Though Zoe Saldana essentially owns the role of Gamora, the part was actually offered first to Amanda Seyfried (Mamma Mia), but she turned the role down because she said she ‘didn’t want to be in Marvel’s first bomb.’

In a recent interview with Happy Sad Confused, Seyfried admitted that she passed on the role because she didn’t want to spend too much time on the make-up chair–plus she thought the movie wasn’t going to be a hit. She explains:

“I was really scared of the idea of being stuck and painted a different color because of the amount of time that the X-Men people had been [on the makeup chair].”

There was also the case that Seyfried didn’t think the movie was going to be a success either. She continued, “I definitely got the offer for it, and I definitely milled over it for a couple of days, but I didn’t want to live in London for six months out of the year… Let’s also remember, being part of a Marvel movie—the first Marvel movie that bombs ain’t good for your career. I thought that because this was about a talking tree and a talking raccoon that it was gonna be Marvel’s first bomb and that Chris Pratt and I would never work again. I was wrong. I was just being smart, not brave… I was way too scared.”

For now, Seyfried is still out of the Marvel Studios bubble, but with more properties getting adapted, it may only be a matter of time before she eventually joins the fray.

As for the Gamora character, it looks like she’s been officially retired from the MCU, but there are still plans for the Guardians to return (as well as a possible Star-Lord spinoff). Hopefully Marvel finds someone else to take it over.

Personally, I think ex-Ant-Man director Edgar Wright would be a great choice for a new Guardians team, but we’ll just have to wait and see.

The next Marvel Studios film, Thunderbolts* is set to release on May 2.

Elio is set to come to theaters this June, and a new trailer has been dropped highlighting Elio and an unlikely friendship with an alien worm. Check this out:

This summer, moviegoers will meet Elio, an 11-year-old whose biggest wish is to get abducted by aliens, as well as his Aunt Olga (voiced by recent Academy Award Winner, Zoe Saldaña), and Glordon, Elio’s unexpected first friend who happens to be an alien. In this big-screen adventure, Elio will travel millions of miles across the universe encountering and a host of out-of-this world creatures who just might help him figure out exactly where he belongs.

Though earlier trailers have just shown Elio being whisked away into space and being mistaken for a diplomat, this latest preview gives more of the story, with Elio being shown to be kind of an antisocial weirdo; plus, we also get a look at his friend Glordon who seems to be going through his own issues with parental expectations.

Admittedly, Pixar has been hit-and-miss as far as their latest track record, but I think they have more hits worth watching out for. For every Luca and Turning Red, there’s always bound to be an Onward. We don’t know where Elio will fall in that category, but I always prefer that the studio try something new rather than just keep pursuing sequels/spinoffs like Lightyear and Finding Dory.

Catch Disney Pixar’s Elio when it comes to cinemas on June 20.

Talking to Variety, Saldana explains:

“Let it be a brown girl to play Gamora … Give that opportunity to a woman of color and see what the new Gamora is going to bring to the table. Like I brought Nyota Uhura to the table with Nichelle Nichols’ blessing.”

As of now, the status of Gamora is that she’s officially dead, and the new Gamora that fans met in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 has no real connection with the Guardians and has carved out her own family with the another Ravager faction.

Despite Saldana seemingly done with the role, it does look like her character is going to be existing somewhere in the galaxy. That being said the Guardians are still a thing with Rocket as their new leader; and Star-Lord is said to be returning at some point in the future.

Though I would be fine with Marvel just recasting and acting like nothing happened (like with Harrison Ford in Brave New World), I think the MCU is planning on ‘future-proofing’ the franchise after Secret Wars so they can keep telling stories of familiar characters without having to worry so much as keeping actors too committed.

I think the multiverse and variants is key to this, but then again, I could be giving Marvel too much credit. I mean, they do seem to be over-relying on nostalgia nowadays rather than taking risks on new things.

Watch out for Saldana in the next Avatar movie which comes out December 2025

As per SFFGazette, Quinto said in a recent convention appearance, “I think there’s a lot of other stuff, creative things. It’s complicated… The fact that anything good gets made is kind of a miracle. I think it’s about different people having different agendas and ideas about what it will be.”

We don’t know exactly what kind of movie is coming for the next Trek film, but rumors have been going around from a time travel episode with a returning Chris Hemsworth (as George Kirk) to a Trek film being directed by none other than Quentin Tarantino.

The last Trek movie to release in cinemas was Star Trek Beyond back in 2016, and while it was a solid movie, the film was marketed in an odd way that tried to appeal to a more action-oriented direction, what with Justin Lin (Fast and Furious) at the helm and the teaser using Sabotage from the Beastie Boys.

