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Abby Will Be the Heart of ‘The Last of Us: Part III’

I imagine that a lot of people clicked on this article out of anger, and I sort of get it. Laura Bailey‘s Abby Anderson is not the most universally loved character in the history of video games. Even if a lot of that hate comes from less-than-desirable places. For a lot of fans, she is the person who killed Troy Baker‘s soulful southern brute, Joel. She brought out the worst in everyone’s favorite protagonist, Ashley Johnson‘s Ellie. And yet, despite all of this, she may be the franchise’s best shot at an actual happy ending. In fact, it almost feels like the most recent game went out of its way to set her up as the heart of a hypothetical third installment.

Let’s get this out of the way early. Ellie Williams, as Japanese gaming manuals like to call her, was not the hero of The Last of Us Part II. If someone wanted to do a little psychological digging, this fact is probably part of the reason so many gamers took issue with Abby’s role in the first place. She provided players with a viewpoint that allowed them to see the atrocities Ellie was committing. When we follow the events of the game through Ellie’s eyes, we feel her pain, and we want Joel’s killers to meet their end just as badly as she does.

Yet, when the game switches perspectives, Abby’s experiences suddenly show us our protagonist murdering relatively innocent people, including a pregnant woman. Players witness the true consequences of Joel’s killing spree at the end of the first game. It’s a hard pill to swallow, and one that left a lot of emotionally invested fans feeling understandably drained.

Ellie has been the core of The Last of Us from the very beginning. Even with early advertising propping up Joel as the story’s leading man, fans could tell that it was the young Elliot Page look-alike, doing battle against fungal beasts, that would steal the show. Franchise creator Neil Druckmann has even stated that, despite her supporting role in the game, he often viewed The Last of Us as Ellie’s coming-of-age story. It was perhaps this focus, and Johnson‘s likability, that blinded most of us from the path Ellie had been set on.

The true twist of Part II is that like Joel before her, Ellie is not able to overcome her darkest emotions when it truly matters. By the time she comes around, she’s lost her family, her ability to play music, and her sense of purpose in life. There is not an obvious driving force compelling her forward into another adventure. It’s mostly just a sense of regret and emptiness. On the other hand, a seen-better-days Abby closes Part II having let go of her hatred. She even has a goal in mind. Alongside the arrow-savvy Lev, she is going to find the Fireflies and help repair humanity. Her actions embody the philosophy of the franchise: “life goes on.”

The paramount scene of the original game was not the heartbreaking choice made at the hospital. It was, as we all felt, the overwhelmingly tender moment in which Joel and Ellie saw giraffes. After hours of playing through extreme violence and seeing the world at its very worst, we still manage to be awe-struck by the beauty of a loving long-necked mammal. That is what The Last of Us is really all about. It’s about reaching your lowest point, scraping the bottoms of the filthiest barrels, and coming back from it all with a new lease on life. Abby has seemingly done this, we meet her at her lowest and watch her develop beyond that point, but Ellie has just hit rock bottom. To conclude the trilogy on a more positive note, a third game should feature Ellie’s climb back to the top.

She may have drawn initial criticism from certain sects of the fandom, but whether they like it or not, it feels like Ellie’s happy ending is tied to whatever Abby does next. I won’t propose a full-blown plot for The Last of Us Part III, but if Druckmann and company want to go full circle, they could do a lot worse than having Ellie seek out the Fireflies one last time. Perhaps this time, she can do it on her own terms, with a mindless clouded by aggression. Abby, Lev, and their Fireflies will be the light at the end of her long, weary tunnel. They will be her giraffes, and maybe she can find the peace she’s never been comfortable having.

August 11, 2021
Review: ‘WHAT IF…?’ Episode 1, “What If…Captain Carter Were the First Avenger?”

With the opening of the MCU’s multiverse still very fresh in our memories, the first episode of What If…? promptly delivers content to give color to the infinite branching timelines seen at the end of Loki. The series ambitiously depicts these alternate realities in an animated light, which will undoubtedly change how the MCU as a whole is perceived for better or for worse. While, consequently, there are growing pains, the first episode of the series is intriguing enough for the average viewer to accept the invitation to dive further into the prism of time. Here we are introduced to Jeffrey Wright’s The Watcher, who promises to be the guide.

