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  • Marvel Studios ‘Vision’ Is Shaping Up to Be a Weird One in All the Best Ways

    Marvel Studios ‘Vision’ Is Shaping Up to Be a Weird One in All the Best Ways

    Somewhere in the Multiverse, Jac Schaeffer‘s Vision Quest is streaming on Disney Plus…and it’s probably very good. Confirmed to be in development in 2022, Schaeffer‘s series would have followed Vision on his path to regaining his memories and humanity. Schaeffer’s vision won’t shape the next chapter in Vision’s story, however.

    In May 2024, Schaeffer suddenly left the project, turning it over to Star Trek: Picard showrunner Terry Matalas. With production on the series set to get underway in the UK very soon, little is known about Matalas‘ overhaul but the recently revealed addition of a pair of directors points toward the series skewing toward being one of the studio’s weirdest projects yet.

    As seen on the resume of the series’ Director of Photography, Christopher Ross, directors Christopher J. Byrne and Vincenzo Natali will be joining Matalas behind the camera, each helming an unknown number of episodes.

    Like Matalas, Byrne is a Star Trek alum, having worked as director or assistant director on five episodes of Star Trek: Discovery and one episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. Byrne also worked with Matalas on SyFy’s 12 Monkeys, mostly as an assistant director for 33 episodes and directing one. Clearly the time spent together on 12 Monkeys left and impression on Matalas and it could inform some of what we might expect from Vision.

    Over it’s four seasons, 12 Monkeys grew into one of TV’s most critically praised science fiction series as it explored themes of free will and predestination, which may be of interest to the synthezoid Avenger. As pertinent as that might be, however, Byrne’s shared filmography with Natali might be just as noteworthy.

    While Natali’s work on super weird horror/sci-fi films The Cube and Splice are sure to draw attention, he also boasts an impressive TV resume, having worked on series such as Orphan Black, The Strain, Westworld and Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities. In addition to those series, Natali worked with Byrne on both American Gods and Hannibal, the latter of which, of course, made its way into nearly every Critics’ Top 10 list as TV’s best horros show in 2014 and 2015.

    Coincidentally, Natali directed six episodes over those two years while Byrne served as an assistant director on 25 episodes. Their time together on Hannibal, along with Natali‘s comfortability with horror, could point toward Vision pairing the existential crisis of its lead character with some notes of an unsettling psychological thriller (perhaps that’s Ultron’s role in it all).

    Of course, it’s impossible to know exactly what Matalas is cooking up with Vision and any inferences drawn about what might happen in it based on the previous work of Byrne and Natali aren’t worth betting on. However, if indeed Vision is going to be a little Hannibal, a little 12 Monkeys and a little Star Trek, with some American Gods sprinkled in, it’ll no doubt be most eccentric streaming series to date when it hits D+ in 2026.

    Source: Independent Talent

  • Marvel Exec Gives a Very Disappointing Update on ‘Armor Wars’

    Marvel Exec Gives a Very Disappointing Update on ‘Armor Wars’

    In late 2020, Marvel Studios announced that James Rhodes was set to lead his own series in Armor Wars. As of July 2021, presumptive Star Don Cheadle felt as though production on the project was imminent; however, 3.5 years later, not only has Armor Wars not begun filming, it doesn’t sound like it will anytime soon….if at all.

    We probably will start filming sometime next year and are just kind of cracking the story right now, deciding what’s that journey gonna look like, what’s Rhodey’s…the iteration of this going to be.

    -Dont Cheadle, July 2021

    In an interview with Marvel Studios Parliament member Nate Moore, Collider asked about the status of Armor Wars and was given a clear, if not frustrating answer.

    “As Marvel continues to go through this phase, we want to make sure whatever we’re making is awesome. So that means we had to slow down some things that were on the front burner,” said Moore. “It doesn’t mean we’ll never make it,” Moore said of Armor Wars, “but it does mean we just have to be a little bit more considered so that every time out, audiences are guaranteed quality.”

    The news doesn’t come as a complete surprise as one of the internet’s busiest bees, My Time To Shine Hello, recently shared the possibility of the film being tossed to the scrap heap. That came, of course, after Cheadle himself cast doubt on the project’s prospects saying, “I’m not sure where anything is right now. I think things are going through a lot of changes, and we’ll see what happens, we’ll see what it is.”

    So…it’s not a no but it’s definitely not a yes as every project from Marvel undergoes a lot of changes.

    Source: Collider

  • Marvel Studios Exec Ends Speculation about Plans for ‘Black Panther 3’

    Marvel Studios Exec Ends Speculation about Plans for ‘Black Panther 3’

    Since Denzel Washington revealed that Ryan Coogler was writing a part for him into Black Panther 3, reports and rumors about the film have come at a constant clip. While Kevin Feige confirmed that the project is in development and that Nate Moore will serve as a producer despite preparing to leave Marvel Studios, there’s been no other news from official sources. But that hasn’t stopped the usual suspects from sharing what they’ve heard.

    Whether it be rumors about recasting either T’Challa or T’Challa II, Washington‘s potential role or generalized statements that could later be proven true with the wave of a hand, online scoopers have had plenty to say about Black Panther 3…and according to Nate Moore, none of it is true.

    “It is, honestly, so early,” Moore told EW when asked about the online buzz. “We’ve had a couple of conversations with Ryan Coogler, our filmmaker who’s coming back, but he’s finishing up his film.“

    Moore then went out of his way to make it clear that despite the abundance of rumors circulating about Black Panther 3,  the studio has not begun work on the film and won’t be for some time.

    “We are still figuring out again exactly what [the next] Avengers is going to be, so we haven’t had any real story conversations,” Moore explained. “I know there’s been a lot of chatter online about casting and villains. None of that’s true. We just haven’t gotten there yet, to be honest, but I am very excited to start those conversations hopefully this year.”

    The truth is, there’s no truth to those rumors. Never say never to anything, we haven’t really had a lot of creative conversations with Ryan Coogler yet, because he’s finishing his film Sinners, which comes out this year. We’ll get into it later this year, but everything you read online is not true, if for no other reason than we just haven’t started.

    -Nate Moore via Comic Book

    When pressed further about the studio’s willingness to recast the role of T’Challa, Moore doubled downvon his previous claims without closing the door to the possibility. “We don’t know what the story is, so I couldn’t tell you whether or not we’re open to recasting. It certainly wasn’t our instinct for Wakanda Forever,” said Moore. “I’ll never say never to anything, but it’s too early to talk about any of that stuff. We have to figure out what the story’s going to be.”

    With Coogler still working on his script, it can be inferred from Moore‘s comments that Black Panther 3 might not be ready for theaters until after Avengers: Secret Wars. Of course, that’s not going to stop the rumors from flying but it’s good to have someone from the studio provide a little clarity on where things stand with the anticipated project.

    Source: ComicBook, EW

  • First Trailer for ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ Shows Off the Team’s Astonishing Powers

    First Trailer for ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ Shows Off the Team’s Astonishing Powers

    Six years after it was announced to be in development at SDCC ’19, Marvel Studios’ The Fantastic Four: First Steps will debut this summer. After months of rumors surrounding the cast, Marvel revealed that Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn and Ebon Moss-Bachrach were locked in to fill the roles of Reed Richards, Susan Storm, Johnny Storm and Ben Grimm, respectively. After an hour-long social media countdown that was designed in the mold of NASA’s televised launches, the first public trailer for the film put the All-Star cast on center stage with each member of Marvel’s First Family showing off their astonishing powers…with th very notable except of Mister Fantastic.

    The trailer also provides a first look at the film’s villain, Galactus, played by Ralph Ineson. It’s safe to say this take is far more comic accurate than the cosmic fart cloud seen in 2005’s Fantastic Four.

    Set against the vibrant backdrop of a 1960s-inspired, retro-futuristic world, Marvel Studios’ The Fantastic Four: First Steps introduces Marvel’s First Family—Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic (Pedro Pascal), Sue Storm/Invisible Woman (Vanessa Kirby), Johnny Storm/Human Torch (Joseph Quinn) and Ben Grimm/The Thing (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) as they face their most daunting challenge yet. Forced to balance their roles as heroes with the strength of their family bond, they must defend Earth from a ravenous space god called Galactus (Ralph Ineson) and his enigmatic Herald,Silver Surfer (Julia Garner). And if Galactus’ plan to devour the entire planet and everyone on it weren’t bad enough, it suddenly gets very personal.

    -Official Synopsis for The Fantastic: Four First Steps

    The film also stars John Malkovich as the Red Ghost, Natasha Lyonne, Paul Walter Hauser and Sarah Niles.

    The Fantastic Four: First Steps is set to debut in theaters on July 25, 2025.

  • ‘Captain America: Brave New World’ Calls Back to a Major Infinity Saga Turning Point

    ‘Captain America: Brave New World’ Calls Back to a Major Infinity Saga Turning Point

    Though the cracks started to show in 2015’s Avengers: Age of Ultron, it wasn’t until Captain America: Civil War that the Avengers disassembled. Split over the Sokovia Accords, Earth’s Mightiest Heroes fought against each other with Captain America and Iron Man taking the leads on opposing sides. Without the Avengers, Thanos’ invasion of Earth faced little opposition until it was too late. And while the heroes reunited to undo Thanos’ unimaginable attack, the Multiverse Saga remains without an assembled group of Avengers.

    Replacing the late William Hurt as Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross in Captain America: Brave New World, Harrison Ford looks to change that in a new clip from the upcoming film.

    With the events of Captain America: Civil War a perhaps a distant memory for fans (unless they’ve been working through The Ultimate List of What to Watch Before Captain America: Brave New World), the conversation between President Ross and Sam Wilson serves as a necessary reminder to fans that not all is right with the world despite the defeat of The Mad Titan.

    While it’s not expected that Sam will put together a team in the film, it’s clear that a new roster of heroes will need to be assembled soon with Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars on deck.

    Captain America: Brave New World hit theaters on February 14th.

  • Third Time’s a Charm: Marvel Studios Reportedly Considering ‘Babygirl’ Star for Major X-Men Role

    Third Time’s a Charm: Marvel Studios Reportedly Considering ‘Babygirl’ Star for Major X-Men Role

    With a script by Michael Lesslie in the works, an all-new take on Marvel’s mutant heroes, the X-Men, is just around the corner. With confirmation from the Marvel Studios Head Honcho, Kevin Feige, the “the whole story of Secret Wars really leads us into a new age of mutants and of the X-Men,” the clock is truly ticking on the arrival of the popular heroes, who could lead their own MCU film as soon as 2027.

    While there’s been no date set aside for an X-Men film just yet, Feige’s comments combined with rumblings from various insiders about potential castings have fueled hope that key members of the team may make their MCU debuts ahead of the ensemble film. Over the past two months, rumors and reports have indicated that the studio is looking to cast the roles of Kitty Pryde and Gambit and that Stranger Things star Sadie Sink has emerged as a front runner for the role of Jean Grey/Marvel Girl. Now, a new rumor from a familiar source reveals another young star who is on Marvel’s radar to play one of the X-Men’s most well-known characters.

    According to Jeff “The In” Sneider, Babygirl star Harris Dickinson is among those being a considered for the role of Scott Summers, aka Cyclops.

    Even as he shared the rumors, Sneider was careful to point out that his information should be taken with a grain of salt and that Dickinson was in no way locked into the role. In that sense, perhaps the most important take away then isn’t Dickinson’s name but rather his age and relative notoriety. While the actor is a talented up and comer, he’s hardly a household name just yet, suggesting the studio will be searching for such actors to fill out its roster of X-Men.

    Whether it’s Dickinson or another young star in the role, X-Men fans will cling to hope that the next iteration of Cyclops is not done as dirty as James Marsden and Tye Sheridan‘s versions were by Fox. Since the earliest days of the team’s comic book adventures, Cyclops has been a central and often controversial character. Here’s hoping that Lesslie‘s script draws influence from the comics and not Fox’s poor choices with the character.

    Source: The Hot Mic Podcast

  • Connecting Imaginary Dots: What If…There Were More Children of Thanos?

    Connecting Imaginary Dots: What If…There Were More Children of Thanos?

    Assembled by Thanos as he massacred half of the inhabitants of each planet he conquered, the Black Order served the Mad Titan in his efforts to collect the Infinity Stones. Also referred to as The Children of Thanos, Ebony Maw, Proxima Midnight, Corvus Glaive and Cull Obsidian appeared in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, while thier “siblings”, Gamora and Nebula, played larger roles in the Infinity Saga and beyond.

    Thanos’ children were adopted (read abducted) orphans (read trophies) from the civilizations he conquered. Given his status as one of the most feared and powerful beings in the universe, it would be foolish to believe that he only conquered six planets and took only six trophies. Indeed Avengers: Endgame briefly showed Nebula and Gamora’s attack of the planet Korbin; assuming Thanos is a creature of habit, it would follow that at least one Korbinite could be counted among his “children.” And as much as I wish this was an article about Beta Ray Bill, it isn’t; it is, however, about a pair of characters who served Thanos in the pages of Marvel Comics and may just be set to appear in the Marvel Television Streaming series Ironheart.

    Created by Jim Starlin and first appearing in Iron Man #55, Roclite siblings Gh’Ree and R’Hos Blood–better known as the Blood Brothers–are massive aliens who originally worked for Thanos. The duo evolved over the years and were interesting enough to make 71 appearances but are still certainly considered minor characters that might not be on many fans radars…but what if they should be?

    Headlining the article “Connecting Imaginary Dots” speaks for itself and I’ll let socmed and message boards have their fun; however, an IMDB listing for Ironheart is interesting enough to ponder if the Blood Brothers might somehow have found their way into the upcoming D+ series.

    Zoe Terakes, who joined the cast of Ironheart in 2022, is listed on IMDB as “Blood Sibling.” That’s it. That’s the evidence. But it’s certainly worth considering if the MCU’s iteration of the Blood Brothers may play a role in Riri Williams’ origin story.

    While it’s true that the majority of Ironheart will take place post-Riri’s appearance in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, it will also dip into her origins, including (probably) why she was building a Stark-esque suit in the first place.

    Set after the events of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Marvel Television’s Ironheart pits technology against magic when Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne)—a young, genius inventor determined to make her mark on the world—returns to her hometown of Chicago. Her unique take on building iron suits is brilliant, but in pursuit of her ambitions, she finds herself wrapped up with the mysterious yet charming Parker Robbins aka “The Hood” (Anthony Ramos).

    -Official Synopsis for Marvel Television’s Ironheart

    Ironheart boasts an incredibly impressive cast. Alden Ehrenreich is widely believed to have been cast as Ezekiel Stane, the son of Jeff Bridges‘ Iron Man villain, Obadiah Stane. Manny Montana (Cousin John) and Shea Couleé (Slug) look to be members of the crew of Anthony Ramos’ Parker Robins with Couleé likely a version of Marvel Comics Ulysses Lugman and Montana a version of John King, the actual cousin of Robbins. And then there’s Lyric Ross, who looks to be taking on the role of Riri’s best friend, Natalie, who, in the comics, was shot and killed in front of Riri when she was 13. But, what if…she wasn’t shot in the MCU but rather killed by the Children of Thanos as they invaded Earth?.

    Sure, Thanos’ invasion of Earth was all about getting the Time Stone from Doctor Strange but it’s absolutely worth remembering that Chicago was home to Victor Timely for a period of time in the 1860s and might otherwise, for myriad reasons, be a place an alien looking to conquer Earth might send some bad ass Blood Siblings.

    As always, if you’re betting, take the field over this theory. This isn’t inside info; it’s not a rumor worth spreading; it’s just tossing out an idea based on limited info. And even if the Blood Brothers do appear in Ironheart as the Blood Siblings, there are plenty of other options for why and how they are there. So the moral of the story is…Mephisto.

    Ironheart is set to debut (finally) on D+ on June 24th.

  • ‘It Ends With Us’, ‘1923’ Star In the Mix for Major Marvel Studios Role

    ‘It Ends With Us’, ‘1923’ Star In the Mix for Major Marvel Studios Role

    Though cameras haven’t begun rolling quite yet, Marvel Studios has a busy year ahead. While the biggest news will almost certainly center around the two films headed into production this year (Avengers: Doomsday and Spider-Man 4), a trio of streaming series are also slated for filming. The Paul Bettany-led Vision and Season 2 of Daredevil: Born Again are both reportedly getting underway in February, keeping Marvel Television busy for the first half of the new year. Next up on the list is a series that has come together quickly after being put on the back burner for a couple of years.

