The Marvels isn’t expected in theaters for almost a year and little is known about the plot of the film, but it seems that fans can at least add another known character to their fan fiction. According to Mandy.com, a website that tracks actors and the productions they board, British actor Colin Stoneley has joined the Captain Marvel sequel.
The listing comes courtesy of One Take News and lines up with a previous casting scoop by the site. According to Mandy, Stoneley will portray a Kree scientist by the name of Pap-Tonn, who was originally described as a “Scientist friend” in the original casting call. It’s possible Pap-Tonn will work to help one of the film’s protagonists understand the origin of their powers a bit better.
Pap-Tonn continues the trend of incredibly obscure characters being used in The Marvels, allowing for Marvel Studios to reinvent them. Pap-Tonn appeared in only one Marvel Comic, Silver Surfer #8, and played a minor role there. The character joins Ael-Dan (or some version of the character) played by Zawe Ashton as minor comic characters in the film. Ashton’s character, however, is expected to have a much greater impact on the film as the primary antagonist.
The Marvels will hit theaters on February 17, 2023.
One thing Marvel Studios fans love to do is speculate on the future of their favorite IP. What’s next for their favorite character? What comic book story will be adapted? In the case of Moon Knight, fans might want to breathe a little bit before they start dreaming about the next big thing.
Just as fans are introduced to Oscar Isaac’s Steven Grant/Marc Spector/Moon Knight (and some more personalities are certainly on the way), comes word that the star has bucked one of Marvel Studios’ more well-known trends. According to Variety, Isaac does not have a contractual obligation for any further appearances as the Fist of Khonshu.
According to Isaac, he and the creatives behind the streaming series wanted to keep their focus on the here and now and not get caught up in what might come next. And so, rather than be pinned down for a handful of future appearances, the actor is rolling the dice on the reception of the character:
I had heard of the golden handcuffs. That was something that I was reticent about. And luckily, we all agreed that this [show] is what we’re going to focus on. This is the story. And if there’s any kind of future, I think it just depends on if people like it, if people want to see more, and if we find a story that’s worth telling.
Oscar Isaac
So far, Moon Knight has been received warmly by fans, even if they’re not quite sure what exactly is going on or what to expect over the course of the next 5 episodes. Between that warm reception and the encouraging comments about the future of the character from showrunner Jeremy Slater and Marvel Studios’ brass, it seems incredibly likely that we’ll be seeing more of Isaac and the many different personalities of Moon Knight down the road.
Marvel Studios Ironheart is set to go into production in just a few weeks and as the cast begins to fill out, a new report indicates that the streaming series will include a groundbreaking MCU character. According to a new report from POC Culture, Ironheart will introduce the MCU’s first transgender woman.
The report details a casting call for a Black, Latina or Afro-Latina transgender woman, 18-22, who is “unapologetically nerdy” with a “mystical bent” and a “unique sense of humor.” Ironheart will star Dominique Thorne as Riri Williams, a genius and inventor whose technology plays a key role in the conflict between Wakanda and Tlalocon. The series will also star Anthony Ramos in an unknown role and an unknown actor/actress as the child of Iron Man villain Obadiah Stane (the studio was open to a female for the role as well).
Wonder Woman writer and ItChapter Two producer Jason Fuchs has begun work on an It prequel project for HBO Max. According to a trade report, the prequel series which is currently titled Welcome to Derry, will see Fuchs serve as the head writer and Andy Muschetti, who directed both It films, back the project as executive producer.
According to the confusingly worded trade report, the series will serve as a prequel to 2017’s It. While it’s unclear exactly what ground the series might cover, it’s possible that it could explore the origins of Pennywise. If that were to be the case, they could further develop an idea that was cut from the 2017 film which introduced Pennywise in the 1600s:
There was a scene we shot that was a flashback from the 1600s, before Pennywise [was Pennywise]. The scene turned out really, really disturbing. And I’m not the clown. I look more like myself. It’s very disturbing, and sort of a backstory for what It is, or where Pennywise came from. That might be something worth exploring in the second one. The idea is the ‘It’ entity was dormant for thousands and thousands of years. The [flashback] scene hints on that.
There’s no work on whether or not Bill Skarsgard, whose portrayal of Pennywise was so terrifying that the children on set were often afraid during filming, would return in the role.
Of course, with Deadpool 3 being the first time a Fox-owned IP makes the jump to the MCU from the pre-existing continuity, fans have been eager to learn what other characters, if any, would also make the jump. While it’s not Josh Brolin’s Cable or Zazie Beetz’s Domino, Reynolds may have just given fans an answer to their question.
It’s certainly no confirmation, but Reynolds’ reply to Leslie Uggams, who play Deadpool’s roomie and bestie, Blind Al, in the first two installments COULD be an indication that the actress will return for the third go around. Uggams is great in the role, playing it straight opposite Reynolds’ over the top humor, and would be a welcome addition to the film as the characters jump into the MCU.
With a director on board and the script, originally written by Wendy and Lizzie Molyneux, heading to Reese and Wernick for a once-over, Deadpool 3 could be looking at going into production in the first quarter of 2023, putting it on track for a 2024 release.
One could argue that few characters have had a more difficult and emotionally scaring tale told in the MCU than Wanda Maximoff. To date, Wanda’s story has been heavily shaped by loss: her brother, her love and, most recently, her twin sons. Despite the loss, Wanda has perseverated, however, and after 4 major film appearances and the Disney Plus series WandaVision, she’s only just starting to truly understand who she is.
First introduced in a post-credit scene to Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Wanda’s origins were explained briefly in Avengers: Age of Ultron where it was explained that she, and her twin brother, Pietro, were given powers as a result of experimentation with the Mind Stone at the hands of Baron Strucker. In true comic book fashion, that origin was heavily retconned in WandaVision when it was revealed to Wanda that she had always possessed the ability to wield Chaos Magic-an ability that was simply enhanced by the Mind Stone-as she was the embodiment of the mythological Scarlet Witch, a being capable of spontaneous creation. Already incredibly powerful, Wanda began her studies of the Darkhold, a book which not only prophesied her ascension to a level of power great than that of the Sorcerer Supreme, but also her destruction of the world. This is the Wanda fans will next see in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and she’s a far cry from the orphan first introduced in 2015.
Unsurprisingly, her path in the MCU is deeply-rooted in Marvel Comics. While she was once the mutant daughter of one of Marvel’s most powerful villains, modern day Wanda’s comic book story, like her MCU counterpart, has been heavily retconned. No longer a mutant, Wanda is a born witch whose powers were amplified by scientific experimentation, though in the comics it was the High Evolutionary who did the work. Her powers were inherited from her mother, the previous holder of the title “Scarlet Witch” and her maternal grandfather, the “Scarlet Warlock.” This “new” family history was explored in James Robinson’sScarlet Witch solo series, which ran for 15 issues from December 2015 through February 2017, a series which fans of the character may wish to explore, or reexplore, as they prepare for the character’s post-MOM chapter.
While we haven’t seen her character arc in Multiverse of Madness unfold just yet, the trailers and plot rumors have given us a good sense of what to expect in the film: Wanda’s continuous studies of the Darkhold, where she seeks for an answer of how to get her sons back, have corrupted her and, in combination with her incredible powers, made her a threat to anyone who might stand in her way. Without delving too deeply into spoilers, it’s safe to say from the trailers that she’s not necessarily there to support Stephen Strange. Skipping through that heavy spoiler territory, recent rumors have her surviving the film and appearing in a pair of projects over the next several years. The firsts of those projects, a solo Scarlet Witch project, is rumored to go into production at some point in 2023 and could well be an adaptation of Robinson’s Marvel Comics’ series.
Such a story would certainly further into her past, only briefly glimpsed in flashbacks in WandaVision, and potentially involve the return of Kathryn Hahn’s Agatha Harkness, a witch whose long life-span would make her perfectly suited to lead Wanda through further explanation of her true nature: after all, fans only know that Wanda IS the Scarlet Witch, but not what the really means about her outside of being extraordinarily powerful. In the comics, Wanda’s journey lead her to the Witches’ Road, an alternate plane of existence accessible only to powerful mages, where she faced numerous dangers and discovered the true nature of Chaos magic and witchcraft.
Robinson’s solo series is a wonderful character study that is ripe for adaptation in the MCU. It would allow for all sorts of interesting characters to be introduced and all sorts of wild visuals and explorations. It could also, if done correctly, lead Wanda down one very specific road that leads to another incredibly powerful magic user…but that’s a story for another day, or for the adaptation of The Children’s Crusade.
4 years and 6 release dates ago, Matt Smith’s role in Sony’s upcoming vamp flick, Morbius, was revealed to be Loxias Crown, a Marvel Comics’ character known as Hunger. In the comics, Crown became some sort of quasi-vampire after being attacked by Morbius, but the character is poorly-defined, having only 5 total appearances and none since 1999. So, in some regards, it’s a great character for a comic-based film because he’s open to interpretation; however, there are also problems with adapting a character with so little supporting mythology. And, according to Smith, his Morbius‘ character may suffer from the same identity crisis he had in the comics.
