Murphy's Multiverse

Author: Joseph Aberl

  • Christian Bale on Why He Was the Perfect Choice for ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’s Gorr the God Butcher

    Christian Bale on Why He Was the Perfect Choice for ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’s Gorr the God Butcher

    Many wondered what magic director Taika Waititi pulled off to convince Christian Bale to once again return to the world of comic book adaptations. He gave us an iconic version of Batman in Christopher Nolan‘s iconic The Dark Knight Trilogy and has now set his eyes on giving us what could potentially become Marvel Studios’ best villain yet in Gorr the God Butcher.

    Now, the question is on how they decided that Bale was the perfect choice to bring the character to life. Funny enough, he got a chance to answer that very question and pretty much highlighted that the goal was for him to bring a character to life that is the perfect opposite of Chris Hemsworth, though he also has some fun with the answer during the official press conference.

    I think, you know, you were talking about what everyone was looking for in Chris. I think in Gorr, they look for an actor polar opposite.  Someone not relatable, a bit of a loner, creepy, someone no one wants to be around, and nobody wants to see his ass.  And so, I think they went, “Yeah, we found it in Bale.”

    Christian Bale

    The aspect of Gorr being a “loner, creepy, someone no one wants to be around” is a rather curious reveal and likely his approach to the character from the approach. His design as revealed int he second trailer definitely hints at Bale‘s take on Gorr being more of a loner, whose storyline may connect to the romantic comedy aspect that the franchise is going for. Still, Bale certainly sounded like he had some fun with his response even if it may offer our first real glimpse on how he approached bringing the character to life on the silver screen.

  • REVIEW: ‘Stranger Things 4’ Final Episode Were Worth The Wait

    REVIEW: ‘Stranger Things 4’ Final Episode Were Worth The Wait

    Finally, after a prolonged wait, we got our hands on the final two episodes of Stranger Things‘ fourth season. After ending its first part on quite the high note, we’ve only had two more episodes left that would wrap up the storyline around the latest threat to Hawkins in the form of Vecna, or the originator of eleven’s powers as we’ve gone on to learn. Could the final episodes provide that send-off ahead of the final season that we’ve been waiting for?

    As I pointed out in my review of the first part, there’s a lot the first part did right but it also suffered ab it from juggling way too many subplots throughout the season. It mostly was the result of scattering its cast across the United States and Russia, but it still offered some memorable set pieces and moments throughout; there’s a reason Running Up That Hill is back in the charts. The highs were definitely high but it still stumbled at times. In a way, the final two episodes continue that trend but pull it all together with a strong emotional finale.

    Vecna once again proves why he is the threat that he is, as the team tries to put together a plan to take him down before he can enact his plan. There are times when we’re playing catch up with the big reveal of what he’s up to, everyone preparing for thSurprisingly,fore we head into the Upside Down. It’s surprising they didn’t set up the final episode as its second part as a movie finale, a lot is going on in its two-hour-plus run time. Still, there’s a lot going on with many of the subplots “kind” of coming together.

    The time spent in Russia with Hopper, Joyce, and Murray still feels disconnected from the rest. Though it ends up with one of the most visually stunning moments in the finale as Hoppeets that moment. So, it definitely delivers in the ways that you want it to. Also, Hopper and Joyce getting the moment everyone has been waiting for was the tip of the iceberg to make you forget that it’s just very loosely connected to the overarching storyline. Who knows if it feeds into the finale more. But I also won’t complain about more Brett Gelman‘s Murray in the Netflix series.

    Millie Bobbie Brown once again gives it her all as Eleven, as she not only has to find a way to help her friends but also faces the consciences of her own actions. The biggest selling point of this season was the connection between her past and the events that continue to unfold throughout Hawkins. Vecna has a personal grudge after the reveal we got last time, and she gets her moments to shine. I still think her character going back a few steps to move forward was a bit of a shame.

    Also, it should be once again highlighted how Jamie Campbell Bower continues to be a great antagonist in the series. The reveal from the last “finale” was a powerful one but I do continue to feel that the character is still a bit too “human” to compete with some of the iconic monsters that we’ve seen throughout past seasons. There’s an additional reveal in these moments that could’ve easily been kept in the actual reveal of this season, but I hope it gets further explored due to the implications for the final season moving forward.

    There are a lot of standouts in this season, but Joseph Quinn‘s Eddie Munson swiftly became a fan favorite for a reason this season. Probably the fastest turnover for a character in the show with a beautiful arc that came together nicely towards the end. His rock-out moment that was teased in trailers made for a memorable moment and wished there was more of it. The same goes for Eduardo Franco‘s Argyle who probably had some of the funniest moments throughout.

