Murphy's Multiverse

Author: Hunter Radesi

  • Failed Pilot: Looking Back at ‘MARVEL’S MOST WANTED’

    Failed Pilot: Looking Back at ‘MARVEL’S MOST WANTED’

    After a stand-out performance in one of last year’s best films, the charismatic Delroy Lindo has found himself in the heat of awards season headlines. With his name back in the public eye, I remembered simpler times in Marvel Television history that many seem to have forgotten. I am referring to that lost period in 2015 when Agents of SHIELD was supposed to have a spin-off, with Lindo set as one of the leads. Yes, acclaimed actor and Tony Award-nominated thespian Delroy Lindo once signed the dotted line to become part of the Marvel Universe on ABC. The series was titled Marvel’s Most Wanted, but it never came to fruition. Public interest in the show died almost as soon as news of its demise came to light, but what we learned about the project in the months beforehand indicated it could have been one of the more unique projects in Marvel Television’s repertoire. So, why didn’t the series make it to air? Let’s take a look at the brief history of this unproduced Marvel unicorn.

    Background

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    It was long before The Avengers‘s success, Marvel TV’s Jeph Loeb was trying to adapt lesser-known characters to the small screen. Marvel’s Mockingbird was announced at the 2011 San Diego Comic-Con. They teased it as an Alias rip-off for ABC Family, where Bobbi Morse was a college student who tried to balance her life working for the famous spy organization and going to college. It was eventually dropped in favor of the MCU tie-in SHIELD show, but to make up for it, an older version of Morse was introduced in that show’s second season, played by Adrianne Palicki. Unable to use classic love-interest Clint Barton organically, she had an ex-husband mercenary. It was the obscure comic character Lance Hunter who got reinvented with Nick Blood in the role. The pair become series regulars for two seasons until, still intent on giving Mockingbird her show, Loeb and showrunner Jeffrey Bell had them written off to become the protagonists of their very own spin-off.

    Most Wanted

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    Most Wanted would have been a Mr. and Mrs. Smith-inspired action thriller that saw the duo on the run from a long list of enemies looking to claim a bounty on their heads. At the heart of the story, there would have been the relationship of Morse, a rule-abiding badass, and Hunter, a renegade hotshot, as their semi-romantic dynamic would evolve over multiple seasons. The two would have found themselves in the employ of one Dominic Fortune, a suave rogue adventurer first introduced in Marvel comics in 1975. His wealth of resources would have kept them both alive in exchange for their expertise on assignments. In January of 2016, Marvel TV announced that Lindo will tackle the role of Fortune. A couple of months later, the rest of the cast filled out, with Fernanda Andrade coming on board to play Fortune’s mysterious niece Christina Santos. Oded Fehr joined as the show’s villain, who was teased as a well-known character from the comics. Sadly, his actual role has never been revealed. The pilot even featured a guest appearance from up-and-coming talent Mckenna Grace, who went on to join the MCU as a young Carol Danvers in Captain Marvel.

    So What Happened?

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    Although it never aired, Marvel Television did film a pilot. Produced in early 2016, it seemed certain that the project would get a series order, with showrunners Bell and Paul Zbyszewski openly confident in the prospect. However, in May of that year, ABC announced that Most Wanted would not be happening. The news came as a shock to SHIELD fans, who felt cheated out of more time with two fan-favorite characters now permanently expelled from the world of Marvel Television, for what felt like no real reason. Eventually, ABC President Channing Dungey explained the situation with a statement to Slashfilm.

    Most Wanted, ultimately at the end of the day, did not feel as strong as some of the other pilots that we shot. We talked about it with Marvel and we all came to an agreement that we want to figure out what the next show is that we do together, is something that we all feel is as creatively strong as it can be.

    Most Wanted was given a small chance of survival, as it got shopped around to other networks, but its strong ties to SHIELD prevented any sort of interest from ABC’s competitors. Ultimately, the project didn’t get picked up, and circumstance meant Palicki never got a chance to finish the story of Mockingbird, the character who ironically started it all. Blood did eventually reprise his role as Hunter for a single episode of SHIELD‘s fifth season. Sadly, Lindo and company never got to leave their mark on the MCU as promised, and the rest of us were left wondering if the proposed spin-off would have been as unique as its mother series’ final few seasons.

