Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Marvel

  • A Look at How ‘BLACK WIDOW’ Could Set up the Future of the MCU

    Kevin Feige was in Brazil over the weekend to bring exclusive footage to CCXP and while audiences outside of the convention won’t be seeing what was show any time soon, Feige also had plenty to say about the future of the MCU including something very interesting about next May’s Black Widow.

    Following the screening of some new Black Widow footage, Feige explained that the film will not only further explain her past, but also set up the future of the MCU. The second part of that comment could mean something as obvious as introducing Yelena Belova as the new Black Widow, but it could also mean something bigger. Let’s do some thinking about some ways in which Black Widow might change the MCU landscape moving forward. To be clear, this is purely speculative and not meant to be informative about what to expect in the film.

    The Introduction of Latveria

    If Black Widow is going to set up the future of the MCU in a meaningful, long-lasting way, introducing Latveria and it’s benevolent monarch would be among the most interesting ways to do so.

    Image result for doom latveria"

    In the comics, Latveria was a piece of land annexed from Southern Hungary. Given that much of Black Widow is set to take place in Budapest, Hungary, it doesn’t seem too crazy to believe that we could, at the very least, hear mention of the growing threat coming from Doomstadt, get a Victor Von Doom name drop or even have a post credit scene teasing Doom’s future role. Remember that we first saw Thanos in a post credit scene in 2012’s Avengers, then again briefly in 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy and that it wasn’t until 2018 that we saw him fully realized, so introducing Doom, a character who would, like Thanos, be a decade long threat to the MCU, is not entirely crazy.

    Thunderbolts…Assemble?

    Image result for ross black widow trailer"

    William Hurt’s Thunderbolt Ross is the lone holdover from 2008’s The Incredible Hulk and while his presence in the film makes plenty of sense superficially, it’s more fun to think about how it might grow into something more than just chasing down Natasha after the events of Captain America: Civil War.

    The recent Black Widow trailer is cut to make it sound like Ross and Nat are having a friendly chat, but given Ross’s line of questioning, he could just as easily be talking to Yelena Belova in an attempt to recruit her to his own band of heroes. Sure there are some hoops to jump through with the 5 year leap in time, but it isn’t out of the realm of possibility that Ross decides to assemble his own team in a post-Endgame world without Avengers. Hell, who’s to say he doesn’t already have some members and that he’s not the one who sent Taskmaster after Nat?

    Mutants?

    Image result for marvel comics mutants"

    This is as far fetched and unlikely as anything I’ve ever come up with, but it’s possible (though highly unlikely) that the Eastern European setting of Black Widow could allow it to be the first MCU film to broach the subject of mutants. Sokovia was the site of a nearly cataclysmic tragedy at the hands of Ultron. While Ultron planned for extinction, it’s possible that his mechanism could have triggered the next stage of human evolution.

    In 1999, Jim Krueger and Alex Ross wrote a limited series called Earth X in which every human has now acquired some form of super powers. Among the many fascinating ideas in the alternate universe take is one that sees Reed Richards attempt to use Vibranium to solve the world’s energy crisis. During the series, Richards explains his belief (though it turns out to be wrong) that his failed vibranium experiments caused the mutation of the human genome and the dystopia followed. While it was later revealed that Terrigen Mists released by Black Bolt triggered the changes, the idea has always stuck with me.

    Ultron used huge amounts of Vibranium in the device that lifted part of Sokovia towards the atmosphere. We’ve seen the immediate consequences of the disaster, but what if, much like a meltdown at a nuclear plant, there were longer lasting implications from the Vibranium crashing into Earth. It’s an alien substance that we know affected the flora of Wakanda and that when that flora is consumed can grant superpowers to its consumer. Could Vibranium that’s been in the soil for almost a decade be the catalyst to the mutant explosion on Earth? Probably not, but it’s an interesting conversation.

    What ways can you imagine Black Widow setting up the future of the MCU? Let me know in the comments!

