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  • EXCLUSIVE: New Details on Fin Fang Foom’s Lair in ‘SHANG-CHI’

    EXCLUSIVE: New Details on Fin Fang Foom’s Lair in ‘SHANG-CHI’

    A couple of months ago, prior to the production on Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings getting back underway, set photos made their way around the usual channels of a huge set being built in Sydney. Seen below, the set features around a dozen smaller huts surround one larger, central hut all partially surrounded by a large green screen. Murphy’s Multiverse has learned some exclusive details about this set which we now believe to be The Valley of the Sleeping Dragon!

    First seen in Iron Man #261, The Valley of the Sleeping Dragon is exactly what you expect it to be: the resting place of Fin Fang Foom. In the comics, the Valley of the Sleeping Dragon has been the resting place of Foom, “He Whose Limbs Shatter Mountains and Whose Back Scrapes the Sun”, since he and his fellow Makluans came to conquer Earth. Since then, it has been the job of a group of warriors to keep his terrible power at bay by keeping him asleep. This job has been passed down from one generation to another throughout the ages.

     

    Our source describes the Valley of the Sleeping Dragon set as a hilly, seaside location with a temple at its center with the greenscreen serving as the seashore itself. The other huts each serve their own purposes but the other noteworthy feature is the large, bamboo structure known as the battle dome which is surrounded by an area where the village’s warriors hone the skills necessary to protect Fin Fang Foom.

    As mentioned here by MCU Cosmic, it does seem that Foom is central to the plot of Shang-Chi; however, we’ve been able to dig up some additional details that give quite a bit more context. As in the comics, The Valley of the Sleeping Dragon has been under the protection of the descendants of a group of warriors dating back hundreds or perhaps thousands of years, giving a little more context to why the production was casting for ancient warriors as detailed here.

    These elite warriors have devoted their lives to keeping at bay what is described as an ancient evil bent on the destruction of mankind. But, it seems, they are not alone in keeping this ancient evil asleep as our source indicates that while they are keeping a shapeshifting alien that looks like a dragon tucked away they might just have their own dragon to help them fight off invaders! The warriors wield shields and spears made from dragon scales (see our staff artist’s rendition of them below) in addition to one more incredibly powerful weapon: chi. The MCU Cosmic report mentioned we might see some magic users in Shang-Chi and, from what we can understand, these elite, ancient warriors, much like the Masters of the Mystic Arts, have learned to harness energy through a series of movements but instead of it being magic, it is chi.

     

     

    In addition to the set description, our source adds that the village is led by an elder known as “Huang Bo” (this may or may not be his actual name but it most certainly is the character described in an old casting call searching for a male, 40-60 known as a wise, old statesman and the leader of his village) and he is joined in the village by another fierce protector: Michelle Yeoh’s character. It’s not hard to imagine this location being central to the Mandarin’s end goal, with a living weapon of mass destruction sleeping beneath it and all.

     

    How to trek to Vietnam's Hang En and Hang Son Doong caves

    We’ll stop here as going any further into detail will certainly tread into spoiler territory, but it’s absolutely fantastic to see Marvel Studios mining the comics and bringing The Valley of the Sleeping Dragon to life in an absolutely incredible practical set with a touch of green screen. Perhaps the seaside set will include a nice, dragon-sized cave like the Hang Son Doong cave pictured above. Either way, the hype dial for this film better go to 11 as this set will feature some of the best action sequences in an MCU film to date. We can’t wait to see it in person when Shang-Chi and The Legend of the Ten Rings hits theaters on July 9, 2021.

     

     

  • First Glimpse at ‘Marvel’s Avengers’ Black Panther Leaked

    First Glimpse at ‘Marvel’s Avengers’ Black Panther Leaked

    Crystal Dynamics can’t really get a break. Their potential Marvel’s Avengers DLC line-up gets leaked during the Beta with around 16 characters revealed. Just yesterday, their War Machine design leaked online. We thought that might be it until the next major update by the developers. Well, looks like we were wrong as one more character has been leaked. Sadly, it isn’t as detailed as War Machine was but it does offer a glimpse of what a major upcoming character will look like. The Twitter user @Jleffel22 was so kind to share with us two images that tease what Black Panther will look like in the game. They’ve started circulating recently without a specific source being named.

