Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Marvel Movies

  • What I Heard This Week: ‘WANDAVISION’ and ‘DOCTOR STRANGE: IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS’

    Every now and then I come across some information the veracity of which can be confirmed by a second source. What happens FAR more often is that I come across some information that while believable and from trustworthy sources, cannot be confirmed by other sources for various reasons. Typically, when the second scenario occurs, I move on and forget about the information unless, in rare instances, it turns out to be proven true somewhere down the road.

    This Thanksgiving week has served up a cornucopia of information that I have not been able to verify but that has come from trustworthy sources (read sources who have given previous information that has been confirmed) and I’ve decided to share some of these. It’s important to understand that, because I can’t verify these with a second source, I myself treat them as rumors which means, for the time being, I don’t believe them myself. It’s also important to understand that in each of these cases, the information provided would be spoilery if did turn out to be true. So please read at your own risk and please make an effort to represent what you’ve read here as nothing more than a rumor. These aren’t “hot scoops”, at least not yet. For now, they are nothing more than some compelling rumors that should generate plenty of great discussion among the MCU fan community. With that having been said, read ahead if you chose.

    Things I heard this week: Nightmare has been cast and will be revealed as the villain of WandaVision.

    Unlike the other rumors I shared with you, I am not telling you everything I heard in this case, but I am sharing one of the more tantalizing tidbits I heard this week. I know that by sharing this part of the rumor, it’ll fuel speculation and generate some pretty interesting fan theories, but I am not, in this case, at liberty to say anything more.

    This is an interesting rumor because, if I’m not mistaken, it’s already a popular fan theory and for good reason. When Kevin Feige revealed that WandaVision and Doctor Strange: In the Multiverse of Madness would be related projects, many folks remembered that Doctor Strange director Scott Derrickson wanted to use Nightmare in the first film and that writer C. Robert Cargill had indicated that the sequel would probably feature the villain, so they connected some dots. In that way, and others, this rumor makes a lot of sense.

    We know that WandaVision will be part-sitcom homage and part MCU spectacle and that it will lead directly into Doctor Strange: Into the Multiverse of Madness, said to be Marvel Studios first true foray into the horror genre. The Disney + feature, Expanding the Universe, along with casting calls seemed to indicate that WandaVision will introduce Wanda and Vision’s twin sons, Tommy and Billy, and that they might grow up awfully fast during the sitcom portion of the show. It seems entirely possible that the reason they exist and grow so fast is that they are part of a sort of dream-like reality in which Wanda has found herself, perhaps even at the mercy of Nightmare. Imagine how unhappy Wanda would be to awaken from reality where she’s been reunited with Vision and has been raising a family. Given everything she’s been through, one might imagine losing all that would be the tipping point for her, launching the MCU spectacle portion of WandaVision and, should that tipping point unleash some sort of large-scale use of her growing power, be reason enough to call Doctor Strange in to help.

    Image result for marvel nightmare vs doctor strange

    Feige has said repeatedly that he is not interested in direct adaptations of the comics, so we shouldn’t limit our imagination of what might happen in the MCU because “it didn’t happen that way in the comics.” This rumor is probably my favorite one of the week because it ties the two projects together and forces me to ask the question of who the true antagonist of Doctor Strange: In the Multiverse of Madness will be: Nightmare or the Scarlet Witch?

    I’d love to hear your thoughts on this one and all of its implications. Please chime in below and tell me how you see this unfolding IF it’s true.

  • What I Heard This Week: ‘ETERNALS’

    Every now and then I come across some information the veracity of which can be confirmed by a second source. What happens FAR more often is that I come across some information that while believable and from trustworthy sources, cannot be confirmed by other sources for various reasons. Typically, when the second scenario occurs, I move on and forget about the information unless, in rare instances, it turns out to be proven true somewhere down the road.

    This Thanksgiving week has served up a cornucopia of information that I have not been able to verify but that has come from trustworthy sources (read sources who have given previous information that has been confirmed) and I’ve decided to share some of these. It’s important to understand that, because I can’t verify these with a second source, I myself treat them as rumors which means, for the time being, I don’t believe them myself. It’s also important to understand that in each of these cases, the information provided would be spoilery if did turn out to be true. So please read at your own risk and please make an effort to represent what you’ve read here as nothing more than a rumor. These aren’t “hot scoops”, at least not yet. For now, they are nothing more than some compelling rumors that should generate plenty of great discussion among the MCU fan community. With that having been said, read ahead if you chose.

