Rumors exploded when insider Daniel Richtman claimed Marvel Studios eyed Jordan Peele to direct an MCU entry, prompting Monkeypaw Productions to quote the post with just a pair of eyes emoji.
Fans flooded social media parsing the gesture as a sly nod to secret negotiations, especially after past Blade whispers. Monkeypaw followed up hours later, neither confirming nor denying the chatter, keeping speculation red-hot.
The exchange hit X on December 29, 2025, tying into Cosmic Marvel’s viral thread that racked up thousands of reactions overnight. Peele’s outfit, behind Get Out and Nope, rarely engages rumors this way, making the move stand out like a flare in Hollywood’s rumor mill.
Reddit threads and Instagram reels dissected every pixel, with users betting on supernatural fits like Blade or Midnight Sons. This playful dodge echoes Peele’s style, blending mystery with social commentary hooks that define his brand.
Insider Meetings Shut Down Directing Hype
Journalist Jeff Sneider clarified on The InSneider that Peele held talks with Marvel, but nothing points to him helming a film anytime soon.
He ruled out Blade, Midnight Sons, or Doctor Strange 3, calling the meetings routine Hollywood scouting rather than deal-making. Sneider added Peele focuses on his next untitled project, eyeing a 2027 bow after years in quiet development.
Jordan Peele (Credit: CNN)
Past scuttlebutt matches this pattern: Peele passed on Blade in 2019 and chatted about the X-Men reboot before Jake Schreier grabbed it for Thunderbolts*. Monkeypaw’s repost aligns with standard procedure, not commitment, per industry watchers who track such pings.
Forbes noted the Blade angle persists due to Peele’s horror chops suiting vampire grit, yet no green light exists. Superhero Hype framed it as cold water on dreams, stressing Peele’s solo slate over shared universes.
Peele voiced disinterest in superhero gigs during 2019 promo rounds, prioritizing fresh tales over IP extensions. His track record proves it: Get Out snagged an Oscar for Original Screenplay, Us twisted family dread, and Nope flipped UFO lore into box office gold, nearing $200 million.
Monkeypaw expanded via TV, like Lovecraft Country, and films such as the Candyman reboot, cementing independence.
Franchise Pull Clashes with Peele Vision
Marvel’s outreach signals desperation for fresh voices amid Blade’s six-year stall and post-Endgame slumps. Peele’s socially charged horrors could inject edge into weary entries, fans argue, eyeing his skill at scaling low-budget thrills to big.
Yet his “none” reply to DC or Marvel queries underscores a core stance: original stories first. Monkeypaw’s tease risks fan letdown if Snoozefest 3 rumors fizzle, mirroring past non-starts.
Social ripple hit Tribune and Yahoo, where outlets framed the emoji as a spark for Avengers: Doomsday era hires. ComicBookMovie tied it to Richtman’s MCU wish list, noting Peele’s vampire sketch from Key & Peele as perfect Blade bait.
EW probed the cryptic posts, highlighting Monkeypaw’s Instagram nod to Complex without commitment. Detractors like ScreenRant push back, arguing Peele’s uniqueness thrives outside capes.
The future hinges on Peele’s bandwidth: his secret film demands focus, delaying any MCU pivot to 2028 slots. Marvel’s Kevin Feige courts auteurs post-Russo era, but Peele’s silence beyond Monkeypaw suggests caution.
If talks advance, expect horror-infused twists; otherwise, the emoji stays just that, a fleeting glance. Fans hold their breath as 2026 Phase Six shapes up.
A family vacation in Hawaii spirals into bloodshed when their pet chimpanzee, Ben, catches rabies from a mongoose bite.
Lucy, the college-returning daughter played by Johnny Sequoyah, brings friends for a pool party reunion with Dad, portrayed by Oscar-winning Troy Kotsur, and her little sister.
Ben starts as the playful family member rescued years ago by their late mom, but infection flips him into a savage force ripping through guests with brutal intelligence.
The new ScreenRant exclusive image freezes two teens, likely Lucy and her friend Jessica Alexander’s character, huddled behind a flimsy plastic curtain.
Their wide eyes betray pure panic as they scout the rabid beast lurking nearby, heightening the film’s claustrophobic dread inside the family house. Practical suits and animatronics bring Ben to life, dodging CGI for gritty realism that amps up every claw swipe and bite.
Poolside chaos anchors the action, with barricades and desperate survival plays echoing real primate strength reports from past attacks.
Chimpanzees pack twice the power of humans, fueling Ben’s face-tearing kills that left star Sequoyah rattled during playback. Paramount pushes this setup hard in trailers, teasing, “First you love him, then he tears your heart out.”
Practical Gore Revives Animal Attack Classics
Director Johannes Roberts pulls straight from Stephen King’s Cujo, swapping the dog for a chimp to homage 80s practical effects mastery. Multiple suits, animatronics, and trained performers create Ben’s fluid terror, earning nods for no-frills gore over digital gloss.
Fantastic Fest crowds cheered the jaw-pull and skull-smash sequences, landing Primate a solid 92% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Primate (Credit: Paramount Pictures)
Roberts built hits like 47 Meters Down on tight-budget thrills, grossing over $100 million combined from shark cages. Primate mirrors that formula: simple premise, isolated setting, escalating body count.
Sequoyah calls Killers among cinema’s worst, blending laughs with screams in a crowd-pleasing fashion. The effects team Millennium FX delivers blood-soaked realism, making theaters the prime spot for shared gasps.
Real-world chimp cases like 2009’s Travis mauling add unintended chills. That 200-pound pet tore off a woman’s face and hands before police ended it, spotlighting the dangers of domesticating wild animals. Primate flips such tragedies into funhouse horror, smart enough to dodge dumb tropes with Ben’s cunning traps.
Star Power Fuels Buzz for January Bloodbath
Troy Kotsur brings deaf dad gravitas from CODA, clashing with Sequoyah’s headstrong Lucy in family fractures amid the frenzy. Jessica Alexander joins from A Complete Unknown, rounding out a cast primed for breakout screams. Kotsur’s role grounds the panic, his signed pleas cutting through chimp snarls for emotional punches.
Paramount drops Primate on January 9, 2026, riding holiday horror waves post-festivals like Sitges. Early buzz positions it as Monkey Shines meets Cujo, with Roberts eyeing franchise potential in animal rampages. Sequoyah hypes communal vibes: strangers grip seats through twists, turning screens into scream fests.
Past pet chimp horrors, from Travis to others biting owners, ground the fiction in unease. One breeder blamed kids and cops after her chimp mauled a family, ignoring warnings on wild instincts.
Primate capitalizes, warning through gore that pets with primal roots demand respect. Roberts nails the shift from vacation bliss to barricaded nightmare, packing 89 minutes with propulsive kills.
Trailers rack up millions of views, spiking searches for “rabid chimp movie” as fans crave fresh creature fare. Box office trackers predict a strong opening against light January competition, buoyed by practical FX lovers. Kotsur’s award draw pulls drama fans into splatter, while Sequoyah’s eyes scream queen status.
Hawaiian isolation cranks tension; there is no escape from Ben’s home turf hunts. Roberts keeps the pacing taut, blending the grief backstory with sudden violence for jarring impact. Critics praise unpredictability: Ben communicates pre-rabies, plotting post-infection like a slasher villain.
Prime lands as 2026’s first big scare, exclusive snaps stoking hype for theaters. Families rethink monkey selfies after this, but gorehounds line up ready. Roberts delivers on Cujo’s debt, proving rabid pets still pack a punch decades later.
