Murphy's Multiverse

Author: Charles Murphy

  • Marvel Studios Eyeing Sam Raimi to Return for ‘Doctor Strange 3’

    Marvel Studios Eyeing Sam Raimi to Return for ‘Doctor Strange 3’

    Following Scott Derrickson‘s departure from Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Sam Raimi stepped in to take the reigns and put together one of Marvel Studios’ best Phase 4 films. Raimi infused the film with his signature style, providing audiences with a giant walking eyeball, a zombie Doctor Strange and a reminder that Marvel Studios films can be both “comic booky” and fun. Rumors have begun to swirl that Stephen Strange has a major role to play in the Multiverse Saga and that the studio is keen on pushing out another Doctor Strange solo film sooner rather than later and now that they might just have Raimi in their sights to helm it.

    During a segment of the Hot Mic Podcast, co-host Jeff Sneider indicated that it’s his belief that Raimi will return to direct the third installment in the Doctor Strange franchise. Though Sneider was clear that he was not confirming Raimi’s return, he hinted that it was pretty clear that was the direction things were headed.

    Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness grossed just short of $1B at the box office ($955.8M), making it the fourth highest-grossing film of 2022. The film’s post-credit scene, which introduced Charlize Theron as Clea, hinted at Strange playing a major role in the larger narrative of the Multiverse Saga and recent rumors have suggested that the character will essentially fill the shoes Tony Stark wore towards the end of the Infinity Saga.

    Despite the rumors, Marvel Studios has not officially announced the Doctor Strange threequel; in fact, Disney Chairman Bob Iger recently indicated that the studio may be less inclined to revisit characters for a “third and a fourth” film in the future in favor of bringing new characters to the screen. Additionally, news of a slow down and increased measures of quality control within Marvel Studios don’t seem to match up with the rumored “fast-tracking” of Doctor Strange 3. Disney will be in attendance at April’s CinemaCon, providing them with an opportunity to publicly address any additions, subtractions or delays to Marvel Studios’ slate, should they chose to do so. Otherwise, fans may have to wait until SDCC ’23, or later, to see what Iger’s return to the company means for Marvel Studios theatrical plan.

    Source: YouTube

  • Fewer Sequels, More Avengers in Store for the MCU

    Fewer Sequels, More Avengers in Store for the MCU

    As Bob Iger continues to reign in the free-spending gunslingers behind Disney’s big brands, fans of those brands continue to wonder what the future will hold. During an appearance Morgan Stanley Technology, Media and Telecom Conference, Iger gave some indication of what the future of Marvel Studios may hold.

    On the heels of a pair of sequels that weren’t the critical darlings that Disney had hoped they’d be, Iger indicated that Marvel Studios may reevaluate their approach to sequels.

    There are 7,000 characters, there are a lot more stories to tell. What we have to look at at Marvel is not necessarily the volume of Marvel stories we’re telling but how many times we go back to the well on certain characters. Sequels typically work well for us. Do you need a third and a fourth, for instance, or is it time to turn to other characters?

    Robert Iger

    It’s hard not to read between the lines of Iger’s comments and think about Thor: Love and Thunder and Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania. The former has been widely criticized for taking the wrong lessons from its much more successful predecessor, Thor: Ragnarok while the latter has been under fire for its drop-off at the box office.

    It’s not all bad news for Marvel Studios, though. Iger is confident that the future, which he loosely defined as the “next five years”, holds a lot of promise.

    There’s nothing in any way inherently off in terms of the Marvel brand. I think we just have to look at what characters and stories we’re mining. If you look at the trajectory of Marvel in the next five years, there will be a lot of newness. We’re going to turn back to the Avengers franchise with a whole new set of Avengers, for example.

    Robert Iger

    Interestingly enough, that newness includes the scheduled MCU debuts of the Punisher, Blade, Deadpool, the Fantastic Four and the X-Men, none of whom are new to the superhero landscape, only the MCU; so roughly in the sense that a used car is new to you, though not truly new. Beyond that, characters such as Sentry, Wonder Man and Nova are known to be making true debuts, so it will be worth tracking which of Marvel’s 7,000 other characters get the opportunity to make the jump to the MCU.

