Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: The Falcon and The Winter Soldier

  • What I Heard This Week: Marvel Studios Disney Plus Production Update

    If you’re a part of the tl:dr crowd, this probably isn’t for you.

    Over the past 5 months, Marvel Studios has begun production on 3 series set to stream on Disney Plus. The production schedules themselves have been in flux and we’ve even seen a shift in the release date of one show as WandaVision moved from its original 2021 debut to late 2020. What I think we are witnessing here is Marvel Studios learning on the fly. While they’ve produced a couple dozen films, these series are an entirely different animal and the studio has been learning and evolving while responding to all sorts of different issues (weather, natural disasters, leaked locations and more).

    The Falcon and The Winter Soldier kicked off production in Atlanta at the end of October. That production was loudly announced via a social media blitz from stars Sebastian Stan and Anthony Mackie. This production has been very public, even throughout the last week, yet the general public has no idea the number of surprises in store for them (even if I did scoop Madripoor when they didn’t want me to).

    WandaVision was widely reported to begin filming in September in Los Angeles. However, as I reported in September (the site wasn’t up and running yet, so I just tweeted out the info), neither of those things were correct. As seen in the documentation below, production kicked off in early November in Atlanta.

    In early December, I used similar documentation (seen below) to inform fans that production on Loki was set to begin in early February. Just about a month later, I learned that Marvel Studios was slightly accelerating the start of production for Loki (which we later learned was so they could have the brief footage for the Super Bowl spot). That report was met with a great deal of skepticism; I was even told publicly on my Twitter feed by a Marvel Studios crew member that I was wrong because he was told Loki wouldn’t start until “closer to summer.”

    I think this is an important lesson here. I believe that the crew member was told that. I believe he believed that. I also believe that at any given time only about 5% of the people involved with a production (that includes the cast as well) actually knows the entirely of “what’s going on.” Obviously cameras rolled on Loki; we all saw the proof with our own eyes.

    As 2019 came to a close, I learned that The Falcon and The Winter Soldier was set to film in Puerto Rico after the holiday break. As we know, filming in Puerto Rico was delayed and then abandoned after the island was ravaged by earthquakes. As filming in Atlanta is reaching its end, we’ll see just where the show lands next…

    The new year brought more changes to production. Ms. Marvel, once slated for an April start, was seemingly moved to August as the studio reopened casting. Then I learned that production on Hawkeye (originally planned for an April start before being pushed to July), was indefinitely delayed. Recently, I updated that original report to indicate that the studio has tentatively targeted (pun most definitely intended) September for a start of production, turning the indefinite delay into a defined one: start of production was pushed back another 2 months. I know this is a really big topic of debate, so as I did with WandaVision and Loki, I’m sharing the recently updated documentation for Hawkeye, which is filming under Finger Guns Productions, LLC.

    Way back in October of 2020, I tried really hard to hint to everyone that Finger Guns Productions LLC was the company for Hawkeye:

    Quite a few people believed, and some still may, that it was the production company for Deadpool 3, but as you can see it is clearly marked as a Disney Plus production. Further evidence which has been redacted also indicates that it is Hawkeye. So, as of late yesterday, production on Hawkeye is set to kick off in Atlanta on September 28, 2020. Before people start jumping to the conclusion that this means Hawkeye will miss its Fall 2021 premiere date (something that was widely reported due to poor reporting on the original story), we should take cues from the two longest running productions: The Falcon and The Winter Soldier and WandaVision. As I mentioned, Marvel Studios has been learning and evolving and one lesson I believe they have learned is that they have MORE time than they originally believed to get these shows done. Despite delays of every kind, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier is on track to meet its August release date and WandaVision is on track to arrive several months earlier than originally intended. So, if Hawkeye does in fact begin in September of 2020, we could reasonably expect it to air anytime between July and Decemeber of 2021. With that lesson in mind, here’s a little more breaking news…

    Not too long ago I learned that She-Hulk was looking at kicking off production in Atlanta in July. A recent report from the Illuminerdi indicated that it would instead kick off in August. As of yesterday, neither of those things are still true. She-Hulk, under Thine Selves Productions LLC, is now looking to get the cameras rolling in mid-November of this year. If we are to use WandaVision as an example, that means we could very well see She-Hulk streaming on Disney Plus in December of 2021.

