Category: UNCATEGORIZED

10 Oct 2021

Who Bought $1.6B in Bitcoin Wednesday, and Why?

crypto


last week the cryptocurrency market persistently asked the gnawing and annoying question, “Why?”

Specifically, why did someone make a massive purchase of $1.6 billion worth of bitcoin on Wednesday in a couple of minutes?

While many see this huge buy as a signal of bullishness, there may be more complex answers when one zooms out and looks at the overall picture, one that involves capital markets beyond the relatively small world of crypto.

Some of the clues about why – and who – may be found in what, where, when and how this enormous bitcoin trade happened.

What?

As CoinDesk’s Muyao Shen reported Wednesday, a buyer or a group of buyers entered an order on a centralized exchange to buy $1.6 billion worth of bitcoin. That’s not nothing – to put it in perspective, that’s roughly 4.5% of the average daily volume in the bitcoin spot market over the past two months.

That much supply hitting the market in under five minutes (13:11 to 13:16 UTC Wednesday) is a lot to jam into any one exchange (or three). It almost immediately sent bitcoin prices skyrocketing 5% to roughly $55,500.


Bitcoin/USDT prices on Binance, midday Wednesday (TradingView)

A buyer with a long-term perspective would be more careful if the goal was to get in at the best possible price to mitigate the risk of that rascal known as slippage.

Slippage is more than what happens when a bartender fills your glass to the brim and you walk it over to your table while George Thorogood is blaring in the background. It’s the difference between the execution price and the midpoint between the bid and ask price that got you to take on the trade in the first place. With a big buy, filling every offer eventually pushes the transaction price (and thus the average execution price) higher and higher. But do it in dribs and drabs and you give new sellers time to place orders that can be filled slowly but at a potentially lower price than if it were to be done all at once.



Here’s an example, albeit on a bigger scale, of how one firm handled a major buy of bitcoin: Last year, when MicroStrategy purchased $450 million in bitcoin, the company did so in smaller clips from Coinbase over the course of five months, not five minutes. While the price eventually moved up over the course of those several months, each trade didn’t cause it to shoot up with the same kind of ferocity seen this past Wednesday, thus keeping CEO Michael Saylor’s costs from, well, slipping away from him as he bought.

That wasn’t the case this past week with whoever plunked down the equivalent of $1.6 billion for bitcoin. It seems Wednesday’s big buyer was in a big hurry to get the trade done.

Where?

Trying to pin down the exchange that took on this trade offers some hints about the buyer’s motivation.

The price of bitcoin on Coinbase relative to other exchanges rose sharply as the trade was underway, leading some to speculate that the regulated U.S. exchange was the platform where the transaction happened. However, a little more digging into the data places the trade in Asia.

Three exchanges saw particularly large volumes in their perpetual futures contracts, according to Ki Young Ju, CEO of data provider CryptoQuant. Those three – Binance, Huobi and ByBit – while not technically based in China, have long had ties to the country, where yet another crackdown on crypto was recently announced.

Bitcoin perpetual futures trading volume, Oct. 6, 2021 (CryptoQuant)

“Whales bought up $BTC in the perpetual futures markets yesterday mostly at @binance, @HuobiGlobal and @Bybit_Official. Basis ratio says it was futures-driven, and they punted long positions as open interest skyrocketed at that time. These guys know something,” Ki tweeted Thursday.

Ki hypothesized that one possible explanation could be traders taking on huge positions ahead of a rumored approval by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission of a futures-based bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF). The buzz hit the market after the regulator’s chairman, Gary Gensler, merely reiterated his previously stated preference for a futures-based ETF should one ever get launched.

“If this move was the ETF front-running from US whales, they are likely to use non-US exchanges to avoid blame for insider trading IMO,” Ki tweeted, shooting down the idea that the trade came from an order on Coinbase. “Spot trading volume dominance for Coinbase is increasing lately, but not that high compared to early this year.”

Again, that doesn’t explain the trader’s willingness to accept slippage. After all, front-running a regulatory action a full week after speculation began by piling all in with one big order wouldn’t be prudent or rational. That doesn’t mean irrational exuberance doesn’t exist in crypto markets; for many participants it’s a feature, not a bug. But that’s not something usually characteristic of an entity with the resources to take on a billion-dollar trade.

Rather, the fact these three perpetual futures exchanges originated in China (though no longer based there) may be more significant than just their relative liquidity.

When?

It’s an eerie coincidence a trade of this magnitude happened on exchanges with ties to Chinese customers in the middle of a week beset by capital market woes in that country.

