Murphy's Multiverse

Author: Joseph Aberl

  • ‘M.O.D.O.K.’ Stop-Motion Animated Show Eyeing Early 2021 Release

    ‘M.O.D.O.K.’ Stop-Motion Animated Show Eyeing Early 2021 Release

    Somehow, the Patton Oswalt-led M.O.D.O.K. show survived the great Marvel TV purge. Marvel Studios CEO Kevin Feige took over with his new focus on Disney+ and canceled most of the active shows. As such, Hellstrom and M.O.D.O.K. are the last remaining productions from Jeph Loeb‘s era. The latter will premiere on Hulu and was originally part of the Offenders crossover franchise. So far, we didn’t know much about the project. Suddenly, it got a panel at New York Comic-Con’s. Now, we even got some more details, as Oswalt also offered some details on the show’s production while promoting the third season of A.P. Bio.

    The episodes have been written. They’ve been recorded. Now they’re being animated. And because we committed very hard to the stop-motion aspect to it and we’re packing every frame with crazy detail. It’s looking like it’ll be early next year, but I don’t know the exact date yet.

    It is great to hear that we won’t wait too long for the show. As they have already recorded everything, they primarily only have to focus on the animation. This is probably a bigger surprise for me, as I didn’t realize that it would be stop-motion. Yes, studio Stoopid Buddy Stoodios is well-known for their work on Robot Chicken but it still is quite surprising given Marvel’s history with animation shows. The official description by Hulu teases quite a unique show.

    In “Marvel’s M.O.D.O.K.,” the megalomaniacal supervillain M.O.D.O.K. (Patton Oswalt) has long pursued his dream of one day conquering the world. But after years of setbacks and failures fighting the Earth’s mightiest heroes, M.O.D.O.K. has run his evil organization A.I.M. into the ground. Ousted as A.I.M.’s leader, while also dealing with his crumbling marriage and family life, the Mental Organism Designed Only for Killing is set to confront his greatest challenge yet: a midlife crisis!

    It’s certainly an interesting approach to such an iconic character. As this takes place after M.O.D.O.K. had fought the Avengers, so we can expect a few cameos throughout the show. Also, it is interesting that in this version, he is married. There is a good chance his wife will be Monica Rappaccini, who many will recognize from the recent Marvel’s Avengers game. It will be quite a unique entry in the Marvel multiverse, and I cannot wait to see what approach they take with the iconic villain.

     

    Source: Collider

  • ‘GLOW’s Fourth Season Retroactively Canceled Due to COVID Pandemic

    ‘GLOW’s Fourth Season Retroactively Canceled Due to COVID Pandemic

    Netflix has been canceling shows left and right long before the pandemic was a thing. We have talked about their overall strategy in the past of axing shows around the second or third season. So, many were relieved when it was announced that GLOW was at least renewed for a final fourth season back in August of 2019. Now, over a year later, Netflix has decided to cancel the show after all due to COVID restricting productions. . Series creators Liz Flahive and Carly Mensch did offer a statement regarding the sudden news.

    COVID has killed actual humans. It’s a national tragedy and should be our focus. COVID also apparently took down our show. Netflix has decided not to finish filming the final season of GLOW. We were handed the creative freedom to make a complicated comedy about women and tell their stories. And wrestle. And now that’s gone. There’s a lot of sh*tty things happening in the world that are much bigger than this right now. But it still sucks that we don’t get to see these 15 women in a frame together again.

    This sadly makes sense. The main focus of the series is on wrestling, which requires a lot of physical interaction. It is quite the risk to film this project, especially if it consistently has to shutdown production. It wouldn’t even air until 2022 at the earliest which would mean that fans would’ve waited two and a half years between seasons. Keep in mind, the fourth season already started production and was suspended mid-March. So far, only one episode had been completed before they could move on to the second one. Also, this reveal comes at a point were many other shows have just returned to their production. GLOW isn’t the only COVID-affected show as the renewed shows of The Society and I Am Not Okay With This were also cancelled. It is uncertain if other shows might share the same fate moving forward.

