Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: MCU

  • EXCLUSIVE: ‘Falcon and Winter Soldier’s Malcolm Spellman Reveals How Little We Know about Marvel Studios’ Future Line-Up

    EXCLUSIVE: ‘Falcon and Winter Soldier’s Malcolm Spellman Reveals How Little We Know about Marvel Studios’ Future Line-Up

    Our very own Charles Murphy got a chance to sit down and talk with Falcon and Winter Soldier head writer Malcolm Spellman. In a brief moment, they discussed the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the many threads that were left open at the end of the series. Spellman discussed briefly how fans agreeing with Daniel Brühl’s Helmut Zemo make him a popular candidate for more future appearances. Of course, there was also the discussion surrounding He also briefly discussed Sharon’s turn as the Power Broker and how it gives her more time in the spotlight.

    So far, we only know that the fourth entry of Captain America is in development. There are some hints that Sharon’s story might potentially connect to Armor Wars, which you can read our theory in the following link. There was one interesting hint by the head writer that we really have no idea how big the Marvel Cinematic Universe is about to become, as he states:

    I was surprised about how few of the upcoming Marvel movies have been announced. […] Fans will start to become more and more clear as these projects get announced.

    It looks like the many films announced for Phase 4 are just the beginning. We are aware of eleven projects with Black Widow kicking off the cinematic side of the franchise in July. If these are only a “few” of the upcoming films we might have content for many years to come. Kevin Feige. is famous for mapping out his projects far in advance, as he revealed in 2018 that he already planned films up until 2025. It’ll be interesting to see if we get some more announcements this year for what may await us beyond 2023.

    Source: ComicBook.com (Films to 2025)

  • Kari Skogland Offers More Details on How the Pandemic Added to ‘Falcon and Winter Soldier’s Story

    Kari Skogland Offers More Details on How the Pandemic Added to ‘Falcon and Winter Soldier’s Story

    We’ve all been theorizing about how the pandemic may have affected Falcon and the Winter Soldier. After the finale aired for WandaVision, Matt Shakman revealed that they had changed quite a bit and were only able to finish the finale shortly before it aired. They also had to cut down on quite a few stories, such as one involving Ralph Boehner and Monica Rambeau. Now, we wondered the same for Marvel Studios’ second Disney+ show and it looks like their story may have been only slightly affected, as director Kari Skogland revealed in an interview with Collider.

    No. We started shooting in October of 2019 and we had shot about 75 percent [before production shut down]. So we really knew the story we were telling for sure. So when we shut down, we only had about 25 percent left to shoot. So I think the only story changes we made were small character tweaks.

    They highlight a few scenes that got added, such as John Walker and Lamar talking about taking the super-soldier serum. They also added an extra sequence to dive a bit deeper into the motivation of Karli and the Flag-Smashers.

    We had discovered that we really wanted to know Karli a bit more. So I think we added a scene between her and Dovich, where they got to just talk about what it was like to take the serum. I wanted to feel them and their history just a little bit and get a bit more inside how they were thinking and feeling in that moment.

    Skogland does not talk about how their production had been affected. There was noticeable re-use of multiple locations for sequences, which could be part of the 25% that was shot once they returned to production. It is also noteworthy that she confirms that there was no removed pandemic subplot in the interview. Charles Murphy interviewed Skogland where she hinted at how the pandemic affected their production, as they jumped straight back into things once it calmed down. It looks like COVID gave them the chance to add some of the more human moments that made these characters stand out even more. It’ll be interesting if the pandemic may have also affected June’s Loki series.

