Avengers Doomsday Cast Revealed

It was a big day when Marvel Studios started a Live stream on social media with directors chairs that had the names of actors in The MCU. It becomes really clear that this is the cast of the upcoming film Avengers: Doomsday. This stream went on for almost 6 hours and certainly took its time but announced a huge cast. So I am going to go through every actor and character that was revealed here and what might be there role in the film. 

Chris Hemsworth - Thor

The first announcement was for the only original Avenger confirmed to reprise his role as Hemsworth is back once again as Thor. After a weak solo film, I hope he can regain his mojo in this film and I do question whether events from Love and Thunder even matter and whether his new daughter will make an appearance. 

Vanessa Kirby - Sue Storm

We are yet to see Fantastic Four but the trailer looked great and I am sure that Kirby will be great as Sue Storm. With The Fantastic Four's links to Doctor Doom it was really essential that we got the group here. 

Anthony Mackie - Captain America

Even though Captain America: Brave New World wasn't a huge success I like Mackie as Captain America and it is great that he is back. The end of that film teased that he would be the new leader of The Avengers and I assume he will be the one who brings these characters back together. 

Sebastian Stan - Bucky Barnes

We know that Stan will be appearing as Bucky Barnes in Thunderbolts* and that he will get through that movie to appear here. I'm expecting him to be the leader of this version of The Thunderbolts and will probably be aligned with The Avengers. 

Letitia Wright - Black Panther

Wright took over the role of Black Panther in Wakanda Forever and I liked her in the role. It makes sense that she would be in this film and I am expecting her to play a pretty large role here as one of the leader of The Avengers. 

Paul Rudd - Ant-Man

After the restructuring of The MCU after Jonathan Majors issues it will be interesting to see how Rudd is used considering he was really tied into that story. I am actually worried that he might be a character who is sacrificed to put Doom over as a huge villain which would be a shame for Ant-Man. 

Wyatt Russell - John Walker

Another character who is now confirmed to be reprising his role after the events of Thunderbolts* I enjoy the character but I am not expecting this to be a huge role for him as he works alongside the other Thunderbolts. 

Tenoch Huerta Mejia - Namor

This is the most interesting one so far as we see the return of the villain of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. At the end of the film we saw Namor and Black Panther make an uneasy alliance so I assume Wakanda will seek his help to battle the enemy setting up Namor as a true Anti-Hero. 

Ebon-Moss Bachrach - Ben Grimm

The second member of The Fantastic Four confirmed is Ben Grimm aka The Thing. We don't know too much about the character but I am excited to seeing more of his character after his debut later this year. 

Simu Liu - Shang-Chi

It feels like an age since we have seen Shang-Chi but I am super excited to see him in this film. It seems he has a connection to whatever is going on with Doom and I hope Liu is given a big role here to really shine and expand the character. 

Florence Pugh - Yelena Belova

The next character reprising her role from Thunderbolts* is Yelena and I can actually see her given a bigger role here as the character has become super popular and Pugh is great in the role. 

Kelsey Grammar - Hank McCoy

The biggest surprise so far is Kelsey Grammar reprising his role as Beast from The X-Men Films. We did see him briefly in a post credit scene of The Marvels but this is super exciting and looks like we will be getting more time with the original X-Men. 

Lewis Pullman - BOB

The latest Thunderbolts* character is BOB or The Sentry, he seems to be the villain of that film but this casting is pretty interesting. Will he join the team at the end of the film or will he be a villain recruited by Doom to take down some of the good guys?

Danny Ramirez - Joaquin Torres

Probably the character reveal who will have the shortest screen time is Joaquin Torres/The Falcon who I reckon will be a small cameo. We saw he was injured at the end of Captain America: Brave New World so I will reckon he will just have a scene with Sam Wilson here. 

Joseph Quinn - Johnny Storm

Our third member of The Fantastic Four is here and it is The Human Torch. Again it is hard to say as we haven't seen much of him yet but I am again excited to see him here. 

