(Photo by Disney/courtesy Everett Collection. Deadpool & Wolverine.)
Friends of the super variety, we’ve collected every Fresh and Certified Fresh superhero movie with at least 20 reviews to assemble our guide to the best superhero movies ever, ranked by Tomatometer!
It’s been a decades-long battle towards the top in pop culture for superhero movies, and we’re featuring here all the goods, the greats, and the masterpieces made along the way. Everything from the Marvel Cinematic Universe (Iron Man, Avengers) to DCEU (Aquaman, Wonder Woman), animated fare (The Incredibles, Megamind) to live-action spoofs (The Toxic Avenger, Mystery Men), comedies (Deadpool) and the super serious (The Dark Knight), and then throwing in some originals made just for the big screen (The Rocketeer, Darkman, Unbreakable).
Recently, we’ve added the meta-crushing Deadpool & Wolverine!
Great leaping buggaboos! This introduction is now over! Throw up the cape, slip on that cowl, and hop into the Tomatomobile: We ride for to the best superhero movies of all time!
97%
97%
96%
95%
95%
94%
94%
94%
93%
94%
93%
93%
93%
93%
93%
93%
92%
92%
92%
91%
92%
91%
90%
90%
90%
90%
90%
90%
90%
89%
89%
87%
87%
87%
86%
86%
87%
85%
85%
85%
85%
85%
85%
84%
84%
83%
83%
83%
83%
82%
82%
83%
81%
80%
80%
80%
78%
79%
79%
79%
78%
77%
78%
77%
76%
74%
73%
72%
71%
80%
74%
73%
72%
73%
71%
71%
70%
70%
68%
66%
67%
66%
65%
64%
63%
63%
63%
63%
62%
60%
60%
60%
58%
58%
58%
57%
57%
56%
57%
It’s been five years since moviegoers were gifted – and utterly befuddled by – a new Charlie Kaufman movie. In September, the mind behind Being John Malkovich, Anomalisa, and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind releases his newest film as director and writer, I’m Thinking of Ending Things, on Netflix. The adaptation of Iain Reed’s celebrated novel stars Jessie Buckley and Jesse Plemons as a young couple driving through a snowstorm to meet Plemons’ character’s parents, and Toni Collette and David Thewlis as the bizarre mom and dad they eventually encounter. As usual, nothing – time, space, memory, even the rooms – is what it seems. Ahead of the movie’s release, Rotten Tomatoes Editor-in-Chief Joel Meares jumped on a Zoom call with Kaufman, Buckley, Plemons, and Collette to talk through the challenge of bringing this dense, smart, and very Kaufman project to the screen.
I’m Thinking of Ending Things premieres on Netflix on September 4.
82%
After delays following the shutdown of theaters in the wake of COVID-19, Disney’s live-action take on Mulan is finally being released – on the Mouse House’s streaming service, Disney+. Earlier this year, Rotten Tomatoes Editor Jacqueline Coley sat down with director Niki Caro, and stars Yifei Liu, Jet Li, and Donnie Yen, to talk about the importance of the Mulan story in Chinese culture, the task of adapting the beloved Disney cartoon to a live-action format, and how Li and Yen’s daughters played a big part in convincing them to join the film.
Mulan will be available on Disney+ for $29.99 on September 4.
71%
The long-delayed and still highly anticipated New Mutants may have just won Comic-Con@Home 2020 with some massive reveals – including the first two minutes of the movie! – and the cast and director chased their mic-drop panel with an exclusive and extended chat about the movie with Rotten Tomatoes. Stars Charlie Heaton, Blu Hunt, Alice Braga, Henry Zaga, and director Josh Boone spoke with RT correspondent Karama Horne about the unique superhero movie’s genre-bending influences – A Nightmare On Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors looms large, as does Buffy – as well as their personal connections to their characters, their love of the Marvel comics on which the film is based, and why they had to tell the terrifying Demon Bear saga.
The New Mutants is scheduled for release in theaters August 28, 2020.
36%
(Photo by FX)
Since its debut three years ago, FX’s Legion has been one of the most compelling, mind-bending, and uniquely heartfelt series to spin out of a comic book. That it focused on a relatively minor character from the X-Men lore is even more remarkable. But by lifting David Haller from the pages of various X-Men titles into a weird and timeless television reality, show creator Noah Hawley was able to examine topics like mental illness, sexual assault, and the end of the world in a unique way.
Often, it chose not to connect the dots, leaving that mutant ability for the viewer to use. In its place, it offered musical numbers, a couple of fantastic dance numbers, and David – as played by Dan Stevens – unraveling at least some of the secrets buried in his head. And it all led to a pivotal figure in X-Men history, Charles Xavier (Harry Lloyd), and a somewhat obscure, but vitally important background character, Amahl Farouk (Navid Negahban).
Considering Charles and Amahl’s fight in the comics led to the formation of the X-Men, it would seem the end of Legion contains a beginning — or maybe it really ended with David destroying the world. Let’s take a look at what the ending has to offer. Negahban was kind enough to talk to Rotten Tomatoes about one of the ways the future could change — well, provided there is a future, of course.
(Photo by Pari Dukovic/FX)
He’s done it before.
There is a certain ambiguity in the show’s final shot — or limitless potential as it is a baby’s smiling face. But David’s role in bringing about an apocalypse is probably the third line on his Official Handbook to the Marvel Universe page after “Professor X’s son” and “Suffers from a mental illness.” Despite being a presence in the comic books for a number of years, Legion’s big moment came in 1995’s “Legion Quest” story line. The character – waking from a long coma – made a key decision: he was going to travel back to the 1960s and kill Magneto before he formed his Brotherhood. If successful, then only his father’s non-violent philosophy would hold sway and prevent much of the strife done by Erik Magnus Lehnsherr and his followers.
Unfortunately, it all went badly and Legion ended up killing Charles Xavier instead of Magneto, unleashing a reality in which the world learned about Mutants decades too soon and Apocalypse, a powerful, ancient, and immortal mutant took control of the planet. Eventually, a team of familiar faces (led by the time-lost mutant Bishop) managed to travel back in time to prevent David’s error.
Curiously enough, Bishop was able to show David the damage he caused. The troubled mutant apologized and apparently died.
The Age of Apocalypse was undone and things went back to normal. Well, mostly, anyway. Blink, a fan favorite from the AoA timeline, eventually found herself crossing the multiverse with a group known as “The Exiles,” while Dark Beast, a mad-scientist version of founding X-Man Hank McCoy, and a few other characters found their way to the familiar Earth-616.
(Photo by Suzanne Tenner/FX)
Legion eventually reappeared (as no one stays dead in comics), but his most famous misadventure was always in Hawley’s mind, and a version of “Legion Quest” was the direction of the series from the first moment David flashed his wicked smile into camera.
As Stevens put it when we talked to him on the set back in March, the show is not “directly adapting frame by frame any particular Legion story line. But I hope what we’re retaining is the playfulness.”
Changing reality, if not destroying it, is always an aspect of the playfulness.
In a manner of speaking, yes. As his addition to Lessons in Time Travel indicated, the traveler is annihilated in the attempt to change his or her past. The David, Syd (Rachel Keller), Cary and Kerry Loudermilk (Bill Irwin and Amber Midthunder), and Amahl Farouk of the program’s “present” timeline all ceased to exist, as did anyone left there while the Time Eaters munched away. From their perspectives, David ended the world by traveling 33 years into the past — à la “Legion Quest.”
Now, had a fourth season occurred, it is entirely possible we would’ve seen new versions of these characters grappling with echoes from the world before. Much like the way the omnipresent baseline at David’s cult compound invaded the minds of his parents, an image or song (likely from The Who) might have offered Syd or David some clue to the old timeline – much as Bishop survived in the Age of Apocalypse to form his own strike team. Maybe this is why the mainframe version of Ptonomy (Jeremie Harris) remained in stasis back in the present.
But with Chapter 27 serving as the conclusion, we’re left with a blank slate. It is easy to consider what it might look like. We will even be charitable and assume the timeline we witnessed on Legion was a darker world where mutants mostly ran scared and had no unifying groups to help them with their powers.
Almost certainly. Upon his return from Morocco, Charles tells Gabrielle (Stephanie Corneliussen) that he always wanted to be a teacher. The implication is clear. Even their home has a certain X-Mansion flare to it. And that change is key in appreciating the series’ end-state. In the personal sense, Charles and Stephanie will be there to raise David — and help him cope with the mental health issues he inherited from Gabrielle. But in the larger sense, Charles came away from his journey with a new perspective. As Lloyd noted when we talked to him in March, “[Charles] is actually quite lost” when he arrives at the Shadow King’s palace. But having returned from a trip that saw him disappear entirely in the old timeline, he is now free to fulfill a destiny he never knew he had.
Back in the comics, Professor X’s battle with the Shadow King led him to found the X-Men as a safe-guard against mutants who use their abilities for evil. But in Legion‘s history, the battle seemingly left Charles dead or utterly incapacitated. Altering this outcome may be more significant than David could imagine. Besides giving Charles the opportunity to be part of the a family unit with Gabrielle and David, he will also be able to teach others how to harness their gifts — no doubt after training David — leading to a very different world.
(Photo by Suzanne Tenner/FX)
We’re also going to note the total absence of Magneto from Legion’s structure as it means TV show David achieved what comic book Legion sought to accomplish: a world in which Charles made things better.
Sure, Division 3 will likely observe the Xavier school, perhaps even come into conflict with a group of X-Men, just as they hunted people at Summerland. Nonetheless, Charles will offer something better than the Birds sought to create. Although, if you’ve read an X-Men comic or seen one of the movies, you know the tension between mutant and humans will always lead to fighting and giant robots. But at least Charles’s attempts with the school and the X-Men offer people like Syd and the Loudermilks something they may not have otherwise: family from an early age.
When we spoke with Negahban recently, his thoughts turned toward the key moment in the finale: a handshake between David and the Shadow King. It evolved on set, but reflected the overall tone of the final moments. That is to say, a non-violent resolution after all the pain and trauma.
“[Noah] was addressing how people are struggling to see each other, to understand each other, to find themselves,” Negahban explained, adding that some of Amahl’s apparent villainy in Chapter 26 may have been an expression of an extreme loneliness. “Even in his most evil moments, he is feeling very lonely being the most evil person.”
But as Negahban saw it, the Shadow King’s future self gave him something key — an external awareness of his actions.
“The way that I looked at it is that we can change the future by paying attention to our present or paying attention to what we are doing, how we are responding to other people,” the actor said.
(Photo by Matthias Clamer/FX)
For Amahl, that change came courtesy of the future Shadow King’s stylish glasses and the history they contained: “When [he] hands the glasses to Amahl — just by seeing what kind of impact we have on our future, we might change our behavior today.”
Negahban imagines the Amahl who emerges in the new reality will be less lonely and offer his powers to a life of service.
“Sometimes we are becoming so full of ourselves, we are becoming so arrogant that we think that we are controlling everything, that we are controlling the situation,” he said of Amahl up until the events of Chapter 27. “I think Amahl sees the effect that he’s going to have on the future. And at the end when he is thanking [David, Charles, and his future self] for allowing him to see the outcome of his actions, he is getting a second chance to change.”
That apology echoes David’s back in “Age of Apocalypse.” And while it is easy to imagine a kinder Amahl Farouk finding peace in a new future, did David also earn a second chance?
When we visited the set, we asked the cast if David deserved redemption. Midthunder, on the eve of shooting the final episode, still felt conflicted about David.
“Everybody has a story and everybody has a side,” she said. “Everybody has reasons for doing what they do, but then everybody has the way that it affects them.”
Meanwhile, she thought Kerry had a clearer point of view on the matter: he deserved to pay for his actions.
Irwin, on the other hand, thought “that his service to the world — keeping the world going — is something we can all be grateful to him for” even if his actions left him as a dubious sort of hero.
Lauren Tsai, whose character, Switch, allowed David the opportunity to change his past, thought the overall story of season 3 created enough ambiguity for viewers to question his redemption long after the finale.
“I think that throughout the story you can believe that David is redeemable,” she said. “David deserves love and a normal life. But at the same time you can also feel like, Well, he did these horrible things.”
(Photo by Pari Dukovic/FX)
In Switch’s case, David’s exploitation of her powers led to a beneficial transformation. But David’s violation of Syd may be the greatest reason to deny him redemption. Even before he erased her memories of his darkest actions, he was causing her psychic damage.
“So much of her life since she’s met this man has been in service to him,” Keller said during our set visit. “So many young women go through taking on egotistical and stupid and sick men, trying to right their wrongs or fix them.”
This seemed to be an involuntary course of action for Syd up until the end. In March, Keller expressed a hope that Syd would be able to leave him in peace. But it seems time travel allowed her something better: the chance to protect a David brimming with potential. The David she knew deserved only oblivion, even if he did fix the world. That baby, though, definitely deserved better.
