Some cliche somewhere said that ‘a picture is worth a thousand words.’ This has proven to be the case for me and especially when it comes to fan art. I have always sought out great fan art and have wanted to share it with as many people as possible. “Awesome Art” is the outlet for that passion. In this column, I will showcase the kick-ass artwork of some great artists, with the hopes that these artists get the attention they deserve. That’s the aim. If you have any questions or comments, or even suggestions of art or other great artists, feel free to contact me at any time at theodorebond@joblo.com.

Ballerina by Jaime Ventura

The Fantastic Four: First Steps by – Collin McCormack

F1 by Frosdee

How To Train Your Dragon by Hazem Asif

I Know What You Did Last Summer by Rafael Araujo

Lilo & Stitch by Rosemary Valero O’Connell

Sinners by Wallace Alexander

Superman by Daniel Bittencourt

Thunderbolts by Kevin Power

28 Ywars Later by Pronob Chakraborty

The post Awesome Art: 2025 Summer Blockbusters with, F1, Fantastic Four: First Steps, Lilo & Stitch, Sinners, Superman appeared first on JoBlo.

“He’s absolutely as important and as alive as any other member of the cast,” Shakman said. “He’s sometimes a slightly put-upon robot, but he is definitely a member of the family. He’s just so charming and adorable. He is really Reed’s right hand in the lab, capable of assisting him on any sort of experiment, always by his side. whether in New York City or out in space.“

Empire also reveals the voice actor behind H.E.R.B.I.E., and it’s one Star Wars fans will almost certainly recognize: Matthew Wood, the sound editor at Skywalker Sound who is best known as the voice of General Grievous. “He’s charming, he’s funny — but he also will break your heart,” Shakman teased. “Which I hope is emblematic of the movie.“

Reed Richards created the lovable robot, which first appeared in The New Fantastic Four, a short-lived animated series released in 1978.

The official synopsis for The Fantastic Four: First Steps: “Set against the vibrant backdrop of a 1960s-inspired, retro-futuristic world, “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” introduces Marvel’s First Family—Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic, Sue Storm/Invisible Woman, Johnny Storm/Human Torch, and Ben Grimm/The Thing as they face their most daunting challenge yet. Forced to balance their roles as heroes with the strength of their family bond, they must defend Earth from a ravenous space god called Galactus (Ralph Ineson) and his enigmatic Herald, Silver Surfer (Julia Garner). And if Galactus’ plan to devour the entire planet and everyone on it weren’t bad enough, it suddenly gets very personal.“

The film will hit theaters on July 25th and will launch Phase Six of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with Avengers: Doomsday following on May 1, 2026, Spider-Man: Brand New Day on July 31, 2026, and Avengers: Secret Wars on May 7, 2027. The latest Marvel movie, Thunderbolts*, is now playing in theaters, and you can check out a review from our own Chris Bumbray right here.

The post The voice actor behind H.E.R.B.I.E. in The Fantastic Four: First Steps has been revealed appeared first on JoBlo.

The latest addition in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thunderbolts*, just reached theatres last weekend – but the next entry in the franchise isn’t far off, as The Fantastic Four: First Steps is set to reach theatres on July 25th. Coinciding with the release of Thunderbolts*, Marvel unveiled a batch of The Fantastic Four: First Steps character posters, and you can check them out at the bottom of this article! The upcoming movie has a “retro-futuristic” style, so it makes sense that these character posters have a retro style to them. They’re meant to look like the classic pack of trading cards that would come with a brittle stick of gum.

There have been several attempts to bring the Fantastic Four to the screen over the years, to varying levels of success. Roger Corman produced a low budget adaptation of the comic book back in 1994, but it was never officially released. (You can find it if you really want to see it, though.) Tim Story directed two big budget Fantastic Four movies that were released by 20th Century Fox, Fantastic Four (2005) and Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007). In 2015, Fox gave the property to Josh Trank so he could bring a reboot to the screen… and that just turned out to be a collection of bad ideas. The Fantastic Four movies have never fully lived up to the potential of the concept and characters. Now, with The Fantastic Four: First Steps, the characters have come home to Marvel Studios and are officially joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Here’s hoping this will turn out to be the Fantastic Four movie we’ve been waiting for all along.

The film stars Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards, aka Mr. Fantastic; Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm, aka the Invisible Woman; Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm, aka the Human Torch, Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm, aka the Thing, and Julia Garner as the Shalla-Bal version of the Silver Surfer. Additionally, the great Ralph Ineson will play Galactus, the Devourer of Worlds. Paul Walter Hauser, John Malkovich, and Natasha Lyonne also joined the cast of the retro-future movie.

The official synopsis for The Fantastic Four: First Steps: Set against the vibrant backdrop of a 1960s-inspired, retro-futuristic world, “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” introduces Marvel’s First Family—Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic, Sue Storm/Invisible Woman, Johnny Storm/Human Torch, and Ben Grimm/The Thing as they face their most daunting challenge yet. Forced to balance their roles as heroes with the strength of their family bond, they must defend Earth from a ravenous space god called Galactus (Ralph Ineson) and his enigmatic Herald, Silver Surfer (Julia Garner). And if Galactus’ plan to devour the entire planet and everyone on it weren’t bad enough, it suddenly gets very personal.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps will launch Phase Six of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and is being directed by Matt Shakman (WandaVision) from a script by Eric Pearson, Josh Friedman, Jeff Kaplan, and Ian Springer. Shakman has teased that the movie will be unlike anything we’ve seen from Marvel so far. “It’s different in so many ways,” Shakman said. “I wish I could be specific. I wish I could say more. But we are doing things very differently from a story standpoint, from an approach to the filmmaking standpoint, that really fits the material. I wish I could say more. I would love to, but I can’t. But I think it’s going to be unlike anything you’ve seen before, and certainly unlike anything at Marvel that you’ve seen before.”

Are you looking forward to The Fantastic Four: First Steps? Take a look at the character posters, then let us know by leaving a comment below.

The post The Fantastic Four: First Steps gets retro trading card style character posters appeared first on JoBlo.

Matt Fraction (Hawkeye, Sex Criminals, Fantastic Four: First Steps, Adventureman) pens Fantastic Four: First Steps with art by Mark Buckingham (Fables, Miracleman) and cover art by Phil Noto (Black Widow, Trials of X, The Infinite Horizon). First Steps is a one-shot comic published by Future Foundation.

According to Deadline, The Fantastic Four: First Steps comic is designed to be an artifact from the world of the upcoming movie. The book confirms that the forthcoming Marvel Studios film is not an origin story but a tale taking place four years after the team becomes heroes. The comic pulls inspiration from the MCU film, including insight from production designer Kasra Farahani. The comic evokes the tone and aesthetic of the film, meeting in the middle to create a unique reading experience.

Marvel Studios has big plans for the Fantastic Four. In addition to the comic, Marvel’s First Family will appear as characters in Tomorrowland at Disneyland. If Marvel plays its cards right, they could reposition the team for a new generation, washing the foursome clean of past films and ineffectual appearances in movies like Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

Speaking about this ground-breaking collaboration, Marvel Comics Editor in Chief C.B. Cebulski said, “As Marvel’s First Family, the Fantastic Four and their stories have always been at the very center of the Marvel Universe. With The Fantastic Four: First Steps coming later this summer, we at Marvel all felt this was the perfect opportunity to bring our teams together in honor of their legacy in both the world of the film and within our comics. It’s been a blast to have our teams in Publishing and Studios bounce ideas back and forth to create something truly special and one-of-a-kind, and we can’t wait for fans to be able to dive in to this comic—squarely in the world of the MCU—and experience the Fantastic Four like we’ve never seen before this summer.”

He added, “The heart of Marvel has always stemmed from the comics, and Kevin and the team have been bringing those pages to life in extraordinary ways with each and every film. With this comic, we’re bringing those two worlds together in a way we think fans will love.”

