Category: Features

Schrödingers’ Khonshu: More Myth Than Moon Knight’s God

Moon Knight is a fascinating character and a great addition to Marvel Studios’ Disney+ line-up. Initially, he was Marvel’s answer to Batman. He even had moon-shaped versions of the Batarangs. Yet, the character grew into his own as time went on. Marc Spector is commonly known for having a Dissociative Identity Disorder, so he started to adopt a variety of names and identities over the years. One of his most recent additions was the detective, Mr. Knight. The most iconic aspect of Moon Knight is also his relationship with a God known as Khonshu. In a mission in Egypt as a mercenary, he gets betrayed by his employer Raul Bushman. Left for dead, an Egyptian God gave him a new lease on life. He would, later on, believe that this encounter was nothing more than an illusion. Yet, the Moon God’s influences stuck with him in his designs. His disorder also made him an unreliable narrator, so it was uncertain for quite some time if he was real. As the show is slowly starting production, it is unclear if Khonshu is an actual character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Well, that was until a report by The Direct was pointing to the addition of four Egyptian characters. This casting is interesting if you consider that Moon Knight’s main base of operation in New York City. One character’s definition is as a female lead. So, they will play somewhat of an essential role in the series of some kind. Now, this may tease that Khonshu’s past is a massive part of the story. The hiring of Mohamed Diab also highlights that the characters’ Egyptian heritage will have some influence, so it makes sense to explore this mystical aspect of the MCU. Thor is proof that Gods do exist, so this would allow us to get another perspective on one of the many undiscovered corners of the MCU.

Yet, Marvel Studios CEO Kevin Feige toyed a bit with audiences when he announced the show initially. He said that Marc might be crazy, which opens a lot of questions. Khonshu, as a character, adds a lot of depth to this universe, so it would be a waste for him not to exist. Yet, at the same time, they could use him as a red herring to make you question the sanity of Spector. If Khonshu exists, we will be learning about his history with the other Gods. It also allows us to uncover how their existence played into the MCU’s past. Plus, they can use that aspect to make you accept Khonshu exists in Spector’s view of the world before pulling the rug from under your feet. This aspect is what sells Moon Knight as a show. It isn’t as crazy as WandaVision‘s sitcom-based multiverse shenanigans, but it can screw with its audience. As I mentioned before, Marc is an unreliable narrator, so if he retells the story of Khonshu, there is a chance it is just all made-up in his head. It would also open up the possibility to see his already broken mind fall apart as he begs for a God for help that does not exist.

In the comics, Khonshu is very much a tangible existence. He even got into conflict with the Avengers, which ended up with him fighting Robbie Reye’s Ghost Rider and Black Panther. In Avengers Vol. 8 #37, he ended up losing and being apprehended by the team of heroes. Even if he exists in the comics, it doesn’t chain the series to do the same. He may be an illusion by Spector after seeing an idol of the lunar God shortly before he passed out. It’s a great way to play with expectations, especially as it allows the director to play around with some crazy visuals. I do hope we get the design from Moon Knight Vol. 7 that features him in a white suit with a bird skull instead of a head. It’s such an iconic visual that can also add a unique atmosphere to this show, as he may seem like just one of the many personalities. Yet, in his thirst for vengeance is manipulating Marc to follow a darker path. Right now, we have no idea as they could go either direction. We might get to meet a real Egyptian God, or just the remnants of a broken mind. Until Moon Knight releases on Disney+, he is Marvel Studios’ Schrödingers’ Cat.

Source: The Direct, YouTube

October 29, 2020
Theory Thursday: It’s Time for the MCU to Face Judgment

All rise for the honorable living tribunal.

“From the dawn of the universe, there was nothing. Then… boom. The Big Bang sent six elemental crystals, hurtling across the virgin universe. These Infinity Stones each control an essential aspect of existence.” In Phases 1-3, the MCU explored multiple individual stories, each of which became part of an interconnected storyline that we know as the Infinity Saga. In the Infinity Saga, the main overarching theme of these phases was the unification of the Infinity Stones from all corners of the universe. Now, with the Infinity Saga complete, we enter a new phase with a brand new storyline that fans will explore beyond the confines of our universe: the Multiverse.

Who are you, in this vast multiverse, Mr. Strange?

We were already teased about the concept of the Multiverse back in Doctor Strange (2016), and it was made a reference in the last MCU film of Phase 3, Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019), when Quentin Beck aka Mysterio, used the idea of the Multiverse to trick Peter Parker, Nick Fury (who was secretly Talos) and others into believing his ruse to become the “next hero”. But as Kevin Feige said back in SDCC last year, “Just because Quentin Beck makes up lies about the Multiverse, doesn’t mean it isn’t real.” We know that the concept of the Multiverse will be explored in Phase 4, with my money being on WandaVision (2020), Spider-Man: Something with Home in the Title (2021) & Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022). I went very in-depth with my theory on how the Multiverse might play out in my “Reality Checked” Theory and discussed the possible universes that could be explored if Marvel indeed decided to acknowledge a Marvel Cinematic Multiverse.

