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Stop Hating On the New Captain America…At Least For Now

If social media is to be believed, Wyatt Russell’s John Walker, the MCU’s new Captain America, might just be more hated than Thanos. Within minutes of his debut in episode 1, fans were already talking about his punchable face and following yesterday’s episode, “The Star-Spangled Man”, the hate reached epic proportions. But here’s the thing: no matter how badly you want John Walker to be a bad guy, he’s not…not so far at least. The writers and directors of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier are definitely leading fans down a very particular path and making fans feel a very certain way but as fans, can we take a step back and change the lens through which we’re viewing the character? Let’s give it a shot.

John Walker Did More to Earn the Title of Captain America Than Steve Rogers

It might seem impudent to the legacy of Steve Rogers, the man who was willing to stand alone against Thanos and his army when all else had failed (and easily my favorite MCU hero) to suggest it, but Walker’s career as a military hero has earned him a shot at carrying on the legacy and it’s a much more accomplished career than the one the guy before him had.

As we learned in Episode 2, Walker is a 3-time recipient of the Medal of Honor, the highest military decoration in the U.S., and led counter-terrorism and hostage rescue units during his distinguished career. Love him or hate him, the man was the very definition of an American hero before he was given the new job. Rogers, on the other hand, had no prior military career and though he displayed his bravery by falling on a grenade during basic training, his greatest accomplishment was being smart enough to pull the pin out of the flagpole. And keep in mind that Rogers only got the chance to go through basic training after falsifying documents and because Doctor Erskine happened to be in the right place at the right time to hear Steve’s explanation to Bucky about why he wanted to be in the war.

It’s probably very intentional that longtime fans of the MCU think back to Gilmore Hodge while looking at John Walker, but despite the intent of the creative team, it’s important to remember that neither of them are bad men, just very good soldiers.

John Walker Isn’t Responsible for the Racism Sam is Experiencing

Early “leaks” (the bullshit kind) pegged Walker as a racist and all-around villain. It seems that despite the fact that those leaks were nothing more than poorly written fan-fiction, that the feelings they fueled have carried some momentum into the series. The Falcon and The Winter Soldier has deftly and subtly addressed racism in America in each of the first two episodes and hopefully continues to shine a light on it, but none of that is coming from Walker. In fact, it seems incredibly obvious that Walker is anything but racist. He’s married to a Woman of Color and his partner and good friend is an African-American man.

As Dalbin Osorio wrote here, when Walker was announced as the new Captain America just days after Sam handed over the shield, the words spoken at the podium “real American values” were code for “somebody real white.” In both episodes, Sam has dealt with subtle micro-aggressions steeped in racism, but nothing hurt him more than understanding why he was passed over for Cap. And as much as we want to hate someone for that, it shouldn’t be Walker. Walker isn’t the guy making these decisions, he’s a hero and soldier trying, in his own words, “to be the best Captain America” he can be in what he sees describes as “the greatest honor of my life.” Someone is doing Sam wrong here (I’m even inclined to believe we might uncover a government conspiracy as time goes on-Redwing does seem to get glitchy whenever government ops touches him and we just found out that they track Sam via the drone) and we’re bound to find out who. John Walker isn’t responsible for the racism Sam is experiencing but he is benefitting from it.

John Walker is the Captain America Steve Rogers Used to Be

Perhaps no character showed more growth during his time in the MCU than Steve Rogers. By the time we saw him put the shield down and walk away at the end of Captain America: Civil War, he was barely recognizable as the soldier who was shaking hands and “socking old Adolf in the jaw.” We see Walker complain about that same song and dance in this episode before seeing him get his ass kicked in a rescue mission and while we want to hate Walker and want to see it as a weakness, we have to remember that Steve was in this exact same place early on. If Steve hadn’t been there, he wouldn’t have had room to grow; we have to at least allow Walker the opportunity to grow along the same lines Steve did. We have to hope that Walker, like Steve, can see that blindly following orders might make him a good soldier, but it doesn’t make him the “best Captain America” he can be, especially when those orders should conflict with his conscience.

From the goofy grin, to the cocky attitude to the threat to Sam and Bucky about staying out of his way, we’ve been given plenty of reasons to hate John Walker. It’s good writing, it’s what we’d expect from Marvel Studios, to make us feel angry at the guy who got the title our hero Sam deserves; however, for the time being Walker hasn’t done anything to deserve it. That’s not to say he won’t because it seems like there’s definitely another shoe waiting to drop. Until then, though, let’s work on a growth mindset; let’s not hate John Walker…yet.

