Murphy's Multiverse

Author: Joseph Aberl

  • Disney+ Surpasses Expectations with 73 Million Subscribers

    Disney+ Surpasses Expectations with 73 Million Subscribers

    It hasn’t been an easy year for any company. The pandemic has strongly influenced consumer behaviors and forced many companies to remain closed. Disney was no exception, as they struggled with the closing of their parks and theaters locking down. They had to postpone many of their biggest film releases. Black Widow was pushed back by an entire year as they struggled to figure out if they should focus on their streaming service. After a trial run with Mulan, it seemed like they were hoping to return to theatres. Even Pixar’s next entry Soul will be released for free on the service next month.

    While they haven’t been able to make money at the Box Office, it looks like their investment with Disney+ has been a success. Their forecast was to reach between 60 to 90 million subscribers by 2024. They have reached that first threshold within the first nine months. Now, they already passed 73 million within the first 11 months.

    The service makes use of a large part of Disney’s vault. The company had a list of shows entering production after The Mandalorian kicked-off the streaming service’s launch. Sadly, the pandemic delayed most of their high-profile releases, so most releases were for younger audiences. With the recent announcement of Marvel Studios’ first show WandaVision eyeing January, it could see another boost in subscribers by then. It’ll be interesting to see how fast this service grows to compete with Netflix’s 195 million users.

    Source: Hollywood Reporter

  • EXCLU: Clint Barton Set to Lose His Hearing in ‘HAWKEYE’

    EXCLU: Clint Barton Set to Lose His Hearing in ‘HAWKEYE’

    We’ve all been waiting for some kind of news regarding the upcoming Hawkeye show. We still don’t know who is playing Kate Bishop even though She-Hulk and even Moon Knight were just recently cast. Still, we may have a minor detail that could further tie the show to the Matt Fraction run. In a recent casting sheet, we saw a variety of side characters being looked for to join an untitled production that started in November. There was one interesting giveaway that connects it to the archer’s upcoming Disney+ show.

    They are actively looking for a middle-aged Chinese audiologist, who works in a rundown building and is off-the-books. Now, many fans of the archer might know that he is actually deaf and uses hearing aids. He destroyed his eardrums after using a sonic arrowhead on a villain. So far, it didn’t seem like Hawkeye had that issue in the MCU, well, at least until now. There is a good chance that in the show he makes the same mistake and is forced to use old contacts to get in touch with the audiologist.

    This casting also could hint at the story featuring the famous archer on the run at some point. There is also a chance that the audiologist could turn out to be someone who treats Echo, who is also deaf in the comics. She was deaf from an early age so it could be someone she visits for a check-up. The casting also includes an elderly lady, or man as well as an Eastern European kid. These could turn out to be other patients from the audiologist. Still, it’ll be interesting how they approach Clint’s loss of hearing if they do go that direction.

  • Jordan Peele’s Untitled Project May Be a Remake of ‘The People Under The Stairs’

    Jordan Peele’s Untitled Project May Be a Remake of ‘The People Under The Stairs’

    We just ran the exclusive on Jordan Peele‘s next thriller, which will focus on a young man living on the outskirts of Los Angeles. Giving it some thought, it slowly dawned on us that there was one more project that the acclaimed director is currently working on. Empire revealed that he was going to be producing a remake of The People Under the Stairs. The original film was released in 1991 with Wes Craven as the director. It focused on a young resident named Poindexter Williams, who lived in the L.A. ghetto. He breaks into the house of his former landlord, who evicted his family from their apartment. There they discover a dark secret that will put their lives on the line.

    Now, the only real connection we have between these projects is their location. We reported that the protagonist lives on the outskirts of the city, but there were no details or even a film title. So, if he started as a producer on the remake, he may have decided to use the concept to match a project he was working on. In his Business Insider interview from 2017, he already teased having four different projects planned out. He planned to release them throughout the next decade, so there is a chance he had a concept that was similar enough to The People Under the Stairs that he took over the project. It isn’t much to go on, but it is an interesting coincidence that he would produce and direct films that take place in Los Angeles. The lack of title may be an indication that it may just be inspired by the original rather than a direct remake. Peele might add a new twist to the original to adapt it to current social issues. Whatever it may end up being, we’ll be sure to keep an eye out as this project nears production.