    Source: Collider via The Direct

  • ‘Falcon and Winter Soldier’ May Be The Last Time We See The Winter Soldier

    ‘Falcon and Winter Soldier’ May Be The Last Time We See The Winter Soldier

    The ending of Falcon and the Winter Soldier came with a new name, as Sam Wilson embraced his role as Captain America. However, it seemed that Bucky Barnes may have still stuck to his Winter Soldiers moniker after finally making amends. Well, it seems that the end title might be a bit misleading. The show’s head writer, Malcolm Spellman, revealed in an interview with ComicBook.com that it isn’t representing Bucky’s state of mind, as he was finally to move on from the dark past. They also seem to hint at a new direction for the character:

    I think Bucky enters this thing truly believing he is kind of the Winter Soldier no matter what anyone says. By the end, he has the moment with the old man, but more importantly, nobody has caught this… I’ve been saying it all day. In the scene with the Flag-Smashers in Episode 6, when one of those people gets out of that van and thanks Bucky, that’s his first time being a hero. So by the end of this series, Bucky is emerging as having shed the burden of the Winter Soldier. He has found a new family, ironically, it’s a Black family in Louisiana, you know what I’m saying? And he has tasted being a hero for the first time. And I think he’s now free to become something amazing.

    The way he phrases it may hint at a new direction for Bucky. His title as Winter Soldier could end with this series. In the comics, he carried on with the title even as he became a hero and returned to it after his time as Captain America. Our very own Lizzie Hill theorized that he may be the focus of the potential Nomad project. Sebastian Stan has the star power to lead his own project. So, it would only really be a matter of time before he gets a new project. Now that Hawkeye already got a Disney+ spin-off with Echo and Captain America 4 has been confirmed, we might hopefully get an announcement for a post Winter Soldier story.

    Source: ComicBook.com

  • How ‘The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’ Broke Tired Stereotypes of Buddy Movies

    How ‘The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’ Broke Tired Stereotypes of Buddy Movies

    Even before the official start of Phase 4 and Marvel’s Disney+ era, it was clear that the studio was taking full advantage of the opportunity provided by the platform to tell stories outside the typical vein of what audiences expect from an MCU movie. The most obvious example was WandaVision’s foray into various old sitcoms, but Loki and What If…? both promise to push that envelope as well.

    If there was one series in this first wave of Disney+ Marvel projects that seemed like it was going to be more of the same, relatively speaking, it was The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Not only was it marketed as a fast-paced, action-heavy, and quippy show akin to the style of movies Marvel is known for making, it went a step further. People were even pointing out that the Super Bowl spot earlier this year made the series look as testosterone-heavy and adrenaline-filled as possible.

    https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

    https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
    The other main expectation that people seemed to have going into the series was that the two leads would have a rivalry with each other before becoming friends at the end. This made some sense since the creative team was making it a point to emphasize that Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes were friends with Steve Rogers, but not each other, but fans took it to a meta-level and made it about the shield. Specifically, that the two would both want it and fight over it, even though Avengers: Endgame made it clear it was going to Sam and there was no indication Bucky even wanted it.

    The Falcon and the Winter Soldier: Sebastian Stan Reveals Who Wins the Staring Contest

    The kicks, flips, and quips were all there, and the tension between the two main characters was, in fact, largely about the shield being in the right hands. But it wasn’t a matter of who was more worthy to wield it and bask in the public’s glory; it was about recognizing the gravity of its meaning and showing respect to it, and their friend. Sam didn’t feel prepared to take it all on, and Bucky was hurt that Sam gave up the shield because it went against Steve’s wishes.

    The person who did have a desire to be the next Captain America, John Walker, ended up being the antithesis to a lot of what Sam and Bucky said and did during the series. For example, while he initially claimed to feel uncomfortable with all the fanfare surrounding the title, he sure did like to introduce himself with it before providing his actual name.

    Walker was also the one who put an end to Bucky’s therapy sessions. Mental health issues aren’t really a thing in most buddy movies but were a major part of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Both leads have suffered from PTSD for a while, though Sam has more time to figure out healthy ways to deal with it than Bucky. This isn’t treated as a shameful thing they try to hide from each other, but a problem they ultimately work together to solve. While Bucky’s therapy sessions end in Episode 2, he does write a note to Dr. Raynor thanking her for her help in the finale, showing that while Walker likely meant well in ending the sessions, it probably wasn’t for the best overall.

