The Marvels
Following the post-credits scene of Ms. Marvel (2022) where Iman Velani’s Kamala Khan is shown swapping places with Brie Larson’s Carol Danvers, The Marvels brings us back to see the outcome of the swap, which is the result of both heroes using their powers. Our heroes venture to find the source of this phenomenon, ending up on the planet of Aladna. Similar to that scene, the trailer for The Marvels adds Monica Rambeau, played by Teyonah Parris, to the space-swapping shenanigans.
Released on November 10th, the latest Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) installment unites Kamala Khan and Monica Rambeau, two Post-Endgame characters, with Infinity Saga Veteran Carol Danvers, who has been missing from MCU movies since the end credit scene of Shang-Chi: Legend of the Ten Rings (2021).
As one of the few Infinity Saga characters still active post-Endgame, we have seen very little of Carol, only a name drop or a cameo here or there. But with The Marvels, there is hope to see more of Carol, Monica, and Kamala in the future.
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
An adaptation of the Hunger Games prequel, Songbirds and Snakes takes place during the 10th Hunger Games and follows Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth), the main antagonist in the original trilogy. Snow is assigned as a mentor to District 12 tribute Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler), and quickly becomes infatuated with her.
Released on November 17th, Songbirds and Snakes gives us context to the Hunger Games that definitely warrants a rewatch of the original trilogy.
The movie is adapted from Suzanne Collins’ book of the same name which might be worth the read.
Godzilla Minus One
Godzilla Minus One is a Japanese film set in 1945 that follows Koichi Shikishima (Kamiki Ryunosuke), one of the only two survivors of Godzilla’s attack on an Odo Island repair base. Two years later Koichi is working on a minesweeper and is plagued by the guild of survival. When Godzilla, now supercharged by U.S. nuclear waste dumping, starts making his way to Japan, Koichi’s minesweeper is tasked with trying to stop him.
Godzilla Minus One is a reboot of the original Godzilla story, where he decimates Tokyo, maliciously killing humans with little remorse. This differs from his Warner Brothers image as a protector. Released worldwide on December 1st, Godzilla Minus One brings a new interpretation of Godzilla to the big screen as a vehicle for the mentality of post-World War II Japan and the people’s dissatisfaction with the government.
This film is separate from both the American Monsterverse movies (Godzilla (2014), Kong: Skull Island (2017), Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019), and Godzilla vs Kong (2021)) and the Japanese film Shin Godzilla (2016).
Wonka
18 years after the release of Tim Burton’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), Willy Wonka is back on the big screens. Brought to you by the whimsical Paul King, Wonka waltzed into theaters on December 15th. Starring Timothée Chalamet as a young, pre-chocolate factory Willy Wonka, whose dreams and ambitions drive him to adventures to create the most stunning candies in the world. Chalamet is the 3rd person to play Willy Wonka on the big screen, preceded by Johnny Depp and Gene Wilder, Chalamet channels the insanely silly energy of the chocolatier in this prequel film.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom
Seven years after his debut as Aquaman in Batman v Superman, Jason Momoa reprises his role as Arthur Curry in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. Set four years after the first movie, Aquaman 2 introduces us to an Arthur who has settled into a routine as a father and the King of Atlantis – a stark difference from the man we saw in Aquaman. Aquaman 2 focuses more on the character dynamics between Arthur and his family, specifically his half-brother Orm (Patrick Wilson), the antagonist of the first movie. The trailer shows Arthur and Orm teaming up against Yahya Abdul Mateen II’s Black Manta, vying to ruin Arthur’s life.
Aquaman 2’s December 20th release will mark the end of the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). CEO James Gunn’s DC Universe (DCU) is set to debut in 2025, bringing fresh faces to the iconic Justice League
