Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Movies

  • BREAKING: First ‘Spider-Man’ Films Heading to Disney+ UK

    BREAKING: First ‘Spider-Man’ Films Heading to Disney+ UK

    The Marvel collection on Disney+ has been a highlight for many subscribers of the streaming service. An easy way to watch all entries of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and even explore some legacy titles from the 20th Century Fox era. Sadly, there were still some missing, most notably Sony’s iconic Spider-Man franchises. When rumblings hit the web about a deal with Sony to acquire their library, many wondered when it might finally come to fruition. It looks like the first steps have finally been reached.

    The deal initially saw that Netflix will acquire the Sony projects before they would move on to Disney+, which has a multi-year deal for post-day-1-releases. While there’s no confirmation yet for when they hit the United States, the official Disney+ UK account has announced that Spider-Man: Homecoming will join the service on June 17th.

    That is not all, as they have also confirmed that the original Sam Raimi Spider-Man and Spider-Man 2 will be added alongside The Amazing Spider-Man films. The noticeable absence of Spider-Man 3 hints that it’s still part of the Netflix deal and will likely follow at a later date.

    The same will also go for Spider-Man: Far From Home and eventually No Way Home. The latter might take a year or so once it releases on Netflix before it’ll become available on Disney+. Sony has been playing a strategic game in the market as instead of carrying the weight of an entire streaming service, they simply are using licensing deals to make a profit off of these current developments rather than risk losing any investment directly.

    With this release, we may see other Sony films get added to the service in the near future, and we’ll anxiously await the US release window as well. The fact we’re finally seeing the fruits of a deal that was made back in April of 2021 is an exciting prospect for the future of Disney+ and the streaming market.

    Source: Twitter

  • HBO Max Latin America Orders New ‘Batman Azteca’ Animated Film

    HBO Max Latin America Orders New ‘Batman Azteca’ Animated Film

    Here’s an interesting but exciting surprise, it looks like Batman is heading to Mexico in a new animated feature titled Batman Azteca: Choque De Imperios, which translates to Aztec Batman: Clash of Empires. It was a surprising reveal during the Guadalajara International Film Festival, as DC and Warner Bros. animation partner up with Anma and Chatrone. That’s not all, as we also got a first look at the new take on Batman featured in this HBO Max Original film.

    The animated film will explore a young boy named Yohualli Coatl. When his father, Toltecatzin, is killed by Spanish Conquistadors, his life is thrown into turmoil as he escapes to warn King Moctezuma of the incoming threat. Within the bat god’s temple, he trains alongside his mentor Acatzin and develops weaponry to take on the Spanish invasion to protect the Moctezuma temple and take vengeance for his father’s death.

    Harley Quinn‘s Juan Meza-León will direct the feature that’ll see José C. García de Letona Carina Schulze, Aaron D. Berger, and Fernando De Fuentes joining the project as producers. It’ll be produced in Mexico with a local team working on the project to also reflect the local art. They have also added Alejandro Díaz Barriga, who specializes in Mesoamerican studies and the ethnic history of Mexico and the Andean region. It’s a great idea and it would be fun to potentially see multiple different takes of Batman that are inspired by cultures from across the world.

    Source: Deadline

  • ‘Paddington’ is Heading to Peru in Third Installment, New Director Tackling Franchise

    ‘Paddington’ is Heading to Peru in Third Installment, New Director Tackling Franchise

    It looks like the long-awaited masterpiece of Paddington 3 has finally started getting some momentum. After the loveable bear shared tea with the Queen, it seems that his next adventure is going to see him heading out to Peru. Director Dougal Wilson will take on the task of the third entry in the franchise and continue the magic that was Paddington 2. Wilson shared the following statement in regard to the new project:

    It’s a massive responsibility, but all my efforts will be focussed on making a third film that honours the love so many people have for this very special bear.

    Dougal Wilson

    The film will be titled quite straightforward with Paddington in Peru. It will act as Wilson’s theatrical debut after he mainly focused his work on music videos and commercials. Paul King is sadly stepping down from his work on the franchise after directing the first two entries, as he’s busy with Timothee Chalamet‘s Wonka. However, he did share a statement on passing the torch.

