Murphy's Multiverse

Author: Joseph Aberl

  • Martin Freeman Confirms ‘Secret Invasion’ Appearance

    Martin Freeman Confirms ‘Secret Invasion’ Appearance

    Some time ago, Secret Invasion leading star Samuel L. Jackson hinted that a few familiar faces will make their appearance in the upcoming Disney+ series. We haven’t heard much about who is joining the project and what roles they might have. Among them was the confirmation that Martin Freeman, who first appeared in Captain America: Civil War and went on to have a bigger role in Black Panther, would appear.

    Now, the actor has actually just flat out confirmed his involvement in an interview with Radio Times. Naturally, he doesn’t give away any details or what exact role he’ll have in the project but it’s great to have a definite in regards to him being involved with the project.

    Yeah – I think that’s kosher information, isn’t it? In order not to embarrass Samuel, I will say… I’m not gonna say he’s got that totally wrong and he’s thinking of Sam Rockwell. So yes, I may very well be [appearing].

    Martin Freeman

    His addition is interesting and does hint that either the CIA is working with Nick Fury or potentially even hunting him down. The Department of Damage Control seemingly is aware that he’s off-planet, which opens up just how involved he is with the government after the events of Winter Soldier led to him remaining on the run. Perhaps the upcoming series will answer that very question and offer some insight into what he’s been up to all this time.

    Source: Radio Times

  • Daniela Melchior Teases “Epic” ‘Fast X’ With New BTS Video

    Daniela Melchior Teases “Epic” ‘Fast X’ With New BTS Video

    the latest entry in The Fast Saga has been going through quite the rough patch after director Justin Lin left production just as it was getting started. Rumors had pointed to what was the cause, especially with internal strife in regards to its main star Vin Diesel, but they swiftly added Louis Leterrier to pick up the pieces.

    We haven’t heard much since on how the project is progressing, but things have seemingly died down quite a bit. That was until actress Daniela Melchior took to Twitter to share a video from the ongoing production. It doesn’t show much outside of a shot of her driving, as she jokingly points out she can’t really share more but wanted to let everyone know that “Fast X is gonna be EPIC.”

    https://twitter.com/MelchiorDaniela/status/1546099198365503489

    It’s great to see that production has not slowed down since Leterrier joined the production, as there were hints that every day without a director costs the production teams millions. It’ll be interesting to see how much pressure will be on the film to pull at the box office, especially as Lin was originally also going to direct its sequel and final entry in The Fast Saga.

    Melchior has been swiftly making her mark in Hollywood after a kickstart with her work on The Suicide Squad. Joining a franchise as big as The Fast Saga was that extra push she needed and we’ll likely see a lot more of her in the future. It’ll be interesting to see what role she has in Fast X and if she might also return for the sequel as well.

    Source: Twitter

  • REPORT: Composer Natalie Holt to Return for ‘Loki’ Season 2

    REPORT: Composer Natalie Holt to Return for ‘Loki’ Season 2

    Loki’s the first second season for any Marvel Studios-produced Disney+ series yet unlike other shows that try to keep a consistent team throughout, a completely new team is taking over. Kate Herron, the director who initially pitched the show, has left with Moon Knight directing duo Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead taking over. Even head writer Michael Waldron has passed the torch to Eric Martin. Luckily, one member remains according to a new report.

    According to Inverse, it looks like composer Natalie Holt is set to return in the second season to bring back the iconic soundtrack that defined the series. She’s been quite busy with work on Obi-Wan Kenobi and going on to tackle Batgirl next, but it’s great to know she’ll also be back for Loki after giving it its distinctive sound. So, we might expect the same direction of the soundtrack for the series as we had in the past.

    We still know very little about the direction of this series, but the base concept is probably one of the few that could potentially keep going no matter where the MCU continues to evolve. With the multiverse unleashed after the actions of Sylvie in the first season, who knows what trouble the TVA and a once again stranded Loki might have to face.

    With a new team at the helm, it does seem like we’ll get some twists and new additions for this season to make it stand out from the previous one. Whatever direction they take, we can’t wait to see how it might tie into the overarching tease of Kang the Conqueror’s arrival implies.

    Source: Inverse

  • ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ Pulls in $300M Worldwide, Third Highest Domestic Opening of 2022

    ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ Pulls in $300M Worldwide, Third Highest Domestic Opening of 2022

    The numbers are finally in and it looks like even with what some deem mixed word-of-mouth, the film has already pulled in $300M worldwide. While the film is on the lower end of its predictions, the film pulled in $143M domestically, which is certainly shy of the $150M to $170M projections. In a way, it’s closer to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2‘s release which is fitting given some of the discussions surrounding the latest entry. Still, the film has pulled in the third highest opening of the year just behind fellow Marvel release Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Jurassic World: Dominion, which it was only $2M shy of passing it.

