Related: Spider-Man Far From Post Credit Scenes | What They Mean For Phase 4
Marvel Phase 4 Movies and Disney Plus Shows Confirmed
The Eternals
Release Date: November 2020
Chloe Zhao will be the director of The Eternals. The Eternals will star Richard Madden as Ikaris, Angelina Jolie as Thena, Don Lee as Gilgamesh also known as The Forgotten One, Kumail Nanjiani, Lauren Ridloff, Brian Tyree Henry as Phastos, Salma Hayek as The Leader, and Lia McHugh.
The Eternals will feature the first deaf actor and character in the MCU.
The Falcon and The Winter Soldier coming Fall 2020 on Disney+
Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan were at Hall H to announce the show. Mackie was also carrying Captain America’s Shield. Zemo will be in the show and was shown bearded and wearing his iconic hood. Daniel Bruhl will be reprising his role as Zemo.
Shang-Chi: And the Legend of the Ten Rings
Release date: February 12 2021
Shang-Chi will be directed by Destin Daniel Cretton and star Simu Liu as Shang-Chi, Awkwafina, as well as Tony Leung who will be playing the Mandarin. Simu Liu was just cast in the role a little over a week ago.
WandaVision coming Spring 2021 on Disney+
WandaVision is set after the events of Avengers Endgame. Monica Rambeau will be played by Teyonah Paris.
Loki coming Spring 2021 to Disney Plus
The Endgame scenes where Loki leaves with the Tesseract leads into the Disney+ Series. So 2012 Loki is on the loose and we are going to find out what the God of Mischief is up to. Tom Hiddleston is starring as Loki.
Doctor Strange In The Multiverse of Madness
Release Date: May 7 2021
Although rated PG-13, Scott Derrickson teased that Multiverse of Madness will be the first “scary” MCU film. Scarlet Witch will be in Multiverse of Madness and it will tie into WandaVision.
Nightmare will be the villain featured in the film.
Marvel’s What If? coming Summer 2021 on Disney+
Jeffrey Wright has been cast as the voice of The Watcher and will narrate the series. Many actors from the MCU will be reprising their roles as voice talent for the show.
Hawkeye coming Fall 2021 on Disney+
Hawkeye will star Jeremy Renner and introduce Kate Bishop.
Thor Love and Thunder
Release Date November 2021
Director Taika Waititi is back along with Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson. Love and Thunder will be based on Jason Aaron’s The Mighty Thor run which features a female Thor played by Natalie Portman. Tessa Thompson teases that Valkyrie is LGBTQ+ in the MCU.
Black Widow
Release Date November 2020
The film will focus on Black Widow’s past. Scarlett Johansson will be back as Black Widow with David Harbour as Alexi, Rachel Weisz, O-T Fagbenle, and Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova, a sister figure to Natasha. Cate Shortland will direct.
Black Widow will take place after the events of Captain America Civil War. Taskmaster has been confirmed as the villain, footage at SDCC showed Natasha fighting him.
Marvel Studios Comic Con News
Fantastic Four in development.
X-Men in development.
Captain Marvel 2 in development.
Black Panther 2 in development.
Blade starring Mahershala Ali as Blade.
Which one of the Marvel Studios Phase 4 films and TV shows are you excited for? Me? All of them. Bring on all that Marvel goodness because this geek girl is ready.
Related: All The Avengers Endgame Easter Eggs and Cameos You May Have Missed
We Love You 3000 Tour Info
Marvel will be greeting and treating fans at each tour stop. Funko Pop collectors are in luck, a total of 3,000 MCU Vinyl Figures will be distributed to fans throughout the tour. Additional giveaways range from exclusive “Avengers: Endgame” prints to McDonald’s vouchers for a free Happy Meal plus an Avengers: Endgame Happy Meal toy to a MCU inspired sundaes and recipe cards courtesy of Ben & Jerry’s.
Best Buy will serve as the location for 5 “We Love You 3000” Tour stops, hosting in-store fan events to celebrate the nationwide release of Marvel Studios “Avengers: Endgame” on Blu-ray Aug. 13. Events will feature signings with Marvel Studios filmmakers and/or MCU talent and a special digital photo booth. Plus specialty promotional giveaways including MCU Funko Pop! Vinyl Figures and exclusive “Avengers: Endgame” prints, and much more.
