Production on Daredevil: Born Again is set to kick off in February and as the cast begins arriving in New York City, another member has joined the mix. According to Deadline, Book of Mormon’sNikki M.James has boarded the project in an unknown role.
Though James’ role is unknown, Marvel Studios has been searching for a Black actress, 40-49, to play a “loyal” but potentially “ruthless” character whose success is described as “self-made.” In 2011, James won a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her role as Nabulungi in Broadway’s The Book ofMormon. She recently appeared in four episodes of Apple TV’s Severance after roles in The Good Wife and BrainDead.
Daredevil: Born Again was unveiled at SDCC ’22 as an 18-episode event starring Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio. It was originally slated to debut on Disney Plus in the Fall of 2024.
Marvel Studios’ Thunderbolts has been surrounded by a litany of questions since its formal announcement at San Diego Comic-Con in 2022. Everything has been questioned, from the titular team’s line-up to who they’ll face when the cards are down. One fact that has remained clear and constant, however, is the heavy involvement of Julia Louis-Dreyfus‘ mysterious Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. The character, who first appeared via cameos in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and Black Widow before gaining a larger role in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, is set to replace Samuel L. Jackson‘s Nick Fury as the government-sponsored administrator behind the world’s next supergroup, and Louis-Dreyfus can’t wait to get filming started.
Speaking exclusively with Variety, the former Veep star revealed that Thunderbolts will begin its shoot in June. The film, about a “rag-tag bunch” of vengeful anti-heroes, is currently scheduled to release on July 26th, 2024, which would make a production start in the summer of 2023 seem like a fairly sensical plan. Fans have been eagerly awaiting more news on the project, and it would seem Louis-Dreyfus is more than happy to oblige. On top of commenting on the June filming schedule, the actress stated she’d spoken with Marvel about allowing her character to be involved in a few action sequences as well:
I actually pitched it. I told them I really, really want to fight. We’ll see if that happens. I haven’t seen the script yet.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Thunderbolts will be directed by Jake Schreier when the shoot finally does begin. Aside from Louis-Dreyfus, it will also see the return of Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, David Harbour, Wyatt Russell, Olga Kurylenko, and Hannah John-Kamen to their respective Marvel Cinematic Universe roles. Harrison Ford will also make his MCU debut, taking over the part of Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross from the late William Hurt.
For the first time since Spider-Man: No Way Home debuted in theaters in June 2019, Chinese audiences will be able to catch a Marvel Studios film in theaters. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania have slated release dates in China, heading to theaters on February 7th and February 17th, respectively.
Though Black Widow didn’t have a theatrical run in China, differences in sociopolitical ideologies reportedly kept Shang-Chi and The Legend of the Ten Rings and Eternalsfrom theatrical releases and a historically strong relationship with Disney began to fall apart. Relations seemed to be reconciled with the release of Avatar: The Way of Water and that seems to be confirmed with two Marvel tentpoles now headed to theaters.
The Chinese box office has long given a major boost to Disney’s bottom line and in 2022 films such as Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Thor: Love and Thunder likely lost $100M or more as a result of the ongoing dispute between China and Disney. In the cast of Multiverse of Madness, the lack of Chinese receipts almost certainly kept it from crossing the $1B mark. On that note, the release of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever may push its global total near that same $1B mark as it currently stands at $835M and its predecessor pulled in $105M back in 2018.
Marvel Studios has two other major releases in 2023 in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and The Marvels. In 2017, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 pulled in over $100M in 5 weeks in China and in 2019, Captain Marvel made just over $150M during its 5-week window. While no word on whether those films will receive release dates in mainland China has come down, the prospects certainly seem rosier than they were just a few months ago.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is set to take audiences on an adventure unlike any superhero film before it. The project is being touted as a deep dive into the Quantum Realm, a sort of pocket dimension that’s only been teased and briefly visited in past Marvel Cinematic Universe movies. In terms of explaining what that wacky voyage might look like, writer Jeff Loveness proved he’s not afraid to go for the deep pull. Speaking to Empire Magazine about the upcoming Marvel Studios threequel, the former Rick & Morty creative said he envisioned the film’s expansive otherworldly setting and oddball visuals as an homage to an unmade sci-fi classic:
It’s a fun place. It’s a limitless place of creation and diversity and alien life. It’s Jodorowsky’s Dune within Marvel.
