Murphy's Multiverse

Author: Hunter Radesi

  • 6 Forgotten MCU Characters Who Could Appear in ‘WANDAVISION

    6 Forgotten MCU Characters Who Could Appear in ‘WANDAVISION

    In case you weren’t aware, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is quite big. Since its modest inception in 2008, the franchise has grown to include a seemingly endless list of names and faces as part of it’s character roster. One might think this would make it easier for incoming writers to pick and choose who they want to play a role in their story, but a recent Digital Spy interview with WandaVision creator Jac Schaeffer has confirmed that isn’t exactly the case. Schaeffer, who also worked as a writer and producer on the series, revealed that Marvel Studios does not allow “free rein” on which characters a writer can use in their project, and instead supplied her with a larger list of “suggested” names to implement in her plot. This strategy definitely makes more sense than some might give it credit for, considering the MCU would probably fall apart pretty quickly if every film and series were allowed to have Iron Man or Captain America as part of the cast.

    Luckily for the showrunner, she was able to use everyone she wanted, even managing to bring back Randall Park and Kat Dennings as Jimmy Woo and Darcy Lewis, respectively. The revelation that Marvel has a list of characters not currently planned for use sheds new light on comments made by Marvel boss Kevin Feige over a year ago, when he told viewers of a Reddit AMA that he enjoys bringing back characters some may have previously thought forgotten. The unexpected return of Darcy and Woo seemed to prove that concept, with the former not having been mentioned since 2014’s Thor: The Dark World and the latter feeling like a one-off reference in 2018’s Ant-Man and the Wasp, but Feige took it all a step further when he shocked fans with the Investor Day announcement of Tim Roth reprising his role as the Abomination for Marvel’s upcoming She-Hulk series. The actor hadn’t appeared since his debut in the role in 2008’s The Incredible Hulk, a film often thought of as the MCU’s red-headed step-child. Now that it feels like any return may be possible, let’s take a look at a few other “forgotten” characters that could make their grand re-entry in WandaVision, or beyond:

    Dr. Helen Cho

    Wait, who?: Appearing only once before in Avengers: Age of Ultron (played by Claudia Kim), the good Dr. Cho is presented as one of the world’s leading geneticists, head of the U-GIN Research Group, and a friend of Dr. Bruce Banner. Normally based in her home country of South Korea, Dr. Cho traveled to Avengers Tower in New York City to help patch up an injured Clint Barton, and had multiple close-up encounters with the villainous Ultron. The robotic menace even used Loki’s scepter to manipulate her into helping him create a new body, until Wanda severed his hold and Dr. Cho heroically put a stop to the upgrade.

    Why WandaVision?: From what we know so far, it seems the creation of S.W.O.R.D. involved recruiting some top names from other organizations. Jimmy Woo seems to have transferred from his position at the FBI, and Darcy Lewis has apparently graduated from her political science program at Culver University. Therefore, it stands to reason that the new government agency may reach out to the world’s leading brain in genetics, especially with all that potential to study alien life. If nothing else, with the current situation happening in Westview and the mysterious reappearence of the previously dead Vision, the organization might want to speak with the woman who was directly involved with Vision’s creation in the first place.

    If not WandaVision, where?: If Marvel were to bring Helen Cho back anywhere other than WandaVision, it would make sense to do it in She-Hulk. Dr. Cho is a friend of Bruce Banner, after all, and he may need her help again when his cousin requires an experimental blood transfusion. It also doesn’t hurt that Cho’s son in the comics, Amadeus, is a genius sidekick with strong ties to the Hulk mythos.

    Mitchell Carson

    Wait, who?: Introduced in Ant-Man as the former Head of Defense at S.H.I.E.L.D. and one of the many enemies made by Hank Pym over the years, he was later revealed to be a secret agent of HYDRA, ousted off camera during the events of Captain America: The Winter Soldier. When Scott Lang infiltrated Pym Technologies to steal the Yellowjacket suit, he found Carson attempting to strike a deal with Darren Cross to purchase it for HYDRA. While that deal didn’t end up happening, Carson did manage to escape Pym Technologies during an ensuing scuffle with a vial of Pym Particles. Many expected this plot thread to be continued in the film’s sequel, but the dastardly agent hasn’t been seen in the MCU since.

