Marvel News & Notes

Episode six has come and gone so let's go over it. According to Kevin Feige, this is the last of the short episodes--it clocks in at 29 minutes (bringing the show's tally up to 162 minus credits etc) [An interjection after I posted this: I leaned on Small Screen to do their research for this, but in doing it myself I've learned Lauder simply accepted a Facebook post at face value that linked an old Collider interview with Matt Shakman--all that's said there is confirmation by the director that the entire show is about six hours, which is not the same thing as three remaining longer episodes (Shakman actually refused to comment about episode length)]. It's a good episode, but not as strong as episode five (Evan Peters stands out with an excellent performance). At this point we're far enough into the show to make some general statements about what has worked and what hasn't.

The Good

The story and performances centered on Wanda and Vision in Westview are superb (even if the sitcom humour isn't always on target); the two actors have been fantastic, with the supporting cast doing a wonderful job (the only exception being Julian Hilliard's Wiccan, but that's a minor point). All have easily managed the transition back and forth between sitcom and drama, providing a strong backbone that spurs the show forward. Both Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany standout as the best performers on the show.

The Mediocre

Despite its importance to plot, everything with SWORD has been average, occasionally stooping to lazy for the sake of the plot. None of the performances hit the level of Westview, with Randall Park's Jimmy Woo as the strongest component (granting he's not being asked to do much and can't elevate the performances around him). Darcy has been surprisingly hit and miss and that's clearly down to the writing--she has inexplicable tonal shifts and lacks development. Teyonah Paris (Moncia) has been fine, but once removed from Westview hasn't been asked to show any range, so (like the rest of the actors here) is simply flat. It seems clear the writers were more interested in Westview and spent very little time fleshing out the SWORD characters.

The Bad

Josh Stamberg's Tyler Hayward is distractingly bad (a rare miss from casting director Sarah Finn)--dragging down the mediocre writing for SWORD as well as the performers around him. His performance is flat and uninteresting. His villainy--SWORD doing dastardly things (ala SHIELD in Winter Soldier)--comes across as cartoony because he poses no threat whatsoever to Wanda--he can't even effectively threaten the Woo trio, preventing him from adding tension to the situation (he's almost at Jacques Clouseau levels of incompetence). There's nothing wrong with the character type (he is, in many ways, a clone of Robert Redford's Alexander Pierce, but he lacks both the acting ability and the development to make for an interesting antagonist). We are blessed that he's almost certainly disposable and not our primary antagonist.

Monica Rambeau's Superhero Origin

Does the show successfully set-up Monica as a character to invest in? Not yet. She's been an adequate supporting character (more effective in Westview than out), but lacks dramatic tension and internal conflict (she just learned her mother died and it's had no impact on her whatsoever). This isn't a fatal flaw because it's not the Monica Rambeau show, but currently she's too one-dimensional--our only hint at depth being her surprising reaction to Carol Danvers. Functionally there's nothing separating her from Jimmy Woo, which is a problem (I suppose Jimmy has the leg-up because he can do card tricks). The show missed an easy point of conflict by giving her a past relationship with Hayward that would add tension to the SWORD scenes (granting that Stamberg probably can't make that work). One thing I'm very curious about is how the MCU will handle her power levels--there's been a lot of power creep and the universe is much more interesting when fewer characters can tackle Thanos easily (in terms of villain resolutions, Doctor Strange is one of the most satisfying--Strange can't defeat Dormammu, so has to outsmart him). The best heroes have to pay a price for what they do, and Monica's mother dying off-screen doesn't cut it--there is, however still time to sort that out.

Back to the Episode

The Westview story, particularly what we got from both Vision and Quicksilver (see below) was excellent. The low point remains the drama with SWORD (the trio getting kicked out is cartoonish and I'm not sure how/when Darcy became a hacker--I don't remember that being part of her character in the first two Thor films). I think--or at least hope--the ending of SWORD's containment will nudge that part of the story into a more interesting paradigm.

Quicksilver

Who is Evan Peters playing? On one level, the show is selling that he's playing the Aaron Taylor-Johnson iteration of the character (we see him riddled with bullets ala Age of Ultron), but I don't think we can take that at face value. Why is Quicksilver hyper aware of what's happening in the town when Vision is oblivious? Those two are the proper comparison, because they are the only dead characters who have reappeared. Vision can't even remember being a member of the Avengers, but not only does Quicksilver know his own past (to some extent at least--he dodges Wanda testing that fully), he knows that Vision died--how? We also have Pietro's easy acceptance of what Wanda is doing (holding thousands captive to participate in her Shangri-La). These oddities have me wondering if he's actually Nightmare or Mephisto--it would explain the hyper awareness, showing himself as dead to Wanda, and encouraging the continuance of the horror that the citizens of Westview are enduring. The show certainly needs an antagonist with the power to threaten Wanda (as opposed to the limp efforts of Hayward) to keep the dramatic tension high.

