Category: Features

‘THE SUICIDE SQUAD’: Who is Savant?

With the roster for James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad stacked with wildly disparate and relatively unknown DC Comics villains, we thought it would be great to get to know each of them in 400 words or less. Don’t get too attached after reading though, because there’s a good bet most of them won’t be around for the sequel. It’s time to meet and greet the members of Task Force X!

A wealthy genius whose memories become tangled in time, Savant first appeared in 2003’s Birds of Prey #56. Initially a Gotham City vigilante whose run in with Batman forced him into a career move, Brian Durlin decided to use his skills behind the keyboard to dig up information and become a big time blackmailer who set his sights on the big prize: the true identity of the Batman! Savant’s plan to uncover the name of the man behind the cowl saw him tangle with the Birds of Prey, holding Black Canary hostage in hopes that Barbara Gordan would spill the beans. Instead, she spilled some of his blood but rather than throw him away, Babs saw a pathway to redemption for Durlin and brought him on board the team in hopes that his impressive tech skills would help them out.

Savant’s inability to totally divorce himself from his criminal ways found him going back and forth between two worlds and his behavior at the intersection of those two worlds led to him being dismissed from the BoP more than once. Having developed feelings for Barbara, however, he kept coming back in hopes of making it work. That never worked out for him and he never quite got along with Batman either, but Savant never seemed to be a truly evil character. When DC rebooted their universe in 2011, Savant was part of Amanda Waller’s new Task Force X whose job was to hunt down Suicide Squad mainstay, Harley Quinn.

Savant will be brought to life on the big screen by James Gunn’s BFF for life, the great Michael Rooker. Rooker, like Dastmalchian, is no stranger to superhero or comic book fare having starred as Yondu in the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise, Gunn’s dark superhero comedy, Super, and The Walking Dead. Rooker has also been in pretty much everything Gunn has ever made.

Murphy’s Multiverse Dead Pool Predictions

Predicted Chances of Survival: if negative numbers worked in percentages, I’d go lower than 0.

Predicted Manner of Death: something incredibly horrific. Given Gunn’s relationship with Rooker, I’m guessing this death will be the most absurd of them all. Let’s go with a particularly bad case of being cut in half.

RIP Savant

August 23, 2020
‘THE SUICIDE SQUAD’: Who is King Shark?

With the roster for James Gunn‘s The Suicide Squad stacked with wildly disparate and relatively unknown DC Comics villains, we thought it would be great to get to know each of them in 400 words or less. Don’t get too attached after reading though, because there’s a good bet most of them won’t be around for the sequel! It’s time to meet and greet the members of Task Force X!

King Shark a.k.a. Nanaue first appeared in Superboy #9 after a brief cameo in Superboy #0. Throughout his comic run, many believed he was a mutated human. It wasn’t until the Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis run that he was confirmed as the son of the Shark God and a human woman. As he is part shark, he is seen frequently eating humans. The first time we meet him, he has been abducting people for years. So much so, his name had become synonymous with an Hawaiian legend.

He actually joined the Suicide Squad comics in the same run he was introduced. In Superboy #15, he was forced to join by Amanda Waller due to them infiltrating a sea base. Unlike other members, he was equipped with a bomb belt that would ensure his cooperation. This mission also saw his death, as he was knocked into reactors that led to his belt exploding. He has reappeared since to became a mainstay in Aquaman’s various series. During the New 52 era, he had changed from a humanoid Great White to a humanoid Hammerhead shark. This version was stolen as an egg by Waller to be raised as a member of Task Force X.

He is the only character who currently has no designated actor in the roll call. Steve Agee played the character while they were filming. Some might recognize the actor from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and Brightburn. Currently, rumors are pointing to Taika Waititi voicing the character but it hasn’t been confirmed yet. The trailer teases a kinder version of the character so it would be perfect casting.

King Shark has seen a rise in popularity as of late. The Flash introduced a human version, who mutates into the iconic shark man. He also appeared in Harley Quinn voiced by Ron Funches and will be playable in Rocksteady’s upcoming Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League game.

Murphy’s Multiverse Dead Pool Predictions

Predicted chances of survival: 50%

Predicted manner of death: self-sacrifice

RIP King-Shark

August 23, 2020
‘THE SUICIDE SQUAD’: Who is Polka-Dot Man?

With the roster for James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad stacked with wildly disparate and relatively unknown DC Comics villains, we thought it would be great to get to know each of them in 400 words or less. Don’t get too attached after reading though, because there’s a good bet most of them won’t be around for the sequel. It’s time to meet and greet the members of Task Force X!

Abner Krill, the bizarre Polka-Dot Man, first crossed Batman’s path in 1962’s Detective Comics #300 after battling with the Caped Crusader and the Boy Wonder. Using a series of detachable dots from his unitard, Krill was able to piss Batman off pretty badly by capturing Robin. Of course Krill’s fancy dots (which include some that turn into flying saucers, act as flashbangs or even allow him to teleport) were no match for Batman’s utility belt and he found himself on the inside of a jail cell.

Years later, Krill would return to his criminal endeavors; however, even the Polk-Dot Man can fall on hard times. Without a constant income, Krill decided to go on a good old fashioned heist using a baseball bat as a weapon (see the image above!). Krill would go on to square off the Gotham PD and Nightwing over the years, routinely finding himself on the wrong side of a beating and heading back to jail before meeting his demise in 2009’s Final Crisis Aftermath: Run #4 when his head was, inconveniently, located under a manhole cover as it descended towards Earth. Recently, Krill was briefly a part of Task Force X in the Injustice comics before being quickly dispatched by the good old neck bomb.

David Dastmalchian landed the esteemed and sought after role of Polka-Dot Man in The Suicide Squad. Dastmalchian is no stranger to CBMs having been seen in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight and in Marvel Studios Ant-Man franchise.

Murphy’s Multiverse Dead Pool Predictions

Predicted chances of survival: 0%

Predicted manner of death: detonation of neck bomb by Rick Flag

RIP Polka-Dot Man

August 23, 2020
Disney+ May Expand to Include Non-Family-Friendly Content

Disney+ is an interesting addition to the streaming service market. Even though it’s a rather new addition to the market, it has already reached 54.5 million subscribers. That is almost near the minimum forecast they wanted to reach by 2024’s fiscal year. Don’t forget that Disney also owns Hulu and ESPN+. The latter getting its name in 2017 long before Disney+ was revealed. Unlike Netflix, it does have one limitation and that is the Disney branding. We associate specific values with the word and they are naturally very keen on keeping it that way. So, we won’t see any adult-themed stories on their streaming platform anytime soon. Well, at least that is what we assumed.

