Author: dalbinosorio

Paramount Delays ‘Transformers’ and ‘Star Trek’ Films

As the pandemic continues to impact the movie industry, we’re seeing a constant shifting of release dates. This is partly due to studios wanting to maximize profits by releasing a film at a better time. This had caused many studios to vacate release dates claimed years ago, as profits have diminished significantly due to COVID-19. The latest studio to make a massive shift in release dates is Paramount.

On Tuesday, Paramount shifted both Transformers: Rise of the Beasts and an unnamed Star Trek film back on its release calendar. Transformers, which stars In The Heights star Anthony Ramos and Judas and the Black Messiah star Dominique Fishback, has been moved a full year from June 24, 2022, to June 9th, 2023. It is now set to go head-to-head with an unknown Sony/Marvel film, and serve as both Ramos and Fishback’s next salvo in their ascension into the upper ranks of the best actors of their generation.

The unnamed Star Trek film vacated the June 9th date now held by Transformers, and will now release on Dec. 22, 2023. Interestingly enough, the move comes after it was recently announced director Patty Jenkins‘ Star Wars movie, Rogue Squadron has been delayed. Rogue Squadron was originally set to hit theaters on Dec. 22, 2023. While Jenkins’ film still retains its 2023 release date, is not expected to enter production in 2022, indicating the film will move on Disney’s calendar in the coming months.

Source: Variety

November 10, 2021
John Wick Prequel ‘The Continental’ Adds 3 to Cast

The John Wick series has been a critical and commercial success, with a collective haul of $587 million and critics raving about the action and star Keanu Reeves‘ performance. As is the case in Hollywood, if a title is popular, it often leads to spinoffs and sequels. Not only is John Wick 4 happening, but the John Wick series is also getting a spinoff on the small screen.

A spinoff focusing on the Continental, the famous Hotel for Assassins, was announced in 2018. Since then, news on the project has been rather sparse until last month when it was revealed Mel Gibson would star in the three-episode miniseries. Gibson will play a character named Cormac, who is notably not the younger Winston Scott (Ian McShane‘s character in the films) that the miniseries will follow. While we await the casting of our protagonist, we do have news today of three new roles that have been filled.

Thanks to Variety, we have learned that Peter Greene, Ayomide Adegun and Jeremy Bobb have joined the cast with the aforementioned Gibson. Greene will play Uncle Charlie, who is the younger version of the character as played David Patrick Kelley in the films. He’s a cleaner and a body man, as fans of the films know.

Adegun will play the younger version of Lance Reddick‘s character Charon, who is the concierge of the Continental Hotel in the films. While Jeremy Bobb is joining the series as an original character named Mayhew. The 40 year old actor is best known for playing Herman Barrow in The Knick.

The cast is starting to shape up, as we await news on who is filling the shoes of a young Ian McShane. We’ll have more as we learn more.

Source: Variety

November 10, 2021
Henry Cavill is Open to Playing Captain Britain in the Marvel Cinematic Universe

Marvel fans have long been clamoring for Superman himself, Henry Cavill, to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Given Cavill’s familiarity with the very vocal internet voices that tend to populate these spaces, it is likely he’s seen the many fanmade posters of him playing, well, everyone from Wolverine to Hercules. Yet no one ever thought to ask him who he would play in a Marvel movie: that is, until today.

In an interview with the Hollywood Reporter, Cavill had this to say:

“I’m never going to say a Marvel character that is already being played by someone else because everyone’s doing such an amazing job. However, I have the internet and I have seen the various rumors about Captain Britain and that would be loads of fun to do a cool, modernized version of that — like the way they modernized Captain America. There’s something fun about that, and I do love being British.”

