Category: Features

Connecting Imaginary Dots: Odin’s Wake and the Reforging of Mjolnir

Early this morning, Twitter user @fernx18 alerted Murphy’s Multiverse of the following detective work by user @loventhunders:

As the original post points out, it appears that the Asgardians have created a monument to Odin at the spot where he died in Thor: Ragnarok. His death allowed Hela to escape her prison and subsequently shatter Mjolnir nearby. While it’s all speculation on our part, it’s possible that the set photos above are part of a longer scene in which the Asgardians say goodbye to the Allfather with a friends-and family-style memorial. Thor has been fairly busy since his father passed away what with Asgard being destroyed, half the universe being wiped out and having to travel through time to fix it, so it’s probably about time to get around to honoring his father. It doesn’t seem like much of a stretch to assume that the set photos that captured Matt Damon, Sam Neill, Melissa McCarthy and others as they act out an Asgardian drama retelling Odin’s final days could be a part of that celebration (they were shot around the same time); additionally, it also opens up a very organic way for Natalie Portman’s Jane Foster to be reintroduced after having been sidelined since the events of Thor: The Dark World.

The memorial can be used to catch Foster up to speed (as well as new fans of the franchise) and, as we’ve seen in another set picture below, get her in front of Mjolnir where the enchanted hammer can work its magic.

While a common theory among fans has been that one or to other or both of Jane and Mjolnir would be brought in from the multiverse, the collection of evidence here seems to strongly support the idea that both are the Jane and Mjolnir that we’ve gotten to know. In every way, that makes for a stronger story as both Thor and the audience have relationships with both characters. We’ve seen Mjolnir reforged before in the comics (recently in Jason Aaron’s War of the Realms) and while it seems unlikely that Jane is going to fly it into the sun in Thor: Love and Thunder, the set photos do make it seem like something specific to Jane is the key to reforging the hammer. Perhaps it’s her previous connection to the Reality Stone, but it does seem crucial that the hammer can only be reforged by or for Jane, otherwise half of Avengers: Infinity War would seem to have been a huge waste of time.

Great catch @loventhunders! We’ll see how all this plays out next year what Thor: Love and Thunder hits cinemas around the world.

June 15, 2021
REVIEW: “The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard” is a LOUDER Version of its Predecessor

Let’s get one thing straight off the bat. I did not go into this film expecting a masterclass of cinematic action. I based my expectations on my experience with the first film in 2017 and set the bar for its sequel at around a decent action popcorn flick that you could have a couple of chuckles with your friends. And having that expectation going into the movie probably aided the moviegoing experience overall. The Patrick Hughes-directed sequel somehow managed to essentially be a much louder version of its predecessor. 25% of that loudness can be attributed to the decent amount of action, explosions, and high stake chases while the other 75% can be attributed to the rest of the cast; 50% of it going to Salma Hayek.

PRO: The A+ Star-Studded Cast

Without a doubt, one of the saving graces in this movie was the superb acting from this stellar cast. Ryan Reynolds once again nails his role as Michael Bryce, ex-AAA Bodyguard. Comparing his performance in this series of films as the safety-obsessed, careful-to-detail ex-bodyguard to his more outlandish and unhinged portrayal of Deadpool really is a testament to the range that so very few actors can deliver when it comes to their films. Samuel L. Jackson also returns as the lawless hitman, Darius Kincaid. There was no limit to his resorting to violence, guns, puns, and a whole ton of expletives. You could tell Jackson had fun working on this project and enjoyed every second of screentime he shared with his costars. Speaking of co-stars, Antonio Banderas was introduced to the franchise as this film’s big bad, Aristotle Papadopolous. Comparing it to the antagonist of the sequel’s predecessor, Banderas’ role in this film kind of fell flat, mainly because I couldn’t invest in Banderas as a character. At least with Gary Oldman, you could feel invested in the motives and be convinced that this was a dangerous individual. But in the end, he served his purpose. The true wild card of this film was without a doubt Morgan Freeman. The collective gasps and shocks in the theater really delivered as one of the film’s coolest twists. And, saving the best for last, Salma Hayek just absolutely killed it as Sonia Kincaid. Her completely unhinged portrayal as the wife of the most dangerous hitman in the world really is on par with Samuel L. Jackson’s performance and both were able to play off each other so well in so many aspects. Her interactions with her costars were fantastic and she pretty much stole the scenes she was in with her incredibly powerful voice and loud use of Spanish expletives. She just goes to show that you should never piss off a Latina woman.

