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  • Theory Thursday: The Future of the MCU

    Theory Thursday: The Future of the MCU

    On December 10th, 2020, Kevin Feige gave a presentation during Disney Investor Day that provided an in-depth glimpse at the next few years of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The presentation showed a mixture of returning characters appearing in solo projects or team-ups, as well as new superheroes joining the ranks. With the introduction of many different superheroes and teams, speculation began to spiral: When the next Endgame event is coming? As once discussed by Kevin Feige and James Gunn, some speculated that the MCU was turning to the cosmos and the next big event would be inspired by Annihilation. Others believed that the story that was being laid out was headed towards Secret Wars. While I agree that this feels like the natural progression, there are more intimate stories that should come first. Exploring these stories, viewers would feel they earned the Secret Wars’ pay-offs.

    Inhumans vs. X-Men

    Inhumans vs. X-Men Complete Event Reading Order

    Two of the announced projects and beyond set this event up by introducing both teams and concepts required for telling this story. Ms. Marvel, due to arrive on Disney+ later this year, is bringing the first Inhumans to the MCU. In the comics, Kamala Khan receives her powers from a Terrigen Cloud that activated the Kree DNA in her genetic code. With Ms. Marvel’s introduction into the MCU, other Inhumans like the Royal Family will finally be able to make their proper way onto the screen. As well, At SDCC 2019 Feige announced that “The Mutants are coming”, but with no other information surrounding them since then, their projects may still be far off. It could even be the end of phase five or six before we see a full X-men team-up. However, with both parties on their way, Inhumans vs. X-Men could be the next team-up event.

    In the comic event series, the Terrigen Cloud that gave Ms. Marvel her powers was released across the globe due to a Terrigen Bomb going off. This cloud gave many Inhumans powers across the global, but also caused Mutants to get sick. It killed off large portions of their population, causing mass panic among those infected. The Mutants wished to destroy the cloud leading to a division with the Inhumans who did not support their actions. To give justice to the story, many aspects need to develop before the clash occurs. The Inhumans, the Royal Family, and Attilan, The Inhumans City, need to be established explored. With their rich heritage and culture, there are plenty of stories to explore in their own series or movies, A catalyst event also needs to occur that would cause the release of the Terrigen Cloud. It does not make narrative sense to show this in Ms. Marvel as it would severely limit potential stories that could be told. While it occurred in response to the events of Secret Wars in the comics, an event Disney+ show such as The Death of the Inhumans may be a better place to explore this story. The MCU also needs time to properly explore the mutants, both individual characters and eventually the team, and establish why viewers should care about their imminent demise. This could play out as either a series on Disney+ or a movie.

    Civil War II

    Marvel reveals the two sides of Civil War II - Blastr

    Following the establishment of the Inhumans vs. X-Men, the team behind the MCU could move on to another fight. Civil War II centers around the introduction of an Inhuman who can predict the future. Captain Marvel wishes to use these powers to stop threats by arresting the culprits before they commit them, essentially removing their agency. Tony Stark is opposed to this plan, which causes a clash amongst Avengers. The groundwork will be laid through Ms. Marvel and the eventual Terrigen Cloud that will show up in the MCU. As for the role of Tony Stark, Sam Wilson or Doctor Strange could replace him as the moral compass of the group. Another character that would need to be established would be Miles Morales. Peter Parker could play the part; however, removing Miles Morales feels cheap and may anger many fans. To allow the previous event to play out and establish Miles in the MCU, it would make sense that this event would not arrive until the end of phase six or even early phase seven.

    Avengers vs. X-Men

    10 Reasons Why Avengers Vs X-Men Is Marvel's Most Underrated Event

    At first, I struggled to place this event in the narrative being established leading up to Secret Wars but ultimately decided that it would make the most sense as the finale in this trilogy. The comic series tells the story of the return of the Phoenix Force, a threat in the eyes of the Avengers. Many of the X-Men hold the Force together and use it to create a society a better society. Feige could drastically change story details, but they would need more time to establish the Phoenix Force if he were to stay true to the basic concept. We have seen the Phoenix Force twice in movies and so we might not need to establish it. We would need enough time to pass after Inhumans vs. X-Men to explore integral X-Men stories before this one can be told. So, at the earliest, it should be sometime in Phase Seven.

    Once the vs. trilogy is told in its entirety, the teams of the MCU will be fractioned. And through the chaos, Secret Wars would begin and bring our heroes back together to face the end of days.

