All things Marvel & DC

[wwkirk]

I watched the first episode of Loki. It's pretty good. The plot features a version of Loki recruited or coerced into working for an almost all powerful time regulatory bureau. They are only almost all powerful because someone, namely,

Spoiler: The killer's identity

an additional version of Loki himself

is going around killing teams of the bureau's operatives.

Cool visuals and special effects. A touch of humor, but not a comedy. The episodes drop every Wednesday. There will be six episodes total for this season, with a possibility of a second season.

 

[nivek]

Here's a breakdown of Loki episode 1, there's spoilers in this video just so you know...

 

[nivek]

LOKI Is Already Teasing a Kang the Conqueror Appearance

Ever since Jonathan Majors was cast as Kang the Conqueror in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, we’ve been chomping at the bit to see him on screen. Thanks to Loki and the addition of Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Judge Renslayer, that seemed to be getting ever closer. Now that we’ve watched the first episode, it seems ever more likely Kang may show up.

Why do we say that? Well, it involves that mysterious glowing red artifact that we see the TVA discover while on the hunt for the Variant Loki in the final moments of the episode.

THE YEAR 3000????

Throughout the 54-minute surreal sci-fi romp, we visit several different periods in time. The last one is Salina, Oklahoma. The TVA agents find what they call an anachronism. In case you’re unaware, an anachronism is something from a different time that doesn’t belong.

And that’s when our Kang senses started tingling. Although there are many famous Marvel time travelers, Kang is the only one we know who is showing up for sure in the MCU. So when the time-jumping TVA agents said that the anachronistic weapon they found was from the early third millennium, we couldn’t help but think of Kang the Conqueror.

In the comics, Kang hails from the 31st century, which places him at the same timeline as where the weapon hails from. While the strange cosmic shovel didn’t immediately ring any bells, it does sort of fit with Kang. Nathaniel Richards, the man who would become Kang, has had many iterations.

(More on the link)

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[nivek]

DC Reportedly Vetoed a 'Harley Quinn' Scene of Batman Going Down on Catwoman

Harley Quinn, DC's adult-themed animated show, sees its main characters get away with certain stuff on screen simply because they're villains—and sometimes, the different allowances given to the series' baddies compared to its good guys lead to the studio vetoing particular plot points.

Touching on the upcoming third season, co-showrunner Justin Halpern talked about how liberating it is to know that when it comes to the titular mischief maker and her chums King Shark, Clayface and Poison Ivy, nothing is off the table.



Unfortunately, though, the same can't be said for the Dark Knight whenever he pops up in an episode.

"It's incredibly gratifying and free to be using characters that are considered villains because you just have so much more leeway," Halpern explained to Variety recently.

"A perfect example of that is in this third season of Harley, we had a moment where Batman was going down on Catwoman, and DC was like, 'You can't do that. You absolutely cannot do that.'

"They're like, 'Heroes don't do that.' So, we said, 'Are you saying heroes are just selfish lovers?' They were like, 'No, it's that we sell consumer toys for heroes. It's hard to sell a toy if Batman is also going down on someone.'"

As the episode hasn't aired yet, it's impossible to know just what made the final cut and what didn't. Perhaps the scene will still be included, only without a visual. Only time – and respective merch sales—will tell.

Harley Quinn airs on E4 in the UK. US viewers can watch seasons 1 and 2 on the DC Universe app.

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[nivek]

There's a new Immortal Hulk comic with issue one released recently, looks interesting...

 

[nivek]

This one is writing for Loki now, Marvel needs to wake up before extremist goons like her destroy their brand...

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Ms. Marvel Showrunner Bisha K. Ali deletes over 5000 controversial tweets and privates her social media accounts

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[nivek]

Yep, Marvel is heading down the same sinkhole Star Wars, Star Trek, and Doctor Who fell into, it was good while it lasted...This pedophile James Gunn should not be allowed to make another Marvel film nor speak for Marvel....

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Marvel director says any shows before ‘WandaVision’ aren’t MCU canon

Ever since Marvel Studios took over the production of its TV shows, fans have had questions about canon. Is Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Do Daredevil and Luke Cage exist in the MCU? Can we expect to see any former actors in future MCU projects? At long last, we might have answers to some of those questions.

This Thursday, Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn tweeted out a list of actors that appeared in both the MCU and DCEU. He asked for more examples and one of his followers responded with the name John Glover. Glover appeared in both Shazam and Agent Carter, but Gunn said he was not going to include “pre-WandaVision” shows. Another follower said that Agent Carter and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. are part of the MCU. “According to whom?” Gunn responded.

After a short back-and-forth with his follower, Gunn explained that “there was never any coordination between the earlier TV stuff & the cinematic side of Marvel like there is now that they’re all under the purview of Marvel Studios.” In other words, Gunn doesn’t believe the old shows are canon.

For many fans, this probably will not matter in the slightest. Nothing that happened in Agent Carter or Jessica Jones had a significant impact on the larger cinematic universe. Plus, all of the shows that aired before Disney+ launched have either concluded or have been canceled.

This likely won’t settle any debates among hardcore fans, but Gunn is currently working on his third Marvel movie. It seems likely that he knows what he’s talking about.

Of course, this also raises questions about the likelihood of characters from the Netflix shows or the network shows eventually appearing in the MCU. If Netflix’s The Defenders and the ABC shows are not canon, then Marvel is not burdened with the lore those shows established. They could bring back any of the actors and start with a clean slate. In fact, that’s rumored to be precisely what the studio plans to do with Daredevil actor Charlie Cox in Spider-Man: No Way Home.

James Gunn is currently promoting his DCEU movie The Suicide Squad, which comes out on August 6th. He will begin production on the MCU movie Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 later this year.

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[wwkirk]

Yep, Marvel is heading down the same sinkhole Star Wars, Star Trek, and Doctor Who fell into, it was good while it lasted...This pedophile James Gunn should not be allowed to make another Marvel film nor speak for Marvel....

...

Marvel director says any shows before ‘WandaVision’ aren’t MCU canon

Ever since Marvel Studios took over the production of its TV shows, fans have had questions about canon. Is Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Do Daredevil and Luke Cage exist in the MCU? Can we expect to see any former actors in future MCU projects? At long last, we might have answers to some of those questions.

This Thursday, Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn tweeted out a list of actors that appeared in both the MCU and DCEU. He asked for more examples and one of his followers responded with the name John Glover. Glover appeared in both Shazam and Agent Carter, but Gunn said he was not going to include “pre-WandaVision” shows. Another follower said that Agent Carter and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. are part of the MCU. “According to whom?” Gunn responded.

After a short back-and-forth with his follower, Gunn explained that “there was never any coordination between the earlier TV stuff & the cinematic side of Marvel like there is now that they’re all under the purview of Marvel Studios.” In other words, Gunn doesn’t believe the old shows are canon.

For many fans, this probably will not matter in the slightest. Nothing that happened in Agent Carter or Jessica Jones had a significant impact on the larger cinematic universe. Plus, all of the shows that aired before Disney+ launched have either concluded or have been canceled.

This likely won’t settle any debates among hardcore fans, but Gunn is currently working on his third Marvel movie. It seems likely that he knows what he’s talking about.

Of course, this also raises questions about the likelihood of characters from the Netflix shows or the network shows eventually appearing in the MCU. If Netflix’s The Defenders and the ABC shows are not canon, then Marvel is not burdened with the lore those shows established. They could bring back any of the actors and start with a clean slate. In fact, that’s rumored to be precisely what the studio plans to do with Daredevil actor Charlie Cox in Spider-Man: No Way Home.

James Gunn is currently promoting his DCEU movie The Suicide Squad, which comes out on August 6th. He will begin production on the MCU movie Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 later this year.

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It's bizarre that an uber-successful franchise would be willing, even seemingly eager, to throw all that away.

 

[nivek]

Hugh Jackman's Cheeky IG Posts Hint at Future MCU Appearance

The seismic internet speculation over the future of Hugh Jackman as Wolverine has reached a magnitude 10 on the Nerd Richter Scale. Jackman, who seemed to have punctuated his 17-year X-Men run as Wolverine with the 2017 film Logan (perhaps the best superhero film of the modern MCU-dominated era), posted images of the hero’s claws on his Instagram story, followed by a photo of himself with the President of Marvel Studios, Kevin Feige.

Thus far, Wolverine has technically not appeared in the MCU. Disney only acquired the rights to the X-Men characters in 2019, after a $71.3 billion deal (or: the GDP of Iceland, Cambodia, and Nepal combined) with 20th Century Fox, the X-Men’s previous owners.

Of course, X-Men’s actual incorporation into the actual MCU has so far not yet occurred. During the run of Disney+’s WandaVision, viewers thought the fandoms might have finally merged when the X-Men character, Quicksilver—played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson in the Marvel Studios version—appeared instead as his 20th Century Fox version—played by Evan Peters. The switcheroo, however, turned out to be more of an easter egg than a fandom merger; it was basically just a troll.



Many have pointed out the chronological difficulties of fitting the X-Men into the MCU, not to mention the continuity questions about how they exist alongside events already depicted in those Marvel franchises. These challenges lead us to believe the X-Men may somehow play a role in Marvel’s inevitable upcoming multiverse variation, already teased in Loki.

However the X-Men arrive, Marvel will face a further challenge of casting its characters. In an interview earlier this year, director Joe Russo spoke to this concern, particularly as it relates to the X-Men’s most recognizable face, Wolverine:

To realize him on screen, it’s very hard because Hugh Jackman’s performance is definitive. It’s like Batman; you have to really think of a way to, you have to really find the right actor to come in and give a really different take to that character. But I would really love to see him on screen.

Which actor could come in and deliver that different take has been the topic of much glasses-pushing speculation. Jackman’s Instagram tease may be something of a temporary answer to the problem: he’s not going anywhere. Or, as with Peters, it may just be another troll.

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[wwkirk]

Hugh Jackman's Cheeky IG Posts Hint at Future MCU Appearance

The seismic internet speculation over the future of Hugh Jackman as Wolverine has reached a magnitude 10 on the Nerd Richter Scale. Jackman, who seemed to have punctuated his 17-year X-Men run as Wolverine with the 2017 film Logan (perhaps the best superhero film of the modern MCU-dominated era), posted images of the hero’s claws on his Instagram story, followed by a photo of himself with the President of Marvel Studios, Kevin Feige.

Thus far, Wolverine has technically not appeared in the MCU. Disney only acquired the rights to the X-Men characters in 2019, after a $71.3 billion deal (or: the GDP of Iceland, Cambodia, and Nepal combined) with 20th Century Fox, the X-Men’s previous owners.

Of course, X-Men’s actual incorporation into the actual MCU has so far not yet occurred. During the run of Disney+’s WandaVision, viewers thought the fandoms might have finally merged when the X-Men character, Quicksilver—played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson in the Marvel Studios version—appeared instead as his 20th Century Fox version—played by Evan Peters. The switcheroo, however, turned out to be more of an easter egg than a fandom merger; it was basically just a troll.



