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  • ‘FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLDIER’: Who is Valentina Allegra de Fontaine?

    ‘FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLDIER’: Who is Valentina Allegra de Fontaine?

    Episode 5 of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier has debuted and we can all stop guessing the identity of the mystery actress and character that we’ve been teasing for over a year and has been the source of quite a lot of buzz since showrunner Malcolm Spellman first teased the appearance several weeks ago. Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, played by 11-time Emmy Award-winning actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus, is now in the MCU and unless you’re a pretty dedicated reader of the comics, you might be wondering just who she is. Fortunately for you, we’ve got your back.

     

    Valentina Allegra de Fontaine Powers, Enemies, History | Marvel

     

    First appearing in a couple of panels in 1967’s Nick Fury story in Strange Tales #159, Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine has undergone a few retcons over the years that have made her one of Fury’s most acquaintances. The Contessa made her debut as an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. who, over the years, had an on-again, off-again relationship with Nick Fury. She has an incredible tactical mind, is a formidable fighter, and became one of Fury’s most trusted allies over the years.

    Her story took a turn for the more interesting during the Secret Invasion event and the subsequent Secret Warriors series, written by Brian Michael Bendis and Jonathan Hickman. Early in the series, Fury meets with a “retired” Val with the hope that after he does one last job, the two of them can finally be together. As the series goes on, Val’s true past is revealed. After joining Hydra as its new Madame Hydra, Val betrays them, joins Leviathan, and reveals that she and her parents were long-term Russian sleeper agents working as plants. She currently resides in a prison somewhere and hasn’t emerged in the comics for some time.

     

    Julia Louis-Dreyfus Does Own Makeup During Stay-At-Home PSA — Video | Allure

     

    While her comic book story is currently in an interlude, her MCU story could just be getting started and, should the Marvel Studios Parliament wish it to be, could tie into a number of properties old and new. In The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, she’s certainly connected to some big names and helps Walker with his post-Captain America career. If that’s all we see of her, it will have been a nice cameo by a big-time actress in Dreyfus; however, should Dreyfus be open to continuing on with the character, we could see her again very soon. As a friend of Fury, the Contessa could play a role in Secret Invasion, perhaps as an old ally of Fury’s that he thinks he can trust. Perhaps more interestingly, should the MCU writers make her a triple agent, Val’s story could tie into even more projects.

    If Leviathan sounds familiar to you, it’s because it has already appeared in MCU continuity in Agent Carter where it had deep ties to the Red Room and the Black Widow program. If she has ties to Leviathan in the MCU, it’s possible she could be referenced or even show up in Black Widow (who knows what they got up to during all these delays). Of course, we also know that Marvel Studios is developing a Secret Warriors project which would be the BEST place for us to see more of JLD as Val. At this point, we’ll have to wait and see what direction they are taking her in the MCU before knowing more but it must be nice for them knowing they have the talents of Louis-Dreyfus on deck whichever way it goes.

  • ‘DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS’ to Wrap Filming This Week

    ‘DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS’ to Wrap Filming This Week

    With so many Marvel Studios productions going on simultaneously, it’s often hard to keep track of which project is at what point. Thankfully, Marvel Studios The-One-Above-All has our backs. In an interview with The Undefeated, Kevin Feige mentioned that Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness will complete principal photography in the UK this week.

    Production on the sequel began last November and was, at one point, delayed by a COVID surge in London. As noteworthy as the impending end of production is the new hat being sported by Feige. The Sanctum logo on the front looks to be an allusion to the multiverse and perhaps the idea that the Sanctums are focal points of it; additionally, the star on the side of the hat is a clear nod to America Chavez’s role in the film and the star-shaped portals she uses to travel through the multiverse. The film’s working title, Stellar Vortex, seems to also have been in reference to Chavez’s unique abilities.

    Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Elizabeth Olsen, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Benedict Wong and Xochitl Gomez and is currently slated to hit theaters on March 25, 2022. Find out everything we know about the film right here!

    Source: The Undefeated

  • REPORT: ‘Doom Patrol’ Season 3 Finds its Dead Boy Detectives

    REPORT: ‘Doom Patrol’ Season 3 Finds its Dead Boy Detectives

    The third season of Doom Patrol is definitely one that fans have been clamoring for since last year. It will pick up there where we left our miserable band of “heroes.” At the end of the series the second season, they were quite literally in pieces and at the mercy of the Candlemaker. For those who weren’t aware, the second season met an abrupt end last year in March, as the pandemic had begun to cause almost if not all productions around the world to cease filming due to health concerns. Doom Patrol was no different, as its tenth episode got cut and left the series on one hell of a cliffhanger. Now that filming has been able to resume, it seems we’ve gotten another addition to Doom Manor, in the form of the Dead Boy Detectives.

