Marvel News

Variety shed additional light on what's going on internally at Disney and how Feige's expanded powers came to be and two things stood out:

• I'd missed that Feige was given creative control over the comics in the original Deadline article, but that control will make it much easier for their to be harmony throughout the brand (Ike Perlmutter will still run the comic side, but no longer has influence on its creative direction)
• Variety confirmed that Jeph Loeb is on his way out soon and THR updated this to say he would be gone by Thanksgiving (previously Daniel said he would retire at the end of the year, which is clearly in error, as the report says he's been looking for a deal elsewhere for awhile)

The article goes into Perlmutter's dwindling influence at Disney, despite being its largest shareholder, something Bob Iger has gradually arranged (buttressed by Feige's extraordinary success).

After Charles Murphy's Ant-Man 3 scoop, he said on social media and his podcast that the rumour came from only one source, so it couldn't be confirmed and therefore might not be correct. Murphy's sources are typically very good, but this caution should be kept in mind. He was told the film would introduce and feature the Young Avengers, which would be a great incentive to get people to show up to an Ant-Man film (something, as I went over last time, the franchise struggles with). Murphy also offered a hint, rather than the rest of the scoop, saying "Limbo," which in the MCU refers to three places: the first is a dimension of demons ruled by Belasco and featured mainly in the X-Men IP. The second is ruled by Immortus, the future self of Kang...which appears in exactly one comic connected to Spider-Boy (presumably the rights for it are split with Sony). The third (the "Realm Between") is a soul realm only featured in Spider-Man, so Sony would own it.

Let's address the Young Avengers first. Their appearance in the MCU has been long rumoured: the original group consisted of Stature (Cassie Lang), Kate Bishop, Wiccan, Iron Lad, Hulkling, and Patriot. I don't think Feige will feel any need to mirror this as-such, since the group doesn't have the cache of The Avengers, X-Men, etc (invented in 2005 it's only been able to support 28 total issues). So what do we have ahead of us that would fit? Cassie has been introduced and Kate is definitively planned, with Wiccan heavily rumoured (possibly with his brother Speed); Kamala Khan (Ms. Marvel) is also on her way and would be the right age for this, as is Spider-Man; there's also the possibility of Morgan Stark (it seems odd to cast Katherine Langford in Endgame, cut her, and then never use her again)--her reappearing would be possible given the opening up of the multiverse, but this is purely my own speculation. That's seven possible members, which is more than enough for a team.

Limbo: the first suggested, ruled by Belasco (an obscure character whose origins are in the Savage Lands and who is heavily tied to Magik, the sister of Colossus), then by Madelyne Prior in a plot connected to Mister Sinister. As much as I love the X-Men, it seems unlikely they would be introduced in the same film with the Young Avengers. Another possibility is using Kang, about whom rumours have been floating for awhile (WGTC has echoed them, but none of the serious scoopers (or even GWW and LotLB) have). Kang is a classic Fantastic Four villain, but that doesn't preclude him from being used with other IP. The third possibility is that the word is being used far more loosely and refers to a character (or characters) stuck in limbo. This third idea is one we can safely throw out, because it doesn't fit the idea of a specific hint being given.

Does the basic idea (the Young Avengers in Ant-Man 3) seem plausible? Yes. It would solve the problem Ant-Man has had in attracting more interest. Does a plot including Limbo seem plausible? The Quantum Realm seems more IP-appropriate, but that aside it works. What's missing, for me, is the connection to Ant-Man himself and there's nothing about Limbo that really connects to the Young Avengers, so it comes across as a strange choice.

We've had rumours about Dwayne Johnson playing Namor for quite some time (most recently LotLB and Movie Hole), but the recent announcement that Black Adam is going into production (in July) suggests this is false. It's not that actors can't crossover from DC to Marvel (as Laurence Fishburne has done), but given that Namor and Black Adam would be on screen at the same time, I don't think it's feasible (I think Marvel insists on exclusivity as well). I never put much stock into these rumours (seeing them as, if anything, a tactic used by Johnson to put pressure on DC), but I think we can end them now. I always thought they'd want to cast a different actor regardless, as Johnson is 47 and has a crowded schedule.

