Murphy's Multiverse

Author: Charles Murphy

  • Greg Mottola Tops Short List for DC Studios’ Secret (Six) Deathstroke and Bane Film

    The “Gods and Monsters” slate just got a lot more lethal. In a blockbuster exclusive, Deadline reports that Greg Mottola (Superbad, Adventureland) is among the favorites to direct the Deathstroke & Bane team-up film for DC Studios.

    While Mottola is best known for his sharp, character-driven comedies and indie dramas, James Gunn and Peter Safran are deeply familiar with his work thanks to his time on Peacemaker.

    Though a script is still being written, it’s believed that the film will be a standalone villain-centric entry, similar in tone to the Suicide Squad. Indeed it’s been speculated that the project may be a Secret Six film with Deathstroke and Bane at its center.

    The screenplay is being penned by Matthew Orton (Moon Knight, Captain America: Brave New World), suggesting the tactical, military elements will be grounded and gritty.

    Source: Deadline

  • ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Showrunner Confirms the Complete Netflixification of Marvel Television

    ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Showrunner Confirms the Complete Netflixification of Marvel Television

    Toward the end of Season 1 of Daredevil: Born Again, it seemed clear that Marvel Television was looking to revive more than just Netflix iteration of the Man Without Fear. Further assumptions about the direction of the studio’s streaming slate could be made with the returns of Jessica Jones and Luke Cage in Season 2 and Danny Rand now on board for Season 3. And now, there’s no need to assume anything at all.

    In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Daredevil: Born Again showrunner Dario Scardapane has confirmed plans for a renaissance of the entire Netflix Defenders-verse.

    “Along the way, particularly in [Daredevil: Born Again] season 2, we’re touching on the larger New York — the New York that is not quite near Avengers Tower but in the same city. And there are characters, storylines; we have the Punisher special coming out, which is part of that same world,” Scardapane explained. “So as it’s progressed, it just feels like you’re opening doors or going down streets to a neighborhood that existed 10 years ago.“

    “The establishment of the street-level characters in Netflix’s Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, Defenders, Punisher, that’s the world that this is all heading towards, in my opinion. That’s just the way I’m looking at it creatively,” revealed Scardapane.

    It’s certainly not surprising, as even Matt Murdock could see the direction in which things we’re headed and it will likely continue to please the same bloodthirsty fans who hold the Defenders-verse in such high regards. Let’s just hope there’s some better characterization for some of the characters this time around.

    Source: EW

  • ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Showrunner Confirms Muse Will Return as “Supernatural” Season 3 Threat

    ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Showrunner Confirms Muse Will Return as “Supernatural” Season 3 Threat

    If you felt like Muse was taken off the board too quickly in Daredevil: Born Again Season 1, you aren’t alone—the showrunner agrees with you. In an interview with EW following the Daredevil: Born Again finale, showrunner Dario Scardapane admitted that while Muse served his purpose for the Mayor Fisk arc, the character’s true potential hasn’t been tapped yet.

    As such, Muse is officially returning for Season 3, and this time, the “art” is going to get a lot more personal with Heather Glenn behind the mask. The move was foreshadowed in the Season 2 finale and recent photos from the Season 3 set–and a photo shared online by Margarita Levieva–have already confirmed the villainous turn but Scardapane had quite a bit to say about how it came to be.

    Scardapane was surprisingly open about the fan backlash regarding Muse’s apparent “exit” mid-way through Season 1.

    This was a weird one because it had to do with a plot line that we inherited, that I felt we didn’t do justice to: the original Muse storyline in season 1. Because of what was filmed and what wasn’t filmed and what we could use and not use, it didn’t have the heft that I thought Muse deserved. But, again, we were limited by what we could shoot and what we had time and money for.

    -Dario Scardapane

    The showrunner also addressed the bombshell finale reveal involving Heather Glenn. Scardapane teased that the version we see in Season 3 will be evolved, potentially leaning into the supernatural or hyper-resilient elements of the comics.

    Then I was really, really interested in the psychologist who’s dealing with trauma and is in this realm of Matt and Fisk. She has all these kinds of characters that are wearing masks. She’s been brutalized by a vigilante. In her mind, she started to confuse serial killers with vigilantes and became a press mouthpiece for Fisk. What happens if she literally puts on that trauma, and that trauma solves a lot of her conflict? We talked to Margarita about that. It seems supernatural if you watch the way it’s progressing, and now we have a Muse that isn’t just dropped in. Now you have the [character] development of, why would she become this thing? Why would she go to such a dark place? And I think you understand it. I don’t think anybody’s prepared exactly for where this is going, and that’s still fun.

    -Dario Scardapane

    Muse is arguably the most terrifying villain in Daredevil’s modern comic history. By admitting they “missed the mark” with the original character, the creative team is showing a rare level of accountability to the source material. Bringing Muse back as an antagonist for Season 3—especially with Matt Murdock’s identity now public—creates a terrifying dynamic where the hero is vulnerable and the villain is invisible.

    Source: Entertainment Weekly

  • Jonathan Hickman to Architect ‘Midnight’, Marvel’s “Absolute Horror” Line

    Jonathan Hickman to Architect ‘Midnight’, Marvel’s “Absolute Horror” Line

    The light has had its turn. In a follow up scoop to Marvel’s cryptic reveal, Bleeding Cool’s Rich Johnston shared word that Marvel is preparing to launch Midnight, a standalone “Absolute Horror” universe.

    Coming this fall, the line is being positioned as Marvel’s direct answer to both DC’s “Absolute” universe and the prestige maturity of the classic Vertigo imprint. Leading the charge? None other than Jonathan Hickman, the architect behind the current Ultimate Universe and House of X.

    According to the report, Marvel is pivoting away from Hickman’s 2024 Ultimate Universe (which was designed with a two-year lifespan in mind) to this new dark frontier. Hickman is joined by Phillip Kennedy Johnson and Benjamin Percy, both of whom have recently signed exclusive deals with Marvel to build this horror landscape.

    Much like DC’s Absolute line, Midnight will feature radical reimaginings of classic characters. Don’t expect the 616 versions of these heroes; expect “sons and daughters of Midnight Sons” reimagined for modern fears.

    While specific titles haven’t been officially announced, the report points to a lineup of Marvel’s heavy hitters in the supernatural and occult space. Blade, Ghost Rider, and Werewolf By Night are potential flagship titles. Given the space being explored, The Darkhold, Dracula, and Morbius are also possibilities for the initial rollout, suggesting a universe that leans heavily into the monstrous.

    Jonathan Hickman doesn’t just write books; he builds worlds. By giving him the keys to a horror-centric universe, Marvel is betting that the occult side of their IP—which has been largely secondary to superheroes for decades—can sustain its own massive, interconnected mythology. If Midnight has the bite of an Absolute book and the strangeness of a Vertigo title, it could redefine Marvel’s publishing strategy for the next five years.

    Source: Bleeding Cool

  • “I Am Daredevil” — Matt Murdock’s Secret Identity is History

    “I Am Daredevil” — Matt Murdock’s Secret Identity is History

    In a move that mirrors Tony Stark’s iconic 2008 reveal, Matt Murdock has officially outed himself as Daredevil in the Season 2 finale of Daredevil: Born Again. During a climactic courtroom battle to take down Wilson Fisk once and for all, Matt realized that his secret was Fisk’s only remaining leverage. By admitting his vigilante activities on the record, he stripped the Kingpin of his power—but at a heavy cost. The season ends with Matt being led away in handcuffs.

    According to Marvel’s streaming skipper, Brad Winderbaum, the decision to have Murdock out himself didn’t come from the Daredevil: Born Again writers room.

    “Kevin [Feige] and Louis [D’Esposito] are amazing storytellers. You don’t build the MCU if you’re not some of the greatest of all time,” Winderbaum said.

    “Very quickly, they saw that it was where the story needed to go. And of course, like, we could point to the comics,” explained. “So, as soon as you can point to the source material and show how it plays out and all the stories that we’re able to tell after the reveal of the identity, it becomes an easier argument to make.”

    Unlike the comics’ Purple Children wipe, showrunner Dario Scardapane has confirmed this genie isn’t going back in the bottleanytime soon.

    We’re probably not going to do Purple Man doing mass brainwashing of an entire city to buy it back. We’re not doing buybacks. Like, if you’re taking that step, it’s like, “All right, now everybody knows Matt’s Daredevil.”

    -Dario Scardapane

    Matt is now a convicted vigilante, ending the season in handcuffs as he’s led away to prison. This sets up a “Devil in Cell Block D” arc for Season 3, where Matt will be locked up with the very criminals he put away, including Cole North and Connor Powell.