    Sources: Slashfilm, Collider, The Hollywood Reporter, Entertainment Weekly, IGN, Slashfilm, Variety, Collider

  • ‘BROOKLYN NINE-NINE’ To End With Upcoming Eighth Season

    ‘BROOKLYN NINE-NINE’ To End With Upcoming Eighth Season

    After an immensely successful run on two separate networks, fan-favorite cop comedy Brooklyn Nine-Nine will end with its eighth season. The series focused on the daily antics of Brooklyn’s 99th precinct and featured a diverse cast led by SNL-alum Andy Samberg and Emmy Award winner Andre Braugher. After an initial five-season run on Fox, Nine-Nine found itself on the off-season chopping block. Luckily for the procedural, it had managed to garner a large fanbase.

    As such, a sky-rocketing amount of views on streaming combined with a loud campaign on social media led to a revival at NBC. Two more seasons followed, with the upcoming 10-episodes getting delayed due to the current COVID-19 pandemic. It looks like that season will end the long-running comedy, which is still waiting to return to production. Samberg has gone on record to state that filming will be back on track “fairly soon”. Series creator, Dan Goor, had the following to say regarding the end of Brooklyn Nine-Nine.

    I’m so thankful to NBC and Universal Television for allowing us to give these characters and our fans the ending they deserve. When Mike Schur and I first pitched the pilot episode to Andy, he said, ‘I’m in, but I think the only way to tell this story is over exactly 153 episodes,’ which was crazy because that was exactly the number Mike and I had envisioned. […] Ending the show was a difficult decision, but ultimately, we felt it was the best way to honor the characters, the story and our viewers. I know some people will be disappointed it’s ending so soon, but honestly, I’m grateful it lasted this long. Title of my sex tape.”

    Nine-Nine often found itself at the center of popular culture, as it pushed boundaries when it came to both POC and LGBTQ+ representation on mainstream television. Despite this, there was intense debate online about whether or not the show should continue following last year’s cultural re-evaluation in the wake of BLM protests against police brutality. Star Terry Crews subsequently revealed that the series’ writers had trashed the scripts previously written for season 8, opting to create new stories that addressed the current social climate. It’s unknown if this played a role in ending Brooklyn Nine-Nine. It’s comforting to know that this time, the ending will be on its terms. 

    Source: Deadline

  • Finn Jones Reveals Scrapped ‘IRON FIST’ Season 3 Plot Details

    Finn Jones Reveals Scrapped ‘IRON FIST’ Season 3 Plot Details

    The Marvel-Netflix shows may have had their ups and downs, but no other series pulled as much of a one-eighty as Marvel’s Iron Fist. The series debuted in 2017 to meager reviews from fans and critics alike, who took issue with the pacing of the story and the underwhelming action sequences. However, the show began to find its footing with a shorter second season thanks to a new showrunner, Raven Metzner. While still far from perfect, it seemed like Metzner and his team were on the right track. Sadly, Iron Fist ended up being the first victim in Netflix’s house-cleaning. For the past two years, those of us who found enjoyment in the series have been left with only our imaginations to guess what might have come after the show’s major cliffhanger ending. Luckily, former star Finn Jones was able to talk about the series candidly during a recent interview with Collider. He spilled the beans on what would have come for Danny Rand and Colleen Wing in the potential third season.

    Raven [Metzner], who was the showrunner for the second season, and I were sure that there was gonna be a Season 3, so we had already devised the whole thing. I was so excited to get into that. It really was gonna be about Danny finally assuming the role of the Iron Fist, fully accomplished, fully charged up, and fully in control of his shit, as well. It was gonna be this amazing story [with] Danny and Ward off in foreign lands as a buddy storyline almost. And then, you had Colleen in New York, isolated with this new power, struggling to come to terms with her identity and with this power. At some point, we would have met again and probably formed this crazy power couple [or] superhero relationship.

    It certainly sounds like they had some interesting plans for the third season. In a way, Danny’s time in New York City for The Defenders crossover downplayed the potential of the show. Many viewers have already moved past this take on the character and his lore, it always felt like another season may have finally brought Netflix’s Iron Fist to the place it was always meant to go. As Finn Jones points out, it feels like the show was cut down at its peak. With Kevin Feige rumored to be bringing back Charlie Cox for another go as Daredevil, one might wonder if Jones could get a second chance at the role.

