Tag: Doctor Strange

‘WANDAVISION’ Shows Its Hand

In just 34 minutes Episode 4 of WandaVision, “We Interrupt This Program”, managed to shit on pretty much every popular fan theory, integrate some key pieces of MCU history and clarify the direction of the series, setting fans up for what looks to be one of the biggest heel turns in Marvel Comics history making its way into the MCU. While there’s a chance Marvel Studios could be giving us all a big okey-doke, it seems like we’ve seen what we need to see to know that depending on what side of the story you’re on, the bad guys are either Wanda or S.W.O.R.D. Let’s dissect how “We Interrupt This Program” gets us there.

Nobody is Anybody

Probably the biggest reveal of the series so far is that everyone in Westview, other than Wanda, Vision and presumably Agnes, is just Joe Schmoe. Herb’s not the High Evolutionary, Bev isn’t Bova, Norm’s not the Grim Reaper and Phil isn’t Wonder Man. I suppose there’s still a chance the Dottie could be SOMEBODY, but at this point, Occam’s Razor would lead us to believe that none of these neighbors are anything other than puppets in Wanda’s new reality, as Arlyn Murphy predicted earlier this week. On the surface, we get a cute little sitcom, but the larger reality is that Wanda is essentially responsible for the abduction of a large number of real human beings for the purpose of making her fantasy a reality. These people are being held captive and having their memories altered or erased.

S.W.O.R.D. is on the Case

The episode deftly integrated some key pieces of information about S.W.O.R.D. into its first few minutes and, by doing so, made it clear that they are a well-established organization that has redefined itself a bit after the Blip. We’ve always known S.W.O.R.D. was in the series, but by devoting an entire episode to the organization, Jac Schaeffer and Matt Shakman have made it clear that they are the “big bad” from Wanda’s point of view. It’s not Hydra; it’s not AIM; it’s just S.W.O.R.D.

We get some key pieces of info during the episode that explain some of the things fans have been questioning since the beginning. We see that the bubble around the town of Westview is hexagonal and hexagons have been omnipresent throughout the series. As I mentioned in our first episode of The Universal Church of Truth, the way they continually framed Wanda and Vision with hexagons made it seem like they were contained within one, something I attributed to Wanda’s “hex” powers from the comics. This episode seems to support that and it also lends credence to an old scoop that we shared which indicated that Wanda’s reality-altering powers from the comics would come into play in WandaVision.

We’ve seen hints throughout the first 3 episodes but now it’s made clear that S.W.O.R.D. is investigating this hex bubble and Wanda clearly views them as a threat to her reality. We saw the cracks starting to form in Wanda in the last episode, but today’s perspective shift made it crystal clear: S.W.O.R.D. is the enemy and Wanda has already assaulted an agent.

Agnes

While there were other people (most noticeably Dottie) whose “real” identities weren’t revealed, it’s no mistake that we don’t have a real-world match for Agnes. Ever since she was cast, people have expected Kathryn Hahn to be Agatha Harkness and she certainly has a much meatier role here than helping Wanda with dinner. If you’re not asking, “Why in the hell is Wanda in New Jersey in the first place?”, then you should. And while we don’t have a clear answer at this point, the chances are good that it has something to do with Agatha.

Given what we know about Wanda so far, she shouldn’t be capable of something like this massive hex that seems to be altering reality, wiping the minds of people both inside and outside the bubble and releasing a massive amount of energy in the form of the cosmic microwave background radiation so neatly explained by Dr. Darcy Lewis (and now the most likely explanation for the impending powers of Monica Rambeau). Thanks to the lessons of the Ancient One, we know MCU magic is all about energy manipulation and it seems like that’s what is happening here, meaning someone had to teach Wanda some magic and that someone is Agatha. I expect we’ll get quite the exposition on her sooner rather than later, but I’m sure she’s Wanda’s teacher and the reason why Kevin Feige told us all so many times that WandaVision will give us the MCU’s true Scarlet Witch.

Wanda as the Villain

The signs have been there all along that Wanda will stop at nothing to keep her reality intact and we’ve already covered some of the darker decisions Wanda has made. In addition to kidnapping people, altering their memories and attacking a S.W.O.R.D. agent, she rewound time and maybe erased the S.W.O.R.D. beekeeper after she and Vision discovered him. She continues to stop Vision from investigating. She’s willing to lie to Vision repeatedly to keep him living the fantasy, but in one of the show’s creepiest moments yet, she received another reminder of the world she’s attempted to escape when we briefly saw the synthezoid corpse of her husband appear (is Wanda toting Vision’s corpse around with her?!). If she hasn’t lost it entirely, she will soon. We’ve heard the moment from the trailer where Wanda and Vision decide to fight for their home and that means that we are likely to see a full-on attack on S.W.O.R.D. in the final two episodes of the series. Wanda before magic was plenty powerful to nearly kill Thanos. This new and improved Wanda is going to be way out of S.W.O.R.D.’s league, even if Monica is powered up or if she finds herself going up against her own husband. Think Avengers: Disassembled.