    There is not much to go by with these images. They are very small but it is easy to make out that it is Black Panther. The ears and eye design are a dead-giveaway. Still, it was hard to say if this was actually official from the game. Well, that changed pretty quickly as this leak has been confirmed by @mmmmmmmmiller. This user is the one who originally released the image that featured War Machine and many other smaller leaks.

    https://twitter.com/mmmmmmmmiller/status/1310009260961656832

    Black Panther was originally going to be revealed in the last War Table. Crystal Dynamics chose to postpone this reveal in honor of Chadwick Boseman‘s tragic passing. So, we were expecting our first look with the release of the next one that will include a roadmap for the game. Interestingly to note, a while back Miller also released an image of what Wakanda might look like in-game. He pointed to it being the first big addition that will feature a variety of new missions and a raid. That raid would lead your Avengers team into the Vibranium mines to fight Klaue. We cannot wait for the official reveal of what is to come.

    Source: Twitter (Leak), Twitter (Confirmation)

  • ‘Batwoman’ BTS Pictures Offer First Look at Javicia Leslie in Costume and Batmobile

    ‘Batwoman’ BTS Pictures Offer First Look at Javicia Leslie in Costume and Batmobile

    Batwoman has just recently started production on its second season. The upcoming season will see a major change for the series as Rubie Rose left the show. Luckily, the team didn’t waste time and Javicia Leslie joined the show. She will play an original character named Ryan Wilder. The disappearance of Kate Kane will be a plot point throughout the season that will be explored. We’ve gotten smaller teases here and there of what she may look like in the costume. There was also the question if they would completely redesign it. Well, looks like they stayed true to the design from the previous season. We got a tease by the actress alongside a set photo of her full design.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CFlKJHtBaRU/?utm_source=ig_embed

    .The costume looks great on Leslie. It is pretty much the exact same costume that Rose wore last season. They are still early in development so they may also be working on a second version of the costume that she wears later on. She is wearing the red wig that is a staple of the character’s comic design. So, there is a good chance this will remain the same as it is an iconic visual alongside the red bat symbol. There is, however, one brand new addition to the upcoming season. The website Canadagraphs got their hands on an image that seems to show what could be the Batmobile.

     

     

    It is a little difficult to make out but it seems to be some kind of supercar. What makes it stand out are the MoCap tags stuck to it. So, this means they will most likely change it with CGI once filming has finished. The show has to work on a budget so we won’t be seeing anything near 1989’s Batman or the Tumblr from Batman Begins. It is still great to see it make an appearance after Kane spent the first season mostly using her private motorcycle. At least this way if Wilder drives to the Batcave she won’t be easy to track. According to Canadagraphs, the scene involves Batwoman trying to jump into the bus that belongs to Crows Security. Hopefully, they will reveal a render of what the Batmobile might look like once they added the effects.

    Source: Instagram, Twitter, Candagraphs

  • Celebrating the 10th Anniversary of ‘AVENGERS: EARTH’S MIGHTIEST HEROES’ with the Top 10 Episodes

    Celebrating the 10th Anniversary of ‘AVENGERS: EARTH’S MIGHTIEST HEROES’ with the Top 10 Episodes

    It’s hard to believe that it has now been a decade since the animated Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes debuted on Disney XD. The series, which was developed by Christopher Yost, Joshua Fine and Ciro Nieli, hit just after the dawn of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and served to introduce a new generation of kids to the heroes and villains of the Marvel Universe. It was a brilliant move by Marvel but the all-too-short 2 year run of arguably the companies best animated series left a void that, to some, has never been filled by any of subsequent series. To celebrate its 10 year anniversary, to relive the all the fun moments and in hopes that if we keep talking about it there will be a Season 3 on Disney Plus, we bring you the 10 best episodes of Avengers: EMH!

    Episode 1.10-“Everything is Wonderful”

    This episode resonated with me so deeply that, a decade after it aired, it became the foundation for my Iron Man 4 pitch. The rivalry between Simon Williams and Tony Stark worked perfectly from jump street and the episode does a nice job of setting up Tony to be the bad guy before delivering some redemption.

