After the Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Boston Celtics 110-107 in Game 5 of the semifinal series, the thought was Boston gave that game away. The Bucks once again had proven their championship mettle and the Celtics had blown a golden opportunity. What lay ahead was a Game 6 in Milwaukee, and Jayson Tatum proved that he was ready for his ascension.
Tatum flummoxed the Bucks with his ability to get to the rim and hit from the perimeter, scoring 46 points on 17/32 shooting. Time and time again, when Giannis Antetokounmpo kept coming with 44 points of his own, Tatum responded. The Celtics again got contributions from multiple guys which now has us at a Game 7. This series is turning into a classic, and now we have reached the endgame.
What’s At Stake for Boston: A chance to take down the defending champs and to addvance to the conference finals. Also, the journey in molding a superstar in Jayson Tatum would feel near complete.
What’s At Stake for Milwaukee: A trip to the conference finals, and surviving in hopes of getting injured star Khris Middleton back. Also, Giannis cementing his status as the best player in the league. Considering how the Bucks are heavy underdogs in the series this would be a massive achievement for Milwaukee.
Boston will win if…. they get a similar 3 point variance they got in Game 6 as they hit 17 3s. Game 7’s are normally ugly, so any type of transition baskets they can generate would help. Feed off the home crowd, and get good performances from Marcus Smart and Al Horford. The stars will be stars, but usually there’s an unsung hero somewhere.
Milwaukee will win if….. they get any type of help from a third scorer. Giannis and Jrue Holiday have been the only reliable offense in the series. The Bucks are going to need someone to step up and fill those gaps. Expect Giannis to be dominant once again, but if Tatum matches him like he did in Game 6, they’ll need more from others.
The Prediction: On the last day of the regular season, the Bucks had a chance to be the 2nd seed. They decided to sit their stars and punt on home court in the 2nd round. That decision allowed Boston to host this game. Is home court advantage overrated? To a degree, but it usually matters in a Game 7. The numbers don’t lie. It will take a Herculean effort against a hungry, resilient Boston team to win this. If there’s anyone who can beat back this challenge, it’s Giannis Antetokounmpo. The champs have been staggered, but they won’t fall. Bucks win Game 7.
The case has been made. Marvel Studios long-standing tradition of post-credit scenes has become a distraction and should come to an end. By taking on a life of their own, they’ve become parasitic in nature, taking the focus off of the film and dominating online discussion. Here’s a look at 7 post-credit scenes that help support the claim that it’s time for them to take a dirt nap.
Iron Man 3
Iron Man 3 (2013)
While humorous, the post-credit scene to Iron Man 3 essentially only served to make sure audiences didn’t forget about the Science Bros. from The Avengers.
Thor: The Dark World
Thor: The Dark World (2013)
It’s not surprising that one of Marvel Studios’ worst cinematic efforts has one of its worst post-credit scenes. Following the film’s conclusion, fans are treated to getting to see one more shared kiss between Thor and Jane Foster. It’s great because Jane then disappeared for nearly a decade’s worth of content, only being mentioned as a joke in Avengers: Age of Ultron. The little joke about the Frost Beast left behind on Midgard is actually more impactful.
Captain America: Civil War
Captain America: Civil War (2016)
The film introduced the MCU version of Peter Parker to much fanfare. We’re now a whole trilogy away from his intro, and Tom Holland’s Spider-Man has proven wildly popular and his most recent film is one of Marvel Studios’ best yet. However, the post-credit scene following his introduction lacked any kind of punch at all. It showcased his flashy Spidey symbol, something that hasn’t been revisited since. If the only purpose it served was to let fans know we’d see more Spidey, I’d rather have had the “Spider-Man will return” text.
Doctor Strange
Doctor Strange (2016)
In fairness, the Strange franchise was overhauled when the entire creative team from the first film left Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and was replaced by Michael Waldron and Sam Raimi. That might, however, be indicative of one of the big problems with these post-credit scenes in the first place: short of maybe Kevin Feige, there is no guarantee that anyone’s ideas will carry on beyond the scenes. Scott Derrickson was moving the franchise in one particular direction; once he left, the idea of Mordo hunting sorcerers probably left with him. 616 Mordo didn’t even appear in the film but, as Waldron pointed out, that just means he could still be out there doing his thing. It’s too bad fans will probably never see it. This is why the return of One-Shots would be a considerable upgrade.
Spider-Man: Homecoming
Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
One of the most chilling post-credit scenes of all…now rendered totally useless by the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home. It’s not to say we’ll never see Michael Mando’s Mac Gargan suit up as Scorpion and hunt down Spidey, but any chance of him getting the info out of Michael Keaton’s Adrian Toomes disappeared with Strange’s spell. Of course, Keaton hasn’t been back in the MCU since then anyway, but that’s a different story.
Eternals
Eternals (2021)
This scene has the potential to be redeemed, but depends an awful lot on whether or not Marvel Studios ever does anything with the Eternals again. While the film sets up the promise of more adventures, the reality is that nobody (both in the MCU and in real life) knew about them before the film, so nobody is going to miss them after. This scene really only works for hardcore Cosmic comic fans, and even then it’s a stretch. Harry Styles is gorgeous as Starfox and Patton Oswalt was a great fit for Pip; however, introducing Starfox AFTER Thanos is dead is a bit of bad timing and Pip is probably just going to end up as a walking practical joke. As it stands, it wasn’t time well spent.
