Update: We learned today that Lopez was working with Marvel on an audiobook project and not an upcoming project for Marvel Studios as first reported.
“DEJANDO LA MANCHA DE PLATANO Y AGRADECIENDO A DIOS.”
That is how Ms. López responded to her breaking the news that she will be directing a project at Marvel Studios. Puertorrican born-and-raised director, Alejandra López let everyone know via her social media that her next project would take her to Burbank, California, where she has confirmed that the news.
Alejandra López has worked on multiple projects before, her most notable work being the short film The Blue Cape (2019). It’s a touching story of how a young boy in a hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico goes beyond his limits to help acquire medicine for his grandfather. As a Puertorrican, this news makes me so happy and proud of her accomplishment. I wish her the best and cannot wait to know more about which project she’s been tapped to direct.
Production on The Falcon and The Winter Soldier has been underway in Prague for the past few weeks and we’ve seen some impressive set videos make their way out already with last week’s brutal beating of Noah Mills’ character by John Walker topping the list. Today, thanks to Fandime Filmu, we have a fresh look at some set videos that might just give away the main antagonist of the series. Potential spoilers below, so read at your own risk.
The Instagram video below shows what appears to be the changing of the guard of a paramilitary unit outside of the Monastery of St. Gabriel in Prague. According to the description, much of the filming done over the weekend saw Prague doubling as Switzerland and should this Monastery have been used for a fictional Swiss location, it’s very likely that the paramilitary unit guarding it is ULTIMATUM and that they are guarding their headquarters where their leader, Flag-Smasher, might be holed up.
It may seem like quite a stretch, but we’ve seen rumors about ULTIMATUM being included in the show before and bread crumbs about Flag-Smasher appearing in the series have been pointed out by quite a few people, including our own Lizzie Hill. Given the influence of the Mark GruenwaldCaptain America run on this series, having this team in Switzerland is the last straw to convince me that Flag-Smasher is in the series and likely being played by Noah Mills, who we saw take a major beating last week. In the comics, the first Flag-Smasher was Karl Morgenthau, an independently wealthy man who waged a campaign of terror in the name of anti-nationalism. Eventually Morgenthau created ULTIMATUM, the Underground Liberated Totally Integrated Mobile Army to Unite Mankind, and used them to wage his war on nationalism.
While it’s certainly not a dead ringer, the grey gear worn by the unit in the set video could easily be the more grounded, less ridiculous looking version of ULTIMATUM’s comic book gear. While these locations and videos aren’t official confirmation, they point me in a direction I’ve been looking for a very long time as I believe that Flag-Smasher is THE perfect antagonist for The Falcon and The Winter Soldier. We’ll all find out together when the series streams on Disney Plus (HOPEFULLY) in early 2021.
It’s been a wild few weeks as news about various Marvel Studios productions has been rolling in at a steady pace and now we have one more bit of info thanks to the Odinson himself. In a recent interview, star Chris Hemsworth confirmed a January start for the 4th Thor film!
Chris Hemsworth said he’s filming Thor: Love and Thunder in January and that he’s very excited to do something different. He also said that Taika Waititi is currently writing the script! pic.twitter.com/OvKIu9Spga
— Thor: Love and Thunder News (@lovethundernews) October 18, 2020
Production on the film was supposed to kick off in August but, as with everything else in the world, was delayed by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Hemsworth also mentioned that director Taika Waititi is currently finishing up the script and it’s believed that they’re also awaiting the completion of the new “Volume” system that Waititi requested. This means we’ll have to wait a bit longer for casting news on the film, which will be produced under the working title “The Big Salad”, but with all the other productions either underway or about to start, we’ll have plenty of news to keep us busy.
There has been a lot of focus on Marvel’s Avengers steam performance. As people have faced bugs and the post-games repetition, it has fallen below 1,000 at times. Still, this is just one of the three releases. Furthermore, these numbers hopefully increase as the game starts rolling out new content. We already saw a slight uptick with the recent Tachyon Missions that will keep people busy for a bit. It will be a challenge to build up its audience, but there is a sign that it will grow once more content added, as going by NPD, the game was the best-selling game of September.
