Murphy's Multiverse

Author: Hunter Radesi

  • Theory Thursday: ‘Captain America: New World Order’ is Actually Marvel’s ‘World War Hulks’

    Theory Thursday: ‘Captain America: New World Order’ is Actually Marvel’s ‘World War Hulks’

    Perhaps the most unexpected development to come out of D23’s Marvel panel was the reveal that Tim Blake Nelson would return as Samuel Sterns for Captain America: New World Order. Better known as “The Leader”, Sterns is traditionally a Hulk villain, and hasn’t been seen since he made his Marvel Cinematic Universe debut in The Incredible Hulk over a decade ago. Tim Roth‘s surprising comeback as Emil Blonsky in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, another famous Hulk baddie thought to be forgotten by Marvel Studios, had given fans hope that Nelson may also show his face again, but nobody seemed to suspect that Captain America would be the franchise he’d do it in. Now that it’s confirmed to be the case, the casting begs a very serious question – why would The Leader be the main antagonist in a Captain America movie?

    Rumors swirled for a long time that Marvel had plans to revive the Hulk franchise with an adaptation of either World War Hulk or World War Hulks, two very different comic arcs with very similar names. A recent episode of She-Hulk sent Mark Ruffalo‘s Bruce Banner back to space and gave credence to the former title, in which the untimely destruction of Sakaar leads the Hulk to wage all-out war on Earth and its heroes, but the unveiling of Leader’s looming threat at D23 implies the MCU might secretly be on track to adapt the latter. The villain has a long history of attempting to manipulate gamma radiation as a means of molding the future in his image, and World War Hulks is one of his best efforts. As part of a supervillain group known as the “Intelligencia”, essentially the evil version of the Illuminati, Sterns plotted to create an army of Hulks that would help him and his cohorts take over the world. Although the phrase “New World Order ” is typically used when discussing much deeper, more political topics – something it would make sense for a Captain America film to cover – it is possible that Marvel Studios is using the name as a minor misdirect. In fact, it might actually make more sense if the New World Order in question is actually The Leader’s vision for his own personal Gamma World.

    With a threat that large in scale, it would also stand to reason that The Leader’s plan does not unfold in its entirety in just one project. More likely than not, it plays out across multiple projects in the next couple of years, making Tim Blake Nelson a quiet connective tissue between Marvel’s fourth and fifth phases. To help explain this idea, it might be best to break the theory down by project:

    She-Hulk: Attorney at Law

    At this point, what happens for the remainder of She-Hulk is anyone’s guess. Over the course of several episodes, the series has widened the window on how fans can view the MCU and raised its fair share of questions regarding the franchise’s future. Among the many ponderings, however, lies one untied thread that nobody seems to be talking about. In the pilot, Bruce makes a pretty big deal about the dangers of his blood and the blood of Tatiana Maslany‘s Jen Walters falling into the wrong hands. After all, they’re both Hulks, and the wrong person gaining access to their irradiated blood could lead to an awful lot of unfortunate shenanigans. A few episodes later, a group of hired goons, the MCU’s version of The Wrecking Crew, brought the matter up again when they tried their best to beat down and steal some of Jen’s blood. They were not successful, on account of She-Hulk’s skin being too difficult to pierce, but the attempt revealed there is truly someone out there who wants that gamma-laden plasma.

    The identity of the person who hired The Wrecking Crew could end up being anybody, but now that The Leader is definitely on his way back to the spotlight, it seems more and more likely that he’s the one up to his old comic book ways. If this is the case, one has to wonder why he wants the DNA and how he would use it. Bruce explicitly says that the most terrifying outcome would be more Hulks in the world, specifically ones that won’t use their powerful abilities for the sake of good, so that seems like a pretty logical next step in The Leader’s grand scheme. Perhaps he’ll even play a major role in the She-Hulk finale, making a big play and stepping out from behind the curtain at the eleventh hour. There is a comic arc in which Mallory Book, played by Renee Elise Goldsberry in the show, represents Sterns in court and successfully argues that he is not responsible for his crimes because his exposure to gamma radiation forcibly altered his personality. Maybe Attorney at Law adapts this as a final case, with Sterns using the scenario to get closer to Jen and ultimately snag some of her blood. His first test subjects could even be The Wrecking Crew, who, in some sort of post-credits scene, finally grow to match their size in the pages of Marvel comics.

