Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: TV Features

  • Lanterns

    Lanterns

    Premiere: Spring/Summer 2026

    Described by Peter Safran as a “terrestrial-based investigation story” that’s “much more True Detective” than space opera, Lanterns will be a Max streaming series that focuses on DC’s two most iconic Green Lanterns: Hal Jordan and John Stewart. As for what the Lanterns are investigating, according to Safran it’s an “ancient horror” found on Earth that “plays a really big role leading us into the main story” of Gods and Monsters.

    In September 2024, casting for the series got underway when Emmy-award-winning actor Kyle Chandler landed the role of Hal Jordan. Shortly after that, Aaron Pierre landed the role of series co-lead John Stewart.

    Cast

    • Aaron Pierre as John Stewart
    • Kyle Chandler as Hal Jordan
    • Ulrich Thomsen as Sinestro
    • Garrett Dilahunt as William Macon
    • Kelly MacDonald as Sheriff Kerry
    • Poorna Jagannathan as Zoe
  • Major ‘Ms. Marvel’ Villain Easter Egg Explained

    Major ‘Ms. Marvel’ Villain Easter Egg Explained

    Episode 1 of Ms. Marvel, “Generation Why”, came complete with some of the most inventive and impressive visual flair we’ve seen in an MCU production. The creative team behind the show seemed to work hard to give the audience the same kind of experience a comic reader might have, filling the screen with fun add-ons and images that really click and bring the dialogue to life.

    With so much to look at on-screen, however, one might be forgiven for missing a thing or two, especially during your first viewing, including, possibly, a very well-planted neon sign that could serve either as an Easter egg or as foreshadowing that one of Kamala Khan’s most unique villains could appear down the road.

    While Kamala and Bruno are talking atop a building with the Jersey skyline behind them, a sign for Edison Electric can be seen directly behind them. It might be easy to overlook, especially with everything else to see and the fact that, from the viewer’s perspective, it’s backward, but it’s there and this might not be the only time we see it.

    First appearing in 2014’s Ms. Marvel #7, the Edison Electric building served as the lair of The Inventor, Ms. Marvel’s first supervillain and the first of many incredibly strange adversaries she’d come across. The Inventor-part cockatiel, part Thomas Edison-is the result of a cloning experiment gone wrong and was part of a 7-issue arc that saw Kamala clash with bionic alligators and a couple of teenage henchmen before finally taking The Inventor out.

    Kamala came across The Inventor in her earliest days as a hero and their feud in the comics was intertwined with Kamala coming to understand her Inhuman heritage and the powers it gave her. The issues featured pretty heavy cameos from members of the Inhuman Royal Family, including Medusa, and Kamala got to hang out quite a bit with Lockjaw during them. Early rumors surrounding Ms. Marvel indicated that The Inventor and the Inhuman Royal Family would appear in the series, though there’s been no recent buzz around the appearance of those characters (other than Vellani indicating she tried to sneak a Lockjaw Easter egg into the show).

    For the time being, it doesn’t seem likely that Kamala is going to run around New Jersey with Lockjaw, but having the Edison Electric building front and center gives leaves the door open for The Inventor to appear, whether in this season or down the road. For the moment, it certainly appears that Kamran, played by Rish Shah and a family known in the comics as the Clan Destine are going to carry the bulk of the load as villains in Season 1, but with producer Sana Amanat saying she’d love to see the Inventor in Season 2, there’s hope that Ms. Marvel can cross paths with the crazy birdman some day! If not, it’s still an impressive bit of world-building that could pay off at any time.

  • Breaking Down Netflix Geeked Week’s ‘One Piece’ First Look Showcase

    Breaking Down Netflix Geeked Week’s ‘One Piece’ First Look Showcase

    It feels like forever since the live-action adaptation of One Piece was first announced. To be fair, it was back in 2017 and after a long wait, alongside a pandemic, the production finally started when we entered 2022. While it seems we’re still some time away from actual footage from the show, Geeked Week gave us a first look at the One Piece set, as well as some additional castings. So, let’s take a closer look at what was revealed during the brief but great showcase of what showrunners Steve Maeda and Matt Owens are working on.

    Miss Love Duck

    The showcase started off with a look at some amazing detailed concept art. It included our first official look at Alvida’s iconic ship, the Love Duck. We sadly don’t get a good look at its captain, but Ilia Isorelýs Paulino is confirmed to play the ruthless leader of the Alvida Pirates. We don’t know exactly where they are going, but we theorized that they may be taking a cue from the anime, which kicked off Monkey D. Luffy’s (Iñaki Godoy) adventure on the ship, where his fateful meeting with Koby (Morgan Davies) puts them both on separate adventures towards the Grand Line. The little tease of how they brought the boat to life is also a great showcase of the details such as even its munition having her heart on it.

    Going Merry

    The Going Merry is the Straw Hats’ iconic ship that they sail into the Grand Line. It’s no wonder they would showcase the ship that would pull through every possible danger thrown at it; including Luffy. The ship is taking quite a different approach in its design, as the goat head is way more defined and stepped in more realism. While it’s hard to not think of the iconic simple design from the manga, it’s great to see Merry actually being merry, as what we thought from leaked set photos was her screaming but is actually just her smiling.