The animation style adopted by the series requires some getting used to throughout the episode. Not only is it a stark change from the MCU’s exclusively live-action history, but it certainly comes with its own flaws. It doesn’t start off strong—it’s clunky, stiff, and less than stellar with dialogue. Ultimately, though, it settles itself in and the story is laid out relatively unhindered by it. Part of its success there is likely its heavy use of familiar voices. While Chris Evans does not return to voice Steve Rogers, virtually every other major character in the episode features returning cast. This makes everything easier to swallow and accept as related to original timeline, but it can come at the cost of stellar voice acting. Dialogue overall came across awkward and forced. Even Hayley Atwell’s Captain Carter seemed off, but it’s arguably a reasonable and maybe preferable trade-off for the series to make.

The use of animation in general is an incredibly valuable operation for What If…? It allows the series to tell a variety of stories easily and with versatility, creating space for prolific storytelling that is unencumbered by the constraints of live-action. The fact that these stories are animated also brilliantly underscores the series’ premise that they exist in alternate realities. Still, given the rumors that characters from the series will make transitions into live-action down the line, the switch between styles likely won’t be able to escape being a jarring and tricky experience.

As to the actual story of the episode, What If…Captain Carter Were the First Avenger? indeed follows the simple premise of exploring what the events of Captain America: The First Avenger would have looked likely had Peggy Carter taken the Super Soldier Serum instead of Steve Rogers. Overall, most of the elements of the film lingered. The notable differences were that Steve took on the role of the HYDRA Stomper, Bucky Barnes did not fall off the train and ultimately become the Winter Soldier, and the Red Skull uses the tesseract to create an interdimensional portal. Peggy, now branded as “Captain Carter”, charges into the latter at the end of the episode only to emerge in a lab identical that the one seen at the start of Avengers. This is the most radical departure and significant development in the story, as it already opens up the multiverse to Captain Carter. The Union Jack shield-bearing Captain at the end of the episode is definitively set on a path very much unique from that of our known Captain America’s.

Obviously, though, the second major implication of this alternate reality is that the world’s first and only super soldier was a woman. The show rightfully takes pains to emphasize the significance of this in Carter’s 1940’s scenery. While this focus could be altogether dropped once she distances herself from the classic old-fashioned ways of her time period, it probably won’t be in the long run. Either way, Captain Carter is unfortunately otherwise fairly one-note and uninteresting. Her entire personality is displayed through the lens of a perfect soldier, and Carter simply and unfailingly punches her way through the bulk of the episode. She shows virtually no vulnerabilities or weaknesses other than her romance with Steve. It’s great that she is being planted as an unwavering and strong character, but it just isn’t compelling yet.

Given that the entire point of the series and this episode is to briefly explore a hypothetical situation, the lack of depth to a character is not surprising or even unwarranted. However, because Captain Carter is confirmed to be returning for every season of What If…? and rumored to be making a live-action debut in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, it’s entirely fair to ask for a leading character to be more engaging and—honestly—fun. Captain Carter still has time and space to further develop and bring more to the table, but hopefully she will become someone easier and more entertaining to tag along with on this wild journey through the multiverse.

At the end of the day, the first episode of What If…? is a taste of what a wider sampling of the Marvel universe can offer to the MCU. While it may not be completely satisfying, it does do its job of persuading viewers to give the whole meal a chance. As the threads of the series start to intertwine, the novel overall style of What If…? will be put to the test. For now, though, we can just sit back, relax, and keep an open mind about what the MCU is throwing our way

August 11, 2021
Latest ‘Marvel’s Avengers’ Black Panther Teaser May Hint at HYDRA’s Future Presence

Marvel’s Avengers is building up to next week’s release of the War for Wakanda expansion. Black Panther will finally be playable and we’ll get a brand new story to play through alongside additional missions. We’ll get our first full look at the character in action during the game’s latest War Table video. To prepare us for the character’s release, we got various videos hinting at the backstory of T’Challa, the Dora Milaje, and Wakanda.

The latest offers more clues on Ulysses Klaue’s motivation and even reveals a sequence where T’Chaka fought alongside Captain America in the Second World War. We find out they fought against Ulysses Klaue’s father, whose legacy carries over into the DLC. This small detail serves more than just world-building, but might also have bigger implications for the game’s future than we might think. It may be our first hint at the introduction of HYDRA into the game’s universe.

"Klaue promised to finish what his father started."

Zawavari tells the tale of two sons driven by the fatal fates of their fathers. Watch Road to Wakanda: Fathers and Sons to prepare for the War for Wakanda Expansion on August 17. pic.twitter.com/UgyDNPCDqL

— Marvel's Avengers (@PlayAvengers) August 10, 2021

Klaue will introduce the game to a new enemy faction. While it seems he is acting in the name of AIM, it was never confirmed if his team of goons gets a unique name. I do not believe War for Wakanda will introduce HYDRA as the main faction, but I do think it’ll potentially give us the first seeds on their inclusion in the game’s future. Ever since the Cosmic Cube dropped, we’ve gotten more hints at familiar villains joining the franchise’s world. It might be possible the ending of this story arc is the beginning of their introduction.

Klaue utilized resources from an underground HYDRA, who’ve been building their army in silence. They’ve been waiting for the perfect opportunity to take action. He is chasing after vibranium for Monica, who vanished after the events of Cosmic Cube. So, he might need a new buyer and there’s someone on the market, who was waiting for the perfect opportunity. They did share a connection in the comics as well. It would be the perfect jumping-off point for their introduction into the game. The War Table will drop in a two-hour event hosted by Kinda Funny’s Greg Miller and Ms. Marvel voice actress Sandra Saad on August 16h at 10 AM PT.

Source: Twitter (War Table), Twitter

August 10, 2021
Marvel Studios’ Phase 4: A Study in Loss and Tragedy

With the conclusion of Loki‘s first season, a theme is emerging in Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Multiverse. Our heroes might not win as much as we’d like them to. Even victories could turn out costly at this point. Between episodes 4 and 5, I began to think about how Ant-Man and the Wasp would fare against Kang the Conqueror in his earliest introduction. By the time the Disney+ series had concluded, I was beginning to feel like maybe our heroes might experience a lot of loss in the coming projects.

With no major crossovers confirmed, and Kevin Feige saying “Phase Four was always about continuing in new ways,” it seems Marvel Studios could be allowing room for our heroes to lose more than they win for the foreseeable future. Let’s look through the Phase Four projects and estimate what chances our heroes have, may it be a costly victory, an outright loss, or even an outright win. It could give us a glimpse of what shape Phase Four might take. In counting costly wins in opposition to clear wins, I am weighing that the toll from a conflict undoes a sense of achievement and damages long-term progress.

What If

With the official trailer showing hints of an interconnected story that might not be solved in this season and the rumors that we’ll see a live-action Captain Carter in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, it can be suggested the Guardians of the Multiverse might not win clearly in their first team-up. Will they mistakenly unleash something that will tangle with Doctor Strange? Will the whole team make it to the film? We’ll have to tune in from August 11th to find out.

Estimated Verdict: Costly win.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

As Shang-Chi is drawn into a confrontation with his father Wenwu and the Ten Rings organization, in an attempt to escape from his past, it’s clear as all superhero daddy issues are, that there will be some loss even in victory. However, with this particular tale, it seems there could be a reasonably high chance of a respectful conclusion to this father-son conflict.

Estimated Verdict: Clear win.

Ms. Marvel

Kamala Khan will gain polymorphous abilities and uncover a new side of what it means to be a hero. She’ll also probably be tracked and chased by people fearful of those powers. That is not all, as she will also be dealing with being a teenage Pakistani-American growing up in Jersey City. While she’ll be heading onto a cosmic adventure in The Marvels, it’s hard to imagine Kamala losing or winning at a cost.

Estimated Verdict: Clear win.

Eternals

As a race of immortal beings who have shaped Earth’s history, it’s difficult to see how the Eternals could truly lose. However, in the comics, there is often a traitor in their midst. Plus, despite their cosmic power levels, some members decide to be amongst humans while others prefer to take their places amongst the stars. It’s easy to imagine the team splitting and the stories continuing in different Earthbound and cosmic locations.

Estimated Verdict: Costly win.

Hawkeye

It could be a bad time for Clint, as the series will take inspiration from Matt Fraction and David Aja’s My Life as a Weapon comic run. Luckily, it seems as though his protégé Kate Bishop and Pizza Dog will be there to support him. He’ll face attacks from Kazi and the Tracksuit Mafia. Even Yelena Belova joins the fray, who will be out to avenge her sister and Clint’s friend, Natasha, due to a misunderstanding. They’ll also come across Echo, whose comic connection as Kingpin’s adoptive daughter could suggest an upcoming overarching story at the street level of the MCU. While Kate Bishop will undoubtedly continue as Hawkeye, maybe Clint will finally retire at the third time of trying.