    Source: Empire, Deadline, Business Insider

  • EXCLU: Details on Jordan Peele’s Next Thriller

    EXCLU: Details on Jordan Peele’s Next Thriller

    Jordan Peele has become quite the acclaimed director with films such as Get Out and Us. Deadline just recently reported that he is already working on his next theatrical release together with Universal Pictures. So far, we knew very little about the project, but we were able to get some first details on what we can expect from his next film.

    The story will focus on a man between 20 to 32 old who lives on the outskirts of Los Angeles. He is a Walmart employee in the electronics section, who is described as perceptive, sincere, and “clutch”. They are currently looking to cast someone either with a Latino or Native American background for the role. This film is the third of the four social thrillers he teased a while back.

    The best and scariest monsters in the world are human beings and what we are capable of especially when we get together. I’ve been working on these premises about these different social demons, these innately human monsters that are woven into the fabric of how we think and how we interact, and each one of my movies is going to be about a different one of these social demons.

    These social demons could be connected to our main protagonists’ heritage or could be playing on entering society after leaving high school. Living in L.A., he might be an unsuccessful actor trying to get by with his job until that audition that could be the one. He might have to face some tough life changes when entering the industry. They plan to start filming from April to June 2021 on location in L.A., which would give them ample time in post-production before the 2022 release. Peele is also the writer of the project and acting as producer alongside Ian Cooper. Robert Graf set as the executive producer.

    Source: Deadline, Business Insider

  • First Recording of ‘Marvel’s Avengers’ Black Panther’s Voice Leaked

    First Recording of ‘Marvel’s Avengers’ Black Panther’s Voice Leaked

    Marvel’s Avengers just had a brand new patch that fixed some lingering bugs and adds a few more Quality-of-Life changes. Of course, many are wondering where is the next update with content? A recent tweet by @mmmmmmmmiller may give some insight into what is happening behind the scenes. We actively always wondered if the content is updated in one go but it looks like a lot of DLC characters are patched in alongside regular updates. He shared two audio files from patches 1.3.4 and 1.3.5. You’ll notice that this is the exact same audio line spoken by two voices. The first is just a placeholder with the second from an actual voice actor.

    We do not know how much of Kate Bishop or even Hawkeye was added in past updates. There is a good chance this is their way to avoid a massive content drop with the download taking hours to complete. Besides that, it also means they are already working on the third character for the DLC, so we will find out who voices him in or after the upcoming War Table video. Also, we still can’t rule it out that that we may see the AIM Cloning Labs sooner rather than later, as the Substation was patched ahead of the weekly reset on Thursday. According to the last two streams, they are currently focusing on bug testing the game. Kate seems to be in the final stages of development. They are testing out any potential issues or bugs before launching, which is why it got delayed. The same goes for the first Omega Level-threat AIM Labs.

    We do not know how far along Clint is, but if they are already working on Black Panther, there might be a good chance he is far into development. In one stream, Crystal Dynamics highlighted that they have to adhere to the two-week rule before and after recording, so that also delays a lot. Sadly, we still have no official update or timeline for when we can expect DLC. I hope that we get the War Table video soon, as they did tease it would come before Thanksgiving. As Paul Tassi pointed out in his Forbes article, the game is at a low point when it comes to player count, most notably on PC. It’ll be a tough road ahead, but as soon they start getting consistent updates out, I think we’ll see a growth in the player base. It would just be good to get that ball rolling.

    Source: Twitter, Vocaroo, Forbes

  • MCU Phase 4 Schedule Still Revolves Around Story Continuity

    MCU Phase 4 Schedule Still Revolves Around Story Continuity

    Finally, after a long wait, we got some more information on WandaVision. Entertainment Weekly released an issue that featured some brand new images from the upcoming Disney+ show, as well as some insights from a set visit. Sadly, it still did not include a specific release date for the series. In the article full of teases, one particular mention about the pandemic has caught her eye.

    With the pandemic shuffling release dates, Marvel is also taking extra care to ensure the new schedule won’t spoil story continuity.

    We have wondered about the importance of continuity with all these delays. The Marvel Cinematic Universe’s largest selling point is that everything is connected. Yet, it also meant that every upcoming series or film was affected by any delay. Black Widow was initially going to kickstart the franchise’s fourth phase last May. Now, the film won’t release until next year. WandaVision has taken over that position. Yet, it was going to be the second MCU Disney+ series after Falcon and the Winter Soldier that was postponed into the next year. It was going to release in August and is a contender to have some stronger ties to Black Widow. There could still be a chance that it will not release until the first Phase 4 film finally hits theaters next May.

