MarvelBlog News for February 24, 2021
This week: Danny Elfman provides the soundtrack to the MCU, Paul Bettany teases fans, WandaVision excels again, and Jessica Jones comes home.
Photo: Marvel Studios
Let’s talk about all things MCU in the latest MarvelBlog News update.
A Momentous Day in the MCU
MarvelBlog has tracked this story for several months, and it’s finally reached a conclusion.
Photo: Netflix/Marvel
Disney once again owns all licensing rights for all the old Netflix series involving Marvel characters!
I mentioned this possibility at the start of December. Back then, Marvel had just recouped the rights to Daredevil.
As a reminder, Disney and Marvel didn’t possess the licensing rights due to a previous business decision.
In 2013, Disney agreed to license several of Marvel’s The Defenders to Netflix in exchange for a bundle of cash.
Photo: Netflix
Reports have indicated that Netflix paid Disney $150 million for the rights to shows highlighting Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, The Punisher, and Iron Fist.
Unlike many competing streaming services, Disney+ lined up its launch strategy 18 months in advance.
At that point, Disney and Netflix agreed that the latter company shouldn’t produce any additional Marvel series.
Photoi: Netflix
Netflix canceled potential seasons for all the series I mentioned, and the two parties parted amicably, a rarity in Hollywood.
However, due to the arcane nature of licensing agreements, Disney didn’t get back the characters until two years after the cancellations.
So, The Defenders remained in limbo until November of 2020, when Daredevil returned to the fold at Disney.
Some insiders have suggested Disney recouped the rights even earlier than that, but that’s unconfirmed speculation.
I can now state with confidence that all The Defenders are back at Marvel.
The deadline for the final two, Jessica Jones and The Punisher, passed on February 18th. Yes, it’s been two years since those cancellations.
Now, Marvel and Disney may tell new stories involving their characters whenever they want.
Rumors persist that Daredevil will join the MCU soon. As for the others, we’ll just have to wait and see. Today is a great day, though!
MCU Odds and Ends
We’ve got several different MCU items to cover this week. For clarity’s sake, I’ll identify when something is rumored or confirmed.
Danny Elfman has confirmed that he’s creating the score for Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which seems like a match made in Heaven.
Disney fans are intimately familiar with Elfman. The former Oingo Boingo frontman has done the soundtracks for Dumbo, Meet the Robinsons, and Frankenweenie.
Photo: Blood Disgusting
Oddly, Elfman has done several non-Marvel scores, but this outing marks only his second entry in the MCU.
Elfman worked on Justice League, Wanted, and Spider-Man 2 outside the MCU. His only official Marvel soundtrack is Avengers: Age of Ultron, though.
Meanwhile, @FlorencePughDaily has some stalky pictures up on Twitter that should interest you:
https://twitter.com/bestofpugh/status/1362497536985038850
Yes, the actress has arrived in Atlanta to work on a new film. And yes, she looks alarmed in those photos. I feel a bit guilty referencing them.
Anyway, Pugh has apparently started filming her role in the Hawkeye Disney+ series, which isn’t a surprise.
Photo: Bertrand Rindoff Petroff / Getty Images / 2020 Bertrand Rindoff Petroff
As the new Black Widow, Pugh’s character was expected on Hawkeye. So, nobody needed to stalk her at an airport to prove the point.
On a different production note, She-Hulk will start filming in April.
You can check the production schedule on SpoilerTV to see for yourself. It’s on page 29, although the alphabetization could change it by a page or two.
By the way, here’s a picture of Hailee Steinfeld in her Kate Bishop gear:
Hailee Steinfeld in her #Hawkeye outfit ✌🏻 pic.twitter.com/sPbBtR40UE
— Bishop Swift (@BlindWanda) February 18, 2021
MCU Rumors
Okay, we’ve now come to the unconfirmed stuff. And I’m starting with the one I couldn’t decide how to catalog.
Paul Bettany has stated that an upcoming WandaVision cameo will occur. That’s a fact, one that he mentioned months ago.
Many Marvel fans presumed that the arrival of Evan Peters fulfilled Bettany’s prophecy. Au contraire!
Photo: SPLASH
Bettany has taken to openly trolling WandaVision fans about the fact that another surprising character will debut later this season.
During an interview with Esquire, Bettany dismissed ideas that he’s referencing Dr. Strange. So, it’s somebody else.
Photo: Everett Collection
My wife is on record as saying that Magneto will show up by the end of WandaVision, a rumor I want to become a reality.
Speaking of Dr. Strange, here’s a credible rumor that comes due to some ridiculous sleuthing.
Another super-obsessive fan has combed through all of Xochitl Gomez’s social media follows.
Photo: JESSE AUSTIN/NETFLIX
This person has noticed that many of the follows involve MCU performers, which makes sense given that Gomez has earned the role of America Chavez.
The superhero known as – I kid you not – Miss America will appear in the Dr. Strange sequel. And she apparently follows someone rumored to play Patriot.
Photo: Marvel
Yes, that’s another super-patriotic Marvel character. They’re teammates in the Young Avengers, which lends credence to that (basically confirmed) rumor, too.
Finally, one other rumor comes straight from a Hollywood writer, director, and actor. Stephen Ford of Teen Wolf fame has pitched a new story.
Photo: Marvel
Ford wants to create a Marvel version of The X-Files with Agent Jimmy Woo investigating the paranormal.
Since the MCU is brimming with supernatural activities, this show sounds like a winner.
In recent days, Ford has hinted that he may have the green light to proceed. That’s still a long way from the show going into production, though.
Photo: Marvel Studios
More WandaVision Success
Last week, I mentioned that at least one tracking service believes that WandaVision holds the title of the most-watched TV show on the planet.
Now, I analyze streaming media data as one of my gigs, and I immediately questioned the accuracy of that statement.
Photo: Marvel Studios
Still, everyone who has read the internet in recent weeks is painfully aware of the emerging popularity of WandaVision.
Nielsen has published some data to confirm this fact. For the week of January 18th through January 24th, WandaVision finished seventh in its category.
Photo: Marvel/Empire Magazine
Nielsen divides the data into original and acquired television programs. WandaVision obviously falls into the former category.
As a reminder, the series debuted to maximum hype on January 15th. For that week, WandaVision earned 434 million minutes of views.
Photo: Marvel/Entertainment Weekly
However, I should point out that the series started with two episodes, which means each one received about 217 million minutes of views.
During the latest timeframe, WandaVision was available for all seven days as opposed to just three. It only added one new episode, though.
Keeping this in mind, the show managed another 376 million minutes, which I consider quite strong.
Photo: Marvel
I expect that WandaVision will behave differently from many new original streaming programs. It’ll surge after plot advancement episodes like 1-4 and 1-6.
I even have a bit of factual support for my supposition. The overnight rush to watch episode 1-7 briefly crashed the entire Disney+ system!
I’ll keep you updated on ratings each week, but you can keep up on your own at this link.
Okay, that’s everything for now. How are you enjoying WandaVision? Let us know in the comments!
Feature Image Rights: Disney/Marvel
