Murphy's Multiverse

Category: Features

  • Hawkeye Could be ‘Marvel’s Avengers’ Tracer

    Hawkeye Could be ‘Marvel’s Avengers’ Tracer

    Ever get that feeling of déjà-vu? Well, some have that fear with Marvel’s Avengers’ current DLC plans. There have been many reveals to their decision to kick-off their long-term DLC plans with two archers back-to-back. There was the question of how they would make them unique enough to distinguish their playstyles. Well, our first deep dive on Kate Bishop revealed she has a unique ability based on Quantum technology she stole from AIM. It added a great flair and visual design to make her stand-out, but it did open one question, will they do something similar to Hawkeye?

     

    If you haven’t finished Marvel’s Avengers Taking AIM storyline and want to remain spoiler-free, only continue at your own risk.

     

    Hawkeye is pretty much the original archer, so there is no necessity to add any unique abilities. Yet, the Taking AIM storyline ends on a note that may set-up a potential for Clint Barton to stand-out. His return to the game’s main timeline came at a cost, as he suddenly started to distort. We see him shifting what may be between different times after visiting the future, which will be the focus for his DLC. You can even still find him in his bed trying to recover, as we all wait for the DLC to release in early 2021. Until then, we can only speculate which effect the Time Gate has on the ex-Avenger.

    There is a chance that Clint might suffer through the effects of his time on the other side of the Time Gate. To save his life, Tony and Bruce might try to develop a way to contain the Tachyon energy that is most likely causing his distortion. It may not just act as a cure, but he might also use it to his advantage. Clint can harness the Tachyon energy to alter time in small doses, such as returning to an earlier point in time similar to Overwatch‘s Tracer. 

     

     

    It would offer a unique approach to Clint’s repertoire, as Kate is more focused on getting around fast with her Quantum-based abilities. So, to make her former mentor stand out, he is more focused on laying down traps and keeping his distance. The rewind is the perfect opportunity to set an explosive before bowing out and raining down arrows to ensure it takes everyone out. He could even have a unique arrow, which can stop an enemy from being able to move. They get trapped at that moment in time so a group can stack damage before they are unfrozen and receive it all at once. It would be quite a helpful ability when facing challenging bosses, especially Future Imperfect‘s Maestro.

    The ability could support a unique build, and it would make sense from a story perspective. The Avengers also have scientist Lyle Getz, who can unwillingly help them develop the technology to harness Tachyon energy. What also supports this theory is that Hawkeye’s iconic darker shade of purple seems to be a similar color to that is used with Tachyon Rifts. It may just be a coincidence, but it is an interesting visual parallel. In a way, Clint is such an established character that he does not necessarily require an energy-based ability of any kind, but the set-up seems too perfect to add that little something special to make him stand-out from his protégé. 

  • ‘WandaVision’ Could Set Up a ‘One More Day’ Storyline in ‘Spider-Man 3’

    ‘WandaVision’ Could Set Up a ‘One More Day’ Storyline in ‘Spider-Man 3’

    So, yesterday I was trying to figure out who the strange Beekeeper might be in the latest WandaVision trailer. There I stated that I believe the main antagonist might end up being Mephisto. So far, we haven’t explored the character within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He also has much potential connection to other franchises, such as his cameo in Loki‘s trailer. There, we can see a devil-like person in a stained-glass window in the background. So, it seemed like a good guess that these shows might be connected. Yet, it started to make me wonder if he’ll have a major role throughout the series.

    To some degree, I think Nightmare and Mephisto will become one character. He might serve as the primary antagonist in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Now, he may also jump from this film into another, the still-untitled Spider-Man 3. Now, why is it noteworthy connecting Spider-Man with Mephisto? Most might have already realized it the moment the webhead was mentioned, as he was featured in the storyline One More Day. It is one of the most unpopular stories told in comic history, but the set-up might already exist for it.

