Priyanka Chopra Jonas’ ‘The Bluff’ Inspired From The Real Life Pirate Queens

Priyanka Chopra Jonas’ The Bluff draws inspiration from real pirate queens like Grace O’Malley, Anne Bonny, and Ching Shih.

Published: January 9, 2026, 12:10 pm

Hollywood’s depiction of a woman pirate was, for many years, a romanticized caricature-a corseted sidekick or the occasional option roguish lead surrounded by familiar hearth and home arcs. But as we get ready to see Priyanka Chopra Jonas step into the shoes of Ercell Bodden in The Bluff, the narrative is at long last shifting.

As anyone who bothers to look at history will tell you, women pirates didn’t just “go along for the ride.” These were ruthless, calculating, and sometimes more horrifying malevolent forces than the men they led. Chopra Jonas’s take on Ercell, a woman who must reclaim her “warrior identity,” and is inspired by four legendary women who genuinely ruled the waves. 

1. Grace O’Malley: The Maternal Force

If Ercell Bodden is defined by her “maternal ferocity,” she rests on the foundation of Grace O’Malley. But not only was O’Malley a pirate who had come to command a fleet at a title that made her the “Pirate Queen of Connacht,” she was the ruler of an empire.

Grace O’Malley

She reportedly gave birth on a ship and was back on deck a few hours later armed with a blunderbuss to help defend her men. Like Ercell, O’Malley was never really a greedy pirate – it was just about staving off hunger for her family and people. She even had a famous confrontation with Queen Elizabeth I, dispelling the myth that a pirate couldn’t be a canny political operator and a mother at the same time.  

2. Anne Bonny & Mary Read: The Feral Energy

In The Bluff, we witness Ercell’s transformation from a deadly assassin to a suburban mom and the violent “unmasking” that follows. This is in the lives of Anne Bonny and Mary Read.

Anne Bonny & Mary Read

These 18th century pirates spent much of their lives passing as men, making their way in a world that offered them no place at the table. In the heat of battle they were said to be more “bloodthirsty” than the males. They are the “feral” energy Ercell must recapture to defend her home. 

3. Ching Shih: The Tactical Commander

While Ercell battles on behalf of a tiny community in the Cayman Islands, her tactical prowess is a mirror image of Ching Shih (Madame Cheng). As the admiral of the Red Flag Fleet consisting of 1,500 ships and 80,000 pirates—Shih was perhaps the most prosperous pirate ever.

Ching Shih

Significantly, she is also one of the few who actually managed to “retire” and live to tell the tale. That is the essential tension at the center of The Bluff: Ercell has found her peace, but as Ching Shih knew, your past is a shadow that never quite goes away. 

4. Jacquotte Delahaye: The Resurrection

Referred to as “Back from the Dead Red,” the biography of Jacquotte Delahaye is survival at its highest degree. faked her death to get away from the government, and then came back to the water with a vengeance.

Jacquotte Delahaye

This motif of “reanimation” is at The Bluff’s heart. Ercell is essentially “dead” to her former life until the wicked Captain Connor arrives and she must once again embrace her warrior spirit. 

FeatureHistorical RealityThe Bluff (2026)
WeaponryImprovised, heavy, and practical.Conch shells, tactical traps, and “dirty” fighting.
MotivationPolitical autonomy and family.Maternal ferocity and redemption.
OutcomeUsually a short life or a quiet exile.A focused, muscular 101-minute survival arc.

Conclusion

The Bluff is more than just a survival thriller, it’s a celebration of women who survived against the odds in the face of the unforgiving ocean. Priyanka Chopra Jonas gives a portrayal that bleeds into fiction of the fiercest women in history. 

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Benedict Cumberbatch in The Thing With Feathers and the Future of the MCU

Explore the Future of the MCU, including returning heroes, the upcoming Avengers movies, and major story changes shaping Marvel's next phase.

Written by: Mariyam
Published: November 25, 2025, 11:31 am
Benedict Cumberbatch

Benedict Cumberbatch has an extraordinary double billing in Hollywood right now. He’s in, a cornerstone, really, of Marvel’s almighty cinematic universe (MCU). On the flip side, he has a solid independent film career, as evidenced by his upcoming film, The Thing With Feathers. That balance of blockbuster dominance and arty experimentation speaks to his versatility, and the power of his star. 

Reports indicate that the MCU is the financial foundation and global visibility for Cumberbatch, but projects like The Thing With Feathers are vital to keep his critical worth alive. This file claims the actor is now carrying out a “legacy management” approach, wielding clout to influence the creative direction of his blockbuster commitments and demonstrated by his producing role and director selection preferences while also going back to his experimental, literary roots in adaptations. 

