In this episode Charles and I discuss the inclusion of Lemar Hoskins, aka Battlestar, in next year’s ‘THE FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLDIER’ series and much more!
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EXCLUSIVE: ‘THE FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLIDER’ Will Introduce a New Bucky
It appears that Marvel Studios is pulling no punches with its first Disney + series, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier. As announced by Kevin Fiege at this past summer’s SDCC, the series will introduce John Walker, aka U.S. Agent, as a government sanctioned replacement for Steve Rogers, but it won’t stop there. I have learned that the series will also introduce Lemar Hoskins, aka Battlestar, as a partner to John Walker.
Lemar Hoskins made his Marvel Comics debut alongside John Walker in 1986’s Captain America #323. When John Walker was introduced to the world as Super-Patriot, Hoskins, who served alongside Walker in the military, along with two other former military men calling themselves the Bold Urban Commandos staged an attack, providing Walker with the opportunity to save the day. The Bold Urban Commandos, or BUCkies continued to dish out vigilante justice against those whose ideals opposed their own.
Hoskins, who like Walker gets superhuman strength from the Power Broker, continued working with the BUCkies as Walker’s popularity rose and his favor with the U.S. Government grew. In issue #333, Walker was appointed by the Government as the new Captain America and in issue #334, Hoskins was revealed as the new Government sponsored Bucky.
Finally, in issue #341, Hoskins donned a new outfit and began calling himself Battlestar citing the racist connotations and origins of the word Bucky as the reason for the change.
While we aren’t likely to get a direct adaptation of this origin story, it appears that Marvel Studios will be taking some cues from Mark Gruenwald’s Captain America run. Thanks to Instagram user “justbeachy4stacy”, I have gotten my hands on some set photos taken in Barnesville, Georgia that give us some insight into how Lemar Hoskins will be introduced in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier. Recent set photos taken of the Duluth High School football field indicate that Wyatt Russell’s John Walker will be introduced to the world via public reveal that may well be held in the town where he grew up. The following day, November 22nd, Russell was in Barnesville where the local grocery store was transformed into a flower shop: Hoskins Family Flowers.
Russell filmed scenes both inside and outside the Hoskins’ flower shop where he paid a visit to an as yet unknown actor, believed to be pictured below:
At this point we can only speculate that Walker is visiting his old friend to bring him on board with him. It’s possible that the we could see a reenactment of the staged attack when Walker is introduced at the football field, giving the newly anointed hero a chance to prove himself. It’s also possible that we’ll simply see Hoskins introduced as the new Bucky or as Battlestar. Whatever the case, it is simply awesome to see how deep showrunner Malcolm Spellman has dug to bring new characters to life.
While we know we’re getting a deep dive into the lives of Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes, it’s becoming obvious that John Walker is not going to be one-note character. It’s important to remember that Walker is not the villain of this project and while he’s certain to come into conflict with Sam and Bucky, he is also doing his best to be an American hero at a time when he is sorely needed.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on the inclusion of Lemar Hoskins in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier. Chime in below and let me know how you think the story will unfold.
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Actress Adepero Oduye Joins the Cast of ‘THE FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLDIER’
Production is well underway on Marvel Studios first Disney + series, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier but, until now, we haven’t had any additional cast announcements besides those at San Diego Comic Con. I’ve gotten word that actress Adepero Oduye (The Big Short) has joined the cast in an undisclosed role.
While I was unable to discern her role, I’m told that Oduye’s character will be someone close to Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson. Given the story is expected to explore the backstories of both Wilson and Sebastian Stan’s Bucky Barnes, it’s possible that Oduye could be playing either Sam’s sister, Sarah WIlson, or his comic book girlfriend, Leila Taylor. Of course it’s also possible she’s playing neither of these characters because as I said above, I was unable to discern her actual role.
Oduye, who also appeared in 12 Years a Slave, will be seen next in Tazmanian Devil. The Falcon and The Winter Soldier is in production now and expected to premiere on Disney + in the Fall of 2020.
