Tag: Black Widow

Marvel Studios’ ‘Black Widow’: Who is Yelena Belova?

As Marvel Studios has once again postponed Black Widow‘s release, it gives us some time to brush up on our comic history. The film will focus on Natasha Romanoff’s history with the Red Room. It is a top-secret Soviet institute that turned young women into elite assassins. Of course, Natasha was once a member before joining S.H.I.E.L.D. at an unknown point. The upcoming film will dive deep into the various characters from her past who all may have deep ties with the secret organization. So, let’s use this opportunity to dive deep into the various characters in 400 words or less.

Yelena is the youngest addition to the comics. She appeared in 1999’s Inhumans Vol. 2 #5. You read that right, she made her debut while Earth and Attilan were at war with each other. She also trained in the Red Room Academy, where she even believes she surpassed Natasha Romanoff. When we first meet her, she is sent to deliver a device that could help Attilan win the invasion. She ended up failing her mission against her bittered rival but learned a valuable lesson. At one point, she was captured by S.H.I.E.L.D. and swapped faces with Nathasha’s. Of course, she was not too happy with this and left the spy life behind her. She made a career as a lingerie model before being dragged back into her old life when she gets wrapped up in the export of stolen medical supplies. She would turn back to her original life which would lead to many confrontations with the Avengers. She would later take on the Black Widow mantle and temporarily join the Thunderbolts.

Marvel Studios managed to get Florence Pugh in the role of Yelena for Black Widow. There were teases that Natasha would potentially pass on the mantle to her before facing her fate in Avengers: Endgame. In the family dynamic teased through the trailers, she is the younger sister. She is very independent and quite confident in her ability. Of course, she was also trained in the Red Room and seems to know quite a bit about Taskmaster. We also get glimpses of her going through a procedure that could pull her towards the evil side. Pugh is a fantastic addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, who hopefully will be around for more future projects.

October 9, 2020
Marvel Studios’ ‘Black Widow’: Who is Melina Vostokoff?

As Marvel Studios has once again postponed Black Widow‘s release, it gives us some time to brush up on our comic history. The film will focus on Natasha Romanoff’s history with the Red Room. It is a top-secret Soviet institute that turned young women into elite assassins. Of course, Natasha was once a member before joining S.H.I.E.L.D. at an unknown point. The upcoming film will dive deep into the various characters from her past who all may have deep ties with the secret organization. So, let’s use this opportunity to dive deep into the various characters in 400 words or less.

Melina Vostokoff is more famous as the assassin Iron Maiden. She made her initial appearance in Marvel Fanfare #11 in 1983. Her name is due to her flexible metal costume that covers her entire body. She was a Russian agent who lived in the shadow of Black Widow during her time working for the government. At one point, she broke off from Russia to work as a freelancer. In one mission, she had the chance to assassinate her once hated rival. She worked alongside others but was the only one able to keep with Natasha only to get interrupted by a S.H.I.E.L.D. team. She would often return to take on the Avengers multiple times. At one point, she joined the female super-criminal army Femizons. Melina also was captured by Thunderbolt’s Joystick during the Superhuman Registration Act.

Rachel Weisz will portray the character in the upcoming Black Widow film. This version of the character will have close ties to the Red Room. She acts as a mother-figure to Natasha alongside David Harbour‘s Alexei Shostakov. It is unsure what her role in the story would be. The character’s villainous nature could point to her betraying the family at some point in the story. It sadly would be a rather dramatic turn given how much Natasha seems to be focusing on reuniting them. There could also be ties to Taskmaster, who currently has taken over control of the Red Room. Sadly, we won’t see her iconic Iron Maid outfit, but maybe they’ll add a tribute to her comic design.

October 9, 2020
Marvel Studios ‘BLACK WIDOW’: Who is Red Guardian?

