Category: Features

How ‘Eternals’ Black Knight Could Connect to ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’s Gorr

After a long wait, we finally got our first look at the Eternals in the latest trailer by Marvel Studios. It felt like an eternity since the film got announced, and the one-year delay didn’t help matters much. Now, we got our first taste of what is to come with some footage featuring the main cast of Chloé Zhao‘s upcoming film. There was, however, one noticeable absentee. Kit Harrington‘s Dane Whitman was missing, and even leaked merchandise doesn’t feature him. Yet, the question remains what role he may have in the series and moving forward. In a way, I believe the comics might offer a hint at how he and his iconic Ebony Blade might set up the story. In a way, it may even connect Eternals might help Gorr become the God Butcher in Thor: Love and Thunder.

In the comics, Dane Whitman is the wielder of the Ebony Blade. The cursed blade gives him immortality at the price of his sanity. It makes anyone wielding it become bloodthirsty and absorbs their negative emotions. At one point, we learn that it connects to Knull. Another one of his weapons ends up in the hands of Gorr the God Butcher. His All-Black the Necrosword is, in reality, the first symbiote ever created and formed into a weapon that was able to slay a Celestial, which eventually would become Guardians of the Galaxy‘s Knowhere.

We still don’t know what role Whitman will have outside of being part of a love triangle between him, Gemma Chan‘s Sersi, and Richard Madden‘s Ikaris. As he wants to protect his love, he may pull the blade from its slumber against the warnings of his ancestors. Now donning his Black Knight armor, Whitman joins the Eternals in their battle against the Deviants. He wants to prove that humanity is not as helpless as they think. The man fights tooth and nail to hold his own. As he falls to his knees due to exhaustion, the sword takes control and shows the brutality of man. The love triangle has left its scars deep within his heart that the Ebony Sword abused.

Sersi, in a last-ditch effort, manages to separate him from the sword as he fights the inner demon trying to take control. To prove that these words were meaningless, he stabs himself with the sword to loosen his grip before it is cast out into space as it cracks. It isn’t until eons later that the destruction of Asgard during the battle between Hela and Surtur that the blade would regain its original form. All-Black has finally been released from his prison and seeks the missing part. The creature combines with the Ebony Blade as he lands on a deserted planet to become his original form. Looking for a host, he finds Gorr and their fusion leads to the events of Thor: Love and Thunder.

Whitman survives his wounds with the help of Ajak. He is also given a parting gift by Angelina Jolie‘s Thena in the form of a cosmic-based blade, which we got a glimpse of in the trailer. It could be how they introduce the Photon Blade. The Knull connection offers a lot of curious ways to play on the franchise’s newly introduced mythology. Venom‘s film rights in Sony’s possession, he might not join the Marvel Cinematic Universe anytime soon. Still, they could retcon this connection at a later date to build upon it.

Source: CinemaBlend

May 8, 2021
How ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ Could Set-Up a Joe Manganiello-led ‘Agent Venom’

There are enough signs that the upcoming Spider-Man threequel will explore the multiverse in one way or another. Of course, this opens up new possibilities to how they can further expand the franchise. With Disney and Sony making deals for Disney+, it seems like their partnership will extend beyond the release of No Way Home. Now, if we get reintroduced to some Spider-Man legacy characters, which Alfred Molina outright confirmed, we may also get a chance to see other characters join the franchise in the future. There were also rumors of Tobey Maguire getting spotted on the film’s set. Once the gears get turning, an idea popped in my head how a minor character from Sam Raimi‘s first Spider-Man film would be the perfect candidate for an unlikely spin-off. How about the multiverse gives us an Agent Venom project starring Joe Manganiello as Flash Thompson?

The actor only had a brief appearance in the first and third entries of the films. The role continued by Chris Zylka and Tony Revolori in the remakes. Since, the actor has played a variety of roles, such as Rampage, The Sleepover, and recently Zack Snyder’s Justice League. Sadly, it seems that his future as DC’s Deathstroke seems uncertain, but that also means there is another opportunity waiting. As the multiverse unfolds, there might be a new possibility to expand the franchise in creative ways. In the comics, Thompson ended up losing his legs during the Iraq War. Afterward, he enlisted in the Project Rebirth 2.0, which saw him bonded with the Venom symbiote. It gave him the same abilities as Spider-Man and new artificial legs. Manganiello’s Thompson is the only version that is connected to a symbiote that bonded with Spider-Man. As such, he would be the most likely candidate to recreate the origin story.

