Tag: The Marvels

  • Deep Thoughts: Hypothetical Marvel Studios 2023 Release Calendar, V3

    Deep Thoughts: Hypothetical Marvel Studios 2023 Release Calendar, V3

    The future slate of Marvel Studios is more fluid now than it’s ever been. With the industry STILL being impacted by COVID to some degree, a backlog of projects that could be shuffled in and out of any date at any time, and the interesting lack of a 2022 press preview kit from Disney, fans are left frivolously hypothesize, predict and speculate when to expect their most anticipated MCU projects. And we’re here to help you with your favorite addiction. This isn’t our first attempt to pin down 2023’s projects; you can check out V1 here and V2 here to compare notes.

    As much as everybody wants to see the Samuel L. Jackson/Nicky Fury-led Secret Invasion, the 2022 schedule seems to be complete without it. While we still don’t know very much about the plot of either Secret Invasion or The Marvels, it does seem like the two could share some sort of narrative bridge that would be well-served by them debuting relatively close to one another.

    By the time The Marvels hits theaters, it will have been in the can for nearly a year and a half. That’s part of the backlog of projects created by the pandemic, which really changed the well-established production paradigm that Marvel Studios had followed for well over a decade. That means a lot of time to breathe for the characters in between appearances which creates a lot of anticipation…and you know Marvel Studios likes that.

    After a little bit of a delay to the start of its production, Echo looks like it’ll be up and running in Georgia in April of 2022 and permits have been filed around Atlanta for the month of May. Given the “grounded” nature of Maya and the types of characters being cast in supporting roles, it doesn’t sound like this one is going to be a VFX showcase, so it should be ready to stream on Disney Plus in March of 2023. Of course, the question on fans’ minds is how much will Daredevil and Kingpin be involved and how might this series dovetail into the Daredevil solo project in development at Marvel Studios. Here’s to hoping Maya remains the focus of this series as there’s plenty of room for Daredevil to explore on his own.

    At some point in the first half of 2023, Ahsoka, a highly-anticipated, live-action Star Wars streaming series, will hit Disney Plus. We now know that Disney Plus is not opposed to streaming live-action Star Wars and Marvel Studios’ projects simultaneously, but if Ahsoka rolls out sometime in early May, X-Men ’97, which is on track for a 2023 release, could stream concurrently with that and fill the Marvel Studios streaming void until June, leaving some live-action stuff for later in the year.

    James Gunn’s third Guardians’ film might well be his last Marvel Studios’ project. By the time this comes out, it’ll have been over a decade since Gunn started work on Guardians of the Galaxy and as we’ve seen through his recent work on The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker, he’s really on top of his game. This one sounds like it’ll be something really special and emotional, with Gunn saying goodbye not only to Marvel but to some characters he’s really grown to love.

    With the production of Season 2 of Loki on track to begin in June of 2022, it should be ready to roll out in June of 2023. While it isn’t clear whether or not Secret Invasion provides a direct runway to the events of The Marvels, it seems VERY clear that Loki Season 2 and Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania share a narrative canvas and that the former can easily hand off a storyline to the latter.

    2023 could end up being the Summer of Kang. Jonathan Majors thrilled audiences with a tease of what to expect when the character returns, and it looks like when he does it’ll be a much heavier dose. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania will feature some version(s) of the character fresh off of what’s expected to be a major role in Season 2 of Loki. Of course, Kang’s not the only villain fans can look forward to, as M.O.D.O.K. is also reportedly making his live-action debut, played by Corey Stoll. Should the schedule fall this way, it would represent a great example of the type of synergy Marvel Studios can pull off thanks to a parent company that has its own streaming service and total control over the release schedule.

    While a lot of fans are expecting this to be tied into Armor Wars, all the early evidence suggests it is essentially a follow-up to Riri Williams adventures in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. That’s not to say that Riri might not show up in Armor Wars or that the events of Ironheart might not lead into the Don Cheadle-led streamer, in fact it would make a lot of sense if she did, but Riri will be busy enough on her own following her huge role in Wakanda Forever.