As Marvel Studios has once again postponed Black Widow‘s release, it gives us some time to brush up on our comic history. The film will focus on Natasha Romanoff’s history with the Red Room. It is a top-secret Soviet institute that turned young women into elite assassins. Of course, Natasha was once a member before joining S.H.I.E.L.D. at an unknown point. The upcoming film will dive deep into the various characters from her past who all may have deep ties with the secret organization. So, let’s use this opportunity to dive deep into the various characters in 400 words or less.

It is easy to call Red Guardian a carbon copy of Captain America. It ironically is also the point of his character. The character first appeared in The Avengers #43. Roy Thomas and John Buscema created him as the Soviet’s answer to the iconic American hero. Alexi Alanovich Shostakov was a successful pilot that was presented as a hero by Soviet media. He ended up marrying the famous ballerina, Natasha Romanova. They both started working for the KGB as a result of his acclaims. He was enrolled in a secret mission that was kept top-secret. They told Natasha he had perished in an experimental rocket testing, which would be her inspiration to become the spy we all know and love. Alexi, however, was a changed man after his training. The now much crueler and ruthless person. In a conflict with the Red Chinese, the Russians used the opportunity to test out if their copy could keep up with the original. Many others would take on the mantle. In total, seven people held the Red Guardian title.

Stranger Things‘ David Harbour will portray Alexei Shostakov’s version of the iconic hero. They have changed the roles this time around, as Alexei will act as a father figure rather than her former husband. By the time Natasha returns to Russia, he seems to have been trapped in a Gulag for some time. He also is highlighted as a flawed individual that is trying to get his makeshift family back together. We also get a look at him potentially having some abilities, so he might have the same serum that was used on Winter Soldier. It will be interesting if we explore his history to showcase the parallels between him and Steve Rogers.

October 9, 2020
Marvel Studios ‘BLACK WIDOW’: Who is Taskmaster?

As Marvel Studios has once again postponed Black Widow‘s release, it gives us some time to brush up on our comic history. The film will focus on Natasha Romanoff’s history with the Red Room. It is a top-secret Soviet institute that turned young women into elite assassins. Of course, Natasha was once a member before joining S.H.I.E.L.D. at an unknown point. The upcoming film will dive deep into the various characters from her past who all may have deep ties with the secret organization. So, let’s use this opportunity to dive deep into the various characters in 400 words or less.

Taskmaster, or Tony Masters, first appeared in The Avengers #195 in 1980. David Michelinie and George Pérez. He was introduced as the head honcho of the Solomon Institute. He even had to take on Ant-Man, Yellowjacket, and Wasp at the same time in that very issue. While he initially was portrayed as a villain, the character is more of an anti-hero. Masters is well-known for his ability to mimic other people’s movements. As such, he works as a mercenary and combat instructor. He specialized in training goons but has also trained various superheroes for the government including U.S. Agent. He even franchised his academies before they got shut down by the Avengers. Of course, he is also quite infamous for his work as a mercenary. He was signed on to kill many Marvel icons like Moon Knight or Spider-Man.

The character has seen a resurgence in popularity. He was featured in PlayStation’s Spider-Man with a unique storyline. Masters also is one of the main causes of A-Day in Marvel’s Avengers game. We still do not know who will be playing the role in Black Widow. They have teased that he will return to stealing other’s movements by replicating moves of Black Panther, Captain America, and, of course, Black Widow. It was not confirmed if this character will be Tony Masters or a new interpretation of the character. His involvement in the film would tie him to the Red Room in some capacity. In the comics, he has no obvious connection to the institute. There is the theory that his function as an instructor might be the inspiration, as we get the tease of a new generation of Black Widows. We will see which version we will get when it is released in May 2021.

October 8, 2020
Marvel Studios Reshuffles Theatrical Slate Again, Moves Out of 2020

In the end, it appears it was…inevitable. Marvel Studios Black Widow, originally scheduled for a May 2020 release before being delayed to November 6th due to the pandemic, has been moved entirely out of 2020 and given a May 7th, 2021 release. With this, Marvel Studios will not have a theatrical release for the first time since 2009. While many held out hope that Disney would bring the film to Premier Access, it was not meant to be.

