2021 became Marvel Studios’ big year of expansion, as they released their new series on Disney+. We’ve gotten introduced to various series that act as mini-series before the character’s journey into an upcoming film. Loki surprised audiences with the announcement of a second season, as it joined What If…? as the only series getting multiple season orders. It looks like a curious detail has slipped through the cracks, as Brad Winderbaum teased that they plan to keep the animated series as an annual release. As such, it would be Marvel Studios’ first series to get a yearly release.
We’ll see what happens. Obviously, I don’t want to predict the future with this new world we live in, but our intention is to make it an annual release.
We did find out earlier this month that the second season will include films from Phase 4. There’s no word if they will also include the Disney+ series in any capacity, but it seems likely they might get included at some point. Animation takes quite a bit of time, as they’ve already worked on the second seasonf or some time. So, if they want to keep their plans with an annual release, they might already be finalizing their plans for future seasons.
Perhaps they get a chance to revisit some of the cancelled ideas teased by head writer A.C. Bradley. Of course, it’s uncertain if the same creative team will remain on the series, but the unique aspect of this show would allow anyone to jump on board to add a new twist on the concept. The multiverse is vast and allows for any possible combination of events to unleash. If anything, the last two episodes cemented that anything is possible and I am still thinking about the fact we have a zombie episode.
It looks like AMC’s Interview With The Vampire Adaptation has found its next cast member, as Deadline reports Jacob Anderson joined the project. He’ll star alongside Sam Reid, who was cast as Lestat not too long ago. The adaptation of Anne Rice’s famous books will run for eight episodes in its first season. He takes on the role that Brad Pitt famously played in the original 1994 film, Louis de Pointe du Lac.
The series is currently set for a 2022 release on AMC and its streaming service AMC+. Rolin Jones, the former showrunner of HBO’sPerry Mason, will tackle the adaptation. Mark Johnson, Anne Rice, and Christopher Rice will act as executive producers on the novel adaptation. It’ll serve as the beginning of their attempt to bring the entire series of Vampire Chronicles to life. They haven’t shared any details regarding which direction the series will take, but it might be possible they will create a modern interpretation of the series.
Anderson is most well-known for his time as Grey Worm in HBO’s Game of Thrones. He’s also set to appear in BBC’s popular Doctor Who series as Vinder. He has an extensive history in British television, as he also played opposite David Tennant, Jodie Whittaker, and Olivia Colman on the series Broadchurch. It’ll be interesting to see how he interprets this iconic character and brings new life to him once the series premieres next year.
The latest episode has finally dropped from Marvel Studios’ adventure into the multiverse, What If…?. We’ve witnessed a few new directions the original Sacred Timeline could’ve taken if only one specific event changed. In the first episode, we learn the point in time where the change occurred, but the third entry, which explores an Agatha Christie-inspired story, leaves that to the very end. It’s all to keep us guessing as the mystery unravels. Yet, we only vaguely get a hint at why the targets were so specific, but ScreenCrush noticed a few details that may give away that there’s a different villain at play altogether. It’s such a curious theory that the more I looked into it, the more it made sense. Uatu even hints at the bigger picture we might miss in our first viewings.
There will be spoilers on the latest episode in this article. If you haven’t watched it yet, please only continue at your own risk.
At the end of the episode, Hank Pym reveals that he’s been taking out the Avengers one after another. Not only does it prove how dangerous his ability is in the wrong hands, but we also learn that Hope van Dyne had a very different destiny in this universe. She was an active SHIELD agent and died during a mission in Odessa, Ukraine. At first, it seems like a random location. Yet, looking back, it turns out we’ve heard of it before. It’s an important moment in MCU history, as it’s where Black Widow took a bullet from the Winter Soldier.
Why is this relevant? If you think back to Captain America: The Winter Soldier, we learn that SHIELD head Alexander Pierce was a HYDRA agent. He was the one that gave the Winter Soldier his missions. As such, he would be the one that sent the assassin to Odessa and, as she replaced Natasha in this universe, took the bullet in her place. In a way, Hope becoming an agent made Hank nervous, which is a given by his disdain towards the organization. Yet, it wasn’t until Pierce commanded the mission that would push him over the edge.
