Tag: TV

‘Ms. Marvel’ From Page to Screen: Episode 1

Ms. Marvel has finally premiered its first episode, which means it is time for another round of our From Page to Screen feature. Previously, we compared the comics to their live-action counterparts for each episode of Hawkeye and Moon Knight. Now, it is Ms. Marvel’s turn. Despite making headlines for significantly changing Kamala’s powers and origins for live-action series, Episode 1 has revealed that the show may be much more comics accurate than some would have guessed. Here, we look at how the first episode adapted the moment Kamala discovered she had powers from the comics.

The Comics

Kamala’s power discovery or power activation moment comes across the first two issues of Ms. Marvel (2014). In Ms. Marvel #1, Kamala is exposed to Terrigen mist from the Terrigen Bomb as she is leaving a party that her parents would not have allowed her to be at. After being exposed, she has a vision of some Avengers, including her hero Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel. After breaking out of her cocoon, she discovers she looks like Carol Danvers in her old Ms. Marvel costume.

Ms. Marvel #1 (2014)

Ms. Marvel #1 (2014)

Ms. Marvel #1 (2014)

Ms. Marvel #2 reveals the rest of the story. While wandering around after being exposed to the mist, Kamala realizes she has the ability to shapeshift and stretch and elongate parts of her body. She witnesses Zoe Zimmer fall into the water and not come back up. She rushes in—as Carol Danvers Ms. Marvel—to save her. She scoops Zoe out of the water with a giant and elongated arm and hand.

Ms. Marvel #2 (2014)

There are people around who take photos and videos of “Ms. Marvel” saving Zoe, which leads people in Jersey City to think that Carol Danvers was around and saving the day in her old costume. Kamala tries to sneak back into her room late, but she is caught by her family.

What They Kept

Ms. Marvel #1 (2014)

Marvel Studios’ Ms. Marvel Episode 1

Marvel Studios’ Ms. Marvel Episode 1

Despite the MCU’s Kamala seemingly having a very different origin in terms of her powers, this “power discovery” moment for the character is, perhaps surprisingly, notably comics accurate. While AvengerCon is certainly no traditional high school party, Kamala’s mom calls it a “party” when she forbids her from going.

Ms. Marvel #2 (2014)

Marvel Studios’ Ms. Marvel Episode 1

Marvel Studios’ Ms. Marvel Episode 1

At the “party”, Kamala’s powers get activated, but the differences in that aspect are discussed more below. In any event, she still has what appears to be a vision (or something vision-like) as they are awakened. Even more, she ultimately uses her newfound powers to save Zoe from danger. The moment she breaks Zoe’s fall from the giant replica Mjolnir, her powers create a light construct that looks like a giant extended arm and fist in a clear homage to the comics.

People at AvengersCon took photos and videos of Kamala saving Zoe which go on to make Kamala go viral. Her identity is not known and all that is known about her is that she was dressed as Captain Marvel, aka Carol Danvers. Afterward, Kamala tries to sneak back home, but her mom catches her.

Ms. Marvel #2 (2014)

Marvel Studios’ Ms. Marvel Episode 1

Marvel Studios’ Ms. Marvel Episode 1

What They Changed

The general narrative structure of Kamala’s power discovery moment is the same, but the MCU of course made significant changes. Obviously, the setting of AvengerCon is different, although this is likely to give Kamala a reason for looking like Captain Marvel when she first acts as a hero. Similarly, in Ms. Marvel Kamala is merely dressed like Captain Marvel rather than actually shapeshifting into Carol Danvers as Ms. Marvel. In that way, there is no confusion as to the fact that Kamala is not Carol, but she is still sort of “stuck” with that costume and association after getting attention for saving Zoe. Of course, she does not dress like comics Ms. Marvel because the MCU never had that mantle, though Zoe’s cosplay with that classic costume is another homage to the comics.

Marvel Studios’ Ms. Marvel Episode 1

Marvel Studios’ Ms. Marvel Episode 1

The reason Kamala’s moment comes at a time when she happened to be dressed as Captain Marvel is a product of the changes Marvel Studios made to her powers. In live-action, she is not exposed to Terrigen mist and does not appear to be Inhuman, but instead, the bangle is what appears to awaken her abilities. Her “vision” is not of the Avengers but remains a mystery. Instead of having stretchy, embiggening, or shapeshifting powers, she appears to be able to create energy or light constructs that are crystal-like and breakable. She uses them to save Zoe, although her lack of control of her powers is what caused the danger in the first place.

Ms. Marvel #1 (2014)

We will keep analyzing how the comics-inspired Ms. Marvel as the series continues. The first episode is now streaming on Disney+.

June 13, 2022
Amazon Renews ‘The Boys’ For Season 4

A week after Season 3 debuted, Prime Video has renewed The Boys for Season 4. The Emmy-nominated series based on the comic book of the same name by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson has been a huge hit for the streaming service. Vernon Sanders, who serves as the head of global television for Amazon Studios, expressed excitement over the return of the hit series. “From our first conversation with Eric Kripke and the creative team about Season Three of The Boys, we knew the show was continuing to get even bolder—an impressive feat considering the wild success of the Emmy-nominated second season.”

Sanders continued, “The Boys continues to push boundaries in storytelling while also being relentlessly entertaining and threading the needle on social satire that feels all too real. This stylized world of the series has incredible global reach and the viewership for opening weekend is proof of that. We are immensely proud of the cast and crew that has spawned a franchise for Prime Video, and we look forward to bringing more of The Boys to our customers.”

While Prime Video, much like some of the other streamers, does not release official ratings, the streaming service did note that Season 3’s debut saw the worldwide viewership for the series grow by 17% from Season 2 and an astounding 234% from Season 1.

The streaming service is putting a lot of faith into The Boys, having already commissioned the animated series Diabolical and the still untitled college spinoff series. While no news has been announced regarding a potential second season of Diabolical, Sanders didn’t shut it down. “We thought there was a two-fold opportunity with Diabolical. One was to get The Boys fans excited about and get it out early. But we also wanted to see if there was another bite of the apple once the mothership show returned, and we are seeing real engagement and growth of the show there. We’ve definitely had conversations with the producers about what the next installment would look like.”

As for the untitled college spinoff, Sanders couldn’t say too much. Since it was announced, the spinoff series has seen plenty of changes from both behind-the-scenes and in front of the camera – from new showrunners to big casting changes. Sanders did call it “different” from The Boys, but with the spirit of the hit series. Production on the untitled college spinoff is currently underway for a projected 2023 release.

The fourth episode of The Boys Season 3 is now live on Prime Video.

Source: Deadline

June 10, 2022
Sana Amanat on Balancing Comic Accuracy with Reimaginings in the MCU (EXCLUSIVE)

Before audiences had seen a single episode of Marvel Studios Disney Plus streaming series Ms. Marvel, the online discussion centered on the changes being made to Kamala Khan as they adapted her character for the MCU. New powers. New villains. No Inhumans (?). These things had fans of the character wondering exactly what about the MCU version was going to resemble the one they’d grown to love in the comics.

Marvel Studios has made it clear over the years that they have no interest in the MCU becoming a collection of direct page-to-screen projects and Ms. Marvel is no different. Charles Villanueva asked Sana Amanat, who co-created the character in the comics and also shepherded her into the MCU, how they worked on balancing a story that was faithful to the comics while also becoming its own thing.

Marvel Studios and Kevin Feige in particular are very respectful of the source material. He’s a fan, through and through. So for him, he really wanted to adapt [Ms. Marvel] but really brought what worked, which was Kamala, her family, and her world. So the first thing that was important to us was that the casting was there and that the tone and style of the show were there.
Sana Amanat

Amanat notes that the casting of the character was of the utmost importance and, in Iman Vellani, the studio seems to have found an actress who truly captures the essence of Kamala Khan. So while the series, and the future of the character, might diverge from the comics in some ways, the heart of the character looks to have made the jump to the MCU.

Ms. Marvel is now streaming on Disney Plus.

June 10, 2022
‘Ms. Marvel’: MCU’s Captain Marvel Is a Bad Role Model

The Marvel Cinematic Universe just debuted its newest hero in Iman Vellani’s Ms. Marvel. One of the foundational premises of Ms. Marvel is that young Kamala Khan aspires to be like her hero, Captain Marvel. When she learns she has powers, she dons a Captain Marvel-themed costume in her journey to become her own superhero. But in the MCU, Captain Marvel has truly never been much of a hero to Earth, so the connection is not as meaningful. Basically, the MCU’s Captain Marvel is not a great role model.

