Xochitl Gomez’s America Chavez is set to play a key role in the events of next May’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Chavez, a one-time Young Avenger in the comics, possesses the unique ability to open star-shaped portals in reality, allowing her and her companions to traverse different realities across the multiverse. The character was briefly seen in the recent first look at the film but now, thanks to some new promo art, fans can get a better look at the character who happens to be pulling off a familiar pose.
As you can see Gomez is imitating the pose held by Chavez on artist Jamie McKelvie’s variant cover to 2017’s America #1, written by Gabby Rivera. The character has always been a powerhouse, boasting superhuman strength in addition to her ability to travel interdimensionally. The character has always been a lot of fun on the page as well and she now joins the ranks of fellow comic book Young Avengers Kate Bishop, Billy and Tommy Maximoff and Eli Bradley in the comics. Hopefully we see them team up sooner than later.
The amount of praise the Boba Fett character has received ever since his theatrical film debut in The Empire Strikes Back is matched only by the number of doubters who often ask what he has ever actually done (besides looking cool) to deserve such recognition. It’s certainly fair to admit that there just wasn’t much to the character in the original trilogy, but that was something that, fueled by the fan response to the character, would later be addressed in several prequel projects.
It ended up being through the prequels, where we met a young Boba still with his father Jango by his side, that the character was given enough background to allow audiences to fully grasp his role in the grand scheme of the Star Wars universe. Being the popular character that he was – and still is – he then went on to either being mentioned or even appearing in many other Star Wars properties, from comics to video games, from animated shows to novels, thus expanding his own story. But even if relevant details were added to it throughout, elements that made him play a more active role in the franchise as well as make him a more complex and therefore more interesting character, the bookend that Return of the Jedi represented to his life story would always be looming in the background.
Having him seemingly die in the final chapter of the original trilogy playing a standard (albeit very good) bounty hunter-type isn’t exactly allowing for much character growth throughout the years after having initially introduced him, as a child, in a very similar role. This meant that the character could never really escape his destiny of how he found himself when swallowed whole by a Sarlacc. That is up until The Mandalorian came along.
For the first time (?) Boba Fett’s future wasn’t set in stone. But even then we still saw a man trying to get back to his old ways, collecting his armor, his ship, and rebuilding his persona after being forgotten and left for dead on the sands of Tattoine. But now, having him return to the same planet where he was forgotten to take Jabba’s throne seems like the perfect occasion to finally start to deconstruct the character into what it perhaps was always meant to evolve into.
Being the one in charge will probably not live up to Boba Fett’s expectations. As with many things in life, when the chase is sometimes more gratifying than actually achieving one’s goal, it feels like it’s only a matter of time until Fett becomes disillusioned by the expectations of what a Tattoine crime lord is supposed to do and eventually become. His sense of honor and duty, both of which got a few glimpses of in The Mandalorian, will likely kick in as he moves to distance himself from everybody’s expectations of how he should behave in his newfound role. He already stated that, unlike his predecessor, he doesn’t torture and he does not plan to rule with fear; perhaps it’s also in his future to drop either the ‘crime’ or the ‘lord’ from the title he now holds. Either way, Fett is now free from all narrative shackles and can now break the mold of how everyone expected him to present himself.
Following Chapter 1: Stranger in a Strange Land we now wait for the next six episodes as The Book of Boba Fett hopefully answers its most pressing question: Who is Boba Fett meant to become?
It looks like Spider-Man: No Way Home is continuing to take over the Box office at an incredible pace. The film has already passed the $500M mark and is currently continuing its dominance of the box office even as Omicron concerns are spreading worldwide. AS pointed out by @Great_Katzby, the film is potentially going to nab an $800M+ domestic run, which would put it on par with massive releases like Avengers: Endgame, and Avatar, as it would end up right between the two’s domestic runs.
#SpiderManNoWayHome has surpassed $500M at the domestic box office. It’s heading for an $800M+ run.
Top Domestic Films Ever:
Force Awakens ($937M) Endgame ($858M) Avatar ($761M) Black Panther ($700M) Infinity War ($679M)
It’s quite a strong domestic run and if the film manages to release in China, it may continue to inch towards a $2 billion worldwide release. There’s still some time and concerns over the pandemic have slowed down that momentum somewhat, but the film is still a massive success for Sony and Marvel Studios. As we heard a few days ago, the film is on its way to becoming Sony’s most profitable release with the current estimates still seeing it end its run at around $1.75B. It’ll certainly be important to keep an eye on how its box office run develops moving forward.
