Murphy's Multiverse

Category: Features

  • How ‘She-Hulk”s Intelligencia Sets Up’ Captain America: 4’s True Main Threat

    How ‘She-Hulk”s Intelligencia Sets Up’ Captain America: 4’s True Main Threat

    The latest episode of She-Hulk, Attorney at Law has premiered not too long ago and introduced (or rather re-introduced) Iintelligencia into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. We first learn about them through a simple mention on Ulysses Klaue’s portfolio confirming he was once a member but we never really find out who exactly they are. As it turns out, it’s pretty much the MCU’s equivalent to a Reddit server with obvious connections to modern political discourse. On top of it all, they seem to have their own operation eyeing Jennifer Walter’s blood for some nefarious purpose.

    There’s been a curious trend of She-Hulk openly calling out or rather predicting quite correctly how certain sub-groups of the Internet react to these projects. We’ve seen it time and time again since Captain Marvel’s release in 2019 and it continued to fester to this day. “Fandom Menace” has become a rather depressing word used for a subset of fans putting a lot of pressure on these projects, and it’s not too surprising to see a project reflect that as well.

    These reactions aren’t exclusive to female-led projects as showcased with the discussions surrounding Anthony Mackie‘s Sam Wilson taking on the role of Captain America. Thee entire of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier explored the weight of that shield placed upon an African-American, which has been continuously highlighted to still being denied even after we took time to explore his journey of accepting that title. Yet, there are still statements like “Steve Rogers is Captain America” being floated around each time it comes up.

    In a way, it seems safe to say that the set-up for Intelligencia in She-Hulk was made to lead to Captain America: New World Order. Any Captain America project didn’t shy away from exploring political discussions in the United States and given the current climate, Sam Wilson’s own struggle makes for the best set-up to explore the current climate left in a post-Trump and Qanon world. Hell, one could make the argument that the latter is potentially being echoed to some extent. It’s even in the title as many were concerned given its ties to conspiracy theories online from white supremacists that used those three words to spread anti-semitic topics across the web.

    The confirmed return of Tim Blake Nelson as the Samuel Sterns, who is better known as the Leader, also potentially leads to how they’re setting up his return. We don’t know how they’ll tackle his design or even return, but when we first met him back in 2008’s The Incredible Hulk, the character was communicating through chat rooms. So, it seems fitting if his time is hidden away in SHIELD’s prisons he’s been using a different strategy to build his own empire. His goal is very likely still to get his hands on Hulk and he’ll use any means necessary.

    As much as commentaries on “woke” Hollywood have scattered across the web, they are politically stirred on every side and it makes sense for the new Captain America to explore that very divide. Steve Rogers had a similar challenge when it came to standing up for what is right, and we know that Wilson has been a mediator for most of his pre-heroic career. So, there’s something fitting for him to take on that very role, he’s not a super soldier but has his own strengths to stand by what he believes is right.

    Intelligencia and the white supremacist ties of NWO could be the way Marvel introduces the Serpent Society; the once joke title for Civil War. A modern twist on that group would be fitting and further pull into the backlash we see in the real world over a fictional character. You don’t look far for those kinds of discussions like with The Little Mermaid remake, which became the focus of its own online drama. And all these reactions to fictional characters are also reflections of real-world issues; something we’ve been continuously reminded of throughout the last few years.

    There likely won’t be an end to such backlash and if they further explore Intelligencia in that project, there’s likely going to be even more reactionary tales for this entry. As highlighted by She-Hulk, there’s a certain predictability to the online chatter and further exploring the dark corners of the world in a project with a lead that reflects the lived experiences creates a strong meta-commentary. It’s no longer a man from World War One stuck who is stuck in a different time. This is someone whose lived experience is very different in a modern context. As such, his threats are fittingly going to be more modern and reflect the current political climate.

  • ‘House of the Dragon’ – Best & Worst of ‘The Princess and the Queen’

    ‘House of the Dragon’ – Best & Worst of ‘The Princess and the Queen’

    House of the Dragon is back, and this time, people are older. The show traversed a full ten years in only one week’s time, replacing the incomparable Milly Alcock and Emily Carey with the equally-as-impressive Emma D’Arcy and Olivia Cooke. Despite a full decade’s worth of potential character development, it would seem not much has changed when the series’ sixth episode, The Princess and the Queen, starts ticking. Princess Rhaenyra is now the mother of three children, fathered by someone who is definitely not her husband, and nobody seems to think their lack of white hair is suspicious. Nobody, that is, except for Queen Alicent Hightower and her entourage of sketchy male cohorts. Tensions start to rise as Alicent and Rhaenyra challenge each other in King’s Landing, and secrets about the latter’s romantic history begin to resurface.