Those wondering, Hulu is Disney’s more adult-themed channel. It has no direct ties to Disney’s branding and has fewer limitations. One only has to think back at the move for Disney+ to move Love, Victor to Hulu. This was mainly due to the show feeling “more adult” and made it unsuitable from a branding perspective for the family-friendly service. It’s also a reason that a large part of the 20th Century or Touchstone Pictures library still hasn’t been included. The Mandalorian included some darker moments but still manages to balance the family-friendly content. Marvel isn’t innocent either if you just think of some of the gruesome deaths characters go through. Yet, the service felt the need to “fix” some elements in other films and shows to make sure their family-friendly brand remains consistent.

This won’t work long-term for the service. Netflix has no limitations on its content. Sometimes even embracing the more R-rated stories as a sign of little restriction they face. Disney+ tried to counter this by creating bundle offers. You can get a subscription that includes ESPN+ and Hulu to make up for the lack of content. This is great for anyone who lives in the U.S. but not international viewers. There were plans to launch Hulu internationally back in February by 2021 but there seems to have been a change in goals. Disney CEO Bob Chapek announced at the beginning of August that they would be launching a brand new Star-branded streaming service for international markets. His statement was as follows:

“In terms of the general entertainment offering internationally, we want to mirror our successful Disney Plus strategy by using our Disney Plus technical platform, bringing in content we already own and distributing it under a successful international brand that we also already own, which is, of course, Star.”

There is no word if Star will only be made available internationally while Hulu remains in the U.S. market. Plus, Disney Star Studio is already known overseas as it was taken over as part of Disney’s Fox deal. It originates from an Indian media conglomerate known as Star India. It made sense to use a well-known brand in key markets to expand internationally instead of working from scrap with Hulu. Yet, it’s a waste to not expand Disney+ which is the main international streaming service for the brand. Well, it looks like there might be more to this story. Bill Hunt, the founder of Digital Bits, shared a tweet about some potential developments:

Hearing interesting reports from sources in the last couple days that Disney is creating essentially a more adult section of Disney+ that will require pin code access. And that's where all of the Fox and MGM content will go moving forward. Including lots of #4K. @thedigitalbits pic.twitter.com/xoDsPn0rUy

— Bill Hunt (@BillHuntBits) August 19, 2020

This opens up a whole can of worms. The timing couldn’t be more evident as Star will likely be integrated into Disney+. In the quote I added earlier, Chapek clearly states “using our Disney+ technical platform”. So, the expansion could mean that when starting Disney+ you have the option to switch to the family content or the Star-branded adult content. The brand is called Disney Star now, so its a fitting inclusion. Hunt‘s tweet does mention a pin code access, which would act as the parental controls similar to what Nintendo does in their eShop.

This way they can also push their other owned brands like MGM, Fox, or Tombstone Picture. These are well-known brands that could be highlighted in the service similar to how Disney+ handles Marvel, Star Wars, or Pixar. Plus, if they keep the Disney branding with Star, they will diversify the “only family-friendly” image of their content. It is an exciting prospect because the recent purchase of very adult-themed brands forces Disney to explore new ventures. We’ve already seen this with the expansion of a Premium Section for Mulan– They could potentially break free from their iron-clad image to showcase what they’re capable of.

Looking at the Pirates of the Caribbean films with their dark pirate-filled world, it feels like they’ve been trying for some time. Now with 20th Century’s library, they can focus on more adult and R-rated content without the shackles of the past. It was even an important promise made by Disney in their 2019 investor’s call when talking about films like Deadpool. If handled right, this could be a turning point not just for the streaming service but for the Disney brand overall. They’ve grown to such an extent they can’t hide behind family-friendly forever. It’s time to expand and show that Disney more than just the sum of its parts.

Source: CNBC, AdWeek, Hollywood Reporter, Variety, TechCrunch, CNBC (Strategy), Verge, Medianama, Variety (Mulan), Nintendo, Variety (2019)

August 20, 2020
Theory of Widows: Where in the World is Black Widow?

One certainly has to give Marvel Studios credit. They know how to be secretive, especially when it comes to one of the most obscure characters in their line-up, Black Widow. With only 2 trailers, 1 special look, 1 Big Game Spot and multiple posters available to the general public, the mystery surrounding the upcoming MCU film is something that draws a parallel to how much we actually know about Black Widow.

Natasha Romanoff has been around the Marvel Cinematic Universe for nearly over 10 years since her debut in Iron Man 2 (2010), and yet, her personal history is one shrouded in absolute mystery. We know only glimpses on Natasha’s past in the MCU from small teases here and there in almost every film she has been in.

Now, I have multiple theories in regards to this film and a lot of things I’d like to discuss, but I will be breaking them down into different articles because they cover many different ideas, so we’ll start with this piece titled:

Now, a few days ago, I went browsing online on Hot Topic and found that they were already selling merch for Black Widow. Pretty awesome right? But there was a particular item of clothing that caught my attention.

HER UNIVERSE MARVEL BLACK WIDOW TOUR T-SHIRT.

Quite an interesting shirt no? Here’s the description for the item: “Where in the world is Natasha Romanoff? Keep track of the different sites Black Widow has been to with this oversized tour-inspired tee. The front has “Black Widow” with her hourglass logo and the back lists “New York, Ohio, Norway, Morocco, Budapest, Siberia.”

This shirt provides us with very fascinating details about (quite literally) which direction this film is going to take. So let’s break them down one by one:

New York, New York. The City that Never Sleeps. You might recognize it as the home to the primary base of operations for the Avengers & their state of the art facility in Upstate New York.

New Avengers Facility in Upstate New York.

Reports state that the film is set between the events of “Captain America: Civil War” & “Avengers: Infinity War“. Considering that the last scene Black Widow had in Captain America: Civil War was her discussing with Tony Stark about how Natasha flipped sides last minute of the Airport Battle and allowed Steve and Bucky to get away, with Tony warning her that T’Challa told Secretary Ross about what she did and that “they’re coming for her”, one could assume that the film could start here. Natasha getting ready to go on the run, while Secretary Ross prepares to rally the troops to go after her.

Ohio. At first glance, it seems like quite the uneventful place for an MCU film. Perfect for any rogue agent trying to lay low.

This shot of an RV in the middle of nowhere from the final trailer for Black Widow could ironically enough be anywhere. EXCEPT, you can tell a lot about a place by looking at its vegetation, and sometimes that type of vegetation is actually unique to just 1 certain location. So, by looking at these trees alone, I can depict that they are “Oak-Hickory trees”. You can tell from the leaves on the tree in front. They’re in a bud shape, with three leaves sticking out from 1 twig branch. (You guys can actually check it out for yourselves here on page 42. My Botany/Ecology professors would be proud.)

