Murphy's Multiverse

Author: Joseph Aberl

  • ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ to Focus on Gamora and Nebula

    ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ to Focus on Gamora and Nebula

    Even after countless delays, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is still quite a mystery. Director James Gunn has hinted that the story will take a stronger look at Rocket’s secret past that was only briefly given a focus in the first film. Now, it seems there might be a bit more to it as Seth Green, who voices Howard the Duck in the franchise and currently running the What If…? series, revealed that the series will offer a stronger focus on Gamora and Nebula’s story. In the interview with ComicBook.com he shared the following:

    I don’t know if Howard’s a part of it, I haven’t heard anything about that. The only thing I know is that it’s the girls’ story, it’s the sisters’ story, that it’s Gamora and Nebula’s story. So I don’t know if it’s a prequel, or if it comes off in the new timeline that’s splintered post-the Time Heist. Honestly, I don’t know anything about it.

    Seth Green

    It’s a curious statement as it contradicts the focus on Rocket that was teased by the director. Of course, it’s ending a trilogy and might focus on all members. Guardians Vol. 2 was about Peter Quill meeting his father just as much as it was Gamora and Nebula confronting each other. There’s simply a chance that the core of the story, especially considering it’s not the same Gamora from the MCU’s main timeline, is about finding her for Quill and Nebula.

    She now has the chance to take the role her sister did for her when she was lost in the darker side of what their father taught them. In their travels, they may end up getting wrapped up in whatever Rocket’s secret past is. Gunn has always been talented in interweaving multiple storylines that share common themes. We can’t wait to see how this story comes together in 2023.

    Source: ComicBook

  • Seth Green Recorded ‘What If…?’ Long Before ‘Avengers: Endgame’ Even Released in Theaters

    Seth Green Recorded ‘What If…?’ Long Before ‘Avengers: Endgame’ Even Released in Theaters

    We’ve known for a while that Marvel Studios always looked far into the future when it came to their projects. Their CEO Kevin Feige famously talked about having years mapped out. Yet, when Disney+ became an option, their entire gameplan may have taken an interesting shift. Avengers: Endgame was the end of one era and the beginning of another, which wouldn’t see the daylight until 2021 due to the pandemic. Still, we got quite the announcements after the major film for Phase 4 including the animated series titled What If..?. In an exclusive interview with Seth Green, who voices Howard the Duck, ComicBook.com found out he had already recorded quite some time ago.

    Who Is Howard the Duck in 'What If…?' Episode 2? You've Seen Him Before

    He states that he recorded his lines a year before COVID even happened, highlight that “it was before Endgame came out.” As such, he may have already recorded them in February or March of 2019 potentially. He does state he has long forgotten when and shares his love for the comic series that inspired the series. We don’t know how much the pandemic postpone the plans for their first animated project, but it probably had the most flexibility. It doesn’t require any sets to be built and shot on location. Still, it’s curious that he recorded so far in advance as Jeffrey Wright revealed that he did work in his pajamas during the quarantine to prepare for some of the episodes.

    It seems that they scattered out the recordings throughout the years of development. There’s a chance they may have updated a few lines here or there in a similar way to how films do reshoots. Animation takes quite a bit of time and it’s not surprising that they may have had scripts ready long before they even entered the process. It makes you wonder if others’ hows are also underway, as they teased more animation projects are heading our way. Here’s hoping we won’t wait long to find out.

    Source: ComicBook

  • ‘Shang-Chi’ to Release on Disney+ in November to Celebrate Disney+ Day

    ‘Shang-Chi’ to Release on Disney+ in November to Celebrate Disney+ Day

    Shang-Chi has been making headlines as it dominates the box office throughout the last three weeks. Naturally, some have been wondering when we can expect the series to finally premiere on Disney+, as it’s one of the first pandemic films from Disney not to get a simultaneous release. Luckily, it seems the wait isn’t as long as one feared. Disney has unveiled its plans for Novembers’ grand Disney+ Day. The day will feature specials on Star Wars‘ popular bounty hunter and even a glimpse into the MCU’s future. Disney took the opportunity and will also release Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings alongside this special occasion. As such, the film will be available on November 12th for subscribers of the streaming service.

    It’s not the only thing to release on that day, as Jungle Cruise will also be available to all subscribers. It was the last film to release under the Premier Access banner, which is uncertain to return in the future. The box office has been doing better as of late, but Disney might keep it in their back pocket in case the pandemic acts up again. It’s curious they wouldn’t try to also get Free Guy on the service, as it’s also PG-13 and a major theatre-only release this year. Of course, it’s not part of the new 45-release window deal that was made with Shang-Chi, but it’s curious they didn’t try to re-negotiate after its success at the box office. Either way, it’s great that more people get to see one of Marvel Studios’ best origin film.

    Source: Walt Disney, Twitter

  • Disney+ Day ‘Star Wars’ Special Only to Focus on Boba Fett, No Word on Future Entries

    Disney+ Day ‘Star Wars’ Special Only to Focus on Boba Fett, No Word on Future Entries

    We are long awaiting the first look at The Book of Boba Fett. Not only is it the first spin-off of the popular The Mandalorian series, but it’s also the grand return of a much-beloved character in the limelight. It’s currently slated to get a December release, but there still hasn’t been any confirmation or showcase of that. When the announcement dropped that we are getting a special Disney+ Day, we expected some announcements for future installments. Seems like Star Wars might have every different special planned.

