Murphy's Multiverse

Author: Charles Murphy

  • ‘Ms. Marvel’ Episode of ‘Assembed’ Gets a Streaming Date

    ‘Ms. Marvel’ Episode of ‘Assembed’ Gets a Streaming Date

    Marvel Studios has made good use of a self-owned streaming platform, finding some creative ways to extend the life of their streaming series and theatrical releases once the reach the platform. One such way is the behind-the-scenes documentary series, Assembled. Each episode has proven to be newsworthy and dissected by fans, extending the conversations around the projects as new details about why events played out how they did or what was left on the cutting room floor make their way online. With Ms. Marvel finishing its streaming run, it stepped into the on deck circle for its BTS episode and now fans can mark their calendars.

    According to Disney, Marvel Studios Assembled: Ms. Marvel will make its streaming debut on August 3rd. Read the official release below:

    This installment of ASSEMBLED takes us on the journey of bringing a long-awaited global phenomenon to life. Go behind-the-scenes every step of the way with immersive footage from the making of the series, along with insightful interviews on set from the cast and crew of Ms. Marvel as we watch Iman Vellani and her character, Kamala Khan, become the fan-favorite superhero right before our eyes.

    Marvel Studios most well-reviewed project to date, Ms. Marvel is now streaming in its entirety on Disney Plus.

  • ‘She-Hulk: Attorney At Law’ Set to Premiere with a Single Episode

    ‘She-Hulk: Attorney At Law’ Set to Premiere with a Single Episode

    She-Hulk: Attorney at Law is the next Marvel Studios streaming series headed for Disney Plus, with its August 17th premiere just around the corner. Like Marvel Studios’ first streaming series, WandaVision, She-Hulk consists of nine episodes; unlike WandaVision, however, She-Hulk will not make its debut with multiple episodes.

    According to an official Disney release, She-Hulk will debut with a single episode on August 17th, meaning it will likely have a nine-week run that will conclude on October 12th. Other than WandaVision, only Hawkeye, which was released during the holiday season, has premiered to more than one episode.

    It is expected that their will be a heavy dose of She-Hulk at SDCC ’22, including a new trailer for the series and an appearance by several cast members. Tatiana Maslany leads the series as Jen Walters/She-Hulk, the cousin of Bruce Banner who gains some of the powers of the Hulk after a blood transfusion. Ginger Gonzaga, Jameela Jamil and Charlie Cox are among the supporting cast of the show, which will be a legal comedy reminiscent of Ally McBeal, among others

    Source: Disney

  • Murphy’s Team-Up Volume 25: Our SDCC Wishlists

    Murphy’s Team-Up Volume 25: Our SDCC Wishlists

    Hunter Radesi

    Maybe the least discussed aspect of Marvel Studios’ future is it’s upcoming line of animated series. I hope that Kevin Feige and company treat these projects with an equal amount of respect as their signature live-action material, and we get loads of new information on What If…? Season 2, Marvel Zombies, and especially Spider-Man: Freshman Year. Until further notice, Freshman Year is the only officially announced Spider-Man project on the horizon for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. I would love to have my hype levels increased with some casting announcements, or even a trailer that includes a villain reveal. As I’m constantly saying on Twitter…I just want pictures of Spider-Man!

    Otherwise, I just hope Marvel’s Hall H panel gives us plenty to be excited about going forward. Title reveals for Captain America 4 and the Halloween Special, logo reveals for Daredevil and Nova, and more official word on projects that have huge creative potential. I love how different Phase 4 has been, and I can’t wait to see how Phase 5 might carry that torch. Oh, and please, second season announcements for Hawkeye, Moon Knight, and Ms. Marvel.

    MTF III

    4. I want to see who will win the Con between Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones. Two fantasy IP juggernauts square off in the late summer/early fall, and both want to leave an impression on fans. Much has been said about Amazon’s big money bet on Rings of Power, but for HBO, after the 4th Quarter goal line fumble that was the GoT Finale, Time Warner Discovery may have even more riding on House of the Dragon scorching old narratives and soaring into a more hopeful future.

    3. DC Films Timeline – With no Flash to wow people, but with that film so essential to the future slate of their DC connected universe, it will be intriguing to see whether there are any nods to connectedness between their upcoming projects. Black Adam and Shazam! have natural connective tissue, but there isn’t a lot of clarity on Batgirl, or whether those Black Canary rumors are true. And maybe we’ll get some Blue Beetle footage.

    2. MCU Animation – In the Star Wars side, we’ve seen seamless integration between the live-action and animated prongs of the franchise under Dave Filoni. But What If only offered the smallest promise of seeing something similar with Marvel. However, between What If…? Season 2, Spider-Man: Freshman Year and X-Men ’97, animation could be used as a way of filling narrative in the massive multiverse undertaking Marvel is engaged in right now as they march to Secret Wars. I’d love some more details.