The Thing With Feathers

The Thing With Feathers is a departure from the visual effects-laden projects that Benedict Cumberbatch has been attached to of late. From acclaimed novelist Max Porter’s bestselling novella Grief Is the Thing with Feathers, the film preserves the book’s idiosyncratic, poetic form and surreal atmosphere.

The plot revolves around an unnamed London father (Dad) and his two sons as they struggle to survive in the wake of the sudden death of their wife and mother. Into their mourning home comes Crow— a frenzied, mythic character who says he’ll remain until the family no longer requires his presence. Crow is the physical manifestation of grief, so for Jack, it’s the personification of losing his wife.

The Thing With Feathers
Image credit: Fandomfans

Helmed by Dylan Southern, it employs a dreamlike non-linear narrative to bring Porter’s emotional, stream of consciousness novel to life on the screen, mixing stark household realism with surreal horror. 

Cast Highlights

Benedict Cumberbatch as Dad – a profoundly raw portrayal of mourning, more in line with his work in Patrick Melrose than Doctor Strange. 

David Thewlis as Crow – a sinister but bright, guardian and bully. 

Richard and Henry Boxall play the brothers, and this is the one that really did engage me emotionally. 

The movie doesn’t treat grief as hushed sorrow, but as frenetic, cluttered, and terrifying. Crow becomes the father’s Jungian shadow, making him face feelings he seeks to escape – turning the tale into a psychological thriller where the real beast is internal suffering. 

Early reviews For The Thing With Feathers

Early reviews For The Thing With Feathers
Image credit: Fandomfans

Cumberbatch’s acting is considered to be one of the best if not the best. Praise for him speaks of him being in “terrific shape” and turning in a performance that is “confidential and emotional”. The Guardian also notes that: 

“While the attention is on the home drama the film is involving and
affecting.” 

The creative leadership of Doctor Strange 3

  • Avengers Doomsday
  • MCU Multiverse Saga plans
  • Avengers Doomsday updates
  • Doctor Strange MCU future

 

Cumberbatch is reportedly taking a more “hands-on producerlike” role who will be able to handle the visual spectacle, with the film’s intellectual depth in the making of the film. 

“very protective of the character and wants a director”
—He said

Read More 👉 Fallout: How the Post-Apocalyptic Giant Is Still Ruling the Streaming World

The integration of Doctor Strange into the wider Avengers lineup

Cumberbatch gave an interview in early 2025 in the dance where she said she would not be appearing in Avengers: Doomsday (2026), sparking rumors that the character would be written out. However, in the The Thing With Feathers premiere at Sundance he flatly corrected reports.  

“I got that wrong, I’m in the next one.”
—Cumberbatch said and also joked to fans, 

in reference to the tight Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) and secrecy culture that Marvel instills, which frequently has its actors feed false information to the press to protect surprises. 

It is now confirmed that Doctor Strange will appear in Avengers: Doomsday (2026) and will have a “huge” role in Avengers: Secret Wars (2027).

The integration of Doctor Strange
Image credit: Fandomfans

Strange’s place in Secret Wars should be similar to his prominence in the comics, acting as second-in-command (“Sheriff of Agamotto”) to Doctor Doom, leader of the multiverse’s remains (Battleworld). Robert Downey Jr., reprising his role for the first time as Doctor Doom from the MCU, the dynamic between Cumberbatch and Downey Jr. (who also starred together as Sherlock Holmes and Iron Man, respectively) recently tops for the studio. 

Conclusion

The next few years are crucial for Benedict Cumberbatch. In a London flat in “The Thing With Feathers” audiences will also get to see him unmasked and fighting a figurative crow. This part reconfirms his dramatic obama essay credentials and acts as a Salto dancer à la spectacle au lieu de suivant.

At the same time, the Marvel Cinematic Universe machine is turning toward him. The active development here is Doctor Strange 3, strongly based on the “Time Runs Out” storyline, and his already confirmed appearance in Avengers: Doomsday, marking him as the story lead of the Multiverse Saga’s concluding chapter. Bird-themed surrealist or multiversal terrors: on both, Benedict Cumberbatch is at the center of two vastly different though thematically connected cinematic universes. 

