Marvel News

The final trailer for Iron Fist season two dropped, presenting our initial tension: Danny Rand is out all night defending his city (Daredevil-style) and this is causing problems in his relationship with Colleen Wing. It seems like his initial foes are The Golden Tiger Gang, who are classic villains from the original run of the comic (#8-#9--their leader is the equally obscure Chaka Khan). These are martial arts-using thugs that the showrunner can do virtually anything with. Davos is the primary antagonist, set-up beautifully in season one (whatever one wants to say about Scott Buck's initial run, Davos was handled well), who has at least initial help from Joy Meachem. We will get Typhoid Mary's origin in the show--perhaps she'll be collateral damage while Danny is fighting the gang, giving us a variation on her comicbook origin (as discussed previously), or she may arrive already damaged. We only get one shot of my favourite character from season one (Ward Meachem), whom I'm expecting to take a backseat this time around.

Alice Eve has confirmed Typhoid Mary's primary characteristics from the comics--multiple personalities and hating men--as well as indicating she's in most or all the episodes (she was present for all five months of filming). She also went full Jon Bernthal while filming by being very method and not talking to the cast during the shoot. What's not clear is what her involvement in the story is: does she serve as the B-plot or is she integrated with the A-plot?

I think we can scratch Gao from the season (her death was left ambiguous at the end of The Defenders, but given its reception I suspect she is either dead or absent--it's pretty clear Scott Buck intended to use her in the second season). As for Joy it will be interesting to see how they handle her--following the comics she tries to get Danny killed until she realizes the error of her ways and becomes an ally of sorts--what little we've seen matches this arc. Ward is a completely different (and better) character in the show, so I'm not sure what they'll do with him (in the comics he's a mustache-twirling villain who is eventually killed off).

Finn Jones talked about how they were given much more time to rehearse fights this season (link above), which is in sharp contrast to the first season where he was given no time at all. The entire stunt team has changed between seasons as well--the severe overhaul is an effective way to combat previous criticisms.

It seems likely that the show will only have ten-episodes (which will please critics who have been whining about the Netflix episode count since the first season of Daredevil). The link includes the claim that the length of the shoot was unusually short, but filming was only 9 days shorter than Jessica Jones/Luke Cage season two (December 6-May 10 versus April 3-September 14/June 10-November 19), both of which had 13-episodes, and virtually identical to Punisher season two, March 10-August 11 (whose episode count remains unknown). Fewer episodes (eight) didn't do The Defenders any favours, but if it is true it'll be interesting to see how it impacts the show (fewer episodes tends to mean less character development). The other difference is it means there was much more time spent shooting each episode (typically it's 9 days, but this would mean 15 per).

There's confirmation that two characters who might be expected in the show won't appear: Claire Temple and Luke Cage. The former isn't that surprising given Rosario Dawson's comments back in May (she also served little purpose in the first season), but the latter does surprise me a little, granting if the episode count is smaller this makes more sense--Iron Fist's appearance in Luke Cage season two was a character-building episode and there just isn't time for asides like that in a shorter series.

The showrunner is being pretty vague about the plot, simply calling it "an evolution" of previous Danny appearances (ie his first season, The Defenders, and his episode in Luke Cage). Everything points to the conflict between he and Davos, but leading to what (as in a hypothetical third season) is difficult to say.

I mentioned in my review of the first season of Iron Fist that many critics were calling for a version of the short-lived (27 issues from '07-'09) The Immortal Iron Fist from Matt Fraction, Ed Brubaker, and Duane Swierczynski--primarily for it's introduction of the other immortal weapons and the contest of champions between them. I mentioned at the time that the show's budget simply couldn't afford to do that justice and, indeed, Scott Buck decided for a more grounded story that included a corporate angle that I enjoyed--critics prefer ninja's getting punched in the face. In the first trailer for season two we see a fight between Davos and Danny where the insignia of the Eight Capital Cities of Heaven appear on the sparring mat--this references the tournament between the city champions (issues #8-#14). I see it as an easter egg, but it has Charlie Schneider in a tizzy (he's since calmed down). While a low budget version of the tourney is possible, given that one of the weapons (Bride of Nine Spiders) already appeared in a very different way in season one, I think the idea could run into trouble (and why do it at all if you can't do it well?). The problem with using the material is it involves a lot of explaining and a lot of new characters--the show is busy enough adding Misty Knight, Typhoid Mary, and The Golden Tiger Gang (rumour even had Moon Knight considered for an appearance--see below). The other issue is tied to K'un-Lun, which in all versions of the comic simply has no place to grow as a story--it's background and an occasional obligation, but lacks depth--Danny thrives on earth, not fighting mystic ninja's in another realm (there's no dramatic tension in the combat of champions--oh gosh, K'un-Lun might appear on earth less frequently--eegads!).

The second season wrapped filming August 11th; this was a much shorter shoot than the first season (22 weeks vs 27; it's the same length as Iron Fist season two), so it's possible the show may have fewer episodes. We know almost nothing about the season, other than it appears as though Jigsaw will be the antagonist.

As with every other season of Jessica Jones almost no news has come out about the third season, but we have learned that showrunner Melissa Rosenberg is leaving once it wraps to work at Warner Brothers. I won't know how to feel about the change until I see the newest iteration, but on the basis of the second season it's a positive move for the series.

One of the flaws in Jessica Jones season two was it's isolation from the rest of the Netflix-verse. I have no idea if the show will try to address this issue. If they make it more integrated, who could be included? In terms of the filming (as in, what other shows filmed while JJ3 is filming), only The Punisher shared the production time, although both Iron Fist (May 10th) and Daredevil (late May) wrapped near its beginning (we should also expect another Marvel series to begin shooting sooner than later). One of the relationships that worked well in The Defenders was the one between Jessica and Matt and in terms of heroes those two are the most similar of the four--I don't expect that crossover to happen, but I'd be happy if it did. I don't think we'll see Frank Castle in Jessica Jones--while it would make for an interesting story, I just don't think Rosenberg would go there (conversely, Steve Lightfoot, the Punisher showrunner, I think if he could he probably would). I hope we get to see Jessica explore the investigative angle more--that part of her character has largely been ignored (much like Batman's detective skills in his various movie incarnations).

Netflix says it's always considering spinoff characters for the Marvel shows and there's ample evidence for this: both Elektra and the Punisher were introduced with the hope of landing their own shows (one worked, one didn't). Trish Walker could helm a Hellcat series, but Jessica Jones showrunner Melissa Rosenberg has inexplicably slowed that process (she set it up in season one, then ignored that set-up in season two while creating an entirely different set-up for the exact same thing--very George Lucas of her). Beyond that we have Misty Knight and Colleen Wing for Daughters of the Dragon, but while both have been positively received it hasn't created a demand for that show as yet--the former's inconsistent characterization and the latter's lack of character mean a lot more work needs to be done for that to happen (in fairness, they haven't been able to support their own comic successfully either). I'd love to see a Kingpin show, but I have no idea if Netflix would want to go that route.

In reference to the Moon Knight comment above: I don't think IF showrunner Raven Metzner actually could use the character, despite the many rumours (here and here and here) about a possible Netflix show/appearance for him (every year from 2013 through 2017). Kevin Feige talked about a potential movie for him in the distant future so Jeremy Conrad asked Metzner about it who said;

[We talked about him] in general, as he is a Marvel character who suffers from DID [Dissociative Identity Disorder].

That's not a discussion to actually use him in Iron Fist. Metzner seems to mean he was brought up in the context of Typhoid Mary because they both have multiple personalities.

Netflix is being cagey (no pun intended) about renewing Luke Cage, although Deadline (via the link) says the show's writer's room is already working on a third season. It's a little surprising there's hesitation given the alacrity with which Jessica Jones was renewed (something dictated in part by how quickly they were filming the next season). Netflix has been slow in announcing renewals before, particularly with Iron Fist (due to the reception--Finn Jones teased it long before it became official), but generally there are leaks offering confirmation and the comment about the writer's room seems like a virtual clincher. I wonder, as many have, if we're going to get a Heroes for Hire series (or mini-series ala The Defenders) as both Luke Cage and Iron Fist tend to work best as a tandem--neither has had much success in carrying their own comic series and I think that's because they aren't particularly deep characters--they need each other (and their supporting cast) to compliment them.

After a number of hints it has now been confirmed that Nick Fury and Maria Hill will be appearing in the Spider-Man sequel. The former fits the bill of an A-list Avenger and also fits the speculation about the plot that includes Jessica Drew as an MI6 operative (someone Fury would undoubtedly know).

Also on the speculation front, several people (including Conrad) are speculating that Hydro-Man will appear in the film. The 'proof,' such as it is, has to do with clip Tom Holland showed of his stunt-double being hit with water--this is remarkably weak and no one was providing a link to the rumours attached to it. Looking into it I discovered it's based on an instagram post that stated the following (there's a 2017 Reddit post that simply argues he'd be a good add, so it's unrelated):

At a recent press conference, Disney reportedly showcased concept art from Spider-Man: Far From Home of Spidey swinging through Venice, fighting Hydro-Man. On top of this, Nick Fury has been confirmed to be in the film, tracking down Peter on his school trip and offering him assistance.

Because the Nick Fury casting has been officially confirmed it lends credence to the rumour. Could it be true? It's certainly possible, but with Mysterio as the main antagonist how much time is there for other villains? On the surface it suggests his appearance would be as ephemeral as the two Shockers in the first film.

My prediction that Doctor Strange 2 will be the November, 2020, release continues to gain steam as director Scott Derrickson cryptically said "see you in September," suggesting filming might start then (which would be on-target for the aforementioned release). This was followed by a report that a Marvel film will begin production in the UK--J. K. Schmidt thinks this is Doctor Strange because of a reported salary bump for Benedict Cumberbatch the next time he wears the cape, while Conrad thinks it's the Black Widow film because they've been hiring staff for it with a director and script ready.

It appears as though despite various efforts James Gunn will not return to Marvel, as the very reactionary Alan Horn doesn't want to backpedal his decision. The word is Gunn's script will still be used, although it will undoubtedly be tweaked. The real question is: who will direct the film? That decision will have to come swiftly if the MCU wants to meet its production deadline. The popular choice seems to be Taika Waititi, but I doubt he or any other current MCU director would accept it so as to stand in solidarity with Gunn. Joss Whedon, whose reputation has taken a number of blows the last few years, has the right sort of sensibility to do it (along with a positive feeling about working for Marvel), but that's just speculation.

I enjoyed Ant-Man and the Wasp, even if it wasn't quite as good as the first film, and while it's theatrical run isn't over (it was released very late overseas) it's box office (465 million as of this writing) is well behind the 519 of the original. It's Chinese opening is expected to take it beyond that line, but how much further is an open question. Here's how other MCU franchises that are not strictly team-ups have done:

• Iron Man: 585k->623k->1.21k
• Thor: 449k->644k->854k
• Captain America: 370k->714k->1.15k
• Guardians of the Galaxy: 773k->863k
• Ant-Man: 519k->530k+

We can argue that Civil War is more of a team-up movie like the Avengers (and that Ultron earned less than the original Avengers), but I think the general point is true: the Ant-Man franchise hasn't had the same level of appeal. So the question I'm left with is: does this mean no third movie? If the answer is yes the characters will continue on in the MCU, but only in team-up movies or via appearances in other franchises. It'll be interesting to see what happens.

Confirmation of Dark Phoenix reshoots have come out, with subsequent clarification that they will be just for a few weeks to fix the film's third act. Conrad (and others) continue to remind folks that the films aren't cancelled--that the MCU can't do anything about them until the sale is officially complete (months away). The Wall Street Journal reports Disney will release completed projects, but not where (theater/TV)--I can't imagine Kevin Feige (if he has a say) will allow variant Marvel material in theaters, so I expect them on the Disney streaming service.

Sony continues to make random stabs at it's own film universe, hiring a writer for Kraven the Hunter. The film would join the previously announced Morbius as properties currently being worked on (the latter seemingly confirmed to have Martine Bancroft as its female lead). It's an interesting choice by Sony given that Kraven's step-brother (Chameleon) is apparently being featured in the Spider-Man sequel. Let's keep in mind that Silver & Black was further along in this process before getting delayed, so the fact that a writer has been hired doesn't mean much as yet. I still think Sony will wait until they see Venom's box office performance before going through with any other films. Variety added further updates: the Silver & Black film is now going to be two separate films, one for each character (losing the writer/director signed for the original film), while making plans for Jackpot, Nightwatch, and Silk movies. There aren't scripts for any of these projects, which gives you an idea of how ephemeral they are. Sony also doesn't have a true mastermind behind their various titles, as Palak Patel is in charge of Venom and Morbius, Amy Pascal behind the Spider-Man films and Silk, and former Marvel exec Avi Arad (with Matt Tolmach) helming the other projects. The most interesting tidbit is this:

It’s unlikely that “Venom” will be the first R-rated Sony Marvel movie. ...The feeling is that will give the studio greater leeway for future installments that will feature Spider-Man, something “Venom” does not do. Any Spider-Man movie will carry a PG-13 rating because the wall-crawler is more family friendly, and if “Venom” is too dark and gory, it might preclude other film match-ups, not just with Peter Parker’s alter-ego, but also with other members of the extended Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

It's not surprising that Sony wants Spider-Man involved in these projects since their characters are largely dependent on him, but this does imply they want to keep their relationship with the MCU going forward. I don't think this is surprising, but it will be interesting to see if Feige will allow independent films to occur with his framework (I seriously doubt it).

Suicide Squad 2, which seemed to be heading towards filming this fall back in March, has been pushed back a second time (first to make room for Birds of Prey), with Will Smith doing other movies well into 2019. I have no idea why there was any rush to make a sequel to the unmitigated mess that was the first Suicide Squad and it wouldn't surprise me at all if DC quietly killed it.

This article is written by Peter Levi (@eyeonthesens)

Marvel News

Back in December, when Disney's acquisition of Fox was announced, pundits immediately began cautioning that it might not happen, something I found immensely puzzling and as time has gone on it's seemed more and more like an unnecessarily timid approach. Years of planning goes into these agreements and the only viable block was Comcast (I'll talk about the Justice Department below). I haven't talked about the ebbs and flows of the news here much for two reasons:

• The Murdochs have complete control of Fox's board, so they will always approve the move (which they have already, although we have another vote ahead--the lawsuit brought by a member of the board will, I think, be dismissed in short order)
• Neither company (Disney/Fox) would have proceeded unless they were sure the Justice Department would rule in their favour (which it has thus far); given the department approved the much more massive AT&T purchase of TimeWarner there's clearly not much backbone from Justice against these kinds of corporate moves (particularly given the pro-corporate courts and the current president)

Comcast has finally given up their pursuit of Fox after making two bids (in December and then in May). There was never any doubt that Disney would simply outbid their competitor. In short, the only question for me has always been time--how long will it take for the acquisition to occur? When it was announced the parameters were 12-18 months and that seems to be right on track.

Phase Four

While the MCU won't necessarily call it Phase Four I think it serves as a useful term for what comes after Avengers 4. We've had a release date change for one of the unspecified announced films from March: July, 2021 moves to February, 2021. The speculation, and I agree, is that this is the Black Panther sequel (prior to the change it seemed to be the February, 2022 release, which would be a very long time after the first film). How does this change my speculation for what these films might be? Here are the adjusted guesses (none of which include the Fox assets, for reasons I give below):

• May, 2020 - Guardians 3*
• August, 2020 - Black Widow
• November, 2020 - Doctor Strange 2**/Eternals
• February, 2021 - Black Panther 2
• May, 2021 - Captain Marvel 2/Thor 4
• November, 2021 - Doctor Strange 2/Eternals
• February, 2022 - Captain Marvel 2/Thor 4
• May, 2022 - Avengers 5
• July, 2022 - New IP (Moon Knight, etc)

*How James Gunn's departure, see below, impacts this I'm not sure
**Confirmed, see below

The Fox properties, I believe, will get new dates rather than replacing these. I think the MCU can easily manage releasing four or five films a year. Other notes: I removed Ant-Man 3 because I don't think the sequel is going to do well enough for it to get another independent film (having it immediately after Infinity War but nothing to do with it clearly did not help)--the characters will continue to appear, but not in their own vehicle. I also removed a Captain America film because while I think the character could survive and another film would be successful, at least for the moment there's no obvious space for that movie (granting that Eternals could easily be cancelled and something put in its place--indeed, it might just be a placeholder for other properties). The Captain Marvel sequel's placement will depend on box office I believe--if it's a massive hit then we'll see it in May, 2021, but if it struggles February, 2022 (likely shifted to March) is more likely, with the fourth Thor movie taking the other slot. Doctor Strange's sequel's placement is related to Benedict Cumberbatch's availability--if he can do 2020 then I think we see him then. The fifth Avengers film might be a version of New Avengers, or it could be the first time the Fox characters and traditional MCU heavies work together. The legacy characters who survive Avengers 4 and don't have their own films I'm expecting to appear in various other movies.

A full review of Luke Cage season two is forthcoming, but in brief: it's better than Jessica Jones season two (which I thought was derivative despite having good moments). Overall LC2 is on par with Luke Cage season one (I don't think it hits the highs, but it misses the lows--another viewing will settle my opinion). The show has some issues (I have no idea why Claire was unceremoniously dumped from the series--I don't think she's necessary for the show, but it could have been handled better; I also think Misty Knight's characterization continues to suffer from inconsistency--perhaps Iron Fist can fix that--see below). Mustafa Shakir was fantastic as Bushmaster and I'm glad he was left alive to carry on as a character. We also saw the continuing reclamation of Danny Rand (referenced by me months ago, but you can see it from the reaction to his appearance, eg here). In essence, the season goes into the mixed pile that includes its predecessor, Iron Fist, The Defenders, and Daredevil season two--it's not nearly as good as Jessica Jones season one, Daredevil season one, or The Punisher, but not as disappointing as Jessica Jones season two (the quick turnaround for JJ3, see below, makes me extremely worried, as there's very little time for the writing team to react to how poorly the sequel was received).

Speaking of Danny Rand, I mentioned back in October that I thought we'd get four Netflix Marvel series' this year and with Iron Fist's date announced (September 7th, matching my guess of September earlier) that's absolutely the case--we've already been told Daredevil season three will air this year (probably December). I think this three-month pattern will be maintained, such that The Punisher season two (filming since March) will drop in March, JJ3 in July (filming began in June), LC3 in September (as yet unannounced--I'm curious if Netflix will aim for Heroes for Hire instead), and so on.

The details that came out at SDCC about the show included the expected (Misty Knight playing a major role, something Jeph Loeb teased at SDCC in the lead-up to The Defenders last year), and the unexpected (Alice Eve's character being Typhoid Mary). This latter decision is an excellent one (it's not clear if this role is the same one dubbed "Tanya Parker" that we heard about back in December--at the time I mentioned that the villain list for Iron Fist is very threadbare and the only one from his own catalogue that seemed to fit was Ninotchka). I like the idea because she's a major villain with a core fanbase. While she might seem more suitable to Daredevil (she's his antagonist in the comics after all), but with Bullseye and Kingpin already in that season there isn't room for her there as she deserves to be featured--Iron Fist is a solid place to introduce her assuming it's done well (for more about her see below)--she would provide a good reason for Daredevil and Iron Fist to cross over in each other's series' (I was very happy to see the IF characters pop up in Luke Cage and think this cross-pollination should be a recurring element).

Back in July I briefly discussed the character because That Hashtag Show was speculating she was going to appear in Jessica Jones season two (which would have been much more interesting than the route they choose--that character, incidentally, turned out to be part of Hogarth's C-plot which I enjoyed). She was created by Ann Nocenti and John Romita Jr. in the 1980s and while she has some similarities to Elektra because the Netflix version was so poorly done they won't be apparent. There's no chance her origin is retained (a prostitute defending her pimp that Daredevil knocks out a window causing her disfiguration and motivating her to take on her antagonistic persona), so I'm not sure how she'll be introduced (some event like that in her past is possible). In the comics she has dissociative identity disorder--I'm not sure if IF will do that or not (it's an interesting angle to explore, but carries the risk of offending people suffering from it and their advocates). Early reading for her: Daredevil #254-#257, #259-#263, Power Pack #53, Captain America #373-#377, Daredevil #284, #292, #294-#295, #297, Marvel Presents #110-#115, Marvel Presents #123-#130, Daredevil: Man Without Fear #2, Marvel Presents #150-#151, Spectacular Spider-Man #213-#214, Astonishing Spider-Man #1, and Typhoid #1-#4

News is dribbling out about the Spider-Man sequel, which we now know will be called Spider-Man: Far From Home and takes place during summer vacation. I've been thinking about which A-list MCU character will appear in the film (the agreement between Sony and Marvel is that such a character will appear in each Sony movie) and, with Mysterio as the villain, thematically I thought Doctor Strange could be that link (a stage magician versus a real one), but he doesn't fit the bill in terms of an A-lister and the idea has already been debunked. That said, someone like Captain America fits better in terms of both recognition and relative power level (assuming he survives Avengers 4), although the current rumour is that Nick Fury will appear (the substance of which, an Instagram picture posted by Samuel Jackson, is very weak). As yet we've still heard nothing that invalidates the 4Chan theory I covered back in May (which only references Pepper Potts, who I think doesn't count in the A-list category).

There was additional casting news as Numan Acar was cast as "Dimitri," whom most are speculating is Dimitri Smerdyakov, aka the Chameleon. He's a an old school villain and the half-brother of Kraven the Hunter. If the speculation is correct about who he is then the two films will have introduced four members of the Sinister Six (Vulture, Scorpion, Mysterio, and Chameleon). This wouldn't match the members envisioned for Sony's version that made Drew Goddard abandon Daredevil season one (there's debate about who the members would have been, but Green Goblin, Rhino, Doctor Octopus, Vulture, Mysterio, and Kraven the Hunter were teased in Amazing Spider-Man 2). Marvel has avoided brand confusion when they've used a property that's been done before, which is why I think we're seeing villains who either haven't appeared at all or haven't been featured much (or, where they have, it's been a very different version--ala Tom Holland's Spider-Man).

Incidentally, unlike Homecoming (which has six credited screen writers and two story credits), this film features just the writing team of Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers--in theory that should make for a tighter story (not that the first film showed many signs of all that variation).

Kevin Feige confirmed we'll get a Doctor Strange 2--this was never in doubt in my mind, but it removes any ambiguity. My guess (above) is that we'll see it in late 2020 or 2021 (matching the release window of the original film in 2016, with the variability depending on Cumberbatch's very busy schedule).

