Author: Charles Murphy

‘Agatha: House of Harkness’ Adds 3 Writers, Eyes 2023 Release

The writer’s room is filling up for Marvel Studios WandaVision spinoff, Agatha: House of Harkness. Announced at the first ever Disney Plus Day in November 2021, the Kathryn Hahn-lead streamer is being created by Jac Schaeffer, who developed Hahn’s Harkness for WandaVision. With an eye on getting production underway this Fall, Schaeffer has been assembling her writer’s room and it looks as though she’s put together quite a collection of talent, all of whom she worked with before on WandaVision. According to their Writer’s Guild of America West bios, Peter Cameron, Laura Donney and Cameron Squires will all contribute to Agatha: House of Harkness.

Cameron co-wrote Episodes 5 and 6 of WandaVision, respectively titled “On a Very Special Episode” and “All-New Halloween Spooktacular”, which took the cast through the 80s and 90s and saw Evan Peters‘ Ralph Bohner appear as “Pietro.” Cameron also worked on Marvel Studios’ most recent streaming series, Moon Knight.

Donney is credited with writing Episode 8 of WandaVision, “Previously On”, which was one of the strongest episodes of the series. “Previously On” provided some backstory for Agatha and effectively detailed Wanda’s true origins via flashbacks. It’s likely that Donney’s work on Episode 8 may well have provided some of the meat for what would eventually become Agatha: House of Harkness.

Like Donney, Squires has a writing credit for one episode of WandaVision: Episode 7, “Breaking the Fourth Wall.” That episode, which riffed heavily on Modern Family and, to a lesser extent, The Office, revealed that Hahn’s nosy neighbor lady Agnes, was actually the powerful witch Agatha Harkness and, most importantly, responsible for killing Sparky!

Each of the writer’s bios also clearly indicate that the first season of Agatha: House of Harkness is classified as a “comedy” (WandaVision was classified as a drama) and is expected to stream in “2023-2024.” A late-2023 release date lines up incredibly well with the known tentative start of production on the Disney Plus series, but it will likely be sometime in the second half of next year before a firm release date for the series is pinned down.

Source: WGA

May 20, 2022
Connecting Imaginary Dots: Ali Alsaleh is the Immortal Adam Destine in ‘Ms. Marvel’

For several months now, rumors of a very obscure family of characters from the Marvel Comics being adapted to serve as the villains of the Ms. Marvel streaming series have swirled. The Clan Destine, created in 1994 by Alan Davis, weren’t villains in the comics, but they also weren’t very well-known, allowing for Marvel Studios to rework them pretty much however they saw fit. While Marvel Studios has yet to confirm their appearance in the series (they truly ARE the villains, however), it’s possible that one of the actors has left enough of trail to connect some dots.

In late April, actor Ali Alsaleh took to Instagram to celebrate the fact that he no longer had to hide his role in Ms. Marvel.

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Alsaleh is a newcomer and a bit of an unknown, with only 11 credits to his name on IMDB and nothing comparable to Ms. Marvel among them. And it’s that same IMDB listing that gives us enough of a clue to at least connect him to the reimagined role of Adam of Destine.

Alsaleh’s IMDB profile shows him playing a character named “Aadam” over the course of 4 episodes, 2-5, of the streaming series. A quick Google search shows that Aadam is a popular, modern Muslim name that is, as you might, guess, a twist on the name Adam. And it’s an Adam who was gifted immortality by a Djinn named Elalyth who served as the patriarch of the Clan Destine in Alan Davis’ comics.

Elalyth and Adam’s story began in 1168 AD when Elalyth saved Adam from an accident that should have killed him. From that point forward, Adam seemed invulnerable, even as he fought battle after battle in the Crusades. In 1189 AD, while facing off against a Persian sorcerer, however, Adam was mortally wounded while destroying a powerful gem helped by the sorcerer. That gem held Elalyth, who once again healed Adam and granted him immortality. Adam and the Djinn married and had a plethora of children over the centuries, some of whom still live on to this day.

It doesn’t take much of an imagination to rewrite Adam’s story into one that would fit Aadam’s origins in the series. We’ve only briefly glimpsed the MCU version of the Clan Destine in the series and rumors have long tied them to Djinn magic. If Alsaleh is truly playing the MCU version of the Clan Destine’s Adam, it’s likely that many of the characters we’ve glimpsed are his progeny and will have a vast array of powers, much like his children in the comics. It’ll be interesting to see how much of Aadam and the Clan Destine’s backstory gets told, but with Alsaleh set to show up in two-thirds of the episodes, we could get something similar that sets him up as a legendary Muslim warrior of the Crusades.

With the press starting to screen the series next week, we probably won’t have long to wait to find out if we’ve properly connected these dots. Ms. Marvel begins streaming on Disney Plus on June 8th..