    Source: Collider

  • How Mjolnir May Return in ‘THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER’

    How Mjolnir May Return in ‘THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER’

    In 2019’s SDCC, it got announced to thunderous applause that a fourth Thor film is in production. Titled Thor: Love and Thunder, the film will draw heavily from writer Jason Aaron‘s early work on the character where the God of Thunder fights one of his greatest foes, Gorr the God Butcher. He also lost his title and hammer to his former romantic partner, Jane Foster, who went on to take the mantle for herself as the Mighty Thor. As such, one could surmise that Love and Thunder exist mainly to be a passing-of-the-hammer tale in the MCU. Unfortunately for Natalie Portman‘s character, the hammer was in multiple pieces the last time we saw it. Director Taika Waititi made a concerted effort on the Comic-Con stage to let fans know that Jane Foster would indeed be holding Mjolnir when she arrives in theaters in 2022. So, how the heck are they going to pull that off? Let’s dig into three of their most likely options in an increasingly wacky order.

     

    Eitri and Nidavellir

     

    Let’s face it. It isn’t the first time we’ve seen Mjolnir in shards. Thor has lost his trusted sidepiece on multiple occasions in the comics, whether it’s at the hands of the aptly-named Destroyer or his grumpy grandfather Bor. More often than not, he realizes that he can make a new Mjolnir. Marvel comics have commonly found Odinson making his way to various forging locations to put the pieces back together. Magic isn’t even always required, as the Thunderer once even managed to reconstruct the legendary hammer in a steel mill in Pittsburgh. The MCU’s Thor wouldn’t have to resort to such methods, as he’s already pals with an answer to fixing Mjolnir. We met the last of the dwarves on the dying star Nidavellir, and it doesn’t seem like a reach that he could put the hammer back together if the remnants get found in that fateful Norwegian field. Sure, the last time we saw Eitri, Nidavellir was a little worse-for-wear, but who’s to say Thor hasn’t gone back to help in the time since Thanos’ defeat? With any luck, Hulk might have even been able to bring back some of the dwarves when he reversed the Snap. This direction might be the quickest explanation for Mjolnir’s return and a great reason to give us more of giant Peter Dinklage.

     

    Time-Travel 

     

    Marvel Studios has already brought back Mjolnir once before through time travel. While that hammer had to be taken back to its original point in time, Waititi may attempt to go two-for-two on those shenanigans. After all, there is a precedence for this in the comics that the film is adapting. The arc that introduces Gorr takes place throughout several millennia, bringing him into conflict with a younger Thor from the Viking Age, a modern Thor we all know and love, and an older Thor who lives alone on a desolate Asgard. Gorr’s rather unusual abilities lead to all three versions of Thor fighting side-by-side against the God-Butcher on his home planet. Set photos have already leaked showing what could potentially be our first look at the said planet. If that’s the case, we could see a younger Thor bring his Mjolnir to the present-day, where it somehow ends up in the hands of Jane Foster. That reminds me, there is still an entire Disney+ series on the way based around Loki. It’s unlikely that he ends up worthy of carrying the hammer, but we may see him pull off his greatest trick and deliver Mjolnir through time and space. Actually, now that we mention Loki.

    Multiverse

    If there’s one thing we know the MCU is delving into in the coming years, it’s the multiverse. Between recent revelations on WandaVision, all the rumors surrounding Marvel and Sony’s third Spider-Man film, and the literal title of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, you can bet we’re in for some “alt-u” impacts moving forward. Although complicated, we could hypothetically see a Mjolnir pop in from somewhere else in Marvel’s massive catalog of alternate worlds. Our very own Ms. Lizzie Hill suggested the idea that the hammer-wielding Jane we meet in the film could hail from a different universe, where Gorr had already done away with the Odinson, and his Mjolnir ended up in Jane’s possession. The resulting pairing between Portman and Hemsworth against Gorr could be a fitting substitute for the Thor Trio team-up from the comics, though this could lead to more questions than answers. If Kevin Feige did want to commit to a hammer from the multiverse, it would be on my wish-list that it came from Beta Ray Bill, a legend among man and horse alike. It could be unlikely, but it is just too much fun to theorize on his potential appearance.

  • RUMOR: Jason Momoa Offered to Voice Knuckles in ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ Sequel

    RUMOR: Jason Momoa Offered to Voice Knuckles in ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ Sequel

    It would appear as though the upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog sequel is looking to add some heavy star-power to its cast. The Illuminerdi has learned that Jason Momoa, best known for his starring roles in Aquaman and Game of Thrones, has been offered to voice Knuckles the Echidna. He is a fan-favorite character who was long-rumored to be playing a role in the film. A while back, the in-house production being called Red Energy seemed to hint at his addition. Their sources behind the Momoa casting claim that the “ball is in his court”, and that the muscle-clad actor needs only agree to terms to finalize the deal.

