u/warpedphantom1

Warning this is a bizzare crack theory, but I think its a super fun idea nonetheless. Yes Matthew Lillard could just be "Mr Charles" and nobody beyond that but it doesn't hurt to speculate. Also shout out to Jordan Lucas for his old similar theory that planted these seeds in my head, he claimed that Lillard was Osborn himself, bc of his ties to Val. But this version of this theory is completely orginal.

What we know about Lillards character in Daredevil

1. Hes Cia
2. He works with Val
3. He sent characters like Bullseye and Luke Cage (and many others) on secret shady government missions
4. Charles could be an alias (Fisk draws attention to the idea of Charles being a fake name)

What's intresting about this is that Val sent Yelena,Johh and Ava on many shady missions as well before they became the Thunderbolts/Avengerz. Charles and Val are both recruiting extraordinary people for extra governmental assignments. The Thunderbolts team in the movies does take some inspiration from the very similar "Dark Avengers" which might be leaned more into, in future projects(Note that Luke Cage was a member of the Thunderbolts in the comics and Bullseye was a founding member of the Dark Avengers). Norman Osborn is the leader and mastermind behind this team, but i dont think Mr Charles is a good fit for him. Lilliards performance would be great for the joker-like Green Goblin, but he doesn't capture the same cadence as the luthor-like Norman Osborn. But maybe Mr Charles is just someone who works under Norman.

In the comics there is a man named Jason Macendale. Hes a former cia agent who becomes the Hobgoblin. I think a CIA Hobgoblin, is the perfect blueprint to base your "Crazy CIA guy who works for Green Goblin" character off of. It just clicks.

But what does this all lead to? The foundation of Oscorps instead of Oscorp. Instead of the name meaning Osborn Corporation, it means Osborn Corps (like military corps). Norman Osborn (probably played by Colman Domingo) will replace SHEILD and control the Avengerz. Meaning Avengers tower is both Oscorp tower like many speculated AND Sentry tower.

1. Dr Strange came to the F4 world to prevent an incursion
2. Dr Doom tried to travel to Hell to free his mother, but accidentally discovered multiverse travel instead
3. Dreamwalking
4. Hes actually a Doom variant from a dead universe
5. Loki needed his help
6. He studied the power cosmic
7. He wanted to save earth from Galactus and discovered another universe to evacuate to or sacrifice
8. He discovered time line anomalies
9. He tried to time travel and found other timelines
10. He witnessed the TVA
11. He killed a Kang variant
12. Steve Rogers
13. TVA tried to arrest him for messing with time
14. Mordo recruited him for the Illuminati
15. An ancient magic prophecy
16. He is the Anchor Being
17. A Watcher intervened
18. Doom saw an incursion himself in F4 world
19. Spiderman Identity spell shenanigans
20. Quantum Mumbo Jumbo
21. Hes been guided by the voice of lost loved one or something like that
22. Scarlet Witch got lost
23. Sylvia found him to free Loki from the throne
24. Doom tries to find a universe where his family is alive
25. MEPHSITO!!!
26. Doom knows all, no need to question
27. Your answer/other

28(Edit): Normal Science

(some of these are obviously more thought out than others, some of these are basically spaghetti thrown at the wall, but i wanna cover all my bases)

lemme know what your theories are

Sadie Sink is heavily rumored to be in Secret Wars, but her role in the film is a mystery. Though this is bold to say before even watching Doomsday,I dont think her or the new X Men fit naturally into the Doom plot line. However a post credit scene setting up the future MCU saga, is very plausible. The first issue of the X Men follows Charles Xavier introducing Jean to the other 4 boys (Cyclops,Beast,Ice Man and Angel). This could be a pretty cool after credits tease for Secret Wars to do. A few more things before we get into the pitch. In the comics the sixth member of the X Men was a guy called Mimic, who was a foe turned friend who had power stealing abilities. Rogue is a copycat and would have no problem replacing this character, shes literally the cooler version. Im also gonna take another liberty and combine the Marauders with the U Men. Sinister will frankstein normal humans and attach mutants limbs to them in such a way itll grant them mutant abilities. Now onto the pitch

As the world has become more aware of mutants, paranoia and bigotry ensues. Damage Control is tracking and apprehending mutants,hate groups are forming,televangelist are pedaling propaganda and Sentinels are in the early stages of development. Damage Control is attempting to recreate the gene suppressing technology introduced in BND, but without Spidermans help they reach out to to less savory sources. Expert geneticist Nathaniel Milbury now has government funding to eradicate the mutant threat. Though Milbury holds some Sinister secrets. Hes really a clone of Nathaniel Essex, a mad scientist whos been experimenting on Mutants for centuries ever since a fairly powerful one granted him immortality.

