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  • EXCLUSIVE: Farhan Akhtar on Waleed’s Past

    EXCLUSIVE: Farhan Akhtar on Waleed’s Past

    The good news was that Marvel Studios cast Bollywood star Farhan Akhtar in a key role in Episode 4 of Ms. Marvel, “Seeing Red.” The bad news is that, barring a miracle, Akhtar’s Waleed doesn’t seem to have much of a future.

    However, Akhtar’s character made a big impression in a short time, giving Kamala Khan a bit of a history lesson on the Clandestine’s Noor Dimension and sacrificing himself to save her and Kareem. Akhtar inhabited Waleed with such gravitas and authority, however, that it was clear the actor knew much more about the character. In an exclusive interview, Akhtar credited the creative team behind Ms. Marvel with giving him everything he needed to know about the character’s past.

    Honestly, a lot of the hard work on this was done by the writers and by the creative producer. I mean they really came and gave me a really good sense of Waleed, explained to me Waleed’s past, where he probably met Aisha for the first time-since he refers to her, he knows about her-what experience he has with the bangle, how does he know the Clandestines, when did he first meet them, when did he first battle them, how did he get that scar on his face.

    Farhan Akhtar

    As the authority figure of the order of the Red Dagger, Waleed certainly gave off the impression that he had been through some things that a young hero like Kamala might not understand. There’s also the currently unanswered question of how he knew Kamala’s great-grandmother, Aisha, and why he didn’t seem to lump her into the same category as the villainous Clandestines. According to Akhtar, he simply tapped into the history of the character as given to him by the team.

    So we had all these conversations. So by the time we came into these scenes, I had all that history with me. I could tap into all that and I had that understanding of who this guy is. When he’s sharing stuff with Kamala, the kind of authority that he speaks with, that he’s had these experiences, that is something that the writers and producers shared with me and I’m very thankful for that.

    Farhan Akhtar

    Though Waleed certainly seems dead, there’s no reason we couldn’t see Akhtar in the role again, whether that be in the upcoming fifth episode or in another season of the show via flashbacks. Fans of the show would definitely welcome more of the character and given the way Akhtar has spoken about his time with the show, it seems he might too.

    Ms. Marvel is now streaming on Disney Plus.

  • EXCLUSIVE: Farhan Akhtar Explains What Drew Him to ‘Ms. Marvel’

    EXCLUSIVE: Farhan Akhtar Explains What Drew Him to ‘Ms. Marvel’

    Episode 4 of Ms. Marvel, “Seeing Red”, put a new spin on Kamala Khan’s ally, Kareem, making him one of an order of Red Daggers who serve to protect the people of Pakistan from unseen threats. In establishing the Red Daggers as an organization, Marvel Studios was able to give Kareem a mentor in the form of Waleed, played by Indian multi-hyphenate legend Farhan Akhtar.

    Akhtar stays unbelievably busy writing and producing, but seems fairly selective when it comes to acting. In an exclusive interview, Akhtar recalled how he came into the role of Waleed and why it was so important for him to be a part of Ms. Marvel.

    When my agent reached out and said that Marvel is looking to cast people from India for this new show that they are doing, I was immediately interested. Firstly, it’s Marvel which is a big deal, you know we are all fans of what they make. Their films are entertaining and are always made on this amazing scale that has something for everyone. So I was immediately interested.

    Farhan Akhtar

    Akhtar’s interest in the role grew when he found out that Marvel Studios was hoping to find a role for him in Ms. Marvel, a show Akhtar saw as groundbreaking. According to the actor, he had a feeling early on that he was joining a very special production.

    And then when we found out more, we realized it’s Ms. Marvel, it’s a show about the first Pakistani-Muslim girl superhero, it speaks about the Asian community in the U.S., it travels all the way to this part of the world, it taps into the culture of this place, the folklore of this place, the history of this place. So it immediately felt like Marvel was treading new ground here, you know, in doing something that hadn’t been done before. And then they had people like Sharmeen on board-like Sana as a creative producer, so it really seem like this was going to be special. That’s what it felt like. And I wanted it. So I just said, “Listen, please whatever it is just call me and I’m gonna do it.” And after that, of course, we discussed Waleed and we discussed that character and all that more.

    Farhan Akhtar

    Fans fell immediately in love with Akhtar’s Waleed who, unfortunately, seems to have met his end saving young heroes Kareem and Kamala. Whether we see Waleed again in the future or not, it’s safe to say Akhtar made his mark in his limited role and that his feeling he was going to be part of something special was spot on.

    The first four episodes of Ms. Marvel are now streaming on Disney Plus.