The Engineer

It looks like we'll finally meet Monica's aerospace engineer, who may or may not be impacted by the expanded hex zone (whether Darcy will be empowered by passing through it or not is unclear). The fan noise for the role is mostly Reed Richards (or Doctor Doom or even Beast), but I think K. C. Walsh's hint that it's the unremarkable Blue Marvel is more likely--that could be why so many scoopers are pushing for a character virtually no one has heard of (cf)--apparently he has a romance with Monica in the comics, which would give him relevance. On the positive side, we can dispense with the mundane option of it being the random Skrull that Monica befriended in Captain Marvel, not only because it appears this is a male character, but there's no reason to spend two episodes building up a reveal for a character no one remembers.

Lauder is claiming that Ultron will make an appearance in WandaVision. This is plausible speculation, since the show is heavily focused on dealing with Wanda's past trauma (it's not a unique idea, but none of the bigger scoopers have pushed it).

After the superbowl trailer dropped, Daniel claimed Erin Kellyman is playing a gender-swapped Flag-smasher (which turned out not to be a scoop by him, but rather something revealed via a toy leak). This represents another case of Murphy's speculation gone array (in October he believed Noah Mills had the role, which joins his twice wrongly speculated guesses over who was Songbird). I bring this up just to remind fans there's a big difference between what Murphy puts out as scoops versus his speculation.

We had a supposed leak on 4chan that, while almost certainly false, is at least restrained (this is long):

Trailers have shown almost nothing of the show. Everything in the trailers is from the first episode except Madripoor and the shot of Zemo with his mask in hand from the newest trailer (which is ironically from the last episode)

Therapy sessions are a bookend for the show, every episode starts/is intercut with them. Ross is watching. [Unclear if he means General Ross or Everett Ross]

Flagsmasher is not a major character, just a side character used by Zemo as a distraction. Show in general follows a villain of the week format with the exception of Zemo who is built across the 6 episodes.

Steve Rogers does not die (at least not in this show). There is a funeral, but it's for General Ross (he's not really dead, but going underground)

John Walker is referred to as Captain America throughout his run with the shield. At one point he is referred to in dialogue as "a US Agent" but that's it. He's not a full on villain, he genuinely wants what's best for the country but he follows orders to a fault and has crippling PTSD.

Race is a HEAVY theme in the show. Sam isn't allowed the shield because of the Sokovia Accords, but the real reason is because he is black. When Walker goes off the reservation and beats Eli Bradley in front of cameras, the government tries to give Sam the shield for good PR. This almost leads Sam to forsaking the government entirely but Rhodey brings him back. [I don't buy this at all--see below]

Show doesn't really set Rhodey up for Armor Wars at all.

Bucky's arc is atonement and becoming a human again in the small ways he can. Sharon helps him with this immensely. [I don't buy this either, as Civil War already encapsulates this--what the show seems to be doing is asking the question: who is Bucky now that he's no longer the Winter Soldier and Steve is gone?]

The 5 years after the snap are explored heavily, as is the impact of coming back to a changed world.

Omega Red [Desmond Chiam] and Batroc the Leaper are indeed in the show. They are the villains of episode 3, which is the Madripoor episode. Omega Red is pretty nerfed for the MCU but there's a canon reason. The word "mutant" is never said. [The Omega Red rumour goes back a year to Reddit]

Songbird does NOT appear. Neither do the Inhumans in any capacity. There's also no tie in to Black Widow, at least not one that I noticed. [The first and third are meant to address common assumptions about the show, but the middle point baffles me as I haven't heard them included in rumours]

Zemo's plan is to rid the world of superheros. He escaped and inspired people like Flagsmasher during the snap. He uses the events of WandaVision, John Walker's downfall, and the public uncertainty regarding the snap to radicalize an army.

Sam ends up begrudgingly accepting the role as Captain America but that's because he does it for himself.

Bucky and Sharon end up together. It works better than you think I promise. Sharon is a highlight of the show and one of the most capable characters.

Ross is trying to recreate the super solider serum again, which leads to Red Hulk. Last scene (not post credits, haven't seen that) is an intelligent Red Hulk approaching Zemo after Zemo has just been microchipped with a bomb in his neck to recruit him for Thunderbolts.

Bucky joins the new Shield with Sharon at the end. Sam seeks to reform the Avengers. [I'm doubtful of a reformed SHIELD--what's the point when you have SWORD and already gave SHIELD a full arc?]

Episode 1: details aftermath of Endgame, Sam relinquishes the shield to the government and John Walker, Flagsmashers are trying to steal bioweapon. With Sharon's help they stop them. Zemo revealed to be the villian

Episode 2: John Walker is sent after Zemo. Sam and Bucky continue to butt heads. The three of them have a fight and Zemo gets away. They come back together and catch Zemo

Episode 3. Captured Zemo leads them to Madripoor, they shake Walker in the streets. Batroc and Omega Red attack them in a bar. Zemo escapes on a speedboat, makes a public broadcast

Episode 4: Zemo followers rise up in the streets which leads to vigilantism. Patriot is the main focus. Him and Walker take on a gang together, but he intervenes to stop Walker from killing them and Walker brutalizes him. This was Zemo's plan. Sam meets with Rhodey to discuss being a black superhero [The poster has completely forgotten about Battlestar--you'll see his comment about him below--so has inserted Patroit, an obscure Young Avengers character no one has rumoured for the show]

Episode 5. Sam still refuses to accept the shield. Everyone gets a turn with it, including Sharon as they finish off the Flashsmasher gang. Walker tries to make amends

Episode 6. Sam accepts the role as Captain America. Him, Bucky, Sharon, Walker and Patriot suit up together and take on Zemo in his Alaskan shipping boat base where he plans to launch his bioweapon from [In general these summaries are much too vague to be authentic--no one summarizes like this--interesting moments stand out and get pointed at]

The meat of the show is over 6 months later [after Endgame]

Omega Red's design is I'd say 70% comic accurate, 30% tacticool like most MCU costume design. Unnecessary lines all over. The reveal of his tentacles is very cool though. Even with unfinished VFX

Thunderbolts are set up at the end. The Flashsmashers cult is a bit like the OG comic Thunderbolts visually and ability wise

Says he does not know why Patriot is appearing instead of Battlestar

Noah Mills plays one of the flag-smashers

Zemo kills Erin Kellyman's character

It's basically [Falcon's] show

Zemo does get a sword, but he doesn't use it until the last episode, and its just a vibranium arm [Presumably he means its made of the metal]

My main objection to this is how slight it is on details--what's described is too vague. I don't think Marvel would ever have one of their main characters (in this case, Ross) or the US military reject someone because of their race--the reason for the latter is because of their close relationship (I mentioned it last time in regards to how they dodged sexism in the military for Captain Marvel); the reason not to paint Ross with that brush is pretty obvious (and you'd also have to ask, why haven't we seen this character trait before?).

Tom Drew (The Direct; which, as we've gone over, gets their information from Daniel) says that Adam Hugill has joined the cast of Doctor Strange 2, likely playing the alien minotaur Rintrah who has magical abilities. This is a very obscure character and it will be interesting to see what we get if this is true.

Daniel posted a casting call for Black Panther 2 (verified by Murphy afterwards--in both cases this is from Production Weekly):

[ZYANYA]
Female, 20s-40s, Mayan. Fierce, cunning, a great warrior. Physical training or fight/dance experience is a plus. Strong Supporting role. [Daniel doesn't include it, but via Murphy writer Joseph Aberl, we know they are not restricting the search to just Mayans, but any indigenous person from the Americas--reminiscent of the broad net used to cast Kamala Khan]
[CADMAEL]
Male, 20s-40s, Mayan. 6'0" or taller. Powerful, strong, a loyal warrior and formidable presence. Any fight or stunts experience is a huge plus. Strong Supporting role. [Same stipulation as above]

No one has any clue who these characters are (they might be unique, but I doubt it--Marvel likes using source material--I think they are race-swapped). In terms of disparate connections, indigenous people from the Americas is pretty good. What this might be is a re-writing of Namor and his people--so using those with an indigenous background rather than the expected Asian swap. I'm speculating, but if I'm right, I feel like the decision to greenlight Shang-Chi impacted a lot of expected Asian swaps. The idea itself is an interesting one, because outside of Alpha Flight there aren't many notable indigenous characters in Marvel. Following this chain of logic, perhaps these characters are Namora (his cousin) or Namorita (another cousin) and someone like Llyron (granduncle, which may be too old, but a male relative is what I'm getting at)--ie, members of the Atlantean noble family. It's worth pointing out that it's been argued we're getting White Tiger rather than Namor in the film (cf), and that would suggest these characters are associated with him, but Hector Ayala is Hispanic with no known connection to the Mayans, so I'm doubtful. It will be interesting to see developments going forward, but colour me intrigued. (It would be interesting if a revived Killmonger provided weapons to the Mayans to fight the American-backed Mexican government for autonomy--think of the Zapatista uprising--but Marvel would never do that.)