  • Details on ‘WANDAVISION’ That Will Drive You Into Madness

    While we have seemed to learn a great deal about Marvel Studios The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, much about the production of Kevin Feige’s brainchild, WandaVision, has remained under wraps as the majority of the filming has taken place on stage. Fortunately, production has moved off stage over the past couple of days and while we can’t be sure what was filmed as Disney’s snipers are patrolling the perimeter, we can speculate about what they might have been filming at two recent locations.

    Over the past few days, WandaVision has filmed off stage at two primary locations: the Southern Regional Medical Center, located in Riverdale, Georgia and Starr’s Mill High School, located in Fayetteville, Georgia.

    I have been told by multiple sources that the first half of the series will pay homage to great sitcoms over the years and span the course of time from the 50s until present day. I Love Lucy and The Brady Bunch have been cited as inspirations for the first half of the show and I’ve given some details on that in the past. We know from Feige that, at some point, the show will evolve into a full-on Marvel Studios action film and, if my recent rumor is correct, could introduce the villain Nightmare into the MCU. Additionally, it is widely believed that Wanda and Vision’s comic book twins, Tommy and Billy, will appear in the show. If all those things are to be believed, we can being to speculate about what might have been happening on set over the past few days.

    It’s possible, though unconfirmed, that WandaVision has completed production on the first half of the series (the sitcom homage was expected to last 3 episodes) and have begun production on Episode 4. If that’s the case, there are a couple of options for filming at the hospital and fewer for filming at the high school.

    Though it’s expected that the series will film in chronological order, it’s possible that the hospital is being used as the location where Wanda delivers her twins. It’s equally possible that hospital is being used for an entirely different type of scene. I’ve been told to expect “a great number of cameos and the introduction of several characters” from WandaVison, so it’s certainly possible that Doctor Strange, Christine Palmer or any number of other Marvel characters could appear here.

    As for the high school, it seems a little more likely that one could deduce the types of scenes being filmed. If the information about the quick passage of time during WandaVision is correct, we would, by the end of Episode 3, see Tommy and Billy as teens. It’s entirely possible that Starr’s Mill High School, which looks a whole lot cooler than mine, could serve as the chosen place of illumination for the children of Wanda and Vision.

    Of course filming things and those things showing up in the series are two entirely different things, but given how tight security has been around WandaVision, I’d wager that we’ll all find out exactly what was happening at these two locations when WandaVision hits Disney+ in the Spring of 2021.

  • EXCLUSIVE: Josh Stamberg Joins ‘WANDAVISION’

    Actor Josh Stamberg (Nahsville, The Affair) has joined the cast of WandaVision in a small, supporting role as an FBI agent.

    While Stamberg’s role will be minor, he will likely be working alongside Randall Park’s Jimmy Woo as FBI agent (possibly joined by Teyonah Parris’s Monica Rambeau?) in the series. One might ask why the FBI might be involved in this show at all and what relationship, if any, Monica Rambeau’s powers might have to this series. Those would indeed be fine questions to ask.

    WandaVision is currently expected to air on Disney + during the spring of 2021.

     

  • Marvel Studios Drops the Official ‘BLACK WIDOW’ Teaser

    Marvel Studios jumped the gun a little early this morning and gifted us the official teaser for Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow. Check it out below and look for a breakdown later on today.

    Black Widow hits theaters on May 1, 2020.

  • ‘THE FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLDIER’ Set to Explore Life After the Blip

    A video, in which Twitter use Stephen Sweet toured a set from The Falcon and the Winter Soldier which was built to recreate what appears to be Brooklyn, provides some evidence that at least part of the series will potentially take a bit of a deeper dive into the impact of the Blip on the day to day life of every day people.

    https://twitter.com/sweetstephen55/status/1199744095507353600

    The video reveals some ads and signage for the fictional Samson Development company whose logo reads “Rebuilding Your City After the Blip.”

    The signs, posted around the ubiquitous types of construction sites to which New Yorkers are accustomed, are in indication that the series will, in some way, explore the post-blip world, as writer Derek Kolstad previously indicated in an interview with Discussing Film. Kolstad, who was answering fan questions, said of the series, “We’re a post-blip. There’s a lot to explore” and “In a post-blip world, while touching upon the darkness of it all, there’s got to be some resilient fun to it.” Just how much, if at all, Samson Development might play into the main plot of the series remains to be seen, but it’s certainly a solid indicator that The Falcon and The Winter Soldier will take Bucky and Sam away from the major, world-changing events of Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame and explore the way these events have reshaped the world.

