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  • ‘WANDAVISION’: “Wanda Changes Her Mind”

    ‘WANDAVISION’: “Wanda Changes Her Mind”

    I, like many MCU fans, cannot wait for Phase 4 to get started. We’ve got so many amazing productions coming along; Black Widow, Eternals, Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Loki, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, etc. But today, we’re going to be discussing a show I’ve been looking forward to since it was first announced back at SDCC 2019:

    Now, this show has been described as Part sitcom and part Marvel Studios spectacle. I think Charles Murphy wrote it best in What to Expect When it Comes to WandaVision and When to Expect it. However, just to give you all a small reminder, let’s take a look at the official synopsis for the show:

    Marvel Studios’ “WandaVision” blends the style of classic sitcoms with the Marvel Cinematic Universe in which Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany)—two super-powered beings living their ideal suburban lives—begin to suspect that everything is not as it seems.

    Now I have many theories when it comes to this show, but for this article, I’m going to be focusing on 1 of the titular characters for this theory:

    WANDA MAXIMOFF AKA SCARLET WITCH*

    *NOT YET.

    Now, I’ve talked about Wanda Maximoff before on my first article here on Murphy’s Multiverse regarding the Theory of Evolution (How Mutants can join the MCU), and I really explained Wanda’s Trajectory since her debut in Avengers: Age of Ultron. So, I’m just going to give you a refresher as to what we know about Wanda’s journey because I really went into detail there.

    HER JOURNEY

    Wanda Maximoff with Vision in Avengers: Infinity War.

    So as I’ve mentioned before, since her debut back in Avengers: Age of Ultron, Wanda’s gone through a lot of different changes over the last few MCU films. She has shown growth in both characterization and power, but that growth has been marked by a great amount of pain and suffering that she has had to go through in her life:

    • Her parents died when she was very young, long before the events of AoU.
    • She was experimented on by HYDRA with the mind stone.
    • Her brother, Quicksilver, died during the Battle of Sokovia.
    • Thousands of her people in Sokovia died.
    • Her home country was destroyed.
    • The people of the world hold her accountable for the deaths of dozens of citizens in Lagos, which triggered the Sokovia Accords and thus the events of Captain America: Civil War.
    • The outcome of the previous point forced her into hiding for 2 years until the events of Infinity War took place where she was forced to sacrifice Vision to save the universe, only to watch him be brought back so she could see him die a second time.
    • And then she herself died at the hands of Thanos’ snap.

    The last time we saw Wanda Maximoff in action was during the final battle in Avengers: Endgame and at Tony Stark’s funeral with talking with Hawkeye. Speaking of Avengers: Endgame, the official Concept Art book: “Marvel’s Avengers: Endgame – The Art of the Movie”, actually had this concept art image on the last page of the book:

    Now there wasn’t any official description to what this image was about, but we can assume that Wanda is using her powers on Vision, her aura mainly focusing on the mind stone. It is important to show because sometimes, Marvel designs these concept arts that are necessarily used for one movie, but can be used for other projects later on (I.E. Zemo’s face mask from Civil War Concept Art). And it reminds us of the source of Wanda’s powers:

    THE MIND STONE

    Now, before Thanos managed to destroy the Infinity Stones in Avengers: Endgame, the Mind Stone was one of the six Infinity Stones with the power to alter a person’s mind and thoughts. We know from the films that Wanda’s powers are derived from the Mind stone and that her powers can alter not just people’s minds, but can also affect the Mind Stone itself.Because she was able to destroy the Mind Stone on her own the first time during Infinity War, one can assume that she might be as equally if not slightly more powerful than the Mind Stone. Point is, the Mind Stone was destroyed…Right?

    Anyone who saw my Twitter last week may have noticed this tweet:

    https://twitter.com/SuperheroTheor1/status/1301697416484335616?s=20

    So, after a week of organizing my thoughts together, we can finally discuss my Eureka! moment. So, with that being said let’s take a look at these two shots of Vision in the ‘Disney+ Big Game Spot Trailer’.

    Notice anything important in these two shots? (Apart from the fact that Vision is alive after he died in Infinity War?)

    If the Mind Stone was destroyed during Avengers: Endgame, then how is it back in vision’s forehead for wandavision?