With so many young mutants suddenly emerging, different factions offer their guidance and protection. Kitty Pryde arrives and is welcomed into Charles Xaviers School, where she and the audience are introduced to the world of the X Men(Shes just a studentfor this film but can he a proper X Men later on).But it is soon revealed she's a runaway not just from the public but from Emma Frost, an enigmatic socialite putting together her own team of mutant "heroes" aka the Hellions. This ignites a feud bewteen Charles and Emma. Meanwhile Professor X's star students aka the X Men, can be seen fighting the remnants of the Brotherhood. The Brotherhood was a revolutionary group who lost their leader,but the deadly Mystique rose up to fill that void. Mystique manipulates her daughter Rogue and uses her power stealing ability to further the causes of the Brotherhood.

Cyclops struggles to live up to the Professors ideals as the world seems to fall apart around him, questioning what hes been taught. Inversely his sweetheart Jean adopts the Professors idealogy fully, finding a new perspective and calling. During a battle Rogue touches Jean and gains one of her memories, and Jean reads Rogue and gains one of hers, causing them to both empathize with each other. Throughout the story, Jean tries to extend an olive branch and show Rogue the same grace that saved her.Rogues arc is her gaining her own independence, instead of literally and figuratively living through others. In the end she discovers her future lies with the X Men and not the Brotherhood.While Scott's overworks himself as a superhero,Beast withdrawls from the team and is consumed by experiments of his own. While Cyclops tries to prevent Sinisters agenda, Beast mimics it, trying to recreate gene suppression on his own. Beast attempts to "cure" his mutation but the experiment goes wrong and he only enhances it. Meanwhile Angel uses his influence to further the Mutant cause and promote the X Men and Ice Man uses humour to deflect from more personal issues.

An underground community of misfit mutants called the "Morlocks" are the main targets of Sinisters oppression. The Morlocks are the most vulnerable group and easiest for Sinister to use for his experiments or even test his Mauraders on. A depowered Storm (probably a victim of the gene suppression but Leech could also be the reason) does her best to try and help them. Navigating the tunnels triggers feelings of claustrophobia which is heightened by her powerless state. Tensions rise bewteen her and the Morlock leader, Callisto leading to a duel, but upon her win Storm spares Callistos life. Storm then leads a rebellion against Sinister and regains her powers.

This all culminates in the X Men raiding Sinisters Lab. They are joined by Emma and her Hellions,Storm and the Morlocks and Rogue (and maybe the Brotherhood). Cyclops leads the united front. While most accompany him in battle against the Marauders, others are delegated to freeing the mutants Sinister has captured. One Mutant found at the base that's been experimented on in is Gambit (He was experimented on by Sinister in the comics. We could have him appear early as a brainwashed unwilling Marauder or save him for a small surprise appearance at the end where hes rescued). Sinister is overwhelmed and defeated. The final blows delivered by Scott and Jean. The X Men exposed Sinister to the public and Beast advocates against the gene suppression technology. Rogue joins the X Men as their sixth member, Storm repowered,travels to Africa (for Black Panther 3) hoping to cross paths with the X Men again some day and a Post Credit scene shows Professor X visiting Magento in prison for a game of chess.

I forgot to mention that the Marauders could kill the Hellions at some point in the movie to give Emma her proper hero orgin and greater motivation against Sinister. You can also do a similar "massacre" with the Morlocks.

Again this is a very ambitious pitch and could easily feel overstuffed if mishandled. That being said ik someone would probably prefer a more "Giant Sized" X Men. But i think a lot of those international characters will be built up in Marvels other projects. Wolverine could have a movie fighting the Hulk, Storm teams up with Black Panther,Ghost Rider mistakes Nightcrawler for a demon etc. Then those characters join in a sequel.

Beast: Heavily Rumored for a while now. Charles Melton was supposedly in talks to play the character,but apparently pulled out before D23. Beast will be showcased in Doomsday so audiences will have some familiarity with the character. And an evil geneticist is our main villain, so it would make sense to have an expert in that field on the hero side too. Likely.