Brian Braddock is technically introduced in Avengers: Endgame. When Steve goes back in time and stumbles upon Peggy, who is the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. at this point, she mentions that Braddock hasn’t checked in in a while to a subordinate. Braddock, who later becomes Captain Britain after a horrific motorcycle crash, gains his powers from Merlin The Wizard (yes, King Arthur’s Merlin). Merlin offers to save Braddock’s life in exchange for him donning the Amulet of Right and becoming the aforementioned superhero. It is a story that can easily be adapted for the current MCU, especially when you factor in the introduction of variants and the multiverse and an expanded upcoming role for Captain Carter herself.

Who knows, maybe instead of Merlin being the wizard who saves him, it’s Dr. Strange. Marvel does seem keen on adding a lot of actors who’ve been in the running for the sexiest man alive.

Source: THR

November 10, 2021
‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ Set Photo Seems to Indicate Becky Lynch Has Joined the MCU

As we’ve seen with stars like John Cena, Jon Moxley and Ronda Rousey, the linkages between the squared circle/octagon and your local AMC theatre have always existed. With bigger stars like Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Sasha Banks and Dave Bautista, the runway from the WWE to the big screen is more pronounced than ever, and it becomes especially true when we notice that the latter have all now dabbled in the world of comic book movies and properties. Bautista is suiting up as Drax for his sixth go around, Banks joined the Star Wars universe in the critically-acclaimed The Mandalorian, and the Great One will next be seen in DC’s Black Adam. Now it seems we might be adding “The Man” Becky Lynch to that list.

As WWE fans know, Lynch took some time off from the ring to get married to the Architect Seth Rollins and have a new baby. She promptly returned at WrestleMania this year, turned heel and became the WWE Raw Woman’s Champion amidst some controversy. Rumors surfaced last year that the Irish Lass Kicker would be joining the MCU and a set photo from last weekend may have given new life to that rumor.

The picture above, found on Atlanta Filming’s Instagram, looks to be WWE superstar Becky Lynch on the set of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Lynch looks to be dressed for the part of a mercenary for hire which makes sense given the context of the scenes shot this past weekend. Other photos indicate Lynch is part of a larger team of mercs, likely there to protect some researchers working on a vessel that was also photographed and shared on social media. Given that the scenes were filmed near the water, it’s possible that Lynch’s character could find herself face to face with Tenoch Huerta’s Namor or some of his forces.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will be in theaters almost one year from now on November 11, 2022

Source: IG

November 10, 2021
Netflix’s ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ Casting Members of The Fire Nation

The Last Airbender amassed a huge following on Nickelodeon when its first episode premiered over 16 years ago. The story of Aang, a young Airbender, uniting with two Water Tribe siblings, and the exiled son of the Fire Lord, as he returns from being stuck in time resonated with people both young and old. Following Aang’s journey as he learned how to master the elements in preparation for his fight with the aforementioned Fire Lord was a masterclass in storytelling, and so many incredible stories were woven into its 61 episode runtime.

At the height of its popularity, a live-action film was inevitable. M. Night Shyamalan was enlisted to bring the story to life, with Noah Ringer as Aang, Dev Patel as Prince Zuko, Nicola Peltz as Katara, and Jackson Rathbone, fresh off his role in Twilight, as Sokka. It was promptly ravaged by critics despite it earning more than double its budget. Like the Water Tribe, Avatar fans have been waiting for news of Aang especially after the incredible Legend of Korra. Well, the wait is almost over, as Netflix announced the core cast for a live-action remake of the cartoon in August of this year: Gordon Cormier (Gabby Duran and the Unsittables) as Aang, Kiawentiio (Beans) as Katara, Ian Ousley (Physical) as Sokka, and Dallas Liu (PEN15) is Zuko. Today, we have even more casting news.

Thanks to our good friends at The Illuminerdi, we now have word on what roles the showrunners are looking to cast.

First up, it seems, is General Iroh. For Avatar fans, that name will mean a lot as he is who counsels Prince Zuko into joining with the Avatar instead of doing his father’s bidding and who has one of the most heart-wrenching stories when he is recounting the Battle of Ba Sing Se. His character description describes him as a “now retired, but once top athletics coach in the country. Known for his tough coaching and winning record he’s calmed since his retirement and takes the time to smell the roses and taste the pleasures in life.”

