Esthetic Education

After the death of Luke (Elliot Grihault) in the House of the Dragon season 1 finale, the conflict between the Greens and the Blacks is sure to only escalate. Season 1's Daemon is clearly someone valuable to have on-side during a war due to his combat proficiency and penchant for violence, but his changed attitude in season 2 may make him less of an asset. If Daemon has lost some of that edge that he had in season 1, he may actually end up being more of a liability for Rhaenyra. That being said, however, Daemon was far from an honorable and just knight in season 1, and reckoning with his past misdeeds could see him turn another leaf. It's hard to imagine House of the Dragon season 2 transforming Daemon too significantly in this regard, and he's sure to remain a slippery figure, but it would be interesting to see a version of the character who seeks some form of atonement. In any case, it sounds like audiences are in for a different version of Daemon when House of the Dragon return

With Daredevil: Born Again set to come out in early 2025, Charlie Cox recently shared some of his hopes about playing the character for a long time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Cox first portrayed Matt Murdock in the Netflix series Daredevil, which was released on April 10, 2015. The show spanned 39 episodes across three seasons and appeared alongside other Marvel street heroes in The Defenders series before ending on October 29, 2018. Charlie Cox would make his first appearance as the character in the MCU timeline three years later in Spider-Man: No Way Home. It originally wasn't clear if the Netflix shows that included Daredevil were canon to the MCU, with Daredevil: Born Again's story seeming set to answer this question. However, the Defenders Saga has been confirmed as MCU canon in recent history, with Vincent D'Onofrio reprising his Kingpin role in Echo and Cox appearing as Daredevil in two different MCU shows already. Cox recently spoke with Deadline at the 2024 Disney Upfront and talked about some of his hopes for Daredevil in the MCU, which includes playing the character for another ten years.

Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse was originally set to be released on March 29, 2024. However, it was taken off Sony's release schedule in July 2023, with no new release date in sight. The move came just a month after the release of the second film in the animated franchise — Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. As the film ended on a massive cliffhanger, it made sense for Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse to be released less than a year after it; however, the delay made the wait for the franchise's finale longer than expected. No reason was given for Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse's delay; however, it could have something to do with the previous movie's reported behind-the-scenes issues. A damning report claimed Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse's working conditions were far from ideal. According to the report, over 100 people working on the film decided to leave because they could not continue working 11 hours a day, seven days a week, with changes being made constantly. Phil Lord, the producer at the center of the accusations, responded, saying, "We’re really proud of how hard everybody worked, and it was very demanding.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 star Ben Schwartz promises a satisfying entrance from Shadow (Keanu Reeves) in the film. The movie is the third installment in the Sonic the Hedgehog film series and is based on the video game franchise of the same name by Sega. In the games, Shadow is Sonic's archenemy, raising anticipation for the iconic villain's long-awaited entry in the film series. Anticipation was raised further when it was announced Reeves had signed on to voice the character. Now, Schwartz is further hyping up Shadow and promising his entry will be everything viewers hope for. In an interview with Screen Rant, Schwartz teased the "gratifying" nature of Shadow's arrival in Sonic the Hedgehog 3. Schwartz, who voices Sonic, stated he loved Shadow's entrance in the new film. He acknowledged that the movie is taking on one of the franchise's biggest characters but was doing so that would demonstrate to fans that it cares about and understands them. Schwartz concluded that he hoped fans would feel taken care of by the movie.

A popular theory about Xavier’s true nature in Wednesday is very convincing, but it is also too repetitive to work. Wednesday has been a resounding success on Netflix and is returning for a second season. With Jenna Ortega leading the cast of Wednesday, the highly anticipated season 2 has a lot to live up to, especially after season 1’s mysterious ending. Several theories have been proposed about what could happen to Xavier in Wednesday season 2. Xavier was one of the most intriguing characters in the series, especially because of his strange connection to Wednesday. Seeing as Wednesday season 1 ended on a cliffhanger with little explanation or insight into Xavier's true nature, the show could still revisit the character, even if indirectly.