Tom Hardy‘s Venom remains disconnected from the rest of the franchise and already bonded with Eddie Brock without gaining any spider-based abilities. So, the best way to introduce the symbiote similar to the comics, where Spidey found it during 1984’s Secret Wars event. Instead of forcing Hardy‘s version to bond with Peter and then return to Eddie, the Spider-Man 3 variant already went through the process. Maguire‘s Peter did destroy it during the finale, but that doesn’t mean a part of it may have survived. So, the government got its hand on it and found a way to graft it unto a desperate Thompson. Years later, he is still an active agent and finds his way into an unfamiliar multiverse.

He is stranded in an unfamiliar world with dangerous living armor grafted onto his body. There was no one there to help him keep it under control, which meant he needed to find a solution. After breaking into a facility that offered him a solution to keep the Venom symbiote at bay, he ends up getting knocked out. Now, he ends up in the government’s captivity and is forced to join their efforts on repairing the aftermath of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. He becomes a temporary asset for the Thunderbolt project but is trying to find a way home. The events left rifts across the world and he finally manages to get through one to follow the breadcrumbs back home. He ends up in a dystopian version of Earth that has been conquered by symbiotes, as their leader tries to call out to him. He is pulled away by the TVA before they are able to get close and is now enlisted to solve another world-altering event caused by his symbiote leaving a piece behind in the mainline Marvel Cinematic Universe. Morbius M. Morbius was already tired of having to deal with an unhinged Loki. It looks like their job isn’t quite done yet with the Multiverse.

May 6, 2021
Theory Thursday: How Doctor Strange May Became an Unwilling Mentor in ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has established a motif in its Spider-Man films. Parker has a mentor of some kind watching over him over the course of the film. In Spider-Man: Homecoming, that role was introduced with Robert Downey Jr’s Tony Stark. That concept was twisted in Spider-Man: Far From Home, where it seemed like that role was Mysterio but need up being Talos disguised as Nick Fury. Now, in the upcoming threequel Spider-Man: No Way Home, we have a new mentor entering the fray. Benedict Cumberbatch‘s Doctor Strange seemingly may take on this role. In the comics, these two have frequently crossed paths and Strange is no stranger to guiding the wall-crawler through the magical world. Now, the main question is how he will factor into this potentially multiversal storyline.

What We Know So Far

Spider-Man’s identity was ousted to the world and he is accused of murdering Mysterio. We know that most of the main cast from the previous two films will return, along with the addition of Cumberbatch reprising his role as Doctor Strange and not one, but two villains (so far) that will go toe to toe with our protagonist. What’s interesting about these antagonists is that they’re characters we’ve seen before in previous Spider-Man films, portrayed by the same actors. Jamie Foxx returns as Electro, which e played in The Amazing Spider-Man 2. Alfred Molina also officially confirmed he will play Spider-Man 2‘s Doctor Octavius again. Ever since the news hit that we might get some legacy characters, the rumor mill started to spinning.

Many believe that this film could delve into the concept of the multiverse and a possible live-Action adaptation of the Spider-Verse storyline. The reason is that Doctor Strange’s involvement hints at a connection to his upcoming sequel, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. So, his appearance is no accident. Having the Sorceror Supreme appear in the film certainly points this film in a more “magical” direction compared to the previous installments. With nearly dozens of different adventures to adapt in the comics, Marvel Studios’ approach is to often mix and match different moments from a number of comics. And with that thought, here’s today’s theory.

Taken from the Comics

In Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Vol. 1 24, Spider-Man goes to Stephen to see if he could help his Aunt May after a fatal gunshot. The doctor sadly couldn’t help him. As such, he decides to take matters into his own hands and tries to meddle with forces beyond his understanding. We’ve explored this idea if it may have gotten set up via WandaVision back in the day. They end up altering the fabric of reality. And in the Happy Birthday Story Arc, Doctor Strange is trying to keep evil forces from stepping into our reality. Spider-Man accidentally messes with the incantation that ends up throwing them across time and space. They end up reliving moments from their lives and facing countless villains, as well as peering into the future.

