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‘Loki’ Confirms Vampires Exist in the MCU Ahead of ‘Blade’

We’ve known for a while that the Marvel Cinematic Universe would finally introduce the iconic character of Blade. The Daywalker was going to get a unique film sometime in the next few years with Maharshala Ali cast in the iconic role. What we didn’t know is how the Marvel Cinematic Universe would tackle the existence of vampires. So far, there has never been any acknowledgment of there even being bloodsuckers amongst humans. we never went down into the underbelly of the darker corners of cities to uncover what was hiding there. It created theories that the MCU doesn’t have vampires and we’d get introduced to a very unique take on the character’s mythology. Well, that was at least until Loki was released.

In a very brief sequence, Owen Wilson’s Mobius is discussing the many variants that have passed through the Time Variance Authority’s offices. In a blink or you miss it line, he confirms that the MCU does, in fact, have vampires. It seems some of them even turned out to be Variants of some kind that the Minutemen of the TVA had to take care of. Sadly, he moves on the conversation back to the God of Mischief, but the implications are enough to open up pandora’s box on the franchise’s future. We no longer have to wonder if they’ll reinvent the creatures of the night or even try to avoid them due to PG-13 ratings. We also don’t have to wonder if they just suddenly pop into existence, but realize they’ve lived among humans for some time now.

Does the vocal confirmation of their existence mean we’ll see them sooner than later? It seems likely that we might visit the MCU’s supernatural side from a new perspective. We might get a reference in the upcoming film Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. As he travels the newly awakened multiverse he might stumble upon an alternative universe where Wesley Snipes‘ version of the character is still active to pay homage to the film that started the modern superhero boom. The most likely candidate seems to be Moon Knight, as he had quite a few run-ins with Blade, vampires, and werewolves in the comics. His own supernatural background makes for the perfect jumping-off point to build upon this singular line as Disney+ starts to expand.

July 1, 2021
‘Loki’ and the Harsh Reality of the TVA

It’s easy to focus on all the multiversal shenanigans of Loki. We finally got introduced to the Time-Keepers, are exploring beyond our understanding of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and might get one of the strangest love stories ever put on a streaming platform. In the middle of it, all is the Time Variance Authority. A highly bureaucratic organization that is responsible for cleansing the Sacred Timeline and preserving the vision of its leaders. They see a purpose in their tasks, even if it is as menial as greeting new Variants and Minutemen at the front desk. In a way, their entire life revolves around their job. They believe they were created solely for that purpose, as it gives them meaning. The only moment of solace they get seems to be a time-gated lunch break. It’s pretty hard to deny that anyone working from nine to five may have felt a bit too at home with these moments.

The depressing reality of existence is that even the most powerful organization falls into repetitive structures. We were only missing a sit down with a departments manager claiming they should switch to agile project management, as it will ensure more productivity. There is a good chance those conversations were happening in the departments we didn’t get to see. Some seem to have the same job for their entire existence, such as the person making sure Variants aren’t secretly robots or the cat lover having to make sure every spoken word gets signed off on. The peons have no say and only know the goals of their operations through a singular “representative,” which is Ravonna Renslayer in this case.

It’s hard not to see the parallels between the Time-Keepers acting as shareholders of a company acting on a whim to ensure their goals are met. Ravonna is the Chief Executive Officer (and Judge) that ensures those actions are met to their satisfaction. She wasn’t always in her position, but they saw something in her to reach that point in her career. Her job is to ensure that everything is going according to plan and even if sacrifices need to be made, they may be rewarded at some point in the future. Empty promises that overshadow one’s true passion. No matter if that is wanting to enter a specific field or the simple joy of riding a jet ski. The moment Mobius confronted the fake reality he was taught to learn by being at the organization for years, he suffered the consequences.

Once you are disenfranchised from the organization that you once believed in, it becomes difficult to push forward. We all are in Mobius’ shoes at one point. Our entire belief structure is broken down because of the thing we dedicated potentially years of our lives to feels like a lie. We lose ourselves in the greater picture of those that stand above us because we hope that we could stand among them. All the hard work has to pay off eventually, right? Yet, we have to face the reality that such decisions come at a price. We will lose something on the way. Perhaps the availability of our dreams, such s riding a jet ski, or even at the risk of our health. We are all puppets connected to the same string. Some are just higher up than others. Perhaps we all need a Loki in our life. An agent of chaos that breaks us free from the monotony of our nine to five and frees us to see the world what it truly is.

June 30, 2021
Nico Parker Joins HBO’s ‘THE LAST OF US’ As Joel’s Daughter Sarah

Get ready to feel emotions, as HBO’s The Last of Us has found it’s Sarah Miller. Nico Parker, who is best known for her starring role in 2019’s live-action Dumbo remake and for being the child of acclaimed actress Thandiwe Newton, has joined the cast of the upcoming video game adaptation as the daughter of Pedro Pascal‘s Joel Miller. Fans of the franchise know that Sarah plays a key role in the events of the post-apocalyptic saga, and the talented Parker seems prepared to bring that role to life. She will star alongside the aforementioned Pascal, as well as Game of Thrones breakout Bella Ramsey and former Ghost Rider, Gabriel Luna. Also part of the cast is Merle Dandridge, who will reprise her role as the leader of a rebel organization called the Fireflies from the original game.

The Last of Us tells the story of Joel and Ellie, who must traverse the country together after a dangerous fungal infection turns half the world into mindless, bloodthirsty creatures. They encounter numerous threats, but the most deadly may be the humans they meet along the way. The series will be adapted to the screen by franchise creator Neil Druckmann and former Chernobyl showrunner Craig Mazin. The pilot will be directed by the capable Kantemir Balagov, with Jasmila Žbanić and Ali Abbas also set to helm episodes. While the show is expected to stay true to the heart of the original story, Druckmann has stated in the past that certain events will play out differently in live-action. While we still don’t know what he means by this, the revelation should make fans at least a little nervous about the fate of their favorite characters.

Source: Deadline, IGN

June 30, 2021
Cate Shortland Open to Direct a ‘BLACK WIDOW’ Sequel

It may not come as a surprise to many, but the director of Black Widow doesn’t think the franchise is over just yet. During a recent interview with Radio Times, filmmaker Cate Shortland was asked directly about the odds of a follow-up to the upcoming solo project. Marvel is known for its endless array of sequels and spin-offs, so the question may seem silly at first glance. However, when you take into account the fact that Scarlett Johansson‘s original Avenger met her demise during the events of Avengers: Endgame, the query seems a lot more rational. Shortland, it seems, is hopeful for a continuation of her film. She just doesn’t think it would include Johansson:

I think following a different character, yes. I think Scarlett is really happy that she’s leaving the party, you know, and she’s not the last to leave. She decided she wanted to go. And I don’t think she would want to come back at the moment.

The suggestion lines up with the director’s previous comments that Black Widow will “pass the baton” from Johansson‘s Natasha Romanoff to Florence Pugh‘s Yelena Belova. It would appear that the project will act as a goodbye to the Black Widow we know and love, while simultaneously welcoming in a new hero to take up the mantle. Pugh is already set to return to the role in Disney+’s Hawkeye, and it seems unlikely she would stop there. So, if a sequel focusing on Yelena were to come to fruition, would Shortland be open to a comeback herself? She seemed hopeful about that as well:

I mean, all the beautiful fights and the spectacle, and I think just creating something really fun and joyous is pretty addictive. So yeah, I would do it again. Yes.

Source: Radio Times, Empire

June 30, 2021
RUMOR: Tobias Menzies to Play Sinestro in HBO Max’s ‘Green Lantern’ Series

All the way back in 2011, Green Lantern released in theaters to less than stellar reviews and amounted to a dismal box office haul. What’s most memorable about that movie is its ending, in which we see Thaal Sinestro, one of their strongest warriors, succumb to the newly forged yellow lantern ring. The ring was forged to face Parallax but was deemed too dangerous. Sinestro’s origins have always followed down this dark path, going from one of the galaxies’ strongest warriors to one of its darkest foes. With the upcoming HBO Max series developing this sprawling story over time, it’ll be interesting to see the rise and fall of this once great hero in the DC Universe in live-action once again. It looks like we might get to revisit this storyline sooner than expected

A few months back we reported on Sinestro’s inclusion in the series, with him being described as a “strategic commander” a “warrior monk” and one of the “greatest lanterns of all time”. In a new rumor from the Illuminerdi, they’re reporting that actor Tobias Menzies will now bring the DC villain to life in the series. He is well-known for his roles in Game of Thrones, Rome, and The Crown. It’s unclear how big of a role Sinestro could be playing in the series or what time period he would be showing up in, as the show is set to sprawl the 40s, 80s, and modern-day.

Menzies would be joining Jeremy Irvine and Finn Wittrock, both previously cast in the series as Alan Scott and Guy Gardner. The series is set to be written by Marc Guggenheim and Seth Grahame-Smith while being produced by Greg Berlanti, adding yet another major DC Series under his belt. Green Lantern currently has no set release date but will release exclusively on the HBO Max streaming service.

