Black Widow Poster Shows First Look at Taskmaster

The official D23 poster for the Black Widow movie has been revealed by Marvel Studios’ Director of Visual Development & Concept Artist, Andy Park – showing off a first look at the cast, specifically the Taskmaster.

Shared in a post on Twitter, Park said, “BLACK WIDOW!!! Official D23 poster I had the honor of painting. She’s very near & dear to me since it’s the gazillionth time I’ve concept designed/painted her. What a cast & crew!” Park finished the tweet by tagging the starring cast members of Black Widow, including Scarlett Johansson, Florence Pugh, David Harbour, and Rachel Weisz.

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Persona Franchise Passes New Milestone Ahead Of Persona 5 Royal Release

The Persona video game franchise has set a new sales record. Developer Atlus announced in a blog post (translated by VentureBeat) that the entire series has now surpassed 10 million copies sold.

This figure counts copies sold in the mainline series, which has so far spanned five entries, as well as the spin-offs. Atlus did not provide a breakdown of sales by title, but it was already announced that Persona 5 alone had shifted 2.7 million copies.

The new 10 million figure comes after Persona publisher Sega announced in its 2018 financial report that the series had reached 9.3 million copies shipped as of October 2018. The release of certain Persona games in Japan and Persona Q2 worldwide since then surely helped the figure grow to 10 million.

Also in the blog post, Atlus said fans can look forward to an upcoming news event for Persona 5 Royal in the near future. Royal is an updated version of the Persona 5 that is slated for release in October on PS4. The game is expected to be a hit, in turn boosting the series sales even higher.

Royal launches in Japan in October, with a release scheduled for the west in Spring 2020. For more on P5R, be sure to read (or watch) our analysis of the first full reveal trailer, breakdown of all the new information that followed, or details on the new playable character Kasumi Yoshizawa.

The Simpsons Creator Confirms Apu Won’t Be Written Off the Show

Rest easy, Simpsons fans – Apu isn’t going anywhere.

Following Disney’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox and its many fan-favorite properties, The Simpsons made its debut at Disney’s D23 Expo in Anaheim this weekend, where Simpsons creator Matt Groening assured a fan that, despite reports to the contrary, Apu would not be written out of the show. When asked whether Apu would appear on The Simpsons moving forward, Groening reportedly said, “Yes. We love Apu. We’re proud of Apu,” according to Variety.

Back in October, Castlevania showrunner Adi Shankar told fans that he’d heard Apu was going to be written out of The Simpsons following criticism that the show was perpetuating racial stereotypes in the 2017 documentary The Problem with Apu (and was then accused making light of those criticisms after addressing them in a subsequent episode). Shankar tweeted, “I’ve verified from multiple sources now: They’re going to drop the Apu character altogether. They aren’t going to make a big deal out of it, or anything like that, but they’ll drop him altogether just to avoid the controversy.”

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Amid Sony/Disney Controversy, Tom Holland Says New Spider-Man Movie Will Be “Very Different”

Even if Spider-Man does indeed leave the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Tom Holland is coming back to play the character again in a third movie following the box office smash Spider-Man: Far From Home. Holland appeared at the Keystone Comic-Con in Philadelphia this weekend (after his separate appearance at Disney’s D23) where he confirmed there is “definitely more to come” for Spider-Man movies featuring him in the lead role, according to GameSpot sister site ComicBook.

In fact, Holland pointed out that he and the creative team have already pitched a third Spider-Man movie. It was previously confirmed that Far From Home writers Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers will return for the third movie, but it’s unknown if director Jon Watts will come back as well. For what it’s worth, it was recently reported that Marvel is now trying to hire Watts for another movie.

Whatever the case, Holland said the new Spider-Man movie will be “very different,” but whether or not that’s due to Spider-Man’s exit from the MCU is unknown.

“We sat down with some of our creatives. We pitched Spider-Man 3, which is going to be something very special, it’s going to be something very different,” Holland said.

