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15 DLC Characters Revealed in Third ‘Marvel’s Avengers’ Data Leak
There is still more to say about Marvel’s Avengers. Ever since the Beta launched, a Reddit user who goes by 6plus4equals52 has been deciphering the code of the upcoming game. In it, he uncovered that a variety of clone characters would be made available at one point. I used an old Lego leak for the game to cross-reference its validity and it seemed to confirm their inclusion. Shortly after, an update to the Beta revealed more characters. It confirmed my theory of Captain Marvel being added as one of the first DLC characters. This weekend, the Beta was made available on Xbox and PC and it looks like some more upcoming characters got revealed as a result.
Let’s start with what everyone is interested in. The latest leak confirms that around 17 characters are planned for the game. 15 haven’t been officially announced yet alongside SpideAs such, the list of unannounced DLC characters is as followed:
- Ant-Man
- Vision
- Black Panther
- Dr. Strange
- Falcon
- Mar-Vell
- Mockingbird
- Quake
- Winter Soldier
- Scarlet Witch
- Captain Marvel
- Kate Bishop
- She-Hulk
- War Machine
This is quite an extensive list for the Avengers Initiative plans. There is a good chance that some of these characters already have in-game models. We have known that Ant-Man would show up ever since his reveal at last year’s E3. At first, we assumed that these characters will be purely available through DLC. Last time, I did question if there is some chance that characters could be unlocked through the main story mode. We still don’t know how Captain America will return in the story but a part of it will be to slowly unlock the various members throughout the game. The before-mentioned list of characters is all categorized alongside existing characters as “UnlockPlayableCharacter”. Here an excerpt from the code:

UnlockPlayableCharacter_BlackPanther
UnlockPlayableCharacter_CaptainMarvel
UnlockPlayableCharacter_Captain_America
UnlockPlayableCharacter_DrStrange
UnlockPlayableCharacter_Falcon
UnlockPlayableCharacter_Hawkeye
UnlockPlayableCharacter_Hulk

Now, what does this all mean? We know that Captain America and Iron Man need to be unlocked through the game. Hawkeye is also listed here as an unlockable character but will only be available through DLC. It throws a wrench into our previous theory but could confirm that some characters can only be unlocked after a certain part of the main story is finished. As such, you won’t be able to just wait out and access Hawkeye for early missions in the game. This would also be in line with how the last War Table placed Hawkeye as part of a follow-up to the Reassemble storyline.
We still have to wait for official confirmation but the appearance of Black Panther confirms my theory based on the Lego. The only question remains which characters are unique and which ones will be clones. The following characters would be the easiest to connect:
- Iron Man – War Machine
- Hulk – She-Hulk
- Black Widow – Mockingbird
- Captain Marvel – Mar-Vell
- Hawkeye – Kate Bishop
- Dr. Strange – Scarlet Witch
There is one more aspect that is interesting about this leak. It confirms the addition of a few other characters that might appear throughout the story. It mentions iconic Marvel characters Ultron, Vindicator, and Monica. The last name could be a connection to Monica Rameau but there is no definitive proof for that The Reddit post also mentions Red Hulk and Deathlok, but I couldn’t confirm this while going through the code that was provided. Still, in a game that will feature countless robots, Ultron seems like a safe bet as part of the story. With Vision as a playable character, he could also be a part of that character’s specific story missions. Whatever they have planned, these leaks are slowly showcasing what they meant when they said this will be an ambitious project.

Source: Reddit
August 16, 2020
The Power Broker Paradox

Marvel Studios first Disney Plus streaming series, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, looks set to introduce a slew of new characters in its first season while bringing back others in order to really build a world around these characters. Daniel Bruhl’s Zemo and Emily VanCamp’s Sharon Carter are back while Wyatt Russell, Cle Bennett, Desmond Chiam, Miki Ishikawa and Noah Mills have all joined the cast in what appear to be major roles. Russell’s role as John Walker is the only one that’s been officially revealed and Bennett seems a sure bet to play Walker’s best friend and partner, Battlestar (a character we first reported would be appearing in the series). There’s also a group of female thugs whose identity we’ve been unable to confirm but we believe actress Erin Kellyman is one of them and we still have to resolve just who has that purple mohawk we saw in EARLY set photos. Fans have their ideas about who some of these characters might turn out to be; Flag-Smasher, Jolt, Red Lotus, Diamondback, Songbird, the Grapplers and the Serpent Society all come up quite often in discussions with fans and understandably so but the truth is we just can’t be sure at this time.