    Really makes you think no? This premise leads me into my first theory for WandaVision:

    THEORY: WANDAVISION WILL OCCUR WITHIN WANDA’S MIND

    Remember how Wanda’s power managed to alter what a person’s mind could see? Well, I predict that the next person on the receiving end of Wanda’s Mind-Altering powers would be Wanda Maximoff herself. A vast majority of what we will see in this show (mainly the sitcom portions) will occur within Wanda’s mind. She will attempt to escape reality, unable to cope with the fact that Vision indeed did die and that there is no happy ending to her story. She will get so involved with her story in her mind that she might get lost with what’s real and what isn’t. This is something that has already been explored before in the House of M comic run.

    Something that helps me believe in this is mainly Vision’s form in this show. Wanda wouldn’t know that the mind stone was destroyed because she was erased from existence before the Snap. So, if she created her own reality in her head, then she would envision Vision as to how she saw him last, with the mind stone in his head. Which leads me to believe that this Vision we see during the sitcom portion of the show will be fake, as are her children and the reality around her.

    Now, this kind of power can be very dangerous, especially if left unchecked. And if her powers keep gradually increasing, they could eventually get out of hand and affect not just her reality but others’ as well. So, she may want to have someone who could help her control her powers (or mainly keep them in check). But that’s another theory for another time!

  • Marvel Studios ‘ETERNALS’: Who is Gilgamesh?

    Marvel Studios ‘ETERNALS’: Who is Gilgamesh?

    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!

    10 Worst Ever Avengers – Page 5

    One of the most enjoyable aspects of Jack Kirby’s Eternals is the idea that these ancient beings worked their way into the mythologies and religious stories of cultures around the world. In the case of the Eternal Gilgamesh, Kirby reshaped the legend of one of literature’s first heroes. The Epic of Gilgamesh was written in ancient Mesopotamia and gave an incredible account of the real life ruler of the ancient city of Uruk (modern day Iraq) and is considered the earliest great work of literature to have survived to “modern day.” The story includes dozens of archetypal characters and events that Kirby cleverly took advantage of when he decided to add the great hero to the roster of Eternals beginning in Eternals #13. Kirby used the idea that Gilgamesh was such a legendary character to an interesting end. Gilgamesh’s prominent place in the pantheon of human heroes meant that he must have been spending a lot of time among the humans, something that was frowned upon by Zuras, the Prime Eternal of that time. As punishment for his all-to-frequent meddling in humanity’s affairs rather than saving them from the shadows, Gilgamesh was ordered not to leave the Eternal city of Olympia again and, after a time, became known as The Forgotten One. Eventually, however, the Eternals need for his incredible physical strength (Gilgamesh’s strength was unparalleled, even among the other immensely powerful Eternals) in their battle against the Deviants brought him out of Olympia and back into the world. Gil served as an Avenger and struck up a great friendship with Hercules, a hero for whom he was sometimes mistaken, and regained his status as a legendary hero.

    All Of Marvel's Eternals Character Designs Revealed In Concept Art
    Concept art of Ma Dong-seok as Gilgamesh, third from right.

    South Korean action star Ma Dong-seok has taken on the physically formidable task of bringing Gilgamesh to the big screen. The concept art for Ma’s character gives a very different vibe from either his earliest appearances or his recent redraws. It’ll be interesting to see how much of the hero’s past factors into the movie but there is no doubt that Ma is going to be smashing heads when we see him in Eternals!

    Eternals is currently expected to hit theaters on February 12, 2021.

     

  • ‘THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER’ to Utilize “The Volume” Virtual Production System

    ‘THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER’ to Utilize “The Volume” Virtual Production System

    Taika Waititi got a taste of it while directing an episode of Season 1 of The Mandalorian and now he’s come back for seconds. When filming on Thor 4 kicks off at Fox Studios Australia, Waititi will have access to the LED virtual production service known as “The Volume.” After being designed, pioneered and piloted at Disney’s Manhattan Beach Studios by Jon Favreau for use on The Mandalorian, the transformative technology will be replicated (and almost certainly improved upon) by ILM at Fox Studios Australia and Pinewood UK in addition to a second set up being built in Manhattan Beach.