    Though, the season continues to belong to Sadie Sink and Natalia Dyer‘s Nancy Wheeler, who continue to pull some powerful performances. The latter gets a truly badass time to shine while Sink‘s Max Mayfield offers that emotional gut punch we got from her earlier in the season. It’s hard not to talk about who gives some of the strongest performances throughout without giving anything away, but the final moments definitely hit the right notes.

    Overall, the season has been strong but with some bumps along the way. In a way, the same is true for the final two episodes. Its emotional moments are the ones that truly hit strong and will play with your heart. Parts of it definitely bank on the Netflix show’s strengths and also let the series breathe where it needs to. We’re definitely entering the final part of this journey and if this season is anything to go by, we’ll likely be fighting back tears as the final moments wrap up over an upside-down Hawkins. I for one cannot wait to see how they wrap up this story.

  • Christian Bale on Experimenting With His Take on Gorr the God Butcher While Filming ‘Thor 4’

    Christian Bale on Experimenting With His Take on Gorr the God Butcher While Filming ‘Thor 4’

    Christian Bale‘s take on Gorr the God Butcher in Thor: Love and Thunder is definitely a new take of the character that was made famous in a recent Thor run where he would make good his commitment to killing gods. When we got our first look at Bale‘s design, we were surprised at how different he looked and it seems that Bale got a chance to also experiment with bringing this version of the character to life during the official press conference for Thor: Love and Thunder.

    Loved it, you know, because you don’t really know exactly what you’re doing with a character like that..until you see it completely, it’s in your imagination.  And we didn’t have that long, you know, we talked about it during quarantine and, you know, in an abstract way.  But then put it on, and it worked out all right. This was a pious man with tattoos and he’s cut those off, and so would have all those scars.  And that’s when you really get to start playing with it and experiment as you film.  You know, you discover it as you go.

    Christian Bale

    The “experiment as you film” aspect also fits nicely into how director Taika Waititi generally approaches his projects. He’s known for being quite a bit more inventive during production and even Natalie Portman pointed to him throwing out the script on some days. So, it also seemingly gave Bale a fun position to experiment and try out how he’ll bring the character while filming the Marvel project. So, we’ll see how the dynamic filming style may have also led to one of Marvel Studios’ most creative entries.

  • Former ‘Doctor Who’ Showrunner’s Adaptation of ‘The Time Traveler’s Wife’ Canceled After Only One Season

    Former ‘Doctor Who’ Showrunner’s Adaptation of ‘The Time Traveler’s Wife’ Canceled After Only One Season

    Sadly, it looks like the adaptation of Audrey Niffenegger‘s novel, The Time Traveler’s Wife, won’t be making a return after all. Deadline has just reported that Deadline has decided to cancel the series created by Doctor Who’s Steven Moffat. The series starred Rose Leslie and Theo James which explored what it means to face marital problems with a time-traveling twist.

    Though HBO will not be moving forward with a second season of The Time Traveler’s Wife, it was our privilege to partner with master storytellers Steven Moffat and David Nutter. We are so grateful for their passion, hard work and care for adapting this beloved book. We also thank Theo and Rose, and the rest of our brilliant cast for their heartfelt performances, which completely captivated audiences.

    It’s a shame they didn’t continue the story to fully develop the storyline, especially with how it explored a very unlikely marriage situation. Of course, it’s not the first time the novel was adapted as we also had the film back in 2009 starring Eric Bana and Rachel McAdams in the leading roles.

    HBO has been on a hunt for their next big show, especially with a lot of hope of seeing the prequel series for Game of Thrones take over that very spot. Romance stories don’t have a strong following nowadays and they may have had an issue keeping their audience throughout. So, even if it has an interesting sci-fi hook, there’s still too much attention to compete with out there at the moment.

    Source: Deadline

  • No Sequels to ‘inFAMOUS’ or ‘Sly Cooper’ In Development

    No Sequels to ‘inFAMOUS’ or ‘Sly Cooper’ In Development

    Here’s some depressing news, Sucker Punch has just recently shared a statement in regard to their 25th anniversary. It’s something to celebrate but it sadly looks like they have no interest in continuing some of their most iconic franchises. No exact reasoning is given but in a statement on their official website, they have shared that there are currently no plans to revisit the inFAMOUS or Sly Cooper franchise. Not only that but they also highlighted that no other studio is working on a project that includes these franchises either.

    As our games continue to grow in scale and complexity, they require the full attention of our studio. With our focus on our current project, we have no plans to revisit inFAMOUS or Sly Cooper right now, and no other studio is currently working on projects related to those franchises either. These characters are very special and near and dear to our hearts, so while we’d never say never to re-opening those doors down the road, for now there are no inFAMOUS or Sly Cooper games in development.