Holland also spoke about his future as Spider-Man, and he spoke about Marvel in the past tense with Sony as his future.

“I’m just so grateful that Marvel changed my life and allowed my dreams to come true and Sony allowing me to continue living my dream,” he said. “It’s a crazy week and it’s never been done before so we’ll see how it goes and it’ll be as amazing and as fun.”

Last week, news broke that Disney and Marvel could not agree on terms regarding the future of Spider-Man movies. Sony holds the movie rights to Spider-Man, and years ago Sony and Disney agreed on terms to have Spider-Man join the MCU, beginning with Captain America: Civil War. That deal was never expected to last forever, and now it seems it is coming to an end.

Sony has a history of producing its own Spider-Man movies, as the company made the original Star Wars films starring Tobey Maguire and later the Amazing Spider-Man franchise with Andrew Garfield.

Back in July, Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige talked about how the next Spider-Man movie will “have to do something completely different” due to the events of Far From Home. If you’ve seen the movie, you know what he’s talking about.

It is no surprise that Sony wants to make more Spider-Man movies with Holland, as Homecoming and Far From Home were enormously successful at the box office. Homecoming made $880 million at the box office, with Far From Home bringing in $1.11 billion to surpass Skyfall ($1.108 billion) to become Sony’s highest-grossing movie ever.

Even with Spider-Man leaving the MCU, Disney will continue to benefit from the character as it gets 100% of the money from Spider-Man merchandise. (Disney paid Sony a reported one-time $175 million for the merch rights, in addition to an annual royalty fee around $30 million)

In addition to Spider-Man, Sony is investing in Holland with the Uncharted movie where Holland plays a younger Nathan Drake. The movie recently lost director Dan Trachtenberg, but Holland is still on board and the movie aims to start shooting in early 2020.

Marvel Boss On Spider-Man Leaving MCU: “It Was Never Meant To Last Forever”

One of the biggest entertainment stories of the month unfolded earlier this month when it was reported that discussions between Marvel and Sony about the future of Spider-Man movies broke down. Years ago, Sony–which holds the theatrical rights to Spider-Man–and Disney/Marvel cut a deal that allowed Spider-Man to appear in MCU movies, starting with 2016’s Captain America: Civil War. It was reported last week that Disney went to Sony in search of more favourable terms, but the two sides couldn’t agree, according to reports. Now, Marvel boss Kevin Feige has spoken more about the matter, saying he never expected the deal to run forever and strongly suggesting that Spider-Man is officially gone from the MCU.

“I’m feeling about Spider-Man gratitude and joy,” Feige told Entertainment Weekly. “We got to make five films within the MCU with Spider-Man: two standalone films and three with the Avengers. It was a dream that I never thought would happen.

“It was never meant to last forever. We knew there was a finite amount of time that we’d be able to do this, and we told the story we wanted to tell, and I’ll always be thankful for that.”

Among the long list of unanswered questions about the dispute between Marvel and Sony is if Spider-Man: Homecoming and Far From Home director Jon Watts will come back for the third new Spider-Man movie starring Tom Holland. According to Deadline, Watts’ deal with Sony was only for those two movies, the latter of which made $1.11 billion worldwide, surpassing Skyfall to stand as Sony’s highest-grossing movie in its history.

Deadline reports that “it’s no certainty” that Watts will return for the third movie, adding that Marvel is looking to hire Watts for a new movie presumably unrelated to Spider-Man.

Holland appeared at the Keystone Comic-Con in Philadelphia this weekend where he confirmed he’ll return as Spider-Man again. He also said he and his team pitched Spider-Man 3, which he described as a film that will be “very different” from the others.

“I’m just so grateful that Marvel changed my life and allowed my dreams to come true and Sony allowing me to continue living my dream,” he said, as reported by GameSpot sister site ComicBook. “It’s a crazy week and it’s never been done before so we’ll see how it goes and it’ll be as amazing and as fun.”

