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  • This is Wonder Man: Pitching an MCU Mockumentary

    This is Wonder Man: Pitching an MCU Mockumentary

    Disney+ has started an interesting new trend. After the success of The Mandalorian, Disney wanted to continue the hype by releasing an entirely new series focused on the behind-the-scenes work. The new series was given the title Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian. Instead of a play on the name, the title is vague enough for future installments. As such, they seem to plan on continuing it with future Disney+ originals. There is a good chance that the upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe entries Falcon and the Winter Soldier and WandaVision would follow also get their entries. This could be our closest look at how Marvel Studios approaches their show’s development.

    The thought of getting a look at the filming of a Marvel project was exciting. Yet, I started wondering if there was something more they could do. Then, an interesting idea hit me. Why not combine the look at what happens during a Marvel Studios production and weave a story through it. I mean, we are still missing the appearance of one major Avenger. Wouldn’t Wonder Man be the perfect candidate for his own Disney+ series?

    Wonder Man

    Simon Williams has an interesting history in comics. His brother, Eric Williams, also known as the Grim Reaper, talked him into embezzling money from their father’s company. He was then forced by the Enchantress and Baron Zemo to infiltrate the Avengers. This resulted in him getting flushed with ion-based powers before being killed off. After being revived, he eventually joins the Avengers as Wonder Man. At some point, he became a stuntman and actor. The latter aspect is probably what the character is now most known for nowadays.

    The character was to appear in the MCU. James Gunn hired Nathan Fillion to play Williams as a big shot actor in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. They even revealed a picture of him playing a character named Arkon from one of William’s in-universe films. Funny enough, Arkon exists within Marvel Comic’s canon. Sadly, this cameo was cut from the film. Gunn did tease that there is a future for this character at some point in the MCU. Yet, there is still no sign of the actor since he was cut from the 2017 film.

    Passion Project

    Simon Williams isn’t confirmed as Wonder Man yet. As far as we know, he is a renowned actor that even got to play Tony Stark in a Steve Jobs-inspired film. We got a tease of what type of films and documentaries are being produced in the MCU. In Spider-Man: Far From Home, Peter looks through various in-flight films about Wakanda, HYDRA, and a documentary about Tony Stark. Naturally, as everyone mourns the loss of the iconic billionaire, studios weren’t going to waste this opportunity. They gathered information from various sources to make a follow-up film. Williams returns in the iconic role and his popularity skyrockets to new heights. Now, he is at the peak of his game. It is his chance to finally make a dream project a reality. In a world filled with superheroes, he wants to create his own.

    He tries to get the Executives on board to produce a film titled “Wonder Man”. After much discussion, he gets them to greenlight the project. Now, the superstar has complete creative control as he sits in the director’s chair. Just to bloat his ego, he also has an entire team film their production, which is our primary set-up for the stories’ format. We follow Williams throughout his production, as he creates the superhero he always wanted to be. Inspired by Captain America, the superstar dreamed of the character when he was a kid. We slowly get to know the arrogant hero better throughout the story, as the production faces various issues. Yet, he is unaware that some of his past mistakes are coming to haunt him.

    Unlikely Hero

    If WandaVision is anything to go by, Disney+ will let Marvel Studios reinvent their approach to storytelling. So, why wouldn’t they give a show a try that works as a mockumentary within the MCU? It lets Marvel Studios tell a meta-story about everything necessary to get their superhero films on the silver screen. It would be fun to see Kevin Feige, Victoria Alonso, Louis D’Esposito, and the rest of Marvel Studios’ team to appear in minor cameos. We could even finally address the fact that the heroes have doppelgangers in Hollywood. It would be fun to see Chris Evans show up discussing how everyone thinks he is Captain America. Also, throughout the series, we get commentary from the crew to add some comedy. It would work as an in-universe way of using fourth-wall-breaking elements similar to The Emperor’s New Groove.