    1. Marvel Phase 4 and Beyond – We’re all looking for a road map, and who can forget the massive calendar reveal for Phase 3. Marvel could really wow us by giving us the remainder of the Phase 4 slate, and how it will culminate. Marvel has a lot of balls in the air and places the stories could be going. Offering us some clarity for the next 3-5 years like they did back in 2014 would settle a lot of stomachs within the fanbase, as they strap in for the ups, downs, loopty-loops that Feige and Co have planned for us.

    Anthony Canton III

    When it comes to SDCC I’m thinking of two projects, one coming soon and one a bit off in the distance. First, Wakanda Forever is on my mind. The tribute to Chadwick, what that means to everyone who came out for the first film and supporters world wide. It’s going to be emotional. You want to protect this film and hope it’s treated with the utmost care. There’s a curiosity with everything around it so hoping to learn a bit more.

    Secondly, there’s a project next year. Quantumania comes to the forefront. Sure it’ll be great to see Scott, Hope, and the gang all back. The real intrigue is Jonathan Majors. His “He Who Remains” performance is the most electrifying singular appearance we’ve seen in the MCU. Now we see Kang in all his glory and hopefully get some more answers to the multiverse. Hopefully there’ll be some footage with a “See You Soon.”

    João Pinto

    I’ll basically set this up in three different levels, each with decreasing odds of actually happening:

    1) Some footage with our first look at Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Besides introducing audiences to the MCU’s take on Atlantis, Namor, Namora, Attuma, and Riri Williams, this would always be a special project following Chadwick Boseman’s passing. Ryan Coogler and the team behind the movie have worked extremely hard to give us a majestic sequel to Black Panther and seeing it finally come to fruition is extremely high on my wishlist.

    2) New information regarding Marvel Studios’ Fantastic Four. After years of expectations, and theories regarding who might get to portray Marvel’s First Family on the big screen, finally getting an official announcement would feel like the once impossible movie is one step closer to becoming a reality. Getting a director confirmation would also do wonders in terms of shedding some light on what might be Kevin Feige’s approach to the project.

    3) With all the talk that the MCU’s Phase 4 lacks direction, getting an announcement of a project spinning out of several Phase 4 entries would do wonders in terms of making audiences relax regarding the MCU’s near future. Be it a project focusing on the Young Avengers (bringing together characters from Hawkeye, Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Secret Invasion, Multiverse of Madness, and Quantumania), or on the Thunderbolts (Black Widow, Ant-Man and the Wasp, Falcon and the Winter Soldier), by getting news of what we might call Phase 4’s Phase 2 would bring us closer to understanding what secret wars might be in store in the MCU’s upcoming future.

    Jared Kirschenbaum

    Fans like myself were relieved to see the film rights to Marvel’s most beloved characters return to Marvel Studios after Fox somewhat butchered the X-Men and Fantastic Four. With the deal having only been completed 4 months before, it’s understandable that at SDCC in July of 2019, Feige could only bring mere mention to the plans the studio had for the F4 and mutants. However, it has now been 3 years since Disney’s acquisition of 21st Century Fox. And aside from the appearance (and prompt disposal) of Earth-838’s Professor X and Mr. Fantastic, and a directorless Fantastic Four film in the works, the only indication fans have had after 3 years that these characters are on the horizon is the word ‘mutation’ being dropped at the end of Ms. Marvel.

    Yes, fans know that the pantheon of characters once forbidden to be touched by Marvel Studios will soon be making their way into the MCU. But after 3 grueling years, knowing just doesn’t cut it anymore. I want to see it. That is why my SDCC 2022 wish list simply consists of a rundown on how Marvel Studios plans to integrate the properties once belonging to 21st Century Fox into the MCU. Now, will this happen? No, there is no chance in hell that this will happen. Will Marvel Studios instead probably date their upcoming Disney+ series’, show some footage from an upcoming film or two, maybe even announce a certain Halloween special? Yeah, that sounds very reasonable. But the ‘what ifs’ of how Marvel Studios will choose to explain the fact that Mutants have been completely absent from the MCU thus far, or whether or not they will explore the Fantastic Four’s origin in their upcoming film have been cluttering my brain for far too long. So, if Feige takes the Hall-H stage and announces Marvel’s plans for the Mutants and Fantastic Four, which include the new director of the Fantastic Four movie and maybe a little more information on it, as well as a core X-Men movie, a proper Magneto origin project, a Storm movie, a New Mutants series, an X-Factor series, a Hellfire Club series, an Excalibur series, a Starjammers series, I will finally be at peace. Anyway this will certainly not happen, but you can bet that I am looking forward to that Black Panther: Wakanda Forever trailer they will probably release. And who knows, maybe they’ll confirm Namor is a mutant.