    The Direct has unveiled that actors Sebastian Croft and Ty Tenant have joined the upcoming season. They will be playing Charles Rowland and Edwin Paine, who are better known as the Dead Boy Detectives. For those unfamiliar with the characters, they were created by Neil Gaiman. The pair are exactly what you think they are, undead boys who instead of moving into the afterlife, remain on Earth to solve the mysteries of the living. Doom Patrol‘s third season currently has no set release date and is still filming. The season will feature the return of everyone’s favorite moody science experiments including Brendan Fraser, Diane Guerrero, April Bowlby, Jovian Wade, Matt Bomer, Timothy Dalton, and newcomer Michelle Gomez.

    Source: The Direct

  • ‘Game of Thrones’ Pilou Asbaek Joins ‘Aquaman 2’

    ‘Game of Thrones’ Pilou Asbaek Joins ‘Aquaman 2’

    With filming on the highly anticipated sequel to 2018’s billion-dollar blockbuster looking to ramp up its production in June, we were bound to hear some news on it sooner than later. Plot details for the film have been kept under wraps and it’s unknown as to who or where we’ll see our new king of Atlantis off too next, but it seems that we have a new addition to the film. Deadline has unveiled that Game of Thrones actor Pilou Asbaek, best know for his role as Euron Greyjoy of the Iron Islands, will come to face former Khal Drogo, Jason Momoa, in the upcoming sequel for the film.

    It’s unknown who Asbaek will be playing in the film, as they remain secretive. Just a few weeks ago, we reported on casting breakdowns for the sequel going around. One character in particular named Kore. The role was for an actor in the 40-50-year-old range and looked to be for a villain as he was described as “domineering and cunning,” which could be a perfect role for Asbaek. The role in question I believe to be that of Corum Rath, an Atlantean eco-terrorist who sought to bring the war to the surface world who sought to overthrow Arthur.

    Aquaman 2 is currently set to release on December 16th, 2022 with James Wan returning too direct. The film will also feature the return of Jason Momoa as Arthur Curry, Amber Heard, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, and Willem Dafoe.

     

    Source: Deadline, DiscussingFilm

  • ‘THE FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLDIER’ Episode 5 Primer

    ‘THE FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLDIER’ Episode 5 Primer

    I still have yet to be disappointed with The Falcon and The Winter Soldier. The new episode was wild! I said in last week’s primer that John Walker would go crazy if something happened to his friend and partner…and he definitely did. They did a great job of showing him breaking down after each shortcoming up until he killed a Flag-Smasher with the shield! He did it right in front of everyone with their phones out and there have to be consequences. He wanted to be a hero so badly that he couldn’t sit back and let Sam do what he needed to do. There are TOO many problems that they are dealing with right now, including… Zemo running away, the death of Hoskins, Wakanda is not happy at all with Bucky, and Sam losing his one chance to actually talk with Karli. They are going to have a lot to work out in the next couple of episodes.

    The Falcon and the Winter Soldier Episode 4 – What Did You Think?!

     

    The new trailer shows Walker is fighting Bucky and Sam picking up where they left off in episode 4. Now that Walker has the Super Soldier serum, the fight will be a little bit more interesting. Either way, I think that Bucky and Sam are going to win because why else would Sam have the shield? Walker is clearly not going to just give it up.

    What’s going to happen with Zemo, seeing that he’s escaped? We know he hates the idea of Super Soldiers and we know he and Bucky aren’t quite done with one another. Karli and the Flag-Smashers have one big attack left, according to the trailers, but they have Walker, Bucky and Sam, and the Power Broker on their tails. They have a lot coming at them and they may not be able to handle it.

    Arlyn’s Assumptions

    Falcon and the Winter Soldier Spoilers Reveal Major Change to Captain America Villain

    There are a lot of things to wrap up over these next two episodes. John Walker’s actions are going to have to be dealt with because Captain America can’t be murdering people all over the world. Leaks have indicated that he will become the U.S. Agent by the end of the series. With Hoskins gone and his reputation damaged, someone else will have to help him out and have his back. We also know that Batroc will team up with the Flag-Smashers to help them with their final plan. They are definitely desperate now with the serum destroyed and I think they’ll turn to even darker tactics to get their way. I don’t think Sam has given up on Karli though and won’t stop trying to save her.