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‘ANT-MAN 3’: How Marvel Studios Tiniest Franchise Could Make Big Noise in Phase 5
With the Infinity Saga complete, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is about to enter a bold, new and Avenger-less era. While the specifics aren’t entirely clear, it seems that Phase 4 of the MCU will only last for 2 years and as we continue to learn more about it, it certainly seems like at least part of its purpose is to prepare us for something, to use familiar Marvel terminology, All-New and All-Different.
Black Widow, The Eternals, Shang-Chi and The Legend of the Ten Rings, Doctor Strange: In the Multiverse of Madness and Thor: Love and Thunder will hit the big screen while The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, WandaVision, Loki, What If…? and Hawkeye (and possibly Ms. Marvel, Moon Knight and She-Hulk) will continue the narrative over on Disney Plus. It appears as if The Eternals is going to be a deep dive into the ancient history of the MCU while also planting the seeds for future stories. As I discussed before, Doctor Strange: Into the Multiverse of Madness, in conjunction with WandaVision and Loki, seems poised to change the very nature of the Marvel Cinematic Universe by truly opening up and exploring the multiverse. The other projects really seem like they’ll be utilized to transition to legacy heroes (Yelena Belova, Falcon-Cap, Jane Foster/Thor and Kate Bishop) or expand the reach of the MCU into previously unexplored corners and genres (Shang-Chi and The Legend of the Ten Rings). What’s interesting is that we can’t be entirely sure which of these projects takes place in the MCU’s present day of 2023 which allows the MCU to potentially go on for another 2 years without assembling new heroes to fill the void left following the disassembling of the Avengers following Avengers: Endgame.
Enter the MCU’s smallest franchise: Ant-Man. Both Ant-Man and Ant-Man and The Wasp were smaller budget films that followed major MCU event films in Avengers: Age of Ultron and Avengers: Infinity War, respectively, and were never perceived as “must-see films” despite the second film’s connection to the events of Avengers: Endgame. If there is any truth to the rumors, first shared on our podcast, that Ant-Man 3 may serve as the platform on which the Young Avengers assemble, we could see the final film in Peyton Reed’s Ant-Man trilogy grow to new heights both in popularity and in its impact on the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In following up on the original Young Avengers rumors, I haven’t come across any confirmation of their appearance, but I have consistently heard from other sources to expect something on a much larger scale for Ant-Man 3, so large that the studio has already begun early pre-production work on the film. So while I still can’t confirm Ant-Man and the Young Avengers, I also still can’t entirely rule it out and am left to think about just what that film could look like.
Given that Ant-Man 3 is happening in 2022, the film wouldn’t introduce audiences to the characters, but it could serve as the film in which the team unites. Just exactly who will be on the team isn’t entirely clear, but there are some members who should be ready to go by 2022. Cassie Lang is already in the MCU and definitely ready to rock and roll as her dad’s parter. It appears as though WandaVision will introduce two members of the team in twins Tommy and Billy Kaplan, aka Speed and Wiccan, the children of the Vision and Scarlet Witch, and Kate Bishop is set to make her debut in Hawkeye, meaning we could have 4 core members of the first iteration of the team by the end of 2021. That leaves Teddy Altman, aka Hulkling, Elijah Bradley, aka Patriot and Nathaniel Richards, aka Iron Lad, (aka Kang!) as founding members of the team that still need to be introduced. Given the introduction of the Kree-Skrull conflict in Captain Marvel, it’s not too tough to imagine a way for Hulkling to show up and given that The Falcon and The Winter Soldier will deal with the legacy of Captain America, it is possible that we find a way to get to Patriot. That leaves us with the most interesting and problematic of the Young Avengers: the young, future Kang.
In the comics, Nathaniel Richards, after discovering he is fated to become the evil warlord Kang, travels back in time to seek the help of the Avengers. Finding them disassembled, Richards hacks into the Vision and discovers that the Avengers have identified a group of teens who could step in as the next generation of heroes if anything should happen to them. Richards assembles these heroes, the Young Avengers, and begins filling the void left by the Avengers. the Young Avengers ultimately came into conflict with Captain America and Iron Man after their exploits gained the attention of the two Avengers. While the two groups butted heads, they eventually came together to intervene in a major conflict between the Kree and Skrulls that centered around the heritage of one of Hulkling.