    If you look closely, you can actually see our first tease of Luffy’s live-action design with the open red shirt. What stands out is that from the angle the character is drawn, it seems he is wearing jeans rather than his usual shorts, but it may just be something used in earlier designs. It should also be noted that the iconic Straw Hat symbol got a makeover that still feels true to that of the original from the manga, just less rounded. The real-life boat showcased seemingly wasn’t quite finished, as the eyes aren’t colored in.

    Baratie

    Now, here’s the juicy part of the showcase, we get a good look at how they are adapting Chef Zeff’s iconic ship. Not only did they reveal that Craig Fairbrass is playing the owner and mentor of Sanji (Taz Skylar) but also showcased how they recreated the entire restaurant. The concept art showcases a few of the details such as the mouth no longer being a detachable boat but rather a unique bar area. It’s interesting that the concept art seemingly highlights a night shot, which could be a tease for when some of the Baratie Arc takes place.

    There’s one big difference that does stand out. The Baratie is no longer a restaurant that’s just stranded in the middle of the sea. While it is still a restaurant boat, you can clearly see that it connects to various docks that lead into the restaurant with concept art even teasing other environments around it. So, it may be part of an island or simply have a unique docking location that adds some new platforms for the eventual fight with Don Krieg, who has yet to be cast. The details in the interior hopefully also mean we’ll see the restaurant get wrecked throughout their battle.

    Arlong’s Map Room

    While not being showcased, there was a highlight by Matt Owens that they have been working on Arlong’s map room for weeks. Many manga fans will instantly make the connection with what emotional importance that room holds to Emily Rudd‘s Nami and while it’s a shame we didn’t even get a tease of what it looks like. Still, the matter of the fact is that it getting highlighted showcases just how much this team truly loves Eiichiro Oda‘s manga. So, maybe a future tease is on the horizon that offers a better look at the sets and villages we have yet to see.

    Windmill Village and Red Force

    While talking about the Baratie, there was an interesting group of set videos being shown that seemingly have no direct correlation to the iconic boat restaurant. well, the windmills seemingly hint at this being Luffy’s hometown. It is where he meets Shanks (Peter Gadiot) and sets sail to become King of the Pirates. We even get a good look at Partys Bar, which is where we have the iconic bar sequence between Shanks and a mountain bandit. It’s also where we’re introduced to Makino, whose child over the many years of One Piece has led to quite a few fan theories.

    Yet, if you look at the right corner of the first image, there’s one more detail that could be easily overlooked. That is the Red Force’s iconic dragon-inspired figurehead. It belongs to Shanks, and a set photo we saw some time ago confirms they have a life-sized boat docked on the set. It’s crazy to see this shot and realize that ship is really there just towering over the village. There’s also one shot with a red ship that could be connected to the Red Force during the showcase. It’ll be interesting to see just how much they use it in the upcoming series.

    Mysterious Boat

    Before I get on to the cast additions, I want to point out one additional ship that they for some reason give some attention to. While it’s nothing that one would connect, at first sight, it may actually be connected to the Baratie storyline. Given the shape and housing in the back, it does seem like this could be Johnny and Yosaku’s ship that the crew use to get to Arlong Park.

    It’s unclear if that is indeed their ship, as the design could also be hinting at something belonging to Buggy’s crew, whose ship has been noticeably absent during the promotion. It’s the little house it is parked at that adds a few questions, but it’s fun to speculate. We don’t know what elements may get adapted going into the live-action adaptation, especially with fewer episodes than the anime to work with. So, it’s going to be interesting to see if this ship is simply a set design.

    New Casting Announcements

    While not directly part of the showcase, we got quite a few casting additions. We have Usopp’s technical love interest with Celeste Loots‘ Kaya. Her infamous butler Klahadore is also officially announced with Alexander Maniatis in the role. Their addition confirms that we will visit Syrup village and follow that arc in some format as well. As Baratie was highlighted quite a bit, we have Craig Fairbrass as Chef Zeff, who also is no stranger to working with Taz Skylar. Nami’s sister Nojiko has been found, as she will be played by Chioma Umeala. Last, but not least, we also have the chin himself, Captain Morgan played by Langley Kirkwood, who’s the father of Helmeppo (Aidan Scott). The only main characters still missing so far would be the King of the Pirates, Gol D. Roger, Smoker, Jacko, and Don Krieg. Of course, there are also some smaller roles that haven’t been officially announced yet, as they may slowly announce them building up to the series’ release.

  • Analyzing and Predicting Who Will Survive Past the End of ‘Stranger Things’ Season 4

    Analyzing and Predicting Who Will Survive Past the End of ‘Stranger Things’ Season 4

    WARNING: Spoilers for Stranger Things 4, Volume 1 ahead!

    One week has officially passed since the release of Stranger Thing 4’s first volume of episodes, and fans across the world have been getting caught up with the latest installment of the franchise. With that, discussions have begun to circulate on what may transpire in the second volume releasing on July 1. One major topic has been the potential fates of the many characters as they traverse into the intense climaxes of the season. Stranger Things has especially been known to be a show with a low body count of main characters, with Billy Hargrove and Bob Newby essentially being the only two to have definitive deaths amongst the principal cast. However, this season’s ensemble has grown to such a large extent that one would have to think some have to die simply for the sake of being able to manage all the characters heading into the final season. In this article we will take a look into the likelihood of survival for all main characters currently in Stranger Things 4.