Despite the ongoing uncertainty, there is something a lot of these characters have in common: they were created by longtime Marvel Comics ace Mark Gruenwald and appeared in his long run on Captain America, a run that will undoubtedly inform The Falcon and The Winter Soldier. The run introduced John Walker to the Marvel Universe but, as readers know, Walker didn’t jump right into the fray as U.S. Agent, much less as Captain America. Walker first appeared as Super-Patriot, his ring name as a wrestler in the Unlimited Class Wrestling Federation (UCWF), an organization that focused on superhuman bouts. Walker, like many others, joined the UCWF after receiving treatments from the mysterious Curtiss Jackson, thePower Broker: a shadowy figure from an organization known as the Coroporation who found a way to give super powers to regular folks. While Gruenwald didn’t create the Power Broker, he was a huge part of his Captain America run (issues 329-331 were called the Power Broker Saga).

John Walker’s first appearance as Super-Patriot in Captain America #323

Much of what goes on in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier is expected to revolve around one particular part of Steve Rogers’ legacy: the Super Soldier serum. Between this series and Black Widow, the serum’s legacy is going to play a major role in the proliferation of powered people in the MCU. Gruenwald’s runs on Captain America, Marvel Two-In-One and the Thing solo series dealt with these same issues and saw the Power Broker juice up Walker, Lemar Hoskins, aka Battlestar, Sharon Ventura, Melissa Gold, aka Songbird/Screaming Mimi and other members of the Grapplers (such as Poundcakes and Gladiatrix) and fan-favorite Demolition Man, among others. The Power Broker played a huge role in the comics that inspired The Falcon and The Winter Solider, yet as of now, we have no evidence of the character appearing in the series. Thus the paradox: the Power Broker has to be there, but he isn’t there…or is he?

Option 1: One of the New Actors/Actresses is the Power Broker

With Wyatt Russell and Cle Bennett (and even that’s not been confirmed by Disney) being the only actors whose roles we’re certain of, there’s room for any of the other actors mentioned above to fill the role of the Power Broker. Noah Mills, for whatever reason, has the feel of a series villain and could be the guy pushing the buttons at the behest of the Corporation (yeah, there’s no way a series airing in 2020 and surrounding the naming of a new Captain America isn’t going to bring in the “deep state” organization known as the Corporation). However, Marvel Studios has shown plenty of times that they’re not always up for the straight page-to-screen adaptation, so the same could be said for any of the other actors or actresses that have signed on. Miki Ishikawa, who we expected to be Jolt, wasn’t in Atlanta for long but she could easily have been there long enough to film some key Power Broker scenes. Also, let’s not discount the possibility that there are other actors and actresses in the series whose identities haven’t been revealed to us just yet and could be filling that role.

Option 2: One of the Returning Characters is the Power Broker

The Falcon and The Winter Soldier is going to see the characters go to some shady places and deal with some shady people as they enter what really seems like the MCU’s world of espionage and that’s an appropriate place for these characters to be. We all know that when we’re playing spy games, there’s always someone who is not who they appear to be. In this case, that puts a few interesting characters on the game board. We all expect Zemo to be up to no good despite his apparent affiliation with the good guys in this series, making him the first one we’d expect to be up to something like this which also means most would be quick to discount him because he’s the easy choice.

However, there’s one path we all want to see Zemo follow and even if we discount the possibility that he might be the Power Broker, there’s another really intriguing option that still gets us there: Thunderbolt Ross. We have no hard evidence that William Hurt was on set for The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, but he was in Atlanta in October for Black Widow pick ups and it is possible, depending on what exactly his scenes might entail, that he could have shot something then with some stand-ins. Ross pulling double duty as both the Power Broker and the guy in charge of the Thunderbolts would be straight out of the espionage playbook: be the guy behind the illegal arms race and then be the guy who capitalizes on it when you collect all the illegal arms in the name of the government.