CON: Almost everything else

Let’s break it down by category:

Cinematography: The shots and visual aesthetic of the film were great. The sights and locations all across the Mediterranean were fantastic. Where it falls flat was more on the editing process. There were so many scenes that cut from one place to another and really affected the pacing of the film overall. It felt as if there were some pieces missing when going from one scene to another. Regardless, the overall grade was a B-.

Script: The writing in this film was just all over the place. There were some points where the film really tried to make genuine approaches to the psyche behind Bryce’s backstory before making a complete joke out of it. Every character’s motives in this film were simple and to the point and I don’t really see that any of these characters grew thanks to the events of the story so they all remained 1 dimensional to me. So, the grade for the writing there was a C.

Sound and Score: Atli Örvarsson really delivered on the score of this film. The 70s inspired Cop vibe was fantastic and loved it through and through. The grade there was an A+.

Final Score: If you’re looking for a film where you don’t have to think too much into the character’s motives and want a couple of good laughs and a good time, then The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard really has got you covered on that front. So the final grade for this film overall is B-.

The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard hits theaters on June 16th.

June 14, 2021
The Introspection Of Loki: When a God Accepts He Is Powerless

In the series premiere of Loki, our titular character continues his journey post Avengers: Endgame. Well, technically, his story following the first Avengers film from a timeline perspective. It’s easy to get caught up in the exposition of the Time Variance Authority. The implications of the timeline, multiversal wars, and what it all means are captivating, no doubt. There was something else that stuck out in a way that was quite jarring. It was our protagonist with his ego and power stripped away. It was a god reduced to a man, a big fish reduced to a guppie in the grand scheme of it all.

Part of what makes storytelling impactful is when we get to know the why. Why is this story this way? What compels his actions? Owen Wilson‘s Agent Mobius interrogates Loki in a way that is more therapeutic than invasive. We know what happened in Avengers, but why? Loki has an obsession and a fixation on ruling and lording over. Yet, we never thought to ask why until now.

Forced to witness his life and its inevitability, Loki is held accountable for his actions. There are no tricks or escapes here. Well, there is that time twister escapade for some escape hi-jinx, but ultimately it’s just a diversion. After finding out that his words directly lead to Freya’s death, we saw a crack in the armor. Then Loki got a trip into his unknown future, a reconciliation with Thor and death at the hands of Thanos. He has a realization at that moment how insignificant he truly is in the grand scheme of things.

There’s a brilliance in the writing team headed by Michael Waldron that needed to get us to a place to care about Loki. Yes, as fans in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, we will buy into any morsel of story. What is accomplished here surrounds the nuance of this once villainous character. Loki’s past and potential future is summed up perfectly by his brief monologue:

I don’t enjoy hurting people. I don’t enjoy it. I do it because I have to because I’ve had to. Because it’s part of the illusion. it’s the cruel elaborate trick conjured by the weak to inspire fear.

NIs Loki turning into a good guy and starting a new hero’s journey? Probably not, as he isn’t the God of Mischief just for kicks. What sets this series off in a fascinating direction is the feeling that we know Loki in a way we didn’t before. Sometimes introspection leads us down the most fruitful doors.

June 13, 2021
From ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ to ‘Halo: Infinite’: What We Hope to See at E3 2021

It looks like the first major leak ahead of this year’s E3 gaming event has already found its way online. At this point, it almost seems like a tradition and it is time to look at what we can expect from the next few days. The event will offer us an insight into the future of gaming may it be on any hardware developments and, most excitingly, new games. sadly, Sony once again pulled out of the event but there are many other heavy-weights with some curious plans. The yearly tradition also returns with countless rumors hitting the internet teasing potential projects that may or may not get the spotlight at the event. I thought it’s the perfect time to maybe talk about some things I personally hope to see during the event.

