Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Marvel

  • The ‘She-Hulk’ Finale May Have Confirmed a Season 2

    The ‘She-Hulk’ Finale May Have Confirmed a Season 2

    Much happened—or didn’t, depending on how you look at it—in the She-Hulk: Attorney at Law finale. The series ended on an upbeat note, and Jen seems to have taken back her life after the dark ending of Episode 8 and the sad beginning of the final episode. One thing is for sure, though, and that is that the bonkers fourth wall break is undoubtedly an iconic Marvel Cinematic Universe moment from here on out. In it, there are a couple of moments that mention a She-Hulk Season 2. And while Loki is still the only series to get an official confirmation by the time the credits start rolling, we have may have gotten the next best thing.

    When She-Hulk arrives in the writers’ room, she interrupts their conversation about what the second season should be. Specifically, one writer pitches the god-awful idea that the entire second season would be a dream sequence. Later, when She-Hulk is talking to K.E.V.I.N., a second season is once again brought up in a very matter-of-fact way.

    While the fourth wall break does not appear to be Marvel Studios’ way of officially announcing something, the fact that a She-Hulk Season 2 was mentioned more than once in a “yeah, this is going to happen” way seems like a fairly obvious way the show may be teasing it. After all, robot Kevin Feige had plenty to say but certainly did not correct the Season 2 assumption. While the writers could have included the references as cheeky jokes—after all, the internet will surely start debating what every word in the fourth wall break meant—it did not play off as obviously as some of the other jokes in that sequence.

    Like everything, we will have to wait and see if or when Marvel Studios decides to announce something like She-Hulk Season 2, but the writing may be on the wall. She-Hulk is also, conveniently, an incredibly second-season-friendly show with its ability to be a half-hour legal comedy. Whether it truly accomplished that in this first season is perhaps debatable, but the potential from this show and the comics’ source material is truly astounding. The episodes with Donny Blaze, Madisynn, and group villain therapy could easily become the norm in a second season, and those were standout episodes. There is a lot more lawyering Jen can do, and there is certainly a lot more She-Hulk smashing she can do.

    All episodes of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law are now streaming on Disney+.

  • ‘She-Hulk’: Skaar’s Introduction Explained

    ‘She-Hulk’: Skaar’s Introduction Explained

    The She-Hulk: Attorney at Law finale had so much going on, that the surprise introduction of a major character at the very end almost did not pack much of a punch, perhaps because it has been rumored for quite some time. Still, the brief introduction of a new character likely has major implications for the Marvel Cinematic Universe going forward.

    At the end of the She-Hulk finale, Bruce does eventually show back up (granted, he was axed from the messy climax after Jen went to clear things up with Marvel Studios). At the Walters’ family picnic, however, Bruce arrives with someone else in tow: his son, Skaar. For those unfamiliar with Skaar from the comics, this could be a wild twist. In general, it is a major inclusion in the MCU that will surely carry a lot with it. So, first, who is Skaar? And second, what does his presence mean for the MCU now?

    In the comics, Skaar comes from a relationship the Hulk has while on Sakaar. He conceived a son with Caiera the Oldstrong, but after a ship explosion that killed Caieria, the Hulk believed that Skaar had died in the womb. Obviously, Skaar did in fact survive and was raised by his mother’s Shadow People on what was left of Sakaar. Eventually, he was exiled to Earth. And when he arrived, all he wanted to do was kill Bruce.

    In live-action, it is not hard to imagine that something similar happened and our MCU Hulk fathered a child on Sakaar. We have a lot less information on who Skaar’s mother might be, the state of Sakaar, or why Skaar has come to Earth, however. The way his arrival was set up in She-Hulk, it almost came across as though Bruce went to Sakaar knowing that he had some sort of responsibility—maybe Skaar. It is also very likely he was not aware of Skaar before his return to the planet. In any event, he definitely brought his son with him and they seem chummy enough.

