CAPTAIN
MARVEL
Captain Marvel is set to be the 21st film in the MCU-- and
unbelievably, the first to be headed by a female character.
Marvel began development of the film back in May 2013 but it
took another three years to cast Brie Larson, which was announced at the 2016
San Diego Comic-Con International. The movie will be directed by Anna Boden and
Ryan Fleck and will feature numerous characters from the MCU.
Captain Marvel is set sometime during the 1990s, so the film may
not have anything to do with the recent events of Avengers: Infinity War. While
much of the film’s plot details remain a closely guarded secret, it is believed
to involve the Kree-Skrull War and other storylines related to those
characters.
Captain Marvel is scheduled to release on March 8, 2019.
ALITA: BATTLE ANGEL
Jumping across the pond for some Japanese source material, we
have Alita: Battle Angel, based on the hit manga series already adapted into
anime by Yukito Kishiro. Robert Rodriguez has picked up this project, which
will star Rosa Salazar, Christoph Walz, Jennifer Connelly, Ed Skrein, Jackie
Earle Haley, Michelle Rodriguez, and many more.
The film is being produced by James Cameron, who also adapted
the manga into the screenplay.
The plot will revolve around the first four books of the series,
which involve the establishment of the character, her impressive rise towards
stardom, the sport of Motorball, which featured heavily in the third and fourth
book, and the underlying conflict the lore presents throughout.
Alita: Battle Angel is scheduled to release on December 21,
2018.
WONDER WOMAN 1984
Wonder Woman’s amazing success at the box office as well as its
critical reception offered little doubt DC would go forward with a sequel.
Fortunately, that’s exactly what we are getting when DC releases Wonder Woman
1984 in 2019.
The movie is being directed by Jenkins and will star Gal Gadot
once again. Kristen Wiig has been confirmed as Barbara Ann Minerva, aka
Cheetah, one of Wonder Woman’s greatest comic book villains. Interestingly,
despite his seemingly final fate in Wonder Woman, Chris Pine will reprise his
role as Steve Trevor in Wonder Woman 1984.
The plot of the film is mostly unknown, but it will take place
in the 1980s and will revolve around the conflict between the United States and
the Soviet Union. At some point, she will engage with Cheetah, but there is no
indication how this will play out.
The film is set to release on November 1, 2019.
BIRDS OF PREY
Margot Robbie had a breakout role as Harley Quinn for 2016’s
Suicide Squad. While that film failed to break box office expectations, it was
praised for Robbie’s portrayal of Harley , which is why she is being tapped for
a slew of movies.
The first of these projects is already in development and is
tentatively titled Birds of Prey. In the comics, the Birds of Prey are a group
of crimefighting female superheroes, with a roster that includes Batgirl,
Huntress, and Black Canary.
The film was pitched by Robbie as “an R-rated girl gang film
including Harley.” The project also landed a female director when it signed
Cathy Yan to direct in April 2018.
The project is a ways off and reportedly won’t begin principal
photography until January 2019, so it might not hit theaters until sometime in
2020.
BATGIRL
There have been 11+ Batman films and eight television series,
but as of yet, not a single Batgirl movie. That’s finally about to change with
a film written by Christina Hodson. The film is said to be based on the Barbara
Gordon version of the popular character from the New 52.
At present, the studio has yet to land a director, though it is
shopping for a female director to take the job.
The Batgirl film has seen some time in development hell thanks
to losing the man who launched the project: Joss Whedon. Initially, Whedon was
set to write, produce, and direct the film but dropped out when he admitted he
didn’t have the right story to tell. While the film has yet to receive a
director, it is still slotted for release sometime in 2019.
BLACK CAT
Originally, Sony planned to release a Silver & Black film spun-off
from Spider-Man, but reports changed in August 2018. With that concept shelved,
Sony began development of two separate films starring Silver Sable and Black
Cat. Silver & Black was to be written and directed by Gina
Prince-Bythewood, but reports say that she won’t write or direct the solo
outings.
Black Cat will rise from the ashes of the abandoned Silver &
Black to allow for a more direct focus on the character.
Black Cat is Spider-Man’s nemesis-turned-ally/lover who was
first introduced back in 1979.
There aren’t many details yet known as far as what we might
expect from a solo Black Cat film, but odds are it will focus on the
development of Felicia Hardy as a cat burglar who turns her life around and
becomes a superhero.
KITTY PRYDE
Everybody’s favorite phasing X-Man is finally getting her own
solo flick if-- all goes according to Tim Miller’s plans.
Miller, the director of Deadpool has been working on the project
since at least January 2018 with his sights set on possibly directing it. The
fate of this film is tenuous due to the coming merger between Disney and Fox
Studios.
In the meantime, Miller has been working hard on the pitch with
Brian Michael Brendis, so there is a chance we might get to see a solo outing
for Kitty Pryde.
As for the plot, it could involve her time with the X-Men or
even as Star-Lord, which may even be a way to tie her into the MCU once the
merger is approved.
SILVER SABLE
Like with the solo Black Cat film, Sony is banking on the
success of its Spider-Man spinoffs and began developing a solo project in
August 2018. Since the announcement the solo film would be split in two, there
isn’t much in the way of details.
Silver Sable is one of Spider-Man’s oldest allies/sometimes
enemies, having first appeared in the books back in 1985.
A solo movie will likely focus on her mercenary company and may
stray from interacting with Spider-Man, similar to the Venom film.
This project is in the early stages of development, so no
release date is scheduled.
BLACK WIDOW
Ever since Scarlett Johansson debuted on the silver screen as
Black Widow in Iron Man 2, fans have been begging Marvel for a solo film. After
all, Johansson who had already solidified herself among Hollywood’s elite years
before playing a character with an incredible backstory— why hadn’t Marvel
moved forward with his project?
Finally, after years of badgering, Marvel is moving forward with
a solo flick.
A Black Widow standalone film is currently in development over
at Marvel Studios with Jac Schaeffer working on the script. While the movie is
still in the early phase of development, it landed Cate Shortland to direct.
Johansson personally advocated for the hiring of Shortland, which pleased fans
who were adamant a woman helm the project.
SUPERGIRL
Supergirl is no stranger to movie stardom, having already
appeared in a solo film back in 1984. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the best
superhero movie and it’s high time she got another chance at the silver screen.
Warner Bros. is actively looking to hire a female director for their standalone
Supergirl film, with recent reports indicating The Handmaid’s Tale director
Reed Morano as a top contender.
Development
of a Supergirl film will likely stray from the current CW television series in
the same way the Flash did in the Justice League film. That suggests Melissa
Benoist will likely remain on the small screen while another actress will be
chosen to take on the role, but nothing is confirmed at this point. As of now,
the movie is in development, but no release date has been set. -Agencies