Zemo and Ross aren’t the only choices: super spy Sharon Carter is returning and we have evidence of a Wakandan presence in the series meaning the other Ross, Everett Ross, could be working on some shady stuff of his own.Additionally, any number of other characters could have sneaked in and out of Atlanta to film their scenes as the Power Broker or could still do so since there’s some filming left to do.

Option 3: There Ain’t No Power Broker, Charles!

Yeah, if we’re being fair, this option has to be in play. Just because I have a hard time letting go of the source material doesn’t mean that the creative team behind The Falcon and The Winter Soldier would have to. As with all 3 choices, this one has a 50/50 shot of happening: either it will or it won’t.

With filming on The Falcon and The Winter Soldier set to resume early next month, hopefully we get some resolution to this pressing problem by the end of 2020!

August 15, 2020
Disney Confirms More Upcoming Blockbuster Films on Premier Access

A few days ago, Disney+ revealed their plans to release the upcoming live-action interpretation of Mulan through their streaming service rather than delay the film’s release date any further. The catch, however, is that in order to watch this film, users of the streaming platform would have to pay a $29.99 fee in order to watch this film, under a new brand Disney+ calls “Premier Access.”

Disney’s “Mulan” will release on September 4th via Disney+’s offering of “Premier Access”

Disney+ explains:

“Once you have Premier Access to Mulan, you can watch [the film] as many times as you want on any platform where Disney+ is available. Your access to Mulan will continue as long as you are an active Disney+ subscriber.” Following the announcement, Disney CEO Bob Chapek described the move as a “one-off” in a Disney’s Q3 FY20 Earnings Results Webcast,explaining that right now they’re “going to have a chance to learn from this and to see whether that [Premier Access] makes sense.”

Needless to say, the Premier Access offering has sparked some debate amongst some users of the platform, some believing it’s too high a price for a single film, while others (myself included), have been wondering about Premier Access’ potential for other films to be displayed utilizing this PVOD format, some examples being Disney’s Jungle Cruise and Marvel Studios’ Black Widow.

So I got to investigating and started working on a theory piece for the potential this service has and how Mulan’s release can affect the future of PVOD itself. Then, simply because I wanted to make sure I used all my options, I decided to just directly contact Disney+’s Help Center, via their live chat option and see if they could help out. And they certainly did.

My first Disney+ Live Help Chat Conversation with an agent.

In my first conversation with the Disney+ Agent, I asked about the Premier Access service, its pricing and if it was going to be a yearly subscription added to the one I already had or if it was a one time fee on a “film-by film” basis where one would pay the $29.99 fee for every film released via Premier Access. The agent replied with the following string of messages after he contacted his account specialist and left me on read for nearly 10 minutes. He confirmed that the $29.99 fee is just a one time fee, on top of our monthly/yearly subscription, that gives you access to Mulan and that “FOR NOW WE have Mulan, but when time goes by, the premier access WILL BE MORE UPDATED and more movies to watch.” This confirms that Disney does indeed have plans to premier other films via Premier Access, similar to what they’re doing with Mulan.

Now, rationally, I contacted the “Scooper Supreme“ known as Charles Murphy and I showed him what I had. We needed more proof. After all, the main purpose of an experiment is to show that if you obtained the same result once, then theoretically, if we do it over and over, we should get a similar result. So we tried 3 MORE TIMES. (I did it twice and Charles did it once.)

My second Disney+ Live Help Chat Conversation with a second agent.

The second agent was more focused on discussing Mulan but eventually answered my question and offered a similar response with a “guarantee…that Disney+ will offer more amazing movies” in regards to the Premier Access itself.

My third and last attempt was not as fruitful because the agent had kept referring me to this page. (Well someone gets a 1/5 in customer service). But it is important to note out that I managed to verify the page’s identity, and confirmed that it is a “Hero Content Page”, meaning the page linked above isn’t specifically just for Mulan, but that it can be updated with other film properties simply replacing the Mulan information and inserting another film in there.

