After years of speculating, in 2022, Marvel Studios confirmed that Deadpool would officially join the MCU for a third installment of the R-rated comic book franchise at the start of Phase Six, Deadpool & Wolverine. This would mark the first official character of the Fox X-Men universe joining the MCU (although Patrick Stewart as a variant Professor X in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness kinda counts too, we suppose).

In a post on his Instagram story, Ryan Reynolds also gave us a closer look at Cassandra Nova’s sling ring. It looks like two infinity stones, the Time Stone and the Reality Stone, might be appended to it. We guess we’ll have to wait and see just how that works.

Deadpool & Wolverine‘s latest teaser trailer brings yet another new Deadpool into the mix. This time it’s Lady Deadpool.

We can’t wait to find out who will be playing this red-clad gal. Additionally, Cowboy Deadpool also makes an appearance.

Here is everything we know so far about Deadpool & Wolverine.

Title

Thanks to a Super Bowl trailer (check it out below!), we know that this film, formerly called Deadpool 3, is actually Deadpool & Wolverine.

Deadpool & Wolverine‘s Plot

The plot of Deadpool & Wolverine remains a mystery. All we know is that Hugh Jackman is returning as Wolverine, and that it takes place before the feral X-Man’s death in Logan. In fact, Jackman has confirmed that time travel will be involved in the threequel in a big way.

While originally, Deadpool & Wolverine was called Deadpool 3, director Shawn Levy wants to make sure fans understand that the title change is not just cosmetic. Levy notes to Screen Rant:

As far as crafting the Deadpool & Wolverine story, I just felt privileged every day because you’re talking about two massive movie stars in their most iconic roles. It also gave me an opportunity. It’s the third Deadpool movie, but it’s not Deadpool 3. It’s a different thing that’s very much Deadpool and Wolverine. And it’s not trying to copycat anything from the first two movies. They were awesome, but this is a two-hander character adventure.

As most folks know by now, Deadpool’s third solo film will reunite him with his X-Men Origins: Wolverine co-star. Deadpool and Wolverine will work together, although they have made it very clear that these two characters “hate each other.” It will not be a love-fest in this story. But the fact that Deadpool & Wolverine is smack in the middle of the Multiverse Saga should give us all a clue as to what’s going to go down, and probable multiversal shenanigans will ensue.

Dogpool, of course, will also star.

Make sure to follow him on Instagram.

We also now know what Deadpool & Wolverine‘s new official logo looks like thanks to a fun poster.

Deadpool & Wolverine will, of course, be the first R-rated movie in the MCU. And that means it’s not pulling any punches. In fact, its latest official synopsis drops two F-bombs. Let’s take a look:

Marvel Studios presents their most significant mistake to date—Deadpool & Wolverine. A listless Wade Wilson toils away in civilian life. His days as the morally flexible mercenary, Deadpool, behind him. When his homeworld faces an existential threat, Wade must reluctantly suit-up again with an even more reluctantlier… reluctanter? Reluctantest? He must convince a reluctant Wolverine to—Fuck. Synopses are so fucking stupid.

Deadpool & Wolverine‘s Cast

We know Hugh Jackman will return, along with the very obvious Ryan Reynolds. Here’s who else we know about: Karan Soni, cab driver Dopinder, Leslie Uggams, Emma Corrin, and Matthew Macfadyen. In exciting news, Morena Baccarin and Stefan Kapicic are reprising their roles as Vanessa and Colossus in Deadpool & Wolverine. So are Rob Delaney’s Peter, Brianna Hildebrand (Negasonic Teenage Warhead), and Shioli Kutsuna (Yukio). Jennifer Garner’s Elektra from the 2003 Daredevil Marvel Fox movie is also reported to reprise her role in this MCU film.

Behind the Scenes

Deadpool & Wolverine‘s director for this third outing will be Shawn Levy, most recently known for his work on Stranger Things. This would be a reunion for Levy and Reynolds, as the pair previously worked together on the movie Free Guy. Levy is also known for the time travel movie The Adam Project.

On the writing side of things are Wendy Molyneux and Lizzie Molyneux-Logelin, writers for the popular animated series Bob’s Burgers. The writers for the first two Deadpool films, Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, are also contributing to movie number three’s screenplay, as is Ryan Reynolds himself.

Deadpool & Wolverine Release Date

Deadpool & Wolverine will arrive on July 26, 2024.

Originally published on January 4, 2023.

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Like any good long-running fictional universe worth its name, the MCU has a metric ton of iconic objects throughout its 16 years of films and TV series. Of course, there are obvious things everyone knows, like Cap’s shield, or the Tesseract. But the MCU has many other objects we all want on our shelves too. Even if they are smaller versions. Thanks to the folks at Fanhome and their new subscription service, we can now turn your home into something of a Marvel Cinematic Universe Museum.

Fanhome specializes in subscription-based collections and models, and is bringing a collection of iconic replica items from the MCU to fans and collectors with the launch of the Marvel Movie Replicas collection. Among these items are Doctor Stange’s Eye of Agamotto, plus helmets for Loki, Iron Man, Cap, Black Panther, Ant-Man, Star-Lord, and Spider-Man. There’s an Infinity Nano Gauntlet, and even Thor’s mystic hammer Mjölnir. You can check out images of the first Marvel Movie Replicas in the collection in our gallery below:

Click To View Gallery

Produced from the Marvel Studios Movie archives, the’ve recreated the replicas in this collection with incredible detail. Each one is based on original production materials and constructed from metal and ABS plastic components. Throughout the subscription, collectors and MCU fans will deepen their knowledge about all these artifacts with an informative magazine that comes with each month’s shipment. You’ll be able to go behind the scenes with Marvel creators like Matt Fraction, Salvador Larroca, and Brian Michael Bendis.

At various stages throughout the subscription, collectors also will receive exclusive gifts from Fanhome. Among these are three full-color frame-worthy posters from Marvel (60x80cm / 23×31 inches), a ceramic mug with the Marvel logo, a light-up miniature of Tony Stark’s ARC Reactor, and a miniature metal replica of Thor’s hammer (15cm / 6 inches). Fans that upgrade to the Marvel Movie Museum Premium Subscription will receive several exclusive Iron Man helmets as well. And we all know that Tony had a lot of variant Iron Man helmets. For more information and sign-up details, click here.

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With over 30 movies and several TV series, the MCU has been stacked with incredible actors playing iconic comic book characters. But more than a few have played more than one role in the same universe. Or should we say multiverse now? And some of these multitasking performers are pretty well-known names. We’ve come up with several actors who have played more than one MCU role, or soon will. Although, we are not counting folks like Chris Evans and Idris Elba, or even Oscar Isaac, who played Marvel characters in non-MCU movies. Although after Deadpool & Wolverine, we have a feeling some of those films’ MCU canonicity may change.

Ralph Ineson (Guardians of the Galaxy, Fantastic Four)

At long last, the MCU has found its Devourer of Worlds, Galactus, in The Witch and Harry Potter actor Ralph Ineson. He will hunger for Earth in 2025’s Fantastic Four. Yet Ineson has appeared in the MCU already, and in space no less. He played a Ravager pilot in James Gunn’s first Guardians of the Galaxy. You can see him standing right next to Yondu and Kraglin in the image above. He’s stepped up several notches when it comes to Marvel cosmic characters, that’s for sure.

Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Punisher, Fantastic Four)

Now that the old Marvel Netflix shows are officially canonized as being part of the MCU, we can officially count Ebon Moss-Bachrach as playing dual roles as well. The actor, best known for his role in The Bear, played former NSA analyst and Frank Castle ally Micro in The Punisher series. Next year, he will portray Ben Grimm/The Thing in 2025’s Fantastic Four.

Linda Cardellini (Avengers: Age of Ultron/Endgame, Hawkeye, Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3)

Linda Cardellini of Freaks and Geeks and Dead to Me played Laura Barton (who may or may not be S.H.I.E.L.D. operative Mockingbird) from Avengers: Age of Ultron to Hawkeye. But more recently, she broke our hearts as the anthropomorphic otter Lylla in Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3. We’re still a bit traumatized to talk too much about Lylla, but Linda Cardellini is a national treasure.

Michelle Yeoh (Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings)

We first saw Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh in the MCU in a brief cameo as Alita Ogord, one of the Ravagers from the end of Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2 (and a future 31st-century Guardian from the comics). She had a much bigger role as Ying Nan, the kick-ass aunt of Shang-Chi from Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. We could see this screen icon returning to either role in the future. She’s Michelle Yeoh, we say let her play whatever she wants, whenever she wants.

Alfre Woodard (Captain America: Civil War, Luke Cage)

Oscar-nominated actress Alfre Woodard had a fairly prominent role in Luke Cage as Mariah Dillard, the cousin of Mahershala Ali’s Cottonmouth. However, she first appeared in a small role, as the grieving mother of a son who died in Sokovia, who confronts Tony Stark in Captain America: Civil War.

Clancy Brown (Daredevil, The Punisher, Thor: Ragnarok)

The great Clancy Brown, who famously voiced Lex Luthor for Marvel’s “Distinguished Competition” in the ‘90s Superman animated series, voiced the fire giant Surtur in Thor: Ragnarok. But he also played Colonel Ray Schoonover, a.k.a. the Blacksmith, in both the Netflix Daredevil and The Punisher series. He’s just really good at playing an unrelentingly slimy guy. And he has a fantastic speaking voice. We’re down for him having a third role in fact. We just want to hear him say evil things with that distinctive voice.

Gemma Chan (Captain Marvel, Eternals)

Gemma Chan first popped up in the MCU as Minn-Erva in Captain Marvel, the blue-skinned alien soldier who was part of the Kree Starforce. But just a few years later, Gemma Chan would keep her natural, Earth-born hue and play Sersi in Eternals. The latter character is more likely to appear again than the former.

Kenneth Choi (Captain America: The First Avenger, Spider-Man: Homecoming)

Kenneth Choi first made an appearance in 2011’s Captain America: The First Avenger as Private Jim Morita, one of Cap’s Howling Commandos during World War II. Six years later, he appeared in Spider-Man: Homecoming, as the principal of Peter Parker’s high school. The production tied these characters together, by making Principal Morita into Private Morita’s grandson. There are even photos of himself as his own grandfather in his office.

Patton Oswalt (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, Eternals)

Patton Oswalt is a huge comics nerd in real life, so it’s no wonder he’s played a couple MCU roles. He portrayed multiple characters referred to as ‘the Koenigs,” who were all identical to one another, on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Then, he showed up in a post-credits cameo as Pip the Troll in Eternals, alongside Harry Styles’ Starfox. We just hope the CGI on Pip is a little more convincing next time.

Tsai Chi (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings)

Actress Tsai Chi first appeared in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. playing Agent Melinda May’s mother, Lian May. She was a retired agent herself, who had a bit of a complicated relationship with her daughter. She played an entirely different kind of matriarch in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. In that film, she played the grandmother of Katy (Awkwafina), who didn’t look like she could hurt a fly.

Benedict Cumberbatch (Doctor Strange)

Benedict Cumberbatch is our Sorcerer Supreme (or he was, until Wong took over after Infinity War). But in his first Doctor Strange movie, he also played the dread Lord Dormammu of the Dark Dimension, so he faced off against himself in the film’s climax. Does that mean Strange and Dormammu are somehow related? Okay, probably not. It was more likely that Cumberbatch wanted to be both hero and villain in the climactic confrontation. But it’s a fun fact most viewers never noticed.

Laura Haddock (Captain America: The First Avenger, Guardians of the Galaxy, Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2)

Actress Laura Haddock had a brief cameo as a love-struck autograph seeker in Captain America: The First Avenger. She cornered Cap in the USO show, and the two made googly eyes at each other. In 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy, she played Star-Lord’s dying mother. Later, she reprised the role in a flashback in Vol. 2. Although her first appearance was barely a cameo, we’re including her because it lends credence to the fan theory that autograph lady was actually Star-Lord’s grandmother, and his grandpa might have been Steve Rogers! It would surely explain how Peter Quill was the only child of Ego’s to survive. A bit of good old super solder genes might have helped.

Now, should Deadpool & Wolverine officially canonize the pre-MCU Marvel films? Then this whole list will be much longer. We’ll just have to wait and see how big the Marvel multiverse expands to by the end of Phase Six.

Originally published on May 15, 2023.

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Epic Games found incredible global success in 2017 thanks to the immense popularity of Fortnite. Now, they are taking things to the next level, thanks to a partnership with Disney that lives up to their name. Via The Hollywood Reporter, we’ve learned that The Walt Disney Co. and Epic Games will create a brand new “games and entertainment universe” that brings Disney characters from their various franchises together. In the brief teaser trailer they released, we see characters from Frozen, Star Wars, the Avatar films, Indiana Jones, Pixar, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, all in one world. You can watch the brief teaser, which states it’s all coming “soon(ish)” right here:

Here’s what Disney CEO Bob Iger said about the upcoming partnership:

Our exciting new relationship with Epic Games will bring together Disney’s beloved brands and franchises with the hugely popular Fortnite in a transformational new games and entertainment universe. This marks Disney’s biggest entry ever into the world of games and offers significant opportunities for growth and expansion. We can’t wait for fans to experience the Disney stories and worlds they love in groundbreaking new ways.

Disney will also invest $1.5 billion to acquire an equity stake in Epic Games alongside this gigantic multi year project. “This will be a world-class game experience, inter-operating with Fortnite,” the statement said. The new “persistent universe” allows consumers to engage with characters from across the Walt Disney Company’s vast library of IP. Players will create their own stories and experiences and share content with each other. And Unreal Engine will power all of this. Disney has already utilized Unreal Engine for the attraction Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. Not to mention the games Star Wars: Jedi Survivor, Marvel’s Nexus War with Galactus, and Kingdom Hearts 3. We expect a lot more details about this new venture over the coming months.

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Maya Lopez, also known as Echo, is one of the most skilled hand-to-hand combatants in Marvel Comics. While this is certainly spotlit in the MCU’s Echo miniseries on Disney+, Alaqua Cox’s character has a brand new set of superpowers. This makes Echo the latest Marvel Comics hero to have different powers in the MCU. In order to understand this new power set for Echo in the MCU, let’s take a look back at the abilities Maya Lopez had in Marvel Comics. 

How Maya Lopez, a.k.a. Echo, Got Her Powers in Marvel Comics

In the comics, Echo has photographic reflexes and the ability to copy any movement after observing it. This stems from the fact that she is Deaf, and has thus depended on observation to navigate hearing society. Because of these skills, Maya became a concert pianist and a gifted ballet dancer. 

These powers played a major role in transforming Maya into the fighter she is today. After Kingpin tricked her into believing that Daredevil murdered her father, Echo watched dozens of martial arts films as well as footage of Daredevil villains like Bullseye. Because of this preparation, Echo’s first fight with Daredevil was an enormous challenge for the Man Without Fear. 

Echo’s New Ancestral and Highly Spiritual Superpowers in the MCU

For now, it’s unclear if the MCU version of Echo has the same photographic reflexes as her comics counterpart. But that doesn’t change the fact that she is a formidable opponent. The Echo miniseries did show that Maya went through extensive handgun and martial arts training from the time she was young, and she can defeat entire rooms of enemies on her own. In her fight with Daredevil, she gave Matt Murdock a run for his money, which is no small feat. 

Maya Lopez’s new powers in the MCU are rooted in her ancestry as the descendant of Chafa, the first Choctaw who led her people out of the cave they were created in. When Maya uses these powers, a spiral appears on the back of both of her hands and glows orange. With these powers, Maya can perform feats of superhuman strength and heal herself and others. In one instance, she uses her powers to free herself from a moving train in episode 2 (“Lowak”). Maya shares this power with her female ancestors. She’s also able to pass it onto her female relatives, as she does with Chula and Bonnie in episode 5 (“Maya”). 

Additionally, Echo’s powers as a healer grant her the ability to access a person’s memories. In episode 5, she takes Wilson Fisk back to the night that he killed his abusive father. Maya gives him the chance to unload the emotional trauma of the event onto her. She gets this ability from her mother, who was known as a healer. 

Why Does the Live-Action Version of Echo Have Different Powers?

Maya Lopez has been a gifted fighter for some time now in the MCU, but her new superpowers are part of a larger revelation that she’s experienced since returning back to her hometown in Oklahoma. Reconnecting with her Choctaw heritage and family has brought her ancestry to the forefront of her mind. Since she left Oklahoma when she was only six years old and has only returned now as an adult, it makes sense that she would have a physical type of reawakening. 

Additionally, as with her ancestors, Maya Lopez’s powers seem to activate when she is experiencing emotional distress. This makes her new powers a cathartic experience for her, one that she didn’t have when she was working with Wilson Fisk in New York City. The death of Maya’s mother and her relocation to New York left her numb to her emotions. However, the death of her father brought out immense rage in her, which she has since brought back to Oklahoma. The combination of all of these factors created the perfect storm for Maya to discover her true potential. 

At the end of Echo, Maya is rebuilding her connection to her family and stays in Oklahoma with them. We don’t know when we will see her again. But we are glad she’s taking time to heal and perhaps learn more about her ancestors and new powers.

The post Maya Lopez’s Powers in ECHO, Explained appeared first on Nerdist.

Marvel’s Echo is here and it is kicking off 2024 with quite the powerful punch. The five-episode miniseries follows Maya Lopez, a.k.a. Echo, as she returns to her small Oklahoma hometown after attempting to assassinate her former boss/ “uncle,” Wilson Fisk. Once there, she goes on a journey of self-discovery and rebuilding severed connections with her estranged family. In the show’s first episode, we speed through the events that led her back to her roots, including her beginnings as a member of Fisk’s Tracksuit Mafia. And, since Maya was on Fisk’s side, that made her an automatic enemy of Daredevil. We knew that Charlie Cox’s Daredevil would appear in Echo in some form, and now we know exactly how he shows up in the series. 

How Does Daredevil Appear in the Echo TV Series? 

For fans who were wondering about Daredevil’s role in Echo, there’s not too much to say here. Daredevil only appears in one fight scene in the first episode of Echo. Here’s how it goes down. After Maya’s father is killed, Fisk tells her that it’s time for her to release her rage “in a more constructive way.” He gives her a job as one of his henchpeople. None of the men are excited about having to “babysit a kid,” but Maya soon proves her worth when a fight breaks out. She’s gaining the upper hand against Fisk’s enemies in Echo‘s first episode, but things get challenging when Charlie Cox’s Daredevil bursts on the scene. Daredevil is chasing down Kingpin’s goons, which now include Maya. They get into a rather entertaining fistfight where Maya really holds her own until Daredevil crashes a shelf on her before disappearing. Daredevil only utters a single line in Echo. He says, “I’ve been watching them all night. And then you guys show up.” But, hey, we’re always glad to see Charlie Cox appear as Daredevil on our screens.

It’s not shocking that Daredevil played an incredibly small role in Maya’s story because, well, it is her story. In a TVLine interview, Echo executive producer Richie Palmer affirmed that Daredevil’s small cameo was all about elevating her arc. “He was there in a way like he was in the comics when Maya was first introduced,” said Palmer. “Maya showing that she can go the distance with Daredevil really shows Kingpin, ‘Oh, there’s something to this kid that I haven’t seen before.'”

We see Fisk praise her fighting prowess, and she begins to do some deadly work for her uncle. This plays out differently from Maya Lopez’s comic arc. Echo made her official debut in Daredevil (1998) #9, where she met and fell in love with Matt Murdock. Maya didn’t know that Murdock was Daredevil, who Kingpin told her had killed her father. Matt Murdock later revealed his secret identity to Maya while they fought as Daredevil and Echo. In the MCU, they have no further relationship outside of vigilante and crime gang killer. We do not see Daredevil again in Echo after the first episode. However, the Echo post-credits scene does set up Daredevil: Born Again with Fisk considering a move into the NYC political world.

Does Daredevil Wear a New Suit in Echo? 

The Echo scene with Daredevil is not well-lit, but he does wear a new suit. It is not the yellow and red one we saw him wearing in She-Hulk. This one is the red and black one from the Daredevil series. The gritty fighting style of his scene with Maya, as well as others, is truly reflective of all the gritty Netflix Marvel series, which are now a part of the MCU timeline. This only makes fans more hype for the return of Daredevil. 

What’s Next for Daredevil and Kingpin After Echo? 

Of course, we know that Daredevil: Born Again will bring Daredevil and Kingpin back again after the events of Echo. Based on the series’ post-credits scene, it seems Kingpin—who may not be his full evil self after Maya’s attempted intervention—may decide to run for NYC mayor. He certainly has enough influence and money to pursue this path, and, if he does, that’s going to be very problematic for Daredevil. We will see where things go for them next… Hopefully Echo and Daredevil will get to meet again in the MCU.

The post How Does Daredevil Appear in the ECHO Series? appeared first on Nerdist.

The Infinity Stones were the greatest movie MacGuffins of all time, in the forefront of the first 22 MCU films. Thanks to Thanos’ quest, even your grandma knows about these all-powerful gems, created at the dawn of time. Well, Thanos may have destroyed the stones in Endgame, but now you can own the next best thing. At San Diego Comic-Con in 2022, Marvel and East Continental Gems announced the launch of the official Infinity Collection of Gemstones. And now, the time has arrived to begin buying… If you have a Tony Stark-sized fortune at your disposal anyway. The set is valued at $25 million.

The real-life Infinity Gems will be on display in New York for a limited time at the ECG Concept showroom. Fans can purchase the Infinity Gems, but ECG will also have more affordable options available. They’ll reveal the Jarvis Series of gems which are 2-carats and start at $225 each. Other MCU-inspired collectibles at the store will include mini Infinity Gauntlet statues and an Eye of Agamotto.

Click To View Gallery

The Most Powerful Rocks in the Known Universe

Each of the Infinity Stones are remnants of singularities that predated the Universe. Of course, their values in the Marvel Universe cannot be imagined because of the powers each stone carries. But this collection is primed to become one of the most valuable Marvel collectible items. The six stones combined are over 150 carats and come with a total estimated value surpassing $25 million. In a statement, Paul Gitter, SVP, Marvel Consumer Products said the following.

Fans and collectors are a very important consumer for Marvel, since they truly live the Marvel lifestyle every day and are always seeking to connect with the brand in new and unique ways. We feel this authentic gemstone collection is cool and unexpected and extends the reach of the Marvel brand

Each of the Stones will be displayed in an exclusive Infinity Gauntlet customized to house these gems. Gentle Giant Ltd created the Gauntlet. They are the industry leader in the high-end collectible toys and consumer products sold throughout the world. Below is a description of each of the real-life stones and what they represent in the Marvel Universe:

The Time Stone

The Time Stone is a Colombian emerald that is rare and brilliant in color. Experts suggest they minded this stone at the turn of the century. Somewhere in a location that produces the most desirable emerald green. Documented by four prestigious gemology laboratories, this gem has no treatment, nearing 23 carats.

About the Time Stone in the Marvel Universe. This unique Marvel artifact is at the center of the Marvel Universe itself. The Time Stone has the ability to manipulate time, even in places beyond time.

The Space Stone

The Space Stone is a 30-carat sapphire from the island of Madagascar. Here is what we know about the Space Stone in the Marvel Universe. It allows its user to exist in any location, and move through different realities. Also, it allows one to warp or rearrange space, and teleport across planes regardless of the laws of physics or magical barriers. It even allows for omnipresence.

The Reality Stone

The Reality Stone is a 15-carat oval-shaped, natural ruby from Mozambique, Africa. In the Marvel Universe, things that would normally be impossible to realize are made possible with the Reality Stone. And on a universal scale. In other words, aside from the power to will anything in or out of existence, it can retroactively create alternate realities around those changes.

The Power Stone

The Power Stone is a 35-carat oval-shaped, natural amethyst. About the Power Stone in the Marvel Universe – The biggest mystery of all the Stones may be the Power Stone. The Power Stone allows its users to access and manipulate all forms of energy as well as enhance their own physical strength and durability. At full potential, the Power Stone can even grant omnipotence!

Notably, this jewel also boosts the effects of the five other Stones; it’s like a kind of key to start the engine of the Infinity Stones as a single collective force. The ultimate power behind the Power Stone—and why it sits at a place of honor on the Infinity Gauntlet—does not necessarily come from the Stone itself, but from how the Stone interacts with the others.

The Soul Stone

The Soul Stone is this cushion-shaped, spessartite, exceeding 35 carats. About the Soul Stone in the Marvel Universe – The first to appear of all the Stones, the Soul Stone served as inspiration for all the rest. It can manipulate the soul and essence of a person, control life and death, and contains a pocket dimension called the Soul World.

The Mind Stone

The Mind Stone is a high clarity, intense color rectangular brilliant cut yellow diamond, close to 35 carats. About the Mind Stone in the Marvel Universe – The Mind Stone allows its user to enhance their mind, awaken or heighten psionic abilities like telepathy and telekinesis, and—when combined with the Power Stone—even access all minds in existence concurrently. In the spirit of the Mind Stone, we’re taking a look at the minds responsible for some of the most significant Infinity Stone stories ever!

No word yet on if purchasing all the stones and getting a gauntlet to go with them will unlock the powers of the universe for its wearer. Maybe you can find out if you visit East Continental Gems’ showroom. Get all the details here.

Originally published on October 26, 2022.

The post The $25 Million Infinity Gem Collection Is Coming to New York appeared first on Nerdist.

Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3 has arrived, introducing MCU fans to Peacemaker’s Chukwudi Iwuji as the film’s main villain, the High Evolutionary. But just who is Marvel’s maddest scientist? What are the High Evolutionary’s powers? Get ready to get cosmic, as we’re here to answer all your burning High Evolutionary questions, from Marvel Comics to MCU. 

Who Is the High Evolutionary in Marvel Comics? 

1966’s Thor #133 marks the first reference to the High Evolutionary in Marvel Comics. He would make his debut on the page in the very next issue, which also included a cameo of the mutant twins who would become such a key part of the High Evolutionary’s comic book lore. With Galactus planning deep space destruction as always, Thor is looking for Jane Foster. It’s on his search that he comes across Mount Wundagore, the High Evolutionary, and his New Men. Marvel’s Pietro and Wanda are going to Mount Wundagore to seek answers about their waning mutant powers.

It wouldn’t be until years later that readers learned who the High Evolutionary truly was, thanks to backup stories in The Evolutionary War event. In the Marvel universe, the High Evolutionary’s human name was Herbert Edgar Wyndham, and he had once been a successful academic scientist. As a child, Herbert became obsessed with genetics and the possibility of “evolving” creatures. But it wasn’t until an encounter with a strange man—later revealed to be a rogue Inhuman—who enlightened him on how to “crack the genetic code” that Herbert made his dreams a reality. His experiments made him an outcast in the scientific field, and he moved to Mount Wundagore with his research partner, Jonathan Drew, father of Spider-Woman, Jessica Drew. There he built his futuristic home. The High Evolutionary began to evolve animals, creating a series of humanoid beasts known as the New Men.