    On a somewhat related note, it was also refreshing to see Bucky and Sam openly admit to each other when they were wrong about something. Pride, especially male pride, tends to be very fragile in media, especially within the action genre (this also goes for real life) so it was great to see the two leads actually talk to each other about topics like race and mental health without visible reluctance. This showed up in other ways as well, like how Sam preferred to talk with Karli Morgenthau about her beliefs and actions instead of rushing into a fight with her and the other Flag-Smashers (while Walker was used to battling against his opponents and liked it that way).

    The Falcon and the Winter Soldier wasn’t just the story of Sam Wilson becoming Captain America, or Bucky Barnes finding his place in the world after becoming free of HYDRA’s brainwashing; it was all about being a good man. It’s what Dr. Erskine said was the reason Steve Rogers was chosen for Project Rebirth all the way back in Captain America: The First Avenger (as opposed to a “perfect soldier”, which John Walker arguably was) and it’s what sets this series apart from other buddy action or comedy movies.

  • ‘Snowpiercer’s Chinaka Hodge Joins ‘Ironheart’ as Head Writer

    ‘Snowpiercer’s Chinaka Hodge Joins ‘Ironheart’ as Head Writer

    It looks like one of Marvel Studios’ many Disney+ shows has finally found its head writer. Variety reported that Chinaka Hodge has joined the upcoming Ironheart production as its head writer. It will star Dominique Thorne as the iconic inventor Riri Williams, who ends up creating the most advanced suit of armor since Tony Stark’s Iron Man suit. Hodge has built up quite a career with her work on Apple’s Amazing Stories, TNT’s Snowpiercer, and her work in poetry. She is also a founder of The Getback alongside Snowpiercer star Daveed Diggs. According to The Hollywood Reporter’s Aaron Couch, the series will consist of six episodes, and production is slated for May. He may be implying pre-production, as no casting news has been made so far.

    Her upcoming Marvel Studios project explores the story of a newly invented character. Williams made her debut back in 2015 by Brian Michael Bendis and Mike Deodato. The 15-year-old MIT student created her own armor by reverse engineering his work. He would end up encouraging her in the comics to continue down the path of heroism. Of course, the MCU saw the passing of the hero during Avengers: Endgame, which means her origin story might be quite different.

    Variety couldn’t offer any details, but there is a good possibility that her series leads into Don Cheadle‘s Armor Wars. It’ll see Tony’s biggest nightmare come true as the world has caught up with his technology, which includes Riri Williams. It’ll be interesting to see how they integrate her character into the franchise and if she might also have a larger role moving forward, as many young heroes are slowly taking over.

    Source: Variety, Twitter

  • ‘Falcon and Winter Soldier’s Rumored Cut Storyline May Get a Comic Adaptation

    ‘Falcon and Winter Soldier’s Rumored Cut Storyline May Get a Comic Adaptation

    The showrunner for The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Malcolm Spellman, was interviewed by Amon Warmann on the Fade to Black Podcast this week. Even though he shied away from several topics not to spill anything on Marvel Studios’ plans, there were still a few curious soundbites to highlight. When asked about the rumor floating around that a “lost” storyline might have been cut from the show because it mirrored the current COVID-19 pandemic a bit too closely, Spellman gave the following statement:

    I’ve been told to stop saying that [refering to the “lost” storyline]. I loved it and it had nothing to do with the pandemic. (…) I want to see if we can get some of the writers to do a book run on it because I think Kevin [Feige] does it. I’ve been told to stop talking about it.

    This would indicate that the “lost” storyline might not be lost for long. Given Spellman loved it so much, it might get the traction to get adapted in comic form. Since it ended up being cut entirely from the show, it will still feel like a fresh idea and not a simple rehash of old material. The reference to Kevin Feige is also noteworthy since he was named Chief Creative Officer for Marvel Comics back in October 2019. It gave him a larger role in deciding which storylines make it to the comics.

     

    Game Changers: Malcolm Spellman on his rise from stealing comic books to running Marvel's 'Falcon and the Winter Soldier'

     

    Another takeaway from that quote is how Spellman negates that the storyline was cut due to the pandemic or potentially related to it. The idea first started when it was revealed that the limited liability company created for the series was titled Pandemic Productions. Now, it seems that the only real impact COVID-19 had on the show was purely in terms of safety precautions and limitations on their shooting locations. It seems it had little to do with the actual story being told. He also hints at this in the interview by revealing they initially had eight episodes mapped out before cutting out the “flab” as he called it. It’ll be interesting to see if this mysterious storyline makes a return in comic form sometime in the future.

