Category: Features

Connecting Imaginary Dots: Ethan Hawke is Playing The Profile in ‘MOON KNIGHT’

The Moon Knight Disney+ series that is currently filming in Budapest has, ever since its announcement, been at the top of the list for many fans. That is solely due to how the character might allow for some of the most eccentric pieces of storytelling Marvel Studios has ever put on the big or small screen. Those expectations surrounding the show were later increased when Oscar Isaac signed on to play Marc Spector as well as early this year when academy nominee Ethan Hawke joined the project in, at the time, an undisclosed villainous role.

But last night, while being interviews on Late Night with Seth Meyers, Hawke might have given us enough clues to finally figure out who he’s playing in the upcoming Marvel Studios show. While recalling how Isaac was the one who approached him personally to join him on the project, he said:

I was at a coffee shop and he came up to me and (…) he went “Hey want to be The… want to be in the Moon Knight [series] with me?” and I was like “Yeah!”
Ethan Hawke

It almost slipped out after he had just mentioned how he had to sign several non-disclosure agreements before joining the show. And here, he seemed to have stopped mid-sentence, backtracked a little, and then and rephrased the encounter in another way, but that “The” still sticks out. Going back to a rumor from last September, Moon Knight was looking for an actress to play “a manipulative operative in a secret organization”. Given how this hints at The Committee, “a secret organization of anonymous businessmen and financiers”. Connecting these dots, Ethan Hawke could potentially be playing a character with deep ties to The Committee, and who usually is referred to as The Profile.

Being a character that has the ability to read people, this is something that also goes along with another tidbit shared by Hawke in the interview. He claims to have based his character on David Koresh, the leader of the Branch Davidians cult behind the Waco massacre in 1993. Koresh managed to manipulate his congregation leading to their demise, displaying a personality that allowed for people to open themselves to him, perhaps sharing what they didn’t intend. And this is yet another aspect that might connect to The Profile’s abilities. Another one being his slick look from the comics, similar to the look Hawke is sporting.

The Profile is known to have been both an ally and an enemy to Moon Knight. If we’re indeed having an actor of Hawke‘s caliber play a character with such duality to it can only mean good things regarding the upcoming series. Of course, Moon Knight has quite an extensive rogue’s gallery and there are many other candidates that he could play, but The Profile would make for an unconventional enemy for the Marvel hero to face. We’ll still have to wait for a confirmation on who he is playing, but if you are interested in checking out the interview, you can do so here:

Source: YouTube

August 13, 2021
How ‘SWEET TOOTH’ Season 2 Could Take a Different Route From the Comics

Netflix gave us the sweetest bit of news announcing Sweet Tooth will be returning for a second season on the streaming service. The series, based on the popular comic of the same name made its debut to outstanding reviews from critics. It even became one of the streamers highest viewed series with over 60 million accounts tuning into the series. Sweet Tooth was only two million away from The Queens Gambit‘s viewers.

It follows a hybrid deer boy named Gus, who is off looking for his mother. In his journey, he is accompanied by a human named Jeppered. Together traverse the end of the world. While no adaption follows its source material 100%, Sweet Tooth seems to be heading in a similar direction as the original comic going by the first season ended. So, let’s take a closer look at what the second season has in store for us.

If you want to remain completely unspoiled, we will discuss the ending of the comics in this section. Only continue at your own risk.

The end of the first season saw Becky pick up a signal on a walkie-talkie, but can’t make it out. The voice on the other side of the transmission turns out to be Gus’ mother, Birdie, who made her way to Alaska in search of a cure. It’s the same place they end up in the comics to uncover the truth behind the recent events. With Gus captured by the last men and Jeppered MIA, it might take a bit before they can head that way. Alaska is where the story culminates to reveal the truth behind Gus. Essentially, he is a god or rather the clone of one.

In the comics, we’re taken back to 1911 when Dr. James Thacker set off to Alaska to find his brother-in-law, Louis Simpson. He found a home in Alaska and chose to stay, marrying and eventually fathering a child with one of the Inuit women he found there. The child was like Gus, a deer-boy, but was the reincarnation of Tekkietsertok. The being is known as the native god of hunting.

Thacker and his men massacre the Inuits and throw the child into a cave, disturbing the resting place of many ancient native gods. It’s these events that release the plague. All the men ended up dying and the plague would end there. Yet, it returned when all of the gods were cloned into new hybrids once again and started the events of the comic.

This revelation essentially answers the question of what came first, the hybrids or the plague. It could very well be the direction the series is heading in, but there is one thing the series has yet to touch. In the comics, it’s the religious influence that drives the story forward with Dr. Singh finding Gus’ dad’s book. He’s the reason they make their way to Alaska in the first place.