Many have pointed out the chronological difficulties of fitting the X-Men into the MCU, not to mention the continuity questions about how they exist alongside events already depicted in those Marvel franchises. These challenges lead us to believe the X-Men may somehow play a role in Marvel’s inevitable upcoming multiverse variation, already teased in Loki.

However the X-Men arrive, Marvel will face a further challenge of casting its characters. In an interview earlier this year, director Joe Russo spoke to this concern, particularly as it relates to the X-Men’s most recognizable face, Wolverine:

To realize him on screen, it’s very hard because Hugh Jackman’s performance is definitive. It’s like Batman; you have to really think of a way to, you have to really find the right actor to come in and give a really different take to that character. But I would really love to see him on screen.

Which actor could come in and deliver that different take has been the topic of much glasses-pushing speculation. Jackman’s Instagram tease may be something of a temporary answer to the problem: he’s not going anywhere. Or, as with Peters, it may just be another troll.

.

The integration of X-Men into the MCU was long anticipated. But if MCU canon will have been undermined along the way, it may not be worth much.

Also, is it true that Captain America no longer believes in the The American Dream?

 

[nivek]

Also, is it true that Captain America no longer believes in the The American Dream?

Sigh...

New Comic Mini-Series Reveals ‘Newly Woke’ Captain America Who Questions The American Dream

...

 

[nivek]

Sorry for this rain but I think this opinion is close to correct...

 

[nivek]

There's three more movies coming this year from the M-she-U lol and I think the Spiderman movie, which is the last one to drop, will be an outstanding movie, I don't want to spoil it for you buuuuuuut I did hear

Spoiler

I heard that Doctor Octopus, and Green Goblin will be in this movie from the Toby McGuire Spiderman movie series along with Toby McGuire and Electro from the Andrew Garfield movie along with Andrew Garfield in some multiverse style movie...Should be interesting and entertaining!...I loved Alfred Molina's rendition of Doctor Octopus, he nailed it!...

Here's the three movies coming out this year in order after this recent Black Widow release:

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
Release Date: September 3, 2021

Eternals
Release Date: November 5, 2021

Spider-Man: No Way Home
Release Date: December 17, 2021

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[nivek]

...

 

[nivek]

Lue Elizondo did good to put some space between him and Tom Delonge...I still don't completely understand why LE got involved with TD in the first place...Oil and water IMO...

...

 

[nivek]

Here's how every Avenger in the Marvel Cinematic Universe compares to their comic-book counterparts

The Avengers in their first MCU film. Disney

• 
  The Marvel Cinematic Universe has been going strong since "Iron Man" in 2008.
  
• But Marvel heroes have been around since as early as 1941, with Captain America.
  
• We compared every Avenger (or honorary Avenger) in the MCU to their comic-book counterpart.

Tony Stark, aka Iron Man, was played by Robert Downey Jr. for just over a decade, from 2008 to 2019.

Iron Man. Marvel Unlimited/Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

First comics appearance: "Tales of Suspense No. 39" in March 1963

Main MCU appearances: "Iron Man," "Iron Man 2," "The Avengers," "Iron Man 3," "Avengers: Age of Ultron," "Captain America: Civil War," "Spider-Man: Homecoming," "Avengers: Infinity War," and "Avengers: Endgame." Iron Man and Tony Stark will also be in "What If...?" on Disney+, but they will not be voiced by Downey.

Post-credit cameo: "The Incredible Hulk"

Gwyneth Paltrow played Pepper Potts, Tony's longtime assistant and eventual wife - and a superhero in her own right, Rescue.

Pepper Potts. Marvel Unlimited/Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

First comics appearance: "Tales of Suspense No. 45" in September 1963

Main MCU appearances: "Iron Man," "Iron Man 2," "The Avengers," "Iron Man 3," "Spider-Man: Homecoming," "Avengers: Infinity War," and "Avengers: Endgame"

Here's what Rescue looks like in the comics and in "Avengers: Endgame."

Rescue. Marvel Unlimited/Disney

Pepper's still around in the MCU, with a name-drop in "Spider-Man: Far from Home," so she could make another appearance as either herself or Rescue in the future, if Paltrow wants.

Rescue made her comics debut in "The Invincible Iron Man No. 10" in May 2009.

Tony's other best friend, James "Rhodey" Rhodes (or War Machine or Iron Patriot), was played by Terrence Howard for the first "Iron Man" and then recast with Don Cheadle. Cheadle was nominated for an Emmy for his performance in "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier."

Rhodey. Marvel Unlimited/Paramount/Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

First comics appearance: "Iron Man No. 118" in January 1979

Main MCU appearances: "Iron Man" (as Howard), "Iron Man 2," "Iron Man 3," "Avengers: Age of Ultron," "Captain America: Civil War," "Avengers: Infinity War," "Avengers: Endgame," "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" and his own upcoming Disney+ series "Armor Wars" (as played by Cheadle)

Post-credit cameo: "Captain Marvel"

Here's what War Machine looks like on the page and on-screen.

War Machine. Marvel Unlimited/Paramount

Howard never got to play War Machine. During the first "Iron Man," he longingly looks at a suit and says, "Next time," which was more a nod to his comics canon at the time than a promise of a sequel. By the time "Iron Man 2" rolled around, he had been recast.

War Machine first appeared in "Iron Man No. 281" in June 1992.