ANYWAYS, these types of trees are specific only to North America, with a vast majority of it being available to the Northeast region, and luckily for us, Ohio. So, one could deduce that the next portion of the movie occurs here. Natasha could come here to this RV and have it be her “hiding hole” as shown in these shots, where you can see she is wearing the same long shirt and is in an RV-esque enviroment looking over all of her different identities, possibly preparing to depart the US.

So, I predict that this might be the first place she goes to which sets the events of this film in motion.

Something that supports this idea is that in “Marvel’s Black Widow Prelude #2”, after having a recount of the events of Black Widow has been in during her time in the MCU, and fiery debate with Councilwoman Hawley, Secretary Ross is informed about a solid lead in regards to the whereabouts of Black Widow and they needed to mobilize immediately.

This could lead to this scene from the trailer.

Secretary Thunderbolt Ross.

We can depict that this is in the United States because of:

1) The yellow traffic sign at the far right that spells “Speed Bump Ahead”. (Apart from the sign being in English, remember that countries have their own traffic signs and the yellow diamond is particularly unique to the U.S.)

2) The amount of SWAT and Local Law Enforcement mobilized in the area.

3) Just the suburban look of this shot overall.

BONUS FACT:

Another interesting detail about Ohio is that this seems to be the place for former Russian spies to lay low.

Vasily Karpov, hiding out in Cleveland in Captain America: Civil War.

Meet Vasily Karpov. Former KGB Agent. Former HYDRA Agent. You might recognize him as the commander in charge of the Winter Soldier Program during 1991 in Siberia and he was the original owner of the Winter Soldier Book in Captain America: Civil War. While his role in that film was cut short by his death at the hands of Baron Zemo, it’s an interesting detail to point out, considering Black Widow occurs right after Captain America: Civil War. So, it’s likely that there are still secrets that this commander had in that house in Cleveland that Black Widow might want to investigate in regards to the past.

Now, here’s where we have gaps in our knowledge, and we must put into place our use of speculation. When we think about Norway, we usually think about Thor and the Asgardian heritage this place has. But very few would think about Norway as a place to discuss the past about Black Widow.

Now, here’s an interesting detail from the “Marvel’s Black Widow Prelude #1” which caught my attention.

Secretary Ross states that Natasha was born in Russia. But Councilwoman Hawley brought up a fantastic point regarding Natasha’s accent. And whilst Ross tries to debunk the case by saying “she’s a spy”, it’s important to note that in the very next panel, he says that very little is actually known about her early life.

I think that Natasha may have been born in Russia, but certainly not raised entirely there. And before you completely disregard this idea, hear me out. Unlike Yelena and Melina, Natasha’s accent is “neutral”, whilst Yelena and Melina both have Russian-esque accents. Yelena and Melina, also being Widows themselves, should be able to disguise their accents just as easily as Natasha as Ross states, so why don’t they? One can assume it’s been years since both of them have been away from Russia and have had to disguise their appearance and voice if they’re on the run, so why haven’t they? Even during Natasha’s younger days, when she was seen training in the Red Room as shown in her vision during Age of Ultron, her accent remains neutral the entire time. And if that isn’t convincing enough, just look back to her first scene in the 2012 film, “The Avengers.” when she’s being interrogated by a Russian General. She sounds neutral, even when speaking Russian. Now, I could be making a stretch here and I might be looking too deep into it, as the General in that same scene said her accent has hints of Stalingrad in them. But I also have another piece of evidence.

Multiple local reports from Norway indicated that the filming location is actually her childhood home (with some speculating that Norway is indeed doubling for Russia) perhaps shown here in these scenes.

What eludes me is that, if her childhood home is in Russia (with Norway posing as it’s double as some sources speculate), then why have Marvel include Norway in the place of lists where Black Widow visits during this film? It’s certainly a lot to think about, but it is an interesting thought nonetheless.

Now, we’ve seen Morocco already in the “Black Widow | Special Look”, particularly in these shots.

Why Black Widow would travel to Morocco eludes me. Possibly to search for Melina Vostokoff or find an informant that could lead them somewhere else. We’ll see if anything new pops up.

Budapest. Perhaps the most teased location in regards to Black Widow’s history.

By piecing together the trailers and the spots, we know Black Widow first arrives to the country via train.

Keleti Train Station in Budapest as shown in the Black Widow Teaser Trailer.

After arriving on Budapest, she tracks down and locates her sister: “Yelena Belanova”, where they will now be both on the run from both Secretary Ross and the “mind-controlled” Black Widows.

I feel like a good chunk of the film will take place here. We’ll probably explore a lot of Black Widow’s past, mainly how she and Yelena are related, and what exactly happened all those years ago in Budapest, which will lead to intense high-action sequences and our first encounter with Taskmaster.

It’s also important to note that Ross and his men won’t be too far behind as shown here in this shot from the teaser trailer, where Secretary Ross is standing behind a Hungarian food truck.

I have seen MANY people address Secretary Ross’ look in this film, discussing how he has been de-aged and that this is somehow as far back as before the first Incredible Hulk film back in 2008. I don’t think this is the case for a number of reasons. Mainly, because you have Secretary Ross already wearing a suit and tie (typical of a person of power in the government) rather than what would have been his usual military general camo getup. Not only that, but the cars in which they arrive are Chevrolet Suburban LT SUVs from 2014, so anything pre-Avengers (pre-2012) is automatically discarded. And I’m almost certain that nothing interesting (at least in the MCU) happened in Hungary which would have required the intervention of Secretary Ross. Not only that, but the “Marvel’s Black Widow Prelude Comics #1 & #2” confirm that Secretary Ross will indeed be on the trail of Black Widow throughout the film. So, if you had to ask me, I think it’s more of a different look for Secretary Ross for the Black Widow film rather than just a case of de-aging. But we’ll go more into Ross’ role in this film in another theory.

Lastly, we’re headed to good ol’ Russia. Specifically, Siberia.

We’ve already seen Siberia in the trailer during these shots.

I’m certain that we’re are going to see at least three very important things happen in Siberia.

THE GULAG

In the trailers, we’ve seen David Harbour’s character; Alexei Shostakov a.k.a. “Red Guardian”, break out of what seems to be a prison (or Gulag for you Call of Duty fans) of some sort and that Natasha, Yelena, and Melina help break Alexei out of this prison in Siberia.

FUN FACT / CONNNECTION:

In Tales of Suspense #52 “The Crimson Dynamo Strikes Again!”, we’re introduced to a particular Russian individual referred to as “Excellency”, who declares Anton Vanko a traitor for working with Tony Stark and betraying the USSR. You might recognize Anton Vanko from all the way back in 2010, from the film Iron Man 2.

In the film, it is explained that Anton Vanko was a “Soviet physicist who defected to the United States in 1963. However, he was accused of espionage and was deported in 1967” by none other than Howard Stark. When Howard deported him to the USSR, as Nick Fury explained it back then: “when the Russians found out he couldn’t deliver, they shipped his a** off to Siberia and he spent the next 20 years in a vodka-fuelled rage.”