    Of course, the main focus of the story is Williams. His arrogance acts as a nice parallel to Iron Man’s from the first film. He made some mistakes in his past. His fame and fortune also got him addicted to gambling. He lost his entire earnings and hoped that this film’s success would get him out of debt. He starts to learn his lesson but it may be too late. During production, they are filming a sequence in a research lab that was deserted a while back. Ignoring the A.I.M. logo hanging above, he tries to save some money for the CGI effects by using it as a backdrop. While filming in the Wonder Man costume, he accidentally gets hit by an ion blast that changes his body. He was made of pure ion energy now and was unrecognizable. Suddenly, mid-filming he loses control and ends up in a confrontation with some new Avenger recruits. He is now forced to regain his original form. He is unrecognizable to many so the superstar is on the run. All still in the same filming style of a mockumentary. We still get commentary from Williams throughout. It blends the boundaries between the film he is making and what really happened. Perfect Blue may have played some inspiration as well. There is so much potential with this concept within the MCU. It would be a perfect follow-up to WandaVisions insanity.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter, Instagram

  • ‘Doom Patrol’ Renewed For Season 3 at HBO Max

    Many have been wondering when Doom Patrol would return for a third season. The critically-acclaimed comic book adaptation had just ended its second season as an HBO Max Original series. Originally, it premiered as an original production for the streaming service DC Entertainment before being added to HBO Max’s line-up. After an amazing second season, it was just a question of time before it would get renewed for a third season. Thankfully, Executive Producer Jeremy Carver finally confirmed its renewal:

    On behalf of the wonderful cast, writers, and crew, we are thrilled and grateful for the opportunity to return to Doom Manor. And we are especially thankful for our partners at Berlanti Productions, Warner Bros. Television, DC Universe and, of course, HBO MAX.

    Head of Original Content Sarah Aubrey has also confirmed that the show is one of the streaming service’s most-watched Max originals. Hopefully, this creative and wacky show will see plenty more renewals in the future. It is also interesting to note that this renewal confirms that all shows are migrating to HBO Max away from DC Entertainment.

    Doom Patrol Season 1 and 2 are now streaming on HBO Max with season 3 set for a 2021 release date.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • ‘Avengers’ Journal: Wishlist for the Initiative

    ‘Avengers’ Journal: Wishlist for the Initiative

    Not too long ago, I shared my experience with the single-player campaign of Marvel’s Avengers. Reassemble tells the story of Kamala Khan, as she reunites the Avengers five years after the A-Day incident. It is a surprisingly heartfelt and grounded coming-of-age story. Kamala becomes the emotional anchor for the team. Now that the campaign is over, we enter the Avengers Initiative. Here, I was able to explore what the game truly has to offer. We get quite a few missions teasing future storylines. There are even unique mission types like HIVE raids to add some variety. Sadly, live-service games have a certain reputation due to past experiences. Avengers isn’t innocent of sticking to those conventions. Yet, Crystal Dynamics has a chance to grow beyond those tropes. Here are some aspects that I believe will accomplish that goal. 

    A Loot of Issues

    So, the loot system isn’t great. It is used to level up the power of your character. Like classic RPGs, the stat changes are the focus. To put it in comparison, Destiny adds different visuals to gear. Yet, I have to confess that I didn’t care much for this aspect. When I finally found a design I liked, I had to replace it with something more powerful anyways. So, it was a bit pointless to me. When Avengers revealed the loot included different abilities based on Marvel’s history, I loved this approach. It gives you an incentive to find them with unique attributes to enhance your playstyle. Yet, at the end of the day, the gear is mainly just to upgrade your stats. You go through so many different versions that you can’t stick to a specific style throughout. I mean, you could if you are willing to grind it out for hours-on-end. Especially with the necessity of power levels for missions.

    There’s a lack of incentive to invest time in grinding for gear. For some, it’s the design changes. There supposedly is Epic Gear in the game that does add some visual flourishes. I do believe that this addition would be enough to make it worth the time. It could be something small like Iron Man’s arc reactor glowing green if a Gamma-based gear is attached. This way it doesn’t affect the skins. Also, give people the chance to create or add effects to existing loot. Would love to see the tech lab add a new station. You can combine gear to create a new one. If you gather enough resources, you can even add your preferred effect to the weapon. Giving players a bit more freedom would also give them more of an incentive.

    A Feeling of Déjà-vu

    So, I am currently going through the endgame content. Taking my time to go through the character-specific missions and post-game content. I was excited when I finally unlocked my first HIVE raid mission. It felt like every time I was going through the story, I was opening up new aspects of the game. The only problem was that you start to realize a pattern between these missions. They commonly consist of multiple parts that are in a different order. You start by destroying an elite squad of A.I.M. goons. This is then followed by a hacking mission where you get bombarded in a small circular area. You might also have to protect three defecting A.I.M. scientists, S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, or hunted Inhumans. I love the gameplay and the missions but it’s hard to deny that they tend to repeat. Just switching the order doesn’t make it less noticeable. Especially if you tend to retread familiar ground through recycled A.I.M. bases.

    We know that we will get a lot more content when Kate Bishop is released next month. While I do believe it will great to have various content additions alongside new characters, I hope they don’t restrict themselves here. Hopefully, this game will see years of content to come. It doesn’t always have to be in the form of a new character or story mission. A concept like the Avengers lends itself to a major variety of possible conflict. It could be something as simple, as a mission getting interrupted by a brand new enemy type. Maybe HYDRA has returned and you end up in a conflict between them and A.I.M. that sets up a future storyline. Even just adding a new faction like former A.I.M. scientists that want to help you and formed after Black Widow’s unique story.

    A Faction of Conflict

    Factions are an interesting addition to the game. It’s something that was obviously inspired by Destiny. After taking on different objective types, you can rank up your connection to either S.H.I.E.L.D. or the Inhuman resistance led by Hank Pym. On paper, this is a great idea that gives you an incentive to replay missions. It even unlocks unique Villain Raids where you take down a boss you encountered in the main story. My only problem lies in the fact that you barely really get anything out of a Fraction rank up. You get some resources, maybe even unlock some collectible and you get access to more purchasable weapons. It doesn’t change much as you also have two available vendors. It sadly is just a bit underwhelming from what they could’ve done with this concept.

    I hope they expand it with new factions, as the world continues to grow. Also, it opens up rivalries and unique story moments. Inhumans don’t trust A.I.M. scientists after the experiments. So what if a faction of A.I.M. defectors is founded. Supporting them ends up decreasing your alliance with the Inhuman faction. It isn’t until you solve a unique mission line that they learn to work together. Also, it lets your activities within the game have actual consequences. How about you can invest in the factions that see their outposts grow. Maybe the Ant Hill gets some upgrades. Crystal Dynamics could add some mini-games that are unique to the base. Players can win some free resources or credits. As of now, the only reason you need to visit the Ant Hill is to get the faction missions. It’s a shame that there isn’t much to them as of now.

    A Chimera of Potential

    I believe one aspect of this game has the biggest potential. The Helicarrier Chimara was a huge selling point for me. Just the idea of exploring your own Helicarrier was fun. I couldn’t wait to see it back in the air after resting in Utah. One of the best missions in the story was when the Helicarrier got attacked by A.I.M. Suddenly, everything you repaired throughout the story was gone. The S.H.I.E.L.D. agents and Inhumans that joined you vanished. It reflected the story’s narrative and was a great way to add something to the story. Now, in the post-game, the Chimera lost that charm a bit. You mainly use it as a hub for small interactions and accessing the War Table. Yet, there is so much more Crystal Dynamics could do with this concept.

    Now that you have a base crew together to keep the Chimera flying. With a war with A.I.M. on the horizon, it is time to build up a team. Let our activities with the Factions allow us to recruit Inhumans or S.H.I.E.L.D. agents with different abilities. They can either act as support during missions or be sent out on their own to gather resources. You can build up an entire team that has their personalities as you talk to them on your flying battleship. Perhaps they even give you rewards if you regularly talk to them and build up their loyalty. Maybe some will become new vendors that specialize in specific gear like cryo or gamma. All that is up to your decisions throughout your journey. After a time, you can even customize and specialize your Helicarrier. Maybe you are more focused on mobility or firepower for your team’s missions. Invest some time to upgrade the Quinjets that let you call in for backup during a mission.

