Murphy's Multiverse

Author: Charles Murphy

  • What I Heard This Week: Marvel Studios Disney Plus Production Update

    If you’re a part of the tl:dr crowd, this probably isn’t for you.

    Over the past 5 months, Marvel Studios has begun production on 3 series set to stream on Disney Plus. The production schedules themselves have been in flux and we’ve even seen a shift in the release date of one show as WandaVision moved from its original 2021 debut to late 2020. What I think we are witnessing here is Marvel Studios learning on the fly. While they’ve produced a couple dozen films, these series are an entirely different animal and the studio has been learning and evolving while responding to all sorts of different issues (weather, natural disasters, leaked locations and more).

    The Falcon and The Winter Soldier kicked off production in Atlanta at the end of October. That production was loudly announced via a social media blitz from stars Sebastian Stan and Anthony Mackie. This production has been very public, even throughout the last week, yet the general public has no idea the number of surprises in store for them (even if I did scoop Madripoor when they didn’t want me to).

    WandaVision was widely reported to begin filming in September in Los Angeles. However, as I reported in September (the site wasn’t up and running yet, so I just tweeted out the info), neither of those things were correct. As seen in the documentation below, production kicked off in early November in Atlanta.

    In early December, I used similar documentation (seen below) to inform fans that production on Loki was set to begin in early February. Just about a month later, I learned that Marvel Studios was slightly accelerating the start of production for Loki (which we later learned was so they could have the brief footage for the Super Bowl spot). That report was met with a great deal of skepticism; I was even told publicly on my Twitter feed by a Marvel Studios crew member that I was wrong because he was told Loki wouldn’t start until “closer to summer.”

    I think this is an important lesson here. I believe that the crew member was told that. I believe he believed that. I also believe that at any given time only about 5% of the people involved with a production (that includes the cast as well) actually knows the entirely of “what’s going on.” Obviously cameras rolled on Loki; we all saw the proof with our own eyes.

    As 2019 came to a close, I learned that The Falcon and The Winter Soldier was set to film in Puerto Rico after the holiday break. As we know, filming in Puerto Rico was delayed and then abandoned after the island was ravaged by earthquakes. As filming in Atlanta is reaching its end, we’ll see just where the show lands next…

    The new year brought more changes to production. Ms. Marvel, once slated for an April start, was seemingly moved to August as the studio reopened casting. Then I learned that production on Hawkeye (originally planned for an April start before being pushed to July), was indefinitely delayed. Recently, I updated that original report to indicate that the studio has tentatively targeted (pun most definitely intended) September for a start of production, turning the indefinite delay into a defined one: start of production was pushed back another 2 months. I know this is a really big topic of debate, so as I did with WandaVision and Loki, I’m sharing the recently updated documentation for Hawkeye, which is filming under Finger Guns Productions, LLC.

    Way back in October of 2020, I tried really hard to hint to everyone that Finger Guns Productions LLC was the company for Hawkeye:

    Quite a few people believed, and some still may, that it was the production company for Deadpool 3, but as you can see it is clearly marked as a Disney Plus production. Further evidence which has been redacted also indicates that it is Hawkeye. So, as of late yesterday, production on Hawkeye is set to kick off in Atlanta on September 28, 2020. Before people start jumping to the conclusion that this means Hawkeye will miss its Fall 2021 premiere date (something that was widely reported due to poor reporting on the original story), we should take cues from the two longest running productions: The Falcon and The Winter Soldier and WandaVision. As I mentioned, Marvel Studios has been learning and evolving and one lesson I believe they have learned is that they have MORE time than they originally believed to get these shows done. Despite delays of every kind, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier is on track to meet its August release date and WandaVision is on track to arrive several months earlier than originally intended. So, if Hawkeye does in fact begin in September of 2020, we could reasonably expect it to air anytime between July and Decemeber of 2021. With that lesson in mind, here’s a little more breaking news…

    Not too long ago I learned that She-Hulk was looking at kicking off production in Atlanta in July. A recent report from the Illuminerdi indicated that it would instead kick off in August. As of yesterday, neither of those things are still true. She-Hulk, under Thine Selves Productions LLC, is now looking to get the cameras rolling in mid-November of this year. If we are to use WandaVision as an example, that means we could very well see She-Hulk streaming on Disney Plus in December of 2021.

    Finally, it was recently reported that Moon Knight will film in Atlanta in November. I can confirm that this is accurate. What I can add to that is that Moon Knight, under Spectorcorp Productions, is still planning to go to the UK. As I originally stated, it is HIGHLY LIKELY that the reason they are heading to the UK is to use it as a base from which they can easily access some more exotic locations (think deserts) that are often used for filming.

    The constant here is change. Even as I type this, I’m confident that within a month, something here will change. That doesn’t stop me from continuing to look, rather it’s what keeps me going.

  • What I Heard This Week: ‘THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER’ To Film in Canada

    Every now and then I come across some information the veracity of which can be confirmed by a second source. What happens FAR more often is that I come across some information that while believable and from trustworthy sources, cannot be confirmed by other sources for various reasons. Typically, when the second scenario occurs, I move on and forget about the information unless, in rare instances, it turns out to be proven true somewhere down the road. For instance, on February 19th, I wrote this piece relaying some rumors I’d heard about Marvel Studios updating its Disney Plus slate; the next day, the news broke that a special Disney Plus event would be held in London on March 5th where it is expected that Marvel Studios and Star Wars slates will be updated.

    Image result for prettiest places in vancouver

    A thing I heard this week: Thor: Love and Thunder may shoot some scenes in Vancouver, British Columbia, aka Hollywood North.

    Since the 1970s, Vancouver has been one of the world’s top production locations. While it hasn’t been a hot spot for Marvel Studios, Helstrom is filming there now and it looks like the plan is for Taika Waititi’s Thor: Love and Thunder to do some work there as well. As far as I can tell, the plan is still for the bulk of the filming to take place in Australia and for additional filming to take place in Vancouver, among other locations. While I continue to search to find out if the film will be using studio space, my assumption is that they’re going to Vancouver to shoot locations and, to that end, there is no shortage of beautiful places from which to choose.

    Thor: Love and Thunder is expected to kick off production in Australia this August and shoot through the end of the year.

  • ‘STRANGER THINGS’ Season 4 Production Update

    If you’ve been following along, I’ve been working hard to keep fans updated on the production of the fourth season of Stranger Things. From detailing the Lithuanian production to narrowing down when to expect things to kick off back in Atlanta to introducing some new characters and even confirming a planned FIFTH season, I’ve been on top of production all along. Now I’ve got one more tidbit to pass along.

    Image result for stranger things kids

    With filming in Lithuania wrapped (filming that I heard included not only David Harbour but also Winona Ryder), production is heading back to the United States. While I initially believed it would start in early March, it turns out I was WAY OFF. Production is set to begin in Atlanta tomorrow, February 28th.

    This is good news for fans of the show as once it moves back to Atlanta, it should be easier to follow and cover. I expect to be able to bring you guys more news on the show over the next several weeks! Stay tuned to Murphy’s Multiverse…

  • What I Heard This Week: ‘THE FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLDIER’ Doing Rewrites Due to Pandemic

    Every now and then I come across some information the veracity of which can be confirmed by a second source. What happens FAR more often is that I come across some information that while believable and from trustworthy sources, cannot be confirmed by other sources for various reasons. Typically, when the second scenario occurs, I move on and forget about the information unless, in rare instances, it turns out to be proven true somewhere down the road. For instance, on February 19th, I wrote this piece relaying some rumors I’d heard about Marvel Studios updating its Disney Plus slate; the next day, the news broke that a special Disney Plus event would be held in London on March 5th where it is expected that Marvel Studios and Star Wars slates will be updated.

    Image result for marvel madbomb

    A thing I heard this week: The extended shooting schedule of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier in Atlanta might be due to some rewrites of the plot and it all might just have happened because of the coronavirus.

    In a potentially disturbing case or art imitating life, the plot of the upcoming Disney Plus series may have been altered as the coronavirus has continued to spread through the world and approaches being considered a pandemic. As many of you know, the production company for The Falcon and The Winter Soldier is Pandemic Productions LLC. The earliest of plot “leaks”, speculation and made up stuff all shared a common thread: some sort of of device unleashing a pandemic on the populace. In some cases, it was the Madbomb; in others, it was a terrorist group unleashing a bioweapon. Whichever one you liked best, the rumors were certainly out there that the show was set to feature something of the sort.

    Over the past two weeks, I’ve head a growing number of whispers that this is no longer the case. The coronavirus has already taken the lives of nearly 3,000 people worldwide, is causing long-term shut downs of schools and businesses and is wreaking havoc on the global economy. By the time The Falcon and The Winter Soldier streams in August, it is likely that the disease will have met the criterion to be considered a true pandemic (the last global pandemic was the H1N1 virus which killed as few as 151,000 and as many as 575,000 people worldwide, according to the CDC). From what I’ve been hearing, Disney may be proactively trying to get ahead of what could be a potential disaster for the studio by rewriting and, as a result, reshooting parts of the series, with a heavy emphasis on the seasons first couple of episodes.

    If any of these whispers are true or not is going to be really hard to prove. I don’t find it terribly likely that Disney is going to give an official press release that says something like, “We were going to do this, but did this instead because of this real world tragedy.” However, if it is true, it gives some insight into the types of behind the scenes decisions that have to be made at studios and how, as I am so fond of saying…things change all the time! If this is accurate, it’s obviously a show of empathy from the world’s largest media marketer. Given Disney’s strong relationship and presence in China, ground zero for the virus and the place where its terrible toll has had the largest impact, and with Disney set to launch its service to the rest of Europe where the virus is currently spreading rapidly, its not hard to believe these rumors. Taking into consideration the widespread panic that exists now and will continue to grow throughout the next several months and choosing not to add to it by changing the plot of its upcoming series, the one that will launch Marvel Studios streaming presence, is a bold, yet humanitarian move.

  • Connecting Imaginary Dots: A ‘LOKI’ Character May Come From Fantastic Four Comic

    If you’ve never read an installment of Connecting Imaginary Dots, allow me to explain the idea. Connecting Imaginary Dots was the title I came up with for my speculation pieces when I was writing at MCU Exchange. These types of pieces basically allow me to unload a bunch of junk that’s circulating in my brain in a way that should never be confused for things I actually expect to happen. I basically take a bunch of facts that are almost always entirely unrelated and do my best to connect the dots with by stretching my imagination. In the past these types of pieces have resulted in me theorizing that the Spider-Man sequel which became Far From Home might end up being a team-up outing of Spidey and Hulk in the Savage Land;however, I also wrote one theorizing that Sterling K. Brown would be playing the father of Erik Killmonger in Black Panther LOOOOOONG before anyone else was considering it and one in which I theorized that Annette Bening was actually Mar-Vell when everyone else still thought Jude Law was playing the character and, more recently, one in which I tried to connect some dots that would allow Spider-Woman to be a Sony/Marvel Studios cooperative effort much like the two most recent Spider-Man films. The bottom line is this: these are fun spec pieces that allow me to just be a fan. With that out of the way…

    Last week, The Illuminerdi relayed some information on some characters set to play a supporting role in the upcoming Marvel Studios streaming series, Loki. In that article, they included the following information about a character named “Casey”:

    Casey – Open to any ethnicity or gender. Casey is a good natured, yet exhausted intern. Extremely likeable. Great comedy skills. Casey’s entire career has been spent indoors and always does things by the books even when things are out of their control. A supporting character needed for 4 episodes

    When I first read about the role, a role for which Marvel Studios is looking for non-binary actors, I assumed it was a fairly generic role that was created to add some more humor to the office atmosphere of the Time Variance Authority. Last night, when researching another character set to appear in the series (sorry, I’m not quite ready to run that piece yet today), I was surprised to learn that a TVA employee named Casey already existed!

    First appearing in Fantastic Four #354, Casey is an alien of unknown origin who operates a timespace transport (the Illinois Central Cannonball Express) for the TVA. In the issue, Casey helps the Fantastic Four escape the TVA by giving them a lift back to their own time on his impressive cross-time express.

