Tag: Marvel TV

‘Moon Knight’ Head Writer Says Marc Was Alive and “Busy” During the Blip

With the release of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness coming right on the heels of the finale of the Disney+ series Moon Knight, there has been a lot for Marvel fans to process over the last week. Still, information about the series has been pouring out after the relatively open-ended finale. In any Phase Four MCU project, though, there is one question always on audiences’ minds even if it is rarely answered—who survived the Blip?

Considering the MCU’s post-Avengers: Endgame content all takes place relatively recently after half the universe’s population was eliminated and then brought back, it always seems fairly relevant. For their part, Marvel Studios often keeps discussions about the details of the Blip to a minimum for plenty of practical reasons. However, Moon Knight head writer and executive producer Jeremy Slater recently told The Direct how Oscar Isaac’s Marc Spector spent his time during the five-year period. As seemed reasonable, he first confirmed that Spector did indeed survive the Blip:

We definitely, in the writers room, we all collectively thought he survived the Blip, that he wasn’t blipped away. Because I don’t know how you—I think if he had been blipped and come back, it would be something that you would have to address. It’s something you would have to deal with, especially as a character who is trying to find his place in the world, and has a lot of questions about his past. To not touch on the Blip of it all, felt weird. So we all kind of collectively assumed that he was part of the 50% that survived.
Jeremy Slater

Different clues throughout the series pointed to that conclusion, but it was never directly mentioned. Perhaps more interesting, Slater went on to say that he believes Moon Knight was “busy” during that time in a similar way to Jeremy Renner’s Hawkeye/Ronin. He stated:

But as to what was actually happening during that period, I mean, I think that they say in the show that Steven basically woke up about two years ago. That was the first time that they started living separate lives, and it was following the death of Marc’s mother. So that’s been the last two years, and we assume the three years before that was sort of Marc, just, there was probably, in the same way, that Hawkeye had his hands full as Ronin because the criminal underworld was running rampant during the Blip time, I assume Moon Knight was keeping very busy. But it was all being sort of done in the shadows, and he was sort of taking out a lot of threats that never surfaced or saw the light of day.
Jeremy Slater

While the character’s future in the MCU is still unclear, Slater’s description of Marc Spector’s vigilante-type past confirms that side of the superhero that we did not see in Moon Knight. It certainly helps explain the room full of the bodies of those Spector killed as the Fist of Khonshu, and it opens up plenty of space for telling stories about the character in the past or hints at how he may act in the future.

All episodes of Moon Knight are now streaming on Disney +.

Source: The Direct

May 11, 2022
‘Ms. Marvel’ Co-Creator on Iman Vellani’s Casting and Adapting Her Story to the MCU Timeline

Moon Knight and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness have been dominating the last few weeks, but now it’s time for Marvel to set their eyes on the next release, Ms. Marvel. There’s been some concern with the adaptation, as while the character seems mostly intact from the comics, her abilities have gone through quite the change. The character’s co-creator Sana Amanat talked to Entertainment Weekly to not only talk bout that massive change but also to highlight just how excited they are that Iman Vellani is taking on this role.

There is so much of Kamala in her because I think Kamala has the same type of view of the world. She looks at the world with eager and hopeful eyes, and I think Iman does that, too. You can’t help but root for her and be drawn to her. There are just so many similarities that it felt like such a natural fit to see her put on the costume for the first time [or] see her go into the Khan house for the first time. It just made sense. There’s no other Kamala than Iman Vellani.
Sana Amanat

That’s not all, as she also discussed how they’ve adapted the project to fit the MCU by remaining true to Ms. Marvel’s storyline from the comics.

The comic was very much a guiding light for us. We needed to make sure that it worked in the MCU, of course, but we wanted to make sure that we had that quirkiness and the stylistic distinction that the comics did so well. We wanted to find our own MCU version of it. So, we’re doing things in this show that we don’t really do anywhere else in the MCU. It’s kind of told through the lens of Kamala’s experience and her wild imagination. I think the brightness and the colors and where we go in the Marvel universe and in Kamala’s universe is really what makes it stand out, tonally and stylistically, from everything else.
Sana Amanat

The biggest change will also come in the form of how she looks up to Captain Marvel. Carol Danvers never had the identity of Ms. Marvel in the MCU. So, it’s a very different relationship when she takes on that role while still growing into her hero moving forward.

