We’ve long wondered who might be the villain in the upcoming third entry of the Guardians of the Galaxy films. Recent set photos offered a hint at what may be the MCU’s interpretation of Halfworld, Rocket’s homeworld in the comics. It looked like a replica of Earth with some outdated clothing, but what stood out is that every “human” seemed like they were also a hybrid of a random animal. Now, Cosmic Circus has shared what may be our first tease of the High Evolutionary in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
There have been rumors that Chukwudi Iwjui might be playing the character, but we still haven’t gotten an official announcement on who exactly he’s playing in the upcoming threequel. The tease is certainly interesting and the alien language further hints at similarities to Earth but with some unique distinctions. It may be a different take on the Counter-Earth, which was high Evolutionary’s way of creating a “purer” version of the normal Earth.
It still seems possible that his history is with Earth and that may have been his inspiration. He’d actually make a perfect counter to Star-Lord, who also has a history with the planet but is still stuck in a very different time. They may bond over that era before realizing that while Star-Lord learned to embrace the future, especially going by the Holiday Special teases, Evolutionary is still stuck to a bygone era. So, they may use this as a way to create a contrast between the two.
Moon Knight has been a show that stands on its own two feet even among the ever-growing Marvel Cinematic Universe. Episode 4 started a new direction for the series, as what looks like a globe-trotting adventure may have actually been in the Marc Spector’s mind all along. The next episode did return to the usual adventure, as he and his alter Steven Grant took a path down memory lane and were faced with a new challenge, as Ammit unleashes her chaos upon the world. Intersected during those segments, we return to Marc being confronted by a psychiatrist version of Arthur Harrow. As we go into the finale, the trailers are teasing something familiar for Marvel fans, but I have a different hope going in.
I adored the direction set by the fourth episode, as it played with our minds and created the illusion that everything that has happened was just within Marc’s mind. The series has been mostly disconnected from the rest of the MCU and embraced the iconic run by Lemire and Smallwood. It sadly is still a more restrained version of that story, but that’s not uncommon within adaptation. As Marc has found some kind of “peace” at the end of the last episode, I have one quandary going into the finale. I want it to keep playing with our heads.
Even as he continues his journey to regain his powers as the Moon Knight and Khonshu to fight Harrow. We get a bombastic fight, as teased in the latest teasers with Harrow using the powers of Ammit. But, in reality, we continue to splice his discussion with the psychiatrist as we further unravel his mind. Suddenly, he has a revelation and just takes in the reality that he is, inf act, a superhero and has to take down the next great evil. We suddenly return to those moments of the power struggle as Moon Knight falls back into the territory set up earlier in the season.
He saves the day. Moon Knight is reunited with Layla and Khonshu. Everything is back to where it should be. Yet, something seems off about it all. The ending is almost too perfect, as every piece of the puzzle has fallen together as it should. Suddenly, the rug is pulled from under him and reality is changed once again. The series ends on a note that perhaps there’s still more to this story to be told, as it continues to keep its focus primarily on his mental issues and the challenges of living with DID.
Of course, the series may take a safe route, but the thought of even the final playing with our expectations would be the perfect way to leave us off with the character. Perhaps everything that happened in the finale is actually part of a movie set, similar to Grant’s role in the Lemire and Smallwood run. We switch between these realities, making it harder to put together what is and isn’t real.
If you’re wondering what that means for the character’s future in the MCU, it gives us the perfect opportunity for a character that keeps us on our toes. While we may see the return of Moon Knight, there’s enough vagueness to never truly give away what exactly happened. He can still be a character that is unhinged and hard to truly pinpoint given his DID. I personally would love a second season to build upon the insanity and leave us with any questions, but if this remains as a limited series, they could still keep us guessing.
Reality is a fragile thing, and who knows what the future has in store for the character, which technically is probably making the limited episode count a bit frustrating. Still, there’s so much potential here to expand upon and use that vagueness to play with our perception. A sequel season could even play around with the Marvel Cinematic Universe as such without having to directly connect to the rest. It would be a shame to fall into some familiar territory, but even so, it wouldn’t go against what the series set up. Given it may be a limited run, it sadly does also limit its potential in some ways.
Not too long ago, we covered a few set photos from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 that seemingly gave us our first look at some comic-accurate costumes for the Guardians. At the time, it gave us a good look at Star-Lord and Nebula. Now, a new batch of set photos has found its way online from JustJared. While they don’t include any other Guardian members, it does give us a good look at the planet they are on, which looks a lot like Earth. Yet, the characters running around are seemingly humanoid and animal hybrids. Could this potentially be a new interpretation of Rocket Raccoon’s home planet Halfworld?
In the images, we get a good look at characters that look like they have attributes of a bat, a boar, a cat, and more. They are all very humanoid with some animal attributes. So, it doesn’t look like they are normal-sized unlike Rocket, who is mostly a raccoon with some improvements. Yet, the clothing seems quite outdated, which makes you wonder if perhaps this is a planet where another evolution echoed that of Earth but got stuck in another timeline.
Perhaps Halfworld is the playground for the High Evolutionary, who was from Earth. With his time in space, he may have wanted to return to an era when he last saw his home and while creating the various creatures that roam this planet, ended up also replicating something that is similar to Earth. Rocket may have been part of earlier experiments and these are the most advanced results of the Evolutionary research. It would be a fun way of playing with the Guardians and the audience. For now, it’s just speculation but it does look like we’ll get a very unique interpretation if this is indeed Halfworld.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is a film that was always going to have a rough time promoting. Most of the film is seemingly building up Strange’s adventure through the multiverse and even a meeting with the Illuminati. While the initial tease of Patrick Stewart in the trailer was something that got many people’s attention, later promos included quite a bit more than what people were bargaining for. One even included some massive reveals that probably weren’t meant to make their way online before the release.
It seems that Kevin Feige, the president of Marvel Studios, also agrees with that sentiment. As when he was asked during the premiere, he stated without hesitation that “there’s been too much in the trailers“. Something many would agree with, especially with those trailers that were made publicly available this short ahead of the film’s release.
There’s been too much in the trailers, I don’t want to talk about anything else. But I will say, Sam has made this movie to be experienced on as big a screen as possible, and it’s even the first one in a long time that 3D was really taken into account too, because the first Doctor Strange film I think was out best film ever in 3D, and this one now will be right alongside that.
Kevin Feige
It’s unclear how much influence Marvel Studios has over its marketing, as the trailers may have been coordinated directly via Disney. Though, one would assume they would require a sign-off from the company and producers, as there were hints directors also actively work with the marketing teams. It does seem safe to say that Feige might take this feedback internally and ensure that it doesn’t repeat again.
Here’s a fun surprise, but it looks like a new trailer on Netflix’s current and upcoming animation projects includes our first look at Sonic Prime. It’s a fun surprise that arrives at the end of the trailer, which only includes the blue blur running through a few rings with the iconic sound effect before dropping a jokey line. Surprisingly, it sounds like they have once again recast the voice but it’s unclear who is voicing him. At one point, it was announced that Roger Craig Smith was retiring from voicing the character but would confirm he’s back to voice Sonic after all. So, it’s interesting that the animated series has a different voice actor altogether.
As with any new voice actor, it’s going to take some time to get used to. This new Sonic the Hedgehog sounds like he has the same attitude of what we’ve come to love from the character, but it’s an even bigger departure from the live-action voice provided by Ben Schwartz. There’s not much to the line and generally, we don’t get a lot of time with him in this short clip. So, it’s not much to really make an analysis based on, but the design looks quite promising and feels like a direct adaptation of the games.
Overall, it’s exciting that Sonic the Hedgehog is going through a renaissance with his latest film release, new games, and an animated series. We’re still waiting anxiously on what Sonic Frontier might have to offer, but luckily classic fans will get to return to their favorite games with some unique animations as well to tie all four initial games together. So, Sonic fans are eating well right now.
You can check out the full trailer and the brief clip here:
We are only a week away from Marvel Studios’ next film, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. With a title like that, there’s a lot that they can do and with the horror elements teased, it does seem like Doctor Strange is in for quite the ride. We know he’ll meet America Chavez, Wanda may fully embrace the Scarlet Witch, and he’ll meet a mysterious organization, which recently finally was confirmed as the Illuminati. Yet, there’s still one major question that’s on everyone’s mind: What exactly is going on?
What stood out to everyone in the second trailer released for Multiverse of Madness may be the confirmation of Patrick Stewart returning to the Marvel universe. Yet, they are still keeping his appearance a mystery with the bizarre words “We should tell him the truth.” We hear Mordo accuse him early on that he is on trial due to something that he’s done to reality, which many believed could be a connection to Spider-Man: No Way Home. As is Marvel’s usual process, they could’ve easily cut a few scenes together to make that sequence come together with the way it does. Who knows if Mordo is actually referring to the Strange we know at this very moment.
So, it could be that the crimes he’s standing trial for are not his own, but rather the result of a Variant–especially with the different incarnations of Strange teased throughout the various trailers. Or, there’s always the chance that he does something alongside Chavez that ends up dragging him across the multiverse and in front of the Illuminati. Still, it doesn’t explain exactly the “truth” that is implied in the trailer. It’s almost as if they are hiding something from the world or even the multiverse.
While in the comics, they have done some shady things as a group, especially when they were the cause for Hulk’s invasion of Earth after shooting him into space. Yet, as that storyline has been explored without their inclusion in Avengers: Age of Ultron and Thor: Ragnarok, it opens up other opportunities. The most prominent one might be that they have some kind of connection to what may lead Wanda Maximoff down a darker path within the MCU.
We’ve seen glimpses of her at the facility that matches the one where the Illuminati reside. While Doctor Strange may have gotten their attention with his activities across the multiverse, they aren’t that innocent either. The biggest threat to their reality was already hinted at in WandaVision when Agatha Harkness revealed the power that Scarlet Witch holds and what it may unleash upon reality.
If the Illuminati feared what she may unleash upon all realities due to the same prophecy, it wouldn’t be too surprising that they had a hand in keeping her from potentially reaching her true potential. Perhaps, it’s connected to her children Billy and Tommy that technically exist within the multiverse but have become a constant that they always keep away from her. It’s a dream that is never meant to come true and they are the reason for exactly that.