Up next, they are looking to cast who can only be Azula. For those who don’t remember her, she is the Princess of the Fire Nation and a firebending prodigy who manages to produce blue fire when battling Zuko in the later seasons. While she doesn’t play a big role in season one, she plays an integral role down the stretch and is the perfect foil for Prince Zuko. This character is described as a person who “has been training her entire life to live up to the legacy of her father. She inherited his single-mindedness and ambition and like her father has developed a ruthlessness that she exerts toward anyone she sees as competition, including her own family.”

Lastly, we have the Fire Lord himself, Lord Ozai. Described as an “intense and steadfast CEO of a major corporation with perfectionist standards that he believes everyone around him should live up to. Infamously willing to sacrifice everything to gain power including his marriage. He sees it as his duty to groom his teenage children to see the world as he does and to be just as ruthless.” Ozai abused Zuko and then exiled him, took the throne without a challenge from General Iroh, and ruled over the world while Aang was frozen. Think the Mandarin to Shang Chi, and you’ll have an idea.

This is all exciting news for fans of the cartoon, as a lot of us were hoping something would be done to redeem the series after the terrible job done by M. Night. As of right now, release is tentatively slated for the 2022 Holiday season.

Source: Illuminderdi

November 1, 2021
Murphy’s Team-Up, Volume 3: One Change to the MCU

Last weekend, we looked at which characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe were worthy of their own spinoff. In this week’s installment of Murphy’s Team-Up, we take a look at one thing we’d all change about the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Dalbin: I would change the order of the films to represent a more linear and chronological release and utilize the Marvel One-Shots to fill in some gaps. Captain America: First Avenger would’ve been first, then Captain Marvel, then maybe a Black Panther prequel with King T’Chaka as the protector of Wakanda. Maybe Guardians of the Galaxy takes place much earlier in the regular timeline, with an accompanying One-Shot showing Peter being taken and groomed by Yondu.

Marvel Studios has done an impressive job handling all the plates in the air, but there have been some small missteps in the canon: the Incredible Hulk end-credits scene comes to mind, as well as the revelation that Odin had a fake Infinity Gauntlet in his treasure room. A more streamlined narrative may have avoided those while utilizing a different medium to support the stories being told.

Anthony Canton III: If there was one thing I’d change in the MCU I’d keep Ultron around. What if? opened up an interesting door involving the multiverse and Ultron’s potential to be a lasting villain. One of the issues in superhero movies generally run into is villains normally die. Even the most compelling villains tend to hit the dirt and while there are good logistical reasons for it we need some more Zemo types in our lives. Bring Ultron back, have him show up again and make him a more significant threat than he actually was. Change that, and you always have something you can go back to. It can be in different ways too, we have time travel and the multiverse. More Ultron means more fun.

Joāo RP:

If I could go back and change one thing in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it would have to be turning the time travel approach used in Avengers: Endgame from the Multiverse Theory to the Fixed Timeline theory. The Multiverse Theory means, as its name states, that by traveling in time you create bifurcations in the time stream, making it branch out into new, separate timelines. Just like we’ve all seen it explained in Loki. Even if it all ended up laying the groundwork for the aforementioned Loki series, it has led to a convoluted mess we’ll explore more of in Phase Four.

Had Marvel Studios used the Fixed Timeline theory, it would ask for a more clever way of dealing with traveling back in time. This is because the actions of the time travelers would have already taken place in the previous movies, and so these would have to be retrofitted onto those scripts’ gaps. It would also give the Infinity Saga a bit more closure, instead of trying to get ahead of itself in setting up what would come next. The Multiverse could wait, as there were many possibilities to still have it come to fruition down the line, without having to compromise the ending of a 23-movie-long overarching story.

