#WORLD : JESSICA JONES / MCU (616)

[svjetllost]

“No. I don’t want anyone else in this restaurant.” The waitress blinked slowly, her expression smoothing into that vacant, cheerful obedience he’d seen so many times before. She smiled, of course she did, and turned on her heel without a word, vanishing behind the kitchen wall.

This place was one of his favorites in the city; it was quiet, tucked away, and entirely too charming to be spoiled by the noise of strangers and their whiny offspring. The idea of enduring chatter, clinking cutlery, or the smell of someone else's regrettable menu choice was offensive. Thankfully, he didn’t have to. He already had the only person he wanted across the table.

“I ordered for both of us,” he said smoothly, resting back with a smug kind of satisfaction. “Trust me, I know what’s best here.” He gestured idly with a hand, eyes fixed on her. “Now... you were telling me about your latest case?”

Behind the wall, the rest of the staff stood silent, lined up neatly, backs brushing plaster, eyes glued to the door. Should anyone try to enter, they would be stopped before their first step. Otherwise, they would remain exactly where they were. Still. Quiet. Out of sight. Just the way he liked it.

He leaned in, slow and deliberate, fingers brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear. His thumb lingered just a moment too long on her cheek, light, possessive, like he was straightening something that already belonged to him.

“There. Much better.”

She looked perfect, of course she did. He'd chosen the suit himself, after all. The cut was impeccable, and the color was just right. Hair swept up the way he liked it, even if a few defiant strands had slipped loose to frame her face. He didn’t mind. It added a touch of softness.

It was a beautiful morning, really. And he sincerely hoped nothing ruined it. “I’d hate to be… irritated.” The way he said it was light. Polite, even. But underneath, it pulsed with quiet threat, like the edge of a knife hidden behind a silk ribbon.

@threadpull liked for a shippy starter!

[tokensbossh]

Everything About MCU's 2025 TV Slate

The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has consistently kept fans excited, releasing high-impact content on both the big and small screens. After taking a strategic step back in 2024, Marvel Studios is gearing up for a massive year in 2025 with an impressive lineup of new shows and animated series. In this guide, I’ll dive into what’s coming to Disney+ and how these shows may impact the MCU’s intricate narrative web. Get ready for Daredevil’s return, unique animation styles, and a peek into Wakanda’s past. Here’s everything you need to know to stay ahead of the Marvel fandom curve!

Marvel's 2025 Animated Projects

Everything About MCU's 2025 TV Slate (1) Marvel’s Animation Team is stepping up in 2025 with releases that bring beloved and new characters into alternate timelines and unexpected narratives. These animated shows add depth to Marvel’s universe by exploring different realities, character backstories, and even horror-inspired plots, all with Marvel’s unique twist. Here’s a breakdown of each highly anticipated animated series: - What If…? Season 3 – December 22, 2024: Kicking off the year’s animated slate, Marvel’s popular What If…? series returns, wrapping up its holiday special before leading into 2025. This season promises new realities, including a Red Guardian-centered episode, a western-style take with Shang-Chi, and even an Agatha Harkness musical! Season 3’s focus on expanding What If…?’s impact could lead to deeper connections with the main MCU storyline as the multiverse saga unfolds. - Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man – January 29, 2025: Marvel’s new animated project takes Spider-Man back to his roots. This show, set outside Earth-616, focuses on a young Peter Parker’s life with mentor Norman Osborn. The series introduces characters like Daredevil, Doctor Octopus, and Nico Minoru, all in a comic-accurate, alternative universe that promises a distinct animation style. Fans of classic Spidey stories can expect a nostalgic twist here. - Eyes of Wakanda – August 6, 2025: As Marvel’s first animated series set in Earth-616, Eyes of Wakanda explores the nation’s warriors through time, recovering stolen Vibranium. This show taps into Wakanda’s complex history and culture, a thrilling addition for fans of the Black Panther franchise. It also hints at what’s to come for Wakanda in the live-action universe. - Marvel Zombies – October 2025: Prepare for a darker twist as Marvel Zombies returns for Halloween. Set in an alternative universe plagued by the undead, expect heroes like Ms. Marvel, Scarlet Witch, and Shang-Chi to make appearances in this gore-filled, horror-themed series. This spin-off of What If…? dives deep into the gruesome, alternative side of Marvel. “Our animated slate lets us explore parts of the Marvel universe we could never reach in live-action,” Marvel Studios has stated, emphasizing the fresh directions these animated shows are taking. For more insights on Marvel’s animated projects, check out Marvel’s official announcements and updates from Disney+ News.

Marvel’s Live-Action Lineup: Impact on the MCU’s Future

Marvel’s 2025 live-action releases are set to expand the MCU's core storyline, contributing to major plotlines that lead us deeper into Phases 5 and 6. Here’s a look at what’s coming to Disney+ and how it ties into the bigger picture: - Daredevil: Born Again – March 4, 2025: One of the most anticipated releases of the year, Daredevil: Born Again brings back the gritty world of Hell’s Kitchen. Now part of Disney’s Marvel family, this show picks up where Netflix’s Daredevil left off. With Kingpin running for Mayor of New York, Matt Murdock and his allies (including Foggy Nelson, Karen Page, and The Punisher) will face new threats, while a rumored crossover with Luke Cage and Jessica Jones could signal a broader street-level MCU arc. - Ironheart – June 24, 2025: This spinoff from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever stars Riri Williams, a young genius inspired by Tony Stark’s Iron Man legacy. Set in Boston, the show introduces the antagonist Red Hood, a mystical adversary with potential links to future Doctor Strange content. Riri’s journey highlights Marvel’s ongoing mission to introduce the next generation of heroes. - Wonder Man – December 2025: This Christmas release spotlights Simon Williams, aka Wonder Man, a struggling actor who becomes a reluctant superhero. With Trevor Slattery returning and Ed Harris as his agent, the series delves into the highs and lows of Hollywood fame in the MCU, with a potential storyline focusing on Wonder Man’s family ties to Grim Reaper. Marvel Studios’ Kevin Feige once remarked, “With these new projects, we’re bridging generations of fans by tying iconic heroes with fresh narratives and perspectives.” Stay updated with new character developments and future projects on MCU Direct and CBR. How These Shows Shape the MCU’s Next Phases Each series in Marvel’s 2025 slate not only brings fresh perspectives but also hints at potential crossovers and critical ties to the MCU’s overarching storyline. Here are some connections fans should keep an eye on: - Daredevil: Born Again could set the stage for a street-level Marvel team-up, paving the way for familiar characters like Jessica Jones and Luke Cage. - Ironheart’s mystical elements with Red Hood may cross paths with Agatha Harkness, potentially linking to a Doctor Strange sequel. - Animated shows like Eyes of Wakanda and Marvel Zombies add depth to existing universes, even if they don’t directly connect to the main storyline, enriching the multiverse with new perspectives. Marvel’s 2025 shows have the unique task of broadening the MCU’s boundaries, introducing new worlds and characters while intertwining them with the well-loved heroes we’ve come to follow. 2025’s Marvel Slate is Shaping a Bold New Future The MCU’s 2025 lineup reflects Marvel Studios’ commitment to expanding its storytelling canvas through diverse narratives, unique animation styles, and powerful live-action character arcs. With beloved series like Daredevil making a comeback and new heroes like Wonder Man and Ironheart stepping into the spotlight, this year is bound to deepen the MCU’s already intricate world. Expect these shows to redefine what we know about Marvel, setting the stage for upcoming Phases in an exciting, immersive way. Marvel’s 2025 lineup is not just another chapter in the MCU; it’s a redefinition of Marvel’s potential on the small screen. Stay tuned for the magic that lies ahead! Read the full article

[shellheadtm-a]

anyway, while i’ve got a minute and am thinking about plotting (sorry guys i’m getting on that), here’s some wishlisty things that i’m always down for:

+ man in the chair plots.  let tony be that dulcet, smartassed voice in your ear while he helps you navigate hostile territory.  typically he’ll get you home safe.  or be on standby as the cavalry. + no suit plots.  can’t get to the suit, can’t use the suit, trying to be lowkey.  those kinds of things.  tony using that big beautiful brain.  things i especially love here include being on the run for one reason or another, sneaking around because of something dirty going on with shield, classic espionage plots.  he’s not a great spy and he always goes for the steve rogers look as a disguise, but he’s great for the other stuff. + supernatural type plots.  which are basically tony finds things he didn’t know he hated to bitch about with the supernatural. + end of the world plots.  especially, especially fallout-based plots, i got a whole canon au for that shit.  age of ultron (616 aou) type plots also accepted. + street level plots.  no world-ending crisis, just dicks like fisk and osborn, maybe.  things that seem one thing on the surface and tying back into something worse, or going deeper.  corruption type things.  because 616 avengers are on call for all of it.  with this:  inter-team communication and cooperation.  avengers and defenders, for example.  especially since like they swap members so often anyway.

for you mcu types that maybe want something specific there:

+ doing avengers things type plots.  with babyvengers (because you are babyvengers to him and you will never change his mind - he’s been in this business too damn long at this point).  going on missions!  being nosy!  not staying out of things because he never will in a million years!  being a menace because of it!  bonus points for having to deal with shield.  he’ll hate that a lot.  and may cause an international incident.  you’ve been warned. + tony herding plots.  oh, you guys thought yours was bad.  ahaha...oh, that’s funny.  that’s really funny.  this one has black ops training to a degree.  tips from nat.  has worked with the winter soldier multiple times.  he’ll slip that toddler zip leash the second you turn around and be gone.  and get into trouble because it’s the tony stark way. + nothing in particular plots.  honestly i just want to see how he reacts to different versions of people he’s known so long.  it’s like meeting again for the first time, right?  he doesn’t know you, you don’t know him, and see if we can throw preconceived notions on how this tony behaves right out the door.   + bonus: pestering the people that never otherwise touch the mcu.  the defenders are a good one, he knows every last member in the nmcu back home.  hell, he was in jessica jones and luke cage’s wedding photos.  that’ll be a mindfuck.

[daresplaining]

With the shows finished, I'm curious what you think were the high and low points of each show/season (if any).