    Fans began speculating that Knuckles would appear in the sequel almost as soon as the original dropped in early 2020, a theory, which got promoted by the mid-credits surprise when another classic supporting character from the franchise, Miles “Tails” Prower, made his live-action debut. Although the original video game voice actress, Colleen O’Shaughnessey, returned to play Tails, many speculated that a character like Knuckles could receive a new voice in a similar vein to the film’s title character. The popular fan theory was that they would cast Dwayne Johnson, and it seems that they certailny had a specific type of actor in mind for the role. If he accepts Paramount’s conditions, he’ll replace Dave B. Mitchell, who played him in the games.

    The Sonic the Hedgehog sequel was confirmed in May. It was only three months after the film’s successful theatrical release of the first film. The announcement came on the heels of a surprisingly successful run in theaters, which ended up making Sonic the sixth highest-grossing film of the year. The cast of the first endeavor, which included Jim Carrey as the evil Dr. Robotnik and James Marsden as Sonic’s new real-world best friend, is expected to return alongside Ben Schwartz in the title role. Jeff Fowler, who made his theatrical directorial debut with Sonic the Hedgehog, is also on board to helm the sequel. The cast will see the return of Schwartz and Carrey in their titular roles. They have stated interest in the next film bringing the story more in-line with the source material. The actual plot of the franchise’s future remains tightly under wraps.

    Source: Illuminerdi

  • Blue Sky Studios Shut Down by Disney

    Blue Sky Studios Shut Down by Disney

    The studio that brought you the Ice Age franchise is closing its doors. Deadline revealed that Disney is shutting down Blue Sky Studios, which it acquired along with many other assets in the massive Fox takeover just two years ago. The studio was the prime money-maker of Fox’s animated division, having grossed $5.9 billion in total throughout thirteen films since 2002. Blue Sky produced numerous hits alongside the now-iconic Ice Age films, such as the Robin Williams vehicle Robots and the high-flying Rio. They also adapted critically-acclaimed classic properties like Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who! and The Peanuts Movie. The reason behind the closure is the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, with losses from their theme park lockdowns and theater closure hindering the corporation’s ability to maintain three animation studios at once. Disney is instead opting to maintain funding for their mainstays, Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios.

    The entire Blue Sky library will remain a part of the Disney experience, and the previously-announced Ice Age series for Disney+ is expected to arrive. However, the studio’s next film, Nimona, a magic-based medieval fairy tale about a shape-shifting boy who partners with a mad scientist to topple an evil ruler, will halt production. It still required ten more months to finish. Tragically, the demise of Blue Sky will lead to the loss of 450 jobs. Deadline does report that Disney will work with the former employees to find positions at other internal studios. The world is sure to miss the storytelling prowess of Blue Sky and the diversity that another animation studio would bring to the table. The work of the company played a vital role in many childhoods. Sadly, the latest release of the Tom Holland-led Spies in Disguise failed to make the impact the company was hoping for. Here’s hoping that the workers impacted by the closure will find ample opportunity in their future elsewhere. We wish them all the best in their future endeavors and that they can find something soon.

    Source: Deadline

  • ‘WANDAVISION’: Twin’s Casting Revealed

    ‘WANDAVISION’: Twin’s Casting Revealed

    The following article will contain spoilers for the fifth episode of WandaVision. Only continue at your own risk if you haven’t seen it yet.

     

    The latest episode of Marvel Studios’ WandaVision brought with it many surprises. It looks like the young actor Julian Hilliard has just made one of the less plot-shattering development’s public. Hilliard took to Twitter to confirm that he, alongside fellow child actor Jett Klyne, has officially joined the cast of Marvel’s debut streaming series. They are both playing the aged-up versions of Billy and Tommy, Wanda and Vision’s twin boys. They take the roles over from Baylen Bielitz and Gavin Borders, who played the future-Young Avengers earlier in the same episode. The casting reveal comes after many fans speculated the twins would find themselves aging rapidly over the course of the show, a theory supported by Wanda’s zany accelerated pregnancy in the series’ third episode. It is uncertain for how long they will be playing these characters going by how fast they were aging throughout this episode alone.