Estimated Verdict: Costly win

Spider-Man: No Way Home

With Peter Parker’s identity being released publicly at the end of Far From Home, it stands to reason that the villains will target Peter personally, which could result in a heavy cost even in the event of a win. With the rumors of classic villains from other Spider-Man franchises joining the film, it looks like Peter has a tough battle ahead.

Estimated Verdict: Costly win.

She-Hulk

Besides having to deal with superhero-oriented legal cases, Jennifer Walters will have to take on the Abomination, Titania, and reportedly even The Wrecking Crew. All that while watching out for an Infinity Gauntlet-injured Professor Hulk. Don#t forget, she also has to balance her professional life with what will likely be at least one career-defining case. I would not be surprised if She-Hulk smashing the money trail of one of her cases leads to a much wider street-level conspiracy, leading to a bigger and more dangerous confrontation.

Estimated Verdict: Costly win.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

With Loki unleashing the multiverse and the Scarlet Witch prophesied to have “power [that] exceeds that of the Sorcerer Supreme,” it’s clear to me Doctor Strange will have a tough time on his hands. I don’t expect any major deaths, but I think it’s unlikely Wanda won’t get what she wants. The bigger question is, who will face the biggest loss throughout the multiversal adventure.

Estimated Verdict: Clear loss.

Moon Knight

Moon Knight’s complexity as a vigilante suffering from dissociative identity disorder with multiple distinct personalities is only matched by the problem of possibly being the chosen avatar of Egyptian God, Khonshu. Or is it all in Marc Spector’s head? If he is real, would his goals come at the price of his sanity? In all likelihood, the situation will get worse for Marc before it gets better.

Estimated Verdict: Costly win

Thor: Love & Thunder

Gorr The God Butcher is coming for the pantheons of aliens that claim to be gods. While Thor will have lots of support, his track record in clean wins is not high, and it’s easy to see how Gorr will cause some damage that could be hard to recover from. As Thor: Ragnarok taught us, Thor’s victories always come at a price. Hopefully, this time it isn’t something the Asgardians have to pay as well.

Estimated Verdict: Costly win

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

By opening up to the world Wakanda has risked quite a lot, and alongside having to manage a new throne succession process, they will reportedly have to deal with Prince Namor and his oceanic kingdom. If this conflict goes anything like how it goes down in the comic, the Wakandans tribes will need to band together to withstand the waters coming at them.

Estimated Verdict: Costly win

Secret Invasion

This will clearly differ from the comic arc of the same name. For now, little is known about how it might turn out and what new twists they’ll add to the iconic storyline. However, Nick Fury and Talos discovering that a secret sect of Skrull has every level of life on Earth seems like a scenario that can’t be won cleanly. It also feels like it could lead to a galactic clash in The Marvels.

Estimated Verdict: Costly win

The Marvels

Although Carol defeated the Kree Supreme Intelligence, which is seemingly no longer in charge of the Kree Empire in modern times, there are almost certainly still extremists roaming the galaxy. Ronan The Accuser was most likely not the only one believing in their old traditions. It seems like Carol, Monica, and Kamala could be caught in the start of a reignition of the massive galactic war between the Kree and Skrull, where there are few winners.

Estimated Verdict: Costly win

Echo

Amidst Maya Lopez debuting as Echo in Hawkeye, there is a reasonable chance her comic father issues could extend into an overarching story in her own show. Having such closely tied connections pointing in a direction she will likely be turning away from suggests any about-turn could be painful for her.

Estimated Verdict: Costly win

Ironheart

Little is known about what genius inventor Riri Williams’ first adventure as Ironheart will entail. Although, there are some theories we might see her sooner than her own show. It’s fair to assume that Riri will be able to solve any problems thrown at her initially. She might get a slow introduction into the dangers of being a hero.

Estimated Verdict: Clear win

Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania

While Ant-Man and the Wasp will likely be joined by Cassie Lang’s Stature, it’s hard to envisage that they’ll truly defeat Kang the Conqueror. Even if they do manage to strike a blow upon him, surely another Kang Variant will appear from a Timedoor to continue the previous Variant’s mission. It may only be our first introduction to how fearsome the Conqueror truly is throughout the multiverse.

Estimated Verdict: Clear loss.