    The Falcon and The Winter Soldier will stream on Dinsey + in the Fall of 2020.

  • What I Heard This Week: ‘WANDAVISION’ and ‘DOCTOR STRANGE: IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS’

    Every now and then I come across some information the veracity of which can be confirmed by a second source. What happens FAR more often is that I come across some information that while believable and from trustworthy sources, cannot be confirmed by other sources for various reasons. Typically, when the second scenario occurs, I move on and forget about the information unless, in rare instances, it turns out to be proven true somewhere down the road.

    This Thanksgiving week has served up a cornucopia of information that I have not been able to verify but that has come from trustworthy sources (read sources who have given previous information that has been confirmed) and I’ve decided to share some of these. It’s important to understand that, because I can’t verify these with a second source, I myself treat them as rumors which means, for the time being, I don’t believe them myself. It’s also important to understand that in each of these cases, the information provided would be spoilery if did turn out to be true. So please read at your own risk and please make an effort to represent what you’ve read here as nothing more than a rumor. These aren’t “hot scoops”, at least not yet. For now, they are nothing more than some compelling rumors that should generate plenty of great discussion among the MCU fan community. With that having been said, read ahead if you chose.

    Things I heard this week: Nightmare has been cast and will be revealed as the villain of WandaVision.

    Unlike the other rumors I shared with you, I am not telling you everything I heard in this case, but I am sharing one of the more tantalizing tidbits I heard this week. I know that by sharing this part of the rumor, it’ll fuel speculation and generate some pretty interesting fan theories, but I am not, in this case, at liberty to say anything more.

    This is an interesting rumor because, if I’m not mistaken, it’s already a popular fan theory and for good reason. When Kevin Feige revealed that WandaVision and Doctor Strange: In the Multiverse of Madness would be related projects, many folks remembered that Doctor Strange director Scott Derrickson wanted to use Nightmare in the first film and that writer C. Robert Cargill had indicated that the sequel would probably feature the villain, so they connected some dots. In that way, and others, this rumor makes a lot of sense.

    We know that WandaVision will be part-sitcom homage and part MCU spectacle and that it will lead directly into Doctor Strange: Into the Multiverse of Madness, said to be Marvel Studios first true foray into the horror genre. The Disney + feature, Expanding the Universe, along with casting calls seemed to indicate that WandaVision will introduce Wanda and Vision’s twin sons, Tommy and Billy, and that they might grow up awfully fast during the sitcom portion of the show. It seems entirely possible that the reason they exist and grow so fast is that they are part of a sort of dream-like reality in which Wanda has found herself, perhaps even at the mercy of Nightmare. Imagine how unhappy Wanda would be to awaken from reality where she’s been reunited with Vision and has been raising a family. Given everything she’s been through, one might imagine losing all that would be the tipping point for her, launching the MCU spectacle portion of WandaVision and, should that tipping point unleash some sort of large-scale use of her growing power, be reason enough to call Doctor Strange in to help.

    Image result for marvel nightmare vs doctor strange

    Feige has said repeatedly that he is not interested in direct adaptations of the comics, so we shouldn’t limit our imagination of what might happen in the MCU because “it didn’t happen that way in the comics.” This rumor is probably my favorite one of the week because it ties the two projects together and forces me to ask the question of who the true antagonist of Doctor Strange: In the Multiverse of Madness will be: Nightmare or the Scarlet Witch?

    I’d love to hear your thoughts on this one and all of its implications. Please chime in below and tell me how you see this unfolding IF it’s true.

  • What I Heard This Week: ‘ETERNALS’

    Every now and then I come across some information the veracity of which can be confirmed by a second source. What happens FAR more often is that I come across some information that while believable and from trustworthy sources, cannot be confirmed by other sources for various reasons. Typically, when the second scenario occurs, I move on and forget about the information unless, in rare instances, it turns out to be proven true somewhere down the road.