With Birdie already there, we could see another origin for Gus play out, especially since he seemed to be the only bi-product of his mother’s initial experiment. As of now, the other native god clones are absent. They could take a less religious influence and simply see the plague as a result of them playing god.

Source: THR

August 12, 2021
The Brilliance Behind ‘WHAT IF…?’

Ever since disclosing its Phase 4 lineup, Marvel Studios has been pretty straightforward in that it’s making the Multiverse a reality within the MCU. From the Doctor Strange sequel title to the way Loki played out. We also can’t forget the cameos set to appear in Spider-Man: No Way Home, as we are heading down a very strange yet fascinating rabbit hole. It’s a concept that, if done right, can propel the MCU to new heights, but that comes with a few hurdles along the way. And What If…? seems like the right way to try and overcome some of those.

As we’ve heard many times, the possibilities in terms of storylines are now pretty much endless. There’s an infinite number of universes with an infinite number of characters defining their own paths in an infinite number of ways. In order to capture the magnitude of all of this, Marvel Studios needs to step up and not limit itself in terms of what it will and will not feature in upcoming projects. To barely scratch this concept’s surface would feel like a disservice to audiences that have now been led to believe that anything can happen. This means bringing into the franchise a significant number of new characters, stemming from all those infinite possibilities the MCU has opened itself to.

By introducing those new characters, or Variants as we’ve learned to call them, that’ll end up playing an important role going forward, you now need to make sure audiences acknowledge the differences between them. You need to make sure those same differences are felt on a deep level in order to make them appear singular. As such, it becomes more meaningful. Spider-Man: No Way Home is somewhat bypassing all those concerns by bringing back variations of characters people already have a connection with, which is certainly one way to go about it. It is something that might happen with a few more characters down the line. But as for all the others, you needed a vehicle to let them shine and present themselves before bringing them into the larger picture. And that’s where the What If…? concept proves a worthy one.

By giving us an anthology-like format, where every week we’ll be presented with updated characters with new motivations, as well as coming from new universes with different paradigms to them, you allow for a higher number of character introductions at a faster pace. There is no need for a long-form story. We’re basically being given plot beats that are already familiar, but that still need to be seen in a different light. As we eventually approach an event where most universes are brought together in live-action, the time given to all these variants will be worth it as it will make their introductions all the more impactful.

In terms of the style of the show, you can’t hide from the fact that we’re getting the first animated MCU series. And even though it may help in terms of bringing in a whole new segment of younger fans, it’s a choice that ultimately respects the scale and scope of the universes these characters must live and thrive in. Following a decade of movies where the MCU has gone to outer space, featured battles with armies of thousands, introduced time travel and magic, you needed to maintain the level spectacle that we‘ve come to expect from Marvel properties. Through animation, it’s easier (and cheaper, thus making it viable) to bring to life all the sets and setpieces needed to elevate each reality to the grand scale of their Sacred Timeline counterpart.

By going the animation route also makes it feasible to bring back so many familiar faces, even if not all of the actors are returning. Not mentioning the money that would have to be involved to get entire casts to return had these been live-action roles, the sheer magnitude of the scheduling would probably prevent many of the appearances we will end up getting on the show. By allowing each role to be recorded at a convenient time (perhaps lending to some lackluster vocal performances), scheduling conflicts are averted, and the story can go wherever it wants to with no limitations in terms of who can and cannot make an appearance.

So being, What If…? is instilling the MCU with a much-needed variety of universes that seem to manage to live up to the possibilities the MCU opened itself to. On paper, it seems to be just what the MCU needed going forward. With both its format and its style pointing in the right direction, all that’s left to be seen is if what matters most, the character development that’s been at the heart of the MCU’s success manages to deliver.

August 11, 2021
Abby Will Be the Heart of ‘The Last of Us: Part III’

I imagine that a lot of people clicked on this article out of anger, and I sort of get it. Laura Bailey‘s Abby Anderson is not the most universally loved character in the history of video games. Even if a lot of that hate comes from less-than-desirable places. For a lot of fans, she is the person who killed Troy Baker‘s soulful southern brute, Joel. She brought out the worst in everyone’s favorite protagonist, Ashley Johnson‘s Ellie. And yet, despite all of this, she may be the franchise’s best shot at an actual happy ending. In fact, it almost feels like the most recent game went out of its way to set her up as the heart of a hypothetical third installment.