And, hopefully, the end of the world (as Legion viewers knew it) will give him that chance.
Dark Phoenix is finally out in theaters and, well, it isn’t the greatest X-Men movie ever released. It’s currently Rotten at 23% on the Tomatometer — although audiences seemed to appreciate it more than the critics – and a strange epitaph to 20th Century Fox’s 20-year relationship with Marvel’s Merry Mutants.
But considering the film is Fox’s second attempt to adapt the landmark Dark Phoenix Saga, we can’t help but wonder if the story is just too big to be contained in one film. As with X-Men: The Last Stand, it feels like vital pieces were lost and, while the casts of X-Men films are always sprawling, this one was missing a number of key characters. Does the story require a trilogy of its own? The Marvel Cinematic Universe proves audiences will wait a long time for payoffs, but building these ideas and characters in a way that resonates like the comic book series may be asking too much of the X-Men movies. Perhaps television is the best place to tell this story — we previously got versions of it on two different X-Men animated series — and considering the way HBO and streaming services have pushed TV into feature quality, here are five reasons why Dark Phoenix is better suited for that format.
(Photo by @ Twentieth Century Fox)
Despite marketing the film as the end of the series, Dark Phoenix can’t help but feel like connective tissue to another chapter. Of course, the same could be said for just about any X-Men project. It’s baked into the concept, thanks to writer Chris Claremont, who made Uncanny X-Men the most important Marvel title in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Planning to stay on the book for a very long time, he seeded ideas he wouldn’t pay off for years. One could call it soap opera plotting, as he provided enough hooks and payoffs to keep readers engaged while telling the ongoing tales of the X-Men as a whole.
But in the case of the overall Phoenix Saga – a story comprising Jean Grey’s death, resurrection, and transformation into the Dark Phoenix – Claremont had an ending in mind. It was ultimately changed for reasons we will discuss later, but in its finished form, it offered a clear endpoint for a story told across nearly four years of comics.
Tentpole filmmaking used to be comfortable with definitive endings. The first Matrix, for example, ends at a place that would have served as a satisfying conclusion had the film proven to be unsuccessful at the box office. And though we were promised a Star Wars Sequel Trilogy since 1980, Return of the Jedi is certainly an ending to the story begun in 1976. Nowadays, big movies more closely resemble the Claremont style than ever before, with endings teasing a subsequent hook for another story.
In the case of Dark Phoenix, a prestige series would have the time to properly seed ideas like Xavier’s apparent mistake with Jean, the X-Men as celebrities — a concept criminally underutilized in the film — and one key idea not in the movie we’ll discuss in a moment. With room to breathe, these concepts would have greater weight and emotional resonance than a single two-hour film affords them. And as Claremont proved in the comics, the pace is essential.
(Photo by © Marvel / © Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation)
Despite Jean Grey appearing in films since 2000, what do we know about her? She was Xavier’s star pupil, she has extraordinary telekinetic abilities (with telepathy added at some point), and she has the hots for Wolverine despite dating Cyclops. It’s thin characterization when an entire movie rests on her shoulders. And while Sophie Turner does a lot with that rough sketch, it’s no accident Dark Phoenix re-frames her story in the context of Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) apparently making a mistake. He is, after all, the character all the films have invested in since X-Men: First Class. That’s not a bad thing, as someone has to anchor these films besides Wolverine. But once you come back to the Dark Phoenix Saga, you need more of an emotional investment in Jean (and Cyclops, for that matter) than X-Men: Apocalypse and Dark Phoenix afforded her (or Scott).
A prestige X-Men series focusing on the Dark Phoenix Saga can actually frame the story around Jean and who she is besides Xavier’s greatest student and Cyclops’ girlfriend. Her struggle with the Phoenix Force would mean something, as viewers would know what would be lost if she let the Phoenix have complete control. In the film, these ideas are there, but rushed or inferred for the most part.
And since we’re talking characters, a series also means we get to know Cyclops – a character the films have always shortchanged because he’s not as romantic as Wolverine – Storm, and Nightcrawler beyond their powers. As a result, deaths would also carry more weight, because the characters would genuinely matter to viewers.
Kevin Bacon and January Jones as Sebastian Shaw and Emma Frost in X-Men: First Class (2011) (Photo by Murray Close/20th Century Fox)
One set of characters criminally absent from both cinematic versions of the Dark Phoenix story is the Hellfire Club. Created by Claremont and artist John Byrne – though apparently inspired by a 1966 episode of the British spy series The Avengers – they debuted as a social club whose inner circle was made of mutants attempting to control the course of world events. Characters like Sebastian Shaw and Emma Frost (played by Kevin Bacon and January Jones, respectively, in First Class) first appeared as members of the inner circle, who try to take control of a Phoenix-addled Jean Grey.
Jean’s flirtation with domination and control is a key element of the story and something definitely missing from Dark Phoenix. Jessica Chastain’s Vuk tries to fill the role of the Hellfire Club, but the change lacks the power it should have because Vuk is more of a cipher than an actual character. Consider the satisfying biblical allusions when Jean is presented with classic, decadent temptations in the Hellfire Club. And while we’re at it, Emma Frost could offer Cyclops a temptation of his own, considering their eventual relationship during one of Jean’s many dormant periods in the comics.
Incorporating the Hellfire Club also offers the story a true, seductive evil compared to the poorly realized, grubby D’Bari of Dark Phoenix. It would also give Jean, as a character, the moment to revel in her power that she never really gets in the film, and that key pivot in Jean and the Phoenix’s time together is crucial to setting up the story’s conclusion.
(Photo by Twentieth Century Fox Film Corp. / ©Marvel / Everett Collection)
Because Marvel Comics featured alien species from nearly the beginning of its superhero universe, the Phoenix Force’s origin as an alien entity needed very little scaffolding. And when she left Earth following her time with the Hellfire Club, her feasting on the D’Bari star also needed little set-up; the alien race was established years earlier in an issue of The Avengers. But because neither of the Fox film cycles set up aliens, the culmination of the Dark Phoenix storyline could not be used.
In the comics, the Dark Phoenix returns to Earth after destroying the D’Bari home world, and a council made up of the Kree, the Skrulls, and the Shi’ar Empire determine the Phoenix is too dangerous. The Shi’ar arrive on Earth and pronounce a death sentence on Jean, but Xavier convinces the Shi’ar Empress to allow the X-Men to duel her Imperial Guard in an attempt to save Jean, whom Xavier has de-powered back to her original abilities. When Jean and Cyclops prove to be the last X-Men standing, she uses a Kree device to disintegrate her body and, seemingly, disperse the Phoenix Force.
It’s a big ending. But without the time to establish the Shi’ar, both Dark Phoenix and The Last Stand eschew that development in favor of smaller ideas. A television show, on the other hand, would have that time. In fact, the scenario becomes more intense if the X-Men are confronted with the reality of what Jean could do as the Phoenix and try to find an ethical outcome with the Shi’ar. It’s a moral dilemma completely absent from Dark Phoenix, as the D’Bari survivors led by Vuk never seem too broken up about the billions of dead brethren they left behind on the smoldering wreck of their world.
(Photo by Twentieth Century Fox Film Corp. / ©Marvel / Everett Collection)
And, really, that moral dilemma is part of what makes the Dark Phoenix Saga so compelling. Its ending was changed when Marvel’s then Editor-in-Chief Jim Shooter learned Jean and the Phoenix would face no real punishment for the D’Bari genocide. The Phoenix Force – meant to be a recurring X-Men villain in the story’s aftermath – was shelved for a time, and Jean was barred from returning until a writer could give Shooter a satisfactory way to absolve her of the crime. It eventually happened, as no one stays dead in the comics, but the implications gave the story a lasting importance across decades of subsequent X-Men comic book storylines.
This is the weight Dark Phoenix should have. But without the careful planning of a Marvel Cinematic Universe or the build-up of a television series, the impact will always be lost. At this point, we would favor a television show, as it could give these ideas the chance to grow and give us a live-action X-Men team we genuinely care about as they face their greatest ethical conflict. Until that happens, if it ever should, we still have the comics, which offer the story in its grandest scale.
Dark Phoenix is in theaters now.
Dark Phoenix brings the current X-Men saga to a close, but according to critics, the film ends the franchise with more of a whimper than a bang. Despite its stellar cast, the involvement of longtime franchise writer/producer Simon Kinberg (who makes his directorial debut here), and an iconic storyline taken straight from the comics, the would-be blockbuster only managed a 23% on the Tomatometer and failed to win its opening weekend at the box office, falling second to the animated sequel The Secret Life of Pets 2 by almost $14 million.
But what did average moviegoers think of the movie? Dark Phoenix currently sports an Audience Score of 64% — that’s more than 40 points higher than the Tomatometer score — so we decided to comb through the user reviews to get a sense of why the film resonated more with regular moviegoers than the critics. As we’ve found with other films, it really came down to audiences being more forgiving of some of the film’s flaws. Were there those who outright loved the movie? Absolutely, but there was a wide range of opinions offered, and we’ve collected some of them below. Check out the user reviews of Dark Phoenix and let us know what you thought of the film, and these reviews, in the comments. (Note, some of the reviews have been slightly edited for length and grammar/spelling.)
(Photo by Doane Gregory/20th Century Fox)
Horrible writing… It felt like the writers of this movie knew nothing about the characters besides maybe what had come before from the Fox X-Men universe.
– Nate 4, 0.5 stars
Not as bad as people are making it out to be. It is watchable. It is, however, very cheesy, and there is not really a solid plot/storyline to drive the movie forward. It was kind of sloppily done.
– Bianca F., 2.5 stars
Have always been a huge fan of the X-Men. However, this felt rushed, like trying to tie up ends. The premise was great and the material was there, but the delivery was all over the place.
– Michelle, 3 stars
Liked the effects. Disliked the departure from the original storyline. No character development.
– Al-kareem T., 3 Stars
Not too complicated of a story.
– R, 4 stars
People keep saying this movie is unwatchable and terrible. IDK what those people are watching, but I was glued to the screen the whole time. Yes it has its problems like any movie but I enjoyed it. Sophie did a good job!
– Carlos, 3 stars
It’s just not the same since Wolverine is not in it any more, and I wasn’t really crazy about what happened to Raven. I’m still a big fan of Michael Fassbender, who played Magneto. If it weren’t for him, the X-Men would just completely suck.
– Northside Movie Critic, 3 stars
The movie wasn’t perfect, but it isn’t entirely bad. Sophie Turner, Michael Fassbender, and James McAvoy lift this movie, which suffers from very minimal action sequences.
– Uma M., 3.5 stars
Sophie Turner dazzled as both hero and villain in this powerful finale to the X-men series. This movie had the best character development, and Jessica Chastain was very well played as a mysterious villain.
– Jaylon, 4.5 stars
I have no clue what all the hate is about. I loved this film. The tone, the VFX, and the score were all breathtaking. McAvoy and Turner stoke the show with astounding performances. 10/10 would watch again.
– Rodger C., 5 stars
(Photo by 20th Century Fox)
Somehow Fox managed to make a worse Phoenix movie than X-Men: The Last Stand.
– Nate 4, 0.5 stars
Was hoping this movie would stay more true to the comic. Well, sort of?
– Charles, 2 stars
I just don’t think anyone has figured out how to tell the Dark Phoenix story adequately yet.
– Adam E., 3.5 stars
It’s not ANYWHERE NEAR as bad as I was afraid it would be or the critic reviews are saying it is. That doesn’t mean it’s amazing, though. It does have its problems if it’s trying to be THE Dark Phoenix Movie, but it never could have been with the underdeveloped characters they were working with. At least I didn’t walk out saying, “I can’t believe The Last Stand was the GOOD Phoenix movie.” It’s missing some very crucial aspects of the Phoenix Saga that made it great — that significantly disappoints, particularly in the third act. Very sad it’s not the Phoenix movie I’ve desperately wanted since I was a kid.
– Darknight Crawler, 4.5 stars
The makeup work on mystique looked even worse than in Apocalypse. The CGI looked like something that would have impressed if this came out in the early 2000s.
– Nate 4, 0.5 stars
Loved the fight scenes. It needed more refinement and lacked the finesse of The Avengers. Loved the traditional power hand gestures. Very indicative of mutant powers.
– Xavier, 2.5 stars
Casual moviegoers or those with extra cash will enjoy this. A very decent film with great visuals and special effects.
– Rohit S., 3 stars
How can you have an X-Men movie and not put the mind-blowing mutant powers on display? That was my only concern. Thanks to the extensive re-shoots, the train sequence has become the best battle in the entire X-Men film series.
– Uma M., 3.5 stars
(Photo by 20th Century Fox)
X-Men: Apocalypse wasn’t very good. This one was worse. So many deviations, it was ridiculous.