Mary Maerz: I always wish they had found some way to adapt Demon in a Bottle for Tony. I know why the studio did not do that, and I think the order of films currently could have made that extra tricky, but they did try and put some mental health elements in Iron Man 3—and they hinted at his possible problem in Iron Man 2. If you did everything to set up Demon in a Bottle in Iron Man 3, then Age of Ultron and his role in it could have been the big moment where it all comes to a head, considering he really screwed the pooch there. It would also explain some of his significant character growth and maturity between Age of Ultron and Civil War, where he seems like he had to sit with himself and figure out what he’s doing with his life anyway. Considering we had sort of less/sporadic character development for him after 2013, it could have given his arc some real punch in Phase 2-ish and let the results play out naturally in Phase 3.

Nathan Miller: My use of time travel to change the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe would be more meta than changing something within the story-universe. I would have decision-making executives in charge of greenlighting early Marvel films give the go-ahead to the early projects Kevin Feige and team wanted to make in the mid-2000s. It would have been amazing to have had films centered on Shang-Chi, Black Widow, Black Panther, Cloak & Dagger and Doctor Strange in Phase One. It’s fascinating to imagine how different the MCU might look in that context!

Hunter Radesi: If I had the power to alter the cinematic Marvel timeline and change one thing, I would make Peter Parker a protégé of Steve Rogers instead of Tony Stark. I typically tend to stay away from this topic, as I truly love the version of Tom Holland’s web-slinger that we got. However, I always felt that Steve’s values were better suited for a young Parker who may have needed to hear the “plant yourself like a tree” speech at that point in his life.

October 24, 2021
World War Hulk(s): What It Could and Should Be

On Wednesday, Geeks World Wide broke the news that the next time we could potentially see Mark Ruffalo‘s Jade Green Giant is in a film adaptation of World War Hulk that will spring out of Disney Plus’s upcoming She-Hulk series releasing in 2022. With a World War Hulk(s) movie in the making, Anthony and Dalbin break down what a feature adaption of the comic could and should be!

Anthony: There’s always been a fascination from the comic book community about what a World War Hulk adaption would look like on the big screen. Does it need to be comics canon? Not completely. Some things are necessary, though.

We need to see Bruce Banner at odds with the Avengers physically. We got a taste of that in Age of Ultron as Hulk took on Veronica the hulk buster, but that didn’t have the emotional stakes this one could potentially have.

Whether it’s an accident or something more significant, Bruce could be at odds with one of the more powerful leaders of the Avengers. Maybe a throwdown with Captain Marvel, or perhaps a rematch with Thor? All the possibilities are tantalizing, the difference being that this time there’s personal stakes attached.

Even seeing something like the Hulk and his brethren take on multiple Avengers could have catastrophic consequences for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It also would be extremely compelling, bringing grit and grime the Hulk has been way overdue for. This is also potentially a great way for Mark Ruffalo to end his run as the Hulk. He’s getting a bit older and maybe he doesn’t want to do this forever. A story like this would be a satisfying conclusion to his arc if Marvel Studios and Ruffalo chose to go that route. However it goes, World War Hulk has the potential to change the fabric of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s storytelling as we know it.

Dalbin: She-Hulk, the Disney+ 10-part series, is shrouded in some mystery, but what we know is it will star Tatiana Maslany as the lead heroine and Jameela Jamil as the villainous Titania. They’re the newcomers joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but the show is equally as important for who is returning.

Fresh off appearing in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, the Abomination and a now-human Bruce Banner will feature in She-Hulk. As Jennifer Walters’s cousin, it’s no surprise we’ll see Banner, but last we saw Emil Blonsky he was no longer in a S.H.I.E.L.D. holding facility. (He was most likely on board the Raft). Instead, he had just fought Wong in the underground Fight Club that the new leader of the Ten Rings was overseeing. He and Wong left through a portal as Wong was training him on how to be a more effective fighter, however, it’s never made clear as to why Wong is training Abomination.

Could the Abomination, who is now free, be recruited by Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ Val for whatever her endgame is? Does she send Blonsky after She-Hulk? More importantly, is Banner then forced to transform into the Hulk to defend his cousin from the two superpowered villains?

