Murphy's Multiverse

Author: Joseph Aberl

  • How The Pandemic May Lead to Spider-Man’s True Homecoming

    How The Pandemic May Lead to Spider-Man’s True Homecoming

    The first 2021 delays have arrived, which included Sony’s upcoming March release of Morbius until October. The pandemic hasn’t been kind to many film studios, as many 2020 releases got pushed back multiple times. Many films are already finished and just waiting to get released. The uncertainty has led to some companies embracing the streaming future, especially Warner Bros., who just outright mapped out every 2021 release to include a premiere on HBO Max simultaneously. It still has led to quite a few controversies, especially Wonder Woman 1984‘s Box Office, but these are uncertain times. Even Disney seems to be considering this option with Black Widow at this point. While everyone else is considering streaming services, why is Sony still delaying their films for many months?

    Let’s take a look back at 2019. Rumors were about that Sony Pictures was getting sold. The New York Post revealed that investor Dan Loeb was pitching to Sony a sales plan that included their Sony Pictures division. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos seemed quite interested in the purchase and led to some discussions. It is interesting to note, that there are also rumors surrounding the Spider-Man franchise rights. It seems they would automatically return to Marvel if Sony decides to sell their film division. Of course, this put the entire sales process on everyone’s radar. Marvel was able to regain the rights to the X-Men and Fantastic Four after Disney purchased Fox. As such, the sale could indicate Marvel once again acquiring almost all the rights they sold to avoid bankruptcy back in 1999.

     

     

    It seems that Sony needs the deal more than Marvel Studios does at times. Sony sold the merchandising rights to Spider-Man back in 2011, only a year before they rebooted with The Amazing Spider-Man. They even confessed that the sale was short-sighted before claiming that they won’t sell the division after a $1 billion write-down in 2017. Of course, it led to the deal to co-produce films alongside Marvel Studios, which seemed to work out in both companies’ favor. There was a falling out that led to the partnership suddenly getting discontinued in 2019. Luckily, it got amended to continue with the Tom Holland-led franchise, but it certainly left people wondering what led to that decision. 

    Why am I bringing all this up? Well, if Sony Pictures has been facing potential bankruptcy as frequently as it does, 2020’s pandemic could not have done them any favors. Now, they are continuously postponing their films without any streaming service of their own. Last May, they did make a $70 million deal for Tom Hanks‘ Greyhound on Apple+, but they didn’t see a reason to continue this business model. Their latest delay – most likely to be followed by many more – is most likely to lead them to re-explore new options. In the end, Marvel Studios and Disney may end up being the actual winner in this scenario. If they try to discuss streaming options with Apple for their streaming service, it may put them in a bind with their Marvel-Disney contract.

     

     

    The logical conclusion would be to make a deal with Disney to add their family-friendly content on Disney+. Now, this dependency could give Marvel an advantage in future dealmaking for the character and every property surrounding him. The current situation may also lead to Sony Pictures re-evaluating the deals made to sell, especially if 2021 releases might not bring in the Box Office necessary to cover deficits from the constant delays. We will see how the next few months develop to see if Spider-Man may get his actual homecoming after all. This development is nothing more than speculation, but it does open up the question of what the future looks like for Sony Pictures in these uncertain times.

    Source: NY Post, Deadline, Wall Street Journal, LA Times, Invezz

  • ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s Emma Caulfield Joins ‘WandaVision’

    ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s Emma Caulfield Joins ‘WandaVision’

    WandaVision is so close, we can almost taste it. Friday will be the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s major return since July 2019’s release of Spider-Man: Far From Home. Yes, the wait has been really long, but Marvel Studios is about to return in style. It will be their first time attempting a television show. They also are looking into expanding the franchise in creative ways, such as the upcoming show forcing our favorite power couple to relive old sitcom shows. With only four more days to go, the news seemed to just get started with a variety of teases during the show’s press junket. Well, it looks like one more casting has been revealed to build up more hype. Buffy the Vampire Slayer‘s Emma Caulfield took to Twitter to announce that she was cast in the series.