    The next episode of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier streams tomorrow!

     

  • Untitled ‘The Boys’ Spin-Off Casts Reina Hardesty as Lead

    Untitled ‘The Boys’ Spin-Off Casts Reina Hardesty as Lead

    It looks like the still-untitled The Boys spin-off has found its lead actress. Deadline has just revealed that Brockmire actress Reina Hardesty will tackle the lead role of the upcoming college-focused series. It seems that it is already nearing a green light by Amazon Studios, which will want to continue banking on the success of their R-rated superhero franchise. The story will focus on America’s college for superheroes. Of course, it is run by Vought International and aims to prepare the new generation of Supes for their big debut. As to be expected, the story will push their sexual and moral boundaries to a test to get the best contracts.  It will be written by The Boys executive producer Craig Rosenberg.

    The third season is still in production for the popular series, as it has recently cast Katia Winter as Little Nina. The spin-off has also been quite busy, as it has added Shane Paul Mcghie, Maddie Phillips, Aimee Carrero, Jaz Sinclair, and Lizzie Broadway. It will be quite the stacked cast, which will take a very different approach from the mainline series. The Boys focused primarily on a group of non-powered individuals while intersecting stories from the Supes now and then. This series will primarily focus on a group of young adults and very hormonal superheroes at its core. The Brockmire actress might end up being the only hero without powers to add that human element, but there is no word which role she is tackling. It’ll be interesting to see if we get any potential crossovers between the series in the future.

    Source: Deadline

  • ‘House of the Dragon’ Adds ‘The Serpent’s Fabien Frankel

    ‘House of the Dragon’ Adds ‘The Serpent’s Fabien Frankel

    It looks like HBO’s upcoming Game of Thrones spin-off is still casting some key characters. House of Dragon will explore the times of Viserys Targaryen’s rule. Of course, a good leader requires his Kingsguard and it seems that the Last Christmas actor, Fabien Frankel, will take on that role as Ser Criston Cole. Author of the original novel series, George R.R. Martin, took to his blog to reveal the news of Frankel‘s casting teasing his rather important role in these series. In it, he describes the character as followed:

    He is the common-born son of the steward to the Lord of Blackhaven. He has no claim to lands or titles, all he has is his honor and his skill with sword and lance. He is a challenger, a champion, cheered by the commons, beloved of the ladies. He is a lover (or is he?), a seducer (or is he?), a betrayer (or is he?), a breaker of hearts and a maker of kings.

    It seems his character will have an important role in starting the civil war that will end the era of dragons. Frankel has built up quite a reputation in a short amount of time with his work on The Serpent, NYPD Blue, and alongside former Targaryen Emilia Clarke in Last Christmas. It’ll be interesting to see what the actor has to offer and how Ser Cole’s relationship with Viserys might shape the spin-offs story.

    Source: Not a Blog via The Hollywood Reporter, IMDb

  • ‘Marvel’s Avengers’: First Details and Release Date Revealed for Tachyon Anomaly Event

    ‘Marvel’s Avengers’: First Details and Release Date Revealed for Tachyon Anomaly Event

    Finally, it has been a long-time coming, but Marvel’s Avengers is kicking off its first event. Around a month ago, we got our first glimpse at a roadmap for the upcoming months, and it will kick off with the Tachyon Anomaly. After teasing its release date last week, they have announced that it will begin on April 22nd. The event will last for around two weeks and end on May 3rd. Next week, you’ll be able to play as a group of four Hulks or Iron Man if you’re in the mood for it. Now, they’ve also offered some insight into what to expect from the event.

    As the name implies, the Tachyon Rifts have been growing since AIM keeps tampering with them. The results led to Avengers crossing over from different timelines, and it allows your strike team to consist of whatever mix-up you can imagine. This part of the event is titled Temporal Assault. Interestingly enough, it calls this event the first Tachyon Anomaly. So, we might see this as a recurring event throughout the year. They also shared a comic-inspired image in the official discord:

     

     

    You’ll be able to unlock Hivemind gear sets from this event alongside priority set gear through daily missions. It will also introduce animated nameplates. They are exclusively available during the event and are unlocked when you complete the weekly mission chain for the first time. It’s not restricted to a specific hero, but we can also expect hero-specific ones in the marketplace:

    • April 22 – 29: Thor, Hawkeye, Black Widow, Hulk
    • April 29 – May 6: Iron Man, Captain America, Ms. Marvel, Kate Bishop

    That is not all, as we’re also getting multiple Tachyon Rift missions at the same time. They will also be playable for players with a power level up to 100, which will rotate daily with relevant rewards. “And We’re Back” is the title of the newest Tachyon Mission getting added into the game. Crystal Dynamics has pointed out that if this event is popular enough, it might become a mainstay moving forward. So, let’s enjoy what is just the beginning of a lot more content moving forward.

