Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Marvel Studios

  • ‘Spider-Man 4’ Reportedly Undergoing a Major Overhaul

    ‘Spider-Man 4’ Reportedly Undergoing a Major Overhaul

    Unbelievably, the tenth anniversary of Marvel Studios and Sony’s agreement to enter into an unprecedented collaboration to produce Spider-Man films set within the Marvel Cinematic Universe is just months away. In February 2015, the two studios struck a deal that allowed a then-as-yet uncast actor to star in Marvel Studios-produced and Sony-distributed films while also appearing in other major crossover events made solely by Marvel Studios. Over the next seven years, Tom Holland’s Peter Parker appeared in a total of six projects and became one of the MCU’s most beloved characters.

    In 2021, ahead of the release of Spider-Man: No Way Home, which put a bow on the MCU-set Spider-Man trilogy, Marvel Studios One Above All, Kevin Feige, assured fans that development on a fourth Spidey film had already begun in collaboration with Sony. Nearly three years later, while there have been plenty of reports and rumors about Spider-Man 4, there’s been no official word about when to expect the project in theaters.

    Amy [Pascal] and I and Disney and Sony are talking about — yes, we’re actively beginning to develop where the story heads next, which I only say outright because I don’t want fans to go through any separation trauma like what happened after “Far From Home.”

    -Kevin Feige, December 2021
    spider man 4

    Holland reportedly struck a deal to stay on as the Wall-Crawler in 2022 shortly after Feige revealed that Spider-Man and Daredevil were set to lead the MCU’s crew of street-level heroes through the Multiverse Saga. In an early 2023 interview with EW, Feige revealed that the studio cracked the story for Spider-Man 4 and that development on the script had begun. “All I will say is that we have the story,” said Feige. “We have big ideas for that, and our writers are just putting pen to paper now.” Though the work stoppages of 2023 slowed progress on putting that story together, details on the plot of the first installment of the new Spidey trilogy emerged. Spinning, in part, out of the events of the D+ streaming series Daredevil: Born Again, Spider-Man 4 was rumored to feature a “street-level civil war” that would see Spidey and Daredevil gather a team of heroes to take on Wilson Fisk’s Kingpin. With the story in place and production reported to be scheduled for a late 2024 start, a 2025 release for the film seemed possible; however, as time went on without any official word from Sony, fans began to wonder what was going on behind the scenes and with the most recent update indicating there’s been a delay in production that might push the film’s release to 2026, some new information has emerged that might explain why things haven’t gotten underway quite yet.

    According to reliable MCU insider Daniel RPK, Spider-Man 4 is now being developed as a “multiverse” project.

    Though no other details about the new direction of the film, fans have already expressed disappointment in another multiverse project; however, it’s possible that those frustrated fans aren’t looking through the multiversal lens clearly. While the concern about adding multiversal components to the story of Spider-Man 4 is understandable, it does not mean the “street-level civil war” has been removed from the film and could quite possibly point toward Miles Morales swinging into the MCU to join the fray.

    While the distaste for Spider-Man 4 evolving into “another” multiverse project is at least somewhat understandable given that was the premise of Spider-Man: No Way Home, a Peter and Miles team-up would likely be wildly successful. While it wouldn’t have the same R-rated tone as Deadpool & Wolverine, a Spider-Men film would do big business at the box office while allowing Miles to get into the game ahead of Avengers: Secret Wars. Fans of Jonathan Hickman‘s 2015 Marvel Comics event, Secret Wars, will remember just how large of a role Miles played in foiling Doom’s plans, so bringing him on board before the 2027 film would allow for the character to do his thing there while also prepping him as a star for the studio’s post-Multiverse Saga future.

  • The 2026 MCU Theatrical Slate Is Reportedly Changing Yet Again

    The 2026 MCU Theatrical Slate Is Reportedly Changing Yet Again

    To say that Marvel Studios’ Multiverse Saga has been uneven may be an understatement. It seems, however, that some downtime during the work stoppages of 2023 was fruitful for the studio as it has rolled out a string of well-received projects in 2024. With Deadpool & Wolverine marking a return to form at the box office and Robert Downey Jr. returning to bring the Saga’s new big bad, Victor Von Doom, to life, it seems as though there’s a bright future ahead for Marvel Studios…but what exactly does that future hold?

    Heard into the summer convention circuit, fans were holding out hope that the studio’s head honcho, Kevin Feige, would roll out the all-new, all-different Multiverse Saga slate. Convention season has come and gone, though, and other than a retitled Avengers movie, Feige didn’t pull back the curtain to reveal anything fans didn’t already know. Choosing to focus the studio’s time at SDCC and D23 on its 2025 slate of films and streaming series, the Feigester didn’t shed any light on what films would join Avengers: Doomsday in 2026 instead quietly removing one project from the slate. At the time, fans had some ideas about Marvel’s motives behind the move and now it looks as though they might have been right.