Marvel-ous Showcase

Now, it seems that Marvel is gaining some traction in the gaming world. 2018’s Spider-Man kicked off a new console generation getting to experience the life of our favorite superheroes and it seems like it could be more heading our way. There is a rumor going around that seems to have some validity that the developer of XCOM is preparing a game that explores the Marvel world. Of course, there is also the confirmed Black Panther: War for Wakanda that will get the focus during Marvel’s Avengers entry in the Square Enix panel. Here’s hoping we get other reveals for what the game’s first expansion has in store for us with the king of Wakanda in action. Of course, there is also the potential reveal of Eidos’ long-rumored Guardians of the Galaxy game finally getting revealed. It looks like this year’s E3 is looking marvel-ous already.

Ninten-Do Some Reveals

Now, Nintendo has some major expectations surrounding its upcoming Nintendo Direct. It’ll be the last event of this year’s event, but it may hold some of the biggest surprises. People are still clamoring for a sequel to 2017’s Super Mario Odyssey but there is also the already announced The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild sequel. It seems very likely that the latest Zelda entry will get a lot of attention, but we’re hoping for some surprise reveals. Metroid Prime 4 seems to be stuck in development hell for quite some time. My hopes are also surrounding a potential legacy series making a grand return, may it be Advance Wars or Golden Sun. Though F-Zero deserves a grand return to offer Nintendo some much-needed iconic racing action. Most likely, we’ll see a lot more of Splatoon 3 at the event, but here’s hoping Nintendo surprises us.

Xbox Changing the Gaming Landscape

We all know that Xbox’s major showcase will be Halo: Infinite. Its grand return has been highly anticipated since they delayed the game to give it more attention. We might also get some grand reveals, but there is one thing many gamers are keeping a close eye on. Microsoft’s venture into game streaming with Xbox Game Pass has become quite the success story and it’ll be curious to see them expand it in new ways. Eagle-eyed viewers noticed the Nintendo Switch in the background of some Xbox interviews, which has many wondering if it might expand into Nintendo’s latest console. Of course, a personal hope would be the return of Banjo-Kazooie with a new entry or even just a remake of the original two games. We don’t know if Sony has some secret video planned to release during the event, but right now it’s looking good that Xbox might lead the charge into the future of gaming through their streaming offerings.

June 12, 2021
‘Loki’ May Have Hinted at Non-Marvel Studios Films Existing Before the Multiversal War

Up to this point, we all assumed that the Marvel Cinematic Universe consists of multiple reality branches simultaneously. As such, we all expected WandaVision to kick it off after Wanda created a pocket dimension out of the small rural town of Westview. After countless guesswork, it ended up as a self-contained story, and there were no real signs of the multiverse just yet. Even 2019’s Spider-Man: Far From Home teased its existence only for it to turn out to be a lie by Mysterio. Yet, we have a What If series heading to Disney+, and Doctor Strange‘s sequel has the subtitle Multiverse of Madness. So, we believed Loki would finally confirm our suspicions only to surprise us even more. It revealed that the TVA serves to prevent new timelines from sprouting into existence. It seems the multiverse we know has already happened and imploded after a war. Now, it made us wonder what exactly was the multiverse before the Time Keepers got involved?

There are no hints at what existed before the Sacred Timeline got created. If they follow the comics, the current iteration of the Avengers and their entire journey serve the Time Keepers as they seek to ensure their life cycle remains intact. Mobius also hints at the fact that the timeline exists in a constant loop. So, the end of time will always lead back to the beginning of creation. As such, our heroes will continue down their path no matter what over and over again. It did sound like the world was very different in the original timeline before it got that TVA reboot at some random point in its existence. We have no idea what may have led to that event, but there might be some curious hints through the rumor mill, especially surrounding Spider-Man: No Way Home.

