There have been many theories surrounding how exactly James Gunn would tackle a Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special. They could go down a Star Wars route with vignettes and some familiar faces, or something that takes place in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as its very own small story. As it turns out, Werewolf by Night confirmed that they will tackle their own little stories, and the first trailer for the Disney+ special revealed exactly which one.
As it turns out, Star-Lord is still down due to the events from Avengers: Endgame after losing Gamora, and his team is hoping to cheer him up. Going by the first look at Groot, we also seemingly now know that this takes place after Thor: Love and Thunder given that he looks quite a bit older. The main plot of the story is the team trying to cheer up their leader and it seems they have a perfect idea: abduct his childhood hero Kevin Bacon.
While it’s a shame that the trailer just gave it away, there might be a lot more we don’t know yet about how this story will play out. Still, Bacon playing himself also fits the tradition of holiday specials including celebrity cameos, and who knows if they might play around with him ending up abducted by the Guardians. Star-Lord will likely have to fix the issue, but he’ll definitely freak out seeing his childhood hero.
The trailer for Marvel’s third Ant-Man film, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, has finally arrived, and it’s far more glorious than anyone might have expected. Set to the tune of Elton John‘s Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, the two-minute teaser takes fans on a wild journey through Scott Lang’s post-Avengers: Endgame life. Now a bona fide celebrity, Paul Rudd‘s shrinkable mischief maker is in the midst of figuring out his next steps. Unfortunately, things fly off the rails when his daughter, Kathryn Newton‘s Cassie Lang, crafts a machine that can send signals to the Quantum Realm, resulting in a brand-new, no-holds-barred adventure that sucks the entire Ant-Family into a wacky new world.
Despite its minimal runtime, the Quantumania trailer still manages to be chock-full of buzz-worthy moments and jaw-dropping visuals. Anticipation for the film has never been higher, and the first teaser proves why the hype is justified. However, no matter how breathtaking the large majority of the footage turned out to be, there were some moments that stood above the rest. Murphy’s Multiverse has identified those highlights and broken them down for the pleasure of readers everywhere. So, without further ado, the top five moments from Quantumania’s first sneak peek:
5 – “Thank you, Spider-Man!”
One of the most interesting aspects of every Marvel Cinematic Universe film is seeing how previous entries are impacting the current lives of heroes and the people around them. Based on the opening of the trailer, it would appear Quantumania will continue to explore society in a post-Blip world. Before he and his family are pulled into another dimension, viewers get to see Scott Lang reflecting on his newfound personal life and the way he’s treated now that he’s helped save half the universe. It’s an adorable, funny few seconds of pure humanity in an otherwise wonky teaser, and exactly the kind of thing one would hope to see from an Ant-Man project. In particular, bringing I Think You Should Leave‘s Ruben Rabasa in for a perfectly delivered, “Thank you, Spider-Man!“, is a great way to assure audiences this is still the same lovable-loser franchise they’re accustomed to seeing.
4 – Are Those The Micronauts?
Perhaps the most delightful surprise from the Quantumania trailer was just how gorgeous the Quantum Realm looks in full. Several wide, stupendously dazzling shots are sure to keep the casual viewer’s attention, but it’s the inhabitants of the infinitesimal world that are likely to sound alarms for die-hard fans. In Marvel comics lore, the Micronauts are a team of heroes who exist in the Microverse, effectively acting as the Avengers of their microscopic “Homeworld”. Several behind-the-scenes licensing issues have forced Marvel Studios to call their version of the Microverse something else, “the Quantum Realm”, and prevented them from using the Micronauts in live-action. However, the lifeforms present in Quantumania‘s trailer certainly look a lot like the Micronauts, or seem to at least be inspired by them.
The unexpected appearance of Micronaut-like beings in the trailer opens the door to a whole new – *AHEM* – realm of possibilities, and promises Quantumania won’t hold back from its weirdest attributes. Even if this is an original group of characters, without even an inkling of Micronaut inspiration, it’s still exciting to know audiences will get to experience another fresh perspective on the MCU in a manner only an Ant-Man film could provide.