  • UPDATE: First Look at ‘Marvel’s Avengers’ MCU Skin for Professor Hulk Leaked

    UPDATE: First Look at ‘Marvel’s Avengers’ MCU Skin for Professor Hulk Leaked

    UPDATE: Well, it looks like that MCU skin might be real after all, as user @VWarrior31 shared the new skin animated within the game. If this is a fake, someone really invested a lot of time to trace those movements so there is a good chance this MCU skin is real.

     

    We’ve known for some time that the first set of Marvel Cinematic Universe-inspired skins will be released in May alongside Marvel’s Avengers Red Room Takeover event. The team has been sharing their excitement for the new skins in their developer streams and we were going to potentially get the first look this week. Well, it looks like we truly did get the first look but not in the dev stream as originally planned. A Reddit user shared the first look at a costume ripped straight from Avengers: Endgame‘s Professor Hulk costume. @AssembleCast and @DammitEthan noticed the similarities to the Hot Toys figure, which gave a closer look to the full-body suit on Twitter and brought it to my attention.

     

    Professor hulk MCU skin glitch (not mine originally but from a user on another forum)
    byu/nhillier inPlayAvengers

     

    Now, it seems that a strange visual glitch created the suit. There is a possibility that the original skin and the developed MCU skin might be connected through code, which led to this activating. Yet, it could be that someone invested a lot of time to replicate the costume. So, we have to take it with a grain of salt for now. Crystal Dynamics might still give us a first look this Friday. So, we will see if they confirm this costume. It still looks believable as its lighting matches the other characters. There is no similar skin to readjust to turn it into this MCU’s version. If this design turns out to be real, it hopefully will relieve many people’s fear of the “inspired” word used in the roadmap. It seems pretty accurate to the films, and it wouldn’t be surprising if Marvel Studios signs off on the usage of these designs. Here’s hoping we get a better look at others soon.

    Source: Reddit, Twitter

  • ‘Sonic the Hedgehog 2’s Set Photos Tease a ‘Sonic Adventures 2’-Inspired Storyline

    ‘Sonic the Hedgehog 2’s Set Photos Tease a ‘Sonic Adventures 2’-Inspired Storyline

    When fans first got their look at Sonic the Hedgehog’s live-action film, the reactions were less than thrilled, with many fans begging for it to be redone. They wanted them to embrace the cartoonish aspects of the original design from the hit games. The studio quickly gave in and delayed the film to completely revamp Sonics’ design. This move was accepted with open arms by fans.

    Now, the sequel is already underway with more iconic Sega characters joining. We recently got our first look at Knuckles alongside Sonic and Tails stand-ins through set photos. They offered our best look yet at the upcoming sequel. Luckily, more set photos have made their way online, giving us yet another look at the film and characters previously seen in Sonic Adventures 2.

    https://twitter.com/Kitsuoi1/status/1384369289986068480?s=20

    Lined across the streets of the set are some pretty insane military vehicles that just happened to have the “G” logo on them. For those who aren’t familiar with it, this logo definitely represents the Guardian Units of Nations Aka G.U.N. They first appeared in Sonic Adventures 2. They are a worldwide military and law enforcement organization that’s run by a figure only known as the Commander. He is tasked with defending Earth from malicious threats like Dr. Robotnik. It can be assumed that G.U.N was formed following the events of the first film, where Sonic and Robotnik’s battled throughout every corner of the planet at super speed.

    Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is currently set to release on April 8th, 2022 with director Jeff Fowler returning. James Marsden, Tika Sumpter, and of course, Ben Schwartz, whose voice work on the previous film was widely praised by fans and critics alike, are returning in their respective roles. It’s currently unknown who will serve as the voice actor for Knuckles and if Colleen O’Shaughnessey will return to voice Tails following his brief appearance at the tail end of the first film. There is the rumor that Jason Momoa was offered the role of Knuckles. It’ll be interesting to see if the film will include elements from Sonic Adventure 2.

    Source: Twitter (Kitsuoi), Twitter (Tail’s Channel)

  • Drafting The ‘Armor Wars’ Rogue’s Gallery

    Drafting The ‘Armor Wars’ Rogue’s Gallery

    We still don’t know much about Marvel Studios Armor Wars. We only know that Don Cheadle reprises his role as War Machine, and the series would deal with the death of Tony Stark. His worst nightmare has finally arrived when his technology falls into the wrong hands. When Kevin Feige uttered that sentence, it opened up a world of possibilities. The character still features a lot of unexplored history within the Marvel comics, which opens up the doors to many of his rogue’s gallery making an appearance. So, we used the chance to figure out who exactly will be after his tech:

     

    Crimson Dynamo

    Supervillain Origins: The Crimson Dynamo - YouTube

     

    Crimson Dynamo has gone through multiple iterations. His first was Anton Vanko, who briefly appeared in Iron Man 2 as the father of Ivan Vanko. Anton since passed on, but that doesn’t mean Dynamo’s legacy ended there. His successor would a protege named Alexander, who took on the mantle after getting exiled. He even grew to hate his motherland and Tony Stark for what they did to the man he admired. The second entry of Iron Man did include some tributes to his character with Ivan Vanko building a Whiplash armor.

     

    The Beetle

    Beetle (Origin) - Comic Basics -

     

    While Abner Jenkins is sometimes known as a Spider-Man villain, the character has had many run-ins with Iron Man, especially during the first Armor Wars comic storyline. The original armor got destroyed by Iron Man. That didn’t stop Jenkins, as he got a new suit with some massive upgrades through Justin Hammer. He used stolen Stark Tech to upgrade the armor. Something many might remember him doing with the Wr Machine armor in Iron Man 2. Jenkins would fit well within the story considering his involvement in the comics, and it’s just a matter of rights considering his ties to Spider-Man.

     

    Detroit Steel

     

    The Detroit Steel armor got piloted by the United States Air Force Lieutenant Doug Johnson III. He underwent surgical modifications to be able to function in the suit. At the time, Justine and Sasha Hammer had taken over Hammer Industries following the death of their grandfather. The two hated Stark and blamed him for Justin’s passing. They saw him as a roadblock in their path to selling Detroit Steele-inspired soldiers around the world. Tony Stark’s death in the MCU opens the door for Hammer industries to move along a similar path and introduce Detroit Steel to the public.

     

    The Tinkerer

     

    Phineas Mason first appeared in 2017’s Spider-Man: Homecoming and worked alongside Vulture and Shocker. He was part of the crew as they stole Stark and Alien tech. His role was to rework it into weapons that they can sell on the black market. Tinkerer’s presence in Armor Wars would be quite the earnest addition when you look back at how previous Disney+ series brought back characters like Darcy, Jimmy, and Sharon Carter. In a story about stolen tech, Tinkerers’ expertise would be the obvious choice in reworking Stark Tech into weapons of mass destruction.

     

    Chemistro

    Luke Cage Season 2: 5 Villains We Want To See

     

    Curtis Carr developed an alchemy-based gun during his time at Mainstream Motors. It was able to transmute matter in an unknown process. It could even turn glass into the wood. Curtis got fired for his work, and his life’s work got confiscated, as he made it on the company’s time. He stole the gun and became Chemistro. Subsequently, he enacted his revenge against the company. Curtis would come to work with Iron Man and War Machine in a fight against the Wrecker. He even became the lead director at Stark prosthetics. Chemistro was no more until his brother, Calvin, stole the gun and began a life of crime, fighting against the likes of Luke Cage and Iron Fist.

    While details on Armor Wars remain scarce, many fans are excited to see the return of Jim Rhodes as War Machine. It’ll offer a closer look at how much Rhodes’s life has changed during the blip and how life has changed for the veteran turned superhero. He will carry the heavy legacy of Tony on his back as he continues carrying the title of War Machine.

  • ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’s Thomas Kretschmann Joins ‘Indiana Jones 5’

    ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’s Thomas Kretschmann Joins ‘Indiana Jones 5’

    The next installment in the Indiana Jones franchise is quickly gathering its uncanny cast to star alongside Harrison Ford. He returns to one of his most iconic roles for the first time since 2008’s Indiana Jones and The Kingdom of The Crystal Skulls. Plot details for the upcoming film are being kept under wraps as the film will be the first in the series not directed by cinema icon, Steven Spielberg. Recently the project added Madds Mikkelsen alongside Fleabag star Phoebe Waller-Bridge, and it seems the project isn’t done adding to its cast just yet.

    It’s being reported that German actor Thomas Kretschmann has joined the cast of the upcoming installment in an undisclosed role. Kretschmann is most known for his role as Baron Von Strucker in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, appearing briefly in the end credits scene of Captain America: The Winter Soldier and in Avengers: Age of Ultron. His run of the character was short-lived, ass he met his untimely demise at the hands of Ultron.

    Indiana Jones 5 is currently set to release on July 29th, 2022, and will be directed by James Mangold alongside the return of John Williams, who will once again compose the score for the film, with Steven Spielberg remaining on the project as a producer.

