James Gunn Says No Darkseid For DCU, Elizabeth Olsen on MCU Return, Stranger Things Finale to Hit Big Screens

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During a recent round of interviews with various comic-centric YouTube channels last week, James Gunn seemingly revealed that despite rampant speculation, his DCU is not building toward the character of Darkseid as a “big bad”. As to why he’s not pursuing what many fans might argue is the obvious direction for the studio, he cited the efforts of the comic book cinematic universes that paved the way for his own, saying, "Using Darkseid as the big bad now is not necessarily the thing... because Zack did it so cool in his way and because of Thanos and Marvel." Gunn expanded his thoughts on both, acknowledging some of the shortcomings of the DCEU and detailing how similar Thanos and Darkseid are that it wouldn’t feel fresh for audiences.

While Marvel has yet to confirm the much-discussed Scarlet Witch’s return to the MCU, in a new interview with beauty, fashion and pop culture outlet InStyle, Elizabeth Olsen reiterated that she's ready to step back into the role. "It's ridiculous," she said of making MCU movies. "We're grown people behaving like children on a playground. We're flying. We're shooting things out of our hands. And it's a character that I've gotten to return to so many times over 10 years. It's good to put her down and then I miss her, and I want her back. I'd jump at the opportunity to be in her shoes again."
Last week, Netflix revealed its plans to release the feature-length finale of Stranger Things' final season in theaters, reversing course after the streamer had previously rejected the Duffer Brothers' theatrical release pitch. Theaters will screen the finale starting Dec. 31 at 5 p.m. PT — coinciding with its global Netflix debut — and continuing through Jan. 1, 2026.

• Disney+ will begin streaming The Fantastic Four: First Steps on Nov. 5, following the film's $521 million worldwide box office haul over the summer.

• Over the weekend, Sony's Crunchyroll released Chainsaw Man – The Movie, which topped the domestic box office with $17.2 million and reached $108 million globally. Black Phone 2 continued its solid run, surpassing $80 million worldwide. Regretting You debuted in third place with a better-than-expected $22.9 million, while the Bruce Springsteen biopic Deliver Me From Nowhere disappointed with $16.1 million in its opening weekend.

• Paramount Pictures is finalizing a deal to acquire Ti West's adaptation of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, with Johnny Depp set to play Ebenezer Scrooge. The film will release on November 13, 2026.

• Michael B. Jordan and Austin Butler are in talks to star in Joseph Kosinski‘s big-screen reboot of Miami Vice.

• Sony Pictures Animation will produce a sequel to its 2021 Oscar-nominated feature The Mitchells vs. the Machines. Production is expected to begin early next year.

• IMAX has unveiled its planned releases for 2026 at an Investor Presentation and at this moment, Spider-Man Brand New Day is not included in the lineup. The film will be released on July 31, which means it's debuting right in the middle of a pretty crowded IMAX season: the live-action Moana and The Odyssey are arriving on July 10 and July 17, respectively.

• Disney has officially exited its partnership with the BBC on Doctor Who after two years. For now, the BBC does plan to air an upcoming Christmas special next year and then continue the series on the network.

• Captain America star Chris Evans and his wife Alba Baptista have welcomed their first child, a girl named Alma Grace Baptista Evans