    Characters with 0% Likelihood to Die: Joyce, Eleven, Dustin, Lucas, Robin, Erica

    We will start by quickly going through all of the characters that, for all intents and purposes, will be penciled in to be part of Season 5 of Stranger Things. Joyce Byers still has a story to be told as she is the mother of both Will and Jonathan; there needs to be an explanation as to why she decided to essentially abandon them to rescue Hopper from Russia. It’s also fitting for the show’s original “main” lead character played by Winona Ryder to be part of the show’s endgame. As well, Millie Bobby Brown’s Eleven has become too much of a lynchpin for the show to be killed off before its end. As for Dustin and Lucas, the characters are fan favorites and have fertile story opportunities to have an untimely end in the immediate future. And the same can be said as Season 3 standouts Robin and Erica — the latter especially would be too traumatizing of a killing for a young middle-school girl.

    Jim Hopper: Likelihood to be Killed – 10%

    The individual character being covered will be David Harbour’s Jim Hopper, the former Hawkins Police Chief being held captive in Russia after being presumed dead. Him being the main fake-out death of Season 3 makes him a safe bet to outright survive past the remaining Season 4 episodes. As well, there still has to be the emotional reunion between him and his surrogate daughter, Eleven, at some point in the show’s duration. If he is killed in these last two episodes, it will make the entire C-plot of this season for relative naught.

    Will Byers: Likelihood to be Killed – 20%

    As the character who has been the core of the show in the first two seasons, Will Byers carries a large amount of internal trauma and grief. That is something that would indeed make him an ideal target for Vecna, and him lacking the requisite information to survive his wrath could make him a prime target. Though he is especially low in percentage as it would be in very poor taste to just instantly kill off a character who is very likely about to come out as gay at the end of the season.

    Mike Wheeler: Likelihood to be Killed – 30%

    After having been the pure protagonist of the first season, Mike Wheeler’s character has struggled to really find footing in the writing of the show since then. He has essentially become a caricature of a doofy 80s young teen that struggles to connect with his girlfriend and friends. In my opinion, Mike should be killed off this season as it would be the largest twist the show has seen by killing a true main protagonist. As well, his death would hold large ramifications to the relationships amongst the remainder of more interesting lead characters (no shade is intended towards Finn Wolfhard, who is indeed a really strong actor). However, that would probably be too much of a risk for this show to take.

    Max Mayfield: Likelihood to be Killed – 30%

    One may be curious as to why Max is not in the 0% group after the arc seen in the fourth episode of this season, aka the high-water mark of the show since the first season (and maybe the outright best episode in the entire Stranger Things series). However, the eulogizing letters Max wrote to all her friends remain a smoking gun that has yet to fully go off. The likelihood that she dies in Season 4 is pretty low and this could be the fate she unfortunately meets in the final season, but as long as those letters remain unread by the group, audiences should be on high death alert for young Max Mayfield. 

    Nancy Wheeler: Likelihood to be Killed – 40%

    Following the completion of Stranger Thing 4’s first volume of episodes, my major takeaway is that one of the Nancy/Jonathan/Steve love-triangle has to die by the end of this season. A death would provide dramatic stakes to this dynamic, and could actually just outright end any romance subplot due to the trauma. I’d argue that Nancy is the least likely of this trio to die. Especially as she has become the key to understanding the history of Vecna, something that will be critical towards the end of this season and potentially for the show’s end times.

    Eddie Munson: Likelihood to be Killed – 50%

    Joseph Quinn’s Eddie Munson has become a massive standout as a new character this season. Very quickly, he has captured the hearts of audiences as the outsider is dealing with being the prime suspect in the string of murders happening across Hawkins. While one would think he’d need to survive to prove his innocence against Vecna, it would be much in line with how Stranger Things operates for the show to develop a popular new character and subsequently kill him off by season’s end. As well, I struggle to see the world where both of Dustin’s surrogate older brothers live to see the final season.

    Vecna: Likelihood to be Killed – 50%

    Stranger Things has finally found itself a central antagonist from the Upside Down that maintains captivating pathos and can stand on its own as a massive threat in the show. Though with the show seldom leaning towards overtly dark season endings, I’d argue there’s a 50/50 chance the story of Vecna is wrapped up in the next two episodes of the show. Then again, if I had my druthers about me, Vecna would come out relatively victorious this season and create an Empire Strikes Back type scenario for the protagonist ensemble heading into the true final act of the show.

    Jonathan Byers: Likelihood to be Killed – 70%

    Amongst the love triangle mentioned earlier in this article, I’m of the belief that Jonathan should be the character that dies. While being a compelling character within the first season of the show, there hasn’t been much for the character to do beyond being a romantic partner to Nancy. Separating him entirely from Hawkins has made this concept even more clear. His death would certainly be very emotional, but could also keep more characters around that the Duffer Brothers have active plans for. Also, I think there is a very compelling story with Joyce in having her deal with straying so far from being the over-protective mother in the first season and it now leading to the actual death of one of her sons.

    Murray Bauman: Likelihood to be Killed – 80%

    If Stranger Things wants to have the Russia plotline this season hold serious stakes beyond returning Hopper into the fold, killing off Murray Bauman would successfully do that. He is exactly the type of the character that this series is known to kill off as someone who has become a regular fixture, but still remains on the periphery of the main ensemble. His comedy style, while appealing to some, might have less of a place in the growing intensity of the Vecna plotline and where the show could in theory head towards in its final season. There is also in theory less trauma for general audiences in killing off the older characters of the show than the larger swath of young adult characters, making Murray’s demise that much more likely.