    After the episode aired some of the child actors took to Social Media to share their excitement:

    Keeping in tune with the unsettling air of WandaVision, both Hilliard and Klyne will be most recognizable to fans via their previous work in the horror genre. Hilliard was somewhat of a breakout star on Netflix’s surprise hit, The Haunting of Hill House, with his thick glasses and shy demeanor capturing the hearts of viewers as a young Luke Crane. As for Klyne, he starred in the title role of the popular 2016 film, The Boy, chilling the spines of movie-goers as the unusual child Brahms.

    The arrival of Billy and Tommy, better known to comic book fans as Wiccan and Speed, signals that the fan-favorite team of Young Avengers may be in the MCU’s future. The two are traditionally portrayed as founding members of the group. It’s also a potential step forward for LGBTQ+ representation in the franchise, should Marvel Studios take that route. Both of the twins were landmark characters for the comic universe in that regard. However, before we all get too excited, and as the show continues to unfurl its many mysteries, I’m left contemplating a question posed by our very own Arlyn Murphy in her latest WandaVision primer: will the twins even be able to stick around once Wanda’s new world comes crashing down? I guess we’ll have to keep watching to find out!

    Source: Instagram (Klyne), Instagram (Baylen), Twitter, ScreenRant

  • ‘ANDOR’ Adds Directors Ben Caron and Susanna White

    ‘ANDOR’ Adds Directors Ben Caron and Susanna White

    It looks like Disney+’s Andor series has found a pair of new directors to take the helm for the series’ upcoming episodes. DiscussingFilm reports that Ben Caron and Susanna White will help steer the ship of Disney and Lucasfilm’s Rogue One prequel, which will debut on Disney+ in 2022. The duo joins the previously announced Toby Haynes. The series is filmed in London’s Pinewood Studios, where the directors are heading to join the cast and crew. When the project got announced, Rogue One’s writer and secondary director, Tony Gilroy, was to direct and write episodes of the show. Sadly, complications with travel due to the current pandemic prevented him from making the trip. As a result, his role got reduced to that of executive producer. He still was heavily involved with the script.

    Ben Caron is best known for his work in British television. He previously directed episodes of cult classic series Sherlock and Skins. He also was behind multiple episodes of Netflix’s breakout series, The Crown. There is also Susanna White. She is renowned for her work on the British film Nanny McPhee Returns. Americans might recognize her work in the popular series Masters of Sex and Billions. The talents of both will support the story of a younger Cassian Andor. Diego Luna will reprise his role in the series, which will take place five years before the events that would spread hope throughout the galaxy. 

    Andor never shied away from referring to his many years in the service of the Galactic Rebellion. Luckily, we will finally get a chance to explore those years on a deeper level. Sadly that means we won’t be seeing the return of Alan Tudyk‘s K-2SO, which the actor confirmed some time ago. The show is one of many of Lucasfilm’s Disney+ series and has gotten overshadowed by some larger projects, especially Ewan McGregor’s return to the role of Obi-Wan Kenobi. Still, it promises to be an exciting adventure for all fans of the Star Wars universe that want to explore the Empire’s reign throughout the galaxy

    Source: DiscussingFilm

  • Marvel Studios Should ‘TEAM-UP’ On Disney+

    Marvel Studios Should ‘TEAM-UP’ On Disney+

    It’s been almost two years since we last saw Marvel Studios grace the famous Hall H stage at San Diego Comic-Con, and what a doozy that last presentation was. We were lucky enough to be granted a plethora of project announcements that included everything but the kitchen sink. From the bold new film horizons of Eternals and Shang-Chi to the comforting return of fan-favorite characters to the small screen with Hawkeye and WandaVision. Yet one of the most exciting announcements was also perhaps the least talked about. In 1977, Marvel Comics launched a series titled What If…?, a comic book that explored what the Marvel Universe might look like if key events in its history occurred differently. At the aforementioned 2019 Comic-Con, Marvel Studios revealed it would produce an animated series by the same exact title, serving the same exact purpose, albeit for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It’s an experimental work for the studio, featuring their first foray into animation, and is sure to aid in Marvel’s quest to diversify their storytelling heading into the future, but there’s one aspect of the series that is particularly exciting. Just like the comic it draws inspiration from, it’s an anthology. The show gives the viewers a chance to see a new adventure, starring different characters, every week. It’s an exciting format that opens up countless possibilities in terms of expanding what fans already know about the MCU, and if it goes over well with the general audience, I don’t think Marvel should stop using it after What If…?. After all, why quit adapting disco era anthology magazines after only one? Mr. Kevin Feige, if you’re reading this, I’m here to make a case for Marvel Studios’ Team-Up, the greatest Disney+ original that doesn’t exist. Yet.

     

    First off, a little history lesson. Marvel Team-Up is a comic series that originally ran for 150 issues (plus seven annuals) from 1972 until 1985. The basic premise was as simple as the title: in each issue, one Marvel character would unexpectedly bump into another Marvel character while dealing with a problem, and then the two characters would work together to solve said problem. Oftentimes, the objective of the book was to promote minor characters by throwing them into adventures with major ones (i.e. Spider-Man meets Werewolf by Night), and then to fill the spaces in between with marquee pairings that could maintain sales and keep interest with readers (i.e. Spider-Man and the X-Men). The villains of these stories also had a tendency to be lesser-known threats, such as Zarrko the Tomorrow Man or the Grey Gargoyle, so that the arrival of big-name baddies could be saved for more mainstream titles. Although it wasn’t advertised as a Spider-Man series, the web-head was featured as one of the main characters in 140 issues and all but one of the annuals, and the series was subsequently replaced by a new ongoing Spidey book after a 13-year run. The popularity of the team-up concept persisted, however, and Marvel Team-Up found itself revived three more times, in 1995, 2005, and 2019, for a handful of issues each, while alternate versions of the Spider-Man character found themselves meeting all kinds of super powered individuals in the similarly short-lived Ultimate Marvel Team-Up and Superior Spider-Man Team-Up.

     

    If Marvel Studios thinks they can find success copying the What If…? formula and pasting it onto their own Marvel universe, I think they can find success doing the same thing with Marvel Team-Up. Maybe I’m biased, considering the series was among the first I ever read as a kid and does have a hefty amount of sentimental value, but the idea makes a lot of sense in context as well. If you think about it, the general idea behind the original Team-Up was even used in a reverse fashion by Sony to some effect for their newest Spider-Man trilogy, co-produced by Marvel Studios, in which they found ways to team Spidey up with established MCU characters (Iron Man, Nick Fury, and reportedly, Doctor Strange) in an attempt to promote his new brand. Now imagine, for a moment, that strategy being applied to a hypothetical show wherein each week, two MCU characters, who wouldn’t be likely to interact often in any sort of film, cross paths and take down a relatively minor threat in the time span of an hour-long episode. The show’s objective would function much like that of the comic, mixing the marvelous misadventures of less popular MCU heroes or side-characters with bigger names, in an effort to give the spotlight to actors who wouldn’t normally have a chance to show what they’re made of and create fun new character dynamics that fans might not even know they needed. It would also be a chance for Marvel Studios to flesh out their universe in an organic way, showing what their protagonists and deuteragonists get themselves into when the big events aren’t happening, and opening the door for a litany of quirky new villains to make their live-action debut without taking time or space away from the main films and television series. Obviously, this kind of show would cost a small fortune to cast if every episode featured Spider-Man or Doctor Strange-level characters, but following the book’s given format would mean that the majority of episodes could center around cheaper names and faces, and the proof that folks would still tune in to watch is already in the WandaVision-flavored pudding. One of the latest episodes mainly featured Randall Park’s Jimmy Woo (side character from Ant-Man and the Wasp) teaming up with Kat Dennings‘ Darcy Lewis (side character from Thor) to solve a supernatural mystery involving Teyonah Parris‘ Monica Rambeau (side character from Captain Marvel), and half of Twitter is already calling for Marvel to make a spin-off.

