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‘Superman and Lois’: How Clark Kent Puts The Man In Man of Steel

In many iterations of Superman, there have been stories that have shaped how he deals with complicated choices. Specifically, when it comes to remaining in control. In stories involving Red Kryptonite, we’ve seen the impact of those scenarios. Even Injustice, where the Joker influences him to kill Lois Lane is as far as the scope goes. In Superman & Lois‘ latest episode Clark has to deal with his own lack of control that is capable of destroying the world.

Regular human beings who have great wealth and power aren’t inclined to have control. They’re known to indulge and revel in the fruits of their labor. Superman has all the power someone can only dream of owning. Yet, he’s human enough to control it for the greater good, which isn’t easy. While he was under the influence of his brother Tal-Rho, there was a moment for Clark where it felt good to let go.

I’m not saying I want this to be true. I wish it wasn’t, but it felt good. It felt really, really good. That feeling worries me.

As Clark pleads with Lois that the kryptonite weapons should not be buried, this is the humanity that exists within the Kryptonian. Part of heroism is sacrifice, but an even bigger part is self-awareness. It’s easy to think that someone like Superman is infallible, and Lois Lane’s belief in her husband is admirable. In a way, it’s easy to get caught up in the praise and adulation that’s given to the Man of Tomorrow.

Yet, the greater power that Clark exhibits here, is one of understanding his own journey. Jonathan Kent taught Clark about controlling his gifts, knowing that one mistake could come at an unimaginable cost. Clark has lived with this for years upon years, yet with all of those lessons, there is no hubris.Eventually, Superman trusted John Henry Irons to hold onto the Kryptonite weapons after learning of his fate. In a parallel world, Superman was corrupted. He and other Kryptonians took over the world, including the horrifying act that led to the Man of Tomorrow killing Lois.

John showed up in this current world, wanting to make sure that the same thing wouldn’t happen again. Eventually, he was convinced that this Superman was different. It’s a credit to Clark for ignoring the praise and belief around him and doing the right thing. There is always a chance that someone or something could take control. In his vulnerability, Clark decided that a Superman could not. He put his trust into humanity, and it has made him the hero that he’s always been.

July 29, 2021
7 Anime Studios Perfect for a ‘Marvel Studios: Visions’ Collaboration

As the Marvel Cinematic Universe continues to expand, Marvel Studios is exploring new ways to tell their stories. One of their focuses for the future appears to be towards animation. What If…? is only the beginning of what Marvel Studios has planned for the MCU’s future. It got confirmed by Variety in an interview with Victoria Alonso. Now, while what the future holds remains to be seen, we wanted to explore what could potentially be one of the ideas that Marvel Studios could be looking at as we speak.

Anime is currently one of the most dominant corners of pop-culture media in the world. Having an anthology series of short films similar to Star Wars: Visions, with multiple anime studios tackling Marvel characters, could provide a new take on characters we all know and love. So with that in mind, here are seven studios and characters we would love to see for a potential Marvel Studios: Visions anthology series.

1. Studio Bones – Avengers

Kicking off the list, we have Bones, the studio responsible for hit series such as My Hero Academia, Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood, and Mob Psycho 100. Bones’ seems to love exploring large-scale fights with multiple characters. Yet, they also manage to focus on character interactions that best fit the overall story. So having a shot anthology film of the Avengers facing off against a common threat could potentially be an absolutely interesting concept for a studio like Bones to tackle.

2. Studio Sunrise – Guardians of the Galaxy

With projects such as Code Geass and Cowboy Bebop, Sunriseseems like a perfect fit to tackle a Guardians of the Galaxy story for this anthology series. Imagine a new take on the Guardians with the jazz-infused stylings of Cowboy Bebop. The art style of that particular show also could be applied to this Guardians story for a more retro feel for these versions of the characters.