    Finally, it was recently reported that Moon Knight will film in Atlanta in November. I can confirm that this is accurate. What I can add to that is that Moon Knight, under Spectorcorp Productions, is still planning to go to the UK. As I originally stated, it is HIGHLY LIKELY that the reason they are heading to the UK is to use it as a base from which they can easily access some more exotic locations (think deserts) that are often used for filming.

    The constant here is change. Even as I type this, I’m confident that within a month, something here will change. That doesn’t stop me from continuing to look, rather it’s what keeps me going.

  • What I Heard This Week: ‘THE FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLDIER’ Doing Rewrites Due to Pandemic

    Every now and then I come across some information the veracity of which can be confirmed by a second source. What happens FAR more often is that I come across some information that while believable and from trustworthy sources, cannot be confirmed by other sources for various reasons. Typically, when the second scenario occurs, I move on and forget about the information unless, in rare instances, it turns out to be proven true somewhere down the road. For instance, on February 19th, I wrote this piece relaying some rumors I’d heard about Marvel Studios updating its Disney Plus slate; the next day, the news broke that a special Disney Plus event would be held in London on March 5th where it is expected that Marvel Studios and Star Wars slates will be updated.

    Image result for marvel madbomb

    A thing I heard this week: The extended shooting schedule of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier in Atlanta might be due to some rewrites of the plot and it all might just have happened because of the coronavirus.

    In a potentially disturbing case or art imitating life, the plot of the upcoming Disney Plus series may have been altered as the coronavirus has continued to spread through the world and approaches being considered a pandemic. As many of you know, the production company for The Falcon and The Winter Soldier is Pandemic Productions LLC. The earliest of plot “leaks”, speculation and made up stuff all shared a common thread: some sort of of device unleashing a pandemic on the populace. In some cases, it was the Madbomb; in others, it was a terrorist group unleashing a bioweapon. Whichever one you liked best, the rumors were certainly out there that the show was set to feature something of the sort.

    Over the past two weeks, I’ve head a growing number of whispers that this is no longer the case. The coronavirus has already taken the lives of nearly 3,000 people worldwide, is causing long-term shut downs of schools and businesses and is wreaking havoc on the global economy. By the time The Falcon and The Winter Soldier streams in August, it is likely that the disease will have met the criterion to be considered a true pandemic (the last global pandemic was the H1N1 virus which killed as few as 151,000 and as many as 575,000 people worldwide, according to the CDC). From what I’ve been hearing, Disney may be proactively trying to get ahead of what could be a potential disaster for the studio by rewriting and, as a result, reshooting parts of the series, with a heavy emphasis on the seasons first couple of episodes.

    If any of these whispers are true or not is going to be really hard to prove. I don’t find it terribly likely that Disney is going to give an official press release that says something like, “We were going to do this, but did this instead because of this real world tragedy.” However, if it is true, it gives some insight into the types of behind the scenes decisions that have to be made at studios and how, as I am so fond of saying…things change all the time! If this is accurate, it’s obviously a show of empathy from the world’s largest media marketer. Given Disney’s strong relationship and presence in China, ground zero for the virus and the place where its terrible toll has had the largest impact, and with Disney set to launch its service to the rest of Europe where the virus is currently spreading rapidly, its not hard to believe these rumors. Taking into consideration the widespread panic that exists now and will continue to grow throughout the next several months and choosing not to add to it by changing the plot of its upcoming series, the one that will launch Marvel Studios streaming presence, is a bold, yet humanitarian move.

