Category: Features

‘Invincible’: Omni-Man and Control

Mark, we need to talk.

These four words by Nolan Grayson reveal a vulnerable side we’ve never witnessed from Omni-Man. This moment was the most vulnerable we’ve seen him in Invincible to this point. Yes, even more than after brutally killing the Guardians Of The Globe. Mark doesn’t realize is that his father lives a completely different life than him. It’s not only another planet, Viltrum, but it’s the world inside Nolan’s mind. Inside Nolan’s mind, it’s an insatiable need for control.

There are people we encounter in life every day that are control freaks. They can’t stand the idea of someone doing however they please. They also abhor a person who doesn’t have the same viewpoints as they do. It’s the person who wants the A on the project and you to thank them for it. When Nolan trains Mark, he expects the absolute best. Under the guise of fatherly love, he chides him for not showing the same discipline. When Nolan tells Mark not to help Titan in the fifth episode, he ends up being right on the surface. In reality, it’s a lack of empathy from Nolan’s perspective that was his concern. He finds the request “beneath” his son’s abilities. He talks about wanting to focus on the big picture. Omni-Man aims to conquer Earth.

Omni-Man is all about controlling the message and the narrative. When Debbie finds out that he killed the Guardians, Nolan doesn’t show remorse. He doesn’t even try to explain or give a justifiable reason for his actions. He attempts to use Debbie’s love for him against her, but what he doesn’t realize is that she and Cecil now understand who and what they’re dealing with. It’s only then that Nolan abandons the perfect mirage of a personality that he’s displayed.

Another example of having control and exerting that power and fear is Nolan with his tailor Art. He knows that Art discussed his extracurriculars with his wife. Nolan can easily kill him, but he casually has a beer with him and plays on his fear. He uses indirect threats to make Art understand his position:

One day it seems like you have all the time in the world, and the next it’s gone.

When Nolan rips through the government, it’s a loss of control at play. It’s in all of that death and destruction that we see a desperate, psychotic version of himself. The only thing holding him back from a complete loss is Mark. In his last gasp at being able to control his plan, his ideology, and most importantly, his son. One can assume that Mark won’t respond kindly to all of the horrors his father has inflicted. Great parenting happens when you start controlling yourself rather than your child. We can only fear that the only thing Nolan understands is control, but it’ll never be himself. In more ways than one, Mark will have to prove if he is Invincible or not.

April 29, 2021
How ‘The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’ Broke Tired Stereotypes of Buddy Movies

Even before the official start of Phase 4 and Marvel’s Disney+ era, it was clear that the studio was taking full advantage of the opportunity provided by the platform to tell stories outside the typical vein of what audiences expect from an MCU movie. The most obvious example was WandaVision’s foray into various old sitcoms, but Loki and What If…? both promise to push that envelope as well.

If there was one series in this first wave of Disney+ Marvel projects that seemed like it was going to be more of the same, relatively speaking, it was The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Not only was it marketed as a fast-paced, action-heavy, and quippy show akin to the style of movies Marvel is known for making, it went a step further. People were even pointing out that the Super Bowl spot earlier this year made the series look as testosterone-heavy and adrenaline-filled as possible.

disney played up the explosion action dude-ness of this trailer for the superbowl i can’t rn https://t.co/gf4mDrOwGP

— bean (@beyabean) February 8, 2021

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the only thing missing to complete the vibe was a really male gaze-y shot of a a female character

— bean (@beyabean) February 8, 2021

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The other main expectation that people seemed to have going into the series was that the two leads would have a rivalry with each other before becoming friends at the end. This made some sense since the creative team was making it a point to emphasize that Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes were friends with Steve Rogers, but not each other, but fans took it to a meta-level and made it about the shield. Specifically, that the two would both want it and fight over it, even though Avengers: Endgame made it clear it was going to Sam and there was no indication Bucky even wanted it.

The kicks, flips, and quips were all there, and the tension between the two main characters was, in fact, largely about the shield being in the right hands. But it wasn’t a matter of who was more worthy to wield it and bask in the public’s glory; it was about recognizing the gravity of its meaning and showing respect to it, and their friend. Sam didn’t feel prepared to take it all on, and Bucky was hurt that Sam gave up the shield because it went against Steve’s wishes.

