Author: Charles Murphy

  • ‘The Rings of Power’ Release Schedule

    ‘The Rings of Power’ Release Schedule

    Amazon Prime’s $715M journey to Middle-earth is finally set to debut on the streaming service. The great news is that the premiere will come a day earlier than expected and that fans will be given a two-episode introduction to the series. But when can fans tune in for the remaining episodes? And what time can they expect the first two to drop tonight? We have answers.

    Episodes 1 and 2

    The first two episodes of The Rings of Power are set to drop on Amazon Prime at 6 PM PT/9 PM ET on Thursday, September 1st.

    Episodes 3 through 8

    Season 1 of The Rings of Power will consist of 8 episodes, each of which is expected to run roughly one hour. Following the two-episode debut, the series will release a new episode each Friday as Amazon Prime has elected not to follow the binge model for the series. The weekly release schedule is as follows:

    Episode 3 will release on Friday, September 9th
    Episode 4 will release on Friday, September 16th
    Episode 5 will release on Friday, September 23rd
    Episode 6 will release on Friday, September 30th
    Episode 7 will release on Friday, October 7th
    Episode 8, the Season 1 finale, will release on October 14th

    How Many Seasons?

    The Rings of Power takes place roughly 1000 years before the time of The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings films, leaving all kinds of room to tell some great stories at a time when Middle-earth was a very different place than what people remember from the films. With that in mind, the showrunners have laid out a five-season plan. With production on Season 2 set to get underway soon, it’s possible that fans will only have to wait until next Fall to catch Season 2 and that the entire series might conclude in 2026.

  • ‘She-Hulk’ Episode 3 Includes A Potential Captain America Connection

    ‘She-Hulk’ Episode 3 Includes A Potential Captain America Connection

    Through three episodes She-Hulk has already made a habit of sneaking in comic book characters and Easter eggs in addition to tying itself into all corners of the MCU. The A plot of Episode 3, “The People vs. Emil Blonsky”, focused on one of the MCU’s oldest villains in Tim Roth’s the Abomination and, in doing so, may have brought a Captain America connection to light.

    Episode 3 picks up right where Episode 2 left off with Jen confronting Blonsky about his breakout from prison, which was captured on camera and has become national news. Since Jen was working on Blonsky’s potential parole, the footage is kind of an issue. Jen’s status as a female superhero lawyer and the bad news footage of Blonsky fighting Wong quickly become talking points for all the talking heads of the world (the writers created a WONDERFUL satire of the real world in this episode), including one by the name of Jefferson Coop, played by Mahdi Cocci. As part of his show, The Conversation, Coop interviews the prosecutor who put Blonsky behind bars all those years ago after his rampage in Harlem. And, as it turns out, that prosecutor has some big-time connections!

    The prosecutor, played by Jason Turner, goes by the name of Gideon Wilson. In the comics, Gideon Wilson is the name of both Sam Wilson’s brother who has some pretty significant connections to gamma-related characters. While Sam’s sister, Sarah, was introduced in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, no mention was made of another sibling. Like in the comics, the Wilsons were born in Harlem, however, it has also been established that they moved to Louisiana where they were raised. While it’s not made clear in the episode if Gideon is indeed Sam’s brother, it’s possible he moved back to Harlem to pursue his law career where he was born. So for now it’s best to take it as a cool Easter egg and keep an eye on whether or not Gideon pops back up in the future. Either way, Jessica Gao and company certainly have displayed a knack for dropping in some wonderful comic book connections!

  • Around The League: AFC North

    Around The League: AFC North

    Last time, we looked at arguably the worst division in football. Today, we look at, arguably, the best division in football. In one corner, you have a Pittsburgh Steelers team who will always be well-coached no matter who plays QB. In another, you have a Baltimore Ravens team who saw half their team snapped away due to injury like the Avengers. In the third corner, a Cleveland Browns team that will rightfully be without the QB they traded the farm for most of the season. And then in the last corner rests the reigning defending conference champion Cincinnati Bengals, coming off their best year in years and aiming to finish the job they started last year. 

    Let’s boogie. 