Two days before the transaction took place, Fantasia, a real estate developer based in China, missed a bond payment of $206 million. That led to the company getting downgraded by ratings agency Fitch. The situation isn’t just limited to one company as Standard & Poor’s downgraded fellow Chinese developer Sinic. Of course, the two pale in comparison to Evergrande, the overleveraged real estate behemoth that has been teetering on default. Shares of Evergrande were halted from trading Monday as well.

Another large real estate developer, Chinese Estates Holdings, decided to go private Thursday after the market slammed its stock by more than 40%. Chinese Estate Holdings is a major investor in Evergrande.

This is a roundabout way of saying there’s some serious contagion going on in the Chinese real estate market. That’s not good for the country’s economy given that roughly one-third of its economic activity is related to the real estate sector, whereas it’s only one-sixth or so for the U.S.

Real estate-related activities’ share of GDP by country (KLEMS via National Bureau of Economic Research)

How?

But wait, there’s more!

While the purchase is denominated in the press as $1.6 billion, it wasn’t actually $1.6 billion in greenbacks paid for bitcoin.

For one, if CryptoQuant’s Ki is correct, this was first done in the perpetual futures market, not the cash market. That means actual bitcoin may not have gone to the initial buyer. Nonetheless, it will have an effect on the cash market because the two move in tandem.

Also, dollars themselves were most likely not the currency used but instead the transaction appears to have been largely done using the stablecoin USDT, issued by Tether, which was an on-ramp for many in China to trade on exchanges like Binance or Huobi.

“Most trading volume was from BTC/USDT,” Ki told CoinDesk regarding Wednesday’s trade, “which means buyers already had USDT coins.”

A look at trading volumes on data site CryptoCompare.com shows that at the time the trade occurred, the pair of BTC/USDT outpaced BTC/USD (bitcoin for the U.S. dollar) by roughly 2-to-1.

That means someone with significant USDT holdings – even if a fraction of the actual transaction since leverage could have been involved – converted their stablecoin holding to bitcoin exposure, if not the actual coin itself.

Another odd coincidence?

Remember a minute ago when we talked about Chinese corporate debt? Here’s something interesting: On Thursday, BloombergBusinessWeek released its cover story, “Anyone Seen Tether’s Billions?” Toward the end, author Zeke Faux writes, curiously:

“After I returned to the U.S., I obtained a document showing a detailed account of Tether Holdings’ reserves. It said they include billions of dollars of short-term loans to large Chinese companies – something money-market funds avoid. And that was before one of the country’s largest property developers, China Evergrande Group, started to collapse.”

He goes on to say:

“Tether has denied holding any Evergrande debt, but [Stuart] Hoegner, Tether’s lawyer, declined to say whether Tether had other Chinese commercial paper. He said the vast majority of its commercial paper has high grades from credit ratings firms.”

What is on Tether’s books remains hidden to the outside world. But if the mystery buyer saw the same document as Bloomberg’s Faux, or other compelling evidence that Tether is indeed exposed to China’s credit market, then they would have a strong motivation to unload USDT. Even $1.6 billion in one fell swoop.

Again, that’s just conjecture. Unless and until we know who did it, we may never know the trader’s motivation.

Nor will we know if it was the right move, especially if the contagion spreads to crypto.

Source:Coindesk

10 Oct 2021

Instagram to introduce “take a break” feature and “nudge” teens away from harmful content

Instagram to introduce new features to nudge teams away from harmful content | Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Instagram will introduce new measures to nudge teenagers away from harmful content and encourage them to “take a break,” from the platform, Facebook vice president of global affairs Nick Clegg said on Sunday. Clegg made the remarks on CNN’s State of the Union show less than a week after whistleblower Frances Haugen testified before Congress about internal research that showed Instagram can have a negative effect on the mental health of young people.

“We’re going to introduce something which I think will make a considerable difference, which is where our systems see that a teenagers is looking at the same content over and over again, and it’s content which may not be conducive to their well being, we will nudge them to look at other...

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10 Oct 2021

DWTS: Cheryl Burke & Cody Rigsby Reunite Following COVID-19 Diagnosis

Cheryl Burke and Cody Rigsby have reunited inside the Dancing With The Stars rehearsal studio following their COVID-19 diagnosis. Within the last two weeks, both Cheryl and Cody tested positive for COVID-19, forcing them to rehearsal and perform virtually and individually. In doing so, they were allowed to remain in the competition despite not being physically present for the live shows.

Cheryl was the first to test positive between the dancing duo. Just days before the second live show of DWTS season 30, Cheryl tested positive for COVID-19. In place of their live performance for that week, the four judges based the couple's scores off of a prerecorded rehearsal from before Cheryl's diagnosis. Then just a few short days later, Cody tested positive as well. As the duo continued to rehearse via Zoom, their third performance took place virtually from inside their individual homes. This was the first time ever on the show a couple has performed in such a way.