The person who did have a desire to be the next Captain America, John Walker, ended up being the antithesis to a lot of what Sam and Bucky said and did during the series. For example, while he initially claimed to feel uncomfortable with all the fanfare surrounding the title, he sure did like to introduce himself with it before providing his actual name.

Walker was also the one who put an end to Bucky’s therapy sessions. Mental health issues aren’t really a thing in most buddy movies but were a major part of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Both leads have suffered from PTSD for a while, though Sam has more time to figure out healthy ways to deal with it than Bucky. This isn’t treated as a shameful thing they try to hide from each other, but a problem they ultimately work together to solve. While Bucky’s therapy sessions end in Episode 2, he does write a note to Dr. Raynor thanking her for her help in the finale, showing that while Walker likely meant well in ending the sessions, it probably wasn’t for the best overall.

On a somewhat related note, it was also refreshing to see Bucky and Sam openly admit to each other when they were wrong about something. Pride, especially male pride, tends to be very fragile in media, especially within the action genre (this also goes for real life) so it was great to see the two leads actually talk to each other about topics like race and mental health without visible reluctance. This showed up in other ways as well, like how Sam preferred to talk with Karli Morgenthau about her beliefs and actions instead of rushing into a fight with her and the other Flag-Smashers (while Walker was used to battling against his opponents and liked it that way).

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier wasn’t just the story of Sam Wilson becoming Captain America, or Bucky Barnes finding his place in the world after becoming free of HYDRA’s brainwashing; it was all about being a good man. It’s what Dr. Erskine said was the reason Steve Rogers was chosen for Project Rebirth all the way back in Captain America: The First Avenger (as opposed to a “perfect soldier”, which John Walker arguably was) and it’s what sets this series apart from other buddy action or comedy movies.

April 28, 2021
EXCLUSIVE: ’22 Vs. Earth’ Director Talks 22’s Origin Story and Why They Made a Prequel

22 vs. Earth is Pixar’s latest offering in the mesmerizing world crafted by Pete Doctor in the critically acclaimed Soul. Set in the years before Joe Gardner’s fateful meeting with 22, the short film briefly tackles what life was for 22 in the Great Before. We got to interview the editor of Soul and director of the short, the award-winning Kevin Nolting, who gave us some fun tidbits about making the short.

According to Nolting, the short film was conceptualized within the last 6 months, as a way to somewhat fill in the gaps the movie left with regards to 22’s origin story and why they opted for a prequel instead of a sequel.

It could have been a sequel, I guess. But while we were making Soul, we talked about a lot what made 22 who she is. We never put it in the movie because it didn’t belong in the movie and so it never got fully developed. This was a perfect point to explore that question a little bit.

Nolting further elaborated on what the conversations were like leading up to the greenlighting of 22 vs. Earth and how he approached it.

When you’re making a movie, you play around with how much pre-story you need. Since Joe was the main character, that got the focus of our attention; building his world, his family, and what brought him to that place. With 22, it just didn’t belong because she wasn’t the main focus. But it was such a big conversation because you do need that biography to character to know how to make them play. But I approached [the short] as: if we were telling 22’s story, it would overlap with Soul and the short would be the midpoint of the story. It would be the point in the story where she crystallizes her ideas and moves in a certain direction.

Soul marked Nolting’s third collaboration with acclaimed director Pete Doctor in 15 years. Nolting talked briefly spoke on how that collaboration began and whether Doctor gave him tips on how to execute this short film.

He was in development of Up and he was putting some scenes together and writing the movie. I was free at the time and hanging around development to help in whatever way I could and I ended up cutting 3 or 4 scenes. He was going to do a mini-screening for Up just to see how the ideas were going. We had the scene introducing the bird, the dog, and the house flying up. And we just clicked working together so I ended up staying on. He didn’t have to give me specific advice because I’ve been working with him for 15 years. Just through osmosis, I learned everything about directing from him. Yes, he did give me advice but in a span of 15 years (laughs).

