By now, even if you haven’t seen the movie it’s likely you’ve heard about the beastly post-credit scene of The Marvels. The scene brought Monica Rambeau face-to-face with an alternate reality variant of her mother, Maria, and a very familiar furry friend. Despite it being clear who everyone is, there’s no clarity about exactly where in the multiverse she is, leaving the audience just as confused as Monica. While we can’t offer any clarity on that, we can look to the comics for a little help about what might have gone down in that universe before her arrival.
After Kelsey Grammar’s Beast is revealed, a wider look at the facility in which Monica is recovering makes it clear that she’s in an X-Men facility. It’s also revealed that in this universe, Maria is a fully costumed superhero. While we’ve seen that idea fleshed out once before in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, it’s a little different here as Beast refers to her as Binary and she’s wearing quite a different costume. Given what we know, it seems that this post-credit scene is very heavily influenced by longtime Marvel Comics writer Chris Claremont’s beloved Uncanny X-Men run.
From 1975 through 1991, Claremont gave new life to the X-Men and made them one of Marvel Comics premier teams. In 1982, Claremont wrote Carol Danvers into Uncanny X-Men #158, kicking off a long run of her appearing in his X-book and even becoming an honorary member of the team. Claremont remade Danvers, who had never been anywhere near as fully realized as she was during her time in his books. In Uncanny X-Men #164, Danvers–with a brand new power set, took the name Binary.
While not everything lines up perfectly, the universe in which Monica wakes up at the end of The Marvels may be one in which events much like those from Claremont’s Uncanny X-Men have unfolded. Just how that will impact the future of MCU, if at all, remains to be seen but it would be great to see nods to the Shi’ar space opera, Rogue’s interesting history with Carol (which would probably be with Maria, instead) or even the Morlocks pop up the next time we see that universe on screen.
Even as it becomes increasingly unlikely that Marvel Studios meets its previously slated 2024 release dates as the ongoing WGA and SAG strikes begin to knock down some dominoes, rumors about the future of the MCU continue to swirl. One such rumor indicated that Marvel Studios is contemplating an adaptation of Time Runs Out, a 20-issue comic book event published in 2014 and 2015, for the plot of the third Doctor Strange film. Written by Jonathan Hickman, Time Runs Out served as a prelude to his 2015 Secret Wars and capped his long run on Avengers and New Avengers titles. With Marvel Studios’ Multiverse Saga set to end with Avengers: Secret Wars, it seems sensible that the studio would turn to the comic book prelude to Secret Wars for inspiration; however, for a studio that’s already losing connectivity with its fanbase, it might be best for them to stay clear of borrowing anything but the title for Doctor Strange 3.
What is Time Runs Out?
In 2012 and 2013, Jonathan Hickman took on one of his most ambitious Marvel Comics projects. Working across both the Avengers and New Avengers titles, Hickman laid the groundwork for a new iteration of Secret Wars. Hickman, through Reed Richards “Everything Dies” speech, introduced the idea of the contraction of the Marvel Multiverse through incursions, an eight-hour timeframe in which parallel Earths collide with one another. Those collisions cause the destruction of both universes and, over time, only two universes remained: Earth-616’s, the original Marvel universe, and Earth-1610’s, the Ultimate Universe.
Time Runs Out tells the story of the final eight months before the incursion between Earth-616 and Earth-1610. It is a vast that includes high-profile members from across the Marvel universe such as the Avengers, the Illuminati, the Cabal, the Fantastic Four, members of the Future Foundation, the Shi’ar Empire, Doctor Doom and more. As a member of the Illuminati, Doctor Strange played a pivotal role in the event. Though a prelude to Secret Wars, Time Runs Out was also the culmination of nearly 60 issues of storytelling by Hickman and required every inch of runway to make it work. As is often the case with Hickman’s work, Time Runs Out included high-concept science fiction and complicated real-world science and, as is often the case with Hickman’s work, it wasn’t for everyone.
Why Should the MCU Steer Clear of Adapting Time Runs Out for Doctor Strange 3?
Before answering the question, it’s worth pointing out that if Marvel Studios does choose to move ahead with Doctor Strange: Time Runs Out, the film adaptation will likely only borrow the title and a few plot points and/or characters from Hickman’s work…and that’s for the best.
An Incursion occurs when the boundary between two universes erodes and they collide, destroying one or both entirely.
Reed Richards explains incursions to Stephen Strange in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
As of now, incursions are the only thing the MCU has in common with Hickman’s run on Avengers and New Avengers and that’s in name only. Whereas in the comics incursions are just part of the natural order of things, though sped up a bit by the untimely end of one alternate Earth, as once again explained by Reed Richards, the MCU’s incursions are–maybe–the result of too much traveling between alternate Earths in the multiverse and, so far, pretty much all caused by different Doctors Strange. Want to destroy an alternate Earth? Just travel to it and hang out there and you’ve got it done.
The decision to make incursions the results of choices made by characters rather than part of the contraction of the multiverse makes TRULY adapting Time Runs Out impossible. The whole point of Time Runs Out is to put the heroes up against the clock as they try to find a way to stop the incursion that will wipe out their Earth. As more incursions happen, they learn more and more, including how to prevent one. According to the present rules of the MCU’s multiverse, that entire scenario isn’t viable. Incursions are super easy to avoid: just stop traveling the multiverse. And what happens when there are only two Earths left, like in the comics? Why are the heroes and villains of each Earth fighting each other at that point? To keep each other from traveling to each other’s Earth? It seems like moving forward in the MCU, an incursion will probably be an intentional tool of destruction.
In the Time Runs Out comic book event, Stephen Strange actually joins up with a group of powerful beings, The Black Priests, who were actually all in on intentionally destroying other universes. By deleting a few intrusive Earths, The Black Priests hoped they would stabilize the contracting multiverse. These same Black Priests are rumored to be part of Marvel Studios’ Time Runs Out adaptation and apparently one of them, Clea, has already appeared on screen. Clea’s goal: to fix the latest incursion caused by Strange’s trip to Earth-838. Black Priests fixing incursions rather than causing them (how can they be fixed, anyway?) would make them Black Priests in name only.
So what’s the problem with adapting Time Runs Out? Nothing has been earned. Nowhere near enough has been set up. And as has already begun to happen, general audiences are going to have a very hard time following the multiversal logic that causes incursions and how they can be fixed. Any true adaptation of Time Runs Out would need to include a significant amount of exposition about the origins of the multiverse and should include a much bigger team of heroes working on the problem. One of the most enjoyable aspects of the comic event was, as a reader, working through the problems in lockstep with the greatest minds of the Marvel Universe. Having Doctor Strange be the sole POV character for an event of this magnitude would not only be underwhelming it would underserve the enormity of the event itself.
While there’s plenty of reasons for Marvel Studios to turn to Hickman’s works as they approach Avengers: Secret Wars, trying to make an event that included dozens and dozens of Marvel Comics’ brightest and best into another Doctor Strange multiverse adventure (especially considering the lukewarm reaction to the last one) would be a mistake…and Marvel Studios can’t really afford another theatrical mistake in their Multiverse Saga. If they’re not careful, they are going to end up with a film, that like Hickman’s work, is not for everyone.
As production delays begin to stack up amid the ongoing WGA strike, fans are becoming increasingly concerned that Marvel Studios 2024 slate will be wiped out. While that’s certainly one possibility at this point, there are plenty of other options that are far rosier. With the content-less 2020 still fresh in fans’ minds, it’s worth taking a look at how the dips and dives of 2023 might help dodge a deserted 2024.
The Original Plan
Just over a year ago, Kevin Feige rolled out a massive slate update at SDCC ’22. That slate included an ambitious 2024 plan that included two Phase Five series (Agatha: Coven of Chaos and Daredevil: Born Again), two Phase Five films (Captain America: New World Order and Thunderbolts) three untitled Phase Six series and one Phase Six film (Fantastic Four).
Ch-ch-ch-changes
By late September 2022, another Phase Five movie was added when Deadpool 3 was officially announced. Just a month later, Blade was given a September 6, 2024 release date, moving Deadpool 3 to November 8, 2024 and pushing 2024’s Phase Five film total to 4 and sliding Fantastic Four into 2025.. Bob Iger’s return to Disney further altered the 2024 slate as his new mandates concerning the curation of the company’s streaming content shuffled Marvel Studios’ 2023 plans a bit, pushing Agatha: Coven of Chaos firmly out of 2023 and indefinitely delaying the release of Ironheart.
It doesn’t take a rocket surgeon to understand that if these projects don’t restart/start production in a reasonable amount of time then they won’t make their 2024 release dates. Could fans be looking at another content-less year in 2024?
Potential New Scenarios
The answer is almost definitely not thanks to streaming. In March, Marvel Studios seemingly accidentally tipped their hand and revealed what looks to be a pretty accurate slate for their LIVE-ACTION series on Disney Plus.Ironheart looks slated to kick off 2024 and there have been no reports that any reshoots or additional photography have been or will be impacted by the strike. It seems most of the work being done on that series is in post-production VFX and it’ll be ready to stream whenever Iger gives it the go-ahead. Principal photography on Agatha: Coven of Chaos should be wrapped by June-ish allowing the show to go into post-production and get ready for a 2024 release. Like every Marvel Studios project, it’s certainly scheduled for a round of reshoots/additional photography and while that likely can’t happen while the strike is ongoing (they would have to have written the reshoots before the strike), they could take place at any time after the strike ends in 2023 or 2024 and still make its way to Disney Plus by mid-2024. Given its nearly year-long shoot, Daredevil: Born Again‘s status is far more tenuous than either of the other two aforementioned projects but so far, so good. It’s also set to be an 18-episode series with recent rumors suggesting it will be broken into two, nine-episode chunks and it’s safe to say that given the shooting schedule, they’ve probably filmed 4 or 5 of those episodes already. While it’s no sure thing, the first nine episodes could be ready to roll for late 2024.
It would seem there is far less certainty surrounding the studio’s 2024 theatrical offerings. Captain America: New World Order has completed a significant chunk of its production and, so far, has not been shut down as a result of the strike; however, reshoots are built-in and as mentioned above will not be done until after the strike. It’s currently set for a May 3, 2024 release, so unless the strike goes on through the end of the year, that date is manageable, though it’s beginning to look like the studio won’t have to hold it.
Even though the delay was just announced, it’s already tough to imagine that Thunderbolts will hit its July 26th, 2024 theatrical release. The strike would likely have to end in the next 4-6 weeks to allow the project to avoid the sort of rushed post-productions that have had Marvel Studios in the spotlight for the last year. Should the strike go on longer than that, it wouldn’t be too hard to imagine Captain America: New World Order being moved to July and having Thunderbolts move as well. But where would it land?
That answer might depend on the content of Deadpool 3. Should production on that project go on uninterrupted, it would be reasonable to assume that it would be ready to hit theaters by next July, should Captain America: New World Order be able to make its May 3, 2024 date. Whether or not the plot of Deadpool 3 is reliant on the other projects currently slated to release before it or not is another consideration and one that we can’t answer at present. However, if it can be moved and it does continue production, it could be ready for July or September, stepping in where it once was before Blade moved there.