Look for the exclusive, limited edition Avengers: Endgame SteelBook and other collectable MCU SteelBooks at a Best Buy store near you and on BestBuy.com.
We Love You 3000 Tour Stops
July 20: SAN DIEGO, Comic-Con International – Directors Anthony & Joe Russo, Writers Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely and a special guest from the MCU
July 30: EVERETT, WA, Funko HQ to be announced
August 8: SAN FRANCISCO, Giants vs. Phillies at Oracle Park – Directors Anthony & Joe Russo at the San Francisco Giants’ Marvel Night
August 13: MIAMI, Best Buy store – to be announced
August 13: CHICAGO, Best Buy store – Directors Anthony & Joe Russo
August 13: TORRANCE, CA, Best Buy store – to be announced
August 14: MINNEAPOLIS, Best Buy store – Directors Anthony & Joe Russo
August 20: CLEVELAND, Best Buy store – Directors Anthony & Joe Russo
August 23-25: ANAHEIM, CA, D23 Expo 2019- to be announced
For more information on what’s taking place in each market, visit www.Marvel.com/
Is there a We Love You 3000 tour stop near you? I wish there was one near me. If someone wants to send me an extra Pop Figure I would love you til the end of the line. If you go to the event be sure to use #WeLoveYou3000 to be a part of the conversation.
Avengers Endgame arrives on Digital HD July 30 and on Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD August 13
Related: All The Spider-Man Far From Easter Eggs You May Have Missed
To celebrate the new film, Zak Designs has created some awesome new Spider-Man products for the whole family. When I saw the tumbler I had to have it, because one I’m a geek, two it’s a big one, and three I’m a coffee drinking geek. I’m stoked that Zak made Spider-Man themed items for the whole family. When you see them you’ll be hyped too. You’re going to love these Spider-Man Far From Home Must Haves from Zak.
Thank you Zak Designs for sending over these products. All opinions are our own. Affiliate link below.
Spider-Man Far From Home Must Haves From Zak Designs!
For the younger Spider-Man fans, pick up the 15oz stainless steel water bottle with double-wall vacuum insulation as well as the 16oz water bottle made from durable Tritan material. Both bottles feature a flip-up drinking spout, detachable straw, and are BPA free. We use the stainless steel water bottle for pool days or running errands since it is insulated. The other water bottle is great hanging out at home or taking to a friend’s house.
The locking, reusable sandwich container, also BPA Free, is perfect for lunchtime anywhere your Summer adventures take you. I love that the lid is attached so it’s one less lid I’ll lose in the drawer! It fits easily in their lunch boxes and keeps their sandwiches or whatever else we put in there from getting crushed.
Now it’s my turn kids. This special edition Lynden tumbler is amazing like Spider-Man, comic book nerds see what I did there. It is a 28oz double-wall stainless steel cup that has vacuum insulation. That’s fancy talk for my hot coffee stays hot and my iced tea stays cold for hours and I do mean hours. I forgot about my coffee and came back to it at an undisclosed time later and it was still hot.
The lid is splash-proof, which is awesome because I’ve been known to spill coffee on myself a time or three. The cup is also BPA free and features a silicon wrap for grip to keep you from dropping it as you swing through the streets looking for bad guys. Did I mention 28oz? I know I did but for emphasis I said it again because yes!! I like my caffeine in the largest quantity possible. Basically I’m in love.
Where to buy Spider-Man Far From Home products by Zak Designs
You can purchase Zak products at major retailers including Target and Amazon. For the biggest selection of all things Spider-Man and other Zak products visit their website: Zak.com
Thank you Hasbro for sending this over! Affiliate links below.
Monopoly: LOL Surprise Edition Review
This version of Monopoly is a little different from what you’re used to. Instead of buying properties, the goal is to collect Dolls and Pets. Surprise! Cards replace the Chance cards, and there are some pretty sweet surprises waiting in those cards. I may have used one to dominate a certain round of the game. Also hotels and houses have been replaced by Stars and Emojis.
