Murphy's Multiverse

Author: Hunter Radesi

  • Billy Crudup Exits ‘THE FLASH’ As Maribel Verdú Joins the Cast

    Billy Crudup Exits ‘THE FLASH’ As Maribel Verdú Joins the Cast

    A few days ago, Kiersey Clemons was confirmed to be reprising her role from Zack Snyder’s Justice League in The Flash. Now, news dropped that Billy Crudup has exited the project. The Hollywood Reporter has learned that Crudup has exited the upcoming superhero project due to scheduling conflicts. Known for his role as Dr. Manhattan in Watchmen, he played the titular heroes father, Henry Allen, in his Justice League adaptation. Luckily, fans will be able to see him in the role again when the movie’s director cut of Justice League drops on HBO Max later this month.

    Despite the actor’s exit, Ezra Miller’s Barry Allen won’t be without a parent in his solo outing. Maribel Verdú has boarded the project as Barry’s mother, Nora Allen. The Spanish actress is most recognizable for her roles in the Oscar-nominated Y tu mamá también and Guillermo Del Toro’s classic Pan’s Labyrinth. The actress’s role is integral to the origin of The Flash. His mother’s death plays a large part in turning him into the hero he eventually becomes.

    The Flash, which has been delayed multiple times under multiple directors, is scheduled to release on November 4, 2022. It will be directed by Andy Muschietti, who recently helmed both It films to acclaim. Adding to the anticipation surrounding the project are the returns of two Batmen, as Michael Keaton and Ben Affleck are both signed on to reprise their iconic roles in a multiverse story.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • ‘MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 7’ Adds Five New Cast Members

    ‘MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 7’ Adds Five New Cast Members

    The cast of Christopher McQuarrie‘s seventh Mission: Impossible film has grown by a quintuple. All five new cast members were revealed by McQuarrie on Instagram, alongside teaser images hinting at their character’s roles. The group consists of Cary Elwes, Indira Varma, Rob Delaney, Charles Parnell, and Mark Gatiss. They join an already jaw-dropping ensemble headlined by franchise star Tom Cruise, who is returning alongside Angela Bassett, Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg, and Ving Rhames. The adventure flick will follow up on the events of 2018’s wildly successful Mission: Impossible – Fallout, which became a popular topic of conversation due in large part to its impressive action sequences and Henry Cavill‘s arm pumping. It will film back-to-back with an untitled eighth installment, which again will be directed by McQuarrie.

    The exact nature of their roles is currently unknown. Fans of the series should be excited to welcome such a wealth of talent to the cast’s ranks. Elwes is best known for his portrayal of Wesley in the cult hit The Princess Bride and has since found steady work in cult-hit projects like USA Network’s detective show Psych. As for Varma, she made a name for herself in the popular HBO drama Game of Thrones and recently joined the cast of Disney+’s Obi-Wan Kenobi limited series. Delaney is something of a social media celebrity who charmed audiences with his bright smile and bushy mustache in Fox’s Deadpool 2. Famed British actor Gatiss has his following as both a writer and actor in the BBC’s Sherlock and Doctor Who series. Rounding out the newcomers is Parnell, who can be found on television with roles in TNT’s The Last Ship and ABC’s soap All My Children.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • How ‘WandaVision’ Leaves the Door Open for Evan Peters’ Future in the MCU

    How ‘WandaVision’ Leaves the Door Open for Evan Peters’ Future in the MCU

    There are many unsolved stories left when WandaVision ended. Among them is the identity of Jimmy Woo’s missing person. If you’re not sure what I’m talking about, I can’t blame you. The line came early in the show’s fourth episode. It was when Woo explains to Monica Rambeau how he discovered the Westview anomaly. He revealed that he was searching for a person in the FBI’s Witness Protection Program, who had recently disappeared. After this, the missing person never got brought up again, understandably overshadowed in the government’s eyes by the giant magical hex encompassing an entire town. Luckily for fans who never stopped wondering, the series finale might have given enough clues to deduce the identity of this protected individual. The best part is that it offers a chance to also to expand Evan Peter‘s role in the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

     

     

    Ralph, initially introduced as a “recast” version of Pietro Maximoff, was theorized from the get-go to be many different characters from Marvel comics canon. Many assumed the unseen husband of Agnes would get revealed as the big bad Mephisto. There was also the theory that the show’s fake Pietro was Peter Maximoff of X-Men: Days of Future Past fame. All of this was eventually proven untrue, as Monica realizes that Peters‘ character is simply another manipulated Westview resident. It left many feeling a bit underwhelmed, wishing that an actor of Peters‘ caliber would have a larger role in future MCU projects. Well, despite all the interviews to the contrary, I think there is more to Mr. Bohner than meets the eye. Although I’ve been a vocal advocate of letting theories go, I’m here to eat my own words and tell you there may be one more worth holding on to. I believe he might turn out to be Simon Williams at one point.