Let’s get this out of the way early. Ellie Williams, as Japanese gaming manuals like to call her, was not the hero of The Last of Us Part II. If someone wanted to do a little psychological digging, this fact is probably part of the reason so many gamers took issue with Abby’s role in the first place. She provided players with a viewpoint that allowed them to see the atrocities Ellie was committing. When we follow the events of the game through Ellie’s eyes, we feel her pain, and we want Joel’s killers to meet their end just as badly as she does.

Yet, when the game switches perspectives, Abby’s experiences suddenly show us our protagonist murdering relatively innocent people, including a pregnant woman. Players witness the true consequences of Joel’s killing spree at the end of the first game. It’s a hard pill to swallow, and one that left a lot of emotionally invested fans feeling understandably drained.

Ellie has been the core of The Last of Us from the very beginning. Even with early advertising propping up Joel as the story’s leading man, fans could tell that it was the young Elliot Page look-alike, doing battle against fungal beasts, that would steal the show. Franchise creator Neil Druckmann has even stated that, despite her supporting role in the game, he often viewed The Last of Us as Ellie’s coming-of-age story. It was perhaps this focus, and Johnson‘s likability, that blinded most of us from the path Ellie had been set on.

The true twist of Part II is that like Joel before her, Ellie is not able to overcome her darkest emotions when it truly matters. By the time she comes around, she’s lost her family, her ability to play music, and her sense of purpose in life. There is not an obvious driving force compelling her forward into another adventure. It’s mostly just a sense of regret and emptiness. On the other hand, a seen-better-days Abby closes Part II having let go of her hatred. She even has a goal in mind. Alongside the arrow-savvy Lev, she is going to find the Fireflies and help repair humanity. Her actions embody the philosophy of the franchise: “life goes on.”

The paramount scene of the original game was not the heartbreaking choice made at the hospital. It was, as we all felt, the overwhelmingly tender moment in which Joel and Ellie saw giraffes. After hours of playing through extreme violence and seeing the world at its very worst, we still manage to be awe-struck by the beauty of a loving long-necked mammal. That is what The Last of Us is really all about. It’s about reaching your lowest point, scraping the bottoms of the filthiest barrels, and coming back from it all with a new lease on life. Abby has seemingly done this, we meet her at her lowest and watch her develop beyond that point, but Ellie has just hit rock bottom. To conclude the trilogy on a more positive note, a third game should feature Ellie’s climb back to the top.

She may have drawn initial criticism from certain sects of the fandom, but whether they like it or not, it feels like Ellie’s happy ending is tied to whatever Abby does next. I won’t propose a full-blown plot for The Last of Us Part III, but if Druckmann and company want to go full circle, they could do a lot worse than having Ellie seek out the Fireflies one last time. Perhaps this time, she can do it on her own terms, with a mindless clouded by aggression. Abby, Lev, and their Fireflies will be the light at the end of her long, weary tunnel. They will be her giraffes, and maybe she can find the peace she’s never been comfortable having.

August 11, 2021
Marvel Studios’ Phase 4: A Study in Loss and Tragedy

With the conclusion of Loki‘s first season, a theme is emerging in Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Multiverse. Our heroes might not win as much as we’d like them to. Even victories could turn out costly at this point. Between episodes 4 and 5, I began to think about how Ant-Man and the Wasp would fare against Kang the Conqueror in his earliest introduction. By the time the Disney+ series had concluded, I was beginning to feel like maybe our heroes might experience a lot of loss in the coming projects.

With no major crossovers confirmed, and Kevin Feige saying “Phase Four was always about continuing in new ways,” it seems Marvel Studios could be allowing room for our heroes to lose more than they win for the foreseeable future. Let’s look through the Phase Four projects and estimate what chances our heroes have, may it be a costly victory, an outright loss, or even an outright win. It could give us a glimpse of what shape Phase Four might take. In counting costly wins in opposition to clear wins, I am weighing that the toll from a conflict undoes a sense of achievement and damages long-term progress.

What If

With the official trailer showing hints of an interconnected story that might not be solved in this season and the rumors that we’ll see a live-action Captain Carter in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, it can be suggested the Guardians of the Multiverse might not win clearly in their first team-up. Will they mistakenly unleash something that will tangle with Doctor Strange? Will the whole team make it to the film? We’ll have to tune in from August 11th to find out.

Estimated Verdict: Costly win.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

As Shang-Chi is drawn into a confrontation with his father Wenwu and the Ten Rings organization, in an attempt to escape from his past, it’s clear as all superhero daddy issues are, that there will be some loss even in victory. However, with this particular tale, it seems there could be a reasonably high chance of a respectful conclusion to this father-son conflict.