    Dalbin Osorio

    Blade. When Mahershala Ali came out in 2019 and put on the Daywalker hat like the first pick in the NFL draft, it signaled that things were about to get real trippy and comic-booky for the MCU. 3 years later we don’t know much other than the director and some casting… Oh, and he stopped Jon Snow from picking up the ebony blade! That short intro was incredibly exciting, as was the casting of Delroy Lindo and Aaron Pierre (as perhaps Jamal Afari?), and with rumors that we could see Blade go toe to toe with Dracula, this is at the top of my wish list.

    Then, I need to see Kang. Maybe a mash-up of different Kangs in different projects teasing the secret war ahead. Mahershala v Majors down the line in a Blade versus Kang fight? All in.

    And, lastly, I’d kill for the Fantastic Four cast and director to be announced. There’s a lot of speculation on who will play who and where, but I loved Krasinski’s take on a weary and still arrogant Reed Richards and wouldn’t mind him being Mr. Fantastic. Him being directed by Spielberg, maybe? Home run.

    Torbjorn Frazier

    While more of an esoteric than any specific desire for San Diego Comic Con, I’d most want to learn as much context for the upcoming slate of Marvel Studios projects. When looking back at Marvel Studios’ showing at the 2019 event, the most interesting takeaways weren’t really the announcement of the projects themselves (there weren’t really any surprises on that front for those who knew where to look). Instead, curiosity was most piqued at what those projects would be bringing to the table. It was at the 2019 Hall H panel that the concept of the multiverse was quietly established as a major future narrative direction through Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Loki. It was also where audiences learned that the Ten Rings would be coming back into the fold of the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Shang-Chi and that Natalie Portman’s Jane Foster would become the Mighty Thor in Love and Thunder. Being able to receive this level of context and major story elements for projects like potentially Secret Invasion, Echo, or Captain America 4 (amongst others) would go a long way in creating sustainable intrigue well past this year’s Hall H showcase.

  • The Hypothetical 2023 Marvel Studios Release Calendar, V4

    The Hypothetical 2023 Marvel Studios Release Calendar, V4

    Once upon a time, this looked like it might be headed for a 2022 release. But with reshoots having to be spread out over several months due to actor availability, it’s clearly not going to be ready. It should, however, be ready to roll out in early 2023 and with principal photography done and finishing touches left to go, expect Secret Invasion to be the first Marvel Studios project of 2023.

    This one has bounced around a bit in terms of release date, but it is absolutely the furthest along of the 2023 films. This time around, expect BIG action and stakes as the Ant-family takes on Jonathan Majors‘ Kang and Corey Stoll’s MODOK (who we hear looks absolutely fabulous). Marvel Studios may let the hype train out of the station earlier than normal on this one.

    One of at least two animated series headed to Disney Plus in 2023, the X-Men revival already has a ton of buzz around it. Work was being done on the episodes long before anyone knew it existed, so its ten episodes could be ready to roll out on D+ sometime late in the first quarter of 2023.

    Currently cruising through production, the Hawkeye spinoff will definitely be ready for a late-Spring/early-Summer release unless the wheels fall off. Not only will this bring Charlie Cox’s Matt Murdock and Vincent D’Onofrio‘s Kingpin back, but it’s also set to really explore Native American culture

    James Gunn‘s last go-around with the team he made famous in 2014, Vol. 3 has quite the cast and could end up being one of the MCU’s biggest tearjerkers. It’s also going to be full of surprises (will Cosmo have a voice?) and while it’s the end for Gunn and some of the cast, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the end for everyone.

    With production well underway in the UK, Loki’s second season will have no problem making it to D+ for the Summer of 2023. Interestingly, it could come out just about 2 years to the day after the first season, which is cool but way too long to wait after that Season 1 cliffhanger!

    The Nia DaCosta led sequel to Captain Marvel moved back to mid-Summer and after Carol Danvers’ mid-credit appearance in the Ms. Marvel finale, fans finally have an inkling of what this one is all about. In every way possible, this film is a huge shift from the original and should be an action-packed reinvention of the franchise in the way The Winter Solider was for the MCU’s other Captain.

    Production is underway on Ironheart and by the time this one hits Disney Plus, fans will have already gotten to know the lead from her time in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. It looks like this one will also feature The Hood, one of Marvel Comics coolest baddies yet to make the jump to the MCU.

    Set to debut in 2023, it would make sense to start the animated series in time for it to play during peak Spooky Season. With a full-length Marvel Studios Animation panel at SDCC, it seems like a first look at this is pretty likely, giving fans an idea of its connectivity to the Zombie reality seen in Season 1 of What If…?.

    Blade is finally set to get production underway in September of 2022, giving the studio plenty of time to turn it around for November of 2023. Marvel Studios has been known to slide release dates up a week or so in the past; it would be smart of them to do so here to capitalize on the urge for fans to watch horror films in October.

    The project on this list about which the least is known. It is supposed to film in the Fall of 2022 so a late 2023 release date makes sense. However, Marvel Studios production dates are more fluid now than ever, so don’t etch this one into your stone calendar just yet.