    Brenner and Owens: Likelihood to be Killed – 90%

    As we now reach towards the characters with high likelihoods to die, I’ve combined both Martin Brenner and Sam Owens into this one entry as I believe they will share the same fate. These characters have provided Eleven the ability to regain her powers and, in theory, become a more actualized version of herself, and I don’t think there is much more utility for them beyond that now. Especially with such a large cast, it would be reasonable to close off anyone who isn’t absolutely necessary for how the show ends. With the US government now closing in on their secret project and bunker, Matthew Modine and Paul Reiser’s characters will likely meet their untimely end and provide El some more trauma before her return to Hawkins.

    Steve Harrington: Likelihood to be Killed – 90%

    There is not a character more set up to meet their maker by the end of this season than Steve Harrington. While the hypothetical death of Max was built upon for the first four episodes of this season, Steve’s has been a long-build throughout. Steve’s entire arc this season has been highlighting to him (and the audience) how much he has become beloved by the group around him, serving as the quintessential friend and babysitter. With that in mind, killing him here would provide the most amount of heartbreak and dramatic tension for the season and would showcase that the show is getting serious as it enters its eleventh hour. Losing Joe Keery from the show would be an absolute shame, but it definitely seems most likely that this is the direction we are heading towards.

    Come July 1 and the release of Stranger Things 4’s second volume on Netflix, we will find out where exactly the show is heading and the fates of all characters.

  • X Characters That Must Be Part of the MCU’s X-Projects

    X Characters That Must Be Part of the MCU’s X-Projects

    When Disney acquired the live-action right to the X-Men in the merger with Fox, they handed Marvel Studios a gold mine of characters that could support their own cinematic universe for decades. As Kevin Feige and the Marvel Studios Parliament patiently plan their strategy for introducing The Mutants into the MCU, here are 10 characters whose stories could prove incredibly interesting and valuable over the long run.

    Apocalypse

    Most of the characters on this list haven’t appeared on the big screen yet (and to be honest, you could really make an argument that this character never did either), but among the very long list of characters done wrong by Fox, Apocalypse stands out as a giant. One of the world’s first known mutants, Apocalypse personified both the struggle faced by mutants and the idea that survival was only for those most fit. His character received a thrilling retcon recently, courtesy of Jonathan Hickman, and while not everything Hickman writes is easily adaptable to the screen, his retcon of En Sabah Nur provided, maybe for the first time, a glimpse of how to allow audiences to really empathize with the character. If the MCU reboot can pick adapt the history of Hickman’s Okkara, it would provide an entirely different look at the character from what we’ve seen. Apocalypse deserves a major role in any X-franchise reboot rather than the poorly done one-off that Fox gave him. Marvel’s access to Disney Plus can really help Apocalypse out in this way, allowing the character to grow and weave in and out of multiple projects.

    Christopher Summers

    A luxury Marvel Studios will have at its disposal that Fox did not is a self-owned streaming service. The X-world is MASSIVE and Fox chose to only focus on a very, very small portion of it. Marvel Studios is certain to have a team of X-Men, but it’s almost equally as certain that they will explore some of the many other corners left unexplored by Fox. Being able to use Disney Plus to introduce some characters who might not draw huge audiences to the theater will serve the studio well in that regard. Should Marvel Studios choose to make the decision to put the Summers family at the center of their reboot (a choice that can really pay off over the course of several years), one such character whose wild adventures would be worth following is Christopher Summers, aka Corsair, the leader of the Starjammers. Starting off the main X-Men franchise with an introduction to the father of Scott, Alex and Gabriel Summers and immediately introducing the Shi’ar Empire (one of Marvel Comics’ greatest alien races) gives the studios a footprint on which to expand on in two different worlds. Thankfully, Fox stayed away from Corsair and the Shi’ar, allowing for Marvel to cash in on some characters that are as sure of a thing as they have in their stable. Put Corsair at the center of the early days of the MCU reboot and you won’t be sorry.

    Cypher

    Doug Ramsey, mutant name Cypher, was first introduced fairly early on during Chris Claremont’s run on New Mutants. Cypher’s mutant gifts allow him to subconsciously understand any and all languages. As is the case with many characters over the years, as different writers have taken on projects, they imagine new ways for the characters’ powers to manifest. In this way, Cypher has become increasingly more interesting and powerful. Jonathan Hickman placed Cypher front and center in his Dawn of X era as he was able to communicate with Krakoa, the sentient island inhabited by the mutants. Cypher also has a fantastic relationship with the techno-organic alien Warlock, a character who COULD make as big of a splash win fans as Groot first did. Unlike the Fox films, the MCU is very likely to feature some of the X-Men’s cosmic adventures, making a spot for Cypher all but mandatory.

    Destiny

    One of the most powerful precogs in all of Marvel Comics, Destiny has played a major role in X-books over the last few years and seems…destined…to continue to do so. Following a classic archetype, Destiny lost her vision in her early teens as her ability to see the future grew. Fox’s X-films chose to focus heavily on Destiny’s long-time lover, Mystique, but strangely never included Destiny, who, with Mystique, reorganized the terrorist organization the Brotherhood of Mutants. In the comics, mutants have seen more than their fair share of major events, from the rise of Apocalypse to M-Day and even the Dawn of X…and Destiny foresaw them all. A powerful precog with an ever-changing agenda seems like a character who could serve as a wonderful wild card as Marvel Studios brings the mutants to their shared universe.