    One of the great things about EMH in general was the way it fearlessly introduced characters that many fans who hadn’t read the comics might be entirely unaware of. This episode tripled up on that with Wonder Man, his brother, the Grim Reaper, and MODOK. Though he’s technically MODOC here and more memorable for being beaten and belittled by Thor than anything else, it’s always good to see that giant, flying head.

    The Easter Egg game was strong in this episode as well. We got Wonder Man’s original suit, the setup for his time on the Masters of Evil, a Jack Fury mention and a peek at the Cosmic Cube. This one also set up quite a bit for season one while being a great standalone episode.

    Episode 1.17-“The Man Who Stole Tomorrow”

    The 10 Best Episodes of Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes (According To IMDb)

    The recent news that Jonathan Majors will portray the live-action version of Kang in Ant-Man 3 makes this episode all the more relevant as for many 2000’s kids, this served as their introduction to the Lord of Limbo. This kicks off a 3-episode run that’s as memorable to me as any; even before my recent rewatch, much of this one stuck with me.

    The episode does a great job of building on the relationship between Tony and Steve, showing us how useful they are as foils to one another. While Cap takes Tony to school during PT time, Tony’s explanation of what it means to be a “futurist” is something that Cap can’t quite wrap his head around but puts a bug in the viewer’s ear for later. The episode also sets up a couple of MAJOR elements for the future of the show: the Negative Zone prison known as 42 and Pym’s army of Ultrons.

    Kang’s arrival from the 41st Century to kill Captain America is pretty big divergence from the character’s comic book roots, but it’s well-developed and well-executed and plants a seed whose fruit wouldn’t be enjoyed until Season 2. But from the first appearance of Damocles to the incredible display of his tech-based abilities, the episode makes Kang every bit the threat he should be and sets up one of the most enjoyable mini-arcs of the entire show.

     

    Episode 1.21-“Hail, Hydra!”

    The 7 Best Comeback Lines from Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes | Topless Robot

    An episode that both pays off many of Season 1’s ongoing arcs and introduces some arcs that carry all the way into Season 2, “Hail, Hydra!” is the exemplar episode of how this series was outlined, planned and executed from the very beginning.

    While this episode is all about BIG action with A.I.M, Hydra, S.H.I.E.L.D and the Avengers all taking swings at each other in New York City, it’s the character moments that put this episode on the list. Chief among those moments is the exchange between Cap and Hulk that ends with Cap telling the big guy that he’s been watching him and that his actions define him as a hero. It’s the kind of speech that only Cap could deliver and, even in animated form, it gives me goose bumps. This one is really Cap’s episode all around between his Hulk pep talk, his one-on-one with Strucker and the fact that he inadvertently alters reality and creates the Winter Soldier.

    Hawkeye is the other standout Avenger in this one, delivering some classic Hawkeye quips, coming to terms with Nat’s apparent betrayal before finally helping her get away in an effort to find Nick Fury, the one man who COULD bring some clarity to the current situation.

    A pivot point for the series as a whole, this one checks a lot of boxes and deserves to make the list.

    Episode 1.23-“The Ultron Imperative”

    Superman (Superman Returns) vs Ultron-6 (Earth's Mightiest Heroes) - Battles - Comic Vine

    “Humanity has failed as a species.” While every episode is ostensibly the same thing as the one before, i.e. the Avengers teaming up to fight a big threat, they’re all a little different thematically and this one takes a turn handling one of the classic sci-fi themes: humanity vs. technology. Dipping its toes into the sci-fi horror pool of man having reached too far and creating something he can no longer control, we see Ultron turn into Pym and Stark’s Frankenstein’s monster.