    Source: Deadline

  • ‘She-Hulk’ Could Introduce Hulk’s Greatest Enemy: His Father

    ‘She-Hulk’ Could Introduce Hulk’s Greatest Enemy: His Father

    Just today, The Direct revealed that a 10-year old Bruce Banner is being cast for She-Hulk. At face value, it’s something we could’ve guessed given that they are cousins. It wouldn’t be too hard to imagine some minor flashback sequence between the two. Yet, once you start thinking about it, this is Marvel’s chance to tell a Hulk-centric story since 2008’s The Incredible Hulk. That film skipped through his origin and creation. We get scenes reminisced of the original 1978′ The Incredible Hulk TV show, but it didn’t spend much time on Banner. The MCU was mainly focused on his relationship with the Hulk. We never truly spent a lot of time with Banner before he was facing his Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde scenario. Well, if the casting rumor is true, we might get

    Throughout the MCU, Banner never much talked about his family history. We have seen this story told in the original Hulk film by Ang Lee. The 2003 film focused on Bruce’s relationship with his father David Banner, who started his experiment in gamma radiation. He isn’t the father of the year, as he believes Bruce owes him for putting him in this world. This ends up becoming his obsession by stealing Bruce’s ability before transforming into Zzzax.

     

     

    In the comics, his father’s name was Brian. Sadly, the comics did not share a happier story for the Banners. He was quite abusive towards his son, as he believed his family had a “monster gene”. His work in nuclear energy drove him to alcoholism. He even swore never to have children but, of course, broke that when Bruce was born. He neglected him believing he shared the same monster gene, which he felt confirmed when Bruce showed a hyper-intelligence. It all led to the moment that Bruce had to witness his father kill his mother. These moments were what would truly shape the rage monster that he was holding within.

    It’s a very dark story that was never delved into within the MCU. The recent news might be a small inkling of how we may uncover why rage is what fuels the Hulk. We might get to meet Brian and his mother, Rebecca. She-Hulk‘s protagonist Jennifer Walters is his cousin on his father’s side. We don’t know how close they are since he was on the run for most of his life after the transformation. He may have tried to get back in contact with her since he joined the Avengers. This forced him to face his past, which will be at the center of the story.

    Jennifer’s introduction into the Marvel Cinematic Universe will be a jumping-on point in exploring more of Banner’s past and his relationship with his family. It opens up the question if we will get the introduction of Brian, who in the comics even transformed into a Hulk-like monster during the Chaos War storyline. Whatever they may have planned, it’s looking like Bruce will have to face his past one way or another.

     

    Source: The Direct

  • Pitching a ‘Metal Gear Solid’ Inspired S.H.I.E.L.D. Game

    Pitching a ‘Metal Gear Solid’ Inspired S.H.I.E.L.D. Game

    We have entered a new era of Marvel’s gaming. Sony’s Spider-Man kickstarted a brand new franchise. Marvel’s Avengers attempted a new style of game for the franchise. Now, many of us wondered if we could see any other games based on iconic characters. Spider-Man had the advantage of learning from the games that were released years ago. So, I started wondering if there is any template that would be perfect to use for the Marvel universe. At one point, I was replaying Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain, and I then realized it. Hideo Kojima could bring us an amazing game based on the spy organization S.H.I.E.L.D. I do doubt he would ever tackle a third-party IP like this but it is still a fun experiment. So, here are the reasons I believe that Kojima would be perfect to bring Nick Fury and the spy organizations into the gaming world.

