Murphy's Multiverse

Author: Charles Murphy

  • ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ Digital and Physical Media Release Dates Officially Announced

    ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ Digital and Physical Media Release Dates Officially Announced

    The Fantastic Four: First Steps was a critical and financial success for Marvel Studios this summer. The film, which introduced Marvel’s First Family into the MCU, reportedly took in $517M globally, making it the highest-grossing of the studio’s three 2025 films and the highest-grossing Fantastic Four film yet. Now, as it’s box office run wraps up, the studio is officially ready to launch the next phase.

    According to EW, The Fantastic Four: First Steps will be available in digital platforms on September 23rd with physical media, such as 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD, available to purchase on October 14th.
    Credit: EW

    According to EW, “Collectors will have the option to purchase more commemorative SteelBook editions, including an Amazon exclusive that comes with a custom magnet-front variant cover, five collector cards, and an issue of The Fantastic Four: First Steps #1 comic.”

    Credit: EW

    Additionally, a “Walmart exclusive pop-up Blu-ray package, which comes with a slipcover and pop-up display featuring the Fantastic Four riding in the Fantasticar,” will be available.

    Credit: EW

    EW also revealed a gag reel, multiple featurettes and deleted scenes will be available on both digital and physical copies.

    Featurette: Meet The First Family

    The creation of the Fantastic Four saved Marvel Comics in 1961 and has only flourished as years have passed. Matt Shakman and the cast explain how they found themselves gravitating toward each role and creating the ultimate family.

    Featurette: Fantastic Futurism

    The filmmakers discuss the process of immersing the cast and crew in the film’s retro-futuristic aesthetic. Join Matt Shakman and crew as they discuss the experience of shooting in gigantic mid-century New York sets and stepping into an otherworldly era.

    Featurette: From Beyond and Below

    The team explores bringing complex characters from the page to the screen, including a larger-than-life Galactus, grounded Harvey Elder/Mole Man, and an emotionally rich Silver Surfer.

    Deleted Scenes

    • Thanksgiving Soup Kitchen
    • Fantastic Four Day
    • Subterranea
    • Birthday Sweater
    • Taking Turns

    Source: Entertainment Weekly

  • The Ultimate List of What to Watch Before ‘Marvel Zombies’

    The Ultimate List of What to Watch Before ‘Marvel Zombies’

    First announced in November 2021 as part of Disney Plus Day, Marvel Zombies has been slow in making its way to the screen. Originally planned for a 2024 release, the series, created by Zeb Wells and Bryan Andrews fell off the radar a bit after being absent from several consecutive convention presentations by Marvel Studios but now the time has come for the undead to take the stage and showrunner Andrews promises that the upcoming four-episode TV-MA mini-event will unleash “a lot of insanity” when it hits D+ on September 24th.

    Oh, no. It’s like a through line. It’s like, originally, we were thinking it’d be a movie, if like, “Ooh, we should release it as a movie.” We should just do a movie. But there were some things that came up, certain issues that we just had to kind of, “Oh let’s break it. We’ll have to break it up into four episodes.” So basically it’s like a four-episode mini-event, like a film broke up into four parts, basically. So yeah, it’s definitely… It’s one story. It’s one throughline. A lot of insanity happens.

    –Marvel Zombies showrunner, Bryan Andrews

    Like most of Marvel Animation’s projects, Marvel Zombies isn’t deeply integrated into the ongoing shared narrative of the MCU; however, it’s not entirely standalone either. And so to help ensure the absolute best viewing experience possible we present…The Ultimate List of What to Watch Before…Marvel Zombies!

    Tier 1

    If you’ve never seen a single second of any of Marvel Studios’ films or streaming series, Tier One projects should be considered the bare minimum to get yourself ready for Marvel Zombies. In this case, there can be only one…

    What If…?, Season 1, Episode 5: “What If…Zombies?!”

    Zombie Scarlet Witch in Marvel Studios’ WHAT IF…? exclusively on Disney+. ©Marvel Studios 2021. All Rights Reserved.

    It ties right in. It is the same universe. If you’ve never seen that episode of What If…? you do come at the universe from a different angle. So you could just watch the four episodes of Marvel Zombies coming in completely blind because it does tell its own story. But if you do know that episode of What If…? and what happens in it, it does connect entirely to that episode.

    -Brad Winderbaum

    Episode 5 of Marvel Studios’ first canonical animated streaming series What If…? featured one of the most widely marketed twists of the show: zombies! Dating back to the earliest teasers for the series, the image of zombie Cap haunted fans and was used to build hype for the series. While the episode wasn’t the strongest of the series, it did include arguably the most intense and disgusting “deaths” to date in the MCU and its unresolved plot set the table for Marvel Zombies. It’s an easy 30-minute watch that will create a more complete viewing experience; also, Marvel Television boss Brad Winderbaum said it connects directly to the new series.