I was shocked that James Gunn was fired by Disney over his old Tweets--prospective Marvel directors must now be ruthlessly scrubbing their accounts. Disney's concern about its image is clearly paramount (along with the presumed tacit assumption that an MCU movie makes money no matter who directs it). The other oddity about this is Gunn apologized for offensive Tweets back in 2012, suggesting either Disney had no problem with them so long as they weren't well-known or simply didn't do their due-diligence in vetting him (the former is most plausible). It makes me wonder if at some level there was a desire to let Gunn go and this served as an excuse (Ike Perlmutter, who still has his hands on Marvel Entertainment and is a Trump adviser, can't be a fan)--but I'm just speculating.

As for how it impacts Guardians of the Galaxy 3, I don't think it does much. Gunn's script is unlikely to be scrapped so close to production, but it will likely be given a thorough scrubbing. The plan for the film is also presumably locked in place, so the struggle for Kevin Feige will be finding a director who wants to fit into that box--otherwise the film will have to be delayed (something that's possible, but I think is unlikely). I think Gunn's strength was his humour, so that's where his absence will be felt the most (the emotional notes in both films were, for me, a mixed bag--the Russo's did a better job with the Starlord-Gamora romance in a few scenes than Gunn did in two entire movies, for example).

One of the stranger stories that has emerged is that MCU producer Nate Moore keeps trying to put Union Jack into the movies, specifically the Joseph Chapman version. I have no idea why Moore is so interested, as the character seems like a watered-down version of both Captain America and Captain Britain, but given Moore's position at Marvel it wouldn't surprise me to see him down the line. I'll be honest and say I forgot he was even a character in Marvel until this story came out (I don't think he appeared in any of the comics I read back in the day).

Speaking of things I was unfamiliar with back in my active comic buying days, Jeremy Conrad thinks the MCU is leaning more towards the Kirby version of the Eternals rather than the later Gaiman version, at least in terms of their origin (this is based on comments by Kevin Feige that are suggestive of the fact). He also believes one of the Eternals, likely Kronos, will have a small cameo in Avengers 4. I'm curious if, after Gunn's firing and Ant-Man and the Wasp's performance at the box office, Feige will feel a bit gun shy on the property (without knowing the plan for it, however, it's difficult to say anything meaningful about it--it might feature Nova, Quasar, and/or other non-Eternal characters to give it more cache--perhaps even Thor).

As expected Cate Shortland has landed the director gig. I have no idea what this will mean for the film, other than continuing to hope it's not a prequel. Clearly Feige dodged a bullet when he decided against having Ava DuVernay direct Captain Marvel, so until proven otherwise we'll trust his judgement (Alan Taylor, Thor: The Dark World, being the notable exception thus far).

I'm surprised that Sony is going ahead with their Morbius film, locking in Jared Leto to star and Daniel Espinosa to direct (joining script writers Burk Sharpless and Matt Sazama)--albeit, the Gambit movie has been at this stage several times and nothing has happened. What isn't attached to the project is a date, which is interesting (it's too late for it to take the slot left open by Silver and Black's removal). My speculation that Sony was following in DC's footsteps of darker-toned movies seems to be true (the plot sounds a lot like Dexter thematically). One of the reasons I think this movie is being pushed ahead of others is that the MCU hasn't rebooted Blade so it's (relatively) fresh comicbook territory. I think Silver and Black was pushed back because with Black Widow coming soon differentiating it from that, especially in a disconnected Sonyverse, is far more difficult to do.

It's amazing to me that DC is making a Joker movie that's completely disconnected from the Joker in Suicide Squad, even though that version of the Joker is still (apparently) canon for the DCEU. While I think audience savvy is often underestimated, I have no idea why exec's at WB approved the idea of two concurrent version of the same character--"elseworld" stories work for DC in the comics, but I see no positive outcome for doing it here--either fans prefer the new Joker, in which case there would be demand for him to appear elsewhere which can't be fulfilled, or else he flops just as badly as Jared Leto's version and then you have two underwhelming takes on one of the most iconic villains. It's bizarre. If I were in the WB's shows I'd say Leto's version isn't canon (he'd be some gangster imitator of the real deal), cancel this "elseworld" idea, and let Mat Reeves create his own version of the character whenever that seemed appropriate.

This article is written by Peter Levi (@eyeonthesens)

MCU and Marvel TV News

I think the final trailer for Luke Cage season two has been the best thus far. Putting villains in direct conflict (Bushmaster and Mariah) with Luke caught in the middle is clever and avoids the jarring pitfalls we've seen in some of the attempts Netflix has made in having two main villains in a show (Daredevil season two (The Hand), Luke Cage season one (Diamondback), and Iron Fist (Bakuto) in particular). The viral ad explaining Misty's bionic arm with references to both the Rand Corporation and Danny Rand is clever (the quality of the video itself is just average, but what it does in terms of story building is excellent--not everyone who watched Luke Cage also saw The Defenders or Iron Fist).

I was not expecting The Daughters of the Dragon to appear in Luke Cage (the team-up between Misty and Colleen Wing), because while it makes perfect sense when Jeph Loeb teased them at SDCC last summer the context appeared to be Iron Fist season two (intended to help give that show a boost). Now it seems like Cheo Hodari Coker (see below) is working hard to fully push into Heroes for Hire territory as part of the journey in Luke Cage--something that makes a lot of sense given that he and Danny Rand have enjoyed most of their success as a team in the comics.

Cheo Hodari Coker is promoting Luke Cage season two and amidst that answered some questions about Iron Fist which are worth looking at:

I think—I’m hoping—that you’ll feel that your prayers have been answered the way that Iron Fist fits into [Season 2 of Luke Cage], and his interactions with Luke. It doesn’t bother me that people have criticized Iron Fist on his series and on The Defenders. I’m arrogant enough to think that Iron Fist appearing on our show has a different sensibility. And so, it’s like—that’s the thing—I’m not dissuaded by that, because Iron Fist I think is a dope character. And I think when you see Iron Fist within the realm of Luke Cage, and the way that we do things, I think—hopefully—that people are going to come to appreciate the character differently, and hopefully that swagger that he’ll get from appearing in the Luke Cage universe will carry over into [Iron Fist Season 2].