Marvel Studios next big epic, Eternals, and the kung-fu flick, Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings, were also moved again today. Shang-Chi, which is still filming, was moved to make room for Black Widow and will now debut on July 9th, 2021; more surprisingly, Eternals, which was originally slated for a November 2020 release, was moved all the way to November 5th, 2021, losing its place in line to Shang-Chi.

With all the shuffling, it seems fortunate that we’ll at least see Marvel Studios first Disney Plus streaming series, WandaVision, in 2020.

September 23, 2020
Evidence Suggests Disney May Be Prepping to Alter ‘BLACK WIDOW’ Release

Evidence from both the Disney UK and Disney France websites may indicate that the company is rethinking their release strategy for Marvel Studios Black Widow. As seen below, both websites have removed the film’s release date from the respective pages for the film. They have also replaced posters for the film with ones that no longer show a date. Both websites have done the same with the pages for the upcoming Pixar film, Soul, which is currently scheduled to be released in theaters on November 20th.

Depending upon your perspective, this evidence could be interpreted in multiple ways if we throw out the chance that this is some sort of error on the part of the two websites. One possible interpretation is that Disney is preparing to offer Black Widow to audiences via Premier Access. Support for this hypothesis can be found by looking back at how events unfolded around Mulan’s shift to Premier Access. Much like what’s happening with Black Widow and Soul, the release date for Mulan was taken down from official Disney websites and replaced with “COMING SOON” just ahead of the official announcement that it would be premiering on Disney Plus. Many pundits believed Mulan would serve as the canary in the coal mine for the Disney PVOD release strategy and yesterday’s Yahoo report that the studio has already raked in $260M via Premier Access would seem to indicate a major success for their first effort. An argument could be made that Black Widow and the Marvel Studios banner could easily outdo that take.

Another possible interpretation is that Disney has made the decision to move Black Widow’s theatrical release from the November 6th date but have yet to pin down a new window. Earlier this week, a report by Deadline suggested that the company was preparing to do just that though they had no official word from Disney. The decision to move the film’s release date would be unsurprising given the disappointing box office returns for Christopher Nolan’s Tenet, which caused Warner Bros. to shift the release of another of their tentpole releases, Wonder Woman 1984, for a fifth time. At this point, nobody would blame Disney for moving the film to a time when more people will feel comfortable heading to theaters.

While we can’t be sure which, if either, of these interpretations of the evidence is the correct one, it does feel like some news about the release strategy for Black Widow is imminent. If and when that happens, we’ll be here to pass it on.

September 17, 2020
Disney Eyeing a New Release Date for ‘BLACK WIDOW’

It has come. The moment most of us probably dreaded. Warner Bros. already delayed the release for Wonder Woman 1984. It’s generally looking grim for any releases in October after Tenet barely scraped by in cinemas. We knew that this would signify more delays in the near future. Now, it looks like Marvel Studios and Disney are contemplating delaying Black Widow according to Variety. They do not add what release date they might be considering for now.

To some degree, November releases seemed still pretty safe for now but that might change soon. 2020 could be the first time we’ve had an entire year without a single Marvel Cinematic Universe entry since 2009. WW84 is still slated to release in December, a week after WB’s other tentpole film Dune is slated to air but even those release dates are questionable for now.

Keep in mind, Variety has no official confirmation. They add that they got no comment from a Disney spokesperson. If Disney decides to stick to an only in theaters release for Black Widow, it’s definitely getting delayed. Tenet barely managed a $200 million worldwide, so most studios are going to have to expect a weak Box Office performance for some time. Even if they postpone it to 2021, that year is filled to the brim with releases. They will end up cannibalizing each other so they might not even break-even after the delay.

Disney’s best option is to minimize costs through a direct income. They already tested it out with Mulan on Disney+. They don’t have to share the income and can draw in additional subscribers. It may be the best investment long-term. Even if they do go the Premium Access route, they may delay it to make sure they can probably market the film’s release. The article also states they are planning to release Soul on Disney+, so it seems quite likely.

