It seems that the casting for the Wonder Man Disney+ series is in full swing, as not too long after Yahya Abdul-Mateen II was revealed to be in talks for the leading role, it seems they may already be trying to fill another key role. According to a new report by Illuminerdi, they have also set their sights on Bob Odenkirk joining the production in a key role as Wonder Man’s manager.
Odenkirk would definitely be a great addition to the MCU, as the actor has made quite a splash as of late with his work on Better Call Saul, the long-running Breaking Bad spinoff exploring the early days of his character Saul Goodman. He’s also proven himself as an action star with his role in Nobody. So, whatever direction they take with his character, he’s definitely going to offer us a memorable performance.
There’s a lot of hope for the Wonder Man project, especially with how it may potentially explore Hollywood in a world filled with superheroes. Not only that, but perhaps it opens up the window for Marvel to also explore its journey as a production company. There could be a lot of meta-takes with this project; not something they are new to either.
Sylvie was one of Marvel Studios’ most interesting additions to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Sophia DiMartino takes on the role of a multiversal counterpart of Loki, who has lived her own life and ends up developing a deep connection with the version we first met in Avengers: Endgame. Yet, when she was first teased many believed she was the Enchantress before the series revealed her true role.
Yet, our theories on her Enchantress routes from the comics were dead on the money according to concept illustrator Wesley Burt. In the official Art of book fo the disney+ series Loki: The Art of Series, The Direct shared an interesting segment from Burt where he reveals that the character was initially just a fusion of Enchantress known as Sylvie Lushton and the iconic Lady Loki, who had a major role in the comics.
When I started out working on concepts for Sylvie, I knew very little. Before I was able to read the script, I knew she was going to be a variant of Loki, that it was going to draw upon both Lady Loki and Enchantress Sylvie Lushton from the comics. And so the first pass of stuff I did was really focused on just seeing what I could pull from the comic book references and build from there. Then I was able to read the entire story to get a feel for who she is, what she is after, and what her personality is like.
Wesley Burt
While the name in her series gave it away, it’s quite interesting that early concept arts did pull from these comic influences to establish a brand new take on a well-established take. Once we met a younger and older version of Loki, the connection of her being this Disney+ series’ take on Lady Loki made sense but it opened the question if the Enchantress comparison was just a coincidence. Either way, they still wanted to make her stand out on her own terms as well.
Even though she’s a variant of Loki, she’s a different person in certain ways. And from there, you get the sense that she’s on a mission. So I wanted to make sure her costuming was functional; it wasn’t going to slow her down. She could fight in it; she could run and do whatever she needs to do because all that she cares about is ‘completing her mission.
Wesley Burt
DiMartino is set to reprise the role of Sylvie in the second season, and it’ll be interesting to see if we see many more influences from her comic counterparts creep in. There still is the possibility that they explore Enchantress as her own character in the MCU, as elements from her were also used in the new take on Hela in Thor: Ragnarok. So, we’ll see if she might actually make her MCU debut at some point.
Marvel Studios really wanted Yaha Abdul-Mateen II to bring Simon Williams, aka Wonder Man, to life in the MCU. After hearing that initial conversations between the actor and the studio hit a stumbling block, a recent trade report revealed that negotiations had resumed and it is now expected that Mateen will ultimately land the role. As of now, that means Mateen will headline the Disney Plus series Wonder Man, which is being overseen by Shang-Chi and Avengers: The Kang Dynasty director Destin Daniel Cretton. However, given how keen Marvel Studios was to land Mateen, it seems possible that they have a much bigger plan in place for Simon Williams and part of that plan might lie in the character’s comic book history.