    A Sign of Growth

    I won’t deny that Avengers is a bit barebones as of now. Yet, the price of admission was worth it. The story and gameplay alone hooked me in. Thes ideas are just ways that could really make this game stand out. It would add so much more variety. This way. Plus, it would just offer some variety to the core gameplay that keeps you coming back. The game’s biggest issue is the lack of polish. Of course, the bugs are the most apparent issue alongside the rather high costs for the marketplace. With a lack of diversity in skins, there is no real incentive to buy anything especially at some of these prices. It’s also a waste for the marketplace not to be available in the actual Chimera. They could add a meta-joke with the CEO of Square-Enix as the vendor. It would be quite funny and similar to how he was a secret boss in Nier: Automata. The potential of the game is the whole reason I aim to keep up this journal. Hopefully, Crystal Dynamics will stick to it and we will have years of content to come. I’ll also be selfish and hope they actually implement some of the ideas I’ve mentioned here.

  • Warner Bros. & Sony’s “Only in Theaters” Strategy Facing a Digital Revolution

    Warner Bros. & Sony’s “Only in Theaters” Strategy Facing a Digital Revolution

    2020 hasn’t been kind to anyone. COVID has made the life of many difficult and halted many prominent industries. The film industry has certainly been hit hard. Not only have all their productions been halted, but they also can’t air any of their finished films. Most tentpole productions have budgets that go beyond the $200 million mark. Every release past March was postponed either until the fourth quarter or even for a full year into 2021. September was the month that everything should change. Cinemas were slowly opening again. Tenet was promised to reignite the Box Office again.

    Sadly, it brought in just $20 million and is barely scraping by in the States. We’ve already seen the results of this underperformance. Now, Warner Bros. has postponed Wonder Woman 1984 to December. This is just a week after Dune premieres which would cannibalize their own production. Sony is deciding to wait for COVID to be a thing of the past, which is still unknown. On the other hand, Disney is testing the waters with a brand new Premium Access option on its streaming service. Universal was the one that kickstarted a digital revolution by releasing films on video-on-demand.

    Delaying the Inevitable

    It’s more than just a question of time at this point. Even as cinemas open, people will be a bit cautious about returning to a cramped dark space. Even countries that reopened cinemas are now changing direction. Here in Austria, you have to wear a mask as of next month while watching a film. This state-mandated rule will just encourage people to stay home and not take the risk. There is the discussion point at what point can one even consider it to be “safe” to return to cinemas. Sony’s strategy could drag out well into 2021. This could go as far as delay the third Spider-Man‘s December release. Warner Bros. might also go mad by constantly delaying their productions without an end in sight.

    Production budgets are borrowed money. The longer they drag out the releases, the more expensive it might become. Most 2020 productions will have to take some loss into account. We won’t be seeing any record-breaking releases anytime soon. In the end, Universal and Disney might be on track for the best strategy right now. Smaller production companies also combined physical and digital releases at this point so they don’t have to market each delay. Marketing budgets would continue to grow as they’d have to rework every trailer. At this point, it is all about cost minimization. Even if 2021 opens up the floodgates, it will be so packed with new productions they will cannibalize each other. There is a good chance, film productions won’t recover until 2022.

    Facing a Digital Future

    AMC already had issues with Universal’s strategy by banning them temporarily from cinemas. People criticized Disney+’s pricing for Mulan which was around $30. If you compare it to the $20 rental fee for Bill & Ted Face the Music, it’s surprisingly reasonable. Plus, Disney+ focuses its marketing towards families, so a four-headed family gets off pretty cheap than paying upwards of $40 for tickets. Plus, they can save money by avoiding the concession prices. For some, the price isn’t that bad. Disney might not just be able to cover costs but even turn in a profit. It not only boosts their subscription numbers but also makes up for the Box Office loss it would’ve faced otherwise. We can expect films like Black Widow to be added to Disney+. If you are interested in a deeper analysis to check out Edward’s analysis by clicking here.

    Warner Bros. and Sony are simply postponing the inevitable. When we were discussing the implications of the WW84 delay, Charles made the good point that Disney might be able to dominate the market. They would be the only company to make their tentpole releases available to everyone without any competition. As such, they don’t have to worry about cannibalization. Even as AMC tries to lawyer up against these strategies, it’s the only option to keep the industry alive. If production companies can’t cover their costs, there won’t be any films to show in empty theatres. Believe me, I would want nothing more than to return to a cinema again but it’s still a massive risk. Right now, Disney and Universal have a better strategy and it wouldn’t be surprising for the others to follow suit. From this perspective, Sony and Warner Bros. are going to face a very rough 2021.

    Source: CNet, The Verge, IndieWire, Forbes

  • ‘WONDER WOMAN 1984’ To Be Delayed Yet Again

    ‘WONDER WOMAN 1984’ To Be Delayed Yet Again

    Warner Bros. is reportedly delaying the much anticipated Wonder Woman sequel one more time. Originally set to hit theaters December 13, 2019, the film will is now being rescheduled for the fifth time. Christopher Nolan’s Tenet served as the studios canary in the coal mine for theatrical releases and while they haven’t publicly expressed disappointment, tentatively moving Wonder Woman 1984 to December 25, 2020 certainly gives us all the insight we need.

    The film debuted a well-received new trailer at DC’ FanDome event and has consistently been among movie goers most highly anticipated releases for 2020. Warner Bros. remains intent on giving films like Wonder Woman 1984 and Dune big, theatrical releases rather than distributing them via PVOD, but with the COVID pandemic still very much in play, there’s no telling when we might see these films.

     

    Source: WSJ

  • Chris Hemsworth Wants to Do More Thor Films

    Chris Hemsworth Wants to Do More Thor Films

    Chris Hemsworth‘s Thor is the first character to get a fourth entry in his franchise. After Thor: Ragnarok took the character into a bold new direction, Taika Waititi will continue him on this path with Thor: Love and Thunder. There was the looming question, however, if Hemsworth would slowly end his time with Marvel Studios to focus on other projects. A while back, he was almost ready to hang up the hammer and cape. Luckily, Waititi‘s unique vision reignited his passion for the character. The Direct got their hands on a Swedish article by Elle Man, where the actor discusses his character’s upcoming film Keep in mind, these quotes are translated by The Direct through Google Translate, so there may be some mistranslation.

    After reading the script, I can say that I am very excited. For sure there will be a lot of love and a lot of lightning in this production (laughs). I’m glad that after all that happened in Avengers: Endgame, I’m still part of the Marvel Universe and we can continue the story of Thor. Of course, I can’t tell you anything about the plot, but to satisfy your curiosity, I’ll say that I had a lot more fun reading the script than on “Thor Ragnarok”, and that proves something, because this movie was brilliant.

    It is great to know that Love and Thunder could be even better than the last entry. Waititi‘s style is a standout within the franchise and its always great when an actor falls in love with the script. In the interview, there was also the discussion if Chris Hemsworth was planning on officially retiring from the role anytime soon. Luckily, he reveals

    Are you crazy ?! I’m not going into any retirement period (laughs). Thor is way too young for that. It is only 1500 years old! It is definitely not a film that I say goodbye to this brand. At least I hope so.

    Who could beat old King Thor? - Battles - Comic Vine

    If there is a character with endless storytelling potential, it would be Thor. After reading up on the latest run, I would love to see them explore stories around the Midgar Serpent or Black Winter. He also is a great character to lead a new generation of heroes into battle. He also might have to guide Jane Foster, as she takes over the new role as Thor in Love and Thunder. We still don’t know where the franchise is heading in its fourth phase but the potential seems endless. It is great to see Hemsworth still enthusiastic about his role and maybe the latest entry will be the beginning of a brand new trilogy.

    Source: Elle Man via The Direct

  • Marvel Studios ‘ETERNALS’: Who is Sersi?

    Marvel Studios ‘ETERNALS’: Who is Sersi?

    With the Infinity Saga coming to a close, Marvel Studios is preparing to launch into an all-new, all-different era beginning with Phase 4. While several properties are going to serve as deeper dives into already established characters and worlds, Eternals is going to introduce new characters and change what we think we know about the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The Eternals were born in the mind of Jack Kirby as Marvel Comics “ancient aliens”: beings of immense power who had protected Earth since the beginning of time. Over the course of history, the Eternals and their enemies, the Deviants, worked their way into the religions and mythologies of many cultures gods and monsters, angels and devils and heroes and villains. Marvel Studios will certainly put their own spin on the characters, but we can still take an opportunity to get to know them here…in 400 words or less!

    Sersi | Characters | Marvel

    Arguably the most well-known of the Eternals thanks to her extended time on the roster of the Avengers, Sersi has always enjoyed spending time among the humans, dating back to the time of the Trojan War when she made in her into the story of Odysseus’s 10 year trip back home, through the time of King Arthur and right up until her in New York City in modern times. While all Eternals possess essentially the same power set, Sersi honed her skills of casting illusions and whimsically changing matter from one thing to another. Her talents earned her the reputation as a witch among mankind. During her time with the Avengers, Sersi found herself in the midst of the Kree-Shi’ar War, the mutant conflict on Genosha and even in battles against her own people. She also found herself in a relationship with fellow Avenger, Dane Whitman, aka the Black Knight. The character first appeared as the mythological witch, Circe, in Strange Tales #109 and was retconned as an Eternal in Eternals #3.

    Eternals Star Gemma Chan Shares New Details About Her Character Sersi

    An interesting character thanks to her ability to seamlessly move back and forth between two very different worlds, Sersi will be one of the leads of 2021’s Eternals where she will be portrayed by Gemma Chan. Chan confirmed that her character will find herself in a bit of a love triangle in the film as long-standing rumors suggested. The film will take place over 7,000 years and cover two different timelines. One will see her long-standing relationship with Richard Madden’s Ikaris develop; the other will take place in the present day and see her pair up with Kit Harrington’s Dane Whitman. It will be interesting to see not only what the pair get up to in this film but what the future holds for the two comic book Avengers!

    Eternals will hit theaters November 5th!

  • Marvel Studios ‘ETERNALS’: Who is Druig?

    Marvel Studios ‘ETERNALS’: Who is Druig?

    With the Infinity Saga coming to a close, Marvel Studios is preparing to launch into an all-new, all-different era beginning with Phase 4. While several properties are going to serve as deeper dives into already established characters and worlds, Eternals is going to introduce new characters and change what we think we know about the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The Eternals were born in the mind of Jack Kiby as Marvel Comics “ancient aliens”: beings of immense power who had protected Earth since the beginning of time. Over the course of history, the Eternals and their enemies, the Deviants, worked their way into the religions and mythologies of many cultures gods and monsters, angels and devils and heroes and villains. Marvel Studios will certainly put their own spin on the characters, but we can still take an opportunity to get to know them here…in 400 words or less!

    Marvel's Eternals Is Hiding Its Villain: Here's Who We Think It Is

    A Polarian Eternal and the cousin of the once and future Prime Eternal, Ikaris, Druig is a character study of nature vs. nurture and the possibility of inherent evil. The Lord of Flames and Nightmares, Druig has been a thorn in the side of his cousin, the other Eternals and a great disappointment to his family since his first appearance in Eternals #11. Dating back 1,000 plus years, Druig has always lusted for power and devised countless schemes, typically around the time that a Host of Celestials is coming to Earth, to take that power away from his fellow Eternals. While all Eternals are gifted with telepathy, Druig has refined his into a weapon by using to force people to relive their greatest fears in what amounts to a waking nightmare. In the 2006 Gaiman run, he used his powers to brainwash some of the Eternals who had yet to reawaken in hopes they would help him become the Prime Eternal. Simply put, Druig is the wolf in sheep’s clothing.

     

    All Of Marvel's Eternals Character Designs Revealed In Concept Art
    Concept art of Barry Keoghan as Druig, second from left.

    Barry Keoghan is charged with bringing the duplicitous Druig to life in Chloe Zhao’s epic adventure. While very little has come to light about what role Druig will play in the film, his long-standing obsession with seizing power from others will almost certainly come into play. Whether we see him betray Ikaris or try to face off with a Celestial, we should keep our eye on this guy. While the Deviants will probably provide the punchable, obvious threat to the Eternals, it’s a safe bet that Druig will be working behind the scenes against his family.

    Eternals is currently set to land in theaters on February 12, 2021.

  • Connecting Imaginary Dots: ‘THE FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLDIER’ Will Introduce Songbird

    If you’ve never read an installment of Connecting Imaginary Dots, allow me to explain the idea. Connecting Imaginary Dots was the title I came up with for my speculation pieces when I was writing at MCU Exchange. These types of pieces basically allow me to unload a bunch of junk that’s circulating in my brain in a way that should never be confused for things I actually expect to happen. I basically take a bunch of facts that are almost always entirely unrelated and do my best to connect the dots with by stretching my imagination. In the past these types of pieces have resulted in me theorizing that the Spider-Man sequel which became Far From Home might end up being a team-up outing of Spidey and Hulk in the Savage Land;however, I also wrote one theorizing that Sterling K. Brown would be playing the father of Erik Killmonger in Black Panther LOOOOOONG before anyone else was considering it and one in which I theorized that Annette Bening was actually Mar-Vell when everyone else still thought Jude Law was playing the character. The bottom line is this: these are fun spec pieces that allow me to just be a fan. With that out of the way…

    Filming is underway in Atlanta on The Falcon and The Winter Soldier. While we don’t know an awful lot about the series, we do know it’s set to feature Wyatt Russell as John Walker, the U.S. Agent. In the comics, Walker is chosen by the government to become the new Captain America after Steve Rogers walks away from the role. From what we can tell, it seems like this series is going to develop along those lines as well and, to that end, some interesting set photos appeared online last night.

    The photos taken at Duluth High School, located about 30 miles Northeast of Atlanta, clearly show a platform featuring the same logo that we saw on the costume of U.S. Agent in the concept art that was displayed in Disney+’s Expanding the Universe feature.

    This is awesome. This is interesting. With filming only having been underway for a few weeks, this scene is probably taking place relatively early in the season and may be either John Walker’s introduction to the world or one of a series of events where the U.S. Government is introducing their Captain America to the nation one town at a time. I love it. I love all the possibilities. But what I love even more is the lady with the purple mohawk who appears to be connected to a stunt harness.

    Now I have no idea who this person is. I don’t know if this person is a cast member, stunt double or someone who bought coffee for the guy in the plaid shirt. However, once I saw this person, it didn’t take my mind to start connecting imaginary dots and come up with a way for that person to be Melissa Gold, aka Songbird.

    For those you who are unfamiliar with the character, Melissa Gold first appeared in 1979’s Marvel Two-In-One as Screaming Mimi, a member of Marvel Comics awesome wrestling federation, the UCWF (Unlimited Class Wrestling Federation), were super-powered beings were allowed to tussle in the squared circle. Following her stint in the UCWF, Gold next showed up on Helmut Zemo’s Masters of Evil and, eventually, the Thunderbolts.

    While a lot of people aren’t going to like John Walker in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, he’s not the villain. That honor goes to Helmut Zemo, who will be played once again by the brilliant Daniel Bruhl. As we saw in Captain America: Civil War, Bruhl is plenty capable of devising a strategy to take on the Avengers by himself, but I think it’s possible that we might see Zemo bring in a band of mercenaries (I mean he has to get out of prison, right…oh, spoilers, there’s a prison riot in this series, BTW) to help announce his reentry into the MCU and, if he does, it would make sense that Gold, who was a key member of many of Zemo’s team, would be on it.

    So why is she in this scene? Are Zemo and his Masters of Evil crashing the party? It’s possible. I know that earlier this week, the crew filmed an evacuation scene in a small town…could that be the result of Zemo and his crew blowing up the joint during the public reveal of the “new” Captain America? I have no idea, but it’s sure fun to think about. Obviously it’s less likely that this is Songbird than it is. It could be Rachel Leighton. It could be a crew member. I could be an extra. But this is what these pieces are for…fun speculation!

    What do you think? Could The Falcon and The Winter Soldier introduce us to Melissa Gold and the Thunderbolts/Masters of Evil? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!

  • Connecting Imaginary Dots: A ‘SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY’ Actor May Be Appearing in ‘THE FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLDIER’

    Connecting Imaginary Dots: A ‘SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY’ Actor May Be Appearing in ‘THE FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLDIER’

    For those of you unfamiliar with the Connecting the Imaginary Dots articles on Murphys Multiverse, basically this is for stuff we find, that is not officially confirmed, but are more speculative pieces based on other information and “proof” we are putting together to make our conclusions.