    Of course, she doesn’t give away any hints about who exactly she might be playing. Caulfield has been in a variety of projects since her last appearance on Buffy in 2003. She made some appearances in Disney’s Once Upon a Time, AMC’s Fear the Walking Dead, and even CW’s Supergirl. Of course, many will remember her from her run as Anyanka Jenkins/Emerson from 1998 until 2003 on the Sarah Michelle Gellar-led series. Her addition could be connected to set photos that we saw a while back featuring someone in a blonde wig. So, she may have a bigger role than we think. Right now, anything is possible with the show, so it’ll be interesting to see how all these pieces come together once it starts airing this Friday.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘Morbius’ Delayed Until October 2021

    ‘Morbius’ Delayed Until October 2021

    It’s not looking too good for the early 2021 releases right now. we’ve already gotten the first signs, as Marvel Studios and Disney are starting to potentially consider moving Black Widow to streaming services earlier today. Warner Bros.’ decision to pursue a simultaneous streaming and theatrical release might be paying off after all, as some more releases are getting postponed. The latest delay is Sony’s upcoming Spider-Man spin-off Morbius. It seems the Jared Leto-led project has been pushed back from March 19th until October 8th of this year.

    Originally, the film was meant to release July 31st, which already saw a three-week delay at the time. It looks like most of Sony’s films are going to see another delay, such as Uncharted, Venom: Let There Be Carnage, Connected, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, and many more. Of course, it also could mean that Spider-Man‘s third entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe may also face a delay into 2022.

    The studio has already faced many delays, but the 2021 film slate is slowly piling on more than it may handle. Even if things start returning to normal throughout 2021, there is no guarantee that people are willing to return to theaters. There is a sense of uncertainty that will still linger, which will certainly impact the 2021 Box Office. Even Wonder Woman 1984 was not able to keep its momentum and crashed in its second weekend. We will see if Sony’s delays will really benefit them in the long-term, as avoiding any streaming alternative might end up hurting their business long-term. We’ll see if any other projects might also get delayed in the coming weeks.

    Source: Variety, Slash FIlm

  • Frank Grillo Confirms Crossbones Return in ‘What If’

    Frank Grillo Confirms Crossbones Return in ‘What If’

    All eyes are on the upcoming Disney+ series. WandaVision is going to finally air this Friday. Falcon and the Winter Soldier is eyeing a release in March before Loki takes over in May. Those aren’t all the shows we can expect this year. 2021 is going to be huge for Marvel Studios after last year’s hiatus. Among them, What If is going to be their first venture into animation. The series is set to re-explore the films from the first three phases, but with a twist. They have teased that a wide variety of MCU actors will return to voice the characters they made iconic. Well, it looks like one more is joining the fray.

    In an interview with Collider’s Steven Weintraub, actor Frank Grillo revealed that he will be involved with the upcoming What If project. Of course, he didn’t give away what we can expect from his return as Crossbones, but he did give us a hint for how many episodes he’ll be around.

    CAA called, my agents called and said, ‘They’re doing this thing, What If…?, and they have four or five episodes planned out, you can do it all in one [day].’ I’m like, ‘Whatever, I don’t care what the money [is], it doesn’t matter, yes I’m going to do it. Absolutely. All day, every day.’

    Grillo‘s enthusiasm is certain infections. We still don’t know much about What If, which primarily seems to focus on different scenarios with simple twists. So far, we’ve seen an evil Doctor Strange, Peggy Carter replacing Steve Rogers, and a Zombie Captain America. There is a good chance he is involved with the Zombie episode, which could be connected to Crossbones bio-weapon that was originally meant to kill Cap during Captain America: Civil War. At this point, it is just pure speculation, but it certainly is going to be exciting to see how they’ll twist our understanding of the stories we’ve spent so much time with in the last twelve years.