    Ooh, good question. I’d say: 

Daredevil: 

    The first season was quite solid. I tend to be the pickiest about Daredevil, because Matt is my favorite superhero, and I did have a lot of complaints about the first season, but it was exciting and well-executed. The MCU version of Karen Page in particular was incredible. DD Season 1 Episode 10 (”Nelson v. Murdock”) is my favorite episode in any season of any of the shows, though Luke Cage Season 2 Episode 10 gave it some serious competition. Daredevil Season 2 was my favorite DD season, and switches off with Iron Fist season one for the status of my favorite Netflix MCU season overall. As a comics fan, it felt the most familiar to me and therefore the most fun, and Elektra was fantastic. The Hand were poorly developed, but in general, it was a high point. Season 3 was enjoyable but mostly a disappointment (it was basically a re-hashing of Season 1 plus pseudo-Bullseye. Maggie was the best part), which is why I was perfectly happy this show ended where it did: with a proper conclusion, and just as the quality was starting to deteriorate. 

Jessica Jones: 

    Season 1 of Jessica Jones was brilliant; tightly-plotted, well-acted, and absolutely terrifying. The first episode is another of my absolute favorite episodes ever, and probably the strongest opening out of any of the shows. Since Jessica as a character was only introduced about twenty years ago, she has much less source material than the other characters, and so this show had to do more original thinking and content creation, which I think hurt it in the end. The second and third seasons, while perfectly solid, didn’t feel nearly as polished, though I absolutely adored Alisa and thought the revamping of Jessica’s backstory was really interesting. I also loved Trish’s character arc and the richness of her MCU-specific sibling relationship with Jessica, until it was torpedoed with what I considered some poorly-executed character development in Season 3. 

Luke Cage:

    Luke was given a personality make-over in the MCU, and I’m torn on how I feel about that, but I really enjoyed his show. It was bold and rich and utterly unique. I thought the pacing in Season 1 was wonkier than normal (most of the shows had pacing issues), but I still really enjoyed it. Its reinvention of most of the comics characters was masterfully done, in terms of both writing and acting, and Misty Knight in particular was perfect. And Season 2 was a masterpiece. Where the hell are all of the awards for Luke Cage Season 2? Where is the hype? Mariah Dillard is the best antagonist in the entire MCU, and you can quote me on that. The way this show wove together classic Power Man goodness with elements of real-world black culture and current events was really, really cool. And, as I mentioned… that Power Man and Iron Fist episode was magic. Everything a PMIF fan could have ever dreamed of. 

Iron Fist:

    Iron Fist Season 1 got off to a shaky start with an awkward first episode (which I discuss in-depth here) but it moved on from that to become either my favorite or second favorite (depending on my mood) season of all of the Marvel Netflix properties. It combined rapid-fire pacing with beautiful character moments, and its reversal of Danny’s revenge quest was, to me, the best engagement with the source material out of any of the shows. I am about to finish up my deep dive into this season over on my Iron Fist blog, if you want to see more specific gushing and shouting. Season 2 wasn’t quite as strong, which I partly blame on the derailment of Danny’s character arc in The Defenders, but I still mostly really enjoyed it. The brilliant variation on the source material continued with a further development of Danny and Davos’s dynamic (which is completely different than the comics version but managed to be my favorite MCU sibling relationship) and an awesome new version of Typhoid Mary (Dex wished he could be what Walker was). And then the writers had some kind of collective mental break-down in the final few episodes, which I’m not going to go into because I discussed it here and would rather not think about it again. Essentially, Danny and Colleen were disrespected, and I’m angry about it. The season was only saved by the final few minutes, with an exquisitely-wrapped gift to Iron Fist fans everywhere, which promised an incredible third season based on one of the best IF comics plotlines… which was then ripped away from us, and I’ve been mourning that loss ever since. But anyway. If I had to pick a favorite Marvel Netflix show, it would probably be Iron Fist. It’s my comfort show, and makes me happy in ways none of the other shows quite managed. Look how long this paragraph is. My love is (mostly) free-flowing. #SaveIronFist and all that. 

The Punisher:

    I should mention that while all of the other shows featured characters who I was big fans of already, I haven’t read that many Punisher comics, so I went into his show not quite as knowledgeable or invested. That said, I very much enjoyed both seasons of it. I thought the first season had a stronger plot and much more polished writing (this was true of pretty much every show, which is interesting). Jon Bernthal was a fantastic Frank, who perfectly embodied both the extreme violence and intense compassion inherent in the character. I loved his dynamic with Micro in Season 1 and with Amy in Season 2. And his alliance with Karen Page was a surprising deviation from the comics (616 Karen and Frank never even met, or had any reason to interact) that I found fascinating. 

The Defenders: 

    I was surprised we only got one season of The Defenders, but I was also okay with it. A second season wasn’t necessary, especially since the characters started cameoing more frequently in each other’s shows after that. I really enjoyed The Defenders. The poor showrunner was forced to do a lot of reverse-engineering of the worldbuilding thanks to undeveloped hints in previous shows, which meant that the Hand plotline was a little bit clumsy, but the plot wasn’t important. The Defenders existed for the team-up, and the team-up was a lot of fun. Most importantly, we were treated to some beautiful Power Man and Iron Fist and Daughters of the Dragon goodness, which was all that really mattered. I also loved the dysfunctional family dynamic of the Hand leaders, which I was not expecting. In some ways, their bickering and back-stabbing was even more fun to watch than the protagonists’ antics. My biggest complaint was that Elektra and Danny’s character arcs were sabotaged, which was very disappointing.  

    Overall, I was really impressed by the high quality of all of the shows. They were pretty much everything I’d hoped for, and quite a few things I never knew I wanted. I feel really lucky. 

[silly-anshe]

People tend to do the same thing for Steve and Tony (Stony), as in fetishize their relationship, when you’ve already mentioned that there are plenty of LGBTQ people in the world of Marvel.

Hi nonny!

TBH, it’s hardly hot news that fandom in general like to fetishize mlm couples (especially if the characters are portrayed as straight). It’s usually straight women that fetishizes mlm ships (that’s a whole another problem I won’t get into now, otherwise this would be a very long post). I mean, I still remember the days of BBC Sherlock and Johnlock. I’m sure you do too, nonny.

Now, everyone has their own headcanons about characters and all. And that’s totally OK. But the MCU adapts characters from the comics (I know I’m totally coming across like a comic book purist, which I’m not, not really), and there are tons of wonderful LGTBQ characters in the comics. I’m aware that not all the people that are part of the MCU fandom read the comics, and that’s cool. 

I guess that my main issues with this are the following:

Like I said before, the MCU adapts the characters from the comics. But adaptation doesn’t mean carbon copy. Just like MCU’s MJ is not the “typical” Mary Jane we know, the MCU version is based on an alternate version of Mary Jane from the comics in which she was as much of a genius as Peter (I can’t remember the alternate universe). The same can happen with a character’s sexuality. Let’s use Jessica Drew aka Spider-Woman as an example. Her original version (Earth-616) is straight. But her Ultimate version (Earth-1610) identifies as a lesbian. Same can happen with Illyana Rasputina aka Magik, who in Earth 616 is established as straight, but she’s also established as bi and gay in different alternate universes. Other characters that can go this route are Wolverine and Hercules (both from Earth-12025, alternate universe in which they’re a couple) and Beast and Wonder Man (both from Earth-763, alternate universe in which they’re a couple). 

(I MEAN... Here you have two of the manliest, most macho-looking superheroes Marvel has, sharing a show-stopping kiss. JUST IMAGINE if we got something remotely close to it in the MCU).

I don’t have a problem with characters being queer when their comic counterpart are straight, as long as it makes sense whithin their narrative frame. Otherwise, it just becomes thoughtless representation and as a community we deserve better than that.

Then, of course, you have the canon LGBT characters (by canon I refer to characters present in the Earth-616 timeline). You have:

- Gay characters:

Union Jack

Northstar

Angela (Thor’s older sister, whose storyline in the MCU was given to Hela)

Sera

Korg (who already is in the MCU)

Phyla-Vell

Moondragon

America Chavez

Wiccan 

Hulkling

Iceman (one of the 6 original X-Men)

Karma (founder of the New Mutants)

Viv (Vision’s “daughter”)

-Bi characters:

Loki

Black Cat

Psylocke

Mystique

Electro (a Spider-Man villain)

Daken (Wolverine’s son)

Prodigy

Beetle (a Spider-Man villain)

Fuse

Noh-Varr

-Pan characters:

Deadpool

Julie Power

Xavin

-Trans characters:

Sera

Loki

-Genderfluid characters:

Loki

Xavin

Mystique

-LGBTQ characters that already are in the MCU (*):

Loki (Bisexual and genderfluid)

Valkyrie (Bisexual)

Nico Minoru (Bisexual)

Karolina Dean (Gay)

Xavin (Genderfluid)

Jeri Hogarth (Gay)

Joey Gutierrez (Gay)

Justin Hammer (Gay)

(*)I’m aware of the pattern here, the only openly LGBTQ characters are from the Marvel shows. Loki, Valkyrie and Justin Hammer have all been confirmed as queer behind the scenes

As you can see, there are tons of queer characters, some that even fit with the direction the MCU will be taking after Endgame:

You have America Chavez, Wiccan, Hulkling and Noh-Varr, all members of the Young Avengers. A notable member of this team? Cassie, Scott Lang’s daughter (she’s a teenager by the end of Endgame, so the timeline is just right for Marvel to bring the YA to the MCU). Also, in the Disney + Hawkeye series, it’s said that Clint will train someone. That someone could turn out to be Kate Bishop, another member of this group.

You have Iceman, Karma, Psylocke, Mystique, Daken, Prodigy and Deadpool, all members of the X-Men or groups affiliated with them. Since Disney acquiered the rights to the X-Men, we’ll see some of them soon in the MCU.

You have Phyla-Vell and Moondragon, characters associated with the GotG and the cosmic side of Marvel. Since one of the confirmed projects is the Eternals movie and it’s also said that the Captain Marvel sequel will take place in space, it’s possible these characters are introduced, since it seems the MCU is heading towards exploring the cosmic side of the universe. Marvel also confirmed that the Eternals movie will introduce its first openly gay character, so yay!

