Murphy's Multiverse

Author: Joseph Aberl

  • ‘Hawkeye’s Director on Bringing Lucky the Pizza Dog to Disney+

    ‘Hawkeye’s Director on Bringing Lucky the Pizza Dog to Disney+

    The upcoming Hawkeye series has quite some star power in Jeremy Renner‘s return as Clint Barton and MCU newcomer Hailee Steinfeld. But, as to be expected, the introduction of Lucky the Pizza Dog may have caught most people’s attention. It’s still uncertain how big his role will be in the story, but given Ajap and Fraction‘s inspiration, My Life as a Weapon, he’ll be a constant throughout. Now, director Rhys Thomas shared some insight into what it was like working with actor dog Jolt to bring the character to life for Disney+.

    With Jolt, we had an audition process with our dogs. Jolt did an amazing job. There are very specific things the dog needs to do. She was great. I was definitely dubious, and I had images of a CG dog. Genuinely, I can’t think of a moment we lost time because of Jolt. She was on it.

    Rhys Thomas

    The big question surrounded the showcase of Jolt’s eye. In the comics, Lucky the Pizza Dog famously lost his left eye after reducing the archer. It was assumed they might avoid this plotline but the first trailer and poster confirmed he is missing it in the series. It made you wonder if it was practical but it seems that they “painstakingly” added it in post-production based on the shot’s references. The reason was simple: so the dog wouldn’t get confused on set with one eye covered.

    No, I asked that same question. I was informed she would probably walk around in circles if we obscured her eye. Those wizards — we would shoot a scene with Jolt, and the visual effects team would come in and take all of the lighting references and everything they needed from each camera setup and go in and track this different eye after the fact. It’s a painstaking process where you have to track this thing, frame by frame.

    It’s always great to get some insight into how they tackle these projects, especially with how complex it is working with animals on these kinds of sets. Marvel Studios’ production teams have relied on real animals to bring their characters to life, such as multiple cats playing Goose in Captain Marvel. It’s great they continue to do so and hopefully, we’ll get a lot more of the pizza-loving dog in the future.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • The Aftermath of ‘Eternals’ May Lead Into ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’

    The Aftermath of ‘Eternals’ May Lead Into ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’

    Marvel Studios continues to expand in new and creative ways. We’ve seen the MCU’s version of Earth changing in ways we never thought possible, such as now a giant Celestial sticking out like marble from the ground. Tiamut the Sleeper has now become a fixture within the MCU after the release of Eternals and his awakening might have led to some curious ripples across the world. With rumors hinting at Atlantis and Namor playing an integral role in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, there’s a good chance this event might cause the unearthing of Atlantis.

    In Eternals, we learn that Earth is actually an egg. The otherworldly Celestials are born when planets reach a certain level of population and then bring entire galaxies to life as a result. Tiamut would’ve joined their ranks if the Eternals (which a little help from the Celestial himself) kept him from, well, hatching. The build-up to that moment was in the form of countless earthquakes hinting at the arrival of the event known as The Emergence. The fact that his hand and head start popping out of the planet will certainly leave behind cracks in the planet. So, if Atlantis was hidden away for so long, there’s a chance his awakening might’ve opened up the crack that kept the underwater city hidden.

    Of course, if there’s an Earth-altering event that may change the ecosystem we know and love, any scientist is going to explore the aftermath to make sure our planet isn’t falling apart. This might become the catalyst that unleashes the Atlanteans, most notably Namor, out into the world. They are no longer safe from outsiders. Who knows how the Emergence may have also affected their city, as most of the earthquakes seemed to be underwater. Desperation will push anyone to a darker path and if they hint at a Vibranium connection, a conflict is inevitable.

  • Latest ‘Marvel’s Avengers’ Dev Stream Offers Insight in New Earnable Cosmetics

    Latest ‘Marvel’s Avengers’ Dev Stream Offers Insight in New Earnable Cosmetics

    We’re only a few weeks away from the latest and probably most important update in Marvel’s Avengers run since it premiered last year in September. The game is getting a complete rework of its gear system, the first Raid, and even the addition of Spider-Man on PlayStation consoles. Yet, it’s not even the end, as we’re also going to get away to earn cosmetics in the game. There was the original option through patterns that didn’t quite work as planned but they revealed a new system that’s quite a bit more promising in the latest developer stream.