    Why WandaVision?: We still don’t know who or what is behind whatever it is that’s happening to Wanda Maximoff, and while it seems unlikely, I wouldn’t completely rule out HYDRA from the mix. If the recurring group of baddies should make a return, it would make sense for them to use a familiar face for the big reveal. Perhaps Mitchell Carson and his stolen Pym Particles have played a role in the shenanigans in Westview?

    If not WandaVision, where?: If actor Martin Donovan is ever to return to his role elsewhere, it would probably be the recently announced threequel, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, for obvious reasons.

    Justin Hammer

    Wait, who?: C’mon, there’s no way you forgot about this guy. A fan-favorite character portrayed by the brilliant Sam Rockwell and perhaps the best part of Iron Man 2 (that’s subjective but it’s also not), Justin Hammer was the smooth-talking, stage-dancing business rival of Tony Stark, and one of the film’s main villains. Determined to get the best of Stark, he used the resources of his company, Hammer Industries, to break Anton Vanko out of prison and create the Hammer Drone army that laid waste to the 2010 Stark Expo. He also innovated the MK. II Iron Man armor to create the original design for War Machine, faulty as it may have been. Hammer was eventually sent to prison after his criminal activities were exposed by Natasha Romanoff and Pepper Potts, and we got a brief glimpse of his life there in 2014’s short film, All Hail the King.

    Why WandaVision?: If S.W.O.R.D. is anything like General Thunderbolt Ross, they may just attempt to blast their way through the mysterious wall surrounding Westview. This would not be a task that could be completed by ordinary weaponry, and with Tony Stark having recently passed away, they may have to turn to the prison consultations of one Mr. Hammer, weapon extraordinaire. However unlikely, one can dream, right?

    If not WandaVision, where?: Although not confirmed, it seems incredibly likely that Rockwell will be back as Hammer for Armor Wars on DIsney+. The series will be based on the comic series of the same name, which features a far less agile Justin Hammer stealing Tony Stark’s technology and selling it to a wide array of iron-clad villains. While the adaptation may take a different approach, it would make more sense for them to use the character they already set up over a decade prior.

    Samuel Sterns

    Wait, who?: Only appearing in The Incredible Hulk, Samuel Sterns was a cellular biologist at Grayburn College who contacted Edward Norton‘s Bruce Banner via online chat with a potential antidote for his unique green rage monster disease. This outreach, and a military raid, led Banner to come out of hiding in South America and return to New York to find Sterns, who was ultimately unable to rid Bruce of the Hulk. He was, however, revealed to have a very large blood collection and ended up being cornered into helping Emil Blonsky accelerate his transformation into the Abomination. The film’s ending included a cliffhanger in which some gamma-infected blood drips into a cut on Sterns’ head, which begins his journey towards becoming the big-brained comic book villain, The Leader. Unfortunately, the plot thread has never been addressed again.

    Why WandaVision?: The Leader is no stranger to crafting large domes to accomplish his goals, and with no villain yet revealed, maybe he’s behind this one as well? It’s been theorized that AIM, the sketchy science group founded by Aldrich Killian in Iron Man 3, is responsible for the technology surrounding the town of Westview, and it wouldn’t be far fetched to say that a group so grounded in knowledge could use a Leader with a big head. With Abomination already confirmed to appear again in the MCU, it doesn’t seem like Incredible Hulk characters are off the table.

    If not WandaVision, where?: The project that would make the most sense is clearly She-Hulk, which could be on track to reunite the classic comic book duo of Leader and the Abomination. However, one might not rule out an appearance in the tech-based Armor Wars, which again, still doesn’t have an announced villain. After all, why wouldn’t Marvel Studios want Tim Blake Nelson back as a fully-fledged villain?