    After ten years of working on the Paddington movies, I feel absurdly protective of the little bear, and I’m delighted that Dougal will be there to hold his paw as he embarks on his third big-screen adventure. Dougal’s work is never less than astounding: funny, beautiful, heartfelt, imaginative, and totally original. Aunt Lucy once asked us to ‘Please Look After This Bear.’ I know Dougal will do so admirably.

    Paul King

    Production is eyeing a start in 2023 with filming in London and Peru scheduled. It pretty much is a chance for the loveable bear to travel back home and wee may see the family of the bear and further explore what led to him finding his way to London’s Paddington station.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’s Gorr the God Butcher is One of the MCU’s “Most Sympathetic Villains”

    ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’s Gorr the God Butcher is One of the MCU’s “Most Sympathetic Villains”

    We’ve long been awaiting the arrival of Christian Bale‘s Gorr the God Butcher in Thor: Love and Thunder. The marketing has been holding back quite a bit with our first look of the villain only arriving in the second trailer. While his look is quite a departure from the comics, it does seem like Taika Waititi has put in a lot of love for the character. Not only did the villain seemingly “tested the highest” of any Marvel villains, which also includes some heavy-hitters like Thanos, but he describes Bale’s characters as one of “the most sympathetic villains they’ve had” so far as part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

    The director also highlighted that their work on Thor: Ragnarok seemingly has sparked the interest for Bale to venture into a comic book adaptation once more. It seems to have fun like they did bring the film to life was a big reason he wanted to give it a go, and Waititi‘s comedy definitely seems like it had a guiding hand for the actor’s venture into the MCU.

    What we did with Ragnarok made these movies appealing to other actors as well. Christian saw that and was like “I want to do something fun” and wanted to be part of this thing.

    Taika Waititi

    Not only giving the actor something fun to do but also offering the audience a sympathetic villain is definitely something that’ll still manage to leave a chill down their spine. We’ll see how the MCU continues to evolve and offer a fun playground for any actor interested in giving it a shot.

    Source: YouTube via Discussing Film, YouTube via Twitter

  • Former ‘Fast X’ Director to Adapt Sony’s Live-Action ‘One Punch Man’

    Former ‘Fast X’ Director to Adapt Sony’s Live-Action ‘One Punch Man’

    If you’ve been wondering if the live-action adaptation of One Punch Man is still happening, we just got the confirmation Now that Justin Lin’s schedule has opened up after leaving Fast X behind, he has seemingly jumped on his next project. The film is set to be written by Jumanji: The Next Level and Venom‘s duo Scott Rosenberg and Jeff Pinkner. They will develop the film for Sony Pictures, who acquired the rights from Shueisha and will see Avi Arad and Ari Arad in producing roles. Lin is also set to join as a producer and will help rewrite an earlier draft of the film.

    It looks like they aren’t going to waste much time on the project either, as they are planning to start production on the film by the end of the year. It’s unclear if they will stick to the Japanese aspects of the story which explores the story of Saitama in a world filled with superheroes, as he is cursed to be so powerful he can defeat anyone with a single punch.

    Originally, the series started off as a webcomic by artist ONE before it went viral and started publishing on Tonari no Young Jump Next with Yusuke Murata providing illustrations. With some iconic visuals and a hilarious base concept, Saitama’s story has become a sensation and even joined New York Times Manga Bestsellers list. the series was even nominated for a Harvey and Eisner Award, highlighting just how massive this project has become over the years.

    Source: Deadline

  • Taking a Look Back at How ‘The Batman’ Reinvented The Riddler

    Taking a Look Back at How ‘The Batman’ Reinvented The Riddler

    Batman has possibly one of the best rogues galleries in comic book history, featuring characters like the Joker, Poison Ivy, Penguin, Scarecrow, Mr. Freeze, Bane, and, of course, the Riddler. Many of these villains have been adapted to live-action, and some even got the special treatment on multiple occasions; especially the Joker. There often has been a criticism that the redundancy is dragging down the potential of

    Matt Reeves may have taken that to heart when he began developing his take on the Batman mythos. Riddler is a character that has seen a few adaptions, which include the 1966 Batman series with Frank Gorshin, Batman Forever with Jim Carrey, and Gotham with Cory Michael Smith. The Batman, however, features a Riddler that is a vast departure from those who came before with Paul Dano playing a sadistic and ominous version that at times felt like he was an actor on a horror movie who showed up on the wrong set.