  • What I Heard This Week: Marvel Studios Disney Plus Slate

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

    Image result for marvel studios disney plus

    A thing I heard this week: Marvel Studios will publicly address their upcoming Disney Plus slate in the very near future.

    In July, Kevin Feige gave fans our first look at the Phase 4 slate and it had a heavy dose of Disney Plus shows with seasonal release dates. Just about one month later, The One-Above-All surprised us when he revealed 3 additional shows were headed to the streaming service, though no rough dates were given. It looks like what we saw in July is the equivalent of a rough draft. We’ve already seen the release date of WandaVision from Spring of 2021 to December of 2020 (I’m still buzzing about that great news!) and we have seen plenty of information that indicates the 3 shows revealed at D23 (Ms. Marvel, She-Hulk and Moon Knight) are all going into production in 2020 and, as of now, all of them are starting BEFORE Hawkeye. The bottom line here is that things have clearly changed behind the scenes since Feige’s presentations this past summer.

    Marvel Studios knows that fans are very curious about the upcoming Disney Plus slate. They know fans want content soon and they know that there have been all kinds of rumors and facts going around that have made them question what they’re getting and when. Additionally, the core creative team at Marvel Studios has been meeting quite a bit over the past several months and have busily been setting the course for their properties in 2021 and beyond. With that now behind them, I am told they are ready to begin making some announcements and they will begin by giving an updated slate of their Disney Plus offerings. Unfortunately (and I know this is going to cause disbelief and hatred), I was given neither a specific date nor a format for this update, only to expect it “in the next few weeks.”

    Personally, I find this to be exciting news. There have been so many different things going on with production dates and rumors that it’ll be refreshing to get some official word. As to what to expect, as I said, I have no idea, but it seems like a nice little video similar to what they debuted during the Super Bowl would do the trick. A sequel to Expanding the Universe, if you will, that is maybe 4-5 minutes long, gives some shots of the shows that are in production and an updated idea of when the shows will release. For me, that would hit the Goldilocks range of “just right.”

    As to what to expect from the future of Marvel Studios feature films, I can tell you that I am much more confident in the 2022 slate and that, if Marvel Studios is feeling nice, you might find out more about that and the 2023 slate soon as well, though I was told there was no guarantee the film slate would be updated with the TV slate. Even so, given that Marvel Studios has firmed up their upcoming slate, you can be sure it’ll start to leak out (it already has beginning with the Captain Marvel 2 news) and we’ll all be able to piece it together soon!

  • Connecting Imaginary Dots: ‘THE FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLDIER’ Might Introduce Isaiah Bradley to the MCU

    If you’ve never read an installment of Connecting Imaginary Dots, allow me to explain the idea. Connecting Imaginary Dots was the title I came up with for my speculation pieces when I was writing at MCU Exchange. These types of pieces basically allow me to unload a bunch of junk that’s circulating in my brain in a way that should never be confused for things I actually expect to happen. I basically take a bunch of facts that are almost always entirely unrelated and do my best to connect the dots with by stretching my imagination. In the past these types of pieces have resulted in me theorizing that the Spider-Man sequel which became Far From Home might end up being a team-up outing of Spidey and Hulk in the Savage Land;however, I also wrote one theorizing that Sterling K. Brown would be playing the father of Erik Killmonger in Black Panther LOOOOOONG before anyone else was considering it and one in which I theorized that Annette Bening was actually Mar-Vell when everyone else still thought Jude Law was playing the character. The bottom line is this: these are fun spec pieces that allow me to just be a fan. With that out of the way…

    A recent update to IMDB (which I am well aware can be unreliable) produced some information that, if true, could be considered incredibly interesting. The update indicated that actor Olli Haaskivi had joined the upcoming Disney Plus series The Falcon and The Winter Soldier as Dr. Wilfred Nagel.