– James R., 2 stars
It’s better than The Last Stand and Apocalypse.
– Carlos, 3 stars
Not a bad film, but not a good one either. If you were expecting it to be like Avengers, Venom, or like even previous X-Men films, it’s not the same. But it’s not a bad X-Men film, and if you really wanted to see it, or you’re a big X-Men fan, I think you’ll like it.
– Rohit S., 3 stars
It’s not the best X-Men movie, but I think it’s a step up from the previous one, and it was enjoyable, even though it felt a bit rushed towards the end.
– Daniel M., 4 stars
Best of X-Men series in a while. Great story and action.
– Phoenix Rises, 4 stars
The reviews are totally wrong about this one. This was a massive improvement compared to The Last Stand.
– Jaylon, 4.5 stars
Sad ending to this franchise. Maybe Disney will do better.
– Charles, 2 stars
Fox had an opportunity to let us say goodbye to these characters before the Disney/Fox merger. Instead of a Logan-type ending, we were left with nothing really changing in this world, just like a typical superhero movie.
– Ryan K., 2.5 stars
Not the worst X-Men movie, but not the best way to end the first true superhero movie franchise.
– Erick, 3.5 stars
I do recommend seeing this in theaters, if only because it’s a decent enough goodbye to the X-Men franchise we’ve known for 19 years and a glimpse of what Marvel will be doing again in, say, 12 years? See you then…
– Darknight Crawler, 4.5 stars
Check out all of the user reviews for Dark Phoenix so far.
Going on nearly 20 years, the X-Men movie franchise has had many ups and downs. Now, with the release of Dark Phoenix, critics are declaring it the lowest of the low, and the Tomatometer score certainly affirms the dishonor. While some reviews claim it’s not really the worst X-Men sequel yet, even the most positive takes are far from excited. If this is the conclusion of what began back in 2000, it’s possibly a more disappointing series finale than anything on TV. Still, there’s reportedly some decent action, if that’s enough for you to finish out its run.
Here’s what critics are saying about Dark Phoenix:
The worst chapter of its long-running main series.
– Eric Eisenberg, CinemaBlend
It may very well be the worst X-Men movie ever made.
– Jordan Ruimy, World of Reel
It’s more focused and less bloated than Apocalypse.
– Ian Sandwell, Digital Spy
A tiny bit better than the worst X-Men films!
– Todd Gilchrist, Birth.Movies.Death.
Dark Phoenix IS GOOD!… It’s more distinguishable and bares the identity of an X-Men movie that plays like a long episode of the animated series.
– Rendy Jones, Rendy Reviews
(Photo by 20th Century Fox)
The film is marginally better than the previous telling of the Phoenix saga.
–Jim Vejvoda, IGN
[Kinberg] makes up for the single worst X-Men film… Chris Claremont and John Byrne would be proud.
– Danielle Solzman, Solzy at the Movies
[Simon Kinberg] is a more sensual and intuitive filmmaker than Brett Ratner.
– Owen Gleiberman, Variety
While Dark Phoenix may have fewer embarrassing missteps than Ratner’s 2006 disaster, it replaces that embarrassment with something that feels devoid of personality.
– Kambole Campbell, Little White Lies
Maybe X-Men: The Last Stand wasn’t an accurate adaptation of the Dark Phoenix comics, but at least it was a fun celebration of an ensemble of characters.
– Fred Topel, We Live Entertainment
Dark Phoenix is not the movie for fans of the comic book series. It’s arguable if Dark Phoenix is the film for hardcore fans of the franchise that’s existed in one form or another since 2000.
– Jeffrey Lyles, Lyles’ Movie Files
It’s as though the audience is expected to be grateful that they are seeing most of the classic line-up of characters, without exploring what makes them interesting.
– Kambole Campbell, Little White Lies
This final Fox X-Men film also has a number of Easter eggs for comic fans… there’s also a cameo by writer Chris Claremont.
– Scott Chitwood, ComingSoon.net
(Photo by 20th Century Fox)
Compared with the conclusions of other major franchises — the most recent being Avengers: Endgame — this one seems distinctly minor league.
– Todd McCarthy, Hollywood Reporter
This X-Men outing feels more like an afterthought than a climax.
– Larushka Ivan-Zadeh, Metro
With this final installment, the franchise goes out with a resounding thud.
– Katie Walsh, Tribune News Service
Dark Phoenix makes for a satisfying conclusion to the X-Men series.
– Danielle Solzman, Solzy at the Movies
Ultimately a movie that understands its status as a farewell to characters who have thrilled audiences for two decades… It’s a fitting final chapter.
– Tom Beasley, Flickering Myth
For Game of Thrones fans, it is tempting to imagine Turner as the all-powerful being she deserves to be…Dark Phoenix just doesn’t do [her] justice.
– Katie Walsh, Tribune News Service
If she deserved better than Game of Thrones finally gave her, she deserves even better here.
– Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times
Turner puts in the work, but the writing and sloppy direction does little to underpin the performance.
– Radheyan Simonpillai, NOW Toronto
The pleasure of Dark Phoenix is watching her emerge from the wreckage.
– Owen Gleiberman, Variety
(Photo by 20th Century Fox)
It’s the women in this one who do most of the heavy lifting, and the film rises to another level because of it.
– Lisa Johnson Mandell, AtHomeInHollywood.com
Dark Phoenix takes blockbuster gender politics a step further… to forge an allegory of the rise of women that’s sharply compelling in its renegade/victim edge.
– Owen Gleiberman, Variety
If Dark Phoenix was intended as a feminist statement, it plays out more like a male fear at women seizing power and wreaking havoc.
– Larushka Ivan-Zadeh, Metro
The excellent acting… is better than the Disney-run Marvel Cinematic Universe.
– Johnny Oleksinski, New York Post
James McAvoy is probably the standout… Jennifer Lawrence and Michael Fassbender, meanwhile, are practically checking their watches.
– Eric Eisenberg, CinemaBlend
Perhaps the most affecting work is by Hoult as Hank, who etches a journey from loss to rage as the effects of Jean’s unravelling hit hard.
– Ian Freer, Empire Magazine
It’s a character so immensely boring that it doesn’t really deserve mention in the basic plot description of the film.
– Eric Eisenberg, CinemaBlend
Chastain is excellent as always, but her character is so underwritten that you’d be hard-pressed to remember its name.
– David Ehrlich, IndieWire
Chastain puts on an icy performance as the baddie… but the movie doesn’t seem to know what to do with her.
– Radheyan Simonpillai, NOW Toronto
One of the film’s biggest missed opportunities is its handling of the villains… with Chastain delivering a flat performance as a one-dimensional super-powered baddie.
– Jim Vejvoda, IGN
(Photo by 20th Century Fox)
Kinberg actually puts together some very well done fight scenes. The film’s signature sequence on a train showcases the X-Men’s powers in a way we haven’t seen on the big screen in a long time.
– Jeffrey Lyles, Lyles’ Movie Files
One diverting action sequence, set aboard a fast-moving train and goosed by an enjoyably bombastic Hans Zimmer score.
– Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times
[It has] what may very well be the best on-screen train fight since Captain America: The First Avenger.
– Danielle Solzman, Solzy at the Movies
There aren’t many action scenes in Dark Phoenix, but the few that there are end up being somewhat entertaining.
– Scott Chitwood, ComingSoon.net
The light-show effects have a mid-’90s fanciful cheesiness, and I dug them for that reason.
– Owen Gleiberman, Variety
There’s a refreshing simplicity to Dark Phoenix at a time when superhero movies are becoming increasingly complex.
– Tom Beasley, Flickering Myth
Now the legacy of the X-Men will pass into a new set of hands, and hopefully it will rise, like a certain mythological bird, again.
– Don Kaye, Den of Geek
As Disney and Marvel Studios take the reins, I hope they embrace the stakes, humanity and scrappiness of these special characters.
– Johnny Oleksinski, New York Post
While the MCU may prove better… the property itself deservedly needs a good long rest before the X-Men return to the screen.
– Jim Vejvoda, IGN
Dark Phoenix opens in theaters June 7, 2019.
22%
(Photo by © Marvel / © Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures /Courtesy Everett Collection)
After the nearly two years of corporate courtship, a rival suitor in the form of Comcast, and a long stroll through regulatory scrutiny, The Walt Disney Company’s acquisition of nearly all of 21st Century Fox’s media holdings closed at 12:02am EDT Wednesday night. The roughly $70 billion deal changes the landscape of media in several drastic ways. For starters, there are now only five major movie studios, with analysts predicting there will be five to seven fewer major releases in a given year from now on. Additionally, Disney now own tons more popular intellectual property, including Star Wars, Alien, The X-Files, Avatar, and, of course, the Marvel Comics characters.
Until Wednesday, that last asset existed in a split state. Two of Marvel’s high-profile properties — the X-Men and the Fantastic Four — have been under Fox’s control since the mid-1990s. According to the terms of the deal Marvel Comics made during a particularly bad financial time, Fox would control the media destinies of both properties in perpetuity as long as it continued to make and develop films based on the characters. From the moment Disney’s acquisition of Fox was announced, fans assumed those properties would end up part of Marvel Studios’ wide range of characters, which appears to be the correct assumption; Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige confirmed that the company will now have access to the characters previously held by Fox.
Now that Disney’s Marvel and Fox’s Marvel are one entity, what will that joined vision of the Marvel Cinematic Universe look like and how soon will it happen? Here are six answers to questions you may be asking about Marvel’s role in Disney’s Fox acquisition.
RELATED:
(Photo by 20th Century Fox)
Throughout 2018, people including Feige insisted Marvel could not even begin to cook up ideas for the X-Men or Fantastic Four until the deal for the merger officially closed. There was also some talk about keeping the Fox-controlled Marvel assets separate, but that notion was later dismissed by Disney CEO Bob Iger.
“There shouldn’t be two Marvels,” he said back in September.
Since we previously assumed a lingering Fox contingent might delay Marvel Studios’ control of the characters, we counted out an X-Men stinger in Avengers: Endgame. Instead, we predicted Logan’s adamantium claws might appear in a 2021 mid-credits stinger scene. Now, we think it is possible — though still highly unlikely — the characters might be referenced in a singular image or a word. (It would have to be something easily shot in the next week or two as the studio could not use any of the characters or iconography until now.)
But even if Marvel manages to add a Fantastic Four or X-Men tease to Endgame, that stinger moment is all we will see of the characters for some time. Marvel Studios’ 2020 output inches closer to production even if the company declines to reveal their schedule until after Endgame’s release. At this point, we know The Eternals, Black Widow, Shang-Chi, and sequels for Doctor Strange and Black Panther are in the pipeline. Presumably, three of those projects will fill the 2020 release dates. Of course, the studio has altered its plan before, bumping Black Panther, Captain Marvel, and a proposed Inhumans film to secure a place for Spider-Man: Homecoming. With that in mind, it is possible the first Marvel Studios X-Men or Fantastic Four film could happen in 2021, particularly if Feige ever gets back to Legion’s Noah Hawley about his Doctor Doom script.
While Dark Phoenix will hit theaters this June, the fate of New Mutants is more tenuous. Though still slated for an August 2 release, the film’s planned 2018 reshoots (that would change more than 50 percent of the film and introduce a new character to the story) reportedly never took place and are no longer scheduled to occur.
Until the deal closed, Fox had to abide by its original agreement with Marvel Entertainment and release X-Men films at regular intervals. It also had to plan for a future in which it and Disney remained separate entities just in case the deal fell through or was delayed beyond the summer. Around this time last year, both films were pushed back to accommodate reshoots. But considering New Mutants’ additional photography never took place, it is fair to wonder if Fox delayed both films to save on development costs for other X-Men projects Marvel may eventually cancel. There is plenty to suggest this was the case and it may lead to New Mutants losing its theatrical release.
(Photo by Mary Evans/Twentieth Century Fox / Marvel Comics/Ronald Grant/Everett Collection)
Under the spirit of “business as usual” in the event the deal fell through, Fox planned to expand its output of Marvel-based films to three projects per year. The plan included more X-Men sequels while branching out with lesser known characters.
One project centering on fan-favorite mutant Kitty Pryde was announced and would see Deadpool director Tim Miller returning to the X-fold. Said to be based on Uncanny X-Men #143, the film would focus on Kitty’s struggle against a N’Garai demon while spending a lonely Christmas night in the X-Mansion. Comic-book writer Brian Michael Bendis was said to be adapting the issue into a feature script for Miller. Neither has commented on the project’s prospects.
Though little has been said since word first broke about the project, James Franco was set to star in a film focusing on X-Factor favorite Jamie Madrox, a.k.a. The Multiple Man. Franco’s real-life troubles may have sent this one to the back-burner, but considering X-Men characters must now compete with Shang-Chi and The Eternals for one of Marvel Studios’ coveted release dates, expect any solo X-Men outings to be a late 2020s development. Channing Tatum’s long-delayed Gambit film is also more than likely kaput.