Estimated Verdict: Clear win.

Ms. Marvel

Kamala Khan will gain polymorphous abilities and uncover a new side of what it means to be a hero. She’ll also probably be tracked and chased by people fearful of those powers. That is not all, as she will also be dealing with being a teenage Pakistani-American growing up in Jersey City. While she’ll be heading onto a cosmic adventure in The Marvels, it’s hard to imagine Kamala losing or winning at a cost.

Estimated Verdict: Clear win.

Eternals

As a race of immortal beings who have shaped Earth’s history, it’s difficult to see how the Eternals could truly lose. However, in the comics, there is often a traitor in their midst. Plus, despite their cosmic power levels, some members decide to be amongst humans while others prefer to take their places amongst the stars. It’s easy to imagine the team splitting and the stories continuing in different Earthbound and cosmic locations.

Estimated Verdict: Costly win.

Hawkeye

It could be a bad time for Clint, as the series will take inspiration from Matt Fraction and David Aja’s My Life as a Weapon comic run. Luckily, it seems as though his protégé Kate Bishop and Pizza Dog will be there to support him. He’ll face attacks from Kazi and the Tracksuit Mafia. Even Yelena Belova joins the fray, who will be out to avenge her sister and Clint’s friend, Natasha, due to a misunderstanding. They’ll also come across Echo, whose comic connection as Kingpin’s adoptive daughter could suggest an upcoming overarching story at the street level of the MCU. While Kate Bishop will undoubtedly continue as Hawkeye, maybe Clint will finally retire at the third time of trying.

Estimated Verdict: Costly win

Spider-Man: No Way Home

With Peter Parker’s identity being released publicly at the end of Far From Home, it stands to reason that the villains will target Peter personally, which could result in a heavy cost even in the event of a win. With the rumors of classic villains from other Spider-Man franchises joining the film, it looks like Peter has a tough battle ahead.

Estimated Verdict: Costly win.

She-Hulk

Besides having to deal with superhero-oriented legal cases, Jennifer Walters will have to take on the Abomination, Titania, and reportedly even The Wrecking Crew. All that while watching out for an Infinity Gauntlet-injured Professor Hulk. Don#t forget, she also has to balance her professional life with what will likely be at least one career-defining case. I would not be surprised if She-Hulk smashing the money trail of one of her cases leads to a much wider street-level conspiracy, leading to a bigger and more dangerous confrontation.

Estimated Verdict: Costly win.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

With Loki unleashing the multiverse and the Scarlet Witch prophesied to have “power [that] exceeds that of the Sorcerer Supreme,” it’s clear to me Doctor Strange will have a tough time on his hands. I don’t expect any major deaths, but I think it’s unlikely Wanda won’t get what she wants. The bigger question is, who will face the biggest loss throughout the multiversal adventure.

Estimated Verdict: Clear loss.

Moon Knight

Moon Knight’s complexity as a vigilante suffering from dissociative identity disorder with multiple distinct personalities is only matched by the problem of possibly being the chosen avatar of Egyptian God, Khonshu. Or is it all in Marc Spector’s head? If he is real, would his goals come at the price of his sanity? In all likelihood, the situation will get worse for Marc before it gets better.

Estimated Verdict: Costly win

Thor: Love & Thunder

Gorr The God Butcher is coming for the pantheons of aliens that claim to be gods. While Thor will have lots of support, his track record in clean wins is not high, and it’s easy to see how Gorr will cause some damage that could be hard to recover from. As Thor: Ragnarok taught us, Thor’s victories always come at a price. Hopefully, this time it isn’t something the Asgardians have to pay as well.

Estimated Verdict: Costly win

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

By opening up to the world Wakanda has risked quite a lot, and alongside having to manage a new throne succession process, they will reportedly have to deal with Prince Namor and his oceanic kingdom. If this conflict goes anything like how it goes down in the comic, the Wakandans tribes will need to band together to withstand the waters coming at them.

Estimated Verdict: Costly win

Secret Invasion

This will clearly differ from the comic arc of the same name. For now, little is known about how it might turn out and what new twists they’ll add to the iconic storyline. However, Nick Fury and Talos discovering that a secret sect of Skrull has every level of life on Earth seems like a scenario that can’t be won cleanly. It also feels like it could lead to a galactic clash in The Marvels.

Estimated Verdict: Costly win

The Marvels

Although Carol defeated the Kree Supreme Intelligence, which is seemingly no longer in charge of the Kree Empire in modern times, there are almost certainly still extremists roaming the galaxy. Ronan The Accuser was most likely not the only one believing in their old traditions. It seems like Carol, Monica, and Kamala could be caught in the start of a reignition of the massive galactic war between the Kree and Skrull, where there are few winners.