In an interview with Screen Rant, Smith explained that he’s not entirely sure of the nature of his character because he didn’t do any comic-based research into him ahead of time:
The truth is, I wasn’t aware of the great big history of the character in many respects. Because the script I was presented with doesn’t really delve into the past of him – or indeed the future. And isn’t someone else playing him? It’s all a bit confusing to me, to be honest with you. I took as my Bible just the actual script, is the honest truth of it. And it was all a bit odd whether it was Loxias [Crown] or not. I’m still not quite sure, to be honest.
Matt Smith
In the film, Smith plays Morbius’ childhood bestie who suffers from the same hereditary disease as his friend. When Morbius finds the “cure”, Smith’s Crown, who comes from a wealthy family, uses his big money power to uncover Morbius’ discovery and then becomes a much more villainous, cold-blooded version of his friend. That character is a FAR cry from the comics, so it’s not surprising that Smith wouldn’t have to read any background material to prep. His route to villainy sounds very similar to how Marvel Studios has traditionally developed their villains, so maybe Sony has taken a page from the successful franchise.
Morbius FINALLY hits theaters just over a week from now on April 1st, 2022…or does it?
Though plenty of set photos and videos were captured during its production, much of Secret Invasion has stayed a secret. Samuel L. Jackson, Ben Mendelsohn and Cobie Smulders are all reprising their respective MCU roles in the Disney Plus streaming series, but little is known about who the rest of the cast will be playing in the paranoia-thriller.
Olivia Colman, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Christopher McDonald and Killian Scott have all been cast in undisclosed roles, but no member of the cast has drawn more interest and generated more speculation than Emilia Clarke. Fan theories have had her as everyone from Jessica Drew to Abigail Brand, but now a rumor from a source who has proven reliable in the past points in a different direction. If you’re hoping to avoid spoilers, turn away now…
According to Reddit and Twitter scooper My Time to Shine Hello, Clarke is portraying a character who played a major role in the Secret Invasion comic book event upon which the streaming series will be based.
In the comics, Veranke was the Skrull Empress and the mastermind of the Skrull invasion of Earth. Veranke famously simmed Jessica Drew, aka Spider-Woman, and used her to sow discord among the Avengers in the period leading up to the invasion.
Set footage from the UK showed Clarke’s character had some familiarity with Maria Hill, but also showed her seemingly working with Ben-Adir’s unknown Skrull villain, so while her identity as Veranke is important, it’s only half the story. The identity of the human character she has chosen to sim will prove to be just as important to the plot of Secret Invasion, which seems set to stream in 2023.
In December, we connected the dots and speculated that Reservation Dogs director Sydney Freeland might be attached to direct Marvel Studios streaming series Echo. It seems now that there’s no doubt that Freeland is attached to the show as she has spread the word of a casting search via her Instagram account.
The post, which calls for background actors with a focus on Native American, First Nations and Indigenous Peoples, confirms that the streaming series is prepped and ready to begin production next month in and around Peachtree City, Georgia. With that start of production just a month away and no news on who will direct the series, Freeland remains THE top candidate, especially now that she’s confirmed her involvement. Marvel Studios has used multiple directors for some projects, so it’s not clear if Freeland will be the project’s only director.
Echo will flesh out the story of Maya Lopez, who first appeared in the MCU in 2021’s Hawkeye. The series has been looking to fill nearly a half-dozen lead role with Native American talent, such as Graham Greene, who recently joined the project, and it’s expected to see Lopez spend some time in a small town while tangling with some mid-level thugs. The series has yet to be given a release date, but a mid-2023 debut seems likely.
The Tigers have high hopes to compete for a playoff spot in 2022 and while the defense and lineup look to be improved, it’s the growth of the pitching staff that will determine if they’re still playing once the regular season wraps up. Two free agent additions will add a much-needed veteran presence to a youthful rotation, but the development of Casey Mize, Tarik Skubal and Matt Manning will determine how far this team goes.
The Rotation
Eduardo Rodriguez
2021 stats: 31 GS 13-8 record 4.74 ERA 9.4 K/9 1.8 WAR 2022 projected stats*: 29 GS 12-9 record 3.47 ERA 9.6 K/9 3.3 WAR
The biggest splash the Tigers made in the pitching free agent market has already been given the nod as the Opening Day starter. Rodriguez will be expected to be a steadying influence on the Tigers young core of starters while they have what is undoubtedly their most important year of development. E-Rod knows a thing or two about perseverating through adversity, but don’t forget he’s also flirted with a 20-win season. If he gets back to the right side of 3.00 with K/BB ratio, he’ll find himself right back on top.
