Tag: Inhumans

Marvel TV Boss Addresses the Canonicity of Marvel’s ABC Shows

It’s all connected. For a decade, that tagline defined the MCU to the extent that it used as the subtitle for the first Marvel Cinema Universe Guidebook. Fans fawned over every fragment of connectivity, theorizing which character might show up where and how each post-credit scene might set up the next big thing. However, as Marvel Studios moved into the Multiverse Saga and a new era of streaming their own series on Disney Plus, comfort turned into confusion with the rapid expansion of projects and characters.

In an effort to combat the confusion, Marvel Studios began rebranding its streaming projects. Beginning with a pair of special presentations (Werewolf By Night and The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special), the studio quietly moved from an era of “required reading” and toward a choose your own adventure model. Projects created under the Marvel Spotlight banner, such as Echo, were devised in order to ensure that “viewers don’t have to watch any other Marvel series to understand the plot.” Further rebranding of projects under newly formed Marvel Television or Marvel Animation banners were an effort by the studio to “signal to the general audience that we’re creating a lot of options, and you can follow your tastes within this brand,” cementing a less connected, more diacritical experience in which “the characters still live and breathe in the same universe, but the interconnectivity is not so rigid that you need to watch Project A to understand Project B,” according to Marvel TV head honcho Brad Winderbaum.

There was a lot of pressure post-Avengers: Endgame on the public to feel obligated to watch absolutely everything in order to watch anything. Part of the rebranding was a signal to the general audience that we’re creating a lot of options, and you can follow your tastes within this brand. Some will be more comedic, some will be more dramatic, some will be animated, some will be live-action. Marvel is more than just one thing — it is actually many different genres that just happened to coexist in a single narrative.
Marvel’s head of streaming, television and animation, Brad Winderbaum, on the studio’s rebranding, May 2024

One of Marvel Television’s most anticipated upcoming projects, Daredevil: Born Again, may provide the first real opportunity to evaluate the effectiveness of the rebranding. Though the events of the news series will spin out of the events of the Netflix Marvel series from the mid-2010s,baudiences should not need to watch the 39-hour-ish long episodes of Netflix’s Daredevil in order to enjoy the upcoming Disney Plus streaming series, Daredevil: Born Again, even though all of Netflix’s Marvel series were recently retconned as Sacred Timeline canon.

Now that some time has passed, now that we actually see how well-integrated the stories are, I personally, Brad Winderbaum, will confidently say that they are part of the Sacred Timeline.
-Brad Winderbaum

And while Winderbaum gave his stamp of approval to the canonicity of the Netflix series, he dodged, ducked, dipped, dove and dodged the issue of another fan-favorite series from the mid-2010s: Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. “I want to go down this road with you, you know I do, but we’re just gonna take a deep breath for a second,” said Winderbaum in an August 2024 interview with Screen Rant. Hardly a strong show of support for Phil Coulson and crew.

As one might expect, Winderbaum‘s comments weren’t warmly received by AoS fans; however, given his position at Marvel, he would certainly be the one to know…and four months later, it seems nothing has changed.

In a new interview with Screen Rant’s Joe Deckelmeier, Winderbaum was pressed once more about the canonicity of Marvel TV’s ABC shows and he hasn’t budged on his stance. When asked by Deckelmeier if Marvel TV’s Agent Carter, which ran for two seasons on ABC, was considered MCU canon, not only did Winderbaum refuse to confirm that it was but he also lumped it in with all of Marvel’s ABC shows.

“Well, I’ll tell you this, and put it to you like this. It’s exciting for me to think about how to square those ABC shows with the canon,” said Winderbaum, indicating that while he has thought about how to canonize Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Agent Carter and Inhumans, he hasn’t figured out how to do so just yet.”That, to me, if you know me and the way my brain works, that is fun territory to imagine,” confirming that for now, imagination is the only place in which those series should be considered canon.

While that’s made quite clear on Disney Plus, where those shows, along with a few others, can be found in an “Agents and Inhumans” category rather than in the “Complete MCU Timeline” category, fans of the series still find plenty of ways to make the events of the shows tie into the ongoing story of MCU. And at the end of the day, that’s just fine and what being a fan is all about.