The High Evolutionary’s Powers and Abilities

The High Evolutionary’s powers are always in a state of flux. When he exposed himself to his Evolutionary Accelerator machine and its unstable Isotope E, it caused him to switch from evolved super being to someone with caveman intelligence levels. But usually, the High Evolutionary has a certain baseline of abilities. These include an artificially evolved human brain, making him one of the smartest beings on Earth. The High Evolutionary also has the powers of superhuman strength, durability, and a healing factor similar to Wolverine’s. Additionally, he can communicate telepathically and shield his mind from other psychics.

Some other powers the High Evolutionary has demonstrated over the years include the ability to levitate, although not outright fly. Body mass manipulation allows him to change his physical size and density at will. Wyndham also has the ability to create force fields, and shoot deadly concussive blasts from his body. He can even evolve or devolve other beings through a form of forced artificial evolution. And thanks to all his evolutionary tampering, the High Evolutionary has effectively achieved immortality, perhaps his greatest power of all.

How Is the High Evolutionary Connected to the Scarlet Witch? 

Herbert’s first appearance alluded to a connection to the Maximoffs. A flashback in 1974’s Giant-Size Avengers #1 teased a vital Mount Wundagore backstory around the twins’ birth. Finally, in 1979’s Avengers #185-187, Herbert’s full impact on the twins’ lives came to light. It was during this iconic arc that readers learned their “true history.” Their mother sought refuge on Mount Wundagore after their father gained powers and went mad, “raving with a desire to rule the world.” The High Evolutionary’s cow creature known as Bova delivered the twins, and soon their mother left the children with the bovine midwife. While Bova tried to give the twins to the hero known as the Whizzer, he chose to run away. Eventually, the Maximoffs came and adopted the twins.

What does all this have to do with Wanda’s powers? Chthon “marked” her at her birth. We learn this as Chthon possesses Wanda. Speaking through Wanda, Chthon tells the Avengers that Mount Wundagore was created to imprison him and the Darkhold. Inevitably, someone used the Darkhold, and Chthon was freed when this knowledge fell into the hands of the wrong person. Eventually, the demon is defeated. But at that moment, Chthon decides to imbue baby Wanda, who was just born thanks to the High Evolutionary’s creation, with his magic, thus arguably creating the most famous origin of the Scarlet Witch. Whether the MCU’s High Evolutionary and Scarlet Witch have any ties at all in the MCU, we must wait to find out.

How Is the High Evolutionary Connected to Adam Warlock? 

In the comics, Adam Warlock and the High Evolutionary are deeply connected. Remember how we first met Adam Warlock in the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 stinger? Adam was in a giant cocoon, looked after by the High Priestess of the Sovereign, Ayesha. Ayesha calls her creation “Him” (as in Adam’s first appearance in the Fantastic Four) before deciding to name him Adam.

1972’s Marvel Premiere #1 brought the story of Adam Warlock to life, and the issue dug deep into his past. Created by scientists on Earth, the High Evolutionary later found Adam’s body floating in a cocoon in space. In the comics, Herbert adopts Adam, names him Warlock, and places an emerald upon his forehead. The comics would later reveal the emerald as the Soul Gem. In the MCU, Adam’s creators, the Sovereign, are creations of the High Evolutionary. It’s more of an indirect line, but still a line.

The MCU High Evolutionary in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

In Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, the MCU’s High Evolutionary does not seem to originate from Earth. He was only referred to ever as the High Evolutionary. The MCU made no reference to the High Evolutionary’s Marvel Comics human name of Herbert Wyndham. On Counter-Earth, he mentioned that he visited Earth once and admired it. The High Evolutionary based his new MCU world on his memories, further suggesting his origins are alien. Of course, he might have taken the name Herbert Wyndham while living on Earth, but it’s not mentioned in the film at all.

Additionally, Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3 portrays the High Evolutionary as one of the most sadistic villains the MCU has ever seen, torturing animals to further his own experiments in perfection. And he’s worshipped as a god among many alien species, suggesting Guardians of the Galaxy‘s High Evolutionary is far older than his Marvel Comics counterpart.

Although the High Evolutionary appeared to die at the end of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, he actually lived. James Gunn confirmed as much on Twitter. Not only did Rocket save the High Evolutionary’s life at the climax of the film, he’s now actually imprisoned in Knowhere.

Gunn notes, “Yes! It’s the whole culmination of Rocket’s journey. His shift comes in that he doesn’t kill him – he goes from being the least empathetic to the most empathetic Guardian. It seems silly & hollow that he’d refuse to kill him [the High Evolutionary] & then leave him on an exploding ship. And, yes, there is a deleted scene. It’s really great actually, but it messed up the pacing of the end. But you’ll see it in the extras eventually.”

And, indeed, the deleted scene revealing the High Evolutionary’s fate is included in the home release of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. It is titled, “Knowhere After the Battle,”

So yes, it’s very possible we may see the High Evolutionary return again in the MCU and its multiverse. Now that Ms. Marvel established the mutant gene in the MCU, it feels very intentional to introduce a famed geneticist. As to whether the High Evolutionary ever visits Mount Wundagore or creates Bova… well, we can dream.

Originally published on July 27, 2022.

Original reporting by Rosie Knight. Additional reporting by Eric Diaz.

The post Who Is GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY’s High Evolutionary? His Marvel Comics Origins and Powers, Explained appeared first on Nerdist.

Secret Invasion is here and Nick Fury is already having a terrible time. The show’s first episode brings him back to Earth as a war between humans and a Skrull collective is brewing. To make things worse, Nick is not the same self-assured boss following the events of the Blip. He reunites with Talos and Maria Hill for a mission to stop a Skrull act of terrorism. Maria (among others) isn’t quite sure that Nick Fury is ready for what’s coming and mentions that something terrible could happen. Sadly, her words come to fruition in the final moments of the first episode. Maria Hill dies at the end of Secret Invasion episode one. And this Secret Invasion‘s death is one MCU loss that we’ll feel for a long time.

Right before Maria Hill’s death in the first episode of Secret Invasion, Nick is tracking Gravik, a Skrull leader who changes form in front of him several times. Fury is hesitant to shoot or jump into action, and things go awry as bombs begin to explode. In the midst of the chaos, Gravik morphs into Nick Fury as Maria approaches him. She clearly believes it is her close friend, but instead, he shoots her in the chest. Nick eventually makes his way to her and is horrified as she struggles to speak to him. Maria Hill dies, and he must evacuate the scene, leaving her body bleeding on the ground. Hill’s death is a sobering moment that will surely affect him for the rest of the season.

Of course, the MCU isn’t a place where the dead stay dead. But, if Maria Hill is truly dead in Secret Invasion, this is a strong indicator that the Skrulls are a powerful threat. Nick will have to stop being an old man and get some new tricks to figure this one out. It will be sad to lose Maria considering she’s been a part of the MCU for so long yet never really got her chance to shine. However, death is often (for better or worse) used to push a narrative forward and bring a situation’s stakes into focus. For now, we’ll have to wait and see what this devastating Secret Invasion death brings to the show.

The post SECRET INVASION’s First Episode Ends with Maria Hill’s Death appeared first on Nerdist.

The MCU’s multiverse is no longer the purview of a handful of characters and a few movies. Avengers: Endgame‘s Time Heist might have saved the universe, but it also set the MCU on a much more complex path. Infinite paths actually, to infinite dimensions and parallel worlds. These branching timelines and other realities are changing the face of the entire franchise for every Marvel Cinematic Universe hero and villain. And that’s true for both new and (very) old characters alike.

Marvel’s multiverse can be a lot to keep track of, even for those creating it. But while all those roads can be confusing, they are important. Especially after Spider-Man: No Way Home and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Fortunately, we’re here to help break down the multiverse’s most important figures, storylines, and innumerable divergent paths. From Doctor Strange‘s dimensions, the Quantum Realm, Loki‘s Variants, and more, here’s everything you need to know about the MCU’s multiverse.

What Is the MCU’s Multiverse?

As laid out by the Ancient One in Doctor Strange and confirmed by He Who Remains on Loki, the MCU exists in a world “without end,” because the MCU’s multiverse is infinite. Vastly different parallel worlds, along with vastly different dimensions, all exist. Anything and everything can happen within them. And they can cause utter destruction to one another. There are differences between other dimensions and parallel worlds, though.

Another dimension is an entirely different plane of existence within a shared reality. It’s also possible to be in one plane while still observing another. However, if you travel the multiverse and go into a parallel world, you have entered another reality entirely. If that’s confusing, here are a couple of analogies to help make sense of the difference.

Sometimes in the MCU, being in another dimension is akin to being a ghost. If you become a ghost, you exist in a different dimension, but you can still see the plane of existence you left behind.

Meanwhile, visiting a parallel world is more like walking through a portal into a new destination. Imagine if you walked into a world identical to our world, except the sky is purple instead of blue. In the purple world, you would no longer see the blue sky of home. Also, your actions in the purple world would impact everyone there instead.

In the MCU, other dimensions in a shared reality sometimes have no ability to impact each other. Even when one can be perceived within another. But both parallel worlds in other realities, along with other dimensions within the same reality, sometimes pose existential threats to other dimensions and worlds in the multiverse.

Marvel’s Multiverse Explained By Dimension, Realm, and Property

Countless dimensions and realities (a.k.a. parallel worlds) also mean countless sinister dimensions and threats too. The Ancient One explained that chilling fact to Stephen Strange when he first arrived at Kamar-Taj in the first Doctor Strange.

“This universe is only one of an infinite number. Worlds without end. Some benevolent and life giving. Others filled with malice and hunger. Dark places where powers older than time lie ravenous…and waiting.”

The “infinite dangers” the former Sorcerer Supreme warned of have already been seen in many of the MCU’s dimensions and parallel worlds. But so have other less nefarious places. These are the most important ones—good, evil, and in-between—to appear in the MCU so far. (Please note, this article deals only with the MCU, not Marvel Comics or non-Marvel Studios Marvel movies.)

The Many Dimensions of the First Doctor Strange Movie

Stephen Strange first saw the true scope of existence when his soul traveled through many dimensions in his debut film. Some were beautiful, others nightmarish. His journey took him through wonderfully named planes like the Mandelibus, Actiniaria, Flowering Incense, and Grass Jelly Dimensions.

He then got a glimpse of the diversity of parallel worlds during his unplanned “jump” with America Chavez in Multiverse of Madness. The pair dived through realities of paint, cubism, animation, and more.

These briefly seen places are all visual marvels worth exploring for any sorcerer-in-training. But thus far, these dimensions have been unimportant in the MCU. The first Doctor Strange film did introduce three vital dimensions to the franchise, though.

Astral Dimension

The Astral Dimension, sometimes called the Astral Plane, is “a place where the soul exists apart from the body.” Masters of the Mystic Arts can leave their physical bodies behind and enter the Astral Dimension. Within the Astral Plane they exist as pure energy, though they still look like ghostly versions of themselves. Sorcerers can also push other souls into this plane. The Ancient One did that to Stephen Strange. She also pushed Bruce Banner’s soul out of Smart Hulk in Avengers: Endgame. And Strange himself did this to Spider-Man in No Way Home.

Marvel’s Astral Plane exists around/next to the physical Earth realm. Souls in the Astral Dimension float through the real world, but the two are not the same place. They are different and independent planes of existence. What happens in the Astral Dimension does not affect the physical world. An astral projection can reveal itself to a physical being, though, as Stephen Strange did to Dr. Christine Palmer.

Time also works differently within the Astral Dimension. A single moment can be stretched out so that a dying Sorcerer Supreme can have a long conversation with the next one. In Doctor Strange, we see a discussion start and end before a bolt of lightning hits the ground.

This plane of existence also lets those who access it multitask. A body can sleep or enjoy a mug of tea in the physical realm while the soul reads a book in the Astral Dimension. Doctor Strange made use of the Astral Realm while studying the Mystic Arts. In WandaVision, Wanda Maximoff also used this aspect of the multiverse to study the Darkhold. And it was also within the Astral Plane where Wanda heard the voices of her sons, Billy and Tommy. (Though what dimension her original kids—not their Variants—currently exist—if they exist at all—is still unknown.)

Non-sorcerers can access the Astral Plane and have done so at other points in the franchise. However, depending on the MCU property, this dimension goes by other names and appears differently. We discuss the Astral dimension’s presence in Black Panther, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, Moon Knight, and Thor: Love and Thunder—as well as its overall importance to the MCU’s multiverse—later in the article.

Mirror Dimension

Sorcerers also frequently access the Mirror Dimension. This dimension is an exact copy of the physical world it parallels. “Ever present but undetected,” the Ancient One said. “The real world isn’t affected by what happens here.” It’s why Masters of the Mystic Arts use it “to train, surveil, and sometimes to contain threats.”

A sorcerer working to save the physical world can lock an enemy within the Mirror world. Nearly every person gets stuck in there if they don’t have a Sling Ring, which sorcerers use to access the realm. Without a sling ring they have no way of getting out. That’s how Peter Parker managed to imprison Doctor Strange inside the Mirror Dimension in No Way Home. Only the supremely powerful Wanda Maximoff found a way out of a mirror dimension prison. She escaped by moving through reflections in the real world.

A Mystic Arts master might also learn new skills in the Mirror Dimension that they can then use against an unsuspecting and unprepared enemy. It’s the ultimate secret training ground.

The Mirror Dimension is not invulnerable, though. Doctor Strange attempted to use it in his fight with Thanos on Titan in Infinity War. But Thanos used the Power Stone to shatter the Mirror Dimension and turn it against Strange. And while it can be used for good, the Mirror Dimension can also be used for evil purposes. Those who practice dark magic can also hide, train, and jail foes within it. Their willingness to access another dimension’s terrible power also gives them additional strength within the Mirror world.

Dark Dimension

You don’t get a name like the Dark Dimension because you’re full of sunshine and rainbows. You get that moniker because you belong to the Cosmic Conqueror, Dormammu, Doctor Strange‘s interdimensional monster. The Dark Dimension is also known by the equally unpleasant moniker the Hell Dimension. If that name is not an exaggeration it might also be home to the much-anticipated Mephisto. What it definitely contains, though, are all of the worlds consumed by Dormammu.

This terrible fate awaited Earth, but Doctor Strange struck a bargain with the MCU’s Eater of Worlds.

Earth almost became part of the unnatural Dark Dimension because a former Master of the Mystic Arts, Kaecilius, and his followers fell prey to its promise. The Dark Dimension is “a world beyond time” and therefore a world beyond death. The Hell Dimension is so strong it’s possible to draw power from it to extend your life in other dimensions. Sorcerers who do harness this dark energy, known as the Dark Force, become more powerful inside the Mirror Dimension.

But it’s not just misguided magic users who sometimes draw from the Dark Dimension. The Earth-born Ancient One used the Dark Dimension to live for hundreds of years, violating the natural order. Messing with Dark Force is a dangerous game for everyone and every dimension.

That was equally true for anyone learning the secrets of the Darkhold. That sinister book of dangerous magic was made by Chthon from the Dark Dimension’s dark energy. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness showed just how much “the book of the damned” corrupted its users, even those with good intentions. But that wasn’t the only major contribution the film made to the ever-expanding multiverse of the MCU.  

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and the Connections Between Realities

We knew about the existence of the MCU’s parallel worlds before Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. We also knew about Variants. But what we didn’t know was just how connected they can be. The film introduced new concepts that completely change the possibilities for everyone in every universe.

Incursions and the Destruction of Entire Universes

An incursion is when two MCU realities collide with one another. When that happens either one or both of them are completely destroyed. That’s why the Illuminati killed the facial hair-free Supreme Strange of Earth-838. His use of the Darkhold caused an incursion that destroyed an entire universe, killing trillions.

A type of incursion can also happen when someone toys with the fabric of reality itself. Two Doctor Strange Variants did this, bringing about the destruction of their own universe. The first happened on What If…? The other happened in Multiverse of Madness with Sinister Strange. When an entire reality comes apart it fades away into nothingness, like a cloud of ink vanishing into an ever-darkening sky.

The introduction of incursions to the MCU could mean the franchise is now building to its next big event, Secret Wars. That would mean war between every dimension, realm, and parallel world, exactly what He Who Remains warned Loki and Sylvie about.

Waypoints and the Gap Junction

The Book of Vishanti, the antithesis of the Darkhold, rested in a nexus dimension between the infinite worlds of the MCU’s multiverse. That dimension is known as the Gap Junction. Doctor Strange 2 didn’t invest much time explaining why it looks the way it does, but we did see Variants from multiple universes access it. That included Defender Strange and the MCU’s main Stephen Strange, who went there from Earth-838 via a secret portal called a Waypoint.

If a door exists in one world to the Gap Junction, theoretically you can travel to parallel dimensions via that nexus. Or you can rely on the singular nexus being who has the ability to hop between worlds.

The One and Only America Chavez

America Chavez has no Variants. She also has an incredible power. America can move freely between the realities of the MCU’s multiverse, an ability she finally learned to control by the end of Doctor Strange 2. A powerful being can absorb her power, but if anyone succeeds she will die during the transfer.

Others, even the most powerful beings in Marvel’s multiverse, can’t do that. But they do have another way to make their presence felt in other universes.

Dreams and Dreamwalking in the MCU

When someone in the MCU has a dream they aren’t seeing a creation of their subconscious. What they are seeing is the real life of one of their Variants from the MCU’s multiverse. Main Stephen Strange didn’t imagine Defender Strange and America running from a demon in the Gap Junction. He saw what really happened to them. Anytime someone in the MCU has a dream (not necessarily a vision) they are introducing a new Variant to the franchise.

While dreams are passive links between Variants, dreamwalking is an active connection. Not to mention an evil one. The Darkhold allowed its users to remotely control one of their Variant’s bodies across dimensions. Wanda did this from Earth-616, turning Wanda Mom of Earth-838 into a “meat puppet.” Doctor Strange also did this with his Variant’s corpse. Dreamwalking is the darkest of magic (using a dead body is especially forbidden), and whether or not anyone can do it now that Wanda destroyed the Darkhold in every universe is unknown.

Black Panther‘s Ancestral Plane

The Astral Plane is a dimension living souls can access, but we’ve never seen a dead person’s soul there. Meanwhile, the connected Ancestral Plane of Black Panther is a realm where a soul goes after its body dies. It’s not limited to just the dead, though. T’Challa and Killmonger both traveled there while still alive and each spoke to their deceased fathers.

Marvel Studios’ T’Challa and Killmonger each journeyed to the Ancestral Plane after they consumed the Heart-Shaped Herb and had themselves buried alive. This ethereal world appeared differently to each of them. T’Challa went to lands similar to his country, but it was a world of non-Earth-like bio fluorescence and beauty. Meanwhile, Killmonger went to the home he grew up in with his father in Oakland. When each man woke, far less time had passed on Earth than he had experienced in the Ancestral Plane because time moves much slower there.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever added another layer of depth to the Ancestral Plane. When Shuri travelled there she expected to meet her recently deceased mother. Instead she found her cousin Killmonger waiting for her. She was angry to see him sitting in the equivalent of Wakanda’s throne room, but he said she “summoned” him. It’s not clear how much we can trust him, but if he told the truth, those who eat the Heart-Shaped Herb and go to the Ancestral Plane call a family member to meet them rather than their dead loved one coming to them, an interesting twist to that spiritual world.

The Astral Plane and the Ancestral Plane share many of the same traits and are clearly connected. As are other realms of the dead in the MCU.

Moon Knight and the Duat

Marc Spector and Steven Grant went to the Duat following their death on Moon Knight. There they encountered the Ancient Egyptian hippo goddess Taweret. She told them they were not in “the” afterlife, but merely “an” afterlife.

According to her, “many intersectional planes of untethered consciousness exist.” That particular realm of the dead, the one Ancient Egyptians believed in, leads to a soul either becoming forever frozen in the sands of the Duat or living for eternity in the paradise known as the Field of Reeds.

But Taweret still knew about the “gorgeous” Ancestral Plane of Black Panther. Supernatural beings who live in one realm of dead soul still know—and can seemingly visit—other realms of the dead. Unlike the Ancestral Plane, though, there is a way for souls in the Duat to return to the land of the living. Osiris must allow them passage through his gates. If it’s possible to move between “intersectional planes of untethered consciousness” it’s possible for anyone to return from the dead.

As for the Field of Reeds, it’s unclear if all those intermediary planes of the dead lead to one single paradise for all souls. Those who die in the MCU appear to arrive in afterlife connected to what they believed in while alive. That’s what happens to Viking warriors of Asgard.

Thor: Love and Thunder‘s Valhalla

Asgardians believe the souls of warriors who die on the field of battle will ascend to Valhalla. The good news is that they’re only half right. Valhalla exists, but you don’t need to specifically die valiantly at the hands of an enemy. Jane Foster went to Valhalla, where Heimdall greeted her, even though she died of cancer and not from Gorr’s sword. And just like Steven Grant returned from the sands of the Duat, and Marc Spector returned from the Field of Reeds, to go back to the dimension of the living, there’s reason to think those in Valhalla can also find their way back to life.

At the very least, what does seem clear is that each and every realm of the dead belongs to a dimension that contains all souls and their subsequent realms.

Infinity War‘s Soul Stone and Soulworld

When someone uses the Soul Stone, they enter a separate dimension inside the magic space rock. Thanos went there after his Snap in Infinity War. In Soulworld he met his daughter Gamora as a small child. Smart Hulk visited that plane too after the Blip, though we didn’t see what he encountered there. And before he died Tony Stark saw his young daughter as a grown woman in an Endgame deleted scene.

The Soulworld is not only where people go when they use the Soul Stone. It’s where souls go when they die. The Soul World may hold the Ancestral Plane, the Duat, Valhalla, and every realm of the dead. And just because the Soul Stone is not destroyed doesn’t mean it is.

What really matters, though, is that a world beyond life exists in the MCU. It has many names and takes many forms, and it can be accessed in many ways, but it’s all one place, hidden in Marvel’s multiverse.

Ant-Man‘s Quantum Realm and Loki‘s Citadel

The Quantum Realm is so important to the MCU we wrote an extensive primer about it before Avengers: Endgame. Then Scott Lang realized it could be used as a portal through time. (An ability only Kamala Khan’s bangle has also provided.) You’ll definitely want to read our Quantum Realm breakdown, as it explains why that realm is not merely a smaller-scale version of Earth’s realm. It is actually an entirely different dimension. If you shrink your physical form down enough, you leave your own plane of existence and cross over into another one. The MCU’s Quantum Realm is a unique dimension, just as the Astral or Mirror dimensions are. But it’s seemingly more important than both combined.

The Quantum Realm first reshaped the MCU by undoing the Snap. But that was only the beginning of its role in the MCU, especially if the Quantum Realm exists beyond the end of time itself, a place as we saw in Loki‘s finale.

The castle known as the Citadel of He Who Remains exists in a dimension outside and independent of time itself. Where that Citadel is located exactly is still unknown. But its surreal, swirling environment full of color looked a lot like the Quantum Realm. Considering the Quantum Realm can be used to hop in and out of a timeline, it’s the best candidate for where the Citadel exists. If that’s true, He Who Remains and the staff of the TVA are essentially time travelers who don’t age.

For a brief moment Doctor Strange and Peter Parker also entered an identical-looking plane when Strange’s spell broke apart in Spider-Man: No Way Home. That very well might have been the Quantum Realm. And not just because of how it looked. Strange’s spell pulled in other Peter Parkers and their enemies from multiple dimensions. But they each came out of different points in time, even those who came from the same parallel world. That spell didn’t just open the multiverse, it opened up portals through time.

Loki‘s Variants and Parallel Worlds

Loki’s six-episode run on Disney+ took everything we knew about the MCU and flipped it on its head. Then it twisted and spun the entire franchise and its history all around, so we have no idea which way is up. Because as soon as He Who Remains gave us answers to monumental questions, Sylvie created even bigger ones when she killed him. (The show also left some important topics open to interpretation rather than explicitly addressing them.)

Some valuable lessons Loki taught us about the MCU’s multiverse still remain true, though.

The dimension where the Avengers live, now labeled Earth-616 by some and Earth-199999 by others, has an infinite number of parallel universes “stacked” on top of it. Many of those parallel realities look similar to each other. Doctor Strange 2 confirmed that fact which was first introduced on Loki where Variants and the many versions of He Who Remains fought a Multiversal War. Some Variants look like exact copies of each other, and their worlds have similar histories. But even those can have significant differences. Loki can, for instance, lose the Battle of the New York in one part of Marvel’s multiverse but win in another. Sometimes the difference between realities can be a single moment or event that leads to a vastly different world.

The existence of infinite parallel realities has major ramifications beyond even what we’ve seen in the MCU so far. For example, Tony Stark is dead in the universe we know. But an infinite number of Tony Starks must still live in parallel worlds. In some, he could be evil. In others, he didn’t defeat Thanos with the Snap because another Avenger did. Other Variant Tonys never even became Iron Man. Instead, they died in that cave. Or they lived their whole life as an uncaring genius-billionaire-playboy-philanthropist. The same holds true for every character—living or dead—in the main timeline.

What If…? and the Illuminati Show Anything (and Anyone) is Possible

Marvel’s What If…? series introduced some of these alternate realities. On the animated series Peggy Carter stayed in a room instead of leaving it. Because of that one decision she ended up a Super Soldier instead of Steve Rogers, thus changing her world’s history forever. Those alternate realities/parallel worlds can co-exist in peace. It’s even possible to travel between them and share knowledge and technology. So long as multidimensional travelers avoid three potentially catastrophic pitfalls. 1) don’t fight with each other, 2) don’t cause branches to the Sacred Timeline that keeps every parallel world contained, 3) don’t cause an incursion.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness also showed famous figures never before seen in Earth-616’s reality exist in the multiverse. Professor X and the rest of the Illuminati showed just how similar yet different worlds can be at the same time. The group included other versions of characters we know from the main timeline alongside important characters that don’t have main MCU counterparts. Yet.

Multiversal War and the Sacred Timeline

He Who Remains won a Multiversal War against his own Variants. (Possibly/likely not the first such war, and definitely not the last.) Once he and his Variants learned inter-dimensional travel between parallel worlds, some versions of He Who Remains sought to conquer the others. That battle threatened to destroy all of reality. That war was nearly the end “of everything and everyone” in every universe and dimension, the ultimate incursion.