  • ‘Falcon and Winter Soldier’ Almost Featured a Wakandan Shield Upgrade for the New Captain America

    ‘Falcon and Winter Soldier’ Almost Featured a Wakandan Shield Upgrade for the New Captain America

    It looks like the development team behind Falcon and the Winter Soldier have gone through quite a few ideas on how to support Sam Wilson’s new role as Captain America. Unlike his predecessor, he doesn’t have the same Super Soldier serum to give him an edge in battle, which hints at him being more dependent on his wits and weaponry. To counteract that, it seems they have considered giving his shield a new Wakandan upgrade that would’ve created a dome energy shield, as shared by development concept illustrator Wesley Burt.

    He goes on to highlight how he approached the idea, as their team was tasked with thinking up new ways that Sam could use the shield in creative ways, which ended up leading to the results you can see above.

    Ryan [Meinerding] asked some of the [Visual Development] department to take a little bit of time and think up some new ways that Sam could use the shield, more specific to him and his own physicality with it… when I was thinking about the tech rim piece, I was looking for a way to minimally add an element to the shield so as not to distract too much from the shield itself but still make it feel like it could have a believable tech addition and hint at the Wakandan upgrades before you see them used

    Wesley Burt

    While the concept hasn’t made its way into the Disney+ series, it doesn’t mean they may revisit the idea at a later point. We still don’t know what Sam may owe Wakanda given they help create his design and him carrying it is fitting with the shield being made from Wakandan Vibranium. Perhaps they may further explore its ties to the country and how it connects to Sam Wilson’s new role given his own background, especially the way his country views him.

    Source: The Art of Falcon and Winter Soldier via The Direct

  • Taz Skylar Shows Off His Sanji Kicking Training

    Taz Skylar Shows Off His Sanji Kicking Training

    A long time ago, before Netflix’s live-action One Piece series even started production, we got a good look at Sanji actor, Taz Skylar, showing off his skills kicking. It’s one of the character’s iconic aspects besides his ability to turn anything into a delicious meal. Many wondered how they’d attempt to bring his moves to life, especially in how flashy they are showcased in the original manga by Eiichiro Oda. A new video from Skylar highlights just how far his training has come.

    In a new video as shared by @OP_Netflix_Fan on Twitter, we get a good look at just how far his training has come along. Skylar has actively shared how he’s prepared for the One Piece role, such as attending kitchen courses alongside training with his stunt doubles. We sadly still haven’t gotten a good shot of him in costume, and how they might tackle his moves cinematically, but the dedication showcased is definitely praise-worthy.

    We haven’t seen much on how the training has come together for Zoro actor Mackenyu, but there was a leaked production image that hinted at these the three-sword style. One Piece continues to shape up as a promising project that’ll hopefully set a new direction for live-action manga adaptations. With many promising practical sets and some visually stunning designs, the only thing we haven’t gotten a glimpse at from the project is their costumes. so, we’ll see if they might give us our first look once they’ve wrapped production and entered the post-production phase.

    Source: Twitter

  • Duffer Brothers Hope for a Shorter ‘Stranger Things’ Final Season

    Duffer Brothers Hope for a Shorter ‘Stranger Things’ Final Season

    One of the major talking points coming out of Stranger Things Season 4 has been the gargantuan length of the season. The season ultimately clocked in with a run-time of just under 13 hours, including the final two episodes running for quite the extended runtime. However, The Duffer Brothers seemingly intend to keep the show’s final season shorter than this current one though still on the longer side compared to the first three entries of Stranger Things.

    We thought Season 4 was going to be eight [episodes], and they were going to be regular length. So if you had interviewed us before four, that’s what I would’ve said. I think we’re aiming for eight again. We don’t want it to be 13 hours. We’re aiming for more like 10 hours or something. I think it’s going to be longer than Season 1 because we just have so much to wrap up, but I don’t think it’s going to be as long as Season 4.

    Matt Duffer

    The Duffer Brothers further elaborated on some of the narrative rationales for a slight change of pace between seasons four and five.

    This season, for instance, it was two hours before our characters even realized the monster was killing people in Hawkins. They know what the threat is now, and so that will help speed it up.

    Ross Duffer

    This certainly will be music to the ears of those that felt this latest season of Stranger Things was too arduous in length and scope to fully appreciate. Even still, it very likely would still be necessary for Stranger Things‘s next season to hold a slightly extended runtime as a means to ensure everyone in the vast main ensemble has a proper resolution to their arcs. And then also being able to immediately jump in and know what the threat will be alongside the character especially has the potential to engage fans more optimally.

    Stranger Things is currently available to watch in completion on Netflix after the release of its second volume of episodes on July 1st. You can find our own review of this final batch of episodes by clicking here. 

    Source: Collider

  • Disney+ Japan Adjusts ‘Spider-Man: Far From Home’ MCU Timeline Placement

    Disney+ Japan Adjusts ‘Spider-Man: Far From Home’ MCU Timeline Placement

    In 2019, Spider-Man found himself far from home, and according to Disney+, he was also a little further down the Marvel Cinematic Universe timeline than fans initially believed. A new update to the streaming service in Japan has revealed that Spider-Man: Far From Home, the second installment in Jon Watts‘ trilogy, actually takes place after the events of 2021’s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. This means that, although the plot plays out only a handful of months after Avengers: Endgame, it’s actually now chronologically the fifth project to occur after the infamous Snap. WandaVision, the first season of Loki, and the animated What If…? are also all set before Far From Home.

    This implies that the year immediately following Endgame in the MCU was quite the busy one for superhero activity. The Scarlet Witch’s takeover of Westview, the fall of the Time Variance Authority, Ultron’s attack on the multiverse, and the fight to wield Captain America’s shield all ensued before Peter Parker even had a chance to go on his school field trip. Interestingly, the curious new timeline placement may help to solve one problem fans had with Falcon and the Winter Soldier.

    Spider-Man not reacting to the mayhem happening in New York City during the Disney+ series’ finale was a debated topic at the time it aired. However, that was at a time when fans were under the impression the hero had already fought Mysterio and returned to the United States. Now it’s possible Parker was still in the process of adjusting to existence again, or committing more fully than previously thought to the idea of sometimes letting other Avengers deal with catastrophe so he can focus on being a kid. After all, that was one of the major themes the character dealt with in Far From Home. There’s also the slight possibility the two projects overlap, and Spidey was just getting started across the pond when the Flag Smashers were doing damage to his home turf.

    Source: The Direct

  • Update on Timeline for ‘Stranger Things’ Writers Room

    Update on Timeline for ‘Stranger Things’ Writers Room

    With the recent release of the now complete fourth season of Stranger Things, questions are already being asked about the timeline for when fans can expect to watch the fifth and final season of the series. Unfortunately, fans will most likely have another relatively long wait to see how the hit Netflix series comes to an end. In an interview with Collider, series creators The Duffer Brothers provided a timeline for when the new season’s writing process would begin.

    We’re going to take a little vacation in July. And then we’re going to come back. I know that the writer’s room is going to start in that first week of August.

    The Duffer Brothers

    Between August marking the beginning of the official writer’s room and the expansive production time that has now gone into Stranger Things, fans should temper their expectations on the show having its ultimate resolution in the near future. Though a potentially optimistic sign for the speed of this writing process is The Duffer Brothers also revealing that the overall planning for the final season is slightly ahead of schedule than if it was to be just written cold turkey beginning at the start of August.

    We had all the scripts before we started shooting, so we could look at the whole thing as a whole. And we outlined all of five. So it really is four and five or like of a piece, and this was due to the six-month hiatus that we had due to the pandemic. So we don’t typically have as much time. It usually feels like the train is going down the tracks and Ross and I and our writers are just throwing down track as we’re going, once we’re halfway through the season. And for the first time ever, we were able to look at it globally, not just Season Four, but Season Five as well.

    The Duffer Brothers

    It certainly will be interesting to see how Stranger Things wraps up with the attention of the watching world around it. Essentially all that’s known at this point is that there will be some sort of time jump between the ending of the fourth season and the beginning of the fifth. This is very likely a wise decision with the young cast rapidly aging out of the high school-age characters they’re portraying, and will especially be the case with it still being a ways away from actually entering production.

    Stranger Things 4 is now available to watch in completion on Netflix after the release of its second volume of episodes on July 1st. You can find our own review of this final batch of episodes here. 

    Source: Collider

  • Disney+ Changes ‘Jessica Jones’ Title

    Disney+ Changes ‘Jessica Jones’ Title

    In a move only Krysten Ritter‘s private investigator could get to the bottom of, Disney has seemingly changed the title of Jessica Jones on Disney+. The series, which was created by Netflix and initially ran for three seasons from 2015 to 2019, was only recently added to the Disney+ library. All of the “Defenders Saga,” as it’s now being called, was brought home to join the rest of Marvel’s live-action lineup after the streaming rights were lost by the series’ original owner. Now, several weeks later, Disney is making a few alterations.

    As of today, Jessica Jones is being shown on Disney+ as A.K.A. Jessica Jones. The title is only present within the actual episodes themselves, and the show is still referred to by its original name on the service’s home screen. Interestingly, A.K.A. Jessica Jones was the name being used for the project when it was still in development at ABC, a nod to the source material’s Alias naming convention without copying the Jennifer Garner series of the same title.

