Blog

  • Directors Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead Join ‘Moon Knight’

    Directors Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead Join ‘Moon Knight’

    We are only a week away from WandaVision finally premiering. Disney+ will be a new hub for Marvel Studios to expand into completely new territory. They have already revealed a wide variety of shows that include the introduction of the teenage superhero Ms. Marvel, Clint passing on the torch in Hawkeye, and chasing the legacy of Captain America in Falcon and the Winter Soldier. One of the biggest additions is the inclusion of Moon Knight. The story about a former mercenary losing his mind and becoming a vigilante has just as many facets as Marc Spector has personalities.

    It was a huge reveal when it was announced that Oscar Isaac was being eyed for the lead role. Shortly after, we got the confirmation that Egyptian filmmaker Mohamed Diab was also going to join the show, which is spearheaded by showrunner Jeremy Slater. It looks like he will be joined by two more directors, as The Hollywood Reporter has revealed that Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead will also be directing some episodes. There is no exact number given, but THR confirms that Diab will be responsible for a sizeable chunk of the episode count.

    The show is expected to start filming in Budapest as of March. Benson and Moorhead have made their name with their low-budget horror film in 2013, Resolution. They got on Guillermo del Toro‘s radar after the release of their film Spring a year later. Their latest film Synchronic included Marvel veteran Anthony Mackie in its cast. It’ll be interesting to see what they bring to the table, as they explore Spector’s broken psyche.

    Source: THR

  • ‘Arrow’ Spin-Off ‘Green Arrow and The Canaries’ Cancelled

    ‘Arrow’ Spin-Off ‘Green Arrow and The Canaries’ Cancelled

    One of the first DC superheroes to take the world by storm ended his eight-season with a backdoor pilot. It teased the franchise’s future, which would become the series Green Arrow and The Black Canaries. The show was going to feature the return of Mia Smoak as she takes up the mantle following her father’s death. Oliver Queen in the battle with the Anti-Monitor. She was joined by Laurel and Dinah, the titular Canaries. They would set out to honor the legacy of the original Team Arrow.

    Sadly, it got revealed that the planned spin-off would not be moving forward at the CW. It’s been a year of silence on the series development. It’s unknown if it will get shopped to a different platform, such as HBO Max. At this point, however, it seems unlikely considering Marc Guggenheim‘s past comments on the possibility of continuing their story in the form of a comic.

    The show was going to answer many unanswered questions from the original show, such as Dinah ending up in the future. There was also the question of who kidnapped Mia’s brother William at the end of the pilot. It looks like these answers will only be revisited in the form of a comic, if at all. It also joins the now canceled CW shows Supergirl and Black Lightning. These will end with their upcoming seasons. It doesn’t look too bright for the DC show’s future on the CW, but it may be a sign that they are more interested in producing HBO Max Originals. Comic characters aren’t easy to adapt, so a bigger budget certainly helps. It isn’t the end of the line for this franchise, but they might be trying to refocus as they move forward.

    Source: TV Line  

  • Marvel Studios’ ‘Legends’ Is Good, But It Can Be Better

    Marvel Studios’ ‘Legends’ Is Good, But It Can Be Better

    Yes, I used a tagline from Wonder Woman 1984 to discuss Marvel Studios’ latest addition: Legends. I can’t help myself, as the title was just too perfect. The first Disney+ original show produced by Marvel Studios is an interesting one. Technically speaking, WandaVision will be the first actual show, but this is the first series released by Marvel Studios. It even is categorized as a documentary series interesting enough. The idea is perfect for any Disney+ subscriber who doesn’t have a categorical memory of Marvel Cinematic Universe history. I enjoyed watching the premiere episodes, but it felt like something was missing. It wasn’t until I saw a tweet by @RICHARDLNEWBY that my gears started to turn. So, I started to ponder ideas that could’ve made this good series even better.

    Right now, Legends is an official supercut of each character’s history in the MCU. The first episodes highlight the moments that defined Wanda and Vision’s journey so far. The series exists to build up the release of WandaVision and every subsequent franchise. It is no longer than seven-minutes per episode and re-uses existing assets to highlight their journey to this point. It works well and is a great idea to help those that haven’t actively memorized every moment or just needed a pick-me-up after the year-long hiatus.