3 – You Have Michelle Pfieffer, Use Her
Three words to sum up the Quantumania trailer: Janet Van Dyne. For fans of the original Ant-Man and the Wasp comic books, perhaps the biggest let-down of the film adaptations has been the absolute lack of agency for Michelle Pfieffer‘s classic superhero. Janet has always been a huge part of Marvel’s legacy, playing an active role in most of the universe’s biggest events as, maybe, the most underrated Avenger. The first two Ant-Man films opted to fill the Wasp role with Evangeline Lilly‘s Hope Van Dyne, and put Jan on the backburner as a woman lost to space and time. Even with a talented Hollywood legend like Pfieffer cast in the role for the second film, the elder Van Dyne has not really had much to do since she was formally introduced to the MCU in 2018.
Luckily for fans of the character, the Quantumania trailer seems to put Jan front and center as the brains of the film’s plot. Hopefully, this means she’ll finally get some justice on the big screen, and those unfamiliar with the first Wasp will get an idea as to why she’s so beloved. Let’s just pray her promotion from side character to leading hero isn’t hinting at a tragic demise before the credits roll.
2 – Mama’s Got a Brand New Suit
Speaking of the Wasp, it looks like someone is coming equipped with their best look yet. Although a little nitpicky, one of the most talked-about elements of Hope Van Dyne’s character in the MCU has been her suit. The comics have typically featured the Wasp in bright yellow attire, a la her namesake, or red outfits designed to match her partner, Ant-Man. Fans have already seen the latter come to life in live-action, but the Quantumania trailer is the first time they’ve seen either version of the hero don their most iconic, comic-accurate colors. Previous appearances by the Wasp have seen her wearing a suit the costume designers described as being a mix of gold and silver, and while that was a cool departure at first, it didn’t sit well with the comic book faithful after a few too many years.
On top of the Wasp suit reveal, audiences also got their first look at Kathryn Newton‘s Cassie Lang in her very first superhero costume. The design and color scheme are much closer to her “Stinger” identity in the comics than they are her initial codename, “Stature”, which makes sense when one considers the MCU might want to stick to the insect theme they have going on in the Ant-Man franchise.
1 – Lo, There Shall Come a Conqueror
What else was going to take the top spot? One of the things on everybody’s mind before the Quantumania trailer dropped was when Marvel might give the first look at Jonathan Majors‘ Kang the Conqueror. After a standout performance as “He Who Remains” in last year’s Loki, Majors solidified himself as the most hotly-anticipated villain in the MCU’s upcoming repertoire. The Quantumania teaser did not disappoint, giving fans a solid peak at Kang in all his comic-accurate glory. All Majors had to do was utter a single line of dialogue, and social media lit up like a fanboy candle. The MCU better beware, because if this footage is any indication, it’s in for another terrifying challenge once Kang comes to conquer.
Jordan Peele’s latest film, Nope, is officially out on Blu-Ray and DVD today. To celebrate the movie’s home release, we were provided a Blu-Ray copy of Nope in advance for review. With that in mind, we take a closer look at the extras included on the Nope Blu-Ray and determine if the film is worth picking up.
There’s no denying Peele’s talent – both as a filmmaker and actor. He has a unique vision and each of his films brings something new. While Nope isn’t as strong as his prior efforts, Get Out and Us, it’s still a hell of a ride that audiences will thoroughly enjoy. For that reason alone, Nope is surely worth picking up. Nothing will beat experiencing this one on a huge screen with an audience, but even at home, Nope is still a well-crafted film worthy of repeat viewings.
While a good movie, the extras, unfortunately, don’t really offer much. For fans, deleted scenes are often a huge selling point, because they’re eager to see what had to be cut. Sometimes, those deleted scenes are great. In this case, though, it’s clear they were cut for a reason. Not a single one would’ve added anything special to Nope; watching them, you can understand why they were cut because they ultimately would’ve halted the story’s progression. So, in this instance, there’s no reason to pick up a physical copy of Nope for deleted scenes. And even the gag scenes are pretty boring. They’re short, and honestly, lack any real charm or humor. There’s simply not much there, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. But the two usual things fans look forward to with home releases just lack any importance here.
What does prove to be a selling point for Nope, however, is the inclusion of Shadows: The Making of Nope. This behind-the-scenes feature that includes Peele, as well as his leading cast, is a pretty great exploration of the film and how it was made. Getting a deep dive into Peele’s world and the movie itself is fascinating. Two other featurettes included on the Blu-Ray are Call Him Jean Jacket and Mystery Man of the Muybridge also prove to be worthy of a view. While not as intriguing as Shadows, both featurettes are entertaining in their own right.