My theory is that the film could potentially combine these two events. It is possible that Peter could seek Doctor Strange for a magical solution to his current predicament, but is given the same answer as in the comics. In the heat of the moment, Peter may not listen to Strange’s warnings as he wants his old life back. As such, he’ll end up causing a ripple by meddling with magic beyond his comprehension, which affects the flow of time and perhaps even ruptures the fabric of the multiverse. As such, it’ll be up to the duo of Spider-Man and Doctor Strange to face whatever threats come their way, no matter how Sinister.

May 6, 2021
Deep Thoughts: One Hypothetical Marvel Studios 2023 Release Calendar

With Marvel Studios finally revealing release dates for Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania (February 17, 2023) and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (May 5, 2023), it seemed like a good time to take a stab at how the rest of 2023 might shape up for the studio’s theatrical features and streaming series. We’ve played this guessing game before (here and here) and it’s been hit and miss; however, it’s still a fun game to play and can give us some idea of how things might turn out in a couple of years.

***NOTE***

Please read and share responsibly and don’t latch your hopes and dreams onto this. Don’t take it seriously and don’t start marking your calendars. This is one possible option with the only real intention behind it being to see if it could be done well.

One of the bigger surprises of 2021 so far has been the news that Marvel Studios was developing a solo Echo series. Newcomer Alaqua Cox was brought on board to bring Maya Lopez to life in 2021’s Hawkeye and must have made a huge impression as the studio quickly put together a writer’s room and greenlit the series. An Echo series could be an interesting way to reintroduce Kingpin and other Marvel Netflix characters to the MCU and her ties to Daredevil could leave open the opportunity for Matt Murdock’s adventures to continue on here. While this might seem like a pretty quick turnaround, I have a feeling this one is further down the development road than we think.

The Marvel Legends episodes have served as recaps and while they may seem a bit underwhelming to longtime fans of the MCU, they have proven to be effective in catching new viewers up on who everyone is. With that said, We should expect episodes for Scott Lang, Hope van Dyne and, I’d imagine, Cassie Lang, in the weeks leading up to the release of the third Ant-Man film. Given that production on this is set to begin before The Marvels, a lot of folks had this begged for a 2022 release.

I’ve consistently heard it was set for this date and that it was because it needed to come out when it did for storytelling purposes. I wish I had more context on that, but I just don’t and I guess we’ll all have to wait to see what stories needed to be told before we got this one. As it stands, we’re set to get a wild story that we know will include our second time meeting Jonathan Majors‘ Kang and some Quantum Realm shenanigans. As much as I still hope this is the first time we see the Young Avengers team up on screen, the fact that a new writer was brought on board since we first shared that info a couple of years ago makes me wonder if that’s no longer the case.

We are still a month away from the first season of Loki and we are already looking down the road at how they might summarize his adventures in that series before we get to season two in 2023. Who knows what adventures will befall the Trickster in season one…

Kevin Feige has made it clear that not all of the Disney Plus series are destined to have multiple seasons; however, before production on season one of Loki was underway, we knew a season two was part of the plans. Deadline later confirmed that Michael Waldron had inked a deal to work on season two and much like Echo has been fast-tracked, I think another season of Loki is closer than we might think.

Catching up on the adventures of the Guardians will be a necessity for new fans before the threequel lands in May. Some of them will have been on different adventures and one isn’t even from the Prime timeline. An episode or 6 of Marvel Legends might even do us long-timers some good as well, so expect quite a few ahead of May 5th!

By the time we see the Guardians on screen again, it’ll have been exactly 6 years since their last film and they’ll have been used in more films by other directors (Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame and Thor: Love and Thunder) than by James Gunn. Gunn has been pretty consistent in saying that this film will wrap up the story of this version of the Guardians and that Rocket’s story will be a big part of the plot. Even though the script for this one has existed for quite a while, very little information about the plot of the film has gotten out though Gunn has debated Warlock’s presence in the film, that Earth-based heroes (like Nova) were on the table and, once upon a time, seemingly teased that it would include some version or another of Quasar. With production starting up this Fall, we might get lucky and catch a couple of leaks and get some idea of where this is headed.