    Source: The Wrap

  • ‘THE FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLDIER’ Finale Primer

    ‘THE FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLDIER’ Finale Primer

  • Theory Thursday: Bucky Barnes Will Become Nomad

    Theory Thursday: Bucky Barnes Will Become Nomad

    With The Falcon and The Winter Soldier series drawing to a close tomorrow, I can’t help but reflect and speculate on where some of the characters are going from here. It’s clear Sam Wilson is and will be the next Captain America, and a much anticipated new suit reveal seems imminent in the next episode. But what about Bucky? What happens to him after this? The series, especially episode 5, has dropped some significant clues. That along with this scoop by our own Charles Murphy four months ago about a Nomad series in development had led me to think the next step for Bucky will be as Nomad in his own Disney+ series somewhere down the line. 

    Charles himself mentioned in his article the possibility of Bucky, among a few others, taking on the mantle of Nomad in the series. However, I’m now convinced that Bucky is the strongest possible candidate with a lot of potential for the character going forward.

    I am no longer the Winter Soldier. I am James Bucky Barnes, and you are part of my efforts to make amends.

    -Bucky Barnes to Senator Atwood

    As Bucky states to the rattled Senator Atwood in the first episode, he is trying to leave the Winter Soldier behind him and make amends for the wrongs he’d done because of people like her and Hydra. I’m not saying Bucky will never be referred to as the Winter Soldier again, he may even reclaim it and make it mean something more positive, but for now, he seems to want to leave it in the past. The White Wolf moniker, given to him by the Wakandans, isn’t necessarily a name he wants to be known to the wider world as either, especially given some Wakandans may still feel betrayed and angry by his perceived involvement with Zemo’s escape. As Ayo tells Bucky in episode 5, “It would be prudent to make yourself scarce from Wakanda in the time being, White Wolf.” Indeed, as Bucky replies, this is “fair enough.” In other words, I don’t expect him to show up in Black Panther 2 as the White Wolf, and maybe not the planned Disney+ series either.

    TFATWS' star Sebastian Stan reveals how Bucky might die in MCU - Deseret News

    There is, however, still the whole very important theme of the necessity for Bucky to try to make amends to people he feels he’s wronged as the Winter Soldier. That seems to be too much to completely wrap up in this final episode. Bucky needs to feel he’s righted some of these wrongs, not only for his own mental health, but for the good of those that he’s wronged. Family members of people the Winter Soldier murdered such as his friend Yori Nakajima (Ken Takemoto) from the first episode need closure, and only Bucky can give them that. It could be that they can wrap up this part of Bucky’s story with Yori specifically in the finale, but as Bucky admits to Sam, there are at least a dozen or so people that he could help bring closure to, other than just hurting the baddies that made him do these terrible things. 

    But you gotta make them feel better. You gotta go to them, and be of service. I’m sure there’s at least one person in that book who needs closure about something. You’re the only person who can give it to them.

    -Sam Wilson to Bucky, episode 5.

    This is a perfect setup for Bucky as Nomad in his own series. Think of it, a charming but mysterious loner, with a painful past, going from town to town on his motorcycle, writing wrongs, making amends. This would be a great series where Sebastian Stan would get to shine even more than he already has as Bucky Barnes. 

    The main roadblock to Bucky’s potential Nomad motorcycle redemption tour, however, is the US government. As we’ve seen, a condition of Bucky’s pardon has required him to check in and have therapy sessions. Now, don’t get me wrong, therapy for Bucky is good, he needs it, but the idea that he could be arrested for not checking in while trying to do good in the world, or even be made to do something bad by the government as part of his pardon agreement, is not good at all. So, how does he get out of that? How does Bucky get to a place where he can truly be free, and not under the control of any government or person?

    And just keep in mind as you watch that finale tomorrow, as was asked in the very first episode, Bucky may be free of the programming and mind control, but “to do what?” A Nomad series perhaps?

  • Russel Crowe May Have Confirmed That He is Playing Zeus in ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’

    Russel Crowe May Have Confirmed That He is Playing Zeus in ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’

    It looks like Russel Crowe may have joined Alfred Molina‘s approach to discussing their work with Marvel, as in an interview he revealed that he is playing Zeus in Thor: Love and Thunder. It was shared on Twitter by user @tlatnews with the audio bit from the actor’s interview with Joy 94.9. In it, he talks about taking a bicycle to film his final day and just outright states that he is playing the Greek father of the gods.

    https://twitter.com/tlatnews/status/1385291213490769925

    It is kind of hilarious how he states how he’ll be “Zeus-ing about” and it sounds like a line that would actually be in the film from Taika Waititi. Marvel Studios is famous for keeping a lot of their projects under secrecy, but Crowe is the second person to let slip about his involvement and role in an upcoming film. Alfred Molina famously just dropped the bomb by confirming the rumors of his involvement with Spider-Man: No Way Home.