Well it’s unlikely we see a direct adaptation of their comic book origins, it’s not too hard to see a way that they could slide into the MCU. The present day of the MCU, as seen in Spider-Man: Far From Home, is a time without Avengers. As I mentioned above, many of the characters will be introduced ahead of Ant-Man 3, so it’s just a matter of bringing them together. Given that Ant-Man is one of the few remaining Avengers and the only one with a film franchise, it certainly seems possible that we could see some universe shifting events including the Young Avengers take place in the third film.
The family friendly franchise seems like a great place to introduce the new team and provide them with opportunities to be mentored by Earth’s remaining Avengers. In a recent interview, Mark Ruffalo indicated that this sort of mentorship might indeed be something we see in the future, saying he’d like to see the Hulk interact with the new heroes that will be introduced and act as a “guru to some of the younger ones.” While I’m not sure we’ll see an actual academy with classrooms and lunch breaks, I could certainly see Scott, Hope, Clint, Rhodey, and Hulk (and maybe even Wanda and/or Vision) bringing a bit of an Avengers Academy vibe to the story. As for what that story might be, I think Avengers: Endgame may have left some a bread crumb or two.
Tony Stark invented time travel and, as he told Cap, when you mess with time, it tends to mess back. While that certainly happened within the events of Endgame when Thanos traveled forward to 2023 to lay waste to Earth, I’m not sure we’ve seen the end of time messing back. If ever there were a time to introduce Kang, it would be in the next few years. Should Marvel Studios version of the Fantastic Four hit theaters ahead of Ant-Man 3, say in February of 2022, the great 31st century conqueror could be first introduced there, making his younger self’s appearance possible in Reed’s third Ant-Man film. Of course this is nothing but pure speculation and there’s probably all kinds of timey-wimey stuff to consider, but one can always ponder the possibilities.
How would you like to see the Young Avengers brought together in the MCU? Let me hear your thoughts below!
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EXCLUSIVE: Elisabeth Shue to Appear in ‘COBRA KAI’ Season 3
Actress Elisabeth Shue was on set for the third season of the hit You Tube series Cobra Kai where she will revisit the role of Ali Mills, the childhood sweetheart of star Ralph Macchio’s Daniel LaRusso.
Shue’s return has been the subject of teases and rumors since season two aired last spring, but it had been kept under wraps as season three began filming. Shue was on set for several days this week to film what should amount to an extended cameo appearance.
Cobra Kai, an acclaimed series chock full of 1980’s nostalgia, sees Macchio’s LaRusso face-to-face with his childhood nemesis, Johnny Lawrence, played brilliantly once more by William Zabka. Season three is expected to air sometime in 2020.
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Murphy’s Law Podcast: Episode 26
Episode 26 of Murphy’s Law is now available on Sound Cloud!
Charles Villanueva and Charles Murphy share their opinions on the newly launched Disney Plus, The Mandalorian, Murphy’s Mutliverse’s recent WandaVision scoop, the 5 new Marvel Studios release dates and more!
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Marvel Studios Sets Release Dates Through 2023; Moves to 4 Films a Year
Marvel Studios made a major move last Friday afternoon when it added 5 new release dates to its already impressive slate of productions. In adding one new date in 2022 and four in 2023, Marvel Studios, which once put out four films in a 2 year span, will now put out one film per quarter.
