Tag: MCU

EXCLU: First Look at Lucky the Pizza Dog on ‘Hawkeye’ Set

Hawkeye finally started filming in NYC. Going by Anchor Point, they are currently filming underground, so it is difficult to get any good shot. Luckily, we were able to snag something rather special. Yes, we finally got our very first look at Lucky the Pizza Dog. It looks like they are getting ready for a scene with him, as he is just waiting above the stairs. It is uncertain what they might be filming but it is great we finally get our first look at him. There is a chance he might bolt down the stairs, or someone is about to run towards him.

I still hope he might get his very own episode, where we follow him around. It was one of the best chapters in Matt Fraction‘s Hawkeye run. We still don’t know who is playing Kate Bishop but at least we got our first look at the iconic archer companion in live-action. He was briefly teased a while back during the Disney+ special that showcased artwork for the various upcoming series. Just these few glimpses are already making this quite an exciting project.

December 2, 2020
Exploring ‘Daredevil’s Future Beyond Its Netflix Run

For those out there hoping to support the return of Netflix’s Daredevil, be sure to check out the site SaveDaredevil.com. They’ve probably been campaigning for its return since its cancellation, so be sure to give them a visit while you’re at it!

It is crazy to think that Daredevil‘s third season aired two years ago. Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio reminded us why they were the perfect duo to take on the dynamic between Matt Murdock and Wilson Fisk. The original Netflix deal was massive, as they signed up for four series consisting of 13 episodes. Not just that, they also made a deal to film most of the series directly in New York City, where it would all lead up to a The Defenders crossover. It was going to be the small-screen Avengers built on Marvel’s Television division. Right now, Netflix still held a tight grip on the rights to all franchisees that aired on the streaming service. So, many of us were waiting for the moment they could return. Supposedly, the rights return two years after it aired its final episode, and we are finally at that point. So, let us look at how exactly Daredevil could become part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Now, like many, I want the core cast to return. Charlie Cox, Deborah Ann Woll, and Elden Henson were outstanding. Matt Murdock is always conflicted between the devil calling him to defend the streets, but also his human need for a normal life. He is nothing without Karen Page and Foggy Nelson keeping him centered, as he balances being a lawyer and vigilante. Of course, there is also Vincent D’Onofrio‘s Wilson Fisk, who may be one of the best Marvel villains brought into live-action. Also, I hope we also see the return of Ayelet Zurer‘s Vanessa. Her relationship with Fisk elevated it in unique ways and managed to humanize all of Fisk’s actions in an interesting way. While we’re at it, Wilson Bethel deserves more time as Bullseye, just saying. Now that Jamie Foxx is going to return as Electro in Spider-Man‘s still-untitled third entry, there is no excuse that they can’t have the iconic cast return.

There is, sadly, one major issue of continuing the series where it originally ended. I don’t believe that every part of The Defenders will remain the same. Most notably, there is a good chance that Iron Fist will get a complete reboot. Out of all of the Netflix series, it felt like it was trying its hardest to avoid the aspects that made the character unique, which may be something that Marvel Studios CEO Kevin Feige wants to change. Yet, a massive part of the crossover was how the main antagonists, the Hand, had strong ties to K’un-Lun, where Danny Rand gained his magical fist. Maybe this time we get to visit the hidden city. Daredevil‘s third season has built on the events that transpired during Netflix’s mini-series. If it weren’t for the four vigilantes taking on a group of supernatural ninjas, we wouldn’t have had Matt’s reawakening that would lead to him taking on his original mantle.

As I write that, it doesn’t mean it is impossible, just that it may not fit into Feige‘s plans. Plus, they seem to have mapped out quite a bit ahead, as plenty of series and films are about to enter production. So, we might not see anything related to any of the Netflix series by the latest of 2023 or even 2024. Now, there is a way that it could work to integrate the events from all Defenders into the mainline MCU overarching storyline. The approach is simple: all of them are already active once we meet them again. It would be a similar approach to that of The Incredible Hulk. Yes, Mark Ruffalo looks nothing like Edward Norton, but the storyline mainly remained the same. So, why couldn’t everything from Daredevil‘s first season up until Jessica Jones‘ final season has taken place in the same timeline with some slight alterations?

Even if someone else takes over the role of Iron Fist, Jessica Jones, or Luke Cage, the main events still occurred. Viewers are technically familiar with what transpired. They can make references to past events as an easy recap for newer viewers. They can also leave some aspects vague to adapt it to fit the new narrative. There is no need to rehash Murdock’s origin story again besides showcasing some of the emotional cores that defined him. Netflix could be part of a different dimension, as the mainline MCU’s events were similar in most places.