Anyone who did see the film had nothing but sparkling reviews for it, even saying that it’s the best Trek film to come out of the Kelvin Timeline.

If anything, Quinto does try to be optimistic whatever the fate of the Trek movies will be. He says, “I don’t know if and when it will happen. And if coalesces again, and we come back, and we’re able to do it, wonderful. If not, we had a great run.”

No release date has been announced for Star Trek 4.

Talking to Gizmodo, Gunn was asked about how the Avengers films affected the Guardians trilogy, and he replied that it was tough to write around Thanos killing Gamora. Gunn explains:

“[One major] thing was Gamora dying. But I was a big part of that choice so that was easier and I actually think it makes the movie much better. It’s much more interesting. At one point, Gamora almost died in Volume 2. And so I was really happy to work with that in a unique way and work with kind of what Quill’s damage is.”

He doesn’t go into detail about how Gamora was supposed to die, but with Yondu sacrificing himself in that film, I guess having Gamora die would have been too much for a character like Quill to move on from—especially with the events of Infinity War about to take place.

If you ask me, Gunn actually deals with Gamora’s death pretty well in Vol. 3, and it allows for an interesting dynamic not just with Quill, but with Nebula as well.

Still reeling from the loss of Gamora, Peter Quill must rally his team to defend the universe and protect one of their own. If the mission is not completely successful, it could possibly lead to the end of the Guardians as we know them.

Catch Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 when it hits cinemas on May 5.

Check this out:

While heroes still manage to show up in the MCU after their solo film trilogies have concluded (e.g., Iron Man, Captain America), it’s said that this third Guardians movie is going to be the last time we see this iteration of the characters together. Though we could see a new team of Guardians in the future, they won’t be comprised of Drax, Star-Lord, Gamora, Nebula, Rocket, Groot, and Mantis.

I was actually half-expecting the featurette to talk about Gunn’s temporary firing. He was set to make this movie earlier, but after he was fired when a series of poor-taste tweets surfaced, the GOTG Vol. 3 was effectively delayed. We don’t know how much of the story was changed, but I think the explorations of Rocket’s origin as an experiment of the High Evolutionary was always going to be part of the story. I’m not so sure about ‘new Gamora’ who is a result of a plot point from Avengers: Infinity War.

Either way, I’ve been a huge fan of the Guardians since the first movie, and I’m pretty happy Gunn got to come back and complete his story. Catch Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 when it comes to cinemas on May 5.

Check this:

Here’s the film’s description:

Still reeling from the loss of Gamora, Peter Quill rallies his team to defend the universe and one of their own – a mission that could mean the end of the Guardians if not successful.

The trailer basically expands on all the scenes we saw from the previous trailer, with more Adam Warlock as well as the main antagonist of the movie, the High Evolutionary. We also get some exchange between Quill and this variant of Gamora, and I have to admit I was surprised that the movie will be teasing a romance between Star-Lord and Nebula.

Though the Guardians franchise has always been more about action-comedy, it looks like the trailer is going to be delving into some very dark places for the characters, especially Rocket Raccoon. With Rocket mostly lashing out throughout the series, it’s going to be interesting to see him face-to-face with the cause of all his trauma.

With this movie set to end the story of this iteration of the Guardians, I’m excited for the film to set-up another group to take on the mantle. I have a feeling that Will Poulter’s Adam is going to be the leader, but maybe some old faces can still return—like Mantis or Groot.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is set to release in cinemas on May 5.

As per CNBC, Avatar: The Way of Water has officially grossed $598 million domestically and $1.426 billion in foreign markets—putting the movie over the $2 billion mark. Admittedly, Cameron had already said that the movie was profitable near the start of January, but passing $2 billion marks the number he had stated a month before the theatrical release.

With the movie allegedly costing more than $200 million to make, The Way of Water was said to have been one of the most expensive movies to have ever been made; so you can bet that the studio would want to make its money back.  With the last film coming out in 2009, it was unclear that the movie would be able to generate Avengers-level enthusiasm from the audience; but I guess they can all breathe with a sigh of relief now.

We can’t exactly sum up why The Way of Water was such a success in theaters, but I guess that you can thank Cameron for his way of handling spectacle on the big screen. Avatar 2 was an absolutely beautiful film, and with the simple story about saving the environment, I guess it didn’t really step on anybody’s toes on a political level.

Here’s the synopsis:

Jake Sully and Ney’tiri have formed a family and are doing everything to stay together. However, they must leave their home and explore the regions of Pandora. When an ancient threat resurfaces, Jake must fight a difficult war against the humans.