Now as the dancing competition nears its fourth week, Cheryl and Cody are preparing to head back to the ballroom together. Over the weekend, Cheryl took to Instagram to share photos of herself and Cody back inside the rehearsal studio together after being apart for nearly two weeks. In preparation for the upcoming two-part Disney Night on DWTS, Cheryl and Cody posed in their best Disney attire. Cheryl wore a pair of Minnie Mouse ears while Cody rocked a Goofy hat as they prepared for not one but two brand-new dances. Cheryl captioned the post, "Reunited and it feels so good!" Take a look at the post below:

Fans were excited to hear that Cheryl and Cody will be rejoining the other remaining couples in the ballroom this week, especially in time for Disney Night. Some referred to them as the "dream team" while others admitted how happy this news made them. Fellow professional dancer Daniella Karagach shared her excitement for their return in the comments section as well, writing, "YAAASSSSSSSS." One user noted, "The judges better be fair for once!!!!" Following Cheryl and Cody's virtual dance last week, many felt the judges were too harsh with their scores. Even Cody admitted their low scores hurt.



Since Cheryl and Cody have been quarantined at home for nearly two weeks, this will only be their second live performance together inside the ballroom. In addition to that, they have not one but two dances to prepare for this week. Monday night's episode will feature a Disney-themed Heroes Night. Then on Tuesday night, the couples will take on performances based off of Disney villains. Here's hoping Cody and Cheryl can earn some higher scores now that they are back in the ballroom together.


Source: Cheryl Burke/Instagram




10 Oct 2021

Who is the Spawn Universe’s New Star, Gunslinger Spawn?

The Spawn universe has a variety of hellspawn, created by the demon Malebolgia. There have been a few different iterations of the comics' main character and the hellspawn, including Medieval Spawn, Gunslinger Spawn, and Raven Spawn. Lately, Gunslinger Spawn - a fan favorite - has been garnering some extra attention, but who exactly is he and what do fans need to know about him?



Gunslinger Spawn first appeared in Spawn #119 in 2002, in a very brief cameo with no dialogue. In 2008, his backstory was revealed within Spawn #174 and #175. This hellspawn had the name of Jeremy Winston, but was known as "ol' Job". He was a former preacher in Bane, Colorado in 1881, before being framed for the murder of his own family. A rich man named Ed Kemper was after silver on Winston's land. He wanted it so bad, he tried to force a deal which quickly went south since Winston's wife wasn't the kind of person to back down to intimidation. As a result, Kemper and his men killed her, as well as Winston's children. Their power allowed them to place the former preacher into prison to be hanged.




At the same time, Henry Simmons (formerly Francis Parker) had stumbled across the murder scene and was also thrown into prison for a fight and murder in another town. Simmons is the ancestor of Al Simmons - the original and current Spawn. He was a Buffalo soldier whose regiment was harassed with one of their fellow soldiers being killed – forcing Simmons’ hand. Both Simmons and Winston were offered deals by Mammon, a fallen angel, to sell their souls to Malebolgia. Winston accepted the deal in exchange for taking his revenge on the town that killed his family. Simmons didn't take the deal, but he was spared since his lineage would eventually result in Al Simmons' birth - and he took on the name of Henry Simmons to partially start his life over.

Image Comics' Gunslinger Spawn is easily recognizable thanks to his appearance. While his face appears in the style of many of the other hellspawn with glowing green eyes, he is set apart by his Western attire. He wears a ten-gallon hat and a red duster. He also brandishes a gun on his bandoliers, aptly providing him his name. He is a hellspawn from a long past time, though he has also had a couple of minor cameo appearances throughout the Spawn series.

Gunslinger Spawn is not the most powerful of the hellspawn, but he is certainly one of the most interesting and recognizable. Despite that, he has had very few Spawn appearances over the years. That has been changing as of late. In Spawn #308 and 309, Gunslinger's journey to the future was revealed. His life and ability to return to his own time are now connected to Spawn himself as a result of a war Spawn is currently fighting. Gunslinger will soon star in his own ongoing comic series, which bears his name as the title. Most recently, he appeared in Spawn's Universe #1, a one-shot comic kicking off a new era of Spawn stories, as well as King Spawn - a series still focused on Al Simmons' Spawn that began in August. King Spawn #1 revealed that he has also lost a sister who he wants to avenge, waking up from death in 1865, leaving a peculiar gap between this appearance and his prior origin story. Gunslinger's self-titled series will focus on his quest to return to his own time. Fans can follow Gunslinger Spawn's new independent adventures when Gunslinger Spawn #1 releases October 20.

10 Oct 2021

Animal Crossing Player Recreates The Pokémon Sword & Shield Bedroom

An Animal Crossing: New Horizons player has made an accurate in-game recreation of the main character's bedroom from Pokémon Sword and ShieldSword and Shield are the 2019 releases in Game Freak's popular Pokémon franchise for the Nintendo Switch. In Sword and Shield, players travel across Galar to collect Pokémon, fight other trainers, and collaborate or compete with other players.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is a versatile game that many players have used to recreate various scenes and maps from their favorite media. Most recently, a fan created a stunning replica of Breath of the Wild's Korok forest, complete with a shrine featuring the Master Sword. This feature is on top of the many activities that players can enjoy in-game, such as fishing, gardening, and interacting with the quirky inhabitants of New Horizons.


On Reddit, user LyrianTheWanderer posted an image of their character's bedroom in Animal Crossing: New Horizons decked out in the style of Pokémon Sword and Shield. The user managed to recreate it with aspects from the game, such as the green comforter on the bed, a plushie, posters on the walls depicting Poké Balls and various Pokémon, and a cleverly placed Nintendo Switch in the corner. Many other users congratulated LyrianTheWanderer for the replica, though one did note that the Pikachu poster was a bit on the creepy side. In a reply, the creator specified that the poster was meant to portray Eevee, despite being placed in the same spot as the Pikachu poster in the comparison shot.



The customizable nature of the game is nearly endless, and with the seasonal Halloween festivities in New Horizons, players can now spruce up their island with spooky decorations. Many players collaborate on their designs using the game's multiplayer, which was a major selling point for the title during the COVID-19 lockdowns. Animal Crossing allows such a breadth of options that players enjoy tending to their digital life in the game as a relaxing and comforting experience.



Aside from the holiday festivities, Nintendo has announced a new Direct focusing on Animal Crossing: New Horizons, which is dated for October 15. The Direct is expected to announce new content for AC:NH, so fans of the game are excited to see what new experiences are waiting for them in the near future. With new content, perhaps players will be able to make even more creative replicas that will go beyond expectations of what is achievable within the game. For the time being, fans have a lot to look forward to in Animal Crossing.


Source: LyrianTheWanderer/Reddit




10 Oct 2021

What Dungeons & Dragons Rules Could Be Updated For D&D 5.5

Revised versions of the core Dungeons & Dragons rulebooks are coming in 2024, which fans are already referring to as the 5.5 version of the game. This will give Wizards of the Coast the chance to alter the existing D&D rules, in order to improve them, following years of fan feedback and online discourse.

The new books were revealed during D&D Celebration 2021. The new D&D books will launch in 2024, to mark the 50th anniversary of the game. All that has been revealed is that the Player's Handbook, the Dungeon Master's Guide, and the Monster Manual will receive new versions. The rules in these books will be backward compatible with those in the existing 5th edition, so fans won't need to trash their current library of tomes. The content in the D&D 5.5 books will be developed with the aid of fan feedback, which will be conducted via surveys over the next few years.




The fifth edition rules are solid and contain fewer exploits than previous editions of D&D. This is due to the developers having decades worth of playtesting information to work from, as well as a vocal fanbase that is more than willing to let its opinions be known about the game. The D&D 5.5 books have the chance to smooth out the remaining issues with 5th edition, in order to improve the game for all.

Even before it was confirmed that the fifth edition rules were being updated, there was talk of changing the Ranger class. This was discussed when Baldur's Gate 3 changed the Ranger, which came with confirmation that plans were in motion for the class to be changed in D&D. The Ranger has already received a minor overhaul, with the Beast Master archetype being changed in an Unearthed Arcana article, as it was considered to be the weakest subclass in the game.

The changes made to the Ranger in Baldur's Gate 3 were the result of many of its class features not gelling with the video game format, as many of them were tied to exploration, and were situational. The Ranger in D&D is overdue for a total rehaul and for it to be cemented in the Player's Handbook. This would likely mean strengthening Favored Enemy, in order to bring it in line with the older editions of the game; changing Natural Explorer, so that it applies to more terrain types; and giving them a better level eight ability than Land's Stride.

