Murphy's Multiverse

Author: Charles Murphy

  • ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ Directors on What They’re Bringing Back to the MCU

    ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ Directors on What They’re Bringing Back to the MCU

    When Anthony and Joe Russo completed their work on Avengers: Endgame and turned their attention toward getting their studio, AGBO, up and running, there was always a belief that they’d return to Marvel Studios. Over the years, the brothers talked about what it would take to get them back in the directors’ chairs, indicating that their work with their own studio would keep them busy “until the end of the decade.” Things change, of course, and ultimately the story that drew them back to the MCU is the same one they’ve said would all along in Secret Wars.

    To get there, however, there’s some work to do, primarily in Avengers: Doomsday which is set to kick off production soon ahead of a May 1, 2026 release. Before work begins on the first Avengers films this decade, the brothers are making the rounds promoting their latest AGBO project, The Electric State. In a wide-ranging interview with The Sunday Times, the directing duo explained what brought them back to the MCU while addressing a few things that have changed since they left and one thing they would like to bring back in Doomsday and Secret Wars.

    SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – JULY 27: (L-R) Joe Russo, Anthony Russo and Kevin Feige, President, Marvel Studios speak 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)

    “Well, we love the genre,” said Anthony of why they’ve returned ahead of schedule. “Some people wrote it off as a less comprehensive form of storytelling that’s more for children. But we think of it as relevant for adults, if it is treated with maturity and complexity. That’s really all it is — a commitment to storytelling.” And despite some missteps with their recent projects, the Russos have yet to tell a poor story in the MCU. However, things have changed quite a bit since Avengers: Endgame wrapped up the Infinity Saga, including an overwhelming expansion of characters, stories and settings. However, the brothers didn’t come back without a plan to address the changes.

    “Yes, the MCU has got quite large, that’s for sure. I mean, frankly, we struggle with that same issue,” Anthony explained. “But part of the reason Joe and I decided to go back is exactly what you’re talking about. There needs to be more of a central narrative.” The director’s comments harken back to all time when it was easy to trace the MCU’s main plot thread from 2014 straight through 2019, something that’s been possible in the Multiverse Saga and was actually complicated by the Russos‘ return and the pivot away from Kang the Conquerer to Doctor Doom as the main villains of the finale.

    That lack of continuity is something about which the Russos are keenly aware. Furthermore, it sounds as though they have sat with it for some time and have a plan to return the MCU to its former storytelling glory. “That was something we were very specific about when we worked with Marvel [before],” said Anthony of a central MCU narrative. “We would like to bring the focused narrative back.” And from the sounds of things on social media and message boards, fans would like it brought back, too.

    Source: The Sunday Times

  • Russo Brothers Reveal What Exactly Sets ‘Doomsday’ and ‘Secret Wars’ Apart from ‘Endgame’

    Russo Brothers Reveal What Exactly Sets ‘Doomsday’ and ‘Secret Wars’ Apart from ‘Endgame’

    Despite having directed four of Marvel Studios’ best Infinity Saga films, Anthony and Joe Russo are still dividing the MCU fan base by returning to direct the studio’s next two Avengers films. While there’s no doubt that the brothers delivered a compelling two-pary finale in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, one faction of the fan base sees their return for Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars as desperation on the part of Kevin Feige as he tries to save the Multiverse Saga through gimmicks, such as casting Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom and then using him to help lure the Russos back.

    The brothers are no stranger to the derision of Marvel’s fans, however. When it was announced that the directing duo were taking over the Captain America franchise for 2014’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier, the Internet was sure there was no way that the brothers, who were known for their comedy chops, could handle the big action necessary for such a film. The result, of course, was an MCU action film that remains the standard for the ever-growing franchise. And so as the Russos prepare for production on Avengers: Doomsday, perhaps it’s best to wait to see the finish project before judging it.

    Convincing an increasingly divided fan base to be patient is a losing battle, of course, especially in an increasingly volatile social media ecosystem where some are convinced the brothers are going to attempt to cut and paste and sprinkle in some AI magic, making Doomsday and Secret Wars nothing more than pale imitations of Infinity War and Endgame. However, in a recent interview with Omlete, the brothers disputed that notion, revealing one major difference between their last pair of Avengers films and their upcoming pair.

