As the next installment to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, all eyes are on the Disney+ series Ms. Marvel. Iman Vellani stars as Kamala Khan, whose admiration of Captain Marvel leads her to don the Ms. Marvel mantle after she discovers she has mysterious abilities. Khan is primed to be a major heroic force for the future of the MCU, so it will be interesting to watch the growth of a superhero who came of age admiring them herself.
Vellani herself is a well-known MCU superfan, and apparently, Iron Man is her go-to comfort film. Considering the 2008 film began the MCU, her love of it is fitting for both her and Kamala Khan. The actress explained:
The first thing I did when I got cast was watch Iron Man again. It’s like my comfort movie. Any big milestone we would hit in the show, whether it was filming the scene where Kamala gets her costume or her powers, I would watch Iron Man. “It was my reminder that this character exists in the same universe as Tony Stark, which was just the coolest thing in the world for me.
Iman Vellani
It turns out that that love made its way into Ms. Marvel in the form of references to the late Tony Stark and Iron Man easter eggs. In a world full of Stark fans and those grateful for his sacrifice to defeat Thanos, it makes perfect sense. Apparently, though, there got to be too many references for Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige to agree to. According to the actress, Feige stepped in to limit the number of references to Iron Man eventually:
I’m a huge, huge Iron Man fan. I know Kamala is more Captain Marvel, but I was very much asking for more Iron Man references in there. Like, ‘I think she needs an Iron Man action figure, more Iron Man.’ There was a point where we got to too much Iron Man, that was the note from Kevin!
Iman Vellani
Even though Tony Stark is dead and gone, fans still can’t get enough of him. But Feige had plenty of reasons to limit the easter eggs, including to possibly avoid the possibility that some viewers would accuse Marvel Studios of making a younger hero an Iron Man mini-me, like the “Iron Boy Jr.” nickname for Tom Holland’s Spider-Man.
Ms. Marvel first premieres on Disney+ on June 8, 2022.
Seth MacFarlane is seemingly reviving his popular Ted franchise, as a new series is heading to Peacock. MacFarlane is going to write, direct, and co-showrun all episodes of the series and is working with Modern Family‘s Paul Corrigan and Brad Walsh on the series. They will also executive produce and co-showrun. The series has now finalized its cast with Euphoria’s Allanna Ubach joining the production.
She will be playing a “kind, selfless, and almost pathologically sweet” character known as Susan Bennett. A character that sees the world through rose-colored glasses will surely collide with the outspoken teddy bear, Ted. Of course, MacFarlane is also returning to voice the titular character. Scott Grimes, George Whigham, and Max Burkholder round out the cast.
The series will release on Peacock and has been long in development. The first film in the series was released ten years ago in 2012 with only one sequel hitting theaters in 2015. We haven’t heard much about the production in some time, but with the cast finalized, they may start production sooner rather than later. So, everyone whose been hoping for more Ted is in luck as the Peacock series is moving forward in full steam.
Thor: Love and Thunder is the next Marvel Studios film in line to release with only around two more months to go. It became infamous for having the latest release of a trailer, but it left quite an impact as Thor is trying to wrestle with a mid-life crisis and Jane Foster returns wielding a restored Mjolnir. While we’re still waiting for a first official look at Gorr the God Butcher, it seems we’ll get a chance rather soon.
According to Daniel Richtman‘s official Patreon page, we’ll likely get a trailer on Monday, May 23rd. There is mention that we’ll know for sure if a teaser drops tomorrow to tease the next entry. Of course, there’s no mention of what exactly will be included but the second trailer commonly gives a bigger hint at what the main plotline will be for a movie. It’s unclear if they want to keep Christian Bale‘s Gorr a secret, ignoring the merch leaks, until the film’s release.
There’s been a lot of discourse on just how big the budget is for Netflix’s attempt at bringing One Piece into live-action. It’s not a cheap undertaking, especially when one considers the leaked set photos teasing towns and even entire boats replicated for the sake of production. Luckily, Richard Bridgland, the production designer on One Piece, has revealed that their project is on par with what Marvel Studios is producing.