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‘Spiderman 4’ Official Synopsis Revelation of Theme of “Peter Parker is no more”

The revelation of the official synopsis for Spiderman 4 "Peter Parker is no more." creates a buzz around the MCU fandom before Spider-Man: Brand New Day trailer

Written by: Mariyam
Published: February 23, 2026, 5:49 am
Spiderman 4

History’s largest movie franchise, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is going through a massive shift as it nears the end of its Multiverse Saga. Topping this change is Marvel’s biggest and best-loved hero: Spider-Man. Spiderman 4 to be released worldwide theatrically on 31 July 2026, the fourth MCU Spider-Man movie has been officially named Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

It isn’t just “another sequel” — it’s the 38th film in MCU timeline, and a direct lead-in to the big crossover event Avengers: Doomsdays.

A flurry of excitement was unleashed when the movie’s official synopsis was inadvertently revealed via a product listing for a Penguin Random House art book, Spider-Man: Brand New Day – The Art of the Movie. The line that caught everyone’s attention was a haunting: 

“Peter Parker is no more.”

That one sentence sent tremors through fans, the media, and those within the industry. It’s pointing to more than the usual character arc and it’s pointing to a total identity change, emotionally and psychologically. This is more than Spider-Man growing up now, isn’t it? Not killed, died, it’s just the disappearance of Peter Parker, it’s more terrifying than the end of Spider-Man. 

Direction and Production

Under the direction of Destin Daniel Cretton, the film will be darker and grounded, more vigilante and less friendly neighborhood hero. Based on early production details and story speculation, Spiderman 4: Brand New Day will be an extremely emotional tale of loneliness, and identity. Peter isn’t just battling bad guys anymore — he’s battling his own humanity.

What Marvel is building here is so much more than action and spectacle. Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures seemingly are “resetting” Spider-Man’s emotional core, at least intentionally. The familiar high-school coming of age story is being eschewed for something heavier, rawer and more adult — a story about trauma, sacrifice and psychological survival. 

What Official Synopsis of Spiderman 4 Says

The synopsis has it clear that this is definitely not anyday Spider-Man tale. Spider-Man: No Way Home was four years ago, and the now-locatable Peter Parker is a mere memory on the other side of the world. Only Spider-Man, no family, friends, or corporeal identity. 

In New York, he’s now working alone. Gone are his friends, his family, his name – all that’s left is Spider-Man. “Without a personal life to protect, he is quicker, more ruthless and more experienced than ever.

Official Synopsis of Spiderman 4 Says

He’s no longer a confused teenager — he’s now a hardened, full-time vigilante. The time jump is realistic too. It is a natural progression for Tom Holland’s aging and for maturing Peter to make the transition into early adulthood, skipping the emotional chaos that comes after the memory spell. Rather than showing his collapse, the narrative shows the damage: a tougher, emotionally distant Spider-Man, hardened by years upon years of isolation. 

Plot Centered on Detective Spiderman

There are fewer threats at the multiverse level within the narrative itself. The movie deals with a cloak-and-dagger crime spree, not a world-demolishing bad guy, so this is going to be more solid, detective fiction. Besides punching, this spider-man is investigating, following leads, and going undercover in mob organizations. It’s closer to home, street and noir.” 

Plot Centered on Detective Spiderman

Doctor Strange has rendered Peter Parker a stranger to all’s memory, but the past is still not forgotten. The consequences of what Spider-Man has done in his past are coming back to get him. His superhero history is authentic, and those he hurt, or who were aided by that, still haven’t forgotten Spider-Man.

That’s where guys like Mac Gargan (Scorpion) from Spider-Man: Homecoming comes back into focus. It suggests that his old enemies, past business and past pain could return to haunt him. 

Peter Parker Lost His Way Home

The line “Peter Parker is no more” is not meant to be read literally—it is psychological. Peter isn’t murdered as a human, but he has emotionally erased himself. Instead of starting over, Peter refuses to start over. He’s lost faith in the idea that loving people doesn’t just lead to them getting hurt — the safest recourse is to stop being human and exist only as Spider-Man.

Now, he doesn’t try to live a normal life. No college, no relationship, no friendship. He lives a double life no longer — the mask is the man now. To be Spider-Man is his way of coping, his punishment and his salvation. Fighting crime is the only thing he has to live for. 

Peter Parker Lost His Way Home

That’s why the story is deeper and feels darker. This Spider-Man belongs much more to the characters Batman or Daredevil are: lonely, obsessive, isolated and anxious, shaken by trauma not inspired by hope. It’s a big shift from the light, teenage, fun version of Spider-Man we saw before.

Even Tom Holland has said that this film is like a rebirth and not just a sequel — it’s the start of a new chapter for the character.

