Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is officially just one week old this Friday, but apparently that’s long enough for one Marvel newcomer who appeared in the movie to already start dunking on the MCU. The Marvel Studios blows continue in the form of two Sony movies managing to beat one of the studio’s own offerings to Disney Plus. Last but not least, the excitement for Loki is losing some of its luster after troubling talk points to disappointment.

A James Gunn fave who just cheated on DC with the MCU has already sworn her allegiance to another franchise

James Gunn loves to port his regulars over from Marvel to DC, or vice versa, and that’s just what he did with The Suicide Squad‘s Daniela Melchior, who cameod in Guardians 3 as Ura. It seems Melchior feels absolutely no loyalty to the MCU, or even the DCU, despite Gunn’s gracious casting, however, as she has already sworn fealty to the Fast and Furious franchise after joining Vin Diesel in Fast X. According to Melchior, it’s the Fast-verse that is the “best of all multiverses,” thereby opening a can of worms the size of Abilisks.

Oscar nominee Chiwetel Ejiofor, Doctor Strange star, will be joining Tom Hardy in the upcoming third iteration of Venom, a movie about the famous Spider-Man villain that’s grossed more than $1 billion between the two movies so far.

Ejiofor, who plays Baron Mordo in Doctor Strange and the sequel Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, will join the cast of the upcoming sequel Venom 3. Hardy will return as main character Venom and it will be directed by Kelly Marcel, who previously held writing duties on the first two films, Deadline revealed.

In 2007, Spider-Man 3 gave us the initial end to Tobey Maguire’s time as the character. It featured a load of villains, including Venom but the gooey character was way different from source material. Fans loathed it, but, now, one has come up with a neat reason for it.

Today, the notion the entity is actually an evil force from Hell is getting some traction on the section of Reddit where people post various fan theories. As the poster points out, Raimi often weaves the supernatural into the projects he works on. As well, the film does not confirm if the “substance” as it is referred to came from space at all when Peter goes to Dr. Connors for analysis and the writer also says its shapeshifting is a thing demons can do, while Tom Hardy’s version of Venom does not seem to have the skill. Others in the replies dismiss the idea and point out many of the bits in the film come from comics, while, for another — though it may not have merit — there is definitely a sort of allusion happening with what Raimi chose to depict on screen with the project.

When Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man was released in 2002, the web-slinging hero was arguably the most well-known Marvel superhero at the time. Thanks to years of animated series —starting with 1967’s Spider-Man, the show responsible for the iconic pointing meme — Spidey was a household name with incredible brand recognition, making a solo movie a no-brainer for Marvel and Sony.

Spider-Man’s star has only grown in the twenty years since; the teenage hero has starred in multiple blockbusters (whether alone or as part of the Avengers) and spawned several spin-offs. Despite being rebooted several times, every iteration of Spider-Man has been a hit, and with the inclusion of the multiverse, there’s room for every Spidey at the MCU’s metaphorical table.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse has deservedly become a monster hit for Sony. It’s sitting pretty at 95 percent on the Tomatometer, has already grossed more than $200 million at the box office, and shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. Even better is that we don’t have to wait too long for more, with Beyond the Spider-Verse set to wrap up Miles’ adventure when it lands in March.

The Spider-Verse trilogy feels destined to become one of the greatest superhero arcs of all time, though some naysayers believe an unexpected crossover with Sony’s Venom may eventually just confuse future audiences. It comes as The Spot journeys through various other universes, at one point stopping off in a convenience store frequented by Eddie Brock himself.

The MCU fandom doesn’t hold back when it comes to cheering on new developments, but their latest excitement over the release of The Incredible Hulk on Disney Plus might be a bit misguided, for lack of a better word.

In other Marvel news, the Secret Invasion director has made a strangely damning remark about the production cycle, which, following the show’s mixed reviews, is certain to anger a few gatekeepers. Check out these beats in today’s Marvel roundup down below.

As a character, Kraven the Hunter remains one of Spider-Man’s most formidable rogues — and a Marvel villain unlike any ever seen on the big screen. Now, fans of the bloodthirsty mutant are able to get their first look at Aaron Taylor-Johnson‘s Kraven in the brand-new trailer for Sony’s Kraven the Hunter.

I’ll admit that the title is pretty darn straightforward, but it’s not like Kraven is one to mince words. Check it out below.

Riz Ahmed has spent his career delicately balancing prestige projects with blockbuster smashes. He’s excellent in Four Lions, Nightcrawler, and Sound of Metal, as well as making smash hits Rogue One and Venom that much better by his presence. Ahmed is currently voicing Ballister Boldheart in Netflix’s Nimona, but fans are currently theorizing he may soon be returning to Star Wars.