I think that is very, very similar to the comics. Obviously, in the Marvel comics, the story was different. [Carol] was Ms. Marvel in the Marvel comics, and she’s been around for much longer. But in this case, what’s unique is Captain Marvel is one of the few really well-known, big-time female Avengers, if you will. She had a pretty significant save in the battle against Thanos, and I think if someone who was young and looking out at the world, and she sees this really powerful, badass woman almost take down Thanos, what does that do to you? How do you internalize that? I think that is a really important story to tell, not only about who your heroes are, but who are your heroes when you’re a young person of color? What does that do to your sense of self?
Sana Amanat

It’s great to see that the creators of the character were also heavily involved with the project to ensure that their vision remains intact even in its translation to live-action. She highlights that she was on set and had an active role in bringing the character to life, which just highlights how collaborative the Marvel Studios environment truly is for creators of any kind.

Source: Entertainment Weekly

May 11, 2022
‘Ms. Marvel’ Co-Creator Sana Amanat Talks on Disney+ Series New Take on Kamala Khan’s Abilities

There has been a lot of debate on the changes made to Ms. Marvel’s abilities. The upcoming Disney+ series by the same name will mostly follow the character of Kamala Khan, who was first introduced back in 2014. Marvel’s first Muslim-American superhero had a very specific ability that many called Embiggening where her body stretches in creative ways or even just grow entirely. Yet, the Ms. Marvel trailers teased she’ll have some crystal and cosmic-inspired abilities. People were concerned about what it might mean for her moving forward, but Ms. Marvel co-creator Sana Amanat has now opened up about the change from the comics.

Amanat played a vital role in bringing the character to life together with writer G. Willow Wilson, artist Adrian Alphona, and editor Steve Wacker. She highlights the adaptation and says she’s also actively discussed the changes with fellow creator Willow highlighting they agreed with the direction the project took with her abilities.

Obviously, so much of the show is an adaptation, and we thought it was important to make sure that her powers are linking to larger stories in the Marvel universe. We wanted to make sure there is a little bit more story to tell after this series. Obviously, she goes into The Marvels. The powers do look different, which is very controversial. I know people are like, “How dare you change the powers!” I know people are upset about it, but as someone who’s probably one of the closest people to this character from the inception, and having spoken to Willow about this as well, I think Willow and I have always felt that this made sense. This was the right move because there are bigger stories to tell.
Sana Amanat

One might argue that sacrificing her original abilities for “bigger stories” to tell, but that may further hint that we’ll get a better view of why the changes were made once the series releases on Disney+. It also seems like Amanat confirms that the metaphorical and visual standpoint of the abilities will remain even with their more cosmic direction.

It’s really fun to give Kamala different kinds of powers that feel big in scope and cinematic in a different way. We can do a lot of fun things with her. I don’t want to spoil too much about how she uses her powers, but they’re fun and bouncy. At the same point, the essence of what the powers are in the comics is there, both from a metaphorical standpoint and from a visual standpoint. We’re doing the embiggened fist. We’re doing the elements that make her feel and look kind of crazy, but also really cool. I think it’s going to be familiar to people, but at the same time, different in a fresh and unique way.
Sana Amanat

The powers haven’t been highlighted too much in the trailers. So, we’ll see how exactly it might tackle these themes that made the character stand out in the past. Many that have been worried about the adaptation point out that it takes away from her character, but it seems that is something they’ve definitely going to remain while promising it’s simply just a “fresh” perspective on something comic readers have come to love over the years.

Source: Entertainment Weekly

May 11, 2022
‘Doctor Strange 2’ Didn’t Connect ‘Loki’ As it Would “Have Complicated Things”

When early fan theories went crazy over Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, everyone assumed that the events of Loki would directly lead to this film. Yet, those that left theaters might’ve been surprised that non of the story points from that series would lead into the film, besides the birth of the multiverse. Still, even with the series’ head writer on board, they purposefully avoided referencing or building their film with the Disney+ series in mind, as it would “have complicated things.”