While there’s no guarantee, Captain America: New World Order and Deadpool 3 are currently the best bets to release in 2024. The statuses of Thunderbolts and Blade, however, are inextricably tied to the timeline of the resolution of the WGA strike. Films that aren’t filmed can’t be released, so it is currently impossible to know when they’ll hit theaters. However, should the strike end by mid-to-late July, it’s possible that both films could still end up in 2024 with one taking the September 6th date and the other taking November 8th. Which one ends up where would simply then become a matter of which one is further along in production.
All that is contingent on Marvel Studios even feeling as though they need to stay on track with their current scheduled dates which is in no way certain because they are hardly the only studio whose slate will be impacted by the strike. Dates could shuffle at any time which is something we just can’t predict but if we assume they keep the four dates, dozens of scenarios unfold with a few that seem more likely than others.
Best Case Scenario
Q1-Ironheart May 3-Captain America: New World Order Q2-Agatha: Coven of Chaos July 26th-Deadpool 3 September 6-Blade/Thunderbolts Q4-Daredevil: Born Again November 8-Thunderbolts/Blade
A Scenario That Is Neither Best Case Nor Worse Case
Q1-Ironheart May 3-Captain America: New World Order Q2-Agatha: Coven of Chaos July 26th-Deadpool 3 Q4-Daredevil: Born Again
Not Quite Worst Case Scenario
Q1-Ironheart July 26-Captain America: New World Order Q3-Agatha: Coven of Chaos
While the last scenario seems improbable, it’s still on the table. Should the strike stretch out across the summer and into the fall, Marvel Studios will have to greatly rethink their slate. Should the strike end before SDCC ’23, it’s possible that Kevin Feige will stroll on stage with an updated slate; however, given how much things have changed since last year, how seriously should fans even take it?
During Star Wars Celebration 2023, it was revealed thatDave Filoni was set to direct a film that would serve as the denouement of the story he and Jon Favreau have been and will continue telling through their “Mando-verse” streaming series. While it’s easy to look at that film as the end of the stories told in the New Republic era, it’s also important to remember that, at present, two additional eras are open to the telling of further stories set in a galaxy far, far away. Given that the New Republic era can now be seen as a bridge connecting Luke Skywalker’s Age of Rebellion stories to his epilogue in the Rise of the First Order stories, it is worth considering if Filoni, who has shown a penchant for bringing non-canon/Legends characters into the modern Star Wars canon may choose to use his film to bring one of the most popular Legends characters into canon.
An increasingly popular theory is that Filoni’s New Republic-era film will be an adaptation of Timothy Zanh‘s 1991 now non-canonical novel, Heir to the Empire. That novel, set nine years after the Battle of Yavin, introduced Grand Admiral Thrawn, who has since been adopted into canon and will soon be portrayed in live-action by Lars Mikkelsen. During the Ahsoka trailer which debuted at Star Wars Celebration, the phrase “heir to the Empire”, uttered by Rosario Dawson‘s titular character, created a significant buzz that the next chapter of stories in Filoni’s Mando-verse might be an adaptation of Zahn’s iconic Thrawn trilogy and, if that is the case, Thrawn will hardly be the only major character making a canonical live-action debut.
Further evidence that the Mando-verse stories might begin to adapt and include Zahn’s trilogy came in Chapter 23 of The Mandalorian when Gilad Pellaeon made his live-action debut as part of the second iteration of The Shadow Council. While Pellaeon played a minor role Star Wars Rebels, he played a much larger role in Thrawn’s plans in the non-canon Zahn trilogy. If Pellaeon is going to play a role, no matter now small, in Star Wars canon, it’s possible another of the Emperor’s servants–indeed the Emperor’s Hand–could appear in Filioni’s film.
There is, perhaps, no Legends character whose addition to canon is more anticipated than Mara Jade’s. Once one of Palpatine’s most trusted assassins tasked with killing Luke Skywalker, Jade eventually married Luke and played a key role in the foundation of the New Jedi Order. Jade played a major role in one of the non-canonical novels’ most well-known conflicts, the Yuuzhan Vong War, which, coincidentally, would bridge a major gap in the current canonical eras. Would Filoni introduce Mara Jade/Mara Skywalker into the Star Wars canon? Given the work he and Favreau have done with Legends characters and concepts over the years, it’s nowhere near out of the question that Jade could soon be introduced into their Mando-verse and then quickly become a main character in the Rise of the First Order and New Jedi Order timelines.
Lucasfilm rolled out a brand new timeline at Star Wars Celebration 2023 and within it were not only two new eras set to be explored in upcoming films but also an old fan favorite that has so far been absent from Lucasfilm’s live-action projects. What does it all mean?
Following their exciting presentation at Star Wars Celebration 2023, Lucasfilm shared a new look at the timeline via a press release. Nine different eras are now open for canonical stories to be told through animated and live-action projects. Let’s take a look at each era…
Dawn of the Jedi (?-25,000 ABY)
One of the new eras introduced during Star Wars Celebration 2023, the Dawn of the Jedi era stretches back some 25,000 years before the “present day” events of The Mandalorian and the New Republic. As of now, the only project known to be set during the Dawn of the Jedi is the James Mangold film that will tell “the tale of the first Jedi to wield the Force and harness it as a liberating power in an era of chaos and oppression.” It could tell the tale of the Prime Jedi who created the first Jedi temple on Ahch-To seen in The Last Jedi.
