Murphy's Multiverse

Author: Hunter Radesi

  • EXCLUSIVE: John Leguizamo Wishes New ‘MARIO’ Film Was More Inclusive

    EXCLUSIVE: John Leguizamo Wishes New ‘MARIO’ Film Was More Inclusive

    In September, Nintendo shocked the world when it announced Chris Pratt would be taking the iconic role of Mario in a new animated Super Mario Bros. film adaptation. The casting quickly became a hot topic on social media, mixed with discussions surrounding the reveal of popular names like Jack Black, Seth Rogan, and Anya Taylor-Joy in supporting roles. Now, the actor who played Luigi in the original live-action Mario film is weighing in.

    During an exclusive interview with Murphy’s Multiverse, John Leguizamo was asked about his thoughts on the new movie. He responded by explaining his mixed feelings about a new take on the story and its casting process:

    Y’know, Super Mario Bros. holds a special place in my heart. It’s twenty-five years, I think, since it was made, and they’re remaking it. So I’m glad that the movie was good enough that they want to make a remake. That’s a good sign. I wish they would have been more inclusive and had more Latinx in it, like as innovative as the first one was.

    The Ice Age actor is referring, of course, to the casting of a Latinx man like himself as the traditionally Italian Luigi. The role will be occupied by Charlie Day when the new animated film arrives. However, Leguizamo does seem open to the idea of returning to the franchise in another form. Of course, the decision ultimately belongs to executives at Universal. When asked if he would participate in the new Mario or a potential sequel, he responded:

    Yeah, I think I know how to fix what didn’t work in the original. I think I’ve got all the secret sauce. If they come to me, I’d be willing to help out.

    Leguizamo is historically a big proponent for Latinx representation in the film industry. He can next be seen in Disney’s next big animated feature Encanto when it hits theaters on Nov. 24.

    Along with the release of Encanto, Leguizamo is set to make his comic book writing debut with PhenomX, hitting shelves later this month.

  • EXCLUSIVE: John Leguizamo Talks New Comic ‘PhenomX,’ Hopes to See Adaptations

    EXCLUSIVE: John Leguizamo Talks New Comic ‘PhenomX,’ Hopes to See Adaptations

    John Leguizamo is a talented multi-hyphenate, best known for his work as a comedian, film star, and voice actor. By the end of the year, fans will also be able to refer to him as a comic book writer. His new comic, a collaboration with Spawn creator Todd McFarlane titled PhenomX, debuts on Nov. 10. The story centers around protagonist Max Gomez, who is wrongfully imprisoned and agrees to become the subject of government experimentation to regain his freedom. Gomez finds himself with incredible shape-shifting abilities, which he uses to survive a superhuman war on the streets of New York.

    Leguizamo was asked about the project during an exclusive interview with Murphy’s Multiverse, and his response was ecstatic:

    Oh my God, I’m so excited about PhenomX. I mean, yeah, I didn’t see any Latin superheroes and I felt like, y’know, we have them in real life. I mean, half the Mets are Latinx, half of the Astros who went to the World Series are Latinx, and the Braves are Latinx. You have AOC, half the MMA. We have real life heroes, why aren’t they in comic books? So, I wrote this character and I took it to Todd McFarlane, the greatest comic book maker in the world, and he fell in love with my story and he’s going to publish it November 10 at Image Comics.

    Leguizamo previously worked with McFarlane when he played the villain known as Violator in 1997’s live-action Spawn film. Now, it appears he’s using the connection to further his work towards Latinx representation in the mainstream. When asked if he’d be interested in any adaptations of PhenomX, the star of Disney’s upcoming Encanto film revealed he’s hoping for much more:

    Y’know I’ve got big hopes. I have hopes that it’ll be turned into games, video games, movies, animation. Everything. I hope I can get it across the board, just make it everywhere.

    Read PhenomX on November 10, and then catch Encanto in theaters on Nov. 24.

  • Zazie Beetz Would Love to Return as Domino

    Zazie Beetz Would Love to Return as Domino

    It’s hard to believe it’s already been over three years since Zazie Beetz made her one and only appearance as Domino in Deadpool 2. The character was far-and-away the breakout star of the film, giving both Josh Brolin‘s Cable and Ryan Reynolds‘ titular character a run for their money. Now, the actress says she’s ready to make her return to the role as soon as Disney is ready to give her the call.