    The curious move comes just after Disney used its social media to promote the show and its brother projects, using the caption “it’s all connected” and causing a stir that Marvel Studios may have plans to bring the Netflix characters back sooner than later. Charlie Cox‘s Matt Murdock has already made his grand reentrance to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and this suspicious platform activity could be an indicator Ritter‘s Jones is soon to follow. This is pure speculation, but perhaps the name change is to align the show with an incoming reboot rebranding to further disconnect the series from its time on Netflix. It could also mean nothing. Only time will truly tell.

    Source: The Direct

  • EXCLUSIVE: Aramis Knight on the Future of Red Dagger

    EXCLUSIVE: Aramis Knight on the Future of Red Dagger

    Aramis Knight’s Kareem stepped immediately into action in Episode 4 of Ms. Marvel and, for much of the episode, didn’t get a chance to slow down. The formidable Pakistani hero played a large role in Kamala’s trip to Pakistan, both in the books and in the series, but with the nearly non-stop action in the episode, the audience didn’t really come to know much about Kareem. In an exclusive interview, Knight talks about what he’d like explore about the character in the future and his budding relationship with Ms. Marvel.

    I would love to see Kareem’s training regimen. I just think that’d be super interesting. He comes in as a hero who is powerless so to be able to keep up with these people who do have powers he has to train every single day of his life and I think seeing parts of that-seeing things that he does to become the superhero that he is-I think that would be super interesting. I would also love for people to meet Kareem’s family.

    Aramis Knight

    Marvel Studios has certainly shown a willingness to go beyond the source material in developing the characters in their shared cinematic universe. They’ve already taken a step in that direction with Kareem by making him part of an order of Red Daggers, so it wouldn’t be surprising if they continued to do so if the character returns for another season. Though Kareem played a pretty major role in his time in the comics, he’s only had a few appearances so there’s room for the Ms. Marvel creative team to work. And according to Knight, he hopes that part of that work is taking on a mentor role with Kamala.

    Even more than that, I become a great ally for Kamala and, in a way, I become somewhat of a mentor in that she’s a newfound superhero to someone who’s kind of worked his whole life with this organization so there’s a lot for her to learn from him. And I think I do take on that mentor role a bit, although there’s also the banter, you know, the bit of flirtation, it kind of all plays into it, I think.

    Aramis Knight

    Fans are certainly hoping for a second season of the hit streaming series and given the path Kareem’s character follows in the comics, there is certainly room for him to return to help Kamala and complicate things a little for her as well.

    The first four episodes of Ms. Marvel are now streaming on Disney Plus with Episode 5 debuting Wednesday, July 6th.

  • ‘Avatar’ 4 and 5 Might Not be Directed by James Cameron

    ‘Avatar’ 4 and 5 Might Not be Directed by James Cameron

    The Avatar franchise is preparing to go full force in terms of expanding its presence on the cinematic landscape. Following more than a decade since the 2009 release of the original film, director James Cameron is bringing his vision back to the big screen with Avatar: The Way of Water releasing in December of this year. The sequel will be followed by another, untitled sequel scheduled for 2024. This is all part of Cameron’s lofty vision of creating a multi-film saga set in the same universe. 

    Though the team behind the franchise is hopeful for being able to produce the conclusion of this saga in the near future with fourth and fifth films being produced together, it may not be James Cameron helming these two installments. When speaking with Empire about the imminent release of Avatar: The Way of Water, the renowned director discussed the possibility that he might pass the reigns to another filmmaker for the next two-film chapter.

    The Avatar films themselves are kind of all-consuming. I’ve got some other things I’m developing as well that are exciting. I think eventually over time – I don’t know if that’s after three or after four – I’ll want to pass the baton to a director that I trust to take over, so I can go do some other stuff that I’m also interested in. Or maybe not. I don’t know.

    James Cameron

    This feels like a surprising revelation based on how passionately James Cameron has spoken about and worked in the world of Avatar. Especially with it being the hypothetical end of the franchise, it’s hard to not see Cameron be the one to direct this conclusion. Even if he does step away from the director’s chair, Cameron would remain greatly passionate for what these films mean to him and would very likely still have large amounts of control over this world.

    Everything I need to say about family, about sustainability, about climate, about the natural world, the themes that are important to me in real life and in my cinematic life, I can say on this canvas. I got more excited as I went along. Movie four is a corker. It’s a motherfucker. I actually hope I get to make it. But it depends on market forces. Three is in the can so it’s coming out regardless. I really hope that we get to make four and five because it’s one big story, ultimately.

    James Cameron

    Avatar: The Way of Water stars Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Kate Winslet, and Sigourney Weaver. The film is slated to open exclusively in theaters on December 16, 2022.

    Source: Empire Online