22 vs. Earth is coming to Disney+ on April 30, 2021.

April 27, 2021
‘Falcon and Winter Soldier’: Power Broker All Along

After the freshly minted Captain America and The Winter Soldier, we got many answers we were looking for. It gave us Sam Wilson becoming Captain America. Bucky Barnes finished his list and even checked it twice. On top of it all, we also get introduced to John Walker’s alter-ego US Agent. With that said, we now know that Sharon Carter was the Power Broker all along. Sharon found a way to slip right under our hero’s noses into a pardon. Now, what does this mean for the future? Let’s dive straight in.

With Sharon having the Rolodex of all government liaisons and contracts, she has access to so much more as the Power Broker. Her phone call with a mysterious stranger hints at her having access to more than she should. It seems likely she’ll appear in the freshly announced Captain America 4, but it also seems very likely she could show up in Armor Wars. Imagine a world where someone steals Tony Stark’s nanotechnology only for it to land in Sharon’s hands. Charles offered a closer look at this concept, which you can check out here. She’s more dangerous than ever. Her phone call may have hinted at a mysterious partner. Could that be the newly-introduced Val?

She was busy recruiting John Walker into her new team, it’s certainly not out of the realm of possibility that she could have her hands in multiple cookie jars. The Power Broker can have multiple faces. Their reach in Marvel comics was far beyond what one could imagine, as it grew beyond a single individual. Power Broker Inc was established by Curtiss Jackson and Dr. Karl Malus. They had plenty of clients. They supplied John Walker and Lemar Hoskins with their abilities in the comics. They used not only their intellect but their status to control everything.

We saw Sharon use Batroc to help Karli as a means to her ends. Sharon and Val could be a dynamic duo that none of our heroes even know about. It would be fascinating to see the two of them evolve together. Val could be forming a team that gets supplied by Sharon. Now that’s what you call cutting the check. They eventually could create an app similar to the Hench app in the comics. We’ve seen how well that worked for the Flag Smashers. So, they might just hijack that design for their own nefarious purposes.

Villains for Hire in a post blip world could be very lucrative. The bad guys have to pay rent too. As important as Sam Wilson’s positive effect on the world was, he may have inadvertently developed his biggest threat. Marvel Studios left enough threads vague through which they can develop in curious directions. Perhaps the fourth entry in the Captain America series also ties together with Armor Wars. It might just be the beginning of this new brand of villainy and what could be the most dangerous threat the Avengers ever faced.

April 25, 2021
How ‘The Falcon and The Winter Soldier’ Sets the Stage for ‘Armor Wars’

The finale of Marvel Studios Disney Plus streaming series The Falcon and The Winter Soldier not only nicely wrapped up the stories of the two series leads but also nicely positioned several characters for their next moves in the ever-expanding MCU. Sam is Cap, Bucky has begun to make amends in earnest and Walker has transitioned into the all-to-eager-to-serve U.S. Agent. Perhaps no character’s next move, however, is as interesting as Sharon Carter’s. The one-time S.H.I.E.L.D. and CIA operative revealed herself to be the Power Broker (about 4 episodes after it was made glaringly obvious) and took full advantage of our new Captain America by using his promise to get her a pardon to sink her hooks into the U.S. government’s secret stash. As the post credit’s scene indicates, Carter is lining up buyers for “government secrets, prototype weapons…something for everyone.”

While Sharon’s motives are still a source of debate for fans, this isn’t an article about the “true” nature of them; instead, this is taking her words at face value and following a path that leads the Power Broker to a place where the buyers she’s lining up can buy prototype weapons in the form of Stark Tech. While Don Cheadle is the only actor currently confirmed to be a part of Armor Wars, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, along with Iron Man 2, could give some clues as to some key participants in the 2022 event.

In the comics, an old school Iron Man villain, Spymaster, was able to get his hands on some of Tony Stark’s designs and sell them to Justin Hammer who, in turn, designed Stark-based armors for an array of villains such as Stilt-Man, the Controller, Beetle and more.