    Making of „Star Wars: The Mandalorian“: Der Einsatz von Virtual Sets - Green Screen war gestern - seriesly AWESOME

    The technology is a game changer for movie studios as it allows them to create incredibly realistic, immersive and responsive sets on location. Using hundreds (maybe thousands now?) of LED screens and a game engine, the VFX setting changes with the movement of the cameras and allows for the virtual creation of locations without green screen technology, greatly speeding up the filming process by cutting out the time needed to replace the green screen. The idea came to Favreau after working on live-action versions of The Jungle Book and Lion King, but truly originated in the mind of George Lucas who once imagined visual effects so detailed that he could film a movie from his garage. Now Lucas’ idea has come to life as one set can be transformed into location. It appears that the Pinewood “Volume” will be up and running in February 2021 and that the one being designed for Fox Studios Australia is a larger, custom version of the original that has yet to be built. Production on Thor: Love and Thunder is expected to begin early next year ahead of a February 11, 2022 release.

     

    Source: THR

  • ‘BLACK WIDOW’: How ‘MULAN’ Might Alter Disney’s Release Strategy

    ‘BLACK WIDOW’: How ‘MULAN’ Might Alter Disney’s Release Strategy

    Well, this Labor Day weekend was certainly interesting to say the least. In case you haven’t been paying attention, let me bring you up to speed. During this Labor Day weekend, two motion pictures dropped across two vastly different formats: Mulan over on Disney+ via Premier Access and Tenet wherever theaters were open.

    Now, after weeks of speculation over what course of action the average movie-goer would take, we finally have our results!

    The Results:

    MULAN:

    Let’s start with the Disney+ Premier Access Experiment. So as of when this article is being written (Tuesday Night), Mulan’s official numbers have not yet been released by Disney. However, it is important to note 4 things that have been observed over the last few days:

    1. In a recent Yahoo! Finance report: “preliminary data shows that ‘Mulan’ at least prompted a 68% spike in Disney+ app downloads from Friday, Sept. 4 through Sunday, Sept. 6, compared to one weekend prior.” The report also states that “Consumer spending in the app also spiked 193%, which can obviously be attributed to customers paying the $30 ‘Mulan’ fee.”

    2. When the stock market opened on Tuesday following Labor Day Weekend, Disney Stocks rose back to February Levels prior to on a Streaming-Based Analyst Upgrade, amassing a 2% increase on it’s stock in 1 day. The report from Deadline describes how “Disney has made several moves to position itself for the overall shift to streaming…” where the article went on to describe multiple “key advantages” Disney had in its favor, including: “an inevitable shattering of today’s exclusive theatrical window…” which will “make room for new premium video-on-demand windows that enhance monetization of film studio output and add consumer utility to the Disney+ service.”

    3. On September 9th, The Walt Disney Company participated in a Citi 2020 Global Technology Conference, where they have stated that Disney was, quote, “very pleased with the initial Mulan numbers of the 4-day weekend and that it was the best way to release the film considering that California and New York were closed, as well as the statistics that showed very low interest on going to a cinema at the moment”

    4. Lastly, according to SambaTV, in an unofficial rundown of the numbers, about 1.12 million US households downloaded Mulan over the course of the 4 days (Friday until Monday), which would amass at least $33.5 million domestic for Mulan’s Opening Weekend. (Credit to @Great_Katzby)

    So as of right now, while the official numbers have yet to be released, this is a clear indication that things seem to be pointing in the right direction for Disney.

    TENET:

    Now, Tenet managed to amass a $20 million Domestic Box Office Opener across a 13-day period which includes early access screenings, Canada Box Office Numbers and the General US Domestic Box Office across Labor Day Weekend.

    Now, the $20 million opener can be viewed from two different perspectives:

    -Glass Half-Full: Considering the pandemic and the heavy limitations and restrictions going against it, Warner Bros. did its best and should be commended.

    -Glass Half-Empty: Warner Bros. did not amass as much money as they had hoped and the risk Warner Bros played did not pay off.

    It is important to note that globally (counting the domestic box office), Tenet made $150 million worldwide.