    First revealed to be in development as a film in 2022 with Moon Knight scribe Sabir Pirzada on board to write the script, Nova reentered development as a streaming series in early 2024. Described by Marvel Television boss Brad Winderbaum as “an amazing ensemble piece” that will explore “how heated that Richard Rider kind of world can get,” Nova picked up veteran TV crime writer Ed Bernero as its showrunner in December. And while Bernero puts together a writers room and prepares the series’ scripts, a new report suggests that casting for the project is already underway.

    According to Jeff “The In” Sneider, Marvel has begun to narrow down it’s list of potential candidates to bring the Human Rocket to life in the MCU. At or near the top of that list, according to the longtime Hollywood insider, is It Ends with Us and 1923 star Brandon Sklenar.

    Recent reports indicated that Nova will introduce the classic Marvel Comics’ villain Annihilus and pit the Bug-Lord against a young team of Nova Corpsmen. Given Bernero‘s background, which  includes Criminal Minds, the NBC crime drama Third Watch and Crossing Lines, a crime drama that focuses on an elite team of special investigators, it seems reasonable to assume that while Rider will be the series’ central figure, the other Corps members will feature prominently in the action.

    With the studio looking to lock down an actor for the role of Richard Rider now, it’s possible that production could get underway in the next six months or so. That said, it’s been believed for some time that Nova will not be included in the Multiverse Saga and won’t stream on D+ until 2027.

    Source: Hot Mic

  • New Report Reveals Denzel Washington’s Villainous Marvel Studios Role

    New Report Reveals Denzel Washington’s Villainous Marvel Studios Role

    Fresh off his performance as the Machiavellian Macrinus in Gladiator II, Denzel Washington may be preparing to play another agent of chaos. In November, Washington casually revealed that writer/director Ryan Coogler had created a role for him in the as-yet-undated third film in the Black Panther franchise. Following Washington’s reveal, Marvel Studios One Above All, Kevin Feige, officially announced the film was in development; however, little information about the threequel has been available…until now.

    According to social media scooper My Time To Shine Hello, Washington will be portraying the disruptive and devious Achebe in Black Panther 3.

    Achebe’s arrival in Wakanda has been anticipated for some time and while he would have made a fine antagonist in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the events of the sequel may have perfectly primed a path for the villain to wreak havoc.

    Between 1998 and 2003, Christopher Priest wrote 60 issues of Black Panther for Marvel Comics. Priest’s run began with T’Challa in an interesting pinch: a girl who was a part of T’Challa’s Tomorrow Fund, an organization he founded in the United States, has been found murdered. Meanwhile, refugees flock to Wakanda’s border, led by the enigmatic Reverend Doctor Michael Ibn al-hajj Achebe. In T’Challa’s absence, Achebe makes his move to overtake Wakanda.

    By introducing the Wakandan outreach center in 2018’s Black Panther, Coogler created the MCU’s equivalent of the Tomorrow Fund. Black Panther 3 could open with a scenario similar to Priest’s run that would require Shuri to leave Wakanda to investigate, leaving an opening for Achebe. Her absence, paired with the devastation from Namor’s attack, would provide the perfect scenario to allow Achebe to further destabilize Wakanda and then attempt to assume control.

  • Marvel Studios Has Reportedly Moved One Oft-delayed Project to the Scrap Heap

    Marvel Studios Has Reportedly Moved One Oft-delayed Project to the Scrap Heap

    Boom! You lookin’ for this? Apparently, in the case of Armor Wars, Marvel Studios was not. Originally developed as a D+ streaming series before being reworked as feature film, it now seems as though the Don Cheadle vehicle has been scrapped.

    According to social media scooper My Time To Shine Hello, Marvel Studios has moved on from the project. Additionally, Comic Book Movie claims to have heard that the project is “as good as dead.”

    Should Armor Wars indeed be scrapped, it would be perhaps the least shocking development around the project (the most shocking being that it was ever announced in the first place). The studio struggled to put it together as a series and its connection to the abysmal Secret Invasion likely did it in as a film.

    Last Fall, Cheadle cast doubt on how much life was in the project when he was asked where it stood on Marvel Studios slate, which was changing rapidly at the time. “You can find out and let me know,” said Cheadle, adding “I don’t know, I’m not sure where anything is right now. I think things are going through a lot of changes, and we’ll see what happens, we’ll see what it is.“

    Sources: MTTSH, CBM