MarvelBlog News for May 23rd, 2022

by David Mumpower · May 22, 2022

This week, the Man without Fear returns to prominence. Meanwhile, She-Hulk confirms a release date…and it’s sooner than you think! We have an uplifting batch of MarvelBlog News, true believers!

Daredevil V2.0!

Source: Marvel Studios

Okay, we start this edition of MarvelBlog news with something we’ve strongly suspected that this news was coming. In fact, I first heard an inkling of it more than a year ago.

The difference between then and now is that we have confirmation. Variety has broken the story that a Daredevil series is coming to Disney+. I don’t mean any of the three seasons you can already watch, either.

During a recent earnings call, Disney confirmed that it spent $1.023 billion regaining the licensing rights to its Defenders characters.

Source: Marvel Studios

Those are the ones formerly streaming on Netflix. Disney not only took all future licensing rights from Netflix but actually paid that much to get its own characters back.

Obviously, the company wouldn’t do that unless it planned to use them. We’d previously watched characters from Daredevil in Spider-Man: No Way Home and Hawkeye.

Still, this situation is different. Matt Murdock appeared as more of a cameo with No Way Home, what wrestlers call a cheap pop from the crowd.

Source: Marvel Studios

His presence in the film didn’t exist beyond the surface level. I call it a glorified cameo. Meanwhile, Kingpin factored heavily into the plot of Hawkeye. The character didn’t appear until nearly the end of the series, though.

Actor Vincent D’Onofrio only appeared in a handful of scenes. As a reminder, he seemingly died at the hands of a (former) ally, though.

About the Production

Source: Marvel Studios

Now, Disney+ will air an entire reboot of Daredevil. Notably, none of the people involved behind the camera will return.

Daredevil on Netflix was a Drew Goddard production whose showrunners included Steven S. DeKnight, Doug Petrie and Marco Ramirez, and Erik Oleson.

Source: Marvel Studios

The version in development will come from showrunner Chris Ord, a Hollywood veteran who created the underrated USA Network show Covert Affairs.

Joining him is his longtime writing partner, Matt Corman. So, it’s a Covert Affairs reunion. But will it be a Daredevil reunion?

What about the Cast?

Photo: Netflix

Since Variety broke the story, Disney hasn’t announced any cast yet. However, the expectation is that fan-favorite Charlie Cox will return in the title role.

Despite his recent setback, MarvelBlog News fully expects D’Onofrio to come back as well. He IS the Kingpin for the current generation of Marvel fans.

Rumors had recently suggested that actress and Dungeon Master extraordinaire Deborah Ann Woll was also joining the MCU.

Source: Marvel Studios

Her masterful work as Karen Page proved integral to the series, as did that of Elden Henson as Foggy. So, I’m hoping that Disney gets the band back together.

The cast has remained close and remarkably supportive since Daredevil ended. For this reason, I believe that it’s a combo package.

Otherwise, I doubt Cox or especially D’Onofrio would sign-on. You may recall how euphoric he was when No Way Home revealed the Cox cameo.

Source: Marvel Studios

These people revere Daredevil and hate that it ended. Unfortunately, we don’t see enough of that in Hollywood, where a cast remains this proud of a product.

Obviously, we know nothing about the story for the reboot yet. And filming may be at least a year away. Still, Marvel fans should be extremely excited.

Source: Marvel Studios

This is the best possible news for fans of The Defenders universe on Netflix. Based on rumors I’ve heard, I’m optimistic that a Jessica Jones announcement is forthcoming as well.

I don’t see how they bring David Tennant back, but I so badly want that to happen anyway. His work as the Purple Man is the gold standard for Marvel television thus far. (Sorry, Mr. D’Onofrio.)

Let’s Talk She-Hulk

Source: Marvel Studios

A few weeks ago, MarvelBlog News reported the looming possibility that Disney+ may delay She-Hulk into 2023. The backlog of Hollywood CGI requests had placed the series in a terrible spot. At the time, I suggested that Disney could prioritize it.

After all, Disney is a massive corporation with plenty of capital. So, it can always throw money at the problem. Also, it owns Industrial Light & Magic, the best special effects company on the planet. Still, the report carried enough credence to discuss. Now, we know that it was thankfully wrong, though.

I say this with confidence because Disney just debuted the She-Hulk trailer. Here it is in all its splendor:

So, yeah. Apparently, the official title is She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, which will give me a Harvey Birdman earworm every time.

Anyway, the trailer absolutely crushes, especially the end bit about online dating as a She-Hulk. The criticisms about the project were predictable. Here’s a Wrap article whose headline says it all.

Yup, the special effects look…less than special. Disney knew this was a problem well in advance. So, it had to make the hard call. Should the company delay the project or try to pull a Sonic the Hedgehog out by the time it airs in August?

Obviously, Disney chose the latter, as they have promised a release date of August 17^th. I’m here to tell you that a bunch of special effects programmers won’t sleep much for the next three months.

Source: Marvel Studios

The show looks wildly entertaining. Let’s hope that the complaints about its CGI don’t undo everything. Because it looks subpar right now.

By the way, we also learned that the series will include nine episodes. Also, Benedict Wong is in the cast, which makes sense given the Abomination’s presence.

Marvel Miscellany

Source: Marvel Studios

There’s a Doctor Strange 2 rumor going around that I don’t believe, but I’ll pass along the information anyway. An international Disney+ social media feed listed the streaming date for Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness as June 22^nd.

Technically, that’s possible, as Disney’s exhibitor contracts only dictate 45 days of theatrical exclusivity. It would represent an escalation, though. Previous MCU titles haven’t reached Disney+ until long after the 45-day window has passed.

Source: Marvel Studios

June 22^nd would only represent 47 days after the superhero movie’s theatrical release. That move would infuriate some exhibitors who already carry a two-year pandemic grudge about Disney releases.

In Ms. Marvel news, USA Today has posted a sneak preview of the series that you should watch:

We have an ✨exclusive✨ sneak peek at ⁦⁦@disneyplus⁩ ‘s “Ms. Marvel!!”

Check out the Muslim teen hero from Jersey City who is bringing a new perspective to the MCU. #MsMarvel ⁦⁦@MarvelStudios⁩ 🦸🏾‍♀️ pic.twitter.com/WY1bMCNUS5

— USA TODAY Life (@usatodaylife) May 19, 2022