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  • Solve Everything: Analyzing John Krasinski’s Future as the MCU’s 616 Reed Richards

    Solve Everything: Analyzing John Krasinski’s Future as the MCU’s 616 Reed Richards

    One of the biggest surprises coming out of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was the inclusion of John Krasinski portraying Reed Richards in the Illuminati. Having been one of the most popular fancasts for a number of years, Marvel Studios’ latest theatrical release gave audiences a brief tease of him and his flexible action. Naturally, the next question worth asking would be ‘Is Krasinski now set to portray Reed Richards in the upcoming Fantastic Four film?’

    The Case For It

    The most obvious case for Krasinski to be portraying Reed Richards in the upcoming Fantastic Four film is that we’ve now officially seen him play the role in a Marvel Studios-produced film. As opposed to before the release of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, the idea of Krasinski playing the role is no longer simply a hypothetical based on online speculation. A factor that would lean towards this being more than a one-off cameo is Kevin Feige and company not leaning towards using an actor from a previous Marvel project in the role like the rest of the Illuminati members. Assuming one of them would’ve been available, it’s logical to think Marvel Studios would’ve made the call to one of the previous actors that portrayed Mister Fantastic in Miles Teller or especially Ioan Gruffudd. 

    As well, it certainly isn’t unprecedented for the Marvel Cinematic Universe to use a different film as a backdoor introduction for a future lead character. This method dates all the way back to the introduction of Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow during the events of Iron Man 2 and was used to introduce some of the most popular characters in the MCU with Spider-Man and Black Panther in Captain America: Civil War. Having that be the way Reed Richards was officially introduced wouldn’t be completely out of the ordinary. And with that, using a multiversal Variant to introduce audiences to the character would be an interesting subversion of this MCU trope. It’d let Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness serve as an introduction point for Mister Fantastic while letting whatever creative direction for the character is being planned remain unfettered by his portrayal in the May 2022 blockbuster. Hypothetically speaking, you could easily reintroduce Krasinski in any upcoming film as a normal Reed Richards and that would alert fans to the imminent arrival of the Marvel Studios’ take on the First Family.

    And of course, the recent news about the end of the Krasinski-led Jack Ryan series after this upcoming season of production has further expedited conversations on if the actor will be playing Reed Richards. It’s definitely worth having the conversation with Krasinski in theory having what was previously a major part of his schedule cleared up.

    The Case Against It

    And yet, it can’t be said with 100% certainty that John Krasinski will have the time in his calendar to make a long-term commitment to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Immediately production wraps on Jack Ryan’s fourth season, Krasinski will begin work on Imaginary Friends for Paramount Pictures. This is a film that he wrote, is directing, and will be co-starring in alongside Ryan Reynolds and Steve Carell (meaning a lot of his energy will be focused on this project). And following that, there remains A Quiet Place – Part III which would seemingly enter production not too far after Krasinki wraps on his previous film. While his involvement or role in the third film of this franchise isn’t announced, one would think that he would have at least some significant role in the production based on his large involvement in the previous two entries (alongside being the one to officially announce the film at CinemaCon this year). With rumors circulating of a potential 2023 production start date, this could certainly cause major scheduling issues for a potential involvement in the Fantastic Four film.

    Additionally, the argument can be made that Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness would’ve provided John Krasinski some slightly more substantial material while part of The Illuminati if the had future plans for him. If he was going to portray Reed Richards in the upcoming Fantastic Four film, one would think Marvel Studios and the team behind the film would give a more concrete characterization of Reed Richards in the film for audiences to latch onto beyond passing references to his lore. And while the argument of why him NOT being a previously used actor in a Marvel project makes him stand out from the rest of the Illuminati, him solely portraying the character in a one-off nod to the online community is certainly well within the realm of possibility as the rest of the team don’t seem like locks to return in meaningful roles anytime soon. On that subject, there’s not much merit in the idea that it’s a cut and dry case that John Krasinski is playing Reed Richards solely because he was used as a multiversal Variant. The same logic can be applied to Patrick Stewart’s role as a fellow Illuminati member. Is that supposed to serve as an indicator that he will be the main universe portrayal of Charles Xavier in the MCU? Absolutely not. The first season of Loki clearly established the idea that there can be different faces for different Variants.

    The Verdict

    While it may not be the most exciting answer, it’s too soon to make a declarative answer on whether or not John Krasinski is playing Reed Richards in the upcoming Fantastic Four film. And it will continue to be the case until we get some more conclusive evidence on what the actor-director’s schedule will look like in the future (namely how involved he is with the third installment of the Quiet Place franchise). If I had to make a personal guess, I truly think we’ve met the main MCU version of Reed Richards with John Krasinski. At the end of the day, deals can be made and scheduling conflicts can be resolved, especially when it comes to being involved in what is bound to become one of Marvel Studios’ flagship franchises. As well, it’s never really been the nature of Marvel Studios to do this type of one-off cameo for an actor/character solely predicated from online discourse. Ultimately though, it now remains a waiting game to hopefully get an official announcement at an event such as San Diego Comic Con 2022 for further news about the direction being take with the Fantastic Four.