     

     

    Williams has tried to join the MCU for years. Director James Gunn cast Nathan Fillion in the role for a Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 cameo appearance, but it got scrapped. There were hints with his addition, such as a blurry image of the character in the first featurette during WandaVision‘s marketing campaign. It led to many assumptions that he would appear in some capacity during the anticipated nine-episode run. Yet despite this heavy pre-show speculation, the former Avenger never popped up. A recent interview with WandaVision showrunner Jac Shaeffer confirmed that there were never any plans to include Wonder Man in the series. However, Marvel Studios has never shied away from a little retroactive continuity change, as evidenced by All Hail the King‘s “fixing” of the infamous Mandarin twist from Iron Man 3. With this precedent in place, I don’t think it would be much of a stretch to evolve Ralph Bohner into Wonder Man.

     

     

    There are a few details that could be re-worked to line up with Simon Williams’ characteristics. Firstly, the picture held by Monica in Ralph’s home appears to be a headshot. We never learn what Ralph’s profession is, but the presence of a headshot could indicate prior aspirations towards acting. If this turned out to be true, Agatha would make use of a former actor as her double for Pietro, knowing he’d be capable of pulling the character off in a pinch. Secondly, the way Bohner seems to be unfamiliar with his name. Sure, it probably has something to do with him being under Agatha Harkness’s control, but if Ralph is Woo’s missing person, it stands to reason that he might have picked out a name that appealed to his immature side. The former Mr. Williams might have then relocated to the safe and unassuming town of Westview, unaware he’d soon get swept up in magical shenanigans.

     

     

    Now, why would a goofy thespian like Ralph even be forced to enter witness protection in the first place? Some fans may be aware that Simon Williams isn’t the only masked member of his family. His older brother Eric is the villainous Grim Reaper. He even was once heavily rumored to be involved with Marvel Studios’ debut series. The antagonist even got a maybe-accidental nod during WandaVision‘s second episode, where the silhouette of his mask was included in the animated opening sequence. With that in mind, one could piece together that Ralph may have gotten caught up in his brother’s criminal activities, forcing him to give up his dreams of acting and join the Witness Protection Program.

    We never actually get to see what happens to Ralph after his apprehension by Monica. We know that he got freed of Agatha’s control. The shell necklace gave off a purple glow, which isn’t dissimilar from the energy produced by Wonder Man in the original Marvel books, but nothing is shown after that. Evan Peters’ open-ended plotline is perfect to set-up a return of “Ralph Bohner” in the future of the MCU. Perhaps then he’ll be going by a more familiar name, in a town that doesn’t have dueling witches or philosophical androids running amok in the streets. Or maybe he’ll have to deal with them again, who knows?

  • ‘MORTAL KOMBAT’: First Look at Kabal Revealed

    ‘MORTAL KOMBAT’: First Look at Kabal Revealed

    Another fighter has entered the tournament. The upcoming Mortal Kombat reboot has officially revealed the first full look at Kabal. He sneakily is in a new group shot banner that was released on Twitter to advertise the film. The image appears to divide the film’s characters of the movie into heroes and villains. Naturally, Kabal rounds out the dark side of the picture. He was previously one of the only confirmed characters not to get a poster. He was even in the trailer in a blink-or-you’ll-miss-it cameo. There, he appeared to be facing off against the jaws of Liu Kang’s famous dragon fatality. If that scene plays out anything like the video games, it probably means we won’t see Kabal in a hypothetical sequel.

     

     

    First introduced in Mortal Kombat 3, Kabal is a mercenary who works for the lethal Black Dragon organization alongside fellow scumbag Kano. Whether this will play a role in the movie remains to be seen, but the first look confirms that he’ll at least wield his signature hook swords. Kabal is also known for his quick feet, often combining his super-speed with his deadly blades to great effect.

    The character joins the likes of Sisi Stringer‘s Mileena and Joe Taslim‘s Sub-Zero as part of Shang Tsung’s antagonistic crew for the movie adaptation. If it’s still unknown who is playing the masked killer. One might assume that if the role is as minor as marketing makes it out to be, the character could be portrayed by a stunt actor of some kind.