     

     

    Now, they won’t be adapting the story one-for-one. WandaVision seems inspired by multiple storylines, such as House of M, Vision, and the Scarlet Witch, as well as the suburban storyline of Vision. So, One More Day may play a small part in the story. Plus, the whole point of the original was that Mephisto made a deal with Peter. He took off his mask in front of the world during the Civil War storyline. It ended up getting Aunt May shot in the process. It came at the cost of his marriage to Mary Jane. MJ also makes sure that Peter’s identity would remain a secret. Now, I believe if they adapt aspects of One More Day, they will only focus on two things: his secret identity and a deal with the devil.

    So, how would the story come together? Mephisto was free the moments the Infinity Stones got destroyed by Thanos. Without a body and waiting for those that inherited their powers to return, he remained in hiding. Now that Wanda was brought back through the Blip, he was able to enact his plan. She inherited the abilities of the Mind Stone, so she would also be connected to her other half, Vision. He manipulates her, which leads to the events of WandaVision. He manages to regain a physical body and his strength, so he enacts his plan. He aims to let horrors from the multiverse infiltrate the mainline universe, which ends up as the main plot for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Yet, his actions also create a Spider-Verse event that forces Peter to face an onslaught of enemies from different universes.

     

     

    Peter reaches his breaking point. After having faced various enemies, he ends up coming across Mephisto. So, in his desperation for a normal life, he made a deal with the devil. He wakes up in his bed. Aunt May and Ned are all here, but something feels off. The radio talks about incidents that he can’t seem to recall. Spider-Man is still called a menace by J. Jonah Jameson, but no one mentions his real name anymore. He comes to realize that no one has ever heard of Tony Stark or the Avengers. The deal he made came at a price. He was in a completely different universe that was similar to his own. Now, he either had to accept his new reality or try to find a way back to the place he once called home. The movie ends with a fitting title: Spider-Man: Home One Day.

  • ‘Loki’ Trailer May Have Confirmed the Identity of ‘WandaVision’s Mysterious Beekeeper

    ‘Loki’ Trailer May Have Confirmed the Identity of ‘WandaVision’s Mysterious Beekeeper

    Disney Investor’s Day has finally given us some brand new trailers for 2021’s Disney+ releases. It also finally gave us a look at Falcon and the Winter Soldier, as well as Loki. Not just that, we also finally got a second WandaVision trailer that included some more hints about the series’ overarching plot. The biggest reveal may have come in the form when a radio transmission broke Wanda’s fake reality and may have teased the true mastermind behind the Westview incident. For a few seconds, we were introduced to a mysterious man in a Beekeeper outfit. His face is obscured by shadows, so we can only speculate on who exactly this character may end up being. Actually, perhaps the Loki trailer has confirmed who the mysterious Beekeeper truly is.

    Now, it is easy to make the assumption that a beekeeper could be an obvious play on AIM’s involvement. There were hints and rumors that they may make their return, especially with a brief sequence in a Black Widow trailer seeming to include a small part of the logo. Yet, their involvement with something supernatural seems out-of-place. If you rewatch the Loki trailer, we get a brief sequence in what seems to be a church within the TVA facility. There is one thing that sticks out immediately, the stain-glass window in the background depicts a figure that seems to match Marvel’s variation of Mephisto.

     

     

    In the comics, Mephisto was well-known for toying with humans. The WandaVision trailer shows us that Wanda might not have created this pocket dimension on purpose but rather someone is trying to get their hands on something. We briefly saw a teaser of the Mind Stone once again getting destroyed, which was the cause of Vision’s death. There is a chance that the Infinity Stones live on in the individual’s that harnessed their ability within the main timeline. So, Mephisto might be trying to manipulate Wanda to revive Vision, so he can access the latent abilities. Why is he only getting active now? Well, he might not have a physical form and that made it difficult to access them in the main MCU timeline.

    Now that they were physically destroyed and those that were gifted their abilities have returned, such as Wanda who was snapped out of existence, he can finally enact his master plan. We always assumed Kang was going to be the major villain for the next Saga but he might be a red herring. He will have a major role later down the line but right now, Mephisto might be the reason the Multiverse ends up in shambles and affects various upcoming storylines. They might combine Mephisto with the character of Nightmare, who might be the main antagonist in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Though, this also opens up the question if he makes a deal to hide his real identity just like One More Day in the still untitled Spider-Man 3.

  • ‘LOKI’: The Mysterious Hooded Figure Revealed

    ‘LOKI’: The Mysterious Hooded Figure Revealed

    “You better be ready.”

    Last Thursday, Disney held its annual Investor’s Day. This year, because of the pandemic, they were forced to shift their event to a virtual format somewhat similar to that of DC Fandome. Among the event’s presenters were Lucasfilm, Disney Animation, Pixar, Hulu, and others. But by far, the heavy hitter of the night was Marvel Studios. Kevin Feige took to the virtual stage to give us an update at Phase 4, announcing new shows, providing us with a more updated look at the Phase 4 slate, and a handful of trailers for the upcoming Disney+ shows. One of those trailers was an exclusive clip for the upcoming show, Loki, coming May 2021.

    Now during the trailer, we were treated to a number of cool shots with the God of Mischief and some new characters, Owen Wilson as Mobius M. Mobius, Gugu Mbatha-Raw and the three floating heads behind her, but the most ominous figure came in the form of this hooded individual

    We can assume that whoever is behind that hood might be the antagonist (or at least one of them) for this show. Because his/her identity is kept hidden in this shot, you can’t really tell who this person is, unless you tend to look deeper into the frames of this trailer. So let’s break it down piece by piece to see what we find.

    Piece #1: The boots

    Now let’s rewind the clip for a bit. The frame you see above is a frame that comes just 2 shots before the main thumbnail in the image. This is when the hooded figure drops the lamp and sets the grass ablaze. Notice that for a split second, you can see the left boot of the individual on the left-hand side of the image. The person seems to be wearing some sort of high-top lace-up military boot. Keep that in mind as we go on with our analysis.

    Piece #2: The fingerless gloves

    This is a brightened up version of the shot where the individual is putting his/her hands down. The attempt was to see if we could identify the person’s face, but alas we could not. Yet not all was failed because we noticed one big detail in this shot. Notice the fingerless cloth gloves on the person’s hand. This is a big clue. Because the use of the fingerless gloves and the boots are very important indicators as to who this character is, or at the very least the actress portraying this character.

    The Hooded Figure is Sophia Di Martino’s character.

    Didn’t see that one coming did ya? Well, it’s very easy to identify thanks to the set pictures from JustJared. As you can observe in the picture I linked, you can see Sophia Di Martino’s costume, where she is wearing the exact same boot model, the fingerless gloves, and even the same baggy pants for good measure. What exactly her role in the show will be as of yet remains unclear. However, some people have speculated that she may be portraying a female version of Loki due to the similarity her costume has to the God of Mischief.

    Loki premieres exclusively on Disney+ this coming May 2020.

  • ‘BLACK ADAM’: Who is Cyclone?

    ‘BLACK ADAM’: Who is Cyclone?

    Black Adam is quite possibly one of the most anticipated DC movies in development and is already living up to the hype with the addition of some of DC’s most iconic characters. With such a rich library to pick from, the film will introduce those from the Justice Society and the Black Marvel Family. The hierarchy of power in the DC universe is about to change and Black Adam won’t let anything stand in between him and protecting the kingdom that he’s called home for thousands of years.

    Created by Alex Ross, Mark Waid, Geoff Johns, and Dale Eaglesham, Cyclone would make her first appearance back in 1996’s Kingdom Come storyline as an unnamed Red Tornado who could be seen near Ma Hunkel in certain panels. The character would eventually receive a name a new design, being dubbed Maxine Hunkel, granddaughter of longtime JSA member Ma Hunkel, Aka the original Red Tornado. Maxine is a very energetic and bubbly person who excelled at school with a 4.0 GPA, yet she was a very talkative and was a bit of a know it all, resulting in being left out and abandoned by her peers, leading her to suffer from depression. Maxine was invited to join the JSA by Mr.Terrific and Powergirl and lives up to her nature by almost immediately accepting while talking their ears off, Maxine eventually becomes friends with another young girl on the team, that off Stargirl.

    Maxine did not always have her powers and began showing signs of meta abilities when she sneezed and blew part of her grandmother’s home away. Maxine has the ability to fly with her wind manipulation as well as sound wave control. Maxine takes on the name cyclone as an homage to her Grandmother and her sidekicks, the cyclone kids, aka her aunt Amelia and Uncle Mortimer.

    Cyclone has yet to make a live-action appearance but is set to join the ranks of the newly formed JSA in Black Adam and will be played by Quintessa Swindell

  • ‘THE MANDALORIAN’ Season Finale Theory: Boba Fett Signing Off

    ‘THE MANDALORIAN’ Season Finale Theory: Boba Fett Signing Off

    The ability The Mandalorian has of making almost every single storyline detail matter down the line might help to predict what pay-offs we might be getting this Friday on the Season 2 Finale. But then again, the ability The Mandalorian has of making almost every single storyline detail matter down the line also makes it difficult to zero in on which ones will actually be the focus of this final episode. It goes both ways. We’ve already discussed how Mando’s armor, his beskar spear, the Dark Troopers, and Gideon’s Darksaber might come into play as the season ends. But for now, let’s center on the characters.

    In terms of returning characters, “Chapter 15: The Believer” gave us what is sure to be the main crew that’ll be by Mando’s side, helping him to retrieve Grogu. But there is another character that, ever since its introduction earlier this season, was bound to show up again as her own journey shares the same objective as Din’s. That character is, of course, Bo-Katan Kryze. Both she and Mando are looking for Moff Gideon, as he has something both of them want back and so being, her return shouldn’t come as a huge surprise.

     

     

    On the other hand, we’ve already had characters that were initially introduced only to properly return the following season. Boba Fett and Fennec Shand both showed up for the first time in “Chapter 5: The Gunslinger”, and it wasn’t until “Chapter 14: The Tragedy” that they were a bit more fleshed out, with their arc perhaps more deeply explored on this week’s season finale. This could then mean that Bo-Katan’s return in search of the Darksaber might be something we’ll only witness next season. If this is the case, and as her story is so intrinsically connected to Moff Gideon’s, that could mean that this season might end much in the way The Empire Strikes Back did. With the hero having lost the final confrontation with his enemy and having to regroup before going after a missing friend.

    This sort of bittersweet ending isn’t unfamiliar to The Mandalorian. Even though season 1 ended on a high note with Moff Gideon defeated and Din and Grogu leaving Nevarro unscathed, IG-11 was destroyed and Kuiil was killed while protecting Grogu. That showed us that in this world victories come at a price and that no matter the way season 2 wraps up, there might be more loss to endure. Din and Grogu aren’t obviously going anywhere as the show would lose its heart if any of the two were to leave it. Fennec Shand could be a possibility but her previous “death” and the lack of connection to the character would make it a terribly impactful death. That leaves Boba Fett.

    Chapter 14 reintroduced us to the old Boba Fett but it also presented us with a somewhat new Boba. On the one hand, he delivered on the expected toughness of the character but he also came through as an honorable warrior, not just a ruthless bounty hunter. It seemed like after the events of Return of the Jedi, having lost his armor, he went through some sort of rebirth and is now wanting to leave his old ways behind and live a more withdrawn life. “I’m a simple man making his way through the galaxy. Like my father before me”.

     

     

    And now, being in Din Djarin’s debt until Grogu is returned safely feels like an opportunity to make good on not only a promise made but also on erasing a few of his own ghosts that might still haunt him, making him much more at peace with his past. As we saw on Attack of the Clones, Boba lost his father Jango while he was still a child. Jango was, as Din found out in Chapter 14, a foundling just like Din himself. That will make Boba see the relationship between Din and Grogu as he did the one with his own father. By reuniting Din and Grogu, Boba will allow for Grogu to have something he missed out on, a life with a father figure, and that might just be his ultimate selfless act, especially if he has to give up his own life for it to happen.