The Old Republic (Around 25,000 BBY-1000 BBY)
The addition of the Old Republic era to the official timeline should be thrilling news for long time fans of the expanded Star Wars universe. The founding of the Republic, the Sith Wars and the tales of Knights of the Old Republic all take place over a 7,000 year span in the non-canon Legends content. Characters like Tenebrae, Revan, Satele Shan and Darth Malgus are beloved by fans and could be folded into Star Wars canon via projects told in this era.
The High Republic (500 BBY-82 BBY)
An era that so far has only been explored through novels and comic books, the High Republic explores the glory days of the Republic and its expansion into the Outer Rim. The Acolyte, which streams in 2024, is the first live-action project set during this era. Lucasfilm gave an updated synopsis of The Acoltye which “will take viewers into a galaxy of shadowy secrets and emerging dark-side powers in the final days of the High Republic era. A former Padawan reunites with her Jedi Master to investigate a series of crimes but discovers the forces they confront are more sinister than they ever anticipated.”
Fall of the Jedi (32 BBY-19 BBY)
As revealed in Star Wars comics, the Fall of the Jedi era is essentially the “prequel era.” The events of The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones, The Clone Wars and Revenge of the Sith all take place during this era.
Reign of the Empire (19 BBY-9 BBY)
An era that has only recently begun to be explored more thoroughly, the Reign of the Empire is a relatively short period of time between the beginning of Palpatine’s reign and the formation of the rebellion. The animated series The Bad Batch, Solo: A Star Wars Story and the Disney Plus streaming series Obi-Wan Kenobi all take place during the Reign of the Empire.
Age of Rebellion (5 BBY-0 BBY)
The original “era”, Age of Rebellion has also been further explored with some of the best Star Wars content created since Disney bought Lucasfilm. The animated series Rebels, Disney Plus’s streaming series Andor, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi fill up the Age of Rebellion.
The New Republic (9 ABY-?)
The present-day of Star Wars content, the New Republic is, essentially, Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni’s Mando-verse. So far, what we know about the New Republic has come from three seasons of The Mandalorian and one season of The Book of Boba Fett. While it seems that Ahsoka won’t be told linearly, it is believed that at least part of the series will be set during the New Republic era. Additionally, Dave Filoni is directing a film that Lucasfilm explains “will orchestrate the escalating war between the Imperial Remnant and the fledgling New Republic. Alongside producer Jon Favreau, they will bring together many of the threads of the “Star Wars” original series in a cinematic event.“
Rise of the First Order (33ish ABY-35 ABY)
The sequel era. Rise of the First Order has been, so far, told through the animated series Resistance, and the sequel trilogy of The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker. There are currently no known plans to further explore this era.
New Jedi Order (50 ABY-?)
The second brand new era added to the Star Wars timeline, the New Jedi Order era will be defined, at first, by Rey’s efforts to create, well, a new Jedi Order 15 years after the event of The Rise of Skywalker. The era’s storytelling will be broken in by director Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy, whose film “will tell the story of rebuilding the New Jedi Order and the powers that rise to tear it down.”
The next installment in Marvel Studios Multiverse Saga, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, hits theaters on May 5, 2023. The Guardians’ story started in 2014 and unexpectedly captured the hearts of audiences across the globe. Those same hearts are set to break as JamesGunn closes out the Guardians trilogy with an emotional finale that is sure to see at least one member of the team meet their ultimate fate.
More than just an emotional roller coaster, Vol. 3 looks to be jam-packed and will be the longest film of the trilogy. The threequel will make good on one of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2‘s stingers by introducing Will Poulter‘s Adam Warlock as a weapon pointed directly at the team. As if Warlock won’t be enough to handle, the team will ultimately make their way to Counter-Earth where they’ll meet the man responsible for the pain and suffering that has defined Rocket: the High Evolutionary, played by Chukwudi Iwuji. And they’ll be doing all that while their leader, Chris Pratt‘s Peter Quill, continues to deal with the loss of the love of his life, Gamora, while a Variant version of her ends up working with the team out of their brand-new base in the severed head of a Celestial known as Knowhere. Vol. 3 has a lot in store for audiences but to appreciate what’s happening and where things are going in that film, there’s plenty of homework to be done which is why you’re here for the latest installment of…The Ultimate List of Things to Watch Before!
Tier One
These projects are non-negotiable. If you want to know what’s going on right when Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 kicks off, you’ll have to find time to get these in before hitting the theater.
Guardians of the Galaxy
It all started with 2014’s surprise summer hit and any rewatch or first watch should start with the original Guardians of the Galaxy. The core team has grown quite a bit since they first came together in the space prison known as the Kyln in the first film but their origin story is one of the most rewatchable films in the Marvel Studios catalog, even if it does have one of the MCU’s worst villains. Rocket’s tragic origin, which is set to be explored in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, is hinted at here making it worth the watch for that alone. It’s also the start of the romantic relationship between Peter and Gamora which ultimately results in the emotional state Peter is in when Vol. 3 begins.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
While James Gunn will undoubtedly include something with the Sovereign in Vol. 3 to help newbies catch up, if you didn’t watch Vol. 2 you might not fully understand why Will Poulter‘s golden godman, Adam Warlock, is after the Guardians…but that’s hardly the only reason to check out Vol. 2. The 2017 sequel is all about relationships, some of which will be key to how you feel walking into and out of Vol. 3. Peter and Gamora’s romance grows; Drax and Mantis begin forming their wonderful friendship; Gamora and Nebula begin the process of repairing their sisterly bond. The core team also expands its roster during the film, adding Mantis and Kraglin. It’s certainly worth a watch to see how hard the next projects hit.