    “What’s compelling about these two new Avengers movies is they’re a beginning,” explained Joe Russo. “It’s a new beginning. We told an ending story, now we’re going to tell a beginning story.“

    Obviously there’s a little to unpack there as Avengers: Secret Wars has been earmarked as the end of the Multiverse Saga for years. While that’s likely still the case, Joe Russo‘s comments almost certainly stem from the idea that the Multiverse Saga will conclude with the birth of a new iteration of the Marvel Cinematic Universe which combines characters from realities across the Multiverse. The brothers recently revealed that Avengers: Secret Wars will take inspiration from both Jim Shooter’s 1984 Secret Wars and Jonathan Hickman‘s 2015 very different book of the same name. As for what to expect after this new “beginning” teased by the Russos, Kevin Feige has already let that cat out of the bag…

  • Sadie Sink’s MCU Role May Have Been Revealed…And It’s the Worst Possible Option

    Sadie Sink’s MCU Role May Have Been Revealed…And It’s the Worst Possible Option

    After being rumored for multiple MCU roles for the past couple of years, Stranger Things and The Whale star Sadie Sink finally joined the club, signing on to co-star alongside Tom Holland in Spider-Man 4. The fourth installment in  Marvel and Sony’s collaborative Spidey franchise has been subject to some pretty interesting plot rumors since Kevin Feige first announced it was in development in 2021 but it’s clear that at the moment, nobody seems quite sure what the film will be about. To that end, Sink‘s role in the project was also a pretty tightly kept secret, right up until it wasn’t.

    Hollywood insider Jeff “The In” Sneider, who originally reported that Marvel was interested in Sink for the role of Jean Grey in their upcoming X-Men reboot, has now shared that a source informed him that “it sounds like” Sink will be playing Mary Jane Watson in Spider-Man 4.

    Let’s face it, Tiger, Marvel didn’t hit the jackpot here. Sink is a talented young actress and will certainly perform wonderfully in the role; however, given some of the other options on the table, even without knowing the plot of Spider-Man 4, it seems as though Marvel has chosen…poorly.

    One of the most consistent rumors about Spider-Man 4 is that given it’s position as a direct follow-up to Avengers: Doomsday, it won’t be set on Earth-616 but rather in Battleworld. First seen in 1984’s Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #1, Battleworld is a heterogenous hodgepodge planet made up of bits of various realities from around the Multiverse. More or less, on Battleworld, just about anything is possible and just about anyone could show up.

    Marvel and Sony took considerable heat over the years for casting Zendaya as their franchise’s MJ, Michelle Jones-Watson. Casting Sink as Mary Jane Watson, even as a character from another reality, could be read as the studio giving into the noise from online trolls. It remains to be seen in the residents of Battleworld–should it truly be the setting of Spider-Man 4–are aware of their own pasts; however, if the studio’s next move after wiping everyone’s memory of Peter Parker is to wipe Parker’s memory as well, it will likely only further fire up the fandom, many of whom were looking forward to seeing a street-level, friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.

    Spider-Man 4 will begin production later this year and is currently slated to hit theaters on July 31, 2026.

    Source: The Hot Mic Podcast

  • 3 Under the Radar Possibilities for Sadie Sink’s Mysterious Role in ‘Spider-Man 4’

    3 Under the Radar Possibilities for Sadie Sink’s Mysterious Role in ‘Spider-Man 4’

    Stranger Things star Sadie Sink will co-star with MCU vet Tom Holland in Spider-Man 4 in what’s only been described to this point as a large role. Previously rumored to be a front-runner for the role of Omega mutant and original X-Men Jean Grey, the identity of Sink‘s character has generated a lot of conversation online though it remains unknown. With that in mind, we’re jumping into the conversation, adding a few dark horse candidates for the young ginger star’s MCU alter ego.

    Given that the new Spider-Man film will follow Avengers: Doomsday, there’s no telling just yet what the project’s setting might be, so ruling out any one particular character on the grounds of a “why would they be there?” argument is nonsensical at this point. In a collapsing Multiverse, all bets are off.

    Firestar

    Insider Jeff “The In” Sneider’s late 2024 report that Sink was leading a pack of actresses for the part of Marvel Studios’ Jean Grey seems to still be carrying a lot of weight in the current conversation about Sink’s Spidey 4 role. On one hand, we’ve heard on more than one occasion that the studio wants to introduce its own variants of the mutant heroes into the MCU before the X-Men film hits in (probably) 2027, so Grey makes a lot of sense for Sink; on the other hand, another red headed mutant has a much richer history with the Web-Slinger.

