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  • Patreon Preview: James Bond

    Patreon Preview: James Bond

    Every now and then, I come across some information that I share just with my Patrons. With the betting line on the next James Bond finding its way into the news, I thought it might be a good time to share some rumblings I first shared with my Beyonders back in mid-November, 2020. This info found its way to the UK Express just a few days later. At the time, word had begun to circulate the Tom Hardy had landed the role. A new source reached out to me and shared some info to the contrary. What follows is just a cut and paste from that November Patreon post, with no edits or exclusions.

    What I Heard This Week: James Bond

    Unfortunately, I have taken a lot of grief about these types of posts in the past. Unfortunate because often times, they turn out to be true or partially true. It’s the nature of these rumors, because until I can verify them with other sources that is all they are and all they have ever been, that some will be untrue. People just don’t seem to be able to handle that, so I’ve decided that WIHTW pieces will be exclusives to Patreon from now on and I am starting off with a doozy.

    This obviously isn’t my usual jam, but when you get some good information about one of the world’s most popular franchises, you go ahead and run with it.

    We know Craig’s done with the 007 role and we also know that Bond isn’t. With that said, here are 2 interesting rumors that came my way.

    1. Even with the release date for No Time To Die in flux, the EARLIEST stages of work have begun on the next Bond film. Everyone fell in love with Cary Fukunaga and they’ve publicly expressed that they hope to bring him back. I’ve been told they have extended an offer to him to helm the next installment.

    2. While we’ve heard all sorts of rumors about who might be the next Bond, I was told just the other day that the producers are open to exploring some really interesting options. One possible route is to take Bond down a totally different route by bringing in someone MUCH younger than anyone we’ve seen so far. Craig was 38 when he took over the role and, I am told that the studio is open to going even younger than that and also willing to look at some unconventional choices. Timothee Chalamet and Robert Pattinson types. Be careful to understand that this does not mean either Chalamet or Pattinson are actually on the list of names they’re exploring but that they are open to actors like them who we might not think would fit the role, much like Pattinson was unexpected as Bruce Wayne.

    That’s it for this one and it is in the very early stages but I think that’s what’s so cool about it. We’ll see how it develops and come back to think about this one again when we know more.

    End preview. Rege-Jean Page certainly meets the criteria for #2. He is 31 years old, he is not Tom Hardy and, to my knowledge, was not famously considered as “the next Bond.” I certainly have no idea if he’ll get the part, but it’s interesting to see that there are still names out there other than Hardy.

  • Production Pauses on ‘DOCTOR STRANGE: IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS’

    Production Pauses on ‘DOCTOR STRANGE: IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS’

    Elizabeth Olsen has begun doing the press rounds ahead of next week’s premiere of the Marvel Studios Disney Plus streaming WandaVision. Last night, while talking with Jimmy Kimmel about that project, she updated the status of the production of her next MCU project, Doctor Strange: In the Multiverse of Madness. Olsen informed Kimmel that production on the sequel has been paused as a precaution amid the recent surge in COVID cases in and around London, where the sequel is filming.

    For the time being, Olsen is quarantined in London awaiting a restart of production. The Strange sequel began production in November and isn’t scheduled to hit theaters until March 25, 2022, so unless the delay goes on for months, it’s still incredibly likely that it makes that date.

     

  • ‘Knightfall’s Natalie Holt to Score ‘Loki’

    ‘Knightfall’s Natalie Holt to Score ‘Loki’

    It is crazy to think we are so close to finally getting some Marvel Cinematic Universe content after a long hiatus. WandaVision finally premieres next week. It is going to be the first of potentially six shows for 2021. It’ll be followed-up by The Falcon and the Winter Soldier before Loki joins the service in May. We still know very little bout the shows, as it wasn’t until the recent Disney Investor’s Day that we got an official first look at most of the series alongside a release date. All eyes were on WandaVision, as it is releasing soon, but it looks like Loki has also been quite busy.