    In many ways, this animated Ultron proves superior to the live-action version we got in 2015’s Avengers: Age of Ultron even though the two have a lot in common. Much like the film we see Ultron take over Tony’s suits, build himself a new body and get the idea that he’ll ultimately never be able to be destroyed because he’s capable of uploading his A.I. anywhere at anytime, so what’s the difference? It’s all in the setup. We’ve had time to see Ultron introduced and grow and, terrifyingly, we’ve seen him learn enough to know how to rewrite his own programming to remove blocks put in place by Pym. Fortunately, Pym saves the day by coding Ultron to realize he’s part of his own problem, shutting him down, but the shadow of his failure will continue to loom over Pym’s shoulder into season 2 and we haven’t seen the last of Ultron just yet.

    Episode 1:26-”A Day Unlike Any Other”

    Blackjack Rants: Avengers Earth's Mightiest Heroes S01E26 Review: Asgardian Armour

    The most cinematic episode of season one comes out swinging, hits hard in the middle and ends with one helluva cliffhanger. The final episode of 3-episode arc, “A Day Unlike Any Other” is the cherry on top of not only that arc but the season. It’s a good Avengers story on steroids, hitting the highest notes when it teams the Avengers up with Asgardians and other supporting characters from the Nine Realms in an effort to stop Loki’s conquest. Tony’s uru armor is the best of several upgrades the Avengers get as assists in taking ‘on the Prince of Lies and its forging is a scene that’s stuck in my memory for a decade.

    Of course the Avengers and their new allies find a way to stop Loki and earn the respect of a well-rested Odin and head back to Earth finally putting an end to the guy who stirred the drink for all of Season 1s mischief. Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water, however, a despondent Captain America, haunted by his broken shield and bargain with Hela, gets zapped by a doppleganger, kicking off the Skrull Secret Invasion. Watching the series 10 years ago, this final scene absolutely blew my mind because the Secret Invasion comic event was only about 2 years old when the show was made. It was a brilliant choice that paid off in a big way in Season 2, but for now here’s to the mightiest heroes in the Nine Realms.

    Episode 2.3-“Acts of Vengeance”

    Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes – 'Acts of Vengeance' | The Daily P.O.P.

    One great thing about Avengers: EMH is the ongoing Masters of Evil arc. It had to be mentioned at some point, but the decision to make Amora one of the series ongoing antagonists is one of the things that works the best over the two season run. Taking her revenge on the Zemo’s Masters, Amora takes it up a notch forcing Zemo to turn to the Avengers for help. The double-crosses don’t stop (Skrull Cap!) and ultimately it’s Simon Williams whose redemption comes when he sacrifices himself to stop Amora from using the last Norn stone.

    It’s that Norn stone that ties to the interesting side mission taken on by Thor, Balder and Odin on Nidavellir. There the trio find that in meddling with the Norn stones, Surtur himself has been released and regained his Twilight Sword which means Ragnarok must be right around the corner. The backgrounds drawn in Nidavellir and the design of Surtur are visual highlights for the entire series. This episode is a great example of how well the series routinely balanced multiple storylines in one episode without one taking away from the other.

    Episode 2.4-“Welcome to the Kree Empire”

    The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes: 2×4 – MVTVLook

    If you’ve followed me for any amount of time, you know I amA a huge fan of the Cosmic corner of the Marvel Universe. As such, this entire second season is a treat for me, but this episode stands out in the pack because my first love on that side of things was always the Kree Empire and here they’re done right! It is without hesitation that I say that 22 minutes of EMH pays more tribute to Yon-Rogg, Ronan and the Empire than has been done to date in the MCU. Add to that the introduction of S.W.O.R.D. and Abigail Brand who are cleverly inhabiting Kang’s Damocles as their base and you’ve done enough to make me happy for 22 minutes story aside.

    Fortunately, this one has a great story and Carol Danvers is the heart of it. In her first outing as Ms. Marvel, Carol kicks ass while representing Earth. She stands toe-to-toe with Ronan, stands with the Avengers and, at the end of the day, joins the team. This version of Carol stands apart from both the comics and film versions and is maybe the best of the three.

    Points to the creative team for having Skrull Cap’s hatred for the Kree force him to act out of character. And, as the episode ends, we get to see Skrull Cap put out a call making Earth the next battleground for the Kree-Skrull war.