Banner is the one whose appearance in Shang-Chi‘s post-credits scene raised even more eyebrows. No, not because Jolly Green seemed to be serving in a leadership role post-Endgame with Captain Marvel and Wong, but because he was human. Yes, his arm was in a sling, but he was very much Mark Ruffalo. What happened post-Endgame that split Hulk and Banner after Banner spent time post-Infinity War bringing them together? And how do we get from Banner in a leadership role to Banner potentially being exiled off Earth Prime?

What if it isn’t the Hulk we know? Could we be getting ready to see the introduction of the Immortal Hulk? A Bruce Banner whose timeline mirrors the Banner from Earth-Prime until the One Below All possesses him? This Hulk, in the comics, actually killed the son of Sue Storm and Reed Richards. Yes, the Franklin that tried to save the multiverse. An all-powerful Hulk unhinged is strong enough to be jettisoned off-world, but what if stopping at one Hulk isn’t enough? What if She-Hulk or any Hulk-like character are blasted off Earth Prime?

With the Multiverse opening up following the events of Loki, what we thought we knew about the Marvel Cinematic Universe no longer applies. After all, a Secret Invasion is heading our way soon that could pave the way for even more Skrulls to descend upon Earth or reveal themselves. Everything has within the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been leading to this. Yet, it’s hard to believe we are ready for what Marvel Studios has in store for Hulk.

World War Hulk will enter production sometime in 2022. A release date is yet to be announced.

October 21, 2021
Murphy’s Team-Up Volume 3: Russos Assemble

In this week’s Murphy’s Team-Up, the group talks about what project they would like to see the Russo brothers tackle when they return to Marvel Studios.

Anthony Canton III

As far as an Avengers team for the Russos to direct, let’s get Captain Marvel, Captain America, Spider-Man, Thor, Dr. Strange, Monica Rambeau, and Banner as our main team. There’ll be support from others if needed but I like that crew. The villain for a crew like this would be Annihilus. A fun scenario would be an earth takeover as the Avengers take on him and his army.

Charles Murphy

While it’s more likely they’re coming back for something major like Secret Wars, I’d be happy for them to work on a Silver Surfer trilogy. Following the mold they cut on their work with Captain America, I’d love to see them explore the “fallen hero” themes from Stan Lee’s seminal late-60s/early 70s run (honestly some of Stan’s finest writing) without having him confined to Earth. Surfer is probably one of the heaviest hitters in the toy box that Marvel Studios bought from Fox and I hear he may be introduced sometime in 2022 (it’s just a rumor for now, so settle down); the Russos, who have expressed their love for the character in the past, could elevate the character to heights he deserves.

John Sabato

The next team I’d like to see the Russos direct is Captain America, Wasp,
Ant-Man, Mighty Thor, Shang Chi, Black Knight, Sersi, and Photon. The villain? AC is right: Annihilus.

Joao Pinto

The Russos have themselves said that the inspiration behind Avengers: Infinity War’s team comprised of Cap, Falcon, Black Widow, and Wanda was Marvel’s Secret Avengers. Even in their debut feature for the franchise, Captain America: The Winter Soldier they managed to get Steve Rogers donning a suit clearly hinting at the one he wore while leading the Secret Avengers in the comics. So with that said, why not give them the keys to their own black-ops superhero team? There are a number of members that have already left the MCU but, hopefully, we’ll soon have brand new characters introduced that would manage to make the cut. Original team members Moon Knight and Nova would be welcomed additions, with Yelena Belova taking Natasha’s place in the team, all while having War Machine serve as the liaison between the team and government authorities. Hank McCoy and Shang-Chi would complete the team, making it extremely diverse in its disfunctionality.