To prevent a potential multiverse apocalypse from happening again, He Who Remains organized all of those parallel worlds into one Sacred Timeline. Thus, Variants and parallel worlds co-exist on top of and next to one another in a single loop of time. Different realities have their own existence, but He Who Remains created the TVA to make sure they all stayed on the same path of time to ensure they didn’t destroy one another.

If a Variant causes a Nexus Event, which results in a branch from the Sacred Timeline, they are ripped from their reality and sent to the Void at the end of time. Those branches must be pruned lest they result in another all-out war between dimensions.

The TVA is the MCU’s most Machiavellian creation. It sacrifices the lives of some to protect the lives of everyone. It’s neither inherently good nor bad, and even similar Variants disagree on its merits. Loki ultimately decided the TVA was a necessary evil, a form of control that kept the worst outcomes at bay. Sylvie did not. She believed the universe and its infinite dimensions want to break free from control. Results be damned.

How one world can be so different, to the point Variants can be entirely different species (looking at you—from a safe distance—Alligator Loki), yet not constantly cause branches to the Sacred Timeline is hard to fathom. But that’s how powerful a Nexus Event is. It can destroy everyone everywhere.

That’s because it’s not actually the greatest threat to the multiverse. That title belongs to a very dangerous man and all his Variants.

Quantumania, Kang the Conqueror, and the Council of Kangs

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania fundamentally changed what we knew about the Quantum Realm, the Sacred Timeline, and the most dangerous man of any time or world.

The Quantum Realm is far more diverse and strange than we ever realized. It’s home to an advanced civilization of living buildings where broccoli people live alongside humanoids and goo with no holes. Time seems to work differently there, too, more evidence that’s where He Who Remains built the TVA. The main city of the Quantum Realm also looked like the one seen outside the TVA building.

It was also used to imprison Kang the Conqueror outside of time so he could no longer threaten the multiverse or the Sacred Timeline after he had already destroyed entire dimensions. We know one of He Who Remains’ Variants replaced him after Sylvie killed him. Was that Kang the Conqueror? If so, when exactly did he take over the TVA? Before or after the events of Loki? There are so many questions we don’t have answers to yet, including how Kang survived and when in time he ended up. But Quantumania ended with the Council of Kangs coming together. He Who Remains was right about what would happen if he no longer controlled the Time Variance Authority. Worse versions of him returned.

Only, Kangs now see the Avengers as their greatest threat, not one another. Every world in the MCU’s multiverse now has to countless Variants of the Conqueror to fear. But it’s not like that’s the only danger the multiverse faces.

The Existential Threat of Ms. Marvel‘s Noor Dimension

Kamala Khan’s great grandmother, the ClanDestine Aisha, came from the Noor Dimension. That’s a parallel dimension of Earth. The Veil separates the two, and opening that portal threatens the entire dimension of Earth. Left unclosed the Noor Dimension would completely consume the dimension of Earth.

The Noor is a powerful dimension if someone can harness its powers. Aisha imbued her bangle with her Noor power, and that artifact helped unlock Kamala’s powers and sent the teenager back in time. It was also powerful enough to instantly transport and swap Kamala, Carol Danvers, and Monica Rambeau places across the universe.

Is Shang-Chi’s Ta Lo a Part of the MCU’s Multiverse?

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings‘ Ta Lo is a pocket dimension that exists parallel to Earth, making it a part of the MCU’s multiverse. The residents of Ta Lo—who put magical dragon scales on their weapons—protect Earth and its people. But getting to this beautiful realm of peace is almost impossible. A shifting, moving maze of trees and dirt keeps its Earthly portal hidden. Access is only possible once a year. However, a resident—either human or one of Ta Lo’s magical creatures—can direct an outsider through the otherwise impenetrable maze any time of the year.

The Ta Lo village seen in Shang-Chi is just a small part of this multiverse dimension. But it long stood guard against a creature that threatened both Ta Lo and Earth. The extra-dimensional beast the Dweller-in-Darkness, leader of the Soul Eaters, waged war against Ta Lo thousands of years ago. Thanks to the Great Defender dragon, the people of Ta Lo locked the Dweller-in-Darkness behind the Dark Gate. It stayed there until it lured Xu Wenwu with the false promise of seeing his wife again. He freed it with the Ten Rings. Shang-Chi ultimately killed the massive leviathan, keeping both Ta Lo and Earth from becoming victims of the massive eater of souls.

Thor Visits Omnipotent City, the Shadow Realm, and Eternity

In addition to Valhalla, Thor: Love and Thunder introduced other new realms to the MCU. The first was Omnipotence City, a secret haven for all gods led by Zeus at the Parliament of Pantheons. Thor, Jane Foster, and Valkyrie also traveled to the Shadow Realm, a land without color and shadow monsters where Gorr the God Butcher resided and drew power.

The God of Thunder also followed Gorr to Eternity, an abstract entity. Gorr and Thor walked through a portal opened by Stormbreaker to reach Eternity, which stands as the living embodiment of all time and space everywhere. It can also grant any wish, which reverberates throughout that world’s reality. And each reality has its own Eternity.

Non-MCU Marvel Movies and the Multiverse 

The parallel worlds of the MCU are no longer limited to only the universes and dimensions created within the MCU and its parent company. Spider-Man: No Way Home made non-Disney Marvel movies a part of the MCU’s multiverse too. Then Multiverse of Madness made it so entirely new actors could play roles still only seen in non-Disney Marvel movies thus far. Reed Richards appeared on the big screen before, but never before by John Krasinski.

And these crossovers are just the start. Kevin Feige has already promised Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool will join the MCU. And Sony’s Venom: Let There Be Carnage added another wrinkle to the franchise crossover fun. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse also made direct mention of the events of No Way Home. (Though whether or not Disney officially considers every Sony Marvel movie canon for the MCU is unclear. That might just be a one-way street for now.)

That opens the (parallel worlds) door to any and all Marvel movies ever made now being canonically folded into the MCU. Especially when magic—intentionally or not—can bring in anyone from anywhere at any time. It’s why Chris Evans could return to the MCU not as Steve Rogers or even one of his Variants, but as Johnny Storm of the Fantastic Four. As could another former Johnny Storm, Black Panther‘s Killmonger, Michael B. Jordan.

The (former) Netflix Marvel shows and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, which no longer seemingly exist in the same universe as the MCU, are already making their way into the franchise proper. Daredevil‘s Matt Murdock and Kingpin are now a part of the MCU. And someone like Wesley Snipes’ Blade could one day help Mahershala Ali’s upcoming MCU version of the character fight vampires from across the multiverse.

And, of course, any and all members of Fox’s X-Men franchise could join Disney’s franchise at any point. Evan Peters’ Quicksilver on WandaVision stands as a bit of stunt casting. But we could soon learn Ralph Bohner’s resemblance to the X-Men character was not a mere coincidence. Ralph might be a Variant of the cinematic X-Men‘s Quicksilver. Now that a Variant of Patrick Stewart’s Charles Xavier is formally a part of the MCU, more of his former X-Men cohorts could—and likely will—follow.

Thanks to the multiverse, it’s now possible to consider anyone who has ever played a Marvel character in film and TV—for any studio—to be part of the MCU. (Technically Black Bolt already was a part of the MCU, but Anson Mount’s appearance in Doctor Strange 2 was still a major moment.)

The Future of the MCU’s Multiverse

Doctor Strange‘s movies have shown us what the multiverse has to offer, both good and bad. The first two Ant-Man movies showed us how another dimension could upend the entire world as we know it. Avengers: Endgame made good on that promise by manipulating time and reality to save the universe before WandaVision, Loki, and Spider-Man: No Way Home expanded the multiverse in ways that have fundamentally changed the MCU forever. And Quantumania gave us even bigger questions whose answers could mean the destruction of the entire multiverse. For everything we know there’s even more we don’t.

Marvel’s multiverse will only bring more chaos and villains to every version of Earth’s mightiest heroes as the MCU goes forward. From Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania to Loki season two and the Avengers Kang movies, the MCU is diving headfirst into infinite possibilities. And with each step the franchise takes down that road, the more complex all the journey will get. But knowing where they are all coming from will help keep the path clear for viewers moving forward.

…We think. It’s not always easy to keep track of infinite dimensions and worlds. Even He Who Remains needed the TVA to do that.

Originally published on August 30, 2021.

Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist. You can follow him on Twitter at @burgermike, and also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.

The post Everything You Need to Know About the MCU’s Multiverse appeared first on Nerdist.

As with all films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, except Avengers: Endgame, the post-credits scene of Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3 teases a future of new adventures and story possibilities. Despite Vol. 3 being the end of the road for the ragtag band of cosmic heroes we’ve come to love, it does hint towards many new beginnings for an MCU Guardians of the Galaxy team. Here’s what the future may hold for the Guardians of the Galaxy based on one post-credits scene from Vol. 3.

Who Leads the Guardians of the Galaxy Team at the End of Vol. 3?

At the end of Vol. 3, the new Guardians of the Galaxy team is led by none other than Rocket Raccoon. And yes, he’s embraced his full comic book name after discovering that he is indeed a genetically modified raccoon during the events of the film. Peter Quill leaves Rocket in charge of the Guardians in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 after he goes back to Earth to reconnect with his family. Meanwhile, Nebula and Drax ultimately decide to stay on Knowhere. Nebula chooses to lead the colony that resides there, while Drax will take care of all the creatures the Guardians rescued from the High Evolutionary. He is no longer Drax the Destroyer, but Drax “the Dad.” And so, that leaves Rocket to be the leader of the MCU’s new Guardians of the Galaxy—an honor he absolutely deserves.

Who Are the Members of the MCU’s New Guardians of the Galaxy Team?

At the end of the film, a whole new Guardians of the Galaxy team is in play. But who are the members of the MCU’s new Guardians team led by Rocket in the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 post-credits scene? Well, Star-Lord, Gamora, and Mantis have all left the team for various reasons. Although, this version of Gamora was technically never really a Guardian.

Remaining from the old team is a very bulked-up Groot, who now resembles his very first comic book appearance from 1960 in Tales to Astonish #13. Additionally, Kraglin is still around, now having mastered Yondu’s arrow. New to the Guardians of the Galaxy team are Adam Warlock, Phyla-Vell, and the creature called Blurp. Speaking of creatures, Cosmo the Spacedog is officially part of the team now.

In sum, the MCU’s new Guardians of the Galaxy team is Rocket Racoon, Groot, Kraglin, Adam Warlock, Phyla-Vell, Blurp, and Cosmo the Spacedog. We see our new Guardians on a desert planet together in the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 post-credits scene, about to go into action.

James Gunn has been adamant that this film is the end of the Guardians as we knew them. And he’s correct; this is indeed a whole new iteration of the team. But this new team also finally brings in several members from the comics who never made the MCU cut initially, chiefly Adam Warlock and Phylla-Vell. Both were important characters in the 2008 reboot of the Guardians team in the comics, the team that the MCU version is largely based on. And until now, both were absent in the MCU. There’s also still room for other famous Guardians from the comics, like Moondragon and Nova, to join the MCU’s vision of the team.

What Does the New Team Mean for the Guardians of the Galaxy’s MCU Future?

So yes, the post-credits scene reveals there still is a functioning Guardians of the Galaxy team at the end of Vol. 3. Similar to how the end of Avengers: Age of Ultron left us with a very different team of Avengers. This could all lead to a new MCU movie for the Guardians. Although, it wouldn’t really be a Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 4, as it’s a new squad of heroes. But the possibility of seeing these new Guardians of the Galaxy in action on the big screen is definitely possible. If they’re not in a new movie of their own, then perhaps we will see the Guardians team appear in Avengers: Secret Wars or a Disney+ series.

As for the other important group from the Guardians of the Galaxy movies, Gamora’s team of Ravagers is the same team we saw at the end of Vol. 2. That team features Starhawk (Sylvester Stallone), Martinex (Michael Rosenbaum), and other characters who were part of the original team from the comics. It’s possible we will see them together in a future project too.

This Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3 post-credits scene only closes the door on the iteration of the team that we knew, not on the Guardians as a concept. We’re sure to see a Guardians team roaming the spaceways again before too long.

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How tall, or short, are your favorite MCU characters? Well, in most cases, we know how tall the actors are and that’s helpful sometimes. But other times it simply doesn’t give us an accurate guide of the actual size of their Marvel characters. For example, Iron Man is considerably taller than Tony Stark, thanks to those iron lifts in his boots. Also, when it comes CGI creations like the Hulk, or Thanos, the actor’s heights aren’t an accurate representation of how massive the characters are. Thankfully, the Global Data YouTube channel has got answers for us. They’ve created a Marvel character size comparison video, which shows us the heights of some of the most famous MCU heroes, from tiniest to largest. You can watch the full video right here:

As one would expect, Ant-Man is the tiniest Marvel character. However, we were a little surprised to see some characters turning out to be so short. Valkyrie feels like she’s approaching six feet on screen, but she’s only 5’4. Even Throg, the Thor frog from Loki, got included in this size chart. (What, no Alligator Loki??) Apparently, the size comparison video includes the entire Marvel Cinematic Multiverse, because characters like Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man were included along Tom Holland’s Spidey. There’s also Deadpool and even Venom in the mix. But we don’t get to see Wolverine. Maybe when Deadpool 3 comes out, they’ll update the video.

As great as this video is, there’s some stuff that is a bit confusing for us. For starters, this is a size chart for the MCU versions of the characters, not the Marvel Comics. So how did Galactus get on here? After all, he’s only appeared in a Fantastic Four sequel back in 2007. Even if you were to “multiverse him in,” the Galactus in that movie was a giant space cloud.

Speaking of Galactus, why does he have two entries with two different heights? The first has him at 28’9 feet, which seems small. The final one shows him bigger than the Earth itself! When the Fantastic Four arrive in the MCU, they’re going to need to do some explaining and maybe some updating. Still, it is a very cool project that gives us a better idea of how big (or tiny) our Marvel faves are in comparison to each other.

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With big movie franchises that go on for years and years, viewing order can be a tricky proposition for viewers just getting into it. Where to start? It’s certainly not always in release order. And with the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with some 30 movies and countless TV shows at this point, it becomes absolutely daunting. So how should you watch the MCU in full? Well, don’t fret, we’re here to help. In today’s Nerdist Now, Hector Navarro gives us the very best MCU Phase One viewing order. And we promise you, it’s not what you think it is. You can take a look at the videos right here:

Most folks see Iron Man as the way to start, since it came out first, in 2008. Yup, Iron Man is now 15 years old, believe it or not. However, 2011’s Captain America: The First Avenger largely takes place in the early ’40s, so many fans think the viewing order should start there. But recent developments have changed things. In our opinion, the original Sam Raimi Spider-Man trilogy is the place to start. After all, those films (along with the Amazing Andrew Garfield Spidey films) have now been retconned into the official Marvel Multiverse timeline by No Way Home. They are part of MCU canon now and absolutely should count in your watch.

However, given that logic, why not the first X-Men from 2000? After all, Patrick Stewart showed up in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness as Professor Charles Xavier. While that may be true, he’s not the same Charles Xavier from the Fox X-Men films, but a variant. So, until the OG movie X-Men pop up in the MCU (In, say, Avengers: Secret Wars) the Raimi Spider-Man gets first place in the MCU timeline. We realize that all that may change in a few years, though. There are other fun timeline tidbits sprinkled throughout this video. Do you know that Iron Man takes place two years after it hit theaters? Now you do!

MCU Phase Two Watch Order

But don’t stop there, Phase Two of the MCU also needs to be watched, and it has an order all its own. All Hail the King, for instance, cannot be missed, but we’re willing to bet its not on most people’s to watch list. We’ll even guide you through which episodes of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D take place when! (It’s no easy science.)

Phase Three Watch Order

From there, it’s time to embark on Phase Three. There’s a lot to consider when watching this phase of the MCU, especially the Netflix Marvel series. Here’s how the MCU makes the most sense.

Phase Four Watch Order

And now it’s time to conclude our tour of the MCU with some of the latest entries into the universe. As we head into Phase Five, you can rest easy knowing, you’ve seen it all.

As Kevin Feige is always fond of saying, “it’s all connected.”

For the interested, here is the best way to watch phase one of the MCU in list form:

MCU Phase One Watch Order List:

SPIDER-MAN (2002)

SPIDER-MAN 2 (2004)

SPIDER-MAN 3 (2007)

IRON MAN (2008)

IRON MAN 2

A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THOR’S HAMMER (MARVEL ONE-SHOT)

THOR

THE INCREDIBLE HULK (2008)

THE CONSULTANT

CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER

AGENT CARTER (2015)

AGENT CARTER (MARVEL ONE-SHOT)

THE AVENGERS

ITEM 47

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (2012)

MCU Phase Two Watch Order List:

IRON MAN 3

ALL HAIL THE KING

AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. (FIRST SEVEN EPISODES)

THOR: THE DARK WORLD

AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. (EPISODES EIGHT THROUGH SIXTEEN)

CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER

AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. (EPISODES SEVENTEEN THROUGH TWENTY-TWO)

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY

I AM GROOT SEASON ONE EPISODE, “GROOT’S FIRST STEPS”

DAREDEVIL (SEASON ONE)

JESSICA JONES

AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. (SEASON TWO, EPISODES ONE THROUGH NINETEEN)

AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON

AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D.  (SEASON TWO, EPISODES TWENTY THROUGH TWENTY-TWO)

DAREDEVIL (SEASON TWO)

LUKE CAGE (SEASON ONE)

IRON FIST

THE DEFENDERS

AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. (THIRD SEASON, EPISODES ONE THROUGH NINETEEN)

“WHIH NEWSFRONT” (YOUTUBE)

ANT-MAN

MCU Phase Three Watch Order List:

“WHIH NEWSFRONT” (SEASON TWO, SETS UP CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR)

CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR

AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. (SEASON THREE, EPISODES 20 THROUGH 22)

SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING

BLACK PANTHER

INHUMANS

AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D.: SLINGSHOT. (WEB-SERIES ON YOUTUBE)

THE PUNISHER (SEASON ONE)

CLOAK & DAGGER (SEASON ONE)

AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. (FOURTH SEASON)

JESSICA JONES (SEASON TWO)

LUKE CAGE (SEASON TWO)

IRON FIST (SEASON TWO)

DAREDEVIL (THIRD SEASON)

CLOAK & DAGGER (SEASON TWO)

DOCTOR STRANGE

RUNAWAYS (ALL THREE SEASONS)

THE PUNISHER (SEASON TWO)

JESSICA JONES (SEASON THREE)

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2

I AM GROOT (SEASON ONE, EPISODES TWO THROUGH FIVE)

AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. (SEASON FIVE, EPISODES ONE THROUGH EIGHTEEN)

THOR: RAGNAROK

AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR

ANT-MAN AND THE WASP

AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. (FIFTH SEASON, EPISODES NINETEEN TO TWENTY-TWO) 

CAPTAIN MARVEL

VENOM (2018)

AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. (SIXTH AND SEVENTH SEASONS)

HELSTROM

AVENGERS: ENDGAME

MCU Phase Four Watch Order List:

LOKI

WHAT IF…?

WANDAVISION

ETERNALS

SHANG-CHI AND THE LEGEND OF THE TEN RINGS

THE FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLDIER

THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER

SPIDER-MAN: FAR FROM HOME

THE DAILY BUGLE (SEASON ONE, YOUTUBE)

VENOM: LET THERE BE CARNAGE

SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME

THE DAILY BUGLE (SECOND SEASON, TIKTOK)

MORBIUS

THE DAILY BUGLE (THIRD SEASON, TIKTOK)

STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS

HAWKEYE (FIRST THREE EPISODES)

BLACK WIDOW

HAWKEYE (EPISODES FOUR, FIVE, AND SIX)

MOON KNIGHT

MS. MARVEL

SHE-HULK: ATTORNEY AT LAW

BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER

THE GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY HOLIDAY

WEREWOLF BY NIGHT

Originally published on January 26, 2023.

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The Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Phase 4 saw some notable deaths of longtime characters. We lost Wanda Maximoff (maybe?), Jane Foster (sort of?), and Aunt May in this phase. That last one was definitely for real and maybe was the one that hurt the most. But with Phase 5 soon upon us, which MCU characters will meet their deaths this time? We’d say that there are a few notable characters with sizable targets on their back. In today’s Nerdist News, we break down who we think are good candidates for taking a dirt nap in the next couple of years. Here are the Marvel heroes most likely to die in the MCU’s Phase 5.

Some MCU characters obviously have greater odds of meeting the Grim Reaper than others. Right now, we’d wager that Dave Bautista’s Drax the Destroyer doesn’t make it out of Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 3 alive. He has publicly stated that the third Guardians film is the end for him when it comes to playing Drax. And now that Thanos is dead, Drax just might be comfortable joining his wife and family in the afterlife. Since the movie focuses so much on Rocket, we bet he doesn’t make it out alive either. (Just please, leave Groot alone!)

Outside of the Guardians’ realm, with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania effectively ending that trilogy, we could see OG Ant-Man Hank Pym making some kind of noble sacrifice. After all, Michael Douglas is a veteran actor and may feel ready to move on from a supporting role in the MCU. It would make sense for the MCU’s Hank Pym die heroically in Phase 5. An even bigger curveball would be to end the Ant-Man trilogy with Scott Lang’s death. Although, if he died, we bet that a variant of his would pop up in Avengers: Secret Wars.

And then, there’s the Thunderbolts. A team that is often compared to DC Comics’ highly expendable group of antiheroes, the Suicide Squad. We think pretty much everyone on this team could lose their lives on the mission. Especially if that mission is to fight the Marvel Universe’s “mad Superman,” the Sentry. As long as they let Yelena Belova live, we can accept those deaths as part of the MCU’s Phase 5. Also, it might be time for Bucky Barnes, a.k.a. the Winter Soldier, to go out in a blaze of glory. Much like Scott Lang, though, if he dies, we bet variant Bucky shows up in Secret Wars too. Who knows, maybe Deadpool surprises everyone and shows up a bit earlier than expected, and just flat-out kills everyone remaining. To quote Pietro Maximoff in Age of Ultron, “you didn’t see that coming.”

The post Which Marvel Character Is Most Likely to Die in MCU Phase 5? appeared first on Nerdist.

The beginning of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever starts with the death of King T’Challa, throwing the whole nation into disarray. His mother, Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett), assumed her duties as Wakanda’s sovereign ruler despite her grief. But problems beset her reign, including the governments of the world trying to obtain Wakanda’s vibranium and then with Namor and the Kingdom of Talokan waging war on them. Ultimately, in a brazen attack on Wakanda, Namor took Ramonda’s life. Then the line of succession really came into question and we were left wondering who Wakanda’s new ruler would be. In the end of Wakanda Forever, M’Baku became Wakanda’s new king. Here’s how it all shook out in the end when it came to Wakanda’s throne.

The Black Panther Is Not Always Wakanda’s Ruler

Traditionally, the ruler of Wakanda is often also the nation’s protector, the Black Panther. But sometimes, those roles are separate. When King T’Chaka grew too old to be Black Panther, his son T’Challa assumed the role. When we met T’Challa in Civil War, he was already the Panther. That was even before he was crowned king. Towards the final act of Wakanda Forever, his sister Shuri (Letitia Wright) recreated the Heart-Shaped Herb synthetically and became the new Black Panther. However, she did not take the throne. Instead, fan-favorite M’Baku, played by Winston Duke, ascended to the throne to become Wakanda’s new king.

M’Baku Is Wakanda’s New King (For Now) in Wakanda Forever

Shuri decided not to appear at the crowing ceremony after choosing to ally herself with Talokan. She sent M’Baku of the Jabari (Winston Duke) in her place to take the throne. While we don’t see what happens in the actual crowning ceremony, we don’t think anyone has the gumption to fight M’Baku for the throne.

Winston Duke himself discussed M’Baku’s Wakanda Forever journey. He noted, “It’s kind of cool, though, being revealed as the King of Wakanda at the end of the movie… That’s huge. So, whatever that entails, it’s gonna be a fun one.”

In addition to this confirmation, we know that M’Baku became a staunch ally of T’Challa in the aftermath of the first Black Panther film, as seen in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. In Wakanda Forever, he showed solid judgment and a diplomatic sensibility that befits the throne. We’d like to think that, at this point, the people of Wakanda would gladly welcome him as their ruler. M’Baku has more than proven himself worthy of being Wakanda’s king.

Prince T’Challa II Could Become King of Wakanda After M’Baku

Of course, M’Baku is merely the steward of Wakanda’s throne for the foreseeable future. Because as the mid-credits sequence informed us, Nakia and T’Challa had a son, a child they kept secret from the eyes of the Wakandan ruling council. Given that young Toussaint (or T’Challa II, as is his royal name) was about six when we met him, it’s safe to say that he was born about a year after the events of Black Panther, so right before the Blip. Nakia, T’Challa, and Ramonda wanted him raised away from the pressures of the throne, so Nakia took him to Haiti. He is next in line to succeed M’Baku as king when he comes of age.

Will We See Adult T’Challa II Sooner Rather Than Later?

Now, you may be thinking that this means it’ll be at least a decade before we see T’Challa II take the throne and the Black Panther mantle. However, this is the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Alternate timeline shenanigans are coming up soon in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars. It would not be beyond the realm of possibility for time-traveling warlord Kang to take young T’Challa II (and perhaps other children of famous MCU heroes) to a place where time flows differently. They might emerge in our time instantly as young adults, or even older. We have a precedent in the comics, too, although it’s with a different character.

Marvel Comics did this with the character of Cable. He was the infant son of the X-Men’s Cyclops’ and Jean Grey’s clone, who barely had time to be a child. He was whisked away to an alternate future, and then emerged as the adult warrior Cable in our time. Don’t be surprised if the MCU pulls something like this with young T’Challa, if only so that he can be our Black Panther in a potential third film. But in the meantime, the ruler and king of Wakanda is still M’Baku. The outside world had better proceed with caution.

Originally published on November 14, 2022.

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The MCU is continuing to move forward as it wraps up Phase 4 and moves to the next slate of TV and film offerings. We will see characters continue their stories, like Ms. Marvel and Shuri, while others will surely return in some fashion. One of the roles that has been up in the air is General “Thunderbolt” Ross. Yes, there is a Thunderbolts movie coming. But sadly, actor William Hurt died in March 2022. Many fans thought that Marvel would make the same choice it did with T’Challa and not recast the character with a new actor. But, there are reports that General Ross will return with Harrison Ford taking on the role. (Nerdist is awaiting further information from a Marvel representative.) 