As we mentioned above, Noah Hawley signed on to develop a feature film for the greatest of Marvel villains, Doctor Doom. Recently, the Legion FX series executive producer revealed Feige asked about the draft he completed some time ago. Unfortunately, Hawley has not heard from the Marvel Studios boss since. But since we all want Doom to face off against the heroes, we hope this one works out.
Finally, X-Force, the Deadpool 2 spin-off, was expected to begin shooting in late 2018 under the direction of Bad Times at the El Royale’s Drew Goddard. With cast members like Josh Brolin, Zazie Beetz, and Ryan Reynolds reprising their Deadpool 2 roles, it seemed set to become the last Fox-produced X-Men film. Sadly, Goddard refused to comment on the project following news of the acquisition’s imminent closure. And with X-Force co-creator Rob Liefeld openly discussing the film’s demise on Twitter, we’re going to assume this one is also toast.
https://twitter.com/VancityReynolds/status/1108002378064822272
As Reynolds once joked, they may skip the third film entirely and go straight to Deadpool 4 or 5. The actor, who co-wrote the sequel with Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, also said the narrative weight of taking everything away from the character in order to build him up again will only lead to diminishing returns. In light of that, he offered the possibility of playing Deadpool as a supporting character in films like X-Force. Reese and Wernick, meanwhile, have said they’d love to team Deadpool up with Spider-Man — a pairing so popular it had its own comic book.
It is possible Reynolds was just cushioning himself should Marvel Studios choose not to continue with his vision of Deadpool — it is a PG-13 production house, after all — but it may also be a savvy ploy to negotiate with the company for a sweet multi-picture contract in which Deadpool shows up, does something wacky, and disappears again. It is certainly possible to tone down some of Wade Wilson’s antics for the MCU, which is what the Christmas release of a PG-13 Deadpool 2 called Once Upon a Deadpool proved.
Meanwhile, Iger once told investors it is possible to carve out an R-rated niche for Marvel to allow for more Deadpool movies. On Tuesday, Reynolds posted a photo of Deadpool wearing Mickey ears and riding a school bus to celebrate the acquisition. What it means for the future is anyone’s guess.
(Photo by Marvel)
After Thanos presumably gets his comeuppance in Avengers: Endgame, will Marvel Studios sow the seeds of another intergalactic Big Bad? If they attempt such a thing, Fantastic Four antagonist Galactus would be of a size and shape worthy to follow Thanos — even his headgear is more thrilling! But that is assuming Phase 4 will have a Big Bad. And come to think of it, the term “Phase 4” rarely comes up in Feige’s comments these days.
It took three phases and 22 films — now known as The Infinity Saga — to get to Thanos, even if he was introduced in the first Avengers film. So Phase 4, if we’re still using that term, may just see the regrouping of the heroes who survive Endgame and the introduction of the Eternals and Shang-Chi. If that is the case, the new big bad would be introduced in a potential fifth Avengers film in, say, 2022 or wherever Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 ends up on the schedule. It would also provide ample time for Feige to plan the integration of the X-Men and the Fantastic Four into the MCU. And what better way to introduce Marvel’s first family than by the Avengers searching for them ahead of Galactus’s arrival? (We’re maybe getting carried away here, but we’re damn excited.)
Of course, we are assuming the next few years of MCU storytelling will use the same momentum as Phases 1-3. But considering Marvel Comics has been using the same narrative conventions in its event crossover comics for the last few decades — to say nothing of the financial rewards the studio established by using the technique — it seems a safe bet that Captain Marvel, Ant-Man, Spider-Man, Doctor Strange, Black Panther, the Guardians, the X-Men, and the Fantastic Four will unite to face some universe-shattering threat 22 films from now, if not sooner.
(Photo by Sarah Shatz/Netflix)
Turning our attention to television, the Fox acquisition comes at an odd time for Marvel’s live-action initiatives. On ABC, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. was renewed for a seventh season well ahead of its season 6 debut this summer. Cloak & Dagger returns to Freeform in a few weeks, and reports indicate Runaways’ second season was successful enough at Hulu for a third year to be all but a certainty. But over on Netflix, all of the Marvel shows were quickly cancelled following the debuts of their most recent seasons (except for Jessica Jones, which was cancelled ahead of its still-unscheduled season 3 debut). And from the way Netflix structures its deals, it will be some time before any of those characters can resurface on Disney platforms like Hulu (which the company now has a 60 percent stake in) or Disney+.
Meanwhile, the new Disney streaming platform indicates Iger’s desire for a single Marvel may not be in the cards just yet. Disney+’s Marvel television series will be produced by Marvel Studios, while all the television efforts to date are works of Marvel Entertainment. Yes, there is a difference, as the former is a division of The Walt Disney Studio, while the latter is a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company. In short: Disney operates two Marvel companies and, sometimes, their interests do not align. This is ultimately why the Defenders did not make cameos in Avengers: Infinity War and why the final seasons of their shows saw no one turning to dust.
From the Fox standpoint, the acquisition offered an incentive to end Legion after three seasons on FX. While Hawley recently said he always saw the program as a three-year story, the changing nature of Marvel TV no doubt helped the executives OK the idea of ending it now. Meanwhile, The Gifted’s future on the Fox broadcast network remains up in the air. The network — which was retained by newly minted Fox Corp. — plans to hold onto several popular series now owned by Disney (which acquired Fox’s TV studio branch as well), including The Simpsons. But The Gifted is not exactly popular. Also, there is no telling how it may interfere with Marvel Entertainment’s plans going forward or Marvel Studios’ long-term goals.
Fox later answered the media attention around the completion of the acquistion with a trailer:
In the meantime, Hulu and Marvel Entertainment announced an initiative to create four animated series for the platform, potentially leading to a stronger relationship between the two branches of the Disney empire. As it happens, Disney wants Marvel content to stay in house, so Disney brands like ABC, Disney+, Freeform, and Hulu are the places you will see future Marvel TV shows. Additionally, the newly acquired FX networks may prove a good outlet as well for projects more in the vein of Legion. Maybe the long-lost New Warriors will find a home on one of those channels.
(Photo by DC Universe)
The Comic-Con International: San Diego programming schedule is a mammoth list of competing ideas and events for fans of movies, television, animation, games, cosplay, and, yes, comic books. It is also an exciting look at the sort of experiences con-goers will find themselves lining up for next week. For those at home, it also offers a glimpse at some of the videos they might be watching on Twitter and YouTube soon after. And as the convention becomes more and more focused on television – and TV based on comic books – learning about all of those events could be a troublesome task. But we’ve sifted through the schedule to give you this round-up of the panels, presentations, and Q&As about your favorite comic book shows taking place across the week.
(Photo by Marvel)
The upcoming series of animated shorts brings together Quake (voiced by Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s Chloe Bennet), Squirrel Girl (Milana Vayntrub), Ms. Marvel (Kathreen Khavari), and Patriot (Kamil McFadden) to form a new supergroup for a new generation. The session will feature the voice cast and Marvel’s Cort Lane, Marsha Griffin, and Sana Amanat as they offer a sneak peek at the series and, quite possibly, make a special announcement.
Time & Location: 3:15 p.m. in Room 6DE
For Those At Home: If the sneak peek includes one of the first Marvel Rising shorts, it may end up online shortly after the panel.
(Photo by Netflix)
Jeph Loeb, head of Marvel’s TV division, and “surprise guests” will offer the first inside look at the second season of Iron Fist. Considering the thoroughly rebooted Danny Rand (Finn Jones) seen in the second season of Luke Cage, it will be interesting to see if the new year – and new showrunner Raven Metzner – will follow through on that promise as both he and Colleen Wing (Jessica Henwick) take to defending downtown.
Time & Location: 6 p.m. in Ballroom 20
For Those At Home: A trailer almost seems like a given, as well as a release date announcement.
(Photo by AMC)
It is now a Comic-Con tradition for the two shows to do back-to-back panels and 2018 will be no exception. During Fear’s hour, members of the cast like Alycia Debnam-Carey, Colman Domingo, Lennie James, and Danay Garcia – alongside FX wizard Greg Nicotero, showrunners Andrew Chambliss, and Ian Goldberg and executive producers Scott M. Gimple, Robert Kirkman, Gale Anne Hurd, and Dave Alpert – will discuss the road so far and what to expect when the show returns in August. In the second hour, Walking Dead showrunner Angela Kang and stars Andrew Lincoln, Norman Reedus, Danai Gurira, Melissa McBride, and Jeffrey Dean Morgan will offer their insights into the upcoming ninth season of the long-running zombie series. Both sessions will include fan Q&As in which cast and crew will deftly avoid spoilers.
Time & Location: 11:15 a.m. in Hall H
For Those At Home: Another Walking Dead tradition is the intense season previews, which generally appear on AMC’s YouTube page before the panel ends.
(Photo by Warner Bros. Animation)
My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic’s Lauren Faust brings the DC Super Hero Girls brand to Cartoon Network in a new animated series focused on teenage versions of Wonder Woman, Supergirl, and Batgirl. Faust and other members of the creative team will offer a first look at the new show.
Time & Location: 12:20 p.m. in Room 6DE
For Those At Home: It would be quite surprising if a clip from the show did not surface after the presentation.
(Photo by Michelle Faye/Wynonna Earp Season 2, Inc./Syfy)
As the series’ third season debuts on the same day, the stars of Wynonna Earp, showrunner Emily Andras and creator Beau Smith will present a special screening of the premiere, “Blood Red and Going Down.”
Time & Location: 5 p.m. at the Horton Grand Theater
For Those At Home: Sadly, this one sounds like a genuine Comic-Con exclusive. But as the episode airs the same night – and, in fact, also airs during a special preview on Monday, July 16 – Earpers will be in the know and ready to discuss the episode on Twitter.
(Photo by Freeform/Alfonso Bresciani)
Stars Olivia Holt, Aubrey Joseph, Emma Lahana, Ally Maki, and showrunner Joe Pokaski will present “never-before-seen footage” and take audience questions. Since it is the show’s first convention panel following its debut in June, you can bet fans of the show will be ready to ask about the changes to the traditional Cloak & Dagger.
Time & Location: 5:45 p.m. in Ballroom 20
For Those At Home: That never-before-seen footage may make its way to Freeform’s YouTube channel, but it will be surprising if it is anything different from the episode preview seen during the show’s regular timeslot.
(Photo by Frank Ockenfels 3/AMC/Sony Pictures Television)
Stars Dominic Cooper, Ruth Negga, and Joseph Gilgun join executive producers Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, and showrunner Sam Catlin for a talk about the current state of play going into season 3’s halfway point. Expect to hear about the Tombs, the Allfather, and maybe even some of God’s plan for Jesse. Or maybe the cast will talk about what they had for dinner.
Time & Location: 7:30 p.m. in Hall H
For Those At Home: Since the season will be at the midway point, you might expect some sort of extended trailer for the latter half. Or an extended “next week on Preacher” promo.
(Photo by The CW)
The series makes its Comic-Con return for an “electrifying look” at the upcoming second season. Stars like Cress Williams, China Anne McClain, Nafessa Williams, and Christine Adams are scheduled to appear alongside showrunner Salim Akil.
Time & Location: 11 a.m. in Ballroom 20
For Those At Home: As these panels often occur before production resumes on the show, it is possible the video presentation will not be available online later. But if they have begun shooting, you may find a season 2 sizzle reel online before too long. Meanwhile, more than few people are hoping an Arrowverse crossover announcement will emerge from the Q&A.
(Photo by Steffan Hill/Syfy)
Cast members Cameron Cuffe, Ann Ogbomo, Wallis Day, and Shaun Sipos alongside showrunner Cameron Welsh and DC Entertainment’s Dan Evans will take a look back at the surprising first season and tease what is to come in the program’s second year.
Time & Location: 12 p.m. in the Indigo Ballroom at the Hilton Bayfront Hotel
For Those At Home: Like Black Lightning, the chances of a trailer depend entirely on whether or not they resumed production in time. But there is a good chance a season 2 casting announcement may be made.
The cast and crew of the new Big Hero 6 television series will discuss bringing the movie’s characters to television and offer some never-before-seen clips from the series. With Scott Adsit reprising his role as Baymax, you can expect a lot of his responses to have a certain gentle, robotic tone to them.
Time & Location: 12:30 p.m. in Room 6A.
For Those At Home: That never-before-seen footage might be available online at some point.
(Photo by Miller Mobley/FOX)
Executive producers Matt Nix and Jeph Loeb, and stars Stephen Moyer, Sean Teale, Jamie Chung, Emma Dumont, Blair Redford, Natalie Alyn Lind, and Skyler Samuels intend to offer an extended first look at the upcoming second season and, most likely, answer fan questions about certain characters’ choices in the season 1 finale.