    Episode 2.11-“Infiltration”

    Infiltration | The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes Wiki | Fandom

    The setup for the Skrull invasion of Earth began early in Season 1 but this episode tees up the payoff and does it so well, that I enjoy it more than the following episode, “Secret Invasion.” The episode establishes a tone of mystery and paranoia through the eyes of Ms. Marvel and by the time we get to the standoff in Wakanda, we truly have no idea who is who and are all just as confused as Carol. As the battle in Wakanda rages on, Carol and the audience only get more confused, especially when the second wave of Avengers arrive but by the time we figure out who’s who when Mjolnir cracks and Thor turns green, we realize it’s too late, but it’s still great to watch Carol and crew clean house.

    For me the big pay off is getting to see Doom’s plan come to fruition. Victor is one of my favorite Marvel characters and has been poorly represented in live-action but the creators of this series get him. Doom is not a villain and he’s always the hero of his own story and he’s not going to let a group of aliens come and take over his birthright (ruling the world!), so he’s here to help clean up this mess.

    I love the subtle things Skrull Cap has been doing throughout this season and him taking Hulk off the board by convincing him to turn himself in as Banner is another nod to the well-planned and well-executed Skrull strategy to take Earth by taking the strongest there is off the board. Of course there’s someone out there whose always keeping one eye open: Nick Fury is on to Skrull Cap and is about to make his play from the shadows. However, the final twist is discovering that Veranke was one step ahead of both Fury and Stark, leaving nobody in the way of her invasion. I love that the writers sprinkled in references to the Skrull prophecy promising Earth to them, a route I hope to see the MCU take when they deal with the invasion.

     

    Episode 2.23-“The New Avengers”

    The 10 Best Episodes of Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes (According To IMDb)

    There are so many good episodes in Season 2, including another half dozen or so great ones between “Infiltration” and “New Avengers” that it’s hard to skip all the way here, but this one outdoes them all, is probably the 2nd best episode of the entire series and I gave myself a limit of 10 episodes so here we are…

    This episode follows through on so many threads that have been left hanging since Season 1, primarily the arc of one of the series’ great antagonists, Kang. The Council of Kangs (I couldn’t believe they went there!!!) step in to free Kang, enabling him to wipe out what they perceive to be the greatest threat to all possible timelines. Kang uses the arc reactor as a time machine and takes the Avengers off the board entirely, leaving Earth defenseless…or is it? Always the futurist, Stark has a backup plan which he activates via Jarvis. Meet the New Avengers!

    It’s a wild episode as ninjas and dinosaurs and Martian machines (I’m 99% sure that we have a Killraven Easter Egg here, which is INSANE) invade NYC but the dynamic of the new team is really centerstage here. The Spidey/Wolverine interchanges are solid gold (as are all the shots of Spidey swinging through town) and it’s awesome to watch the new team quickly come together to take on and take down Kang, especially with Spidey taking the lead and an impromptu Fastball Special. This one was just one nod to comic fans after another and as much fun as any episode over the 52 episode run. Of course Spidey brings back the team, but it’s a good thing Stark expanded the roster of Avengers because as he says, the world needs heroes, and the biggest threat they’ve ever faced is just a few episodes away.

    Episode 2.26-Avengers Assemble

    The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes!' – S02E26 – “Avengers Assemble!”

    Hands down the best episode and potentially the biggest undertaking in all of Marvel’s onscreen entertainment (yes, I think this is bigger deal than Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame), “Avengers: Assemble” is what always made Marvel Comics great to me as a kid: over the top crossover issues/events that gave us character pairings we didn’t know we loved and non-stop action. The action starts just over 1 minute into the episode when Terrax heralds the arrival of Galactus and continues on for 20 more minutes. During that 20 minutes of chaos, almost every hero the show introduced over two years appears (notably absent are the Guardians and Mockingbird), several of Galactus’ heralds show up as the Devourer finally reaches Earth!

    The story of Galactus and his heralds has fascinated me since I first read about his history in Thor #168 and #169 and I’ve tracked down every trace of that story over the years: seeing them all here (well, not all of them) and seeing Galan given the reverence he deserves had me smiling when it first aired in 2012 and again recently when I rewatched it.