Estimated Verdict: Costly win

Echo

Amidst Maya Lopez debuting as Echo in Hawkeye, there is a reasonable chance her comic father issues could extend into an overarching story in her own show. Having such closely tied connections pointing in a direction she will likely be turning away from suggests any about-turn could be painful for her.

Estimated Verdict: Costly win

Ironheart

Little is known about what genius inventor Riri Williams’ first adventure as Ironheart will entail. Although, there are some theories we might see her sooner than her own show. It’s fair to assume that Riri will be able to solve any problems thrown at her initially. She might get a slow introduction into the dangers of being a hero.

Estimated Verdict: Clear win

Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania

While Ant-Man and the Wasp will likely be joined by Cassie Lang’s Stature, it’s hard to envisage that they’ll truly defeat Kang the Conqueror. Even if they do manage to strike a blow upon him, surely another Kang Variant will appear from a Timedoor to continue the previous Variant’s mission. It may only be our first introduction to how fearsome the Conqueror truly is throughout the multiverse.

Estimated Verdict: Clear loss.

Armor Wars

Rhodey has already suffered quite a bit in his tenure as War Machine, but his best friend’s legacy doesn’t feel like something that could be easy to put to bed, especially when Star’s technology falls into the wrong hands. Although Rhodey will likely solve the imminent danger, some of the nastier technologies Tony created are bound to persist and make his life a living hell.

Estimated Verdict: Costly win

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

This outing is likely to be the last of this iteration of the team, so it is easy to envision that they might be heading for a split. Even if they do defeat whatever threat they are up against, there might also be some major deaths from the Guardians’ ranks, making this adventure a high-priced victory. We’ve seen in the past that James Gunn doesn’t shy away from exploring a story of loss.

Estimated Verdict: Costly win

So having looked at how our heroes might fare in their next adventures, I think it’s fair to say that the majority of confirmed Phase Four projects are not clear wins for our heroes. While this being the start of a new saga, many heroes are continuing from previous arcs. There is a decent amount of room for them to suffer major setbacks. Perhaps in some ways, this part of the second saga is in tribute to The Empire Strikes Back. At least in the way, it might dish out painful truths and physical humblings. It could also set the stage for even more powerful emotional moments and team-ups than the Infinity Saga before multiple teams have to find a way to band together against an even worse threat eventually.

Source: YouTube

August 10, 2021
‘Mortal Kombat’ Sequel Could Become an HBO Max Exclusive

2021 has been an interesting year for Warner Bros. They’ve tested out their new strategy of releasing films in theaters and on their HBO Max streaming service. It included the likes of Godzilla vs. Kong, Mortal Kombat, and recently The Suicide Squad. We sadly have little insight into how these projects perform on the streaming service. It’s a hotly debated topic as the usual Box Office performances aren’t the best metric to get a feel for a project’s success.

One of the surprises is how well Mortal Kombat seems to be performing on the streaming service. The gaming adaptation is reportedly the best performing weekend release on the service and according to analysts Samba TV, it also dominated the second quarter in US households with 6M watching it on the service. It was far ahead of Those Who Wish Me Dead, Disney+’s Cruella, or The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It.

Curious how some of this past spring's direct-to-streaming movies fared? Our Q2 2021 State of Viewership Report takes a look back at some of Q2's biggest releases.

Download the full report here: https://t.co/M3g6IvEkPs #SambaTVInsights #MortalKombat #Cruella pic.twitter.com/ykGKEqW4Y8

— Samba TV (@samba_tv) August 10, 2021

Reportedly, The Suicide Squad took the second spot of most-watched film on the streaming service, which might hint at a strong performance for R-rated projects. It also performed decently during the first recovery months of the Box Office, as it took the top spot with $22.5M. Yet, its streaming dominance could be an indicator for Warner Bros. to build upon its success and release a sequel for HBO Max exclusively.

There still has been no official renewal for a sequel, but it seems likely as any film currently faces Box Office troubles during the pandemic. Still, we know the service is looking into creating exclusive films for the service base don DC properties. Batgirl and Blue Beetle are already confirmed. It wouldn’t be too surprised if they’d consider adding Mortal Kombat to the list. Perhaps they’d even explore a TV series instead to give the many characters more character.