In all honesty, the list had to be trimmed down to focus on these 6. The other Eternals’ scene, the recent Clea scene and more were all up for consideration, but these 6 helped provide a more well-rounded look at the issues Marvel Studios has faced. Given they’ll certainly not stop putting them together, we can revisit this down the road and see if these are still among the worst.
The defending champs had a chance to put the Celtics on the brink of elimination in Game 4. Giannis Antetokounmpo and the undermanned Bucks have continued to show their mental toughness but they were throttled by a veteran. Al Horford, at 35 years old, scored 16 of his 30 points in the 4th quarter leading Boston to a 116-108 victory. It was a truly incredible performance. Now we head to a pivotal Game 5 back in Boston to see who takes control of the series. It isn’t an exaggeration to say the winner of this series will be a big time title favorite.
Grizzlies vs Warriors
In a series filled with flagrant fouls, suspensions, and trash talk, the veteran Golden State team finds itself on the brink of another conference finals trip. Steph Curry scored 32 points in Game 4 leading the Warriors back from a lackadaisical performance to win 101-98. All of this is marred by the injury that was sustained in Game 3 by Grizzlies star Ja Morant. Ja is going to miss the rest of the playoffs with a bone bruise in his knee. With a 3-1 series lead and Memphis injured and inexperienced, the Warriors are poised to close the series out. The Grizzlies have fought all season, and expect a fight from them in Game 5 at home.
Heat vs Sixers
Miami took a 3-2 series lead with a dominant 120-85 victory Tuesday night in Miami. After two disappointing games on the road, the Heat was on as they shot 53 percent from the floor and hit 13 threes. Their defense was suffocating and more like the Heat team we’ve seen the whole season. Philadelphia struggled mightily, and star center Joel Embiid was not on his game. Considering what he’s been through-an orbital bone fracture and a concussion and torn ligaments in his thumb-you have to feel for him. Can the Sixers summon one more performance at home to force a game 7? Absolutely. However with the way the Heat have defended all postseason plus Embiid and James Harden’s lack of help around them? Winning this series seems like it would be a shock at this point.
Suns vs Mavericks
Dallas shot their way back into the series with 2 big wins at home with a barrage of 3 pointers. The Phoenix Suns got back to their defensive ways in Game 5, only allowing 80 points as the Mavs committed 18 turnovers. Dallas couldn’t get anyone besides Luka Doncic and Jalen Brunson to hit a shot. Devin Booker led Phoenix with 28 points and the Suns can end the series Thursday in Dallas. The Mavericks showed a lot of heart tying the series, but now their feet are to the fire. Can they force a game 7? The odds are against them, and the Suns are the better team. Sometimes it just comes down to if you can make shots.
The Most Valuable Player
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Denver Nuggets star center Nikola Jokic will be announced as the MVP for a second consecutive year. Jokic would be the 13th player to do so, and it’s well deserved. Jokic (27.1 ppg 13.8 rpg 7.9 apg) carried a team that was missing its second and third best players all season. He improved on his first MVP season, showing growth in all facets of his game, including his much maligned defense. Truth be told, we haven’t seen a talent like him; an offensive hub at that size with passing skills like a guard is incredible. You can’t guard him as he has so many moves in his bag. Get that man some help.
Joel Embiid would be a great choice, too, and most wouldn’t have quibbled with it. He was deserving as well, and hopefully he’ll get his opportunity to win eventually. However this was Nikola Jokic’s year again and we can look forward to seeing this battle continue into next season.
The contents of the mid-credit scene of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness give the impression that this is the direction Marvel Studios will take the threequel. However, we also all thought a Doctor Strange sequel would include 616 Mordo hunting sorcerers and we definitely didn’t get that.
As Marvel Studios likes to do, they can lift the title right from an existing story. In 2011, Marvel Comics published a hardcover novel, written by Roger Stern, that saw Stephen Strange team up with Clea to overthrow her mother, Umar, in the Dark Dimension. The novel also included an appearance by the Black Knight and really laid out some nice mythology around his sword and the Dark Dimension. Of course, Marvel Studios isn’t much for direct adaptation, so there’s plenty of room to change it up, but a film that really explores the Dark Dimension and the nature of the Faltine could be quite a ride!
Doctor Strange: Sorcerer Supreme
Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme #80 (1995)
With Clea making her way into the MCU, there’s really one other major character in Strange’s circle that feels like a must: Jericho Drumm. Brother Voodoo was rumored to appear in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, but obviously never showed. It’s time to get him off the sidelines and, if you’re going to bring him in, you might as well do it right.
Multiverse of Madness ends with Strange developing a particularly nasty case of an extra eye, thanks to his use of the Darkhold. Doctor Strange: Sorcerer Supreme could be a really great cautionary tale about the warning issued by Mordo in the first film: the bill comes due. And in Strange’s case, the Vishanti are probably collecting.
In the MCU’s present, Wong is the Sorcerer Supreme but fans have expected Strange to fill the role and eventually, he probably will. What would be fascinating would be for him to finally be named as Sorcerer Supreme only to have the title ripped away from him and handed over to another of Earth’s most powerful magic wielders: Jericho Drumm.
