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  • ‘WandaVision’ Adds Jolene Purdy in a Recurring Role

    ‘WandaVision’ Adds Jolene Purdy in a Recurring Role

    We got a rather sneaky reveal for an additional cast member in the upcoming Disney+ show WandaVision. Deadline just reported the casting of an HBO satire titled The White Lotus. The listing included five additions. Among them was the mention of Orange Is the New Black‘s Jolene Purdy. In the same article, they point out that she just recently wrapped filming for the upcoming MCU series. Not only that, but she also has a recurring role. This reveal signifies her involvement with multiple episodes throughout the season. There is a chance that she might be one of Wanda’s neighbors. So far, there has been no confirmation on this casting, so this is a great surprise. Purdy is well-known for her appearances on Under the Dome, The Magicians, and she even appeared in 2001’s Donnie Darko.

    It is also interesting that it confirms that the series has only finished up recently. WandaVision still is rumored to release in the upcoming month, so they will be finishing up the effects on the later episodes as it releases. Plus, they will most likely have a Christmas break for a few weeks, which would give them more time to work on the post-production. We currently still don’t have a release date for the series. At least they seem to be aiming for a 2020 release for now. Hopefully, we will get a release date announcement in the comings weeks. The Mandalorian’s second season just released, so Disney doesn’t have to worry about the marketing cannibalizing each other.

    Source: Deadline, IMDb

  • RUMOR: ‘Green Lantern’ to Feature Original Black Female Lantern

    RUMOR: ‘Green Lantern’ to Feature Original Black Female Lantern

    Just recently, we received the long-awaited news that the HBO Max Green Lantern series would be officially moving forward. It got a full season green light with Seth Grahame-Smith, and Marc Guggenheim set as showrunners. Alongside this news, it was confirmed that the show features a large cast of characters. The Green Lantern Corp. will include Guy Gardner, Jessica Cruz, Simon Baz, Kilowog, and Alan Scott. The show will take place throughout multiple decades of history. It seems the Lanterns will be getting a new face from Sector-2814 to aid in the protection of the galaxy.

    The Direct is reporting that that show features an original character that’ll partner up with Guy Gardner. Her description states that she is a black female lantern named Bree Jarta. It also states that she is an equal part of alien and human. The character is said to have grown up within an advanced alien society on a planet deep in space. She will be extremely determined to uphold the honor and values of the Lantern Corps to stay true to the duty of holding the ring.

    Many fans might assume that this is an adaptation of the newest Lantern, who got introduced in the Far Sector comics from DC’s Young Animal library. This storyline features Jo Mullein, an ex-cop, and vet who becomes a lantern. She is part of a sector so far from Oa that she calls it the Far Sector. It would be a shame not to adapt to this character, especially if you consider the character’s rise in popularity. Also, the unique situation in which she finds herself on a distant planet could lend itself to an interesting

    Green Lantern currently has no release date. Casting hasn’t started yet, but with work behind the scenes seemingly moving along, we can expect some more news in the future.

    Source: The Direct

  • How ‘THE MANDALORIAN’ Chapter 9 Turns Nostalgia Into World-Building

    How ‘THE MANDALORIAN’ Chapter 9 Turns Nostalgia Into World-Building

    Finally, after a long wait, the second season of The Mandalorian has released. The show did not waste any time and continues where the first left off. Our new favorite Mandalorian Din Djarin is now responsible for a young child that is somehow related to Yoda. Now, he sets out into the galaxy to find others of his kind to bring back the young force-sensitive child home. The last season was filled with Easter Eggs and references to the first two trilogies. It expanded the universe in a way we had yet to see, but there is something about how the second season opens that confirms how well this show handles nostalgia. The Mandalorian isn’t just an Easter egg hunt, as it uses these familiar elements to further build upon a galaxy we once believe to know like the back of our hand.

     

    Before you continue, be wary that there will be some major spoilers for the episode. So, only continue at your own risk if you have yet to watch it.