    Cameras are already rolling on Season 3 in New York and while Fisk is out, the showrunner has teased the arrival of multiple new villains, including Lady Muse.

  • Mystery in Metropolis — Matthew Lillard Reunites with James Gunn for ‘Man of Tomorrow’

    Mystery in Metropolis — Matthew Lillard Reunites with James Gunn for ‘Man of Tomorrow’

    The Matthew Lillard Renaissance is officially hitting the DCU. According to Deadline, horror icon and fan-favorite Matthew Lillard has joined the cast of Man of Tomorrow.

    While his role is being kept under a fortress-level” secrecy by DC Studios, the casting marks a major 20-year reunion for Lillard and James Gunn, who famously collaborated on the live-action Scooby-Doo films written by Gunn in the early 2000s.

    Lillard is currently on one of the most impressive runs of his career, and joining the DCU is the cherry on top. Fans just finished seeing Lillard as the enigmatic Mr. Charles in Daredevil: Born Again Season 2, where he played a manipulative political fixer working against Kingpin.

    Mr. Charles (Matthew Lillard) in Marvel Television’s DAREDEVIL: BORN AGAIN SEASON 2, exclusively on Disney+. Photo by Jojo Whilden. © 2026 MARVEL.

    Gunn is known for alumni casting, and Lillard—the definitive live-action Shaggy—is a perfect fit for Gunn’s quirky but high-stakes world-building. Between returning for Scream 7, Five Nights at Freddy’s 2, and the upcoming Carrie series, Lillard is officially the hardest-working man in genre film right now.

    As usual, the internet is already rife with theories for the undisclosed role. Some believe he could be playing a character like Snapper Carr or a high-ranking government official (perhaps a DC version of his Born Again role) who serves as a liaison between Superman and the U.N. With Brainiac (Lars Eidinger) as the main threat, some theorists are looking at Lillard to play a more eccentric, tech-based villain like Winslow Schott, aka Toyman.

    Filming is already well underway in Atlanta under the working title “Exodus.” Lillard joining the cast now suggests he may have a significant role in the film’s second act. Man of Tomorrow is locked in for a July 9, 2027 theatrical release, serving as the first true sequel in Gunn’s new DC Universe.

  • A Glorious Twilight — Kenneth Branagh Pitches ‘Logan’-Style Finale for ‘Thor 5’

    A Glorious Twilight — Kenneth Branagh Pitches ‘Logan’-Style Finale for ‘Thor 5’

    The God of Thunder might finally be heading for his sunset. In a series of recent interviews, Kenneth Branagh, the man who originally brought Asgard to the big screen in 2011, officially threw his name into the ring for a return to the Thor franchise.

    Speaking with Business Insider and Variety, the Oscar-winning filmmaker revealed that while he turned down The Dark World to “smell the roses,” he has never stopped thinking about where Thor’s journey should end. Branagh’s vision for a potential Thor 5 is a drastic tonal pivot, describing his pitch as being “more in the territory” of James Mangold’s Logan.

    …part of me would love to finish my relationship with that character. I’d always wanted to do more and indeed had a couple of ideas, more in the territory of James Mangold‘s brilliant Logan. I would love to see Chris Hemsworth and the others have their own individual final story that takes Thor into a glorious twilight.

    -Kenneth Branagh

    With Chris Hemsworth recently teasing life beyond the Multiverse Saga for the Odinson, perhaps the time has come for him to reunite with Branagh and send the God of Thunder out with a bang.

  • Inside the First 3 Pages of ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’

    Inside the First 3 Pages of ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’

    Marvel just pulled a move we haven’t seen from them before to promote their next summer blockbuster. Via Entertainment Weekly, the studio published the first three pages of the script for Spider-Man: Brand New Day, complete with handwritten annotations from director Destin Daniel Cretton, Tom Holland, and more.

    The film opens directly on the Marvel Studios title card, but with a twist. Cretton’s notes reveal that the usual fanfare will be replaced by footage of Peter’s adventures from the first trilogy—specifically the memories that Ned and MJ no longer share.

    Channeling Kevin Feige‘s favorite film, Back to the Future, Cretton writes in the margins that Peter has “vanished from existence like Marty,” emphasizing that for the first time in his life, Peter is “entirely alone.”