Murphy is saying that, on average, the Disney+ shows will have a four month production schedule (for comparison the Marvel Netflix shows, which had twice as many episodes, took 5-6 months). From the Tweet it sounds like Murphy is guessing, but it's a reasonable guess.

Discussing Film's August scoop that Falcon and the Winter Soldier would begin filming in October has proven correct, as the show began filming October 21st.

Conrad is now beating the drum that LotLB (August) and Sutton (September) have (with no attribution, naturally), which is that we might get (some) of the Netflix actors back in their roles in the MCU. The latter pair have said or intimated the characters will be as-is, but Conrad adds this caveat:

It sounds like someone very important [his emphasis] at Marvel Studios really liked Daredevil and Jessica Jones, so at the very least it sounds like the characters [my emphasis] will live on in the MCU. This does not mean the Netflix series as you remember them are being revived or brought back. Instead, those characters might (once the moratorium is up [fall 2021 and early 2022] and Marvel can use them again) appear in future MCU movies or series. That’s without rebooting them, which means it’s possible that Charlie Cox and Krysten Ritter could continue in the roles.

What he's saying is the characters (as in, the IP) will shift over to Marvel with possibly the same actors. I've been arguing ever since Daredevil was cancelled that he would appear in the MCU, but all the characters would be quite different from their Netflix portrayals. Conrad is saying the shows won't be revived, but won't be rebooted, implying they become canonical, but dead (this is implied because we're using the same actors and, presumably, continuity). I find this very odd, as the MCU has no incentive to canonize the Netflix shows (you'd want to supplant them). Doing so, however, with the same actors, isn't easy and invites backlash. Krysten Ritter is 38 and by the time the IP is available she'll be 40--that's pushing it for the character to be introduced. Charlie Cox could only do an older version of Daredevil--doable, but it restricts opportunities. Funnily enough, only Finn Jones is young enough to easily transition over, but clearly Marvel won't do that given the antipathy from his haters.

I'm a little puzzled at the creative space Conrad is suggesting here, since his version requires the same actors as he's canonizing their shows. It would be far simpler to reboot the characters, having the Netflix versions be from another universe (hell, you could bring Charlie Cox over that way if you want). I'm a bit lost at what the benefit of having all the Netflix baggage brought in--what does the MCU gain from that when they don't own the shows? We'll have to wait and see, since it seems like Conrad, Sutton, and LotLB don't have a firm grasp of what the plans are. Were it up to me I'd do as suggested above (bring Cox in from another reality), either as a cameo or as a secondary character--perhaps he retires to be simply be a lawyer while the MCU-version of Daredevil is just starting out (you could have him in college and do his origin and the Elektra storyline correctly).

The new Redditor (who I'm beginning to think is a new account for TMSM) talked about Spider-Man in the MCU:

• Marvel is legitimately considering buying the Spider-Man rights back from Sony, but whether or not it'll happen is seriously in doubt. [Echoing Sutton]
• Assuming Marvel doesn't buy Spidey back, there is a plan in place for a new deal that will benefit both sides of the equation. [Disney's plan given the specifics below]
• Spider-Man will be allowed to have as many solo films as possible in the MCU. (Word on the street is that Marvel's planning at least four more.) Marvel will also be able to use their own versions of the characters that Sony is using as lead characters in their movies. (Venom, Black Cat, etc.) [This would cut out the legs from the Sony films and I can't imagine they'd agree to it; the number of planned Spidey films suggested is almost certainly from some off-the-cuff comments Feige made a few months ago]
• Norman Osborn will be one of the MCU's next major antagonists, and will FOR SURE debut in Spider-Man 3. [Osborn rumours go back a long way to many sources--including Daniel (2018 and 2019), but excluding LotLB, myself, and, well, common sense given the current rights situation]
• Sony, however, will also be able to use Tom Holland's Spider-Man in the SUMC. This version of Spider-Man will still be played by Holland, but he will be from Sony's universe and will have a different costume and backstory. Sony will also be able to bring back characters like Mysterio and Vulture, but they may have to be played by different actors. [This could be enormously confusing for fans]
• Sony is already counting on this happening, and they plan to introduce Spider-Man in Venom 2. (In case it wasn't obvious, this is why Tom Hardy posted THAT pic the other day.) [This is pretty confusing because the Venom sequel comes out during the tenure of the current deal, so would have to follow whatever is outlined there, which isn't how this comment is framed]
• Sony has also revived the Sinister Six film, and it will be a redemption story like Drew Goddard's [2013] original idea. [See below]
• Sony is also developing films centered around The Prowler, Cardiac, Spider-Man 2099 and Spider-Gwen. The current plan is for Venom 3 to adapt "Maximum Carnage" and unite all of their properties in a huge crossover.
• The Silver Sable/Black Cat movie is back on the table, and no longer solo films for each character. [Murphy scooped that the original concept was cancelled because it included Norman Osborn and Marvel objected to that]
• The Kraven movie is dead. He's likely to be used as the Spider-Man 3 villain.
• Currently, the likely upcoming slate is as follows: Morbius (2020), Venom 2 (2020), Silver & Black (2021), The Sinister Six (2021), Nightwatch (2021), The Prowler (2022), Jackpot (2022), Madame Web (2022), Silk (2023), Spider-Man 2099 (2023), Cardiac (2023), Spider-Gwen (2024) and Venom 3 (2024).

I last updated the Sony slate in March, so before addressing the above let's recap what's officially known, keeping in mind Sony doesn't have a czar of their Marvel IP--instead, it's a three-headed monster consisting of Palak Patel, Avid Arad, and Amy Pascal (who, despite having been fired and now at Universal, has a rights stake in the IP); I've included which of the three is the primary on the movies below:
Morbius (July/20) - Patel
Venom 2 (Oct/20) - Patel
The Sinister Six - Drew Godard's project planned in 2013 as an expansion of the Andrew Garfield Spider-verse; it was put on ice for awhile, but Pascal (last year) said it was back 'on' and waiting for Godard to have time for it (he's currently working on The Good Place for NBC and he signed a four-picture deal with Fox just before the Disney purchase (March), meaning it's unlikely he'll be available any time soon) (Arad)
Nightwatch - has no director attached, but former Luke Cage showrunner Cheo Hodari Coker was working on the script last year--it's been quiet since (Arad)
Kraven - has had a writer since 2018, but nothing else (Arad)
Madame Web - writers were hired this September as an attempted spinoff of Morbius (Patel)
Black Cat & Silver Sable - envisioned as one movie (Silver & Black) and then split into solo projects with no writer or directors attached (see the note above) (Pascal)
Jackpot - brought up in the summer of 2018, it has no one attached and there's been no movement on it (Arad)
Silk - brought up at the same time as Jackpot, there's been no movement since (Pascal)
Other properties have been mentioned, but nothing has happened beyond vague talk.

What this boils down too is that there are a lot of plans, but very little commitment to them (much less so than DC--see below). I suspect that how Morbius performs will determine if the other D-grade characters get a chance to appear on film (Venom, I think, only truly secures more Venom for now). None of the projects without dates has a director except Sinister Six and Godard isn't truly available, so in essence this is all theoretical and could disappear at a moment's notice.

Knowing the above, the Redittor's list of upcoming films is all but impossible--he has three 2021 films listed, two of whom lack scripts and all three lack directors (Sinister Six simply due to availability). It's possible to make a film in 18 months or so, but it will be rushed and I don't think Sony would do that (definitely not crunched together three at a time). However, the Redditor does preface the list with "likely," so to be fair we can probably throw out his speculation without automatically debunking the whole piece.

Do I believe this? I think the MCU, if they aren't buying Sony, would be happy to have access to their own versions of all the Sony IP, but I can't imagine Sony agreeing to that. Because there is no new deal or purchase of Sony at-hand, I can't imagine Marvel planning on having Norman Osborn as a major villain in the near future--it would be impossible to plan for. Ultimately I think what's above is simply someone's speculation.