Charles also attempted to get information on this, to make sure of the veracity of these comments and he was fruitful as well being told that while Mulan was the only film available “for now”, Premier Access could be used similarly in the future.

So, in a string of either complete naiveté on my part and literal sheer dumb luck, we managed to get a confirmation that Disney+ is indeed planning on using this PVOD service to push films out through their streaming platform. Yes, you’ll be paying an additional fee for each film ($29.99 does not get you access to all Premier Access films) but this resolves one of the biggest discussion points surrounding the platform since it was announced.

This gives fans an opportunity to see films that they were planning to see before the COVID-19 pandemic arose back in March, starting with Mulan as their first true test, and with 60.5 million subscribers on the platform already, I predict Premier Access has a very bright future ahead of it. So don’t be surprised if you get one of the following promos on your twitter feed or your email address.

Unofficial Jungle Cruise “Premier Access” Mockup Image. (Made by Superhero Theorist)

Unofficial Black Widow “Premier Access” Mockup Image. (Made by Superhero Theorist)

August 15, 2020
REVIEW: ‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’ Season 7
It is hard to believe that Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is over. After seven years the show has finally aired its final episode. It has been quite the journey. Somehow, Marvel TV’s first major series has survived quite a few hurdles. It saw strong ratings drop throughout its first season. Each season got shifted around the schedule to make way for other shows. Its fifth season finale was even titled “The End”. Suddenly, it gets renewed for two more seasons. Against all odds, SHIELD has now outlived all other Marvel TV shows. At the same time, it signifies the end of an era. Kevin Feige took control to expand into streaming services. As we enter the new Disney+ era, let’s talk about the final mission for our favorite SHIELD agents.

As you continue reading, please keep in mind that there will be spoilers. Only continue at your own risk.

An Adventure Through Time

The story starts us off where the last season ended. Our team ends up in the 1930s. The Chronicoms, a race of synthetic aliens, are trying to destroy SHIELD before it was even truly founded. As such, our ragtag team of agents is forced to chase them down throughout history. On their trip, they have to ensure that HYDRA is established. They infiltrate Area 52. At one point, they even have to stop project INSIGHT centuries before it happened in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Luckily, they have an LMD Coulson to keep them company on their travel through time.

Even after Mack’s warning, they keep changing history. SHIELD’s history gets rewritten multiple times. Wilfred Malick, the before-mentioned HYDRA founder, lives long after his expiration date. His son, Nathanial Malick, wasn’t sacrificed to Hive. He even steals Daisy Johnsons’ quake powers. Afterlife is invaded by HYDRA, where Daisy meets her sister. She was supposed to kill herself but is interrupted by Nathanial. They even invite multiple characters unto the Zephyr-One. Luckily, only Agents Carters‘ Daniel Sousa stays on board beyond his time.

Throughout the season, one of the major mysteries is the whereabouts of Fitz. Simmons has an implant in her neck that keeps her from remembering. He doesn’t show up until the final episodes. Luckily, to fill the void a lot of familiar faces appear throughout the season. Daisy’s mother Jiaying helps Yo-Yo get her powers back. Patton Oswalt returns as the Koenig’s great-great-grandfather. One particular highlight is the return of the first seasons’ main villain John Garret. Tragically, Bill Paxton sadly passed away a few years ago. His son James Paxton took on the role in his honor. He gives us an amazing performance that felt like a younger version of the character. Still, I was expecting more cameos and callbacks. With six seasons to choose from, it felt a little lackluster. I was hoping for a grand return of Brett Dalton‘s Grant Ward or Jason O’Mara‘s Patriot.