    When an outbreak of a mysterious quantum virus turns heroes and villains into zombies, the Earth’s mightiest aren’t prepared. A ragtag group of survivors, including Spider-Man, Winter Soldier, and Okoye, must join forces to find a cure and stop the spread of the zombie plague before it consumes the entire universe. As they travel to find a cure, they discover the insidious truth behind the plague and who is controlling it. With the fate of reality hanging in the balance, they must fight their way through hordes of undead heroes and stop the source of the outbreak.

    ‘WHAT IF… ZOMBIES?’ Is the Closest To ‘MORTAL KOMBAT’ The MCU May Get

    Tier 2

    Tier Two projects occupy an interesting place on The Ultimate Lists. While they’re never required viewing, they always offer something that can add to the viewing experience of the upcoming project. In this case, given that everything that occurs in Marvel Zombies takes place on an alternate timeline emerging from the events of Ant-Man and The Wasp, most Multiverse Saga projects are unnecessary to understand that story so far, though a host of Multiverse Saga characters play critical roles in the TV-MA event series.

    Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

    🍅 92%

    Despite taking place on Earth, Marvel Zombies has a couple of surprising connections to James Gunn's first CBM...and neither of them are pleasant.

    Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)

    🍅 75%

    While it's certain to rile up a segment of the MCU fandom, Wanda Maximoff is, once again, a villain in Marvel Zombies. Given the role she plays, checking out her first appearance isn't a bad choice.

    Thor: Ragnarok (2017)

    🍅 93%

    Tessa Thompson confirmed by the studio to be back as the voice of Valkyrie but she's not the only reason to check out the highest-rated Thor movie as there's a very cool surprise in store related to New Asgard.

    Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

    🍅 85%

    Given that Episode 5 of What If...? ended with the zombie Thanos tease and that character has been prominently featured in the marketing for Marvel Zombies, there's plenty of reason to check out Infinity War. Add in that the entire premise of Marvel Zombies spins out of this film, albeit on an alternate timeline, and you have no reason to leave this one off the list.

    Ant-Man and The Wasp (2018)

    🍅 87%

    Hope van Dyne and Scott Lang played important roles in "What If...Zombies?!" and we know from that episode that San Francisco is the epicenter of the zombie apocalypse. Set more or less simultaneously with most of Infinity War, this one definitely adds some context.

    The Falcon and The Winter Soldier (2021)

    🍅 85%

    What if...this show never happened? Because in the timeline established by "What If...Zombies?!", it would not have. That didn't stop the studio from inserting John Walker into Marvel Zombies...and he's not the only primary character from this stream series to make an appearance.

    Black Widow (2021)

    🍅 79%

    It's no secret that Yelena and Red Guardian are central characters in Marvel Zombies and while they both recently appeared in Thunderbolts*, the zombie apocalypse prevented that team from ever assembling...so watch this.

    Ms. Marvel (2022)

    🍅 98%

    Iman Vellani's Kamala Khan is the lead in Marvel Zombies, which allows her to showcase her powers in some interesying ways. Check out her introduction to the MCU in Ms. Marvel, one of Marvel Studios' finest streaming projects!

    Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)

    🍅 84%

    Riri Williams has a key role in Marvel Zombies and there's really more to it than meets the eye.

    Hawkeye (2022)

    🍅 92%

    Both Hawkeyes make appearances in Marvel Zombies but with Clint already a zombie, don't expect a happy reunion...

    Tier 3

    For completists only, Tier 3 projects ensure everything in the project is given some context.

    Eternals (2021)

    🍅 47%

    Yep! And it's not even Kingo this time...

    About Marvel Zombies

    After the Avengers are overtaken by a zombie plague, a desperate group of survivors discover the key to bringing an end to the super-powered undead, racing across a dystopian landscape and risking life and limb to save their world.

    -Official synosis for What If...Zombies?! via Disney Plus

    Created by Bryan Andrews and Zeb Wells, Marvel Zombies features the voices of Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Rudd, Florence Pugh, David Harbour, Tessa Thompson, Simu Liu, Awkwafina, Hailee Steinfeld, Wyatt Russell, Randall Park, Iman Vellani, and Dominique Thorne, among others. The series is executive produced by Kevin Feige, Louis D’Esposito, Brad Winderbaum, Dana Vasquez-Eberhardt, Bryan Andrews, and Zeb Wells, and is produced by Danielle Costa and Carrie Wassenaar.