    The most obvious prediction for how Skaar will factor into Phases 5 or 6 is as part of the rumored ‘World War Hulks’ project. She-Hulk seemed to tease that it could be part of the setup for that project or overarching storyline, given the Hulk blood fascination. The series did not end up going that route, but the implication is very clear: the MCU is about to get more hulks. What happens when the MCU gets a bunch of hulks?—probably some type of World War Hulk iteration. Skaar plays a significant role in that story, but the theories on how Marvel Studios might adapt it so far are endless since we are seemingly at an early stage of that process. However, given the casting of Tim Blake Nelson as The Leader in Captain America: New World Order, that movie might be a solid place to start.

  • ‘She-Hulk: Attorney at Law’ From Page to Screen: Episode 8

    ‘She-Hulk: Attorney at Law’ From Page to Screen: Episode 8

    Welcome back to yet another From page to Screen focusing on She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. In the show’s first week, we looked at the differences between the comics’ and series’ versions of Jennifer Walters’ origin story. The following week, viewers got a live-action introduction to Jen’s new legal job, taken straight out of Dan Slott’s and Juan Bobillo’s 2004 She-Hulk run—Goodman, Lieber, Kurtzberg & Holliway (GLK&H). Episode 3 introduced a reimagined version of comic book villains, in its fourth week, the show decided to focus on Jen’s love life and, the following week, on Jen’s nemesis, Titania. Episode 6, being a “self-contained wedding episode” was approached as its own thing while referencing a lackluster comic arc where Jen ended up being engaged herself. As for episode 7, with the introduction of Man-Bull, El Águila, and Porcupine, we took a look at other She-Hulk villains that could be showing up down the line.

    Episode 8 gave us the long-awaited Matt Murdock / Daredevil appearance, which bore some similarities with The Good Old Days story arc featured in the 2014/15 Charles Soule She-Hulk run. Soule, who like Walters and Murdock is an attorney himself, got both characters meeting on opposing sides of the court with a slightly different setup than what we got in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law.

    Marvel Studios’ She-Hulk: Attorney at Law Episode 8
    Marvel Studios’ She-Hulk: Attorney at Law Episode 8

    In the show, Jen was oblivious as to who Murdock was, to the point of directing a “Who is this asshole?” to the camera. She later looked him up ahead of their meeting at the bar, but not only was she initially unaware of who Matt was, but she also had no idea Daredevil was even a thing. In the comic, they were already familiar with each other, so much so that even previously in the same run, Jen had gone to Matt looking for some legal advice when dealing with a case involving Doctor Doom and his son, Kristoff Vernard. She then sought to do the same when defending Captain America only to be turned down in a way that only made sense a few pages ahead when she enters the courtroom and finds Matt as the opposing counsel. Unlike in the show, the shock of him being there isn’t only on the reader/viewer but especially on her.

    She-Hulk #8 (2014)
    She-Hulk #8 (2014)
    She-Hulk #8 (2014)

    There is a lot more lawyering in the comic than in the show, with Jen’s client being a bit more high profile than Leapfrog. Captain America, who had recently seen the Super-Soldier Serum within his body being neutralized (in the Rick Remender run that would lead to Sam Wilson becoming the new Captain America), was being charged with wrongful death in a civil suit and had approached Jen to be the one to represent him. Murdock was then the attorney for the plaintiff, looking to get Steve Rogers convicted of the role he played in the death of his friend Samuel in the 1940s, a few years before Rogers was even Captain America.

    Marvel Studios’ She-Hulk: Attorney at Law Episode 8
    Marvel Studios’ She-Hulk: Attorney at Law Episode 8

    Little did both Walters and Murdock know that Steve Rogers was (sort of) playing both sides. With his old age, he had enemies that would want to tarnish his legacy once he’d be gone, and that meant setting up the whole lawsuit situation. It wasn’t like he could just send in the Avengers to punch their way out of it since that would make it seem that he was indeed guilty of all charges. He had to find another way to not only avoid a conviction but to completely discredit the entire case. He then managed to get Murdock involved so that, in the public eye, everything was being done in order to convict him since Matt was regarded as being one of the best. As for Jennifer, as hard as he wanted Matt to go, he also needed someone equally as good on his side since, in his own words “I didn’t want to lose, you know.”