    Forge

    Forge’s mutant abilities made him a powerful technopath, but it’s his genius as an inventor that makes him truly fascinating…that and the fact that he’s also a pretty skilled sorcerer to boot. Raised in a Cheyenne tribe, the man known only as Forge has one the absolute wildest histories of any mutant. He’s served in the military, developed weapons for the Department of Defense (including one of the most devastating anti-mutant weapons ever created) and, over time, turned himself into a cyborg. Everything about Forge converges to make him exactly the type of character fans have come to expect to see in MCU properties. He should be front and center of the first wave of mutant projects developed by Marvel Studios.

    Kitty Pryde

    Kitty Pryde, played by Elliot Page in a pair of Fox’s X-films, is among the most tragically misused characters under Fox’s watch. Although the character got a bit of redemption in
    X-Men: Days of Future Past, the studio never came near to exploring the full potential of Shadowcat. A member of the main X-Men team, Excalibur and, more recently the leader of the Marauders and part of the Quiet Council that serves as the governing body of Krakoa, Pryde deserves to be at the forefront of Marvel Studios’ efforts. Given the complexity of her character and the multiple audiences to whom she would appeal, Pryde should be one of the building blocks of this iteration of the mutants’ story (and I’m told Kevin Feige is a big fan).

    Lilandra Neramani

    If the MCU is going to space with these mutants, they must include the Shi’ar Empire. And that means they must include Lilandra Neramani. In this regard, Kevin Feige and the Marvel Studios Parliament would do well to learn from X-Men: The Animated Series which saw Lilandra and the Shi’ar figure prominently into one of the show’s best arcs. The dynamics of the Neramani family are absolutely fascinating in the comics and could make for a wonderful Game of Thrones-style project on their own and their story could be sprinkled into a few X-projects before taking center stage. Of course, Lilandra’s love affair with Professor X is one of the great landmark events of Charles’ life and could provide ready-made drama to the MCU’s mutants fairly early on. Her presence in Charles’ life would also allow for an entirely different side of his character to be explored than was ever done in Fox’s films.

    Madrox(es)

    Like Kitty Pryde, Madrox has already been done in live-action; however, also like Kitty Pryde, Madrox has never REALLY been done in live-action. Unlike most other mutants, Multiple Man’s mutant powers began to work immediately after his birth, with his first dupe popping out when the doctor smacked his ass to get that first cry. Marvel Studios will almost certainly take advantage of the multiple X-teams that have appeared in the books over the years and as far as telling a great Madrox story goes, that should mean adapting Peter David’s X-Factor. One of the greatest works of one of Marvel Comics’ all-time great writers, X-Factor totally reimagined the original purpose of the X-Factor team and follows Madrox and a team of mutants as they open up X-Factor Investigations. Though it may take a while to get to a point in their story where this arc fits well, this story, with Madrox at the center (and left…and right) is one that MUST be adapted to the screen, whether big or small.

    Selene

    One of the first mutants to make her way into recorded history, Selene Gallio’s personal history alone makes her a must for Marvel Studios’ mutant tales. However, her connection to the Externals, a group of supremely powerful immortal mutants that includes Apocalypse, could allow Marvel Studios to put a mutie-spin on a classic fantasy franchise: Highlander. Marvel Studios could adapt a mini-arc that kicked off in Jeph Loeb’s X-Force run and see Selene and the other Externals hunt, kill and absorb the life force of one another. If they land the right actress for the role, a Selene solo-series could serve as the de facto History of the MCU project, something ETERNALS should have done better, and introduce the Externals.

    Vulcan

    Should Marvel Studios decide to put the Summers’ family at the center of their MCU mutant franchise, they’ll have the opportunity to introduce the most powerful and craziest of the Summers’ brothers: Gabriel. Gabriel’s origins are horrifying and, as he grew in power, he did some horrifying things. Introducing his father early on allows for Gabriel (and his brothers) to take some time to develop and while Gabe can be a part of some pretty cool stuff early on, he could be the gateway character to Marvel Studios adapting one of its greatest Cosmic crossover events: War of Kings. Marvel Studios has shown it’s willingness to be patient and play the long game. Introducing Vulcan early on allows them to do that with a huge payoff looming at the end.

  • ‘The Bad Batch’ Season 2 Could Revive Abandoned ‘Clone Wars’ Arc

    ‘The Bad Batch’ Season 2 Could Revive Abandoned ‘Clone Wars’ Arc

    This year’s Star Wars Celebration in Anaheim was full of exciting surprises. Among them was the first trailer for the upcoming second season of Star Wars: The Bad Batch, which gave fans another glimpse into the future of Lucasfilm animation. The footage revealed quite a bit of new information regarding what’s next for the titular team of misfits, who will be sporting a new set of armor when they make their big return. Hunter and his daring cohorts will come across a variety of new species and familiar faces, which will apparently include Obi-Wan Kenobi’s former partner Commander Cody, the sinister Emperor Palpatine, and even the greatest Jedi to ever live – Gungi, the Wookie Padawan.

    While most of these marquee cameos are sure to make for grand new adventures, one of them may actually signal the restoration of a rather old one. The inclusion of Gungi, and even more so the brief flash of another Wookie warrior, would indicate that a trip to Kashyyyk may play a part in the Bad Batch’s next set of missions. If this is true, it could mean that Brad Rau and the folks behind the show are planning on bringing back a previously unproduced arc from Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Specifically, one devised by current Bad Batch story editor and longtime animation writer Matt Michnovetz.

