Tag: Marvel Studios

A Version Of ‘Loki’ Could Have Seen Him Wield the Infinity Gauntlet

It’s crazy to think that Loki ended last week. The series started with an emotional journey of self-discovery and ended with the birth of the multiverse. Luckily, Marvel Studios started a great new tradition with Disney+, as the end of one show means we’ll get a little extra. Marvel Studios’ Assembled started as a special documentary series after the release of WandaVision and continued to be the center of our first glimpse behind their Disney+ show productions.

The latest one focusing on Loki offered a little extra glimpse into what the series could’ve been. In a blink-and-you-miss-it sequence, head writer Michael Waldron is standing in front of a whiteboard full of ideas. If you look closely, there’s a listing of eight points that tease a very adventurous episode for the God of Mischief. The list to its left follows the structure of the episode we ended up watching.

It’s not easy to make out, but it involves Loki visiting different time periods. He gets into various mischievous situations, which a specific highlight on sex. He starts collecting the Infinity Stones and even gets his hands on the gauntlet. Yet, after all that, he questions if it is even real and returns to the TVA. There, Mmobisu shows him their true power.

It certainly sounds like a very different episode from what we got. It also seems this was set up before the Sacred Timeline was established. Loki gathering all the Infinity Stones would’ve caused a massive Nexus event. It shows how many ideas they must’ve gone through before the show even entered production. Interestingly enough, the travel through different eras was the original pitch of the series some time back. So, it’s always great to get some insight into seeing that original idea almost made it into the Disney+ series.

Source: Disney+

July 21, 2021
‘She-Hulk’: ‘Arrow’s Josh Segarra Joins Disney+ Series

It looks like She-Hulk still had some secrets up their sleeve, as Deadline just revealed that Arrow alum Josh Segarra joined the Disney+ series. There was no confirmation which character he is playing alongside Tatiana Maslany‘s Jennifer Walters. The last casting news we got was when Jameela Jamil joined as the titular villain Titania. He joins the legal comedy that will follow the story of Bruce Banner’s cousin, who ends up getting similar abilities. Jessica Gao is the show’s head writer with Kat Coiro and Anu Valia directing.

Segarra will appear in the second season of HBO Max’s The Other Two. He played RuPaul’s boyfriend in Netflix’s AJ and the Queen. Comic book fans might recognize him as Prometheus from Arrow. So, the actor has some comedic and action experiences. There are rumblings she’ll face the Wrecking Crew, but he might not have that kind of role in the series. He might be playing Augustus Pugliese, who has been rumored for quite some time now.

Around eight months ago, we got some character description that teased She-Hulk was looking for a John Krasinksy-type person. We theorized he might play Jennifer’s roommate, who had a secret crush on her. There’s a good chance they are changing the role but keeping Pugliese. He even had a story that involved Spider-Man suing J. Jonah Jameson, which would be a perfect episode for the series after the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home. Whatever role he got, we’ll hopefully find out by the next Disney Investors Day.

Source: Deadline

July 21, 2021
‘MS. MARVEL’ Merch Hits Online Stores Ahead of Upcoming Release

With Marvel Studios Disney Plus streaming series Loki having completed its run, fans are wondering what the next live action Marvel Studios series will debut and when to expect it. Thanks to some t-shirts becoming available at Hot Topic, we probably have an answer to one of those questions and a pretty good idea for another. Ms. Marvel shirts have gone online for order indicating that we can probably expect Disney to follow their original plan and release Ms. Marvel next.

Ms. Marvel has always been next up for Disney Plus despite fans’ beliefs to the contrary. Last December during their Investor Day extravaganza, Marvel Studios released a fact sheet listing their properties in chronological order. That sheet showed Ms. Marvel and Hawkeye as late-2021 releases with Ms. Marvel coming first. While changes are always a part of the Hollywood machine and have already been made to the schedule (Loki moved by a month and Blade by a year), there has been nothing to indicate the order of these two series would be altered. In fact, it still makes a lot of sense for Hawkeye to come out in November and end it’s run before Christmas. If we were set to see Hawkeye next instead of Ms. Marvel, this article would include Hawkeye merch and it sure does not. While there’s no clear cut pattern for it yet, merch for the previous D+ series seems to have been popping up online an average of 2-3 months ahead of release, so we might be looking at a September or October release for Ms. Marvel, should that pattern hold.