March 27, 2021
First Teaser Trailer for ‘My Hero Academia: World Heroes’ Mission’ Released

Today seems like a great day to be a My Hero Academia fan. Following the premiere of the anime’s fifth season of the highly-acclaimed anime series, a brand new teaser trailer for the third My Hero Academia film has been released during AnimeJapan 2021. It only lasts for about 30 seconds, but it has quite a punch to pack. You can check it out here:

The wording in the trailer translates to “A crisis leading to the destruction of the world. The time limit is two hours.” Our main character, Izuku Midoriya, is wanted by the authorities in this film, as he was accused of mass murder. He will get joined by his classmates, Katsuki Bakugo and Shoto Todoroki, who are all sporting brand new stealth costumes. We get our first good look at them when they jump out of a plane and into the city below. Going by trailer, we can also expect to see the pro heroes, Endeavor and Hawks. Their fellow 1A classmate, Fumikage Tokoyami, and various new heroes from around the world are joining. We also get our first glimpse at the villain, who asks whether “Quirks are a blessing given upon mankind or a power that will lead us to the destruction of the world.” The feature film will present an original story separate from the events of the manga and anime.

My Hero Academia creator Kōhei Horikoshi will serve as chief supervisor and original character designer for the film. The director of the anime series and the previous two films, Kenji Nagasaki, is also returning. The film will release in Japan on August 6th, 2021.

Source: YouTube

March 27, 2021
‘The Falcon and The Winter Soldier’ End Credits Track “Louisiana Hero” Officially Released

If you found yourself air guitaring to that great end credit track at the end of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, you are in luck. Marvel Music and Hollywood Records have released the Henry Jackman composed track “Louisiana Hero” for download and the full end title sequence and track are linked below.

It’s interesting to note that Jackman also worked on Captain America: The Winter Soldier, among other things, with rock and roll icon and founding member of Aerosmith Joe Perry on guitar. According to IMDB, Perry is listed as working his guitar magic with Jackman again in all 6 episodes of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier. It seems very likely that’s him on this track.

According to an article on Marvel.com, two digital soundtrack releases for the Disney+ series are also on the way. Episodes 1-3 will be covered in volume 1, released on April 9th. Music from episodes 3-6 will be in volume 2, which is to be released on April 30th.

Source: Marvel.com, Hollywoodrecs.com

March 27, 2021
Falcon And The Winter Soldier Episode 2 Recap
The second episode of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier is a tale of regret and ignorance. On many levels, our characters are running from something. The reality is they all have to confront some harsh truths. So, let’s not waste any time and dive right in and look at the major player’s individual journeys throughout the episode:

John Walker’s Close Up

With John Walker as the new Cap, he soaks it all in on the football field. He is visited by, who we must assume is his wife and his friend Lemar Hoskins. We later even get a callout to his comic book name, Battlestar. Walker gets introduced to the crowd and gets a Good Morning America interview. Later, John and Lemar hack Redwing to follow Sam and Bucky to fight the Flag Smashers. After losing the skirmish, John tries to appeal to the duo to work together.

Bucky doesn’t take kindly to John at all. His efforts get rebuffed. When Bucky ends up arrested, John bails him out, as he considers him an asset. He once again appeals to Sam and Bucky about working together to no avail. This rejection angers Walker. He warns the two to “stay the hell out of his way.” John Walker seems like the guy who got one promotion and is now calling all the shots. He’s a good soldier, but is he a good man?

Karli Morgenthau and The Flag Smashers

The Flag Smashers are busy moving a bunch of crates around. We learn that they are moving chemicals around. It could connect to the Power Broker and their abilities. After their confrontation with our favorite duo and the new Captain America, they stop at a safe house. Karli gets a text implying that they stole something from the Power Broker, and he is deadset on retrieving it. This sequence makes it clear that she is their leader. As they get ready to fly off to their presumed next attack, they get unexpected visitors. It’s the Power Broker’s men. One of the Smashers sacrifices their life to let the rest escape. We still don’t know who the man in the shadows is, but whoever it is means business.

Sam and Bucky Get Reacquainted

After Walker’s announcement as Cap, Sam and Torres go off to confront the Flag Smashers. Bucky arrives and complains to Sam about giving up the shield. In Germany, they start learning to work together again. Their encounter with Karli and her team leads to Redwing getting destroyed and their egos hurt. While they’re flying back to the States, Bucky reveals that there’s another super-soldier.

