Murphy's Multiverse

Author: Joseph Aberl

  • RUMOR: Leaked ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ LEGO Set May Confirm the Appearance of [SPOILER] and [SPOILER]

    RUMOR: Leaked ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ LEGO Set May Confirm the Appearance of [SPOILER] and [SPOILER]

    Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness might be surrounded by the most rumors of any Marvel Studios project so far. With how Spider-Man: No Way Home offered the return of many iconic characters from the franchise’s past, it seemed löike everything is possible for the multiverse traveling film heading to theaters in May. Now, it looks like a leaked LEGO set named “The Sanctum Sanctorum” may be adding some fuel to the fire on who might appear in the upcoming film.

    If this rumor turns out to be true, it may spoil the experience for those wanting to enter the film blind. So, only continue at your own risk.

    The 2,708-piece model will include the usual sets of Minifigures from characters inspired by the upcoming movie. The last one featuring Gargantos included Strange, Wong, and the new MCU addition of America Chavez. Yet, it seems this new large set will include two rather interesting Minifigure additions. As the listing includes Iron Man and Spider-Man in the Sanctum Sanctorum fighting alongside three versions of Strange, Baron Mordo, and Wanda Maximoff. Now, these sets are never a one-to-one representation of what happens in the film, their inclusion is still quite noteworthy.

    Let’s start off with Iron Man. There’s been a lot of theories going around the upcoming film may including a Variant inspired by the Superior Iron-Man, especially with how the returning Ultron Sentry seems to have a design similar to his from the comics. Not only that, there have been rumors that it may not be Robert Downey Jr. but Tom Cruise in the role, as he was in the running for the 2008 film. The former has technically left the franchise behind after Tony Stark’s death in Avengers: Endgame.

    The big addition is that Spider-Man is included in the set, especially with there being rumors that No Way Home would open up the possibility of one of the Variants to make a return in a future entry. There’s no confirmation who it might end up being, but given that Strange no longer knows who Peter Parker is, it’ll be interesting to see him interact with the character again. Of course, it being a Sam Raimi film, it would seem fitting if Tobey Maguire returns once again in the role as a nice reunion. We’ll see once photos of the set find their way online if they tease which designs the LEGO set takes inspiration from to further add to these rumors.

    Source: Brickfanatic

  • ‘Peacemaker’s Justice League Cameo Included Henry Cavill’s Superman Suit

    ‘Peacemaker’s Justice League Cameo Included Henry Cavill’s Superman Suit

    Just a few days ago, we got the season finale of Peacemaker which gave us a heartfelt and action-packed ride. Yet, many are still talking about the surprise cameos by the Justice League. We saw Aquaman, the Flash, Wonder Woman, and Superman arrive to save the day, but they were too late at that time. Jason Momoa and Ezra Miller were the only members to make an actual return with the others kept in the shadows. A stand-in actor shared a first look at what would’ve been a Batman costume and confirmed that he alongside a Cyborg stand-in were cut from the scene.

    Now, actor Brad Abramenko has shared a look at the Superman costume that was used for the scene and confirms that it was indeed Henry Cavill‘s Superman. There’s been a lot of debate on if the actor would eventually return to the role, but his inclusion may further give some hope that DC will see the return of the Man of Steel that started the current rendition of the DCEU. You can check out his costume here:

    It was hard to make out in the darkness, but it seems they went with the more colorful version of Cavill‘s Superman suit for the shot. That was the version used in Joss Whedon‘s take of Justice League that may still be deemed canon. The Flash will rewrite our understanding of this franchise after a quick trip through the multiverse. That’s the theory on why Batman and Cyborg were absent given who knows where this series takes place. For now, we’ll have to wait but it’s great to get a confirmation.

    Source: Instagram

  • Master Chief Will Take his Helmet Off in Paramount+’s ‘Halo’

    Master Chief Will Take his Helmet Off in Paramount+’s ‘Halo’

    This news might not be to the liking of long-time Halo fans, as the upcoming Paramount+ series will make one major change to the character of Master Chief. For a long time, the Spartan infamously never took off his helmet. Yet, it seems that the creators behind the series plan to break that tradition, as revealed by executive producer and 343’s Studio Head of Transmedia, Kiki Wolfkill during IGN’s Fan Fest.

    I think we set out to tell a character story and a personal story. And once we really got into what that story was, it became clear that you really needed to see the person in the armour and under the helmet.

    Kiki Wolfkill

    There have been many mysteries on what he might look like. Yet, the expectation after being a mystery for a long time might also lead to some concerns by fans of the franchise. It makes sense they want to remove the helmet, as even our favorite superheroes have the habit of taking off their masks repeatedly throughout their projects. She goes on to highlight that:

    For some people, it’s been a moment 20 years in the making, and for other people it is something that feels very hard to imagine. We absolutely respect both sides of that fence, those who really want to see Chief’s face and those who really don’t. But for the nature of this story, it felt really important to connect with the Master Chief in a different way, and that meant showing the face.