Sutton (split over four YT channels (one and two, three, four; repeated entirely here) offered up this scoop:

• WandaVision/Doctor Strange 2 will be the set-up for the 2015 Jonathan Hickman version of Secret Wars and function very much like a comic crossover
• Spider-Man in Venom 3; how this transpires depends on the Song-Disney deal, with Disney wanting Feige to control the film; if Feige isn't given control, then the Spider-Man will be a Sony version who, while still played by Tom Holland, won't be the same version [echoing the idea mentioned above]
• The MCU wants Secret Wars to be done in parts [ala a comic crossover, as mentioned above], rather than simply one or two self-contained team-up films like the Avengers
• Sony wants to have all three versions of their big screen Spider-Men meet in order to overcome a planet of Symbiots [This would make sense for Sony as a way to tie-in their old films]
• Marvel Zombies will face off against the Spirits of Vengeance characters on Hulu with Mephisto behind it as part of Secret Wars [The Spirits of Vengeance idea echoes Deadline's description of the Hulu's plans back in May; we know Marvel Zombies are appearing on What If?]
• Galactus and Doctor Doom will be the main antagonists, with Mandarin and Red Skull supporting (the idea being the Doom would rule Europe, Mandarin Asia, and Red Skull America)

LotLB have been beating the Secret Wars drum since August (which Sutton has jumped in on), but it's a popular notion (eg Charlie did a video on it last year). I like the idea of a crossover event being done like a traditional comicbook event (which is to say parts would play out in each particular show or film, with a uniting team-up film to resolve it--this would be unique and give it a different feel than the Infinity Saga). This idea would also help push the Disney+ and Hulu platforms as being integral parts of the MCU. Whether Feige wants to continue with Spirits of Vengeance remains to be seen. Finally, I think many people see both Galactus and Doctor Doom as future, major antagonists, so that element is plausible. Red Skull's inclusion is new to me, although it's possible.

Somewhat related, it looks like we can debunk the strange rumour from LotLB that Scarlett Johansson would be returning as Black Widow in Black Widow 2, as the actress confirmed her character was dead and would stay that way (leaving the door open to an alternate universe version of her, but that's not what LotLB were pitching).

I haven't talked about DC comprehensively in over a year. With the DCEU an incoherent mess it's been difficult to discuss, but now that Black Adam is heading towards production it seems like a good time to review the slate. Those films without a date in green are certain to happen, those in red I believe or are known to be dead; those with no colour I have no strong feeling either way.

Upcoming Films
Birds of Prey (Feb.7/20) - looks like a hot mess, but so did Wonder Woman and it was a successful film
Wonder Woman 1984 (June 5, 2020; originally Nov.1/19) - I'm glad Chris Pine is back, but it looks like we're reaching Fox levels of continuity by doing so--I'm interested to see why our hero decided not to stop World War 2
The Batman (June 25/21; originally 2018 then 2019) - in production on some level since Ben Affleck was picked to play Batman in 2014; filming begins in January, 2020 (the more I hear the more it's sounding like a CW show)

The Suicide Squad (Aug.6/21) - the original envisioned sequel was thrown away after the reception of the first film and James Gunn is essentially doing a soft reboot

The Flash (2021; originally Mar.23/18) - many directors and scripts have come and gone, but it seems like things have settled down with pre-production slated for January, 2020
Aquaman 2 (Dec.16/22)

Films Without Release Dates
Black Adam - announced in January, 2017; has a director and production date (July, 2020)
Shazam 2 - despite low box office profit for a modern comicbook film, production on the sequel is planned for mid-2020
New Gods - announced in March, 2018, with Ava DuVernay (fresh off bombing out with Wrinkle in Time) attached; the original script writer has been jettisoned and the new script is not yet complete
Green Lantern Corps (July 24/20; originally June of that year) - it has had screenwriters since 2017, but there is no director attached nor anything official said about it in a long time
Gotham City Sirens - announced in December, 2016, with both a director (David Ayer--yes, Suicide Squad David Ayer) and screenwriter attached; Birds of Prey was given priority and there's been no movement on it since
Nightwing - announced in February, 2017; both a director and script attached with the latter completed at some point in 2018; however, it's likely it can't move forward until The Batman is released
Batgirl - announced in March, 2017, but attached writer/director Joss Whedon walked away (due both to the failure of Justice League as well as his well-publicized foibles regarding his ex-wife), being replaced by Birds of Prey writer Hodson in April