Who You Gonna Call?

Over a year ago, I shared a rumor about Benedict Cumberbatch appearing in WandaVision. While a lot of people had happy thoughts about him delivering the twins, others of us have had a different idea in mind: the Sorcerer Supreme is going to have to come into play to protect the real reality by taking down Wanda. We know Wanda’s story will continue into Doctor Strange: In the Multiverse of Madness and we know that she’s the key to breaking open the multiverse, turning the MCU into the MCM (Marvel Cinematic Multiverse). Avengers Disassembled again provides an excellent example of what we might expect when the Sorcerer Supreme faces off with the Scarlet Witch (even though I can’t hear that “NO.” from Wanda on the page, it somehow sounds a lot like the “No” from episode 2).

Wanda’s heel turn in the pages of the comics while not well received by everyone, was one of the very few times that the Avengers were not only helpless but also terrified. I imagine the same will be true in the final episodes of WandaVision, though I’m less sure that her villainous turn will carry on after the series concludes. Either way, it seems as though Episode 4 has made the path forward for the series pretty clear. Sure there are going to be some twists and turns, but this episode seems to have laid out the main components of the plot and given us quite a bit to look forward to over the next 5 episodes.

January 29, 2021
Kevin Feige Talks the Possibilities of the Marvel Cinematic Multiverse

No upcoming Marvel Studios film has been the subject of wilder rumors and speculation than this year’s Spider-Man threequel. Charlie Cox. Toby Maguire. Andrew Garfield. Emma Stone. Jamie Foxx. Willem Dafoe. Alfred Molina. The list of actors we’ve heard attached to this film and their attachments to previous iterations of Spider-Man seem to have no end. In an interview with Comicbook.com’s Brandon Davis, Kevin Feige spoke to this impressive list of rumors.

I’ve read some things. I’m not sure I’ve read all things. The fun thing about online speculation when it comes to our stuff is how sometimes it couldn’t be more off the mark and sometimes it’s shockingly close, and that’s held true for the last few years. But saying which is which would take all the fun out of everything.

As you’d expect, Fiege didn’t confirm any of the dozens of rumors out there, but it is interesting that he didn’t flatly deny any either. Instead, he may have actually thrown gas on the fire by pointing out the fact that the upcoming Doctor Strange sequel will explore the multiverse.

The biggest clue is the title of the second Doctor Strange movie. That’s the biggest clue of where the Multiverse of Madness is taking us and how we’re exploring that. It’s surreal to me that we’re talking about a Spider-Man 3. I worked on a movie called Spider-Man 3 many years ago directed by Mr. Sam Raimi. So this clearly, the shorthand of calling it Spider-Man 3 now, it’s fine. We call it Homecoming 3.

At this point, it seems that any and everything is possible. Spider-Man 3 is set to hit theaters this December; Doctor Strange: In the Multiverse of Madness is set to follow it in March of 2022.

Source: comicbook.com

January 10, 2021
Doctor Strange May Enter the Wasteland In the ‘Multiverse of Madness’

WandaVision is only a week away from premiering. It will kick-off a new era of multiversal stories. The first teasers already are teasing that not everything is as it seems. Yet, it will only be the beginning, as Doctor Strange In the Multiverse of Madness will be the franchise’s first horror film. It will affect many other films and projects, such as Spider-Man 3 and the upcoming What If series, whose recent trailer teased the existence of Marvel’s zombies. It gave me an idea about what other comic elements we could see get adapted in the film. They can explore so many aspects of the diverse multiverse. I had so many ideas that I will primarily focus on one short story featured in the film. I also had to consider what was already on the horizon, as we know that Blade will introduce us to the likes of vampires. Without

Welcome to the Wasteland

I confess that part of this idea came from the recent Marvel’s Avengers reveal that Hawkeye’s storyline will be Future Imperfect. It inspired me to revisit the Old Man Logan storyline, which introduced us to a screwed-up post-apocalyptic world known called the Wasteland. With some wondering, if they might bring back characters from the Fox universe, the Wasteland would be a perfect remnant. Perhaps the part of the multiverse that they explore is the consequences of when they failed X-Men: Days of Future Past. Everyone is gone, and the Sentinels won. From the ashes of the world, a fractured civilization was trying to cling to whatever was left. In its remnants, a new leader emerged who would rule it under his own rule of violence.