Keep in mind, Hank’s time as Ant-Man was working with the spy agency. He would be aware of his abilities. It wouldn’t be surprising if Pierce also convinced her to join their cause with Fury. We know that these two were close, and he might’ve known about his friend’s Avengers Initiative. It seems available in their database, which Natasha accesses through Coulson’s account through his very memorable password. Yet, it seems curious that Hope’s account was still active when the flowers at her grave hint at her being dead for some time. Wouldn’t a secret spy organization have better security than that? Hank was a SHIELD member. So, he technically could still have an accoutn but doesn’t. So, why would Hope still have active access long after her passing?
Pierce doesn’t physically appear in this episode but is still somewhat present. The returning Frank Grillo mentions his name, as Black Widow is escorted to a meeting with him before she breaks out. Curiously, there’s no mention of the World Security Council. It makes him want a one-on-one meeting even more suspicious. He even has a brief appearance among the various files that she is looking into during the film. Odessa is the nail in the coffin for his connection to the overarching plot of this very episode. He has no direct role in this story but still gets highlighted throughout.
Uatu’s words that humanity is “blind to the bigger picture” is such a curious detail. It’s an ominous sentence that makes you question how many other details there are in this episode to connect the dots. Hope joining SHIELD may be the moment this universe was born, but Pierce seeing an opportunity led to the Avengers’ demise. Hank’s anger towards Fury seems vague at first because he blames him for her death, but perhaps the strings were leading them to this very moment.
If you’ve been living above a rock for the past few months, you would know there are few things the internet wanted more than a teaser trailer for Sony and Marvel Studios’ Spider-Man: No Way Home. To the delight of the insatiable, the trailer finally made its grand debut earlier this week and was met with uproarious approval by fans. From a major identity crisis to multiversal shenanigans, the sneak peek was chock-full of things that even the most die-hard Spidey enthusiasts never thought would make it to the big screen. However, that doesn’t mean these events have no basis in the pages of Marvel’s vast comic universe.
Most of what we were shown in the trailer’s nearly three-minute runtime can be traced back to a collection of moments from famous comic arcs. While not all of the source material is universally loved, it does make for a rather intriguing mass of inspiration. As such, I’ve taken the time to break it all down and present you with a guide to the origins of the trailer’s biggest moments, in case anyone should want to do a little reading before No Way Home drops in December.
The War at Home
That’s right, it looks like Marvel Studios isn’t done pulling from Mark Millar’s Civil War comic just yet. The big, unforgettable surprise at the end of Spider-Man: Far From Home was the worldwide revelation that Peter Parker is Spider-Man. While there had been concerns from fans that No Way Home might brush this plotline aside, the trailer made sure to highlight that it would actually be a major driving aspect of the third film’s story.
Peter Parker has had his identity outed more than once in the comics, but the occasion with the most staying power was undoubtedly the one from 2006’s popular event series. The major difference between page and screen is that comic Peter took the mask off himself, while MCU Peter was mortified when Mysterio dropped his big secret from beyond the grave. A more comic-accurate depiction from the teaser was the shots of Peter being hounded by the media and law enforcement, which bring to mind the events of the Civil War tie-in arc, The War at Home.
Taking place in The Amazing Spider-Man #532-538, written by J. Michael Straczynski, the arc deals with the fallout of Peter’s identity going public and the way it affects the life of those around him. The story also features Peter revolting against the Registration Act, which places him on the wrong side of the law and in the sights of multiple government-sponsored supervillains.
One More Day & One Moment in Time
Maybe the most controversial Spider-Man arc ever written, the influence of J. Michael Straczynski and Joe Quesada‘s One More Day is ever-present in the first half of No Way Home‘s trailer. It may need no introduction for most, but for the few who missed that particular boat, One More Day is the infamous story in which Peter Parker makes a deal with the devil. To save a dying Aunt May, Peter makes an agreement with Mephisto that trades away his entire history with Mary Jane Watson. It’s a bold, rash move, and its spirit can be felt in the trailer moment when Peter asks Doctor Strange to hide his identity from the world without realizing what that means for his time with Zendaya‘s MJ.
Alongside One More Day came a companion piece from Quesada titled One Moment in Time. This short arc detailed the exact changes made by Mephisto in erasing Peter’s marriage to MJ. The most surprising retcon comes when it’s revealed that Mephisto did not restore Peter’s secret identity as previously believed. Instead, it’s shown that Parker had gone to Doctor Strange to fix his identity crisis, and even had a moment of weakness during the spell casting where he begged for Mary Jane to still remember his identity. This additional storytelling helped reset the Spider-Man status quo going forward in the comics, albeit with some forewarned dire consequences.