Source: Illuminerdi

June 30, 2021
Leaked ‘The Flash’ Promo Reveals New Concept Art and Teases the ‘Flashpoint’-Inspired Storyline

It looks like Comic-Con might have come early. A new video promo for Andy Muschietti‘s The Flash has leaked online, and it reveals quite a bit of new information about the long-delayed solo film. The video starts with franchise star Ezra Miller describing what he loves about his character’s powers. Namely, the fact that a single ability, his famous super-speed, can translate into several different abilities, such as creating tornadoes or traveling through time. They showcase the new concept art of Flash saving a baby in mid-air. Miller then gives confirmation on a detail that’s been rumored since production on the film began: there will be multiple Batmen in the film. Ben Affleck‘s name is not specified.

https://twitter.com/Hellkr1/status/1410248329817210885?s=20

Director Muschietti eventually takes over, referring to the team of Sasha Calle‘s Supergirl, Miller‘s Flash, and Michael Keaton‘s Batman as a ragtag Justice League. He claims that the group of underdogs is going to save the world as the brand new concept art of Supergirl and Keaton‘s Batman is shown. Supergirl stands on a roof next to Barry with her cape flowing and takes flight to combat an unknown threat. Barry rides in the back of the Batmobile as a “spoiler alert” sign covers up another figure alongside him.

The mysterious new face might belong to that of the figure huddled for safety, possibly the de-powered version of Kal-El from the Flashpoint comic series. It’s also possible the figure under the sign is Wonder Woman, as pausing the footage at the right moment reveals some familiar armored boots and the tip of an equally familiar sword. It’s uncertain how this found its way online, but there is a chance it was prepared for this year’s DC FanDome and a test version of the footage was leaked online.

Source: Twitter

June 30, 2021
‘Loki’s Episode 4 Credits Offers First Clues on Those Post-Credit Cameos

If you haven’t watched the latest Loki episode, only continue at your own risk, as we will spoil the post-credit reveal in this article.

The latest episode of Loki has finally dropped and continues to expand upon the franchise’s multiversal appeal. While the Time Variance Authority introduced the world to the Sacred Timeline, which seemed to hint at a singular Marvel Cinematic Universe existing, we also see the effects of Variants popping into existence that created branches. It teased the consistency of the Variants, they always looked like Tom Hiddleston. That was until Sylvie appeared in the second episode and twisted our understanding of what makes a Variant. The latest episode didn’t waste any time to continue expanding upon that concept, as the series’ first post-credit sequence revealed a group of familiar characters. We got our live-action debut of Kid Loki and a comic-accurate version of the God of Mischief. They are also joined by the mysterious man holding a self-made hammer and what seems to be a crocodile wearing Loki’s iconic horns.

Most of the characters stand out due to their distinct Loki design, but one does stand out from the rest. We can assume that the fourth member, who is played by Deobia Oparei, is also a Loki variant, even if he seems to be mimicking Thor’s overall look and choice of weapon. The Direct hinted at him playing a classic Marvel character some time ago. Luckily, the Disney+ credits confirm that he is indeed playing a version of the character who is simply named Boastful Loki. So, we could assume a lot of similarities between this incarnation of the character and the God of Thunder. What also stands out is that Richard E. Grant‘s character is named Classic Loki. His role pays tribute to the Loki: Agent of Asgard storyline, where an older version of the character in the same outfit manipulated events from behind-the-scenes. Perhaps this version is similarly a darker take on the character. Perhaps this even is the version introduced in the 616 of the comics that got stranded here for some time. Jack Veal is playing Kid Loki, which confirms our report from around nine months ago that he was cast in the iconic role.

Of course, the episode left us with a lot of questions, and it seems pruning doesn’t quite work as the TVA believed it would. It’ll be interesting to see if the Vote Loki shown in the trailers is a different version of Tom Hiddleston’s Loki, or just how our current protagonist ends up after spending some time among these pruned Variants. It’ll be interesting to see how this ties into the overarching storyline surrounding the Time-Keepers and the foundation of the TVA. We might see a lot more versions of Loki in the near future, which hopefully also means we’ll see other iconic characters from our favorite heroes appearing. Crocodile Loki might be a tease for the live-action debut of Throg?

Source: The Direct, Disney+

June 30, 2021
‘Marvel Future Revolution’ Pricing Model Includes Loot Boxes and $50 MCU Skins

Marvel has been slowly expanding beyond its long-standing mobile offerings. We’ve seen Insomniac’s Spider-Man franchise reinvent the webhead for modern audiences. Crystal Dynamics tackled a challenging genre with Marvel’s Avengers, as they try to offer continuous free expansions with events and characters. Eidos is joining the fray with their new Guardians of the Galaxy game. This development didn’t mean they were completely leaving the lucrative mobile market behind, as they continue to support Contest of Champions, Realm of Champions, Future Fight, Strike Force, and Puzzle Quest. Now, they are expanding with a brand new open-world RPG offering in the form of Marvel Future Revolution.