Source: Twitter

August 10, 2021
Multiverse Discourse: Exploring 5 Potential ‘What If…?’ Stories

The upcoming Disney+ series, What If…? is set to explore vast new realities in the Marvel Cinematic Multiverse. It’ll flip the scripts on the many films and stories we’ve witnessed over the years. The show can truly pan out in several unexpected ways, and it’ll leave the imagination to wander in how many ways events could have gone differently. We already know a couple of the scenarios that are meant to take place, like Agent Carter receiving the Super Soldier serum, and Yondu picking up T’Challa instead of Peter Quill. But with an infinite number of realities, there are so many potential concepts and events that this show could explore. This is why we turned to the wonderful people in our Knowhere Discord server and asked them to come up with possible new What If scenarios they would like to see play out in future seasons of the show.

What if Wanda Maximoff Became the Sorcerer Supreme?

In this alternate reality, Wanda Maximoff would have gone through the same journey as Doctor Strange. She sets out to search for Kamar-Taj in hopes of looking for an understanding of her power. Upon finding it and meeting the Ancient One, rather than meeting Tilda Swinton‘s version of the character, it is Agatha Harkness holding the mantle. This is would set up quite the twist on what the audience would normally come to expect. The idea of Harkness defeating the Ancient One and taking her place as the Sorcerer Supreme has many implications. She transformed Kamar-Taj into a new coven to train the next generation of witches. Wanda taking on her mantle and follow in the witch’s footsteps would be quite a fascinating storyline.

What if Mysterio’s Original Plan Worked?

In this particular scenario, we explore a universe in which Quentin Beck’s identity was never figured out by Peter in Far From Home. In this reality, the audience would get the opportunity to see what a world with Mysterio in a position of power, similar to the likes of Iron Man or Captain America, would look like. If his plan had worked, the governments of the world would grant him access to power and weaponry. He would continue his fantasy of being a hero and fight fake enemies all around with illusions and such. As time would go on, however, and given how unstable he was, he could have potentially fallen prey to his own illusions and end up escalating the situation. It could even lead to governments potentially taking nuclear action and plunging the world into potential chaos.

What if Quicksilver Survived?

This was an idea that had always been played around with since the release of Avengers: Age of Ultron. Given how the MCU played out following the events of the film, it would have been interesting to see what role Pietro could’ve had in Captain America: Civil War. Imagine a scenario in which Pietro joins Tony’s side after understanding his guilt. The idea of Pietro and Wanda being on opposite sides of the confrontation would add a curious twist to the original storyline. And if Pietro continued to survive even into Avengers: Infinity War, it opens up the question of how he would move on with his life after losing his sister to the Snap. What could he have done in those past 5 years?

What if the Villains Fought Thanos?

Fan-Art piece by Saif Z.K and Leroy Fernandes.

Our Discord very much supported this idea and had many concepts as to how this particular scenario could have played out. In a world where every single hero failed to defeat their proper villain, it introduces a scenario in which each respective villain dominated an aspect of the MCU. Yet, if Thanos threatened the villains’ way of life by continuing with his plan to wipe out half of the universe, it would be an interesting play on the events of Infinity War with all the villains joining forces to ultimately do an act of good, not to save the universe, but save themselves.

What if Coulson Died in Captain Marvel?

One of the pitches from our Discord members centers around an important character when it comes to the formation of the Avengers. If Coulson had died in Captain Marvel, then the ripple effects of this would have led to Fury remaining a lower-ranked SHIELD agent, leaving Earth defenseless against the Chitauri Invasion. As such, Loki becomes the King of Midgard. He would take control of Black Widow, Iron Man, and Captain America, much like he did to Hawkeye in the first Avengers film. Following the battle, Fury would have to take the lead and form an unlikely team consisting of Thor, Hulk, the Ancient One, Ant-Man (Hank Pym), Black Panther (King T’Chaka), and Captain Marvel. It ends up with a battle against Loki and his own team of superpowered villains.

August 10, 2021
REVIEW: ‘What If…?’ Is a Fun Exploration of the Multiverse

The idea of live-action stories living in harmony with animated stories in one cohesive canon is a dream I’ve had for the MCU for a decade. When Star Wars started doing it back in the day, there was an excitement to it. Invigorating energy that made George Lucas’ world feel truly alive in a way that his live-action films couldn’t come close to. The Clone Wars was an incredible dissection and reconstruction of all the things Lucas wanted to make cool with his Prequel trilogy but failed to do. The medium of animation allowed for all that. The palette artists have is essentially limitless. They can conjure whatever they want and how they want it. Whatever concept they couldn’t execute smoothly in live-action could now be done in an unbridled fashion. The animation was at one point the future of Star Wars and those shows proudly waved that distinction.