We know he’s working on One Piece, as he’s highlighted as the Production Designer of “Project Panda,” which was the name we first heard just as the production was preparing a while before cameras started rolling. @dogy_logy shared a clip from the presentation on Twitter, which included the statement regarding the budget reveal.
On a big film, the main unit crew will cost anywhere between 180 thousand to 250K thousand a day. And we’re talking about a big Marvel movie, the production I am working on at the moment. If they get held up a half an hour, you can calculate that cost.
There have been many discussions on just how much money Netflix is investing in this project, and knowing that it’s following the production budget of a Marvel production, which goes up to the $200M, it’s quite something up. The challenge will be that they keep these budgets going for future entries, especially as future seasons may get even crazier with their budgets, and with Netflix’s current situation, here’s hoping they keep that investment alive for many future seasons.
So, there has been a lot of discussion surrounding She-Hulk‘s VFX in the first trailer released for the Disney+ series. While there are still a few more months to go before it releases, future trailer releases will build more confidence by highlighting how far work has come with the VFX model. Still, VFX artist Sean Ruecroft has taken to Twitter to point out that the model was originally going to be “bigger” at one point in reference to a comment saying she isn’t “buff.”
The Visual Effects artist has recently worked on Moon Knight as a visualization artist and was also involved with other Marvel productions that include Avengers: Infinity War and Spider-Man: Homecoming in the previs department. So, he may actively have worked with those that are in the team working on the character design. Though it should be noted that the design seemingly was something discussed earlier on.
While it’s not uncommon that the team’s get involved with their vision of what the character should look like, the Sonic comparison is a rather curious one. Sonic the Hedgehog infamously featured a model that was nowhere close to what we’d see in the final product; it even recently made a reappearance as “Ugly Sonic” in the new Rescue Rangers film. Yet, in this case, it’s more about the character being slimmer rather than an actual bad design.
Now, the question remains if the issue from the VFX artists is in regard to the character model not working if it’s slimmed down when an Uncanny Valley effect takes over, or if it truly was just them wanting the character to be bigger. If it’s the latter, then the reasoning for her slimmer design is mostly due to the comic inspiration for this storyline. One could argue this is nowhere close to what we’ve seen with Sonic, as this is not a bad model just something directly inspired by Dan Slot‘s run with the character from 2004 to 2005.
The VFX teams are under a lot of pressure, as the market has suffered severely due to COVID,and many productions, such as some bits of Moon Knight, are still feeling its repercussions. Given that Disney+ is heading to an ad-supported model and the company wants to show off what big project shows they currently have in development, it may have also played a key part in the release of a trailer even with some unfinished VFX. The inclusion of Secret Invasions during the event seems to further hint at them having to tease the future of Disney+, but that is just speculation.
Over the past week, Marvel has released their monthly solicitations for their August 2022 comics. Here’s a brief look at what books have me most excited and are sure to end up on my pull list, if they’re not already there:
A.X.E.: DEATH TO THE MUTANTS #2 (OF 3) KIERON GILLEN (W) • GUIU VILANOVA (A) • Cover by Esad Ribić
Kieron Gillen has been absolutely knocking it out of the park at Marvel, with his runs on Uncanny X-Men, Young Avengers, and more recently, Eternals. I’m a bit late to the Kieron Gillen hype-train, but ever since reading his inventive run on the Eternals, Gillen has become a favorite. If Gillen writes it, it’s a must read. Aside from Gillen’s involvement, and Guiu Vilanova’s stunning artwork, what intrigues me the most about A.X.E.: Death to the Mutants #2 is the pairing up of Cyclops and Kro: a team-up you never knew you needed until now.