    In an interview with ComicBook.com, the Atlanta actress expressed her enthusiasm regarding the mutant mercenary with the power of probability. And while details regarding Deadpool 3 and Domino’s role are sparse, Beetz is ready to suit up again.

    I would love to revisit Domino. I would love to do a Deadpool 3, 4, 5, 7, 19. I’ve also wanted to be like, ‘Maybe I could just do my own origin story.’ I feel honored to have been able to depict her on screen and to have played with her, as her. I love her and so I would be more than happy to revisit her on camera. And I think I will. If Disney doesn’t make it happen, I’ll make it happen.

    The state of the Deadpool film franchise is currently unknown, as Disney took control of it’s future from Fox in 2019’s massive acquisition. Both existing entries proved to be exceedingly popular with fans, which makes it likely the studio will one day produce another installment. Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige and Reynolds himself have done just about everything but announce an official release date for the project, which could hit theaters as part of the MCU’s next phase of films.

    As it stands, Deadpool 3 does not have a release date.

    Source: Comic Book

  • Son of Satan Creator Doesn’t Think ‘Helstrom’ Took Enough Influence From the Comics

    Son of Satan Creator Doesn’t Think ‘Helstrom’ Took Enough Influence From the Comics

    During the fall of Marvel Television, the company managed to squeak out a single-season adaptation of the character Daimon Hellstrom, also known as the Son of Satan. Titled simply Helstrom, the live-action series took several liberties in bringing its characters to life. Jeph Loeb and the folks at Marvel Television took steps to ensure Daimon and his sister Satana, renamed here as Ana Helstrom, would come off as more grounded and a little less fantastical. Roy Thomas, who co-created the characters back in 1973, revealed in a recent interview with ComicBook.com that he took issue with the changes to his work.

    As he bluntly states, Thomas feels the creatives should have leaned more on the source material:

    They should’ve followed the comic books. Somebody doing the series should’ve read the comic book. Maybe they could’ve made a good series out of that. They could have even left the extra ‘L.

    Thomas went on to expand his frustrations to other live-action adaptations, citing the successful live-action Incredible Hulk series as another example of changing too much from the source material:

    I mean, the guy who did the Hulk show, he just buries the Hulk various times. He thought, ‘Oh, I paid no attention to that comic book. I went to things like Frankenstein, and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,’ And gee, obviously Stan Lee and Jack Kirby could never have been smart enough to think of something like that. These guys have to think they’re reinventing the wheel every time they do something in order to justify their enormous salaries, I suppose.

    With Marvel Television having closed its doors last year, a renewal for the series seemed unlikely from the start. Unfortunately, those hoping for a second season were upset to receive official confirmation that the series would not be returning last December.

    If you’ve yet to check out the Helstrom siblings, you can catch Helstrom in it’s entirety on Hulu.

    Source: Comic Book

  • Roy Thomas, Co-Creator of Marvel’s Iron Fist, Praises Finn Jones and Netflix Series

    Roy Thomas, Co-Creator of Marvel’s Iron Fist, Praises Finn Jones and Netflix Series

    Marvel Television set the bar high on Netflix when it premiered Daredevil and Jessica Jones in 2015, but the success of those shows was short-lived. Iron Fist dropped two years later to much worse reviews, with many fans and critics feeling that the show and lead actor Finn Jones had failed to live up to the immense potential behind Marvel’s Living Weapon. Yet, during a recent interview with ComicBook.com, Iron Fist co-creator and industry legend Roy Thomas revealed that he actually very much approved of Jones’ performance and the show at large.

    When asked what he ultimately thought of the live-action series, Thomas explained:

    Oh, I watched all of it. Yeah. Iron Fist had a few problems here and there, but I really liked the actor who played Iron Fist. I liked the general concept of it and everything.

    Marvel’s Iron Fist ran for two seasons on Netflix before it became the first of the shows to be axed, in what would eventually be the demise of the entire Defenders franchise on the small screen. The first season of Iron Fist was run by Inhumans showrunner Scott Buck, with showrunner Raven Metzner signing on for an ever-so-slightly improved sophomore effort.

    While the series has plenty of problems, from writing to fight choreography, Jones’ casting was controversial from the start. Many fans hoped an actor of Asian descent would have landed the role. Although Danny Rand’s future within the Marvel Cinematic Universe is currently unclear, the character remains a hot topic. Since the show’s cancelation, one of the show’s stunt coordinators’ has come forward with claims that Jones did not put in enough effort when it came to training for fight scenes.