Take note of this. He was imprisoned in Siberia for 20 years. And in the comics, Russia was ruled by this individual known as “His Excellency.” So how does this connect to the MCU? I predict that Anton Vanko was thrown into the same Gulag that Alexei is in for this film. And that “The Excellency” in charge was none other than General Dreykov, which leads me to my next location.

THE RED ROOM

We know that the Red Room is probably one of the key points of this film. So we are 100% bound to see the Red Room in action and I cannot wait enough to see how this plays out. Seeing where the Black Widows are made and trained will shed so much of Natasha’s development and training, so we are bound to see the biggest reveals about Black Widow’s past here. I’m also particularly interested in seeing how General Dreykov or Madame B. will play out with all of this, considering that not even Secretary Ross knows everything about them.

THE HOSPITAL

I’ve seen many people address these shots as Taskmaster’s hideout or an alternate Red Room of the sort. And while all of those certainly have potential, I can wholeheartedly believe that these scenes take place in a hospital or a medical facility of the sort.

The reason why I say this is because if you look at all of these pictures, you notice something. This place has completely has white halls, EKG machines and monitors, signs indicating the rooms people are in, examination rooms, isolation rooms, and has multiple fire extinguishers, red phones, and electrical wiring all over.

This would pay homage to the “Hospital Fire”/”Children’s Ward” reference we’ve heard over the past few MCU films. A mistake so big that haunts Natasha to this very day. BUT, that’s another theory for another article.

WHY ARE ALL OF THESE PLACES RELEVANT?

I have reason to believe that the “main antagonist” is someone who knows Natasha Romanoff very well and wants Natasha to face her past. The inside joke between Hawkeye and Black Widow about Budapest, the “Hospital Fire”, the Children’s Ward. Dreykov’s daughter. After years of teasing, we’ll finally be able to learn all of these secrets and references regarding the mystery of Black Widow’s past.

But as Nick Fury would always say, “Nobody spills the secrets because nobody knows them all”.

August 20, 2020
Rumor: Kaya Scodelario may be in Amazon’s ‘LORD OF THE RINGS’

I know, I know… you’re probably asking what am I doing writing a Lord of The Rings piece when you’re used to seeing me write about MCU stuff? Well, you may have noticed Murphy’s Multiverse has been doing some very important growing by adding more writers and an equally important expanding of interests lately. This is because, as Charles has said, it’s truly meant to be a “multiverse” here. The writers are encouraged to cover what they care about most, not simply as “scoopers” or as reporters, but as fans.

As a pretty much lifelong fan of Lord of the Rings, one of my most anticipated projects coming up, aside from any Marvel films and series, is the television series based on the books that’s being produced by Amazon. So I plan to cover that series from time to time here.

First up, some fan detective work over at @theoneringnet Twitter has uncovered evidence that actress Kaya Scodelario (most noted from The Maze Runner and the Pirates of the Carribean franchise) just might have part in the new Lord of the Rings TV series.

Theonering.net Twitter account speculated Kaya was most likely traveling to New Zealand due to the 27 hour trip from UK where, of course, Lord of the Rings is filming. Other posts on Kaya’s Instagram just a few weeks earlier seemed to point to her planning to leave the UK, moving, and not returning to “Blighty” until next year some time.

Supporting this theory, was a post by Instagram user @kayascodnews who shared a very interesting image that Kaya had posted and then, even more interestingly, deleted, of a going away image made up by some of her friends.

Scodelario certainly has some Elfish qualities about her and bears a striking resemblance to Arwen (played by Liv Tyler in LOTR), leading some to speculate she could be playing Arwen’s mother Celebrían. But this is all of course fan theory, especially without knowing for sure that she’s actually in this new Lord of the Rings series.

And while I agree, I certainly think she could be in the LOTR series, she could instead simply be moving there early to eventually work on the Resident Evil reboot she is believed to have signed up to do (as first reported by Daniel Richtman back in early April via his Patreon, and picked up by other sites). But there has also been no word on where and when Resident Evil will film as of late. At least not that I have found. So a statement from @theoneringnet that that movie will be filming in New Zealand next year appears to be just rumor as well for now. Although again, the films probable star appearing to take a very very long plane trip with her family and move somewhere far far away for an extended period, would certainly seem to indicate she is filming something in New Zealand or Australia. Whether it is Lord of The Rings, which has already been filming without her, or Resident Evil which as of April was meant to begin filming in June, or something else, is unclear. It was reported earlier this year that the film was planned to be in Canada or Serbia when it does start (also previously reported by Daniel and other sites).

But of course, in this crazy time, and a pandemic to deal with, clearly plans can change, and a big budget film once planned to begin in June in Canada or Serbia, could certainly change to a safer seeming New Zealand a bit later in the year.

So while I am very intrigued by the evidence, I’m afraid the jury is still out with me on whether or not Kaya Scodelario is in The Lord of The Rings series. I assume we might get a better idea from her Instagram or the trades any day now tho.

August 19, 2020
10 Things We Want to See at DC FanDome

The highly anticipated Fandome event is rapidly approaching and after the year we’ve had, it’ll nice to experience a large event from the comfort and safety of our homes. With plenty of scheduled guest from the cast of The Suicide Squad to the newest Batman himself, surely there will be plenty to offer for fans across the DC multiverse. FanDome will go live on August 22nd for 24 hours only with the 8 hour main event, Hall of Heroes, streamaing three times consecutively over the course of the day, but after that the event will be over and you will not be able to see the panels in full again. Here are ten things we hope to see make an appearance at DC’s free fan powered event.

10. Updates on Doom Patrol and Harley Quinn

As both shows recently finished their second season runs there has been little to no news on the future of either, there was rumors that Doom Patrol would be filming its next two seasons back-to-back due to these uncertain times but no official word on that report has been issued. Harley Quinn ended on such a satisfying note that not continuing it may just be the best outcome for the show. There really isn’t a need for them to drag it out past what we’ve seen and it would be a shame to see it keep going just to keep it going. Both shows recently made the jump to HBO Max from DC Universe and ,as recent news suggests DC universe is basically running on fumes, it seems likely that these two could find a permanent home at Max. Both shows have become fan favorites and produced some incredibly memorable stories, clearing the air around them would put many fans at ease and FanDome will seemingly be the place for that as both the shows cast are set to make appearances.