    Tactical Espionage Action

    So, the most obvious reason is the stealth-gameplay from the Metal Gear Solid. Just imagine being able to take control of iconic S.H.I.E.L.D. agents Nick Fury, Maria Hill, Quartermaine, or Jimmy Woo. You’ll have a set of different characters available with unique aspects. Quartermaine might be more of a combat-focused character. He has more ammunition available while Jimmy can hack specific doors. You can access different missions where you infiltrate locations from comic history like an underwater HYDRA base. Maybe you even have to sneak through the Avengers mansion. They are spies so they will do anything to get access to the information they need. They also are regular people so they won’t be able to just take on superpowered individuals. So, it makes sense that they are more stealth-based.

    Let’s imagine a scenario of Maria Hill having to get her hands on valuable intel. It would reveal the whereabouts of Baron Zemo, who has gone off their radar. So, you infiltrate the location while stealing one of the soldier’s uniform. Halfway through the base, you realize you don’t have the required key card to continue. So, you have multiple choices. You can use Maria’s knack for disguises to take over from a higher ranking member. Of course, you have to learn the enemies’ patterns and find the perfect time to steal it. Or, you try to squeeze your way through an air duct through which you uncover a discussion between Zemo and the Grim Reaper. You could risk jumping in to take them out, or you focus on your mission.

    Heroic World Building

    There is one more reason that Kojima‘s approach to storytelling would work well with a S.H.I.E.L.D.-based game. He has this style that easily blends supernatural worlds with military action. To give an example, the original MGS focuses on the character of Solid Snake. The story slowly eases us into a world filled with supernatural characters. Many players fondly remember the moment Psycho Mantis takes over our controller. The entire game ends in a battle on top of a giant Metal Gear mech. He isn’t a stranger to this type of storytelling that would help players jump into a world filled with superheroes, magic, and other dimensions. Plus, he has a way of handling even the most absurd characters. Even S.H.I.E.L.D. has its fair share of strange members like Dum Dum Dugan sticking around since the 1940s.

    It would be such a perfect opportunity to let Kojima‘s sometimes insane writing style enter this expansive world. Marvel already did all the world-building over its history. Death Stranding is quite a confusing story, but it does work on an incredible world-building. You start a simple espionage story before you realize people aren’t who they seem to be. You are facing villains with abilities beyond your comprehension, but there is no way around them. Some of your teammates are Skrulls in disguise. It also lets the boss fights get crazier as the story progresses. It opens up the question if S.H.I.E.L.D. becomes too dependent on the heroes to come to the rescue. Nick Fury wants to take things into his own hands and prove that humans are capable of so much more. If there is anyone that can keep the balance of realism and surrealism.

    Just a Pipe Dream

    Even as I write this article, I know it is a pipe dream. Kojima Productions is focusing on unique IPs. Marvel would supervise soo much that Kojima would get flashbacks to the times working at Konami. Moreover, Konami still has the rights to the Metal Gear Solid franchise. A similar build would get the attention of their lawyers. Still, a part of me hopes that this concept could see the light of day at one time. They can create a roster of unique characters that would include Inhumans or Mutants. Your roster grows as the game’s world starts to expand with new threats. You can be part of S.H.I.E.L.D. growing throughout the game and seeing it adapt to the world around it. It also forces you to adapt your playstyle along the way, as each new mission or encounter comes with its own new challenge. In a world filled with wonders, wouldn’t you want to prove the world you can stand among the mightiest?

  • ‘Marvel’s Avengers’ Journal: Importance of Taking Breaks

    ‘Marvel’s Avengers’ Journal: Importance of Taking Breaks

    You read that title correctly. I have taken a break from playing Marvel’s Avengers until the next major update. No, I have not found any exotic gear. I didn’t max out any character cards. So far, I’ve only really gotten Thor and Hulk past the 110 Power Level. In reality, I have a lot more grinding to do so that I could proclaim I’ve maxed out all my characters. I am also not a person to chase down PlayStation’s platinum trophies. The story was great, and I enjoy playing as the different Avengers. Not everyone will share my outlook on the game. That is why I started this series, and I am taking a bit of a break. Crystal Dynamics promised future updates, so I don’t feel the urge to burn myself out early. From what I’ve seen online, I would recommend it to anyone reading this right now

    A Current Limitation

    The Avengers Initiative is currently barebones. I have repeated this statement multiple times throughout these entries. After releasing their latest patch 1.3.1 the general mood seemed to be in an upswing. All players wanted now was more content, but that didn’t happen this week. Right now, theories are that we will get something by the end of next week. This would include the S.H.I.E.L.D. Substation Zero and the A.I.M. Secret Lab. These are great additions that hopefully are also accompanied by new mission chains and environments. I’ve finished the last mission chain titled “Reigning Supreme”. It will build-up towards the new cloning technology that Monica Rambeau has been cooking up. My motivation was to finish up this mission chain as it contained small story hints, teases of future content, and even unique animations. It wasn’t anything groundbreaking, but it felt like the story was moving forward. I finished it around 50 to 60 hours in as I took my time to grind a bit to adjust to specific mission caps.

    Afterward, most people hit the “now what” phase of the game. From what I’ve seen and discussed, a lot of players continue to focus on the additional checklists. There is a lot to do, but you are going to repeat existing missions to do so. The only new content added was the single-player focused Mega Hive. It’s the same as the sixteen-floor Epic Hive that was the final mission of the last mission chain. It is a single-player experience that rubbed people the wrong way, as it was new content that recycled existing concepts. Personally, it is a fine addition, but it felt like a quick way to add more content as they focus on fixing bugs. As long as matchmaking has issues, there is no point in adding a Raid mission. Technically, it was a safe move by Crystal Dynamics. Still, people wanted those Exotics that rarely drop, and kept playing it even if they were vocally frustrated. We want to play the game with friends to make the repetition easier. There are multiplayer options, but it just drops Exotics at a much lower rate. Right now, getting the best gear won’t serve any specific purpose outside of a stat increase. There is no point focusing on getting something that will only end up frustrating you. If there is a mission that would require these stats, then it might be worth the time.

    A Personal View

    As much as I enjoy the combat, attempting it multiple times with Mega Hive’s 40 floors and crash issues, no wonder someone will get mad. Plus, if you manage to finish it and don’t get the reward you want, you will be frustrated. My approach to the Mega Hive is to try it out now and then. I generally only play one or two missions every other day if I feel like it. Sometimes I try to get in some mission cards. I’ve gotten to the point with now 40 more hours in that it’s a bit repetitive now. Also, I have other games and projects I need to spend time on. Currently, I feel no drive to play the game for long sessions, and I don’t see any issue with that. It’s been only a month, and the game will only grow from here. I don’t lose anything by taking my time. Crystal Dynamics has been working hard on the game to get it where it needs to be. Should it have released like this? No, absolutely shouldn’t have, but we can’t change it now as it is already released. I respect the work they put in with consistent updates. I do hope we get more transparency in the future. It all depends on the reveal of the roadmap, which will give us a better feeling of what the future entails.

    Right now, my future investment depends on what content they plan to add. The selling point of this game is the potential of what it may offer in the future. I enjoyed my time with the game and spent countless hours playing it. This is only the third game I put in more than 100 hours into the game. So, how could I proclaim the game wasn’t worth my investment? Plus, future additions are for free, so that covers a lot of additional hours. I’ve seen some state that this game is predatory with its time-based missions to force people into paying for it. In the end, it is all just optional. The game wants you to play for a long-time rather than rush through it. So, why rush through the experience? At some point, you will hit the limitation of content with any game. There is no point forcing yourself to play through everything now if it only ends up frustrating you. Of course, it is easier said than done. I am just sharing my own approach to the game.

