Murphy's Multiverse

Author: Joseph Aberl

  • ‘Moon Knight’: First look at New Khonshu and Ammit Funko Pops

    ‘Moon Knight’: First look at New Khonshu and Ammit Funko Pops

    As is tradition, we just got the final episode of Moon Knight and a new character. After teasing her arrival for quite some time, Ammit has finally made her imprint on the series and arrived as the final big bad to face. Of course, a new character also means that we have a new Funko Pop heading our way, which has finally been revealed. Not only do we get an Ammit Funko, but even one from Khonshu’s Temple in the form of a statue. It’s a cute idea as it gives them an additional way to showcase the character.

    Sadly, we didn’t get to spend a lot of time with the character, but Ammit definitely left an impact on viewers. Not only did it give us a crazy Kaiju-inspired battle between the Egyptian gods, but it was interesting to see the revelation that Harrow has actually been a bit of a hypocrite. While he pretends to be perfectly balanced, he is very well aware of the fact that he is one and still hopes to work for him.

    It is surprising that we didn’t get a new Funko Pop for the Scarlet Scarab. Layla’s transformation was a big move for the series and introduced the first Egyptian superhero in live-action. We’ll see if they have an additional release planned as they give it some time and were mainly focused on the big bad reveal, especially as we also haven’t gotten a Tawaret Funko. So her getting one alongside her new Avatar seems like the perfect way to add them.

    Source: Twitter

  • Mohamed Diab Wants to Tackle a ‘Moon Knight’ Team-Up Movie Next

    Mohamed Diab Wants to Tackle a ‘Moon Knight’ Team-Up Movie Next

    Mohamed Diab had brought his flair to create one of Marvel Studios’ most unique series, which explores the complicated divided personalities within Moon Knight. While the Disney+ series explored his story across six episodes, it seems that Diab is down to further explore the character in a movie rather than a second season. Not just any kind of movie, but in the form of a team-up with another member of the MCU.

    If you ask me, I would love to have the chance to make Moon Knight into a film,. Maybe join someone from the Marvel Universe so it’s like partnering up with someone else or being a part of another journey.

    Mohamed Diab

    It does sound like an interesting approach but does open up the question of who he might interact with. As he does have a strong standing in New York City in the past, it would be fun to explore his interactions with Spider-Man, which were some of the funniest in the comics. Of course, he wants to use the opportunity to further explore the personality of Jake that was introduced at the end of the season finale’s post-credit sequence.

    I would love to see more of Jake, see life through Jake’s point of view at some point. The best thing about starting a new story is the Marc and Steven dynamic is going to change because they’re now living in one body. So it’s such an interesting world. I want to see Layla, who doesn’t like being an avatar and how is she going to live with that or is she going to reject that or is she going to come to terms with her being a superhero? I love all that. So I hope we can put all that in a blender and just play with it.

    Mohamed Diab

    Now, the question will be if they’ll truly just skip a second season overall and just jump directly into a film. They technically set up everything they needed to focus on a more violent storyline with the character which builds upon Lockley’s violent tendencies. There’s a chance they might go the Midnight Sons route as a way to keep the character in a separate project before returning for a second season. Diab also mentions spending more time with Layla, which might become its own Disney+ spinoff series to further explore Egyptian culture and the fallout from the Avatar’s deaths. So, there’s a lot of potentials.

    Source: The Wrap

  • Hall of Murphy: Episode 18 – ‘The Batman’ Sequel and CinemaCon

    Hall of Murphy: Episode 18 – ‘The Batman’ Sequel and CinemaCon

    At this year’s CinemaCon, Warner Bros. went all out teasing some of its upcoming feature films. Surprising many, we got a few footage descriptions and teases on what’s to come. Not just that but also the confirmation of The Batman sequel, which John and Joe dive right into with their speculation.

  • ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ Pulls in an Impressive $27.2M in First Day Internationally

    ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ Pulls in an Impressive $27.2M in First Day Internationally

    Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is already making quite an impressive footprint in the industry, as its first day in international markets has pulled in $27.2M. As such, the film is currently trailing behind Spider-Man: No Way Home but only by 4%. That is an impressive number considering just how large that film was without a release in key markets and the fact that Multiverse of Madness isn’t releasing in a few countries due to controversies of their LGBTQ references. The film is currently 153% ahead of the original 2016 film and 210% of The Batman on a like-to-like basis.

    The Benedict Cumberbatch-led film managed to keep the top spot in the Asia Pacific, as well as European markets such as France, Italy, and Germany. It has also pulled in $3.5M in Mexico and $2.7M in Brazil, which puts it at $10.3M in all Latin American markets. It has already topped those territories while still being in its previews. Even Korea, which has been pulling back due to concerns with the pandemic, has managed to return to cinemas. It may have made an additional $14.7M which isn’t included in the $27.2M.