    She-Hulk #9 (2014)
    She-Hulk #9 (2014)

    Outside the courtroom, their late-night encounter also played a bit differently. In She-Hulk: Attorney at Law Jennifer left her apartment when trying to protect her client from being attacked, leading to her first confrontation with Daredevil and the eventual disclosure that Murdock was behind the mask.

    Marvel Studios’ She-Hulk: Attorney at Law Episode 8
    Marvel Studios’ She-Hulk: Attorney at Law Episode 8

    In the comic, it was Matt that came to Jennifer in order to get her out of the house and into the Los Angeles night sky. But even if he felt that they both should unwind following an entire day stuck in a courtroom, dealing with a case that both were having a bit of trouble adjusting to, his true purpose was to try and free Jen of the feeling that Cap should be above the law, and that his conviction should be taken as a real possibility. It is here that Matt tells Jennifer that when he was asked to step into the role of prosecutor, Cap was the one who ok’d it, making Murdock promise not to pull any punches. This made it seem, for both Jen and Matt, that Cap might actually be guilty after all, and that it was all a weird way of him finally coming clean about past mistakes.

    She-Hulk #9 (2014)
    She-Hulk #9 (2014)
    She-Hulk #9 (2014)

    In the TV show, their late-night exploits lead them to Leapfrog’s secret-not-so-secret lair. After Matt explains that Patilio kidnapped Luke Jacobson the two work together to rescue the latter. They make quick work of the goons/henchmen defending the premises and get Jacobson to safety without breaking a sweat.

    Marvel Studios’ She-Hulk: Attorney at Law Episode 8
    Marvel Studios’ She-Hulk: Attorney at Law Episode 8

    There’s a very similar occurrence in the comics that happens once the case was settled (go read the comics to know exactly how that transpired). We also got a Daredevil / She-Hulk team-up when Steve Rogers seemingly figures who might have been the mastermind behind the entire lawsuit situation. Dr. Faustus, an Austrian specialist in psychological manipulation seemingly had access to old Nazi information from the ’40s and was able to explore the events in order to hurt Cap’s image. When faced with this information, Jen and Matt do not hesitate and, with the case already closed, have no issue with breaking into Faustus’ compound and, much like in the show, getting it done in the blink of an eye.

    She-Hulk #10 (2014)

    In She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, following their day together—first in the courtroom, then at the bar, and finally rescuing Jacobson—Jen and Matt start making plans to meet up again after he goes back to New York since that would be his last night in LA. But, unlike in the comic run, that night out never happened since they skipped all of that and just…

    Marvel Studios’ She-Hulk: Attorney at Law Episode 8
    Marvel Studios’ She-Hulk: Attorney at Law Episode 8

    In the book, it was almost the reverse situation. They also found themselves on the west coast (San Francisco, not LA, where Matt was living at the time) but it was Jen that had to go back to her practice in New York. When realizing that that would be her last night in town, Matt also asks Jen out, and they do end up going out, just not in the usual sense.

    She-Hulk #4 (2014)

    The first eight She-Hulk: Attorney at Law episodes are now streaming only on Disney+.

  • Disney Updates its Cinematic Release Slate for the Coming Years

    Disney Updates its Cinematic Release Slate for the Coming Years

    The cinematic experience is partly enjoying a film in theaters while also going through the continuous reshuffling of release schedules. Not every release manages to stay consistent due to production conflicts and various challenges that come together. Blade has recently faced some troubles as it lost its director and naturally was postponed, but surprisingly many more films from Marvel followed with a whole new slate. That isn’t all, as Disney used the opportunity to update its entire slate.

