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‘Loki’: The Mystery Behind the Unused King Loki Scenes

There have been many mysteries surrounding Loki. The show built up the big question of who is the man behind the curtain. We all wanted to know who was the puppet master of the Time Variance Authority. Trailer after trailer teased whoever it could be. There were countless teases, and even the trailers put many on the path of the mastermind being a king version of Loki.

Well, it turns out that brief tease had nothing to do with the actual finale. It was a big question mark for many viewers, and it turns out it originally was part of the first episode all along. Chris Hemsworth even recorded the grunts of that brief cameo. Composer Natalie Holt offered some insight into why the scene didn’t make it into the first season in an interview with The Direct.

That was a moment in Episode 1. When Mobius is showing [Loki] his life, there were more moments in there. I think they just kind of cut it down to kind of give it a bit more focus. But there were a few extra moments in there, and that Frog of Thunder moment was one of them. I had actually written, I had done something with choir for it like it was this big, grand moment where Loki takes over the crown in Asgard, and then you see Thor as a frog

Interestingly enough, a week ago, we already heard that the first episode planned a fight sequence between Loki and Throg. It’s our first confirmation that this ties together with the King Loki sequences we’ve seen scattered throughout the trailers. It’s a great move to avoid this sequence, as it would’ve taken away from his cameo in the fifth episode. We also got a lot of comedic moments in the opening and adding more could’ve taken away from the dramatic core of Loki’s acceptance.

There’s always a chance they might revisit this concept in the future, especially now that Loki will have a second season. Still, it was clever to use this unused footage in the trailers to keep people guessing until the end. Even if it didn’t serve the series directly, it was a clever idea by Marvel Studios’ marketing team.

Source: The Direct

July 18, 2021
RUMOR: Sung Kang Will Play ‘STAR WARS: REBELS’ Character in ‘OBI-WAN KENOBI’

It’s possible we have our first information on Sung Kang’s mysterious Obi-Wan Kenobi role. A new report from Jordan Maison and the folks at Cinelinx are claiming that Kang will portray one of the Empire’s Inquisitors in the Disney+ series. More specifically, he is said to be the Fifth Brother, an antagonist we saw frequently in the second season of Dave Filoni’s animated Star Wars Rebels.

In that show, the Fifth Brother was voiced by Philip Anthony-Rodriguez, and worked closely with Sarah Michelle Geller’s Seventh Sister to track down the Force-sensitive Ezra Bridger and his master Kanan Jarrus. The Fifth Brother ultimately met his end at the hands of the former Sith Lord, Maul.

In the Star Wars universe, the Inquisitors are a group of Dark Side Force users who work for Darth Vader and the Empire. They spend much of the time between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope hunting down Force-sensitive individuals in an effort to kill or turn them. Maison claims that they won’t be the only Rebels characters who appear in Kenobi, but the scooper did not clarify who else might make an appearance.

Sung Kang is best known for his role as the fan favorite character Han Lue in the Fast and the Furious franchise. In recent years, he has also appeared in films like Raya and the Last Dragon and We Can Be Heroes. On television, he had a starring role in three seasons of the popular Starz series Power.

Source: Cinelinx

July 17, 2021
RUMOR: Vivian Lyra Blair Cast As Princess Leia in ‘OBI-WAN KENOBI’

She may only be a child, but to us, she’s royalty. Rumor has it Princess Leia Organa will be making a return to live-action in next year’s Kenobi series. The news comes from Jordan Maison at Cinelinx, who claims actress Vivian Lyra Blair has been cast as a younger version of the iconic character for the upcoming Disney+ project.

The same report reveals that Leia will be a major part of Kenobi’s story, with Maison describing her role as the “impetus” of the whole show. If the rumor is true, it seems the young Princess will be the reason Ewan McGregor’s Obi-Wan Kenobi dives into a new adventure.

Blair is perhaps best known for her work in 2018’s surprise hit Bird Box, and also had a role in Robert Rodriguez’s Sharkboy & Lavagirl spin-off We Can Be Heroes. Princess Leia is one of the founding characters of the Star Wars franchise. She was originally brought to life by Carrie Fisher, who famously portrayed the character in six films over the course of forty years. The rebellious dignitary also had a cameo appearance in 2016’s Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, with Norwegian actress Ingvild Deila standing in as a body double for Fisher.

Other than this cameo, not much of the character’s life before A New Hope has been explored. Leia appeared briefly in Dave Filoni’s Star Wars Rebels, working against the Empire on her adoptive father’s orders. She may be a little too young to be participating in missions in Kenobi, so it will be interesting to see what shenanigans could end up getting Obi-Wan out of exile on Tatooine.