    Over the logos, Holland’s voiceover reads the letter he wrote to MJ at the end of No Way Home—the one he never actually gave her.

    While the bulk of the film takes place four years later, the opening scene picks up just nine months after Strange’s spell. Peter is still in the dingy apartment where we last saw him, but he’s already physically changing.

    The script describes Peter experiencing a “small, sharp headache,” which the writers note is our first inkling that “living completely in the shadows is taking its toll—something is changing, and maybe not for the better.”

    Without Stark Tech (that should please a large segment of fans), Peter has built his own AI assistant named E.V. The script notes call E.V. “sadly, the closest thing Peter has to a friend.“

    The script sets the stage for a massive montage, perhaps bridging the gap from Month 9 to Year 4. It also confirms that Peter’s new suit was inspired by his interaction with both Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield‘s respective Wall-Crawlers.

    The script pages truly signal a back to basics approach for Soidey. No multiversal cameos are mentioned in these opening pages; it’s a pure, character-driven study of isolation. If No Way Home was about the loss of a life, Brand New Day is about the struggle to build a new one while your own body—and the city you protect—tries to reject you.

    Source: EW

  • Scarcity and Surprise — Ryan Reynolds Isn’t Rushing for ‘Deadpool 4’

    Scarcity and Surprise — Ryan Reynolds Isn’t Rushing for ‘Deadpool 4’

    After the $1.3 billion carnage of Deadpool & Wolverine, fans have been checking their watches for a sequel announcement. But according to Ryan Reynolds, Wade Wilson is going into a bit of a self-imposed hibernation. In a new interview with Collider today, the actor revealed that while he is constantly writing, he is in “no huge rush” to center a movie around himself again.

    Reynolds confirmed a major shift in how the Merc with a Mouth will function in the MCU moving forward and cast doubt on a recent insider report that indicated another Deadpool film was set to kick off Phase 7.

    Scarcity is Key

    “Deadpool works best on both scarcity and surprise,” Reynolds told Collider. “Jumping right back into it full-on right now is probably something I’m not going to do.”

    This follows his comments earlier this month on Sunday Today, where he stated, “I don’t think I am ever going to center him again. He is a supporting character. He is a guy who is great in a group.”

    Despite the lack of a release date, Reynolds admitted he has “a few things written that I love.” These are rumored to be team-up scripts that position Deadpool as a chaotic foil to other major MCU players rather than the solo lead.

    I’ve talked to Marvel off and on, always. We have a really great relationship, you know? It’s always a conversation. I’m always just looking to be additive and help on anything, even if it’s not a movie I’m in. And I’m always writing. I mean, it’s how I kind of get it out of my system. I love writing. That character and that world is one in which anything is possible, and that in and of itself allows for so much freedom and storytelling.

    -Ryan Reynolds

    With Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars on the horizon, the working theory is that Deadpool will be the legacy anchor who bridges the gap between the Fox universe and the new MCU X-Men roster…but there’s no doubt Marvel will have Deadpool back on the big screen before long.

  • Divisive Star Wars Streaming Series Returns to D+ Top 10, Reigniting New Hope for Season 2

    Divisive Star Wars Streaming Series Returns to D+ Top 10, Reigniting New Hope for Season 2

    In a move that absolutely no one saw coming on the 2026 bingo card, The Acolyte is officially trending again.  Two years after its controversial debut, the High Republic Era series has unexpectedly re-entered the Disney+ Top 10 most-viewed shows, currently sitting at #9.

    This isn’t a random spike. The massive success of Maul-Shadow Lord has created a High Republic/Sith Origin hunger. Fans are reportedly bingeing the series to find connections to Maul’s lineage and the live-action debut of Darth Plagueis.

    Re-entering the Top 10 two years later is a rare feat. If the numbers hold through Star Wars Day, Lucasfilm might finally be incentivized to wrap up the Plagueis/Tenebrous threads that were left hanging. While a Season 2 renewal remains a long shot, the data might force Lucasfilm to finally address those unresolved cliffhangers in a Marvel-style Special Presentation or comic.

    Steeped and connected in the mythology of Star Wars yet independent of anything that’s come before it, The Acolyte was Disney’s boldest storytelling effort to date within the franchise as it looks to redefine itself. Series creator Leslye Headland revealed plans for a second season, including an arc that would make Yoda complicit in Vernestra Rwoh’s cover-up of the massacre at Brendok.