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  • Mystery Marvel Streaming Series to Reportedly Have the Highest Live-Action Episode Count in the D+ Era

    Mystery Marvel Streaming Series to Reportedly Have the Highest Live-Action Episode Count in the D+ Era

    From 2013 to 2019, fans grew used to Marvel Television churning out seasons of traditional and streaming TV series that mostly consisted of 22 (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.) or 13 (Netflix’s Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Iron Fist and Luke Cage). As Marvel Studios began to produce their own series for Disney Plus, episode counts dropped significantly as did total runtime. The studio’s first series, WandaVision, was made up of 9 episodes that added up to only just about six hours of content. To date, with the exception of the five-episode Echo, the studio’s live-action series have had either six or nine episodes that have been structured more like films than TV series. Moving forward, the studio’s production practices are said to be changing and a series that the studio has hardly addressed at all may be one of the first examples of those changes.

    First reported to be in development in June 2022, Wonder Man will finally introduce one of Marvel Comics’ classic Avengers to the MCU. Yahya Abdul-Mateen ll will play stuntman turned super hero Simon Williams in the series which was written by Community and Brooklyn Nine-Nine scribe Andrew Guest and overseen by Shang-Chi and the Legend of The Ten Rings director Destin Daniel Cretton. Despite photos of the production making their way online, fans have questioned if the series truly existed or if they were experiencing the Mandela Effect. Now, another trade has provided an update on the series that should help alleviate any concern.

    According to Deadline, Wonder Man—which was produced under the Marvel Spotlight banner–will consist of ten episodes.

    In February 2023, Stephen Broussard provided the only official comments by the studio about the series.


    [Wonder Man will] be definitely influenced by the comics. One of the things that we’re excited about it is that it’s going to feel very unique. It’s not going to feel like anything you’ve quite seen in the MCU before. And the kind of stories we can tell on Disney+, which has been fun. Like streaming, serialized storytelling is a totally different muscle. So, we’re having a blast making that one.

    -Stephen Broussard

    While there’s no timeline for when fans can expect the series to hit Disney Plus, it seems possible that it may not debut on the streamer until 2026 as it was left out of the studio’s Upfront presentation this Spring.

    Source: Deadline

  • Marvel Studios Targeting a Familiar Face to Direct ‘Avengers 5’

    Marvel Studios Targeting a Familiar Face to Direct ‘Avengers 5’

    The road to Avengers 5 has been bumpy but it seems as though things are smoothing out as Marvel Studios begins the march toward production. First introduced as Avengers: The Kang Dynasty at SDCC ’22, the project quickly gained momentum with Jonathan Majors set to lead the way as the titular villain, Destin Daniel Cretton signing on to direct and Jeff Loveness set to draft the screenplay. Originally slated for a May 2nd, 2025 release as part of the studio’s Phase Six plans, there were rumblings that the production on the project would kick off in late 2023. However, rather than see the project come together, late 2023 saw it fall apart entirely.

    I have this opportunity to write a vast, American epic–I’ll use American in a general term–but a big, American movie. I don’t take it lightly and I want to make it this big, sweeping and exciting, funny movie and I think we have the best actor in the world as the most complicated villain in comic books. So I can’t say too much, but we’re really swinging for the fences and I can’t wait for you to see what Jonathan does.

    –Jeff Lovenss on Jonathan Majors, February 2023
    Avengers: The Kang Dynasty is revealed as part of Phase Six at SDCC ’22

    As part of a complete overhaul of the theatrical slate due in part to the WGA strike, the release date for Avengers: The Kang Dynasty was bumped down the road into May 2026. In order to focus on a pair of other projects at Marvel (Wonder Man and the Shang-Chi sequel), Cretton stepped down as director in November 2023. Just a couple of weeks later, Loveness–whose work on Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania was the target of intense scrutiny–was replaced by Loki and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness writer Michael Waldron. Finally, just ahead of Christmas, Marvel cut ties with Majors after the actor was found guilty of reckless assault and harassment. With Majors gone and Waldron on the script, the studio dropped the subtitle The Kang Dynasty and went back to the drawing board, leaving the project draped in uncertainty. However, with the studio aiming to move into production on the project early next year, things are starting to come together quickly.

