We're all hoping that 2021 will be a little better than last year, but COVID-19 sadly continues to be a problem across the entire globe. With a new strain of the virus discovered that's said to be vastly more infectious, the future of theaters is as uncertain as ever, and there will, unfortunately, be many more deaths to come.
The vast majority of people do manage to overcome COVID, of course, though it's still not something to take lightly. That's evident from a recent Instagram Story shared by Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. alum Chloe Bennet (via The Hollywood Reporter).
Bennet started by revealing that she woke up on Christmas Day with a "high fever, and unable to breathe." Multiple members of her family have also tested positive, and Bennet would go on to explain that they've been "battling it out together. We're still not in the clear, but as of now we're doing...okay."
"[COVID] sucks. It just really sucks," she wrote. "I pride myself on staying healthy, I always wore a mask, social distanced and took all the necessary precautions and still got VERY sick. And I'm one of the lucky ones. I repeat! I'm young healthy and diligent about my health and this virus knocked me the [frick] down and continues to do so. Even trying to just write this out is proving to be...exhausting. If it can happen to me, it can happen to you."
Bennet went on to remind her followers to wear a mask and continue to social distance.
It goes without saying that we're sending our best wishes to the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. star, and hoping she has a speedy recovery. As for those of you reading this, stay safe as we head into 2021!
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of the 10 biggest news stories on CBM in 2020!
Doctor Strange director Scott Derrickson parted ways with Marvel Studios over "creative differences," and that left Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness without a director. In February, it was reported that Spider-Man helmer Sam Raimi was being eyed to return to the Marvel Universe.
That's since been confirmed, and all the Spider-Man 3 news (we'll get to that) has led to speculation Raimi could be reunited with Tobey Maguire when the Sorcerer Supreme visits his world.
Take a look at the original breaking news story by clicking here.
A lot of big news came out of this year's DC FanDome event, but it was this breaking story prior to that which really grabbed our attention. The Batman director Matt Reeves and Boardwalk Empire writer Terence Winter were teaming up for what was described as a "police procedural series set in the crime-infested streets of the Caped Crusader's hometown Gotham City."
Since then, the series has lost Winter due to creative differences, and the hunt is currently on for a replacement. There's no word on who that will be, but we know the show is set during "Year One."
You can find more details on this series right here.
At the start of July, Ray Fisher shocked the world when he took to Twitter to say, "Joss Whedon’s on-set treatment of the cast and crew of Justice League was gross, abusive, unprofessional, and completely unacceptable. He was enabled, in many ways, by Geoff Johns and Jon Berg."
The actor followed that with a series of vague follow-up comments, though things soon devolved into something of a back-and-forth between Fisher and Warner Bros. An official investigation was launched, the Cyborg actor received support from Jason Momoa and Gal Gadot, and it's since been concluded...in a rather unsatisfying manner, if we're being totally honest.
Head to the original post to see the Tweets that started it all.
Daredevil came to an end on Netflix after three hit-and-miss seasons, but Charlie Cox made such a huge impact as Matt Murdock, fans started campaigning for Marvel Studios to #SaveDaredevil.
According to one reliable source, the actor is returning as the Man Without Fear in Spider-Man. This is said to have been "set in stone for several months now" (the news broke earlier this month) and common sense says Matt will be Peter Parker's lawyer after he was framed for Mysterio's murder.
Find more details on Cox's possible Daredevil return by clicking here.
Disney's Investor Day proved to be nothing short of epic, and Lucasfilm clearly has huge plans for the Star Wars franchise moving forward. The Mandalorian is getting two spinoff shows, Taika Waititi remains hard at work on an untitled movie, while we'll also be catching up with Lando Calrissian.
You can find a full breakdown of all those big Star Wars reveals by clicking here, but perhaps the most exciting announcement was Wonder Woman 1984 director Patty Jenkins taking the helm of Rogue Squadron. Set for release in December 2023, this movie sounds like a dream come true for fans.
Find out more about Jenkins' Rogue Squadron plans here.
5. Batman Returns...Again
As we mentioned, DC FanDome was a huge win for Warner Bros., and we were left with plenty to talk about once the virtual event ended (including some pretty blockbuster trailers).
Director Andy Muschietti stole the show with some big reveals for The Flash, confirming that Barry Allen will receive a new, streamlined costume from Ben Affleck's Bruce Wayne. A second piece of concept art showed the Fastest Man Alive teaming up with Michael Keaton's original big screen Batman, and it was announced that the hero is about to take a trip through the Multiverse!
This is seriously exciting, and you can see both pieces of concept art by clicking here.
Like Lucasfilm, Marvel Studios had plenty of big announcements to share during Disney's Investor Day. As well as a tonne of new Disney+ TV shows - Armor Wars, anyone? - the highly anticipated Fantastic Four reboot finally found itself a director in Spider-Man: Far From Home helmer Jon Watts.
After he re-imagined the wall-crawler for Marvel Studios, it's hard to think of anyone better suited than Watts to do the same for Marvel's First Family, and this team's big screen return is long overdue.
Find a recap of all those big Phase 4 announcements from Kevin Feige by clicking here.
The Flash may be about to take Barry Allen into the DC Multiverse, but it's beginning to look like the Marvel Multiverse will be the focal point of many Phase 4 stories. WandaVision will kick things off, with it then continuing in Spider-Man 3 and, obviously, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
It all started for Spider-Man 3 with the news that Jamie Foxx will reprise the role of Electro. The actor shared a piece of fan-art on Instagram showing the three big screen versions of Spidey facing the villain, and it's also been confirmed that Alfred Molina will be back as Doctor Octopus after first playing him in Spider-Man 2. Rumours have since continued to persist about the threequel.
So, what do we know? Well, those include big plans for actors like Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Kirsten Dunst, and Willem Dafoe, and the signs appear to be pointing to this movie being an epic adventure pitting these Spider-Men against an interdimensional Sinister Six.
We suggest you check out our page on Spider-Man 3 for more!
Well, here's something it's fair to say we never saw coming.
No matter how much fans campaigned for Warner Bros. to #ReleaseTheSnyderCut, the more time the passed, the less likely it seemed Zack Snyder would actually get to share his version of Justice League. Well, that all changed after a Man of Steel rewatch ended with the filmmaker confirming that this original director's cut would debut on HBO Max early next year.
We've since been treated to a trailer, the news that it will release in four parts, and even reshoots that have seen the likes of Jared Leto and Joe Manganiello agree to reprise their roles as The Joker and Deathstroke. Needless to say, we have a feeling this one is going to be epic.
Find that original announcement about the "Snyder Cut" of Justice League by clicking here.
We wish, more than anything, that this piece of news wasn't on this list. At the end of August, it was confirmed by Chadwick Boseman's family that the Black Panther star had passed away after a four-year, secret battle with cancer. This sent shock waves across the globe, and the tributes flooded in.
It's since been confirmed that Marvel Studios and Ryan Coogler are moving forward with Black Panther 2, but T'Challa won't be recast. Instead, it appears another character will take over the Black Panther mantle, and that makes sense because it's hard to imagine anyone ever being able to top Boseman's work.
You can read our tribute to Boseman by clicking here. Rest in Power, King.