Bruce Banner was originally played by Edward Norton but was recast with Mark Ruffalo for all subsequent appearances.

Bruce Banner. Marvel Unlimited/Universal/Disney

First comics appearance: "The Incredible Hulk No. 1" in May 1962

Main MCU appearances: "The Incredible Hulk" (played by Norton), "The Avengers," "Avengers: Age of Ultron," "Thor: Ragnarok," "Avengers: Infinity War," "Avengers: Endgame," and the upcoming Disney+ series "What If...?" and "She-Hulk" (played by Ruffalo)

Post-credit cameos: "Iron Man 3" and "Captain Marvel"

Here's his extremely famous, extremely green counterpart, the Hulk.

The Hulk. Marvel Unlimited/Universal/Disney

The Hulk hasn't actually been in every movie that Bruce has been in. He doesn't show up in "Iron Man 3" or "Captain Marvel," is barely in "Avengers: Infinity War," and has completely reformed as "Smart Hulk" in "Endgame."

Scarlett Johansson is one of the longest-running Avengers. She made her debut as superspy Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow, back in 2010's "Iron Man 2." She finally got her own film after more than a decade, in 2021's "Black Widow."

Black Widow. Marvel Unlimited/Paramount

First comics appearance: "Tales of Suspense No. 52" in April 1964

Main MCU appearances: "Iron Man 2," "The Avengers," "Captain America: The Winter Soldier," "Avengers: Age of Ultron," "Captain America: Civil War," "Avengers: Infinity War," "Avengers: Endgame," and "Black Widow"

Post-credit cameo: "Captain Marvel"

Nick Fury, former head of S.H.I.E.L.D. and famed superspy, has been around for decades and has had many designs throughout the years. This is what he originally looked like - and here's how Samuel L. Jackson portrays him.

Nick Fury. Marvel Unlimited/Disney

First comics appearance: "Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos No. 1" in May 1963

Main MCU appearances: "Iron Man 2," "Captain America: The First Avenger," "The Avengers," "Captain America: The Winter Soldier," "Avengers: Age of Ultron," "Captain Marvel," "Avengers: Endgame, "Spider-Man: Far From Home," "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.," and the upcoming Disney+ series "What If...?" and "Secret Invasion"

Post-credit cameos: "Iron Man," "Thor," and "Avengers: Infinity War"

The God of Thunder himself, Thor, has been played by Chris Hemsworth for a decade and counting.

Thor. Marvel Unlimited/Paramount

First comics appearance: "Journey Into Mystery No. 83" in August 1962

Main MCU Appearances: "Thor," "The Avengers," "Thor: The Dark World," "Avengers: Age of Ultron," "Thor: Ragnarok," "Avengers: Infinity War," "Avengers: Endgame," the upcoming film "Thor: Love and Thunder," and the upcoming Disney+ series "What If...?"

Post-credit cameo: "Doctor Strange"

Natalie Portman played Jane Foster in (essentially) two films and is set to become the Mighty Thor in "Thor: Love and Thunder."

Jane Foster. Marvel Unlimited/Paramount

First comics appearance: "Journey Into Mystery No. 84" in September 1962

Main MCU appearances: "Thor," "Thor: The Dark World," "Avengers: Endgame," the upcoming Disney+ series "What If...?," and the upcoming film "Thor: Love and Thunder"

We're considering the keeper of the Bifrost, Heimdall, an honorary Avenger, as he's the only other Asgardian outside of Thor and Loki to appear in "Avengers" films. He was played by Idris Elba.

Heimdall. Marvel Unlimited/Disney

First comics appearance: "Journey Into Mystery No. 85" in October 1962

Main MCU appearances: "Thor," Thor: The Dark World," "Avengers: Age of Ultron," "Thor: Ragnarok," and "Avengers: Infinity War"

Since Lady Sif is Thor's only surviving Asgardian friend, she's an honorary Avenger, too. She's played by Jaimie Alexander.

Lady Sif. Marvel Unlimited/Paramount

First comics appearance: "Journey Into Mystery No. 102" in March 1964

Main MCU appearances: "Thor," Thor: The Dark World," "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.," "Loki," and the upcoming film "Thor: Love and Thunder"

Chris Evans embodied the spirit of a true hero as Steve Rogers - better known as Captain America - for eight years, from 2011 to 2019.

Captain America. Marvel Unlimited/Disney

First comics appearance: "Captain America Comics No. 1" in March 1941

Main MCU appearances: "Captain America: The First Avenger," "The Avengers," "Captain America: The Winter Soldier," "Avengers: Age of Ultron," "Captain America: Civil War," "Avengers: Infinity War," and "Avengers: Endgame." Steve will also be in "What If...?," though not voiced by Evans.

Post-credit cameos: "Ant-Man" and "Captain Marvel." Evans also pops up in "Thor: The Dark World" for a few seconds and is seen throughout "Spider-Man: Homecoming" in a series of instructional videos as well as a post-credit scene.

Peggy Carter, played by Hayley Atwell, was one of the founders of S.H.I.E.L.D. and the first character to get her own spin-off show due to her popularity. She's also integral to Steve's happy ending.

Peggy Carter. Marvel Unlimited/Paramount

First comics appearance: "Tales of Suspense No. 75" in March 1966

Main MCU appearances: "Captain America: The First Avenger," "Agent Carter," "Captain America: The Winter Soldier," "Avengers: Age of Ultron," "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.," "Ant-Man," "Avengers: Endgame," and the upcoming Disney+ series "What If...?"

