Murphy's Multiverse

Author: Joseph Aberl

  • New ‘Hawkeye’ Featurette Includes Comic-Accurate Costume During LARP Scene

    New ‘Hawkeye’ Featurette Includes Comic-Accurate Costume During LARP Scene

    Here’s a curious way to reveal a comic-accurate design for Clint Barton’s Hawkeye comic costume. Many lamented that the LARP – short for Live Action Role-Playing – sequence didn’t force our favorite archer into a costume that is closer to one from the comics. Well, it turns out that a member of the game was going to wear the costume in the Disney+ series, as revealed in a new featurette on the segment. He appears early on and seemingly was cut at some point of the production, but perhaps they have plans for the costume later down the line if they didn’t want to include it here, or it just took away from his interactions with Grills.

    Here’s a screenshot o the costume design with the LARPer even in a fitting stance,r ready to shoot out two arrows:

    His costume looks quite impressive and continues the trend of making the cheesier designs a reality, such as WandaVision‘s Halloween costumes or Loki classic outfit through an older Variant. It would’ve been a great addition but also might add some questions about his inclusion. We’ve never seen Clint wear a costume like that and it seems unlikely they might’ve based it on him. There’s, of course, the chance that someone just created merchandise with that costume and he might be quite annoyed by its existence. We’ll see if his original design still gets a shoutout eventually in the series.

    Source: YouTube

  • ‘Shang-Chi’s Ta Lo Village was Built From Scratch

    ‘Shang-Chi’s Ta Lo Village was Built From Scratch

    We are only a few days away from the release of Shang-Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings on Blu-ray. In addition to the Disney+ making-of special Assembled on the film, we also get some additional hints at how they brought the various locations to life. In a special focus on the sets of the film, we get a closer look at one of the newest additions to the MCU. As our protagonist learns about his mother’s past, he uncovers the mystical village of Ta-Lo hidden away in a pocket dimension. In one of the special features, we learn that the entire set was built on location.

    Production designer Sue Chan shared a look at the set that unveils how they brought the entire town to life in the Prospect Reservoir in Sydney. Awkwafina jokingly says “they’re putting in full plumbing,” but they highlight that most of the town is built based on actual Chinese architecture, such as including a stone foundation. The temple where Shang-chi takes on his father was even built with all the details bringing the fictional village to life.

    The reasoning for this investment is not only to add a feeling of realism to the film but also to support actors in bringing their performances to life. Ben Kingsley highlights the details of them even making sure the floor matches the overall design to immerse their actors in this world. It adds an additional layer to their performance as they interact with the sets and it showcases a love for detail by the team wanting to integrate Chinese culture into the film. With a sequel on the horizon, it makes you wonder what else they might tackle.

    Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings is now available on Digital and Blu-ray.

  • Korean ‘Money Heist’ Remake Adds ‘Squid Game’s Park Hae-soo

    Korean ‘Money Heist’ Remake Adds ‘Squid Game’s Park Hae-soo

    Just as the news drops that Money Heist is getting a spinoff series, it seems the upcoming Korean adaptation wanted to bank on the current trend. Deadline has just reported that Squid Game‘s Park Hae-soo has joined the remake as the character of Berlin, who is the character that just got his own spinoff series. He’s the first to join the production ever since its announcement back in November 2020. Of course, the timing is perfect as it’s released just after his success on the hit Korean series and ahead of the Spanish’ final episodes releasing.

    It’ll be interesting to see how they tackle the project. A Korean adaptation might mainly focus on the core characters of Tokyo, Berlin, the Professor, and more. Given the series simple concept, they might even add their own twist but simply stick to the namings for the core mission. Here’s hoping they add an interesting twist that also reflects their cultural aspects to make it stand out from the original in some way.

    Netflix has seen the potential of utilizing its international shows to garner worldwide acclaim. This project feels like the perfect blend of exactly that, as it combines two of their most popular shows from across the world. We’ll see if some other familiar faces might make it into the project once more castings are revealed in the coming weeks.

    Source: Deadline

  • Marvel Studios’ Andy Park Reveals Early Shang-Chi Costume Designs

    Marvel Studios’ Andy Park Reveals Early Shang-Chi Costume Designs

    Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings was one of 2021’s highlights, as the film combined the elements that made Marvel Studios the powerhouse that it is today. While telling a personal story about family, we also get a closer look at a new part of the ever-expanding Marvel Cinematic Universe. Ta Lo offered a peek into a new dimension where our protagonist embraced his heritage and future. Even better, he got a new look that was passed on to him and his sister by their mother. The design has become quite iconic but it may have looked quite a bit different at one point.

    Marvel Studios director of visual development shared a first look at alternative designs for Simu Liu’s costume. The first includes a nice visual of the Great Protector in the background. This design is closer to what we got in the film, but had some urban elements included, such as a hoodie. The dragon skin element is still included which would become a mainstay in his final design.