Venom: The Last Dance is the next film to be released from Sony's Spider-Man Universe, and the upcoming movie has received a major confirmation that makes the franchise's situation even more dire. Tom Hardy started the SSU as Eddie Brock back in 2018 with the first Venom. Since then, the actor has managed to be the only SSU star to visit the Marvel Cinematic Universe, appearing in the post-credits scenes of Venom: Let There Be Carnage and Spider-Man: No Way Home, though he never interacted with Tom Holland's Spider-Man as fans had hoped. Hardy will next be seen as Eddie Brock leading the cast of Venom: The Last Dance. The movie will be the first SSU release to come after the disaster that was Madame Web. While that film featured a great cast and multiple Spider-Man-related characters, Madame Web was ultimately a major failure for the SSU, badly damaging the public opinion of the franchise. Now, Venom: The Last Dance is expected to turn that around; however, a new update regarding the movie puts the future of Sony's Spider-Man Universe at risk.

Thor 5 can turn the franchise around after Thor: Love and Thunder proved itself disappointing, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe could use a famous director and an exciting Marvel Comics story to make Thor's next solo film the best he has had so far. Chris Hemsworth's Thor is one of the few members of the original Avengers to remain active in the MCU. Currently, Hemsworth's Thor movies hold a major record for the franchise, as the hero is the only character to star in four solo films, though Tom Holland's Spider-Man will tie him with Spider-Man 4. While Hemsworth is the only MCU star with four solo films, the actor's latest Thor movie was not the success Marvel expected. Despite its box office success, Thor: Love and Thunder became one of the MCU's most criticized movies. The film had a clear clash of tones, with director Taika Waititi's love for humor and improv actively hurting the film instead of making it better, as was the case for the beloved Thor: Ragnarok, which is one of the MCU's best movies. Hemsworth's Thor 5 needs to turn the franchise around, and Marvel has the perfect means to do so.

In a shocking turn of events, a concept trailer of The Dark Knight Returns featuring Christian Bale's Batman has gone viral on social media, leaving fans in a state of confusion. The trailer, which has close to a lot of views, appears to be a sequel to Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight trilogy and shows Bale reprising his role as the Caped Crusader. The trailer, uploaded to the Screen Culture YouTube channel on May 01, 2024. It cleverly stitches together footage from Christopher Nolan's "Dark Knight" trilogy and Zack Snyder's "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice," creating the illusion of continuity, as mentioned in a report by the entertainment platform Coming Soon. Additionally, AI technology is employed to recreate Bale's Batman in a scene, alongside resurrected footage of Gary Oldman's character, Commissioner Gordon.

New photos have emerged showing filming on the set of Stranger Things season 5, and while the snaps will likely whet appetites for the Netflix show's upcoming return, they also partially debunk a popular villain theory. Though it's yet to be confirmed, Stranger Things season 5 is expected to be released in 2025, and, as such, filming is currently well underway. In recent weeks, various photos from the set of the new season have found their way online, including a bunch from a familiar location that could hint at where the fifth and final season is headed. The last time viewers took a trip to Hawkins, Indiana, was back in 2022 when season 4 of the hit sci-fi horror show was released in two parts over the summer of that year. Though some aspects of the story were tied up, Stranger Things season 4's ending left certain things unexplained and provided a lot of set-ups for the next installment. There are lots of great Stranger Things season 5 theories that could explain what the show has in store. However, thanks to new set photos, at least one popular theory has at least been partly disproved.

The Boys season 4 is filled with the progression of various romantic storylines, as well as a shift of power, according to the cast and showrunner Eric Kripke. The Boys universe keeps growing as season 4 approaches its June 13 premiere, picking up the strands of storylines from new show Gen V in addition to the events of its previous seasons. Following the war against Soldier Boy in The Boys season 3, season 4 shift the focus back to Homelander and how the band of heroes plans to stop him. In The Boys season 4, the vigilantes' time is running out as Homelander continues to gain more power with the public. On the political side, Victoria Neuman (played by Claudia Doumit) is preparing for her own battle with Homelander while still posing a danger to the outcasts in her own right. Annie (Erin Moriarty) and Kimiko (Karen Fukuhara) each do their part to keep the gang together despite dealing with personal and romantic frustrations — not to mention the fact that The Boys season 4 raises the stakes more than ever.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has used the multiverse as a storytelling device since before the Multiverse Saga even began, highlighted by Captain America and the events of Avengers: Endgame. With the upcoming release of The Fantastic Four impending, narrative questions have reasonably arisen about the impacts of multiversal time travel. While time travel in the MCU has not immediately created various branching timelines like in DC's The Flash, Captain America's return to the main MCU timeline has raised questions of continuity that continue unanswered to this day. In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the butterfly effect does not appear to exist in every scenario. Still, Marvel has worked hard to retain stakes within a changing, branching universe, telling character-centric stories that hop between dimensions in Doctor Strange: In The Multiverse Of Madness and Spider-Man: No Way Home. Fortunately, the MCU has a good handle on picking and choosing the elements of multiverse and time travel that best impact the stories that they wish to tell. However, this inevitably raises concerns about narrative consistency, and everything we know about The Fantastic Four and its 1960s setting complicates things.

