Tag: Marvel Studios

  • Danai Gurira to Star in a ‘Black Panther’ Okoye Origin Spin-Off Series for Disney+

    Danai Gurira to Star in a ‘Black Panther’ Okoye Origin Spin-Off Series for Disney+

    When it got announced that Ryan Coogler is developing a series that takes place in Wakanda. We have no idea what direction the series will take. It might explore the founding of the fictional Wakandan country or explore its time opening up the borders to the rest of the world. Now, it looks like there might be more in development for the Black Panther franchise, as in an article exploring the various lawyers in the entertainment industry. It mentions that Danai Gurira will return for the upcoming Black Panther: Wakanda Forever film. The thing that stands out is that she will get an original Disney+ series exploring her origins. A second trade report seemed to clarify that the Okoye origin story is a separate project from the previously announced Wakanda project being developed by Coogler. 

    Okoye has become a fan-favorite character since she appeared as the leader of the Dora Milaje. If they explore her origin, we might see her early days and what grueling training they undergo to become the protectors of their king. It would also give the franchise a reason to explore more time with T’Chaka, who had a minor role. There is also the relationship between her and Daniel Kaluuya‘s W’Kabi. We only got a brief glimpse of it in the film. So, it might be worth taking a closer look at what would lead this couple to drift apart due to their conviction to Wakanda.

    Source: Hollywood Reporter

  • ‘Eternals’ Trailer 24-Hour Viewer Count Surpasses ‘Cruella’ and ‘Black Widow’

    ‘Eternals’ Trailer 24-Hour Viewer Count Surpasses ‘Cruella’ and ‘Black Widow’

    It’s never easy to try out a brand new IP. Even a giant like Marvel Studios can’t always bank on its brand to sell the craziest concepts every time. They took a gamble when they first introduced the Marvel Cinematic Universe to the world. Their latest venture to explore the vast history of the franchise through the Eternals could’ve been another one. It looks like there was nothing to worry about, as Deadline reports that the trailer clocked in 77 million views within the first 24 hours. As such, it’s their biggest Disney-Marvel trailer drop since the pandemic started 14 months ago.

    It beat out the first trailer for Cruella, which managed a total of 71M. It even beats out numbers from projects from before the pandemic, such as Maleficent: Mistress of Evil‘s 61.7M and Aladdin‘s 60.8M. It was also the No.1 trend right after it launched and is only bested by The Falcon and Winter Soldier‘s Super Bowl spot, which included broadcast numbers. Deadline points out that the Chloé Zhao-directed film is purely going off global online traffic.

    It even manages to beat out the big return trailer for Black Widow, which announced it was heading to Disney+ Premier Access a few months ago. That trailer even managed to surpass the second one by 13 million viewers at the time. That trailer already surpassed the view count for Black Panther, WandaVision, and Loki. Sadly, we currently could not find any view counts for the Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings premiere trailer. Still, it looks like Marvel Studios has another successful franchise with Eternals in its hand if the viewer count is anything to go by. Seems even after a year of hiatus they aren’t slowing down anytime soon.

    Source: Deadline, Hollywood Reporter

  • Christopher McDonald Joins ‘Secret Invasion’

    Christopher McDonald Joins ‘Secret Invasion’

    Christopher McDonald, who played the iconic Shooter McGavin in Happy Gilmore, has joined Marvel Studios Disney Plus streaming series Secret Invasion. According to the trade report, the 66-year old McDonald will be portraying a newly created character with the potential to appear in other MCU properties down the road.

    Happy Gilmore' star Christopher McDonald avoids jail in DUI case | Fox News

    The production has been looking to cast an older male in one of two unfilled roles: a Tucker Carlson-esque news anchor role and a European spy so it’s possible that McDonald fits the bill for one of those two roles with the news anchor role making a bit more sense. Production on Secret Invasion is expected to kick off this August in the UK.

    McDonald will join Samuel L. Jackson and Ben Mendelsohn, who will reprise their roles as Nick Fury and Talos, and MCU newbies Olivia Colman, Emilia Clarke, Kingsley Ben-Adir and Killian Scott.

