News Of The Week: 'Deadpool 3' A Go At Marvel, 'Black Panther 2' Lands Villain

Hollywood was on temporary pause but productions are gearing back up, release dates continue to be tweaked in preparation for theaters reopening, and things are slowly starting to return to normal – or at least, our temporary new normal. Movie news is once again starting to flow, with us bringing you a few hand-picked stories we think you’ll like.

Let’s hop to it.

There’s One Real-Life Person Matthew McConaughey Is Dying To Portray

Oscar winner Matthew McConaughey has had a long and storied career. But even a respected Hollywood veteran like him has had projects that he hasn’t been able to pull off yet and roles he hasn’t landed. One particular role is one McConaughey has been longing to play for years: Evel Knievel. McConaughey has long-admired the groundbreaking motorcycle stuntman and entertainer, even going so far as to befriend Knievel before the stuntman’s death in 2007. Knievel’s story would be a fascinating one to tell in a proper feature biopic – unfortunately, says McConaughey, the script is one he hasn’t been able to crack yet. Here’s to hoping he figures out the right way to approach the story of Knievel’s life, as it’s one we’d love to see on the big screen.

Christopher Nolan Made A Good Point About Comic Book Movies Today

Director Christopher Nolan recently made waves when, during an interview with 92Y, he reflected back upon his Dark Knight trilogy. That wasn’t the controversial part. The controversy came in when he referred to today’s superhero movies as “a machine” and “an engine of commerce.” And on the surface, sure, it was perhaps a blunt way of saying it. The thing is…he’s not exactly wrong. Nolan got to make his trilogy at a time in which sequels weren’t expected to be released every two years, so he had the luxury of really developing the story and taking his time in post. While the speedy conveyor belt expectations of blockbusters today haven’t exactly hurt superhero movies, there have been a number of tentpole bombs released in the past few years that were meant to be franchise starters. You can’t help but think they might have been better served with more time to work on the script or in post. As always, it’s fun to see how the internet reacts when Nolan drops another controversial quote into an interview.

‘Black Panther 2’ Updates: Production Start & Tenoch Huerta To Play A Villain

After having spent the last few months understandably grieving the unexpected and tragic loss of star Chadwick Boseman, Marvel is now moving forward with putting Black Panther 2 into motion. It was reported that the plan is to start shooting next July in Pinewood Studios in Atlanta, thereby giving writer-director Ryan Coogler enough time to rewrite the script in the wake of Boseman’s passing. Along with the production start date, it was also revealed that Narcos: Mexico and Tigers Are Not Afraid actor Tenoch Huerta has been cast to play a villain, and plenty of fans are speculating that he’s been tapped to play an old-school Marvel antihero: Namor the Submariner. In any case, we already know what we won’t be seeing: a CGI double of Chadwick Boseman, which Marvel producer Victoria Alonso recently emphatically shot down.

‘Deadpool 3’ Is Finally In The Works At Marvel Studios

After a few years of uncertainty after the Fox-Marvel merger, it’s official: Deadpool 3 is a go. It’s the first time a Deadpool movie will fall under the Marvel banner, and people have been wondering if Marvel’s more family-friendly vibe would mean Deadpool would be neutered with a PG-13 rating instead of the R of the first two movies. However, sources say the third movie will indeed be rated R – good news for those who want to see the foul-mouthed Deadpool be, well, Deadpool. Ryan Reynolds tapped the Molyneux sisters, Wendy and Lizzie Molyneux (Bob’s Burgers, The Great North), to pen the script. Interestingly, this means longtime writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick are out, as is, in all likelihood, director David Leitch, who is booked through 2021. Though it’s entirely possible he could come back to direct depending on how schedules line up, considering he wasn’t part of the process of hearing writer pitches, it appears unlikely. So the search for a director is likely soon to be on. We’re excited for this one. The creative pairing of Ryan Reynolds and Kevin Feige could generate some great things for Marvel moving forward.

Last but not least, check out our Quick Hits column that rounds up all the bits and bobs of news that don’t quite make the cut for a full article but are still interesting updates: