Murphy's Multiverse

Author: Charles Murphy

  • Meanwhile, at the Hall of Justice…’Superman’ Set to Shoot Scenes in Cincinnati (Photos)

    Meanwhile, at the Hall of Justice…’Superman’ Set to Shoot Scenes in Cincinnati (Photos)

    Principal photography on DC Studios Superman is nearing an end but after a revealing few weeks in Cleveland, it seems as though fans may yet be treated to more set photos before the film wraps.

    As filming in Cleveland was coming to an end, crews were spotted preparing for a shoot in Cincinnati at the city’s Union Terminal. After opening in 1933, Union Terminal was built as an Intercity railroad hub. The unique architecture of the building caught the eye of one of Hanna-Barbera’s background artists and served as the inspiration of the Hall of Justice which first appeared in 1973’s animated series Super Friends.

    While it hasn’t been made official quite yet, it certainly seems as though director James Gunn plans to use the exterior of Union Terminal, which remains and active train station as well as a museum, as the entrance to the DCU’s Hall of Justice.

    Prior photos from the set of Superman have revealed that heroes Mister Terrific (who was spotted on the Cincinnati set), Green Lantern Guy Gardner and Hawkgirl are working together, presumably as the Justice League sponsored by Maxwell Lord. With that dynamic in play, it wouldn’t be surprising for the team to have an HQ and given Gunn’s respect for each and every prior iteration of all things DC, it makes sense he’d go right to the source of inspiration for the Hall of Justice and make it canon in the new shared universe.

  • Marvel Studios Rumored to Be Reuniting with Major Infinity Saga Contributors on ‘Avengers’ 5 & 6

    Marvel Studios Rumored to Be Reuniting with Major Infinity Saga Contributors on ‘Avengers’ 5 & 6

    It seemed…inevitable. Just hours after THR broke the news that directors Joe and Anthony Russo were in talks to return to Marvel Studios to helm Avengers 5 and Avengers: Secret Wars, rumors began to swirl that another pair of key contributors to the Infinity Saga may join them. According to multiple outlets, the Russos may be accompanied in their new venture by another creative tag team well-known to MCU fans: writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely.

    According to both Daniel RPK and Jeff “The In” Sneider, Markus and McFeely–who teamed up to write the screenplays for a half dozen MCU films in Phases 1 through 3–are set to pen Avengers 5 and Avengers: Secret Wars. Interestingly enough, word of the duo’s return comes on the heels of unconfirmed reports that writer Michael Waldron had left Avengers 5.

    While the Russos faces may have been more familiar to fans of the MCU, Markus and McFeely were every bit as much involved in the scaffolding of the Infinity Saga as the directing duo. In addition to writing the screenplays for Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, Markus and McFeely also penned Captain America: The First Avenger, Thor: The Dark World, Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Captain America: Civil War.

    There are all sorts of characters that would be fun. Joe and Anthony keep saying Secret Wars and I keep going, “really, you want to take on another giant multi-character [crossover]?” I would personally be more drawn to setting up a single character again and taking them from the beginning.

    -Christopher Markus, THR Interivew, 2019

    While the Russos often shared their desire to adapt Marvel Comics Secret Wars for the MCU, Markus and McFeeley were less keen on the idea in a 2019 interview, suggesting they’d rather work with X-Men characters, with Cyclops at the top of their list. Should they start from scratch on Avengers 5, an adaptation of Marvel Comics 2012 crossover event, Avengers vs. X-Men, could scratch that particular itch and fit nicely into the ongoing Multiverse Saga plot, especially given where things left off in The Marvels.

    With the creative team for the next Avengers films now seemingly complete (again), it’s reasonable to assume Marvel Studios will include the projects in their Hall H panel at SDCC ’24 on Saturday, July 27th.

    Sources: The InSneider, THR

  • The Russo Bros. in Talks to Direct ‘Avengers 5 and ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’

    The Russo Bros. in Talks to Direct ‘Avengers 5 and ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’

    Finally, the Russo brothers have come back to Marvel. After sheparding the studio through Phases 2 and 3 and helming both Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, Joe and Anthony Russo are preparing to get back in the saddle.

    According to THR’s Boys Kit and Aaron Couch, the brothers Russo, who also directed Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Captain America: Civil War fir the studio, are in talks to direct the next two Avengers films.

