Tag: Marvel TV

Don’t Expect New MCU Characters in ‘What If’

We’re only over a week away from Marvel Studios’ new venture on Disney+. Not just that, it’ll be their first animated series that explores the vast multiverse introduced in Loki. The creative team behind the series confirmed they weren’t restricted by other series exploring this concept. Yet, it seems there was one specific rule set by Marvel Studios’ head Kevin Feige. In an interview with the Malaysian site Kakuchopurei, director Bryan Andrews revealed that they weren’t allowed to introduce new characters.

We basically had operating instructions from Kevin Feige. Basically, we can’t introduce anyone or any character that hasn’t already been introduced in an MCU movie. You won’t be seeing, like, some random person pop up from the comics or other franchises that we hadn’t seen already in MCU proper

It’s an interesting rule to set. While it makes sense they would want to focus on What If scenarios featuring well-known characters, they could’ve added some characters that normally would never get the spotlight in a film or series. Yet, it also opens up the possibility they might have some plans after all.

Of course, it’s also a way to avoid theories surrounding these newly introduced characters existing during the original run. It could cause some continuity errors if they plan on introducing these characters in a future series or film if one looks too deeply into their appearance. We still don’t know how they’ll tackle the multiverse in the future, and if this might also connect to Loki‘s He Who Remains storyline. We got introduced to Kang. So, he could technically appear.

Source: Kakuchopurei

August 2, 2021
REPORT: ‘Ms. Marvel’ Likely Delayed to an Early 2022 Premiere

After a long wait, we finally got our first look at Ms. Marvel’s full costume for the upcoming Disney+ series. It included her brand-new ability that seems to envelop her hand in purple energy. We still have no idea if she will remain an Inhuman and keep her Embiggen abilities, but there are some changes heading our way. Sadly, it seems like we’ll also have to wait longer due to a report by veteran television insider Matt Webb Mitovich from TVLine. In his latest Matt’s Inside Line entry, he shared the following insight on the series potentially delayed-release:

I asked around and it is very safe to assume at this point that Ms. Marvel is now on track for an early 2022 premiere.

There has been a lot of speculation that this delay was imminent due to Hawkeye getting an official release this November. It’s uncertain what it might mean for the original line-up, but there’s a chance that her series requires more effects work and, as a result, got pushed back. We know very little about the series, with rumors all over the place throughout the last few months.

There’s still a chance we might get a surprise release, especially with the series getting a brief sizzle reel during Disney’s Investors Day last December. If it does end up releasing in 2022, it may take WandaVision’s January slot. It’ll likely run six weeks. So, it might not affect any plans for next year’s release schedule, which Marvel Studios is still keeping close to the chest. Here’s hoping we get some insight in the coming months into what their plans are for 2022.

Source: TVLine, Comic Book

August 2, 2021
‘What If’: Pandemic Pushed an Episode Into Season 2

It looks like we might’ve finally gotten the confirmation on how many episodes we can expect in Marvel Studios’ first foray into animation. What If executive producer Brad Winderbaum confirmed that they originally planned ten episodes in the first season before pushing one into the second due to the ongoing pandemic. It also seems to imply that we might get the second entry sooner rather than later.

We had to push an episode into Season 2. It was just, honestly, like everything else, that was a COVID impact. There was an episode that just wouldn’t hit the completion date, but luckily we do get to see it in the second season of the show. Season 2 will also be 9.

He also goes on to describe their approach to the length of each episode, as they weren’t restricted or given any mandate in regard to how they would tackle each episode, which acts as its own individual story.

We targeted a half an hour for each episode. Some of them come in a little longer, some of them come in a little shorter. We wanted to tell as many stories as we could and we had a certain budget we had to work with so it felt like that 10-episode — now 9-episode run — was the right quantity.

There are rumors that at least Captain Carter would make her way into live-action in the upcoming Doctor Strange sequel. The latest trailer also teased that this team of multiversal members will unite as the Guardians of the Multiverse. So, it’s uncertain how it might connect to an overarching story and continue into the second season. It’s still an anthology series at its core. At this point, anything is possible in the MCU.

Source: Collider

August 2, 2021
‘What If’: Dave Bautista Reveals He Was Never Asked to Voice Drax in Disney+ Series

In all our excitement for the upcoming animated series, What If, we’ve been wondering about the noticeable absence of specific actors. We know that a handful of actors, which includes Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Chris Evans, and Tom Holland aren’t returning for the series. Yet, there was also the surprising absence of Dave Bautista in the list even though we got a brief glimpse of his Drax interacting with T’Challa’s version of Star-Lord. Well, the actor took to Twitter and unveiled he never got asked in the first place.

https://twitter.com/davebautista/status/1422297797588623361?s=21

This reveal is rather surprising, as the actor has been outspoken on his love for the character. We also know he’ll return in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. So, why wouldn’t they want him to reprise the role? Either they already reached their limit on the budget with the massive voice cast, or Drax might not even have a line in the series. Yet, as the image above proves, he’ll interact with T’Challa at some point in the series.