Catch Avatar: The Way of Water now showing in theaters.

Talking to Empire, Gunn talks about how they cast Poulter and how the character of Adam could be essential to Marvel Phase 5. He explains:

“People online were saying, ‘Oh, Tom Cruise should be Adam Warlock… I wanted somebody who was youthful, and I wanted the person who had the dramatic chops and the comedic chops, not only for this movie but for what Marvel will use Adam Warlock for in the future… He could become this really important character.”

With this movie said to be the final film for this iteration of the Guardians, the franchise could still move forward with a new roster—pretty much like the Avengers movies. With Adam being such a pivotal character in the comics, I think the movie could end with Adam being set up to be the new leader of the Galaxy’s Favorite A-Holes.

As for now though, Adam is going to be serving as an antagonist in the movie, with him sent to hunt down the Guardians by the Sovereign. Gunn describes the character:

“… He’s definitely not a good guy. What we’re seeing is the infant form of Warlock, newly out of the cocoon, and he does not understand life very well. He’s basically a baby.”

Despite the simple description, I think Adam could end up having one of the biggest emotional arcs in the film; but we’ll just have to wait and see till the movie comes out.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 hits theaters on May 5.

Cameron says, “It looks like just with the momentum that the film has now that will easily pass our break even in the next few days, so it looks like I can’t wiggle out of this, I’m gonna have to do these other sequels,” writes The Hollywood Reporter, “I know what I’m going to be doing the next six or seven years. The point is we’re going to be okay.”

We don’t know exactly what Cameron is building up to in the franchise, but it looks like we’re going to be exploring the whole of Pandora, with the next movie said to be introducing us to the ‘Fire Na’vi’ who are called the ‘Ash People’.

Since the entire franchise relies heavily on CG locations, Cameron confirms that production has already wrapped for the third film, and progress is steadily underway for the next Avatar movies. He confirms:

“I’m sure that we’ll have a discussion soon with with the top folks at Disney about the game plan going forward for Avatar 3, which is already in the can – we’ve already captured and photographed the whole film so we’re in extended post-production to do all that CG magic. And then Avatar 4 and 5 are both written. We even have some of 4 in the can. We’ve begun a franchise at this point. We’ve begun a saga that can now play out over multiple films.”

For now, you can catch Avatar: The Way of Water now screening in theaters.

Check this out:

Besides the returning cast members, we’re also getting the new characters in the form of Kate Winslet and Cliff Curtis who play the leaders of the Metkayina clan who are adept with the world of water. We also have a look at the actors playing the Sully kids like Jamie Flatters, Britain Dalton, and Trinity Jo-Li Bliss.

With the first movie being a visual spectacle, the same could very well be said about The Way of Water. Pandora is all about the wonderful nature, and it looks like Cameron and his team are still able to capture that beauty and put it to screen.

I don’t expect the movie to make Endgame money, but it’s definitely worth a watch in the cinema.

Set more than a decade after the events of the first film, “Avatar: The Way of Water” begins to tell the story of the Sully family (Jake, Neytiri, and their kids), the trouble that follows them, the lengths they go to keep each other safe, the battles they fight to stay alive, and the tragedies they endure.

Avatar: The Way of Water is now in theaters.

Just in, 20^th Century Studios has drooped a new trailer for the film, and we get to see Pandora brought to life with modern visual effects. Watch this:

Cameron has always been kind of known for his obsession with the ocean, and it was said that his hobby eventually led to the making of Titanic. If anything, you get to see more of the beautiful ocean life here in the trailer, and there’s also a sequence where we see some Na’Vi trapped inside a sinking vessel. What did I say? It’s totally Avatar-meets-Titanic the movie.

I also can’t help shake the feeling that Zoe Saldana’s Ney’tiri could die in the film. The way that Jake and his daughter talk is framed to make it seem like she’s talking about Eywa or the spirit of Pandora, but for it to have some real meaning, I think we will have to lose an important character—and that would be Ney’tiri, the reason Jake embraced the Na’Vi culture in the first place.

Then again, I am just guessing. With the first movie having been criticized for having a plain narrative over the years, you would think Cameron would want to tell a story that has a lot more emotional kick to it.

Jake Sully and Ney’tiri have formed a family and are doing everything to stay together. However, they must leave their home and explore the regions of Pandora. When an ancient threat resurfaces, Jake must fight a difficult war against the humans.

Avatar: The Way of Water premieres in cinemas on Dec. 16.