If it had been necessary, I think we would have. But as it was, it felt, even to me, like we were just reaching. Nothing would have made me happier than to get to write dialogue for Tom or Owen or Sophia. But it felt like this was a story happening separate of that TVA purview. And that might have complicated things. You know, this movie was already handling a lot, and that might have just confused things even further. So I think we were okay without it.

He makes a good point, as it already was building upon the WandaVision Disney+ show with Scarlet Witch’s development. It would’ve also had to strongly focus on building upon the world that Loki set up with the TVA, which could potentially distract from the film’s overall plotline. They probably had to pick their battle on what they focus on, as they could’ve also given the Illuminati’s role to the TVA in some capacity, which may not have had the same impact.

Waldron also highlights how they keep a strong focus on how they approach their stories and they aren’t just doing it to connect everything for the purpose of connection git. We’ll see what the future has in store for Loki with a second season underway. There’s also the fact that Kang will make his appearance in the upcoming Ant-Man and the Wasp sequel, which may actually connect the TVA with the Quantum Realm. We’ll see what the future has in store for them.

Source: Variety

May 10, 2022
‘Moon Knight’ Originally Included a Kang Reference

Loki set up the big bad of the multiversal conflict in He Who Remains, who is actually a Variant of Kang the Conqueror. We did get a good look at a statue of Jonathan Majors wearing the iconic look from the comics. We know he’ll make an appearance in the upcoming Ant-Man and the Wasp sequel but was surprisingly absent in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Though, it seems that he was originally going to be referenced in Moon Knight according to head writer Jeremy Slater.

There was a line in the script, and I don’t know if it survived. I can’t remember. But there was a line where, I think Steven, is sort of rattling off some Egyptian history that he has locked away in his brain, and he did mention Rama-Tut. I don’t remember if that scene, if that line is still in the show or not. But it was that small, it was him mentioning a list of famous pharaohs or something like that. But that was Nick Pepin, one of our executives at Marvel, that was his idea to sort of slip that in there as a fun Easter egg.
Jeremy Slater

There was a visual reference that was still included that seemed like it was taken from the comics, but you don’t get a good enough look at what it is. The fact we may explore Kang’s time as Rama-Tut would be quite interesting, and hopefully, we’ll see a lot more of his many Variants in the future, as He Who Remains was only one of many. For now, we’ll have to wait but Kang’s future role in the MCU is definitely going to be an exciting one.

Source: The Direct

May 10, 2022
REPORT ‘Daredevil’ & Co. May be Heading to Disney+ Brazil in June

While being surprised that the Marvel Netflix series wasn’t seeing an international release, they are slowly starting to roll them out in other countries. While there’s no official reveal on the official Twitter account, a Twitter user by the name of @almanaquedisney has shared a familiar visual to those that were hyped when the Marvel Netflix series were making their way to Disney+ stateside.

According to them, Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, and the rest of the Defenders will make their way to Disney+ Brazil on June 29th. They will also come with the same parental controls as the United States got with their initial release. There is currently still no word if it’ll also find its way to European countries around the same time, as there was a statement from the Netherlands that hinted at a June release. So, we might see a similar release date. The release has not yet been officially released on the official Twitter page and may have only been shared through a newsletter.

🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨

A Disney Brasil acaba de confirmar que as séries da Marvel Television que estavam na Netflix chegarão ao @DisneyPlusBR no dia 29 DE JUNHO.

Assim como nos Estados Unidos, nosso Disney Plus terá atualização no controle parental, permitindo conteúdos +16 e +18. pic.twitter.com/xhriKvrTXA
— AD (@almanaquedisney) May 9, 2022

Here’s hoping an official statement drops soon, but the June release is motivating that the series will be made available for all Disney+ subscribers at some point. It’s still surprising that there has been a delay with an international release, especially as those countries with the Star branding already have a function age restriction service built-in. So, we’ll see if more countries get the announcement in the coming weeks.

Source: Twitter

May 9, 2022
Elizabeth Olsen’s Wanda Won’t Appear in Agatha’s ‘WandaVision’ Spinoff

WandaVision may have set up Scarlet Witch’s storyline going into Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, but it also set up a new spinoff focused on Kathryn Hahn‘s Agatha Harkness. The fittingly titled Agatha: House of Harkness will continue the storyline of the now-trapped Agatha, who is still stuck living in Westview. It made us wonder if we might expect a return of Elizabeth Olsen to that series, but she swiftly debunked it in an interview with Good Morning America.