Black Panther director Ryan Coogler inked a deal to develop original programming for Disney Plus and chief among those was a series exploring the World of Wakanda. Details on this one are…well, they just don’t exist yet, but given the fact that Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is out in 2022, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Coogler and his team keep the tidal wave of momentum going from that film and deliver more Wakandan-based stories to audiences sooner rather than later.

It’s possible that we won’t see Sam Wilson, the MCU’s new Captain America, again before his upcoming and yet still unofficially announced solo film, but then again I know I’m not alone in saying I hope we don’t have to wait 2 years. Cap could show up just about anywhere now from Ms. Marvel to Hawkeye to Spider-Man: No Way Home or even Armor Wars. Let’s hope we get to see more Cap rather than less.

Malcolm Spellman and Dalan Musson have been reported to be working on the script for this one and I don’t believe for a second that two guys who spent so much time working together on The Falcon and The Winter Soldier together have only just started writing this script. Even though we all just found out about it a couple of weeks ago, I’m willing to bet this is much, much more together than we think and will be underway much sooner than expected.

This one is a pretty big stretch given that there’s no confirmation from Marvel Studios that they’re developing a Nomad series and even the guy who broke the story was unclear of what exactly this was but then again, we are doing hypothetical stuff here…
When last we saw Bucky Barnes at the end of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, he had finally moved away, at least personally, from his deeds as the Winter Soldier. With his past finally behind him, it’s possible that we could see Sebastian Stan back in the role as the character carves out a present and a future. Stan gave an incredible performance in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier and reinvented the character. While we don’t know if Nomad is happening much less if it’s being developed for Stan, I don’t think too many people would frown upon it should it happen and a 6-episode run taking James across the country to deal with someone like the Scourge of the Underworld or, should they not appear in Captain America 4, the Serpent Socitey, would make for some great TV.

Of course, it’s also possible that this is one of the projects that Chris Evans is rumored to be returning for (perhaps something set during the time between Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War) or an entirely new character. With that last option on the table, I didn’t want to put a Legends episode on the docket, but if it’s either Bucky or Steve, we’ll certainly get one.

It wasn’t too long ago that I was hopeful that this film would end up in an unused October 2022 slot. According to the Disney Investor Day Fact Sheet, it wasn’t too long ago that Marvel Studios might have held that same hope. At this point, however, Blade won’t make that date and even though fans are already freaking out about why it wasn’t included in yesterday’s Phase 4 trailer, this is definitely still a big priority for the studio. The studio has some time now to work on a script and line up dates with a director and if we’ve learned anything from the COVID pandemic it’s that giving studios more time to prepare can never be a bad thing.

The Young Avengers are coming, of that, there is no doubt. What is entirely unclear is when. My guess: sooner rather than later. You can’t cast a bunch of young actors in roles and then wait 3-5 years between appearances, not without continually recasting at least. Marvel Studios has proven that they’re open to recasting, but at some point, you might like to hang on to some actors for a while, especially when the audience is supposed to be seeing a story in which they grow and develop together as a unit, such as the Young Avengers. My guess is that the actors being brought on board to play these characters will find themselves incredibly busy over the next 5 years (see Tom Holland) so that we don’t end up with some Harry Potter-esque growth spurts and suddenly have 30 year olds playing teens. So out of the pile of projects Marvel Studios has in development, this one could easily be near or at the top. I think it plays better as a Disney Plus series for a lot of reasons, so despite having absolutely no idea what the plan is for this, I’m rooting for the series route.

We know Jon Watts is directing it and we have a fancy logo. We think we know it’s filming under Solve Everything Productions. Other than that, we don’t know anything about Marvel Studios Fantastic Four reboot. It seems like it is certainly a part of the studio’s Phase 4 plans given that it showed up in the Phase 4 trailer, but it has no writer, no cast, no release date and I have yet to hear any rumblings about when or where it’s going to get going. With all that in mind, I think it would make a mint at the box office as a family-centric holiday film so I am crossing my fingers that we’ll get another release date in 2023 and that the First Family will be home for Christmas.