    When rights issues blocked the use of Johnny Storm in 1981’s for NBC’s animated Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends, Firestar was created to be the fire to Bobby Drake’s ice. In 1985, the character was written into the mainstream Marvel Comics continuity where she has been an X-Man, New Warrior and Avenger. As much as folksight want to write the character off as a random Z-lister, remember a whole generation of kids–the generation that includes director Destin Daniel Cretton–grew up believing Firestar was pretty amazing. And, in some ways, it might be easier for a non-major member of the X-Men to be introduced as native to Earth-616 than for Jean Grey to suddenly appear.

    Hope Summers

    If one host of the Phoenix is possible, why not another? Raised in the future by Cable, Hope Summers, the Mutant Messiah, is as powerful of an Omega-Level mutant as has ever existed and one of the most important X-Men characters created this century.

    Hope was never even close to fully utilized by Fox, only having briefly appeared in Deadpool 2 and Marvel could tap into her role as the mutant savior by throwing her into the mix as the Multiverse (likely) collapses and is then remade. Spidey has long been a mutant ally, so it wouldn’t be out of place for him to work with Hope to solve whatever is going on after the events of Avengers: Doomsday.

    Rachel Summers

    Of all the possibilities here, I actually like this one the best. Rachel Summers stands out among potential choices because of her identity as a Multiversal anomaly: across all timelines, there is only one Rachel Summers. Though not Omega-Level like her mother, Jean Grey, Rachel is a powerful telepath who has also demonstrated the ability to control time and travel to other realities.

    While it may be a bit of a stretch, it’s important to remember that actions have consequences so when Monica Rambeau found herself stuck in whatever reality she ended up in during the third act of The Marvels, a response is due. With the Multiverse in jeopardy, it’s possible an older Rachel Summers, complete with her Hound skills intact, could be sent to explore things in Monica’s home universe where she meets up with Peter Parker.

  • ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Episode 3 Review: Now Is the Hour of Light!

    ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Episode 3 Review: Now Is the Hour of Light!

    Paired with Episode 2, the third episode of Daredevil: Born Again adapted writer Brian Michael Bendis‘ “The Trial of the Century” arc from his early 2000s time on Marvel Knights Daredevil: The Man Without Fear. It’s rare for Marvel Studios to do direct adaptations of comic books storylines and the studio didn’t do that here. Instead, with Bendis‘ serving as a Consulting Producer on the two episodes, Marvel did something even more rare: they made a great comic book story better.

    Elevated by an incredible performance by the late Kamar de los Reyes, “In the Hollow of His Hand” allowed Daredevil: Born Again time for Matt Murdock to do his day job and put on display just exactly what it is that makes him a really good lawyer. Though he probably is the “slippery shit” he was accused of being, Murdock’s instincts to let Hector Ayala take the stand as White Tiger and put the ethos of the Boricua spirit on trial served him well as Hector’s known standing as an ally to the cops and strong member of his community were more than enough to exonerate the hero. Unfortunately, wins don’t last for long in this show.

    Hector Ayala / White Tiger (Kamar de los Reyes) in Marvel Television’s DAREDEVIL: BORN AGAIN, exclusively on Disney+. Photo by Giovanni Rufino. © 2025 MARVEL.

    As in the comics, however, the legacies of Ayala and the White Tiger will live on. Sharp-eared viewers probably heard that Hector was living with his sister and niece and, if those same viewers were eagle-eyed during the trial, they saw his niece, Angela, in the courtroom. Created by Bendis, Angela del Toro showed up 20 issues or so after Hector’s trial and ultimately took up the mantle of White Tiger. Will Angela look to make Hector’s fight her own in Daredevil: Born Again?

    Of course, what’s truly fascinating about the episode(s), which were originally set to be the series two-episode debut, is how strongly subversive they were to the pathos established by Netflix’s Daredevil. Despite serious tension in the courtroom and on the streets, a brutal, bloody battle wasn’t necessary in order to make a pair of episodes that are nothing short of must see DD…that take place almost entirely during the day.

  • ‘Stranger Things’ Star Sadie Sink Joins ‘Spider-Man 4’

    ‘Stranger Things’ Star Sadie Sink Joins ‘Spider-Man 4’

    For over two years, Sadie Sink has been the subject of multiple rumors suggesting that the Stranger Things star was considered for a role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In January 2023, Sink was rumored to be eyed for the role of Melissa Gold/Songbird in Marvel Studios Thunderbolts* which hits theaters in just under two months. More recently…and perhaps much more interestingly…Sink had emerged as the frontrunner for original X-Men member Jean Grey as Marvel looks to get their own spin on the team of mutant heroes to the big screen following Avengers: Secret Wars. As it turns out, Marvel has been looking for the right role for Sink and now, according to a trade report, they have found it.

