Marvel’s Spider-Man Series Won’t Feature a Villain of the Week

When it comes to superhero TV shows, the expectation used to be a new villain every week. That has certainly changed in recent years and Marvel’s Spider-Man, set to premiere this weekend on Disney XD, plans to follow suit by eschewing the villain of the week format to focus more on Peter Parker. The shift from villain-centric stories will allow the series a chance to better track Peter’s development as a hero and a student at Horizon High.

Before you think the show is going to forget about Spider-Man’s incredible rogues’ gallery, you needn’t worry. As Marvel’s Senior Vice President, Animation and Family Entertainment, Cort Lane told me during a recent interview, the series has plenty of familiar, fan-favorite bad guys lined up for Spider-Man to take on; they just won’t be dictating the episode’s story the way they have in previous series.

Lane discussed how the intention of Marvel’s Spider-Man is to always drive the story back to a fundamental question of how the events of every episode affect Peter and how he’s still learning to become Spider-Man. That means that there will be plenty happening for Peter over the course of each episode, but it won’t all be tied to villains like the Vulture, Scorpion, or even Venom.

“We don’t have a villain of the week kind of format. The stories interweave and villains come in and out and it moves quickly. But, at the same time, there’s always a very grounded Peter Parker personal story in every episode. That’s the story of the week. What does Peter learn, or how does he grow? So all the stuff around him can move as fast as we want it to as long as that Peter story is grounded.

No villains are off limits, but we do want to parse them out in a smart way and hold some back for later seasons, because we want there to be fresh stories to tell. It’s always a Peter story, and the villains service that story. A lot of villains come back frequently. It’s rare that we have a story with one villain because life is more complicated than that. And what’s really going on with the villains is not so straightforward.”

The shift away from using or introducing a new villain every week should help to keep the series feeling fresh and less repetitive, but it may also help to make Peter Parker and his supporting cast of Horizon High students more relatable to those tuning in. Ensuring that the show remains Peter’s story and not simply a revolving door for some of Marvel’s most notorious ne’er-do-wells certainly bodes well for the series.

On the other hand, it’s also nice to know Marvel’s Spider-Man has a plan for some of Spidey’s greatest adversaries, and isn’t planning to rush them all to the front lines in the first season. Now it becomes a question of which character the show plans to introduce early on and which ones will help keep the story fresh later on.

Marvel’s Spider-Man premieres Saturday, August 19 on Disney XD.

How Bruce Campbell’s Ash vs. Evil Dead Chainsaw Hand Has Been Improved

Bruce Campbell talks how Ash vs. Evil Dead‘s trademark chainsaw hand has improved with current special effects technology. When Campbell first originated the role that made him a horror and cult movie icon back in Sam Raimi’s original Evil Dead film, he was of course operating with both hands intact, as most people tend to do. Along with 1987’s Evil Dead II serving to evolve Ash from the fairly meek survivor he started as into the badass Deadite-slayer he was destined to be came perhaps his defining character moment: chopping off his own possessed hand in an insane rage.

Not content to just have a stump where his hand used to be, Ash solidified his iconic status by opting to attach a chainsaw to his arm, and use it to chop Deadites into piles of quivering limbs. To use one of Ash’s catchphrases, most Evil Dead fans found this development to be nothing short of “groovy.” Ash’s chainsaw appendage would go on to serve him quite well in 1993 sequel Army of Darkness as well, as his prowess with the weapon helped prove that he was in fact the hero who had been long-predicted to arrive from the sky and stop the Deadite scourge.

With Campbell having portrayed Ash for over 35 years, it stands to reason that the technology powering the character’s trademark chainsaw hand would have significantly evolved by now. During a recent chat with Cinema Blend, Campbell revealed the following:

“I do push them for engineering progress. The chainsaws have gotten lighter. We have an 18-volt chainsaw now that was much lighter. They’re using like carbon fiber and stuff. They’ve done good. The grips inside have improved so you can hold on without cutting your hand. They’ve done a very good job at improving what is a clunky thing. This 18-volt one, I can power the blade myself, so we don’t have to use cables, which is a technological leap.”

Additionally, Campbell was asked how it felt to briefly portray a two-handed Ash once again during Ash vs Evil Dead season 2. Here’s his response.