So, it’s a bit baffling how they determine who joined the cast and who doesn’t. It would be great to get an official statement on how this got determined throughout production. Animation takes quite a bit of time, and they confirmed they’ve been working on it long before either Loki or the Doctor Strange sequel entered production. Even James Gunn was surprised by this statement in a reaction to his tweet. He’s openly stated that the upcoming Guardians film is likely the last time he’ll portray the character. We’ll see what the future holds for the iconic team member.

Source: Twitter

August 2, 2021
EXCLUSIVE: ‘What If’s Multiverse Concept Wasn’t Restricted by ‘Loki’ or ‘Doctor Strange’ Sequel

In the final episode of Loki, we watched as the Sacred Timeline expanded into madness. It branched off into every possible direction. This new pathway of infinite universe sets the stage for Marvel Studios’s What If. It’ll be our interlude into the multiverse ahead of Doctor Strange In the Multiverse of Madness. With multiple different projects tackling this unknown territory, it could become difficult to keep things in line between the many creatives involved. In an interview with Charles Murphy, head writer A.C. Bradley discussed how they coordinated with other projects like Loki and Doctor Strange.

When it comes to coordinating between Marvel projects, it’s not as much as you actually think. Weirdly enough because we’re animation and animation is a medium of patience, we started production- I started writing on the show back in the fall, late fall, of 2018, so my job was basically to keep the rules loose, so that the Loki team could if they needed to create anything with the TVA, I hadn’t already set any rules on papers. So, that was kind of easy and fun, it let me run wild, I didn’t have to worry about the TVA and pruning timelines, and I didn’t have to worry so much about Doctor Strange 2. This was just so as much fun in all the weird and wild places that we can go in the multiverse.

Hearing that the team didn’t feel any restrictions with the multiverse and how they could tell their stories is great and should make for some interesting outcomes. Their concept is also loose enough for them not to be too dependent, as they mainly explore different versions o the multiverse based on stories we’ve witnessed in the past years. It also helps that their early work on the project gives others the chance to work from where they left off, as noted with how they left it vague to ensure Loki’s TVA concept wouldn’t get affected.

August 2, 2021
‘Ms. Marvel’ Promo Art Confirms Rumored New Abilities

Ms.Marvel is reportedly set to air sometime this year and it seems like merchandise for the series is already beginning to trickle out. Rumors have swirled around Kamala’s power set and it seems some new promo art from the upcoming series has confirmed a rumor we’ve been hearing for quite some time now.

This new piece of merchandise featuring Iman Vellani suited up as Ms.Marvel seems to confirm that this version of Kamala will indeed wield purple construct abilities that allow her to conjure things up the way a Green Lantern does. The rumor from a while back stated that the bangle Kamala wears on her arm allows her to conjure this purple energy that she uses to fight crime, and here, it looks to have taken a crystallized form. The extent of these powers remains unknown, and how they even manifest from the bangle is a mystery.

Premier Visuel des pouvoirs de Miss Marvel #MsMarvel pic.twitter.com/RJxuYoh2Bf

— HEXFacility.com (@hexfacilitycom) August 2, 2021

It’s unknown if Ms. Marvel will still have her classic embiggening ability from the comics, but the power set could be reimagined so that the constructs act as her stretching and embiggening abilities and act similar to her original powers. Fan reception towards those rumors has been very divisive for the most part and this confirmation will surely spark more conversation about it. With no release date in sight, it’ll be interesting to see if the series will release this year, or makes its way to early next year,

SOURCE: Twitter

August 2, 2021
EXCLUSIVE: ‘WHAT IF…?’ Creators Originally Wanted to Go 2D

Marvel Studios’ first foray into animation is set to release on August 11th with What If…?, a series that will span a series of countless alternate outcomes within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. At a glance, the show immediately stands out with its unique art style and animation. However, the series almost looked like a completely different show at one point. In a recent interview with our very own Charles Murphy, What If…? director Bryan Andrews revealed that when the show first began development, they pictured it in 2D animation but decided otherwise due to the amount of work needed.

“Originally .it would’ve been awesome to go 2D because cause I love it, but you know, everyones busy. There’s a lot of animation being made right now and a lot of great studios have already been snatched up and the clock was ticking and we needed to do something. We felt a 3D-for-2D style might actually help us because there was a number of studios that were available that could do that. The only thing was that we wanted to lean even more heavily into the 2D part of that 3D-for-2D because most cel-shaded 2D-for-3D stuff I really dislike. We’re trying to push it and they were all excited about trying to push it as well and its an ongoing process that we’re still trying to figure out.”

With Marvel Studios focusing on more animation, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see a 2D animated series down the road to set it apart from What If…? and further expand the possibilities of animation. The art of great 2D animation has been lost in this sophisticated age of 3D animation so a return to form would be most welcome to see.

August 2, 2021
EXCLUSIVE: A Father-Son Stark Episode Almost Made the Cut in Season 1 of ‘WHAT IF…?’

