• Deadline published an article Thursday reporting that Chris Evans was in talks to return to his role as Captain American for at least one future Marvel production.
• The news was unexpected as Evans retired from the role following 2019’s “Avengers: Endgame.”
• After the rumor became a trending topic, Evans tweeted, “News to me.”

Deadline Reports Evans Is Coming Back to the MCU

According to Deadline, actor Chris Evans is in talks to return to his iconic role as Captain America in at least one upcoming Marvel project.

However, according to Evans himself, that rumor is “news to me.” 

Evans trended online Thursday following Deadline’s report, which stated that the actor could return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe in up to two projects. 

Reportedly, the roles would not be for an Evans-led “Captain America” film; rather, they would be more akin to Robert Downey Jr’s role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe post-“Iron Man 3.”

Soon after Deadline reported Evans’ potential return, a number of other outlets jumped on the news.

Evans Said Goodbye To Captain America in 2019

Evans’ subsequent tweet appears to indicate that the actor has no plans to return as Captain America. 

Indeed, the reports of Evans’ return were unexpected as the actor has been vocal about 2019’s “Avengers: Endgame” being his last outing as the character. 

“Officially wrapped on Avengers 4,” Evans said in 2018. “It was an emotional day to say the least. Playing this role over the last 8 years has been an honor. To everyone in front of the camera, behind the camera, and in the audience, thank you for the memories! Eternally grateful.”

In addition to Evans’ own desire to retire from the role, the character of Captain America (AKA, Steve Rogers) was given a firm conclusion in “Endgame.”

In its original article, Deadline explained that while Evans was initially adamant about not returning to the role, he has been more open to the idea in recent months. 

So far, Marvel has not confirmed or denied the reports, but it might not be unfathomable to think that Evans’ could return to the role at some point, even if Thursday’s rumors are false.

For example, Downey Jr. is set to briefly reprise his role as Iron Man in Scarlett Johansson’s upcoming “Black Widow,” despite Downey Jr also retiring from his role in “Endgame.”

See what others are saying: (The Hollywood Reporter) (CNET) (Insider)

• Adult content creator Belle Delphine sparked outrage after tweeting graphic sexual photos of herself roleplaying a kidnapping situation.
• Many accused her of glorifying rape and even pedophilia, arguing that she was dressed like a child. Others criticized her for not including a content warning and potentially triggering assault survivors.
• Delphine issued a statement refusing to apologize, saying, “There is nothing wrong with enjoying powerplay and BDSM where both people are consensual.” She also said those who require trigger warnings before posts should not follow her.

CONTENT WARNING: The photos in this article and the discussion around
them involve explicit sexual content, rape, and kidnapping.

Belle Delphine Sparks Outrage

Adult content creator Belle Delphine received immediate backlash Tuesday after tweeting out graphic sexual photos of herself roleplaying as an apparent kidnapping victim.

“My perfect first date,” she captioned her post. The photos show Delphine in the back of a car with her legs and wrists bound by ropes. Her mouth is also covered by duct tape. In one specific image, a man who appears to be her “kidnapper” is having sex with her against a tree in the woods.

Soon after posting the photos, Twitter users accused her of fetishizing and glorifying rape. Some even argued that she was glorifying pedophilia as well because she appeared to be dressed like a child.

Though Delphine faced intense criticism, others also argued that she was posting pictures of a practice known as consensual non-consent and should not be facing this much backlash for it.

That type of defense was slammed as well, with critics saying there were still other problems with her post. For instance, many noted that her tweet did not include a content or trigger warning. They described that choice as irresponsible given the explicit nature of the photos, which could bring pain to rape and assault survivors. 

Others argued that even though this situation was consensual, without the context, some might see these photos and internally normalize rape. They also noted that people who see the images might not be aware or any safe words or other signals that could have been agreed upon beforehand.

The issue isn’t having this kink, it’s the fact that a lot of males here will see this and think this is normal. They don’t know about the safe words, long discussions, and therapy that take place before engaging in a scene like this. They just see rape.

— amelia (@ameIia_says) January 13, 2021

Delphine Defends Herself

Delphine addressed the backlash Wednesday, saying she is “not sorry.”

“There is nothing wrong with enjoying powerplay and BDSM where both people are consensual. I think saying because I enjoy consensual non-consent is promoting rape, is the same as the argument that violence in video games promotes violence,” she wrote.

“I made it very clear in the caption of my photo, and anything written about it that I was enjoying it and that is was consensual, I never said the word rape, or anything against my will. This is what other people have put onto it.”

She also said it was “insane” to her that people thought she was dressed like a child. She described the outfit as “vintage” and said that other people dress like this all the time.

“If it’s about how I genetically look I can’t change that and I will not apologize for it either nor will I stop being sexual since I am a sexually active adult,” she added.

“No one likes rape, no one wants rape to exist,” she continued. “Saying that I support rape is the same as saying that 50% of the female population does, because if you look at statistics based upon this (from studies done over the last 30 years, including new studies) 31-61% of women have powerplay/rape fantasies in the exact same way. I consented to being tied up and to having rough sex.”

Delphine said that the front page of porn sites has every “fantasy scenario” a person can think of, from incest to teacher to stepmom and that one of the most common sexual fantasies is a schoolgirl. 

“Just because someone likes the fantasy of something, doesn’t mean they want it in real life. Sex is complex and explorative, but should always be consensual,” she wrote. 

When it comes to people upset that she did not include a trigger warning, she said that because her job involves this kind of content, people who would be upset by this should not follow here. 

“My whole Twitter/OnlyFans have constant themes of kink since I do porn as a job and I will not put a trigger warning on all of my posts,” she said. “Do not follow me if you require trigger warnings before posts.”

See what others are saying: (LadBible) (RT) (Distractify)

• Netflix will release a new film every week this year, including some featuring big Hollywood stars like Dwayne Johnson, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Jennifer Lawrence.
• The news highlights how relatively well-positioned Netflix has been throughout the pandemic in comparison to theaters and traditional film studios.

Netflix Releases Film Preview

Netflix officially confirmed Tuesday that it will be released a new film every week in 2021.

The new slate of movies includes original productions and acquisitions from across all genres. Some are the final installments of homegrown franchises like “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” and “The Kissing Booth.” Others could potentially serve as franchise starters.

The streaming giant released a sizzle reel that gives a first glimpse and the projects and the huge Hollywood names that will star in them, including Gal Gadot, Ryan Reynolds, Dwayne Johnson, Chris Hemsworth, Jennifer Lawrence, Leonardo DiCaprio, and others.

The announcement highlights how relatively well-positioned Netflix is and has been throughout the pandemic.

Meanwhile, studios like Warner Brothers, for instance, have had to make abrupt shifts to streaming amid mass theater closures.

Streaming Services and Software Spending Could Hit $112 Billion in 2021

Netflix’s announcement comes at a time when spending on streaming services is expected to see a boost.

According to projections from the Consumer Technology Association, spending on streaming and software could hit a record $112 billion this year. That’s an 11% growth from 2020, though it’s worth noting that it already grew a whopping 31% from 2019 to 2020.

The CTA says spending on streaming subscriptions, specifically, could reach $41 billion. It even noted a trend in households upgrading TVs last year.

See what others are saying: (Variety) (The Hollywood Reporter) (New York Times)