Thanks to Disney+, Marvel Studios is already set to produce an unprecedented number of projects, expanding their ability to tell more and different types of stories. Moving to 4 release dates per year likely means that, beginning in 2021, fans of the MCU won’t go more than a month or so without some sort of new content. At this point, all of the films are untitled, though we have a good idea of what some of them will be, even if we can’t be sure which of the new dates they will fill:
October 7, 2022
February 17, 2023
May 5, 2023
July 28, 2023
November 3, 2023
It’s important to note that February 18, 2022 and July 29, 2022 are also, at the moment, unannounced, giving us 7 “open dates.” It’s probably safe to assume that most of the dates will be filled by some combination of the projects announced by Feige at SDCC, so Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Blade, Captain Marvel 2 and The Fantastic Four will join the newly announced third Ant-Man to fill up 5 of the 7 slots. It’s also possible that Marvel Studios will attempt to introduce the X-Men into the MCU at some point in 2023 and to give Ryan Reynolds Deadpool a go in either 2022 or 2023.
The Mahershala Ali championed Blade reboot would seem a perfect choice for the October 7, 2022 date to take advantage of the horror aspects during the Halloween season, though at this point all anyone can do is speculate.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, once penciled in for the May 2020 release date now filled by Black Widow, would seem to fit nicely into the May 5, 2023 slot as it gives Gunn time to fulfill his contractual obligations on Suicide Squad before concluding his MCU trilogy.
When it was originally announced, Captain Marvel was slated for a July 6, 2018 release before being caught in the shuffle when Sony and Disney reached an agreement on how to use Spidey, so it wouldn’t be entirely shocking to see the sequel plant its flag on July 28, 2023.
Any way you look at it, all any of us can do at this point is guess and get ready to enjoy more MCU content than most of us ever thought we’d see!
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Marvel Studios ‘THE FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLDIER’: Who is John Walker?
As the Marvel Cinematic Universe continues to expand, Marvel Studios continues to draw from its large stable of characters for their upcoming projects. For fans whose exposure to Marvel characters has come from seeing them on the big screen, knowledge of these characters can range from being barely familiar to Jon Snow levels of knowing; fortunately, Murphy’s Multiverse is here to help. Welcome to a Murphy’s Multiverse Meet and Greet.
In July of 2019, Kevin Feige revealed that actor Wyatt Russell would be portraying John Walker in 2020’s The Falcon and The Winter Solider. First introduced in 1986’s Captain America #323, Walker, also known as U.S. Agent, followed an interesting arc that saw him introduced as a villain before taking on the title of Captain America and joining the West Coast Avengers for a time. Described by creator Mark Gruenwald as someone “who embodied patriotism in a way that Captain America didn’t—a patriotic villain”, Walker sometimes served as the dark shadow of Steve Rogers both in his actions as a villain and even in his interactions with his Avengers teammates once he was reformed. Like Rogers, Walker’s enhanced abilities were the result of an experimental process in a lab; unlike Rogers, Walker was not, at heart, a beacon of morality.
Over the years Walker has continually found himself working on both sides of the law: he fought against Norman Osborn’s Thunderbolts but also found himself serving as the Captain America analogue on Osborn’s Dark Avengers. While he always believes he’s doing what is best for his country, his short fuse and reactionary nature have often led to him brutally killing his enemies, drawing an even greater contrast to Rogers.
So how does Walker fit into The Falcon and The Winter Soldier? While Feige likes to remind us that he doesn’t like making live-action adaptations that are drawn entirely from comics, the comics do give us a pretty decent idea of what we might see. After one of a few times that Steve Rogers gave up the Captain America identity, the U.S. Government’s Commission on Superhuman Activities (an organization that could very well be run by Thunderbolt Ross in the MCU) chose John Walker to serve as their new Captain America after also considering Nick Fury and Sam Wilson for the job. The recently revealed concept art for The Falcon and The Winter Soldier indicates that the series follow the lead of the comics in this instance as Walker certainly looks the part of the government’s “New Cap.”
While Walker is likely not the main villain of the series, he is certainly going to begin the series at odds with Sam and Bucky who are likely to be exploring their own ways of keeping Rogers’ legacy alive. This should lead to some interesting conflicts between the two sides, perhaps reminiscent of their interactions in Nick Spencer’s 2015’s Captain America: Sam Wilson which saw the two men come on opposite sides of how to ideologically carry Cap’s legacy in the modern world.
