Murphy's Multiverse

Author: Charles Murphy

  • “Optimistic” about ‘Dune: Part Two’, Warner Bros. Has Reportedly Given a Third Film the Green Light

    “Optimistic” about ‘Dune: Part Two’, Warner Bros. Has Reportedly Given a Third Film the Green Light

    The highly anticipated sequel to uber auteur extraordinaire Denis Villeneuve‘s 2021 Dune will finally hit theaters in March after navigating the chaotic landscape of Hollywood’s recent strike-related work stoppages. The sequel, which will run 2 hours and 46 minutes–eleven minutes longer than the first–will adapt the second half of Frank Herbert‘s sci-fi epic but that doesn’t mean the story of Paul Atreides will come to an end.

    For some time, Villeneuve has expressed his desire to adapt Herbert’s novel, Dune: Messiah, into a third film, allowing the supermega visionary director to complete a trilogy and achieve his “dream.” Though it’s not quite ready to roll out just yet, the maestro recently revealed that his screenplay for the third film is “almost finished. And while WB hasn’t officially given the film the go ahead, one industry insider says it’s a sure thing.

    Jeff “The InSneider” Sneider has shared that Warner Bros is “so bullish on Villeneuve’s vision for Dune that Part Three has been already been greenlit with a 2027 release date in mind.” Why the optimism? According to Sneider, “WB sees Part Two as a home run, and internally, I’m hearing the studio is already projecting an opening north of $100 million.”

    Dune: Messiah, originally published serially in 1969 in Galaxy magazine, follows Paul, now the Emperor of the known universe and examines the consequences of his astonishing rise to power.

    About Dune: Part Two

    The saga continues as award-winning filmmaker, Denis Villeneuve embarks on the next chapter of Frank Herbert’s celebrated novel, DUNE with an expanded all-star international ensemble cast.

    Dune: Part Two will explore the mythic journey of Paul Atreides as he unites with Chani and the Fremen while on a path of revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family. Facing a choice between the love of hisife and the fate of the known universe, he endeavors to prevent a terrible future only he can forsee.

    The big-screen epic continues the adaptation of Frank Herbert’s acclaimed bestseller DUNE with returning stars including, Oscar nominee Timothée Chalamet (“Wonka,” “Call Me by Your Name”), Zendaya (“Spider-Man: No Way Home,” “Malcolm & Marie,” “Euphoria”), Rebecca Ferguson (“Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning”), Oscar winner Javier Bardem (“No Country for Old Men,” “Being the Ricardos”), Oscar nominee Josh Brolin (“Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery,” “Army of the Dead”), Stellan Skarsgård (the “Mamma Mia!” films, “Avengers: Age of Ultron”), Dave Bautista (the “Guardians of the Galaxy” films, “Thor: Love and Thunder”), Oscar nominee Charlotte Rampling (“45 Years,” “Assassin’s Creed”), Stephen McKinley Henderson (“Fences,” “Lady Bird”). Also joining the returning cast are Austin Butler (“Elvis,” “Once Upon A Time…In Hollywood”) as the notorious Feyd Rautha and screen legend, Christopher Walken (“The Deer Hunter,” “Hairspray”) as the Emperor. Florence Pugh (“Black Widow,” “Little Women”) and Léa Seydoux (the “James Bond” franchise and “Crimes of the Future”) and Souheila Yacoub (the “No Man’s Land” series, “Climax”) round out the extensive ensemble cast.

    Sources: YouTube, The InSneider

  • The Truth Is Out There: Ryan Coogler’s ‘X-Files’ Revival Confirmed

    The Truth Is Out There: Ryan Coogler’s ‘X-Files’ Revival Confirmed

    In March 2023, X-Files creator Chris Carter indicated that Black Panther franchise director Ryan Coogler was working to “remount” the sci-fi drama. “I just spoke to a young man, Ryan Coogler, who is going to remount ‘The X-Files’ with a diverse cast,” said Carter in an interview with Variety. “He’s got his work cut out for him, because we covered so much territory,” added Carter. Since that interview, word on the project has been kept locked up tightly in the basement office of the FBI but now, Bloomberg has confirmed the reboot is in the works.