According to /Film, Ford will be in Marvel’s Thunderbolts, the supervillain collective film coming at the end of Phase 5. Additionally, Marvel’s VP of Production & Development, Nate Moore, also appeared to confirm the news in a recent interview. He noted, “Harrison Ford is taking on the role of General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross.” It certainly makes sense that they would want this character in the film, considering its name. (For those who don’t know, he’s basically the leader of a rogue group in the vein of DC Comics’ Amanda Waller.)

If Harrison Ford is truly coming to the MCU as General “Thunderbolt” Ross, it is certainly a great choice. It seems like the type of role that he would embody well. Ford is already a legend among those of us who love all things nerdy and adventure. From the epic Indiana Jones franchise to his turn in Star Wars as a little character named Han Solo (might ring a bell), he’s a certified action legend.

And Ford is showing no signs of slowing down career-wise with another Indiana Jones film on the way. Very good for him. Hopefully, the MCU will find some small way to honor Hurt’s time as the character with a clever Easter egg. We all love those.

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On a team like the Avengers, where there are gamma-irradiated monsters and Norse thunder gods, it might not seem like just being a good shot qualifies as a superpower. But one of their most valued members, both in the comics and on the big screen, has always been Clint Barton, a.k.a. Hawkeye. Even against aliens Ultron robots, it helps to have the ability to shoot an arrow that never misses. But what if Hawkeye was not so great a shot? What if he was flat-out terrible? YouTube channel yo chill bruh made an amusing video of Hawkeye in the Battle of New York from the first Avengers. And let’s just say his aim is a bit off in this version of events. And things go a bit askew. You can watch the full video right here:

Poor Cap, poor Thor. Poor Natasha, poor Tony. All of the Avengers fall one by one to Hawkeye and his terrible aim during this battle. At least he still gets to eat his shawarma. This version of Hawkeye is maybe in the wrong universe. He should cross realities and go over to the Star Wars galaxy. At least there, he’d have active employment as an Imperial stormtrooper. Clearly, being a terrible shot has never interfered with them getting work.

All jokes aside, it would be nice if the MCU ever addressed how Clint Barton got so good at being an archer. The old Marvel Comics has their origin story for him, involving a circus childhood. But even on the Disney+ Hawkeye series, they never address how Barton got so good at archery he got to be an actual superhero. Not a whole lot of other heroes can claim archery is their superpower, but Hawkeye can. And also Kate Bishop of course. Well, there’s also Oliver Queen/Green Arrow. But that’s in a whole other universe. Ok, maybe it’s not such a unique ability after all. But we still value you Clint.

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She-Hulk’s seventh episode didn’t introduce Daredevil, nor did we get to see that elusive supersuit for our lovely gal. However, Jen did get a chance to reunite with two previous characters in an unexpected way. She-Hulk brought Emil Blonsky a.k.a. The Abomination back along with his wacky therapy group. We don’t know if they will factor into Jen’s impending fight against Intelligencia, but at least Jen has a crew of unexpected superfriends. Here are the comic book heroes that cameoed in She-Hulk‘s seventh episode and a brief history of their place in Marvel’s lore.

Who Is in The Abomination’s Therapy Group? 

In the episode, Jen goes with Blonsky’s parole officer to the Summer Twilights ranch, where the now-reformed self-help guru resides. But, Jen ends up getting stuck there for several hours after a weird fight breaks out. We meet Man-Bull and El Aguila as they battle it out and inadvertently destroy Jen’s Prius. It turns out they are two of several superpowered people in Blonsky’s therapy group who have a love-hate relationship with each other. Why? Because Man-Bull is, well, a man who looks like a bull, and El Augila looks a lot like a matador.

Jen eventually meets the remainder of the heroic crew that comes together for healing. There’s Porcupine (a man dressed like a giant porcupine), Saracen (a daywalking vampire… or so he claims), and Wrecker, who Jen angrily recognizes from her previous run-in with the Wrecking Crew. In the end, all is well as the group helps her work through her frustration and pain over Josh (who is totally a bad guy…more on that later). They tell her that they like her as “Just Jen” and encourage her to like that part of herself too. So, she gets some needed respite and healing in the midst of things. 

Are the Abomination’s Therapy Group Members Villains in Marvel Comics?

Of course, viewers want to know if the characters who appear in the Abomination’s therapy group are in the Marvel Comics and if they are villains. And the short answer to that is yes. Let’s explore the history of these She-Hulk cameos.

Man-Bull in Marvel Comics

Man-Bull a.k.a. William Taurens, first appeared in 1971’s Daredevil #78, where he worked for Mr. Kline as a kidnapper to find people for some sort of evil experiment. Man-Bull ends up going through this same “treatment,” which made him a minotaur. In the comics, he went against Matador, but that’s not the case in She-Hulk. 

El Aguila in Marvel Comics

El Aguila debuted in 1979’s Power Man and Iron Fist #58, so it’s obvious who he fought against. He has the ability to create bioelectric energy charges from his body, which we see him do with his sword in the show. How can you not love a man who is ready to fight for his new friend who got ghosted? El Aguila is a welcome part of The Abomination’s therapy group.

Porcupine in Marvel Comics

Porcupine made his initial appearance in Tales to Astonish #48 (1963) as an Ant-Man and the Wasp villain. His real name was Alexander Gentry and he was a weapons designer for the United States army. Gentry set out to make a porcupine-based supersuit. But spurned by his employer, Gentry took his suit and turned to a life of crime, thus becoming Porcupine. His weird suit would let him shoot quills at his foes, so that’s a thing. In The Abomination’s therapy group, Porcupine prefers to keep their suit on, it just makes them feel safer.

Saracen in Marvel Comics

Meanwhile, Saracen is a Marvel vampire who is much newer to the universe, with his first appearance in Blade: Vampire Hunter #1 in 1999. It’s heavily implied that he only “thinks” he is a vamp, so he may not actually be one in the MCU. Of course, the MCU will soon be introducing vampires and other horror creatures to its world, so who knows? He is, however, a champion at being odd and a tad shady.

Wrecker in Marvel Comics

And, Wrecker is, of course, a part of the Wrecking Crew that we met earlier this season. This group of ground-level baddies cause a lot of trouble, but aren’t always as together as they ought to be. In the comics, Wrecker is an original member of the Wrecking Crew and their boss. But it looks like in She-Hulk, Wrecker answers to someone else whose identity is still unknown.

Interestingly, the show paints all these Marvel Comics villains as reformed and perhaps even decent beings who are now Jen’s friends. Each one of these comic book villains, or are they heroes now, has willingly come to the Abomination’s therapy group, after all. They just want to better themselves. We cross paths with Wrecker and Blonsky one last time in the season finale when Jennifer returns to Summer Twilights ranch after her life falls apart thanks to Intelligencia. While we discover that Blonsky is doing an “empowerment” event with Intelligencia strictly for cash (and maybe didn’t know what the group was about), he isn’t the actual villain here. Turning into Abomination is wrong but he did defend Jennifer. And it seems that Wrecker nor any of the other folks knew that he was still doing morally weird things.

Blonsky is off with Wong to other adventures now, so who knows what will happen with the ranch. Perhaps they will all stay there and continue to go through therapy together. Thankfully they weren’t villains in She-Hulk, but we know one person who was really terrible: Josh. 

What’s the Deal with Josh on She-Hulk? 

The whole reason that the therapy crew is ready to ride or die over Jen is Josh. As we saw, they seemed like a match made in heaven. That is until they slept together and he ghosted her. We already knew Josh was potentially shady after seeing someone watching them at the end of episode six. But, we find out that Josh made a copy of Jen’s phone, took a picture of her sleeping naked in bed, AND apparently got a blood sample from her. Why? He’s a part of this Intelligencia collective and was sent to get that sample.

It turns out Josh was nothing more than a random pawn that Todd, also known as the HulkKing, used for salacious video and Jennifer’s blood. Josh never gets the comeuppance he deserves but at least Jennifer gets her life back and the chance to take down Todd. And, maybe one day, we will get an invite to Summer Twilights to hang out with a weird and loveable therapy group.

Originally published on September 29, 2022.

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Kevin Feige loves to keep fans waiting, and he did just that at SDCC. After revealing the end of Phase 4 and the entire slate of Phase 5, he then teased the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Phase 6. The long-awaited Fantastic Four movie will kick off the phase. Feige also shared that there would be two new Avengers movies: Avengers: The Kang Dynasty on May 2, followed by Avengers: Secret Wars, which will now release on May 1, 2026. (Initially, it was slated for November 7, 2025.) We also learned that the current phase we’re existing in—which will end with Secret Wars—is called the Multiverse Saga. 

Jump To: Secret Wars // The Kang Dynasty

That moniker makes a lot of sense seeing as there have been plenty of Multiverse shenanigans so far. Most interesting is the reveal that the Phase 6 of the MCU saga will end with Secret Wars. This is something we’ve been predicting for a while. In the comics, the most recent Secret Wars event was used to streamline the massive multiverse of Marvel Comics. So it makes sense that after introducing the multiverse, the MCU might want to do the same. But it’ll be really interesting to see how we get there. Now thanks to Hall H, we have a little more of an idea of the roadmap. 

If you’re wondering what Secret Wars and The Kang Dynasty are in terms of the comics, of course, we have you covered, so read on for a little primer on the history of each. 

What Is Secret Wars?

In 1984, Secret Wars was the first epic Marvel crossover event comic, pitting Marvel’s most popular heroes against their worst villains. The 12-part series had the all-powerful entity called the Beyonder place these characters on a so-called “Battleworld,” where their conflict would decide the fate of humanity. The original series was mostly a gimmick to sell toys. But writer Jonathan Hickman took the bones of that concept and ran with it for a new version, back in 2015. 

In this critically acclaimed reboot, Battleworld was composed of multiple realities from across the Multiverse, ruled by Doctor Doom. Versions of virtually every character Marvel fans have ever loved appeared on Battleworld, doing battle with each other. And it looks like we might see this play out on the big screen, with something that might blow fans’ minds. Secret Wars may have the possibility of making the Infinity Saga like just a warm-up act. 

Secret Wars has been a rumored MCU outing for a long time, so we’re excited to see it in Marvel’s Phase 6. Famously, the Russo Brothers have brought up over and over again that they would like to helm the Secret Wars film. But, alas, Kevin Feige has revealed that this won’t come to pass for now. In fact, the Russos won’t connect to either the Secret Wars or Kang Dynasty Avengers movies. Per Deadline, Feige notes, “They’re not connected to it…They’ve been very direct about that. We love them, they love us. We want to find something to do together, it’s not this.”

What Is The Kang Dynasty?

Marvel Studios likes to take titles from well-known comics but apply them to all-new stories. Most famously, they did this with Avengers: Age of Ultron. The movie had a totally different story than the comic of the same name, aside from the basic “Avengers vs. Ultron” of it all. We may see the same thing with The Kang Dynasty. 

In the comics, “The Kang Dynasty” was a 16-part story by Kurt Busiek, who wrote one of the best Avengers runs of all time with multiple artists. The basic plot of the 2001-2002 story saw Kang in the present announce his intentions to the UN to take over the world, in order to prevent all negative futures from happening. We could see something like this taking place in the MCU, which would lead an all-new team of Avengers to stop Kang. 

Of course, we don’t know any details about The Kang Dynasty yet. But The Hollywood Reporter revealed that Shang-Chi director Destin Daniel Cretton will also helm Avengers: The Kang Dynasty. So we already know its going to be fire. Additionally, per Deadline, Jeff Loveness will pen this Phase 6 Marvel movie.

Both movies will hit the MCU and theaters in 2025!

Originally published on July 23, 2022.

Featured Image: Marvel Studios

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Near the end of She-Hulk episode three, we get a big moment. As Jen walks home alone at night, a group of goons with enchanted weapons attacks her. While she quickly realizes she can hulk out and beat them, there’s a moment of fear. It’s something many of us have felt walking home alone at night. And in that instant, Jen feels it too. It’s a powerful and ultimately fun scene as Jen demolishes the villains in mere minutes. Speaking of those villains, they’re members of Marvel Comics’ premiere street level rogues team, the Wrecking Crew. So when we chatted with director Kat Coiro and head writer Jessica Gao, we asked them about introducing the villains, what the moment means to Jen, and what it says about the MCU right now. 

“That scene is one of the foundational scenes for me because what woman hasn’t walked home in the dark and feared for their life,” Coiro shared. “And Jen has this wish fulfillment element of like, ‘Oh, if someone bothers me, I can kick their butts.'”

It was that aspect that gave the sequence so much power, according to the director. And it also connected deeply to the relatability of She-Hulk. “I love that moment where she’s scared. And then she’s like, ‘Oh, wait a second…’ Every woman can look at that and be like, ‘Oh my gosh, I wish I could do that.’ So the Wrecking Crew is a part of that, but what I love is that’s not what’s driving it. It’s not plot-driven, it’s not here are our villains!! It’s more about her internal moment.” 

Head writer Jessica Gao agreed. “With everything in the show, we really want to make sure that it really comes from a Jen-centric place. Everything is about staying with Jen and her reaction.” 

So what made the Wrecking Crew the perfect villains? For Gao it was just a logical extension of where we are in the MCU right now. “Of course, in this world there would be these bumbling idiots who robbed an Asgardian construction worker and got their hands on these magical weapons. Then they see this powerful woman and decide that, ‘Hey, we can take her down.'” 

That particular moment and the Wrecking Crew’s introduction was inspired by an infamous YouGov poll regarding another immensely powerful woman. “We talked a lot in the room about how they interviewed a bunch of guys on the street and asked men who may have never even played tennis before if they could win a point off Serena Williams. And so many of them said, ‘Yeah, I think I could probably beat the greatest tennis player of all time.'” 

You can learn more about the Wrecking Crew and their comic book history here! 

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We’ve been speculating for months that Secret Wars was the MCU event that they were gearing toward, and at SDCC, we were proven correct. Although which version of Secret Wars gets adapted is still a mystery. But given Kevin Feige’s love of all things written by Jonathan Hickman, we think his 2015 Secret Wars event is the way they are going. (With some elements of the original 1984 series sprinkled in). This means after a cataclysmic crisis across the Multiverse, we’ll likely see all time/space collapse at the end of Avengers: The Kang Dynasty.

But in the next film, we’ll see Battleworld. It’s a planet assembled by Doctor Doom, created from broken fragments of the shattered Multiverse. Each of these fragments is its own territory of land, a realm with its own monarch. Realms that often fight with the others for domination. Think Game of Thrones, but with Marvel characters. Although the comics had literally dozens of realities making up Battleworld, we think the movies will have to focus on a few. And we think these are prime candidates, each making this the ultimate Marvel movie crossover event of all time.

Technopolis, an Iron Man Science Utopia

The possibility of Robert Downey Jr. coming back thanks to the Multiverse will almost certainly come into play in Secret Wars. It’s just too tantalizing a prospect for Marvel Studios to pass up. And the multiverse provides a way to bring back Tony without undoing his sacrifice in Avengers: Endgame. (Variants, baby!) And the original Secret Wars comic had a perfect template for how to utilize Tony Stark in Battleworld: Technopolis.

Technopolis was a futuristic utopia, with flying cars and wonderful advancements. Howard Stark created Technopolis, although it was later run by Tony and Pepper Potts. A Techno-wonderland run by Stark tech, with Tony as the land’s “baron,” seems like a perfect realm to see in Battleworld. Technopolis is Tony’s dream of world made better by Arc reactor tech, something his 616 counterpart new saw realized. But it would be fun to see a world where Tony succeeded.

Marvel Zombies

Ever since Robert Kirkman introduced the Marvel Zombies in the comics, fans have wanted to see them in live-action. We’ve seen the reanimated superhero corpses in animated form as an episode of What If…?, and soon they’ll have their own animated series. Marvel will not be able to resist bringing a version of that to Battleworld. Maybe with a group of survivors fighting them that includes Steve Rogers as Captain America? There’s your perfect way to include Chris Evans in the mix.

Mutopia, the X-Men/Mutant Realm

We’ve been waiting for mutants to appear in the MCU for years now. But it seems certain that some versions of them will appear in Secret Wars. We think Kevin Feige can’t resist giving the Fox X-Men one last hurrah, and giving them their own section of Battleworld would be the way to go. In the comic, it was Mutopia, a world where humans are in decline and mutants rule. The X-Men are beloved celebrities with many different branches.

They may reimagine Mutopia as a whole section of Battleworld that is an amalgam of the Fox X-Men universe, with several of the original actors back. It would surely drive fans wild. Just imagine if we get Hugh Jackman back one more time, and he gets to fight the Hulk? Or James Marsden, Ana Paquin, Halle Berry, and the rest in comics-inspired costumes, taking on the Avengers? Who wouldn’t want to pay to see that?

Spider-Island, Home of All Spider-Mans

Ever since Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield came back as their respective Spider-Mans in No Way Home, fans have been asking if we’d see them again. Well, Secret Wars would be the perfect place. In the comics, Spider-Island was something a wee bit different, but we think it would be the perfect name for a version of Manhattan where only the Spider-heroes dwell. Not just Tobey and Andrew, but it might be how we meet the MCU’s Miles Morales too. Once the Secret Wars are over, and a new MCU is born, you fold Miles in this way, as a remnant of a now-dead reality. Which is just what the comics did.

Ultron Controlled Realm

What If…? gave us many different scenarios for different outcomes for various MCU movies. Including one in which Ultron won against the Avengers. This would be a world totally devoid of organic life, where only AI thrives. All of which are based on Ultron’s programming. Think the world of The Matrix or the Terminator films, only with the snark of James Spader. Many MCU fans came away disappointed in how they handled Ultron, so this might be his redemption as a villain.

The Hidden Isle of Agamotto

In the comic, Doctor Stephen Strange is the right hand of God Emperor Doom, and the Sherriff of Battleworld. He has his own land that is his call home, the Isle of Agamotto. They might reconceive this concept for the film as a section of Battleworld where magic reigns supreme. Where not only Doctor Strange resides, but also Wanda Maximoff, Agatha Harkness, and any other magic wielder. And maybe a few magic-based characters we haven’t met yet in the MCU might be introduced here.

The Realm of Loki, Prince of Asgard

Loki made a good attempt at conquering the Earth in the first Avengers film, and very nearly succeeded. But what if he did succeed? A world where Loki rules supreme is a tantalizing prospect, even if it only shows up in a small way. It allows for Tom Hiddleston to chew the scenery, and we always love that. We are pretty sure the actor would be down for that, give how attached he is to the character. We’re imagining a version of Manhattan where Chitauri soldiers stand on every corner, with Loki’s smug face plastered on every building. It’s just too fun to pass up.

In the Secret Wars comics, there are literally dozens of other realms. There’s Arcadia, a realm run by She-Hulk with only warrior women. There’s also Egyptia, where Moon Knight’s Khonshu rules supreme. A Secret Wars movie wouldn’t have time to explore them all. But perhaps a Battleoworld Disney+ series between Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars is called for? That would truly make the end of Phase 6 something fans will never forget.

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It’s the panel we’ve all been waiting for! Yes Marvel and head honcho Kevin Feige have returned to Hall H, and as expected they’ve teased the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. As the panel opened Feige revealed the entire slate for Phase 5, which will begin in 2023. One of the most exciting tidbits was the announcement of the full title of the Daredevil Disney+ series. It’ll take from one of the Man Without Fear’s most famous comics arcs: Daredevil: Born Again. 

Born Again is one of the darkest tales in Daredevil’s comic book canon. Created by Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli, the series focuses on the fall of Daredevil at the hands of the Kingpin. 

Born Again is one of the darkest tales in Daredevil’s comic book canon. Created by Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli, the series focuses on the fall of Daredevil at the hands of the Kingpin. 

It’s most notable for its treatment of Karen Page, played in the Netflix series by Deborah Ann Woll (who is not confirmed to return but seems very likely too now). In the famed story arc she struggles with addiction and even becomes a sex worker. Kingpin uses this against Daredevil as part of his plan to destroy the hero of Hell’s Kitchen. As is the way with many Miller-penned stories about women, it’s hardly an empathetic portrayal. Interestingly though, the notion of Karen as an addict was already part in the original Netflix Daredevil series, in the character’s past. So it’ll be intriguing to see how Disney recontextualizes this controversial but fan favorite arc.  

It could definitely be the case that Disney is just taking the title and putting it here. It’s very fitting for a reboot/continuation. But Vincent D’Onofrio has confirmed to return as Kingpin. We can therefore assume that we’ll at least see that classical rivalry reignite. If it continues the story of the Netflix series, Kingpin could be back trying to get vengeance on Daredevil. Something very exciting is that the Disney+ Kingpin that we saw in Hawkeye was far more of a comic book iteration than the Netflix show. Superpowered and almost immortal. He’ll be a true challenge to Matt Murdock when he hits the Disney+ streets in the next couple of years. 

The 18 episode series will debut in Spring 2024. 

Featured Image: Marvel Studios

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It’s a shocking conclusion right out of a comic book. On Saturday night, in a packed Hall H, Marvel Studios’ head honcho Kevin Feige revealed the entire slate of MCU Phase Five. While a lot of the titles were what many, including us, assumed were part of Phase Four, the timeline saw a few brand new additions. Among those, the Phase Five closer: Thunderbolts. This is huge for a number of reasons, not least because it’ll be yet another Marvel Phase without an Avengers movie to tie it up. Instead, it’ll be a coming together of a team of villains.

We’ve known for a little bit that a Thunderbolts movie was on the way. In June we learned Jake Schreier will direct with Eric Pearson writing a script. But, with Phase Four including Secret Invasion, it means all eyes are on the MCU’s cadre of baddies going forward. People will lose faith in heroes like the Avengers; who might they turn to but a team of ne’er-do-wells to fight them? And presumably the leader of this team will be none other than Baron Zemo.

He formed the original Thunderbolts team in the comics, back in 1997. In the original concept, Zemo had several villains adopt new heroic identities. All in an effort to fool the world, and then take it over. Since none of the other original Thunderbolts have appeared in the MCU, we’d guess Zemo will be their only representation on screen.

Also probably joining up are Yelena Belova, Ghost, Taskmaster, the Abomination, plus US Agent and Winter Soldier. Marvel explicitly sets up the last two for this in the final episode of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Of course, the MCU could go even bigger than just these characters. In the comics, General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross organized his own self-named Thunderbolts team, which included Deadpool, Elektra, and the Punisher. Adding one or two of those characters, especially Wade Wilson, could make this a popular movie.

We’ll have to wait and see for sure. Thunderbolts has a tentative release date of July 26, 2024.

Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Instagram and Letterboxd.

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After three years, Marvel Studios is back at Comic-Con in San Diego. The last time Kevin Feige took to the stage at SDCC, he made a very impressive slate reveal for Phase Four, announcing several movies and series for Disney+. Now, with the release of Thor: Love and Thunder, we’ve finally come to the end of the projects announced on that Hall H stage in 2019 (except for one, but we’ll get to Blade in due time). The pressure is on for Feige and Marvel to deliver another batch of reveals for 2022, that’ll get even the most MCU-exhausted fan excited again like they’re watching the finale of Avengers: Endgame on opening night. Here are our predictions and hopes for the Marvel Studios SDCC panel reveals.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

With the Black Panther sequel arriving in November, it’s high time fans saw something, anything official from this film. If there’s anything close to a sure bet for Marvel Studios’ SDCC panel, it’s Ryan Coogler coming to the stage with some of the cast of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and a first trailer. Maybe they’ll even finally officially reveal Marvel’s worst-kept secret, that Namor the Sub-Mariner is in this film, played by Tenoch Huerta. This would also be an ideal time to give the first official details on the Okoye origin story series for Disney+

The Disney+ Shows

This is probably a given, but we imagine that we’ll see footage from the huge slate of 2023 and 2024 MCU Disney+ series. Specifically, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, Ironheart, Secret Invasion, Echo, and Armor Wars, since they are all shooting and debuting on Disney+ in 2023. Hopefully, we’ll get more details on House of Harkness too. And maybe even that Daredevil revival? That last one would certainly bring the proverbial house down.

X-Men ’97

Before the big live-action panel on Saturday, Marvel Studios is presenting an animation panel the day before. They’ll have news on upcoming MCU animated series like What If…? Season two, Marvel Zombies, and Spider-Man: Freshman Year. But what we’re most excited for is X-Men ’97, the animated series which picks up right where the classic ‘90s cartoon left off.

We’re hoping we get to see some footage, and maybe find out how it ties into the larger MCU. After all, the X-Men ’97 animated theme was playing in both Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Ms. Marvel, both during key mutant reveal moments. We think this show is going to matter more than initially thought, and hopefully, we’ll learn a lot more at SDCC.

Any X-Men/Mutants Live-Action News

Speaking of the X-Men, it’s also now been three years since Kevin Feige told fans at SDCC that mutants were coming soon. Well, we really weren’t expecting anything for a long time. But it’s been a long time, and we’d like to hear something. Even if it’s just a title. (How about The Uncanny X-Men?) Maybe even a release date or a director? Any of those would set the internet on fire. It’s time to get some teases as to when Xavier’s School is opening back up for business.

Will Poulter as Adam Warlock in Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3 First Look

James Gunn has wrapped principal photography on GotG Vol.3, so we might get some early footage of Star-Lord, Drax, Gamora, and the rest at SDCC. But what we really want to see is Will Poulter as the heroic Adam Warlock. Will he have the comic book character’s signature gold hair and gold skin? And the red flowing cape? We sure hope so. This is a major Marvel hero, and we’re dying to see how he looks on screen.

Fantastic Four cast reveal – Mikey Walsh

Sometimes distance makes the heart grow fonder, but the reverse is true, too. Sometimes being stuck in the house with the same person day after day makes you never want to see that person again. And for some Marvel fans, that’s how it’s starting to feel with the MCU. There’s just…there’s just a lot to watch now because of the Disney+ series. That’s not a good place for the franchise to be in. New releases should feel like events.

But since there’s no chance Disney is going to cut back on that sweet superhero content, they have to do something to rekindle the spark that made audiences fall in love with the MCU in the first place. Disney can—and I’ll even predict it will—do exactly that at this year’s SDCC by introducing its new Fantastic Four lineup. Triumphantly announcing the four actors who will finally bring the beloved group into the MCU will be a monumental moment unto itself, one that will likely dominate pop culture’s answer to the Super Bowl. That will be one fantastic way to rekindle everyone’s MCU romance.