What If…? makes that dream come true for me, an experiment in its own right to expand the MCU in ways unexpected. It dissects all the things that make the MCU so good and reconstructs them in ways that feel alive. Through the ethereal voice of Jeffrey Wright, Kevin Feige dares pose the question, “What if the MCU as we know it turned out differently?” The result feels ambitious in a lot of aspects. The show attempts to be visually distinct from most superhero animated shows out there. It boasts an ensemble of actors that would make any animated show jealous. And it’s filled with premises that deepen the tapestry of the MCU.

Not every bit of it works but the ones that do make the show worth watching. If anything, What If…?’s biggest strength lies in its titular premise. What if Steve Rogers didn’t become Captain America? What if Ultron won? What if Fury’s Big Week didn’t go as planned? And like most Marvel films nowadays, these quirky premises are underpinned by genre trappings. One episode has a hard-boiled mystery tone to it while another has a heist tone akin to Ant-Man. These tonal flourishes accent the entire package, imbuing them with excitement that goes beyond an interesting logline.

What If…? also hones in on the best parts of the movies which are the character interactions. When making Infinity War and Endgame, one of the things the Russo Brothers as well as Markus and McFeeley made sure to thoroughly explore was the unlikely character pairings i.e. who would have the most interesting moment with who. It’s why you end up with a moment where Groot and Steve Rogers introduce themselves to one another. It’s how moments like Nebula and Stark bonding while marooned in space are created. The guys making What If…? understand that part of the assignment.

Perhaps what they didn’t understand was that getting marquee movie stars won’t always equate to good voice acting. What If…?’s vocal performances are its biggest drawback. It ranges from being decent in the films to sounding eerily unrecognizable. The whole thing is this weird uncanny valley situation where it should sound familiar since it’s the actual actors voicing them but ends up feeling so disjointed to what we’re familiar with. Some of the performances feel like they were done in a bubble as if they just sat in a booth with their pages and no reference of what’s happening on screen. Some voices are over-the-top and stiff while some are true to the performances in the films. It’s frustratingly inconsistent.

To point out the bad voice performances of the actual MCU actors in light of the mixed reactions everyone had hearing some other guy voice Tony Stark in the trailers feels ironic now. Having heard non-MCU, real voice actors inhabit these characters feels surprisingly okay. It’s a placebic feeling in that it’s easier to accept someone who’s not Sebastian Stan fumble at sounding perfectly like Bucky than it is to accept Sebastian Stan himself failing to replicate the Bucky he does in live-action. On one hand, it’s a testament to how infused these characters and actors have become. The slight difference in performance and even voice quality feels unnatural. On the other hand, the bad performances make the experience less special and sometimes unsettling.

Visually, it looks fine. They get points for trying something different despite it not always working The show’s cel-shaded 3D animation feels rigid at certain moments but when it gets good, it looks really graceful. The style comes to life whenever a big fight scene takes place and really, in a show like this, that’s what matters. Though in an interview we did with director Bryan Andrews, he admitted that they wanted to go full big-budget 2D with the show which would have been incredible. A lot of 2D animated shows nowadays feel cheap. Even Invincible, for all the acclaim and love that show got, looked really rusty at times. Knowing that this show could have brought back good 2D animation makes me feel wistful.

Among the three episodes screened for press, my least favorite has to be the Captain Carter one which is unfortunate because the character is the show’s most important one. It’s not that it was bad but it’s the episode that plays the story the straightest. It riffs on the first Captain America movie real hard up until the end with no monumental deviation other than Peggy Carter is Captain America. What If…? is all about exploring multiple big ideas in one episode and Episode 1 seems to just focus on one. Episodes 2 and 3, however, go big with their subversions. Episode 3 finally tells the story of Fury’s Big Week, a story only explored in a tie-in comic prior to the show but then throws a big curveball, causing a series of escalating twists.

But the T’Challa Star-Lord episode is something else. At a glance, it’s a fun twist on the Guardians of the Galaxy ensemble but the deeper subtext of the episode’s themes about home and family hit harder now that Chadwick Boseman is gone. The episode marks the actor’s final performance and it just plays so powerfully. People are sure to feel something when they watch it. Overall, What If…? is sure to scratch the itch for fans awaiting the next big live-action release. The premises are fun. The easter eggs are abundant. The cameos will send fans into lengthy discourses in the forums. It’s a great addition to the MCU.

August 10, 2021
Connecting Imaginary Dots: Jude Law and Shamier Anderson to join ‘The Marvels’

As production continues on the set of The Marvels, little by little, more information regarding the sequel has started to trickle its way out from the set. And thanks to this information, we could potentially see the return of one of Captain Marvel’s adversaries return for the sequel, as well as a brand new addition to the cast. IMDB is always hit or miss, thus the exercise in connecting imaginary dots.

