Marvel Studios’ production machine will be dialed up to do some major work soon. Agatha: Coven of Chaos is currently in production in Atlanta and six other projects are set to kick off principal photography by June. Among those is Wonder Man, a streaming series created by Destin Daniel Cretton and starring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II but that has never been acknowledged by Marvel Studios…until now.
In an interview with Comic Book, Marvel Studios producer Stephen Broussard finally made it official, confirming the series is happening and teasing the tone of the project.
“Destin is doing a television show for us called Wonder Man,” said Broussard, joking that, “I think that’s out there in the world.” Not only was Broussard feeling kind enough to confirm Wonder Man is in the works, but he also gave some details about what to expect from the series, including a heavy dose of influence from the comics.
[Wonder Man will] be definitely influenced by the comics. One of the things that we’re excited about it is that it’s going to feel very unique. It’s not going to feel like anything you’ve quite seen in the MCU before. And the kind of stories we can tell on Disney+, which has been fun. Like streaming, serialized storytelling is a totally different muscle. So, we’re having a blast making that one.
Stephen Broussard
A recent rumor compared the tone of the show to that of HBO’s Barry, a comparison that fans of that show and the MCU should be very excited about if it’s accurate. Wonder Man is set to kick off production in late March/early April and run through August meaning it should end up somewhere on Marvel Studios’ 2024 streaming slate.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is a success in more ways than one. While it didn’t topple Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, the film has managed to become the second biggest release for the productions studio in 2022. Now, it seems the film is making even more waves as after the longest theatrical runs since the pandemic started, Wakanda Forever has become Disney+’s biggest Marvel premiere to date.
The debut is measured by hours streamed in the first five days of its release. The film fittingly kicked off Black History Month on February 1st after breaking the 45-day plan that was established under Bob Chapek leadership, who was very streaming first in his strategy. It didn’t quite pan out and we’re seeing some developments to find a better balance but Disney must definitely be excited knowing just how much people loved the latest Marvel entry.
It also is a good sign that people’s interest in Marvel is still strong as ever with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania set to release in just a few weeks. Early predictions already have it as the biggest opening for the trilogy and have the potential to use its event status alongside the introduction of Kang the Conqueror. So, it’s going to be an exciting year for Marvel and we’ll see just how high the bar will be set in 2023 as the world continues to move on from the pandemic.
Disney+ was a big venture for Disney with a strong focus on creating a singular hub for everyone loving any of their properties. They went out of their way to purchase 20th Century Studios to ensure they could expand their library in a way that would allow them to do exactly that. Yet, the losses taken throughout the last few years under new management of Bob Chapek didn’t truly shape an optimistic outlook on streaming’s future.
With the return of Bob Iger, we’re seeing some traditional directions for the company such as an increase in movies hitting theaters in future years and it seems they may be back peddling on some decisions. As part of their Disney+ venture, Disney pulled back on a variety of external licensing deals for their films and television series. This consequently added to their overall loss and made it more difficult to truly showcase the potential of streaming.
Now, it seems they are once again exploring selling their library to their rivals by establishing new licensing deals. It’s a strategy that has worked quite well for Sony Pictures, who have actively avoided sinking their cash into building their own streaming service. They’ve managed to create a deal with Netflix and Disney+ to offer their expanding library to multiple services in a layered rollout.
It makes sense and it might become a new standard moving forward for many of streaming services. We might not see Moon Knight or Percy Jackson on Netflix for quite some time but the various Marvel movies are likely to hit streaming services in a few years. If they play their cards right they’ll keep exclusivity rights for at least a year and then expand their offerings. It’s a double catch and very likely the future direction for the entire streaming industry. Streaming won’t go away anytime soon but the market landscape is surely going to change once again.
It looks like Wonder Man may be gearing up for production much sooner thane expected, as a new report shared by Discussing Film hints that the Disney+ series might be entering production in March. Shang-Chi director Daniel Destin Cretton is attached as an executive producer and director, but it seems like they have also found another talented director to join the production.
It seems they may have added James Ponsoldt as director, but there’s no word on how many episodes he may tackle. The director is well known for his work on The Spectacular Now, Master of None, and The Circle, but he’s also recently worked on the series Shrinking, which was released on Apple TV+ just last week. We haven’t heard any casting announcements on the series since Yahya Abdul-Mateen II got the title role back in October. So, if we hear more this month, March would seem more and more likely.