    Jon Favreau has said that he’d like to further explore the character, but having Boba die shouldn’t stop that from happening. The Boba Fett show that is said to be in production could very well be a prequel that either shows us how Fett survived the Sarlacc pit or some of the events that took place before his appearance in The Empire Strikes Back. That is perhaps the more enticing option as we would get a full suited Boba Fett in his prime, where the adventures could live up to the character’s legacy. But as far as The Mandalorian is concerned, and considering how the chess pieces are now placed, Boba Fett could go out as the hero no one expected him to be. In the end, it might not happen. But it would be one hell of a sign-off.

  • ‘THE MANDALORIAN’ CHAPTER 15: Din Shows His True Face

    ‘THE MANDALORIAN’ CHAPTER 15: Din Shows His True Face

    Ever since meeting up with Bo-Katan back in Chapter 11, Din Djarin has been showing signs of trying to reframe his beliefs. Not only has he realized that he does not seem to grasp the history of both Mandalore and its people, but also that how he was raised isn’t the only way for a Mandalorian to go through life. The most obvious of his mandates is how he should not remove his helmet in the presence of other living beings. This development is something that, ever since Chapter 1, has sometimes gone against his immediate interests, such as his time on Sorgan. Yet, somehow he was able to uphold it in some way, mostly at least.

    Here’s a spoiler warning. If you haven’t watched the latest episode yet then only continue at your own risk, as we will spoiler a major reveal from the episode.

     

    Right after leaving Bo-Katan on his way to Nevarro, we saw how Mando is now a bit more relaxed regarding his no-mask policy, especially around Grogu. As both were enjoying some chowder, we got a glimpse of “Chin Djarin” as he didn’t bother leaving the room to eat on his own. Instead, he lifted his helmet just enough, not caring if Grogu looked at him or not. And now, as we approach the season finale, with Grogu’s life on the line, Chapter 15 couldn’t make it more clear that fatherhood is Mando’s new creed.

    The mission they set out on has hit a few snags. And at least two of them could be swiftly overcome if Din went against the “don’t remove the helmet” directive. On both occasions, he doesn’t even flinch anymore. It’s like Din has come to understand there’s something more important at stake and that the weight of the old ways that he believed in has lessened. He exchanged his Beskar helmet for an Empire one to infiltrate the base. Not just that, he goes as far as removing it altogether when faced with a do-or-die situation, where Grogu would forever be beyond his reach.

     

     

    There’s a point when Mayfeld manages to put into words what we as the audience were dying to ask: “Is it that you can’t take off your Mando helmet, or you can’t show your face?”. Din is now clearly bending the rules as he sees fit. He is somehow still a bit stuck in his old behaviors out of force of habit but has yet to realize that he has already left his old way of life behind him. That might have been what once guided him, but now his life has an entirely new meaning that he has finally learned to embrace. His final words, directed at Moff Gideon, sum it up perfectly: “Soon, he will be back with me. He means more to me than you will ever know.” That’s likely to be something he never said regarding his guild.

  • Disney’s Investor Day: Our Team’s Top Picks

    Disney’s Investor Day: Our Team’s Top Picks

    Yesterday was a day packed with numerous interesting and unexpected announcements regarding some of everyone’s favorite characters and franchises. It was a mixture of brand new surprises and expected announcements. Disney went all out, and it will take a while to unpack everything that they disclosed in their 4-hour long Investor Day presentation. But, we have to start somewhere, and for now, some projects caught our eye, for one reason or another. Here are our team’s picks:

     

    Charles Murphy

    For me, it’s simple: the revelation that Christian Bale is playing Gorr the God Butcher. We’ve been all over the map with Bale because we really had a hard time thinking they’d use Gorr after having co-opted parts of his power set with Hela in Ragnarok. Knowing that we are going to get Gorr in this film cements the fact that we are getting a much more direct adaptation of one of my favorite modern-day comic runs in Jason Aaron‘s Thor. I haven’t been able to get my head around what this means: are we going to see the 3 Thors story and see things at the end of time? Is it set in the modern-day? I know whatever it is, I’m ready for it!