Marvel Studios could adapt War of the Seven Spheres (making a few changes along the way of course) and introduce the major Mystic principalities of the multiverse. In that arc, Strange renounced his powers after refusing to participate in the War, causing him to be stripped of many of his powers. If that were to happen in the MCU, the Vishanti would need a new Sorcerer Supreme. It’s not as glamorous as some others on the list, but it could introduce some other magic users (Doctor Druid, Salome, Cadaver, Kaluu, and more) as avatars of the principalities and turn out to be a pretty trippy film.
Strange Tales
Doctor Strange #13 (2016)
Multiverse of Madness included one very important detail about Stephen Strange’s origins that was cut from 2016’s Doctor Strange: the drowning death of his sister, Donna. While this might have seemed inconsequential, it could have been a hint to the future of the franchise. While this isn’t an adaptation of a specific arc, it’s absolutely bringing the comics to the screen.
Scott Derrickson always wanted Nightmare to be part of the Strange franchise and, to be fair, he’s arguably one of Strange’s most important villains yet to be adapted. The film could see Strange haunted by nightmares of failing to save his sister, orchestrated by The Lord of Darkness. Parts of the film could visit the Dream Dimension, of which the Nightmare Realm is a corner ruled by Nightmare. It could also introduce Sleepwalker and allow for Sam Raimi to really continue to deal with some of the really off-the-wall visuals he dished out in Multiverse of Madness.
Doctor Strange: Triumph and Torment
Marvel Graphic Novel #49 Dr. Strange and Dr. Doom: Triumph and Torment (1989)
An adaptation of the 1989 graphic novel Triumph and Torment would take the most set up ahead of its release, but it could also have the biggest payoff of any of the potential story lines Marvel Studios might adapt for Doctor Strange 3. Triumph and Torment sees Doctor Strange team up with one of the Marvel Universe’s most powerful sorcerers: Victor Von Doom. The two good doctors, Strange and Doom, travel together to Hell to free the soul of Doom’s mother from her captor, Mephisto.
As stated above, it would take some set up to get here, especially since Doom doesn’t exist in the MCU yet. Much like the do with the Fantastic Four, Marvel Studios has a big job to do in making sure that their version of Doom stands apart from Julian McMahon’s version and even farther apart from Toby Kebbell’s “Hacker Doom.” One way for them to ensure that is to develop the side of Doom’s character that Fox always ignored: his mastery of the mystic arts. Over the years, the retconning of Doom’s origin story has refined it into one of Marvel Comics’ most well-developed. If any villain deserves his origins to be told, it’s Doom, and Marvel Studios could do so through a D+ series that could serve as the precursor to this film. Of course, audiences who don’t watch it might miss out on a few finer points, but if they beginning of Doctor Strange: Triumph and Torment explains that the two Doctors are headed to Hell to save Doom’s mom, it’ll be enough. Assuming Benedict Cumberbatch isn’t going to be around the MCU forever, this is the chance for the MCU to team up two major mystical powerhouses and bring one of Roger Stern’s best stories to the screen.
Doctor Strange and The Defenders
The Defenders #3 (1972)
I’ll never NOT want to see the original comic book Defenders lineup together on screen. By the time a third Doctor Strange film heads to theaters, the trio that first formed the Defenders in the early 1970s will all have been introduced into the MCU, with Namor set to debut in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever later this year. Clea and Valkyrie, who were also often members of the non-team, are also on the board, leaving only really the Silver Surfer as a well-known member who isn’t quite yet primed to appear.
If Raimi is going to return for the third film, the original Defenders’ arc (which was spread out over issues of Doctor Strange, Sub-Mariner, and The Incredible Hulk) would be easily adapted and allow Raimi to work with the Lovecraftian concepts that inspired him to make Within the Woods (which allowed him to make The Evil Dead) and that he revisited in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. In that arc, the Defenders came together to battle an invasion of the Undying Ones, a collection of ancient demons who existed between worlds and served The Nameless One. Adapting the arc would even allow for Raimi to introduce the MCU’s version of the Necronomicon, which would serve as the bridge from Strange to Namor, whose people could have a history with either the book or the Undying Ones themselves.
One of the biggest surprises coming out of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was the inclusion of John Krasinski portraying Reed Richards in the Illuminati. Having been one of the most popular fancasts for a number of years, Marvel Studios’ latest theatrical release gave audiences a brief tease of him and his flexible action. Naturally, the next question worth asking would be ‘Is Krasinski now set to portray Reed Richards in the upcoming Fantastic Four film?’
The Case For It
The most obvious case for Krasinski to be portraying Reed Richards in the upcoming Fantastic Four film is that we’ve now officially seen him play the role in a Marvel Studios-produced film. As opposed to before the release of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, the idea of Krasinski playing the role is no longer simply a hypothetical based on online speculation. A factor that would lean towards this being more than a one-off cameo is Kevin Feige and company not leaning towards using an actor from a previous Marvel project in the role like the rest of the Illuminati members. Assuming one of them would’ve been available, it’s logical to think Marvel Studios would’ve made the call to one of the previous actors that portrayed Mister Fantastic in Miles Teller or especially Ioan Gruffudd.
