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Sana Amanat on Balancing Comic Accuracy with Reimaginings in the MCU (EXCLUSIVE)

Before audiences had seen a single episode of Marvel Studios Disney Plus streaming series Ms. Marvel, the online discussion centered on the changes being made to Kamala Khan as they adapted her character for the MCU. New powers. New villains. No Inhumans (?). These things had fans of the character wondering exactly what about the MCU version was going to resemble the one they’d grown to love in the comics.

Marvel Studios has made it clear over the years that they have no interest in the MCU becoming a collection of direct page-to-screen projects and Ms. Marvel is no different. Charles Villanueva asked Sana Amanat, who co-created the character in the comics and also shepherded her into the MCU, how they worked on balancing a story that was faithful to the comics while also becoming its own thing.

Marvel Studios and Kevin Feige in particular are very respectful of the source material. He’s a fan, through and through. So for him, he really wanted to adapt [Ms. Marvel] but really brought what worked, which was Kamala, her family, and her world. So the first thing that was important to us was that the casting was there and that the tone and style of the show were there.
Sana Amanat

Amanat notes that the casting of the character was of the utmost importance and, in Iman Vellani, the studio seems to have found an actress who truly captures the essence of Kamala Khan. So while the series, and the future of the character, might diverge from the comics in some ways, the heart of the character looks to have made the jump to the MCU.

Ms. Marvel is now streaming on Disney Plus.

June 10, 2022
‘Ms. Marvel’: MCU’s Captain Marvel Is a Bad Role Model

The Marvel Cinematic Universe just debuted its newest hero in Iman Vellani’s Ms. Marvel. One of the foundational premises of Ms. Marvel is that young Kamala Khan aspires to be like her hero, Captain Marvel. When she learns she has powers, she dons a Captain Marvel-themed costume in her journey to become her own superhero. But in the MCU, Captain Marvel has truly never been much of a hero to Earth, so the connection is not as meaningful. Basically, the MCU’s Captain Marvel is not a great role model.

In the comics, the notion that Kamala is inspired by Carol Danvers is more poignant for several reasons. On one hand, Danvers had been a prominent superhero on Earth for a long time and the public witnessed her save the day many times. Captain Marvel had been a major member of the Avengers, and so she was easily a household name. Her first moniker was, in fact, “Ms. Marvel,” which is why Kamala adopts the title when she does in Ms. Marvel (2013). But the adoration does not feel as earned in live-action.

The MCU has not spent as much time with Captain Marvel. She has been established as being incredibly powerful and potentially a major ally to the Avengers. In reality, though, Captain Marvel has—from what we know—never really been a superhero to the people of Earth. Her 2019 solo movie takes place in the 1990s, and it is revealed that after the moment she gained her powers, she was no longer on Earth. She returned to Earth in Captain Marvel by accident, the events of the film were very isolated and secret to the rest of the world, and then she left Earth again afterward. She returned when Thanos snapped and briefly seemed to help the Avengers, including saving Tony Stark’s life. But early on in Avengers: Endgame it is shown that she was nowhere near Earth, would not be for a long time, and presumably had not been there much since the first few minutes of the film. Obviously, she returned late in Endgame’s Battle of Earth with impressive strength, but even Ms. Marvel’s opening sequence describes how Captain Marvel once again “abandoned the people of Earth” since the battle.

Going out on a very safe limb here, the MCU likely wants Captain Marvel to be a more prominent character in its universe than she is right now. She has not been given many appearances or a presence in the franchise at this point, so there is no reason Carol Danvers cannot become this much bigger and more important character in the future. In theory, to be fair, she could have been around for a small period of time after the events of both Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame and become known to Earth then, but otherwise, she seems to be known exclusively as the superhero who came in and put up a good fight against Thanos in the Battle of Earth.

Carol Danvers could be the greatest person that has ever existed in the MCU and the strongest hero of all time, but it still makes little sense that the people of Earth would consider her one of their superheroes, an Avenger, or a household name. Obviously, the MCU version of Kamala Khan is going to be inspired by Captain Marvel, because Kamala was always going to be Ms. Marvel. But other than what she knows about the Battle of Earth from her own research, the connection between the two at this point is based on a very small portion of one major event. The future for The Marvels is bright, but in terms of being a superhero, Captain Marvel simply has not been one on Earth. It will be interesting to see how Kamala even take on the mantle of “Ms. Marvel.”