Now, if we are going to deep dive into the concept of the Multiverse, then we need to acknowledge the presence of a very important character in Marvel Comics lore that I believe already exists in the MCU and might make his appearance very soon:

The Living Tribunal

Now, the Living Tribunal has been described as a “nigh-omnipotent, nigh-omniscient, omnipresent” individual that “possesses limitless power, is able to erase entire realities from existence.” His only rival is his creator; the One-Above-All. But the Living Tribunal in the comics is essentially regarded as the 2nd most powerful individual in all of Marvel lore. His role has been to safeguard the Multiverse and be its Guardian, and unlike other characters, where there are other versions of the same character across multiple universes, there is only 1 Living Tribunal that exists in all of the universes as he is the center of it all. “The Tribunal manifests itself as a being with three faces, which represent the three sides of the Tribunal’s personality. Its front face, through which it usually speaks, represents equity, the fully hooded face on its right side represents necessity, and the partially hooded face on its left represents just revenge. All three voices must agree in a case before the Tribunal can intervene.”

Why introduce him now?

Living Tribunal by Eric Hallquist

With the Multiverse now coming into play in Phase Four of the MCU and the idea that the universe might start to collide if Wanda Maximoff decides to go all “House of M” on us, then the Living Tribunal might be forced to play a role in trying to preserve the balance of the Multiverse by passing judgment onto Wanda, something I predict could happen in the upcoming Doctor Strange sequel. The first time the Living Tribunal was introduced in Marvel Comics was in Strange Tales #158, where he encountered Doctor Strange and had come to the conclusion that the Earth should be destroyed. Doctor Strange however managed to convince the tribunal to give the Earth a chance so he could fix it and save all life on Earth. The Tribunal agreed. We could see a scenario similar to this in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022), where the Living Tribunal decides to pass judgment on Wanda Maximoff for altering the laws of reality and as penance, must die along with the rest of the Earth in order to preserve the balance. Doctor Strange will intervene and vouch for Wanda to keep her and Earth safe and manage to fix reality once again. And now, some of you might tell me that that sounds like an amazing pitch. But why introduce a character like this in the MCU now? How can I be sure that this is even the direction Marvel wants to go? What if I told you we’ve already had our first tease regarding the Living Tribunal?

The Living Tribunal has already been teased in the MCU

The Staff of the Living Tribunal by Sukh Singh

Remember this relic? You might remember it in a scene from Doctor Strange (2016) when Baron Mordo was wielding it while training with Doctor Strange in Kamar Taj. Baron Mordo had actually called it the “Staff of the Living Tribunal”. Quite the interesting name no?

Not only that, but Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Avengers: Endgame (2019) writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely actually revealed at SDCC last year that The Living Tribunal was set to appear during Avengers: Infinity War (2018), to judge Thanos for his crimes against the universe. Clearly, that idea was opted out later on and we never saw that scene but if he was set to appear in this film, chances are that Marvel Studios has plans for the cosmic entity to make his way to the MCU very soon.

Only time will tell us if and when we are ready to face the judgment of the Living Tribunal in the MCU.

October 29, 2020
Theory Thursday: ‘THE FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLDIER’ Will Introduce the Commission on Superhuman Activities to the MCU

Once meant to kick of Marvel Studios slate of Disney Plus streaming series, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier hit a bit of a speed bump in the Spring, pushing it back in the queue. In an alternate universe, the series has completed its run and fans’ imaginations have been running wild with theories about what’s next for the heroes and villains. Here, however, we’re still stuck speculating on what might be and a non-story from last week got my wheels spinning again.

After some official The Falcon and The Winter Solider Mini Mates leaked online last week, word made its way around the internet that they had spoiled the fact that Wyatt Russell would be introduced as Captain America in the series. of course that’s just not right; there is no spoiler here. The Big Game spot that teased the series already showed us Walker in full Cap gear as have many set photos and, most importantly to this theory piece, these posters from the set which made the rounds back in February.

Walker being trotted out as Cap isn’t a spoiler by any means. While they certainly won’t follow the character’s comic arc beat for beat, it’s been pretty evident from jump street that Walker was going to be the guy holding the shield…there’s a reason why the series isn’t called Captain America and The Winter Soldier. What is interesting about the posters that were spotted on set is that they are sponsored by the U.S. Army. Now Walker himself was a military hero but that’s not all that’s going on here. These posters are more than just the U.S. Army celebrating the promotion of one of their own to the role of Cap; these are good ol’ government propaganda and that likely means that, just like in the comics, Walker was hand selected by the government to be the new Cap. There’s probably a whole other theory piece here about why Walker was chosen over Sam, but that’s not what this is. This is about just what kind of group would do the choosing and what role they might play in The Falcon and The Winter Solider and beyond.

If the government is going to do something, you can be damn sure they’re going to form a committee to do so and, theoretically speaking, that committee would be the Commission on Superhuman Activities. In the comics, the CSA’s members came from all over the government: the military, the NSA and the FBI were among the organizations who had representatives on the Commission. Their job, in a nutshell, was to monitor and strategize on how to deal with the ever growing number of powered people. As Vision pointed out in Captain America: Civil War, the strength of the Avengers invites challenge. Given what we know about the series, it seems incredibly likely that we will see the further proliferation of powered people (you can read my ideas about how that might happen here) and see the government response to that. Way back in January of this year, this Connecting the Imaginary Dots piece laid out one possible route the government might take: attempting to reproduce the Super Soldier serum. Now we can’t be 100% sure, but I’m willing to be that one of the big themes of this series is going to be the legacy of Steve Rogers and that serum and that John Walker gets himself a little cocktail to power him up courtesy of the CSA.