Obviously, the further out we get, the more liberties that have to be taken. We’re at a point where much of what we’re looking at trying to schedule here doesn’t even have known production schedules at the moment. Furthermore, I’ve picked a couple of properties that the studio hasn’t even acknowledged are in development yet so that I could get 5 D+ series in the calendar year. Whether I picked the wrong 2 projects or not isn’t much of a concern because the reality is that the studio has so many properties in development, I’m confident we’ll be able to see 5 series every year should they want to continue producing them at this clip. Let’s all bookmark this one and come back for a laugh in about 18 months.

May 4, 2021
Theorizing MARVEL STUDIOS’ Interconnected Storylines

It’s been a little over three months since Marvel Studios properly kicked off its Phase 4. Both WandaVision and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier are now behind us, two shows that gave us but a glimpse of what is in store in the coming years in terms of the interconnectivity between the different IPs that make up the MCU. This is something Kevin Feige himself made extremely clear this past December, during the Disney Investor Day 2020:

The Cinematic Universe weaves storylines of heroes and villains across twenty-three feature films to date, and with Disney+ we’re able to extend this way of storytelling to a new format, creating series that are connected to our theatrical releases making the MCU more immersive than ever.

As for WandaVision, it managed to bring together characters from properties that seemed somewhat foreign to its titular characters (bringing them in from Thor, Captain Marvel, and Ant-Man). The Falcon and The Winter Soldier did almost the exact opposite. It grabbed most of its main characters from the same feature (Captain America: Civil War) and continued their arcs in a way that seems to hint at them diverging into several other (new) IPs. The common ground between both approaches seems quite simple: when the story asks for it, characters will come and go from whatever property that needs them to. With this in mind, and with the number of projects Marvel Studios has already announced, it’s hard to not try and envision some of the paths the stories these characters might take us on.

The existing connective tissue between properties is stronger with some than with others, even though Marvel Studios will always end up surprising us one way or another. But most of the more realistic theorizing (if there even is such a thing), taking into account the information that has already come out regarding casts, plots, and so on, seems to hint at a clear/not clear separation between what are the military-powered, skill-driven heroes and the more mystic and cosmic side of the MCU. So being, we’ll now focus on the first of these two groups.

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier seems to be at the heart of the stories we might end up exploring on this side of the spectrum. With Karli Morgenthau being one of the few main characters to have (apparently) died, all the others are now ready to move on, each doing their own thing. With Sam Wilson as Captain America, he seems like a given to star in the upcoming fourth installment of the Captain America series. As for Bucky Barnes, with a Nomad series apparently in development, Barnes seems like a perfect fit. As for James “War Machine” Rhodes, he might now become the direct link to Iron Man’s legacy Riri Williams comes into contact with in Ironheart, before both move into Armor Wars, where they could be met by Sharon Carter in her newfound MCU role. Black Widow will introduce us to Yelena Belova who can seamlessly move on to Hawkeye (even if just to attend a memorial service), where Echo will be show up before staring in her own show.

Shifting our attention to the other side of the diagram, we find several connections between shows that have already been confirmed. Monica Rambeau will be back in the franchise where she was first introduced, where she will be met by Kamala Khan who will have already been introduced in the Ms. Marvel series. Both might be met in The Marvels by Talos, who will also have a role to play in the upcoming Secret Invasion alongside Nick Fury. As to Wanda Maximoff, now the Scarlet Witch, she is certain to continue her story in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness which may become the epicenter of every upcoming property dealing with the Multiverse. Loki and Spider-Man: Far From Home seem like projects that are likely to have strong connections to the second Doctor Strange feature for obvious plot reasons, at the same time as they connect through other storylines to yet another set of properties. With the information coming out of Loki that Gugu Mbatha-Raw will be playing Judge Renslayer (meaning that almost certainly that makes her Ravonna Renslayer) it becomes highly likely that Kang will make an appearance, ahead of his already highlighted presence in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, played by the brilliant Jonathan Majors.