Andor season 2 is currently shooting in the United Kingdom, and Ahmed’s character Bodhi Rook could theoretically make an appearance. Practically every Rogue One character died during that movie’s climactic battle on Scarif, including Bodhi. Of course, Andor is a prequel, and the canon Star Wars timeline has Bodhi working with Saw Gerrera, who we know is returning.

After more than 60 years in circulation, Marvel doesn’t have too many fresh surprises up its sleeve, but one major revelation is changing how the world looks at one of Spider-Man’s greatest villains.

Venom has been around since 1988, and — for around 35 years — he’s been perhaps the biggest pain in Spider-Man’s perfectly toned backside. He’s destroyed entire city blocks, nearly killed Peter a few dozen times, and even tested his mettle against Superman. Through it all, the black-suited menace was substituting something truly ungodly for Peter’s lab-made webs.

After decades of watching Venom, and even Pete in his emo boy era, swing around the city on inky black “webs,” a recent Venom comic ruined our childhoods in one fell swoop. A quick conversation between Venom and Flexo revealed, mid-fight, that — for all these years — Venom wasn’t swinging around on web at all. He was slinging actual crap — not the figurative kind, but the real deal — each time he swung from one building to another or secured an enemy in a mass of sticky black substance.

That substance, in case I’m not being clear enough, is poop. Venom’s poop, to be specific — and, no, I’ll never recover from this big reveal. It came about in Venom #22, and didn’t sport nearly the drama it deserved. Instead, Dylan Brock (Eddie Brock’s son, and the current home to the symbiote) makes the benign observation while discussing sustenance with Venom.

Noting that they’ll soon need to eat “something Man-Sized” if they want to build up more web-fluid, Venom paves the way for the young Brock to make the big reveal. He then informs a confused Flexo that his web-fluid is made of “Symbiote waste,” which is stored within symbiote hosts, who then “shoot strands of it all over the city.”

Um… what? Those webs are made of actual alien waste?! Every fight between Spidey and Venom is suddenly taking on new implications, as I recall each and every time that black goo (gag) has coated every inch of my favorite superhero.

Not to mention when Pete used it for himself. Let’s not forget that he’s bonded with the Venom symbiote too, and enjoyed a stress-free swing around the city, without need for that synthetic web-fluid he’s always cooking up.

As it turns out, he should have been using some more… natural materials.

Even years after a movie releases, the internet manages to uncover some new and interesting facts that would have changed the whole trajectory of the project. In today’s news you never knew, the threequel of Tom Holland’s Spider-Man trilogy, Spider-Man: No Way Home, could have played out similarly to Venom, had some concept art for Peter Parker’s suit made the final cut.

Although we do get an end-credits scene featuring Tom Hardy’s Eddie Brock, Venom is absent from the movie as a whole, allowing for the likes of the Green Goblin, Doc Ock, Sandman, Electro, and Lizard to present as the main threat to Peter, MJ, Ned, and the other-dimension Spider-Men. It was the word on the grapevine back in 2021 that Venom might make an appearance in No Way Home full-time, but considering how Venom: Let There Be Carnage came out a few months after No Way Home, obviously, the Marvel/Sony team felt it unnecessary to introduce Brock as Peter’s adversary so soon.

Some never-before-seen concept art of Holland’s Spider-Man showcases the symbiote suit, classically associated with Venom. We’ve seen the repercussions of Peter Parker succumbing to the symbiote’s influence in Spider-Man 3 with Tobey Maguire, and the results were nothing short of disastrous. If the MCU is looking to replicate that same mayhem, it’s only a matter of time before Parker and Brock cross paths.

It wouldn’t be a pretty sight, but at least we’d be getting a cool crossover suit from it, as pictured below.

It looks like something straight out of PS4’s Spider-Man game, doesn’t it? Tom Holland appears to be Spider-Man indefinitely as far as continuing his contract with Marvel, so it’ll most likely be him meeting Tom Hardy’s Venom in perhaps the fourth Spider-Man movie.

In a February 2023 Entertainment Weekly interview with Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige, the corporate bigwig confirmed that the Spider-Man 4 script is in the works. “All I will say is that we have the story,” he said. “We have big ideas for that, and our writers are just putting pen to paper now.”

We’ve yet to gain confirmation that Venom will be among the characters expected to return, but judging by No Way Home‘s end-credits scene, there’s an extremely strong possibility.