    When V2 of the 2023 Hypothetical Calendar was published, Agatha: House of Harkness had only just been revealed by the trades a few days before and the official Disney Plus Day announcement was about a week away. Now, it really does look like it could make the 2023 release slate given the tentative October 2022 start of production. It seems like the perfect Spooky Season release for Marvel Studios, so slotting it here seems a no-brainer.

    After a couple of production delays, Blade is looking at a Fall 2022 start of principal photography, which makes it the best candidate for the currently unfilled November 3, 2023 release date, especially with production on Captain America 4 officially delayed until 2023. It doesn’t hurt, of course, that it’ll come out right around Halloween and feature a vampire hunter, and it wouldn’t be entirely surprising to see this date slide back a week earlier where nothing major is currently scheduled for any studio.

    Armor Wars, like Agatha: House of Harkness, is on track for a late-2022 start of production. While a 2023 debut is by no means set in stone for Armor Wars, there is a nice end-of-the-year window for it, should it be completed and ready to stream. We know very little about the project, but Kevin Feige seems to enjoy playing with the idea of having some streaming series thematically tied to the seasons in which they are released, so maybe, like Hawkeye, Armor Wars could be set during the holidays. After all, is there any better present than Stilt-Man?

  • Marvel Studios Approached Park Seo-Joon to Join ‘The Marvels’

    Marvel Studios Approached Park Seo-Joon to Join ‘The Marvels’

    Back in June, a rumor dropped that South Korean actor Park Seo-Joon was cast in the Captain Marvel sequel, which would eventually take on the name The Marvels. There was no word on what role he may have taken on, but he was the second Korean actor to join an MCU project, as Ma Dong-Seok had a leading role as Gilgamesh in Eternals. The actor has been silent on his role, but has now given some insight into how he joined the film in an interview with The Guardian.

    When I first heard that the Marvel Cinematic Universe wanted to speak with me, I couldn’t believe it. I actually couldn’t believe it. I’m not someone who has a fear of challenges, but whether I am filming in South Korea or abroad, everything is a challenge for me. So, I did feel some nerves at first. But everyone was so helpful and welcoming that I was able to find my feet really quickly.

    Park Seo Joon

    So, it looks like he was approached by Marvel Studios for a role in the film. The actor is still not revealing which role he has in the upcoming film, which still is keeping many of its story elements under wraps. To be fair, there’s also a lot of time to go until it finally releases but we’ll see if the first trailer might give us our first hint at the South Korean actor’s role.

    Source: Guardian via The Direct

  • ‘What If…?’s Composer Laura Karpman Joins ‘The Marvels’

    ‘What If…?’s Composer Laura Karpman Joins ‘The Marvels’

    It looks like The Marvels has found its composer in Marvel Studios veteran Laura Karpman, who has previously worked on What If..? and is also well-known for her work on the Lovecraft Country HBO seires. She’s the second female composer for one of their films following the first Captain Marvel film’s Pinar Torprak, who sadly isn’t returning the project. Yet, as the franchise is moving away from its singular focus on Carol Danvers, it makes sense to give it a new audio identity. Karpman shared her excitement for joining the project:

    I am thrilled to be going on this wild adventure with Nia DaCosta and Carol Danvers and am really looking forward to the collaboration.

    Laura Karpman

    We still don’t know a lot about the sequel’s storyline, especially how it might tie into Secret Invasion on Disney+. Either they’ll explore the Skrull invasion that leads into the series, or they could focus on the Kree-Skrull War instead that becomes a catalyst for that storyline. WandaVision‘s Megan McDonnell wrote the screenplay, which is a promising hint at a great twist as the story sees Carol Danvers, Kamala Khan, and Monica Rambeau join to fight a common threat.