  • Murphy’s Team-Up Volume 24: Teaming-Up with Ms. Marvel

    Murphy’s Team-Up Volume 24: Teaming-Up with Ms. Marvel

    Anthony Canton III on Layla El-Faouly

    I can imagine a world where Ms. Marvel has a longer Season 2 in episodes and a more expansive story. There feels like more to explore in Karachi. As Kamala continues to learn more about her family legacy she could run into another hero while she’s there. Enter the Scarlet Scarab.

    One of the more curious decisions in the Moon Knight finale was not seeing where Layla El-Faouly is going next. We get the line when the young girl is asking Layla if she’s an Egyptian superhero and she says yes. How about Kamala and Layla run a quick mission spanning two episodes?

    Layla could be in town searching for something or someone and happen to run into Kamala. Culturally it would be an excellent moment to continue telling these stories of representation. You can also simultaneously continue Ms. Marvel’s story and have a streamline into what could be next for Layla and Moon Knight. I also imagine the two would have fun conversations about growing up and what type of hero they want to be.

    Dalbin Osorio on Ironheart

    Dominique Thorne and Iman Vellani are both magic, and I cannot wait to see Ironheart and Ms. Marvel interact.  Seeing these two legacy heroes, with potential connections to Kang. trying to navigate the world they’ve grown up in with these heroes they’ve looked up to (assuming Ironheart respects Tony and doesn’t despise him) will be something special. Being the heroes that follow the past and future of the MCU is weighty enough, but when we factor in that they will arguably be the most powerful heroes in their generation, the possibilities are endless. What’s even cooler is that these are two girls of color that will give more girls of color more heroes to look up to, and the MCU deserves more representation.

    Mary Maerz on Captain America

    I would love to see Kamala Khan and Sam Wilson meet and work together. Kamala would without a doubt have some sweet and humorous fangirl reactions to meeting Captain America. In the comics, Kamala often had a very wholesome relationship with Tony Stark/Iron Man while she was an Avenger. We no longer have Tony or Iron Man, but Sam Wilson as Cap seems like he could take on that mentor role phenomenally. A lot of Kamala’s struggles with who she looked up to involved comic events like Civil War II, which so far do not look like they will play much if any role in the near future. So, with no current sides being drawn between the above-the-line Avengers, there is no reason Sam could not, to some extent, take Kamala under his literal wing. Sam is a phenomenal character whose future I am also very excited for, and I think their relationship could easily bring out some of the best and most inspiring aspects of each of them.

    MTF III on America Chavez

    No matter what you think of MCU Phase 4 as a whole, there’s no denying that Iman Vellani and Xochitl Gomez have been delightful, both in and out of character. But while Ms. Marvel was able to firmly ensconce Kamala in a Jersey City that feels vibrant and culturally rich, where we last left America Chavez at the end of Multiverse of Madness wasn’t nearly as character-enriching. And while it’s certainly possible that our star-punching firecracker can establish found family among grown adult sorcerers in Kamer Taj, placing America alongside characters her age in a diverse city filled with people she can potentially converse with in Spanish will be far more beneficial for her in the long run. And the commonalities and contrasts between South Asian and Latinx cultures can lend more depth and meaning to their interactions, both for the characters themselves, and for the viewers. 

    On the superpower side, we were able to see Kamala level up considerably across a handful of episodes of her show. Those of us who are fans of America in the comics know what she is capable of, so seeing her level up alongside a fellow potential Young Avenger while they trade quips would only serve to endear us to America more as she actualizes, and to Kamala more as she gets to nerd out with tandem attacks and training in the way that only a hardcore comics/superhero fan can. Just imagine the wacky fun she could cook up, which America would be more than inclined to try. And imagine the universes they could jump into and trouble they could find, all between 3:00 and curfew. Sign me up for #AmeriKhan — there’s a portmanteau, so you know it works.

    Torbjorn Frazier on Loki

    Kamala Khan and Loki Laufeyson are the odd couple partnership the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) deserves. Maybe besides Steve Rogers, there isn’t a character in the MCU that personifies pure good morality as a superhero more than Ms. Marvel. And pairing her with the literal God of Mischief would provide each other the perfect foil for one another and could become an instant fan-favorite partnership. The themes of family are critical to both characters in extremely different ways, and gaining understanding about each other’s experience would provide interesting perspective and growth for both Kamala and Loki. In addition, Bisha K. Ali has experience writing for both of these characters on their respective Disney+ shows which could help ensure a strong tonal fit for a hypothetical team-up. While it would take a relatively major shuffling of the deck in the MCU to allow Ms. Marvel and Loki to team-up, it’d certainly be a worthwhile viewing experience (and potentially set the stage for a Kid Loki to fit into a Young Avengers line-up down the road).