     

     

    Yet, it feels like there was an opportunity here to do more. As Newby pointed out, there is no mention of the character’s comic origins, no interviews with the actor, or even highlighting their transition from concept art to live-action. It would’ve been the perfect opportunity to showcase all the artwork and ideas that never made it to the screen. Especially now, as specific entries in Marvel Studios’ Art Of book collection aren’t easy to purchase.

    However, I want to go one step further and highlight what I believe to be the truly missed opportunity of this base concept. Legends could’ve been an actual show with its cast. I think it should’ve been the MCU’s version of Kurt Busiek and Alex Ross‘ iconic Marvels mini-series. The Daily Bugle has already gotten introduced in Spider-Man: Far From Home, so it would’ve been the perfect time to introduce Phil Sheldon.

     

     

    We see all these events unfold from the perspective of a regular news reporter. In each episode, Sheldon works on a case that revolves around one of the characters. For example, he could’ve explored Wanda’s sudden disappearance. It would lead him to retrace her steps, visit the remains of Avengers Headquarter. He may interview people that worked there and their impression of the former Sokovian. In a way, his existence allows Marvel Studios to fill in the blanks that occur between each film’s release. We get witness accounts of various events and gain a new perspective.

    It probably is an unrealistic expectation that this show would exist to fill in the blanks. The route they chose was the financially most viable option, as you don’t need to cast people, write scripts surrounding each episode while also mapping out productions so it’ll be ready in time. Still, I would love to see this concept explored as a Disney+ series at some point. It is the reason I started the podcast series LockeDown, as it was just such a fun idea to explore the MCU beyond the heroes we know. The Legends concept is good as it is, but I believe there is a lot of potential here to make it a great and memorable addition to Marvel Studios’ library of content.

  • LockeDown #3: SHIELD Rises From The Ashes Into Space

    LockeDown #3: SHIELD Rises From The Ashes Into Space

    John Locke is back exploring the latest stories, as we face the ghosts of our past. SHIELD seems to be making a comeback but with a new twist. The uncovered documents from a lost HYDRA base may have unveiled Red Skull’s strange fascination, while a monument to our failure is about to be taken down. What could it mean? Only one way to find out by checking out the latest episode:

     

     

    If you enjoyed the episode, don’t miss out on our Early Access by subscribing to our Patreon. Be one of the first to listen to the next entry by clicking here and becoming a Patron:

  • Karen Gillan May Be Joining ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’s Australian Production

    Karen Gillan May Be Joining ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’s Australian Production

    It looks like we might have one more member of the Guardians of the Galaxy joining Thor: Love and Thunder. A while back it was confirmed that we would at least see Chris Pratt return as Star-Lord, but there was no real confirmation if the entire team of ragtag space adventurers would also make an appearance. We barely know if they play into the story in any way after Thor left with them into space at the end of Avengers: Endgame. As the production is set to start in Australia, we’ve been keeping an eye out for any member of the team heading out there. Luckily, our very own Lizzie Hill noticed the actress Karen Gillan sharing some pictures of her arrival in Australia on Instagram.

     

     

    Of course, her being in Australia does not confirm her participation in the film directly. It would make sense for Nebula to appear in the film, as we also saw her on the Guardian’s ship when they left Earth. Still, her inclusion makes absolute sense, especially as Star-Lord is already confirmed to appear. I could imagine that Thor is trying to help them during one of their missions but ends up screwing up, which gets him ejected from their ship. While he has gained some of his confidence back, he might still need some time to recover mentally from the events. Marvel Studios did confirm that a part of the film will focus on Jane Foster and Valkyrie, so who knows if the Guardians are really around for much of the film. Hopefully, we get some kind of confirmation soon, but it is fun to speculate.