As well, it certainly isn’t unprecedented for the Marvel Cinematic Universe to use a different film as a backdoor introduction for a future lead character. This method dates all the way back to the introduction of Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow during the events of Iron Man 2 and was used to introduce some of the most popular characters in the MCU with Spider-Man and Black Panther in Captain America: Civil War. Having that be the way Reed Richards was officially introduced wouldn’t be completely out of the ordinary. And with that, using a multiversal Variant to introduce audiences to the character would be an interesting subversion of this MCU trope. It’d let Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness serve as an introduction point for Mister Fantastic while letting whatever creative direction for the character is being planned remain unfettered by his portrayal in the May 2022 blockbuster. Hypothetically speaking, you could easily reintroduce Krasinski in any upcoming film as a normal Reed Richards and that would alert fans to the imminent arrival of the Marvel Studios’ take on the First Family.
And of course, the recent news about the end of the Krasinski-led Jack Ryan series after this upcoming season of production has further expedited conversations on if the actor will be playing Reed Richards. It’s definitely worth having the conversation with Krasinski in theory having what was previously a major part of his schedule cleared up.
The Case Against It
And yet, it can’t be said with 100% certainty that John Krasinski will have the time in his calendar to make a long-term commitment to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Immediately production wraps on Jack Ryan’s fourth season, Krasinski will begin work on Imaginary Friends for Paramount Pictures. This is a film that he wrote, is directing, and will be co-starring in alongside Ryan Reynolds and Steve Carell (meaning a lot of his energy will be focused on this project). And following that, there remains A Quiet Place – Part III which would seemingly enter production not too far after Krasinki wraps on his previous film. While his involvement or role in the third film of this franchise isn’t announced, one would think that he would have at least some significant role in the production based on his large involvement in the previous two entries (alongside being the one to officially announce the film at CinemaCon this year). With rumors circulating of a potential 2023 production start date, this could certainly cause major scheduling issues for a potential involvement in the Fantastic Four film.
Additionally, the argument can be made that Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness would’ve provided John Krasinski some slightly more substantial material while part of The Illuminati if the had future plans for him. If he was going to portray Reed Richards in the upcoming Fantastic Four film, one would think Marvel Studios and the team behind the film would give a more concrete characterization of Reed Richards in the film for audiences to latch onto beyond passing references to his lore. And while the argument of why him NOT being a previously used actor in a Marvel project makes him stand out from the rest of the Illuminati, him solely portraying the character in a one-off nod to the online community is certainly well within the realm of possibility as the rest of the team don’t seem like locks to return in meaningful roles anytime soon. On that subject, there’s not much merit in the idea that it’s a cut and dry case that John Krasinski is playing Reed Richards solely because he was used as a multiversal Variant. The same logic can be applied to Patrick Stewart’s role as a fellow Illuminati member. Is that supposed to serve as an indicator that he will be the main universe portrayal of Charles Xavier in the MCU? Absolutely not. The first season of Loki clearly established the idea that there can be different faces for different Variants.
The Verdict
While it may not be the most exciting answer, it’s too soon to make a declarative answer on whether or not John Krasinski is playing Reed Richards in the upcoming Fantastic Four film. And it will continue to be the case until we get some more conclusive evidence on what the actor-director’s schedule will look like in the future (namely how involved he is with the third installment of the Quiet Place franchise). If I had to make a personal guess, I truly think we’ve met the main MCU version of Reed Richards with John Krasinski. At the end of the day, deals can be made and scheduling conflicts can be resolved, especially when it comes to being involved in what is bound to become one of Marvel Studios’ flagship franchises. As well, it’s never really been the nature of Marvel Studios to do this type of one-off cameo for an actor/character solely predicated from online discourse. Ultimately though, it now remains a waiting game to hopefully get an official announcement at an event such as San Diego Comic Con 2022 for further news about the direction being take with the Fantastic Four.
Moon Knight‘s finale has introduced us to a new hero, Scarlet Scarab. Layla El-Faouly, who is played by the wonderful May Calawamy, becomes the Avatar of the Egyptian goddess Taweret. Her new heroic alter-ego is strongly inspired by the name her father gave to her, we get introduced to the MCU’s first Egyptian superhero. While the series remained focused on its main hero, it left a lot of questions open on what exactly the future has in store for Layla moving forward. There actually is a storyline that could be used to continue her own story in a Disney+ spinoff.
Some may complain that too many characters are getting their own series, which is understandable given the surprising announcement for Echo and Agatha: House of Harkness. Yet, that’s the potential behind Disney+ to give smaller characters their potential to explore stories that would otherwise be relegated to off-screen. Plus, it gives new creatives and talents to tell a story that otherwise wouldn’t have the chance to. While Mohamed Diab pointed out he’d love to tackle a Moon Knight film next, I do believe there’s a lot here that he could build upon to further explore Scarlet Scarab’s place in the bigger MCU.
The Egyptian pantheon has lost its control, as their Avatars have been killed by Arthur Harrow’s hands to unleash Ammit. While they manage to subjugate him and God, their actions still left behind quite a dangerous power vacuum. They no longer have any Avatars to keep an eye on Earth, and the fact that they literally fell for Harrow’s mischief might have left a rather sour taste in their mouths. That’s not all though, we’ve seen quite a few gods were trapped in a similar way to Khonshu, and with the destruction of their holy place, who knows what may have found its way out of its imprisonment.
There are many moving pieces at play that could put Layla at a rather questionable place, as she was quite reluctant to even become an Avatar, it opens her up to facing an unlikely challenge. The desire to simply give it all back isn’t as simple, something we’ve clearly seen with Khonshu’s hold over Marc Spector. While Taweret isn’t shown to be someone that is self-centered, she may be desperate to somehow keep order with them being the only remaining Avatar for the Egyptian pantheon–not knowing that Khonshu still holding a grip over Marc through another alter.