Highlights of the Season

As I am looking back at the entire season, there is a lot to cover. Instead of giving recaps of every single episode, I want to talk about my favorite episodes and the moments that made them standout in this season. A general highlight is that each episode had a different opening title depending on the era they were in. It was a fantastic touch that just made this season just a bit more special.
- #701 The New Deal kicks off the season and is our real introduction to what we can expect. It is always great to see the return of Coulson and him getting used to not being fully human. What sold this episode was our LMD agent meeting Franklin D. Roosevelt. It was a calm moment. Our former historian got to geek out to meet a historical figure.
- #704 Out of the Past embraced the classic film noir storyline. I love the in-universe reasoning for Coulson’s inner monologue and that everything is in black and white. Sousa was a highlight throughout the season. He is fleshed out much better here than in Agent Carter, which made me happy to see him join the team long-term.
- #707 The Totally Excellent Adventures of Mack and The D gave us Mack at his lowest. The twist from the previous episode of his parents death was heavy but it was this episode that let it sink in. We’ve never seen Mack like this. It was kind of depressing and it was so great when the episode just suddenly turned into an 80s slasher flick. It was jarring at first but with Deke anything is possible. Also, respect that they managed to add as much blood as they did.
- #709 As I Have Always Been was probably the darkest and funniest episode of the season. It’s a bit of a cliché to have a time loop storyline nowadays. Yet, I do believe they really added some perfectly dark humor to make it stand out. The ongoing joke of them getting killed by Enoch was hilarious. Speaking of, Enoch turned into one of my favorite characters in the show. So, this was a rather sad farewell to a fantastic character.
- #711 Brand New Day was a bit of a filler episode. It set up mostly everything for the finale but it really turned the tables at the end. Suddenly, the Chronicoms destroy every SHIELD facility. The moment we see the Triskelion getting blown up was a shocking sequence. It also just highlighted how great the effects work is on this show by Mark Kolpack and his team.
- #713 What We’re Fighting For has some amazing scenes. The reveal that our team was in the hazmats suits from the last season’s finale was great foreshadowing. The action sequences were done incredibly well. The reveal of Fitz and Simmons’ kid was beautifully done. The sequence through the Quantum Realm surprised me quite a bit. Also, ending the series the same way the first episode ended was a nice touch.
Overall, this was one of the best seasons. The time travel antics made me wish we had more episodes to explore this concept. Sadly, you do realize they ran out of budget later in the season due to a stronger focus on indoor scenes. Still, they managed to make this season feel like they had no restrictions. After seven seasons, they mastered the balance between action, comedy, and heartfelt drama. Especially as the show entered the more fantastical realms of the MCU, they always managed to keep a focus on their characters.

The season’s weakest link is the villains. Nathanial Malick works in theory. It helps to have a HYDRA connection but he feels underdeveloped. Also, the Chronicom’s lose their edge after a few episodes. Sibyll was a great addition. It gives the evil alien race a face. It even makes sense with the reveal that they planned on including M.O.D.O.K. at one point. They just don’t do much with her. She gets killed off-screen without a true resolution. It felt like it was trying to balance a new storyline while also paying tribute to the previous seasons. Yet, it lacked the focus to bring it together. Still, it’s a great season. I am more upset that we don’t get more time with this concept beyond these 13 episodes.

All About the Agents

Clark Gregg‘s performance as Coulson is as iconic as ever. It still makes me wish he will continue this role no matter what. We got some amazing additions throughout the seasons. Chloe Bennett‘s portrayal of Daisy Johnson has truly evolved since her initial appearance. To see her become a superhero throughout the show added a great heroic element. This season especially highlighted her arc and character development. Hopefully, these two will continue to have a future in the MCU.

Fitz and Simmons were the glue of the team. Their romance was just iconic and it was especially a highlight this season. The revelation that they were able to spend time with their daughter had me in tears. Who would’ve thought we’d miss Fitz this much. Iain De Caestecker is a fantastic actor. So, it was a bit disappointing that he only appeared for about two episodes. I was this close to retitling this show “Finding Fitz” and doubted he would ever actually make an appearance.

The rest of the cast is also fantastic. Standout performances this season go to Henry Simmons as Mack and, as I already mentioned, Joel Stoffer‘s Enoch. I’ve always been huge of Mack throughout his appearances. He was the perfect choice as director of SHIELD after Coulson’s death in the show’s fifth season. Enoch was a surprise. I believed he was a one-off character at first. As soon as he kept reappearing, I started to care for this character. His performance of a robot alien slowly with growing empathy was incredible. The moment he called Fitz his best friend was both heart wrenching and funny.