    Captain America: New World Order

    With his new Hulk drug ready to be dispersed, The Leader will need someone who is able to push it around the globe. Luckily for him, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier reintroduced audiences to someone who specializes in exactly that. Emily VanCamp‘s Sharon Carter, now known to criminal syndicates as The Power Broker, was last seen planning to use her newfound government position as a means of stealing high-level weapons and secrets to supply her nefarious underground business dealings. Whether The Leader is caught in She-Hulk or not, it stands to reason that she would have full access to whatever drug Sterns creates with Walters’ blood. In partnering with her, The Leader would have a means of sending gamma around the world without having to craft some sort of massive gamma dome in the middle of the desert, as he does at one point in the comics and in a multi-episode arc on Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.

    Carter’s involvement in The Leader’s plot is enough by itself to get Sam Wilson’s attention, but as the MCU’s new Captain America, it will probably be the random denizens of Earth transforming rapidly into Hulk-like creatures that draws him to the scene. If Sterns’ plan is enacted fully, it would mean a threat on a global scale that Wilson probably can’t handle on his own. Though the Avengers supposedly no longer exist following Avengers: Endgame, there are plenty of heroes who could come to Captain America’s aid in this time of The Leader’s “new world order” (of Hulks). Danny Ramirez has already been confirmed to return as Joaquin Torres, likely the new Falcon by this point, alongside Shira Haas‘ Sabra, in addition to any number of surprise appearances that could come to fruition between now and the time filming begins. New World Order would then follow in the footsteps of Civil War, acting as a miniature Avengers film that tests Sam Wilson’s mettle as a team leader for the first time. Granted, Wilson doesn’t really need this sort of test, but that seems to be the way the MCU is handling his tenure as Cap, and so it fits with the theory.

    As for Bruce Banner, and how he aligns with everything, that remains a slightly bigger question mark. There are a few options, now that he’s in space. The Leader could have orchestrated a false Sakaarian situation to get him off-planet before he put his plan into action, as Sterns probably sees Banner as the biggest threat to his success, or Banner could really now be the father to Skaar, his half-Sakaarian son who played a big role in the World War Hulks story in the comics. At some point, the duo could return and join in the effort to put down Sterns or be saved for a separate project entirely. The details get a little messy here, but the general theory sentient remains – New World Order is about The Leader turning everyone into Hulks, with the first part playing as a thriller where Sam and his crew try to stop the spread of Gamma drugs, and the second part as an all-out World War Hulks adaptation that forces Sam Wilson to embrace his role as Earth’s Mightiest Hero.

    Thunderbolts

    It was said on stage at D23 that Thunderbolts exists because the word needs a team it can “trust” by the end of Phase 5. Secret Invasion probably plays a big role in this, but New World Order might too. Even if The Leader is taken down, he could still have done some irreparable damage to the world that the Avengers are partially blamed for, or at the very least, his actions might have proven that the world still needs a team of superheroes on its side. In the comics, after the fall of the Intelligencia, a captive Sterns is taken into the custody of General Thaddeus Ross’ Red Hulk and his newly formed team of Thunderbolts. Soon after, he is killed by The Punisher, who is a member of that team and still horrified by The Leader’s actions in World War Hulks. It’s possible something similar plays out in the MCU, with Sebastian Stan‘s Bucky Barnes taking the Punisher’s role after learning what The Leader did to his friend, Sam Wilson. As for why The Leader would be in the custody of the Thunderbolts in the MCU, that’s an entirely different theory.

    If the Intelligencia is at all involved in New World Order, the line-up would have to be altered slightly to make sense. There’s a chance that Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, played by the incomparable Julia Louis-Dreyfuss, is in that group, and manipulates her way to controlling Sterns while she forms her own government-sponsored superteam. Basically, she would take the place of the comics’ General Ross, whose actor, William Hurt, passed away earlier this year. In that position, she could force Sterns to use his gamma drug to turn her into a Hulk herself, much in the same way Ross made Sterns and M.O.D.O.K. transform him into the Red Hulk during World War Hulks, so that she may have her own bit of power and act as the Thunderbolts’ muscle, something fans noted was missing from the line-up when it was revealed at D23. The source material has Betty Ross becoming the Red She-Hulk, but it doesn’t look like Liv Tyler will be returning to the MCU anytime soon, so it might make more sense if Val becomes an amalgam of a few characters and takes that spot to simplify things.