They did something similar with Spider-Man: Homecoming, where they built on everyone’s understanding of the character’s core principles. It was a popular show on Netflix, so there is no need to retread old ground. That would only be necessary if Feige had any plans to reuse the Hand in different ways. Even if they don’t continue the storyline set up by the first three seasons of Netflix, they can still use people’s understanding of the characters to move forward rather than retread familiar ground once again. We also saw the advantage of an ongoing format for the characters, so it would be a waste not to continue the series on Disney+, especially when they are exploring darker characters like Moon Knight on the platform. Their introduction though could open up the potential to having them crossover into films, which seems to be the plan for many of the streaming characters. Either way, if Marvel Studios decides to move forward, I hope to see this amazing cast return so that they can continue the story where they left off.

Source: Digital Spy

December 1, 2020
RUMOR: Florence Pugh to Return as Yelena Belova in ‘Hawkeye’ Series

So, here is an interesting surprise. We are only a few days away before Hawkeye finally starts filming. We are still waiting for an official word on who might be playing Kate Bishop with Hailee Steinfeld still the biggest contender for the role. The story would be strongly inspired by Matt Fraction‘s run on the character. It was still uncertain what other characters we could see make a return from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Well, it looks like one important character that has yet been introduced will appear in the series after making her film debut. According to The Direct, Florence Pugh will return as Yelena Belova at one point in the series.

That is not all, as they also state that she will don a Ronin-inspired costume. Now, this is interesting for multiple reasons. We saw Clint Barton wear the iconic suit during Avengers: Endgame, as he killed various Yakuza, which was teased to haunt him in this series. We also had the rumors of Echo making an appearance, who had also donned the suit at one point in the comics. The mantle was worn by various characters but this is the first time that it is connected to Yelena. We believed that she would carry on the mantle of Black Widow once she makes her debut in the upcoming film, but it looks like her journey won’t be an easy one.

There is also the question of how her story will lead to the Disney+ series. We got a short teaser of her on a desk during the Black Widow trailer, so maybe she gets mind controlled and ends up in a similar situation to the Winter Soldier. Yet, there is a time difference between the film and the Disney+ series that opens up so many questions. There is a chance that she has met with Clint during his time as Ronin, who may have passed not he mantle to her rather than Echo. It’ll be interesting to see how it all connects once the show finally airs. Now, we just need to find out who is playing Kate Bishop.

Source: The Direct

November 30, 2020
‘WANDAVISION’ Merch Provides First Look at Monica Rambeau as Spectrum

Another day, another merch leak that gives us a look at an MCU superhero! This time, courtesy of Captain Marvel News, we have our first look at Teyonah Parris’s Monica Rambeau in what most certainly appears to be her “Spectrum suit.

Parris is playing the grown up version of the character we first met in Captain Marvel and her brief appearance in the WandaVision trailer indicates she’s going to find herself forcibly removed from Wanda’s bubble reality of Westview. Could this be the event that leads to Monica somehow gaining powers somewhat similar to her comic book counterpart? The 616 version of Monica got some pretty serious powers after being near an explosion and took on mantle of Captain Marvel (among many others) over the years. We know that in the MCU, Monica is working for SWORD and while the black and white color scheme lines up nicely with her comic book counterpart, it also looks like she may be sporting a SWORD logo on the neck area of her shirt. We’ll have to wait just a bit longer to see how it all plays out, but this is certainly a nice nod to Monica’s comic book past and, hopefully, her MCU future.

November 30, 2020
Marvel Studios Teases Thanos’ Eternals Heritage

It seemed like Thanos’ story might’ve ended with Avengers: Endgame. Yet, comic fans know that the Mad Titan has some interesting connections to another race of aliens. He was the son of two Eternals, A’lars and Sui-San. Yet, he was born with the Deviants gene, which is why Thanos had his purple complexion. It was uncertain if he would still hold that connection in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, especially now that Eternals will release next year. Well, The Direct had a chance to visit the interactive exhibit Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N. where they showcase props and information on the franchise. It seems they added something on the infamous titan that may finally confirm his lineage.

Thanos’ origin is said to be on Saturn’s largest moon, Titan, making him a Titanian in nature. It is rumored however that Thanos is the last of an ancient and highly sophisticated species known throughout the universe as ‘The Eternals’.

I do believe that there is a reason they say it is “rumored” as some may still be on Earth. Sersi is a prime candidate who might have chosen to stay among humans. We don’t know if the Eternals lived on Titan at one point, so it’ll be interesting to see if that gets explored in the upcoming film. Thor seems to be the source of this information. It looks like the Asgardians are aware of the Eternals’ existence, which may also hint at a connection if you consider the Norse Gods’ long lives.

Source: The Direct

November 29, 2020
Merchandise May Offer First Look at Falcon’s Captain America Suit

Many of us have gotten used to keeping a close eye on toys and merchandising products. Sometimes they end up revealing a lot more than what one would expect. We have that very case now as well, as the site SuperHeroStuff has started sharing some products for the upcoming Disney+ show Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Among them are a pair of socks that may give us our best look yet at what Sam Wilson’s Captain America suit may look like in the show.

The colors are the dead giveaway with a nice combination of red, white, and blue. We also know it isn’t just his usual suit, as it is missing the red highlights that were showcased in the artwork reveal for the series. It also isn’t too far away from the design that Wilson got in the comics when he took on the mantle. Still, this could be a design that is just being tagged with Disney+ to get people to buy it. If it is real, I am sad that there is no star on his chest, which is an iconic aspect of any Captain America design. There is a good chance that this is also just a prototype suit before he upgrades it. Sadly, the socks don’t include him holding the shield, which would’ve been a final confirmation. The overall design is quite unique in comparison to what we have seen before, so it’ll be interesting to see how they’ll introduce it in the show, and if this turns out to be the real suit.

Of course, as the other half of the show is about Bucky, you’ll find socks featuring the Winter Soldier. It is just noteworthy that this design is closer to that of Captain America: Winter Soldier. His long hair and purely grey arm showcase that this version might have some appearance in the show. We could get a flashback that ties into Bucky’s story in the Disney+ series. It could also just be an older design reused for merchandising but the mention of the streaming platform is just interesting. So, this does mean we have to take this with a grain of salt. Just like with Sam’s design, it could be a way to sell the socks by building on the hype for the upcoming series. Still, it is fun to speculate and see if this turns out to be the design that got leaked early on socks.

Source: SuperHeroStuff (Falcon), SuperHeroStuff (WS)

November 27, 2020
Alfred Molina Rumored to Reprise Role as Doc Ock in Spider-Man 3

It looks like Tom Hollands’ third Spider-Man film will pay tribute to what came before. We just recently covered a few hints that could be a sign that John Bubniak, who was the face-model for Peter Parker in Insomniac’s Spider-Man game, could show up in Doctor Strange Into the Multiverse of Madness. There are also rumors that we could potentially see other familiar actors like Toby Maguire or Andrew Garfield have an appearance in Spidey’s next live-action outing. It became even more possible after it was announced that Jamie Foxx will reprise his role as Electro from The Amazing Spider-Man 2. Now, it looks like one more classic villain might join the fray as Geeks World Wide have heard that Alfred Molina might reprise his role as Doctor Otto Octavius in the upcoming film.

It seems that he has only arrived on set a little while ago and has already started filming some scenes. Their sources say that he will be featured in his full Doc Ock costume, but no confirmation if this is just the MCU’s version of the original. He last played the iconic role in 2004’s Spider-Man 2, where he gave a standout and dramatic performance of the character. You see a lot of his performance carried over in other adaptations, especially Otto’s role in the 2018 game. Molina was open about returning in an interview back in 2014 with Collider. Alongside the recent report on Foxx, it is cementing the idea of this being a Spider-Verse storyline building on concepts introduced in WandaVision and the Doctor Strange sequel. Still, there is no official word so take it with a grain of salt for now.

Source: GWW, Collider

November 25, 2020
‘She-Hulk’ Seeking to Cast Augustus Pugliese and Arch-Rival Titania

We are finally getting some new casting news for She-Hulk. The upcoming Disney+ show will shine a spotlight on Bruce Banner’s cousin Jennifer Walters. After an accident, Bruce saves her life by giving her a blood transfusion, but it ends up transforming her into the titular character. The show cast Tatiana Maslany in the titular role as it eyes a March production start. Now, we have our first news regarding the supporting cast that will join Jennifer in her legal drama.

Let’s start with the standout casting of a villain. The character of Lucy is a glamorous Social Media influencer. She is described as a Kardashian and will have a considerable role in the series as a potential antagonist. Our best guess would be the character of Mary MacPherran, or better known as Titania. She is Walter’s arch-nemesis in the comics. Her character description is a far departure from what we are used to, but she sounds like the perfect foil to the more straight-laced She-Hulk. It would also be interesting to explore a character that focuses on her looks but ends up trying to compete with Jennifer through brawn.