You have Ultimate Jessica Drew. She’s from the same alternate universe as Miles Morales. Since FFH confirmed the Multiverse theory, it can be possible this version of the character appears in the MCU, either as the MCU’s version of the Jess or as part of the Spider-Verse story-line. Also possible to make an appareance (but a little further down the line): Black Cat. She’s a love interest/rival to Spider-Man. There’s also possibility for Electro and Beetle to appear since they were both part of the Sinister Six.

You have Angela and Sera. Since Thor joined the GotG at the end of Avengers: Endgame, making it look like an adaptation of the Asgardians of the Galaxy run (or at least, the start of it), it’s easy to introduce, at least, Angela, since she became a rather popular character.

You have Loki and his upcoming Disney + solo series, which will take place in an alternate universe. The series is perfect for Marvel to explore the sexuality of one of its most popular characters.

You have Viv, the Vision’s daughter. Since we’ll get the ScarletVision Disney + series, it’s possible we get a version of Viv, or a mix of her and the children Wanda and Vision “had” (if you read House of M, you’ll know what I’m referring to). Viv is part of the series of new young heroes, along with Kamala Khan (Ms. Marvel), Riri Williams (Ironheart), Miles Morales (Ultimate universe’s Spider-Man), Spider-Gwen (Earth-65′s Gwen Stacy), Nadia Pym (Wasp), Lunella Lafayette (Moon Girl) and Gabby Kinney (a clone of Wolverine).

As I said, there are tons of awesome characters waiting to be introduced. Just because they’re not known to the GA doesn’t mean they couldn’t be great additions to the MCU. I mean, almost nobody knew about the Guardians when their first movie came out. Scott Lang and Stephen Strange were largely unknown by the GA when their movies came out. So yeah, I have great hopes for these awesome characters.

Also, support the Marvel shows that are giving us proper representation! Watch Runaways on Hulu and Jessica Jones and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D on Netflix.

[amandajoyce118]

Iron Fist Season 2 Easter Eggs And References

I actually managed to squeeze in watching the second season of Iron Fist in less than a month. Maybe I’ll be able to catch up on all of the other TV I’ve been behind on. Who knows? As usual, I haven’t explained who characters are if we’ve already met them, and I’ve tried to stick to comic book and MCU related Easter eggs, not the broader pop culture ones.

I will say, I found the first season of the show to drag, and not particularly compelling. The second season is much better. I actually don’t hate the Meachums this time around, for example, and I didn’t find Danny as annoying. Colleen is still the best.

If you haven’t yet watched the season, there are, obviously, spoilers. I’ve broken the Easter eggs down by episode so you can read one episode at a time if you want to avoid being spoiled, but you want to read as you watch.

Enjoy!

S2E01 “The Fury Of Iron Fist”

The episode title

The title is actually the title of Iron Fist’s first appearance in an issue of Marvel Premiere. Marvel Premiere was more of an anthology series. It was used to introduce a lot of characters in short story arcs to see how they did with the audience. Some of them stuck, others are now lost to time. (Funnily enough, when I first started watching the show, the episode titles were not showing up in the right order. Thanks, Netflix.)

Danny’s yellow mask

Yes, it’s yellow, a nod to his comic book costume. It also reminded me though that he promised Matt Murdock to take care of the city. Danny wasn’t huge on masks before, but Matt was.

Golden Tigers

This gang was actually in the comics, though in the comics, they were a little more conspicuous. They basically wore robes and tiger masks.

WJPBTV

The news footage that Danny watches and Colleen observes over his shoulder? That’s courtesy of the unofficial Marvel news network of the TV arm of the franchise. It was last seen in Luke Cage, I believe.

Mr. Yang

Mr. Yang not only appeared in the first season, but I think he also got a mention in season two of Luke Cage when Mariah was attempting to get all the gangs to work together.

“Old truces are being thrown to the wind.”

This is a bit of a theme in the Marvel Netflix world right now. Just like Luke Cage going after gangsters in Harlem, Danny Rand and company taking out the Hand here left a power scramble going on and old rules are no longer in play.

Oak Creek, Wisconsin

Oak Creek isn’t big in the comics, but since Mary said she’s from Wisconsin, I thought you might like to know of a few other characters from the same state. Phil Coulson is, for one. So are the Great Lakes Avengers. Funnily enough, the first time Wisconsin appeared in a Marvel Comic was in an issue of Captain America.

Mary

Speaking of Mary, she is a comic book character, but I think I’ll wait until that’s revealed in show in case anyone is taking this episode by episode.

The Silver Lotus

This restaurant actually exists in the comics. Usually the restaurants for the Netflix shows don’t. This one was a spot where Jean Grey, Storm, Colleen Wing, and Misty Knight grabbed some food. In case you didn’t know, Jean and Colleen actually were roommates for a while in the comics.

47

When Davos and Danny are talking on either side of a doorway, the number of the door reads 47. It’s probably a coincidence, but it made me wonder if there was any significance to the number since it was right in the middle of the shot. No Iron Fist solo series has ever made it to that number. Marvel Premiere, the comic where Iron Fist first appeared did, and it’s original issue 47 featured the first time Scott Lang put on an Ant-Man suit. Item 47 was also an MCU one shot featuring SHIELD Agents Sitwell and Blake after a couple who stole alien technology. That’s all I’ve got.

S2E02 “The City’s Not For Burning”

The episode title

Just like the first episode, this one is also named after a comic book. I guess that’s a thing this season. This title comes from Iron Fist #3. Though that comic book took place in London, it as a lot of the same ideas of the episode. In it, the city was seeing a lot of violence, though it was Danny and Misty who were teaming up there instead of Danny and Colleen.

Coffee A Go Go

Actual coffee houses have this name in reality, but it’s also a location from the comics. Hank and Bobby (AKA Beast and IceMan of the X-Men) used to double date with their girlfriends there. It was eventually turned into a sushi place instead.

Mary in the mirror

If you’re not familiar with this comic book character, the whole bathroom mirror thing is a huge clue to her identity.

Masks

The masks worn when Davos and Danny fight for the honor of facing the dragon are probably one of the closest things we’ve seen to the Iron Fist and Steel Serpent comic book costumes. They also employ the green and yellow color scheme.

The bowl

The priceless piece that Joy and Davos are after reminds me a lot of the candy dish that was in Joy’s office (I think?) in the first season. Same colors, in the Iron Fist scheme of course, but even similar in size and pattern.

Davos loses

Though Davos actually fought Danny’s father in the comics, the match basically went down the same way. When he loses, it’s actually his father up there on the panel watching who declares Danny the winner.

S2E03 “The Deadly Secret...”

The episode title

This episode gets its title from Power Man and Iron Fist #99. In that issue, Colleen and Misty team up for one story while Danny and Luke team up for another. Unfortunately, Misty gets kidnapped while they’re looking for an artifact, so Colleen is forced to ask the guys for help. They also find all of the films at their movie theater office stolen, Luke’s friend DW missing, and their foes Comanche and Shades out of prison. Whew. That’s a packed issue compared to this episode.

Cafe Bustelo

I just think it’s funny that this particular coffee brand hasn’t shown up (that I remember) on the show before. You know where this brand is popular? Luke Cage. I feel like these two shows have borrowed a lot from one another in their sophomore seasons.

“Someone called Walker.”

Yet another clue to Mary’s comic book backstory. Some might have thought this was a nod to Trish Walker if they didn’t know better, which would actually be very interesting if the shows decided to tie those two together. But no. I’ll wait for a full reveal to give the character details though. And isn’t it funny how we all thought Joy’s PI mention in season one was Jessica Jones? Apparently not. Instead, it’s Mary Walker.

Mrs. Yang’s hairpin

As far as I know, the Yangs aren’t comic book characters, but I love her use of her hairpin as a weapon. It’s a comic book trope that all of the femme fatales had deadly hairpins back in the day. It’s a classic.

S2E04 “Target: Iron Fist”

The episode title

This is the title of Iron Fist #3 from the 70s. In it, Misty takes center stage. She’s determined to take down a drug kingpin. It’s a storyline that was a little early for Marvel. Most of Marvel’s drug related arcs happened in the 80s instead. (It also featured Iron Fist facing off against a villain named Boomerang, if you’re interested in the Danny side of things.)

“I lost it back there, didn’t I? I blew our shot at peace.”

Oh, look. Another thing that was happening in Luke Cage. Luke taking things a step too far when all he wanted was peaceful streets. Were these writers hanging out before filming started or something?

Misty Knight

We all remember Misty from Luke Cage and The Defenders, right? Colleen saved Misty’s life when her arm was chopped off. Danny’s company paid for and developed Misty’s prosthetic, and now she’s in town for a visit.

Crane Sisters

Madame Gao was the show’s equivalent of the Crane Mother. The Crane Sisters appear to be the equivalent of the Crane Daughters. In their case, they were women who were the Mother’s actual daughters (she gave birth to thousands over the years according to the comics, but it seems more likely they’re from the same “Heavenly City” as her for the show). They actually gave their chi to another when they believed the Iron Fist was in the wrong for killing the Crane Champion. We kind of get a weird version of that here with them giving Davos his power.

The Steel Serpent

The symbol on Davos’ chest isn’t the dragon like Danny’s. Maybe it’s because he stole his powers. Maybe it’s just because it’s a nod to his comic book character. He’s the Steel Serpent in the comics. The same symbol was used on heroin in the Netflix corner of the MCU before.

Davos also stole Danny’s power in the comics, but it wasn’t quite the same way. He basically just stole it via the power of chi. This way looks more complicated.

S2E05 “Heart of the Dragon”

The episode title

This one comes from Marvel Premiere #16, which actually has a lot of nice thematic tie ins to this episode. In the comic, Iron Fist gets attacked by thugs as soon as he first arrives in New York. He also discovers there’s a mercenary named Scythe after him and that Scythe was paid for by the Meachums. He also spends a lot of time in the issue remembering just how Danny Rand became the Iron Fist. The difference here is that we’re seeing things more from the point of view of Davos this time around.