Avengers: Infinity War
Outside of Guardians of the Galaxy, Avengers: Infinity War is arguably the most important project to take in ahead of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Not only does the team play a key role in attempting to stop Thanos’ efforts to cut the population of the universe in half but it’s also the final appearance of “Prime” Gamora. Her death, at the hands of her father, changed Peter forever, something that’s center stage in Vol. 3.
Tier Two
If you can’t get to the Tier Two projects before you head to the theaters for Vol. 3, you’ll probably be caught up on the important events in them early on in the threequel. It’s not to say that they aren’t important because to have a complete understanding of each of the characters, every second of time they spend on screen is ultimately important. However, these two projects don’t add to the overall story as much as the others.
Avengers: Endgame
Gamora is back! Except it’s not really Gamora. Nebula’s redemption is complete. The Guardians take off with Thor on some new adventures.
The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special
While the Holiday Special is incredibly entertaining, for a project whose entire focus is on the Guardians, it’s hardly essential viewing. It established that the team has made Knowhere its base of operations and reintroduced and more fully developed Cosmo. It feels more like a Drax and Mantis comedy project and while the pair offer some great laughs, their relationship with each other doesn’t really change much. The Holiday Special’s effort to treat the audience to a shocking reveal falls pretty flat as most everyone who watched Vol. 2 already figured out that Mantis and Peter were siblings. It would seem that everything important about this project could be summed up in 3-5 seconds of screen time in Vol. 3.
Tier Three
Thor: Love and Thunder
Other than showing that Nebula has officially joined the team, the Guaridans’ time in Thor: Love and Thunder was entirely uneventful and, other than for continuity reasons, entirely unnecessary. Of course, the same might be able to be said about Thor: Love and Thunder itself, so it’s hardly the Guardians’ fault. However, if the film is entertaining at all, it is during the scenes on Indigarr when Thor and the Guardians help King Yakan take on the Booskan army led by Habooska the Horrible. Don’t go out of your way to watch it, but if you’re a completist, fast forward to this battle and then turn the TV off immediately.
While it’s not as extensive as other Ultimate Lists have been in the past, it’s still enough to keep you busy in the coming weeks as you prepare for the release of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 on May 5th!
Disney and Pixar groundbreaking work in animation will once again be on display in Elemental. Beginning with 1995’s Toy Story, the animators at Pixar have been innovators and problem solvers as they continue to create visually stunning films. Their 27th film, Elemental, is no different as the creators laid out a huge challenge for the animators: bring fire and water to life to create the film’s two main characters, Ember and Wade. The animators were asked to keep in mind that while they were working with something recognizable, they were also creating something that had never been seen before: “Ember is fire, she is not on fire. Wade is water. He’s not something that’s wet.”
Director Peter Sohn envisioned the characters and dreamt up the world they’d inhabit. At the global press junket for the upcoming film, Sohn explained some of the challenges the artists faced while trying to create characters who looked, behaved and reacted to situations in ways that are consistent with how fire and water would.
The main challenge of fire honestly was, could we get something balanced that could be appealing and still exploit the element? That was the main challenge. We had tried fire that was really realistic, I know you guys saw a part of the presentation. That was just a tip of the iceberg of the reference, meaning we tried real, like realistic eyes. We tried, you know, we tried all sorts of things and they looked terrifying. I wish you could see more of it. We could make a good horror movie from that footage, honestly. But then there were 2D versions of Ember that were much more flatter.
As you might imagine, a task of this magnitude, even for some of the world’s greatest animators, wasn’t done in a day. As Sohn explained, it took time for the artists to find the right “balance” for the character of Ember.
And every time we saw the movements, you didn’t feel like it could touch anything or burn anything or it didn’t feel hot, you know, like where it was emanating, you know, the heat. But some of our artists found this balance between the two that I’m very proud of what they had accomplished to get to that, absolutely. That was a really hard challenge and I thought they found a great balance.
Peter Sohn
As tough as Ember was, it turns out Wade was even tougher. “He was just so unmanageableand he looked so weird all the time,” explained Sohn. “I just kept pushing the water, and I went over the line just ’cause I couldn’t see, but the way he moved played into that. He so easily could turn into Jell-O just by slowing some of the ripples down a little bit, or how fast he could turn into a ‘Soul’ character if the ripples didn’t appear. There were just so many avenues that he could shift into very quickly and that would surprise all of us.”
Ultimately, as production designer Don Shank–whose work with Pixar dates back to 2004’s Incredibles–explained, the animators’ “design ideas inspired new technology, which inspired new design” creating one of Pixar’s most beautiful films to date. You can check out the fantastic work done by the artists at Pixar when Elemental hits theaters June 16th.
It wasn’t too long ago that fans questioned whether or not The Incredible Hulk was considered MCU canon but now, over the course of several projects, multiple characters from the film have returned. While the prominence of those roles has certainly varied, the sudden influx of Hulk-related characters at a time when a popular rumor that a World War Hulk/Hulks project is in the works continues to swirl is certainly a pleasant coincidence…if you subscribe to that sort of thing. With the return of Liv Tyler‘s Betty Ross to the MCU in Captain America: New World Order, the revival of 2008’s The Incredible Hulk is nearly complete. But after all these years, what would finally bring Betty Ross out of the shadows?
In early 2023, Marvel Studios One Above All Kevin Feige made it known that Betty’s father, General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, will be the President of the United States in Captain America: New World Order. The easiest assumption is that Betty could return in a cameo to celebrate her father’s election. However, that would likely call for a very, very brief appearance by Tyler, one that would be very easy to keep secret, and given that she was spotted on set yesterday it seems that it’s unlikely that would be the ONLY reason she might return.