Blade News, and maybe Blade’s Daughter? – Rosie Knight

Hopefully, we finally learn more about Blade this year, starring Mahershala Ali, and directed by Bassam Tariq. But could this movie finally introduce Blade’s daughter? Years ago Tim Seely was announced as the writer of a comic about Blade’s Daughter. Though that never came to pass, fans were eager to meet her both on screen and in the pages of comics. The latter finally came true this year in the pages of the Free Comic Book Day 2022 Avengers X-Men Eternals: Judgment Day #1.

In a short story by writer Danny Lore, artist Karen S. Darboe, colorist Ian Herring, and letterer Cory Petit readers finally met Brielle, A.K.A. Bloodline, the daughter of Blade. Seeing as the MCU is introducing a lot of new legacy characters we wouldn’t be totally surprised to hear that Mahershala Ali‘s version of the daywalker might have a daughter in the MCU too. But we’ll be excited to finally see anything in regards to Blade.

Jonathan Majors as Kang the Conqueror in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania Reveal

We know that Jonathan Majors is playing Kang the Conqueror in the third Ant-Man film, but so far, we’ve only seen him as “He Who Remains” on Loki. With shooting on Quantumania now long underway, we hope that not only do we get to see some footage, but that we see Majors in full Kang regalia, and being evil. As excited as we are for Paul Rudd and company to return, it’s Majors as Kang that we’re really dying to see. We bet he rocks the green and purple costume hard.

Wonder Man casting

It was announced recently that Marvel Studios is working on a Wonder Man show for Disney+. Since this show is probably in very early development, we don’t expect to hear much about it yet. But it would be great if at least we found out who was playing Simon Williams, a superhero turned Hollywood actor. If the casting is great, it definitely would get fans super excited. And push this to the top of their “most anticipated project” list.

The MCU Longshots

Here are what we call “longshots.” And no, we don’t mean the Marvel superhero who is named Longshot. We mean movies and series that are probably unlikely to be announced so soon, but would be very welcome surprises if they did. And who doesn’t love a good surprise?

Young Avengers

It’s been clear that Marvel Studios has been introducing all the Young Avengers characters over the last few years. Maybe we’ll finally hear something official in regards to a Young Avengers movie or Disney+ show.

Thunderbolts

We’ve only just recently heard of a Thunderbolts movie in the works, so we don’t expect much. But hearing which characters officially made the cut might be enough to get fans excited about this project about MCU bad guys playing hero.

Dr. Doom

Rumors abound that Doctor Doom is getting some kind of solo project, and that he’s making a pre-Fantastic Four appearance in another MCU movie. He is Marvel’s greatest villain, so this tracks. Especially after the old Fox Fantastic Four movies dropped the ball on the character so hard. News of a Doctor Doom series or film would light fandom on fire. He is the GOAT when it comes to Marvel villains after all.

Captain America 4

The fourth Captain America film, this time featuring Sam Wilson, just landed a director. It’s very early still, but hopefully we’ll get some idea about the direction they are going in. What villains will Sam face? Will we see him officially reform the Avengers? Here’s hoping we get some information, even if it’s just a title.

Scarlet Witch solo project

The first rule of comic books and comic book movies; If you don’t see a body, they ain’t dead. And Elizabeth Olsen’s Wanda Maximoff is just way too popular to go out like the way she did in the Doctor Strange sequel. For those fans still mad about Wanda’s arc in Multiverse of Madness, SDCC would be the ideal time to announce a Scarlet Witch solo project. Which has been rumored for some time.

Deadpool 3

And then, there’s Deadpool 3. This is another one that has yet to start production, but fans are chomping at the bit for any information on Wade Wilson’s first MCU adventure. Not to mention, the first R-rated MCU anything ever. Any news regarding Ryan Reynolds’ return as the Merc with the Mouth would be a truly welcome surprise.

Of course, Marvel Studios might have some surprises we can’t even guess yet. Who saw the Blade news coming in 2019? If anything, Kevin Feige knows the value of a good surprise. And we can’t wait to see what it may be.

The post Predictions and Hopes for Marvel Studios’ SDCC Panel appeared first on Nerdist.

In the Ms. Marvel comics, Kamala Khan has a specific set of powers. She can shape her body at will. She can flatten herself to be paper thin to sneak into the smallest crevices. Or make her fist the size of a small car. In the Ms. Marvel TV series, however, Kamala Khan’s Ms. Marvel powers seem to have been changed from the comics. At this point, Kamala Khan exhibits a power set similar to Captain Marvel with some tenets of her comic powers. The light that emanates from Kamala can be hardened and shaped to look like elongated limbs or enlarged fists. So, why did Kamala Khan’s comic powers change for the Ms. Marvel show? Let’s take a deeper look at the powers of Ms. Marvel in both the comics and the TV show for answers.

How Ms. Marvel Got Her Comic Powers

So how did Ms. Marvel get her powers in the first place? In Ms. Marvel (2014) #1, Kamala Khan was on her way back from a party she snuck out to attend. A strange green Terrigen mist surrounded her, turning her into Ms. Marvel… or at least the white and blond with blue eyes version that she desired to be. The Terrigen mist transformation happened because she’s an Inhuman, one of a race of humans with Kree (alien) blood who frequently had special abilities. This is the beginning of her dream superhero journey after being an Avengers fan for years. 

Kamala’s powers in the comics were integral to her exploration of her identity. As she became more familiar with her rather freaky-looking powers, she also became secure and confident in being herself.

Ms. Marvel and Her Early TV Show Powers

In the MCU, Ms. Marvel gets her powers a little differently. During Ms. Marvel‘s first episode, we see Kamala find a bangle that belonged to her nani (grandmother). After adding it to her Captain Marvel cosplay at AvengersCon, Kamala Khan’s eyes glow and she ends up causing quite the onstage spectacle. So far in the Ms. Marvel TV series, Kamala’s MCU powers include shooting out almost crystal-like formations and enlarging parts of her body when necessary. Of course, this is all quite shocking to Kamala and her bestie Bruno.

In the show’s second episode “Crushed,” we learn a little bit more about why Kamala’s family history is something Muneeba wants to hide. Yusuf tells the story of Muneeba’s mother, who followed a “trail of stars” back to her father after she got lost on the train to Pakistan after Partition. Apart from changing the origins of Kamala’s powers from her being an Inhuman, the series drew a connection between her powers and the events of Partition, and how they triggered a change in Muneeba’s grandmother Aisha.

So, Kamala’s powers are still connected to her identity but through her heritage. And it was heavily influenced by what her family went through during Partition when Kamala went back in time and helped guide Sana to her father. We also get to see a bit more of how her powers work. She can use her light to make hard stepping stones to run/jump across as well as bridge-like structures. And, she adorably calls it “hard light.”

Who Are the Djinn and How Do They Connect to Kamala Khan in Ms. Marvel?

Episode three really shows us what Ms. Marvel can do with her fledgling powers. And we learn a bit more about her great-grandmother’s past. It turns out Aisha as well as Kamran’s mother Najma (and a few of their associates) were from another dimension and wanted to use the bangle’s powers to get home back in the 1940s. They are called many names, but commonly known as the Clandestine in the Noor dimension and the djinn. In the Marvel Comics, the Clan Destine are a group of superpowered beings who were descendants of a djinn. It’s not clear now much the show will lean into that but it is a light reference at best.

According to Kamala’s dad, the djinn (also spelled jinn) are “supernatural beings of pre-Islamic folklore.” The djinn are sometimes called genies while others are demons. There is a legend of a group of hidden djinn who were exiled from their home and made to spend their days in our dimension. They move in shadows looking for the key—a primordial power—to get them home. Well, that’s certainly Najma and her associates, the djinn group who appears to be the villains in Ms. Marvel. (At least, for now.) And Kamala is in possession of the key.

When Kamala put the bangle on, the djinn sensed the presence of Noor (“light”) and found her. So, what happened to the other bangle? Right now, we don’t know. Anyway, we find out that while Kamran is protective over Kamala, his family is willing to risk her life to use the bangle for interdimensional travel. They burst into her brother’s wedding and we see Kamala work with her powers, punching and light stepping her way to safety. It looks like trouble surrounds our lovely girl.

Kamala uncovers more about her powers during a trip to visit her nani, including realizing that she is not djinn. And her battle with the ClanDestine ends there with her coming out victorious. But Kamran’s pretty angry about his mother dying and very unsure of his place in the world with his newfound powers. We also get to see Kamala “embiggen” in the finale, which was a ton of fun.

Ms. Marvel and Its Revelation that Kamala Khan Is a Mutant

In the end of episode six, there is another big reveal: Kamala is a mutant! Bruno says Kamala has a mutation in her genes, and we hear the iconic X-Men ‘97 animated series theme play in the background. After having been told that she is part djinn through her relation to Aisha, who was a Clandestine, Kamala finds out that she is in fact a mutant, in a very unexpected twist.

It appears that Kamala is definitely not an Inhuman then, but now is a mutant. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness brought back Sir Patrick Stewart as Professor Charles Xavier a.k.a. Professor X, the founder of the X-Men, albeit in another universe, so this could be the beginning of the X-Men finally being a part of the MCU. However, considering Black Bolt, the king of the Inhumans, also appeared in Doctor Strange 2, it’s curious that Kamala was made a mutant rather than an Inhuman.

Why Did Kamala Khan’s Powers Change for the MCU’s Ms. Marvel?

There was speculation that the change in Ms. Marvel’s powers is because of their similarity to Mr. Fantastic, a.k.a. Reed Richards, and his body shifting abilities. But Sana Amanat, a co-creator of the character and Ms. Marvel TV producer, sort of debunks this common thought in an interview with The Direct.

“Honestly, I don’t know,” said Amanat. “I don’t think so. I mean, from my understanding, it was kind of linked to the type of story that we wanted to tell with Kamala, and not only linkage to other MCU events, but also to the sense of history that she has and the relationship to her family, linking the powers to her family’s past. I think that was really the bigger idea.”

Additionally, Kevin Feige (President of Marvel Studios) told Empire that Kamala Khan’s powers will be connected to her heritage. The combination of Kamala’s heritage and link to bigger stories in the Marvel universe makes sense. Kamala is a huge fan of Captain Marvel in both the comics and the TV show. And her next MCU appearance will be in The Marvels, along with Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel and Teyonah Parris’ Monica Rambeau. Having some connective tissue between Captain Marvel and Ms. Marvel while still allowing this new hero to lean into her heritage was an overall good approach, even though the journey to get there with the djinn stuff was convoluted.

Fans were apprehensive about how the MCU will handle Kamala’s powers and the exploration of her identity. But, the show did lean into Kamala’s connection with the women in her family as she uncovered more about her maternal lineage. And she became a hero in her own distinct right.

One of comic Kamala’s most heroic choices was to be herself instead of the blond-haired, blue-eyed Captain Marvel she tirelessly admired. And, in the TV show, Ms. Marvel’s big choice involves embracing her heritage to understand the source of her MCU powers… and herself. She learns about family and leans into a community who supports a remarkable brown girl with powers. A pretty powerful story in more ways than one, right?

Originally published on June 8, 2022.

The post Kamala Khan’s Powers in MS. MARVEL, Explained appeared first on Nerdist.

Thor: Love and Thunder ends with a new status quo for our God of Thunder. Not only does he have a new member of his family to take care of, but as the post-credits stinger reveals he has pissed off one of the most ancient—and, at one time, powerful—deities in the universe. Yes, Zeus is not at all happy that Thor tried to kill him. In fact, he’s so angry that he vows to destroy not only Thor but to resurrect the wrath of the Old Gods to do it. In his furious speech he invokes the idea that Superheroes have usurped the Pantheons of old in the mind of humans. So what does Zeus’ rant mean for the MCU? And could it be setting up a huge Marvel event? Let’s get into it! 

Old Gods vs. New Gods

Zeus’ rant invokes one of the most heated comic book conversations of our time: Are superheroes the contemporary god pantheon? Zeus certainly sees it that way, as he claims that humans used to pray to gods and need them, now they look to the sky and see caped heroes instead. His plan is to make them “fall from the sky” beginning with Thor. It’s an enticing setup and one that promises bigger things for the MCU. Coming so soon after Moon Knight—which introduced the Ennead—it feels like this could be a major conflict going forward. 

While there’s no direct Marvel Comics reference for this ending and the implied conflict, it does feel similar to the queer indie comic Holy F*ck by Daniel Arruda Massa and Nick Marino, which sees the polytheistic gods—including the Ancient Greek pantheon—jealous of the more modern monotheistic ones, deciding to take them down in order to have humans worship them again. 

Could Thor: Love and Thunder Be Leading Into Secret Wars?  

One of our presiding theories about this phase of the MCU is that it’s setting up Secret Wars. Why do we think that? Well, almost all of the movies—and some TV shows—introduce secret enclaves with their own fighting styles and weapons. Eternals, Shang-Chi, Ms. Marvel, Loki, and now Thor: Love and Thunder. While those worlds have mostly decided to stay secret for now, Zeus and the Parliament of Pantheons are actively about to declare war on our world. 

Rather than the comic version of Battle Worlds (where multiple dimensions and universes are made into one Earth) we think the MCU is already establishing the different spaces that will become their version of the Secret Wars storyline. Zeus and Omnipotence City adds to this theory especially as he’s sending his son Hercules out into the MCU to hunt Thor. But while this is probably the MCU’s end game, there’s a more pressing event it could be establishing. 

Is Thor: Love and Thunder Setting up War of the Realms?

If we look to the comics there’s another more recent cosmic cataclysm that the MCU could be hinting at here. War of the Realms by Thor superteam Jason Aaron and Russell Dauterman told the story of an all-out attack on each of the realms. There it was enacted by Malekith, the evil elf from Thor: The Dark World. After destroying the other realms, they focus their attention on Midgard A.K.A. Earth. It feels like it would be very easy to reimagine that with Zeus and Hercules as the instigators here. This is a massive superhero crossover event that sees many, many superheroes battling it out to save the Earth against a supernatural foe. The series also features many current MCU heroes, like Shang-Chi, Doctor Strange, Spider-Man, She-Hulk, Black Panther, and Black Knight. So it feels like it could easily come into play. 

When Will We See Zeus and Hercules Again? 

This is the big question. With Russell Crowe as Zeus it feels like he’ll be held back for future movies. Possibly as soon as Black Panther: Wakanda Forever—if they are going the War of the Realms route—or as long as whenever the next Thor movie comes out. But Brett Goldstein’s  Hercules feels like he could be returning to the MCU sooner rather than later. Hercules has history with She-Hulk and the comedic nature of the actor’s recent catalog would fit with that show. It would also make sense to properly establish Hercules in the MCU before he faces down with Thor. But this is all hypothetical as we’ll have to wait and see where they show up.

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The Marvel Universe’s cosmic hierarchy is vast and varied. And many of its most omnipotent and unknowable entities have already made it into the MCU, like the Watcher. But the latest Marvel entity to make into the films in Thor: Love and Thunder actually qualifies as being the Marvel Universe itself — Eternity.

Eternity is the living embodiment of all time and space that is the Marvel Universe. In fact, Marvel readers believe only the Living Tribunal is more powerful, perhaps because it stands in judgment over everything. But just what are Eternity’s comic book origins? Well, like most major Marvel Comics mythos, they go back to the 1960s.

Co-created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, Eternity first appeared in Strange Tales #138 in 1965. He arrived first within a Doctor Strange storyline that was appropriately named “The Eternity Saga.” His depiction was as the anthropomorphic embodiment of all that is the universe. And he was always shown in silhouette wearing an ornate cape and headdress from the imagination of artist Steve Ditko.

Despite encompassing all reality, the truth was there were older entities in the Marvel Universe. Among them were the First Firmament and even the Celestials. Since the multiverse was always in a continuous cycle of death and rebirth, Eternity was always reborn along with it. As long as there was a universe that existed, so did Eternity.

Eternity was basically omnipotent and could manipulate reality to his own ends. This abstract entity could control space, time, and matter with a thought. Since it was the universe itself, it was also effectively immortal. (Having said that. it has been “killed” in the past, but was always reborn). Every universe within the Marvel multiverse has its own version of Eternity, which then made up a larger multiversal version of the entity. So kind of like Voltron, whose individual parts were just literally everything that exists.

Eternity had a female half, named Infinity. She was not so much a counterpart to Eternity, but an extension of him. Eternity created several children as well, all of which had names beginning with the letter E. These included Empathy, Eulogy, Expediency, Epiphany, Entropy, and Eon. (His child Epoch later killed and replaced Eon). Although each had unique attributes, they are in reality all just extensions of Eternity in some way.

He could also temporarily give a fraction of his power to lesser beings, allowing them to share in his cosmic awareness. Some mortal beings and gods have been able to house Eternity’s consciousness, although only for a brief time. Among those beings have been Doctor Strange, Thor, and the X-Men’s Storm. Although the exact hierarchy remains unknown, Eternity ruled over what they call the Cosmic Powers of the Universe.

Eternity’s first encounter with a human being was with Doctor Stephen Strange. But it certainly wasn’t his last. He manifested when Reed Richards of the Fantastic Four went on trial for allowing Galactus to live. Eternity also manifested in the various Secret Wars events, including the most recent 2015 event. After the end of Battleworld in that series, and the creation of the new Multiverse, Eternity was reborn for his eighth incarnation.

Eternity was also present for both the Infinity Gauntlet and Infinity War sagas, as the powerful entity who totally opposed Thanos’ plan to reshape reality. In addition, Eternity’s powers were once stolen by the dread lord Dormammu of the Dark Dimension, but they eventually returned to him. During the JLA/Avengers crossover, Eternity met and fell in love with Kismet, who was the DC Universe’s counterpart to him.

In the MCU, they have hinted at Eternity’s existence before. There were murals in the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie showing Eternity. Also, Ego the Living Planet showed Star-Lord Eternity’s more abstract form in Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 2. There’s also a moment in Ant-Man where fans made out what looks like Eternity inside the Quantum Realm. But these were just hints and “blink and you miss them” style cameos.

It is in Thor: Love and Thunder where Eternity finally plays a vital role. In the film, Eternity was the being that could grant whoever accesses him whatever their heart desires. Although Eternity was that powerful, he doesn’t really serve the same function as a “wish granter” in the comics. However, the folks at Marvel Studios largely stuck to the iconic silhouette of Eternity when he made his proper MCU debut. With everything in the MCU right now seemingly barrelling towards Secret Wars, we would be shocked if Eternity doesn’t loom large of everything that will happen when all the worlds begin to collide. And even if we don’t see him anytime soon, he’ll always be there. Because Eternity literally is the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

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Thor Odinson and his luscious (long again) locks are back in action. Thor: Love and Thunder places the titular God of Thunder against his latest—and maybe most frightening—foe, Gorr the God Butcher. But it also brings back an important, if underused character from Thor’s past, one Dr. Jane Foster. And this time she’s wielding some Mighty Power. From Natalie Portman’s return to the franchise to Thor teaming up with the Guardians of the Galaxy, the Thor: Love and Thunder cast is already pretty stacked. But that doesn’t mean Marvel didn’t have a few surprise appearances up its sleeve.

The film reunites us with some old friends and tees up some exciting new faces. Here are all the cameos from Thor: Love and Thunder.

Kat Dennings as Darcy Lewis

Kat Dennings is the first big cameo of Thor: Love and Thunder. The actress returned to the MCU after nearly a decade in WandaVision when she was called in to assist the FBI with the Westview shenanigans. But it seems as though she’s still as loyal to her mentor, Jane. She accompanies Jane to chemo appointments, snacks in tow, as one of the few people in Jane’s life who knows what is happening. And, she encourages the astrophysicist to give a certain ex a call.

Stellan Skarsgård as Erik Selvig

It’s been a fair minute since we last saw Erik Selvig. In Thor: Love and Thunder, he appears briefly via video chat, as Jane attempts to find her own cure for her cancer. Unfortunately, he’s the bearer of bad news as he sadly informs his colleague that the treatment is not working. This devastating report helps lead Jane to New Asgard and Mjölnir.

The (New) Asgardian Players

Thankfully, the Asgardian theatre troupe survived Hela’s rampage and their country’s destruction. Now, on New Asgard, they’re doing what they do best: putting on plays that deliver a nice bit of exposition. Their latest production is a retelling of Thor: Ragnarok‘s first act with their usual flare for the dramatic.  As such, the famous faces behind the hilarious troupe returned—with a new addition.

Matt Damon as Actor Loki

Is Loki in Thor: Love and Thunder? Well, no. There’s nary a Tom Hiddleston sighting in the whole film. But also, in a sense, yes, Loki does make an appearance. Matt Damon reprises his role as as the God of Mischief from Ragnarok, sporting Loki’s fabulously goth all-black suit. Damon appears once more, this time out of character. After Gorr’s attack on New Asgard, he and Actor Thor approach the real Thor and Valkyrie with their contribution to the cause: write a new show. And fair, nobody explicitly said no. So it looks like we could see Matt Damon again in a potential Thor 5. Hopefully he’s retelling a little vignette from Loki.

Luke Hemsworth as Actor Thor

What’s better than one Hemsworth as Thor? Two Hemsworths as Thor. Luke, the only brother apparently not up for the role way back when, reappears as stage’s God of Thunder. Like Damon, he appears out of costume to solve the land’s crisis Gal Gadot’s “Imagine” style—through the arts.

Sam Neill as Actor Odin

We couldn’t have a retelling of an iconic daddy issues tale without the father himself. Sam Neill reprises his Ragnarok role as Actor Odin, fully committing to the theatrics as Odin fade into sparkly gold dust and finds his place in Valhalla—just as his surprise daughter makes an appearance.

Melissa McCarthy as Actor Hela

Speaking of which, Love and Thunder adds another member to the theatre troupe. Melissa McCarthy plays Hela in the stage production’s cliffhanger end, which sees Odin peacefully die and Loki and Thor grieving—until their vengeful sister appears. Our only regret is we didn’t get to see more of McCarthy. There’s always Thor 5.

Ben Falcone as the Stage Manager

And why use half of a comedy couple when you can have the full thing.. Ben Falcone appears alongside his wife in the film, as the Asgardian theatre troupe’s stage manager. It’s a blink and you’ll miss it moment but one we can certainly add to the ever-growing list of projects the two have worked on.

Elsa Pataky as Wolf Woman

Luke Hemsworth wasn’t the only relative to make the Thor: Love and Thunder cut. Chris Hemsworth’s wife, Elsa Pataky, appears briefly during the montage recounting Thor’s love life. In fact, the film boasts a whole lot of relatives in general. Pataky and Chris’s daughter, India, plays Gorr’s daughter, while one of their sons, Tristan, plays a young Thor. But that’s not all, Hemsworth’s other son, Sasha, as well as Taika Waititi, Natalie Portman, and Christian Bale’s kids, also appear in the film. Given Thor 4 filmed during COVID, it makes sense that the cast and crew got their families involved in small ways.

Simon Russell Beale as Dionysus

In another incredibly quick cameo, British actor Simon Russell Beale appears in Omnipotent City as the god Dionysus. In the scene, he’s mostly laughing as Thor unsuccessfully appeals to Zeus for help. Just another sign that the old gods are out of touch in a big way. Given his legendary stage presence, it would’ve been fun to see Beale associated with the Asgardian players—as Actor Strange maybe? But while his cameo is short, maybe Love and Thunder is setting up for more Beale in the future. Zeus is out for Thor’s blood. Why not arm himself with a few old god allies—like a certain god of a god time with a famous wrath?

Brett Goldstein as Hercules

Roy Kent in the MCU? Okay then. In a surprisingly well-kept secret, the Ted Lasso writer and actor appears during the film’s mid-credits. During the scene, we see Russell Crowe’s Zeus, alive and recovering from a pretty gnarly wound from Thor. Obviously, he is furious and wants to do something about these little superheroes stealing the spotlight from the OG gods. To do so, he tees his son, Hercules, up for a little mission. Goldstein’s appearance in Thor: Love and Thunder is incredibly short. But it certainly looks like Herc—and the comedian who plays him—might be sticking around in the MCU for a little while.

Idris Elba as Heimdall

The loyal Heimdall departed the realm of the living early on in Avengers: Infinity War, a nice little devastating punch in the gut early on, giving us a tease of the brutality to come. His legacy lives on through his son, Axl, who’s inherited his father’s sight. But come on, what’s Thor without a little Idris Elba. And his Thor: Love and Thunder cameo is quite welcome. He appears in the film’s final scene, during the end credits. In the scene, he welcomes the late Jane Foster to Valhalla, potentially setting her up for her next great adventure.

Thor: Love and Thunder is now playing in theaters.

The post All the Cameos in THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER appeared first on Nerdist.

Ms. Marvel‘s fourth episode takes us from the streets of New Jersey to the city of Karachi. And we certainly packed some Easter eggs for the trip. Unpacking a suitcase is never fun, but diving into all the references and Easter eggs in Ms. Marvel episode four is an excellent time. Take a look at everything we spotted in the latest episode of the Marvel show.

Episode four’s whole premise is actually one big Ms. Marvel Easter egg from the comics. In Ms. Marvel #12, Kamala Khan, who has become alienated from her friends, visits Karachi to meet her family and escape her current stresses. This is clearly a planned Marvel Comics reference because a QR code in the episode takes us to a free download of the issue in question.

Ant-Man remains a Ms. Marvel Easter egg favorite in episode four. And we see a mural of him as Kamala ditches her cousins and makes her way to the train station. The mural is captioned “You can start small and still be larger than life.” Of course, it’s really a message for Kamala. But the message for us is the nod to Ms. Marvel‘s original artist and co-creator Adrian Alphona. The mural also hints there could be other Karachi x Avengers murals to come.

At the station, Kamala ends up fighting another masked warrior, the Red Dagger. Coincidentally, the Red Dagger first appeared in Ms. Marvel #12, so we’re sensing an Easter egg theme. In the comics, he was a family friend by day and superhero by the night. Here Kareem is part of an ancient order known as the Red Dagger. This order is new to the MCU, but we’re sure we’ll learn more about them soon. So far we know they “protect people from threats of the unseen.”

This episode of Ms. Marvel also opens the door to many multiversal questions. We’re left pondering the Noor dimension and wondering what powers Kamala has exactly. Could she have somehow been the one who actually saved her grandmother all those years ago? We don’t know for sure, but we do know just about anything is possible in the many universes and dimensions of the MCU.

We guess we’ll have to tune in to next week’s Ms. Marvel episode for more answers and more Easter eggs.

The post Every Easter Egg We Spotted in MS. MARVEL Episode 4 appeared first on Nerdist.

Sure, good cosplay is a cool way of becoming your favorite character from pop culture. But body painting as your way of transforming into your heroes? Might be even cooler. And thanks to the folks at Oddity Central, we’ve discovered a body painting expert whose work will blow you away. Meet Randresson Vieira, a 30-year-old body painter from Brazil, whose skills allow him to transform himself into a variety of pop culture characters.