Casey Mize
2021 stats: 30 GS 7-9 record 3.71 ERA 7.1 K/93.3 WAR 2022 projected stats*: 30 GS 8-8 record 4.20 ERA 7.4 K/9 1.9 WAR
You could almost write the same blurb for Mize and Skubal and not sound too bad. This is the biggest year in Mize’s development and will go a long way in determining if he’s going to be their future #1 or if the club will have to dip back into free agency again to find an ace. Mize has shown the ability to pitch incredibly efficiently at times, but he’s also had incredibly frustrating spurts where he seemed to have totally lost his command. It isn’t so much that he walks a ton of guys, but it puts him in a spot where he throws way too many pitches, resulting in him not getting deep into games. A #1 gets you deep into almost every start. Is Mize that guy?
Tarik Skubal
2021 stats: 29 GS 8-12 record 4.34 ERA 9.8 K/9 1.7 WAR 2022 projected stats*: 29 GS 10-10 record 4.25 ERA 9.7 K/9 1.8 WAR
What’s the best pitch in baseball? A first pitch strike. No Tigers’ starter provides better evidence of that than Skubal. When ahead in the count in 2021, opponents hit .168; when behind in the count, that jumped up to .283. As A.J. Hinch said, “When he falls behind, he gets hit. When he doesn’t, he doesn’t.” In that regard, he’s not too dissimilar than Matthew Boyd. However, he’s only 25 and if he could push that K/9 north of 10, where it was for his entire minor league career, he becomes an incredible #2. But again, this year will go a long way in determining that.
Michael Pineda
2021 stats: 21 GS 9-8 record 3.62 ERA 7.24 K/9 1.4 WAR 2022 projected stats*: 28 GS 9-10 record 4.57 ERA 7.16 K/9 1.5 WAR
Brought in on a one-year, $5.5 M deal, Pineda should slot in as the Tigers’ #4 and really solidify the rotation. His signing gives them another veteran presence, allows Manning to bump to the 5 slot-where he’ll be able to be skipped occasionally, helping preserve his arm-and puts the versatile and valuable Tyler Alexander into the pen. The signing is an Avila special in that it is low-risk, high-reward and, if he has a great first half and the team isn’t in contention, he can look to move him. If that’s the case, it’ll give someone like Beau Brieske a dozen or so starts in the minors to see if he’s ready for the show.
Matt Manning
2021 stats: 18 GS 4-7 record 5.80 ERA 6.0 K/9 -0.4 WAR 2022 projected stats*: 26 GS 7-8 record 4.59 ERA 7.0 K/9 1.1 WAR
Manning just turned 24 and last year’s experience in Detroit might turn out to have been the tipping point in his career. He was having incredible success at AAA before a rash of injuries to the MLB staff gave him an extended shot. He was inconsistent not only with his performance, but seemingly with his confidence. Whatever the case, he rarely ever resembled the high K-rate guy he’d always been in the minors, sporting an average FB velo of only 93.4 MPH. If he walks into the season with some extra confidence knowing he has what it takes to survive the MLB, he could surprise the league and win a dozen games in 2022.
Wily Peralta
2021 stats: 18 GS 4-5 record 3.07 ERA 5.57 K/9 0.7 WAR 2022 projected stats*: 5-6 record 4.97 ERA 6.53 K/9 0.6 WAR
The Tigers brought Peralta back on a minor league deal, but given the great work he did in 2021 (allowing only more than 2 ER once after August), it’s reasonable to assume he’ll be one of the first calls if the team has any early season issues with the rotation.
Bullpen
Tyler Alexander
2021 stats: 15 GS 2-4 record 3.81 ERA 8.2 K/9 1.9 WAR 2022 projected stats*: 15 GS 6-7 record 4.86 ERA 7.0 K/9 0.5 WAR
With the signing of Pineda, Alexander will move to the pen. Pineda may not be ready for the first week or two of the season, so Alexander might fill in until then and he could also spot start at any point. Whatever his role, you couldn’t really ask for more consistency than what he can provide. He allowed more than 3 earned runs only twice last season, doesn’t put a lot of guys on for free and is usually good for 5+ innings.
Alex Lange
2021 stats: 36 appearances 1-3 record 4.04 ERA 9.84 K/9 0.1 WAR 2022 projected stats*: 54 appearances 3-4 record 4.66 ERA 8.54 K/9 0.0 WAR
The return on the Nick Castellanos deal, Lange made his MLB debut and put together two stretches of 6 or more appearances without giving up a run and opponents only hit .194 against the former LSU star for the season. If he can capture the magic of the second half of 2021, which saw an increase in velocity and a notable decrease in walks (0 walks in his last 10 appearances), Lange will be a key middle-relief guy, getting the ball from the starts to Fulmer and Soto.