Broken Timeline

I loved this season quite a bit. The ending is a great touch. The ending showed us a world where SHIELD lives on. Mack has stolen Fury’s wardrobe to continue as a director. Daisy is in space with Sousa and her sister, Kora. Fitz and Simmons left this life behind to raise their daughter. May works as a teacher at the SHIELD Coulson Academy and Yo-Yo is still out there doing missions. The one who started it all has a rather somber moment. Coulson flies off in Lola to just do what he always wanted to do. It’s a fitting ending for this show. It echoes Coulson’s words from the first season when the spy organization fell apart at the hands of HYDRA. They are agents of SHIELD not the agents of nothing.

My only gripe is, this takes place about two years after The Snap should’ve happened. We saw that in Avengers: Endgame that the world never really recovered from that event. This show kind of glanced over that moment as if it never happened and now it doesn’t match the world we saw previously. There is a good chance that their escapades in the fifth season splintered them off into a different timeline but until an official word comes out we might never know. For now, most people can only go by their headcanon. Especially with the end of Marvel TV as we know it, this would’ve been a great way to kind of put a nice ending on it all. It still is a great ending. I respect that the showrunners Maurissa Tanchaeron, Jed Whedon, and Jeffrey Bell focused on their stories rather than let the larger MCU determine their direction. It just ends with more open questions that necessary. It could lead to some disappointment as people are expecting these characters to return in the future.

A Spy’s Goodbye

At the end of the day, it has been a fantastic seven-year run. Every show has its issues and SHIELD is not exempt from that. My only gripe is that they never did anything with the Secret Warriors. Still, I think a show does something right if the ending gives you peace. Yet, at the same time, you wished it would continue. It’s a strong testament to the writing and the team behind it. We were here for the characters and the show never forgot that. So let us raise a glass to bid Agents of SHIELD goodbye and hope for a bright future for these actors. Hopefully, we might see them again in the MCU one day.

Source: Digital Spy
August 15, 2020
John Ridley’s Batman Mini-Series to Impact The Future of the Character

Enough about games and movies, let’s talk a bit more about comics. The Hollywood Reporter got a chance to sit down with DC’s Jim Lee to discuss the future of the company. Many have been worried after it was announced that WarnerMedia was laying off up to 600 employees, downsizing the company by 20%, that the comic department would be hit especially hard. Senior editors were already let go, so the uncertainty could have larger implications for the industry. Lee was quick to point out that they will remain in the comic industry and that no work has been halted.

While discussing the future of the comics, he also teased the importance of John Ridley‘s involvement with Batman. He is currently involved with various projects in the DC Universe. He is a contributor to the Batman: The Joker War Zone anthology with the art of Olivier Coipel. The Oscar-winner also is behind the upcoming DC Black Label mini-series The Other History of the DC Universe. This will reframe iconic moments of DC history from the eyes of heroes from disenfranchised groups. According to Jim Lee, his addition to the Batman mythology will have a large impact on the character’s future. It is always intriguing when what seems to be a smaller story will actually have a much bigger role moving forward.

The Oscar-winner has quite a history with comics, as he wrote The Authority in 2004 and collaborated on the limited series The American Way. It’s great to see DC Comics as a steady rock within Warner Bros. Even during these trying times, they seem to be keeping their eyes on the future. They are also bringing back the Milestone label to offer more spotlight to under-represented heroes and creators. It’s a new era for DC and it looks like a lot of interesting things are heading or way.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter, Business Insider, DC Comics

August 14, 2020
DCU Originals Migrate to HBO Max

The launch of DC Universe was something special and unprecedented: taking one brand under a single roof from comics, movies, tv, and their most ambitious venture, the originals. At launch DC Universe began a weekly release of their first original series Titans and had begun on the third season of the fan favorite animated series Young Justice. From their DCU began to announce more such as the Titans spinoff Doom Patrol, Swamp Thing, Harley Quinn, Stargirl, and Bizarro World. Since the launch of HBO Max and the news that many of DC Universe’s originals would begin streaming elsewhere the future of the service to be cast in doubt.