Source: Variety

September 15, 2020
Warner Bros. & Sony’s “Only in Theaters” Strategy Facing a Digital Revolution

2020 hasn’t been kind to anyone. COVID has made the life of many difficult and halted many prominent industries. The film industry has certainly been hit hard. Not only have all their productions been halted, but they also can’t air any of their finished films. Most tentpole productions have budgets that go beyond the $200 million mark. Every release past March was postponed either until the fourth quarter or even for a full year into 2021. September was the month that everything should change. Cinemas were slowly opening again. Tenet was promised to reignite the Box Office again.

Sadly, it brought in just $20 million and is barely scraping by in the States. We’ve already seen the results of this underperformance. Now, Warner Bros. has postponed Wonder Woman 1984 to December. This is just a week after Dune premieres which would cannibalize their own production. Sony is deciding to wait for COVID to be a thing of the past, which is still unknown. On the other hand, Disney is testing the waters with a brand new Premium Access option on its streaming service. Universal was the one that kickstarted a digital revolution by releasing films on video-on-demand.

Delaying the Inevitable

It’s more than just a question of time at this point. Even as cinemas open, people will be a bit cautious about returning to a cramped dark space. Even countries that reopened cinemas are now changing direction. Here in Austria, you have to wear a mask as of next month while watching a film. This state-mandated rule will just encourage people to stay home and not take the risk. There is the discussion point at what point can one even consider it to be “safe” to return to cinemas. Sony’s strategy could drag out well into 2021. This could go as far as delay the third Spider-Man‘s December release. Warner Bros. might also go mad by constantly delaying their productions without an end in sight.

Production budgets are borrowed money. The longer they drag out the releases, the more expensive it might become. Most 2020 productions will have to take some loss into account. We won’t be seeing any record-breaking releases anytime soon. In the end, Universal and Disney might be on track for the best strategy right now. Smaller production companies also combined physical and digital releases at this point so they don’t have to market each delay. Marketing budgets would continue to grow as they’d have to rework every trailer. At this point, it is all about cost minimization. Even if 2021 opens up the floodgates, it will be so packed with new productions they will cannibalize each other. There is a good chance, film productions won’t recover until 2022.

Facing a Digital Future

AMC already had issues with Universal’s strategy by banning them temporarily from cinemas. People criticized Disney+’s pricing for Mulan which was around $30. If you compare it to the $20 rental fee for Bill & Ted Face the Music, it’s surprisingly reasonable. Plus, Disney+ focuses its marketing towards families, so a four-headed family gets off pretty cheap than paying upwards of $40 for tickets. Plus, they can save money by avoiding the concession prices. For some, the price isn’t that bad. Disney might not just be able to cover costs but even turn in a profit. It not only boosts their subscription numbers but also makes up for the Box Office loss it would’ve faced otherwise. We can expect films like Black Widow to be added to Disney+. If you are interested in a deeper analysis to check out Edward’s analysis by clicking here.

Warner Bros. and Sony are simply postponing the inevitable. When we were discussing the implications of the WW84 delay, Charles made the good point that Disney might be able to dominate the market. They would be the only company to make their tentpole releases available to everyone without any competition. As such, they don’t have to worry about cannibalization. Even as AMC tries to lawyer up against these strategies, it’s the only option to keep the industry alive. If production companies can’t cover their costs, there won’t be any films to show in empty theatres. Believe me, I would want nothing more than to return to a cinema again but it’s still a massive risk. Right now, Disney and Universal have a better strategy and it wouldn’t be surprising for the others to follow suit. From this perspective, Sony and Warner Bros. are going to face a very rough 2021.

Source: CNet, The Verge, IndieWire, Forbes

September 11, 2020
New ‘Black Widow’ Image Teases Showdown with Taskmaster

There has been a drought when it comes to Marvel Studios news. Ever since Black Widow got delayed, we’ve been just waiting for any sign of life. It has finally arrived as Empire released an exclusive image that teases a stand-off between Natasha and Taskmaster. This is our first look at the movie since the last trailer was released five months ago. It was still set to release in May at the time.