    Source: Deadline

     

  • ‘Loki’ Head Writer Michael Waldron Teases ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ Connection

    ‘Loki’ Head Writer Michael Waldron Teases ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ Connection

    The Marvel Cinematic Universe has slowly changed throughout the years. Some stories were isolated while others would influence or have unforeseen consequences on the events of another. As Phase 4 starts to expand, we’re starting to notice that the stories being told are more interconnected than ever before. This appears to now have become the case with the release of Junes’ Disney+ show, Loki. According to Michael Waldron, the head writer for Loki and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, there could be a potential connection between the timeline shenanigans of both projects. In an interview with Total Film, Waldron teased the connection when discussing the Doctor Strange sequel:

    All of these stories, in their own way, are interconnected, and have ramifications. I think that certainly our aim with the Loki series was for it to have wide-reaching ramifications across the MCU moving forward. So, you know, was I having to clean up some of the messes that I made [with Loki]? Maybe so.

    In the past, we’ve theorized about how multiple projects could potentially tie into the coveted Multiverse of Madness besides the recent debut of WandaVision and the upcoming release of Spider-Man: No Way Home. With Loki delving into what occurs when variants alter the timeline and create branches into alternate realities, it seems as though the Sorceror Supreme could potentially have a lot on his plate by the time we reach the release of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness once it airs next year.

    Source: TotalFilm

  • ‘WandaVision’s Jac Schaeffer Inks a 3-Year Deal With Marvel Studios and 20th Television

    ‘WandaVision’s Jac Schaeffer Inks a 3-Year Deal With Marvel Studios and 20th Television

    It looks like WandaVision was a success, as Marvel Studios and 20th Television have signed a three-year deal with its head writer Jac Schaeffer. She will be developing projects for both companies with Marvel Studios’ entries being Disney Plus exclusive. Anything developed for 20th’s TV department will be made available for all platforms. She has quite the history with Marvel Studios, as she was also co-writer for Captain Marvel and was responsible for the script of the upcoming Black Widow film. It seems Marvel Studios is quite satisfied with her work and wants to continue their partnership. Interesting enough, there is no word if she might also be returning to film as part of the deal. Expanding her work to other platforms also gives her the freedom to explore new ventures outside of the ever-expanding comic book franchise.

    Schaeffer has worked on various projects with her writing debut being 2009’s Timer. She went on to write a screenplay for Olaf’s Frozen Adventure before working on Black Widow and WandaVision. She also directed her debut film, which she might want to revisit with a future project. There is currently no word on what project she might be tackling next, as there will naturally be rumors about a second season for Disney+’s first Marvel show.

    They could also spin it off into a completely new show, such as potentially exploring White Vision’s journey after the events of the film, which we even pitched an idea that you can check out by clicking here. No matter what direction they are taking, we are seeing that Marvel Studios’ investment into long-form storytelling has paid off. We’ve seen them explore more ventures, such as Ryan Coogler developing a Wakanda-based Disney+ series. Here’s hoping we see what series she might be be tackling in the near future.

    Source: Variety

  • How ‘Eternals’ Cosmic Energy May Connect to ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’s Adam Warlock

    How ‘Eternals’ Cosmic Energy May Connect to ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’s Adam Warlock

    After a long wait, we finally got our first look at Eternals. The trailer offers a closer look at how cosmic energy works within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It acts like golden fleece that is the basis of their abilities and can serve different purposes. Thena can create weapons out of it, such as the sword we briefly see. Sersi seems to summon water as the cosmic energy flows through the ground. Even Makkari’s superspeed leaves the golden lines in a similar design that Quicksilver did in Avengers: Age of Ultron. In a way, it seems to allude that most supernatural abilities might have close ties to the Eternals through this mystical, all-encompassing power. The MCU puts a strong emphasis on energy types and connecting them to specific colors, such as the prominence of purple in Black Panther’s technology. As such, it could add more context to a character tease that has yet to pay off who shares that color scheme.

     

    The Eternals": Erste Bilder im großen Marvel-Trailer | film.at

     
    The color gold hasn’t played a considerable role in the franchise. Well, there is one exception. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 introduced us to the Sovereign. They are a genetically engineered race that lives on a collective of planets. Now, you might remember that every member of this alien race has one thing in common, their skin is pure gold. They also utilize advanced technology painted in the color due to their strong belief in the purity they reflect. The color also plays an integral role in the birthing cocoons that brings this alien race to life. 