    Nonetheless, Thomas continues to have only good things to say:

    Just wonderful. They were all reasonably good. Of course, The Defenders wasn’t that popular, that brief series, but I thought that was great because I’m an old superhero group fan, and I thought that was wonderful. But I really liked them all. I met many of the actors, [Mike] Colter who played Luke Cage, and Iron Fist and so forth…

    Both seasons of Iron Fist are streaming now on Netflix.

    As it stands, no plans for the character’s appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe have been announced.

    Source: Comic Book

  • REPORT: ‘THUNDERBOLTS’ Project Is Going Ahead at Marvel Studios

    REPORT: ‘THUNDERBOLTS’ Project Is Going Ahead at Marvel Studios

    It’s been rumored for a long time, and now it appears it could be true. A new report from The GWW indicates that Marvel Studios is moving forward with a film centered around the Thunderbolts. The team has had a few iterations in the comics, starting as a group of villains disguised as heroes and transitioning into a group of reformed supervillains working for the United States government. It would appear the project is taking a similar route to the latter, with teases having been placed in prior projects such as Black Widow and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. It’s likely this is the team to which Julia Louis-Dreyfus‘s Valentina Allegra de Fontaine has recruited the likes of Wyatt Russell‘s U.S. Agent and Florence Pugh‘s Yelena Belova. It’s likely that the teases will continue, with Belova herself set to appear in this winter’s Hawkeye series on Disney Plus.

    Also of note, the same report from The GWW claims that 2023 will mark the beginning of multiple potential new MCU projects. Titles the site includes in its list are Nova, the Okoye series, and Marvel Studios’ much-anticipated Fantastic Four reboot. The GWW concludes by revealing they have information on yet another secret project they hope to reveal sooner than later. If true, it would mean that the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is only just beginning. A new wave of heroes and super-teams is on the horizon.

    Source: The GWW

  • REPORT: Killian Scott Will Play A Skrull From X-Men Comics in ‘SECRET INVASION’

    REPORT: Killian Scott Will Play A Skrull From X-Men Comics in ‘SECRET INVASION’

    With all the hype surrounding Marvel Studios’ massive theatrical projects and immediately inbound Disney+ series, it’s been easy to forget about the upcoming adaptation of Brian Michael Bendis‘ Secret Invasion. Now, however, we have an exciting new update on one of the series’ major players. According to a report from The Direct, actor Killian Scott will be portraying a Skrull who had strong connections to the X-Men in Marvel’s comic book lore. The information lines up with a previous report from Murphy’s Multiverse, which indicated Scott would be playing a Skrull character.

    The word from The Direct is that the Irish actor will be playing a Skrull named Fiz in the limited series. In the comics, this character was a Mutant Skrull who possessed the ability to alter his size on top of his race’s usual shape-shifting trait. Much like the humans of Earth, the other Skrulls banished Fiz out of fear of his mutant power. The Skrullian warrior ended up settling with the X-Men and being trained by Charles Xavier himself, though it is unknown if this connection will come to fruition in the MCU.

    Scott joined the production of Secret Invasion in April. He is in good company, performing alongside the likes of Samuel L. Jackson, Emilia Clarke, Olivia Colman, and Kingsley Ben-Adir. Fan-favorite Ben Mendelsohn will also reprise his role as the Skrull general Talos. The Disney+ production will be helmed by writer Kyle Bradstreet, will consist of six episodes, and is expected to premiere sometime next year.

    Source: The Direct

  • James Gunn Confirms the Guardians of the Galaxy Were Originally Set to Debut in Marvel One-Shots

    James Gunn Confirms the Guardians of the Galaxy Were Originally Set to Debut in Marvel One-Shots

    Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy introduced a brand new cast of characters to the Marvel Cinematic Universe with immense success, but it looks like debuting all of the titular characters at once wasn’t the original plan. In an excerpt from the new book, The Story of Marvel Studios, famed Marvel boss Kevin Feige reveals each Guardian was going to debut in individual Marvel One-Shots.

    He explained:

    We toyed with the idea of doing short films on Drax, on Rocket and Groot, and on Gamora, leading up to Guardians. This One-Shot series would have led into the Guardians movie proper – which would have also been directly preceded by a fourth self-contained short film about a mysterious kid who loved fantasy things. Then you’d start Guardians. And half-way through, we would reveal that big space hero is the kid from the short. We thought that would be clever, but it was too much.