Even though Avengers’ director Joss Whedon wasn’t a big fan of the character, Wonder Man has been an Avenger for the majority of his Marvel Comics’ adventures. But like Wanda and Pietro Maximoff, he didn’t start off as one of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, but rather one of their adversaries. After taking over his father’s company and subsequently running it into the ground, Williams found himself involved with the Maggia. That connection soon found him making his way to prison until he was bailed out by the Masters of Evil and became part of one of Baron Zemo’s schemes. Williams underwent a radical procedure that provided him with incredible powers and worked his way into favor with the Avengers before leading them into a trap set by Zemo. Williams ultimately came to his senses and sided with the Avengers, but the side effects of the experiment took a toll, sending him into a coma. A lot of weird scenarios later, Williams woke up, came to terms with his grief and trauma and joined the Avengers and, later, the West Coast Avengers. While all that sounds great, it’s that opening arc as a villain that has us theorizing!
As of now, Wonder Man has not been put on Marvel Studios’ upcoming slate. Going only off the information available, it doesn’t seem that fans should expect to see it until Fall of 2024 at the earliest. That makes casting Mateen in the role now a little suspect because there’s no information available about when Wonder Man is expected to start production. As of now, it’s known that Agatha: Coven of Chaos, Daredevil: Born Again, Captain America: New World Order and Thunderbolts are all slated to get underway in the first half 2023, but so far Wonder Man hasn’t been given a definitive start date.
It’s not completely out of the ordinary for Marvel Studios to cast a lead when they don’t have a start date set in stone and just because the public doesn’t know a start date doesn’t mean one doesn’t exist. However, Marvel’s eagerness to get the deal with Mateen done might indicate that they have plans for the actor in another project before he begins work on Wonder Man. Sifting through those projects listed above, none of them seem to be quite as good of a fit for a potential appearance of Simon Williams as a villain as Thunderbolts.
From what’s known about the plans for Wonder Man in the MCU, it’s expected that his series will serve as a Hollywood satire and follow his career as a struggling actor and stuntman. How he gets from superpowered experiment to struggling actor is an interesting conundrum to consider. One possibility to consider could be that the MCU’s Wonder Man might share a connection with a few members of the Thunderbolts, specifically the super soldiers. The legacy of the Super Soldier Serum in the MCU was front and center in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier and with Thunderbolt Ross set to appear in both Thunderbolts and Captain America: New World Order, it’s possible it remains a prevalent plot point, especially with Samuel Sterns coming back into play.
While the plot of Thunderbolts, and thus the villain, are still tightly held secrets at Marvel Studios, having three super soldiers on the team (Bucky, John Walker and Red Guardian) could be taken as an indicator that despite Zemo’s efforts to eliminate the further development of super soldiers within the MCU, someone else has different ideas. Could Thunderbolt Ross, whose fascination with the serum led to the creation of Abomination, be back in the game? Could Samuel Sterns, who was announced to be the villain of Captain America: New World Order, be making an appearance in Thunderbolts? And how would Simon Williams end up part of an experiment in the first place?
Without details, wild speculation is the best direction. In the comics, Simon’s fall from grace started when he ran his father’s company, Williams Innovations, into the ground and hooked up with the Maggia. However, it was his brother, Eric, who went on to become the villain known as the Grim Reaper, that put him in tough with the Maggia. Given the group of characters assembled for the roster of the Thunderbolts and Val’s coming obsession with metals, it wouldn’t be beyond her to get involved with a little corporate espionage. Having Ghost and Yelena on the team would certainly allow for Val’s team to get involved in some shady business like that. It wouldn’t be completely out of the question to see the first two acts of the film (or less) show the fall of Simon Williams at the hands of the Thunderbolts and his subsequent journey to becoming Wonder Man (classic costume hopefully included). The third act could see the team, and Simon, take on the project’s true villain(s), which could include Eric and/or an MCU-based Masters of Evil. Maybe the aftermath sees Simon less interested in the world of superheroes, but with nothing but his good looks and charm on his side, he decides to try his hand in Hollywood, leading into his Wonder Man solo series.
It’s paper-thin speculation at best, but the reality of the current Thunderbolts’ lineup is that they could never last against an overly-powered and truly evil villain. They don’t have the stopping power of a Hulk or a Thor and despite Walker and Bucky being on the team, they don’t have the leadership of a Captain America. They might be able to take a beating for a short time, but their true villain is going to ultimately be someone…less than thrilling. Of course Marvel Studios’ writer Eric Pearson certainly has something much more exciting in mind for Thunderbolts, which is headed to theaters on July 2th, 2024.