Is it much? No, not really but it is something. One of the highlights is the tease of Taskmaster throughout the trailers. Even after the delay, we have no idea who is playing Tony Masters. We did get a look at him using various abilities from iconic Avengers. So far, we know that he copied Captain America, Hawkeye, and Black Panther but who knows what else they are hiding from us.

There is still something we can take from this image. We get our first real look at Taskmaster’s back which seems to include some strange metal backpack. This could be a jet pack like we saw in the Marvel’s Avengers game, or just where he keeps his weapons. Also, going by Natasha’s outfit, this is during their first fight on the bridge. Cannot wait to see this in action, as Natasha slowly realizes that her adversary is copying her every movie. I hope this is just the beginning for the character and we get much more of Taskmaster moving forward.

Source: Empire

September 3, 2020
Phase 4 Theory: The Thunderbolts Initiative
“I found something 40 years in the army never taught me: Perspective.”

-Secretary Ross

This quote is particularly importan for where the Marvel Cinematic Universe heads to in the aftermath of Avengers: Endgame. Not necessarily because it’s a cryptic line that could potentially set up the things Secretary Ross has been doing in the shadow of the MCU for many years, but because it’s really telling of how Marvel Studios operates in terms of storytelling. When you think about it, it’s always about keeping a “perspective” in the belief that all their individual stories eventually condense and fit into the structure of a larger plot. So, in their own way, Marvel Studios tells their stories exactly as the comics would even if the beats differ. They have their own individual characters with their own individual stories which then set up elements and plot points that will eventually interweave with other characters in a larger event. Now that the “The Infinity Saga” concluded back in 2019, many fans are left to wonder exactly how Marvel Studios will move forward heading into Phase 4 and Phase 5 in terms of the stories they’ll tell next, and we believe that the answer actually dates all the way back to 2008. You remember 2008, right? It is when a little-known Marvel Studios introduced the MCU with Iron Man.

Now, the first film of the MCU’s Phase 4 is Black Widow, and while the film might be chronologically set in the “Infinity Saga Timeline”, we must acknowledge that this film will be hoping to accomplish the equivalent of what Iron Man did back in 2008. This film will kick off a brand-new story that will eventually build up towards a larger plot down the line. I have reason to believe that Black Widow will set the seeds for the possible introduction of the Thunderbolts in the MCU the same way Iron Man set the seeds for the Avengers Initiative all the way back in 2008. Before I get into that discussion, let’s delve into some background info.

“Who are the Thunderbolts?”

In the comics, the best way to describe the Thunderbolts is essentially a group of “reformed villains with the best intentions”. Think Marvel’s Suicide Squad, and General Ross is their Amanda Waller. Don’t get it twisted: there have been heroes that have been a part of the Thunderbolts (i.e. Hawkeye, Luke Cage, Elektra), but the members of this infamous group have been mostly villains. Now there have been different groups with the same mantle but they have had different leaders (most notably; Baron Zemo, Norman Osborn and Red Hulk).

With the Avengers sort of disbanded following Avengers: Endgame, there might be some who may want to capitalize on the opportunity to become the next enhanced superteam. So now that you have a basic understanding of who and what the Thunderbolts are…

“Let’s discuss the Thunderbolts Initiative”

There are many possible teams inside Marvel Comics lore that could “replace” the Avengers in the MCU but, right now, the Thunderbolts seem like the most plausible choice as the next superteam to take center stage, mainly because some of its seeds have already been planted way back in 2016.

“Enter Secretary THUNDERBOLT Ross”

Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross was brought back into the MCU in 2016 after his last appearance in The Incredible Hulk back in 2008. During his absence, he became the Secretary of State and has served as a sort of secondary antagonist in Captain America: Civil War. I, for one, don’t necessarily believe in coincidences, especially when it comes to Marvel movies. Nearly everything Marvel Studios does in their films, whether it’s the introduction of a new character, an easter egg, or something as subtle as a name drop, has a payoff in some way or form. Now sometimes, that payoff can come in the short-term or it can be long-term. Secretary Ross’s recent appearances in the MCU, and especially his upcoming role in Black Widow, seems like it could be one of these long-term payoffs.

Now, don’t be fooled. Just because Thaddeus’ nickname is “Thunderbolt” and he led the Thunderbolts at one point in the comics, it doesn’t mean that that’s where the Thunderbolts got their name. (In comic lore, the group received their name from Baron Zemo, who organized the first Thunderbolts). Though ironically enough, given his position of power as Secretary of State & with the Avengers out of the way, I could see Secretary Ross capitalizing on the opportunity and he could very well become the “Nick Fury” for this new phase of the MCU, mainly organizing/running the Thunderbolts from a position of power. Who could become a part of these Thunderbolts?

Well, I have a list of possible candidates

:

“CANDIDATE #1: TASKMASTER”

With his introduction coming up in the upcoming Black Widow movie, Taskmaster could potentially be a viable candidate to join the Thunderbolts. His comic counterpart has an interesting ability, which is he possess a photographic memory and reflexes, where he’s able to duplicate nearly any physical act he sees after seeing it done by someone else only once. Based on what we’ve seen from the trailers, he may very well possess this ability, where he imitated the movements from Black Panther, Black Widow, Captain America with his shield, and Hawkeye with his bow and arrow. Someone with this ability, in my view, is far too interesting of a character simply write as a one-off, so I’m willing to bet that Taskmaster may continue in the MCU following his appearance in Black Widow.

“CANDIDATE #2: BLACK WIDOW (YELENA BELOVA)”

Also being introduced in the upcoming Black Widow movie is none other than fellow Black Widow, and Natasha’s sister, Yelena Belova. While in the trailers we’re shown a sort of sibling bond/rivalry between the two, Yelena has served her time as an antagonist to Natasha and the Avengers in the comics: we have witnessed her joining forces with the likes of AIM and even being in the ranks of the Thunderbolts. Now, Yelena’s fate in this film is something I have previously discussed here on Murphy’s Multiverse (POSSIBLE SPOILERS IN THAT ARTICLE SO BEWARE), but ultimately, considering that this film is supposed to be a passing of the torch from Natasha to Yelena, I could see Yelena being a part of the Thunderbolts down the line following her debut in Black Widow.

“CANDIDATE #3: BARON ZEMO”

What team would be complete without a leader? And who better to lead the Thunderbolts than the man who single-handedly manipulated the Avengers into their disbandment in Civil War? Baron Zemo is a well-trained soldier and a dastardly mastermind with an incredible “will and patience”. His upcoming appearance in the Disney+ show; The Falcon and The Winter Soldier could set up Zemo to eventually gather the attention of Secretary Ross and have him work under the radar as the leader of the Thunderbolts, similar to how Zemo operated in the comics with the original Thunderbolts. It wouldn’t be a surprise to me for Zemo to take up this role and join the Thunderbolts in this fashion.

“CANDIDATE #4: GHOST”

Introduced as one of the antagonists in Ant-Man and the Wasp, Ghost is an interesting character with an interesting background. Her powers of quantum intangibility were a result of a Quantum accident involving her parents, which resulted in their deaths. Since being adopted by Bill Foster, S.H.I.E.L.D. had taken advantage of Ava and her powers, training her as a stealth operative that would carry out covert missions on behalf of S.H.I.E.L.D. prior to their fall in 2014. Since then, she’s been presumably in hiding until 2018 when the events of Ant-Man and the Wasp took place, where she was forced into hiding once again after those events. We don’t necessarily know what happened to Ava following Avengers: Infinity War (2018) & Avengers: Endgame (2019). If Ghost was snapped, then she would probably still be alive and in the state where she left when the snap occurred. If she wasn’t, then she wouldn’t have received her quantum healing molecules that helped keep her stable since Ant-Man was trapped in the Quantum Realm for five years and everyone else was snapped. That might be a cause for concern since she might believe that everyone abandoned her again, and this might push her to the becoming a villain once more.