9. Update on HBO Max Original Series

Some of the first Max originals announced were that of Green Lantern and Strange Adventures, from there they’ve slowly been building onto their already powerful slate and while a delay on these projects is likely due to the ongoing pandemic, casting and further news on the shows will hopefully make a presence at the event. Since the launch of HBO Max we’ve the announcement of countless other DC shows such as Aquaman: King of Atlantis, Justice League Dark,and a GCPD centered spin-off of 2021’s highly anticipated The Batman. There’s little to no info on many of these projects since they were announced, we know about many of the creatives behind these projects such as Matt Reeves, Geoff Johns, Greg Berlanti ,Elizabeth Banks, and JJ Abrams but little to no plot details or the rosters of each show. I’m curious to see how large of a presence each show makes at FanDome as Berlanti and John’s are set to appear at the virtual event.

8. The Flash: Casting and Confirmation

If you ever needed a definition for ‘development Hell’ then look no further than The Flash. Over the past couple years it has reached a record amount of roadblocks such as losing directors and quite a bit of rewrites. The Flash is currently dated to release on June 2nd, 2022 and with be directed by It Chapter 1 and 2 director Andrés Muschietti. The current cast consist of Ezra Miller, Kiersey Clemons, Billy Crudup, and at one point, Ray Fisher. It’s currently unclear if any of them have dropped out or been recast due to the numerous rewrites and change of directors. Back in June, it was reported that Michael Keaton would be returning as Bruce Wayne and once again don the cape and cowl in in the film. Now in what seems to be oncoming golden age of DC, it would be great to be given some concrete answers as to whats going on with the film and when production should be going underway. Casting would be another treat as well, right now we aren’t sure who the antagonist will be or if there will be one in general as the film has been teased as a time travel film, “It is a story of time travel: Flash travels back to try to save his mother. It is a spectacular action movie but it has a big heart,” said Muschietti. For a while it was known that this film would adapt the popular Flashpoint storyline but as more and more details slip through the cracks it seem’s that it will be an original take on the source material.

7. The Suicide Squad

At the dawn of the DCEU, The Suicide Squad stirred up screens around the world with their silver screen debut in David Ayers Suicide Squad. With an incredible box office haul a sequel was inevitable and will take the form of Jame Gunn’s The Suicide Squad. With basically every detail of the film being kept under wraps and it not exactly being paraded as a sequel to Ayer’s, the film will feature the return of Margot Robbie, Viola Davis, Joel Kinnaman, and Jai Courtney. With basically nothing known about the film, less than a year to go, and already well into post production, to finally see confirmation on the newest roster of Task Force X and get a first look at the cast in action cannot be completely out of the question. The possibility of a full trailer dropping is slim to none, but I don’t think a teaser is completely unlikely. The Suicide Squad is currently set to release on August 6th, 2021, and is rumored to feature Idris Elba as Vigilante, Daniela Melchior as Ratcatcher, Steve Agee as King Shark, and David Dastmalchian as Polka Dot Man along with Taika Waititi, John Cena, Pete Davidson, Nathan Fillion, Alice Braga, Peter Capaldi, Michael Rooker, Mayling Ng, Sean Gunn, Joaquin Cosio, and Tinashe Kajese all in undisclosed roles that’ll hopefully be revealed sooner than later.

6. WB Games

With the recent announcement of Rocksteadys Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League all eyes are on Wb Montreal as they’re currently set to debut their newest Batman game. WB Montreal previously developed Batman: Arkham Origins, a prequel to Rocksteady’s already exceptionally popular Arkham series. For years now rumors have swirled of a new Batman game that would be revealed soon, and on September 22nd, 2019 WB Montreal dropped the first tease in a string of complicated and cryptic insignia’s that would eventually lead to radio silence for months. New rumors began to emerge of the newest Batman title, reportedly titled Batman: Gotham Knights, a game that would see the Bat Family go up against the infamous Court of Owls, a long rumored villain for the potential new Batman title. With little to no news on either title, we know that the Suicide Squad game will see Task Force X go up against the super 7 possibly adapting Joshua Williamson’s 2017 Justice League Vs Suicide Squad comic run. Theres no better place to reveal story details and gameplay for both highly anticipated titles at FanDome.

5. Black Adam: Casting and Confirmation

Having reportedly been in development since 2008, Black Adam is finally set to make his live action debut December 22nd, 2021. Having been cast in the role since the films original its original inception, Dwanye “The Rock” Johnson is set to play the fallen champion and king of Kahndaq himself, Black Adam, Johnson’s hype and determination to bring this character to life and really do him justice is whats got many fans so excited to see him hit the silver screen along. The film is currently set to be directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, who previously worked with Johnson on Jungle Cruise. Currently the films cast has only added Noah Centineo, who will play the one and only Atom-Smasher, a member of the JSA. It’s been reported that Alexander Skarsgård is in talks to play the winged riot himself Hawkman, but no official word on this casting has been issued. With Black Adam seemingly having a large presence at FanDome, we can only hope that we’re given some insight into the plot of the film and who else will be joining Johnson.

4. Ava Duvernay’s New Gods

Bursting with talent and potential, The New Gods has been that of a mystery lately, with a slight update here and there on the writing process from Ava Duvernary, who is currently co-writing the film with Tom King, Duvernay is set to direct the project and has been attached since its announcement in 2018. Duvernay’s drive and passion to dive into the rich history and the world that Jack Kirby built offers fans just a taste of what is in store for the film. The potential to build a Game of thrones-esque story between the royal families of Apokolips and New Genesis is limitless, especially when you have full access to the full roster of gods, from Darkseid to Orion-there’s so much you can do with this world. While it hasn’t been confirmed to make an appearance at the event, there’s a chance that it could show up at the mystery panel.

3. The Batman

Possibly one of the most anticipated films of 2021, Matt Reeves The Batman is sure to have one of the largest presences at the event with both Reeves and Robert Pattinson in attendance. The panel will run 30 minutes and is confirmed to include a few surprises, including first looks at many characters that we could’ve seen by now if production on the film hadn’t been delayed due to the ongoing pandemic. Fans have been eagerly awaiting the first look at Zoe Kravitz Catwoman and Paul Dano’s Riddler, and possibly a full reveal of Pattinson in the cape and cowl. While rumors have been swirling around of a teaser of sorts at the event, it most likely wouldn’t be much since they still have more than half of the film to shoot and reportedly wont be returning to film until sometime in September. Due to the pandemic, The Batman suffered a delay from its June 25th, 2021 release date and will now release on October 1st, 2021. This decision was most likely influenced due to the resounding success of Joker at its October release in 2019. With so much unknown about this film, Fandome is sure to be a big day for everyone involved.

2. Zack Snyder’s Justice League

Powered by a movement that was determined to defend creative freedom and get what should’ve released on November 17th, 2017, Zack Snyders Justice League is a film that surely will never be forgotten and never would’ve been possible without the passion of the fans. Confirmed to have one of the biggest panels and a trailer surely to debut, fans are in for a treat when the man himself takes the stage and dishes on all the details behind the film and how they’re getting things done. Confirmation on the film’s release date onto the platform would be a welcome surprise and doesn’t seem completely out of the question. Many fans have wondered if Snyder would be able to film additional footage for his cut as he’d originally teased the film at a 214 minute run time, but in a recent interview he revealed that his film may be longer than he initially thought. It’s currently unknown who will join Snyder at the panel but the description indicates a few surprise guest, I can’t see actors such as Jason Momoa or Ray Fisher missing this panel especially after how vocal and supportive both have been for the movement.

1. Confirmation On The Future

At the beginning of the DCEU, Zack Snyder had a path and story planned out for his take on what his live action DC universe would look like; after a while it became more and more obvious that the DCEU had lost its way Through new leadership and the pursuit of creative freedom, DC has risen from what they once were and have cast aside the doubt and ridicule that some spewed when that logo appeared. But something else has become more and more apparent throughout the past couple years, and a new direction seems to be paving the way for the future of DC. Ever since the CW crisis crossover event it seems that everything is beginning to come together, in the form of one larger multiverse, quite possibly the smartest move for DC, allowing them to keep central universe going while letting others come in and explore different tones and themes with the vast library of characters and it opens the door for quite literally anything and everything. To see this confirmed at the event with some of DC’s biggest creatives such as Walter Hamada, Jim Lee, and Greg Berlanti with their plans for the future would leave fans with long due answers as to where the future of this shared universe is going.

August 19, 2020
Dissecting the Disney Plus Business Model

There is a sad reality to streaming. At one point, you probably noticed that there is a lack of longevity. It is well-known that Netflix sees no value in long-term investments. As such, they created the two to three season benchmark. There are some exceptions like Bojack Horseman, but that is their tendency. Most Marvel fans remember the cancellations of shows like Daredevil or Luke Cage at their peaks. Daredevil showrunner Erik Oleson even pitched a fourth season. Sadly, they still decided to cancel the show on a cliffhanger. At first, people believed this was due to Disney entering the market with Disney+. Surprisingly, this wasn’t a key factor in this decision. matters worse, they create deal contracts that keep other networks from continuing these shows.

In an article by Business Insider, they explored the reasoning behind Netflix’s cancellations. The streaming giant’s decision is based on its business model. Unlike conventional television, they focus on driving subscriber growth. They don’t primarily focus on maintaining viewership. As such, they are required to consistently pump out new shows. Netflix’s straight-to-series model also restricts them. They cannot cancel a show mid-season that didn’t bring in new subscribers. Plus, they can keep the momentum going by cheaply producing a follow-up season. However, as soon as they hit the 30 episode mark these costs aren’t covered anymore. Netflix sets up its contracts that make them too expensive beyond that mark. It would be easy to renegotiate these terms but that only works if Netflix allows it.

So, why am I bringing this up? Well, there is a good chance that Disney+ will face similar issues. Unlike Netflix, the service has just started. Luckily, they are way ahead of their early predictions with 54.5 million subscribers. Still, they are nowhere near Netflix’s subscriber count yet. We also can’t forget that the only major brand release so far was The Mandalorian. We did get a variety of Disney+ Originals but none for their major brands that are their main selling point. As such, Disney spent $75 million to get their hands on the exclusive streaming rights to Hamilton. Disney’s investment paid off, as their subscriber base saw a great boost during the release weekend.

The next project everyone is waiting for is the Marvel Studios’ series. Originally, Falcon and the Winter Soldier, as well as WandaVision, were scheduled for this year. They will kick-off Kevin Feige‘s expansion into long-term storytelling. So far, there don’t seem to be any plans for future seasons. There is, however, one show that does. In an interview from May with Clark Gregg, the Agents of SHIELD actor accidentally revealed how many episodes Tom Hiddleston was filming.

“I’d be lying if I didn’t say, boy, that would really be interesting to start the experiment over. Doing 10 episodes or 12 episodes the way Tom Hiddleston told me he was doing [on Loki] with that kind of budget and that Marvel Cinematic production team.”

We know that these shows are planned to have between six to eight episodes. So, the reveal of ten to twelve just seems to confirm that it was renewed for a second season. The involvement of the Time Variance Authority could open up the show to countless story opportunities. Yet, while we got a small glimpse at the show in the Super Bowl teaser, we never got an official word since. Even What If was confirmed for a second season by Feige in an interview. Ironically, both 2021 shows are confirmed to have an extended runtime. Perhaps these shows have deeper ties than we know of.

How does this connect with Netflix’s model? The thing that sticks out the most is the costs of these productions. They are rumored to have around $25 million an episode. These are $10 million more than The Mandalorian had. Let’s not forget, that the Star Wars show was considered ambitious. The MCU shows are including major actors from their films. Tom Hiddleston isn’t cheap. He has come a long way from his $160.000 pay for the first Thor film. Also, he won’t always have the schedule to return for continuous seasons. Even Agents of SHIELD had scheduling issues to include mainstay Ian DeCaestecker in the last season. Plus, they can re-use props and assets for the TVA that will be a recurring element in the series. It makes sense to film two seasons in one to minimize production budgets.

If the business model depends on drawing in new subscribers, they won’t stick to a lot of long-format shows. As such, Loki will also be a mini-series that just happens to consist of two parts. To make a comparison, The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina also consisted of parts rather than seasons. This was mainly a result of the show being ordered by episode count. It shows how our understanding of television is changing in the streaming era. This also explains why Marvel Studios announced a total of seven different shows that will all enter production throughout the next years. Just like their approach to the films, they aren’t focused on getting seasons out every year for every series. Rather, the main character of one show continues their story in another. It might also explain the strong focus on the next generation of characters like Kate Bishop in Hawkeye, or Ms. Marvel. It doesn’t mean there won’t be any additional seasons. Just that they might spread them out more rather than strictly sticking to a yearly schedule per show.

Does this mean we won’t have any long-term shows? Not necessarily, as a show like What If is a perfect example for multiple seasons. Every simple concept can be twisted in multiple ways. Even Kevin Feige even used the wording of season for this show. There are other concepts that could be explored in an ongoing format, like the once rumored Damage Control show. With smaller budgets, they can be used to keep an audience on the platform and add some consistent content. That way, if a larger show needs more time to finish production, they can plan around it and keep a consistent schedule. Moreover, if they tie-in to larger events, it can be a selling point to get new subscribers that loved a specific film. This concept is actually what many expected Agents of SHIELD to be when it aired seven years ago. While I believe Loki will sadly just consist of 10 to 12 episodes it doesn’t mean the Time Variance Authority couldn’t have a chance to spin-off into its own thing. It could offer the opportunity to explore more of the MCU’s history and alternative timelines. Loki could return as a recurring character to better fit his schedule.