Thunderbolt Ross’s Presidency isn’t the only major change expected in the film, however, and it’s likely the other big development for the character, now played by Harrison Ford, may be more likely to lead to his daughter’s return. It’s roundly assumed that Thunderbolt Ross will, as he does in the comics, become Red Hulk in Captain America: New World Order. Though it’s unclear what role, if any, he’ll play in Ross’s transformation, it’s also widely believed that Tim Blake Nelson‘s Samuel Sterns will have some part in it just as he did in the comics. Marvel Studios isn’t much for one-to-one adaptations of arcs from Marvel Comics but this seems like one time when things line up pretty well for them to pull heavily from the source material. Once Ross becomes Red Hulk, however, things will have to diverge from that source material a bit.
For a significant amount of time in the comics, Ross went to great lengths to prevent the public from learning he was Red Hulk. A series of convenient stories were concocted, Life Model Decoys were deployed–general subterfuge to keep his secret. Captain America: New World Order co-writers Malcolm Spellman and Dalan Musson will undoubtedly have to work some of this into the film as having a rampaging Red Hulk as the President of the United States just won’t do. Life Model Decoys are certainly an option to explore, though it’s one that the MCU hasn’t really embraced in the past. Part of whatever story the do choose to pursue might be tied to exactly how Red Hulk’s powers are defined in the MCU.
As She-Hulk proved, not all Hulks are created equal and whatever method Sterns chooses to transform Ross into Red Hulk, it’ll probably result in him having similar powers to his comic book counterpart. Those include but are not limited to, a constant emission of gamma rays that make him a walking thermonuclear bomb and the ability to absorb all sorts of energy from his surroundings. Whether or not Ross is a willing participant in Sterns’s experiments that turn him into Red Hulk (smart money is that he totally is), he may not be thrilled with the results and may seek some help. Given that Betty is something of a scientist herself and one with a background in gamma radiation and Super Soldiers, it could be that her father will swallow his pride and seek out her expertise.
Of course, there’s one more option that may be a bit of a natural consequence of all the above that these recent set photos might strongly support: Thaddeus Ross is dead. Or perhaps he is “dead.” While being “dead” is more preferable to being dead, it’ll have to be Schrödinger’s Ross for now but being “dead” also provides much more flexibility for future stories…including that rumored World War Hulk/Hulks story. Tyler’s presence at a cemetery all but cements the death of the President in the film but what if, in a very comic book twist, Ross’s death–as far as the public knows–comes at the hands of a Hulk. This allows both for Ross’s identity as the Red Hulk to be kept secret and for the character to survive for another project where he can face off against Bruce Banner’s Hulk as Jeph Loeb intended.
After all, Hulks can’t really die and it would be an abject tragedy for Red Hulk to finally be introduced into the MCU only to die in his first appearance and never get to square off with his big, green nemesis. Could Betty be complicit in hiding her father following his “death”? That’s certainly an interesting possibility based on an already interesting albeit uncertain situation. If so, and given Red Hulk’s near-constant emission of gamma rays, could Captain America: New World Order be thebeginning of Betty’s path to Hulk-hood? Fans likely won’t find confirmation of this or any theory easy to come by until the film hits theaters May 3, 2024.
As Black History Month comes to a close, we take a look back at the supers that inspire our dress, artistry, and lives. The superhero genre of film, television, and media, in general, wouldn’t be what it is without them. We love and appreciate everyone, but this isn’t an all-inclusive list.
Shaq as Steel
We’d be amiss if we didn’t start the retrospective with Shaq Diesel, the man with the S on his bicep. Shaq portrayed a loose version of John Henry Irons, aka Steel, in the 90s. The film is one of many films that took chances studios don’t risk anymore. We can’t knock what Shaq has done for the community though.
Halle Berry as Catwoman and Storm
Halle Berry worked with the material she was given in both of her superhero appearances, which is a shame because she really does bring nuance to her characters when written well. For multiple generations, she is Storm, so fans are curious about who will bring Ororo to the screen next, but until then, Halle Berry is the epitome.
Chadwick Boseman as Black Panther
When Black Panther first appeared in Captain America: Civil War, many fans weren’t ready or aware of the greatness they would soon experience. Chadwick is the embodiment of all the Black superheroes that came before him.
Cress Williams as Black Lightning
The series led by Cress Williams was able to take advantage of a different lane than most on this list, debuting on The CW and eventually tieing into the Arrowverse. Black Lightning carved a space to discuss religion, race, and society in ways other series never developed.
Javicia Leslie as Batwoman/Ryan Wilder
Javicia Leslie filled the role of Batwoman and new character Ryan Wilder after the role was vacant. This was an amazing opportunity for the actress, as she also joined the Arrowverse for two years and participated in what some consider the most successful live-action universe for DC.
Phil LaMarr as Static Shock and Jon Stewart / Green Lantern
Saturday morning cartoons were rather stale in the 90s before Milestone’s Static Shock appeared on FOX Kids. There’s a current resurgence of the comic, in part thanks to DC’s acquisition of the Milestone brand. We’re hoping rumors of a live-action debut are true. We also know that Green Lantern Corps is on the horizon and with every new iteration of Green Lantern, comes the same question: which version are they going to use? Justice League’s Jon Stewart debuted in 2000 and set the bar so high that he’s appeared in multiple spin-offs of the show. Thanks to LaMarr’s voice acting, Jon Stewart is the quintessential version.