He also heaped praise on new IF showrunner Raven Metzner who he said is “passionate about the character” and has the right sensibilities for Iron Fist. The comment that his appearance will "carry over" continues to bolster my belief that Iron Fist season two will appear before season three of Daredevil (something I began to suspect in February; it's now confirmed to appear in 2018 at least). Can the antipathy critics have towards Iron Fist be overcome? The word "swagger" suggests that Danny's self-doubting, uncertain phase is over and we'll get the fun-loving jokster from the comics. Changing critical minds is hard to imagine at this point, but it is possible with fans--I think this is the best venue for it since Luke Cage is largely critic-proof.

Audition tapes have leaked for two roles in Jessica Jones season three. The male character ("Elliott") appears to be a friend of Jessica's (That Hashtag Show optimistically believes it's d-list hero D-Man, but I doubt that, despite being very appropriate). The female character ("Zelda") is much more vague and THS has no guesses and neither do I (she's probably created for the show). I can't emphasize enough just how little buzz the second season generated and showrunner Melissa Rosenberg must be frantically trying to right the ship.

Jeph Loeb confirmed what Krysten Ritter said back in March: that there are no current plans for another season of The Defenders (in Loebian fashion he said "you never know", but given how much planning is required for these things it's clearly far off in the future if it ever happens). This is a puzzling decision by Netflix, because even though the first Defenders was not a huge hit, the idea behind it is excellent. The primary impediment, I suppose, is that all the other shows have to lead-up to it and there's no creative head to manage that coherence (ala Kevin Feige for the MCU).

Rosario Dawson (Claire) says she might be finished with the Marvel Netflix shows after Luke Cage season two. It's difficult to know if she's just playing hardball for a new contract or if she is genuinely unsure if Luke Cage will get a third season (or perhaps the upcoming season ends with Claire no longer part of his life). I wonder if Netflix would decide to bring Luke and Jessica back together (ala the comics), as it's difficult to imagine there not being a Luke Cage season three.

About a month ago Simon Pegg mentioned he'd love to be involved in a Captain Britain movie, but with nothing like it currently on the slate (other than Kevin Feige vaguely musing about it a year ago and TV rumours (same link) the year before that) I didn't mention it at the time. It is interesting that Orlando Bloom is now lobbying for the role and Tom Hiddleson (tongue-in-cheek) mentioned it as well. I don't think this specifically puts any pressure on the MCU to make it happen, but it could indicate at least some level of interest. Captain Britain is an odd sort of character given his very strong association with mutants (despite not being one himself) and magic. I'd be happy to see him portrayed, although I'd expect if we see him it will be after the acquisition of the Fox properties.

Avengers 4 is going through its planned reshoots this summer (while Captain Marvel is wrapping up filming and the Spider-Man sequel is starting shooting). This isn't particularly exciting other than some fresh news may come out hinting about its plot sooner than later.

Jeremy Conrad is suggesting that a few years down the line the MCU is going to explore the Kate Bishop version of Hawkeye. His theory is based on comments from Kevin Feige implying things like the Amadeus Cho version of Hulk and other successor characters might appear (something I've suggested before).

A now deleted Reddit thread has been picked up all over the place (eg) as it purports to be from someone who saw a test screening of Dark Phoenix back in February (whose summary is supported by Jason Inman who heard the same from another test-screener) and, motivated by irritation at Jeremy Conrad's claims about the movie decided to set the record straight (the two Conrad claims that bothered him were that the Skrulls were involved and the general description of the third act). The film itself sounds like what you'd expect from Fox--a muddled mess--albeit the viewer saw a rough cut and with re-shoots it can be improved (Wonder Woman was considered a mess in early test screenings, for example). Regardless, I don't think we're going to see something good from Fox before they lose the X-Men.

I mentioned back in March that one of Sony's many Marvel projects was a Morbius movie. THS has dug up the logline for the film (which I doubt will ever see the light of day):

Horror action story of a scientist who, in trying to find a cure for a rare blood disease, accidentally transformed himself into a living vampire who, though disgusted by his own bloodlust, chooses to prey upon criminals he deems unworthy of life.

This sounds more like a gritty Netflix series than a movie, but Venom is also adopting a darker tone (copying DC perhaps?), so that could be the territory Sony wants to inhabit. If Venom is successful it might pressure Marvel to put Blade back on screen, but that seems like a long shot (given their tendencies with reacquired minor properties he's much more likely to wind up on TV).

Speaking of Sony, Silver and Black (slated for a February, 2019 release) has been officially shifted to "undated". Given what we were told in February--that production was delayed "indefinitely"--this is not surprising (filming was meant to begin in March). I mentioned at that time that I thought Sony would wait and see how Venom performed before actually putting any other superhero films into production.

This article is written by Peter Levi (@eyeonthesens)

Marvel News

There's a ton of news to cover (SPOILERS for all MCU films & Netflix properties): news for Daredevil, Captain Marvel, the Spider-Man sequel, The Eternals, The Punisher, and Jessica Jones.

We've learned potentially big news for Daredevil season three, as That Hashtag Show is reporting Wilson Bethel will be playing iconic villain Bullseye (something a now-deleted Instagram photo from a member of the crew seems to confirm). News of Bethel's casting came out months ago, but at that time THS thought his role was that of Sin-Eater--an idea I thought was preposterous (he's a Spider-Man villain, ergo Sony property, and he's very much like the Punisher). Instead we are getting Bullseye, one of Daredevil's most iconic villains.--it will be interesting to see how he is handled--will he be as well-developed as the Kingpin or Punisher? Or will he suffer the fate of Elektra and The Hand? His more grounded nature as an antagonist helps quite a bit--if it's done as well as Jigsaw in the first season of The Punisher it will be fantastic. Vincent D'Onofrio says the season is "really something."