Armor Wars

Rhodey has already suffered quite a bit in his tenure as War Machine, but his best friend’s legacy doesn’t feel like something that could be easy to put to bed, especially when Star’s technology falls into the wrong hands. Although Rhodey will likely solve the imminent danger, some of the nastier technologies Tony created are bound to persist and make his life a living hell.

Estimated Verdict: Costly win

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

This outing is likely to be the last of this iteration of the team, so it is easy to envision that they might be heading for a split. Even if they do defeat whatever threat they are up against, there might also be some major deaths from the Guardians’ ranks, making this adventure a high-priced victory. We’ve seen in the past that James Gunn doesn’t shy away from exploring a story of loss.

Estimated Verdict: Costly win

So having looked at how our heroes might fare in their next adventures, I think it’s fair to say that the majority of confirmed Phase Four projects are not clear wins for our heroes. While this being the start of a new saga, many heroes are continuing from previous arcs. There is a decent amount of room for them to suffer major setbacks. Perhaps in some ways, this part of the second saga is in tribute to The Empire Strikes Back. At least in the way, it might dish out painful truths and physical humblings. It could also set the stage for even more powerful emotional moments and team-ups than the Infinity Saga before multiple teams have to find a way to band together against an even worse threat eventually.

Source: YouTube

August 10, 2021
‘Sonic the Hedgehog 2’: Idris Elba to Voice Knuckles the Echidna

It looks like the rumors are false and it isn’t Jason Momoa who will voice Knuckles the Echidna in Sonic the Hedgehog 2. Idris Elba took to Twitter to unveil his involvement alongside our first tease at the echidna’s classic knuckled fists. It’s also our first look at the film’s design which is only a small tease. So, perhaps we’ll get a full look at the trio in the near future.

https://twitter.com/idriselba/status/1425174698007138305?s=21

It’s amazing to see the details put into the design of the glove. We even see the lining and small details. We sadly never get a chance to see how detailed these characters are designed in the film, but it shows how much work the animators put into these projects. We know that he’ll join Sonic and Tails, who was briefly introduced in the post-credit sequence of the first film, in a new adventure. Yet, his role is still uncertain.

In the original gaming franchise, Knuckles starts off as an antagonist. He believes Sonic is out to steal his Master Emerald before he joins their efforts to stop the evil Dr. Robotnik. There’s a good chance they might follow this original dynamic and they end up working together at the end of the film.

Yet, we don’t know who will be the main antagonist. While I would love to see Chaos make his live-action debut, there’s a good chance that Jim Carrey‘s Robotnik will find his way back into the human-filled dimension. We’ll also get to hopefully explore his connection to the echidna’s we briefly saw in the first film’s opening. He might have been sent by them to hunt down Sonic before finding out he isn’t that bad after all.

Source: Twitter

August 10, 2021
‘Mortal Kombat’ Sequel Could Become an HBO Max Exclusive

2021 has been an interesting year for Warner Bros. They’ve tested out their new strategy of releasing films in theaters and on their HBO Max streaming service. It included the likes of Godzilla vs. Kong, Mortal Kombat, and recently The Suicide Squad. We sadly have little insight into how these projects perform on the streaming service. It’s a hotly debated topic as the usual Box Office performances aren’t the best metric to get a feel for a project’s success.

One of the surprises is how well Mortal Kombat seems to be performing on the streaming service. The gaming adaptation is reportedly the best performing weekend release on the service and according to analysts Samba TV, it also dominated the second quarter in US households with 6M watching it on the service. It was far ahead of Those Who Wish Me Dead, Disney+’s Cruella, or The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It.

Curious how some of this past spring's direct-to-streaming movies fared? Our Q2 2021 State of Viewership Report takes a look back at some of Q2's biggest releases.

Download the full report here: https://t.co/M3g6IvEkPs #SambaTVInsights #MortalKombat #Cruella pic.twitter.com/ykGKEqW4Y8

— Samba TV (@samba_tv) August 10, 2021

Reportedly, The Suicide Squad took the second spot of most-watched film on the streaming service, which might hint at a strong performance for R-rated projects. It also performed decently during the first recovery months of the Box Office, as it took the top spot with $22.5M. Yet, its streaming dominance could be an indicator for Warner Bros. to build upon its success and release a sequel for HBO Max exclusively.