Even still, the fact that Carol has been very absent could be embraced. In WandaVision, Monica Rambeau seemed actively disappointed or upset by the mention of Captain Marvel, likely because she resents how Carol was not there to help her mother, Maria, when she died during the Blip. Whatever the exact reason, it definitely seems like it is connected to the general absence of Captain Marvel. Perhaps during Ms. Marvel or early in The Marvels, Kamala comes to feel as though Captain Marvel is not the hero she thought she was—a sentiment that would also echo events in the comics—and that would bring some unity to her and Monica. Or, maybe Carol makes an appearance in Ms. Marvel, Kamala loves her even more, and Ms. Marvel is the one who ends up making Monica have a change of heart.

Whatever the ultimate connection to Captain Marvel may be, fans can meet Kamala Khan in Ms. Marvel. The first episode is now streaming exclusively on Disney+.

June 10, 2022
‘Dead Boy Detectives’ on HBO Max Adds Co-Showrunner

HBO Max’s Dead Boy Detectives is adding a new co-showrunner to the mix.

On Thursday, Variety announced that Beth Schwartz has joined the HBO Max series as co-showrunner. She will co-showrun alongside Steve Yockey (The Flight Attendant). She will also executive produce the title for the streaming service. This marks a return to DC for Schwartz as she previously served as the showrunner for the final two seasons of The CW’s Arrow. Along with working on Arrow, Schwartz helped to develop Sweet Tooth for Netflix. She served as the co-showrunner for that show’s first season. Jim Mickle will serve as the sole showrunner for Season 2 of Sweet Tooth.

Dead Boy Detectives was ordered to series back in April. The series is based on DC Comics characters created by Neil Gaiman and Matt Wagner. The Dead Boy Detectives, Edwin Payne and Charles Rowland, first made their live-action debut in the critically acclaimed Doom Patrol series. George Rexstrew has been cast as Edwin Payne, while Jayden Revri has been cast as Charles Rowland. Other members of the cast include Kassius Nelson as Crystal Palace, Briana Cuoco as Jenny the Butcher, Ruth Connell as the Night Nurse, Yuyu Kitamura as Niko and Jenn Lyon as Esther.

The pilot episode was penned by Yockey and directed by Lee Toland Krieger (Shadow and Bone). Schwartz will executive produce the series alongside Yockey, Jeremy Carver, and Greg Berlanti, and Sarah Schechter of Berlanti Productions.

Source: Variety.

June 10, 2022
The Morning After Huddle: June 10, 2022
Tag team back again! Check it to wreck it, let’s begin! Welcome to another edition of The Morning After Huddle! Shout out to my partner-in-print, Dalbin, for covering the Huddle yesterday. It seems this offseason has a recurring theme of NFL players giving back and Darius Leonard has joined the charge.

Here’s what you need to know:
- I’m totally biased, but as if Darius Leonard couldn’t be any better of a player, he is donating $15,000 to the victims of Uvalde. His Maniac Foundation is covering the cost of custom caskets for several children. Leonard told reporters, “Once I heard the terrible news about the Uvalde school shooting, I knew that I wanted to do something to help those suffering.”
- Hopefully, Jason Garett is better off the field than he was on (maybe he should call up Tony Romo for advice) because Garrett will reportedly join Maria Taylor and Tony Dungy on Football Night in America. It’s still currently unknown if Garrett will still replace Drew Brees as an analyst on Notre Dame games.
- Finally, (I know you have been waiting with bated breath) your Key Signings Roundup: My Indianapolis Colts signed defensive tackle Caeveon Patton. Patton participated in the Colts’ 2021 veteran mini-camp and rookie mini-camp on a tryout basis.
That’s it for today’s Huddle. Catch us on the flip side tomorrow morning, with your coffee, for your Saturday edition of more news you want to know.

ICYMI: Thursday – June 9, 2022 Edition
June 10, 2022
HBO’s ‘The Last of Us’ Adaptation Adds Troy Baker and Ashley Johnson

HBO’s The Last of Us is doubling up on familiar faces. It was revealed during a panel at Summer Game Fest that Troy Baker and Ashley Johnson will both have major roles in the upcoming television adaptation of Naughty Dog’s iconic franchise. The pair originated the protagonist roles of Joel and Ellie in 2013’s hit PlayStation exclusive, and both returned in 2020 for the acclaimed sequel The Last of Us Part II. It’s been known for some time that The Mandalorian star Pedro Pascal and Game of Thrones breakout Bella Ramsey will take over as the leads for the live-action show, and it was confirmed during the panel that Baker and Johnson will indeed be playing different characters than they do in the game series. They join Merle Dandridge in the exclusive club of performers both in the original project and it’s adaptation.

Also revealed at the panel is the increased role of franchise creator Neil Druckmann in HBO’s creative process. After directing both video game installments, Druckmann will helm an episode of the series on top of writing and executive producing. It was promised that with Druckmann’s help, the show would ensure a faithful retelling of the story and it’s intricately detailed world. This information is in direct contrast to earlier claims from Druckmann that the HBO series would differ from the original game in significant ways. However, it’s always possible both statements are true in their own right, with changes being made while the overall story stays true to it’s initial design. Either way, the fact Baker and Johnson want to be involved is probably a good sign.

Source: Naughty Dog

June 9, 2022
Jake Schreier to Direct Marvel Studios ‘Thunderbolts’, Shoots Next Summer

It has long been rumored that Marvel Studios was looking to make a Thunderbolts movie, and now, it appears the movie has taken one step closer to becoming a reality. Per Deadline, Marvel Studios has hired Jake Schreier to direct the film. He’ll direct from a script by Black Widow writer Eric Pearson. The trade report confirms an earlier report from KC Walsh that Thunderbolts was in development.

Schreier is mainly known for his music video work, having directed videos for the likes of Kanye West and Kendrick Lamar. Outside of music videos, he has work on television shows such as Kidding and Netflix’s Beef, which will star Steven Yeun and Ali Wong.

According to the trade report, the studio is eyeing a summer 2023 start of production and starting to line up its roster for the film. In the comics, the Thunderbolts have seen a shifting roster that has seen villains posing as heroes, villains forced to work for the government and, more recently a group of heroes adopting the name. The original team debuted during the mid-90s when Baron Zemo and a group of villains disguised themselves as heroes when many of Earth’s mightiest were “killed” by Onslaught. Zemo would seemingly be very much in play for the MCU team, which could already under construction with Julia Louis-Dreyfuss’ Val as the mastermind. She already has Yelena Belova and John Walker under her thumb and will be looking to add another member to her team in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

With a Summer 2023 start of filming, it’s likely that Thunderbolts could end up as part of Marvel Studios 2024 slate. The studio has unannounced films scheduled for February 16th, May 3rd, July 26th and November 8th of that year.

June 9, 2022
Naughty Dog Developing Stand-Alone ‘The Last of Us’ Multiplayer Game

It’s official, fans are getting another The Last of Us game. It just won’t be the one they thought would happen. It was announced at Summer Game Fest that Naughty Dog is hard at work developing a brand new entry in its world of the infected, only this time it won’t be a concentrated single-player story. Instead, The Last of Us franchise will see the release of it’s first full-scale, stand-alone multiplayer game. The project is being described as an “extremely ambitious undertaking,” and Naughty Dog confirmed it will be growing the studio significantly to make sure all the needed work can be accomplished.

Official Concept Art

The game, which does not yet have an official title, was created in response to the immensely positive reception of the original game’s “Factions” mode. There, players could take a break from Joel and Ellie’s story and jump into the shoes of a survivor working with either the “Fireflies” or the “Hunters.” The objective of each round was to gather supplies from around the given map to keep the chosen “faction” healthy, fighting off or working with other online users along the way. Players could choose to do this stealthily or in the form of an all-out firefight. After years of dedicated fans asking for an expansion, the developer decided it would be in their best interest to double down and produce a fully independent multiplayer game.

Not much else is known about this new entry in The Last of Us saga just yet. The project’s co-director Vinit Agarwal claimed it would be one of the studio’s “biggest efforts yet” in a post shared to Twitter. Also heading the development team are co-director Anthony Newman and narrative lead Joe Pettinati.

Source: Naughty Dog, Twitter

June 9, 2022
‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ Runtime Rumored to be Among MCU’s Longest

After Taika Waititi revitalized the Thor franchise back in 2017 with Thor: Ragnarok, hype has slowly been building around its follow-up Thor: Love and Thunder. On top of forming the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s first quadrilogy, the film is poised to become one of the most unique MCU films of all time, with Waititi describing the film as a romantic comedy.

Set to star Chris Hemsworth as Thor, God of Thunder, Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie, King of Asgard, and Waititi as Korg, the film also marks Natalie Portman’s long awaited return to the MCU as Jane Foster, who has now become the Mighty Thor. Not only that, but the film also features Christian Bale as the film’s villain, Gorr the God Butcher, and cameos from the Guardians of the Galaxy. With all of that going on, it is easy to think that the film could have a particularly long runtime and rumored runtimes have been making their way around the internet for months. Now, another one has surfaced.

According to Showcase Cinemas, Thor: Love and Thunder will clock in with a reported runtime of 2 hours and 30 minutes. If this is true, it makes the film one of the top three longest MCU movies. At 150 minutes, it would beat out the run time of Avengers: Infinity War by 1 minute, but be shorter than Eternals and Avengers: Endgame.

While a film’s runtime tends to spark curiosity as to the contents of the film, it’s worth noting that a two-and-a-half-hour-long superhero flick is no longer seen as particularly long. However, this runtime does place Thor: Love and Thunder as the longest Thor film, surpassing Thor: Ragnarok by a full 20 minutes.

Fans can feel the love – and the thunder – when Thor: Love and Thunder is released in theaters on July 8.

June 9, 2022
Gorr’s Motivation in ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ Revealed

With the release of Thor: Love and Thunder now just under a month away, more information is coming to light in terms of what to expect from the next film entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In the upcoming edition of the D23 Magazine, much was made about Christian Bale’s portrayal of the main antagonist Gorr the God Butcher. Specifically, director Taika Waititi provides insight for the villain’s character motivations.

Gorr’s backstory involves being wronged by the gods, and a lot of his motivation is getting revenge for these wrongdoings. We really wanted to explore this idea of religion, belief, and what it means to put your faith in a higher power. And because Thor is essentially a god, what does it mean for him to represent these gods.
Taika Waititi

The impression is definitely made that Waititi is moving the Thor franchise into an area filled with rich esoteric concepts that present more challenging themes. It will certainly be interesting to note how well these themes will be managed amongst the bombastic comedic style as shown in the trailer and from Thor: Ragnarok. Also in line with Phase Four presenting more nuanced takes on villains, Chris Hemsworth discussed the complexity found within Christian Bale’s performance as Gorr.

Gorr is not a straightforward villain. There’s a real complexity to him. It’s not black and white, what he’s doing. He has a truthful motivation, which I think makes for the most interesting kind of villain. You might not agree with how he’s going about it, but you understand why he’s been tipped over the edge and why he’s gone down this path. It’s a really challenging one for Thor, because the set of questions Gorr’s posing do hold some truth – but he can’t let Gorr destroy the universe in the process. That, I think, makes this a greater dynamic and not as predictable as the straightforward ‘Good Guy vs. Bad Guy’ scenario we’ve seen before.
Chris Hemsworth

Ultimately, if this interpretation of the character that Chris Hemsworth is describing lands as intended, Gorr the God Butcher has all the potential to become one of the most iconic antagonists found in the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Whether or not this is the case can be determined by yourself when Thor: Love and Thunder opens exclusively in theaters on July 8.

Source: D23 Magazine

June 9, 2022
Natalie Portman Hints at Jane Foster’s Battle with Cancer in ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’

When Natalie Portman came to Hall H at 2019’s SDCC, it was revealed that the actress would be wielding Mjolnir in her return to the MCU. Thor: Love and Thunder will adapt Jason Aaron’s acclaimed comic run that saw Jane Foster battle frost giants as the Mighty Thor while battling cancer.

While it’s been pretty clear for a while that the MCU version of Jane will also be fighting cancer, Portman has all but confirmed it in an interview with Disney’s D23 magazine. The actress explained that it was the potential to deal with the duality of The Mighty Thor that brought her back to the MCU:

What Thor doesn’t know is that Jane is secretly struggling with a terrible hardship-something she’s able to conceal so long as she’s wielding Mjölnir. Portman was intrigued by the prospect of playing someone who is as weak as she is strong, depending on her circumstance.
D23 Magazine

A trip to New Asgard in Thor: Love and Thunder (one that was captured in some leaked set photos) looks to be the impetus for Jane’s transformation into the Mighty Thor in the MCU. How her battle with cancer will work its way into the plot of the film remains to be seen, as does whether or not her character will win that battle and continue on in the MCU.

June 9, 2022