    According to Film Music Reporter, Natalie Holt has joined Loki. She joins director Kate Herron and head writer Michael Waldron’s production team. Holt is known for her work on the TV series Knightfall and Amazon Prime’s upcoming Herself. She was also a part of 2014’s Paddington music department. It’ll be interesting to see what she brings to the series. The brief melody played during the initial Loki trailer is already a fantastic tease of what is to come.

    It is crazy to think what a huge surprise the series focused on the God of Mischief turned out to be. When they first announced he was getting his series, I did not expect him to meddle in humanity’s history alongside the TVA. I also didn’t expect he would turn out to be the MCU’s version of D.B. Cooper, so we’ll see how else he ends up leaving his mark throughout time.

    Source: Film Music Reporter, IMDb

  • How Cheetah Can Return in ‘WONDER WOMAN 3’

    How Cheetah Can Return in ‘WONDER WOMAN 3’

    One of the best parts of Wonder Woman 1984 was the inclusion of Kristen Wiig’s Dr. Barbara Minerva. Throughout the film, she slowly evolved into the villainous Cheetah. We didn’t get much of her Cheetah-form in the movie. Yet, they left the door open to her returning in the future, so the character has the potential to appear further down the line. It would be befitting to her status as one of Wonder Woman’s most iconic villains.

    The origin of the Cheetah we saw in the film was quite a bit different than any we’ve seen before. The first two iterations of the character were Priscilla Rich and Deborah Domain. They were simply socialites who donned outfits with a cheetah print and went about as your run-of-the-mill cat burglars. It wasn’t until we met Barabra Ann Minerva that we met our first version of the iconic character that possessed superhuman abilities.

     

     

    The simplest way to bring Cheetah back into the fold would be via Circe. The witch is known for her Projective Animal Metamorphosis, which would transform Minerva back into her animal form. However, if they were looking to make things a bit more complicated, we might see the introduction of a fan-favorite villain: Veronica Cale. In Greg Rucka‘s recent Rebirth run on Wonder Woman, Cale financed Minervas expedition to Africa to investigate the plant god, Urzkartaga. Of course, she found him and ended up marrying the deity. As a wedding gift, he bestowed her with the curse of the Cheetah.

    Barbara isn’t the only route they could take, as there are plenty of other options in the Cheetah selection. Sebastian Ballesteros was the only man to take on the Cheetah title that we’ve seen so far in comics. He obtained the curse after convincing Urzkartaga that a male Cheetah would be much more effective. Sebastian was also instrumental in creating Vanessa Kapatelis or better known as Silver Swan, another popular villain of our favorite Amazonian. It would be simple to replace Barbara with any of the previously-mentioned Cheetah’s if they plan on going down the Rebirth route. Yet, it feels as if we haven’t seen the last of Barbra Ann Minerva.

     

     

    No matter which comic you open in Wonder Woman history, there is always a Cheetah to be found. The character is, by far, one of Diana’s most iconic foes and makes an appearance in every solo title she had. All good superheroes have their mirror opposite. Ever since her debut, Barbara Ann Minerva has been the most consistent Cheetah and has become an essential part of the character’s history. It just wouldn’t feel right to replace her right after she got introduced. It’s unclear if Barbara will return in Wonder Woman 3. The film was only recently fast-tracked by WB, but Jenkins has been teasing that we haven’t seen the last of Wiig‘s incarnation of the iconic character.

  • Two-Episode ‘WandaVision’ Premiere Teased by French CANAL+ Magazine

    Two-Episode ‘WandaVision’ Premiere Teased by French CANAL+ Magazine

    Just yesterday, Charles shared the news that WandaVision will consist of nine episodes. So, it opened up the theory that we will most likely see two episodes during next week’s premiere. Well, it looks like that has finally been confirmed, as @V727Mr just shared an excerpt of the official French Le Mag CANAL+, which confirms that we will be welcomed to Marvel Studios’ first adventure into long-term storytelling with two initial episodes.

    The fact that CANAL+’s official monthly magazine reveals this is a good sign for its validity. To those that don’t know, it is a French premium television channel that embraces a hybrid model. Disney+ was made available through the service during its launch back in April. I already couldn’t wait for January 15th, so this isn’t making the wait any easier. It does open up the question if the show will follow a strict comedy format of 22-minutes per episode early on. The Mandalorian was quite flexible with its episode length, so we will see if Marvel is a bit more restrictive with their approach.