    Disney’s upcoming 2024 release will now include:

    • 3/1/24 – Elio
    • 3/22/24 – Disney’s Snow White
    • 5/3/24 – Captain America: New World Order
    • 5/24/24 – Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
    • 6/14/24 – Inside Out 2
    • 7/5/24 – Mufasa: The Lion King
    • 7/26/24 – Thunderbolts
    • 9/6/24 – Blade
    • 11/8/24 – Untitled Deadpool Movie
    • 12/20/24 – Avatar 3

    Fantastic Four is scheduled for 14th February 2025 with Avengers: The Kang Dynasty set for May. They have also added two untitled Marvel films for July and November. They wrap up the year with an untitled Star Wars film in December, the first cinematic entry since 2019’s The Rise of Skywalker. Avengers Secret Wars is now scheduled for May 2026 with three more Marvel films already given a release date. Avatar 4 joins that same year in December with its fifth entry already planned for 2028. They also already mapped out another untitled Star Wars film in 2027.

    It definitely looks like Disney has some big plans for the coming years and it’s crazy to think just how mapped out they are until 2028. Of course, the last two years only have one entry each, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see more Marvel films get scheduled once we near the Avengers release. It looks like their next

  • A Potential ‘Moon Knight’ Season 2 Could Feature ‘Werewolf By Night’ Characters

    A Potential ‘Moon Knight’ Season 2 Could Feature ‘Werewolf By Night’ Characters

    After the raging success of Marvel Studios’ first Special Presentation, Werewolf by Night, fans are anxiously awaiting Jack Russell’s, Ted Sallis’ (Man-Thing), and Elsa Bloodstone’s returns to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The special itself appeared to open the door to the MCU’s monsterverse, but it has also been confirmed that Werewolf By Night has no intention of being a pilot for future series. Of course, there are Midnight Sons and Legion of Monsters rumors and theories. And there’s always Blade, though the film is in a rough spot after recently losing its director. But perhaps the answer—or one of the answers—is a bit less obvious. After star Oscar Isaac’s comments that there is more Moon Knight in the MCU’s future, it may not be too farfetched to think that characters from the monster special could appear in a potential second season of that series.

    The most obvious connection Moon Knight has to these characters is that his first appearance was as an adversary in Werewolf by Night #32 in 1975. Originally, Moon Knight was written as a mercenary hired to capture Russell, which explains his moon-themed persona and silver weapons. By the end of his original two-issue appearance, Moon Knight changes course and helps the titular werewolf instead. From here, the character went on to have his own solo and team-up careers unrelated to Werewolf by Night. Moon Knight’s connections to Man-Thing and Elsa Bloodstone are less obvious, though the three of them were all part of a relatively recent Midnight Sons lineup in the Damnation crossover event. Still, Man-Thing’s connection to the Nexus of All Realities makes his general presence in the MCU’s Multiverse Saga make sense, and Jack and Ted were set up as a pair in Werewolf by Night.

    While Marc Spector has a colorful resume, he is not particularly well known for his connection to monsters. As such, there are not many clear storylines from the comics that a Moon Knight Season 2 could adapt from the comics. But without a doubt, Moon Knight is the first character aside from Doctor Strange to truly open up the paranormal and supernatural worlds of the MCU. That aspect of the universe is gaining more steam, but in terms of seeing Werewolf by Night or related characters sooner rather than later, there do not seem to be a lot of obvious options at this moment. Phase 6 is almost entirely unannounced, and so is a second season of Moon Knight. Still, an appearance in the series might be fundamental to the steady rise of the monsterverse and its related projects.

    While Moon Knight is not generally found constantly battling or working with monsters, the vigilante is certainly not foreign to them. In the series alone, the character had to face some rather monsterous Ancient Egyptain-themed creatures, and the finale was aptly titled, “Gods and Monsters.” The supernatural angle of the character was definitively established in Moon Knight. In the comics, the actual existence of Khonshu is sometimes debated as the stories play around with Marc Spector’s unique mental state. But in the MCU, Khonshu’s presence and related supernatural truths are presented as fact. While, so far, the live-action of the character has been limited to the very specific Egyptian god-focused aspect of the supernatural, Moon Knight has ample reason to encounter more. After all, a key component of the vigilante in print is that, as the Fist of Khonshu, he is a protector of those who travel at night—and plenty of things go bump in the night.

