Not surprising given the recent releases, the latest Marvel Cinematic Universe film is surrounded by controversy online but this time it’s for a different reason than you’d think. During D23, the character of Sabra was introduced and would be played by Shira Haas in the upcoming film Captain America: New World Order. Given the Israel and Palestine conflict, this has led to quite the controversy in addition to the “New World Order” having been used for anti-semites online.
The controversy took its hold online in certain circles and has now led to an official statement by Marvel Studios through an article for The New York Times. It seems that they’ew highlighting that they are “taking a new approach” with the character of Sabra.
While our characters and stories are inspired by the comics. They are always freshly imagined for the screen and today’s audience, and the filmmakers are taking a new approach with the character Sabra who was first introduced in the comics over 40 years ago
It’s hard to say if this jump may have been an assumption on the character’s comic history and Marvel simply wanted to take an existing character to put it in a better spotlight, moving away from its original rather questionable storyline.
In many ways, this was a lose-lose situation for Marvel even if they tried to pull through with it, as reactions occurred before a single glimpse of the actual story came to light. As they haven’t started production yet, it still gave them a chance to maybe tweak a few elements and this statement also serves to hint at that happening.
There’s more to this controversy given the history surrounding the name. Many have made the connection to the Sabra and Shatila massacre when it was first announced. So, while the name was carried over from the comics, it has become associated with a terrible act that occurred in Lebanon back in 1982. We’ll have to see how they tackle this challenge once more news surfaces.
In Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, we took our first real trip throughout the multiverse, or at least Doctor Strange was forced to when helping a young America Chavez. Throughout his travels, we are introduced to two Variants of the talented yet arrogant sorcerer, yet it seems that there was one more that didn’t make it beyond the concept stage.
Concept artist Darrell Warner revealed a new piece of concept that offers a first look at “Marvellous Melvyn,” a street magician version of our popular doctor. It seems this version of the character was part of the initial pitch by Scott Derrickson before Sam Raimi took over production, which took the production into a very different direction.
The design is great and it’s really a shame that we didn’t get to see this version of the character. Not only would it have given Benedict Cumberbatch a fun new interpretation to bring to life, but perhaps he may have been an unwilling traveler that ends up getting dragged along for a journey he is definitely not equipped for. It’s also great that the designer got to work with thee costume designer Graham Churchyard to bring the idea to life.
We can always theorize on the “what if” of the original Scott Derrickson‘s sequel of his Doctor Strange film that introduced magic into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Perhaps it is somewhere out there in the multiverse that got a chance to see it and they could use the What If…? series to introduce a few of those concepts that didn’t quite make it.
The reaction to the new Thunderbolts line-up has certainly been interesting but there’s some exciting news inseeing some returning faces. Not only do we get a few cast members from the Black Widow film which will give us a chance to further flesh out this interpretation of Taskmaster but also Ava Starr, who is better known as Ghost. We haven’t seen Hannah John-Kamen in the role since 2018’s Ant-Man and the Wasp with many wondering what future she might have in the franchise.
Now that we have an answer, it’s even more surprising to see Ghost return as part of a team considering she mostly worked solo. After D23, John-Kamen got a chance to tease the character’s biggest challenge as part of the Thunderbolts team. We know the character as a lone wolf and it looks like human contact outside of her caregiver Bill Foster is going to be quite the challenge.
Well, she doesn’t like to be touched. So, that’s going to be interesting. She’s quite socially…Well, she’s not social. She grew up in the vat, so she’s never had human contact with anyone. It’s going to be interesting for Ghost to connect.
Hannah John-Kamen
Ghost was one of the most exciting additions, especially in how unique her move set is. We don’t know if they truly found a way to stabilize her abilities in some way. It initially seemed like they were trying to heal her but with people disappearing as a result of the Blip we may also find out what happened to her. Plus, who knows why she’s part of the team and where Foster might show up again, if not in this film.