May 19, 2022
‘She-Hulk’ Trailer Hints at an ‘Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes’ Influence

The first trailer for She-Hulk: Attorney at Law was full of Easter eggs and goodies to keep fans busy. From a member of the Wrecking Crew to an unexpected appearance by Leap-Frog to the first quick look at Jameela Jamil’s Titania, there was plenty to pick through upon repeated viewings.

The trailer also spelled out one of the series’ important foundations: Jennifer Walters is being brought on to the law firm of Goodman, Lieber, Kurtzberg and Holliway to head up their Superhuman Law Division. And it looks like her first client is Emil Blonsky, who is being held in a VERY interesting looking prison.

Blonsky’s prison seems to be located smack dab in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by nothing but desert, and while Blonsky’s cell is the only one we see, it’d be an awfully big building to house just one prisoner. While we have no way of knowing what other potentially super-powered villains could or could not be among its population, we know that at least one of its residents is a gamma-fueled powerhouse, leaving open the possibility that the prison might have drawn at least some inspiration from the greatest of Marvel’s modern animated series.

For two years, Christopher Yost, Joshua Fine and Ciro Nielli treated adults and kids alike to the weekly goodness known as The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. Following a micro-series that introduced each of the Avengers, the series kicked off in earnest with a two-part event entitled “Breakout.” As you may have guessed, the plot saw a mass escape of supervillains from 4 super prisons: The Vault, The Big House, The Raft and The Cube. The Cube, located in the Nevada desert, housed gamma-irradiated villains (most of whom were enemies of the Hulk) including Bruce Banner and…The Abomination.

The case isn’t being made here that She-Hulk: Attorney at Law will adapt the Avengers: EMH Breakout storyline into its plot. The suggestion is simply being made that it’s possible the prison in She-Hulk, which houses Blonsky, could potentially hold other gamma-irradiated villains, even if we don’t see them in the series. In the animated series, The Leader and the Wrecking Crew (of whom we saw one member in the trailer) were counted among the inmates of the Cube, so it’s not too far a reach to think that maybe, those characters, who exist within the MCU, could be in the prison or find their way their, biding their time for the MCU’s big Breakout moment.

May 18, 2022
‘She-Hulk’ Trailer Proves the Stark Legacy Remains Alive in the MCU

Beginning with their time together in 2012’s The Avengers, Robert Downey Jr’s Tony Stark and Mark Ruffalo’s Bruce Banner put together some memorable scenes as the MCU’s Science Bros. Whether they were analyzing Loki’s scepter, creating artificial intelligence or creating the gauntlet to save the world, Stark and Banner’s working relationship was one of the MCU’s best.

With Stark gone and Reed Richards yet to arrive, Professor Hulk is the MCU’s resident genius and, from the looks of the new She-Hulk: Attorney at Law trailer, he’s got a pretty nice set up somewhere warm. And while his science bro might be gone, the new trailer shows us that he’s not forgotten.

In an extended look at Bruce’s tests on his cousin, Jennifer Walters, we see that he’s not scared to run her through the mill in order to get her inner-Hulk to appear, including putting her in room where the walls that close in on her are outfitted with dozens of gnarly looking spinning blades. And, if you look closely, those blades are Stark Tech!

It wouldn’t be surprising to find out that most of Banner’s lab is comprised of Stark Tech that he’s taken on since Tony’s sacrifice in Avengers: Endgame. We know Happy was able to relocate the fabricator, seen in Spider-Man: Now Way Home, so maybe the rest of Banner’s lab will be filled with Stark Tech Easter eggs for fans to pick out over the course of his limited time in the series.

May 18, 2022
Ginger Gonzaga’s ‘She-Hulk’ Character Revealed to be an MCU Original

Jill Stevens. Patsy Walker. Angie Huang. Those are just some of the names bandied about by fans as they tried to piece together just what character Ginger Gonzaga would be playing in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. As it turns out, it’s none of the above.

The speculation about Gonzaga’s role came from information that indicated the character would be Jennifer Walters’ best friend in the upcoming series. That sent internet detectives scrambling to Google where Stevens and Walker were among the fist names to pop up. Speculation also turned to Huang, who was a paralegal that worked for Walters at her own law offices during Charles Soule’s She-Hulk run. Now, thanks to closed captioning on the first trailer for the series, we know that Gonzaga’s bestie-of-Jen is named Nikki.

As is often the case in the MCU, Nikki may turn out to be an original character who shares similarities with one or all of the characters mentioned above. It’s still not entirely clear what her role is at GLKH, but a shot in the trailer does seem to indicate she works there. Of course, there’s always room for a surprise, so Nikki may turn out to have some fabulous powers along the way, but for now it seems that her super power is being Jen’s best friend and discussing life over drink. Interpersonal relationships away from work isn’t something we’ve seen an awful lot of to date in the MCU, so whatever character she’s playing, it’ll be a welcome addition.

We’ll find out much more about Gonzaga’s character when She-Hulk: Attorney at Law begins streaming on Disney Plus on August 17th.

May 18, 2022
First Look at Titania, Leap-Frog and More in ‘She-Hulk’ Teaser

The rumors of a lengthy delay to Marvel Studios Disney Plus streaming series She-Hulk have been debunked with the first teaser for the series debuting and the release date is officially revealed. The teaser also gave fans their first looks at the supporting cast of the show, including Jameela Jamil’s updated Titania, and a surprise appearance by a Daredevil baddie that’s sure to have everyone Wiki-ing away.

Jamil‘s role in the series had hardly been a secret, with reports dating back nearly a year ago that she’d be bringing Titania to live-action. Described as a Kardashian-esque influencer, Jamil‘s version of the character looks to be an incredibly modernized version of the comic character, first introduced in the 1984 event, Secret Wars.

Finally, Daredevil baddie Leap-Frog made a surprise appearance in the teaser, proving that no character is off-limits in this series. The character first made his appearance in the comics over 50 years ago in Daredevil #25 and had a wildly unsuccessful career as a villain despite being a genius inventor. Leap-Frog’s son took over the suit and going by the name Frog-Man, became a hero who was eventually part of The Initiative. It seems that, in the MCU, the character will be a mish-mash of father and son.

You can watch the full trailer here:

She-Hulk will begin streaming on Disney Plus on August 17th.

May 17, 2022
‘Ahsoka’ Confirmed for 2023 Release

Production on the Star Wars streaming series Ahsoka has only been underway for a short while and in a very uncharacteristic move by Lucasfilm, we already have confirmation of when we can expect to see it.

In a comprehensive look at Lucasfilm’s Star Wars slate, Vanity Fair revealed that the live-action series, which is being developed by Ahsoka creator Dave Filoni, will stream in 2023. Filoni worked with Jon Favreau to find a way to fit Ahsoka into The Mandalorian in hopes of allowing the character’s amazing arc to continue in her own live-action series. And, according to Filoni, fans who are looking to see the character’s solo series follow up on Ahsoka’s appearances in Season 2 of The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett, which hinted at her continuing her journey from her appearances in the animated series and search for Thrawn, probably won’t be disappointed.

Ahsoka is a continuous story. It is definitely driving toward a goal, in my mind, as opposed to being little singular adventures. That’s what I want the character to be doing, and I think that’s what fans want now. They have such a relationship with her. I’ve only recently started to understand that all those kids that watched Clone Wars are now a lot older—they’re very excited about all the things they grew up with, as they should be.

Unfortunately, with Star Wars’ recent recommitment to secrecy, that’s probably about as much as fans will learn about the plot of the series from any official channels. Despite star Rosario Dawson teasing online that Hayden Christensen would be part of the project’s cast, a move that would pair the wayward Jedi with her master-turned-Sith, Lucasfilm is staying mum on the possibility. The article does, however, confirm that Mary Elizabeth Winstead, who was reportedly added to the cast in January of 2022, will star in Ahsoka alongside Dawson, albeit in an unspecified role.

Despite the intense secrecy surrounding the project, it seems fans of the character have much to look forward to, especially with Filoni continuing on as caretaker of the character.

Source: Vanity Fair

May 17, 2022
Jon Watts Confirmed to be Co-Creating and Directing Post-ROTJ Star Wars Series

This past winter, rumors began to swirl that Jon Watts, who recently served as the director for the MCU-set Spider-Man trilogy, was being lined up to direct a developing Star Wars streaming series. Recently, the pieces started to fall in place when Watts and Marvel Studios parted ways on the Fantastic Four project that Watts had been set to helm. Now, Vanity Fair has revealed that Watts has indeed been brought on board for the Star Wars project, but in a much bigger role than originally expected.

Watts has reunited with Chris Ford, the writer of Spider-Man: Homecoming, to create an original Star Wars streaming series for Disney Plus. The project, code named “Grammar Rodeo”, will be set in The New Republic era, which means it’ll be taking place around the same time as Lucasfilm’s biggest streaming success to date, The Mandalorian. Earlier rumors suggested it might be set during a much earlier time known as The High Repbulic.

The series will reportedly revolve around a very young main cast, with Lucasfilm casting several teen and pre-teen actors. According to Vanity Fair, the series will be a “galactic version of classic Amblin coming-of age-adventure films of the ’80s”, meaning such films as E.T., The Goonies and perhaps even Back to the Future could serve as inspiration for the project. Watts has a great track record working with young actors, so he seems a perfect fit for Lucasfilm’s plans.

Production on the series is rumored to kick off next month, so it’s likely we’ll learn much more about the project soon, perhaps even at Star Wars Celebration, which runs from May 26th-29th.

