Tag: Marvel Studios

EXCLUSIVE: Tara Strong Had No Idea She Was Auditioning for ‘Loki’s Miss Minutes

With Loki set to wrap its first season up later this week, fans are eager to uncover the secrets of the Time Variance Authority. We were just as confused as Loki on what was going on when he got dragged into the organization’s offices for the first time. Luckily, Miss Minutes, who is a living animated clock just bursting with southern charm, explained their origin.

Minutes is voiced by none other than the famous voice actress Tara Strong. She is no stranger to superhero stories, as she worked on Teen Titans, Powerpuff Girls, Ben 10, and famously voices Harley Quinn in many different shows. In a recent interview with our very own Charles Murphy, Strong revealed just how different the audition process behind this project was compared to others.

You know initially in the audition, when I get an audition it’ll have a drawing of the character, a character description, a show bible with what this world was all about, and I didn’t get any of that for Miss Minutes. In fact, I called my agent to learn more about her, because everything I get feeds into how I go into creating an audition and I auditioned first in my home studio and they couldn’t get anymore information. I didn’t even know what show I was auditioning for.

With so much mystery surrounding this process, she mentioned how she navigated her way through this process and how Miss Minutes was created. It seems she and director Kate Herron built upon her initial pitch without knowing fully what character she is going to play.

So, I’ll take between ten minutes or three hours ’till I get it exactly how I want it and they said to try one with an accent. So, I did this sort of Southern Belle and they really liked that and then it wasn’t ’till I booked it that I knew what it was and then working on the Zoom with Kate and them playing me which audition they really liked and we worked on that collabratively to get it exactly where Miss Minutes is now.

Strong‘s charming take on the character sure won fans over as she quickly became loved by fans of the show. We’ll see if we get more of Miss Minutes in the upcoming finale, but with her origin still remaining a mystery, there’s still a lot we can learn about the character.

July 12, 2021
EXCLUSIVE: Tara Strong Talks Miss Minutes Mysterious Origins And ‘Loki’ Fan Theories

Loki has taken Marvel fans by storm as each episode slowly unraveled the sinister secrets behind the TVA. We are so close to the finale, and everyone is still wondering who is the mysterious mastermind behind the organization and the robotic Time-Keepers. There have been countless fan theories on the true identity of the man in the castle. The list includes a Loki Variant, Kang the Conqueror, and even the adorable Miss Minutes.

Luckily, our very own Charles Murphy got the chance to sit down with Miss Minutes herself, Tara Strong. She didn’t give away what we can expect in the next episode, but she gave a cheeky in-character answer when asked. She did share her love for the various fan theories that Miss Minutes is the evil mastermind behind the series.

I love, you know, connecting with the fans and seeing what they’re doing on social media. I’ve loved all the art that’s been made. It’s been incredible. And I love all their theories, I can’t comment if things are right or not, but it’s been fun to see people so invested in the show.

She also talks about the challenge of playing Miss Minutes, who is an original creation for the show. Strong didn’t have a chance to research the character’s backstory and implied she still doesn’t know her origin. It’s a curious reveal if you consider her origin should tie directly into the TVA. Perhaps it is something they are keeping open to explore in the future if it doesn’t get answered in the upcoming finale. Whatever happens, Minutes will certainly stick with audiences and she hopefully has a long history ahead of her in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

July 12, 2021
EXCLUSIVE: Tara Strong Says ‘LOKI’ Finale Will Leave Fans “Happy and Excited” After a “Great Ride”

While Marvel Studios has made quite a splash in the streaming market with its first two original series WandaVision and The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, there’s been some sentiment among the fans that neither series really stuck the landing in their respective finales. With the finale of Loki just over a day away, fans are starting to wonder if this series, which has been incredible so far, will follow suit. Earlier today, I chatted with Tara Strong, who voices the TVA’s AI interface Miss Minutes, and asked her how fans would feel after this week’s episode.

They’re going to be so happy. A lot of times you watch a show and you’re invested in a show and the final episode leaves you disappointed. And I think this series of Loki, from start to finish, has been one of the most stellar, perfect shows I’ve ever seen and everyone’s just going to happy and excited and feel like they’ve gone on a great, great ride.

Strong’s answer should leave fans feeling pretty hopeful about how Kate Herron, Michael Waldron, and the rest of the series’ creative team have chosen to wrap up the first season of the show. We know that Loki and Sylvie are headed to the citadel at the end of time to take on whoever is the true power behind the TVA (who could it be?) and that the MCU is headed towards the Multiverse of Madness, so it seems that not only will the finale wrap up this episode but also serve as a springboard into the next wave of Phase 4.