It looks like direct Zack Snyder is already preparing for his next project, as the director has taken to Vero to share the first look at concept art for his next film project, Rebel Moon. What was once a Star Wars pitch will become a unique tale that’ll premiere on Netflix at some point in the future. The first look at the upcoming film teases a moody space epic that certainly seems like it is up to Snyder‘s wheelhouse. He also teased that they are “heading to principal photography in a few months,” which hints at an early 2022 production start.
First look at concept art for Zack Snyder’s ‘REBEL MOON’.
Of course, we still know very little about the project outside of a brief synopsis and that Sofia Boutella was cast in the leading role. With Man of Steel on his belt, Snyder is no stranger to sci-fi epics and it’s always promising to see him tackle a new world he was able to build from scratch. There’s no word yet if this might also connect to his new zombie franchise that started with Army of the Dead, but he seems like the type that plays around with loosely connected worlds. Here’s hoping we get more details as they start production.
After sitting out 2020, Marvel Studios returned in a big way in 2021 with 4 films and their first 5 streaming series. That all kicked off in January with WandaVision, a 9-episode series that paid homage to eras gone by and changed the way MCU fans consumed and processed media. It’s not overreaching to say that nothing has been the same since the series concluded its run, so as the year comes to an end, let’s reflect on what we all learned from WandaVision.
To Appreciate Character-Driven Projects
While fans initially disapproved of the slow pace of the first few episodes of WandaVision, they also noted the incredible work by stars Lizzie Olsen and Paul Bettany. Bettany got to show off his comedic chops while Olsen put on a master class, essentially playing a new character in every episode (which also served as interesting meta commentary on changes made to the ways women have been portrayed in sitcoms over the decades). It’s not as if these were talents we didn’t know they possessed, it was just that they hadn’t been allowed to exhibit them in the MCU as they were overshadowed by the actors whose characters were headlining the films in which they appeared.
Upon deeper reflection, however, it wasn’t only because they were finally getting their starring roles.Marvel Studios was making a different kind of product for their fans and they bravely and boldly proved that by releasing 3 episodes of WandaVision with almost no trace of the big action associated with the brand. In short, they let their actors act. The trend continued in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, where Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan gave a depth to their characters that they would never have gotten on the big screen and Daniel Bruhl actually got to perform; it continued into Loki where the bond between Tom Hiddleston and Owen Wilson became the heart of the show and Jonathan Majors laid out the gauntlet for the future of the MCU in one of the best performances in its history; it concluded in Hawkeye, perhaps the strongest character work yet, with Jeremy Renner’s subdued performance while his character embarked on a redemptive arc, Hailee Steinfeld’s star-making work as a new hero and her incredible chemistry with Florence Pugh and great turns by Vera Farmiga and Tony Dalton. By simply letting the actors act, Marvel Studios found the key to making its streaming world go round: keep the focus on the characters.
That Expanding the Universe Is Good
With characters who had previously served as supporting characters taking the leads in their own series, new characters had to be inserted into their stories to help flesh out them and their worlds. Undoubtedly one of the best gifts given to fans in 2021 came in the form of these new, supporting characters. And it wasn’t just the new heroes that fans learned to appreciate, the expanded universe and the time to breathe gave life to incredible new anti-heroes and villains, too.
WandaVision gave us Teyonah Parris, who will co-star as Monica Rambeau in 2023’s The Marvels, and Kathryn Hahn’s Agatha Harkness, who will now lead her own series, Agatha: The House of Harkness. We also met Tommy and Billy Maximoff, who were the first of the MCU’s Young Avengers to enter the universe, and who will serve as the catalysts for the next steps taken by Wanda. The Falcon and The Winter Soldier gifted us with Julia Louis-Drefus’ Val, Wyatt Russell’s punchable John Walker and Erin Kellyman’s Karli and Carl Lumbly’s Isaiah Bradley, who made Sam question what being a hero really means. In Loki, we were introduced to the concept of Variants and with that met two whose impact extended far beyond the confines of the series. The confrontation between Sophia Di Martino’s vengeful Sylvie and Jonathan Majors‘ He Who Remains changed the MCU forever but also had a profound impact on Loki himself. And, in Hawkeye, Marvel Studios created a street-level corner of the universe that gave us Maya Lopez and Wilson Fisk, who is likely to show up again in the Lopez-centric Echo series in 2023.