    The Clone Wars was canceled by Cartoon Network in 2013 after its fifth season had completed airing, as a result of Disney’s acquisition of Lucasfilm. Before this, however, Dave Filoni and his team had planned on making at least eight seasons of the animated series. As a result, all three of the remaining episode batches had been mapped out and were already in some form of production at the time of the series’ abrupt end. Some of these stories found new life in other media, like the novel Dark Disciple or the limited comic Darth Maul: Son of Dathomir, and some were eventually completed and included in the show’s two revivals, like The Lost Missions and The Siege of Mandalore. In fact, The Bad Batch itself was originally an incomplete animatic released to the public at Celebration in 2015, later finished for inclusion in The Clone Wars‘ final outing on Disney+ and eventually getting its own spin-off.

    Unfortunately, a handful of these planned Clone Wars stories were far too early in their development process to get the same type of release treatment and remain untold to this day. One such plot was a four-episode arc that was set to take place on the aforementioned Wookie planet of Kashyyyk, and would have explained Yoda’s remark in Episode III – Revenge of the Sith about having “good relations with the Wookies.” The story would have featured the second appearance of the Bad Batch, teaming with Yoda and his squadron of clones to help the Wookies fend off an attack by the Separatist droid army and a number of Trandoshans led by the fearsome Babwa Venomor. A major sub-plot concerned the clones and Wookies coming to understand each other, with sequences involving Wookies riding giant ape lizards, the Bad Batch fighting arachnid creatures, and even General Tarfful communing with the trees of Kashyyyk before burning them down to create a tactical advantage. Chewbacca and a new Wookie character named Major Clausito were also said to have played a major role in the story.

    Multiple elements from this untitled arc have found their way into later projects. The Wookie’s Force-like connection to their home planet and its flora was explored in the video game Jedi: Fallen Order, while Echo’s commitment to becoming a member of the Bad Batch, which was originally intended to occur here, was instead worked into The Bad Batch‘s first season. Major Clausito even received a canonical name drop in last year’s official reference book, Star Wars: Battles that Changed the Galaxy. Lucasfilm also has a long track record of reusing once-abandoned concepts in later projects. This has become something of a staple for other Star Wars shows like Rebels and The Mandalorian, which persistently use old concept art for new proposals and plot lines.

    The point being made is that it wouldn’t be unlike Lucasfilm to bring back and canonize something that was formerly thought to be a dead idea. The Bad Batch itself only exists because of a willingness to pull from a closed sandbox, and it would only make sense if the team developing everything used the opportunity to reanimate some of the best of their unmade treatments. Of course, the Kashyyyk story could no longer exist in the same way it might have nearly a decade ago, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be told with a few adjustments. Maybe Gungi takes the place of Yoda, now that the latter is in hiding on Dagobah. Perhaps the Bad Batch find themselves helping what’s left of the Wookie resistance fight off the Empire, as opposed to fending off Separatist advances as initially planned. If the history of Star Wars has been consistent with anything, it’s the Imperial assault on Kashyyyk and its inhabitants. After all, the second season trailer does have Echo mention “others out there” who need their help, and few are more qualified to give assistance to Wookies than the Bad Batch.

  • ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ Part III’s Jedi Name Drop Explained

    ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ Part III’s Jedi Name Drop Explained

    Part III of Obi-Wan Kenobi continued to expand the galaxy far, far away, introducing us to new characters and locations and painting a pretty terrifying picture of what the Empire has done in just over a decade. However, it isn’t all doom and gloom as it also introduces Obi-Wan to some new allies and an understanding that not everyone is all bad.

    Shortly after arriving on the mining planet of Mapuzo, Obi-Wan and Leia find themselves in quite the pickle. Fortunately, they are rescued by Imperial Officer Tala Durith, who manages to get them to a safehouse where she educates them on The Path, an underground movement that provides safe passage for enemies of the Empire. She wastes no time in telling Obi-Wan that he’s not the first Jedi who has passed through her safehouse and it isn’t long before Kenobi finds evidence of one that he knows well: Quinlan Vos.

    Jedi Master Quinlan Vos first appeared in 1998’s Dark Horse Comics’ Star Wars #17. A year later, he was spotted on Tatooine in The Phantom Menace and, from there, his presence has grown tremendously. While a great deal of his story has taken place on the page and not the screen, Vos and Kenobi did share one memorable mission that was seen in the third season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

    The episode, “Hunt for Ziro”, saw Kenobi tasked with the retrieval of the Hutt crime lord Ziro. In order to help locate him, the Jedi Council assigned Quinlan Vos, a fan-favorite who at the time had a large presence in what’s become non-canon Legends media. Kenobi and Vos worked as quite the odd couple, but Vos’ unique skills as a tracker came in handy. Though he truly frustrated Kenobi, the two parted on good terms.

    Following his appearance in Clone Wars, the character next appeared in Christie Golden’s canonical novel, Dark Disciple. Dark Disciple saw Vos team up one-time Sith acolyte Asajj Ventress on a mission to assassinate Count Dooku. The two became close during their time together and, eventually, fell in love. For a time, Vos was lost to the dark side and actually became Dooku’s apprentice. Vos returned to the light side after Dooku killed Ventress. From there, Vos became a general in the Clone Wars and survived Order 66 and became a top target of the Inquisitorius.