    With that, the theory is just about summed up. It’s completely feasible that The Leader is planned to be the sub-villain of Phase 5, connecting several projects and bringing Hulks back to the forefront of Marvel lore by bringing World War Hulks to the fourth Captain America film. It’s not clear why Marvel would go this route instead of giving Banner another solo film unless the rights issue with Universal is still an ongoing problem. Either way, it’s an option, and one you heard here first.

  • EXCLUSIVE: Film About America’s First Serial Killer Looking For A-List Leads

    EXCLUSIVE: Film About America’s First Serial Killer Looking For A-List Leads

    America, get ready to scream bloody murder. Producers Lorin McCraley and Paul Sinacore are preparing to bring the story of Boone Helm, America’s first recorded serial killer, to life on the big screen. Tentatively titled Boone, the film is a period piece set in the late 1850s onward, that will chronicle the last days of “the Kentucky Cannibal” as two determined lawmen track his vile exploits across the breadth of the Wild West. Helm was known for his extreme self-preservation, which famously involved him consuming trail mates in order to survive harsh conditions. Boone will begin filming in the Fall of 2023 on location in Missouri, and if the producers have their way, will star two A-listers in the lead roles.

    The production is looking to offer the parts of Helm and Sheriff Nathan Hurley to A-list names only. For Helm, the studio is searching for an A-lister between 40-55 years old to play the character. Sheriff Hurley, the law man whose son was killed by Boone, will be portrayed by an A-lister between 50 and 85.

    Boone will require its talent to have horsemanship skills and hopes to acquire several strong supporting leads for its anticipated $6 million shoot. The film was written by McCraley and Edward Cieplinski, and there is currently no director attached.

  • Rian Johnson Doesn’t Want to Stop Making Benoit Blanc Movies

    Rian Johnson Doesn’t Want to Stop Making Benoit Blanc Movies

    One of cinema’s most delightful surprises in the last few years was Rian Johnson’s Knives Out. The cozy, star-studded whodunnit was a massive hit with critics and audiences alike, who praised its clever nature and over-the-top performances. Crafted in the style of an Agatha Christie novel, Johnson has said before that he intends to continue writing mysteries for lead detective Benoit Blanc, played by Daniel Craig, to solve with his charming southern drawl. The first step in expanding Blanc’s legacy will be this year’s Glass Onion, the first sequel to Knives Out and the second Blanc case to hit screens.

    The real question, however, is just how many Blanc movies Johnson is willing to make. Filmmaking is a little more labor intensive than writing a novel, and it wouldn’t be unrealistic for the acclaimed director to backtrack on previous sentiments after spending the last several years with the same character. Luckily for fans, there’s apparently no need to worry just yet. During a recent Q&A for those in attendance at the Toronto International Film Festival, Johnson reconfirmed his plans to make as many Blanc films as humanly possible while he’s still a working man.

    Asked if there will be more Blanc adventures, the creative responded:

    I’m going to keep making these until Daniel blocks me on his phone.

    Rian Johnson

    This seemingly translates to something along the lines of, “I will never stop doing this.” Which, by all accounts, should be fine by the first film’s many fans. After all, Blanc was heavily inspired by Christie’s detective Hercule Poirot, and that character has appeared in 33 novels and over 50 short stories. Johnson better get busy if he hopes to match that in this lifetime.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘Barbarian’ Wins Opening Weekend With $10M

    ‘Barbarian’ Wins Opening Weekend With $10M

    Barbarian is a terrifying success in its opening weekend. The new horror film from writer and director Zach Cregger absolutely trounced its own expectations with a staggering $10 million in ticket sales across 2,340 theaters. This number is far better than what was projected for the Georgina Campbell vehicle, which was estimated to hit just $5 million or $6 million heading into the weekend. It’s likely the film’s viewership was propelled forward by excellent early reviews and a hefty amount of good social media word-of-mouth. Distributed by 20th Century Pictures and New Regency, Barbarian was extra successful on large format screens such as IMAX, which ultimately contributed to 29 percent of the movie’s total gross.

    Barbarian, which serves as Cregger’s solo directorial debut, is currently resting comfortably at 92 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. The story follows Campbell’s character, Tess, as she arrives at an Airbnb to discover it’s already occupied by a mysterious stranger, played by It star Bill Skarsgård. Critics have praised the project’s many surprising twists and turns, which are said to be best experienced without any spoilers. Former Alvin and the Chipmunks star Justin Long also appears in the film.

    The thriller has been a bright spot in an otherwise quiet Labor Day film slate, which has mostly been dominated by talk of ongoing film festivals. Sony’s highly-anticipated action-drama, The Woman King, will debut next week as Barbarian’s primary competition. It will be interesting to see how the film stands against such a star-studded affair.

    Barbarian is in theaters now.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • ‘House of the Dragon’ – Best & Worst of ‘King of the Narrow Sea’

    ‘House of the Dragon’ – Best & Worst of ‘King of the Narrow Sea’

    Phew. There is much to unpack in the fourth episode of HBO’s latest hit, House of the Dragon. Luckily for readers, the purpose of this article is only to address the best and worst of all the chaos. It’s almost comical that the episode is titled King of the Narrow Sea, after the fancy new moniker given to Matt Smith‘s Daemon Targaryen, because really, this week was all about Milly Alcock‘s Princess Rhaenyra. With Paddy Considine‘s King Viserys hellbent on finding her a groom, Rhaenyra is forced to confront what it is she truly wants out of a relationship, and the answer isn’t so simple. As with any breathing human being, her Grace does not want to feel like a prisoner in her own marriage. Unfortunately, the rules of the time are the rules of the time and this type of arrangement may be a fate she’s not ever able to outmaneuver. Her restlessness ultimately leads to a, well, uncomfortable night out with her uncle, and a few realizations that make her slightly more comfortable in her own skin.

    Quite a few other major developments occur, like the dramatic demotion of Rhys Ifans‘ Otto Hightower and the ongoing depressive state of his daughter, Alicent, played by Emily Carey. Yet, none of those things ever really live up to the shock value of the episode’s main plotline, which holds the honor of producing both talking points in this week’s breakdown. So, without further ado, it’s time to talk even more about superstar Milly Alcock.

    Best – Milly Alcock

    Milly Alcock will not be around House of the Dragon forever. In fact, she won’t even be around for the entirety of this season. But boy, oh boy, is she making the most of the time she has as Princess Rhaenyra. Alcock has been the standout of this show from the very beginning, and King of the Narrow Sea proves exactly why that is. Rhaenyra is not a simple type of character to portray, having to come off as both stubborn and charming at the same time while also maintaining a sense of regality in every action. It’s much easier to be unlikable than not in this kind of role, but Alcock manages to pull off every scene with grace, poise, and appeal. She makes the audience want to follow her down whatever path she travels, and that is a skill that simply can’t be taught.

    King of the Narrow Sea deals with a lot of subject matter that won’t sit well with everyone. There are some very dark rabbit holes that Rheanyra finds herself exploring. Yet, in spite of that, Alcock remains a steadfast champion of everything that’s good in House of the Dragon. She takes the dark path, however terrible it may seem, and flips it into one that the audience is curious in exploring themselves. She sells the story, and her character, as something worthwhile, even when a person’s brain might be telling them otherwise. This show could not have found a better successor to Emilia Clarke‘s Daenerys, and fans should remain hopeful the series finds a way to keep her around even after Rheanyra hits her growth spurt.

    Worst – Incest, Duh

    This almost doesn’t even feel worth typing. By far the worst part of King of the Narrow Sea, and perhaps the show at large, is Daemon manipulating his teenage niece into trying to have sex with him. Inside of a brothel, no less. It’s a power move and a disgusting one at that. Yes, Daemon is, thus far, the villain of this show and at no point does the project want us to be on his side. However, that does not negate the fact that every second of that sequence was terrible enough to make a viewer’s skin crawl ten times over. The word one might be looking for is probably “icky”. This type of sexual deviancy, a phrase that feels strange to use, is becoming something of a theme for House of the Dragon. Hopefully, it’s just a phase and one that the show grows out of sooner than later.