    One of the very first things you learn to understand about this Riddler is the horror film angle of the reinvention. We first see the character when the light from the television illuminates the figure in the shadows, reminiscent of Michael Meyers from the Halloween franchise. After that Riddler devolves into a Saw-inspired agent of chaos, who uses intricate devices like a rat maze mask and a bomb collar to torture his victims.

    The most notable inspiration here is that this Riddler seems to be inspired by the Zodiac Killer, the notorious serial killer that terrorized the United States in the late 60s. He is sporting an extreme cold weather mask as well as a German military parka with simple question mark symbols painted onto it. At the scenes of his crimes leaving behind ciphers for the police and Batman to communicate with them. Along with the greeting cards left behind, the real-life Zodiac was known to have done something similar with ciphers that were sent to the press so they’d print his messages for the country to read.

    This Riddler believes in Batman’s crusade of vengeance and is, ironically, inspired by him. Riddler doesn’t see him and Batman as foes, he sees them as partners. They are two sides of the same coin that Batman doesn’t realize until it’s too late. He thinks he’s doing the hard part of the job, the line Batman won’t cross to truly cleanse the city of its corruption and bring vengeance onto those who’d taken part in the city’s criminal underworld. The little cards left behind at the scenes of the riddled murder were not meant to be hints, but progress updates that Edward Nashton leaves behind so that he can fill Batman in on how the plan is going. Riddler believes this Batman would be able to catch on quicker and be safe within Arkham as the city is cleansed of its sins.

  • Deadpool Should Be the MCU’s LGBTQ+ Icon

    Deadpool Should Be the MCU’s LGBTQ+ Icon

    Pride Month is in full swing, meaning people, organizations, and even companies are celebrating or showing support for LGBTQ+ persons across the globe. Marvel is certainly one of those companies, and the brand is eager to highlight its queer representation in its properties. Previously, we have taken a look back at one of Marvel Comics’ milestones. And while the comics certainly have more history to draw from, the Marvel Cinematic Universe notably lags in LGBTQ+ representation across its franchise.

    The MCU is absolutely gaining momentum here, with recent additions such as Phastos in Eternals and America Chavez in Doctor: Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. The franchise even promises more inclusion in the near future with characters like Valkyrie in Thor: Love and Thunder. As with any underrepresented group, there is always pushback from an unfortunate corner of the supposed fandom when any major (or minor) character is explicitly queer.

    While we can celebrate the progress the MCU has made and is continuing to make, there is room for the Disney-owned company to make a significant and bold statement in support of LGBTQ+ representation on screen. The MCU needs a strong queer icon, and there is no better choice than the Merc with a Mouth himself. Below are four major reasons why Deadpool should be MCU’s LGBTQ+ icon.

    Deadpool Has Long Been Established as LGBTQ+

    Important to any conversation about queer representation is an understanding of the character themselves. In Deadpool’s case, there is no question that Wade Wilson is an out member of the LGBTQ+ community. The comics antihero was first confirmed as pansexual by writer Gerry Duggan, though the terminology to describe Deadpool’s sexuality has fittingly been in flux—the character’s co-creator Fabian Nicieza emphasized this back in 2015.

    Deadpool has become well-known as a pansexual symbol for many, including Fox-universe Deadpool director Tim Miller, who previously expressed his support for showcasing Deadpool’s sexuality in the movie franchise. While the character clearly has a female love interest in the live-action franchise, any viewer simply has to pay attention to Deadpool and Deadpool 2’s dialogue to know that the character’s interests go beyond the opposite sex.

    In any event, the fact that Deadpool is already a well-known queer character in the comics and has the support of many of the films’ creators, including actor Ryan Reynolds (see below), to bring that aspect of the hero into live-action is a perfect starting point for the character to further embrace that when he makes his MCU debut.

    Deadpool Is High-Profile

    When any franchise begins to embrace and increase diversity among its characters, those characters tend to often get assigned more minor roles. It does not take rocket science to understand why, but it is another reason why the MCU should wholeheartedly embrace Deadpool as LGBTQ+. Of course, the more prominent a queer character is, the more backlash they will receive. But frankly, Deadpool is already beloved across wide demographics. While he has not made his MCU debut yet, the character is established in the greater Marvel film universe, so opinions of the super-powered mercenary have already been formed. If Deadpool were to act as one of the leading LGBTQ+ characters of the MCU, it would give the character a huge platform for representation that other characters simply do not have yet.