    Now, the addition of a Greek god in the fourth entry of Thor is quite a game-changer. It opens up the possibility of Hercules making his MCU debut in the film. There is also the confirmation of Gorr the God Butcher having a major role in the film, which could hint at a dark future for these gods as they might come face-to-face with the character played by Christian Bale. We’ll see if the first trailer also gives us a glimpse of how they might factor into the story.

    Source: Joy 94.9 via Twitter

  • James Gunn Confirms Where the GotG Holiday Special Fits in the MCU Timeline

    James Gunn Confirms Where the GotG Holiday Special Fits in the MCU Timeline

    Last December it was announced that James Gunn would be writing and directing the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special for Disney Plus. The project is set to film while Gunn and company are together later this year for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and now the director has confirmed where the project falls chronologically in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Our friend Bryan Beggs tipped us off to this exchange between Gunn and Twitter user @Moses0507 that puts the project right between the Guardians next 2 feature films.

    https://twitter.com/battyBofficial/status/1385285914599956480?s=19

    The majority of the team is set to appear in Thor: Love and Thunder which is set to land in theaters next May. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 doesn’t currently have an official release date but could land in May 2023. Gunn’s confirmation means that not only will the Holiday Special air between the two films but also that the events of it will take place between them in universe.

  • Theory Thursday: Scarlet Witch’s Fate in the ‘Doctor Strange’ Sequel

    Theory Thursday: Scarlet Witch’s Fate in the ‘Doctor Strange’ Sequel

    With principal photography for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness approaching its end and a near-perfect “no-leak” track record, fans are pretty much going blind into the highly anticipated sequel. With a stellar character lineup up like Doctor Strange, Baron Mordo, Wong, Christine Palmer, America Chavez, and more, we can certainly expect to be in for a spectacle the likes we may have not yet seen in the MCU. However, there is one character that fans are excited to make a return to the big screen following her Disney+ series, Wanda Maximoff the Scarlet Witch.

     

     

    The story will continue where WandaVision left off. How exactly it ties in from the post-credit scene remains a mystery. We are also unaware of what she’s been doing for the past year since the events of WestView, which took place just weeks after Avengers: Endgame. The Doctor Strange sequel will take place in 2024. Our first clue at her role stems from Agatha Harkness’ Darkhold prophecy:

    The Scarlet Witch is not born, she is forged. She has no coven, no need for incantation. Your power exceeds that of the Sorcerer Supreme. It’s your destiny to destroy the world.

    There is a good chance that the prophecy may take place in the upcoming Doctor Strange sequel. Wanda could end manipulated by whomever the real villain in this story is and put in a position where she sacrifices the world to save her children. We got the hint at their existence in WandaVision‘s post-credit scene. There’s also one other question that has everyone’s attention. What happens to Wanda’s story as the film concludes? Does her story conclude along with it? If she truly is meant to destroy the world, how will Doctor Strange handle her? Will he be forced to break his oath as a doctor and take life to guarantee the safety of the multiverse?

     

    A Scarlet Case of Amnesia

     

    It may sound tragic, but it could potentially be the most humane way of saving both Wanda Maximoff and the world. This theory is actually not far off from the comics. After the events of House of M, the world went back to normal, and Wanda Maximoff disappeared from the face of the Earth. Even Doctor Strange couldn’t find her. She eventually reappeared in New Avengers #26, where Wanda was found in a village, with no memories of her time as an Avenger or as the Scarlet Witch. She even didn’t believe in magic when we see her again. I suspect that Marvel Studios could potentially adopt a version of this plot device for the film.

     

     

    Doctor Strange has one truly defining trait in comparison to others. He lives by the Hippocratic Oath. This oath is taken by physicians worldwide where they promise to bring no harm to another human. It was first acknowledged in the first Doctor Strange film, right after he took the life of one of Kaecilius’ acolytes, promising that he wouldn’t do that ever again. He became a doctor to “save lives, not take them.” There’s also a second medical element that Dr. Strange uses later on in Avengers: Infinity War, which is known as “triage.”

    It is how he prioritizes tasks, such as prioritizing the Time Stone over Tony and Peter’s lives because “the universe” depended on it. It will be interesting to see if the film will bring Doctor Strange’s moral system into question by making him decide what’s more important: saving the multiverse or the life of one singular being out of pity. By erasing her mind, it allows Strange to do both as he would technically “erase” Scarlet Witch while still saving Wanda Maximoff and ensures that the dimensional rifts don’t destroy the multiverse.