As 2021 comes to a close, the roster of heroes and villains, and those who toe the line, is fuller than it has ever been and it’s hard to argue that the MCU is worse for it.
The Weekly Format is Good
As was the case with The Mandalorian, Disney eschewed the binge watching preferences of streaming audiences in favor of the old fashioned weekly format for the Marvel Studios streaming series. In review, the weekly format allowed for an incredible amount of content and conversation around the projects which can only be a good thing. A careful schedule was created that began with screeners sent out to media outlets. Outlets had strict scheduled to follow, first sharing social media reactions, then later full reviews ahead of the premiers, building hype for the first week’s release. Following that, the studio arranged weekly interviews with the cast and crew, something that would have previously only happened in pre-screening junkets for films. Whether fans loved or hated the episodes, the conversation was constant and engaging. However, the weekly format also had some pitfalls, notably…
To Separate Rumors from Theories and Speculation…Well, Some of Us
More than any project before or after it, WandaVision fueled an insane amount of speculation on a weekly basis. Speculation led to theories and then, somehow, theories led to disappointment and, even more damaging, disbelief in the obvious. Mephisto was everywhere, but when he wasn’t, that meant that there was no way Sharon Carter could be the Power Broker? The trail of cookie crumbs leading to Kang’s presence in Loki couldn’t have been easier to follow, but because Evan Peters was Ralph Bohner, that meant there was no way Kang was showing up and that, instead, Loki would be meeting himself at the Citadel at the End of Time. It was easier for fans to believe that the big boss running organized crime in NYC, Maya’ “uncle”, was either Val or, worse yet, Jack Duquesne, even AFTER seeing and hearing Vincent D’Onofrio in Episode 3. The lack of critical thinking trickled over to the film side of things where, despite an incredible amount of evidence that Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield were in Spider-Man: No Way Home (and absolutely no evidence of any other potential plots that did not include them), fans persisted in their beliefs that they would not appear and that the film’s plot would not include the multiverse…DESPITE IT FEATURING CHARACTERS FROM THE SONY FILMS!
WandaVision changed the game in the way some fans perceive information now. Because Reed Richards didn’t make Monica’s suit and because it was Agatha all along, there has never been more refutation of reliable sources of information. It’s not all bad, however, as other fans have learned to be scrutinize more and think more critically about what to believe. For that second set of fans, the MCU might actually be more enjoyable in the future as there will certainly always be wild rumors, speculation and theory leading up to Marvel Studios’ projects. If there’s anything we should all have learned from WandaVision, it’s that knowing how to separate them into their appropriate categories makes a big difference.
That the “Big Reveal” in the Last Episode Doesn’t Always Work
In some cases, despite the fact that the were making streaming series, the projects were put together like longer films. What was sometimes lost in translation there was the fact that in most all films, the villains are revealed early on. Beginning in WandaVision, Marvel Studios seemed to really embrace the idea of last act/last episode reveals and it really was hit or miss. Agatha Harkness, He Who Remains and Kingpin all came onto the scene late in the game with only one really getting enough time to make a major impact on the series. The Falcon and The Winter Soldier took a different approach, developing Karli over the course of the series alongside the other characters, allowing her to be much more impactful to the overall story. As they move into 2022, their decisions on WHEN to do things with their villains will be something to watch closely.
Moving forward into 2022, it’s likely that Marvel Studios has learned a significant amount about how to move forward with their projects. We’re already seeing an increased level of secrecy with upcoming projects like Moon Knight, Werewolf By Night and, to a lesser extent She-Hulk. Let’s all meet back here next year to see how what they’ve learned from WandaVision changes things again.
UPDATE: It looks like another comment has been discovered by William Spencer on the discussions surrounding The Amazing Spider-Man 3. As shared previously, the Andrew Garfield stunt double seemingly hinted at something being in the works, but The Direct uncovered another comment that was tucked away, where he confirms he has no info on the rumored TheAmazing Spider-Man 3 revival.
As we stated in our article below, he reacted with a thank you to a previous congratulations on a revival, very likely spurred by the Forbes piece that seemed to hint at one being already in development.