Fans are divided. Some have embraced the darker tone, more mature writing(yes, that’s definitely subjective), and want to see a Spider Man forged through actual loss and sacrifice. Others fear the loss of what made Peter unique – his warmth, his kindness, his human quality. Many expect the real emotional fight of the film to not be battling bad guys but answering one question:

Could Spider-Man Live Without Peter Parker? 

Destin Daniel Cretton Vision That Change Spider-Man’s world

The darker, moodier tone of Brand New Day has its roots in one man: Destin Daniel Cretton. Following Jon Watts’ departure, Marvel handpicked Cretton – intentionally, not to revisit the old style, but to alter the very tone of Spider-Man’s universe.

Cretton (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, the upcoming Wonder Man) has said that the goal was to build something that “feels different”. 

The earlier Spider-Man movies were brightly lit and colorful and fast and fun — teen comedies with giant action scenes and global adventures. 

Cretton’s point of view is entirely different. His direction is always character based and personal and with a grounding in reality. Spiderman 4 will be darker and leaner and more personal and taking place primarily in the streets, shadows, and the unvarnished actuality of New York. Swap the dazzling graphics and global chaos of the original for a more laid-back style. 

Spiderman Facing Street Criminals This Time

What Brand New Day wants to do is bring Spider-Man back to his roots. No mystical portals, no alien invasions, no multiverse business. This is a story of crime and double-cross in the underworld of the city.

Spider-Man is up against a whole crime organization – a tiered system of gangs, mercenaries, and crime lords – not just one supervillain. “It’s just not about cosmos anymore.” The plan is to take over and demolish New York’s subterranean, rack by rack. 

Spiderman Facing Street Criminals This Time

The threat is Michael Mando’s version of Mac Gargan (Scorpion) He’s unresolved business, not just a baddie. His hatred towards Spiderman 4 was established in Spider-Man: Homecoming and now that Peter Parker is dead, his rage is only directed at the mask. This is personal, physical, and emotional danger. 

Then there is the Lonnie Lincoln (Tombstone) — the mob boss persona. He is predicted to be the brains of the city’s criminal world: savage, potent, organised and strategic. He is “the system that Spiderman 4 is fighting, not just some guy.” Well, yes he is …

And then there are other villains adding layers to the peril:

  • Boomerang – a mercenary type, better known as a criminal and thief
  • Tarantula is a deadly fighter who engages Spidey in savage hand-to-hand combat.
  • Mister Negative – alleged to be the secret power behind the throne, the corrupter of men and disseminator of moral rot as opposed to just violence.

No More CGI Battles

They’re a crime buffet, not a single entree of serving an adversary. Spider-Man isn’t going to go up against one villain, he’s going to go up against a crimelord organisation. 

It changes everything about the action and tone. The fights won’t be flashy CGI battlegrounds; they’ll be raw and tiring and physical and dirty. Without Stark tech and without Avengers backup, Peter has only his body, his mind, and his will. 

The Thematic Foils

Spiderman 4 is emotionally isolated in his own world, but not in the MCU. Brand New Day (the second arc in Spider-Man’s new ongoing series) will introduce two major Marvel characters — and they aren’t cameos.  

Hulk: Losing Control

Hulk reverting into the Savage version is an interesting choice for Marvel to go with, especially in light of Spider-Man’s own dilemmas. The change that Bruce Banner undergoes to become an unstoppable force is similar to the metamorphosis Peter Parker goes through from ordinary teenager to masked avenger. It’s a poignant examination of how the measures of heroism shift-morphe-and eat-up-hero. 

Spider-Man vs. the Hulk two men down and struggling with their own inner demons, not a contest of muscle. Given that they are both struggling with issues of identity and control, their battle may be a meaningful metaphor for trauma and holding on to your humanity even when your world is shaking. 

This narrative possibility is above the action – it looks at the cost, emotionally and psychologically, of being a hero and is a winning narrative for either character’s fans. 

Punisher: The Boundaries Spider-Man Must Respect

The ultimate in unhinged vengeance is the Punisher, Frank Castle, a deadly vigilante. He’s not a cagey or runner type, but more of a kill-em, throw-em, take-em, be-his-merciful-breath guy, which definitely is not Spider-Man’s style. What he does is a horrifying version of what trauma can do. 

The Punisher is to Spider-Man what Venom is to Spider-Man – a dark reflection, what he might be if he had no morals. Three times over, Peter Parker is lonely, angry and heartbroken, and that blur between hero and executioner becomes terrifyingly real if grief turns into rage. 

The Punisher is a warning: a stark cautionary tale about what happens when you lose yourself in vengeance and anger. For Spider-Man, the thing that kept him from doing that, even when believing that life had the value, even – for those who do wrong – was Why Won‘t You Punish Them. 