There still has been no official renewal for a sequel, but it seems likely as any film currently faces Box Office troubles during the pandemic. Still, we know the service is looking into creating exclusive films for the service base don DC properties. Batgirl and Blue Beetle are already confirmed. It wouldn’t be too surprised if they’d consider adding Mortal Kombat to the list. Perhaps they’d even explore a TV series instead to give the many characters more character.

Source: Twitter

August 10, 2021
Multiverse Discourse: Exploring 5 Potential ‘What If…?’ Stories

The upcoming Disney+ series, What If…? is set to explore vast new realities in the Marvel Cinematic Multiverse. It’ll flip the scripts on the many films and stories we’ve witnessed over the years. The show can truly pan out in several unexpected ways, and it’ll leave the imagination to wander in how many ways events could have gone differently. We already know a couple of the scenarios that are meant to take place, like Agent Carter receiving the Super Soldier serum, and Yondu picking up T’Challa instead of Peter Quill. But with an infinite number of realities, there are so many potential concepts and events that this show could explore. This is why we turned to the wonderful people in our Knowhere Discord server and asked them to come up with possible new What If scenarios they would like to see play out in future seasons of the show.

What if Wanda Maximoff Became the Sorcerer Supreme?

In this alternate reality, Wanda Maximoff would have gone through the same journey as Doctor Strange. She sets out to search for Kamar-Taj in hopes of looking for an understanding of her power. Upon finding it and meeting the Ancient One, rather than meeting Tilda Swinton‘s version of the character, it is Agatha Harkness holding the mantle. This is would set up quite the twist on what the audience would normally come to expect. The idea of Harkness defeating the Ancient One and taking her place as the Sorcerer Supreme has many implications. She transformed Kamar-Taj into a new coven to train the next generation of witches. Wanda taking on her mantle and follow in the witch’s footsteps would be quite a fascinating storyline.

What if Mysterio’s Original Plan Worked?

In this particular scenario, we explore a universe in which Quentin Beck’s identity was never figured out by Peter in Far From Home. In this reality, the audience would get the opportunity to see what a world with Mysterio in a position of power, similar to the likes of Iron Man or Captain America, would look like. If his plan had worked, the governments of the world would grant him access to power and weaponry. He would continue his fantasy of being a hero and fight fake enemies all around with illusions and such. As time would go on, however, and given how unstable he was, he could have potentially fallen prey to his own illusions and end up escalating the situation. It could even lead to governments potentially taking nuclear action and plunging the world into potential chaos.

What if Quicksilver Survived?

This was an idea that had always been played around with since the release of Avengers: Age of Ultron. Given how the MCU played out following the events of the film, it would have been interesting to see what role Pietro could’ve had in Captain America: Civil War. Imagine a scenario in which Pietro joins Tony’s side after understanding his guilt. The idea of Pietro and Wanda being on opposite sides of the confrontation would add a curious twist to the original storyline. And if Pietro continued to survive even into Avengers: Infinity War, it opens up the question of how he would move on with his life after losing his sister to the Snap. What could he have done in those past 5 years?

What if the Villains Fought Thanos?

Fan-Art piece by Saif Z.K and Leroy Fernandes.

Our Discord very much supported this idea and had many concepts as to how this particular scenario could have played out. In a world where every single hero failed to defeat their proper villain, it introduces a scenario in which each respective villain dominated an aspect of the MCU. Yet, if Thanos threatened the villains’ way of life by continuing with his plan to wipe out half of the universe, it would be an interesting play on the events of Infinity War with all the villains joining forces to ultimately do an act of good, not to save the universe, but save themselves.

What if Coulson Died in Captain Marvel?

One of the pitches from our Discord members centers around an important character when it comes to the formation of the Avengers. If Coulson had died in Captain Marvel, then the ripple effects of this would have led to Fury remaining a lower-ranked SHIELD agent, leaving Earth defenseless against the Chitauri Invasion. As such, Loki becomes the King of Midgard. He would take control of Black Widow, Iron Man, and Captain America, much like he did to Hawkeye in the first Avengers film. Following the battle, Fury would have to take the lead and form an unlikely team consisting of Thor, Hulk, the Ancient One, Ant-Man (Hank Pym), Black Panther (King T’Chaka), and Captain Marvel. It ends up with a battle against Loki and his own team of superpowered villains.