  • A vs. X: ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ Star Teases Epic Clash Ahead

    A vs. X: ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ Star Teases Epic Clash Ahead

    When Marvel Studios revealed the main cast of Avengers: Doomsday, a number of surprising names graced the backs of chairs, including a half dozen stars from Fox’s X-Men franchise. Fans immediately began to speculate that the return of the OG X-Men could mean only one thing: a war between worlds featuring the Avengers and X-Men. And according to one star, it looks as that’s what we’ll see.

    In an interview with Variety, Cyclops actor James Marsden talked about his role in Avengers: Doomsday and teased that “worlds are ready to collide.”

    You can feel that it’s something special. The world is ready for this movie and these worlds are ready to collide.

    -James Marsden

    With Avengers: Doomsday believed to be largely inspired by Marvel Comics writer Jonathan Hickman‘s work on Avengers and New Avengers titles, it’s possible that the Fox X-Men’s Earth could serve as a stand-in for Earth-1610 (the original Ultimate universe) which went to war with Earth-616 during the final incursion before 2015’s Secret Wars.

    Doctor Doom has officially arrived in the MCU. This villain, a master of cutting-edge science and powerful magic, will unleash a cascading crisis across the entire multiverse.

    -First synopsis for Avengers: Doomsday

    Rumors from the set of Avengers: Doomsday have indicated that any potential clash between Earth’s Mightiest Heroes and the Children of the Atom would be engineered by Doctor Doom. Given the powerful looking Doom seen recently at a merchandising expo in Shanghai, it’s safe to assume he’ll be pulling a lot of strings when Avengers Doomsday hits theaters on December 18, 2026.

  • Marvel Studios Rolls Out the First Synopsis for ‘Avengers: Doomsday’

    Marvel Studios Rolls Out the First Synopsis for ‘Avengers: Doomsday’

    In more ways than one, Avengers: Doomsday has remained enigmatic despite filming for more than five months. Sure, a five-hour publicity stunt revealed 27 actors meant to lead the way in the Russo brothers’ return., however, the premise of the film has remained relatively secretive…until now.

    Coming out of a marketing expo in Shanghai, fans have now been exposed to the first synopsis for Avengers: Doomsday.

    Doctor Doom has officially arrived in the MCU. This villain, a master of cutting-edge science and powerful magic, will unleash a cascading crisis across the entire multiverse.

    -First synopsis for Avengers: Doomsday

    Updating…

  • Chaos Reigns in Latest Trailer for ‘Marvel Zombies’

    Chaos Reigns in Latest Trailer for ‘Marvel Zombies’

    Spinning out of “What If…Zombies?!”, Marvel Zombies promises to bring more gratuitous violence to the Multiverse when the four-episode TV-MA mini-event streams on September 24th. Ahead of the premiere, Disney has released a chaotic new trailer showcasing a flashback to the day of the breakout in San Francisco, the return of Zombie Cap and another look at Spidey’s hellacious kill.

    The studio also rolled out a new poster for the series featuring Wanda Maximoff, the Queen of the Dead and the series’ big bad.

  • ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ Marketing Teaser Confirms the MCU Doom Will Indeed Possess a Comic-Accurate Trait

    The casting of Robert Downey Jr. as the MCU’s Victor Von Doom has been subjected to significant criticism. While it’ll be quite some time before fans will be able to judge Downey’s performance, we now know that Marvel Studios’ Doom will stand apart from prior big screen iterations in one big way.

    As part of a teaser displayed at the Disney 2026 Merchandise Expo in China, a video presentation gave an interesting tease of the film and featured Doom’s hands casting spells, confirming the MCU’s Doom will indeed be a sorcerer.

  • Promo Art Reveals First Look at Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom

    Promo Art Reveals First Look at Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom

    Though he appeared in a tag to The Fantastic Four: First Steps, fans were unable to catch a good glimpse of what the MCU’s Victor Von Doom truly looks like. The scene, which featured Robert Downey Jr.’s villain making an unwelcome visit to the Baxter Building, only have a glimpse of the villains’s back and mask, leaving the full reveal for another day. Today seems to be that day.

    Emerging fromWalt Disney Studios Marketing Expo in Shanghai is the first full look at Doom as he will appear in Avengers: Doomsday.

    The art reveals what looks to be an epic take on Doom’s armor which, according to reports, is hiding a disfigured Victor whose look was inspired by “classic Universal monster movies.”

    How can we not go backwards? How can we not disappoint expectations? How can we continue to beat expectations? And he brought up Victor Von Doom. I looked into this character. Later on, he goes, ‘Let’s get Victor Von Doom right.’