    Iger’s comments on a “new set of Avengers” is also worth some thought. After having four Avengers films weaved throughout the Infinity Saga, each serving as “Phase enders”, the studio chose to reserve the Multiverse Saga’s Avengers films for Phase 6. With Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars set to end the Multiverse Saga, the expectations placed on those films is already staggeringly high.

    Source: Deadline

  • New Details Emerge on ‘What If…?’ Season 2’s New MCU Character

    New Details Emerge on ‘What If…?’ Season 2’s New MCU Character

    The first season of Marvel Studios animated series What If…? was a hit with critics and audiences. A second season was already in the works by the time the first episodes hit Disney Plus, but nearly a year and a half later, no word on its release has been revealed. There have been some tidbits about what to expect, however, including the fairly major news that a brand new character will be introduced to the MCU in Season 2.

    The news, via Boardwalk Times, confirms the identity of the new character as Kahhori, who was recently leaked via a Funko product. According to the Twitter account, Kahhori, a young Mohawk woman, will be the star of an episode that explores the impact of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy coming into possession of the Tesseract in pre-Colonial America.

    Additional details from Marvel.com describe the episode as a look what happens when “The Tesseract takes on a new life and a new mythology, transforming a lake into a gateway to the stars and leading Kahhori, a young Mohawk woman, on a quest to discover her power.” Writer Ryan Little scripted the episode in collaboration with members of the Mohawk nation and the episode will “take place in the Mohawk language” and from the perspective of the Mohawk people. The episode will see Kahhori have to “live up to her name (which means she stirs the forest in Mohawk) to recruit powerful allies into the fight to save her people and change the course of history forever.”

    Though no official word has come from Marvel Studios at this time, insider KC Walsh recently shared a potential timeline for the release of the second season of What If…?. According to his sources, the show is tentatively set to debut in early 2024. As Marvel Studios looks to find a better pace with their streaming releases, no time frame (even those originally shared by Marvel) should be considered etched in stone at this time.

    Source: Marvel.com

  • Keira Knightley Calls ‘Boston Strangler’ a “Love Song to Female Investigative Journalists”

    Keira Knightley Calls ‘Boston Strangler’ a “Love Song to Female Investigative Journalists”

    Between 1962 and 1964, 13 women were stalked, sexually assaulted and strangled in the Boston area. By July of 1962, word of the “Mad Strangler” or the “Phantom Strangler” had begun to spread and with that word spread fear among women in the area who believed they might be next. With the murders taking place in multiple different jurisdictions within the greater Boston area, police were slow to see the potential serial nature of them; Boston Record American journalist Loretta McLaughlin, however, was not. Working with Jean Cole, McLaughlin began investigating the murders and tying them together through evidence. In 1963, the pair published a four-part series in the Record American about the murders committed by the Boston Strangler. Though their work in connecting the cases was groundbreaking, the pair of journalists are rarely discussed in connection with the case.

    The Hulu original movie Boston Strangler, starring Keira Knightley as Loretta McLaughlin and Carrie Coon as Jean Cole, looks to shine a light on the important work done by McLaughlin and Cole in helping police tie the murders together and, eventually, identify a killer and put a stop to the serial killings. While there’s still some doubt that all 13 murders were the work of one man, the killings stopped with the arrest of Albert DeSalvo. During the global press junket for the film, Knightley spoke on the role the two women played in stopping the murders and why the story of their work, which has been ignored for so long, needs to be shared.

    Well, I think for me, this whole film is really a love song to female investigative journalists. And really highlights how important it is to have women in position of power in storytelling because it was these two women that really went, “This is an important story. This is
    information that needs to be in the public in order to keep women of Boston safe.” And I think, largely, it was a story that had been, at that point, ignored by the male establishment.