Time & Location: 2:30 p.m. in Ballroom 20
For Those At Home: You can be sure that first-look video will be uploaded to YouTube before too long.
(Photo by Robert Voets/Warner Bros)
Another Comic-Con tradition is the Arrowverse’s absolute takeover of Ballroom 20 on Saturday afternoon. All four shows offer fans ample opportunities for questions and special sneak peeks of their upcoming seasons. Cast and producers will be on hand to tease future events and maybe even reveal more information on Batwoman, who will make her Arrowverse debut in this year’s crossover event.
Time & Location: 3:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. in Ballroom 20
For Those At Home: The CW is pretty good at getting their sizzle reels onto its YouTube page fairly quickly, but it remains to be seen how much new footage each show will have to share.
The upcoming SYFY series based on the comic book by Remender and Wes Craig will make its Comic-Con debut. Both will be on hand with castmembers like Benjamin Wadsworth and Benedict Wong and showrunners Miles Orion Feldsott and Mick Betancourt to offer a sneak peek of the series, due out in 2019.
Time & Location: 6 p.m. in the Indigo Ballroom at the Hilton Bayfront Hotel
For Those At Home: Unless the sneak peek ends up being the full pilot episode, expect to see the video sooner rather than later.
(Photo by Syfy)
Stars Melanie Scrofano, Shamier Anderson, Tim Rozon, Dominique Provost-Chalkley, Katherine Barrell, Varun Saranga, Chantel Riley, showrunner Emily Andras, and comic book creator Beau Smith return to Comic-Con for the third lovefest dedicated to everyone’s favorite Revenant hunter. While there is the promise of exclusive material, the panel usually becomes an opportunity for fans to offer their heartfelt praise to the cast and crew.
Time & Location: 6:45 p.m. in Room 6DE.
For Those At Home: Traditionally, the cast and crew have announced the show’s renewal at the Comic-Con panel. Fans are hoping it will be three-for-three and what better news can you give the Earpers at home?
Riverdale takes over Hall H for the first time as cast and crew convene to discuss the implications of Archie’s (KJ Apa) arrest at the end of the second season. The hour also promises to include a special video presentation and a fan Q&A in which some fans will attempt to learn star Cole Sprouse’s relationship status.
Time & Location: 11:45 a.m. in Hall H
For Those At Home: Should that video presentation offer a very early look at season 2, that footage will be repurposed and uploaded for all to see in the fullness of time.
Time & Location: 1:30 p.m. in Room 6A
Marvel Senior Vice President for Animation and Family Entertainment Cort Lane will offer a preview of the upcoming seasons of Marvel’s Avengers: Black Panther’s Quest and Marvel’s Spider-Man. Sneak peeks and surprises are also promised.
For Those At Home: Marvel tends to be pretty good about getting clips and trailers up quickly.
(Photo by Suzanne Tenner/FX)
Series creator Noah Hawley, executive producers John Cameron, Marvel Televison’s Jeph Loeb, and members of the cast will discuss season 2’s shocking revelations and tease things to come in season 3.
Time & Location: 2:15 p.m. in Hall H
For Those At Home: Considering Legion is in between production blocks, it seems unlikely any new footage will be available during the event or afterward.
And outside the convention center, DC Universe will offer a larger-than-life installation to fans centered on the shows and other content the upcoming streaming service will offer later this fall. Guests of the DC Universe Experience will visit Dick Grayson’s loft from Titans, peruse the lab of Doom Patrol’s Dr. Niles Caulder, avoid the deadly virus of Swamp Thing, create some chaos with Harley Quinn, and examine some rare DC Comics artwork and memorabilia not usually available to the public. The experience will be open throughout the convention from 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. (9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, July 22). Fans attending the con can pre-register at dcuniverse.com.
Location: Hilton San Diego Gaslamp Quarter, 401 K Street, San Diego, CA 92101
For Those At Home: This one is a genuine Comic-Con exclusive.
Be sure to check out Rotten Tomatoes’ own live event during Comic-Con, Your Opinion Sucks! It’s the ultimate fans vs. critics face off, and you can watch it live in San Diego or on video at Rotten Tomatoes.
(Photo by Warner Bros. Pictures)
Just as Jonathan Kent’s surrogate fathering of Clark made Superman much of the man he is in the comics — or the more conflicted hero he becomes in Man of Steel (pictured) and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice – TV dads in the comic book realm have a special importance. While Jonathan Kent traditionally dies sometime before Clark becomes Superman, the 1990s series Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman envisioned him very much alive and very much a part of his adopted son’s life. The show took its cues from the comics at the time, which also kept him around as an active, living character, and illustrated the importance of a father in a hero’s life. That notion continued into Smallville and many of the comic book–based television shows on the air today. But which of them best exemplify the gifts Jonathan offered to Clark? And which are notable for the absence of the qualities which make Jonathan Kent so exemplar? Let’s take a look at five of the best (and two of the worst) comic book fathers on television.
(Photo by Bettina Strauss/The CW)
Though mostly an invention of The Flash’s writers’ room, Joe West is possibly the best of the comic book fathers – well, once you excuse his enthusiasm for Barry (Grant Gustin) and Iris (Candice Patton) getting together. Joe is all empathy and leads with his heart in all matters where his kids (including Barry) are concerned.
In Barry’s case, this is particularly true as Joe not only escorted the boy away from the most terrifying moment of his life, but offered him long-term sanctuary and a structure which no doubt led Barry toward a career in law enforcement as much as his desire to solve his mother’s murder. And the show often illustrates that their bond is an important element of Barry’s continued effectiveness as a hero.
Since Barry is the central character, their bond appears to be the most important among Joe’s three (now four) children, but Joe’s support of Iris during her long road to finding herself (though some would claim she still hasn’t) and the effort he made to forge a bond with Wally (Keiynan Lonsdale), despite not meeting him until he was 18, illustrates how much he cares about his natural born children. In fact, it could be said Joe, as a character, cares more about Iris and Wally than the show does.
(Photo by Diyah Pera/The CW)
If there’s one aspect of Fred which mirrors Jonathan Kent, it is dedication. Soft-spoken, but diligent, Fred works hard to support Archie (KJ Apa), even if his son cannot always see that and seeks out more exciting father figures.
Sure, it could be argued that Fred’s dedication to his job and his semi-regular financial difficulties leave Archie vulnerable to the manipulations of the Lodge patriarch, but Archie’s hard road this year finally put him in the direction of home and supporting Fred’s bid for mayor. Even Veronica (Camila Mendes) could see Fred’s quiet determination is a key quality passed down to Archie (even if his teen angst leads him to questionable choices) and something worth supporting.
And Archie’s going to need that support as he faces trial for murder in the upcoming season. No doubt Fred will be ready to sell his contracting business and the house to help with the legal fees.
(Photo by Annette Brown/The CW)
As we’ve discussed before, Jefferson Pierce is a pretty rad dad. Like Jonathan Kent taking in an alien orphan without question, Jefferson abandoned what he thought life would be for his kids. Sure, it took some prompting, a near death experience and an absolute assurance that his nemesis was dead, but Jefferson became a very different person for Anissa (Nafessa Williams) and Jennifer (China Anne McClain).
That level of self-sacrifice continues even as both of his daughters exhibit superpowers. Becoming Black Lightning once more was motivated by securing their safety. Staying in the role was as much about securing a better world for them as it was stopping Green Light, Tobias Whale (Marvin “Krondon” Jones III) and the ASA. That Anissa and Jennifer are willing and able to be part of creating that security made him all the more eager to share his knowledge and build a team. Well, after some initial reservations because a father is still going to be protective of his kids.
(Photo by Frank Ockenfels/FOX)
That desire to protect his children is also something Reed has in common with Jefferson and Jonathan Kent. Both found themselves suddenly raising children with remarkable abilities. And both attempted to keep their lives in some state of normalcy until, quite suddenly, the issues could no longer be ignored. Jonathan — at least in the versions of Superman in which he is alive — quickly embraces Clark’s powers as part of his truth. Reed took a little bit longer to embrace his mutant children (if only by a few hours). But considering his status as a prosecutor engaged in putting mutant agitators behind bars, the relative slowness to embrace his children’s new situation sort of makes sense.
Of course, once he made peace with the fact his world was irrevocably altered, he wasted no time trying to get his kids to safety or getting involved with the Mutant Underground’s struggle. Sure, there were a few times he tried to get back the Struckers’ old way of life; but it always came from his desire to protect Lauren (Natalie Alyn Lind) and Andy (Percy Hynes White).
Although, it remains to be seen how that attempt to protect his kids will play out with Andy joining the Hellfire Club. Maybe he will need to trade in his protective zeal for a willingness to listen in order to pull Andy back from the brink.
(Photo by Bettina Strauss/The CW)
In the comics of the 1990s, Lois & Clark, and Superman: The Animated Series, Jonathan was one of Clark’s most important sounding boards. Always connected via corded telephone, he was seemingly always ready to listen to his son’s latest problem: be they minor or Crisis-level events. And though expressly not their father, J’onn fills this role for Alex (Chyler Leigh) and Kara (Melissa Benoist) as the family on Supergirl becomes a mishmash of displaced people often sitting in a bar full of aliens.
Nonetheless, J’onn is the person both Danvers sisters go to because they know he will listen. Granted, he did not start as the listening type — maintaining a cover identity as gruff DEO director Hank Henshaw — but once he revealed himself as a Green Martian who saw his only family imprisoned and killed during a war of attrition, the familial bond began to form with the Danverses. He listened as Kara told him about her conflicted feelings about confronting her aunt Astra (Laura Benanti) and as Alex worked up her courage to come out to everyone around her. In recent episodes, his ability to listen has been tested by an unlikely person: his own father M’yrrn (Carl Lumbly), whose desire to pass on his knowledge before his eventual death was seemingly unheard by J’onn.
Which, of course, only makes sense as fathers – be they human, mutant or Martian – are still fallible creatures trying to find their own way. And maybe the ability to see that in themselves sets them apart from the worst of comic book TV fathers.
(Photo by Jack Rowand/The CW)
While Malcolm Merlyn saw himself as protective, approachable and dedicated, those qualities were always filtered through what was best for Malcolm Merlyn and his plans to control the Undertaking and, later, the League of Assassins itself. In his vision of himself, he was only ever doing the best for Tommy (Colin Donnell) and later Thea (Willa Holland) when she asked him to train her. Yet, all that really mattered was that is children acknowledged how well he built his legacy.
But to dismiss him as a one-note bad guy — like his Legion of Doom compatriot Damien Darhk (Neal McDonough) — is to miss the occasional selflessness he was capable of exhibiting. Granted, those seemingly selfless acts often had an angle which would ultimately serve his own goals. An example: his apparent choice to die in order to save Thea came off as a final selfless act until she discovered he had set her up as an heir apparent to his own ersatz League and hid the location of the remaining Lazarus Pits behind a lock requiring her blood. His hope: she would be ready to lead the new organization in his name and bolster his legacy. Even in death, Malcolm Merlyn found a way to be a terrible father and make it all about himself.
(Photo by Bettina Strauss /The CW)
But no TV father could be further from the Jonathan Kent ideal than Riverdale’s resident land baron and crime lord Hiram Lodge. Throughout the first season, both Veronica and her mother Hermione (Marisol Nichols) considered him a threat from behind bars. Their feelings changed following his release, but Veronica never completely trusted him again. She could see that his self-interest was the only thing that mattered and that he would sell her and her mother out if it proved advantageous. Unlike Malcolm Merlyn, who genuinely believed he was creating a legacy for his children, Hiram’s stated belief in family is just a lot of buzzwords he uses to justify his manipulations of those supposedly closest to him.
And, as it happens, Veronica has declared war on him. Without his unique form of protection, it will be interesting to see how the two relate to one another in the program’s third season. Will he be able to reel her back in? Offer Archie’s freedom as a carrot to get her back under his control? That these are the questions one asks about Hiram really illustrates what a cruel, vain, and selfish father he is; whether you compare him to Jonathan Kent or not.
(Photo by Jessica Miglio/FOX)
Of course, your own list of the best comic book TV dads can vary based on the qualities you find most important. The Flash’s Henry Allen (John Wesley Shipp) could be considered one of the greats for his self-sacrifice and ever-caring appreciation of his son. Or for as strained as their relationship can get, Alfred Pennyworth (Sean Pertwee, pictured) on Gotham may prove to be a better father than Thomas Wayne ever could have been. Like Jonathan Kent, they are inspirational in ways both obvious and sublime. And like all the best fathers, they point to way for the next generation to be exceptional people.
Who is your favorite comic book dad? Is he on TV? Tell us in the comments.