Source: Cinelinx

July 17, 2021
How Disney+ Could Adapt ‘Young Avengers: Children’s Crusade’

Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is well underway with the premiere of its Disney+ shows. There have been several motifs that have been recurring across the last three Marvel Studios entries. One of these elements is the subtle nods to the next generation of heroes. With the introductions of several characters like Billy and Tommy Maximoff, Elijah Bradley, Kid Loki, Cassie Lang, Riri Williams, Kate Bishop, and America Chavez, all of this leads towards the very likely possibility that the MCU is setting up the introduction of the Young Avengers for Phase 4 or beyond. So, it’s time for a live-action adaptation of The Children’s Crusade storyline.

In the comics, it is a coming-of-age story following House of M. Wanda Maximoff goes missing. So, the Young Avengers set out to find her in an adventure filled with unexpected twists and turns. With the MCU loosely adapting their version of House of M for WandaVision and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, it seems fitting that the follow-up to follow in this saga would be The Children’s Crusade. Especially because it mainly focuses on Billy Kaplan and Thomas Shepherd, the reincarnations of Billy and Tommy Maximoff in the comics. After our brief introduction o them in WandaVision and a potential return in the upcoming Strange sequel, it’s time to follow their story.

How the series would play out

The Disney+ series would be a loose adaptation of the comics. The Young Avengers will be at the forefront of this story. At this point, they’ve already got introduced to another project. However, it will primarily focus on Wiccan and Speed as they search for a deeper understanding of their powers and who they are. Neither one realizes that they’re the other’s twin, but they find it curious that they look similar. I’d start the series with Billy and Tommy experiencing what they believe are very vivid nightmares that viewers might recognize. It later turns out that they are memories from their previous lives as the Maximoff twins.

They could have very weird, cryptic dreams similar to how WandaVision used fake commercials to showcase Wanda’s inner turmoil. As such, they would conclude that their dreams are a message to come and find Wanda Maximoff, who I believe will disappear following the events of the Doctor Strange sequel. Fearful of leaving their new friends behind, they ask for their help in this mission, and the team joins them without hesitation in their crusade.

The series will progress with a globe-trotting adventure, as they search for any clue that’ll lead them to Wanda. We’ll get to explore iconic locations linked to Wanda, such as Sokovia, Westview, New York, and many more. The team will eventually find her in a remote location. She has no memories or recollection of her past life as the Scarlet Witch. This, of course, confuses the team, but Billy and Tommy most of all. How could one of the most powerful individuals in the multiverse be reduced to a simple nobody? This is how we introduce the viewers to the antagonist of the series. Someone is pulling the strings all along. It turns out to be Agatha Harkness.

Agatha All Along Again

At one point, Agatha found a way to free herself from the Scarlet Witch’s binds and eventually reunite with the amnesiac Wanda. Taking pity on her, she treats her in a friendly, almost neighborly manner as she tries to search for ways to recuperate her magic from Wanda. This would draw a parallel to their first interaction in WandaVision. Agatha could potentially serve as the plot device to reveal to the team the true nature of Tommy and Billy, the fact they are indeed reincarnations of the Maximoff twins.

The dreams that the twins experienced at the beginning of the series are more than just memories. They’re a manipulation tactic by Agatha to lure the twins. She believed they were the key to regaining her powers but the plan failed. Agatha would be left with no choice but to try and kill the Young Avengers since they know of her plan. The twins face off against the individual responsible for their nightmares and trauma as kids. In the climax of the final battle, Wanda Maximoff regains her memory and aids the team in their battle against Harkness, thus defeating the witch once more and reuniting a family.

July 17, 2021
‘Loki’: Jonathan Majors Voiced The Time-Keepers in the Disney+ Series

The Loki finale finally revealed the mysterious man behind the Time Variance Authority, Jonathan Majors. While he was only referred to as He Who Remains, we’ve known for a while that he is playing Kang the Conqueror in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. His early casting opened the floodgates to theorize his appearance and, luckily, it panned out. However, it seems we were wrong when he made his debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. We only get to meet him in person in the finale, he did appear in the fourth episode of the season, as director Kate Herron revealed he voiced all three of the Time-Keepers.

Something that was really fun for me was we hadn’t, for example, cast the voice of the Time Keepers yet, because you know Wizard of Oz was an obvious reference of ours. I was like, ‘Oh, let’s get Jonathan to do it, because he’s an amazing character actor,’” she said. “We sent him the art of all the characters and it was really fun [because] he was sending us all of these different voices he could do for each character, which was great.

It makes a lot of sense that he would voice them. He was the mastermind behind it all and pulled the strings on the puppets. We’ve wondered why there was no mention of the voices, which was a better-kept secret than the identity of the Loki Variants. The breaking of the multiverse will determine the future of the franchise and we might see a lot of different versions of Majors in the near future.

Source: Entertainment Weekly

July 16, 2021
‘John Wick’ Prequel ‘The Continental’ Taking a ‘Sherlock’ Episode Structure Approach

It looks like we finally got some information on the long-awaited John Wick spin-off, The Continental. While story tidbits remain tightly under wraps, Hollywood Reporoters’ Heat Vision revealed that Albert Hughes, one half behind Menace II Society and The Book of Eli, will direct three episodes. The series will only consist of those three episodes, as they will get a movie budget and length. The article also confirms that it will be a limited series. So, we shouldn’t expect any future seasons.

This reveal is quite interesting, as it is taking the same direction that the famous BBC Sherlock series did. It ran from 2010 until 2017, with each season consisting of three episodes that were individual cases loosely connected. Unlike Continental, it ran for four seasons and even had a special Christmas episode in 2016. The shortened episode count allows for some creative ways to tackle stories, and the spin-off will primarily act as a prequel to the Keanu Reeves’ led franchise.

So, this could imply that the limited run will include three unique stories that might tie into the overarching world of this franchise. We did get glimpses into how the Continental hotels work through the films but probably only scratched the surface. There is a chance that Winston might be the focal point before he became the man we know from the films. Hopefully, we’ll get more hints at the story direction and how it connects to the John Wick franchise.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter, IMDb

July 16, 2021
‘Marvel’s Avengers’: First Hints at Black Panther’s Backstory Ahead of ‘War for Wakanda’ Expansion
The latest Marvel’s Avengers dev stream was quite an event. Not only did we get to chat with Christopher Judge on his approach to bringing Black Panther to life, but also some insight into the story by Evan Narcisse and Hannah MacLeod. They offered some interesting details on how they approached the story and the relevance of clearly defining this worlds’ Wakanda alongside its history. Here are some of the highlights from the dev stream:
- Narcisse worked as a narrative consultant on the project. His work was to find the combination between the story and its game mechanics. He ensures that they satisfyingly inform each other and everything is told holistically.
- Their focus was to follow an older version of T’Challa. In comparison to other versions, they wanted to dive deeper into his intellectual and scientific side. He likes to think things through before jumping into danger.
- There was a lot of pressure following the films’ well-established version of Black Panther and Wakanda.
- CD was inspired by the concept of a superpowered state that was the main focus of the Enemy of the State comic storyline. When a nation is highly advanced, diplomacy might never be such a simple answer. Wakanda will face its biggest threat in the upcoming expansion and that will further explore the aftermath in a nation that believed it was untouchable.
- T’Challa isn’t just a king. He is the living embodiment of Wakanda’s symbol. The Black Panther is a heavy burden to carry and it will inform his character. Plus, he’s been carrying this weight for some time. His worldview also puts him in conflict with Shuri. An event has shaped a crater in their relationship, which will get explored in the story.
- He’s much more of an isolationist and is carrying some anger. He is still in control of his emotions, but it’s only a question of time before he hits his limit.
- Klaue is also a unique adaptation in the game. He isn’t a mercenary or would-be colonizer. While his obsession with Vibranum remains, this version of the character is a scientist. He built his technology and is using AIM’s gear to his advantage.
- They’ve explored the Dora Milaje history to inform their relationship with him in the game. In the comics, they were not only warriors but also concubines. So, Okoye has some traits from the films, but they tried to balance her respect towards her king in a curious way.
- McLeod and Narcisse shared their experience tackling this ever-expanding story and confirmed that many stories get mapped out simultaneously. Their team works together on each operation, and it helps to put together how the story continues to evolve.
It sounds very promising what Crystal Dynamics cooked up in their writing team. They teased more insight in the following weeks ahead of his release. We’ll get a gameplay showcase and even some hints on what to expect with the War for Wakanda expansion. The unique approach to the character is promising, and it feels like we’re about to enter a new era for Marvel’s Avengers.

Source: Twitch
July 16, 2021
Leaked ‘Transformers: Rise of the Beasts’ Set Photos Offer First Look at Optimus Prime and Bumblebee

It’s only been a few weeks since we got our first details on the Beast Wars-inspired Transformers film. Steven Caple Jr. is directing the film titled Transformers: Rise of the Beasts that will introduce moviegoers to a variety of new factions including the Maximals, Predacons, and Terrorcons. We did get the hint that Optimus Prime will return and some new leaked set photos to confirm exactly that alongside what is very likely Bumblebee.

Yellow with two black stripes is his iconic look. The design also seems very similar to the one we see him transform into at the end of the Bumblebee film. So, it may be our first hint at it being a direct sequel rather than a full-on reboot of the franchise. We also get a good look at Optimus Prime, whose truck form seems strongly inspired by the IDW comics. The set photos were shared by Twitter user @3CFilm.