    The biggest addition is the fact that you can now purchase up to 100 so-called “shipments.” It doesn’t involve real-world money but in-game units that can only be gained by playing the game. Each shipment will be highlighted with a specialty item, which you can gain by either purchasing all 100 available ones within a month time frame (keep in mind that only counts as of the Thursday reset timer), or it may also appear in the shipment you’re interested in buying. For example, they showcased one with a Wakandan Iron Man skin that is unique to the shipment.

    Iron Man's Wakandan Stealth Outfit

    So, how does it work? The shipments are available directly in your character menu below the loadout. It leads you to the menu where you see the shipment which will always showcase what you’re able to gain when you purchase a shipment. Keep in mind, if you already own the available item you’ll get fragments instead. So, you’re not buying one and leaving empty-handed, as it supports the new gear system.

    If you’re wondering about the RNG elements, you’ll always see what you’re getting when you purchase a consumable. You also have the option to scroll through all available cosmetics that you can gain through the 100 shipments that are made available. The bonus aspect is that the Cosmetic Vendor is also making a return with fully stocked cosmetic options. If you’re wondering if they crossover, there is only a 5% overlap between them and it means you’ll have a lot to gain with your options.

    There’s more, as you’ll also get a few incentives to earn them through playing the game, such as missions that are made specifically for you to earn shipments in-game. The “Rise and Shine” mission for example will still include the current rewards but gets a shipment on top that you have to redeem within 24 hours, or else you lose it. It’s a great incentive to check out the game daily, which has been something people have requested frequently.

    Units can be obtained through chests. So far, the options will remain the same with the only change being bronze strongboxes offer ten instead of the usual six units. The previously-mentioned patterns are also making a return but this time is earned through each finished stage of the Mega Hive, which adds some much-needed replay value to the mission chain outside of gaining Exotics.

    Overall, it’s a great addition and a good reason to jump into the game once a day to level up some characters, finish your challenge cards – especially for the new Spider-Man addition – and get some free cosmetics. They aren’t only restricted to nameplates or skins, as you can also get emotes or takedowns through shipments. I do wish they were given a bit more flair, such as themed box sets with a nice visual rather than just the main redeemable cosmetic but it’s a concept they could build upon. Themed shipments like for the Holidays or to tie into events would make for a great addition later down the road.

    Source: Twitch, Play Avengers

  • Daniella Pineda Worked With ‘John Wick’s Stunt Team to Prep for Netflix’s ‘Cowboy Bebop’

    Daniella Pineda Worked With ‘John Wick’s Stunt Team to Prep for Netflix’s ‘Cowboy Bebop’

    After a long wait, Cowboy Bebop has finally landed on Netflix. It’s the first live-action adaptation from Tomorrow Studio that’ll kick off a new era of takes to bring these iconic franchises to the popular streaming service. In an interview with Deadline, actress Daniella Pineda talked about what it meant to take on the role of Faye Valentine. In it, she revealed that she initially prepared for the series’ action sequences by working with John Wick‘s stunt team.

    It was my first time training for a part. I’ve always liked to workout, but this is not even in the same stratosphere. I started training in Los Angeles with the 87eleven, which is the John Wick stunt team, and that was just so intense. Then we joined Allan Poppleton our head of stunts, who’s incredible. We did rolls. We did sword fighting. We did fist and footwork. It was really rewarding and really intense, and after having gone through that, I have this whole new respect for people who do action film. Thank god for my stunt double, Jayde Rutene

    Danielle Pineda

    She handles the action quite well if it’s her first time involved with such a project. The action seems to take inspiration from the original anime’s choreography, mostly in Spike’s moves, and John Woo films. There are some hints in the gunplay that might allude to John Wick being an influence, but the franchise has become the new staple for modern action. If they get a second season renewal, it’ll be interesting where they’ll go with the project.

