Murphy's Multiverse

Author: Joseph Aberl

  • RUMOR: Star Wars’ ‘Andor’ Eyeing an August Release on Disney+

    RUMOR: Star Wars’ ‘Andor’ Eyeing an August Release on Disney+

    The news has just dropped that Ms. Marvel will release in June, which is quite a twist given how most of Disney+’s series has avoided a crossover. That was especially true for Star Wars and Marvel, but as this series will shortly follow after Obi-Wan Kenobi, it opened a whole new playing field moving forward. And it looks like it also got the attention of Bespin Bulletin, who have broken some reliable stories in the past, as they revealed that the next Star Wars series Andor might be eyeing a release in August.

    So far, we know that Disney+ will also add She-Hulk and What If…? Season 2 this year from Marvel, and the second season of The Bad Batch supposedly will also make its way to the app sometime this year. So, we might see a lot more overlap in the future as they also start expanding their productions. Pixar is also working on long-form projects that will get added and National Geographic has been pumping out quite a few original series.

    That’s all not including the core Disney series and original films that are in the pipeline. They may have been enjoying the new Wednesday release schedule but it wouldn’t be too surprising if they start setting specific days for specific brands moving forward. It’s only speculation for now but Disney+’s scheduling may look very different once 2022 comes to an end.

    Source: Twitter

  • Eiichiro Oda is “Very Involved” with Netflix’s ‘One Piece’ Adaptation

    Eiichiro Oda is “Very Involved” with Netflix’s ‘One Piece’ Adaptation

    Tomorrow Studios and Netflix have been quite busy working on a live-action adaptation of the popular One Piece manga by Eiichiro Oda. As the reception for Cowboy Bebop has been quite mixed, there have been some concerns about what to expect from the adaptation. The series has quite a few cartoony moments that some might worry won’t translate to live-action, but a very dedicated team and the lively cast have lifted spirits. A new tweet by Netflix France also highlights one of the key aspects that add to the series’ potential.

    Considering One Piece started in 1997, it has been a long road before a live-action adaptation was even attempted. The initial announcement back in 2017 came from Eiichiro Oda himself, and we would later learn from co-showrunner Matt Owens that he was also supervising the scripts. The new tweet by Netflix France was released highlighting that the mangaka is “(very) involved” in the adaptation. Here is the translation of their tweet:

    Just a little reminder that Eiichirō Oda is (very) involved in the One Piece adaptation project.

    When the initial casting announcement arrived, Oda shared a personal message on the addition and hinted that he was heavily involved with the casting process. As he created these characters and the world they live in, it makes sense that he would want to be involved as much as possible. The creative team has shared their passion for the adaptation and a constant exchange with its creators is a motiving aspect that adds that layer of authenticity to the project. While production is hinted at lasting probably up to August/September, we still have some time until we get our first real look at the adaptation.

    Source: Twitter, Twitter

  • ‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ Season 2 Already in Production

    ‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ Season 2 Already in Production

    Star Trek: Discovery introduced us to a modern take on the popular franchise while we were also getting the Kelvin timeline in movie form. Bryan Fuller and Alex Kurtzman created the series for CBS All Access, which has been rebranded as Paramount+. The series went on to run for multiple seasons with its first major spinoff titled Star Trek: Strange New Worlds set to release this May. In January, we already learned that a second season has been ordered for the spinoff.

    In the new article by Decider, we got a first look at James T. Kirk in the upcoming second season played by Vampire Diaries veteran Paul Wesley. With the first look, we also got the confirmation that they’ve already started production on the series that stars Anson Mount as Christopher Pike, who is the captain of the USS Enterprise. With the addition of Kirk, we might uncover just how he ended up taking over.

    We’ll see if the upcoming first season might lead into the introduction of Kirk, or if he’ll generally be mainly part of the second season. They have a lot of faith in these series and have been pushing forward with the additions. It’ll be interesting to see if we can expect more spinoffs moving forward and what the future has in store for Star Trek.

    Source: Decider

  • ‘Vampire Diaries’ Paul Wesley Joins ‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ Season 2 as James T. Kirk

    ‘Vampire Diaries’ Paul Wesley Joins ‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ Season 2 as James T. Kirk

    It looks like the Star Trek: Discovery spinoff has added to its cast for its second season in the form of Vampire Diaries‘ Paul Wesley. Not only will he join the cast of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds but also take on quite an important role, as he will play the series’ version of James T. Kirk. the producers have shared the following statement on his casting:

    Paul is an accomplished actor, an astonishing presence and a welcome key addition to the show. Like all of us, he is a life-long Star Trek fan and we are excited by his interpretation of this iconic role.

    Alex Kurtzman/Akiva Goldsman/Henry Alonso Myers
    paul wesley as kirk on strange new worlds

    He’s the third actor to take on the role after William Shatner made him famous before the Kelvin universe introduced a rebooted version of the character played by Chris Pine. During the timeline that this series takes place, Kirk was an instructor at the Starfleet Academy before he would take over from Pike, played by Anson Mount. It’s unclear if the project is hoping to explore his take over across multiple seasons, or he might generally take over the series as a lead.

