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RUMOR: Netflix’s ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ Finds New Showrunner in Albert Kim

The first few months of quarantine were a bit of an adjustment for many, but people found a way to make the most of it. One saving grace was the debut of Avatar: The Last Airbender on Netflix. It gave people a much-needed break and escape from the world. Following its release, many people began to remember that Netflix was also developing a live-action adaption of the beloved series. After the first misfire on a live-action debut, it made many fans skeptical. It didn’t help that the original creators, Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, left the project due to creative differences. It left fans with a sour taste in their mouth, and many wished for it to end there.

A new report suggests the Netflix may have already found a new showrunner to helm the project. Following the original creator’s departure, it seems Netflix has recruited Albert Kim to take on the challenge. Kim has worked on a variety of other series, such as TNT’s Heist and FOX’s Sleepy Hollow. She served as writer, producer, and executive producer on the latter. Details for the series are still unknown, and it’ll be interesting to see how the show handles its seasonal structure. The original told its story across 20+ episodes each season, which may be difficult to compress into Netflix’s regular show length.

The report also offered some new details on its casting, as the series will reportedly change the ages of the characters. This time Katara will be the oldest at 16. Sokka is being aged down to 14, while Aang remains 12. These changes seem weird and unnecessary, but they could change up the dynamic between the team, especially when you consider Aang and Katara’s relationship in the original series. We’ll see what else they might change.

Source: Illuminerdi

February 19, 2021
‘Raya and the Last Dragon’ Sneak Peek Reveals Original Song by Jhené Aiko

We are only a few weeks away from Raya and the Last Dragon finally releasing on Disney+. It will be the big return of Disney+’s Premier Access service, which was last seen with the release of Mulan. Disney Animations’ next big entry will also be available in theaters alongside the digital release. As they continue to build-up to its release, Disney has just released a brand new sneak peek. It also includes our first listen to the original song “Lead the Way” by Grammy®-nominated artist and songwriter Jhené Aiko. You can listen to it right here:

The song will be accompanied by Oscar®-nominated, Emmy® and Grammy®-winning composer James Newton Howard. He has quite the filmography that includes News of the World, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindewald, and A Hidden Life. Aiko‘s song will be featured at the end credits and will be included on the Walt Disney Records soundtrack, which will release digitally on February 26th.

Aiko has had quite a year, as her R&B album Chilombo has been nominated for three Grammys. It was also nominated for an American Music Award for Best Soul/R&B female, three NAACP Awards, and many more. Her addition to Raya and the Last Dragon is a beautiful melody that matches perfectly with the tone of the teaser. The sneak peek also gives us our first real look at what is the main inciting incident of the story and teases a fun adventure of an unlikely group of heroes that will release March 5th.

Source: YouTube

February 19, 2021
‘The Flash’ Adds Sasha Calle as Supergirl

When you look up the definition of development hell, the solo Flash movie could be one of the first things you find. The movie has been through hell and back, as it went lost directors left and right after its first announcement. Finally, the movie found its savior in horror movie director, IT‘s Andy Muschietti. The story will explore Flash traveling through the multiverse. There he meets a new version of Batman, the original 1989 version played by Michael Keaton. It will be DC’s first step into exploring the many sides of the franchise’s legacy.

In a shocking announcement that no one saw coming, Muschietti made the announcement today that actress Sasha Calle will don the iconic Kryptonian crest and take up the role of Kara Zor-El, otherwise known as Supergirl. The director hand-picked Calle from over 400 other auditions. They have met actresses from all over the world before they made a decision. It looks like none of the actresses had any clue what role they were auditioning for until later into the process. Calle was one of few to make it to a chemistry test with star Ezra Miller. Muschietti had the following to say:

I saw more than four hundred auditions. The US, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Colombia. The talent pool was truly amazing and it was very hard to make a decision, but we finally found an actress who was destined to play this role.

The Flash is currently set for a November 4th, 2022 release date. The film will see Ezra Miller reprise the role of Barry Allen. In addition to Michael Keaton, Ben Affleck is also set to reprise his role as Bruce Wayne from the DCEU.

Source: Deadline

February 19, 2021
How Marvel Studios Can (Re)introduce The Defenders Into the MCU

Marvel’s Netflix venture gave fans some of the most interesting programmings for Marvel TV. From the gritty, suspense, and dark themes of Daredevil, Jessica Jones, and The Punisher to the Superhero Street vibes in Luke Cage & Iron Fist, Marvel’s Netflix had something for everyone. On top of it all, the casting in these shows was phenomenal. They embodied these characters, and it was the interactions that sold us on their chemistry. Charlie Cox‘s Daredevil with Jon Bernthal‘s Punisher gave life to a very memorable showdown in Daredevil‘s second season. Krysten Ritter‘s Jessica Jones and Mike Colter‘s Luke Cage shared some incredible chemistry during their time together. In their attempt to recreate the Marvel Cinematic Universe formula on a smaller scale, these Netflix shows created a tiny world set within a larger universe.

Since their respective cancellations in 2018, people have been waiting for Marvel Studios to bring them back. So now, after years of waiting, all of Marvel’s Netflix rights have reverted to Disney and Marvel. Now, we have to wonder what will follow now that Marvel has all of these characters at their disposal. So, Kevin Feige has a slew of choices ahead of him. How do you introduce these characters into the MCU? Do you recast them or try a soft reboot? Can you continue their stories from their time on Netflix, or would they require new backstories? These are all essential questions moving forward. If only we had a precedent as to what we can expect. Luckily, we can.

Daredevil

Daredevil is a perfect candidate to stick with long-form storytelling. I do believe that he needs to have his first appearance in the MCU in another franchise. We know that Charlie Cox will reprise his role as Matt Murdock in the upcoming Spider-Man threequel, which will release at the end of this year. How exactly that will play out remains to be seen, but given how Spider-Man: Far From Home ended in 2019, chances are Peter Parker is going to need one hell of a lawyer. The dynamic duo of Nelson and Murdock are perfect candidates to tackle this case.

If you ask me what I’d adapt for this series, I believe Daredevil: Gang War by Frank Miller and Tom DeFalco would be a fantastic story for a future show. You would already have Matt Murdock established in the MCU as Daredevil, and it would also be a brilliant way to reintroduce Wilson Fisk. In this particular run, he retired in Japan with his wife, Vanessa. She had grown sick of Fisk’s life of crime, but they are forced back due to his wife getting kidnapped by a former rival gang. It could explain Kingpin’s absence in the MCU, and I have an excuse to say that I want Vincent D’Onofrio back as Kingpin.

Jessica Jones

Following a similar introduction pattern of Daredevil, there are rumors that Jessica Jones could make her appearance in the upcoming She-Hulk series. Like before, we have no idea how she might play into the story. I am working on a theory of what role she might have in She-Hulk, but that still needs some time in the oven as a potential Theory Thursday piece.

Story-wise, I liked Jessica Jones: Blind Spot by Kelly Thompson, and it is a story that would be the perfect choice for her MCU introduction. It is a murder mystery thriller, where Jessica Jones is the prime suspect in a murder. Her regret haunts her, as she failed to help her years ago. Not only would it showcase Jessica’s investigative abilities, but also uniquely retell her origin. The murderer could tease her alongside the audience with bits and pieces of her past. The viewers get immersed in the murder mystery and allow them to piece together Jessica’s origin.

Heroes for Hire (Luke Cage/Iron Fist)

The fact that we never got the chance to see Mike Colter and Finn Jones truly embrace the dynamic Heroes for Hire duo is criminal. A buddy cop series similar to the styles of Bad Boys, Lethal Weapon, Rush Hour, and 21 Jump Street is how I could see these two pull appear in the MCU. And I would keep their origins the same way and have it play out like in the comics. Luke Cage was exonerated, so both of them meet at a party and get into a fistfight. Afterward, they both become great friends by the end of it. It also would allow viewers to truly explore Iron Fist’s vast history from the comics with Cage as the straight man trying to figure out all the craziness that starts to haunt them.

The Punisher

Say what you want about The Punisher, but Jon Bernthal‘s portrayal of the character was incredible in Daredevil and his spinoff show. In the comics, Frank Castle always appeared as a secondary character or even as an antagonist. He got into fights with the likes of Spider-Man and, of course, Daredevil before being given his comic run. Netflix replicated the formula by making him appear in the second season of Daredevil. He had a recurring role before being given a spinoff. My money’s on Marvel Studios doing the same thing. Castle will appear in another franchise before being given his show. And there are several places he could appear in if you consider Castle’s military background.

He could be a former ally to Col. James Rhodes and have a brief cameo appearance in the upcoming Armor Wars series. There is also the chance that he could make his MCU debut in the Moon Knight series. Their interactions in the comics have been iconic. I am not sure what story to give Punisher’s new MCU series because I’m unfamiliar with his comic runs. What I do know is that the show should be similar to the Netflix counterpart. We will explore Castle’s motives before he becomes the Punisher. It shouldn’t shy away from the dark and gritty, which would still be possible to showcase on Disney+.

February 19, 2021
A New Batwoman, A New Story

“Black, male, foster kid, juvie. In case you’re wondering why GCPD isn’t looking for him, those five words.”

Those are Ryan Wilder’s words to Mary Hamilton in the fourth episode of Batwoman’s second season on the CW. Batwoman, still early in its inception, already has had to deal with a major transition. Javicia Leslie, who plays the caped superheroine replaced Ruby Rose’s Kate Kane after Season 1. There’s always a challenge when it comes to changing the lead specifically so early in television. It also requires a redirect in story. Season 1 focused primarily on Kate’s rivalry with the show’s villain, her sister Alice. Season 2 feels like an entirely different show, and it’s been for the better.

Often, representation for black people on network television has been about getting the faces seen but not heard. A pleasant surprise on this season of Batwoman has been the nature of the stories being told. They represent the real-life issues that not only black people face, but mainly black women as Ryan’s character is a homeless ex-con. Nothing quite articulates the experience like an exchange in episode 1 between Ryan and her parole officer. Officer Stevens tells Ryan, “They are your choices, Ryan. You have the power to turn this around.” Ryan responds in kind, “You want to know why I haven’t paid my fines? Because I can’t find a job. Because I don’t have a home. Because no landlord wants to rent to an ex-con who’s post-release. You see how this works? No one cares that the dope wasn’t mine or that the Crows were dirty or that I’m actually a decent human. I am a file in your cabinet. That is not having power. That is the very definition of powerless.”

Lines like those are so important in storytelling. We are reminded every day in society that it’s all about the bottom line. Your circumstances don’t matter to the powers that be, nor does context. This is Ryan’s reality in trying to find a job. Leslie and the writers deserve a lot of credit for the nuance in their storytelling. Ryan Wilder is not only trying to make sense of her life after prison but also trying to fill the shoes of Gotham’s missing hero.

“That suit. It’s bigger than me. It’s one thing to put it on and it’s another thing to wear it.” That line is symbolism for not only what Ryan carries but exemplifies the constant juggling act of expectations versus reality that is the life of a black woman.

In Batwoman’s latest installment nothing hits home more as she finds the boy she was looking for. Jacob Kane asks, “How did you know he was here?” Batwoman replies, “Easy. I looked.” It’s the simplicity of the words and the delivery of them that punctuates the meaning of the story. That meaning? It’s not enough to just be seen, people need to be heard.

Batwoman airs every Sunday evening on the CW at 8pm EST

February 18, 2021
Paul Bettany Confirms Evan Peters Isn’t The Last Surprise Character in ‘WandaVision’

WandaVision has been quite a rollercoaster. We are about to enter the final three episodes of Marvel Studios’ first venture into long-form storytelling. Quite a few mysteries are left unanswered as we try to put the pieces of the puzzle together. We thought we knew where it was heading until suddenly Evan Peters showed up in front of Wanda’s door. The introduction of an iconic actor from the X-Men franchise in the same role will grab everyone’s attention. It also made us believe that we may have seen all the character reveals as the mystery starts to unravel. Well, it seems that there is one more iconic appearance still heading our way. Paul Bettany teased one a while ago and confirmed that it wasn’t the Quicksilver recasting that was referenced.

This is the theory that says there is a mysterious Avengers who is going to appear in WandaVision and people seem to think that mysterious Avenger is Doctor Strange. Truth is, of all the characters we were trying to keep secret. A lot of them got out before release. There is one character that has not been revealed and it is very exciting, it’s an actor I’ve longed to work with all my life. We have some amazing scenes together and the chemistry is extraordinary.

There have been countless theories when he first brought up the mysterious actor joining the show. Evan Peters seemed like the perfect choice, as his addition had some major ramifications for the franchise. He also hints that it isn’t Doctor Strange but also doesn’t denounce he may have an appearance at some point. Perhaps the mysterious character he is teasing was the engineer that has been talked about for the last two by Monica Rambeau. If I could make a wish, I hope it ends up being James Spader‘s return as Ultron, but they did work together on Avengers: Age of Ultron. Here’s hoping that the upcoming episode offers some long-awaited answers.

If you are interested, you can check out the video here:

Source: YouTube

February 18, 2021
‘GCPD’ First Casting Detail’s Tease Seasoned Leads

The Batman hasn’t even hit screens yet but this isn’t stopping WB from going all-in on Matt Reeves’ new take on Gotham City and its resident caped crusader. It was announced a while back that Matt Reeves had begun development on a prequel to his upcoming film centered around the GCPD and the corruption within, with the series taking place during Batman’s first year of activity. Initially, many fans jumped to assume this series would be an adaption of Gotham Central, a storyline written by Greg Rucka and Ed Brubaker that focused on the cops of the GCPD and how they adjusted to life with Batman’s rise to prominence in the city and his war on crime.

The first casting details, although vague, could hint at some familiar faces around the GCPD. The casting details don’t give names but do state they’re looking for one male and one female to serve as leads for this series. The casting details remain vague but I think that the male lead could indeed be a familiar face from the Batman mythos. The production is aiming for a caucasian male in the ’30-’40s range for a “Police Detective, Works for Commissioner James Gordon.” Now that could really be anyone as the GCPD is obviously full of cops, but my first thoughts lead me to believe it could be Harvey Bullock.

At Fandome, Reeves stated that the show would follow the perspective of a corrupt cop in Gotham City. With the age range and close ties to Gordon, Bullock seems like the perfect fit for this role. I’m not so sure about the other casting. The production is looking for a black female in the ’35-’45 age range for a “former detective who was injured on the job and becomes the new Gotham district attorney. This could be an original character for the series as there really isn’t any character that fits this description. It’s also interesting to note that in the upcoming film, Peter Sarsgaard is set to play Gil Colson, the sitting district attorney at the time.

The upcoming spin-off to The Batman currently has no set release date but will release exclusively on HBO Max. The series will be executively produced by Reeves’ 6th and Idaho production company with Joe Barton serving as showrunner on the series.

Source: Illuminderi

February 18, 2021
‘JESSICA JONES’ and ‘PUNISHER’ Rights Return to Marvel Studios

Two years after their final seasons dropped on Netflix, Jessica Jones and Frank Castle have now returned home to Marvel Studios. The reversion means that Marvel Studios finally has full control of all their so-called street-level heroes. A multi-year deal with Netflix had previously been holding the live-action rights to the characters in the streaming service’s clutches and prevented Marvel Studios from using them in any projects produced before the contract ran out. The details of the agreement between the two mega-corporations meant fans would have to wait two full years after each show’s cancellation before they could hope to see their favorite protagonist’s names in any Marvel Studios announcements. Jones, a super-powered private eye played by Krysten Ritter, was one of four Marvel heroes revealed to be getting their own series on Netflix in 2013, alongside Daredevil, Iron Fist, and comic book love interest, Luke Cage. The first season of her show was a surprise hit for Netflix, and led to the creation of two more solo outings. Jon Bernthal‘s Frank Castle, better known to viewers as The Punisher, debuted in the second season of Daredevil before his popularity led to the production of a spin-off. Two seasons were made before that series met its own untimely demise.