    Betty Ross and Leonard Samson

    Wait, who?: More Incredible Hulk characters, the former love interest of Bruce Banner and her former love interest, both doctors at Culver University. Betty Ross is the daughter of Secretary of State Thaddeus Ross and a former employee of Harvard, who worked on gamma radiation with Banner. The two fell in love, and she was present when his transformation to the Hulk first occurred. She was once the only person who could calm the Hulk down, and she aided Bruce in hiding from her father when he came back to NYC. Bruce left her behind when he realized he was too much of a danger for her safety, and she hasn’t made another appearance since. As for Samson, he become romantically involved with Betty during her and Bruce’s time apart. He didn’t do much else in the film, but in the comics, Samson finds himself evolving due to gamma exposure, and becomes known as the hero Doc Samson.

    Why WandaVision?: Much like my suggestion with Dr. Cho, it would make sense for S.W.O.R.D. to potentially recruit some of the American educational system’s top minds in their early days. After all, the organization hired former graduate Darcy Lewis. Besides, Ty Burrell would fit well into the episodes based on 2000’s era sitcoms.

    If not WandaVision, where?: This is another She-Hulk situation, which Marvel may use to tie-up lose threads from the Incredible Hulk.

    Ian Boothby

    Wait, who?: You didn’t think I’d forgotten about Ian, did you? Ian Boothby was Darcy Lewis’ unofficial official assistant in Thor: The Dark World. Doing her dirty work as assistant to the assistant manager, he ended the film by passionately kissing Darcy.

    Why WandaVision?: It could maybe be assumed that Darcy and Ian’s romance has ended by the time of WandaVision, but I’ve seen no proof of this. One can only hope they’re still happily together, and if that’s the case, there’s nothing stopping him from showing up to work to visit the love of his life (or even work for S.W.O.R.D. himself).

    If not WandaVision, where?: I just shook a Magic 8 Ball, and it said “not likely”.

  • ‘AGE OF ULTRON’ is All About Demons and ‘WANDAVISION’ Will Be Too

    ‘AGE OF ULTRON’ is All About Demons and ‘WANDAVISION’ Will Be Too

    The latest episode of Marvel’s WandaVision may have been packaged with a hidden teaser for the show’s future that most of us weren’t even looking for. So far, Marvel Studios’ maiden foray into the world of television has come without the creative giant’s customary post-credit scenes. You know, those minute-long tidbits that lead us to linger several moments in the theater for a peak at what’s to come? Well, the third episode of the series, “Now in Color”, didn’t have one of those little scenes, but the credits did finish with a bit of a recommendation. It seems Marvel was really hoping you’d give up a little time to watch Avengers: Age of Ultron before you continue along with the mind-bending adventures of Vision and the Scarlet Witch.

    *Spoilers for WandaVision*

    There are a lot of simple reasons why Disney+’s algorithm may have decided to advertise the second Avengers film at the conclusion of that WandaVision episode. After all, Age of Ultron was the Marvel Cinematic Universe project that introduced both Wanda Maximoff and Vision, and “Now in Color” contained a major reference to the climax of the film, with “Geraldine” commenting on the death of Pietro Maximoff at the cold, metallic hands of Ultron himself. The more interesting explanation, however, could be that WandaVision will make an effort to continue the major theme of Ultron; confronting demons. Eventually maybe literally, but for now, I just mean figuratively. One of the major plot points of Wanda Maximoff’s debut appearance is her ability to mess with other people’s minds, forcing them into dream-like states they can’t escape. The unfortunate souls on the receiving end of this magic travel ticket find themselves facing down their deepest, darkest fears and insecurities. Of course, we’re still a long way off from finding out what’s really going on with Wanda in her current starring vehicle, but if Marvel is actually trying to tell us something with that sneaky “watch next” suggestion, it would make a lot of sense for it to have something to do with the dream-world power we haven’t seen in action since 2015.

    Thus far on WandaVision, we’ve seen Wanda doing her best to live a happy life in a picture perfect town. And yet, despite her best efforts, she’s occasionally put in the position of preventing the real world (because I think it’s safe to assume Westview isn’t real) from seeping in. It seems clear she’s giving the age-old tactic of suppressing trauma the old college try. Unfortunately for her, conventional storytelling would indicate she won’t be able to do it much longer. At that point, in my opinion, WandaVision is going to pick up where Age of Ultron left off, and Wanda is going to have to face all those demons if she wants to survive herself. Now, let me turn your attention to the film that brought us here.