While Blue Beetle may be suffering a bit in box-office terms thanks to being released in the shadow of Barbenheimer, the new DC film about Jaime Reyes has been getting some pretty good reviews, which makes a change from some previous big-budget movies from the franchise (looking at you, Black Adam). Ticket sales numbers aside, the character has been a favorite of the fandom since his introduction in the early days of the franchise, and gained even more of a following since being reborn as Jaime Reyes, thus becoming the most prominent Chicano superhero in the comic book world (although fans of Firebird may have something to say about that designation). If you went to the theater to see Xolo Maridueña take on the role of the hero who gets his powers from a sacred scarab and want some more films that have a similar blend of action, family dynamics, and humor, then check out the following movies!

Black Panther (2018) 

Ryan Coogler and Marvel Studios’ Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman as T’Challa/Black Panther. Set in the fictitious African nation of Wakanda, the film follows T’Challa as he returns home to claim his rightful place as king after his father’s death. Wakanda is highly advanced because of its abundant Vibranium, a rare and powerful metal. However, T’Challa’s claim to the throne is challenged by Erik Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan), who intends to utilize Wakanda’s technology to wage war on the rest of the world. Black Panther includes an almost entirely African and African-American ensemble and explores important issues like identity, heritage, responsibility, and the connection between Africa and the African diaspora. The film’s depiction of Wakanda as a non-colonized, prosperous African nation dramatically challenges stereotypical views. Beyond Black Panther’s over $1.3 billion financial success, it sparked conversations about race and culture in the entertainment industry.

Birds of Prey (2020)

Cathy Yan’s Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) follows Harley Quinn, played by Margot Robbie, after splitting from the Joker as she struggles to forge her identity in Gotham City. Along the way, she becomes involved with a diverse group of women, including Huntress, Black Canary, and Renee Montoya, who join forces to bring down the evil crime lord, Roman Sionis, also known as Black Mask. The film is famous for its distinct narrative style, defined by Harley’s eccentric and untrustworthy narration. Moreover, Birds of Prey is significant for its focus on female empowerment. The main characters are all strong, complex women, each with their own motivations and arcs. Their conversations and relationships constitute the heart of the picture, delivering a refreshing change from standard male-dominated superhero themes. The subject of emancipation is central to the story, not just for Harley but for all the characters, as they each seek to break free from the constraints and expectations placed upon them.

Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021)

Zack Snyder’s Justice League, often known as the “Snyder Cut,” is an updated version of the 2017 film Justice League. This four-hour epic, directed by Zack Snyder, is a dramatic departure from the theatrical release, providing a more comprehensive and cohesive vision of the story. Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, The Flash, and Cyborg band together to stop Steppenwolf from obtaining the all-powerful Mother Boxes in this DC Extended Universe film. One of the standout features of Zack Snyder’s Justice League is its character development. The film digs deeper into the backstories of key characters, particularly Cyborg, addressing the connection with his father and the struggle with his new mechanical body in greater depth. Snyder’s characteristic stylish cinematography with a darker, more atmospheric tone makes for the film’s visual feast.

Justice League vs. Teen Titans (2016)

The Justice League and the Teen Titans square off in the animated superhero film Justice League vs. Teen Titans. Directed by Sam Liu, the film explores the dynamics between these two groups as they initially clash but eventually unite to combat the demonic Trigon. The story focuses on Robin’s integration into the Teen Titans after his volatile behavior leads Batman to send him to learn teamwork. Fans of Blue Beetle will enjoy this film, as Jaime Reyes plays an important role in the Teen Titans team. His presence in the film allows for a more in-depth look at his character, including his relationship with the mystical scarab and relationships with the other young heroes. The action sequences are exciting and well-animated, highlighting each character’s strengths, notably Blue Beetle’s outstanding technological ability. The humor, especially in the exchanges between the young Titans, fits with Blue Beetle’s cheerful and frequently lighthearted tone.

Teen Titans: The Judas Contract (2017)

The animated film Teen Titans: The Judas Contract, directed by Sam Liu, is based on one of the most well-known narrative arcs from the Teen Titans comics. In this movie, the Teen Titans fight the villain Deathstroke while dealing with an internal betrayal. Terra, a new group member with earth-manipulating skills, is revealed to be working with Deathstroke to bring down the team, and the story revolves around this revelation. The Titans must face the deceit and overcome their issues to fight their enemies successfully. The characters of Teen Titans: The Judas Contract are explored in depth, especially Terra and Deathstroke. The moral gray area presented by Terra’s internal conflict and her eventual redemptive path gives the story depth and challenges the usual black-and-white morality of superhero fiction. In addition, if you loved watching Blue Beetle, you will be happy that Nightwing, Starfire, Raven, Blue Beetle, and Beast Boy, among the other Titans, all get their turn in the spotlight, and the plot also uses each character’s unique qualities. 

The Flash

Another DC favorite, the Flash made his cinematic universe debut a while back, but it was only recently that a film dedicated to Barry Allen was given the green light. Controversial star Ezra Miller reprised their role as the ultra-fast, all-action star in a slightly confusing movie that tried to wade into the multiverse concept that’s all the rage at the moment. While The Flash (based on the comic series Flashpoint) did a slightly better job of it than Phase 4 of the MCU managed, some of the plotting was a bit confusing, but all in all this movie is a fun, fast-paced experience, with lots of great cameos and some even better action sequences. Like Blue Beetle, The Flash is about the main character trying to save their family from a horrible fate and succeeds in blending humor and heart in a way that doesn’t feel too hokey, like some films in the genre.

Shazam!

Another film based on a DC superhero played by a person who isn’t without controversy, 2019’s Shazam! was a critical and box-office hit, and one of the few out-and-out successes of the DCEU (set to be taken over by James Gunn). Like Blue Beetle, the main character in Shazam! is family-focused, and receives his power from a mystical source — in this case, an ancient wizard. There are also plenty of moments of levity throughout the film to make sure the mood is light, as well as some brilliant action sequences that will impress even the most discerning superhero film lover. Shazam! delivers on everything fans of Blue Beetle will want from a film and more, and has the benefit of having a sequel already out, so if you do love it, you can get a second fix.

Aquaman

This 2008 film stars Jason Momoa as the eponymous hero, and like Blue Beetle, is a part of the DCEU. However, that’s not where the similarities between the two films end with both eschewing the darker elements that have defined many superhero movies in recent years for a good old-fashioned display of action, with a lot of fun sprinkled in for good measure. The movie follows Aquaman as he battles villains and gods to claim his mantle as the Ocean Master, all while giving us plenty of laughs and a lot of nail-biting CGI-driven action sequences. Is it the sort of film that will stay with you for weeks afterwards? Probably not. Will you enjoy watching it? Almost certainly.

Wonder Woman

Amazonian warrior and all-round badass Diana Prince is portrayed brilliantly by Gal Gadot in this 2017 film, which is a little more serious than the others on this list, but doesn’t focus wholly on the gritty, darker elements of the story, instead combining big action with brilliant performances. Fans of Blue Beetle will especially love how this film dives into the lore of the character, giving us the full backstory that includes an epic battle between Greek Gods. Wonder Woman is quite possibly the best DCEU film of this era, with plenty going for it from its fast-paced storyline to its smart writing, and will certainly leave you wanting more content. A great watch that shares some of Blue Beetle‘s sensibilities, but also gives the viewer plenty of unique things to love.

Ant-Man

While it might have been simple to just put other DC films on this list, the fact is plenty of movies from the comic franchise’s biggest rival have a similar vibe to Blue Beetle, and none more so than the irreverent and wholly watchable Ant-Man. To be fair, any superhero film starring Paul Rudd was never going to be a dark tale that delved into moral ambiguity, but the way Ant-Man leans into its absurdity is something that will appeal to fans of Blue Beetle. The films also have other similarities, mostly in terms of their characterization and fast plotting, as well as the focus on relationships and plotting rather than big action sequences (although both films do have plenty of high-adrenaline moments).

Venom

Much like Blue Beetle, Venom gives us an intriguing origin story for a much-loved character, while also providing laughs and action along the way. Tom Hardy takes on the role of Eddie Brock, the man who’s consumed by a symbiotic life form and eventually becomes an antagonist for Spider-Man (although Spidey isn’t involved in this story, mostly due to rights issues between Sony and Marvel). The film itself is a bit messy and definitely not the best work of its cast (which also includes Michelle Williams and Riz Ahmed), but it’s a pretty fun watch as long as you don’t take it too seriously.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is undoubtedly one of the best superhero films to come out in recent years, mixing outstanding animation with impeccable storytelling and some of the best action sequences ever committed to screen. The film follows Miles Morales (Shameik Moore), a teen who takes on the mantle of the famous web-slinger and works with Spideys from various other universes to stop Kingpin from completing a dastardly plan to hop between universes (albeit for sentimental reasons). Like the hero in Blue Beetle, Morales is part-Hispanic, and there is a massive focus on his family environment in the movie. Both films also act as coming-of-age movies, so there’s plenty of crossover for fans.