Watch the new teaser for The Way of Water down here: 

Here’s the official description:

Set more than a decade after the events of the first film, “Avatar: The Way of Water” begins to tell the story of the Sully family (Jake, Neytiri, and their kids), the trouble that follows them, the lengths they go to keep each other safe, the battles they fight to stay alive, and the tragedies they endure.

Like the title suggests, this film will be focusing more on the aquatic life of Pandora. With the first movie having very heavy emphasis on flight and the sky, we now get to follow Jake and Neytiri’s kids as they go into the waters of the alien planet.

What’s curious is, it looks like humans still exist in this world, and they now have a different motive when it comes to staying on the planet. Maybe they’re still looking for the ridiculously named unobtanium, but I would love to see a story that has some more relevant social themes today—after all, the first movie still kind of had a ‘white savior’ problem.

Avatar: The Way of Water comes to theaters on Dec. 16.

Watch the trailer for The Adam Project down here:

The new trailer actually gives us a lot more of the plot, and we discover that Reynolds is there to stop the invention of time travel (and save his father in the course of the film). We also find out that Zoe Saldana plays Reynolds’ love interest in the movie, and that both of them could be working for the same people who want to keep this time travel business from every happening.

With Levy behind the wheel, we should expect Adam Project to be a family-friendly action/adventure. He’s pretty much established himself with films like Free Guy and Night at the Museum; let’s not also forget his contributions with Netflix’s mega hit series Stranger Things.

Here’s the synopsis for The Adam Project:

Adam Reed (Walker Scobell), age 13, and still grieving the sudden death of his father (Mark Ruffalo) a year earlier, walks into his garage one night to find a wounded pilot hiding there. This mysterious pilot (Reynolds) turns out to be the older version of himself from the future, where time travel is in its infancy. He has risked everything to come back in time on a secret mission. Together they must embark on an adventure into the past to find their father, set things right, and save the world.

The three working together, both young and grown Adam come to terms with the loss of their father and have a chance to heal the wounds that have shaped them. Adding to the challenge of the mission, the two Adams discover they really don’t like each other very much, and if they’re going to save the world, they’re first going to have to figure out how to get along.

Catch The Adam Project when it drops on Netflix on March 11.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, a recent Paramount investors event had executive Brian Robbins and producer J.J. Abrams announced that they plan to bring the original cast back together, and that includes Chris Pine (Kirk), Zachary Quinto (Spock), Zoe Saldana (Uhura), Karl Urban (McCoy), John Cho (Sulu), and Simon Pegg (Scotty). One crew member that won’t be able to come back is Chekov, played by Anton Yelchin, who died back in 2016.

There were already plans for a follow-up to Beyond when it came out, but after the film underperformed, it was said that Paramount wanted to take the franchise in a different direction. There was buzz of projects from Quentin Tarantino and Noah Hawley, but the projects ultimately led nowhere. Fingers crossed that the Paramount going in a direction that won’t just be commercially viable, but also more creatively enriching to the Trek franchise.

Let’s just hope the marketing team doesn’t fumble the branding like they did with Beyond:

I’m honestly happy they’re planning to bring the 2009 cast back. Pine and everyone else just made the roles their own and they introduced a new generation of fans to the where no one has gone before. Personally, I would love for them to continue the thread that Beyond was pushing, but I am open to seeing the franchise go into a completely different direction—as long as it keeps true to the main themes of Star Trek.

No release date has been set for the next Star Trek movie.

Here’s the main synopsis:

Adam Reed (Walker Scobell), age 13, and still grieving the sudden death of his father (Mark Ruffalo) a year earlier, walks into his garage one night to find a wounded pilot hiding there. This mysterious pilot (Reynolds) turns out to be the older version of himself from the future, where time travel is in its infancy. He has risked everything to come back in time on a secret mission. Together they must embark on an adventure into the past to find their father, set things right, and save the world.

The three working together, both young and grown Adam come to terms with the loss of their father and have a chance to heal the wounds that have shaped them. Adding to the challenge of the mission, the two Adams discover they really don’t like each other very much, and if they’re going to save the world, they’re first going to have to figure out how to get along.

The film has assembled quite an impressive cast with Marvel actors Zoe Saldana (Guardians of the Galaxy) and Mark Ruffalo (Avengers). Even then, the Marvel reunion is the least hyped thing about this film, because it also finds Ruffalo reunited with his 13 Going on 30 co-star Jennifer Garner—and the two are playing another couple.

Looking at Levy’s filmography, we know that The Adam Project is going to aim for fun for the whole family; with some touching moments, and exciting action-adventure—top that with the charisma and humor of Reynolds, and Netflix may just have another big hit in its hands.