The CSA isn’t the Accords, though the formation of the Commission might easily be seen as a natural consequence of the Accords. The CSA would be its own thing and while Thunderbolt Ross might have a hand in its formation in the MCU, it’s very much its own group in the comics and it has a few KEY power players who, should the CSA show up in the MCU, might portend some really big things down the road.

Key among the potential members of the CSA are Valerie Cooper and Henry Peter Gyrich. Dr. Valerie Cooper believed she saw a developing threat in the growing number of powered people (it was mutants in the comics…are we there yet in the MCU) and used the CSA to tap into the that growing number of powered U.S. citizens as part of what she saw as an arms race. In the absence of the Avengers, Cooper created the Freedom Force (composed entirely of mutants who were looking to clear their criminal records) and the group was successful for a time before falling apart. From there, Cooper played an integral role in making sure that John Walker ascended to the mantle of Captain America, under the thumb of the CSA, and bringing in his old Army buddy, Lemar Hoskins, as his partner, Battlestar (you first read about Hoskins appearing in the series right here!). Cooper, or a character like her, seems like sure bet to appear in the series and while her time on the CSA is pretty exciting, wait until you guys go look up the X-Men watchdog organization she headed up (O.N.E.).

A little more well-known thanks to his time as a government liaison with the Avengers, his appearances in numerous animated series and in 2000’s X-Men, Henry Peter Gyrich is an even bigger asshole and a character a lot of fans have been expecting to see in the MCU for some time, so an appearance here as part of the CSA wouldn’t be entirely surprising. Gyrich helped develop and oversee the off-the-books Project: Wideawake which kept an eye on the mutant explosion and, among other things, employed Sentinels against them.

Should one or both of these two appear in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, they could not only be viewed as short terms thorns in the sides of Bucky and Sam but also potentially as some of the first steps that Kevin Feige could be taking towards introducing mutants to the MCU. At the very least, they might be two of the first characters who were previously owned by Fox to make their way into the ever expanding universe (though I think Agatha Harkness might be the first, now that WandaVision is coming ahead of this project). We’ll see how it turns out, of course, but given what we already know about the series, it wouldn’t be shocking to see the CSA make its debut when The Falcon and The Winter Soldier premiers next year.

October 29, 2020
Star Wars’ ‘THE MANDALORIAN’: Who is Ahsoka Tano?

Ahead of The Mandalorian’s season 2, we give quick introductions to characters that have yet to debut on a live-action Star Wars project, but that most likely will show up on the Disney+ hit series in the coming weeks.

After the events of Attack of the Clones, and seeing that Anakin Skywalker could benefit from having to train his very own Padawan, Master Yoda assigned a young Jedi, Ahsoka Tano (a Togruta from the planet Shili) to the then Jedi Knight. And so began their friendship, one rooted in mutual respect. Through the years Ahsoka revealed herself to be an invaluable member of the Republic army, working beside Anakin, gaining the trust of the clones she served with, especially one Captain Rex. Later on, she was thought to be responsible for an explosion at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, and even though Anakin fought to prove her innocence, she became so disillusioned by the Jedi’s behavior through the entire process that she decided to leave the Order.

During the events of Revenge of the Sith, and as she was about to bring Darth Maul in custody into Coruscant, Palpatine executes Order 66 making the clone army she was with, turn on her. She manages to flee with the help of Captain Rex, even if that meant that Maul had to be released to create a diversion that would allow for their successful escape.

After the rise of Emperor Palpatine, she came in contact with the crew of The Ghost, trying to guide them through their battles against the Empire all while trying to keep her identity a secret. After revealing herself, she becomes even more involved with Ezra, Kanan, Hera, Sabine, Zeb, and Chopper’s journey as they fight the increasingly powerful forces of the Empire.
After being saved by Ezra as she was about to die at the hands of her former Master, now Darth Vader, she vows to come for him at a time of need. So being, after Ezra disappears while fighting Grand Admiral Thrawn in the Rebels finale, Ahsoka joins Sabine sometime after the Battle of Endor, and both launch a search for their missing friend.

For more details regarding The Mandalorian season two aswell as other Star Wars projects, check out the dedicated feature focused on the future of the Star Wars Universe.

October 28, 2020
Rumor vs. Real: Grounding ‘SPIDER-MAN 3’

“People need to believe…and nowadays…they’ll believe anything.”

It’s that time of year again. The third installment of the MCU Spider-Man franchise has officially undergone production. People have started to grow anxious, waiting for any sort of detail they can get their hands on. But with so many rumors, theories, and speculation floating around, it’s hard for people to tell the difference between what’s real, what’s rumored, and what’s just plainly false. So I’ll be introducing a new series for Murphy’s Multiverse I’ll call “Grounding.”

