Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Eternals

  • Rearview Mirror: A Phase 4 Retrospective-The Year with No Marvel

    Rearview Mirror: A Phase 4 Retrospective-The Year with No Marvel

    With Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania set to kick off Marvel Studios Phase 5 in February, what better time to take a comprehensive look back at the ups, downs, ins and outs of Phase 4. First up, the year that wasn’t.

    Long before Avengers: Endgame hit theaters in 2019, Marvel Studios was already well into the planning stages of the Multiverse Saga. Disney Plus was set to play a major role in said saga, which looked set to introduce a slew of new heroes and villains. James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 was originally expected to kick off the new saga but after that went off the rails for a bit, exactly what to expect and when to expect it was a mystery until October of 2018 when the 2020 film slate was exclusively revealed to consist of only Black Widow and Eternals. When Murphy’s Multiverse went live in November of 2019, Marvel Studios had officially confirmed the news about the two films and also slated the first Disney Plus series, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier for a Fall 2020 release. 2020 wasn’t set to be the big, blockbuster opening year to Phase 4 that fans may have expected but it looked the be the calm before the storm as 2021 was set to feature 3 big films and 4 streaming series including the first animated series made by Marvel Studios…and then, before anyone could process it, Marvel Studio’s very 2020 existence was gone.

    Things started off calmly enough in January 2020 as production on The Falcon and The Winter Soldier resumed following their holiday break. The production shot scenes involving the Flagsmashers at a State Park in Georgia, did some work in the downtown Atlanta location that served as Madripoor and was scheduled to head to Puerto Rico. Then, things started to get weird.

    On January 9th, director Scott Derrickson and Marvel Studios amicably parted way on Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which was set to begin principal photography in May. Just a couple of days later, before a second earthquake in Puerto Rico altered the course of the production of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier. By mid-January, production on one of Marvel’s 2021 streaming series, Hawkeye, which was scheduled to begin in July, had been delayed indefinitely.

    Even as all that unfolded, Shang-Chi and The Legend of the Ten Rings began filming in Australia in February and productions in Atlanta for Loki, Ms. Marvel, She-Hulk and the untitled third Spider-Man film were all on track and Thor: Love and Thunder, which Christian Bale had just joined, was set to get underway down under in October.

    By early February, Sam Raimi emerged as the front runner to take the reigns on Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness as the studio remained committed to beginning production in May. Then, Hawkeye got back on schedule, booking a September start of production in Atlanta. With Puerto Rico off limits, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier was headed to Prague. All seemed good in the world…

    On March 3rd, 2020 the following information was shared to supporters of Murphy’s Multiverse Patreon:

    I expect production delays to happen. Things may begin shooting, stop shooting and begin again later. They may get pushed several weeks entirely. I believe it’s possible, even probable, that some projects may see release dates shifted. I believe it’s possible, though I can’t speak to probability here, that some projects may not release at all. I believe Disney may have to consider shutting down their U.S. parks for as little as a few weeks and as long as a couple of months (they’ve already closed parks in Hong Kong, Shanghai and Japan to the tune of a $175 M loss). None of this is good. Not even Disney can afford to keep losing money at this rate.

    By March 10th, rumors or release dates shifting started to pick up steam and by March 13th, word reached Murphy’s Multiverse that The Falcon and The Winter Soldier would not make its intended Fall 2020 release. By March 21st, Marvel Studios shut down all of its productions indefinitely (the linked article was published and available for some time before we were asked to take it down as many of the members of various crews had not been informed of the pauses on productions). The COVID-19 pandemic was in its earliest and most frightening days and like everything else, the world of Marvel Studios stopped in its tracks.

    With nothing but uncertainty staring them in the face, Marvel Studios had no choice but to start making movies. In early April, they made the first in a series of delays to their film slate pushing Black Widow from its intended May release to November and pushing Eternals into 2021. Additionally, with no clear answers about the safety of the production crews, Marvel Studios production stoppage continued with the studio eyeing a September restart.

    In early May, the Czech Republic opened back up to film crews, giving fans hope that The Falcon and The Winter Soldier might just make its 2020 release date after all. By June, things started to slowly heat up again as Hollywood and the rest of the world grew accustomed to working remotely. News of Evan Peters role in WandaVision proved to be the biggest news in months, Marvel Studios continued to search for the perfect Kamala Khan and production on The Falcon and The Winter Soldier resumed.

    As productions got back on track, so too did casting, hiring and planning for the future. Hailee Steinfeld landed the role of Kate Bishop in Hawkeye, director Nia DaCosta landed the Captain Marvel 2 gig and there was finally some movement on Marvel Studios’ Fantastic Four. Then, just as Ant-Man 3 got put on the 2022 slate, Jonthan Majors was cast in it as Kang and fans started to think just maybe they’d see Black Widow in November, the winds shifted once more. In September, as all of Hollywood shifted dates and release platforms, Disney became aware that a November release was not possible for Black Widow and began to search for a new date.

    As confidence in a theatrical release for Black Widow plummeted, hope arose that WandaVision would skip over The Falcon and The Winter Soldier and release in 2020, perhaps as early as Thanksgiving. A trailer for the project was released in late September, marking the first new Marvel marketing material of the year. Just a few days later, however, Marvel Studios officially pulled the plug on the 2020 release of Black Widow, pushing it 6 months further down the road into May 2021.

    Productions resumed and began and, alas, WandaVision didn’t quite make into 2020. By October, production had gotten underway on Spider-Man: No Way Home and in December word of Charlie Cox‘s role in the film was shared to the disbelief of pretty much everyone. A year that began with so much hope and saw so much struggle ended with the promise of Cox’s return.

    For those that remember it well, 2020 was all about the news and rumors as any little tidbit gave fans something to cling to while we waited to understand what was happening around us. While it was expected to be slow year for Marvel Studios, nobody could have expected it to be the year with no Marvel Studios presence.

  • Kumail Nanjiani Addresses Status of ‘Eternals’ Sequel

    Kumail Nanjiani Addresses Status of ‘Eternals’ Sequel

    Marvel Studios’ Eternals went through 7000 years’ worth of MCU history and explored the mysterious beings’ journey on the planet. It further elaborated on the origin of the Celestials and ended with the Eternals preventing the emergence of Tiamut. However, their plan didn’t go exactly as they thought it would. After the emergence was sabotaged, Arishem the judge abducted the earthly Eternals, to evaluate their memories in order to judge humankind on Earth.

    While the consequences of the emergence weren’t explored much, rumors suggest the upcoming Thunderbolts movie and Captain America: New World Order could end up retconning the corpse as Genosha, a mutant nation. An Eternals sequel hasn’t been confirmed to be in development, so these may be the only tie-ins to that film for quite some time and a new statement by Kumail Nanjiani, who portrayed Kingo in Eternals, backs up that premise.

    In an interview with Total Film, Nanjiani was asked if he had any plans to reprise the role of Kingo. He replied that he didn’t “know if they [had] plans”, and that he would “love to come back.”

    Yeah! I mean, listen, I have plans today. I don’t know if they have plans. I would love to come back. But I’m sort of waiting to hear when or if that’s going to happen. I’m hoping I get to do more. I had a great time playing that character. It’d be a shame if he’s a sort of one and done. But, you know, the decision’s not mine to make.

    Kumail Nanjiani

    This isn’t long after Ma Dong-seok‘s (who portrays Gilgamesh) management agency listed Eternals 2 among other upcoming projects featuring the actor. We know from MCU executive Nate Moore that Harry Styles wasn’t cast as Starfox/Eros “for a tag”, and there are “more stories to be told” with his character. With more and more information surfacing on the sequel with each passing day, it’s safe to say Eternals 2 will be happening in the near future.

    Source: Total Film

  • Marvel Exec Confirms ‘Eternals’ Follow-Up in the Plans

    Marvel Exec Confirms ‘Eternals’ Follow-Up in the Plans

    Eternals stands as one of the most divisive (and worst-reviewed) projects Marvel Studios has rolled out to date. Nearly 18 months after its release, no official word about a sequel has emerged from the executive offices and only rumors of a potential spinoff, featuring a character only seen for seconds in a stinger, have made their way around the internet. That character, Starfox, was played, however, by one of the world’s biggest stars in Harry Styles and it sounds like those rumors of a Starfox spinoff project may have some legs to them.

    In an interview with Deadline, Marvel Studios Executive Producer and Parliament member Nate Moore confirmed that there are plans for “more stories to be told” with Styles’ character. “We certainly didn’t cast Harry for a tag,” said Moore, who called Styles’ Starfox “a character maybe I have too much affection for because he’s had some problematic runs in publishing.“

    Of course, those issues the character has had in print don’t need to be translated to the screen and Starfox’s ties to Thanos provide the foundations for the type of legacy stories Marvel Studios could easily turn into interesting stories, especially with Styles at the center of them. In fact, to hear Moore tell it, Starfox may just be Marvel’s “next big thing.”

    But there are more stories to be told with that character. He’s fascinating and he has a really interesting connection with Thanos-they’re half-brothers; they share the same father. He has an interesting power set…he’s a complicated character but a really fun character…and I think there’s no limit to how popular that character’s going to be once we get to bring him back.

    Nate Moore

    When and where those stories fit on Marvel Studios ever-changing upcoming slate remains to be seen, but what can hardly be questioned is the studio’s uncanny ability to match actors and roles. To that end, while they might like to avoid some of the atrocious decisions made by Marvel Publishing over the years, there’s no denying the appeal of the Styles!

    Source: Deadline

  • An ‘Eternals’ Retrospective: Behind the Screen of Marvel Studios Divisive Film

    An ‘Eternals’ Retrospective: Behind the Screen of Marvel Studios Divisive Film

    It has been more than a year since Marvel Studios released Eternals, a blockbuster film that has been met with a multitude of reactions from audiences and critics alike. As we commemorate the first anniversary of its release, it is fitting to reflect on the film’s production, its place within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and the creative process of its director, Chloé Zhao.

    Upon its initial release, Eternals garnered 400 million dollars in revenue, cementing its success as a new franchise within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, its future within the franchise remains uncertain due to its more mature tone and lack of humorous elements, which diverge from the usual “aesthetic” of Marvel films.

    Despite its financial success, the release of Eternals was not without its challenges. The film faced significant censorship in Chinese markets and faced a boycott campaign in the United States by conservative political parties due to its premise of diversity and representation. This irony is not lost on Zhao, who aimed to create a film that truly represents the diverse world we live in, a world where people of all backgrounds and experiences coexist and shape our society. In doing so, Zhao also sought to bring together a cast that represents those who are often seen as misfits, outcasts, and underdogs in mainstream media, showcasing their strength, resilience, and inherent worth. The ultimate goal was to give the audience a sense of connection to these characters, to see them not as representatives of their ethnicity or nationality, but as a loving family.

    On the technical side, the flick is a masterclass in visual storytelling and technical proficiency. From the very beginning of the film, Zhao’s unique visual style is evident, as she uses a variety of techniques to draw the viewer into the world of the film.

    One of the most notable aspects of Zhao’s direction is her incorporation of elements of classical cinema into the film. She frequently employs long takes and elaborate camera movements, reminiscent of the work of directors like Stanley Kubrick, to heighten the emotional impact of key moments in the film. Additionally, she incorporates elements of classical Hollywood glamour, such as glamorous costume design and sweeping, epic score, to add a sense of grandeur and timelessness to the film. These nods to the golden age of cinema lend Eternals a sense of timelessness and classicism, and further reinforce the themes of legacy and eternity that are central to the film’s narrative.

    Eternals (2021)
    2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

    Eternals has the potential to be more than just a typical superhero film and offer a deeper and more complex viewing experience. One possibility for showcasing Eternals within the MCU could be to present it as an anthology series, separate from the main MCU story, which would allow for a more in-depth exploration of the characters and world without being restricted by the overall continuity. The final decision on how to present Eternals in the MCU will depend on the filmmakers and the studio, but it is definitely an exciting possibility worth considering.

  • Ikaris Should Return in Marvel Studios ‘Thunderbolts’

    Ikaris Should Return in Marvel Studios ‘Thunderbolts’

    Marvel Studios’ Eternals is suddenly back in the conversation, and its possible resurgence could open quite a few doors for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. A new rumor making the rounds online has the film’s third act impacting several future MCU projects, with 2024’s Thunderbolts at the center of it all. Industry insider Daniel RPK reports that the reformed supervillain team will gather for a trip to Tiamut, the massive Celestial that froze solid in the middle of the ocean at the end of Eternals, which has since become a full-blown island. According to RPK, there’s a chance Tiamut has become a natural supplier of a valuable new resource, Adamantium, which the team and several other parties have grown an interest in. How this could potentially play out is still a mystery, but if true, it might indicate the surprise return of a major Eternals character – Ikaris.

    Ikaris, portrayed by Richard Madden in his first cinematic appearance, was last seen flying directly into the sun after betraying his fellow Eternals in the name of Arishem and the Emergence. It was assumed this act of self-punishment resulted in Ikaris’ death, but as Eternals so distinctly showcased, this does not exactly spell the ultimate end of an Eternal. Created by Celestials, the Eternals are built to last, and come with a near-endless amount of backup bodies should their current form be destroyed. It’s not a stretch to imagine Ikaris will make a comeback at some point in the MCU’s next phase, even if it’s not the exact version of the cosmic warrior fans previously saw perish. In fact, if Ikaris’ body was completely melted by the intensity of Earth’s sun, it would stand to reason Arishem and the Celestials would feel there’s enough at stake to send out another Ikaris with a new mind and a new mission. Return to Earth, and protect what’s left of Tiamut.

    The Celestials, or at least Arishem, are now keeping a keen eye on Earth and its people. If Tiamut is actually an unexpected means of the MCU gaining Adamantium, the Celestials could view that as an undue advancement of humanity and send Ikaris to prevent the massive changes that might come with societies claiming the alien metal as their own. Whether or not this could make Ikaris the “evil Superman” figure rumored to act as the secret villain of Thunderbolts is, of course, still unknown. Other reports have made claims for the Sentry fitting that role, starting as part of the Thunderbolts roster sent after Tiamut’s Adamantium before losing his mind and becoming the main threat of the film. Perhaps both Sentry and Ikaris will appear in the movie, becoming rivals throughout the story. After all, if Sentry is a major antagonist in the project, the Thunderbolts will need a little extra help from someone a little more powerful if they have any hope of emerging victorious.

    Aside from the undeniable “cool factor” of pitting two God-like superbeings against each other, the inclusion of Ikaris in Thunderbolts could also be a very smart “big picture” move on Marvel Studios’ part. If Eternals 2 is indeed coming, and it’s truly based on the recent Judgement Day comics written by Kieron Gillen, then Ikaris’ potential role in Thunderbolts would become a very useful throughline between the Eternals and the wider MCU. Judgement Day features a conflict between the Eternals, the Avengers, and the X-Men, over new discoveries in the Eternals’ purpose and the mutants’ gene code. If Tiamut is actually destined to transform into Genosha and play a role in the impending mutant side of the MCU, having a version of Ikaris aware of the way it affects the planet would act as an excellent prelude to an Eternals: Judgement Day film. Maybe, if Marvel Studios really wanted to get crazy, they could even have Ikaris’ meddling on “Genosha” factor into the island’s mutant evolution. It’s important to remember these are all just rumors at the moment. However, the events of Eternals and the franchise’s future playing such a vital role in the MCU would be a wonderfully unexpected way to resolve the Eternals’ arc and push the greater universe forward in a creative manner.

  • Hope Springs: As ‘Eternals’ Blazes its Post-Zhao Trail, A Prestige Series Would Represent A Bold New Path

    Hope Springs: As ‘Eternals’ Blazes its Post-Zhao Trail, A Prestige Series Would Represent A Bold New Path

    2021’s Eternals was a divisive film. With an Academy Award-winning director at the helm, it boasted an all-star cast while exploring themes of humanity, spirituality, and sacrifice. It also used Z-list Marvel characters that very few audience members had a connection to, and the course of the movie’s runtime proved inadequate to develop that connection with any of them. Add in a very underdeveloped primary antagonist, and the result is an extremely low consensus as to its quality, with a Rotten Tomatoes score that reflects that.

    But one recurring comment in discussions about the film’s scope was that the story might better have been served by a series instead of a film. And considering that the film stretches from 5000 BCE to the present, there’s a lot of jumping around in the timeline that makes it harder for a viewer to find proper grounding. That being said, Chloé Zhao had a vision, and it’s doubtful that she would have signed on to do the project, nor would have had the ability to attract the wide range of global stars for it, if it was “just” a show.

    But as we reach the cusp of 2023, things have changed quite a bit. A new rumor suggests that Zhao is not expected to return for the Eternals sequel, and the progression of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Multiverse Saga has shifted the focus to its Big Bad, Kang. Whatever our interest in the ongoing exploits of our synthetic lifeforms cosplaying as deities while being the harbingers of worldwide cataclysm, they have surely been diminished, Harry Styles notwithstanding. That isn’t to say that these exploits aren’t worth getting into, though. There’s rich storytelling ground and fantastic actors who deserve the opportunity to be showcased. That’s why Eternals should return as a “prestige” series, telling the stories of individual Eternals in an anthology format.

    There are a number of reasons that this is preferable to greenlighting a sequel, shepherding it through the development and production process, and trying to promote it against the backdrop of much more high-profile and anticipated projects featuring more beloved characters. Because of the narrative around the first film, getting people out for the sequel is going to be an even tougher sell. Even though the next director they might choose brings a certain amount of differentiation, it’s hard to do better than the previous year’s Best Director. And the cast was already top-notch. What possible new actor could enter the mix and move the needle?


    But for a streaming show, you’re not getting people to load up the family and settle in for two or three hours in the cinema. You’re asking them to boot up Disney Plus at their leisure and watch something poignant, thought-provoking, and moving. We just recently saw that with Andor, Star Wars was able to reset the narrative around that franchise because of the elevated quality of the storytelling and filmmaking of Tony Gilroy, even with lower-than-average streaming numbers. The calculus was that if you make something truly great, people will find it eventually, even if it isn’t fully steeped in the zeitgeist.

    The Eternals, by their very nature, have stood apart from the MCU meta-narrative until now. And with 7000 years to explore for each character, each Eternal should easily be able to command his or her own standalone narrative, shaped around a different director’s vision, and showcasing that character in more depth. And for each cast member, instead of having to find the time in their busy schedules for a full movie shoot, they can carve out their availability in tandem with the production, unconstrained by the continuity of one main story.

    Just think of the different styles that could be displayed, and the levels of experimentation that would allow them to deviate from the oft-derided “Marvel House Style.” Shooting one episode could be a way to get daring filmmakers like The Daniels in the door without holding them to the parameters of traditional MCU guardrails. And the endpoint of this experimentation would be the differentiation of each Eternal to a greater degree, and a bigger investment in those characters in the future, regardless of whether they appear together or apart.

    As much as we love Marvel, it’s really hard for them to make prestige television that still feels like it fits within the same universe as the films — especially when, for the most part, connectivity is a draw. But in the case of Eternals, they already leaned into the idea of these characters’ limited connections. So stories told in that space can just concentrate on being as interesting and powerful as possible. And Marvel should be able to attract interesting and powerful storytellers and filmmakers as they deepen and add more texture to the world of the Eternals. And that, in many ways, would do a lot more for the Eternals brand than any sequel film could.

  • 5 Directors Who Could Chart the Course for ‘Eternals: Judgement Day’

    5 Directors Who Could Chart the Course for ‘Eternals: Judgement Day’

    There were so many things we enjoyed about Eternals, but it is safe to say that it ended up being one of Marvel’s most divisive films. It had the unenviable tasks of building the world Post-Endgame, retconning heroes into key events of said world, and explaining their absence during an all-hands-on-deck situation versus Thanos. As it turns out, it also had to set the tone for the conflict ahead in Captain America: New World Order and Thunderbolts (if some of what we’ve heard is to be believed). Now, with a new rumor suggesting that Chloé Zhao will not return to helm an Eternals sequel, we thought it made sense to look at five directors who could take over for her and deliver on the things that worked in the original while not repeating the things that didn’t.

    Brad Bird

    The director of Mission: Impossible-Ghost Protocol and The Incredibles tops this list because of his experience with big ensembles, ability to craft action sequences and the talent to juggle the absurd with the serious when it comes to plots.

    Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert

    Everything Everywhere All At Once is, without question, one of the best films of 2022, and its directors deserve the opportunity to helm a big-budget adventure like Eternals 2. They, also, nailed the time-travel/Multiversal ideas of that film, which will come in handy as they navigate an Eternals sequel that could tap into those themes. Keep in mind that Marvel Studios already wanted them to direct Loki, so it’s not like Kevin Feige and Co. don’t know who they are.

    Steven Spielberg

    Kevin Feige got his white whale when Harrison Ford agreed to take over as Thaddeus Ross following the death of William Hurt. Could he go big game hunting for the Eternals sequel? It’s definitely possible, but this isn’t the only reason Feige has to make the call. Spielberg’s ability to craft nuanced stories around dysfunctional family-like units would lend itself well to a group that is trying to find their kidnapped family members. There is, also, something kismet about Feige snagging the director of Close Encounters of the Third Kind after he basically shat all over superhero movies.

    Deborah Chow

    Fresh off delivering the incredible Obi-Wan Kenobi series for Disney+, there’s something poetic about a Chinese female director being replaced by another Chinese female director just as Marvel Studios talks about continuing to diversify their director suite. Chow crafted something fresh for Obi-Wan, and she was able to find a way to make people care about a character who we had seen so much of already. She respected the lore of Star Wars, all while really expanding the universe in very intriguing ways. Given the role that we believe Eternals will play in the MCU going forward, Chow could do the same for this part of the world.

    Travis Knight

    The man responsible for giving us an actual Transformers movie and not whatever Michael Bay gave us, Travis Knight showed that he could juggle emotional beats and serious action in one film. However, it’s his work on Kubo and The Two Strings that make us excited about him potentially directing this. That movie brought some beautiful visuals to a really heartwarming story, and while you don’t want the next director to replicate everything Zhao did, you must admit that it was a stunning movie. Knight could do 70% of that while improving the action significantly.

    Of course, at the moment there’s no indication that Eternals 2 is in the works or that Zhao wouldn’t be on board if it were. In that case, this could also just be a nice list of directors who we’d like to see working with Marvel Studios at some point down the road.

  • Chloe Zhao Rumored to be Out as Marvel Studios Charts New Course for ‘Eternals 2’

    Chloe Zhao Rumored to be Out as Marvel Studios Charts New Course for ‘Eternals 2’

    Eternals was neither the critical nor financial success Marvel Studios hoped for when they began developing the project several years ago but it has begun to grow on audiences after making its way to Disney Plus and other streaming services. The events of the film’s big finale, which were briefly referenced in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, are rumored to set the stage for a pair of 2024 films in Captain America: New World Order and Thunderbolts as the Celestial Tiamut will become the focal point of a global conflict when the rare and valuable Adamantium is discovered on his corpse. Now, amid all the attention on the film, comes a coincidentally timed rumor about a potential sequel.

    MyTimeToShineHello recently took to Twitter to share both a potential comic book influence for the film and to point out that director Chloe Zhao is currently not attached to the project and may not end up helming it at all.

    The claim that the sequel will “be Judgment Day” is a reference to the recent Marvel Comics event series of the same name that saw the X-Men, Eternals and Avengers square off against each other and the Celestials to hold off the destruction of Earth. An adaptation of the event would fall neatly in line with the Prime Celestial Arishem the Judge’s final words in Eternals and could serve as way to tie the characters from the film into the larger MCU. Of course, the studio has absolutely no interest in a straight page-to-screen adaptation but Eternals: Judgment Day does have a nice ring to it.

    Marvel Studios has given no indication that a sequel to the film is officially in the works nor that Zhao wouldn’t be attached to direct. Until that time comes, rumors are all well and good for generating speculation and discussion but given the full slate of films and the studio’s well-documented history of ever-evolving ideas, this one may never come to fruition at all much less as described in this rumor.

  • More Evidence for ‘Eternals’ Sequel Surfaces

    More Evidence for ‘Eternals’ Sequel Surfaces

    No matter where one lands on the Phase 4 debate, Marvel Studios has ventured out quite a bit with their latest entries to avoid the franchise growing stale on the formula the Internet has proclaimed it suffers from since its inception. Among one of the most divisive entries was Eternals, a film by Chloe Zhao that tried a little something different with how it depicts heroism and the galactic side of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

    Now, more evidence has surfaced that Marvel Studios may have plans for a sequel to Eternals, as Don Lee a.k.a. Ma Dong-seok‘s Big Punch Entertainment, his management agency, has released a curious public statement teasing some of his upcoming projects. The Twitter account @UPDATEETERNALS translated the message which hints at some of the upcoming projects including Criminal City 4, Wilderness, Crime City 3, and, you guessed it, Eternals 2.

    There are still quite a few spots in Phase 6 that haven’t been given a project and we haven’t heard from Zhao in a while regarding what she’s working on next. While critics and fans have been somewhat harsh on the project since its release, a recent movement has been sharing their enjoyment of the picture now that Phase 4 has wrapped up.

    There were also a lot of open questions we were left with after the final moments of that film, especially with how Arishem teased his judgment of Earth at a later point. If rumors surrounding the plot of Captain America: New World Order are true, there’s a big chance that we witness the consequences in an Eternals sequel.

    Source: Twitter

  • Major X-Men Location Rumored to Already Exist in the MCU, Serve as Key Setting for Upcoming Films

    Major X-Men Location Rumored to Already Exist in the MCU, Serve as Key Setting for Upcoming Films

    Marvel Studios has owned the live-action rights to the X-Men for over three years and while they haven’t chosen to introduce any of the major characters associated with the team into the MCU, they have started to sprinkle in some bits and pieces that are connected. The Falcon and The Winter Soldier introduced the lawless location of Madripoor to the MCU, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness featured a Multiversal Variant of Charles Xavier, Kamala Khan’s powers in Ms. Marvel were discovered to be the result of a mutation and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever introduced Namor, the MCU’s first mutant (at least for now). Now, a fascinating new rumor suggests they slipped another mutant-related breadcrumb into the MCU without anyone noticing and may change the way audiences look at Eternals.

    New information from insider Daniel RPK suggests that a major mutant location already exists in the MCU and will serve as a key setting in two 2024 films. The new rumor claims that the corpse of the Celestial Tiamut has become an island called Genosha and will be featured in Captain America: New World Order and Thunderbolts.

    Fans of X-Men comics will recognize Genosha immediately and likely have a visceral response. Located in the Indian Ocean, Genosha played a major role in the comics for well over a decade, first as an island full of mutant slaves, then as the first attempt at a mutant nation on Earth and ultimately as the site of the massacre which killed 16.5 million mutant inhabitants of the island.

    Rumors point to Tiamut’s corpse/Genosha, which is indeed located in the Indian Ocean, serving a key role in Captain America: New World Order as governments of the world learn of the presence of Adamantium in or on the island. Then, in Thunderbolts, the titular team will be sent to Genosha to procure the precious metal. The Thunderbolts going in after Adamantium lines up with CIA Director Valentina Allegra de Fontaine’s obsession with Vibranium, as seen in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and establishing Tiamut/Genosha as a geopolitical hotspot due to its natural resources sets it up to be a key locale in the future of the MCU. Other rumors point to Thunderbolts also serving to show that Super Soldier research is ongoing and it becomes fairly easy to connect the dots from Super Solider research to Adamantium to Weapon X down the road.