     

    After the infiltration of an underground fighting arena goes wrong, Mando once again returns to Tatooine. In a way, this planet might be the most visited place in the galaxy. At first, we get some familiar shots from the original trilogy and the last season. The fifth episode Gunslinger, which took place on the same planet, was heavily criticized for focusing too much on nostalgia, and it almost feels like it is going down the same path again. Yet, after we briefly catch up with Amy Sedaris‘ Peli Motto and get a nice moment of character growth, it splinters off from the familiar. The story truly starts the moment he enters the village of Mos Pelgo. Finally, we visit a new location on this desert planet with its history and characters.

    Now, the selling point of this episode is the appearance of Cobb Vanth, played by a former gunslinger Timothy Olyphant. I believe fans from the Extended Universe will recognize that name. The first time we meet him, he is wearing a very familiar outfit. Yes, it is, in fact, that of Boba Fett, who we last saw fall into a Sarlacc Pit. The moment that showed how this series pays tribute to the Star Wars history and its last season is the moment Vanth takes off the helmet. In the Mandalorian creed, you cannot take off your helmet. We physically see Din shocked even if we can’t see his face. The show doesn’t hold our hands and have Pedro Pascal explain that no Mandalorian should do such a thing. Din seems to have no connection with Fett, so there was also no in-universe reason for point out the original owner of the Beskar armor. Those that have seen the original will make the connection automatically. Viewers, who are new to the franchise, might even be inspired to read up on it.

    There are a lot of great little ways it uses visuals from the franchises’ history. Vanth’s speedster was made out of one of Anakin’s pod racer engine. Mando used a similar cry that Obi-Wan used in A New Hope to communicate with the Tusken Raiders. Yet, this time they aren’t just chased away but spent time with, which had got teased in the previously mentioned episode. Now, we get to explore how Raiders survive in the desert and what traditions they have. We saw glimpses of this worldbuilding when they spent more time with the Jawa’s in the first season. We also get introduced to the ecosystem of Tatooine, such as the various creatures that live there. The Sarlacc Pit was a giant creature that lived under the sand that seemed beyond our understanding. Well, we now get introduced to its natural enemy, the Krayt Dragon, which is the main focus of the episode.

    All of these elements not only pay tribute to the franchise’s history but uses them to extend our understanding of this universe. The smartest aspect is how everything in this episode is due to their connection to Boba Fett. His armor creates this immediate connection to the Sarlacc Pit and Tatooine. It takes place in the desert, so it uses some old Western film elements to ease you into the new season. So, the logical next step is to finalize that connection with a massive reveal at the end of the episode. It only truly works if you know anything about the franchise’s history. Yet, it also works for new viewers, as one can make most of the connections from the episodes’ general set-up based on nostalgia. It is hard to believe that this is only the first episode, and I am curious how they expand the Star Wars galaxy in the future.

    Source: IndieWire

  • ‘THE MANDALORIAN’ is Growing Up

    ‘THE MANDALORIAN’ is Growing Up

    The title is both referring to The Mandalorian (the show) and the Mandalorian (Din Djarin, the character). Chapter 9 shows us what appears to be the natural evolution of both, in their own way.

    When a successful tv show gets to its second season, or when a movie gets a chance for a sequel, there’s sure to be some debate on what path to follow next. Some argue that it should stick to what audiences reacted to so well, while others may claim that it should develop into something new, something fresh. This involves a lot of second-guessing, and it is bound to be hard to keep the creators’ vision untainted by outside feedback. Disney+’s The Mandalorian, like few other shows, managed to bypass most of that since Season 2 was already being written and shot before Season 1 even premiered. This being the case, the new season’s inception began as the first one did, with the creative minds behind the show not being influenced by anyone but themselves, and so far the end result seems to also mimic Season 1’s in its resounding success.