I mean, I would do anything with Hahn, yeah. No, I’m not appearing in it, not as far as I’m aware, but I love that woman so much. That entire show was just filled with lots of joy, it was great.
Elizabeth Olsen

While it’s a shame they won’t build upon their relationship from the previous entry, given how Multiverse of Madness ends it does seem unlikely she might show up in that series. Of course, it’s also great to use this as a way to further explore Agatha as a character on her own terms rather than just continue their relationship as the basis of her entire character dynamic. Even the Echo spinoff is fully moving away from Hawkeye even if that’s the series she was introduced in. So, we’ll see just what the future has in store for Agatha moving forward.

Source: YouTube via The Direct

May 9, 2022
How ‘Moon Knight’ Sets Up a Potential Scarlet Scarab-Focused Disney+ Series

Moon Knight‘s finale has introduced us to a new hero, Scarlet Scarab. Layla El-Faouly, who is played by the wonderful May Calawamy, becomes the Avatar of the Egyptian goddess Taweret. Her new heroic alter-ego is strongly inspired by the name her father gave to her, we get introduced to the MCU’s first Egyptian superhero. While the series remained focused on its main hero, it left a lot of questions open on what exactly the future has in store for Layla moving forward. There actually is a storyline that could be used to continue her own story in a Disney+ spinoff.

Some may complain that too many characters are getting their own series, which is understandable given the surprising announcement for Echo and Agatha: House of Harkness. Yet, that’s the potential behind Disney+ to give smaller characters their potential to explore stories that would otherwise be relegated to off-screen. Plus, it gives new creatives and talents to tell a story that otherwise wouldn’t have the chance to. While Mohamed Diab pointed out he’d love to tackle a Moon Knight film next, I do believe there’s a lot here that he could build upon to further explore Scarlet Scarab’s place in the bigger MCU.

The Egyptian pantheon has lost its control, as their Avatars have been killed by Arthur Harrow’s hands to unleash Ammit. While they manage to subjugate him and God, their actions still left behind quite a dangerous power vacuum. They no longer have any Avatars to keep an eye on Earth, and the fact that they literally fell for Harrow’s mischief might have left a rather sour taste in their mouths. That’s not all though, we’ve seen quite a few gods were trapped in a similar way to Khonshu, and with the destruction of their holy place, who knows what may have found its way out of its imprisonment.

There are many moving pieces at play that could put Layla at a rather questionable place, as she was quite reluctant to even become an Avatar, it opens her up to facing an unlikely challenge. The desire to simply give it all back isn’t as simple, something we’ve clearly seen with Khonshu’s hold over Marc Spector. While Taweret isn’t shown to be someone that is self-centered, she may be desperate to somehow keep order with them being the only remaining Avatar for the Egyptian pantheon–not knowing that Khonshu still holding a grip over Marc through another alter.

A conflict of duty and freedom may create a rift between Layla and Taweret, as she becomes unwillingly pulled into a role she never asked for. Her line with the little girl about being an Egyptian superhero had a much bigger weight on her future than she may have bargained for. Yet, it may also help her find a place in the world that she wouldn’t have considered, while also getting a chance of closure with her father, especially as Taweret teased she had talked to him.

Diab’s work in Moon Knight gave us glimpses of the beauty of Egypt, which felt like we’ve only scratched the surface. As Spector returned to London, it would be a shame not to further explore the country and its culture through the eyes of Layla. As great as Marc Spector’s time in that country was, he has a very different connection to it. He was more a gateway than a full embrace, which gave us Layla’s transformation into the Scarlet Scarab, perfectly setting her up as the person to further explore that corner of the MCU.

