Catch up on the biggest new stories to hit CBM this week for the period between June 17 and June 23. Obviously, the drama surrounding the Han Solo origin movie was the central topic of discussion but there were also big developments on the Marvel Cinematic Universe and its relationship with Sony regarding the use of Spider-Man. If you missed anything due to a busy work week or summer school classes, here's a rundown of the news you need to know to keep up to date on your favorite fandoms.
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10. TRANSFORMERS MOVIES AREN'T WHAT THEY USED TO BE
Written by CBM news writer:
It seems Michael Bay Transformers movies just aren't what they used to be- at least at the North American box office. Transformers: The Last Knight, the sixth film in Paramount's giant robot franchise, looks set to be the lowest domestic weekend opening in the series. The film also has the dubious honor of being the lowest rated Transformers film on Rotten Tomatoes with an abysmal approval rating of 15% from film critics.
Has audience fatigue set in on the Transformers franchise, which currently has aggressive plans for 14 more installments according to Michael Bay? CLICK HERE to read Josh's original report on the topic.
9. FIRST SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING REACTIONS HIT THE WEB
Written by CBM news writer:
We're two weeks out from Spider-Man:Homecoming's release in theaters. What did the first reaction to the film say about the unprecedented collaboration between Sony and Marvel? CLICK HERE to read Ror's original report.
There was certainly a lot of drama this week centered on the deal between Marvel and Sony but it doesn't necessarily have anything to do with Tom Holland or any of the characters introduced in Homecoming. More on that later...
8. EVIL BATMAN MILITIA INVADES THE DC COMICS UNIVERSE THIS FALL
Written by CBM news writer:
If you thought Owlman was bad, DC Comics has seven one-shots for you that are pure nightmare fuel. As part of the publisher-wide Dark Knights:Metal event coming down the pipeline from DC Comics, seven one-shot issues will be released which feature an alternate, corrupted hybrid version of The Dark Knight from an alternate dimension.
For more details on the one-shots, including the creative teams, CLICK HERE to open a new tab for my original report.
7. MARVEL COMICS REVEALS "WAR THOR'S" IDENTITY
Written by CBM news writer:
The Odinson has been without Mjolnir for quite some time in Marvel Comics, giving up his mantle as the God of Thunder to his former love interest, Jane Foster. However, he recently learned that the version of his trusty weapon from the Ultimate Universe survived the devistating events fo Secret Wars and went on a quest with Beta Ray Bill to retrieve it. In the end, Unworthy Thor decided that it was best if someone else went to retrieve the weapon and in The Mighty Thor #20 we find out the identity of that individual.
First teased back in March, fan theories about the War Thor's identity have ranged from Odin to Donald Blake. To find out the new Thor's identity, CLICK HERE for Matt's coverage.
6. THE NEW LEADER OF WB FILMS COMMENTS ON THE FUTURE OF THE DCEU
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Warner Bros. underwent a bit of restructuring at the end of 2016, with CEO Kevin Tsujihara stepping back to let new Chief Content Officer Toby Emmerich take the lead on what films get made and what their budget will be. Under this new setup, DC Film co-chairs Geoff Johns and Jon Berg each report to someone different. Johns' direct superior is DC Entertainment President Diane Nelson and Berg reports to Emmerich. In turn, Emmerich and Nelson take their direction from Tsujihara.
For what Emmerich plans to do with DC Films, CLICK HERE for my previous report. And for bonus coverage, check out what Johns and Berg have to say about Joss Whedon's importance to the DCEU as he takes over Justice League from Zack Snyder and prepares to helm a live-action Batgirl film.
5. NEW INFO FOR DC ENTERTAINMENT'S TEEN TITANS TV SERIES REVEALED
Written by CBM news writer:
If you'e on the fence about DC Entertainment's planned streaming service (which not only features the live-action Teen Titans show but the long-awaiting season 3 of Young Justice), perhaps these character breakdowns will change your mind?
As expected, the new series won't be focusing on the original Titans lineup of Kid Flash, Wonder Girl, Aqualad and Robin. The modern and currently most popular incarnation of the team which has a lineup consisting of Dick Grayson, Raven, Starfire and Beast Boy will be used. However, it doesn't sound like Cyborg will be featured which obviously makes sense as both the DC Films Universe and the current comic book continuity has the half-man, half-machine firmly entrenched as a founding member of the Justice League.
4. DEADPOOL 2 KICKS OFF PRODUCTION
Written By CBM news writer:
After some small delays, the sequel to Fox's wildly successful Deadpool film began production and Ryan Reynolds kicked things off as only he could. Apparently there's going to be a return trip to the X-Mansion but it remains to be seen how many X-Men will be home this time. Chances are high we'll be seeing a lot more than Colossus and Negasonic this time around.
Rohan's initial coverage feature the pic Reynolds' Tweeted of the Merc with a Mouth taking a quick siesta in front of the X-Mansion. While Cable and Domino are confirmed and cast, we're still waiting for word on what role Jack Kesy's Black Tom Cassidy will play.
3. NEW RUMOR SAYS FOX AIMING TO REBOOT THE FANTASIC FOUR AGAIN
Written by CBM news writer:
Fox appears determined to get the Fantastic Four right no matter how many box office flops it takes. The latest rumor states that Fox is looking at going the Disney approach and making the FF4 a kid's film styled similarly to The Incredibles. To achieve this, the new approach will apparently be to tell the film through the lends of Sue and Reed Richard's children, Franklin and Valeria Richards.
In this new reboot, could the FF4 actually join the X-Men universe as in Marvel Comics, Franklin turns out to be one of the world's most powerful mutants. For additional details, check out the initial report.
2. AMY PASCAL IMPLIES TOM HARDY'S VENOM WILL JOIN THE MCU
Written by CBM news writer:
Any other week, this news would surely be the top story. However, some drama in the Star Wars universe just might prove to be the blessing that Kevin Feige and Amy Pascal needed to get their ducks in a row as they'll both have a lot more interviews to sit through as we draw closer to the release of Spider-Man: Homecoming.
What are the chances that Pascal spoiled a big surprise for Avengers: Infinity War? Or is she shrewdly orchestrating a media campaign to get Venom, Silver Sable and Black Cat in the MCU along with Tom Holland's Spider-Man? The comment section in Ror's initial article was downright hilarious!
1. LUCASFILM FIRES HAN SOLO SPINOFF DIRECTORS
Written by CBM news writer:
This particular story seemed to catch everyone off guard. With only a few weeks of filming left and reshoots planned shortly thereafter, the directing duo of Phil Lord and Chris Miller departed the Han Solo origin film, stunning Star Wars fans around the world. It was quickly revealed that Lord and Miller were actually fired over the dreaded Hollywood "creative differences." However, it's almost universally agreed that the timing of the announcement was very strange. If things between The Lego Movie directors and Lucasfilm's Kathleen Kennedy were as bad as reported, how did Lord and Miller ever get the job in the first place?
On the other hand, Lord and Miller had to know going in that on a Star Wars film of all things, they were never going to be allowed to just do whatever they wanted. Someone in the comment section pointed out that this is pretty similar to what happened with Richard Donner on Superman 2.