Source: Screen Rant

December 19, 2024
Kevin Feige Provides Updates on the Futures of Several Major Marvel Characters

Marvel Studios had a fairly large presence at Disney’s D23 Expo in Brazil which ran from November 8th through November 10th. While no new projects were announced, footage was shown from upcoming projects from all the studios under the Marvel umbrella. Marvel Studios showcased its 2025 film slate with Captain America: Brave New World, Thunderbolts* and The Fantastic Four: First Steps; Marvel Television shared a look at next March’s Daredevil: Born Again; Marvel Animation unveiled the first trailer for Season 3 of What If…?, which debuts on December 22nd, and gave the fans a look at Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, which hits D+ on January 29th, 2025.

Despite not breaking any news on the stage, Marvel Studios One Above All, Kevin Feige, did have plenty to say to the Brazilian outlet Omelete about the potential futures of several big-time MCU players.

Blade

“We are committed to Blade,” said the Feigster. “We love the character. We love Mahershala’s take on him. And rest assured: whenever we change direction with a project, or are still figuring out how it fits into our schedule, we let the audience know. You’re all up to date on what’s happening. But I can tell you that the character will indeed make it to the MCU.”

Parsing words a bit, it does seem interesting that Feige chose to say that “the character would indeed make it to the MCU” rather than the film. It may ultimately be nitpicking but it is worth noting and tracking as things continue to develop.

Deadpool and Wolverine

After finishing up an incredible run in theaters, Deadpool & Wolverine is now available digitally and, as of November 12th, is streaming on Disney Plus where it’s sure to generate another round of hype. According to Feige, fans can probably expect to see more of the odd couple. “The plans with Deadpool and Wolverine will always be the same,” teased Feige. “We’re always wondering where we can fit them in, and how quickly.” With rumors that both characters will have roles in the studio’s 2027 Multiverse Saga finale, Avengers: Secret Wars, it may not be too long before the deadly duo suits up again.

Scarlet Witch

Despite apparently sacrificing herself to destroy the Darkhold in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Wanda Maximoff’s future in the MCU has never really been up for debate. In late 2022, Feige made it clear that the studio had plans for the character and recently those plans have started to take shape with WandaVision and Agatha All Along creator Jac Schaeffer rumored to be developing a solo Scarlet Witch project. Even star Elizabeth Olsen has recently teased a very specific direction in which she’d like to see the character’s story move, leaving little room for doubt that Wanda will indeed be back in the MCU.

And now, whatever room remained to harbor doubt was wiped out by Feige in Brazil.”We had Agatha All Along on Disney+ just now, and that series was great for us. Since then, there have been a lot of questions about Wanda in fans’ minds,” said Feige. “So all I can say is that we’re excited to find out when and how Scarlet Witch can come back.” New rumors suggest the character will play a large role in Avengers: Doomsday; if those rumors are true, we’ll likely find out soon as the film is expected to go before cameras in early 2025.

X-Men

Fans have been eagerly awaiting Marvel Studios’ take on the X-Men since the live-action rights to the characters were acquired as part of Disney’s 2019 merger with Fox. And while some mutants have been sprinkled into other projects over the past few years, the studio does have much larger plans for the X-Men, including a film being written by Michael Lesslie. While there was some hope it might end up in the Multiverse Saga, Feige put all that talk to bed in Brazil.

“When we were preparing for Avengers: Endgame years ago, it was a matter of getting to the grand finale of our narrative, and then we had to start all over again after that,” Feige explained. “This time, on the road to Secret Wars, we already know very well what’s going to happen. be the story until then and beyond. The X-Men are an important part of that future.” With a script already in the works, it’s very possible that Phase 7 of the MCU (if Phases are even a thing anymore) could lead off with Marvel Studios X-Men.

Eternals

Perhaps in part because of the success of Guardians of the Galaxy, Marvel Studios made the choice to develop a film around the Eternals, an obscure group of characters created by Jack Kirby in the 1970s. However, rather than lean into what Kirby intended the characters to be, the studio stripped them of everything their creator built into them that was of interest. The result was a film that was poorly received critically despite having one of the MCU’s most impressive ensemble casts.

Before it flopped in theaters, there seemed to be big plans for the characters introduced in Eternals. That no longer seems to be the case with Feige already saying “there are no immediate plans for Eternals 2” earlier this year and now indicating that whole the studio remains “very proud of that movie” adding that cast was incredible” while giving no indication that’s something he’s actually attempting to do.“We’d be lucky to get any of them back at some point,” he closed, which would be a strange thing to say if he were planning on using the characters.