Everything seems to be pointing to the appearance of Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield‘s incarnations of the iconic webhead. Their villains seem almost confirmed at this point. Yet, there is one contradiction their appearance would create. As we saw, branches extend out of the Sacred Timeline when a nexus event happens. Like in What If, any alternative version of the characters will connect to the main timeline. Peggy Carter becoming Captain Britain is only a different event unfolding as some of the same events happened before the nexus that caused the new scenario. So, if we get introduced to two versions of a character with very distinct histories, it would imply that the multiverse was much more unique at one point, as the heroes looked different. Of course, the TVA’s current predicament could contradict this, but it does seem likely that we’re playing with very distinct concepts of the multiverse. Perhaps Garfield and Maguire come from multiversal timelines before the first war, which developed more independently from each other. Miss Minutes used the wording “unique” when discussing their pre-war existence.

Whatever happens in Loki, it may see the resurgence of these original timelines that vanished after the first Multiversal War. Marvel Studios already rebranded older movies as Marvel Legacy projects. So, it may be a way to keep them as distinct franchises but open up the door to allow the potential of multiversal cameos without breaking the universe’s canon. So, it won’t make people think if Hugh Jackman has a brief appearance as Wolverine, he will return to the role moving forward. Speaking of the X-Men franchise, the confirmed third Deadpool entry also gives the theory some weight if you consider that it’s a continuation from the Fox universe that continues into the MCU. As such, he may be part of this original multiverse and ends up in the Sacred Timeline. As an outsider, he starts to unravel the universe even more, especially if you consider his ability to break the fourth wall. We know the first seeds for a Secret Wars adaptation got planted. Just like Thanos, it seems inevitable that the next multiversal war will happen, and we might see some other familiar faces join the fray.

June 10, 2021
REVIEW: ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ 409: Progress

Episode 9 is a delightful romp through the hellscape that is the psyche of every character associated with Gilead. There are no guns, no bombs, no blood of any sort. But everyone’s a casualty.

Jeanine is back at the red house with Aunt Lydia, being her good girl self, but oh what pain she hides beneath the surface. Esther, the young brutalized wife who the handmaids met at the farm/hideout, is now there, but refusing to eat. Jeanine’s goodness insists she tries her best to make Esther realize the lengths the Aunts will go in teaching obedience, and it works. One more obedient-on-the-surface handmaid to add to the fold.

Fred and Serena are now coming to realize the mistakes they made in trusting to their continuing influence in Gilead. They may have admirers in Canada, but they certainly don’t in the upper echelons of Gilead. They have visitors from Gilead, Commander Warren, and his lovely wife Naomi, who were the primary torturers of Janine. Naomi suggests that if Serena were to find herself still in prison when the child is born, she should give it to Naomi to raise. You can almost hear the slap Serena aches to deliver to Naomi’s sweet, stupid face. Warren visits Fred, who demands more help from the other commanders in Gilead. What are the plans? Who is coming to help him? Nobody, Warren lets him know. But don’t worry. You’re in our thoughts and prayers. Fred does not seem comforted.

Let’s move on to June, who is now strong enough to tell Luke the truth: that their daughter Hannah doesn’t remember them, cringes in fear when spoken to by June, and is too far gone for there ever to be a happy family scenario that Luke is so desperate for. “I’m sorry,” says June, and she is deeply splintered by her ability to survive anything, and her inability to rescue her daughter. But she’s had to do all of her fighting alone, and here is a time for Luke to shine. He shows her all of the work he’s done already in finding Hannah, placing a bulging folder in front of her, filled with documents and photos. So finally June can count on someone helping her in the fight for her daughter.

Their first idea is to contact someone from inside Gilead. June calls Lawrence, who struggles with his own guilt at going along with the Gilead manifesto in the early days. He tells June to simply be satisfied, raise the daughter she has. June entreats him to help them because they love Hannah so much. Lawrence sets her straight.

“Your love fucks people up.”

Cue the close-up of Luke. The implication is obvious.

Luke has gone through his own hell while being forced to wait for news of his wife and daughter. He has arrived at the airport expecting to greet his wife, only to find himself the caretaker of her infant daughter, conceived through the convoluted madness of Gilead. When he finally is reunited with his wife, she tells him the child was conceived in love. What the hell does that mean, he must be asking himself. This woman he has loved is fundamentally different, and he has to find a way to fit back into her life. But we can see Luke weaken through each scene. He sees the life he imagined with June disappearing. He faces the possibility that they may never see their Hannah again, and the daughter he’s raising isn’t truly his. Despondence chips away at him, until he finally suggests that June set up a meeting with Nick, and make sure to bring baby Nichole to sway his judgment. And then we watch his heartbreak into tiny little pieces.