    If you find yourself asking who Dr. Wilfred Nagel is and why he might matter, don’t feel bad because he’s certainly not a popular character and not one that has accumulated a lot of appearances. First appearing in the 2003 limited series, Truth: Red, White and Black, he is however notable for one incredibly important thing: in an attempt to carry on the work of Project: Rebirth begun by Dr. Abraham Erskine, Nagel, under the alias Josef Reinstein, experimented on a group of 300 African-America soldiers, including one by the name of Isaiah Bradley.

    Bradley, the only soldier to survive the trials, takes a Captain America costume and goes on a one man mission against the Nazis. The mission, unfortunately, fails and Bradley is captured and experimented on by the Nazis as they try to reverse engineer the new batch of Super Soldier serum. Though freed from his captors, Bradley is court-martialed and imprisoned for nearly 20 years before being pardoned. The legend of Bradley, the “Black Captain America”, however, had taken root in the Marvel Comics Universe and Bradley became well-known and respected in the African-American community.

    Upon meeting Bradley, whose physical and mental states had deteriorated significantly, Steve Rogers began to learn more about Project: Rebirth.

    If we are seeing Nagel, it seems very likely that he’s either there for the same reason he was introduced in the comics OR they’ve greatly altered his story and the MCU version will be responsible for production of the Super Soldier serum used by John Walker.

    Here’s to hoping it’s the former. As fans know, if we get to meet Isaiah Bradley, his grandson Elijah might not be too far behind. And that’s another Young Avenger and…well, that’s another story.

  • Noah Mills Joins Marvel Studios Disney Plus Series ‘THE FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLDIER’

    Actor Noah Mills (The Enemy Within, The Brave) has joined Marvel Studios upcoming live-action series The Falcon and The Winter Soldier in an undisclosed role.

    Image result for noah mills"

    Mills, who was seen on set recently, joins Desmond Chiam and Miki Ishikawa as members of the cast whose roles have yet to be revealed. The series seems to have taken quite a bit of inspiration from Mark Gruenwald’s epic 80’s run on Captain America that introduced characters such as John Walker, Lemar Hoskins, Rachel Leighton, Crossbones and more to Cap’s roster of supporting characters.

    The Falcon and The Winter Soldier is filming now and is expected to stream on Disney Plus this Fall.

  • First Look at Wyatt Russell’s John Walker as Captain America in ‘THE FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLDIER’

    Production on Marvel Studios first Disney Plus series, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, is back in full swing following the holiday break and recent set photos have given us our first look at Wyatt Russell’s John Walker in costume as Captain America.

    The photos, which can be seen over at Page Six, appear to show Russell being introduced as Captain America to a crowd of fans.

    Marvel Studios The Falcon and The Winter Solider is now in production and scheduled to air on Disney Plus this Fall.

  • Connecting Imaginary Dots: Miki Ishikawa Will Play Jolt in ‘THE FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLDIER’

    If you’ve never read an installment of Connecting Imaginary Dots, allow me to explain the idea. Connecting Imaginary Dots was the title I came up with for my speculation pieces when I was writing at MCU Exchange. These types of pieces basically allow me to unload a bunch of junk that’s circulating in my brain in a way that should never be confused for things I actually expect to happen. I basically take a bunch of facts that are almost always entirely unrelated and do my best to connect the dots with by stretching my imagination. In the past these types of pieces have resulted in me theorizing that the Spider-Man sequel which became Far From Home might end up being a team-up outing of Spidey and Hulk in the Savage Land;however, I also wrote one theorizing that Sterling K. Brown would be playing the father of Erik Killmonger in Black Panther LOOOOOONG before anyone else was considering it and one in which I theorized that Annette Bening was actually Mar-Vell when everyone else still thought Jude Law was playing the character. The bottom line is this: these are fun spec pieces that allow me to just be a fan. With that out of the way…

    Back in December, actress Miki Ishikawa and actor Desmond Chiam were added to the cast of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier. While Chiam has been photographed on set on more than one occasion, there has been no sign of Ishikawa so far. Though she has not been on set, she has been putting herself through the paces of a rigorous regimen of exercise, the kind of routine that one might associate with becoming a superhero.