    Source: Twitter

  • Dove Cameron, Chloe Bennet, and Yana Perrault are The CW’s ‘POWERPUFF GIRLS’

    Dove Cameron, Chloe Bennet, and Yana Perrault are The CW’s ‘POWERPUFF GIRLS’

    The lead cast of The CW’s planned Powerpuff Girls series has been revealed. The Hollywood Reporter dropped the news this morning that Chloe Bennet, Dove Cameron, and Yana Perrault will portray the titular team of superheroes, who originated as animated characters on the fan-favorite Cartoon Network show. News came last month that The CW would be moving ahead with a live-action sequel series, which is set to revolve around the trio of women as disillusioned twentysomethings who resent losing their childhood to crime fighting. Written by Heather Regnier and Diablo Cody, and produced by CW veteran Greg Berlanti, the project will explore how the protagonists react when a new threat means the world needs them now more than ever. The pilot will be directed by Maggie Kiley, who has spent a lot of time working on shows of a similar manner, such as Katy Keene and The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.

    Bennet, well-known to Marvel fans as Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.‘s Daisy Johnson (perhaps better known as Quake), will take the role of Blossom. The character was the group’s former spunky leader, who holds numerous degrees from her days as a conscientious perfect child. In the series, she will find herself dealing with repressed trauma that’s turned her into an anxious recluse, and attempt to become a leader once more. Cameron, who quickly rose to fame as the star of Disney projects like Liv & Maddie and Descendants, will play Bubbles. She’s America’s toughest sweetheart who has maintained her sparkling disposition in the days since childhood. Bubbles is initially more interested in recapturing her fame than saving the world, but one could expect that to change as the series progresses. Finally, Perrault has signed on to portray Buttercup. The actress’ resume differs from her co-stars, having spent most of her time in stage productions like Jagged Little Pill. Her version of the character, who was once the rebellious member of the group, will be shown as a secretly sensitive person trying to live life anonymously, separating herself from her days as a Powerpuff Girl.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • UPDATE: First ‘THE BOYS’ Set Photos Offer First Look at Starlight’s Ex-Boyfriend Supersonic

    UPDATE: First ‘THE BOYS’ Set Photos Offer First Look at Starlight’s Ex-Boyfriend Supersonic

    UPDATE: Well, it turns out that there is a good reason we wondered why the costume was so different from last season’s tease. @TOFilming_EM has revealed that it wasn’t Jensen Ackles’ stand-in but rather Miles Gaston Villanueva, who is playing Starlight’s ex-boyfriend, Supersonic.

    Source: Twitter

     

    The citizens of Toronto are treated to their first big film premiere in almost a year. The only downside is the movie features Homelander in the lead role. Photos from the Canadian set of Amazon’s hit series, The Boys, have begun circulating online. They reveal the production team has dressed up the Metro Toronto Convention Centre to look like a Vought-sponsored movie theater. The fictional movie debuting at the MTCC is Dawn of the Seven, the series’ parody of Zack Snyder‘s Batman v. Superman. It’s the same film they were filming throughout the latter half of the last season. It looks like an old yet new hero is attending the premiere, as Soldier Boy, the WWII-era Captain America homage played by Jensen Ackles, arrives all dressed on set up in red-white-and-blue. The set photos mark our first look at the actor in the costume:

     

    Luckily, we also get a shot from the front that gives us a better look at his overall design:

    The images appear to be of Ackles‘ stand-in rather than the actual actor. Nonetheless, they give us a good idea of what the character will look like fully suited up. Showrunner Eric Kripke appears to be taking a page out of the MCU’s book with the design as he is opting for a combination of Avengers tactical look combined with some spandex from comics. It is also important to note that this is a different design from the Soldier Boy statue that got teased in the previous season. That monument gave the original version a classic soldier vibe. This detail means that Ackles‘ hero either updated his fashion sense over the decades, or the show might incorporate the comic twist involving multiple men taking on the Soldier Boy mantle. Whatever direction they go, it’s going to be interesting.