In the end, while the Blu-Ray doesn’t offer much in the way of bonus features, there’s still plenty of reason to pick up a copy of Nope on Blu-Ray. With stellar performances by both Keke Palmer and Daniel Kaluuya, Nope on Blu-Ray is still worth picking up. After all, it’s not often a film this ambitious, weird, and thrilling hits.
Marvel Studios’ second Special Presentation has finally been unveiled, as the first trailer for The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special has found its way online. After the success of Werewolf by Night, many were excited to see what the studios’ first-holiday special may have in store and the first trailer did not disappoint.
The trailer confirms the story of the special is about the team trying to distract Star-Lord from losing Gamora by offering him a very unlikely present, Kevin Bacon. It’s surprising that the trailer would include that detail but that might mean there’s a lot more we haven’t seen yet. Luckily, the wait isn’tmuch longer as the Holiday Special has received a November 25 release date.
For those wondering why a November release, it’s not uncommon that a holiday special finds its way online shortly before the celebration it includes. Werewolf by Night was a Halloween special that was released in October, and a recent tease did hint that the Guardians of the Galaxy special was likely going to get a November release.
Either way, it’s great to see the Special Presentation being continued by Marvel Studios and hopefully hints at many more types of these projects in the future. Who knows if they keep up the tradition with more holiday-themed specials or also include some Special Presentations that mainly serve as unique “direct-to-streaming” films, in addition, tot heir series. We’ll have to see what heads our way.
A look ahead into Disney +’s scheduled programming for the month of November may give some insight into when fans might expect to see The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special. The official Japanese Disney Plus site has released a look at what’s coming to the streaming service in the month of November and included on the list is an entry that should be interesting to MCU fans.
According to the site, two episodes of “Marvel Studios Unknown Secrets.” What appears to be lost in translation is that those are episodes 25 and 26 of Marvel Studios Legends, the official description of which can be read below.
As the Marvel Cinematic Universe continues to expand, Marvel Studios: Legends celebrates and codifies what has come before. Revisit the epic heroes, villains and moments from across the MCU in preparation for the highly anticipated stories still to come. Each dynamic segment feeds directly into the upcoming series premiering on Disney+ — setting the stage for future events. Marvel Studios: Legends weaves together the many threads that constitute the unparalleled Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Essentially, the short Legends episodes serve as a way to remind fans (old and new) of the adventures of the characters that will be featured in upcoming projects. For instance, episodes 22, 23 and 24 of the series will focus on King T’Challa, Princess Shuri and the Dora Milaje ahead of the theatrical release of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Over the course of 2022, the Legends episodes have come out just about one week ahead of the debuts of the projects they’re associated with. The three episodes on the characters from Wakanda are scheduled to follow this trend, releasing on November 4th, one week ahead of the film’s November 11th theatrical debut.
It’s logical to connect the November 23rd episodes of Marvel Legends to the only other known Marvel Studios project in 2022: The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special. Assuming that Disney Plus chooses to follow the same timeline they have all year, it’s reasonable to expect the James Gunn-led special presentation will debut the week of November 28th.
There’s been no trailer released for the special to date and other than a few tidbits here and there, not much has been shared publicly about what to expect from the special. It is known that it takes place between the events of Thor: Love and Thunder and next summer’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Rumors have covered appearances from Kevin Bacon, Santa Clause and the Silver Surfer, but outside of the key returning members of the Guardians, Marvel Studios has not confirmed anyone.
Well, yes, but the Holiday Special takes place between Love & Thunder and Vol 3 not between Vol 2 and IW. https://t.co/VbQPYRaJz6
Following SDCC ’22, Secret Wars is no longer a secret. Kevin Feige unveiled Marvel Studios incredibly ambitious Multiverse Saga in July and even though some dates have shifted around a bit since then, it still all ends with Avengers: Secret Wars on May 1st, 2026. Michael Waldron, who introduced the rules of the Multiverse in Loki and then took Doctor Strange on a brief tour of it in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, has been tasked with writing the film, but as of now, the project is without a director. Marvel Studios doesn’t need to be in a rush given the film doesn’t release for over three and a half years, but with a project this big, it’s likely they’ve narrowed down their list and will be choosing someone soon. With that in mind, here’s a look at some in-house candidates that aren’t Joe and Anthony Russo who might be up for the big job…
Ryan Coogler
Among the in-house candidates to take on Avengers: Secret Wars, Ryan Coogler is inarguably the most talented and arguably the safest choice. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is about to blow up the box office, likely giving Coogler two of the highest-grossing non-Avengers films. All logic would dictate that Feige and Coogler had to have at least talked about the possibility of him directing Avengers: Secret Wars. The only real question might be: does he want to do it? Coogler is a deeply passionate creator and I’ve often heard his approach to the worlds of Wakanda and now Talocan compared with the depth of George Lucas’ creation of the Star Wars universe. It’s possible, maybe even likely, that Coogler would prefer to continue to develop more projects (Ironheart, for example, is led by Coogler’s production team) within and connected to these worlds. Whether he chooses to stick to what he’s doing or tackle Avengers: Secret Wars, fans of the MCU still win.
