MarvelBlog News for August 15th, 2022
Welcome to MarvelBlog News! This week, we’ll talk about the impending arrival of She-Hulk, that Giancarlo Esposito rumor, and Rosario Dawson’s oopsie.
She-Hulk Smash in Court!
Source: Marvel Studios
This week’s big story is the impending arrival of She-Hulk, the latest MCU series streaming on Disney+. This production has overcome plenty of upheaval and turmoil merely to reach this point.
Disney and Marvel officials had previously discussed a delay into 2023. For this reason, cheeky clickbaiters gained plenty of ill-gotten traffic last week. Disney+ announced a push of the release date for She-Hulk. Unfortunately, until you clicked the various links, you couldn’t read the full story.
That delay is for…one day. Over the past 18 months, Disney+ has experimented with weekday scheduling. Most Marvel titles have aired on Wednesday, but some have come out on Friday. She-Hulk will take a new but also familiar approach.
Source: Marvel Studios
This title’s new episodes will air on Thursdays. That’s the same day that Amazon Instant Video and HBO Max use for new programming. Fans feared the worst when they saw the headline, though. That’s because we all know that She-Hulk’s production team is working until the last moment.
She-Hulk’s virtual effects (VFX) aren’t quite ready for primetime, something the show hasn’t hidden very well. You may recall that Disney initially released a teaser for She-Hulk that went terribly…so much so that the company re-edited it with new, better VFX.
Let’s Go to the Video!
The She-Hulk marketing team has recently revealed several new clips from the show. Here is Balance:
You can already see the problem here. Those Jessica Walters shots at the 20-second mark…aren’t great.
However, the joke of the character breaking the fourth wall with “Lawyer show!” better encapsulates why we’re all excited about She-Hulk.
This show with this cast should provide plenty of entertainment. Here’s proof in a clip called Super Hero:
“That name better not stick…” exemplifies why Tatiana Maslany is perfect in this role. Date uses footage we’ve already seen in a tighter package:
The outcome is the same, though. This looks like a show everyone will love, presuming they can get past the CGI.
Also, here’s a longer spot that shows how Steve Rogers’ presumed virginity directly leads to the existence of She-Hulk:
We're 1 week away from the premiere of #SheHulk on @DisneyPlus, and this exclusive clip just made us rethink everything we knew about #CaptainAmerica… 👀 #TatianaMaslany @MarkRuffalo https://t.co/LPqhmqIj7h pic.twitter.com/tHQYXh3rkA
— IMDb (@IMDb) August 11, 2022
There’s a sentence I never thought I would type. Anyway, all these clips show the same thing, a cleverly written show in a dicey visual package. How much will audiences care? I think the answer depends on how they feel about Marvel and especially female superheroes.
She-Hulk won’t be for everyone. Its producers list The Practice as an inspiration, but it feels like a direct lift of Harvey Birdman to me.
A Quick VFX Update from Last Week
Source: Marvel Studios
Meanwhile, the recent VFX controversy may lead to an obvious resolution. Screen Geek reports that Marvel may build its own VFX house. Yes, Disney already owns Lucasfilm’s Industrial Light & Magic, but that’s clearly not enough. So, additional vertical integration makes sense here.
Then again, this move might be a bluff by Disney/Marvel. It’s a power play that reminds VFX houses that if they lose Disney, they’re screwed. That move takes a significant percentage of all industry VFX away from existing special effects companies. They’ll all be left fighting for scraps.
So, I take this report with a grain of sand. However, since Disney focuses on the bottom line, I’m confident executives have contemplated an internal VFX group. Realistically, that’s a messier proposition, though. Marvel likely prefers the current process of outsourcing the work to third parties.
Let’s Talk Ironheart and Madame Web
Source: Marvel
The hottest two Marvel productions of the moment are Ironheart and Madame Web. Both are currently filming, which means we’re getting more casting intel and storyline leaks. With Ironheart, we’ve learned that Zoe Terakes of Wentworth and Nine Perfect Strangers has joined the cast.
The social significance of this casting connects to another Ironheart casting update. Shea Couleé of RuPaul’s Drag Race has also joined the production. Terakes is a transgender and non-binary actor, while Couleé is gay and non-binary.
As usual, Marvel hasn’t commented on the role that either of them will play in Ironheart. However, some recent reports suggest that one of them could portray, Eclipse, a member of the Ten Rings in the comics.
