We've got a bundle full of superhero movie news today, and it comes from both sides of the unending battle between DC Comics and Marvel.
The Avengers: Infinity War, Parts 1 and 2
Though he directed The Avengers and Avengers: Age of Ultron (due out May 1), Joss Whedon will not be back behind the camera for the big two-part Avengers: Infinity War movie, arriving in 2018 and 2019. Reports claim Captain America: Winter Soldier -- and upcoming Civil War -- directors Joe and Anthony Russo will take over the series, with filming to take place back to back in 2016 and 2017. Rumors claim the Avengers will switch up its roster following Infinity War, as one series concludes and another begins.
One character we know will be involved is Spider-Man, who is now joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe by way of Marvel Studios after a deal was made between the studio who owns Spidey's film rights (Sony). Spider-Man will first appear in Captain America: Civil War (May 6, 2016) before relaunching a new solo franchise. He'll also return for Infinity War, along with other new characters like the Black Panther and Captain Marvel, whose films are due out in 2018 (Panther will also appear in Civil War).
Harley Quinn
Margot Robbie plays Harley Quinn in Suicide Squad, and Latino Review's El Mayimbe has revealed a few nuggets about her character's look in that movie. So if you're obsessed with costume, you'll be happy to know that Quinn's outfit will be taken from the '90s Batman animated series (which would imply a sort of latex jester's outfit), but will certainly include a few other wardrobe changes.
Oh, and hardcore fans will be happy to learn that the hyenas Harley Quinn keeps as pets with the Joker do make more than one appearance in the movie.
X-Men: Apocalypse
Jennifer Lawrence tells MTV News that X-Men: Apocalypse will be her last X-Men movie, most likely due to her fulfilling a contract lasting three movies. No official word yet on whether Michael Fassbender, James McAvoy and Nicholas Hault will also be out following Apocalypse, which hits theaters on May 27, 2016.
This news isn't all too surprising, though, considering X-Men writer Simon Kinberg has already alluded to the fact that this movie will wrap up a character arc that began with X-Men: First Class, saying...
"This movie is the completion of the first arcs of Charles, Eric, Raven, and Hank, who are essentially our main characters. They’re such young actors and young characters, so there’s a lot more story to tell. But as a first phase of their lives, there is this feeling of closure by the end of the movie."
Wonder Woman
Gal Gadot recently gave an interview in her home country of Israel, discovered and translated by Superhero Hype, where she revealed the tiniest of details about her character of Wonder Woman in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice:
“She has unbelievable endurance. She is exceptionally strong. She can jump really high and practically fly. She know tons of martial arts styles. She is a strong and serious Woman.”
That's not exactly a wild revelation, but since there have been various tweaks of Wonder Woman in the comics that have given the Amazonian the full power of flight, it at least confirms that she's not exactly going to be zooming through the skies side-by-side with Superman. Unless she has her old-school invisible plane, that is.
Spider-Man
This shouldn't be too surprising considering all of Disney, Sony and Marvel's language about the upcoming new version of Spider-Man has referred to the character as Peter Parker, but Joe Quesada (Marvel's chief creative officer) has also pegged the future big-screen secret identity of Spidey as none other than Peter Parker. This should put to rest all the speculation that one of the non-Parker Spider-Men, like Miles Morales, would be taking his place this time around.
The Black Panther
Lastly, according to one of the agencies handling the casting of extras on Captain America: Civil War, Marvel is in need of quite a few "African men and women" between 18 and 75 who look as though they could be "Nigerian, Ethiopian, Kenyan etc..." We already knew that the Black Panther was going to be an integral part of the movie, but this call for extras would seem to imply that Civil War will make at least one detour to that superhero's fictional African nation of Wakanda.