    Source: Variety

  • BTS Photo From the Set of ‘The Marvels’ Confirms New Additions to the Cast

    BTS Photo From the Set of ‘The Marvels’ Confirms New Additions to the Cast

    The Marvels, Marvel Studios 2023 sequel to 2019’s Captain Marvel, filmed in the UK and Europe and, with the exception of a few leaked set photos, did so rather quietly. The film will see Brie Larson’s Carol Danvers teaming up with Teyonah Parris’ Monica Rambeau and Iman Vellani’s Kamala Khan against Zawe Ashton, who we believe will play an iteration of one-time Kree emperor Ael-Dan. The rest of the film’s cast has stayed pretty secret, with only Samuel L. Jackson’s return as Nick Fury seemingly confirmed.

    To that end, rumors and unconfirmed castings by the studio have made the rounds and once such casting is that of Zenobia Shroff, who will play Kamala’s mother, Muneeba, in Ms. Marvel. While Shroff hasn’t been officially revealed as part of the cat by Marvel Studios, she did reveal her involvement in the project via social media. And now it looks like she may have also confirmed the appearances of several other members of the cast as well.

    The photo above was found on Shroff’s Instagram and contain 9 headshots that can pretty easily be found via a quick Google search. From left to right, we can see headshots of Larson, Parris, Vellani, Jackson and Ashton, all of whom were known to be part of the cast. After Ashton, however, it gets interesting as the remaining headshots would seem to confirm the rumored and/or previously unconfirmed castings of the following:

    • Seo Jun Park
    • Lashana Lynch
    • Tessa Thompson
    • Zenobia Shroff

    Park has long been rumored to be a part of the film and even shows up on the IMDB cast list. Lynch’s name has also been previously associated with the project, in which she’ll return, likely in flashbacks, as Maria Rambeau, but this is the first time that Thompson, who would be reprising her role as Valkyrie, has been associated with the film.

    Given the scope and scale of Marvel Studios recent and upcoming films, it’s not too surprising to see a major player like Valkyrie show up in another project. With a universe full of so many characters comes the natural consequence of being able to have them appear any and everywhere. Thompson’s appearance in The Marvels is just one more benefit that fans of the shared cinematic universe will get to enjoy.

  • The Pulse: Collecting the Biggest News of the Week of November 21st-27th

    The Pulse: Collecting the Biggest News of the Week of November 21st-27th

    ‘Loki’ Cast Members Getting into the Madness of ‘Doctor Strange 2’

    Owen Wilson Is Back as Lightning McQueen for a “Cars” TV Series

    Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is undergoing extensive reshoots which are designed, as star Bandicoot Snugglesnatch explained, to help realize the full potential of the film. Whether that means getting people on set who couldn’t be there before, when the film was shooting in the UK, or adding/reshooting some things, it’s ultimately a positive part of the filmmaking process for a pro like Sam Raimi and part of Raimi’s vision for this film apparently includes having Loki, Mobius and Sylvie in it. A recent IMDB update shows that stunt doubles for the actors behind those characters have recently joined the production. Additionally, Owen Wilson has been spotted in Los Angeles, a place he does NOT frequent unless he’s working. We’ll see how mad it all gets next May.

    ‘The Marvels’ Wraps Principal Photography

    WandaVision': How Monica Rambeau Becomes a 'Leader Among Heroes' in  Westview | Marvel

    As the Doctor Strange sequel keeps on keeping on, the Captain Marvel sequel, The Marvels, has wrapped principal photography after just shy of 3 months of work. Ironically enough, after going the entire duration of filming without a leak, a few set photos leaked the day after filming wrapped. The film is now slated for a February 17th, 2023 release.