To go by his words and deeds, Avengers: Infinity War’s Thanos (Josh Brolin) may be the most consummate and powerful foe the Marvel Cinematic Universe has yet unleashed. To hear him tell it, his attempt to give the universe balance by obtaining the Infinity Stones is a merciful and humane action. Perhaps more than any other Marvel villain, he is a hero in his own mind with goals he perceives as altruistic.
But will his Infinity War appearance make him one of the great film supervillains of all time? And what makes for greatness when it comes to villainy? Is it a grand plan executed with aplomb? An iconic look or an immediately quotable motto? Or is it a knack for banter with the hero? As more and more people see Infinity War, Thanos’s merits as one of the great villains will be debated, but let’s take a look at 20 of the big screen’s greatest superhero foes he will have to contend with to get that honor.
(Photo by 20th Century Fox)
The big screen’s first Joker was also television’s original Crown Prince of Crime. Romero memorably gave the character his psychotic laugh and off-kilter sense of humor. In the film, he also succeeds at being a cabin boy to a senile admiral. Armed with his repertoire and a “dehydration” gun, the Joker — along with the Penguin (Burgess Meredith), Catwoman (Lee Meriwether) and the Riddler (Frank Gorshin) — creates plenty of trouble for the Dynamic Duo.
Film Appearances: Batman: The Movie (1966), though he previously appeared in the Batman TV series.
Tomatometer: 80%
North American Box Office: $1.7 million
Destruction Factor: Turns the “United World” Security Council to a fine powder.
Memorable Line: “I’m afraid they’ll find our humor very, very dry!”
Powers: Puns and gag weapons.
Cosplay Cred: Few are ever willing to grow a Romero mustache for the perfect Joker ’66 look.
(Photo by Walt Disney Studios)
As a deep-cover spy, Neville Sinclair was the toast of Hollywood with the ability to bed any woman and earn the trust of any man. But his attempt to secure Howard Hughes’s (Terry O’Quinn) experimental rocket pack fills him with a particular mania that serves to be his undoing. Also: his sophisticated movie star image is the perfect counterpoint to the unkempt style of the Rocketeer (Billy Campbell).
Film Appearances: The Rocketeer (1991)
Tomatometer: 62%
US Box Office: $46.7 million
Destruction Factor: Assists in the destruction of a dirigible, the rocket pack itself, and a portion of the “Hollywoodland” sign.
Memorable Line: “It wasn’t lies, Jenny. It vas acting.”
Powers: A strong resemblance to Errol Flynn and Timothy Dalton.
Cosplay Cred: Sadly, none.
(Photo by Warner Bros.)
The Phantasm is one of the most personal villains the animated Batman (Kevin Conroy) ever faced. In costume, the Phantasm speaks with the voice of Stacy Keach and strikes terror into Gotham’s organized crime families. But in reality, she is Andrea Beaumont (Dana Delany), the only woman who could ever pull Bruce Wayne away from his life as a vigilante. Sadly, the dissolution of their relationship leads them both to don masks and face the City’s worst criminals.
Film Appearances: Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993)
Tomatometer: 82%
US Box Office: $5.6 million
Destruction Factor: Batman’s heart.
Memorable Line: “Your Angel of Death awaits.”
Powers: Combat training and smoke bombs.
Cosplay Cred: Rare, but it’s memorable when you spot a Phantasm cosplay in the wild.
Though he seems to be a mentor, Elijah Price is really the architect of all of David Dunn’s (Bruce Willis) problems. (Sorry: Spoiler.) Though he is the only person to recognize the presence of superpowers in the world, years of abuse and neglect — to say nothing of his brittle bones — lead him to one conclusion: be the supervillain the world needs to find the hero it requires.
Film Appearances: Unbreakable (2000), thought M. Night Shyamalan is currently working on a follow-up for 2019 called, appropriately, Glass.
Tomatometer: 68%
Worldwide Box Office: $248.1 million
Destruction Factor: Derails a train to prove David is indestructible, among other acts of terrorism.
Memorable Line: “They called me Mr. Glass!”
Powers: A terrifying intellect.
Cosplay Cred: A surprisingly rare occurrence at comic cons.
(Photo by 20th Century Fox)
As both spy and confidant to Magneto (Ian McKellen), Mystique relies on her top martial arts skills and mutant ability to blend into any environment. But she is also the most visible example of Magneto’s crusade. Though she can choose to appear as anyone she wishes, Mystique’s natural blue serpentine appearance inspires fear in the world. The character was so memorable in the initial X-Men film series that the current cycle revolves around her, now played by Jennifer Lawrence.
Film Appearances: The X-Men franchise.
Tomatometer: X-Men: 81% (Certified Fresh), X2: X-Men United: 85% (Certified Fresh), X-Men: The Last Stand: 58%
Worldwide Box Office: X-Men: $296.3 million, X2: X-Men United: $407.7 million, X-Men: The Last Stand: $459.3 million
Destruction Factor: Though she has been known to blow stuff up now and again, that isn’t really her style. Instead she sows confusion and wreaks havoc by manipulating her foes.
Memorable Line: “You know, people like you are the reason I was afraid to go to school as a child.”
Powers: Shape-shifting.
Cosplay Cred: An extremely tough look to pull off at comic cons.
(Photo by Warner Bros.)
When Superman is overcome by the toxic effects of Gus Gorman’s (Richard Pryor) counterfeit Kryptonite, he turns into a self-centered jerk who would rather make time with a pretty lady than save a bunch of bus passengers on a disintegrating bridge. Reeve’s attempt to channel an all-id Superman does feel more “bad” than evil, but it provides a fun opportunity for Reeve to play against himself and presents the first on-screen exploration of an idea — “What if Superman were evil?” — that would become a major theme driving the narrative behind movies like Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad.
Film Appearances: Superman III (1983)
Tomatometer: 26%
US Box Office: $60 million
Destruction Factor: Straightening the Leaning Tower of Pisa ruined the Italian economy.
Memorable Line: “You always wanted to fly, Kent!”
Powers: All the powers of a Superman, but he’d rather drink Johnny Walker Red.
Cosplay Cred: Not nearly as common as it should be.
The merger of Nicholson’s persona with the Joker is one of Batman’s great strengths, but the performance is more nuanced than many gave it credit for at the time. Once he falls into the Axis Chemicals acid and adopts his clown persona, Nicholson loses some of his iconic cool to dig into the louder, broader aspects of Gotham’s #1 villain (e.g. the Smilex commercial). A consummate foe for the Batman of the late 1980s.
Film Appearances: Batman (1989)
Tomatometer: 72%
Worldwide Box Office: $411.3 million
Destruction Factor: Kills his boss, fries a business rival, and poisons Gotham City.
Memorable Line: “Ever danced with the devil in the pale moonlight?”
Powers: Knowledge of chemistry and a flair for the theatrical.
Cosplay Cred: A fairly rare sight as other takes on the Joker became more popular.
(Photo by Walt Disney Studios)
The ultimate sycophant, Syndrome (née Buddy Pine) was a precursor of the sort of fan culture that eats itself for some perceived lack of purity. His jealousy of the supers leads to a lot of strife for the Parr Family and an America burnt out on superheroes. Nonetheless, his actions also lead to a possible return of heroes, despite an attempt to even the playing field.
Film Appearances: The Incredibles (2004)
Tomatometer: 97% (Certified Fresh)
Worldwide Box Office: $633 million
Destruction Factor: His robots leave a path of destruction through the metro area the Parrs call home.
Memorable Line: “And when everyone’s super, no one will be.”
Powers: Zero point energy manipulation via technology.
Cosplay Cred: Virtually nonexistent, though memorably spotted on occasion.
(Photo by Marvel Studios)
As the personification of Tony Stark’s (Robert Downey Jr.) id, Ultron’s attempts to secure the planet make clear Tony’s greatest failing: he cannot see the human cost in any of his endeavors. Powered by the Mind Stone, Ultron makes a final, ugly calculation in regards to humanity and sets out to destroy it. Also, since he’s based on Tony’s brain patterns, he quips. A lot.
Film Appearances: Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
Tomatometer: 75% (Certified Fresh)
Worldwide Box Office: $1.41 billion
Destruction Factor: Raises – and razes – the entire nation of Sokovia; the ramifications of which are still being felt throughout the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Memorable Line: “When the dust settles, the only thing living in this world will be metal.”
Powers: All the powers of an Iron Man, multiplied by the ability to self-replicate infinitely.
Cosplay Cred: Extremely rare, though a few Ultrons appeared at cons after the film’s release.
(Photo by Warner Bros.)
While DC Comics’ favorite cat burglar skirts the line between villain and ne’er-do-well, Catwoman’s initial involvement in a plot to disgrace Batman (Michael Keaton) earns her a spot on the list. Pfeiffer’s performance defined the character for a long time – even if she was partly inspired by the TV Catwomen of the 1960s – as she fought Batman and her own turmoil. In the end, her Catwoman chose her own way and never appeared in a film again. Not that anyone has ever been able to forget her.
Film Appearances: Batman Returns (1992)
Tomatometer: 81% (Certified Fresh)
Worldwide Box Office: $266.8 million
Destruction Factor: She blows up Schreck’s Department Store in an early show of strength.
Memorable Line: “Meow.”
Powers: Nine lives and a filing system that is unstoppable.
Cosplay Cred: Though the film is over 25 years old, this Catwoman costume is still popular.
(Photo by Zade Rosenthal/Walt Disney Studios)
Yes, yes, he isn’t a villain by choice, as he’s very much a weapon of Hydra in the film, but Bucky Barnes is very effective at playing the part. His Soviet brainwashing is so effective that, when activated, almost no emotional appeal will work on him. Well, at least until his old friend Steve Rogers, a.k.a. Captain America (Chris Evans), finally breaks through. And, really, Bucky’s relationship with Steve is part of what makes him so compelling.
Film Appearances: Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) and Captain America: Civil War (2016), though Sebastian Stan first played Bucky Barnes in Captain America: The First Avenger (2011).
Tomatometer: Captain America: The Winter Soldier: 89% (Certified Fresh), Captain America: Civil War: 91% (Certified Fresh)
Worldwide Box Office: Captain America: The Winter Soldier: $714.3 million, Captain America: Civil War: $1.15 billion
Destruction Factor: Assists in bringing down S.H.I.E.L.D. and its helicarrier fleet.
Memorable Line: “Who the hell is Bucky?”
Powers: Heightened strength and agility, a cybernetic vibranium arm.
Cosplay Cred: A beloved fixture of con-going cosplayers.
(Photo by Sony Pictures)
Despite a strong work ethic and good management skills, Adrian Toomes turned to crime when Tony Stark and government officials bulldozed over his contract to clean up Manhattan following the Battle of New York. Granted, the swiftness with which he became a black market weapons manufacturer suggests all he ever needed was a gentle shove to embrace villainy. But the opening scene of Spider-Man: Homecoming made him immediately understandable and compelling as a villain; and even sympathetic once his relationship to Spider-Man’s (Tom Holland) world is revealed.
Film Appearances: Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Tomatometer: 92% (Certified Fresh)
Worldwide Box Office: $880.1 million
Destruction Factor: Rips a ferry in half, crashes a Stark Industries jet, and blasts Logan Marshall-Green out of the MCU.
Memorable Line: “The rich, the powerful, like Stark, they don’t care about us! The world’s changed boys. Time we change too!”
Powers: A flying rig based on crashed Chitauri tech.
Cosplay Cred: Surprisingly rare costume in spite of a great adaptation of the comic book Vulture’s look.
Excusing some of the camp value to Hackman’s Luthor – particularly in the sequel – he exudes the key quality of Superman’s archfoe: egotism. Luthor, a real estate swindler in these films, only decides to fight Superman because his ego dictates it. Consequently, Superman cannot really appeal to his emotions; none are present as he plans to remake the West Coast in his image.
Film Appearances: Superman (1978), Superman II (1981)
Tomatometer: Superman: 93%, Superman II: 87%
Worldwide Box Office: Superman: $300 million, Superman II: $156.9 million
Destruction Factor: Nearly sank California into the Pacific.
Memorable Line: “There’s a strong streak of good in you, Superman. But then, nobody’s perfect… almost nobody.”
Powers: He is the greatest criminal mind of his time. He also owns a hefty Kryptonite necklace that he uses to weaken Superman.
Cosplay Cred: Between Hackman’s refusal to go bald and the appalling 1970s fashions, he is a truly rare cosplay sight.
(Photo by Marvel Studios)
Currently, the Avengers’ greatest foe is not a flamboyant god or a maniacal robot, but a sad, quiet man with a detailed plan and working knowledge of governmental procedures. Zemo destabilizes the world for a very personal and, ultimately, small goal: hurt the Avengers the way they hurt him. He also succeeds, leaving Captain America a fugitive and Tony Stark so isolated that he has to pal around with a spider-themed teenager hero.
Film Appearances: Captain America: Civil War (2016)
Tomatometer: 91% (Certified Fresh)
Worldwide Box Office: $1.15 billion
Destruction Factor: With some smoke, a few explosions, and a very inconvenient truth, he brings down the Avengers. He also murders a few people along the way.
Memorable Line: “An empire toppled by its enemies can rise again, but one which crumbles from within? That’s dead… forever.”
Powers: Determination.
Cosplay Cred: Despite his comic book counterpart’s incredible fashion sense, the Marvel Cinematic Universe version inspires few to dress up.
(Photo by Columbia Pictures courtesy Everett Collection)
One of the most sympathetic villains on the list, Molina’s Doc Ock was as much a victim of his passions as he was a willing accomplice in a plan to destroy Spider-Man. The cruelty that emerges in him came from his cybernetic implants; a crucial detail that becomes clear when he finally reasserts control and realizes he was trying to kill his friend Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire). Also, the warmth with which he welcomes Peter — a guy in desperate need of a positive male role model — makes his turn all the more tragic.
Film Appearances: Spider-Man 2 (2004)
Tomatometer: 93% (Certified Fresh)
Worldwide Box Office: $783.8 million
Destruction Factor: His lab is completely destroyed during an experiment. He also leaves his mark on New York skyscrapers and the subway lines.
Memorable Line: “I will not die a monster.”
Powers: Super-tough robotic appendages.
Cosplay Cred: Popular in the wake of the film’s release, but has since faded.
(Photo by Warner Bros.)
Thanks to Stamp, Zod is as much a staple in Superman’s rogues gallery as Lex Luthor. Seemingly reserved, Zod can lash out without hesitation. Despite the air of refinement Stamp gives the character, he is just another petty dictator — a point underscored when he takes control of the White House (and, by implication, the world) only to suffer from conqueror’s boredom. Superman’s return late in the film comes as a relief to Zod, as debasing the son of Jor-El gives him something to do.
Film Appearances: Superman (1978), Superman II (1981)
Tomatometer: 87%
Worldwide Box Office: Superman: $300 million, Superman II: $156.9 million
Destruction Factor: He and his cohorts reshape Mount Rushmore and pummel the West Wing. They also make insurance premiums rise in Metropolis again.
Memorable Line: “Come to me, son of Jor-El! Kneel before Zod!”
Powers: All the powers of a Superman plus advanced military training.
Cosplay Cred: Zod’s look is just a little too disco for most cosplayers.
(Photo by © Marvel and © Walt Disney Pictures)
The secret shame of Wakanda, Erik “Killmonger” Stevens (Michael B. Jordan) presents a legitimate concern to King T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) and his subjects, even if his methods are woefully misguided: Should Wakanda reveal itself to the outside world and help those who live with the legacy of the African slave trade? The character’s heady subtext is backed by Jordan’s gifted abilities as a performer.
Film Appearances: Black Panther (2018)
Tomatometer: 96% (Certified Fresh)
Worldwide Box Office (To Date): $1.34 billion
Destruction Factor: Destroys all but one of the heart-shaped herbs, which is far more devastating than any property damage he caused in the film.
Memorable Line: “Nah, just bury me in the ocean with my ancestors that jumped from ships. ‘Cause they knew death was better than bondage.”
Powers: Thanks to the heart-shaped herb, all the powers of Black Panther; Navy SEAL training.
Cosplay Cred: Few could wait for a comic convention to dress in Killmonger’s now-iconic London look. Cosplayers dressed in his subsequent battle suit, which looks suspiciously like Vegeta’s from Dragonball Z, shortly after.
(Photo by 20th Century Fox Film Corp.)
Erik Magnus Lehnsherr is one of the most compelling antagonists in comics and film for one simple reason: he’s pretty much right. His methods may be unquestionably cruel to conventional humans, but he recognizes two sapient species cannot share the planet. Violence, subjugation, and pain are inevitable. And when his point of view is given McKellen’s voice, it becomes incredibly persuasive. The more optimistic philosophy of the X-Men looks naïve and childish in comparison.
Film Appearances: The X-Men Franchise
Tomatometer: X-Men: 81% (Certified Fresh), X2: X-Men United: 85% (Certified Fresh), X-Men: The Last Stand: 58%, X-Men: Days of Future Past: 90%
Worldwide Box Office: X-Men: $296.3 million, X2: X-Men United: $407.7 million, X-Men: The Last Stand: $459.4 million, X-Men: Days of Future Past: $747.9 million
Destruction Factor: He moves the Golden Gate Bridge to Alcatraz, turns Senator Kelly (Bruce Davison) into a water creature, and renders a sick burn unto Rogue (Anna Paquin) about the white stripe in her hair.
Memorable Line: “Let’s just say God works too slowly.”
Powers: The ability to manipulate all metal.
Cosplay Cred: His initial low-key look is rarely imitated these days.
(Photo by Zade Rosenthal/Walt Disney Studios)
The power of persuasion is also a major weapon in the arsenal of the God of Lies. Loki is charismatic, witty, exciting, and a sharp dresser. He’s that bad boy who looks redeemable even as he opens a wormhole to let the Chitauri invade Earth. But then he has a good explanation for his bad choices: he was raised by the god who kidnapped him from his real family. And he means to do good, so shouldn’t that be enough? It’s no wonder Loki returns to the MCU time and again; his brand of villainy looks like it can be reasoned with. Even if he betrays Thor again, again, and again.
Film Appearances: Thor (2011), The Avengers (2012), Thor: The Dark World (2013), and Thor: Ragnarok (2017), though he’s less a villain than a trickster — and even a bit of a hero — in the latter two.
Tomatometer: Thor: 77%, The Avengers: 92%, Thor: The Dark World: 66%, Thor: Ragnarok: 92%
Worldwide Box Office: Thor: $449.3 million, The Avengers: 1.52 million, Thor: The Dark World: $644.6 million, Thor: Ragnarok: $853.5 million
Destruction Factor: He seizes the throne of Asgard and almost murders Thor, then later precipitates the Battle of New York, which alerts the world to the presence of superpowered beings.
Memorable Line: “You were made to be ruled. In the end, you will always kneel.”
Powers: God-level abilities and a snake-oil salesman’s tongue.
Cosplay Cred: A perennial favorite, though his formal tux from Avengers was more popular in the wake of the film’s release.
(Photo by )
In an age when origins are required, Ledger’s Joker arrived on the scene without a name, place of birth, or a particular ambition. As Alfred (Michael Caine) put it, he just wants to see the world burn, and he even tells Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) as much late in the film. His complete lack of backstory and motivation makes him the most unpredictable, dangerous supervillain on this list, and the purity of his cruelty makes him the most fascinating.
Film Appearances: The Dark Knight (2008)
Tomatometer: 94%
Worldwide Box Office: $1 billion
Destruction Factor: Took out most of Gotham’s entrenched mafia, destroyed Harvey Dent, and made the Batman Gotham’s Number One criminal.
Memorable Line: “Why so serious?”
Powers: None
Cosplay Cred: Thanks to the alterations to the classic Joker look, Ledger’s Joker costume remains popular at cons and at Halloween.
Viewers new to Legion aren’t at much of a disadvantage to fans who obsessed over the entire first season. Noah Hawley’s X-Men series is so trippy, often ambiguous, and focused on tone that you might still be unlocking its secrets after multiple viewings.
Legion is a sort of origin story of David Haller (Dan Stevens), who, in comic books, becomes a mutant with big hair named Legion. In season 1 of the show, David is in a psychiatric institution after a childhood of powers-related trauma. If one felt possessed by other consciousnesses, institutionalization would be the real-world treatment, but this is the world of Legion— absorbing consciousnesses is one of David’s mutant powers.
Just when things started to make sense — relative to Legion — David got sucked into an orb in the post-credits scene of the season finale. Season 2 finds David one year later in Division III custody, so David is back to piecing together his missing past again, at least for the last 362 days. The good news is, Hawley agrees this is the perfect time to jump into Legion.
“If you look at that first season, what actually happened, it’s not a lot of plot on a lot of levels,” Hawley said. “David was worried he was mentally ill and then it turned out he had this other consciousness inside of him. They got it out for him and now it’s out there on the loose, and they’ve got to go get it. You could know that and you would be just as oriented as someone who’s watched the first season.”
That demonic parasite was Amahl Farouk, the Shadow King. In season 1 Farouk appeared as the devil with the yellow eyes in David’s visions. In season 2, Navid Negahban plays Farouk’s true form.
“That’s not to say there aren’t masks from time to time, but now it’s time to invest in him as a character,” Hawley said. “No one should just be a villain. You have to be able to understand the world from his point of view as someone who was basically kicked out of his body, kicked out of his home by David’s dad and went into David’s body. From his point of view, he’s the good guy and that’s always more interesting.”
Legion could be a different show from week to week, so drastic changes between seasons aren’t totally out of character. Division III were villanous agents in season 1, trying to capture David for his powers. Now David’s friends — Syd (Rachel Keller), Melanie (Jean Smart), Cary (Bill Irwin), Kerry (Amber Midthunder) and Ptonomy (Jeremie Harris) — have teamed up with Division III to stop Farouk.
“I always feel like a new season of a show is an opportunity to reinvent the show on some level, which doesn’t work for every show,” Hawley said. “I think it works for this one. I don’t think you would want to watch Game of Thrones and have Game of Thrones be a different show. You want it to be what you want it to be. Breaking Bad’s hallmark [was] it’s in real time, and you’re going to pick up the moment you left off for the most part. This isn’t that show.”
Even upon reinvention, most of the things you loved about Legion are still there, and sometimes even more of them. Everyone loved the Bollywood dance number, so there’s more dancing in season 2. David was still tracking Oliver (Jemaine Clement) and Lenny (Aubrey Plaza) at the end of season 1, so when he finally finds them, it’s all expressed on the dance floor with no words. Episode two has a song Oliver and Lenny sing.
“I want to expand the definition of what an action scene is,” Hawley said. “Can an action scene be dialogue? Can an action scene be musical? That idea that David is confronting Oliver and Lenny for the first time, there is some fighting to it and some posturing to it and some courtship to it on some level. It’s really hard to do that with violence. It’s a lot easier to do that with dance which is an expressive medium. That’s just fun too, I think.”
In the X-Men movies, action is usually Wolverine going berserk or Magneto flying bridges or stadiums. That’s not how Legion will do action.
“On those moments where the characters crash against each other, and he crashes against his own inner demons, that feels like action to me,” Hawley said. “I feel like the season is building towards these moments where plot and character come together because the plot is basically which path is David going to take? Is he going to be a hero? Is he going to be a villain? Has the damage he suffered doomed him? Can he overcome those things?”
So can dialogue be action? When your main character is a mutant with multiple consciousnesses, yes.
“David can be in a dialogue scene with himself,” Hawley said. “Now suddenly that inner monologue becomes an outside conversation.”
The visual manifestations of David’s mind gave Legion some trippy visuals like a giant volume knob and entire episodes taking place within the span of a single gunshot. Tune in to season 2 for frozen people with chattering teeth, something you can never unsee or unhear.
“It’s a way to try to make stillness into something dynamic,” Hawley said. “Certainly a bunch of people standing around like statues can be scary if executed the right way, but the teeth adds a visceral and sonic quality to it. It’s unnerving because it’s not behavior that people are supposed to do. We know innately what’s natural and what’s unnatural. There’s something so unnatural about it that I think it has a visceral impact on the audience.”
Other visuals are more pleasant, like boats carrying waffles in a restaurant. David wakes up asking for waffles, so you gotta get the man some waffles.
“When you’re thinking about sets, all right, Division III, they need a place where they can have a conversation,” Hawley said. “I start thinking about those Japanese sushi restaurants you’ll see with the boats. I thought that’s interesting because it has movement to it now. It’s dynamic and it was a great set that Michael Wylie built, really fun to film in.”
Legion asks philosophical questions, like is a man dreaming he’s a butterfly or is the butterfly dreaming it’s a man? Melanie suggests that the saddest words in the English language are “vacant lot.” Some would say “if only” are the saddest words, but Hawley makes the case for “vacant lot.”
“Sometimes you write the first half of a sentence and you gotta finish it,” Hawley said. “Those words, ‘vacant,’ which means empty, and ‘lot,’ which is often used to mean the opposite: to have a lot of something. I don’t know, ‘You have a whole lot of nothing.’ Her delivery was so great it made me feel smarter.”
Between Fargo and Legion, Hawley has been working nonstop. He hasn’t ruled out a fourth season of Fargo, but with shows like these he can only focus on one at a time.
“I feel like I have an idea, but it’s something I’m seeing mostly out of the corner of my eye at this moment,” Hawley said of Fargo. “I haven’t started to open it up and figure it out.”
Hawley is also embarking on a film career. He is set to direct Pale Blue Dot starring Natalie Portman and Jon Hamm.