Given Carter’s status as the MCU’s Power Broker, a title that puts her in charge of Madripoor, a haven for people like Spymaster, it’s not a Reed Richard’s reach to believe Carter’s new pardon could put her in a position to find out that the U.S. government has been experimenting with some Stark Tech (maybe putting it to use to arm their Guardsmen), send Spymaster in to acquire it and then find a way to bring Hammer back into the picture to work with her. From here it’s not much of a stretch to imagine characters like Basil Sandhurst and Wilbur Day making their ways into the MCU and, hopefully, having Hammer assemble a Mandroid for the final showdown with Rhodey.

The Armor Wars announcement came as a surprise to pretty much everyone but it’s foolish to think that Marvel Studios The-One-Above-All wasn’t several steps deep into the plan when he revealed it. For the time being while we all wait for some real news about the event, all we can do is speculate how it might come together; as is always the case, fan theories and speculation won’t come close to the final product, but it doesn’t take away from the fun of it.

April 24, 2021
‘Madame Web’
Premiere: February 16, 2024

Sony executive Palak Patel was hired to oversee the development of the Madame Web project and hired director S.J. Clarkson as well as the team of Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless to write the film. Although there’s documentation on the project dating back to April 2019 it was only in early 2022 that it became clear that this wasn’t to be another feature trapped in pre-production hell.

In February 2022 it was reported that Dakota Johnson was in talks to play the titular role, something that was seemingly confirmed just a couple of days after the initial rumors started spreading. A few weeks later it was Euphoria’s Sydney Sweeney who was added to the cast in an, as of then, undisclosed role. Both stars hinted at a possible Marvel Studios involvement in the project at different times (here and here), something that hasn’t been confirmed.

The movie was given an official release date in April 2022, with Sony planning on it hitting theaters in July 2023.

Late May and early June 2022 gave fans a few more casting announcements as Celeste O’Connor (Ghostbusters: Afterlife), Isabela Merced (Sicario: Day of the Soldado), and Tahar Rahim (The Serpent) all joined the project. Emma Roberts (American Horror Story), Mike Epps (The Upshaws), Adam Scott (Severance), and Zosia Mamet (Girls) soon followed.

With production on the feature film already underway in July 2022, something confirmed by Sweeney, set photos hinted at an early 2000s plot timeframe.

In what is already seen as business as usual ever since the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic began, Sony pushed the Madame Web release back a few months, from the initial July 17 to October 6, 2023. The movie’s premiere was once again shifted on September 2022, with the new date being set as February 16, 2024.

Cast
- Dakota Johnson as Julia Carpenter / Madame Web
- Sydney Sweeney in an unknown role
- Adam Scott in an unknown role
- Emma Roberts in an unknown role
- Mike Epps in an unknown role
- Isabela Merced in an unknown role
- Celeste O’Connor in an unknown role
- Tahar Rahim in an unknown role
April 24, 2021
How Sony is Winning the Steaming War By Not Participating

Sony hasn’t had the easiest time. While possessing some major franchises, it still had a rough time staying competitive. Unlike some competitors, the company isn’t truly dependent on the film market, but it still hurts if an entire studio faces some harsh developments. Sadly, it wasn’t just their film department. The Sony conglomerate had hit a low after losing £3 billion in 2012. The £800 million write-downs for its film division weren’t helping matters due to falling DVD sales in 2017. At the start of the pandemic, many questioned the studio’s longevity, as many others establish their own streaming services. Well, Sony took a very different approach that is finally paying off.

Their filming divisions finalized two major streaming deals in the last month. First, they announced that Netflix would become their exclusive streaming home. It meant that upcoming films would join the service as of 2022. Also, they get a first look at any new projects. It was a curious choice after they pitched Silk to Amazon. Many wondered if this was the end for Marvel Studios ever getting to bring all the Marvel properties together on Disney+. It also could have darker implications for the ongoing cooperation between Disney and Sony, as they already had a falling out in the past for the character’s continued existence in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Suddenly, Sony dropped the news that they have signed a multi-year contract to make their projects available through Disney’s streaming service. It revealed that Netflix has access for a limited time before they’re made available on Disney+. While the Spider-Man franchise was in the spotlight, they will have access to all of their available franchises from 2022 to 2026. There was no word if original scripted series might also be heading to Disney+, but it doesn’t exclude the chance that Tom Holland‘s Spidey could get an original series at some point. It’ll be interesting to see the implications for their overall deal and the longevity of Spider-Man within this universe.