    Either way, it’s great to see these new series explore more from the timeline and offer a glimpse at how the iconic characters that we’ve come to love became who they are. There’s a chance that he only has a temporary role in the second season, as they don’t highlight if he is a recurring guest character or part of the main cast moving forward. We’ll see if he might even have a brief appearance in the end of the first season.

    Source: Decider

  • Chloé Zhao Reflects on ‘Eternals’ Critical Reception

    Chloé Zhao Reflects on ‘Eternals’ Critical Reception

    Eternals was quite the departure for Marvel Studios, as indie darling Chloé Zhao spearheaded a project that tried to explore a very different part of the MCU. What seemed like a sure hit ended up becoming a surprisingly divisive film among its critical reception as it ended on 48% on Rotten Tomatoes. The audience reception has overall been more positive, but it definitely left its mark on the market as a curious experiment of Marvel Studios trying to break away from its usual fare.

    In an interview with Empire, the indie director looks back at the overall reception and offers her takeaway from what the melding of these two worlds may have ended up leading to its reception. She highlights generally how a general “level of comfort” has set itself within the industry for Marvel films just as well as for indie films.

    When people have that feeling, like they need to put order into things, they need to understand it by putting it into boxes… It is not about us, it is about them. And I say that lovingly, because they have a level of comfort [with] how their entertainment and their world – their beloved Marvel, or their beloved indie filmmaker – functions. That’s the order of the logic of their world that’s being disturbed. So I appreciate their passion, to try to make sense of it.

    Chloé Zhao

    She then goes on to highlight that the melding of these two worlds has just ended up adding different perspectives that may take away something or not. She highlights those that look for that conflict, while also discussing that making people “uncomfortable” pushes their project forward.

    So I completely understand the divisiveness coming from critics and the fans. Because when you take this to extremes that are seen as opposition – the world I come from and the world of Marvel, that has been divided in a way that’s so unfair and unfortunate – and to merge the way we did, I actually see the reaction as a testament to how much we had merged with each other; how uncomfortable that might make people feel.

    Chloé Zhao

    Overall, the viewer reception has been stronger than the critical one, but you can definitely see that some have taken away different things from this film. I’ve personally tended to call it an indie film with a Marvel coating due to the way it focuses more on character moments rather than the usual bombastic fair–the final being the exception to that rule. One could also argue that some actors didn’t fully sell their characters as much as they could’ve due to an enlarged cast on top of a very exposition-heavy film. It’s still interesting to hear the director’s thoughts and we’ll see if the film might get a second life later down the line.

    Source: Empire

  • Kevin Feige Debunks Rumors on Why Scott Derrickson Exited the ‘Doctor Strange’ Sequel

    Kevin Feige Debunks Rumors on Why Scott Derrickson Exited the ‘Doctor Strange’ Sequel

    We’re all excited to see what the future has in store for the ever-expanding Marvel multiverse with Sam Raimi‘s premiere MCU film, Doctor Strange in the Multiverseof Madness. Yet, at one point this project was going to be in the hands of director Scott Derrickson, who introduced the character with the first solo title. Sadly, it seemed that creative differences led to him exiting the project. Naturally, that got the rumor mill going on his take being “too scary” as he wanted to dive into a more horror-themed entry.

    Luckily, in the latest Empire magazine, while promoting the film Marvel Studios CEO Kevin Feige also takes a look back at what could’ve been. He doesn’t give away any details, but once again highlights that the reason Derrickson left was due to creative differences, but they were all-in for the “creepier side” of the MCU. So, he is debunking any rumors on the horror aspect being the reason they went their separate ways. His full quote is as follows:

    We love Scott and I think Scott feels the same. Nobody believes it, but it was just creative differences. There’s been some thought that that was the creative difference with Scott and Marvel, and it was not. Because we love that idea. The intention was that Strange would guide us into a much creepier side of the world

    Kevin Feige

    The director has opened up on the matter some time ago, where he highlighted that he’d be open to returning to the franchise to direct another entry. He’s also still in a producing role on the project, so he didn’t leave it with ill intent and also shared his love for the horror veteran Raimi taking over the project. Disney+ is adding Halloween specials with the first potentially focusing on Werewolf by Night. So, maybe it’s his gateway to explore more horror-themed projects in the MCU if he ever desired to return.

    Source: Empire via The Direct

  • ‘Watchmen’s Damon Lindelof May Be Working on a ‘Star Wars’ Film

    ‘Watchmen’s Damon Lindelof May Be Working on a ‘Star Wars’ Film

    While Star Wars has been dominating Disney+, Lucasfilm has seemingly felt a bit aimless when it came to their film ventures. We’re still waiting on any update for any of their announce films, especially with many rumors hinting that Patty Jenkins‘ Rogue Squadron is being postponed indefinitely. Well, according to The Ankler it seems that Lost co-creator and the mastermind behind HBO’s Watchmen series may be working on an unnamed Star Wars film.

    Keep in mind, that we’ve had a variety of announcements or hints at projects that never ended up picking up steam over at Lucasfilm. Rian Johnson had a new trilogy planned before it was just forgotten. Game of Thrones creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss were also going to take control over an unnamed project that was also left on the wayside. So, even if he is brainstorming a project it sadly isn’t a definite moving forward.