Ever since Spider-Man: No Way Home hit theaters, there’s been a lot to digest on the future of Spider-Man. Many were happy to see Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire‘s return to the iconic roles, but it also brought back a new love for The Amazing Spider-Man franchise. So much that it even became a trending topic and people wanted to see the revival of the third entry. Garfield is even a popular choice to face off against Venom, as many believe his Peter Parker exists in that specific universe while Tom Holland continues in the MCU. Well, a slip up by Garfield‘s stunt double may have confirmed that Sony is reviving The Amazing Spider-Man 3.
In a new post, William Spencer shared that he is currently recovering from an Achilles injury. Many comments hinted at their interest in him returning to stunt double in the third entry with one user even congratulating on a project that isn’t officially announced. Well, it’s his reaction to the statement that has caught everyone’s attention, as he seemingly thanks him for the congratulations and may have confirmed that a project may be in some form of development or at least talks.
The reason we run it as a rumor is due to a Forbes article adding some confusion to the mix. Sony originally wanted Garfield to face off against the Sinister Six, who were going to get their own film. And amidst the Venom rumors, an article titled “Andrew Garfield Likely Returning As Spider-Man to Fight Venom, Sinister Six” started adding more fuel to the fire that the project is happening. Yet, it seems that most of the piece is pure speculation on Sony wanting to capitalize on the success of No Way Home. So, this could be the basis of him believing a third entry is in development. So far, we only heard that the fourth entry of Hollands‘ run is in development, but there are still many rumors hinting at Garfield not being done with Spidey. So, we’ll take this with a grain of salt for now, but hope that Sony unveils its future plans in the near future.
Following the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home, we finally have our first glimpse into the multiverse within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The upcoming sequel to 2016’s Doctor Strange will dive deep into a realm of infinite possibilities with the return of Benedict Cumberbatch as Stephen Strange. No Way Home featured quite a few multiversal cameos from characters like Willem Dafoe‘sGreen Goblin, Tobey Maguire‘s Spider-Man, and even Jaime Foxx‘sElectro. With the multiverse open, it is unsurprising to think many more could pop up soon, one of which is rumored to be quite a popular Inhuman.
A new rumor from Fandomwire states that the ruler of Attilan himself, Black Bolt, will be making his MCU debut in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. The character is believed to be a variant from within the multiverse working alongside the rumored multiversal Illuminati. Currently, there’s no name attached to the role, and it’s unknown if this Black Bolt will be the one we saw a while back in ABC’s Inhumans series, which ran for one season before being canceled by the network. If that was the case, then perhaps we could see Anson Mount reprise the role, but the Inhuman’s future in the Marvel cinematic universe is still up in the air.
Doctor Strange in The Multiverse of Madness is currently set to release in theaters on May 6, 2022. The film was directed by Sam Raimi and stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Benedict Wong, Elizabeth Olsen, Rachel McAdams, and Xochitl Gomez.
After a long wait, The Book of Boba Fett has finally premiered on Disney+. After making his grand return as the titular character in The Mandalorian, Temuera Morrison continues the story in the first of many spinoffs that’ll expand the galaxy far, far away. The first episode “Stranger in a Strange Land” takes a very different approach to what you may expect from what was teased as Star Wars‘ take on the Godfather. While we still get those elements that hint at the series’ bigger picture, it takes a few steps back to build up the character we always knew surprisingly little about. Does it falter under the weight of expectation, or shine new light upon the Mandalorian clone?
Most of the episode is spent with the aftermath of 1983’s Return of the Jedi, as we finally find out how exactly Boba Fett survived the Sarlacc Pit. It was almost expected that they’d fill in the blanks that were left purposefully vague before, as it strengthens the character we’re about to see grow throughout this series. Yet, we already know he survived and it left us questioning what these extensive flashbacks will bring to the series’ overarching narrative. The actual plotline revolves around Boba’s new role as the daimyo after taking over from Bib Fortuna. Yet, we spend very little time with him in that role.
The biggest mystery set up in this episode is the identity of the “Mayor.” He’s hinted at as Boba’s biggest threat, especially when he’s the only one who refuses to not pay tribute to the new underworld leader. There’s an interesting conflict brewing between these two parties, but the episode doesn’t effectively use its runtime to focus on the world-building of Tatooine’s underbelly. We see a casino, he gets attacked (and his ass handed to him) before we move back to the flashback. While it worked as an opening segment to tease future development, it is trying to build something up that has no clear goal.