A conflict of duty and freedom may create a rift between Layla and Taweret, as she becomes unwillingly pulled into a role she never asked for. Her line with the little girl about being an Egyptian superhero had a much bigger weight on her future than she may have bargained for. Yet, it may also help her find a place in the world that she wouldn’t have considered, while also getting a chance of closure with her father, especially as Taweret teased she had talked to him.
Diab’s work in Moon Knight gave us glimpses of the beauty of Egypt, which felt like we’ve only scratched the surface. As Spector returned to London, it would be a shame not to further explore the country and its culture through the eyes of Layla. As great as Marc Spector’s time in that country was, he has a very different connection to it. He was more a gateway than a full embrace, which gave us Layla’s transformation into the Scarlet Scarab, perfectly setting her up as the person to further explore that corner of the MCU.
As for episode 6, finding a specific moment that was worth exploring in terms of its comic counterpart became an issue in and of itself. With Marvel Studios so keen on being as unpredictable as possible when it comes to its storylines, especially its third acts (that obviously also include all series/season finales), the comics end up being referenced in a less obvious way. The thematic correlation is still there, and so being that’s perhaps the way to go about it: Focusing on what the show is trying to do that the comics already did—albeit in different ways—, and what that might hint towards the future of these characters.
Marvel Studios’ Moon Knight Episode 6
Marvel Studios’ Moon Knight Episode 6
Two of the major takeaways from the latest Moon Knight episode were presented in the post-credit scene. There, we found out that despite Marc deciding to go against Khonshu’s will towards killing Harrow, the God of the Moon and the Night Sky was still very much determined to keep his body as his earthly vessel. And with that in mind, his third alter was finally revealed with Jake Lockley making this on-screen debut, showing himself to be the most unhinged and violence-prone of the identities sharing said body. Both these particulars seem to hint at a larger story being told, more connected to Marc’s dissociative identity disorder (DID) than to his superhero endeavors.
Moon Knight #9 (2016)
The relationship between Marc and Khonshu never seemed to be one based on mutual interests, and so this abuse is sure to strain it even further leading to greater altercations down the line. As we watched throughout the show, Marc’s motivations for going along with Khonshu’s greater plan were basically attached to concerns over Layla’s well-being. Even with his prominent sense of duty, the deal he made with Khonshu that led to him becoming his Fist of Vengeance did not seem worth keeping, as death was something Marc welcomed in order to escape his fate. Unless, of course, that meant that Layla would then have to endure his burden. Much as in the aforementioned Lemire/Smallwood run, Marc ends up understanding that a rejection of Khonshu’s ways was absolutely necessary in order for him, even with the other identities, to ever feel comfortable in his own skin.
Marvel Studios’ Moon Knight Episode 6
Marvel Studios’ Moon Knight Episode 6
But this wasn’t always the case as Marc at times determined that the other identities were the issue. It wouldn’t be until later on that he understood that each personality was but a piece of the tapestry that made him whole and that Khonshu was the unnecessary appendage that only kept him down. This is somewhat similar to what we got to see in the show, as the initial confrontations between Marc and Steven then led to one of the best scenes in the entire show when both understood that they were so much less when trying to reject and keep each other at bay. Jake’s introduction will serve the purpose of giving the plot an extra layer of complexity as Marc and Steven will have not only external but also internal threats they must overcome.
Moon Knight #14 (2017)
Khonshu is then proving himself to be, if not the main villain in the series we just watched, the antagonist that will prove the biggest adversary for Marc, Steven, and possibly even Jake. Much as in the comics the several personalities ended up working together in order to obliterate Khonshu’s influence over their shared body, and so too it seems that this might be the way to go in future storylines on future live-action Moon Knight projects.
Moon Knight #14 (2017)
Moon Knight is now streaming, in its entirety, only on Disney+.
In 2008, fans who stuck around through the credits of Iron Man found themselves treated to a tease of greater things to come. At the time, given the nebulous state of the future of Marvel Studios, the tease came without a promise that we’d ever see the Avengers Initiative come to fruition on the big screen. 4 years later, it paid off in The Avengers, rolled out its own post-credit scene that set the stage for the larger narrative that would develop over the next 15 MCU projects. That run, which became known as the Infinity Saga, ended with 2019’s Avengers: Endgame which, ironically, was the first Marvel Studios film to run without a post-credit scene. Now, with the future of Marvel Studios more secure than it has ever been, it’s time for the post-credit scene to die.
Marvel Studios’ Iron Man (2008)Marvel Studios’ Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)
After skipping out on the tradition in Endgame, Marvel Studios brought back the post-credit scene in Spider-Man: Far From Home, the final Phase 3 film. In hindsight, it’s a tradition they should have left behind as they moved into Phase 4. Once a fun source of “water cooler” conversation, the idea has grown beyond itself and evolved into something that’s become part of a parasitic online conversation where the scenes that come AFTER the movie generate more interest and conversation than the movie itself. It’s not a phenomenon limited just to Marvel Studios-Sony used the post-credit scene to Venom: Let There Be Carnage to market the movie-but Marvel Studios started it and now they need to end it.
The conversation around the post-credit scenes poses a multi-faceted problem for Marvel Studios. While they still provide a fun tease of upcoming events, in recent years, more than one post-credit tease hasn’t paid off. For example, after the credits rolled in 2016’s Doctor Strange, audiences learned that Mordo was on a mission to eliminate magic users, especially those who violated natural law. Surely that would mean he’d cross paths with Wanda Maximoff, right? 616-Mordo was nowhere to be seen in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, his role rumored to have been snipped from the film’s final cut. And what about the great Adrian Toomes/Mac Gargan scene at the end of 2017’s Spider-Man: Homecoming? With Doctor Strange’s spell erasing the memory of Peter Parker from everyone’s mind, it seems like the Vulture/Scorpion team-up will never come to pass. Will the tease of Venom in the MCU, set up in the post-credit scene to Spider-Man: No Way Home, have the same fate?
Marvel Studios’ Doctor Strange (2016)Marvel Studios’ Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
The fervor around the content of the post-credit scenes has grown to a point where fans are often more concerned with it than the film itself. Driven by leak culture, the knowledge of the contents of the latest Marvel Studios’ post-credit scene is often a more valuable commodity (more talked about) than the film itself. In fact, after recently attending the premiere of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, almost everyone who asked me about the movie started off by asking, “How many post-credit scenes are there?” and “What’s in them?” It’s concerning that a post-credit scene that may have been shot over a few hours is of more interest than the billion-dollar films the studio is rolling out. And in this case, Marvel Studios delivered one of its worst post-credits scenes to date, though it featured a huge casting spoiler for a big star entering the MCU. But will she? Or will her cameo and the promise it carries be as empty as Mordo’s sorcerer hunt?
As mentioned above, Multiverse of Madness’ post-credit scene, despite featuring 3-time Academy Award-winning actress Charlize Theron as one of Strange’s most important supporting characters, Clea, doesn’t quite carry the same weight as Fury’s post-Iron Man appearance. Despite Theron looking fantastic as Clea, it seemed hastily put together and didn’t really seem to line up with the film’s own ending, making it one of the worst efforts for the studio. What’s more, the drop in quality seems to be a trend in Phase 4 with none of the offerings so far coming near the thrills of introducing the Maximoff twins after The WinterSoldier.
Truly, the post-credit scenes have lost their novelty and have become an unnecessary distraction. Jake Lockley could have easily been put in the body of the final episode of Moon Knight. Sharon Carter’s phone conversation after the credits of the final episode of The Falcon and The Winter Solider may have done more harm than good, causing fans to speculate and theorize wildly about who was on the other end; as has been demonstrated over and over again, this will lead to faux outrage down the road when the speculation turns out wrong and fans will feel slighted. Will Starfox, or any of the Eternals ever be heard from again? No idea, but Harry Styles caused more of a buzz than the actual film. What was once a wink-wink-nudge-nudge to the comic book fans in the audience has become something general audiences are hungrier for than the films to which they are attached. Marvel Studios would serve themselves well by ditching the post-credit scenes. And if fans are still hungry for more, perhaps the studio could bring back One-Shots as a streaming alternative.
Given they distract from the movies, aren’t always followed through on and the disturbing trend in their quality, it really is time for the Marvel post-credit scene to be retired. We’ll always have that kiss between Jane and Thor…before Jane disappeared for a decade.
Marvel Studios has certainly tried to keep major secrets in its last two films. In Spider-Man: No Way Home, for example, the appearances of Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield were rather unsuccessfully guarded. At the time, that film seemed like the secretive film of Phase Four. However, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness blew the Spider-Man film out of the water in terms of the extent and fervor over rumored cameos and plotlines in the film. Back in July, we wrote an article about some of the many rumors at the time. Now that the sequel is out, it is time to start talking about where all those rumors went wrong. This article is a comprehensive list of all of the major rumors and “leaked” cameos that turned out to be untrue.
What Made It In
If you are reading this, you have probably seen the movie, so it won’t take long to recap what did in fact happen. First, let’s take a moment to recognize those rumored characters that made it to the big screen. Of course, most of the Illuminati was ultimately teased in promos before the film was released, but Hayley Atwell’s Captain Carter, Lashana Lynch’s Captain Marvel, Patrick Stewart’s Charles Xavier, John Krasinski’s Reed Richards, and Anson Mount’s Black Bolt joined Chiwetel Ejiofor’s variant Baron Mordo as the now mostly violently-deceased organization.
While Multiverse of Madness did not try too hard to keep it a secret, we now know with certainty that Elizabeth Olsen’s Scarlet Witch was the primary antagonist of the film. Benedict Cumberbatch did play a variant Sinister Strange, but he certainly was not a principal threat in the film. Similarly, Gargantos, the Shuma-Gorath adjacent creature did not play a real villainous role.
Some rumors suggested that Wanda Maximoff would end up the victor of the film, much like Thanos. Others said that she would somehow pull a “reverse” version of one of her most iconic moments in the comics—”No more mutants”. If the Scarlet Witch sticks around the MCU long enough, that is certainly something Marvel Studios may want to eventually adapt. But, she certainly did no form of this in the movie, let alone create mutants in the MCU. While Wanda seemingly sacrificed herself at the end of the movie in an attempt to destroy the Darkhold forever, she certainly did not “win” by commonsense standards, though she easily could have had she not seen the error of her own ways.