David Harbour - Red Guardian

Our latest member of The Thunderbolts. Red Guardian is an entertaining character for sure but I don't see him having a huge role here just working alongside the other Thunderbolts. 

Winston Duke - M'Baku 

After being made of The King of Wakanda, M'Baku is back but I don't think it will be a huge role and will just be part of whatever happens in Wakanda in the film. 

Hannah John-Kamen - Ghost

Our last confirmed member of Thunderbolts (Which Means Taskmaster is definitely going to die in that film) Ghost is another character that I am not expecting to not have a large role and will just be around the other Thunderbolts. 

Tom Hiddleston - Loki

One of the more exciting additions to the cast is Hiddleston as Loki. We saw at the end of Loki Season 2 that Loki is basically the guardian of The Multiverse so it makes sense that he will appear here. It is interesting that a rumour came out that the characters want to find Loki to aid them here. I am just hoping for one more scene of Loki & Thor together. 

Patrick Stewart - Professor Xavier

Another huge announcement is that Professor Xavier is back and judging by other casting I am assuming that this is the same version that we saw in the original X-Men films which is exciting. I really hope this is more then a cameo and they really give Xavier and the other X-Men characters a fitting last hurrah. 

Ian McKellen - Magneto

Even more surprising is that Stewart's partner in crime Ian McKellen is reprising his role as Magneto. I love this decision and I am super excited to see him back as this iconic character and again I am really hopeful that this is more then a cameo. 

Alan Cumming - Nightcrawler

For me this is probably the biggest surprise on this list is that Alan Cumming who is known as the host of Traitors USA is reprising his role as Kurt Wagner AKA Nightcrawler which he last performed in X2 23 years ago. I really like this character and again I hope he is given a time to shine here. 

Rebecca Romijn - Mystique

This film is clearly going to give The X-Men some time here as we are also getting the original Mystique actress Rebecca Romijn. Personally, she is my favourite depiction of the character and I hope to see her get some iconic moments like she did in the older films. 

James Marsden - Cyclops

Once again another member of the original X-Men cast has been revealed with Marsden reprising his role in the original films. While he wasn't my favourite character back then, I am glad he is back and gets time to shine. 

Channing Tatum - Gambit

After a really entertaining performance in Deadpool V Wolverine we have Gambit back for this film. Tatum was great and I assuming he will be aligned with The X-Men here and we will finally get a chance to see him interact with them on the big screen. 

Pedro Pascal - Reed Richards

Our final member of The Fantastic Four is here with Mr Fantastic AKA Reed Richards played by the wonderful Pedro Pascal. I am interested to see how his relationship with Doom is handled but we will see. 

Robert Downey Jnr - Victor Von Doom

The last announcement is one we already had confirmed and that is that Robert Downey Jnr will be playing Doctor Doom. I am sure everybody has said what they think of this by now so I am just going to say I hope he really nails it. 

Who is missing?

There are some pretty big names that are missing here, probably the biggest being Tom Holland as Spider-Man, Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Strange and Brie Larson as Captain Marvel. With this film being the first of a two parter it is likely they will be more crucial in Avengers: Secret Wars. Also, I still believe that Marvel has some surprises and there is a larger cast then the one that was revealed today. 

Overall

Overall, it was a long wait to get this information but it is certainly exciting, especially with the production of the film starting. By the casting some theories have already popped up with Avengers vs X-Men which would be exciting. Now we just wait for more news or the long wait for a trailer that will surely break the internet. 

Adolescence (2025) Review

It seems like Adolescence is the biggest thing in The UK right now and it took me longer then I would have liked but I have watched the 4 episodes of the show and here is my review. The premise of the show sees a 13 year old boy accused of murdering a girl, we see how this news affects everybody involved. 