Speaking of Daniel, he posted casting calls for She-Hulk's parents while intentionally obfuscating a third call for a character dubbed "Parker" (a 30s-40s male character who has a strong supporting role and is possible love interest). I don't know why Daniel didn't provide the full information for Parker, but I'm guessing that description will trickle out via one of his buddies elsewhere.

Skyler Shuler (DisInsider) says Keanu Reeves was approached by Sony for Kraven months ago but turned it down--food for thought.

I failed to mention in December that Dominique Thorne had been cast as Ironheart (I held off thinking we might get more news, but at this point it's time to discuss it). The casting is reminiscent of Iman Vellani for Ms. Marvel in that both are unknown and not actresses you'd expect to lead their own show--much riskier picks than Kate Bishop actress Hailee Steinfeld--I'm curious how they will be received.

For quite some time Sutton has suggested that Joss Whedon was under consideration for a few different Marvel IP (X-Men, Excalibur, and Agents of SWORD). This always seemed unlikely to me given his wife's revelations in conjunction with the Ray Fisher drama, but now that Charisma Carpenter has repeated her accusations with additional details (most of her costars coming out with either similar stories or in support), the MCU won't touch Whedon.

Assessing an Old Leak

Specifically I wanted to address one from early 2019 via 4chan, a leak thought to be authentic by both Murphy and Conrad. Before we go through it, let me point out that minor variations aren't concerning in terms of assessment, because this was posted nine months before any of the shows started filming.

WandaVision

Vision is reborn in Avengers: Endgame and reunites with Scarlet Witch. They attempt to lead normal lives in the suburbs of New York, but Vision is no longer connected to the Mind Stone and is therefore cold and emotionless. Scarlet Witch attempts to use her powers, which are connected to the Mind Stone, to restore Vision’s “soul”, with disastrous results. This project has been described as a “psychological thriller”, light on action and heavy on atmosphere, and exploring the lead characters’ personal issues. Vision will be in human form for most of it and become the antagonist, as Scarlet Witch slowly realizes she accidentally allowed a dark spirit to possess him. Agatha Harkness will be featured as a mysterious figure attempting to reveal to Scarlet Witch secrets of her past, and there will be a subplot about the public’s backlash against human/machine relations once the true nature of Vision and Scarlet Witch’s relationship is revealed. High-caliber actresses like Frances Conroy, Vanessa Redgrave and Dianne West have already been approached for Harkness.

While we still have up to half the runtime of the show to come, most of this seems to be wrong. The Tom King-element (rejection of their relationship by the public) isn't evident at all, there's no direct hint of Agatha reminding Wanda of her past, any sense that Vision will become a villain, and the tone hasn't hit the psychological thriller mark (its been mysterious, not frightening). If this was an idea at Marvel, it doesn't seem like something Jac Schaeffer would pitch. I suspect the entirety of this is wrong, but I can't be definitive about it yet. What this looks like to me is someone looking at the source material and making their best guess.

Falcon and the Winter Soldier

Falcon & The Winter Soldier will be deeply ingrained in the events of Phase 4, and features Falcon and Winter Soldier being recruited by SHIELD to prevent anarchist group Ultimatum from enforcing a secret plan developed by Hydra to destroy the United Nations. The duo must also deal with John Walker [aka U.S. Agent], a soldier recruited by the U.S. government to become the new Captain America, who slowly goes insane and becomes a threat. The project is described as a “spy thriller” with lots of twists and turns, and it relies heavily on Falcon and Bucky’s dynamic, in the same vein as Lethal Weapon or 48 Hours. Emily VanCamp's Sharon Carter will be the team’s contact with SHIELD, and Samuel L. Jackson will make appearances as Nick Fury. William Hurt is also in talks to appear as Secretary Thaddeus Ross

Besides using SHIELD rather than SWORD, much of this is plausible, although the description is vague beyond the specific plot against the UN. I'm dubious of the Hydra connection (a group that has had a full arc in the MCU already), and there's no mention of Zemo (who has a major role). Because of how ephemeral the description is, it's difficult to verify or debunk, but to me it looks like speculation.

Loki

Loki meets the Norns after his death in Avengers: Infinity War and must persuade them to spare his soul from Hel. Tom Hiddleston will appear in bookend scenes and narrate throughout, but the blunt of the story is about Loki’s youth and the events that led him down the path of evil, with a new actor playing young Loki. One name that has been frequently brought up is Fionn Whitehead from Dunkirk and Black Mirror: Bandersnatch. We will also see young Thor, and Rene Russo will have a big role as their mother Frigga. Odin will be away on a mission for most of the story, and the few times he appears, his face will be obscured, with Anthony Hopkins ADR-ing the dialogue. The sorceress Karnilla and the barbarian Ulik will be the main antagonists.