    This was Casey’s one and only appearance in the comics and it was a brief one where he openly defied the orders of one of his supervisors, Mobius M. Mobius. Now there is no certainty that the Casey we see in Loki is this Casey, is based on this Casey or has anything to do with Casey in any way, shape or form; however, it’s certainly worth thinking about and, at the very least, opens the flood gates to deluge of new ideas about what might actually be happening in Loki!

  • Cosmic Radiation, Dark Energy and The Fantastic Four

    When Stan Lee sat down to write the Fantastic Four in the 1960s, he came up with a very sci-fi sounding explanation for how they got their powers: cosmic rays! It sound pretty good: these explorers got hit with some cosmic rays and the strange energy they carried altered their DNA and gave them incredible powers, thus was born the First Family of Marvel Comics.

    At some point in the near future, Kevin Feige and the core creative team are going to sit down and determine how to redefine the Fantastic Four on the big screen. After a few failed attempts, Marvel Studios owns one of Marvel Comics most beloved and most high concept sci-fi properties and, as we’ve seen, Feige has no qualms about modernizing these IPs. Nobody knows for sure what route Feige and team will take with the Fantastic Four reboot. It’s possible we could see the team retconned in (similar to how they worked Hank Pym and Janet van Dyne into the continuity) as having worked on a project in the past that saw them disappear for the last 40 years or so. It’s an easy path to take, but one they’ve already dabbled in and one that could very well get stale quickly. Another possible path, and one that I’m growing more fond of by the day, is to modernize these great explorers and bring Reed Richards genius to bear as one of the world’s foremost theoretical physicists studying one of the universe’s great mysteries: dark energy.

    Image result for dark energy

    Simply put, dark energy is the stuff that scientists don’t understand very well and can’t see but they think they know it’s there because measurable changes caused by it can be observed throughout space because it’s hypothesized to occupy what was originally believed to be the empty space of the universe. Basically scientists think dark energy might be responsible for the accelerating expansion of the universe. And while a whole bunch of them love the idea, a whole bunch more (including some from a recent project in South Korea) aren’t really convinced of its existence. If that doesn’t make a lot of sense to you, that’s ideal because stuff that nobody understand is perfect sci-fi fodder. It’s hard to argue about the behavior stuff you can’t see and that nobody is even really sure exists because there’s no proof (think time travel in Terminator…now think about it in Avengers: Endgame).

    The accelerating expansion of the universe and dark energy are just a couple of things that theoretical astrophysicists think about in their down time and, if you’ve read anything with Reed Richards in it, are just the types of things Reed would ponder while assembling the update version the Ultimate Nullifier. In particular, Reed might concern himself with the notion that if the universe is expanding relatively rapidly, what happens when it gets too big? What the stars we see at night have gotten so far away from us that their light is no longer visible and entirely out of our reach? This sounds far-fetched, but it’s actually something Dr. Dan Hopper at the University of Chicago has thought a lot about and something that has real implications for the future of an already energy-starved planet.

    Why would it matter if we couldn’t reach the stars? Common among post-1800’s sci-fi fare (including Marvel Comics) is the idea of a Dyson Sphere. A Dyson Sphere is basically a massive structure, built around a star that stores the star’s energy and allows it to be transferred to any number of other modes. If we can’t get to the stars, Dyson Spheres really won’t matter…and this thought would really bother Reed Richards. So much so, that he might just try to get a handle on this whole dark energy thing and see if he couldn’t just harness it himself. One seemingly ridiculous way that one might harness dark energy would be to use it to warp spacetime itself, allowing for us to travel to the farthest reaches of the galaxy by MOVING spacetime instead of moving ourselves. And there’s something so crazy about that idea that I just can’t get out of my head the notion that it’s something Reed Richards would try to do and, in doing so, potentially bring himself face-to-face with the true nature (I mean it isn’t really true because we have no idea if it’s real) of dark energy.

    Image result for reed richard laboratory

    So perhaps as Feige and crew work their way towards The Fantastic Four, they might consider something as crazy as making Reed, Sue, Ben and Johnny the most modern of explorers. A man and his family who are pushing the limits of science to solve a growing energy crisis on a planet that is quickly running out of renewable resources. I’m sure the people who do this for a living can do a MUCH better job at fashioning a script around these types of ideas, but as a 40some year old who has been reading the adventures of the Fantastic Four for a long, long time…this is just the kind of modernizing I would love to see even if I filled it with made up stuff and a poor understanding of how the universe works.

  • Disney Plus to Update Its Marvel Studios and Disney Slates at March 5th Launch Event in London

    Disney is hosting a launch event in London on March 5th where it is expected to update its series slates for Marvel Studios, Star Wars and the rest of it properties and reveal exclusive information. This lines up with the information I shared with you yesterday but is more exciting as it also includes Star Wars and more.

    Executives from several branches of Disney are expected to be in attendance to update us on their properties and, potentially, reveal new offerings. It is expected that we might hear updates on Star Wars properties such as The Mandalorian Season 2, Obi-Wan and Cassian Andor; additionally, Marvel Studios will likely update its 2021 release schedule which should include new release dates for Loki, What If…? and Hawkeye and, potentially, dates for Ms. Marvel, She-Hulk and Moon Knight.

    Stay tuned for more on this as it draws near.

    Source: Starwarsnewsnet.com

  • What I Heard This Week: Marvel Studios Disney Plus Slate

    Every now and then I come across some information the veracity of which can be confirmed by a second source. What happens FAR more often is that I come across some information that while believable and from trustworthy sources, cannot be confirmed by other sources for various reasons. Typically, when the second scenario occurs, I move on and forget about the information unless, in rare instances, it turns out to be proven true somewhere down the road.

    Image result for marvel studios disney plus

    A thing I heard this week: Marvel Studios will publicly address their upcoming Disney Plus slate in the very near future.

    In July, Kevin Feige gave fans our first look at the Phase 4 slate and it had a heavy dose of Disney Plus shows with seasonal release dates. Just about one month later, The One-Above-All surprised us when he revealed 3 additional shows were headed to the streaming service, though no rough dates were given. It looks like what we saw in July is the equivalent of a rough draft. We’ve already seen the release date of WandaVision from Spring of 2021 to December of 2020 (I’m still buzzing about that great news!) and we have seen plenty of information that indicates the 3 shows revealed at D23 (Ms. Marvel, She-Hulk and Moon Knight) are all going into production in 2020 and, as of now, all of them are starting BEFORE Hawkeye. The bottom line here is that things have clearly changed behind the scenes since Feige’s presentations this past summer.

    Marvel Studios knows that fans are very curious about the upcoming Disney Plus slate. They know fans want content soon and they know that there have been all kinds of rumors and facts going around that have made them question what they’re getting and when. Additionally, the core creative team at Marvel Studios has been meeting quite a bit over the past several months and have busily been setting the course for their properties in 2021 and beyond. With that now behind them, I am told they are ready to begin making some announcements and they will begin by giving an updated slate of their Disney Plus offerings. Unfortunately (and I know this is going to cause disbelief and hatred), I was given neither a specific date nor a format for this update, only to expect it “in the next few weeks.”

    Personally, I find this to be exciting news. There have been so many different things going on with production dates and rumors that it’ll be refreshing to get some official word. As to what to expect, as I said, I have no idea, but it seems like a nice little video similar to what they debuted during the Super Bowl would do the trick. A sequel to Expanding the Universe, if you will, that is maybe 4-5 minutes long, gives some shots of the shows that are in production and an updated idea of when the shows will release. For me, that would hit the Goldilocks range of “just right.”

    As to what to expect from the future of Marvel Studios feature films, I can tell you that I am much more confident in the 2022 slate and that, if Marvel Studios is feeling nice, you might find out more about that and the 2023 slate soon as well, though I was told there was no guarantee the film slate would be updated with the TV slate. Even so, given that Marvel Studios has firmed up their upcoming slate, you can be sure it’ll start to leak out (it already has beginning with the Captain Marvel 2 news) and we’ll all be able to piece it together soon!