    The subtle genius behind the Avengers sequel script is the way it inverts the objective of the previous film to become a little more personal. Whereas the original is a story of our heroes learning to cope with each other to function as a team, the sequel is about them learning to cope with themselves in order to continue functioning. Over the course of the movie’s two and a half hour runtime, each prominent character is forced to confront their greatest personal demon, via some witchy business, and attempt to come out the other side better for it. And you know what? It’s all done brilliantly. It turns out that, just like Disney+, I think you should rewatch Avengers: Age of Ultron, and you should do it with this theme of personal demons in mind. I think it just might change how you see the MCU’s Phase Two. Here’s a quick rundown of what goes on for each major player in Ultron, according to the topic, so you can keep it in mind when you hit play (presented in pairs, for convenience).

    Iron Man & Ultron – Ego

    This is the obvious one, so let’s get it out of the way. Tony Stark’s greatest demon is his own ego, or more specifically, his narcissism. He holds a firm belief that he is the only person who can truly save the world, permanently, and if he doesn’t, everyone’s deaths will be on him. This is apparent in several spots over the course of the story. His Wanda-induced nightmare features Cap directly telling Tony that he failed the world, and he goes as far as to tell Nick Fury that the Avengers have found themselves at the end of a path he started them on. So, the man creates Ultron, a literal manifestation of his own overcompensation. He basically gives his ego a body. Ultron also firmly believes only he can save the world, to the point of operating with an army comprised entirely of himself. The lesson Tony learns from all of this is that sometimes he needs to listen to the advice of others, and it’s this acceptance of teamwork that leads to Ultron’s defeat. Oh, and in the spirit of inverse, the movie even goes an extra length to present Stark as Ultron’s demon, in oedipal fashion.

    Captain America & Thor – Destiny

    Steve Rogers and Thor Odinson have perhaps one of the most unique relationships in the MCU. Aside from their now famous moments of mid-battle banter, both are soldiers who feel somewhat displaced. Rogers is a man forced out of his own time, while Odinson is a god who feels most at home among mortals. Age of Ultron plays off of this dynamic splendidly, as the two Avengers find themselves facing a crisis of destiny. Their nightmare sequences find them both at parties in locations they know they should call home. Cap hallucinates a group of WWII soldiers slain in war, whom he feels he should have been around to protect, and the love of his life still begging him for a dance. Thor finds Heimdall waiting for him with a foreboding message of a coming doomsday the God of Thunder is not around to prevent. The duo spend the film carrying with them the weight of guilt, contemplating whether they have cheated themselves out of their intended fates, and whether or not those they care about have suffered because of it. The difference between the two arcs is that while Thor struggles with his future, Rogers struggles with his inability to change the past. Ultimately, Steve commits to building a life in the present, accepting his role as a modern soldier, and Thor realizes that saving Asgard might be the key to saving all Nine Realms.

    Black Widow & Hulk – Humanity

    A tale of two people who see themselves as monsters. Natasha Romanoff, because she was once willing to sacrifice her future in order to become a better killer, and Bruce Banner, because sometimes when he’s mad he literally turns into a giant green rage monster. They’re both heroes who are concerned they’ve done too much harm to ever balance out with good, and they cling to each other so that they might feel just a little more human. Luckily for them, they’re actually more human than most at heart, and they’re able to see each other for who they really are. Despite magic-induced flashbacks to her time in the Red Room, Natasha spends most of the film bringing a much-needed sense of humanity to her teammates. She makes lighthearted jokes with Clint while he’s down and out, has his kids calling her “Aunty Nat”, and even manages to talk down a raging Hulk. When she has a chance to disappear and start a new life, she instead chooses to help save the world. In the end, Nat realizes that she never sacrificed a future, but has actually forged a new one with chosen family. Banner, on the other hand, opts to remove himself from the equation, and retreats to parts unknown.