    This episode delivers time after time: from watching the heralds work, to the Code White montage to perhaps one of the greatest Cap speeches of all time as he overlooks the entirety of Earth’s Mighties Heroes. Watching the awesome power of Galactus hold up against all of the Avengers’ heaviest hitters is a spectacle I hope to see matched on the big screen someday, but until then it stands out in my mind as one of the great big action scenes in all of comic book entertainment. If you’ve never watched a single episode of this series, you could jump straight to this one and realize the full potential of what can be done when a creative team has as much knowledge, passion and love for the source material as what this crew had. But my goodness, do I wish I knew what happened next…

    With all the love for the show and the recent push to renew other animated series such as Young Justice and the X-Men, I’ll continue to hold out hope that Christopher Yost (who recently gave a look at what a potential third season might be like) gets a chance to bring this treasure back to life.

     

     

  • First Look at ‘Marvel’s Avengers’ War Machine Leaked

    First Look at ‘Marvel’s Avengers’ War Machine Leaked

    Marvel’s Avengers had a rough start but finally was able to clean out most of the major bugs. Sadly, this is a standard release for games of this kind. Still, we are not here to rest on the past but look at what the future may bring for this new gaming franchise. During the last War Table, Crystal Dynamics promised the reveal of a roadmap for their content. Sadly, we are still waiting for the official reveal as the developer focused on bugs and Quality-of-Life improvements. There was one glimmer of hope in the form of data miner @mmmmmmmmiller who shared a first look at the upcoming Wakanda expansion. Now, he went all out to give one more major reveal in the form of the War Machine design.

    https://twitter.com/mmmmmmmmiller/status/1309659441789374464

    That is a beautiful design for Rhodey’s armor. War Machine is a heavier tank than Iron Man so they hopefully will lean into that fact. His ultimate might most likely be a barrage that we have seen in the films. It will be interesting to see how much he differs from the existing character. The inclusion of these echo characters is most likely so they can keep the meta alive in the game while two players can play a variant of the same character. He will also come with his own set of missions and a continuation of the existing storyline. We will see if they reveal him as part of the road map, as theories are he won’t be added until 2021. Still, it is great to have a hint at what is to come in this ever-expanding game.

    Miller did also share some smaller tidbits in the form of audio files. He seemed to share files that confirmed that they already recorded reactions of Spider-Man, Captain Marvel, and Winter Soldier. There is one that he hasn’t revealed that seems to sound like what could be Vision. Yet, it also uses the word “win” which could potentially hint at some kind of PVP mode coming to the game. In my last journal entry, I stated that the game is a bit barebones. So, all we really need is more content with new mission types, environments, and loot to offer some more variety to the game. These service games can become an exciting prospect once it gets starting and we hopefully will get the reveal soon.

    Source: Twitter

  • PulseCon: Marvel Legends Joe Fixit Series Revealed

    PulseCon: Marvel Legends Joe Fixit Series Revealed

    Hasbro PulseCon had a few pretty great reveals but this one takes the cake and was, at least to me, a complete surprise. Made available for pre-order immediately is a new Marvel Legends series featuring Hulk alter Joe Fixit as the BAF!

    The series will include two new GamerVerse figures (alternate looks for Iron Man and Captain America) and then what can only be described as an absolute solid gold set of comic-based characters including remakes of Falcon and Kang alongside the first 6″ figures for Jocasta and Thunderstrike!

    The first wave of GamerVerse figures were pretty big sellers and these two look pretty sharp as well. However, the big sellers here are going to be the comic-based figures.

    Both the Falcon and Kang remakes look significantly better than their prior versions and I absolutely cannot believe we’re getting 6″ figures for Jocasta and Thunderstrike nor can I believe that as good as Jocasta looks, Thunderstrike’s mold actually looks better! This series comes as a complete surprise to me and also instantly empties the wallet.