    Deadpool’s Fan Base Spans a Wide Demographic

    It goes without saying that LGBTQ+ people—and fictional characters by extension—are subject to a wide range of stereotypes and discrimination based solely on their sexual orientation or gender identity. Certain segments of the population, including MCU fans, support queer inclusion less than others. When new LGBTQ+ characters are introduced, it is quite easy for those people to immediately be hostile toward the idea that a single character in a movie may make them uncomfortable. For example, both Phastos and America Chavez were queer characters of color, which led to hatred and accusations of “wokeness” long before their respective films were ever released.

    Make no mistake, all LGBTQ+ characters—including women, trans, and those of color—should be fully supported by the MCU, Disney, and the vast majority of fans who have no issue with characters reflecting the real world. But in an age where the ignorant backlash is so common, Deadpool is a character that, for several reasons, has the advantage to cut through much of that in the MCU. That can be a win for the character, but it should be recognized that it could help pave the way for other queer characters.

    Deadpool is well known for being vulgar and hyperviolent among plenty of other traits. He is loved for his mature themes as well as his basic charisma and humor. The character is a hit across nearly all adult and teen demographics, and that includes demographics that may otherwise not be so supportive of LGBTQ+ representation. If the MCU’s Deadpool 3, for example, made the hero’s sexuality explicit and left no room for audiences to argue whether or not he is queer, Deadpool then becomes a symbol or icon for LGBTQ+ people across the board. In addition, it may force certain groups of people to question their assumptions and biases if one of their favorite characters also happens to not be straight.

    Deadpool’s LGBTQ+ Identity Has Ryan Reynolds’ Support

    There is no dancing around the fact that actor Ryan Reynolds, the epitome of Deadpool, is well-loved and respected in the entertainment community generally as well as for his embodiment of Wade Wilson. Reynolds has several times made it clear that he would love for the Deadpool franchise to explore Deadpool’s pansexuality, and very much wants Marvel to let the character be explicitly queer in the future. Deadpool 3 will actually be Marvel Studios’ first non-Spider-Man co-production, with Reynolds’ Maximum Effort Productions also in the producer’s role. While Reynolds will not have unilateral control over the character’s future, he undoubtedly has a lot. With the support of someone as powerful as the actor/producer/businessman is, though, the amount to which MCU could push the envelope with Deadpool’s LGBTQ+ identity could be significantly increased.

    In conclusion, no one character is the perfect icon for an entire group, including the LGBTQ+ community, nor should they be. Queer MCU fans, and queer people in general, deserve to have major franchises better represent them and better represent reality. If the MCU were to fully embrace Deadpool’s LGBTQ+ identity, whether it is explicitly pansexual or described/defined in some other way, it could be one of the strongest moves Marvel Studios could make in terms of supporting the diversity of their characters and audiences.

    The character is already well-known to be queer; the Deadpool franchise creators, producers, and actors strongly support the move; and the character’s more formal cinematic coming out would have a ripple effect through numerous groups and demographics that would almost certainly strengthen the general MCU fanbase’s support, acceptance, and love for LGBTQ+ characters.

  • Title for ‘Knives Out’ Sequel Officially Announced

    Title for ‘Knives Out’ Sequel Officially Announced

    Official news has begun to arrive for the upcoming Knives Out sequel, which will be releasing exclusively on Netflix. In a thread of tweets from director Rian Johnson, the full title for the film has been revealed as Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery. The tweet also confirms a “holiday season” release for the highly anticipated sequel. Netflix officially made the purchase for the sequel film rights in 2021 for $469 million dollars. This includes Glass Onion and an additional film in the Knives Out franchise down the road.