When June and Nick meet, we know what Luke already knows deep in his soul; they are in love and will be forever. A bond forged in hell can’t be broken by the survivors.

If June’s love really does fuck people up, I don’t hold out much hope for Nick surviving the season.
Someone else who may not survive: Mark, their liaison from the state department. He casually tells June and Luke that they have flipped Fred, and he will now be their primary source for intel on Gilead. June is enraged that her rapist will be set free, and threatens (promises?) that she will kill Mark for this betrayal.
What will the season finale hold? It’s called Wilderness and not Gilead Armageddon, so I’m sure I’ll be disappointed at some level.

June 10, 2021
How ‘Loki’ May Have Decanonized ‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’ from the Current MCU Timeline

After the first Loki trailer teased the existence of the Time Variance Authority, it made us wonder how the Marvel Cinematic Universe will play around with the various timelines. It will finally explore the fallout from the events of Avengers: Endgame when Loki managed to escape his timeline and ends up in their timeless offices. We’ve hoped it may explore and explain what we can expect from the upcoming multiverse-focused Doctor Strange sequel. Especially if you consider that the film is written by Loki’s head writer Michael Waldron. Yet, the newly expanded introduction to time travel may have confirmed that Marvel TV’s first series may not be canon after all.

The first Avengers film led to the death of Clark Gregg‘s Phil Coulson. After getting stabbed in the back, the SHIELD agents’ popularity led to a campaign that would see his grand return on the small screen. Marvel TV, independently from its film studio, developed an entire series that focused on the mystery of his revival. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. went on to air for seven seasons. It started as a threat-of-the-week series before introducing magic, space, and even time travel. Of course, many wondered if these elements get explored in the time-focused Loki series. Yet, it seems that TVA agent Mobius, played by Owen Wilson, may have decanonized the series by just stating Coulson died. End of story.

There is also the concept of the Sacred Timeline that may have pruned it from the current MCU. It seems that the universe currently exists in one singular timeline that is kept in unison by the timeless bureaucrats. Things happen because they were meant to happen, as Loki learns painfully by witnessing his futile future. Now, we believed that there was a chance it took place in an alternative timeline. At the end of the final season, we see the complete resurgence of SHIELD yet hints that the Snap never happened in their timeline. Yet, the TVA confirms that the timeline tends to repeat over and over again. So, the events from the MCU so far don’t match up with that season’s finale to even confirm it canon in the main timeline.

So, is Agents of SHIELD officially not canon? Yes and no, as there is one possible way it becomes canon once again. The brief video introduction to the organization by Miss Minutes explains there was once a multiverse war that broke all timelines before they got restored into the Sacred Timeline. They also warn of the events that unfold when the multiverse comes into existence. It’ll be the focal point of Doctor Strange’s film, where he explores the madness resulting from it falling apart. As such, that nexus event could happen in Loki, as teased in one of the trailers when we see the timeline breaking apart at different points in time. The Variants in the upcoming What If series are our first indicator that this single timeline wasn’t going to last. For now, Agents of SHIELD do not seem to be part of the singular MCU timeline, but upcoming events could end up changing it. It may even be intentional if we consider other Marvel-related content. All we know is that the multiverse is inevitable and things can always change moving forward, but it seems the next multiversal war is a definite.

June 9, 2021
REVIEW: ‘Loki’ Breathes New Life Into The God of Mischief In The Best Ways

A year ago, I would’ve told you that Loki was in the bottom rung of all the stuff Marvel was slated to do. At the time of the show’s announcement in 2018, we already saw the character die thrice (!!!), only for him to show up in subsequent films beyond those deaths. “Just how many more times do we have to see Loki run the same game all over again?” said 2020 me who didn’t know better. But then the first trailer of the show came out during Disney’s Investors Day conference last December, which gave a convincing argument that this show was going to be weird and bonkers. Having now seen the first two episodes, I’ve never been happier to eat those words I uttered last year because the show absolutely destroys.