  • Aldis Hodge Eyed to Play Hawkman In ‘Black Adam’

    Aldis Hodge Eyed to Play Hawkman In ‘Black Adam’

    Black Adam was probably the biggest highlight of this year’s first-ever DC FanDome. Dwayne Johnson showed off the artwork of his character Teth in action. It then introduced viewers to the supporting cast which will consist of a few key members of the Justice Society of America. Among them was non-other than Hawkman. So far, only Atom Smasher was officially cast. We were just waiting to find out who would take on the iconic role of the other members, especially Hawkman. Looks like The Wrap got their hands on the casting, as Leverage star Aldis Hodge is being eyed for the role. Hodge has quite an extensive filmography with Hidden Figures and Straight Outta Compton. He even started his career with a role in Die Hard with a Vengeance.

    We got a first look at the character’s design in the FanDome Justice Society of America teaser.

    Carter Hall, who dons the Hawkman persona, is a reincarnation of the Egyptian prince Khufu. His Egyptian ties would also connect him to that of Black Adam. There also is another version of the character from the planet Thanagar. Katar Hol acts as a space police officer. They have switched between the different versions often over time, so it has become a bit of a mess which version is which. Black Adam’s ties to Egypt would make Carter Hall the most likely incarnation to be adapted.

    Source: The Wrap

  • Samuel L. Jackson to Reprise Nick Fury Role in a New Disney+ Show

    Samuel L. Jackson to Reprise Nick Fury Role in a New Disney+ Show

    It’s amazing to think how many Disney+ shows are rumored for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. So far, we are still waiting for an official announcement for shows that will air past Moon Knight, which was the last to be announced. Now, Variety drops the news that Samuel L. Jackson is set to reprise his role as Nick Fury in an upcoming Disney+ series. At first, it sounds like he’ll return in one of the currently developed series but then they add the addition of a writer. According to Variety, Kyle Bradstreet set to write and act as Executive Producer for an unnamed show.

    It’s a bit confusing as at first it seems like Nick Fury will have a show focused on him. Yet, a while back we had rumors about a S.W.O.R.D. and Secret Warriors Disney+ shows being in development. Of course, there is a chance he’ll appear in both but the question which one will Bradstreet be writing. Bradstreet is known for his work on Mr. Robot, Berlin Station, and Copper. His background doesn’t scream space cops but he does have experience with strong dramas, especially with Mr. Robot.

    S.W.O.R.D. is confirmed to appear in WandaVision. We also got a short tease of him in space in the end-credit sequence of Spider-Man: Far From Home. The set-up would point more closer to a space-focused adventure but Fury isn’t shy of preparing a team to watch out for earth while he is gone. We could see the return of Talos impersonating Nick, as he did in Far From Home. So, Secret Warriors seems like a likely set-up especially if you consider the Inhumans making their Disney+ debut in Ms. Marvel. So the set-up would be here for the introduction of Quake. Whatever it might be, it looks like we might get some news on what to expect beyond 2022 sooner rather than later.

    Source: Variety

  • Other Sega Franchises That Deserve a Cinematic Adaptation

    Other Sega Franchises That Deserve a Cinematic Adaptation

    Sega has started realizing the potential of adapting their franchises. Sonic the Hedgehog pleasantly surprised cinema-goers before the lockdown happened. Now, they even announced they plan on a live-action adaptation of the Yakuza franchise. It looks like they are going to start going through their library of games to find more potential film franchises. My mind then thought about what Sega games I would like to see adapted in the future. There are some franchises that haven’t really returned since the Sega Dreamcast and Nintendo Gamecube era. Perhaps they have a chance to return in an entirely new format.

    Skies of Arcadia

    Skies of Arcadia: Legends is one of my favorite RPG games. It takes place in a world filled with pirates and adventurers. Unlike classic pirate stories, there are no oceans in Arcadia. Somehow the gravity of this world keeps various islands floating in the sky. So, the fittingly titled sky pirates travel from island to island. The game follows a young member of the Blue Rogues named Vyse. He ends up getting trapped in a story filled with pirate wars, a secret governmental plot, and exploring the history of mythological beasts. It’s a fantastic world that would be a waste not to continue exploring.