According to an IMDb report of the full cast & crew listing, John Humber, who was part of the production of Captain Marvel, is now reportedly once again working on set as the assistant to Jude Law, who portrayed the character of Yon-Rogg in 2019’s Captain Marvel.

Yon-Rogg served as one of Captain Marvel’s most important mentors before revealing his true nature as the main antagonist to Brie Larson’s Carol Danvers. When we last saw him, he was defeated by Captain Marvel and sent off back to the Kree home world of Hala, no doubt in order to report his failures to the Supreme Intelligence. But in the chronological events of the MCU timeline, that happened nearly 30 years prior to the events of Avengers: Endgame, set in the Summer of 2023. So, with Law returning as Yon-Rogg, it will be fascinating to see what sort of change he has undergone since the events of his first appearance in Captain Marvel.

Another interesting detail on this IMDb cast & crew list is the participation of Samantha Jackson, who has reportedly joined the production of The Marvels as the assistant of Shamier Anderson. Anderson’s role, if the listing is accurate, remains to be seen, but the speculation about him playing another Marvel in a film titled The Marvels is sure to happen. Anderson is currently set to appear in the upcoming John Wick 4 film and has also appeared in projects such as Stowaway, Awake, Wynonna Earp, Goliath, and City of Lies.

Both of these actors, if their IMDB listings are accurate, will be set to join the ranks of Brie Larson, Iman Vellani, and Teyonah Parris, who will reprise their respective MCU roles once again. They would also join franchise newcomers Zawe Ashton and Park Seo-Joon. Nia DaCosta will helm the film.

Source: IMDb

August 9, 2021
‘Black Widow’ and ‘The Suicide Squad’ Showcase Streaming’s Biggest Hurdle: A Lack of Transparency

There’s a major shift in the cinematic landscape happening as we speak. Up until before the pandemic hit, Netflix dominated the streaming landmark. We never found out just how successful their projects were, but saw their subscription numbers continue to grow. Now, Disney+, Apple+, and HBO Max have entered the market. In addition, we’ve entered a year when major motion pictures no longer are theater-only releases. HBO Max and Disney+ Premier Access offer accessibility to popular films in different ways. It’s taken a bite out of their Box Office numbers and shows we’re adapting to a brand-new market.

Disney+ is a very special case due to Disney doing something rather surprising. They’ve released the opening weekend sales of their Premier Access showings. Yet, they only did it as of Black Widow and never followed up on it. So, its success is up in the air due to no transparency if those numbers have changed at all since the initial opening weekend. Samba TV claimed its US market doubled over the course of the second, which would be insane considering it already made 60M in one weekend. A lawsuit followed by Scarlett Johansson to claim its digital release hampered her initial contract and is still an ongoing discussion to this day.

There’s also the uncertainty surrounding HBO Max. The Suicide Squad opened to a lower than expected Box Office, as it failed to hit its initial $30M prediction. The Delta variant is still considerable across the world and is hampering Box Office results alongside other key factors. HBO Max offers the film for free with a same-day release as theaters. Once again, we only know how it’s doing in theaters, but not on the service. We are reliant on Samba TV to give us information to guess if it’s a streaming success or not. We commonly only find out when an executive likes to share a success story, like he did today with The Suicide Squad being their second most-watched film during its simultaneous theater release.

We’re entering a new generation where a film’s success will be more than its Box Office income and physical sales. Just releasing information during its launch does not give a great estimate of a film’s overall performance. Plus, it seems like these metrics are more a PR move rather than useful information if it’s not communicated consistently. As we enter the new era, it’s time for more transparency. Third parties can only offer estimates, and it’ll get more difficult if this model wants to remain. Plus, digital-only releases like Pixar’s Luca or The Tomorrow War depend on estimated Nielsen ratings for any sign of life. It’ll become more difficult to understand how and why a film deserves a sequel or not. At some point, they can no longer keep these numbers under lock and key.

Relying purely on Box Office numbers could paint their productions in a negative light. The Suicide Squad is a perfect showcase of that, with headlines calling it a disappointment based on purely one metric. Black Widow’s Box Office is hindered by a lack of Chinese release and a lack of understanding of how Disney+ Premier Access performs for repeat viewers after its initial launch. Even if companies don’t want to provide these metrics, they are essential for understanding a film’s overall performance, as well as relevant for their talent’s individual contracts as the current allegations showcase. The streaming era is here, but the industry refuses to fully embrace all that comes with it.

Source: Twitter

August 8, 2021