    The plot is still keeping it pretty simple and straightforward. We’re not getting multiple storylines being focused on at the same time, with added locations and various active characters. We’re still focused on only following the story of Din Djarin and The Child. That’s how the show began and that’s how it thrives. What seems to be an obvious step forward in terms of scale isn’t the story itself, but the way it’s being shown to us. I greatly enjoyed the number of establishing shots we got throughout the episode. The way the world Din Djarin in moving through seems bigger than ever, with the episode taking its time in showing us not only the new locations but how one gets there, portraying Tatooine in a way that felt the most satisfying since.. well, ever? If the show manages to keep the storyline concise and the environment and locations at such a grand scale, it may probably continue to tap into that A New Hope gold. A simple story, relatable and easy to follow that is set in a wondrous universe filled with possibilities.

    When it comes to the main character, one has to feel that it has experienced a natural growth of his own. When we first meet Din, he was but a solitary bounty hunter, looking for a payday any way he could. Even his fellow Mandalorians managed to get in his way, doubting his allegiance to the Mandalorian creed. Through season one he began to understand that to survive in such an inhospitable part of the galaxy he would need the help of others, as his own kind so emphatically showed him. It all began with Kuiil, that moved by a hint of self-interest helped him reach The Child so his valley could be free of mercenaries. And like this one relationship, all the other he developed throughout season one were also mostly devised out of a sense of common interest. A mutual enemy being the usual reason.

    But then comes Season 2. Faced with a dispute that could probably be easily resolved with a laser blast, allowing him to be on his way and not get involved any further in the dealings of a small town in the middle of Tatooine’s desert, Din decides to go above and beyond and do the right thing with little self-interest to it. And in doing so, he not only helps to resolve the problem facing Mos Pelgo, but he serves as an intermediary in the resolution of a long-lasting feud between two hostile communities. This brings Din Djarin even further away from his violent beginnings, making him not just someone that looks to do the right thing, but one that looks to inspire that upon others. The makings of a hero.

  • First Full Look at ‘Marvel’s Avengers’ Black Panther Leaked

    First Full Look at ‘Marvel’s Avengers’ Black Panther Leaked

    Marvel’s Avengers teased during its premiere that we will see Black Panther added to the game at one point. The reveal was shortly after the tragic loss of Chadwick Boseman, so they decided to postpone it out of respect to the actor. It was a fitting decision at the time, and we’ve been very anxious about what design they may have cooked up over at Crystal Dynamics. A while back, someone shared a cropped version of what looked to be a Black Panther costume. This snippet was then confirmed by Avengers data miner @mmmmmmmmiller to be true at the time, but we never got the full view of it. Well, as Miller was sharing some icons from the game, which seem to be connected to future missions, a user going by @Evan18217824 shared the first full look at Black Panther.

    The thing that confirms this design is that it matches the snippets we saw initially. The additions on the shoulders are a dead giveaway that this is the same design that was confirmed. This take on the character is unique, but it does feel fitting. Instead of a bodysuit, it has these armor-like elements to highlight T’Challa’s Royal position. I especially love the attention to detail here, as his symbol is on the chest plate surrounded by what seems to be traditional Wakandan inscriptions. Of course, we will get various other costumes, so this may be the default design for his story arc.
    In general, I like this design, as it’s such a unique take on the character. The idea of using a traditional king’s armor is an interesting one to focus more on his role within the African country. I am curious to see what other costumes they include and if we get this design in action once the promised November War Table video is released. Still, we finally got a good look at the character and something to tie us over until Kate Bishop is playable.

     

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’ Suit Revealed for ‘Spider-Man: Miles Morales’

    ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’ Suit Revealed for ‘Spider-Man: Miles Morales’

    We are only a few weeks away from PlayStation’s Spider-Man spin-off finally releasing. The new game will focus on Miles Morales growing into his role as Spider-Man. It was a fantastic reveal during the PS5 reveal event, and everything we saw of the game was already quite promising. Now, they are adding an easter egg for fans of the character. Spider-Man: Miles Morales is paying tribute to his cinematic debut Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse by including an original animated costume from that film.