Source: Marvel
To a larger point, Ironheart reportedly evaluates the ongoing struggle between technology and magic in the MCU. That’s fertile ground for a story.
Meanwhile, Ironheart herself, Riri Williams, will debut in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. We just learned that this project is undergoing reshoots:
Tenoch Huerta confirms that he has started filming reshoots for #WakandaForever a couple of weeks ago.
(via: https://t.co/LKzGD5RqA5) pic.twitter.com/ILXxEIPGxj
— Namor News (@NamorNews) August 9, 2022
This brings us to Madame Web, whose storyline is such a mystery that I’m worried it’ll be too much of a mess for average filmgoers.
Word has circulated that this film may include Richard and Mary Parker as characters. Specifically, they’re paramedics. Here’s imagery supporting this:
Dakota Johnson fue vista el día de hoy en el set de Madame Web en Boston, Massachusetts. – 06/08. Más fotos: https://t.co/70nXdBqoUk pic.twitter.com/KzaTtIp1Is
— Dakota Johnson Argentina (@DakotaJArg) August 6, 2022
Those first names may not sound familiar, but the last one should. Yeah, they’re Peter Parker’s parents. For this reason, some speculate that Madame Web, who has timeline-related powers, may need to protect Parker’s parents so that Peter can be born!
That sounds wild, right? It’s obviously not at all confirmed, but it fits with some other stuff I’m hearing. Speaking of Spider-Man, there’s this update:
UPDATE: Many of you are asking me about this today, so I looked into it. #SpiderManNoWayHome – "The More Fun Stuff Version" is still coming Labor Day weekend, but the tix on sale date has shifted. Once we know when tix will go on sale, you all will be the first to know! https://t.co/US1wuxuC3d
— Erik Davis (@ErikDavis) August 9, 2022
Marvel Miscellany
I’ve got two other stories to cover. One involves Rosario Dawson, who stepped in it the other day when she said this:
FULL VIDEO! pic.twitter.com/N9M8YJj4C9
— Matt Ramos (@therealsupes) August 7, 2022
Yes, that’s an MCU actress accidentally revealing a company secret. The Punisher is entering the MCU soon.
Soon afterward, Dawson tweeted this:
I can’t be trusted…!
Getting intel from fans during signings is iffy apparently.
My bad.
I get excited.
Confirmation is key when you’re told what you want to hear…— Rosario Dawson (@rosariodawson) August 8, 2022
I presume that Marvel has since returned her pets, largely unharmed. Seriously, don’t spoil Marvel stuff unless you want to feel like you’re a losing participant at the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona.
Then again, spoilers might be okay when you have the okay from your new bosses. I presume that’s what has happened with Giancarlo Esposito.
Here’s the actor speaking at a recent event:
@countdowncitygeeks #giancarloesposito announces which character he may play in themarveluniverse! #superherocarshowandcomiccon #fyp #foryourpage #celebfanfest #comiccon2022 #marvel #countdowncitygeekcast #sanantoniotx
So, he may be Magneto, he may be Professor X, or he may be messing with all of us. The moral of the story: never trust Gustavo Fring.
Speaking of casting, the race to play Simon Williams has reportedly started:
Psst – I hear they are already casting #WonderMan
And he is indeed a “struggling Hollywood actor”. Show will be very comedic, as expected. pic.twitter.com/upf8pHUOv2
— Grace Randolph (@GraceRandolph) August 10, 2022
Here’s your next target: if you’re an actor who cannot get a callback for Johnny Cage in the next Mortal Kombat movie. Also, I haven’t talked about this show much since it’s a bunch of short films. However, I Am Groot is now available on Disney+.
You should save this show for when you’re feeling down about life and want some unmitigated joy. Also, we’ve got a Moon Knight update straight from the source:
There is no talk about a future for the character yet but this is soo valid.
— Mohamed diab محمد دياب (@MohamedDiab678) August 4, 2022
And the other source:
@hayadiabb Since y’all have been asking #oscarisaac #mohameddiab #moonknight
The dude on the right makes a good point.
Finally, Thor: Love and Thunder just did something impressive. The film’s $319.2 million in domestic box office has allowed it to become the best performer in the franchise.
These conversations are always a bit muddy since global vs. domestic box office is a confusing subject. One number sounds better, but domestic matters most. Thor 4 wins!
Source: Marvel
That’s it for this edition of MarvelBlog News, have an amazing week everyone!