    Meanwhile, Matt Smith‘s Prince Daemon Targaryan learns that married life might not be all that he’d hoped it would be, and Paddy Considine‘s King Viserys Targaryan learns that living ten years past ones expiration date might not be as comfortable as he’d imagined. From there, in classic Game of Thrones tradition, everything starts going downhill – or, more accurately, up in flames. After all, this is the House of the Dragon. Join Murphy’s Multiverse as we dig into both the best and the worst The Princess and the Queen had to offer.

    BEST – The Birth of Joffrey Velaryon

    The Princess and the Queen opened with the first of two birthing scenes present in the episode. Viewers are introduced to an adult Rhaenyra while she’s in the midst of delivering her third child, whom her husband eventually names Joffrey Velaryon after his deceased lover. It’s a messy scenario, but it’s an incredibly effective way to demonstrate just how headstrong the Princess has become in the years since fans last saw her. Immediately after giving birth, Rhaenyra receives word that the Queen would like to see her old friend’s newest son. Knowing this is likely some sort of power move, the King’s heir decides to walk Joffrey to the Queen herself, in spite of the fact she had only just pushed out the afterbirth.

    The move is perhaps one of the single coolest things any Westerosi character has ever done. This goes without saying, but as one learns in biology class, birthing a human is not an easy task. Standing up from said task, coated in sweat and bleeding, and trucking it directly to face a personal rival is the epitome of a power move, one-upping Alicent tenfold. Not only was the sequence great for the story, but the camera work was excellent as well. The first several minutes of the episode was some of the best shot footage the franchise has seen, and one can only hope it’s a sign of what’s to come in the final few entries of the season.

    WORST – Prince Aegon II Targaryan

    Folks, there’s a new Joffrey Baratheon in town. Previously only seen as a newborn baby, Tom Glynn-Carney‘s Prince Aegon II Targaryan is shown as a full-blown young adult in The Princess and the Queen. As it turns out, he’s simply the worst. From the moment he makes his onscreen debut, he’s actively working to make the lives of much more likable characters miserable. He starts with a pig-themed dragon prank on his younger cousin, moves on to – *ahem* – revealing himself to the entire kingdom, and eventually plays fairly dirty in a sparring session with the same aforementioned family member. If the history of this franchise has taught viewers anything, it’s that this behavior will get worse before it gets better. In fact, it probably won’t get better. It will just keep getting worse and then Aegon will die or he won’t. Hopefully, and this feels weird to say about a minor, the show lands on the first option. (It won’t.)

  • Pittsburgh’s Pain

    Pittsburgh’s Pain

    Vibe Check for this week? Pain. The Pittsburgh Steelers are actively choosing pain. There is a lot to be pleased with for most of the team. George Pickens looks uber-talented. Leal looks like a great find in round 3. Diontae Johnson has confirmed yet again he is a #1. The O-line has held up fairly well and looks solid, at least in pass protection. The defense, minus the cornerback position, seems to be humming. Well, at least until the offense has consecutive three and outs and they are gassed and simply cannot keep up with whatever team they are playing. This brings us to pain: the offense, specifically the QB spot.
    Blame will likely and fairly be laid at Matt Canada’s feet, two years in a row now this offense looks boring, predictable, and uninspiring. However, even if this offense is boring, predictable, and uninspiring it could still count for something. At its worst, it could still be valuable and important experience for their potential Franchise QB. The Steelers have already said they are not and will not use this mini-bye week as a chance to let Kenny start, but that is a mistake. We are wasting time. Mitch is the same guy he was in Chicago, maybe worse now. He rarely wants to make a big play, because of his fear of making a mistake. He takes no chances. The check-downs and dump-offs are at an all-time high. Mitch is giving us the Poorest version of Alex Smith. It isn’t fun, it’s painful. Even if we were to learn, that this is all on Canada and it’s his calls and encouragement to play this conservatively as Kenny plays, it will be worth the experience to Kenny.
    Mitch is a solid backup parading as a starting quarterback. He currently, and I can’t believe I am about to type this, is playing less exciting football than Joe Flacco, who is 106 years old. It’s boring to watch this team on offense. Not only is it boring, but it’s literally costing them games. If the opposing team scores 21 points unless the defense is going to score once or twice that lead feels insurmountable. The solution is likely to fire Canada and play Pickett. However, the most pressing issue now is to at least play Kenny. He needs to get used to the NFL speed. Knowing how Tomlin is an old-school guy, I can see this lasting until their actual bye week. So, buckle up Steeler fans. The Mitch train is going to be chugging down the track at a painfully slow pace for another several weeks. The choice for Tomlin is clear. Unfortunately, he seems to be choosing the wrong option.