    The animation looks beautiful. It even seems like Insomniac has even adapted the animation style of the character to fit the way the design. If you look closely, you can even see some pop-ups of Onomatopoeia when you punch someone. We did get something similar, as the 2018 game also included an animated Spider-Man costume that paid tribute to the original 90s Spider-Man: The Animated Series.

    As Miles just recently had his cinematic debut, it made sense to add the costume from his first cinematic appearance. Some might have noticed that he is part of the pre-order, but Insomniac has confirmed that you can unlock the costume in-game, so there is no exclusivity deal. I have to say that these costumes look amazing. My personal favorites so far are the one that includes Spider-Cat and the Daft Punk-inspired suit. I cannot wait to see what other designs they might have ready once the game releases on November 12th.

    Source: Twitter

  • Leaked Funko Pops Offer First Full Look at Anthony Mackie’s New Falcon Suit

    Leaked Funko Pops Offer First Full Look at Anthony Mackie’s New Falcon Suit

    It is crazy to think that The Falcon and the Winter Soldier originally was going to release in August. Now, we are still anxiously waiting for a release date. WandaVision took its place as the first MCU original show on Disney+, but we don’t even know when that will air. Still, the pandemic has not stopped the production of tie-in products that tease what we can expect from these series. Not too long ago, we got our first look at a very comic-accurate Zemo through his leaked Funko Pop. Now, we got another closer look at the Funko Pops that gives us a great first full look at Anthony Mackie‘s Falcon suit for the upcoming series. We only got glimpses of it in the initial poster.

    The first poster teased a stronger focus on red, which is paying tribute to the characters’ original costume. The back of the box confirms that three Funko Pops are available from the series. There is a chance, however, that these are just a limited run. Still, there is no sight of that Captain America costume that Falcon will most likely wear once he accepts his new role. His Funko also includes the returning Red Wing, who we briefly saw in Captain America: Civil War. It will be interesting to see if his companion gets a bit more action in the upcoming series.

    I also have to mention the parallel between Winter Soldier’s star and that of Captain America’s shield. It’s a small visual added to the box that serves no real purpose, but I love this kind of detail. These are certainly must-buys for fans of the MCU and these respective characters. Hopefully, we will get a trailer soon that shows these new costumes in action.

    Source: DisPops IG (Full Look), DisPops IG (Back)

  • Schrödingers’ Khonshu: More Myth Than Moon Knight’s God

    Schrödingers’ Khonshu: More Myth Than Moon Knight’s God

    Moon Knight is a fascinating character and a great addition to Marvel Studios’ Disney+ line-up. Initially, he was Marvel’s answer to Batman. He even had moon-shaped versions of the Batarangs. Yet, the character grew into his own as time went on. Marc Spector is commonly known for having a Dissociative Identity Disorder, so he started to adopt a variety of names and identities over the years. One of his most recent additions was the detective, Mr. Knight. The most iconic aspect of Moon Knight is also his relationship with a God known as Khonshu. In a mission in Egypt as a mercenary, he gets betrayed by his employer Raul Bushman. Left for dead, an Egyptian God gave him a new lease on life. He would, later on, believe that this encounter was nothing more than an illusion. Yet, the Moon God’s influences stuck with him in his designs. His disorder also made him an unreliable narrator, so it was uncertain for quite some time if he was real. As the show is slowly starting production, it is unclear if Khonshu is an actual character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. 

    Well, that was until a report by The Direct was pointing to the addition of four Egyptian characters. This casting is interesting if you consider that Moon Knight’s main base of operation in New York City. One character’s definition is as a female lead. So, they will play somewhat of an essential role in the series of some kind. Now, this may tease that Khonshu’s past is a massive part of the story. The hiring of Mohamed Diab also highlights that the characters’ Egyptian heritage will have some influence, so it makes sense to explore this mystical aspect of the MCU. Thor is proof that Gods do exist, so this would allow us to get another perspective on one of the many undiscovered corners of the MCU.

