All eyes are on Ms. Marvel and She-Hulk as the next Marvel Studios releases on Disney+. Yet, they’ve also been really busy working on other shows such as the Samuel L. Jackson-led Secret Invasion. Nick Fury finds himself at odds with a Skrull invasion and it looks like the series will take the character to places that we haven’t seen from him yet.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, he talked about learning new things about Fury, and also giving him the chance to “explore something other than the badass-ery” sounds like a promising direction for the series.
There are things that even I really didn’t know about Nick Fury that I just found out, that the minds behind what happened during the Blip are fantastic. That’s part of what we’re uncovering when we do this series now. The place that Nick Fury is in, the evolution of his story, or the devolution of his story, as maybe we wind it down or maybe we crank it up. It’s kind of hard to tell. But, giving me an opportunity to explore something other than the badass-ery of who Nick Fury is. I’ve had a good time doing that, and I’m looking forward to people sharing that aspect of who he is when this series does happen.
Samuel L. Jackson
It definitely sounds like a promising direction for the series, as it was unclear if it’ll act as an ensemble piece or further develop Nick Fury, who has been the guiding light of the franchise since his first appearance back in 2008’s Iron Man. Jackson‘s excitement to continue playing the character also pushes him to be the currently longest member of the MCU and we’ll see just what is heading his way once we get a first look at the series trailer.
The Mandalorian was the series to not only kick off Disney+ but also redefine Star Wars storytelling. With Jon Favreau at its head, the same man who kickstarted the Marvel Cinematic Universe, we’ve started to see a new expensive network of shows all based around this series, such as last year’s The Book of Boba Fett and Dave Filoni‘s upcoming Ahsoka.
In an interview with Vanity Fair, Lucasfilm CEO Kathleen Kennedy talks about what it’s like working with him and how ended up developing The Mandalorian.
I knew that Jon Favreau was always deeply interested in Star Wars. He was the first person I went to. He said, ‘Not only would I have an interest, I have an idea.’ What’s unique about Jon is his commitment. He’s had a sole focus pretty much on this for the last several years. That’s been a godsend.
Kathleen Kennedy
She reveals that after they met in her office in Santa Monica, Favreau already started working on the series. He ended up writing up around four episodes even though he didn’t even have a contract at the time. Interestingly enough, there were multiple conflicts when he started developing the series based on a Mandalorian. Not only was James Mangold originally developing a Boba Fett-centric film, but Dave Filoni also had plans for it.
So, Kennedy had a simple way to remedy this issue, as while Mangold went on to tackle Indiana Jones 5, she simply had Filoni and Favreau sit down and talk about their visions. Once they started exchanging ideas, they started combining them into what would eventually become The Mandalorian.
“They got along instantly, like gangbusters,” Kennedy revealed but there was one element they couldn’t fully decide on. It seems that Favreau’s idea of Grogu, who many dubbed Baby Yoda early on, was quite a ferocious discussion point between the two. Yet, she highlighted this as them trying to challenge each other to truly refine the concept and it led to us getting the series that became a staple of Disney+.
On the heels of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, much of MCU fandom is focused on the phases to come, particularly the next Avengers: Endgame-level event. For most of them/us, “Secret Wars” seems to be the destination. But trying to figure out exactly what form the MCU storytelling will take as it prepares to adapt Jonathan Hickman’s 2015 epic has been thorny, especially because the most recent Doctor Strange film gave us another thing to chew on: The Illuminati.
New Avengers #2 (2013)
The Illuminati featured prominently in the Hickman New Avengers run that preceded Secret Wars, but unlike in Marvel Comics, where the Fantastic Four and X-Men have been mainstays since the 1960s, the appearance of Reed Richards and Charles Xavier in the MCU (albeit in its Earth-838 universe) was a momentous event, one that jump-started speculation as to how and when we’d see both the F4 and mutants properly introduced into the narrative. And while I do have my ideas about the role the Fantastic Four will play, I think that the bigger question centers on the mutants, and their biggest brand, the X-Men.
Back in November 2021, Marvel announced during its Disney Plus day special that a revival of the popular 1990s X-Men: The Animated Series, often referred to as “X-Men ‘92,” would debut in 2023 under the title X-Men ‘97. Storylines and continuity from the original series would be picked up on, as the timeline would press ahead. However, now that the MCU Multiverse is firmly in play, questions about the canonicity of these new episodes abound. Which brings us back to Secret Wars.
Avengers #44 (2015)
In Hickman’s “Time Runs Out” storyline, the narrative that led directly into Secret Wars, “incursions’” of alternate universes into the main 616 universe led to the Illuminati, among others, taking drastic steps to eradicate those universes so that ours would survive, until only two universes were left — the 616 and the Ultimate Universe, designated 1610, home to Miles Morales, the evil Reed Richards known as The Maker, and others. The finale, which immediately preceded Secret Wars, was an all-out battle between the two universes, which, although ultimately fruitless for both universes, was epic.
The MCU doesn’t have an Ultimate Universe; if anything its 616 universe, what with its Samuel L. Jackson-inspired Nick Fury and its teenage Peter Parker, shares quite a few similarities to it. And with a 15-year head start, there’s no time for Marvel to build up a new Marvel Universe for us to grow attached to. But what they can do is bring back a universe that we have a preexisting attachment to: the X-Men animated universe.
Once that classic theme song hits, our nostalgia feels will come rushing back, and an audience that has been fed a steady diet of uneven live-action X-Men content by Fox will be reminded of how good they once had it, and how good it could be again. By the end of the first season, I’m sure that fans will be fully reinvested in the characters and their universe. By the end of the second or third season, when their universe faces an incursion by the 616 MCU, fans won’t be eager to see that universe be sacrificed. And if that means X-Men battling Avengers, so be it.
Introducing X-Men into the MCU this way has many advantages. For the mutant concept to maximize its potency, the weight of history — of a world where they have been hated and feared for years, and where some characters have formed relationships over decades — should be maintained. That can be highlighted and reinforced, and the animated series can do that far better than the Fox films, which admittedly still have some goodwill, but are nowhere near as universally loved and revered.
Now, will it be tricky to eventually bring the characters from that animated series into live-action? For sure. But one needs to look no further than Marvel’s Disney Plus sister property, Star Wars, to see that it can be pulled off, and be well-received by audiences. And given the stakes of this universe-destroying cataclysmic battle, Marvel can be forgiven for a stunt casting or two alongside longer-term castings of characters who will return after Secret Wars and the eventual Multiverse realignment. But many of us have been waiting decades to see comic-accurate, iconic looks in live-action, so one should expect the fan reaction to those characters making the transition be massive.
After Avengers: Endgame, fans and media alike have been trying to figure out how Marvel could top itself, and Secret Wars could definitely be that. But more so than seeing different versions of the MCU heroes squaring off against one another, seeing Avengers face X-Men with their respective universes at stake would be a spectacle unlike any we’ve seen to date. And X-Men ‘97 could play a vital role in bringing that about. Both universes can encounter Kang variants, and both could experience Incursions that would lead the heroes of their respective universes to do whatever it takes to preserve them. It would be a massive, epic storyline, with the potential to energize and galvanize fans. And of, course, it could be the biggest Marvel event of all time.
Now, a big part of the upcoming Disney+ series is about Alaqua Cox‘s Echo retracing her Native American roots. As such, a big part of the series is also dedicated to exploring the meaning of cultural heritage and one’s Indigenous roots. McKenzie is an Indigenous Australian director, who is Gunaikurnai. She’s worked on a variety of series such as How to Get Away With Murder, Supernatural, and The Walking Dead.
Sydney Freeland is of Navajo descentand has worked on a variety of projects, which includes Rutherford Falls, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, and Fear the Walking Dead. She’s also one of the creative minds behind FX’s Reservation Dogs, which included all Indigenous writers and directors.
It’s great to see the talent they are pulling in for this project, especially with the series making it an important push for the representation given its main character’s background. It’ll be interesting to see how it might tie to her upbringing under Wilson Fisk and how visiting her hometown might change her way of looking at her past and future.
Marvel Studios has been busy working on its various spinoff series to further explore the different corners of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. They’ve just recently started work on some of their next productions, such as the Hawkeye spinoff series focused on Alaqua Cox’s Echo. The deaf former gang leader has made peace with what happened to her father and the events that transpired at the hands of Clint Barton as Ronin, as she now visits her hometown. There, she must face her past and reconnect with her Native American roots, as she learns what it means to be part of a family and community once again.
The Disney+ series is confirmed to release in 2023, but no exact time window has been given. With Secret Invasion already wrapping up work, it’s very likely it might take the summer spot going by what is currently in production. Yet, that also depends on when we might expect the next season of the animated What If…? series, which we’ve heard very little about in the past few months. We also got a first look from the series, giving us a look at Echo back at home, seemingly helping out.
It’s definitely going to be interesting to see how they tackle this series, as it may be similar to Moon Knight, as it may exist in its own little pocket. The small town location is also a nice change of pace with most Marvel stories taking place in cities or across the world. So, getting to not only spend time with a smaller and more intimate cast of characters but also sticking to one location could benefit the story pacing, which has been some criticism put against the Marvel Studios productions.
Production on the Star Wars streaming series Ahsoka has only been underway for a short while and in a very uncharacteristic move by Lucasfilm, we already have confirmation of when we can expect to see it.
In a comprehensive look at Lucasfilm’s Star Wars slate, Vanity Fair revealed that the live-action series, which is being developed by Ahsoka creator Dave Filoni, will stream in 2023. Filoni worked with Jon Favreau to find a way to fit Ahsoka into The Mandalorian in hopes of allowing the character’s amazing arc to continue in her own live-action series. And, according to Filoni, fans who are looking to see the character’s solo series follow up on Ahsoka’s appearances in Season 2 of The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett, which hinted at her continuing her journey from her appearances in the animated series and search for Thrawn, probably won’t be disappointed.