Promotion to Captain

This was flirted with in season two of Luke Cage. Misty was getting the offer for the job, but she didn’t seem to keen on it. She still doesn’t. But at least, we now know vaguely where we are in the timeline.

Colleen’s investigative instincts

Misty remarks that Colleen has good instincts when it comes to investigating Mary. Coincidentally (or not, since this is an Easter egg list), Misty and Colleen ran their own private investigative firm called Daughters of the Dragon. Still want to see Netflix make that the focus of a series.

616

A possible suspect with abilities gets this very fitting police code. Why? Because 616 is the designation given to the main universe in Marvel comics. Every Marvel TV series must give a nod to 616 at least once. It’s just a rule.

Mary Walker

They have definitely changed up Mary’s comic book backstory for the show, and probably for the better. In the comics, she’s a prostitute who is accidentally thrown out a window. When that happens, it awakens her “Typhoid Mary” personality, who essentially wants vengeance on all men ever. She starts with three distinct personas; the villain, Mary the meek, and Walker the stable peacemaker. As Typhoid Mary, she works for a few supervillains over the years. As Mary, she dates Matt Murdock. Her Dissociative Identity Disorder creates such distinct breaks in her personas that he can’t even tell that they’re the same people.

S2E06 “The Dragon Dies At Dawn”

The episode title

This comes from Iron Fist #9. In it, Danny ends up facing off against some members of the Golden Tigers, gets poisoned, and then finds out the guy he’s been fighting for the antidote isn’t the bad guy at all. Oh, and he’s framed for murder. Whew.

The Steel Serpent

Okay, I already talked about the tattoo, but it gets a comic book shout out here because the Crane sisters specifically say they used steel needles and Davos called it a serpent instead of a snake.

42 Baxter

Probably a coincidence, but when Mary calls the ambulance to 42 Baxter, I thought of the Fantastic Four with their Baxter Building on 42nd Street.

S2E07 “Morning of the Mindstorm”

The episode title

This title actually references Marvel Premiere #25. That issue was the last of the Marvel Premiere titles before Iron Fist got his own comic book series instead of being featured in the anthology. In it, Colleen was kidnapped and Iron Fist teamed up with Scarfe (who we see was Misty’s partner in season one of Luke Cage) to find her. The bad guy was Angar The Screamer who actually appeared in an old episode of Agents of SHIELD, so fun MCU connections in that particular comic.

The man with bullet-proof skin

Obviously, that’s Luke Cage. I like how the detectives think they’ve only got one person with abilities in each precinct’s jurisdiction. I have a feeling there are a lot more than that what with terrigen in the water in the MCU and all.

Red Fist vs Yellow Fist

In the comics, when Davos stole his power, Davos also had a glowing red fist.

A Tibetan antiquity

In addition to this being a nod to just where K’un L’un was in the comics, this also provides a nod to some of the other more mystical aspects of the MCU. The bowl might have been found somewhere near Tibet, but that’s also where the Ancient One is from in the comics (though that is certainly left murky in the MCU). Outside of Tibet somewhere, if I remember right, is also where Jiaying hid her village of Inhumans.

Professor Erskine

No, this isn’t the same Erskine that developed the super soldier serum for Captain America. He must come from a family of academics though. In the comics, Ernst Erskine was actually a writer and adventurer. He used the alias Lucky Pierre and he wrote about a much older Iron Fist than Danny.

Sokovia

Mary in Green Bay might be backstory we never get, but hey, she was in Sokovia, a major place in the MCU. Back when she was a soldier, she was captured and held there. When? We don’t know. But I do wonder if it was during the war torn days that saw Wanda want revenge on Tony, or if Mary’s too young for that, and she was captured by Hydra or something right before everything with Ultron went down.

Sensei Colleen

Not an Easter egg, but I think Colleen deciding to become Danny’s Sensei, break up with him, and not hold back while she trains him is my favorite scene in the show. I love her.

S2E08 “Citadel on the Edge of Vengeance”

The episode title

Named after issue #17 of Marvel Premiere, the only thing the two really have in common is Danny seeking vengeance. In the comic, this was only his third appearance, so he was setting out to take on Harold Meachum. Meachum had set elaborate traps for Danny so the Iron Fist couldn’t get to him. (He had 10 years to make sure he was ready, after all.) In the end, Danny ended up facing off against a guy who had been trapped in Meachum’s office building for 10 years who vowed to kill him, because, why not? His name was Triple-Iron, and I think that he only appeared in the two issues of their fight, never to be seen again.

More than two Marys

So far in the show, we’ve seen Mary and Walker. In the comics, her most deadly personality is Typhoid Mary (or Bloody Mary, some people label them as different personalities in the comics, but I think they’re the same?), which is likely going to end up being the person who saved her in Sokovia that she doesn’t know about. Interestingly, in the comics there’s also technically a fourth person called Mutant Zero. This version of Mary was part of the Initiative and was initially unstable, kept in check by the team leader, before becoming a full fledged fourth personality of hers that abandoned the team.

S2E09 “War Without End”

The episode title

Funnily enough, this is a pretty common title in sci-fi series. This episode shares its title with an episode of Babylon 5 and an issue of the old Transformers comic. Less famously, it’s also a title of a Power Man and Iron Fist comic - issue #83. The issue actually focuses on Luke Cage because Iron Fist is beaten unconscious. Think of it as an ally having to save him because he can’t use his powers, yes?

Turk

It feels like it wouldn’t be an episode of Marvel on Netflix without Turk. I guess he gave up his legit business in Luke Cage, and went back to selling weapons.

The Pirate Queen of Pinghai Bay

This is actually a character from the comics. Wu Ao-Shi was the first female Iron Fist, and yes, a pirate queen. She wasn’t just a fairy tale. I think we see where this is going, yes?

S2E10 “A Duel of Iron”

The episode title

This is actually the title of Iron Fist #1, and though the title suggests a battle between multiple Iron Fist powers, like we saw in the show, that’s not what goes down in the comics. Instead, Misty and Danny team up to save Colleen, not unlike the show, but Misty suspects that Stark Industries has something to do with Colleen’s disappearance, so that’s where they head. As you can imagine, it’s more of a misunderstanding, but Iron Fist and Iron Man do get into a brief fight before uniting.

The Mamas and the Papas

Mary singing “Monday Monday” while waiting to take aim at Davos is almost straight out of the comics. She sang it on the page during a fight scripted by Brian Michael Bendis, who is also the man behind the creation of Jessica Jones. (I’ve seen some people speculate that because the Mamas and the Papas were known for their four part harmonies that Mary might actually have four separate identities, not just the three we know about. I think that’s reaching, and that it’s just a nod to the comics, but anything is possible.)

Colleen’s fist is white

I like that each of the people sporting the Fist gets a different color scheme. Danny, of course, has yellow because of his comic book aesthetic, and Davos had red to show he’s a bad guy. Colleen gets white because white is her signature color in the comics, but white is also often associated with “pure” power, bright light, and all that, so maybe Danny’s right in the end and it was her destiny to be the Iron Fist after all.

(Also, Colleen has never been the Iron Fist in the comics that I know of, but she has shared Danny’s power on occasion when him using his power to heal her changed her. While she doesn’t have the Fist itself in the comics, she does have mastery over her chi.)

Misty’s arm bling

Misty makes a joke about blinging out her arm in the show, but in the comics, she did have a gold one.

KnightWing

No, this is not a Titans reference to poke the DC stick. Instead, this moniker coming up while Colleen and Misty talk career paths is a nod to NightWing Investigations, the name of the private investigative firm owned by the Daughters of the Dragon.

Orson Randall

The mysterious “employer” that Danny and Ward steal some property from? Yeah, he’s the World War I era Iron Fist. It looks like he’s still alive and kicking, and that his weapon of choice still holds onto his chi or something? Those two guns Danny sports that allow his fists to glow were what Orson liked to use in the comics. Just like Colleen channeling her power into her kitana, he could do it with his guns, and Wu Ao-Shi could do it with arrows. Fancy.

That’s all I’ve got for the second season of Iron Fist. I’ll be back for Daredevil season three next month!

[doctorofmagic]

@robertdowneyhiddlesbatch ​ said:

Wait is defender stranger part of defenders like *netflix defenders*?

By Defender Strange, do you mean comics or MCU? I’m just asking because that Stephen variant is being called Defender Strange so I’m kinda confused. If so, then I have no idea if he’s part of the Defenders.

But if you’re referring to comics, 616!Stephen is not only a member of the Defenders, he’s one of the co-founders along with Hulk and Namor xD

The Netflix show just made a bit of a stretch to insert the street heroes as the founders but Luke Cage was actually a regular member when Nighthawk hired him to be a Defender, while Danny became a regular in v4, and Daredevil had a few team-ups here and there. Only Jessica Jones was never truly a Defender until Defenders v5 debuted to follow the Netflix show and make them the current team.

But the Defenders are a different kind of team. They only reunite when the world is at stake and they call themselves a “non-team”. Most people do not know they exist and Stephen was a leader for literal decades before leaving the team. And after that, he’s always associated with the Defenders (and Secret Defenders, which is a whole new concept). So yep, the Netflix show was totally focused on street heroes, but in fact, the team started with heavy hitters like Stephen, Hulk, Namor, Valkyrie, Silver Surfer, then Nighthawk, Clea, Hellstrom, Hellcat and so on.

Stephen is in fact of the most important names when you talk about Defenders!

Hi! So with America Chavez being a featured character in MoM, that got me to wondering - did she and Stephen ever team up in the comics? Or is this purely an MCU thing? Thanks, and have a great day! :)

Greetings and thanks for asking!

No, I don't believe America has ever interacted with Stephen. Her connection is definitely cosmic instead of mystic in nature.

[Rant mode on]

Truth be told, I think America is here just to be a key to explore the multiverse, and this bothers me a lot because, well, can you see the MCU actually giving America an accurate background? With her mothers? With her own sexuality to be openly explored? She's completely isolated from what makes her the hero we know from the comics.