The duo arrives in Baltimore to talk to Isaiah Bradley, the Black Captain America. They’re greeted by what we assume is his grandson, Eli. Isaiah is irritated at Bucky’s appearance and is shaken by remembering what happened in his past. He was sent behind enemy lines to fight Bucky.

You know what they did to me for being a hero? They put my ass in jail for 30 years. People running tests, taking my blood, coming into my cell.

Bradley painfully says as he angrily shows a bit of that super soldier strength. A powerful scene from Carl Lumbly. He chases both of them out shortly after.

Understandably Sam is angry upon learning this information now. Bucky reveals that Steve Rogers didn’t know about this either. As this is happening, the cops pull up. They first assume it’s an altercation and ask for Sam’s ID, cue racial profiling. They then both realize that Sam is the Falcon. Unfortunately, Bucky gets arrested as he missed his court-mandated therapy sessions.

Unlikely Therapy Sessions

At the jail, Dr. Raynor appears and holds an impromptu therapy session with the duo. Bucky reveals his aggravation with Sam stems from Sam giving up the shield willingly, claiming that “If he was wrong about you, then maybe he was wrong about me.” Bucky has a ton on his head and heart here. Unshaken, Sam says that he thought this was the right thing to do. The two agree to work together until the problem is solved.

As the episode ends, they decide to visit Zemo in prison, as he may know more about the serum and HYDRA secrets. With this cliffhanger, let’s ask five questions for next week’s episode:
1. Did the Flag Smashers steal the super soldier serum from the Power Broker, or is he trying to steal it from them? I think the former.
2. Who’s the Power Broker? Whoever this person is they’re not playing games as they’re hot on the Flag Smashers tail.
3. We got to know John Walker in a way that wasn’t overt but is there something darker about who he is? We will find out soon enough.
4. Isaiah Bradley didn’t take too kindly to Bucky and Sam showing up. He figures to be a meaningful part of the series, will he be the motivation Sam needs to be the Captain America we know he can be?
5. We will finally see Zemo next week. Do we think Sam and Bucky break him out of prison? If so that could cause problems for everybody.
We’re through the first act, and we’ll see how the Falcon and The Winter Soldier continue to lay out their story next week.
March 27, 2021
Michael B. Jordan’s ‘Static Shock’ Adds Writer Randy McKinnon

It has already been five months since it was revealed that Michael B. Jordan is developing a live-action adaptation of Static Shock. We got our first hint at its development during DC FanDome, but it wasn’t until a few months later that Jordan and Reginal Hudlin announced they were producing the film. The Milestone character will be produced by Outlier Society, which is one of Warner Bros.’s production companies. In a quick Heat Vision newsletter, The Hollywood Reporter revealed that the film has now added Randy McKinnon to write the script.

It is actually McKinnon‘s second time working with Hudlin, as they were both involved with the development of Disney+’s true-life drama Safety. Static Shock may also be the beginning of many stories centered on black superheroes, as Jordan did point out in the initial reveal that this is just the initial step to give voices to those that are unheard. It’s a great commitment and Static Shock is quite a popular character due to his 2000’s animated series. There is a good chance we’ll also see many other Milestone characters make their live-action debut in the future.

It’ll be interesting to see how they bring this character to life on the silver screen and what focus they will set. It seems likely that they might focus on the character balancing his private and superhero life, as he commonly is portrayed as a teenager. the character also made an appearance in Young Justice, where he became a member of the Outsiders. Whatever direction they decide to go, we can’t wait to see it once cinemas open again.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