The history of multiclassing in D&D is varied, with it being more viable in some editions than others. Multiclassing is notably weaker in 5e, barring a few powerful combinations. The primary spellcasters in the game especially suffer when they try to multiclass, as diluting their access to high-level magic is a major downside that is hard to overcome. The current edition of D&D is focused on campaigns that are shorter, as the developers and players alike realized that not everyone can pull off a lengthy campaign. As such, the 5.5 rules surrounding multiclassing shouldn't be so strict, or there should at least be an alternate option that is more forgiving. If storylines are going to be shorter, then why not make it easier for players to experiment and play the kinds of characters they want, without diminishing their effectiveness in combat.



Tasha's Cauldron of Everything introduced race rules that offered new options for players. This was the book that introduced lineages and origins. The origin rules allowed players to ignore the stat bonuses in the Player's Handbook and select ones of their choosing, as well as starting languages and certain skill and weapon proficiencies. The lineage rules allowed a player to create a race of their own creation, which came with +2 to a stat, a Feat, and a choice between darkvision or a skill proficiency.


It wouldn't be surprising to see the origin rules incorporated fully into the revised 5.5 Player's Handbook, with the original stat bonuses being offered as suggestions, rather than being set in stone. The D&D Adventurers League already uses these rules for organized play, so it would make sense to fully add them into the game when D&D 5.5 releases.

In 2020, Wizards of the Coast released a D&D book called Mythic Odysseys of Theros, which turned the Theros plane from Magic: The Gathering into a campaign setting. One of the most exciting new rule additions in Mythic Odysseys of Theros was Mythic traits, which made the strongest monsters in the game even more powerful. A monster with a Mythic trait essentially has two health bars.

Once the player kills a monster with a Mythic trait, it returns to full health and gains new powers. The Mythic trait has since been used in different campaigns, including Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden, but it was used with new monsters. If a revised version of the Monster Manual is released, then it's likely that the Mythic trait will be added to some of the existing monsters in the game. It's likely that the Tarrasque will become a Mythic monster, turning the most terrifying creature in the game into even more of a threat.

The revised rulebooks have a chance to fix a lot of the smaller issues that have plagued 5e over the years. This is the perfect opportunity to alter the falling damage rules, which have never made sense in D&D fifth edition. The reason for this is that there is a cap on falling damage. A creature takes 1d6 bludgeoning damage for every ten feet they fall, for a maximum of 20d6 damage. 20d6 is a surprisingly survivable amount of damage for a mid-level character to take, especially the melee fighters of the group. This means that a character can fall from orbit and walk it off. The damage cap exists to stop players from abusing the falling rules, by dropping enemies from a great height and trying to instakill them with gravity. A 5.5 revised version of the Player's Handbook is the best place to change the falling rules so that they make more sense.

10 Oct 2021

Batwoman Season 3 Will Have a Major Story Arc for Poison Ivy

Batwoman season 3 will include a major arc for Poison Ivy. Premiering in October 2019, the CW series is based on the DC Comics character of the same name and is part of the Arrowverse. In its second season, which concluded in January of this year, the show experienced a significant shift as Ryan Wilder (Javicia Leslie) took over as Batwoman. And, in the Batwoman season 2 finale, Ryan finally found herself in a good place. Having been released from parole, she moves out of her van and seems to be accepting the mantle of Batwoman that once belonged to Kate Kane. However, during a visit to Alice (Rachel Skarsten) in Arkham Asylum, Ryan learns the shocking news that her birth mother is still alive.

Batwoman season 3 will address the bombshell regarding Ryan’s mother. But it will also pick up on the major tease which closed out the previous installment of the series, as major DC villains were foreshadowed. Penguin’s umbrella and Mad Hatter’s signature look were glimpsed in the Gotham River. And, additionally, Poison Ivy’s trademark veins are seen taking root on the shore. Then, in August, it was reported that Bridget Regan would recur in the role of Poison Ivy.


Ahead of the debut of the new season, which premieres on October 13, Batwoman showrunner Caroline Dries spoke with TVLine about what viewers should expect when the Arrowverse drama returns. As it relates to Poison Ivy, specifically, Dries noted that there was an effort to stay true to the character’s canon history while also offering a fresh spin on the antagonist. She also noted that there was a huge aspect of the Poison Ivy story that she could not reveal just yet. But, she promised, it’s a major arc that will make things difficult for Ryan. You can read Dries’ quote below.



“I’m super excited about the Poison Ivy storyline. There’s a huge facet of it that we haven’t revealed to the press that will be really fun for the audience to participate in. We do a combination of staying true to the Poison Ivy canon and what we normally do, which is put our own spin on it. It’s a major story arc of the season, and we make it really really hard on Batwoman.”