That’s because Kevin Feige, Michael Waldron, and Kate Herron have found new engaging ways to give more mileage to this decade-old MCU character. Mileage that will likely last the character more than many lifetimes in the MCU. This kind of longevity feels organic and untrodden for the God of Mischief himself. Not only that, the show introduces a concept that is so outrageous within the current confines of the MCU, that it almost breaks it in the best way possible. Everything you understand about the MCU will radically change after you watch these episodes.

The way the show treats the titular character is unlike that of what we’ve seen. While previous Loki appearances had the God of Mischief stopping at nothing in his pursuit of glory, the show exposes him for the jobber he truly is. In the world of wrestling, he’s the guy that has to lose to crown the new WWE champion. As the fates would have it, Loki isn’t destined to win; he’s born to lose. He’s only around to make people around look better and the show brilliantly forces him to come to terms with this harsh truth. For a character that’s been nothing but a sore loser and winner, there’s nothing more compelling than seeing him get humbled.

This character turn, unsurprisingly, gives Tom Hiddleston more range for him to be the best version of Loki we’ve ever seen. He gets to tap into that maliciousness we saw from the first Avengers film and the bumbling brattiness he gave the character in Thor: Ragnarok while bringing a new layer of weariness for the character. Hiddleston is absolutely on fire as this version of Loki. There are big emotional moments for the character in the first episode where he gets to really flex those acting chops. More than Chris Hemsworth and any other MCU star, Hiddleston might be the MCU’s greatest casting discovery to date.

What makes Hiddleston better this time around is that he has Owen Wilson to bounce off from. Wilson plays Mobius, an obscure character from the comics that works for the Time Variance Authority. Wilson is very much playing an Owen Wilson character here and I don’t mean that as a dig: Wilson’s quirks as an actor work so well against Hiddleston’s highbrow Shakespearean energy. You have Loki, whose thing is being grandiose and boisterous and then you have Mobius, who is just some dude trying to finish his 9-to-5 job. What’s also great about Mobius is that he’s one of the few in Loki’s orbit that is actually several steps ahead. This dynamic leads to some very fun interactions between the two; Loki is second fiddle next to Mobius and he can’t stand it. The two almost have a Jim-Dwight chemistry that almost seems unthinkable when you think about a character like Loki. Again, it goes back to the creators of this show finding engaging ways to keep you on board. People will adore the tandem these two have.

And then you have TVA, the most bizarre organization to make the MCU to date. Essentially, they are the timeline police. You stray from your predetermined path in the timeline and then they arrest you. The show does a fantastic job in explaining how they operate via an animated educational video akin to Jurassic Park. What intrigues me about the TVA is the larger implications the organization has for the MCU. There are some absolutely bonkers allusions to Secret Wars and Infinity Stones in the show. The TVA as the most powerful ruling order in the MCU’s plane of existence is going to lead to some crazy stuff moving forward.

Apart from being immensely powerful, what really makes the TVA such a bizarre organization is the way the whole thing is packaged. The set design is so striking; a mix between retro 70’s analog and old school sci-fi. Every nook and cranny of the TVA feels very lived-in. Every single thing about the set feels like the polar opposite from what we got in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, where they literally had to use the same set over and over again. The people that inhabit the TVA rival those that live in Sakaar; just a bunch of totally lovable weirdos that steal each scene they’re in.

Visually, it’s the first Marvel Disney+ show to actually look truly cinematic. That’s not to say the two Marvel shows that came before this were visually bad. The VFX shots of those shows were astounding and even surpass some of the biggest movies. But beyond those expensive sequences, there are a chunk of scenes in Wandavision and, especially, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier that fall short from looking like a movie. As great as Sam’s big monologue was in the finale, that whole moment looked like an episode of Jessica Jones. Loki is the first one of the bunch to feel like a movie.

If WandaVision was Marvel’s attempt at doing an experimental sitcom and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier a return to their blockbuster form, Loki is them taking a stab at a Fincher-esque investigative crime thriller. You’ve probably heard of the premise by now: someone is causing all these problems in the sacred timeline and the TVA needs Loki’s help to hunt them down. The show gets the spirit of investigative thrillers correct. It’s eerie and atmospheric at times. The investigative aspect feels very engaging. It’s not quite a whodunnit as the show is quick to give away who they’re after but the hows and whats within the confines of the TVA’s crazy world is what makes it interesting.