    SO WHAT DO THESE RESULTS ALL MEAN FOR THE RELEASE OF FUTURE FILMS? (SPECIFICALLY BLACK WIDOW)

    I know this is probably the thing you’ve been looking forward to for this whole article, so I think I can finally make a plausible theory. Before we get into my theory, let’s discuss two polls I placed on my Twitter, where I asked you guys what you would consider to be the better option for Black Widow’s release and if Marvel Studios released Black Widow this year, which format would you prefer/feel safe watching it? And here are those results:

    https://twitter.com/SuperheroTheor1/status/1302981943097782272?s=20

    https://twitter.com/SuperheroTheor1/status/1302984323365244930?s=20

    So, the final results indicate that 84% would want the film to be released in 2020 rather than a delay to 2021 (16%). And a 55% of you believe that a combination of both Disney+ Premium Access & Select Movie Theaters would be a feasible comprise for this film’s release.

    So, moment of truth. After all of this, and taking into consideration every factor possible, here’s my theory:

    THEORY: IT MIGHT RELEASE ON BOTH

    Now hear me out. I was on the fence regarding how Black Widow might be released, but after seeing the indicators in Disney’s stock rise and their unprecedented move to make a boost in streaming, it all seems to indicate that Disney is certainly working on pushing these films for a sort of hybrid release for not just Black Widow, but for other films going forward. Having Deadline describe Disney’s move this weekend as “an inevitable shattering of today’s exclusive theatrical window…” which will “make room for new premium video-on-demand windows that enhance monetization of film studio output and add consumer utility to the Disney+ service”, as was stated earlier in the article, pretty much tells me that Disney plans to make more “Premier Access” releases on Disney+, but that they could also make the move to release films in select theaters. Not only that, but their Citi Conference Call clearly shows Disney was heavily pleased with the results of the Premier Access Experiment.

    The biggest factor affecting the movie industry right now is the COVID-19 pandemic. If anything, it showed studios that people are still not ready to go to indoor movie theaters, risking their lives and the lives of their loved ones to go watch a movie.

    So as of right now, where we stand, and if the pandemic rate in the US remains constant or worsens, chances are we might see a PVoD + Theater hybrid option for upcoming films.

  • New Video Emerges as ‘THE FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLDIER’ Resumes Production

    New Video Emerges as ‘THE FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLDIER’ Resumes Production

    The Falcon and the Winter Soldier has finally resumed filming the series after taking a very long break due to COVID-19 related shut downs back in March. The past few days several images and videos popped up indicating they were indeed getting ready and very close to resuming, if not filming already. Proof finally arrived Wednesday night as they filmed in the form of some eagle eyed Instagrammers (@theappgod and @nitefader)

    See below for the NEW videos of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier filming in Atlanta!

    Video by @theappgod on Instagram
    Video by @theappgod on Instagram
    Video by @nitefader on Instagram
    Video by @nitefader on Instagram

    The Falcon and the Winter Soldier production returning to filming and, fingers crossed, finishing the series has been greatly anticipated by Marvel fans. Here’s hoping they can still get it streaming before the end of 2020!

  • Hulu’s ‘M.O.D.O.K.’ Confirmed for New York Comic-Con

    Hulu’s ‘M.O.D.O.K.’ Confirmed for New York Comic-Con

    Not going to lie, I thought this project was canceled the moment Marvel TV was taken over by Marvel Studios. Yes, the official M.O.D.O.K. Twitter account has shared a logo and confirmed it will be present at New York Comic-Con. It is crazy to think that from all the announced Hulu Offenders series, this one still managed to survive. There is a good chance that they’ve already invested enough that they couldn’t pull the plug. There was no news on the show’s status with most of us believing it was another axed project once Marvel Studios CEO Kevin Feige took over creative control to focus more on their Marvel Cinematic Universe expansion into Disney+. Well, it looks like the Mental Organism Designed Only for Killing will still get his own show.

    All we know about this show is that Patton Oswalt will voice the iconic character. George Tarleton was an AIM scientist who underwent experimentation that aimed to make him smarter. This ended up enlarging his head to a freakish size. It forced him to be restricted to a floating chair, which became a part of his iconic look. He first appeared as a cameo in 1967’s Tales of Suspense #93. The character just recently became the main antagonist for the main campaign of Marvel’s Avengers, where he was voiced by Usman Ally. He has been featured in quite a lot of games, such as Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order, Marvel vs. Captom 3: Fate of Two Worlds, and countless others. Really curious how they wrote a show around a giant-headed supervillain. Hope we get a trailer and release date revealed at NYCC.