    Things I heard this week: The plot of Eternals will center around the “War of Evolution.”

    Related image

    That’s it. Nothing more to it than that. It’s probably important that you notice it’s in quotes, but beyond that I have nothing more to give. I think it’s important to note the quote does not say “Evolutionary War”, the title of a 1988 Marvel Comics crossover event featuring the High Evolutionary, but says the “War of Evolution.”

    If this tidbit is true, it’s actually pretty informative. If the “War of Evolution” truly does describe the central conflict of Eternals, then I think it’s probably a pretty clear indicator that we are getting, at least in part, a film inspired by Jack Kirby’s original take on the characters and that it will feature the Deviants. Eternals features an incredible ensemble cast and we already know of 11 lead and major supporting roles, including 10 actors or actresses portraying members of the Eternals. The film has been in production for over two months now and not much has leaked out and security around the film is pretty beefed up so, if the Deviants are in fact in the film, we probably wouldn’t have seen them anyway given the secrecy and the fact that most of them would probably be CGI creations.

    The idea of the “War of Evolution” fits with the very little we do know about the film at this point. During SDCC, concept art was revealed that featured the group of alien “gods” known as the Celestials.

    To make a very long and interesting story short (you can read the longer version here), the Celestials came to Earth and played mad scientist with early man, performing a series of experiments produced 3 evolutionary branches: the Eternals, the Deviants and the Latents.

    For millennia, the Eternals and Deviants warred on and off, giving rise to myths and legends of god-like heroes and grotesque monsters that permeate all cultures. Upon returning to Earth, the Celestials, unimpressed with how their creations had evolved, attacked the Earth causing the “Great Cataclysm” and driving the Deviant land of Lemuria to the bottom of the sea (you can read the longer version of that story here).

    The Deviants

    At some point, the Eternals and Deviants agreed to a truce and faded into obscurity. Then, in modern times, the Deviant warlord Kro broke the truce, leading his army of monsters into conflict with humans, forcing the Eternals back into action.

    The “War of Evolution” certainly sounds plausible to me. Thanks to set photos that have leaked, we know the film is set to span millennia and that, eventually, some of the Eternals are likely to run into Kit Harrington’s Dane Whitman, an archeologist who is likely to help with some expository details. It wouldn’t be shocking at all to see the film center around the long-standing war between the Eternals and Deviants, leading to some sort of doomsday scenario in which the Celestials threaten the Earth. And of course any Marvel Studios film that deals with evolution could always set the stage for the next step of the evolution of man, Homo superior (you can read more about those mutants here).

    At this point, I’m thrilled to turn this over to you and see where it goes. To be clear, I have no idea if this is going to turn out to be the case, but it’s a fascinating rumor and, as a fan, I’d love to be a part of the discussion about how awesome it could be if it were true. Let me hear your ideas below and be responsible with how you share and present this to other friends and fans! Enjoy!

  • What I Heard This Week: ‘BLACK PANTHER II’

    Every now and then I come across some information the veracity of which can be confirmed by a second source. What happens FAR more often is that I come across some information that while believable and from trustworthy sources, cannot be confirmed by other sources for various reasons. Typically, when the second scenario occurs, I move on and forget about the information unless, in rare instances, it turns out to be proven true somewhere down the road.

    This Thanksgiving week has served up a cornucopia of information that I have not been able to verify but that has come from trustworthy sources (read sources who have given previous information that has been confirmed) and I’ve decided to share some of these. It’s important to understand that, because I can’t verify these with a second source, I myself treat them as rumors which means, for the time being, I don’t believe them myself. It’s also important to understand that in each of these cases, the information provided would be spoilery if did turn out to be true. So please read at your own risk and please make an effort to represent what you’ve read here as nothing more than a rumor. These aren’t “hot scoops”, at least not yet. For now, they are nothing more than some compelling rumors that should generate plenty of great discussion among the MCU fan community. With that having been said, read ahead if you chose.