Happy Birthday
Of all the trailer inspiration, the one fans may have least expected to see was a loose adaptation of Straczynski‘s centennial Happy Birthday arc. Beginning in The Amazing Spider-Man #57 and concluding in the re-numbered #500 issue, the surprisingly emotional plot concerns Spider-Man teaming up with Doctor Strange, and a few other heroes, to stop Dormammu and the Mindless Ones from taking over the world. Unfortunately for Spidey and that ‘ole Parker luck, his attempts to aid Strange actually interfere with the complicated spell being cast.
As a result, Peter is sent flying outside of time and reality, forced to confront a multitude of enemies from his past and witness a tragic potential future for himself. As previously mentioned, the No Way Home teaser makes a concerted effort to hint at Peter’s involvement with Strange’s spell bringing in more than a couple of villains from (a version of) his past. And who knows, the movie may even give him that glimpse at an older Parker by the time the credits roll.
A long-standing rumor has just been confirmed in today’s Gamescom’s presentation. Midnight Suns will be the newest game to brandish the Marvel brand and the first to be developed by Firaxis Games, the company responsible for the XCOM series. Check out the first trailer below!
When Hell awakens, only they can stop it. Rise up and join a darker order of heroes to defeat Lilith before the Darkhold is complete.#DarknessFalls when Marvel's Midnight Suns arrives March 2022. pic.twitter.com/XRflu6fyY1
As the rumor has long suggested, this game will be a tactics-RPG in the same vein as the XCOM games, which kind of isn’t surprising given the developers. The game is set to feature a bunch of characters that are commonly associated with Marvel’s iconic Midnight Sons team such as Ghost Rider, Blade, Doctor Strange and a bunch of other mystic characters we don’t usually see in Marvel games such as Magik and Nico from Runaways. The game, of course, features also the more famous characters like Wolverine and Iron Man.
Interestingly enough, the game will also feature an original character called The Hunter, whom you will see in the trailer is the character they summon from the tomb and the seemingly central key figure of the game. Gameplay footage is expected to debut in less than a week so stay tuned.
There’s been a lot of hype surrounding the trailer for Spider-Man: No Way Home. As rumors kept piling on teasing multiverse shenanigans, it was bound to garner a lot of attention after finally hitting the internet. Well, it looks like the film even beat Avengers: Endgame‘s all-time record as it stands at a staggering 355.5M global views within 24 hours. The last Avengers entry managed 289M, which is quite a staggering difference. It’s also an incredible jump from Spider-Man: Far From Home, as the film more than doubled it, as it garnered around 135M.
To up that into perspective what it means for its eventual Box Office release. Far From Home is Sony’s largest-grossing title with $1.131 billion. So, while Social Media buzz isn’t always a perfect indicator, the film has the potential to inch towards a potential $2B+ Box Office. Of course, the pandemic is still roaming and could certainly put a damper on that, as Sony still is uncertain to keep the upcoming Venom sequel in its current release window. It also garnered around 4.5M mentions within 24-hours which is the highest conversation volume of all time. Domestically, it also passed Endgame’s 1.94M with 2.91M mentions. It passed the previous record-holder within the first twelve hours.
There’s a lot of excitement with the grand return of Spider-Men from past Sony franchises, which has been a popular rumor going around. The trailer also ended on a high note with the return of Alfred Molina, who openly confirmed his return and even offered some insight into his character for the film. There’s also the tease of various other iconic villains joining the fray with the pumpkin bomb tease being a special highlight.
What If… The World Lost Its Mightiest Heroes? is a fairly middle-of-the-road redux of Fury’s Big Week from Phase One that at the end of the day highlighted the original intentions and inspiration of the Avenger’s Initiative. Episode 3 found an effective way to do that while killing off (or not introducing) all six original Avengers. The overall moral of the story is, simply, that more mighty heroes are waiting and willing to save Earth in its time of deepest need.
The tagline for the episode could be or should be, “Hope never dies.” On one hand, this was originally in reference to Hope Van Dyne—who actually died in the course of being an Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.—and her father Hank Pym’s descent into murderous madness seeking vengeance. The premise of Pym being the assassin that eliminated the Avengers before they actually began is interesting, because it gives a look at Pym being in action (as Yellowjacket) for the first time that we have really seen in the MCU. It also added a bit extra to the familiar plot considering he was not introduced in the main universe until the tail end of Phase Two. The mixture of elements now at the MCU’s disposal is entirely what What If…?is about, so the light overlap in stories is appreciated here but did not seem to be enough to make this episode particularly exceptional.