    Knightley went on to indicate that given the climate and culture at the time, it’s possible the string of murders may have gone unnoticed much longer had McLaughlin not made the connection.

    And I don’t know that their male colleagues would have seen the importance of it. So I think it’s wonderful to be part of something that is really highlighting how important it is to have as many good female journalists as you possibly can for the safety of our communities.

    Given the prominence of McLaughlin and Cole’s persistent work–even in the face of discrimination– in helping save the lives of potential victims and noticing the serial nature of the killings, Boston Strangler certainly works as a reminder of the challenges faced and overcome by women in predominantly male fields. As part of Women’s History Month, you can check out Boston Strangler on Hulu beginning March 17th.

  • REVIEW: ‘The Bad Batch’ Thanks Its Good Soldiers for Their Service

    REVIEW: ‘The Bad Batch’ Thanks Its Good Soldiers for Their Service

    Good soldiers follow orders. The motto of the Empire’s Clone Army and the basis of the rift between CT-9904 and his Bad Batch brothers, those words are as etched in the minds of fans of Star Wars animated series nearly as deeply as in the minds of the clones. Throughout the course of Star Wars: The Clone Wars and The Bad Batch, “good soldiers follow orders” has been the rote and retaliatory response given any time evil deeds were done by Clones in the name of the Empire. Of course, following orders in the service of evil is still doing evil (indeed the phrase seems to be a reference to the “superior orders” defense that Nazi war criminals attempted to use during the Nuremberg trials, continuing a long-running allegory within the Star Wars universe) and the phrase was never going to hide the evil acts.

    Crosshair has always been severe and unyielding. It is his nature. You cannot change that. He cannot change that.

    Tech, The Bad Batch: Kamino Lost

    After a bit of a slow start, Season 2 of The Bad Batch has quickly gotten very interesting following Emperor Palpatine’s Defense Recruitment Bill. The bill not only ushered in the era of the Imperial Stormtrooper but also emphatically ended the era of the Clones, who for all their order following, were decommissioned. The latest episode, The Outpost, is a beginning-to-end indictment of the Empire’s dismissal of the Clones and a parabolic reminder that you reap what you sow. At the center of it all is Clone Force 99’s “do what needed to be done” loyalist Crosshair who by the end of the episode finds himself in a very bad place under the special care of the series’ new bad lad, Dr. Hemlock.

    I am a soldier of the Empire.

    Crosshair, The Bad Batch: The Solitary Clone
    Lieutenant Nolan in a scene from “STAR WARS: THE BAD BATCH”, season 2 exclusively on Disney+. © 2023 Lucasfilm Ltd. & ™. All Rights Reserved.

    Though it’s laid on pretty thick, the episode’s depiction of the dismal treatment of the Clones seems necessary as a teaching tool not for the audience but for Crosshair. From the moment the ennuyé Imperial Officer drones on to the Clones about their service to Crosshair’s mission to Barton-4 under the uber-douchey Lt. Nolan to the anticlimactic discovery of the purpose of that mission, the humdrum pacing of The Outpost lures fans into a bit of a trap: Crosshair gonna Crosshair. And then…he doesn’t.

    This is who I am.

    Crosshair, The Bad Batch: Return to Kamino

    Having a character go against his very nature, especially one whose nature has been the sole focus of nearly every interaction with the character since the show’s debut is no small thing. What’s more, having Crosshair betray that nature in order to kill Lt. Nolan over the death of a few “regs” symbolizes a near-total metamorphosis for the Bad Batch’s resident cynic. By pulling the trigger and killing Nolan, Crosshair followed his own orders and, by his own beliefs, is no longer a good soldier despite doing what he believed needed to be done. It would seem the fate of his brothers in Clone Force 99 is destined to intertwine with his once more as the new clone king, Dr. Hemlock, now has Omega in his sights. But will the reborn Crosshair soon have Hemlock in his?