    As pointed out by Forbes Scott Mendelsohn, July releases aren’t as dominant as the pre-summer blockbuster releases and have showcased better legs. What is helping Marvel’s latest release is the fact that its only four-quadrant competition will be Black Adam in late October. While the smaller jump of 17% from Thor: Ragnarok isn’t their usual power push but the film wasn’t sold in the same way as the franchise changers like Captain America: Civil War and Multiverse of Madness.

    Even if it’s on the lower end of projections, closer to the conservative ones from Marvel and Disney, the big question is where does it head from here. A harsh drop in the second weekend has become a norm for the franchise, but if it does end up sticking around 60% like Spider-Man: Homecoming and Ant-Man and the Wasp could get it to $400M. Yet, that B+ CinemaScore is likely going to drag it down a bit as those films bounced back. Yet, the lack of any real competition outside of Bullet Train and still ongoing power players Minions 2 and Top Gun Maverick.

    At the moment, it does seem like the film will likely end domestically somewhere beyond $300M domestically. The film is also still showing a strong international release and won’t find its way to China and Russia, where the previous entry made around $135M. So, if the current film passes $715M worldwide it’ll still be a strong showing alongside other releases this year like No Time to Die ($774M) and The Batman ($770M). So the lowest bar to pass would be F9‘s $721M.

    Source: Forbes, Twitter

  • ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’s Production Budget Among Marvel Studios Highest

    ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’s Production Budget Among Marvel Studios Highest

    Currently, Thor: Love and Thunder is setting the box office ablaze and making its mark among the Marvel Cinematic Universe offerings. While not a critical darling, it does seem that audiences have enjoyed the film for the most part going by its 83% liked rating on Google and 81% Audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. It was once again a Marvel film that pulled in a B+ after Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Eternals both landed in that category. Many have been pointing to a doom and gloom scenario for the future of the franchise.

    In the many discussions online in regards to the quality of the film’s overall effects work, Variety has revealed that the film’s budget has topped the previously assumed $200M and now stands at around $250M. While from a box office perspective, this merely adds weight to the project needing to at least hit $500M, which also doesn’t include the marketing costs. There’s no definite reason given why the production budget for this film ballooned up to this price mark but it should be noted that VFX isn’t the biggest part of the pie.

    Given that they’ve done reshoots on the film with some rather expensive cast, it wouldn’t be too surprising that they may have wanted to invest slightly more. It’s only speculation mind you, but it’s interesting if you consider Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is still reported with a $200M budget. There’s also the chance that the use of the Volume has skyrocketed due to the rising interest. It does put the film on the same level as Captain America: Civil War and Avengers.

    Yes, people will probably boggle down this to “why the VFX looks bad if that’s the budget” but there’s a lot we don’t know about how this production came together. Marvel films also have the added benefit of profiting off of merchandise sales that aren’t a key factor in its box office dominance. The bigger question remains if the current phase is still the aftermath of films being shot during COVID and that is a leading cause for many qualms people have; especially as it is something that’s affecting many films throughout the industry.

    Source: Variety

  • REPORT: Christophe Beck Returning to Compose ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp’ Sequel

    REPORT: Christophe Beck Returning to Compose ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp’ Sequel

    We’ve heard surprisingly very little of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. While the film has finished production and some spoilery rumors are making the rounds, Marvel Studios has been mainly focused on its 2022 releases. Plus, there’s still some time before the film hits theaters in February of next year. Yet, it seems one detail has managed to find its way online through Film Music Reporter.

    If the report is true, it seems that Christophe Beck has returned to once again score an Ant-Man film. He previously worked on the first two entries of the trilogy, but also went on to work on WandaVision and Hawkeye, where he collaborated with Michael Paraskevas. This actually matches with a recent tease from Beck that he’s already involved with a Marvel project.

    Beck has left quite an imprint on the Marvel Cinematic Universe and it’s exciting to see him back. He’s also the first to get to score Kang the Conqueror’s theme, which will likely become a recurring one throughout the future franchise. So, we’ll see what he’ll bring to this thrid entry, especially with the promising new additions that could set up some exciting future developments.

    Source: Film Music Reporter

  • SDCC Reveals When We Can Expect Marvel Studios’ “Mega-Panel”

    SDCC Reveals When We Can Expect Marvel Studios’ “Mega-Panel”

    Just recently, it was revealed that Marvel Studios’ new animation division will get its very own panel at San Diego Comic-Con. While we only got teases of what’s to come, it was hinted at we’ll see a lot more from their animation projects. Now, it seems like more details have dropped for the Hall H panel for the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s future.

    In a new report by Deadline, Kevin Feige‘s “mega-panel” has been confirmed for 5 PM on Saturday, July 23rd. So, we’ll definitely get quite the double whammy with the upcoming projects. It’s unsure just how much they’ll show considering D23 and Disney+ Day are also on the horizon, but it’ll be exciting nonetheless.

    Marvel Studios’ usual tradition was always a showcase of their upcoming Phase or new entries to the MCU. Yet, they may have a stronger focus on Black Panther: Wakanda Forever given that the film is going to release in November and we still don’t have a trailer for it. They may be keeping the “big” announcements for the Disney-owned event later on.