    According to Deadline’s Justin Kroll, Sink has joined the cast of Sony and Marvel Studios’ Spider-Man 4 and will co-star alongside Tom Holland.

    While Kroll’s report doesn’t nail down the identity of Sink’s character, it leans heavily into the Jean Grey talk while not-so-subtly hinting that she might be playing Mary Jane Watson. While it is the Multiverse Saga and anything is possible, having two MJs seems a bit much for Peter. For the older crowd, another option that readily comes to mind is one of Spider-Man’s original amazing friends, Angelica Jones, aka Firestar. Like Grey, Firestar is a redhead, a mutant and an X-Man. However, Firestar was created for early 1980s NBC animated series, Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends, before making her way into the pages of Marvel Comics.

    Spider-Man 4 is being directed by Destin Daniel Cretton who is taking the helm of the franchise after original trilogy director Jon Watts departed. Expected to film later this year, the fourth installment in the MCU-set Spidey franchise will hit theaters on July 31, 2026.

    Source: Deadline

  • First ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Season 2 Set Photos Reveal a New Surprising Twist on the Series’ Subtitle

    First ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Season 2 Set Photos Reveal a New Surprising Twist on the Series’ Subtitle

    With the wounds from the two-episode premiere of Daredevil: Born Again still healing, production on the second season of the D+ streaming series has already begun in New York City. Needless to say, with audiences still yet to see more than two-thirds of the first season of the revival of Netflix’s Daredevil, any and everything could be a significant spoiler. However, filming in the streets of the City That Never Sleeps makes it pretty hard to hide everything and for the first time, production on Season 2 has hit those streets.

    Filming near the East River in the Williamsburg neighborhood in Brooklyn, it looks as though Season 2 will put an interesting new spin on the series’ Born Again subtitle. Without going into Spoilery detail, it’s obvious that Wilson Fisk remains the Mayor of New York City in Season 2 and has taken credit for the city being…born again.

    Another BTS look reveals a look at signage for “WF Plaza” which is likely named for the Mayor. Additionally, it looks like Fisk’s Anti-vigilante Task Force is out on the streets.

    While it’s unclear yet how much filming will be done today, it seems as though Genneya Walton‘s BB Urich will be on set. Urich’s BB Report has been shown as an interesting way to take the temperature of the residents of NYC on various topics from crime, to heroes to Fisk’s mayorship.

    With production on Season 2 of Daredevil: Born Again just now getting underway and the weather beginning to trend in the right direction, we can expect to see quite a bit more BTS bits over the next few months.

  • Marvel Studios Rumored Plans for ‘Hawkeye’ Season 2 Sound Insanely Good

    Marvel Studios Rumored Plans for ‘Hawkeye’ Season 2 Sound Insanely Good

    Set at Christmas, the first season of Hawkeye brought an entirely different vibe to Marvel Studios first wave of streaming series. It wasn’t all holly and jolly, however, as the project took viewers into New York City’s world of organized crime and reintroduced Vincent D’Onofrio‘s Kingpin into the MCU. For a while, it seemed as though the first season–which was well-received by critics and fans–woule be the only season but over the last year, buzz has steadily grown about Marvel’s interest in putting together a second round of episodes.

    I cannot speak to future plans in the tradition of secrecy. Again, the show coming out, you never know how it’s going to be received and it has been amazing to see how warmly people have taken it and enjoyed it. And it’s been great to see Hailee’s character embraced and sort of land so firmly in the MCU. I sincerely look forward to where that character goes next. And yes, I loved walking on the streets of the MCU and would gladly enjoy doing it again.

    –Hawkeye director Rhys Thomas

    Originally described as being inspired by the 2011 film The Raid, a potential Season 2 of Hawkeye May be headed to small screens sooner than expected. Late last year, insider Daniel Richtman reported that Marvel Television was hoping to start production on the new season in late 2025. Weeks later, it was noticed that Disney was marketing the physical media release of Season 1 as “the complete first season” rather than “the complete series.” Indeed Marvel Television head man Brad Winderbaum recently admitted that a second season of Hawkeye that had second season potential and could be revisited “whenever.“

    On the heels of Winderbaum’s comments,  a new report on the new season’s potential plot has emerged, further fueling hopes that Clint and Kate are headed back to D+.

    The new information comes from Richtman and while it rehashes some older rumors, it includes some interesting updates to the story of the potential second season. According to the insider, inspired by Die Hard, Hawkeye Season 2 will see Clint and Kate pinned down in one location while having to fight off an onslaught of attacks by assassins. Most interestingly, it sounds as though the final boss will be the villain Trickshot, otherwise known as Barney Barton!