    Things I heard this week: Doctor Doom will be the villain of Black Panther II when it hits theaters on May 6th, 2022.

    Victor Von Doom will began expanding his empire, conquering parts of Africa and, ultimately, come into conflict with the nation of Wakanda and the Black Panther.

    That represents the entirety of what I was told. That’s how it works sometimes. I was given no additional context, no additional details…nothing. At this point, you know what I know. From what I was told, however, one can begin speculating and having some fun thinking about how something like this might play out if it were actually true.

    We don’t know when and where we’ll be introduced to Latveria or Victor, (a post credit stinger, a solo movie or in another film) but the events of Avengers: Infinity War and the 5 year jump in Avengers: Endgame provide ample opportunities for some exposition on the Latverian Monarch. Given the state of things after Thanos’ snap, it wouldn’t be too hard to imagine someone like Victor expanding his kingdom by taking advantage of the absence of world leaders and of most of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. If Victor survived the snap, it’s entirely possible that he could have made his way South through Europe, through the Middle East and into Africa by the time 2023 rolls around.

    If the film does take place in the MCU’s present day (no information on that was given), it would mean that T’Challa is back on the throne of Wakanda just in time to help defend his people and his country’s most valuable resource: Vibranium. This is, of course, the reason Doom invades Wakanda in the 2010 event Doomwar, and you can very easily imagine Marvel Studios adapting this story to the big screen. While the comic featured characters from all corners of the Marvel universe, it could be told on a more intimate scale in the MCU and would have to be in order for it to be told on screen in a reasonable time frame. A big screen Black Panther: Doomwar would put the focus on T’Challa, Doom and, of course, Shuri.

    Marvel Studios certainly has big plans for Doom. Feige was willing to meet with Noah Hawley and discuss his much-talked about script and while it doesn’t appear that Hawley’s script survived the Disney-Fox merger, it doesn’t mean that we couldn’t see parts of it in either a different Doctor Doom solo film or worked into whatever film Feige sees fit to use as Doom’s MCU introduction. Marvel Studios has yet to make a solo film for one of their villains, but if they were ever going to scratch that itch, Doom, one of their most fully-developed and fascinating characters, would be worthy of being the trailblazer. Additionally, Marvel Studios would be wise to make sure that their Doom and their Fantastic Four are presented as differently from the Fox films as possible, so introducing Doom on his own, using another villain for the Fantastic Four film and then having Doom try to take over the world in another film would be a great start. Obviously we need to see the Fantastic Four and Doom come into conflict eventually, but while Victor is the arch enemy of the First Family, he is also much more than that. Finally, using Black Panther II as Doom’s coming out party would all but guarantee another monster box office for the franchise while giving T’Challa an antagonist who could truly challenge him.

    At this point, I’m thrilled to turn this over to you and see where it goes. To be clear, I have no idea if this is going to turn out to be the case, but it’s a fascinating rumor and, as a fan, I’d love to be a part of the discussion about how awesome it could be if it were true. Let me hear your ideas below and be responsible with how you share and present this to other friends and fans! Enjoy!

  • EXCLUSIVE: ‘ANT-MAN 3’ Slated to Film at Pinewood UK

    The third film in Marvel Studios Ant-Man franchise is set to go into production across the pond with Pinewood Studios UK serving as home base! Disney made the decision to move forward with the film late this summer and it was recently revealed that Peyton Reed, who directed the 2015’s Ant-Man and 2018’s Ant-Man and The Wasp, would return to helm the three-quel.

    It is expected that the production film at yet unspecified locations around Europe, in addition to doing some additional photography in and around Atlanta. Michael Douglas has indicated he believes production to begin in January of 2021 and I have been told to expect pre-production to begin on the film as soon as January of 2020.

    The yet to be subtitled Ant-Man 3 will hit theaters in 2022.

  • EXCLUSIVE: Emma Watson Headlines List of Front Runners for Female Lead in ‘BLACK WIDOW’

    EXCLUSIVE: Emma Watson Headlines List of Front Runners for Female Lead in ‘BLACK WIDOW’

    Note: This article was originally published by Charles Murphy at That Hashtag Show on March 6, 2019.

