Murphy's Multiverse

Author: Joseph Aberl

  • CONFIRMED: ‘Fantastic Beasts 3’ Eyeing Mads Mikkelsen to Replace Johnny Depp

    CONFIRMED: ‘Fantastic Beasts 3’ Eyeing Mads Mikkelsen to Replace Johnny Depp

    UPDATE: It looks like it is official. Entertainment Weekly has broken the news that Mads Mikkelsen will indeed take over the role of Grindelwald. It is currently uncertain how exactly they’ll introduce the new character and if he will continue the same design.

     

    Source: EW

     

    The Harry Potter spin-off Fantastic Beasts has just ramped up its production for the third installment. Shortly after, Warner Bros. asked Johnny Depp to step down from the role of Grindelwald due to the controversies surrounding his divorce. Now, it looks like director David Yates has already set his eyes on Depp‘s replacement. According to Andy Signore, they are currently in talks with Hannibal‘s Mads Mikkelsen to take over the iconic role. They are still aiming for the summer 2022 release date, as Eddie Redmayne and Jude Law are already filming. The Danish actor is currently working on Doug Liman‘s Chaos Walking, so it is unsure if there will be some scheduling conflicts.


    Of course, there is still the question of how or if they will explain the change in the actor. Luckily, the first film in the franchise introduced the character of Percival Graves. He was played by Colin Farrel before he turned into Johnny Depp‘s Grindelwald. We might see him use the same spell to stay undercover throughout the story, or he reveals that he was again hiding his identity.
    Mikkelsen is a fantastic actor, who was a stand-out in Hannibal, The Hunt, and Polar. His casting would be a great addition to the cast, and he is no stranger to the role of a villain. He could bring something unique to Grindelwald to make the role his own. The Danish actor has been appearing in various pop culture franchises, such as MCU’s Doctor Strange and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. So, he is no stranger to franchises, as Fantastic Beasts is going to have multiple entries past the upcoming third one. Here’s hoping they can avoid any scheduling conflicts so he can join the project.

    Source: Variety, Deadline, Digital Spy

  • Alfred Molina Rumored to Reprise Role as Doc Ock in Spider-Man 3

    Alfred Molina Rumored to Reprise Role as Doc Ock in Spider-Man 3

    It looks like Tom Hollands’ third Spider-Man film will pay tribute to what came before. We just recently covered a few hints that could be a sign that John Bubniak, who was the face-model for Peter Parker in Insomniac’s Spider-Man game, could show up in Doctor Strange Into the Multiverse of Madness. There are also rumors that we could potentially see other familiar actors like Toby Maguire or Andrew Garfield have an appearance in Spidey’s next live-action outing. It became even more possible after it was announced that Jamie Foxx will reprise his role as Electro from The Amazing Spider-Man 2. Now, it looks like one more classic villain might join the fray as Geeks World Wide have heard that Alfred Molina might reprise his role as Doctor Otto Octavius in the upcoming film.

    It seems that he has only arrived on set a little while ago and has already started filming some scenes. Their sources say that he will be featured in his full Doc Ock costume, but no confirmation if this is just the MCU’s version of the original. He last played the iconic role in 2004’s Spider-Man 2, where he gave a standout and dramatic performance of the character. You see a lot of his performance carried over in other adaptations, especially Otto’s role in the 2018 game. Molina was open about returning in an interview back in 2014 with Collider. Alongside the recent report on Foxx, it is cementing the idea of this being a Spider-Verse storyline building on concepts introduced in WandaVision and the Doctor Strange sequel. Still, there is no official word so take it with a grain of salt for now.

    Source: GWW, Collider

  • PlayStation 5 is Now Sony’s Biggest Console Launch Ever

    PlayStation 5 is Now Sony’s Biggest Console Launch Ever

    We have finally entered the next-generation of gaming. The Xbox Series X, Series S, and PlayStation 5 have just launched worldwide. Of course, it hasn’t been easy for people to get their hands on the latest consoles. Many people preordered them as fast as they could before the console got sold out anywhere you looked. Now that Black Friday is around the corner, it is going to be an even bigger fight to get one’s hands on the latest generation of consoles before the year ends. Well, it looks like for Sony, this was quite a success. The company took to Twitter to thank everyone for what is now their biggest console launch ever.