  • REVIEW: ‘The Mandalorian’ Heads to the Mines of Mandalore for a Monstrous Measure of Mythos

    REVIEW: ‘The Mandalorian’ Heads to the Mines of Mandalore for a Monstrous Measure of Mythos

    Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni are playing the long game with The Mandalorian and an even longer one with the story of Mandalore. A location frequently visited and revisited in Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels, Mandalore–and its fascinating history, culture and politics–has always been integral to the larger goings on of the galaxy and taken a pretty bad beating along the way. Over the course of the first two seasons of The Mandalorian and the first season of The Book of Boba Fett, it’s been clear that Favreau and Filoni are building towards Mandalore’s return to glory but in Chapter 18 of The Mandalorian, The Mines of Mandalore, that return to glory begins in earnest.

    As has often been said, The Mandalorian is a slow burn; however, in retrospect, it has provided Star Wars fans, both subtly and overtly, with an incredible amount of information about Mandalorian culture. “This is the Way” doesn’t carry the same meaning it did 2.5 seasons ago (that’s counting The Book of Boba Fett as the .5) because the Way has become so well-defined to the audience through the experiences of Mando, Grogu, et al. Favreau and Filoni made a decision to let the intricacies of The Way of the Mandalore be discovered over time rather than force-fed to the audience. That decision has led to a clear understanding of the differences in culture between the Children of the Watch and the rest of Mandalorian society. No greater example of that rift exists than the relationship between Din Djarin and Bo-Katan Kryze and this Chapter exploits that rift expertly.

    Din Djarin’s visit to pouty Bo-Katan illustrates a key difference between The Children of the Watch and every other Mandalorian: faith. Against all odds, Din Djarin’s intentions to return to Mandalore and bathe in the Living Waters is an expression of the depth of his beliefs in The Way of the Mandalore; Bo-Katan’s dismissal of his quest–and her general malaise–is an expression of the lack of hers. While there’s been some controversy among fans around whether or not Din Djarin should be the one to reunite the great Houses of Mandalore and lead them to their renaissance, The Mines of Mandalore provides adequate evidence to suggest he may just be the guy. Though the depth of their zealotry seems to border on irrational, The Children of the Watch have kept the faith and Din Djarin’s experience in this Chapter rewards them for doing so.

    Chapter 5 of The Book of Boba Fett, Return of the Mandalorian, laid much of the groundwork for The Mines of Mandalore and the insane payoff within its final moments. Din Djarin’s road to redemption, as explained to him by The Armorer and Paz Vizsla, is presented as an unwalkable one. Now an apostate, his only path to being forgiven lies in the ruins of Mandalore which is believed to be uninhabitable. Moreover, the belief of the Children of the Watch is that Mandalore’s destruction is tied to a legend that points to Bo-Katan’s “undeserving” nature as the leader of the people; however, those same legends and songs, kept alive by the Children of the Watch’s adherence to The Way, prophesize a return to glory for Mandalore that will be heralded in by the rise of the Mythosaur, the heretofore unseen beasts of legend.

    2.5 seasons of The Mandalorian have partially conditioned the audience to see things much in the way they are seen by Bo-Katan. Though the Children of the Watch, exemplified by Din Djarin, continue to hold their faith as the galaxy closes in around them, how can their return to glory ever occur when it is tied to the rise of an extinct beast of myth? And Chapter 18 provides the spine-tingling answer to that question in all its glory. It’s a payoff that only works because Favreau and Filoni have let the audience slowly build their own opinions about The Way of the Mandalore and the nature of Din Djarin’s quest to redeem himself. Those who kept the faith, like Din Djarin, now see the fruits of their faith and that the future for Mandalore is bright and also probably involves Din Djarin wielding the Darksaber while riding on the back of a Mythosaur sometime very soon. It’s a story 13 years in the telling and nearly 50 years in the making and it is just getting good.