    ‘AMTW:Q’ WPAWAWNSITCFN2Y

    Ant-Man's Most Overlooked Cameo: Ant-Man Himself

    Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania wrapped production as well and will not sit in the can for nearly 2 years before it releases in July of 2023. Of course it’ll undergo some additional photography at some point, which will inspire some intrepid internet personality to claim it’s a disaster and that the entire film is being reworked, but such is the cycle. It’s rumored that by the time the film does hit theaters, Rudd will look exactly the same as he did when filming began.

    Netflix Go Going for a Power Rangers Universe

    Magnet Brain - Morphin' Legacy

    After crashing and burning with the launch of their Millar-verse when Jupiter’s Legacy turned out to be D.O.A., Netflix isn’t giving up. The streaming network, in an effort to keep up with the competition, is working on mapping out a Power Rangers Cinematic Universe, full of interconnected shows and films. Dragon shit!!

    Chris Pratt to Americanize Italy’s Greatest Hero in Upcoming Film Adaptation

    Arnold Schwarzenegger Explains the Frustrations of Why a New CONAN Film  Hasn't Happened — GeekTyrant

    In an unprecedented act of aggression, American actor Chris Pratt is boldly attempting to erase the heritage of one of Italy’s greatest heroes by simply refusing to acknowledge it. Pratt, who is voicing Italian icon Mario, will reportedly not be imitating the stereotypical accent that’s been developed by the character over the years. Is nothing sacred?

    Scott Snyder’s ‘Nocterra’ Headed to Netflix

    Interview: Scott Snyder Talks NOCTERRA and the Rising Popularity of Indie  Comic Books - Daily Dead

    One of the more original indie comics of 2021, Nocterra, is now in the pipeline to be adapted at Netflix. Nocterra, created by Scott Snyder of Batman fame, is a horror series that tells of a dystopian future where the lights all went out and a lot of bad shit started happening to people, including being turned into terrifying monsters. It truly is a wonderful book that you should check out before it gets turned into a trash series on Netflix.

    More Blade Runner on the Way

    Blade Runner: How well did the film predict 2019's tech? - BBC News

    Ridley Scott was a little grumpy this week, but in one of his kinder moments, he did mention that he had pitched a 10-episode season of a Blade Runner live-action series. It was a little confusing because on one hand, he railed against millennials while, on the other hand, realizing that streaming is the future of entertainment. With an Alien series already in development, it looks like 2 of Scott’s most iconic franchises will continue to live on and that’s almost certainly a good thing.

    ‘Dead Boy Detectives’ Cast Gets Recast During Casting for Dead Boy Detectives

    Dead Boy Detectives Recasts Doom Patrol Actors For New HBO Max Pilot

    The Doom Patrol spinoff series, Dead Boy Detectives, found it’s 3 leads this week. The new crew, who will replace the crew that appeared on the most recent season of Doom Patrol, is comprised of George Rexstrew, Jayden Revri and Kassius Nelson. I have no idea who these actors or characters are, but I think JJ liked them.

  • New ‘The Marvels’ Crew Merch Highlights the Main Trio

    New ‘The Marvels’ Crew Merch Highlights the Main Trio

    Not too long ago, we learned that production has wrapped on The Marvels. The Captain Marvel sequel will expand its cast in a new way, as it’s no longer just a story about Carol Danvers but also her new fellow Marvel’s, Iman Vellani‘s Kamala Khan and Teyonah Parris‘ Monica Rambeau. The official logo already teased the blend of all three icons and it seems that trend continues in the newly shared crew merch by prosthetic makeup artist Kate Wakefields on her Instagram page.

    While it doesn’t reveal anything new, which sometimes can be the case such as She-Hulk‘s merch accidentally including the wording “Season 1.” This time around, it’s more a tease of our main trio and highlighting each individual characters’ logo.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CWsGHApK82X/

    There have been rumors that the character of Blue Marvel is potentially being included in the production, which would be fitting given the sequel’s new naming. It might be quite the leak if he was included in crew merch, which has a tendency to find their way online at some point. So, they’d likely just focus on the three characters that have been officially announced.