Kitty: Heavily rumored for a while. Her connection and relationship with Emma gives her an easy way in. Shes also the perfect eyeline character. Very possible.

Gambit: Was experimented on by Sinister in the comics,which gives him a reason to be involved in this movie. If Rogue is here Gambit won't be too far behind. Very possible.

Nightcrawler: Fan Favorite who will also be in Doomsday. Close connection to Rogue and good chemistry with other members. Possible.

Ice Man and Angel: Both were lightly rumored and could fit in nicely. I have my doubts about them being members of the main team, but I have hope they can be established as founding members, possibly just doing something else in the present. Maybe they'll be doing X Factor stuff or maybe theyll just be aiding other super heroes to help mutant relations. I think they'll feature in this move in some way, just not sure if it will be the big role some people are hoping for. Possible

Wolverine: The elephant in the Room. Logans popularity is his greatest strength and weakness. Though there's been some rumours about Dafne Keen returning, I have my reservations about any Wolverine being used in the first movie. Though it would definitely help bring in a large audience.Unlikely

Colossus: He'd be pretty easy to implement, hes likeable and straightforward and iconic. Though its far too early for Magik, itd be smart to lay the seeds. Show him being a good older brother to the young Illyana, when he returns to the mansion after a mission. I think hes a good fit for this movie im just worried he might not be high enough priority. It really depends on who else is gonna be there. Maybe

Jubilee: As great as she is,saving Jubilee for later projects is the easiest way to differentiate this team from the animated series. Itd be kinda odd for Jubes to replace Kitty again. Unlikely

Luffy vs Blackbeard (Captain vs Captain) I dont really have to explain this one but this has been building up for real life decades. They are each other's perfect opposites and have hella beef. Light vs Darkness.

Zoro vs Shiryu (Sword fight) Besides the obvious sword stuff,they're also the right hand men of thier crews. Also Shiryu is an invisible man like Sanji dreamed of, and Zoro gets an auto buff against Sanji like opponents.

Ussop vs Auger (Sniper Duel) A sniper is the most obvious counterpart for Ussop, but what you might have overlooked is how Ussop will need to strengthen his Observation Haki to counter Augers Warp abilities. Auger also seems very pompous and fancy (kinda like Kuro), so hes the perfect guy for the scrappy underdog to humble. Right before posting this i also discovered Auger talks about fate every time he appears, which is intresting because Ussops lies often become destiny.

Chopper vs Doc Q (Plague meets Cure): The pair that made me realize the two crews were destined to fight all the way back in Jaya. Doc is a sickly man who posions people and spreads illness. Doc also has a horse and Chopper communicates with animals.

Franky vs Burgess (Huge Loud Cyborg dudes) The champs. And its no coincidence that everytime we see Jesus hes got a new mechanical part.

Nami vs Catarina (Cat Fight): See what i did there? Nami usually faces off against the female member of the villain group and this time I dont think it'll be any different. Devon is ugly and cuts the faces off of beautiful women (which Nami is) and has the ability to transform.Nami can also kinda cast illusions with her Climatact, her own trickster transformations.

Sanji vs Lafette (Fancy Footwork): Two dapperlly dressed men who are the stealtheist people you'll ever meet. Sanji is proficient with his legs and feet in combat, while Lafette (dude literally has feet in his name) has hypnotic leg mobility and dance skills. They're both tall and lanky and high ranking members of the crew. Might also have some lunar connections but thats a stretch. Devil Sheriff vs Devil Jiambe.

Robin vs Aokiji(Personal History) Who else would Robin fight and why else would Kuzan be here? I highly doubt Oda will just bait and switch Kuzan off the crew before a proper fight, that's dumb and lame and coping. Yes Kuzan could be a traitor but we will still see him do something meaningful during his time on the crew that only he can do. He has to fight Robin first. Decades of Robins life have built up to this. I doubt weve seen Robins full power/potential just yet too. She also infamously lacks fights so its kinda hard to pin point a pattern with her foes, bc she doesn't have any. Any enemy of hers would need a deeper obvious connection. The Archeologist has to settle her own history.