    Now, the good news is that they aren’t closing the door on them, but with new franchises like Ghost of Tsushima and whatever they may have in their pipeline next. They do confirm that Cole’s Legacy DLC for inFAMOUS Second Son will be made available on PlayStation Store for those that missed out on it. So, we’re still getting something from those franchises. Though, considering how much time is required to develop projects, we may not see these two return for quite a few years at this rate. Perhaps some studio finds that spark to bring these iconic franchises back.

    Source: Sucker Punch

  • First Look at Sigourney Weaver’s New ‘Avatar 2’ Character

    First Look at Sigourney Weaver’s New ‘Avatar 2’ Character

    Many were quite surprised when the news dropped that Sigourney Weaver will return to the world of Pandora. It was unsure how she’d return after playing the human Dr. Grace Augustine in 2009’s Avatar, but it looks like she is playing a completely new character. Empire has shared a first look at the young Na’vi Kiri, who is the adoptive daughter of Jake and Neytiri. She’ll make her debut in the upcoming release of Avatar: The Way of Water but further details on her role in the story are still uncertain.

    Going by the lore introduced in the first film, it does make sense that Weaver’s character would be reborn in one way or another. As they build up the connection between the unity that connects all living things on Pandora, it’s not too surprising that her soul may have been reborn in this new body. There’s also something nice bout letting her be reborn again and see this world from a new perspective.

    It wouldn’t be too surprising if she also becomes our guide into learning how the aquatic side of Pandora works, as this is new to the entire Sully family. We still know very little about the story and how the conflict is potentially set up moving forward but it does seem like we’ll be in for another wonderful adventure.

    Source: Empire

  • ‘Ms. Marvel’ Director Offers Insight on Episode 4’s Surprise Ending

    ‘Ms. Marvel’ Director Offers Insight on Episode 4’s Surprise Ending

    Ms. Marvel ended episode 4 on quite a cliffhanger. After being attacked by the Clandestine, Kamala Khan finds herself in another time. Not just at any time, but during the Partition when her great-grandmother was separated from her family like many others. It left us with many questions, such as if this was just another vision or if Kamala actually traveling through time. Well, director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy offered some insight into how they brought the sequence to life and talk about that twist ending.

    You know, telling the story of The Partition comes with great responsibility. And I, in Episode 4 at the end, when she walks on the platform, I took hundreds of photographs from 1947. And I worked with the crew and the cast to recreate frames from real photographs. So when she walks onto that train, walks onto the platform, the conversation she’s hearing and the way people are being carried and the props, everything comes out of a real photograph.

    Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy

    It definitely sounds like they put a lot of work into bringing this sequence faithfully to life, which makes sense given its historical importance for the generations that lived through it. Obaid-Chinoy also gave some insight into what Kamala’s role is in this sequence.

    So that Kamala Khan is bearing witness to history. She’s not a superhero at that moment. She’s literally catching these frenetic conversations. And I think that when you make it personal when you make it about people leaving their homes, then anyone watching anywhere in the world would find a connection to it.

    Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy

    There’s definitely something interesting about the fact that she’s not only hearing the stories but also witnessing their events. Once again, the Disney+ Marvel series is promising an emotional rollercoaster of a fifth episode though it’ll be interesting how it leads into the final episode and what the future has in store for the Clandestine. Ms. Marvel is shaping to be one of Marvel Studios’ strongest showings and it’ll be exciting to see how they wrap up the project.

    Source: The Direct

  • Earlier ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ Drafts Included Commander Cody

    Earlier ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ Drafts Included Commander Cody

    Obi-Wan Kenobi has undergone quite a few iterations before it found its way to Disney+. Not too long ago we learned that the project was initially pitched as a film trilogy before the first entry eventually turned into what we recently got to watch across six episodes. Turns out, there was one other significant element that got scrapped in the form of Commander Cody. Writer Stuart Beattie revealed that his role was cut in an interview with The Direct.

    Yeah, yeah. Cody was the big one. I love the idea of Obi-Wan having a buddy on Tatooine. Like a secret buddy. So like the first time he goes into town, you see, Cody, and he’s following him through the streets and attacks him, takes him into an alley with a knife to his throat and says, ‘You’re dead.’ And then you realize, ‘Oh, no… Cody’s making a point.’ Like, ‘Come on. You got to be more careful.

    Stuart Beattie

    He also highlights how his approach was to have them both reflect this aspect of redemption, especially as Cody had to live with the guilt of his own actions under the control of Order 66.