Doctor Strange finds himself lost in the middle of what seemed to be a desert. There he meets a man named Logan. Unable to continue his travel for the time, he is welcomed by the kind stranger, who has an eerie resemblance to Hugh Jackman. He tells him the story of how the Sentinels destroyed mutants and humanity all the same. After some time, they were no longer a threat after being deactivated by a random EMP blast. Finally, mankind had some hope. Well, at least that was until a sudden invasion of monsters from beyond the stars. Creatures that everyone calls the Brood, who would infest one city after another. They replace the symbiotes that were present during the Old Man Logan storyline. In their wake, a hero emerged, who saved them from this new threat. In a way, he started becoming the leader of the Wasteland.

Facing a Familiar Face

Strange realizes that there is one object he needs to continue his multiversal travel, and it so happens to be in the hands of that very ruler. The only issue was that they were looking for lives beyond an area infested with the Brood. Luckily, Logan offered his help as a guide through the Wasteland to find the mysterious leader. As every good film needs an action sequence, they soon realize that the Brood has still been expanding. It seems that the mysterious leader wasn’t able to keep them at bay after at all. In the middle of the plague, there stood the one that was supposed to destroy them. In reality, he was controlling them through a strange device. Strange instantly recognized who the ruler is, but at the same time, it seemed like someone else. It was the Hulk. It was a version of the character we haven’t seen since 2008’s The Incredible Hulk.

Once he noticed his visitors, he sends the Brood after them. Suddenly, Logan pulls out three claws on each hand to protect Strange from the onslaught, whose magic was facing its limits. He realizes that the item he needs is the thing that lets Hulk control these beasts. As they get closer, Logan confronts the Green Goliath. The good doctor tries to cry out to Banner and uncover why he would do this. The now-bearded titan reveals that the post-credit sequence from the original film meant that Hulk was slowly taking over Banner’s mind. The Sentinel and Brood invasions were merely stepping stones for him to finally taking over so he could take his vengeance on the world. He would stand above everyone else so that they would learn fear.

In their conflict, Strange can get the missing piece but doesn’t want to leave Logan behind. He tells him he has nothing to worry about as the confrontation rages between two immortal beings surrounded by what seems to be an endless horde of alien bugs. Strange leaves the Wasteland behind, scared of the realization of what horrors could unfold once Banner loses control someday. He swears to make it up to his new-found friend. Perhaps the man known as Logan exists in his world as well. These thoughts remained in his mind as his travel through the multiverse of madness continues.

January 6, 2021
Production Pauses on ‘DOCTOR STRANGE: IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS’

Elizabeth Olsen has begun doing the press rounds ahead of next week’s premiere of the Marvel Studios Disney Plus streaming WandaVision. Last night, while talking with Jimmy Kimmel about that project, she updated the status of the production of her next MCU project, Doctor Strange: In the Multiverse of Madness. Olsen informed Kimmel that production on the sequel has been paused as a precaution amid the recent surge in COVID cases in and around London, where the sequel is filming.

For the time being, Olsen is quarantined in London awaiting a restart of production. The Strange sequel began production in November and isn’t scheduled to hit theaters until March 25, 2022, so unless the delay goes on for months, it’s still incredibly likely that it makes that date.

January 6, 2021
Deep Thoughts: One Hypothetical Marvel Studios 2022 Release Calendar

Earlier this week, we looked at one hypothetical 2021 release calendar for Marvel Studios. That possible calendar saw Hawkeye wrapped up on Christmas Eve 2021 and it seemed like a bad place to stop thinking. Following the same premise of trying to get new content out on as many Fridays as possible, here’s one totally made up and hypothetical way Marvel Studios could do that in 2022!

***NOTE***

Please read and share responsibly and don’t latch your hopes and dreams onto this. Don’t take it seriously and don’t start marking your calendars. This is one possible option with the only real intention behind it being to see if it could be done well.

After originally thinking Hawkeye would carry over into 2022, we learned that the series is only 6-episodes, meaning it will conclude on Christmas Eve 2021 and they’ll probably skip out on New Year’s Eve content. If we assume Marvel Studios follows a similar start to WandaVision in that it allows the studios to return from the 2-week holiday layoff, get whatever press events and social media teases up and running in the week leading up to release, the 2022 Marvel Studios onslaught will kick off on January 14th!

She-Hulk is going to get to kick off 2022 in style. The Tatiana Maslany-led comedy series begins filming in Atlanta in March 2021 and could easily turn episodes around in time for a mid-January 2022 release. The series is filming for quite a long time and we’ve seen some information that leads us to believe they could be filming as many as 10 episodes next year. Whether that is one long season or two is unknown, but should it be one, long 10 episode season, it could run from January 14th until March 11th, which fits nicely in our big puzzle.