    This Thanksgiving week has served up a cornucopia of information that I have not been able to verify but that has come from trustworthy sources (read sources who have given previous information that has been confirmed) and I’ve decided to share some of these. It’s important to understand that, because I can’t verify these with a second source, I myself treat them as rumors which means, for the time being, I don’t believe them myself. It’s also important to understand that in each of these cases, the information provided would be spoilery if did turn out to be true. So please read at your own risk and please make an effort to represent what you’ve read here as nothing more than a rumor. These aren’t “hot scoops”, at least not yet. For now, they are nothing more than some compelling rumors that should generate plenty of great discussion among the MCU fan community. With that having been said, read ahead if you chose.

    Things I heard this week: The plot of Eternals will center around the “War of Evolution.”

    Related image

    That’s it. Nothing more to it than that. It’s probably important that you notice it’s in quotes, but beyond that I have nothing more to give. I think it’s important to note the quote does not say “Evolutionary War”, the title of a 1988 Marvel Comics crossover event featuring the High Evolutionary, but says the “War of Evolution.”

    If this tidbit is true, it’s actually pretty informative. If the “War of Evolution” truly does describe the central conflict of Eternals, then I think it’s probably a pretty clear indicator that we are getting, at least in part, a film inspired by Jack Kirby’s original take on the characters and that it will feature the Deviants. Eternals features an incredible ensemble cast and we already know of 11 lead and major supporting roles, including 10 actors or actresses portraying members of the Eternals. The film has been in production for over two months now and not much has leaked out and security around the film is pretty beefed up so, if the Deviants are in fact in the film, we probably wouldn’t have seen them anyway given the secrecy and the fact that most of them would probably be CGI creations.

    The idea of the “War of Evolution” fits with the very little we do know about the film at this point. During SDCC, concept art was revealed that featured the group of alien “gods” known as the Celestials.

    To make a very long and interesting story short (you can read the longer version here), the Celestials came to Earth and played mad scientist with early man, performing a series of experiments produced 3 evolutionary branches: the Eternals, the Deviants and the Latents.

    For millennia, the Eternals and Deviants warred on and off, giving rise to myths and legends of god-like heroes and grotesque monsters that permeate all cultures. Upon returning to Earth, the Celestials, unimpressed with how their creations had evolved, attacked the Earth causing the “Great Cataclysm” and driving the Deviant land of Lemuria to the bottom of the sea (you can read the longer version of that story here).

    The Deviants

    At some point, the Eternals and Deviants agreed to a truce and faded into obscurity. Then, in modern times, the Deviant warlord Kro broke the truce, leading his army of monsters into conflict with humans, forcing the Eternals back into action.

    The “War of Evolution” certainly sounds plausible to me. Thanks to set photos that have leaked, we know the film is set to span millennia and that, eventually, some of the Eternals are likely to run into Kit Harrington’s Dane Whitman, an archeologist who is likely to help with some expository details. It wouldn’t be shocking at all to see the film center around the long-standing war between the Eternals and Deviants, leading to some sort of doomsday scenario in which the Celestials threaten the Earth. And of course any Marvel Studios film that deals with evolution could always set the stage for the next step of the evolution of man, Homo superior (you can read more about those mutants here).

    At this point, I’m thrilled to turn this over to you and see where it goes. To be clear, I have no idea if this is going to turn out to be the case, but it’s a fascinating rumor and, as a fan, I’d love to be a part of the discussion about how awesome it could be if it were true. Let me hear your ideas below and be responsible with how you share and present this to other friends and fans! Enjoy!

  • EXCLUSIVE: ‘ANT-MAN 3’ Slated to Film at Pinewood UK

    The third film in Marvel Studios Ant-Man franchise is set to go into production across the pond with Pinewood Studios UK serving as home base! Disney made the decision to move forward with the film late this summer and it was recently revealed that Peyton Reed, who directed the 2015’s Ant-Man and 2018’s Ant-Man and The Wasp, would return to helm the three-quel.

