Marvel News

There has been a ton of Marvel news over the last month so kick back, grab a tea or coffee, and let's get started.

Colour me silly for worrying about Ant-Man and the Wasp's box office in my last post, as it did monster business in Asia (China and Japan specifically). The franchise, for whatever reason, makes its hay domestically and in Asia (adding roughly 200 million between when I wrote my post and as I'm writing this). Let's be clear: the film isn't a hit, in MCU terms, but it's not a disappointment either. The haul, currently 617k, has it lower than everything besides the first film once you get beyond Phase One--a clear indication that it doesn't draw as well as the other properties (I happen to think it's inferior to the first film as well). Will they make another? It's an open question. If they do I think they'll need a better plot--the rescue of Janet Van Dyne doesn't have much tension to it and in the film neither Scott or Hope really evolve as characters (Hank Pym and Bill Foster actually have the strongest arcs).

I'd been wondering how Disney was going to pitch its streaming service since, for many, there just isn't enough material coming to it to be interesting (even with the additional Fox material). The surprising answer are shows produced by Kevin Feige featuring MCU heavies--Loki and Scarlett Witch were specifically mentioned for 6-8 episode series (the former immensely popular, the latter finally gaining traction from her Infinity War performance). The idea is to feature secondary characters who can't anchor their own movie and I think that's a great idea. My only fear is that we'll be beset by an overabundance of prequels and I hope that's not the route they take. As I've gone over before, the problem with prequels is stakes--what's my investment when I already know how a story turns out?

Speaking of the streaming service, while I think it's a long shot, Howard the Duck star Lea Thompson has pitched a reboot of that IP to Marvel and while they didn't bite it's the kind of thing that could fit on TV.

In the lead-up to Iron Fist season two a video showing fight choreography was released. This was a necessity I believe, given how much criticism the first season received because of that specifically. What was shown in the video was good and the general reception of the second season has been comparatively positive (in that respect and overall).

I'll have a full review of the show eventually (I'm nearly done my work on The Punisher--very timely I know), but in brief I think the second season was a step-up from the first (which, unlike most critics, I actually enjoyed). I was afraid we would see a diminished role for Ward Meachem, who was the standout from the first season, but he was there in all his glory. The writers made Joy a real character, removed Danny Rand's petulant side, hit a homerun with Alice Eve's Typhoid Mary (whose inclusion was Jeph Loeb's idea), and brought Misty Knight into the show. Davos was a good antagonist, but doesn't join the elite Netflix villains--the attempt to humanize him mostly works, but he's not at the caliber of a Wilson Fisk, Kilgrave, or a Billy Russo. On the down side I think Colleen Wing continues to lack her own identity (her motivation throughout the show is still Danny Danny Danny), and that the aforementioned Misty remains a very flat character (calls for a Daughters of the Dragon team-up are, from what I can tell, restricted to those who wanted it before we ever saw it). I'm curious if the ending of the season is attempting to separate Danny and Colleen in a way to try and push separate shows for each. I'd be on board for a Danny/Ward vehicle and, with the proper pitch, could get behind Daughters of the Dragon (which, if nothing else, will review well).

Incidentally, I've mentioned for quite some time (for example) that I think Netflix is missing out by not having its leads cross over into each other's shows (ala the MCU and the CW) and I was gratified that IF showrunner Raven Metzner indicates (link above) that he'd love to have characters like Jessica Jones and Trish Walker appear on Iron Fist. He also wants Danny Rand to have his costume, so it seems like Netflix is what's standing in the way of that happening (for whatever reason--in all the shows they've radically limited how often we see any character wearing their signature gear).

The big questions is: will we get a season three? I think it deserves it, as this season was better than Luke Cage 2, The Defenders, and much better than Jessica Jones 2. It lands, I think, in the middle group of Netflix seasons. My hierarchy:
Best
Jessica Jones 1
Daredevil 1
Punisher
Middle
Daredevil 2 (Punisher stuff is top tier, Elektra stuff is terrible)
Iron Fist 2
Iron Fist 1

Luke Cage 1

Bottom
The Defenders
Luke Cage 2
Jessica Jones 2
Netflix has been quiet on the renewal front since the trigger happy approval of Jessica Jones season three (I have to think the reception of JJ2 has made them hesitate)--we're three months removed from LC2 and there's still no announcement of a sequel. What will the future hold? It remains to be seen.

The marketing for Daredevil season three, just a month away (October 19th), has begun in earnest, with both a teaser attached to IF2 and now a trailer.  It's still very early and we know only the bare minimum about the plot, but I suspect very soon we'll get a full trailer for the show and a better idea of what's coming. I suspect it's dropping close to Iron Fist because of Netflix fears over how that show would be received, but as it happens IF2 is a nice palate cleanser after the mixed bag of LC2 and disappointment of JJ2--fans will be geared up for the show which I expect to do very well.

We'd heard from Netflix that there are no plans for a second Defenders mini-series (something Krysten Ritter said back in March) and when asked about this the ever-optimistic Jeph Loeb said:

there are no plans right now [to do more]. It doesn’t mean that it’s off the table. And it doesn’t mean that it even has to be with the original characters that were in the first

These types of shows can't be thrown together quickly and the second comment suggests to me that the original group of Defenders is dead. Why Netflix made that decision I'm not sure--perhaps they think the work to organize it properly isn't worth the investment, but if that's the case I think they're throwing away a huge opportunity--part of what makes the MCU so successful is how interconnected it is (that is also broadly what makes comics successful). I don't think Netflix has access to enough characters to do a completely different team, but the context from Loeb seems to suggest that it's a possibility. It'll be interesting to see what happens going forward, but I wouldn't expect any movement on this any time soon.