These stories alone are certain to keep Marvel gaining momentum for years to come, but what seems to be the endgame here? Establishing new properties where characters from all over manage to meet for the first time, bringing together story threads from all sides of the MCU, certainly seems like a possibility. Projects that haven’t been announced as that might somewhat spoil the plots leading up to them. It should be no coincidence that a number of upcoming projects will seamlessly allow for the introduction of Young Avengers members, much like WandaVision and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier managed to do with Tommy and Billy Maximoff, and Eli Bradley, respectively. Kate Bishop is already confirmed to be debuting in Hawkeye, and the rest of the team will probably soon follow, with Teddy perhaps being introduced in Secret Invasion, America Chavez in Doctor Strange 2, and Cassie Lang returning, as Stature, in Quantumania. Therefore, a Young Avengers series/movie should definitively be in the works bringing together their individual storylines. Another team being put together, even though a much different one, should be the focus of the Thunderbolts. With Baron Zemo and Abomination brought back, Taskmaster (the mantle) surviving Black Widow, and with Ghost still alive after Ant-Man and the Wasp, there is no reason for it not to be in the cards. Another feature that could serve as a continuation to John Walker’s story, maybe even bringing Yelena into the mix, and perhaps managing to dig up an Osborn to lead them, is The Dark Avengers. Marvel Studios knows that they can’t top the Avengers team they built up until Avengers: Endgame, so this focus on alternate teams, some of dubious character, would certainly be welcomed as a great change of pace.

There are a few projects that have already been announced that played no part in this theory. For all I know they might end up becoming the most crucial chapters of the MCU going forward. The Fantastic Four, due to their relevance, or the Eternals, due to their scope, certainly have that ability. But for now, this is it. Maybe in a couple of months, the script will be flipped and a new article will be in the works.

May 4, 2021
How Marvel Studios Latest Reveals May Hint at the End of Phases

We’ve kicked off the week with a rather curious reveal. May 2nd is the anniversary of when the first Iron Man was was released back in 2008. In addition, recent films like Godzilla vs. Kong and Mortal Kombat have helped continue the revival of cinemas. So, in a way, Marvel Studios wanted to use this chance to highlight the future of the franchise alongside the silver screen’s return. In it, we got the release dates and titles for the Black Panther and Captain Marvel sequels. We even got the confirmation that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will release in 2023. Now, these continuous reveals make us wonder how the classic “Phases” of the Marvel Cinematic Universe will work without any information on it. Is this perhaps the end of their classic format?

The world may change and evolve. But the one thing that will never change, we’re all part of one big family. pic.twitter.com/TUU5848QYR

— Marvel Studios (@MarvelStudios) May 3, 2021

Let’s start with the noteworthy absentees. Of course, the cinema celebration trailer did not reference any of the Disney+ series. Yet, it didn’t showcase every single film. The upcoming Blade film, which stars Mahershala Ali, wasn’t mentioned at all. The film had a prominent role during Disney’s Investors Day among the line-up. Yet, it somehow was not referenced as Marvel Studios builds up into its 2023 slate. They even included the same teaser for Fantastic Four that got revealed during the December event. Even the Sony-owned Spider-Man: No Way Home had a teaser. So, it would imply that the film may have gotten pushed back. Stacy Osei-Kuffour has joined the project to pen the script. So, it definitely has entered a form of pre-production. We also have no sign of Deadpool 3, which also was confirmed to be part of the MCU moving forward. Now, this move may hint at these projects not releasing until after May 2023, but we’ve seen their scheduled shift before. There is also that mysterious slate for a Marvel project in October 2022, which had many wondering if it might be a placeholder for Blade.

We’ve seen things change frequently. At one point, it was planned for Phase 4 to end with Thor: Love and Thunder. Suddenly, we’re talking about Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 being part of the slate in May 2023. It could be part of Phase 4, but there is a possibility they’ve already teased their fifth phase. Marvel Studios’ new strategy might have made the phases a thing of the past. We no longer have a strict slate but an ever-changing development cycle. Especially since the pandemic hit, they’ve had to adjust their focus with Disney+ growing in importance. So, we might not see the phases we are used to. There is no overarching saga for now, even if some points are hinting at a Multiverse arc. Yet, we’ve also seen many different storylines getting set up. WandaVision and Falcon and the Winter Soldier have offered many new avenues for the franchise to explore. It won’t be as straightforward as the Infinity Saga moving forward. So, we may be talking in Arcs rather than Phases as the MCU continues to expand.