Today, to the surprise of no one, it was confirmed by DC comics CCO Jim Lee that the originals would be migrating from DCU to a new home: HBO Max. To those that have been living under a rock, hints of this have been becoming more and more obvious. Doom Patrol, which streamed on both DCU and HBO Max, should’ve been the biggest attention grabber for most as it seems like Warnermedia may have been testing the waters for a pilgrimage of sorts. HBO Max will become the new homes of many fan favorite shows such as Young Justice and Swamp Thing that will join Doom Patrol and Harley Quinn . Also available on the service will be Titans where it’ll most likely debut it upcoming third season.

The best course of action would be to develop ‘DC Universe’ into a digital comic library and possibly begin to offer exclusive digital issues for subscribers of the service. Right now DCU is holding on tight to what could be some of HBO Max’s biggest persuaders such as the ever popular Batman: The Animated Series, Batman Beyond, Teen Titans, both animated Justice League Series, and a vast library of animated features that could really beef up the DC Library on Max. The end is nigh for DC universe, whether it cease to exist or be rendered a virtual library of comics for subscribers, it’ll be sad to see lose a lot of what made it so great.

August 14, 2020
FIRST LOOK: MSTR Watches Spider-Man Ambassador X

MSTR watches already had a great lineup of Marvel watches and now they’ve upped their game with the limited release of the Spider-Man Ambassador X.

The watch, which like EVERY OTHER one of their line of Marvel watches, is likely to sell out very quickly, can be purchased at their website for $100. I was lucky enough to get my hands on one to review and share with you guys.

As you all know by now, I am nothing if not a Collector and as such, the presentation of the product begins with the packaging and MSTR comes out swinging right away.

The outer box has a simple, classic Marvel logo but once you open up the inner box, you’re greeted with the Spider-Signal logo, making this a great looking storage container.

The watch itself is a glorious testament to the web slinger, showing both the Spider-Signal logo and Spidey’s spider logo on its face. The timepiece itself is both scratch and water resistant and comes with a comfortable and interchangeable 20mm wide rubber wrist band with a u-buckle.

The watch stands out and will absolutely strike up a conversation with your friends. I’ve been wearing it for a while now and it’s lightweight, comfortable, looks awesome and still manages to do what it was meant to do: tell time. With only 250 in existence, you’ll want to web one up for yourself before you miss out. Head over to www.mstrwatches.com and check out their entire line of Marvel watches!

August 14, 2020
‘BLACK ADAM’ Surprises in Store for DC FanDome

The full schedule for next Saturday’s DC FanDome was revealed today and on first glance it truly looks to be a spectacular event, almost too full of great panels, that will give fans a big boost as the COVID-19 pandemic presses on. Of all the scheduled events, the one that caught my eye will be taking place in the Hall of Heroes at 6:00 PM EST when Dwayne Johnson is set to appear in a Black Adam panel with some surprises tossed in. What kind of surprises might be in store? Let the speculation begin.

Landing a Hawkman

The most obvious and most anticipated bunch of surprises would come from adding to the cast. As of now, only the film’s star, Johnson, and Noah Centineo, set to play JSA member Atom Smasher, have been announced. That means there are plenty of roles left to be filled but it’s the role of Carter Hall/Hawkman that’s going to make or break this movie. The studio has been searching for a while now but rumors swirled recently that they had narrowed down their search. We know they want someone physically imposing who could appear to be able to tussle with the Rock (let’s be honest, you’re going to have one hell of a time finding that guy given Dwayne’s commitment to fitness) but also someone with a timeless quality to them. Hard to do all that, but you could see someone the likes of Charlie Hunnam, Joel Kinnaman (who, apparently, is a hot super hero commodity right now) or Alexander Skarsgard pop up in the panel, turning up the hype on this one even more.