    Yet, if we look back at the overall release dates, Eternals was going to premiere this month. It is now going to release after Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, which once held the May 2021 release date. So, it would mean that these two films might be the most independent from the overarching storyline of Phase 4 but still feed into later releases. We do not know what the plan is for the other Disney+ shows that seem to be independent for now, such as Ms. Marvel or She-Hulk. This news is important to keep in mind for future releases, as it means that as long as the pandemic delays cinema reopenings, we might be seeing more from the MCU getting pushed back. It also means that Marvel Studios will have to reshuffle all the Disney+ shows to stay within continuity.

    Source: EW

  • Insomniac Adding ‘Spider-Man’ PS4 Save File Transfer to Remaster

    Insomniac Adding ‘Spider-Man’ PS4 Save File Transfer to Remaster

    We are only a few days away from the release of Spider-Man: Miles Morales. It’ll be one of the few launch titles for the PlayStation 5 to ring in a new generation of gaming. Also, some can get their hands on the Remaster edition of the original 2018 game. There was some controversy as Insomniac revealed that their Peter Parker would be getting a new redesign. It stirred quite some controversy. Not just that, there was also the issue that Spider-Man: Remastered would not be compatible with the original’s save file.

    Players weren’t happy that they couldn’t go through the campaign on New Game+ with the Remaster. Insomniac didn’t waste any time and has now revealed that they will be adding a future update that would let players use their PlayStation 4 save file with the Remaster.

    It’s a great move by Insomniac, as it was quite the discussion point in the community after the reveal. The remaster might be the first one to offer this function, as the PlayStation 4 remaster of The Last Of Us did not provide this update to use the previous generation’s save file. Keep in mind that this update will not be added until Thanksgiving, so you will have to wait until then before you can replay or continue the campaign from the original. This tweet is also the first confirmation that the three new suits might not have been added in the PS4 version and were going to be exclusive to the remaster. No matter what, this is fantastic news for those hoping to continue where they left off. It’ll just be very jarring when Pete’s face changes when you continue mid-campaign.

    Source: Twitter

  • Leslye Headland’s ‘Star Wars’ Series Could be About Doctor Aphra

    Leslye Headland’s ‘Star Wars’ Series Could be About Doctor Aphra

    We reported a few days ago that a short description was released online that gave us some insight into Leslye Headland‘s upcoming Star Wars series. It teased that it may be part of a yet to be explored time within the canon. It will feature martial arts action and be an action thriller. We still have no exact detail on what direction this show will take. The only real official information was that it is going to be female-led, which also opens up the question if we have met the character before. Now, in an interview with Influencer Fantastic Frankey, Headland offered a bit more insight into the project.

    In the interview, she confirmed that it will be part of the galaxy far far away that we have yet to explore. The detail that truly stands out is that it will be an Indiana Jones-style journey. This reveal might be our biggest hint at what the focus of the series will be. We discussed it, and there might be a chance the show focuses on Doctor Aphra, that like Doctor Jones, is also an archeologist.

     

    The character made her debut in Kieron Gillen‘s Star Wars: Darth Vader run. She became such a popular character and got her own series. She was recruited by Darth Vader, who wanted her dead once he was finished with her. Aphra managed to escape without him knowing and wouldn’t find out until much later. Currently, she is the only comic book character to get a solo title. It is also very noteworthy that she is one of the franchises’ most high-profile LGBT characters who fell in love with an Imperial Officer named Tolvan. This would be a great move by Lucasfilm in dealing with inclusion issues. Keep in mind, this is just speculation for now.

    If you are interested in the video, you can check out the interview here:

    Source: YouTube

  • First Look at ‘Spider-Man: Miles Morales’ Prowler in Action in Launch Trailer

    First Look at ‘Spider-Man: Miles Morales’ Prowler in Action in Launch Trailer

    Can you believe that Insomniac’s Spider-Man sequel is only a few days away from releasing? Their latest entry into the franchise will kick-off the next generation of gaming, as it releases on PlayStation 5 during its launch. Now, to celebrate its upcoming release, Insomniac has released a brand new launch trailer that offers a much closer look at the story to come. We get a small glimpse of Prowler in action. Peter Parker leaves the city in MIles’ hands as he starts to grow into his own as the titular character. We also get another tease of the ongoing conflict between the Tinkerer and Roxxon. We even get a tease of Rhino’s new look for the game, which has a rather familiar red to it.