Bucky Barnes begins his MCU tenure as Steve's best friend before seemingly dying in "Captain America: The First Avenger." He's played by Sebastian Stan.

Bucky Barnes. Marvel Unlimited/Paramount

First comics appearance: "Captain America Comics No. 1" in March 1941

Main MCU appearances: "Captain America: The First Avenger," "Captain America: The Winter Soldier," "Captain America: Civil War," "Avengers: Infinity War," "Avengers: Endgame," "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier," and the upcoming Disney+ series "What If...?"

Post-credit cameo: "Ant-Man" and "Black Panther"

But, as many Marvel fans knew, he wasn't actually dead. Instead, he became a mind-controlled assassin known as the Winter Soldier. Over the course of the MCU, he eventually gets his mind back. Here's what he looks like now.

Bucky Barnes. Marvel Unlimited/Disney

Basically, he cut off his Winter Soldier hair and got a new robotic arm.

In the comics, Bucky has a stint as the new Captain America once he breaks free of the mind control, so we'll see if he gets to wield the shield one day — though that's looking less likely.

Bucky made his comics debut as Captain America in "Captain America No. 34" in January 2008.

Hawkeye, as played by Jeremy Renner, has one of the least comic-book-accurate costumes. He's finally getting his own Disney+ series this year. Maybe we'll see more purple on Clint Barton.

Hawkeye. Marvel Unlimited/Disney

First comics appearance: "Tales of Suspense No. 57" in September 1964

Main MCU appearances: "The Avengers," "Avengers: Age of Ultron," "Captain America: Civil War," "Avengers: Endgame," and the two upcoming Disney+ series "Hawkeye" and "What If...?"

Cameos: This isn't technically a "post-credit" cameo, but Renner has an uncredited appearance in "Thor," introducing his character to the universe. His photo was also shown at the end of "Black Widow."

For a brief scene in "Avengers: Endgame," we see Clint take on the mantle of Ronin, a time period we expect to see more of in "Hawkeye."

Ronin. Marvel Unlimited/Disney

We didn't get a great look at the full Ronin suit in "Endgame," but from what we can tell, it looks like it has similar gold accents to the comics costume.

Clint's version of Ronin made his comics debut in "New Avengers No. 27" in April 2007.

Maria Hill is one of Nick Fury's most loyal allies and a former S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. She's played by Cobie Smulders.

Maria Hill. Marvel Unlimited/Disney

First comics appearance: "The New Avengers No. 4" in March 2005

Main MCU appearances: "The Avengers," "Captain America: The Winter Soldier," "Avengers: Age of Ultron," "Avengers: Endgame," Spider-Man: Far From Home" and "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D."

Post-credit cameo: "Avengers: Infinity War"

Anthony Mackie's character Sam Wilson, or Falcon, has a more toned-down appearance from his comics look. He's also one of Steve's closest friends ...

Falcon. Marvel Unlimited/Disney

First comics appearance: "Captain America No. 117" in September 1969

Main MCU appearances: "Captain America: The Winter Soldier," "Avengers: Age of Ultron," "Ant-Man," "Captain America: Civil War," "Avengers: Infinity War," "Avengers: Endgame," and "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier"

... leading him to be chosen as the new Captain America. He debuted the look, which is way more accurate to the comics, in the Disney+ series "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier."

Captain America. Marvel Unlimited/Disney

As the title card at the end of the season finale indicated, Sam's the new Cap, and there's reportedly a fourth "Captain America" film starring Mackie in the works.

Sam made his comics debut as Captain America in "All-New Captain America No. 1" in January 2015.

Agent 13, aka Sharon Carter, is played by Emily VanCamp and is introduced as an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. She is later revealed to be Peggy Carter's niece. She's since taken more of a villainous turn.

Agent 13. Marvel Unlimited/Disney

First comics appearance: "Tales of Suspense No. 75" in March 1966

Main MCU appearances: "Captain America: The Winter Soldier," "Captain America: Civil War," and "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier"

Quicksilver, or Pietro Maximoff, was introduced in "Avengers: Age of Ultron" played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson - and then a fake version of the character was played by Evan Peters in "WandaVision."

Quicksilver. Marvel Unlimited/Disney

First comics appearance: "The X-Men No. 4" in March 1964

Main MCU appearances: "Avengers: Age of Ultron" (played by Taylor-Johnson) and "WandaVision" (played by Peters)

Post-credit cameo: "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" (played by Taylor-Johnson)

Note: Peters also plays a different version of Quicksilver in the 20th Century Fox "X-Men" universe in "X-Men: Days of Future Past," "X-Men: Apocalypse," "Dark Phoenix," and "Deadpool 2."

Wanda Maximoff, played by Elizabeth Olsen, was finally called the Scarlet Witch for the first time and received a new semi-comics-accurate costume in "WandaVision." She was nominated for an Emmy for her performance in the show.

Wanda Maximoff. Marvel Unlimited/Disney

First comics appearance: "The X-Men No. 4" in March 1964

Main MCU appearances: "Avengers: Age of Ultron," "Captain America: Civil War," "Avengers: Infinity War," "Avengers: Endgame," "WandaVision," and the upcoming film "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness"

Post-credit cameo: "Captain America: The Winter Soldier"

Paul Bettany made his MCU on-screen debut as Vision in 2015 after years of voicing J.A.R.V.I.S., Tony Stark's artificial intelligence system. He was also nominated for an Emmy for "WandaVision."