The Villain

While the film is certainly going to see Black Adam and Hawkman come to blows, it’s unlikely that Hawkman would be the film’s true antagonist meaning there’s one big piece of the puzzle missing. I’ve heard rumblings for a while now about what type of villain the studio wants and, unsurprisingly, it seems it’ll be someone who can match Teth-Adam’s longevity. At first this sounds a lot like Vandal Savage and he would be a great pick but there’s another character whose recent retcon might make him THE perfect bad guy. The New 52 gave a new story to a character named Ibac and that story could tie right into this film. Originally, Ibac was just a guy named Stanley Printwhistle who, like Billy Batson, could say a name and be imbued with magical powers. The retcon turned him into a barbarian warlord, Ibac the First, who conquered and enslaved the people of Khandaq, killing Teth-Adam’s family in the process. Black Adam had his vengeance on Ibac only to later come to blows with a descendant. With some careful crafting, Black Adam could tell the tale of the barbarian Ibac and bring the original character back to life as well granting him the magical powers of IBAC (based on some of history’s greatest warlords), making him a better match for Black Adam.

There are certain to be more cast announcements and surprises, but these two really stand out among the potential crowd given how they’ll define the public’s perception of the film going into production. What else are you hoping to hear next week?

August 14, 2020
More Details Revealed for ‘Spider-Man: Miles Morales’

It’s been quite the day for gaming news. We got the official title for Rocksteady’s Suicide Squad game. WB Games Montreal will finally reveal the latest game next week and just recently we also got an update on PlayStations’ upcoming Spider-Man: Miles Morales game. It is quite the time to be a comic book fan and a gamer. In addition to the Avengers game, 2020 will be filled to the brim with major releases and news for these major franchises.

Entertainment Weekly got an insight into what we can expect from the upcoming spin-off. the story will pick up one year after the events of the previous games in Harlem. It is the epicenter for a war between an energy corporation and an unnamed criminal organization armed with advanced weaponry. The game was described as a short spin-off similar to Uncharted’s Lost Legacy spin-off. Insomniac’s creative director, Brian Horton, did point out this will still be a full-fledged game.

“This is a full arc for Miles Morales that started in Spider-Man. We are completing this hero’s coming of age in our game. It is a complete story.”

They even offered insight into how Miles will be different from Peter. they went out of his way to ensure that his movement and animations will make him a unique character. They also will include his bioshock and invisibility powers to add more depth to the gameplay. They compare him to Peter by stating that his origin lies more of his family rather than tragedy.

Marvel Games Vice President Bill Rosemann also confirmed that this franchise is separate from the upcoming Avengers game. The main reason is that he wants to keep the artistic freedom between different developers. There are certain aspects of game development that would just hinder the development of these games. Sometimes, they can take multiple years, and trying to keep some kind of consistency in a singular universe would just constantly drag out productions. Still, that doesn’t mean they could explore a Secret Wars-type storyline at one point to have these different universes interconnect. Whatever they have planned, this is quite an exciting time to play games.

Source: Entertainment Weekly

August 14, 2020
WB Games Montreal Latest Project to be Revealed at DC FanDome

It has been a wild ride getting to this point. For months, the game studio WB Games Montreal has been teasing a project. They started releasing cryptic messages on their Twitter profile. It always included the title “Capture the Knight” which pretty much confirmed for most that it would end up being a Batman game. It was the same studio that brought us Batman: Arkham Origins, so it seemed like a shoo-in for them to work on the latest title. Now finally, we got the confirmation that they will reveal their game at the upcoming DC FanDome event. It’s one of the earliest announcements in the publicly released schedule and will put quite the spotlight on the event.

We have been waiting for a new entry in the Batman Arkham franchise since the release of Batman: Arkham Knight in 2015. Now, rumors even seem to be supporting that they will drop the Arkham title. It is a smart decision, as it was a bit restricting in how they approach their stories. This move would give them the freedom they need to tell any story they want to without having to fall back on some Arkham connections.

It has been quite the build-up to this reveal and it is great to have actual confirmation. We will finally find out what they have been working on. There were rumors of a complete reboot to focus on Batman. At one point, they were working on a version that focused on Damian carrying on the mantle. Suddenly, it was a story featuring the entire Bat-family trying to keep a turf war at bay. Whatever it ends up being, this is exciting and cannot wait to see what the game will look like. Alongside the reveal of Rocksteady’s Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, there is some amazing game reveals at the event.

Source: VG 24/7, GameRant

August 14, 2020