I could be wrong on that regard but... *sigh* it's already twice as problematic not casting an afrolatina actress to play her, and portray her as Mexican when she's actually Puerto Rican. I'll leave a thread on that and why this is important.

So yeah... America and Stephen belong to complete different worlds, and although this can work since Stephen is very good with young heroes in general (Kamala, Riri, Lunela, for instance), I'm quite worried about America and her identity on this movie.

[Rant mode off]

With that being said, I'm always eager to see Stephen teaming up with all kinds of heroes, and he's often used in many occasions because he can work as a support in any narrative, honestly. This is why he can work as a Defender or a member of any other team. Perhaps in future comic books since the movies kinda have a certain influence on them (but it has to be for the better, not for the worse, because yeah... This America is not cutting it, sorry).

Also apologies for the rant, there are many problematic things going on regarding this movie and I cannot pretend they're not happening. Which is sad for a Stephen stan but well, that's just life.

[aion-rsa]

WandaVision: Release Date, Trailer, Cast, Story Details, and News

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe launches not at any theater with a blockbuster, but rather—in a sign-of-the-times development—in the realm of streaming television. Disney+ series WandaVision, brings back Avengers members Vision (Paul Bettany) and Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) for a madcap serial spinoff; one that will require A LOT of explanation, given their respective fates in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.

WandaVision, which operates under the creative purview of Captain Marvel writer Jac Schaeffer, now takes point for Phase Four in January, representing a canonical tie-in that’s more solid than contemporary MCU-adjacent small-screen predecessors like ABC’s Agents of SHIELD and Agent Carter, along with unceremoniously abandoned Netflix “Street Level” shows Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, The Punisher, and The Defenders.

With that set, here’s everything else we know so far about WandaVision.

WandaVision Release Date

WandaVision premieres on Disney+ on Friday, January 15.

The series will release new episodes weekly every Friday.

How Many Episodes is WandaVision?

WandaVision will run for nine episodes between January 15 and March 12.

Interestingly, the notion of the reality-altering WandaVision serving as the introduction to Phase Four of the MCU was far from the original plan—that honor was originally designated for big screen solo offering Black Widow, which would have been nearly a year old by now had it not been for the worldwide dilatory effect of COVID-19 on anything and everything. Indeed, WandaVision—itself delayed from a December 2020 window—wasn’t even supposed to be the first Marvel series to hit Disney+, since The Falcon and the Winter Soldier was originally planned as the MCU’s inaugural Disney+ original, initially set for an August 2020 premiere (it is now scheduled for March 19).

WandaVision Trailer

The era-hopping nature of WandaVision continues to be on full display in the latest trailer, which arrives less than two weeks ahead of the show’s Disney+ debut. Check it out just below!

The second trailer for the series hit back in December, utilizing The Monkees’ “Daydream Believer” in a manner that seems prophetic. Check it out just below.

The first footage from WandaVision, which can be seen just below, arrived back in September during the Emmys.

We did a full breakdown of all the MCU secrets in the first WandaVision trailer right here.

WandaVision Cast

Of course, Paul Bettany and Elizabeth Olsen are back as Vision and Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch, respectively.

Yet, the series will also see the return of some unlikely role-reprising MCU alumni, with Kat Dennings as Darcy Lewis (MIA since 2013’s Thor: The Dark World) and Randall Park as Agent Jimmy Woo (seen in 2018’s Ant-Man and the Wasp) making their continuity returns.

Disney+

Teyonah Parris will debut as Monica Rambeau (as previewed above), specifically the adult version of the character we saw in Captain Marvel as a child (played there by Akira Akbar), who was the daughter of Lashana Lynch’s Maria Rambeau. Monica’s inclusion will directly connect the series to the 2022-scheduled Captain Marvel 2, in which Parris is already set to reprise the role. Moreover, given the character’s history in the pages of Marvel Comics, the inclusion could prove consequential to the MCU as a whole, since Monica—introduced in 1982—inherited the mantle of Captain Marvel (albeit from Mar-Vell, not Carol Danvers, who was still Ms. Marvel at the time). Indeed, Monica was the Captain Marvel who fought for the side of the heroes in the original Secret Wars saga.

Kathryn Hahn plays Agnes, a “nosey neighbor” (although we have our own suspicions about who she’s actually supposed to be). Additionally, Debra Jo Rupp, Holene Purdy, Asif Ali, Brain Brightman, and Fred Melamed will fill roles on the series.

WandaVision Poster

The eponymous couple of WandaVision embody this ’50s-esque poster, one of a series of stylistically-similar posters unveiled on New Year’s Day.

Disney+

Kathryn Hahn’s Agnes and Teyonah Parris’s Monica Rambeau are notably featured in the two posters below.

Disney+

We’ve heard of American Gothic, but American Matrix? Is the debut poster below disturbing enough for you?

WandaVision Story

As Disney’s official synopsis explains:

“Marvel Studios’ WandaVision blends the style of classic sitcoms with the Marvel Cinematic Universe in which Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany)—two super-powered beings living their ideal suburban lives—begin to suspect that everything is not as it seems…The series is a blend of classic television and the Marvel Cinematic Universe in which Wanda Maximoff and Vision—two super-powered beings living idealized suburban lives—begin to suspect that everything is not as it seems.”

WandaVision will also apparently tie into Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which, itself seems to be intrinsically connected to what we’ve been hearing about the franchise-crossover casting of Sony’s untitled Spider-Man 3. Thus, it sounds like that could be the show’s solution to the whole “Vision is dead” problem; an issue that didn’t seem to be corrected after Tony Stark’s sacrificial Infinity Gauntlet snap in Avengers: Endgame. Indeed, the quasi-1950s setting of the D23 teaser poster appears to hint an explanation attributed to Wanda’s reality-based powers, which were central element to Marvel Comics’ House of M storyline, in which her mental breakdown created an entirely new history that temporarily displaced the traditional Earth-616 timeline.

Vision and Scarlet Witch were, of course, a staple of Avengers comics for many years—albeit paired together through very different circumstances in the comics. Their pairing even supported two limited series from Marvel titled The Vision and the Scarlet Witch—launched in 1982 and 1985, respectively—that detailed their domestic bliss, as envisioned by writer Steve Englehart.

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“There’s quite a few other comic books that we’re pulling from and it’s going to be Wanda and the Vision, and I think at the Disney+ launch chat, they showed a photo of us in the ’50s,” Olsen told Variety. Could this be an example of Wanda’s occasional mental health issues rearing its head, where she is coping with the traumatic death of Vision in Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame by creating a fantasy world/domestic life where he still lives? Could WandaVision be the Marvel Studios equivalent of the completely bonkers and surreal Legion? Time will tell.

The post WandaVision: Release Date, Trailer, Cast, Story Details, and News appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/3ogpBof

[untolikeiron-a]

WHAT DO DANNY DO 

Want new-and-exciting plots for your character? Long to reach out to more of your followers, but don’t know where to start? Fear not! Fill out this form and give your RP partners both present and future all the of juicy jumping off points they need to help you get your characters acquainted.

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Mun name: Allison OOC Contact: IMs. Discord and skype available to mutuals but i’m never on them so IMs best bet.

Who the heck is my muse anyway:

Danny’s the immortal iron fist.  He fought a dragon and now has its life force and can use it to do a bunch of things like make his fists “like unto a thing of iron”. He’s a billionaire philanthropist, the CEO of Rand Corp/Enterprises which was started by his father. He’s a Hero for Hire and a sometime Avenger.  idk i’m shit at these things.

Points of interest:

MASTER MARTIAL ARTIST: He fought a dragon with his fists.  He’s p. good. 

CHI MANIPULATION: Danny can use the chi of Shou-Lao in a variety of ways, most notably to make his fists “like unto a thing of iron” AKA the IRON FIST.  He can also use the Chi of Shou-Lao to heal himself and others, to create a hypnotic “jedi mind trick” effect, create interdimensional portals and a variety of other OP bullshit.  

BILLIONAIRE PHILANTHROPIST: Danny owns his own company and was born into beauxcoup cash moneys, which he is now making an effort to give away before he dies.  To him the only reason to keep Rand Corp open is because it’s easier to create sustainable change with the power of the mighty dollar behind it.  His goal is to die absolutely broke from having given away every penny he’s ever owned or made.

PHILOSOPHER: Danny spends a lot of time meditating and reflecting on the ways of the world.  He’s prone to wax philosophic on occasion, but generally he tries to keep it tamped down until someone asks.  

A BIG OLD DORK: All this OP talk aside he’s a serious awkward nerd so please love him he’s not good at social.

What they’ve been up to recently:

(MCU) v: you can’t even save yourselves: Following the events of the Netflix MCU shows including Iron Fist and (eventually) Defenders, Danny is teaming up with Matt Murdock, Jessica Jones and Luke Cage to stop the Hand from their dastardly plot (whatever that might be) and making friends along the way.

(616) V; hold back the storm:  Luke’s married and doing the dad thing, Misty’s with someone else; the people most important to Danny seem to have fallen away to do their own things, leaving him scrambling.  He’s thrown himself into outreach work and studying the Book of the Iron Fist, but if truth were told, he’s lonely.  He spends most of his time by himself and dives into his work.  Come be his friend.   also he’s prob about to get tapped for Elektra’s Chaste. Danny is making friends (and is already friends tbh) with many of the X-Men and the mutant community.  In more fighty news, Danny’s currently working a case of tracking down missing street people who he believes have been taken to be forced into fighting gladiator style matches.  Come help him save people.

(616 AU) v: hold my heart in your hands & (MCU AU) v: light & shadow: Honestly everything’s the same except Danny has a romantic relationship with @deathitsclf‘s Elektra Natchios.  We’re open to other people hopping into these verses so feel free to hit me up if you’re interested!

Where to find them:

Manhattan, New York. Midtown; near Times Square

Rand Corp/Industries.

K’un-Lun

Chaste HQ (Elektra’s spot) coming soon

Current open post/s

I post starter calls pretty regularly though I don’t have any up right now.  I also have a thousand memes I throw around so you can hit me up in any of those.