Sadie Sink Casting Enigma in Spiderman 4

One of the great enigmas in Spiderman 4: Brand New Day is Sadie Sink and who she’s portraying. Marvel has kept her role under wraps and that silence has only fueled the speculation. Industry insiders even suggest her character could influence the future of Marvel in a big way, hence the internet’s obsession over this casting.

There are a bunch of theories, but they can be sum up as two main zones:

The “Big Multiverse” Theories

Others say she could be some big cosmic or multiversal figure — such as Shathra or even Jean Grey. These concepts derive from leaked dialog and Marvel’s plans for mutants and multiverse arcs long-term. 

Adding omega-level or godlike mutants would completely disrupt the tone of the movie. It was going to be so wide-ranging, so cosmic,and too disconnected from the personal, poignant story that Spider-Man tells. 

The “Grounded Street-Level” Theories

There are other theories that are far more appropriate to this film’s vibe. Characters such as Rachel Cole-Alves, Kitty Pryde or Firestar would fit right in in a street-level Spiderman 4 book. These are officials in the Punisher world, mutant plots, or classic Spider-Man lore — but they never overpower the narrative.

The coolest theory isn’t that she’s a cosmic goddess or multiversal entity — it’s that marvel is purposely misdirecting people. Fake dialogue, managed leaks, and misinformation are part of the ruse to keep the actual narrative from being spoiled.

What sounds most like this is:

Sadie Sink doesn’t play a character who will be blasting the multiverse to bits, she’ll be blasting Peter. If anyone was going to question the line “Peter Parker is no more”, it would be this character and the challenge won’t be for power, but for connection. 

Read More  👉 George RR Martin Narrative Parallels Between Baelor Breakspear and Oberyn Martell

From One More Day to ‘Brand New Day’

The Spiderman 4: Brand New Day title isn’t just title whiplash, it actually does have a basis in Marvel Comics history. That title brings back many memories for Spidey fans, plus it’s a pun on the Brand New Day comic arc. 

The Comic Story Fans Hated

In the comics, Brand New Day was set after a story arc called One More Day and the fans despised it. Because: 

In that story, Peter bargains with Mephisto (Demon) for Aunt May. And for that wish he had to sacrifice his marriage to Mary Jane Watson annulled, and erased the world’s knowledge of his secret identity.

The character reset Spider-Man’s life back to the days when he was single, broke and struggling — but fans said it was lazy and forced and disrespected the growth of Peter’s character. It resolved major emotional troubles via a way-too-easy magical fix instead of real storytelling. 

MCU Did It the Right Way

Peter Parker exemplifies the heroism of the greater good by sacrificing not just his identity, but the personal relationships that he had cultivated with MJ, in doing so showing what it truly means to be a hero. 

That decision adds much more weight to the narrative, making his death not just a handful to keep the plot moving, but a genuine, impactful gut punch to the story. 

Why the Title Matters

By using the ‘Brand New Day’ title, Marvel is making it clear that there is a clean slate Spider-Man story starting now. It’s about a new day, a new start crafted with emotional resonance and purpose, and with absolute respect for the history of the character. It gave the fanbase the assurance that these changes were well thought out and true to the spirit of Spider-Man’s journey. 

Why Brand New Day Official Trailer Missed from Super Bowl

The Spider-Man 4 story was not announced with a big Marvel press release – it leaked out via a Penguin Random House listing for a Marvel art book. Instead of damaging the film, the leak only increased hype, with fans swarming Reddit, X, YouTube, and news sites with theories and excitement and none of it actually paid for by Marvel.

Marvel has also intentionally postponed the release of the trailer. It didn’t run in the Super Bowl because of that. This is a plan, not an incident of happenstance. They’re creating a hype before the launch of its trailer just like they did before with Spider-Man: No Way Home 

Conclusion

Spiderman 4 ensures a full, uncompromising, exploration of the mind-bending effect of heroism, revealing in brutal honesty that although the public may desperately need a saviour, the act of saving forces the self to be completely destroyed. 

With the July 2026 release date of Spiderman 4: Brand New Day now only around the corner, the global entertainment industry is eagerly watching to see if this bold psychological and tonal shift will catch an audience presumably expecting the traditional, friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, or instead be met with a shattered man grasping at a mask. 

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Mariyam

Articles Published : 50

Mariyam Khan is Fandomfans Content Writer and providing reports and reviews on Movie Celebrities, and Superheroes particularly Marvel & DC. She is covering across multiple genres from more than 4+ years, experience in delivering the timely updates.

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