    Yet, Marvel Studios CEO Kevin Feige toyed a bit with audiences when he announced the show initially. He said that Marc might be crazy, which opens a lot of questions. Khonshu, as a character, adds a lot of depth to this universe, so it would be a waste for him not to exist. Yet, at the same time, they could use him as a red herring to make you question the sanity of Spector. If Khonshu exists, we will be learning about his history with the other Gods. It also allows us to uncover how their existence played into the MCU’s past. Plus, they can use that aspect to make you accept Khonshu exists in Spector’s view of the world before pulling the rug from under your feet. This aspect is what sells Moon Knight as a show. It isn’t as crazy as WandaVision‘s sitcom-based multiverse shenanigans, but it can screw with its audience. As I mentioned before, Marc is an unreliable narrator, so if he retells the story of Khonshu, there is a chance it is just all made-up in his head. It would also open up the possibility to see his already broken mind fall apart as he begs for a God for help that does not exist.

    In the comics, Khonshu is very much a tangible existence. He even got into conflict with the Avengers, which ended up with him fighting Robbie Reye’s Ghost Rider and Black Panther. In Avengers Vol. 8 #37, he ended up losing and being apprehended by the team of heroes. Even if he exists in the comics, it doesn’t chain the series to do the same. He may be an illusion by Spector after seeing an idol of the lunar God shortly before he passed out. It’s a great way to play with expectations, especially as it allows the director to play around with some crazy visuals. I do hope we get the design from Moon Knight Vol. 7 that features him in a white suit with a bird skull instead of a head. It’s such an iconic visual that can also add a unique atmosphere to this show, as he may seem like just one of the many personalities. Yet, in his thirst for vengeance is manipulating Marc to follow a darker path. Right now, we have no idea as they could go either direction. We might get to meet a real Egyptian God, or just the remnants of a broken mind. Until Moon Knight releases on Disney+, he is Marvel Studios’ Schrödingers’ Cat.

    Source: The Direct, YouTube

  • Theory Thursday: It’s Time for the MCU to Face Judgment

    Theory Thursday: It’s Time for the MCU to Face Judgment

    All rise for the honorable living tribunal.

     

    “From the dawn of the universe, there was nothing. Then… boom. The Big Bang sent six elemental crystals, hurtling across the virgin universe. These Infinity Stones each control an essential aspect of existence.” In Phases 1-3, the MCU explored multiple individual stories, each of which became part of an interconnected storyline that we know as the Infinity Saga. In the Infinity Saga, the main overarching theme of these phases was the unification of the Infinity Stones from all corners of the universe. Now, with the Infinity Saga complete, we enter a new phase with a brand new storyline that fans will explore beyond the confines of our universe: the Multiverse.

     

    Who are you, in this vast multiverse, Mr. Strange?

     

    We were already teased about the concept of the Multiverse back in Doctor Strange (2016), and it was made a reference in the last MCU film of Phase 3, Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019), when Quentin Beck aka Mysterio, used the idea of the Multiverse to trick Peter Parker, Nick Fury (who was secretly Talos) and others into believing his ruse to become the “next hero”. But as Kevin Feige said back in SDCC last year, “Just because Quentin Beck makes up lies about the Multiverse, doesn’t mean it isn’t real.” We know that the concept of the Multiverse will be explored in Phase 4, with my money being on WandaVision (2020), Spider-Man: Something with Home in the Title (2021) & Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022). I went very in-depth with my theory on how the Multiverse might play out in my “Reality Checked” Theory and discussed the possible universes that could be explored if Marvel indeed decided to acknowledge a Marvel Cinematic Multiverse.