    It is crazy that even with the current situation, it didn’t stop people from wanting to experience what the future has to hold. We still don’t know how well Xbox is doing, but this is still no small feat by the company. In Japan, the console has been outselling Microsoft’s big player by over 5 to 1, so the PS5 is seeing tremendous numbers worldwide. It is also good that they are confirming that they are trying to make up for the inventory issue. So, whoever ordered their PS5 and is still waiting, you’ll potentially get it by the end of the year. It’ll be interesting to see if the console gets another boost over the holiday season, especially now after the Black Friday sale. It’s a big year for gaming, and this is just the icing on the cake. It’ll be interesting to see how and if 2021 can top what this year managed to do in unprecedented conditions.

    Source: Twitter, Famitsu

  • ‘Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian’s Second Season Heading for a Christmas Release

    ‘Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian’s Second Season Heading for a Christmas Release

    Disney made the genius move to create an entire documentary series that takes a closer look at the development of their major Disney+ Originals. The Mandalorian kicked off the streaming service off, so it was the first to introduce the concept. Why is Disney Gallery a fantastic addition to the streaming service? Not only does it offer a closer look at the series’ development, but most notably, it offers subscribers even more content. It was the perfect way to keep subscribers as we didn’t get any additions to the service for some time. Now, as the Star Wars series entered its second season, we wondered if we will also see a continuation of the gallery showcase.

    Luckily, the site What’s On Disney Plus was able to confirm its existence through a listing in Australia. It is set to release on December 25th, so it will be Disney’s Christmas present for those wondering what to watch during their holidays. Sadly, there are no more details available on the series. In the first season, we got a roundtable of people that were involved with the project. There is a good chance that it will look quite different, as they must’ve filmed this during the pandemic. So, we could have the roundtable replaced with Zoom calls.

    Still, it looks like Disney Gallery is here to stay. We also recently learned that WandaVision will get its own entry in the series, so their strategy with the first entry was quite a success. The concept is fascinating and offers a closer look into the creative process that we’ve ever had. Just seeing the various parties involved discuss the process and what inspired them showcased how much love and work goes into these series. Hopefully, we might see this concept expanded to cover major film releases, such as Black Widow. It just shows how much potential there is with such a simple series concept.

    Source: What’s On Disney Plus

  • ‘She-Hulk’ Seeking to Cast Augustus Pugliese and Arch-Rival Titania

    ‘She-Hulk’ Seeking to Cast Augustus Pugliese and Arch-Rival Titania

    We are finally getting some new casting news for She-Hulk. The upcoming Disney+ show will shine a spotlight on Bruce Banner’s cousin Jennifer Walters. After an accident, Bruce saves her life by giving her a blood transfusion, but it ends up transforming her into the titular character. The show cast Tatiana Maslany in the titular role as it eyes a March production start. Now, we have our first news regarding the supporting cast that will join Jennifer in her legal drama.

    Let’s start with the standout casting of a villain. The character of Lucy is a glamorous Social Media influencer. She is described as a Kardashian and will have a considerable role in the series as a potential antagonist. Our best guess would be the character of Mary MacPherran, or better known as Titania. She is Walter’s arch-nemesis in the comics. Her character description is a far departure from what we are used to, but she sounds like the perfect foil to the more straight-laced She-Hulk. It would also be interesting to explore a character that focuses on her looks but ends up trying to compete with Jennifer through brawn.

    The other supporting characters seem to be closely related to Jennifer’s day job as a lawyer. Susie, who is a 30-ish Asian-American, might be Angie Huang, who worked as her assistant during the Marvel NOW! run. Marvel Studios is also looking for a male co-worker, who would be a John Krasinski-type person. That description would match the character of Augustus Pugliese quite well. In the comics, he had a crush on She-Hulk and even became her roommate at one point. They were both involved in a storyline where Spider-Man sued J. Jonah Jameson for libel.

    It was uncertain how much of the series would focus on her time as a lawyer, but it seems quite likely that we could have a procedural show similar to Law & Order or even Suits. The genre is quite popular, so they have a lot of inspiration to pull from. It’ll be interesting to see how this series will be from the rest, as Marvel Studios seems keen on making these shows stand out from the usual franchise structure so we could get a closer look at a world filled with superheroes and powered individuals.