    As CANAL+ has shared the news, it is strange that Disney hasn’t advertised this fact. Yet, there is a chance they are building up to it shortly before release. It’s not uncommon for marketing to wait until the last minute to give away something that would give people a bit more hype before the release. We might get an official teaser in the next few days that finally reveals it, but it is still exciting to think not just one but two episodes. With the confirmation that we can expect nine episodes, it makes you wonder if we’ll get another two in the show’s second week as well.

    Source: Twitter, Vivendi

  • The 5 Best Daredevil Stories You’ve Probably Never Read

    The 5 Best Daredevil Stories You’ve Probably Never Read

    With a murderer’s row of writers and artists throughout the years, it’s no surprise that Daredevil has consistently been one of the best titles from Marvel. The title, in many ways, has served as a platform for writers and artists to explore a wide spectrum of storytelling opportunities. Some of them have gone on to be benchmarks that transcend the medium – Frank Miller’s run is still highly regarded as one of the medium’s best – while some have gone on to achieve massive critical acclaim. And with an array of good stories to his name, it’s understandably easy for some stories to get overshadowed by their more popular cohorts. So here are some of the best Daredevil stories you may have never read.

    DAREDEVIL: REDEMPTION

     

    In a small hick town in the backwoods of Alabama, a child is murdered in what is believed to be a Satanic ritual. Local law enforcement is quick to charge three outcast goth kids with the crime. The mother of one of the suspects pleads for New York bigshot Matt Murdock to give her son, who she claims to be innocent, a chance to fight for the truth. 

    Based on the true events of the West Memphis Three, Daredevil: Redemption is a haunting portrait of a hysteric God-fearing town’s faith and the rotting corruption underneath it. The story stands among Daredevil stories not for the spectacle but for how focused it is on Matt Murdock’s character as a man of faith, law, and righteousness and how it challenges those tenets of his being. In fact, there’s barely any Daredevil in the story nor is Matt Murdock the star of it. 

    If you’re a fan of neo-noir detective mysteries like True Detective or Zodiac, this is an absolute must-read. Artist Michael Gaydos and writer David Hine absolutely knock this one out of the park, writing a Daredevil story that’s wholly unforgettable.

    DAREDEVIL: FATHER

     

    As the son of a single dad, stories about fathers hit differently. It’s a big reason why Daredevil’s journey resonates so much for me. So it probably shouldn’t come as a surprise that Joe Quesada’s tribute to his late father in the form of a Daredevil comic named Father is one that I highly recommend. 

    In the midst of a terrible heatwave crippling Manhattan, a killer on the loose goes on a rampage and mutilates the eyes of his victims. Matt Murdock is hired by an ailing cancer patient to sue a  company for poisoning her land. Meanwhile, a new group of mystical vigilantes has a territorial dispute with Daredevil. 

    Joe Quesada fires on all cylinders as he flexes his storytelling prowess by masterfully weaving these seemingly unrelated moving parts into a shocking revisionist tale of the circumstances behind Matt’s accident. Seriously, this story contains one of the biggest twists I’ve seen in a comic. Plus, if you’ve ever wondered what a hulking Daredevil looks like, look no further. 

    DAREDEVIL: DECALOGUE 

     

    Brian Michael Bendis’ Daredevil run is arguably my favorite run of all time. I think it surpasses *gasp* Frank Miller’s on every level that it’s become the modern gold standard on how gritty Marvel crime stories should be. Over the course of 80 plus issues, Bendis and Alex Maleev took Matt Murdock to new lows and had him rise up from the pits of hell. That said, I think there’s one particular story in Bendis’ 80-issue run that stands out like a diamond in a sea of gold; Decalogue.