  • Five Marvel Monsters Who Should Get a Special Next

    Five Marvel Monsters Who Should Get a Special Next

    Marvel Studios had a pretty stacked panel at this year’s D23 convention, but there was one reveal that seemed to stand above the rest. Werewolf by Night, a zany new Halloween-themed short film, was finally unveiled after numerous months of rumors. Being released under the new banner “A Marvel Studios’ Special Presentation,” the project will be unlike anything the Marvel Cinematic Universe has attempted before. Michael Giacchino‘s fright fest is filmed entirely in black-and-white, with animatronic effects and cheeseball dialogue ripped straight from the classic Universal horrors. Should Werewolf by Night succeed, the studio will likely want to follow up on its new formula with more terrifying specials in the years to come. Luckily for them, there are plenty of Marvel monsters to choose from.

    Follow along as Murphy’s Multiverse breaks down some of the best options:

    1. Man-Thing

    Man-Thing

    This one is sort of a cheat because Werewolf by Night‘s trailer has already confirmed Man-Thing is coming to the MCU, but maybe his appearance simply exists to set up a future spin-off? The character is sort of the flagship monster on Marvel’s roster, so it feels like, if the studio plan on delving deeper into its spooky lore, Marvel Studios will end up giving him his own project somewhere down the line. There’s plenty of source material to draw from, and the tone of the final product could fit into any number of genres. Heck, according to Thor: Ragnarok, the Man-Thing has somehow already been off-world. Unfortunately, despite all the potential, the creature may not warrant his own feature film (2005’s cult classic Man-Thing was not well received), so another Marvel Studios’ Special Presentation could be the landing spot for his solo story.

    For those outside of the know, Man-Thing is a rather large swamp monster who traditionally exists within the Florida Everglades. He began life as Dr. Ted Sallis, a biochemist working to recreate the Super Soldier Serum, until his wife Ellen Brandt – played by Stéphanie Szostak in Iron Man 3 – turned him over to agents of A.I.M. and indirectly sent him and his car crashing into the nearby swamp. There, a dosage of the new Serum and a splash of magic turn Sallis into the Man-Thing, a lumbering plant-matter beast with little human intellect. Famously, among many other magic and science-based abilities, Man-Thing is empathic and angered by fear, which causes him to burn those who show the emotion around him. As his classic comic covers put it, “Whatever knows fear burns at the Man-Thing’s touch!”

    2. The Living Mummy

    N’Kantu, The Living Mummy

    If Marvel Studios wants another horror special that plays to the Universal classics and sticks with the pulpy nature of Werewolf by Night, then N’Kantu might just their man – er, mummy. Known to comic fans as “The Living Mummy,” the character is not actually the Egyptian baddie most people think of when they see a human covered in wraps. The chieftain of a North African tribe, N’Kantu and his people are taken by Egyptian soldiers and forced into slavery for the Pharaoh Aram-Set. Always a fighter, N’Kantu ends up leading a rebellion that results in the death of the Pharaoh but puts himself in a tomb instead. Aram-Set’s priestess finds a way to mummify N’Kantu while keeping him alive, and when he’s unearthed several millennia later, the Marvel Universe is forced to confront a mystic mummy situation they weren’t expecting.

    Plainly put, this would be a great way for Marvel to counter Sony’s Morbius film. They can keep their Living Vampire, because Marvel has the Living Mummy instead. All jokes aside, N’Kantu actually has several strong comic ties to both Werewolf by Night and Man-Thing, having encountered them both on many occasions, and could be tied firmly to the greater MCU with only some minor tweaking. An easter egg in Moon Knight confirmed Kang the Conqueror’s Egyptian alter-ego, the Pharaoh Rama-Tut, did in fact exist at some point in the timeline. Perhaps a Living Mummy special could elaborate on this further, making him N’Kantu’s captor instead of Aram-Set, and giving the hypothetical Halloween spooktacular even more reason to be part of the Multiverse Saga. Or maybe fans will just get to see a mummy roam the streets of modern America. Either option is fun.

    3. Manphibian

    Manphibian

    Should Marvel Studios’ Special Presentation: Man-Thing not work out, Marvel does have another marsh-based monster hidden up their sleeve. Well, sort of. Manphibian, who has the greatest name in comics, is actually an alien from another world. They just look a lot like the Creature from the Black Lagoon, and are therefore, often thought of as a fish monster. Instead, they come from a once peaceful civilization where no one Manphibian ever harmed another. That is, until someone killed their mate, and the Manphibian felt a strong urge to pursue revenge. Traveling across the galaxy in search of their mate’s murderer, the nautical-faced extraterrestrial finds themself on Earth, where they confront their enemy and are then stranded with their children. Oh, they’re also a single parent.