    Source: Illuminerdi

  • First Look at Tom Holland & Russo Bros.’ ‘Cherry’ Released

    First Look at Tom Holland & Russo Bros.’ ‘Cherry’ Released

    It has been over a year since the Russo Bros. graced screens with Avengers: Endgame. This film was going to be their swansong before tackling other projects and leaving the MCU behind for some time. They didn’t leave everything behind, as they decided to film their next film Cherry with Spider-Man star Tom Holland. The film focuses on a nobody from Cleveland, who’s barely getting by without any major aspirations for the future. It will tackle the results of a young man going to war, and the dangers of opioid addictions. Throughout the film, Holland‘s titular character gets pushed to the darker sides of life and ends up making terrible decisions. Vanity Fair had the honor of offering our first look at the upcoming film.

    The ambitious project is set to premiere worldwide on Apple TV+ on March 12th. The Russo Bros. describes it as six films compressed into one story, as we explore these different chapters in the life of our protagonist. It is based on the 2018 novel by Nico Walker with Angela Russo-Otstot and Jessica Goldberg having penned the script. Joe Russo added how the story had a deep connection

    We’re from Cleveland and Nico’s from Cleveland. Interestingly enough, we know a lot of people that are implied in the book. I think he’s fictionalized names and personalities. But I worked at the same restaurant that Nico worked at, 10 years apart. So he had a very similar upbringing to us. He just had a very different journey than we did.

    Ciara Bravo will be at the center of this film’s love story, as her character Emily will be facing many of the hardships alongside Cherry. Her performance alongside Holland will give both a chance to explore new facets through their acting. The film is a departure from how many see Holland since he took on the mantle of Spider-Man. His casting was deliberate to also create this juxtaposition with what audience’s know him for, as well as his natural charm to sell the performance of a young man losing his way.

    Source: Vanity Fair

  • How Kate Bishop Sets Up ‘Marvel’s Avengers’ True Villains

    How Kate Bishop Sets Up ‘Marvel’s Avengers’ True Villains

    After a long wait, we finally got our first look at the future content of Marvel’s Avengers. Kate Bishop took center stage to showcase her abilities and tease the story she is going to set-up for the first season of DLC. The event ends with the reveal that Clint will face a future version of the Hulk known to many fans as Maestro. Here, we see the world is just an empty desert, and all the Avengers we love are long gone. Maestro sits upon a throne with spoils of wars at his feet, and it seems an elderly Clint is the only one left. I was sad we didn’t get any references to the Old Man Logan run. It even made me hope we could get a Symbiote Tyrannosaurus Rex at some point in the DLC. Still, I believe this trailer alone showcases the importance of Bishop’s story and what it may mean for the game’s first season. So, without further ado, let’s jump into the hints that it provides.

    Let’s start with the biggest hint of the overarching storyline from the game’s campaign, Reassemble. In the final confrontation with M.O.D.O.K., he throws a Kree Sentry after them. Kamala finally masters her abilities and can take down the giant mech. They were able to finish the fight and move on with their lives. Little did they know, the sentry used the last of its energy to shoot out a beacon into space. Anyone who knows the comics will realize that this means we can expect a Kree Invasion soon.

     

     

    Most of us assumed this would take some time, as they also showcased Monica Rappuccini taking over. Well, she plays an integral part in a sequence that may confirm how to Reassemble, Kate’s Taking AIM, and Clint’s Future Imperfect all fit together. We briefly get the return of the Kree Sentinel, where it seems to confront Monica and her robots. She is standing on a platform that is very similar to Maestro’s throne room. If you look closely, you can recognize the second sentry in the background devastating a building. This moment right here, which may be a vision from Kate’s short stint with the Tachyon Rifts, maybe the moment the Kree invasion and would turn the entire world into a desert.

     

     

    Kate and Clint’s missions are confirmed to build on each other. We know that Clint will end up facing Maestro in the future, which he calls the end of the world. Their story sets up what will happen if the Avengers fail. Clint may be trying to uncover how the Avengers weren’t able to protect the earth. Once back in the original timeline, they realize what may lead to their defeat and what they have to do to avoid it. We always believed their war against AIM would be the focus of the Avengers Initiative, but in reality, it is their actions that create the actual evil the Avengers must face, the Kree Empire. They recruit the people that are necessary to avoid the future that was witnessed by Clint. I believe that the first season’s arc will end with the addition of Captain Marvel, who will help them push the invading force back. Their victory may be short-lived, as a new evil may be lurking in the shadows just waiting for their chance to take down Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.

