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  • ‘Agatha: Coven of Chaos’ Rumored to Setup a Major Young Avengers Storyline

    ‘Agatha: Coven of Chaos’ Rumored to Setup a Major Young Avengers Storyline

    Even though Marvel Studios Disney Plus streaming series Agatha: Coven of Chaos has been filming in Atlanta for several weeks, little is known about the plot of the WandaVision follow-up. Kathryn Hahn is back as Agatha–or maybe Agnes–and Joe Locke’s Billy Kaplan has been seen on set but just what their connection is to one another remains a bit of a mystery. While MCU fans wait to find out more about the project, a new rumor is circulating that indicates where things might go next for the characters.

    According to My Time to Shine Hello, the events of Agatha: Coven of Chaos will act as a prelude to an adaptation of a nine-issue mini-series published by Marvel Comics between 2010 and 2012 titled Avengers: The Children’s Crusade. There was no indication if the project will be streaming series or a feature film.

    Featuring the Young Avengers, Avengers: The Children’s Crusade focuses on Billy’s search for his missing mother, Wanda Maximoff, as his enormous powers begin to grow beyond his control. While it’s unlikely that Marvel Studios will closely adapt the mini-series, which features Magneto and Doctor Doom in key roles, it is a fitting follow-up to the events of WandaVision, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Agatha: Coven of Chaos; it’s also a great indicator–for those who still doubt it–that Wanda is very much alive and (un)well in the MCU. As exciting as it sounds, fans shouldn’t get too worked up as the account indicates that the project won’t be ready until 2025 at the earliest.

  • Book Review: ‘Everything is Fine: Volume 1’

    Book Review: ‘Everything is Fine: Volume 1’

    Every now and again you’ll stumble upon a book that pleasantly surprises you. This is Everything is Fine. I admittedly requested to review the book simply because of the cover, not even bothering to read the description. I had no clue what I was about to read when I sat down to read it, and I’m grateful I knew nothing going in. This book will take readers on a strange trip and leave them eagerly awaiting the next volume with the final page.

    To keep it simple without spoiling anything, Everything is Fine takes place in an idealistic world where everything is, well, fine. Until it isn’t. While the concept of Everything is Fine isn’t necessarily anything new, author Mike Birchall manages to create a wonderfully confusing and disturbing world in such few pages… it’s hard not to be eager to see how it’ll all end. Especially as the ending is a huge cliffhanger.

    There will be plenty of questions to be asked by the end of the story and very, very few answers provided. And while that may be frustrating with most stories, when it comes to Everything is Fine, the lack of answers actually works in its favor. It helps to keep the mystery alive and allow Birchall to craft a truly disturbing story that readers are definitely not prepared for.

    As delightful as this book is, the artwork can be distracting. It’s incredibly plain. In fact, it kind of reminds me of Minecraft at times. While the simplistic art style does sometimes help to sell this world crafted by Birchall, it may be hard for the readers to truly appreciate the story being told — to make them want to keep turning the pages. It’s the only true drawback with this book.

    EVERYTHING IS FINE is a book you’ll want to go into blindly. Don’t read the description. Avoid spoilers as much as possible. Just dive right into this strangely intriguing story of this “perfect” world and enjoy the ride.

  • ‘Across the Spider-Verse’ Co-director Joaquim Dos Santos Says the Sequel is “Five Films in One”

    ‘Across the Spider-Verse’ Co-director Joaquim Dos Santos Says the Sequel is “Five Films in One”

    Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is one of the year’s most anticipated films. The sequel to 2018’s Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse has high standards to live up to given how beloved and nearly universally praised its predecessor was and the team of creatives behind the it knew they couldn’t get away with “more of the same.” To that end, the film is set to take Miles Morales,voiced one again by Shameik Moore, on a trip that co-writer Phil Lord says “goes hard.” What story did Lord and co-writer Christopher Miller concoct that lead Moore to proclaim that the sequel’s story “tops the first”? Nothing short of a cross-dimensioal adventure set to take Miles to FIVE different universes.