Main Character

I feel like Stephen Graham is basically the hardest working actor around, you see him in so many things but this will be up there with his best work yet as he is incredible. You really feel a vulnerability towards him as he plays the father of the accused boy. Graham absolutely nails it and delivers a powerhouse performance that should be commended for sure. 

Supporting Characters

This show introduces Owen Cooper as Jamie Miller, the boy who is accused of murder and this kid is fantastic. This is his first ever acting gig and if he wants to keep acting then he has huge potential to be a big star. You really feel the anger from him but a mix of youth that you want to care about and see him innocent. Cooper really delivers alongside these great actors and it sets him up well for the future. 

Ashley Walters plays the detective of the case and he is also really good. You can see the stress that he goes through. It was interesting seeing this experience from the polices point of view and Walters does a great job in his role. 

Erin Doherty is only in one episode but it is probably the best episode and she is fantastic as a psychiatrist. Her dynamic with Cooper is brilliant and it had me invested in the entire episode and she was a great addition. 

The rest of the cast are also fantastic, everybody understood how important it was to nail these roles and add depth to their characters and I credit everybody involved with the show. 

Story

The story is good, it really does an excellent job of showing how one major incident can affect so many people no matter their age or gender. It is a really moving piece of television and it looks at themes that are pretty tough and we just don't see this much. My only criticism, is the lack of finality and completion, it does this on purpose and I guess I just wanted to know slightly more about this whole situation but that is a minor criticism. 

Script 

The film is incredibly well written, it just feels real and that these people are just regular people that are going through a terrible thing and they are acting like regular people would. It doesn't feel over the top or Hollywood and that was absolutely necessary for this show. 

Style

One of the major things that people have been talking about is that this is a one shot show and that there are no camera cuts during the episodes and this makes everything feel alive and that we are in these closed locations that shows people go about their days. I think it did add something to this show and wasn't just here as a novelty. Its a slower paced show but the content here is so good that you won't mind. 

Overall

Overall, Adolescence is a fantastic show that seems like it is going to be really important in the short term. It can be a tough watch and I am not sure whether I will ever watch it again but I can't deny that it is a must see and I would highly recommend this show. 

Rating - 9/10

Black Bag (2025) Review

Recently, I saw the trailer for Black Bag and decided that I had to watch it. It has an all star cast and looked like a cool spy thriller so I went to the cinema today and watched the film and here is my review. The premise of the film sees a secret agent come under suspicion of betrayal, her husband who is also a secret agent must decide what is more important - his marriage or the world. 

Main Character

Michael Fassbender plays George and Cate Blanchett plays Kathryn and I think they were great together in the film. Fassbender in particular gets plenty of time to develop his character and I really like how they made him interesting. Their relationship is interesting and they have this really great subtle chemistry together that makes them great together on screen. 

Supporting Characters

As mentioned this film has a great cast including Marisa Abela who plays Clarissa, she is probably the one we spend the most time with and I think she was pretty fascinating to watch on screen and she had a real presence especially around these other bigger name actors. 

The issue is that this film doesn't really care too much about its supporting cast and wastes all this talent on screen. Tom Burke, Rege-Jean Page, Naomi Harris and Pierce Brosnan are all in this film and are all good in terms of their performances but I didn't care about any of their characters. They are incredibly generic and due to other issues with the film we never get enough with them to truly care. 

Story

The best parts of the story is when the film focuses on the intense talking situations such as a couple of group dinners and a polygraph sequence that I really liked and that is due to some good dialogue and acting. But the actual premise of the film is overly convoluted and had me not really caring. No spoilers but I found the ending really predictable and because of the short runtime I never grew to fully care and I felt like the film needed to be longer in order to tell its story fully. 

Script

This film was written by David Koepp who is a great writer and there is some great dialogue here and some really intense scenes that are the best parts of the film. However, the films plot is all over the place and it feels like it was an afterthought compared to the dialogue. 