The only thing I’m mixed on is how some of the mechanics of time travel are presented. Like Endgame, it’s simplified enough for you to buy it at face value until you actually start thinking of the nuances. Some of it will eat at audiences if they don’t ever clarify it. But the fact that the show is taking big swings in doing their own twist with time travel is pretty cool. The introduction of the Time Keepers results in the prevalent theme of predestination and fate; whether or not we’re actually in control of our decisions or if some cabal of time gods have it all planned out. It’s nothing we haven’t seen but when applied to a character like Loki, it becomes way more interesting to explore. The stuff they seed for his arc is gonna have some crazy payoffs by the time the finale hits.

Having seen only two episodes, it’s too early to definitively say where Loki stands among the Marvel shows. But if the rest of the season keeps up with what Episode 1 and 2 does, we might have the best one yet. Loki may not ever rule Midgard or Asgard but he may be poised to rule the Disney+ platform if all goes well.

June 8, 2021
5 Non-Time Travel Films to Watch Ahead of Disney+’s ‘Loki’ Premiere

Loki will premiere this week on Disney+. A large part of the conversation surrounding it has been about all the various (and sometimes out-of-left-field) other shows and movies that influenced it, which includes the likes of Blade Runner, Mad Men, Teletubbies, and many more. There are also all the beloved time travel TV series that people have been attempting to marathon before the series starts. Of course, that doesn’t include all the Marvel movies the God of Mischief has appeared in. As such, this list is for those looking to watch something that wouldn’t be the first thing they would consider being an inspiration, but are fun to take a look at and compare in different ways. So, I’m ruling out all movies based on comic book properties or anything that involves time travel. Without further ado, let’s jump into the potential inspirations behind Marvel Studios’ next Disney+ entry.

Brazil (1985)

The science-fiction black comedy film, which was directed by Terry Gilliam of the comedy troupe Monty Python, is about a man who has dreams at night of being a warrior. He also imagines being with a certain woman who he soon spots in real life. Unfortunately, they both live in a totalitarian, bureaucratic society, which soon becomes an obstacle for them to escape. The society in question is not unlike the Time Variance Authority central to Loki, and the film has actually already been confirmed to have been an influence on the series. It’s easy to tell just from the trailers alone, as it appears to be a labyrinth of whimsical order, much like the dystopian future depicted in Brazil.

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)

This is the only movie on the list not to have any elements of magic or science fiction, but it may be the one with the spirit closest to that of Loki. Ferris Bueller is a high school senior who tricks his parents into believing he is sick. All this so he can ditch school for a day, bringing his best friend and girlfriend along for the ride. This John Hughes coming-of-age movie is all about the excitement and motivation behind getting up to mischief simply for the thrill of it, and that’s certainly a major side of Loki’s character.

Defending Your Life (1991)

Defending Your Life is another movie that has been confirmed as an inspiration for Loki. Director and actor Albert Brooks, who is co-starring alongside Meryl Streep, explores the story about another organization similar to the TVA, Judgement City. It is where people go after they die and are put on trial to receive a judgment on whether they were brave enough during their life on Earth to be deemed fit to move on to the next phase of existence or if they will be sent back to Earth to begin a whole new one.

Much like Judgement City, the TVA is inaccessible from the “regular” world as it can only be found on its own plane of existence. However, the element of this film’s world that Loki’s creative team seemed to take direct inspiration from is the courtroom in which the main character’s trial is held. The room contains a large screen on which scenes from the defendant’s life are played, and the time theater seen in Loki’s trailers is essentially the same thing.

Jurassic Park (1993)

Jurassic Park is sort of like a reverse time travel film. Instead of the characters visiting a different era, the different era is brought to them. It’s a cautionary tale about science as just because something can be done, doesn’t necessarily mean it should be done. Yet, this isn’t the reason why the movie is on this list, though. That honor goes to a scene early in the film in which the characters watch how soon-to-be-opened dinosaur park came to be. The intro features an animated anthropomorphic DNA sequence, which is appropriately named Mr. DNA.