July 12, 2021
‘Black Widow’ and the Potential Future of the Taskmaster Protocol

Marvel Studios made a grand return to cinemas, as Black Widow released after a year-long release. We got a final goodbye to Scarlett Johansson‘s character. We also were introduced to a unique spin on the iconic Marvel villain, Taskmaster. In this universe, it wasn’t Tony Masters that donned the skull-like helmet but rather the daughter of the Red Room’s big head, Dreykov. She isn’t a mercenary but a pawn of the Red Room and an emotional anchor for Natasha’s arc in the film. The question on everyone’s mind is this the end of Taskmaster? I’d argue it is just the beginning.

The cheekily-named Antonia uses an implant in the back of her neck and her helmet’s visor to analyze people’s movement. It’s nowhere near the character’s comic roots, where it was an innate ability of the mercenary. He was born with a photographic memory and enhanced it through a failed Super-Soldier serum that came at the price of his memory each time he learned something new. It was his arrogance and desire for power that compelled him to seek the abilities over his life.

The thing that stands out about Antonia’s story is that she isn’t Taskmaster but rather is part of the Taskmaster Protocol. While they went with a more tech-based direction, it doesn’t exclude the fact that someone can carry on the mantle. Her story is over as she finally got freed from her father’s manipulation. There is no emotional anchor for her to continue her life as the titular villain. Yet, a group of young Widows seeking guidance in a world that would reject them? They spent their life as rained killers, and as we learn in the post-credit sequence, there isn’t much else the world has to offer.

So, they end up in the hands of Val and her associate, Tony Masters. A former SHIELD agent who has built up quite the reputation as a demanding trainer. He’ll take them under his wing but finds quite a curiosity in the Taskmaster protocol. He’s been known for his memory and sees it as a possibility to enhance his inherent ability. So, he promises to help free Antonia from her microchip for the price of getting access to it.

Once he implants it into the back of his neck, even using an enhanced version, his brain cannot sustain it. It was tailor-made with Antonia’s injuries in mind. He slowly starts forgetting things, even the thing that caused it. In his head, he always had these abilities and continues training the Widows. There are traces of memories in his mind, and he believes he was the original Taskmaster. As such, he takes on the mantle. He even adapts the suit to his liking and takes on mercenary or even training jobs on the side. The whole world has no idea who Antonia was, but they will know who Tony Masters is.

July 12, 2021
‘Black Widow’: O-T Fagbenle Initially Auditioned for a Different Role

If you are still wary of spoilers, the following article will discuss the twist involving Taskmaster. Only continue reading at your own risk.

There has been much debate online regarding the Taskmaster twist in Black Widow. For a long time, we’ve kind of expected it to be O-T Fagbenle to reveal he is behind the skull-inspired mask. Well, the film certainty surprised us when it turned out to be Olga Kurylenko‘s character of Antonia, the daughter of the film’s main antagonist. After being used as a human bomb in Natasha’s darker years, she ended up surviving and getting outfitted with a chip that lets her copy everyone’s abilities.

It was certainly a surprise and a far removal of the original character known as Tony Masters in the comics. So, some wondered if the character may have changed throughout the filming process, as there were some rumors of a male antagonist getting cast. In an interview with Buzzfeed, Fangbenle revealed that he indeed originally was auditioning for a different role.

You know what? The audition process was funny, because my character was very different. The character I auditioned for was very, very different. I had a different accent and everything. Then the character changed and Cate liked me, so I thought I’d have to audition again. But she was like, “Nah, just come” and I was like, Alright, sure, okay.” The funny thing is there was a time I didn’t think I’d be able to do it. At the time, I was writing and directing my own TV show called Maxxx on Hulu. It looked like there was going be a clash and I’d have to decide which one I’d be able to do. Luckily, they managed to make it happen, so I got to do both.

It sounds like he originally got cast for the role of Taskmaster. We don’t know why any changes happened, but it seems like they shifted towards the current incarnation at some point in production. In the end, he did get a Marvel comics-inspired role as the character Rick Mason, who is better known as the Agent. Perhaps the original casting was a misdirect to avoid the twist finding its way online.

He primarily has a support role throughout the film supplying Natasha with whatever she needs. It’s an oddly underused character that still adds some fun scenes to the film. Of course, he might be building up to a bigger role moving forward in the MCU. We also don’t know if Taskmaster will make a return. They may pass the torch to a brand new character.

Source: Buzzfeed, That Hashtag Show

July 12, 2021
‘What If’: Andy Serkis Confirms Return as Ulysses Klaue in Disney+ Series

What If‘s latest trailer shocked people when Tony Stark appeared on screen not voiced by Robert Downey Jr. While there were rumblings that not every MCU cast member was open to returning in the animated series, it still was strange to see it happen. Especially if you consider how many iconic stars are returning to reprise their roles. All the way when the first cast listing was announced during SDCC 2019, we wondered if they purposely left some out. It seems we were right, as Andy Serkis just confirmed via his Instagram page that he’ll return in the upcoming series as Ulysses Klaue.