Vision. Marvel Unlimited/Disney

First comics appearance: "Avengers Volume #1 No. 57" in August 1968

Main MCU appearances: "Avengers: Age of Ultron," "Captain America: Civil War," "Avengers: Infinity War," and "WandaVision"

Moving on to more cosmic characters, Peter Quill or Star-Lord of the Guardians of the Galaxy is played by Chris Pratt.

Star-Lord. Marvel Unlimited/Disney

First comics appearance: "Marvel Preview No. 4" in January 1976

Main MCU appearances: "Guardians of the Galaxy," "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2," "Avengers: Infinity War," "Avengers: Endgame," the upcoming films "Thor: Love and Thunder" and "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3," as well as the upcoming Disney+ special "The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special"

Gamora, an assassin turned hero and adopted daughter of Thanos, is played by Zoe Saldana.

Gamora. Marvel Unlimited/Disney

First comics appearance: "Strange Tales No. 80" in June 1975

Main MCU appearances: "Guardians of the Galaxy," "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2," "Avengers: Infinity War," "Avengers: Endgame," and the upcoming film "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3"

Drax the Destroyer, played by Dave Bautista, ditched the cape for his MCU look.

Drax. Marvel Unlimited/Disney

First comics appearance: "The Invincible Iron Man No. 55" in February 1973

Main MCU appearances: "Guardians of the Galaxy," "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2," "Avengers: Infinity War," "Avengers: Endgame," the upcoming films "Thor: Love and Thunder" and "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3," as well as the upcoming Disney+ special "The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special"

It's easy to forget that Rocket Raccoon is voiced by Bradley Cooper ...

Rocket. Marvel Unlimited/Disney

First comics appearance: "Marvel Preview No. 7" in summer 1976

Main MCU appearances: "Guardians of the Galaxy," "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2," "Avengers: Infinity War," "Avengers: Endgame," the upcoming films "Thor: Love and Thunder" and "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3," as well as the upcoming Disney+ special "The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special"

... or that Groot is voiced by none other than Vin Diesel.

Groot. Marvel Unlimited/Disney

First comics appearance: "Tales to Astonish No. 13" in November 1960

Main MCU appearances: "Guardians of the Galaxy," "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2," "Avengers: Infinity War," "Avengers: Endgame," the upcoming films "Thor: Love and Thunder" and "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3," as well as the upcoming Disney+ special "The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special" and upcoming Disney+ series of shorts "I Am Groot"

Although Yondu started off as an antagonist, he eventually joined the Guardians of the Galaxy - and, by extension, the Avengers. He was played by Michael Rooker.

Yondu. Marvel Unlimited/Disney

First comics appearance: "Marvel Super-Heroes No. 18" in January 1969

Main MCU appearances: "Guardians of the Galaxy," "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2," and the upcoming Disney+ series "What If...?"

Nebula, played by Karen Gillan, also started out as an antagonist, but, along with her sister Gamora, joined the Guardians and later the Avengers.

Nebula. Marvel Unlimited/Disney

First comics appearance: "The Avengers No. 257" in July 1985

Main MCU appearances: "Guardians of the Galaxy," "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2," "Avengers: Infinity War," "Avengers: Endgame," the upcoming films "Thor: Love and Thunder" and "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3," as well as the upcoming Disney+ special "The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special" and the upcoming Disney+ series "What If...?"

The Scott Lang version of Ant-Man, played by Paul Rudd, is remarkably similar to the comics.

Ant-Man. Marvel Unlimited/Disney

First comics appearance: "The Avengers No. 181" in March 1979

Main MCU appearances: "Ant-Man," "Captain America: Civil War," "Ant-Man and the Wasp," "Avengers: Endgame," the upcoming Disney+ series "What If...?," and the upcoming film "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania"

In the comics, Hope Pym is the villain known as the Red Queen. In the MCU, Hope van Dyne takes on the superhero mantle of the Wasp from her mother and is played by Evangeline Lilly.

Hope. Marvel Unlimited/Disney

First comics appearance: "A-Next No. 7" in April 1999

Main MCU appearances: "Ant-Man," "Ant-Man and the Wasp," "Avengers: Endgame," and the upcoming film "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania"

Henry "Hank" Pym is the original Ant-Man and is played by Michael Douglas.

Hank Pym. Marvel Unlimited/Disney

First comics appearance: "Tales to Astonish No. 27" in January 1962

Main MCU appearances:"Ant-Man," "Ant-Man and the Wasp," "Avengers: Endgame," the upcoming Disney+ series "What If...?," and the upcoming film "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania"

Doctor Strange - or, to be more precise, Dr. Stephen Strange - is the current Sorcerer Supreme. He's played by Benedict Cumberbatch.

Doctor Strange. Marvel Unlimited/Disney

First comics appearance: "Strange Tales No. 110" in July 1963

Main MCU appearances: "Doctor Strange," "Thor: Ragnarok," "Avengers: Infinity War," "Avengers: Endgame," the upcoming Disney+ series "What If...?," (though not voiced by Cumberbatch) and the upcoming films "Spider-Man: No Way Home," and "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness"

Wong is a fellow Master of the Mystic Arts, played by Benedict Wong.

Wong. Marvel Unlimited/Disney

First comics appearance: "Strange Tales No. 110" in July 1963

Main MCU appearances: "Doctor Strange," "Avengers: Infinity War," "Avengers: Endgame," and the upcoming films "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" and "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness"

The Ancient One helped the Avengers in the first film - and then again during the time heist in "Endgame," making her an official Avenger in our books. She was played by Tilda Swinton, a significant departure from the comics character.

