Murphy's Multiverse

Author: Joseph Aberl

  • EXCLUSIVE: Mohamed Diab Reveals His Favorite Moment in ‘Moon Knight’ Series

    EXCLUSIVE: Mohamed Diab Reveals His Favorite Moment in ‘Moon Knight’ Series

    Mohamed Diab has brought his cultural background to elevate Moon Knight’s exploration of Egypt and Egyptian mythology. Not only that, but he was also able to introduce the MCU’s first Egyptian superhero. In an exclusive interview with our very own Charles Villanueva, he reveals that May Calamawy‘s Layla El-Faouly’s big moment was one of his highlights, especially what it means for his daughter.

    That moment was the highlight of the show for me. My daughter when she was three told me that she wanted to straighten her curly hair. Because she never looked like any of the stuff she watched on TV. So to have this curly-haired girl [Calamawy] – strong and completely defies Arab stereotypes – be there and inspire other girls is such a great moment. Emphasizing it with that girl, she’s like, “What?!” If this was shown in a movie theater, people would cheer.

    Mohamed Diab

    It definitely was a moment that would’ve gotten some cheers in a theater, but that doesn’t downplay the importance and experience for many watching the series. The director highlights the importance of what Marvel Studios is trying to accomplish with its more diverse cast of characters moving forward.

    People look at Marvel shows with a lot of lightness but those shows are shaping the future and it’s very important. People get chills and cry when they see themselves represented and heard.

    Mohamed Diab

    We’ve seen time and time again that Marvel Studios has been embracing their heroes and their diverse culture for some time. Just recently, they announced that Ms. Marvel will release in Pakistani theaters as the country doesn’t yet have Disney+ and they wanted to ensure that the first Pakistani-American superhero is also represented. The only question on everyone’s mind now is if the newly introduced Scarlet Scarab will return in the future.

  • ‘Moon Knight’ Almost Featured the Eternals

    ‘Moon Knight’ Almost Featured the Eternals

    We just covered a story that there were some connections to the greater Marvel Cinematic Universe planned before Moon Knight stuck to its more self-contained mythology. While we get to spend a lot of time with the Egyptian pantheon, it seems that they originally were going to expand upon that concept. As revealed in an interview with The Direct, head writer Jeremy Slater originally envisioned the Eternals as part of the series.

    I tried very hard to get the Eternals into the show, just because I’m buddies with Kumail Nanjiani… I want[ed] some Kingo. At one point, there was a flashback on the page that sort of showed one of Khonshu’s Avatars back in ancient Egypt, sort of dealing with Ammit being locked away, and Alexander the Great, and all of that stuff. You sort of saw this Avatar team-up with the Eternals. It was a really fun scene, but again, it was so massively expensive to recreate Ancient Egypt, to sort of bring in 3 or 4 of the Eternals to have this big action sequence.

    Jeremy Slater

    Given that they would eventually be remembered through folk tales and mythology, it would’ve been a fitting choice to include them as a reference to the bigger MCU. Yet, as Slater points out, it probably would’ve turned into quite an expensive addition to the series if they had not just one but multiple members show up in the series.

    It was one of those things where it was a very fun scene, and it would have been a great cold open to one of the episodes, but it also would have had to come out of our budget somewhere else, and probably would have hurt our finale along the way. So, that was the cameo I had to cut. It hurt, but it was also the right thing to do for the show, and I think everyone sort of collectively agreed. There’s plenty of time in the future to team this guy up with other characters in the MCU and start building these connections; let’s not force something just because the other shows have all had it

    Jeremy Slater

    While it’s a shame it didn’t happen, especially as it would further continue developing the mythology of this world filled with superheroes, it is for the better. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have gotten a pretty great Kaiju fight between Khonshu and Ammit in the finale. We’ll have to wait a little longer until we see their return and what the future has in store for them.

    Source: The Direct

  • ‘Sonic the Hedgehog 2’s Director Shares Early Concept Art

    ‘Sonic the Hedgehog 2’s Director Shares Early Concept Art

    Sonic the Hedgehog 2 has some new iconic moments that seem directly inspired by his action-adventure games. We get Sonic Adventure’s snowboarding sequence, a level plucked directly out of the classic games, and even Eggman’s iconic Death Egg robot. There’s a lot to take away from the film for those that grew up with the games and generally wanted a good time with a Sonic film.

    Luckily, director Jeff Fowler has just shared some amazing artwork from the film that really highlights how much of the early concept art made it into the final product. We get to see Eggman with a much more game-inspired mustache. While he didn’t quite get that costume in the film, the red elements and the mustache survived the development process.

    It’s great to see that the Death Egg robot was always part of the plan, as it definitely gave the film quite the set-piece at the end. Plus, it gave Super Sonic something to take out to showcase just how powerful his abilities truly are. Hopefully, we get to see more concept art and maybe even some teases that didn’t quite make it into the film.