    -Robert Downey Jr. on Kevin Feige’s pitch for him to return to the MCU,THR
    SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – JULY 27: Robert Downey Jr. speaks onstage during the Marvel Studios Panel in Hall H at SDCC in San Diego, California on July 27, 2024. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney)

    As part of their SDCC ’24 presentation, Marvel Studios announced that the fifth Avengers film, previously titled Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, was set to be directed by Anthony and Joe Russo and had been retitled Avengers: Doomsday, which would star Downey as Victor Von Doom.

    Avengers: Doomsday is currently set to hit theaters on December 18, 2026.

  • Holy Jackpot, Batman! ‘Clayface’ Prop Teases The Dark Knight’s First Sidekick

    Photos from the Liverpool set of DC Studios Clayface have revealed an upcoming scene will be shot at the Gotham carnival known as Amusement Mile. Aged poster props have teased a “Freakshow” featuring the “Penguin Man among other attractions at the carnival, giving the DCU’s Gotham a solid foundation that allows for many of Batman’s villains to have been active for years. Now, a new prop teases the potential for Batman’s first sidekick to appear in the DCU.

    A new photo of the Amusement Mile set shows another aged poster for The Flying Graysons, a trio traveling acrobats including Dick Grayson, the first Robin.

    The death of Dick’s parents,  Jonathan and Mary Grayson, in a fall caused by a sabotaged rope, orphaned Dick and let to his adoption by Bruce Wayne. Soon after, Grayson became Robin and The Boy Wonder served as Batman’s sidekick for years. Grayson later joined the Teen Titans and, eventually, took on the identity of Nightwing after a falling out with Wayne.

  • James Gunn Reveals Key ‘Man of Tomorrow’ Details, Production Timeline

    James Gunn Reveals Key ‘Man of Tomorrow’ Details, Production Timeline

    Just one week after James Gunn announced the title and release date of the next film in his Superman Saga, the director and DC Studios’ co-chair has confirmed a key detail.

    In an interview with Howard Stern, Gunn confirmed that Man of Tomorrow will feature a Superman and Lex Luthor team up.

    As part of Gunn’s announcement of the film, which took place across multiple social media platforms, artwork for the film was shared, including a piece from DC Comics’ legend Jim Lee. Fans immediately cleaned from the art that Man of Tomorrow would involve Luthor and Superman working together to take one a shared enemy. Gunn confirmed that, telling Stern that Man of Tomorrow is “a story about Lex Luthor and Superman having to work together to a certain degree against a much, much bigger threat.“

    “It’s more complicated than that but that’s a big part of it,” continued Gunn. “It’s as much a Lex movie as it is a Superman movie. I loved working with Nicholas Hoult. I relate to the character of Lex, sadly. I really wanted to create something extraordinary with the two of them. I Just love the script so much.”

    While fans believe that threat will be Brainiac, that’s yet to be confirmed; however, it may not be long before the villain of Man of Tomorrow is revealed as production is tentatively set to begin early next year.

    “I am creating the Superman sequel that we’re starting to shoot in April or so,” Gunn told Stern. With principal photography only seven “or so” months away, casting for the film should begin relatively soon, giving some bread crumbs to those looking to deduce the film’s big bad.

    Source: Howard Stern Show

  • ‘Clayface’ Looks Set in a Gotham Full of Batman’s Greatest Villains

    ‘Clayface’ Looks Set in a Gotham Full of Batman’s Greatest Villains

    While Clayface is one of Batman’s most interesting rogues, few would list him as one of the Dark Knight’s greatest baddies. However, it’s starting to look as though DC Studios’ upcoming horror movie, Clayface, will set the stage for–if not introduce–at least a few of Batman’s biggest big bads in the DCU.

    With production on Clayface continuing in Liverpool, new photos from the set tease the very real possibility that Batman villains The Joker and The Penguin are already active within the DCU.

    In the case of The Joker, it seems as though there is both a singular entity referred to as The Joker, who is leading a march against the corrupt Gotham City Police Department, and a gang who calls themselves The Jokers. Theories are already flying that The Jokers will turn out to be the DCU’s version of the Red Hood Gang, though there’s no good explanation for why they aren’t just called the Red Hood Gang.

    In the case of The Penguin, the reference comes in the form of a poster for the Gotham carnival known as Amusement Mile. The poster, which invites people to “Behold” the “Penguin Man,” shares a wall with a “Freakshow” poster, insinuating that the character is one of the attractions.

    Photos of props from the Liverpool set had already revealed that The Penguin’s club, The Iceberg Lounge, was among the key locations shown on a Gotham map; however, it’s unclear when Clayface is set, if some of these photos are from flashbacks or if The Penguin is already an established crime boss in the present of the DCU. Whatever the case, it seems as though Clayface might do a lot of the heavy lifting in establishing Gotham in the all-new DCU.