    Hawkeye & Quicksilver – Mortality

    Clint Barton has maybe the second-most prominent demon in the movie, and it’s his own mortality. The character study is set up early, when Hawkeye finds himself unable to keep up with the Avengers’ newest super powered antagonist, Quicksilver, and winds up bleeding on the ground because of it. This is followed by a string of plot points and throwaway moments that just repeatedly punch you in the face with the concept of Clint Barton being a lot less indestructible than his teammates. Not only that, but Barton is revealed to have a family, which makes the challenge to stay alive all the more important. It acts as a foil for basically everyone else’s self-centered problems, and really highlights just how resourceful Hawkeye has been this whole time. It’s also juxtaposed wonderfully against the plight of Pietro Maximoff, an enhanced individual who is still coping with the death of his family. It makes it all the more surprising when a morally rejuvenated Quicksilver sacrifices himself to save Hawkeye, who accepts his mortality and attempts to ride off into the sunset with his loved ones.

     

    Vision & Scarlet Witch – Trauma

    Ever since her debut, the MCU’s take on Wanda Maximoff has been motivated mostly by past trauma. She loses her parents, and the emotions she feels fuel her to team up with Ultron. She is born from an act of terrorism and inadvertently finds herself acting as a weapon of a terrorist. Then, in the midst of trying to recompense, she loses her brother. It’s a lot for one person to bottle up inside, which we see when she drops to her knees and completely obliterates a small army of Ultron bots, before ripping the heart out of Ultron himself. After all she goes through, who else could possibly understand her pain? Only another child of trauma, Mr. Vision Vision (which I assume is his full name). He may be a synthezoid, but Vision was created using the brain patterns and powers of multiple men all trying to deal with what it means to be human, which could have gone horribly wrong, but instead resulted in a soulful figure with a deep understanding of failure. He ends up saving Wanda’s life, and who knows? She might have saved his as well.

    From this point forward, Wanda only experiences more and more trauma. She accidentally causes the demise of countless innocents in Captain America: Civil War, and she loses Vision twice (once by her own hand) in Avengers: Infinity War. This is true for the other characters mentioned above, but unlike the heroic giants she’s surrounded by, Wanda has had trouble fully reconciling with her past. That thread hasn’t been tied up just yet. Expect WandaVision to change that.

     

  • ‘SKULL ISLAND’ and ‘TOMB RAIDER’ To Receive Anime Treatment at Netflix

    ‘SKULL ISLAND’ and ‘TOMB RAIDER’ To Receive Anime Treatment at Netflix

    Legendary’s MonsterVerse and Tomb Raider franchises are getting bigger on a small screen near you. Netflix revealed today that it will be producing an anime series for each, set within the monster film universe and the recently rebooted video game timeline, respectively.

    Skull Island will spin-off of the 2017 Kong: Skull Island film directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts, and is set to chronicle the fate of a group of shipwrecked survivors on the mysterious island inhabited by King Kong. Not much else is currently known about the plot, but you can almost certainly bet on the story’s protagonists encountering their fair share of dangerous scenarios and terrifying titans. The decision to go forward with the animated project, which will be created by the Powerhouse Animation studio behind the successful Castlevania and Blood of Zeus animes, capitalizes on the recent hype surrounding Godzilla vs. Kong, the fourth film in the MonsterVerse, and it’s well-shared trailer.

    Tomb Raider will continue the story of Lara Croft after the events of the recent Square Enix video game trilogy, which gave the franchise a fresh start and a new timeline. The story will take place 25 years after the start of the first game, and will be written by The Witcher: Blood Origin alum Tasha Huo. The series should serve as an exciting new chapter for fans of the treasure hunting adventure franchise and is a unique way to expand this version of Lara’s world while still leaving room for more games in between settings. As a fan of anime, I absolutely cannot wait to see both of these exhilarating franchises take on such a fast-paced form.

    Source: Deadline

  • Robert Kirkman Confirms ‘INVINCIBLE’ Movie is Still Happening

    Robert Kirkman Confirms ‘INVINCIBLE’ Movie is Still Happening

    Ever thought that two Invincible properties are better than one? Me neither, but apparently franchise creator Robert Kirkman and Universal have taken this to heart. Despite a highly anticipated animated adaptation of the Image comic series being only a handful of weeks away, Kirkman revealed to Entertainment Weekly that the long-gestating live-action movie is also still in the works. The announcement of the Amazon series had led to many wondering if the film adaptation was dead. It seemed unusual to produce such a high-quality animated series and then follow it up with a live-action adaptation.