    According to longtime Marvel Studios insider Daniel RPK, Marvel Studios and Sony are currently planning to get production on Spider-Man 4 underway in early 2025 with an eye on having the film ready to release in theaters on July 24, 2026.

    The studios were previously believed to be reporting a Fall 2024 start of production with Sony reportedly pushing for a 2025 debut for the film; however, as we enter the final third of the year, there’s been no word on a director for the project. Should the latest report on Spider-Man 4 hold true, it would join two currently untitled Marvel Studios releases and Avengers: Doomsday on the slate.

    • February 13, 2026: Untitled Marvel Studios Film
    • May 1, 2026: Avengers: Doomsday
    • July 24, 2026: Spider-Man 4
    • November 6, 2026: Untitled Marvel Studios Film

    With a pair of streaming series (Wonder Man and Vision) also expected to be ready for release on Disney Plus, 2026 could be shaping up to be a very bountiful year for Marvel Studios.

  • Ultron’s Return May Give New Life to a ‘Runaways’ Throwaway

    Ultron’s Return May Give New Life to a ‘Runaways’ Throwaway

    Few Marvel Comics IPs have as interesting of a story to tell over the last decade and a half as the Runaways. Originally intended to be one of the studio’s earliest Infinity Saga films with development beginning in 2008, the project was scrapped following the success of 2012’s Avengers and the realization that the MCU could truly thrive financially by going bigger. In 2016, Marvel Television–no, the old one–partnered with Hulu to begin development on a streaming adaptation of the property which debuted in 2017. Over three seasons and 33 episodes, Runaways proved to be a critical darling but as the old Marvel Television branch run by Jeph Loeb began to be put down, the series came to a premature end in 2019.

    Despite sharing some storytelling elements with Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Runaways is not only nowhere to be found in the Marvel section of Disney Plus but also was pulled from Hulu, the streaming service that originally presented it. So while Marvel Studios has mad moves behind the scenes to canonize Marvel Television’s Netflix Defender-verse series, Runaways–despite being both popular and promising–has been given the Sloth treatment and been chained in the basement by Mama Fratelli, hidden away while its brother and sister series are allowed to see the light of day. It was strange fate indeed for a property that once seemed to hold so much promise as part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe but even as time and measures taken by Disney help erode the memory of the Hulu series, there might be some hope on the horizon for at least one character who played a major role in Brian Vaughan‘s comic book series and was always intended to play a role in the the TV series.

    The Runaways Throwaway

    Introduced in 2005’s second volume of Marvel Comics Runaways, Victor Mancha is an incredibly interesting character who was a big-time threat in the comic book series, was supposed to show up in Hulu’s Runaways and whose lineage might just make him a perfect fit for an upcoming MCU project. As Marvel Television was putting together Season 1 of Runaways, they had every intention of including a character by the name of Victor Mancha. Those plans never materialized and Mancha’s role in the show was reduced to an easy-to-miss mention and his name appearing during a brief shot of a note from the future found by Alex Wilder in the series finale.

    In Mancha’s case, having not appeared at all in Runaways may ultimately turn out to be the best thing to ever happen to the character.

    El Diablo Robotico

    Victor Mancha is a significant character in Marvel Comics, particularly known for his association with the Runaways series. Created by Ultron, Victor is a sophisticated android designed to infiltrate and destroy the Avengers. However, his destiny took a different path when he joined the Runaways, a group of young heroes with complicated backgrounds.

    Origin and Creation

    Victor Mancha was conceived as part of Ultron’s plan to create a synthetic being capable of harnessing incredible power to defeat the Avengers. As a half-human, half-android, Victor possesses a unique blend of abilities inherited from both his human mother and his robotic father, Ultron. His powers include electromagnetic manipulation, super strength, and advanced computing capabilities, which make him a formidable opponent.

    Joining the Runaways

    Despite his origins as a potential threat, Victor defied his programming and joined the Runaways, a team of teenagers who rebel against their villainous parents. Victor quickly became an integral member of the group, contributing his technical expertise and raw power to their various missions. His affiliation with the Runaways marked a shift in his character, emphasizing his struggle to choose his own path rather than succumb to the dark designs of Ultron.

    Role in the Marvel Universe

    Victor’s story extends beyond the Runaways as he also interacted with other major Marvel entities, including the Avengers AI and Vision. His struggle between his inherent programming and his desire to be human continues to define his journey within the Marvel Universe, making him one of the more complex characters in the pantheon of Marvel Heroes.