    Source: Play Avengers

  • ‘Indiana Jones 5’ Adds Mads Mikkelsen

    ‘Indiana Jones 5’ Adds Mads Mikkelsen

    It looks like Lucasfilm is full-throttle on their fifth installment of Indiana Jones. Not even a week ago, it was revealed that Phoebe Waller-Bridge was joining the production. Now, it looks like they have already added one more. Deadline has exclusively learned that Hannibal‘s Mads Mikkelsen will have a role in the upcoming film. They do not elaborate on what role he might be playing, as plot details are still vague on Jones’ next adventure set to release July 29th, 2022.

    Mikkelsen has been adding quite the list of franchises under his belt. He just recently joined Fantastic Beasts replacing Johnny Depp. The actor also had a starring role in Doctor Strange and Star Wars: Rogue One. His Danish film Another Round has also been garnering a lot of award buzz with Oscar nominations for best foreign film and best director. So, things are really looking up for the Danish actor.

    Indiana Jones is making a grand comeback with this film, as Steven Spielberg passes on directing duties for the first time since the franchise started. James Mangold will take on the responsibility after his success with Logan. It’s crazy to think that the last entry was released back in 2008, s Shia LeBeouf played Indy’s son. We don’t have an idea how the story will come together in this one. They might be trying to kickstart a new franchise, as Disney has been very keen on keeping their legacy properties going. So, we’ll see if this might just be the beginning for a new Indiana Jones or it’s a farewell to Harrison Ford‘s tenure as the character.

    Source: Deadline

  • RUMOR: First ‘Ms. Marvel’ Costume Tease Could Hint at Her Gaining a New Ability

    RUMOR: First ‘Ms. Marvel’ Costume Tease Could Hint at Her Gaining a New Ability

    Here’s a rather interesting coincidence. One of Ms. Marvel‘s directors, Bilall Fallah, shared a drawing of the young superheroine on his Instagram. He is taking over directing duties for at least one episode alongside his Bad Boys for Life co-director, Adil El Arbi. Now, the design of Ms. Marvel is pretty iconic and is easily recognized by many fans. So, we were rather surprised when the character is sporting a purple scarf in the latest image rather than her usual red one. Luckily, user @sayyidbentley was able to grab the Instagram Story image before it expired.

     

     

    Now, purple is a rather curious choice that is new to her usual color palette in the comics. It could be a visual decision that might tie to something in their story. We also see that she has her golden bangle on the arm. It just seems to be slightly smaller than the usual designs, but that could be out of practicality. Now, a recent rumor in combination with this purple scarf may be hinting at a considerable change for the character and add some validity to it We have to take every rumor with a grain of salt, but it hints at Kamala gaining a new ability. She will use a variety of constructs that connect to her bangle in some form or another.

     

    Canadian actress cast as Muslim hero Ms Marvel

     

    Now, Kamala doesn’t have these abilities in the comics, and it would be in addition to her Inhuman Embiggen powers. We do see the mentioned bangle in the design. Her purple scarf could add to the rumor, as these constructs supposedly also have the same color. Its validity is a bit questionable, but the director’s tease of the costume could give it some credence.

    There is one more hint that purple will play a key role in the Disney+ series. During Disney’s Investors Day, we got a brief sizzle reel for the project. If you pay close attention, you’ll notice that the newly designed “S” in the logo switches from purple to gold at the end of the sizzle reel. She also actively wears the color during some of the footage.

     

    Everything We Know About MS. MARVEL on Disney+ - Nerdist

     

    Ms. Marvel will release in 2021. So, we might get our first look at the series in the upcoming months, which will hopefully offer a glimpse of these new abilities and how they might tie into the character. It would be a rather daring move to move away that far from the character’s comic depictions. For now, we can only take it as a rumor and see if we get more hints in the future.

    Source: Instagram via Twitter, YouTube