    There is the fear that it would just be repetitive. If I can watch a long-form version of the story, why invest the money to watch it in theaters again? According to Kirkman, there will be enough differences so that they can co-exist and complement each other. He does make the comparison between the Spider-Man live-action and Into the Spider-Verse animated film. The problem is that the stories told are very distinct from each other, so perhaps the live-action adaptation might have a unique take on the original story.

    The live-action version got announced in 2017. The film will be produced by the creative pairing of Seth Rogan and Evan Goldberg. The duo has previously found success with comedic works such as Superbad and The Interview. On another note, Rogan is also set to be a part of the concurrently produced animated series. He will be voicing Allen the Alien, so he is also involved with its production in some form. Kirkman did confirm that the film is in very early stages so it won’t release for a few years.

    Source: Entertainment Weekly

  • Amazon Prime’s ‘INVINCIBLE’ Release Date Finally Revealed

    Amazon Prime’s ‘INVINCIBLE’ Release Date Finally Revealed

    It’s been nearly three years since we first learned Robert Kirkman‘s popular superhero comic, Invincible, would be getting an animated adaptation on Amazon Prime. After months of exciting casting announcements and still-image teasers, we finally landed a release date. During a live stream, the series creator revealed that the first three episodes will release on March 26th. It was the perfect timing, as they were celebrating the anniversary of the first issue’s release. After the initial bundle of content hits streaming, you will be able to watch new episodes weekly until the first season concludes on April 30th. The reveal included a brand new clip from the show until the next trailer releases.

    Invincible will be the third series adaptation of a Kirkman work. It follows in the footsteps of the massively successful The Walking Dead, which made its debut back in 2010. The series has grown into a media juggernaut with the release of various spin-offs and plenty more planned in the coming years. Six years later, an adaptation of Outcast was also released, which got canceled in 2018. After their success, it is time for some superhero action, as we follow the young Mark Grayson living under the shadow of his father, who is the most powerful superhero on the planet.

    Like AMC’s powerhouse, the series offers a stellar cast of characters worthy of a spin-off. The animated series features Steven Yeun in the title role. He is joined by J.K. Simmons, Sandra Oh, Mark Hamill, Seth Rogan, Gillian Jacobs, Andrew Rannells, Zazie Beetz, Walton Goggins, Jason Mantzoukas, and Zachary Quintom, to name only a fraction of the expansive talent list. It remains to be seen if Invincible finds the same kind of traction, but a cast stacked to the brim most definitely won’t hurt its chances.

    Source: Deadline, Twitter

  • ‘NO TIME TO DIE’ Delayed Once Again

    ‘NO TIME TO DIE’ Delayed Once Again

     

    Another day, another major release pushed back.

    Universal has rescheduled the opening of their upcoming James Bond flick, No Time To Die, for October 8, 2021. This means you won’t be able to see Daniel Craig and new co-star, Ana de Armas, kicking undercover butt for another six months past the previous release date, April 2nd.

     

    The film is no stranGoogle search history of a writer - Part 1 — Lloyd Edwards - Author of Fantasy & Science Fictionger to skipping out on release, as this change-up from MGM and Universal marks the tentpole picture’s third shift. The project was originally scheduled to drop in April of 2020, before jumping to November of that year, and then the aforementioned April 2021. The new date puts the film in direct competition with Sony’s Morbius, the latest offering from their stable of Spider-Man spin-offs, as well as Halloween Kills, the next major film in Miramax’s iconic horror franchise.

    The story, which was directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga, is set to be the last Bond adventure for star Craig, who has held the role since 2006’s Casino Royale. He will be joined in his return by franchise veterans Christoph Waltz, Lea Seydoux, Ben Whishaw, Ralph Fiennes, and Naomi Harris. Newcomers to the Bond universe will include Rami Malek, the previously mentioned de Armas, and Lashana Lynch as the newest incarnation of the 007 moniker.

    Lynch is perhaps best known for her starring role in Marvel’s Captain Marvel as Maria Rambeau, the mother of Wandavision‘s Monica Rambeau and Carol Danvers’ best friend. Malek, on the other hand, recently won an Oscar for Best Actor, and will be using his acting chops to portray the film’s main antagonist.