    And you realize, ‘Oh, Cody has now morphed from someone who was trying to kill him when we last saw them to someone who is now devoting his life to protect him.’ Because by now he’s had the biochip taken out of his head, and now he realizes, ‘Oh my god, what I did was wrong.’ And he has driven by guilt, as much as Obi Wan is driven by guilt. So you got these two kind of old warriors bickering like this old married couple, bitching about, ‘God, it was so much better when we had an army at our backs,’ you know

    Stuart Beattie

    The idea wasn’t to have the character to appear out of nowhere, but rather that he was an active part of the plot. Best part, he was even going to be the one to look over young Luke Skywalker while Kenobi traveled the galaxy.

    And the idea of mine was that when Obi-Wan had to leave Tatooine, he left Cody in charge of Luke. And that gave us a fun little B-story to keep cutting away to. And yeah, he’s a really fun character and a guy racing against the clock obviously, because he’s aging twice as fast. He’s trying to atone for the worst thing he’s ever done in his life. So tragic in a way, but just fun… The way they bickered in my stuff, it was just, you know, put a smile on your face and, you know, (laughs) just arguing all the time.

    Stuart Beattie

    Beattie even went on to highlight one of the moments that he was most looking forward to getting adapted, which sadly was no longer included in the Disney+ show as Commander Cody was completely scrapped from the script. He did confirm that Temuera Morrison was planned to take on the role, who would have a brief cameo as a Clone Trooper.

    The fun one that I missed the most was actually a scene back on Tatooine with Cody. My Cody was so fun. Cody was with Owen and there were some bounty hunters that had discovered Obi-Wan… And they gotta get rid of the bodies. And so there was just this really fun scene where, you know, what do you do with bodies on Tatooine and you need to get rid of them? Well, you go out to the local Sarlacc, right? They kind of park and they’re having this whole discussion about, you know, Cody shooting… Obi-Wan and all this kind of stuff.

    Stuart Beattie

    It’s a shame they didn’t include the character, as it does sound like they would’ve made for a great duo. Perhaps a sequel season or even spinoff series focused on Cody could bring the two together, as they try to navigate their own grief together. There’s a lot of potentials and it would be a shame not to capitalize on it.

    Source: The Direct

  • New ‘Black Adam’ Toy Offers Best Look Yet at Film’s DC Villain

    New ‘Black Adam’ Toy Offers Best Look Yet at Film’s DC Villain

    It looks like a new toy line has found its way online that offers our best look yet ath the film’s new villain, Sabbac. We got our first look back when the Funko Pop line found its way online but it only seemed to offer a glimpse at what he’d look like. Now, a new figurine seemingly reveals that they’re going all-in with Sabbac’s design. As shared by @hodceu, we see that the character will have a pentagram engraved on his chest and rocking some horns.

    The design definitely looks surprisingly comic-accurate and it’ll be interesting to see how the character ties into the overarching story. The first trailer for Black Adam didn’t tease what the central conflict will end up being outside of Adam and the Justice Society of America eventually butting heads, especially with Adam’s line stating that he kills people and isn’t a hero. So, who knows how bad this guy is going to end up being to make even the anti-hero’s brutal way look like a cakewalk.

    Dwayne Johnson has proven that he’s very passionate about the Black Adam film, especially with it setting up his future in the DC Extended Universe. It’ll be interesting to see how it also sets up his eventual conflict with Shazam, as that film hinted at his existence but the sequel is seemingly heading in a completely unique direction. Yet, it seems obvious that they’ll have to come face-to-face eventually.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘Hocus Pocus 2’ Trailer Pulls in Massive Viewership Within 24 Hours, Beats Out ‘The Mandalorian’s

    ‘Hocus Pocus 2’ Trailer Pulls in Massive Viewership Within 24 Hours, Beats Out ‘The Mandalorian’s

    Now, this isn’t something you would expect but there’s a reason Hocus Pocus was such a cult classic even after all these years. After a long wait, the first trailer has finally arrived for the sequel, simply titled Hocus Pocus 2, that’ll see the return of Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy in the roles they played 29 years ago. Within 24 hours, the trailer has pulled in a massive 43.6M.

    To put that into comparison, it has outperformed some of Diseny+’s biggest trailer releases such as The Book of Boba Fett’s 23M and Luca’s 28M. Not only that, it even surpassed the teasers for the first two seasons of The Mandalorian, which stood at 35M each. Those are some massive numbers, and once again highlighted just how valuable a continuation of a classic franchise truly can be with such a long break, as we saw with Top Gun Maverick a few months back.

    It’ll be interesting to see if the viewership also carries over into the film’s actual release. These numbers tend to hint at where the project will end up performing, which hopefully is a sign that Disney+ is starting to find its base with more audiences. Marvel and Star Wars will remain their cornerstone, but Disney may finally realize that their IP pockets are much deeper and far more diverse moving forward.

    Source: THR