    The Son of Ultron

    The news of James Spader‘s return to the MCU as Ultron in the as-yet-untitled Vision streaming series was met with nearly universal celebration by fans. While Avengers: Age of Ultron didn’t initially land as well with fans as 2012’s Avengers, it has grown on fans over time and Spader’s performance as rogue AI peacekeeping program has always been well-regarded. Fans of the comics know Ultron never truly dies and the character’s return to the MCU could open the door for Victor Mancha.

    In the comics, Victor’s mother, Marianella, came into possession of one of Ultron’s chrome domes with an intact CPU. Over time, Marianella rebuilt Ultron and the two became besties. And as a woman and a detached robot head often do, the two hatched a plan to create a child. Weaving Marianella’s DNA into a nanite-based robot, Ultron created the cyborg known as Victor and placed within him programming that would allow him to make his way into the Avengers as a sleeper agent designed to wipe them out. While Victor ultimately overcame his programming, it was a great move by Ultron and one that can easily be adapted into the MCU.

    Indeed, the thought of Victor being used in an MCU project is hardly a new one. Fans theorized how the character might be used in WandaVision or even as the big bad in a Young Avengers project. However, while it’s unclear exactly what role Ultron will play in the upcoming Vision series–currently in development under the care of showrunner Terry Matalas–it’s time to revisit the idea of bringing Victor into a Marvel Studios project.

    The Pieces Are in Place

    As seen in Spider-Man: Homecoming, bits and pieces of Ultron and Sub-Ultrons that the Department of Damage Control collected ultimately found their way onto the black market as weapons. The DODC also houses the head of Ultron which is really all anyone needs to kick off another age of Ultron in the MCU.

    While it is still being put together, it’s believed that the Paul Bettany-led Vision series will follow the White Vision as he tries to regain his memories. At some point, that will certainly include learning he was an Avenger and the realization that his “father” was one of the Avengers’ deadliest foes. It would make for compelling television to see Ultron being physically reassembled while his son reassembles the memories of who he once was. Once put back together again, Ultron would obviously seek vengeance against his foes–who he would sadly find are almost all nowhere to be found. It would not, however, be too tough to locate his son, Vision, who he might feel particularly apt to get even with. And, as Vision will also likely feel the absence of his family, the appearance of a “brother” would make for a nice Trojan Horse for whatever Ultron’s newest evil plan might be.

    It would only seem right that the Vision series eventually sees Vision reunite with Ultron. And since Ultron has proven to be incapable of permanent destruction in the comics and has never truly been defeated, the best one could hope is to continue to foil his plans. In this case, that might simply mean that Vision helps Victor overcome his programming and choose his own path.

  • Marvel Studios May Be Cooking Up an Avengers Reunion on Disney Plus

    Marvel Studios May Be Cooking Up an Avengers Reunion on Disney Plus

    Despite having 85 years’ worth of successful source material from which to draw, Marvel Studios has certainly felt the need to blaze its own trail in weaving the ongoing shared narrative tapestry that is the MCU. Whether it be through tiny alterations here or major alterations there, many of the characters and stories that have filled up screens big and small since 2008’s Iron Man have their own unique spin to them that makes them different from their comic book counterparts. However, in some cases, the creatives at Marvel Studios have stayed surprisingly within the lines, delivering a more comic-accurate interpretation of the stories of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby and the legions of talented writers and artists who followed them.

    In 2016’s Captain America: Civil War–which is itself an example of the studio’s tendency to borrow names but not directly adapt the stories or ideas that go with them–directors Anthony and Joe Russo set the stage for one of Marvel Comics’ weirdest romances to develop. Paul Bettany‘s synthezoid Avenger, Vision, and Elizabeth Olsen‘s Wanda Maximoff’s wonderfully awkward flirtations in Civil War blossomed into full-grown love by the time Avengers: Infinity War–another example of the studio’s tendency to borrow names but not directly adapt the stories or ideas that go with them–came to be. Exploring the relationship between Vision and Wanda on screen allowed the directors to render one of the MCU’s most heartbreaking scenes as Wanda destroyed her love in a failed attempt to save the universe. As the Infinity Saga came to a close, it seemed as though the love story of Wanda and Vision had come to an end but instead, the studio decided to take a turn for the even weirder.

    Mixing Kevin Feige‘s love of sitcoms with the main premise of the 1985 12-issue limited Marvel Comics series The Vision and The Scarlet Witch, Marvel Studios kicked off its post-Endgame era with WandaVision. The 9-episode series saw the traumatized Wanda cast a spell that allowed her to recreate the Vision, allowing the lovers to explore a life of what Feige called “suburban bliss” along with their twin sons, Billy and Tommy. We know how it ended and what happened next but as the studio prepares to roll out the first WandaVision spinoff, Agatha All Along, news about the second spinoff, a Paul Bettany-led Vision series, has begun to make its way online and the latest bit indicates that the studio hasn’t closed the book on Vision and Wanda just yet.