    Source: CNBC, Fade to Black Podcast

  • ‘Falcon and Winter Soldier’: Power Broker All Along

    ‘Falcon and Winter Soldier’: Power Broker All Along

    After the freshly minted Captain America and The Winter Soldier, we got many answers we were looking for. It gave us Sam Wilson becoming Captain America. Bucky Barnes finished his list and even checked it twice. On top of it all, we also get introduced to John Walker’s alter-ego US Agent. With that said, we now know that Sharon Carter was the Power Broker all along. Sharon found a way to slip right under our hero’s noses into a pardon. Now, what does this mean for the future? Let’s dive straight in.

     

    Does Falcon And Winter Soldier Theory Prove That Sharon Is A Villain? Kevin Smith Seems Interested - CINEMABLEND

     

    With Sharon having the Rolodex of all government liaisons and contracts, she has access to so much more as the Power Broker. Her phone call with a mysterious stranger hints at her having access to more than she should. It seems likely she’ll appear in the freshly announced Captain America 4, but it also seems very likely she could show up in Armor Wars. Imagine a world where someone steals Tony Stark’s nanotechnology only for it to land in Sharon’s hands. Charles offered a closer look at this concept, which you can check out here. She’s more dangerous than ever. Her phone call may have hinted at a mysterious partner. Could that be the newly-introduced Val?

    She was busy recruiting John Walker into her new team, it’s certainly not out of the realm of possibility that she could have her hands in multiple cookie jars. The Power Broker can have multiple faces. Their reach in Marvel comics was far beyond what one could imagine, as it grew beyond a single individual. Power Broker Inc was established by Curtiss Jackson and Dr. Karl Malus. They had plenty of clients. They supplied John Walker and Lemar Hoskins with their abilities in the comics. They used not only their intellect but their status to control everything.

     

    Who Is Batroc And What He Gave To The Flag-Smashers Explained

     

    We saw Sharon use Batroc to help Karli as a means to her ends. Sharon and Val could be a dynamic duo that none of our heroes even know about. It would be fascinating to see the two of them evolve together. Val could be forming a team that gets supplied by Sharon. Now that’s what you call cutting the check. They eventually could create an app similar to the Hench app in the comics. We’ve seen how well that worked for the Flag Smashers. So, they might just hijack that design for their own nefarious purposes.

    Villains for Hire in a post blip world could be very lucrative. The bad guys have to pay rent too. As important as Sam Wilson’s positive effect on the world was, he may have inadvertently developed his biggest threat. Marvel Studios left enough threads vague through which they can develop in curious directions. Perhaps the fourth entry in the Captain America series also ties together with Armor Wars. It might just be the beginning of this new brand of villainy and what could be the most dangerous threat the Avengers ever faced.

  • First Look at ‘Marvel’s Avengers’ MCU Captain America and Hawkeye Skins Leaked Online

    First Look at ‘Marvel’s Avengers’ MCU Captain America and Hawkeye Skins Leaked Online

    Marvel’s Avengers is no stranger to leaks and it looks like their new Marvel Cinematic Universe-inspired skins are finding their way online. A few days ago, we got our first look at a Professor Hulk design that was stripped straight from Avengers: Endgame. Now, it looks like two more have found their way online. It looks like Endgame might be the main focus for the first series of skins, as Captain America’s scale uniform and Hawkeye’s Ronin skin from the film have leaked online.

    Someone posted them in a response to a tweet by @Laajune__, who teased how these skins ended up being revealed. It seems that changing skins after dying in a Mega Hive mission, which leads to your current outfit getting replaced with the MCU skins. User @Sksk37474251 then posted the first look at both skins.