The Book of Boba Fett‘s opening is sadly more lukewarm than exciting due to the first episode not set up many future plotlines to explore. The cliffhanger we are left with is Boba back in his flashback. There’s a lost momentum to what exactly the show is trying to be or even set up. We have no clear indication if these flashbacks and his time with the Tusken Raiders might connect to the current storyline. It’s good they don’t give too much away, but it leaves you wondering what exactly the show is going for after the credits roll.
It’s strange how often Morrison gets beaten up in this first episode. While it makes sense in the flashbacks, he makes his grand entrance as the new Tatooine Kingpin only for random stragglers to pretty much beat him so badly, he needs to go back to the Bacta tank. I am not sure if him quitting halfway early on was a hint that he’s out of it, but when he and Ming-Na Wen‘s Fennec Shand get surrounded, it seemed odd they couldn’t get out without help. It does fall back on the “jetpack” fallacy, as he could’ve easily flown out of there, but he didn’t even give it a thought.
The action still has its moments, his fight at the end was well done and gave Boba a moment to finally shine. Shand’s chase sequence was probably a highlight, as she uses clever – even if unclear – tactics to outmaneuver their attackers. Yet, it felt like something was missing throughout the show, especially with how little its titular character is used. He does get a cheap shot in, which is potentially to highlight his conflict on ruling with fear or respect, which is very likely going to be his character arc. We’ll see if future episodes will offer a clearer picture of where the show is heading.
Famous Star Wars Bounty Hunter, Boba Fett, is finally getting the spotlight in his own show. The series The Book of Boba Fett streams tomorrow on Disney+! After being briefly teased in Season 1 of The Mandalorian, Boba played a key role in Season 2. He reclaimed his armor and helped Din Djarin protect Grogu before heading back to Tatooine and forcefully taking the former throne of Jabba The Hutt, with Fennec Shand by his side. That is where we will find him at the beginning of Episode 1.
Boba Fett will be trying to transition from bounty hunter to crime lord and this road he’s going down is going to be a little bit rockier than he thought. So what’s in store for Boba as the series goes on? Lucasfilm has been especially secretive, refusing to send out media screeners to keep as many secrets protected as possible. However, we do have some idea of what is going to happen thanks to trailers, rumors, and information from the cast.
Star Temuera Morrison has revealed that the show is going to go back in time. In the trailer we can see Boba climbing out of the Sarlacc Pit fans believed he died in during Return of the Jedi. That will give us some idea of how he got back on his and catch us up to the point where we saw him in Season 1 of The Mandalorian. Rumored appearances of other Empire-era bounty hunters, Crimson Dawn and even Luke Skywalker have made their way through fandom, but with fewer than 12 hours to go, we truly don’t know what to expect.
Arlyn’s Assumptions
Based on what we can see in the trailers, Boba and Fennec are going to have to do a lot of fighting despite Boba’s wishes to the contrary. They are also going to meet a few of the galaxies most dangerous bounty hunters along the way, not all of whom are friends with Boba. Given Lucasfilm’s secrecy we should expect Grogu-sized suprises.
Films change quite a bit throughout their lengthy development process. Eternals is no exception, as director Chloé Zhao discusses in an interview with Empire how much the film has changed throughout the process. She highlights how she’s never “made a single film where the opening and ending stay the same as the script, just because the scenes are fluid as we shoot.” She highlights that there was one end that was more “melancholy” than what blockbuster fans are used to that was changed in the development process.
And we actually had another ending that is really bleak. Bleak. I didn’t hate it, because I’m used to films that are more melancholy. But I don’t think it went down well with audiences. It used to end with everybody back on the ship, minds erased and just going on to another planet, like The Twilight Zone. I remember when it goes to black, everyone was like, ‘I don’t know what to do.’ And also, it’s the MCU, and you want to be excited for what’s next.
Chloé Zhao
It seems that this ending was also going to be a bit more depressing and Harry Styles‘ Eros was originally going to have a role in it, which opens up quite a few interesting questions on how much his original role changed given how he is introduced in the final cut.
I can tell you why! Long story short, with that depressing ending, at some point he was going to be one of the Eternals on that ship. And that didn’t quite work out.
Chloé Zhao
It would’ve been interesting to see this vicious cycle continue, especially after just saving a planet, but I do agree that it would’ve bookended their story much faster than what some MCU fans are used to. Yet, it may have added an interesting dilemma and added quite a bit of drama to the events that unfolded throughout the film. Yet, the open-ended judgment by Arishem does also continue the bleaker tone that the ending was going for without directly ending their specific journey.
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