    Source: Instagram

  • Michael Waldron Disney Deal Confirms ‘Loki’s Second Season

    Michael Waldron Disney Deal Confirms ‘Loki’s Second Season

    About a year ago, Charles had heard some rumblings that the upcoming Disney+ series Loki may have a second season. It mainly was connected to references of “actors being brought on board for lead and major supporting roles” with options for a possible second season included in their deals. Now it looks like that these rumblings were true. According to DeadlineMichael Waldron, the executive producer and head writer of Loki, has a major career ahead of him with Disney. He will take over writing duties for Kevin Feige’s Star Wars film and many more IPs. Apart from working on Kevin Feige‘s upcoming Star Wars film. In the article, there is a mention that Waldron will return in some capacity for the show’s planned second season.

     

     

    This deal is significant for several reasons. For one, signing on an Emmy award-winning writer for multiple projects, which includes two of the biggest IPs in the world, shows an incredible trust in Waldron‘s work. It also is a clear sign that there are big plans for the character. The upcoming Disney+ series will see him join the Time Variance Authority in some capacity and exploring the different parts of human history. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is confirmed to include Kang, they might be wanting to explore the aspect of time travel even more. It also might have some strong multiverse ties, as Waldron is also the writer of the upcoming Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness film.

    Source: Deadline

  • ‘Loki’s Michael Waldron Set as Writer for Kevin Feige’s ‘Star Wars’ Film

    ‘Loki’s Michael Waldron Set as Writer for Kevin Feige’s ‘Star Wars’ Film

    World’s are finally colliding as Kevin Feige is starting production on his very own Star Wars film. Deadline has learned that Michael Waldron will be spearheading the script that will explore the galaxy far, far away. Waldron‘s career at Disney seems to be at an all-time high, as he was the head writer of the upcoming Disney+ Loki series and penned Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness. It seems that this is also part of a massive deal that will see him be involved with many more future projects. Feige is set to develop and produce the film for Lucasfilm, but no director is currently attached.

    Lucasfilm is trying to reinvent its approach to the iconic franchise started by George Lucas back in 1977. After ending the original numerical series with the Rise of Skywalker, they are looking at individual stories that connect to the wider galaxy. Patty Jenkins and Taika Waititi are both set to direct their films that don’t openly have any known connection with each other. The Mandalorian was their first step in this direction, so we might see more standalone stories that end up getting spin-offs at one point.

    It is great to see how much Disney believes in Waldron. It adds a lot of excitement to the quality we can expect for both Loki and the Doctor Strange sequel. He has quite an extensive resume, as he started his career on Rick and Morty, which earned him an Emmy during its fourth season. He also was the creator of Starz’s wrestling drama Heels. It’ll be interesting what spin both he and Feige have in store for the Star Wars franchise.

    Source: Deadline

  • Theory Thursday: Let’s Talk Terrigen

    Theory Thursday: Let’s Talk Terrigen

    Good Day Class! Today, we’re going to talk about the substance known as Terrigen.

     

    Long ago, the alien race of the Kree created the rare mineral and gave it to another race known as the Inhumans for safekeeping on Earth’s Moon. An interesting aspect of the mineral is that when the crystals are exposed to water at the correct temperature, the crystals can react with the water to produce another substance known as Terrigen Mist. Exposure to this Terrigen Mist can have varying effects amongst Humans, Inhumans, and Mutants, based on the genetic information we each carry.

    In regular humans, the Terrigen Mists can actually be very lethal and even kill them. In mutants, the effect can also be similar as it is highly toxic for mutants and can lead to the development of a disease known as M-Pox. For Inhumans, on the other hand, it produce a different effect. Let’s remember that Inhumans are essentially human beings whose genetic composition was altered via experimentation by extraterrestrial beings. On the surface, they look like the average human. But when exposed to the Terrigen Mists, the dormant Inhuman gene activates, and the Inhuman undergoes a process known as Terrigenesis. The process allows the Inhuman to essentially gain abilities, making them meta-humans. An example of an Inhuman whose ability was unlocked by the Terrigen Mist was none other than Kamala Khan. Kamala is an Inhuman whose powers manifested following exposure to the Terrigen Mists. Kamala’s Inhuman powers have been present in her DNA her whole life, it just took the Mists to unlock them.

     

    How does this backstory translate to the MCU when Ms. Marvel finally arrives?

