Murphy's Multiverse

Author: Joseph Aberl

  • UPDATE: James Gunn Addresses the ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ Adam Warlock Casting

    UPDATE: James Gunn Addresses the ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ Adam Warlock Casting

    UPDATE: It looks like James Gunn has responded to Illuminerdi’s story on the casting of Adam Warlock in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. The director is well-known for discussing these kinds of stories openly on Social Media, so he offers a quick response to point out the validity. He points out that the film is currently not casting and that if they were interested in someone similar to Zac Efron, he would simply approach the actor in the role.

    https://twitter.com/JamesGunn/status/1369445293733912577

    Source: Twitter

     

     

    It’s crazy to think that it has been almost four years since Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 released in theatres. James Gunn is slowly getting ready to start production on his third entry. It will finally continue the story of our favorite space heroes. The last time we saw them, they were heading out into space alongside Thor. The threequel will likely take place after the events of Avengers: Endgame. Yet, there was still one essential plot thread that has yet to get answered since the post-credit sequence of Vol. 2.

    One of the main antagonists for the story was the Sovereign and the Golden High Priestess, Ayesha. After their defeat, she was getting ready to unleash her ultimate creation, which comic fans instantly recognized as the birth of Adam Warlock. After a long wait, we’ll finally meet the man in the cocoon in the upcoming third entry of the franchise. They are currently looking for a Zac Efron-type actor to take on the role, so they are looking for a 30-year-old Caucasian, who is a superhero type.

    It’s funny to think back to when he first got teased. We didn’t know if he’ll get introduced in a Guardians film or another franchise. The Vision took over his role from the Infinity Gauntlet saga in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In the comics, Warlock was the owner of the Mind Stone. It even was in the same spot. So, many wondered if he had any role in Avengers: Infinity War, which wasn’t going to release for another two years at the time. It will be interesting to see how he plays into the story and which angle James Gunn might take with the character. He will start production on the film once he finishes work on The Suicide Squad spin-off, Peacemaker. So, there is still time until we have anything official on the matter.

    Source: Illuminerdi

  • ‘Creed II’s Florian Munteanu Joins ‘Borderlands’

    ‘Creed II’s Florian Munteanu Joins ‘Borderlands’

    It looks like Borderlands isn’t quite done casting for its upcoming film. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the Eli Roth-led project has found its next major addition in Florian Munteanu, who played Viktor Drago in Creed II. He will play Krieg, who is the bodyguard of the explosive expert Tiny Tina. She has also recently been cast with Ariana Greenblatt set to take on the role. Roth gave the following statement on his casting:

    Florian brings real humanity and multiple layers to a character who on the surface seems totally insane and brutally savage. Krieg was by far the most difficult role to cast, and Florian brought him to life and grounded him in a way that I didn’t know was possible. He’s going to be a brilliant Krieg and will fit in perfectly with our incredible cast.

    He certainly is a perfect choice for the part. The 6’4, 235-pound actor is the perfect choice to bring this giant to life and will be even more intimidating standing next to Tiny Tina. Currently, the production is eyeing a start in mid-April in Hungary, s we might see other castings get announced in the coming weeks. It already is star-studded with Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Jack Black all joining the production. The film will adapt the popular gaming franchise, which was created by Gearbox Software and 2K. It is still uncertain which storyline they might be adapting from the games, or if this will be a unique take. Hopefully, we will get some more details as we near production.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • ‘Marvel’s Avengers’ Campaign Replay Confirmed for March Hawkeye Update

    ‘Marvel’s Avengers’ Campaign Replay Confirmed for March Hawkeye Update

    We’ve been keeping a close eye on Marvel’s Avengers‘ next major update, which will finally allow us to play as the iconic archer. Lately, some hints have started pointing to the update potentially including more than what we initially expected. Suddenly, Intel leaked a video early on the addition of customizable HARM rooms. Crystal Dynamics also unveiled that they are holding additional streams showcasing the game’s original storyline. The theory paid off, as they announced that the Hawkeye update will include a long-requested function. It looks like we’ll finally be able to replay the campaign.