    The other design is quite a departure, which almost seems like it was plucked out of a Tron film. The design was inspired by a potential spy direction for the series given the characters’ history with MI-6. Park highlights that he had no idea what the story was going to be about, which is why he just tested out concepts. It also integrates the classic Bruce Lee jumpsuit into the overall design.

    It highlights how many different angles there are with these characters. The team even enters production on the designs and brings these elements to life long before any story elements or scripts are finalized. We’ve learned that they support writers by bringing these concepts visually to life as they are developing scripts, which means there might be many others out there we haven’t seen yet.

    Source: Instagram

  • Mahershala Ali on Taking On the Mantle of Blade After Wesley Snipes

    Mahershala Ali on Taking On the Mantle of Blade After Wesley Snipes

    It was quite a surprise when during the last San Diego Comic-Con attended by Marvel Studios when Mahershala Ali walked out on stage. What caught us even more by surprise was the reveal of him taking on the role of Eric Brooks, the famous vampire hunter feared as Blade. Of course, he’s not the first to take on the role, as he’ll take over from Wesley Snipes, who played the character back in 1998.

    In an interview with Jake’s Takes to the new Apple film Swan Song, he was asked about what makes his version different from Snipes take. The Academy Award winner gave a great response on what it means about tackling this kind of role and carrying on the mantle:

    You know, what I look forward to is earning it. I look forward to earning, you know, there’s an anticipation for it, there’s an excitement for it that he owns, that Mr. Snipes owns, you know? And so in filling his shoes, I’m just working to earn my place in this. And I’m excited to get going and do the work.

    Mahershala Ali

    We only got a voice clip of the actor as Blade during Eternals post-credit sequence, and we still don’t know when the project will enter production. But you can see that the actor is excited about the role and we can’t wait to see his take on the character. You can check out the full interview here:

    Source: YouTube

  • ‘The Mandalorian’ Spinoff ‘Ahsoka’ Adds Ivanna Sakhno

    ‘The Mandalorian’ Spinoff ‘Ahsoka’ Adds Ivanna Sakhno

    It looks like Ahsoka is slowly revving up, as there’s a new addition to the series cast. Deadline has announced that The Mandalorian spinoff has added Ivanna Sakhno in a new role. Her character will be specially created for the Disney+ series unlike her upcoming co-star Natasha Liu Bordizzo, who joined the cast as Star Wars: Rebels‘ Sabine Wren. The series will be written and executive produced by Dave Filoni. Jon Favreau also returns from his work from Din Djarin’s story, as the series might intersect in some way.

    It’ll be the second spinoff from the series heading to Disney+, as we’re going to continue Boba Fett’s story after Christmas. He made his grand return alongside Rosario Dawson‘s take on the character of Ahsoka Tano in the same season. It’ll be interesting to see if we also get a tease of some kind on how exactly these various spinoff series might connect moving forward. We’re still waiting for an official casting announcement for the other Rebels character, Ezra Bridger. Mena Massoud is heavily rumored since February to tackle the role.

    Source: Deadline

  • Syfy and USA Network Renews ‘Chucky’ for Season 2

    Syfy and USA Network Renews ‘Chucky’ for Season 2

    Looks like USA Network and Syfy were quite satisfied with the first season of Chucky, as it just got renewed for a second season. The sequel series that continues to explore the story of the killer doll, who first was introduced in the Child’s Play franchise, will return in 2022 with the new season. Series creator, Don Mancini who also created the original franchise, shares his excitement about the renewal:

    We’re thrilled to start pulling the strings on a second season of puppet mayhem with ‘Chucky. Many thanks to our partners at USA, SYFY and UCP for their incredible support and guidance bringing ‘Chucky’ to the small screen, bigger than ever. And to the fans, Chucky sends his still-undying thanks, and a message: ‘This isn’t over, not by a long shot. You better watch your backs in 2022

    Don Mancini

    The series sees Chucky pushing a small suburban town into chaos after getting picked up in a yard sale. Of course, his arrival means murder isn’t far that haunts the locals in ways they never expected. Brad Dourif returned to voice the doll once again and is also treated by other franchise veterans Devon Sawa and Jennifer Tilly. It’ll be interesting to see how the second season builds upon the events of the first and where his story might be heading once he returns in 2022.

    Source: Variety

  • REVIEW: ‘One Piece’ Chapter 1033 Finally Gave Zoro That Moment

    REVIEW: ‘One Piece’ Chapter 1033 Finally Gave Zoro That Moment

    The latest chapters of One Piece were a well-balanced mesh of action, drama, and character development. Sanji was the main act for quite a few chapters due to his conflict of embracing the alterations inflicted upon him by wearing the Germa 66 raid suit. Yet, the latest chapter has fully moved over to Zoro, who’s still in his ongoing conflict with King. Ever since the post-time skip, it seemed he never had a true challenge. So, Eiichiro Oda gave him exactly that in the mysterious Lunarian who seemingly takes each strike without a scratch. Will Zoro finally meet his match?