In the comics, the notion that Kamala is inspired by Carol Danvers is more poignant for several reasons. On one hand, Danvers had been a prominent superhero on Earth for a long time and the public witnessed her save the day many times. Captain Marvel had been a major member of the Avengers, and so she was easily a household name. Her first moniker was, in fact, “Ms. Marvel,” which is why Kamala adopts the title when she does in Ms. Marvel (2013). But the adoration does not feel as earned in live-action.

The MCU has not spent as much time with Captain Marvel. She has been established as being incredibly powerful and potentially a major ally to the Avengers. In reality, though, Captain Marvel has—from what we know—never really been a superhero to the people of Earth. Her 2019 solo movie takes place in the 1990s, and it is revealed that after the moment she gained her powers, she was no longer on Earth. She returned to Earth in Captain Marvel by accident, the events of the film were very isolated and secret to the rest of the world, and then she left Earth again afterward. She returned when Thanos snapped and briefly seemed to help the Avengers, including saving Tony Stark’s life. But early on in Avengers: Endgame it is shown that she was nowhere near Earth, would not be for a long time, and presumably had not been there much since the first few minutes of the film. Obviously, she returned late in Endgame’s Battle of Earth with impressive strength, but even Ms. Marvel’s opening sequence describes how Captain Marvel once again “abandoned the people of Earth” since the battle.

Going out on a very safe limb here, the MCU likely wants Captain Marvel to be a more prominent character in its universe than she is right now. She has not been given many appearances or a presence in the franchise at this point, so there is no reason Carol Danvers cannot become this much bigger and more important character in the future. In theory, to be fair, she could have been around for a small period of time after the events of both Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame and become known to Earth then, but otherwise, she seems to be known exclusively as the superhero who came in and put up a good fight against Thanos in the Battle of Earth.

Carol Danvers could be the greatest person that has ever existed in the MCU and the strongest hero of all time, but it still makes little sense that the people of Earth would consider her one of their superheroes, an Avenger, or a household name. Obviously, the MCU version of Kamala Khan is going to be inspired by Captain Marvel, because Kamala was always going to be Ms. Marvel. But other than what she knows about the Battle of Earth from her own research, the connection between the two at this point is based on a very small portion of one major event. The future for The Marvels is bright, but in terms of being a superhero, Captain Marvel simply has not been one on Earth. It will be interesting to see how Kamala even take on the mantle of “Ms. Marvel.”

Even still, the fact that Carol has been very absent could be embraced. In WandaVision, Monica Rambeau seemed actively disappointed or upset by the mention of Captain Marvel, likely because she resents how Carol was not there to help her mother, Maria, when she died during the Blip. Whatever the exact reason, it definitely seems like it is connected to the general absence of Captain Marvel. Perhaps during Ms. Marvel or early in The Marvels, Kamala comes to feel as though Captain Marvel is not the hero she thought she was—a sentiment that would also echo events in the comics—and that would bring some unity to her and Monica. Or, maybe Carol makes an appearance in Ms. Marvel, Kamala loves her even more, and Ms. Marvel is the one who ends up making Monica have a change of heart.

Whatever the ultimate connection to Captain Marvel may be, fans can meet Kamala Khan in Ms. Marvel. The first episode is now streaming exclusively on Disney+.

June 10, 2022
HBO’s ‘The Last of Us’ Adaptation Adds Troy Baker and Ashley Johnson

HBO’s The Last of Us is doubling up on familiar faces. It was revealed during a panel at Summer Game Fest that Troy Baker and Ashley Johnson will both have major roles in the upcoming television adaptation of Naughty Dog’s iconic franchise. The pair originated the protagonist roles of Joel and Ellie in 2013’s hit PlayStation exclusive, and both returned in 2020 for the acclaimed sequel The Last of Us Part II. It’s been known for some time that The Mandalorian star Pedro Pascal and Game of Thrones breakout Bella Ramsey will take over as the leads for the live-action show, and it was confirmed during the panel that Baker and Johnson will indeed be playing different characters than they do in the game series. They join Merle Dandridge in the exclusive club of performers both in the original project and it’s adaptation.

Also revealed at the panel is the increased role of franchise creator Neil Druckmann in HBO’s creative process. After directing both video game installments, Druckmann will helm an episode of the series on top of writing and executive producing. It was promised that with Druckmann’s help, the show would ensure a faithful retelling of the story and it’s intricately detailed world. This information is in direct contrast to earlier claims from Druckmann that the HBO series would differ from the original game in significant ways. However, it’s always possible both statements are true in their own right, with changes being made while the overall story stays true to it’s initial design. Either way, the fact Baker and Johnson want to be involved is probably a good sign.

Source: Naughty Dog

June 9, 2022
‘Spider-Verse’ Producers Offer Update on ‘Silk’ Series

Sony’s Spider-Verse continues to expand, and producers Phil Lord and Chris Miller are steadfastly at the helm of it all. Not only are the duo hard at work on the next two animated Spider-Man entries, Across the Spider-Verse and it’s sequel, they’re also currently developing several spin-off projects. One of their top priorities is Silk, a live-action series based on the Korean-American hero of the same name. The show, set to debut on Amazon Prime, was announced nearly two years ago with little-to-no official word since.

However, in a recent interview with Deadline’s Crew Call podcast, Lord and Miller offered a promising update on the series’ production. The creative team confirmed the project is still in the works, and fans should expect more information soon:

We’re developing all that stuff with great care and there’s a really exciting start for Silk. It’s coming along. There’ll be news someday soon.

Phil Lord

Silk revolves around Cindy Moon, a former classmate of Peter Parker who is bitten by the same spider that gave him his spectacular abilities. Tiffany Espensen previously played a character named “Cindy” in the MCU, though it was never confirmed if this was intended to be a version of the hero or if she will reprise the role for Sony’s upcoming series. Hopefully, Lord and Miller are true to their word and more news drops sooner than later.

Source: Deadline

June 9, 2022
‘Ms. Marvel’ Reveals What the Public Does (and Does NOT) Know About the Battle for Earth

The newest installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Ms. Marvel, has made its debut on Disney+. While there is plenty to unpack about the first episode, the charming opening scene brought back questions that have been on the minds of MCU fans since 2019. What do the ordinary people of Earth know about the events of Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame? It is something that has never been directly dealt with, and we have received bits and pieces about it since Spider-Man: Far From Home. But the first episode of Ms. Marvel gave viewers a few more answers.

The animated opening montage features Kamala Khan’s own reenactment of the final battle of Endgame, apparently termed the “Battle of Earth.” So clearly, the citizens know a good amount about what transpired there—the Avengers fought Thanos, who was trying to use the stones. Even the detail as to Captain Marvel coming in last minute and punching Thanos in the face is common knowledge. How did people even come to learn those kinds of details?

Far From Home offers one answer to that question. From glimpses of airplane movie options, there were documentaries about “The Snap” floating around. So the Avengers must have made some of their knowledge of the Battle for Earth available to the public. It also stands to reason that those who did survive the Blip would have been given some sort of explanation as to why half of Earth’s population disappeared all at once. So half of the planet post-Endgame likely already had information about Thanos and the stones for years.

The Battle of Earth took place without warning and out of the public eye, so it did not seem observable. It is possible that there could have been satellite imagery or that Stark Tech could have recorded parts of the battle, which would make the most sense in terms of the public knowing precise details of the battle, as noted in WandaVision. But Kamala revealed that Scott Lang, aka Ant-Man, is a frequent guest on podcasts where he would be interviewed about the battle. So, details about who did what during the fight may make their way to the public from things like that as well. Still, if Scott Lang is a major source of what the public knows, it might make us question the accuracy or version of the main version story circulating.

So there are some obvious ways that citizens of Earth came to learn some of the information, but just how much do they know? This might be a little trickier, because they certainly do not know every detail of Infinity War and Endgame, and there are good reasons for that. On one hand, they clearly seem to know about Thanos and the Infinity Stones, so information on basic Infinity Gauntlet assembly is probably out there. The public deserved an explanation of what had happened, so this makes sense.