    We’ll see more releases in other international markets, and it looks like the film is going to be quite the crowd-pleaser. The rumors may give it some additional legs and while it probably won’t come near to what No Way Home managed, it seems like it’ll definitely be carrying the next month as more films start to release. It also is a good sign that Marvel Studios’ expansion into Disney+ may have not scared off people to still come in and see their latest entry. Word-of-mouth and its horror elements may be a key factor moving forward, especially as it may not quite pull in the usual four-quadrant market due to these elements.

    Source: Deadline

  • New ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ Merch Teases Thor’s Story Arc with the Guardians of the Galaxy

    New ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ Merch Teases Thor’s Story Arc with the Guardians of the Galaxy

    The first trailer of Thor: Love and Thunder gave us a glimpse at the God of Thunder trying to find some inner peace. He set out with the Guardians of the Galaxy after the events of Avengers: Endgame, where they finally took down Thanos and could bring back half the universe. While we do see him try to get back into shape and into saving the galaxy, something seems off for Thor.

    A new piece of merchandise from Love and Thunder may have answered that very question. While we still see a somewhat younger Groot, the big reveal is the fact that Thor is seemingly still not over the defeat at the hands of Thanos. It reads as follows:

    Long after the Avengers defeat Thanos. The Guardians of the Galaxy must convince Thor to return to the battlefield.

    It’s not too surprising that he might be still hung up on it, as while they did take him down, it was Tony’s self-sacrifice that truly defeated the Titan. So, he technically never truly got an actual victory and while he may have gotten back in shape, it may still linger in his mind. Of course, he may just generally have reached his limit with all the losses he faced, and getting into shape didn’t quite give him that spark he was hoping for. Perhaps meeting an old friend and an imminent threat that gives him exactly what he was looking for.

  • EXCLUSIVE: Why Jake Lockley Was Saved For Last in ‘Moon Knight’ Finale

    EXCLUSIVE: Why Jake Lockley Was Saved For Last in ‘Moon Knight’ Finale

    Finally, after teasing his existence for six episodes, the final moments of Moon Knight’s post-credit sequence gave us our first look at the third personality hidden deep within Marc Spector, Jake Lockley. Khonshu was playing a long con with our new favorite protagonist, as while he promised to let Steven and Marc go, he still had one more trick up his sleeve.

    In an interview with producer Grant Curtis, Charles Villaneuva got the chance to ask what their approach was to introducing the third personality and they waited to do so until the very last second. It seems that they wanted to focus on Mar cand Steven before adding one more to the mix.

    It wasn’t a conscious effort. As you know, Jake Lockley is peppered throughout the whole series but it’s not until the final scene that you actually see him. It was our writer Jeremy Slater leading us on the most satisfying journey for Marc and Steven to go on. That’s how it played out. It was the best story to tell. Believe me, once he pitched and once we knew that’s where Jake was going to land, it was like, “Game on.”

    Grant Curtis

    It’s certainly an interesting approach, especially as the teases became more prominent throughout the series’ runtime. The final fight included another confirmation that someone else is in them, which may be the reason they are still chaining themselves to their bed even after they found peace with each other. Here’s hoping they really have a second season planned to further explore this storyline.

  • Oscar Isaac Open to Return for a ‘Moon Knight’ Season 2 With the Right Story

    Oscar Isaac Open to Return for a ‘Moon Knight’ Season 2 With the Right Story

    Oscar Isaac gave quite the performance in bringing Moon Knight to life, as he spent most of the final episode switching between the personalities of Marc Spector and Steven Grant at a whim. Yet, the ending also introduced us to his third personality Jake Lockley. While there’s still no second season announcement, it seems that if they have the right story in mind, the actor would be down to return to the world of Moon Knight.

    And let’s just put everything out on the table on this story. There’s definitely no official plans to continue it. I think it would depend on what the story is. That being said, I love being Steven. I just love it. It’s just like, physically, it’s so much fun to be him. So, you know, if there was a story that really made sense, I’d be happy to be part of it

    Oscar Isaac

    It’s still unsure what the future has in store for the character, but it would seem strange to end the season the way it did without any potential plans moving forward. There have been some hints that they may have plans to continue the story, but until we get an official announcement it is difficult to really say what the future has in store. So far, Loki is the only live-action Disney+ series from Marvel to get any season renewal, which makes it hard to know what exactly their plans are moving forward.

    Source: Radio Times

  • May Calamawy Talks About Introducing [SPOILER] into the MCU

    May Calamawy Talks About Introducing [SPOILER] into the MCU

    If you haven’t seen the latest episode of Moon Knight, only continue reading at your own risk.

