Murphy's Multiverse

Author: Joseph Aberl

  • New ‘Kraven the Hunter’ Set Photos Offer First Close-Up of Aaron Taylor-Johnson

    New ‘Kraven the Hunter’ Set Photos Offer First Close-Up of Aaron Taylor-Johnson

    It was back in March when we got our first look at the production of Sony’s Kraven the Hunter film. Their next attempt at a Spider-Man universe is well underway in production and sees former Quicksilver Aaron Taylor-Johnson taking on the role of the titular hunter. We only saw an action sequence of him holding unto a car. Now, JustJared has shared a few new photos that offer a better close-up of the actor in the iconic Marvel villain role.

    As we can’t share photos from JustJared, you can check them out by clicking here.

    What stands out is that he has the classic beard of the hunter, as well as hair that is similar to the comics. The image of him in a suit showcases that he has a necklace with a claw of some kind attached, which is probably a way to pay tribute to his necklace in the comics that usually consists of multiple claws. His other outfit seems a bit more militarized with the necklace and a strange brown bracelet on one of his wrists. It’s unclear what the event is that he is attending.

    We don’t know if we’ll get to see Kraven wear his iconic fur coat made from a lion he hunted. There’s a lot we don’t know about this project, especially how they might explore his potential connection to the setup from Morbius‘ post-credit sequence. The fact they are building a team to take down Spider-man without ever interacting with the character does add some confusion to what the endgame of this universe may end up being, especially as we don’t know which Spider-Man exists in this timeline.

    Source: JustJared

  • ‘Killing Eve’s Ayoola Smart Joins ‘The Wheel of Time’ Season 2

    ‘Killing Eve’s Ayoola Smart Joins ‘The Wheel of Time’ Season 2

    Amazon Prime has entered the fantasy genre with its latest adaptation in the form of The Wheel of Time. Agents of SHIELD and Chuck writer Rafe Judkins is showrunning the series and revealed during a panel at JordanCon 2022 that they’ve added Killing Eve‘s Ayooola Smart to the cast of the upcoming second season.

    She’ll take on the role of Aviendha, a Wise One of the Nine Valleys sept of the Taardad Aiel. Not only that, but she’s also one of the three lovers of Rand al’Thor. Her role is planned as a recurring role and joins after the castings of Guy Roberts, Gregg Chillingirian, and Arnas Fedaravicius.

    The actress made a splash with her work as Audrey in the third season of Killing Eve. She’s also appeared in 2018’s Juliet, Naked, the Death in Paradise series, and Smother. She joins an extensive cast that includes Rosamund Pike as Moiraine, a member of a female organization called the Aes Sedai, who embarks on a dangerous journey to uncover who will become the Dragon Reborn, who will have the fate of humanity in their hand.

    Currently, Uta Briesewitz, who also acts as an executive producer on the series, is set to direct the first two episodes. Pike also has a producing role with Harriet McDougal and Brandon Sanderson attached as consulting producers.

    Source: Deadline

  • ‘Pig’ Director Michael Sarnoski to Adapt ‘Sabrina’ Graphic Novel

    ‘Pig’ Director Michael Sarnoski to Adapt ‘Sabrina’ Graphic Novel

    Here’s an interesting surprise as it looks like Michael Sarnoski, the director of the Nicholas Cage-led film Pig, will be quite busy soon. In January, we learned that he was in talks to direct A Quiet Place spinoff. Yet, it looks like he has already set his eyes on another project, as Deadline has just reported that he is going to adapt the graphic novel, Sabrina. He’s currently set to write and direct the feature film based on Nick Drnaso‘s work with New Regency and RT Features involved.

    While I made the mistake of thinking it might be related to Sabrina Spellman, the graphic novel is about a man whose girlfriend went missing. After moving in with an old friend from the Air Force, a strange videotape finds its way online and goes viral. Sabrina’s vanishment becomes a headline and the two become the focus of conspiracy theorists going wild with theories on what really happened that day.

    Sarnoski made quite the splash with his work on Pig, which was a critical and audience darling when it was released. He even received the National Board of Review Award for Best Directorial Debut. So, it’s no wonder that people are lining up to get him to tackle their next project. We haven’t heard much on his A Quiet Place spinoff. So, we’ll see what his schedule will look like in the near future.

    Source: Deadline

  • Netflix No Longer Developing ‘Bright’ Sequel

    Netflix No Longer Developing ‘Bright’ Sequel

    We’ve long wondered what exactly happened to the sequel of Bright. The 2017 film starring Will Smith and Joel Edgerton may haven’t received a lot of critical acclaims, but it was still one of Netflix’s most-streamed films at the time. Many were wondering when the sequel of the modern take on a fantasy world would end up starting production, but it seemingly kept getting dragged out. Sadly, it seems that Netflix has pulled the plug on the project.

    Will Smith has been losing one project after another due to the infamous slap during the Oscars. It turns out, however, that Bright’s cancelation has nothing to do with it. In a post by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw in relation to an article where National Geographic delayed their nature series starring Smith, he highlighted that Bright was abandoned for unrelated reasons.

    Of course, this opens up the question of why they’d pass on the project. They just released Bright: Samurai Soul last year, which was an animated spinoff of the film. Perhaps they are looking to continue the franchise through that medium, as demand and costs for Smith would otherwise blow up the production costs.

    Yet, you’d think that one of their most successful films would end up getting a sequel. Sadly, Netflix has developed this habit of swiftly canceling its projects which may have played a part in its current troubles.

    Source: Bloomberg, Twitter

  • ‘Multiverse of Madness’ Michael Waldron on the Challenges of the Multiverse and Keeping the Focus on Doctor Strange

    ‘Multiverse of Madness’ Michael Waldron on the Challenges of the Multiverse and Keeping the Focus on Doctor Strange

    Michael Waldron is the mastermind not only behind Loki but also the upcoming Doctor Strange sequel, Multiverse of Madness. He’ll explore the multiverse that he unleashed, but is very aware of the true dangers of exploring this kind of storyline. It offers the endless possibility, especially if you lose focus along the way on why exactly you’re telling the story. Yet, the unique scenario also lends itself to create a unique character study.

    The danger is you can expand your scope too wide, and you can actually reduce the stakes if you don’t make it personal as you go bigger and wider. But the opportunity in the multiverse is to have characters confront literal ‘What ifs?’ and alternate versions of themselves and perhaps others in their lives. It’s an interesting way to hold up a mirror to characters

    Michael Waldron

    He highlights that this is definitely a “Doctor Strange’s story above all else,” which may help some that were getting worried after the recent statement by Bruce Campbell, where he jokingly referenced that Benedict Cumberbatch may not know if he’s even in the film, as director Sam Raimi had to adapt some elements due to story consistency.

    In every way, it shapes the emotional heart of the story. It has to. The multiverse isn’t just a MacGuffin where we’re like, ‘Okay, this is just a kitschy thing that we’re playing with in this movie.’ If you’re faced with alternate realities and with alternate versions of yourself that has to become the emotional heart, exploring who you might be if you were a different version of yourself, if you made other choices, the right choices or the wrong choices. It’s complex stuff, emotionally, and that’s exactly why it’s so thrilling and so great for a cast as dramatically talented as this one.

    Michael Waldron

    He also highlighted that he rewatched the first film multiple times to ensure that this is definitely his story even with all the multiverse shenanigans going on. It’s certainly promising to see how Strange faces the What Ifs of his Variants and how that might affect his future.

    Source: SFX

  • Paul Bettany Expects to Put on Vision’s “Tights and Cloak” Again

    Paul Bettany Expects to Put on Vision’s “Tights and Cloak” Again

    There have been many theories that the inclusion of Wanda Maximoff in Doctor Strange in the Multiverseof Madness might also see the potential appearance of Paul Bettany‘s Vision. While we saw a white version of the character fly off in WandaVision, we haven’t heard much about what the future has in store for him. Luckily, Entertainment Weekly got a chance to talk to him and he hinted that he expects to return as Vision in the near future.

    No, the honest answer to that is — well maybe it’s not the honest answer, but it’s the answer I’m going to give you and you’ll just have to cope with it — at the end of WandaVision, you see Vision fly off and that’s a loose end. And Kevin Feige is a man who doesn’t really allow loose ends. So I assume at some point I will be putting on my tights and cloak for another outing, but I don’t know when that might be.

    Paul Bettany

    Of course, it’s quite vague and no one knows exactly when we might expect him. The actor has been busy with A Very British Scandal but a potential return in the near future certainly seems to be on the table. perhaps he already got whispers on what to expect and is playing coy, especially when he highlighted that Feige doesn’t like to keep loose ends. So, we’ll see what they might have in store for us and the Vision’s new path to self-discovery.

    Source: Entertainment Weekly

  • Disney+ Netherlands May Hint at a June Release for Daredevil & Co. in Europe

    Disney+ Netherlands May Hint at a June Release for Daredevil & Co. in Europe

    Only a few weeks after the Marvel Netflix series left their original service, they found. new home on Disney+. Yet, international viewers sadly missed out as some select markets didn’t receive the update. Some believed that it could be due to the Star branding becoming the go-to for most of Marvel’s more mature offerings like Logan or Deadpool. So, we’ve been anxiously awaiting any news on when we might expect these series. Luckily, it seems that a new e-mail from Disney+ Netherlands, as shared by Twitter user @heli5m, hints that the Netflix series are getting a June 29th release after all.

    https://twitter.com/heli5m/status/1517138529301590016

    When we first learned about the Disney+ series getting added to the service in the US, it came through an e-mail provided by Canadian subscribers. It’s unsure why exactly there’s such a delayed release for specific markets, as they also have access to the Star branding. There’s a chance that some song licenses had to be renewed for those markets, or there were some aspects of the international markets that made the complete transfer of the rights a bit more complicated.

    We can’t fully take this as a confirmation, but it is our first hint at a release within those markets that has been sorely lacking. When the first news dropped for the US release, there was radio silence on their expansion, especially with something that seemed like an easy thing to release worldwide. Still, we might get an official trailer or announcement in the near future to confirm.