Grounding Techniques are more commonly used to help a person alleviate negative symptoms, usually during panic attacks, PTSD flashbacks, overthinking symptoms. It helps the person focus on what is happening around them physically with something they can feel with one of their 5 senses, therefore knowing it’s real. I’ve decided to use the same principle but to help us understand what we TRULY know about a certain production and discern what’s been confirmed & what’s pure speculation.

real: SPIDER-MAN 3 PICKS UP AFTER THE EVENTS OF FAR FROM HOME

The last time we saw Peter Parker was during the post-credit scene of Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019). Spider-Man was framed for the murder of Quentin Beck aka Mysterio and his identity was exposed to the entire world, before leaving us with a massive cliffhanger that has had fans expecting more. It is more likely than not that this plot point will be addressed in the upcoming Spider-Man sequel and we’ll know the immediate reactions of the people around him and the world. Will he be branded a murderer? Will people defend the friendly-neighborhood web-slinger? Only time will tell.

rumor: SPIDER-MAN 3 will follow a Spider-Verse storyline.

Spider-Verse fanart by @spdrmnkyxxiii

This is perhaps the biggest rumor floating around social media and all news sites. Ever since Jamie Foxx’s casting in the film as Electro and his deleted Instagram post teasing a possible Multiverse storyline, fans of the franchise and many sites have run rampant, speculating the idea that Spider-Man 3 will perhaps become a Spider-Verse film that many fans have been clamoring for Marvel/Sony to do. All fans are waiting for is the headline that reads:

BUT WAIT! LET’S NOT GET OUR HOPES UP JUST YET.

The idea of this movie being a Spider-Verse film is a concept that has pretty much been teased ever since the comic event debuted back in 2014 and has even been explored in Spider-Man media like Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions and the Animated Series long before the comic run. And while the idea of Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield returning to the franchise could make Spider-Man 3 an event that could potentially rival that of Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, we cannot get ahead of ourselves with something that isn’t tangible just yet. Garfield is currently in NYC, filming the upcoming musical film; “Tick, Tick…Boom.”, and Maguire hasn’t necessarily been seen that much outside of his home in California, so, let’s just keep ourselves grounded and understand that there has been no confirmation that either Maguire or Garfield have signed on to this project.

real: Doctor Strange will appear in Spider-Man 3

The Sorceror Supreme and the Master of the Mystic Arts has been confirmed to appear in the third installation of the MCU Spider-Man franchise. His purpose? “Putting [Benedict] Cumberbatch in the mentor role that was previously occupied by Robert Downey Jr., who played Tony Stark/Iron Man in Spider-Man: Homecoming, and by Samuel L. Jackson in Spider-Man: Far From Home, the latter reprising Nick Fury”, as reported by the Hollywood Reporter, who broke the news 3 weeks ago. While his upcoming sequel has to do with the Multiverse and there have been rumors that he might appear in WandaVision (2020), that’s all it is. A rumor. No one knows for sure if he will be the one who will guide Peter through this multiverse business or if he will just show up for a small cameo. Speaking of rumors…

Rumor: Charlie Cox’s Daredevil will appear in Spider-Man 3 as Spider-Man’s lawyer

Now listen, I love Charlie Cox. I loved him as Daredevil and as Matt Murdock in his Netflix series. But there have been 0 confirmations that Matt Murdock could appear in this film. People have been speculating it and including it in their theories because if Spider-Man will be judged and tried in court for murder, he would need legal representation. And of course, people would immediately think of Matt Murdock as the first pick for Spider-Man’s lawyer. But even if the lawyer thing was true, we need to understand that the rights to Daredevil do not come back to Marvel until December of this year, and Spider-Man 3 has already started production. There are still chances that he could show up. After all, Spider-Man didn’t join Captain America: Civil War (2016) until very later on in production. So we’ll have to wait and see.

Real: Jamie Foxx’s Electro will appear in Spider-Man 3

Perhaps the casting that arose the most questions was Jamie Foxx being cast once again as Max Dillon aka Electro, to reprise the role in the upcoming Spider-Man 3 sequel. He has even confirmed in a deleted Instagram post that he will not be blue in this one, as well as teasing a possible Multiverse storyline in this film, which has not been confirmed at all. It is very important to note however that this is the first time Marvel Studios has reused a villain that has already existed in a previous iteration of a Spider-Man film. They had tried to keep themselves from using the same characters in previous films by using the likes of Vulture, Mysterio, The Tinkerer, Aaron Davis, Shocker, and more in the previous 2 Spidey films, so casting Electro and let alone Foxx is something that’s really interesting to think about.

rumor: Kraven The Hunter, Venom & others can appear in Spider-Man 3

Spider-Man’s rogue gallery is something definitely worthy of being mentioned as having some of the most recognizable villains in all of comics lore. When people saw the post-credit scene of Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019) where Peter’s identity was exposed to the world and was accused of being a murderer, people assumed that Peter’s story would take a turn for our hero to go “on-the-run”. It is a very popular trope in Spider-Man comics and many people turned to the idea of Kraven the Hunter being the next villain in this film, taking on the role of a bounty hunter who would take on the hunt for Spider-Man. While the idea is certainly possible and something I myself have theorized, in the end, we need to understand that this is all entirely speculative. However, it is important to note that it is a rumor with a basis that could potentially become true. Unlike the rumor where Tom Hardy will cameo as Eddie Brock in this film. That’s just pure speculation.

real: most of the supporting cast from the previous MCU Spider-Man films will return.