    Just as word came that James Spader had inked a deal to return to the Vision series as Ultron, Deadline shared the news that Olsen’s Wanda, who was last seen being buried under rubble in the final act of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, may be on board for an appearance in the series as well.

    Though this isn’t the first time Olsen’s name has been associated with the series, much has changed since the first reports that a Vision Quest series was in the works nearly two years ago. Originally developed by WandaVision and Agatha All Along showrunner Jac Schaeffer, the series was recently handed off to Star Trek: Picard creator Terry Matalas. With a change of creators can come a change of creative decisions so while the series was originally expected to adapt Tom King‘s 2015 12-issue Vision series, it’s unclear what direction Matalas might take; however, the return of Ultron might indicate it will be quite different than the original plan.

    Olsen’s return, should it happen, would seem to indicate a reunion is in the cards for Wanda and Vision and their twin sons. Joe Locke is widely accepted to be playing the reborn Billy in Agatha All Along and a recent report that the studio is looking to cast Javon Walton as, potentially, the reborn Tommy in Vision. The untitled Vision series is expected to begin production in the UK in early 2025.

    Source: Deadline

  • Marvel Studios Reportedly Considering a Second Season for One of Its Strangest Streaming Series

    Marvel Studios Reportedly Considering a Second Season for One of Its Strangest Streaming Series

    Once upon a time, Marvel Studios had grand plans to expand the MCU by exploring some of its more obscure corners and characters through streaming series on Disney Plus. As recently as 2022, the studio hoped to push out 3 or 4 live-action streaming series each year in addition to animated content, providing nearly non-stop Marvel to its fans. That all changed with the return of Bob Iger to the Disney throne and now development has slowed to what Marvel’s head of streaming, television and animation, Brad Winderbaum called “a more considered approach” that involved significant rebranding.

    That more considered approach, according to Winderbaum, will see the studio pare down its streaming slate to two series each year while continuing to develop an unquantified number of projects. In Winderbaum’s words, the studio will be “developing more than we make.” And those words are incredibly relevant to some interesting news about a potential second season to one of Marvel’s strangest and most well-reviewed streaming series.

     I really like the idea of two shows a year, especially because we are developing more than we make. We used to treat the shows like the features where we’re gonna make a show and that’s it, we’re going to hit a release date, hell or high water. Well, it’s hard to do for a two hour feature, it’s even harder to do for, six, seven, eight, nine hours. So now we have a more traditional approach.

    -Brad Winderbaum on Marvel Studios’ new apporach to developing streaming projects

    According to trusted MCU insider Daniel RPK, Winderbaum and the fine folks behind the D+ streaming series are developing a second season of Moon Knight.

    In 2022, Moon Knight introduced Oscar Isaac‘s multi-personalitied Marc Spector to the MCU and proved to be a rare case of a streaming series gaining viewers over time. As the series concluded, there were signs and speculation that a second season might be in the works though nobody, including Isaac and director Mohamed Diab, knew of any plans on Disney’s part to continue the story of Moon Knight. “I’m kept in the dark, just like the fans…Marvel doesn’t go with a conventional way, so even if they like the character and want to extend the world, it could be Season 2, it could be a standalone film, or he can join another superhero’s journey,” said Diab in 2022. “We never discussed it being a Season 2, but one day there’s going to be an expansion, but I don’t know how it’s going to look like.“

    And let’s just put everything out on the table on this story. There’s definitely no official plans to continue it. I think it would depend on what the story is. That being said, I love being Steven. I just love it. It’s just like, physically, it’s so much fun to be him. So, you know, if there was a story that really made sense, I’d be happy to be part of it.

    –Oscar Isaac on the potential of a second season of Moon Knight, May, 2022

    Season 1 of Moon Knight was a hit with critics (86% at Rotten Tomatoes) and introduced a whole new brand of weirdness into the MCU. Complete with a talking hippo goddess and twists and turns that left fans wondering what was real and what was not, Moon Knight also provided a wonderful exploration of the fractured psyche of Spector, whose dissociative identity disorder created several interesting personalities who manifested themselves throughout the series and even into its post-credit scene.

    Despite the lack of concrete plans for the future of the character, Isaac promised fans that the character had a future, saying “This isn’t the last we’ve heard of the system that is Moon Knight,” during an appearance at NYCC ’22. As time has passed and moved further and further away from the series’ release, news and even rumors about a second season of Moon Knight have slowly ground to a halt. While at this point another season of the series would seem unlikely to make its way to Disney Plus before 2027, should it make it through development, it’s good to know there’s hope for more of the wonderful weirdness that made the first season of Moon Knight such a fun ride.

  • ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Will Reportedly Feature the Return of a Marvel Comics Avenger

    ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Will Reportedly Feature the Return of a Marvel Comics Avenger

    The first season of Daredevil: Born Again won’t hit Disney Plus until March of 2025 but there’s a significant amount of hype for the series already, especially following the leaked trailer that was shown at D23. Featuring the first look at White Tiger and the returns of Jon Bernthal, Deborah Ann Woll, Elden Henson and Wilson Bethel as their respective characters from Netflix’s Daredevil, the now-taken-down trailer provided a glimpse at what to expect from the revival. However, even though it gave away a few surprises–including an appearance by Mohan Kapur as Yusuf Khan–Marvel Studios held plenty back.

    Taking place in New York City, Daredevil: Born Again provides an opportunity to further explore a corner of the MCU that was more well-defined by the Netflix Defenders-verse series than it has been by Marvel Studios. However, the Big Apple was heavily featured as a setting in the Infinity Saga and streaming projects such as Ms. Marvel, Hawkeye and Echo all helped flesh out the finer details of the folks who populate it. And it seems that one of NYC’s finest socialites is returning for an appearance in Daredevil: Born Again.

    According to reliable MCU insider Daniel RPK, Tony Dalton is set to return in Daredevil: Born Again as the wonderfully witless buffoon Jack Duquesne.

    Though he spent the first five episodes of Hawkeye bumbling and stumbling along, Duquesne helped save the day in the finale by using his skills with a blade to help fight off the Tracksuit Mafia. As the episode drew to a close, creators Rhys Thomas, Bert and Bertie positioned the character to return as some version of his comic book counterpart’s alter ego, the Swordsman. Proudly never having worked a day in his life and always in pursuit of new leisure activities, Duquesne met First Responder Adetinpo Thomas’ Wendy who brought up LARPing to the doofus. Should the Daredevil: Born Again creative crew be so bold, the perfect opportunity to introduce Duquesne in a comic-accurate Swordsman costume while LARPing in NYC is there for the taking. Once a member of the Avengers in the comics, Swordsman has straddled the line between hero and villain over the course of the last 50 years but it would be a wonderful move by showrunner Dario Scardapane and directors Justin Benson and Andy Moorehead to have Jack suit up to celebrate his Golden Jubilee.

    Daredevil: Born Again will stream on Disney Plus beginning in March 2025.

  • Robert Downey Jr. Clarifies His New Marvel Studios’ Role

    Robert Downey Jr. Clarifies His New Marvel Studios’ Role

    Marvel Studios swung for the fences at SDCC ’24 by revealing Robert Downey Jr.‘s return to the MCU. Trotting out their biggest star didn’t land quite as well as they had hoped, however, as fans questioned both the logic of recasting Downey as Victor Von Doom and whether or not he’d truly been cast as Doom at all. In the days and weeks following the casting, social media was abuzz with speculation that the character might be revealed as a Tony Stark Variant behind the mask or a reverse-engineered take on Marvel Comics’ Infamous Iron Man. It is the Multiverse Saga, after all, and fans have grown accustomed to the studio’s growing penchant to put their own spin on incoming characters. And so, despite being introduced as Victor Von Doom, fans have continued to wonder just who Downey would be playing in 2026’s Avengers: Doomsday. For now, at least, it seems that uncertainty can be laid to rest.

    In an interview with THR, Downey clarified that his return to the MCU was never going to happen by going backward by reprising his role as Tony Stark and that the goal laid out by Marvel Studios Head Honcho Kevin Feige was to “get Victor Von Doom right.“
    SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – JULY 27: Robert Downey Jr. speaks onstage during the Marvel Studios Panel in Hall H at SDCC in San Diego, California on July 27, 2024. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney)

    Downey revealed that talks about his return to the studio began in 2023 when, during a conversation with his wife, Susan Downey, and Feige, the Marvel boss said, “It just keeps occurring to me, if you were to come back …” before taking the conversation in a surprising direction. “He brought up Victor Von Doom,” shared Downey, adding, “I looked into this character. Later on, he goes, ‘Let’s get Victor Von Doom right.” And with the blessing of Disney boss Bob Iger, the plan was hatched to bring the Infinity Saga’s brightest star into the struggling Multiverse Saga as the most complex and well-developed villain in the history of Marvel Comics.

    Though he won’t be the first actor to play two roles in the MCU–indeed his Captain America: Civil War co-star Chris Evans just reprised his role as Johnny Storm in Deadpool & Wolverine–he will be the first to fill two roles of the magnitude of Iron Man and Doctor Doom. To that end, should any hint of Tony Stark’s well-known MCU persona come through in his performance as the Beast of the Balkans, fans will begin to question just who is supposed to be behind the mask. Fortunately, Downey–who just won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Oppenheimer–has shown to be more than a one-trick pony over the years and has the requisite skill to disappear behind Doom’s mask and create a brand new persona that fans will have to hope is as mesmerizing and memorable as his time as Iron Man.