    Source: Deadline

  • ‘Blade’ Eyeing Late Summer 2022 Production Start

    ‘Blade’ Eyeing Late Summer 2022 Production Start

    After a bit of silence, we finally got the announcement that Marvel Studios’ adaptation of Blade is in final negotiations for Da 5 Bloods‘ Delroy Lindo to join the project. The film will see Mahershala Ali take on the iconic role that introduces the concept of vampires into the ever-expanding Marvel Cinematic universe. We’re still waiting for a sign when the project might start production. Well, it turns out the announcement article on Lindo‘s casting was hiding away a little note.

    According to The Hollywood Reporter, the film is planning a late Summer 2022 production start. It would put it on time to potentially release in Halloween of 2023. It’s not uncommon for these projects to shift around depending on availability and how far pre-production is. Bassam Tariq is taking on directing duties for the production based on a script by Watchmen‘s Stacy Osei-Kuffour.

    Blade just recently had his first official appearance in Eternals but was only heard as a disembodied voice in the background. It’s uncertain if he might appear in a different project ahead of release, such as the upcoming Moon Knight series that might offer a look into the supernatural world. There’s also the upcoming Werewolf by Night Halloween special that seems like a perfect time to see what he’s up to after his meeting with Dane Whitman.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ Early Forecast Eyeing $500M+ Worldwide Opening

    ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ Early Forecast Eyeing $500M+ Worldwide Opening

    We’ve all been wondering if Spider-Man: No Way Home might be the first film to break the current curse the box office is facing with the pandemic. We’re far away from where we were back in 2019 but there’s a lot of hope that it may be our first film to pass the one billion mark at the worldwide box office. Its December release could also add a nice push, as the Star Wars franchise changed its potential and it became a popular hot spot for big releases. Its sentiment rankings are trending ahead of Avengers: Endgame and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. It also helped that the first trailer release garnered 355.5 million views within just 24 hours ahead of some of the franchise’s biggest. As such, the long forecast has the film eyeing an international release between $375M to $525M.

    That means that domestically, it’s currently on route to near a $200M opening. This is quite noteworthy if you consider that no film has opened past the $100M mark since before the pandemic. For now, its prediction sets it between $135M to $185M. Its critical reception, as seen with Eternals, and general marketing push could push it even further, as Venom: Let There Be Carnage dips into the same target audience and managed to pass expectations by quite a bit.

    Keep in mind, these are early predictions that offer a feeling for where the film might potentially be heading. We’re still about a month out and some countries are adding quarantine restrictions once again that could hamper its box office in specific countries. Yet, it‘s eyeing a release in China, which will give the film an extra boost. It seems unlikely it might reach the $2 billion mark but it might be the first one to break through the pandemic.

    Source: Box Office Pro

  • Hall of Murphy: Episode 10 – Titans 309 – 313 (w/ Mary Maerz)

    Hall of Murphy: Episode 10 – Titans 309 – 313 (w/ Mary Maerz)

    This week on Hall of Murphy, John and Joe have a special guest as Mary joins for the final discussion surrounding Titans third season and if it finally managed to redeem itself in its final five episodes.

  • Alaqua Cox on Bringing Echo to Life in ‘Hawkeye’

    Alaqua Cox on Bringing Echo to Life in ‘Hawkeye’

    Hawkeye will become the springboard for two important MCU characters moving forward. Not only will we meet Hailee Steinfeld‘s Kate Bishop but it’ll also introduce the world to the mute assassin Echo. Not just that, the character will also get their series which was officially announced during Disney+ Day. Newcomer Alaqua Cox will bring the character to life and that she wasn’t interested in acting until she saw a casting call for a deaf Native American to tackle the character. With her series on the horizon, the actress shared a bit of her experience on set and preparing for the action sequences:

    Deaf people have really good visual skills. I can easily catch things. During training they were like, ‘Oh, wow, you’re a fast learner.’ I was like, ‘Well, I just watched you.’

    Alaqua Cox

    Speaking of training, Cox‘s right leg is a prosthetic which didn’t restrict her in bringing any of the action sequences or fight choreography to life.