Dwayne Johnson as Black Adam
The Rock was often fan-cast in roles on the regular, but his dream role finally made it to fruition in 2022 with Black Adam. Though the film took a decade and never really escaped controversy, his passion for the project continually resuscitated the dream regardless of where the production found itself. His work for the character is still commendable.
Ray Fisher as Cyborg
Though Ray Fisher only appeared in a few DCEU films and his character’s backstory was slightly muddled, the actor found a new lane as an advocate for the treatment of actors on set. The role wasn’t quite the breakout for him, but he’s still finding work slowly and we expect good things from him.
Wesley Snipes as Blade
There wouldn’t be an MCU without the risk taken in 2009 with Jon Favreau and RDJ, but the real accolades go to Wesley Snipes and team for the Blade trilogy. This was before risk was even a word. Vampires. R-rated. Martial arts emphasis. Greatness.
Michael Jai White as Spawn
Spawn often finds itself overlooked because of the graphic novel and the animated version, but the 1997 live-action release is another reason the superhero genre is what it is today. At one point, superhero movies really fell into two categories: great or flop. Spawn was the former.
Robert Townsend as Meteor Man
It’s always fun to see a sitcom dad take a turn into another fan-favorite genre( i.e. James Avery as the voice of Shredder), so we’d be amiss to not include Robert Townsend as Meteor Man. There’s a bit of a theme here, but 90s superhero films definitely took risks in order to entertain.
Will Smith as Hancock
Before joining the Suicide Squad, Will Smith took on the moniker of Hancock, a small indie style superhero that came from a different planet. This was another example of a hero film taking a risk (though it’s only really seen as a risk these days) with R-rated and grounded content.
Omar Sy as Bishop
When the live-action X-Men series moved into the interesting realm of a future with no mutants, there was only one man that could lead them to survival: Lucas Bishop. Omar Sy brought everyone’s favorite future savior to life and we deserved more time him.
Mike Colter as Luke Cage
Netflix produced some of the quintessential work for Marvel Studios over the last 5 or 6 years and one of the cornerstones of the work is Mike Colter‘s Luke Cage. Even with only a few seasons, Luke Cage carved a space for dialogue that other shows couldn’t scratch the surface.
Anthony Mackie as Falcon & Captain America
Anthony Mackie is slowly moving through all the possible avenues for his character. He’s appeared in solo movies, team-ups, the Captain America trilogy, and led his own Disney+ series. Though his series garnered fair reviews, he might just be in the most anticipated MCU film, officially titledCaptain America: New World Order.
Don Cheadle as War Machine/Col. James Rhodes
Don Cheadle is the other side of the Col. James Rhodes meme, but he’s also fully taken on the role and embodied it. And similar to Mackie with Captain America, Cheadle will soon step into the solo space in Armor Wars, which is now being developed as a film after originally being announced as a streaming series. Cheadle deserves the space to shine.
Shameik Moore as Miles Morales/Spiderman
Audiences have clammored for Miles Morales in live-action for years, but now that we’re on the verge of Moore’s second animated outing, his is the iteration to beat. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse received acclaim from fandoms all over and anticipation for the sequel grows daily.
Djimon Hounsou as Korath, Wizard, and Midnite
Similar to Jackson belo, Djimon Hounsou can do it all. He’s played roles in so many iconic films that it’s difficult to keep track of them all. But when you hear his raspy bass voice, you know he’s going to give his all to the character.
Samuel L. Jackson as Frozone, Nick Fury, and Mr. Glass
With almost 200 productions to date, Jackson can flesh out any role, but some of his top-tier characters are centerpieces in The Incredibles, MCU, and Shyamalan’s Unbreakable universe. With only a few scenes, he can steal the presence of any film.
Jonathan Majors as Kang The Conqueror
The newest baddie on the MCU block, Jonathan Majors, is an unstoppable force so far. There’s no telling where his characterization will be or where he’ll physically be on the timeline the next time we see him on screen, but Majors is a force.
Michael B. Jordan as Killmonger
Before there was Thanos or the aforementioned Majors stealing the show, we had Killmonger. Michael B. Jordan‘s portrayal was one of the earliest iterations of an MCU villain grabbing audiences’ empathy and consequently, the energy of the film. We were blessed to have him return inBlack Panther: Wakanda Foreverand hope to visit him a few more times when future BP iterations visit the astral plane.
Terrence Howard as James Rhodes
Terrence Howard may be more popular as a meme, but we’ll still acknowledge that he played James “Rhodey” Rhodes first and helped kick off the MCU opposite RDJ. Howard retired a few times in the past few years, but hopefully, he’ll find peace soon.
Teyonah Parris as Monica Rambeau/Photon
This one’s special because we’ve only been graced by Teyonah in WandaVision, but the anticipation for The Marvels is growing daily. Photon could be the first Black woman to officially join an Avengers team. We know she’ll kill it in the Captain Marvel sequel regardless.
Lauren Ridloff as Makkari
Ridloff brought us our second official speedster in the MCU as well as our first deaf character. Eternals was a significant change in pace and style for the universe and although it received mixed results, audiences all fell in love with the characterization of Makkari.
Dominique Thorne as Riri/Iron Heart
Debuting in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Thornebrought Riri Williams to life well before her series, also under the production of Ryan Coogler, debuts on Disney+. The actress auditioned for honorable mention Shuri, but the role went to Letitia Wright instead. Thorne still brings her confidence and bravado to the character, so we look forward to seeing her again.