The entirety of this is wrong--I'm extremely puzzled why the poster ignored the rather obvious escape by Loki in Endgame and chose the afterlife as his method of adventure. There's not much else to say about this, as it's clear Marvel was always going to use the 2012 Loki as the backdrop for the show.

Hawkeye

Early development. Pitched as a “caper” about Hawkeye coming out of retirement to help aspiring vigilante Kate Bishop after she gets in trouble with the organized crime while using his name. Hawkeye’s family would be heavily featured, and Linda Cardellini is willing to return, but Jeremy Renner is still studying his options. The Hood would be the main antagonist, with Trickshot as his enforcer.

The poster is correct about the source material being used (what else could you do with an aging Hawkeye originally intended to die in Endgame?), but he seems to have the orientation wrong (it's Kate's family that seems to be featured, not Clint's), so this smacks of speculation.

War Machine (Armor Wars)

Early development. Pitched as a “sci-fi thriller” about Colonel James Rhodes pushing the boundaries of his own humanity as he investigates the theft of Stark Industries’ technologies and uncovers a conspiracy masterminded by an elusive organization that is providing criminals and terrorists with cybernetic enhancements. Envisioned as a “deep dive” into War Machine’s often overlooked lore, introducing his sister Jeanette Rhodes, girlfriend Glenda Sandoval, and friends Suzi Endo and Jake Oh, with Parnell Jacobs and Stewart Clarke as villains. Limiting factors are the budget and Don Cheadle’s schedule.

We know so little about Armor Wars that it's difficult to comment on these predictions. One thing that's apparent is that Marvel understood that a War Machine-titled project was a dead end, so have leaned on a classic Iron Man story instead. As yet, however, we have no idea what the scope of the story is. Given that everything above seems like fan speculation, we can safely dismiss it.

Sif (Nothing on the slate)

Early development. Pitched as a “sidequel” about Lady Sif’s journey across the Nine Realms after being betrayed and exiled by Loki masquerading as Odin. Beta Ray Bill would be featured as one of Lady Sif’s companions in her journey, and the Enchantress would be the main antagonist. Jamie Alexander is willing to return, but they are still figuring out a schedule that doesn’t conflict with her TV show Blindspot.

We have no evidence for this at all, although Sif (who was supposed to die in Ragnarok) is returning for Thor 4 (in what capacity we have no idea). Blindspot is no longer an issue, but Sif can't support her own show--alternatives like Thor Corps are possible, but that's just speculation. There is some evidence to support the idea that Marvel considered something for her at the time, because Discussing Film put out the idea prior to the 4chan post. However, if it was considered, it must not have been for very long, since there's no sign of it on the slate and Ms. Marvel, She-Hulk, Moon Knight, Secret Invasion, and Ironheart have already bypassed it. 

Other

These are the six projects in active development, but several other ideas are being discussed, like spin-offs about Rocket & Groot, Agent 13 (aka Sharon Carter), Nebula and Okoye; prequels about Hank Pym and the Ravagers, and even new properties unlikely to get feature movies, like Moon Knight and The Sentry. There will probably be several X-Men projects once the rights fully revert later this year.

The Rocket & Groot idea was not new (Murphy talked about it previously), while most of the rest are ideas we can dismiss (Sharon Carter, Nebula, Ravagers, and a Hank Pym prequel are all DOA and unlikely to ever have been seriously considered). Okoye will probably be featured in the Wakanda show, but I'm not going to credit the poster for that since these are all being presented as solo vehicles. Moon Knight was one of the most heavily rumoured IP's for Marvel so without specifics, there's also no credit for including it. My belief is that the poster had no inside information--that what we see above is fan speculation (Murphy/Conrad seem to be crediting it simply because they liked the ideas).

I brought this up in my last post, but thought it worth repeating: Sutton has been revamping Geekosity and as part of that process reposting a ton of his old material. I find this odd and I'll be curious to see if he reposts the content that's already been debunked or if the cleansing will wipe that slate clean.

I mentioned awhile ago that it seems like WB is doing all it can to prevent Ava DuVernay from making New Gods. The director keeps committing to new projects and was recently announced to be helming a new one for the CW. This is the fourth she's taken since being announced as the director of New Gods, which means that film is far, far away. I think WB wants her to leave of her own accord rather than make the film--in part, no doubt, because the MCU is doing her film with The Eternals.

This article is written by Peter Levi (@eyeonthesens)