    According to Deadline, Marvel Studios has offered Deadpool & Wolverine‘s Shawn Levy the opportunity to direct Avengers 5.
    (L-R): Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, and Director Shawn Levy on the set of Marvel Studios’ DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE. Photo by Jay Maidment. © 2024 20th Century Studios / © and ™ 2024 MARVEL.

    With Levy’s first collaboration with the studio looking to be a sure hit, Deadline reports that Marvel has given Levy first crack at taking the job and provided him with Waldron’s latest draft of the script. While Levy ponders where the project could or could not fit in his very busy schedule and the studio waits for his decision, they are reportedly scheduling meetings with other talent to helm the project should Levy decline the gig.

    Despite a rough couple of months at the end of 2023, recent reports indicate that Marvel Studios fully intends to have cameras roll on the project early next year and have the film in theaters on May 1, 2026. To that end, Marvel reportedly started reaching out to talent earlier this year in the hopes that they’d clear their schedule to star in Avengers 5. Should everything come together, it would not be surprising to see the newly-retitled film be at the center of the studio’s convention circuit this summer, whether that be at July’s SDCC ’24 or August’s D23.

    Source: Deadline

  • REVIEW: ‘The Acolyte’

    REVIEW: ‘The Acolyte’

    Since Disney’s acquisition of Lucasfilm in 2012, the studio’s projects, both film and television, have been unevenly received by Star Wars fandom. It’s been eight and a half years since the nostalgia-driven Episode VII-The Force Awakens launched the Disney Star Wars era and in that time, segments of the fandom moved from a sense of uncertainty and unrest to vocal and volatile about the direction of the franchise. Almost echoing the history of the Jedi Order itself, Star Wars fandom experienced the First Great Schism when Episode VIII-The Last Jedi hit theaters. As fans grew increasingly displeased with the further exploration of the Skywalker Saga and the themes originally developed within it by George Lucas, Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy recognized a need to move away from the Skywalkers and the outline of The Maker. However, even as the ascension of heir to the empire Dave Filoni began as Disney Plus allowed for more stories to be told through streaming series, it seemed hard to break away from the addiction to the Skywalkers. Even as the Creative Grand Admiral of Lucasfilm’s Star Wars division, Filoni‘s projects continued to feature Skywalkers as Luke made an appearance in The Mandalorian and Anakin in Ahsoka.

    I think it is vital. Just staying within the construct of George’s storytelling, to keep chipping away at that, I think would be wrong. It’s our job to step away now, but still have a connection to the mythology that George created. That won’t stop. But we are moving on from the Skywalker saga. That’s what’s taking a lot of time, discussion, and thought right now.

    Kathleen Kennedy, Vanity Fair, 2022

    While the desire to connect each new project to the brand’s most recognizable names can be easily understood–especially since so many of the key creatives currently working on Star Wars projects grew up as fans of the brand–it remains a cord that has to be cut. Enter Leslye Headland. Like Filoni, Headland is a lifelong fan of the franchise who describes her love for Star Wars as existing on a “deep cellular level.” And, like Filoni, she has grown into adulthood pondering, meditating on and dreaming about the galaxy far, far away. And now, in The Acolyte, Headland gives fans a brand new entry point into that galaxy that allows fans to engage with the same themes and concepts that Lucas made central to Star Wars but in an all-new era of stories that does not depend on the Skywalkers or, so far, even a passing familiarity with their stories. Steeped and connected in the mythology of Star Wars yet independent of anything that’s come before it, The Acolyte is Disney’s boldest storytelling effort to date within the franchise as it looks to redefine itself.

    I just love Star Wars—I always have. Every time I’m asked the question ‘what is your fandom like?’ or ‘what do you love about Star Wars?’, it’s difficult for me to answer because I love it on a deep cellular level. I almost think Star Wars has been a part of my personality since I can remember.

    -Leslye Headland
    (L-R): Mae (Amandla Stenberg) and Master Sol (Lee Jung-jae) in Lucasfilm’s THE ACOLYTE, exclusively on Disney+. ©2024 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved.

    Set at a time in the High Republic era that precedes the events of Episode 1-The Phantom Menace by a century, The Acolyte represents a daring new direction for Star Wars. And through four episodes, it blazes the trail that the franchise sorely needed. Headland‘s intrepid exploration of the High Republic is ripe with thematic parallels upon which Lucas built the foundation of the franchise and toys with the expansion of the mythology similar to Filoni’s work. However, The Acolyte is singular in that outside of the briefest of cameos that casual viewers will never recognize, Headland does it all with a new cast of characters who are incredibly easy to like from jump street.

    As the franchise sputtered through the sequels, Kennedy believed the future depended not only on moving away from the Skywalkers but also on allowing talented creators to expand the Star Wars sandbox beyond Tatooine and to tell character-driven stories. The Acolyte succeeds on both counts. While it’s billed as Star Wars-noir, it tells a Star Wars tale as old as time that explores the duality of good and bad and centers around relationships. At the center of the story are twins, Osha and Mae, and Jedi Master Sol, whose history with the twins allows Headland to explore flaws inherent in the Jedi Order. Within the first four episodes of The Acolyte, the dynamics of the Jedi–who are at their peak during the High Republic–reveal the beginnings of the cracks in the firmament that ultimately allow for their fall. Star Amandla Stenberg‘s transition between twins Osha and Mae is smooth and effortless and among the franchise’s best in years and Lee Jung-jae’s compassionate Sol joins the ranks of the Jedi Order’s most loveable Masters.

    We’re not defined by what we lose; we’re defined by what we survive.

    -Jedi Padawn Jecki Lon

    Despite the Great Schism, Star Wars lives on and as Jedi Padawan Jecki Lon shares with Osha, “we’re not defined by what we lose; we’re defined by what we survive.” The Acolyte stands as a wonderful example of survival and adaptation. It’s an all-new era of Star Wars with no keepers standing at the gate and no background necessary to enjoy. It delivers one of the franchise’s most beautifully shot episodes to date in Episode 3, many of its most interesting new characters in what seems like forever and some of the best-looking action sequences ever shot in the galaxy far, far away. The screener package left us at one helluva cliffhanger but should the second half of the series deliver on the promises made in the first, The Acolyte will become the first step in a new direction the franchise sorely needs.

    Sources: Vanity Fair,

  • Robert Downey’s MCU Return Sounds…Inevitable

    Robert Downey’s MCU Return Sounds…Inevitable

    It’s been made clear by all parties involved: Tony Stark’s heroic sacrifice in Avengers: Endgame will never be undone. But in an infinite Multiverse in which Stark himself invented time travel, the opportunities for the character–or a Variant of him–to show up seem truly infinite. And Robert Downey Jr. is starting to sound increasingly like someone who knows he’s going to return to his career-definig role sooner rather than later.

    Happily. It’s too integral a part of my DNA. That role chose me. And look, I always say, “Never, ever bet against Kevin Feige.” It is a losing bet. He’s the house. He will always win.

    Robert Downey Jr., Esquire, 2024

    Since Endgame, Downey‘s career has reached all-new heights thanks to roles in projects such as Oppenheimer, for which he won an Oscar, and The Sympathizer. While some might think the success would lead him further away from the MCU, Downey has been quite forthcoming recently about his willingness to return to work with Marvel. Now, in a new interview with Jodie Foster Variety, he’s at it again and this time, the hints seem stronger.

    “It’s just crazily in my DNA. Probably the most like-me character I’ve ever played, even though he’s way cooler than I am,” said Downey when asked if he’d think of suiting up as Iron Man again. Then, as if he was reliving Tony Stark’s speech at the end of Iron Man but deciding to stick with what’s on the cards, Downey added “I’ve become surprisingly open-minded to the idea.”

    While that’s stopping short of saying “I am Iron Man…again,” Downey’s rhetoric around his return has continued to sound more and more it’s a when and not an if. The TVA playing a large role in Deadpool & Wolverine provides one interesting possibility as do upcoming projects such as Ironheart and Armor Wars and, of course, Avengers: Secret Wars. It sure sounds like it’s only a matter of time before fans see Downey back in action in the MCU.

