Murphy's Multiverse

Author: Joseph Aberl

  • Tatiana Maslany Teases She-Hulk and Daredevil’s Dynamic in Disney+ Series

    Tatiana Maslany Teases She-Hulk and Daredevil’s Dynamic in Disney+ Series

    Disney has been busy today promoting its upcoming project during this summer’s TCA, and one of the panels was for the upcoming She-Hulk: Attorney at Law series. While they naturally didn’t reveal any information bout the show’s plots or characters, they did give a hint at what we can expect from the dynamic between Jennifer Walters’ She-Hulk and the return of an in-costume Daredevil.

    Charlie Cox‘s return is something many are excited about and it was naturally the first question asked. While they couldn’t give away any details, Kat Coiro, the director of the She-Hulk series, teased the dynamic between the two unlikely allies. It seems that we can expect them to “match wits” throughout their time on screen together. Here’s the full quote as shared by Brett White from the event:

    https://twitter.com/brettwhite/status/1554901965494276096

    His return is definitely something many are looking forward to and with Disney+’s growing streaming base and offerings, we’re excited to see what their future also has in store. Cox had his fair share of great lines in the Netflix series and it’ll be great to see him carry over that dynamic going into his new Disney+ run, also setting up his characterization in the upcoming projects.

    Source: Twitter

  • HBO Max May No Longer Produce Scripted Shows, 70% Layoffs Expected

    HBO Max May No Longer Produce Scripted Shows, 70% Layoffs Expected

    The news surrounding Warner Bros. Discovery continues to ramp up. Not only did they shelve two almost finished projects with a combined cost of $130M but also decided to just shelve around six films from HBO Max that were original productions. Now, more details are finding their way online on what exactly is happening and the future of the streaming service is starting to look quite grim.

    HBO Max was quite the promising streaming service in the market and had the potential to rival both Netflix and Disney+ in its growth. Now, it seems that the future plans are to combine HBO Max and Disccovery+ into a brand new service. As a result, they are removing shows and movies that didn’t perform well (questioning what standard that exactly is) as partial tax write-offs. Yes, more projects are likely going to silently vanish from the streaming service.

    The only way that taxable income can be written off is by removing it from distribution, which also means we won’t see a future digital release; similar to what happened to Batgirl. They also seem to want to streamline their service to not overwhelm audiences with choices, a common complaint surrounding Netflix, but it may come at the cost for original productions.

    The plan seems to be to roll scripted shows with HBO to reduce redundancies between the two offerings. 70% of their current staff may be cut which is a massive movement by CEO David Zaslav and likely leave a very bitter taste in the industry. It’s unclear when they might clarify what exactly their future plans will be, but right now it seems that scorched earth is their internal strategy.

    Source: IndieWire, The Wrap

  • Ryan Reynolds Seemingly Starts Getting in Shape for ‘Deadpool 3’

    Ryan Reynolds Seemingly Starts Getting in Shape for ‘Deadpool 3’

    It’s a Deadpool kind of day, as we’ve been getting some bits and pieces on the upcoming third entry, such as Zazie Beets playing coy on if we can expect her return as Domino. Now Don Saladino has shared a few photos of him getting Ryan Reynolds in shape for an upcoming project. In his comments, he includes a red and two katanas, which definitely continues to push the notion that Deadpool 3 is happening sooner rather than later. While it wasn’t included in any of the Phase announcements, it may still take on the blank positions in Phase 6.

    Reynolds starting to prepare for the upcoming project is definitely a good sign that something is on the horizon. Perhaps D23 is where we’ll get an official announcement and even some insight into what exactly Phase 6 will be all about. They seemingly surprised us with how much they revealed during San Diego Comic-con and who knows what else might be heading our way with Disney+ Day and a Disney-owned event on the horizon.

    Source: Instagram

  • BREAKING: ‘She-Hulk’ Gets a New Release Date in the Same Week

    BREAKING: ‘She-Hulk’ Gets a New Release Date in the Same Week

    It looks like Marvel Studios is getting a new release slot, or at least She-Hulk: Attorney at Law is. In the latest promo for the upcoming Disney+ series, it was revealed that it won’t be released on August 17th but on August 18th instead. This is the first time a Marvel project will release on Thursday since Loki set the new Wednesday standard. It seems like they are starting to experiment and have learned their lesson with Obi-Wan Kenobi and Ms. Marvel being overshadowed due to two of their biggest franchises releasing on the same day.