March 26, 2021
Latest ‘Marvel’s Avengers’ Dev Stream Offered Update on ‘Black Widow’-Tie In Event
It’s the first week since Marvel’s Avengers Clint Barton DLC was released, and we finally got another developer stream. This time around, it was a shorter stream with a stronger focus on tackling the bugs that plagued the game since the latest patch. So, they wanted to address them head-on in their initiative to be more transparent. It was also uncertain if the Black Widow-themed event would keep its Spring release due to the film’s release delay. Luckily, they approached it directly in the stream.
- Black Widow’s Red Room Takeover will not get postponed. They teased some great rewards for the event, which included animated nameplates.
- Crystal Dynamics hinted at a team-look for the Avengers in the next marketplace update. It will fix a loot issue, the PS5 trophy transfer glitch, and a progressing issue in the Reassemble campaign (Golden Acres).
- Hawkeye’s recovery arrow glitch is still getting looked at, but they are making good progress on it.
- We will likely see a new patch (1.5.1) next week that addresses various bugs.
- They clarified that sometimes fixes are finished, but can only get released with specific updates, such as King Hulk’s hair.
- Originally, the loot from Elite Villain Sectors was going to be made available in other modes. The latest fix accidentally went live before they could adjust it. Cargo robots and the Flashback missions
- CD wants to hear from the community what they hope to see from the Patrol Mode. They uploaded a Reddit thread where players can drop their wishes for the new mission type, which you can check out by clicking here.
- They teased that multiple Omega-Level Threats will get dropped once the issue has been fixed. So, we expect to see their evolution once they are made available.
- Crossplay is getting looked at, but it isn’t an easy thing to develop. They will offer insight once they figure out a way to approach it.
- OLT villains can potentially get a Villain Sector. So, there is no rule set here by the developers.
- Cargo Bots will not drop exotic gear but unique gear sets.
- They teased some modifications and updates for the War Table.
The half-hour stream still had plenty of info. We got a brief tease for the upcoming event, but nothing juicy to discuss now. It still seems very plausible that the Tachyon Anomaly will get released in April. So, hopefully, we get some more details on that in the next week or so. It is fantastic that the Red Room Takeover is not getting delayed even if Black Widow won’t release until July. We’ve seen inspired outfits release last year, so it’s not too surprising they aren’t affected by it. Here’s looking forward to what the next developer stream might have in store for us.

Source: Twitch
March 26, 2021
‘Charm City King’s Angel Manuel Soto Directing a ‘Transformers’ Film

It is time to roll out more Transformer‘s films. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Paramount Pictures has signed up a blind script commitment for a new entry in the popular Hasbro franchise. The showrunner of Netflix’s The Defenders series, Marco Ramirez, has been signed on for the project. It will be directed by Charm City Kings‘ director, Angel Manuel Soto. Their report also states that this will not be part of the mainline universe, which originally started in 2007. Its seventh entry is still in development by Creed II‘s Stephen Caple Jr.

So far, the franchise consisted of five Michael Bay films and Travis Knight‘s Bumblebee spin-off. Caple Jr.’s film is still kept under wraps, but Illumerdi was able to uncover some details on the film’s development. It is being produced under the working title Beast Alliance, which explores our favorite Autobots time transforming into more animalistic designs, such as the Beast Wars series.

There are no details on Angel‘s film, as it is in early development. There is no producer attached, but Lorenzo di Bonaventura is expected to return. Paramount has been eager to turn Transformers into an ever-expanding franchise like the Marvel Cinematic Universe. They might also be looking into developing a spin-off series that could air on their newly rebooted streaming service, Paramount+. They also are showing their choice

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

March 26, 2021
‘My Hero Academia’: The Story So Far

There aren’t many manga series that have achieved the international acclaim and success that My Hero Academia has. It’s become one of the most popular manga franchises, and with the fifth season finally airing this week, we’re going to recap the events of the first four seasons to get you guys ready to continue Midoriya’s story in the U.A.

Season 1

The first season kicks off with the introduction of our protagonist, Izuku Midoriya. In a world where individuals are born with special abilities known as “quirks,” he was born without one. This revelation, however, did not stop him from trying to achieve his dream of becoming a hero like his inspiration, All Might. When fate has them cross paths, his icon acknowledges Izuku’s dream and takes him on as his successor. He’s eventually accepted into his dream school, U.A., and enters Class 1A. Izuku’s classmates are pictured below:

The class starts hero training with their professor and hero, Shota Aizawa. The season ends with Class 1A facing off against the newly founded League of Villains. They can delay the villain’s plans until All Might comes in to save the day.

Season 2

The second season kicks off with the first-year students showcasing their quirks to the world in a massive scale tournament. When it’s all said and done, Katsuki Bakugo ends up winning. Shortly after, pro heroes offer the students at 1A temporary internships. Izuku undergoes tutelage under Gran Torino, All Might’s former master. With his help, he learns how to control his quirk. In the meantime, a city gets attacked by the League of Villains. Izuku, Todoroki, and Tenya team up to take down a villain named Stain.

Following Stain’s defeat, more villains were motivated to rise against the heroes. The final arc of the season has class 1A taking on their teachers for their final exam. The season ends with Izuku and Shigaraki coming face-to-face once again. It ends setting up Shigaraki as one of the big villains of the My Hero story.

Season 3

The third season starts with the two hero classes traveling to a Summer Camp, where they learn to master their quirks. That all changed when the League of Villains attacked the campsite. Their goal was to distract the pro heroes so they could abduct Bakugo.