    Our contract with the audience is to bring them something they’ve never seen before

    Christopher Miller

    As opposed to the much criticized dimension hopping in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, each of Across the Spider-Verse ‘s alternate dimensions is a “robust place” according to Co-director Joaquim Dos Santos. “We’ve made five films in one,” continued Dos Santos, referring to the five different universes Miles and audiences will visit in the project. One of those universes, a 2099 universe set in Nueva York, is home to Oscar Isaac‘s Miguel O’Hara, who serves as a prickly companion of Miles and Gwen Stacey, whose Earth-65 will be explored as well. Across the Spider-Verse will also visit Mumbatten, home to Spider-Man Pavitr Prabhakar, New London, home to the rad Spider-Punk, and another dimension that’s remaining top secret for the time being.

    If the sky was the limit last time, the sky is now the floor. We’re stepping on it and looking at Jupiter!

    Shameik Moore

    After a long, long wait, fans of the animated adventure can start counting in terms of weeks and days now as Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse‘s June 2nd release date is almost here!

    Source: Empire

  • Chloé Zhao Reacts to ‘Eternals 2’ Rumors

    Chloé Zhao Reacts to ‘Eternals 2’ Rumors

    The rumor mill for Marvel has been going in full force. While many complain there are too many projects rolling out, it seems like there are countless more that are simply rumors without any actual release or even an official announcement. Still, among those that have long been hinted at potentially being in development was the sequel to Chloé Zhao‘s Eternals.

    Up until now, it was just a rumor based on some theories. The first film wasn’t a critical darling and faced similar harsh criticism like the recent Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Yet, there was still a lot of potential in exploring these characters and the vastly unique sci-fi world offered at the end of the story. When asked in an interview with Hollywood Reporter if there was any truth to these rumors, Zhao gave a curious defensive reaction.

    No comment.

    Chloé Zhao

    It’s not the kind of reaction you’d usually get, as many would just talk about the possibility of directing a sequel and returning to that world. Yet, the very direct “no comment” opens up the possibility that there are talks that she’s not going to risk talking about. Of course, that is also just an overanalysis of how some tended to react when they didn’t want to risk giving away any information. Still, we’ll have to probably wait quite sometime before we find out what exactly the future has in store for the Eternals moving forward.

    Source: Hollywood Reporter

  • ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Adds ‘Agents of SHIELD’ Star

    ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Adds ‘Agents of SHIELD’ Star

    Perfectly timed, Daredevil: Born Again starts production in New York City we are getting some more news on what we can expect from the quasi-legacy series. Not only do we have a director now, but also have a rather shocking recast of Sandrine Holt taking over the role of Vanessa Fisk. It marks the first recasting from the original Daredevil Netflix series even though Jon Bernthal is returning in his iconic role.

    Still, we have one new addition to the cast with an Agents of SHIELD actor Michael Gaston. He wasn’t a major player in the Marvel series with a single episode appearance but this marks the second in his career. The actor also worked on shows like Blindspot, Mayor of Kingstown, Chicago P.D., and many more.

    He joins a cast that consists of Margarita Levieva, the before-mentioned Sandrine Holt, Michael Gandolfini, Jon Bernthal, Vincent D’Onofrio, and its main star, Charlie Cox. It’ll be interesting to see just how big the cast grows as 18 episodes open up many opportunities to introduce a wide variety of characters.

    We still don’t know how far they’ll dive into an overarching plotline or mostly keep it as a week-to-week story. Fisk’s involvement does hint that something will be brewing throughout the entire season, but with 18 episodes they might want to have more individual storylines that flesh out the world we’re about to return to. Only time will tell, as we also don’t know if Foggy or Karen will return.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Recasts Vanessa Fisk

    ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Recasts Vanessa Fisk

    Elden Henson. Deborah Ann Woll. And now Ayelet Zurer. As Daredevil: Born Again starts production in and around New York City with stars Charlie Cox, Vincent D’Onofrio, and Jon Bernthal reprising their respective roles from the Netflix Defenders-verse series, details about cast members from the series not returning are beginning to emerge.