    Kiki Wolfkill

    In a way, the official poster kind of hinted at this very revealing. He’s seen holding the helmet in his hand, but we might’ve not expected that they’d reveal his face. We already know Pablo Schreiber is playing the character but if they are making a big deal out of it, who knows if he might have some prosthetics to make him look different. With the developers behind the latest Halo game involved with the project, this confirms they also signed off on this decision. We’ll have to see how they tackle this.

    Source: IGN

  • Disney+’s Website May Hint at Star Heading to the US

    Disney+’s Website May Hint at Star Heading to the US

    Disney+ has entered the competitive streaming market as the “family-friendly” offering filled to the brim with iconic IPs from the Disney library. Purchasing 20th Century Fox helped them expand it, but the limitations were starting to show themselves. Netflix and Amazon don’t have that restriction and can reach a wider audience as a result. We’ve seen Disney start to break away from its initial focus with some of its Hulu offerings, Black-ish, Grown–ish, The Wonder Years, and the Korean original series Snowdrop, heading to its service. Yet, there’s a chance they might be considering adding the Star branding to their US market.

    As noticed initially by What’s on DisneyPlus, the US home page featuring the bundle offerings of Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ include a visual highlighting its offerings from the streaming service. Yet, what stands out is that the Star logo has also been included. There’s a chance that the service might be moving away from being split up into three but rather meld it into the Disney+ branding.

    Of course, the oddity of the Star branding being included lies in the fact that Hulu mainly takes over that function in the US. It’s unclear if they might test the waters with its inclusion, especially with a lot of confusion with what shows are being offered to the US or Europe. Star was launched last year for European markets and some Hulu series, such as the upcoming The Kardashians series, getting Disney+ branding but only for the European markets. The image has been taken down since but it’s inclusion is still curious if it’s nothing more than just an odd mistake.

    There have been hints that they are trying to include more products into their flagship streaming service, and it does open up the question of how far they might go with the new plans. Hulu now offers ways to directly access ESPN+ – another separate streaming service. They’ve also been testing live-streaming options which add to the possibility of Disney trying to diversify themselves from other streaming services more and more. We’ll have to wait but we might not find out until the next Investor’s Day presentation or even Disney+ day later this year.

    Source: Disney+ via What’s on DisneyPlus, Verge, The Direct

  • RUMOR: Jon Watts in Talks to Direct an Episode of the Mystery ‘Star Wars’ Series

    RUMOR: Jon Watts in Talks to Direct an Episode of the Mystery ‘Star Wars’ Series

    Here’s a rather curious story, as Discussing Film has unveiled that Spider-man: No Way Home’s Jon Watts may be in talks to tackle a Disney+ series. What’s interesting is that it’s not just any of the announced series, but the mystery project that has been teased as Star Wars‘ take on Stranger Things. They’ve also included that Jon Favreau would return to executive produce the project, which still has no title or official release date. We’ve recently heard that they are interested in starting production in June, which would make sense if they are actively looking for directors now.

    The director has quite a tight schedule moving forward, as he’s set to tackle the Fantastic Four film for Marvel Studios, has an Apple TV+ thriller that has no set production start. He’s no stranger to directing TV projects, as he also worked on Jeff Bridges‘ The Old Man project. He’s also not the first Marvel Studios director to tackle a Star Wars project, as – excluding Jon Favreau who started the Disney+ renaissance with The Mandalorian – Taika Waititi and Peyton Reed also were involved with the project.

    We still know very little bout this project with hints being that it takes place during the High Republic and will focus on a group of young kids. It was compared to Stranger Things for its approach. If production does start in June, we might get an announcement in the coming months, especially as Lucasfilm has been rather quiet on its upcoming projects. The only thing we know about is that Obi-Wan Kenobi will release in May. It would seem fitting they unveil their plans during May 4th’s Star Wars Day. We’ll have to wait and see.

    Source: Discussing Film

  • Original ‘Power Rangers’ Cast Not Involved With Upcoming Netflix Reboot

    Original ‘Power Rangers’ Cast Not Involved With Upcoming Netflix Reboot

    We’ve heard very little about the upcoming Power Rangers series that is currently in development for Netflix. Jonathan Entwistle was hired to create not only a new film but also various TV series that would establish a Power Rangers Cinematic Universe for the streamer. We’ve heard very little about it since, or even any timings for when we can expect its release, but a recent tweet may have hinted that the new adaptation won’t include the original cast.

    Amy Jo Johnson, who played the original Pink Ranger when Mighty Morphin Power Rangers was released in 1993, took to tWitter to complain that a new “Power Ranger universe” wasn’t including the original actors. In a way, it implies that none of the original actors from the series that started it all have been contacted to consult on the project.

    It’s strange they wouldn’t consult them at all, especially Jason David Frank who has stuck with the franchise for quite some time now. Yet, there’s also the possibility they are trying to go in fresh as this might be a more adult take on what’s come before. It seemed like they may be adapting the Shattered Grid storyline, which re-popularized Power Rangers in the modern consciousness but that multiverse storyline would benefit from the original actors’ involvement.

