige likely intends to keep it that way until we learn Widow's fate in Endgame.
Obviously I have no idea what role Pugh is up for, but this is a strong casting decision. Even though I wasn't a huge fan of Fighting with My Family (review soon), Pugh is certifiably terrific.
The other significant recent Marvel news came last week, when The Hollywood Reporter revealed that Destin Daniel Cretton will be behind the camera for Shang-Chi, which will feature the studio's first Asian lead. Cretton became a director to watch after the release of Short Term 12, a relatively small indie that launched the careers of Brie Larson, Lakeith Stanfield, Stephanie Beatriz, and more. He was also at the helm for the Larson-led Glass Castle, and he's currently directing Michael B. Jordan in Just Mercy, so there are definitely some cool Marvel connections in play here. Per THR, Cretton beat out several other filmmakers for the gig, including Alan Yang, Deborah Chow, and Justin Tipping. The screenplay will be written by Dave Callaham, who also penned the script for Patty Jenkins' Wonder Woman 1984.
If you're anything like me, you're probably wondering- who is Shang-Chi? According to the report, the character was trained by his father, Fu Manchu, as an assassin, only to fight back and become a hero. While there's still a lot more for general audiences to learn about this character, Marvel has proved time and time again that they can take virtually unknown heroes and translate them into mega-hits.
Look for more news on Marvel's future projects very soon.
Images: MGM/Lionsgate
Right now, we know these films are included in Marvel's post-Endgame plans- Jon Watts' Spider-Man: Far From Home (this summer), Scott Derrickson's Doctor Strange 2, Ryan Coogler's Black Panther 2, James Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3, and Chloe Zhao's The Eternals. That's a pretty solid line-up all things considered, but today's round-up of Marvel news actually involves two additional films that are quickly coming together at the studio.
Despite rumors that Scarlett Johansson's Natasha Romanoff could be one of many characters to sacrifice themselves for the good of the universe in Endgame, Marvel is rapidly moving forward with a Black Widow stand-alone movie, which will reportedly debut in May 2020 (the slot originally held for Guardians 3 before the Gunn controversy). Berlin Syndrome's Cate Shortland is directing, with Ned Benson and Jac Schaeffer on screenplay duties. All around, this is an immensely promising project.
Even though Feige would likely prefer to keep everything under wraps until Endgame rolls around, the upcoming timeline means that certain pieces have to be in place. Yesterday, Variety reported that Florence Pugh, star of the recent Fighting with My Family and Ari Aster's upcoming Midsommar, is now in talks to join the cast in what is billed as the "second lead role." With roles in films and TV shows from David Mackenzie, Park Chan-wook, and Greta Gerwig, Pugh is on her way to becoming a massive star, and a role in a high-profile Marvel movie can only help in that regard. Variety's report notes that it's still unknown whether Black Widow is a prequel or sequel- and Feige likely intends to keep it that way until we learn Widow's fate in Endgame.
Obviously I have no idea what role Pugh is up for, but this is a strong casting decision. Even though I wasn't a huge fan of Fighting with My Family (review soon), Pugh is certifiably terrific.
The other significant recent Marvel news came last week, when The Hollywood Reporter revealed that Destin Daniel Cretton will be behind the camera for Shang-Chi, which will feature the studio's first Asian lead. Cretton became a director to watch after the release of Short Term 12, a relatively small indie that launched the careers of Brie Larson, Lakeith Stanfield, Stephanie Beatriz, and more. He was also at the helm for the Larson-led Glass Castle, and he's currently directing Michael B. Jordan in Just Mercy, so there are definitely some cool Marvel connections in play here. Per THR, Cretton beat out several other filmmakers for the gig, including Alan Yang, Deborah Chow, and Justin Tipping. The screenplay will be written by Dave Callaham, who also penned the script for Patty Jenkins' Wonder Woman 1984.
If you're anything like me, you're probably wondering- who is Shang-Chi? According to the report, the character was trained by his father, Fu Manchu, as an assassin, only to fight back and become a hero. While there's still a lot more for general audiences to learn about this character, Marvel has proved time and time again that they can take virtually unknown heroes and translate them into mega-hits.
Look for more news on Marvel's future projects very soon.
Images: MGM/Lionsgate
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