Idris Elba as Heimdall
Idris portrayed Heimdall across multiple movies and brought the perfect amount of gravitas to the character. Love & Thundersaw the introduction of his son Axl, so we’re not sure if we’ll see Idris on the screen again, but we were fortunate to have him while we did even though the character didn’t always get much screen time.
Zoe Saldaña as Gamora and Neytiri
Zoe, the first actress to appear in 4 $2 billion grossing films, is another star to portray a character over multiple years, both in minor appearances and mainstays. We’re very curious about her portrayal of Gamora in the next Guardians film since her character is from a different universe than the rest of the team.
Aldis Hodge as Hawkman
Hodge is the newcomer to the genre as Black Adamrecently debuted in 2022. We’re not sure if his character will carry over into James Gunn’s DCU, and it most likely won’t, but Hodge was definitely one of the bright spots of the potential revamp The Rock started. Hopefully, he gets another shot with another character.
This list could have gone on for another month, but we’ll wrap at 28! Let us know who you’d like to see next round and hopefully, we’ll continue to run out of space.
With a fourth film in the franchise unlikely to debut before Avengers: Secret Wars, it’s unlikely Scott’s fixation with Kang the Conqueror will still be unresolved, so what would the focus of the new project be? As always, we have some ideas inspired by the comics!
Ant-Man, The Wasp and Stinger: Irredeemable
2015’s Ant-Man set the stage for the plot of a sequel and given it’s yet to be revisited, the fourth film might be the perfect time for a handful of reasons. During the chaos at the Pym Tech HQ near the end of Ant-Man, Martin Donovan’s scumbag Hydra double agent Mitchell Carson stole a vial of Pym Particles and escaped while being chewed up by ants. Carson had been after Hank Pym’s great creation since the late 1980s when the two worked together at S.H.I.E.LD. and he holds quite a grudge against the good Doctor Pym. Bringing back Donovan and allowing him to have his revenge on Pym would make for a great opening act and grant Michael Douglas‘ wish to let Hank die!
In the comics, Carson has some strong connections to Eric O’Grady, the third Ant-Man. Irredeemable could see Carson team up with O’Grady, another Pym Particle-Powered character, Erik Josten, and mutant loser Whirlwind to take his revenge on Hank and the Ant-Family. The three villains would nicely provide each of the film’s heroes with their own baddie. Scott and Josten, aka Atlas, could kaiju fight around San Francisco; O’Grady’s shady, stalker, perv vibes would put him at odds with Cassie; and Whirlwind, one of Janet van Dyne’s most persistent foes in the comics, could take on Hope. What would that leave for Janet? Revenge on Mitchell Carson who could even come complete with his mangled face as a result of the ant attack at the end of Ant-Man.
All parties involved have expressed interest in going “smaller” in Ant-Man 4 after taking on Kang and this might be the best bet to make that happen.
Ant-Man and The Wasp: Avengers Academy
It would have been awesome to see the Young Avengers come together in an Ant-Man film but since Ant-Man 4 isn’t likely to hit theaters until after Avengers: Secret Wars, those characters will probably assemble on screen before then. That doesn’t mean, however, that Scott Lang and Hope van Dyne can’t mentor a new generation of heroes!
While the Young Avengers were a group of powered people identified through Project Failsafe to be the next generation of heroes, Avengers Academy assembled a powered group of youngsters in hopes of keeping them from breaking bad. The Academy was led by Hank Pym, Tigra, Hawkeye, Jocasta, Quicksilver, Justice and Speedball with Pym and Tigra really at the forefront. It wouldn’t take a lot of imagination to revamp the roster of instructors and let Scott and Hope take the lead. The group could take on some of Ant-Man and The Wasp’s more proletariat rogues like Whirlwind or Kangaroo or Crossfire or take on something a little more awesome…like the Awesome Android and the Mad Thinker.
Ant-Man, The Wasp and The West Coast Avengers
Yes, the people involved in the Ant-Man franchise have expressed their desire for the fourth film to be a smaller film…but that doesn’t mean it can’t have a killer cast. The West Coast Avengers certainly seem to be headed to the MCU so why not let the fourth Ant-Man film be the place where the team assembles.
Give Scott Hank’s place on the team and assemble Hawkeye, Mockingbird (now that we know she’s in the MCU), Moon Knight, Wonder Man and introduce Tigra and let this be the dumb fun movie of the year. Let Hawkeye use Pym Particles and become Goliath. Put them up against the Grim Reaper (maybe he’ll be introduced in Wonder Man) or the Zodiac…in all their crazy glory. There are so many wild stories waiting to be told in the pages of the West Coast Avengers comics that one must be just right for Ant-Man 4!
Ant-Man and The Wasp: Vengeance
This pitch exists for one reason: to introduce Jack of Hearts to the MCU. The film would take on elements of the comics and combine them with Jack of Hearts origins to create an adventure worthy of the Ant-Family and one that would provide Scott with one of his great comic book not-quite-besties.
Hank Pym knows a lot of smart people, so introducing audiences to another one, Philip Hart, who has sovled the world’s energy crisis with his Zero Fuel wouldn’t be a stretch. When Hart’s invention is perfected and he’s ready to give it away, the criminal organization known as The Corporation steps in killing Philip and exposing his son, Jonathan, to the dangerous fuel and mutating him into the powerful–and dangerous–Jack of Hearts. Hank’s relationship with Philip could be enough to get him killed in the explosion, leaving Scott, Hope, Janet and Cassie on a quest for vengeance parallel with Jack’s. The Corporation is full of all types of terrible goons they could take on and the plot could, as comic book readers know, set the path to the end of Scott Lang’s time in the MCU as well.
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