Sources: Business Insider, Digital Spy, Deadline, CNBC, Cheatsheet, Variety, ScreenRant, Business Insider, Men’s Health, ScreenRant (Agents of SHIELD), Variety (Sabrina), ScreenRant (What If)

August 18, 2020
Marvel TV and the Recasting Dilemma

2020 marks the 5th year since the Marvel-Netflix universe debuted with Daredevil. The year also coincides with the “reverting” of the character rights to Marvel, 2 years after the first set of shows were canceled abruptly. Because of this and rumors of Kevin Feige having an interest in bringing back some cast members like Charlie Cox, loyal fans of the shows are optimistic in seeing these characters played by the same actors in potential movie appearances moving forward.

It’s the age-old question among MCU fans since the inception of Marvel Television with Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. back in 2013 that keeps coming back: when are these characters going to appear in the films? After all, they’re deeply beloved among fans and the actors themselves have it in their contracts to appear in films if the opportunity arose. But in the 11 years of the MCU, this question has never been outright addressed by the powers that be. Kevin Feige has either dodged or politely answered fluff to every hard-hitting Marvel TV question asked. For example in 2015, when asked point-blank about any movie appearances, he said:

Into the movies? No. Well…. Right now, what Jeph Loeb and the TV guys are doing is focusing on those shows. And certainly with Daredevil coming out last night and being so well received. The next one’s already in production and the one after that has been announced. So I think they’re doing quite well for themselves in that medium. We’ve certainly had discussions on where down the line, who could show up where. But I think they’ve been very smart in saying, “Let us establish this here first.” They’re off to a very good start.

That’s just one of the handful of fluff answers the mastermind of the MCU has given to the press. If you count him purposefully avoiding any Marvel TV answers in a Reddit AMA a couple of years back, his feelings on the matter are telling. During the 2015 same press tour for Avengers: Age of Ultron, Joss Whedon candidly, albeit jokingly, spoke about the film division’s true feelings about Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. saying, “I think actually the movie people were a little bit cross about the TV show. They were sort of like ‘Well you can have this but not this. And this but not that.’ It’s complicated enough as it is without me adding another layer of complication.” Just last December, when all these brand spanking new Disney+ shows were getting announced, Kevin Feige shadily affirmed that it would be the first time TV content would interlink with the MCU.

Of course, diehards have always known why it’s always been like this; the feud between Kevin Feige and his former boss and overlord of Marvel Television, Ike Perlmutter, that made collaboration between the two divisions near-impossible. But that all changed several months ago when the current iteration of Marvel Television was disbanded following those Netflix cancelations. Right then and there, Disney announced that Kevin Feige was being promoted to Chief Creative Officer for Marvel Entertainment, practically making his rival Ike’s position obsolete in the company. The announcement’s fine print stated that all creative decisions for any property – be it in comics, animation, TV, or film – would go through Feige. This was, in many ways, the biggest status quo change for the Marvel Studios system. All of a sudden, the keys to Marvel TV’s future were now handed to Kevin Feige.

As all the Marvel Netflix characters await their return into the hands of the MCU’s showrunner, two new questions beg to be raised. Should the characters be rebooted from scratch or should they live on with continued stories in the MCU?

Believe it or not, the answer is a very complicated one and starts with the man himself, Kevin Feige. It shouldn’t come as a surprise now, following the billion-dollar success the Infinity Saga became, that Kevin Feige loves being able to do what he wants. His system at Marvel Studios has always prided itself on having the freedom to go bold and big whenever and wherever regardless of the cost. Marvel TV’s creative decisions, however, have remained separate from Feige’s purview and a lot of them haven’t been exactly great.

An amazing character like Iron Fist made his live-action debut in a show that was nothing short of lackluster. Iron Fist‘s second season was an undeniable improvement but the first season’s stench dwarfed the corrections they made that it was too little, too late. Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, and The Punisher all started out as very strong shows but slowly diminished in quality as their stories progressed. Even the highly-publicized Defenders team-up show that was the epicenter of Marvel’s multimillion deal with Netflix failed to live up to its hype despite having all the tools to make it great. And in light of reports of Jeph Loeb’s racist mandates that derailed the creative process for these shows, the whole thing seems like one wasted opportunity after another. It’s honestly a miracle that Daredevil managed to stay consistently solid amidst all that.

With hundreds of hours of content, these shows have already established their own set of rules and canon. Even though the canon initially revolved around the events of the first Avengers movie or the Incident, they’ve pretty much taken their own steps to where they wanted this corner of the Marvel universe to go. This might not lineup with Kevin Feige’s idea of a Marvel street-level universe, especially now that street-level properties like Moon Knight and Blade have been greenlit. Kevin Feige likely has his own idea of K’un L’un and Shou Lao, his own take on Frank MIller‘s iconic Hand/Bullseye/Elektra saga, his own version of Luke Cage that is primed for the Avengers, and his own vision of how he wants these characters to be. It’s hard to imagine any interest from Kevin Feige in continuing and tieing into stories that he had no hand in shaping.

People have brought up the idea of doing a soft reboot i.e. continue with the cast but start from scratch. This makes more sense than straight-up continuing the established Marvel-Netflix status quo; the fans win by getting to see their favorite actors play their favorite characters and Marvel Studios gets a fresh start on where to take them. However, going this route has its own set of problems. Netflix is, by and large, a competitor of Disney, especially now that the House of Mouse has its own streaming service. Even though the live-action “rights” of all the Defenders characters revert to Disney this year, that doesn’t preclude Netflix from airing all the existing Defenders shows, which they legally own.

To continue the cast puts Disney in a tough spot. Say they bring back Charlie Cox as Daredevil or Vincent D’Onofrio as Kingpin in a new Daredevil film. It’ll be the shit because both of them are absolutely great in that role. You go out of the theater and say to yourself, “That movie was amazing. Charlie and Vincent were killer. I sure would love to see more of them together.” Well, guess what? You can see them together in the comfort of your own home. Just queue up the show on Netflix and enjoy 39 hours of Charlie and Vincent at your behest.

Therein lies the biggest problem with continuing the cast. To continue this iteration of Daredevil will inevitably drive audiences to check out Charlie Cox’s other appearances as Daredevil and where else will they find more of that but on Netflix, Disney’s #1 competitor in the streaming wars? “But the fans! Disney has got to listen to the fans!” Fans are great and play a big part in why these things get made but at the end of the day, it’s corporate interests that drive the decision making. Remember, this is Disney we’re talking about. There’s a reason why they refuse to even give Universal the time of the day even if its to make a highly-demanded Hulk solo film. There’s a reason why the Sony-Spidey talks broke down last year. It’s hard to imagine a scenario where Disney becomes cool with its content driving audiences to Netflix.