    While nighttime is clearly special for Moon Knight and monsters alike, the concept also highlights the stylistic compatibility of characters like Werewolf by Night and Moon Knight. Both rely on supernatural themes, but the series and Werewolf by Night are noticeably some of the MCU’s darkest projects both literally and figuratively. The potential seedy and gritty vigilante life of Marc Spector, Khonshu’s ghostly presence, and surreal psychological components could easily accommodate some additional bizarre components. Even more, Moon Knight’s character and Werwolf by Night have a reputation of (by MCU standards) particularly brutal or gruesome violence.

    For these reasons, it would not be entirely surprising if Werewolf by Night, Man-Thing, or other related characters made some type of appearance in a second season of Moon Knight. They likely would not be a major part of the full season, but rather could be integrated in a similar way to Moon Knight’s comics introduction. If the MCU’s Marc Spector does take on the vigilante lifestyle as expected, perhaps he has run ins with various beings causing havoc, including an out-of-control Werewolf by Night. It is easy to picture Marc Spector being hostile to monster-type creatures before understanding that they are not necessarily villains, which could be a vital moment in the building of teams like the Midnight Sons or Legion of Monsters or crossover of related characters. Or, perhaps the hero gets caught up in the Bloodstone’s longer narrative in the MCU, as the likely alien relic ties together the MCU’s supernatural side before the big events of Avengers: The Kang Dyanasty and Avengers: Secret Wars.

    Only time will tell if Marvel Studios announces a second season of Moon Knight. Either way, fans will get much more of all of these characters in the MCU’s future.

  • New ‘Madame Web’ Set Video Teases Fight With a New Spider-Man

    New ‘Madame Web’ Set Video Teases Fight With a New Spider-Man

    The star-studded and again-delayed Madame Web has not had a particularly secretive production. Recently, a batch of set photos allegedly show Tahar Rahim’s stunt double going up against Dakota Johnson’s and Celeste O’Connor’s characters. The photos clearly show Rahim’s stunt double dressed in what appears to be an alternate Spider-Man suit.

    Now, there is a new video of what appears to be O’Connor’s stunt double filming what could be the same or similarly-set scene. The double appears to be harnessed up to apparently “fight a new Spider-Man.” As previously noted, the “new Spider-Man” that appeared in previous photos may be Ezekiel Sims, a character who, in the comics, had similar powers to Spider-Man, wore a Spidey suit (that looked significantly different than the one seen on set), and occasionally clashed with other Spider-related people. Whether Rahim is Sims or not is yet to be seen.

    There may be a possibility that yet another “new Spider-Man” is off-screen in the leaked set video. Not a lot is known about Madame Web, but many rumors and theories point to a multiversal connection. That is not too surprising given the titular character’s connection in the comics, and Sony’s attempts to get audiences excited about its own universe of specifically Spider-Man-related characters apart from the much more popular Marvel Cinematic Universe. Although the 2018 animated film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse probably already did it better, Sony may be introducing a type of live-action Spider-Verse of its own. After the Spiderpeople crossover in the MCU’s Spider-Man: No Way Home, there is no ruling out that Sony’s characters may pop up at some point in Phases 5 or 6 of the MCU’s Multiverse Saga.

    Madame Web is scheduled to hit theaters on February 16, 2024.

    Source: YouTube

  • ‘Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur’ Renewed for Season 2

    ‘Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur’ Renewed for Season 2

    Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur isn’t set for release until next year, but Disney surprised fans at New York Comic Con by announcing the series has already been ordered for a second season. The news was revealed alongside the show’s theme song, “Moon Girl Magic,” which is posted below.

    Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur stars Diamond White as 13-year-old Lunella Lafayette, aka Moon Girl. Like in the comics, the series follows Lunella and her 10-ton T-Rex, Devil Dinosaur, whom she accidentally brings through time into present-day New York City. Along with news of the show’s renewal, Marvel confirmed fans can expect to see brand-new assortment of toys, apparel and more based on the series in the Summer.

    Starring alongside White in the series are Fred Tatasciore as Devil Dinosaur; Alfre Woodard as Lunella’s grandmother, Mimi; Libe Barer as Lunella’s best friend and manager, Casey; Sasheer Zamata as Lunella’s mom, Adria; Jermaine Fowler as Lunella’s dad, James Jr.; and Gary Anthony Williams as Lunella’s grandfather, Pops. Also starring in the series is executive producer Laurence Fishburne as The Beyonder. The series will debut in February 2023.

    Source: Marvel.

  • Vin Diesel Says Marvel Studios Interested In a Groot ‘Planet X’ Movie

    Vin Diesel Says Marvel Studios Interested In a Groot ‘Planet X’ Movie

    Fans are preparing to bid farewell to everyone’s favorite band of intergalactic misfits, with Summer 2023’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 potentially marking the end of the Guardians as we know them. However, one of the group’s stars may believe that the end of the road for Groot in the Marvel Cinematic Universe has not yet arrived.

    Guardians of the Galaxy’s Groot actor Vin Diesel shared a post on Instagram where he seems to indicate—or joke—that he believes Marvel Studios has plans to develop an MCU movie based on the talking tree’s homeworld. 

    After noting his niece’s love for the recent I Am Groot Disney+ shorts, Diesel ended the post on an interesting note:

    “So my niece called me and said… thank you uncle Vin for making I Am Groot, haha… the shorts written and directed by the talented Kristin Lepore. It was a blast making, but it’s also a blast watching it with my angels. No wonder Marvel wants to make the Planet X movie. All love. #FloraColossi #AlphaGroot #PlanetX”

    Vin Diesel

    Planet X is the homeworld of the Flora colossus, the alien race from which Groot is descended, where the simplistic but loveable language of Groot is spoken. Fans may also recognize “Planet X” as the X-Men comic storyline by the same name, or the mutant safe haven also coined Planet X. While fans gets excited about an X-Men news, it is unclear how Diesel’s post would relate to mutants at all. 

    Diesel easily could have been joking about the potential for a Groot-centered film, as a solo film starring the loveable character seems unlikely in the currently known MCU slate. Still, nothing can ever be ruled out as a future installment given the rapid expansion of the MCU in the past couple of years.

    Source: Instagram

  • NYCC: Marvel Announces New ‘Daughter of Blade’ Comic

    NYCC: Marvel Announces New ‘Daughter of Blade’ Comic

    Marvel Comics announced a new Daughter of Blade comic during New York Comic Con on Saturday. The comic, titled Bloodline: Daughter of Blade, will hail from writer Danny Lore and artist Karen S. Darboe. The limited series will consist of five issues, with the first issue debuting in February 2023.

    Bloodline will focus on Blade’s daughter, Brielle Brooks, aka Bloodline, who made her Marvel Comics debut with Free Comic Book Day: Avengers/X-Men #1 earlier this year. This marks the first solo title for Blade’s daughter after the originally planned Blade: The Hunter was meant to introduce another take on Blade’s daughter with Fallon Grey. While that series was announced in 2015 with Tim Seeley and Logan Faerber on board the project, it was eventually cancelled.

    The cover for the first issue of Bloodline can be seen below.

    Brielle is a good kid, no matter what her teachers say—it’s not her fault she’s developing vampiric super powers and the undead want to brawl! And as if problems at school aren’t enough, Bri’s got a wild ride ahead of her… she’s about to discover she’s the daughter of the infamous vampire hunter and Daywalker known as Blade!