    Decalogue stars a group of Hell’s Kitchen locals attending a support group in the wake of Matt Murdock’s ascent into the Kingpin of their borough. The comic dissects the essence of Hell’s Kitchen, the people in it, and Matt Murdock’s place in their lives as its self-appointed protector. Some lives have changed for the better, while some have irrevocably worsened.  Layer by layer, the grime, and muck that binds each person to this fabled New York borough unravels as each member in the support group tells the story of the time they crossed paths with the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen. 

    Another thing I love about the comic is how it sheds light on not just Matt Murdock, the superhero, but also Matt Murdock, a practitioner of Eastern mysticism. I feel like the idea of Daredevil being a ninja first and foremost gets overlooked by a lot of interpretations. 

    DAREDEVIL: ANGELS UNAWARE 

     

     

    There’s never a shortage of superheroes punching their way through their problems so it’s always nice to see a comic that puts the superhero in a scenario where conflict is futile. In Angels Unaware, Daredevil is faced with the insurmountable task of getting a donor’s frozen heart across a terrible blizzard engulfing Manhattan to a dying child.

    It’s a beautiful story that shows the full extent of Matt Murdock’s resilience to save lives. It doesn’t matter to Matt that he’s on the brink of hypothermia or that Kingpin’s armed forces are after him. The Devil of Hell’s Kitchen will move mountains to save someone’s life even at the cost of his own. 

    3 JACKS & GAME ROOM 

     

    I’m lumping these two stories together because a) they’re both really short stories and b) they’re by Ann Nocenti and David Aja, two of the most prolific comic creators of their generation. Nocenti, some of you may know as one of the watershed writers for Daredevil, having created characters like Typhoid Mary and Aja as the star of the fabled Hawkeye run of Matt Fraction. That creative pairing alone merits a place in this but that’s not the sole reason why these two stories are in this. 

    In Game Room, Aja and Nocenti ditch the comic format and craft a short story with Aja’s subdued art serving as flourishes to the story. With no paneled art, Nocenti does the heavy lifting and tries her damnedest to have the audience visualize every single detail in the comic through prose. She does it in spades and the result is a nice little story about Daredevil investigating a suicide that might have been foul play. 

    3 Jacks captures Matt Murdock at a point in time at the height of his beef with Bullseye. Two bystanders witness Daredevil get brutally beaten by Bullseye and spend the day nursing him back to health. It’s a heartwarming encounter amidst a bloodied backdrop that surprisingly tugs the heartstrings as much as it satisfies anyone looking for a good comic fight. Aja, as always, destroys with his art as he crafts an amazing fight with Bullseye that’s one for the books as far as visuals go.

  • DC’s ‘PEACEMAKER’ May Be Adapting the Janus Directive

    DC’s ‘PEACEMAKER’ May Be Adapting the Janus Directive

    With plot details still being held tightly under wraps by Gunn and company, all we know is that the HBO Max streaming series, Peacemaker, will be a prequel to Gunn’s upcoming film, The Suicide Squad. Recent casting breakdowns tease what we could see unfold in the series which will most likely show us the origin of John Cena’s character, Christopher Smith aka Peacemaker. Some recent character breakdowns have teased the appearance of a few classic characters and the shady organizations they work for.

    In this fresh take from DC, Smith would be reinvented into a Vietnam war criminal and would be sentenced to life in prison for his actions. Smith would be offered early parole for his participation in the Peacemaker Project, a top-secret anti-terrorist task force for the US government that would ultimately be shut down, but wouldn’t stop Christopher from taking up the mantle of Peacemaker and combatting terrorism himself as a one-man army.  This is where the story begins to pick up and where I believe Gunn would be adapting for his upcoming series focusing solely on this character