Jeff Loveness
Specifically, Loveness refers to Alejandro Jodorowsky’s Dune, an early failed attempt at adapting Frank Herbert’s acclaimed novel that has become famous for its planned cosmic, psychedelic designs. At the time, Jodorowsky’s ambitious ideas were deemed unfilmable, but they have since become conceptual linchpins for writers and directors working in the medium. The inspiration is likely a good sign for Marvel fans, specifically for those hoping an exploration of the Quantum Realm would be a mind-blowing experience.
The early trailers for Quantumania have often been stunning, promising a stimulating couple of hours for anyone making their way toward the theater on February 18th. The film will see the return of Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly as the titular size-changing heroes, with Michael Douglas and Michelle Pfeiffer reprising their mentor roles. Kathryn Newton and Jonathan Majors join the cast as Cassie Lang and Kang the Conqueror, respectively. Peyton Reed is back to direct.
Adam Warlock’s MCU debut has been a long time coming. A space weirdo with one of Marvel Comics most interesting histories, Warlock was teased in a post-credit scene to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and, played by Will Poulter, will make his debut in May’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. In the comics, Warlock had strong connections to Thanos and was a major player in all the Infinity Gem business, including leading an eclectic team known as the Infinity Watch. With the Infinity Saga in the books, Warlock’s MCU path would seem to be headed in a much different direction.
That direction, however, may not be very clearly defined in Warlock’s debut. According to director James Gunn, while Warlock’s mission in the film seems pretty black and white (the Sovereign want the Guardians taken out), the character has quite a bit of learning to do about the way the universe works and may ultimately be a little more grey than the trailer makes him appear.
It’s kind of more complicated than that. But he’s definitely not a good guy. What we’re seeing is the infant form of Warlock, newly out of the cocoon, and he does not understand life very well. He’s basically a baby.
James Gunn
Will Poulter as Adam Warlock in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, via Empire
When Poulter was cast as Warlock, the internet did a collective double-take as the young actor’s name wasn’t one tossed around in association with the role. “People online were saying, ‘Oh, Tom Cruise should be Adam Warlock,’”, said Gunn, who had his own ideas about what type of talent he wanted in the role. “I wanted somebody who was youthful,” explained Gunn, “and I wanted the person who had the dramatic chops and the comedic chops, not only for this movie but for what Marvel will use Adam Warlock for in the future.He could become this really important character.”
Of course, part of that future could ultimately be joining up with the Guardians, as his character has done in the comics. Gunn‘s made it clear that Vol. 3 is the last ride for this group and for him, but given the overwhelming popularity of the franchise, it’s hard to imagine Marvel Studios letting everyone ride off into the sunset and closing up shop on the Guardians.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is set to hit theaters May 5th.
William Jackson Harper has become an overwhelmingly popular fan choice to play Reed Richards in Marvel Studios Fantastic Four. As casting for that project is still ongoing, however, Harper found himself another role in the MCU in Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania and a great new look at his character has been released via Empire.
According to Empire, Harper is playing an telepathic inhabitant of the Quantum Realm named Quaz. Also featured in the photo is Jantorra, played by Katy M. O’Brian, the leader of the Freedom Fighters who look to reclaim their homeland from Kang the Conqueror. Putting two and two together, it would seem that Quaz is a member of Jantorra’s group.
William Jackson Harper as Quaz in Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania, via Empire
Officially revealing the name of Harper’s character probably won’t stop the speculation that he’s playing a major Marvel character. His character’s name surfaced online some time ago, driving speculation that Harper was playing one of Marvel Comics great Cosmic heroes, Quasar. Speculation has also continued that Quaz is actually Reed Richards and that that the Fantastic Four have been trapped in the Quantum Realm since the 1960s. In all likelihood, Harper’s Quaz is probably just an original character developed by Marvel Studios for the film in place of a group of characters from the comics known as The Micronauts. Due to right’s issues, Marvel Studios cannot use the characters though they appeared in the pages of Marvel Comics. Much like Jantorra’s Freedom Fighters, The Micronauts sought to liberate their homeworld from a vile despot (Baron Karza), so it would seem they may have served as inspiration for the group in Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania.