Crystal Dynamics’ first foray into GaaS was a bumpy one, but it seems the game still paid off. It is now the second-best-selling Marvel game after PlayStation’s Spider-Man. The character’s popularity was probably also a factor in the exclusivity deal for him to appear in this game. Also, keep in mind that the game went up against Super Mario 3D All-Stars, which was Nintendo’s second-best Switch launch. The list included a lot of newcomers with Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2, NBA 2K21, Star Wars: Squadrons, and Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time.
Marvel is a popular franchise, but it still kept up its sales in September even as it faced media controversies. Its sales will calm down in the coming months, but the reception has been more positive online since the last update was released. It will still be an uphill battle for CD to regain its player base, but character updates will get them the attention they need. These sales numbers at least showcase that there is interest once the game starts getting into gear. In a recent podcast, we got a tease of that the Black Panther-focused Raid will offer. Its size could work as a new way to soft launch the game in 2021. You can read a recap of it right here. I am optimistic about the future of this game and cannot wait to see how it grows over time.
We just got our first official content update for Marvel’s Avengers. It was a bit underwhelming, but we did hype it up a lot more than we probably should’ve. Their State of the Game blog confirmed that we are facing some delays with Kate postponed. We still will get some minor updates to tide us over until then, such as the A.I.M. Cloning Lab. I still firmly believe that the game has faced some challenges that made its release a much more harrowing experience for both developers and players. Games-as-a-Service have plagued with Day One issues, so this experience was nothing new for veterans.
Their latest blog also confirmed that they were hit pretty hard by the ongoing pandemic and the California wildfires. It is crazy to think about how much they were able to get out within the given timeframe with such hurdles. It doesn’t excuse the game’s launch issues, but it puts everything into perspective. This genre is all about the community and ongoing developments. The Twitter user @mmmmmmmmiller has been very active in sharing what he found through data mines. Now, he also appeared in a podcast on the game by Assembly Podcast, where he teases some future developments. If you want to hear the entire thing be sure to check out the podcast below but you’ll find a summary of the biggest insights below.
Keep in mind, Miller does not work for Crystal Dynamics, so he doesn’t have the insight into what happened. He purely can base his assumptions on the data he has uncovered through the game’s code. Still, it gives a somewhat feeling of how exactly the original plans looked like when the game initially launched. The recent release of the SHIELD Substation Zero alongside the Tachyon Rifts seemed to have planned for September. Even the first major event the AIM Cloning Lab was going to release during that time. It is possible that the bug fixing, the current conditions, and some internal meddling due to the reception have created a chaotic environment. In my opinion, CD’s focus on fixing bugs was the right move though current updates feel a bit lackluster.
There is one aspect that Miller gets into more detail on, and that is the Omega Threats. He kind of grounds our expectations for the AIM Cloning Lab. This new mission type was probably part of the original operation for that addition. We now know they changed that to ensure that expectations for Kate Bishop’s story wouldn’t be affected, as she will have an actual storyline that is set-up by the Tachyon rifts. I do hope we will see more new mission types that add more reasons to return to the game.
While discussing it, Miller does tease how expansive the Wakandan’ event will be. He teases a crazy boss fight, which he leaked to be Ulysses Klaue a long time ago. Black Panther is a popular character, and the addition of endgame content could get people back into the game. He described it as a potential to “soft launch” the game, which seems possible. He also confirms that Shuri, Okoye, and the Dora Milaje will have a role in this event. So, we will see how large this raid will end up being with hopefully a tease in the upcoming November War Table. He also says that it should be something to look forward to once it releases, which they believe could be the beginning of 2021.
This reveal doesn’t downplay the upcoming operations, as we still get new playable characters with unique missions. Kate Bishop’s delay was a bit disheartening for some, but with the release being the end of October and the wording, it seems realistic to expect her early November. In CD’s first stream, they confirmed it won’t release during Thanksgiving, which is towards the end of the month. The chat did reveal that we will get some unique arrows with Kate that will add some fun alongside her teleporting skill. Miller does state that Clint was the one to utilize unique status effects, so he was surprised with this reveal. He does, however, confirm that these two characters will play different from each other, which is a good sign for future additions. He describes Kate as a Ranger while Clint is a Hunter. Kate has a drone that she uses in the fight while her former mentor can utilize traps.
