Murphy's Multiverse

Author: Charles Murphy

  • Leaked Set Pics Provide First Look at ‘Fallout’

    Leaked Set Pics Provide First Look at ‘Fallout’

    Production on Amazon Prime’s adaptation of the post-apocalyptic video game franchise, Fallout, is underway and if some new set photos are any indication, it’s going to at least look incredible.

    A group of new set photos show an impressive fallout shelter has been constructed practically for the series. Fans of the game will certainly appreciate the attention to detail found around the set. Fallout was developed by Lisa Joy and Jonathan Nolan with  Geneva Robertson-Dworet and Graham Wagner serving as showrunners. Walton Goggins and Ella Purnell have been cast as series leads, which is expected to stream sometime in 2023.

  • Mark Ruffalo Opens Up About ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’

    Mark Ruffalo Opens Up About ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’

    One of Marvel Studios’ biggest reveals at SDCC ’22 was that their ongoing Multiverse Saga was set to wrap up in 2025 with two Avengers films, Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars. The studio’s plans should seem familiar to fans, as they wrapped up the previous multi-phase Infinity Saga with two Avengers films as well in 2018’s Avengers: Infinity War and 2019’s Avengers: Endgame.

    While not all of the MCU’s heroes had a large role to play in both Infinity War and Endgame, one who did was Bruce Banner, aka the Hulk, portrayed by Mark Ruffalo. And while some of his longtime MCU co-stars have moved on from Marvel Studios’ projects-at least for the time being-Ruffalo is still going strong, set to appear next in the Disney + streaming series She-Hulk: Attorney At Law. At the green carpet premiere for the series, Ruffalo was asked about Avengers: Secret Wars by Entertainment Tonight and while uncharacteristically reserved did have something to say about the project.

    It’s gonna be hard to top Endgame, but if I know Kevin and I know Marvel, it’s gonna be pretty amazing. It’ll be a big bang. We’ll go out with a big bang.

    Mark Ruffalo

    With Secret Wars still over three years away, it’s not surprising to hear Marvel Studios’ talent, even the usually verbose Ruffalo, giving more measured responses to questions about the film. While it’s likely Ruffalo will appear in the film and that he has a vague sense of what the story might entail, it’s even more likely that he’s not seen so much as a first draft of the script. That all means fans will have to wait a while before Ruffalo, or Tom Holland, start letting some details spill out on press tours.

  • ‘She-Hulk’ Writer Sets the Record Straight on Ghost Rider Rumors

    ‘She-Hulk’ Writer Sets the Record Straight on Ghost Rider Rumors

    Rampant and ridiculous rumors accompany the production of every Marvel Studios project and their next project, the Disney + streaming series She-Hulk: Attorney At Law, is no different. While the show is loaded with cameos and appearances by no less than a dozen characters, known and unknown, it looks like one character can safely be scratched off the list.

    According to head writer Jessica Gao, who spoke to Deadline at the green carpet premiere of She-Hulk, fans should not expect to see Johnny Blaze in the upcoming series.

    While rumors of a Ghost Rider appearance have circulated online for months, a recent trailer for the series really fueled the fire that Johnny Blaze would be in the streamer. Fans caught a glimpse of a blurry poster that read “Donny Blaze” and believed it to read “Johnny Blaze.” Despite efforts to clarify what was seen on the poster, a section of fans clung tightly to the belief that Donny Blaze was either actually Johnny or related to him. As Gao explains multiple times to the disbelieving interviewer, Donny Blaze isn’t Johnny and is “just a magician who picked a stage name he thought was going to get a lot of attention.”

    No Jonny Blaze and fans will have to wait a few weeks to see Donny Blaze in action, but She-Hulk: Attorney At Law debuts on August 18th on Disney +.

  • Mark Ruffalo Comments on a Potential ‘World War Hulk’ Film

    Mark Ruffalo Comments on a Potential ‘World War Hulk’ Film

    Over his years working as Bruce Banner in the MCU, actor Mark Ruffalo has proven to be a bit of a leaky faucet when it comes to top-secret Marvel Studios information. To that end, Marvel Studios One-Above-All, Kevin Feige, was probably sweating last night as Entertainment Tonight approached Ruffalo at the green carpet premiere of the studio’s upcoming Disney Plus streaming series, She-Hulk: Attorney At Law.

    To their credit, ET came out of the gate hard, asking Ruffalo about a potential World War Hulk film, a project that was first reported nearly a year ago by KC Walsh to be in development at the studio. To his credit, Ruffalo didn’t give anything away, this time, simply stating, “Any time they want to do it, I’m here.“

    While 2008’s The Incredible Hulk was the second MCU film, a sequel has never materialized due to a distribution deal between Marvel Studios and Universal. Interestingly enough, evidence recently surfaced that indicated the distribution deal may be nearing its end, information that lines up with a potential 2024 or later release for the World War Hulk film. Of course, until Marvel Studios provides official word, fans will continue to debate the possibility of such a project. Perhaps once a few episodes of She-Hulk have aired and the public becomes aware of what the ET reporter is referencing in the interview, Marvel Studios could announce such a project…maybe even at D23 this September.

  • ‘She-Hulk’ Actor Confirms Role as Leap-Frog, not Frog-Man

    ‘She-Hulk’ Actor Confirms Role as Leap-Frog, not Frog-Man

    Dozens of fans can now rest easy. In an interview at the green carpet premiere of She-Hulk: Attorney At Law, actor Brandon Stanley confirmed that the frog-based character seen in promotional footage for the show is indeed Leap-Frog (as reported here) and not Frog-Man, as most fans believed.

    Stanley’s comments also reveal that the character will indeed be a mash-up of both amphibian-inspired characters from the comics (as first reported here). In She-Hulk, Stanley will be playing Eugene Patilio and using the moniker of Leap-Frog. In the comics, Eugene, who goes by Frog-Man, is the son of Vincent Patilio, a Daredevil villain who goes by Leap-Frog. Since it’s unlikely the MCU is willing to invest the time into a multi-generational Patilio saga, they’ve combined the characters into one: Eugene Patilio, aka Leap-Frog.

    Interestingly enough, Stanley indicates that Leap-Frog is a hero in the show. In the comics, Eugene, who went by Frog-Man, followed that trend even recently appearing as an ally to Tony Stark in the current, ongoing Iron Man run. It seems likely from the footage that She-Hulk might feature Leap-Frog undergoing some sort of cathartic rebirth as he is certainly squaring off with Daredevil (who is just off camera) in one of the trailers.

    She-Hulk: Attorney at Law debuts August 18th on Disney Plus. Leap-Frog debuts sometime later!

  • ‘She-Hulk’ Writer on Daredevil Appearance: “This is Our Version”

    ‘She-Hulk’ Writer on Daredevil Appearance: “This is Our Version”

    After nearly a year of rumors, Disney let the cat out of the bag about Daredevil’s appearance in She-Hulk, using the character in a promo for the show and removing all doubt about the veracity of said rumors. What is still in doubt, however, is whether or not the character, last seen briefly in Spider-Man: No Way Home, is the same character who lead 3 seasons of his own show on Netflix. Some fans are sure he is; others are sure he is not. All the while, Marvel Studios has remained silent on the matter. However, in an interview with Comic Book, She-Hulk head writer Jessica Gao and director Kat Coiro gave some insight into their understanding of the scenario.

    Unfortunately, neither Gao nor Coiro confirmed or denied whether or not Charlie Cox‘s character’s story is a direct continuation of the Netflix series. According to Gao, the creatives behind She-Hulk looked at the opportunity to include Daredevil as a chance to put their own spin on the character, one that ended up very different from the dark, gritty Netflix series.