After screening the first three episodes of Marvel Studios What If…?, I had the chance to talk to the series writer, AC Bradley, and director, Bryan Andrews, to get some insight into the creative process behind the studio’s first animated series.

With only 10 episodes and a wealth of ideas from which to choose, I asked Bradley if there were any characters, ideas or places that didn’t make the cut but stood out to her.

“We had dozens of ideas that, hopefully, some of them will pop up in Season 2. But there’s been a few characters that we just couldn’t touch because we didn’t have room or time. I’m happy that we got Howard the Duck in there because that’s such a fan kind of favorite little character-I said, “Let’s give him a moment”-because I doubt he’s going to be joining the Avengers anytime soon. We did have some great story line for multiple characters, like there was an Iron Man story that I really wanted to do, exploring a relationship with his father, but we already had another great Iron Man story. We only have 10 spots, you kinda gotta spread around the love. I’m a sucker for a good kind of sins of the father on the son kinda story.”

Tony’s relationship with his father, Howard, was an integral part of the first 3 phases of the MCU and the idea of Howard’s sins coming back to haunt Tony were central to Iron Man 2 but who knows what other hidden sins of Howard’s could have been explored and how they might have impacted Tony in another universe? Like Bradley said, there’s hope that some of these lost ideas make their way into future seasons, so since she was so keen on this one, maybe it’ll make the list for Season 2.

August 2, 2021
‘What If’: Captain Carter to Utilize Scrapped Captain America Storyboards

We’ve seen some creative ideas make their way into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Yet, there is still something that sadly ends up on the cutting room floor. Normally, a franchise doesn’t get a chance to revisit them, but Marvel Studios’ new animated series What If gives them a unique opportunity. Director Bryan Andrews confirmed that some unused concepts will get utilized through the newly introduced Captain Carter. He’s been with the company since 2010s Avengers as a storyboard artist and finally has the chance to reuse scrapped ideas.

There’s a ton of Captain America stuff that I had done over all the years that just never quite got in there. And I was like, ‘Ah-ha!’ ‘Cause now we have Captain Carter and she’s got the shield, there’s a lot of stuff ready to go… The moves are visually invigorating and they should be on the screen.

Of course, he does confirm there will be a lot of unique elements that belong to Captain Carter and make her stand out from Steve Roger’s time. It’s great they get to bring back old ideas through this show. Who knows, we might even see some concepts from earlier entries that never made it on the silver screen but get adapted in animated form.

The concept of the What If series opens up what feels like endless possibilities and could become a mainstay in Marvel Studios’ line-up. We know that they’ll also adapt a prelude comic, as head writer A.C. Bradley confirmed a version of Fury’s Big Week will get adapted as an Agatha Christie-style story. It’ll be interesting to see what else the ten-episode season might offer once it premieres in a few weeks.

Source: The Direct

August 1, 2021
‘What If’: Tom Holland’s Absence in Cast List May Confirm Spider-Man’s Leaked Identity in Disney+ Series

The official cast list for Marvel Studios animated series What If finally got revealed. It includes a long list of iconic MCU actors that are returning to the franchise to lend their voice to this new venture. Yet, there are some notable absences. Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Brie Larson, and Scarlett Johansson are noticeably absent from the list. We’ve known that Tony Stark will get a new voice actor through the first trailer, but there never was a statement regarding why they didn’t join the production. Yet, there’s another absent actor in the list, whose character we know makes a return to the series, Tom Holland. Toy leaks confirmed a version known as Zombie Hunter Spidey. Yet, a leak hinted that it isn’t Peter Parker in the iconic role.

There was a toy leak that first confirmed Spidey’s appearance in the series. Yet, it wasn’t Parker, but rather mentioned that Steve Rogers took over the role at some point. There’s a chance he took on the mantle after something happened to Peter during the zombie outbreak. He’s also wielding the iconic cape of Doctor Strange, which means the survivors of the outbreak are using all the weapons they have at their disposal. Yet, we know there’s a Zombie Captain America in the series, which opens up a lot of questions about how this zombie outbreak affects the multiverse.

It might connect to the issue regarding Sony’s rights to that specific version of the character. If you look closely, the costume provided in the animated series is different from the films, as the redesign is closer to the ones we see in Disney’s theme park. It’s the one used in the Worldwide Engineering Brigade attraction. So, it seems likely they had to fall back on this version of the character due to the rights. The animated rights to the character returned to Disney and were the reason why Spectacular Spider-Man got canceled back in the day.

So, they might’ve taken this unorthodox direction to include him in the series without requiring Sony’s input. Of course, it could also be a similar case to the absence of other actors. There’s a chance he simply couldn’t return to the role, but they still included a version of Peter Parker that becomes a zombie hunter. The leak teasing Captain America taking on the role could be from another storyline if it turns out true. The Zombie version of Steve Rogers would put a dent in this leak but with a series exploring the multiverse, anything is possible.

Source: Polygon, Comic Book

August 1, 2021