    Source: Instagram, Twitter

  • How Marvel Studios ‘BLADE’ Could Bring Fallon Grey to Life in the MCU

    How Marvel Studios ‘BLADE’ Could Bring Fallon Grey to Life in the MCU

    Once upon a time, writer Tim Seeley and artist Logan Faerber were set to usher in a new era for Blade in Marvel’s comic book universe. The duo had created a new character, by the name of Fallon Grey, who would be introduced as the iconic vampire hunter’s teenage daughter. The concept behind the story excited a lot of fans, but many took issue with the idea of an all-white, all-male creative team telling the story of a young black woman. With pressure mounting from the backlash, Seeley and Faerber both departed the project and Marvel cancelled the book before it was ever released. As such, Fallon Grey never got to make her much-anticipated debut and faded into the obscurity of “what if” concepts. She remained in this obscurity until quite recently, when a surprising casting grid for Marvel Studios’ Blade revealed the production team was searching for a spunky 15-year old girl. Blade doesn’t have a long history of paling around with teenagers, so who could this young person be? Here at Murphy’s Multiverse, we think Kevin Feige and company might be interested in giving Fallon a second chance. If this is true, the question shifts from “who” to “how”, and there are two major possibilities that could answer that query.

    Let’s start with the origin Fallon was supposed to have in the comics. When the character was announced at Comic-Con 2015, she came with the following log line:

    Fallon Grey is a sixteen year old girl from rural Oregon. Nominated for Prom Queen, Captain of the debate team, most popular girl in her class. But there is another side to Fallon. A feeling like there’s something more inside of her. When terror strikes her small town, she’ll find out just how right she was. As fearsome supernatural forces hunt Fallon, she’ll come face to face with something even more shocking than the monsters on her tail. Eric Brooks…Blade…her father?! And in each other, they’ll discover the purpose they’ve each been struggling to find.

    This unused plot seems almost tailor-made for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. We know that Marvel Studios loves to tell stories about characters discovering they’re part of a larger world, and with heroes like Spider-Man and Ms. Marvel coming to the forefront of the franchise, we know they have a specific interest in doing it with young folk. One can assume that with a man of Mahershala Ali‘s stature in the title role, we’ll be getting a Blade who’s been around killing vampires for a while. Using the aforementioned origin for Fallon, and making her the actual protagonist of the story, would slip her into the role of audience surrogate quite nicely. We would learn about Blade and his mission to rid the world of vampires right alongside his daughter. Also, setting the bulk of the story in a small town invaded by bloodsuckers, a la 30 Days of Night, is a good way to show how the monsters and their hunter could have been waging this war for so long without anyone knowing, all while maintaining a firm hold on the horror genre. The plot could then end with Fallon accepting her role as a vampire killer, and leaving her suburban paradise to join her father as a new Blade. While this seems like a likely approach to introducing Grey, there is a possibility Marvel gives us a version of the Buffy-esque hero who is already working side-by-side with her father when we meet her. If that’s the case, the studio could find inspiration in a separate comic character they’ve shown interest in adapting before.

    Elsa Bloodstone, a member of Marvel’s horror roster created by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning in 2001, would coincidentally be a perfect template for a re-imagining of Blade in the MCU. In the comics, Elsa is the daughter of little-known bronze age monster hunter Ulysses Bloodstone. Much like her pop, she grows up to become a proficient killer of things that go bump in the night and has since found herself becoming a member of teams like the Midnight Sons and the Astonishing Avengers.  Unfortunately for Elsa, she had a less-than-ideal childhood dealing with a strict and abusive father intent on making her a killing machine. Now, Marvel Studios probably wouldn’t stoop to making Blade an abusive dad, but I don’t think anybody has ever described the character as “soft” or “loving”. It would stand to reason that if Fallon is brought to the big screen having been raised by Eric Brooks, she would have dealt with her fair share of stern scolding. Since Fallon technically has no pre-existing character traits, they could just make her a loose adaptation of Elsa. Portray the young protagonist as a talented vampire hunter, in a strained relationship with the man who didn’t know how to raise her, and tell the story of their re-connection. Marvel Studios could even have Fallon be more of a general monster hunter instead of being specific to vampires, separating her a little from Blade so they can co-exist more easily in the MCU going forward.