Style

The film looks great and possibly my favourite part of the film is the music. It all really delivered on making this film feel like a spy thriller and something that you don't see very often these days. But as I have mentioned a few times, this film barely hits 90 mins and it is just too short to make you fully buy into the story that is being told here. Also, if you saw the trailer and thought this would be an action thriller you will be disappointed as this is a film all about dialogue and mystery. 

Overall

Overall, Black Bag is an above average spy film. Some great acting and dialogue rise this up but it falls below expectations due to some generic storytelling and short runtime. Probably one to watch when it ends up on a streaming service but I wouldn't rush to the cinema for it. 

Rating - 6/10

Star Wars: Episode 1 - Jedi Power Battles (2000/2025) Review

It seems in recent years that Star Wars games are getting remastered left, right and centre. The newest one is Star Wars: Episode 1 - Jedi Power Battles, I found the time to sit down and play this game and here is my review for it. The premise of the game sees iconic Star Wars characters going through the events of The Phantom Menace, taking down Battle Droids, Tusken Raiders & Mercenaries alike. 

Characters

Now, I won't deny that it is pretty entertaining playing as this roster of characters especially lesser used characters such as Ki-Adi Mundi and Plo Koon as it added something a bit more to this game. 

However, there isn't really any characterisation of these characters and it doesn't really matter who you are playing as, there is literally no real dialogue and no differentiation apart from a little bit of the combat.  

Story

As mentioned above, this game follows the story of The Phantom Menace, well kind of. It never really feels this way and it just feels like there is a background for these characters to go around and defeat enemies. The one thing to build to is the battle with Darth Maul but it sucks that this battle is underwhelming and incredibly cheap making it more frustrating then enjoyable. 

Side Content

There are some side activities that can be completed, like playing as a Droideka and capturing Jar Jar Binks. Yeah, these are awful and though I applaud them for trying with side content but it really feels like an afterthought and is dull. 

Gameplay

The gameplay is okay, I will give them credit that they gave all the characters unique combos and it did feel pretty unique depending on who you play as. But it felt like I was just hitting the bad guys with a stick and I just didn't feel like I was playing as a Jedi much. Also the blaster characters are pretty useless and you are never going to be able to complete the game with these characters. 

Graphics

The game has some okay graphics and most of the character models represent the characters well. The sound design is pretty good and takes most of it from the film. But some of the graphics are poor, especially for the villains and there is some annoying sounds such as Jar Jar screaming over and over again. 

Overall

Overall, Star Wars: Episode 1 - Jedi Power Battles is a bad game that is incredibly dull and boring in the modern day. It belongs to the past and I wouldn't bother spending your time and money on it. 

Rating - 3/10

First Impressions - Daredevil: Born Again (2025)

After its cancellation 7 years ago, we have another Daredevil show. This time it is fully under the Marvel Studios banner and has had plenty of hype for it. The trailers made it very clear that this show would have a similar tone to that show. The first two episodes of the show came to Disney Plus yesterday and I have watched both of them and here is my first impressions. Obviously, spoilers for these episodes will be here so read at your peril. 

You Must watch the three seasons of Daredevil

Even though this is technically a new show, with its returning cast and story it feels like a fourth season of the original show and for people to fully understand and have an emotional attachment to the story you must watch the previous three seasons as it establishes what we have here. Plus those seasons are fantastic so it is well worth a watch. 

Foggy Nelson is killed by Bullseye

Okay, onto the biggest talking point in these first two episodes and that is the fact that returning villain Benjamin Poindexter aka Bullseye killing Foggy Nelson. I had a feeling that when it was announced that both Foggy and Karen Page would be returning that one of them would be killed off but I didn't expect it so early. It was a really emotional and moving scene but it kind of comes out of nowhere and if you aren't a huge fan of the original show you will have no idea why this matters. 

Bullseye is locked up in Prison

A year after he murders Foggy, Benjamin Poindexter is locked up in prison for a life sentence. It seems that he might be gone for a while on the show but I don't think this is the end of the character. We haven't fully seen him become Bullseye so I think he will be back and we will discover exactly why he killed Foggy. 