  • ‘Venom: The Last Dance’ Trailer Teases Major Implications for the MCU’s Multiverse, ‘Secret Wars’

    ‘Venom: The Last Dance’ Trailer Teases Major Implications for the MCU’s Multiverse, ‘Secret Wars’

    Sony’s third installment in the Venom franchise, Venom: The Last Dance, will land in theaters on October 25th. While it looks as though The Last Dance will indeed be the last dance for Venom, the first trailer for the project just teased some major implications for Marvel Studios Multiverse which could open the door–or did it shut it?–for Tom Hardy to continue on as Eddie Brock.

    As the trailer opens, Hardy’s Brock is seen to be wearing the same outfit he was wearing in the post-credit scene to Spider-Man: No Way Home. As a quick refresher, that scene–which followed up on the post-credit scene to Venom: Let There Be Carnage–was seemingly set in the MCU’s main 616 timeline. In it, Hardy’s Brock/Venom learned all about the MCU’s “superpeople” and their tangle with Thanos from Ted Lasso actor Cristo Fernández’s friendly bartender but, as he was transported back to whatever universe he counts as home, a bit of the symbiote was seen left behind at the bar. While online rumor and speculation has led to the belief that the symbiote bit would eventually find Tom Holland’s Peter Parker, the trailer for The Last Dance seems to indicate otherwise.

    In Venom: The Last Dance, Tom Hardy returns as Venom, one of Marvel’s greatest and most complex characters, for the final film in the trilogy. Eddie and Venom are on the run. Hunted by both of their worlds and with the net closing in, the duo are forced into a devastating decision that will bring the curtains down on Venom and Eddie’s last dance.

    Official Synopsis for Venom: The Last Dance

    At the 1:28 mark of the trailer, Chiwetel Ejiofor‘s character can be seen trapping the symbiote as Fernández’s character is interacting with it. Given Ejiofor’s character is shown interacting with Juno Temple’s character in the presence of a large collection of symbiotes, it would seem that he’s capturing the bit of Venom for study and, presumably, removing it from the 616.

    The scene has some fairly large-scale implications beyond the removal of the symbiote from the 616. Unless there’s some serious subterfuge at play, Ejiofor’s character will spend at least some portion of Venom: The Last Dance in the 616 in the immediate aftermath of the post-credit scene from Spider-Man: No Way Home. This means that someone from Brock’s universe has discovered a way to travel the Multiverse and the fact that a door has been opened between that universe and the MCU could tie directly into Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Secret Wars. Whatever the case, this seems to indicate an all-new level of cooperation between Marvel Studios and Sony and that can only benefit both moving forward.

    Venom: The Last Dance stars Tom Hardy, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Juno Temple, Rhys Ifans, Peggy Lu, Alanna Ubach and Stephen Graham. The film is directed by Kelly Marcel from a screenplay she wrote, based on a story by Hardy and Marcel. The film is produced by Avi Arad, Matt Tolmach, Amy Pascal, Kelly Marcel, Tom Hardy and Hutch Parker.

  • ‘Captain America’ Set Photo of Giancarlo Esposito Provides First Look at His Mystery Villain

    ‘Captain America’ Set Photo of Giancarlo Esposito Provides First Look at His Mystery Villain

    A day after Giancarlo Esposito‘s mystery character in Captain America: Brave New World was teased by one professional photographer, another professional photographer has shared the first look at Esposito from the set.

    Photographer Christopher Oquendo took to Twitter to share what is the first true look at Esposito’s mysterious villain.

    As we first revealed on May 30th, Esposito–who recently revealed he had joined the MCU–joined the cast of Brave New World as reshoots on the project began. While the identity of his character has not been revealed, he’s certainly a disruptive force in the film and, as seen here, loaded with weapons.

    Updating…

  • First Look at Giancarlo Esposito’s ‘Captain America’ Character Generates Fan Frenzy

    First Look at Giancarlo Esposito’s ‘Captain America’ Character Generates Fan Frenzy

    For MCU fans, discovering the identity of Giancarlo Esposito‘s mystery character in Captain America: Brave New World has become their latest obsession. While many roll out uninspired guesses like Doctor Doom, Magneto, Mephisto and Norman Osborn, others are digging deeper to figure out who the “antagonist agent of chaos” played by Esposito might be. Now, the first look at the character’s costume has fans’ heads spinning.