Charlize Theron as Clea in the mid-credits scene was arguably the biggest surprise for fans and one example of a cameo rumor that actually turned out to be true. However, some rumors pointed to the character playing a much more significant role in the film. Ultimately, Clea was left as a tease for future stories.
Bruce Campbell garnered much speculation about a cameo given his many comments about the film, his appearance near a shooting location, and his history with director Sam Raimi. Campbell did in fact make what was essentially a goofy cameo during the movie and appeared again to finish the joke in the final post-credits scene.
The Cameos That Weren’t
Let’s be honest. Fan expectations for cameos were through the roof. Given that the Doctor Strange sequel had the capacity to encounter infinite variants, it was not too hard to imagine that we would get some high-profile ones. Still, the number of rumors and “leaks” gave many fans ultimately unrealistic expectations on this front. Let’s take a look.
Deadpool
One of the most popular and believable rumors sadly did not pan out. While the multiverse could have seen a classic funny guy cameo moment from Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool, it was not meant to be.
Amongst all of the Illuminati speculation, one character that found his way into countless credible lists was Balder the Brave. Half-brother and friend of Thor, this would have introduced a relatively unknown character into the star-studded group. Whether that was the reason he ultimately did not appear is unclear, but perhaps viewers can look out for Balder the Brave in future projects, especially with Thor: Love and Thunder just around the corner.
Doctor Strange Supreme
The relationship between the Doctor Strange What If… ? episode and Multiverse of Madness was ultimately just one of inspiration. We knew that darker Doctor Strange variants would appear in the film, and Doctor Strange Supreme from the animated series was quite the fan favorite. The Strange variants in the film may have had some similarities with the animated fellow, but he definitely was not present.
Marvel Studios’ ‘What If… ?’
Monica Rambeau
After her major role in WandaVision, there were hints that perhaps Teyonah Parris‘ Rambeau would return here. Instead, we got a variant of her mother, Maria Rambeau, who became Captain Marvel in the Illuminati’s universe.
Marvel Studios’ ‘WandaVision’
Wolverine
Much of the Multiverse of Madness delirium came from fans’ eagerness to see X-Men and other previous Fox Marvel properties debut in the MCU. Obviously, Professor X’s introduction did just that, but all the rumors that Wolverine would appear turned out not to materialize. It is worth noting, though, that most of these rumors speculated that the iconic X-Men character would not be played by the iconic Wolverine actor Hugh Jackman and instead a new actor would fill those shoes.
Hugh Jackman
Weirdly enough, though, the rumors that a non-Jackman Wolverine would be making an appearance did not stop rumors that Jackmanwould make a cameo as something or someone else. He did not.
Namor
We know that Namor is set to play the adversary in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, but there was plenty of speculation as to whether Tenoch Huerta’s Namor—or a variant—would make an early appearance in the Doctor Strange sequel. The Shuma-Gorath creature named Gargantos in the film, and that monster has connections to Namor in the comics. The Sub-Mariner is also a member of the Illuminati in the comics, so it made some sense. Alas, we will likely have to wait for Wakanda Foreverto meet the character.
Magneto
Maybe one of the more disappointing omissions—whether it was credible or not—was Michael Fassbender’s Magneto. As noted, Charles Xavier sort of took on the Fox-Marvel and X-Men representation in Multiverse of Madness. The beloved antihero and villain will someday arrive in the MCU, but that day has not come.
‘X-Men: Days of Future Past’
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Fans of the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. ABC television series are always hoping for confirmation or signs that the show is canon to the MCU or will be relevant going forward. Fan favorite Chloe Bennet’s Daisy Johnson in particular had some rumors behind her, but there was ultimately nothing to them.
Tobey Maguire
Had the Doctor Strange sequel been released—as originally planned—after Spider-Man: No Way Home, the rumor that Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man would cameo in the film would have been much less believable. But considering he made the journey from his Sony property to the MCU in the Spider-Man film, it seemed more possible. But, as we all know now, it did not happen here.
Ghost Rider
Nicholas Cage returning as Ghost Rider? Sure, why not. But Multiverse of Madness was not the “Look we have rights to all these characters we did not before!” moment many were expecting it to be.
‘Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance’
Tom Cruise
There were some hints in the trailers that including Ultron bots that led fans to think an Iron Man variant would show up. Tom Cruise ended up being the most talked about rumored casting for that ultimately non-existent variant, but some were thoroughly convinced Cruise would make his MCU debut.
Daredevil
While we got Charlie Cox’s Daredevil in No Way Home, another rumor in the same vein as the other speculated Fox characters cameos was that Ben Affleck would reprise his role as the Man Without Fear from his less-than-beloved 2003 film.
‘Daredevil’ (2003)
Agatha Harkness
Expectations that Kathryn Hahn’s Agatha Harkness could make some sort of appearance were pretty fair. The end of WandaVision and comics suggest that the older witch will still have a role to play in Wanda’s life. Still, Wanda ambiguously exited the events of Multiverse of Madness without ever seeking out Harkness or Harkness working her way out of where we left her in Westview.
Kang the Conquerer
After Jonathan Majors’ unexpected appearance at the end of Loki, fans are certainly on edge to see where he may pop up before his villainous role as Kang the Conqueror in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. The character’s connection to the multiverse, as described in the Loki finale, could have in theory made a cameo from Kang make sense. But alas, he was not there.