     

     

    Ms. Lizzie Hill

    People need something to get behind,” as Bucky Barnes said. Well with kick-ass ladies, exciting action, an ominous intensity, and a fractious buddy cop comedy vibe I can certainly get behind the Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Can’t wait for March!

     

     

    Charles Villanueva

    After watching each trailer numerous times, I gotta say that Loki takes the cake in this category. For someone like me who was less than whelmed at the idea of Tom Hiddleston returning for another rodeo as the God of Mischief, that teaser really put me in my place. It’s as if every scene deserves an article on its own just for how intriguing it is. The set design looks crazy. Feige described the show as a crime thriller and I certainly got some Twin Peaks vibes seeing the teaser play out. Color me convinced.

     

     

    Joseph “The Machine” Aberl

    I think the biggest move of the night was to confirm what will happen with Black Panther‘s sequel. It wasn’t about the film but more about how they want to honor Chadwick Boseman‘s legacy moving forward. T’Challa was a big character moving into the next phase of their franchise, so anything could’ve happened. Yet, they took an honorable route and decided they will not recast the character. We will continue revisiting Wakanda in the future with a new generation taking over keeping Boseman‘s legacy alive.

     

     

    Superhero Theorist

    I’m a sucker for anything regarding the Multiverse. So you can guess how excited I was when Feige confirmed that Doctor Strange 2 would not only tie in with WandaVision but Spider-Man 3 as well. This takes me back to SDCC 2019 when Feige confirmed that Phase 4 would tell mini-arc stories based on 3-4 films and shows rather than a bigger story arc based around 23 films. So if the Multiverse is one of those stories based around the events of WandaVision, Spider-Man 3, Doctor Strange 2, and potentially possibly even Loki and What If?, then I’m all for it.

     

     

    John Sabato

    The best reveal for me would have to be that of the Ahsoka solo show reveal. Something that many of us were hoping would be in the works, especially with how Dawson played to the character to an almost perfect pitch. It’ll be exciting seeing her go after Grand Admiral Thrawn and hopefully see Ezra appear. My most disappointing reveal would have to be that of Shang-Chi. It had nothing to do with the quality of the film it was just that we were shown nothing from the film, not even a sizzle reel while shows like Hawkeye and Ms. Marvel, which gave us a better look and they’re not even done filming. While the project still a bit away it would’ve fit to see a first look at the film instead of just confirmation on the cast.

     

     

    Dalbin Osorio

    For me, I loved the announcement that Hayden Christensen was returning as Vader in the long-rumored Obi-Wan Kenobi show: seeing Vader turn into the menace and homicidal maniac leading into Rogue One and Episode 4 is always good news. He may have been awful in Episode 2 but he was great in Episode 3 and has shown incredible development as an Actor since leaving the Star Wars universe. What disappointed me, though, was not hearing anything about XMen. We got an F4 reveal, so many shows that will undoubtedly impact the very fabric of the MCU, and it feels a little like Feige is toying with us by knowing he has the X-Men in his back pocket. Still, a logo reveals, or even just one word (mutants) would’ve been cool to allude to the future.

     

     

    João RP

    Several project confirmations made me very happy. From the new Alien series to Taika Waititi‘s Reservoir Dogs and the MCU’s Secret Invasion series with Ben Mendelsohn returning. But I’ve got to say that having Patty Jenkins direct her own Star Wars movie is the surprise announcement that really made me gasp. She’s hardly the one to get herself on a project without making it her own in a way that elevates the material, and her personal background with her father having been a fighter pilot will surely make this a special project for her. Having her use that strong affinity to the subject to tackle a story about the Rogue Squadron, a group of fighter pilots initially founded and led by the Original Trilogy’s Wedge Antilles, sounds like a great start to the history of women directing Star Wars feature films.