The majority of Vieira’s characters include ones from beloved anime like One Piece, Dragon Ball, Naruto, Demon Slayer, and Avatar: The Last Airbender. Often, Vieira’s videos go in reverse, starting with his removal of the makeup, and going back to it being complete at the end. You can see some of his best anime creations below.

He also has a series of classic Disney animated characters that are both amazing and, well, a bit off-putting. Among all those Disney princesses, is that the Dungeon Master from the ’80s Dungeons & Dragons cartoon? Someone crashed a party, we think.

If it wasn’t for his very real human eyes peering through, it would be hard to distinguish these body painting as anything but 2D drawings. Randresson Vieira has become quite a TikTok sensation, amassing 1.5 million followers. He’s also on other platforms, including a YouTube channel. His facial painting skills are so effective that it’s actually unsettling when realistic human expressions emerge out of these flat, 2D-looking faces.

Anime characters are Vieira’s main thing, but he does do characters from other genres. He has a few Marvel characters on his resume now, including Spider-Man, Venom, Mystique, Captain Marvel, and Doctor Strange. The latter of which might be our favorite of his MCU body paints.

From the world of horror, Vieira has transformed into Chucky and Tiffany, and a legit terrifying Pennywise the Clown. Perhaps the creepiest nightmare fuel of his horror transformations was Annabelle the doll, from The Conjuring franchise. If someone came to the door dressed this way on Halloween, we might just start running in the other direction.

For more of Vieira’s amazing work, be sure to head on over to his TikTok.

The post Body Painter Wows with Marvel, Anime, and Disney Character Transformations appeared first on Nerdist.

You might have heard the term “Illuminati” before when folks talk about Marvel and wondered how it all relates to the comics or the MCU. Several secret groups in history have the name Illuminati, both real and fictional. (But mostly fictional).

The modern idea of the Illuminati refers to a clandestine society of a small group of all-powerful individuals, who secretly control the world. In our real world, this idea is rubbish. But in Marvel’s comic book universe? The Illuminati are the real deal. And their power is spreading. And we finally met them in the flesh in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

But before we get too far into a discussion of the MCU’s live-action Illuminati in Doctor Strange 2, let’s take a deep dive into the history of their comics counterparts and answer the big question now on everyone’s minds. Who are Marvel’s Illuminati?

The Origins of Marvel Comic’s Illuminati: An Alien Catalyst

Writer Brian Michael Bendis created the Marvel Illuminati, and they first appeared in 2005’s New Avengers #7. It was his idea that the Illuminati were secretly a part of the Marvel Universe for decades, going back to the early ‘70s. In his mind, this shadowy group of six heroes formed after the events of the Kree Skrull War, which took place in the pages of Avengers. (This Kree/Skrull war occurred in Avengers #89-97, from 1971-72.)

Tony Stark founded the Illuminati when he realized how close Earth came to annihilation. This came in the aftermath of the alien Kree and Skrull Empire’s conflict. He gathered together those he believed in as the leaders of the super-powered community and they became the first members of Marvel Comic’s Illuminati.

Who Were The Original Members of Marvel’s Illuminati?

Tony Stark chose the following Marvel heroes as the founding members of his Illuminati team: Namor of Atlantis, Black Bolt of the Inhumans, Reed Richards of the Fantastic Four, Professor Charles Xavier of the X-Men, and Doctor Strange, the Sorcerer Supreme. They met in Wakanda, home of the Black Panther. Stark hoped to get the world’s most technologically advanced nation to listen to his proposal. He also wanted King T’Challa to join as a member of the Illuminati.

It was Iron Man’s idea that the leaders of these disparate super-powered individuals form a sort of mega-group. He believed that together, the Illuminati, the Avengers, the X-Men, the Inhumans, and the Atlanteans could prevent almost any disaster. But no one bought into Stark’s dream initially. The rest of the group knew that too many differences would keep such an unwieldy group from functioning. However, these leaders agreed to meet together in a secret think tank whenever a crisis arose. If nothing else, they could share information and help steer events. All but Black Panther were a part of this Marvel “Illuminati” team, as Stark coined it. T’Challa saw the entire endeavor as faulty from the start.

As the years rolled on, the group gathered in secret to influence events. Neither Tony Stark’s fellow Avengers, nor Xavier’s students, nor Reed Richard’s family knew of this mysterious cabal. But there always comes a breaking point. The original Marvel Comics version of the Illuminati stayed intact until the group voted to exile the Hulk from the Earth to another planet, to prevent any more damage from him on this one. Namor, once the Hulk’s Defenders teammate, was revolted at such an action. He was the first to leave the group, and it soon dissolved. (All of this backstory is covered in 2006’s New Avengers: Illuminati one-shot).

A History of the Illuminati in Marvel Comics

Marvel’s Illuminati have had several iterations in Marvel’s comics, despite not being around for too long. Here’s a history of where they’ve appeared.

Marvel’s Civil War Temporarily Resurrects the Illuminati 

The group came together once more when Iron Man announced the Superhuman Registration Act. This law was all about the American government’s registering of super-powered individuals. Really though, it was an effort to keep track of them and control them. Stark tried to get the rest of the Illuminati to get their respective groups to back the SRA publicly. When all the Illuminati members disagreed except for Reed Richards, it marked the next official end of the group. Not long after, the superhero Civil War occurred (the basis for the events in the MCU’s Captain America: Civil War). But circumstances would force them back together before too long.

Marvel’s Infinity Gems and the Illuminati in New Avengers

Soon, readers learned that each member of the Illuminati received one of the Infinity Gems (what the MCU’s Infinity Stones are called in the comics). Originally, Reed Richards thought it best to use the gems to destroy the gems. But unlike the MCU, in the comics, the gems can’t be destroyed that way. So the group decided to each member of the Illuminati would take an Infinity Gem and hide it without the other members knowing where the other had hidden it. (This event plays out in New Avengers: Illuminati #2, from 2007).

World War Hulk: The Hulk Takes Revenge

The decision to exile the Hulk would come back to bite the Illuminati in their rear ends. Bruce Banner found his way home again, and they would all learn that Hulk’s phrase “you wouldn’t like me when I’m angry” was no joke. Hulk arrived on Earth and sent a transmission for the world’s authorities to hand over the Illuminati’s Doctor Strange, Iron Man, and Mister Fantastic to him. Who is going to say no to the Hulk?

The Jade Giant gives the citizens of New York City 24 hours to evacuate before the start of World War Hulk. Only Namor, who voted against exiling Banner, escaped unscathed. Hulk forced Marvel’s Illuminati members to do battle with each other in a gladiatorial ring in Madison Square Garden, but he stopped short of allowing them to kill one another. Hulk felt he’d made his point to the world. But in doing so, Hulk exposed the Illuminati’s existence. (All of this occurs in 2007’s World War Hulk #1-5) Oddly enough, down the road, when Hulk gained super-intelligence in the comics, he joined a later iteration of Marvel’s Illuminati himself.

Secret Invasion: The Illuminati Are Exposed

Tony Stark called the group together yet again when he learned about the secret Skrull invasion of Earth. After the heroes of the Marvel universe thwarted this Skrull incursion, the heroic community (including the recently returned from the dead Steve Rogers) discovered that Tony Stark and other heroes he considered friends had formed the Illuminati behind his back. Despite his initial anger, Rogers eventually joined a new version of the group, realizing it was for the greater good that they include him. Captain America would later come to regret that decision. (All of this takes place in 2008’s Secret Invasion event series).

Multiversal Mayhem: Black Panther’s Secret Wars Illuminati Team

The most recent version of Marvel Comics’ Illuminati arrived in 2015. Black Panther, who decreed that the Illuminati were a bad idea way back in the beginning, formed the group this time. He knew a Multiversal war lurked on the horizon (in Jonathan Hickman and Esad Ribic’s 2015 series Secret Wars) and that a group of the Marvel Universe’s most prominent figures was the only way to stop it. Unfortunately, the only way to stop another Earth from crashing into theirs was by building an ultimate weapon—a weapon that would destroy the other Earth.

When Cap learned of this doomsday weapon, he revolted against the group. But Doctor Strange cast a spell to remove all knowledge of the Illuminati from his mind. Ultimately, the Illuminati stopped the Multiversal incursion. Then the council grew to include other high-profile members from the Marvel universe. Beast, Medusa, Hank Pym, and Captain Britain all joined the Illuminati at certain points. Now it is only a matter of time before Marvel’s think tanks forms once again to figure out a way to solve an unsolvable problem.

The Illuminati in the MCU

The MCU Illuminati of the movies differed greatly from Marvel’s Comics version. Although they did share a few prominent members. Mainly, Professor Charles Xavier, Reed Richards, and Black Bolt of the Inhumans. (Namor was not among them). These powerful characters were essentially the Avengers of Earth-838.

Although the MCU’s Illuminati may have been a group in addition to the Avengers, not in its place. It’s unclear. Ultimately, the members of the MCU’s Illumanti in Doctor Strange 2 were Baron Mordo, Captain Carter, Captain Marvel Maria Rambeau, and as mentioned Black Bolt, King of the Inhumans, Reed Richards, and Professor X.

How Did the MCU’s Illuminati Form? Superior Iron Man Could Be Key

One prominent member of the Illuminati we did not see was Iron Man. However, there might have been an Iron Man in the Illuminati who died, much as the one from Earth 616 did. The Ultron drones suggest Stark at least existed on this world at some point. The Illuminati’s creator in Marvel’s comics was Tony Stark after all. And the look of the Ultron drones looks a lot like the comics’ Superior Iron Man.

If you’re wondering who the heck Superior Iron Man even is, imagine a version of Tony Stark that is all ego and zero morality. That happened to Tony in the Axis series from Marvel Comics, back in 2014—all thanks to a spell that removed his moral compass. In fact, he had his own comic series, aptly titled The Superior Iron Man, back in 2014-2015. He wore silver armor and used all his intellect to take over the world. Eventually, of course, the real Tony would retake his personality.

The look of the Ultron drones definitely matches the Superior Iron Man armor from the comics. Fans were fervently hoping that Tom Cruise, who famously nearly played Tony Stark in the 2000s, was portraying this version of Iron Man in Doctor Strange 2. But despite the inclusion of Cruise as Superior Iron Man being an early idea from Multiverse of Madness writer Michael Waldron, it was ultimately not meant to be. But that doesn’t mean there never was a Superior Iron Man on Earth-838 at some point. Or elsewhere in the Multiverse.

Who Was the Illuminati’s Professor X in the MCU?

Perhaps the biggest question so far with the MCU’s Illuminati revolves around the appearance of Patrick Stewart’s Professor Xavier in Doctor Strange 2. When Charles glides into the Illuminati chambers, he’s in his gold hoverchair from X-Men: The Animated Series. In fact, we hear the familiar chords of the classic cartoon theme song play when he does so. In the film, Xavier repeats lines of dialogue he spoke in X-Men: Days of Future Past. But the chair and the old theme song evoke the ’90s cartoon. Multiverse of Madness writer Michael Waldron has said in an interview with Variety that Earth-838’s Xavier combines elements of the Fox films’ Charles and the animated series. However, something in the credits possibly hint at more.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness credits Professor X’s musical cue as “X-Men ’97 Theme.” If they somehow tied this Xavier to the one we meet in the film, this would explain why Marvel Studios has an active hand in the X-Men ’97 revival. For all we know, it’s a prequel/sequel to Multiverse of Madness in some form. If the Marvel Studios Multiverse expands to not only include pre-MCU Marvel films, like the Sony Spider-Man films, but also animation? It might be the coolest thing Kevin Feige has ever done.

The MCU Illuminati and Future Movies

Sadly, the Illuminati met their ends at the hands of the Scarlet Witch in the film. So, if the cabal is to continue on Earth-838, they’re going to need a big membership drive. But what about an Illuminati for Earth-616? Our Stephen Strange knows a good idea when he sees one, and might form an Illuminati of his own on his Earth. Perhaps something more akin to the original comics lineup?

The members of the MCU’s Earth-616 Illuminati could include Doctor Strange, an Earth-616 version of Black Bolt, whoever Reed Richards turns out to be, (John Krasinski or another actor), and the eventual Earth-616 versions of Professor X and Namor. Only Iron Man is left out of the equation, but perhaps Ironheart could take his place? Bruce Banner is another possibility as well. The Illuminati may have found their start in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, but we feel they may twist their shadowy fingers into many MCU movies to come.

Originally published on February 17, 2022.

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Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness introduced the Illuminati to the MCU. Then the Scarlet Witch immediately murdered most of the group. But their short stay will still have huge ramifications for the franchise. The MCU’s Illuminati featured some major characters among its members. And the Illuminati’s existence on Earth-838 changes the possibilities for Marvel’s primary world of Earth-616. Here’s the full MCU Illuminati lineup and what each member’s inclusion means for Marvel’s universe going forward.

Baron Mordo (Chiwetel Ejiofor)

In his own universe, Stephen Strange’s former mentor Baron Mordo remains his enemy. In another world, though, the two friends fought side-by-side. Earth-838’s Baron Mordo and Doctor Strange actually formed the Illuminati we meet in Multiverse of Madness and prepared for a future when another Strange would arrive. But that Mordo Variant also hates Earth-616’s Strange after their encounter. The two battled while Wanda killed the other members of the Illuminati and Strange escaped death at Mordo’s hands.

Baron Mordo is the only member of the Illuminati who definitely survived the Scarlet Witch’s attack in Doctor Strange 2. Considering his universe knows a great deal about the multiverse, will Mordo-838 come calling for the Strange who bested him? He might, since he believes Doctor Strange is the biggest threat to the multiverse. And if Mordo-838 comes looking for his multiversal enemy, he will find an eager ally waiting for him there—himself.

Captain Carter (Hayley Atwell)

We first met a version of Captain Carter in the MCU on the animated Disney+ series What If…? In some parallel worlds Peggy Carter ended up getting the super-soldier serum instead of Steve Rogers; in those planes, she became her world’s first Avenger. Considering the World War II hero’s relatively young age on Earth-838, the broad strokes of both Variants’ stories are seemingly very similar. At some point, the live-action Captain Carter missed decades of life in her world. And this Captain Carter became a member of the MCU’s Illuminati.

Wanda sliced this Peggy Carter in half with the Captain’s own shield. The other version still lives in her reality, though. And other brave Captain Carter Variants surely exist. Any of them would be a great partner if Earth-616 needs help from a First Avenger who can still fight. And just as important, that would keep Hayley Atwell a part of the MCU.

Captain Marvel Maria Rambeau (Lashana Lynch)

Carol Danvers did not become Captain Marvel in the world of the Illuminati. Instead her friend and fellow pilot Maria Rambeau gained abilities from the Tesseract and the Space Stone. Like Carol, Maria’s Captain Marvel had extraordinary powers (which manifested in the same manner and color). Her abilities included flight, energy blasts, and super strength. (That’s why we’re not totally convinced she died under the weight of that stone statue. Captain Marvel in any universe is hard to kill.)

Her presence in the MCU’s Illuminati is more revealing than just showing Captain Marvel can be a different person in every universe, though. On WandaVision back in Earth-616, Maria’s daughter Monica referenced an aerospace engineer friend. We thought—and still do—she might have been talking about Mister Fantastic. Considering worlds in the MCU’s multiverse frequently share many of the same people, events, and connections, Multiverse of Madness‘ Illuminati might have shown the Rambeau family and Reed Richards are a part of each others’ lives in many universes.

Blackagar Boltagon, King Of The Inhumans (Anson Mount)

The most surprising aspect of the Illuminati might have been Anson Mount reprising his role as Blackagar Boltagon. Mount originally played a different version of the character on the short-lived, critically-panned 2017 TV series Inhumans. While technically a part of the MCU, until Blackagar (better known by the less silly moniker Black Bolt) appeared on the powerful group’s dais, most Marvel fans would have wagered the studio wanted everyone to forget about the television show’s eight episodes. His return won’t make the series retroactively important, but it is a big deal for the franchise’s future.

The silent king (sporting a more comics accurate costume) with a deadly voice is a powerful figure who has now brought the Inhumans to the MCU proper. (The pre-Disney+ Marvel shows haven’t exactly been treated as canon by Kevin Feige.) If they exist on Earth-838, they might already exist on Earth-616 and have for thousands of years. If you’re unfamiliar with the Inhumans and why their king’s inclusion could pay huge dividends, our Dan Casey previously delved into the history of the supergroup of genetically altered humans.

Reed Richards (John Krasinski) 

It actually happened. After years of both fans casting him in the role and the actor openly talking about his desire to play the part, John Krasinski finally got to bring Fantastic Four‘s Reed Richards to the screen. That world’s smartest man didn’t survive his encounter with the Scarlet Witch, but his brief appearance is still a monumental moment in the MCU. Long before Disney bought Fox Entertainment, Marvel diehards hoped to see the beloved group join the franchise. Now that the Fantastic Four’s leader is an established part of the multiverse, any of the four could show up before their own standalone movie.

Will Krasinski and his comics-inspired costume reprise the role on Earth-616? That’s definitely a possibility, but not a guarantee. Spider-Man: No Way Home established Variants do not need to look exactly the same. This could be a one-and-done appearance from Krasinski. Or he could end up playing every Reed Richards in the multiverse. Either way, the makeup of the Illuminati hints at some version of Mister Fantastic already existing in the MCU’s main universe.

Professor Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart)

We knew he was coming. We even knew he’d be using his X-Men the animated series yellow wheelchair. And yet it was still incredible to see Sir Patrick Stewart once again play a version of Professor Charles Xavier. His presence gave the Illuminati the gravitas it deserved. It also gave one of the best actors in Marvel movie history a chance to formally join the biggest Marvel franchise. But his inclusion is about far more than just this appearance.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness established both Charles Xavier and the presence of mutants in the multiverse. And if they exist on a planet that also has Inhumans and the Fantastic Four, they might already exist on Earth-616. Even if they don’t, though, they will. With open portals between dimensions and America Chavez, the infinite possibilities of all worlds are the infinite possibilities of any one of them.

But for the moment we should all enjoy what the MCU Illuminati gave us in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, even if we only had it for a short time. Because even if the X-Men arrive in the MCU with another actor playing their powerful leader, the multiverse can never take away this amazing cameo.

And besides, there would even be one huge benefit to recasting the role after all these years. We don’t want to see Patrick Stewart’s Professor X die a third time.

Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist. You can follow him on Twitter at @burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.

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The Marvel Comics universe has quite a hierarchy of cosmic entities. There are beings like Eternity, which comprises almost all of existence, and Galactus, the Devourer of worlds. Many have shown up in the MCU already, like the Grandmaster in Thor: Ragnarok, and the Watchers in the What If…? series on Disney+. Now, after a “blink and ya miss it” appearance in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, it looks like we can add yet another character to the list of MCU cosmic entities—Marvel’s Living Tribunal.

You can briefly glimpse the shape of the Living Tribunal’s three giant yellow heads in the film as Stephen Strange and America Chavez crash through multiple worlds. But if you’re not familiar with this all-powerful entity, created by Stan Lee for a Doctor Strange story in Strange Tales back in 1967, and you’re saying “the Living what now?,” then we’ve got a rundown of the basics of this godlike being for you. And just in time, because the Living Tribunal may have a large role to play in the MCU going forward.

Who Is the Living Tribunal, Marvel’s Three Faces of Justice?

The Living Tribunal is one of the most powerful entities in the Marvel Multiverse. Essentially, its role is to safeguard the Multiverse from an imbalance of magical forces. It also judges each separate universe, hence the name. If the Living Tribunal deems a Marvel universe, or a world within a universe, as not worth saving, he metes out judgment by collapsing a star or making it go supernova. Sometimes, when an entire universe is corrupt, it can will it out of existence.

But what does Marvel’s Living Tribunal look like? The Tribunal manifests itself as a giant golden humanoid with three faces, each representing the three sides of its personality. Its front face, which is where the Tribunal speaks, represents equity. The completely hooded face on its right side represents necessity, and the half-hooded face on its left expresses just revenge. All the Living Tribunal’s three distinct voices must agree on a verdict before it can act. There is also a fourth side, which is a total void. The Tribunal has suggested the cosmic entity called the Stranger was once part of him, and the void represents his absence.

Marvel’s Most Powerful Entity and Protector of the Multiverse

The first Marvel hero to encounter the Living Tribunal was Doctor Strange, way back in 1967. Since then, it has appeared before the Fantastic Four, the Guardians of the Galaxy, Quasar, and several other characters and teams. It is the only power in existence that can nullify the combined Infinity Stones should it wish to. There is only one version of the Tribunal in the entire Multiverse. Although, it can exist in different realities at once. How many realities? It once teamed up with DC Comics’ Spectre to save both the Marvel and DC Multiverses from destruction in the DC vs. Marvel event series. So, the Living Tribunal is kind of a big deal and incredibly powerful.

The Living Tribunal in the MCU’s Doctor Strange 2 and Beyond

So why this Living Tribunal tease in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness? Well, if someone is messing with the realities of Marvel’s multiverse, then the Living Tribunal may appear down the line to make a judgment upon them. Assuming Wanda Maximoff lived (a safe assumption), the Living Tribunal might have some words for her. And for Stephen Strange.

Avengers: Infinity War writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely revealed that the Tribunal nearly appeared in that film, to render judgment on Thanos. Interestingly, that original Living Tribunal introduction would have also involved Doctor Strange. But the idea does speak to the MCU’s Doctor Strange already having awareness of this cosmic entity.

We also know Mordo bore a weapon named “The Staff of the Living Tribunal” in the first Doctor Strange film. Additionally, a statue with three heads teased the MCU’s Living Tribunal in Loki. We don’t quite know what all of these pieces mean, but we do know they make for strong indications the Living Tribunal has a bigger role to play in future MCU projects. Beyond that, we’re going to have to wait and see what happens. But we highly doubt this appearance will be the all-powerful being’s last in the MCU.

Originally published April 22, 2022.

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As soon as The Avengers first assembled on theater screens, the Marvel Cinematic Universe went from mere superhero movies to must-see events. Each and every calendar year, more and more MCU movies hit our screens and, even if only tenuously, they all led directly into each other. It became a kind of media collection; if you hadn’t seen one of the movies, you were missing part of the story. With the Disney+ TV series, it seemed as though the MCU films would get denouements on the small screen. But would they matter to the movies going forward? Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness has answered that question with a resounding, and time-consuming, yes.

One of the major questions after WandaVision was how directly would the outcome of that series tie into her appearance in Multiverse of Madness. Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen)’s arc in the movie doesn’t merely take place after 2021’s WandaVision, it’s of paramount import. Wanda isn’t just mourning the loss of the children she had in that series, she spends the entire movie looking for those exact kids. In that exact same house. I would even venture to say if punters rocking up to the movies to see the latest big screen Marvel outing haven’t seen WandaVision, they will be completely lost.

But it goes far beyond WandaVision. The animated series What If…?—by rights the least intrinsic to the future of the MCU—ended up giving a lot of context for at least a few of Multiverse of Madness‘ beats. The super-powered version of Peggy Carter is a near direct replication of the version of Captain Carter from the first episode of What If…? And while Benedict Cumberbatch has stated that What If…?‘s Strange Supreme isn’t the same as Sinister Strange in the movie, the animated episode provided fans with a glimpse of how a Doctor Strange could destroy a whole universe; the movie short-hands this with its explanation of the fallen Doctor Strange from the Illuminati universe. (Confusingly, the toys call this version Supreme Strange.)

But you might say, okay fine. The Disney+ shows take place in the same continuity as the movies, so why wouldn’t they impact the greater MCU? Sure, fine. But one of the movie’s biggest surprises comes from a character from a failed MCU-adjacent series from 2017. The connection of Jeph Loeb’s TV MCU to the greater Cinematic Universe was always tenuous at best. Following the folding of that division into Kevin Feige’s purview, those shows were thought all but decanonized.

However, Charlie Cox from Netflix’s Daredevil is the official MCU Daredevil following his cameo in Spider-Man: No Way Home. Vincent D’Onofrio’s Kingpin from that selfsame series stomped his way into the proper MCU on Disney+’s Hawkeye. And now even Black Bolt as played by Anson Mount from the derided and cancelled Inhumans series received a stay of canonical execution through a variant version’s appearance in Multiverse. Do you need to have watched Inhumans in its entirety to understand Black Bolt in the movie? Not at all. But the layers of pop cultural knowledge necessary for the average filmgoer to comprehend his brief appearance are not thin.

The degree to which the TV series are important even extends to animation. Patrick Stewart has played Professor Charles Xavier since the very first X-Men movie in the year 2000. He is as intrinsically linked to that character now as he is to his other iconic leader, Captain Jean-Luc Picard. So, on the one hand, Stewart in Multiverse just officially brings the X-Men into the MCU. But! This Variant of Professor X does not wear any of his Fox-universe garb. He does not sit in his Fox-universe wheelchair. He wears the clothes and uses the distinctive yellow hover-chair of the ’90s X-Men animated series. Sure, this was his look in the ’90s comics, but it’s the show the movie invokes. We know this by the strains of the cartoon’s theme song playing as he enters the room.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness doesn’t simply ask that you’ve seen all the MCU movies. It isn’t just requiring you’ve watched the Disney+ shows. To fully appreciate the breadth of the multiverse, you have to have keen knowledge of every corner of every iteration of the Marvel Universe. For people like us, who live and breathe it, that’s easy. The ’90s X-Men animated series is what got me reading Marvel Comics in the first place. But is it fair to assume people who just like the movies will know it? Does it take anything away if they don’t?

The MCU isn’t just the biggest movie franchise. The MCU is maybe the most popular thing of the moment. Has been for a long while now. Making every piece of it matter, no matter the size of the screen, seems somewhat reasonable. But Marvel Comics don’t necessarily require that you read every issue of every book to understand things. So is it fair for the MCU to say you must watch every movie and every episode of every series or you won’t get it? When it was a couple of movies a year, sure. But 2021 had four films and 36 episodes of TV. 2022 will probably end up having the same number of episodes, though one fewer movie. Is it fair to assume that for every viewer?

I’m not saying it’s unfair. People do not need to watch every movie or TV show to enjoy the next movie or TV show. And do I think Black Bolt or animated series Captain Carter and Professor X are more than a bit of fun for fans? No, not at all. Certainly the MCU has thus far not committed the cruel act of secretly making the fifth and sixth episodes of a series stealth continuations of another beloved series. (I’ll never forgive The Book of Boba Fett for having two great episodes of The Mandalorian stuck inside it.) Still, when the comics referenced something from a past issue or another title, they’d include a handy note from the editor. No such thing exists for shows and movies.