The Adam Project comes to Netflix on March 11.

Talking to Deadline’s Hero Nation, Gunn explains, “This is the end for us, the last time people will see this team of Guardians.” While Gunn doesn’t say if anyone will die, he does go on to say that this film will have a different tone from the past entries. He continues:

“It’s big; it’s so, so big and dark, and different from what people might be expecting it to be… I just want to be true to the characters, the story and give people the wrap-up that they deserve for the story… That’s always a little bit scary; I’m doing my best.”

If anything, Gunn also added, “I’m aware that the third film in most trilogies sucks; not always.”

With that being said, we should expect loose ends to be tied with characters like Star-Lord, Drax, Gamora, Rocket, and Groot. While I think some characters could stay for longer (like Mantis), there are some that have very specific drama tied to them, like Drax and the death of his family, or Rocket and his ‘creator’.

My guess is that the film ends with Adam Warlock (Will Poulter) taking on the mantle of being the new leader of the next team of Guardians, but we’ll just have to wait and see.

Catch Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 when it comes out May 23, 2023.

Saldana posted this on her IG:

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Zoe Saldana (@zoesaldana)

Though we don’t get any story details, the fate of Gamora is one that’s been up in the air since Avengers: Endgame. Though the character was killed off in Infinity War, a version of Gamora from the past had made it to the present timeline, and the film ends with the Guardians on their way to find her.

Seeing that the Gamora by the end of Endgame doesn’t have the same character arc as the Gamora that was killed for the Soul Stone, it’s going to be interesting to see how James Gunn will be treating the story. Admittedly, it’s a bummer that the character has to take a step back, but maybe there’s a way to develop her relationship with the Guardians anew—word even has it that they’ll be focusing on her relationship with Nebula when it comes to this third movie.

With Gunn having been fired and re-hired in the middle of making Guardians 3, it’s very possible that there are going to be some changes with the story. Let’s just hope that he manages to give these characters are good conclusion, seeing as they’re the only group of obscure heroes that managed to hit the mainstream thanks to Marvel (sorry Eternals).

Catch Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 when it hits theaters on May 23, 2023. Before that, the Guardians are set to appear in their own Holiday Special on December 2022 on Disney+.

Talking to EW, Cameron explains why the Avatar sequel will deal with the oceans of Pandora. He says:

“I do the ocean thing when I’m not making movies… So if I could combine my two greatest loves — one of which is ocean exploration; the other, feature filmmaking — why wouldn’t I?”

We’ve only seen still photos and concept art of this upcoming world, but it has been described as “Bora Bora on steroids.” With the rainforest in the first Avatar overflowing with color and alien life, I can’t wait to see what kind of underwater world Pandora will be bringing to the big screen.

With Avatar being such a huge hit back in 2009, you would think that a sequel would have come out sooner; I guess if we were getting sequels, we would be at the fifth entry by now—so it kind of makes sense that Cameron would announce four sequels already underway. He says, “It sounds kind of nuts, the process… I mean, if Avatar hadn’t made so much damn money, we’d never do this — because it’s kind of crazy.”

Here’s the synopsis for Avatar 2:

Jake Sully lives with his newfound family formed on the planet of Pandora. Once a familiar threat returns to finish what was previously started, Jake must work with Neytiri and the army of the Na’vi race to protect their planet.

The first Avatar sequel is set to hit theaters in Dec. 16, 2022.

Here the teaser for Vivo:

The official description of the film reads:

An animated musical adventure that follows VIVO, a one-of-kind kinkajou (aka a rainforest “honey bear,” voiced by Miranda), who must find his way from Havana to Miami in order to deliver a song on behalf of his beloved owner and mentor Andres (Buena Vista Social Club’s Juan de Marcos Gonzáles).

On the surface the film feels like a mix between Rio and Coco, but hopefully it manages to find a unique voice that will set itself apart.

Other actors in the project include Gloria Estefan, Zoe Saldana, Michael Rooker, Bryan Tyree Henry, and Leslie David Baker. The movie is also being directed by Kirk DeMicco (The Croods) and Brandon Jeffords (Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2).

The film touts itself as Sony Animation’s first musical, and will also feature original songs from Miranda himself. We don’t get to hear any of that in the teaser, but hopefully we don’t have to wait too long; a trailer released now could mean that the movie could premiere in a few months. Hopefully we don’t have to wait until the end of the year.

No release date has been set for Vivo, but you can watch Sony’s fantastic The Mitchells vs. The Machines now on Netflix.