Fans have been eagerly discussing why Poison Ivy makes her debut in Batwoman season 3. Considering the villain’s legacy, both in the pages of comics and on the screen, where she’s been most notably portrayed by Uma Thurman, there’s a lot of interest in how the Arrowverse version will stand out. Looking at a character like Alice, or Beth Kane as she was once known, the CW series has elevated an antagonist that’s a relatively recent addition to the DC canon. Thanks in part to Skarsten’s immensely watchable performance, Alice has gradually shown herself to be a tragic figure and one of the show’s highlights.



It remains to be seen whether the same is true of Poison Ivy, who comes with a significant amount of history. Regan won’t be the only one joining Batwoman, though. Other confirmed cast additions Amitai Marmorstein, who will be playing Mad Hatter. Robin Givens will appear as business tycoon Jada Jet, while Nick Creegan plays Jada’s son. Victoria Cartagena, meanwhile, portrays Renee Montoya. With the show just days away from returning, fans won’t have to wait long to see how it all unfolds.


Source: TVLine




10 Oct 2021

Where Each Netflix Defender Could Return In Upcoming MCU Movies & Shows

Netflix's Defenders characters could be joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe at last and may feature in a number of different shows and feature films. Back when the MCU was truly taking off after The Avengers, Marvel TV and Netflix joined forces to create multiple Marvel shows that would culminate with a crossover event, The Defenders. Shows for Daredevil, Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, and Iron Fist entered development and were sold as taking place in the MCU. Now, these characters could be set to join forces with the wider franchise.

The original Marvel/Netflix shows launched with great success thanks to Daredevil and Jessica Jones, but the popularity of the universe continued to dwindle as time went on. One of the reasons viewers began to tune out may have been the lack of crossover between the shows and the MCU movies. This eventually led to Netflix slowly canceling all of its Marvel shows that existed within the Defenders universe. It began with Iron Fist's cancelation just a month after season 2 debuted, which was followed by Luke Cage being canceled a week later. While fans hoped this could be to set up a Heroes for Hire show, instead, Netflix eventually confirmed that DaredevilJessica Jones, and The Punisher were ending too. These cancelations left major storylines unresolved and seemed to indicate that their stories were over, along with any chance of a proper Defenders MCU crossover.




Several years have passed since any of the Defenders characters have been seen, but they might soon find a second life as part of official Marvel Studios productions. There are plenty of rumors about Kevin Feige figuring out a path for some, if not all, of The Defenders' characters/actors to return in Phase 4. If they do, it is not clear whether or not the MCU will establish the Netflix shows as canon or reboot the characters while retaining great casting choices of the past. Either option could work, although a reboot is cleaner for the MCU's canon. In any case, Marvel has a big slate of movies and TV shows that each of the Defenders characters could appear in, but which ones are the best fit for the individual characters?

The bulk of the speculation surrounding the Defenders characters returning to the MCU stems from reports that Charlie Cox is in Spider-Man: No Way Home. He played Matt Murdock in three seasons of Daredevil and The Defenders. Fans theorized that Daredevil could appear in the movie shortly after Spider-Man: Far From Home ended with Peter Parker's secret identity being revealed. It is still not confirmed that Cox is in the third solo film, but it is easy to see how Matt Murdock could fit. If Peter goes to court due to Mysterio blaming Spider-Man for the London attacks, he'd need a great lawyer to defend him. This can be where Matt - and maybe even Foggy Nelson and Karen Page - come into play. It might mean Cox's MCU return doesn't see him actually suit up as the Devil of Hell's Kitchen, but that can happen later on.



Whether or not Daredevil is in Spider-Man: No Way Home, there are other opportunities for him to appear in Phase 4. The next best project that Daredevil could be involved in is She-Hulk. The Disney+ series starring Tatiana Maslany will explore Jennifer Walters' legal career when she isn't fighting bad guys as She-Hulk. It is possible that Matt Murdock may appear to help Walters with a current court case or even defend Walters if she is eventually put on trial. This would be a great connection for the MCU to make, as it puts Marvel's two most prominent super-powered lawyers in the same property. It also allows She-Hulk to link with Daredevil's story if his return in Spider-Man: No Way Home is minimal.

Marvel Studios could also look to bring Daredevil back for the upcoming Echo Disney+ show. Alaqua Cox is playing Maya Lopez in Hawkeye, and it has already been announced that a spinoff focusing on her character is in the works. Daredevil plays a huge role in Echo's story in the comics, as he is framed by Kingpin to be responsible for the death of Echo's father. This leads Echo to try and kill Daredevil out of revenge, only for him to reveal the truth about her father's death. Echo is a chance for the MCU to bring this story to life and give Daredevil a prominent role once again.