To put myself on the spot, these are the other characters who could possibly suit up for a Defenders-like team-up: the Punisher, Trish Walker (if she ever becomes Hellcat), Misty Knight, Colleen Wing, Micro, and really stretching Turk (however unlikely that is, but I love Rob Morgan). Part of me wants to add Elektra, but that character was so horrifically botched I think she'd be a poison pill for the show. The problem is a lack of demand for some of the aforementioned. They could go for a more anti-hero slant, so someone like Typhoid Mary with the Punisher (and possibly Bullseye, depending on how that character turns out), but you can see the problem--you really have to stretch to find enough heroes. It's far more likely if that another series would feature Daredevil, the Punisher, and whichever other characters are popular when it gets approved.

On the TV side of things ABC recently announced an all-female series from Allan Heinberg. Variety adds:

Should the project move forward

I'm not sure what the caveat means, if anything, but it's something of a mystery to imagine which characters would be included for this. Some of the women from Agents of SHIELD? Presumably these will be quite minor characters given that the Disney streaming service (and MCU in general) will have their pick of the best. And how does any of this relate to the story from last October (also from Variety) about a superhero comedy being developed at ABC? I haven't seen any other reports about it in the media since--is the project dead?

The Eternals film has a director, as Chloe Zhao has landed the role. I've seen none of her films and have no idea how she'll do, but it's another indicator the movie is coming sooner than later (hurried along due to Guardians 3 being put on ice--see below).

Ain't it Cool (of all people) is floating this rumour:

I work at various movie studios in the UK and have been situated at Pinewood for a few weeks, and I'm moving to Cardiff on a project soon. I haven't seen anything about this online anywhere, so I thought id send the info on to you: Space at Pinewood has been booked for November & December 2018 to hold auditions for a Marvel project called CAPTAIN BRITAIN AND THE BLACK KNIGHT. The name of the director booked in for all these dates is GUY RITCHIE. Marvel seems to be moving fast with it to fill in the space left behind by Danny Boyle's aborted Bond 25. Everyone is excited because it looks like another few months of solid work when we thought we would have to wait a while.

The fly in the ointment of this idea is that Ritchie is supposed to be preparing for Toff Guys (filming in October), so I think we can safely put this down as just another Captain Britain rumour (with no script or actors it's impossible to imagine a film being cobbled together at the last minute).

Not surprisingly, production on Guardians of the Galaxy 3 (slatted for a May, 2020 release) is on
hold. Without a director in place the movie can't possibly go forward and the search for one may go on for some time. It will also be interesting to see what Disney does with Dave Bautista, given how hard he's pushing to escape the movie (going full Hugo Weaving in saying he'll do it if he must, but he doesn't want too). Oddly enough eliminating Drax isn't that hard, as his limited arc of revenge against Ronan and Thanos will be completed and having the other Guardians as his emotional family helps with the loss of his wife and daughter. On a personal level the only Guardian I have any investment in anymore is Rocket (what, really, is left for the rest to do? Quill and Gamora have acknowledged their love, Groot is simply coming full circle, and Mantis isn't an actual character), so if the third film is abandoned I'm okay with that. Of more interest is whether the MCU will try to fill the date with another movie or simply let it go (it's hard to imagine Disney not using that date in May).

Yet more Spider-Man: Far From Home rumours as some are speculating (for example) that Molten Man may appear. The source of this is upcoming toy releases, making it plausible but not definitive (sometimes random elements are included with promotional toy material). I agree with Jeremy Conrad that if he is in the movie it must be very briefly (given how seemingly overcrowded the film is). It makes me wonder if he and the rumoured Hydro Man appearance will be part of a montage of Spider-Man dealing with villains around Europe rather than being major parts of the story.

Rumours that Pepper Potts will appear continue (matching a theory I covered earlier), which is joined by speculation that Happy Hogan will also appear. With both having been photographed on set I think we can safely say they are definitively involved (although in what capacity remains to be seen--just cameos or something more? I'd guess the former).

I've been dreading the idea that the Black Widow movie will be a prequel (because prequels lack stakes) and rumours to that effect popped up again--apparently this is simply a rehash of rumours from July that amount to speculation. I can hope we'll see her story move forward rather than reflect on an already well-understood past.

A subsequent rumour from Conrad (best known in MCU circles, I suppose, for breaking The Eternals story) is this:

the Y2K bug on December 31, 1999 will play some part in the plot of Black Widow. In Captain America: The Winter Soldier, it was confirmed that Natasha Romanoff was born in 1984; so that would make her 16 [or 15] at the time of Y2K. Based [on] that age and on the flashbacks in Avengers: Age of Ultron, that would place her still under the control of the Red Room and likely not with S.H.I.E.L.D..

Jeremy spends his article reflecting on how this flashback scene or element will relate to it generally being a prequel, but my hope is that we're only getting flashbacks and whatever the main plot of the movie is occurs in the present (it's really hard to imagine how you'd sell a full prequel movie because it would feature none of the MCU heavies--just possible appearances from Hawkeye,Winter Soldier, and possibly Nick Fury--which makes it sound like something more appropriate for Disney's streaming service).

This article is written by Peter Levi (@eyeonthesens)