The Hollywood Reporter had also mentioned in their Electro report that “most of the supporting cast from the previous movies are expected to be on the call sheet when cameras roll in Atlanta this fall.” If this film picks up right after the events of Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019), chances are we going to see the likes of MJ, Ned Leeds, Flash Thompson, Betty Brant, Aunt May, and Happy Hogan return as the supporting cast for this film, since all of these actors had active supporting roles in both films. And we still need answers to so many questions that the Far From Home cliffhanger left us. Will Ned be slightly skinnier in this film since Jacob Batalon has been seen working out and losing weight? How will MJ react to the news of Peter being a murderer? How will Flash react to the news of Peter Parker being Spider-Man? Will Betty Brant report it all for the Midtown High news? ARE AUNT MAY AND HAPPY DATING OR NOT? Speaking of supporting casts…

rumor: most of the supporting cast from the previous Spider-Man films can return

Now, of course, with the idea of Spider-Man 3 being a Spider-Verse film, people have run rampant with the idea of who from the supporting casts of the other Spider-Man films could potentially return for this film. Just like the Andrew and Tobey news, we all need to take it slow and understand that this is all rumored and that there have been no official confirmations that any of these actors could return.

REAL: SPIDER-MAN 3 IS SCHEDULED TO PREMIERE ON DECEMBER 17, 2021.

RUMOR: SPIDER-MAN 3 WILL PREMIERE ON DECEMBER 17, 2021.

October 27, 2020
Star Wars’ ‘THE MANDALORIAN’: Who is Cobb Vanth?

Ahead of The Mandalorian’s season 2, we give quick introductions to characters that have yet to debut on a live-action Star Wars project, but that most likely will show up on the Disney+ hit series in the coming weeks.

Cobb Vanth was a character introduced in the Aftermath trilogy, written by author Chuck Wendig. He has yet to make his official live-action debut, but that seems to be changing with the second season of The Mandalorian. He is a former slave that managed to free himself and rise to the rank of Sheriff in Tatooine’s Freetown (formerly known as Mos Pelgo), even if self-appointed, after the events of Return of the Jedi. He still bears a star-shaped scar on his back, meaning that at some point during his life he was someone else’s property. This makes it obvious that what he had to endure in the past is still very much a part of what drives him even after achieving his freedom.

During this time, he came in contact with a chest of Mandalorian armor said to have been retrieved from the wreckage of Jabba the Hutt’s sail barge. This heavily implies that this is the armor that once belonged to Boba Fett, since Jabba’s sail barge was destroyed while at the Sarlacc pit, the place we last saw the bounty hunter, with no other Mandalorians in sight. He then committed his life to keep the people of Freetown safe from all outside threats.

Cobb, unlike Boba, wears said armor not at the bidding of crime lords but on the side of justice, trying to maintain Freetown a lawful place, with crime syndicates at large, while maintaining a somewhat troubled relationship with the Tusken Raiders. In season one’s 5th episode he probably already made an uncredited cameo, when finding the dead body of Fennec Shand.

For more details regarding The Mandalorian season two aswell as other Star Wars projects, check out the dedicated feature focused on the future of the Star Wars Universe.

October 26, 2020
Theory Thursday: Exploring the Marvel Cinematic Multiverse

There’s no doubt in my mind that the biggest story element that will come into play for the Next Phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe will be the concept of the Multiverse. Already teased back in Avengers: Endgame (2019) with Dr. Banner’s explanation of the concept of time travel and Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019), the MCU looks like it will indeed explore the boundaries outside of its already established universe. This concept will most likely be explored on a larger scale over the Disney+ series, WandaVision (2020) and Loki (2021), and the MCU film, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022), (with rumors of the concept being explored in the upcoming Spider-Man sequel; Spider-Man: Something with Home in the Title (2021)). We’ll also be able to see the concept of the multiverse be explored on a smaller scale in the upcoming Disney+ show; What If? (2021). Now, definitely, the major chunk of the film will be explored in the upcoming Doctor Strange sequel and there are dozens of questions as to what different universes we might explore. So today, I’m listing off the different Marvel properties that Marvel could revisit and explore for this film.

I. Blade (1998 – 2004)

This was a suggestion by the members of our Discord Group in Knowhere (Shoutout to you guys!). Wesley Snipes’ Blade walked so Marvel Studios could run. The film franchise that would essentially lay the groundwork for many of the Marvel superhero films we now know today started with the Blade franchise and it actually brought back interest to the Marvel Comics franchise to develop their films. It would be nice to see Marvel Studios show a small nod to the universe of the vampire hunter before we get our own version in the MCU with Mahershala Ali.