    While Avengers 5 awaits a new title and, according to THR, a new focus, the sixth Avengers film is still set to adapt Secret Wars. It may be no coincidence that the direction of that film ended up in the hands of the Russos as the brothers have discussed its big screen potential for years.  As recently as 2022, Joe Russo described the duo’s adoration for the comic book and discussed the possibility of returning to direct it alongside his brother.

    Our love for Marvel is based on the books we read as kids and the books that we fell in love with. The one series that we adored growing up was Secret Wars. It’s incredibly ambitious. It would be bigger than Infinity War and Endgame, but it’s a massive undertaking and those two movies were very hard to make. Trying to imagine making another two movies even bigger than those two…we’re going to have to sleep on it.

    -Joe Russo on adapting Secret Wars

    While the talks for the pair to return are said to be in the early stages, it looks as though Joe and Anthony have slept on it and determined they were up to the task.

    Updating…

    Source: THR

  • Details Emerge on Nic Cage’s ‘Spider-Noir’ Streaming Series

    Details Emerge on Nic Cage’s ‘Spider-Noir’ Streaming Series

    After spending a little more than a year in development, Amazon and MGM+ are now moving forward on their live-action Spider-Man Noir streaming series starring Nic Cage. After debuting in the animated Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Cage’s character became a fan favorite which led producers Phil Lord, Chris Miller, and Amy Pascal to put gears in motion on the project with Oren Uziel developing the scripts. The series, titled Spider-Noir, series will tell “the story of an aging and down on his luck private investigator in 1930s New York, who is forced to grapple with his past life as the city’s one and only superhero.” Now, as casting on the project gets underway, details about Spider-Noir have begun to emerge.

    As was originally reported, Cage’s Depression-era hero won’t be a variant of Peter Parker but rather Ben Reilly. Brendan Gleeson was recently cast and some new information on the project from a reliable source may reveal which Spidey villain he’ll be playing. Insider Daniel RPK has shared a brief of the project’s plot which includes NYC mob boss Silvermane and cop turned vigilante Yuri Watanabe.

    We follow Ben Reilly, a PI, as he stumbles down a rabbit hole of corruption in 1933 New York City, while also establishing his past as a superhero. Reilly investigates the death of Edward Addison, which leads him to discover that the Mayor is up to something nefarious that involves crime boss Silvermane and femme fatale Yuri Watanabe.

    -Spider-Noir details via Daniel RPK

    It does seem possible that Gleeson could fill the role of Silvermane though there’s already some speculation that he might portray the Noir universe’s Norman Osborn. Gleeson joins a cast that currently only consists of Cage and Lamorne Morris (New Girl), who is set to play Daily Bugle editor Robbie Robertson. With casting underway, Spider-Noir should begin filming late in 2024 which means much more information on the project will come to light over the next several months.

  • Marvel Studios’ “New Approach” to Controversial ‘Captain America 4’ Character Revealed

    Marvel Studios’ “New Approach” to Controversial ‘Captain America 4’ Character Revealed

    Since Shira Haas was first revealed to be playing Ruth Bat-Seraph in Captain America: Brave New World, the character has been the center of online controversy, including calls for her to be removed from the film. In 2022, Marvel Studios made it clear that rather than remove her from the film, they took a “new approach” in reimagining her for the MCU. Now, shortly after the first look at the film hit social media, that new approach is becoming very clear.

    While our characters and stories are inspired by the comics. They are always freshly imagined for the screen and today’s audience, and the filmmakers are taking a new approach with the character Sabra who was first introduced in the comics over 40 years ago.

    -Official Statement from Marvel Studios on Ruth Bat-Seraph in Captain America: Brave New World

    Haas‘ brief appearance in the teaser trailer for the film didn’t give much away about what changes may have been made to the character, however, a follow-up piece on Marvel.com shed some light on what to expect. Rather than appearing in the MCU as a member of the Israeli Secret Service, Ruth is described as “a former Black Widow,” who “is now a high-ranking U.S. government official who has the trust of President Ross.” Given how Black Widow played out, the change works just fine but according to a new trade report, the changes don’t stop there.

    In the comics, Ruth Bat-Seraph also went by the alias Sabra; however, according to THR, the studio chose to drop that code name entirely as well as her allegiance to Israel. Essentially, Marvel Studios’ new approach to the character was to keep the name and recreate her entirely–and it’s hardly the first time they’ve done such a thing. Though it’s unlikely that the changes made by the studio will relieve any of the tension online, it does show at least some semblance of awareness by the execs while also calling into question why the chose to use the character in the first place when an original character would have worked well in her place.

