Tag: Disney Plus

‘Snowpiercer’s Chinaka Hodge Joins ‘Ironheart’ as Head Writer

It looks like one of Marvel Studios’ many Disney+ shows has finally found its head writer. Variety reported that Chinaka Hodge has joined the upcoming Ironheart production as its head writer. It will star Dominique Thorne as the iconic inventor Riri Williams, who ends up creating the most advanced suit of armor since Tony Stark’s Iron Man suit. Hodge has built up quite a career with her work on Apple’s Amazing Stories, TNT’s Snowpiercer, and her work in poetry. She is also a founder of The Getback alongside Snowpiercer star Daveed Diggs. According to The Hollywood Reporter’s Aaron Couch, the series will consist of six episodes, and production is slated for May. He may be implying pre-production, as no casting news has been made so far.

Correction: The writer’s room opens in May for the six-episode series. (Deleted the below tweet). https://t.co/VPiW9cEsgz pic.twitter.com/e8BUoshaLC

— Aaron Couch (@AaronCouch) April 27, 2021

Her upcoming Marvel Studios project explores the story of a newly invented character. Williams made her debut back in 2015 by Brian Michael Bendis and Mike Deodato. The 15-year-old MIT student created her own armor by reverse engineering his work. He would end up encouraging her in the comics to continue down the path of heroism. Of course, the MCU saw the passing of the hero during Avengers: Endgame, which means her origin story might be quite different.

Variety couldn’t offer any details, but there is a good possibility that her series leads into Don Cheadle‘s Armor Wars. It’ll see Tony’s biggest nightmare come true as the world has caught up with his technology, which includes Riri Williams. It’ll be interesting to see how they integrate her character into the franchise and if she might also have a larger role moving forward, as many young heroes are slowly taking over.

Source: Variety, Twitter

April 27, 2021
‘Falcon and Winter Soldier’s Rumored Cut Storyline May Get a Comic Adaptation

The showrunner for The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Malcolm Spellman, was interviewed by Amon Warmann on the Fade to Black Podcast this week. Even though he shied away from several topics not to spill anything on Marvel Studios’ plans, there were still a few curious soundbites to highlight. When asked about the rumor floating around that a “lost” storyline might have been cut from the show because it mirrored the current COVID-19 pandemic a bit too closely, Spellman gave the following statement:

I’ve been told to stop saying that [refering to the “lost” storyline]. I loved it and it had nothing to do with the pandemic. (…) I want to see if we can get some of the writers to do a book run on it because I think Kevin [Feige] does it. I’ve been told to stop talking about it.

This would indicate that the “lost” storyline might not be lost for long. Given Spellman loved it so much, it might get the traction to get adapted in comic form. Since it ended up being cut entirely from the show, it will still feel like a fresh idea and not a simple rehash of old material. The reference to Kevin Feige is also noteworthy since he was named Chief Creative Officer for Marvel Comics back in October 2019. It gave him a larger role in deciding which storylines make it to the comics.

Another takeaway from that quote is how Spellman negates that the storyline was cut due to the pandemic or potentially related to it. The idea first started when it was revealed that the limited liability company created for the series was titled Pandemic Productions. Now, it seems that the only real impact COVID-19 had on the show was purely in terms of safety precautions and limitations on their shooting locations. It seems it had little to do with the actual story being told. He also hints at this in the interview by revealing they initially had eight episodes mapped out before cutting out the “flab” as he called it. It’ll be interesting to see if this mysterious storyline makes a return in comic form sometime in the future.

Source: CNBC, Fade to Black Podcast

April 27, 2021
‘Falcon and Winter Soldier’: Power Broker All Along

After the freshly minted Captain America and The Winter Soldier, we got many answers we were looking for. It gave us Sam Wilson becoming Captain America. Bucky Barnes finished his list and even checked it twice. On top of it all, we also get introduced to John Walker’s alter-ego US Agent. With that said, we now know that Sharon Carter was the Power Broker all along. Sharon found a way to slip right under our hero’s noses into a pardon. Now, what does this mean for the future? Let’s dive straight in.

With Sharon having the Rolodex of all government liaisons and contracts, she has access to so much more as the Power Broker. Her phone call with a mysterious stranger hints at her having access to more than she should. It seems likely she’ll appear in the freshly announced Captain America 4, but it also seems very likely she could show up in Armor Wars. Imagine a world where someone steals Tony Stark’s nanotechnology only for it to land in Sharon’s hands. Charles offered a closer look at this concept, which you can check out here. She’s more dangerous than ever. Her phone call may have hinted at a mysterious partner. Could that be the newly-introduced Val?

She was busy recruiting John Walker into her new team, it’s certainly not out of the realm of possibility that she could have her hands in multiple cookie jars. The Power Broker can have multiple faces. Their reach in Marvel comics was far beyond what one could imagine, as it grew beyond a single individual. Power Broker Inc was established by Curtiss Jackson and Dr. Karl Malus. They had plenty of clients. They supplied John Walker and Lemar Hoskins with their abilities in the comics. They used not only their intellect but their status to control everything.

We saw Sharon use Batroc to help Karli as a means to her ends. Sharon and Val could be a dynamic duo that none of our heroes even know about. It would be fascinating to see the two of them evolve together. Val could be forming a team that gets supplied by Sharon. Now that’s what you call cutting the check. They eventually could create an app similar to the Hench app in the comics. We’ve seen how well that worked for the Flag Smashers. So, they might just hijack that design for their own nefarious purposes.

Villains for Hire in a post blip world could be very lucrative. The bad guys have to pay rent too. As important as Sam Wilson’s positive effect on the world was, he may have inadvertently developed his biggest threat. Marvel Studios left enough threads vague through which they can develop in curious directions. Perhaps the fourth entry in the Captain America series also ties together with Armor Wars. It might just be the beginning of this new brand of villainy and what could be the most dangerous threat the Avengers ever faced.

April 25, 2021
How Sony is Winning the Steaming War By Not Participating

Sony hasn’t had the easiest time. While possessing some major franchises, it still had a rough time staying competitive. Unlike some competitors, the company isn’t truly dependent on the film market, but it still hurts if an entire studio faces some harsh developments. Sadly, it wasn’t just their film department. The Sony conglomerate had hit a low after losing £3 billion in 2012. The £800 million write-downs for its film division weren’t helping matters due to falling DVD sales in 2017. At the start of the pandemic, many questioned the studio’s longevity, as many others establish their own streaming services. Well, Sony took a very different approach that is finally paying off.

Their filming divisions finalized two major streaming deals in the last month. First, they announced that Netflix would become their exclusive streaming home. It meant that upcoming films would join the service as of 2022. Also, they get a first look at any new projects. It was a curious choice after they pitched Silk to Amazon. Many wondered if this was the end for Marvel Studios ever getting to bring all the Marvel properties together on Disney+. It also could have darker implications for the ongoing cooperation between Disney and Sony, as they already had a falling out in the past for the character’s continued existence in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Suddenly, Sony dropped the news that they have signed a multi-year contract to make their projects available through Disney’s streaming service. It revealed that Netflix has access for a limited time before they’re made available on Disney+. While the Spider-Man franchise was in the spotlight, they will have access to all of their available franchises from 2022 to 2026. There was no word if original scripted series might also be heading to Disney+, but it doesn’t exclude the chance that Tom Holland‘s Spidey could get an original series at some point. It’ll be interesting to see the implications for their overall deal and the longevity of Spider-Man within this universe.

Why is this such a clever idea? Well, the streaming market is getting crowded. Netflix, Amazon, and Disney+ have established their position at the top. CBS All Access took on the new name Paramount+ and is trying to sell the service with the long-awaited Halo live-action series. Apple+ had 33 million users but is struggling to get them to pay. HBO Max is also dominating the market as they even managed to see a higher subscriber growth than Netflix in the first quarter of 2021. Instead of worrying about surviving in this highly competitive market, Sony made the right call by using the franchises they own as leverage to make deals with not just one but two of the biggest competitors in the market. Now, they pretty much reap the rewards without the work of programming and marketing an entirely new service. It’ll be interesting to see how Sony continues to develop with this new deal.

Source: The Guardian (Resurgence), The Guardian (Sony Pictures) PR Newswire, Variety, Financial Times

April 23, 2021
Drafting The ‘Armor Wars’ Rogue’s Gallery

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

Crimson Dynamo

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

The Beetle

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

Detroit Steel

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

The Tinkerer

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

Chemistro

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

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

April 22, 2021
‘PEN 15’s Maya Erskine Joins Disney+’s ‘Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi’

It looks like the Obi-Wan Kenobi series has added one more actress to the ever-growing cast. PEN 15‘s Maya Erskine has seemingly joined the cast and has a supporting role for three episodes. It isn’t specified who she might be playing, as the series’ plot remains under wraps. So far, we only know it takes place 10 years after Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith and nine before A New Hope. It will also see the “rematch of the century” between Obi-Wan and Vader, as Hayden Christen will reprise the role of Anakin Skywalker.

The actress has also recently appeared in Insecure and the Scoob! film. She has been nominated for multiple WGA Awards and even got an Emmy nomination for her work on Hulu’s PEN 15. Erskine is currently in the Hulu series Casual and will star in the film Sacramento alongside Michael Cera. The upcoming Disney+ series is in pre-production and slated to start production soon. The six-hour-long series will be directed by The Mandalorian director, Deborah Chow.

Disney+ is expanding its Star Wars offerings, as Obi-Wan Kenobi will be joined by various spin-offs of the streaming service premiere show and the Rogue One spin-off, Andor. 2021 will be dominated by Marvel Studios’ series but May will see the release of The Clone Wars spin-off, The Bad Batch that will continue where the previous series left off. The end will be finished off with the first spin-off of The Mandalorian that will focus on Boba Fett before its third season sees the return of Din Djarin.

Source: Deadline

April 22, 2021
‘Soul’ Animated Short Heading to Disney+

It looks like Pixar wasn’t quite done yet with the world of Soul, as an upcoming short titled 22 vs. Earth will revisit the character voiced by Tina Fey. It will be directed by the original film’s editor, Kevin Nolting. The short will act as a prequel to the event of the original film, as 22 remains skeptical about what Earth has to offer long before she meets Joe Gardner. It will revisit The Great Before where she recruits five new souls to join her little rebellion. Nolting shared his enthusiasm and what inspired him to revisit the character.

While making Soul, we talked about the why of a new soul not wanting to live on Earth, but it didn’t ultimately belong in that movie. 22 vs. Earth was a chance to explore some of the unanswered questions we had about why 22 was so cynical. As a fairly cynical person myself, it felt like perfect material.

Their excitement to explore the cynicism of 22 in contrast to the other soul’s naive outlook on the world. The Pixar veteran hopes to explore these blank slates and contrast them. After going through one mentor after another, maybe she sees herself as one of these young souls. I’ll be interesting to see if it may even directly build up to her first meeting with Jamie Foxx‘s Gardner and set off the events that will change her outlook on Earth.

Source: Hollywood Reporter

April 21, 2021
‘Hawkeye’ Wraps Production as Jeremy Renner Hints at Additional Photography

It looks like one more 2021 Disney+ show has wrapped up production, as Jeremy Renner shared the end of Hawkeye‘s production on his Instagram story. The series will introduce the world to Hailee Steinfeld‘s Kate Bishop, who is set to take on the iconic mantle. It will also introduce the world to the character of Echo, who will be played by Alaqua Cox. As Instagram Stories tend to vanish after some time, Twitter user @OYLmcupodcast luckily shared a screenshot featuring Renner covered in wounds. Now, fans of Matt Fraction‘s My Life as a Weapon run might be excited to see them embracing the original story. There is also a rather interesting wording by the actor that may hint at plans set for additional photography.

#hawkeye has wrapped filming.

(Source: jeremyrenner/IG)#marvel #marvelstudios #marvelcomics #katebishop pic.twitter.com/xfqsagosaR

— onyourleftpodcast (@OYLmcupodcast) April 21, 2021

Unlike classic TV productions, Marvel Studios approaches their projects like long-form films. As such, they also offer their teams the possibility to do multiple takes and tweak their work with additional photography. Shang-Chi and the Legends of the Ten Rings will also return for some additional work next week. These are commonly planned far in advance to offer some time before release to add scenes or make sure every sequence hits as it should. Of course, we could also interpret his wording about the future of the character in the MCU. As of now, it is uncertain if Jeremy Renner‘s Clint Barton will have a future in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as he passes on the title to Kate Bishop. It’ll be interesting to see if the series offers more insight once it releases later this year.

Source: Instagram via Twitter

April 21, 2021
‘Secret Invasion’ Adds ‘Game of Thrones’ Emilia Clarke

It looks like one more cast member is joining the upcoming Secret Invasion Disney+ series and this one is quite the catch for Marvel Studios. Variety has exclusively learned that Game of Thrones‘ Emilia Clarke is in talks to join the original series. Marvel Studios has declined to comment and her role remains unspecified. There is a possibility she is playing the character “Mina” who is described as a “very competent spy that can slip in and out of situations with ease.” It’s uncertain what role she may play in the story, but she could be one of Fury’s closest allies. Of course, she may also turn out to be a Skrull as you cannot trust anyone in an adaptation of 2009′s Secret Invasion. It’ll be interesting if we see more announcements in the coming days.

She’s the second casting announcement for the Disney+ show this week, as just yesterday Olivia Colman was revealed to be in negotiations. Marvel Studios is still keeping the lid shut on the story and who they might be playing. So, we might not find out until later in the year, as production starts to ramp up. Clarke is a massive addition to the cast, as the four-time Emmy nominee has been continuing to rise in star power since her time as Daenerys Targaryen on HBO’s Game of Thrones. It isn’t her first time working with Disney, as she also had a large role in Solo: A Star Wars Story that seemed to set up a future storyline for the actress.

Source: Variety

April 20, 2021
RUMOR: Latest LEGO Toy Leak Hints at a New ‘What If’ Spider-Man and ‘Loki’s Throg

At this point, I think Marvel Studios will not trust any toy companies anymore. It looks like, once again, a leak from the toy company has offered a bit more insight into an upcoming project than it should be. The site Brick Fan has uncovered a list of LEGO Minifigures that are inspired by the various Disney+ shows. It includes quite a long list of characters, such as WandaVision‘s Scarlet Witch and White Vision alongside Bucky and Sam Wilson’s Captain America, which got heavily teased in the last episode of Falcon and Winter Soldier. It also includes some confirmed characters for the What If series, T’Challa as Star-Lord, Zombie Captain America, and Captain Britain. Of course, you’re not here for the already well-known characters.

The list includes the first mention of Lady Loki. She’s been rumored since the first potential hint at a child-version of the God of Mischief hit the web. There is also the mention of Loki alongside Throg, which could hint at the character’s live-action debut in the June series. He isn’t just a Thor version of frog, but actually, a man named Simon Walterson. He was turned into a frog by Loki in the comics. Now, the list also includes some reveals for What If. There is mention of a version of Steve Rogers, who holds the title Spider-Man. There was an interview some time ago where Chris Evans revealed he would love to be Spider-Man, but disliked the costume. So, maybe his wish finally came true. We have to take this with a grain of salt, but it would be quite a curious direction if it turns out to be true.

What gives this some credence is the inclusion of a Thanos version of Gamora. Her artwork was leaked alongside Ultron not too long ago. If we consider that would imply the other characters included in this Minifigure group may make their appearance in the MCU’s future. The curious inclusion of Steve Rogers as Spider-Man makes it a bit questionable, as the character does belong to Sony. Perhaps this could be a sign for a new era, as he can appear on the Disney+ projects. It’ll be interesting to see how this potentially pays off once the series release.

Source: Brick Fan via The Direct, ScreenRant

April 20, 2021