Matt Fraction is the perfect writer to tackle this project. His run on Marvel’s Fantastic Four comic (2013-2014) is the stuff of legend. Fraction is the reason the FF are my favorite superhero team. His Fantastic Four run, in conjunction with its companion series, Future Foundation, is an excellent example of how comic book storytelling can transcend the page to create something engaging, brilliant, and timeless.

The post Marvel Comics and Marvel Studios join forces for the first time for an MCU comic with Fantastic Four: First Steps appeared first on JoBlo.

The latest trailer for The Fantastic Four: First Steps finally gave us our first look at Julia Garner as the Silver Surfer. While speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Garner explained that she didn’t know she was going to play the Silver Surfer, as she assumed the character would be a man.

“I met up with Matt [Shakman], who’s lovely. We met up at some restaurant in Burbank or something, I don’t even remember, but I knew it was for the Fantastic Four. And then I was confused because I was like, ‘Wait, isn’t the Silver Surfer a man?’ I was just like, ‘Okay, well, I’ll play anything,’” Garner said with a laugh. “I was a very big fan of Matt’s, so there was already, in my mind, like, ‘I should probably meet with Matt Shakman because he’s a very smart director and I love his work.’ And then he was explaining to me that it’s actually Shalla-Bal and that whole thing.“

Garner continued, “He wasn’t telling me a whole bunch about the movie, but we were talking a lot about the 1960s. Our meeting went all over the place, and I thought I wasn’t actually going to get the part because the meeting was all over the place. I was like, ‘I don’t know how he will hire me for this job.’ I mean, we were talking about communism, brutalist architecture, all this stuff. And then they were like, ‘You got it.’ I was like, ‘Wait, what?’ So I think that we vibed, but you never know, basically, is what I’m saying.“

As the Silver Surfer was brought to life through motion-capture, Garner didn’t see the finished version of the character until the trailer. “I just thought it was so cool. It kind of oddly looked like … well, I don’t want to say fashion-y, but you could totally see it on, I felt like, a runway, which is something I always notice the best,” Garner said. “The costume has to be aesthetically pleasing to the eye, especially with Marvel. People love that. At the end of the day, it is a comic book. I’m excited to see it — I really haven’t seen anything besides the trailer and some mockup scenes, so it’s going to be interesting.“

Garner went on to tease that although the Surfer is the herald of Galactus, you’re not quite sure what side she’s on. “Does she stand with her boss, or is she just doing what she’s told? She has this mysterious energy about her, and slowly that mystery will get solved with the audience throughout watching it.” When it comes to playing the character again, be it in a spin-off or another Marvel movie, Garner is down. “A hundred percent, I would love to do that,” She said. “The Silver Surfer is such a cool character, and I feel like it’s so rare to be presented with any sort of mystery in this day and age. So any kind of energy like that on screen, I know I want to see that, so that would be awesome if that happened.“

The official synopsis for The Fantastic Four: First Steps: “Set against the vibrant backdrop of a 1960s-inspired, retro-futuristic world, “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” introduces Marvel’s First Family—Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic, Sue Storm/Invisible Woman, Johnny Storm/Human Torch, and Ben Grimm/The Thing as they face their most daunting challenge yet. Forced to balance their roles as heroes with the strength of their family bond, they must defend Earth from a ravenous space god called Galactus (Ralph Ineson) and his enigmatic Herald, Silver Surfer (Julia Garner). And if Galactus’ plan to devour the entire planet and everyone on it weren’t bad enough, it suddenly gets very personal.” The film will hit theaters on July 25th.

The post Julia Garner didn’t think she’d be cast as the Silver Surfer because she assumed the character would be a man appeared first on JoBlo.

Marvel Studios has just shared the newest trailer for the anticipated introduction of one the brand’s more famous properties — The Fantastic Four. The film stars Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards, aka Mr. Fantastic; Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm, aka the Invisible Woman; Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm, aka the Human Torch, Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm, aka the Thing, and Julia Garner as the Shalla-Bal version of the Silver Surfer. Additionally, the great Ralph Ineson will play Galactus, the Devourer of Worlds. Paul Walter Hauser, John Malkovich, and Natasha Lyonne also joined the cast of the retro-future movie.

The official synopsis for The Fantastic Four: First Steps: Set against the vibrant backdrop of a 1960s-inspired, retro-futuristic world, “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” introduces Marvel’s First Family—Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic, Sue Storm/Invisible Woman, Johnny Storm/Human Torch, and Ben Grimm/The Thing as they face their most daunting challenge yet. Forced to balance their roles as heroes with the strength of their family bond, they must defend Earth from a ravenous space god called Galactus (Ralph Ineson) and his enigmatic Herald, Silver Surfer (Julia Garner). And if Galactus’ plan to devour the entire planet and everyone on it weren’t bad enough, it suddenly gets very personal.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps will launch Phase Six of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and is being directed by Matt Shakman (WandaVision) from a script by Eric Pearson, Josh Friedman, Jeff Kaplan, and Ian Springer. Shakman has teased that the movie will be unlike anything we’ve seen from Marvel so far. “It’s different in so many ways,” Shakman said. “I wish I could be specific. I wish I could say more. But we are doing things very differently from a story standpoint, from an approach to the filmmaking standpoint, that really fits the material. I wish I could say more. I would love to, but I can’t. But I think it’s going to be unlike anything you’ve seen before, and certainly unlike anything at Marvel that you’ve seen before.”

The film will hit theaters on July 25.

The post Galactus is arriving in the new trailer for The Fantastic Four: First Steps appeared first on JoBlo.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps recently showed off a little preview at CinemaCon. The footage included many scenes of Marvel’s first family in retro-futuristic worlds where they’re celebrities. The CinemaCon crowd got a first look at Julia Garner’s Silver Surfer, Shalla-Bal. She warns the Fantastic Four that their planet is doomed, and they’ve been marked for death. They have no choice but to go on the defense. The world starts to lose faith. Meanwhile, the FF fights a public battle to convince the population that they can protect them. One aspect about the film that’s been revealed is Sue Storm being pregnant. Entertainment Weekly recently spoke with the cast about the film and Vanessa Kirby, who will be portraying Sue, aka The Invisible Woman, talked about this element that is a significant plot point in the movie. Kirby says,

Matt and I were really aware that there hasn’t really been a mother with a baby in these superhero archetypes women have been getting. One of the things I love most from Sue’s history is when she becomes Malice, and all her dark stuff comes out. I was obsessed with that chapter of her life. So I wanted to make sure that there were tones of Malice in there with her, that she wasn’t just the stereotype of a goody, sweet mother.”

Kirby continued to explain, “I’ve always been really interested in the mess of femininity, and how can you be both? How can you be all the things? Not just the tough, invincible, powerful woman, but also a mother who gives birth, which is itself a superhero act. I love that these characters are real humans in a messy family who argue and try to work it out and get things wrong.”

Additionally, EW has gifted readers with a batch of new exclusive images from the film. Check them out below!

The film stars Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards, aka Mr. Fantastic; Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm, aka the Invisible Woman; Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm, aka the Human Torch, Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm, aka the Thing, and Julia Garner as the Shalla-Bal version of the Silver Surfer. Additionally, the great Ralph Ineson will play Galactus, the Devourer of Worlds. Paul Walter Hauser, John Malkovich, and Natasha Lyonne also joined the cast of the retro-future movie.

The official synopsis for The Fantastic Four: First Steps: Set against the vibrant backdrop of a 1960s-inspired, retro-futuristic world, “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” introduces Marvel’s First Family—Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic, Sue Storm/Invisible Woman, Johnny Storm/Human Torch, and Ben Grimm/The Thing as they face their most daunting challenge yet. Forced to balance their roles as heroes with the strength of their family bond, they must defend Earth from a ravenous space god called Galactus (Ralph Ineson) and his enigmatic Herald, Silver Surfer (Julia Garner). And if Galactus’ plan to devour the entire planet and everyone on it weren’t bad enough, it suddenly gets very personal.