Matt has stopped being Daredevil & Karen has moved to San Francisco

After this traumatic event, Matt Murdoch stopped being Daredevil and launched a new law firm in order to try and get justice that way and it seems like it is working. Karen Page has moved to San Francisco in an attempt to escape the trauma. They clearly both have unresolved issues and it will be interesting to see how much Karen is actually in the show. 

Wilson Fisk Returns and becomes Mayor of New York

After surviving the assassination attempt by Echo. Wilson Fisk has returned to New York and decides to run for mayor and gets elected. It seems like for the time being he is trying to do things for the better and genuinely wants to help New York. Obviously, I fully expect him to go back to his truly villainous ways as the season progresses. 

Vanessa has taken over The Fisk Empire

With Fisk recovering, his wife Vanessa has taken over his criminal enterprise and claims that it is thriving better then ever. However, this has lead to the two of them becoming estranged and we see later on that they end up in therapy together as they try to recover from the issues they had. 

Hector Ayala is The White Tiger

Throughout the show, we here rumblings of a vigilante called The White Tiger who it seems has taken over Daredevil's role. In episode two Hector Ayala is accused of killing a police officer and Matt finds out he is The White Tiger. This will probably lead to a Daredevil & White Tiger team up which could be cool to see. 

Some of the Police Officers are using Punisher as inspiration

Throughout the second episode we see police officers skirting the law and beating down members of the public. At first it seems they are corrupt, but as Matt is fighting one, it shows him having a tattoo of The Punisher logo. This seems to be taking inspiration from the real world story that some police officers took the logo to inspire my violent acts. This could deal with some real political issues as it seems like the police force of New York is going to be a big part of the show. 

Overall

Overall, I really enjoyed the first two episodes of Daredevil: Born Again. It had a very similar tone to The Netflix show and is willing to pack a punch. All of the acting is fantastic and though there is some slight issues with it, I am very confident that this is going to be one of the better Disney Plus MCU Shows. 

Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy (2021) Review

Another game that I have played before, but I recently replayed Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy and thought the game deserved a review as it seems not too many people have actually played it so here is my review for the game. The premise of the game sees the newly formed Guardians of the Galaxy attempt to raise their profiles when they get drawn into an intergalactic threat which threatens the entire Galaxy.

Characters

Jon McLaren plays Peter Quill/Star-Lord and I love the depiction of the character here. He has that boyish charm and swashbuckling nature but there is also a real depth to his performance and is a character that I really rooted for and wanted to see him succeed as the leader of this ragtag group. 

Kimberly-Sue Murray plays Gamora and I really liked her performance. She is really struggling with her previous role as an assassin and sees the group as a fresh start and Murray really sells the emotion and issues that the character has gone through and I really liked Gamora. 

Alex Weiner plays Rocket and he is a loudmouth annoying little racoon but it just really works and Rocket goes through some serious character development throughout the game and I really liked how he was used during the game. His relationship with Groot who is also great, is another big highlight. 

Jason Cavalier plays Drax and he is easily my favourite character in the game. He is a warrior but has quick comedic timing and you really get lots of information about the character and he is depicted amazingly well. 

There are other great characters too such as Mantis and Lady Hellbender and I love the way this game fleshes out the characters and the universe. 

Last thing is obviously people will compare this group to the version from the films and I just think they are completely different and great in their own ways. I really grew attached to the version in this game and that is down to the smaller names but fantastic voice performances. 

Story

The story is awesome, as I mentioned above I really enjoyed the world building that this game does and ensures that it has its own identity compared to other Marvel properties. The characters are handled really well and all have development throughout the game, I really cared about this ragtag bunch and thats a big thing for me. The story has twists and turns, comedy and real emotion and is a wonderful story about these people. 