“It’s a movie sort of based on a true story of a female astronaut who comes back to Earth and she melts down a bit,” Hawley said. “For me, it’s a great tableau to explore a lot of ideas about her character and that experience of going out into space. We don’t send poets into space. We send left-brain engineer types, and they have these celestial experiences that they don’t know how to articulate a lot of the time. You just learn that no matter how complicated the universe is, it’s still simpler than life on Earth.”
Legion returns Tuesday, April 3 at 10 p.m. on FX.
Some of 2017’s best new series are finally returning for round two this month, and we can’t wait to see what’s next. Catch up on those — plus a handful of favorite long-running offerings — below with our monthly roundup of what to binge.
What it is: Diane Lockhart (Christine Baranski) gets the leading lady treatment with CBS All Access’ hit spin-off of The Good Wife. Set one year after the events of that acclaimed series’ finale (and picking up on the morning of President Donald Trump’s storied inauguration), The Good Fight follows Lockhart after she’s forced out of her own firm with Maia Rindell (Game of Thrones’ Rose Leslie) and joins up with Lucca Quinn (Cush Jumbo).
Why you should watch it: Sure, if you loved The Good Wife, you’ll love The Good Fight — but believe it or not, Baranski is better than ever here and finds exciting new shades to our beloved Lockhart. Season 2 premieres March 4.
Where to watch it: Amazon, CBS All Access, FandangoNow, Google Play, Microsoft, Vudu
Commitment: Approx. 8.5 hours
What it is: If you’re up to no good, Jessica Jones is the last person you’d want to bump into in a dark alleyway. The super-strong P.I. has thrown in her towel as a superhero and instead taken to bringing justice to New York City’s most nefarious by more traditional means — until a super-villain from her past named Kilgrave comes back into her life, that is.
Why you should watch it: Even if you’ve already seen Season 1 of Jessica Jones, and even if you got a much-needed fix from Marvel’s The Defenders last year, Krysten Ritter alone is worthy of repeat viewing for a quick catch-up before season 2 on March 8. Daring, crass, and ball-busting, she and her Jones take on a whole new significance in the era of Times Up and #MeToo. But most importantly, she’s addictively watchable, now more than ever.
Where to watch it: Amazon, FandangoNow, Google Play, Microsoft, Netflix, Vudu
Commitment: Approx. 12 hours
What it is: This half-hour comedy from Judd Apatow and Lesley Arfin charts the unlikely relationship of goofy everyman Gus (Paul Rust) and the beautiful-but-flawed Mickey (Gillian Jacobs), both of whom live and work in Hollywood.
Why you should watch it: They say don’t judge a book by its cover, and particularly with Love, it’s best to not judge a series by its title, either. More a darkly comic look at 20-30something aimlessness, addiction, and the things we do to make a connection in the modern world, Love likely won’t leave you feeling all warm and fuzzy. What is worth loving, though, are stop-you-in-your-tracks performances from Community vet Jacobs and Rust. Season 3 premieres March 9.
Where to watch it: FandangoNow, Google Play, Netflix
Commitment: Approx. 11 hours
What it is: Longtime character actor and standout supporter Giovanni Ribisi gets top-billing as “titular” conman Marius who, once out of prison, takes on the identity of his cellmate, Pete. On the run from a coldblooded mobster, Marius holes up with Pete’s unsuspecting small-town family.
Why you should watch it: This Amazon original series from creators David Shore and Bryan Cranston (who also co-stars as mobster Vince) will sneak up and floor you — and we don’t say that simply as a play on words. Each ensemble member (but especially Ribisi and series breakout Marin Ireland) delivers lived-in and moving dramatic turns with fast-paced scripts that don’t skimp on nuance of character. Sneaky Pete doesn’t have to con its way onto your must-watch list; it deserves to be there. Season 2 premieres March 9.
Where to watch it: Amazon, FandangoNow, Google Play, Microsoft, Vudu
Commitment: Approx. 7.5 hours
What it is: This time-hopping, sci-fi adventure series from creators Shawn Ryan and Eric Kripke stars Abigail Spencer, Malcolm Barrett, and Matt Lanter as a history professor, a scientist, and a soldier, respectively, who travel through time to stop another more sinister time traveler from altering the course of history.
Why you should watch it: Oftentimes, high-concept big swings from the networks take a little while to find their footing, but Timeless on NBC stormed out of the gate in fall 2016 as an admirably audacious drama with tricks up its sleeve to spare. Season 2 premieres March 11.
Where to watch it: Amazon, FandangoNow, Google Play, Hulu, Microsoft, Vudu
Commitment: Approx. 12 hours
What it is: Showtime’s Billions dramatizes the high-stakes world of Wall Street when Chuck Rhoades, a U.S. attorney, sets his sights on bringing down hedge fund manager Bobby Axelrod for insider trading and other illegal proclivities.
Why you should watch it: Paul Giamatti has built a career on playing the everyman, and here, he’s fighting for him. Giamatti’s turn as the hard-hitting U.S. attorney Rhoades would be reason alone to watch (scenes of unexpected BDSM and all), but Billions also boasts a timely, engrossing premise and firecracker performances from Damian Lewis and Maggie Siff that meet Giamatti mark for mark. Season 3 premieres March 25.
Where to watch it: Amazon, FandangoNow, Google Play, Hulu, Vudu
Commitment: Approx. 24 hours
What it is: This decorated HBO comedy from creators John Altschuler, Mike Judge, and Dave Krinsky is the story of wunderkind coder Richard Hendricks (Thomas Middleditch) as he and partner Erlich Bachman (T.J. Miller) struggle to to get their startup off the ground during Northern California’s tech boom.
Why you should watch it: Few shows pack as many laughs-per-episode as Silicon Valley. Through its hilarious portrayal of a company on the rise, it also taps into the real-world “brotopia” of the West Coast’s tech industry in more than just name with an assortment of memorable (and in the case of Middleditch, Emmy-nominated) performances across the board.
Where to watch it: Amazon, FandangoNow, Google Play, HBO Now, Microsoft, Vudu
Commitment: Approx. 19 hours
What it is: Now entering its sixth and final season, this slow-burning espionage series stars real-life couple Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys as married KGB spies infiltrating the nation’s capital at the height of the Cold War.
Why you should watch it: We know, we know: You’ve heard enough about Russia in today’s headlines, so why should you want to watch a show about KGB spies infiltrating the States? Trust us: The Americans isn’t just any show. In Russell and Rhys, the FX critical darling boasts two of television’s finest performers matched with airtight scripts and sublime direction and cinematography well deserving of its slew of Emmy and Golden Globe nominations over its five-year run. Season 6 premieres March 28.
Where to watch it: Amazon, FandangoNow, Google Play, Microsoft, Vudu
Commitment: Approx. 48 hours
What it is: Those poor, poor Baudelaire orphans — always getting caught up in events that are, well, unfortunate. Netflix’s whimsically dark series follows Violet, Klaus, and Sunny who, after they’re parents’ death, are put in the care of an evil distant cousin, Count Olaf, who’s set on getting his hands on their sizable inheritance.
Why you should watch it: Here, Neil Patrick Harris is doing more than just stealing the show here, as he did on for nine seasons on How I Met Your Mother. He is the show, making each master-of-disguise get-up as the menacing Olaf more beguiling than the one before it. It’s just an added bonus that the sets, music, and just about everything else about this series is technically dazzling.
Where to watch it: Netflix
Commitment: Approx. 6 hours
What it is: While Legion is among the most original — and, as a result, undefinable — series on TV today, in the simplest of terms, it’s the story of psych-ward patient David Haller (Dan Stevens) and his sidekick-turned-nemesis Lenny (Aubrey Plaza) as David more fully becomes what he’s always known himself to be: a mutant.
Why you should watch it: To anyone who says they’re tiring of the superhero genre overtaking film and TV, we say, “Have you seen Legion?” Noah Hawley’s absolutely singular X-Men–based vision is a mind-bending and engrossing head-scratcher that’s well worth committing to. And committing is exactly what Stevens and Plaza do with their no-holds-barred, fearless performances. Season 2 premieres April 3.
Where to watch it: Amazon, FandangoNow, Google Play, Hulu, Microsoft, Vudu
Commitment: Approx. 6 hours
When artist Rob Liefeld first brought his concept of a futuristic super-solider to Marvel in 1989, he always suspected his character, The Man Called Cable, would find his way to the big screen. But he also imagined it would take more and less time than it ultimately did. As seen in today’s trailer for May’s Deadpool 2, Cable has taken the form of actor Josh Brolin, bringing a surprising amount of Liefeld’s character to the screen a good 20 years before the artist’s worst-case scenario.
“I remember we went to see Spider-Man in 2002,” Liefeld told Rotten Tomatoes. “Stan Lee was 79 [at the time]. I told my wife that Cable would be in a movie by the time we were in our seventies.”
After seeing the trailer this morning, his wife reminded him of his prediction.
“She said, ‘You beat it before you hit 50!'” he said.
But he also admitted he had always hoped Cable would be in the pictures by his 30s.
The character, whose real name is Nathan Summers, first appeared as Cable in the March 1990 issue of Marvel Comics’ X-Men spin-off New Mutants. The title, like other X-Men offshoots at the time, could not hope to match the sales juggernaut of the mothership, the best-selling comic book on the market for most of the 1980s.
“They offered me X-Factor,” Liefeld recalled.
That book reunited the original X-Men under a new team name, but Liefeld was reluctant to take the reins after the creative team of Louise Simonson and Walter Simonson, who had introduced key characters like Apocalypse during their tenure.
“I would not have made the same impact,” he said.
Marvel’s other long-running X-Men spinoff, New Mutants, was lagging behind and ready for a creative shake-up. Liefeld had an idea to transform the title. His pitch was for a new team leader: a pragmatic man of action who mixed the extreme ends of mutant freedom represented by Professor Xavier and Magneto, both of whom had previously shepherded the team. But remembering his own fascination with Wolverine in the early ’80s, Liefeld also cloaked the character in a lot of mystery and a ton of cool design features.
“He is a solider from the future, and when you look at him, you say, ‘Yeah, he looks like he’s from the future.’ He has scar over one eye, a glowing eye, and a cybernetic arm,” the artist said of the design, which quickly inspired fans and a subsequent generation of artists. “I was following the path of Wolverine before me, which was the mystery… and [Cable] has multiple layers of mystery.”
In his first appearance, he inserted himself into a prison to take on a team of mutant terrorists. To Liefeld, they key feature on display was “relentlessness,” a feature he also saw in the new trailer, which establishes the dynamic between the cinematic Cable and Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds).
Taking control of the New Mutants, Cable quickly led them away from the school trappings of earlier X-Men days to the combat zones he was more accustomed to. By 1991, New Mutants was replaced by a new title to reflect the change in the team dynamics. X-Force became a hit with its mixture of cool characters like Cable, pranksters like Deadpool, and a dedication to trickling out details of their histories at a measured pace. Cable, was “immediately in toys and in cartoons” and has been “part of the firmament of Marvel” ever since.
And Liefeld expects those elements of Cable that thrilled comic readers in the early 1990s will thrill audiences when Deadpool 2 debuts in May.
“The dynamite is about to go boom!” he said with glee. “The audience for the film is being introduced to him the way the audience in the comics was, and it’ll be great to see how they go for that ride.
“He’s walking into the world of Deadpool, who is openly mocking him,” he explained. “Their chemistry has always been great. In the comics, Deadpool was the wiseass to offset the straight-man Cable was. And now, Cable’s the straight-man [in the film] to offset the wiseass. I love it.”
Visually, Liefeld said Brolin’s look is “dead on,” right down to the inclusion of dark strands in his white hair, a design element that debuted in New Mutants #87, but which Liefeld pulled back on to indicate the character’s aging process.
“They told me they did it so there’s room to go more silver in the next movie,” he said, thanking make-up designer Bill Corso and his team for making that extra effort to honor the character’s original look. Liefeld did admit, though, that Brolin’s Cable has a “cooler hairstyle” than the character’s original late ’80s do.
“Look at that jaw! Look at that grimace!” he added. He also praised Brolin for getting the “gym-rat, muscle-bound” physique of the character right. “He met the task. He became Cable.”
“I had a pretty good instinct that it would hit the spot,” Liefeld said of today’s trailer. “And the beautiful thing about social media is the instant feedback. It’s nice to know the instincts are still good.”
“And it wouldn’t be a Deadpool trailer if it didn’t have a skit in the middle!” he added. “Playing with action figures — that’s our language!”
But he also pointed out that between the two trailers — and their skits — the film has only revealed 50 seconds of its running time.
“You have a minute, tops, of a two-hour film, which means the confidence they have in the film is tremendous,” he said. “The Man Called Cable could not have been more fully realized and sold to the audience [than he was] today. And there’s so much more to come.”
Deadpool 2 arrives in theaters on May 18.