Bullseye was created by Marv Wolfman and Bob Brown back in 1976, but what he's most known for is Frank Miller using him to kill Elektra in her original (and superior) storyline in 1981. That seminal event is what made him the character he is. While they could use Elektra in season three, I highly doubt they will given how poorly she's been received. I do think, however, that the general plotline (Bullseye/Kingpin from Miller's run) can work just fine without her inclusion (Karen Page could take her place for the emotional note from the story, for example).

News continues to come out for Captain Marvel. Marvel Producer Nate Moore was giving an interview and said the following about the movie:

I think there is a structure to origin films that audiences sometimes can get ahead of very quickly. So, if we do origin films, internally, we talk about how we can subvert that structure. For instance, Captain Marvel is an origin movie in that you haven't seen her before, but we think we've stumbled upon a structure there that isn't the traditional structure of what origin movies typically are, which is you meet the character, they have a problem, they get powers at the end of the first act, and the end of the second act they learn about the powers, the third act they probably fight a villain who has a function of the same powers. That's a lot of times what a typical origin movie is structured like, but as we introduce new characters moving forward, we want to find ways to subvert that structure, so at least the experience of the film feels new to audiences. We're very conscious of making sure that audiences don't get things that feel like they've seen them before.

It will be interesting to see how that expected formula is subverted. One direction they could take it is that instead of accidentally gaining her powers, Carol Danvers volunteers to get them.

McKenna Grace, who was announced as part of the Captain Marvel cast back in March, is confirmed to be playing a young Carol Danvers (sometime in the 1980s, with Kenneth Mitchell playing her father). Actress Ana Ayora has also been cast in an undisclosed role.

Physicist Dr. Spiros Michalakis was a consultant for the Quantum Realm for both Ant-Man movies and last year said this in reference to Captain Marvel:

There are different ways that some of these ideas appear on-screen in a few years. Not just for Ant-Man, but also for Captain Marvel and all of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Does this imply Danvers is in the Quantum Realm? Or that she'll being using it? It's hard to say, but the quote adds fuel to the belief that it is an element in Avengers 4.

There's some very loose speculation that Monica Rambeau will appear in the Captain Marvel film. The character has a history with Carol Danvers (and was once known as Captain Marvel herself), but the rumour is born of two very thin slices of evidence: 1) the movie filming in the Baton Rouge area of Louisana where the character is from (something I see as irrelevant), 2) the casting of DeWanda Wise and then Lashana Lynch in the role of a "contemporary" of Danvers (the belief being they are playing Rambeau). While it's possible she could appear, it's a film already cluttered with characters and as evidence this is pretty weak (you'd also have to ask what's the point of introducing Monica in the 1990s unless she's also time-travelling with Carol--or whatever it is that prevents Captain Marvel from aging).

Not surprisingly, Michael Keaton is returning as the Vulture for the Spider-Man sequel (link below; how much he'll appear is unknown--it might just be a cameo). It appears as though Mysterio is the antagonist, with Jake Gyllenhaal in talks for the role. There's no reason to doubt that Sony wants to continue planting the seeds for a Sinister Six movie (original Daredevil showrunner Drew Goddard left the show to helm Sinister Six film for Sony, only to have it cancelled). Like Keaton's character, Mysterio has never been portrayed in the movies before--he's also a fairly earthy villain (as in, doesn't have huge, dangerous powers) and I suspect he'll get the rounded treatment we saw for the Vulture. Where that leaves the hints about the Scorpian in Homecoming is uncertain (who, minus the costume, was introduced there), but I imagine Marvel won't push things the way Sony did in The Amazing Spider-Man 2. My only concern for the film is Sony's marketing, which was atrocious prior to Homecoming.

There's still no word on the actress role they've been trying to cast for some time (a woman in her 20s reportedly). Given that Zendaya's Michelle will serve as the love interest (I'm curious if Marvel will push her "MJ" nickname given how poorly it was received--Sony would double down, but will the MCU?), I don't think this will be any of Spider-Man's femme fatale's (especially given his movie-age), although nods to Black Cat or Silver Sable are possible if unlikely (the latter more so if the reported travel through Europe is correct, as she is from Symkaria, a fictional Eastern European country in Marvel which borders Doctor Doom's Latveria).

A Reddit rumour is making the rounds--ComicBookMovie doesn't offer a reason why we should trust this specific one nor does it link it, but I thought I'd go through it since it's being covered:

• the film takes place before Infinity War--this is in direct contradiction to what Amy Pascal (Sony) has said, which is that the film occurs immediately afterwards (this doesn't nuke the theory immediately, but keep it in mind), with the end of the film linking up to the beginning of Infinity War (something which, dramatically, makes no sense at all--that whole plot will be resolved before this film comes out)
• Peter is visiting a number of countries in Europe (which matches, in spirit, other rumours about the film)
• the Rhino will be a secondary villain
• both Ant-Man and Daredevil (!) will appear
• the femme fatale referenced above is apparently a version of Spider-Woman (Jessica Drew), although she's going to be based more on Felicia Hardy (Black Cat)--these are very different characters so I'm not sure in what way
• Easter Egg or cameo of Oscorp
• the film will double down on the Michelle=MJ scenario

I find this largely preposterous. It reads like someone's hopes based on the limited leaks thus far. Marvel is very careful in avoiding character clutter in its solo films, so other than hints I don't think we'll see Rhino (if he appears at all, which I doubt, it will be ala the Scorpian in the first movie); Sony's agreement with Marvel was that A-list heroes would appear in the films and neither Ant-Man nor Daredevil qualify (while I love the Netflix characters I have no idea what would be accomplished having them appear here). Other than the travel (which has already been heavily rumoured), I don't find this credible. Speaking of that MCU character, it's difficult to parse who it could be since it's unlikely to be Iron Man again--Captain America makes sense, but we'll have to see how Avengers 4 resolves before we can make educated guesses.