    As announced by Disney, the MCU will get a special look at the past and future of the franchise. Star Wars is getting a different one, as it’ll celebrate “the origins and legacy of Star Wars’ legendary bounty hunter, Boba Fett.” If we don’t get a trailer by then, this might be our first official look at the spin-off. Still, it’s curious they aren’t mentioning anything of the other series that are currently in development.

    Disney+’s website does mention first look sand new trailers, but it’s odd they wouldn’t state that there’ll be more to see from Star Wars other disney+ series. While only a few are in development, it’s the perfect time to tease the future or offer an update on The Mandalorian‘s third season, which’s production start seems to get pushed back more and more.

    Source: Walt Disney

  • Disney+ Day to Feature a Special Look into the MCU’s Future

    Disney+ Day to Feature a Special Look into the MCU’s Future

    It looks like the future is bright for Disney+, as they just revealed the line-up for disney+ Day. Initially, we assumed it might be a digital-only event showcasing what the future has in store alongside some new trailers, but it looks like we can expect a very different approach. They took to Twitter to unveil that the day will include a special lineup that will only be available on the streaming service and it includes a Marvel Special look. It’ll act as “a special celebrating the Marvel Cinematic Universe on Diseny+ with an exciting look towards the future.”

    https://twitter.com/disneyplus/status/1440394415965491200

    It’s an interesting approach, as it seems inspired by the Expanding the Future special that was released on the platform back when it had its initial launch. The strategy might also be a way to pull in people to check out this special look directly into the service, which might be a sneaky way to get some additional subscribers.

    Of course, it won’t be the only special on the platform, as they are also teasing a special look for Star Wars. It might be our first look at the various series that are currently in development. We’ll hopefully also get a confirmation for Ms. Marvel‘s release date, as recent rumors are pointing to a February release.

    Source: Twitter, Walt Disney

  • ‘What If…?’s Party Thor Episode Will Be an “Easter Egg Heaven” for Marvel Fans

    ‘What If…?’s Party Thor Episode Will Be an “Easter Egg Heaven” for Marvel Fans

    This Wednesday, What If..? is going to mix it up by giving us a very different kind of episode. Chris Hemsworth returns as Thor to throw the party of his life. Head Writer AC Bradley tweeted that it’ll be less tragic than the Doctor Strange episode, but the first exclusive look provided by Entertainment Weekly gives us a very different story. She teases that the story is more “fun and silly” and takes inspiration from the “80s and even 90s rom-coms and party films,” which also explains the use of neon in all his promotional material. Even director Bryan Andrews teases the episode as a palate cleanser, which may tease a potentially darker future ahead as we enter the final episodes.

    What If...?

    It looks like they’re also using this opportunity to throw in quite a few Easter eggs for long-time fans of the Marvel franchise. Many might remember when Loki famously included the Thanos-copter that many believed would never find its way into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Bradley highlights that we can expect a lot of cameos in the episode and even described it as follows:

    It should be Easter egg heaven. I hope people have fun with the one this week because it’s not as bombastic world-ending as other episodes. The mandate for me when I was writing it was, I just want to have fun, I just want to be silly. It’s a lot sillier than anything you’d see in the MCU. It should be an episode to watch with a beer.

    AC Bradley

    It’s one of the fun aspects of the franchise is that they can not only tell compelling stories within an expanding world but also pay tribute to the many silly concepts that came before it. She does give away that Howard the Duck will make his second appearance in the series, as she had a lot of fun recording the episode with Seth Green. It’ll be interesting to see just how crazy this episode is going to end up and if Thor might still learn a lesson by the end.

    Source: Entertainment Weekly

  • New Look at Spider-Man Hot Toy Offers Updated Magical Black-Gold Suit

    New Look at Spider-Man Hot Toy Offers Updated Magical Black-Gold Suit

    Long before the first trailer found its way online, we’ve seen quite a few of the new costumes for Spider-Man through the toy releases. No Way Home will continue the tradition of Peter gaining a variety of suits as he progresses through the story. The first trailer dropped and gave us our first glimpse at the upcoming film. Curious though, the new gold and black suit were only featured briefly as Spidey seems to be running through a F.E.A.S.T. center.

    Luckily, Hot Toys has offered an update on their 1:6 figure of the new suit that showcases some of the accessories. It once again confirms that he’ll make use of some magical webbing. The big question was if this costume was just his regular costume inverted, as it seemed to resemble the costume when he inverted it during Spider-Man: Homecoming. The closer look does highlight that design but there’s a curious new detail. Peter’s new suit has a magical gauntlet attached to the arms and is now more connected to the fingers.

    There’s also the fact that he doesn’t have the red fingers that were included in other designs of this suit. We even saw this model with it earlier on, which implies that they dropped it at some point in development. It’s not even included with the hand variants anymore that let you customize the design. There’s a good chance the suit is created from those gauntlets that may act as the source for his webbing. We still don’t know when this costume might come into play, as he faces off against some familiar faces from cinematic past. Here’s hoping that the next trailer offers an even better look at the design in action.