    1. When does Kenny Pickett start? The Steelers will have a first-round QB to start the season, so in that regard, it is no different than when they had Ben Roethlisberger. Which first-round QB it will be? Well, that’s the question. Mitch Trubisky signed in the offseason and has looked solid if unremarkable. Kenny Pickett, to the surprise of many, has actually looked like he belongs, and that’s without the assortment of weapons he should have when the season begins. Najee Harris, Diontae Johnson, and Pat Freirmuth should be all systems go when the season starts, and the Steelers’ defense has added pieces and should return to form this year. While Trubisky should be able to navigate an early season terrain, it might make more sense for the Steelers to see what they have in their young QB sooner rather than later. 
    2. Can the Bengals repeat? The most significant difference from Joe Burrow’s first season to last year can be summed up in two words: Ja’Maar Chase. Sure, the Bengals spent on the defense, and you saw that come together really well, but Chase was the most game-changing rookie WR since Odell Beckham, Jr. He opened things up for Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd, and helped cover up A LOT of OL deficiencies. In year two for him, it will be interesting to see how defenses cover him because the Bengals go as he goes. If defenses have figured him out, there is a good chance the Bengals don’t repeat.
    3. Can Jacoby Brissett win enough to have the nasty man’s return matter? Jacoby Brissett is not a good QB, and the Browns would’ve been better off trading for Jimmy Garrapolo to salvage their season. Instead, they chose not to acquire a good QB (or, at least, a QB that could run their offense well enough to where the defense can carry them), and will now try to tread water for 11 games until their franchise QB can make a late-season run. With Nick Chubb, a really good OL, Amari Cooper at WR, and two solid TEs, he won’t have to do much under normal circumstances, but the Browns begin on the road versus Carolina before taking on an improved Jets roster. They then get Pittsburgh, Baltimore, New England, Cincy, and the Chargers over five of the next seven games. The Browns could be 0-9 before Thanksgiving, and then it won’t matter if the QB is coming back because the season will be over.
    4. Who catches Lamar’s improved passes? Before getting hurt, Lamar was showing great strides at QB from the pocket. He was, also, beginning to develop chemistry with Rashod Bateman, who led the Ravens WRs in first downs. This off-season saw the Ravens trade Hollywood Brown, and add Coastal Carolina TE Isaiah Likely and Iowa State TE Charlie Kolar. It is a lot to ask rookie TEs to contribute in year one, which means Bateman and TE Mark Andrews will be asked to carry the Ravens’ passing attack. Whoever emerges after them is in line for heavy-duty targets, and will go a long way towards determining if the Ravens return to the top of the division.
  • Michael Waldron Reveals Alternate Reed Richards Scene Existed in Previous Draft of ‘Multiverse of Madness’

    Michael Waldron Reveals Alternate Reed Richards Scene Existed in Previous Draft of ‘Multiverse of Madness’

    After years of pining for John Krasinski to be cast as Mr. Fantastic, fans got their wish when the actor showed up as Reed Richards in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Shortly after, as a bit of a middle finger to fans, Richards was taunted and brutally murdered by the Scarlet Witch, who then went on to kill the rest of his Illuminati teammates.

    While writer Michael Waldron has always maintained that the Illuminati was always in his draft of the film, he’s also been clear that the final lineup that appeared on film wasn’t representative of the one that he first pitched. Now, in a new interview with Empire, Waldron explains that whether or not Richards was always a part of that lineup, he was ALWAYS going to be part of the film, even if in a post-credit tag:

    I always wanted Reed Richards in this thing. In my very first draft, I wrote a tag just for the hell of it, of the events of the movie being recorded and reviewed by somebody in the Baxter Building, and a stretchy hand coming into frame to run it back. Reed is probably my favorite Marvel Comics character, so I was always gunning to get him in here somewhere.

    Michael Waldron

    Waldron’s love for Richards is no secret. In an exclusive interview with Murphy’s Multiverse earlier this year, the writer detailed his passion for the character and how Jonathan Hickman’s work with the character in the comics inspired his take on Richards and the Illuminati. Fans of the character have a bit of a wait ahead of them before seeing him again, as Marvel Studios’ Fantastic Four isn’t scheduled to hit theaters for another 2 years; however, there is hope that the actor who will portray the character next might be introduced at D23.