The TVA has its own Mr. DNA in the form of Miss Minutes, an animated and anthropomorphic clock. She prepares time criminals for their trials at the organization. Both are upbeat as they deliver messages (technically exposition for the audience) with sinister undertones. They even have some level of an American southern accent. Universal Studios may be trying to give Mr. DNA a comeback in the queue of their new Jurassic Park ride, but Miss Minutes may very well end up giving him a run for his money in terms of modern-day popularity.

Midnight in Paris (2011)

Okay, so this one is a rule breaker because time travel is at play here. But if you’ve seen this movie you know exactly why it’s on the list. And no, it’s not because of the changing of different eras. Midnight in Paris is about a screenwriter who gets wrapped up in nostalgia while in conflict with his fiancée and her family. He ends up in various time periods of the past reliving the days of the great writers. The screenwriter is played by Owen Wilson, and he runs into various historical figures like F. Scott Fitzgerald, played by Tom Hiddleston. Again, I’m breaking my own rule here by including this film, but this is the only other project the two leads of Loki worked on together. So, I couldn’t help myself. And besides, would this truly be a Loki watchlist if it completely stuck by the books?

June 8, 2021
What ‘Marvel’s Avengers’ Can Learn from ‘Returnal’

I’ve been obsessed with the game Returnal as of late. You take control of Selene, a space traveler who crash lands on a strange foreign planet. As she faces the dangerous climate and fauna, she realizes that this isn’t her first trip. In reality, she is stuck in a time loop of some kind and repeats it every time she dies. It’s a simple premise that lends itself to a very challenging experience. Each death feels like the game is challenging you to do better and find a way to survive longer. It doesn’t hold your hands, and sometimes you won’t figure out how some mechanics work until your tenth run. The more I played it, the more I realized it had something that I believe Marvel’s Avengers needs at this point in its development: randomization.

When you die in Returnal, you don’t go through the same motions as before. The only thing that remains the same is the opening area where your ship crashlanded while the rest of the game’s map cycles through a variety of different layouts. Even the enemies get switched up regularly. So, while you think you know where they will spawn, there is always a chance something even more dangerous may appear. It adds a level of progression that plays on your ability to react to the change. In contrast, Crystal Dynamic’s Avengers offers you a handful of missions that get switched up weekly, but they don’t change at their core. The goals are always the same, AIMs bots stay consistent, and you know what you expect.

I have spent countless hours in the game and still enjoy every single content drop that has come out to varying degrees. The only issue is that once I played through the new content, there is no real reason to return. Even their latest Red Room Takeover event consisted only of five special gauntlets that repeat the same enemy rollout. Grinding your mission chains or gear becomes monotonous after a certain amount of time. Of course, you should take breaks when it comes to these ongoing experiences, but it would add an incentive to play more.

There is one random element in Returnal that I think a game like Avengers can benefit from. When you run through the game, you might randomly end up in a room with a pool of water or a floating ball of liquid mysteriously in the center of the room. The discovery of these random areas has been one of my favorite moments. It lets me piece together their significance in this world. You don’t figure out their relevance until later. It’s a creative way to build up the world organically in the game. Avengers does attempt it, as we get some great moments in Future Imperfect’s Wasteland’s usage of broken Kree sentries. Yet, I want to uncover a secret room that is the last refuge of a Kree soldier that got left behind. Perhaps we see some runes from the Woken who are preparing a ritual at the behest of Loki. It could even be a minor tie-in to the upcoming Disney+ series.

We know we’re getting some more information at E3 on their next expansion. So, why not give players a tease of what is heading our way with Black Panther. Have a Dora Milaje randomly appear in the Helicarrier, who is supporting some of the feeling Inhumans. I want to see the game make use of its comic history as it continues to grow. We know more is coming, but I also want to experience the change in the game. Clint being in his room between Taking Aim, and his operation had me excited to see how the story continues. Give me the temporary effects on the world that make it feel organic and not let your prisoner randomly vanish without a word. It doesn’t have to be a massive update, but minor changes to the world with hints at an ever-expanding story could truly make Marvel’s Avengers the gaming equivalent of living in the Marvel Universe.

June 4, 2021