    I have long believed that Marvel Studios has been working to set up some version of the Thunderbolts and I have often theorized how The Falcon and The Winter Soldier might be just the place to introduce the team. The present day of the MCU is a time without heroes. With the Avengers gone, the time is right for Thaddeus Ross to bring in his own team that he controls. I’m a big believer that the Thunderbolts are coming, so when Ishikawa was cast, I quickly jumped to the possibility of her playing one of the OG Thunderbolts: Jolt.

    First introduced in 1997’s Thunderbolts #1, Hallie Takahama, aka Jolt, is one of the first members to be added to the Thunderbolts initial roster. Following experimentation by Arnim Zola, Jolt became attuned to her body’s bioelectric field to the extent that she could both weaponize it and use it to move incredibly fast.

    As I stated earlier, when Ishikawa was cast, there was no evidence to support that she would actually play Jolt, so my guess was just a guess and, most likely, driven by my desire to see the Thunderbolts enter the MCU. But then yesterday, Ishikawa posted some pictures of her newest tattoos and one of them REALLY stood out to me:

    That tiny little lightning bolt on her wrist looks exactly like the kind of tattoo one might get if she had been cast as a Thunderbolt (the team logo is a lightning bolt) and, perhaps more specifically as Jolt! Adding more fuel to the fire was a now deleted comment from a user saying “Can’t wait to see you as Jolt in the MCU!”, a comment that Ishikawa liked before it disappeared.

    Connecting these dots really makes it seem like Jolt is a real possibility for Ishikawa’s mystery role and, if that’s the case, the Thunderbolts cannot be far behind!

  • ‘THE FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLIDER’ May Have Added Actress Julie Zhan to Its Cast

    Filming for Marvel Studios Disney Plus series The Falcon and The Winter Soldier has resumed following the holiday break and it’s possible that actress Julie Zhan (NCIS: Los Angeles) has joined the cast.

    Twitter user (and Murphy’s Multiverse super sleuth) @FWSupdates noticed that Zhan’s Instagram held some clues that could indicate the actress has joined the production in Atlanta.

    https://twitter.com/FWSupdates/status/1215277063013314560?s=20
    https://twitter.com/FWSupdates/status/1215277171515777026?s=20

    At this point I was unable to confirm Zhan joining the cast and, unless a set photo or an official announcement from Disney is forthcoming I won’t be able to, but I thought I’d present the opportunity for you all to see the videos, strike up a conversation and think for yourselves.

  • ‘THE FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLDIER’ May Go to Madripoor

    A few weeks ago, I published some set photos a few weeks ago and indicated that they contained a spoiler. Today, thanks to Twitter user Luke Hatcher, it seems the secret is out. A portion of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier will take place on the fictional island of Madripoor!

    A closer look at the red symbol on the wall shows that it is the same dumb featured on the flag of Madripoor.

    Just what our heroes and Baron Zemo are doing there remains to be seen, but its history in the comics of being a haven for criminals, especially Hydra, makes it extremely interesting!

    Madripoor has featured heavily in the X-Men comics and, in particular, Wolverines history.

  • EXCLUSIVE: ‘THE FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLDIER’ to Resume Production in a Caribbean Paradise

    After filming in and around Atlanta, Georgia for the past several months, production on Marvel Studios Disney Plus series, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, is set to move to a bit more “exotic” location when filming revs back up after the holiday break. When filming resumes after the holiday break, it will be in the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico!

    Image result for beautiful puerto rico

    While work has begun on a film district in Puerto Rico, it is not expected to be complete until next Summer; however, films such as Bad Boys 2 and Fast Five and Captain America: Civil War have filmed on the island before.

    The studio has filed paperwork to shoot there under Pandemic Productions PR LLC.