    Andor was already pushed back by three weeks making many think they may have done so to give She-Hulk some leg room, but it may also be just to give that show some time. They are testing out the release window with Thursday and potentially set up whatever release date will belong to what franchise. Friday’s already became their film release window and it’s always great to see streaming services adapt over time.

    She-Hulk is one of Marvel Studios’ most ambitious shows, as it will introduce a fully CG character as its lead, who will be on screen for a considerable amount of time. While reactions to the CG early on have been a bit questionable, the recent teases have shown that the work has improved quite a bit and it does continue to look like they are embracing more unique concepts with these shows. With Daredevil: Born Again breaking the six-episode structure, we might be seeing Marvel Studios taking its lessons moving forward.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order’ Star Plays Coy on Potential Live-Action Appearance

    ‘Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order’ Star Plays Coy on Potential Live-Action Appearance

    If there ever was a rumor that followed almost every Star Wars Disney+ project it was that Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order‘s Cal Kestis would make his live-action appearance at one point. Obi-Wan Kenobi was the latest project where the rumors seemed to have heavily tried to make the case that Cameron Monaghan would make Kestis’ live-action debut in some project in the near future. Luckily, Screen Rant got a chance to sit down with the actor where he potentially teased that something is brewing.

    In the interview, he doesn’t say that he’s attached to any project but that there’s definitely an interest. With Jedi Survivor on the horizon, a direct sequel to the iconic game by Respawn Studios, it does seem like a potential appearance is something that was discussed, especially with how Monaghan plays coy on “that’s about all I can say” on any future appearances.

    Well, of course there’s interest. That’s about all I can say.”

    Cameron Monaghan

    A live-action appearance of Cal Kestis would be quite interesting, especially if they plan to make it part of the canon of the games. It might be a little tough to play around with where he fits into the Star Wars timeline with the sequel not acknowledging the events that unfolded. Andor is on the horizon and we could see him in the back as it takes place before A New Hope, but it would potentially just add more questions than answers that the appearance could otherwise provide. With no clear plans, we can only theorize for now.

    Source: Screen Rant

  • John Boyega Denies Any Marvel Rumors, No Interested in Joining the Franchise Currently

    John Boyega Denies Any Marvel Rumors, No Interested in Joining the Franchise Currently

    At this point, it’s hard to deny that almost any big-name actor has had at least one or two rumors hinting at them joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe. If they may be real or not, it’s one of the most prolific franchises in the industry, and its continued rise even as it’s facing a sophomore slump in Phase 4 should not be downplayed. Among the many rumored is John Boyega, who has now openly denied any rumors surrounding him having been secretly cast in a role.

    In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, he reveals that he’s had enough of big-budget projects after his work on the Sequel trilogy of Star Wars, and is focusing on more “nuanced” projects. He also makes a good point on the weight of joining any project comes in the shadow of Iron Man which became a big part linking the projects for years.

    That’s not in the vision for me now. I want to do nuanced things. I want to donate my services to original indie films that come with new, fresh ideas, because I know it’s real hard to top Iron Man in that universe.

    John Boyega

    There will always be rumors and likely some not believing Boyega‘s own statements in regards to his approach to future projects Still, it seems that the actor wants to return to his roots and has gone through enough with the weight that Star Wars already put on his shoulders; especially the fan reactions. It’ll be exciting to see what his next project will turn out to be.

    Source: Entertainment Weekly

  • ‘Scoob!’ Christmas Special Secretly Scrapped Alongside ‘Batgirl’ to Cut Costs

    ‘Scoob!’ Christmas Special Secretly Scrapped Alongside ‘Batgirl’ to Cut Costs

    The rather shocking news dropped recently that Batgirl was shelved. While reasonings were uncertain, a new report by The Hollywood Reporter hints that the reasoning is part of the new Warner Bros. Discovery CEO, David Zaslav, and his strategy on cost-cutting measures. He wants to focus more on creating theatrical films rather than streaming but it seems that it’s coming at a rather heavy toll.

    Not only did they scrap the $90M budgeted and finished Batgirl, but they also decided to shelve their animation project, Scoob! Holiday Haunt. The animated holiday special was already in some form of production and seemingly had invested $40M. Supposedly, the reasoning is due to their strategy of avoiding big-budget projects for HBO Max and focusing on a theatrical release.

    What doesn’t make sense is the concept of filming an entire project only to scrap it. It also raises questions if other productions that are already in some form of development could be on the chopping block next. The idea to never bank on $130M worth of productions and not even just using a minimal marketing strategy to wrap up productions at a decent cost efficiency to draw out any benefit is quite surprising.