Why is this such a clever idea? Well, the streaming market is getting crowded. Netflix, Amazon, and Disney+ have established their position at the top. CBS All Access took on the new name Paramount+ and is trying to sell the service with the long-awaited Halo live-action series. Apple+ had 33 million users but is struggling to get them to pay. HBO Max is also dominating the market as they even managed to see a higher subscriber growth than Netflix in the first quarter of 2021. Instead of worrying about surviving in this highly competitive market, Sony made the right call by using the franchises they own as leverage to make deals with not just one but two of the biggest competitors in the market. Now, they pretty much reap the rewards without the work of programming and marketing an entirely new service. It’ll be interesting to see how Sony continues to develop with this new deal.

Source: The Guardian (Resurgence), The Guardian (Sony Pictures) PR Newswire, Variety, Financial Times

April 23, 2021
Marvel Studios, Disney Plus and the Art of the Cameo

Ever since Disney+ was announced that Marvel Studios made it extremely clear that the streaming service would become a pivotal part of their future going forward. Many reasons make this paradigm shift a game-changer for the MCU, but one of the most interesting ones is the possibility of having a larger number of relevant characters interacting on-screen, cross-pollinating the various projects. Characters that if Marvel Studios had stuck to feature films probably wouldn’t even have the chance to show up at all.

What the extended screen time and the weekly episodic format ended up causing was a constant increase in the expectations these possibilities allowed for. Be it because cast and crew hinted at big things to come in upcoming episodes or simply because fans’ theorizing became the norm, it seemed to be possible for everyone who’s anyone in the Marvel Universe to make a surprise appearance in some shape or form. Reed Richards, Mephisto, Wolverine, everyone was fair game. Until they weren’t. Now with both WandaVision and The Falcon and The Winter Soldier in our rearview mirror, we can safely say that that’s a good thing.

Just like with the characters and locations that we did get, the absences themselves have shown us how Marvel Studios has been all about the particular story being told. Living mostly in the moment and only looking towards the future in ways that don’t weaken the plot. These “surprise appearances” always tended to serve at least one of two purposes. Either they helped move the story along with previously introduced elements (which helped not making them feel too forced), or they subtlety introduced new elements that laid the groundwork for something sure to pay off down the line. But there was a line that was never, ever crossed: Not a single introduction, not a single “surprise”, had the power to overshadow the true focus of the show.

It would have been fairly easy to make Reed Richards the friend Monica Rambeau kept referring to in WandaVision. That is if you don’t consider the issue of eventually rushing the casting process of a character that is sure to spearhead the MCU for the next decade, of course. Everybody would have loved it, there would be articles written on how the MCU was as big as ever and that Phase 4 was off to an impressive start. But it would also mean that Monica’s journey would be undermined, by asking less of the character from then on, thus limiting what it had to offer. In the end, it would be making WandaVision worse by changing what audiences would be caring about. The same with introducing Mutants, or almost any mutant for that matter, in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier as Sam and Bucky entered Madripoor. It would have turned the show on its head, moving away from the relationship between the two and centering audiences’ not on the “old and dusty” characters but on the “new and shiny” mutants that everybody seems to love.

This way, subtlety introducing someone like Eli Bradley or adding Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine to the mix proves to be a much better option, both by the possibilities it opens up and the “Who’s that?” 99% of audiences asked themselves when she presented herself, all but assuring their interest was peaked but that their focus would remain on Wilson, Barnes, Walker, and Karli. This is their story, their time to shine. Other characters might step into the frame, but the stage should always be theirs.

We’ll likely continue with this modus operandi in the upcoming Loki series, especially when introducing characters that only later on, in streaming shows and movies alike, will take center stage and become household names for the casual viewer. But for now, it’ll be Hiddleston‘s show, and any special appearance coming our way will be anything but gratuitous, serving the story first and foremost, without much concern for whatever mind-bending, and often lackluster theories might surface at the time.