    One of the things I enjoy about being on social media, following and reporting on these shows, is the interaction with other fans. And they are often the ones paying closest attention to what their favorite actors and actresses are getting up to and sharing it.

    One such fan got in contact with me through Instagram yesterday with some very interesting information observed about actress Erin Kellyman, who you may remember as Enfys Nest in Solo: A Star Wars Story. The person asked to remain anonymous but here is their first DM sent to me below.

    Hmm…. interesting. Right?

    Now, I am no naive dummy. I know not to just take what a random person who DMs me says at face value. So I, like any decent detective, go hunting for “proof.” Unfortunately, due to Instagram stories usually being temporary if not saved, I was not able to corroborate some key assertions my new anonymous friend makes. Such as, Erin being in Prague and Atlanta while The Falcon and the Winter Soldier was filming. However this tipster did share the saved Instagram stories post by Erin’s friend, Dayna Browning, from about 9 weeks ago, in which she mentions Erin being “in two of the biggest franchises ever.”

    So… Star Wars and… ??

    One quick check on who Erin herself was following and followed by on Instagram, revealed some other interesting supporting evidence.

    Desmond Chiam is definitely in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and he is mutual follower with Erin. He also follows her brand spanking new Twitter account. (See below)

    Next we look at Indya Bussey, also mutually following Erin. You may remember a recent Connecting the Imaginary Dots Charles wrote up which mentioned her being in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and she was definitely in Prague when they were filming there in March. She probably would have met Erin then if not earlier.

    The other two mutual follows with Erin listed there are stunt people who are definitely working on, you can probably guess it, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. They are not listed in IMDb yet, but I’ve been following the stunt people enough to know they are part of that series team. And both of them were in Prague with the rest of the stunt team for off time when not filming.

    Now let’s have a closer look at stuntwoman Hannah Scott in particular. She and Erin follow each other and it doesn’t appear to be from previous work. Erin also liked a few pertinent posts of Hannah’s: a sightseeing picture from when she was in Prague working on the series, and very important to note that Erin liked Hannah’s post of the Superbowl trailer for the 3 Marvel Disney plus shows. Coincidence? Possibly. But all together evidence is mounting to support my anonymous contributor’s claim.

    And just one more little thing about that, whenever I’m trying to figure out who a stand in or stunt double might be doubling for, I look at heights to see if they’re close. Erin is 5′ 6″ while Hannah is 5’5 1/2″. Pretty close right? It might even be that Hannah hasn’t listed herself on IMDb yet because she is stunt doubling for Erin who hasn’t been officially announced yet! A stretch? Maybe, but it seems logical to me.

    ‘But who is Erin playing?’, you might be scratching your head asking about now. Well, as with this revelation that Erin Kellyman might very well be appearing in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, nothing is confirmed officially yet. But I believe we uncovered some intriguing evidence for what her role might be in another article which included set videos and images from the series a few months back.

    An excerpt from Charles Murphy’s article:

    “Brilliantly bright, long red curly hair”

    Anyone else thinking what I’m thinking? Because I’m thinking that Erin just might be our red headed badass teaming up with those other seemingly suped up lady thugs, causing trouble for Bucky Barnes, and trading blows with John Walker in those videos that were provided in the previously linked article.

    In a previous Connecting the Imaginary Dots segment, Charles speculated that Songbird, aka Melissa Gold, or Diamondback, aka Rachel Leighton, may be in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier as well, based on some set images. This doesn’t seem to match up exactly with other evidence I’ve sited that Erin is in the series too. However it is to be considered along with another suggestion by Charles as we were discussing this. He speculates that perhaps she could be playing Sharon Ventura. She has ties to the Grapplers, who we suspect are the group of female assailants, as well as having connections to Ben Grimm in Fantastic Four, Ms. Marvel, and even She-Hulk. Sharon seems as likely a character as any to add to the mix.

    So what do you think? Are we correct about Erin Kellyman being in the series? And what MCU character do you think she will play?

    In closing, thank you again to my anonymous contributor for the heads up on this, and thank you to everyone who sends me tips and articles to check out and share with everyone else. Please feel free to DM me on either Instagram or Twitter if you ever have set images or other MCU newsworthy information to share and I will check it out. It is greatly appreciated.