    According to the site, Coogler, whose Proximity Media signed a 5-year overall deal with Disney in 2021, will produce the new version of the beloved series. The original series ran on Fox for nine seasons from 1993 to 2002 before two additional seasons ran in 2016 and 2018. Two films, The X-Files and The X-Files: I Want to Believe, were also produced.

    What ties, if any, the new series will have to the original, is unknown. Carter’s Fox series developed a deep and sprawling mythology in a world of unimaginably vast conspiracies…which sounds an awful lot like modern times.

    Source: Bloomberg

  • Marvel Studios May Be Considering a Total Overhaul on ‘Avengers 5′ Following Jonathan Majors’ Firing

    Marvel Studios May Be Considering a Total Overhaul on ‘Avengers 5′ Following Jonathan Majors’ Firing

    In the wake of Jonathan Majors‘ firing following a pair of guilty verdicts being passed down on the actor, Marvel Studios is now said to be contemplating a major overhaul of the project formerly known as Avengers: The Kang Dynasty.

    According to THR’s Aaron Couch and Borys Kit, the studio has taken to calling the project Avengers 5 and begun considering replacing Kang the Conqueror–thr villain played by Majors–with an all new, all-different villain.HR speculates

    THR speculates that the move to replace writer Jeff Loveness with Michael Waldron may indicate a desire to shift the narrative entirely away from Kang. While sources have not indicated that’s the studio’s preferred move, now is as good a time as any to move on. Short of not following through on a post-credits scene–which would hardly be a first for the studio–there aren’t many plot points left dangling around the character of Kang.

    Source: THR

  • BREAKING: Marvel Studios Cuts Ties with Jonathan Majors

    BREAKING: Marvel Studios Cuts Ties with Jonathan Majors

    Following a pair of guilty verdicts were leveled against Jonathan Majors, Marvel Studios has parted ways with the actor. Majors was found guilty of reckless assault on the third degree and of harassment stemming from an incident with a former partner in March.

    Majors was cast as Kang the Conqueror–amd several Variants–in 2020 and after appearances in Loki and Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania, was set up as the main villain of the Multiverse Saga. The actor would have been the central figure in Avengers; The Kang Dynasty which is currently set for a May 1, 2026 release.

    According to THR, Marvel will look to recast and plans to move forward with The Kang Dynasty. Writer Michael Waldron recently boarded the project, taking over writing duties from Jeff Loveness who wrote Quantumania.

    Updating

    Source: THR

  • The All-New, All-Different Hypothetical 2025 Marvel Studios Release Calendar, V1

    The All-New, All-Different Hypothetical 2025 Marvel Studios Release Calendar, V1

    Bob Iger‘s return to Disney and a pair of strikes have rendered nearly everything we once thought we knew irrelevant. Movies once slated for 2023 or 2024 have been moved to 2025 and the domino effect has probably only just begun. With so much having changed since last we ventured into the waters of the hypothetical calendar, it’s high time to relaunch them anew…and adifferent.

    January 8th-March 5th: Daredevil: Born Again, Episodes 1-9

    Following a major creative overhaul, the first episodes of Daredevil: Born Again–which were originally slated to debut in the Spring of 2024–are now TENTATIVELY on track to drop in January 2025. Though they didn’t throw the baby out with the bath water, it sounds like showrunner Dario Scardapane and new directors Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead are going to take their time and make sure the MCU’s first Daredevil project does the character justice and given Bob Iger‘s demands that the projects live up to the high standards previously set for Marvel Studios, that might mean this gets pushed even further. We’ll know more shortly after the first of the year as we’ve recently heard that production is meant to get underway in January.

    February 14th: Captain America: Brave New World

    Reports of significant reshoots on Cap 4 lined up with Disney’s decision to move the film into 2025. Those reports suggested that the film will undergo roughly 5 months of additional photography which is a longer period of time than the film was in production for the first time around. Now, the studio has brought on a brand new writer in Matthew Orton and though they are targeting a mid-2024 restart, production will not resume until his work on the script is done. Throw in the amount of time it’ll take to make the VFX hold up–especially with an appearance by the Red Hulk in the cards–and the February 2025 date makes all the sense in the world.

    May 2nd: Fantastic Four

    Fantastic Four was announced at SDCC ’19 and two long work stoppages have kept pushing it further and further down the road though it’s continually in the news cycle. At this point, all anyone wants is for the casting rumors around this project to come to an end and for cameras to roll. According to a relatively recent interview with director Matt Shakman, production should get underway next Spring and be ready to serve as the studio’s tentpole film for 2025 and launch the summer movie season…just as it should.

    June 27th: Spider-Man 4

    No project on this hypothetical calendar is more hypothetical than this one. If all the rumors are true, its release is partially dependent on Daredevil: Born Again–and that’s IF the creative threads that originally tied the two projects together stay in the series with the new showrunner taking over. Throw in that there’s been no official announcement from Sony about this project and that Tom Holland‘s “new deal” hasn’t been officially announced either and you’ve got even more reason to think this one may not happen in 2025 at all. However, a script has been in the works for most of the year, Sony has this date on the calendar for a Marvel film and, at the moment, doesn’t have any other projects that seem to fit the date. On the other hand, rumors persist that Jon Watts may be on board to direct and plans are being made to film next summer…

    July 25th: Thunderbolts

    By the time production finally starts on this project, the entire plot will have been leaked online. Despite multiple creative retoolings and a revolving door of writers, Thunderbolts is ultimately only delayed by a year from its original July 26, 2024 release date. Production is currently set to get underway in the spring with a TENTATIVE April start on the books.

    September 3rd-October 8th: Ironheart

    A project that has been in the can for quite some time, Ironheart is on track to release 2 full years after it was originally slated to hit Disney Plus. It’ll be interesting to see if Disney ever addresses exactly why this series took so long to release (not even VFX touch-ups and reshoots can explain away a 2-year move), especially when the footage shown at 2022’s D23 looked pretty fun.

    November 7th: Blade

    Mahershala Ali has the patience of a saint. Ali is the driving force behind this project which, like Fantastic Four, was announced over 4 years ago, and is staying the course despite several changes to the creative team over the past year or so and the delays due to the strikes. As of now, Blade looks like it’ll actually start production in the second half of 2024 and be ready for theaters, complete with an R-rating, by November 2025!

    All in all, this is a major revamp from the last time we rolled out a hypothetical 2025 calendar. With things at Disney never having been in flux more than they are now, it’ll be fun to see just how much of this holds true.

  • New Rumor Has ‘Spider-Man 4’ Turning into a Street-Level Civil War

    New Rumor Has ‘Spider-Man 4’ Turning into a Street-Level Civil War

    During SDCC ’22, Marvel Studios The One Above All, Kevin Feige, made it clear that Daredevil and Spider-Man were being propped up as the leaders of the street-level stories the studio had planned. By that time, development on the story for a fourth installment in the MCU-set Spidey franchise has been ongoing for several months and by the end of 2022, rumors had begun to swirl that star Tom Holland had agreed to a new deal that would allow Sony and Marvel Studio to continue their successful collaboration. Though no confirmation of that deal ever came through, in early 2023, Feige confirmed that the “big idea” for Spider-Man 4 had been found and that writers were “putting pen to paper”; of course, like every other project in Hollywood, development on that script came to a halt when the Writers Guild of America began their strike–the first of two major strikes in the industry–in late May. With the strikes settled and Hollywood finding its way back to some semblance of normalcy, the rumor mill has been kickstarted and some interesting rumors about what that fourth Spidey film might be have made the rounds.