I’m not going to lie, the bright pink colors kinda spoke to me. What can I say, I’m a sucker for glitter and pink. My daughter and her friends thought it was the best thing ever that the tokens for the game are actual accessories for their L.O.L. Surprise! Dolls. That’s another component to the game, opening up the token bags is like opening mini-blind bags, so fun!
One thing I loved about this game is that it felt easier to play than traditional Monopoly. Monopoly is one of those games that can bring out the best and the worst, we have all been there when we just wanted to walk away and stop playing! This version though is less intense and with some really awesome editions to the Surprise (Chance) Cards, so you can actually finish a game that you start.
We had a lot of laughs playing this together. And even though I beat her using one of the Surprise! Cards you can save, ahem strategy, she had a good time. She even likes that you can use one of the cards to take the complete set of cards from another player. Because it always happens that on the next turn they land on a space they just lost and now have to pay up!
I may have beaten her the first couple rounds but she eventually got me. We are trying to convince my husband to play but he knows how ruthless I can be and I taught my daughter a few tricks too. He’ll eventually give in and we can show him who’s the best doll collector of them all!
Where to buy Monopoly: LOL Surprise Edition
Pick up Monopoly: L.O.L. Surprise! Edition for a fun new game perfect for sleepovers and family game night. Monopoly: L.O.L. Surprise! Edition is available at most major retailers nationwide. Get yours today on Amazon.
I’m telling you that to tell you my expectations for this movie were high, the highest I have ever had for a film and yes that includes Avengers Endgame. In fact, I knew going in there would be no way it could live up to what I wanted. Because truth be told, I wanted the original: nothing changed, nothing added, just give me the original with real lions and call it a day. That was never going to happen and I knew that. So what did this 90s Disney kid, mega Lion King fan think of the remake?
The Lion King Movie Review | Is It Worthy Of The Original?
Yes and no. Hear me out.
As far as staying true to the heart of the original and calling back all those memories, yes it is worthy of the original. Watching specific scenes like The Circle of Life and Hakuna Matata I felt just like a kid again seeing The Lion King in theaters for the first time. The emotional moments got me and the overall score just permeated my soul.
My very first thought was, wow. If they don’t win all the awards for the visuals I’ll be shocked. At times it was as if I was sitting watching a National Geographic documentary or riding along on a safari trip. The Lion King is visually stunning and like it’s predecessor, ground breaking. If you thought The Jungle Book was mind blowing, just wait until you see this.
Young Simba and Nala were great. Not that that is surprising considering their voice actors, JD McCrary and Shahadi Wright Joseph, portrayed them in the Broadway version. You could tell the two had a ride or die, best friends for life relationship. Not to mention how cute they are. I would go to war to protect these two.
James Earl Jones. That’s it, that’s the sentence. He is Mufasa and he’s amazing, nothing else needs to be said.
Timon and Pumbaa were scene stealers, shocker right? While keeping some of the same jokes as the original, Seth Rogen and Billy Eichner brought their own flare and I laughed the whole time. To be clear, this casting was one of the ones I was unsure about, but I was proven wrong. The distraction scene does not include a hula, sorry to disappoint, however I think you will be happy with the adjustment. It’s clever.
Nala’s role is bigger in this film and Beyonce brings it. When she tells Simba she is disappointed in him, you feel it. I enjoyed her portrayal of Nala and the addition of lines for the character. Nala was always a strong presence, but wasn’t given much to work with in terms of lines/screen time. The remake gives Nala her due without it feeling forced or disjointed.
Some of the songs and choreographed arrangements don’t work as well as the original but that was the idea- more realistic. So no, Simba is not jumping across giraffes in crazy colors, Zazu doesn’t get sat on by a rhino, and no one dresses in drag to do the hula. Despite all that, the numbers were fun and you will find yourself singing along.
Along those lines it’s hard for a real lion to emote. Their expressions aren’t as big, the movements are not, well as animated. I think though knowing the original material you can still feel what their feeling, because you know what they are feeling. In our mind, little Simba is crying hard even if he’s not sobbing on screen.
Now for the no.