In its own statement, Sony said the news about the fallout between it and Disney has been “mischaracterized.” One part of the drama involved Feige’s involvement as lead producer on Sony’s Spider-Man movies, which reportedly will not continue for the next movie.

“We are disappointed, but respect Disney’s decision not to have him continue as a lead producer of our next live-action Spider-Man film,” Sony said. “We hope this might change in the future, but understand that the many new responsibilities that Disney has given him–including all their newly added Marvel properties–do not allow time for him to work on IP they do not own. Kevin is terrific and we are grateful for his help and guidance and appreciate the path he has helped put us on, which we will continue.”

Marvel series producer Jon Favreau said he is hopeful that Sony and Marvel can come to terms, but that might not happen. Deadline’s sources said, “It has gotten so bad that some wonder if it would even be possible for them to rethink things and come to terms on Spider-Man.”

Even if Disney and Sony can’t agree on a new deal, the House of Mouse will continue to benefit from Spider-Man as it currently receives 100% of merchandise sales from Spider-Man.

Whether or not Spider-Man stays in the MCU, Marvel is planning loads more superhero movies. At D23 this past weekend, the company announced even more shows for Disney+, including Ms. Marvel, She-Hulk, and Moon Knight.

WandaVision Poster Offers First Look at the Disney+ Marvel Sitcom

The first poster for Disney+ series WandaVision was released at D23 Expo 2019.

This poster was given to fans attending the convention, and website DiscussingFilm tweeted a snapshot of the first look at the Paul Bettany and Elizabeth Olsen-starring series.

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Why Frozen 2 Won’t Give Elsa a Love Interest

Since the release of Frozen in 2013, the characters Elsa and Anna have captured the hearts and minds of many, and their integration into the larger Disney world — from theme parks to short films to even a season of Once Upon a Time — have led to many speculating what the sisters’ lives are outside of that one movie.

The Disney film’s hit song, “Let It Go,” became an LGBTQ anthem, and fans who interpreted the song’s themes about embracing who you are inside as exploring a coming out story have been petitioning the filmmakers since the Frozen 2 announcement to #GiveElsaaGirlfriend. The first trailer for Frozen 2 fueled fan speculation when a new female character was briefly glimpsed, causing some to think this could be a love interest for Elsa.

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Disney Details Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Resort Experience At D23

Disney has finally revealed details of the upcoming Star Wars hotel, the Galactic Starcruiser, a virtual space cruise experience that will send guests from Disney World in Orlando, Florida to a galaxy far, far away aboard a ship called The Halcyon.

The experience will last two nights and two days, and is designed for all intents and purposes feel like you’re on a cruise ship in space. Of course, anyone who’s actually been on a cruise and stayed inside an interior room with no view of the ocean outside will be wondering about one feature in particular: Yes, every cabin aboard the Halcyon has a view of space outside your window.

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During the Sunday morning D23 panel focused on Disney parks, Walt Disney Imagineering EP and creative director Ann Morrow Johnson took the stage to introduce attendees to the Galactic Starcruiser resort.

She described an immersive experience that starts before guests even board the “ship.” They’ll begin in a launch pod boarding vessel that will travel up into orbit and dock with the Halcyon, then emerge into the vessel’s atrium, where they’ll be shown to their cabin. The crew and staff will all be in character as various aliens, and there will be familiar characters on board, including Rey and Chewie–plus some more nefarious characters, as Kylo Ren and some Stormtroopers were also teased.

During the “cruise,” guests will make choices that determine the course of their story, and take place in various onboard activities, including training with a lightsaber against a remote droid like Luke Skywalker in A New Hope. Guests can also visit the star cruiser’s bridge and take a turn steering the ship themselves, or sneak away to the engine room to find rebels plotting the resistance.

