Press Release

New York, NY— August 5, 2020 — As the intergalactic conflict known as EMPYRE rages on, love has prevailed for two of Marvel’s most beloved heroes! In an exciting surprise for readers everywhere at the conclusion of today’s EMPYRE #4, Marvel Comics unveiled that Teddy Altman, the Kree/Skrull hybrid Hulkling, and his longtime boyfriend Billy Kaplan, the powerful magic-wielding Wiccan, made a decision to change their lives forever – when they were married prior to the start of this galaxy-spanning epic!

“I’ve got a lot of love for Hulkling and Wiccan, both individually and as a couple,” Empyre writer Al Ewing said. “So it’s a good feeling to be able to deliver this kind of ‘shock ending’ for readers, which hopefully lifts fans’ spirits a little rather than bringing them down.”

Earlier this year, Hulkling, the son of a Skrull Princess and the original Captain Marvel, fulfilled his destiny by uniting the Kree and Skrull empires against the universal threat of the Cotati. As Emperor of the new Kree/Skrull alliance, the Young Avenger takes center stage in this summer’s EMPYRE saga alongside Wiccan and Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.

Created by writer Allan Heinberg and artist Jim Cheung, Hulkling and Wiccan burst onto the scene in 2005’s groundbreaking Young Avengers series. Since then, the two have been major players in the Marvel Universe and in iconic titles such as Avengers: Children’s Crusade, New Avengers, and Strikeforce.

“When I was first asked to design Wiccan and Hulkling for the Young Avengers, I had no inkling of the longevity they would have, or even their impact on the hearts and minds of the readers,” said Cheung. “Billy and Teddy really became fully fleshed people to me, thanks to Allan’s incredible writing, and it’s been wonderfully rewarding to follow their growth and evolution under the guidance of other creators over the years. Now that they’re taking their relationship to the next level, I can’t wait to watch where their next adventure takes them!”

“I’m eternally grateful to writers Al Ewing and Dan Slott, artists Valerio Schiti and Marte Gracia, editor Tom Brevoort, — and of course cover artist Jim Cheung — for telling Teddy’s story so gorgeously — on such an epic scale — and with so much heart,” said Heinberg. “AND for inviting me and Jim to the wedding!”

Hulkling and Wiccan’s story continues in EMPYRE #5 next week and EMPYRE: AVENGERS AFTERMATH #1 this September!
 

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COVID-19 continues to cause chaos in Hollywood, with yesterday’s move to Disney+ for Mulan a possible sign of things to come. In the case of Tenet, Christopher Nolan’s latest was originally set to be released on July 17th before being moved to July 31st, and when even that was deemed unrealistic, the studio decided to go with August 13th. However, with cases on the rise, the studio the left the movie undated.

Now, though, it’s coming to select theaters around the globe at the end of this month, while moviegoers in certain parts of the U.S. will be given the opportunity to see it in early September. It’s an interesting approach, but understandable considering Nolan probably goes to bed at night having nightmares about people watching Tenet for the first time on their phones.

The theatrical experience is very much emphasised in this action-packed IMAX TV spot, which promises the “ultimate experience” watching Tenet on those giant-sized screens.

We’ll keep you updated with the latest on Tenet as the situation is bound to continue evolving over the coming weeks. In the meantime, you can watch this new TV spot for the movie below:
 

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Alarm bells sounded when The Falcon and the Winter Solider wasn’t part of Disney+’s August schedule, and it’s now been confirmed that the series – along with the other Marvel shows that had already started shooting – still need to complete production before they’re ready for release on the streaming service.

Some had hoped that TFATWS, WandaVision and Loki might have been close enough to completion to begin a staggered roll out, but that was always a long-shot, and Disney CEO Bob Chapek confirmed that they all require additional filming during Disney’s Q3 Earnings Call. We were recently led to believe that production had already resumed (or was close to resuming) on Falcon in Budapest, but we haven’t had any updates since.

So, it sounds like we’re going to be waiting even longer than expected to see these shows on Disney+. Chapek did add that he was “hopeful” that they’d be “coming shortly,” but that’s… not particularly encouraging. They do appear to be a priority, however, so depending on how smoothly filming goes in the current climate, we might still see at least some of them this fall.

We found out earlier tonight that Mulan would be heading to theaters and Disney+ (with a $30 price tag) in September, but there was no mention of Black Widow. If enough people fork out for Mulan and the COVID-19 situation doesn’t improve before November, we can probably expect the Marvel movie to follow suit. 

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Disney held it’s 3Q earnings call today, and the fate of Mulan was finally revealed. After a series of delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the live-action adaptation of the animated classic is coming to Disney+ on September 4th.

Sounds great, right?

Well, there’s a catch. Unlike other content on the streaming service, the movie will boast a “premiere price” which means you need to pay $29.99 on top of your monthly subscription to watch it. That’s pretty reasonable all things considered, and will presumably been you’ll then be able to keep Mulan for future viewings.

We’re expecting further details soon, but the plan is for the movie to also receive a theatrical run, though that’s likely to be limited both in the United States and overseas. There are conflicting reports about whether Mulan is getting a global launch on Disney+ or whether it will only be North America, but it definitely sounds like it could be the former based on what the trades are saying.

Needless to say, this is a game-changer for Disney+ and could signal a new way of releasing movies given the uncertainty surrounding the re-opening of theaters. Now, speculation is bound to run rampant about both The New Mutants and Black Widow!

How do you guys feel about these plans for Mulan?

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