I would again like to remind you dear readers that my bar was set unattainably high. You may indeed have a different opinion or experience, especially depending on your attachment to the original. I felt like I needed to share where it let me down, so that if you’re like me you could manage your expectations accordingly.
Scar. From the casting announcement to the trailer debut with his voice and look, I have not been a fan. Black mane lions exist in the wild, although they are rare, so the lack thereof threw me off. I was able to get past that but Chiwetel Ejiofor, the voice of Scar, left me feeling underwhelmed.
Jeremy Irons’ voice is iconic, and not something you can easily duplicate. Idris Elba would be the only actor I’ve heard that could come close but he was already the villain Shere Khan. Throughout the film Chiwetel had his moments where he sounded more “Scar-like”, but in the Be Prepared number he came off shrill. Scar is anything but and should only lose his cool at the very end when cornered by the hyenas. On the flip side some friends of mine truly enjoyed his performance while agreeing with me on the next point. So while reviews are helpful, you really have to see it for yourself!
The bigger let down was Simba. Musically, Donald Glover was great. Hakuna Matata, Can You Feel The Love Tonight, loved those. But his speaking performance felt flat, which surprised me. I’ve genuinely enjoyed him in everything I’ve seen but this just didn’t work.
Maybe another viewing will change my mind. I’ll know what to expect and my bar can come down. We are seeing it again with the kids when it hits theaters and I’m sure they will love it.
Is The Lion King kid-friendly?
The Lion King, for the most part, is kid-friendly. I have some cautions for younger children, as cartoon violence and real life violence are vastly different.
Violence in The Lion King
The Lion King might be a little intense for viewers under 8. The original film had several scary moments which are amplified when seeing real animals in peril. Similar to The Jungle Book, the chase scenes in the Elephant Graveyard and the Stampede, as well as the Fight for Pride Rock might be too scary for younger children.
The good thing about remakes- if you know the original you know when these scenes are coming and can cover eyes, hold hands, and reassure accordingly. I still cry like a baby when Mufasa dies, in fact I typically fast forward that part of the DVD, but I couldn’t do it in the screening. If this part gets to your kids as well, a trip to the bathroom or maybe a big hug will help alleviate some of their feelings.
In the original film, when we saw the carnivores eating there was an absence of blood. I remember the hyenas pulling off a strip of zebra meat and it looked like a fruit leather, nothing gory. In the new Lion King, Scar is seen eating an antelope while he discusses Sarabi’s lack of loyalty. You do not see the animal’s head or chunks of its’ body missing, but Scar does have blood around his maw.
It’s also worth noting that when Scar faces the Hyenas again at the end of the film, this time as their enemy, younger children might be scared for how sinister their eyes look as they creep towards him. Again, it parallels the original scene but live action turns the intensity up several notches.
Language in The Lion King
Praise, there are no bad words in this movie. Pumbaa does say the word fart instead of being stopped by Timon like in the original Hakuna Matata. But who doesn’t love a good fart joke? Pumbaa is also heard farting twice, which I’m only telling you so that you’re prepared for some human copycats on the drive home from the theater. They also left out the “why do I always have to save your ahhhhhh” from the original, so not even a hint of a bad word in the whole film.
Final Thoughts: Is The Lion King worth seeing in theaters?
100% yes, The Lion King is worth seeing in theaters. In fact, I would recommend it on the biggest screen possible to truly see how beautiful it really is. But didn’t you say your expectations weren’t met? I did, but like I mentioned, I knew they wouldn’t be.
However, it was true Disney magic to hear those songs again while watching the gorgeous scenes play across the screen. I laughed at the antics of Timon and Pumbaa, sang along with the music, and yes cried. The tears flowed on and off throughout the film. I mostly knew when I would cry, however it surprised me when the tears came as I watched the opening sequence. My heart was just so full.
The Lion King reminded me of why I love the original so much, why it will forever be my favorite Disney film. Is The Lion King worthy of the original? That answer might depend on you and your emotional attachment to the animated film. But I promise you, young or old, skeptic or fan, it will solidify why The Lion King will forever be the greatest Disney film.
The Lion King is in theaters July 18, 2019