  • ‘Mortal Kombat 11’ Adds 1995 Film Character Skins And Voices

    ‘Mortal Kombat 11’ Adds 1995 Film Character Skins And Voices

    Mortal Kombat 11 has seen quite the addition of characters since its launch. They’ve added some fan-favorites like Mileena. Their third-party additions this time were some R-rated movie icons like Terminator, RoboCop, and even Rambo, who is actually voiced by Sylvester Stallone. Probably the biggest addition was that they redesigned Shang Tsung to look like his 1995 film counterpart Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa. Even better, he returned to voice the character in the Aftermath DLC. Well, it looks like that wasn’t the only trip down memory lane, as franchise creator and MK11 director Ed Boon revealed three more returning additions from the original film.

    Yes, they are adding three more movie skins for Raiden, Johnny Cage, and Sonya Blade. Their original actors also return with Christopher Lambert, Linden Ashby, and Bridgette Wilson returning to the iconic roles. The trailer shows them off into action. Fans of the original might’ve noticed that they recreated some of their iconic fights from the film as well. They also added a rendition of the original’s iconic song, which was a great touch.

    Hopefully, this new Skin Pack might also mean we are could see others return to the franchise. Robin Shou gave a memorable performance as Liu Kang and is sadly missing from this line-up. They could even be working on skins based on the franchise’s upcoming reboot, which may have been delayed due to the pandemic. This inclusion is such a great touch and showcases how MK11 also acts as a love letter to the franchise. Hopefully, we’ll see many more tributes in the future. Now, the only question remains will they acknowledge Mortal Kombat: Annihilation?

    Source: Twitter, IGN

  • ‘Fortnite’: Leak Reveals First Look at ‘The Mandalorian’ Skin

    ‘Fortnite’: Leak Reveals First Look at ‘The Mandalorian’ Skin

    It looks like we have some more Fortnite news. The recent season focused on a variety of Marvel characters, which included Iron Man, Wolverine, Venom, and many more. Now, it looks like we are getting one more addition from Disney, as the creators behind the game Epic have accidentally released a promo for the inclusion of The Mandalorian characters alongside its new subscription-based model. User @FortTory, who is known for sharing leaks from the game, shared the visuals that revealed the main character from the Disney+ show.

    His inclusion makes a lot of sense, especially now as the season is slowly nearing its end. Ironically, this isn’t the first time that they revealed a new character during the promotion of Fortnite Crew, which will offer people brand new characters, and will kick-off with the upcoming fifth season. There is a good chance that the overalls season might continue the deal with Disney and see the addition of other iconic characters from the franchise.

    It isn’t the first time that the galaxy far far away was included in the game, as they had an event last year that gave people access to Kylo Ren as a skin. There are also some Stormtrooper variants already in the game. Fortnite has developed into a hub for various pop culture properties at this point. It includes characters from a wide variety of franchises with DC, Marvel, John Wick, and so many more. It isn’t a surprise if you consider Fortnite‘s popularity on streaming services. We will see what other iconic franchises will be joining the game in the future as it continues to grow.

    Source: Twitter, Epic Games

  • EXCLU: ‘Murdoch Mysteries’ Game in Development

    EXCLU: ‘Murdoch Mysteries’ Game in Development

    Here’s a fascinating find. It looks like a game is in development that is based on the Detective Murdoch series, which was written by British Canadian writer Maureen Jennings. Long time fans might recognize the TV series that has been running since 2008. It is the story of fictional police detective William Murdoch, who worked in Toronto during the late 19th century. Some American viewers might recognize them as The Artful Detective, which ran on the Ovation network. The series just recently got nominated for three Canadian Screen Awards. The show is still rolling with it recently finishing up production on its 14th season.

    Now, Shaftesbury Murdoch XIII Inc. is currently producing a brand new video game based on the property. The interesting aspect is that they are filming live-action sequences. They are actively looking for actors that will portray various background characters, who will act as the victims in the murder mystery. The game will take place during the 1920s, as they are going to provide appropriate clothing before capturing their likeness via the 3D capture technology. It also highlights that they have no lines, so they most likely will just be used as reference material, as they also only aim to shoot for about an hour.

    It is uncertain if this game will feature the show’s main star Yannick Bisson in the role. The title given to the project is closer to the series than the books. So, there is a good chance this will act as a video game adaptation of the TV series. It also looks like this will most likely be a mobile game, as it is described as a murder mystery video game or app. They might be developing the game to release alongside the show’s upcoming fourteenth season, which may act as a side story for fans to enjoy. It is always great to the synergy between ongoing series like this, so hopefully, it can capture the spirit that kept the show going strong.

    Source: CBC, Twitter