Anything else?:

616 & MCU Divergent: Not much but just in some of the broad strokes. Specifically in MCU, I tend to draw more from 616 and make MCU Danny more a young version of 616 Danny to a certain extent so be prepared for 616 Iron Fist lore to play a bigger part in my MCU portrayal etc. etc.

Tagged by: @tsubcsa bae lovesm e and also hates me for making me do this long thing

Tagging: idk idk @deathitsclf @pastismyown @piionic this is forever long so basically if you wanna do it do it and if you don’t wanna do it I DONT BLAME YOU

[traincat]

Hi! I've seen people ask about your opinion on the Fantastic Four movies before, but I was wondering about your thoughts on the various Spider-man films we've gotten throughout the years and the actors who played him (I really liked Tom Holland in Civil War and I'm looking forward to Homecoming a lot!) Thanks for taking the time!

Haha every time I talk about Spider-Man and Fantastic Four movies I really do feel like it’s the Unpopular Opinions Hour because my favorite superhero movies are Fant4stic and TASM2.

It’s been approximately one million years since I saw the Raimi movies as a baby Spider-Man fan so I can’t exactly say a ton but I remember… not liking them. Raimi Peter is just such a schlemazel that there’s really nothing appealing to me about him. I love underdog Peter as much as the next person but yeesh. I do love their JJJ. I really should rewatch them, though, so maybe my opinions will have changed. (Probably not.) (The dance scene in Spider-Man 3 really is art though.) (Who is going to get drunk and watch every Spider-Man movie with me.)

I just remembered that John Jameson was played by a guy who later went on to be one of the Originals in Vampire Diaries and cracked up. ‘Cause, you know, John’s a werewolf sometimes in 616.

The Amazing Spider-Man movies I loooooove, though. TASM2 is probably the movie I watch most when I’m just feeling down. Andrew Garfield was such a good Peter Parker in my opinion, and he has both the good eyebrows and the good Spider-Man opinions. (He said he played Peter as Jewish and he wanted Peter to be bi and also to kiss MBJ but that’s neither here nor there cough the otp cough.) As somebody who lives right outside NYC, New York has a feel to it that I think TASM really gets. The Parker home feels very real to me, and I love May and Peter’s dynamic and Ben and Peter’s dynamic and that he loves them, but he’s angry, too, and feels abandoned, and that he and May both know the other lies to them. And I love that it lets Peter have an edge. For me Peter’s kindness and compassion are much more interesting when contrasted against his anger and deep sadness – if he’s sweetness and light all the time it strikes me as hollow. Going to get Way Too Personal for a sec but that kind of economic and social shift that young (look at Richard&Mary’s house in the beginning vs Ben&May’s) really does a number on you and I recognize a lot of it in TASM Peter. Anyway, the fast-talking, also really good, moving along here.

And like! There’s so much stuff in the background of these movies! I kind of don’t know where to begin because I just have so many Thoughts – that beautiful apartment the Stacy family has, like, where is that money coming from? Presumably from her mother? A police chief isn’t affording that place. Asking Peter where his suit for dinner is? WHAT WORLD DO THE TASM STACYS LIVE IN. It’s so weird. It’s great. I love it, I love the differences between Peter and Gwen represented by their environments and their almost magnetic attraction to each other. And like! Flash and Peter in the first movie – the hallway confrontation, Flash’s “It feels better, right?” when Peter pins him up against the lockers, referencing Flash’s abusive home life. Why did they have to cut Flash’s one TASM2 scene. You will never convince me that the brunette girl with glasses in the first TASM movie isn’t TASM Jessica Jones.

I REALLY like the decision to skip Norman as the Green Goblin altogether and go straight to Harry, and I think Dane DeHaan’s Harry was amazing. I never thought I would kind of ship Electro/Harry Osborn but here we are. Okay this is just. Getting really long. I love TASM. I love its Peter. I cry like, every time at the car scene when he takes the mask off while saving the little boy and also at all the swinging. I love how lonely a series it is. I’m realizing this is why my really long TASM2/Fant4stic JohnnyPeter fic is Just So Long, it’s all of these feelings. (It’s actually because I have to keep switching povs because from Johnny’s pov I can’t convey Peter’s deep grief properly and from Peter’s pov I can’t find an elegant way to mention that Johnny and Victor made out once and it was a bad time.) 

Stuff I didn’t like: 

taking Dr. Ashley Kafka, who in 616 is a woman in the psychiatric field who is professional and compassionate, and ending up where TASM ended up with THEIR Dr. Kafka, a sadistic male scientist with a German accent. Why.

SO MUCH RICHARD PARKER HONESTLY WHO CARES ABOUT RICHARD PARKER

but it’s fine because we could’ve either gone the clone place or the android parents place with that alternative ending and I would sat there stuffing popcorn into my face being like “wow give it every oscar”

But really they should’ve cut every scene with an airplane in it in TASM2 and kept the one where Flash and Peter hug and Flash says he loves him instead

We’re never getting TASM3 and I will never get to roll around in all the cash I would’ve won betting on them doing the Ultimate Spider-Man Venom plotline

I really liked Tom Holland in Homecoming edit I meant Civil War in my defense this is a lot of names. I thought they did a great job with the introduction – my entire theater burst into THUNDEROUS applause as soon as QUEENS flashed on the screen, and they established his power set really well. (Stop Underpowering Peter Parker 2017.) The trailer for Homecoming looks good! I’m excited! I totally called the Vulture AND the Shocker villains so if they crash prom Marvel owes me money for stalking my twitter.

I have like. Two complaints.

Why Is Ned Leeds Ganke, like, okay, Ned Leeds in his original incarnation is Peter Parker’s romantic rival for Betty Brant and, later, his coworker and friend. (He was also a supervillain. It’s a long story!) Ganke Lee is Miles Morales’ best friend and confidant in all things Spider-Man. MCU Ned Leeds looks incredibly similar to Ganke, and Ganke loves legos – we see Ned playing with legos in the trailer. I’m really (eyebrows raised) about the MCU so blatantly taking a major Miles Morales character and grafting him onto a Peter Parker minor character. If you wanted to make a Miles Morales movie, MCU, you should’ve made a Miles Morales movie. (Before anyone says yes I know there’s going to be an animated Miles Morales movie.)

I’m ehhhhh about the amount of Tony Stark in the trailer and the role he was presented in. I know trailers lie, and I was … mostly fine with Tony giving Peter the suit in Civil War, but one of the things I like about Peter Parker is that he’s an inventor, and he’s mostly street level, and he’s kind of a weird loner solo player. So. I don’t know. I’m going to see the movie and form my opinions I guess! Trailers are just trailers! Let Peter Parker make his own stuff before we go all Iron Spider.

I’m also worried it will be Too Fun because what’s a Spider-Man story without creeping, crushing sadness. And I literally just said I hate fun. Rest assured if I was capable of being sorry for being this way I would be. 

Anyway I am the opposite of the entire internet and I wish we had like, five different Spider-Man movie series running at all times so we could really get deep into Spidey mythos and explore a whole host of things. There’s no such thing as too many Spider-Man movies! There could be ten a month and my dumb self would be in the theater every opening night stuffing popcorn into my face and whispering “gosh I just love Spider-Man.”

PS the night I went to see The Amazing Spider-Man 2 I went to my local theater where it’s almost always just me and a handful of other people and there was this trio of old people up in the front row having a loud and passionate argument about PeterGwen vs PeterMJ and it was the best real life ship war I’ve ever witnessed.

[svjetllost]

"Of course," he said, voice like velvet with a smirk curled at the edge. "I have no doubt the best lawyer in town will take care of it all."

He’d approached her, at first, under the guise of business. She was sharp, ruthless, and desirable. And anything desirable, he wanted. Had to have. Possession was, after all, the sincerest form of admiration.

The waiters arrived with an orchestrated precision, each dish described in hushed tones as they were set down with reverence. A bottle of champagne was opened with a quiet pop, poured into their glasses, and then they vanished behind kitchen walls as if they’d never been there. Just the two of them again.

He moved with care, collecting the finest pieces from each plate and arranging them meticulously on one just for her. He always took care of what belonged to him. And for the past few weeks, she had been nothing short of delightful, efficient in court, entertaining in company, and endlessly captivating.

Any trivial legal trouble he found himself in, she would take care of. He was certain. And if not... well, he had other ways. Less pleasant ways. But he did so prefer when things were easy.

"After we eat, I thought we could go shopping," he continued, as if planning a stroll rather than dictating a life. "There’s a little place I know, you’ll love it. They’ll have just the thing. And when you're done with my case, we’ll take a holiday. Somewhere warm. Europe, perhaps? The South. You'd look radiant in the sun, don't you think?"

He smiled as he lifted a bite to his mouth, indulgent, relaxed. But before he could take a sip of his champagne, the ground shuddered with a thunderous crack. An explosion, sharp, jarring, from the street beyond. Half the table’s contents clattered to the floor.

His jaw tightened. He lowered his fork. "...What now?"

Maybe she should be more perturbed. This man waltzes into her life, entitled, full of it. He doesn't understand consent, nor does he care to. He commits crimes and things that may not be legally an offense but are incredibly cruel. Only, she is used obsessive, possessive, controlling bastards. Jonathan is exactly like this.

Additionally, she isn't given much emotional leeway to consciously be unsettled by him. The commands are pleasant. Euphoria radiates through her body at every little request. She feels uncontrollably pleased to do as she is told.

There is a certain amount of confusion underneath it all. Contradictions in how she really feels and how she acts. An anger sometimes bubbles up, manifesting in furrowed brows and a frown. It's short-lived. He demands something else and shoves those emotions back down deep into her chest where they fester.

“Trust me.”

And she does. It's surface-level, but she feels warmth for him. Of course he knows what's best. The same way he knows what's best for her to wear, how to do her hair, how to behave. Now it's what to feel.

She's still but relaxed. What normally would make her tense up, his hand reaching for her, instead has her leaning into the touch. She trusts him. He wouldn't do anything inappropriate, bad, unwelcomed. Would he? Well, would he? Only he does. But he doesn't? Does he?

The internal conflict is draining.