Ms. Marvel is set to introduce audiences to a new version of Marvel Comics character Kamala Khan, played by Iman Vellani, to the Marvel Cinematic Multiverse and will stream exclusively on Disney Plus this year.

July 21, 2021
‘Loki’: Jack Veil Talks Kid Loki’s Time in the Void

There have been many standouts throughout Loki‘s six-episode run on Disney+. In the fifth episode, it embraced the zaniness of its Variant concept. We met one Loki after another. The episode gave. bigger focus on Richard E. Grant‘s Classic Loki, who helped our main duo in their confrontation with Alioth. There was also Alligator Loki, who has become a fan-favorite with many hooping to see his return.

Of course, many also hope to see the grand return of Kid Loki, played by Jack Veil, who was a prominent member of the Young Avengers in the comics. We only learn that he managed to kill his version of Thor and go pruned as a result of it. Sadly, we have no idea where his story led him afterward, but Veil offered some insight into his backstory in an interview with Comic Book Movie.

Many people don’t know this, but Kid Loki is the oldest one in The Void. He was pruned thousands of years before and just didn’t age because of The Void being the end of time as said by Judge Renslayer. It is also the sheer fact that he killed Thor. As I said, no other Loki would dare try or even do that successfully. That not only makes him the Oldest but the most intimidating as well.

It explains why he was the Loki in charge. Not only was he the only one able or willing to kill Thor, but he’s been trapped in the Void long enough. If he were able to escape, he would offer a unique dynamic to a group of young heroes. Here’s hoping that the show’s second season could build upon his story and further build the Young Avengers story that is being teased throughout the Disney+ series.

Source: Comic Book Movie

July 20, 2021
REPORT: Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova To Appear in Multiple ‘Hawkeye’ Episodes

Black Widow was more than just a farewell to Scarlett Johansson‘s Natasha. It also acted as a passing of the torch with Yelena Belova, played by Florence Pugh, to continue her sister’s legacy. The post-credit sequence confirmed her return in the upcoming Hawkeye Disney+ series. Julia Louis-Dreyfus‘ mysterious Val made the claim Clint Barton is behind Natasha’s death. Outside of this detail, not much is known about the upcoming series and her involvement. It seems that Cosmic Circus might offer some details on what we can expect from her upcoming appearance.

While they cannot offer any insight into her exact storyline, it luckily won’t be a one-and-done. Pugh will appear in multiple episodes of the show. Sadly, no exact insight for how many episodes we can expect her, but it looks like her search for vengeance won’t be over in an instant. We know the Tracksuit Mafia will also make an appearance. So, Clint and his new protegé, played by Hailee Steinfeld, will have quite a bit of trouble at their hands.

The series will also introduce us to Alaqua Cox as Echo. Whatever Val’s end goal is, she may have some new recruits on her radar once the show premieres sometime later this year. Currently, it doesn’t look like she will appear in the series, but Belova may also find some new friends throughout the series’ run. It seems November might be a likely release date for the series, which will most likely be the last Disney+ entry for 2021. So, here’s hoping we get a first look after What If premieres this August.

Source: Cosmic Circus, IMDb

July 20, 2021
‘Black Widow’ Takes Top Spot as Most Pirated Film in the Pandemic

The digital release of any film is a considerable risk. As such, Black Widow‘s release on Disney+ Premier Access and theaters was going to be a gamble. Not only because it influenced its theatrical run but also due to piracy. This is why a delayed-release in China is a considerable risk for Marvel Studios’ Box Office return. As predicted, it became a reality, as Torrent Freak shared their overview of the most torrented movies of the year. Marvel Studios’ latest has been holding that spot ever since it was released.

To add a positive twist to the matter, it shows the strong demand for Marvel Studios films. There always was a risk involved in releasing it via their streaming service at a price. The fact they still sold $60M is impressive, and the film caught the top spot during the pandemic for its opening weekend. It also seems that the Disney+ U.S. household viewers have nearly doubled throughout the second week, which does show a generally good development for the game.

The problem that piracy creates is the film’s longevity. Throughout its Box Office run, films gain additional income through repeat viewings. Disney+ is not a one-time payment. So, you can rewatch it from the comfort of your home. Others might take to piracy to avoid the uncertainty surrounding the pandemic. These developments are a big challenge for streaming services.