     

     

    It’s been a highly requested feature, as the REassemble campaign was one of the highlights of the game. We finally get to revisit Kamala’s story, as she witnesses her heroes fall during A-Day before becoming an essential member of the team. It also makes sense to add this function alongside the next-generation upgrade. We’ll get to revisit the storyline with updated graphics and a much smoother framerate. @PlayAvenger was able to grab the video of how we can restart the campaign:

     

    https://twitter.com/PlayAvenger/status/1369364739281854469?s=20

     

    If you take a closer look, they also updated the overall UX. The storylines seem to be numbered now, so it is easier to know where you start. You can easily access any of the campaigns and restart them from the operations menu. They also published a new blog post that confirms every operation can be replayed, which is great news as one issue I had was that I couldn’t revisit parts of the story even if the missions were available. I am looking forward to trying out the replay, as I’ve wanted to revisit it for some time again, especially now as the game starts to expand with future DLC characters. I cannot wait to check out the new HARM rooms as well, which offer some replayability by testing out my heroes in creative ways.

    Source: Twitter (Update Overview), Twitter (Campaign), Play Avengers

  • Disney+ Passes 100 Million Subscribers Worldwide

    Disney+ Passes 100 Million Subscribers Worldwide

    Disney has always been a powerhouse in the entertainment market. It seemed like they were unstoppable. So, many were curious how well they would perform once they enter the streaming market with Disney+. With a nice boost through the release of Soul, they already reached a subscription number of 94.9 million by January. That was before WandaVision was even released on the streaming platform. Now, it seems that within the last month they finally managed to surpass the 100 million thresholds. In the latest shareholder meeting, Disney CEO Bob Chapek announce the milestone with the following words:

    The enormous success of Disney Plus has inspired us to be even more ambitious, and to significantly increase our investment in the development of high-quality content. In fact, we set a target of 100-plus new titles per year, and this includes Disney Animation, Disney Live Action, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic. Our direct-to-consumer business is the Company’s top priority, and our robust pipeline of content will continue to fuel its growth.

    Even in these uncertain times, the rapid growth of their streaming service has been able to keep their stock price soaring. The recent launch of India’s STAR platform has also added a lot of content that would draw in a new audience. Disney+’s biggest restriction was focusing purely on family-content, so this new direction will help it grow in Canada, European, and Asian markets. In the United States, Hulu remains bundled with the streaming service.

    Speaking of, it will be embedded with ESPN Plus, so you can access different services through one app. There is a good chance the same might happen for Disney+ as well with Hulu as the main hub. It is an amazing landmark for the young streaming service, and it will be interesting to see how it will further develop in the coming years.

    Source: Variety

  • ‘WandaVision’ EP Jac Schaeffer Talks Doctor Strange’s Absence

    ‘WandaVision’ EP Jac Schaeffer Talks Doctor Strange’s Absence

    WandaVision built up a mystery that could crumble the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s reality as we know it. As Wanda transformed a small suburban town in New Jersey into a real-life sitcom, we all wondered if this might attract the attention of another sorcerer. The introduction of the witch Agatha Harkness and the Darkhold would certainly be on the radar for the Sorcerer Supreme.

    Sadly, he did not end up making an appearance to confront Wanda on her actions. Well, in an interview with Deadline, the Disney+ series executive producer Jac Schaeffer was asked that question and her answer seems to imply that he was certainly included at one point:

    I heart Doctor Strange just like anybody. Yeah, it’s one of those things, that’s how the chips fell, that’s how the cookie crumbled, is what I will say, but I look forward to seeing him on screen with Wanda in Doctor Strange 2.

    As we learned from director Matt Shakman, their production was affected by the pandemic. Storylines they filmed didn’t make it into the official release, especially as the finale was only finished shortly before it aired on the streaming channel. Shaeffer tries to avoid the question, but she does hint that he was in the cards at some point. It could also have been affected by how much they could include in the finale while working through the crunch. Still, even if he didn’t make an appearance in WandaVision, we know it sets up her story for when she joins Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. It’ll be interesting to see how these stories interconnect when the film premieres March 23rd, 2022.

    Source: Deadline

  • ‘WandaVision’ EP Jac Schaeffer Reveals Why There Was No Secret Villain in the Finale

    ‘WandaVision’ EP Jac Schaeffer Reveals Why There Was No Secret Villain in the Finale

    Sadly, WandaVision has come to an end last week. It gave us a story about personal trauma and overcoming the hardships of our past. Of course, when a superhero is involved it gets a bit messier than just a few therapy sessions. She ended up revisiting her past to face the events that shaped her and unconsciously rewrote an entire town’s reality and turned it into a living sitcom world. She also ran into the witch Agatha Harkness, who revealed her destiny.

     

    Who Is Agatha Harkness in WandaVision? Agnes Revealed as Westview Marvel Villain

     

    Throughout the show’s run, many of us believed that there was another mastermind pulling the strings behind the scenes. Yet, as we found out, it was Wanda that affected this town. In an interview with Deadline, executive producer Jac Schaeffer revealed that this was always part of the plan when asked why Mephisto didn’t make an appearance:

    We didn’t think this series needed a big bad. I mean, the big bad is grief, you know, and that’s the story that we were telling. and then we got a bonus baddie in the form of Agatha Harkness who ended up facilitating Wanda’s therapy, so yeah, I think we feel preggy good about that.

    It was a great choice to avoid this trope of some evil manipulating the events from the shadows. This way, we got to take a closer look at Wanda and she had to face the consequences of her own actions. They highlighted this aspect in the season finale when she got confronted by the townsfolk. At the same time, Mephisto was heavily involved in the comics with the creation of Wanda’s children, so it is certainly a departure.

    Source: Deadline

  • ‘WandaVision’: Matt Shakman Opens Up About How the Pandemic Changed the Finale

    ‘WandaVision’: Matt Shakman Opens Up About How the Pandemic Changed the Finale

    It’s crazy to think that WandaVision has officially come to an end. After its nine-episode run on Disney+, we are anxiously awaiting the next entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe with The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Yet, we still are looking back at the ending of the first entry in Marvel Studios’ venture into long-form storytelling. The series nailed its main focus by exploring Wanda’s grief, but there have been some dangling plot threads that still remain in our minds. In an interview on Kevin Smith‘s Fatman Beyond podcast, they had an interview with direct Matt Shakman, who offered a bit of insight into how they were affected by the pandemic.

    The studio was originally planning on releasing the first three episodes simultaneously, which makes sense with the narrative arc they set-up. However, they only finished the finale around two weeks before its official release, which means they had faced a lot of crunch time. If they went with their original plan, they would’ve had to delay the finale.

     

    https://static2.cbrimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/wandavision-3.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=740&h=370

     

    It also seems that the engineer’s tease was 100% intended, but was getting worried when people suddenly expected Reed Richard to show up. A lot was left on the cutting room floor, so it may have originally had a bigger pay-off. They also confess that a lot of CGI edits were a bit awkward, as pointed out by Smith, as they had to finalize those post-lockdown. Monica was even originally going to have a bigger role in the finale, such as her, the kids, Ralph, and Darcy trying to steal the Darkhold from the basement. There we would find out that the bunny Scratchy was a demon. It was all filmed but they couldn’t finish the VFX for it.

    There might be a lot more that got cut down. It is a shame to see their original vision get affected strongly by the ongoing pandemic. If they had the chance, I would hope they could add the missing sequences later in, as we saw with a correction in an episode of The Mandalorian. It explains why Darcy only had one line in the finale even though she was a major supporting character throughout the show.

     

    If you are interested in listening to the interview, you can check it out below:

    Source: YouTube

  • ‘Eternals’ Merchandise Offers Closer Look at the Celestials and Teases the Uni-Mind

    ‘Eternals’ Merchandise Offers Closer Look at the Celestials and Teases the Uni-Mind

    It seems that while Marvel Studios plays coy with their upcoming releases due to potential delays, our only source of insight into some of their projects comes through merchandise. We just shared some of the shirts that offered a look at Deviant Kro’s design, which confirms a leak from a couple of months ago. There are more shirts in this collection that offer even more teases for the upcoming film, especially a rather familiar face.

    A few of the shirts also include a looming presence of a Celestial, who we previously saw in the first Guardians of the Galaxy film. At least, the shape of his eyes and the red color seems to allude to this being the same Celestial, who once wielded the Power Stone in that brief sequence. It is interesting to also see other designs up close that were only teased early on when the film was first showcased.

    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Ev5Ff96XIAkIK7H.jpg

     

    Now, there is also a rather curious inclusion. It teases the existence of the Uni-Mind within the MCU. The Celestials gave the Eternals a gift that comes in the form of a being made of light, mind, and energy. It comes into existence when several Eternals come together. In a way, it also ties the alien race together and can enable them to reactivate their inherent abilities. I also love the way they combine the Marvel Studios’ cast into a cover that seems ripped straight out of the original comic line with Arishem prominently in the cover.

    It seems that of all the Celestials, we might spend a lot more time with Arishem throughout the story. We still don’t know which one of them ends up losing its head, which would eventually turn into Knowhere. The film is set to span decades of MCU history. It will offer a very new look at something we believed to have been very familiar with over the last decade. Here’s hoping we get a trailer soon that gives us a closer look at what we can expect from this space epic.

    Source: Kohls

  • ‘Eternals’ Merchandise Offers Closer Look at Kro’s New Design

    ‘Eternals’ Merchandise Offers Closer Look at Kro’s New Design

    Marvel Studios has been focusing its efforts on its upcoming Disney+ slate, as the pandemic still made its theatrical releases uncertain. Still, it doesn’t mean that a lot of things have been brewing behind the scenes, as we still anxiously wait for a sign of life for Black Widow. It is still supposed to air in May and, so far, we haven’t had any official delay for the film. It isn’t the only 2020 release that was postponed, however. Now slated to release one year later, Eternals, will explore a new corner of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and give us a glimpse at its creation. We sadly never got an official trailer, so we could only pull our first looks from various merchandise that found its way online.

    Well, it looks like that trend continues, as Kohl’s has released a variety of Eternals shirts online. There are quite a few interesting reveals beyond the main cast, who have been the main focus of previous leaks. First off, there are a variety of shirts that give us a closer look at the main antagonist of the upcoming film. the Deviant leader Kro. His new look actually leaked around five months ago through the Marvel Legends figurine series and is quite a departure from the original red comic design.

     

     

    At least this artwork seems to include some red, so we might see his form change throughout the film. It will be interesting to see how his actions also influence the events of the film. The Deviants were known to take on more monstrous forms in the comics, so it seems that director Chloé Zhao took that in an interesting direction. So far, he is the only Deviant that has been showcased. So, we’ll hopefully get a closer look at others once they drop an official trailer.

    Source: Kohls

  • ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’ Release Date Leak May Hint at Marvel Studios’ 2023 Line-Up

    ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’ Release Date Leak May Hint at Marvel Studios’ 2023 Line-Up

    Marvel Studios has once again mapped out their projects years in advance. Even with the pandemic shifting everything by one year, we still have plenty to look forward to. During Disney’s Investors Day, we got a good look at the future of this franchise. They announced various films and Disney+ shows. Alongside them, we also got some release dates, such as Black Panther and Captain Marvel 2 eyeing a 2022 release. Now, the interesting thing to note is that these films will release in July and November respectively. At one point, a comment by Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania director, Peyton Reed, hinted at it also eyeing a potential 2022 release date.
    Yet, once the Investor’s Day rolled around, that seemed to have changed. The curious placement of Blade between the previously-mentioned titles points to it releasing in 2022. Keep in mind that it still has no official release date just yet. Helping that fact is that casting has already started for the film, as revealed a few days ago. There was always the risk of delays due to the pandemic. Even Black Widow‘s one-year delay may potentially get pushed back once again. Still, it would hint at 2022 consisting of five films, which will be kicked off in March with Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Charles Murphy also had a similar prediction for 2022 based on similar information. Anything beyond that release date remained speculation.

    Ant-Man and the Wasp' unanswered questions after the movie

    Well, it looks like the site Cines Argentinos, who has been reliable in the past, may have accidentally unveiled the release date for the threequel. They have set the third entry in the Ant-Man franchise for February 16th in 2023. It makes sense with its placement in the fact sheet after Captain Marvel 2, which was already releasing as the potential fifth film in 2022. There is also the production that would line-up with this release date, as according to Evangeline Lilly, it will not enter production until the summer of this year. Film productions might try to plan in as much time as possible, especially as we’re still seeing temporary shutdowns due to the pandemic.

    This leak connected with the fact sheet makes it a bit easier to predict when they might release. The release order according to the fact sheet would place the long-awaited threequel, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, in their usual May release slot. It is the only film confirmed for a 2023 release. Following it, Jon Watt‘s Fantastic Four would take one of the other 2023 release dates. 2023 has release dates slated in July and November, so it depends on how fast Marvel Studiospulls things together. Marvel Studios has been releasing information in smaller chunks rather than the entire phase in one go, as they did back in the day with Phase 3. So, we might get some official confirmations by the end of the year during the next Disney Investor’s Day for their 2023 line-up.

    Source: Walt Disney, Investor’s Day Fact Sheet, Collider, Slash Film, The Hollywood Reporter, Cines Argentinos, NME