II. Daredevil/Elektra (2003 – 2005)

This was another suggestion by our Discord Members and it was just too funny not to imagine the idea of Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner reprising their roles as Daredevil and Elektra for small cameos in the Doctor Strange sequel. These films were set in the time and universe where leather was the standard for Superhero costumes and I’d just love to see Ben Affleck don the Matt Murdock mantle again, even if for a small cameo. Speaking of Matt Murdock…

III. The Defenders Universe (2015-2019)

It’s no doubt in anyone’s mind that the way Netflix brought about the creation of these characters and their stories was overall one of the best things to come out of Marvel TV. Charlie Cox’s Daredevil was, and still is, one of the most popular iterations of Marvel characters brought to life and has been one of the most requested by fans for Kevin Feige to bring back in a small reboot form to the MCU. Krysten Ritter’s Jessica Jones, Mike Colter’s Luke Cage, Finn Jones’ Iron Fist, and Jon Bernthal’s Punisher are no exceptions either. Fantastic story development and world-building came from this portion of the universe and it would be great to see these characters show a small cameo of their world in the Marvel Multiverse and maybe crossover into the MCU someday.

IV. Fantastic Four (2005-2007)

Now when I mention the Fantastic Four, I mean THESE Fantastic Four. We call the 2015 film; Fan4stic (as in Fan-Four-Stic) because that wasn’t a Fantastic 4 film. This version of Marvel’s first family with Ioan Gruffudd as Reed Richards, Jessica Alba as Susan Storm, Chris Evans as Johnny Storm, and Michael Chiklis as Ben Grimm wasn’t necessarily all that fantastic either, but the chemistry among them really made them great and it was a very fun franchise while it lasted. It would be fun to see them revisit this universe in a small cameo and maybe we’ll see Evans reprise his role again as Johnny Storm and have him be confused for his MCU counterpart of Captain America.

V. The X-Men (2000 – 2020)

Okay, so the 20th Century Fox-owned X-Men films have existed for nearly 20 years now and they’ve had their share of ups and downs (mainly downs), but they’ve had some good moments and actors in these franchises whom I would love to see cameo in this whole Multiverse fiasco. Mainly Hugh Jackman as Wolverine because it’s just difficult to picture another Wolverine as iconic as his. An interaction of Patrick Stewart’s Charles Xavier with Doctor Strange sounds like it would be an interesting thing to see as well. I don’t think it will necessarily happen but one can dream no?

VI. Ghost Rider (2007 – 2011)

Nicolas Cage’s take on the antihero was something definitely worth mentioning here on this list. Sure, the films are slightly forgettable but just the idea of Cage alone being nodded as a Ghost Rider from another dimension sounds like a fantastic idea for a cameo and a tease of what could come if the MCU finally decides to introduce Ghost Rider into the MCU.

VII. Spider-Man (2002 – 2015)

I know many like myself are hyping themselves up at even the smallest chance of having a Spider-Verse moment occur in live-action. It’s something fans have been clamoring for for years, and now, with the gates of the multiverse being blown wide open in the MCU, it seems like the perfect time to bring these characters in for an adventure of epic proportions. Will it happen though? Only time will tell.

October 22, 2020
‘THE MANDALORIAN’: The Story So Far

The Mandalorian‘s second season is just a few days away, so it seems like the perfect time for a quick recap of the first. One day in a galaxy far far away, a man who is shy about showing his face finds a magical baby. So, he gets chased by guys in plastic armor while finding his purpose and friends along the way. Of course, I am just joking, and there is a lot more to the first season of The Mandalorian.

Our first live-action Star Wars series introduced us to a Mandalorian foundling named Din Djarin. He is a bounty hunter trying to get by after the Empire’s destruction. His skills garner quite a lot of attention, which leads to him being offered a very peculiar mission by a client (Werner Herzog), who seems to have ties with the Empire. He is to find and take out an unknown target. He finds it with the help of a Ugnaught known as Kuiil (Nick Nolte) but can’t find it in himself as he realizes it is just a child. Technically, it is 50 years old, but by his behavior, he seems to be a toddler. After his ship gets taken apart by Java’s, he takes on a rhinoceros creature called a Mudhorn. In this process, he uncovers that the mysterious child has a strange ability only passed on in legends.

After spending some time with the kid, he still ends up return the child to his employer, who rewards him handsomely. Mando, as the bounty hunter guild leader Greef Karga (Carl Weathers) likes to call him, is paid in Beskar steel, which is a sacred metal of his kind. The Mandalorian armorer grants him a brand new shiny outfit with which he decides to save the child from whatever faith may befall him. He almost gets shot down before his brothers and sisters, who were in hiding, help him escape while sacrificing their hiding spot. Djarin is on the run to keep the child safe. He briefly tries to seek refuge on the forest planet Sorgan. There he works alongside former Rebel shock trooper Cara Dune (Gina Carano) to take down a stolen AT-ST. Yet, bounty hunters are hot on their tail, which gets him stranded on Tatooine. After a bounty goes south, we get a glimpse of a mysterious stranger walking through the desert.

Afterward, he is in desperate need of a job, so he gets in contact with some old buddies. We get introduced to the first man from Space Boston, Mayfield (Bill Burr). The mission sees them infiltrating a prison ship but, of course, our sharpshooter gets double-crossed. Luckily, Mando is also a fan of horror films, so he takes them out one after another. He didn’t kill them, as they are now trapped as prisoners on the ship. Shortly after, he gets a call from Greef Karga, who asks for his help to take out the stormtroopers that taken over the bounty hunter guild. In exchange, he would ensure that they wouldn’t get hunted down anymore. As you can guess, he was going to hand him over, but after the child healed his wound, he had a change of heart.