  • T.I. Will Not Return for ‘ANT-MAN AND THE WASP: QUANTUMANIA’

    T.I. Will Not Return for ‘ANT-MAN AND THE WASP: QUANTUMANIA’

    Scott Lang’s crew will be down at least one member when Ant-Man returns to theaters in Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania. Rapper and actor Clifford “T.I.” Harris will reportedly not be coming back for Marvel Studios’ upcoming size-changing threequel. Harris was a part of both previous Ant-Man films, portraying the titular Avenger’s friend, Dave. His character acted as comedic relief in the franchise, bouncing jokes off his partners and fellow ex-cons, Luis and Kurt. Those two were played to perfection by Michael Pena and David Dastmalchian, respectively. It is unknown if the outspoken musician’s boot from the MCU has anything to do with the multiple sexual assault allegations lobbied against him and his wife, Tameka Harris, earlier today. Production on T.I.‘s VH1 series T.I. & Tiny: Friends & Family Hustle got shut down last month after the married couple faced prior claims of assault, and after the highly-publicized firing of Gina Carano, likely, Disney wouldn’t want to take any more chances with cast members.

    It is possible, however, that the script for Quantumania never included Harris in the first place. Marvel has trimmed side characters from sequels before, most notably throughout the Thor films, and the third Ant-Man looks to be jam-packed with content as it is. Officially announced at December’s Investor’s Day, Quantumania will bring back Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly in the titular roles. Peyton Reed is returning in the director’s chair. Also returning are Michael Douglas and Michelle Pfieffer, with Jonathan Majors and Kathryn Newton joining the cast as the time-traveling villain Kang the Conqueror and Lang’s grown-up daughter Cassie. With time-travel and a possible Young Avengers set-up going on, it’s not all that surprising that the employees of X-Con Security might not fit into the scheme of things.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • Indira Varma Joins Star Wars’ ‘OBI-WAN KENOBI’ Series

    Indira Varma Joins Star Wars’ ‘OBI-WAN KENOBI’ Series

    Lucasfilm’s highly-anticipated prequel spin-off, Obi-Wan Kenobi, has added its first new cast member. According to Deadline, Indira Varma has joined the series in an undisclosed role. The actress is perhaps best known for her work on HBO’s smash hit Game of Thrones, where she portrayed the cunning Ellaria Sand for four years. Details surrounding the Disney+ limited outing have been kept tightly under wraps since its official announcement at 2019’s D23 Expo but it will shed some light on the titular Jedi’s time in exile between the events of Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope.

    Before today, the only known cast members were fan-favorite Ewan McGregor, who was reprising his acclaimed role as Kenobi, and Hayden Christensen, making a surprise return to the franchise. He will return to portray the villainous Darth Vader. While we don’t know who Varma will be playing just yet, her striking facial features and British origins seem to line up nicely with The Clone Wars‘ Duchess Satine. Many fans have speculated that Obi-Wan’s love interest might appear via flashback in his upcoming solo project. Only time will tell if this theory pans out.

    Kenobi will begin filming last year, but various script rewrites and a global pandemic have delayed the process on more than one occasion. The series will enter production in the spring, with director Deborah Chow on board to run it. Chow proved her directing chops, and her handle on the Star Wars universe to fans with some stellar work on the first season of The Mandalorian. The time she spent there will surely come in use when Kenobi utilizes the same innovative StageCraft technology to stay safe in these turbulent times and bring the sands of Tatooine to life.

    Source: Deadline

  • Alysia Reiner Joins The Cast of ‘MS. MARVEL’

    Alysia Reiner Joins The Cast of ‘MS. MARVEL’

    The cast of Ms. Marvel seems to grow on a daily basis, and today is no different. Actor Laith Nakli, recently revealed to have a role in the Disney+ series himself, posted a handful of images to his Instagram in celebration of wrapping his portion of the show. One such image contained the masked face of Alysia Reiner, who appears to have joined the cast in an undisclosed role. The caption on Nakli’s post confirmed the addition to the series:

    “And that’s a wrap for Ms. Marvel what an experience. Just when I thought it couldn’t get better it did when Alysia Reiner joined the cast. 16 years of friendship and working together. Thank you Sana Amanat and bad ass directors Bilall Fallah, Adil El Arbi, Meera Menon, and the incredible cast!! Can’t wait for the world to see this show. Also can’t wait to see you New York !!”

    Reiner is best known for her work on the hit Netflix series Orange is the New Black. She portrayed Natalie “Fig” Figueroa, a dastardly prison warden, for seven seasons of the show’s run. Her history of success with villainous characters hints that she could have boarded Ms. Marvel in a similar capacity. Very little is known about the antagonists of the Marvel Studios production, so it seems anything could be possible on that front. It was reported in 2019 that Ms. Marvel was casting for The Inventor, and while that character is traditionally male, it’s entirely possible that there is some gender-bending at play.

    Source: Instagram