    A Look to the Future

    This is a bit of a different journal entry. I am not focusing on the game’s content, as I covered most of what was available. Even I felt like I played through it faster than I initially expected. People are proclaiming the game’s death as they focus on Steam numbers and Twitch streams. There is no point in doing so. We don’t know how many people are actively playing it on other consoles. Who knows how many are just sitting it out until new content drops. In the end, the developers need to know if enough players are around to make it worth investing in it. All of us want the same thing, to have a good time playing Avengers and see it succeed so we can see it expand throughout the coming years. This sentiment is shared by the man responsible for saving Final Fantasy XIV Online. I look forward to what the future holds and to continue to share my experiences with it, as I leave you with Naoki Yoshida‘s quote:

    It’s not about forcing players to keep playing the game consistently. If you just consume everything with each major patch then you’ve played everything, then you can play other games, you can spend your time and plan around your timing. If you want to come back to Final Fantasy XIV, you can come back and catch up easily. Everybody has different hobbies and ways they want to spend their time, they’re quite busy.

    Source: WCCFTech

  • Jamie Foxx Teases A New Electro in ‘Spider-Man 3’

    Jamie Foxx Teases A New Electro in ‘Spider-Man 3’

    Just yesterday we had the massive reveal that Jamie Foxx would return as Elektro in Spider-Man‘s third MCU film. This was huge news as it opens up a lot of questions. Electro was already featured in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 played by the same character. We have seen MCU recastings of actors from other Marvel films before but nothing like this. There were rumors that WandaVision or Doctor Strange in The Multiverse of Madness might be the cause of the crossover. Well, Foxx took to Instagram to confirm his addition to the film with a rather interesting addition in the comments. This might not actually be the same character we saw back in The Amazing Spider-Man sequel.

    Yeah, he confirms that he won’t be blue this time. This probably confirms he was shown some artwork of his upcoming design, and that this is a new version of the character. We might get him in a more comic-accurate version with the yellow and green costume. Yet, will they go through his entire origin story once again, or is he from a completely different universe? It also opens up the question of how he will tie into the story. Spider-Man is a public menace and at large. There were rumors pointing to Kraven the Hunter having some kind of role in the film. Electro’s addition could be a sign that we will be one step closer to the forming of the Sinister Six in the MCU. So far, we have Vulture, Mysterio, Electro, Shocker, and Scorpion confirmed.

    Yes, technically Mysterio died in Spider-Man: Far From Home but that never stopped the master of illusion. Electro could just be along for the road, as he has his own history with a version of Spider-Man. There could even be the chance he is only referenced in the film to be used later on. In the Ultimate universe, the character was yellow and created by Justin Hammer. through bioengineering. His addition also opens up the door for other actors to return to their iconic roles. There were many hopes that Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio could return from Netflix’s Daredevil series. This truly opens up a whole new world of possibility once Spider-Man 3 is hopefully released in 2021.

    Source: Instagram

  • Billy Crudup In Talks to Rejoin ‘The Flash’

    Billy Crudup In Talks to Rejoin ‘The Flash’

    So, this might be a confusing piece of news. Billy Crudup was originally cast in the role of Barry Allen’s father. He made a brief appearance in Justice League behind bars. The DC Extended Universe continues the arc that Barry’s father was framed for the murder of his wife. We only get a few heartfelt moments with him and Barry. Naturally, we assumed he was going to reappear in the upcoming Flash film. It looks like he was already on-board back in 2016 but left the project once the director debacle happened.

    As such, he has now rejoined negotiations to return as Henry Allen. There is no word what his role might be. Most likely, Barry will try to prove his father’s innocence by traveling back in time. This will kick-off the events that lead him to unravel the multiverse through which he meets a variety of new and familiar faces. So far, we know that Michael Keaton is confirmed to return in his iconic 1989 role. Of course, you can’t have Henry behind bars withou the original culprit. Reverse Flash is a definite addition and most likely the driving force behind Barry’s multiversal travels.