    We have to keep in mind that Adam originally was the holder of the Soul Stone. Just like the MCU’s Vision held the Mind Stone, it was implanted on his forehead and had a deep connection to his abilities. As the stones got destroyed in Avengers: Endgame, it was uncertain if Adam’s entire origin would change. He wasn’t originally part of the Sovereign but created by the Enclave, a group of human scientists, as the perfect human in the comics. So, the new direction of the films and the golden look may connect him to that cosmic energy. We never learn of their creators in the film, and it wouldn’t be too crazy to assume the Eternals or even Celestials had some play in that.

     

    Guardians of the Galaxy: All of Adam Warlock's Powers & Abilities, Ranked

     

    As such, the golden cosmic energy we see throughout Eternals may be the basis of this alien race. If Sersi can let water flow from cosmic energy, its potential could seem limitless. So, they tested out ways to create a new form of life that ended up becoming its collective over time. The cocoon we see in the Guardians‘ post-credit sequence could be his body getting weaved out of cosmic energy into the perfect being of Ayesha’s vision. Little does she know, the Sovereign queen is playing with powers she can’t control and may lead to Adam breaking free from that race. Eternals is introducing us to the energy that will have a larger role moving forward. Perhaps the golden cosmic energy will face its silver counterpoint known as Power Cosmic in the future as well. Instead of seeking the stones, he becomes an entity of pure cosmic energy seeking its opposite to unite against a larger threat.

  • Gil Birmingham’s Casting Revealed in ‘Eternals’ Poster

    Gil Birmingham’s Casting Revealed in ‘Eternals’ Poster

    After a long wait, the first teaser for Marvel Studios’ Eternals has finally dropped. It includes first looks at the massive cast that consists of Gemma Chan, Richard Madden, Angelina Jolie, Kumail Nanjiani, Don Lee, Lia McHugh, Brian Tyree Henry, and many more. We also got a brand new poster that teases the visuals the film is going for with the official cast listing. Now, if you take a closer look at the bottom, it also includes more names that haven’t been heavily promoted. We thought we knew the entire cast of the film, but it looks like some well-known names found their way onto the poster as it confirms that Yellowstone‘s Chief Thomas Rainwater, Gil Birmingham, has joined the film in an unknown role. His inclusion also showcases the diversity of the film’s cast.

     

     

    It is unclear which role he might have but going by his placement he will have a prominent role in the film. There is a chance he could be doing the voice for one of the Celestials or even the film’s main antagonist, the Deviant Kro. So far, that is the only main character whose actor has not been revealed. Either way, the addition of Birmingham is great to see and hopefully, his role might mean we’ll see plenty more of him in the near future. The first teaser gave us a glimpse of these new alien beings that supervised the development of our world. Hopefully, the next trailer will offer a closer look at the story and why the alien race finally intervenes in humanity’s development.

    Source: Twitter

  • New ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ Set Photos Reveal a Secret New Asgard Set

    New ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ Set Photos Reveal a Secret New Asgard Set

    Thor: Love and Thunder will see the return of Taika Waititi in the director’s chair. Some of the first set photos teased a wild ride that could even trump his last outing with Thor: Ragnarok. The moment we saw Melissa McCarthy playing Hela in a stage play already teased what a wild ride is heading our way. It looks like the Daily Mail has uncovered some curious set photos from a hidden set that offers a closer look at New Asgard. They got their hands on some aerial photographs that show the construction of various buildings that reflect the set we saw in Avengers: Endgame. There are some interesting details, such as a New Asgard hotel showing they have a booming tourism economy. 

     

    There is an interesting lack of Asgard-inspired architecture, which may be added in through the blue screens. Yet, there is one very interesting piece of set design that offers some Norse flair to the set. In another aerial shot, we see a classic Viking ship with seats that seem straight out of a rollercoaster. The house next to it hints at this ship being used for sightseeing, as tourists might want to explore Norse history. Perhaps the re-enactment of Ragnarok could be part of this tour.

     

     

    What stands out with this ship is that it looks like the one we see in God of Thunder #8Christian Bales Gorr the God Butcher faced off against Thor. There is a good chance that the finale takes place on this ship. Unlike the comics, we don’t have three versions of the same character. So, it might be Chris Hemsworth‘s Thor fight the god butcher alongside the returning Natalie Portman‘s Jane Foster. There was also a comic panel where she threw a similar-looking ship at Enchantress, which would make for a fun way to take down someone. If it takes place in New Asgard, we may also see its new ruler, Tessa Thompson‘s Valkyrie, join the fray. We’ll get to spend a lot more time in New Asgard, which is exciting no matter what direction they take.