    If the Werewolf by Night trailer proved anything, it’s that Marvel is going all-out for weird with these shorts. Manphibian’s classic monster look, combined with an out-of-this-world backstory, could make for the perfect Marvel Studios’ Special Presentation recipe. It also ticks off the ‘alien’ box on the long list of horror tropes the studio could be looking to cover. Imagine an opening that feels like Close Encounters of the Third Kind, only for Manphibian and their many kids to come tumbling out of the spaceship. Terrifying, and also incredibly watchable.

    4. FrankenCastle

    FrankenCastle

    Ok, hear this one out. Marvel does have its version of Frankenstein’s Monster, but he’s not the patchwork behemoth that should get his own special. That honor should belong instead to FrankenCastle, an undead version of – wait for it – Frank Castle, better known as The Punisher, sewn together and resurrected to aid the Legion of Monsters after being dismembered by Wolverine’s child, Daken, on orders from Norman Osborn. A mouthful, for sure, but also a great set-up for another pulpy adventure set within the MCU. Of course, it’s debatable whether Castle, played by Jon Bernthal in Netflix’s universe of shows, actually exists in the MCU at the moment. Even if he doesn’t, though, there are plenty of opportunities coming up (like Disney+’s Daredevil: Born Again) to get him in and set him up before Marvel Studios’ Special Presentation comes calling.

    So, why The Punisher and not Dr. Victor Frankenstein’s most morbid creation? Because the story of Frankenstein’s Monster has been told a thousand times over, and Frank Castle offers something new to the age-old tale. A few years from now, there’s a very real possibility the character has reappeared in the MCU and had one or two more stories thrown his way. If so, Marvel could find a way to briefly make him dead and then alive again in time for his very own horror special, fitting in a fan favorite comic arc without awkwardly changing the tone of a potential solo series mid-way through or sacrificing a whole film to a rather risky premise. Also, Castle’s time as a monster is mostly spent with the other characters mentioned on this list and his resurrection is only made possible through the use of the Bloodstone, which will also seemingly be a focus in Werewolf by Night. As Marvel always likes to say – it’s all connected.

    5. Ghost Rider: Kushala

    Kushala

    Let this be prefaced with a true statement: Ghost Rider deserves his own franchise. That being said, he can hypothetically have a franchise that’s kickstarted by a short film. It’s well-known that Johnny Blaze, the character most people associate with the Rider, made a deal with the devil and lost his soul in the process, becoming the Spirit of Vengeance and tearing pavement across the globe in his lifelong search for evildoers. However, most people don’t realize there have been quite a few Ghost Riders over time, and a Marvel Studios’ Special Presentation covering a Rider from elsewhere in the Marvel timeline could be a very unique chance to expand the mythos and tell the kind of story that couldn’t otherwise be told in Ghost Rider film.

    Kushala, specifically, gives Marvel the best chance at something truly unique. An Apache woman who lived in the mid-1800s, Kushala’s wish to avenger the death of her parents led to a possession by the Spirit of Vengeance, transforming her into a version of the Ghost Rider she referred to as the ‘Demon Rider’. Seeking to learn more about her curse, Kushala traveled the world learning magic, eventually becoming so skilled she achieved the rank of Sorcerer Supreme in her own era. Yes, that’s right, this is a single character who is both Ghost Rider and Sorcerer Supreme. The storytelling possibilities are endless. Moreover, this could be fans’ best shot at finally seeing Mephisto done properly in live action. Without the involvement of one Ralph Bohner.

  • D23: Anthony Mackie is Open to Chris Evans Appearing in ‘Captain America: New World Order’ 

    D23: Anthony Mackie is Open to Chris Evans Appearing in ‘Captain America: New World Order’ 

    Captain America: New World Order is shaping up to be quite the adventure. The film will be the fourth main installment in the Captain America franchise and former Falcon actor Anthony Mackie’s first official solo outing as the titular hero. During a panel at this year’s D23 convention, it was revealed that fellow The Falcon and the Winter Soldier co-star Carl Lumbly and Danny Ramirez would return to their respective roles for the movie follow-up, alongside The Incredible Hulk’s Tim Blake Nelson as villain The Leader. Not among the many returning cast members announced, however, were fan-favorite Sebastian Stan or 2021 newcomer Wyatt Russell. Instead, this duo was revealed to be appearing in 2024’s Thunderbolts project, something Mackie jokingly took issue with at the event’s red carpet.