    It is expected that the production film at yet unspecified locations around Europe, in addition to doing some additional photography in and around Atlanta. Michael Douglas has indicated he believes production to begin in January of 2021 and I have been told to expect pre-production to begin on the film as soon as January of 2020.

    The yet to be subtitled Ant-Man 3 will hit theaters in 2022.

  • EXCLUSIVE: ‘THE FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLIDER’ Will Introduce a New Bucky

    It appears that Marvel Studios is pulling no punches with its first Disney + series, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier. As announced by Kevin Fiege at this past summer’s SDCC, the series will introduce John Walker, aka U.S. Agent, as a government sanctioned replacement for Steve Rogers, but it won’t stop there. I have learned that the series will also introduce Lemar Hoskins, aka Battlestar, as a partner to John Walker.

    Lemar Hoskins made his Marvel Comics debut alongside John Walker in 1986’s Captain America #323. When John Walker was introduced to the world as Super-Patriot, Hoskins, who served alongside Walker in the military, along with two other former military men calling themselves the Bold Urban Commandos staged an attack, providing Walker with the opportunity to save the day. The Bold Urban Commandos, or BUCkies continued to dish out vigilante justice against those whose ideals opposed their own.

    Hoskins, who like Walker gets superhuman strength from the Power Broker, continued working with the BUCkies as Walker’s popularity rose and his favor with the U.S. Government grew. In issue #333, Walker was appointed by the Government as the new Captain America and in issue #334, Hoskins was revealed as the new Government sponsored Bucky.

    Finally, in issue #341, Hoskins donned a new outfit and began calling himself Battlestar citing the racist connotations and origins of the word Bucky as the reason for the change.

    While we aren’t likely to get a direct adaptation of this origin story, it appears that Marvel Studios will be taking some cues from Mark Gruenwald’s Captain America run. Thanks to Instagram user “justbeachy4stacy”, I have gotten my hands on some set photos taken in Barnesville, Georgia that give us some insight into how Lemar Hoskins will be introduced in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier. Recent set photos taken of the Duluth High School football field indicate that Wyatt Russell’s John Walker will be introduced to the world via public reveal that may well be held in the town where he grew up. The following day, November 22nd, Russell was in Barnesville where the local grocery store was transformed into a flower shop: Hoskins Family Flowers.

    Russell filmed scenes both inside and outside the Hoskins’ flower shop where he paid a visit to an as yet unknown actor, believed to be pictured below:

    At this point we can only speculate that Walker is visiting his old friend to bring him on board with him. It’s possible that the we could see a reenactment of the staged attack when Walker is introduced at the football field, giving the newly anointed hero a chance to prove himself. It’s also possible that we’ll simply see Hoskins introduced as the new Bucky or as Battlestar. Whatever the case, it is simply awesome to see how deep showrunner Malcolm Spellman has dug to bring new characters to life.

    While we know we’re getting a deep dive into the lives of Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes, it’s becoming obvious that John Walker is not going to be one-note character. It’s important to remember that Walker is not the villain of this project and while he’s certain to come into conflict with Sam and Bucky, he is also doing his best to be an American hero at a time when he is sorely needed.

    I’d love to hear your thoughts on the inclusion of Lemar Hoskins in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier. Chime in below and let me know how you think the story will unfold.

  • Actress Adepero Oduye Joins the Cast of ‘THE FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLDIER’

    Production is well underway on Marvel Studios first Disney + series, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier but, until now, we haven’t had any additional cast announcements besides those at San Diego Comic Con. I’ve gotten word that actress Adepero Oduye (The Big Short) has joined the cast in an undisclosed role.

    While I was unable to discern her role, I’m told that Oduye’s character will be someone close to Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson. Given the story is expected to explore the backstories of both Wilson and Sebastian Stan’s Bucky Barnes, it’s possible that Oduye could be playing either Sam’s sister, Sarah WIlson, or his comic book girlfriend, Leila Taylor. Of course it’s also possible she’s playing neither of these characters because as I said above, I was unable to discern her actual role.

    Oduye, who also appeared in 12 Years a Slave, will be seen next in Tazmanian Devil. The Falcon and The Winter Soldier is in production now and expected to premiere on Disney + in the Fall of 2020.