  • ‘She-Hulk’ and ‘Captain America: New World Order’ Connection Explained

    ‘She-Hulk’ and ‘Captain America: New World Order’ Connection Explained

    Episode 6 of She-Hulk: Attorney At Law pulled back the curtain on the series’ one ongoing mystery just enough to send theory-loving fans scurrying on a search for answers as to just who is orchestrating the attacks on Jen. The episode name-dropped a pretty impressive group of villains from the Marvel Comics and linked them directly to the quest to get Jen’s blood. Was it just an Easter egg mean to set fans on a wild goose chase, or did Marvel Studios just give fans their first hint at the plot of 2024’s Captain America: New World Order?

    That name which was so casually dropped is Intelligencia. In the MCU, it’s a website run by “manbabies”, but in the pages of Marvel Comics, it’s a loose-knit group of some of the most brilliant and terrible minds to ever oppose Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. Geniuses such as Egghead, M.O.D.O.K., the Mad Thinker and, most relevant to this line of thought, The Leader were among the masterminds who chose to team up to share knowledge, build some cool stuff and, interestingly enough, engineer a way to turn General Thunderbolt Ross into the Red Hulk as a means to combat Hulk when he returned to Earth in the pages of World War Hulk.

    With rumors of a World War Hulk movie in development at Marvel Studios and the return of Tim Blake Nelson as The Leader in Captain America: New World Order, the episode’s reveal of the Intelligencia’s HulkKing working with the still mysterious people behind the Wrecking Crew’s attempt to get Jen’s blood seems fairly significant. Is The Leader the HulkKing? Or is the HulkKing someone more familiar to the series? One potential candidate is clearly slimeball Todd Phelps, who is incredibly interested in Jen’s abilities. Todd certainly is not The Leader, but could he be another member of the Intelligencia that was known to have an alias or two in his time? It would make for an interesting twist if Todd turned out to be The Mad Thinker, a Fantastic Four villain who came up against She-Hulk many times and whose creation, the Awesome Android, eventually became a staple of She-Hulk comics.

    Whoever these people behind the curtain turn out to be, it seems that as the final third of the season of She-Hulk gets underway next week, fans will need to pay much closer attention. Will The Leader make an appearance in She-Hulk? Maybe a name drop? What state of mind will Bruce be in when he returns from his trip to Sakaar and what will he have learned while he’s there? And, most importantly, with the series wrapping up in nine episodes, where will these stories be picked up? Right now, it certainly seems like the connection to the Intelligencia makes Captain America: New World Order the prime candidate to continue the story. Perhaps it’s a World War Hulk movie in disguise. Of course, given She-Hulk’s irreverent tone and disregard for sticking to the comics when it comes to bringing characters to the MCU (the Wrecking Crew, Mr. Immortal and Titania are all far cries from their comic book counterparts), it remains possible that the MCU’s Intelligencia are truly just a bunch of manbabies of little significance.

  • ‘She-Hulk’ Case Files: Who is Mr.Immortal?

    ‘She-Hulk’ Case Files: Who is Mr.Immortal?

    Court is now in session and Jennifer Walters is here to represent the defendant in the matter of Superhuman law. She-Hulk: Attorney at Law has finally hit Disney+ as the next installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and seems to be one of the studio’s most unique projects yet. With it comes a whole slew of C-listers and D-Lister heroes and villains that have found themselves in legal trouble.

    The Prosecution Calls To The Stand: Mr. Immortal!