But this is unlikely to change. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania‘s main villain will be Kang the Conqueror, a Variant of a character from the very last episode of Loki. Marvel just moved the movie’s release date to February 17, 2023, a little under two full years since that episode aired. If Loki didn’t appeal to some viewers, or they fell off partway through, they’ll just have to deal. So long as we deep-divers are okay with explaining things to the casuals in our lives, of course.

Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. You can find his film and television reviews here. And follow him on Instagram and Letterboxd.

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Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness introduces many new things to the MCU. While some will inevitably last longer than others, there’s one thing we can’t wait to dig into. And it concerns none other than Wanda Maximoff a.k.a. the Scarlet Witch. In an unexpected turn of events, we learn about a key location from the magical Avenger’s past. So if you want to learn more then keep reading, but otherwise beware as spoilers—and mystical danger—abound! 

What is Mount Wundagore?

Ah sweet summer child, what a question. If you were reading Nerdist during the heady days of WandaVision then you will have read me mention it more than once. In the classic comics Mount Wundagore is the magical mountain where Chthon wrote the Darkhold. We see that brought to life here in a vibrant fashion as Wanda and Wong head to the notorious location. Once there, Wong name drops Chthon and the pair face down with some badass looking demons who seem to be under Wanda’s command. That makes a lot of sense if we look to her comic book backstory.

Why Does Mount Wundagore Matter to Wanda?

Wundagore was first introduced in 1966’s Thor #134. There readers met the High Evolutionary, a scientist who loves nothing more than to do twisted experiments. They also learned of its connection to Wanda and Pietro Maximoff. The twins were at Wundagore recharging their powers. Why? Fans didn’t find out for a long time. In 1974’s Giant-Size Avengers #1, Roy Thomas and Rich Buckler revealed that Mount Wundagore was the twins’ birthplace. Not only that but one of the High Evolutionary’s creations, Bova, delivered the pair. The human-cow hybrid took on a maternal role after their real mother Magda gave birth to them and left while on the run from their—at the time—father, Magneto. 

The reason this is key to what we see in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is because while Wanda’s mother was giving birth, her daughter was “touched by the magic of Chthon.” That’s what gave her those Scarlet Witch powers. Though that wasn’t in the film, Wanda’s powers being connected to Chthon would explain why his minions wanted to serve her. The one big thing that was missing, though, was the High Evolutionary and his creations, but we may see them soon. 

How Could Mount Wundagore Play into the Future of the MCU? 

Though it seems like Wanda destroyed Mount Wundagore at the end of the movie, there’s a chance the location could come into play in the wider future of the MCU. Rumors claim that character we mentioned before, the High Evolutionary, is to be a major villain in Guardians of the Galaxy 3. That would connect to the introduction of Wundagore here, as well as being a way to continue the thread in GOTG 2 which brought Adam Warlock into the MCU. That stinger showed a cocoon with “Him” in it. Who was he? The only name we got was Adam. This echoes Adam’s creation in the comics where he’s grown in a cocoon. Later, that cocoon was taken by the High Evolutionary, who gave Adam the Soul Gem and set him on the path to become the emo cosmic hero that comic book fans know today. 

With Warlock confirmed by James Gunn to be a part of the new film and Wundagore appearing here, this is all seeming ever more likely. The big question, however, is whether the High Evolutionary will return to Wundagore. Maybe he’s been there long before Wanda and Wong ever arrived. No matter what, it’s not going to be the last we see of the fantastical location. And we can’t wait to return.

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The multiverse is here and boy is it mad. Sam Raimi’s Doctor Strange sequel is the kind of wild and weird superhero movie we love. But it’s likely to leave viewers with a ton of questions. Of course, we’re here to answer them all. So if you’re wondering about that ending and what the [redacted] reveal in the Doctor Strange 2 post-credits scene means, then look no further. But if you haven’t seen the movie, beware because from here on out heavy spoilers abound! We’re explaining the ending, mid-credits scene, and post-credit scene of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

What Happens in the Ending Scene of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness?

After traversing the Multiverse with the help of America Chavez, Doctor Strange does the unthinkable. In order to beat the Scarlet Witch, he Dreamwalks into a corpse of his alt-universe self. Using the terrible power of the Darkhold, he manages to reach Mount Wundagore. Once there he traps Wanda before she can steal America’s powers. Though the young girl can’t physically beat the Scarlet Witch, she uses her portal-opening powers to show Wanda’s sons the monster their mother has become. Wanda is so horrified by their reactions that she brings Mount Wundagore down on herself. The act destroys the Darkhold in every single universe. We leave her fate in question as Wong relocates America to Kamar-Taj, where she begins to study the Mystic Arts.

All seems well until Stephen Strange returns to New York. Walking down the street, Stephen can’t quite believe his luck. He’s danced with death, done some casual necromancy, and hypocritically used his powers against Wanda for doing the same thing with her powers. Strange has seen some of the most famous Marvel characters meet their gruesome end at the hands of his own teammate, and yet here he is, wandering safely in New York. That is until he begins to hear a buzzing and falls to the ground screaming. But what happens in the final moments of Doctor Strange 2? Well, when Stephen Strange looks up at us, Danny Elfman’s score swells, and a third eye opens on his forehead.

Why Does Doctor Strange Have a Third Eye in His Forehead and What Does it Mean?

In the context of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, it seems likely that the third eye we see at the end of Doctor Strange 2 has arrived because of Strange Dreamwalking using the Darkhold. We know this because we see Sinister Strange with a third eye first. And he warns his alt-universe self that Darkholding will take its toll. We see that toll in the ending scene of the film, just before the credits begin to roll. While there is comic book precedent for the Sorcerer Supreme to have a physical manifestation of a third eye, it’s usually in the astral form of the character and is deeply connected to his most famous artifact. Interestingly, the third eye appearing at the end of Multiverse of Madness goes some way toward answering a fan fave question. 

Many MCU lovers wonder why Strange still wears the so-called Eye of Agamotto despite the fact that he no longer has the Time Stone. As director Sam Raimi explained to Cinema Blend recently, “the Eye of Agamotto still has magical properties even without the Time Stone—as any true fan of Strange would know. So it still reveals to him things that are unseen.” That’s important in the context of the ending of the film as it hints that perhaps Strange’s connection to the Eye is like that in the comics, where the Eye resides inside his amulet. Maybe using the Darkhold created a direct connection between the two, allowing the Eye to become a part of Doctor Strange. That would align with the way that the Eye worked in the comics, occasionally becoming a third eye of the Sorcerer Supreme who wields it. 

So what we’re seeing here is likely a mix of both the lore established in the movie and the Doctor Strange comic book backstory, a history that Raimi clearly knows a lot about. It’s a fitting ending scene for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

Is There a Mid-Credits Scene in Multiverse of Madness?

Oh yes, there is a mid-credits scene in Doctor Strange 2, and it continues the heavy metal madness of the final moments of the movie! Stephen wanders through New York rocking a stylish blue shirt and red scarf. All seems to be well until a strange blonde woman (Charlize Theron) in a striking purple superhero costume appears in front of him. She slices through the air, opening a portal to the Dark Dimension. “You caused an Incursion and we’re going to fix it,” she tells him. “Unless you’re too scared.” Then Stephen Strange transforms into his super-self, his scarf becoming his cape and his blue shirt becoming his classic costume. In a nod to its cosmic origin, his third eye opens as he follows her into the Dark Dimension. If you’re wondering what that is, it’s the place we saw Strange battle Dormammu in the first movie and a key comic book location. 

Who Does Charlize Theron Play in Multiverse of Madness?

Charlize Theron plays a character called Clea in the mid-credits scene from Multiverse of Madness. And we’re surprised that she took so long to show up. In the comics, Clea is a major Doctor Strange character and plays a huge part in his life and story. She first appeared in 1964’s Strange Tales #126. That was not too long after the Sorcerer Supreme himself debuted. Though she looks human, Clea is actually the superpowered cosmic daughter of Umar. And if you’re counting demonic cosmic family trees, it also makes her the niece of Dormammu. Yep, Doctor Strange’s ally and love interest is also related to his most famous enemy. At times she has also held the mantle of Sorceress Supreme of the Dark Dimension. And currently, an alt-universe version of Clea is the Sorcerer Supreme in the main Marvel Comics timeline in the new series Strange. Now she’s here in the MCU, in the form of the fabulous Charlize Theron. Keeping up?

What Do Clea’s Presence and Doctor Strange’s Third Eye Mean for the MCU Going Forward?

The big takeaway from MCU Clea’s mid-credits appearance in Doctor Strange 2 is that cosmic happenings are afoot in the future of Marvel’s cinematic world. Also, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness spends a lot of time establishing that Stephen and Christine will never work in any universe. His last interaction with Christine from Earth-838 (the Illuminati universe) sees her telling him he needs to open himself up to love. And then his most famous comic book girlfriend shows up. So you can assume that we’ll see some Stephen and Clea romance in our future. On a bigger picture scale, it means Wong will probably take over as Earth’s true mystic protector as Stephen heads out into the multiverse with Clea to help her fix his past-and-alt-universe mistakes. We’ll likely see both Clea and Doctor Strange back again whenever the MCU decides to handle Secret Wars and the inevitable implosion of the Multiverse. 

Wait… But Is There a Doctor Strange 2 Post-Credits Scene?

Yes, baby! There is a Doctor Strange 2 post-credits scene. Because Pizza Poppa always gets paid. 

Featured Image: Marvel Studios

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Ever since Avengers Campus opened at Disney California Adventure last year, one of the land’s best features has been its character interactions. Denizens from all over the MCU appear and interact with park guests. And often, a character’s arrival perfectly syncs up with their MCU debut. Moon Knight began skulking around the rooftops as soon as his first episode dropped on Disney+. And he wasn’t the only one. The same thing happened when Loki and Hawkeye debuted. But what might be the best character appearance so far involves Ant-Man.

Ant-Man has been showing up with a very cool prop: a miniaturized version of the now-defunct A Bug’s Land. (So has Wasp). A Bug’s Land was once located where Avengers Campus now stands. It’s so thoughtful of Scott Lang to preserve Disney Parks history like that. You can see Ant-Man show off his new prized collectible in a tweet from Twitter user thecalibae (via Thrill Geek). It features moving rides and everything! Plus, as Ant-Man points out, his ants can still enjoy Heimlich’s Chew Chew Train.

Based on Pixar’s classic film A Bug’s Life, families could wander around in a re-creation of the adventures of Flik, Hopper, Heimlich, and the rest. The land wasn’t particularly overflowing with big, E-ticket attractions. They mostly geared it towards little kids. But it had the delightful “It’s Tough to be a Bug” 3D film and animatronic show. But attendance dwindled there in recent years. So it’s understandable why Disney replaced it with a mega-popular IP like the MCU.

Of course, as with any Disney land or attraction that closes, nostalgia for it sets in afterwards. Just look at how many Disney fans are still begging for the People Mover to return to Disneyland’s Tomorrowland, over two decades since it last operated. So having Ant-Man carrying around a mini version of A Bug’s Land keeps the memory alive and acknowledges the theme park’s history. This is the kind of creativity we love to see at the Disney theme parks. Hopefully, at some point, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge follows the lead of Avengers Campus for some cool character interaction ideas.

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In both the Marvel Comics universe and the MCU, Marvel heavily implied that the Eternals inspired the legends behind the Greek myths and gods. The immortal children of the Celestials like Thena inspired Athena, and so on. However, that presented a bit of a problem. See, the Thor comics long ago established the MCU Greek gods as a powerful pantheon of other-dimensional immortals, just like the Asgardians. Hercules is the most prominent among them. So if the Greek gods were real, how did the Eternals inspire the gods? And as we’ve just seen in the Thor: Love and Thunder teaser, that is most definitely Russell Crowe as the MCU’s Zeus on Mount Olympus. So what gives? Folks, it gets a wee bit convoluted. But there is an explanation. Here’s how the MCU can sensically hold both the Greek Gods and the Eternals.

The Eternals Inspired Earth’s Greek Gods in Jack Kirby’s Marvel Series

The real-world reason behind this Olympian confusion is actually pretty simple. When the great Jack Kirby first created the Eternals in 1976, he conceived the series outside the traditional Marvel universe. But when sales were not that great on the title, the powers that be at the publisher incorporated the characters into the larger Marvel mythos. But that created a problem; Kirby had already introduced the Greek gods in the pages of Marvel’s Thor a decade prior. So what to do? A little good, old-fashioned retconning was in order. Although it was later creators who did this, and not Kirby himself.

Where Do Marvel’s Olympians Fit In?

In the comics, the Eternal Zuras was the counterpart to Zeus (this character was not in the movie). They explained that Zuras ruled the Eternal city of Olympia, in the mountains of Greece. This was near the main portal between Earth and the Olympians’ home dimension. Supposedly, this caused many ancient Greeks to conflate the Eternals with members of the Olympian pantheon they worshipped. Let’s just say it was an early case of brand confusion.

Zeus and his daughter Athena held a meeting with Zuras, and his daughter Azura. Instantly noticing the strong physical resemblance between Zeus and Zuras and between Azura and herself, Athena suggested that the Olympian gods and the Eternals form an alliance. The Eternals agreed to act as the gods’ representatives on Earth. Azura took the name Thena to solidify this pact. Eventually, humanity believed many of the Eternals were not just the Greek gods’ representatives. They saw them as the gods themselves. This angered the jealous Olympians, leading to a brief war with the Eternals.

A Godly Discrepancy in the MCU

Usually, the MCU likes to streamline some of the more convoluted concepts from the comics for mass consumption. We originally guessed the Eternals’ existence on Earth would simply inspire humans to believe they were gods, and then their names merely changed over time. Certainly, Chloé Zhao’s movie implies that heavily, negating a need for actual Olympians. But now, with MCU Zeus showing up in Thor: Love and Thunder, it’s clear the Greek gods are very real in the MCU. So how will they handle the discrepancy?

The MCU might simply take the same route as the comics, with the Olympians essentially sharing their names with some of the Eternals. The only characters this really applies to are Thena (Athena) and Makkari (Mercury). Circe and Icarus were not technically gods in Greco-Roman mythology, so they wouldn’t necessarily have Olympian counterparts. But Thena in the film certainly never indicated she ever went by another name. Or that her name took inspiration from Athena. Or that Athena was ever even real.

Should The MCU Just Laugh Off This Eternals Vs. Greek Gods Debacle?

The appearance of the MCU’s Zeus could explain why one of the key Eternals, Zuras, wasn’t in the Eternals movie. With Thor: Love and Thunder introducing the King of the Greek gods, Marvel probably figured it was all too confusing. So Zuras wound up deleted from the MCU’s story in favor of Zeus. Knowing Taika Waititi’s sense of humor, the Eternals vs. Greek Gods confusion will probably get dealt with in a humorous way. Maybe Marvel’s Zeus will say something about how those uncreative Celestials stole their whole fabricated backstory for their creations from the actual history of the Greek gods. That seems to be the easiest way to deal with it all. And it’s very in keeping with the MCU brand. So will Marvel handwave it all away with a joke? Or will it do some cosmic gymnastics like the comics to make it all make sense? It remains to be seen which way they go. Either way, we feel excited to meet Zeus and the rest of Marvel’s Greek gods. And maybe one day, the Eternals and gods can share an MCU appearance.

Originally published on April 18, 2022.

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One of the coolest parts in episode two of Moon Knight is when Steve Grant summons his superhero suit for the first time. And it’s quite literally a white three-piece suit. And a very dapper one at that. Marvel Comics fans of course recognize this outfit Oscar Isaac wears as part of Moon Knight’s “Mr. Knight” identity. But in the comics, Mr. Knight isn’t attached to any pre-existing personality of Marc Spector’s but is its own separate identity. One created very much out of necessity, as “classic” Moon Knight was a vigilante that couldn’t exactly blend in with police on an investigation.

The Comics Origins of “Mr. Knight”

The Mr. Knight costume and persona was a brainchild of creators Warren Ellis and Declan Shalvey, and it’s less than a decade old. The suit first appeared in 2014’s Moon Knight Vol.7 #1, and was an iteration of the character that worked with the police to investigate crimes. The hooded and caped Moon Knight really was all about beating criminals to a pulp. Mr. Knight persona presented themselves as a “concerned citizen” who represents Moon Knight but passes himself off as another person. We’re guessing the Marvel universe cops just didn’t ask too many questions.

In the most recent comics, the Mr. Knight persona ran a place in New York called the Midnight Mission, which was designed so that anyone can come in and ask for help if they needed it. It’s a little reminiscent of Angel Investigations, a name Buffy fans will recognize. In the comics, Mr. Knight is clearly a separate identity from the other personas (one of five). Unlike the standard-issue Moon Knight, Mr. Knight was far more compassionate. A lot more about helping, less about hitting. Not to say he didn’t fight, because he certainly did. In fact, he seemed to prefer two batons as weapons. So he’s hardly opposed to a little fisticuffs.

How the MCU Mr. Knight is Totally Different

The Mr. Knight we met in Moon Knight’s second episode was very different from his comics counterpart. Although, from a visual standpoint, the “Mr. Knight” suit is one of the most comics-accurate costumes we’ve seen from the MCU yet. In the show, however, the costume itself is mystical in nature, an aspect of Khonshu’s magic. It wrapped around Steven Grant when mentally summoned it and responded to what he perceived the suit to look like. Most importantly, the suit doesn’t show Mr. Knight as a separate persona from Grant, as he was in the comics. Of course, that may change as the show rolls on. Or in potential future seasons. But as of right now, Mr. Knight is just an extension of Steven Grant’s mind, the same way Iron Man is Tony Stark.

The Moon Knight Comics Costumes Are a Lot More Kevlar, a Little Less Magic Suits

The mystical suits seem to be the MCU’s biggest departure from the comics in terms of Moon Knight‘s visual iconography. In the comics, they were merely something that Mark Spector (or one of the other personalities) put on the old-fashioned way. But perhaps for the sake of efficiency, the series writers and producers went a more cinematic and efficient route. In the comics, Moon Knight’s costume was one made of Kevlar (later adamantium) armor. It had a built-in two-way radio system so that Spector could summon his assistant Jean-Paul Duchamp, who has yet to appear in the series. There was nothing magical about Moon Knight’s costume (or Mr. Knight’s suit), although some of his weapons were of presumably ancient Egyptian (and magical) origin.

With four episodes left of Moon Knight, it feels possible we could see Mr. Knight develop into his own personality. Not to mention, other Moon Knight personas like Jake Lockley may yet appear. But as for right now, it looks like the comics-accurate costuming is mostly accurate aesthetically, but not in terms of story. Still, the MCU is an ever-evolving thing, so who knows? Mr. Knight might have his own unique Oscar Isaac accent before it’s all said and done.

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Moon Knight’s Marvel Comic Origins and Early Appearances

As mentioned, Moon Knight was first created in 1975 for Marvel Comics’ Werewolf by Night, where he appeared in two issues. Sales must have been pretty good on those early appearances because Marvel brought Moon Knight back for a solo try-out in Marvel Spotlight, followed by guest appearances in Spectacular Spider-Man, Marvel Two-In-One, and Defenders. He then got a backup feature in the Hulk’s large-format magazine. Finally, Moon Knight was ready for his true point of origin. He received his first solo ongoing Moon Knight series in 1980, and he’s had on and off solo comics ever since, remaining a fixture of the Marvel Universe.

Who Is Moon Knight? Marc Spector’s Soldier-For-Hire Beginnings

Although often described as “Marvel’s Batman,” Moon Knight differs from the Dark Knight as much as he is like him. Moon Knight’s real name and identity are that of Marc Spector. A Chicago native, Spector trained most of his life to be a heavyweight boxer. But eventually, he becomes a marine, and ultimately, a soldier-for-hire. In his mercenary career, he befriends a French pilot named Jean-Paul Duchamp, who he gives the cringe nickname of “Frenchie.” (Once Marc became Moon Knight, Frenchie became his equivalent of Batman’s Alfred).

Spector takes a job in Africa working for mercenary Raoul Bushman, Moon Knight’s soon-to-be nemesis, as a hired gun. While in Egypt, the two come across Dr. Peter Alruane and his daughter Marlene, who just discovered an ancient temple in an archeological dig in the desert. When Bushman hears the temple has a treasure trove of gold, he kills Dr. Alruane. Disgusted by Bushman’s murder of an innocent, Spector fights him. But Bushman defeats him and leaves him to die in the cold desert night. And it’s here that things got a little spooky.

Marc Spector’s Desert Resurrection

As he lay dying in the Egyptian sands, the acolytes of the ancient Egyptian moon deity Khonshu took Marc Spector in. They spirited him away to Khonshu’s temple, where Spector’s heart stops. While dead, he meets with the spirit of Khonshu, who grants him his life again, as long as Spector becomes his champion on Earth. He agrees to the terms and returns to life. Spector then covers himself with the white shroud from the temple, his first-ever white costume, and becomes the Moon Knight. Eventually, he takes his vengeance on Bushman and embarks on a heroic career.

Using the small fortune he had amassed as a mercenary, Spector sets up shop in New York City. This becomes his home base as the Moon Knight. At this point, Moon Knight creates two new personas to infiltrate the different worlds inhabiting the city. All in order to more efficiently fight crime. Moon Knight’s first personality is millionaire playboy Steven Grant. He uses this wealthy identity to infiltrate the elite criminals of New York. He also creates the personality of Jake Lockley, a cab driver whose ear is a bit closer to the ground. Both of these identities would serve Marc Spector well.

The Many Personalities of Marc Spector: Moon Knight’s Condition

Over the years, Marvel revealed that those other Moon Knight personalities weren’t really fake personas that Marc Spector was just pretending to be. Instead, they were all separate identities that resulted from his dissociative disorder, a condition Spector had since childhood. Supposedly, each of Marc Spector’s four personalities ties into an aspect of Khonshu and its multi-faceted nature.

Moon Knight’s Four Main Personalities

These four main aspects of Moon Knight’s personalities are “the traveler,” “the pathfinder,” “the embracer,” and “the defender of those who travel at night.” However, over the years, Spector has developed other personalities as well. This calls into question whether or not his personalities have anything at all to do with a supernatural entity and becoming Moon Knight… Or if it’s something totally separate. Perhaps Moon Knight’s turn in the MCU will more clearly establish the origins of his four+ personalities and how they tie (or don’t tie) to the Egyptian god.

Does Moon Knight Have Powers or Not?

Much like other vigilante-type heroes, Moon Knight has no permanent superpowers to speak, save two (we’ll get to them, they’re biggies). As a former marine, boxer, and mercenary, Spector does have some natural abilities, however. Marc Spector is an expert fighter in multiple disciplines. He is also a weapons expert and a skilled pilot. But Moon Knight’s greatest power is that he seemingly cannot die. The God Khonshu has resurrected him at least three times, so he can continue to serve as his champion. So, although it’s not a specific power Moon Knight can wield at will, we’d count “immortality” as one of his powers. It seems like Moon Knight really cannot die… As long as his patron god wills it, anyway.

Moon Knight also got some abilities that are pretty close to powers from his original resurrection. His return from death altered his brain so that he can reject mental manipulation. This also makes him prone to prophetic visions and dreams. And although Moon Knight can’t fly, his crescent moon cape allows him to glide safely when jumping from great heights. Occasionally though, Moon Knight has received the odd power upgrade. Sometimes he has enhanced strength during nights in which there is a full moon and the power to sap someone’s life energy through physical contact. He even briefly held the Phoenix Force, making him practically a god. But that was very temporary. Essentially, Moon Knight’s most significant powers remain his fighting skills. We’ll have to wait and see if the MCU’s Moon Knight gets to keep any of his comic counterpart’s best abilities on a more permanent basis.

Is Moon Knight a Hero, Villian, or Something Else?

Although many comparisons are made to DC’s Batman, Moon Knight is far closer to his own universe’s Punisher. While Batman swears by a no-kill code, Moon Knight has no problem killing his enemies. Given his previous life as a mercenary, he knows just how to deal out lethal force to his does. This is probably why Marvel kept him out of children’s cartoons for so long. So, just how brutal is Moon Knight? He once impaled his arch-enemy Bushman on a machine gun and even carved his face off. Ouch. Less horrifying but still bad, he also leaves a crescent moon branding on the foreheads of his enemies. So yeah, the Fist of Khonshu is pretty hardcore. So whether he’s a hero or villain might be answered like this: he’s an antihero, someone who does horrible things for righteous reasons.

We’ll be curious to see if the MCU maintains Moon Knight’s viciousness. Moon Knight will release on Disney+, after all. And Disney+ just recently announced the addition of parental controls to their platform. Presumably, these new parental controls are to help the Netflix Marvel shows transition to the MCU, but they could also pave the way for shows like Moon Knight to become a little more violent.

Team Player: Marc Spector’s Dealings With the Avengers

Brutal nature or not, Moon Knight earned his spot on the Avengers at several points in his career. He started his Avengers career with the team’s California branch, the West Coast Avengers. Since then, he served brief stints with the main Avengers team and the Secret Avengers, as well as helping on the supernaturally tinged adventures of the Defenders and the Midnight Sons. Ultimately a loner, however, his stints on various teams never last very long, so maybe don’t count on him fully joining the Phase 4 MCU Avengers just yet… Although anything could happen.

Speaking of the Avengers, Moon Knight is one of the few members of the team besides Captain America, who has proven worthy of lifting Thor’s hammer, Mjölnir. Well, “worthy” might be the wrong term. As it turns out, the substance Thor’s hammer was made out of, the metal called Uru, was made of moon rock. Thus, even a killer like Moon Knight can lift the hammer and toss it around. Much to Thor’s dismay and embarrassment, of course. We don’t know if Thor and Moon Knight will ever get to meet in the MCU, but we feel pretty sure Chris Hemsworth’s version wouldn’t much love Oscar Isaac’s Moon Knight trying his weapon on for size.

Lunar Ladies 

Moon Knight’s main squeeze since his first ongoing series in 1980 was Marlene Alruane, the daughter of the archeologist whose death started Marc Spector down the road to becoming the Fist of Khonshu. Marlene became Moon Knights’ ally in those early years and, eventually, his love interest. But her confusion over Moon Knight’s different personalities proved too much for her, and she and Spector parted ways. Other known Moon Knight love interests have included his fellow Avenger Tigra and the adventurer Echo. But Moon Knight’s erratic behavior has made it difficult for anyone to stay with him for too long.

Perhaps May Calamawy will play Marlene Alruane. The Star Wars and Inside Llewyn Davis star has been cast in the MCU’s Moon Knight, but her role remains unknown.

Pre-MCU Moon Knight Media Appearances

Moon Knight’s appearances in other media were scarce until the 21st century. He first showed up in the Ultimate Spider-Man vs. Sinister Six animated show in 2016. The following year, he appeared on the new Spider-Man series on Disney XD, and he also appeared briefly on the Avengers Assemble animated show. For various reasons, perhaps being thought of as too “grown-up” a character for children’s animation, Moon Knight never appeared on any Marvel cartoons of the ’80s and ’90s. For years, the idea of a Moon Knight movie floated about, but nothing ever came of it. But Moon Knight has popped up in several video games over the years.

How Does Moon Knight Fit Into The MCU’s Phase 4?

And we now come to Oscar Isaac’s portrayal of Moon Knight in the upcoming Disney+ series. So far, from a costume standpoint, things look very comics-accurate. However, Isaac’s British accent sounds like a 19th-century chimney sweep, suggesting it could be one of his personalities. But who? Will Moon Knight keep his comics origins in the MCU and the same personas behind the mask? It remains to be seen. But Isaac’s appearance as “Mr. Knight” in the white suit and tie suggest inspiration from the 2014 Moon Knight series.

As Phase 4 of the MCU continues to evolve, we imagine we’ll see Disney+ heroes merging with big-screen protagonists. As mentioned above, the MCU seems to be making moves to incorporate the Netflix Marvel characters into its canon. This leaves space for more historically mature characters like Moon Knight. And since Moon Knight does have a history with different comic teams, he could be the perfect addition, should the MCU choose to introduce or rebuild any of them.

We’ll wait with bated breath until March for more answers and to see Marc Spector get a new origin story as Moon Knight.

Moon Knight debuts on Disney+ on March 30.

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Ever since Spider-Man: Far from Home ended on that doozy of a cliffhanger, MCU fans have been waiting in eager anticipation for the third chapter in the adventures of Tom Holland’s Spidey. For a while last year, it looked like another Marvel Studios produced Spider-Man wasn’t even going to happen, due to tensions between Sony and Disney. But luckily, everything worked out in the end.

Here’s everything we know so far, both confirmed and rumored, about the upcoming third Spider-Man MCU film.

What is the title of Marvel Studios’ third Spider-Man film?

After much teasing from the cast, who were throwing out different titles as a gag, Sony has revealed the real title for the third MCU Spidey movie. And yes, the word “home” is in the title. Hitting theaters Christmas, 2021 is Spider-Man: No Way Home. We have a cool logo for the title already and everything.  The whole reveal was done via a cute video posted by Sony featuring the young cast.

Who is behind the camera?

After helming Spider-Man: Homecoming and Far From Home, Jon Watts is back in the director’s chair for this third chapter of Peter Parker’s adventures. Also coming back are Far from Home writers Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers. Kevin Feige is producing on the Marvel Studios side of things, with Amy Pascal representing Sony.

Filming began for the third Spider-Man film in New York City in October 2020, before moving on to Atlanta, Georgia. Shooting continued until March of 2021.

The Heroes

Once again, Tom Holland headlines as our resident-friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. Also coming back from previous installments are Zendaya as Peter’s girlfriend MJ; Jacob Batalan as Peter’s BFF Ned Leeds; Tony Revolori as Spidey super-fan/Peter Parker nemesis Flash Thompson; and Marisa Tomei as Aunt May. Also set to be returning is J.K. Simmons as J. Jonah Jameson.

Peter Parker will likely stop by the Sanctum Sanctorum this time. Joining the cast in the “mentor role” previously occupied by Tony Stark and Nick Fury is Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Strange.

The Villains

Here’s where things get interesting. Officially joining the cast are Jamie Foxx, reprising his role as Electro from The Amazing Spider-Man 2, and Alfred Molina, reprising his role as Doctor Octopus from Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 2. Additionally, recent trailers reveal that Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin is returning alongside Thomas Haden Church’s Sandman. The Lizard will also join in the fray, but his actor has not yet been confirmed.

Yes, all of those roles are from previous and separate continuities revealing multiversal madness.

A new image from Spider-Man: No Way Home reveals just how caught in Doc Ock’s clutches our newest Peter Parker is… literally.

As for Vulture and Mysterio, no announcements have been made. But it would not be surprising to see both Michael Keaton return as The Vulture, and Jake Gyllenhaal reprising his Mysterio role. Because it really looks like the MCU is gearing up to create a cinematic equivalent Sinister Six and those two would fit right in.

The Rumor Mill

This is where things get truly wild. Reports are running rampant that Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield are both returning as the Spider-Men from their respective films/continuities. Alongside them are said to be Kirsten Dunst as Mary Jane Watson (from the Maguire/Raimi movies) and Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy (from the Garfield/Marc Webb films). This film may wind up a celebration of the entire 20-year Spider-Man film legacy. Holland has denied these rumors, but we all know how Marvel Studios keeps their cards very close to the chest.

Just as out-of-left-field are the rumors that Charlie Cox may be reprising his role as Matt Murdock, a.k.a. Daredevil from the eponymous Netflix series. Given that Daredevil and Spidey have a long history as allies in the comics, this would make perfect sense. Also, Matt Murdock is a lawyer, and given the way Far from Home ended, Peter might really need one of those right about now.

What is Spider-Man: No Way Home about?

The previous film’s ending had Peter Parker’s identity exposed by Mysterio, who framed him for murder. As the first trailer shows, Parker goes to Doctor Strange to ask for a spell to make everyone forget he’s Spider-Man. That spell goes very awry and here comes the Multiverse.

Entertainment Weekly also recently released some first-look images and new tidbits from Tom Holland.

Holland shared the film feels a bit like a finale:

We were all treating [No Way Home] as the end of a franchise, let’s say. I think if we were lucky enough to dive into these characters again, you’d be seeing a very different version. It would no longer be the Homecoming trilogy. We would give it some time and try to build something different and tonally change the films. Whether that happens or not, I don’t know. But we were definitely treating [No Way Home] like it was coming to an end, and it felt like it.

Holland also offered this insight, “When you’re dealing with magic spells and dimensions, it really gets complicated.”

The second trailer for the film really showed off just how complex everything was becoming.

Sounds like No Way Home is going to be one intense movie.

When does Spider-Man: No Way Home come out?

Spider-Man: Far From Home will release in theaters in the US and the UK on December 17, 2021.

Originally published on December 10, 2020.

The post Everything We Know About SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME appeared first on Nerdist.

When the now-famous Guardians of the Galaxy crew came into our collective consciousness around 2014, they were not the major heroes they are today. There was already a solid fandom for comic heroes like Iron Man and Captain America. But not so much for this particular Guardian lineup of Gamora, Groot, Star Lord, Drax, and our favorite foul racoon Rocket. They were newer comic characters that the average casual viewer (or comic reader) didn’t know. Marvel was gaining a foothold in the movie industry during this time. And having a whole film around these characters was still a financial and reputation risk. In fact, the comic giant nearly took another approach to get fans on board with their stories. According to ScreenRant, Marvel wanted Guardians of the Galaxy one-shot prequels to introduce the characters.

Marvel Studios

The leader of the MCU machine Kevin Feige revealed this news in The Story of Marvel Studios, a book documenting Marvel’s rise in the film and TV sphere. Feige says:

We toyed with the idea of doing short films on Drax, on Rocket and Groot, and on Gamora, leading up to Guardians. This One-Shot series would have led into the Guardians movie proper—which would have also been directly preceded by a fourth self-contained short film about a mysterious kid who loved fantasy things. Then you’d start Guardians. And half-way through, we would reveal that big space hero is the kid from the short. We thought that would be clever, but it was too much.

Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn confirmed this news via Twitter. Gunn revealed that the Guardians of the Galaxy one-shot prequels were more than just an idea. They actually shot footage for a Rocket & Groot story. We saw a snippet of that ultimately with Rocket shooting Groot in the back but we need the full thing.

Do not delete that footage. Give it to us now. Sure, it’s too late for clever reveals and such but Marvel fans wanna see it all anyway.

The post We Nearly Met the GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY Characters in One-Shot Prequels appeared first on Nerdist.

Since its inception, TikTok has largely been known for its comedy and its dancing (and its comedic dancing). But lately, fashion has found a home on the platform too. And at the forefront of TikTok fashion is model and stylist Wisdom Kaye. This creator started TikTok modeling a few years ago, and never looked back. Vogue even called him “the best-dressed guy on TikTok,” and declared him a “must follow” last year.

But as it turns out, Wisdom is also a huge Marvel nerd. And recently, he’s shown off several ensembles inspired by the heroes and villains of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Time to “assemble” on the runway!

Wisdom Kaye

The Marvel Heroes

His first video took thirty-five hours to complete and focuses on several of the most iconic Avengers heroes. Doctor Strange, the Hulk, Iron Man, Black Panther, and Spider-Man informed each of these ensembles, and the inspiration is very apparent. Now, we’d love to see him tackle MCU fashion looks for Thor and Cap next! And maybe even Groot too. Why not?

The Marvel Villains

When it came time to do the MCU villains, Wisdom did not disappoint. He modeled some killer looks based on Thanos, Ultron, the Red Skull, Erik Killmonger, and Mysterio. Sans fishbowl helmet of course. Nice touch on his part to have several rings on while strutting his stuff in the Thanos look. We like attention to detail like that. If there’s ever an “MCU villains volume two,” we hope we see some Ego the Living Planet. There’s a lot there to work with.

As for why no Loki looks, Kaye said on Twitter that he tried to do one. But he couldn’t come up with something he liked, so he scrapped it. Hey, as Mommie Dearest once said, “if ya can’t do something right, don’t do it at all!” That extends to MCU fashions.

To check out more of Wisdom Kaye’s fashions, be sure to head on over to his TikTok and Instagram.

The post TikTok Model Shares His Amazing MCU Inspired Fashions appeared first on Nerdist.

Mark your calendars everyone, Disney+ Day is heading our way. On November 12, celebrate all Disney+ has to offer and everything coming to the platform in the future. The streamer promises new content, fan experiences, sneak peeks, and much more. Disney+ Day wants to say a big thank you to subscribers with content from all of Disney+’s brands including Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, and Star.

Disney+

In a press release, Disney+ offers a tease at what’s to come in November:

• The streaming premiere of Marvel Studios’ Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings
• The beloved Disney family-friendly adventure film Jungle Cruise, available to all subscribers
• The new Disney+ Original movie Home Sweet Home Alone, a reimagining of the popular holiday franchise
• An all-new original series of shorts from Walt Disney Animation Studios called “Olaf Presents,” which sees Frozen’s beloved snowman retelling several classic Disney tales as only he can
• The domestic Disney+ streaming debut of fan favorite shorts from Walt Disney Animation Studios including “Frozen Fever,” Oscar®-winning shorts “Feast” and ”Paperman,” Oscar-nominated Mickey Mouse short, “Get A Horse!” and more
• An animated short film “Ciao Alberto” from Pixar, featuring characters from this summer’s animated hit breakout film Luca
• A new short from The Simpsons that pays tribute to Disney+’s marquee brands
• The first five episodes from season 2 of The World According to Jeff Goldblum from National Geographic
• A special celebrating the origins and legacy of Star Wars’ legendary bounty hunter, Boba Fett
• A special celebrating the Marvel Cinematic Universe on Disney+ with an exciting look towards the future
• Dopesick, an original series starring Michael Keaton, which will be released in international markets as part of the Star general entertainment content offering

Really, how can anyone say no to a series named Dopesick? Especially interesting is the mention of a special celebrating Boba Fett. With The Book of Bobba Fett series slated to premiere in December, it would make sense to give viewers a look at the show. Fans of the MCU also seem to have some fun in store.

Disney+ has already shared that the event will be chock full of “breaking news, first looks, new trailers, [and] exclusive clips.” So, it sounds like this event will be definitely be entertaining both from a present and future perspective. Additionally, on this day, Disney+ “will make its debut in South Korea and Taiwan on November 12, and in Hong Kong on November 16.”

We can’t wait to glimpse everything on offer.

The post Celebrate Disney+ Day With New Trailers, Clips, and More appeared first on Nerdist.

Was there a more overplayed song in the 2010s than Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars’ “Uptown Funk?” Probably not. It’s kind of gone through the Napoleon Dynamite life cycle for us. Meaning at first, we loved it. Then it got played out big time, to the point where we basically hated it. Now, years later, we’re kinda back to liking it again? Well, here’s something that might make you love it again. And it involves Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.

YouTube channel Alchemy has created a music video edit for “Uptown Funk,” composed entirely of goofy behind-the-scenes footage of MCU films and shows. And yes, it’s current enough to include footage from Loki, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, and WandaVision. You can watch the full video right here. And please don’t hold it against us for putting this song in your head all day again. (Just when you thought it was safe.)

So who is the MVP of this video? We are going to have to say Paul Rudd. He’s just got the moves. Ant-Man clearly loves to get his groove on. And there’s a lot of Avengers and Guardians winking at the camera all the time. And we don’t mind figuratively winking. We mean literally. Robert Downey Jr. does it at least twice, and he’s not the only one. Not that we’re complaining or anything.

Marvel Studios 

The Alchemy YouTube channel has a lot of other amusing musical mashups featuring MCU footage, as well as several for the series Sherlock. So needless to say, it’s all very Benedict Cumberbatch heavy. But our favorites are all their homages to Loki and Sylvie. We just can’t get enough of those two together. Hopefully, it’s not too long before we get some dancing Shang-Chi and Black Widow goodness. Because who doesn’t want to see that?

The post Watch Your MCU Faves Get Down in ‘Uptown Funk’ Music Mashup Blooper Reel appeared first on Nerdist.

In the world of the internet, the quickest way to know if your movie or TV show is instantly iconic is just how quick there’s a LEGO parody of it. Which is good news for the late, great Natasha Romanoff. The folks at the YouTube channel Brick Force Studios, which made perfect LEGO recreations of the Boba Fett fight scene in The Mandalorian, have just turned their attention to Black Widow. And it’s as cool as it sounds.

They’ve recreated select moments from the trailer, which show Nat, her sister Yelena Belova, and some kickass beat downs between the Widows and Taskmaster. You can check out the full LEGO-ized video of Scarlett Johansson in her Black Widow solo movie debut right here.

All the major elements from the movie are there, minifigure style. Red Guardian, or favorite former Russian super-soldier (who may or may not have fought Captain America back in the day), gets his moment in the spotlight. So does Natasha getting to do her classic superhero entrance that her sister loved to make fun of her for. The Red Room crashing back down to Earth looks even cooler when it’s all LEGO bricks. All of these are scenes from the Black Widow trailer. But hopefully, we get some scenes not just from the trailer in the future.

Brick Force Studios

Black Widow is hardly the first Marvel-themed LEGO recreation on the Brick Force Studios channel. They’ve done amazing recreations in the past for both Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. There are also some pretty fantastic LEGO-style homages to Captain Marvel, Spider-Man Homecoming, Doctor Strange, and Venom. Nothing yet for the Disney+ MCU shows. But we feel WandaVision is demanding a LEGO tribute of some sort. Maybe using retro minifgures for different sitcom eras? We’ll pretty much take any LEGO/Marvel goodness that Brick Force is willing to throw at us.

The post BLACK WIDOW Trailer Gets Kickass LEGO Remake appeared first on Nerdist.

And with the series hitting in August, so too comes the cool merch. Via Marvel, we’ve learned of several LEGO sets and Funko Pop! vinyls coming under the What If…? branding.

Funko

The What If…? Funkos feature some of the MCU’s most beloved characters in all-new incarnations. There’s Captain Carter, infused with the Super Soldier serum. Peggy is an EB and GameStop exclusive. T’Challa as Star-Lord is next, with both masked and unmasked versions. Unmasked T’Cballa is an FYE exclusive. King Killmonger arrives exclusively at Target.

Funko

Hydra Stomper Steve Rogers (a proto-Iron Man) comes in a Supersized format, and Doctor Strange and Thor arrive in new costumes we’ve never seen before. Strange is exclusive to Amazon, with the Odinson thundering into Walmart. And last but not least, an alternate universe version of Gamora looks ready to take over from Papa Thanos.

LEGO

Finally, there’s a very cool What If…? LEGO set, featuring Captain Carter and the Hydra Stomper. This one includes three minifigures. There’s Captain Carter in her superhero uniform, a scrawny non-Cap Steve Rogers, who commands Howard Stark’s Hydra Stomper suit, and the Red Skull. It looks like the kid from Brooklyn is destined to punch the Red Skull in any reality. This armor is as if Iron Man’s armor and the Iron Giant had a green baby. And we are very here for it.

There’s no release date for any of these toys just yet. But with What If…? starting in August, we wouldn’t expect these to be too far behind.

This post has affiliate links, which means we may earn advertising money if you buy something. This doesn’t cost you anything extra, we just have to give you the heads up for legal reasons. Click away!

The post Peggy Carter Leads the Way in WHAT IF…? Funkos and LEGO Set appeared first on Nerdist.

After waiting for what seemed an eternity, Marvel Studios’ Black Widow is finally here. And now that you’ve presumably watched the film in theaters or on Disney+, Mondo has dropped some cool new merch for fans of Scarlett Johansson’s Natasha Romanoff. Mondo Music, together with Hollywood Records, is presenting the premiere vinyl pressing of Lorne Balfe’s score to Black Widow, available for pre-order at MondoShop.com today, July 9. You can check out images and specifications right here.

Marvel Studios’ Black Widow – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack 2XLP

Mondo

Music by Lorne Balfe / Package designed by Mo Shafeek
Featuring Liner Notes by Director Cate Shortland and composer Lorne Balfe
Pressed on 2x 180 Gram Colored Vinyl / Also available on 2x 180 Gram Black Vinyl  / Pre-Order begins 7/9   $35

Lorne Balfe’s first MCU score is a force to be reckoned with. He’s no stranger to crafting propulsive music for espionage epics, such as Mission: Impossible – Fallout. And his take on Black Widow is no exception. Balfe blends Russian choirs and soloists with delicate and haunting piano and acoustic guitar. And swirling strings blend with his trademark layered percussion.

Mondo

The soundtrack is pressed on 2x 180 Gram-colored vinyl. This butterfly, splatter effect is exclusive to the Mondo Record Shop. The album comes housed in a gatefold sleeve. So get ready to kick-start Phase Four with the latest in Mondo’s ongoing celebration of the music of the MCU.

And of course, in celebrating the big-screen solo debut of Black Widow, we must remember to celebrate Nat’s Marvel Comics roots. For those wanting some classic comic book style flair, Mondo has you covered. Mondo’s new Black Widow and Taskmaster enamel pins by artist Tom Whalen are retro and cool. And Red Guardian has an enamel pin by artist Matt Taylor. All are available to pre-order beginning Friday, July 9. 

Mondo

Black Widow Enamel Pin

Artwork by Tom Whalen / 1.43″ x 1.17″ soft enamel pin on shiny silver nickel, single post with butterfly clutch backing

Available as pre-order from July 9 until July 31 / $10

Taskmaster Enamel Pin

Mondo

Artwork by Tom Whalen / 1.4″ x 1.2″ soft enamel pin on shiny silver nickel, single post with butterfly clutch backing

Available as pre-order from July 9 until July 31 / $10

Red Guardian Enamel Pin

Mondo

Artwork by Matt Taylor / 1.18″ x 1.24″ soft enamel pin with an epoxy fill on antique gold metal, single post with red rubber clutch backing

Available as pre-order from July 9 until July 31 / $10

The post BLACK WIDOW Gets a Vinyl Soundtrack Release from Mondo appeared first on Nerdist.

The third installment of Peter Parker’s MCU adventures is less than six months away now. Spider-Man: No Way Home hits theaters on December 17, 2021. And we still know very little about the movie in any official capacity. But once again, a new LEGO set is giving us additional details on the movie before a trailer has even hit. For those avoiding all spoilers for this movie, the set features some mild ones (though it’s officially sanctioned by Marvel). So beware of spoilers. And potentially spoiler-ific rumors.

The new Spider-Man: No Way Home set “Spider-Man at the Sanctum” pretty much spells out that Spidey will spend some time at Stephen Strange’s New York home. Probably not a huge plot giveaway, seeing as it’s been widely known that Strange is in the movie. But it looks to be a significant location in the film. Although sometimes, LEGO sets are not entirely accurate this way.

LEGO

The set includes four popular minifigures: Spider-Man, MJ, Wong, and Doctor Strange wearing the Cloak of Levitation. It also features a buildable, giant green bug monster with gripping claws. The new set comes with a free LEGO Building Instructions app, which includes digital Instructions PLUS. Doctor Strange’s magical cellar measures over 3 in. (9 cm) high, 8 in. (22 cm) wide and 8 in. (22 cm) deep.

LEGO

So, what is this new LEGO set giving away? For starters, we now know that Wong (Benedict Wong) is in the film. This is welcome news. Not surprising, since where Doctor Strange goes, Wong usually isn’t far behind. And there’s a giant green bug monster of some sort. That looks kind of mechanical. Hmm… which Spidey villain has mechanical green monster contraptions? A certain Goblin springs to mind. Actually, so does Scorpion. And Vulture too. Ok, so there are a few.

LEGO

I guess the big reveal is that Spidey has a new costume once again. Looks like his Far From Home suit, now with gold highlights. Given the myriad rumors surrounding the Multiversal hijinks of No Way Home, this LEGO set is pretty light on huge secrets—as in no Tobey Maguire or Andrew Garfield minifigures. Yet. Or even Dock Ock or Electro. We bet those are coming though. The U.K. version of the official LEGO site has the new set up for pre-order. Shipping begins in October 2021.

The post SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME LEGO Set Reveal Doctor Strange’s Sanctum appeared first on Nerdist.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe uses a certain formula when it comes to its standalone superhero flicks. Typically, we see the before times: before Nick Fury recruited them, before they were world (or universe) renowned heroes, before they found power and purpose in the Avengers Initiative. But Natasha Romanoff never fit the Marvel superhero mold. Not because she wasn’t worthy, but because of her nontraditional entry into the universe. Black Widow was something of an enigma, her backstory played out in whispers.

So it makes sense that her standalone film is nontraditional, too. Not in format, necessarily, but in placement. Black Widow—which finally sees its release next week after months of COVID-19 shuffling—is the first film in Phase 4 of the MCU, but is set after Captain America: Civil War. Natasha is dead in the present timeline, but so alive here. In fact, Black Widow is one of the more palpably heartfelt stories in the saga thus far. It’s just a pity it comes post-mortem.

Marvel

The film opens in Natasha’s childhood. She’s deep undercover in Ohio with other Russian operatives pretending to be a happy all-American happy. There’s patriarch Alexei Shostakov (David Harbour), mother Melina Vostokoff (Rachel Weisz), and little Yelena Belova (Violet McGraw as the kid version, Florence Pugh when she grows up). They flee the Midwest when their cover is blown, but not before we see a slice of their idyllic family life. A time when scraped knees were as bad as it got and fireflies lit up a summer-green lawn. It’s a sharp contrast to what comes next. They’re torn from the only family they’ve ever known, split apart, and forced to train in the Red Room. There, they lose all bodily autonomy and become Black Widows—elite assassins controlled by a cruel master named Dreykov (Ray Winstone).

Cut to the post-Civil War timeline. Natasha is now an Avenger and on the run. She hides out in Norway, where she lives in a trailer, watches James Bond on her laptop, and eats food out of cans. It’s about as normal as it gets for a galactic superhero, and seeing this juxtaposition from the splashier saga films is a nice antidote. Natasha’s humanity comes through in little touches: the way she quotes the Bond film on her screen and blasts music in her car. The blue hair dye she wore as a kid. Later, after a fight, she takes ibuprofen for her wounds.

Marvel

It sounds silly, but all of these details come together and make Natasha a fully formed character for perhaps the first time in the MCU. She isn’t shot full of super serum or born into royalty or a daughter of gods. She’s a survivor who dreams about where she comes from. Whose abuse and trauma doesn’t define her, but gives her the most important thing an assassin can have: a heart.

It’s not long into her hideout that Natasha falls back into action, albeit on a less universal scale. This time, it’s personal. She encounters a grown Yelena in Budapest, who informs her that the Red Room is still in operation, although its whereabouts are unknown. Plagued by the guilt she associates with Budapest, Natasha decides to put an end to the Black Widow program for good. But to do so, she needs to round up the only family she’s ever known. She and Yelena set to tracking down their “parents.” Alexei, a serum-enhanced super-soldier once known as the Red Guardian (a.k.a. the Soviet’s version of Captain America), is now in prison. Melina, their mother figure, still works for the Red Room as a lead scientist.

Marvel

When they finally do reunite, it’s both awkward and tender. Alexei shrugs off the abuse “his girls” endured. Melina struggles against her role in the system and her inner desires. And Natasha and Yelena attempt to come to terms with what family means to them. Was their childhood in Ohio just a sham, or was it truly the only time they were happy? They’re split in their feelings, and that dichotomy plays out in their actions. It also leads to an adorable sisterly camaraderie; Yelena especially loves taking the piss out of her famous sibling.

From there, the action ramps up, and occasionally bloats into incoherence. This is still a Marvel superhero film, after all; there’s bound to be explosions and endless grey action. The film also has the same dull color grading as the other MCU entries, which keeps things more muted than they need to be. But there’s enough heart and goodwill to shine through the dull. As we learn more about the Red Room and those associated with it, we learn more about Natasha and what drives her.

Marvel

It helps that the performances are all top-notch. Johansson seems more relaxed in the character here, which makes sense after a decade in her shoes. This Natasha is still steadfast and precise, but there’s more vulnerability than we’ve seen before. Harbour has a lot of fun with Alexei and Weisz is as allusive as the character beats require. She feels the most under-utilized but I suppose that’s mostly by design. The real star of the show, however, is Florence Pugh. This comes as no surprise for Pugh fans, who watched her steal scenes from Meryl Streep in Little Women and scream her way to meme queendom in Midsommar. Here, she’s loose and funny, but also the film’s emotional center. The MCU should feel very lucky that they have her talent in their clutches.

Black Widow may not feel all that consequential in the grand scheme of things. Natasha is dead, after all. But director Cate Shortland and storytellers Jac Schaeffer, Ned Benson, and Eric Pearson did a lot to make this one special. Its “girl power” spirit never feels manufactured and its message for survivors is a powerful through-line. Black Widow proves that the MCU can scale down when it needs to, which is a card trick more valuable than one might think. Natasha may be dead, but Black Widow shows how powerfully her legacy lives on.

4/5

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