     

     

    Now, if we are going to deep dive into the concept of the Multiverse, then we need to acknowledge the presence of a very important character in Marvel Comics lore that I believe already exists in the MCU and might make his appearance very soon:

     

    The Living Tribunal

     

    Now, the Living Tribunal has been described as a “nigh-omnipotent, nigh-omniscient, omnipresent” individual that “possesses limitless power, is able to erase entire realities from existence.” His only rival is his creator; the One-Above-All. But the Living Tribunal in the comics is essentially regarded as the 2nd most powerful individual in all of Marvel lore. His role has been to safeguard the Multiverse and be its Guardian, and unlike other characters, where there are other versions of the same character across multiple universes, there is only 1 Living Tribunal that exists in all of the universes as he is the center of it all. “The Tribunal manifests itself as a being with three faces, which represent the three sides of the Tribunal’s personality. Its front face, through which it usually speaks, represents equity, the fully hooded face on its right side represents necessity, and the partially hooded face on its left represents just revenge. All three voices must agree in a case before the Tribunal can intervene.”

     

    Why introduce him now?

    Living Tribunal by Eric Hallquist

     

    With the Multiverse now coming into play in Phase Four of the MCU and the idea that the universe might start to collide if Wanda Maximoff decides to go all “House of M” on us, then the Living Tribunal might be forced to play a role in trying to preserve the balance of the Multiverse by passing judgment onto Wanda, something I predict could happen in the upcoming Doctor Strange sequel. The first time the Living Tribunal was introduced in Marvel Comics was in Strange Tales #158, where he encountered Doctor Strange and had come to the conclusion that the Earth should be destroyed. Doctor Strange however managed to convince the tribunal to give the Earth a chance so he could fix it and save all life on Earth. The Tribunal agreed. We could see a scenario similar to this in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022), where the Living Tribunal decides to pass judgment on Wanda Maximoff for altering the laws of reality and as penance, must die along with the rest of the Earth in order to preserve the balance. Doctor Strange will intervene and vouch for Wanda to keep her and Earth safe and manage to fix reality once again. And now, some of you might tell me that that sounds like an amazing pitch. But why introduce a character like this in the MCU now? How can I be sure that this is even the direction Marvel wants to go? What if I told you we’ve already had our first tease regarding the Living Tribunal?

     

     

    The Living Tribunal has already been teased in the MCU

    The Staff of the Living Tribunal by Sukh Singh

     

    Remember this relic? You might remember it in a scene from Doctor Strange (2016) when Baron Mordo was wielding it while training with Doctor Strange in Kamar Taj. Baron Mordo had actually called it the “Staff of the Living Tribunal”. Quite the interesting name no?

     

     

    Not only that, but Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Avengers: Endgame (2019) writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely actually revealed at SDCC last year that The Living Tribunal was set to appear during Avengers: Infinity War (2018), to judge Thanos for his crimes against the universe. Clearly, that idea was opted out later on and we never saw that scene but if he was set to appear in this film, chances are that Marvel Studios has plans for the cosmic entity to make his way to the MCU very soon.

     

    Only time will tell us if and when we are ready to face the judgment of the Living Tribunal in the MCU.

     

     

  • Theory Thursday: ‘THE FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLDIER’ Will Introduce the Commission on Superhuman Activities to the MCU

    Theory Thursday: ‘THE FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLDIER’ Will Introduce the Commission on Superhuman Activities to the MCU

    Once meant to kick of Marvel Studios slate of Disney Plus streaming series, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier hit a bit of a speed bump in the Spring, pushing it back in the queue. In an alternate universe, the series has completed its run and fans’ imaginations have been running wild with theories about what’s next for the heroes and villains. Here, however, we’re still stuck speculating on what might be and a non-story from last week got my wheels spinning again.

    After some official The Falcon and The Winter Solider Mini Mates leaked online last week, word made its way around the internet that they had spoiled the fact that Wyatt Russell would be introduced as Captain America in the series. of course that’s just not right; there is no spoiler here. The Big Game spot that teased the series already showed us Walker in full Cap gear as have many set photos and, most importantly to this theory piece, these posters from the set which made the rounds back in February.