Based on the Dance of the Dragons, then the obvious contender for another major battle in season 2 - assuming it comes at the end - would be the Battle of the Gullet. This is a massive sea battle that takes place between the Velaryon fleet and the Triarchy, who have around 90 warships. The battle comes as the Velaryons block access into Blackwater Bay while Otto Hightower schemes with the leaders of the Triarchy, and the result is one of the biggest sea battles in Westeros history (and, yes, dragons are involved). There are a couple of factors that make me think this won't be happening in season 2, even after Condal's latest tease of what's in store. Firstly, there hasn't really been any hint of it in the trailers (that things like set photos haven't shown it is less of an issue, as much of it would be filmed at Leavesden Studio). In an interview with THR last year, stunt coordinator Rowley Irlam confirmed a sea battle was planned, but it didn't sound like it was immediately forthcoming

Sam Wilson will soon officially carry on the Captain America mantle on the big screen in the upcoming Captain America: Brave New World, and a new update from one of the film's stars is promising for a return to one of the MCU Phase 1 and 2's biggest strengths. The movies of the MCU have kept the franchise a cinematic juggernaut for over a decade and a half, but it's hard to argue that Marvel's behemoth hasn't lost a beat of steam in the past few years. There's no simple fix to the Marvel Studios' ailments, but Captain America 4's story and central villain may be a step in the right direction. Though The MCU's saga-closing Avengers movies are set to arrive in 2026 and 2027, it already feels like the final push of solo films has begun - perhaps due to an unusually light 2024 (Deapool & Wolverine being the only MCU movie of the year). After the Merc with a Mouth hits theaters in July 2024, Sam Wilson will usher in 2025, followed by Thunderbolts* and The Fantastic Four. If Captain America: Brave New World can offer a tonal return-to form, the MCU may have an easier time finding its footing in time for the saga's final narrative push.

While both of Scott's Alien prequels had their strengths and weaknesses, one disappointing aspect of Alien: Covenant is that Noomi Rapace's Elizabeth, the hero of Prometheus, doesn't return. After surviving the events of Prometheus, Elizabeth certainly proves herself a worthy successor to Ripley, but she's killed off-screen before Alien: Covenant begins. There's certainly an argument to be made that Elizabeth's return would have improved Scott's divisive prequel film and added to the narrative cohesion between the two movies. From what's been shown off from Alien: Romulus so far, Rain could be a new Ripley-like protagonist who returns in potential future films. After two Alien entries in which all the human characters die by the end credits, the franchise has an opportunity to begin a larger arc for Rain in which she grows and evolves over multiple movies. It remains to be seen just how similar Rain actually is to Ripley, but she's certainly shaping up to be an interesting protagonist for Alien: Romulus.

Wolverine's comic-accurate mask in Deadpool & Wolverine will mark an important change not only for the MCU, but possibly for the DCU as well. Hugh Jackman's return as Wolverine in Deadpool & Wolverine marks the tenth time the actor portrays the iconic mutant on the big screen, yet it will be the first time he wears Wolverine's yellow suit and mask in live-action. Although the mask hasn't been featured in any trailer or spot, promotional material for Deadpool & Wolverine has confirmed that Jackman's Wolverine will wear it at some point, and that it includes comic-accurate white lenses. It took 24 years for Wolverine to wear the classic suit and mask for the first time on screen, not precisely because of each X-Men director's refusal to feature the costume, but mostly because the superhero genre was unprepared for faithful recreations of comic book suits throughout most of Fox's X-Men movie franchise. Whereas black leather suits were the boldest look the X-Men could sport back in the early 2000s, audiences can now easily accept colorful costumes and animated white eyes in 2024. However, one famous character's mask still needs to pass the same test as Wolverine.