    Just last week, insider Daniel RPK indicated that–as has been expected for some time–Daredevil will team up with Spider-Man in Spidey 4. However, according to RPK, while The Man Without Fear seems set for a major role in the film, another Marvel hero might join him in a…smaller role…as Paul Rudd‘s Scott Lang has been mentioned as potentially having a role similar in size to that of Tony Stark in Spider-Man: Homecoming or Doctor Strange in Spider-Man: No Way Home. As has been rumored for quite some time, the film would see Spidey and his pals take on Wilson Fisk’s Kingpin, who is rumored to become the Mayor of New York in Daredevil: Born Again and set his sights on the city’s vigilantism.

    While Born Again is undergoing significant restructuring under the watchful eyes of directors Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead and showrunner Dario Scardapane, both Holland and Kingpin actor Vincent D’Onofrio have expressed their desires to see the Fat Man take on the Web-Slinger in Spidey 4, making it likely that whatever ties existed between the two projects before will remain. Now, a new rumor from a very solid source seems to support that idea and adds a little more spice to the dish!

    According to Cryptic HD Quality, Marvel and Sony are treating Spider-Man 4 as their “Street Level CIVIL WAR,” referencing Captain America: Civil War, the film in which Holland made his MCU debut as Spidey.

    https://twitter.com/Cryptic4KQual/status/1736525726864556503?t=sVRzfVTXe8LkMf3WuZM65Q&s=19

    Putting together a street-level Civil War would mean that Spidey would need to bring in some more of his amazing friends, and according to the rumor mill, that’s exactly what he’ll be doing. Cryptic HD Quality went on to reveal that Peter Parker would be aided by a roster of heroes that includes–but is not limited to–Haille Steinfeld‘s Kate Bishop, Alaqua Cox‘s Maya Lopez/Echo and Jessica Jones. Jones has long been rumored to return in multiple projects such as Echo and Daredevil: Born Again and the studio has been eager to work with actress Krysten Ritter who has also expressed an interest in revisiting the character who she first played in 2015 in Netflix’s Jessica Jones.

    I would absolutely just die to play Jessica again. I had the best time doing it and I just love her so much. I’m so proud of that character. Not only because it was like a great role and she’s such a bad-ass, but that character has really resonated with people in a way that I don’t know who else has. Really, really resonated with women and girls, trauma survivors. It’s just so, so big and such a thing I’m so grateful to have been a part of. So if there’s ever an opportunity for me to put on those boots, I will be there in a flash.

    Krysten Ritter on returning to the role of Jessica Jones

    While the insider didn’t include the character on his list of street-level allies that Spidey might recruit, The Punisher seems like a possibility to join the squad as well. Jon Bernthal is set to reprise the role in Daredevil: Born Again and D’Onofrio has indicated he’d love to see Fisk square off with Frank Castle in the MCU, specifically in Spider-Man 4. That cast of characters joining Holland’s Peter Parker would certainly make for the type of big event film that Sony and Disney would like to put together for the Wall-Crawler’s next outing. Now…just what villains would Kinpin assemble on his side of the equation to be worthy of such a roster of heroes…?

  • Daniel Bruhl Speaks Out on Zemo’s Role in ‘Thunderbolts’

    Daniel Bruhl Speaks Out on Zemo’s Role in ‘Thunderbolts’

    When he was last seen in the Disney Plus streaming series The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, Helmut Zemo seemed primed to make an appearance in Marvel Studios Thunderbolts. Given the character founded the group in the pages of Marvel Comics, ending up in the Raft seemed the perfect way to leave Zemo in the position to lead a group of ragtag characters on a mission for thr U.S. government. However, as details about Thunderbolts began to trickle out, it became clear that Daniel Bruhl‘s fan-favorite bad guy was not a part of the ensemble cast, much to the disbelief of MCU fans.

    Recently, Wyatt Russell–who will star in the film as the MCU’s newest super soldier, U.S. Agent–confirmed that Zemo was not in any of the drafts of the scripts he had read for the film, which seemed to put a nail in the coffin of fans’ hopes. Now, in an interview with Screen Rant, Bruhl addressed Zemo’s MCU future.