May 9, 2022
‘Moon Knight’ From Page to Screen: Episode 6

Over the past few weeks, we’ve delved into how Moon Knight show has continuously referenced a number of comic runs either within its greater storyline or with small details that helped make the show so rewarding when familiar with the source material. Following Episode 1, we looked at how the show explored Marc Spector’s dissociative identity disorder compared to the comics. In Episode 2 Mr. Knight was introduced through a rather different take than in the comics and in Episode 3 Layla’s backstory, along with her dad’s, was approached and so we delved deep into how those same events were presented in both the original Moon Knight comic run and the more recent Lemire/Smallwood one. After the twist ending of Episode 4, we again looked at the ways that the series was inspired by the psych ward introduced in that latter run something that continued into episode 5 with Marc becoming Moon Knight.

As for episode 6, finding a specific moment that was worth exploring in terms of its comic counterpart became an issue in and of itself. With Marvel Studios so keen on being as unpredictable as possible when it comes to its storylines, especially its third acts (that obviously also include all series/season finales), the comics end up being referenced in a less obvious way. The thematic correlation is still there, and so being that’s perhaps the way to go about it: Focusing on what the show is trying to do that the comics already did—albeit in different ways—, and what that might hint towards the future of these characters.

Marvel Studios’ Moon Knight Episode 6

Marvel Studios’ Moon Knight Episode 6

Two of the major takeaways from the latest Moon Knight episode were presented in the post-credit scene. There, we found out that despite Marc deciding to go against Khonshu’s will towards killing Harrow, the God of the Moon and the Night Sky was still very much determined to keep his body as his earthly vessel. And with that in mind, his third alter was finally revealed with Jake Lockley making this on-screen debut, showing himself to be the most unhinged and violence-prone of the identities sharing said body. Both these particulars seem to hint at a larger story being told, more connected to Marc’s dissociative identity disorder (DID) than to his superhero endeavors.

Moon Knight #9 (2016)

The relationship between Marc and Khonshu never seemed to be one based on mutual interests, and so this abuse is sure to strain it even further leading to greater altercations down the line. As we watched throughout the show, Marc’s motivations for going along with Khonshu’s greater plan were basically attached to concerns over Layla’s well-being. Even with his prominent sense of duty, the deal he made with Khonshu that led to him becoming his Fist of Vengeance did not seem worth keeping, as death was something Marc welcomed in order to escape his fate. Unless, of course, that meant that Layla would then have to endure his burden. Much as in the aforementioned Lemire/Smallwood run, Marc ends up understanding that a rejection of Khonshu’s ways was absolutely necessary in order for him, even with the other identities, to ever feel comfortable in his own skin.

Marvel Studios’ Moon Knight Episode 6

Marvel Studios’ Moon Knight Episode 6

But this wasn’t always the case as Marc at times determined that the other identities were the issue. It wouldn’t be until later on that he understood that each personality was but a piece of the tapestry that made him whole and that Khonshu was the unnecessary appendage that only kept him down. This is somewhat similar to what we got to see in the show, as the initial confrontations between Marc and Steven then led to one of the best scenes in the entire show when both understood that they were so much less when trying to reject and keep each other at bay. Jake’s introduction will serve the purpose of giving the plot an extra layer of complexity as Marc and Steven will have not only external but also internal threats they must overcome.

Moon Knight #14 (2017)

Khonshu is then proving himself to be, if not the main villain in the series we just watched, the antagonist that will prove the biggest adversary for Marc, Steven, and possibly even Jake. Much as in the comics the several personalities ended up working together in order to obliterate Khonshu’s influence over their shared body, and so too it seems that this might be the way to go in future storylines on future live-action Moon Knight projects.

Moon Knight #14 (2017)

Moon Knight is now streaming, in its entirety, only on Disney+.

May 9, 2022
It’s Time for Marvel Studios to End Their Most Well-Known Tradition

In 2008, fans who stuck around through the credits of Iron Man found themselves treated to a tease of greater things to come. At the time, given the nebulous state of the future of Marvel Studios, the tease came without a promise that we’d ever see the Avengers Initiative come to fruition on the big screen. 4 years later, it paid off in The Avengers, rolled out its own post-credit scene that set the stage for the larger narrative that would develop over the next 15 MCU projects. That run, which became known as the Infinity Saga, ended with 2019’s Avengers: Endgame which, ironically, was the first Marvel Studios film to run without a post-credit scene. Now, with the future of Marvel Studios more secure than it has ever been, it’s time for the post-credit scene to die.