    Charles Murphy on Shang-Chi

    Kamala Khan and Shang-Chi don’t have an awful lot in common. One was trained to be an assassin and grew up in a household shattered by the murder of his mother. The other grew up in a household full of love while fangirling over Carol Danvers and other superheroes. But both of them now possess ancient alien artifacts of enormous power that have pushed them into a world they weren’t quite ready for. Ms. Marvel seemed to set the table a little for this team-up when the Ten Rings logo was seen on the cave floor where the bangle was found, but right now it’s not entirely clear where that will go. Whatever the case, seeing these get these two heroes together on screen seems to be nothing more than a matter of time.

  • Rafael Casal Joins ‘Loki’ Season 2

    Rafael Casal Joins ‘Loki’ Season 2

    Set photos from the UK set of the second season of Loki seemed to show that Blindspotting’s Rafael Casal had joined the series. Now, a trade report confirms that’s the case and points out that Casal will have a “major role” in the streamer.

    The photos showed Casal on set with Tom Hiddleston’s Loki and Owen Wilson’s Mobius. Casal was in a TVA jumpsuit, meaning he is a prisoner of the Time Variance Authority. Based on the limited information in the set photos, he looks to be helping the two leads.

    https://twitter.com/GabiMG_News/status/1547823344820424709

    Disney had no comment on Casal’s casting and there’s no clear indication of who he might be playing. Season 2 of Loki looks to pick up right where Season 1 left off, with the titular character in a new timeline created when Sylvie killed He Who Remains. Look for Season 2 of Loki on Disney Plus in the Summer of 2023.

  • Joe Russo Talks Marvel Studios ‘Secret Wars’

    Joe Russo Talks Marvel Studios ‘Secret Wars’

    It’s no secret that the directing duo of Joe and Anthony Russo have a dream project that could tempt them to return to Marvel Studios where they helmed four films together, including the two-part culmination to the Infinity Saga. Even as they did press for Avengers: Endgame in 2019, the brothers spoke openly about how one project might get them back behind the cameras for Marvel Studios: Secret Wars.

    At the premiere of their new movie, The Gray Man, the Russos were asked, once again, what would bring them back to the Marvel Studios fold. And it was no surprise that Joe Russo gave what at this point is a pretty canned response to the question. This time, however, Joe may have given a little more away than usual.

    Our love for Marvel is based on the books we read as kids and the books that we fell in love with. The one series that we adored growing up was Secret Wars. It’s incredibly ambitious. It would be bigger than Infinity War and Endgame, but it’s a massive undertaking and those two movies were very hard to make. Trying to imagine making another two movies even bigger than those two…we’re going to have to sleep on it.

    Joe Russo

    It sounds like Joe and Anthony may have done more than sleep on the decision to return to co-direct Marvel Studios Secret Wars. In fact, it sounds like they are far enough down the road that they’ve outlined what they believe the story should be and have determined that it would take two films to tell the story the way they see fit.

    Once considered a pipe dream, an MCU-set Secret Wars has become an inevitability at this point. The story was first teased during Loki and further teased in Doctor Strange in The Multiverse of Madness when John Krasinski’s Reed Richards introduced the idea of Incursions. The introduction of Incursions makes it more likely than not that the MCU’s Secret Wars will, at least in part, be based on Jonathan Hickman’s 2015 event series, though the Russos oft-professed love for the the original 1984 event almost certainly means that its influence will be felt as well.

    It’s hard to imagine that the brothers, who worked so hard to make sure the two-part conclusion of the Infinity Saga were more than parts 1 and 2, would be happy with a basic Hollywood two-parter. With Joe imagining Secret Wars as a two-part event, it’s safe to assume they have something along the lines of an Infinity War and Endgame split in mind for their next MCU gig, making sure each film can stand on its own spectacular feet.

    Source: Deadline

  • Murphy’s Team-Up Volume 23: Ms. Marvel’s a Mutant!

    Murphy’s Team-Up Volume 23: Ms. Marvel’s a Mutant!

    Torbjorn Frazier

    For starters, this was the biggest surprise to have happened in the Disney+ era of Marvel Studios. Both in terms of what this means for the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and in the viewing experience. Kamala Khan being revealed as the audience’s first mutant in the MCU opens the door for endless possibilities of speculation and theorizing on how some of the most-anticipated characters will enter future projects. For the character herself, Kamala Khan makes all the sense in the world to be a mutant (as she very likely would’ve been in the comics if the X-Men film rights weren’t elsewhere in 2013). And having the first mutant story be distinctly about a government that fears and discriminates against super-powered individuals highlights that Kevin Feige and co. are good hands to shepherd the X-Men back to the big screen. With both Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and now Ms. Marvel this year giving early glimpses into the concept of mutants (and with X-Men ‘97 slated for 2023), the radar for Marvel Studios potentially announcing a mutant-related project at San Diego Comic Con or D23 has certainly increased.