  • May Calamawy on Her Dream MCU Team-Up

    May Calamawy on Her Dream MCU Team-Up

    With the final episode of Moon Knight, May Calamawy‘s Layla El-Faouly became the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s first Egyptian superhero: Scarlet Scarab. Since the character’s debut, fans have been wondering what future awaits the Scarlet Scarab, and whether or not we’ll get to see her sooner rather than later. Unfortunately, it remains to be seen what plans Marvel Studios has in store for the character, but Calamawy has some ideas of where she’d like to take the character.

    In an interview with Inverse, the actress revealed that, while she has yet to hear of the character’s on-screen future, she has ideas of characters she’d like her to meet. “I love Dr. Strange, that would be cool,” she said. “Blade would be cool because I’ve worked with Mahershala Ali and I think he’s so wonderful. And then, I love all the women. I love Agatha. I feel like in the beginning, I used to love anyone that was kind of a villain like Nebula. I found them so complex. But honestly, it really depends on the story. I kind of want to be with all of them.”

    For Calamawy, while she doesn’t know if Layla will get to join any of those heroes on the big screen, she is thrilled just to be able to portray the Egyptian hero. While she knows the hero might not be as important to everyone, Calamawy hopes fans can at least recognize what Layla stands for. “To really step into what’s true for me has taken a lot of courage. And, I know not everyone is going to look at Layla and go, I relate to that woman, but what I hope is that she becomes a testament of being true to you. Because that’s going to always be every single person’s superpower.”

    All episodes of Moon Knight are now streaming on Disney+.

    Source: Inverse.

  • The Morning After Huddle: May 10, 2022 Edition

    The Morning After Huddle: May 10, 2022 Edition

    This morning after huddle is brought to you by yours truly, as I pinch hit for the real Megatron, Meg Hall. The news is really schedule-focused, as we are barreling towards the complete NFL schedule release on Saturday. Let’s dive right in, unlike Cam Newton on the fumble in the Super Bowl versus Denver.

    • The NFL announced that the Super Bowl champion Rams and Russell Wilson’s Denver Broncos will headline the Christmas Day slate. A matchup this late in the season should have playoff implications for both teams, and you get a marquee QB matchup with star power on both sides.
    • Speaking of the Rams, they lost some RB depth yesterday. Ian Rapaport reported that Sony Michel has joined Mike McDaniel’s Miami Dolphins, where he will presumably back up free agent addition Chase Edmonds. Michel is coming off a season where he rushed for 845 yards and 4 TDs filling in for Cam Akers.
    • Speaking of the schedule, the NFL also announced their week 2 Monday Night Football doubleheader: they will open with Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills will take on the great mentor that is Ryan Tannehill and the Tennessee Titans, and it will be followed by Kirk Cousins and the Vikings taking on an Eagles team who had one of the better drafts.
    • Now that the NFL Draft is in the clear, teams have started to finalize cuts that were rumored all offseason. One such cut is CB James Bradberry, who was one of Dave Gettleman’s expensive signings as General Manager of the New York Giants. The Giants released him yesterday, saving $10.1M (leaving a dead money hit of $11.7M, yikes!) and thus being able to sign their rookies. The Giants will enter training camp, barring any additional moves, with Adoree Jackson as their best cornerback in a system that relies heavily on corners being left on an island.
    • Lastly, Aidan Hutchinson has agreed to his rookie deal with the Detroit Lions. Due to the rookie scale, we’ve seen less holdouts than in years past, with a majority of them coming from offset language. It’s a great look for the Lions, still building their identity, to get their top pick signed and ready for camp.

    That does it for today’s edition. Check back tomorrow for the latest in NFL news.

  • London Thor, More Join Cast of ‘The Boys’ Spin-off

    London Thor, More Join Cast of ‘The Boys’ Spin-off

    In the time since the the first spin-off for The Boys was announced, a second, animated anthology spin-off, Diabolical, was put into production and released, featuring an all-star team of talent. The original spin-off is still forthcoming, but creative issues have slowed down its arrival, including the studio moving on from original showrunner Craig Rosenberg, and replacing him with Tara Butters and Michele Fazekas.

    Along with the exit of Rosenberg, the project saw a few previously announced actors who were attached to the project depart. Some left due to scheduling issues while others had their roles completely reworked and just didn’t fit the type any longer. Reina Hardesty was one of the most recent departures, choosing to move on after her role was reworked. Deadline has announced that London Thor will be replacing Reina as one of the leads in the spin-off.

    In addition to Thor, Derek Luh, Asa Germann, and Shelly Conn are also joining the project as series regulars. As of right now Jaz Sinclair, Lizze Broadway and Maddie Phillips remain attached as initially announced members of the cast.

    The casting news means the series is getting closer to heading into production, but at the moment there’s still no timeframe for its release. Fortunately, the third season of The Boys is set to hit Amazon Prime with a three-episode premiere on June 8th.

    SOURCE: Deadline

  • ‘Never Let Me Go’ to Receive Television Adaptation

    ‘Never Let Me Go’ to Receive Television Adaptation

    Never Let Me Go is heading to the small screen.

    The critically acclaimed novel by Kazuo Ishiguro, Never Let Me Go, is being developed as a series for FX. This will mark the second adaptation of the novel following the 2010 film starring Carey Mulligan, Keira Knightley and Andrew Garfield. The FX series is being developed by The Nevers writer Melissa Iqbal.

    Never Let Me Go tells the story of Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy, students at the exclusive Hailsham boarding school in the English countryside. As these characters move into adulthood, they come to know the reality they’ve known all of their lives is a lie. They’ve been told they’re special for their entire lives, and when they finally come to understand why, it reshapes them and their time together.

    The film version of Never Let Me Go wasn’t a box office hit. It only earned $9.9 million on a $15 million budget. It was directed by Mark Romanek from a screenplay by Alex Garland. Interestingly enough, DNA Films and Fox Searchlight, both of which were behind the feature film, will produce the television series.

    As it stands, no cast is attached to the project.

    Source: Deadline.

  • F. Murray Abraham on Khonshu and ‘Moon Knight’

    F. Murray Abraham on Khonshu and ‘Moon Knight’

    While Oscar Isaac is the star of Marvel Studios’ Moon Knight, there’s no denying how well F. Murray Abraham does at injecting life into the god Khonshu. In a brand new interview with Marvel, the Academy Award-winning actor discusses what it was like to bring the character to life and how he became involved with the project. Per Abraham, he was approached by Marvel Studios directly to voice the character, which was a pleasant surprise for the legendary actor.

    “They approached me, they called me. I don’t know how they got around to it, but I was delighted because I thought it was fun.” Abraham went on to explain what caused him to ultimately take the role, noting he loved the surprises it offered. “The idea that these creatures that keep appearing out of mythology seem absolutely plausible. I think that’s part of the magic of the piece. It’s all vaguely possible. Going to Egypt and going to the tombs and to the pyramids, it makes it kind of a reality, I think. What do you think?”

    The actor, who came onto the project late, also revealed Marvel hadn’t told him much about the character when he was approached. Instead, the studio opted to show him some of what they’d done already and asked if he’d be able to come up with a voice for the character of Khonshu. “It’s an outrageous character as far as I’m concerned. I hate to say this, because, well, it’s an actor’s ego, but I think he’s just one of the very loveliest characters in the whole piece.”

    For the actor, the most exciting part of it all was that he got to play around with the voicework. He was able to provide feedback and rerecord if they felt there was a better way to approach some of the lines. It was an overall very collaborative process that he was glad to be a part of.

    While a second season hasn’t been announced, Abraham is more than ready to return to the character should more seasons occur. For him, he views Moon Knight – and super heroes – as a glimmer of hope in an often less than hopeful world. “In this poor old world that we’re living in, finally there are truly Super Heroes. To use that old expression in other, modern terms, these Super Heroes really are trying to accomplish good. That’s so important. I can’t tell you how important that is. It makes things a little more hopeful. And we could surely use some hope these days, don’t you think?”

    All six episodes of Moon Knight are now streaming on Disney+.

    Source: Marvel.

  • Michael Waldron Confirms Tom Cruise Was Never in ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’

    Michael Waldron Confirms Tom Cruise Was Never in ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’

    Ever since Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was announced, rumors have run rampant about a variety of possible cameos in the movie. The biggest name attached to the film at any point was megastar Tom Cruise, who was heavily rumored to appear as an alternate version of Tony Stark in a sequence involving the multiversal Illuminati. Whispers about Cruise started after the internet revived the fact the actor was originally slated to play Iron Man in the 2008 Marvel Studios film, before Robert Downey Jr. was eventually cast in the role. However, the movie’s writer Michael Waldron revealed in a recent interview with Rolling Stone that, while the idea of exploring this other timeline did come up, the Top Gun lead never actually the filmed anything for the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

    Yeah, that was totally made up. I mean, there’s no cut footage of Tom Cruise!  But I love Tom Cruise, and I said to [Marvel Studios president] Kevin [Feige]  at one point, I was like, Could we get Tom Cruise’s Iron Man? I remember reading about that in Ain’t It Cool News back in the day, that Tom Cruise was going to be Iron Man… As it was being talked about online, I was like, Yeah, that’d be cool!

    Michael Waldron

    When pressed to reveal if Cruise had even been contacted about the opportunity, Waldron explained that the actor was already busy working on other projects:

    Well, I mean, he was shooting Mission Impossible 7 and 8… I don’t believe so. I just don’t think it was ever an option, because of availability.

    Michael Waldron

    While sort of anticlimactic, these quotes should put to rest any speculation that Cruise was cut from the film’s final product. Luckily, there are plenty of exciting surprises that did make the movie, and you can see them for yourself in theaters now.

    Source: Rolling Stone

  • John Krasinski-led ‘Jack Ryan’ Series to End With Season 4, Spinoff in Development

    John Krasinski-led ‘Jack Ryan’ Series to End With Season 4, Spinoff in Development

    Here’s a surprise, it looks like the popular adaptation of Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan will come to an end with its fourth season on Amazon Prime. John Krasinski was leading the series and also is an executive producer role, as he continues work on the final season that is currently being filmed. While it will end the series that Paramount TV Studios, Skydance TV, and Amazon Studios have been working on for a while, they are currently already eyeing a spinoff series.

    It seems that the character of Domingo “Ding” Chavez, who will be played by Michael Peña, will get his own series to further continue the Tom Clancy franchise. He’ll be introduced in the season finale of Season 3 and become a full-time cast member in its final season. It seems that these won’t release for some time and it is the reason that the third season hasn’t received a release date just yet. According to Deadline, it seems that we shouldn’t expect a new season by 2023.

    The interesting surprise comes from the fact that Krasinski has seemingly signed on for four seasons from the get-go. So, they may have mapped out this upcoming season as its end for some time now. There have been many Jack Ryan’s in the past, who was played by Chris Pine, Ben Affleck, Harrison Ford, and Alec Baldwin. While it was a big role to step in, Krasinski also took on a bigger role throughout his work on the series, as he also took on a showrunner-esque role in the latter seasons. For now, we can only continue to wait for more details as they continue to work on the series.

    Source: Deadline

  • REPORT ‘Daredevil’ & Co. May be Heading to Disney+ Brazil in June

    REPORT ‘Daredevil’ & Co. May be Heading to Disney+ Brazil in June

    While being surprised that the Marvel Netflix series wasn’t seeing an international release, they are slowly starting to roll them out in other countries. While there’s no official reveal on the official Twitter account, a Twitter user by the name of @almanaquedisney has shared a familiar visual to those that were hyped when the Marvel Netflix series were making their way to Disney+ stateside.

    According to them, Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, and the rest of the Defenders will make their way to Disney+ Brazil on June 29th. They will also come with the same parental controls as the United States got with their initial release. There is currently still no word if it’ll also find its way to European countries around the same time, as there was a statement from the Netherlands that hinted at a June release. So, we might see a similar release date. The release has not yet been officially released on the official Twitter page and may have only been shared through a newsletter.

    Here’s hoping an official statement drops soon, but the June release is motivating that the series will be made available for all Disney+ subscribers at some point. It’s still surprising that there has been a delay with an international release, especially as those countries with the Star branding already have a function age restriction service built-in. So, we’ll see if more countries get the announcement in the coming weeks.

    Source: Twitter

  • Elizabeth Olsen’s Wanda Won’t Appear in Agatha’s ‘WandaVision’ Spinoff

    Elizabeth Olsen’s Wanda Won’t Appear in Agatha’s ‘WandaVision’ Spinoff

    WandaVision may have set up Scarlet Witch’s storyline going into Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, but it also set up a new spinoff focused on Kathryn Hahn‘s Agatha Harkness. The fittingly titled Agatha: House of Harkness will continue the storyline of the now-trapped Agatha, who is still stuck living in Westview. It made us wonder if we might expect a return of Elizabeth Olsen to that series, but she swiftly debunked it in an interview with Good Morning America.

    I mean, I would do anything with Hahn, yeah. No, I’m not appearing in it, not as far as I’m aware, but I love that woman so much. That entire show was just filled with lots of joy, it was great.

    Elizabeth Olsen

    While it’s a shame they won’t build upon their relationship from the previous entry, given how Multiverse of Madness ends it does seem unlikely she might show up in that series. Of course, it’s also great to use this as a way to further explore Agatha as a character on her own terms rather than just continue their relationship as the basis of her entire character dynamic. Even the Echo spinoff is fully moving away from Hawkeye even if that’s the series she was introduced in. So, we’ll see just what the future has in store for Agatha moving forward.

    Source: YouTube via The Direct