January ‘25 CQMB - Superman, Kraven, Year in Review, & More

Happy New Year everyone! Enjoy 2025's first CQMB!

*SPOILERS*

I actually had some anticipation going into this movie since it seemed like Sony was hyping it up, but it was as mid as all the other SSU movies. I feel like it’s was pretty similar to Morbius in terms of quality. It’s a little bit better than Morbius, but still disappointing. It’s no surprise that this movie had all the clichés of an average superhero movie. I mean it had some good moments. It wasn’t a dreadful watch, I just wouldn’t need to watch it again. I felt like the brother’s character arc was a little weird since he was resentful of his dad, and as soon as he died he took upon his father’s position. And they left in that weird Chameleon cliffhanger which felt pretty unnecessary given that the SSU is over (more on that later). I was excited to see Rhino in this movie too, but he was pretty hard to look at. Overall, I’d probably give this a 5.7/10.

DCUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU! I’m so hyped for this new universe. This trailer looks great and I love this new feeling. The DCEU felt way too dark and even a little boring, and I love how this feels authentic to the comics. This trailer is exactly how I want the DCU to feel. David Corenswet looks great in this role, and it was also cool to see Krypto and the other characters in this trailer. I'm super stoked for what this movie will bring this year. Superman will be in theaters on July 11.

I don't know why or how, but Chris Evans will be a part of the Avengers: Doomsday cast. I don't really understand this casting, but it seems like a trend given that Robert Downey Jr. is already returning to play Doctor Doom. Whether he’s returning as Captain America, Human Torch, or a completely different character is still unknown. This is all mildly concerning, but I will try to trust the process. What are your thoughts and predictions with this casting?

The SSU has failed. After several flops, Sony has made the decision to put an end to the universe. The universe was made up of 6 films: Venom (2018), Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021), Morbius (2022), Madame Web (2024), Venom: The Last Dance (2024), and Kraven the Hunter (2024). It’s not really that surprising since every movie was pretty bad, but now it’s official.

The actress who voices Gwen Stacy in the Spider-Verse movies, Hailee Steinfeld, recently became engaged to NFL player Josh Allen. And in her social media post about their engagement, Spider-Verse co-star, Shameik Moore, commented something that made it seem like their engagement could be a mistake. Shameik Moore plays Miles in the franchise, and he has often flirted with Hailee in interviews. He’s made it pretty clear he likes her. In that case, it’s pretty evident Hailee’s engagement is making him mad. After people saw his comment, they teased Shameik for never dating his co-star. Since Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield, and Tom Holland all fell in love with their co-stars and dated, Shameik is the first to not follow this tradition. In response, Shameik posted a picture of himself with Laura Harrier. Laura played the love interest in Spider-Man: Homecoming. This seemed like Shameik’s way of redeeming himself after being trolled by the internet. However, in response, Laura called Shameik a creep for posting that picture. She was disgusted by Shameik’s implication that them two were dating, since even Laura is engaged. Ultimately, Shameik’s been getting a lot of hate. It’s kinda crazy. Some people wonder if this could affect anything with Beyond the Spider-Verse (I don’t think it will, but it’s just kind of a crazy story). What are your thoughts on this whole situation?

In December, James Gunn announced the release for a Clayface movie for the DCU. This was a pretty confusing announcement given Clayface was being teased for Matt Reeves’ The Batman Part II. Right now, it’s slated to be the DCU’s third movie, releasing September 11, 2026. It seems pretty random to be the third movie of a brand new DC Universe, but I guess I have to trust the process? I don’t know. I don’t really know how to feel. What are your thoughts on the announcement of this movie? Also announced was an animated Robin movie, with both the Dick Grayson and Jason Todd versions of Robin (Nightwing & Red Hood). I’m pretty indifferent about this announcement. This movie is releasing June 30, 2028 and is not a part of the DCU.

Jason Momoa has been casted a role in the upcoming film Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow. He will be playing Lobo. This role has been teased for a while by James Gunn, so it’s not a surprise to see it come to fruition. Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow will be in theaters on June 26, 2026.

Welp, The Batman Part II has been delayed by a year again. When The Batman Part II’s release date was first announced, it was scheduled for October 3, 2025. Then it got delayed to October 2, 2026. Now it won’t be releasing until October 1, 2027. It’s a bit frustrating, but I really do think you can’t rush the process. So I just think they should take as long as they need to make a quality sequel. This delay will leave a 5 1/2 year gap between the first and second films. That’s kinda crazy to think about. How do you feel about this delay?

Here are all the projects we got last year for both Marvel and DC:

Echo (Jan 9, 2024)

Madame Web (Feb 14, 2024)

X-Men '97 (Mar 20 - May 15, 2024)

Deadpool & Wolverine (Jul 26, 2024)

Agatha All Along (Sep 18 - Oct 30, 2024)

The Penguin (Sep 19 - Nov 10, 2024)

Joker: Folie à Deux (Oct 4, 2024)

Venom: The Last Dance (Oct 25, 2024)

Creature Commandos (Dec 5, 2024 - Jan 9, 2025)

Kraven the Hunter (Dec 13, 2024)

What If...? Season 3 (Dec 20 - Dec 29, 2024)

This year had some pretty high highs and low lows. Deadpool & Wolverine was an astounding movie, and X-Men '97 received incredible praise. Although projects like Joker 2 and Madame Web were harshly criticized for their weak plotlines and unintriguing story (it's crazy I'm comparing Madame Web to the sequel to Joker lol). Both Venom: The Last Dance and Kraven the Hunter were both alright- they kind of solidified 2024 as a mediocre year for comic book movies (obviously with the exception of Deadpool & Wolverine). For shows, I only watched Echo, but otherwise, I've heard very good things about the other shows that dropped this last year. This year seems like it is going to be an absolute blast for comic book movies and shows, and I am so excited. Here are all the confirmed Marvel & DC projects dropping this year:

Creature Commandos (until Jan 9, 2025)

Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man (Jan 29, 2025)

Captain America: Brave New World (Feb 14, 2025)

Daredevil: Born Again (Mar 4, 2025)

Thunderbolts* (May 2, 2025)

Ironheart (Jun 24, 2025)

Superman (Jul 11, 2025)

The Fantastic Four: First Steps (Jul 25, 2025)

Peacemaker: Season 2 (Aug 2025)

Eyes of Wakanda (Aug 6, 2025)

Marvel Zombies (Oct 3, 2025)

Wonder Man (Dec 2025)

I’m really looking forward to these projects. Although Marvel has been trying to cutback on their number of projects every year, this year is the result of the Hollywood Strikes of 2023, so several of these projects have been completed for a while. I’m most looking forward to Captain America: Brave New World, Superman, and The Fantastic Four: First Steps. What are your top 3 most anticipated Marvel & DC projects releasing this year?

Here’s each of the Marvel/DC projects coming out this month:

January 2 - Creature Commandos [E6] (streaming: Max)

January 9 - Creature Commandos [E7] (streaming: Max)

January 29 - Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man [E1] (streaming: Disney+)

January 29 - Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man [E2] (streaming: Disney+)

Thank you for taking time out of your day to read this month's CQMB. Be sure to stay tuned for the next CQMB which will release on the first of February.