HOWEVER, in an interview, Hannah John-Kamen (the actress) had mentioned “that Ghost didn’t die” and that we could see her again in the MCU. If I had to bet, we could probably see Ghost return as a member of the Thunderbolts.

“CANDIDATE #5: ABOMINATION”

Remember Emil Blonsky from The Incredible Hulk? Well, last time we heard from The Abomination was in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., where Agent Coulson casually mentioned that Blosnky was in a cryo-cell in Alaska at a secret facility known as The Vault: this facility was under “then-General, now-Secretary” Ross’ supervision, as explained by Coulson in Marvel’s One Shot: “The Consultant”. The World Security Council, along with General Ross, had even considered putting Abomination on the Avengers Initiative program before Agents Coulson & Sitwell, along with Stark, forced Ross to disagree with the decision and keep Blonsky in cryo-sleep.

Now this detail is really important because if Ross wanted to have Blonsky be a part of the Avengers, his “new perspective” could be to eventually develop his own Avengers-esque team, starting with Emil Blonsky. Back then, the Avengers themselves stood in the way of his plan, but by having the Avengers out of the way, his plan can now come full-circle.

“CANDIDATE #6: JUSTIN HAMMER”

We all remember Sam Rockwell’s interpretation of Justin Hammer from Iron Man 2 (2010). He was one of my favorite things about the film. The quirkiness, the smugness, the many ways he tried to imitate Tony Stark. The last time we saw him was at Seagate Prison during the Marvel One-Shot: All Hail the King. Now, the reason why I mention him is that he is essentially the anti-Tony Stark and he actually had a connection with “then-General” Ross. Since Tony Stark is dead following the events of Avengers: Endgame, one might assume that Ross might pull some strings to get Hammer Industries to work in developing weapons for the Thunderbolts.

Plus, Sam Rockwell had actually shown interest in reprising his role as Justin Hammer last year during a Reddit AMA.

“CANDIDATE #7: SONGBIRD”

Melissa Gold aka Songbird has yet to be introduced into the MCU. However, our very own Charles Murphy had actually made a “Connecting Imaginary Dots” article where we can see from some interesting set photos from The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, and we ALSO see a character donning a purple mohawk, similar to what Songbird dons in the comics. That article does a really good job in describing who/what Songbird is, but the most important thing we need to know about her is she has “acoustikinetic abilities” (she can use her vocals to generate her powers) and she has an interesting relationship to both the Thunderbolts and Baron Zemo.

“WHY THESE CHARACTERS AND WHY NOW?”

Like I said earlier, nothing Marvel does is done by pure coincidence. All of these characters, in some shape or form, have been a part of the Thunderbolts. And with potentially 5 of these characters already having a major presence in both the Black Widow movie and The Falcon and The Winter Soldier Disney+ show, the chances of something bigger being developed are certainly high.

Besides, following the events of Avengers: Endgame and Spider-Man: Far From Home and considering that:
- Tony Stark aka Iron Man is dead.
- Steve Rogers passed the mantle of Captain America on to Sam Wilson aka Falcon.
- Thor is now off-world with the Guardians of the Galaxy.
- Natasha Romanoff aka Black Widow is dead.
- Bruce Banner is seemingly out of commission due to his snap.
- Hawkeye is with his family.
- Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes are both still wanted criminals by the Sokovia Accords.
- Spider-Man has been branded a criminal.
The world might no longer trust the Avengers, but the world also recognizes that there will always be threats that normal law enforcement alone will not be able to stop. So, by the time Phase 4 kicks into high gear, it might be time to introduce a new team of “heroes” to the MCU. And who better than some of Marvel’s best villains?
September 3, 2020