The post Fantastic Four: First Steps star Vanessa Kirby talks about inspiration behind Sue Storm’s pregnancy, plus new images appeared first on JoBlo.

The Fantastic Four: First Step will finally introduce Marvel’s first family to the MCU, but the film won’t include Doctor Doom as the main villain. Instead, we’ll finally get a comic-accurate take of Galactus the Devourer of Worlds. While speaking with Entertainment Weekly, director Matt Shakman explained why they didn’t go with Doctor Doom.

“Doom’s a great character, but he takes up a lot of air,” Shakman said. “Other film adaptations have done both an origin story and Doom. We’re doing neither, and that allows us to look at them from a fresh perspective.“

Although Doctor Doom won’t be featured in The Fantastic Four: First Steps (although I’d be shocked if Robert Downey Jr.’s take on the character didn’t show up in a post-credit sequence), the foursome will meet up with the good doctor in Avengers: Doomsday.

As Shakman mentioned, the other Fantastic Four movies have given Doom plenty of screen time, so it’s understandable that they would want to give Galactus his time to shine. The cosmic character appeared in Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, but he was depicted as a giant cloud, which isn’t fun for anyone. In First Steps, Galactus is played by Ralph Ineson, who is wearing the character’s signature purple-and-blue armour. “I didn’t want to just use motion-capture for Galactus. I wanted to actually have someone there embodying the part,” Shakman said. “So we’ve built an entire costume for him, and we’ve done a lot of photography testing to figure out, How do you make sure that the scale is correct? How do you film Mount Rushmore?“

Pedro Pascal, who plays Reed Richards, added that Galactus “is definitely a scale of threat which Reed has never experienced. Even the smartest man in the world is awestruck by a being that outdates his understanding of time.” In addition to Pascal, The Fantastic Four: First Steps stars Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm, Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm, Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm, Ralph Ineson as Galactus, and Julia Garner as Silver Surfer. The film will hit theaters on July 25th.

The post Why Doctor Doom isn’t the villain in The Fantastic Four: First Steps appeared first on JoBlo.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps recently showed off a little preview at CinemaCon. The footage included many scenes of Marvel’s first family in retro-futuristic worlds where they’re celebrities. The CinemaCon crowd got a first look at Julia Garner’s Silver Surfer, Shalla-Bal. She warns the Fantastic Four that their planet is doomed, and they’ve been marked for death. They have no choice but to go on the defense. The world starts to lose faith. Meanwhile, the FF fights a public battle to convince the population that they can protect them.

Marvel has recently released a new poster that continues the retro vibes of the 60s. The new poster doesn’t reveal much, but it emulates the minimalist designs of Saul Bass, who famously made posters and credit sequences with line patterns and silhouettes in that era of cinema. You can check it out below.

Meanwhile, Empire has also released a couple of new images from the upcoming movie. We get a look at Reed, Sue, Johnny and Ben suited up for space travel and preparing to make their fateful journey.

The film stars Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards, aka Mr. Fantastic; Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm, aka the Invisible Woman; Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm, aka the Human Torch, Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm, aka the Thing, and Julia Garner as the Shalla-Bal version of the Silver Surfer. Additionally, the great Ralph Ineson will play Galactus, the Devourer of Worlds. Paul Walter Hauser, John Malkovich, and Natasha Lyonne also joined the cast of the retro-future movie.

The official synopsis for The Fantastic Four: First Steps: Set against the vibrant backdrop of a 1960s-inspired, retro-futuristic world, “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” introduces Marvel’s First Family—Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic, Sue Storm/Invisible Woman, Johnny Storm/Human Torch, and Ben Grimm/The Thing as they face their most daunting challenge yet. Forced to balance their roles as heroes with the strength of their family bond, they must defend Earth from a ravenous space god called Galactus (Ralph Ineson) and his enigmatic Herald, Silver Surfer (Julia Garner). And if Galactus’ plan to devour the entire planet and everyone on it weren’t bad enough, it suddenly gets very personal.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps will launch Phase Six of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and is being directed by Matt Shakman (WandaVision) from a script by Eric Pearson, Josh Friedman, Jeff Kaplan, and Ian Springer. Shakman has teased that the movie will be unlike anything we’ve seen from Marvel so far. “It’s different in so many ways,” Shakman said. “I wish I could be specific. I wish I could say more. But we are doing things very differently from a story standpoint, from an approach to the filmmaking standpoint, that really fits the material. I wish I could say more. I would love to, but I can’t. But I think it’s going to be unlike anything you’ve seen before, and certainly unlike anything at Marvel that you’ve seen before.”

The post Fantastic Four: First Steps: Marvel’s first family emulates a Saul Bass design in the new poster, plus newly released images appeared first on JoBlo.

As you might expect, Marvel Studios played a big part in Disney’s presentation at CinemaCon.

Thunderbolts* is the next Marvel outing, with Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), Red Guardian (David Harbour), John Walker (Wyatt Russell), Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), and Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko) forced to unite on a dangerous mission. Lewis Pullman plays Bob, a superpower individual also known as The Sentry. Julia Louis-Dreyfus also returns as Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, who seems to be pulling the strings behind the scenes.

The Thunderbolts* portion of Marvel’s panel at CinemaCon got off to an awkward start. Well, kind of. The film’s stars executed a funny bit where they arrived at the panel late, with Wyatt Russell looking particularly disheveled. Russell pretended to be drunk and told the crowd he lost $37K at a nearby casino. Meanwhile, Florence Pugh “accidentally” called David Harbour “Day-Barr.”

Marvel played an extended clip for the crowd, starting with Bucky and Red Guardian bonding over shared jail time. Meanwhile, Yelena and the U.S. Agent commiserate over how neither lived up to the position they were given (him Captain America, her Black Widow). They then fight their way into Valentina’s stronghold, but she seems to expect them. We find out Bucky lost his job as a congressman, while Valentina calls Walker Varsity Captain America and David Harbour Santa. Then, it cuts to a new trailer. It looks like a lot of action, but maybe too much comedy. Like every action scene or suspenseful moment has jokes and one-liners. I don’t know if that will work for the entire movie, but it might just be the trailer.

Thunderbolts* will hit theaters on May 2nd.

Next up is The Fantastic Four: First Steps, the highly anticipated introduction of Marvel’s first family to the MCU. I’ve got high hopes for this one. It stars Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm, Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm, Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm, Ralph Ineson as Galactus, and Julia Garner as Silver Surfer. The film will hit theaters on July 25th.

Marvel brought an extended look at Fantastic Four: First Steps to the stage. The footage includes many scenes of Marvel’s first family in retro-futuristic worlds where they’re celebrities. The CinemaCon crowd got a first look at Julia Garner’s Silver Surfer, Shalla-Bal. She warns the Fantastic Four that their planet is doomed, and they’ve been marked for death. They have no choice but to go on the defense. The world starts to lose faith. Meanwhile, the FF fights a public battle to convince the population that they can protect them. There are also clues that Susan is pregnant. If this is the case, we could get Franklin Richards and, later, his sister, Valeria, down the road. Their introduction could lead to the forming of the Future Foundation! Let’s f***ing go!

Avengers: Doomsday is currently filming, with one hell of an ensemble cast. Take a deep breath. Here we go. The officially announced cast includes Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm, Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson, Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes, Letitia Wright as Shuri, Paul Rudd as Scott Lang, Wyatt Russell as John Walker, Tenoch Huerta Mejía as Namor, Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm, Simi Liu as Shang-Chi, Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova, Kelsey Grammer as Hank McCoy, Lewis Pullman as Bob, Danny Ramirez as Joaquin Torres, Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm, David Harbour as Red Guardian, Winston Duke as M’Baku, Hannah John-Kamen as Ghost, Tom Hiddleston as Loki, Patrick Stewart as Charles Xavier, Ian McKellen as Erik Lehnsherr, Alan Cumming as Kurt Wagner, Rebecca Romijn as Raven Darkhölme, James Marsden as Scott Summers, Channing Tatum as Remy LeBeau, Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards, and Robert Downey Jr. as Victor von Doom. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg, as more names will be coming.

Avengers: Doomsday will hit theaters on May 1, 2026, followed by Avengers: Secret Wars on May 7, 2027.

The post New looks at The Fantastic Four and Thunderbolts bring thrilling action, laughs, and Julia Garner’s Silver Surfer to CinemaCon appeared first on JoBlo.

Some cliche somewhere said that ‘a picture is worth a thousand words.’ This has proven to be the case for me and especially when it comes to fan art. I have always sought out great fan art and have wanted to share it with as many people as possible. “Awesome Art We’ve Found Around The Net” is the outlet for that passion. In this column, I will showcase the kick-ass artwork of some great artists, with the hopes that these artists get the attention they deserve. That’s the aim. If you have any questions or comments, or even suggestions of art or other great artists, feel free to contact me at any time at theodorebond@joblo.com.

The Avengers by Matt Taylor

Black Panther by Jan Crisologo

Captain Marvel by Roxy Color

Daredevil: Born Again by Kevin Tiernan

Galactus and The Silver Surfer by Andrew Ross MacLean

The Hulk by Chamba

Moon Knight by Samer Alkaabi

Spider-Man by Edward Batkins

Thanos by Gustavo S.Santos

The X-Men by Dusty Abell

The post Awesome Art: Marvel with The Avengers, Daredevil, The Hulk, Spider-Man, The X-Men appeared first on JoBlo.

John Malkovich has a resume of prestigious projects, but every once in a while, he’ll venture into roles with a wider appeal. Malkovich has gotten to let loose in movies like Con Air, Red, Red 2 and Transformers: Dark of the Moon. There was even talk about him becoming the Vulture in a possible sequel to a Sam Raimi-Tobey Maguire Spider-Man movie. However, Malkovich can be seen soon in the upcoming Marvel Studios film The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Variety reports that Malkovich has revealed that there had been Marvel roles in the past offered to him, but he would turn them down.

The esteemed actor gave an interview with GQ magazine where he explained why the offers hadn’t been sufficient enough for him to accept the parts. He explained,

The reason I didn’t do them had nothing to do with any artistic considerations whatsoever. I didn’t like the deals they made, at all. These films are quite grueling to make… If you’re going to hang from a crane in front of a green screen for six months, pay me. You don’t want to pay me, it’s cool, but then I don’t want to do it, because I’d rather be onstage, or be directing a play, or doing something else.”

He would go on to say that he found it surprising that filming Fantastic Four was “not that dissimilar to doing theater” because “you imagine a bunch of stuff that isn’t there and do your little play.” Malkovich would also say that a big factor of accepting a role in the upcoming MCU film was so he could work with Matt Shakman again after 2014’s Cut Bank.

The official synopsis for The Fantastic Four: First Steps: Set against the vibrant backdrop of a 1960s-inspired, retro-futuristic world, “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” introduces Marvel’s First Family—Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic, Sue Storm/Invisible Woman, Johnny Storm/Human Torch, and Ben Grimm/The Thing as they face their most daunting challenge yet. Forced to balance their roles as heroes with the strength of their family bond, they must defend Earth from a ravenous space god called Galactus (Ralph Ineson) and his enigmatic Herald, Silver Surfer (Julia Garner). And if Galactus’ plan to devour the entire planet and everyone on it weren’t bad enough, it suddenly gets very personal.

The post John Malkovich reveals he’s turned down Marvel roles in the past because the offers were too low for his asking appeared first on JoBlo.

Some cliche somewhere said that ‘a picture is worth a thousand words.’ This has proven to be the case for me and especially when it comes to fan art. I have always sought out great fan art and have wanted to share it with as many people as possible. “Awesome Art We’ve Found Around The Net” is the outlet for that passion. In this column, I will showcase the kick-ass artwork of some great artists, with the hopes that these artists get the attention they deserve. That’s the aim. If you have any questions or comments, or even suggestions of art or other great artists, feel free to contact me at any time at theodorebond@joblo.com.

Bram Stokers Dracula by Şahin Düzgün

The Brutalist by Siddharth Vinod

Captain America: Brave New World by Bruno Carvalho

The Fantastic Four: First Steps by Nuno Sarnadas

First Blood by Forsaken Folklore

Invasion Of The Body Snatchers by Joel Herrera

Mars Attacks! by Aurelio Lorenzo

The Monkey by Macaulay Moran

Pulp Fiction by John Dunn

The Silence Of The Lambs by Ben Turner

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At long last, Marvel Studios has released the first official teaser trailer for The Fantastic Four: First Steps. They also dropped a handful of posters for the much-anticipated Fantastic Four movie, but some fans believe AI was used to create them, citing an inaccurate number of fingers, two people with the same face, and other inconsistencies.

However, a Marvel spokesperson confirmed to The Wrap that AI was not used in the creation of the Fantastic Four posters. You can check out the four posters below. What do you think?

Although Marvel has denied it in this case, the studio has previously been criticized for using AI to create the opening credits of Secret Invasion.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps stars Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards, aka Mr. Fantastic; Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm, aka the Invisible Woman; Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm, aka the Human Torch, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm, aka The Thing. Ralph Ineson plays Galactus, the Devourer of Worlds, with Julia Garner playing the Silver Surfer. Paul Walter Hauser, John Malkovich, and Natasha Lyonne are also involved in undisclosed roles.

The film will launch Phase Six of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and was directed by Matt Shakman (WandaVision) from a script by Eric Pearson, Josh Friedman, Jeff Kaplan, and Ian Springer. Shakman has teased that the movie will be unlike anything we’ve seen from Marvel so far. “It’s different in so many ways,” Shakman said. “I wish I could be specific. I wish I could say more. But we are doing things very differently from a story standpoint, from an approach to the filmmaking standpoint, that really fits the material. I wish I could say more. I would love to, but I can’t. But I think it’s going to be unlike anything you’ve seen before, and certainly unlike anything at Marvel that you’ve seen before.”

The official synopsis for The Fantastic Four: First Steps: “Set against the vibrant backdrop of a 1960s-inspired, retro-futuristic world, “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” introduces Marvel’s First Family—Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic, Sue Storm/Invisible Woman, Johnny Storm/Human Torch, and Ben Grimm/The Thing as they face their most daunting challenge yet. Forced to balance their roles as heroes with the strength of their family bond, they must defend Earth from a ravenous space god called Galactus (Ralph Ineson) and his enigmatic Herald, Silver Surfer (Julia Garner). And if Galactus’ plan to devour the entire planet and everyone on it weren’t bad enough, it suddenly gets very personal.” The film will hit theaters on July 25, 2025.

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Yesterday, a trailer announcement teaser dropped online with the description, “The Future Foundation invites you to take your first steps into a fantastic new era.” Letting us know that the first teaser trailer for the Marvel movie The Fantastic Four: First Steps would be unveiled this morning. They told us to “Prepare 4 Launch,” they had the countdown – and now the teaser trailer (referred to as “Launch coverage”) has arrived! You can check it out in the embed above.

There have been several attempts to bring the Fantastic Four to the screen over the years, to varying levels of success. Roger Corman produced a low budget adaptation of the comic book back in 1994, but it was never officially released. (You can find it if you really want to see it, though.) Tim Story directed two big budget Fantastic Four movies that were released by 20th Century Fox, Fantastic Four (2005) and Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007). In 2015, Fox gave the property to Josh Trank so he could bring a reboot to the screen… and that just turned out to be a collection of bad ideas. The Fantastic Four movies have never fully lived up to the potential of the concept and characters. Now, with The Fantastic Four: First Steps, the characters have come home to Marvel Studios and are officially joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Here’s hoping this will turn out to be the Fantastic Four movie we’ve been waiting for all along.

The film stars Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards, aka Mr. Fantastic; Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm, aka the Invisible Woman; Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm, aka the Human Torch, Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm, aka the Thing, and Julia Garner as the Shalla-Bal version of the Silver Surfer. Additionally, the great Ralph Ineson will play Galactus, the Devourer of Worlds. Paul Walter Hauser, John Malkovich, and Natasha Lyonne also joined the cast of the retro-future movie.

The official synopsis for The Fantastic Four: First Steps: Set against the vibrant backdrop of a 1960s-inspired, retro-futuristic world, “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” introduces Marvel’s First Family—Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic, Sue Storm/Invisible Woman, Johnny Storm/Human Torch, and Ben Grimm/The Thing as they face their most daunting challenge yet. Forced to balance their roles as heroes with the strength of their family bond, they must defend Earth from a ravenous space god called Galactus (Ralph Ineson) and his enigmatic Herald, Silver Surfer (Julia Garner). And if Galactus’ plan to devour the entire planet and everyone on it weren’t bad enough, it suddenly gets very personal.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps will launch Phase Six of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and is being directed by Matt Shakman (WandaVision) from a script by Eric Pearson, Josh Friedman, Jeff Kaplan, and Ian Springer. Shakman has teased that the movie will be unlike anything we’ve seen from Marvel so far. “It’s different in so many ways,” Shakman said. “I wish I could be specific. I wish I could say more. But we are doing things very differently from a story standpoint, from an approach to the filmmaking standpoint, that really fits the material. I wish I could say more. I would love to, but I can’t. But I think it’s going to be unlike anything you’ve seen before, and certainly unlike anything at Marvel that you’ve seen before.”

The Fantastic Four: First Steps has a release date of July 25, 2025. What did you think of the teaser trailer? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

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Tomorrow is February 4. F4. So, Marvel is taking the date as an opportunity to launch the first trailer for one of the most anticipated properties from the Studio in a long time — The Fantastic Four: First Steps. The trailer teaser showcases kids watching a display of TVs in a store window while the broadcast on the screen reads, “Ready 4 launch” to all of their excitement.

The film stars Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards, aka Mr. Fantastic; Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm, aka the Invisible Woman; Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm, aka the Human Torch, Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm, aka The Thing, and Julia Garner as the Shalla-Bal version of the Silver Surfer. Additionally, the great Ralph Ineson will play Galactus, the Devourer of Worlds. Paul Walter Hauser, John Malkovich, and Natasha Lyonne also joined the cast of the retro-future movie.

The official synopsis for The Fantastic Four: First Steps: “Set against the vibrant backdrop of a 1960s-inspired, retro-futuristic world, “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” introduces Marvel’s First Family—Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic, Sue Storm/Invisible Woman, Johnny Storm/Human Torch, and Ben Grimm/The Thing as they face their most daunting challenge yet. Forced to balance their roles as heroes with the strength of their family bond, they must defend Earth from a ravenous space god called Galactus (Ralph Ineson) and his enigmatic Herald, Silver Surfer (Julia Garner). And if Galactus’ plan to devour the entire planet and everyone on it weren’t bad enough, it suddenly gets very personal.” 

The Fantastic Four: First Steps will launch Phase Six of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and is being directed by Matt Shakman (WandaVision) from a script by Eric Pearson, Josh Friedman, Jeff Kaplan, and Ian Springer. Shakman has teased that the movie will be unlike anything we’ve seen from Marvel so far. “It’s different in so many ways,” Shakman said. “I wish I could be specific. I wish I could say more. But we are doing things very differently from a story standpoint, from an approach to the filmmaking standpoint, that really fits the material. I wish I could say more. I would love to, but I can’t. But I think it’s going to be unlike anything you’ve seen before, and certainly unlike anything at Marvel that you’ve seen before.”

The official title of the film was unveiled at San Diego Comic-Con last month, as was a short teaser trailer that concluded with a glimpse of Galactus himself. Shakman confirmed that the film is set in an alternate 1960s inspired by famed concept artist Syd Mead. “We’re not just doing the ’60s, we’re doing retro-future ’60s,” Shakman said. “It’s part what you know from the ’60s, but part what you’ve never seen before.” The Fantastic Four: First Steps will hit theaters on July 25.

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Julia Garner plays Silver Surfer in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, but she hasn’t commented on her involvement in the Marvel movie… until now. The actress didn’t say much about the character when she spoke with Entertainment Weekly, only to assume that she will be “really shiny” in the finished film.

“I can’t really speak a lot about that project,” Garner said. “All I can just say is that I’m very lucky to have a part in that project, and the Fantastic Four are fantastic. They are so amazing in this. I’m very excited for people to see them. I’m assuming that this Silver Surfer is gonna be really shiny like in the other previous ones and the comic books. So, yeah, that’s all I’m gonna say.“

The Fantastic Four: First Steps stars Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards, aka Mr. Fantastic; Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm, aka the Invisible Woman; Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm, aka the Human Torch, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm, aka The Thing. Ralph Ineson plays Galactus, the Devourer of Worlds, with Paul Walter Hauser, John Malkovich, and Natasha Lyonne involved in undisclosed roles.

The official synopsis for The Fantastic Four: First Steps: “Set against the vibrant backdrop of a 1960s-inspired, retro-futuristic world, “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” introduces Marvel’s First Family—Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic, Sue Storm/Invisible Woman, Johnny Storm/Human Torch, and Ben Grimm/The Thing as they face their most daunting challenge yet. Forced to balance their roles as heroes with the strength of their family bond, they must defend Earth from a ravenous space god called Galactus (Ralph Ineson) and his enigmatic Herald, Silver Surfer (Julia Garner). And if Galactus’ plan to devour the entire planet and everyone on it weren’t bad enough, it suddenly gets very personal.” The Fantastic Four: First Steps will hit theaters on July 25, 2025.

Garner will next be seen starring alongside Christopher Abbott in Wolf Man. The film follows Blake (Abbott), a San Francisco husband and father, who inherits his remote childhood home in rural Oregon after his own father vanishes and is presumed dead. With his marriage to his high-powered wife, Charlotte (Garner), fraying, Blake persuades Charlotte to take a break from the city and visit the property with their young daughter, Ginger (Matlida Firth). But as the family approaches the farmhouse in the dead of night, they’re attacked by an unseen animal and, in a desperate escape, barricade themselves inside the home as the creature prowls the perimeter. As the night stretches on, however, Blake begins to behave strangely, transforming into something unrecognizable, and Charlotte will be forced to decide whether the terror within their house is more lethal than the danger without. Wolf Man will hit theaters on January 17, 2025.

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Ebon Moss-Bachrach is playing Ben Grimm, aka The Thing, in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, but will the actor utter the character’s iconic catchphrase?

While appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live this week, Moss-Bachrach was asked if he says, “It’s clobberin’ time” at some point in the film. “I slipped it in there a couple times,” Moss-Bachrach said. “We’ll see what happens. I don’t have final cut on this one.“

The Thing will be brought to life through motion-capture in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, and the actor even got some help from the godfather of motion-capture performance, Andy Serkis. “I have seen a very crude rendering, because it takes a while to build this stuff,” Moss-Bachrach said. “They’ve got lots of animators working on this. I wore a motion-capture suit, two cameras right here and so they’re capturing absolutely everything, every nuance in my eye. It takes a while to build it, and they’re building it right now. Andy Serkis, who’s sort of the godfather of motion-capture, he has this company, The Imaginarium at Pinewood Studios, where we shot this.“

Moss-Bachrach continued, “They have a room they call the Magic Mirror, where you put on the motion-capture suit and you put on monitors, and you can see in real time a beta rendering. It’s not fully realized, you can’t see the face too much. But there are stairs and a doorframe so you can see the physics, how big the character is.“

Kimmel then tried to get Moss-Bachrach to spill some details on the upcoming film, including whether Robert Downey Jr. might appear as Doctor Doom, but the actor didn’t bite. “It’s not gonna happen,” he said. “I’ve been through rigorous media training.“

“So has Tom Holland, and he always gives me something,” Kimmel responded. I don’t know if Holland is ever going to live that reputation down.

The official synopsis for The Fantastic Four: First Steps: “Set against the vibrant backdrop of a 1960s-inspired, retro-futuristic world, “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” introduces Marvel’s First Family—Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic, Sue Storm/Invisible Woman, Johnny Storm/Human Torch, and Ben Grimm/The Thing as they face their most daunting challenge yet. Forced to balance their roles as heroes with the strength of their family bond, they must defend Earth from a ravenous space god called Galactus (Ralph Ineson) and his enigmatic Herald, Silver Surfer (Julia Garner). And if Galactus’ plan to devour the entire planet and everyone on it weren’t bad enough, it suddenly gets very personal.” The Fantastic Four: First Steps will hit theaters on July 25, 2025.

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With 2024 coming to a close, it’s time to start looking to the future for our cinema needs. What does the year hold in store for us cinephiles? While 2024 held some surprise hits, giant blockbusters, and small films that could, it’s looking like 2025 movie releases will hold more of the same. We can hope that the good fortune that Hollywood has brought us will continue into the new year and keep theater attendance up. Here’s our 2025 Movie Preview:

Den Of Thieves: Pantera – January 10

Gerard Butler is back chasing down diamond thieves on the streets of Europe. He stumbles across the planning of the largest diamond heist ever planned. If you liked the first movie, then this will probably be more of the same. I’m personally happy that Gerard Butler is making some fun B-movie action films like back in the day. Plane was fun, and I’m excited to see these types of films at the theater again.

Better Man – January 10

A biopic about UK pop star Robbie Williams as we see his childhood all the way through his superstardom. Robbie will be playing himself, but how do you do that without it being weird? What if you make it so he’s a chimp? Sure. With Pharrell releasing his biopic as a Lego movie and now Robbie Williams replacing himself with a CGI chimp it seems biopics are really trying to gain quirk appeal.

Back In Action – January 17

Cameron Diaz is coming out of retirement and teaming up with Jamie Foxx for this Netflix original film. They play former CIA agents who are pulled back in when their identities are exposed. While I’m glad to see Diaz back on screen after a decade away, it’s odd that this generic spy action movie did it. Maybe just the idea of being in a movie with Jamie Foxx again was enough.

Star Trek: Section 31 – January 24

This direct to Paramount+ film is a spin off from Star Trek: Discovery starring Michelle Yeoh as her character Philippa Georgiou. This was originally planned as a series, but after COVID-19 delays, it was scrapped. Later they revived the idea for an original movie. Star Trek has always been a beloved franchise but with new movies going direct to streaming, will we ever see them return to the big screen?

Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy – February 13

For the first time in nine years, Bridget Jones is back! Only this time, it will be on Peacock in the United States and then in theaters everywhere else in the world. Seems backwards but okay. Bridget Jones is now a single mom and trying to figure out how that works when you’re trying to get back into the dating pool. Renee Zellweger and Hugh Grant return, along with some other familiar faces. Are we past the Bridget Jones fandom, or is there still more life in this franchise?

Captain America: Brave New World – February 14

After the events of Falcon And The Winter Soldier, Anthony Mackie is donning the shield as the new Captain America. Harrison Ford steps in for the late William Hurt as the new President Ross, who has a big red secret to share. Marvel only had one release last summer, and it seemed to work really well for them. Let’s see if something without Hugh Jackman’s claws still registers for Marvel fans.

Mickey 17 – March 7

The new film from Bong Joon-ho sees Robert Pattinson sent on a space mission because he is seen as expendable. With technology, he can be regenerated if something goes wrong. This time, something goes wrong, and he begins to experience an existential crisis. This darkly comedic film looks like a good time as we see Mickey die in numerous different ways and still have to get up to go to work the next day.

Black Bag – March 14

Steven Soderberg’s spy thriller is coming out with no details on the plot. With a cast that includes Michael Fassbender, Cate Blanchett, and Pierce Brosnan, you can bet lots of people will be interested in checking it out. Soderberg has always had an interesting take on just about any film he releases, and this will be no different.

Snow White – March 21

Disney continues its trend of doing live-action remakes of its old animated films. This one caused a stir when it was announced, as people seemed divided on how to handle the seven dwarfs aspect of the film. Ultimately, the dwarves will be completely CGI. It will be interesting to see how this plays in a modern culture. Expect some new songs, and Gal Gadot will be playing the evil queen, which is inspired casting compared to the look of the original character.

A Minecraft Movie – April 4

With Super Mario Bros. and the Sonic movies being big hits, it’s no surprise that the hugely popular game Minecraft would be getting its own movie. Jack Black once again jumps on board to play Steve, the generic character most players take control of when booting up Minecraft. Jason Mamoa, Jennifer Coolidge, and Kate McKinnon round out the cast as random characters are pulled into the cubic world and need the help of an expert crafter to get home. Seems very Jumanji.

The Accountant 2 – April 25

I don’t think anyone saw this sequel coming. In the first film, Ben Affleck played a neuro-divergent accountant who had a side job as a hitman. The film was a modest hit but nothing that would seem to warrant a sequel. Some other familiar faces from the first one return.

Thunderbolts* – May 2

The second of Marvel’s offerings this year sees a bunch of cast-off characters from previous Marvel films being rounded up for a new agency. Yelena will be leading the team of previous supervillains who are now taking jobs for the government. Of course, this will be complicated by a lot of in-fighting and some unexpected speedbumps. The trailer makes this look like a lot of fun so here’s hoping it will give MCU fans some laughs while providing some great action scenes.

Lilo & Stitch – May 23

This is the second of Disney’s live-action remakes. Stitch crash-lands on Earth and is adopted by a young girl. Hijinks ensue as others come looking for him. The original had a great sense of humor, and the trailers showing Stitch invading other Disney properties were great. I have no idea if this will translate well into live-action, but kids will probably love it.

Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning – May 23

This was originally titled Dead Reckoning Part II, but after the last film underperformed, the title was quickly changed. It will continue the storyline from the last film, and we see Ethan Hunt trying to stop the deadly AI from causing worldwide chaos. Of course in order to shut it down, they have to make their way to the submarine that is crashed on the ocean floor.

Karate Kid: Legends – May 30

The franchise returns to the big screen as we see Daniel from the original and Mr. Han from the 2010 “remake” join forces to mentor a new student. It’s a strange crossing of the streams which retcons the remake into being set in the same continuity. With Cobra Kai just ending when this hits theaters, will fans even care enough to go check it out? Fans of the original movie got their nostalgia fix with the series. Are there people who have nostalgia for the 2010 movie?

From The World Of John Wick: Ballerina – June 6

The spin-off of the John Wick films hits the big screen. We were introduced to the Ballerinas in John Wick 3. Now they get a film all their own while Keanu Reeves will still make an appearance since this is set during that time period. Ana de Armas takes over the role of Eve as she looks to get revenge on the people who killed her family. The intricate world of John Wick is fascinating to explore, and this gives us a chance to see even more of it.

Elio – June 13

An animated film from Disney that follows Elio. He’s a young space fanatic who gets tasked with saving the universe. They have been struggling to come up with animated films that really stick with audiences that aren’t already established Pixar properties. The shine of the early Pixar films has really dimmed after Disney bought them. Hopefully we can see Disney regain its footing with animated films like we used to have.

How To Train Your Dragon – June 13

Dreamworks seems to be taking a cue from Disney and remaking some of their more popular animated properties. We’re getting another round of dragons as we see the first meeting of Hiccup and Toothless. Again. Not sure if this trend will ever end, but at least Dreamworks doesn’t have as deep of a catalog as Disney. When can we expect to see a live-action Kung Fu Panda?

Jurassic World: Rebirth – July 2

Scarlett Johanssen is taking the lead role this time around. No one seems to have learned any lesson about bringing dinosaurs back to life. This time it looks like explorers have to go in to get DNA samples from some prehistoric animals to help cure a disease. Universal really just wants to see if there is any juice left to squeeze out of this fruit. It may be time to let it sleep for a few decades before heading back in.

Superman – July 11

James Gunn takes his stab at the Man of Steel as the DC Universe reboots itself on-screen once again. Reports are that Gunn held an early screening for WB execs and that it did not go well. That could be internet fodder, but it doesn’t instill a lot of hope for the new version of the DCU. With the DC shows on the CW just wrapping up, we’ll have to see if Gunn’s Superman will connect with comic fans. The recent trailer seemed to gain a lot of views very quickly, so we at least know that fans are interested.

The Smurfs Movie – July 18

Those magical little blue creatures will grace theater screens once again. This time, the film will be fully animated and musical. Paramount/Nickelodeon will take on the film, and it seems to be inspired by the popularity of the Troll movies. Rhianna will voice Smurfette and be joined by Nick Offerman, John Goodman, Kurt Russell, Dan Levy, and Hannah Waddingham.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps – July 25

Marvel’s first family finally makes their way into the MCU. While they have been on-screen before as part of Fox’s Marvel movies, this time, we’ll see what the MCU has in store for the group. Marvel’s third film in six months will really test if audiences are in superhero fatigue or not. The early footage shown at Comicon seems fun, so hopefully, it will bring something new.

Naked Gun – August 1

Liam Neeson is hoping to try something drastically different than we’ve seen from him before. He has some big shoes to fill, as Leslie Nielsen based the whole second half of his career on the original Naked Gun. It will be hard to see anyone else trying to play that role. Plus, does that type of comedy have a place anymore?

Freakier Friday – August 8

Disney’s calendar of releases this year is crazy, as we see the reteaming of Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan. The last film was a remake of an old Disney Classic. Now, twenty-one years later, we are getting a sequel. Expect more body-swapping jokes as the Lindsay Lohan resurgence seems to be taking shape. She’s been on an upswing lately, and hopefully, we can see her get a victory lap as she has matured.

Nobody 2 – August 15

Somehow, Bob Odenkirk became an action star after starring in Nobody back in 2021. Now, we get to see some more middle-aged dad action as he returns for this sequel. The first movie really worked to show what appears to be an ordinary man who decides to get back into a life he left a long time ago. Now that we have seen him for what he really is, here’s hoping for more action and more Christopher Lloyd running around with a shotgun.

Downton Abbey 3 – September 12

The third film spin-off of the popular period drama. Many of the cast return to once again play their characters, showing the divide between the upper class and the working class. This drama captivated audiences when it first premiered, and both previous films have been big hits. It only makes sense to keep it going with another film.

Tron: Ares – October 10

We’re traveling back into the world of Tron. Jeff Bridges is back, along with a slew of other familiar faces like Jodie Turner-Smith, Evan Peters, and Jared Leto. This time, a program is sent from the digital world to the real world. Each Tron film so far has pushed the boundaries in terms of special effects and technical marvels. Let’s see what they come up with this time.

Mortal Kombat 2 – October 24

We’re heading back to the arcade, so get your quarters ready. The reboot of the Mortal Kombat franchise continues as our heroes are heading back to Outland to continue the fight for all existence. The last film was released during the pandemic, so a true gauge of the popularity is hard to judge, but audiences seem to have a positive response. During the initial film franchise run, the second entry pushed it off a cliff. We can hope they learned their lesson.

Now You See Me 3 – November 14

Another entry into the magic mystery franchise is in the pipeline. All of our sleight-of-hand artists are returning, but no plot has been released so far. The previous movies have gained an audience through their unique use of stage magic and illusions to foil their adversaries. It is a fun and interesting way of doing a mystery based action film. If it lives up to the previous entries, then audiences should leave the theater happy.

Wicked: For Good – November 21

The second part of the recent smash hit. Those who haven’t seen the Broadway play or read the book will get to see how the story ends. I expect more fantastic songs, some great visuals, and more Oz. We all need all the Oz we can get. Let’s all get ready to defy gravity once again.

Zootopia 2 – November 26

Disney has quite the release schedule this year, and we’re not even done yet. Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde are teaming up to solve a wild case that could change their entire lives. It will be fun to travel back into the world of Zootopia and see where the characters are. It looks like more of the same fun we had in the last film.

Avatar: Fire And Ash – December 19

It’s time to head back to Pandora. Last time James Cameron dealt with water motifs and explored more of the world. Looks like we’ll be dealing with fire this time around. While the films seem to always be a wonder of motion capture and CGI, it would be great to see Cameron go back to other projects before his film career comes to an end. We can always hope.

The SpongeBob Movie: Search For SquarePants – December 19

Hey Kids! SpongeBob is back with another movie. This time, he will explore the depths of the ocean to deal with the ghost of the Flying Dutchman. This franchise just keeps engaging generation after generation. At this point, The Simpsons might be about the only animated franchise that has lasted longer. As long as fans keep checking out the movies, the more they will keep making.

What 2025 movie releases are you looking forward to? Let us know in the comments. And, if you’re looking for more info on horror releases, check out our horror movie preview HERE!

The post 2025 Movie Preview: All the big movies hitting theaters next year! appeared first on JoBlo.

Ever since it was first announced, we’ve had bits and teases about what we can expect from Marvel’s The Fantastic Four: The First Steps, with fans using artwork to search for clues as to when the film would be set, which additional characters outside of the core four would appear and pretty much anything else their minds could conjure up. Now, with Phase Four on the brink of wrapping up next year, Marvel is keeping no secret about the plot of their Phase Five launcher, releasing the official plot synopsis.

Here it is, courtesy of Fantastic Four Updates: “Set against the vibrant backdrop of a 1960s-inspired, retro-futuristic world, “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” introduces Marvel’s First Family—Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic, Sue Storm/Invisible Woman, Johnny Storm/Human Torch, and Ben Grimm/The Thing as they face their most daunting challenge yet. Forced to balance their roles as heroes with the strength of their family bond, they must defend Earth from a ravenous space god called Galactus (Ralph Ineson) and his enigmatic Herald, Silver Surfer (Julia Garner). And if Galactus’ plan to devour the entire planet and everyone on it weren’t bad enough, it suddenly gets very personal.”

If we weren’t already excited enough – The Fantastic Four: The First Steps is currently my most anticipated in Phase Five of the MCU – that synopsis teases the sort of mixture of action and emotion that come of the best films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe have given us. OK, so The Fantastic Four has a terrible track record on the big screen – the movies either suck or were literally unreleasable – but this introduction into the MCU is long overdue and I believe that the work has truly been done this time around to make it worthwhile and a service to fans. The film comes out on July 25th, 2025.

The central cast features Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm/Invisible Woman, Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm/Human Torch, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm/The Thing.

What do you hope to see in The Fantastic Four: The First Steps? Are you excited for the gang to join the MCU?

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A Marvel mural at New York Comic-Con has revealed fresh looks at Red Hulk (Harrison Ford) from Captain America: Brave New World, H.E.R.B.I.E. from The Fantastic Four: First Steps, and more. You can check out the full Marvel mural courtesy of Brandon Davis below.

I’ve got to say, I’m loving the look of Red Hulk. The motion capture process was a new experience for Harrison Ford, who has described the process as “being an idiot for money.” Captain America: Brave New World has had a fair number of reshoots, with rumours of significant changes to the script. However, the trailer looked pretty solid, with a Winter Soldier-vibe that should please fans. Here’s hoping it can stick the landing. In addition to Harrison Ford as Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, the film also stars Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson, Danny Ramirez as Joaquin Torres / Falcon, Shira Haas as Ruth Bat-Seraph, Tim Blake Nelson as Samuel Sterns / Leader, Carl Lumbly as Isaiah Bradley, and Liv Tyler as Betty Ross.

The official synopsis for Captain America: Brave New World 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.” Captain America: Brave New World will hit theaters on February 14th, 2025.

As for The Fantastic Four: First Steps, the film is still in production. It stars Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards, aka Mr. Fantastic; Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm, aka the Invisible Woman; Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm, aka the Human Torch, Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm, aka The Thing, and Julia Garner as the Shalla-Bal version of the Silver Surfer. Additionally, the great Ralph Ineson will play Galactus, the Devourer of Worlds. Paul Walter Hauser, John Malkovich, and Natasha Lyonne have also joined the cast in undisclosed roles.

The official title of the film was unveiled at San Diego Comic-Con this summer, as was a short teaser trailer that concluded with a glimpse of Galactus himself. Director Matt Shakman (WandaVision) confirmed that the film is set in an alternate 1960s inspired by famed concept artist Syd Mead. “We’re not just doing the ’60s, we’re doing retro-future ’60s,” Shakman said. “It’s part what you know from the ’60s, but part what you’ve never seen before.” The Fantastic Four: First Steps will hit theaters on July 25, 2025.

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A video from the set of The Fantastic Four: First Steps has given us our first look at The Thing. Based on the video, the character looks pretty damn close to The Thing we know and love, heavy brow and all. It would also appear that there’s actually someone inside the suit. Check out the set video below!

Michael Chiklis wore a practical suit as The Thing in Fantastic Four and Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, while Jamie Bell went the mo-cap route for a digital Thing in the 2015 reboot. Ebon Moss-Bachrach, who will be playing Ben Grimm aka The Thing in the new movie, has previously confirmed that this new incarnation of the character will be done through motion capture. “In the past, I think they’ve done a suit. Michael Chiklis wore a suit that apparently was really uncomfortable, and it’s kind of… we’re past that,” Moss-Bachrach said on Jimmy Kimmel Live earlier this year. “It’s a little kind of cosplay, kind of amateur that kind of stuff now with the technology we have.“

I suspect that the practical Thing suit seen in this Fantastic Four: First Steps set video is meant to be a stand-in and reference for other actors in the scene and visual effects artists.

The film stars Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards, aka Mr. Fantastic; Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm, aka the Invisible Woman; Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm, aka the Human Torch, Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm, aka The Thing, and Julia Garner as the Shalla-Bal version of the Silver Surfer. Additionally, the great Ralph Ineson will play Galactus, the Devourer of Worlds. Paul Walter Hauser, John Malkovich, and Natasha Lyonne have also joined the cast in undisclosed roles.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps will launch Phase Six of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and is being directed by Matt Shakman (WandaVision) from a script by Eric Pearson, Josh Friedman, Jeff Kaplan, and Ian Springer. Shakman has teased that the movie will be unlike anything we’ve seen from Marvel so far. “It’s different in so many ways,” Shakman said. “I wish I could be specific. I wish I could say more. But we are doing things very differently from a story standpoint, from an approach to the filmmaking standpoint, that really fits the material. I wish I could say more. I would love to, but I can’t. But I think it’s going to be unlike anything you’ve seen before, and certainly unlike anything at Marvel that you’ve seen before.”

The official title of the film was unveiled at San Diego Comic-Con last month, as was a short teaser trailer that concluded with a glimpse of Galactus himself. Shakman confirmed that the film is set in an alternate 1960s inspired by famed concept artist Syd Mead. “We’re not just doing the ’60s, we’re doing retro-future ’60s,” Shakman said. “It’s part what you know from the ’60s, but part what you’ve never seen before.” The Fantastic Four: First Steps will hit theaters on July 25, 2025.

The post The Fantastic Four: First Steps set video reveals our first look at The Thing appeared first on JoBlo.

As Marvel readies The Fantastic Four for the MCU, it was inevitable that everyone from the earlier movies would be recast. And while Chris Evans has gone on to play a key role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe – thus bumping to the top of the list for a Deadpool & Wolverine cameo – that hasn’t been the case for the rest of the team. Fortunately, at least Jessica Alba is taking it in good stride, even lending words of wisdom to Vanessa Kirby, who will take over Invisible Woman aka Sue Storm in next year’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps.

Jessica Alba – who played Invisible Woman in both 2005’s Fantastic Four and 2007’s Rise of the Silver Surfer – recently stated that she thinks Vanessa Kirby should embrace the wide fandom of the characters, saying, “I think [the advice is to] just have fun. The fans are so amazing.” She added, “It was probably one of the best times of my life, going around the world and meeting all of the people that just love The Fantastic Four and love these comic books and can relate to these stories. That, to me, and to be able to meet so many different people that you can touch and bring joy to them, I would say that’s first and foremost for anyone who gets the honor of playing one of these awesome characters. So I’d tell her to just have fun and soak in the moments.” Rebecca Staab has yet to comment…

It should be noted that these comments are in stark contrast to past comments Jessica Alba made about working on Fantastic Four, which she said was an experience that almost pushed her to quit acting altogether. Granted, most of this had to do with director Tim Story. Even still, it’s pretty great to see just how generous she is passing the torch (no, not that one) despite a genuine interest in reprising the character should the opportunity arise.

As it stands, Vanessa Kirby will be our Invisible Woman for the foreseeable future, beginning with The Fantastic Four: First Steps, which launches Phase Six of the Marvel Cinematic Universe on July 25th, 2025.

What did you think of Jessica Alba in Fantastic Four? What will Vanessa Kirby bring to the character?

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The D23 Expo has kicked off in Anaheim, California, and attendees at the Music of Marvel panel were treated to something special: Michael Giacchino’s main theme for The Fantastic Four: First Steps. You can listen to the theme for yourself below.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is now in production, with Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards, aka Mr. Fantastic; Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm, aka the Invisible Woman; Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm, aka the Human Torch, Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm, aka The Thing, and Julia Garner as the Shalla-Bal version of the Silver Surfer. Additionally, the great Ralph Ineson will play Galactus, the Devourer of Worlds. Paul Walter Hauser, John Malkovich, and Natasha Lyonne have also joined the cast in undisclosed roles.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps will launch Phase Six of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and is being directed by Matt Shakman (WandaVision) from a script by Eric Pearson, Josh Friedman, Jeff Kaplan, and Ian Springer. Shakman has teased that the movie will be unlike anything we’ve seen from Marvel so far. “It’s different in so many ways,” Shakman said. “I wish I could be specific. I wish I could say more. But we are doing things very differently from a story standpoint, from an approach to the filmmaking standpoint, that really fits the material. I wish I could say more. I would love to, but I can’t. But I think it’s going to be unlike anything you’ve seen before, and certainly unlike anything at Marvel that you’ve seen before.”

The official title of the film was unveiled at San Diego Comic-Con last month, as was a short teaser trailer that concluded with a glimpse of Galactus himself. Shakman confirmed that the film is set in an alternate 1960s inspired by famed concept artist Syd Mead. “We’re not just doing the ’60s, we’re doing retro-future ’60s,” Shakman said. “It’s part what you know from the ’60s, but part what you’ve never seen before.” The Fantastic Four: First Steps will hit theaters on July 25, 2025.

What did you think of Michael Giacchino’s main theme for The Fantastic Four: First Steps?

The post Michael Giacchino unveils main theme for The Fantastic Four: First Steps appeared first on JoBlo.