    Captain America: Brave New World hits theaters February 14, 2025.

    Sources: Marvel.com, THR

  • Disney Confirms Controversial Character Remains in ‘Captain America: Brave New World’

    Disney Confirms Controversial Character Remains in ‘Captain America: Brave New World’

    Marvel Studios rolled out the first look at 2025’s Captain America: Brave New World which looks to be a high-octane thriller. While the teaser trailer gave away quite a bit, including the inclusion of Red Hulk, it held back quite a bit as well, including leaving out some key cast members. One of those members of the cast, Shira Haas, is set to play Ruth Bat-Seraph, known in the comics as Sabra, who has become the center of some controversy. Fans have threatened to boycott the film over her inclusion and some rumors arose that the character would be taken out of the film entirely. As it turns out, that is not the case as Haas was included on the list of cast members sent out by Disney in an official press release.

    “Captain America: Brave New World” stars Anthony Mackie, Danny Ramirez, Shira Haas, Xosha Roquemore, Carl Lumbly, with Giancarlo Esposito, Liv Tyler, Tim Blake Nelson, and Harrison Ford. The film is directed by Julius Onah and produced by Kevin Feige and Nate Moore. Louis D’Esposito and Charles Newirth serve as executive producers.

    Despite backlash from fans, Haas‘ character was never going to be removed from the film. In 2022, the studio released a statement indicating that they were “taking a new approach” with the character.

    While our characters and stories are inspired by the comics. They are always freshly imagined for the screen and today’s audience, and the filmmakers are taking a new approach with the character Sabra who was first introduced in the comics over 40 years ago

    With only a brief hint of the character in the teaser, fans will have to wait to see what that new approach is and how they incorporate her into the MCU despite the controversy that has surrounded her since she was first revealed to be in the film.

    Captain America: Brave New World hits theaters on February 14, 2025.

  • Marvel Studios Official Synopsis for ‘Captain America: Brave New World’ Teases a “Nefarious Global Plot”

    Marvel Studios Official Synopsis for ‘Captain America: Brave New World’ Teases a “Nefarious Global Plot”

    Following the release of the teaser trailer for Captain America: Brave New World, Disney unveiled the first official synopsis for the action-packed 2025 film. The film has been described as a political thriller in the past and the synopsis indicates fans should expect just that.

    CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD. © 2024 MARVEL.

    After meeting with newly elected U.S. President Thaddeus Ross, played by Harrison Ford in his Marvel Cinematic Universe debut, Sam finds himself in the middle of an international incident. He must discover the reason behind a nefarious global plot before the true mastermind has the entire world seeing red.

    Official Synopsis for Captain America: Brave New World

    Though he’s only briefly seen in the teaser, that “true mastermind” is certainly Tim Blake Nelson’s Samuel Sterns who is returning to the role for the first time since 2008’s The Incredible Hulk. Brave New World director Julius Onah teased Sterns’ role in the film in an interview with ComicBook.com in 2022.

    One of the things that really drew me to this project is The Leader is a man who operates from intellect. And it’s so great to have an adversary who is working with this incredible intellect to really put Sam through the wringer in this story. And again, it’s a paranoid thriller; it’s this grounded adventure where I think everything that happens in this film feels so real and intense because of who this adversary is. What he’s going to have to go through in this film is because he’s got an adversary who is so terrifyingly intelligent.

    -Jullius Onah

    The teaser trailer lays out how Sam Wilson moves ahead following the events of the Disney Plus streaming series The Falcon and The Winter Solider as President Thaddeus Ross looks to make Captain America an official position within the United States military. Onah previously talked about the challenges Wilson would face in that role saying, “He is in a new position. Stepping up to be the leader as Captain America is going to be a new set of challenges for him. And in this story, a big part of his journey is how do you define that leadership? That’s the thing that he hasn’t had to deal with just yet. As the Falcon, he was always there supporting the rest of the team, but now he’s the man leading the team and I think that’s going to be a really exciting journey to go on with him.”

    Captain America: Brave New World hits theaters on February 14th, 2025.