  • ‘The Batman’ Producer Reveals Planned Start of Production for the Sequel

    ‘The Batman’ Producer Reveals Planned Start of Production for the Sequel

    As DC Studios is remade under co-chairs James Gunn and Peter Safran, Matt Reeves suite of Gotham-based projects remain part of the plan. While they’ll be apart from the main DCU as part of the new Elseworlds banner, projects such as The Penguin and the recently announced The Batman-Part II are integral components of the future of the studio.

    Set photos of Collin Farrell recently revealed that the HBO Max series, The Penguin, has begun production ahead of its expected 2024 release. Now, thanks to producer Michael Uslan, fans can also look forward to production on the sequel to 2022’s The Batman getting underway this year as well.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CpeTkA6gp9E/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

    The Batman-Part II is tentatively slated for a November 2023 start of production, providing nearly two years for Reeves to craft the film before of its scheduled October 5, 2023 release. With the project on Pace for a late 2023 start of production, casting for the film should get underway over the next couple of months providing fans with an opportunity to begin to gleam some clues of the sequel’s story.

  • ‘Rogue Squadron’ and Kevin Feige’s Star Wars Films Dead in the Waters of Dagobah

    ‘Rogue Squadron’ and Kevin Feige’s Star Wars Films Dead in the Waters of Dagobah

    Lucasfilm has a Star Wars film slated for release in December of 2025 but, as of right now, there doesn’t seem to be a project ready to fill the coveted spot. As Disney continues to evolve following Bob Iger’s return to the reigns of the company, word has come that Patty Jenkins‘ Rogue Squadron and Kevin Feige‘s project are no longer in development.

    Rogue Squadron’s status has been in doubt for some time now but this is the first time Feige’s project, which was reportedly being written by Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness scribe Michael Waldron, has been said to be on the chopping block since it was announced in 2019. As THR points out, with Waldron scripting Avengers: Secret Wars and Feige continuing to the steer the MCU ship to that endpoint, the pair are too busy to work on their Star Wars project at the moment.

    With those two films out of the running for the 2025 spot, projects by Taika Waititi and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy could fill it though it’s unclear just how far along I’m development those projects are. Perhaps with Star Wars Celebration 2023 just around the corner, perhaps Lucasfilm will shed some light on the subject.

    Source: Variety

  • Elden Henson, Deborah Ann Woll Left Out of ‘Daredevil: Born Again’

    Elden Henson, Deborah Ann Woll Left Out of ‘Daredevil: Born Again’

    As the exciting news that Jon Bernthal is set to join Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio in the jump from the Netflix Defenders-verse to the MCU, comes the devastating news that Elden Henson and Deborah Ann Woll, who starred as Foggy Nelson and Karen Page in the Defenders-verse shows, will not be part of the MCU. As production gets underway on Daredevil: Born Again, THR reports that Henson and Woll were not brought on board for the new series.

    As the THR report points out, it is unclear if the characters of Foggy and Karen will be recast with different talent or if the characters are simply not part of the plan for the 18-episode Disney Plus streaming series.

    Updating…

    Source: THR

  • Jon Bernthal Back as Frank Castle in Daredevil: Born Again

    Jon Bernthal Back as Frank Castle in Daredevil: Born Again

    Jon Bernthal‘s performance as a tortured Frank Castle was one of the highlights of Netflix’s Defenders-verse. Over 1 season of Daredevil and 2 seasons of The Punisher, Berthanl brought the controversial character to life and now fans will get more as he’s set to return as the character in Daredevil: Born Again.

    Bernthal joins stars Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onoforio as talent that has made the jump from the popular Netflix series to the MCU. Marvel Studios has given no indication that Daredevil: Born Again will pick up where the Netflix series left off and Cox has continuously referred to the new series as “a whole new deal.” Whatever the case, it would seem that Bernthal’s interpretation of the character may have to change a bit to fit the more family-friendly tone of Marvel Studios Disney Plus series.

    Daredevil: Born Again, an 18-eisode series, is in production now and slated for release sometime in 2024.

    Source: THR