    With a Knuckles spinoff series and a third film on the horizon, it’s going to be a lot more Sonic the Hedgehog heading our way. It’ll be interesting to see if they also have other spinoffs in some form of development, which may add something special to the project.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ Will Give the Stormtroopers a Theme

    ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ Will Give the Stormtroopers a Theme

    Here’s a fun surprise, but it looks like after all these years, Stormtroopers are getting a theme of their own. If there’s one thing the Star Wars franchise is famous for, it’s its music. While John Williams will return to score Obi-Wan Kenobi‘s theme, the upcoming Disney+ series has added Loki‘s Natalie Holt to compose the soundtrack. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, she talked about what it’s like tackling this project and working on it with director Deborah Chow.

    Obviously, John Williams has written the Obi theme, but I did start off trying to write one, to be honest. I was writing from [director] Deborah’s [Chow] instructions and it was interesting. She was like, ‘He’s in the desert. He’s lost, he’s been alone.’ It’s like anything for his theme would just be small, crumbling, fragmented, and thin. Then it would grow as he goes on this journey. That was kind of interesting seeing the place that I arrived at, just for the world and his environment

    Kate Herron

    Yet, the biggest surprise came when she highlighted that she worked on themes for other members of the cast, most notably the Stormtroopers. While they’ve been a staple for the franchise since its inception, they haven’t really gotten their own audio cue. So, it’s a nice little addition to this limited series.

    Then it would grow as he goes on this journey. That was kind of interesting seeing the place that I arrived at, just for the world and his environment. Obviously, there are lots of different characters in the show, and I did also write music themes for planets. In addition, there is a Stormtroopers theme.

    Kate Herron

    It’ll be interesting to see what she brings to the table and if the sound wills tick to what we know from the franchise, or have a unique swing to it. Her Loki soundtrack is still one of Disney+’s best so far and it’ll be exciting to see what she brings to the Star Wars franchise.

    Source: Hollywood Reporter

  • ‘Moon Knight’ Originally Would’ve Included MCU Cameos

    ‘Moon Knight’ Originally Would’ve Included MCU Cameos

    Here’s an interesting surprise, but it looks like Moon Knight wasn’t always the standalone project that it is. There were plans at some point to also include some ties to the wider MCU, outside of the brief Easter egg that connects it to Falcon and the Winter Soldier, but they even potentially had cameos planned at the beginning and the end of the series. It turns out, they ended up scrapping the idea while writing the series according to director Mohamed Diab.

    We had the freedom to place it whenever. I want to tell you the very first scene, there was a crossover, and the very end scene, there was a crossover. But as the story developed and we kept changing the scripts, we felt like, “We don’t need that.” All of us. It was a collective decision. And then I kept thinking: It’s a rule. There has to be a scene at the end that connects us to the MCU.

    Mohamed Diab

    He goes on to say that the bigger surprise, in their eyes, was the lack of any cameo or connections to the wider MCU, but rather keep the project a bit more grounded in its own world.

    But I think they decided, “You know what, the surprise is that there isn’t, and what’s going to make this show unique is it doesn’t need anything else.” The best compliment we get on the show is when people tell us, “This doesn’t feel like a Marvel show. It feels like a standalone show that feels more dramatic, more dark, grounded.” I feel like we succeeded in bringing Marvel more to our corner.

    Mohamed Diab

    It definitely would’ve been interesting to know who exactly was going to appear, or how it may have connected. Blade seems like a logical connection point, but there’s also the Werewolf by Night Disney+ special that’s on the horizon, which also has quite the history with the character. For now, it’s hard to say exactly what they were going to be, but

    Source: Variety via ScreenRant

  • Oscar Isaac Improvised Jake Lockley’s Spanish in ‘Moon Knight’s Post-Credit Sequence

    Oscar Isaac Improvised Jake Lockley’s Spanish in ‘Moon Knight’s Post-Credit Sequence

    Here’s an interesting surprise, it seems that Jake Lockley speaking Spanish wasn’t something that was included in the script. According to producer Grant Curtis, it turns out that this was something that Oscar Isaac improvised during production. While it’s unclear if the character also speaks English with a different accent, it certainly highlights just how involved Oscar Isaac has been in the project.

    It was all Oscar. That was not on the page. Oscar brought so many narrative elements to this show, both in front of the camera and behind. He’s a storyteller first and foremost, and that was just one of the many contributions he made to this series.

    Grant Curtis

    There have been many theories that we’ve actually gotten a few glimpses of Lockley throughout the series’ run. In one moment while he is confronted by Dr. Crowley, we can see a bruised-up version of Marc that ends up getting quite violent as he grabs a pyramid. Yet, there were hints that this might not be the case either.

    For now, we can only speculate as we await any sign of whatever the future has in store for Moon Knight moving forward. Isaac has said he’s open to tackling the character again if the right story presents itself. So, we’ll see what the future has in store for the character and fans once Marvel makes an official statement.

    Source: Entertainment Weekly

  • ‘Shang-Chi’s Florian Munteanu Joins ‘Vikings: Valhalla’ Season 3

    ‘Shang-Chi’s Florian Munteanu Joins ‘Vikings: Valhalla’ Season 3

    You might be wondering why the title references the third season of Vikings: Valhalla if the first only recently found its way to Netflix. Well, the sequel series to Vikings got an early renewal and has already started work on a second season right after the first finished. Now, it seems they are gearing up for a third that will start production in Ireland later this month in Croatia. It seems they have added Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings‘ Razer Fist, Florian Munteanu, to that season.