    No matter what, there’s something special about these events and they also tend to create some build-up that Phase 4 may have needed if it weren’t for COVID delaying a lot of the releases. So, we’ll see how they enter the event and what they might be bringing to the show for those that are attending, as well as what they’ll share with those at home.

    Source: Deadline, Comic Con

  • ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ Director Spills the Beans on [SPOILER]s Casting

    ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ Director Spills the Beans on [SPOILER]s Casting

    The following article will contain spoilers for Thor: Love and Thunder’s post-credit sequences. If you want to avoid spoilers, only continue at your own risk.

    Thor: Love and Thunder may have expanded the Marvel Cinematic Universe in smaller but relevant ways. Not only did we meet other god pantheons, but we even got a glimpse on how they act when it comes to those they were meant to protect. After getting tired of their arrogance, thor seemingly kills Russell Crowe’s Zeus. Yet, the post-credit sequence reveals he survived and also introduced us to the MCU’s Hercules.

    The biggest surprise comes in the form of him being played by British actor, famous for his work on Ted Lasso, Brett Goldstein. They keep the door open on how exactly he will return but it turns out that his casting was something Marvel Studios CEO Kevin Feige wanted to make happen according to director Taika Waititi.

    Kevin really wanted him to do it, and yeah, Brett’s amazing. He’s great.

    Taika Waititi

    He also goes on to highlight that Hercules’ future in the MCU isn’t truly set in stone outside of what Feige might be planning for the cahracter.

    And I don’t know if that’s to do with Thor, or if it’s to do with how that will develop. Because, obviously, Hercules, there’s a character from the books as well. And so, yeah, this will be interesting to see because Kevin, he’s obviously the mastermind of all of these threads and how they’ll tie up and how they meet, mix and match. So I’m curious to find out myself.

    Taika Waititi

    Goldstein is definitely a great get for Marvel Studios, as he’s hot off of the success of Ted Lasso and likely going to become a bigger name in the near future. It’s unclear if Hercules might get his own series or film leading into a fifth Thor film, or if that might generally be their take. For now, we’ll have to wait and see where the future might lead him to.

    Source: Uproxx via The Direct

  • Taika Waititi Would Only Add More Jokes to a ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ Director’s Cut

    Taika Waititi Would Only Add More Jokes to a ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ Director’s Cut

    There have been many times as of late where fans have wanted to see the director’s cut of a recently released film. It’s not always the case but with success stories like Zack Snyder’s Justice League, it became a bit of a habit. Yet, Thor: Love and Thunder director Taika Waititi doesn’t really share those thoughts and highlights the importance of studios and directors working together, as otherwise, he’d release a “four and a half hours long” movie.

    I’ve been thinking about director’s cuts. I watch director’s cuts of a lot of other directors. They suck. Director’s cuts are not good. Directors need to be controlled sometimes, and if I was to say, ‘ah, you wanna watch my director’s cut? It’s four and a half hours long!’ It’s not good, at four and a half hours. There’s a lot of cup-of-tea breaks in there, you don’t even have to pause it.

    Taika Waititi

    He also highlights that he’d mostly just add cuts scenes and add a few more jokes in the film, which many have critics have actually pointed out was an issue with the film’s overall tonee.

    I’d say my cut would probably have a few more jokes in there. There might be a couple of deleted scenes, but as I always say, a scene is deleted because it’s not good enough to be in the film. I think the deleted scenes section on the DVD, not that they use them anymore, should just be a list of the scenes and no links so you can’t click on them!

    Taika Waititi

    So, if you were hoping for some kind of director’s cut you’ll not get one. Yes, they have teased that quite a few sequences were cut from the film, but it does match Taika Waititi‘s directing style to throw everything he has against the wall to see what sticks. So, it does seem safe to say that his version would definitely include quite a few more jokes.

    Source: NME

  • Russell Crowe Was Originally Going to Play Satan in ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’

    Russell Crowe Was Originally Going to Play Satan in ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’

    Here’s a rather massive surprise but it looks like Zeus wasn’t always on the table for Thor: Love and Thunder. As revealed by artist Miles Teves, it seems that Russell Crowe was originally going to play a completely different character. While it’s uncertain at what point was he going to play this character, it seems they’ve envisioned him as the Devil or Satan at one point. Not just that, but eves also shared some artwork highlighting the design.

    There’s also a second piece showcasing a more relaxed version of the character, but just with more added color and highlighting his lazy nature. It’s unclear if he would’ve had the same role in the story or if that was also changed while rewriting it.

    It’s definitely a surprise that the character was almost featured in the film, and it adds more to the theories of Mephisto making his appearance at some point. Many believed he was the mastermind in the first Disney+ series, WandaVision but were surprised when he never even showed up. While the character here is being called the Devil or Satan, it could’ve been that they considered adding him in as Mephisto for a later storyline. Yet, as we now know how the story goes, we learn that they set up something quite different going into the post-credit sequences of this film. Still, it’s always interesting to see what almost was or could’ve been.

    Source: Instagram