    Part III of Obi-Wan Kenobi reveals that, presumably, Vos has up to this point eluded the pursuit of the Inquistors and is helping Tala provide safe passage for Force-sensitive younglings via The Path. Learning that Vos, who was certainly a pain in Kenobi’s ass in their time together, had survived the Jedi Purge, seemed to put a bit of pep back in Kenobi’s step. Given the proclivity of the Disney Plus streaming shows to bring characters from other medium into live-action, it wouldn’t be too surprising if Vos showed up on screen at some point in the next 3 episodes and lent a hand to his one-time partner.

  • ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ Part III: Rebuilding a Broken Master

    ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ Part III: Rebuilding a Broken Master

    Obi-Wan Kenobi’s always been a perspective guy. As we follow him through the six-part streaming series, the emotional resonance the audience feels comes from seeing Kenobi experience a series of revelations. While they’re not revelations to the audience, they are revelations from a certain point of view: Kenobi’s. It’ll be all but impossible to top Part II’s reveal, where Kenobi learned that Vader survived their dual on Mustafar; however, Part III countered that with a reveal that caught the old Jedi Master by surprise.

    For the bulk of the show’s first 2 episodes, Ewan McGregor has masterfully portrayed a Kenobi who has been defeated. As he says in the show’s first episode: “The fight is done. We lost.” He’s biding his time on Tatooine, waiting for Luke to come of age to be trained. This Kenobi is not only a shadow of his former self but also a far cry from the character as he is portrayed in Star Wars Rebels, much less the spunky old wizard played by Alec Guinness in A New Hope. Hope is the operative word and, finally, in Part III, Kenobi finally finds some.

    The first half of Part III seems to justify Obi-Wan’s worldview. As he and Leia land on Mapuzo and make their way toward the coordinates given to him by Kumail Nanjiani’s Haja Estree, nobody is there to meet them. Kenobi already distrusted Estree and expected to be let down. Things go from bad to worse for the pair when the friendly mole man who promised them a ride to the nearest port, hands them over to some Stormtroopers. And just when it seems that Kenobi’s belief that he’s essentially alone in the galaxy will be proven correct, Talia Durith enters the chat.

    Durith’s character not only plays an integral role in Part III, but it’s also clear that she will play an even bigger role in evolving Kenobi’s view of the galaxy. As Tala shows Kenobi her hidden back room and explains The Path, we see a light in the Jedi’s eyes for the first time in the series. It’s not just the revelation that Jedi Master Quinlan Vos has survived Order 66; it’s the revelation that there are still people in the galaxy out to do good, and there are a lot more than he could have ever thought. It’s no stretch to say that Durith’s Path is part of the early stages of the Rebellion and probably serves as one of several key points in Leia’s life that set her on the path to becoming one of the Rebel leaders. Kenobi’s meeting with Tala gives him hope.

    Of course, that hope is quickly tempered by the terrifying arrival of Vader on Mapuzo, his subsequent, but short, dual with Kenobi and his torture of his old master. Yet, here again, Kenobi experiences something he thought lost in the galaxy as Durith puts herself at risk to save him from Vader. Yes, Part III ends with Kenobi a mess, and Leia about to be in the hands of Reva, but that can’t undo what’s been done. We all know how this series has to end because we already know what comes after it, making character development of the utmost importance. And Part III provides arguably the most important developments in Obi-Wan’s character since he moved from Padawan to Master: it’s begun to rebuild the broken Jedi.

  • Connecting Imaginary Dots: ‘Glow’ Actress Shakira Barrera and ‘Ironheart’

    Connecting Imaginary Dots: ‘Glow’ Actress Shakira Barrera and ‘Ironheart’

    As the calendar rolls over into Summer, production on another round of Marvel Studios projects will shortly be underway. Among those projects is the Disney Plus streaming series Ironheart, which was first announced by Marvel Studios One-Above-All, Kevin Feige, during 2020’s Disney Investor Day presentation. Dominique Thorne will lead the project as Riri Williams, a genius inventor who will make her MCU debut this November in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

    Aside from Thorne, however, little news about the cast of Ironheart has made its way outside of Marvel Studios despite production set to kick off in June. In the Heights star Anthony Ramos has joined the series in an unannounced role, as have Harper Anthony and Lyric Ross. Rumors have circulated that Ramos might by portraying the villain of the project, Parker Robbins, better known in the comics as the Hood, and it’s known that Marvel Studios was looking to cast the son or daughter of Jeff Bridges‘ Obidiah Stane, the villain of 2008’s Iron Man. But as is almost always the case, Marvel Studios has stayed mum on any official announcements about the cast.

    And while fans debate if Ramos is the Hood and wonder who will be cast as “Ezekiel Stane” (while Obidiah had a son in the comics, the studio is open to casting a woman in the comedic role), there is certainty around the creatives behind the project. Marvel Studios brought in Sam Bailey and Angela Barnes to helm the project as co-directors, with Chinaka Hodge, Sev Ohanian, Zoie Nagelhout and Zinzi Coogler working as the team of executive producers. As it turns out, one actress who recently revealed she is prepping for a secret role happens to follow nearly the entire creative team on Instagram.