The Ancient One. Marvel Unlimited/Disney

First comics appearance: "Strange Tales No. 110" in July 1963

Main MCU appearances: "Doctor Strange" and "Avengers: Endgame"

Mantis joins the Guardians in "Vol. 2," and is played by Pom Klementieff.

Mantis. Marvel Unlimited/Disney

First comics appearance: "The Avengers No. 112" in June 1973

Main MCU appearances: "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2," "Avengers: Infinity War," "Avengers: Endgame," the upcoming films "Thor: Love and Thunder" and "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3," as well as the upcoming Disney+ special "The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special"

Spider-Man joined the MCU in "Captain America: Civil War," and we can't wait to see what happens to Tom Holland's version of Peter Parker in the future.

Spider-Man. Marvel Unlimited/Disney

First comics appearance: "Amazing Fantasy No. 15" in August 1962

Main MCU appearances: "Captain America: Civil War," "Spider-Man: Homecoming," "Avengers: Infinity War," "Avengers: Endgame," "Spider-Man: Far From Home," and the upcoming film "Spider-Man: No Way Home"

Cameo: It was retroactively decided that a young boy in "Iron Man 2" whom Tony saved from a drone was actually a young Peter Parker.

Black Panther, King T'Challa of Wakanda, was introduced in "Captain America: Civil War." He was played by Chadwick Boseman until his death in 2020.

Black Panther. Marvel Unlimited/Disney

First comics appearance: "Fantastic Four No. 52" in July 1966

Main MCU appearances: "Captain America: Civil War," "Black Panther," "Avengers: Infinity War," "Avengers: Endgame," and the upcoming Disney+ series "What If...?"

Note: With Boseman's death, T'Challa's version of Black Panther will no longer appear. It's expected that another character will take up the mantle in 2022's "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever."

Valkyrie, played by Tessa Thompson, is now the King of Asgard after joining up with Thor as part of the "Revengers."

Valkyrie. Marvel Unlimited/Disney

First comics appearance: "The Avengers No. 83" in December 1970

Main MCU appearances: "Thor: Ragnarok," "Avengers: Endgame," and the upcoming film "Thor: Love and Thunder"

Korg, who is voiced by Taika Waititi, can be seen fighting in the final battle of "Endgame," making him an Avenger.

Korg. Marvel Unlimited/Disney

First comics appearance: "Incredible Hulk Vol. 2 No. 93" in May 2006 — though he was later retconned to have appeared in 1962's "Journey Into Mystery No. 83"

Main MCU appearances: "Thor: Ragnarok," "Avengers: Endgame," the upcoming Disney+ series "What If...?" and the upcoming film "Thor: Love and Thunder"

Miek was there, too. In the films, he's more of a larva-like creature than the humanoid roach of the comics.

Miek. Marvel Unlimited/Disney

First comics appearance: "The Incredible Hulk Vol. 2 No. 2" in April 2006

Main MCU appearances: "Thor: Ragnarok," "Avengers: Endgame," and the upcoming film "Thor: Love and Thunder"

Okoye, as played by Danai Gurira, is one of T'Challa's formidable bodyguards known as the Dora Milaje.

Okoye. Marvel Unlimited/Disney

First comics appearance: "Black Panther Vol. 3 No. 1" in November 1998

Main MCU appearances: "Black Panther," "Avengers: Infinity War," "Avengers: Endgame," the upcoming film "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever," and an untitled "Black Panther" Disney+ series

Shuri, T'Challa's younger sister, might easily become new Black Panther, just as she did in the comics. She's played by Letitia Wright.

Shuri. Marvel Unlimited/Disney

First comics appearance: "Black Panther Vol. 4 No. 2" in May 2005

Main MCU appearances: "Black Panther," "Avengers: Infinity War," "Avengers: Endgame," and the upcoming film "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever"

M'Baku (known as Man-Ape in the comics) started as a foil to T'Challa but later joined his council and became a trusted ally. He is played by Winston Duke.

M'Baku. Marvel Unlimited/Disney

First comics appearance: "Avengers No. 62" in March 1969

Main MCU appearances: "Black Panther," "Avengers: Infinity War," "Avengers: Endgame," and the upcoming film "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever"

The version of Nakia in the MCU is strictly heroic and could even become the next Black Panther, but in the comics she's a villain known as Malice.

Nakia. Marvel Unlimited/Disney

First comics appearance: "Black Panther Vol. 3 No. 1" in November 1998

Main MCU appearances: "Black Panther" and the upcoming "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever"

In "Ant-Man and the Wasp," we got our first real look at Janet van Dyne's version of the Wasp, as played by Michelle Pfeiffer.

The Wasp. Marvel Unlimited/Disney

First comics appearance: "Tales to Astonish No. 44" in June 1963

Main MCU appearances: "Ant-Man," "Ant-Man and the Wasp," "Avengers: Endgame," and the upcoming film "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania"

Captain Marvel, real name Carol Danvers, became the first female Marvel superhero with her own movie in 2019. She's played by Brie Larson.

Captain Marvel. Marvel Unlimited/Disney

First comics appearance: "Marvel Super-Heroes No. 13" in March 1968

Main MCU appearances: "Captain Marvel," "Avengers: Endgame," the upcoming film "The Marvels," and the upcoming Disney+ series "What If...?" (not voiced by Larson)

Talos, as played by Ben Mendelsohn, started off as (what we thought) was an antagonist in "Captain Marvel," but it was revealed he's since been working with Nick Fury in "Spider-Man: Far From Home." He's known as Talos the Untamed in the comics.