    Source: Empire

  • What to Expect from Lucasfilm at D23 Expo 2022

    What to Expect from Lucasfilm at D23 Expo 2022

    Disney’s second Studios Showcase at D23 2022 looms large as both Marvel Studios and Lucasfilm are set to roll out first looks and announcements for their upcoming slates. We’ve taken a shot at predicting what Marvel Studios might get up to on stage in Hall D23, now it’s Lucasfilm’s turn.

    Big Indy Energy

    Perhaps the biggest news expected to come out of the Studios Showcase surrounds James Mangold’s Indiana Jones film. After a number of setbacks over the years, Indy V is set to release in theaters on June 30, 2023, nearly 4 years after its original target date. An all-star cast surrounds the legendary Harrison Ford in this one, so bringing them onstage to reveal the official title of the film and a teaser (there have been rumors that one is in the works) would make for a big splash for one of Lucasfilm’s largest non-Star Wars properties.

    Bad Batch Bash

    the bad batch season 2 premiere

    A second season of The Bad Batch is coming soon, but how soon? Originally, it was expected that the sophomore season of the animated series would drop on Disney + on September 28th; however, much has changed since then that could impact the series, most notably, the Star Wars live-action series Andor saw its release date pushed back nearly a month. With that change and no official word from Lucasfilm about when to expect the Batchers’ Season 2 exploits, fans aren’t entirely sure what to expect. That should all change at D23. An updated trailer and a release date are entirely reasonable expectations for a series that is all but a lock to premiere before the end of the year.

    The Further Adventures of Willow Ufgood

    The Disney Plus streaming series Willow was rolled out at Star Wars Celebration back in May and hasn’t been heard from since. Currently set to debut on the service in November, Willow has to be in the plans for D23. The first trailer was pretty nostalgic, so a second trailer that provides a bit more of an idea of what the series is all about is probably in order. It wouldn’t be too surprising if the star of the series, Warwick Davis, were on hand for something. Davis has a wonderful relationship with Lucasfilm, so if there’s an opportunity for him to be there, he certainly would be.

    Mando and Ahsoka Updates

    It is probably far too early for publicly released teasers/trailers for Season 3 of The Mandalorian and/or Ahsoka and those two projects were front and center at Star Wars Celebration back in May, but that doesn’t mean fans at D23 won’t be seeing something! Expect footage to be shown from both series and HOPEFULLY some target windows for release. These two series are among the Crown Jewels of Lucasfilm’s properties and you can expect the studio to show them off and generate hype around them whenever possible.

    Who’s on the Crew?

    Production on Jon Watts‘ streaming series, Skeleton Crew, has been underway for over a month now and short of Jude Law, the cast of the coming-of-age story is completely unknown. In fact, everything about the series is wrapped up in mystery and short of a few decent rumors and leaks, fans just don’t have a lot of information about the show. One thing that is known, however, is that it’s filming in California, making it possible for that unknown cast to swing into Anaheim and be introduced to the D23 crowd. Even if they don’t take a break from filming to pop in, however, it seems fair to expect some sort of update on the series.

    Double Visions

    star wars visions 2

    Season 1 of Star Wars: Visions, a non-canon animated anime-inspired anthology, became an overnight sensation when it streamed on D+. A second season of the series was announced at Star Wars Celebration and rumors have indicated it may still stream in 2022. The new season will expand its menu of cultural influences beyond anime and continue to introduce new characters, locations and stories. An announcement of a release date along with either a trailer or some concept art doesn’t seem like too much to expect.

    Tales Teasers and Timeline

    star wars tales of the jedi

    Expected to stream on D+ sometime this Fall, Tales of the Jedi has no official release date and no official trailer, though one did leak online along with the plots of all six episodes. Since the series was first shown off back in May, it’s commandeered quite a bit more attention than anyone probably expected. A trailer, which would be made public, and a release date certainly seem in order.

    Answers about The Acolyte

    the acolyte star wars

    The Acolyte is one of Lucasfilm’s most mysterious and most talked about streaming projects. Even though it’s set to begin principal photography in October, there’s been next to no official news about the project. As of now, only the series lead, Amandla Stenberg, has been officially revealed by the studios. All this means that the series could have a fairly major presence in the Hall D23 presentation, introducing the cast and giving fans a little better idea of what to expect and either confirming or shooting down those Darth Plageuis rumors.