    Source: THR

  • Details from Marvel’s Scrapped Avengers Film Reveal One of the Planned Leads

    Details from Marvel’s Scrapped Avengers Film Reveal One of the Planned Leads

    Many Marvel Studios’ projects have faced their own particular challenges over the years but arguably no project had those challenges revealed publicly to the extent of the recently retitled Avengers: The Kang Dynasty. A month after the studio ran the Russo brothers and Robert Downey Jr. on stage to reveal the film had become Avengers: Doomsday, details about what could have been have begun to emerge.

    Just days after Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings star Simu Liu updated the status of the sequel to the 2021 hit, Inverse revealed that Shang-Chi was originally intended to have a major role in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty before the project was retooled.

    “In the original plan for Avengers 5, then called Kang Dynasty, Shang-Chi would’ve been one of the film’s main leads. A lot’s changed since then; Avengers 5 was meant to focus on Kang the Conqueror, but Marvel has since completely retooled the film to introduce Victor Von Doom.”

    -Inverse

    To fans who have followed the project since it was first announced at SDCC ’22, the notion that Shang-Chi was intended to be one of the film’s leads shouldn’t be too shocking. Destin Daniel Cretton, who helmed Shang-Chi and the Legend of The Ten Rings, was originally set to direct Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and it was often theorized that Shang-Chi’s rings–along with Kamala Khan’s bangle–might play a big role in taking on Kang the Conqueror. However, as things began to fall apart around the project, Cretton stepped away as director of Avengers: The Kang Dynasty as writer Michael Waldron came aboard to retool the script. Despite plans to recast the role of Kang after Jonathan Majors was fired following his very public legal issues, the studio made the decision to move in a different direction earlier this year, removing the subtitle from the film and keeping the new plan under wraps until the big Hall H reveal at SDCC ’24.

    Though no word has come down the pipe on what to expect from writer Stephen McFeely‘s script for the newly announced Avengers: Doomsday, it seems unlikely that the same group of characters intended to lead the charge in The Kang Dynasty will remain at the center of the new project.

    Source: Inverse

  • Marvel Studios Reportedly Sets Its Return to Wakanda

    Marvel Studios Reportedly Sets Its Return to Wakanda

    Following the incredible success of 2018’s Black Panther, Wakanda emerged as a key location in the waning days of the Infinity Saga. Writer and director Ryan Coogler filled the hidden nation with interesting characters and created a rich history that demanded further explanation. While a Black Panther sequel was always in the works, Coogler‘s Wakanda demanded further exploration and so, in early 2021, Disney reached a deal with the director’s Proximity Media to develop exclusive content for Disney Plus which included a streaming series centered on the Kingdom of Wakanda. Later that year, it was revealed that Danai Gurira‘s Dora Milaje captain, Okoye, was set to star in a D+ series set in Wakanda. While it was never truly clear if the Okoye-centric series and the Wakanda-set series were one in the same, it is clear that over three years later, fans are still without a live-action Black Panther series. However, a new report suggests that hope may be on the horizon.

    In late 2022, Marvel Studios executive Nate Moore confirmed that Coogler‘s Proximity Media was developing multiple Wakanda-based projects saying “there are no shortage of ideas,” when it comes to expanding on the mythology the world of Wakanda, describing it as “expansive” and “full of great characters” and providing opportunities “beyond what happens with this film.” At that time, Moore stated that in addition to a third Black Panther film, “there are more opportunities to go back to Wakanda.” While Moore cautioned that with both Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Ironheart on his plate, development on a Wakanda spinoff project had not been a priority for Coogler, it seems those opportunities are starting to be realized.

    Because of the amount of time and attention that went into this film, and frankly the Ironheart show, that is probably not as far along as people want it to be, but there are certainly great ideas that we’re still talking to Ryan about. So, we’ll see how far we can get with it.

    -Nate Moore on the development of a Wakanda-centric streaming series, November 2022

    In late 2023, a canonical animated series, Eyes of Wakanda was announced and set for release in 2024. Now according to trusted insider Daniel RPK, the studio is turning its attention back to developing World of Wakanda, a live-action series set in Wakanda.

    No details were provided about World of Wakanda in the report, however, it’s possible that Gurira previously provided some insight into what to expect. In a 2022 interview with Deadline, Gurira described Coogler’s vision for the future of the Dora-turned-Midnight Angel, comparing it to David Carradine‘s Kwai Chang Caine in the 1970s TV series Kung Fu.