Information has been sparse outside a few animations, brief gameplay sequences, and the various character skins. As with most mobile games, there was the worry regarding the pay-to-win model embedded into its structure and how costly some offerings would end up being, as even Marvel’s Avengers skins can cost up to around $14. Well, it seems that Future Revolution might top that by quite a margin. @AssembleCast got early access and shared the first look during a stream of the game. In it, he uncovered that an Avengers: Endgame-inspired outfit for Captain America comes at a hefty $62 CAD, which is approximately $50.

$50usd skin that's pay to win. Holy moly. Come on @MarvelFutureRev. That bad, huh? pic.twitter.com/vvIf45CPwB

— Highruler 🇨🇦 (@HighrulerLive) June 30, 2021

The game has a different approach with their skins, as you can buy different pieces. It seems that these are priced individually, and those prices can stack. You also have to consider that it’s a P2W model. So, the skins also offer an additional boost to your in-game stats. So, the game is following the typical mobile gaming model, as you can purchase various memberships that include daily log-in rewards with Gacha elements through loot boxes. The experience can end up quite pricey if you don’t want to invest the time to grind out various pieces, but the question is how long that will end up being.

Source: Twitter, YouTube

June 30, 2021
Kevin Feige Says Yeah, Man, That Was Abomination

Since the beginning of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, things have never just been placed somewhere out of a mere coincidence. Back in Iron Man, we met the shady Ten Rings organization, one that would come to pop up within the universe for years to come. With Shang-Chi and The Legend of the Ten Rings, the Marvel cinematic universe finally pulls the curtain back on one of the oldest characters in the MCU, the Mandarin. The recent trailer for Shang-Chi revealed more about the film’s family ties and ended with a surprise inclusion that looked to feature yet another one of the universe’s oldest foes: The Abomination. Sporting a brand new fin-friendly look, he seemed to be fighting someone eerily similar to Wong.

Fans immediately took to social media to wonder if that was indeed the gamma-radiated monster we’d last seen in The Incredible Hulk, last seen beaten at the hands of the hulk. In a recent interview for Marvel Studios’ upcoming film Black Widow with Kevin Feige, it seems we have our definitive answer.

Yes, we just recently released the final trailer for Shang-Chi,” said Feige. “Some fans said, ‘This looks like a character they hadn’t seen in many years named The Abomination, fighting a character that looks like Wong. And I can say that the reason it looks like that is Abomination fighting Wong.”

With the boss himself confirming what we’d all be speculating, the next matter at hand is just what is Wong doing fighting the Abomination in an underground fight club? And how does this link to the Abomination’s next confirmed appearance in She-Hulk?. While things still remain unclear, it’s great to see so many familiar faces pop up in the universe and especially cool to see Marvel bring back the Abomination after all this time.

SOURCE: Rotten Tomatoes

June 29, 2021
‘LOKI’ Episode 4 Primer

I loved the last episode of Loki. After the Variant set off all of the time bombs to distract the TVA, she popped into the building followed by Loki. They worked together to fight off the guards but that’s the least of their worries. Ravonna found out the building is being infiltrated and went after them. Interestingly, we found out that Ravonna was once a hunter. When Loki realized Ravonna was coming for them, he opened a door to Lamentis, the site of another apocalypse.

Sylvie, the Variant, has been on the run from the TVA her whole life. While Loki grew up as royalty and with great memories of his mom, Sylvie can barely remember her mom and had to learn to take care of herself. The two seem to fight A LOT but by the end of the episode, they seem to have a bond. They work together to get to the evacuation ark to recharge the Tempad; however, the evacuation ark gets destroyed so now they can’t get out of Lamentis. Unfortunately, the episode just kind of ended on a pretty silly cliffhanger since we know they aren’t going to die there.

Arlyn’s Assumptions

There are lots of things that can happen in this next episode. The new trailer shows them in the TVA’s custody, so the TVA will clearly pull them out of Lamentis. But them being in the TVA could lead to them getting deleted, especially since Mobius seems to be really unhappy with Loki. I don’t think things are going to end well for our Lokis in this next episode . We only have three episodes left and I expect Ravonna to have a bigger role in these next few episodes, including our first meeting with the Time Keepers (*cough*Kang*cough*) which will probably expose the TVA for the fraud that it is….poor Mobius.

The next episode of Loki premiers tomorrow!

June 29, 2021