Joseph Aberl

With the Russos potentially returning, it seems like the obvious choice for them to spearhead the project featuring the Avengers fighting Kang the Conqueror, but I’d like to propose a different kind of story. After the aftermath of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, the multiverse breaking loose is just a matter of time. They end up realizing that another multiverse is going to try and merge with theirs. A new team featuring Spider-Man, Doctor Strange, the new Black Panther, White Vision, and more face off against an Incursion. They meet familiar and new faces of old friends that force their hand in an unlikely war. Yet, at the end of the day, they realize this was just the prelude. Something sinister is waiting for them in the future.

Mary Maerz

I honestly don’t know who my preferred team for a Russo’s feature would be, but I am most excited for Sam Wilson to make his Avengers debut as Captain America, and would love for the Russos to have a hand in that. With all of the more complex storylines going on in Phase Four, he will definitely ground everything. His character also just rocks and will probably make a lot of wild stuff feel more human and relatable. As far as a villain, I would really like Kang to still be the Big Bad by Avengers 5. After he (his variant) appeared in the Loki series, it seems obvious to me that there is so much potential in building him up over time into something really special. The MCU sort of did that with Thanos, but mostly just through teases—we didn’t really see him do anything in particular until Infinity War. Kang, though, with Ant-Man 3 in particular, has the ability to feel like a huge and constant threat for the foreseeable future if they keep him around. It would definitely have an incredible payoff. Plus Jonathan Majors is going to be amazing, so we’d have a villain with some personality too.

Nathan Miller

I’d honestly rather give Chloe Zhao or Nia DaCosta a go at directing the next Avengers film rather than the Russo brothers. I’d like to see the Russos have a go at a Dark Avengers or Thunderbolts Disney+ series instead. So inline with that, the team would be: Zemo, US Agent, Yelena Belova, Abomination, Songbird, Agatha Harkness and Contessa Valentina Allegra de la Fontaine. I can see them having a rivalry with a team Sam might put together, but not a wholly antagonistic relationship with them, with the bigger fractures likely from within the team itself. As for who they would be taking on, perhaps a villain like Morgan le Fay, or perhaps they might try to lay Siege to New Asgard.

Join us next week for another Murphy’s Team-Up!!

October 18, 2021
Murphy’s Team-Up, Volume 2: What MCU Supporting Character Should Get The Next Spin-Off

Welcome back to Murphy’s Team-Up! Think of this as the Nerds of the SquareTable, where the writers of Murphy’s Multiverse come together every Sunday to answer a burning question that comes out of the news of the week.

This week’s question:
Now that Agatha, War Machine and Echo have gotten their own spin-offs, what MCU supporting character would you like to see get their chance to shine next?

Anthony Canton III

I would like to see Hunter B-15 get a spinoff. Wunmi Mosaku is a leading lady in the making and B-15’s story before the events of Loki. If we could see how the TVA took shape through her eyes and visit her memories? It would be the perfect through-line to Ravonna and a, maybe, even more Kang.

DA Osorio

That’s a good choice, Anthony! I am all for getting the chance to revisit the TVA. However, I’m going in a different direction: I’d love to revisit the Kree Empire and see more of Djimon Hounsou and his version of Korath The Pursuer. Korath has ties to the Shi’ar Empire, and was sent to assassinate Lilandra; he has also fought Quasar. Korath has also gone to war with Makkari, an Eternal set to debut next month in that feature film. With Secret Invasion on deck, plus The Marvels, it feels like there is a good opportunity for a variant of Korath to make his presence felt.

Charles Murphy

I’m all in on Jaimie Alexander‘s Sif getting a spinoff show entitled Journey Into Mystery. While we are about to get our 4th Thor movie and the 2nd season of Loki, there are so many tales of Asgard left to tell and so many well-developed characters that we’ve never met. One thing that makes these spinoff shows great is that the main characters get a supporting cast around them and a JIM series could follow Sif around the previously unexplored corners of the Nine Realms and bring a lot of these great characters to life.

Hunter Radisi

Howard the Duck would make for an excellent foray into more adult-centric animation. You can use the character to explore and introduce a lot of the more “out there” Marvel characters and locations without it feeling weird or out of place. We are long overdue for more Howard The Duck.