August 10, 2021
Leaked ‘Black Widow’ Deleted Scene Reveals Alternate Ending

It looks like one of the deleted scenes from Black Widow have found their way online. Not just any scene, but what seems like an alternative ending where Natasha witnesses a group of kids playing Avengers in her old Ohio neighborhood where she grew up. It’s quite a different take on the ending, as the current version pretty much sets up her storyline in Avengers: Infinity War. We still get her iconic blonde hair in this sequence with Yelena’s green vest. So, it would’ve served the same function but also give her a stronger emotional ending realizing she has done well for the world. The leaked footage comes courtesy of @CosmicMedia_.

New deleted scene from #BlackWidow pic.twitter.com/JeiMrH2hq2

— Cosmic Media (@cosmicmmedia) August 10, 2021

In a way, this ending matches the post-credit sequence even better. As the original set her up for her next appearance, which was in theaters years before the film was released, only to cut to her grave after the events of Avengers: Endgame. Her outfit gives away the connective tissue, and there wasn’t much of a need to explain where they got their Helicarrier from. This emotional ending matches her story throughout the franchise much better.

Plus, seeing a girl free to pretend she is Black Widow also adds some relevance to the actions she undertook in the film. There’s a reason they went with the ending that was released in theaters and on Disney+, but it’s always great to get a look at what almost made its way into the film. It’s neve ran easy decision to figure out what leaves the cutting room floor, but luckily physical releases still offer glimpses into what could’ve been.

Source: Twitter

August 10, 2021
New ‘The Suicide Squad’ Artwork Reveals Deathstroke Had Bloodsport’s Role

The Suicide Squad has finally released in theaters and on HBO Max. Even with a lukewarm Box Office opening over the weekend, it’s proving quite popular on the streaming service. It introduces us to some new characters from the DC canon alongside some familiar faces from the previous entry. One of the highlights is the newly introduced character of Bloodsport, who is played by Idris Elba in the film.

Yet, it looks like his role might’ve been very different at one point as Twitter user @DCversio1 shared an image from behind-the-scenes with various artwork in the background. Once you take a closer look you’ll notice that Bloodsport’s leading position is taken by the iconic DC anti-hero, Deathstroke. It’s possible they kept the artwork for production purposes but already realized the role would be perfect for Bloodsport.

https://twitter.com/DCverso1/status/1425084579212406787

James Gunn did reveal that the character almost made the cut into the film. Yet, we never got into any insight into what role he would’ve had and it seems he almost was the leading man of the original second team throughout the film. The other members, King Shark, Peacemaker, Polka-Dot Man, and Ratcatcher 2, are present in the visual. We sadly don’t see the first team from the film, which might reveal its original line-up.

Still, it’s a shame we didn’t get the return of Deathstroke, who only briefly returned in Zack Snyder’s Justice League for a brief appearance. He was played by Joe Manganiello in both versions of the film. It’s uncertain if he was up for the role, or Idris Elba would’ve taken on a new interpretation of the character. Still, Bloodsport’s unique weapons added a great visual flair to the film, and it hopefully is just the beginning of Elba‘s time in the DCEU.

Source: Twitter

August 10, 2021
‘Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings’ Runtime Revealed

It looks like we finally got an inclination on how long the upcoming Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings will be. It seems Cinemark has included the official runtime in its listing of 2 hours and 12 minutes. As such, the film will be the same length as the non-MCU film X-Men: First Class but longer than Doctor Strange by a few minutes. It’s still quite a few minutes shorter than the 2 hours and 14 minutes Black Widow ran in July. Black Panther and The Incredible Hulk are ahead by a minute in runtime.

The film will follow Simu Liu‘s Shang-Chi, who is forced to return to the Ten Rings organization and face his father’s legacy. We got a glimpse of the confrontation between the two that’ll end up as a tug of war for the right on wielding the ten rings. On the way, it seems he’ll also face some unlikely and familiar foes.

The runtime seems to be generally on par with most Marvel Studios and overall modern Hollywood films. It’ll be interesting to see how much time we really spend with Shang-Chi’s early childhood and time living in the United States before his past comes back to haunt him. Early trailers teased quite a bit of mythology getting explored in the film.

It’s crazy to think we’re only a few weeks away from its release, as it originally planned for a February release. Of course, the production also got pushed back due to the pandemic. So, the team had more time to work on it. It got shifted back by a few months when Black Widow took its original July release. Here’s hoping current developments don’t mean that Eternals loses its November release slot.

Source: Cinemark via Games Radar, Quora

August 10, 2021