    Daniel Craig is set to reprise his role of detective Benoit Blanc and will be joined by all new all-star cast likely full of prospective suspects. Edward Norton, Janelle Monae, Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr, Jessica Henwick, Madelyn Cline, Kate Hudson, and Dave Bautista fill out the ensemble for the sequel. Not much is currently known about the plot, nor the nature of its mystery; however, in his Twitter thread, Johnson discussed how Agatha Christie mysteries served as an inspiration, specifically her ability to provide great variance in the types of mystery stories she told. This is certainly interesting as it means the original film might not provide much of a sense of what to expect from Glass Onion. Set photos showed the film will be at least partially set in the Mediterranean so that at least will greatly differ from the chilled New England autumn aesthetic of Knives Out filled with the sweaters of Chris Evans. It will certainly be interesting to learn more information on what is in store for Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery in the coming months heading towards its release later this year.

  • ‘Across the Spider-Verse’ Footage Description Reveals New Cast, Plot Details

    ‘Across the Spider-Verse’ Footage Description Reveals New Cast, Plot Details

    After what feels like a lifetime of waiting, fans are finally getting more news on Sony Animation’s Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. The animated sequel to 2018’s surprise hit held a presentation at the annual Annecy Festival, where a series of new clips revealed a few more famous faces will be joining the film’s cast. Jason Schwartzman was formally announced as the main villain of the project, voicing lesser-known baddie The Spot in another inter-dimensional conflict for Miles Morales. On top of this, a few other classic Spider-Man characters were confirmed to be making appearances in his latest cinematic outing.

    The first clip played by Sony took place in the world of Hailee Steinfeld‘s Spider-Gwen. Her universe is described as being beautiful, designed with watercolors, paper textures, and layered brush strokes. There, we finally see Gwen’s father, the revered police Captain George Stacy, responding to a disturbance at the Guggenheim Museum in New York City. The elder Stacy will be voiced by veteran actor Shea Whigham. However, Gwen beats her pops to the scene, where she bumps into a couple surprise guests.

    Two other Spider-People are already there, in the form of previously announced cast members Oscar Isaac and Issa Rae. The former’s Spider-Man 2099 is described as not having spider-sense or natural powers, and instead relies on a heavily technological suit. He has claws for climbing, super strength, a flying wing suit, and “a giant laser web.” Rae‘s Spider-Woman, on the other hand, is called “a certified badass.” Jessica Drew is also shown to be pregnant, confirming the movie will lift an element from Dennis Hopeless‘ recent comic book run on the character.

    Also there is an “anachronistic” version of The Vulture, voiced by Jorma Taccone. It’s implied this Vulture is from a separate timeline, though not specified which. This will be the third character played by Taccone in the franchise, after giving life to the Green Goblin and Spider-Man ’67 in the first entry. Another brief clip played after this features Miles running late for a meeting with his parents and his school counselor, set to be played by the incomparable Rachel Dratch. Unfortunately, his day is ruined when the aforementioned Spot shows up to throw a wrench in all of reality.

    More will be revealed when Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse hits theaters on June 2nd, 2023.

    Source: Twitter

  • How ‘Thunderbolts’ Could Setup MCU’s ‘Dark Reign’

    How ‘Thunderbolts’ Could Setup MCU’s ‘Dark Reign’

    With the official announcement of a Thunderbolts film in the upcoming film slate of Marvel Studios, many have begun to theorize how both the film and the team will fit into the developing landscape of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Though after some time reflecting on the news, it seems possible that Thunderbolts will not simply just “fit into” the landscape of the MCU, but rather become a critical lynchpin for the narrative direction of many franchises within the shared universe.

    From my perspective, Thunderbolts will be the coup de grace in ushering in an interpretation of the comic-inspired Dark Reign storyline to the film version of Earth-616. In this piece, I will be mapping out the road that hypothetically leads to the formation of this massive status quo change, how the team can function in the midst, and the catalyst of their downfall.

    Origins

    This part of the MCU storyline is the easiest to trace as it has already begun. Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ Valentina Allegra de Fontaine has very much been positioned to become the figurehead of this new arc. This is especially the case with the passing of Thaddeus Ross’ actor William Hurt and the impossibility to have Norman Osborn exist outside the Spider-Man bubble of the MCU. As seen in Black Widow and The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, Val is in the midst of forming partnerships with characters that have morally gray allegiances in Yelena Belova, John Walker, and (potentially) Helmut Zemo. Logic greatly dictates that these are the first steps towards the formation of the Thunderbolts team, and is seemingly all but confirmed with the film announcement earlier this week. 