    Photographer Atlanta Filming, who has a long history of capturing photos from the sets of Marvel Studios’ projects, has given fans some interesting details to chew on in their Wiki searches for the identity of Esposito’s baddie.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/C7nKVaFgoR2/?igsh=MXRtZjV2N3YwZ3pnYQ==

    From his sketch of the character and the look at the stunt double, it seems clear that Esposito’s character is decked out in tactical gear. That likely indicates he’s an assassin or mercenary hired to take out one of the film’s main characters. Recent reports from the set have centered around Sam Wilson being involved in a car chase which was comparable to those seen in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Could Captain America be in Esposito’s sights?

    By Esposito’s own admission, his character is unlikely to have a major role in Brave New World, calling it a “tease” before the character returns for a presumably larger appearance in a streaming series. With that in mind, Esposito’s time on set may be coming to and end shortly, which may mean we’ve seen all we will see of his character. Perhaps, just maybe, the identity of that character will stay under wraps until the film hits theaters on February 14th, 2025.

  • Giancarlo Esposito Set to Appear in a 2025 Marvel Studios Film

    Giancarlo Esposito Set to Appear in a 2025 Marvel Studios Film

    For years, fans have dreamt of Giancarlo Esposito landing a role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Esposito recently revealed that dream had become a reality and teased fans that his character, which he hinted would be “new and original and fresh” would be revealed “sooner than you think.” He wasn’t wrong.

     Wouldn’t you like to see me play a character in a Marvel movie who is original, and new, and fresh? So, mark my words: This will happen sooner than you think.

    Giancarlo Esposito, CCXP24
    Murphy’s Multiverse can confirm that Giancarlo Esposito is set to appear in Captain America: Brave New World.

    A significant portion of Captain America: Brave New World was filmed in 2023 before the Hollywood work stoppage forced the production to go on pause. During that time, Marvel Studios execs determined that the project needed a major overhaul and brought writer Matthew Orton on board to assemble a script for reshoots. It would seem that Esposito‘s character, who appears as an antagonistic agent of chaos in the film, was added by Orton.

    The MCU has knocked on my door and it’s a role you won’t predict. It will be teased and there will be a series afterwards.

    Giancarlo Esposito, Phoenix Fan Fusion 2024

    Esposito has thrived as a disruptive force on the screen for nearly 20 years. The actor played arguably one of TV’s greatest villains as Gus Fring in Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul and has since continued to make his mark as a big bad as The Mandalorian‘s Moff Gideon, the corrupt Stan Edgar in The Boys and, recently, Stanley Johnson in Guy Ritchie’s The Gentlemen. While he won’t be playing Magneto or Doctor Doom in the MCU, as so many had hoped, Esposito‘s role in Brave New World certainly matches the actor’s indication of it being one which fans will not have expected and it appears as though he’s set to be a serious thorn in Sam Wilson’s side.

    Captain America: Brave New World hits theaters on February 14, 2025.

  • Disney Rolls Out Teaser Trailer, Synopsis for ‘Moana 2’

    Disney Rolls Out Teaser Trailer, Synopsis for ‘Moana 2’

    Auli‘i Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson are back as Moana and Maui in the first look at Disney Animation’s Moana 2. Disney has released the first teaser trailer for the sequel along with an official synopsis and new poster.

     Moana 2 reunites Moana and Maui three years later for an expansive new voyage alongside a crew of unlikely seafarers. After receiving an unexpected call from her wayfinding ancestors, Moana must journey to the far seas of Oceania and into dangerous, long-lost waters for an adventure unlike anything she’s ever faced.

    -Official Synopsis, via Disney

    Directed by David Derrick Jr., Jason Hand and Dana Ledoux Miller, and produced by Christina Chen and Yvett Merino, Moana 2 features music by Grammy® winners Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, Grammy nominee Opetaia Foaʻi, and three-time Grammy winner Mark Mancina.