    Source: Twitter

  • Leaked ‘The Marvels’ Set Photos Reveal New Ms. Marvel Costume and Kree’s Return

    Leaked ‘The Marvels’ Set Photos Reveal New Ms. Marvel Costume and Kree’s Return

    Just the other day, it seemed like Marvel Studios’ Captain Marvel sequel has finally wrapped production. We know very little about the project. During Disney’s Investors Day we found out that we’ll see the return of WandaVision‘s Teyonah Parris as Monica Rambeau and future Ms. Marvel actress Iman Velani. With a title rework, The Marvels, we’ll see the trio tackle an unlikely threat that might tie into the Secret Invasion Disney+ series. Right after it ended production, set photos have found their way online with some interesting teases.

    What sticks out first is Velani’s new costume. While it retains the classic elements that were already revealed in the Disney+ series promo, there are quite a few additional elements added. The red color is more pronounced in this version and she even has additional elements on her shoulders. The iconic “S” on her chest also looks different, as it’s closer to the version of the logo than the one she wears in the promo. What is the biggest change is that she replaced her sneakers with actual boots. She’s also joined by someone on a break playing a Kree soldier given his blue skin.

    The Kree were expected to make a return, but it’s great to have a confirmation. If Secret Invasion explores the Skrulls storyline set up in Captain Marvel, we may also learn that Kree has planned an invasion of their own. We still don’t know how they might’ve changed Ms. Marvel’s abilities and how she ends up joining Carol on her adventure. The set might be a tease that the story will be an intergalactic adventure, which means we’ll get some fun reactions out of Kamala Khan.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘The Marvels’ Has Wrapped Principal Photography

    ‘The Marvels’ Has Wrapped Principal Photography

    After a little over five months of production, principal photography on Marvel Studios’ The Marvels has come to an end.

    A day after Peyton Reed announced principal photography has wrapped on Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, it looks as though The Marvels is following suit. A fan account of lead actress Brie Larson posted photos of Instagram stories in which crew members announced production has wrapped. The first photo, as shown below, shows the film clapperboard with the signatures of the cast and crew. The other photo seems to showcase a piece of clothing, more than likely a jacket. The image is accompanied by text that reads “160(ish) days later and we’ve only gone and wrapped this up.”

    The film will serve as the sequel to Captain Marvel, while also bringing back Monica Rambeau (actress Teyonah Parris) from WandaVision and Kamala Khan (actress Iman Vellani) from Ms. Marvel. As it stands, very little is known regarding the highly-anticipated sequel other than it will explore the humanity of these characters rather than their superhero identities.

    The Marvels is directed by Nia DaCosta and sees Brie Larson reprise her role as Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel. It will hit theaters on Feb. 17, 2023.

    Source: Twitter/Instagram

  • Deep Thoughts: Hypothetical Marvel Studios 2023 Release Calendar, V2

    Deep Thoughts: Hypothetical Marvel Studios 2023 Release Calendar, V2

    Earlier this year, we ran one hypothetical scenario for Marvel Studios 2023 release slate. A lot has changed since then (including the reshuffling of the film slate and a streaming series delay), so with Disney Plus Day coming up next week, we thought we’d shoot our shot at predicting how 2022 and 2023 might look. Here’s 2023, V2.

    Whereas 2022 started off with a Star Wars series, it’s possible that the late-2021 reshuffling of Marvel Studios projects may have allowed for a perfect bit of Disney synergy.

    This could allow the Disney+ Secret Invasion series to kick off the year and lead almost directly into The Marvels, a film with which it will share characters and, potentially, some plot points. If that’s the case, we could see an episode of Marvel Studios: Legends catch us up on Nick Fury and Talos on January 4th ahead of Secret Invasion’s 5-week run (prediction a 2-episode premiere here to keep things from overlapping).

