Murphy's Multiverse

Author: Charles Murphy

  • CinemaCon 2026: Pixar Challenges the iPad Generation in ‘Toy Story 5’

    If you had asked me after the bittersweet ending of Toy Story 4 if we needed another one, my answer would have been a flat no. But I’m starting to see the vision. Pixar isn’t just making another sequel; they’re making a movie about the death of playtime as we know it.

    While what we’ve seen from Toy Story 5 sounds like a Boomer’s fever dream on paper, the execution looks incredibly sharp. At CinemaCon 2026, franchise stars Tim Allen and Tom Hanks took the stage to introduce footage from the upcoming film.

    Lilypad, a high-tech electronic tablet voiced by Greta Lee is not a villain in the Sid or Lotso sense; she’s an existential threat. Footage has shown Bonnie completely mesmerized by Lilypad’s glowing screen, while Woody, Buzz, and Jessie look on from the floor, literally relegated to the shadows. It’s a haunting visual for a franchise that has always been about the utility of a toy.

    Pixar is at a crossroads. With Zootropolis 2 also on the horizon, the studio is leaning heavily on established IP to steady the ship. But Toy Story 5 doesn’t look like a cash grab. It looks like a movie about obsolescence in the age of the algorithm. If they can stick the landing, this might actually justify reopening the toy box one more time.

  • CinemaCon 2026: New ‘The Mandalorian and Grogu’ Trailer Brings The Scale Back To Star Wars

    CinemaCon 2026: New ‘The Mandalorian and Grogu’ Trailer Brings The Scale Back To Star Wars

    Since The Rise of Skywalker took its bow in 2019, the galaxy far, far away has lived almost exclusively on our television screens. And while The Mandalorian essentially built Disney+, since the film was announced, there’s always been that nagging question: can these characters carry a $200 million theatrical tentpole?

    After seeing the new footage Disney just screened at CinemaCon, I think Jon Favreau is trying to answer that with a resounding yes.

    The new trailer for The Mandalorian and Grogu—which looks like it’ll be the final big push before the May 22nd release—is all about scale. If the previous teasers focused on the heart and the “bond” between Din Djarin and his apprentice, this one is about the war that’s coming to their doorstep.

    The biggest takeaway from the footage isn’t just seeing Din Djarin back in the cockpit of a modified N-1. It’s the scope of the world around him. We saw a sequence involving a New Republic fleet—properly realized with a budget that makes the Season 3 finale look like a fan film.

    Disney and Lucasfilm are facing a skeptical box office. The tracking is currently hovering around a $70M-$80M opening, which is solid, but they want Top Gun: Maverick numbers. By showing this level of cinematic polish, they’re trying to shed the “TV movie” stigma.

  • Vincent D’Onofrio Explains Why Kingpin Is Restricted to TV (For Now)

    Vincent D’Onofrio Explains Why Kingpin Is Restricted to TV (For Now)

    Wilson Fisk might be the undisputed Kingpin of New York, but when it comes to the big screen, he’s currently caught in a web of Marvel red tape. In a new profile with GQ, Vincent D’Onofrio finally pulled back the curtain on the creative silos of the MCU, explaining why we haven’t seen the Mayor of NYC trading blows with Spider-Man or the Avengers in a movie theater yet.

    According to D’Onofrio, the reason isn’t a lack of interest—it’s a matter of theatrical logistics.

    Wilson Fisk / Kingpin (Vincent D’Onofrio) in Marvel Television’s DAREDEVIL: BORN AGAIN SEASON 2, exclusively on Disney+. Photo by Jojo Whilden. © 2026 MARVEL.

    “Right now, they don’t have the rights,” D’Onofrio explained, before expanding on previous comments about the complicated rights situation. “They have a bit more rights than they did a couple of years ago, but it’s tough right now. They have the rights to a lot of characters from the Spider-Man series, but they don’t have mine, not completely. So I think that’s holding them back a bit. But I hope to be able to do it, we’ll see.”

    I hope Kingpin is in the movies someday. We’ll see, I don’t know. Maybe it will be me, maybe it won’t.

    -Vincent D’Onofrio

    Of course, by co-starring in Daredevil: Born Again, D’Onofrio has been able to provide significant input into how Fisk is portrayed on screen and devote more screentime to the character than even a trilogy of films would provide. And so while D’Onofrio—and everyone else–wants to see Fisk take on Spider-Man, it’s not in the cards…yet.

    Source: GQ

  • Sydney Chandler Reportedly Cast in Upcoming DC Studios Animated Project

    The roster of Task Force M is officially getting a major power upgrade—and a brand new voice. According to the latest casting updates for Creature Commandos Season 2, Sydney Chandler (Alien: Earth, Don’t Worry Darling) has been officially cast as Nosferata after reading for a key role in Man of Tomorrow.

    The character, who was teased in the Season 1 finale as a new recruit for the team, is set to be a series regular in the upcoming season as the DCU explores the more supernatural corners of its mythology. Unlike the hulking monsters we’ve seen so far, Nosferata brings a different kind of  undead energy to the team.