    Source: Twitter

  • Norman Reedus and Melissa McBride ‘The Walking Dead’ Spin-Off Greenlight by AMC

    Norman Reedus and Melissa McBride ‘The Walking Dead’ Spin-Off Greenlight by AMC

    Crazy to think that The Walking Dead will end in 2022. As AMC’s most popular show, it seemed like nothing could take it down. It had built up quite the cast over the years featuring Andrew Lincoln, Jon Bernthal, Steven Yeun, Norman Reedus, Danai Gurira, Michael Rooker, Josh McDermitt, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, and many more. It was so popular, it already has two spin-offs. Fear the Walking Dead is about to enter its sixth season with The Walking Dead: World Beyond will premiere after the tenth season finale. Well, it’s getting one more show that will continue beyond the events of the finale. The original show’s showrunner Angela Kang is set to expand the universe, which will focus on Melissa McBride‘s Carol Peletier and Norman Reedus’ Daryl Dixon. AMC Chief Operating Officer Ed Carroll shared the enthusiasm for this project.

    We can’t wait to bring viewers this expanded final season of ‘The Walking Dead’ over the next two years, and launch the fourth series in the history of the franchise, focused on the beloved Daryl and Carol characters, with the incredibly talented Norman Reedus, Melissa McBride, Angela Kang and Scott M. Gimple. There really is so much ‘walking’ ahead, in a number of very exciting directions, for this extraordinary creative universe we call ‘The Walking Dead.’

    That is not all, as they are currently also working on a project titled Tales of the Walking Dead that would work as an episodic anthology. Each episode or arc will focus on new, or even existing characters. This way they can explore the lives of past survivors, and still continue expanding upon this franchise. Chief Content Officer Scott M. Gimple is developing this project and teased that they are also working on a variety of projects that are set in this universe. So, even as the main series ends, we haven’t seen the last of The Walking Dead any time soon.

    Source: Skybound

  • ‘The Walking Dead’ Officially Ending in 2022

    ‘The Walking Dead’ Officially Ending in 2022

    If there was any series that seemed like it would air forever it was The Walking Dead. It had a rich history to pull from and already started splintering off. The juggernaut franchise was a mainstay for AMC as its most popular show. The series was based on Robert Kirkman‘s comic that ended back in 2019. Now, the series will officially end its run in 2022 with a final eleventh season. AMC confirms that the season will run for 24 episodes. Chief Content Officer Scott Gimple sharing his sentiment on what made the series such an important as

    It’s been ten years gone by; what lies ahead are two more to come and stories and stories to tell beyond that. What’s clear is that this show has been about the living, made by a passionate cast, team of writer/producers, producers, and crew, bringing to life the vision put forth by Robert Kirkman in his brilliant comic — and supported by the best fans in the world.

    The show’s tenth season will air it’s finally on October 4th. This will be followed directly by the spin-off premiere of The Walking Dead: World Beyond. This spin-off will take place ten years after the apocalypse and explore the story of those that grew up in this world. Fear the Walking Dead is also set to premiere its sixth season the following week. Even as the main series ends, there will be enough content to continue exploring the world of The Walking Dead.

    Source: Skybound

  • The First ‘DUNE’ Trailer Teases Denis Villeneuve’s Epic Tale

    The First ‘DUNE’ Trailer Teases Denis Villeneuve’s Epic Tale

    The first trailer for the upcoming Dune adaptation has finally made its way to eyeballs of fans! Much anticipated, Denis Villeneuve’s film looks set to deliver on some fairly lofty expectations.

    The film, which stars Timothy Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Jason Momoa and many, many more big stars is set for a December 18, 2020 release.

  • Murphy’s Law Podcast: Episode 62

    Murphy’s Law Podcast: Episode 62

    This week’s episode was a tough one as Charles M. and Charles V. talked about the passing of Chadwick Boseman. One of the most charismatic and brightest stars of the MCU, Boseman’s death shook us all and created a lot of tough questions that we tried to discuss as well as we could. We also caught up on all the big production news as Marvel Studios resumes and gets started on projects all over the globe! Check it out below…