    Marvel Studios: Legends episodes for Kamala Khan, Monica Rambeau, and, of course, Carol Danvers are a good bet the week of the release of their team-up appearance in The Marvels. If Disney+ keeps pushing these summaries out, we could see them on February 15th.

    The Marvels is starting to sound like another one of Marvel Studios’ highly ambitious team-up sequels, on par with Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Thor: Ragnarok. Looking back, those films set not only their main characters but also the supporting cast on new journeys that lead to some amazing, redefining arcs. We could see that happening here when The Marvels drops into theaters on its new date, February 17th, 2023.

    It can’t be all Marvel all the time. Season 3 of The Mandalorian would fit in nicely following The Marvels, meaning the next MCU project we could see would be episodes of Marvel Studios: Legends recapping the journeys of the Guardians. There would, by this time, be a LOT to do, so we could see the most loaded Legends day on May 3rd, 2023.

    James Gunn‘s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, originally supposed to be in theaters in May of 2020, will finally arrive on May 5th, 2023. Adam Warlock, played by Will Poulter, is set to make his debut and, presumably, give the Guardians a hard time. However, we know that Gunn has said this film will be Rocket’s film and that it’s the final chapter in his telling of the story of this group, so Warlock will certainly not be the only new character we meet.

    Following the final chapter of the OG Guardians of the MCU, it’s likely we’ll get a bit of a break from the MCU, maybe for something like the Lucasfilm Ahsoka series in May. Marvel Studios could get back in the game with a Marvel Studios: Legends episode on Maya Lopez (and maybe Wilson Fisk) on June 7th before her series debuts the next week.

    We know almost nothing at this point about the solo Echo series other than it is described as a Hawkeye spinoff. There are rumors that both Hawkeyes and Kingpin will appear and that they are searching for Native American actors to, we think, play members of Echo’s family. This one has the feel of something that can be a pretty original spin on the character and it’s key that the focus is on Alaqua Cox’s Lopez. That said, don’t be surprised if some other familiar faces show up throughout the series.

    By the time Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania hits theaters, it’ll have been 5 years since Ant-Man and The Wasp was in theaters. A little catching up on Scott, Cassie, Hope, Janet, and Hank sounds good…oh yeah, and Kang. Expect a few Marvel Studios: Legends episodes to air the week the film hits theaters.

    While Peyton Reed remains on board as the director, writer Jeff Loveness came on board AM&TW:Q to put a fresh spin on an existing draft. I’ve always heard this was going to be a much bigger film than either of the first two and having Jonathan Majors’ Kang involved certainly does nothing to dispel that rumor, though I am VERY curious what this one ends up being all about. We’ll all find out together July 28th, 2023.

    Another year, another season of What If…?.

    Riri Williams is set to make her debut in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in July of 2022, so the events of her show will almost certainly be influenced by/spin out of the events of that film. An episode of Marvel Studios: Legends will help new fans catch up on her story and sort through the 3 suits she goes through in the Black Panther sequel.

    Even though her series was announced in late 2020, it really does seem like it’ll be mid-to-late 2023 before we see our first episode of Ironheart. It won’t start filming until 2022 and will be part of a backlog of projects when it does. With Black Panther: Wakanda Forever being pushed to November 2022, it’s all but a sure thing we don’t see this follow-up series until 2023.

    This whole feature is an exercise in making wild guesses but by the time we’re at this portion of the 2023 calendar, the guesses are even wilder. Since we’re going with Cap 4 as the final 2023 film, we’re going with an episode or more of Marvel Studios: Legends ahead of time to catch us up on whoever needs to be caught up on.

    Captain America 4 is going here simply because, as of writing this, it’s the first movie scheduled to go into production in 2022 (currently set for a June start). Blade is set to go into production one month later, so it’s would be easy to imagine it could be here instead, but I went with the simplest explanation.

    Should Armor Wars be the MCU series that rounds out 2023, some episodes of Marvel Studios: Legends will be a necessity to catch up on Rhodey and whomever else they pack in here.