But they probably were not told in detail about how there are universal threats that could annihilate them at any moment. Do they know what happened to the Stones after the Battle of Earth? This is unclear. Considering it would be worrying to think that the Stones were all still floating around, the public was probably told they were destroyed. But past that, it would be surprising if they knew much more.

For them to know that the Stones were returned to their original timelines, ordinary citizens would have to know that the Avengers invented and used time travel, which is knowledge they almost certainly do NOT possess. If time travel was common knowledge, there would surely be more interest in it. And if they knew about it, they would have to completely understand the mechanics of it for there not to be a segment of the population demanding it be used to fix certain events, like the Blip. Plus, it was not fully understood by the Avengers themselves, and a true understanding of it would lead to discussions of the multiverse. Peter Parker, who surely has a bit more information about how the Blip was reversed than others, was shocked that the multiverse was real in Spider-Man: No Way Home.

The public knows that Natasha Romanoff and Tony Stark sacrificed themselves, but questions would seem to linger about the fate of Steve Rogers. No one seems to believe he is dead, and Sam Wilson was asked in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier if the rumors of Rogers living on the moon were real. Ordinary citizens likely do not know that he aged dramatically, either, as it has never been mentioned and that would potentially require them to know about the time travel.

Lastly, will the public learn more as time goes on? The easy answer is yes, as naturally more information comes out over time. But will anything major or of consequence be revealed within the MCU to ordinary people? Probably not, with the exception of Steve Rogers. The MCU does not seem to be wrestling with the concept of keeping certain things from the public. But considering the viewers have yet to find out what happened to Rogers after Endgame, it is possible that the greater reveal (if ever) of that could be simultaneous to the real world and MCU people. For example, if we find out he died or has been dead, we might learn because the public learns and mourns. However, if we find out he has been a secret moon agent, that might remain a secret.

You can watch Kamala’s reenactment of the Battle of Earth in the first episode of Ms. Marvel, now streaming exclusively on Disney+.

June 9, 2022
Sana Amanat Dispels Early ‘Ms. Marvel’ Cameo Rumors (EXCLUSIVE)

Ms. Marvel is now streaming on Disney Plus, but prior to Hollywood shutting down due to COVID in 2020 and the fallout that followed, it was once intended to debut in late 2021, ahead of Hawkeye. While the full story of just how much COVID impacted Marvel Studios’ productions may never come to light, it’s clear that it was enormous.

Streaming series WandaVision and The Falcon and The Winter Soldier had to shut down mid-production while other shows, like Ms. Marvel, found themselves pushed back as part of a domino effect. Before all those delays, however, I heard and interesting rumor that would tie two of those shows together: Kamala Khan was set to make her MCU debut in a short cameo that would take place in the aftermath of the events of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier. Once the COVID delays hit, we were told the idea was scrapped as the focus shifted to finding a way to safely finish the show.

Charles Villanueva had a chance to talk with Ms. Marvel producer Sana Amanat recently and asked about the rumor and if she was always intended to debut in her own show. As many of the best answers are, Amanat’s was short and to the point saying, “Yes. As far as I know. [Ms. Marvel] was always going to be her first appearance.”

Ms. Marvel was first announced to be in development by Marvel Studios in August of 2019 during the D23 celebration. At that time, production on The Falcon and The Winter Soldier was just about to kick-off and the studio had just begun their search for the actress to play Kamala Khan. As we know, COVID shut down that search and it wasn’t until September 2020 that Iman Vellani was cast in the role. By that time, production on The Falcon and The Winter Soldier had moved to the Czech Republic and was nearing completion.

With all that in play, getting Kamala into a cameo for The Falcon and The Winter Soldier would seem all but impossible. More than that, a cameo appearance wouldn’t do serve the character’s story in the way that her brilliant introduction in her own show has.

Ms. Marvel is now streaming on Disney Plus.

June 9, 2022
Damage Control and the Legacy of the Sokovia Accords in ‘Ms. Marvel’

The first episode of Ms. Marvel has been released, ushering in the seventh Marvel Cinematic Universe Disney+ series. Whether you like them or not, the first episode brought with it a post-credits scene that teased an interesting development for a so-far minor MCU organization. While the role of the Department of Damage Control has not been well-defined since its introduction, the Ms. Marvel post-credits scene teased an expanded—and darker—role for the group that may be a lasting consequence of Captain America: Civil War.