    Since it was announced that he would be picking up this project, Gunn has praised the work of John Ostrander’s Suicide Squad and mentioned multiple times that he’s based a lot of what we see in those books as the inspiration behind his adaption. Well, Ostrander had another story and that story was The Janus Directive. This story saw multiple top-secret intelligence agencies from the DC Universe pitted against each other including The CBI, lead by one Sarge Steele, who we previously reported may have a role to play in the show. But that isn’t the only group I believe to be present in this and fueling the Janus Directive theory. The Agency, and that is its full name, was another top-secret group that was able to figure out the identity of Peacemaker and coaxed him into their service, but not alone, Peacemaker was also joined by Adrian Chase, aka the Vigilante, another character who’s been confirmed to appear in the upcoming series, to be played by Chris Conrad. Originally I believed that the CBI would be the only agency included but it wasn’t until the breakdown for a new character named “Keeya” was released. The production is looking for a black female, Late 20’s/ Early 30’s, gay supportive but tired wife, reluctantly dealing with her wife’s new government job and the secrecy it requires. We know at least one agency will be present and looking like this could be THE Agency considering the inclusion of Vigilante.

    Here’s where it gets even more interesting though, when the leader of the Agency, Valentina Vostok, left the organization, someone was right there to pick up the pieces. The person was none other than Amanda Waller, who would take the remnants of the agency and turn it into Checkmate, an all-new covert agency. The inclusion of Amanda Waller in this series could lead her to a possible appearance in the show in which we see how Peacemaker came to be on the Suicide Squad after the downfall of the agency, possibly even seeing her fold the Agency into Argus.

     

    Source: The Illuminerdi

     

  • ‘WANDAVISION’ Confirmed as a 9 Episode Series

    ‘WANDAVISION’ Confirmed as a 9 Episode Series

    Disney Plus Media Relations has confirmed what the Murphy’s Multiverse team was first to share with you some time back: Marvel Studios first Disney Plus streaming series, WandaVision, will indeed consist of 9 episodes. The following email from D+ relations has been confirmed to be legitimate by a Disney rep.

    Image

    This news, along with the news from Disney Latino that the series will conclude Season One on March 5th, would seem to indicate that we will get two episodes of the series when it streams next Friday, January 15th. Even though we haven’t seen it yet, I think we all know more WandaVision is a good thing!

  • Murphy’s Law: Episode 76

    Murphy’s Law: Episode 76

    Happy New Year! Charles M. and Charles V. ring in 2021 on their new mics and discuss JGL, what we expect from WandaVision and give our thoughts on the two big streaming movies of the holiday season: Soul and Wonder Woman 1984! Have a listen…

  • RUMOR: Elijah Richardson Joins ‘THE FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLDIER’ as Eli Bradley

    RUMOR: Elijah Richardson Joins ‘THE FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLDIER’ as Eli Bradley

    It looks like we might be able to check another member of the Young Avengers off the already growing list as actor Elijah Richardson has joined the cast of Marvel Studios upcoming Disney Plus streaming series, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier. According to his IMBD filmography, the 18-year old Richardson will play Eli Bradley, aka The Patriot, in 2 episodes when the show begins streaming this March. We will note here that we are well aware that IMDB can be edited anonymously, but there have been rumblings about the Bradleys being in the series before and, contrary to popular opinion IMDB is not ALWAYS wrong. We attempted to confirm the casting with two sources but were unable to do so.

    Elijah Bradley was first introduced as the leader of the Young Avengers in Young Avengers #1. A couple of issues later, he revealed to Captain America that he was the grandson of Isaiah Bradley, the Black Captain America. After originally leading his teammates to believe his powers came from a blood transfusion from his grandfather, Eli was caught injecting mutant growth hormone. Ashamed, Bradley quit the team but showed his true heroism when he was seriously injured taking a bullet to protect Captain America. That injury led to the need for a blood transfusion from Isaiah which lead to Eli becoming a true super soldier himself.

    Richardson’s Bradley would join Kathryn Newton’s Cassie Lang and Hailee Steinfeld’s Kate Bishop as members of the original Young Avengers team. It seems a safe bet to assume that Billy Kaplan and Tommy Shepherd will be a part of the team as well after being introduced in some capacity in WandaVision. That leaves only Teddy Altman, aka Hulking, and Iron Lad to go to round out the OG squad in the MCU. Xochitl Gomez will debut as America Chavez who joined a later iteration of the team, in Doctor Strange: In the Multiverse of Madness. A Young Avengers project is in the works and believed to be headed to Disney Plus, perhaps as early as 2023.