    Announcements

    If everything listed above happened at D23, not only would it fill Lucasfilm’s portion of the 2-hour time slot, but also please even Star Wars fans. However, there are a couple of other pieces of low-hanging fruit that Lucasfilm could pluck that would really send fans away in a frenzy. A second season of Obi-Wan Kenobi is as sure of a thing as any Star Wars project, so why not announce it? Now that Taika Waititi has fulfilled his obligations to Marvel Studios around Thor: Love and Thunder, how about some information on his Star Wars film? Three titles were recently trademarked(The Great Circle, The Galactic Circle, and Circle of Resistance.) that fans believe are Star Wars-related and COULD indicate an announcement is imminent. Could one of them be Waititi’s film? And of course, there’s always the element of surprise and the option that something entirely new pops up, whether Star Wars-related or related to another one of Lucasfilm’s major IPs.

    No matter how you slice it, D23 is shaping up to be a can’t-miss event for fans of Lucasfilm’s many properties.

  • What to Expect from Marvel Studios at D23 Expo 2022

    What to Expect from Marvel Studios at D23 Expo 2022

    True to his word, Kevin Feige over-delivered at SDCC ’22. Fans were given a glimpse at the overarching structure of the multi-phase Multiverse Saga, including titles and dates for the next two Avengers films, The Kang Dynasty and Secret Wars. Throw in the announcement of the 18-episode Disney Plus streaming series Daredevil: Born Again, the date for the Fantastic Four reboot and a few other projects, and there was certainly something for everyone. With so much news coming out of SDCC, it’s hard to imagine anything could top it; however, that’s what I’ve been told in no uncertain terms that Marvel Studios plans to do at this year’s D23 Expo. What would it take to top SDCC’s extravaganza? Let’s take a look at what we MIGHT expect when Marvel Studios takes the stage as part of Disney’s Studio Showcase at 10:00 AMPT/1:00 PM ET on Saturday, September 10th.

    Fantastic Reveals

    Perhaps the biggest move left for the studio to make would be to announce the director and cast for Fantastic Four and bring them out on stage. With a tentative release date of November 8th, 2024 having been set at SDCC ’22, the studio also indirectly set up a production timeline. Traditionally, Marvel Studios prefers to give their director roughly a year to work with the studios before production, so having one on board by early September works nicely. Disney has been targeting D23 for this reveal for quite some time now, so here’s to hoping they have found their fits for the Fantastic Four!

    DDC at D23

    avengers kang dynasty director

    While Avengers: The Kang Dynasty was announced at SDCC ’22, the news that Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings director Destin Daniel Cretton had signed on to helm the project was revealed via a trade report just a few days later. Cretton was already on board to write and direct a Shang-Chi sequel and serve as an executive producer on the Disney + streaming series Wonder Man, so by taking on an Avengers film, he’s become one of the most important creatives of the Multiverse Saga. Having him at D23 would allow them to officially confirm his work on The Kang Dynasty, announce a date and title for the Shang-Chi sequel, which should arrive in 2025 ahead of The Kang Dynasty and officially announce Wonder Man and give it a target release window.

    Holiday Road

    Unbeliveably, Marvel Studios has two holiday specials due to hit Disney + over the last 4 months of 2022 and has yet to officially date either of them. James Gunn has publicly talked about The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special and Michael Giacchino has confirmed he’s working on the still-to-be-officially-named-but-called-Werewolf-By-Night special, but D23 should mark the first time fans really get an idea of what to expect. It would be shocking if fans didnt’ get to see some footage of both specials and if they weren’t both given release dates. It’s also reasonable to assume that the cast of these specials could be on hand, especially since in the case of the Guardians Holiday Special, they’ll be able to double dip and hype…

    Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

    Marvel Studios doesn’t really have “small films” anymore, but Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is going to see a massive publicity push from the studio and will almost certainly be one Marvel’s most emotional and talked about films since Infinity War and Endgame. If the cast is already on site for the Holiday Special, they’ll take some time to let the crowd salute them and likely show the same footage that was shown at SDCC. It’s a LITTLE early for this footage to become public, so expect this to be kept in the expo.