    In the pages of DC Comics, Nosferata is a vampire created during the 1940s experiments of Project Moreau.

    In the DCU, after spending decades as an inmate at Belle Reve, she was recruited by Amanda Waller to join the new iteration of the Creature Commandos led by The Bride.
    She was first seen playing ping-pong with Doctor Phosphorus in the Season 1 finale. In Season 2, she’ll be a core member of the squad, filling the void left by the death of Nina Mazursky.

    Per James Gunn’s rule for the DCU, Sydney Chandler will provide the voice for the animated series and is expected to play the character in any future live-action appearances. Chandler joins an already stacked voice cast, including Indira Varma (The Bride), Alan Tudyk (Doctor Phosphorus), Sean Gunn (G.I. Robot/Weasel), and David Harbour (Eric Frankenstein).

    Season 2 is currently in active production, with Gunn confirming that animation is underway. While a release date hasn’t been locked, the show is expected to return to Max in late 2026 or early 2027, picking up after the events of Peacemaker Season 2.

    Source: The Insneider

  • ‘Supergirl’ CinemaCon Footage Teases a Brutal Sci-Fi Western

    ‘Supergirl’ CinemaCon Footage Teases a Brutal Sci-Fi Western

    The worst kept secret in DC history is finally out. During the Warner Bros. CinemaCon presentation, Jason Momoa made a grand entrance on a practical Spacehog to confirm he has officially transitioned from King of Atlantis to the DCU’s ultimate bounty hunter, Lobo.

    Attendees were treated to a sequence from Supergirl that reportedly “shocked” the room with its grit. The scene features a battle-worn Kara (Milly Alcock) in a seedy alien tavern. Just as she’s about to be overwhelmed, Lobo crashes through the wall to claim a bounty on the same target. The chemistry between the hardened Kara and the chaotic Lobo is reportedly the heart of the film’s first act.

    This confirms James Gunn is staying true to the Tom King source material. Supergirl isn’t a Girl of Steel here; she’s a survivor in a lawless galaxy. By pairing her with Momoa’s Lobo, DC is creating a Lethal Weapon in Space dynamic that sets a completely new bar for the franchise.

    Momoa was born to play Lobo, and seeing Alcock stand her ground against his 6’4” frame proves she was the right choice. If this footage leaks, the DCU skeptics are going to have a very hard time finding things to complain about.

  • Adria Arjona Officially Joins the Cast of ‘Man of Tomorrow’

    The chemistry was real. After a week of rumors, debunkings, and high-stakes screen tests, The Hollywood Reporter has officially confirmed that Adria Arjona has landed a coveted role in the upcoming sequel, Man of Tomorrow.

    Though the role has widely been reported to be Maxima, THR’s report cautions that the identity of Arjona’s character has not been confirmed.

    This casting marks a major reunion for Arjona and James Gunn. Arjona’s breakout role was in the 2016 cult hit The Belko Experiment, which was written and produced by Gunn. When Gunn took to social media last week to call bullshit on the original Deadline report, he specifically mentioned his long-standing friendship with Arjona—a hint that she was always the frontrunner for the part.

    In the 2027 sequel, Maxima wouldn’t just a villain of the week, but rather a force of nature, potentially arriving on Earth to find a genetically worthy mate—specifically, Kal-El.

    By casting Arjona, Gunn is sticking to his family approach—hiring actors he trusts to carry a franchise for a decade. Maxima is a character with Justice League potential, and Arjona has the range to play her as a terrifying adversary in 2027 and a reluctant hero in 2030.

  • ‘Spider-Man: Beyond The Spider-Verse’: Sony Unveils First Footage & Synopsis

    ‘Spider-Man: Beyond The Spider-Verse’: Sony Unveils First Footage & Synopsis

    The four-year wait for the resolution of Miles Morales’ multiversal cliffhanger is finally entering its home stretch. During Sony Pictures’ massive opening presentation at CinemaCon 2026, directors Bob Persichetti and Justin K. Thompson took the stage to officially unveil the first footage from Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse.

    Billed as the “final chapter of Miles’ story,” the footage picks up exactly where Across the Spider-Verse left off, confirming that the stakes have shifted from a race across the multiverse to a desperate fight for survival in a world that doesn’t belong to him.

    Miles Morales returns for the final chapter of Sony Pictures Animation’s Oscar-winning Spider-Verse saga, Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse.

    Hunted by Miguel O’Hara’s Spider Society and betrayed by his friends, Miles finds himself in the darkest corners of the Spider-Verse in search of a way home.

    Knowing that his family has been not only fractured but endangered by his calling, it’s a race against the clock for Miles to travel across the wildest reaches of time and space to fight for and reunite everything he holds most dear.

    -Official synopsis for Spider-Man: Beyond The Spider-Verse

    The footage shown to the Las Vegas crowd centers on the interrogation of our Miles by his alternate-reality counterpart, Miles G. Morales. Miles is seen chained to a punching bag in his Uncle Aaron’s apartment. The dialogue is tense, with the two Miles’ arguing over the “canon” and the proper pronunciation of their last name. Uncle Aaron and Prowler-Miles are depicted as a formidable duo, laughing off Miles’ pleas to be let go so he can save his father. The teaser culminates in Miles using his electric venom powers to break free from his chains, leading into a high-octane montage of him fighting his way out of the apartment while glitching uncontrollably.