3. Studio Trigger – Captain Marvel

The aesthetic and style behind the studio Trigger is one that is uniquely colorful and pleasing. This reason alone is why Captain Marvel could potentially be a good fit for a story animated by this studio. With shows like Promare, BNA, and Kill La Kill under their belt, a one-shot story with the space adventures and cosmic abilities of Carol Danvers could easily translate well into the art style of this studio.

4. Ufotable – Black Panther

Ufotable has provided anime fans with one of the most incredible and popular anime adaptations in recent history: Demon Slayer. The way they animate action and motion with a perfect blend of colors put them on the map. With that in mind, I believe that a story with Black Panther could perhaps be an incredible combination for this series. A story set within the boundaries of Wakanda and their culture applied to the artistic styles of Ufotable could bring forth some of the most imaginative and unique visuals with some incredible hand-to-hand combat.

5. Madhouse – Ant-Man and The Wasp

Perhaps you’d recognize Madhouse for their work in multiple series such as Overlord, One Punch Man, Death Note, and Hunter X Hunter. But, perhaps, one of the most curious things relating the studio to this pitch is that Madhouse is one of the studios that has already adapted Marvel as an anime before, including characters such as Wolverine, X-Men, Iron Man, and Future Avengers. Rather than have them rework one of these concepts, however, it would certainly be interesting to see Madhouse develop a story with Ant-Man and The Wasp told in the anime format, as their micro-scale dimensions could hit big in this world.

6. Mappa – Doctor Strange

If you’re a big fan of Attack on Titan and Jujutsu Kaisen, then you’d know why MAPPA is an excellent studio to tackle the magical antics of the Sorceror Supreme. Doctor Strange uses some elements and aesthetics that would fit right in the anime domain. MAPPA’s skill in designing memorable action sequences with unique visuals makes them the perfect fit. In addition, they offer the kind of creativity that would make Strange’s magic stand out even more amongst his Marvel brethren.

7. A-1 Pictures – Spider-Man

Lastly, but certainly not least important, you have the studio behind works such as Sword Art Online, Blue Exorcist, and The Seven Deadly Sins (Let’s just pretend that last season didn’t happen). A-1 Pictures tackling a character like Spider-Man is one of the most out-of-the-box choices on this list. Yet, I feel like Sword Art Online draws parallels in the form of the series’ main character and our famed web-slinger. Plus, the fluidity of Kirito’s movement shows what would be possible if A-1 brought the web-slinger to life in animated form.

July 28, 2021
Taking on ‘Marvel’s Avengers’ First Omega Level-Threat and the Super-Adaptoid

We’ve been covering Marvel’s Avengers for quite some time now. Ever since the beta was released, we have been taking a closer look at the stories surrounding the controversial game. It had a rough release with a plethora of content getting delayed as it tried to fight through California wildfires and the pandemic on top of everything. After around eleven months, the first Omega-Level Threat has finally arrived alongside quite a few new and returning additions to fill out the summer. It isn’t the initially promised Cloning Labs but the second introduced OLT, Family Reunion. It’s a reworked version of a mission released with Kate Bishop’s DLC in December. After its initial release, I had the chance to tackle the OLT with friends to see if it keeps its promise of the game’s most challenging content.

Crystal Dynamics has openly discussed that this OLT will feel “old” to the latest Villain Sector focused on AIM’s Monica Rappaccini. It is mainly a reworked version of the original mission that premiered in December with some tweaks. The new modifiers offer a different level of challenge as you face the Tachyon timer, which was never a big deal. Enemies are spawned very frequently with unflinching armors that sadly restrict you from making full use of your character’s juggling capabilities. On the flip side, you also make it difficult to just one-shot the various AIM bots and Keepers. It’s not a perfect solution, but it did force me to communicate closely with my teammates to ensure I don’t die or we run out of time.