  • Connecting Imaginary Dots: Owen Wilson Is…Ugh…Kang

    If you’ve never read an installment of Connecting Imaginary Dots, allow me to explain the idea. Connecting Imaginary Dots was the title I came up with for my speculation pieces when I was writing at MCU Exchange. These types of pieces basically allow me to unload a bunch of junk that’s circulating in my brain in a way that should never be confused for things I actually expect to happen. I basically take a bunch of facts that are almost always entirely unrelated and do my best to connect the dots with by stretching my imagination. In the past these types of pieces have resulted in me theorizing that the Spider-Man sequel which became Far From Home might end up being a team-up outing of Spidey and Hulk in the Savage Land;however, I also wrote one theorizing that Sterling K. Brown would be playing the father of Erik Killmonger in Black Panther LOOOOOONG before anyone else was considering it and one in which I theorized that Annette Bening was actually Mar-Vell when everyone else still thought Jude Law was playing the character and, more recently, one in which I tried to connect some dots that would allow Spider-Woman to be a Sony/Marvel Studios cooperative effort much like the two most recent Spider-Man films. The bottom line is this: these are fun spec pieces that allow me to just be a fan. With that out of the way…

    I’m on the verge of tears as I write this. Arriving at this conclusion, no matter how speculative in nature it may be, is the thing my own recent, personal nightmares are made of; however, as information has continued to make its way through my inbox and my phone, I’ve forced myself to at least accept this as one possible outcome out of many: Owen Wilson may just be playing the role of Kang the Conquerer in the upcoming Marvel Studios streaming series, Loki.

    Recently Daniel RPK revealed that the series, now in production, was set to introduce the Master of Men to the Marvel Cinematic Universe and, if we are being honest with ourselves, there is plenty of evidence to support the insertion of Kang into the MCU in this series. As many of you know, the production company for the series is called Limbo Productions I LLC. In the comics, Limbo often served as a home base of sorts for Kang, all the Kangs really, and plays a large part in his own, personal stories. While we don’t know specifics about the series, we do know that Loki will see the titular trickster travel through time and become an influence on human history. All sorts of times and locations are rumored, some of which (Egypt and Times Square) could easily be tied back to places that were quite important to Kang in the comics (credit to my friend @3vry1lvsgdstry for digging up some of that information!). Finally, the events of Avengers: Endgame not only put the finishing touches on the Infinity Saga, but also opened multiple storytelling pathways for the future of the MCU and, as Tony Stark said, “when you mess with time it tends to mess back.” In summary, I don’t think anyone will be entirely caught off guard is Kang is introduced to the MCU in the near future. However…

    Owen Wilson as Kang the Conqueror would have to be up there with the absolute longest of longshots. It’s not something anyone would ask for and it’s certainly not something fans of the Lord of the Seven Suns have had their hearts set on for some time. So why am I, someone who finds Wilson’s involvement in the MCU an affront to my fandom, connecting the dots that lead to an actor I am not a fan of assuming the role of a comic book character I’ve been wanting to see on screen for roughly a decade? Because there are at least to facts out there that started my mind down this pathway and, as awful as it sounds, I want to offer the evidence up to the rest of you so that you can think it over for yourselves.

    Image result for owen wilson painting

    We know Wilson’s role in Loki is a major one. It’s a lead role and while it’s probably a very common occurrence with many of the actors who sign on for these Marvel Studios Disney Plus series, Wilson’s contract includes an option for a to be determined number of film appearances. As I said, film options are likely the case for many cast members but I do find it interesting that Wilson’s contract leaves it open ended. It indicates to me that not only can we possibly rule out an obscure character like Justice Peace or another member of the TVA, but also that Marvel Studios wants to lock Wilson into place for the next 3-5 years but, at this point, they aren’t locked in as to what films they might use him in. This jives with some other information I’ve been hearing recently that some changes to the future of the MCU took place as recently as October of 2019, which is why until recently we didn’t have a confirmed Captain Marvel sequel and we still don’t know just what to expect in 2022 and beyond. It’s possible that those decisions were very recently made or remade and that Kang now plays a large role in them.

    Admittedly that’s not very good evidence and since this is just a speculative piece, it doesn’t really have to be, but there is one more thing of interest. We know that while Loki is using Atlanta as its home base so they can use the stages, they’ll be going on location all around the U.S. over the next several months. Wilson’s character, whoever it may be, is set to appear in at least 5 episodes and will be traveling to locations with star Tom Hiddleston. Going on location means potentially exposing your leads to fans and paparazzi and I am told that Marvel Studios is taking every precaution to make sure that Wilson’s character is not revealed during these on location shoots because it would be considered a major spoiler. Again, if he’s playing a character such as Justice Peace, someone heavily speculated on since the TVA reveal in the Super Bowl spot, I’m not sure the studio would be very worried about him being seen in costume. However, if Wilson’s costume looks anything like the very unique get up Kang likes to trot around in, you can see why they won’t want that out there.

    Image result for Marvel kang the conqueror armor

    Kang is one of Marvel Comics greatest villains and a key component of the deal they made with Fox. There is no doubt they’ll be introducing him at some point and his involvement with the Young Avengers, a team which has been heavily rumored to assemble on screen shortly (and the evidence sure is building there, isn’t it?) makes it very easy to believe he’s coming soon. As hard as it is for me to swallow that it’s Owen Wilson who will be filling the role, it is one possible conclusion that can be drawn from the evidence that I’m starting to accumulate. I’ve always treated these Connecting Imaginary Dots pieces as fun speculative pieces and I’ve never been worried about being “right” or “wrong” about them; however, as soon as I hit publish, I’m going to spend the next several months hoping that someday we can all sit down and laugh as we label this theory as “WRONG.”

  • Connecting Imaginary Dots: Sony’s ‘SPIDER-WOMAN’ Film Will Be Set in the MCU

    If you’ve never read an installment of Connecting Imaginary Dots, allow me to explain the idea. Connecting Imaginary Dots was the title I came up with for my speculation pieces when I was writing at MCU Exchange. These types of pieces basically allow me to unload a bunch of junk that’s circulating in my brain in a way that should never be confused for things I actually expect to happen. I basically take a bunch of facts that are almost always entirely unrelated and do my best to connect the dots with by stretching my imagination. In the past these types of pieces have resulted in me theorizing that the Spider-Man sequel which became Far From Home might end up being a team-up outing of Spidey and Hulk in the Savage Land;however, I also wrote one theorizing that Sterling K. Brown would be playing the father of Erik Killmonger in Black Panther LOOOOOONG before anyone else was considering it and one in which I theorized that Annette Bening was actually Mar-Vell when everyone else still thought Jude Law was playing the character. The bottom line is this: these are fun spec pieces that allow me to just be a fan. With that out of the way…

    I know there’s a lot of conflicting info out there and a lot of theories, so I am hoping to shed some light on that here.

    Over the past week, I’ve read that Spider-Woman is set in the MCU, that it’ll feature Julia Carpenter and that there is no Spider-Woman film, but that there is just a Madame Web movie using the character.

    Here’s what I can tell you:

    Spider-Woman is a Sony Pictures film and it is entirely separate from Madame Web. But there is something very interesting. Amy Pascal is producing the film for Sony, but it’s also being overseen by executive producer Rachel O’Connor. This is interesting because O’Connor has not been associated with Venom, Morbius or Venom 2, but she has been associated with both Spider-Man: Homecoming and Spider-Man: Far From Home. I don’t think you need me to tell you why this is interesting, but at the moment, all I can do is speculate as to what this might mean.

    Jessica Drew is set to be the star of the Spider-Woman film. That is a stone cold fact. The character is co-owned by Sony and Disney. Marvel Studios can use Jessica Drew but cannot call her Spider-Woman. In conjunction with the information I stated above, this situation becomes much more interesting to me. I have to leave open the possibility that Sony and Marvel Studios could be working together on this film, meaning we could get a fully realized Jessica Drew rather than a half ass one from either Sony or Marvel Studios.

    Be careful though because, as of now, there’s no proof of this. The closest we can come is tying O’Connor to it and speculating that the October 7, 2021 release date that Sony just claimed was actually a sign of cooperation by Marvel Studios, who had originally claimed that date. Of course this would put Drew on the board for some of the big, upcoming MCU story lines, including a potential Secret Invasion adaptation, so…fingers crossed.


    My guess is that if there is something to this, we will know very soon.