They recruit Cara, Kuiil, and a reprogrammed IG-11 (Taika Waititi), who was hunting the child earlier in the series, to take on the Empire stormtroopers, who still manage to outgun them. The arrival of a former Imperial officer Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito) doesn’t help matters as they try to escape through an underground lava river. IG-11 sacrifices his life as Mando takes on a TIE fighter. Luckily, after one last meeting with the armorer, he is given a jet pack alongside his sigit, which is in the form of the Mudhorn. After a successful battle, Mando flies off with the child without knowing that Moff has survived and has the Darksaber, an ancient lightsaber with a unique black blade.

October 21, 2020
How the Success of ‘Genshin Impact’ Only Adds to the Current AAA Gaming Industry Standards

So far, I haven’t talked about one of this year’s biggest surprise hits, Genshin Impact. To those few that don’t know what I am talking about, the game in question is a free-to-play mobile game strongly inspired by The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. You enter an open world of Teyvat. There you meet Paimon, who will help you find your lost twin after you got separated in a fight. It is easy to recognize thanks to its anime aesthetic and memorable design. I did call it a mobile game, but it has been made available via PlayStation and Windows. There are even plans to add it to Nintendo Switch later in the year. Yet, the game’s success might set a scary precedent for the gaming industries’ future development in an era where an entire genre is already facing massive issues for its focus on microtransactions.

Genshin Impact’s…Impact

It is an understatement to call this game a massive success for the Chinese developer miHoYo. The game has garnered $100 million within its first two weeks. These sales numbers make this game the most successful Chinese release we’ve seen on a global scale. Of course, Genshin‘s marketing push was also nothing to scoff at. As of now, miHoYo has made back its development costs and can be considered profitable in record time. So, you might be wondering how this game made its money on a free-to-play basis? Well, the game’s core monetization lies in its Gacha-mechanic. It is a gambling concept where you can unlock characters and weapons by using real-world money.

The Washing Post’s own Gene Park wanted to get one character based on their design and ended up spending $90 to get one of them. Some have reported receiving the same items multiple times after investing a considerable amount. This type of game is something that has become almost standard within the mobile industry. There are even studies on these topics, such as the Fear-of-Missing-Out being a factor in its success. The company already had experience with this model thanks to its predecessor Honkai Impact 3. The game builds on familiar grounds and the companies’ past experiences. Even Wired’s review of the game highlighted that its quality overshadows its basis as a clone.

Genshin Impact‘s greatest strength lies in its use of the anime aesthetic that simplifies the designs. The environments are brimming with life through simple shading effects that can easily pop out on a mobile device or screen. They also put a lot of work into creating unique regions. It focused on a single-player experience with some multiplayer thrown in. Yet, at its core, it is still pay-to-win, as stronger characters are behind a paywall. Controversy does exist, but it isn’t as aggressive as with other titles.

AAA Gaming Standards

To give an example, the recent release of Marvel’s Avengers was under fire for its microtransactions or MTX for short. They were upfront of its base as a Game-as-a-Service with no pay-to-win functions. Up to the release, they also stuck to that promise with MTX commonly used for aesthetic purposes. So, it is entirely optional if you want to invest the money, and you can select what you are buying. Moreover, all-new missions, characters, or stories are for free. So, you only pay once with additional content as a bonus. It isn’t the only game to be hit by this controversy surrounding MTX. Even Blizzard’s massive release Overwatch alongside FIFA 18, and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive were all heavily scrutinized for their inclusion. Some even playing close to the Gacha-formula with loot boxes. It went so far as the Belgium court ruling them as illegal.

First and foremost, there is a cultural influence at play. Genshin Impact has its largest player base in China, which is pretty open to pay-to-win games. Currently, around 16 million pre-registrations are local players, which makes up 75% of its player base. Plus, keep in mind that most of these games’ players are on experiencing it through their mobile phones. Just last year, the mobile gaming market was analyzed to be around $68.5 billion, which is 45% of the gaming market at this point and still growing. It is no wonder that these gacha elements have become quite popular within the mobile market.

There is also the topic of the AAA gaming industry and its current practices. We live in a time filled with Early Access, Beta, and other types of brandings to help players accept new standards. For example, Avengers’ release was at the boiling point of these issues. It just brought every aspect together that was criticized in the past. The game included countless brand deals, Influencer cooperations, and, to top it off, Sony wanted exclusive rights to Spider-Man on the PlayStation. These already frowned upon practices in the industry just added to the MTX discussion. Anthem, Destiny, and Fallout 76 all initially released barebones with bugs. There was, of course, a range of how affected they were by this, but they establish an instant comparison point. Anthem especially is the go-to when it comes to Avengers’ current launch issues and delays. In a way, the massive appeal of the Marvel brand just put a much stronger focus on existing practices that have been becoming more and more apparent with each subsequent release.