Whatever the case, I fully expect Walker’s U.S Agent to make it out of the series and to continue to appear in the MCU. Where we might see him again remains to be seen, but with the Daniel Bruhl’s Zemo returning to an Avenger-less, a stint on the Thunderbolts, should they appear, would seem about right for Walker.
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EXCLUSIVE: Details on Marvel Studios ‘WANDAVISION’
Production on Marvel Studios Disney Plus series, ‘WandaVision‘, began last week (as I first reported and Kevin Feige confirmed) and thanks to a new source, I was able to uncover a few interesting details about one of Marvel Studios most anticipated upcoming projects. It won’t do me much good to explain it, but due to the “newness” of the source, I’m hesitant to share the information, but I’ve decided to go ahead because while it’s all interesting, none of it is so shockingly spoilery that fans will be extremely disappointed if it doesn’t turn out. With that said, here we go!
Parts of the Show Will Film in Front of a Live-Studio Audience
The show’s director, Matt Shakman, has described ‘WandaVision‘ as an “epic action sitcom” and star Elizabeth Olsen described it as a “mash-up” of classic sitcoms. In that vein, parts of the first half of the series will be filmed in front of a live-studio audience. The long-running sitcom “I Love Lucy” was the first scripted show to be performed in front of an audience and, in an homage to it, the cast of ‘WandaVision‘ will be performing in front of small, seated audiences. While the series will seemingly jump through time in order to pay homage to various sitcoms, the first episode seems to be set in the 50s, just like “I Love Lucy.” Obviously strict NDAs will be signed, so don’t look for too many spoilers to leak out, but it will certainly add an interesting dynamic to production of the show as the cast will be able to feed off the energy of the audience.
Wanda and Vision Are Starting the Perfect 50’s Nuclear Family
As indicated by the concept art, Wanda and Vision are playing at being the ideal Nuclear Family. For much of the early part of the series, we won’t be seeing the synthezoid version of Vision. Vision will look an awful lot like we saw him in Avengers: Infinity War and be holding down a job as he and Wanda build their life in the suburbs.
Of course the perfect nuclear family means doing all those perfect nuclear family things like having kids, hosting parties and hanging out with your neighbors…
Kathryn Hahn is Playing a Character Named “Agnes”
Since she was announced as joining the cast as Wanda’s “nosy neighbor”, it’s been widely speculated that Kathryn Hahn would be playing Agatha Harkness. This can probably be traced back to an old 4chan “leak” which really seemed to be some educated guesses mixed in with a lot of uneducated guesses. While there’s no telling what twists and turns might develop over the course of the series, Hahn is, at least on the surface, playing a character names Agnes who seems to be Ethel to Wanda’s Lucy.
It’s possible that Hahn’s Agnes could be a version of little-known Marvel Comics character Agnes Ames who first appeared in the 1960’s comic, Modeling With Millie. It’s also possible that Agnes is a new character created just for the series and it’s also possible that she isn’t exactly what she might appear to be. However, for the time being, all we can say is that Wanda’s nosy neighbor is named Agnes and appears to be another homage to “I Love Lucy.”
While it’s still unclear exactly what Feige’s vision is for this show, it’s starting to come into focus. It appears that the show will, in fact, essentially be two different shows and from that I think we can deduce that there’s going to be a pivotal event that tips the scales towards the “action epic” part. Fans of the comics can probably begin speculating now, but we’re going to have to wait and see just what Feige has cooked up for us.
Please let me know your thoughts on what I’ve shared with you here and what your expectations are for ‘WandaVision.’
Thanks for supporting Murphy’s Multiverse!
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Murphy’s Law Podcast: Episode 25
In this edition of Murphy’s Law, Charles Villanueva teamed up with the Marvel News Desk team of Adam Barnhardt (@adambarnhardt), Caleb Borchers (@CalebABorchers) and Rhiannon (@NYCRhi), friends of ours from our time together at MCU Exchange.
We chatted about our most anticipated MCU projects, memories from our time there together and more. Please have a listen by clicking the link below!