Source: Vanity Fair

May 17, 2022
2022 Disney Upfront to be “Unlike Anything You’ve Ever Seen”

Tomorrow at 4 PM ET at New York City’s Basketball City, Disney will hold their in-person upfront presentation, where they will showcase their upcoming network, streaming and cable content. According to the Walt Disney Company’s President of Advertising Sales, Rita Ferro, the event will be “unlike anything you’ve ever seen.”

For Disney, the event could provide an opportunity for them to shine a spotlight on the upcoming schedule for their flagship streaming service, Disney Plus, in addition to addressing new programming coming to Hulu and ESPN+. In the case of Disney Plus, not much is known about what to expect in the second half of 2022 and the presentation could give some details on the streamer’s cornerstone content from Marvel Studios and Lucasfilm. The upfront will also certainly include news on Disney’s key networks such as ABC and ESPN.

With this being the first in-person upfronts since COVID shut down the world in the Spring of 2020, Disney is expected to make a big splash not only with the announcements at the event, but with the planned afterparty, also set to be held at Basketball City.

Sources: Hollywood Reporter, Deadline

May 16, 2022
Marvel Studios 6 Worst Post-Credit Scenes

The case has been made. Marvel Studios long-standing tradition of post-credit scenes has become a distraction and should come to an end. By taking on a life of their own, they’ve become parasitic in nature, taking the focus off of the film and dominating online discussion. Here’s a look at 7 post-credit scenes that help support the claim that it’s time for them to take a dirt nap.

Iron Man 3

Iron Man 3 (2013)

While humorous, the post-credit scene to Iron Man 3 essentially only served to make sure audiences didn’t forget about the Science Bros. from The Avengers.

Thor: The Dark World

Thor: The Dark World (2013)

It’s not surprising that one of Marvel Studios’ worst cinematic efforts has one of its worst post-credit scenes. Following the film’s conclusion, fans are treated to getting to see one more shared kiss between Thor and Jane Foster. It’s great because Jane then disappeared for nearly a decade’s worth of content, only being mentioned as a joke in Avengers: Age of Ultron. The little joke about the Frost Beast left behind on Midgard is actually more impactful.

Captain America: Civil War

Captain America: Civil War (2016)

The film introduced the MCU version of Peter Parker to much fanfare. We’re now a whole trilogy away from his intro, and Tom Holland’s Spider-Man has proven wildly popular and his most recent film is one of Marvel Studios’ best yet. However, the post-credit scene following his introduction lacked any kind of punch at all. It showcased his flashy Spidey symbol, something that hasn’t been revisited since. If the only purpose it served was to let fans know we’d see more Spidey, I’d rather have had the “Spider-Man will return” text.

Doctor Strange

Doctor Strange (2016)

In fairness, the Strange franchise was overhauled when the entire creative team from the first film left Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and was replaced by Michael Waldron and Sam Raimi. That might, however, be indicative of one of the big problems with these post-credit scenes in the first place: short of maybe Kevin Feige, there is no guarantee that anyone’s ideas will carry on beyond the scenes. Scott Derrickson was moving the franchise in one particular direction; once he left, the idea of Mordo hunting sorcerers probably left with him. 616 Mordo didn’t even appear in the film but, as Waldron pointed out, that just means he could still be out there doing his thing. It’s too bad fans will probably never see it. This is why the return of One-Shots would be a considerable upgrade.

Spider-Man: Homecoming

Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)

One of the most chilling post-credit scenes of all…now rendered totally useless by the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home. It’s not to say we’ll never see Michael Mando’s Mac Gargan suit up as Scorpion and hunt down Spidey, but any chance of him getting the info out of Michael Keaton’s Adrian Toomes disappeared with Strange’s spell. Of course, Keaton hasn’t been back in the MCU since then anyway, but that’s a different story.

Eternals

Eternals (2021)

This scene has the potential to be redeemed, but depends an awful lot on whether or not Marvel Studios ever does anything with the Eternals again. While the film sets up the promise of more adventures, the reality is that nobody (both in the MCU and in real life) knew about them before the film, so nobody is going to miss them after. This scene really only works for hardcore Cosmic comic fans, and even then it’s a stretch. Harry Styles is gorgeous as Starfox and Patton Oswalt was a great fit for Pip; however, introducing Starfox AFTER Thanos is dead is a bit of bad timing and Pip is probably just going to end up as a walking practical joke. As it stands, it wasn’t time well spent.

In all honesty, the list had to be trimmed down to focus on these 6. The other Eternals’ scene, the recent Clea scene and more were all up for consideration, but these 6 helped provide a more well-rounded look at the issues Marvel Studios has faced. Given they’ll certainly not stop putting them together, we can revisit this down the road and see if these are still among the worst.

May 14, 2022