Should Marvel Studios continue their Marvel Studios Legends series, they could stream a Doctor Strange episode the weekend of March 18th, one week ahead of the release of Doctor Strange: In the Multiverse of Madness. By the time this film comes out, it’ll have been 6 years since the first film and almost 3 years since we last saw the Sorcerer Supreme on the big screen, so it wouldn’t be the worst idea to catch fans up and tell the story to new audiences. We would also expect the final trailer for Thor: Love and Thunder and the first trailer for Black Panther II to be released ahead of this so theater audiences could preview them ahead of the film.

The sledding gets a little rougher here with Moon Knight potentially running into the theatrical release of Thor: Love and Thunder. Thankfully, I am reminded that Season 1 of The Mandalorian took a Friday off so that audiences could head to theaters to catch The Rise of Skywalker (big high five to The Machine for helping me get out of my mental rut). That same idea could work here and who knows, maybe a film that includes a God Butcher could unexpectedly tie-in to a series about a guy working as the Earthly avatar of an Egyptian god…

Thor: Love and Thunder promises to be an absolutely wild ride. Taika Waititi is back and has made no bones about the fact that he’s turning everything up on this one. Chris Hemsworth’s Thor is the first Marvel Studios solo character to move beyond the trilogy structure meaning all bets are off. Natalie Portman returning as Jane Foster to become the Mighty Thor is the biggest news, but adding Academy Award Winner Christian Bale as Gorr the God Butcher, bringing back Jamie Alexander as Lady Sif alongside Tessa Thompson’s Valkyrie AND having the Guardians of the Galaxy along for the ride make this the studio’s biggest non-Avengers film to date.

An episode of Marvel Studios Legends for Nick Fury and Talos seems like a must leading into Secret Invasion. We know Talos has posed as Fury in the past and it’d be alright if Marvel Studios cleared some of that up heading into Secret Invasion and that could stream on May 13th, one week after Thor 4 hits theaters. Secret Invasion is still in the earliest stages of development, so there’s no word on an episode count, but for the purposes of this calendar, we’re sticking with the standard six; hypothetically, if Secret Invasion kicked off a six-week run on May 20th, it would conclude on June 24th, just ahead of Black Panther II.

It’s still tough to think about a sequel to Black Panther happening without Chadwick Boseman, but Marvel Studios has a plan and a date. An episode of Marvel Studios Legends ahead of this film could serve not only as a tribute to Boseman, but also as a way to highlight whomever Marvel Studios has chosen to focus on from the World of Wakanda. Black Panther II is currently set to premiere on July 8th, which means it would be accompanied in theaters by trailers for Blade and Captain Marvel 2.

While there was no direct indication that What If…? Season 2 would stream in 2022, Kevin Feige did mention in an interview in December of 2019 that they were already hard at work on the 10-episode second season. As was the case with What If…? Season 1, there’s no indication of whether or not Marvel Studios will stream a new episode of the animated series each week or drop them all at once, but given the nature of the premise is to slot new content on as many Fridays as possible, I’m going with the former.

Like Moon Knight before it, Ironheart could be headed for a one-week hiatus to get Blade in theaters on October 7th (something that is yet to be announced by the studio but we’ve included in our little experiment). Marvel Studios could get Riri Williams’ story started on September 23rd and 30th before taking the week of October 7th off for Blade.

Though there’s no word on when Blade would hit theaters, the official Disney Investor Day Fact Sheet lists it chronologically ahead of Captain Marvel 2 and Disney still has the October 7, 2022 date set aside for a Marvel Studios project. With those things in mind and for the purpose of our hypothetical calendar, we are putting Blade right here.

Ironheart returns from its one-week hiatus and jumps back into action, concluding its run with a 4-episode stretch from October 14th through November 4th.

Following the pattern of Marvel Studios preparing audiences for the return of popular characters through episodes of Marvel Studios Legends, a Captain Marvel episode could stream on November 4th. With Monica Rambeau and Kamala Khan joining Carol Danvers in the film, a Legends episode could prove pretty useful to catch fans up to speed ahead of the November 11th debut of Captain Marvel 2.

While he’s never been the centerpiece of his own project, James Rhodes has been in 7 Marvel Studios films. His story is one worth recapping in a War Machine episode of Marvel Studios Legends on November 18th one week before he takes the lead in Armor Wars!

Breaking from the mold just a little here, the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special can debut on Thanksgiving, which is the kickoff of the U.S. holiday season.

Boom, you looking for this! The final Marvel Studios project of 2022, Armor Wars, could begin its six-week run on November 25th and run right up until the final Friday of the year on December 30th.

Piecing this one together meant taking quite a few liberties, including adding a film that has not officially been given a date. But again, the working premise here was to get new Marvel Studios content on as many Fridays as possible. As things developed, keeping streaming series from dropping new episodes on the same days as films would make their theatrical debuts became a secondary concern and that meant having to color outside of the lines a few times. However, it looks like we mish-mashed together a way to get 51 weeks of Marvel Studios content in 2022!

January 2, 2021
Phase 4: The Multiverse Arc

Who are you in this vast multiverse?

Earlier this year, I wrote a theory piece on how Marvel Studios could delve into this idea of the multiverse for Phase 4 of the MCU. At the time, we had a very vague understanding of what the MCU was preparing for us. Since then, we’ve had casting confirmations, trailer releases, interviews, poster art, and after last week’s Disney’s Investor Day, we finally have a clearer picture of what we can expect for this next phase of the MCU.

Brief Recap: What is the Multiverse within the MCU?

Compared to other franchises that have utilized the Multiverse as a plot device for their stories and films, Marvel went an unconventional route and created their own definition of how the Multiverse works. To quote me from when I first discussed this concept in Reality Checked; based on Professor Hulk’s and the Ancient One’s descriptions of how time-flow works, whenever someone from the future alters the events of the past, they create another timeline based on the alteration of those chain of events, thus creating a brand new universe. It’s a form of the butterfly effect, in which our decisions branch out into two realities, one where we made the decision and another where we didn’t.

What is the Multiverse Arc?

So, it’s been said that rather than focus on a story told across a large, 23-film saga like “The Infinity Saga”, Phase 4 and beyond would begin to tell stories across small arcs of 4-5 different MCU projects. Now, in my head, I’ve already mapped out a ton of different arcs which we will get into detail later on, but the main arc that’s about to kick off Phase 4 is an arc I’m dubbing is the Multiverse Arc. If I were to give you guys a synopsis of what I think that arc would delve into, it would go a little something like this. “The Multiverse Arc encompasses a set of stories that push beyond the physical confines of time and space within the MCU. As the line between realities start to blur and timelines cross over and collide, the Cinematic Universe we all know and love is about to change forever.” So what projects do I think are part of the Multiverse Arc? Well, let’s see.

1. WandaVision (January 2021)

This is where the Multiverse Arc and Phase 4 are going to begin. I believe a lot of people are truly underestimating the potential this show is going to have in terms of setting up, not just the Multiverse Arc, but pretty much Phase 4 as a whole. Now the show has already been discussed a lot theory-wise. Among the things people suspect might happen during the show include the possibility of Elizabeth Olsen’s “Wanda Maximoff” going all “House of M” on the MCU. The most prevalent theory about the show is that Wanda might create an alternate pocket reality around her using her power and imagination. Since she does not possess much control over her powers, she’ll begin to lose control and ultimately affect the MCU reality as a whole when her trauma over the course of the past years starts to seep in. Point in-case being, whatever happens in WandaVision will ultimately be the catalyst for a lot of the upcoming Phase 4 projects moving forward.

2. Loki (May 2021)

Ah, the God of Mischief, back to his antics once again. While the show’s details are relatively vague, we know that Loki takes place after the events of Avengers: Endgame with Tom Hiddleston returning as the titular character alongside Owen Wilson, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Sophia Di Martino, Wunmi Mosaku, and Richard E. Grant. The reason why I’ve included Loki here in the Multiverse Arc’s storyline is that the show involves a certain agency known as the TVA. The Time Variance Authority in the comics is this bureau that was formed with the goal of monitoring an infinite number of realities throughout the multiverse and to keep temporal interference to a minimum. Since this Loki, and by consequence the series, exist in a new timeline separate from our Main MCU one thanks to the antics of the Avengers during Avengers: Endgame (2019), it is possible that the TVA intervened immediately after those events to prevent future ruptures in the timeline. We also had hints that the show might explore alternate realities due to a particular of the exclusive trailer, where we saw a dystopian New York City, possibly a timeline where Loki won the Battle of New York (2012). Speaking of which…

3. What If…? (Summer 2021)

I like to refer to What If…? (2021) as the interlude of the Multiverse Arc. But just because it’s an interlude, it does not make the show any less important to the rest of the Multiverse Arc. “What If…?, which takes inspiration from the comic books of the same name, flips the script on the Marvel Cinematic Universe and reimagines famous events from the films in unexpected ways…each episode will explore a pivotal moment from the MCU and turn it on its head, leading the audience into uncharted territory.” The reason why I include this series as part of the Multiverse Arc is that I believe the show’s focus will be to present to us episodes that explain what would have happened if a pivotal moment in the MCU occurred another way, which is essentially a prime example to the definition of the MCU’s Multiverse. This show will provide us with a window into other universes.

4. The Untitled Spider-Man sequel (December 2021)

Now we need to tread carefully when discussing Spider-Man 3 because there are so many rumors regarding this film that no one really knows what’s going to happen. With villains from other iterations reprising their roles to former Spider-Men gracing the screen one last time, the film certainly is shaping up to be what many consider a possible iteration of a live-action Spider-Verse film. And it certainly doesn’t help when Kevin Feige confirmed during Investor’s Day that the events of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness will tie in with this film. How exactly it all plays out is something fans will have to wait and see when Spider-Man 3 rolls around next year.

5. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (March 2022)

As the name implies, the Doctor Strange sequel is definitely looking to address the Multiverse and will address the events of WandaVision and the untitled Spider-Man 3 film. Directed by iconic Horror Movie director; Sam Raimi, the sequel is set to see returning cast Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Strange, Benedict Wong as Wong, Rachel McAdams as Christine Palmer, and Chiwetel Ejiofor as Mordo). We will also see Elizabeth Olsen return as Wanda Maximoff and newcomer Xochitl Gomez who will portray America Chavez in the upcoming film. Right now, the film is currently filming in London and with a name like the Multiverse of Madness, I expect this film to close the Multiverse Arc off with a bang.

PHASE 4 KICKS OFF NEXT MONTH WITH WANDAVISION ON JANUARY 15TH.

December 18, 2020
‘WandaVision’ Could Set Up a ‘One More Day’ Storyline in ‘Spider-Man 3’

So, yesterday I was trying to figure out who the strange Beekeeper might be in the latest WandaVision trailer. There I stated that I believe the main antagonist might end up being Mephisto. So far, we haven’t explored the character within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He also has much potential connection to other franchises, such as his cameo in Loki‘s trailer. There, we can see a devil-like person in a stained-glass window in the background. So, it seemed like a good guess that these shows might be connected. Yet, it started to make me wonder if he’ll have a major role throughout the series.

To some degree, I think Nightmare and Mephisto will become one character. He might serve as the primary antagonist in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Now, he may also jump from this film into another, the still-untitled Spider-Man 3. Now, why is it noteworthy connecting Spider-Man with Mephisto? Most might have already realized it the moment the webhead was mentioned, as he was featured in the storyline One More Day. It is one of the most unpopular stories told in comic history, but the set-up might already exist for it.

Now, they won’t be adapting the story one-for-one. WandaVision seems inspired by multiple storylines, such as House of M, Vision, and the Scarlet Witch, as well as the suburban storyline of Vision. So, One More Day may play a small part in the story. Plus, the whole point of the original was that Mephisto made a deal with Peter. He took off his mask in front of the world during the Civil War storyline. It ended up getting Aunt May shot in the process. It came at the cost of his marriage to Mary Jane. MJ also makes sure that Peter’s identity would remain a secret. Now, I believe if they adapt aspects of One More Day, they will only focus on two things: his secret identity and a deal with the devil.

So, how would the story come together? Mephisto was free the moments the Infinity Stones got destroyed by Thanos. Without a body and waiting for those that inherited their powers to return, he remained in hiding. Now that Wanda was brought back through the Blip, he was able to enact his plan. She inherited the abilities of the Mind Stone, so she would also be connected to her other half, Vision. He manipulates her, which leads to the events of WandaVision. He manages to regain a physical body and his strength, so he enacts his plan. He aims to let horrors from the multiverse infiltrate the mainline universe, which ends up as the main plot for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Yet, his actions also create a Spider-Verse event that forces Peter to face an onslaught of enemies from different universes.

Peter reaches his breaking point. After having faced various enemies, he ends up coming across Mephisto. So, in his desperation for a normal life, he made a deal with the devil. He wakes up in his bed. Aunt May and Ned are all here, but something feels off. The radio talks about incidents that he can’t seem to recall. Spider-Man is still called a menace by J. Jonah Jameson, but no one mentions his real name anymore. He comes to realize that no one has ever heard of Tony Stark or the Avengers. The deal he made came at a price. He was in a completely different universe that was similar to his own. Now, he either had to accept his new reality or try to find a way back to the place he once called home. The movie ends with a fitting title: Spider-Man: Home One Day.

December 15, 2020
Rachel McAdams Set to Return in ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’

We are only a few hours away from Disney’s Investor’s Day live stream. There are high expectations for the event to reveal the future of Disney+, and maybe offer a tease for the new Marvel Studios’ shows. It looks like we’ll get one more piece of news to build up to the event, as Deadline has revealed that Rachel McAdams is set to reprise the role of Christine Palmer in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Benedict Wong and Chiwetel Ejiofor are also set to return in their respective roles. They’ll be joining Benedict Cumberbatch, Elizabeth Olsen, and Xochitl Gomez. sam Raimi has taken over the director’s seat from Scott Derrickson.

They could not offer any information on how big a role McAdams will have in the film, which will see Strange traverse a broken multiverse. Cumberbatch is currently filming Spider-Man 3, which may also tie into the film so who knows if we spend a lot of time with Palmer. There is also the question of how WandaVision ties into the project, as her story will most likely be the set-up why the fabric of our reality is torn to shreds.

McAdams just recently starred alongside Will Ferrel in Eurovision, where she was able to show off her comedic side. While I don’t believe she’ll have a major role given the nature of the story, she is a great actress that deserves a bit more screentime. They could surprise us and introduce Clea as a character that takes over Palmer’s body. Her sudden disappearance may be the reason that Strange ends up traversing the multiverse.

Source: Deadline

December 10, 2020
Theory Thursday: It’s Time for the MCU to Face Judgment

All rise for the honorable living tribunal.

“From the dawn of the universe, there was nothing. Then… boom. The Big Bang sent six elemental crystals, hurtling across the virgin universe. These Infinity Stones each control an essential aspect of existence.” In Phases 1-3, the MCU explored multiple individual stories, each of which became part of an interconnected storyline that we know as the Infinity Saga. In the Infinity Saga, the main overarching theme of these phases was the unification of the Infinity Stones from all corners of the universe. Now, with the Infinity Saga complete, we enter a new phase with a brand new storyline that fans will explore beyond the confines of our universe: the Multiverse.

Who are you, in this vast multiverse, Mr. Strange?

We were already teased about the concept of the Multiverse back in Doctor Strange (2016), and it was made a reference in the last MCU film of Phase 3, Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019), when Quentin Beck aka Mysterio, used the idea of the Multiverse to trick Peter Parker, Nick Fury (who was secretly Talos) and others into believing his ruse to become the “next hero”. But as Kevin Feige said back in SDCC last year, “Just because Quentin Beck makes up lies about the Multiverse, doesn’t mean it isn’t real.” We know that the concept of the Multiverse will be explored in Phase 4, with my money being on WandaVision (2020), Spider-Man: Something with Home in the Title (2021) & Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022). I went very in-depth with my theory on how the Multiverse might play out in my “Reality Checked” Theory and discussed the possible universes that could be explored if Marvel indeed decided to acknowledge a Marvel Cinematic Multiverse.

Now, if we are going to deep dive into the concept of the Multiverse, then we need to acknowledge the presence of a very important character in Marvel Comics lore that I believe already exists in the MCU and might make his appearance very soon:

The Living Tribunal

Now, the Living Tribunal has been described as a “nigh-omnipotent, nigh-omniscient, omnipresent” individual that “possesses limitless power, is able to erase entire realities from existence.” His only rival is his creator; the One-Above-All. But the Living Tribunal in the comics is essentially regarded as the 2nd most powerful individual in all of Marvel lore. His role has been to safeguard the Multiverse and be its Guardian, and unlike other characters, where there are other versions of the same character across multiple universes, there is only 1 Living Tribunal that exists in all of the universes as he is the center of it all. “The Tribunal manifests itself as a being with three faces, which represent the three sides of the Tribunal’s personality. Its front face, through which it usually speaks, represents equity, the fully hooded face on its right side represents necessity, and the partially hooded face on its left represents just revenge. All three voices must agree in a case before the Tribunal can intervene.”

Why introduce him now?

Living Tribunal by Eric Hallquist

With the Multiverse now coming into play in Phase Four of the MCU and the idea that the universe might start to collide if Wanda Maximoff decides to go all “House of M” on us, then the Living Tribunal might be forced to play a role in trying to preserve the balance of the Multiverse by passing judgment onto Wanda, something I predict could happen in the upcoming Doctor Strange sequel. The first time the Living Tribunal was introduced in Marvel Comics was in Strange Tales #158, where he encountered Doctor Strange and had come to the conclusion that the Earth should be destroyed. Doctor Strange however managed to convince the tribunal to give the Earth a chance so he could fix it and save all life on Earth. The Tribunal agreed. We could see a scenario similar to this in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022), where the Living Tribunal decides to pass judgment on Wanda Maximoff for altering the laws of reality and as penance, must die along with the rest of the Earth in order to preserve the balance. Doctor Strange will intervene and vouch for Wanda to keep her and Earth safe and manage to fix reality once again. And now, some of you might tell me that that sounds like an amazing pitch. But why introduce a character like this in the MCU now? How can I be sure that this is even the direction Marvel wants to go? What if I told you we’ve already had our first tease regarding the Living Tribunal?

The Living Tribunal has already been teased in the MCU

The Staff of the Living Tribunal by Sukh Singh

Remember this relic? You might remember it in a scene from Doctor Strange (2016) when Baron Mordo was wielding it while training with Doctor Strange in Kamar Taj. Baron Mordo had actually called it the “Staff of the Living Tribunal”. Quite the interesting name no?

Not only that, but Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Avengers: Endgame (2019) writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely actually revealed at SDCC last year that The Living Tribunal was set to appear during Avengers: Infinity War (2018), to judge Thanos for his crimes against the universe. Clearly, that idea was opted out later on and we never saw that scene but if he was set to appear in this film, chances are that Marvel Studios has plans for the cosmic entity to make his way to the MCU very soon.

Only time will tell us if and when we are ready to face the judgment of the Living Tribunal in the MCU.

October 29, 2020
Theory Thursday: Exploring the Marvel Cinematic Multiverse

There’s no doubt in my mind that the biggest story element that will come into play for the Next Phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe will be the concept of the Multiverse. Already teased back in Avengers: Endgame (2019) with Dr. Banner’s explanation of the concept of time travel and Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019), the MCU looks like it will indeed explore the boundaries outside of its already established universe. This concept will most likely be explored on a larger scale over the Disney+ series, WandaVision (2020) and Loki (2021), and the MCU film, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022), (with rumors of the concept being explored in the upcoming Spider-Man sequel; Spider-Man: Something with Home in the Title (2021)). We’ll also be able to see the concept of the multiverse be explored on a smaller scale in the upcoming Disney+ show; What If? (2021). Now, definitely, the major chunk of the film will be explored in the upcoming Doctor Strange sequel and there are dozens of questions as to what different universes we might explore. So today, I’m listing off the different Marvel properties that Marvel could revisit and explore for this film.

I. Blade (1998 – 2004)

This was a suggestion by the members of our Discord Group in Knowhere (Shoutout to you guys!). Wesley Snipes’ Blade walked so Marvel Studios could run. The film franchise that would essentially lay the groundwork for many of the Marvel superhero films we now know today started with the Blade franchise and it actually brought back interest to the Marvel Comics franchise to develop their films. It would be nice to see Marvel Studios show a small nod to the universe of the vampire hunter before we get our own version in the MCU with Mahershala Ali.

II. Daredevil/Elektra (2003 – 2005)

This was another suggestion by our Discord Members and it was just too funny not to imagine the idea of Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner reprising their roles as Daredevil and Elektra for small cameos in the Doctor Strange sequel. These films were set in the time and universe where leather was the standard for Superhero costumes and I’d just love to see Ben Affleck don the Matt Murdock mantle again, even if for a small cameo. Speaking of Matt Murdock…

III. The Defenders Universe (2015-2019)

It’s no doubt in anyone’s mind that the way Netflix brought about the creation of these characters and their stories was overall one of the best things to come out of Marvel TV. Charlie Cox’s Daredevil was, and still is, one of the most popular iterations of Marvel characters brought to life and has been one of the most requested by fans for Kevin Feige to bring back in a small reboot form to the MCU. Krysten Ritter’s Jessica Jones, Mike Colter’s Luke Cage, Finn Jones’ Iron Fist, and Jon Bernthal’s Punisher are no exceptions either. Fantastic story development and world-building came from this portion of the universe and it would be great to see these characters show a small cameo of their world in the Marvel Multiverse and maybe crossover into the MCU someday.

IV. Fantastic Four (2005-2007)

Now when I mention the Fantastic Four, I mean THESE Fantastic Four. We call the 2015 film; Fan4stic (as in Fan-Four-Stic) because that wasn’t a Fantastic 4 film. This version of Marvel’s first family with Ioan Gruffudd as Reed Richards, Jessica Alba as Susan Storm, Chris Evans as Johnny Storm, and Michael Chiklis as Ben Grimm wasn’t necessarily all that fantastic either, but the chemistry among them really made them great and it was a very fun franchise while it lasted. It would be fun to see them revisit this universe in a small cameo and maybe we’ll see Evans reprise his role again as Johnny Storm and have him be confused for his MCU counterpart of Captain America.

V. The X-Men (2000 – 2020)

Okay, so the 20th Century Fox-owned X-Men films have existed for nearly 20 years now and they’ve had their share of ups and downs (mainly downs), but they’ve had some good moments and actors in these franchises whom I would love to see cameo in this whole Multiverse fiasco. Mainly Hugh Jackman as Wolverine because it’s just difficult to picture another Wolverine as iconic as his. An interaction of Patrick Stewart’s Charles Xavier with Doctor Strange sounds like it would be an interesting thing to see as well. I don’t think it will necessarily happen but one can dream no?

VI. Ghost Rider (2007 – 2011)

Nicolas Cage’s take on the antihero was something definitely worth mentioning here on this list. Sure, the films are slightly forgettable but just the idea of Cage alone being nodded as a Ghost Rider from another dimension sounds like a fantastic idea for a cameo and a tease of what could come if the MCU finally decides to introduce Ghost Rider into the MCU.

VII. Spider-Man (2002 – 2015)

I know many like myself are hyping themselves up at even the smallest chance of having a Spider-Verse moment occur in live-action. It’s something fans have been clamoring for for years, and now, with the gates of the multiverse being blown wide open in the MCU, it seems like the perfect time to bring these characters in for an adventure of epic proportions. Will it happen though? Only time will tell.

October 22, 2020