    Anthony Canton III

    Ms. Marvel’s finale followed through on its series mission by giving us Kamala Khan and her world. That world was on display as good as any Disney+ series has had to this point. With that being said, the reveal of Kamala being a mutant laced with the X-Men: The Animated Series theme was an all time moment for the new MCU.

    This reveal is symbolism that Iman Vellani is a major player and rightfully so. Kamala has the keys to the MCU and you can slot her anywhere and she has an impact. In terms of representation in actuality and in this universe these are the new stories that the fandom claims to want. Now we have them and more. While we have more questions to answer with Carol Danvers, this was Ms. Marvel’s moment. Standing ovation.

    Dalbin Osorio

    Ms. Marvel is no worse than the third best Disney+ show. It would take a lot to supplant the WandaVision/Loki duplex, and Ms. Marvel came close, but an underwhelming villain choice stops it from that top tier. HOWEVER… this isn’t about the show as it is about the fact that, baby, there be mutants in the MCU! That’s right: Ms. Marvel is the MCU’s first mutant (that we know of, but more on that in a sec), and what a glorious reveal it was. You have to hand it to Kevin Feige: he said that everything will be revealed and Marvel didn’t really deviate from the Phase 4 plan even when people criticized it for its “aimless” trajectory. I think this change really grounds her firmly in the MCU’s history (hello Eternals and X-Men ’97 theme music), present (this post-Endgame world that’s rapidly becoming populated by enhanced individuals), and future (Kang is coming). Making her a mutant also makes her powers easy to explain because a mutation is much easier to explain than a Terrigen Bomb going off somewhere on Earth-616 and us never hearing about it. It, also, sets the stage for there being other mutants out there who are populating the world now, and clearly Damage Control won’t be the only ones after them. All in all, a great choice.

    Joseph Aberl

    Did not see coming that Ms. Marvel would end up being the one to set up the mutants in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Marvel Studios perfectly baited us with WandaVision and a cameo in Multiverse of Madness to make many think we’d not get any hints until after Fantastic Four. Yet, here they are using a familiar theme to slowly build up their arrival and also use it as a way to connect Kamala Khan to a bigger universe; without the sacrifice of her personal journey. Can’t wait to see where it goes.

    Charles Murphy


    Let’s lay it right on the line. Bigotry and racism are among the deadliest social ills plaguing the world today. It’s totally irrational, patently insane to condemn an entire race—to despise an entire nation—to vilify an entire religion. Sooner or later, we must learn to judge each other on our own merits. Sooner or later, if a man is ever to be worthy of his destiny, we must fill our hearts with tolerance.

    Stan Lee, Stan’s Soapbox, December 1968

    Someone had to be the first mutant and I couldn’t be happier that it is Kamala. As Torbjorn pointed out, it’s incredibly likely that had Marvel already owned the live-action rights to the X-Men, she’d have been one in the comics. Kamala fits what Stan Lee and Jack Kirby imagined the original mutants to be when they developed them in the early 1960s as a metaphor for the hate and social injustice America was facing at the time. I’ve said for years that Kamala Khan is one of the most important characters Marvel Comics has ever created and now, as the MCU’s first mutant, she’s one of the most important characters in the future of the franchise.

  • What the ‘Ms.Marvel’ Finale Reveal Means for Inhumans in the MCU

    What the ‘Ms.Marvel’ Finale Reveal Means for Inhumans in the MCU

    The finale of Ms. Marvel gave fans more than they bargained for when it revealed Kamala Khan as the first mutant in the mainstream Marvel Cinematic Universe. For months, rumors, speculation and some spurious “leaks” all centered around Kamala being exposed to Terrigen Mist and learning of her Inhuman heritage during the finale. Instead, Marvel Studios chose to make Kamala a mutant, making her future in the MCU a complete unknown. It also seemed to spell the end of any hopes that the Inhumans would ever make their way into the stories of MCU’s Earth-616, but as it turns out, Kamala’s retcon isn’t quite the death knell for the Inhumans that it might first appear to be.

    In the comics, Kamala is a NuHuman: a branch of Inhumans created en masse when Black Bolt detonated a Terrigen Bomb, causing thousands of humans of Inhuman lineage to undergo Terrigenesis and developing their Inhuman gifts. The event, which occurred in the pages of 2013’s Infinity #4, came at a time when Marvel Comics was making push to elevate the Inhumans’ popularity and, seemingly, diminish the X-Men’s. At that time, Fox still owned the live-action rights to the X-Men and Marvel Studios was hard at work building the foundation their shared cinematic universe, still years away from being the self-sustaining juggernaut it’s since become.