It’s been quite a few busy weeks for the upcoming Disney+ series Ironheart. Not only did we get quite a few set photos teasing key characters and additions to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but there were also been a few casting announcements while the series’ was busy filming. Dominique Thorne is also set to make her MCU debut next week with the release of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, which has recently been confirmed to set up her story in the upcoming spinoff Disney+ series.
Yet, a new Instagram story by Jalen Marlowe, who works as a still photographer for the Disney+ production, has shared that they seemingly wrapped work on the production. So, it seems that they are slowly winding down the filming of the series. The series. was teased to release later next year, and there’s enough time for reshoots as well as the post-production process if they are currently wrapping up production. It would also match with first wrap gifts being revealed a few days ago.
Ironheart looks to be one of the MCU’s most promising new series. Not only is Ryan Coogler actively producing, but it also will merge two very distinct worlds as Riri Williams has to use her technology against more magical-based characters. So, we’re not getting the tech-on-tech action we may have initially expected but are exploring that very melding of two worlds that Thor talked about all the way back in the first film when he compared science to magic.
After accidentally leaking in a tweet by DC Comics earlier today, the official announcement has finally dropped that Neil Gaiman‘s adaptation of The Sandman is indeed returning for a second season. The wait has been a long one, as there was some uncertainty due to how exactly Netflix determines what show returns and what doesn’t. The series has pulled in an impressive 69.5M hours viewed in its first week and even went on to double it in its second. With those numbers and the series even getting a surprise episode, it did seem strange that Netflix wasn’t moving forward already with an announcement.
Funny thing is, DC Comics still hasn’t tweeted out the official announcement that leaked earlier. So, we might have to wait for whatever visual was prepared for the original announcement. Netflix hasn’t shared an official tweet either, which is curious given that normally they time these official announcements. Either way, it’s great to see that our time with Morpheus will continue and who knows if we might get another bonus episode the second time around.
Netflix did only recently start sharing information on how these projects perform, but sadly it doesn’t truly give us an idea of what is and isn’t worth a renewal. With their hope to push subscriber growth alongside ensuring their retention, the balance has become tough with many shows getting lost in the amount they release on a weekly basis. Whatever may lead to them renewing projects, here’s hoping it keeps The Sandman going for quite a few years moving forward.
Well, it looks like that didn’t take long to follow-up on the initial report from Illuminerdi, as Aubrey Plaza has just been confirmed to have joined the upcoming production of Agatha: Coven of Chaos. The WandaVision spinoff will further explore the character played by Kathryn Hahn and while plot details still remain tightly under wraps, it seems that Plaza will be playing a villain. Though who exactly still remains a mystery and it’s unclear if this might be a one-time role specifically for this project or maybe becomes a bigger player in the wider Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Coven of Chaos is definitely going to be a curious project among the various series from Marvel Studios. Not only is it focused on a just recently introduced character, but it’s the first time they’ve started a project focused primarily on a fan-favorite character. Perhaps at some point, the project was originally going to be quite a bit different before they realized the potential of now only featuring more Kathryn Hahn in the MCU but also giving the magical corner a bit more attention.
Plus, the “coven” aspect does seem like a promising hint at what we can expect and who knows if the series might even add a bit to the original WandaVision. We’ve learned that Dottie actress Emma Caulfield was set to return, who was theorized to potentially be another witch. We got a glimpse at Agatha Harkness’ backstory and who knows if she had a contingency set in case her plans didn’t work out as planned.
Here’s a big surprise but shortly after the casting announcement has dropped that Joe Locke has joined the upcoming WandaVision spinoff Agatha: Coven of Chaos, it seems we may have news on another major addition. Illuminerdi has shared that Aubrey Plaza has seemingly joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe in a mystery role for the upcoming Disney+ series.
While no details are shared on what role she has, she is seemingly going to be part of “a group of supporting female characters,” which likely hints at her being part of the coven mentioned in the title. The Parks and Recreation star has been a long-time favorite to get cast in a role and it would be a shame if this is just a one-and-done for the actress.