Marvel Studios’ ‘Loki’
HYDRA Captain America
A famous comics rendition of Captain America is the more recent HYDRA Cap. If it was not obvious, this was a version of Captain America aligned with HYDRA. After Chris Evans’ nod to it in Endgame, it honestly could have been a fun appearance. While Evans seems game to pop up in cameos everywhere in the entertainment industry, this is one where he was absent.
Zombies (Mostly)
Based on some of the trailers and other rumors, more zombies were expected by some. Whether the What If… Zombies!? episode was to be a direct tie in or it was an unrelated zombie universe, it seemed like a strong bet. We did not get zombies, but Doctor Strange inhabiting the body of the dead Defender Strange did provide some zombie vibes.
White Vision
Considering how important Vision is to Wanda’s story combined with the fact that White Vision—introduced in WandaVision—is very much still out there, the idea of a Paul Bettany Vision cameo was not out of left field. The actor even dropped some teases that he might be in Multiverse of Madness. He was not.
Marvel Studios’ ‘WandaVision’
Overall, had many of these cameos actually happened, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness could have been a much different film. Because of the extent of these rumors, some fans expected a movie where Doctor Strange bounced around countless universes and encountered major character cameos in each. Instead, we got a story focused more tightly on Doctor Strange with the Scarlet Witch as his strong adversary. In other words, the film ended up being a great story not weighed down by empty fan service. Even the Illuminati members that did make an appearance were more than just glorified cameos and significantly contributed to the story as well.
All of these non-cameos, or some version of them, may likely show up in the MCU eventually. They just were not inthis movie. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is now playing in theaters.
With just a few lines spoken by John Krasinski’s Reed Richards, Marvel Studios seemingly set its course to its next big event: Secret Wars. The project, once seen as “too big” to be done correctly, is one on the list of projects that Marvel Studios’ favorite sons, Joe and Anthony Russo, have said would bring them back into the fold and one that has swirled around insider circles for a few years now. The first hints to its eventual arrival came during an animated sequence in Loki but the truest indicator of Marvel’s intent to bring the thrice-done comic event to the MCU came in Doctor Strange in The Multiverse ofMadness when Richards briefly explained the concept of Incursions. The concept of Incursions was given all the explanation it needed in the film, but for those unsure of how that concept leads to Secret Wars, we’re here to help.
Incursions made their way into the Marvel Comics lexicon in 2013 when writer Jonathan Hickman introduced the idea in New Avengers Volume 2 when T’Challa witnessed one. As was the case in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, smart guy Reed Richards explained the concept to the audience.
New Avengers #2 (2013)
Over the course of a page and a half, Richards-with the aid of very Hickman-esque illustrations-gives his “Everything Dies” speech in which he explains to the Illuminati that as a result of the early “death” of an alternate Earth, the contraction of the multiverse had begun. The death of that Earth caused the first Incursion, the collision of two other Earths that lead to the destruction of both of them. One Incursion sped up the timeline for another, accelerating the ends of each of the universes in which those Earths existed and it would only be a matter of time before the final Incursion destroyed the entire Multiverse.
New Avengers #2 (2013)
New Avengers #2 (2013)
The Incursion of Earth-616 that T’Challa witnessed was stopped when the Black Swan (a fascinating character who we can only hope makes her way into the MCU) destroyed the other Earth, sparing Earth-616. The knowledge of the Incursions sent the Illuminati scrambling to devise a plan to save their universe. Ultimately, Earth-616 and Earth-1610, the Ultimate universe, were the last standing and as their Incursion began, the heroes of both worlds fought to destroy each other, with both sides ultimately falling short and being destroyed. A group of heroes, led by Richards, who had built a “life raft” found themselves on a new planet known as Battleworld and worked together to unravel the great mystery of where they were and how Doctor Doom came to be in charge. Those events made up the 2015 event Secret Wars, which takes us right back to where we began. Marvel Studios is building towards an adaptation of Secret Wars.
Avengers #44 (2015)
If you’ve paid attention for a few years, you’ve heard it from me that this event was in the making, but this is the closest Marvel Studios has come to admitting it. And with JohnKrasinski’s Reed Richards-who VERY closely resembles the Richards written by Hickman over his time on the Fantastic Four, New Avengers, and Secret Wars- being given the job of explaining the concept of Incursion to the MCU audience, it seems like it will indeed be Hickman’s version of Secret Wars that is adapted, rather than either of the previous comic events. Hickman’s version is by far the most cinematic of the options available but is also problematic in that it is loaded with dense scientific concepts that might make for a tough sell to general audiences. As we know, Marvel Studios doesn’t go with straight page-to-screen adaptations of their comic book stories, so it’s more likely than not that the MCU’s Secret Wars will simply be 616 vs. 1610, allowing for dead heroes to reappear as their 1610 counterparts. What does this mean for Doctor Doom, the Molecule Man, and other characters who played a huge role in the comic event? Probably nothing good.
It is interesting to see that Marvel Studios has chosen Stephen Strange’s sequel to lead the charge to Secret Wars. Strange does play a key role in the 2015 event as one of Doom’s right hand, but readers would certainly not consider him “central” to the story. Whatever the case, we are likely still at least 3 years away from Secret Wars and there’s lots of building to be done, but with the mention of Incursion, it should now be clear to fans that the project is now the inevitable end to the developing Multiverse Saga.
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