    In hindsight, the NuHuman era was nothing short of a failure, with almost none of the characters created during that era now playing a major (or any) role within the Marvel Comics universe. In fact, the Inhumans have been rather absent from the comics in general for the past several years. Perhaps a little leave of absence will benefit the characters in the comics, allowing them to reenter the books at a later date and return to inhabit the very interesting niche they carved out after first appearing in the pages of Fantastic Four in 1965. And it’s this same niche that they could still find themselves inhabiting in the MCU, should Kevin Feige ever choose to introduce them to the 616-universe. And if that niche doesn’t quite work out, there’s another interesting option on the table as well.

    The Royal Family and The Universal Inhumans

    Should Feige and the Marvel Studios Parliament want to introduce the Inhumans to the MCU, the clearest path is to introduce them as the abandoned subject of Kree experimentation, as seen in the Marvel Comics. As the millena-long Kree-Skrull war raged on, the evolutionarily-stagnant Kree began experimenting on the native species of multiple plantes across the universe. In some cases, like on Earth, early life had already been experimented on by the Celestials and a latent gene that could spark the release of super powers was placed in their DNA. It’s this latent gene that eventually led to mutants on Earth and, after Kree experimentation, allowed for Terrigenesis to transform individuals. The Kree abandoned their projects across the universe following a prophecy that their experiments would produce a being that would end the Kree Empire, but not before successfully establishing metamorphic processes in place on 5 different planets: Earth, Centauri-IV, Lotlara, Kymellia and Wraithworld.

    Over time, the experiments on Earth produced an advanced race whose superiority to early man saw them demonized. Over time, they went into hiding in a secret city, Attilan, and then the Blue Area of the Moon. This line of Inhumans produced what is known in the comics as the Royal Family, which is typically presented as Black Bolt, his wife Medusa, her sister Crystal, Black Bolt’s brother Maximus, Gorgon, Triton and Karnak. Of these, it was Black Bolt, the Midnight King of the Inhumans, that the Kree believed to be the being of prophecy. On the other planets, four queens who ruled over their own Inhuman populations were fated to join the Midnight King in ending the reign of the Kree.

    It doesn’t take much to see that should Marvel Studios choose to pursue this path, there wouldn’t be much overlap with whatever Kamala Khan and the mutants get up to on Earth. Marvel Studios botched the Kree-Skrull War pretty badly in Captain Marvel and the history of early Earth pretty badly in Eternals. They could rectify both of those mistakes with an Inhumans D+ series that establishes a truer history of both and introduces the Inhuman Royal Family hidden away on the Moon. Rumors persist that the Universal Inhumans are set to make an appearance in The Marvels; if those rumors are true and Feige is introducing them to the MCU, the Royal Family should not be far behind. Make them as strange and Lee and Kirby intended them to be. Make them a hidden force in the universe. Make them what they once were before the NuHuman debacle. And should Marvel go this route, they could choose to adapt one of Marvel Comics’ best Cosmic events, War of Kings, down the road, making good on the prophecy.

    The Inhumans of Earth-X

    Marvel Comics has a long history of developing alternate universes where things are just a little different: let’s call this…the multiverse. One of the more dramatic reimaginings began in 1999 on Earth-9997, aka Earth X. Interestingly enough, the MCU has already dipped into Earth-X lore a bit for Eternals and they wouldn’t be wrong in wanting to further mine that territory for a different take on the Inhumans.

    During the 12-issue arc, Black Bolt released Terrigen Mists on Earth, mutating almost all of Earth’s population into Inhumans. The events of Earth-9997 are set in the future of a dystopian timeline, so this won’t quite work if the 616 timeline is going to keep moving ahed. However, setting up the Inhumans as the villains of a future project and having someone, perhaps the Fantastic Four, have to stop their plan would be a great way to separate the characters from Earth’s mutants. It’s worth noting that the Inhumans of Earth X were given major redesigns by Alex Ross and, if the MCU isn’t going to go the 616 route with the characters, the Earth X designs are the only other acceptable option and would really work well if Feige wanted to introduce them as villains.

    So while Ms. Marvel has all but put and end to any hopes that the NuHuman arc from the 2010s could ever work its way into the MCU, there’s still room for Black Bolt, Medusa and the rest to find a way there.

  • Ranking Marvel’s Phase 4 Villains

    Ranking Marvel’s Phase 4 Villains

    13. Dreykov (Black Widow)

    The character of Dreykov isn’t so much the problem as was the fact that Ray Winstone played him with big grandpa-fell-asleep-on-the-toilet-again energy. A strange enough casting choice to begin with, Winstone’s take on the character makes his appearance in the film feel even more forced

    12. Damage Control (Ms. Marvel)

    While only slightly more menacing than Sleepy Dreykov, the Department of Damage Control still comes off as more of a joke than a threat. The ineptitude of what one would assume are at least relatively well-trained agents is rough to take. Being held at bay by some pitching machines and fire extinguishers doesn’t bode well for them taking any really violent powered people. And as the face of the DODC, Deevers is just paper-thin. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. had better antagonists.