Fury was the absolute star of the episode in terms of his significance to the plot. Samuel L. Jackson reprised his role wonderfully, giving animated Fury an authentic feel that likely kept Episode 3 afloat at times where it could feel a bit tedious. We got a better glimpse of Fury as Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. in a fuller capacity than he was afforded in the main universe given screen time constraints. While it did not fundamentally change the character, or how anyone viewed him, it certainly bolstered his persona by giving him room to stretch and simply be in control.
Considering that all the original Avengers, other than Steve Rogers, were killed off, the main consequence of this episode was Loki’s eventual takeover of Earth. His address to the United Nations at the end was an interesting and fairly comical look as to how King Loki would come about and rule Earth absent the dramatic and violent Battle of New York. Tom Hiddleston’s performance—particularly in light of Loki’s heightened popularity right now from the Loki series—was also phenomenal, and the transition from screen to voice was very smooth which similarly buoyed the episode.
Ultimately, “hope never dies” becomes a reference to the enduring spirit of the Avengers Initiative that dominated the latter half of Phase One and Avengersin particular. Despite the Avengers as we know them being utterly gutted, the idea of bringing together a group of remarkable people never died in Fury’s eyes, as the episode ends with Captain Marvel and, presumably, Captain America ready to continue the fight. While the episode never felt overly exciting, it was a nice reminder of where the Avengers, and the MCU, began and what they mean to both these fictional universes and our own reality.
The folks in Cinemacon are a lucky bunch this week. In addition to getting to see Ghostbusters: Afterlife in its entirety the other night, Warner Bros.’s presentation last night gave a first look at the much-awaited fourth Matrix film, officially titled Matrix: Resurrections. Check out the trailer description below:
The new trailer opens in San Francisco, with Neo now going by the name of Thomas and seemingly unaware of who he is. Neil Patrick Harris plays his therapist and a brief scene of Neo as Thomas is shown in a therapy session. Neo says, “I’ve had dreams that don’t seem like dreams. Am I crazy?” before he has flashbacks to events of the original trilogy.
The trailer also expands on the initial footage of Trinity and Neo meeting, but this time, they don’t seem to know each other even though they think they do. Trinity asks Neo as Thomas, “Have we met?” The trailer then shifts into montage mode, with Neo observing day-to-day life in the Matrix’s version of San Francisco. Finally, Mateen shows up and he looks like a young Morpheus, saying, “Time to fly,” before offering Neo a red pill and a blue pill. Then, another young woman with blue hair takes Neo through a mirror, showing him the Matrix.
Another scene sees young Morpheus and Neo fighting before Neo breaks the dojo room with his powers. The trailer also shows that the machine pods are back, as are the Agents, and the franchise’s signature action. Trinity can be seen fighting police officers and Agents at one point before the clip ends with Neo pulling his signature move, stopping bullets with his mind, before he redirects an entire missile at a helicopter.
Matrix: Resurrections is still purportedly supposed to release later this December but given how the pandemic situation is erratic domestically and worldwide, there’s a good chance for this to get delayed. A possible release delay could easily mean we won’t see this trailer for a while which is disappointing because that footage description sounds incredible. If all goes well, this film could be a return to form for the Wachowskis.
The highly anticipated sequel to Black Panther began production last month, following multiple delays due to the ongoing pandemic and the tragic loss of the star, Chadwick Boseman. As filming headed to Massachusetts recently, some new set photos have given us our very first look at returning fan favorites Danai Gurira and Letitia Wright sporting some very flashy new looks.
New photos from the set of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever have brand new looks at both Gurira and Wright as Okoye and Shuri. Okoye can be seen sporting a red bodysuit with a black blazer, and Shuri with a purple jumpsuit, with both wearing the Kimoyo beads introduced in the first film. Speculation about Wright departing the film swirled last month when Michaela Coel was cast. As you can see, that speculation was baseless.