    Source: Twitter

  • RUMOR: Laura Donnelly May Be Playing Elsa Bloodstone in the Untitled ‘Werewolf by Night’ Halloween Special

    RUMOR: Laura Donnelly May Be Playing Elsa Bloodstone in the Untitled ‘Werewolf by Night’ Halloween Special

    It’s still weird to think that Marvel Studios has already started work on their Werewolf by Night Halloween special but still hasn’t officially announced the project in any capacity. The Disney+ special will see composer Michael Giacchino take on directing duties for the project. It has gone silent since, as Marvel Studios tries to keep as much a secret as possible. Yet, a new rumor seems to hint that actress Laura Donnelly, famous for her work on The Nevers, has joined the project in a role that comic fans will be happy to hear about.

    It was in January when we learned that she joined Gael Garcia Bernal in the series, who will play Jack Russell or the famous Werewolf by Night. At the time, she was believed to be Russel’s niece Nina Price who was a vampire and werewolf hybrid. Now, Cosmic Circus is reporting that she may be playing a different character altogether. According to them, she’ll play the famous monster huntress Elsa Bloodstone, a popular character fans have been hoping to see join the Marvel Cinematic Universe at some point.

    It does beg the question of which one of the two rumored characters she might end up playing. We have to keep in mind that the Halloween special currently has no official title and Werewolf by Night was simply attributed due to the lack of one and it focuses on Russel. So, we might get a better picture once they do officially announce as the project is currently still eyeing a release this Halloween. Bloodstone does make a good choice as we start to explore the darker, Universal Monster-inspired side of the universe and it’ll be interesting to see if the special is also there to set up the seeds for the Midnight Sons moving foward.

    Source: Cosmic Circus

  • New ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ Merch May Confirm Mighty Thor’s Comic-Accurate Origin

    New ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ Merch May Confirm Mighty Thor’s Comic-Accurate Origin

    When it was first announced that Natalie Portman would take on the role of Mighty Thor in the Thor: Love and Thunder, it not only had many cheering but also raised some questions. Given the heavy subject matter of her storyline in the comics, it did raise the question if the Marvel Cinematic Universe would also explore her battle with cancer. It seems that a new piece of merchandise may have given us the answer to that very question.

    The Mighty Thor’s Helmet (Thor: Love and Thunder) Replica | Marvel Movie Museum

    Eagle Moss shared a replica of Mighty Thor’s helmet. While the collector’s item already stands out on its own, what caught our eye was the description included. Not only does it give us our first glimpse into her storyline and how Mjolnir is restored, but also confirms that Jane Foster is suffering from cancer in the upcoming film. The description is as follows:

    Suffering from cancer, astrophysicist and Thor’s ex-girlfriend, Jane Foster, visited New Asgard and her life was changed forever. Mysteriously, the broken pieces of Mjolnir, the hammer of the thunder god, transformed her into the Mighty Thor and gifted her the superpowers of Thor, to battle threats internal and external. Wielding Mjolnir herself, she had become a godly protector and a new hero was born!

    So, it seems they are following the comic storyline quite closely. It does make you wonder how they’ll tackle it and how it may intertwine with Thor’s story of trying to retire from superhero-ing. Perhaps their paths cross and we uncover just what may have affected the growth inside her. Given that the Aether used her as its host, they may tie that storyline back to Thor: The Dark World and Thor takes a certain responsibility for what happened to her. Perhaps the next trailer offers a few more teases of how that plot line will come together, or even if they tease who is behind the mask.

    Source: EagleMoss

  • Don’t Expect Johnny Depp to Ever Return to ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’

    Don’t Expect Johnny Depp to Ever Return to ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’

    Johnny Depp is currently on a trial with Amber Heard due o the allegations made against the actor years ago. It dragged down his image and led to him losing quite a few roles, which included getting replaced in the Fantastic Beasts: Secrets of Dumbledore and even a sixth Pirates of the Caribbean film. At one point, it was rumored that Margot Robbie joined the franchise but we haven’t gotten an update on that in quite some time. He states that the film hasn’t been produced and is in “dangle mode” since he was dropped from the project by Disney.

    He went on to highlight that even though they’ve distanced themselves from the actor, it never stopped the company from using the character he played in their various merchandise and rides. In last year’s E3 event we even got the reveal of Jack Sparrow and elements from Pirates of the Carribbean being added to the popular pirate game Sea of Thieves, which he certainly had no say in considering he brought the character to life.

    They didn’t remove my character from the rides. They didn’t stop selling dolls of Captain Jack Sparrow. They didn’t stop selling anything. They just didn’t want there to be something trailing behind me that they’d find.

    Johnny Depp

    It definitely left some deep scars, especially with the general effect these allegations have had on his career. When asked if he’d return to work on a new entry if Disney offered him “$300 million and a million alpacas” he’d still refused to return to the franchise. It’s a harsh statement but an understandable one given the way how the events unfold. For now, if Disney decides to move forward with the franchise, they won’t be able to rely on Jack Sparrow to keep the boat afloat.

    Source: Variety