They need to find ways to protect their offerings from torrent sites. It affects others such as Amazon’s The Tomorrow War and Netflix’s Gunpowder Milkshake joining the Top Three. Piracy is a general issue but took on a whole new level during the pandemic. The big question is if Jungle Cruise will face similar developments and if it might be the end of Disney Premier Access.

Source: Torrent Freak, Gadgets 360

July 20, 2021
‘Black Widow’ Nearly Doubled Its U.S. Disney+ Viewing Households In Its Second Week

There has been much debate surrounding Black Widow‘s release. Its second weekend saw a sharp drop at the Box Office, which was on par with other releases in the pandemic. What didn’t help was that Disney+ did not release the official numbers for the second week. So far, we only are aware that they made $60M from their Premier Access service. Once again, we have to rely on third-party analysts to figure out how exactly the film will perform on the streaming service. Luckily, Samba TV offered insight into how many US households watched Marvel Studios’ latest during its release. Keep in mind, these are estimates and not official numbers.

It seems that they almost doubled the viewership, as it rose from 1.1M households to 2M over the last week. So, an estimated 900K purchased the film from July 12th up until the 18th. It’s quite an impressive number that could hint at a steady growth on the streamer. Their analysis is based on 3M SmartTV terrestrial households that consume a show or film for at least five minutes. It doesn’t include mobile viewers.

Going by their analysis, the film managed a domestic total of $131.6M through Disney+ alone. Even with the 67% drop in its second weekend, the film still earned $263M so far. If you add in the Diseny+ Premier Access numbers, Black Widow might already be nearing $400M. It’s impressive growth, but piracy is still an issue with simultaneous releases. It’ll hurt the film’s Box Office legs which are already questionable due to the pandemic’s influence on the cinema market.

There’s a strong likelihood that Jungle Cruise will be the last Disney film to use this model moving forward, even if they only have to share around 15% with platform providers rather than the 40% cinema share. Whatever happens, we’ll certainly be keeping a close eye on its development and what it could mean for Marvel Studios’ next release, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.

Source: Deadline, The Numbers

July 19, 2021
Mahershala Ali’s ‘Blade’ Eyeing ‘Mogul Mowgli’ Director Bassam Tariq

It looks like Marvel Studios has finally found its director for the Mahershala Ali-led Blade film. Deadline is reporting that Bassam Tariq is in talks to join the project to bring the famous vampire hunter to life. Stacy Osei-Kuffour joined the project around five months ago to write its script after her work on HBO’s Watchmen. The director is best known for his work on Mogul Mowgli, where he worked together with Riz Ahmed. Negotiations aren’t final as of now. It seems they’ve been meeting with dozen of candidates since last fall.

Marvel Studios has been hard at work finding a director for this project. They’ve gone through various options, such as a writer-director but then decided to hire Osei-Kuffor. Her joining the project shortened the list of potential candidates. It looks like Tariq’s pitch was the one to beat out the rest but he has yet to sign a deal. The film originally was pitched by Mahershala Ali, who is heavily involved with the film’s development.

It’ll be the director’s first major deal and is similar to how they chose Taika Waititi after his success with Hunt for the Wilderpeople. His vision of introducing the vampires officially into the MCU will be a must-watch, as it could open up darker avenues for the company. It seemed early on that the film was going to release October 2022, but the search for the right team delayed the production by quite a bit. Still, it’s good they are prioritizing the project and not rushing it out to hit a specific deadline.

Source: Deadline

July 19, 2021
‘Loki’s Threshold: A Scarlet Nexus Event Into the Multiverse

There’s still a lot to digest from Loki‘s grand finale. Time is no longer what it used to be, and we face a multiverse of problems. He Who Remains warned our loving duo that the other villains to follow are far more dangerous than his control over the Sacred Timeline. Yet, throughout all the explanations on the future coming of Kang, we break past a threshold. The point of no return where a single choice will change the outcome of the entire multiverse. All eyes were on Jonathan Majors‘ performance. So, we never thought to question what that very threshold ended up being. So, let’s take a closer look and see what may cause such an event where even the master of time has no more control.

Once the threshold got broken, we see the multiverse slowly grow. It’s not at one point but multiple nexus events simultaneously. The show implied that it would be Sylvie and Loki’s love that ends everything. Yet, the threshold takes hold long before the kiss. It does lead to the eventual breaking point, as it is the last act in deviance before the multiverse completely breaks free. In the end, it wasn’t the literal breaking point but rather the event that would push it. He Who Remains knew their journey. So, the events beyond that point were merely a prediction. In a way, the way he acts before his death. It seemed like it was his hope of freedom. Somehow it was He Who Remains’ last act of free will. Even if he knew nothing beyond that point, he did know of the threshold’s existence and potential.