    Craig Hollis, better known as Mr. Immortal first appeared in July of 1989 in The West Coast Avengers Vol. 2 #46 and was created by Marvel Comics legend John Byrne. Just moments after his birth, before the death of his mother, Craig Hollis was visited by Deathurge who promised to look after Craig after his mother passed. Deathurge would act as a sort of imaginary friend to Craig, encouraging him to do incredibly dangerous things that would result in the death of his father after setting his house on fire. Deathurge then abandoned Craig until the love of his life killed herself, returning only to promptly leave once more. Craig attempted to kill himself but when his attempts failed numerous times, realized that he was unkillable…perhaps even immortal.

    After realizing this, Craig adopted the mantle of Mr.Immortal and jumped into action to foil the plans of some nearby bank robbers, but was quickly shot up by said robbers and left behind. That debacle inspired Craig to put together a team, thus bringing about the Great Lakes Avengers, bringing characters like Flatman, Doorman, Dina Soar, Leather Boy, and Big Bertha to the pages of Marvel Comics.

    Mr. Immortal’s abilities are pretty straightforward but come with a catch: his healing factor only kicks in when he faces life-threatening injuries. Simple cuts, bruises, and broken bones heal at a normal rate compared to him being shot, stabbed, gutted, decapitated, drowned, crushed, or any other way to kill a man. On top of all that, his body does not age as normally as others. Upon revival, however, he’s filled with an incredible rage that is difficult to knock out of him.

  • Meet the Cast and Characters of Disney’s ‘Strange World’

    Meet the Cast and Characters of Disney’s ‘Strange World’

    This Thanksgiving, Walt Disney Animation Studios is rolling out its latest visual extravaganza, Strange World. Set in the fictional world of Avalonia, Strange World follows three generations of explorers, the Clade family, as they embark on a mission into a mysterious, subterranean world. Inspired by the pulp stories of the early 20th century, Strange World will take the Clades to a “hidden world…heretofore unknown to them or anybody else” and examine the relationships between fathers and sons.

    Directed by Disney vets Dan Hall and Qui Nguyen, Strange World boasts a heavy-hitting cast of stars lending their voices to the characters. Ahead of the film’s release, let’s get to know who’s who in Strange World!

    Jake Gyllenhaal as Searcher Clade

    Voiced by Jake Gyllenhaal, Searcher Clade is described by Disney as “a treasured member of the Avalonia community having discovered a revolutionary plant-based power source called pando.” While his father, Jaeger, was a legend among the people of Avalonia, Searcher chose to blaze his own trail after his father disappeared decades ago. Because he spent so much time without a father, Searcher has dedicated his life to his family, even though his son, Ethan, may have a bit more of Jaeger’s adventurous spirit in him than his father.

    Their relationship is central to the film’s plot and, according to director Dan Hall, is modeled in part on his own experiences. “I have teenage sons and an older father,” said Hall. “I understand Searcher’s point of view because that’s where I am right now in my life.” Hall continues, explaining that it was Jaeger’s absence from Searcher’s life that has driven him to become the family man he is.

    Searcher is caught between the legacy of the greatest explorer of all time and his own legacy he established almost in contrast to that of his father, who he sees as a rambling, intrepid explorer who was never home. Searcher set out to be the opposite. He’s rooted in his family.

    Dan Hall

    Dennis Quaid as Jaeger Clade

    That “rambling, intrepid explorer”, Jaeger Clade, will be voiced by Dennis Quaid, who director Qui Nguyen called “a legend” and the kind of personality that can rock a crowd.” To that end, Jaeger’s legacy as a larger-than-life explorer has made him a legend in Avalonia even though his obsession ultimately took him from his family.

    Strange World is heavily inspired by pulp fiction and according to Nguyen,“Jaeger is our pulp hero.” Nguyen went on to describe Jaeger as “one of those guys on the covers (of pulp magazines) who wear white shirts that were ripped fighting an alligator. He is an awesome character. But what if that guy was your dad? That seems way less awesome.” But what if that guy was your grandfather?

    Jaboukie Young-White as Ethan Clade

    Searcher’s devotion to his family has resulted in a strong, healthy relationship with his 16-year-old son Ethan, voiced by Jaboukie Young-White. However, as producer Roy Conli explains, as much as Ethan loves his father, he’s not quite as content living a safe life on the farm as Searcher is…or would like for Ethan to be. “He certainly embraces his father and can feel the love that Searcher has for him, but something is missing for him in the quiet farm life he’s living.” Ethan’s curiosity gets the best of him and he ends up as a surprise stowaway on the adventure to the “strange world.”
     