One of Marvel Comics most compelling villains, Kang the Conqueror, is finally set to make his MCU debut but maybe not in the franchise anyone would have ever expected. Jonathan Majors‘ Kang, a Variant of his He Who Remains seen in Season 1 of Loki, will debut in Marvel Studios’ smaller franchises in Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania. Much has been made about the severe threat Kang poses and the juxtaposition of his debut occurring in a very humor-heavy franchise. Nobody at Marvel Studios is pulling any punches about it, either, making it very clear that Lang is heavily outmatched against the warlord. Given the unlikely scenario, one might wonder how the pairing ever came to be and the answer lies with writer Jeff Loveness.
While speaking with Empire about the upcoming film, Loveness detailed the genesis of the unlikely combo. “The first discussion we had was, ‘What if Ant-Man is accidentally in an Avengers movie by himself?‘”, said Loveness. Kevin Feige’s belief that it was time for Ant-Man to “take his position at the front of the podium” and kick off Phase 5 certainly called for a shift in the direction of the franchise and Loveness’ decision to write an Avengers film minus the Avengers represent just that. They also add to the sense of urgency and despair that fans are already feeling after the latest trailer showed Scott Lang in a world of hurt.
Given Kang’s desire to escape the Quantum Realm and get to conquering and the fact that the next Avengers’ film is subtitled The Kang Dynasty certainly doesn’t give the impression that things will end well for the Ant-Family, however, Lang is used to being the underdog and may still have trick or two up his sleeves when Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania hits theaters on February 17th.
Nearly two years ago during the press junket for WandaVision, Marvel Studios One-Above-All, Kevin Feige was asked if he could clarify when the studio’s Phase 4 would come to an end. Whether because he wasn’t sure at the time or because he was keeping it to himself, Feige simply answered, “No.” It wasn’t until a year and a half later, during SDCC ’22, that fans finally learned that Black Panther: Wakanda Forever would end Phase 4 and that the studio had chosen a surprising film to launch Phase 5: Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania. With its release date just over a month away, the hype machine for the film has been switched on and fans are starting to realize that the third installment in the Ant-Man franchise won’t be the palate cleanser its two predecessors were. This one is big–really big–and will “have a significant impact on the future of the MCU” according to producer Stephan Broussard. How did the Ant-Man find himself in such a prominent position in Phase 5? According to Kevin Feige, he “earned” it.
Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania isn’t just kicking off Phase 5, it’s also playing a major role in advancing the the shared narrative of the Multiverse Saga, similar to how Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Captain America: Civil War moved along the plot of the Infinity Saga. Having a character like Scott Lang’s Ant-Man leading the way might seem surprising, but in an interview with Empire, Feige revealed why now was the time for Ant-Man to carry the torch.
We wanted to kick off Phase Five with Ant-Man because he’d earned that position. To not simply be the back-up or the comic relief, but to take his position at the front of the podium of the MCU.
The One-Above-All
While Lang my seem “jokey”, he played a major role in the events of Avengers: Endgame and has certainly done his fair share or super-heroing. With Black Panther, Black Widow, Captain America and Iron Man gone and no team of Avengers assembled, Lang’s status in the world has shifted (as seen in the trailers) and now so does the franchise’s status within the MCU.
Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania opens on February 17th.
Marvel’s Phase 5 will kick off in earnest with a Kang variant going to war with the two Ant-Men, the two Wasps, and the 6th Young Avenger to join Earth 616 in Stinger/Stature when Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania hits theaters next month. Paul Rudd‘s Lang trying to balance his newfound fame with reconnecting with his now-almost-grown-up daughter who has grown up without him over the last five years are stakes made for drama, but it is the role Jonathan Majors‘s Kang plays in these proceedings that is really what impacts the overarching multiversal war coming down the pike. However, judging by the new trailer, war is not what the Conqueror starts out aiming to do, as it is a deal made with Scott Lang gone awry that prompts Kang to beat the everliving ants out of Lang. What is this deal that Scott alludes to? We believe it has to do with the image Empire released recently, with a Conqueror sitting on his throne.