    Source: Collider

  • Square-Enix Trademarks Teasing ‘Final Fantasy VII Remake’ Sequel or Spin-Offs

    Square-Enix Trademarks Teasing ‘Final Fantasy VII Remake’ Sequel or Spin-Offs

    It’s looking like this week will be dominated by Marvel, as we all anticipate the upcoming release of WandaVision. It seems like it isn’t the only thing happening this week, as Square-Enix has been quite busy as well. They had a big year in 2020. They released a remake of one of their most famous games, Final Fantasy VII, which was only the beginning of its return. The remake only centered on the Midgar arc, which was around four to five hours in the original. Of course, to make it an entire game, they’ve added new details and characters from the expanded compendium. It wasn’t until we saw the ending that we would come to realize that Final Fantasy VII Remake was more than what we may have initially bargained with.

    The ending took a very different direction, which left us with many questions. Zack Fair, one of the main characters from the original, somehow managed to change his fate. It kind of implied that he may have a larger role in the future of this new franchise. Well, it seems that there are plans with him, as Square-Enix has just filed trademarks for “The First Soldier” and “Ever Crisis”. They also trademarked a new Shinra Electric Power Company logo, the primary antagonist of the remake.

    The first trademark is connected to SEPC’s SOLDIER program that gave Zack and Cloud superhuman abilities. What makes it significant, however, is the first SOLDIER was Sephiroth. So, it may tease that he will have some kind Now, Ever Crisis is rather interesting, as it could tease a spin-off focuses on Zack, just like the prequel Before Crisis did. The new SEPC visual can be closely connected to the ending reveal from Final Fantasy VII Remake. Most of us were focusing on the upcoming sequel, so the potential of spin-offs is surprising. We’ll see if these trademarks might have some ties to the game’s direct sequel, especially with them trademarking new visuals. It is still good to know that some development is happening with the franchise, and I cannot wait for an official reveal of how they are moving forward with this franchise.

    Source: Gematsu

  • Marvel Studios’ ‘X-Men’ Still Being Actively Discussed

    Marvel Studios’ ‘X-Men’ Still Being Actively Discussed

    Disney Investor’s Day was filled to the brim with major announcements. We got the reveal of some new Disney+ shows, such as Secret Invasion and Armor Wars. However, probably the biggest surprise was the announcement of a Marvel Studios’ Fantastic Four film. There was still no sign of their take on the X-Men, however. We do have the confirmation that Deadpool, who is closely tied to the franchise, will be part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe in his upcoming third film, but no word if we can expect, Jean Grey, Wolverine, Cyclops, Storm, and all the other mutants to make their appearance any time soon. Now, with the WandaVision press junket underway, ScreenRant used this chance to ask him if there is anything he can say about the franchise:

    You know how much I love the X-Men. I already said that’s where I started. I can’t tell you anything before we actually announced it, but rest assured, the discussions have been long and ongoing internally.

    Well, it looks like there is still some time before they will explore that aspect of the MCU. It does make sense, as they will not want to rush these characters out while they map out what will make their version of the characters unique from 20th Century Fox’s run. There is also the question if they will focus on the Inhumans for a few years, who might make their reappearance in the upcoming Ms. Marvel Disney+ show. There has been no confirmation on their appearance, however, so anything is still possible. WandaVision may also open up the introduction of mutants, as there were teases that the Mind Stone released dormant abilities within Wanda. Whatever Marvel Studios decides, it is good they are not rushing out the characters after only just getting the rights. There is a chance some of them might make cameo appearances early on before rolling out into their own film. Marvel’s future is bright, so why rush it now.

    Source: ScreenRant

  • Kevin Feige Teases Multiple Seasons For Upcoming Disney+ Shows

    Kevin Feige Teases Multiple Seasons For Upcoming Disney+ Shows

    We are only a few days away from WandaVision finally airing. It’ll be the first in a wide variety of new shows that will kick-off Marvel Studios’ expansion into long-form storytelling. At first glance, it seemed like they were focusing more on mini-series than trying to focus on a yearly seasonal turnout. Disney+ is no stranger to it, as The Mandalorian just released its second season. However, that show also proved how flexible the streaming service is, as the upcoming third season will release later after a new show titled The Book of Boba Fett takes over its yearly release date. So, it made us wonder if Marvel Studios may embrace multiple seasons after all. Luckily, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige has confirmed this is very much a possibility:

    It will vary. There are some shows that have been built to further expand our storytelling and then go into features. We’ve already announced Lizzie Olsen being a part of “Doctor Strange 2.” We’ve announced Teyonah Parris being part of “Captain Marvel 2.” There are some shows that, while always interconnected, are being built with multiple seasons in mind. So it’ll vary the way a lot of I think great TV now varies, whether it’s a couple of years between seasons of “Game of Thrones” or “Stranger Things,” or one offs like — what did I just watch? — “Queen’s Gambit.” One of the fun things about streaming is the rules are loose, which allows for you to just follow creatively, where you want to go.