    The game looks better with each new trailer. Insomniac certainly is kickstarting the next generation of gaming, as the animations and models are looking better than ever. I love that they ended the trailer with the Spider-Cat takedown, which might be something I will spam more often than I am willing to confess. If you don’t have a PlayStation 5 pre-ordered, do not worry, the game will also be available on PlayStation 4. Plus, you’ll get a free upgrade once you can purchase the next Sony console. It’ll be interesting to see the difference between both, especially as we are entering a new era with ray-tracing and a stronger SSD. I am excited to see if the DualSense lets you feel the web in your hand as Miles’ swings through New York City. We are about to enter a brand new chapter in gaming and the world of Insomniac’s Spider-Man. I cannot wait to see what the next generation has in store for us.

    Source: Twitter, GameRevolution

  • ‘Spider-Man’: The Story So Far

    ‘Spider-Man’: The Story So Far

    Spider-Man took the world by storm back in 2018. Now, two years later, we finally get a continuation with the launch of the next-generation of PlayStation. Spider-Man: Miles Morales will continue where the original ended, as Miles grows into his new role and moves to Harlem. So, to celebrate the upcoming release, let us once again revisit the first game’s story to catch up. We meet this version of Peter, who already has a few years on his back as the titular character. Finally, the day has come that he can take down the Kingpin Wilson Fisk. After an intense battle, it is finally over, and Peter tries to catch up with his personal life. He meets Aunt May at the FEAST center, which is run by Martin Li. Peter also had to rush back to his job at Octavius Industries, where he and Doctor Otto Octavius try to create an artificial limb. His life seems to have calmed down, and he has time to spend it with the people he loved. He even gets a chance to rekindle his lost love with Mary Jane Watson.

    Well, it doesn’t last long as the power vacuum left behind is being filled by a strange group called the Demons, who seem to have supernatural abilities. MJ’s work as a reporter also helps her stumble upon some information regarding a project titled Devil’s Breath. It revealed a connection between Mayor Norman Osborn and Fisk. While Spidey was investigating the case, he ends up working alongside police officer Jefferson Davis, who turns out to be Miles Morales’ father. After Peter suspected Li of having ties to the Demons, he ends up leading an attack during a hero award ceremony, which ends up in Davis’ sacrificing his life to save the mayor. As a consequence, Osborn hires a private military company Sable International led by Silver Sablinova.

    It turns out the before-mentioned Devil’s Breath was a virulent bioweapon. Just in the nick of time, Spidey managed to secure it from Li, who has now taken on the Mr. Negative moniker and send him to the Raft. It doesn’t take long for the prisoners to escape with some of his classic rogues. There, he gets confronted by his former mentor. Throughout the story, Octavius revealed he was suffering from a neuromuscular disease which was slowly pushing him to the brink of desperation. It led to the evolution of their limb project into an attachment that finalized his transformation into Doctor Octopus. He was also the mastermind behind the breakout, which sent Rhino, Scorpion, Vulture, Rhino, and Mr. Negative back into the streets. Not only that, Doc Ock releases the virus on Time Square.

    Peter is at his limit while taking them down, who are trying to take over the city. They learn that there is an antidote and that Devil’s Breath got developed to heal their friend Harry Osborn. They believed he was in Europe, but it turns out he was dying and keeping it a secret. He tracks it down and defeats Li but gets brutalized by Doc Ock. Not just that, we find out Aunt May has also been affected by the virus and doesn’t have much time. He realizes the only way to defeat him is to match his technology, so he creates a suit for a final confrontation. In an emotional beatdown, Peter can defeat his former mentor at a heavy toll. He saves some of the antidotes but does not have enough to develop more and Aunt May in time. Peter made the difficult decision even if it was the last push beyond his breaking point. With her dying breath, she reveals that she always knew he was Spider-Man, and how proud she was of him.

    Months later, we find out that Harry is still alive. He is in a tank surrounded by strange black goo. Miles also reveals that he got bitten by a spider and has the same abilities as Peter. He also gets a visit from Black Cat, who got involved with the criminal Hammerhead. It ends up in another gang war between the different NYC families which leads to Hammerhead stealing Sable tech. He even replaces his body with armor, as he ends up in a final battle with Spidey and Silver Sable. With that, we are all caught up before Miles’ story takes center stage on November 12th.