    The final episode of Moon Knight has (sadly) arrived, and it included quite a lot to take in. Not only did we have an all-out Kaiju battle between the newly resurrected Ammit and Khonshu, but also received a brand new hero. Layla El-Faouly has become Taweret’s new Avatar and gained with it a new alter-ego. While it is never explicitly stated in the series, a new article by Marvel confirms that she is the MCU’s interpretation of the Scarlet Scarab.

    The portrayal of May Calamawy‘s Egyptian heritage played an important role in her addition to the series, especially with how it tries to focus on representation throughout. Now, she’s also Marvel’s first Egyptian superhero, which the actress saw as quite the pressure going into the project.

    I had to really sit with it and be like, I cannot represent every Arab woman or every Egyptian woman…I just hope that all Arab women can watch that and feel like a Super Hero, and that they have that space on that big scale.

    May Calamawy

    They have built up her scarab-inspired design with the way she was named by her father. While it was unexpected that she would fully embrace a superhero persona, there were some interesting seeds planted throughout. Consulting producer Sara Goher highlighted that she was always part of their initial pitch going in.

    When we were putting [together our pitch], she was in the presentation,” Goher says. “We knew in our hearts that we wanted someone like her to take on this role. And then once we got her on board, she just gave like 1,000%, and I’m so happy with Layla.

    Sara Goher

    A new hero is born with Scarlet Scarab and it’ll be interesting to see if we’ll see more of her moving forward in the MCU. There is still no word if Moon Knight will get a second season, as it’s been often teased as a limited series but going by the ending, it would seem fitting that they continue Marc’s story within the MCU. Perhaps they have some plans for a spinoff Disney+ series, which has happened to other newly introduced characters as well.

    Source: Marvel

  • Eric Martin is ‘Loki’ Season 2’s New Head Writer

    Eric Martin is ‘Loki’ Season 2’s New Head Writer

    It looks like the Loki series has passed the torch to a new generation, as not only will directors Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead take over what Kate Herron started, but it looks like Michael Waldron is no longer serving as its head writer. In an interview with Digital Spy, the Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness writer revealed that Eric Martin has taken over that position.

    Well, I mean, look, everything leads into everything, right? We’ve hired a couple of great directors. [Justin] Benson and [Aaron] Moorhead [Loki season two directors] are brilliant. And Eric Martin has taken over as head writer for season 2. So the creative team is fantastic. As Tom [Hiddleston, who plays Loki] once said, there’s plenty more mischief to come.

    Michael Waldron

    It’s interesting how Marvel studios is moving away from the usual TV structure by not having an ongoing showrunner, but swapping out teams with each new season or series. In a way, it keeps each project fresh and introduces a new vision that can take over, but it does also come at the cost that they might feel a bit disjointed. In the case of Loki, the first season will lead directly into the second, as set up by its final moments.

    The challenge moving forward, especially if they go with multi-seasonal formats, is that they will fall into the issue of some connections being dependent on a film, or another series. If Loki shows up in other multiversal storylines, it becomes a bit confusing when jumping into a third season only to find out that there’s an entire character arc or storyline that was missed out. It’ll be interesting to see how they handle that moving forward, but it’s great to see Waldron‘s trust in the new team that is continuing what they built up.

    Source: Digital Spy

  • REPORT: Apple TV+’s ‘Godzilla’ Spinoff Series Eyeing to Cast Kurt Russell and Wyatt Russell

    REPORT: Apple TV+’s ‘Godzilla’ Spinoff Series Eyeing to Cast Kurt Russell and Wyatt Russell

    The Monsterverse is expanding with a new TV series. While we all expected the Warner Bros. distributed series to remain with the company, Apple TV+ was the lucky one to get their hands on the rights to produce a new Godzilla spinoff series, which is still untitled. There’s still a lot we don’t know about the series, but we were able to share some details earlier in January, as it’s currently titled Hourglass and was originally eyeing a production start sometime this month.

    It’ll follow up after San Francisco was leveled by Godzilla, as a family’s connection to the secret organization Monarch is unraveled. It looks like part of the cast might be a character named Lee Shaw, who is “a military leading man type.” According to Illuminerdi’s latest piece, it seems they are currently eyeing Kurt Russell, which was first reported by Giant Freaking robot, and his son Wyatt Russell to play an older and younger version of that very character.

    While they can’t offer more details, these are two big names to add to the series. It’s uncertain if the project may generally feature more Godzilla, or even lead into one of their upcoming projects. The Monsterverse reached a new high with Godzilla vs. Kong, but we generally haven’t heard much on what the future has in store for viewers as they start their expansion into its first TV venture.

    Source: Illuminerdi, Giant Freaking Robot