    Sadly, Feige is as tight-lipped as ever and did not give away which season could potentially be mapped out with multiple seasons. Interestingly enough, almost a whole year ago, our very own Charles Murphy did break the news that Loki was very likely to get a second season. It seemed like many of the lead and supporting roles were given options to return. A few days ago, the news broke that Loki showrunner Michael Waldron was also inking up a massive deal with Disney that would include a potential second season. So, it seems very likely that at least the God of Mischief was going to explore this. As Feige points out, they aren’t as restricted with their seasonal turn-out so they will adapt each show’s future season to fit within the overarching storyline, as they switch between Disney+ and feature films. So, we’ll see if WandaVision, Hawkeye, and the many other series might also return for multiple seasons.

    Source: Variety

  • Kevin Feige Confirms ‘Deadpool 3’ as an R-Rated MCU Film

    Kevin Feige Confirms ‘Deadpool 3’ as an R-Rated MCU Film

    The Marvel Cinematic Universe is ever-expanding. Avengers: Endgame ended the era of the first three phases with quite the bang. Now, we are opening up new avenues for Marvel Studios to explore. The first major addition is the expansion into long-form storytelling through Disney+. WandaVision will kick-off this new direction in just a few days, which will highlight the franchise taking new chances with its stories. It also looks like they are opening up to also introducing characters from other franchises, as is the case with Ryan Reynolds‘ Deadpool. When it was announced that the third film was moving forward, many wondered how it would fit into Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige‘s master plan. Looks like

    In an interview with Collider’s Steve Weintraub, Feige revealed that the third entry of the Deadpool franchise is indeed part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Not just that, he also said that the film will keep its R-rating. So, those worried that Deadpool becoming a part of a larger universe could change his rating can breathe a sigh of relief. He did confirm that Lizzie Molyneux-Loeglin and Wendy Molyneux are still hard at work on the script alongside Reynolds, but it will not enter any form of production until 2022. Here is his comment:

    It will be rated R and we are working on a script right now, and Ryan’s overseeing a script right now… It will not be [filming] this year. Ryan is a very busy, very successful actor. We’ve got a number of things we’ve already announced that we now have to make, but it’s exciting for it to have begun. Again, a very different type of character in the MCU, and Ryan is a force of nature, which is just awesome to see him bring that character to life.

    Deadpool will certainly shake-up the Marvel Cinematic Universe in major ways. It will be interesting to see how they integrate the third entry for the character into the larger MCU. There could be a good chance that he has a multiverse story of his own, or his time travel actions from the last sequel led to him crossing dimensions. Either way, it’ll be interesting how they will balance his fourth-wall-breaking while still trying to keep the existing franchise as grounded in its own reality.

    Source: Collider

  • Kevin Feige Teases Their Approach to ‘WandaVision’ And Future Disney+ Shows

    Kevin Feige Teases Their Approach to ‘WandaVision’ And Future Disney+ Shows

    Marvel Studios has become an established force within cinema. Their films have become Blockbuster mainstays since they kickstarted with 2008’s Iron Man. Now, they are heading into completely new territory, as Disney+ will kick-start their new venture into long-form storytelling. At first, it just sounded like we were getting the type of films we are familiar with just stretched out to explore characters in new ways.

    Well, it was until all the pieces came together to reveal how the upcoming release of WandaVision would change that impression. It wasn’t what we used to, as we saw our favorite heroic couple living a suburban life inspired by classic sitcom shows. During today’s press junket, it seems Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige revealed that we can expect a lot more wackiness in the future.

     

    Kevin Feige: “And the idea was always to do something that can’t be done as a feature. Plays with the format and plays with the medium. And there were a lot of meetings before people understood what we were going for.”