     

  • From ‘Speed’ to ‘Inglorious Basterds’: ‘The Mandalorian’ Is Expanding Its Inspirations

    From ‘Speed’ to ‘Inglorious Basterds’: ‘The Mandalorian’ Is Expanding Its Inspirations

    This week’s episode of The Mandalorian was the final build-up to the season finale. It featured the return of Bill Burr‘s Mayfeld, the galaxy’s most prominent man from Space Boston. The episode set-up is surprisingly simple as they try to get their hands on some intel to save Grogu. Now, the main part of the episode takes place on a stolen Empire vehicle that is transporting a precious material that blows up when rattled too much. Of course, that kind of set-up is begging for someone to meddle in their affairs. I won’t go into too much detail about what happens in the story. The aspect I want to focus on is the simple approach to taking an existing concept and twisting it on its head as the series grows beyond its initial inspirations.

     

    There are some minor spoilers in this article on specific scenes. So, if you want to watch the episode without any spoilers, only continue at your own risk.

     

    Let’s go back in time to 1994. Keanu Reeves just starred in a film titled Speed. Jan de Bont directed a film that had a simple premise. A group of people got trapped in a bus that cannot slow down. If it does, it would blow up and kill everyone in it. Well, what happens if you twist that concept and can only drive so fast while a group of pirates tries to board your ship? That is pretty much how director Rick Famuyiwa approached this episode. Their vehicle has highly explosive material that can blow up at any point. It adds a great level of tension that makes every move by Mando important, as one false shot or mistake, and he might end up blown to smithereens.

     

     

    Well, the episode didn’t end there, as we got one more very obvious reference. The episode also includes a variation on a very iconic sequence from Quentin Tarantino‘s Inglorious Basterds. I think at this point, anytime a character has to sit across from someone who is part of an evil regime and get a cross-examination while trying to blend in will always make me think of that film. Christoph Waltz‘s opening sequence showcased how well one can build tension through dialogue and subtle facial expressions. I was quite surprised to see such a scene make it into The Mandalorian. The episode that introduced Ahsoka Tano was also very heavily based on Yojimbo, especially from a visionary standpoint. There is a limit too often they can fall back on the Western routes of this series, so we might be heading into a future with many more inspirations taking place throughout the eight-season run.

  • ‘THE MANDALORIAN’ Chapter 15 Primer

    ‘THE MANDALORIAN’ Chapter 15 Primer

    In the latest episode of The Mandalorian, Chapter 14 ” The Tragedy”, Grogu and Mando arrived on Tython immediately. Grogu got to the seeing stone to do his Jedi business and then Slave I arrived, distracting Din Djarin and taking his attention away from Grogu. After a bit of a standoff with Boba Fett and Fennec Shand, he teams up with them to fight off Stormtroopers that were sent by Moff Gideon. While all of this is happening, Grogu is by himself and gets taken by the Dark Troopers back to Gideon. The Razor Crest was blown up, giving Din only one option: to go with Boba and Fennec. He starts trying to form a team with Cara Dune and is on his way to Miggs Mayfield when the episode ends.

    The Mandalorian: Boba Fett Still Has His Ship, Slave I | CBR

     

    Last season, Miggs and Mando went on a mission together, Mayfield backstabbed Mando but Mando turned it around and left him locked up in prison. Mayfield may not want to work with him given what happened the last time they saw each other. If Miggs joins the team, he may not be the final piece. We’ve met some other characters along the way who would be perfect additions to the Grogu Rescue Squad. Among those he might call on for help are:

    • Bo-Katan and her group
    • Greef Karga
    • The Mythrol
    • Ahsoka

    There are also a couple of other characters from Chapter 6 who could come back and help if it gets them a Get Out of Jail Free card.

    Arlyn’s Assumptions

    Star Wars: How Old Is Bo-Katan in The Mandalorian? | Den of Geek

    I don’t think Ashoka will be back for the team. Bringing a former Jedi back on the team might make the fight for Grogu a little unfair and a little less exciting. I would believe they will set it up so he wants her to be on the team but can’t find her, sidelining her for this episode. It’s most likely that Bo-Katan will join the Grogu Rescue Squad because it gets her close to achieving her goal of reacquiring the Darksaber.

    I also think that like last season, it will take 2 episodes to resolve the conflict and to retrieve Grogu. Will the Grogu Rescue Squad leave in one piece? I don’t think so.

    Chapter 15 of The Mandalorian will stream tomorrow.