    Source: Twitter, TNS Figures

  • Victoria Alonso Promises More Animation and Teases an MCU Musical

    Victoria Alonso Promises More Animation and Teases an MCU Musical

    We got the grand announcement that long-time Marvel Studios employee, Victoria Alonso, got a well-deserved promotion to President of Production. In her interview with the Hollywood Reporter, she teases the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe while also promising that we can expect a lot more on their animation front. We’ve heard early on that they aim to expand their animation efforts for quite some time, and it looks like What If…? was quite a success for them. Yet, she even goes on to tease that we might see some more singing in the future of the franchise. It looks like a musical might be on the horizon for the franchise.

    We have an absolutely incredible group of people who are bringing their many talents to the exciting slate of films and series we have on the horizon, and I’m especially thrilled about ramping up our studio’s animation efforts, which is a personal passion of mine. Look forward to more singing!

    Victoria Alonso

    The interesting comment is that she points out there will be “more singing,” but we haven’t had any real musical elements in existing projects. Perhaps she is implying the opening songs for WandaVision, which paid tribute to sitcoms from the past and had some songs included. Of course, it could also be an implication on the Roger musical that got teased in the first trailer for Hawkeye. It would be hilarious if they turned the musical into a Hamilton-inspired special on Disney+. There’s some fun if they start exploring unique aspects of the franchise that can act as independent projects.

    Source: Hollywood Reporter

  • Victoria Alonso Promoted to President Role at Marvel Studios

    Victoria Alonso Promoted to President Role at Marvel Studios

    Marvel Studios has become the cornerstone of modern cinema. Its CEO and president, Kevin Feige, has pushed the franchise forward as it continues to interconnect across media. Of course, he wasn’t alone and built up the franchise ever since Iron Man premiered back in 2008. One of them was Victoria Alonso, who has been officially promoted to President of Physical and Post Production, Visual Effects, and Animation Production. She reports to co-president Louis D’Esposito and moved on from her previous position as Vice-President of Physical Production. Esposito had the following to say on her promotion:

    She is one of the most dynamic, candid and accessible executives in the industry and we’re thrilled that she’ll continue to be by our side in this elevated role as we lead Marvel Studios into the future.

    Louis D’Esposito

    Her first role at the company as Chief of Visual Effects and Post Production when she joined back in 2006. She went on to co-produce Iron Man and became an executive producer once Avengers premiered in 2012. Alonso still is an executive producer on the Phase 4 releases. She had the following to share on the promotion:

    When Louis first suggested I come to work with the team on Iron Man, I never could have imagined the adventure ahead, and as far as I’m concerned, it has only just begun! We have an absolutely incredible group of people who are bringing their many talents to the exciting slate of films and series we have on the horizon, and I’m especially thrilled about ramping up our studio’s animation efforts, which is a personal passion of mine. Look forward to more singing!

    Victoria Alonso

    She’s been very open on her views for the future of the company and its films. The Disney+ expansion has also become a landmark as they fused with the former Marvel TV department. It’s been a long journey for the company, but it’s a well-deserved promotion. We’ve seen a lot of movement with the company, especially since they started to expand their ambitions into animation. The future looks bright for the company and we’re lucky to join them on this journey.

    Source: Hollywood Reporter

  • ‘What If…?’ Head Writer Teases a Tragedy for Upcoming Party Thor Episode

    ‘What If…?’ Head Writer Teases a Tragedy for Upcoming Party Thor Episode

    It’s crazy to think we’re already in the second half of What If…?. The series has given us a variety of different episodes that explore the Marvel Cinematic Universe in creative ways. Yet, there has been a rather curious sense of underlying tragedy throughout most of them with the Doctor Strange episode being an especially deep cut. We believed that the upcoming Party Thor episode might take a drastically different direction. He was teased early on with neon-inspired merchandise. Yet, it seems his fate might not be as rosy as one would think.

    Head writer A.C. Bradley took to Twitter to tease the upcoming Party Thor episode, which is slated to premiere this Wednesday. Marvel took to Twitter to share the poster, which is always our confirmation on what story gets explored next, and she seemingly teased that this episode will be slightly less tragic than the Doctor Strange one.

    https://twitter.com/TheAshBradley/status/1439987713432645632?s=20

    There’s a chance she is just joking, as the Party aspect of the episode might dominate throughout, but even more optimistic stories have taken darker turns in the past. Even as T’Challa finally met his family again after saving the universe, we did get the tease of Ego potentially unleashing his world-ending plan after all. There’s an ongoing theme throughout the episodes that even in the best of moments, there is something dark hiding behind the corner.

    Party Thor is going to be quite the question mark if it does take a tragic turn. His time on Earth might give Loki enough time to take over Asgard. There’s also a chance he might attract some rather dark attention. We know they aren’t allowed to introduce new characters, which leaves the question of what kind of attention they might be dragging in that might spell the end for the universe as we know it.

    Source: Twitter