We are facing a delay for now. These small glimpses into what the game will offer us in the future showcase that Crystal Dynamics truly has a plan. Yes, the player base, especially on Steam is low right now, but that doesn’t mean it won’t grow again. We have seen support since the first day, so this isn’t another Anthem scenario. It is easy to make comparisons, but sadly, the negative press has not been helping. I do believe that a lot of it is connected to the general discomfort with the AAA GaaS standards. Marvel’s Avengers has a very popular that just put it into the spotlight. Hopefully, as Miller pointed out, the Black Panther release could be the change this game needs in the public eye.
On Friday evening an audition video was shared with me. Though it was labeled “Titans”, it became clear upon watching it that it was something very different than that. The now-deleted video was an audition for a Spider-Man project of some kind.
Audition videos get posted on sites like Vimeo all the time. Sometimes they’re legitimate, other times they’re not. I have no way of discerning for you whether or not this one was, but I was able to watch it before it was taken down and I can describe for you what was in it. From there, you can decide for yourselves how/if it might fit the MCU’s Spidey narrative arc. This young actor was trying out for the role of “Daniel.” Marvel Studios always uses code names for their roles, so the actual identity of the character is unknown, but the audition video gave a few interesting tidbits that could help determine who he is playing.
Before reading any further there are 2 things you need to keep in mind:
The now-deleted audition video could have been for a fan film or something completely unrelated to Sony’s MCU-set Spider-Man films.
The now-deleted audition video, were it truly for Spidey 3 and if its contents related to the actual script of Spidey 3, would possibly reveal a pretty heavy spoiler.
The two-part video begins with a young African-American man out delivering food for what appeared to be his parents’ restaurant. The young man is stopped by the NYPD because he is wearing some sort of Spider-Man gear. When questioned by police, he states he’s a fan of Spidey but it’s clear that in whatever universe this takes place, being a fan of Spidey is NOT ok. This would certainly seem to be in line with where we’d think things would pick up in Spidey 3 following the events at the end of Spider-Man: Far From Home.
The second part of the video sees the young man first in a conversation with his father, then his cousin (?). When talking to the second person, a breaking news report airs on TV indicating that the costumed hero Spider-Man has been found dead at a museum.
Now there are all kinds of possibilities spinning out of this video if, in fact, it’s legitimately for Sony’s third Spider-Man film. Could the young man in the video have been auditioning for the role of Miles Morales? Could this be a Spider-Man from a different, parallel Earth or is this the MCU’s Peter? Could Doctor Strange have cast some sort of illusion that could somehow allow Peter to return to some semblance of a normal life? Has someone else put on the Spider-Man costume and died? While I have a hard time believing that the big picture revolves around killing Tom Holland’s character, I can think of several ways “Spider-Man” could die and Holland could continue on in the role. As is often the case with these videos, we know very little because we don’t know the connection to the larger plot (assuming this is legit and there even is one), so it’s hard to determine very much but we do know that we’re talking about a universe where Spider-Man seems to be an enemy of the state and ends up dead and if that gives us any sort of insight into the plot of Spider-Man 3, then we know it’s going to be a wild ride and that Marvel Studios has chosen to go down a shocking path for the threequel.
Batwoman‘s second season will introduce fans to a brand new heroine. Javicia Leslie has taken over the mantle from Ruby Rose to protect Gotham. The rest of the series’ cast is set to return with a lot of the story still a secret. We got some pictures from the set that teased Leslie in the iconic costume from the first season. It seemed she was carrying over the red wig and costume from her predecessor. A new image from the set may have revealed that we will see some new changes over the course of the show. Twitter user @Pagmyst shared an image where we can see that Batwoman has ditched the red wig.
The image is from far away so we don’t get a good look if the costume has changed as well. Her new wig seems to be brown, which is a great way to highlight Leslie making the character her own. There is also the reveal of the show’s brand new Batmobile. @Pagmyst also shared a much better image of her new vehicle.