    The latest news, courtesy of THR’s Heat Vision, is that Sandrine Holt has been cast as Vanessa Fisk, the wife of Wilson Fisk, indicating that Zurer, who played the role on Netflix’s Daredevil will not be returning.

    The news should raise several questions about the nature of the relationship between the Netflix series and the new Disney Plus streaming series. It’s widely believed that Michael Gandolfini will be playing Fisk’s adult son in the series. Given a new actress has been cast as Vanessa and an adult son that was never acknowledged in Netflix’s Daredevil now exists, it would be easy to take Cox‘s comments about Born Again being “a whole new deal” to mean the new series will not be tied to Daredevil very tightly, if at all.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • Disney+’s ‘Daredevil’ Series Adds ‘Dexter’ Director

    Disney+’s ‘Daredevil’ Series Adds ‘Dexter’ Director

    Just as the next Daredevil series starts production, it seems we have an update on who will take over directing duties. The ambitious 18-episode Disney+ series has now added Michael Cuesta, famous for his work on Dexter and Homeland, to direct the first episode of Daredevil: Born Again.

    Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio are set to return alongside the recent announcement of Jon Bernthal also reprising his Punisher role from the Netflix series. The series showrunners and writers are Matt Corman and Chris Ord, who previously worked on Covert Affairs, The Enemy Within, Containment, and The Brave.

    We don’t know how different the series will be from the original Netflix series, though it’s to be expected that Marvel Studios and everyone involved will try to make it stand out as its very own show; probably the reason for its subtitle Born Again being promoted similarly to Spider-Man’s Homecoming.

    There’s going to be a lot of excitement and weight on this Disney+ series, as many have established the Netflix version of the character as their de facto “fitting” tone for the character. His She-Hulk appearance highlighted that his more lighthearted comic variant had been overwritten in the viewers’ eyes. So, we’ll see how it comes together once we get our first actual look at the project.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • First Cast and Story Details for ‘Flintstones’ Sequel Series ‘Bedrock’

    First Cast and Story Details for ‘Flintstones’ Sequel Series ‘Bedrock’

    It looks like the upcoming Flintstones sequel series titled Bedrock is moving forward. Elizabeth Banks has been spearheading the project that’ll return to the life of an adult Pebbles, as we see what life has been two decades after the original Flintstones story came to an end as the former family head is heading into retirement.

    While we haven’t heard about the project for some time, it seems the Bedrock spinoff is finally picking up some steam over at Fox. It has now scored a pilot presentation after being dormant for two years. Now, we also know who will voice whom in the upcoming series, as they have an all-star line-up:

    • Elizabeth Banks as Pebbles
    • Stephen Root as Fred
    • Amy Sedaris as Wilma
    • Nicole Byer as Betty
    • Joe Lo Truglio as Barney
    • Manny Jacinto as Bamm-Bamm

    It’s funny to think we knew Banks was voicing Pebbles all the way back in April 2021 with the rest of the cast being the big additions. Some might look at this project quite skeptical after the Velma debacle, which took the original concept of Scooby-Doo and tried to “subvert” it with an R-rating. There’s no word if this take on the Flintstones is more adult as it focuses on a 20-something Pebbles. What will be interesting is the tease of the Stone Age being left behind and they enter the “enlightened” Bronze Age, which will give us some interesting looks at the older cast adjusting to an uncertain time. Warner Bros. Animation and Fox Entertainment are set to produce the pilot.

    Source: Deadline

  • Atlus’ ‘Persona’ Would Make for a Great Globe-Trotting TV Anthology Series

    Atlus’ ‘Persona’ Would Make for a Great Globe-Trotting TV Anthology Series

    Atlus has made quite a splash internationally with Persona 5. The latest entry in the Shin Megami Tensei spinoff managed to bring a somewhat niche JRPG franchise into one of the biggest offerings with spinoffs, a remake, multi-platform releases, and who knows what else might be in the works. What makes this franchise special is that each new entry tells a story that is unique with a brand-new cast of characters. Some familiar elements return with each new entry, but it’s still a unique story not shackled by having to be a direct continuation.