    In the comics, Kamala had gone to a party the night the Terrigen Mist was released when the floating Inhuman city of Attilan was destroyed. While it is unlikely that we’ll actually see the city of Attilan appear during the Ms. Marvel series, it is highly probable that the circumstances leading to her exposure to the Terrigen Mist might be similar. A few weeks ago, we got out first look at Kamala wearing a Captain Marvel inspired outfit, presumably for a Halloween party. It seems that Marvel Studios is adapting the events of Ms. Marvel Vol 3 #1 for Kamala’s origin and her powers, Kamala sneaking out to go attend a party, the partygoers might make fun of her for dressing as Captain Marvel, she leaves and we know how the rest of the story plays out. Perhaps it can all go down during the first episode of the series and it could end with Kamala being wrapped up in Terragenesis cocoon, her emerging with her new powers and ending in a similar fashion to that comic.

     

     

    Ms. Marvel will premiere exclusively on Disney+.

     

     

  • Doctor Strange May Enter the Wasteland In the ‘Multiverse of Madness’

    Doctor Strange May Enter the Wasteland In the ‘Multiverse of Madness’

    WandaVision is only a week away from premiering. It will kick-off a new era of multiversal stories. The first teasers already are teasing that not everything is as it seems. Yet, it will only be the beginning, as Doctor Strange In the Multiverse of Madness will be the franchise’s first horror film. It will affect many other films and projects, such as Spider-Man 3 and the upcoming What If series, whose recent trailer teased the existence of Marvel’s zombies. It gave me an idea about what other comic elements we could see get adapted in the film. They can explore so many aspects of the diverse multiverse. I had so many ideas that I will primarily focus on one short story featured in the film. I also had to consider what was already on the horizon, as we know that Blade will introduce us to the likes of vampires. Without

    Welcome to the Wasteland

    I confess that part of this idea came from the recent Marvel’s Avengers reveal that Hawkeye’s storyline will be Future Imperfect. It inspired me to revisit the Old Man Logan storyline, which introduced us to a screwed-up post-apocalyptic world known called the Wasteland. With some wondering, if they might bring back characters from the Fox universe, the Wasteland would be a perfect remnant. Perhaps the part of the multiverse that they explore is the consequences of when they failed X-Men: Days of Future Past. Everyone is gone, and the Sentinels won. From the ashes of the world, a fractured civilization was trying to cling to whatever was left. In its remnants, a new leader emerged who would rule it under his own rule of violence.

     

     

    Doctor Strange finds himself lost in the middle of what seemed to be a desert. There he meets a man named Logan. Unable to continue his travel for the time, he is welcomed by the kind stranger, who has an eerie resemblance to Hugh Jackman. He tells him the story of how the Sentinels destroyed mutants and humanity all the same. After some time, they were no longer a threat after being deactivated by a random EMP blast. Finally, mankind had some hope. Well, at least that was until a sudden invasion of monsters from beyond the stars. Creatures that everyone calls the Brood, who would infest one city after another. They replace the symbiotes that were present during the Old Man Logan storyline. In their wake, a hero emerged, who saved them from this new threat. In a way, he started becoming the leader of the Wasteland.

     

     

    Facing a Familiar Face

    Strange realizes that there is one object he needs to continue his multiversal travel, and it so happens to be in the hands of that very ruler. The only issue was that they were looking for lives beyond an area infested with the Brood. Luckily, Logan offered his help as a guide through the Wasteland to find the mysterious leader. As every good film needs an action sequence, they soon realize that the Brood has still been expanding. It seems that the mysterious leader wasn’t able to keep them at bay after at all. In the middle of the plague, there stood the one that was supposed to destroy them. In reality, he was controlling them through a strange device. Strange instantly recognized who the ruler is, but at the same time, it seemed like someone else. It was the Hulk. It was a version of the character we haven’t seen since 2008’s The Incredible Hulk.

     

     

    Once he noticed his visitors, he sends the Brood after them. Suddenly, Logan pulls out three claws on each hand to protect Strange from the onslaught, whose magic was facing its limits. He realizes that the item he needs is the thing that lets Hulk control these beasts. As they get closer, Logan confronts the Green Goliath. The good doctor tries to cry out to Banner and uncover why he would do this. The now-bearded titan reveals that the post-credit sequence from the original film meant that Hulk was slowly taking over Banner’s mind. The Sentinel and Brood invasions were merely stepping stones for him to finally taking over so he could take his vengeance on the world. He would stand above everyone else so that they would learn fear.