It’s interesting if Wonder Man does end up starting production in March, as rumors some time ago hinted at a late 2023 release. It would seem like they’d rush the production trying to have that done in time, so a 2024 release seems more likely. Andrew Guest is the showrunner on the project and is bound to bring some fun comedy to the series. Perhaps, Marvle Studios is taking some lessons and attempting a smaller budget more appropriate for a traditional sitcom series with this project.
Production on the first season of Percy Jackson and The Olympians has officially wrapped. The announcement was made via a Twitter video featuring actor Walker Scobell, who plays the titular character in the new series. Percy Jackson and The Olympians will also star Leah Sava Jeffries and Aryan Simhadrias Annabeth Chase and Grover Underwood respectively. The series was created for television by Jonathan E. Steinberg and Dan Shotz and is based on the young-adult novel series authored by Rick Riordan.
The show’s first season will be based on the first novel of the series, The Lightning Thief. The novel previously was adapted as a 2010 film for 20th Century Fox. The Percy Jackson and The Olympians series aims to be a more faithful adaptation of the novel, and will hopefully be a more successful venture than the mixed bag of a film franchise. If successful, Percy Jackson and The Olympians could likely have the cultural staying power in the young-adult genre that the Harry Potter films held in the first decade of the 2000s.
With production having just now wrapped for the first season, it would be logical to predict that the series will air at the start of 2024. However, there’s no official word on a release window.
Percy Jackson and The Olympians will release exclusively on Disney+. The first will be comprised of eight episodes.
According to Variety, Disney’s live-action Goosebumps series has added Rob Huebel to its cast in a recurring guest star role. The outlet states that Huebel will play a character named Colin, who is the father of Isa Briones‘ Margot. The character is described as “a well-intentioned high school guidance counselor who is about to discover the world is a lot bigger and scarier than he ever imagined.”
Huebel is perhaps best known for his work on the show Children’s Hospital, for which he was nominated for an Emmy. He has also appeared in I Know This Much Is True, The Goldbergs, and The Sex Lives of College Girls. On the film side, he has starred in films such as The Descendants, I Love You Man, and Seeking a Friend for the End of the World.
The live-action series is said to follow a group of five high schoolers who accidentally unleash supernatural forces upon their town. In order to save the town, they will all need to work together, learning much about their own parents’ teenage secrets in the process. This will mark the second time that the Goosebumps books have been adapted for television, as there was a series that aired between 1996 and 1998. However, unlike that series which took an anthology approach, the Disney+ series will focus on five of the most popular Goosebumps books.
Huebel joins Briones, as well as previously announced cast members Ana Yi Puig, Miles McKenna, Will Price, Justin Long, Zack Morris, and Rachel Harris. Nick Stoller and Rob Letterman will act as the executive producers and are the co-creators of the Disney+ series adaptation. Neal H. Moritz, who was a producer on the 2015 and 2018 films, is also attached as an executive producer.
With production currently underway in Vancouver, Disney+’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians, based on the novels by Rick Riordan, already has quite the cast with Walker Scobell as Percy, joined by Aryan Simhadri‘s Grover and Leah Sava Jeffries‘ Annabeth. Some other impressive actors set to appear in the project are Jessica Parker Kennedy, Olivea Morton, Jason Mantzoukas, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Jay Duplass, and Timothy Omundson. And now, it seems the series has found two more major additions that will surely have fans of the books excited.
Variety has revealed that the series has cast The Wire and John Wick actor Lance Reddick as the Disney+ shows’ version of Zeus. Per the official character description, “The all-powerful god of the sky and leader of Mount Olympus, Zeus is tempestuous and mistrustful. He’s promised to wage a war if his stolen thunderbolt is not returned.” Lost in Space and Black Sails‘ Toby Stephens will take on the role of Poseidon, god of the sea and Percy’s absent father, with whom Percy shares many qualities. Per the official character description, “Though he has stayed away throughout Percy’s life, his deep feelings for his son (and Percy’s mother, Sally) are evident.”
