Various posts have gone viral on social media, claiming that Vivoree Esclito has been cast as Wave, Marvel’s Bisaya superhero. But how true is it? Pop Journal investigates.
In 2023, MCU insider Mikey Sutton’s magazine Geekosity reported that Marvel was looking for a Bisaya actress in her 20s to portray Wave. According to the article, Pearl’s team, the Agents of Atlas, would likely make their live-action debut in Shang-Chi 2.
A now-deleted viral post from Facebook claims that the search is over. It says that Vivoree Esclito — who is indeed Bisaya and in her 20s — has been cast as Wave.
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Wave 101
Let’s get this out of the way first. Wave is the superhero alias of Pearl Pangan. She was born and raised in Mactan, Cebu, with her grandpa.
Despite her prodigious swimming talent, she couldn’t afford to pursue her Olympic dreams. After graduating from high school, she started working in a fast food shop.
An evil corporation, AlonTech, recruited her for their lab experiments. They gave her hydrokinesis, the power to control water. All-Filipino squad Triumph Division exposed AlonTech’s sinister plans, so Pearl abandoned them and became Wave.
She was initially with the Triumph Division. However, the Triumph Division kicked her out because she prioritized saving Cebu over remaining at her assigned post in Manila during the attack by the Asgardian mad god Sindr. She then joined the new Agents of Atlas.
It’s clear that Wave’s Bisaya background is highly important to her character. She even speaks Cebuano (Bisaya) in the comics.
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Perfect casting (but not real… yet?)
Sadly, the post’s claims are unsubstantiated. There isn’t even any Agents of Atlas live-action series confirmed to be in the works. However, Vivoree would be absolutely perfect casting for Wave.
The young actress is from Bohol, which is right next to Mactan. Both islands belong to the Philippines’ Central Visayas region, where the Bisaya language is natively spoken.
A few years ago, she portrayed the Cebuana scientist Penelope in The Iron Heart. Vivoree shared that she felt at home when they filmed in Cebu because of how close it is to her hometown. Iconic TV host Melai Cantiveros called Vivoree one of the most influential Bisaya celebrities of Gen Z.
As previously mentioned, Vivoree is the right age too. She just turned 25 last week.
Ethnicity and age aside, Vivoree was blessed with a natural morena complexion and strong Filipina features, like Wave. For sure, she also has the acting skills. Award-winning showbiz maven Rod Magaru recently wrote that Vivoree is “always […] consistently charming in any role she’s in.”
Athletic? Check! The Star Magic Games included Vivoree in their Mythical Six last year, a lineup of their most exceptional volleyball players.
In 2022, Vivoree shared on her live streams that she’d love to audition for Wave. Although the rumors of her casting are untrue (for now), here’s hoping that she’ll find her way in that audition room for Wave soon. Fellow PBB alum and morena icon Ylona Garcia supports the Vivoree-as-Wave agenda too!
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Photo credits: RepublicAsia (Vivoree photo); Marvel Snap (Wave header); Marvel Comics (comic panel)