"Of course not," Becky reassures. "There's nothing to be irritated about. My recent case - your case - it's going to be dropped. I'm certain of it." Because she trusts him. She trusts he hasn't done a thing wrong. There's no way he has done any of the things detailed in his files. Why would she trust him if he had?

Yeah. What the fuck is she thinking? That makes sense.

Becky smiles at him and leans into the table, resting her arms on it gently. "I have to talk to the D.A. about it, but I can't possibly see why there would be any issues with pulling it."

[daresplaining]

The Defenders Trailer #1 Analysis

    Here’s our analysis of the first Defenders trailer... just in time for the second one! (Right, Marvel?)

    To start, one detail we really like is that they’ve managed to maintain the distinct color palettes of the different shows. Jessica’s shots in the trailer are purple-tinged, Luke’s are yellow, Matt’s are red, and Danny’s are green. The scenes in which all four characters appear together are either very colorful (e.g. the restaurant where they have their team dinner, later in the trailer) or colorless (the stark white hallway scene). The dedication to these color motifs is very cool, and from what we can tell so far, it seems to work without being jarring or obtrusive.  

    Since this show is only going to be eight episodes long, and has four main characters, we’re very curious to see how much screentime the massive number of secondary protagonists are going to get. It’s a relief to see that Misty will be tied to Jessica’s investigative activities, since that means we’ll likely see a reasonable amount of her.       

    Massive kudos to everyone involved for recreating this scene from Alias #3 almost panel for panel! We love that Jessica and Matt meet this way, and are thrilled that they pulled directly from the source material to give us the live action equivalent.  

    This also answers the question of whether or not Matt is still doing legal work. 

    Here we have our first glimpses of post-prison Luke-- including his renewed romantic relationship with Claire. Having escaped from under the specter of being an escaped convict, he now has the freedom to live and work and exist in the world the way he chooses, and we can’t wait to see his efforts to rebuild his life, and the choices he makes from here. Clearly, he has permanently owned his identity as a superhero and public figure, which means he has likely completed the process of accepting his powers as well. Having been forced into the superhero situation in Luke Cage, he is now actively making the choice to continue helping people. The big question now is: what form will this help take? We feel like they could have pulled off making him a hero for hire in his solo show, but we understand why they didn’t. There are all sorts of ethical questions it would have brought up (many people accused him of being heartless and only in it for the money in his early comics appearances), which would have gotten in the way of the story. However, now-- being jobless-- there’s a chance he could consider it. But since he’s going to be pretty busy in this show, that might not come up in any concrete form until Luke Cage Season 2.  

    It will also be interesting to see what his attitude is toward the team-up. He might actually enjoy it, barring any potential awkwardness with Jessica. And hey, the Hand doesn’t have Judas bullets. 

    ...Probably. 

    Given that this only takes place a month after Iron Fist, we’re guessing that Danny and Colleen will have only just returned from the Himalayas by the time the show starts, or will return in the first episode-or-so. Finn Jones’s comments about Danny having vital information about what the Hand are up to suggests that, beyond the revelations about the group in Iron Fist, he and Colleen may discover something new while investigating K’un-Lun’s disappearance between shows. We’re wondering if this new information could have something to do with the “lost city” mentioned in this NY Bulletin article:   

    (Here’s a theory we’ve been playing with: Alexandra and the Hand are connected in some way to the eighth Capital City of Heaven from Immortal Iron Fist.)      

    Colleen is another secondary protagonist who-- thanks to her close ties to the Hand and shared storyline with Danny-- will likely be integral to the main plot. Jessica Henwick provided a little hint of Colleen’s character arc in an interview with Entertainment Weekly: 

“We pick up with Colleen not in New York — which is crazy, as all the shows have been predominantly in New York. We find her a month after we left her. [...] She hasn’t been able to deal with the emotional trauma she dealt with in Iron Fist, so it builds to a head and she explodes in Defenders.”

    This is more strong evidence that both Danny and Colleen will still be out of the country when the show starts. We found Colleen’s shortage of character development to be one of Iron Fist’s few weak areas, so we are excited for the rest of the fallout from her falling-out with the Hand, and to see how she handles the extremely personal nature of this show’s plotline. We’re expecting some reappearances by Bakuto, and probably from some of Colleen’s former students. It’s gonna hurt...

    Finally, we love Danny’s modern era comics-style haircut! (Colleen, this is your cue. Red hair dye. Stat.) We don’t need an in-universe reason for a small change like this, but we wonder if there will be one.

    This is one of the most intriguing shots in the trailer. The weapons lying all over the place make it seem like this is a Hand base, but we’re interested in the containers on the far left. Drugs? Something connected to the blood harvesting project (which may or may not be Black Sky or resurrection-related)? IGH? If we keep saying the Hand is connected to IGH, it’ll end up being true, right? 

    We have waited so long, and we’re finally getting a live action Power Man and Iron Fist adaptation! (Please... if you haven’t read Power Man and Iron Fist Volume 1, do yourself a huge favor and get that into your life.) They’ve been teasing the heck out of this most beautiful of friendships for a while both in the actual shows and during promo events, so it’s a thrill to finally have reached this point. It will be interesting to see how their dynamic evolves, since there are some key distinctions between 616 Luke and Danny and MCU Luke and Danny. To start, MCU Luke’s personality is markedly different from that of his comics counterpart. In the comics, he’s a loud, aggressive guy, known for violent tendencies and a short temper. When he first meets Danny, he is in a particularly nasty emotional uproar because he is being blackmailed, and his loved ones’ lives are in danger. However, in the MCU they’ve mellowed him down to a considerable degree-- likely to avoid invoking the “big angry black man” stereotype that’s present in the source material. 

    In Danny, we see the opposite change. 616 Danny is a very angry, serious, emotionally confused guy in his early appearances, having just left his home behind in order to commit murder. However, through connecting with Colleen and Misty and orienting himself in his new life, he calms down, and has taken on the gentler, friendlier persona he’s best known for by the time he meets Luke. In the moment of their first encounter he’s not exactly in a great mood, because Luke has just punched out his best friend and his girlfriend, but he’s reasonably quick to forgive once he gets a sense of the situation. However, given the brilliant scrambling of his revenge quest in the show, MCU Danny has not had the chance to settle down in this way-- and has actually gone through the opposite character progression. Over the course of Iron Fist he has his optimism and kindness stripped away, leaving him angry and frustrated and on-edge by the final episode. We can’t imagine the revelation in the very last scene of the show did much to help this emotional turmoil, so it will likely transfer over into at least the first few episodes of The Defenders. 

    Will having a calm Luke and an angry Danny instead of an angry Luke and a calm Danny make a difference in their relationship? It’s hard to say. However, one thing we do know is that it’ll result in something that’s a priority for us: a big knock-down, drag-out fight! This is the nature of their first encounter in the comics as well, and we consider it to be a very important bonding experience for both of them. Danny punches Luke through several walls and drops a building on him, Luke gets right back up and keeps fighting, and by the end of the confrontation they are both extremely impressed with each other. In an ideal world, the live action version would be just as wild and building-destroying, but what matters most is that the bonding fight happens. We’re eager to see what will cause it in this universe, since that will directly affect how long it takes for them to become BFFs afterward. 

    This is a beautiful shot.

    Tell ‘em, Danny!

    We mentioned this in our Iron Fist commentary, but one gap in the MCU’s rendition of the mythos is an explanation of the “immortal” epithet. We love that Danny uses it, because of the geek-out factor, but it still needs to make sense in-universe. In the comics, it refers to the fact that K’un-Lun and its citizens are immortal, and also to the fact that the Iron Fist position will (in theory) always be around. This may be the reasoning in the show as well-- but it’s something we feel they should explain, because to non-comics readers it probably seems kind of random. Maybe it’ll come up in The Defenders.         

    Unsurprisingly, it seems that Claire is the person responsible for bringing Luke and Danny together-- finally reaching her full capacity as the link between shows. She may be the one who sends Matt to help Jessica as well. 

    Luke and Danny, sizing each other up. Unstoppable force meets immovable object.

    ...Now hug.  

    There have been quite a few shots like this in these shows, of characters studying themselves in mirrors. It’s generally meant to imply self-reflection and contemplation. This specific variety-- in which a character stares into a fogged-up bathroom mirror after taking a shower-- contains an added element of vulnerability and implied regret, and usually indicates that they’ve just been through a traumatic event. Sure enough, Danny has a nasty-looking slice across his chest. 

    Logic suggests that he probably got it from Elektra-- though if this show goes for maximum trauma, which it might, we could guess it might be from Colleen somehow...  

    But probably Elektra.  

    Exhibit A: Jessica Jones drinking alone in a closed bar, during what looks like the middle of the day.    

    We know three key things about Jessica’s current state of being: she is still operating as a P.I., except now (in theory) she has more emotional support in the form of Malcolm and Trish; she has become semi-well-known and popular thanks to her fight with Kilgrave, and isn’t sure how to handle the fame; and she’s still struggling with the trauma of everything that happened in Jessica Jones Season 1. Getting pulled into a team-up is not going to help with any of this-- apart from allowing her to reconnect with Luke, and introducing her to more people who might possibly serve as a support network, whether she wants one or not. She and Matt are the two people who we imagine are going to be most hesitant about the team-up, and Jessica will likely be the most open and loud about not wanting to be involved. In fact, since Malcolm and Trish will both be appearing in this show, we wonder if they might have a role in convincing her to help out. 

    We can't wait to see how she reacts to the magic ninjas. She’s going to have some great reactions to the magic ninjas, we can guarantee it. 

    Okay, listen.

    Can uh... can we please just call him ‘Daredevil’? He’s Daredevil. That��s his code name. Never mind showing respect for the source material, etc., etc.-- he’s been Daredevil for two years in the MCU. “The Devil of Hell’s Kitchen” was all well and good (well... not terrible, anyway) as a semi-believable build-up to him acquiring his actual name, but it’s a silly-sounding mouthful and there’s no reason for anyone to still be using it. All of the praise we’ve given to Luke Cage and Iron Fist for owning the superheroic/non-grounded elements of their comics is completely negated by this utter unwillingness to use Matt’s actual dang superhero name!   