Vivi vs Avalo (Blue Haired Royal) Ive always believed Vivi could one day join the crew. During my watch through i noticed how some of the Black Beard Pirates parallel the Straw Hats, and i began to speculate what the other potential Black Beard pirates would be like based on their Straw Hat counterpart. I thought they would introduce a sword guy for Zoro, and a villainess for Nami. I naturally also wondered what a Vivi villain would be like. The only thing I could think of was a crooked royal. And sure enough Marineford introduced not only a cursed king but one with light blue hair. Yes Avalo has one of strongest powers and Vivi is weaker than Ussop, but think of how cool it would be to see the princess who fought to save her kingdom fight a man who can become the entire kingdom itself. That has a lot of thematic potential, especially if the island still has its inhabitants. She would have to use her diplomatic abilities to lead them to safety and freedom or revolt against the king. How fitting would it be if Avalos physical body is inside a clock tower that Vivi has to climb to the top of. Finding a weak spot solves the power scaling issue and gives a nice call back to the beginning of the story. Also Vivi as Luffys tenth crew member is very likely imo. The Final Saga will have all of our heroes fulfill their dreams. So why wouldn't Vivi become a Straw Hat? She stayed in Alabasta because it was her obligation, her dream was sailing with the Straw Hats. Ite very clear she wanted to go on more adventures. Circumstances separated her in the first true saga (east blue is technically prolouge), now things might come full circle as we reunite with her in the final saga.

Jinbe vs Wolf (Giant Fights) Jinbe is a big dude and is the master of the water. Hes very experienced fighting giants Whether it be Wadatsumi or Moriah or Big Mom, Jinbe holds his own against people 100 times his size. Wolf is the ultimate giant and is constantly in the water. The perfect foe for Jinbe.

Brook and Vasco (Creeps Sake) Two very zany perverts, one grounded in good manners and a healthy love for tea,the other an unhinged alcoholic. One controls spirits, the other controls "spirits". Brook has been singing about alcohol (Binks Sake) since we first met him. Music and Alcohol are two forces that will probably unite the world and touch peoples souls.

Possible Alternatives (The Arguments for and against)

Brook vs Lafette: ✅️Both are slim. Both wear tuxes. Both are pale. Both have canes. Ones a musician one is a dancer. The even got the same feather scarf thing.

❌️While some of this is convincing some of this could be bc Brook and Sanji are very similar and be also attributed to Sanji. Also every member of Black Beards crew is meant to look creepy

Nami vs Vasco: ✅️Nami has great alcohol resistance and puts pervs in their place.

❌️Vasco being a perv and a drinker go just as well with Brook

Sanji vs Shiryu ✅️Sanji wants the clear clear fruit and Shiryu vs Sanji would subvert expectations

❌️It would be narratively disappointing if Zoro didn't face Shiryu. Zoro needs that milestone. Giving Sanjis sworn enemy an opponent with a Sanji trait is beautiful poetry as well. Could also be meaningless and come from Oda wanting to rid of his worst character (Absalom),push the moriah plot forward, and showcasing the devil fruit shenanigans of the Black Beard crew

Zoro vs Auger: ✅️Subversion of expectations. A long ranged attack would be bad for Zoro. Also Augers ability to teleport would be devastating for the man with no sense of direction.

❌️Zoro and Augers skills have more clearer and satisfying macthups. His warp ability is also a good challenge for Ussop who needs to aim perfectly to win. Which means Ussop will likely have to use his Observation Haki to predict where Auger will pop up next

Jinbe vs Avalo: ✅️Land vs Sea. King vs Freedom fighter. Avalo likes shark fin soup and Jinbe fights giants.

This one is actually kinda cool

Sanji vs Kuzan: ✅️Fire vs Ice. Sanji needs a strong opponent. Also spoilers for Egghead but apparently Kuzan kidnaps Pudding which gives Sanji ample motivation.

❌️Lafette could also give Sanji that fair fight. From my understanding of the scene Auger and Kuzan both kidnapped pudding, not just Kuzan. For all we know she could end up in someone else's clutches by the time the fight begins.

Law vs Avalo: ✅️One of the closest allies of the Straw Hats and biggest enemies of Blackbeard, Law would definitely fight alongside the Straw Hats in this conflict given the chance. There is also great theories about how Avalo was likely the king of Flevance. His surgery powers could actually be effective against the island fruit

❌️Laws powers are literally the perfect counter to everything, and claiming Law will join up with the crew for this fight is a bigger stretch than Vivi. Law wasn't intended to be that important and was introduced in the same saga as Avalo. I doubt Law had an entire Blackbeard crew member based off him, when he was just a side character.