    “I mean, they haven’t killed me yet…,” said Bruhl of Zemo. “[Right] now I’m doing a series, which is called The Franchise,” he continued, referencing the superhero satire series he’s currently filming for HBO, “but if there are people who have a lot of sense of humor, then it’s Marvel and it’s Kevin Feige. I’m very happy to shoot something about the franchise world and with a comical approach.” Clearly, Bruhl isn’t concerned that Marvel Studios One Above All will take the satirical series too seriously and cut Zemo out of future plans…but are there any at the moment? Bruhl took the long road to answer that question.

    “But I guess it was nice with that Zemo guy because he was so surprising and different. Also, the second time around,” said the actor in reference to the character’s role in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, “I was invited to explore the sense of humor in that character, which I relish and enjoy so much. So again, it was a surprise, I was invited to surprise the people.” And his take on Zemo in the streaming series did surprise the audience and they responded in a very positive way which, in part, has led to the hopes he’d show back up in Thunderbolts; however, Bruhl revealed that is not in the cards, though he hopes to return to the role someday.

    So I guess that if he shows up again, you really need to carefully think what is this crazy little guy up to this time around? So if the right opportunity would come, I wouldn’t say no, obviously. But for now, I’m into other things that I’m very happy with because that might have collided. I think they’re shooting [Thunderbolts] right now, so the destiny and fate always. I strongly believe in that. You just follow the path that you are offered to follow.

    Daniel Bruhl revealing Zemo will not be in Thunderbolts

    Given the derivation from the source material, it seems logical that Zemo won’t be leading this team of Thunderbolts; however, given the rotating nature of the roster of the team in the comics and the character’s in-universe resourcefulness, it seems possible that Bruhl may find his way to his rightful role as team leader down the road.

    Source: Screen Rant

  • ‘Thunderbolts’ Star Wyatt Russell Confirms the Absence of Two Rumored Characters

    ‘Thunderbolts’ Star Wyatt Russell Confirms the Absence of Two Rumored Characters

    It would be easy to believe that Marvel Studios Thunderbolts would feature General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross. A common misconception is that the comic book team, which first appeared on the page in 1996, was named for the character or that he started the squad. In fact, the team was first formed by the villainous Baron Zemo who chose the title because it was “crypto-fascist and friendly”, so it would be easy to believe that Zemo might appear in the 2025 film as well. There’s been plenty of speculation and debate online as to whether or not they’ll show up and different insiders have reported on both sides of the debate. Now, one of the film’s stars has spoken out about whether or no either of those characters will show up.

    In an interview with The Playlist, Wyatt Russell, who will reprise his role as John Walker in Thunderbolts, indicated that he doesn’t expect either of the characters to appear…unless they’ve been included in an updated version of the script. “Daniel [Bruhl] is not going to be it, [but] he could play a part in it. I don’t know. I haven’t read a script yet, but as of now, I’m not sure,” said Russell when asked if the actor behind Zemo’s mask was set to return after his last appearance in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier.

    So if Zemo won’t appear, surely Ross–who was a member of one iteration of the Thunderbolts in the comics–will, right? Afterall, when Harrison Ford’s deal to play the character became public, it was widely reported he’d show up in Thunderbolts after starring in Captain America: New World Order Brave New World. Not so fast. “Harrison’s in Captain America 4, I think,” said Russell. “I don’t know, I haven’t read a script, so I don’t know who exactly who’s in it,” he continued, before switching gears to talk about actors he’s sure ARE in the film.

    I know Florence [Pugh] is in it,  I know Sebastian’s [Stan] in it. I know David Harbour is going to be in it. David Harbour is another guy who’s, like, so good. I love everything he does. I love his NHL commercials. He plays this, like, insane NHL fan guarding the Stanley Cup. I love everybody in it so much. And the director, [Jake Schreier], who [directed me in HBO’s] Lodge 49 or [directed] a lot of ‘Lodge 49’— I feel very, very lucky. I hope it ends up being as good as I feel lucky. And yeah, I’m really excited.