Thunderbolts was only recently announced at San Diego Comic-Con but Marvel Studios didn’t waste any time giving us a tease of the film’s mixed batch of unlikely teammates. Sebastian Stan’s Bucky and Florence Pugh‘s Yelena are in for a lifetime challenge by trying to keep a functioning team consisting of Taskmaster, Red Guardian, the returning Ghost, and US Agent. While many hoped for a more diverse group of powers, the dynamic seems promising.
Shortly after D23’s Marvel Studios panel, ComicBook.com’s Brandon Davis got a chance to talk to some of the cast visiting the event. During that time, he highlighted what we can expect from the dynamic of this unlikely team and Red Guardian himself, David Harbour, took the chance to tease that the film will have “drama and comedy” based on the characters that have to interact alone.
I mean I think they’re all difficult people who have many weaknesses. And as you may know, I certainly do, if you put a bunch of people with various weaknesses together: there’s often drama and comedy. So, I think you can expect both of those things.
David Harbour
It definitely sounds like the team is in for quite a difficult time, and that might be the big selling point of this story. While the Thunderbolts have served many purposes in the comics, they are going down a more anti-hero route. It likely is the best way to also make it stand out from Suicide Squad, which is likely the direct comparison made throughout the film’s promotional campaign, as it was a project focused on villains that were forced to work together. Of course, we’ve only seen a single image and have no idea about any details.
Winston Duke’s M’Baku became a fan favorite after the actor’s wide-ranging performance in Black Panther. While he was one of T’Challa’s first foes in the comics, the MCU version of the character became of T’Challa’s allies, fighting alongside the King during the Battle of Wakanda in Avengers: Infinity War. Duke returned for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the sequel to the 2018 film, and his character now inhabits a world where the King and Black Panther of Wakanda is dead and the world is forever changed following T’Challa’s decision to break from tradition and step out of isolation.
With T’Challa now dead, the fallout from his decision will now be in the hands of others, including his mother, Queen Ramonda, and the members of the Tribal Council. In an interview with Phase Zero, Duke described how the time gap between the two films has changed his character.
M’Baku is really forced to catch up with the times. His role is changed. He survived the Snap. He is now part of their Tribal Council, so he’s more forward-facing and less insular. So he’s been forced to really be a part of the collective transparency. I think that’s a really cool thing for him and you get to see a whole new dynamic including him.
Winston Duke
Duke’s M’Baku has been a fan favorite choice to take on the mantle of Black Panther ever since the tragic passing of star Chadwick Boseman. While the identity of the character in the costume in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever remains a mystery, it certainly seems M’Baku has taken some steps in a direction that might allow him to suit up at some point.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever hits theaters on November 11th, 2022.
With the announcement that Tim Blake Nelson’s Samuel Sterns would square off with Sam Wilson in Captain America: New World Order, the revitalization of 2008’s oft-panned The Incredible Hulk continues along an impressive arc. 2021 saw the return of an updated Abomination in Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings, followed by Tim Roth’s return to the MCU as Abomination’s alter ego, Emil Blonsky, in She-Hulk: Attorney At Law. Suddenly what was very, very old (in MCU years) is new again and creating a fairly significant buzz among MCU fans.
With the returns of Blonsky and Sterns and the addition of Jennifer Walters, the Hulk family of characters is suddenly looking incredibly strong and with the rumors of a World War Hulk project in the works, it’s possible that even more of the characters from The Incredible Hulk might return AND some classic comic book characters could join the fray. Here’s a look at some interesting options to consider from both groups.
Betty Ross
The character that’s long been the center of much of the online chatter as a favorite to return is Betty Ross, played by Liv Tyler in The Incredible Hulk. It’s hard to believe that a character so central to the life of Bruce Banner played so small a role in the MCU, but even though rumors have poped up over the years, Betty hasn’t been seen since the earliest days of Phase 1. However, if Sterns and Blonsky can be written into the Multiverse Saga, there’s no reason to think Betty can’t be. With the plot of She-Hulk involving efforts to get ahold of Jen’s blood (which Bruce admits is BETTER), there’s a whole mess of ways that Betty, and other characters, could get reintegrated into the MCU as gamma mutates. Betty’s had a couple different turns in the comics as Red She-Hulk and Harpy, and it would be a blast to see her join up as either of those, especially with the passing of William Hurt likely meaning General Ross will never be the MCU’s Red Hulk.
Doc Samson
Ty Burrell played Leonard Samson back in 2008 and while he didn’t really get much to do, a foundation was built that could allow the character, even if not the actor, to return. Like his comic book counterpart, the MCU Samson is known as a brilliant psychiatrist. Of course in the comics, Samson was exposed to gamma radiation and became a green-haired, muscled up gamma mutate, so there’s certainly room to grow. Over the years, Samson has served as the Hulk’s psychiatrist and an ally. With Hulk’s trip to Sakaar set to reveal some interesting news, it’s looking like a call to Doc to chat about some issues could be on the docket.
Glenn Talbot
One of the more interesting options, should the MCU be willing to expand the Hulk’s cast of supporting characters is Major Glenn Talbot. I know what you’re thinking, Talbot’s already in the MCU because he was big star in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. However, if you think Feige’s touching the convoluted disaster that became of Adrian Pasdar’s character, you need to chat with Doc Samson. Should the MCU be marching towards a World War Hulk project, one might expect a military presence and Talbot would be the perfect fit to lead the charge from Gamma Base. Josh Lucas portrayed the character in Ang Lee’s 2003 Hulk and the now 51-year old actor might be willing to play the Multiversal Variant card and join the MCU.
Rick Jones
No character has suffered as Rick Jones has suffered. In the comics, Jones was both the reason that Bruce Banner became the Hulk and the Hulk’s best friend. Jones spent time with Captain America and being bonded to Mar-Vell and yet has never even sniffed the opportunity to join the MCU. The time could be now for Jones as the potential for the creation of other gamma mutates could open the door for Jones’ alter ego of A-Bomb. It would be a great tragedy if Jones and A-Bomb never moved beyond Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H.
Amadeus Cho
While he eventually became the Totally Awesome Hulk, it’s Cho’s friendship with the Hulk at a time where everyone else betrayed him that makes him a fun potential addition to the MCU. Cho’s mother, Helen, already exists in the MCU and fans have sort of always assumed that she was introduced in Age of Ultron so that Amadeus might eventually be brought along. With the MCU’s present day taking place in 2025, a teenage Cho could pop up in a few years. And having him around while both the Hulk and Hercules are making noise would be a great nod to his early comic appearances.
When it was first announced that we’d be getting an adaptation of Thunderbolts, theories went wild on who may have a role and who may not. While the reception has been mixed to positive, mostly due to the concern of a lack of variety given the abundance of super soldiers, there still was some excitement for a group of anti-heroes tackling a mission the Avengers wouldn’t. Still, many were definitely missing Iron Man villain, Justin Hammer.
Luckily, The Playlist got a chance to interview Sam Rockwell, who played the character in Iron Man 2 and even the All Hail the King One-Shot, if he’d be interested to join the Thunderbolts line-up. While throughout the interview, he was mostly confused about who that was, making sure it’s not a new name for War Machine he shares his excitement to potentially join.
Yeah, I would be into that. [Thunderbolts] sounds cool… What villains would be in that?
Sam Rockwell
He’d definitely make for a perfect addition to the team, especially with them going to require quite a few weapons to take on whatever they may be facing. Perhaps he’s been out of prison for a while and has been working with the Power Broker, maybe Agent 13 is also just pretending to be the face as he provides whatever weaponry she required. We’ll see if there are a few members that haven’t been revealed yet for Thunderbolts.
Captain America: New World Order made some big waves at D23 Expo 2022. Director Julius Onah was officially introduced alongside the principal cast which included newcomer Shira Haas as Israeli hero Sabra and Tim Blake Nelson as the film’s primary adversary, The Leader. With the film only having been announced a few months prior, the cast reveals were a pleasant surprise and gave fans an idea of what Anthony Mackie’s Captain America and his supporting characters such as Danny Ramirez’s Joaquin Torres and Carl Lumbly’s Isaiah Bradley would be up against.
Lost in the shuffle of the big news, however, was an update from Onha as to when production on the film, which is currently set to hit theaters on May 3rd, 2024, would begin. In an interview with Phase Zero, Onah indicated that the film is on track for a Spring 2023 start of production.
The Spring start may show Marvel Studios trending back towards a more familiar production timeline than what they’ve been on since COVID shut down everything in 2020. In the past, it was the norm for a Marvel Studios film to begin principal photography an average of 13 months before the release of the film. From Onah’s comments, it sounds like that’s just about right for Captain America: New World Order. With 6-8 months to go until the start of production, fans can continue to look forward to casting news and to look for links to the plot of the film in current and upcoming projects.
The surprising return of Tim Blake Nelson’s Samuel Sterns to the MCU has generated a great deal of excitement and speculation about what the character’s presence in Captain America: New World Order might men for Anthony Mackie’s Captain America. It’s been 14 years since Sterns was seen in 2008’s The Incredible Hulk when his character was exposed to some of the Hulk’s gamma irradiated blood and began his transformation into The Leader.
Now, Captain America: New World Order director Julius Onah gets to tell the next chapter in Sterns’ story and, according to him, it’s one of the reasons he took the job in the first place.
One of the things that really drew me to this project is The Leader is a man who operates from intellect. And it’s so great to have an adversary who is working with this incredible intellect to really put Sam through the wringer in this story. And again, it’s a paranoid thriller; it’s this grounded adventure where I think everything that happens in this film feels so real and intense because of who this adversary is. What he’s going to have to go through in this film is because he’s got an adversary who is so terrifyingly intelligent.
Julius Onah
Onah’s enthusiasm for The Leader and the challenge he’ll pose for Sam Wilson is encouraging. It sounds like Sam will find himself no closer than one step behind Sterns (and any possible accomplices of his) as he’s picked apart. Wilson may have to lean on his newly formed support network of Joaquin Torres and the Bradleys for some help as the “terrifyingly intelligent” Sterns’ plan unfolds. Just what Sterns will have in store for Cap will likely be kept in the dark until promotion for Captain America: New World Order starts ahead of its May 3rd, 2024 theatrical release.
As Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson has grown into larger roles over the course of his time in the MCU, there’s been a concerted effort on the part of Marvel Studios to evolve his fighting style. While he relied heavily on his sidearms during Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Captain America: Civil War, his array of flying fighting moves and the utility of his wings has grown over time. As The Falcon and The Winter Soldier VFX supervisor, Eric Leven, told Murphy’s Multiverse, a great deal of thought was put into his action sequences in that series, including how to incorporate the shield and how to reduce the amount of shooting he would do as Captain America.
Moving into his first feature film, Captain America: New World Order, Wilson’s action sequences have been handed off to Julius Onah, who is stepping into the MCU for the first tie. In an interview with Phase Zero, Onah discussed how they planned to handle Cap’s action without retreading old ground.
There’s a lot we’re going to bring to the table. Again, this is a new set of challenges and a new set of adversaries. I love classic, paranoid thrillers and that’s a big part of the inspiration for this film. We want to find action that is grounded and tactile and give him new things to do that you haven’t seen in those other films. I don’t want to spoil too much, but let’s just say we are planning some really, really exciting things.
Julius Onah
Onah’s mention of new adversaries is of note to those with a keen ear. While Tim Blake Nelson was announced as part of the cast at D23 Expo and his Samuel Sterns poses a formidable and cerebral threat, he’s certainly not the kind of character who typically engages in fisticuffs. Suddenly, who Cap might find himself squaring off against in the film becomes a very interesting question.
In the comics, Sterns was part of a group of radical and genius super-minds called the Intelligencia. However, like Sterns, most of them are more cerebral and less hands-on, though they could certainly devise a devious plan that could result in Captain America, Joaquin Torres, and new hero Sabra up against some major muscle.
We’ll wait to find out more as Captain America: New World Order won’t hit theaters until May 3, 2024.
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