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The Sunday Post: If This Be Doomsday!
Greg Arnold & Robby Earle
June 01, 2025
Wow- would you take a look at that incredible new artwork from Jacoby Warlick in the thumbnail of this post? How is it possible that Jacoby hits it out of the ballpark every single time? Keep your eyes peeled, too, because this artwork is coming soon to a t-shirt near you!
Last week was a quiet week on the main feed of the podcast as Kyle and Robby took an extra week to recharge after a couple of busy months covering Daredevil: Born Again and Thunderbolts*. But they are back in the saddle this week, with a very special episode unveiling complete Infinity Saga rankings this Thursday.
While the main feed was quiet, FFW+ subscribers listened to Robby, Kyle, and myself draft teams of “needle drop” songs from the history of the MCU last week, following up on our draft from a few months ago where we selected score tracks. Tomorrow on the plus feed, a very special treat: Marvel Comics 101 with Robby Earle (and stick around later on in the newsletter for another of Robby’s patented OPB picks of the week!)
Before diving into a surprisingly jam-packed week of news, I wanted to draw attention to one more thing- a new line of Avengers apparel from our partners at Homage. Is your favorite character Iron Man? Ant-Man? Doctor Strange? Vision or Scarlet Witch? Homage now has character tees for all of them, and so many more. Please use our partner link below to support Homage and Friends From Work.
Now…
THE WATERCOOLER
THIS WEEK IN THE MCU
Empire exclusive subscriber cover
The Fantastic Four: First Steps are featured on the cover of the latest issue of Empire Magazine. Subsequent articles from Empire included conversations with Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige, as well as stars Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, and Ralph Ineson.
Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards
“There was still a bit of fear of being silly [in prior films]. Now, it’s time to embrace the ‘60s retro-future; the groovy cosmic vibes; and, yes, a comic-accurate depiction of planet-eating baddie Galactus, no longer rendered cinematically as a giant cloud. “In another time, some might consider the notion of somebody with a big, angular helmet walking through a city goofy. I consider it awesome.”
Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm
“I’m such a Sue nerd. I think I out-nerded everyone in that room. I got so into quantum physics. It’s sad how much I got into it. I could waffle on about cellular vibration frequency.”
There was also a public test screening in Los Angeles last week for The Fantastic Four: First Steps, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Both Feige and director Matt Shakman were in attendance.
In the same piece, THR confirmed that Marvel Studios will not have the customary Saturday night Hall H panel at San Diego Comic-Con this year, at least partly due to the decision to move the release date of Avengers: Doomsday to December 2026. The studio is still expected to have a major presence at the convention, showcasing Marvel Animation and promoting The Fantastic Four: First Steps which opens the same weekend.
Avengers: Doomsday production appears to have shifted to Bahrain, based on numerous social media photos of Joe Russo and a large contingent of the cast that have popped up over the last week. Previously unannounced cast members Mabel Cadena and Alex Livinalli, who played Namora and Attuma respectively in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, are also seen in the photos.
Hesham Nezih, composer for Moon Knight, will next compose the score for Marvel Animation’s Eyes of Wakanda, set to debut on August 6th.
Anthony Ramos and Dominique Thorne for Emmy Magazine
Ironheart stars Dominique Thorne and Anthony Ramos grace the cover of the latest edition of Emmy Magazine. The cover story dives deep into Thorne’s journey to the role and provides details about what fans can expect next month when the show premieres.
As first reported by insider Daniel Richtman, and later confirmed by Deadline, Marvel’s upcoming “Vision” series has cast T’Nia Miller (The Fall of the House of Usher) to play Jocasta in a leading role opposite Paul Bettany. Read more about the character’s role in the comics, and her relation to Ultron, here.
Cress Williams voices the Lion
Eyes of Wakanda showrunner Todd Harris provided a sneak peek at the series for Entertainment Weekly’s Summer Preview.
"I really liked the idea of everyone's view of history. The story starts off during the end of the Western Bronze Age, and that spark sets off this giant spy-espionage story that reverberates through time.... You get Wakanda-grade James Bond, and sometimes a Jane Bond, with the backdrop of all the awesomeness that is Wakanda.”
—
"We're all in this together and history has proven that. We like to think there are silos of people in history, but there's the Fertile Crescent; the Mediterranean; the intersections between Eurasia, Asia, north Africa, and all the different cultures that all created this mesh. That's what that imagery is supposed to invoke: It's not a rare circumstance that we're all here again together."
"There's a couple of surprises because part of the opportunity here is to sprinkle little pieces of history and go, 'I didn't know that happened.' Part of it is holding a mirror up to some historical theories and some historical facts and some historical preconceived notions."
According to an exclusive report from Nexus Point News, Mark Ruffalo is set to return to the role of Bruce Banner/The Incredible Hulk for next year’s Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Another co-production between Marvel Studios and Sony, this would not be the first time an Avenger had appeared alongside Tom Holland’s Spider-Man. Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), and Doctor Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) co-starred in the previous Spider-Man trilogy.