Letitia Wright is filming for the upcoming "Black Panther" sequel despite speculation she was not in movie after anti-vax controversy. https://t.co/frTCQNlepS
Okoye and Shuri are certainly meeting with Riri Williams, previously confirmed to make her live-action debut in this film. Actress Dominique Thorne was recently spotted on set filming at MIT and it’s possible the duo could be recruiting or simply meeting with Williams as she has quite the bright mind.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is set to release in theaters on July 8th, 2022, and will be written and directed by Ryan Coogler, who’d previously worked on the first film. The film will see the return of Danai Gurira, Letitia Wright, Winston Duke, Angela Basset, and Lupita Nyong’o. The film will also feature newcomers such as Michaela Coel, Tenoch Huerta, and Mitzi Mabel Cadena, With Huerta and Cadena rumored to be playing Namor and Namora.
Well, this is disheartening. It looks like Sony is worried about the upcoming release of Venom: Let There Be Carnage. They just recently already pushed the film back into October, but Vulture has just shared that the latest Venom film was absent during the CinemaCon event even though they released a trailer for Spider-Man: No Way Home. Its absence was quite noticeable and after some digging, Vulture learned from sources that they plan on delaying it until January 21st, 2022. As such, it would take Morbius‘ release slot that will also get delayed once again.
The move is quite a surprise as they seemed to feel safe with an October release instead of pushing back more of their projects. Of course, it also adds speculation if Spider-Man: No Way Home would potentially get pushedback as well. Yet, if they release the Venom sequel at the beginning of January, it might be a sign they believe things will calm down again by the end of the year. Box Office has been dropping for the past few months but the real test will be Marvel Studios’ upcoming release of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
Of course, the delay would also have strong implications for Morbius, which was initially going to release ahead of the Venom sequel. It was slated for July of this year, but it seems they have more hope that the proven franchise will draw in an audience. While not a sign of insecurity regarding Morbius, they simply already have a previous entry that showed them there’s a lot of Box Office potential. Sony does not have its own streaming service to rely on, which makes their decision to delay even harsher. We’ll see if the official confirmation will follow later this week.
We use cookies to improve your experience on our site. By using our site, you consent to cookies.
This website uses cookies
Websites store cookies to enhance functionality and personalise your experience. You can manage your preferences, but blocking some cookies may impact site performance and services.
Essential cookies enable basic functions and are necessary for the proper function of the website.
Name
Description
Duration
Cookie Preferences
This cookie is used to store the user's cookie consent preferences.
30 days
These cookies are needed for adding comments on this website.
Name
Description
Duration
comment_author_email
Used to track the user across multiple sessions.
Session
comment_author_url
Used to track the user across multiple sessions.
Session
comment_author
Used to track the user across multiple sessions.
Session
Statistics cookies collect information anonymously. This information helps us understand how visitors use our website.
Google Analytics is a powerful tool that tracks and analyzes website traffic for informed marketing decisions.
Contains information related to marketing campaigns of the user. These are shared with Google AdWords / Google Ads when the Google Ads and Google Analytics accounts are linked together.
90 days
__utma
ID used to identify users and sessions
2 years after last activity
__utmt
Used to monitor number of Google Analytics server requests
10 minutes
__utmb
Used to distinguish new sessions and visits. This cookie is set when the GA.js javascript library is loaded and there is no existing __utmb cookie. The cookie is updated every time data is sent to the Google Analytics server.
30 minutes after last activity
__utmc
Used only with old Urchin versions of Google Analytics and not with GA.js. Was used to distinguish between new sessions and visits at the end of a session.
End of session (browser)
__utmz
Contains information about the traffic source or campaign that directed user to the website. The cookie is set when the GA.js javascript is loaded and updated when data is sent to the Google Anaytics server
6 months after last activity
__utmv
Contains custom information set by the web developer via the _setCustomVar method in Google Analytics. This cookie is updated every time new data is sent to the Google Analytics server.
2 years after last activity
__utmx
Used to determine whether a user is included in an A / B or Multivariate test.
18 months
_ga
ID used to identify users
2 years
_gali
Used by Google Analytics to determine which links on a page are being clicked
30 seconds
_ga_
ID used to identify users
2 years
_gid
ID used to identify users for 24 hours after last activity
24 hours
_gat
Used to monitor number of Google Analytics server requests when using Google Tag Manager
1 minute
Marketing cookies are used to follow visitors to websites. The intention is to show ads that are relevant and engaging to the individual user.
Pinterest Tag is a web analytics service that tracks and reports website traffic.