Still, Agatha is slowly turning into a very interesting project. Ever since the “early days” of Marvel Studios’ Disney+ venture, we’ve been seeing them evolve and adapt with each new series. Most of the ones released so far, including Secret Invasion, were produced around similar times and future projects might look a bit different as they start learning from those experiences.
The fact that Agatha and a potential Vision Quest project are in developmental as spinoffs from WandaVision, opens up the question of what they might help build up towards. The Multiverse Saga is still going but there’s no direct bridge with the overarching narrative besides Wanda’s ability to warp reality at her will. Perhaps they are laying the groundwork for her return to the MCU.
While the Russo Brothers aren’t going to make a return to Marvel anytime soon, it doesn’t mean they won’t be working together with Disney on other projects. They have been quite busy taking on a producing role on various projects, such as Guy Ritchie‘s upcoming live-action adaptation of Hercules. We’ve seen many iterations of the Greek demi-god throughout the years, but this new take might be the strangest yet.
In an interview with Variety, the producing brothers revealed that they are definitely taking a different direction with this live-action adaptation. They confirmed it will be a musical, which isn’t always a definite with the live-action remakes from Disney, and they are taking some inspiration from TikTok.
There are questions about how you translate it as a musical. Audiences today have been trained by TikTok, right? What is their expectation of what that musical looks like & feels like?
Russo Brothers
Some may raise an eyebrow at how effective this approach might be, especially with TikTok’s entire format being primarily based on six-second videos. It’s not a bad idea to modernize the take to the current landscape but there is the question of how far can you push that concept. The screenplay by David Callahan will have a really big challenge ahead if it’s trying to introduce some modern elements into this story.
The original Disney animated film already took quite the liberty with the mythos for the sake of making a modern commentary on sports promotion. So, we’ll see just how far they’ll try to push this adaptation and if we’ll have to suffer through TikTok dances in musical form.
It looks like Red Sonja has found its next major addition in the form of Veronica Ferres. The German star famous for Salt & Fire, Crisis, and more will take on the role of Red Sonja‘s mother and the Goddess of Ashera. The upcoming adaptation is closer inspired by Robert E. Howard‘s comics for Marvel rather than rebooting the original film starring Brigitte Nielsen and Arnold Schwarzenegger from the 80s.
The title role will be carried by Matilda Lutz, who is joined by Wallis Day, Michael Bispring, Robert Sheehan, Manal El-Feitury, Katrina Durden, Martyn Ford, and Eliza Matengu, who round out the cast. Silent Hill: Revelation director M.J. Bassett is taking on directing duties for the production and is replacing Joey Soloway, who is still attached as an executive producer. It’s been filming in Millenium’s Nu Boyana studio in Bulgaria which already teased us earlier last month with Lutz‘s design as the titular heroine.
Ferres is quite well-known in the German market for her work on TV series and movies but has also started expanding internationally throughout the last few years. She definitely makes for an interesting addition to the cast and it’ll be interesting to see just how big her role is, especially with the use of Goddess of Ashera in the story. While we still know very little about the story direction for the adaptation, it still looks quite promising.
Clancy Brown has become a fixture throughout any giant IP in the market, as he’s appeared in The Mandalorian, Marvel’s The Punisher, Marvel Studios’ Thor: Ragnarok, still actively voices Mr. Krabs in Spongebob Squarebob and so much more. So, what difference does it make if he adds one more tentpole franchise under his belt, according to One Take News, Brown has now also joined The Boys. Well, it’s an upcoming spinoff Gen V to be exact.
The spinoff series is currently in production and will focus on a new group of young Supes that are just starting out to make their mark to one day become part of the Seven. Given the series’ usual staples of sex and violence, hormonal teenagers are definitely going to push that to new levels.
They have no details on what role Brown might be playing, but that he will appear in at least one episode of the season. In a college setting, it’s very likely that he’s either someone’s parent or could even be playing a professor. So, it’ll be fun to see if he has any powers of his own, which he’d definitely have a lot of fun with given the chance.
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