    A potential Team-Up series could also capitalize on the same kind of behind-the-scenes hype that The Mandalorian has used as a mixed marketing and creative golden goose since its inception. With the Team-Up pitch acting as an anthology, every episode could also feature the work of a different director, famous or otherwise, lending their talented touch to the script and conversation-inducing name to the credits. It would give Marvel Studios the opportunity to work with boundless talent from every race, gender, and creed (should they take it, and they should), and would allow multiple directors to get their hands on the world of Marvel, if only for an hour or so at a time. Perhaps Edgar Wright was never able to make his Ant-Man movie as intended, and perhaps we’ll never get the “young Hank Pym and Janet van Dyne series” that many fans found themselves clamoring for a couple of years ago, but we could hypothetically get an Ant-Man and the Wasp team-up episode set in the 1960s, directed by Edgar Wright as a consolation prize. As a bonus, should a certain director prove more than capable of handling the MCU, the studio could even make the move to give them a larger project, which is once again something we’ve seen work with The Mandalorian and Deborah Chow, who, after an impressive showing in the debut series, is on her way to direct every episode of the upcoming Obi-Wan Kenobi show. The same goes for guest appearances from new characters. The second season of The Mandalorian made headlines when Timothy Olyphant seduced audiences as Cobb Vanth for only a single sultry episode, and it now seems possible that he could appear in more Star Wars content down the line. Envision the kind of damage he could do in an episode of Marvel Studios’ Team-Up, playing long-lost Asgardian warrior Balder the Brave, as he fights alongside Jamie Alexander as Lady Sif and Simu Liu as the misplaced Shang-Chi, against the evil forces of the witch Karnilla and her magic Norn Stones in the realm of Nornheim, all directed by Rick Famuyiwa. Wouldn’t you like to see a Disney Gallery inside look at that episode? Put it back-to-back with the Jimmy Woo/Darcy Lewis reunion and you have yourself a show. Also keep in mind that the MCU is only growing, and soon a series like Marvel Studios’ Team-Up would be able to include characters from the world of X-Men, Blade, and the Fantastic Four, which most of us would see as an absolute win.

     

    One quick side note, should Marvel Studios not be able to afford such a series in live-action, it wouldn’t be heartbreaking to bring the project to life via animation, like What If…? before it. Animation is a wonderful medium for all ages, and the market for exclusive animated shows on Disney+ has never been better, thanks to the valiant effort of The Clone Wars seventh and final season. We now know that the entertainment juggernaut has no problem getting its impressive stable of performers to return for one-episode vocal parts, and if Marvel can strike another deal with Quebec-based animators Squeeze, they could create any environment for any episode, without having to build a set.

  • ‘THE BOYS’ Season 3 Set To Begin Filming in Toronto

    ‘THE BOYS’ Season 3 Set To Begin Filming in Toronto

    It looks like COVID-19 can’t keep The Boys from waging war against all those incredibly problematic supes. Series creator Eric Kripke and the man behind fan-favorite protagonist Billy Butcher, Karl Urban, have both recently confirmed they’re en route to Toronto to film the third season of Amazon Prime’s hit show. While production hasn’t publicly been given an official start date, it’s now safe to say that filming will begin much sooner than later, presumably after the cast and crew complete the required 14 days of post-travel quarantine.

    News of the impending shoot first came about in mid-January, when Antony Starr, who plays the terrifying villain Homelander, told Comicbook that the series would resume production “in a month or so”. This was seemingly confirmed by Urban yesterday, when he posted a masked-up selfie to Instagram announcing his departure from COVID-free New Zealand in order to film The Boys in a safe, quarantined space in Toronto. His reveal was subsequently backed up by Kripke, who also posted a masked selfie with a caption stating he was smiling on his way to film Season 3.

    *Spoilers for The Boys*

    Now that we know the series’ third go-around is on track to release without delay, the real question becomes focused on the plot. When last we saw our fowl-mouthed heroes, Billy was dealing with the accidental death of his wife Becca at the hands of her super powered son, and Hughie (played to perfection by Jack Quaid) left the crew to join forces with anti-super politician Victoria Neuman, though her intentions were dramatically revealed to be less-than-heroic in nature.

    While we haven’t gotten much in the way of information on how these threads will continue, we do know that the season will introduce fans to a new character, the WWII-era supe (inspired by Captain America) Soldier Boy, set to be portrayed by Kripke alum Jensen Ackles. Not surprisingly, the comic version of the character isn’t the kindest metahuman in the bunch, and much like the now-stumpy Stormfront before him, his origins are a little suspect. This will more than likely be explored in the live-action adaptation as well, but the character’s sometimes-romantic relationship with Homelander himself is perhaps more up for debate, though the show has not shied away from this sort of thing before. In fact, it’s also been confirmed by Kripke that the new season will include an episode based around the Herogasm story from the comics, in which all the Vought-sponsored supes meet on a remote island, and well, do what adult superheroes do. Hopefully, the season manages to strip the characters down in more ways than one and we learn enough to keep the story going into Kripke’s planned fourth season.

    Source: Instagram