Marvel Studios could be giving us new characters every single week, and the legacy characters would still manage to increase the amount of screen time they have had for the last ten years. The fact that it isn’t doing so, and that it’s taking its time, is perhaps the biggest selling point towards the bright future the MCU has ahead of itself.

April 23, 2021
Theory Thursday: The Future of the MCU

On December 10th, 2020, Kevin Feige gave a presentation during Disney Investor Day that provided an in-depth glimpse at the next few years of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The presentation showed a mixture of returning characters appearing in solo projects or team-ups, as well as new superheroes joining the ranks. With the introduction of many different superheroes and teams, speculation began to spiral: When the next Endgame event is coming? As once discussed by Kevin Feige and James Gunn, some speculated that the MCU was turning to the cosmos and the next big event would be inspired by Annihilation. Others believed that the story that was being laid out was headed towards Secret Wars. While I agree that this feels like the natural progression, there are more intimate stories that should come first. Exploring these stories, viewers would feel they earned the Secret Wars’ pay-offs.

Inhumans vs. X-Men

Two of the announced projects and beyond set this event up by introducing both teams and concepts required for telling this story. Ms. Marvel, due to arrive on Disney+ later this year, is bringing the first Inhumans to the MCU. In the comics, Kamala Khan receives her powers from a Terrigen Cloud that activated the Kree DNA in her genetic code. With Ms. Marvel’s introduction into the MCU, other Inhumans like the Royal Family will finally be able to make their proper way onto the screen. As well, At SDCC 2019 Feige announced that “The Mutants are coming”, but with no other information surrounding them since then, their projects may still be far off. It could even be the end of phase five or six before we see a full X-men team-up. However, with both parties on their way, Inhumans vs. X-Men could be the next team-up event.

In the comic event series, the Terrigen Cloud that gave Ms. Marvel her powers was released across the globe due to a Terrigen Bomb going off. This cloud gave many Inhumans powers across the global, but also caused Mutants to get sick. It killed off large portions of their population, causing mass panic among those infected. The Mutants wished to destroy the cloud leading to a division with the Inhumans who did not support their actions. To give justice to the story, many aspects need to develop before the clash occurs. The Inhumans, the Royal Family, and Attilan, The Inhumans City, need to be established explored. With their rich heritage and culture, there are plenty of stories to explore in their own series or movies, A catalyst event also needs to occur that would cause the release of the Terrigen Cloud. It does not make narrative sense to show this in Ms. Marvel as it would severely limit potential stories that could be told. While it occurred in response to the events of Secret Wars in the comics, an event Disney+ show such as The Death of the Inhumans may be a better place to explore this story. The MCU also needs time to properly explore the mutants, both individual characters and eventually the team, and establish why viewers should care about their imminent demise. This could play out as either a series on Disney+ or a movie.

Civil War II

Following the establishment of the Inhumans vs. X-Men, the team behind the MCU could move on to another fight. Civil War II centers around the introduction of an Inhuman who can predict the future. Captain Marvel wishes to use these powers to stop threats by arresting the culprits before they commit them, essentially removing their agency. Tony Stark is opposed to this plan, which causes a clash amongst Avengers. The groundwork will be laid through Ms. Marvel and the eventual Terrigen Cloud that will show up in the MCU. As for the role of Tony Stark, Sam Wilson or Doctor Strange could replace him as the moral compass of the group. Another character that would need to be established would be Miles Morales. Peter Parker could play the part; however, removing Miles Morales feels cheap and may anger many fans. To allow the previous event to play out and establish Miles in the MCU, it would make sense that this event would not arrive until the end of phase six or even early phase seven.