     

    It certainly sounds like their future projects will redefine our understanding of what the Marvel Cinematic Universe is. There is also a good chance that the films will start to embrace more creative directions as the franchise continues to expand. When the MCU started, it’s big selling point was that each film tried to replicate a different genre with superheroes. To give a few examples, Captain America: The Winter Soldier was a 90s spy thriller while Guardians of the Galaxy added a space opera to the franchise. It is exciting to see them expand the concept more, as many announced projects already tease this direction. She-Hulk was teased as a legal drama and Moon Knight will dive deep into his broken psyche. It is going to be exciting to see how the franchise continues to grow in the coming years.

  • How Disney+ Impacted the Streaming Market With What Hulu Pioneered

    How Disney+ Impacted the Streaming Market With What Hulu Pioneered

    WandaVision is only a few more days away. We just got the first reactions to the show’s first three episodes, and it seems we are in for a curious mystery. The upcoming Marvel Studios’ series are embracing the weekly release model that Disney+ introduced with The Mandalorian. It was in stark contrast to Netflix’s approach, which made the concept of binge-watching a household regularity. They tend to release their eight- to thirteen-episode seasons in one day. So, anyone can sit down and watch the entire series in one sitting. It was the streaming standard for some time. Well, that was until The Mandalorian switched things up during the launch of Disney+ in 2019.

    The House of Mouse decided to release their episodes weekly in the same vein as classic television. It was a massive success for the new streaming service, as people were discussing the latest episode and reveal of the Child. Word-of-mouth would spread and add new subscribers to the platform, as everyone wanted to know why everyone is talking about Baby Yoda. Of course, the show hasn’t released every episode yet. So, each week would come with Social Media buzz, discussions, and theories. Disney+ didn’t invent the weekly release, as it was something another Disney-owned service had been doing for a while. Hulu has been a pioneer in this department by sticking to their weekly release schedule, which got highlighted in a 2015 review with Hulu’s VP, Craig Erwich:

    We value the shared experience and the joy of the water cooler that is television

     

     

    The buzz surrounding The Mandalorian was no small feat and quickly got Amazon’s attention. They then decided to release the second season of The Boys weekly to build up some hype with each episode’s release. It sounded great on paper, as they could add more relevance to the season’s overarching plot, but it ended up becoming quite the controversy. The series got review-bombed for taking this route. It was a considerable shift for the series, as the initial season was available to binge-watch on Day 1. Netflix has also been embracing a weekly release with a few shows, such as The Great British Baking Show in late 2019. Their dominant strategy will remain with binge releases, but it certainly proves Hulu was correct to stick to their guns.

    Now, why did this shift only really start to get traction across streaming markets after Disney+ copied Hulu’s model? Well, it most likely has to do with branding. Yes, it sounds a bit too simple, but Disney’s name gets a lot of attention. Hulu did have Disney-based intellectual properties, most notably Runaways, but didn’t have the same kind of build-up. It also is only available in the United States, so the buzz that existed was strictly kept to local markets. Disney+ was smart and focused on popular IP-based series, such as The Mandalorian building on the hype of being the first live-action Star Wars series. They also are very deliberate with pointing out that WandaVision, Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and the many other future Marvel shows are marketed as Marvel Studios’ productions.

     

     

    It also has the selling factor of being a hub for all Disney IPs alongside the promise of high-quality productions. You have a perfect recipe for a new streaming service to enter the market and disrupt it. 72.4 million new subscribers by November are proof of that. Hulu’s limited availability also is a key factor here. Instead of expanding the brand, Disney is more focused on adding its content library to Disney+ through the STAR brand, which will help boost its standing internationally. Netflix will most likely stick to their binge format, but we could see them explore this concept with other shows. Amazon’s test with The Boys‘ second season was certailny successful. It was so popular enough to give Netflix’s highest-rated shows some fierce competition. Disney+ may not have revolutionized the streaming market, but it certainly left quite an impact on how others in the market will approach their scheduling moving forward.

    Source: Forbes, Variety, The Wrap, Business Insider, Forbes