    Gabrielle Union as Meridian Clade

    Gabrielle Union voices the “funny and fierce” Meridian Clade. As Searcher’s wife and Ethan’s mother, she serves as the anchor of the family. Meridian is an integral part of Searcher’s farming operations and becomes part of the journey to the strange world when she realizes that Ethan may have joined it, unbeknownst to Searcher.

    Lucy Liu as Callisto Mal

    The final piece of the expedition’s cast of characters is Lucy Liu’s Callisto Mal. Mal cut her teeth as an explorer as part of Jaeger’s crew, but now serves as the president of Avalonia. As the mystery of the plague affecting Searcher’s pando crops deepens, Mal makes the decision to take on the expedition to the subterranean land where the fun really begins.

    Walt Disney Animation Studio’s Strange World debuts in theaters on November 23rd, 2022.

  • Disney’s ‘Strange World’ is an Exploration of the Universal Father/Son Relationship

    Disney’s ‘Strange World’ is an Exploration of the Universal Father/Son Relationship

    Walt Disney Animation Studio’s latest original adventure, Strange World, continues the long tradition of taking audiences to fantastical places to learn some of life’s real lessons. At its core, Strange World, which opens in theaters this Thanksgiving, is less about the exploration of the titular subterranean world and more about the exploration of the relationship between father and son.

    Director Don Hall has a long history with Disney Animation, having helmed films such as Raya and The Last Dragon and Big Hero 6 and written Meet the Robinsons and the recent Baymax! shorts, so he’s no stranger to the nuances of weaving life lessons into the narrative tapestry of an animated film. For Strange World, Hall dug into his own life to find the heart of the story. According to the director, the genesis of his latest film came from “just thinking about my sons and the world they’re going to inherit. How is it different from what I inherited from my dad?”

    To answer that question, Hall and co-director Qui Nguyen created a story focused on three generations of the Clade family: Jaeger, his son, Searcher, and his grandson, Ethan. A legendary explorer, Jaeger disappeared on an expedition. Rather than follow in his father’s footsteps, Searcher discovered a revolutionary power source derived from plants and lives with his family where teenage Ethan works on the family farm while questioning his future. According to Hall, Ethan’s arc in the story came from reflecting on his own experiences as a teen.

    My dad and I have a great relationship. He is a farmer and I grew up helping out. But when I was 14 years old, it all changed. Suddenly, I was planting and doing more high-level stuff that I just didn’t want to do. It wasn’t me. It all turned out fine, but I always remembered that and thought it would be interesting to explore father/son relationships and the kind of expectations we put on our kids—intentionally or unintentionally.

    Don Hall

    Nguyen, a father of two, like Hall felt the exploration of the father/son dynamic was worth taking on for Strange World saying it was a story he “needed and wanted to tell.” Nguyen explained further saying, “We could relate to Jaeger and Searcher when it comes to our kids. This is the story that I’m going through, the story that Don is going through and the story our characters are going through.”

    Producer Roy Conli, whose two decades of experience at Disney stretch from The Hunchback of Notre Dame to his more recent work on nature documentaries such as Polar Bear and Bear Witness, echoed the sentiments of Hall and Nguyen, calling the father-son dynamic “phenomenal and universal.” Like the directors, Conli cited his own experiences as an example of how the dynamic ultimately shapes all sons.

    Father-son relationships are so beautiful and so fraught simultaneously. I came from the theater. My favorite play as a kid was ‘Death of a Salesman,’ which is a classic father-son tale. My father and I had an amazing relationship. I thought he was Superman until I was 15, when I realized he wasn’t Superman. We had a good 10 years of battle that fortunately, we came through. He was an amazing guy, and that father-son relationship is really special: it’s phenomenal and universal. I think fathers push their sons; sons reject their fathers, and then eventually they all come around.

    Roy Conli

    Strange World, a Walt Disney Animation Studio’s film, will be in theaters November 23rd, 2022.

  • Director Don Hall Details the Pulpy Influences of ‘Strange World’

    Director Don Hall Details the Pulpy Influences of ‘Strange World’

    From the earliest looks at its newest animated adventure, Strange World, it was clear that Walt Disney Animation Studio was looking to capture the nostalgia of pulp fiction common to the first half of the 20th century. Characters such as Doc Savage, Ka-zar and John Carter found their way to fame through pulp magazines and the exploration of fantastical new lands. And it turns out that’s exactly the kind of story director Don Hall set out to tell in Strange World.

    I always loved big adventure stories. the specific kind of adventure story where explorers find a hidden world that was heretofore unknown to them or anybody else. And that goes back so far into late 1800s, early 1900s—Jules Verne, H.G. Wells, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. That was sort of the birth of the big adventure story in novel form. ‘King Kong’ is a good filmic reference that had a group of explorers find a new hidden world. I wanted to evoke that in this movie.

    Don Hall

    In Strange World, the new hidden world comes into play when Searcher Clade, the son of legendary explorer Jaeger Clade, has to undertake an expedition with nothing less than the fate of his entire planet at stake. That expedition takes him to the subterranean “strange world” and reunites him with his father, who has been missing for decades. Fans of pulp fiction, including stories from the authors whom Hall cites as influences, will know that along with the discovery of this wonderful, new land will come an all-new set of dangers and challenges that will test the mettle and the relationships of the Clade family.

    The mysteries of Strange World will unfold in theaters beginning November 23rd, 2022.

  • ‘Andor’ Still Manages to Follow a Traditional Star Wars Template

    ‘Andor’ Still Manages to Follow a Traditional Star Wars Template

    If you’re familiar with Star Wars, or with many other literary and cinematic works such as The Lord of the Rings, The Wizard Of Oz, Iron Man, The Matrix, Lost or The Lion King, you’ve come to be pretty familiar with the a common template of stories, hero myth pattern studies popularized by Joseph Campbell: The Hero’s Journey, also known as the Monomyth. While divided into several steps, all of which are incredibly flexible, it has three main parts that can be easily summed up as 1) The Separation 2) The Initiation 3) The Return. These are the fundamental components of each Hero’s Journey, and they can be applied in a number of ways to strengthen, examine, and develop vastly different narratives on vastly different subjects.

    With the first three episodes of Andor having been released, it becomes clear how Cassian’s journey has, for now, managed to fit the steps of the journey included in The Separation. It’s interesting to notice how a show with such a tonal departure from the most recent set of Star Wars properties, still manages to capture the essential spirit of the franchise. With little to no bells and whistles, it demonstrated that there are a number of valid approaches that can be taken when developing a project within this universe, as long as the true foundations that led to the franchises’ success are still addressed and given room to serve the story being told.

    • Ordinary World

    The first step isn’t as much a step as it is a starting point. Although it may be hard to qualify Cassian’s life when we find him as ordinary, it is still the life that he has become accustomed to. Living in Ferrix, scouring the galaxy for his long-lost sister. His attempts to lay low when traveling to other planets like Morlana One are obvious, all things that help to clearly define the world he lives in.

    • Call to Adventure

    The moment when he must decide whether or not to take a step outside his comfort zone, in order to answer the appeal of his inner quest, comes when Cassian, still on Morlana One, is faced by the two Pre-Mor Authority employees. By deciding to engage them, and later to kill them off in order to leave no witnesses, Cassian clearly goes beyond his initial mission statement and, even if inadvertently, sets in motion events that will lead to him leaving his ordinary life behind.

    • Refusal

    While making preparations to leave Ferrix for good, Cassian decides to meet with Bix Caleen’s contact, Luthen Rael. Someone who initially was to only serve the purpose of handing Cassian the necessary credits to follow through with his intentions of leaving his life behind, ends up offering Cassian something more: the opportunity to fight the Empire not as an individual, but as part of something greater. Cassian, being true to himself, initially refuses to do so, questioning Rael’s true reasons and how futile such an endeavor would be.

    • Meeting with the Mentor

    This is also the moment where Cassian, albeit unbeknownst to him, meets what is sure to become an essential figure in his forming years as a Rebel intelligence officer. Luthen Rael demonstrates to have a special interest in Cassian, admiring his capabilities and basically offering himself to provide him with all the tools that will allow him to become the fighter he was always meant to be.

    • Crossing the Threshold

    When leaving Ferrix, Cassian is overwhelmed by memories of him leaving his home planet of Kenari, knowing that his life is about to change, maybe even more than it did then. At this point, Andor genuinely enters the domain of adventure, stepping outside of his world’s known bounds and into a perilous new world with unknown laws and boundaries.

    The next step.