View this post on Instagram

Klaue made his MCU debut in Avengers: Age of Ultron before stealing every scene in Black Panther. Sadly, the character met his untimely doom at the hands of Killmonger. He is getting an episode focused on his unlikely alliance with Tony Stark. We got a brief snippet of how they meet in the latest trailer and even see him in Wakanda. A toy leak may have also confirmed he might take on another mantle in the series. Klaue might once again be his entry point into the African metropolis, as he is the only one who knows how to break into the secure city.

It’s fantastic seeing Andy Serkis return, as he was a personal highlight whenever he was on screen. Exploring the multiverse also opens up many possibilities to revisit these characters in new and curious ways. There was always hope they might revisit T’Chaka’s early years where Klaue first got his hands on the rare metal Vibranium. There’s a lot of history that is worth exploring. It could be worth exploring in the untitled Wakanda Disney+ series. Here’s hoping his return might signal more in the MCU’s future.

Source: Instagram, Twitter

July 12, 2021
REPORT: ‘Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls’ Villain to Join ‘Hawkeye’ Cast

Just recently, we’ve may have accidentally gotten an estimation on when Disney+’s Hawkeye series might finally drop this year. It seems likely it is eyeing a potential November release date, but nothing is set in stone. We haven’t heard much on it since around two months ago images leaked online revealing Jeremy Renner wearing Clint Barton’s iconic costume from the comics alongside Alaqua Cox‘s Echo. It looks like we might have gotten some more news as Cosmic Circus is reporting that Simon Callow has joined the series.

Sadly, the information on his role is sparse but supposedly will have a key role in the earlier episodes. He may have ties to Tony Dalton‘s Jack Duquesne, who is better known as Swordsman. Cowell has a long history with cinema and TV, which goes as far back as 1975’s Get Some In! and 1984’s Amadeus. The British actor has also appeared in films like 1998’s Shakespeare in Love and even 1995’s Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls. In the latter, he played the main antagonist of the film, Vincent Cadby. He also appeared in some pop-culture favorite franchises like the BBC series Doctor Who as Charles Dickens and Netflix’s The Witcher.

It’ll be interesting to see what role he has in the series. If they use this show to explore Hawkeye’s past before he joined SHIELD, it wouldn’t be too surprising for him to play Ringmaster. It would make the most sense, but the Disney+ series has surprised us in the past. He may even be a father figure to Echo, who’ll have a prominent role throughout the series and could also connect to Swordsman in some way. Marvel Studios has kept the series’ plot under wraps and here’s hoping we get a trailer in the near future to offer some more insight on what we can expect from the archer’s grand return.

Source: Cosmic Circus

July 12, 2021
Open Questions That Need Answering In the ‘Loki’ Finale
Loki has been an incredible series of character development and introspection through the first five episodes. We are only one episode away from finally finding out who the man in the high castle is. There have been quite a few comic-based hints that it is, in fact, Kang the Conquerer. Our very own Charles Murphy even noticed that one of his alter-egos, Scarlet Centurion, was hinted at through the hourglass designs in the TVA offices. Besides the man behind the curtain, some other questions are still open:
- It will be fascinating to learn more about the motivations of the TVA founder. Even knowing who it is, the real question remains: what exactly is their purpose? Audiences have been waiting for it all to make sense and find out why the organization exists n the first place?
- There’s one more major player of the TVA who seems to know more than she lets on. Yet, the latest episode seems to imply that she doesn’t know the true face behind the Time-Keepers in her conversation with B-15. Is she just a willing participant, or is she trying to figure out who’s hanging out in that castle? One thing for sure, Judge Renslayer is a lot more cunning than we give her credit.
- Mobius has a one-way ticket to letting everyone know the truth about the TVA and its dealings. There’s a world where we all want Mobius to ride off in the sunset on a jet ski, but this doesn’t seem like a show with happy endings or immediate ones. There needs to be one more conversation between Mobius and Ravonna if you consider their relationship. It opens the question of what the future holds for the TVA.
- Kid Loki decided to stay in the void, unlike Classic Loki. His connections with the Young Avengers would give him reason to escape this place. If that is the case, how does he leave the void? Jack Veal certailny gives his character a strong presence and moxie. It would be a waste not to build upon that.
Of course, the core of this story is about Loki and Sylvie. The connection between the two is undeniable. Loki’s story of introspection and character development has made this show a treat. Sophia Di Martino also made Sylvie compelling in so many ways. The next episode will give us the revelation we’ve been waiting for anxiously. No, not the man behind the curtain, but if their relationship will continue to flourish or find an abrupt end. Will they be conquerors or the conquered? It feels like one episode wouldn’t be enough to explain it all, but we most certainly shall see how it all turns out in the Loki finale.
July 11, 2021
Connecting Imaginary Dots: ‘HAWKEYE’ Could Be Aiming for a November Release

CONNECTING IMAGINARY DOTS ARE PIECES WE WRITE HERE THAT ALLOW US TO BE WHAT WE ALL TRULY ARE: FANS. THESE SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN AS SCOOPS, EXCLUSIVES OR FACTS; JUST SPECULATION ABOUT THE THINGS FOR WHICH WE ALL SHARE A GREAT PASSION.