    Source: Daily Mail

  • EXCLUSIVE: ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ Used VFX Teams from Previous Raimi and TASM Films

    EXCLUSIVE: ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ Used VFX Teams from Previous Raimi and TASM Films

    As we steadily approach the release of Spider-Man: No Way Home, the anticipation grows for any new information or details regarding the upcoming film. The biggest question on everyone’s mind is whether or not the film will indeed adapt a “Live-Action” Spider-Verse storyline that will reintroduce Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield as the Spider-Men from their respective universes. Along with that rumor, there are also murmurs that the film could potentially bring in tow their fellow crewmates from the previous films such as Kirsten Dunst, Emma Stone, and many of the film’s previous villains to form a multiversal Sinister Six. While those rumors remain to be confirmed until we get an official confirmation with either a poster or a trailer, there are clues that could certainly make that rumor mill spin even faster.

    Thanks to our sources, we are able to confirm that the upcoming installment in the MCU Spider-Man saga is incorporating VFX teams that previously worked on the visual effects for both the Raimi Spider-Man trilogy and TASM films. This development is interesting for a number of reasons. First and foremost, they’ll be joining forces with the multiple teams that have worked on the effects for the previous MCU Spider-Man installations. Not only that, but Marvel Studios and Sony seem to be holding no punches when it comes to the supervisors that will helm the post-production for this project as a number of their VFX Supervisors were also the supervisors to some of the groundbreaking visual effects for Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.

     

    Having the VFX teams that worked on the previous Spider-Man franchises could be a huge indicator as to which direction this film could potentially go. If Maguire and Garfield are indeed involved in the film, then who better to have work on the VFX involving them than the people who actually worked on them all those years ago. They understand the character’s unique movements, styles, and micro-expressions better than anyone. Putting to use those models and animations that were used to bring to life the Raimi and TASM Spider-Men is a great way to differentiate the 3 Spider-Men from each other from a stylistic point of view. And even if this film doesn’t include the Spider-Verse storyline, there are scenes from both of these film franchises that have stood the test of time in terms of visual effects and it would be great to see those techniques and styles applied to better enhance the Spider-Man experience in this film. Just look at the train scene from Spider-Man 2 or the visuals from The Amazing Spider-Man franchise, which arguably had the greatest web-swinging sequence of the three iterations. Having this group of individuals work together for a film is absolutely outstanding and it’s certainly seeming like Spider-Man: No Way Home is setting itself up to be one of the most visually stunning films for Phase 4 and we can’t wait to see what this film has in store when it hits theaters in December.

  • ‘Falcon and Winter Soldier’s Head Writer Malcolm Spellman Teases Bucky’s Future

    ‘Falcon and Winter Soldier’s Head Writer Malcolm Spellman Teases Bucky’s Future

    It has already been some time since Falcon and Winter Soldier ended. Sam Wilson finally took on the mantle of Captain America. Yet, the series also gave us a closer look at Bucky’s inner struggle of finally accepting his place in the world. He was tied down by the list of things he did as the Winter Soldier that he couldn’t find inner peace. It took him the entire season and some tough love from his frenemy that he needs to start amending rather than avenging. Now, the question remains what the future holds for Bucky. Head writer Malcolm Spellman offered a small tease on where this newfound freedom might push him.

    If I tell you, then you’re going to ask me what that would be. I think Bucky is free in a way. Even coming out of Wakanda, he still wasn’t totally free. He was freed programming, but I believe Bucky is free now in a way. Look at the way he smiled at the end; he got a family, he’s invited to the cook-out, as we say in the community. He is free in a way that I think we haven’t seen, and that leads to a lot of possibilities for him.

    The way Spellman talks about Bucky’s freedom does hint at there being some potential plans for the character. Some time ago, he confirmed that we only have seen a glimmer of what Marvel Studios is working on and a Winter Soldier-focused story could be one of them. Almost half a year ago, our very own Charles Murphys uncovered that a Nomad project was being developed, which could be the perfect continuation for the character. It would also fit the description of how Bucky is free moving forward. He may also make an appearance in the newly announced Captain America 4, which Spellman is writing. At this point, anything is possible and we look forward to seeing what the future holds for Sebastian Stan and his character.

    Source: Playlist