    [Coogler] was saying it’s like that kung fu show, where the guy just walked the earth. She just walks off. We don’t know where Okoye’s going. And she’s sort of letting go. She was fighting to keep that position, and then she lets it go. That’s kind of her arc, that she lets go. And we don’t know where that leads to.

    -Danai Gurira on the future of Okoye

    In an early 2023 interview with Stephen Colbert, Gurira was asked about the potential for an Okoye-centric series and said,” I have been told that I can gently allude to this possibility [of an Okoye-centric series]. So, I am gently alluding. Just gently.” Perhaps the time has finally come for the long-gestating project to take flight. However, with Disney cutting back on the quantity of Marvel Studios’ content on its streaming service, don’t expect to see the series before 2026 at the earliest.

  • The Ultimate List of What to Watch Before ‘Agatha All Along’

    The Ultimate List of What to Watch Before ‘Agatha All Along’

    After stealing scene after scene alongside MCU veterans Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany the 2021 Disney Plus Streaming Series, WandaVision, Kathryn Hahn‘s wonderfully wicked Agatha Harkness is set to make her return in Agatha All Along. Hahn takes the lead in the nine-episode series which picks up right where the final episode of WandaVision, The Series Finale, left off: with a depowered Agatha trapped in a spell cast by Wanda that left her believing she was the most neighbor Agnes from the sitcom portion of the show. Challenged by a figure from her past to regain her strength, Agatha collects a coven of witches and sets out to travel the legendary Witches’ Road in hopes of taking back what was hers.

    As has become the norm, Agatha All Along will debut with two episodes before moving into the familiar weekly format. With the series premiere set for September 18th, it’s time to start prepping for launch and so, as is our way, we bring you…THE ULTIMATE LIST OF WHAT TO WATCH BEFORE AGATHA ALL ALONG.

    Tier One

    Getting yourself prepared to enjoy Agatha All Along is not quite the same titanic task as it has been with other Marvel Studios properties. Hahn‘s witch has only appeared in WandaVision and only one MCU project would seem directly related to what is expected to go down in Agatha All Along. Since we consider Tier One projects to be the bare minimum, non-negotiable prep, we have only selected two properties for your required reading.

    WandaVision (2021)
    wandavision agathe

    Excluding credits and recaps and other assorted business that’s part of every project, a full rewatch or first viewing of WandaVision will only take right around four and a half hours. The early episodes certainly set the stage for the series’ twists and turns and the back half of the season has all sorts of juicy bits that you might need to take in before watching Agatha All Along. Trailers for the series have made it clear that in addition to the difficulty of traveling the Witches’ Road, Agatha will be dealing with the repercussions of her wicked past. And if that’s not enough, it’s widely accepted that Joe Locke’s character, Teen, is the re-embodiment of Wanda’s son, Billy. Though Billy, and his brother Tommy, were magically created within the Westview Anomaly, aka The Hex, and disappeared when Wanda lifted her spell, they have had plenty to do with Wanda’s story and are very likely to play a large role again down the road.

    Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)

    The post-credit scene following Episode 9 of WandaVision, “The Series Finale”, showed Wanda studying an ancient text known as the Darkhold. The consequences of her time with the tome became clear in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness where it was revealed she had been corrupted by the book and been transformed into the Scarlet Witch.

    According to Wong, the “Scarlet Witch is a being of unfathomable magic” who “can rewrite reality as she chooses, and is prophesized to either rule or annihilate the cosmos.” In a Multiversal search for alternate-dimension Variants of her children, the Scarlet Witch used her power to Dreamwalk into other realities, threatening their existence. We know how it all ended but it is likely not to be the end of Wanda’s story and while it’s unclear exactly how much of this will be referenced in Agatha All Along, Wanda will absolutely have an impact on the series.

    Tier Two

    With so little connectivity to the rest of the MCU, Agatha All Along occupies rarified air. New fans often seem overwhelmed by the amount of work it would take to catch themselves up to speed on the MCU’s next big thing but, in the case of Agatha All Along, the two projects in Tier One are the only ones that are truly necessary. However, given that magic is the heart of the series, there are a couple of other projects that might add some context to the series or, at the very least, give viewers a more comprehensive view of how magic works within the confines of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

    Thor (2011),Thor: The Dark World (2013) and Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
    thor 5

    Millenia before Agatha Harkness was doing her dirty work in Salem, the Asgardians began to study and understand how to harness the energies of the universe and use them to their advantage. Asgard itself was a blend of magic and technology and many Asgaridans, such as Frigga and Loki, were known to be powerful magic weilders. The Thor trilogy also includes multiple weapons, relics and other assorted artifacts that are enchanted via spells by Odin and, perhaps, others as well.