    Disney Animation’s Moana 2 hits theaters on November 27th.

  • ‘The Acolyte’: New Information Teases a Major Connection Between Key Characters

    ‘The Acolyte’: New Information Teases a Major Connection Between Key Characters

    The two-episode premiere of Lucsfilm’s latest Star Wars streaming series, The Acolyte, is now less than a week away and despite fans and press having seen multiple episodes of the show, spoilers remain hard to come by. That makes it all the more interesting that Disney may have intentionally revealed one of the most tantalizing tidbits so far via an official production brief.

    Set in the High Republic era, The Acolyte “is a mystery thriller that invites audiences into the gray areas of universal themes, such as power, right and wrong, light and dark, and is designed to make audiences really engage in the struggle to balance the duality,” according to the show’s creator, Leslye Headland. At the center of that mystery is Mae, “a mysterious young woman with a tragic past,” played by Amandla Stenberg. Given that Mae’s identity is pivotal to the noir-inspired series and Lucasfilm’s strong track record of keeping secrets, it’s a bit shocking that they may have let at least part of the cat out of the bag.

    The Big Reveal

    Mae (Amandla Stenberg) in Lucasfilm’s THE ACOLYTE, exclusively on Disney+. ©2024 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved.

    In an official press release, Stenberg’s character is referred to as “Mae Aniseya.” Until now, the character had only been referred to as Mae and is listed as such in the StarWars.com databank. The revelation of Mae’s last name is notable as it reveals a connection to another mysterious new character fans will meet in The Acolyte, Mother Aniseya.

    Played by Jodie Turner-Smith, Mother Aniseya is the leader of a coven of Witches who live on the planet Brendock. Witches are nothing new to the galaxy far, far away as fans are already familiar with the Dathomirian Nightsisters. Like the Nightsisters, the Witches of The Acolyte are “people who are Force-sensitive, but are not necessarily part of the Jedi Order,” according to Headland. However, the Brendock Witches are not Nightsisters and, according to Turner-Smith, Mother Aniseya “has abilities that are beyond anything that any of them have ever seen.”

    What’s the Connection?

    (Center): Mother Aniseya (Jodie Turner-Smith) in Lucasfilm’s THE ACOLYTE, exclusively on Disney+. ©2024 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved.

    Though the information might at first seem to indicate that Mae is the daughter of Mother Aniseya, that might not necessarily be the case. As seen in the trailer, the Jedi, led by Master Sol, visit Brendok to meet with Mother Aniseya (according to the production brief, this occurs in Episode 3) and, presumably, dig up some information about Mae. While it is entirely possible that Mother Aniseya is the birth mother of Mae, it’s also possible that Mae met Mother Aniseya at a young age and was raised by her and her coven of Witches where she learned some of “the arcane ways of the Force.” Whatever the case, it’s clear that the two share a key connection that will certainly play a large role in the central mystery of the series.

    The Acolyte begins streaming on Disney Plus on June 4th.

    About Star Wars: The Acolyte

    In Star Wars: The Acolyte, an investigation into a shocking crime spree pits a respected Jedi Master against a dangerous warrior from his past. As more clues emerge, they travel down a dark path where sinister forces reveal all is not what it seems….

    The series stars Amandla Stenberg, Lee Jung-jae, Manny Jacinto, Dafne Keen, Charlie Barnett, Jodie TurnerSmith, Rebecca Henderson, Dean-Charles Chapman, Joonas Suotamo, and Carrie-Anne Moss.

    Leslye Headland created the series, based on Star Wars by George Lucas, and serves as an executive producer along with Kathleen Kennedy, Simon Emanuel, Jeff F. King and Jason Micallef. Charmaine DeGraté and Kor Adana are the co-executive producers. Rayne Roberts, Damian Anderson, Eileen Shim and Rob Bredow are the producers.

    Headland also directed the premiere episodes (Eps. 101 & 102). Directors Kogonada (Eps. 103 & 107), Alex Garcia Lopez (Eps. 104 & 105) and Hanelle Culpepper (Eps. 106 & 108) round out the directing duties on the series.