    In their conflict, Strange can get the missing piece but doesn’t want to leave Logan behind. He tells him he has nothing to worry about as the confrontation rages between two immortal beings surrounded by what seems to be an endless horde of alien bugs. Strange leaves the Wasteland behind, scared of the realization of what horrors could unfold once Banner loses control someday. He swears to make it up to his new-found friend. Perhaps the man known as Logan exists in his world as well. These thoughts remained in his mind as his travel through the multiverse of madness continues.

  • How Michael Keaton’s Return as Batman May Reshape the DCEU

    How Michael Keaton’s Return as Batman May Reshape the DCEU

    For a while, fans were wondering who would be the DCEU’s primary Batman after Ben Affleck exited the franchise. We’d received confirmation that Robert Pattinson would be taking his crimefighting to another Earth within the ever-expanding multiverse. For a while, many fans clung to the chances that Ben Affleck would miraculously change his mind and hop straight back into the cape and cowl, harboring a newfound passion for the role. However, What fans received is a small role reprisal in the upcoming Flash film starring Ezra Miller.

    The Flash will mark the return of Michael Keaton’s Bruce Wayne. This is the first time he is returning to the role since Batman Returns. It got confirmed that Keaton will take over as the Bruce Wayne of the main timeline. They’ve called it the DCEU Earth-1, as the primary universe of the Arrowverse shows is serving as Earth-Prime. It got confirmed during the surprise cameo by Miller in the Crisis on Infinite Earth‘s crossover. He shared a short scene with Grant Gustin‘s Barry Allen, which was a welcome surprise to see the TV and film universes crossover. Nevertheless, The Flash will shake up the DCEU in massive ways, so who knows how long the current multiverse will last.

     

     

    Barry Allen is set to find some familiar faces in the multiverse and ends up working alongside the Bruce Wayne of Earth-89 at some point in the film. It stumped me a bit trying to put the puzzle together. How could a multiverse film affect the status of the DCEU’s Batman? Luckily, DC is pretty famous for its fascination with resetting their multiverse through Crisis events. A previous report mentioned that Keaton was in talks to stick around the DC universe for a while and take on a Nick Fury-type role. So, he will not have an active role but pull the strings from behind-the-scenes. However, Ben Affleck‘s departure as the caped crusader left a bat-shaped hole that needs filling.

    Luckily, the Batman lineage doesn’t end with Bruce, as he has long moved on from his singular crusade. The Bat-Family becoming one of the most prominent groups in comics. So, let’s take a look at who would be the perfect choice to fill that hole. Of course, the most obvious option would be Barbara Gordon, who’s long had a project in the works. Just recently, the project gained steam again. Christina Hodson, the writer behind Birds of Prey, has been actively working on two DC projects. Those are The Flash and, most notably, Batgirl. Naturally, this led to theories that this is no coincidence. It would surely keep things consistent behind the scenes when you’ve got one person hive-minding this shift of power between some of the most iconic characters in comics.

     

     

    Recently, DC Films’ President, Walter Hamada, mentioned Batgirl alongside Static Shock as two of the riskier films that will be made available via HBO Max. The film seems to still be in development. Also, in the past few years, female-Led superhero projects have changed the game. Batgirl shouldn’t be any different, as she is by far one of the most iconic female superheroes. Hell, why stop at one? As mentioned above, the Bat-Family has become an iconic and integral part of DC. Now that Bruce is seemingly out of the game, he’d make sure Gotham was in the right hands.

    As many DC fans know, the introduction of an older Bruce Wayne opens up the potential to a very iconic storyline. It might be the right time to introduce Terry McGinnis to cinema-goers. Many fans have been wishing for a live-action adaptation of Batman Beyond. Many fans are crossing their fingers that Keaton‘s return is a sign that it is finally happening. Love him or hate him, Batman is the heart of DC. He’s an integral part of a universe that spanned decades. The potential and future of this character is bright and will not be ending any time soon.