Loki is winding down and we finally have a start date for Marvel Studios first animated series, What If…? but MCU fans are always keeping one eye on the future. On that note, the release dates of two other Marvel Studios streaming series due out this year, Ms. Marvel and Hawkeye, are a constant topic of conversation among fans on social media. Over the past week, sharp-eyed fans picked up a couple of hints that might not only give us a decent idea of when one will release, but also leave a perfect-sized space for another.

Just a couple of days ago, an Instagram post by Lauren Ridloff, who posed alongside Hawkeye’s Alaqua Cox, indicated that Hawkeye was set for the “Fall.”

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Fall is a pretty cool season but it is defined as late-September to late-December astronomically, from September through November meteorologically and in Hollywood generally means “pre-Christmas”, so Fall doesn’t really do much. Thankfully, one of Cox’s Hawkeye co-stars, Fra Fee, who will bring Matt Fraction and David Aja’s Kazimierz Kazimierczak to life, may have given us a bit more information on when to expect the streamer.

Fee recently posted a picture of a Captain America collar on his dog and was told he had the “wrong hero” (a pretty clear reference to the fact that he’s starring in Hawkeye). Fee’s response, while interesting, certainly shouldn’t be taken as gospel at this point but might give fans a place to draw their bullseye for when to expect the Avenging Archer and Kate Bishop to hit Disney Plus.

Interestingly enough, November falls into Fall no matter which definition you choose and lines up with some previous information that was shared with Murphy’s Multiverse Patrons several months ago (my personal best GUESS is a November 17th debut). A November release for Hawkeye would also seem to indicate that the other series set for 2021, Ms. Marvel, would stream first, as indicated by Disney at their Investor Day presentation last December. So while nothing is confirmed until Disney announces it (and even then it can move, just like Loki), fans who are interested in the release dates of these projects can have a little more evidence to help them make their own guesses.

July 10, 2021
‘Black Widow’s Friday Domestic Box Office Soars to $40M, Currently Eyeing $89M+ Weekend

We’ve all been keeping a close eye on Black Widow‘s Box Office performance. The industry has been slowly recovering but things weren’t always clear-cut moving forward. As future Marvel Studios’ entries aren’t announced with a Disney+ simultaneous release, its opening weekend could be the signifier if cinemas have recovered enough to focus on cinema-only releases for the rest of the year. Luckily, its Thursday screenings already had a record pandemic number with $13.1M. It broke F9‘s release even with the availability through Disney+’s Premiere Access that offers moviegoers to buy the film on their streaming service. It looks like it hasn’t lost any momentum, as it has now pulled in $39.5M on Friday.

At its current rate, a minimum of $89 seems like a definite over the three-day weekend. Yet, if it keeps up the momentum it could potentially pass the $100M mark. It is their first release since 2019’s Spider-Man: Far From Home. The first trailer for Black Widow was released around two years ago. So, it’s also being affected by how late Even at its lower prediction, the film will be the best domestic opener in the pandemic. Even better, this will be the first Box Office weekend to pass the $125M mark since the pandemic started.

Overall, the film is on par with some of Marvel Studios’ pre-pandemic releases and the only worry is that current predictions see a drop in its Saturday earnings. Keep in mind that the Friday earnings also include Thursday’s 13.1M. So, the film earned 23.3M on Friday alone. Tomorrow will be the big test for its chances at passing the $100M mark, but its release on Disney+ also adds some uncertainty. There’s a chance that Disney has also made considerable earnings in addition, which goes directly into their own pocket.

As of now, its momentum is on par with Ant-Man and the Wasp as well as Spider-Man: Homecoming. Forbes’ Scott Mendelson points out that this opening is pretty on par with pre-pandemic expectations due to some key factors. The big question is how the film’s legs will be post its release weekend. Even if it has a middle-tier Marvel Studios opening, it could have the same legs as the previously mentioned film sand eye a potential $245M domestic run. It might even manage around $305M. The only uncertainty remains if the film will even get a Chinese release, which could boost its overall performance. For now, only time will tell and the rest of the weekend will determine where it ends up.

Source: Collider, Deadline, Forbes, Variety

July 10, 2021