    There are enough recurring themes and elements that truly tie this franchise together, may it be the iconic Velvet Room, the carry-over demons and gods from SMT, the high-school setting, and many more. Still, each entry is even freer to explore a story that makes it stand out. Persona 2 Innocent Sin explores the concept of rumors coming to life. The fourth entry explored a murder mystery plot in the small town of Inaba, while the fifth entry just had our main characters turn into literal thieves of hearts.

    There’s something unique about what Persona has to offer and the wait for each new entry seemingly gets longer every time. Who knows how many scrapped ideas and concepts were left on the cutting room floor? Plus, the games have a strong focus on the Japanese market, which fits with its constant taking inspiration from real Japanese locations. Persona 5 almost took a very different direction but stuck to its roots after how Japan held together following the Great East Japan Earthquake.

    So, who knows where Persona 6 might take the franchise, as it may simply build upon what we saw in Persona 5 Royal or even take a completely new direction. Generally, there’s also a good chance that Atlus looks beyond the gaming market to expand its brand; we’re already seeing it with SEGA busy in hoping to bring Yakuza to live-action. So, who knows how long the wait will be until Persona or generally the Shin Megami Tensei franchise gets a similar treatment.

    And there is a lot of potential with a franchise like Persona. It’s made for the anthology series format similar to True Detective, which can explore a similar concept with multiple new cast members. Plus, it would allow some of the scrapped ideas to potentially make it back into the franchise by having them as jumping-off points for the new live-action adaptation. Each season represents a new group of characters that face off against unique takes of the shadows that manifest from the hum consciousness.

    They could start familiar with the first season by playing closer to home with something that was already established. Persona 4 seems like the perfect template for a starter season given its more somber tone and a murder mystery always makes for good television. They could give it a different twist and simply use the basic template to build a Western variation to ease viewers into the concept. Once hooked, each season can explore other parts of the world also affected by the Shadows and Personas.

    Though, the biggest challenge is to also bring the flair of the visuals many connect with the franchise to a new format. It’s not impossible as with smart cuts and visual additions, they could still keep those elements alive. Different variations on the iconic music with strong inspirations from whatever culture and location the latest season explores open up many avenues to add something fresh to familiar elements of this iconic JRPG franchise.

    Of course, they could always go down a cinematic route but there’s something bout the build-up across 80+ hours in the gaming franchise that just feels more natural in a long-form format like television. It may just be a dream for now, but if they ever do decide to bring the franchise to live-action, it would be a damn shame if they don’t make use of this concept to explore new avenues across the world.

    Source: Persona Central

  • RUMOR: ‘The Mandalorian’ May Have Introduced ‘Skeleton Crew’s Villain

    RUMOR: ‘The Mandalorian’ May Have Introduced ‘Skeleton Crew’s Villain

    When the first episode dropped for the long-awaited third season of The Mandalorian, we met the pirate king Gorian Shard. While it’s uncertain if we might see more of him in this season, a new rumor from Bespin Bulletin may have pointed out that this was a way to set up the main antagonist in the upcoming Jon Watt‘s directed Disney+ Star Wars series, Skeleton Crew.

    There was a strong focus on the character during the episode, as his crew seemingly are obsessed with mentioning his name. They also went all out with the make-up that hinted at this character having a bigger role overall but we won’t know until more episodes are released from The Mandalorian.

    There is some uncertainty if the school that the pirates try to enter might even be the same where Jude Law‘s character works. It’s not confirmed but would make for some fun world-building by the Disney+ corner of Star Wars exploring its very specific connections.

    We’ve heard very little of the Disney+ series that is set to release at some point this year. We may get a first tease during the upcoming Star Wars Celebration and they might even confirm the appearance of Shard as one of its main antagonists. He also seems perfect for a series that wants to explore the pulpy side of the galaxy far far away.

    Source: