Murphy's Multiverse

Author: Joseph Aberl

  • ‘Mortal Kombat’: Cole Young was a Studio-Mandated Addition

    ‘Mortal Kombat’: Cole Young was a Studio-Mandated Addition

    The addition of a unique character in this long-running franchise is surprising, but it does allow them Since the trailer dropped for the first Mortal Kombat film, we’ve all wondered who the hell is Cole Young? The character played by Lewis Tan is a new addition to the franchise. We’ve come to expect either Liu Kang or Johnny Cage to take the role of audience surrogate, but they’ve included this new character instead. Cage is noticeably absent in the trailer, which adds another level of confusion on why Cole got included. In an interview with Inverse, the film’s screenwriter, Greg Russo, revealed that this inclusion was a studio mandate.

    It was something the studio wanted. The new protagonist was an idea loaded in prior to my involvement.

    Producer Todd Garner does point out that the character offers a new perspective into the complicated world of Mortal Kombat. Cole’s role as the audience surrogate allows him to ask the questions necessary to explain why the tournament is taking place, where these humanoid creatures come from, and how Liu Kang can summon fire. They also point out that they could add a unique story instead of being held back by the expectations combined with the series’ staples.

    We needed somebody to completely manipulate, so there’s not 30 years of people going ‘You can’t do that.’

    As strange as the appearance of a unique character is in this long-running franchise, it does allow them to take a unique angle with the story. Of course, we’ve theorized that Young could actually have close ties to an existing character that will be revealed later down the line. Inverse’s article does point out that he will definitely tie into the franchise’s overarching universe. We’re very curious to see where the franchise is heading once it releases April 23rd on HBO Max and in theatres.

    Source: Inverse

  • ‘Falcon and the Winter Soldier’s Surprise Character Was to Debut in ‘Black Widow’

    ‘Falcon and the Winter Soldier’s Surprise Character Was to Debut in ‘Black Widow’

    Falcon and the Winter Soldier gave viewers quite a surprise in the latest episode, as Seinfeld actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus made a grand entrance. After John Walker hit a low point, she arrived on the scene introducing the world to the MCU’s debut of Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. The character might be familiar to long-time fans of the comics. Introduced in Strange Tales #159 by Jim Steranko, Fontaine was a love interest of Nick Fury and a leading member of SHIELD. Dreyfus was actually inspired to take on the role by Veep showrunner, David Mandel as pointed out by her co-star Tony Hale:

    It was Mandel, specifically, who suggested she might play a Marvel villain. Louis-Dreyfus had no choice but to play along saying: “Swinging around on wires and kicking people in the face…shooting fire out of whatever you shoot fire out of. I would dig that.

    In a report by Vanity Fair, it seems that Dreyfus was going to be introduced in Black Widow initially. As we know, the film continuously got postponed and will now release in July. The way she was introduced would hint at her being a villain, which automatically connects to Contessa’s other alter-ego. In the comics, she turned out to be a Russian mole and takes over the mantle of Madame Hydra. Now, that might be why she was chosen to first appear in the Black Widow.

    Vanity Fair does point out it is uncertain if she was potentially edited out of the film with her introduction in Falcon and Winter Soldier. Her appearance and offering Walker a card could be our first set-up for a potential Thunderbolts team-up in the future. She could connect the various projects to form her own team as a counterpoint to Fury’s Avengers Initiative.

    Source: Vanity Fair

  • Untitled ‘The Boys’ Spin-Off Casts Reina Hardesty as Lead

    Untitled ‘The Boys’ Spin-Off Casts Reina Hardesty as Lead

    It looks like the still-untitled The Boys spin-off has found its lead actress. Deadline has just revealed that Brockmire actress Reina Hardesty will tackle the lead role of the upcoming college-focused series. It seems that it is already nearing a green light by Amazon Studios, which will want to continue banking on the success of their R-rated superhero franchise. The story will focus on America’s college for superheroes. Of course, it is run by Vought International and aims to prepare the new generation of Supes for their big debut. As to be expected, the story will push their sexual and moral boundaries to a test to get the best contracts.  It will be written by The Boys executive producer Craig Rosenberg.

    The third season is still in production for the popular series, as it has recently cast Katia Winter as Little Nina. The spin-off has also been quite busy, as it has added Shane Paul Mcghie, Maddie Phillips, Aimee Carrero, Jaz Sinclair, and Lizzie Broadway. It will be quite the stacked cast, which will take a very different approach from the mainline series. The Boys focused primarily on a group of non-powered individuals while intersecting stories from the Supes now and then. This series will primarily focus on a group of young adults and very hormonal superheroes at its core. The Brockmire actress might end up being the only hero without powers to add that human element, but there is no word which role she is tackling. It’ll be interesting to see if we get any potential crossovers between the series in the future.

    Source: Deadline

  • ‘House of the Dragon’ Adds ‘The Serpent’s Fabien Frankel

    ‘House of the Dragon’ Adds ‘The Serpent’s Fabien Frankel

    It looks like HBO’s upcoming Game of Thrones spin-off is still casting some key characters. House of Dragon will explore the times of Viserys Targaryen’s rule. Of course, a good leader requires his Kingsguard and it seems that the Last Christmas actor, Fabien Frankel, will take on that role as Ser Criston Cole. Author of the original novel series, George R.R. Martin, took to his blog to reveal the news of Frankel‘s casting teasing his rather important role in these series. In it, he describes the character as followed:

    He is the common-born son of the steward to the Lord of Blackhaven. He has no claim to lands or titles, all he has is his honor and his skill with sword and lance. He is a challenger, a champion, cheered by the commons, beloved of the ladies. He is a lover (or is he?), a seducer (or is he?), a betrayer (or is he?), a breaker of hearts and a maker of kings.

    It seems his character will have an important role in starting the civil war that will end the era of dragons. Frankel has built up quite a reputation in a short amount of time with his work on The Serpent, NYPD Blue, and alongside former Targaryen Emilia Clarke in Last Christmas. It’ll be interesting to see what the actor has to offer and how Ser Cole’s relationship with Viserys might shape the spin-offs story.

    Source: Not a Blog via The Hollywood Reporter, IMDb

  • ‘Marvel’s Avengers’: First Details and Release Date Revealed for Tachyon Anomaly Event

    ‘Marvel’s Avengers’: First Details and Release Date Revealed for Tachyon Anomaly Event

    Finally, it has been a long-time coming, but Marvel’s Avengers is kicking off its first event. Around a month ago, we got our first glimpse at a roadmap for the upcoming months, and it will kick off with the Tachyon Anomaly. After teasing its release date last week, they have announced that it will begin on April 22nd. The event will last for around two weeks and end on May 3rd. Next week, you’ll be able to play as a group of four Hulks or Iron Man if you’re in the mood for it. Now, they’ve also offered some insight into what to expect from the event.

    As the name implies, the Tachyon Rifts have been growing since AIM keeps tampering with them. The results led to Avengers crossing over from different timelines, and it allows your strike team to consist of whatever mix-up you can imagine. This part of the event is titled Temporal Assault. Interestingly enough, it calls this event the first Tachyon Anomaly. So, we might see this as a recurring event throughout the year. They also shared a comic-inspired image in the official discord:

     

     

    You’ll be able to unlock Hivemind gear sets from this event alongside priority set gear through daily missions. It will also introduce animated nameplates. They are exclusively available during the event and are unlocked when you complete the weekly mission chain for the first time. It’s not restricted to a specific hero, but we can also expect hero-specific ones in the marketplace:

    • April 22 – 29: Thor, Hawkeye, Black Widow, Hulk
    • April 29 – May 6: Iron Man, Captain America, Ms. Marvel, Kate Bishop

    That is not all, as we’re also getting multiple Tachyon Rift missions at the same time. They will also be playable for players with a power level up to 100, which will rotate daily with relevant rewards. “And We’re Back” is the title of the newest Tachyon Mission getting added into the game. Crystal Dynamics has pointed out that if this event is popular enough, it might become a mainstay moving forward. So, let’s enjoy what is just the beginning of a lot more content moving forward.

    Source: Play Avengers

  • ‘Indiana Jones 5’ Adds Mads Mikkelsen

    ‘Indiana Jones 5’ Adds Mads Mikkelsen

    It looks like Lucasfilm is full-throttle on their fifth installment of Indiana Jones. Not even a week ago, it was revealed that Phoebe Waller-Bridge was joining the production. Now, it looks like they have already added one more. Deadline has exclusively learned that Hannibal‘s Mads Mikkelsen will have a role in the upcoming film. They do not elaborate on what role he might be playing, as plot details are still vague on Jones’ next adventure set to release July 29th, 2022.

    Mikkelsen has been adding quite the list of franchises under his belt. He just recently joined Fantastic Beasts replacing Johnny Depp. The actor also had a starring role in Doctor Strange and Star Wars: Rogue One. His Danish film Another Round has also been garnering a lot of award buzz with Oscar nominations for best foreign film and best director. So, things are really looking up for the Danish actor.

    Indiana Jones is making a grand comeback with this film, as Steven Spielberg passes on directing duties for the first time since the franchise started. James Mangold will take on the responsibility after his success with Logan. It’s crazy to think that the last entry was released back in 2008, s Shia LeBeouf played Indy’s son. We don’t have an idea how the story will come together in this one. They might be trying to kickstart a new franchise, as Disney has been very keen on keeping their legacy properties going. So, we’ll see if this might just be the beginning for a new Indiana Jones or it’s a farewell to Harrison Ford‘s tenure as the character.

    Source: Deadline

  • RUMOR: First ‘Ms. Marvel’ Costume Tease Could Hint at Her Gaining a New Ability

    RUMOR: First ‘Ms. Marvel’ Costume Tease Could Hint at Her Gaining a New Ability

    Here’s a rather interesting coincidence. One of Ms. Marvel‘s directors, Bilall Fallah, shared a drawing of the young superheroine on his Instagram. He is taking over directing duties for at least one episode alongside his Bad Boys for Life co-director, Adil El Arbi. Now, the design of Ms. Marvel is pretty iconic and is easily recognized by many fans. So, we were rather surprised when the character is sporting a purple scarf in the latest image rather than her usual red one. Luckily, user @sayyidbentley was able to grab the Instagram Story image before it expired.

     

     

    Now, purple is a rather curious choice that is new to her usual color palette in the comics. It could be a visual decision that might tie to something in their story. We also see that she has her golden bangle on the arm. It just seems to be slightly smaller than the usual designs, but that could be out of practicality. Now, a recent rumor in combination with this purple scarf may be hinting at a considerable change for the character and add some validity to it We have to take every rumor with a grain of salt, but it hints at Kamala gaining a new ability. She will use a variety of constructs that connect to her bangle in some form or another.

     

    Canadian actress cast as Muslim hero Ms Marvel

     

    Now, Kamala doesn’t have these abilities in the comics, and it would be in addition to her Inhuman Embiggen powers. We do see the mentioned bangle in the design. Her purple scarf could add to the rumor, as these constructs supposedly also have the same color. Its validity is a bit questionable, but the director’s tease of the costume could give it some credence.

    There is one more hint that purple will play a key role in the Disney+ series. During Disney’s Investors Day, we got a brief sizzle reel for the project. If you pay close attention, you’ll notice that the newly designed “S” in the logo switches from purple to gold at the end of the sizzle reel. She also actively wears the color during some of the footage.

     

    Everything We Know About MS. MARVEL on Disney+ - Nerdist

     

    Ms. Marvel will release in 2021. So, we might get our first look at the series in the upcoming months, which will hopefully offer a glimpse of these new abilities and how they might tie into the character. It would be a rather daring move to move away that far from the character’s comic depictions. For now, we can only take it as a rumor and see if we get more hints in the future.

    Source: Instagram via Twitter, YouTube

  • How Disney+ STAR May Hint at ‘Deadpool 3’ Being a Soft-Reboot for the MCU

    How Disney+ STAR May Hint at ‘Deadpool 3’ Being a Soft-Reboot for the MCU

    Marvel Studios is venturing into new territory with their first R-rated project. The third entry in the Deadpool franchise will continue where the latest left off with the same vulgar we’ve come to love from the character. Yet, unlike the previous entries, we know that this new entry will be part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe even with the R-rating. Ryan Reynolds will return to tackle the role of the merc with a mouth. As far as we know, he is the only confirmed returning character from the previous films, and it opens up the question if the upcoming threequel will soft reboot the franchise. Wendy Molyneux and Lizzie Molyneux-Loeglin are hard at work on the script. So, nothing is set in stone for now. Yet, there is a chance that Marvel Studios and Disney may have accidentally hinted that the upcoming Deadpool film will work on its own merits.

    A few months ago, Disney+ expanded in specific markets through the STAR brand. It was a gateway for adult and R-rated projects to find their way into the usually family-friendly platform. Marvel already included a variety of the 20th Century films under the tagline “Marvel Legacy.” They had two separate stacks for the films and animated projects. Interestingly enough, the TV shows Legion, Agents of SHIELD, and others are titled “Marvel Live-Action Series.” Now, as you can see in the image below, even though the third entry of Deadpool will be an MCU project, its first entry is classified as a Legacy film in the Disney+ selection.

     

     

    The list goes out of its way to highlight which projects are part of the MCU. Now, there is a chance that they might not have a placement for Deadpool, as his films tie into the other Legacy films from the X-Men franchise. Yet, that is a loose connection at best, because it seems to take place in the modern era, but we see the cast from X-Men: Apocalypse, which takes place in the 80s. Plus, the second film ended in a sequence where the merc with a mouth jumps through time. If it remains the same character from the previous films, they can easily retcon the character into the main timeline of the MCU as a result of his actions.

    So, he still has his fourth-wall-breaking mentality and experience from the previous films, but he ended up screwing the timeline that he ended up breaking through the multiverse. That way, they can write off the previous entries as Legacy films while the third is a soft-reboot into the MCU. It’s just speculation but with the Star Wars Vintage branding separating non-canon Star Wars projects, it seems quite deliberate that it was given the Legacy title. We’ll have to see how they approach the project, as there are rumors of a Hulu Deadpool series in development that may be hinting at a bright and bloody future for the iconic mercenary.

  • RUMOR: ‘Wolverine’ Anthology Series in Development for Disney+

    RUMOR: ‘Wolverine’ Anthology Series in Development for Disney+

    It’s been a few months since the Illuminerdi revealed that the X-Men are potentially making their return under the title, The Mutants. We haven’t heard anything about the franchise and Marvel Studios’ plans for them since. Well, the latest rumor may be hinting at the return of one icon, Wolverine. Hugh Jackman made Logan one of the central figures of 20th Century Fox’s franchise. It was uncertain if Kevin Feige would try to take a unique approach and leave him out since the character has become synonymous with the actor. Well, That Hashtag Show reports that Marvel Studios is in early development on a Wolverine-centric Disney+ show.

    Now, the thing that makes it rather interesting is that they claim that the series will be an anthology series. The first season aims to adapt the iconic Weapon X story and generally act as his origin within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The project is in the very early stages of development. So, there is no talent attached in any way. That Hashtag Show believe they might be aiming to reveal something during this year’s D23 event, which is interesting given that it has been cancelled.

    It is a rumor for now. So, we have to take it with a grain of salt. Still, it would be a creative approach. Wolverine has lived a long life, as teased in X-Men Origins: Wolverine. They could use this format to introduce the character and explore parts of his history that weren’t the spotlight of the X-Men franchise. We’ll see if Wolverine will continue to keep the spotlight in future ventures, or if he might take a backseat for some time.

    Source: That Hashtag Show

  • Job Listings Hinting at an Open World ‘BioShock’ Sequel in Development

    Job Listings Hinting at an Open World ‘BioShock’ Sequel in Development

    It looks like some job listings at the developer studio Cloud Chamber may have given us our first glimpse at the next entry of the BioShock franchise. At the tail-end of 2019, 2K Games founded the studio to tackle the first-person gaming franchise. Kelley Gilmore took over the studio and is spearheading the next project. Bloody Disgusting noticed something rather interesting in their latest job listings that may offer a glimpse at the next entry’s direction.

    They are currently looking for a Senior Writer, who is required to ha e a talent for weaving stories in “an open world setting.” The job details also include the fact that they will be required to brainstorm primary and secondary mission content. Now, the position of Senior World Designer also points to a game concept, where players are encouraged to explore the world rather than the franchise’s usual straightforward storytelling. Cloud Chamber is also actively looking for someone to create an urban crowd.

    This information would also hint at the game moving closer to 2013’s BioShock Infinite, which had a living world throughout specific sections. It is uncertain if we might even be returning to the underwater city of Rapture or the city above the clouds, Columbia. It is likely that the story will be a self-contained story that pays tribute to those that came before. Still, the concept of an open-world BioShock game sounds intriguing.

    Source: Games Industry, Cloud Chamber via Bloody Disgusting