    Zaslav never was going to be the one to save the production company, and its uncertainty if the recent announcement of adding Alan Horn, former Disney creative officer, will make any changes if they are swiftly taking down projects. Our best case scenario would be if they pivot their productions and create a stronger focus, but it could also potentially go down a much darker route with uncertainty hanging over future productions.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • ‘Stranger Things’ Writing Team Share BTS Image as Work Starts on the Final Season

    ‘Stranger Things’ Writing Team Share BTS Image as Work Starts on the Final Season

    It looks like work on the final season of Stranger Things has finally begun. While it confirms that the wait for its release is going to be a long one, it’s great to know that we’re finally seeing some development on the project. The Russo Brothers have quite a few plans ahead of them with a spinoff and even a Harry Potter-style project heading out as a musical. Their Upside Down Studios will be busy but that doesn’t mean the focus won’t remain on their flagship franchise.

    Netflix is definitely on board for the project, and luckily with this first image, we know that writing has started on the fifth and final season of Stranger Things. Sadly, they won’t give us a look at what they are writing down for the project but here’s hoping we get some ongoing updates that tease whatever the ending of the last episode gives us.

    It’s a bit hard to make out who is part of the writing team but they are likely to have many from the previous one back in action. With the Upside Down finally unleashed into the real world, Vecna is ready to unleash his final plan and do whatever it is that an evil man does. The wait will be tough but at least it gives us time to listen to “Running Up That Hill” or “Masters of Puppets” on repeat for as long as possible until the next major 80s hit grabs our hearts.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ Star on How His High Evolutionary Differs From the Comics

    ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ Star on How His High Evolutionary Differs From the Comics

    Chukwudi Iwuji is hitting the comic book scene, as after a scene-stealing performance on Peacemaker, he’s followed director James Gunn over to his next major project. He is set to star as the High Evolutionary in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and even gave us a first look at his costume during San Diego Comic-Con.

    We still know very little about how his character will tie into the story outside of hints he’ll be the one that created Rocket Racoon. Yet, Iwuji was able to tease his overall take on the character in an interview with Collider, even highlighting there’s some “Shakesperean about him” when he brought the character to life.

    Shady doesn’t touch it. He is narcissistic, sociopathic, but very charming. I couldn’t have thought of a better character that uses [a] skill set better to join the MCU with. Because there’s something very Shakespearean about him, there’s something very emotionally dark about him, and he’s a lot of fun on top of all that. The costume like you mentioned, the day I put on that costume because he looks very different from how he is in the comics, but the costume just worked. There’s something about putting it on, which I’m glad you mentioned because a big part of my performance was that costume.

    Chukwudi Iwuji

    Marvel Studios isn’t new to changing things up from the comics to add a new fresh take on the medium. He definitely gave us a good glimpse at his “emotionally dark” take on the character, and it does sound like a fun take. Iwuji getting a chance to just play around with a character after giving us a more serious performance in Peacemaker. It’ll definitely be fun to see his take on the High Evolutionary next May.

    Source: Collider

  • Zombie Apocalypse ‘As We Know It’ Finds its Cast

    Zombie Apocalypse ‘As We Know It’ Finds its Cast

    It looks like an upcoming horror comedy As We Know It has found its cast, as it has added quite a few comedic veterans to headline the project. Oliver Cooper, known for his work on Project X, 30 Rock‘s Chris Parnell, and Jackie Brown‘s Pam Grier have joined the project to face a late 90s nuclear zombie apocalypse. The story follows the story of James Bishop who is facing a breakup and is trying to finish his book before the apocalypse arrives.

    They aren’t alone, as they also added Mike Castle and Taylor Blackwell, alongside a TikToker by the name of Danny Mondello. In the directing chair is Josh Monkarsh and the production has already started production during the end of July. It’s going to wrap up in early August and is based on a script by Monkarsh, who co-wrote it alongside Christopher Francis and Brandon DePaolo. It does sound like it could be a fun time and it’s not the first horror comedy to take a look at the apocalypse through the lens of comedians.

    Unlike Seth Rogen‘s This Is The End though, the actors aren’t playing themselves but they are sticking to a fictional storyline. Still, the cast does sound promising and it’ll be interesting to see how it comes together. Comedy is subjective and they may add their own spin fo the concept. There’s no word if this will also be a mostly adult comedy, as zombies aren’t strangers to more PG-13 fare as well but with the popularity of R-rated comedies it would seem strange they’d not stick to it with the base concept.

    Source: Variety