Nia DaCosta
Marvel Studios has had some troubled productions since 2020. Whether due to COVID, changing directors, clashing visions, starting productions with 2/3 of a script or reshooting third acts, some of the roads on the way to what have all been fine finsihed products have been bumpy. One production that by all accounts seems to have been fairly smooth sailing, however, was The Marvels. The films three leads, Brie Larson, Iman Vellani and Teyonah Parris have all gone on record gushing about working with diretor Nia DaCosta, who took on a heavy project in her first MCU gig. DaCosta also reportedly established a great rapport with Feige, who was very pleased with The Marvels, a film which I’ve heard nothing but great things about. Having handled a team-up film in her first go around gives DaCosta some sense of what Avengers: Secret Wars will be like, even if it’s not quite the same scale. DaCosta checks a lot of the boxes the studio is likely using to choose the director for that project.
Peyton Reed
Reed may not be a popular choice amongst fans, but his first two Ant-Man films were solid, if not underrated, entries that were done the disservice of being released near major event films. By all accounts (and the trailer allows fans their first look at it), Reed absolutely slayed it with Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania which had what I’ve heard called one of Marvel’s best-ever scripts by Jeff Loveness. The teaser should make it clear that Quantumania will be a major step up in terms of the impact the film will have on the ongoing saga when compared to the previous two Ant-Man films and it should also be clear that this Variant of Jonathan Majors’ Kang is one of the ones to be worried about. Reed had a huge job to do and he nailed it. He’s proven he can run a clean production, he’s worked extensively with the Volume (which will be needed on something like Secret Wars) and has a great relationship with Marvel Studios and Feige. Don’t sleep on Reed connecting with Waldron on Avengers: Secret Wars.
Disney+ has landed the streaming rights for the BBC series, Doctor Who, in a landmark deal. The news was revealed on Tuesday by the upcoming Doctor, Ncuti Gatwa, during an appearance on Live with Kelly and Ryan. Under the new deal, Disney+ will exclusively stream all upcoming seasons of the show outside of the U.K. and Ireland, where they will remain with the BBC. Russell T. Davies, who returns as showrunner for the forthcoming season, expressed excitement over the new deal.
“I love this show, and this is the best of both worlds – with the vision and joy of the BBC and Disney+ together we can launch the TARDIS all around the planet, reaching a new generation of fans while keeping our traditional home firmly on the BBC in the UK.”
Davies
Regarding the new deal, Alisa Bowen, the president of Disney+, called it a great opportunity to bring the beloved series to a new generation. “We’re excited by the opportunity to bring new seasons of this beloved franchise exclusively to Disney+ and introduce the show to the next generation of audiences in more than 150 markets around the world,” she said. “The series is a perfect addition to our ever-growing catalog of global content that continues to make Disney+ the home for exceptional storytelling.”
Doctor Who first launched in 1963 and ran until 1989. The classic series was revived in 2005 with Christopher Eccleston taking on the role of the ninth Doctor with Russell T Davies on board as showrunner. The revival launched a new generation of Doctor Who fans and brought with it the first female Doctor thanks to Jodie Whittaker‘s thirteenth Doctor.
The first episodes of Doctor Who to air under the new partnership are expected to debut in November 2023, which will coincide with the show’s 60th anniversary. Gatwa will take on the role of the Doctor next, following the short return of David Tennant as the Doctor for three specials.
The fourth season of Doom Patrol has added Elijah Rashad to its cast. The news was announced by Deadline, with the outlet reporting Reshad will play a recurring character named Deric. He’s said to be a “brilliant, community-minded robotics teacher” who soon finds his way pulled back into the life of his former best friend, Vic Stone.
Doom Patrol stars Brendan Fraser as Cliff Steele, Matt Bomer as Negative Man aka Larry Trainor, April Bowlby as Elasti-Woman aka Rita Farr, Diane Guerrero as Crazy Jane and Joivan Wade as Victor Stone aka Cyborg. The first three seasons of Doom Patrol are now streaming exclusively on HBO Max. Season 4 of Doom Patrol is set to return in December with two new episodes, before moving to a weekly format in January.