Usssop vs Vasco ✅️Big Nose

Yeah that makes perfect sense

Ussop vs Catarina ✅️Big Nose(plus Crescent moon hunter could tie to Ussops speculated moon connection)

❌️This makes no sense, not everyone with a big nose is connected to Ussop.

Ussop vs Wolf ✅️David vs Goliath. Dudes been carrying around that slingshot since day one

This would be fucking peak

Jinbe vs Vasco Both control liquid, and Vasco is obviously a fishmen of some sort, probably a blobfish bc of how ugly he looks.

Woahhh hes so ugly he has to be fishman? Whoever made this theory is hella racist

Franky vs Wolf ✅️Who else would fight the Sunny Mech? Hes the only guy big enough to warrant a mech suit and he stays in the ocean,which is perfect for a ship

Peak Part 2

Ultimately I believe we have

A Battle of Captains

A Battle of Swordsmen

A Battle of Snipers

A Battle of Medicine

A Battle of Appearances

A Battle of Spirits

A Battle of Tanks

A Battle of History

A Battle of Royals

A Battle of Giants

And a Battle of Gentleman

(Or a Battle of Heaven and Hell, depending on what theories you believe)

What do you guys think?

At the end of the Jaya we see Buggy mistake a skull shaped island for Captain Johns Treasure Island. Then in Skypiea we learn that the Jaya island itself was once Skull shaped. In Jaya we hear Bellamy bring up 3 mythical treasures; The One Piece,The City of Gold, and The Emerald City. Now the Emerald City is the clear outlier here since we know nothing about it. The One Piece gets a mention because its most infamous treasure of all. The City of Gold, gets mention for being a popular legend, but also bc its a local legend that originated on that island. Emerald City is never brought up again so why mention it alongside the other 2? Its also very strange how repetitive it would be to introduce another treasure thats just a reskin of the last one. Unless the two concepts were related. Now thats where things start to make sense. We never hear about the Emerald City again bc its a story specific to Jaya and one half of a larger tale. It gets even more intresting when you look at the civilizations that inspire Shandoria.

Shandoria draws inspiration from many Mesoamerican and South American Cultures. Many of which have intresting beliefs about gold and emerald. The Aztec,Incans,Muisca,Mayans, and many more thought gold was symbolic of the sun or the sun god. Throughout their mythology and poetry the Incans,Aztecs and Muisca all likened gold to the "Sweat of the Gods". Both Incans and the Muisca believed gold could reflect the regenerative properties of the sun onto their people. Its also worth mentioning the "City of Gold" myth originated when conquistadors visited the Muisca people. On the other side of the coin, the Incans believed emeralds were crystallized tears of the Moon. The Musica believed emeralds were the tears of the first woman and used the stones in rituals alongside gold in order to bring balance to the sun and moon. The gold balancing the Sun and emerald the Moon. Many of these cultures trusted that emerald was symbolic of rain or water as well.

Shandoria takes inspiration from many of these cultures, so its easy to imagine that the fictional city combined many of these ideas. Perhaps Jaya was home to the Joyous Golden City of the Sun as well as the Emerald City of the Moon. While one ascended into the sky, the other might have descended into the sea long ago, which would explain Jayas missing eye. Two halves split apart destined to reunite. Much like another tragic Jayan tale; the friendship of Kalgara and Noland. Or even more broadly, the stories of Buggy and Shanks (peep the noses and hair colors and tell me they aren't modern day Kalgara and Noland),Inaruashi and Nekomamushi, and possibly Luffy and Ussop, but thats a theory for another time. Nonetheless these are stories of hope. Hope for the Sun and Moon to reach their eclipse and for distant pieces to become one.

Remember in the beginning of the series when we see Buggy as a child? Its his orgin about how he ate his devil fruit, but another element of that story is how Buggy lost a map to a sunken treasure. Now in the present he has the map to Captain John's Treasure Island, a piece of land Buggy thinks might resemble a skull. Meanwhile we have a skull shaped island of treasure split into two pieces. One to the sky and one sunken down below. Buggy sunken treasure. When Luffy finds the One Piece, he will probably unite the world. But if Buggys lost treasure has more monetary value or power than Luffys, it could elevate him higher than the Pirate King. Buggy could be the GOD OF PIRATES and have the last laugh.