The casting is definitely exciting and it does seem like Disney is all-in with the project. It has yet to be seen if Disney will start working on a second season or wait it out until viewership numbers are in, but the cast is already quite promising and will ensure that the adaptation stands out from the original films.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians is currently aiming to release its first season in early 2024.
With Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania set to start Phase 5 in February, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is about to dramatically change course in the midst of the Multiverse Saga. Much like Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, the official list of what a fan should watch to prepare for the film is not quite as simple as you’d think. Part of this is the mere fact that the MCU now has 30 films, 8 Disney+ series, 2 Disney+ special presentations, and I Am Groot. Still, considering the absolute chaos of the Multiverse, the introduction of the Multiverse Saga’s main villain, a Young Avengers setup, and threequel status make Quantumania a fun one for our latest Ultimate List of Things to Watch Before.
At the end of the day, 16 projects made this list with varying degrees of relevance. First, the top three tiers are focused on Scott Lang/Ant-Man’s story as well as the Multiverse. After that, it is hard to ignore that Cassie Lang’s role in Quantumania is setting up yet another (likely) future Young Avenger, so the list takes a stroll down memory lane of others we have already seen. As is tradition, the last category really pushes the limit of what makes sense. In any event, somehow every single MCU Disney+ series has made this list, so get started.
Top Tier
The top tier, as you would suspect, comprises the most important projects to watch before Quantumania based on what we know about the film.
1. Ant-Man
It should go without saying that anyone watching the third film in a solo franchise should start with the original film. In 2015, Ant-Man was the epilogue of Phase 2 and introduced Scott Lang, Hank Pym, and Hope Van Dyne for the first time along with several other key players. From the official Quantumania trailer, we also know that the villain Darren Cross appears to be the face of M.O.D.O.K.
2. Ant-Man and the Wasp
While Ant-Man and the Wasp received notoriously mixed reactions, its focus on the Quantum Realm set up so much of the future of the MCU. The film brought the character Janet Van Dyne into reality but also set up the Quantum Realm as a real place to exist—this is where we will find our characters for much of Quantumania. It also highlights Scott’s relationship with his young daughter Cassie, who will be a teenager and seemingly much more important character in the threequel.
3. Loki
Other than the Ant-Man franchise, the Disney+ series Loki is probably the most important project to watch before Quantumania. The finale introduced us to the first variant of Kang the Conquerer in Jonathan Majors’ He Who Remains, though “Kang” is set to make his more formal debut in the third Ant-Man film. He Who Remains provided an extremely important monologue about who he was and what would happen if variants of himself were allowed to live on. Now, we’re going to watch the consequences of Loki begin to play out, presumably all coming to an end in Avengers: Secret Wars. Quantumania may have gotten the Multiverse Saga’s most important character as its solo film antagonist, and we will surely see the actual multiverse truly come into play in the wider MCU after this film.
Tier Two
The second tier of “must watches” before Quantumania is short, but it focuses on the remainder of Scott’s on-screen story as well as the Quantum Realm’s connection to the multiverse.
4. Avengers: Endgame
Avengers: Endgame very casually dropped the first hints of the Multiverse and the first major consequences of the Quantum Realm and quantum-related technology. Of course, the film shows another appearance of the character, and it is the first time we saw Cassie as a teenager. The father and daughter’s lost time is clearly central to Quantumania, so their reunion early in this film has major significance. A pro tip for the real fans here is that it is always best to watch Avengers: Infinity War along with Endgame, even though there is virtually no Ant-Man significance.
5. Captain America: Civil War
The events of Captain America: Civil War will likely not have much relevance to Quantumania’s story, but in the true MCU spirit of preparing oneself for a solo threequel, all appearances of the character should be watched.
Tier Three
The third tier is (mostly) dedicated to the multiverse. While Quantumania is the first film of the second phase of the Multiverse Saga, Kang’s introduction will likely kick the stakes up a notch.
6. Ms. Marvel
True, Disney+ series Ms. Marvel is not related to the Multiverse. But the series (or at least the first minute or two of the first episode) is here because it mentions that Scott has become a relatively famous person and Avenger post-Endgame. The beginning of the Quantumania trailer also alludes to this fact, so this moment in Ms. Marvel is a significant connecting piece.