Ahsoka is a continuous story. It is definitely driving toward a goal, in my mind, as opposed to being little singular adventures. That’s what I want the character to be doing, and I think that’s what fans want now. They have such a relationship with her. I’ve only recently started to understand that all those kids that watched Clone Wars are now a lot older—they’re very excited about all the things they grew up with, as they should be.
Unfortunately, with Star Wars’ recent recommitment to secrecy, that’s probably about as much as fans will learn about the plot of the series from any official channels. Despite star Rosario Dawson teasing online that Hayden Christensen would be part of the project’s cast, a move that would pair the wayward Jedi with her master-turned-Sith, Lucasfilm is staying mum on the possibility. The article does, however, confirm that Mary Elizabeth Winstead, who was reportedly added to the cast in January of 2022, will star in Ahsoka alongside Dawson, albeit in an unspecified role.
Despite the intense secrecy surrounding the project, it seems fans of the character have much to look forward to, especially with Filoni continuing on as caretaker of the character.
There’s been a lot of discussion on when we can expect the next season of The Mandalorian. Even its spinoff series stayed true to the December release date, which had many guesses that Season 3 wouldn’t be much different. Yet, it seems that the exact release window isn’t specified as of now and we may not get the series until early 2023. According to Vanity Fair’s new June issue, we got an insight into what the future holds for the Star Wars projects.
The Pedro Pascal-led series that kicked off the TV renaissance for Star Wars is currently uncertain to release either by the end of 2022, but could also potentially find its way to Disney+ early 2023. Given some reported delays during production, it may be the reason for it to potentially get pushed back. The same article also confirms that Ahsoka will follow next year, which is the second The Mandalorian spinoff series currently in development.
No reason was given, but we’re also still waiting for some kind of update on Star Wars: The Bad Batch whose second season was also rumored to premiere this year. So, it may be that they are currently keeping it open depending on how far along some projects are and when is the best time to release them. For now, it’s good we got a least a glimpse and if it does release 2022, it seems very likely to stick to the December release window at this rate.
The new Vanity Fair piece has been a treasure trove of information on what the future has in store for the Star Wars franchise. Alongside an update on the various films in development for the franchise, which has all seemingly been continued to get pushed back even if Lucasfilm CEO Kathleen Kennedy confirms they have a road map in place. Now, we also got a clear confirmation that the Rogue One prequel series starring Diego Luna, Andor, will arrive later this summer.
Still, as we’re seeing shorter release windows between projects like Obi-Wan Kenobi and Ms. Marvel, it would seem like they could release it by the end of August. So, it’s great to get a clear indicator for when we can expect the project potentially be released even if the strategy by Lucasfilm and Disney+ has seemingly left much hanging with when their various projects would finally find their way to the service. Still, it looks like this is going to be quite the summer for Star Wars and Marvel fans.
With the Star Wars Celebration on the horizon, a new piece by Vanity Fair has given us a plethora of information on what the future has in store for Star Wars fans, most notably updates on the mysterious The Acolyte Disney+ series. Showrunner Leslye Headland offered a tease of what and when the series will take place.
In the Vanity Fair interview, she reveals that The Acolyte takes place around 100 years before the events of The Phantom Menace. So, it looks like we’re about to enter a new era that hasn’t been explored yet in a live-action adaptation so far.
A lot of those characters haven’t even been born yet. We’re taking a look at the political and personal and spiritual things that came up in a time period that we don’t know much about. My question when watching The Phantom Menace was always like, ‘Well, how did things get to this point?’ How did we get to a point where a Sith lord can infiltrate the Senate and none of the Jedi pick up on it? Like, what went wrong? What are the scenarios that led us to this moment?”
Leslye Headland
She goes on to highlight the series as a mystery thriller during what seems like a “peaceful era,” which she coins as the “Age of Enlightenment.”
We actually use the term the Renaissance, or the Age of Enlightenment. The Jedi uniforms are gold and white, and it’s almost like they would never get dirty. They would never be out and about. “The idea is that they could have these types of uniforms because that’s how little they’re getting into skirmishes.
Leslye Headland
It definitely sounds like we’re going to explore an era similar to the High Republic but one that is in the middle of shifting into a new era that has a dark foreboding future for the Jedi.
Watts has reunited with Chris Ford, the writer of Spider-Man: Homecoming, to create an original Star Wars streaming series for Disney Plus. The project, code named “Grammar Rodeo”, will be set in The New Republic era, which means it’ll be taking place around the same time as Lucasfilm’s biggest streaming success to date, The Mandalorian. Earlier rumors suggested it might be set during a much earlier time known as The High Repbulic.
The series will reportedly revolve around a very young main cast, with Lucasfilm casting several teen and pre-teen actors. According to Vanity Fair, the series will be a “galactic version of classic Amblin coming-of age-adventure films of the ’80s”, meaning such films as E.T., The Goonies and perhaps even Back to the Future could serve as inspiration for the project. Watts has a great track record working with young actors, so he seems a perfect fit for Lucasfilm’s plans.
Production on the series is rumored to kick off next month, so it’s likely we’ll learn much more about the project soon, perhaps even at Star Wars Celebration, which runs from May 26th-29th.
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