Thursday, August 31, 2023

5 Hollywood Artists Who Rejected Marvel Superhero Roles

The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is one of the most famous film franchises today. The universe created by Marvel Studios attracted many famous Hollywood artists to bring their characters to life.

You definitely know that Tom Holland plays Peter Parker aka Spider-Man in the MCU. However, did you know that previously, Sam Raimi's Spider-Man was offered to Leonardo DiCaprio? Yep, unfortunately, the Oscar-winning actor turned it down.

Apart from DiCaprio, there are still many Hollywood actors who have rejected the role of Marvel superheroes. For various reasons, they let go of this great opportunity, you know. Wow, why is that, huh?

1. Rachel McAdams



Rachel McAdams has indeed joined the MCU through her role as Dr. Christine Palmer. The character first appeared in Doctor Strange (2016). Palmer is said to be the love interest of Stephen Strange aka Doctor Strange.

McAdams could have joined the MCU earlier. The reason is, the talented actress was approached by Marvel Studios to play Pepper Potts for Iron Man (2008). However, he turned it down and ultimately the role of Potts went to Gwyneth Paltrow.

Uniquely, when McAdams was offered this role, it turned out that it wasn't the only role he rejected. McAdams also turned down roles in The Devil Wears Prada (2006) and The Dark Knight (2008). Wow, all these great films!

2. Jason Momoa



Who would have thought that Drax's character in Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) was originally offered to Jason Momoa. Yep, the Aquaman actor is what Marvel has been eyeing to bring one of the superhero guardians of the galaxy to life.

However, Momoa refused the offer on the grounds that he did not want to stick to just one character. In the end, Drax's cute and brave character fell on Dave Bautista. I can't imagine if Drax was played by another actor.

Momoa is now better known as Aquaman, the Atlantean superhero in the DC Extended Universe. The action there reaps praise! Agree?

3. Jessica Chastain

In the early 2010s, Jessica Chastain's name was on the rise. The Oscar-winning actress was praised for her acting in The Tree of Life (2011) and Zero Dark Thirty (2012). Since then, almost every production house has wanted Chastain, including Marvel Studios.



Marvel wanted Chastain to bring Maya Hansen's character to life. This character appears in Iron Man 3 (2013). Maya is one of the intelligent scientists used by the main antagonist to attack Iron Man.

Chastain said he was interested in the role. Unfortunately, due to his busy schedule, Chastain turned down the role, as reported by Screen Crush. Interestingly, mate does not go anywhere. Chastain joined Marvel through the X-Men universe as Vuk in X-Men: Dark Phoenix (2019).

4. Matt Damon

Matt Damon's refusal to play Daredevil released by FOX is considered the right decision by fans. The reason is, Daredevil only gets a score of 44 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. The film was considered unsatisfactory by Marvel fans.




Before falling into the hands of Ben Affleck, the role of Daredevil was offered to Damon. However, he felt that he did not know enough information about the superhero. That's why, Damon decided to turn down the role, as reported by MovieWeb.

Even though at that time it seemed like he wasn't meant to be with Marvel, Damon had a cameo appearance. He appears in one of the Marvel films, namely Thor: Love and Thunder (2022). Who knows in the future Damon will be interested in becoming one of Marvel's superheroes.

5. Amanda Seyfried


Achievements in acting are not far from Amanda Seyfried. He has been famous since the early 2000s thanks to the film Mean Girls (2004). From that moment on, it was as if the name Seyfried had never sunk. It's no doubt that Marvel wants him to be in its universe.

Marvel Studios approached Seyfried to play the character Gamora in Guardians of the Galaxy (2014). When offered to him, Seyfried refused because he thought the film would not sell well in the market. In fact, Guardians of the Galaxy is one of Marvel's best films.

In the end, it was Zoe Saldana who was matched with Gamora's character. The character of Thanos' adopted son is very much loved by fans because of his very superhero nature and character. You agree, right?

Playing in a superhero film like Marvel seems to be the dream of most Hollywood actors. However, the five actors above bravely rejected roles from Marvel for various reasons. Even so, their name still skyrocketed, really. Is there your favorite actor?


Monday, August 21, 2023

Blue Beetle Film (2023) Released, CGI That Is Not Exaggerated But Fitting

Blue Beetle (2023) Film Release this August. 2023 will also be a busy year for DC Studios. How come? Before fully stepping into the DC Universe (DCU), the film studio led by James Gunn and Peter Safran still has several dependents. One of them is releasing the scheduled DC Extended Universe (DCEU) films.



After Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023) and The Flash (2023), this time it's the turn of Blue Beetle (2023) which is ready to entertain superhero geeks around the world. The film directed by Ángel Manuel Soto (Charm City Kings) is predicted to make up for the failures—both critically and commercially—that Shazam 2 and The Flash received some time ago.


So, does Blue Beetle deserve to be called one of the best superhero films this year? Also, what is the position of the superhero in the future of DCU? For more details, see the Blue Beetle film review below.


1. Tell the origin story of the Blue Beetle


As you know, every superhero has a story or background that shapes their identity. Likewise with the Blue Beetle. In this film, the story begins with a young man named Jaime Reyes (Xolo Maridueña) who returns to his hometown, Palmera City, after graduating from university.


Intending to release his longing for his family, Jaime is slapped by the fact that they are threatened with losing their home due to Victoria Kord (Susan Sarandon), CEO of Kord Industries, who has ambitions to dominate the city. However, hope comes when Jaime meets Jenny (Bruna Marquezine), Victoria's niece who strongly opposes her aunt's plans.


Initially, their meeting was limited to a job offer. However, this moment opened the way for Jaime to "interact" with Khaji-Da (voiced by Becky G), a mysterious entity that inhabits the Scarab that Jenny stole from Kord Industries' laboratory.


Predictably, Khaji-Da chose Jaime as his host and turned him into a superhero named Blue Beetle. Amidst this situation, Jaime is faced with two choices, to die to escape the Scarab's influence or to accept his destiny as a superhero.


2. The chemistry of the players is solid, really heartwarming!


As a superhero film that carries Latin culture, especially Mexico, Blue Beetle certainly cannot be separated from the family theme. Luckily, this film has a line-up of players who are able to create family warmth in front of the screen.


Playing the titular character, Xolo Maridueña has a convincing charisma that makes Jaime Reyes' character easily liked by the audience. While Damián Alcázar and Elpidia Carrillo radiate parental affection, the surprise comes from Adriana Barraza, George Lopez and Belissa Escobedo who play Jaime's grandmother, uncle and sister respectively.


Not only eccentric, the three of them are good at livening up the atmosphere through whims and remarks that are beyond reason. Especially Barazz. The actress who won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination through Babel (2006) is the element of surprise from Blue Beetle. The definition of badass grandmother is really, deh!


3. Not only action and comedy, Blue Beetle also includes emotional moments


When the chemistry between actors and comedy are two things that should be appreciated, what about the action? To be honest, Blue Beetle doesn't have any memorable action scenes when compared to The Flash (2023). However, that doesn't mean that Ángel Manuel Soto is original in serving it.


With moderation in CGI—which is the exact opposite of The Flash—Soto recreates iconic scenes from a number of games and tokusatsu, such as Final Fantasy, Mega Man, and Kamen Rider. In fact, the legendary anime Akira (1988) is said to be one of the filmmakers' inspirations in creating the visual for Palmera City.


What's more, between comedy and action, Blue Beetle is able to insert a number of sentimental moments that successfully stir up feelings. Therefore, it's not an exaggeration to call the 14th film of the DCEU a superhero film made with heart.


4. Will Jaime Reyes return to the DC Universe?


Considering that the DCEU is coming to an end and Blue Beetle is the last new superhero to be introduced, an interesting question arises. Will the superhero appear in James Gunn's DCU? The answer is yes.

Reported by CBR, Gunn confirmed that Jaime Reyes (Xolo Maridueña) will return to action in a future DC Studios project. In fact, on one occasion, Gunn mentioned that Blue Beetle is the first character from DCU besides Superman: Legacy (2025), which is the first film.

Hearing this statement, fans speculated that Jaime Reyes aka Blue Beetle would join Superman (David Corenswet), Damian Wayne aka Robin, Kara Zor-El aka Supergirl and Swamp Thing as the new Justice League. Wow, if it's true, it will definitely break, here!


Without a doubt, Blue Beetle is one of the best products from DC Studios. Even though the action scenes are not as bombastic as its predecessor, this film has all the aspects needed for a quality spectacle, namely interesting characters, warm comedy, and a big "heart". After all, you don't have to watch all the DCEU films to follow the Blue Beetle storyline, you know!

Read Also Read Also Read Also Read Also Read Also 

Read Also Read Also Read Also Read Also Read Also 

Review "Young Woman and the Sea" : Ridley Stuns and Earns Your Tears in This Beautifully Classical Movie

Young Woman and The Sea a defiantly big-screen, consistently enthralling biopic that both earns one’s genuine tears, and inspires everyone o...