    Your ancestors called it magic and you call it science. Well, I come from a place where they are one and the same thing.

    -Thor

    Watching the original Thor trilogy is certainly not necessary for fans to enjoy Agatha All Along but it does provide some historical context for magic within the MCU and features one of its most powerful practitioners in Loki. An argument could be made that if one was going to watch these films they could watch Thor: Love and Thunder (2022) and both seasons of Loki; however, there’s probably enough to be gleaned from the first three films to satisfy the need.

    Doctor Strange (2016)

    Doctor Strange not only introduces the titular Doctor but also the Masters of the Mystic Arts. Hidden in Kamar-Taj and led by The Ancient One, the Masters of the Mystic Arts are an order of sorcerers, founded thousands of years ago by Agomottos, who have learned to harness the energies of the alternate universes to protect Earth from mystical threats.

    The language of the Mystic Arts is as old as civilization. The sorcerers of antiquity called the use of this language ‘spells,’ but if that word offends your modern sensibilities, you can call it a program; the source code that shapes reality. We harness energy drawn from other dimensions of the Multiverse to cast spells, to conjure shields and weapons, to make magic.

    -The Ancient One

    The film introduced different types of magic and warns against the use of many. There are some similarities between the way the Masters of the Mystic Arts harness and wield their magic and the way Agatha’s witchcraft is portrayed in WandaVision. If nothing else, Doctor Strange will open your third eye as to the great possibilities of magic used by humans.

    She-Hulk: Attorney At Law (2022)
    she hulk wong

    Any efforts to catch up on the use of magic in the Multiverse must include the latest adventures of the Sorcerer Supreme of Earth-616: Wong.

    I need to make an example of Donny Blaze. Set a precedent that no unlicensed persons ever attempt to practice the Mystic Arts again.

    -Wong

    Episodes 3, 4 and 9 of She-Hulk: Attorney At Law follow up on Wong’s friendship with Emil Blonsky–as first seen in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings–and see the Sorcerer Supreme target Donny Blaze, a former student of Kamar-Taj who was expelled and now works as a stage magician. Wong crossed Blaze’s path when the latter opened a portal and sent Madisynn King to another dimension where she met a demon named Jake…

    Tier Three

    Tier Three inclusions are never, ever necessary for anyone to enjoy an upcoming MCU project but they can sometimes increase viewing pleasure by adding context, providing thematic connections or allowing viewers to watch films or shows that have inspired the creators of their new favorite Marvel thing! We’ve broken this very different Tier Three into two parts.

    Part 1: More MCU Magic

    While the Tier Two projects can help new viewers understand more about how magic works in the MCU, they are far from the only projects in which magic was used. To that end, we present a list of MCU projects in which magic played a role. NOTE: This list is intended to be comprehensive, however, if any projects have been left off please let us know and we’ll be happy to add them!

    • Avengers (2012)
    • Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) mid-credit scene
    • Captain America: Civil War (2016)
    • Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)
    • Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
    • Avengers: Endgame (2019)
    • Loki, Season 1 (2021)
    • Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)
    • Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
    • Moon Knight (2022)
    • Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)
    • Loki, Season 2 (2023)

    Part 2: Other Inspiration

    As the press junkets and interviews used to promote Agatha All Along have started to emerge over the past few weeks, the cast and crew of the streaming series have named various projects that served as inspiration for the show.

    • The Wizard of Oz (1939)
    • Rosemary’s Baby (1968)
    • Poltergeist (1982)
    • E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
    • The Goonies (1985)
    • Hocus Pocus (1993)
    • The Craft (1996)
    • Practical Magic (1998)

    About Agatha All Along

    In addition to Kathryn Hahn, Agatha All Along stars Joe Locke, Sasheer Zamata, Ali Ahn, Maria Dizzia, Paul Adelstein, Miles Gutierrez-Riley, Okwui Okpokwasili, with Debra Jo Rupp, with PattiLuPone, and Aubrey Plaza.

    In Marvel Studios’ Agatha All Along, the infamous Agatha Harkness finds herself down and out of power after a suspicious goth Teen helps break her free from a distorted spell. Her interest is piqued when he begs her to take him on the legendary Witches’ Road, a magical gauntlet of trials that, if survived, rewards a witch with what they’re missing. Together, Agatha and this mysterious Teen pull together a desperate coven, and set off down, down, down The Road…

    The executive producers are Kevin Feige, Louis D’Esposito, Brad Winderbaum, Mary Livanos and Jac Schaeffer. In addition to series creator Schaeffer, episodes of Agatha All Along will be directed by Rachel Goldberg (Mayans M.C. and Gen V) and Gandja Monteiro (Wednesday, The Witcher and The Walking Dead: Dead City).