With that said, in looking for the source of the above I came across another thread [originating on 4Chan] claiming to be from a reliable source which has a much more plausible set-up:

• Set after AVENGERS 4. Peter is revived, and it appears Tony Stark will indeed die and Peter will be mourning his death. The plot revolved around something groundbreaking that Stark has created, and which is stolen and Spider-Man must retrieve.
• Set mainly in London [where filming of the movie begins in July]. Peter and his friends are there for a conference sponsored by Stark Industries. Michelle, Ned, Liz, Flash and Aunt May are returning, alongside the Midtown students and staff from HOMECOMING [this is a bit odd since Liz Allen moved away at the end of Homecoming, but it's not a major issue with the theory]. Gwyneth Paltrow is also supposed to appear as Pepper Potts [which makes sense given that she would be running Stark Industries].
• Mysterio is the main villain. He is an international thief and master of illusion, who has stolen Stark’s creation at the behest of a mysterious employer. Apparently, there are plans to include the fishbowl helmet, but he will not wear it throughout the movie.
• Jessica Drew [Spider-Woman] is a MI6 operative pursuing Mysterio, who begrudgingly teams up with Spider-Man to stop him. She has no superpowers, but is a combat expert and skilled tactician.
• Peter develops a rivalry with a new student, Alistair Smythe [Spider-Slayer], a technology prodigy who is determined to upstage him. Smythe is “manipulative” and tries to turn Peter’s friends against him. His father, Spencer Smythe, works for Stark Industries.
• Vulture and Scorpion will appear in minor roles. Scorpion is apparently working for the same man who hired Mysterio to steal Stark’s creation, and they attempt to get Vulture to betray Spider-Man’s identity to them.
• Mysterio’s employer is apparently a major villain from the comics and will be prominent in SPIDER-MAN movies going forward. No word on who he is yet, but he will have a minor appearance in the movie. Marvel and Sony eyeing A-list actors. Casting won’t be officially announced. Supposed to be a surprise twist.

This is a far more plausible story that doesn't raise the red flags of the one above. Is it true? Jessica Drew has an English background, so the fluff included is correct (as would it be not having her adopt her hero identify initially--it's hard to accept a Spider-Woman when Peter Parker is still a teenager--granting that the background described here is thematically similar to Black Widow). The mysterious employer of Mysterio could very well be Norman Osborn and having Stark tech at the heart of the plot has a nice synergy with the first film. The theory would also fit my guess that Iron Man dies at the end of Avengers 4. The Smythe inclusion seems odd, although given that Flash wasn't well-received in Homecoming he might be replacing his role as the bully. With that said, there's no telling if this is accurate or not--we can judge it properly once more information comes out.

Writers Matthew and Ryan Firpo have been hired to write the Eternals movie. A question Jeremy Conrad addresses is why there's a push for new IP prior to the return of the Fox characters. He writes:

Marvel Studios cannot legally work on any of the Fox characters yet. That even means nothing as “innocent” as concept art. ... Yet Marvel still has to release a slate of movies every year. ... Marvel still needs to plan for 2020 and 2021 as it’ll take time to get those movies going and they can’t sit around hoping for the merger to complete. That’s why James Gunn is currently writing Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, writers are working on Black Widow as the director search continues, and writers were just hired for The Eternals. Sersi, Ikaris, and the rest aren’t expected to make their big screen debut until 2021, however the rumor is that they’ll be introduced in the MCU in some way prior to then.

That legality should cool the jets of those hoping for Fox-related Easter Eggs in Avengers 4--something only possible if the deal is approved months before its release. When I went through my speculation for the announced MCU release dates my 2021 slate was filled with various sequels, imagining new IP for James Gunn's cosmic side not to show up until 2022 (with either a Nova Corps film or an Adam Warlock film). Introducing the Eternals in another movie makes a lot of sense, even if its just a tease (Guardians 3 makes the most sense in that respect). It's also a shot across the bow to DC's hypothetical New Gods movie (announced in March with A Wrinkle in Time director Ava DuVernay attached).

I mentioned previously that I was confident Jigsaw would return in season two and we now have confirmation of that. Filming has been underway since March 10th and given the usual Netflix time frame for seasons should wrap in August--I'd expect its release in early 2019, assuming we get all four Defenders in 2018 (as I've previously surmised).

Jessica Jones season three will start filming shortly, although as yet we don't have a specific start date. Nothing was hinted about what the show will be about, but Krysten Ritter did say she wanted Jessica to be less of a trainwreck--something I would like as well (as I said last time they really need to move the character forward). One thing I want to point out from that post: in it I said that in Netflix casting calls the first letter of the character's name was often the same as who they really were--Daredevil broke that connection with Bullseye such that we'll have to take speculation based on that with even more grains of salt.

Early reviews for Cloak & Dagger have been very positive, but we're well beyond the point of paying attention to reviews for Marvel properties (there's no getting around how ridiculous the 100% for Agents of SHIELD is when The Punisher is sitting at 62%). The trailers have been underwhelming, but I'm not part of the targeted YA-audience so I won't judge purely from that. As a fan of the source material the show has a pretty big mountain to climb for me (this is unlike The Runaways where I came in with no expectations). In terms of surface details I was much happier with the Hulu casting versus what we've got with Freeform, but seeing the actors act really makes all the difference.

This article is written by Peter Levi (@eyeonthesens)