    A New Look at Wakanda Forever

    wakanda forever trailer views

    The first look at Black Panther: Wakanda Forever came at SDCC ’22. By the time D23 rolls around, that trailer will be 7 weeks old and there will only be 9 weeks left until the film hits theaters. That means it’s almost certainly time for a second trailer for the film and one that gives fans a bit more of an idea of what’s going on. Should the cast and creatives be on hand, it would also provide Ryan Coogler and Dominique Thorne an opportunity to discuss upcoming projects such as the Wakanda-centric streaming series, Ironheart and any other potential properties they might be attached to.

    D+ Series Updates

    Secret Invasion has completed additional photography and Marvel Studios has three Disney + series at different points in production in Echo, Loki Season 2 and Ironheart. Between Disney Plus Day on September 8th and the Studio Showcase on September 10th, it’s fair to expect major updates on these series and more. Marvel Studios could chose to finally address the casts of these projects, show some footage and give an idea of what might be going on in them. With Secret Invasion set to be the first D+ project in 2023, it’s very likely the footage from SDCC will be shown again and, POSSIBLY, even made public. However, any footage from the other series isn’t likely to hit the web.

    Since this is Disney’ own convention, expect them to go big on not only the D+ stuff already in production, but to continue to emphasize how integral the streaming service is to Marvel Studios’ plans by addressing the next wave of projects as well. Details and casting information could drop for Agatha: Coven of Chaos and Daredevil: Born Again and Feige could fill out the empty slot in Phase 6 that currently looks to be made up of 8 streaming series spread out from late-2024 through Summer 2025. This means projects like Wonder Man, the Wakanda-centric project we like to refer to as Midnight Angels and a half-dozen more could be officially titled/announced. This could include second seasons of Ms. Marvel and Moon Knight as well as a handful of projects that have yet to be revealed and that long-awaited update on Armor Wars. Again, expect there to be a heavy D+ push between Disney Plus Day and the Showcase.

    Major(s)-mania

    Jonathan Majors will be the face(s) of the franchise over the next 3 years. His appearance at SDCC had the crowd on its feet and it’s likely he’ll be in attendance at D23 and get a similar reaction. It’s also likely he will be there with the teaser for Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania and it is POSSIBLE that with that film only 5 months away from D23, the studio could let the hype train start rolling by making sharing it on social and YouTube. If Majors in on site, expect some MAJOR teasing about his upcoming roles outside of Quantumania. Majors is a generational talent and Marvel Studios knows it. He’ll be a busy man over the next 3 years.

    The Marvels

    the marvels ms marvel

    With a release date just shy of 10 months away from D23, fans shouldn’t expect a teaser to drop publicly, but there should be enough finished footage to give fans in attendance at the Expo something to think about. Maybe it’s part of a larger sizzle reel or maybe it gets its own part of the panel, but it’s hard to imagine Marvel Studios not giving this project a presence at D23, especially since it was largely absent from SDCC.

    Blade

    With production finally set to get underway in October of 2022, it’s time for Marvel Studios to give an official update on Blade. Other than finally getting a release date, the studios hasn’t provided any information on the film since it was announced at SDCC ’19. If Mahershala Ali were to pop out on stage and join Feige in announcing the cast of the film, it would really renew hype in the project.

    Full Phase 5 and Phase 6 Slates

    By the end of the panel, it is very reasonable to expect that all of Marvel Studios Phase 5 and 6 projects have been revealed. Much of that work will be done via the D+ announcements, but there are still 3 films (February 2024, February 2025 and July 2025) that haven’t been revealed. Expectations are that Deadpool 3, Shang-Chi 2 and Nova will fill those slots, but there could be another film that slides into one of those spots. However, there’s never been a more fluid time in production schedules than now, so fans almost have to expect dates to shift at this point. It’s also possible that since Feige basically has as much time as he wants (while the Showcase is scheduled to run 2 hours, the stage is open for another 3.5 hours afterwards), he could tease projects such as Captain America: New World Order and Thunderbolts by giving fans a little more info on what they might be about and who might show up.