The true challenge is two-fold. The giant AIM mech is way faster than before and quite difficult to take down. It was a pleasant surprise and was a blast coordinating with others to take out its different weak spots. Then comes the true challenge of the game, the new Super-Adaptoid fight. At first, you can take a good chunk of damage off of it, but then it splits into multiple clones, and chaos ensues. We’ve probably got wiped around six times in the Super-Adaptoid fight, as we slowly adjust to the new moves. Even knowing what was coming didn’t make it any easier. My Thor had no chance and got knocked out frequently, as I have casually just looked for gear that I felt gave me good stats. It was a blast playing with my team and taking on the mission in a new way, as I mostly played solo until today.

Yet, the loss was exhilarating as we’ve kept getting closer and closer to beating the Adaptoid. Few shared their frustration with the mission, but I believe it does what it promised. It’s not perfect, as it does feel strange to remake an older level instead of adding something new, especially after a long delay. It’s even the small things such as reusing the old visual icon on the War Table rather than making it stick out as a unique mechanic. It truly feels like an element of an earlier era for the game, as it was still finding its footing as a service offering.

The one thing I want to commend both the OLT and the Cosmic Cube Villain Sector, they’ve changed the way I played the game. I no longer use whatever random gear I get but sit down and go through each piece. As a more casual player, these new additions put me in a situation where gear matters. Yes, the gear doesn’t stick out as it could in the game, but the latest additions did make me sit down and think about what I want to do with my gear. So, I want to praise the game for pushing me to rethink my approach to it even 200 hours into my overall run.

Overall, I think the OLT was a great addition. It certailny isn’t perfect, as it could’ve benefitted from some surprises, and it’s time to test out new elements on how to add challenges besides through specific modifiers. They teased that future content will be closer to Cosmic Cube, which took me quite a few tries before I was able to finish it. It was a lot of fun coming together with friends online and take on this mission. If this is just a taste, I am hopeful and excited to see what the future holds for the game. I still hope that we get more randomization that can add to the challenge and even catch players off-guard. Here’s hoping Black Panther’s War for Wakanda update adds some new modes to extend the endgame in the future. Still, it’s a great first step, and it’s a great warm-up ahead of what they described as their biggest content drop to date.

July 28, 2021
REPORT: Sony Eyeing Jodie Turner-Smith as ‘Kraven the Hunter’s Calypso

It’s gotten quiet on the Kraven the Hunter front. It’s been two months since Aaron Taylor-Johnson joined the project as the titular villain. The film is eyeing a release in 2023 but Sony has been rather quiet overall during the pandemic. Illuminerdi did run a story that they are interested in adding the Russian master of disguise Dmitri Smerdyakov. Marvel fans will instantly recognize the pedestrian name of the Chameleon, who is related to the infamous hunter. It looks like they got one more bit of news, as the film is eyeing Jodie Turner-Smith in the role of Calypso.

Turner-Smith has been building up her career throughout the last few years which includes appearances in 2017’s The Last Ship, 2019’s Queen & Slim, and 2021’s Without Remorse. She recently starred in the Channel 5 psychological thriller Anne Boleyn. She would take on the role of Calypso, the Haitian voodoo priestess. In the comics, she sacrificed her younger sister to become more powerful and pushed Kraven into his madness. The character first premiered in Amazing Spider-Man #209 in 1980.

We still know very little about the upcoming film. It’s uncertain how they’ll tackle the character, who has strong ties to Spider-Man. There’s always a chance that Sony wants him to appear in the film, which may act as Kraven’s origin story before he became obsessed with the friendly neighborhood spider. They might even connect his franchise to Venom, which would add a very unique flair to the character’s obsession with defeating the strongest beasts.

Source: Illuminerdi

July 28, 2021
Justin Simien’s ‘Haunted Mansion’ Eyeing Tiffany Haddish and Laketih Stanfield

It looks like Disney is ready to expand its theme park-inspired film series. Jungle Cruise will open in theaters and on Disney+ Premier Access this Friday. Without losing any momentum, they are already eyeing Tiffany Haddish and Lakeith Stanfield to lead a new Haunted Mansion film. It’s not the first adaptation of the famous Disney ride, as Eddie Murphy led a horror-comedy adaptation back in 2003. Dear White People and Bad Hair‘s Justin Simien joined the project to direct the big-budget franchise film based on a script by Katie Dippold. The news got reported by Illuminerdi a few days ago with THR confirming it.

The story would follow a family that moves into the iconic haunted mansion. They also shared some casting details. Stanfield will play a widower who once believed in the supernatural while Haddish will communicate with the dead as a psychic. It’ll film in Louisiana, which will definitely add some beautiful iconography to the film. They also confirm that it will not connect to the 2003 original.

Haddish recently starred in the Netflix comedy Bad Trip and is finishing work on Easter Sunday. Stanfield is well-known for his role in FX’s Atlanta, Judas and the Black Messiah, as well as the upcoming The Harder They Fall Western. It’s uncertain if the film will embrace the horror elements or end up returning to the comedy route. Haddish‘s filmography would hint at a more comedic direction, but they may try to balance the genres. The 2003 film was more comedy than horror. So, we’ll see how Disney tackles this new adaptation.

Source: Hollywood Reporter, Illuminerdi

July 28, 2021
Jeffrey Wright Confirms Some ‘What If’ Episodes Were Recorded During the Pandemic

It’s crazy to think that Marvel Studios is heading into animation. The once small production company grew by quite a bit. Disney+ was just the beginning of their next big step. WandaVision kicked off a new era for the company that will soon enter its next phase. What If will expand the franchise into animation and introduce us to the multiverse. As one question can change everything, Jeffrey Wright‘s Uatu will guide us through the various episodes.

The actor had a chance to sit down with Entertainment Weekly to talk bout recording for the series and getting to work on the project alongside Chadwick Boseman, as the animated series will be his last performance within the MCU. He also got to share how he decided on what voice to use, as he has experience with doing voice work. he revealed that a few of the episodes were recorded during quarantine from his closet.

We recorded some of these episodes during lockdown during the pandemic last year. I recorded a bunch of stuff in my closet in Brooklyn. [Laughs] So the preparation was setting up the little mini recording studio and closing the closet door, and banging it out next to my underwear drawer. But it worked out! Good acoustics in there.

It’s become the norm that many actors that do voice work started building recording booths in their homes. Christopher Judge shared some insight into how he did all his work from home while voicing Marvel’s Avengers version of Black Panther. Luckily, it’s gotten easier than ever to work from home. So, they don’t require a fully built booth to do voice work, and actors have gotten creative to solve this issue. Wright shares his excitement about getting to work in his pajamas.

Source: EW

July 28, 2021
‘WHAT IF…?’ Marvel Legends Arrive, Hint at a Live-Action Captain Carter

During today’s Hasbro Pulse Fan First Wednesday, the latest wave of Marvel Legends, this time for the upcoming animated series What If…?, were revealed and may have given away more than just a good look at the characters. The wave, which goes up for pre-order this afternoon at 1:00 PM ET, comes with 7 figures and a Build-A-Figure Uatu. Of the 7, 6 are set to debut in the Disney Plus streaming series What If…?, and the other is labeled “Marvel’s Sylvie” from the recently concluded Loki series. A closer look at the packaging for each character reveals that Haley Atwell’s Captain Carter is called “Marvel’s Captain Carter”, an indication that the character may well make the transition to live-action.

There have been rumors that Carter would appear in an upcoming live-action project, but this is the first evidence of that possibility. The labeling seems intentional to set Captain Carter apart from the other What If…? characters, none of which are labeled as “Marvel’s” characters.

The rest of the wave is comprised of T’Challa as Star-Lord, “Heist” Nebula, Zombie Captain America, a Zombie Hunter Spidey and Doctor Strange Supreme. These Variant characters are likely to be revealed as having come into existence following the death of He Who Remains at the hands of Sylvie, making her inclusion here sensible.

