From galaxy crusader to galaxy defender?
The Hollywood Reporter brings word today that Chris Hemsworth, star of Thor: Ragnarok and the forthcoming Avengers: Infinity War, has entered talks to headline a new Men in Black movie from Sony.
The untitled spinoff, which has purportedly been angled as a Jurassic World-styled revival, has its crosshairs placed on F. Gary Gray (Straight Outta Compton, The Fate of the Furious) to direct, with a screenplay from Matt Holloway and Art Marcum of Iron Man fame. Oh, and it has a release date, too: June 14th, 2019.
That’s only a few weeks after the arrival of Avengers 4, which looks set to be Hemsworth’s last hurrah in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. There’s still hope for another Thor movie though, given Taika Waititi and Chris Hemsworth have bounced around ideas for the God of Thunder’s future. But the timing of THR’s scoop will no doubt raise concern among the Marvel community.
As for Men in Black, word is Sony’s soft reboot will ditch Agents K and J entirely in favor of new, fresh-faced protagonists. That’s music to our ears, as Agents K and J – played by Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith, respectively – were beginning to run out of steam by the time Men in Black 3 limped into theaters back in 2012.
What’s more, news that Chris Hemsworth is circling a possible spinoff movie all but confirms that Sony has pumped the brakes on that mooted Men in Black/Jump Street crossover, which sounded like a logistical nightmare more than anything else.
Because after a six-year hiatus, the Men in Black series needs to go back to basics, and casting Chris Hemsworth in what is surely a comedic role sounds like the right place to start. He was arguably one of the few redeeming qualities of Paul Feig’s Ghostbusters movie, while Taika Waititi was able to translate Hemsworth’s comic timing into box office gold late last year. As always, stay tuned for more.