“Yeah, for like an hour. These things never last long. It’s always good to get my hand back. It’s one of the challenges of playing the character. You always have fake hand, fake chainsaw. Black sock, something over your hand. A stunt rig. It gets old quick. Even putting on the mechanical hand, it’s like wearing a welder’s glove all day. It’s a restrictive device.”

As an actor, Campbell understandably appreciates the current rendition of Ash’s signature weapon, as it sounds like a much safer apparatus as a whole at this point. It also looks just as badass as it ever has on-screen, if not more so. One of the most fan-pleasing parts of Ash vs Evil Dead is the high amount of gory kills, and a heaping helping of them per episode come at the business end of Ash’s gas-fueled best friend.

Frustratingly, Campbell still didn’t reveal during the above interview exactly when the long-since completed Ash vs Evil Dead season 3 will air on Starz, although based on some of his previous statements, it’s likely he still doesn’t even know the premiere date himself. Well, whether it happens in 2017 or 2018, Ash fans will still likely show up to hail the king.

Ash vs Evil Dead season 3 still has no official premiere date.

Walking Dead Season 7 Deleted Scene Brings Glenn Back

A deleted scene from season 7 of The Walking Dead gives fans a look at what might have been, had the show decided not to kill off fan-favorite characters Glenn and Abraham at the hands of Negan.

The Walking Dead season 6 finale saw most of the show’s main characters line up to have one of their own executed by Negan, the bloodthirsty leader of the Saviors. Negan’s victim was revealed in the controversial season 7 premiere, “The Day Will Come When You Won’t Be”. After Abraham was brutally beaten to death, interference from Daryl prompted Negan to retaliate by choosing a second victim: Glenn. The group was nearly broken by both losses. At the end of the episode, viewers were treated to a vision of a now-impossible future, with the entire group (Abraham and Glenn included) having a feast. The decision to kill off the two beloved characters came as a shock to fans of the AMC series.

The Walking Dead: Complete Seventh Season, soon to be released on Blu-ray, will feature all 16 episodes, plus 10 deleted scenes that weren’t aired on TV. One particular scene would have accompanied Rick’s dream sequence in the season 7 premiere, and would have depicted life in Alexandria if Negan had never come into their lives. You can watch said clip online now (via Comic Book), at the link below:

The scene begins with Rosita lighting torches, and proceeds to show the various members of the community as they appear to be living a rather satisfactory life – one that sharply contrasts with the life Negan hands them in season 7. We know we’re seeing a moment that can never come to pass when we see Glenn having a picnic with his son. We can also see Abraham and Sasha sitting together on a bench. The scene focuses on other characters as well, such as Michonne, Daryl, and Aaron.

Finally, the scene brings us to the dinner table where the group happily shares a feast together. This part of the scene was included in the original episode, but everything before it was apparently cut. It appears that the purpose of the extended scene was to make the moment even more heartbreaking – which may have been deemed unnecessary, considering fan reaction and the controversy that followed the episode.

The Walking Dead: Complete Seventh Season will be available on August 22. Season 8 of The Walking Dead premieres October 22 on AMC.

The Defenders Shapes Marvel/Netflix Phase 2

With The Defenders only two days away from hitting Netflix, Finn Jones has described what it sets up for the separate supeheroes’ series. The Iron Fist star explained that the eight-episode show – which brings together his character, Jessica Jones, Daredevil and Luke Cage – will launch Phase Two of their narratives.

Jones also hinted that Phase Two could see Iron Fist and Luke Cage – played by Mike Colter – re-teaming in each other’s separate shows, a pairing that fans will enjoy as they had whole comic book series centred on their teaming called Power Man and Iron Fist, published in 1972 and revived in 2011 for a five-issue limited series, and later under the Heroes for Hire banner launched in 1996. The British actor told Digital Spy:

“Let’s just say there are certain events that happen at the end of The Defenders which are going to rock everyone’s world. So people aren’t going to be the same after the end of The Defenders […] Me and Mike get on really well, we have a natural good chemistry. The way that Marco’s written Danny and Luke is really clever – it’s not on the nose, and it feels relevant. The pairing feels relevant, which I think is the most important thing.”