Dune: Prophecy, Max's upcoming TV show set in Denis Villeneuve's Dune movie universe, has a lot of ground to cover. Set 10,000 years before the events depicted in Dune: Part One and Dune: Part Two, the series focuses on the founding of the Bene Gesserit sect. Even so, there are many other questions Dune: Prophecy must answer. Of course, there are also several key threads that were cut from Villeneuve's movies that the TV series must address — not just for the good of Dune's lore, but in order to properly set up the filmmaker's highly anticipated Dune 3. Key to Dune: Prophecy's impressive cast of characters are Valya Harkonnen (Emily Watson), the leader of the newly founded Bene Gesserit Sisterhood, and Tula Harkonnen (Olivia Williams), Valya's sister and fellow Bene Gesserit adept. While the main focus will be on the Harkonnen sisters and other Bene Gesserit acolytes, members of the Corrino Empire will also play a key role. Needless to say, the prequel series sets the stage for Paul Atreides' (Timothée Chalamet) epic story, but Dune: Prophecy also needs to properly introduce a crucial faction that Villeneuve failed to include in his movies.

Iron Man was and remains one of the most iconic characters in the MCU, which raises the question of why Iron Man 4 never happened. Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark kick-started the MCU and was the only hero to star in two solo movies before The Avengers (2012) wrapped up the MCU phase 1. RDJ later headlined Iron Man 3 (2013) in phase 2, but a fourth movie never surfaced despite Tony remaining a central figure in the franchise for another six years until his death in Avengers: Endgame (2019). It seems as if the idea was at least entertained, as negotiations were reportedly happening around the release of Iron Man 3. RDJ, Kevin Feige, or anyone else at Marvel Studios has never given an official reason why Iron Man 4 didn't happen. However, looking at the circumstances around Robert Downey Jr., Iron Man, and the wider MCU provides some reasonable insight into why Iron Man 4 didn't work out.

After months of speculation about what the movie's title means for the future, Sony Motion Pictures Group chairman Tom Rothman has confirmed one fear about Venom: The Last Dance. Plot details are currently under wraps for the fifth installment in Sony's Spider-Man Universe, with set photos seemingly indicating that the movie will pick up shortly after Eddie Brock's Spider-Man: No Way Home crossover cameo. The ensemble Venom: The Last Dance cast will see Hardy joined by Juno Temple in an undisclosed lead role, as well as Chiwetel Ejiofor and Clark Backo, with Kelly Marcel, who penned the script for all three movies, making her directorial debut. During a recent interview with Deadline for the Cannes Film Festival, Rothman opened up about the studio's plans for their various franchises heading into the future. Looking at their Marvel content, in particular, Rothman confirmed that Venom: The Last Dance will be the final movie centered on Tom Hardy's alien vigilante. The Sony exec did, however, assure that the franchise's swan song "is going to be huge."

Despite initially set to lead the charge for Sony's Spider-Man Universe in the summer, Kraven the Hunter's release date has been delayed. The next installment in the SSU will explore the origin story of its titular Spider-Man villain as he discovers his ability to communicate with animals and uses it to hunt down his criminal father after being left for dead during a hunt. Aaron Taylor-Johnson leads the Kraven the Hunter cast alongside Russell Crowe, Ariana Debose, Fred Hechinger, Christopher Abbott, Alessandro Nivola and Levi Miller. Sony Pictures has announced that Kraven the Hunter's release date has been delayed. The latest installment in Sony's Spider-Man Universe was originally set for an August 30 premiere and will now hit theaters on December 13, nearly a full four months after its prior date. This now puts the movie's release after fellow SSU title Venom: The Last Dance, which is currently set for an October 25 release

Chris Pratt comments on The Super Mario Bros. Movie 2 and how the sequel will further explore a larger universe of Nintendo properties. Based on the iconic Nintendo video game character, the first Super Mario Bros. Movie from Illumination Entertainment hit theaters in 2023, becoming one of the biggest box office hits of the year. It didn't take long for confirmation to arrive that Pratt would reprise his role as Mario for a sequel, which is expected to release in spring 2026. In a recent interview with Screen Rant, Pratt teases what's to come from the announced Super Mario Bros. Movie 2. According to the actor, there's plenty of room for franchise expansion, with a whole interconnected cinematic universe of Nintendo characters potentially on the way.