    The Surprise

    Nothing contained in this article would come as a surprise to fans who follow Marvel Studios closely, thus the title and the premise that these things can be “expected.” What Feige has excelled at during these types of events, however, is dropping a bomb before heading off stage. At SDCC ’19, it was Blade. At SDCC ’22, it was the Phase 6 slate and the reveal of the Avengers double-feature to end it. What will he bring to D23? It wouldn’t be much of a surprise if anyone could tell fans ahead of time, but given the fact that by the time D23 hits fans will be aware that Bruce Banner/Smart Hulk has left Earth for Sakaar and the rumor that Disney would be able to distribute a Hulk film starting in 2023, it would be fantastic time for Feige to confirm that the rumors of a World War Hulk film are true! Early rumors had the film going into production late in 2022. Even if that slid into early 2023, it would still be possible for the film to meet the February 2024 release date. If not then, a pre-Secret Wars release date would be eminently possible.

  • WB Targeting Dan Lin to Oversee DC Films and TV’s “10-Year Plan”

    WB Targeting Dan Lin to Oversee DC Films and TV’s “10-Year Plan”

    David Zaslav has been on the lookout for “DC’s Kevin Feige” and according to a trade report, he may have found his man. THR reports that producer Dan Lin, who backed hits such as The Lego Movie and the It films, is negotiating for the job.

    Zaslav’s tenure as Warner Bros. Discovery CEO has resulted in a veritable blood bath for DC’s film and TV projects. Several projects at varying places in production have been canceled as Zaslav looks to model the future of DC’s film and TV adaptations on the success Kevin Feige has had a Marvel Studios.

    According to the trade report, Lin’s success as a film executive and producer and on the TV side helped WB identify him as a prime candidate to lead the 10-year plan described by Zaslav. Lin would seemingly look to put forth a more unified slate of projects after putting the brakes on the previous leadership’s Crisis plans.

  • ‘House of the Dragon’ Showrunners Explain Why They Chose to Adapt ‘Blood and Fire’ After ‘Game of Thrones’

    ‘House of the Dragon’ Showrunners Explain Why They Chose to Adapt ‘Blood and Fire’ After ‘Game of Thrones’

    While Game of Thrones may have gone out with a bit of a whimper, it doesn’t seem to have put a damper on fan expectations for the next show set in George R.R. Martin’s fictional Westeros. Season one of House of the Dragon is set to premiere on HBO Max and fans are hopeful that the GoT prequel series, which is adapted from Martin’s novel Fire & Blood which told the history of the House Targaryen. In an interview with Comic Book, showrunners Ryan Condal and Miguel Sapochnik explained why they felt now was the right time to bring that story into live-action.

    The question that I’m left with at the end of Thrones, of the original season, when you start to look at, ‘What do I want to know more about?’ is I’m fascinated by the idea of like, ‘What are Dany’s origins?’ Like, ‘Where does you know, where do these people come from? Why are they so crazy?’ You know, ‘Where did they get that white hair from?’, Saponchik told Comic Book.

    For Saponchik, that meant Fire & Blood, which details two opposing sides of what he calls “Targaryen exceptionalism”, provided the perfect answer to those questions.

    I mean, those are, I think that this answers those questions and gives you a real sense of Targaryenism. We’ve got a thing in this show which we call Targaryen exceptionalism, which is an argument, a kind of a philosophical argument that often happens between Viserys and his brother, where one sees the future of Targaryens belongs to the dreamers, who are the people, the occasional characters, the occasional Targaryens who have prescient vision and see the future as they did see the end of Valyria. And then there’s the old school, Fire & Blood Targaryens like our character Daemon, who really think that everything should be conquered and conquest is everything.

    Miguel Saponchik

    To Condal, going from a world where Targaryens were a rarity to one where they ruled everything made for a more compelling story.

    If you really think about it this is the most obvious successor show to pursue. “I mean, the minute George pitched it to me, a million years ago is, ‘Oh, this is the one that I want to do the most.’ It made the most sense because it’s, we didn’t get to know anything about the Targaryens in the original series, not really. I mean, we got to know Daenerys very well and Viserys a little bit, until he was melted. And so it’s fascinating to go from that world where there were no Targaryens and they were trying to reclaim the scraps of this empire to a time when, the height of their power and decadence and glory and see what it was actually like when they were in power with dragons.

    Ryan Condal

    As for the disappointing ending of Game of Thrones, much of which fans tie to Martin never completing his novels, Saponchik doesn’t believe that’s a concern for House of the Dragon. Not only are Saponchik and Condal dealing with a complete story, but they also have a definitive end point in mind. “We have a very, very precise idea of where we wanna go with it, but we can’t tell you.” As for whether there are more stories on either side of House of the Dragon, Saponchik calls upon another expansive mythology for comparison saying, “I think that the important thing is that this is a… Think of this as an Episode IV, the Star Wars Episode IV. So it’s kind of, we’re in the middle of a history that is rich and full of stories to tell and it’s a good place to start.” 