IMMORTAL X-MEN #6 KIERON GILLEN (W) • MICHELE BANDINI (A) Cover by MARK BROOKS
I couldn’t choose just one Gillen written solicit, now could I! Beginning back in March, Gillen’s Immortal X-Men run has since become my favorite mutant-related book currently running, and my main source of hype for Marvel’s upcoming “Judgement Day” event. Gillen has crafted a plethora of characters that are both complicated AND relatable; what more could you want from a mutant series! Marvel, here’s a little word of advice: just give Kieron control over everything pertaining to mutants.
DAMAGE CONTROL #1 (OF 5) ADAM F. GOLDBERG, HANS RODIONOFF & CHARLOTTE FULLERTON (W) WILL ROBSON & JAY FOSGITT (A) • COVER BY CARLOS PACHECO
Variant Cover by WILL ROBSON FROM THE CREATOR OF TV’S THE GOLDBERGS! Marvel’s Unsung Heroes finally get sung! After the mega-powered battles and Hulk-level catastrophes, Damage Control is always there to clean up the mess and get things back to normal. But Damage Control is much more than just a glorified cleanup crew, and this new series will pull back the curtain and reveal the secret inner workings that were previously only available to people with Clearance Level Eight. And we’ll witness it all through the eyes of Gus: a fresh-faced, eager newcomer to the company who has no idea how chaotic his life is about to become. ADAM F. GOLDBERG (TV’s The Goldbergs) and HANS RODIONOFF team up with WILL ROBSON to take you into the secret labyrinth of Damage Control, where it’s totally common to run into familiar faces like Moon Knight! Nightcrawler! She-Hulk! And more! Plus: A second story by DAMAGE CONTROL creator Dwayne McDuffie’s McSpouse, Charlotte Fullerton, as the Damage Control crew must clean up after the Infinity Gauntlet! 40 PGS./Rated T+ …$4.99
A group of individuals that have to deal with the aftermath of superhero-related disasters will always be an idea with unlimited potential in the Marvel Universe. This new Damage Control series seems like an interesting way to explore dynamics between different characters that wouldn’t necessarily interact under normal circumstances. The possibilities are endless. Knowing that Marvel loves its corporate synergy, and with the return of Damage Control in the MCU with Spider-Man: No Way Home, and seemingly Ms. Marvel, could a Damage Control show á la “The Office” possibly be in our future? Well, with an obvious choice like Adam F. Goldberg to helm the project, it seems like a no-brainer – but only time will tell.
DAREDEVIL #3 CHIP ZDARSKY (W) • RAFAEL DE LATORRE (A) • Cover by MARCO CHECCHETTO
Variant Cover by ALEX MALEEV • PROMO VARIANT COVER BY PAULO SIQUEIRA DAREDEVIL SAVES THE WORLD! With more ambitious and aggressive goals than ever before, DAREDEVIL has started putting together a team — but not everyone wants to be a part of Matt Murdock and Elektra Natchios’ vision of the future. As Matt and Elektra grow increasingly distant from the super hero community and closer to one another, DAREDEVIL will once again be at odds with heroes and villains alike… 32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99
After concluding his acclaimed Daredevil run with the Devil’s Reign event, Chip Zdarsky’s new run on the Man Without Fear looks to explore the ramifications of this event of the Marvel Universe. With the world believing him to be dead, Matt Murdock is able to focus completely on being Daredevil, and, along with Elektra Natchios, is assembling a team to defeat the Hand for good. What’s exciting about the 3rd issue of Zdarsky’s new series is the prospect of bringing some of Marvel’s most underused street level heroes into the spotlight as members of Daredevil’s new team. And with the Punisher now leading the Hand, Daredevil and Elektra will certainly need all the help they can get.
EDGE OF THE SPIDER-VERSE #3 (OF 5) DAN SLOTT AND MORE! (W) • MARK BAGLEY AND MORE! (A) Cover by JOSEMARIA CASANOVAS • Variant Cover by KRIS ANKA
Design Variant Cover by KRIS ANKA IN THIS ISSUE! SPIDER-MAN: INDIA! AND NIGHT-SPIDER! Wait, WHO IS NIGHT-SPIDER?! 48 PGS./Rated T+ …$4.99
Dan Slott’s greatest contribution to Marvel Comics is the Spider-Verse, of which Spider-Gwen was the breakout character. Spider-Verse and Dan Slott fans everywhere can now rejoice, because Slott is returning to the Spider-Verse with a new Edge Of The Spider-Verse series (which is where Gwen Stacy original appeared as Spider-Woman). Edge of the Spider-Verse #1 or #2 – which tease the return of Spider-Gwen, Peni Parker, Araña, and Spider-Man Noir, as well as a new female Spider-Man UK (Spider-Woman UK, if you will) – could easily be on this list in place of Edge of the Spider-Verse #3. However, #3 stands out as it teases a potential breakout star: Night Spider, a.k.a. Felicia freakin’ Hardy.
AMAZING FANTASY #1000 NEIL GAIMAN, ARMANDO IANNUCCI, JONATHAN HICKMAN, DAN SLOTT, HO CHE ANDERSON, KURT BUSIEK, ANTHONY FALCONE, RAINBOW ROWELL AND MORE! (W) JIM CHEUNG, OLIVIER COIPEL, MICHAEL CHO, GORAN PARLOV AND MORE! (A) Cover by JOHN ROMITA JR.
WRAPAROUND VARIANT COVER BY JOE QUESADA VARIANT COVER BY J. SCOTT CAMPBELL VIRGIN VARIANT COVER BY J. SCOTT CAMPBELL RETRO VARIANT COVER BY J. SCOTT CAMPBELL VARIANT COVER BY STEVE MCNIVEN VARIANT COVER BY TAURIN CLARKE VARIANT COVER BY PEACH MOMOKO The comic that brought you SPIDER-MAN hits issue #1000! We’re going big to celebrate in this, our thousandth issue of AMAZING FANTASY! An ALL-STAR roster of creators are coming together to celebrate Peter Parker and Spider-Man’s birthdays! 72 PGS./ONE-SHOT/Rated T …$7.99
New Spider-Man stories by Neil Gaiman, Armando Iannucci, Jonathan Hickman, Dan Slott, Ho Che Anderson, Kurt Busiek, Anothony Falcone, Rainbow Rowell, etc (WHO ISN’T A PART OF THIS?!?)!?! Just inject this into my veins right now!!!
This is just a glimpse of what’s available out there and just scratches the surface of what I’ll be ordering for the month of August.
The news comes courtesy of Deadline with the outlet revealing the streaming service has put the AfterShock comic into early development. A Calculated Man is a crime story from Paul Tobin (Bunny Mask) and artist Alberto Albuquerque (The Amazing Spider-Man). It follows Jack Beans, an accountant that finds himself living in witness protection after betraying his former employers – the Pinafore crime family. Growing tired of his life in witness protection, Jack tries to reclaim his old life in a story that promises murder, mayhem and mathematics.
Peter Calloway, who is a co-executive producer on the series, will serve as showrunner. He previously worked on Freeform’s Cloak & Dagger based on the Marvel Comics characters as well as FX’s Legion adaptation. Calloway will also write on the project. He also has a relationship with AfterShock Media having previously worked with them on the title Shadow Doctor.
It’s not often that a story grabs you by the throat and heart at the same time. A Calculated Man did just that. The moment I read Paul and Alberto’s beautifully bonkers book, I was excited to bring it to the screen. Doing it at Hulu — with their commitment to unflinching, unique stories — is a dream come true.
Peter Calloway
A Calculated Man’s first issue will debut on June 15th. The project is still in the very early stages of development at Hulu.
The news comes courtesy of Deadline, with the outlet reporting that Campbell will join the series as Robin in a recurring role. She joins the previously announced Anthony Mackie, StephanieBeatriz and Thomas Haden Church.
Twisted Metal hails from Michael Jonathan Smith (Cobra Kai), who serves as the showrunner for the Peacock original. It is based on an original take by Deadpool writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick. The series focuses on a motor-mouthed outsider (Mackie) who is offered a chance at a better life if he can successfully deliver a mysterious package across a post-apocalyptic wasteland. With the help of a trigger-happy car thief (Beatriz), he’ll face savage marauders driving vehicles of destruction and other dangers of the open road, including a deranged clown who drives an all too familiar ice cream truck.
The Passage director Kitao Sakurai will helm multiple episodes of Twisted Metal.
The series, which is being developed for Peacock, is based on the highly popular video game franchise of the same name. Twisted Metal is being produced by Sony Pictures Television, PlayStation Productions, and Universal Television. Also producing the title are Sakurai, Reese, Wernick, Will Arnett, and Marc Forman via their Electric Avenue production company, Jason Spire of Inspire Entertainment, Peter Principato of Artists First, Asad Qizilbash, and Carter Swan from PlayStation Productions, Hermen Hulst, Head of PlayStation Studios. Smith and Mackie also serve as executive producers.
Along with having recently returned for Scream 5, Campbell is coming off of Netflix’s adaptation of the Lincoln Lawyer. And while it has yet to be confirmed, the actress is expected to return for Scream 6.
If you’ve been wondering if Ghostbusters: Afterlife is the last entry in the franchise, you don’t have to worry any longer. In an interview with Deadline, Sony Chairman Tom Rothman discussed the future of their focus on keeping theatrical releases alive with their entries. He highlights that they’ve produced a good number of original productions that aren’t sequels or caped-focused while also confirming that more entries in the Ghostbusters franchise are in development.
He didn’t go into any detail or reveal if this will see a single sequel, or even a build-up into a larger franchise. In a world where many well-known IPs try to build their own cinematic universes, it’s not uncommon to assume that is the approach going in. Ghostbusters has many untapped stories to explore, especially with its surprising history as with only two films in its filmography. The franchise found a second life in a variety of animated series and even video games.
While the female-centric Ghostbusters film didn’t quite pick up, Afterlife gave the franchise an extra jolt of energy and is potentially going to set up a new generation of Ghostbusters to carry on the torch. We’ll see if we get some kind of announcement in the coming months and if some of the creative team, as well as the cast might return as well. Still, it’s great to know that there will still be someone to call.
In the whirlwind aftermath of Will Smith’s infamous slap of Chris Rock during the 2022 Academy Awards, news started to circulate that numerous projects the actor was attached to would be put on hold due to his conduct. One of the most prominent rumors was pausing one of Smith’s most iconic franchises in Bad Boys. However, these rumors have been squashed in an interview with Sony Chairman Tom Rothman. In it, he discussed the project is still in early development stages and that nothing has been canceled.
No. That was inaccurate. That movie’s been in development and still is. There weren’t any brakes to pump because the car wasn’t moving.
Tom Rothman
In addition, Rothman discussed his relationship with Will Smith as someone who’s worked closely with him throughout their careers. As well, he provides his two cents on the infamous incident.
That was a very unfortunate thing that happened, and I don’t think it’s really my place to comment, except to say that I’ve known Will Smith for many years, and I know him to be a good person. That was an example of a very good person having a very bad moment, in front of the world. I believe his apology and regret is genuine, and I believe in forgiveness and redemption.
Tom Rothman
A sense of forgiveness from Tom Rothman could end up being a good omen for the potential future of Will Smith’s acting career. There have been rising doubts on if any major Hollywood production would want to involve the A-lister due to him quickly becoming a controversial figure. While it’s a whole other conversation as to whether or not that would be a fair response to this moment, especially in relation to leniency given to other controversial entities in the industry, those rumors may end up being much ado about nothing. With the chairman of Sony being openly willing to work with him, it could be fair to assume that Smith will gradually be brought back into the fold of major Hollywood films.
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