7. What If…?
The entrance of Kang and the beginning of Phase 5 can only mean that the MCU’s Multiverse is actually going to start coming out to play. Whether or not it’s a major factor in the main portion of Quantumania is yet to be seen, but the fallout of the film probably carries a lot of multiversal weight. The best way to get into the multiverse mindset is to watch the only project actually dedicated to it, even if it’s at the bottom of most people’s Phase Four favorites lists.
8. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
How can you talk about the Multiverse without the film that has the word in its title? Several potential Young Avengers are present here (discussed more below), but Multiverse of Madness was the first live-action project to genuinely explore the multiverse to a significant extent. While it did not live up to all fans’ expectations, Quantumania will surely build on what we know from the Doctor Strange sequel.
9. Spider-Man: No Way Home
The events of Spider-Man: No Way Home are likely well-removed from the world of Quantumania, but the film is a Multiverse classic, and likely the general population’s favorite of all MCU Multiverse-centered projects to date.
Introducing the Young Avengers
An ongoing rumor—or, more likely, prediction—is that the Young Avengers are slowly being assembled throughout several projects. Cassie Lang’s status as a teenage superhero in Quantumania means yet another obvious candidate will be introduced. Notably, Multiverse of Madness (which is already listed above) introduced America Chavez and featured young versions of Wiccan and Speed for the second time in the MCU.
10. Hawkeye
Kate Bishop’s inclusion in Disney+ series Hawkeye got plenty of Young Avengers hype. Not only is she a classic Young Avenger in the comics, but the character has received by far the most attention of any of the likely future members.
11. WandaVision
Wanda’s children, Billy and Tommy, perhaps sparked the first rumors of a future Young Avengers project. The duo’s powers as Wiccan and Speed were also featured in the Disney+ series WandaVision, making it clear that they likely have a superhero future outside of the show.
12. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier
Often overlooked, another likely Young Avenger made his debut in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Elijah Bradley, who becomes the superhero Patriot in the comics, has a couple of brief appearances alongside the focus on Isaiah Bradley, a lost/covered-up supersoldier Bucky encountered during the Korean War.
Why Not?
The title of this section says it all. The following projects do have some connection (maybe) to Quantumania in some way, but those connections are extremely distant from anything particularly important. This category is for the true fans.
13. Moon Knight
While Disney+ series Moon Knight notably omits references to the broader MCU, one of its few Easter eggs is actually Kang-related. In its third episode, the image on the back of one of the generic goons Marc Spector fights is a reference to Kang the Conquerer’s time as the pharaoh Rama-Tut in the comics (and presumably the MCU as well).
14. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
One of the worst connections thrown your way yet, the post-credits scene of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings shows that the Ten Rings have a beacon—and the Quantumania teaser trailer also featured a beacon that clearly led to the Quantum Realm and likely Kang directly. Are all beacons the same? No. But could the Quantum Realm be relevant to mystical items like the Ten Rings or Ms. Marvel’s bangles? Maybe—you should probably watch this just in case.
15. She-Hulk: Attorney at Law
The final two projects in this list are certainly a reach but a connection can still be made. The final Disney+ series so far, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, teased the criminal organization the Intelligencia. While we do not know if the name is the only thing borrowed from the comics, we do know that M.O.D.O.K., a Quantumania villain, is a member of the supervillain and super-scientist organization in the comics.
16. Iron Man 3 (AIM)
Like She-Hulk, Iron Man 3 has a loose connection to Quantumania involving M.O.D.O.K.’s comic book history. M.O.D.O.K. has an extensive history with the criminal organization A.I.M., which was briefly introduced and teased in the final Iron Man film.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania hits theaters on February 17, 2023.
In what may come as a surprise to some, Marvel Studio’s Eternals was the most streamed film from the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2022. The Chloe Zhao-directed film ranked 13th in Nielsen’s list of the Top 15 Streaming Movies of 2022, and is the only film from Marvel Studios present. Below is the full list of films and their view count.
Encanto (27.416 billion / Disney+)
Turning Red (11.427 billion / Disney+)
Sing 2 (11.347 billion / Netflix)
Moana (8.629 billion / Disney+)
The Adam Project (6.141 billion / Netflix)
Hocus Pocus 2 (5.697 billion / Disney+)
Don’t Look Up (5.141 billion / Netflix)
Frozen (5.133 billion / Disney+)
Luca (4.974 billion / Disney+)
The Gray Man (4.972 billion / Netflix)
Zootopia (4.437 billion / Disney+)
Coco (4.253 billion / Disney+)
Eternals (4.236 billion / Disney+)
Frozen II (4.195 billion / Disney+)
Uncharted (4.179 billion / Netflix)
The list from Nielsen highlights the dominance that both Disney+ and Netflix hold in the streaming landscape. Based on their view counts and subscriber numbers, the two are definitive benchmarks for successful streaming services. This group of 15 films also highlights the domination child-oriented family movies hold in the film industry.
When it comes to Eternals specifically, this type of data could be seen as a promising sign for fans of the original film. While the 2021 theatrical release was one of the lowest performing from both financial and critical perspectives for Marvel Studios, it appears the film has found a sizeable audience on Disney+. With that in mind, one could see such a high view count as a check in the plus column for continuing the franchise for at least a sequel project (if it was ever in doubt to begin with). Though an interesting possibility could then be to move the Eternals franchise exclusively to Disney+. The film has at least appeared to be more accessible via streaming. And allowing a longer runtime that isn’t constrained for a sequel could help further expand the stories of these characters, something that could’ve helped the critical success of the rare mixed performance of a Marvel Studios film.
A dangerous quest for a mythical item through unknown territory, fortune favoring the bold, complex puzzle solving, major characters splitting up in a dark tunnel system, an explosive third act, and a terrifying monster guarding valuable treasure that contains a hidden purpose. All of these elements sound like the key ingredients for a classic Uncharted adventure, but in actuality, they’re far from it. So far, far away, one might even say they’re in another galaxy. The aforementioned story traits actually come from this week’s episode of Star Wars: The Bad Batch, which does its best to replicate the intrepid wonderment of the famed video game franchise and, more specifically, its genre.
Titled Entombed, the fifth episode of The Bad Batch‘s second season sees its titular group of rag-tag runaways searching for a lost treasure alongside Wanda Sykes‘ Phee Genoa, a pirate associate of their benefactor, Rhea Perlman‘s Cid. Their journey, and the obstacles they encounter, are obviously designed to evoke the quintessential Lucasfilm feeling of adventure, likely with Star Wars‘ sister franchise Indiana Jones in mind. However, the execution and outcome of their experience fall more in line with Naughty Dog’s aforesaid Uncharted series, specifically in how it uses its plot to convey its ultimate message. The Uncharted games, and tangentially their film adaptation, always end the same way – with the heroes giving up their newfound discoveries and riches for the benefit of the world and those they love.
Entombed does more or less the same thing, with a wide-eyed Omega and her grumpier adult counterparts allowing a ticket to a wealthier life to slip past them in an effort to keep each other, and the galaxy, alive and well. This is something that The Bad Batch has done before, as recently as this season’s premiere episodes, but its blunt framing and straightforward narrative in Entombed work in conjunction to drive the point home with greater relative ease. Also, plainly put, it’s a lot of fun to watch Omega, Hunter, Wrecker, Tech, and Echo go treasure hunting because Star Wars has always and will always work best as a science-fiction take on pulp storytelling.
It’s been enjoyable to see the creatives behind the series break formula this season and apply the age-old recipe for Star Wars success to multiple different genres. The result has been a fairly entertaining early group of Bad Batch escapades, but unfortunately, the show’s biggest issue remains. Entombed, for all its likability, still does very little to progress the series or its characters as a whole. It often feels like the series is going in circles, with Omega and the crew learning the same lessons on repeat, and never truly moving forward to their next stage. It’s difficult to stay invested in characters that don’t change, and it’s frustrating when every episode comes with several opportunities to make it happen.
Entombed might have been more exciting if, as an example, it also laid the groundwork for Omega to take a future interest in treasure hunting herself, as many of the episode’s best moments involved her growing ingenuity and childlike amazement. The potential behind this show is there and is evident in thrilling stories like this one, but The Bad Batch is still just one cohesive throughline short of living up to its predecessors’ standards. Even so, it proves itself an interesting, easily-digestible, adventure-of-the-week style project on a weekly basis. If that’s all one is looking for in this, they’ve found it in spades.
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