    For fans of Martin’s novels or those who fell in love with the World of a Song of Ice and Fire by watching Game of Thrones, this is a surprising comparison, to be sure, but a welcome one.

    Source: Comic Book

  • Early ‘Multiverse of Madness’ Concept Art Shows Unused Designs for Nightmare

    Early ‘Multiverse of Madness’ Concept Art Shows Unused Designs for Nightmare

    There’s the Multiverse of Madness that was. There’s also the Multiverse of Madness that never was. After initially returning to helm the sequel, Doctor Strange director Scott Derrickson left the project early in 2020. Michael Waldron came on to rewrite the script and Sam Raimi took over as director and the film that premiered in May of 2022 was vastly different than the one Derrickson originally set out to make.

    Dating back to his original pitch for the first Doctor Strange film, Derrickson had been trying to find a way to include one of the Sorcerer Supreme’s classic comic book villains, Nightmare, into a story. Now, thanks to newly released concept art from Ryan De Silva, fans can get a look at some early designs of Nightmare, who Derrickson had intended to use as the villain of the sequel.

    The designs indicate that Nightmare was set to be the villain, rather than the Scarlet Witch, though the film was still set throughout the multiverse. Now that there’s proof that Nightmare was the intended villain, it would be incredibly interesting to find out exactly how Derrickson hoped to use the Lord of Dreams while exploring the multiverse. As it stands, fans of the character, including Derrickson, will have to hold out hope that the villain will find another way into the MCU.

    Source: Deviant Art

  • ‘She-Hulk’: Episode 1 Ragnarok Easter Egg Explained

    ‘She-Hulk’: Episode 1 Ragnarok Easter Egg Explained

    Episode one of Marvel Studios’ latest Disney Plus streaming series, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, gave audiences plenty to chew on. The immediate fourth-wall break, the appearance of one of the MCU’s douchiest characters to date and the breakthrough appearance by Jameela Jamil’s Titania were certainly all eye-catching and worth discussion, however, another brief Easter egg is one that might foreshadow the biggest payoff.

    Well before Episode One, “A Normal Amount of Rage”, aired, fans were well aware that a car crash was responsible for Jennifer Walters gaining the incredible powers of her cousin, Bruce Banner’s alter ego, the Hulk. What fans did not know, however, was that the car crash was caused by a Sakaaran ship that came to Earth in search of the Hulk. Why would that ship be on Earth? What could the Sakaarans want with the Hulk? A potential answer comes from both the comics and the ship’s appearance could lend credence to a nearly year-old rumor.

    The planet of Sakaar was introduced in 2017’s Thor: Ragnarok and although the Hulk’s adventures on the planet are done, it doesn’t mean the consequences of those adventures have all come to bear. As explained in Thor: Ragnarok, time moves in mysterious ways on Sakaar, so while Hulk may not have been gone too very long as perceived by his friends on Earth, he also may have spent quite a bit of time on Sakaar.

    Thor: Ragnarok very clearly adapted bits and pieces of one of the Hulk’s most popular Marvel Comics’ stories: Planet Hulk. Miek and Korg, who were both major players in Greg Pak’s Planet Hulk, were introduced in Ragnarok, but there were another half-dozen or so other major characters who never appeared. Foremost among them are Caiera, who Hulk married on Sakaar, and their son, Skaar.

    Rumors have long pointed to the potential appearance of Skaar in She-Hulk: Attorney At Law and the appearance of the Sakaaran ship on Earth does little, if nothing, to dispel those rumors. Fans of the Marvel Comics might remember that Skaar first appeared in the midst of the World War Hulk event; notably, a World War Hulk film is rumored to be in development at Marvel Studios.

    Could the Sakaaran ship be the precursor to Bruce Banner meeting his son, Skaar? Could that meeting be a precursor to a World War Hulk movie being announced, given the rumors that Universal’s distribution rights for Hulk films are set to expire in 2023? Hopefully, these questions will be answered in the near future, allowing fans to start guessing about a whole new set of possibilities.