Theres a LOT more to this theory and how it connects to the other big mysteries of the series but its a little much for one post. Maybe ill elaborate and follow up, if you guys think this theory has legs. Bonus fact Noland shed tears before his death, and had a crescent moon on his ship. Coincidence👀?

Also please be mindful of any Elbaph spoilers in the comments, im not current sorry.

Zoey Deschanel was eyed for the role of Wasp, for the 2011 Avengers movie, before the character was cut entirely.

Who could have been a good Hank Pym for this hypothetical version of The Wasp?

I think the orginal 13 is the most solid LOD starting roster you can ask for. We've already got like 5 actors confirmed✅️ (and I think Matthew Lilliards character in Man of Tommorow is probably Toyman❓️) I also believe this team can very organically come together,maybe as Lexs allies on Salvation, that decide working together beyond that point could be beneficial.

Adrianne Palicki has the look but im also a sucker for when actors who were supposed to play a certain hero end up playing their enemy instead. (Yes she was supposed to be Wonder Woman).

Id probably prefer Cory Micheal Smith for Riddler but I thought that might be a bit too boring and "Safe"

Oh my Lord I can't fix it rn, but I called Jamie Cambell Bower, Jamie Lee Curtis. Im a freaking dummy. My bad.

Sorry if this is an over saturated topic by now, but ive been meaning to post this idea for a while. Figured i might as well put it out there,since Comic Con news could be around the corner.

Absolute Batman is Batman without his wealth. Absolute Superman is Superman without his childhood on the farm. Absolute Wonder Woman is Wonder Woman without her connection to the Amazons. Absolute Aquaman should be Aquaman without his throne. This Aquaman isnt the king of Atlantis,he isnt destined to unify the sea and surface worlds, and he has no authority over sea life. He is a rebel instead of a royal, and has spent his whole life underwater. As the rulers of Atlantis abuse and neglect their subjects, a revolution begins. Resistance members try to overthrow the kings and queens, but Arthur jeopardizes the mission when he hesitates to assassinate princess Mera.

When the rebels we're captured however, they weren't imprisoned regularly. Usually for such extreme crimes, youd expect them to be locked up until a public execution, but the prisoners are instead banished to the deepest depths of the ocean, and into the den of a beast. A horrific lovecraftian entity awaits them. The royals have been secretly feeding their prisoners to the monster to keep it satiated and not aggressive. When its hungry, its prescene can be felt within the kingdom, driving the people mad.This ancient evil is a reimagined Starro.The prisoners are devoured but Arthur survives the encounter only losing his hand (maybe he even showcases his bravery by saving a younger rebel Garth and thats what impresses Starro?).

Starro chooses Arthur as his avatar, and influences his mind. Though hes still conscious hes been claimed as a puppet by the Entity. Arthur has no authority or control over sea life in this universe, instead a sea monster controls him in a similar fashion. Though Arthur doesn't get a literal star fish attached to his face, one of his eyes change color while a purple pattern takes over his skin. Starro uses him to wage war on the surface world, small steps at a time. Arthur's story is him trying to resist the commands of Starro, but slowly realizing their intrest align. The world of the Absolute Universe favors evil above all else. The systems Aquaman is destabilizing are all crooked. Will Arthur reclaim agency in his own life or continue to be the pawn and not the king? What does Arthur want?

Bonus:Aquamans exploits attract a lot of attention from the corperations hes screwing over. So they fund a submarine called the Black Manta to hunt the cryptid vigilante down. The Captain David Hyde is relentless and obssessive (other crews members include the Fisherman,Scavenger,Eel and maybe his son Jackson Hyde). They are provided with high tech weaponry, that they use strategically to catch Curry.Their tracking of Aquaman might even lead to the discovery of the mythical Atlantis. A hidden nation ready to conquer...

I think this show is gonna set up Martian Manhunter and tweak some lore aspects to tie his orgins more with the Manhunters. There connection in the comics is barely there but I think the DCU might fully embrace the two ideas. Maybe the Manhunters came to Mars had children with various Martians, and they're descendants gained the shapeshifting ability of the Manhunters and kept the telepathic powers of the Martians.

Do you really think the DCU would introduce an Alien Shapeshfiting Manhunter, with an X Symbol, in a Sci Fi detective story; but make it completely unrelated to one of thier most important Super Heroes.

And if this is true do you think this show will just lie the ground work for MM to appear later down the line, or will he actually be showcased in the show?

Lets see if we can get 3 or 5 in a row