CW won’t have the same budget as the movies. We originally thought we saw what would become the Batmobile in the last video, as it seemed to be updated with CGI. Yet, we are getting an actual Batmobile that even has her symbol on the front. Perhaps she uses an older model owned by the original Batman before switching to a car of her own choice. It looks a bit strange with the orange decals. Our only giveaway that this is the Batmobile would be the orange symbol on the front. This also could highlight that Batwoman‘s second season will switch from its red to an orange visual to highlight the new direction.
So far, The Batman seems to be set within its own universe. It will not be directly connected to the DC Extended Universe to explore Bruce’s second year as the titular vigilante. It seemed like the story would mainly focus on Batman and his rogue’s gallery. Even the first trailer revealed a much more grounded story. As such, we didn’t really think there would be any connection to the wider DC Universe, as it could collide with Matt Reeve’s vision. Interestingly enough, recent set photos may have changed that perception. Twitter user @DCEUMX shared an image from the film’s set that features people in costumes for a Halloween set. Among them, there are two very distinctive and recognizable designs.
It seems that Superman and Wonder Woman might exist in this universe. Of course, these are just costumes and not the real deal. ScreenRant shared the first image teasing Superman, so this is our best look at the character. However, we did not see Wonder Woman until now. This reveal would imply that these characters have existed to some degree in this universe. Perhaps, Reeves is trying to distinguish this version of Batman from the rest by having them be characters from comic books that are the base for these designs. The costumes in question are closer to that of the original comic runs than any modern designs we’ve seen. So, that could be the reason for their appearance. Still, there is one more picture from the set that may confirm Superman’s existence. @Bat_Source shared an article of the Gotham Times mentions the line: “faces looking up to the skies, fingers pointed, everywhere looking for you know who”.
There is one more aspect that sticks out. This is definitely showing the inspiration from The Long Halloween. The comic also included a Halloween costume party. So, this might be shortly before another murder happens in the story. We got our glimpse at the Riddler, who is quite a unique take on the character. He might be hiding among the crowd in a comic-accurate costume. The concept of this Halloween party could also be a way to sneak in a lot of references if characters like the Penguin are also included in the scene. Sadly, the wait will be a bit longer until the film releases but these set photos are already very promising.
Back at DC FanDome it was slyly mentioned that a live-action Static Shock project was in development at WB. It was revealed during the announcement that Milestone comics would be returning with an all-new slate of titles to be released next year. Now it seems that the project has picked up steam and that they’ve already been assembling creatives to work on the project shifting it officially into active development.
Today it was announced that Black Panther star Michael B. Jordan will be joining Reginald Hudlin on the project as a producer. This will be done through his Warner brothers based production company, Outlier Society. We even got an official statement on the cooperation.
I’m proud to be a part of building a new universe centered around black superheroes; our community deserves that. Outlier Society is committed to bringing to life diverse comic book content across all platforms and we are excited to partner with Reggie and Warner Bros on this initial step.
Static Shock gained is popularity from the original early 2000’s animated series based on the character, and is set to return along with the other Milestone characters for new issues next year. It’s mentioned in the article that if the project is a hit, it could spawn a “multi-platform franchise” possibly opening the door for Outlier Society to develop more characters from Milestone and DC Comics.
Looks like there were still some new actors that haven’t been revealed for Marvel Studios’ upcoming Falcon and the Winter Soldier series. The Hollywood Reporter revealed that up-and-comer Danny Ramirez will be joining Sebastian Stan and Anthony Mackie‘s Disney+ series. They do highlight that his role has not been revealed as of now but that it will be an important one. Production is still underway, as some videos from the set revealed the new Captain America taking someone out in brutal fashion. It is uncertain when we will see the series released next year, as production continues but hopefully we could see it early 2021.
Ramirez has been slowly garnering attention. he appeared in Netflix’s On My Block and the Fox show The Gifted. His credits also include Assassination Nation and Valley Girl, as well as the highly anticipated Top Gun: Maverick. He will be joining an extensive cast that will see the return of Daniel Bruhl, and Emily VanCamp. The cast is truly shaping up to be one of Marvel’s best. This year’s WandaVision will offer us some crazy antics in multiple dimensions while Falcon and the Winter Soldier will stick to the more grounded realism that Captain America introduced us to.
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