     

     

    The costumes look fantastic and are direct adaptations of the films. It is curious though that they seem to be focusing on the Endgame designs, but they are the most recent for many of these characters. There is a good chance that Black Widow, the main star of the upcoming event, will also get skins from her upcoming film, which is slated to release in July. Crystal Dynamics confirmed that we will get our first look officially at the upcoming developer stream. It’ll be interesting to see if they showcase the already revealed skins, or we get something new.

    Source: Twitter

  • How ‘The Falcon and The Winter Soldier’ Sets the Stage for ‘Armor Wars’

    How ‘The Falcon and The Winter Soldier’ Sets the Stage for ‘Armor Wars’

    The finale of Marvel Studios Disney Plus streaming series The Falcon and The Winter Soldier not only nicely wrapped up the stories of the two series leads but also nicely positioned several characters for their next moves in the ever-expanding MCU. Sam is Cap, Bucky has begun to make amends in earnest and Walker has transitioned into the all-to-eager-to-serve U.S. Agent. Perhaps no character’s next move, however, is as interesting as Sharon Carter’s. The one-time S.H.I.E.L.D. and CIA operative revealed herself to be the Power Broker (about 4 episodes after it was made glaringly obvious) and took full advantage of our new Captain America by using his promise to get her a pardon to sink her hooks into the U.S. government’s secret stash. As the post credit’s scene indicates, Carter is lining up buyers for “government secrets, prototype weapons…something for everyone.”

    The Falcon and the Winter Soldier Episode 6 Post-Credits Scene, Explained | NDTV Gadgets 360

    While Sharon’s motives are still a source of debate for fans, this isn’t an article about the “true” nature of them; instead, this is taking her words at face value and following a path that leads the Power Broker to a place where the buyers she’s lining up can buy prototype weapons in the form of Stark Tech. While Don Cheadle is the only actor currently confirmed to be a part of Armor Wars, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, along with Iron Man 2, could give some clues as to some key participants in the 2022 event.

    In the comics, an old school Iron Man villain, Spymaster, was able to get his hands on some of Tony Stark’s designs and sell them to Justin Hammer who, in turn, designed Stark-based armors for an array of villains such as Stilt-Man, the Controller, Beetle and more.

    10 Iron Man Villains Who Should Return in Dan Slott's Run

    Given Carter’s status as the MCU’s Power Broker, a title that puts her in charge of Madripoor, a haven for people like Spymaster, it’s not a Reed Richard’s reach to believe Carter’s new pardon could put her in a position to find out that the U.S. government has been experimenting with some Stark Tech (maybe putting it to use to arm their Guardsmen), send Spymaster in to acquire it and then find a way to bring Hammer back into the picture to work with her. From here it’s not much of a stretch to imagine characters like Basil Sandhurst and Wilbur Day making their ways into the MCU and, hopefully, having Hammer assemble a Mandroid for the final showdown with Rhodey.

    The Armor Wars announcement came as a surprise to pretty much everyone but it’s foolish to think that Marvel Studios The-One-Above-All wasn’t several steps deep into the plan when he revealed it. For the time being while we all wait for some real news about the event, all we can do is speculate how it might come together; as is always the case, fan theories and speculation won’t come close to the final product, but it doesn’t take away from the fun of it.

     

  • First Look at Tatiana Maslany on the Set of ‘SHE-HULK’

    First Look at Tatiana Maslany on the Set of ‘SHE-HULK’

    Marvel Studios second Disney Plus streaming series, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, finished its run today but the big wheel keeps on turning. Production on one of the studio’s first 2022 series is underway and today, courtesy of Atlanta Filming, we have our first look at Tatiana Maslany as Jennifer Walters.

    While we have no details on the scene, Maslany’s hair and her sweatshirt could hint at flashbacks to Walters’ time in law school at UCLA, where she acquired her law degree in the comics. We know that the show will focus on Walters’ time practicing law, so a flashback to her origin stories as both lawyer and gamma-powered Hulk could quickly set the stage for the meat of the story.

    Maslany will be joined by Mark Ruffalo and Tim Roth who will be reprising their respective MCU roles and newcomers Ginger Gonzaga and Renee Elise Goldsberry.

    Source: Atlanta Filming