Sweet first looks at the Transformers Designs for the new movie #TransformersRiseoftheBeasts pic.twitter.com/dqL3g0hVn5

— 3C Films (@3CFilm) July 16, 2021

It’s uncertain if the white truck next to Optimus Prime might also be another Autobot, but it might be likely. Of all the franchises, Transformers didn’t seem like the kind of film that would have set leaks, but car designs can say a lot about the film’s direction. Optimus Prime’s simpler design may be an optimistic hint that they will continue the more cartoon-accurate designs from Bumblebee. It’ll be interesting to see if they have practical Maximals on set as well. We are moving away from the classic designs with more animalistic base forms. Now that Michael Bay has left the franchise, there’s a great chance to redefine the story moving forward and these are some good hints that they are doing that exactly.

Source: Twitter

July 16, 2021
Peggy Carter’s ‘Legends’ Episode May Confirm ‘Agent Carter’s Canonicity

There have been many debates about canonicity surrounding the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Agent Carter, Agents of SHIELD, and Marvel Netflix series have direct tie-ins to the film’s events but not the other way around. SHIELD has been a popular point of discussion. Agent Carter‘s Jarvis, played by James D’Arcy, appeared in Avengers: Endgame and added to the debate that they are, in fact, canon. We may get a more definite answer as of August 4th, as Disney+ will release brand new episodes of Marvel Studios’ Legends. Alongside the Avengers Initiative and The Ravagers episodes, Peggy Carter will get her own episode ahead of her What If return.

Why is that relevant? Well, the Legends series acts as a supercut of their adventure through the MCU. Haley Atwell‘s return as the character was one of the main focus points for the animated series. Before her grand return in Endgame, she had a cameo in SHIELD and later headlined her own series for two seasons titled Agent Carter. If her appearances in both are utilized in the supercut, it would confirm that the series are indeed canon.

Of courses, the Disney+ series takes place within the multiverse, which we witness grow in Loki‘s final episode. We’ve played around with the idea that these storylines can always be part of the more fittingly titled Marvel Cinematic Multiverse. At the end of the day, it’s less about canonicity but rather if Marvel Studios will acknowledge Marvel TV’s work. They have included many references to the films and even followed their storylines to connect to them. It may be the first time we get a more definite acknowledgment outside of an actor’s cameo.

Source: ComicBook.com

July 16, 2021
Christopher Judge Talks Voicing ‘Marvel’s Avengers’ Black Panther
A few days ago, we finally got the confirmation Christopher Judge is voicing Black Panther in Marvel’s Avengers. The actor has been in various projects ranging from Stargate SG-1, The Dark Knight Rises to The Mentalist. He also has a history of voicing video game characters. 2018’s God of War is a stand-out performance and reminded everyone of the power of his voice.

So, he’s been a fan-favorite to take on the iconic mantle since the character got first announced. In today’s Crystal Dynamics stream, viewers had the chance to ask questions to the actor to find out his approach to bringing the character to life. Here are some of the highlights from that stream:
- Yes, he got to say Wakanda Forever! He even rocked a shirt with it during the stream. He revealed he was hiding his Black Panther outfits so no one would realize he got the role.
- Black Panther is a character that Judge always wanted to play but never thought he’d get the chance. He only takes roles he 100% believes in, which was his prerequisite before taking it.
- The actor highlighted his love for the character and his social relevance being an integral part of tackling the character. It was a humbling experience, especially getting to work alongside Evan Narcisse was a highlight. They geeked out for a bit on stream.
- He confessed he’s a nerd and has been collecting comics since the 60s. So, he had some insight into the character.
- His main goal was to make the role his own. He worked with Beth Maguire, who was the dialect coach on the Marvel Studios film.
- She offered insight into how he can approach the accent and its history as she traveled through Africa to experience the Native languages first-hand. She was very strict on his accent and made sure he stayed true to it.
- As he usually plays bulky and muscular characters, he lost around 32 pounds to “feel” like T’Challa. He’s a more athletic character, and the actor wanted to get into the right headspace.
- His biggest challenge was recording everything from home in isolation. He couldn’t play off the other actors. So, he had to do a lot of prep-work on the characters, their interactions, and relations. It was sadly a restriction due to the pandemic.
- Working with Crystal Dynamics was not only a great experience but also an emotional anchor during the pandemic. Their shared belief and passion for the character helped him get through the rough times.
- Judge confirmed he’s been working on the character for a year-and-a-half.
His passion for the project is infectious. In the Entertainment Weekly article, he did hint that he was hesitant to tackle the role after Chadwick Boseman‘s tragic passing. He highlights how they are trying to make this a very unique take on the character. They want to carry on the legacy. This version of T’Challa has been in his role for some time. So, we can expect a way more experienced Black Panther once the War for Wakanda expansion releases in August.

Source: Twitch, Entertainment Weekly
July 16, 2021