Here’s a fun, massive surprise for Star Wars fans: Damon Lindelof’s (previously) secret movie is reportedly set to take place after the events of 2019’s Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker and may even bring back some of the sequel trilogy’s beloved characters. The Hollywood Reporter has dropped a new article confirming that the mysterious film, which was only just quietly revealed a few days ago with Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy on board as director, is gaining steam with a new co-writer and collaborative creative team. According to the outlet, development on the Lindelof-led movie began shortly after this year’s Star Wars Celebration, with a roundtable of talent convening in July to break the story.
Names present at the meeting were Patrick Somerville, a previous Lindelof creative partner on projects like The Leftovers; Rayna McClendon, a former consulting producer on Lucasfilm’s own Obi-Wan Kenobi; Andy Greenwald, the creator of 2019’s Briarpatch; and, possibly, even Dave Filoni, the Lucasfilm mainstay shepherding the large majority of their television projects. Justin Britt-Gibson, who worked with Guillermo del Toro on his vampire dramaThe Strain, has since been hired to co-write the new film with Lindelof, and the duo are reportedly working on the final script as this news breaks.
Although there is currently no information on a release date or any potential plot details, sources have stated to THR that the project is intended as a stand-alone. Lucasfilm is apparently switching gears away from its previous trilogy-based plans, though sequels to Lindelof’s untitled movie are apparently possible if the initial film succeeds. The closest announced release date for a Star Wars film is 2025, so it’s likely this is the soonest fans see whatever Lindelof has planned come to life.
With House of the Dragon having aired its season finale, speculation has begun about how the Dance of the Dragons will be adapted onto the screen in the second season and beyond. After spending a season chock full of time jumps to build to this moment, it was the murder of Lucerys “Luke” Valeryon at the hands of Aemond Targaryan that officially launched the war that will tear Westeros in half. This is something that has been confirmed by showrunner Ryan Condal to always be the climactic event of the first season’s finale, though the nature of the events which occurred changed significantly in relation to the original book by George R.R. Martin, specifically the culpability of Aemond in Luke’s death. The series adaptation showcased more regret and anguish over Aemond’s rash decision. While discussing the finale with Variety, this is what Condal had to say about the change.
Historians have told us that Aemond intended to kill Luke, but I don’t think any of them could purport to know what was going on in Aemond’s head at the time. And I would also dispute the word “accident” a bit. I mean, Aemond got on his giant dragon and chased his nephew on his much smaller dragon through the clouds screaming and yelling at him, incensing his dragon and starting a fight. He didn’t know how Arrax or Luke were going to respond, and it ended in tragedy. I don’t think that was what Aemond intended when he threw his leg over the saddle, but he did a horrible, dangerous thing. That is the point: This is a war of many cuts that lead to a really, really bloody wound. It adds complexity and nuance to the character that’s potentially interesting. There’s lots of runway to go on with Aemond as a character and the story of the Dance. This is his first act as a dragon rider and a warrior and it’s gone very wrong. Now what happens as a result, and how does he respond? Those are the questions I’m interested in as a dramatist.
Ryan Condal
The change comes after the first season of House of the Dragon has taken some mild creative liberties from the original source material (with varied responses to them). A major component for the future of the series is the potential to travel to more realms of Westeros. After remaining relatively isolated into a select few locations, the showcase of the map in the finale certainly has illuminated interesting possibilities for fans to ponder. Ryan Condal had the following to say about what to expect from the show moving forward in terms of new locations.
The show definitely has to expand its scope in the second season. Just as the original “Game of Thrones” grew in scope and expanse as it went, so, too, will ours. We’ve lived a good bit in three different worlds through this show: King’s Landing, Dragonstone and Driftmark. I think those will continue to be the home bases for the show. But a war is coming that requires allegiances from different kingdoms and armies all over the map of Westeros. I don’t think we’re going to get quite as vast as the original “Game of Thrones” did in its final analysis. But there are definitely many more new worlds to come, and new worlds that you haven’t necessarily seen in the original show, either. Rest assured, plenty of scope to come.
Ryan Condal
The finale of the first season of House of the Dragon is available to watch on HBO and HBO Max. Production for the second season is said to begin at the start of 2023, though no official word has been said as to when it will air.
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