JJ

I’d love to see Stakar Ogord’s team from Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2 get a prequel series. Maybe jumping from the past to the present, showing how the team first came together and bringing back Michael Rooker’s Yondu. I think there’s potential there and another way to get James Gunn back for another stint in the MCU.

Joao

While not being the most obvious choice, following The Collector through his own Disney+ show might prove to be an interesting concept. This could either be a prequel to when we first meet him in Thor: The Dark World or, in case he managed to escape Thanos’ wrath, a sequel to the events of Avengers: Infinity War. We could go deeper into his relationship with his brother Grandmaster though perhaps the most interesting way to go about it is to explore how he managed to acquire all the artifacts and entities he kept in his Museum, from Cosmo to Howard the Duck. In case we’re talking about a sequel we would follow his pursuit to gather them all once again. This would bring Benicio del Toro, one of the best actors of his generation, back into the MCU, and by having the action take place far away from Earth, it wouldn’t be so constrained by all the events that took or are taking place over there. With the outer space setting things could get as crazy as they come.

Mary Maerz

I would like a Korg and Miek buddy cop series or special. It could follow the two caught in the middle of some mysterious threat facing New Asgard while Valkyrie is away on vacation or something, and they could take the lead in trying to solve or handle it.

Nathan Miller

I would love a Ryan Coogler-produced Namor and Atlantis Disney+ series spinning out of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Not only would it be amazing to see another Coogler worldbuilding project flourish in the MCU, with plenty of opportunity for new characters and locations. It would also be a fantastic opportunity for some Indigenous representation both in front of and behind the camera with up-and-coming writers, directors, and crew.

Which characters would you like to see get their a spinoff?

October 10, 2021
How Captain Carter Shaped Her Universe

When Sylvie plunged a dagger into He Who Remains’ heart, she effectively unleashed hell for our heroes and villains over the next several years. Never mind that the man she killed was fine with surrendering the TVA willingly. What Lady Loki’s actions did was both destroy the sacred timeline and bring about something even worse than the Mad Titan.

Given that, What If…? becomes even more important as the first Marvel Cinematic Multiverse show to highlight the first real consequences of Lady Loki’s actions. Before we look at where we are now, we need to take a quick look at where we were before Lady Loki’s actions.

If you believe that Captain America was able to return all the stones to their rightful timeline and return with a brand new shield for Sam Wilson at the end of Avengers: Endgame, then I’m here to tell you that the math generally doesn’t add up. When Cap and Tony go to steal the Tesseract from the 70s S.H.I.E.L.D. base, they also steal four Pym particles. They use two to return to the present timeline which leaves Cap with two. If you listen to the dialogue with Ant-Man, Iron Man and Cap, it is made clear that you need two Pym particles for a roundtrip in the Quantum Realm. So, theoretically, Cap would’ve only had enough to return one of the stones and then come back to the present-day.

Now, I know what you’re thinking: Hank Pym was back, so he could’ve just made Steve more Pym particles. Sure, that would explain how Steve got the stones back, but you really think Steve told nobody except Hank Pym, a man he just met, about his plan to remain in the past with Peggy Carter and secure a shield of his own? That just doesn’t seem like something Steve would do.

It’s more likely that Hank made Steve the particles to return the stones and return to the present day, but Steve used the one to return to the present day to return to 1950 to be with Peggy. This removes Captain America from our main timeline. These are the branching timelines that, I think, popped up post-Endgame:

A 1940’s timeline where Cap remains while he is, possibly, believed to be dead.

This becomes interesting to explore because it would stand to reason that Cap wouldn’t leave Bucky to Hydra’s torture, which takes that timeline into a very different direction than the main timeline. Is this Cap operating in the shadows with Peggy helping him? Does he become Nomad instead? How does SHIELD develop with Cap still alive? A lot of questions, especially when he wouldn’t have had enough Pym particles to return, so the one that gives the shield to Sam isn’t our Steve.

A 2012 timeline that has Loki with the Tesseract.

This was explored, briefly, in Loki. However, if we dive further, we now have a 2012 where Loki does not return to Asgard and cause his parents’ death. That means neither Hela and Surtur are released, Asgard is still standing, and Thor does not return to Earth in Avengers: Age of Ultron to help retrieve Loki’s scepter. Keep in mind that Thor returned to Earth to get the Aether from Malekith. With Malekith vanquished, he and Jane could’ve remained in Asgard. If Thor does not return then the Vison in this 2012 timeline might be very different. Wanda and Pietro would still receive their powers from the Mind Stone, and Ultron would actually create Vision.

A 2014 timeline with no Thanos (because that Thanos was killed in 2023).

This is a timeline with not only no Thanos but also no Guardians as Gamora is gone. This means that Star-Lord never loses the Power Stone to Gamora. Instead, he probably loses it to Rocket and Groot, and they are still arrested, but without Gamora the team isn’t as strong and it is very possible that this timeline sees Ronan succeed in destroying the Nova Corps and Xandar. With no Thanos to check him, does Ronan become the most powerful being in the universe? Does this timeline have a Carol that returns to Earth sooner if Ronan sets his sight on Earth?

A 1970s timeline where Hank realizes someone stole his Pym particles.

This is a timeline where Hank Pym potentially leaves SHIELD much sooner, which means Janet never vanishes. If Janet never vanishes, who stops the Russian missiles from destroying Earth? Furthermore, if Hank and Janet are still alive and together, then Hope never feels the need to become a superhero, so there is no new Wasp in this timeline either.

After Loki, we now have a 2012 that has created another branch: one where He Who Remains is dead and Lady Loki is potentially in charge of the TVA. That means we definitely now have 2 different versions of 2012, with a potential third:

1. Loki and the tesseract, King Thor, Odin alive, Hela imprisoned, Asgard still here, and a Hydra that believes Captain America is a sleeper hydra agent.
2. Lady Loki in charge of the TVA with Kang dead.
3. whatever TVA Loki now finds himself in, where Kang lives.

That means that we have six guaranteed timelines, with a potential seventh, before we even get to the first episode of What If…?.

Oh, wait, but what about Wandavision? Wanda becoming the Scarlet Witch was the event He Who Remains did not foresee. It may not create a whole new branch as much as it veers the main timeline in a direction that not even Kang saw coming. It’s that change, in combination with the branches, that brings Dr. Strange off the bench.

Now… on to What If…?:

We see Agent Carter become Captain Carter by making one small decision. This leads to a timeline where the following things definitely happen:

1. Peggy Carter is the new Captain and vanishes through the portal created by the tesseract. She lands in the future of this universe where Nick Fury is assembling the Avengers in 2012. The Hawkeye in this timeline knows who Captain Carter is, and clearly so does Fury.
2. Howard Stark creates the first Iron Man suit, which Steve Rogers utilizes as the Hydra Stomper.
3. Bucky does not become the Winter Soldier, which means Isaiah Bradley is not sent to capture him. It is possible that Bradley will not be experimented on either, which means his grandson wouldn’t join the Young Avengers.
4. Tony Stark doesn’t lose his parents because there’s no Winter Soldier to kill them. This, also, probably means there is no Iron Man in this universe.
5. Colonel Phillips is dead, replaced by Colonel Flynn, and this could mean SHIELD takes a very different direction with no Phillips or Carter left to ground the agency.

Those are a lot of changes emerging from episode one, but there’s one that this episode also might hint at:

If Earth Prime’s Steve did not deliver the new shield to Sam, who did? It has to be a Steve that both did not go into the ice, had access to someone who could build a new shield, and did not receive the super-soldier serum. What Steve could that be? Perhaps a Steve that loved Peggy Carter and had a billionaire genius playboy philanthropist with access to the Tesseract who could help him be right there in that spot all along?

Where do we go from here?

August 15, 2021