Deadpool director Tim Miller told The Hollywood Reporter that he had e-mailed Kevin Feige to express his interest in directing a future X-Men movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Read more of Miller’s comments here.
BEYOND THE MULTIVERSE
Netflix finally debuted the first teaser for the final season of Stranger Things on Saturday night. While there was not a lot of new footage, the teaser did reveal the release dates for the final season, which will be split into three volumes.
Volume 1: November 26th (four episodes)
Volume 2: Christmas Day (3 episodes)
Volume 3: New Year’s Eve (series finale)
Along with the trailer, Netflix released the first synopsis.
“The fall of 1987. Hawkins is scarred by the opening of the Rifts, and our heroes are united by a single goal: find and kill Vecna. But he has vanished — his whereabouts and plans unknown. Complicating their mission, the government has placed the town under military quarantine and intensified its hunt for Eleven, forcing her back into hiding. As the anniversary of Will’s disappearance approaches, so does a heavy, familiar dread. The final battle is looming — and with it, a darkness more powerful and more deadly than anything they’ve faced before. To end this nightmare, they’ll need everyone — the full party — standing together, one last time.”
Not to be outdone, Amazon Prime Video released the first trailer for the second season of The Boys spin-off Gen-V. The first three episodes will be released on September 17th.
TRUE BELIEVERS RUMOR OF THE WEEK
In addition to the new confirmed casting of Jocasta above, a few other familiar names are rumored to be joining the cast of the currently untitled Vision series. Kerry Condon, who voiced Tony Stark’s AI, F.R.I.D.A.Y., in multiple MCU movies, is expected to appear in human form for the series, according to Richtman. Richtman also reports that James D’Arcy, who played Edwin Jarvis in Agent Carter and Avengers: Endgame is expected to reprise that role in the series. Finally, Richtman indicates that Emily Hampshire (Schitt’s Creek) will be joining the series as the human form of Tom Holland’s AI E.D.I.T.H.
ORGANIC PRICED BOOKS PICK OF THE WEEK
From the collection of Robby Earle
THE FANTASTIC FOUR OMNIBUS VOL. 1
We're closing in on the Marvel Studios movie event of the summer (year?), and that means it's time to start reading up on all things Fantastic Four. On the one hand, 60+ years of comics can be a bit daunting. (There's a reason they're called Marvel's First Family after all.) On the other hand, the Fantastic Four books never reached the overwhelming level of proliferation that the X and Spidey titles eventually did. So, like with Daredevil, you can mostly just follow the various Fantastic Four runs without getting too bogged down in big crossover events or B titles.
So which run should you start with?
Well, here's the thing. Contrary to popular opinion, I don't enjoy forcing folks to trudge through Silver Age comics. I recognize that they don't always translate for modern audiences, which is why I tend to recommend new readers start with a book from the nineties or later. So, for instance, if you wanted to start reading Captain America comics, I'd tell you to start with Brubaker's 2004 run. If you wanted to start reading Iron Man comics, I'd probably tell you to start with Ellis and Granov's Extremis, which finished just two years before RDJ's Tony Stark made his on-screen debut.
But if we're talking Fantastic Four...we're talking Lee and Kirby.
Their run isn't just the core of the FF; it's kind of the core of the whole Marvel Comics Universe. It took a few issues for these now-legendary creators to find their footing, but once they did, the world of comics was never the same. Kirby's electric presentation and high-concept sci-fi mixed with Lee's signature bombast and character work made for something that has never really been replicated. And given how much The Fantastic Four: First Steps seems to be pulling from the original series (both visually and thematically), there's never been a better time to check out these seminal early issues.
If you don't want to read a giant tome of comics from 1961, I understand. But if you're brave enough to crack this one open, you'll be glad you did. That Kirby art demands the oversized treatment, which is probably why these early FF omnis tend to sell out in a flash.
As of now, our pals at Organic Priced Books still have the next printing up for pre-order. I don't typically suggest books that aren't on sale yet, but this one is worth reserving. Order yours now and you'll get it when it releases on July 1. Or you can take your chances a month from now...but don't say I didn't warn ya!
Either way, remember to use code “FRIENDSFROMWORK”, and you'll get it for a song!
RE
Thanks, Robby! Nobody, and I mean nobody, has their finger on the pulse of Marvel comics and the MCU quite like Robby. Don’t believe me? Just ask RDJ himself, who recently posted his “workstation essentials” from the set of Avengers: Doomsday, including one of Robby’s recent picks.
If that’s not an endorsement, I don’t know what is! That’s a wrap for another week from me. Robby and I continue to work on the next installment of our Reply All watch order series, and I’m prepping the next installment of Backordered, as well. Keep an eye on your inbox, and have a great week!
-Greg