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The ship will also stop on Batuu, the planet that houses Disney World’s Galaxy’s Edge is based in. In other words, guests will leave the hotel and head over to the Blackspire Outpost in Galaxy’s Edge as if going on a shore excursion while on a real cruise.

There are still a few key details we don’t yet know about Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser–most importantly, the opening date and pricing.

It’s been an eventful D23. Throughout the weekend, we learned about more returning MCU characters in WandaVision’s cast, the reveal of Disney Plus’s Ms. Marvel, She-Hulk, and Moon Knight shows, more details about the Lokiand Falcon and Winter Soldier shows, Black Panther 2’s release date, and more about Disney+ and the MCU phase 4.

On the Star Wars side, Disney confirmed that Ewan McGregor is returning to the role of Obi-Wan Kenobi, announced the release date for Star Wars Clone Wars Season 7, and revealed a Disney+ show starring very dead Rogue One characters.

Disney World’s Guardians Of The Galaxy Ride: Name And Details Revealed At D23

Disney World in Orlando is getting its very own Guardians of the Galaxy ride as an answer to Disneyland’s Guardians Of The Galaxy: Mission Breakout in Disney’s California Adventure–and it won’t be a re-skin of an already existing attraction.

During the presentation at Disney’s D23 Expo, the first details were revealed, including the name and story. A high-speed indoor roller coaster, Guardians Of The Galaxy Cosmic Rewind will take park guests from Earth to Xandar and back in a ship belonging to the Nova Corps. The ride starts in the “Galaxarium” (think planetarium, but, you know, for a galaxy) where guests will be invited to board a Nova ship to get a look at Earth from space.

Unfortunately–as things are wont to do when the Guardians are involved–something goes terribly wrong, and chaos ensues.

The coaster will feature the first-ever “reverse launch into space,” so brace yourselves for some backward thrills.

The ride will function as a sort of satellite area, tying into the story of the Avengers Campus lands coming to both Anaheim and Paris. While Orlando will not be getting a full-fledged Marvel-themed land (that we know of yet, at least), Guardians Of The Galaxy Cosmic Rewind is featured on the map of Avengers attractions featured on the D23 Expo show floor.

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California Adventure Avengers Campus MCU Ride Will Take Guests To Wakanda

Disney has made plenty of announcements throughout this year’s D23 expo, but the company saved some reveals for Sunday. During the Disneyland parks panel, they shed some light on one of the new attractions headed to the upcoming Avengers Campus in the California Adventure park.

The ride, which will be part of the Avengers Campus phase 2, will be based on the Black Panther corner of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but will feature many of the Avengers, not just T’Challa himself. It will open with a journey from Avengers HQ to Wakanda on the S.H.I.E.L.D. Quinjet, and guests will wind up in a major Avengers fight by the end, featuring an unnamed MCU villain.

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The Avengers Campus is a new park area scheduled to open at California Adventure in 2020, and at Disneyland Paris at an unknown date. The Wakanda ride has only been announced for the California Adventure location currently.

During the Sunday D23 panel, Disney also revealed details about the Avengers Campus Spider-Man ride–as awkward as it may currently be to discuss. The Spider-Man attraction, called W.E.B. (Worldwide Engineering Brigade), will feature “web-slinging vehicles” and new Peter Parker inventions like the Spider-Bot, which will glitch out and begin to replicate itself during the ride’s story.

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It’s been an eventful D23. Throughout the weekend, we learned about more returning MCU characters in WandaVision’s cast, the reveal of Disney Plus’s Ms. Marvel, She-Hulk, and Moon Knight shows, more details about the Loki and Falcon and Winter Soldier shows, Black Panther 2’s release date, and more about Disney+ and the MCU phase 4.

On the Star Wars side, Disney confirmed that Ewan McGregor is returning to the role of Obi-Wan Kenobi, announced the release date for Star Wars Clone Wars Season 7, and revealed a Disney+ show starring very dead Rogue One characters.