The four Marvel-Netflix projects, which converged in a team-up mini-series known as The Defenders, were incredibly popular among comic fans. It came as a shock to many when Netflix began to systematically cancel the projects in 2018. The moves by Netflix came shortly after Disney pulled the curtain back on it’s own rival streaming service, Disney+, which led subscribers to believe the cancellations may have been made out of spite. However, statistics released in the time since show a steady decline in viewership for many of the shows, which probably didn’t help their case in staying alive. Nevertheless, with all five major players having now come back to Marvel Studios, their most vocal advocates have made it known they want to see them on the small, or silver, screen once more. With Charlie Cox set to appear in the upcoming Spider-Man threequel, only time will tell if Kevin Feige and Marvel Studios have any plans to incorporate other characters into the future of the MCU, but for the first time in almost a decade, the ball is entirely in their court.

February 18, 2021
Disney Releases new ‘Raya and the Last Dragon’ BTS Featurette

Ahead of next month’s premiere, Disney has released a behind the scenes look at their new animated feature film, Raya and the Last Dragon. Like many productions, Raya and the Last Dragon faced unprecedented challenges in making it to screens, both big and little. Join Kelly Marie Tran, Awkwafina and filmmakers to find out what inspired the story, characters and martial arts in the film, and how the film was crafted by extraordinary artists, talent and filmmakers all working from home.

Raya and the Last Dragon will release simultaneously in theaters and on Disney Plus Premier Access on March 5th!

February 18, 2021
‘WandaVision’ Episode 7 Primer

Note: Arlyn Murphy will be back on the job next week!

Last week’s episode of WandaVision, The All-New Halloween Spooktacular, was highly anticipated by fans and it didn’t disappoint. From the great looks at characters in their classic costumes to the interesting and informative chat between Wanda and “Pietro”, to the twins beginning to use their powers, to the crazy last few minutes that saw Vision get “House of M’d” and hex expand to include S.W.O.R.D. headquarters and turn it into a circus, fans got a lot packed into a short time. Fans were also left, as usual, with more questions than answers but with only 3 episodes left, we know the answers are coming soon!

One of the biggest questions still out there is who exactly is doing this. In last week’s primer, Arlyn speculated that while we are being led to believe that Wanda is in charge, she might be under someone else’s control similar to how Doctor Doom manipulated her in The Children’s Crusade. There are no shortage of fan theories out there as to who that someone could be, but after Episode 6, Agnes seems to be the prime suspect. As we discussed on the podcast, Episode 6 seemed to confirm that while everyone in Westview is being controlled, only the residents who are part of the main plot of each of Wanda’s “episodes” seem to be active. It’s sort of like a video game where there’s a whole world out there, but the game only renders what needs to be on screen. During Vision’s exploration of Westview, Agnes was the only “non-active resident” of Wanda’s fantasy who seemed to be able to speak and be aware of what was happening. With only 3 episodes left, it’s growing increasingly unlikely that there’s enough time to introduce an entirely new antagonist and get their story told in a reasonable amount of time, so Agnes stands out as the best choice for the one pulling the strings. Of course, there’s still the growing threat of Tyler Hayward’s stubborn ignorance and after Wanda’s hexpansion, it’s almost certain that he’s bound to overreact.

Assumptions

Episode 7 is rumored to be another shorter episode, with a runtime of 38 minutes. That means the last 2 episodes would be a little bit longer, so 7 is likely to serve as our last “setup” episode before we really get down to that big Marvel Studios action film Kevin Feige promised us when he introduced WandaVision at SDCC ’19. With that in mind, we have to think about what would get us from “here” to “there” in a short episode. It’s grown apparent to me that the twins are much more integral to the plot of the series than I originally thought, so it seems like a safe bet that something is going to happen to them very soon that will push us down the path towards resolution. We’re also likely going to see Monica finally come into her powers, Hayward make one, last desperate attempt and then the realization that this is a threat that can’t be handled by the clowns at S.W.O.R.D. With Wanda’s hex threatening reality, there’s only one guy for the job: the Sorcerer Supreme of Earth!

Episode 7 of WandaVision will stream tomorrow!

February 18, 2021