If one had to hazard a guess as to when we might expect Atwell’s Captain Carter to appear, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness would seemingly be a heavy favorite as it is expected to deal with the fallout of Loki.

What If…? will begin streaming weekly on Disney Plus on August 11th.

July 28, 2021
‘WANDAVISION’ and ‘CARNIVAL ROW’ Writer Heading New Marvel Studios Project

Peter Cameron, who served as a writer and story editor on Marvel Studios Disney Plus streaming series WandaVision, is heading up a new, unannounced project for the studio as a co-producer. Cameron wrote 2 episodes of WandaVision, including the “All-New Halloween Spooktacular”, and also served as both a writer and story editor on Amazon Prime’s fantasy series, Carnival Row. Most recently, he worked as the story editor on Netflix’s upcoming adaptation of Mark Millar’s The Magic Order, a fantasy-horror series produced by James Wan.

Marvel Studios currently has 9 unannounced streaming series at various stages of development with projects such as Ghost Rider, Secret Warriors and Nova potentially among them. Given Cameron’s affinity for fantasy/horror projects, Ghost Rider would seem to be a natural fit. Cameron joins Marion Dayre as creatives in charge of unannounced Marvel Studios projects.

July 28, 2021
‘Better Call Saul’ Writer Marion Dayre Set as Showrunner for Mystery Marvel Studios Series

Better Call Saul writer Marion Dayre has been tapped as the showrunner of an upcoming and unannounced Marvel Studios television series. According to her Instagram and an announcement made by San Francisco State University, where she’ll be working with students in the Fall, Dayre has landed the coveted role as lead writer for one of Marvel’s upcoming projects.

Dayre has been involved with Better Call Saul since its inception, working originally as a writer’s assistant and script coordinator, then as a writer, story editor and executive story editor on 2020’s Season 5. While it is unknown what project she is working on, Marvel Studios has as many as 9 unannounced DTC (direct-to-consumer) streaming series at various stages of development. Over past year, Marvel Studios has been rumored to be developing projects such as Ghost Rider, Nova, Secret Warriors, and Illuminati, so it’s possible she’s taken the lead on one of those. It’s also worth noting that no announcement has been made as to who the head creatives will be on Armor Wars, set to begin production next Spring. It is also unclear whether or not this series is intended to stream on Disney Plus or be distributed through another network.

Sources: Instagram and SFSU

July 28, 2021
Latest ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ Set Photo May Confirm Namor and Atlantis

Just yesterday, we got our first glimpse at the production of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. A set video teased a new location within the city of Wakanda that also includes a tribute to Chadwick Boseman and T’Challa. Marvel Studios has been very diligent in keeping the plot a secret as much as possible. Yet, one huge reveal has found its way online, and that is Namor’s upcoming appearance in the film. His exact role isn’t certain, but war seems likely between the MCU’s Atlantis and Wakanda. His involvement was never officially confirmed, but a new set photo may be our first confirmation.

The set photo provided by Instagram user @sinny8 features a giant water tank at the film’s shooting location of the Tyler Perry Studios. These are commonly used by film productions to bring underwater scenes to life. So, the necessity for this tank would confirm that they will feature some underwater scenes with the film’s cast.

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Sadly, we don’t get a shot of any cast members. We heard that they are actively casting Namora and Attumo around two months ago. It seems likely they might have cast the characters by now. The Namor rumor also confirmed that the MCU’s version of Atlantis will connect to Mayan culture, with Tenoch Huerta reportedly cast in the iconic Marvel role. So, we might get our first glimpse at his interpretation of the character if they are filming in these tanks out in public. There’s still no official confirmation on Namor’s appearance or how it connects to the overarching storyline in Wakanda Forever. Yet, they might want to get ahead of any set photos leaking, and we may get an announcement on his casting in the near future.

Source: Instagram

July 28, 2021