Avengers vs. X-Men

At first, I struggled to place this event in the narrative being established leading up to Secret Wars but ultimately decided that it would make the most sense as the finale in this trilogy. The comic series tells the story of the return of the Phoenix Force, a threat in the eyes of the Avengers. Many of the X-Men hold the Force together and use it to create a society a better society. Feige could drastically change story details, but they would need more time to establish the Phoenix Force if he were to stay true to the basic concept. We have seen the Phoenix Force twice in movies and so we might not need to establish it. We would need enough time to pass after Inhumans vs. X-Men to explore integral X-Men stories before this one can be told. So, at the earliest, it should be sometime in Phase Seven.

Once the vs. trilogy is told in its entirety, the teams of the MCU will be fractioned. And through the chaos, Secret Wars would begin and bring our heroes back together to face the end of days.

April 22, 2021
Drafting The ‘Armor Wars’ Rogue’s Gallery

We still don’t know much about Marvel Studios Armor Wars. We only know that Don Cheadle reprises his role as War Machine, and the series would deal with the death of Tony Stark. His worst nightmare has finally arrived when his technology falls into the wrong hands. When Kevin Feige uttered that sentence, it opened up a world of possibilities. The character still features a lot of unexplored history within the Marvel comics, which opens up the doors to many of his rogue’s gallery making an appearance. So, we used the chance to figure out who exactly will be after his tech:

Crimson Dynamo

Crimson Dynamo has gone through multiple iterations. His first was Anton Vanko, who briefly appeared in Iron Man 2 as the father of Ivan Vanko. Anton since passed on, but that doesn’t mean Dynamo’s legacy ended there. His successor would a protege named Alexander, who took on the mantle after getting exiled. He even grew to hate his motherland and Tony Stark for what they did to the man he admired. The second entry of Iron Man did include some tributes to his character with Ivan Vanko building a Whiplash armor.

The Beetle

While Abner Jenkins is sometimes known as a Spider-Man villain, the character has had many run-ins with Iron Man, especially during the first Armor Wars comic storyline. The original armor got destroyed by Iron Man. That didn’t stop Jenkins, as he got a new suit with some massive upgrades through Justin Hammer. He used stolen Stark Tech to upgrade the armor. Something many might remember him doing with the Wr Machine armor in Iron Man 2. Jenkins would fit well within the story considering his involvement in the comics, and it’s just a matter of rights considering his ties to Spider-Man.

Detroit Steel

The Detroit Steel armor got piloted by the United States Air Force Lieutenant Doug Johnson III. He underwent surgical modifications to be able to function in the suit. At the time, Justine and Sasha Hammer had taken over Hammer Industries following the death of their grandfather. The two hated Stark and blamed him for Justin’s passing. They saw him as a roadblock in their path to selling Detroit Steele-inspired soldiers around the world. Tony Stark’s death in the MCU opens the door for Hammer industries to move along a similar path and introduce Detroit Steel to the public.

The Tinkerer

Phineas Mason first appeared in 2017’s Spider-Man: Homecoming and worked alongside Vulture and Shocker. He was part of the crew as they stole Stark and Alien tech. His role was to rework it into weapons that they can sell on the black market. Tinkerer’s presence in Armor Wars would be quite the earnest addition when you look back at how previous Disney+ series brought back characters like Darcy, Jimmy, and Sharon Carter. In a story about stolen tech, Tinkerers’ expertise would be the obvious choice in reworking Stark Tech into weapons of mass destruction.

Chemistro

Curtis Carr developed an alchemy-based gun during his time at Mainstream Motors. It was able to transmute matter in an unknown process. It could even turn glass into the wood. Curtis got fired for his work, and his life’s work got confiscated, as he made it on the company’s time. He stole the gun and became Chemistro. Subsequently, he enacted his revenge against the company. Curtis would come to work with Iron Man and War Machine in a fight against the Wrecker. He even became the lead director at Stark prosthetics. Chemistro was no more until his brother, Calvin, stole the gun and began a life of crime, fighting against the likes of Luke Cage and Iron Fist.

While details on Armor Wars remain scarce, many fans are excited to see the return of Jim Rhodes as War Machine. It’ll offer a closer look at how much Rhodes’s life has changed during the blip and how life has changed for the veteran turned superhero. He will carry the heavy legacy of Tony on his back as he continues carrying the title of War Machine.

April 22, 2021