    It is made for a film adaptation. The character designs are mostly realistic. It’s could work as a unique take on the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. Yes, it would be quite effects-heavy with flying ships but it would be a unique visual to capture the audience’s attention. They also aren’t restricted to focusing on Vyse’s story. It could be a continuation of a new generation of pirates that explore the unknown. I’m a big fan of mythology which this game is rich in. Would love to see a flying pirate battle with a Gigas towering over them. It could also work as a great television series with the right budget. Who doesn’t want to see ships fly alongside whales in the sky?

    Jet Grind Radio

    Who doesn’t love a game with style? Jet Grind Radio, also known as Jet Set Radio, is a cult classic. The story takes place in Tokyo-to where gangs of youths are roaming the streets. It’s a story filled with Turf Wars between graffiti-tagging gans. The game follows Beat’s GGs, which is short for Graffiti Gang. All of this is narrated through the pirate radio station Jet Set Radio. It then becomes a battle between teenagers facing unlikely odds, as the company Rokkaku gets involved. At some point, it even turns into a variation of Faust with Rokkaku’s CEO trying to make a deal with the devil.

    The premise alone has quite a promise. It’s an important story to tell especially right now. While a live-action adaptation could be fun, I do believe that this should stick to its cartoon-inspired look. It would work much better as an animated film or series. Plus, it could give them more creative freedom when implementing the wide variety of tracks that range from J-pop, hip hop to acid jazz. Hopefully, they could even get original composer Hideki Naganuma back to continue his work.

    Valkyrie Chronicles

    I won’t lie, this isn’t an easy franchise to get into. The concept is actually really interesting. It’s a turn-based game where you control various units in an ongoing war. You only have a limited amount of time to move each character around. The story is quite compelling and doesn’t shy away from the sacrifices of war. The only drawback is the gameplay. It can drag out as you move every single unit manually. It still is an interesting game to tackle for fans of turn-based games. Still, there is a lot here that would lend itself to being adapted in live-action.

    At its core, this is a story about war. The weapons are strongly inspired by steampunk with some fantasy elements. It lends itself to a Game of Thrones-style story that spans an ongoing conflict throughout Europa. We follow a group of a small brigade that is trying to make their way towards the capital. This militia uncovers the true plans of the East Europan Imperial Alliance and tries to stop it before more lives are lost in this neverending conflict.

    Many More Options

    Of course, Sega has so many more franchises they could adapt. Golden Axe as a Conan-inspired epic. They could embrace science-fiction fantasy with Phantasy Star. Hell, they could even make a cartoon based on NiGHTS. The three I mentioned above are franchises that I hold dear. I still have hopes that Skies of Arcadia or Jet Set Radio will finally make a return in some form. It will be interesting to see what other franchises they may already have planned to adapt to the silver screen. We will see if Sega will continue to expand, or if they will first wait to see how Yakuza and the Sonic the Hedgehog film perform.

    Source: Digital Spy

  • ‘THE BOYS’ Spin-Off Fast-Tracked by Amazon

    ‘THE BOYS’ Spin-Off Fast-Tracked by Amazon

    It looks like The Boys second season was a massive hit. According to Variety, Amazon is currently speeding up the development of a spin-off. The series has been out barely three weeks. Yet, the season is already a hit for the streaming service. According to Amazon, the second season is their most-watched global launch. Its audience has grown by 89% since the last one. They had so much confidence they already renewed the show before it premiered. 

    The spin-off will feature America’s exclusive superhero college. Of course, Vought International runs it. It will continue the main series R-rating by focusing on a generation of hormonal and competitive superheroes. They certainly tease that many different boundaries will be broken. They also describe The Hunger Games as an inspiration. Looks like not everyone is going to make it through their college debut alive. Craig Rosenberg is currently set as showrunner, who was a writer on the original series. Eric Kripke will return as an Executive Producer alongside Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, and James Weaver. 

    It sounds like a fun concept. The show already seems to break every rule there is. So, exploring teenagers in this world might be even crazier than before.  The Hunger Games inspiration is interesting. It will be interesting if the war is during the school year, or they build up to a major event at the end of the season. We could get the Anime trope of a tournament arc in our American superhero show. Also, it will probably not shy away from its political angle. We will see a lot of comments on college culture. It will be a crazy ride. Luckily, we still have a few weeks of The Boys to go to tie us over.

     

    Source: Variety