    Let’s not waste any time and just focus on the biggest aspect of this chapter. Yes, there has been quite a bit of foreshadowing by Kaido and even the anime release, but Zoro finally has unleashed his Conquerors Haki. He has definitely been pushed to his limit and we once again are reminded by Raleigh’s lesson that it is formed through combat. Seeing the underlings of the Beast Pirates foaming at the mouth and seeing the lightning around all three swords is a great visual flair to confirm it. His ambitions have finally broken to the point that he can not only wield Enma – likely turning it into a black blade by the end of this fight – but also solves the question of what a sword curse is all about.

    I love the flashback to Zoro’s time as a kid. Didn’t expect we get an explanation where he got the two swords for his fight against Kuina from, but it’s a nice detail. The introduction of Shimotsuki Kozaburo and confirmation of his connection add a nice layer. Though the hints that Zoro is also a member of the Shimotsuki family due to his father potentially being Ushimaru does raise a few questions. We’ll likely find out more once Onimaru makes their return to the story. For now, we got a confirmation about his backstory set-up a few episodes ago and the mangaka manages to make a joke drawing for one of the swords as a person into an actual character design.

    His opponent, King, is given a lot more weight this time around. A short discussion between Queen and Sanji hints at some kind of underlying weak spot that’ll probably get exploited by Zoro. It makes me wonder if the Lunarian’s “defeat” might be connected to Mihawk that builds up a parallel with his pupil. While great foreshadowing, it does take away from the momentum that we had with Sanji when he kicked Queen full force a few chapters ago. Still, the built-up is strong and Oda will very likely take a detour before getting back to Zoro’s big payoff.

  • New ‘Marvel’s Avengers’ War Table Offers Closer Look at Upcoming Raid, Spider-Man’s Abilities and New Skins

    New ‘Marvel’s Avengers’ War Table Offers Closer Look at Upcoming Raid, Spider-Man’s Abilities and New Skins

    Tomorrow is the day that we finally get Spider-Man joining the ongoing Marvel’s Avengers experience. He was one of the earliest teases ahead of the game’s release. While the game gave us various updates including both Hawkeyes and Black Panther, we’re so close to his release. To tie us over, we got a brand new War Table video that not only showed off his abilities in more detail but also a closer look at the game’s first raid “Discordand Sound.”

    The raid looks quite impressive with many new elements to add some unique challenges. Also, we get to fight the giant version of Klaue and I am quite excited to tackle this with a group of friends. Of course, it seems unlikely we’ll play as Spider-Man through the raid early on, as he needs to get leveled up accordingly but he’ll give us a good feeling for how the new gear system works.

    Generally, the gameplay is quite a step up from what we got from IGN. My favorite is still the wrecking ball, as it reminds me of some of his gaming history moves. The new suits were also teased with one seemingly inspired by Anti-Venom and another of his classic suit as armor. It’s another exciting update and I cannot wait to test out the new character alongside the most challenging piece of content yet.

    Source: YouTube

  • New Data Hints at ‘Hawkeye’ Being Marvel Studios’ Lowest Viewed Premiere on Disney+

    New Data Hints at ‘Hawkeye’ Being Marvel Studios’ Lowest Viewed Premiere on Disney+

    Disney+ is still shy about offering any insight into their viewership numbers. Netflix has taken the first step towards more transparency, but Disney’s streaming service is still keeping a lid on things. So, we have to rely on third-party offerings whose surveys offer estimates on viewing behavior. The latest series Hawkeye is Marvel Studios‘ latest offering on the platform and it seems that it may be the least-watched entry by the studio according to SambaTV with 1.5M US households having watched the first episode within five days.

    In comparison to the other live-action shows it is trailing behind WandaVision‘s 1.6M, Falcon and the Winter Soldier’s 1.8M, and Loki’s 2.5M. So, the series premiere was trailing behind January’s release that kicked off the initial moment building into the other shows. Perhaps the break with What If…? between live-action offerings influenced its development. Of course, it could also reflect a general interest in specific stories or characters.

    Image

    Keep in mind, there’s no benchmark for what makes a series a success on the platform. So, even as the lowest premiere for a Marvel Studios project, it still could be one of the strongest showings on the platform. Plus, we have to keep in mind that it’s only the data made available through a limited panel analysis. Whip Media highlighted that the show had a strong build-up with 66% of subscribers “definitely” checking it out. Perhaps the series will pull in a stronger audience as each episode releases in the coming weeks.

    Source: Twitter, Twitter