Yet, if he knows what will happen throughout time, what kind of chaos would keep him from knowing beyond this point. The Time Variance Authority’s existence is to keep order across the Sacred Timeline. In a way, their natural enemy would be chaos. It’s an important element we’ve gotten introduced to in the first Disney+ series by Marvel Studios. In WandaVision, we learn that the Darkhold predicted the coming of the Scarlet Witch. A being forged out of chaos magic that may break reality as we know it. Her chapter states she will destroy the world. Yet, it never specifies which one. It doesn’t even specify but we know it connects to Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of the Madness.

All we know is the Darkhold in her possession may break reality as we know it. With the rumored appearance of Shuma-Gorath, perhaps the book was created by this being rather than Cthon to lure the being to break him free from the restraints of time. Perhaps the Scarlet Witch is a nexus being within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but not in the way we know it from the comics. Loki introduces us to Nexus events that create Variants within the Sacred Timeline. Perhaps, her fully coming into control of that power created the ultimate Variant. Her existence of pure chaos energy is not just a Nexus event but an entire being. The word exists within her dreams for a reason.

Even from an outsider’s perspective of time, it is an “event” that happens randomly to onlookers. In a way, it happens at a transfixed point of time outside of the literal timeline. The man knew when Loki and Sylvie’s Variants would come into existence. So, he must know when the Scarlet Witch would be born. He exists beyond time, but the only variable to how time breaks is through a Variant. From an outside perspective, time is flat. They aren’t living at a specific point in time. Yet, the threshold echoed throughout the room as a certain event passed. So, the only way a breaking point erupts is when a specific Variant breaks away from the timeline. We learn that Loki’s are the most frequent visitors of the TVA. They are agents of chaos. As such, they can easily break free from their timely restraints. In a way, a being that forged in pure chaos could even break beyond those limitations that even He Who Remains loses sight of what is to come.

July 19, 2021
‘Loki’: Open Questions for Season 2
After a long six-week wait, Loki has come to an end. Luckily, it is just the beginning as a second season is already in the books. Even if it closed many questions, there are still quite a few questions left remaining. As we enter the Marvel Cinematic Multiverse, it’s time to ask how the events of this first season will shape the second.
- Loki and Sylvie learn that free will is an illusion after meeting Jonathan Majors’ He Who Remains. A season of running through time and introspection led them to a dissertation of horror. This leads to Sylvie’s dead-set thirst for vengeance being quenched, and Loki being left alone. The additional gut punch comes when even Mobius and B-15 don’t recognize him. We are left questioning what happened and if Loki will be able to trust again or fall back to his old ways.
- We know that Jonathan Majors will return as Kang the Conquerer in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. He Who Remains made sure to warn Loki, Sylvie, and the audience with his chilling words in the finale. It does open the question if we will see any of those Variants before then, or will we just have to wait for the second season. The terror is foreboding, whether it’s Kang, Scarlet Centurion, or Rama Tut, all as we know is in grave danger.
- Ravonna still has faith in the TVA. She wants to know the truth and heads out on the search for free will. We know the comic book implications of Ravonna and Kang throughout history. Miss Minutes changed the notes Ravonna downloaded and she’s on her way to somewhere else in time. Whatever her goal is, it may redefine her own path moving forward.
- One has to wonder if He Who Remains knew that the kiss between Loki and Sylvie would be the Nexus event that breaks the timeline. As Sylvie chooses to breaks time as we know it, where does she go from here? She has spent her life believing that she deserved retribution. Consumed by it, now nothing will ever be the same. It’s quite the weight to carry. Will she find Loki and try to repair things? Maybe not immediately. It feels like there’s a new road for her to travel in light of the cataclysmic events.
There’s a lot to accomplish in the second season, as it continues to build upon the rules set in the first season. We don’t know what the Multiverse truly has in store with only inclinations for the Doctor Strange and Spider-Man sequels. We have no idea when the second season releases and how it ties into the overarching storyline set with future installments. Of course, the only question that truly matters at the end of the day is if Mobius finally gets to ride a jet ski next season.
July 18, 2021