Source: Twitter, Marvel

May 3, 2021
‘STAR WARS: THE BAD BATCH’: A Spiritual Successor to ‘The Clone Wars’

Ever since The Clone Wars was initially canceled back in 2013, Star Wars managed to keep its animated side alive and well both with Star Wars Rebels and Star Wars Resistance. But the legacy and appeal behind the series idealized by George Lucas was strong enough to grant it a final season that aired last year, with a wonderfully satisfying conclusion. But even then Lucasfilm was looking towards the future, by introducing The Bad Batch on a four-episode arc, which is what lead the team to their own show that is about to premiere.

By sustaining such strong connective tissue to its predecessor, it’s no surprise that it felt so important to also maintain the sense of visual continuity between both series.

Supervising director and Executive Producer Brad Rau:

It’s very intentional. The Bad Batch is a spiritual successor to The Clone Wars. We wanted to honor the style and the legacy of that. That being said, the whole team at Lucasfilm and our partners tightened everything up. So the fidelity is tighter. The style is tighter. The rigs are tighter. The way it’s designed is still the legacy of The Clone Wars but with a little more detail. With a little bit more focus. And the work we’re doing, for me, having worked on a lot of these other shows with a lot of the same people, I think we’re doing out best work ever right now. It’s really fun.

The animation style that The Clone Wars presented us with in 2008 has gone through a number of improvements over the years, constantly adapting to the available technology. But there’s no denying that it has become a staple of the show. So being, managing to pay tribute to it in a way that enriches a visual style that’s been evolving for over ten years without losing focus of what made it special to begin with, is certainly something we can agree with.

Star Wars: The Bad Batch will premiere exclusively on Disney+ on May 4, 2021, as a way to celebrate Star Wars Day, with a special 70-minute episode. The following episodes, which will have a more usual runtime of around 30 minutes, will be released on Fridays, starting with episode 2 on the 7th.

May 3, 2021
‘STAR WARS: THE BAD BATCH’: Omega’s Relevance

In the first episode of Star Wars: The Bad Batch we’re introduced to Omega, a new character that, besides feeling tremendously important to the story the show set out to tell, manages to introduce a new dynamic within the Bad Batch. The team, being used to be their own sealed unit, take their time welcoming a foreign element into their group, for a good reason, and with interesting results. The voice of the Bad Batch, Dee Bradley Baker, had this to say:

They’re certainly not used to having anybody else along or working with anybody else. Although they did bring Echo along. But that happened after Echo kind of proved himself to them, and they came together on that. But, I mean, it’s interesting in terms of the story and the writing to have this kind of personal relationship with the younger character.

And to see how that changes, how they accommodate that and how that works. Because it’s more of an uncle/niece or a father/child dynamic, but not entirely. Because Omega has her own interesting potential of powers. So it’s interesting to see all of that unfold. I think it connects you to the story in a personal way. So it’s not just an action story. As Star Wars never is.

Continuing with a dynamic similar to what we’ve all seen working in The Mandalorian, between Din Djarin and Grogu, with the added elements that compose the Bad Batch, Star Wars manages to continue displaying that family and friendship is at its core. Even in the ultra-militarized world of The Bad Batch, doing the right thing by those close to you, by something going against protocol, remains as true as it has even been in the galaxy far-far away.

Star Wars: The Bad Batch will premiere exclusively on Disney+ on May 4, 2021, as a way to celebrate Star Wars Day, with a special 70-minute episode. The following episodes, which will have a more usual runtime of around 30 minutes, will be released on Fridays, starting with episode 2 on the 7th.

May 3, 2021
‘STAR WARS: THE BAD BATCH’: Dave Filoni’s Influence

With a new Star Wars animated show just around the corner, it’s hard not to mention Dave Filoni‘s work over the years in Star Wars animation. Having been a part of The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels, and Star Wars Resistance, it should be pretty obvious how he would also now be a part of a show that looks to continue leading the franchise down a path he was such a big part of in creating.