Joe Jimenez
2021 stats: 52 appearances 6-1 record 1 save 5.96 ERA 11.32 K/9 -0.2 WAR 2022 projected stats*: 46 appearances 3-3 record 4.53 ERA 10.42 K/9 0.0 WAR
Once one of the team’s top prospects, Jimenez has spent 5 season “adjusting” and of all the names on the list here, his grip on a spot is the most tenuous. Despite his great “stuff”, Jimenez still walks way too many batters to be an effective reliever and does his worst work with runners in scoring position. The days of seeing him as the “closer of the future” are done and now he’s battling to be the guy who comes in when the team is down 6 after 2.
Kyle Funkhouser
2021 stats: 57 appearances 7-4 record 3.42 ERA 8.30 K/9 0.3 WAR 2022 projected stats*: 62 appearances 5-1 record 4.72 ERA 8.52 K/9 -0.1 WAR
A lat issue will keep Funkhouser from being ready for Opening Day, but make no mistake about it, he’s one of the most valuable pieces of the pen and integral to any success the Tigers hope to have in 2022. Half of his 26 earned runs were the result of 3 rough outings and he had a stretch in August that had fans remembering why he was once so highly touted. Funk seems to work best coming in to start an inning (he allowed only one earned run with the bases empty), so he is the perfect candidate to give the team an inning, occasionally two, when it’s clear the starter is gassed and isn’t coming back out.
Andrew Chafin
2021 stats: 71 appearances 2-4 record 5 saves 1.83 ERA 8.39 K/9 1.4 WAR 2022 projected stats*: 66 appearances 3-3 record 3.89 ERA 8.76 K/9 0.7 WAR
Chafin is coming off a career year in 2021, splitting it between the Cubs and A’s. Lefties couldn’t hit him (.176) and righties couldn’t hit him either (.196). He did his best work in medium leverage situations, which is probably exactly where the Tigers envision him doing his work for them. He’s also going to be a hit both with the staff and the town. A great signing for the team just ahead of the start of Spring Training.
Jose Cisnero
2021 stats: 67 appearances 4-4 record 4 saves 3.65 ERA 9.05 K/9 0.6 WAR 2022 projected stats*: 60 appearances 3-4 record 4.21 ERA 9.24 K/9 0.2 WAR
Cisnero should team with Chafin on getting the ball to Fulmer and Soto and, like Chafin, he does his best work in medium-leverage situations (.174 average against, 11 ER in 31.1 IP). Cisnero, like Chafin, is the perfect piece to start the 7th inning when the team is holding a lead and either that starter or middle man has put the team on the track for a win. He had a rough last week of 2021, but he also had a stretch of 20 innings over 13 appearances where he didn’t allow a run.
Michael Fulmer
2021 stats: 52 appearances 5-6 record 14 saves 2.97 ERA 9.43 K/9 1.6 WAR 2022 projected stats*: 64 appearances 4-4 record 6 saves 4.06 ERA 8.74 K/9 0.6 WAR
Fulmer’s move to the bullpen proved to be a career-saver for the one-time starting prospect. It took him some time to really find his groove, but in the second half, opponents hit .255 against him and he had a 1.52 ERA. More interestingly, opponents only hit .203 against him in high-leverage situations, which he’ll certainly see more of this year.
Gregory Soto
2021 stats: 62 appearances 6-3 record 18 saves 3.39 ERA 10.74 K/9 0.5 WAR 2022 projected stats*: 68 appearances 4-4 record 22 saves 3.90 ERA 10.88 K/9 0.7 WAR
A.J. Hinch has already named Soto as his closer, and in Hinch’s world, that means Soto will see the highest amount of high-leverage situations. Last year, opponents hit just .189 against him in those types of situations. Even as his ERA climbed as the season went on (much of that was the typical closer-pitching-in-non-closer situations), hitters still struggled to make solid contact against him often. He’ll remain one of the key pieces to the Tigers’ success in 2022 and any playoff hopes will obviously rest on how he, and the rest of the pen, do holding down leads.
Note: Joey Wentz and Alex Faedo, a pair of one-time top prospects recovering from Tommy John surgeries, might also see some time in the pen in 2022.
While the future is certainly bright in Detroit, Mize and Skubal need another year under pressure before becoming the top tier starters they are destined to be. A big jump by Manning could do wonders for both him and the team, however.
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