    Marvel Studios is now actively casting for its solo Black Widow film ahead of a scheduled June start to production and casting director Sarah Finn and company have begun to narrow down the lists of candidates for several roles. Chief among those roles is a second female lead, which we originally described here as a “kick ass female Bond”, for which the studio is said to be seeking an actress capable of a physically demanding role who also “feels similar” to star Scarlet Johansson.

    The studio has been looking at available talent for the role since late last year and now a partial list of front runners for the role has emerged. While it’s important to remember that this list does not represent everyone up for the role and that, at the time of publishing, none of these actresses had been officially offered the role, the list does provide us significant insight into the type of actresses the studio has been auditioning. It’s an interesting list and one that we at That Hashtag Show are excited to be able to share with you in this exclusive!

    Headlining the list is actress Emma Watson. Best known for her role as Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter franchise, Watson starred as Belle in Disney’s 2017 live-action version of Beauty and the Beast and recently wrapped filming on Little Women. We are told that the idea of Watson landing the role is gaining momentum and that her name is prominent in discussions between director Cate Shortland, Brad Winderbaum and Kevin Feige.

    Actresses Alice Englert (Beautiful Creatures and the upcoming Netflix series Ratched) and Dar Zuzovsky (Hostages, Neighborhood) recently auditioned for the role and both made a strong impression on the studio. Additionally, Florence Pugh, who will star alongside Watson in Little Women, is also still in the running. While the role originally called for an actress in the 30-39 range, this list certainly indicates a willingness on the studio’s part to expand their search to find the right woman for the job and it seems that they now have a handful of talented actresses from which to chose.

    Casting for any film is a dynamic process with names jumping in and out of contention, so while this list of front runners is a great place to start, it by no means is intended to represent everyone who may eventually be up for the role and certainly not an indication of who will ultimately accept it. Looking at the role of Maria Rambeau in Captain Marvel as a cautionary tale (DeWanda Wise originally held the role before Lashana Lynch came on board), we can understand how quickly things in Hollywood can change. That having been said, we should expect movement one way or another on this role fairly quickly as testing for it and other roles has been ongoing very recently, indicating the search is narrowing down.

  • EXCLUSIVE: ‘Black Widow’ Searching For An Ethnically Diverse Male Villain

    EXCLUSIVE: ‘Black Widow’ Searching For An Ethnically Diverse Male Villain

    Note: This article was originally published by Charles Murphy at That Hashtag Show on March 4, 2019.

    Last month it was reported that the script for Marvel Studios Black Widow was being rewritten by Ned Benson. This rewrite was almost certainly responsible for the delay in production which saw the film’s start date get pushed all the way back to June. Should things stay on schedule, principal photography will conclude in October, freeing up stage space in London for Marvel Studios next film, The Eternals to move in.

    While the magnitude of Benson’s rewrites are unclear, it does seem that he’s done a bit of character work, reworking some of the films leads and possibly removing others. In November of last year, we gave you the first look at 6 major roles the studio was looking to fill. While most of those roles still exist, it seems that there have been some changes to them, most notably the film’s villain, which could help us deduce his identity.

    We originally reported that the studio was looking for an actor of any ethnicity in his 40s to play someone “exciting” to portray the film’s main antagonist. The recent rewrites have given us a little more clarity on this character, though to be honest, we still don’t have much to go on in any effort to figure out just who he is. The studio is now looking for either a Black British or African actor, 30-45, to portray a “tough, dangerous and mysterious” villain.

    This new update certainly seems to eliminate Red Guardian and any other Russian villain from contention as they’d likely not have a British accent. It certainly still leaves someone like the Taskmaster in play, but at this point, it really could be anyone.

    The film will still feature a second female lead, as we first reported in November, an older European male and female and the “bookish” male for which the studio is seeking a Paul Dano-type. As we originally reported in December, the studio had been meeting with talent for the second female lead (a “kick ass female Bond”), though at this time nobody has signed on for for the role.

    With cameras set to roll in roughly 3 months, we should certainly start to see some movement with casting very soon, though you shouldn’t expect it to come through Marvel Studios. Kevin Feige has maintained that they will not officially discuss any of their upcoming films beyond Spider-Man: Far From Home until after that film has been released in theaters, so we could expect a very big presence by the studio at SDCC this year or, more likely, during D23.

  • EXCLUSIVE: ‘THE ETERNALS’ Set to Star Marvel Studios First Openly Gay Male Lead

    EXCLUSIVE: ‘THE ETERNALS’ Set to Star Marvel Studios First Openly Gay Male Lead

    Note: This article was originally published by Charles Murphy at That Hashtag Show on March 1, 2019.

    As Marvel Studios begins its search for the cast of the 2020 feature film, The Eternals, we at That Hashtag Show have learned that they are looking to cast an openly gay actor for a lead role in the film.

    During the press coverage of Ant-Man and The Wasp last year, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige stated that the studio was working towards bringing a new, LGBTQ character to the mix in the near future. As it turns out, that future is nearly upon us as the studio searches for an actor, 30-49, who “physically looks like a superhero” for one of the film’s leads. While the studio is open to actors of all ethnicity, they would prefer the role to go to an openly gay actor.

    Over the past several years, Marvel Studios has made an impressive effort to make films more representative of the modern world and this is another example of them making good on that. This role will mark the first time Marvel Studios has featured an openly gay male as a lead as this character will have a major presence in the film alongside the other leads expected to be Sersi, Ikaris and “Piper.” The studio is going to great lengths to keep the identity of the character a secret and it would take away from the focus of this piece to speculate on the identity of the character her.

    While rumors have swirled to the contrary, the film is still scheduled to begin filming in the UK on September 9th of this year and continue filming through January of 2020. With cameras set to roll in just over 6 months, the studio is already actively searching for candidates to fill several roles and, we are told, may have already identified a favorite for the role of Ikaris. Additionally, director Chloe Zhao has expressed interest in Cameron Britton (The Umbrella Academy) and Polish actor Tomasz Kot for a supporting role in the film that requires an imposing physical presence. No offers have been made to either of these actors at the time of publishing.

  • EXCLUSIVE: ‘THE ETERNALS’ Character Lineup Revealed

    EXCLUSIVE: ‘THE ETERNALS’ Character Lineup Revealed

    Note: This article was originally published by Charles Murphy at That Hashtag Show on November 16, 2018.

    Marvel Studios The Eternals is set to become the pivot point for the past, present and future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The characters ties to a vast number of heroes, both here on Earth and elsewhere in the Cosmos, provide a unique opportunity to tell any number of stories. The film, which is set to go into production next fall in London, will introduce audiences to a wide-range of characters, most of which general audiences will be entirely unfamiliar with. We’ve been fortunate enough to find out just which characters those will be and are now happy to share them with you. Below get your first look at the characters of Marvel Studios 2020 film, The Eternals.

    As you read it’ll be obvious that the studio lifted the majority of the descriptions straight from Wikipedia, but the real story here is identifying which characters they’ve chosen to focus on. It seems that they’ll be taking much inspiration from the original Kirby run while also working in some of Neil Gaiman’s themes. Nate Moore will be overseeing the project as Marvel Studios turns to Sarah Finn to find their cast!

    Karen

    The studio is looking to cast an actress in her early 30s for the role of “KAREN.” Open to any nationality or ethnicity particularly Middle Eastern, African and Native American. Powerful, a timeless quality, a leader. Warm, nurturing and intuitive… AKA she can kick- ass but had warmth. Should have an international/ timeless feel.

    Male Lead

    An unknown male described only as a Greek God. Could we be getting Hercules?

    Druig

     

    It seems the villain of the piece will be the Eternal know as Druig, who first appeared in Eternals #11 in 1977. Though he was a Kirby creation, he gained notoriety after his appearance in Neil Gaiman’s 2000’s Eternals revival.

    Druig possesses the conventional abilities of an Eternal, he can manipulate all forms of matter and energy, including the atoms of his own body. He can teleport, manipulate gravitation in order to fly, control the minds of others, and project energy from his body, usually from the hands or eyes. – In modern times, Druig served as an agent of the KGB in Russia, and found that he enjoyed torturing people. When Ziran the Tester came through Polaria, Druig planned to slay him using “ the Weapon”, which he had learned of by torturing his cousin Ikaris, but Ikaris disintegrated Druig before he could fire the Weapon. His body was then recovered by the Celestials , and put into everlasting containment at the Desecration Annex.