Inhumans

Originally in development as a film for a 2019 release, Marvel’s Inhumans was pulled from the slate in 2016. From there, the property moved to Marvel TV and ultimately turned into one of the most ridiculously embarrassing projects the company ever produced.

Though Anson Mount‘s Black Bolt did appear in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, it’s never really seemed as though Feige had large-scale plans for the Inhumans within the confines of the MCU. And if his response to a question about the characters is any indication, he still doesn’t have any. “We’ll see where, if, and when, they return,” replies Feige to an inquiry about their MCU future. At least we’ll always have that great moment where one of Marvel’s most disciplined heroes accidentally killed himself!

Source: Omlete

November 12, 2024
What the ‘Ms.Marvel’ Finale Reveal Means for Inhumans in the MCU

The finale of Ms. Marvel gave fans more than they bargained for when it revealed Kamala Khan as the first mutant in the mainstream Marvel Cinematic Universe. For months, rumors, speculation and some spurious “leaks” all centered around Kamala being exposed to Terrigen Mist and learning of her Inhuman heritage during the finale. Instead, Marvel Studios chose to make Kamala a mutant, making her future in the MCU a complete unknown. It also seemed to spell the end of any hopes that the Inhumans would ever make their way into the stories of MCU’s Earth-616, but as it turns out, Kamala’s retcon isn’t quite the death knell for the Inhumans that it might first appear to be.

In the comics, Kamala is a NuHuman: a branch of Inhumans created en masse when Black Bolt detonated a Terrigen Bomb, causing thousands of humans of Inhuman lineage to undergo Terrigenesis and developing their Inhuman gifts. The event, which occurred in the pages of 2013’s Infinity #4, came at a time when Marvel Comics was making push to elevate the Inhumans’ popularity and, seemingly, diminish the X-Men’s. At that time, Fox still owned the live-action rights to the X-Men and Marvel Studios was hard at work building the foundation their shared cinematic universe, still years away from being the self-sustaining juggernaut it’s since become.

In hindsight, the NuHuman era was nothing short of a failure, with almost none of the characters created during that era now playing a major (or any) role within the Marvel Comics universe. In fact, the Inhumans have been rather absent from the comics in general for the past several years. Perhaps a little leave of absence will benefit the characters in the comics, allowing them to reenter the books at a later date and return to inhabit the very interesting niche they carved out after first appearing in the pages of Fantastic Four in 1965. And it’s this same niche that they could still find themselves inhabiting in the MCU, should Kevin Feige ever choose to introduce them to the 616-universe. And if that niche doesn’t quite work out, there’s another interesting option on the table as well.

The Royal Family and The Universal Inhumans

Should Feige and the Marvel Studios Parliament want to introduce the Inhumans to the MCU, the clearest path is to introduce them as the abandoned subject of Kree experimentation, as seen in the Marvel Comics. As the millena-long Kree-Skrull war raged on, the evolutionarily-stagnant Kree began experimenting on the native species of multiple plantes across the universe. In some cases, like on Earth, early life had already been experimented on by the Celestials and a latent gene that could spark the release of super powers was placed in their DNA. It’s this latent gene that eventually led to mutants on Earth and, after Kree experimentation, allowed for Terrigenesis to transform individuals. The Kree abandoned their projects across the universe following a prophecy that their experiments would produce a being that would end the Kree Empire, but not before successfully establishing metamorphic processes in place on 5 different planets: Earth, Centauri-IV, Lotlara, Kymellia and Wraithworld.

Over time, the experiments on Earth produced an advanced race whose superiority to early man saw them demonized. Over time, they went into hiding in a secret city, Attilan, and then the Blue Area of the Moon. This line of Inhumans produced what is known in the comics as the Royal Family, which is typically presented as Black Bolt, his wife Medusa, her sister Crystal, Black Bolt’s brother Maximus, Gorgon, Triton and Karnak. Of these, it was Black Bolt, the Midnight King of the Inhumans, that the Kree believed to be the being of prophecy. On the other planets, four queens who ruled over their own Inhuman populations were fated to join the Midnight King in ending the reign of the Kree.

It doesn’t take much to see that should Marvel Studios choose to pursue this path, there wouldn’t be much overlap with whatever Kamala Khan and the mutants get up to on Earth. Marvel Studios botched the Kree-Skrull War pretty badly in Captain Marvel and the history of early Earth pretty badly in Eternals. They could rectify both of those mistakes with an Inhumans D+ series that establishes a truer history of both and introduces the Inhuman Royal Family hidden away on the Moon. Rumors persist that the Universal Inhumans are set to make an appearance in The Marvels; if those rumors are true and Feige is introducing them to the MCU, the Royal Family should not be far behind. Make them as strange and Lee and Kirby intended them to be. Make them a hidden force in the universe. Make them what they once were before the NuHuman debacle. And should Marvel go this route, they could choose to adapt one of Marvel Comics’ best Cosmic events, War of Kings, down the road, making good on the prophecy.

The Inhumans of Earth-X

Marvel Comics has a long history of developing alternate universes where things are just a little different: let’s call this…the multiverse. One of the more dramatic reimaginings began in 1999 on Earth-9997, aka Earth X. Interestingly enough, the MCU has already dipped into Earth-X lore a bit for Eternals and they wouldn’t be wrong in wanting to further mine that territory for a different take on the Inhumans.

During the 12-issue arc, Black Bolt released Terrigen Mists on Earth, mutating almost all of Earth’s population into Inhumans. The events of Earth-9997 are set in the future of a dystopian timeline, so this won’t quite work if the 616 timeline is going to keep moving ahed. However, setting up the Inhumans as the villains of a future project and having someone, perhaps the Fantastic Four, have to stop their plan would be a great way to separate the characters from Earth’s mutants. It’s worth noting that the Inhumans of Earth X were given major redesigns by Alex Ross and, if the MCU isn’t going to go the 616 route with the characters, the Earth X designs are the only other acceptable option and would really work well if Feige wanted to introduce them as villains.

So while Ms. Marvel has all but put and end to any hopes that the NuHuman arc from the 2010s could ever work its way into the MCU, there’s still room for Black Bolt, Medusa and the rest to find a way there.

July 13, 2022
Ranking Marvel TV: The Best and Worst Shows In MCU Canon Limbo

Long before Marvel Studios started creating series set in the MCU for Disney+, there was Marvel Television. Marvel Television is now under the Marvel Studios banner, and the effects of that have been pretty clear. The Disney+ series, such as WandaVision and Loki, have been wholeheartedly welcomed into the greater MCU family. It only emphasizes how the previous Marvel TV’s connection to the universe is definitely unclear.

Marvel Studios had consistently steered clear of establishing television series outside of Disney+ originals as canon, the recent news that a “new” but “continued” Daredevil series is in the works at the streaming service. The often bitter debate about which or whether Marvel TV shows are canon is likely only about to get more heated. The easy answer is to enjoy the shows you like (if you like any), consider them headcanon if you want (or ignore them completely), and move on with your life until Marvel Studios ever wants to make it more clear.

But since many will still wake up every day and choose violence on Twitter instead, here are the Marvel TV shows ranked from best to worst. Marvel Studios can make any of these canon at any time (yes, I can hear those of you already yelling that some are), but will they? This list does not include the few shows originally made as part of the old Fox X-Men universe, nor the animated M.O.D.O.K. or Hit Monkey series.

1. Daredevil

Marvel’s ‘Daredevil’ (2015)

It is no surprise that Netflix’s Daredevil tops this list. The #SaveDaredevil crowd is celebrating the announcement of a Disney+ series for Matt Murdock. It certainly seems like canon territory for the original series, but it really is yet to be seen how the upcoming show might actually adapt the previous one so as to be formally part of the MCU.

But the fact that Daredevil is the first “revival” of old Marvel TV on Disney+ is a testament to the quality of the series. While never entirely consistent across its three seasons, the show features exciting action, violence that generally surpasses that in the MCU, solid performances by Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio, and a gritty emotional layer that films struggle to achieve.

2. Jessica Jones

Jessica Jones was made with the type of quality that Daredevil brought to the table. Krysten Ritter’s Jones was one of the first leading women in Marvel TV (Agent Carter premiered months before) and would have been one of the first in the MCU as well by years. She was not forced, and her struggles and traumas related to David Tennant’s chilling antagonist hit a tone that many were afraid to explore—especially at the time. The series also had plenty of upbeat notes with Jones’ personality, and the street-level detective work was a fresh addition to the Netflix Defendersverse.

3. Luke Cage

Luke Cage may not go down in history for nailing all of its storytelling elements, but the action-packed and star-studded show is a solid watch. But the series truly excels at putting the spotlight on Black experience and culture through both its subject matter and in the way the show was made, especially with music. One thing that Marvel TV was able to accomplish before the greater MCU was pushing boundaries of representation and actually developing a character within that perspective.

4. Agent Carter

Marvel’s ‘Agent Carter’

Yes, Agent Carter was canceled after two seasons on ABC due to low viewership. And the show was not particularly phenomenal. But where it did succeed is that it made sense as a piece of the MCU puzzle. It has been by creators more recently that the show was made specifically to be canon to the MCU, while others like Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. may not have necessarily had that same attention. But the series kept Captain America: The First Avenger’s 1940s story going. It was fine. It had its charm and it stayed consistent. It never tried to do too much, which is a major problem with some other series on this list.

5. Runaways

As noted above, Runaways definitely felt like it was trying to do too much at times. The Hulu show came at a time when MCU fans started to get a bit tired of keeping up with shows that were beginning to feel less and less relevant to the film universe. But Runaways also felt like it was exploring a corner of the comics that Marvel TV and the MCU had not touched, and the focus on younger heroes certainly gave it a fresh perspective. Like other shows on this list, it pushed representation boundaries—particularly with LGBTQ+. The whole series might not be the most enjoyable experience, but the first season or so isn’t too bad.

6. Defenders

Something about the story and writing in Defenders really felt like a flop, but plenty enjoy Marvel TV’s first crossover event. It definitely came across as the Avengers of television, but it was nowhere near as cool. In any event, now that Daredevil is eyeing Disney+, that just begs the inevitable question of whether the Defendersverse as a whole is headed there with it.

7. The Punisher

I’m sure many would argue that The Punisher should be higher on the list. Marvel TV got arguably its darkest and most violent here, and it brought a very popular character to the screen. Plenty were not fully satisfied with the portrayal of Frank Castle, but some really appreciated the character development the show afforded him. But the show overall felt like a drudge through a relatively one-note anger fest with lots of guns. While maybe the point of the show, it could still be much better.

8. Cloak & Dagger

Cloak & Dagger has some meaningful moments filled with heart amongst a pretty forgettable series overall. Where it shined, it did well, but at the end of the day, it felt like another victim of ABC mediocrity, albeit on Freeform.

9. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Marvel’s ‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’

I will start by saying that Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has a dedicated fanbase that loves the show. I am very happy for them, enjoying stuff is fun. But listen, as someone who has watched the show due to the fact that it was the first Marvel TV show that half-promised it was in the MCU, it is so bad.

Of course, some moments across the bloated 7 seasons are naturally better than others. But watching this show was work. It fell prey to the ABC network television level of “meh” before the writing and story made it so nonsensical and ridiculous to the point where it is extremely difficult to understand how someone would like it. Considering where the series took itself, the likelihood of the show itself being canon to the MCU is so incredibly low. But if it is, I like the MCU less.

But there is no strong reason to think that none of the AoS characters or actors will make actual MCU debuts. The fanbase is odd but strong, so the MCU would naturally get some boost of morale if someone like Chloe Bennet’s Quake got a firm reboot somewhere.

10. Iron Fist

Iron Fist basically failed before it even tried to fail. But at no point did the series feel like it was trying to succeed. Jessica Henwick’s Colleen Wing managed to feel like a positive at the end of the day, but overall this show is known as one of the worst across the board. Still, it exists within Netflix’s Defendersverse, so it has some staying power.

11. Inhumans

Marvel’s ‘Inhumans’

Inhumans is Marvel’s most infamous failure. From premiering the first bad episodes in IMAX theaters to releasing the rest of the horrible episodes on television was just absolutely unredeemable. But Anson Mount’s Black Bolt made a multiversal cameo in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, so the series is getting some renewed attention it does not need.

12. Helstrom

Honestly, does anyone know about this show? Apparently, the Hulu show suffered from a severe lack of marketing as well as not being good. It definitely debuted in that awkward space of late 2020 when Marvel Studios was gearing up to premiere its Disney+ slate. Marvel Studios took over Marvel Television while Helstrom was filming, meaning it was the last cry of Marvel TV that was too late to stop.

Only time will tell how Marvel Studios intends to use (or not) these shows, and Daredevil‘s “continued” series will be quite the eye opener as to how these properties could be formally integrated into the MCU.

May 23, 2022
Anson Mount on Returning as Black Bolt in ‘Doctor Strange 2’

It must’ve been hard for many of the actors that appeared as part of the Illuminati in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness to stay silent. That especially goes for Anson Mount, who was able to return to the role of Black Bolt, which he only briefly got to play in the ill-received 2017 Inhumans series. Now that enough people are talking about the big moments in the film, Mount has taken to his Twitter account to share his enthusiasm for returning to the role, as well as confirm that it was Marvel Studios CEO Kevin Feige that invited him back to return to the role.

Finally able to discuss this w/out providing too many spoilers. Getting the call from @Kevfeige was one of the most unexpected of my life. It was an honor & joy to finally work w/ Sam Raime who reached out to engage me on how best to do this. Beyond grateful for the experience 🤯 pic.twitter.com/aRIwr8A4E7
— Anson Mount 🖖 (@ansonmount) May 17, 2022

It definitely was a great surprise and a deep cut for those that remembered the failed ABC series, which only ran for one season. Multiverse of Madness managed to not only bring him back to the role but even update his costume to be a lot closer to that from the comics. Yes, he even had his iconic fork on the mark, which Doctor Strange was quick to make fun of. He even went out in the most gruesome way, and it seems he had a lot of fun working with director Sam Raimi on bringing the character to life.

We even got a comic-accurate version of his powers, which were given a very memorable visual flourish to stand out from the effect used on the ABC series. We’ll see if this brief appearance might also build up to more in the future, as not much is known about where the Inhumans fit within the MCU.

Source: Twitter

May 17, 2022
Iwan Rheon is Ready to Join the Marvel Cinematic Universe

When Game of Thrones and Misfits actor Iwan Rheon joined the cast of Marvel and ABC’s Inhumans, many had high hopes for the property. Unfortunately, the ABC series ultimately proved to be a disaster, both at the box office and among critics. Despite being a part of the poorly received series, Rheon is ready to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

In a new interview with Comicbook, Rheon was asked if he would ever consider returning as Maximus again. The actor seemed more than eager to return as the Inhuman, should the Inhumans formally make their Marvel Cinematic Universe debut, but he also showed interest in tackling any role within the MCU. “I’ll take anything really. I’d love to have another crack at — I’d love to do Maximus again,” the actor said.

Although Inhumans was critically panned, Rheon was often considered one of the highlights of the ill-fated series. He was menacing as Maximus and often commanded the screen during his scenes. As of now, Marvel has not suggested the Inhumans will be making their big-screen debut anytime soon, and it seems highly unlikely the ABC series will be considered canon in the greater MCU. Still, Rheon is interested in continuing Maixmus’ story, or potentially taking on another role, noting that he’s not picky. “I think he’s a really interesting character. And also I feel a bit sorry for him, because he is just stuck on the Moon still, but yeah, I’d love to do any of that stuff. Anything. I’m not fussy, give me anything.”

Source: Comicbook.com.

April 13, 2022
RUMOR: Black Bolt Will Appear in ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’

Following the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home, we finally have our first glimpse into the multiverse within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The upcoming sequel to 2016’s Doctor Strange will dive deep into a realm of infinite possibilities with the return of Benedict Cumberbatch as Stephen Strange. No Way Home featured quite a few multiversal cameos from characters like Willem Dafoe‘s Green Goblin, Tobey Maguire‘s Spider-Man, and even Jaime Foxx‘s Electro. With the multiverse open, it is unsurprising to think many more could pop up soon, one of which is rumored to be quite a popular Inhuman.

A new rumor from Fandomwire states that the ruler of Attilan himself, Black Bolt, will be making his MCU debut in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. The character is believed to be a variant from within the multiverse working alongside the rumored multiversal Illuminati. Currently, there’s no name attached to the role, and it’s unknown if this Black Bolt will be the one we saw a while back in ABC’s Inhumans series, which ran for one season before being canceled by the network. If that was the case, then perhaps we could see Anson Mount reprise the role, but the Inhuman’s future in the Marvel cinematic universe is still up in the air.

Doctor Strange in The Multiverse of Madness is currently set to release in theaters on May 6, 2022. The film was directed by Sam Raimi and stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Benedict Wong, Elizabeth Olsen, Rachel McAdams, and Xochitl Gomez.

SOURCE: Fandomwire

December 29, 2021
‘Eternals’ Couldn’t Film in Hawaii As ‘Inhumans’ “Burned That Bridge”

It looks like Marvel TV’s adaptation of Inhumans may have left a bad aftertaste with not only Marvel Studios but also Hawaii. Eternals writers Kaz and Ryan Firbo discussed their initial pitching phase of Eternals and how they tried to approach different aspects of the project. They also went through various filming locations, but it turns out that there was one they weren’t allowed to include Hawaii. The reasoning as Marvel Studios put it was that the Inhumans series “totally burned that bridge” according to Kaz Firbo. He goes on to state that:

In the Marvel Universe there’s a lot of synergy, but also individuals telling great stories. There isn’t this algorithm that makes Marvel movies great. They hire people who love what they do and let them do what they love. For us, Inhumans was part of that conversation only insofar as — this is a true story — they said, “You can’t go to Hawaii.” Nobody gets to go to Hawaii because Inhumans totally burned that bridge. Beyond that, there wasn’t someone saying like, “We can’t do this, can’t do that.” The door really was open for us.
Kaz Firbo

Ryan Firbo added that they also initially envisioned Eternals as a TV Show, but it was mentioned they “kind of tried that” but it was disconnected. So, the actions of the TV studio have left some long-lasting scars. It sadly seems that it might also take quite some time before the studio may enter Hawaii to start a production there that makes use of its beautiful landscape. It makes you wonder if we’ll ever get some insight from Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige how the series may have influenced other decisions.

Source: Inverse

November 12, 2021
Theory Thursday: The Future of the MCU

On December 10th, 2020, Kevin Feige gave a presentation during Disney Investor Day that provided an in-depth glimpse at the next few years of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The presentation showed a mixture of returning characters appearing in solo projects or team-ups, as well as new superheroes joining the ranks. With the introduction of many different superheroes and teams, speculation began to spiral: When the next Endgame event is coming? As once discussed by Kevin Feige and James Gunn, some speculated that the MCU was turning to the cosmos and the next big event would be inspired by Annihilation. Others believed that the story that was being laid out was headed towards Secret Wars. While I agree that this feels like the natural progression, there are more intimate stories that should come first. Exploring these stories, viewers would feel they earned the Secret Wars’ pay-offs.

Inhumans vs. X-Men

Two of the announced projects and beyond set this event up by introducing both teams and concepts required for telling this story. Ms. Marvel, due to arrive on Disney+ later this year, is bringing the first Inhumans to the MCU. In the comics, Kamala Khan receives her powers from a Terrigen Cloud that activated the Kree DNA in her genetic code. With Ms. Marvel’s introduction into the MCU, other Inhumans like the Royal Family will finally be able to make their proper way onto the screen. As well, At SDCC 2019 Feige announced that “The Mutants are coming”, but with no other information surrounding them since then, their projects may still be far off. It could even be the end of phase five or six before we see a full X-men team-up. However, with both parties on their way, Inhumans vs. X-Men could be the next team-up event.

In the comic event series, the Terrigen Cloud that gave Ms. Marvel her powers was released across the globe due to a Terrigen Bomb going off. This cloud gave many Inhumans powers across the global, but also caused Mutants to get sick. It killed off large portions of their population, causing mass panic among those infected. The Mutants wished to destroy the cloud leading to a division with the Inhumans who did not support their actions. To give justice to the story, many aspects need to develop before the clash occurs. The Inhumans, the Royal Family, and Attilan, The Inhumans City, need to be established explored. With their rich heritage and culture, there are plenty of stories to explore in their own series or movies, A catalyst event also needs to occur that would cause the release of the Terrigen Cloud. It does not make narrative sense to show this in Ms. Marvel as it would severely limit potential stories that could be told. While it occurred in response to the events of Secret Wars in the comics, an event Disney+ show such as The Death of the Inhumans may be a better place to explore this story. The MCU also needs time to properly explore the mutants, both individual characters and eventually the team, and establish why viewers should care about their imminent demise. This could play out as either a series on Disney+ or a movie.

Civil War II

Following the establishment of the Inhumans vs. X-Men, the team behind the MCU could move on to another fight. Civil War II centers around the introduction of an Inhuman who can predict the future. Captain Marvel wishes to use these powers to stop threats by arresting the culprits before they commit them, essentially removing their agency. Tony Stark is opposed to this plan, which causes a clash amongst Avengers. The groundwork will be laid through Ms. Marvel and the eventual Terrigen Cloud that will show up in the MCU. As for the role of Tony Stark, Sam Wilson or Doctor Strange could replace him as the moral compass of the group. Another character that would need to be established would be Miles Morales. Peter Parker could play the part; however, removing Miles Morales feels cheap and may anger many fans. To allow the previous event to play out and establish Miles in the MCU, it would make sense that this event would not arrive until the end of phase six or even early phase seven.

Avengers vs. X-Men

At first, I struggled to place this event in the narrative being established leading up to Secret Wars but ultimately decided that it would make the most sense as the finale in this trilogy. The comic series tells the story of the return of the Phoenix Force, a threat in the eyes of the Avengers. Many of the X-Men hold the Force together and use it to create a society a better society. Feige could drastically change story details, but they would need more time to establish the Phoenix Force if he were to stay true to the basic concept. We have seen the Phoenix Force twice in movies and so we might not need to establish it. We would need enough time to pass after Inhumans vs. X-Men to explore integral X-Men stories before this one can be told. So, at the earliest, it should be sometime in Phase Seven.

Once the vs. trilogy is told in its entirety, the teams of the MCU will be fractioned. And through the chaos, Secret Wars would begin and bring our heroes back together to face the end of days.

April 22, 2021
Theory Thursday: Let’s Talk Terrigen

Good Day Class! Today, we’re going to talk about the substance known as Terrigen.

Long ago, the alien race of the Kree created the rare mineral and gave it to another race known as the Inhumans for safekeeping on Earth’s Moon. An interesting aspect of the mineral is that when the crystals are exposed to water at the correct temperature, the crystals can react with the water to produce another substance known as Terrigen Mist. Exposure to this Terrigen Mist can have varying effects amongst Humans, Inhumans, and Mutants, based on the genetic information we each carry.

In regular humans, the Terrigen Mists can actually be very lethal and even kill them. In mutants, the effect can also be similar as it is highly toxic for mutants and can lead to the development of a disease known as M-Pox. For Inhumans, on the other hand, it produce a different effect. Let’s remember that Inhumans are essentially human beings whose genetic composition was altered via experimentation by extraterrestrial beings. On the surface, they look like the average human. But when exposed to the Terrigen Mists, the dormant Inhuman gene activates, and the Inhuman undergoes a process known as Terrigenesis. The process allows the Inhuman to essentially gain abilities, making them meta-humans. An example of an Inhuman whose ability was unlocked by the Terrigen Mist was none other than Kamala Khan. Kamala is an Inhuman whose powers manifested following exposure to the Terrigen Mists. Kamala’s Inhuman powers have been present in her DNA her whole life, it just took the Mists to unlock them.

How does this backstory translate to the MCU when Ms. Marvel finally arrives?

In the comics, Kamala had gone to a party the night the Terrigen Mist was released when the ﬂoating Inhuman city of Attilan was destroyed. While it is unlikely that we’ll actually see the city of Attilan appear during the Ms. Marvel series, it is highly probable that the circumstances leading to her exposure to the Terrigen Mist might be similar. A few weeks ago, we got out first look at Kamala wearing a Captain Marvel inspired outfit, presumably for a Halloween party. It seems that Marvel Studios is adapting the events of Ms. Marvel Vol 3 #1 for Kamala’s origin and her powers, Kamala sneaking out to go attend a party, the partygoers might make fun of her for dressing as Captain Marvel, she leaves and we know how the rest of the story plays out. Perhaps it can all go down during the first episode of the series and it could end with Kamala being wrapped up in Terragenesis cocoon, her emerging with her new powers and ending in a similar fashion to that comic.

Ms. Marvel will premiere exclusively on Disney+.

January 7, 2021