    By the time this series streams (hypothetically), it’ll be about 3 years since its surprise announcement at the 2020 Disney Plus Investor Day. Like Ironheart, Armor Wars is, in part, being pushed down the line as other projects get pushed down the line. In this case, we know that as of November 2021, the project was still in the EARLIEST days of development, so it’s reasonable to assume it won’t go into production until late 2022 so a late 2023 release date sounds right. It’s also intriguing that this film could have some themes in common with Captain America 4 (maybe they both deal, to some extent, with Sharon’s work as the Power Broker or with these heroes continuing to work through the legacies of their friends?) Either way, this show has a ton of potential to introduce some wild new characters to the MCU (CONTROLLER AND STILT-MAN!!) and it’s hard to think we still have 2 years to wait on it.

    Why anyone would try to guess what’s going to happen in 2023 when we aren’t even sure what’s happening in 2022 yet is beyond us, but we did it anyway. Again, bookmark this bad boy so we can come back to it later for a laugh.


  • What I Heard This Week: Zawe Ashton Is Kree in ‘The Marvels’

    What I Heard This Week: Zawe Ashton Is Kree in ‘The Marvels’

    It’s been quite some time since we published a “What I Heard This Week” article at Murphy’s Multiverse. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the concept, the information in these articles is typically unconfirmed by multiple sources and, as such, should be treated as a rumor. You’ll notice they’re not called scoops or exclusives. It’s information that came our way that we thought fans would like to hear and discuss. In the past the information has been correct (Peyton Reed directing The Mandalorian), shot down publicly (James Gunn developing Krypto) or might even remain unresolved (what type of contact did JGL have with Marvel Studios?). Logically, if it’s an unconfirmed rumor to me, it shouldn’t be a big deal to anyone else.

    With all that said, the focus of this week’s WIHTW is the villain of The Marvels, set to be portrayed by Zawe Ashton. In the months since Ashton’s casting was made public, fan speculation about who she might be has run rampant. Is she Rogue?! Is she Moonstone?! As it turns out, she is neither of those characters and, if the information that’s come our way is correct, she’s playing a character most of us will have never heard of, though it is one that is unsurprisingly tied to the Kree empire.

    The events of Captain Marvel took place in 1995 and the Kree Empire we see in The Marvels will have undergone some major changes. We know from Guardians of the Galaxy that the Supreme Intelligence was displaced in favor of an emperor. It’s also pretty clear from what’s already been circulated about the movie that the Kree have not forgotten about Carol.

    And that’s where Ashton’s character comes into play. I heard that Ashton’s character, described by the trades as the villain ofThe Marvels, is loosely based on an incredibly minor Kree comic character named Ael-Dan, who has appeared and/or is referenced in a total of 3 comics. In those appearances, General Ael-Dan works in tandem with a General Dar-Benn to assassinate the sitting emperor and then take his place. Their great reign ended during Operation Galactic Storm when they were killed by Deathbird of the Shi’ar. Ashton’s character in The Marvels is a gender-swapped take on this character which means that for all intents and purposes, she’s playing an original character. I’ve heard the character described as both the Kree Emperor and a Kree general. In the comics, both are true and I can’t confirm if Ashton’s character will be one or the other or both in the film.

    The meat of the story here isn’t the name of the character, but rather the fact that Carol will find herself at odds with the new Kree government 30 or so years after their last known run in and that at least one of the faces of that government is an ambitious and ruthless character played by Ashton. Marvel Studios has wanted to work with Ashton for some time, so while I can’t say if her character will make it out of this film or appear in other projects, her impact will be felt far more than the comic book counterpart on which the character is based. With so many major Kree characters from which to choose, it’s curious to see Marvel Studios chose such a minor one, though that’s not to say this is the only Kree character in the film.

    It’ll be a long, long time before we see Ashton’s Kree as The Marvels isn’t set to debut until February 17, 2023.