    Following these initial steps in the Andor storyline, and if the Hero’s Journey is to continue, Cassian will undergo an Initiation of sorts, where a Road of Trials will come before him, as he proves himself worthy of continuing on the path that The Separation has led him down. It will be interesting to understand how the way his story develops in Rogue One will affect the way Andor’s structure over its two seasons is approached. Will Rogue One serve as a metaphorical Ressurection and Return, or will those final steps be addressed in the series with the movie serving as a worthy epilogue to the story of Cassian Andor?

  • ‘She-Hulk: Attorney at Law’ From Page to Screen: Episode 5

    ‘She-Hulk: Attorney at Law’ From Page to Screen: Episode 5

    Welcome back to yet another From page to Screen focusing on She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. In the show’s first week, we looked at the differences between the comics’ and series’ versions of Jennifer Walters’ origin story. The following week, viewers got a live-action introduction to Jen’s new legal job, taken straight out of Dan Slott’s and Juan Bobillo’s 2004 She-Hulk run—Goodman, Lieber, Kurtzberg & Holliway (GLK&H). Episode 3 introduced a reimagined version of comic book villains and in its fourth week, the show decided to focus on Jen’s love life. As for episode five, it shed some light on Jen’s nemesis, Titania.

    Marvel Studios’ She-Hulk: Attorney at Law Episode 1
    Marvel Studios’ She-Hulk: Attorney at Law Episode 1

    We had already gotten a quick glimpse of her on the show’s premiere, only for She-Hulk to bring her down with a single punch as she raided a courtroom. This, so far, has been the only actual physical confrontation between the two on Marvel Studios’ She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. As for the comics, the story has been quite different as it is Titania’s strength and endurance that have propelled her into becoming one of She-Hulk’s lifelong adversaries.

    Secret Wars #3 1984

    When a cosmic being known as the Beyonder whisked Marvel’s best fighters to a mysterious realm known as Battleworld during the catastrophic events of Secret Wars, Titania (then Mary MacPherran) saw her life forever changed. She was unintentionally included in the group, just a regular citizen who had grown up being teased by peers for being from a low-income household and diminutive in stature. She and her buddy Marsha are then sent to Battleworld after making up a connection with Spider-Woman when Doctor Doom eventually finds them stuck there. He promises to equip them with cutting-edge alien technology in exchange for their participation in his army, which he intends to use to battle the Marvel superheroes on Battleworld. Once they agree, both of them undergo transformations: Mary becomes significantly taller and gains superhuman strength, endurance, and durability; Marsha can turn her entire body into blazing plasma.

    Secret Wars #3 1984
    Secret Wars #3 1984
    Secret Wars #7 1984
    Secret Wars #7 1984

    Following this, the two of them change their names to Titania and Volcana, respectively, and join forces with Doctor Doom to become villains. Titania then battles She-Hulk for the first time, achieving a rare win that would later develop into a protracted conflict between them.

    As for the show, and per the initial casting call when the character was referred to as Lucy, Titania is described as a glamorous Social Media influencer, a Kardashian-type if you may. Her origin is bound to differ from the comics’ since we’re still a few years away from the events of Secret Wars, with little to no guarantee that the upcoming movie will even play out in a way similar to the 1984 comic run where Titania made her debut.

    Although her super-human strength appears to still play a big role in her character, she has found other ways in which to confront Jen. According to Jameela Jamil, who plays her on-screen, her biggest superpower might actually be “being annoying.”

    Marvel Studios’ She-Hulk: Attorney at Law Episode 5
    Marvel Studios’ She-Hulk: Attorney at Law Episode 5

    Titania stands out because I think she’s the most annoying of them, actually. I think she almost doesn’t need to use her strength; she could just annoy you to death…and I think that is a superpower that we haven’t really utilized enough. She’s also very glamorous… and I like the fact that she’s completely unselfconscious. She’s completely unselfconscious and so, so weird.

    Jameela Jamil

    With Tatania deciding to face off with She-Hulk in a court of law instead of going the more traditional route of punching herself out of a situation, the series has deprived itself of the more action-orientated approach the comics usually go for, but the outcome of said decision is likely going to make her rethink strategy. With four episodes to go, and given the relevance given to the character, it’s perhaps pretty likely that a brawling face-off is in the cards, even if Titania doesn’t quite feel as the big bad the series has been teasing for a while.

    Secret Wars #7 1984

    The first five episodes of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law are now streaming on Disney+.