Talos. Marvel Unlimited/Disney

First comics appearance: "The Incredible Hulk No. 418" in June 1994

Main MCU appearances: "Captain Marvel," the upcoming film "The Marvels," and the upcoming Disney+ series "Secret Invasion"

Post-credit cameo: "Spider-Man: Far From Home" (though it was really him the whole time in disguise)

A young Monica Rambeau played by Akira Akbar was first seen in "Captain Marvel." An older version played by Teyonah Parris was introduced in "WandaVision," setting her on her path to becoming Photon (or Pulsar, or Spectrum).

Monica Rambeau. Marvel Unlimited/Disney

First comics appearance: "The Amazing Spider-Man Annual No. 16" in October 1982

Main MCU appearances: "Captain Marvel," "WandaVision," and the upcoming film "The Marvels"

Florence Pugh made her debut as the new Black Widow, Yelena Belova, in "Black Widow."

Yelena Belova. Marvel Unlimited/Disney

First comics appearance: "Inhumans No. 5" in March 1999

Main MCU appearances: "Black Widow" and the upcoming Disney+ series "Hawkeye"

Red Guardian, the Soviet version of Captain America, also debuted in "Black Widow"

Red Guardian. Marvel Unlimited/Disney

First comics appearance: "Avengers No. 43" in January 1967

Main MCU appearances: "Black Widow"

A more heroic version of Melina Vostokova played by Rachel Weisz debuted in "Black Widow." In the comics, she's a villain also known as Iron Maiden.

Melina Vostokova. Marvel Unlimited/Disney

First comics appearance: "Marvel Fanfare No. 11" in November 1983

Main MCU appearances: "Black Widow"

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[nivek]

Kevin Feige Sets Multiverse Rules in Latest Marvel Meeting

A lot of things have happened in the Marvel Cinematic Universe since the Avengers last saved the world from Thanos’ grasp. New heroes are taking their place and a Multiverse has now been born. It just happened in the finale of Loki.

President of Marvel Studios Kevin Feige recently revealed on the D23 Inside Disney podcast (via The Direct) that he met with the “whole broad Marvel Studios team” recently. They’re “going through the Multiverse” to discuss, primarily, “the rules of the Multiverse and exactly how to really deliver on the excitement surrounding the Multiverse.”

He noted how in order to create the Multiverse we’re seeing develop in the MCU, Marvel initially had to “dole out” the concept of the Multiverse. Doctor Strange introduced the concept, Spider-Man: Far From Home had a fake out with a Multiverse. “In the same way, the Multiverse is something we geek out about and we really love all the storytelling potential it brings,” he said. “But, we had to dole out what it was.”

According to Feige, he planned to introduce the Multiverse to fans a little like how he planned and expected to have to educate audiences about Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury. But, it turned out, Marvel fans didn’t really need that much education.

“I thought it would be a relatively small group of people that were excited by that and that we’d have to then educate a broader public about what that meant and who Nick Fury was, but almost instantly, if you remember, way back to the Summer of 2008: it ignited everyone’s imagination.”

So what does that mean for the future of the MCU and the Multiverse? Right now, we can only wonder as the team themselves discuss how to build on that storyline. He also notes that producers Louis D’Esposito and Victoria Alonso are among the people whose “sole task” is to keep in mind how development for the films or shows “grow and evolve.”

“It’s really exciting even to see it mid-way through the Loki series now, as people respond to the possibilities.”

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[nivek]

Black Widow Suffers Worst Drop In MCU History With Second Weekend Box Office

A report from Forbes has revealed that despite the opening weekend box office success of Black Widow, the Scarlett Johansson-starring flick has suffered the harshest second-week drop in MCU history. Having earned $26.3 million in US theaters across weekend two, the ten-day gross of the spy thriller has rested at $132 million domestically.

The film's second Friday in theaters saw a terrifying 79% drop, putting it on an even worse path than box office disappointments Fantastic Four and Batman V Superman. Fortunately, the rest of the weekend saw a substantial improvement to 67%.

(More on the link)

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[nivek]

Black Widow Writer Confirms Tony Stark Cameo Was Cut, Director Says Decision Was Made To Keep Male Avengers Out Of Movie

(Excerpt)

While Pearson confirmed there was indeed a Tony Stark cameo using Civil War footage in an earlier script, Black Widow director Cate Shortland revealed in an interview with Total Film that Kevin Feige made the executive decision to ensure no male Avengers were showcased in the film.

Shortland explained, “Initially, there was discussions about everything, about all of the different characters. What we decided was, and I think Kevin was really great, he said, ‘She doesn’t need the boys.'”

“We didn’t want it to feel like she needs the support. We want her to stand alone. And she does.”

However, at the end of the day, Black Widow doesn’t stand alone at all. They introduced Red Guardian, Yelena Belova, and Melina Vostokoff to help her out.

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[nivek]

Robin becomes a bisexual icon in new Batman comic

There's a new LGBTQ superhero on the block, but DC Comics readers already know him well.

The latest issue of Batman: Urban Legends, a monthly anthology series, revealed that the Caped Crusader's longtime sidekick Robin, specifically the Tim Drake version of him, is bisexual.

The moment came at the end of part 3 of the Sum of Our Parts story, from writer Meghan Fitzmartin, artist Belén Ortega, colorist Alejandro Sánchez, and letterer Pat Brosseau.

(More on the link)

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