    Her tweeting it is certainly strange, and we’ll see if more comes out of this, but for now, we can only speculate. Amy Jo Johnson has been busy as of late, as she made a name for herself as a director, most notably directing an episode of Superman and Lois. So, it would be a shame if she didn’t get a chance to direct an episode of the new Power Rangers franchise and leave her stamp on the new generation.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘Peacemaker’s Finale is HBO Max’s Best Performing Single-Day Release

    ‘Peacemaker’s Finale is HBO Max’s Best Performing Single-Day Release

    Peacemaker just wrapped its season finale, and it looks like the show is quite the success for HBO Max. James Gunn took to Twitter to not only thank the fans for their love towards the project but also to highlight that it was the biggest single-day performance for an original production. It was able to even pull in 44% more viewers than the premiere episode, which isn’t a common occurrence with these streaming series.

    https://twitter.com/JamesGunn/status/1494772448503508995

    It’s crazy to think how such an unknown character has managed to rise up the ranks, especially as the first DCEU-connected original show. John Cena and the entire cast offered a very down-to-earth experience that redefined our look at heroism in a series that tricks you by making you think it’s just a comedy. Seeing that the finale was able to push even stronger numbers than its initial premiere is quite impressive, as most shows see a drop in viewership over their runtime.

    Still, it continues to prove that weekly releases are an asset for most shows, as each week Peacewalker was the buzz of the town. Netflix still remains firm with its binge approach but also forces its hands into offering a lot of content within smaller time windows. Who knows, perhaps the development will push all streaming services to embrace the weekly schedule.

    Source: Twitter

  • RUMOR: ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ RPG and MMORPG in Development

    RUMOR: ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ RPG and MMORPG in Development

    Avatar: The Last Airbender has quite a few big years ahead. Netflix is working on a live-action series, Nickelodeon formed a new production studio that primarily focuses on the franchise, and it looks like a new rumor is hinting that some more games are also in some form of development. Avatar News, who have shared some insights on various projects in the past, has revealed that not one but four projects are currently in development.

    The big news story is that one of the projects is hinted at as a “console RPG” but it’s uncertain what the gameplay style might end up being. Action RPGs are quite popular and would fit the universe, but it’s uncertain if they might go a similar route to Hogwarts Legacy, but they believe that it may include characters from the original Avatar: The Last Airbender series.

    The second project is an MMORPG. No more details could be shared, but it seems these projects have been in development for some time. These two projects joined one mystery title and the Square-Enix mobile game that was announced some time ago. If the rumor is to believe, we might get more details in the near future as they might be quite far into development at this point.

    I have high hopes for an RPG in this universe, especially if you can master different types of bending. A high-budget action RPG would be a fitting game addition as you start to master the different techniques. They don’t know who might be involved with the projects, but there are definitely some studios that would offer a fantastic game based on the franchise. So, here’s hoping that announcement truly is just around the corner.

    Source: Avatar News

  • Peter Billingsley Finds His ‘A Christmas Story’ Sequel Family

    Peter Billingsley Finds His ‘A Christmas Story’ Sequel Family

    The upcoming legacy sequel A Christmas Story Christmas sees the return of Peter Billingsley in the role of Ralphie. The story follows an adult version of the character, who is trying to give his children that special Christmas he had all that time ago. While we recently learned that a few of the cast are returning, it looks like the film has found his family as Erinn Hayes, River Drosche, and Julianna Layne join the production as his wife and two kids.

    It’s still cute to see this Christmas classic return and it’ll be interesting to see if his children will end up as the main protagonists of this story similar to how Billingsley was back in the day. Of course, they may echo quite a few iconic moments, such as the pink bunny suit. The only trouble with these legacy sequels lies in the fact that they tend to get overshadowed by nostalgia. So, here’s hoping the classic can pave its own path without being weighed down by the original.

    Source: Deadline

  • Olivia Munn, Jessie T. Usher, and More Join ‘Tales of the Walking Dead’

    Olivia Munn, Jessie T. Usher, and More Join ‘Tales of the Walking Dead’

    The cast of the upcoming Walking Dead anthology spinoff continues to grow, as they add some pretty big names to further explore the many corners of a zombie-filled world. IN a new piece by TV Insider, it seems that the series had added Olivia Munn, Danny Ramirez, Jessie T. Usher, Loan Chabanol, and Embeth Davidtz to the upcoming series.

    They join an ever-expanding cast that will include a variety of new faces and were teased to include some familiar ones as well. So, who knows who else might make an appearance throughout the show’s runtime. So far, the series has added Cowboy Bebop‘s Daniella Pineda, Anthony Edwards, Jilian Bell, Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s Terry Crews, and many more.

    We’ll see just how big the cast might grow, as they start preparing to enter production. It’s unclear if they’ll announce any of the recurring cast, as they might be included as a surprise to keep viewers on their toes throughout its runtime. There’s also no set timeline for the anthology series. It would be curious to see just how much more they might reveal.

    It’s crazy to think how large the series based on a zombie apocalypse would grow over all these years. Such a simple concept – based on a pre-existing comic series – offered many more avenues for creatives to explore and shows just how much potential there is with a simple concept. It’ll be interesting to see just how far AMC might push the franchise moving forward.

    Source: