The fourquel, which is seeing mixed reviews from critics, is still expected to top the box office in its second outing. However, as is the case with most blockbusters that are frontloaded, Love and Thunder is estimated to see a 65% decline for a $50 million second weekend. With yesterday’s $13.6 million haul, the film is just shy of $170 million stateside, which is actually ahead of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ first Tuesday, which only pulled in $12.6 million.
As for its second weekend decline, while it is a steep one, the projected decline is in line with the declines of Spider-Man: No Way Home (67%), Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (67%) and Eternals (62%).
Love and Thunder won’t have much competition at the box office this weekend. Paramount and Nickelodeon are releasing the animated film, Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank, while Sony/Hello Sunshine are releasing the adaptation of Where the Crawdads Sing. Both are smaller budgeted films that are not expected to pose much of a threat. Although, Paws of Fury could see Minions: The Rise of Gru fall a notch or two this weekend with the films catering to the same market. The only true competition for Love and Thunder is Top Gun: Maverick, which doesn’t show any signs of slowing down at the box office now that is has crossed $600 million stateside.
Kamala Khan’s bangle has been front and center over the course of all six episodes of Ms. Marvel, but even after the series wrapped, the bangle’s story seemingly just got a lot more interesting. The shocking post-credit scene sees Kamala’s bangle take on a life of its own, apparently energizing on its own before mysteriously sucking Kamala away and leaving Carol Danvers in her place. While it all seems pretty confusing, turning to the comics can provide some understanding.
As seen in the opening moment of Episode 3, “Destined”, the bangle worn by Kamala was originally taken from the arm of a blue being and is one of a pair of bands. Following Episode 3, it seemed pretty clear that the bangles were probably either the Quantum Bands or Nega-Bands from the pages of Marvel Comics. The events of the post-credit scene all but confirm that speculation as they showcase one of the capabilities associated with the Nega-Bands: the ability for the wearers to trade places with one another.
In the comics the Nega-Bands were created by the Kree as replicas of the Quantum Bands and while they share similar powers, they aren’t exactly the same. Most importantly, the Quantum Bands draw their power from the Quantum Zone while the Nega-Bands draw their power from the Negative Zone. It seems incredibly likely that the MCU’s version of the bands are an amalgamation of the two. Able to create energy constructs like the Quantum Bands, they are also now capable of allowing people to swap places with one another, like the Nega-Bands, as seen in the post-credit scene.
The swap seems to have been ripped straight from the pages of Marvel Comics where Kree hero Mar-Vell used the Nega-Bands to swap places with super-normie Rick Jones. Of interest to the process was that the swap always left one or the other of Mar-Vell or Jones trapped in the Negative Zone. Applying that comic book lesson to the events of the Ms. Marvel post-credit scene, it would appear that Carol makes the jump from either the already-established Quantum Realm or the soon-to-be-established-in-The-Marvels-Negative Zone. Whichever of those two places Marvel Studios chooses to call it, the implications are clear: when Carol jumped into Kamala’s room, Kamala jumped to wherever it was Carol was.
It’s unclear if Carol was wearing what might have been the other band on her wrist (in the comics they haven’t always looked the same and have been reshaped over time), but it is clear that the bands will play a large role in the plot of next summer’s Captain Marvel sequel, The Marvels. Also of interest is how Kamala’s mutant genetics allow her access to the powers of the band. In the comics, the latent X-gene was implanted into early man’s DNA by Celestials, allowing for the possibility of super-powered evolution should they ever be activated. Given the alien nature of the bands, it’s possible they were created by the Celestials, or other Cosmic beings, and simply ended up on the arm of the deceased Kree seen in Episode 3.
Whatever the nature and origin of the bands, they’ve changed Kamala Khan’s life forever and, much like the ten rings did to Shang-Chi, pushed her into a larger universe. It’s reasonable to assume that some of the first act of The Marvels will explain much more about the bands while resolving the issue of Kamala being trapped in another dimension. Fans will have to wait just over a year to find out more as The Marvels is currently set to hit theaters on July 28th, 2023.
Dormammu may have been defeated by the end of Doctor Strange, but his presence is still looming large over the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The feared ruler of the Dark Dimension did not appear in this year’s magic sequel, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, but the film’s mid-credits scene included the surprise reveal that his niece, Charlize Theron‘s Clea, would play a big role in the future of the franchise. Not to be outdone by the many wacky elements in the film, Clea makes her grand debut memorable by popping up out of nowhere in quite the extravagant ensemble.
During a recent interview with Comic Book’s Phase Zero podcast, Marvel Studios costume designer Graham Churchyard explained that, despite his absence from the movie, Clea’s dread uncle was actually a huge inspiration behind her over-the-top look. After all, the two are related, and if her backstory is anything like the comics, most of her fashion sense comes from a lifetime in the murky depths of the multiverse’s spookiest dimension. Yet, according to Churchyard, the original designs for Clea had her fitted in less aggressive attire:
Well, that was Ian Joyner and John Staub and all those amazing guys at Vis Dev, with all those illustrations. And we made that whole costume in London, but we never met her, so that was quite traumatic in itself. And then I sent that out to LA and did a couple of Zoom fittings with her and then resolved a few things with the whole amazing costume team at the Marvel warehouse, and then two or three fittings later, that was it. She was on set. But the inspiration, oh my God, that would take another whole interview by itself because that went from someone who was sort of a gardener in the dream scape in the multiverse, to then this sort of warrior, a warrior from another dimension. And she is Dormammu’s kind of daughter, niece from the Dark Dimension. So all of those things were immensely inspiring to her costume.
Graham Churchyard
It’s interesting to hear Churchyard mention the word “gardener”. Clea has always been more of a warrior than anything, but the fact Marvel toyed with giving her a more pacifist design could be an indicator of the plans they have for her in future projects. Either way, it’s good to hear that the studio kept her classic familial relations in mind when coming up with her vibe. It’s probably a good sign fans will get to see Theron face down the Sorcerer Supreme’s greatest foe somewhere down the line.
Many are still scratching their head on what exactly a Madame Web film would be about. While the character is a mainstay in the Marvel universe, or rather the Spider-Verse, it does seem strange to focus a story on a character that was mainly there for exposition. Either way, Sony is in full force on the project and according to actress Sydney Sweeney, they may have already started production.
In an interview with Variety, the actress shared that she has already started working on Madame Web alongside her co-stars, which consists of quite the stack cast. Dakota Johnson will play the titular role, and they are joined by Isabel Merced, Emma Roberts, Tahar Rahim, Celeste O’Connor, just recently Mike Epps, and more.
Currently I’m filming Madame Web. And I can’t really say anything about my character, but I’m very excited. My first Marvel movie. So it’s been a lot of fun, a lot of training and just prep work to get into it.
Syney Sweeney
With even hints that Madame Web may even have Marvel Studios backing it, the project could potentially tie into the multiverse storyline currently being told. It would be quite fun if they end up connecting this to whatever the studio currently has planned, and use it as a gateway to introduce characters they’d otherwise never get around to. Of course, we can only speculate but with Sony’s habits, you never know what a new Spider-Man universe entry might mean moving forward.
Many have been wondering what the future has in store for some of the characters from the Disney+ show. Moon Knight’s future is still in question with no clear hint at where we can expect Oscar Isaac‘s return. The same goes for the recent introduction of Hailee Steinfeld‘s Kate Bishop. We’re still waiting for an announcement for a potential season two of Hawkeye, but it seems that We’ll see her in another project.
According to Variety, Steinfeld is set to return in a future Marvel Cinematic Universe project. They don’t give away any exact information or even if we should expect either a film or Disney+ series, but it does seem they aren’t done yet with Kate Bishop. There’s also the question of if she might be joined by Jeremy Renner‘s Clint Barton, as she is still an archer in training.
Of course, there are the theories that Marvel Studios is building toward a Young Avengers Disney+ show or film. That would seem like the perfect place to reintroduce her and maybe even as her way to join the cinematic side of Marvel Studios’ offerings. With a big name like Steinfeld, it makes sense they’d want to have her return in one form or another.
For now, we still have to theorize but San Diego Comic-Con, D23 and Disney+ Day are on the horizon. Perhaps we’ll get some announcements that offer a glimpse into the future of where Marvel Studios is heading, especially with the hope for confirmation on what the Phase 4 endgame is building towards.
Thor: Love and Thunder has been teased to have quite a few deleted scenes, especially starring Jeff Goldblum, Lena Headey, and Peter Dinklage. Many were excited to see the return of the Thor: Ragnarok and Avengers: Infinity War veterans but for some reason, it ended up on the cutting room floor. As such, many were looking forward to the physical and digital release to offer a glimpse at what was going to be included. Yet, Taika Waititi has seemingly no plans to release them.
The Love and Thunder mastermind has always been rather straightforward with his answers, though he also enjoys playing with people such as the recent CGI scene that made the rounds, he has pointed out that he’s not interested in releasing the cut sequences.
And if you ask any of those actors who were cut out — Jeff Goldblum, Lena Headey, Peter Dinklage — they all understand how it works. They have been in the game long enough. But that’s just the way I look at things. […] because this is my way of telling you, like, people say, “I can’t wait for the deleted scenes with those actors.” I don’t want people to see the deleted scenes because they’re deleted for a reason: They aren’t good enough. [Laughs.] The scenes were not in the movie and that’s it.
Taika Waititi
It’s a bit of a surprise, especially with how deleted scenes are a tradition with any additional release. Of course, they may still find their way unto the blu-ray disc if Marvel Studios has the final say but it’s unclear just how much input he’ll have on the project. We still have to wait a few months until we find out.
While Benedict Cumberbatch has become THE definite Doctor Strange for many, there was a time when Marvel Studios was eyeing Joaquin Phoenix to take on the role. He famously passed on it, as he wasn’t a big fan of their multi-film contract. A lot has happened since that day, as even Marvel Studios moved away from that model, and former production lead attorney Paul Sarker revealed in an interview with The Direct that the Phoenix situation was a key catalyst for their current strategy.
But to be perfectly honest, the Joaquin Phoenix thing was unique to me, because there was a deal and because it was pretty far along. And we were hopeful that it would close, but it didn’t. And that happens. And that to bring it back full circle, things like that may be why Kevin is saying we don’t want to do these super long-term deals because we want to see what works and if it works, and people want to do more than we’d love to have [them]. We don’t want someone to feel like they’re forced.
Paul Sarker
While everyone still benefitted in the end, as Phoenix went on to make a splash with another comic book property in Joker and Cumberbatch became the de facto choice for anyone imagining what this character would look, sound, and be like. It would be fun if he does end up returning in a cameo as the multiverse continues to expand. Sometimes these things just fall into place and it also highlights once again that Marvel Studios is a studio that tends to learn with time.
Now, they have a bigger universe than ever and their talent is still interested in returning even without any real contractual obligations like in the past. Even Natalie Portman and Idris Elba returned after sharing their dismay with the contract in the past. So, who knows what else they might have started learning and adjusting.
There are many standout elements in the story of Thor: Love and Thunder, but Russell Crowe‘s Zeus was definitely a fun addition. As a member of the city of Gods, he puts on a great show and we even uncover that Thor looks up to the fellow god of lightning. One of the fun aspects of his character was that Crowe was pulling off a fun Greek accent, but according to director Taika Waititi he couldn’t quite decide on which accent to go with. So, he just had the actor play each scene with both.
No. You would love to think that, I would love to think that. We actually talked at length about the accent. We wondered if someone did a Greek accent of a Greek god, is it going to be a farce? Will it be too silly? And Russell was very much wanting it to be Greek. But I wasn’t sure, so we ended up doing two versions of every take with Russell. One in a Greek accent and then another in a British accent. Because I felt people would think Zeus would sound British like Laurence Olivier in “Clash of the Titans.
Taika Waititi
He did highlight that the Greek accent was welcomed with open arms by the test audience, and it also worked out much better. His worry about offending Greeks has seemingly been solved and Crowe‘s gut instinct was on the money.
But then I realized in post that it’s actually more offensive to the Greeks to have Zeus sound like he’s British. And test audiences loved the Greek accent. I’m really happy with it. But, yeah, he had to do every take once in the Greek accent and once with a British accent because I couldn’t make up my mind. But Russell was right all along.
Taika Waititi
It definitely is interesting to see how these ideas come together. What stands out however is that he went through the trouble of shooting both versions, which may have put a lot of weight on various parts of the production crew, especially if he couldn’t decide even going into the test screenings. Perhaps we’ll get the British Zeus with the digital and physical release.
When the news dropped that Thor: Love and Thunder would arrive ahead of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, many were surprised and wondered how they would integrate them into the story. As it turns out, they had quite a small role early on as many expected when the first trailers hinted that they’ll likely only be in an early part.
Surprisingly, it turns out that early ideas originally had the team having a bigger role. While it’s unclear just how they would’ve connected to the ending, it does seem like they were going to become the cavalry that comes rushing in to help thor in his battle against Gorr. Yet, they realized that the focus should remain on Thor and Jane Foster.
The plan was always to have them in the beginning and then move on. Because they have their own movie. There was talk about having them come back at the end. The thing is that happens in every movie. No more. No more of the cavalry coming at the end. So we shelved that idea. We just wanted Jane to come in at the end.
Taika Waititi
While it is a bit strange to not give them one last wink, potentially even teasing their future storyline as a setup for the threequel but the emotional aspect was prioritized. Plus, the friends that they made along the way were there to also set up the ending of the film. We’ll see just where the Guardians are heading with their potentially final story but we’ll have to wait and see.
Thor: Love and Thunder certainly set the table for a fifth film in the Thor franchise with a mid-credit stinger which revealed that the Olympian Prince of Power has been assigned with taking the Odinson down a peg or two. Given Zeus’ command that Hercules knock Thor from the sky and humiliate him, the fifth film has to at least BEGIN on Earth with the two titans trying to prove superiority. However, if you think the whole film is going to be Thor vs. Herc, you’re probably mistaken. The two are more likely to go the Brennan and Dale route from Stepbrothers and, by the end of the first act, realize that they are best friends who need to go on adventures together. With that in mind, here are five potential stories that could be adapted for Thor 5.
Thor: Fear Itself
In classic Marvel Studios fashion, Thor: Fear Itself would have very little in common with the comic event other than borrowing the name, which is damn catchy, and the main antagonist. Family dynamics have often been at the center of the best Thor stories in the comics and in the MCU. Thor: Love and Thunder took a bit of a break from that, but Thor: Fear Itself could return to that winning formula by introducing a pair of terrifying family members: Thor’s uncle Cul Borson and The Midgard Serpent, Jormungand, Thor’s…nephew?
Thor: Ragnarok introduced the idea of Odin keeping some pretty major secrets from everyone, an idea that could come back to haunt Thor and New Asgard. In the comics, Odin imprisoned his brother and Jormungand deep in the oceans of Earth. Having Cul, who becomes known in the comics as “The Serpent” team up with Jormungand, an actual serpent, and do battle with Thor and Herc would allow for some spectacular battle scenes fully in line with two-time director Taika Waititi’s heavy metal sensibilities. Having a long-lost uncle come into play would also give Waititi plenty of room to mess around with some comedy before an absolutely insane third act.
Thor: Journey Into Mystery
One of the greatest characters of Thor’s supporting cast that has yet to hit the MCU is Karnilla, the Queen of Norns. A part of Marvel Comics’ take on Norse Mythology since 1964, Karnilla’s alliances have shifted multiple times over the years, siding with many of Asgard’s enemies, but occasionally siding with Asgard when is served her. Karnilla was always a powerful sorceress and her connection to the Three Norns, the goddesses of fate, and their shared past with both the Asgardian and Greek pantheons could make her the perfect antagonist for Thor: Journey Into Mystery.
Pulling Karnilla into the fifth film could allow for some flashbacks to Asgard, the location of Karnilla’s home, the Nornkeep, during Thor’s younger days and MAYBE allow for Marvel Studios to FINALLY bring another major supporting character off the bench: Balder the Brave, Thor’s brother and Karnilla’s great love. As it turns out, the world of Nornheim already exists in the MCU and was visited by Thor and Loki in their younger days. Given that their trip their was only mentioned in passing during Thor, that trip to Nornheim could become whatever the writer and director of the film want it to be, including a convenient way to introduce a “dead” Balder by adapting a recent series of events from the comics that found him in Niffleheim as the ruler of Hel. With MCU’s Hel needing a new ruler in the absence of Hela, putting Balder on the throne and finding a way to make Thor and Herc end up there as part of a first act “destiny” plot wouldn’t be too hard to pull off.
It would be very Greek of Marvel Studios, and maybe pretty Norse as well, to have Thor and Herc’s partnership fated for them, even against the will of Zeus. Avengers: Age of Ultron teased the Norns a bit with the Water of Sight, so the studio has clearly considered using them, and by proxy their Queen. Given the right touch, Karnilla could be both one of Thor’s greatest villains to date and one whose true intentions the audience is never sure of.
Thor: The Last Days of Midgard
Another Earth-bound adventure worthy of the two heroes teaming up can be found in the same place from which Waititi was inspired to make Thor: Love and Thunder. Jason Aaron’s epic run on Thor introduced not only Jane Foster’s Mighty Thor and Gorr the God Butcher, but also the terrifying CEO of Roxxon oil, Dario Agger. Agger, of course, was gifted (or cursed, depending on your point of view) with the ability to transform into the mythological Greek Minotaur. You can do the calculus for yourself here: angered by Herc’s friendship with Thor, Zeus turns Agger into the Minotaur.
During Aaron’s run, Agger often teamed up with one of Thor’s oldest foes that has yet to make his way to the big screen, Ulik the Troll. In those comics, Thor teamed up with Jane’s Mighty Thor to take on these villains and he’s definitely going to need some help if the two team up to terrorize the MCU. Agger’s ties to Greece and Greek mythology make him the perfect baddie to follow up Zeus’ appearance in the MCU and square off against Hercules in Thor: The Last Days of Midgard. And Agger’s position as the head of Roxxon would also open the door for Waititi, should he return to direct the film, to use the film to bring environmental issues and the climate crisis to light, topics he’s been very vocal on in the past, making The Last Days of Midgard a haunting and appropriate subtitle.
Thor: When Meet the Immortals
Clearly any and all Marvel Studios adaptation of Marvel Comics are growing incredibly loose and this would be no different. Thor: When Meet the Immortals would take inspiration from an arc by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby that began when Thor and Hercules first met in Journey Into Mystery Annual #1 and continued as Journey Into Mystery became retitled as Thor. For the fifth entry into the Thor franchise, Waititi could work to adapt a 7-issue arc that ended with Thor #130.
This arc provides the best opportunity for Waititi to tap into the Stepbrothers-style relationship between Thor and Hercules while also giving them the type of near impossible challenge both have always thrived on in mythology and in the Marvel Comics. After being sent to Earth to humiliate Thor, The Lion of Olympus not only becomes best buds with Odinson but also falls in love with being a superhero. Enraged, Zeus enlists the help another of his offspring, the bloodthirsty Ares. Meanwhile, seeing his brother’s weakness exposed by Thor, Pluto/Hades plots against Zeus and looks to take over Olympus. Alliances change, and Thor saves the day in the third act by defeating Pluto in the “Netherworld.” An adaptation of this old arc allows for some serious god-on-god violence and provides a more appropriate place for Waititi’s trademark humor than Love and Thunder provided.
Thor: Now Ends the Universe
A common complaint about Thor: Love and Thunder was that when it was all said and done, the stakes seemed relatively low. What better way to counter that than to have the greatest stakes imaginable: the end of the universe? And what better way to spite Zeus than to have his son, who he sent to humiliate Thor, work alongside the God of Thunder as a superhero that saves the universe? And what better threat for them to take on than The Hatred Who Walks, Mangog.
While at face value the Mangog might seem like a redundant villain following Gorr the God Butcher, the character actually provides a path to redemption for the franchise following the luke warm reception to the antagonist of Love and Thunder. Just when Thor thinks he can turn the corner and look the the future, the past of his father (and, for the sake of the MCU, Herc’s father, too) comes back to haunt him in the shape of Mangog. In the comics, Mangog, the last of his race, is imprisoned by Odin after the King of Asgard slaughtered his people. We know from Ragnarok that Odin was quite the conqueror with quite few skeletons in the closet. Mangog, who is powered by the hatred of the billion billion beings slaughtered by Odin, would be quite the skeleton.
For the sake of the MCU, it would easy enough to have a cold open that showed Zeus teaming up with Odin to imprison Mangog a thousand years ago or so. Whether it be the destruction of Asgard that set the monster free or perhaps Zeus being weakened after Thor’s attack at Omnipotence City, the end result is that Mangog is free and on the hunt for the film’s MacGuffin: the Odinsword, which has the power to destroy the universe. Mangog’s sheer power makes him more than a match for Thor and Hercules and his absolutely wild appearance would make him an unforgettable antagonist. He seems perfect for Waititi and it’s surprising he’s somehow never made it to the MCU yet.
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