    People with a disability like me can do anything: We can fight, we can flip, we can fall. I’m excited for people to say, ‘Wow, she can do that.

    Alaqua Cox

    She also highlights the support she got for joining the franchise. Marvel Studios has been pushing for more representation in their projects.

    The deaf community is in huge support of this role because they want to see deaf people represented in these deaf roles. Most of the time it’s hearing people that take these roles, but finally authentic representation is here. So I’m excited for that, and so as everybody else.

    Alaqua Cox

    She’s the second deaf actress to join a Marvel Studios project after Lauren Ridloff played Makkari in Eternals, who has become quite a fan-favorite after the film’s release. There’s also the potential of exploring the story of the character in this world, as Hawkeye offers a more grounded storyline within a world with aliens, gods, and magic. She might continue that storyline thread in her series and offer a look into new corners of this franchise.

    Source: Entertainment Weekly

  • Patton Oswalt Not Only Voiced But Also Played Pip the Troll on ‘Eternals’ Set

    Patton Oswalt Not Only Voiced But Also Played Pip the Troll on ‘Eternals’ Set

    We all got a nice surprise when Harry Styles made his MCU premiere as Eros in the first post-credit sequence of Eternals. He wasn’t alone, as his character got introduced to the character of Pip the Troll, who was voiced by the always iconic Patton Oswalt. It turns out, he did quite a bit more than that to bring the computer-generated character to life, as he was also on set to play the character.

    Weta Digital’s Matt Aitken revealed that he was on the sound stage performing the entire act on his knees so they’d have the right height for the character. So, he did the entire motion capture for the character to bring Pip to life for the latest Marvel Studios film. He goes on to share that

    We ended up replacing Patton Oswalt with Pip and the corridor, because we needed to do all that interactive portal light and extend it. But if you’re looking at Eros, then his face will definitely be the face, but everything else is CG in those shots.

    Matt Aitken

    Weta Digital also shared a first look at the visual breakdown of the character that Comic Book’s Adam Barnhardt shared on Twitter:

    https://twitter.com/adambarnhardt/status/1461756972735287308?s=21

    Oswalt joined in the fun and even offered a closer look at him behind-the-scenes in the mo-cap suit.

    It’s great to see his commitment to the role and might hint at him returning to play the character whenever Pip the Troll might make his grand return. James Gunn‘s brother Sean Gunn famously played Rocket Raccoon in the Guardians of the Galaxy films walking on his knees while Bradley Cooper purely voiced the character. It’s always interesting to get a look behind-the-scenes on these projects, especially how they bring these CGI-heavy characters to life. It certainly sounds like Styles had some fun with Oswalt on his knees while introducing his character.

    Source: Comic Book

  • First Look at ‘Batwoman’s New Take on Poison Ivy

    First Look at ‘Batwoman’s New Take on Poison Ivy

    Batwoman has been exploring new avenues of the Batman mythology by taking classic villains and adding their own spin. There’s an ongoing theme of some of Batman’s trophies from his rogue’s gallery that end up transforming unsuspecting people into new versions of their character. After Killer Croc, the same has happened to Nicole Kang‘s Dr. Mary Hamilton. After a strange thorn pricked her, she’s been turning into a new version of Poison Ivy on the show.

    Executive producer Caroline Dries has shared the following remark on their new take on these classic villains:

    The fun part of making each villain’s powers transferable is that we get to do our own spin on the character — this one through the lens of what Mary would create: something heightened, playful, fashion-forward, and sexy. It was so exciting to work alongside Nicole as we picked hair color, eye color and, of course, the clothing itself. But it wasn’t until Nicole showed up on set and absolutely killed her performance that the character of Poison Ivy Mary was complete

    Caroline Dries

    It’s certainly a different take, but it seems a bit convenient that every single villain has the ability to pass on their abilities in some way or another. Still, it does unshackle the creative team from having to strictly follow the Batman mythos and add a unique spin, especially with a character that has been part of the show for some time. Instead of having to introduce the character, give them their own arc, they can add it to an existing one. We’ll see if they continue this trend moving forward.

    Source: Twitter, Deadline