Side Content

Unfortunately, the one big criticism of the game is that it is a pretty linear experience and is quite one dimensional. There was some really great collectibles, Peter can collect items throughout the game and then when you are back on the ship you can talk to the other characters about them and it really fleshes them all out even more. But I wish this game had a little more of a RPG feel as that could have made this game truly perfect. 

Gameplay

This game decides to only have Star-Lord as a playable character and I think this was the right decision. We have seen in Marvel's Avengers that making more characters move sets can cause other areas of the games to be lacklustre but that is not the case here. The gameplay is good and I like how they use the other Guardians to assist with Quill and his own abilities which evolve during the game. 

Graphics

The game looks great, it gives all the characters definitive looks that make them stand out and as I have mentioned I really liked the way the world is presented and it really got me invested in the game and its characters. 

Overall

Overall, Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy is a fantastic game that really stands out in the super hero genre. It is such a shame that people didn't support this game as I think there was potential to get a real franchise here and I would highly recommend giving this game a go. 

Rating - 9/10

Captain America: Brave New World (2025) Review

The biggest film in the world right new is Captain America: Brave New World and yesterday I had a chance to watch the film and here is my review for the first Sam Wilson Led Captain America Film. The premise of the film sees Captain America trying to work with the new president when a ruthless plan is put into place to take them both down. 

Main Character

As mentioned above, Anthony Mackie plays Sam Wilson and he fully embraces his role as Captain America and he is really great in this film. He slips into the role extremely well and is a really likeable character here. They do their best to progress his character and though it isn't perfect, I am happy with how it ended up for him in the role. 

Supporting Characters

Harrison Ford takes over the role as President Ross from the late William Hurt and is fantastic. He really adds a lot to the character and is given a great character arc which is enhanced by Ford really trying his best and being enthused in the project. 

Danny Ramirez as Joaquin Torres & Carl Lumbly as Isaiah Bradley see their roles enhanced after the events of The Falcon & The Winter Soldier. Torres is trying to become the new Falcon and he is a good partner for Sam and has his own character arc. It is nice to see the position Bradley is in at the beginning of the film and he has a lot of adversity to face throughout the film. 

Tim Blake Nelson reprises his role as Samuel Sterns from The Incredible Hulk and he was a good villain here. They give him reasonable motivations for his actions and sells the creepy character that he has become. 

Shira Haas plays Ruth Bat-Seraph and her casting and character caused a lot of controversy but It didn't distract me from the film and didn't offend me. Her character was functional for the film but didn't really stand out. 

Giancarlo Espositio plays Sidewinder and usually I wouldn't mention him but Esposito is a tremendous actor and he nails it in this small bad guy role. 

Story

The story has good character development for its main characters and does a pretty good job of selling the espionage angle and keeps the audience guessing throughout. However, this film does feel more like a sequel to The Incredible Hulk then a Captain America Film, Sam Wilson sometimes feels like an afterthought in his own movie and that is a shame. Also the last act feels really rushed and doesn't hit the levels that I wanted with my high expectations. 

Script

This film takes itself more seriously then the majority of Marvel films but does have some chuckle worthy moments and some moments of drama that feel worthwhile. But it never hits the level where I really got invested or fully cared about the characters and story and that is encapsulated by the ending. 

Style

There are some excellent action sequences in this film. It feels really grand on screen and seeing Sam Wilson as Captain America allows for some different action scenes then previous Captain America films. As shown in the trailers we get Red Hulk and when he is on screen, he is awesome and causes plenty of destruction but he just isn't on screen enough. The film has an issue with pacing, the last act is really rushed and I think this film needed a longer runtime to really deliver on what it promised. Also, some of the VFX Effects leave a lot to be desired, especially for a big blockbuster action movie. 

Overall

Overall, Captain America: Brave New World is a good film that ahs plenty of positives. It maybe doesn't hit the really high expectations that I had for it but I would say if you are a fan of super-hero films then you will enjoy this film and what is here. 

Rating - 7/10