Krysten Ritter plays Jessica Jones in three seasons of Jessica Jones on Netflix, and her opportunity to return as the private investigator in the MCU could be tied to She-Hulk. Although Jessica takes a very different approach to the law, she is still repeatedly connected to legal cases in some manner. There is no word on where She-Hulk will be set in the MCU, but Walters' legal career has mostly taken place in New York after her start in Los Angeles. Jessica Jones founds Alias Investigations in New York as well, so there is an opportunity for the two to crossover in some fashion. There's even the opportunity for Jessica and Jennifer to become friends for the MCU, as she did at one time consider hiring She-Hulk to be the nanny for Jessica Jones and Luke Cage's baby.

Jessica Jones could even make a surprise appearance in Spider-Man: No Way Home potentially. After some time as a private investigator, Jessica took a job with the Daily Bugle as a vigilante analyst. She worked under J. Jonah Jameson at this time and with Ben Urich to create The Pulse. It is possible that after Spider-Man: No Way Home reverses Jameson's public outing of Spider-Man's secret identity that Jones could become the latest member of the Daily Bugle team to try and make it friendly to superheroes.

Speaking of Luke Cage, Mike Colter could return as Power Man at some point in Phase 4 after two seasons leading Luke Cage and guest appearances in Jessica Jones and Iron Fist. One place that Luke Cage can make his MCU return in during Phase 4 is Captain America 4. The movie will star Sam Wilson's Captain America (Anthony Mackie) after the events of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. This could be done if Captain America 4 continues to explore the idea of other super soldier programs. Luke Cage gets his powers in the comics from experiments based on the super-soldier creation process. The MCU can make this connection too. Luke Cage's return in Captain America 4 would also give Marvel Studios the chance to put one of its biggest Black superheroes in the first movie featuring Sam's Captain America. While Sam is a likely candidate to lead the MCU's next Avengers team, the return of Luke Cage in Captain America 4 can also set him on the path to lead the Avengers as he's done many times in the comics.

There's also the opportunity for the character to appear in She-Hulk. When Luke Cage isn't leading the Avengers in the comics, he is frequently in charge of Heroes for Hire. She-Hulk has been part of Heroes for Hire in the past, although her work for them was mostly legal and not fighting crime with her gamma strength. Still, Luke Cage and Heroes for Hire could make an appearance in She-Hulk to set up their MCU future. It could even give Marvel a chance to tease a romance between Luke and Jennifer, which was also short-lived in the comics.


Iron Fist's MCU future is even more uncertain than the rest of the Defenders cast. While Cox's Daredevil, Ritter's Jessica Jones, and Colter's Luke Cage are well-liked, most viewers disliked Finn Jones' portrayal of Danny Rand. His efforts did improve as he got more time with the character, but Iron Fist still seems like the most likely of the Defenders to be recast for the MCU. Regardless of whether or not Finn Jones plays him in the MCU, there isn't a great place for Iron Fist in the confirmed list of upcoming MCU projects. That said, Iron Fist could be a great possible fit for Shang-Chi 2 depending on its story. The martial arts and mystical franchise would be an excellent place to reboot The Living Weapon. Shang-Chi's depiction of Ta-Lo already mirrors K'un-Lun, so a visit to the magical city responsible for Iron Fist could be in store for the sequel.

Jon Bernthal's Punisher joined the Defenders universe in Daredevil season 2, and the response to the character resulted in a spinoff show that lasted two seasons. Bernthal is primed to play Punisher again in the MCU, and many want to see this happen in Moon Knight. The Disney+ series stars Oscar Isaac as Marc Spector, who becomes Moon Knight after gaining superpowers from the Egyptian moon god Khonshu - or at least that's what Marc thinks. Spector was a mercenary prior to his days as Moon Knight in the comics, so it is possible a similar origin in the MCU could be how Punisher appears. Frank could be an old friend of Marc's potentially or be tasked with hunting down the all-white costumed vigilante.

In addition to the main Defenders characters, the MCU would also be wise to utilize a few other major characters from the Netflix Marvel shows. Vincent D'Onofrio's Kingpin remains someone fans want to see more of, and there are rumors this could happen in Hawkeye. If that happens, Wilson Fisk could also come back for Echo and even battle Spider-Man one day potentially. Simone Missick's Misty Knight was also a highlight of the Netflix shows, and Marvel could bring Misty back in Captain America 4, which could bring her and Sam's romance to the big screen. It is also possible that Jessica Henwick's Colleen Wing and Elodie Yung's Elektra return, whether either comes in Shang-Chi 2 or Elektra returns for Echo.