    We were like, ‘This is our version,’ and it’s true for any character. Like every character that we’ve used that existed in the MCU, it gets to be a little bit different on our show because you see them in very dramatic roles like these big high pressure, high stakes kind of situations but on our show because our show is more of a slice of life, they can kinda take a break from that. 

    Jessica Gao

    Gao further explained that with She-Hulk’s lighter tone, characters who join the show in smaller roles were stepping into that comedic world and were reshaped by it, though not permanently:

    They get to take a little bit of a comedy vacation. Of course, after our show, they get to go back to save the world, saving the universe, very serious, intense story but on our show, they get to just take a little break and when the universe is not at stake like, ‘What’s going on with you?’ They get a chance to really explore like a different part of their character because not everyone can be at a 10 saving the world every minute of every day.

    Jessia Gao

    Coiro was much less forthcoming about what to expect from Cox’s character in the upcoming series. When asked if his appearance in She-Hulk would continue his story from the Netflix series, Coiro played…coy…saying, “I don’t know if I’m allowed to talk about it, but it’s very conscious and it’s very much planned. That’s all I can say.“

    It’s easy enough to say, “fans will just have to wait and see” whether or not Cox’s Daredevil and Vincent D’Onofrio’s Kingpin are picking up in the MCU where they left off, but there’s also an opportunity for Marvel Studios to stay quiet on the matter, allowing the speculation and conversation to continue. One of those things serves them better than the other.

    She-Hulk: Attorney At Law debuts this Thursday on Disney Plus.

    Source: Comic Book

  • Report Reveals Emilia Clarke’s ‘Secret Invasion’ Role

    Report Reveals Emilia Clarke’s ‘Secret Invasion’ Role

    Some of the earliest set photos from Marvel Studios Disney Plus streaming series Secret Invasion showed star Emilia Clarke sharing scenes with Cobie Smulders‘ Maria Hill and an unknown character played by Kingsley Ben-Adir. The photos spurred speculation about who Clarke might be playing in the spy thriller with names like Abigail Brand and Jessica Drew thrown around online. Now it seems Clarke’s role has been uncovered and it’s not one that people seemed to be expecting.

    According to insider Daniel RPK, Clarke is playing a Skrull named G’iah, first introduced in Marvel Comics in the 2019 limited series Meet the Skrulls. Interestingly enough, nearly a year ago, G’iah’s husband, Klrr, was included in a speculative piece about who some of the series’ villainous Skrulls might be. In the comics, Klrr and G’iah, along with their 3 children, served the Skrulls as spies within Stark Industries and worked to sow the seeds of a second Skrull invasion of Earth.

    It would not be surprising to see Meet the Skrulls serve as inspiration for at least part of Secret Invasion, especially given who Clarke’s character was seen interacting with on set. Should she truly be G’iah, it would appear from the set photos, where she seemed to be very friendly with Maria Hill, that she’s been on Earth for a while and developed some solid relationships with powerful and influential people. That’s assuming Hill was actually Hill and not a Skrull herself. After all, who do you trust?

  • Warner Bros. Weighing Options as Ezra Miller’s Spiral Continues

    Warner Bros. Weighing Options as Ezra Miller’s Spiral Continues

    As Ezra Miller’s very public downward spiral continues, Warner Bros. is now reportedly weighing their options with how to proceed with their $200M+ Miller vehicle, The Flash. After being charged with felony burglary, Miller was in the news again when it was reported that a mother and her three children who had been staying with Miller are now missing and being searched for by child’s services in Vermont. With Miller continuing to be in the news for all the wrong reasons, Warner Bros. is said to be considering three options with The Flash.

    According to THR, while it is not the studio’s first choice, they have come to the realization that should Miller’s erratic and headline-grabbing behavior continue, they will have to bury the film and eat its massive budget. While this is not their first choice nor their preferred option, it is the first time during Miller’s spree that reports out of the studio indicate it’s a possibility. At the other end of the spectrum, should Miller seek help and come forward with a public apology, the studio is willing to move forward with the film and allow Miller limited opportunities to promote it. In between those two ends is an option where the studio releases the film and keeps Miller away from press entirely, and then recasts the character moving forward, a move that has been the subject of fan speculation and discussion for months.

    According to the report, a recast and reshoot for The Flash would be impossible because Miller plays several characters in the film and “is in almost every scene.” Even as Warner Bros. has canceled several projects and looks to the future, their decision to move forward with The Flash, which was first announced in 2014, seems informative. Fans of long speculated that the movie could serve as an opportunity to “reboot” the continuity of the existing DC Universe and with the studio’s newly announced direction, it does seem a likely option.

    Source: THR

  • Rosario Dawson Recants Punisher Statement: “I Can’t Be Trusted”

    Rosario Dawson Recants Punisher Statement: “I Can’t Be Trusted”

    Rosario Dawson made quite a stir at C2E2 2022 when she told an excited crowd that she had just learned that the “Punisher was happening again.” Dawson, who starred in many of the Netflix Defenders-verse series got fans fired up while sharing her own enthusiasm for the return on the character, mentioning that Punisher was the only one of the Marvel Netflix streamers she didn’t appear in. As it turns out, Dawson may have to wait even longer to find her way into a Punisher series.

    In a late-night tweet, Dawson clarified her comments, indicating that she had been told by a fan that the Punisher was coming back and that she had simply been excited to hear the news herself, given her hopes to work on the series.

    The buzz around Jon Bernthal’s return to the character has been building online and it looks like the inability of fans to think critically about what they read played a hand in Dawson’s comments. While fans may be disappointed to learn that Dawson wasn’t passing along any official confirmation, they shouldn’t lose hope that Bernthal and/or Frank Castle might make their way to the MCU someday. With Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onoforio reprising their roles, the door will remain open for others from the Defenders-verse to walk through it as well, should the right opportunity arise.

  • Simu Liu Teases His Marvel Future: “I’m Going to Be Busy the Next Few Years”

    Simu Liu Teases His Marvel Future: “I’m Going to Be Busy the Next Few Years”

    Marvel Studios Hall H presentation at SDCC ’22 gave fans a peek at the plans for the next three years of the MCU, including dates for the next two Avengers films, The Kang Dynasty and Secret Wars. Shortly after, a trade report revealed that Destin Daniel Cretton, who directed 2021’s Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings, had signed on to helm The Kang Dynasty. That report, coupled with a lack of news about a Shang-Chi sequel at SDCC, led to some social media speculation that Cretton would be too busy to get around to a second Shang-Chi film until AFTER the Multiverse Saga came to a close.

    A Shang-Chi sequel may not, however, be as far away as some believe it to be. Cretton officially boarded the Shang-Chi sequel as writer and director in December of 2021 and while he admitted at the time that he had not begun work on a script, it’s likely the one has started to coalesce around some ideas that he brainstormed for the film while in production on Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings. Cretton is also serving as an executive producer on Marvel Studios’ Wonder Man streaming series, meaning with The Kang Dynasty, a project which he’s only directing and NOT writing, he’s juggling three projects at the same time.

    That doesn’t mean, however, that Shang-Chi 2 has taken a back seat. In fact, it turns out it might well be a top priority for Cretton and Marvel Studios and could very well hit theaters before Avengers: The Kang Dynasty. In an interview at SDCC, Shang-Chi star Simu Liu may have hinted at just such a scenario when he teased his potential involvement in “a couple” of the projects announced by Marvel Studios at their Hall H presentation and indicating that he was “going to be busy the next few years.”

    While this is certainly no guarantee that Shang-Chi 2 will be in theaters ahead of Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, it does leave the door open for that to happen. It is very likely that the two films might share some connective tissue, with Cretton working on them both, and while time might seem short, both projects could be completed in plenty of time for 2025 release dates. However, until Marvel Studios dates the sequel to Shang-Chi, speculation will continue. Perhaps they’ll do just that at their upcoming D23 presentation in Anaheim in September.