Kick-Ass

Another film based on a Marvel comic that isn’t in the MCU, Kick-Ass was a cultural phenomenon when it came out in 2010 and made stars of leads Chloë Grace Moretz and Aaron Taylor-Johnson. The latter plays Dave Lizewski, a normal teen who is obsessed with superheroes, so much so he tries to become one. After a false start that involves him getting stabbed, he winds up in the middle of a real-life conspiracy that involves crime bosses, crooked cops, and a young girl who can wipe the floor with people twice her size. Quirky, funny, and smart, Blue Beetle fans will appreciate the new take on an origin story, as well as the humor. Plus, it has Nicolas Cage in it, so what’s not to love?

Spider-Man (2002)

An origin story that has a focus on family like Blue Beetle, the 2002 film Spider-Man remains a brilliant watch to this day. Tobey Maguire stars as Peter Parker, and he is excellent in the role, managing to personify the blend of fun and action that makes this such a compelling watch. Willem Dafoe plays the Green Goblin, giving a bit of extra star power to the cast, but all in all, this film is about how Parker grows his relationships while learning to deal with the new power that has been foisted upon him. Plus, it has this incredible scene which Maguire allegedly did over a hundred takes for.

Iron Man (2008)

The movie that revived Robert Downey Jr.’s career, Iron Man is also often named as the film that brought superhero stories back into the public consciousness (although some would argue Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy was just as important). Funny, fast-paced, and full of smart writing, the flick about a billionaire-turned-hero might be somewhat responsible for making the cult of nepo-baby king Elon Musk, but those behind the film can’t really be blamed for that. What they can take credit for, though, is a brilliant watch that fans of Blue Beetle will love for its irreverence and engrossing plot, as well as some standout action sequences.

We’re about a month out from the release of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, a PlayStation 5 exclusive that developer Insomniac Games promises will be the ultimate derring-do in superhero gaming.

If that sounds like pure hype, remember that Insomniac’s previous two titles in the series — Marvel’s Spider-Man (2018) and Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales (2020) — were well-received by critics and fans, who appreciated the freedom Insomniac granted players to swing around Manhattan, complete missions in their preferred order, and take selfies in Battery Park while passersby either high-five Spidey or glitch into a nearby bush.

All jokes aside, there were relatively few performance issues after the day-one patches for the previous chapters, which is a miracle considering how fast you can progress through the map and how much information the console has to process in order for players’ webs to catch the next building.

For the new sequel, throw in an expanded map that includes Queens and Brooklyn, the ability to switch between playing as Peter Parker and Miles Morales, an even deeper combat system encouraged by your sticky symbiote buddy, and legendary baddies Kraven the Hunter and Venom.

You can see why people are excited. In fact, we’d wager that Insomiac’s work on this series might one day be comparable to Rocksteady’s near-perfect adaptation of Batman for the Arkham trilogy, one of the most celebrated superhero gaming series of all time.

But which version of Spider-Man 2 should you preorder? Besides the regular version, there’s a more expensive Deluxe Edition that comes with a set of exclusive costumes.

What suits are only available with the Deluxe Edition?

Check out these threads:

Some of these suits look pretty wild, but many are subtle references to previous moments across Marvel comics, movies, and games, per Game Rant.

For example, the Tactical Suit’s white and red motif might be a nod to the 2018 Spider-Man‘s Advanced Armored Suit, the Track Suit in 2020’s Miles Morales, or even Miguel O’Hara’s Parker Industries Suit that featured in the Spider-Man 2099 comics.

How about the Aurantia Suit? The yellow detailing definitely serves Iron Spider vibes (from the MCU films), but it appears to be a deeper cut than that: The black undersuit matched with the red padding and yellow accents seems to be based on the Integrated Suit from Spider-Man: No Way Home, where Tom Holland’s Iron Spider nanites assimilate with Doc Ock’s tentacles and create an updated costume.

The hood on the Red Spectre Suit recalls Spider-Gwen’s (or Spider-Woman’s) costume in the animated Spider-Verse films, while the Apunkalyptic Suit is a clear reference to Spider-Punk, AKA Hobie Brown, from this year’s Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. And hey, doesn’t the Encoded Suit look a lot like Yellowjacket in the Ant-Man films?

We won’t spoil all the references. Just know that the Deluxe Edition will only make you nerdier, which is a great reason to select that version of the game if you have enough funds. If not, we guess you’re stuck with the core version of what promises to be a really great game. Win-win.

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 arrives on Oct. 20 for the PlayStation 5.