    After multiple delays due to the “iterative” process of Lord and Miller and the 2023 strikes, Sony has officially locked in June 18, 2027, as the release date.

    Sources, Deadline and Variety

  • New Rumor Claims Internal Hype for ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ Is Sky High

    New Rumor Claims Internal Hype for ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ Is Sky High

    If you were worried that the pivot from Kang to Doom was a sign of a studio in disarray, it’s time to take a deep breath. According to a massive update from MyTimeToShineHello—dropping just as the film enters its critical reshoot phase—Marvel Studios recently held a private internal screening of the “pre-reshoot” cut of Avengers: Doomsday.

    According to the leak, Kevin Feige and his inner circle were “very pleased,” with some reportedly calling it the best Marvel movie yet.

    Marvel Studios held a private test screening of the pre-reshoots version of Avengers: Doomsday for Kevin Feige and select staff, and they were very pleased with it, some even called it the best Marvel movie yet.

    -MTTSH

    Despite concerns that the film was simply going to be nothing more than fan service, it sounds as though Joe and Anthony Russo have successfully translated the high-stakes tension of Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame to the Multiverse Saga. If the movie is already being hailed as a masterpiece before the character-focused polish of the reshoots, we might be looking at a generational event. Either way, it’s shire to break the box office if hype is this high this early.

    Reports have indicated reshoots in London are specifically targeting “character-driven material.” If the action and the Doctor Doom introduction are already landing this well, adding more emotional depth is just the icing on the cake.

    THR reports that the film is already “exploding” on tracking, eight months out. With Disney set to hold it’s CinemaCon panel on Thursday, sounds as though it’s an opportune time for Marvel to demonstrate that they still own the cultural conversation.

  • New Rumor Claims ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’ Will Feature the Return of a Key Infinity Saga Player

    New Rumor Claims ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’ Will Feature the Return of a Key Infinity Saga Player

    The Legendary Star-Lord promised at the end of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is finally coming back from his lawn-mowing hiatus on Earth. According to scooper MyTimeToShineHello, Chris Pratt will reprise his role as Peter Quill in Avengers: Secret Wars.

    While fans have been wondering where the space-cowboy-turned-suburbanite has been, it looks like the Multiversal collapse is finally going to force him to trade his Walkman for a blaster once again.

    Leaked concept art (which the Russo Brothers previously played coy about) allegedly depicts Quill alongside the Young Avengers and the White Vision. Fans have theorized that those images suggest Star-Lord might take on a mentor-like role for the younger generation of heroes, including Kate Bishop, Ms. Marvel, and Wiccan, potentially leading them as a reluctant veteran while Earth deals with the Incursions.

    With Secret Wars serving as a potential soft reboot for the entire MCU, this could be the final ride”l for the Peter Quill we know, or the beginning of a whole new era for the character on the New Earth.

    Source: MTTSH

  • New Report Reveals Marvel Studios Surprising First Phase 7 Film

    New Report Reveals Marvel Studios Surprising First Phase 7 Film

    Kevin Feige has said that Marvel Studios “age of mutants” would begin following the conclusion of the Multiverse Saga. However, according to a new report, it may not start off with the mutant team everyone was expecting.

    According to Jeff “The In” Sneider, Feige and the Marvel Parliament may be lining up Ryan Reynolds’ next Deadpool feature as the studio’s first post-Secret Wars theatrical project.

    In May 2025, THR revealed that Reynolds was in the early stages of developing a Deadpool/X-Men team-up film which was later rumored to be an X-Force project.

    I have some pitches and ideas, but none of them center on Deadpool. Centering Deadpool works best if you take everything away from him and put his back against the wall. I can’t really do that again. A fourth time feels a little iterative and redundant. That doesn’t mean sacrificing fun. There is still an arc for Deadpool which is fulfilling and powerful. He is a great supporting or ensemble player. And I would always want Deadpool and Wolverine to be paired in some way.

    -Ryan Reynolds on Deadpool’s MCU future

    Reynolds is rumored to be appearing in Avengers: Doomsday and to have a major role alongside Hugh Jackman and Tobey Maguire in Avengers: Secret Wars.

    Like almost all of Marvel’s comic book teams, X-Force, a covert, Black ops team of mutant heroes, has had a rotating roster of heroes over the years, including Wade Wilson, was originally formed by Cable. Interestingly, rumors flew some time ago about Josh Brolin, who played Cable in Deadpool 2, returning to work with Marvel Studios.

    Should Sneider’s report be true, X-Force or Deadpool 4 would be in theaters on May 5, 2028, with Black Panther 3 reportedly (also by Sneider) landing in theaters on July 28, 2028. That would likely mean that Jake Schreier’s X-Men film would debut on December 15, 2028.

    Source: The Hot Mic