    The Falcon And The Winter Soldier Set Pic Reveals The New Captain America

    Walker being trotted out as Cap isn’t a spoiler by any means. While they certainly won’t follow the character’s comic arc beat for beat, it’s been pretty evident from jump street that Walker was going to be the guy holding the shield…there’s a reason why the series isn’t called Captain America and The Winter Soldier. What is interesting about the posters that were spotted on set is that they are sponsored by the U.S. Army. Now Walker himself was a military hero but that’s not all that’s going on here. These posters are more than just the U.S. Army celebrating the promotion of one of their own to the role of Cap; these are good ol’ government propaganda and that likely means that, just like in the comics, Walker was hand selected by the government to be the new Cap. There’s probably a whole other theory piece here about why Walker was chosen over Sam, but that’s not what this is. This is about just what kind of group would do the choosing and what role they might play in The Falcon and The Winter Solider and beyond.

    If the government is going to do something, you can be damn sure they’re going to form a committee to do so and, theoretically speaking, that committee would be the Commission on Superhuman Activities. In the comics, the CSA’s members came from all over the government: the military, the NSA and the FBI were among the organizations who had representatives on the Commission. Their job, in a nutshell, was to monitor and strategize on how to deal with the ever growing number of powered people. As Vision pointed out in Captain America: Civil War, the strength of the Avengers invites challenge. Given what we know about the series, it seems incredibly likely that we will see the further proliferation of powered people (you can read my ideas about how that might happen here) and see the government response to that. Way back in January of this year, this Connecting the Imaginary Dots piece laid out one possible route the government might take: attempting to reproduce the Super Soldier serum. Now we can’t be 100% sure, but I’m willing to be that one of the big themes of this series is going to be the legacy of Steve Rogers and that serum and that John Walker gets himself a little cocktail to power him up courtesy of the CSA.

    The CSA isn’t the Accords, though the formation of the Commission might easily be seen as a natural consequence of the Accords. The CSA would be its own thing and while Thunderbolt Ross might have a hand in its formation in the MCU, it’s very much its own group in the comics and it has a few KEY power players who, should the CSA show up in the MCU, might portend some really big things down the road.

    Key among the potential members of the CSA are Valerie Cooper and Henry Peter Gyrich. Dr. Valerie Cooper believed she saw a developing threat in the growing number of powered people (it was mutants in the comics…are we there yet in the MCU) and used the CSA to tap into the that growing number of powered U.S. citizens as part of what she saw as an arms race. In the absence of the Avengers, Cooper created the Freedom Force (composed entirely of mutants who were looking to clear their criminal records) and the group was successful for a time before falling apart. From there, Cooper played an integral role in making sure that John Walker ascended to the mantle of Captain America, under the thumb of the CSA, and bringing in his old Army buddy, Lemar Hoskins, as his partner, Battlestar (you first read about Hoskins appearing in the series right here!). Cooper, or a character like her, seems like sure bet to appear in the series and while her time on the CSA is pretty exciting, wait until you guys go look up the X-Men watchdog organization she headed up (O.N.E.).

    A little more well-known thanks to his time as a government liaison with the Avengers, his appearances in numerous animated series and in 2000’s X-Men, Henry Peter Gyrich is an even bigger asshole and a character a lot of fans have been expecting to see in the MCU for some time, so an appearance here as part of the CSA wouldn’t be entirely surprising. Gyrich helped develop and oversee the off-the-books Project: Wideawake which kept an eye on the mutant explosion and, among other things, employed Sentinels against them.

    Should one or both of these two appear in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, they could not only be viewed as short terms thorns in the sides of Bucky and Sam but also potentially as some of the first steps that Kevin Feige could be taking towards introducing mutants to the MCU. At the very least, they might be two of the first characters who were previously owned by Fox to make their way into the ever expanding universe (though I think Agatha Harkness might be the first, now that WandaVision is coming ahead of this project). We’ll see how it turns out, of course, but given what we already know about the series, it wouldn’t be shocking to see the CSA make its debut when The Falcon and The Winter Soldier premiers next year.