    Bloodline: Daughter of Blade will debut next year.

    Source: Marvel.

  • ‘Werewolf By Night’: Tracing Ted’s Excellent Adventure in the MCU

    ‘Werewolf By Night’: Tracing Ted’s Excellent Adventure in the MCU

    Marvel Studios Werewolf By Night might be the first time Man-Thing has been present in the action, but breadcrumbs, hints and Easter eggs of the existence of the creature have existed for the better part of a decade. With Man-Thing, who Jack so lovingly refers to as Ted, now in the spotlight, a brief look back at his history, both recorded and imagined, is in order.

    Iron Man 3

    No, you didn’t miss Man-Thing in Iron Man 3; however, clues to his origin story could be found. In the comics, Ted Sallis was a scientist working on Project Gladiator, one of a billion attempts to recreate the Super Solider Serum flowing in the veins of Steve Rogers. Sallis’ research partner and lover, Ellen Brandt, was turned by A.I.M. and eventually tried to steal the research. Ted said no, Ted drank the formula, she shot Ted and Ted fell into the swamp. When he emerged from the swamp, he had become Man-Thing, obviously. Ted and Ellen had a less than happy reunion that led to Ellen’s face becoming horribly disfigured by the touch of Man-Thing because, as we all know, whatever knows fear burns at the touch of the Man-Thing!

    In an MCU that’s seen a few attempts at recreating the Super Soldier Serum, it wouldn’t be too surprising to find out that Project Gladiator went down at some point in time. More than that, however, A.I.M. agent Ellen Brandt had a gnarly facial scar and a missing arm that could easily be retconned to have been the result of an encounter with Man-Thing! Given that Iron Man 3 took place in 2013, we can deduce that Ted has been Man-Thing for at least a decade assuming Werewolf By Night takes place in the MCU’s present day of 2025.

    Thor: Raganarok

    Having (not really) established that Ted operated as Man-Thing as early 2013 really does little to explain away how his face ended up on the Grandmaster’s palace on Sakaar in Thor: Ragnarok. As the Grandmaster says, time works a little differently there, but what you can be sure of is that at some point before the events of Thor: Ragnarok, Man-Thing was one of the Grandmaster’s Champions. It’s not clear under what circumstances he found himself participating in the Contest of Champions, but from Jack’s dialogue in Werewolf By Night, it’s clear that Ted has a bit of a habit of getting himself captured. Perhaps he found himself unwillfully part of the Contest, became champion and won his freedom. Whatever the case may be, assuming Werewolf By Night takes place in the MCU’s present day, Manny eventually found his way back to Earth.

    Werewolf by Night

    Man-Thing finds himself the prisoner of the vile Verusa as the events of Werewolf By Night begin to unfold. And while he has his revenge on her by burning her up and tossing her body across the great room of Bloodstone Manor, what’s more important in giving us clues about Ted’s excellent adventure is his heart-warming relationship with Jack. Michael Giacchino did a fantastic job of retrofitting Jack, Ted, Elsa and other characters, both seen and unseen, into the MCU’s history. The timeline isnt’ clear, but Jack’s been around for a while and he’s known Ted long enough to not only become besties with him but also save his butt more than once.

    What’s Next

    The existing relationship between Jack and Ted makes one ponder what other monsters exist within the shared universe who have also been on the receiving end of Jack’s help. If saving monsters, like Ted, is what Jack does in the MCU, it seems like he, Man-Thing and their new friend Elsa, might be likely to team-up again at some point. Putting those 3 together is enough for the foundations of The Legion of Monsters.

    It’s also possible that Marvel Studios chooses to explore Man-Thing’s identity as the guardian of the Nexus of All Realities, a gateway located at a point where all of the many realities of the multiverse interest and can be accessed. The Multiverse Saga has just begun and isn’t set to end for three more years, meaning further exploration of the concept is sure to happen. Perhaps Man-Thing could appear in a project such as Loki Season 2 in a little less-monstrous capacity.