    GLOW and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. actress Shakira Barrera has recently connected with Bailey, Barnes, Hodge, Nagelhout and Ohanian (we were unable to find Zinzi Coogler on IG) and, just 6 days ago, posted the video seen below to her IG story.

    https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cd67M2NpVX5/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

    In the video, she thanks her fitness coach for helping her prepare for an “amazing role” that the actress can’t share, but promises will be “worth it.” Given the mounting evidence, it’s reasonable to suggest that Barrera could have joined Ironheart in yet another unannounced role. And while it might not be announced, the comics might provide a reasonable suggestion as to whom she might be playing, should we begin by entertaining that Ramos is playing Parker Robbins.

    Part of what makes Robbins such a fascinating and despicable villain in the comics is that his descent into villainy and dark magic cost him his family: his wife, Sara, and their daughter, Breanne. Robbins was always a poor husband, cheating on Sara whenever he could, but when he began trifling with magic, Robbins began to see Dormammu in everyone, including his daughter. After finding Parker shaking their daughter, Sara left Parker behind.

    Should Ramos be playing Robbins, casting Sara alongside him would go a long way for making fans of the MCU develop the same dislike for this version as they have for the character from the comics. The logistics work out, with Barrera currently prepping for a secret role (and no roles are more secretive than Marvel’s) and she and Ramos are very close in age (he’s 30 and she’s 32).

    Should you take this one to the bank? Absolutely not. While it seems pretty safe to conclude that Barrera has been cast in Ironheart, who she’s playing can only be taken as purely speculative, given that it’s based on a connections to a character who is only rumored to appear in the series in the first place. So while her casting might be confirmed sooner rather than later, it might be a year or so before we find out who she’s portraying in the series. As always, we’ll check back in then.

  • ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ Character Posters May Hint At Future Plot Twist 

    ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ Character Posters May Hint At Future Plot Twist 

    When Obi-Wan Kenobi debuted on Friday, it introduced the world to one of the franchise’s most ruthless villains yet. Moses Ingram’s Reva Sevander, better known to the Empire and Inquisitorious as the Third Sister, was shown to be unabashedly vile in her hunt for hidden Jedi. The character managed to remove an appendage, threaten a family, and impale her own boss in just two episodes of shared screen time. Frankly, it was a pretty impressive introductory showing for Reva, in what is potentially just the tip of a rather violent iceberg. Based on the premiere, it would seem the Third Sister is set to play a major role for the remainder of Obi-Wan Kenobi’s run. Despite this, her future in Star Wars as a whole is still very much in question.

    The latest Disney+ series takes place a full decade after the events of Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, planting it firmly in the middle of the galaxy’s “Dark Times” era, exploring the relationship between runaway Jedi and their Imperial hunters. It’s an incredibly intriguing basis for a story, but it’s not the first Star Wars show to tackle the topic. Star Wars Rebels, an animated series that ran for four seasons on Disney XD, was the first project to shed some light on the Inquisitors and their lust for democratic demise. The cult-favorite series takes place years after the events of Kenobi, and several members of the Inquisitorious make appearances over the course of its story. Familiar scowling faces like the Grand Inquisitor and Fifth Brother pop up repeatedly, but Reva is never anywhere to be seen.

    Of course, there are plenty of viable reasons for her absence. Maybe the Third Sister is simply on a different mission than her companions at the time of the Ghost crew’s rise to prominence, or perhaps her actions against the Grand Inquisitor don’t go over well with the higher powers of the fearsome Empire. At first glance, it would seem fans don’t have any real clues as to Reva’s long-term future. Yet, with a little further inspection,a reasonable explanation may have already been presented…but nobody caught it.

    On the same day that Kenobi premiered, a series of character posters were released to help promote Ewan McGregor’s big return. Each installment in the poster series features one of the show’s major players looking intently at the viewer, with their left eye replaced by a Tatooine sun and one of two characters – Obi-Wan, or his former apprentice, Darth Vader. Examining the group of posters as a whole reveals that the protagonists, or “good guys”, have Vader in their eyes, while the villains are shown to be focused on Kenobi. It gives the impression that the characters are looking toward their respective enemies. Curiously, Reva is the only character who doesn’t fit this pattern. Although she has thus far appeared pretty villainous, her character poster has her eyeing down Vader in the same manner as Obi-Wan and Kumail Nanjiani’s surprisingly warm-hearted con man.

    It’s made clear in the series that Reva has a desire to prove herself to the Emperor’s right-hand man, so it’s possible the poster is just an indicator that Vader is the real apple of her eye. However, it’s also entirely plausible that Reva won’t stay on the Dark Side of the Force for all six of Kenobi’s episodes. Redemptive arcs are fundamental to the fabric of Star Wars, and tend to happen more often than one might think. The franchise has seen worse villains, including the aforementioned Vader, come back to the side of the Light before. There’s still plenty that’s not known about Reva’s backstory, which was teased as being somewhat tragic, and it wouldn’t be all that shocking to learn she was once a happier individual than she is now. If that’s true, then the long history of Star Wars would imply that good may still be inside of her.

    Kenobi began with a sequence in which a group of younglings attempted to escape the Jedi Temple during Order 66. Maybe Reva was there, a Jedi herself, and has doubled down on the pain of the Dark Side to escape the pain of her own past. If her attack against the Grand Inquisitor were to get her booted from the Inquisitorious or put on notice by Vader himself, she could potentially be forced to ally with Obi-Wan in another attempt to survive. From there, who knows what interacting with a former Jedi Master could lead her to remember about herself. Either way, the placement of Vader on Reva’s poster is an interesting choice and one that feels awfully deliberate in comparison to everything else.