Monica Bellucci’s new character in Beetlejuice 2 could turn out to be connected to a gross moment from the original movie. In addition to bringing back a few original actors like Michael Keaton as Beetlejuice, Winona Ryder as Lydia Deetz, and Catherine O’Hara as Delia Deetz, the cast of Beetlejuice 2 features compelling new faces as the Deetz family’s story continues. So far, the major new actors and characters in the long-awaited Tim Burton sequel are confirmed to include Justin Theroux as Rory, Jenna Ortega as Lydia’s daughter Astrid, Willem Dafoe as an afterlife detective, and Monica Bellucci as Beetlejuice’s wife. Of the new characters confirmed ahead of Beetlejuice 2’s 2024 release, the most mysterious is Monica Bellucci as the unnamed wife, or seemingly ex-wife, of Michael Keaton’s long-dead character. No official images have been released of Bellucci in the upcoming horror-comedy, but she was included in exclusive footage of Beetlejuice 2’s extended trailer from CinemaCon. The footage reiterates that Bellucci’s character is dead, has more of a zombified appearance akin to Keaton’s poltergeist, and is featured in the world of Beetlejuice’s afterlife, but little else is known about her role in the sequel. However, her introduction may be able to explain one gross moment from the 1988 original Beetlejuice movie.

Gladiator 2 may not be bringing back Russell Crowe as Maximus, but it could be paying off a decades-long Ridley Scott concept. Gladiator became an instant classic upon release in 2000, instantly revitalizing director Ridley Scott's career and making Russell Crowe a movie star. The movie wrapped up perfectly too, with Crowe's Maximus having achieved his revenge before succumbing to his wounds. Of course, when the film was a gigantic success, Maximus' unambiguous death made sequel discussions tricky. That's why Gladiator 2 spent over two decades in development hell, with several concepts being pitched and rejected. Nick Cave's Gladiator 2 screenplay became somewhat infamous, with the plot involving Maximus being resurrected by the Roman Gods to slay Jesus Christ. After a period where it appeared a sequel would never happen, Scott has finally stepped back behind the camera for the upcoming Gladiator 2. Some familiar faces will return for the film, though Maximus remains deceased. Instead, it will be fronted by Paul Mescal as the adult Lucius, who was played by Spencer Treat Clark in the original.

Where that connects to Sentry is the fact that Pullman's Marvel character has been rumored to serve as the movie's main antagonist. Sentry is a hero in Marvel Comics, and the character should start like that in the film. However, rumors claim that Bob Reynolds will turn to the dark side and go up against the team. Given Sentry's immense power — he is one of Marvel's Superman-like characters — and the MCU's Thunderbolts mostly being made up of super-soldiers, the team would not be much of a match for Sentry. While Sentry is a hero, Bob Reynolds holds great darkness within him. In the comics, when Bob got his powers and became Sentry, a dark entity known as the Void bonded with him. Eventually, that twisted power took over and led to a path of death and destruction. It would be interesting to see Sentry first become part of the Thunderbolts, with the team rumored to rescue him from the vault that appeared in Florence Pugh's Thunderbolts* set video before fighting Pullman's character as the Void in Marvel's Thunderbolts*.

As House of the Dragon season 2 nears, writer Sara Hess confirms that one character from the book will not have a big role in the show. The Game of Thrones spinoff series is based on the book Fire & Blood by George R. R. Martin, which chronicles the Targaryen civil war that rocked Westeros. The series stars Emma D’Arcy, Olivia Cooke, and Matt Smith. House of the Dragon season 2 will bring more characters as the turmoil slowly uncovers, including some big houses like the Starks needing to respond to their leader's call. Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Hess confirmed that Sara Snow of Winterfell will not have as much screen time as expected since the POV is predominantly that of the Targaryens. The writer also stated they don’t have the eyes to be everywhere since they have so much content to cover

Sydney Sweeney is heading to outer space in a new "Barbarella" movie. The actor confirmed the news on Instagram on Oct. 11, writing, "time to save the universe" alongside a screenshot of Deadline's announcement of the project. According to the outlet, the "White Lotus" actor is set to star as the title hero and executive produce. The film is in development, with no writer or producer attached. Jane Fonda famously played Barbarella in a 1968 film directed by Roger Vadim. The character first appeared in a French comic series by Jean-Claude Forest. The film ultimately became a cult classic and is considered one of Fonda's most impactful roles. Fonda reflected on her character's legacy in an April interview with Vanity Fair, saying, "All these young men later kept telling me it was the first erection they had, watching 'Barbarella.' And I thought, I'll take that. That's a good thing to be responsible for.