  • ‘Ms. Marvel’ and ‘What If…?’ Writer Taking Over for Fired ‘X-Men ’97’ Showrunner

    ‘Ms. Marvel’ and ‘What If…?’ Writer Taking Over for Fired ‘X-Men ’97’ Showrunner

    Marvel Studios’ most recent foray into animation, X-Men ’97, checked all the boxes. From beginning to end, the revival captivated the audience with shockingly high stakes and ended on such a high note that fans were clamoring for news about Season 2. The good news is that the sophomore season of X-Men ’97 is already deep into its production and could hit D+ as early as 2025; however, with showrunner Beau DeMayo being let go by Marvel Studios despite having a long-term plan for the series, the question of who would take the reigns of the successful series continued to hang overhead. Now, that problem has been resolved.

    According to Deadline, Matthew Chauncey has agreed to join the creative team of the animated series as the head writer for Season 3 of X-Men ’97.

    Chauncey is an in-house hire for the studio, having worked both in live-action on Ms. Marvel and in animation on Seasons 1 and 2 of What If…? and the upcoming Eyes of Wakanda. With Season 2 of X-Men ’97 currently in production, Chauncey will have plenty of time to get to work on drafting Season 3 which should allow for him to find his groove with the characters and the pre-existing stories and churn out some banger episodes. While he has writing credits for more than a half-dozen episodes of What If…?, he was the sole writer for Season 2, Episode 7, “What If…Hela Found the Ten Rings?”, which was one of the season’s most fascinating installments.

    Source: Deadline

  • Marvel Studios Unveils the Official Synopsis for ‘Agatha All Along’

    Marvel Studios Unveils the Official Synopsis for ‘Agatha All Along’

    Marvel Studios rolled out the first look at its next Disney Plus streaming series, Agatha All Along and, as usual, sent some extra goodies out as well. In addition to some promo photos and a great looking poster, the studio also provided an official synopsis for the series.

    In “Agatha All Along,” the infamous Agatha Harkness finds herself down and out of power after a suspicious goth Teen helps break her free from a distorted spell. Her interest is piqued when he begs her to take him on the legendary Witches’ Road, a magical gauntlet of trials that, if survived, rewards a witch with what they’re missing. Together, Agatha and this mysterious Teen pull together a desperate coven, and set off down, down, down The Road…

    The goth Teen mentioned is, of course, Joe Locke’s Nicholas Scratch Billy Kaplan and the Witches’ Road is sure to be drought with peril!

    Agatha All Along premieres September 18th on Disney Plus.

    Updating

  • DC Studios No Longer Moving Ahead with a Matt Reeves’ Gotham-Verse Series

    DC Studios No Longer Moving Ahead with a Matt Reeves’ Gotham-Verse Series

    Before James Gunn and Peter Safran took the reigns as co-chairs of DC Studios, Matt Reeves had quite the vision for bringing Gotham to life on the big and small screens. In addition to his trilogy of Batman films, Reeves had several streaming series in the works and while one of those, The Penguin, is set to debut on Max this September, news has come down that development on another series has been halted.

    According to Variety, the untitled Arkham Asylum streaming series will no longer move forward.

    The GCDP thing, that story has story has kinda evolved. We’ve actually now [moved] more into the realm of exactly what would happen in the world of Arkham as it relates coming off of our movie, and some of the characters… almost leaning into the idea of… it’s like a horror movie or a haunted house that is Arkham.

    –Matt Reeves on the evolution of his Arkham project

    Originally imagined as a Gotham City Police Department series to be written by Boardwalk Empire creator Terence Winter and set within Reeves’ universe, the premise of the project changed over time. By March 2022, the GCPD project became an Arkham Asylum-centric series that would involve horror elements with Joe Barton taking the reigns on the script. In the fall of 2022, Antonio Campos took over as showrunner and development continued. Now, the long-gestating project is no more.

    The idea, again the way that Gotham is a character in the movie, I really want Arkham to exist as a character. You go into this environment and encounter these characters in a way that feels really fresh. And so in our work on Gotham, that story started to evolve, and it started feeling [like], ‘Wait, we should really lean into this.’ And then that’s kinda where that’s gone.

    –Matt Reeves on the evolution of his Arkham project

    Even with the show not moving forward, Reeves‘ vision for Gotham still lives on. In addition to Colin Farrel’s The Penguin series, Robert Pattinson will return in The Batman Part II in 2026.

    Source: Variety