    Wyatt Russell on the cast and director of Thunderbolts

    The script has gone through multiple drafts–originally it was very much a sequel to 2021’s Black Widow and Zemo was definitely not in it–and, as Russell stated recently, has come close to staring production multiple times. It’s currently slated to get underway next April ahead of its July 25th, 2025 release date.

    Source: The Playlist

  • New ‘Spider-Man 4’ Rumor Reveals Potential Marvel Team-Up for the Sequel

    New ‘Spider-Man 4’ Rumor Reveals Potential Marvel Team-Up for the Sequel

    Iron Man. Nick Fury and Maria Hill–or rather Talos and Soren. Doctor Strange. In each of the films in the MCU-set Spider-Man trilogy, Tom Holland’s Web-Slinger has teamed up with a Marvel hero to help save the day. The deal that Sony and Disney struck to co-create these films was all about the tradeoff: Marvel Studios can use Spidey in their films as long as some Marvel characters show up in the Sony Spidey films. And with a fourth installment in the franchise already in development—and probably already drafted by now despite having been webbed up a bit by the WGA strike–fans have been speculating which character(s) might show up next.

    Among the most talked about potential partners for a team-up is Charlie Cox’s Daredevil. Cox made his MCU debut in Spider-Man: No Way Home and there have been plenty of rumors that the streaming series, Daredevil: Born Again, will set up part of the plot of Spider-Man 4. Those rumors certainly make sense given their extensive history of working together in the comic books and Daredevil turning up in the next film feels like a real possibility given Kevin Feige’s revelation that he and Spidey would lead the studio’s “street-level” heroes. Now, a new rumor from a credible MCU insider indicates that Cox may indeed be suiting up for the next MCU-set Spidey film…but he won’t be the only one!

    According to insider Daniel RPK, who has had a torrid stretch of hitting big on Marvel Studios-related scoops, Spider-Man 4 will indeed feature Daredevil teaming up with Holland’s Spidey and, in a very unexpected twist, the film may also include Paul Rudd’s Scott Lang. Should Daredevil: Born Again set up Kingpin as the villain of the fourth Spidey film–something star Vincent D’Onofrio has gone on record as desiring on more than one occasion–including Daredevil makes sense but where would Scott Lang, who recently returned from an adventure in the Quantum Realm where he faced off with Kang, fit in?

    Though it’s expected to undergo significant reshoots, photos from the set of Daredevil: Born Again taken in March 2023 were full of paraphernalia with the Pym van Dyne Foundation logo. If the rumor is true, it’s possible that Lang’s role in the film wouldn’t be major and that it could simply follow up on whatever role the Foundation has in Born Again. Though Lang and Spider-Man don’t have a long history of teaming up in the comics, they have worked together on occasion in the past and he has taken on a handful of Spidey’s villains and served as a street-level hero from time to time, even joining one iteration of Heroes for Hire. Of course, the appeal is less Ant-Man and more Rudd, who brings his trademark smarm to the role and would fit in nicely with Cox and Holland.

  • Aooooh! Christopher Abbot Replaces Ryan Gosling as Universal’s Wolf Man

    Aooooh! Christopher Abbot Replaces Ryan Gosling as Universal’s Wolf Man

    With Ryan Gosling having departed the project prior to the SAG strike, Universal has been searching for a new leading man for director Leigh Whannell’s Wolf Man for quite some time. According to a trade report, they have found him in Poor Things star Christopher Abbot.

    Gosling had been attached to the project, which he pitched to Universal, since it was first announced in 2020. Derek Cianfrance (Cage Fighter, I Know This Much Is True) was on board to direct but like Gosling bailed on the project earlier this year. He’s now been replaced by Whannell, who previously helmed 2020’s The Invisible Man for the studio.

    Wolf Man is a collaborative effort between Universal and Blumhouse. Whannell, who also wrote the film along with Corbett Tuck, Lauren Schuker Blum and Rebecca Angelo, is a frequent collaborate with Blumhouse having directed not only The Invisible Man but also Upgrade and Insidious 3 and working as a writer on several other projects.

    The Wolf Man is currently slated to hit theaters on October 25, 2024.

    Source: Deadline