    The only other confirmed film based in a galaxy far far away would be the one in development by Taika Waititi. Outside of a short logo tease during Disney’s Investor’s Day back in 2020, we’ve heard barely anything on the project. While they have been starting production on various Disney+ series, here’s hoping that they might finally get into the flow of letting projects enter some form of production. A recent reveal has hinted that Rogue Squadron may still be eyeing a 2023 release, but there’s no word on when production starts. So, here’s hoping we get an update sooner rather than later.

    Source: The Ankler via IGN

  • Samuel L. Jackson Has Talked to ‘The Mandalorian’s Bryce Dallas Howard on a Return as Mace Windu

    Samuel L. Jackson Has Talked to ‘The Mandalorian’s Bryce Dallas Howard on a Return as Mace Windu

    No one wants Mace Windu to return to Star Wars more than Samuel L. Jackson. He’s been very vocal about a potential return in the role and has actively campaigned that he can wield his purple lightsaber again. There are quite a few theories that he survived his encounter with Palpatine, who used force lightning to push him out of the window. Yet, we’re still waiting for any news on a potential return.

    It seems the actor has also been getting impatient and seemingly already discussed a potential return with director Bryce Dallas Howard, who has made a significant contribution to The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett. It seems that she is also on board to have him return.

    Definitely. There’s a huge history of people with one hand returning in Star Wars… The only person I’ve ever said that to about coming back was Bryce Dallas Howard, ’cause I just did a movie with her. And she directs episodes of The Mandalorian, so, ‘You think you might be able to hook a brother up? I mean you like me, right?’ She’s like, ‘I love you, you’re amazing!’ So, ‘Put me back in there… Put me in coach, I’m ready!’ You know, I’ll learn to lightsaber left-handed. Come on, hook me up.

    Samuel L. Jackson

    There have been quite a few theories that it was Mace Windu that saved Grogu from the Clone Troopers’ enacting Order 66. Not only would it be fitting with a wounded Windu trying his best to save one of the surviving Padawans, but it would also open up for a curious reunion in the upcoming third season. Of course, as the actor will also be leading the Secret Invasion Disney+ series, he certainly could lead his own spinoff series. We all can agree that we want to see him get his purple lightsaber back.

    Source: Happy Sad Confused Podcast via The Direct

  • Latest Empire Issue Confirms the Name Illuminati for ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’

    Latest Empire Issue Confirms the Name Illuminati for ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’

    The latest Empire magazine has finally found its way online and it seemingly includes some curious details about Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. What may be the biggest reveal is that the article finally names the mysterious multiversal organization that captures Doctor Strange at some point in the film. While it seemed like it was inspired by the comics organization called Illuminati, it seemed that producer Richie Palmer was hesitant to call them by that name.

    I will say that I love the Illuminati. But if we ever introduce the Illuminati in the future, it might be more MCU-driven and have some more ties to our characters in the MCU, versus just replicating what’s in the comics.

    Richie Palmer

    Yet, the latest Empire issue may have accidentally confirmed that it is, in fact, the Illuminati that we know from the comics with a brief mention in the captions as the organization that Strange is facing for his crimes against the multiverse. It’s the exact same scene that we see in the trailer, where we hear the familiar voice of Patrick Stewart.

    Stewart was shy on confirming that the Super Bowl trailer voice was his, but would eventually confirm it. We still don’t know exactly who the members are of the Illuminati, but it does seem safe to assume that a Variant of Iron Man and Captain Marvel is part of the team. It would be fun to see other familiar faces from older Marvel projects, or even characters you would least expect. It’s curious that Empire would just use the name while producers are shy on using the name, but with reshoots currently ongoing who knows if that name might not even survive the final cut.

    Source: Twitter, Empire

  • Denis Villeneuve Offers Update on ‘Dune: Part Two’

    Denis Villeneuve Offers Update on ‘Dune: Part Two’

    After making quite the splash at the box office, Denis Villeneuve‘s Dune has gone on to also become somewhat of an awards darling. Of course, many are quite focused on what the future has in store for the franchise. There have been hints that WarnerMedia is interested in expanding the franchise as its own cinematic universe, but most eyes are currently on Dune: Part Two, which will continue the story of Paul Atreides after being stranded in the dunes of Arrakis.

    In an interview with Collider, director Denis Villeneuve has confirmed that they’ve wrapped up work on the screenplay, while still highlighting that it consistently changes throughout the production. As such, they are currently preparing to start production already.

    The screenplay is finished mostly, but it’s always a work in progress. It’ll be a work in progress until final cut, but I will say it’s solidified. I have a script in my hands. We are in prep right now.

    Denis Villeneuve

    It makes sense that they’d fast-track the project as it’s supposed to release next year already. Villeneuve has hinted in the past that they’ve already prepared most of the work, and he kept it open to just jump back into this world and start production on the sequel. He is interested in tackling it as a trilogy with the second book becoming the third entry. Dune‘s original release was split up into two films due to just how much the story generally explores. So, it’ll be interesting to see how these films connect.

    Source: Collider