Following those events, the heroes immediately go out in search of Bakugo and the villain’s hideout. Meanwhile, Izuku, Kirishima, Shoto, Momo, and Tenya decide to take matters into their own hands to rescue Bakugo. They succeed in doing so. Meanwhile, All Might takes on the League’s founder, All for One, in a massive battle. All Might ultimately win the battle but retires after the match.

The final arc subjects class 1A to a rigorous exam to receive their Provisional Hero Licenses. Nearly all the students passed except for Bakugo and Todoroki. The season ends with Bakugo and Deku going head to head in a match. All Might intervene to explain everything to Bakugo regarding One for All.

Season 4

The most recent season picks up right where the third season ended. The students participate in different work studies under the tutelage of pro heroes. Izuku gets to work for All Might’s former sidekick, Sir Nighteye. He is investigating a Yakuza group led by the villainous Chisaki. He has been creating a drug that can steal quirks. It is based on the blood of a poor girl named Eri. These events lead to the Shie Hassaikai raid, where the heroes attempt to rescue Eri and stop the madman. They succeed, but at a cost. The young hero, Mirio, loses his powers, and Sir Nighteye dies in battle. Luckily, he gets a chance to reconcile with All Might.

Following these events, U.A. held its annual school festival, which almost got disrupted by two villains. It ends up getting foiled by Izuku. After the School Festival, Endeavor officially becomes the world’s no. 1 hero. We also get introduced to the brand new No. 2, Hawks. They both travel to Fukuoka, where a genetically-altered person, also known as a Nomu, appears and fights the two heroes. The season ends with Izuku having a mysterious dream. In it, he sees all of the former users of the One For All quirk. He witnesses the exchange between All For One and the original One For All. He ends up waking up before he gets to see the rest of that story.

And now you’re all caught up for Season 5 of My Hero Academia.

March 26, 2021
Laurence O’Fuarian Joins ‘The Witcher: Blood Origin’

Netflix has struck gold with its adaption to the popular book series, The Witcher. It is already in development on a few spin-offs as well as another season of the show. The series sees Henry Cavill as Geralt of Rivia. He is a witcher making his way through the land fighting monsters. Now, Netflix plans to tell another story, one even older than this in The Witcher: Blood Origin. The story is set before the conjunction of spheres and will explore the origin of the prototype Witcher.

Deadline is reporting that actor Laurence O’Fuarian has joined the cast of the upcoming project alongside Jodie Turner-Smith. O’Fuarian will play a character named Fjall. He is born into a clan of warriors, who are sworn to protect the king at all cost. The man is haunted by the death of a loved one who died protecting him and just can’t let it go. Fjall will find himself fighting alongside a group of unlikely comrades, as he searches for a way to honor the sacrifice made for him and finally make peace with their death.

The Witcher: Blood Origin will be a 6-part series, but currently has no release date. It’s unclear when filming on the project will begin, as the cast currently consists of just Laurence O’Fuarian and Jodie Turner-Smith. It’ll be interesting to see if they add story elements that might end up carrying over into Cavill‘s run in the franchise.

Source: Deadline

March 26, 2021
Katia Winter Joins ‘The Boys’ Season 3 as Little Nina

The Boy’s is becoming one hot property. The spinoff is in the works, and the third season has already entered production. It’s going to be interesting to see how they’ll top the previous season. Still, the series is known for its thrilling story and gratuitous violence that keeps getting wilder with each episode. It looks like the upcoming season will probably not stray too far from its predecessors. The third season will introduce Soldier Boy, Payback, and the untamed Herogasm storyline that is what you think it is. Along with Soldier Boy, it seems another considerable threat is coming this season, the Russian mobster Little Nina.

According to Deadline, actress Katia Winter has joined the cast of The Boys. She will play the Russian mobster with an affinity for sex toys. The character is indeed a wild one, but nothing out of the ordinary for this property. Little Nina works with Vought. She uses compound-V to make more superheroes and has quite possibly one of the weirdest deaths in comics. Butcher added an explosive in her vibrator and blew it up mid-flight. It is unsure if they will adapt this iconic sequence from the comics or add their spin, which will get interesting once it airs.

The Boys season 3 is now in production but currently has no release date. The upcoming season will see the return of Karl Urban as Billy Butcher. He will be joined by Anthony Starr, Jack Quaid, Erin Moriarty, Karen Fukuhara, and Laz Alonso.

Source: Deadline

March 26, 2021