Ironically, it might be the exact reason that her fury is unleashed upon the multiverse. We’ve seen it teased in the trailers, as a blood-drenched Wanda is seemingly unleashing chaos magic. If their comic history is anything to go by, the Illuminati tends to screw up the life of others for the “greater good” and it tends to backfire on them. So, with Wanda’s prominence in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, it seems likely they will once again be their own worst enemy.
It looks like Paramount has been quite happy with the success of Jackass Forever, as they are reviving the original TV series for their Paramount+ subscription service. During their Q1 earnings call, they not only highlighted their impressive subscriber growth but also went on to tease some of their additional plans, which included the announcement of a new Jackass TV series. It would be the first time they return to a TV format since the original three seasons aired on MTV back in 2000 to 2001. Bob Bakish, Paramount’s Global CEO, shared the following statement on the new series order.
Based off the success of ‘Jackass Forever,’ we’re working with the creators to continue the partnership with a new series, bringing even more ridiculous antics straight to Paramount+.
Bob Bakish
Not too long ago, they announced countless new projects and are continuing to push forward with their expansion of the service. Johnny Knoxville, who’s the de facto leader of the Jackass crew, has recently hinted that he’s done with the stunts after his work on Forever. One stunt was highlighted as exceptionally dangerous, which luckily didn’t lead to a dark end.
Of course, he could still have a role in the project and use it as an opportunity to pass the torch to a new generation, as he has a more creative role in creating the different stunts that are performed. For now, it seems they’ve mainly ordered a series with the producers, who’ll likely discuss it with the original team and we’ll see how many “veterans” will stick with the new series or potentially leave the franchise behind with their swan song that was Forever.
Disney has been focused on creating various spinoffs from their live-action remakes. While the Beauty and the Beast project is now on hold indefinitely, it seems we finally got an update on the Prince Anders-focused spinoff for Aladdin. Billy Magnussen took on the role and was going to be the focus of the new series, which would explore the fictional European kingdom of Skanland.
Not much was actually known about the project, and we haven’t heard anything about it since its release three years ago. Magnussen did offer an update during an interview with ScreenRant. While it seems the project is still in its writing phases, the actor confirms that it is still “in development” and teases what’s to come for Prince Anders’ story.
It’s in development. We are in the stages of rewrites right now, and it’s still moving forward. Yeah, it’s really exciting … I loved making that character up, and to have the opportunity to create a world and a story with him in it has really been a treat. I love that. That’s what I really love about this industry; to play in such a way like that … To be the not-Prince-Charming Prince, you know? We always see Prince Charming, so I was like, ‘Let’s mix it up.”
Billy Magnussen
It’ll be interesting to see how long it’ll take before the spinoff finds its way to Disney+. The three-year difference in addition to how long production will need, the momentum of building upon the original release might’ve been missed. Still, it’s great they are still actively working on it and Prince Anders’ popularity after the initial release might still make it work more as an original story rather than as an Aladdin spinoff.
Disney and Marvel Studios have something special planned for their upcoming release of Ms. Marvel. While it’s still planned as a weekly release on Disney+ worldwide, it seems like there will be a special release in Pakistan. Ms. Marvel will release in theaters across the country. Not only will they create a special format for all six episodes, but it’ll be made available in three parts.
As revealed by Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy on her official Instagram account, the six episodes will release in batches of two, which are set to find their way to Pakistani theaters on June 16th, June 30th, and finally on July 14th. It’s a way to celebrate the first Pakistani Marvel superhero and offer it to the country that doesn’t yet have Disney+ access.
This move is definitely a great showcase of respecting the cultural background of the character and making it easier to access for those that don’t have the service. It wouldn’t be too surprising if this new theatrical release model becomes a standard for those countries that don’t yet have access to the streaming service. If the film manages to pull in an audience over the course of all three releases, it might definitely also offer a great alternative for those countries that may otherwise not have any access to the service moving forward.
As is tradition with Marvel Studios’ releases, there’s also always the question on everyone’s minds about how many post-credit sequences they may expect. While two have become the norm from the studio, we’ve also been surprised in the past such as Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 playing with the concept. Spider-Man: Homecoming had a second post-credit that was more of a little joke to keep the audiences on their toes. With Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness‘ release on the horizon, the question has also been raised about what to expect.
Luckily, hot off the heels of the red carpet premiere, ComicBook.com has revealed that the upcoming film will include two post-credit sequences. Of course, they haven’t included any details on what they entail but it helps to know going into the film. The Doctor Strange sequel will explore the vast multiverse, and may have the biggest potential in how it explores its post-credit sequences. It wouldn’t be too surprised if it sets up the future of the entire MCU, as who knows if this is just the beginning of how the rest of the universe may end up exploring this concept.
For now, all we can do is theorize as the film is set to release in just a few more days. It’s going to be tough to avoid spoilers, but who knows how little we actually know about the film. There’s a lot of potential and Sam Raimi’s return to direct a superhero film is an exciting prospect from the get-go. It’ll be interesting to see what the film and even the future has in store for its audience.
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