    Sorry. Just had to get that out of our collective system. Moving on...    

    Hooray, a nice look at Matt’s costume (which looks pretty much the same as it did last season)-- including a great close-up of his billy clubs. We can’t wait to see him use the grapple line some more in this show, and we’re still holding out for someday getting the double-Ds. 

    The hero we need.

    Our guess is that Luke’s time in prison won’t extend beyond the first episode. This could even be his introductory scene. We would love to get a long, drawn-out plotline in which his name is cleared, because that’s a vital step in his story, but we highly suspect that there won’t be time for it. In many ways, it would have been nice to get Luke Cage Season 2 before The Defenders, so that this plot point could be properly developed.  As it stands, we’re expecting maybe one or two scenes to cover Luke being at Seagate and then getting released.    

    (Cue some long, gratuitous gushing about how good the Iron Fist looks. ...And the Chi of Shou-Lao looks nice too. *Rimshot*)

    Sorry. Anyway. We are absolutely psyched to see Stick interact with Danny. This is partly because, as Stick fans, we enjoy seeing him interact with anyone and everyone. But mostly, it’s because we cannot wait to see what the Chaste’s relationship with K’un-Lun and the Iron Fist is like in this universe. As two major forces that have been battling the Hand for centuries, it would make sense for them to be aware of each other. But at the same time, the intel discrepancy between the Chaste and K’un-Lun indicates that they may not be in regular contact with each other-- or possibly have never even interacted before now. (For more details, see this post.) How does Stick feel about Iron Fists? Madame Gao, despite her Hand affiliations and understandable disregard for most people, showed a small degree of respect-- sometimes veering slightly toward kindness-- for Danny, likely due to his rank. Stick doesn’t really respect anyone-- at least, not to their face-- but we’re eager to see what kind of relationship he and Danny will have. 

    Guess who’s baaack!

    We’re not sure what to make of this, though it would make the most sense to assume that it’s part of the Black Sky’s power set. It also reminds us a bit of Madame Gao’s telekinesis-like trademark move, only on a much larger scale. 

    We finally have our first serious glimpse of Alexandra. She’s still very much a mystery, but Stephanie Maslansky, the head costume designer for the Marvel Netflix shows, let this slip in an interview a few weeks ago: “...She’s the head of an ancient organization, which is grounded in the comics. [...] I hope that her wardrobe reflects that kind of ancientness.” It feels almost too obvious for her to be leading the Hand, but that’s the direction all of the evidence seems to be pointing. The “ancient organization”, if not the Hand itself, could possibly be Snakeroot, the group at the heart (palm?) of the Hand that deals with Beast-related activities. And it seems likely that, as with Madame Gao and Nobu and likely Bakuto, she’s probably functionally immortal.      

    We can already tell we’re going to love this scene! It’s always awesome when Matt fights in civvies. In fact, he’s out of costume for nearly the entire trailer-- and even when he is shown wearing the suit, he has his mask off. In the restaurant scene later on Alexandra sees his face, which-- coupled with her “the more connections you have, the easier it will be to break you” line-- is worrying. Why is he being so careless? 

    Is too much to ask for Matt to be driving this car? We need to get a scene of Matt driving at least once in these shows. It’s an Iconic Daredevil Thing(TM).

    Also, this is the same restaurant as the one in the following clips, meaning this crash may be part of the same scene.  

   (Maybe the rest of the Chaste are driving the car. The Chastemobile.)

    This is clearly a giant, pivotal moment in the show, as it involves team bonding (as we see later in the trailer), Stick, and even Alexandra. A big thank you to the people who pointed out that Stick seems to be missing his right hand-- or possibly his entire arm-- in this scene (which uh, gives us high hopes for Misty...). While Stick appears alongside the team in a separate scene in this trailer, our guess is that his decision to stagger into the restaurant and get them up off their butts takes place after a big development-- possible after he and the Chaste have been thoroughly stomped by Elektra and the Hand. This would explain the arm situation, and his renewed interest in getting help despite having judged Matt to be unready for the war. 

    Also... Matt has his glasses off in this scene! Either he’s grown extremely comfortable around everyone really quickly (which is possible, but... doubtful), or something’s happened to them. They were cracked in a few of the leaked set photos, so they may get completely destroyed at some point. 

    Presumably Elektra (this is the same sword she’s carrying a few shots later, during the hallway fight), giving off some major Darth Vader vibes. 

    This is very exciting. There was a sad shortage of leaping off rooftops in Daredevil Season 2, so we’re relieved that there’ll be some in The Defenders. There’s a balance that’s necessary for these types of scenes, and we don’t think they’ve quite found it yet. One of the important lessons the DD Netflix show learned from the movie is that you cannot replicate comics Matt’s extreme parkouring in live action in a way that looks good. (Or at least, it’s very difficult, and the movie didn’t manage it.) It needs to be dialed down to something slightly more realistic and, well, physically possible for someone without a building-hopping power set. However, we think they went too far. Matt’s parkouring in DD Season 1 was a lot of fun, but it was very... safe parkouring (if there is such a thing). He’s called Daredevil, after all (...Aha! Maybe this is why they’re so hesitant to call him Daredevil! Mystery solved?) and taking risks is his signature thing. Danny’s daredeviling scene in Iron Fist Episode 3 was great, and we’re hoping for something closer to that level of risk-taking-- at the very least!-- in Matt’s future.      

    It’s funny-- these were the original subtitles, and then they must have realized the mistake and changed them. 

    It’s pretty clear at this point that the rest of the team is going to learn Matt’s secret identity. We also know that the four of them run into each other for the first time at Midland Circle-- so this may be their first-ever team-up. That’s a record for secret identity leakage, even for Matt. They also find out that he’s blind, meaning they probably know about his powers-- which is a much more significant secret to Matt than even his secret identity. We can’t wait to see how that reveal happens. 

    The banter between Matt and Jessica in this show is going to be amazing. They’re both snarky people with loud opinions and iron wills, and all evidence suggests that they are going to bounce off each other in really entertaining ways. 

    We’d guessed in the initial teaser that he was wearing Jessica’s scarf, and we love it. She also wears that thing all the time, and we know she doesn’t do much laundry, so... good luck, Matt. This is why you need a costume that fits under civvies.   

    And of course, we’re getting the Ultimate Hallway Fight-- clearly part of the same scene as the elevator ride from the teaser.  While we have semi-mixed feelings about this having become a recurring thing (the original hallway fight in Daredevil Season 1 served a very specific purpose, which has been lost in most of the subsequent versions), we mostly think they’re super awesome, so we’re excited about this. We mentioned the colors in this scene earlier-- how the whiteness of the hallway doesn’t integrate any of the character-specific color schemes. This creates an alienating effect, in which all of our heroes seem out of place and isolated. It’s also a callback to the coding in Daredevil Season 1, in which bright white spaces embodied themes of inhumanity, greed, and corruption. Clearly, Midland Circle is corporate-style bad news... but of course, we already knew that.     

    A few details we particularly love: 

    -The fact that Luke, Danny, and Jessica are tearing through people in the front, and Matt’s in the background just beating on that one guy. Keep on keeping on, Matt. 

    -The fact that Elektra is just strolling along behind the action, watching them tire themselves out. It’s terrifying and hilarious at the same time. 

    -Danny’s yellow shoes! We doubt he’ll ever wear the little yellow slippers in this universe, so we appreciate this nod to them. 

    Finally... this is a very strange hallway. What’s with the glass panels?

    Hooray! Welcome back, El. Obviously, we have a lot of questions about Elektra in her new status as a recently resurrected person and (presumably) fully-activated Black Sky. Iron Fist gave us some great information about the former, at least. In the comics, those brought back from the dead by the Hand fall completely under their control. This would have been an easy explanation for how Elektra might become an antagonist in this show-- but as Harold Meachum’s efforts to fight the Hand (even after coming back twice) demonstrate, it doesn’t seem to be true in this universe. Instead, the resurrection results in a loss of humanity, which depletes the victim’s capacity for love and empathy and turns them violent.

    This, layered on top of Elektra’s skills and predisposition for killing, would make her massively dangerous, but wouldn’t necessarily result in a willingness to help the Hand. She rejected them in Daredevil Season 2, after all, and getting skewered by Nobu probably didn’t make her any more enamored of them. The one factor we don’t know anything about is what effect becoming a fully realized Black Sky will have on her. Maybe it involves some form of mental numbing or brainwashing, and demonic possession is still a very real possibility. She’s clearly doing the Hand’s bidding to a certain degree here, and the details of how that happened are still ripe for speculation. 

    Look! A handy metaphor for Matt’s mental state once he discovers what’s happened to Elektra. 

    It seems pretty clear from this shot that Black Sky Elektra has super strength. It’s also notable that she decides to just hit Matt, rather than gutting him with her sword. This, coupled with how long she waits before even entering the fight, suggests two possibilities to us: that she’s been told to keep them alive, or that she’s fighting whatever control she’s under. 

    Also, we’re digging her new costume. The red is visually striking (and is both a reference her new Hand alliance and her 616 outfit), and the loincloth-style flappy bits actually look kind of cool, since she’s wearing *gasp* pants underneath them! Well done again, costuming team. Our only nitpick is that having her hair loose and in her face makes no sense. 

    Danny being extremely enthusiastic about the team-up, and Jessica being extremely unenthusiastic about the team-up, is spot-on and hilarious. Jessica is not at all a team player, while Danny is desperately searching for a purpose and for somewhere to belong. These two are going to have a fascinating dynamic, and we can’t wait to see how it plays out. Jessica and Danny have a bit of a bumpy start to their friendship in the comics, and while they do grow very close (they essentially become family, and Jessica and Luke name their daughter after Danny), they have also been known to have a difficult time reading each other because they have such different personalities. Since both of them are at much more unsettled points in their character arcs in the MCU than when they meet in the comics, we’re expecting a lot of friction between them-- which is going to hurt to watch, but should also lead to some interesting interactions. 

    “...Flying alcoholic?”

    There is a lot to be excited about here. Three more months, and counting!