Phase One of the Marvel/Netflix Universe has established our heroes and led them towards a climactic team battle with The Hand, as well as the new, more powerful adversary in Sigourney Weaver’s Alexandra. Deborah Ann Woll, who plays Karen Page, told us that viewers should consider The Defenders more like a “one-off show” than series as it’s about the heroes “solving one big problem.”

“I think it’s also good to remember that Defenders, because we’re bringing everybody together, it’s a little bit of a one-off, for lack of a better word. It’s going to kind of come together, solve this one big problem, and then you know we all have to go back to our own shows.”

That should mean that the main narrative arc that has linked all four superhero shows together should come to a climax in The Defenders to allow brand new storylines for each individual series to focus on, as well as introduce new characters. Ghost Rider, Blade and even Black Widow are just a few superhero names that have been suggested for Netflix’s Marvel Universe, but hopefully it won’t be the end of seeing Iron Fist, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and Daredevil fighting onscreen together. It also suggests that Jon Bernthal’s The Punisher season 1 is part of Phase Two along with Jessica Jones season 2, Daredevil season 3, Luke Cage season 2 and Iron Fist season 2, so it’s anyone’s guess as to what Frank Castle will be up against when is show airs later this year.

The Defenders will be available on Netflix August 18, 2017.

Justice League: Superman Joins the Fight in New Poster

The latest poster for Justice League brings Superman (Henry Cavill) back into the action and alongside his fellow heroes. The DC Extended Universe will soon have five films in their lineup when Justice League hits theaters near the end of the year. The entire universe has been building toward this moment, with Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice being the true launching point. While it was that film that introduced Batman (Ben Affleck), Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot), Aquaman (Jason Momoa), Flash (Ezra Miller), and Cyborg (Ray Fisher), Cavill’s Superman was already known to audiences thanks to Man of Steel.

It may have been his “longevity” in a young cinematic universe that made him a prime candidate to die at the end of BvS, or it is all part of the master plan to deliver the true portrayal of Superman fans have been waiting for. Either way, how he comes back into play in Justice League and for how long has been a major point of discussion.

Warner Bros. is not likely to spill the beans on how he factors in, which helps explain his small role in the overall marketing materials so far. He’s appeared in a few different posters and merchandise over time, and a new poster from MightyPrint has him reunited with the League as they prepare for battle.

While this is a new poster for Justice League, the content of it is recycled material they’ve used before. The same terrain has been used in previous posters, while the hero shots of each member have continued to be used on all types of merchandise. That said, it is a new combination and formation of the characters, and seeing Superman present is still something worth pointing out. Considering he has not been a part of all pieces of marketing, it is always good to see him there and only makes his eventual return that much more tantalizing.

As the marketing machine on Justice League picks up in the coming months, it remains to be seen how prominent of a figure he will be. Many are convinced his return was teased at the end of the most recent Justice League trailer, but fans are split as to whether or not he should be shown fully before the theater. Casual movie fans may have no clue Superman is going to return so Warner Bros. could look to keep him out to make the return that much more glorious. But, they can still show glimpses of him without spoiling his return entirely or ruining the film.

The recent handling of Superman may be an aspect of the DCEU that is continually questioned, but Justice League has the chance to make or break this arc. Zack Snyder started this journey and worked towards ending before stepping off the project, but there is plenty of hope that Joss Whedon can make the most of this opportunity and deliver a film that is satisfying for all – especially diehard Superman fans.

KEY RELEASE DATES
Justice League release date: Nov 17, 2017
Aquaman release date: Dec 21, 2018
Shazam! release date: Apr 5, 2019
Wonder Woman 2 release date: Dec 13, 2019
Cyborg release date: Apr 3, 2020
Green Lantern Corps. release date: Jul 24, 2020

St. Vincent to Direct Female-Led The Picture of Dorian Gray Film

St. Vincent is set to direct a film adaptation of The Picture Of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde’s famed 1890 novel, but her version will have a twist: The hedonistic title character will be a woman. The Victorian age story follows a handsome man obsessed with beauty and indulgence. Wanting to avoid the physical changes that come with growing old, he sells his soul to ensure he’ll stay eternally young while his portrait ages in his place, revealing every vice and depravity he partakes in along the way.