    11. Arthur Harrow (Moon Knight)

    Ethan Hawke taking a villainous turn in a Marvel Studios project sounded like a match made in heaven. And then Moon Knight came and went without Hawke’s Arthur Harrow making much of an impression. Much the opposite of Dreykov, it wasn’t Hawke’s lack of effort that lead to this low spot on the list; in fact, Hawke made more out of the character than most could have. For all the great things about Moon Knight, the villain just wasn’t one of them.

    10. Flagsmashers (The Falcon and the Winter Soldier)

    Erin Kellyman owned the role of Karli Morgenthau, sharing the screen with MCU vets Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan and never taking a back seat. However, with so much attention on John Walker, Baron Zemo and Sharon Carter, the Flagsmashers as a group really never got enough time to develop into a threat on the level worthy of Captain America. This is a case of Marvel Studios kneecapping itself with the six-episode format. Adding an episode or two and letting the Flagsmashers develop would have done wonders. Not a bad group of villains by any stretch, but definitely underused.

    9. Gorr (Thor: Love and Thunder)

    Speaking of underused…adding Christian Bale to the fourth Thor film as one of the God of Thunder’s most terrifying villains was as can’t miss as it could get. And then they turned him into Gorr the Scary Party Clown. The lack of god butchering and the fact that the only time he was legitimately terrifying was telling a story to a bunch of kids in a cage makes Gorr a bit of a disappointment; however, Bale was all in on the character and while he’s not the guy from the comics, he’s still pretty great.

    8. Kingpin (Hawkeye)

    Vincent D’Onofrio’s casting as Wilson Fisk was a stroke of genius. A truly underrated actor, D’Onofrio inhabits every square inch of Kingpin. He gives every breath, every movement and every word his full attention to detail. So why isn’t he at the top of the list? Because Marvel Studios chose to pretend his reprisal of the role was a secret and introduced him…in a still frame captured on a 2004 potato.

    7. Agatha (WandaVision)

    Arguably nobody in the history of the MCU has had more fun in a role than Kathryn Hahn did as Agatha Harkness in WandaVision. Evolving as the series progressed, Hahn’s Agatha became one of the highlights of a fantastic series. Her performance in the flashback episode propelled her to the top, but the weak finale pushed her back down the list a bit. The great news is that Hahn gets to come back and give more to the role and nobody is going to be unhappy about that.

    6. Infinite Ultron (What If…?)

    Perhaps the only character who truly embodies the concept behind What If…?, Infinite Ultron was the highlight of the first season of the animated series and a greater threat than his live-action counterpart ever got to be.

    5. Ikaris (Eternals)

    You have to respect the man’s (robot’s) commitment. So committed to Arishem’s plan was Ikaris that he was willing to kill everyone he knew to allow it to come to fruition. Casting Richard Madden, who oozes charisma, in the role is a bit confusing given his very stoic performance, but the fact is that Ikaris does get better action sequences that everyone other than Wenwu and Green Goblin and a bit of redemption when he chooses to fly into the sun rather than go betray his mission. He can’t kill his friends, but he’d rather kill himself than allow them to succeed.

    4. Scarlet Witch (Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness)

    The Scarlet Witch unleashed proved to be as deadly of a villain as any in Marvel Cinematic Universe history. As it turns out, having Sam Raimi take the helm of the story that allowed Wanda Maximoff to turn heel led to one of the most unsettling villain performances in Phase 4. Having portrayed the character for so long, Elizabeth Olsen masterfully hit all the notes and nuances that elevated the Scarlet Witch towards the top of the hierarchy of Phase 4 villains.

    3. He Who Remains (Loki)

    Only given one episode to shine, Jonathan Majors enormous talent propels this Kang Variant to top tier. Majors managed to outshine one of the MCU’s greatest stars in Tom Hiddleston, making a first impression unlike any other in recent MCU memory. Knowing he’ll be back (because he memorably told us all he would) lessens to blow struck by Sylvie. A truly haunting and fascinating performance by one of the best talents in Hollywood.

    2. Green Goblin (Spider-Man: No Way Home)

    As information trickled out about the plot of Spider-Man: No Way Home, it was tough to understand how Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin could be the baddie of the piece, much less end up being one of the Phase’s most menacing. The bulk of the credit goes to Dafoe, who nearly 20 years later gave something more to both sides of Norman Osborn than he did in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man. This time around, Dafoe’s Gobby was even more unhinged and got to go toe-to-toe with Spidey in one of the Phase’s best one-on-one fights. Killing May and then taunting Peter put the icing on the villain cake.

    1. Wenwu (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings)

    A villain so good that the movie should have been titled Wenwu and The Legend of The Ten Rings. Played masterfully by the legend Tony Leung, it’s Wenwu’s journey that truly propels the film. Shang-Chi is great in his own right and one of the MCU’s most likeable protagonists, but Wenwu isn’t just Phase 4’s best villain, he’s one of the MCU’s best yet.