Logistically and fiscally, it’s more sensical to just completely start from scratch. Get a new face to play all these characters and tell the stories you want right from the beginning. Avoid the trouble of turning audiences towards your competitor. Get rid of the baggage of having a pre-established canon. Yes, losing the cast members, who’ve done exemplary work on these shows, will sting hard but it’s the easiest way to move forward.

Ultimately, the one guaranteed silver lining here is that these characters will live on no matter what. Regardless of the cast returning or not, we’re a hundred percent going to see the Marvel Studios version of Daredevil, Iron Fist, Luke Cage, and Jessica Jones down the road under Marvel Studios. The Netflix shows may have clocked in longer than all the MCU films combined but there’s actually a lot in the comics the shows didn’t get to explore. A lot of that had to do with budgetary constraints, so the creative teams had to opt for a more grounded, real-world gritty tone. While that’s not a bad thing, it’s important to remember that these stories are based on source material that’s grand and exciting. Dragons exist! Sorcery exists! Demonic ninjas exist! A villain called Stilt-Man has hydraulic legs! Daredevil should be able to traverse high-rise buildings like he would in the comics. Danny Rand needs to fight an actual dragon. With the budget Marvel Studios invests in their projects, these things are all possible now.

As for the other defunct Marvel TV shows, they’re in a slightly better position than the Netflix shows. For one, they don’t have the competitor problem the Netflix shows pose since ABC, Freeform, and Hulu are all under the Mouse House. Now that Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has ended and in light of rumors of a S.W.O.R.D. Disney+ show happening, Chloe Bennet reprising her role as Quake is certainly a possibility. It’s logistically a lot easier to soft reboot someone like Quake and incorporate her into the MCU without worrying about helping the competitor. If anything, a film appearance might boost the syndication deals ABC has with international networks. Of course, it’ll be a matter of Marvel Studios being interested in that idea. But judging from stuff that’s been said, it’s clear that the fan demand to see the Marvel TV actors appear in the films might not be as mutual as some people think. However, stranger things have happened. We all at one point thought that neither Spider-Man nor the X-Men would ever make it to the MCU. Yet here we are.

August 17, 2020
Solving Everything: A Possible Timeline for ‘BLADE’ and ‘FANTASTIC FOUR’

Connecting Imaginary Dots are pieces we write here that allow us to be what we all truly are: fans. These should not be taken as scoops, exclusives or facts; just speculation about the things for which we all share a great passion.

With the news that Disney has created production companies for what may be two upcoming Marvel Studios projects (Fantastic Four and Blade), there’s plenty of room for speculation. Should Solve Everything Productions and Grass-Fed Productions turn out to be those projects, questions will surface/ Why are these being filed now when there’s such a back log of projects? When will we be seeing them begin production? When might we expect them in theaters (I know that’s a loaded question in the midst of a pandemic)? Who might the studio have found to create the projects? Unlike Reed, I can’t answer all of these questions: the cost is just too high, but we can look into some of them and maybe, by piecing together what’s out there, we can come up with a starting point.

For me the most most answerable of all the unanswerable questions is: why are these being filed now? At the moment, Marvel Studios seems to have a massive traffic jam on the production highway. The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, WandaVision, Loki and Shang-Chi were all in production when the world came crashing to a stop in March. If not for that, we’d probably be watching The Falcon and The Winter Solider now, but the domino effect of not only the Marvel Studios projects being halted but also other studio projects that featured actors from various Marvel Studios projects meant that other projects which were scheduled to begin never got up and running. Doctor Strange: In the Multiverse of Madness would probably be done filming by now, Spidey 3 would have started up last month, Thor: Love and Thunder would be getting ready to go in Australia right now and Ms. Marvel may have even begun. But, as we all know, none of that happened so here we are with a ton of projects off schedule, Ant-Man 3 having been bumped out of its original slot on the schedule and the uncertainty of the pandemic still causing chaos, so the question of “why now?” is incredibly relevant.

While there’s no hard and fast rule here, there is a pattern worth noting that might get us to an answer to that pressing question. Over the past couple of years, Marvel Studios seems to register these production companies when they have given the green light to projects and have a tentative timeline for start of production. While there are certainly exceptions to the rule (for example, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 stands out because it’s timeline shifted, which shifted Black Widow’s timeline), it seems that Marvel Studios usually creates these production companies about 12-18 months before the EXPECTED start of production. If they follow that pattern here, that means they’d be looking to film these two projects between August 2021 and February 2022.

Continuing down the line of established patterns, whenever possible Marvel Studios also likes to start production on their films about 12-15 months ahead of when the films are expected in theaters. So a film that goes into production in the August-October 2021 window would be ready for theaters around October 2022…and it just so happens that Disney still has a date reserved (October 7, 2022) on their slate for an Untitled Marvel Studios film, a date that would be just right for a vampire film. A film that goes into production around January of 2022 would be ready for theaters around February 2023…and it just so happens that Disney has a date reserved (February 17, 2023) on their slate for an Untitled Marvel Studios film. We all believe that Ant-Man 3 and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 are destined for that 2023 slate, but given Guardians A-list status and Ant-Man 3’s rumored big happenings, it’s possible that the studio would prefer them as traditional May and July tentpole releases, leaving room in February for something like the family friendly Fantastic Four. Of course all of this is contingent on studios showing they can keep a production going, the current state of the upcoming slate staying stable and is all based on wild speculation to begin with, but the pieces do fall into place if you let them.

The final and most tantalizing tidbit comes when we try to answer the question of whether or not Kevin Feige and his core group have identified creative teams for these projects. Past precedent suggests that, whenever possible, the studio likes to bring a writer on board about 2 years before they expect the project to hit theaters and pair that writer with a director as soon as possible. You can safely bet that they’ve been searching for those teams for Blade and Fantastic Four for some time now and given all the down time creators had, it’s no stretch to imagine they found their teams. If we buy that, we can come to a pretty exciting conjecture: Marvel Studios is getting ready to announce these teams or they will shortly be leaked through the trades. In the past, Disney has registered their companies shortly before either making public announcements or trade leaks. Simply put, Disney knows these are going to be found so they’ve always been smart about WHEN they create the entities. Fans have been clamoring for Marvel Studios news and I’m sure that they’ve noticed the hype around FanDome but here’s the thing as explained to me by one of my trusted sources: should Marvel Studios want to do their own pre-recorded online fan event, they don’t need to jump through very many hoops. They’ve got their own streaming service and could drop a pre-recorded “con-like event” on Disney + whenever they want. They could go as far as to not even hype or advertise the event and, within 10 minutes, it would be trending on every social media platform across the world.

Again, none of this is confirmed to be true and all starts from a foundation that’s based on guesses to begin with, but this is what being a fan is all about and that’s, first and foremost, what we are here at Murphy’s Multiverse: fans.

August 17, 2020