Page 30 - ARUBA TODAY

A30 PEOPLE & ARTS
Wednesday 24 July 2019

Marvel’s next films will bring diversity, onscreen and off

RYAN PEARSON on Saturday, only one is set around us. It’s incredible,”
KATIE CAMPIONE to be directed by a white she said. “The Eternals” will
Associated Press man. feature a cast full of actors
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Mar- “It’s about fresh voices of color, including Kumail
vel’s push for more women and new voices and great Nanjiani, Brian Tyree Henry,
and people of color in its filmmakers who can con- and Salma Hayek. Simu Liu
immensely popular film tinue to steer the (Marvel will become Marvel’s first
franchise is extending to Cinematic Universe) into big screen Asian American
behind the camera as it new places,” Marvel Stu- superhero when “Shang-
launches its next round of dios president Kevin Feige Chi and the Legend of the
films after the massive suc- said in an interview after Ten Rings” is released in
cess of “Avengers: End- the studio’s explosive Hall H February 2021. Natalie Port-
game.” Of the five films panel. “And I am as proud man will play a female Thor
the superhero studio an- of that lineup of directors in the new “Thor: Love and
nounced at Comic-Con as you saw today as any.” Thunder,” which will also
feature Tessa Thompson’s
Mahershala Ali, center, wears a hat to promote his new movie character, Valkyrie, as the
“Blade” at the Marvel Studios panel on day three of Comic-Con MCU’s first LGBTQ super-
International on Saturday, July 20, 2019, in San Diego. hero.
Associated Press “First of all, as new King
In addition to a slew of to see some of the systemic (of Asgard), she needs to
women and people of problems,” Johansson said. find her queen, so that will
color at the helm of the “Even looking for a fe- be her first order of busi-
upcoming Marvel films, male director who has had ness. She has some ideas.
the weekend’s announce- enough experience — who Keep you posted,” Thomp-
ments promised more di- has had the opportunity to son said during the panel.
versity on screen. have the experience to sit Feige later confirmed the
First up for release is the at the helm of something news in an interview with
long-awaited solo film star- huge like this, you know, the website io9.
ring Scarlett Johansson as choices are limited be- The studio is also reviving
the Black Widow, the lethal cause of that. And it sucks.” one of Marvel’s most iconic
assassin she has played for The actress added that she black characters, Blade
nearly a decade. The film is was proud to see the diver- (previously played by Wes-
set for release in May 2020. sity on stage during Mar- ley Snipes), with the help of
Johansson said the search vel’s Hall H panel. Academy Award winner
for “Black Widow” direc- “Looking out on that stage Mahershala Ali. Feige told
tor Cate Shortland wasn’t tonight, it was incredible. It The Associated Press that
easy. was really moving, also just right after winning his sec-
“It’s really interesting be- to see how incredibly di- ond Academy Award for
cause when we were look- verse the universe is — and “Green Book” earlier this
ing for a director, you start reflects what we see all year, Ali set up a meeting.q

Baldacci’s latest novel doesn’t disappoint

shortly after making his way Archer wants to do the
back home, he found him- right thing, and stay away
self imprisoned for a crime from violating the rules he
he didn’t commit. He’s re- needs to follow as a man
leased early for good be- recently incarcerated. His
havior and makes his way parole officer is stern and a
to the small town of Poca stickler for making sure ev-
City, where he’s required erything he does is on the
to routinely check in with straight and narrow.
his parole officer. When he gets entangled in
Archer meets Hank Pittle- a mess with what seems like
man, who offers him a a simple loan, chaos and
chance to earn some mon- mystery will have him once
ey. Lucas Tuttle borrowed again trying to prove his in-
a substantial amount of nocence.
money from Pittleman, and Author David Baldacci is
Archer is asked to take pos- a master storyteller, and
This cover image released
by Grand Central Publishing session of Tuttle’s Cadillac, he invokes the classic feel
shows “One Good Deed,” by which was used for collat- of the post-war 1940s evi-
David Baldacci. eral. After verifying the loan dent in the timeless litera-
Associated Press by seeing the paperwork, ture and film of that time.
By JEFF AYERS Archer goes to meet Tuttle A sympathetic hero and a
Associated Press to ask why he hasn’t paid cast of mysterious citizens
“One Good Deed” (Grand Pittleman back. in a small town summon fa-
Central Publishing), by Da- The answer Archer receives miliar themes one expects
vid Baldacci surprises him — and puts in a Baldacci novel, and
Aloysius Archer fought in the offer in an entirely new he once again doesn’t
Europe for the Allies, and light. disappoint.q