    Also, with Watchmen being a DC-owned IP, there is a chance we could have a cameo by Dr. Manhattan. Crudup played the iconic character in Zack Snyder‘s 2009 adaptation. It would be a great little easter egg to throw in a brief run through that timeline. Barry recognizing Manhattan and thinking it’s his father from a different timeline would be quite confusing and hilarious. We will see how extensive Crudup‘s role will be once the film is released

    Source: Hollywood Reporter

  • Jamie Foxx in Talks to Return as Electro in MCU’s ‘Spider-Man 3’

    Jamie Foxx in Talks to Return as Electro in MCU’s ‘Spider-Man 3’

    No, you read that correctly. Jamie Foxx is currently in talks to return as Elecro in the upcoming third entry of the MCU’s Spider-Man films. It is uncertain at this point if it is the exact same character from The Amazing Spider-Man 2 or just a different interpretation within the MCU. The film takes place shortly after Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness so he could be the one from Andrew Garfield‘s Amazing universe. We have been speculating who the villain might be but we never expected Electro to make a return. Little did we think they would recast Foxx for the role. He is high in demand especially with Pixar’s Soul on the way, so it would be a waste not to use him. Foxx was one of the highlights of the 2014 film.

    Hollywood Reporter did state that Marvel had no comment on the casting. It is just very bizarre, as this is the second returning character from a past Spider-Man franchise. J.K. Simmons reprised his role as J. Jonah Jameson in Spider-Man: Far From Home. This could also open up the floodgates for other iconic villains to return in some form. There is a chance this is also a fusion of different universes once the events of Doctor Strange‘s sequel take place. Perhaps this is how Venom and Morbius end up connecting to the overarching MCU. This is huge news and may break our understanding of how the MCU works moving forward.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • Minecraft Steve Joining ‘Super Smash Bros. Ultimate’

    Minecraft Steve Joining ‘Super Smash Bros. Ultimate’

    Modern fighting games have become famous for their addition of 3rd party characters. Tekken 7 shocked the world by adding The Walking Deads‘ Negan. Mortal Kombat has focused on additions from horror films like Alien, Predator, or Jason. There is one franchise that became the epicenter of video games’ past. Super Smash Bros. has added many iconic video game icons that made it stand out among the fighting game crowd. The latest addition was Min Min from Arms, so many were hoping one of the many requested characters would be added next. Now, after a long wait, we finally find out who will be the latest addition.

    Of all the franchises, I did not expect Minecraft to be added. There are many favorites that people are hoping for like Crash, Sora, or Spyro. Yet, it is hard to deny how popular Minecraft is as a franchise. We only got a brief teaser of the character and he seems pretty in line with what you would expect. You can play as different skins from the game. Players can wear the skins of Steve, Alex, a Zombie, or an Enderman.

    They also stuck to the game’s animation with the rather blocky movement. You also seem to have access to a variety of tools ranging from carts, TNT to regular dirt blocks. It will be interesting to see how you can use the building mechanic to get an advantage int he game. Sakurai even pointed out they had to rework existing stages to include material to build on. We will get a full reveal trailer for the gameplay in two days, so we have something to look forward to.

    Source: YouTube

  • BREAKING: Iman Vellani is the MCU’s ‘Ms. Marvel’

    BREAKING: Iman Vellani is the MCU’s ‘Ms. Marvel’

    Last week we were flooded with Marvel Studios news and it looks like this week is off to a good start. Despite all the good news, surprisingly, we still didn’t know who as going to play Ms. Marvel. The first Muslim character to headline her own series has seen quite the surge in popularity lately. She is the main focus of the Reassemble campaign in Square-Enix’s Avengers game voiced by Sandra Saad. She has also been heavily featured in the Marvel Rising series. We were just waiting for the official announcement and it is finally here. Iman Vellani will be playing the titular character according to Deadline.

    There’s not much information out there on Iman Vellani other than that she’s a budding filmmaker herself. A newcomer in the truest sense, Vellani will surely become a star as soon as the show comes out. Marvel has always been incredibly on point with their casting and she certainly looks the part of Kamala Khan. It is also great to see Marvel Studios also bring in new and young talent for these major projects. We cannot wait to see her adaptation of the iconic superhero.

    Source: Deadline