    Taking to Twitter, the franchise’s helmer James Gunn confirmed the information and elaborated on it further. The filmmaker revealed he had been set to write and direct the shorts. In fact, he had even gotten as far as storyboarding and filming scenes for a Rocket & Groot One-Shot.

    https://twitter.com/JamesGunn/status/1452764256311578624?s=20

    The above Twitter thread reveals that Gunn also wrote a part for fan-favorite nerd actor Alan Tudyk in Rocket and Groot’s origin story. Gunn even goes on to say the shelved shorts are still canon in his head.

    Of course, much of what the One-Shots would have entailed ended up being included in Guardians of the Galaxy. In the end, it’s likely the shorts not seeing the light of day may have been for the best. However, that doesn’t seem to have stopped Gunn from feeling hopeful about a potential resurrection of the One-Shots in the future.

    Source: Twitter, Screen Rant

  • EXCLUSIVE: Lia McHugh Was Surprised By Changes Made to ‘Eternals’

    EXCLUSIVE: Lia McHugh Was Surprised By Changes Made to ‘Eternals’

    Major studio films rarely stay the same from start to finish. Whether it be thanks to reshoots or constant script changes, movies are constantly evolving. It would seem Marvel Studios’ newest blockbuster saw plenty of changes, too, throughout production. During an exclusive interview with Murphy’s Multiverse, Eternals star Lia McHugh revealed she was caught off guard by a handful of changes made to the movie between the time of filming and its release. Of course, this is common practice for the House of Ideas. Sometimes it’s meant to keep actors in the dark. Other times, however, the alterations are made to enhance the quality of the film. Either way, statements regarding alterations throughout production have become a recurring statement among those involved with Marvel’s projects. 

    When asked directly if any parts of the final product were a surprise to her, McHugh responded:

    There were a lot of changes… I mean, not a lot. There were a few changes made from when we shot the movie and then a couple things were changed in reshoots.

    While this may not be all too interesting, it’s what she says next that will pique fans’ interest:

    One of the after-credits scenes I was surprised. I watched like a rough cut of the movie before I saw the final cut, and I actually was surprised by a few things. I can’t say too much about it. But yeah, there were a few things that were changed that I was surprised.

    It’s important to note that the up-and-coming actress does not specify what she was surprised by; it could have been because the after-credit scene was changed, or simply because she didn’t know it existed. Either way, it would appear Marvel Studios had a few secrets up its sleeve for both audiences and the cast of Chloe Zhao‘s latest work. 

    Eternals hits theaters on November 5, should fans like to see what surprises McHugh might have been talking about.

  • Brian Tyree Henry Comments On Race And Body Image Informing His Role in ‘ETERNALS’

    Brian Tyree Henry Comments On Race And Body Image Informing His Role in ‘ETERNALS’

    Marvel Studios’ Eternals features a sprawling and diverse cast, with people of multiple ethnicities and backgrounds working both in front of and behind the camera. During a global press conference earlier today, actor Brian Tyree Henry was asked about his knowledge-driven character’s relationship with Earth’s population and what may have had an effect on Phastos’ view of humanity. His intricate response discussed the role race most likely played in Phastos’ view of the world:

    The thing that really attracted me to this part was that I just think about all the images of Black men out there and how we are portrayed. And what I loved the most about Phastos is that, one, he’s an ancestor. All of us are ancestors technically, so Phastos predates everything and had to probably go through all these things which could actually make someone lose faith in humanity very quickly.

    He continues:

    I remember when I was coming to this project that I, Brian, had kind of lost faith in humanity…what the images of black men were and how we were being portrayed and how the power was taken from us. The lack of power, and what I love the most about Phastos is that through all of that, him being Eternal, him never being able to die, he still chose love. He still decided to have a family even though he may have to watch them perish. He still tried to find a way to bring heart and love to everything he did… It just really resonated with me, it really resonated a lot with how I felt my place in society was. Y’know, we can be kings and queens and at the same time they’ll take our pedestal and take our superpowers from us like that. What I love about Eternals is that Chloe and Nate really just re-instilled that power back in me again.

    Henry finished his comments by explaining how much he appreciated not being required to change his body image for the role, something many actors and actresses have had to do in the past:

    I remember the first time they were like “So we want you to be a superhero”, I was like “Well, how much weight do I have to lose?” and Chloe was like “What are you talking about? We want you exactly as you are.” And to be a black man and have someone look at you and say “We want you exactly as you are” is unlike anything I have ever felt.

    Marvel’s Eternals releases in cinemas soon, on November 5, 2021.