Star Wars: The Bad Batch head writer and Executive Producer Jennifer Corbett had this to say regarding Filoni’s overseeing of the show:

I got to work with Dave on Star Wars Resistance, which was such a great experience. Getting the chance to develop the series with him, it’s kind of like a master class in writing Star Wars. And with this being a sequel series of sorts to The Clone Wars, it was kind of crucial that he’d be involved in this process very much. Because these are characters that he’s created and it’s the world that he knows.

Supervising director and Executive Producer Brad Rau:

He’s an awesome guy, a good friend,, I couldn’t think of a better mentor, especially for Star Wars. The stuff he tells us every day is fantastic.

Jennifer Corbett and Brad Rau

Following the enormous success of the final season of The Clone Wars that managed to propel The Bad Batch to their own show, as well as deliver an incredible ending to such an important chapter of the lives of characters like Ahsoka Tano, there is no reason to think The Bad Batch might disappoint. With Filoni’s oversight, and with a production team with a Star Wars animation past behind them, the show seems to be in good hands.

Star Wars: The Bad Batch will premiere exclusively on Disney+ on May 4, 2021, as a way to celebrate Star Wars Day, with a special 70-minute episode. The following episodes, which will have a more usual runtime of around 30 minutes, will be released on Fridays, starting with episode 2 on the 7th.

May 3, 2021
How an MCU Adaptation of ‘Dark Phoenix’ Could Be the X-Men’s ‘Avengers: Endgame’

The Dark Phoenix Saga is perhaps one of the most controversial topics when discussing comic book movies. The story has been adapted twice in modern film media, and, frankly, those interpretations were not the best translations from comic books to film. Earlier in the week, a question by Twitter User @TheHexTown inspired me to look back at these films. When comparing X-Men: The Last Stand to X-Men: Dark Phoenix, we have to consider that they’re both very different interpretations of the same story. When we boil it down, they are very different in how the world-building connects these films to the overarching X-Men franchise. It will also help us understand how a potential future adaptation can avoid these very issues.

Two Sides of the Same Coin

Famke Janssen had three films to develop her interpretation of Jean Grey. She had already learned how to control her powers and worked as the team’s doctor. Not only that, she was an active fighter for mutant rights and defended the lives of both her students and mutant-kind in general. So, in part, the first series of X-Men films gave us backstory and context to who Jean Grey was before teasing her true nature at the end of X2. It made her inevitable fall to the dark side in The Last Stand even more tragic. Meanwhile, Sophie Turner only had two movies to develop her version.

In X-Men: Apocalypse, she was already struggling with the Phoenix Force in her dreams, and they were already setting Jean up to take up the Phoenix mantle from the get-go. That made Jean’s character development far too rushed to be able to see any cohesive structure. We barely spent time with this version of the character. I would love for Sophie Turner to get another shot as Jean Grey in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as a soft rebooted version. Let’s take a closer look at how both versions failed to adapt the Phoenix Saga and how the MCU could avoid its pitfalls.

It’s All About the Build-Up

The original comic run got divided into two parts. Firstly, Jean Grey encounters the Phoenix Force for the first time while the X-Men repaired the M’Kraan Crystal on the planet of Shi’ar. The second part occurs a few issues later, and we witness the Phoenix Force consume Jean Grey and usher in her run as a villain. She would ultimately sacrifice her life to save her friends and the world once she regains control. The complexity of the comic arc highlights how it isn’t easy to shove into a two-hour film. Dark Phoenix was meant to be two films but got cut down after the Disney-Fox merger. Kinberg did have the right idea on how to adapt the story, but his hands were tied.

Marvel Studios isn’t a stranger to a two-arc storyline. With the recent expansion into Disney+, they could even take a series approach. Still, it needs time to build up before it gets the spotlight. Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame was such a success, was because they were the culmination of a story told over eleven years. Of course, we also need to get our official introduction into the MCU’s version of mutants first. They could already plant the seeds once the rumored The Mutants project is adapted. They might even set up multiple arcs from the iconic franchise to explore in the future. Their introduction into the ever-expanding franchise finally allows them to adapt the interconnected stories we’ve come to love from the comics. Nevertheless, we can’t wait to see what Marvel showcases when the Mutants finally arrive in the MCU.

Source: IndieWire

April 29, 2021