    Speaking with Variety, the Marvel A-Lister was asked if Chris Evans’ Steve Rogers, the previous Captain America, would make any sort of surprise appearance in New World Order. Mackie’s reply was that he wouldn’t mind, as a form of revenge for being left out of Thunderbolts himself:

    I hope so, man. You know, Chris is my boy. We all love and enjoy Chris. I’m highly upset that they put Sebastian in a movie with Wyatt and left me out. It’s a whole lot going on. If Sebastian gets Wyatt, I should get Chris.

    Anthony Mackie

    It’ll be a while before fans find out if this wish comes true, but it might not be worth anyone holding their breath. Chris Evans appears to be done with the Marvel Cinematic Universe at the moment, and Mackie deserves his time to shine in New World Order. Either way, a cameo is never out of the cards, and anything can happen when the film hits theaters on May 3rd, 2024.

    Source: Variety

  • D23: Teyonah Parris On Monica Rambeau’s Origin in ‘The Marvels’

    D23: Teyonah Parris On Monica Rambeau’s Origin in ‘The Marvels’

    Marvel Cinematic Universe fans learned a whole lot about the future of the franchise at this year’s D23 convention, and that included a bunch of new information about Nia DaCosta‘s The Marvels. A sequel to 2019’s Captain Marvel, the story will reportedly revolve around Brie Larson‘s Carol Danvers, Iman Vellani‘s Kamala Khan, and Teyonah Parris‘ Monica Rambeau as the characters begin swapping places every time they use their powers. Parris, who debuted in her role to much acclaim in 2021’s WandaVision, was on hand at D23 to discuss Monica’s development in The Marvels and explain how fans might see her next.

    Speaking with Deadline, the actress revealed The Marvels will find her heroine learning to deal with newfound abilities:

    With Monica, we see her at the end of ‘WandaVision’ gain powers. And so, in ‘The Marvels’, we pick up learning how Monica’s been learning about her powers, working with them – or if she has at all. Like, what she’s not been doing. So, that’s where we pick up with Monica in ‘The Marvels’.

    Teyonah Parris

    Nudged further about the specifics of Monica’s superheroic adjustment, Parris played coy and danced around the question. However, she did drop a little nugget about the character’s overall arc in the MCU, stating that the combination of WandaVision and The Marvels acted as a sort of drawn-out origin for Rambeau:

    She is adjusting… Between ‘WandaVision’ and ‘The Marvels’, we really get to fully realize Monica’s origin story here in the MCU. So, it’s been really fun.

    Teyonah Parris

    The Marvels flies into theaters on July 28th, 2023.

    Source: Deadline

  • REVIEW: ‘The Rings of Power’ – ‘Adar’ is Great, Gosh-Darn Television

    REVIEW: ‘The Rings of Power’ – ‘Adar’ is Great, Gosh-Darn Television

    The Rings of Power is really just great, gosh-darn television. With its third episode, titled Adar after the mysterious nasty fellow, Amazon’s The Lord of the Rings series has managed to grow beyond the awe-inspiring visuals of its dual premiere. It’s not simply the visuals, however, that put it above what fans have already seen. While the latest episodic entry is, in fact, quite gorgeous, what makes Adar so much better than A Shadow of the Past and Adrift is the way it doubles down on something perhaps far more important to a show than beauty. This week, The Rings of Power doses itself with intrigue, and the series as a whole has instantly become better for it.

    Aside from one major exclusion, Adar takes the plotlines set up in the show’s premiere episodes and sprints full speed ahead with them. Seeking to gain the upper hand on Sauron and his army, Galadriel finds herself captive in the Kingdom of Men alongside a charming stranger. With the Harfoots set to begin another migration, Nori learns the hard way that she is not the only one who must face the consequences of her actions. Now a prisoner of the orcs, Arondir and his Elven compatriots devise a plan to escape and warn Middle-earth of the coming dangers. Every storyline is as engaging as the last, which is an accomplishment not many series achieve on a weekly basis. The Rings of Power had some slow moments out of the gate, made bearable by the splendor of everything around them. This no longer seems to be the case.