Supergirl - announced in August, 2018, with a script writer attached; there's been no news since

Blue Beetle - given a writer and executive producer in November, 2018, but quiet ever since

Plastic Man - announced in December, 2018; it has a script writer, but no other news since
The Trench - an Aquaman spinoff announced in February, 2019; producers and screen writers are attached and the plan is to have it out before Aquaman 2 (it lacks a director, however)
Justice League Dark - originally an idea from Guillermo del Toro back in 2013; he departed in 2015, replaced by Doug Liman who also left (in 2017); there's no completed script and no news about it since

Booster Gold - announced in September, 2015 (I missed it in my earlier list); it has a script, but hasn't received the green light from WB

Justice League sequel - while not declared dead by WB, given the departure of Cavill and Affleck there's no chance at all for a sequel as originally conceived

Lobo - announced in March, 2016 (it's not clear how much of the plans date back to the 2009 project); it has a screenwriter attached and Michael Bay (!) was approached in 2018

Man of Steel 2 - put in "active production" August, 2016, but with no script, director, and no Cavill, it's difficult to imagine it ever happening

Deadshot - announced in December, 2016, but there's been no news since

Harley Quinn/Joker film - announced in August, 2017; had a writer/director attached and production wax supposed to begin after Birds of Prey, but was recently cancelled
Deathstroke - reported on October, 2017, with Gareth Evans rumoured to write and direct, but while WB has greenlit the film, Evans isn't official attached and there's been no further progress
Cyborg (formerly Apr.3/20) - has no director or script and is listed as "delayed"
Joker - in June, 2018, a Leto-based film was put into early development, but after the other Joker film was a hit and Leto is in Morbius it's no surprise that it has been cancelled

Many of these projects lack directors, which is typically the point where a studio is much more committed. I suspect all the Batman-related projects are awaiting the reception of The Batman before moving forward, just as the Harley Quinn spinoffs are awaiting the reception of Birds of Prey. Beyond that only New Gods and Shazam 2 seem probable in the short-term, as DC is still unsure about how it wants to proceed.

One comicbook property that's just arrived is HBO's Watchmen. I'm one of those rare people who enjoyed both the comic and Zack Snyder's 2009 adaptation of it (Alan Moore's is better, but I thought Snyder tried hard to stick to its spirit). When I heard HBO was making a sequel (as opposed to the redundant prequels DC put out years ago), I would have been excited except Damon Lindelof was put in charge. This isn't about Lindelof quitting Twitter for mixing advertising (Dark Knight) with an empty gesture of support for shooting victims (something I learned of doing research for this), but rather his prior work. His beginnings are on generic crime shows (Nash Bridges and Crossing Jordan) to being a major factor in the clusterfuck that was Lost; he helmed box office bomb Cowboys & Aliens, was part of the incomprehensible mess that was Prometheus, franchise-killing Star Trek Into Darkness, and the derided World War Z. His resume does not inspire confidence. Lindelof defenders usually point to the supernatural mystery show The Leftovers, but given that the bulk of his work is mediocre to bad and whose plots have holes and unravel badly, I have no idea why HBO picked him for such a massive IP.

With that out of the way, just because I wasn't interested in the show doesn't necessarily reflect the public. One way to gauge popular interest is the response to weather vane Charlie of Emergency Awesome, who will cover things that interest him, but if his audience doesn't care (ala The Gifted) he'll abandon it. The first episode review went up and there's not much interest (it has less than half the views of Charlie's lengthy video on the 8-second Witcher teaser dropped the same day). This could all change, but right now it looks like Lindelof has managed to bury yet another IP.

This article is written by Peter Levi (@eyeonthesens)