10 Oct 2021

Vikings: Valhalla Explained – What The Spinoff Title Really Means

The world of Vikings will continue expanding with the sequel series Vikings: Valhalla, but what does the title really mean? Historical drama has become one of the most popular genres on TV, and among the most successful projects in recent years is Vikings, created by Michael Hirst (The Tudors). Although it was originally planned to be a miniseries, the first episodes of Vikings were so well-received by both critics and viewers that it was quickly renewed for a second season, and it lived on for a total of six seasons, coming to an end in December 2020.

Vikings covered the first years of the Viking Age, from the Lindisfarne raid (as seen in season 1) onward, and the main focus of the first seasons was legendary Norse figure Ragnar Lothbrok (Travis Fimmel) and his travels and raids alongside his Viking brothers. However, as the series progressed, it changed its focus to Ragnar’s sons (Björn, Ubbe, Hvitserk, Sigurd, and Ivar), who ended up becoming the protagonists of the show, carrying the story after Ragnar’s death in season 4. The final season of Vikings brought the arcs of its main characters to an end, but the stories from the Viking Age don’t end there, and a spinoff series, titled Vikings: Valhalla, will be released on Netflix in 2022.




Vikings: Valhalla is set a century after the events of Vikings, so characters from the main series won’t appear (unless in flashbacks), yet there will be connections between the characters of both shows. Now, while Vikings covered the beginning of the Viking Age, Valhalla will explore the final years of it, focusing on different stories that will eventually converge. Following the death of King Edward the Confessor, three lords make claim to the English throne, and meanwhile, Leif Erikson (Sam Corlett) leads Greenlanders across the North Atlantic. His half-sister, Freydís Eiríksdóttir (Frida Gustavsson), has become an anti-Christian following a traumatic event and becomes the leader of the Old Norse religion against rising Christianity in Scandinavia, and starts looking for a new home for her people. Now, “Valhalla” isn’t a new name for fans of Vikings, but it being the title of the spinoff series has surely raised some questions about what it really means for the show.



In Norse mythology, Valhalla is a majestic and enormous hall in Asgard ruled by Odin. Before the hall, there’s the golden tree Glasir and the hall’s ceiling is thatched with golden shields, but not everyone can have the privilege of seeing these and entering Valhalla. Only those who die in combat and are chosen by Odin can travel to Valhalla led by the valkyries, while the others go to Freyja’s field Fólkvangr. Once in Valhalla, the dead warriors join the rest as they prepare to aid Odin during the events of Ragnarök (the equivalent to the end of the world). With that in mind, and taking into account that Vikings: Valhalla will cover the final years of the Viking Age (and possibly the battle that ended it), the title is very fitting, as many warriors will make their way to the great hall and join Odin’s army. The topic of Christianity vs Paganism might also be reflected in the title, as their different ideas and concepts of the afterlife and more will surely clash at some point, even more than they did in Vikings.

With the final years of the Viking Age and thus the final battles being shown in Vikings: Valhalla, the series will see the last Viking warriors that will enter Valhalla, joining many others before them, including Lagertha, Björn, Ivar, and quite possibly Ragnar as well, so the title takes a lot more meaning. Vikings: Valhalla already has some connections to the main series, and there could be more through Valhalla and the characters who made their way to the great hall.

10 Oct 2021

Blue Origin postpones William Shatner’s space flight by a day

2018 Creative Arts Emmy Awards - Day 1 - Arrivals
William Shatner is heading to space on October 13th | Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic


Jeff Bezos’ spaceflight company Blue Origin said Sunday it will postpone the flight that is slated to fly William Shatner to space due to forecasted high winds at its launch site. The flight of the company’s New Shepard spacecraft is now scheduled for 9:30AM ET on October 13th, a day later than originally planned. It’s targeted to lift off from Blue Origin’s Launch Site One in Texas.

A statement on Blue Origin’s website said New Shepard NS-18 has met all mission requirements, and the astronauts have started their training. “Weather is the only gating factor for the launch window,” according to the statement, which is signed with the company motto “Gradatim Ferociter” (Latin for “step by step, ferociously”).




The company officially announced last week that Shatner, best known as Captain James T. Kirk from Star Trek, will join the crew of New Shepard for its second crewed flight. Shatner, 90, will be the oldest person to fly to space. New Shepard’s first crewed flight in July brought Bezos, his brother Mark, aviator Wally Funk, and teenager Oliver Daeman to space.

Shatner will be joined by Chris Boshuizen, a former NASA engineer and co-founder of satellite company Planet Labs, Glen de Vries, the co-founder of software company Medidata and vice chair of life sciences at a French software company, and Audrey Powers, Blue Origin’s vice president of mission and flight operations.