The throne this Kang is sitting on in said image is actually what is known as the Time Chair, and it is an incredibly important piece of tech with ties to those two big Avengers movies we are barreling towards at warp speed. The Time Chair is the device Kang uses to travel anywhere in time that he pleases, and it could stand to reason that we are about to begin to find out that this Kang (before he was trapped in the Quantum Realm) had used the Time Chair to directly impact various points in and out of the MCU. During one of Kang’s initial appearances in the comics, he uses the Time Chair to go back in time to when Steve Rogers’s Captain America perished into the ice. After seeing Cap go into the ice, Kang uses the Time Chair to teleport the Avengers to a future Earth in ruins, with Captain America being his scapegoat for the destruction. Going down the rabbit hole, it is possible that Kang wants to use the Time Chair to do exactly this because Cap didn’t prune all the branches when he went back, but that is for another article. Even more important than how the Chair is connected to the Avengers and their past is how it might be connected to their future.
The Chair itself, in the comics, is powered by the same giant rings that power Kang’s forcefield: you see the giant rings in the latest trailer, which ironically have the same markings as the bangle Kamala Khan got from her grandmother and the Ten Rings Shang-Chi got from his father. The last we saw of the rings, they were acting as a beacon, for something or someone, and it is possible that they are acting as a signal to the Time Chair and its owner. Looking back at the comics for a potential roadmap, Iron Lad (a future Iron Man) is a descendant of Kang, and it is Earth 616’s Iron Man who ultimately disables the Time Chair. Upon disabling the Chair, Iron Man tells Kang that he was able to do this because the chair’s design is actually based off 21st Century Stark Technology tech. If we are to believe that Phase 5 is dealing with the theme of legacy (we have legacy heroes being swapped out for the next generation), then it could stand to reason that it will be the next generation of Avengers who fight Kang first, before potentially giving way to a multiversal group brought together to bring the fight. Thus, it would also stand to reason that Kang’s power comes from artifacts spread throughout the multiverse that have been passed down to the next generation of protectors. What, then, does this have to do with the finale in the Ant-Man trilogy?
Kang needs Ant-Man to help him find something, and it needs to be something really important if he would offer him the chance to regain some time (the one thing this Kang has dominion over) with his daughter. Now, yes, villains lie, but the more compelling villains actually don’t lie: they manipulate and bend the truth, but they don’t outright lie, and Kang may be no different. He will plan to work with Ant-Man and, upon seeing him with Janet Van Dyne, who is responsible for him being stuck in the Quantum Realm, he chooses to renege. Janet could be the one who disables the Time Chair during her time in the Quantum Realm, and who ultimately hides the piece missing in another reality: there is a line in the Ant-Manand The Wasp where she tells Scott to not fall into any tunnels while in the Quantum Realm, and we are guessing she knows not to do this from experience. What Kang needs found, we think, could be the movie’s MacGuffin, and it could be one of the rings that powers his Time Chair: without it to power his chair, he cannot escape.
You know, one of the rings that make up Kamala’s bangle, and one of the rings that make up the Ten Rings Shang-Chi has. And, maybe, He Who Remains had a role to play in the disbursement of the Conqueror’s power years ago.
Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania continues to ramp up its marketing campaign with new stills from the movie. Not jus that, they are also giving the fans a few more hints at the plotlines of the film. Speaking with Empire Magazine, Kevin Feige teased Kang the Conqueror’s role in Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania, and revealed more about his goal in the movie. He alludes to the fact that Kang is seemingly stranded with a device that could do so much more.
He has a ship and a device that would allow him to go anywhere, and any when he wants if he can get it online. If only he had access to genius scientists with Pym Particles.
Kevin Feige
While we don’t know what his ship looks like, the “device” here seemingly refers to the Time Chair, a device of much significance in the comics. We know from the trailer played during last year’s San Diego Comic-Con that Kang made a “deal” with Scott Lang and that he was holding his family hostage until Ant-Man completed his part of the deal.
While Kang’s objectives have been teased multiple times, all of which have pointed toward the cliché multiverse-domination goal, this quote makes him look less like Thanos and more like a guy who just needs the right people at the right time. This definitely makes Cassie Lang’s mistake with the device she created seem less of an accident and more of a perfect flaw, which Kang was just waiting for.
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