The other supporting characters seem to be closely related to Jennifer’s day job as a lawyer. Susie, who is a 30-ish Asian-American, might be Angie Huang, who worked as her assistant during the Marvel NOW! run. Marvel Studios is also looking for a male co-worker, who would be a John Krasinski-type person. That description would match the character of Augustus Pugliese quite well. In the comics, he had a crush on She-Hulk and even became her roommate at one point. They were both involved in a storyline where Spider-Man sued J. Jonah Jameson for libel.

It was uncertain how much of the series would focus on her time as a lawyer, but it seems quite likely that we could have a procedural show similar to Law & Order or even Suits. The genre is quite popular, so they have a lot of inspiration to pull from. It’ll be interesting to see how this series will be from the rest, as Marvel Studios seems keen on making these shows stand out from the usual franchise structure so we could get a closer look at a world filled with superheroes and powered individuals.

Source: Illuminerdi

November 24, 2020
‘SHE-HULK’, ‘MOON KNIGHT’ Targeting March 2021 Starts

Kevin Feige and his creative team at Marvel Studios have made a priority of developing and producing high-quality content for Disney Plus. As we inch near FINALLY being able to see the first fruits of their labor when WandaVision streams in January, work has been completed on The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, continues on with Loki, has begun on Ms. Marvel and is going to kick off on Hawkeye “after Thanksgiving.” With things seemingly on cruise control with that group, the studio has turned its attention to the final two series from the streaming services first Marvel Studios wave: She-Hulk and Moon Knight. Having landed their leads in Tatiana Maslany and Oscar Issac, the projects are now casting for supporting roles and, according to a new trade report, will kick off production in March of 2021.

She-Hulk will introduce Jennifer Walters, the cousin of Bruce Banner, to the MCU. The studio is currently casting a handful of strong supporting roles for the series which will be comedy heavy and follow Walters’ as she navigates the world of superhero law while also partaking in some superheroing of her own.

She-Hulk looks set for a lengthy production window. Originally planned to shoot for 8 months from August 2020-March 2021, it could now be looking at being in production in Atlanta for more than half of 2021 should they follow that same schedule when it kicks off production in late March.

While She-Hulk is being billed as a comedy, Moon Knight looks set to tackle some more serious issues, including the mental health of its lead, Marc Spector, and his multiple personalities. Imbued with powers by the Egyptian god Khonshu, the former mercenary becomes a street-level vigilante.

Using London as its production HQ, Moon Knight will film in multiple European locations, including Budapest. Marvel Studios projects such as Black Widow and Eternals have followed similar production plans in the past.

With these two projects now headed towards production, the studio has turned its attention to the next wave of streaming series. Kyle Bradstreet is currently writing a Samuel L. Jackson-led Nick Fury-centric series and I’ve heard that the studio has begun work on 2-3 other projects with Ironheart being mentioned by multiple sources. While we don’t have a lot of data points, it looks like the studio is pairing up projects when possible, so we could expect to hear about the partner series to Nick Fury before too long as the studio will want those up and running for production in mid-2021.

November 22, 2020
Marvel Studios Eyeing Tenoch Huerta for ‘Black Panther 2’

Black Panther is one of Marvel Studios’ biggest franchises from a financial and cultural standpoint. It was gearing up for the second entry before suddenly tragedy hit. T’Challa Chadwick Boseman has tragically passed away. It hit many that were involved with the project by surprise, as Boseman kept it very close to the chest. Of course, it opened up the question if they would postpone production until they can decide how to move forward. Well, it looks like they are still eyeing to start production next year. According to Hollywood Reporter, Black Panther 2 is preparing to shoot in Atlanta by July with around six months planned out.

That is not all, as they also seem to be eyeing Tenoch Huerta to play one of the main villains. The Narcos: Mexico star would play one of the antagonists that will terrorize Wakanda. We still know nothing about the story currently, so it is difficult to pinpoint which character he might be playing. THR did highlight that Letitia Wright, Lupita Nyong’o, Winston Duke, and Angela Bassett are all set to reprise their roles. There was an emphasis on Wright‘s role being expanded. There is currently still no set plan on how to move forward without Boseman.

There was an interesting statement regarding their focus on Disney+. After all these years, they have their systems down for film production, but a lot of priority is set on the new streaming shows to adjust to this new extension of the franchise. The pandemic has certainly changed the company’s priorities as most of their film line-up was postponed by an entire year. It has been a heavy year and we will see what the future of the MCU brings, as they move forward with their projects.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

November 20, 2020