St. Vincent, whose real name is Annie Clark, is better known for her work in the musical arena. She’s released five albums since 2007, the most recent of which, her 2014 self-titled record, won the Grammy for Best Alternative Album in 2015. She made her directorial debut at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival with female-driven horror anthology XX, for which she co-wrote, scored, and helmed a short titled “The Birthday Party” starring Melanie Lynskey, Joe Swanberg, and Sheila Vand.

As reported by Variety, she’ll now take on her first feature-length directorial effort with The Picture Of Dorian Gray. The movie is being developed under Lionsgate, and David Birke will write the script. He previously penned the Isabelle Huppert-fronted thriller Elle (2016). He also co-wrote the upcoming Slender Man horror flick and is currently adapting Pierre Lemaitre’s crime novel, Alex. No casting details for The Picture Of Dorian Gray have been announced.

The novel — Wilde’s first and only — has been adapted numerous times over the last century, most notably with Albert Lewin’s 1945 take starring Hurd Hatfield, George Sanders, and Angela Lansbury, the latter of whom received an Academy Award nomination as Best Supporting Actress. But St. Vincent’s gender-swapped spin offers a fresh perspective. The original character was somewhat of an inversion of the beauty-driven villainy seen in characters like Snow White’s evil queen, but it’s not difficult to see how a female lead could lend commentary to the impossible beauty standards often placed upon modern women, and under extreme circumstances, what that could yield.

St. Vincent is, of course, quite new to filmmaking, but her work on XX showed acumen and promise, and it will be interesting to see what she can do on a larger platform. Throw in some big-name talent and this could be a major title.

XX is currently available to stream on Netflix. A release date for The Picture Of Dorian Gray has not yet been announced.

Avengers 3: Sean Gunn Praises Russo Brothers’ ‘Different’ Style

Sean Gunn has nothing but nice things to say about working with the Russo brothers on Avengers: Infinity War. The actor, who plays Kraglin in both Guardians of the Galaxy and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and works as the motion capture performer for Rocket Raccoon (who’s voiced by Bradley Cooper), praised the Russos’ style of directing, which differs from the style employed by his brother, James Gunn.

Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, Avengers: Infinity War will bring together two teams of heroes for an epic battle with Thanos (Josh Brolin), as the Guardians of the Galaxy and the Avengers must unite to take on the Mad Titan when he attempts to use the Infinity Gauntlet to threaten all of reality. This will be the Guardians’ third appearance in a film, and their first without James Gunn as director. Sean Gunn returned to do motion capture work for Rocket Raccoon in Avengers: Infinity War.

Gunn spoke to ComicBook about the transition from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 to Avengers: Infinity War, and talked about the experience of being on the set of the ensemble film and working with such an “amazing and huge cast.” Gunn also had positive remarks for the Russos:

The Russos are different, but I can tell you they’re great. I can tell you I love working with them, and I think I also identified with the idea of working with my brother as something that they do all the time, just like my brother and I do. I really enjoyed working with them, but the style’s different. No director is like any other exactly.

The Russos have already directed two movies for Marvel Studios, Captain America: Winter Soldier and Captain America: Civil War, which were huge hits for the company, both at the box office and with critics. If the two movies are any indication of what we can expect from the Russos in the future, Avengers: Infinity War will be much less light-hearted than the Guardians of the Galaxy films, but will still include some degree of humor.

As for how the Guardians will factor into the comedy portions of the movie, we can expect James Gunn to have a lot to do with that. Though Gunn won’t be co-directing Avengers: Infinity War, he will serve as an executive producer on the project, and it’s been said that the film will respect the style of the Guardians movies.

KEY RELEASE DATES
Thor: Ragnarok release date: Nov 3, 2017
Black Panther release date: Feb 16, 2018
The Avengers: Infinity War release date: May 4, 2018
Ant-Man & The Wasp release date: Jul 6, 2018
Captain Marvel release date: Mar 8, 2019
The Avengers 4 / Untitled Avengers Movie release date: May 3, 2019
Untitled Spider-Man: Homecoming Sequel release date: Jul 5, 2019