    Audiences should absolutely expect to see Louis-Dreyfus back in the numerous Marvel Studios projects throughout 2022. Ms. Marvel, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and especially She-Hulk (a superhero legal-based series that is bound to have ample amounts of morally gray characters) feel like natural points for where Val could show up next. One specific concept in my mind is Julia Louis-Dreyfus making a surprise appearance in a Thor: Love and Thunder post-credit scene to recruit a scorned Ares after the decimation of Olympus at the hands of Christian Bale’s Gorr the God Butcher. While Val can certainly be involved in recruiting more characters beyond 2022, there needs to be a turning point for this storyline at some point and there is a natural point at which this can occur.

    The Catalyst

    The MCU has often made major alterations to their interpretations of comic storylines but ultimately kept similar ramifications to the future of their stories. With that in mind, Marvel Studios has the perfect opportunity to use the upcoming Secret Invasion as a means to launch their version of a Dark Reign like the comics. No matter what direction Marvel takes with this series, it would be a logical decision for it to end with Val and her fully actualized team of “approved” heroes taking the place of Norman Osborn in the comics and being the ones who very publicly eradicate the threat of Skrulls.

    This event can serve a two-fold purpose for the immediate future of the MCU. Firstly, Secret Invasion could very well be seen as the last straw for the world as its citizens have had to deal with growing dangerous threats to their lives since “The Blip” and have officially turned on the superheroes that have saved them many times before on a large-scale level. Secondly, people within positions of power would only trust and allow the government-sanctioned Thunderbolts team to regulate the issues that arise on Earth.

    The Dark Reign

    And from there, the MCU version of the Dark Reign can commence and could play a major role in a large swath of future projects. The Thunderbolts team can and should be present in different forms in essentially any project-based predominantly on Earth. For instance, the Thunderbolts should be the main opposition for the Hulk(s) on Earth within the World War Hulk film rumored to be in development (assuming it takes those cues from the comic event).

    As well, they should serve as a foil for whatever political espionage mission Anthony Mackie’s upcoming Captain America film. Essentially, the new status quo for pure heroes post-Secret Invasion should be dealing with their ostracization from societal acceptance and working towards proving the trust they should deserve from the general public. 

    Another angle I would further develop in this Dark Reign is the bureaucratic mission to prevent young heroes from becoming active in the world as has been developed in the likes Spider-Man: No Way Home and Ms. Marvel. This would set the stage for the Young Avengers to form as a counter-response towards the world generally losing faith in the Avengers team that has been instrumental in saving the world numerous times.

    Meanwhile, the Thunderbolts film can serve as an exploration of the core team of reformed villains as they deal with the very public spotlight attached to them and how they react to it. Some fully buy into the Kool-Aid of their role as heroes, while others grow skeptical that what they’re doing is actually the “right thing”. There is certainly lots of room to play with this type of social commentary through the lens of bombastic superhero action within the MCU, both in the film itself and in the duration of this phase of the MCU.

    Endtimes

    However, this storyline won’t last forever as the status quo and much like the comics, a new Heroic Age can rise in its aftermath. In terms of how Marvel Studios should sunset Dark Reign, I would use the formation of a new official Avengers team and film (not to be confused with the Young Avengers) as the means to end this phase. Specifically, the Siege comic storyline should be adapted with Val completely breaking bad and using her influence and team to begin an attempted conquest of places that serve as “threats” to the safety of the rest of the world (i.e. New Asgard, Wakanda, and Ta Lo).

    At this point, the world needs the Avengers and their reuniting with a fresh line-up could serve as a massive event that would be satisfying both emotionally and commercially. From there, the stage can be set with an Avengers team leading the charge in whatever the endgame of the multiverse saga will be within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. As well, the Thunderbolts team could still exist within the framework of the MCU as a place for villains and anti-heroes looking to reform their image, but this time without the baggage of being a front for Valentina’s nefarious scheme.

    In addition, the idea of a prejudiced world against super-powered individuals can still ruminate beyond the end of Dark Reign and into the introduction of mutants in the not-too-distant future. Ultimately though, no matter what specific direction they take when it comes to Thunderbolts and its surrounding future projects, the stage is set for Marvel Studios to transition its universe into a new long-term dynamic that can be as defining as the Infinity Saga.