    He will take on the role of the Byzantine Empire’s general, George Maniakes, who would start a revolt against the emperor. The storyline follows the tale of Leif Erikson and Freydis Eriksdottir, who are Norse exporters that would eventually discover the US. Munteanu has been quite busy, as he is fresh off of his work on the third Creed entry, where he once again played the character of Viktor Drago, the son of Dolph Lundgren‘s Ivan Drago.

    He’s also going to appear in the upcoming Borderlands adaptation alongside Jack Black, Kevin Hart, Cate Blanchett, and many more. He’ll be a great addition to the series, which explores the Viking era without shying away from its darker sides and even diving into its politics. We’ll see just how they tackle the storyline of Maniakes, especially how big of a role he might have.

    Source: Hollywood Reporter

  • New ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ Promo Art Continues to Tease His Rematch Against Darth Vader

    New ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ Promo Art Continues to Tease His Rematch Against Darth Vader

    As with every yDisney+ series, a set of promotional art has found its way online for the upcoming Star Wars series, Obi-wan Kenobi. While it doesn’t reveal anything new, or characters that haven’t been teased yet, it does highlight the upcoming rematch between Ewan McGregor‘s Obi-Wan and the returning Hayden Christensen‘s Darth Vader. We also get another highlight of the Jedi master wielding his iconic lightsaber on Tatooine, which will have a big part in the series as he tries to watch over a young Luke Skywalker.

    It’ll be interesting to see what other promotional art may find its way online, especially as there are still a few characters that will take the spotlight in the series. Yet, we’ve seen in the past that most of the promo did focus on the main characters of the project or simply used some creative visuals to make it stand out. It’s great that they’re finally ramping up the advertising for this series, especially now that Moon Knight came to an end.

    We just recently got a new trailer and with Star Wars Celebration on the horizon, we might get a lot more heading our way from Lucasfilm. Here’s hoping that they start picking up some steam on these projects, as while Marvel is promoting two films and two series simultaneously, we barely get any information on a single Star Wars series until shortly before it releases.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘Moon Knight’: First Look at Scarlet Scarab’s Funko Pop

    ‘Moon Knight’: First Look at Scarlet Scarab’s Funko Pop

    The Moon Knight finale surprised many with the first look at Layla LaFaouly becoming the Avatar of the Egyptian god Tawaret. As a result, she received her own unique costume and would later be revealed to be the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Scarlet Scarab. a minor character introduced in the comics, it was a surprise to see her become the hero in the series, especially given its importance for representation. May Calamawy was a highlight throughout and it was great that she got her moment to shine, and luckily we’re also getting a Funko Pop highlighting her new superhero alter-ego.

    While just recently sharing a first look at Ammit, it seems that Scarlet Scarab was going to follow shortly after. Sadly, she didn’t get joined by her new Egyptian god, which would’ve made for a nice double-pack given their connections. Yet, Khonshu also released on his own, as they mainly focus on the introduction of the various characters as a jumping-off point for when they also release correlating Funkos.

    It’ll be interesting to see if she also gets her own spinoff series, which definitely sounds like a project that Mohamed Diab would want to push forward. Of course, he has said he’s interested in tackling a Moon Knight team-up movie next, but there are a lot of opportunities on how they can explore the character. Perhaps she also gets her own Disney+ spinoff or a special that focuses on her. We’ll see what the potential has in store for us.

    Source: Twitter

  • Mohamed Diab Reveals that Egypt Sees ‘Moon Knight’ as their ‘Black Panther’

    Mohamed Diab Reveals that Egypt Sees ‘Moon Knight’ as their ‘Black Panther’

    Moon Knight is an interesting project, as while there has some have pointed out the lack of Jewish representation in the project considering the character’s background, there was a stronger focus on the Egyptian roots within the project. Mohamed Diab, a critically-acclaimed director from Egypt, had a big part in bringing the project to life and left his imprint, especially on how the country was represented. In an interview with The Wrap, he reveals that the series is a huge hit in Egypt. He goes on to highlight that:

    You don’t know how big this is in Egypt. Egyptians are dealing with the show as if this is their ‘Black Panther.’ People in the third-world countries, a lot of them are culturally defeated. They see the West as very superior. So they couldn’t even imagine that people are going to like our music when you put some Egyptian music in, they couldn’t believe that Egyptians could direct something as good or be behind camera or in front of the camera, and eventually having an Egyptian superhero. Oh my God. It’s so big in Egypt that it becomes like a national pride, and I hope everyone gets their own representation. It’s very important.

    Mohamed Diab

    In a way, it once again highlights the big draw that Marvel Studios has introducing a variety of backgrounds into its universe, which has a big international draw. Not only did the series introduce the first Egyptian superhero, but it also gave Egypt a representation that goes beyond the yellow filter many Hollywood productions forced upon the country. So, having a director like Mohamed Diab that also has that background adds a little something special to the project, which we might see more of moving forward.

    Source: The Wrap