Marvel Studios’ Iron Man (2008)

Marvel Studios’ Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)

After skipping out on the tradition in Endgame, Marvel Studios brought back the post-credit scene in Spider-Man: Far From Home, the final Phase 3 film. In hindsight, it’s a tradition they should have left behind as they moved into Phase 4. Once a fun source of “water cooler” conversation, the idea has grown beyond itself and evolved into something that’s become part of a parasitic online conversation where the scenes that come AFTER the movie generate more interest and conversation than the movie itself. It’s not a phenomenon limited just to Marvel Studios-Sony used the post-credit scene to Venom: Let There Be Carnage to market the movie-but Marvel Studios started it and now they need to end it.

The conversation around the post-credit scenes poses a multi-faceted problem for Marvel Studios. While they still provide a fun tease of upcoming events, in recent years, more than one post-credit tease hasn’t paid off. For example, after the credits rolled in 2016’s Doctor Strange, audiences learned that Mordo was on a mission to eliminate magic users, especially those who violated natural law. Surely that would mean he’d cross paths with Wanda Maximoff, right? 616-Mordo was nowhere to be seen in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, his role rumored to have been snipped from the film’s final cut. And what about the great Adrian Toomes/Mac Gargan scene at the end of 2017’s Spider-Man: Homecoming? With Doctor Strange’s spell erasing the memory of Peter Parker from everyone’s mind, it seems like the Vulture/Scorpion team-up will never come to pass. Will the tease of Venom in the MCU, set up in the post-credit scene to Spider-Man: No Way Home, have the same fate?

Marvel Studios’ Doctor Strange (2016)

Marvel Studios’ Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)

The fervor around the content of the post-credit scenes has grown to a point where fans are often more concerned with it than the film itself. Driven by leak culture, the knowledge of the contents of the latest Marvel Studios’ post-credit scene is often a more valuable commodity (more talked about) than the film itself. In fact, after recently attending the premiere of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, almost everyone who asked me about the movie started off by asking, “How many post-credit scenes are there?” and “What’s in them?” It’s concerning that a post-credit scene that may have been shot over a few hours is of more interest than the billion-dollar films the studio is rolling out. And in this case, Marvel Studios delivered one of its worst post-credits scenes to date, though it featured a huge casting spoiler for a big star entering the MCU. But will she? Or will her cameo and the promise it carries be as empty as Mordo’s sorcerer hunt?

As mentioned above, Multiverse of Madness’ post-credit scene, despite featuring 3-time Academy Award-winning actress Charlize Theron as one of Strange’s most important supporting characters, Clea, doesn’t quite carry the same weight as Fury’s post-Iron Man appearance. Despite Theron looking fantastic as Clea, it seemed hastily put together and didn’t really seem to line up with the film’s own ending, making it one of the worst efforts for the studio. What’s more, the drop in quality seems to be a trend in Phase 4 with none of the offerings so far coming near the thrills of introducing the Maximoff twins after The Winter Soldier.

Marvel Studios’ Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

Marvel Studios’ Eternals (2021)

Truly, the post-credit scenes have lost their novelty and have become an unnecessary distraction. Jake Lockley could have easily been put in the body of the final episode of Moon Knight. Sharon Carter’s phone conversation after the credits of the final episode of The Falcon and The Winter Solider may have done more harm than good, causing fans to speculate and theorize wildly about who was on the other end; as has been demonstrated over and over again, this will lead to faux outrage down the road when the speculation turns out wrong and fans will feel slighted. Will Starfox, or any of the Eternals ever be heard from again? No idea, but Harry Styles caused more of a buzz than the actual film. What was once a wink-wink-nudge-nudge to the comic book fans in the audience has become something general audiences are hungrier for than the films to which they are attached. Marvel Studios would serve themselves well by ditching the post-credit scenes. And if fans are still hungry for more, perhaps the studio could bring back One-Shots as a streaming alternative.

Given they distract from the movies, aren’t always followed through on and the disturbing trend in their quality, it really is time for the Marvel post-credit scene to be retired. We’ll always have that kiss between Jane and Thor…before Jane disappeared for a decade.

May 9, 2022