Damage Control was first mentioned in Iron Man, where Phil Coulson explained to Tony Stark that the S.H.I.E.L.D. team controls messes like the one left behind at the end of the film’s final battle. Following the events of The Avengers, Damage Control became a department of the United States government in a joint venture with Stark Industries, as learned in Spider-Man: Homecoming.

While the DODC does clean up super messes like the Battle of New York, it also has quite a collection of technology and other items beyond the normalcy of ordinary society. Peter Parker gets stuck in the Damage Control Deep Storage Vault in Homecoming, where the department has everything from Chitauri technology to the black hole grenades from Thor: The Dark World.

While Damage Control has been a background entity at best in the MCU, Spider-Man: No Way Home saw a new focus for the organization, and Ms. Marvel looks like it is going to dive deeper into that aspect of it. In No Way Home, Agent P. Cleary arrests and interrogates Parker over the death of Mysterio. The change to investigating and arresting superpowered or otherwise extraordinary individuals was new. But Ms. Marvel’s first episode post-credit scene makes it seem as though the new show will build heavily upon that new Damage Control reality.

In the brief scene, we see Agent Cleary along with Alysia Reiner’s Agent Deever. Deever shows Cleary a video of Kamala at AvengerCon using her new powers, and he says, “Ok, let’s bring her in.” So at least part of the agency is now dedicated to tracking down those with super-abilities and bringing them into custody. So far, the DODC certainly feels like an MCU-ified U.S. Homeland Security. But the agents apparently did not decide to find Kamala because of the damage she caused, but purely because she had powers. So how did Damage Control get here?

Several things have happened since we saw Damage Control in Homecoming. The Blip is the most obvious example, and it makes sense that governments would be a bit more alert to powerful beings wandering around unchecked. But something happened just before Homecoming that is almost certainly behind this. The Sokovia Accords became international law in Civil War, and they essentially outlawed superhero/superpower-related behavior if not explicitly allowed by the government. Because Avengers: Infinity War was so soon after Civil War, Phase 3 never really dealt with much of the specific aftermath of the Accords.

It looks like Ms. Marvel might be the first MCU project that actually does just that. While No Way Home definitely demonstrated that even superheroes could be held legally accountable, there was no evidence that the DODC was rounding up individuals at that point. Here, that clearly seems to be the case. The Accords have not been mentioned, but it was confirmed that they are still in effect in WandaVision. Considering Stark was on the government’s side in Civil War, the fact that Damage Control became a Stark Industries joint venture for the purpose of enforcing those laws makes sense.

In any event, the DODC so far seems to be an adversary to Kamala rather than anything helpful. In just a short scene, the two agents we see are portrayed fairly menacingly—it certainly brings to mind the very negative views on certain governmental agencies that target immigrants or people of other cultures. Kamala could be the first hero we’ve seen who has to overcome this darker Damage Control, the Sokovia Accords, and the legacy of Civil War.

The first episode of Ms. Marvel is now streaming exclusively on Disney+.

June 9, 2022
Creature Comandos
Premiere: December 5, 2024

The first project to be given the green light by co-chairs Peter Safran and James Gunn’s DC Studios, Creature Commandos is a seven-episode animated series slated to be released on Max in 2024. , Creature Commandos is already in production working off scripts by Gunn. Safran stated that he was “staggered at the caliber of the scripts” adding “we’ll see how everything else comes, but the screenplays are amazing.“ Based on a comic book team that included a gorgon, a werewolf, and Frankenstein’s monster going to battle in World War II, Gunn’s Creature Commandos will have a little different makeup and will be assembled by Amanda Waller.

Cast
- Frank Grillo as Rick Flag Sr.
- Viola Davis as Amanda Waller
- Anya Chalorta as Circe
- Sean Gunn as Weasel and G.I. Robot
- Steve Agee as John Economos
- Maria Bakalova as Princess Ilana Rostovic
- Zoe Chao as Nina Mazursky
- David Harbour as Eric Frankenstein
- Indira Varma as Bride of Frankenstein
- Alan Tudyk as Dr. Phosphorous
June 9, 2022