    Piper

     

    The studio is looking to cast a lead female, 10-16 years old of any nationality or ethnicity in the role of “Piper”. Strong, charismatic presence with a magnetic personality. Wise beyond her years, articulate and quick-witted. Natural acting ability and some type of athletic background a plus. Though it’s not clear here, it seems that this might be the studio taking a new slant on the Eternal known as Sprite.

    Elysisus

     

    Marvel is looking for an actress, 20-40, for the surprising role of Elysius

    Elysius is an artificially created being patterned in and possessing the attributes of the long-lived offshoot of humanity called Eternals. She has superhuman stamina, and her strength, speed, and durability are higher than that of a human. Elysius possesses an extremely long lifespan and immunity to all terrestrial diseases. Elysius has limited telepathic abilities of an I revealed nature. She keeps griffin like creatures which obey her telepathic commands. She uses an alien hand- weapon capable of disrupting force fields or of firing energy of an unspecified nature as bursts concussive force. Elysius was created by ISAAC, the sentient computer system of Titan. She’s serves as ISAAC’s lieutenant, and aided ISAAC in its conquest of Titan. She later aided Captain Mar- Vell, and Drax the Destroyer against ISAAC, Stellarax, Lord Gaea, and Chaos. She the. Began her romance with Mar-Vell.

    Forgotten One

     

    The studio is looking for a male, ages 25-45, to play the Forgotten One, aka Gilgamesh! Gilgamesh became an outcast from his fellow Eternals when their ruler, Zuras, decreed that he had been too proud a meddler in the human world and confined him to a sector of Olympus. He was eventually convinced to come out of exile and journey to the mother-ship of the Fourth Host of the Celestials to assist the Eternals in the battle against the Deviants by the Eternal called Sprite. He possesses a number of super-human abilities common to the Eternals, but has trained some of them far beyond the norm. The Forgotten One is one of the most accomplished hand-to-hand combatants among the Eternals and usually arms himself with simple hand weapons such as an axe, spear or club. Gilgamesh first appeared in Eternals #13.

    Ikaris

     

    The studio is looking for a male, 20-40, to play Ikaris, an Eternal born over 20,000 years ago in the Eternal city of Polaria. His lifeforce is augmented with Cosmic energy and he has total mental control over his physical form and bodily processes even when he is asleep or unconscious. He has low level psychic abilities, enabling him to scan the superficial thoughts of any mind, less adapt them to his own. He can mentally create illusions as to describe himself.

    Makkari

     

    The studio is once again on the lookout for a male, 25-45, to play the fleet-footed Makkari. Born in Olympia, one of 3 Eternal cities on Earth, Makkari is a member of the Eternals Technologist’s Guild and is skilled at designing and building high-speed vehicles. He possesses super-human, speed, strength and reflexes.

    Sersi

     

    For the role of Sersi, the studio is looking for a female, 20-40. Sersi is a fourth generation member of the Eternals. She differs from her fellow Eternals in her desire to live amongst humans. She does not age and can only be killed if her atoms are scattered.

    Starfox

     

    A pleasant surprise among those listed is Eros, aka Starfox. the brother of Thanos. The studio is looking for a male, 25-45, to play Eros of Titan!

    Eros is a member of the Eternals, a genetic offshoot of humanity, that left for deep space from Earth thousands of years ago and settled on Saturn’s moon of Titan. Eros is the youngest son of A’lars (also known as Mentor) and Sui-San, and he grew up on Titan to be a fun-loving, carefree womanizer and adventurer in contrast to his brother Thanos, a power-hungry, nihilistic conqueror. He can harness his cosmic powers to enable himself to fly at subsonic speed and his reduced need of oxygen and the capability to hold his breath for quite some time, enables him to survive the rigors of open space and underwater travel.

    Starfox can psionically stimulate the pleasure centers in nearby people’s brains, making them calm and open to suggestion using his persuasion skill. It has been suggested that when in physical contact, and there is direct line of sight between the subject and the target, Starfox can use this euphoria effect to cause a person or persons to become infatuated with him, objects, or people of his choosing or simply to make others feel good while in his presence. His overall resistance to injury is somewhat lower than that of the average Eternal but like any Eternal, he possesses exceptional healing capabilities.

    Thena

     

    An actress 20-40 is being sought for the role of Thena.

    Thena was born in the city of Olympia in ancient Greece, and is thus one of the Eternals of Olympia. Originally named Azura, but her father Zuras had her name changed by royal decree to resemble that of Zeus’ daughter Athena to seal the treaty between their two peoples.

    Thena became a scholar and a warrior as she grew. Like all Eternals, she has superhuman strength, speed, stamina, durability, agility, and reflexes. Thena also possesses the ability to manipulate cosmic energy to augment her life force, granting her virtual invulnerability and immortality, the ability to project cosmic energy from her eyes or hands in the form of heat, light, or concussive force and possibly other powers. Thena has total mental control over her physical form, granting virtual invulnerability and immortality. She also has the ability to levitate herself and thus fly at superhuman speed, the psionic ability to rearrange the molecular structure of objects, the ability to cast illusions to disguise her appearance and that of others from the perceptions of normal human beings, the ability to teleport herself and others with her, and the ability to initiate formation of the Uni-Mind.

    She carries a bow that fires arrows that release “cold energy”, and she carries an energy spear that surrounds victims with a ring of intense heat and light or bombards them with anti-gravitons.

    Zuras

     

    Zuras was born in Titanos, first city of the Eternals, and is the son of the Eternals Kronos and Daina, and brother of A’Lars (Mentor). With his wife Cybele, he has a daughter Thena.Zuras was a warrior, and vied with his brother A’lars (whom he exiled into space) for leadership of the Eternals of Titanos following Kronos’ death. Zuras was the first Eternal to form a Uni-Mind by creating the first ritual of the Uni-Mind, and was therefore chosen to become leader of the Eternals of Earth.

    Zuras has achieved above average development of the normal attributes of the race of Eternals through great discipline. He possesses superhuman strength, speed, stamina, and durability, and can fly at subsonic speeds. Zuras possesses the ability to manipulate cosmic energy to augment his life force granting him great longevity and regenerative abilities, the projection of concussive force, heat and electrical energy up to a maximum range of 300 feet.

    He could also use cosmic energy to create force shields around himself, to levitate himself and/or others, and to psionically manipulate molecules so as to transform an object’s shape.Zuras possesses extensive knowledge of ancient and arcane wisdom.

    This cast of characters certainly gives us much to ponder as we wonder about the film’s plot. Notable by their absence are the Deviants, another offshoot of humanity created by the Celestials that have warred with the Eternals for generations! What do you think we’ll see in 2020?

  • EXCLUSIVE: Marvel Studios ‘BLACK WIDOW’ Character Breakdowns Revealed as Casting Gets Underway

    EXCLUSIVE: Marvel Studios ‘BLACK WIDOW’ Character Breakdowns Revealed as Casting Gets Underway

    Note: This article was originally published by Charles Murphy at That Hashtag Show on November 12, 2018.

    Recently we broke the news that Marvel Studios had made the decision to slot their solo Black Widow film into the May 6, 2020 slot that was previously believed to belong to the now delayed Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. We’ve been told for some time that Black Widow was set to be “next time” for the studio and recently passed along that the studio was ready to move into production early next year and was looking at overseas locations, such as Croatia, for the spy flick. While they still having quite locked down a firm list of locations just yet, they have moved onto the preliminary stages of casting for the film and we have the first look at over a half dozen character breakdowns.

    While we at That Hashtag Show have a long history of being the first to share character breakdowns with fans, it has become a bit of a cat and mouse game with the studios. Over time, the breakdowns have become more and more vague, making it harder and harder to come to any sort of conclusion on who the characters may actually be. For instance, the initial breakdown for Jake Gyllenhaal’s Mysterio simply called for someone with “elevated ideas” and was open to any gender and ethnicity. With that having been said, here’s what to expect:

    Main Antagonist

    The film’s big bad is set to be a male. The villain is simply described as “exciting” and the studio is open to ethnicity, but looking for someone in their 40s.

    The Russian super soldier known as The Red Guardian is certainly one of the most popular choices among fans. Given that the studio is open to diverse actors, we wonder if someone like Taskmaster might not be an interesting fit to take on a hand-to-hand combatant as lethal as the Black Widow. Perhaps, with the story taking place at least partially in Europe, someone like the vigilante Night Raven, who was featured in the graphic novel Fury/Black Widow: Death Duty , could even be reworked into the film.

    Friends or Foes

    This is a Black Widow film, so it goes without saying that not everyone is going to be who they seem. The studio is looking to fill four roles which seem like good bets to end up being potential double agents. The two most interesting roles call for “contemporaries” to the Widow and are looking for actors in their late-20s to early 30s. The first is a “kick ass” female character described as a “female Bond” while the other is for a male with an emphasis on African, Middle Eastern or East Indian actors. Additionally, the search is on for one European Caucasian female and one European Caucasian male, both in the 50-60 year old range. The studio is putting an emphasis on actors and actresses who can speak multiple languages for all of the roles mentioned above, which certainly makes them all feel like spied.

    It’s no easy task to decipher what the studio is looking for her. We could be talking about someone like Jessica Drew (a character we speculated might appear in Spider-Man: Far From Home), Black Lotus, an new take on Melina Vostokovna (aka Iron Maiden) or even Snapdragon; the male contemporary could be anyone from an adaptation of Bengal to someone like Raoul Bushman nad anyone in between.There’s certainly no indication here that any of these characters are on Nat’s side and even if they were, who knows if they’d stay that way.   Perhaps the two older characters are KGB agents from Nat’s past, maybe someone like Ivan Petrovich or a Red Room relic, who are working with the woman described below.

    Secondary Antagonist

    While the film’s lead villain will be a male, the studio is also looking for an actress in her 50s to play a smaller, villainous role. The character was only briefly described as a “conniving female villian”, leading us to wonder if she’s possibly a relic of the KGB’s Red Room and someone much more familiar to the Black Widow.

    This Guy

    The film will also feature another minor role described as a “bookish American” in his late 20s.

    Really…take your best guess.

    It was late last November when we got our first look at character breakdowns for Captain Marvel, which filmed for a week in January before resuming production full-time in March. While many are still skeptical that Marvel Studios will go ahead with this film, the timing of these breakdowns allows us to speculate that Black Widow is set to begin filming in late-February or early-March, a timeline congruent with the info we’ve been given all along. Though no official word has come from Marvel Studios, we expect Black Widow on May 1, 2020.

  • EXCLUSIVE: ‘THE ETERNALS’ Tentatively Set for a September 2019 Start

    EXCLUSIVE: ‘THE ETERNALS’ Tentatively Set for a September 2019 Start

    Note: This article was originally posted by Charles Murphy at That Hashtag Show on November 9, 2018.

    Recently we were fortunate enough to break the news that Marvel Studios had solidified its 2020 slate of films which would feature Black Widow and The Eternals. Thanks to a source with knowledge of the production, we now have Marvel Studios targeted start date for The Eternals. The Chloe Zhao-helmed film which Marvel Studios hopes will kick off a new franchise is tentatively scheduled to go into production in September of 2019. That start date puts the film on track for a November 6, 2020 release, right where we told you to expect it.

    Marvel Studios is expected to assemble a very diverse cast for the film which is set millions of years ago when the cosmic beings known as the Celestials genetically experimented on humans, creating the super-powered individuals as well as more villainous off-shoots known as Deviants. The two groups went on to battle each other throughout history to see which would eventually become the ultimate race. Even if the production should be shuffled around by a few weeks in either direction, we should expect the studio to start looking at casting sometime early next summer. The Eternal Sersi, who served as an Avenger for a time, is expected to be one of the film’s leads. In the comics she was known to love living among mortals during her life, even making her way into Greek mythology as the Greek witch Circe. It is expected that she’ll play a major, recurring role and Marvel Studios will be looking to land a unique and diverse star for the role.

     

    While many fans were hopeful to see a Doctor Strange sequel in the fall of 2020, the studio has put their eggs into The Eternals basket. Zhao will be working from a screenplay by Matthew and Ryan Firpo and will be in a unique position to tell the stories of the earliest eras of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, stories that could possibly put into motion any number of spinoffs and sequels.