    The common theme of Adar is imprisonment, in both a literal and metaphorical sense. All three plots deal with the concept in some way, and in expert fashion, they all bleed into each other thematically to keep the big picture a cohesive one. In Númenor, Galadriel pleads desperately to be let go and for help against Middle-earth’s greatest threat. Having lived for much longer than most, she is aware of how evil adapts so that it may survive. She knows that, even if Sauron has truly gone, there must be something growing in his wake. Men, on the other hand, refuse to change. They keep Galadriel prisoner without realizing they’ve imprisoned themselves in a cage of their own making. Through her experiences and that of Halbrand, it’s shown that man is unwilling to change in the same way as it’s hidden enemy, and therefore, is likely headed toward its downfall.

    This sentiment is echoed in the events surrounding the Harfoots. The merry band of travelers, led by Lenny Henry‘s Sadoc Burrows, spend much of the episode restating their methods of survival and long history of sacrifice. Sadoc sits in front of his people and lists the names of those left behind due to injury or tragic circumstance, with the underlying intention of scaring the Harfoots into obeying their own laws. Like the men, prisoners of their way of life. However, when Nori’s secret is revealed and Daniel Weyman‘s nameless giant emerges from the dark, her family is not left to rot as the men might have done. Instead, they are given a chance, and ultimately, further deviate from their traditions by including the giant on their journey, if only as a means of staying alive. In direct opposition to the previous plot, the Harfoots show that change is vital for growth.

    Arondir does not need to learn about change in Adar, but rather exists to demonstrate the severity of Middle-earth’s new big bad. Where the other plot lines comment on the nature of growth and self-imprisonment, this one puts an emphasis on why the men and Harfoots should be adapting in the first place. Orcs are always fun to watch, with their grimy faces and menacing growls, but this episode might have been the most fun they’ve been in a long time. Ismael Cruz Córdova gets to show off his action chops in an impressive escape sequence that also highlights the death and destruction that will soon be wrought upon the land. The baddies have not come to play, and they even brought a really cool monster dog to prove it.

    As any third episode should, Adar leaves audiences with more questions than answers. A brilliant, thought-provoking installment in the Lord of the Rings franchise, that ticks off every box of classic television storytelling on a budget of $1 billion. Next week promises to be another good outing, with plenty of teases left hanging in the air for Tolkien fanatics to pick apart for days on end. The biggest of which is probably the identity of the titular villain, whose blurred face seemed to resemble that of Sir Christopher Lee‘s Saruman the White. Until then, viewers can think on the one word they heard more than any other – Adar.

  • EXCLUSIVE: Georgina Campbell Discusses Feminist Themes of ‘Barbarian’

    EXCLUSIVE: Georgina Campbell Discusses Feminist Themes of ‘Barbarian’

    Georgina Campbell is the star of this year’s most surprising horror film, Barbarian. The movie centers around a woman who is shocked to find the Airbnb she booked is already occupied, and the increasingly dangerous events that transpire once she ultimately steps inside. As the premise suggests, much of the plot is based on the female perspective – examining dangerous scenarios through a lens that men might not always have to worry about. Speaking exclusively with Murphy’s Multiverse, Campbell explained how this theme impacted her appreciation for the film and how director Zach Cregger helped her understand how it all comes together:

    To be honest, I didn’t necessarily get it all the first time I read it, because so much is happening. And then I spoke to Zach and he really kind of broke everything down to me, and y’know, there’s all these different things going on that all kind of connect. He gave me a book that was about fear, and it was about women’s instincts and all these stories of women that have been through kind of traumatic situations and then look back on it and go, ‘there was actually this moment or there was this moment and I just kind of forgot about it or didn’t worry about it because it didn’t seem like a big deal at the time’. So that was really interesting, and he just, y’know, wrote that so beautifully. It was great.

    Georgina Campbell

    Once everything clicked for Campbell, she couldn’t get enough. The actress, known for her work on Black Mirror, also commented on how much she enjoyed the story at large. After being nudged to discuss what she really thought of the script, Campbell replied:

    It was so interesting, right? The first time I read the script I just, was like, amazed at the story itself. I just thought it was fantastic, and all those twists and turns. I was entertained reading it. It was like a breath of fresh air. You get sent so many scripts and it’s very rare you get these scripts that you just can’t stop thinking about.

    Georgina Campbell

    Barbarian arrives in theaters on September 9th.