Early Access to Funds

Genshin Impact wears its mobile nature on its sleeve, which makes it easier to accept its approach. It is free-to-play, so why not give it a shot and maybe throw in some money to get that one character you like. Yet, that is part of the issue. GameRant shared an article stating this approach to MTX should become an industry-standard, which I believe is a rather dangerous statement. Yes, some might get away with a free game, but the gambling aspects are rather dangerous. There is a reason that Belgium tried to outlaw these game principles, as some people are easily susceptible to this kind of design. Avengers‘ skins are heavily overpriced, but you know what you are purchasing upfront. If you are after a specific character in Genshin Impact, you might have to invest quite a bit before you get him. Gambling addiction is a real problem nowadays. Mobile games have the added issue of also being played by young and impressionable children.

The industry is facing a massive change that is also affecting the way games are produced. Even the term “Early Access” is creating an easy way out to sell unfinished games under a specific umbrella. Hades was recently officially out of Early Access to critical acclaim, but it had time to learn since it was technically available since December 2018. Yes, the game is fantastic, but it gives others a sign that it can get away with this approach. Hell, Fortnite didn’t officially lose the Early Access status until three years after it launched, which wasn’t until this year in June. If people are willing to pay MTX even as it is in Early Access, why then risk leaving it if it can safely handwave any issues under that umbrella? Epic Games made $3 billion in profit two years ago without being officially released.

We somehow give F2P games a pass because anyone can try it out, but you are incentivized to pay to make the grind easier. In a way, GaaS games to the opposite approach. They try to sell you on the potential of future content and its ongoing development, so you pay upfront with the option to invest more. It opens up the question if we would forgive it if it took an approach similar to Genshin Impact. We saw a recent test with Destiny 2, which now has specific content available for free. If you want more, you have to pay for the complete experience. Moreover, if controversial games can make a comeback like Star Wars Battlefront II, so the risk of facing early controversies may have lost its impact outside of a temporary setback.

A Slow Expansion

I can go on with examples, as even other genres are utilizing MTX, as Mortal Kombat 11 introduced customizable loot that you can purchase. Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled added microtransactions after it had already launched. Still, the point of the matter is, Genshin Impact‘s success highlights the industry’s new standard of implementing MTX, and Gacha-concepts is justified. If we accept games for a price in their early stages, we let that become a standard, no matter if Early Access, Beta, or GaaS. That umbrella term can redefine how companies approach their releases, as it worked in the past.

I am not exempt from this. Avengers is the first time I decided to bite the bullet after being let down by the initial release of Destiny. I also enjoy Genshin Impact quite a bit, so I do enjoy spending my time playing these games. It just seems that the success of this game and its mobile background may be overshadowing the fact of how it feeds into the current gaming industry. These standards have become more apparent over time, slowly increasing with each year. Now, we are at a boiling point on the topic yet make an exception. Genshin might be a rather unique addition this year that brings with it a lot of good, but also potentially a lot of dangers. Just some food for thought, as it started to dawn on me over time as I have played most of the games mentioned in this article. Sometimes, we don’t even realize it until we are deep into it.

Source: PC Gamer (Genshin Impact), South China Morning Post, The Washington Post, Research Gate, PCGamesn, Looper, MiHoYo, CNBC, DualShockers, ScreenRant, Wired, TechCrunch, Kotaku, GameRant, Trusted Reviews, Super Giant Games (Early Access), Super Giant Games, Polygon, Destructoid, GamesRadar+, Variety, ScreenRant (SW: BF2), TechCrunch, TechRadar, GameIndustry.biz, Metro, TweakTown, TechRadar, PlayStation, Forbes

October 20, 2020
DC’s ‘Green Lantern’: Who is Kilowog?

The Green Lantern Corps is one of many emotional spectrum corps that have protected the galaxy since they were formed over three billion years ago by the Guardians of the Universe. The Corp has known no prejudice, welcoming a variety of species and races, choosing only those with the greatest amount of willpower to fight and protect the universe from those who seek to spread fear, anger, and greed. The most notable of lanterns have become staples in the DC Universe and will return to live-action in HBO Max’s Green Lantern series, one that will span decades and focus on some of the most iconic corp members.

First appearing in Green Lantern Corps #201 in 1986 and created by Steve Englehart and Joe Stanton, Kilowog is regarded as one of the best trainers and recruiters in the Green Lantern Corps. Kilowog is from the planet Bolovax Vik, an widely overpopulated planet, possibly one of the most populate planets in the galaxy, with over sixteen billion inhabitants. Kilowog was regarded as one of the brightest minds on the planet and was an incredibly successful geneticist. Kilowog gained his ring after the previous Bolovaxian lantern was killed in combat; knowing this would mean he’d have to leave Bolovax, Kilowog accepted this honorable chance. Kilowog is also the last of his kind. During the Crisis on Infinite Earths storyline, Bolovax Vik was destroyed but its inhabitants were saved by Kilowog, who was able to, with the sheer amount of willpower within him, store them within his ring and move them to another planet. This wouldn’t last long as Sinestro would go on to destroy the planet that Kilowog had found as refuge for his people. Another fun fact about Kilowog is that he is a communist, when he was assigned to earth spent his first few months there within the Soviet Union as they were the only place on earth practicing a similar way of life to that of Bolovax Vik.

Kilowog will make another live action appearance in the HBO Max Green Lantern series, having previously played a supporting role in the 2011 mega bomb Green Lantern starring Ryan Reynolds. The series currently has no set release date and no casting has yet to be made.

October 20, 2020