    This is not the first time Barney has been associated with the project and it’s easy to see how given the project’s potential plot, both The Raid and Die Hard could have been used as inspiration. And with Die Hard in the DNA, it does sound as though Season 2 of Hawkeye will be once again set and Christmastime!

    As exciting as it is, it is worth remembering that Winderbaum has also consistently warned MCU fans that the television branch of the studio is developing far more projects than they will ever produce. And the recent revelation that Terror Inc., Strange Academy and Nova were all pushed to the back of the queue should also serve to remind us all that until we start seeing set photos, trailers and official release dates, nothing should be taken for granted.

  • Jon Bernthal Promises New ‘The Punisher’ Streaming Special Will Match the Netflix Tone

    Jon Bernthal Promises New ‘The Punisher’ Streaming Special Will Match the Netflix Tone

    With the proliferation of MCU scoopers on the scene over the past five years, it’s become increasingly rare that Marvel Studios can ever truly pull of a surprise. Plot points, castings and even new projects are typically shared by social media scoopers before the trades or Disney get the news out. However, 2025 has been full of surprises with the trades announcing that Marvel had paused development on a series nobody new was being developed, leaked concept art revealing all kinds of interesting plans and news of a Special Presentation featuring Frank Castle, which came straight from the Marvel TV boss’s mouth.

    After revealing the project was in the works, Marvel’s head of TV, animation and streaming, Brad Winderbaum, also shared that Jon Bernthal, who will return as Frank Castle in an upcoming episode of Daredevil: Born Again, will co-write the Special Presentation with Reinaldo Marcus Green, who will also direct it. Now, while promoting his new film The Accountant 2, Bernthal has shared some more information about the project.

    It’s like a shotgun blast of a story, but also has all the pathos and emotion that you want out of a Frank Castle story.

    -Brad Winderbaum on The Punisher Special Presentation

    In an interview with THR, Bernthal described the story of the Special Presentation as one that “this character deserves.”

    I care very deeply about Frank, I’m really grateful that I’m getting the opportunity to tell the story that I think the fans deserve. We’re giving it our all and we’re trying to tell a Frank Castle story that we’re going to turn our back on the audience — it’s not going to be easy, it’s not going to be light, and I think it’s the version that this character deserves and I’m just beyond honored and grateful that we get the opportunity.

    -Jon Bernthal

    It also sounds as though fans who enjoyed the two seasons of the Bernthal’s hyper-violent Netflix series, The Punisher, will also enjoy the new project, which is reportedly debuting in 2026.

    “It’s going to be dark; Frank has no interest in breaking out the darkness. It’s not going to be easy,” said Bernthal when asked how the Special Presentation would compare to the original Netflix series. “I don’t know if that’s the Netflix tone then that’s what it’s going to be. It will not be Punisher-lite, I promise you that.”

    Source: THR

  • Latest ‘Thunderbolts*’ Teaser May Confirm Popular & Spoilery Fan Theory

    Latest ‘Thunderbolts*’ Teaser May Confirm Popular & Spoilery Fan Theory

    In the lead up to its release, Marvel Studios is working hard to make sure audiences don’t think Thunderbolts* is just another typical MCU joint. The film’s star–and one of Marvel’s greatest talents–Florence Pugh told Empire the film, helmed by Jake Schreier, “ended up becoming this quite badass indie, A24-feeling assassin movie with Marvel superheroes.” And Schreier claims to have drawn inspiration for the film from Toy Story 3 which is simply the last film you’d expect to hear inspired a film full of sort-kinda bad guys.

    Once upon a time, the film was more or less a sequel to Black Widow and early word around Hollywood was that it wasn’t pretty; however, it may be the first theatrical project under Bob Iger‘s second regime to be saved by pumping the brakes and making sure a high quality version was ready to go. Early response to the film’s teasers and market has been positive but there has been one concerning fan theory that has made the rounds.

    Based on what’s been seen so far, fans are convinced that Taskmaster, played once again Olga Kurylenko, will bite the dust early on. And a new look at the film via Letterboxed has done nothing to disprove that theory.

    The new teaser, which is really quite wonder, lists off the members of the team, including The Winter Soldier who technically doesn’t exist anymore, without listing Taskmaster.

    Whether or not Tasky’s absence is just clever exploitation of a popular fan theory or if the character truly doesn’t make it out alive, the new teaser will only drive more buzz around Thunderbolts*.

    Thunderbolts* hits theaters on May 2nd.

    Source: X, Empire