Murphy's Multiverse

Author: Joseph Aberl

  • ‘Quantumania’ Writer’s Kang the Conqueror is Inspired by Napoleon

    ‘Quantumania’ Writer’s Kang the Conqueror is Inspired by Napoleon

    Jeff Loveness had the challenge of truly introducing audiences to the main big bad of Marvel Studios’ Multiverse Saga. While we did get a glimpse of what Jonathan Majors has to offer in the season finale of Loki, we’re only now truly entering the age of Kang. So, the writer had quite the unique challenge ahead of himself to not only avoid clichés but also humanize a character that is bigger than one timeline.

    In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Loveness revealed that he wanted to avoid repeating the time travel elements that were already explored in Avengers: Endgame by giving us a very different kind of villain. Instead of one just on the edge of success, we meet one that has lost everything he had.

    With Kang, the danger was falling into another derivative time-travel multiverse villain. Endgame just did a time-travel plot in their movie, and there’s been plenty of time-traveling multiverse guys. And so I thought it would be interesting to approach the character first before we get to the more grandiose sci-fi elements of him. Peyton and I stumbled across the idea of Napoleon in exile, where he’s cut off from most of his time powers. We catch him at the end of a story that we just don’t know about yet. Guys like Alexander the Great or Julius Caesar are defined just as much by their defeats as they are their victories, and so I thought it would be humanizing to show a Kang who’s just been defeated. He’s like a Julius Caesar who was just assassinated by fifty other Julius Caesars and sent away. Or he’s like Alexander who has just been turned back at India and has lost the worlds that he conquered.

    Jeff Loveness

    The comparison to Julius Caesar and Alexander the Great is also quite fitting given the version of the character we meet in this film. He’s lost everything and is dedicated to retrieving it at any cost possible. It definitely gives him an edge, as he tries to stay true to his iconic name and highlights just how dangerous he’ll truly be the moment we enter his cage.

    Heathcliff from Wuthering Heights was an example I tried to use. I wanted more of a tortured anti-hero. I was a big X-Men guy growing up, and there’s no fictional character I love more than Chris Claremont’s Magneto. He wrote that character for like 40 years and put him through so many seasons of his life. And so just to write this Kang the Conqueror as a lion during winter felt like a really interesting place to begin with him. We can get his ethos and his passion, and then, by the time we see him or another variant of him again, we’ll have more room to play with him because we’ll know his vibe.

    Jeff Loveness

    It’s definitely an interesting approach and also highlights just how varied these characters can be. With a multiversal storyline, Kang right is the most diverse version of the main villain we’ll get in the MCU moving forward, and it’ll be interesting to see what other versions we may see.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • ‘Ant-Man 3’ Writer Compares Working for Marvel Studio With His TV Experience

    ‘Ant-Man 3’ Writer Compares Working for Marvel Studio With His TV Experience

    Marvel Studios has been quite strategic in hiring writers from Rick and Morty‘s writer’s room that has quite a bit of experience in the realm of science-fiction and multiversal storytelling. With the current new direction, it makes sense to get those writers that have talent in it. We had Michael Waldron tackle Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Jeff Loveness, who is currently promoting his film Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.

    In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the writer shared just how different his experience was, especially in the fact that he was able to work on this film on his own. While he does point out that Marvel has “a lot of cooks” and even praises Paul Rudd’s additions through his improv skills, but highlights that he got to write this film on his own.

    […] I come from the TV world where sometimes there’s just too many voices in the room. Some things kind of get lost at the table or everyone wants to get out that day. So it’s actually really rare and really exciting to be the only main writer on this, because I got to drive some weird ideas in there. And obviously, with Marvel, there’s a lot of cooks in there, and every actor and every person is going to have their own thoughts. But once again, I secretly got to write a huge weird movie all by myself, and that doesn’t happen a lot with these types of movies.

    Jeff Loveness

    Marvel Studios has actually been taking a new direction with most of their current films being from a singular writer, as most of their past projects were involved with a variety of projects. They commonly had multiple rewrites for their scripts and ongoing changes during production, but Loveness got a chance to tell a multiverse storyline that was very much his own.

    It seems that just the fact he got to write the base script for Quantumania on his own. Even as critical reception was surprisingly harsh, his work did persuade Marvel Studios to have him tackle the script for their first big Avengers film in quite some time.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • ‘Quantumania’s Jeff Loveness On What Makes Kang Different From Thanos

    ‘Quantumania’s Jeff Loveness On What Makes Kang Different From Thanos

    No matter who was going to be the main antagonist moving forward, we all expected comparisons to the original Marvel Cinematic Universe big bad, Thanos. While only making a brief appearance throughout the first three phases, Josh Brolin left quite an impression once he made his true arrival in Avengers: Infinity War. Now, we may get to spend a lot more time with the Multiverse Saga’s antagonist, Kang the Conqueror.

    Jeff Loveness had the joy of writing the character in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, where we meet a very different version of the character that just faced his biggest loss. He’s only one of many Variants that are eyeing a multiversal war at some point in the future. The writer of the Ant-Man threequel got a chance to highlight what makes Jonathan Majors‘ antagonist stand out from the previous big bad.

    And so that allowed us to really give Jonathan Majors an opportunity to show the sheer humanity of this character. It’s also the opposite of Thanos. Josh Brolin did a terrific job, obviously. So much has been said about Thanos, but he is a purple, CGI space alien. So it was thrilling to write for a human face and one as expressive as Jonathan Majors’. But there’s going to be plenty of sci-fi and conquering in these Avengers movies going forward, so my approach was to give people a taste of who this guy is.

    Jeff Loveness

    And what a taste he gave us. We not only had the “nice” version of Loki but also Quantumania‘s version that is hellbent on getting what he deserves. Loveness pulled from his comic knowledge to get a true feel for this character and compared him to Chris Claremont‘s iconic take of Magneto, as we see a character going through many events in his life instead of just what we are told.

    Well, I think you root for someone who knows defeat. Thanos says that he knows what it’s like to lose, but we never see him lose until the end of Endgame. All he does is toss away the people that he loves and beat Thor’s ass. But yes, it’s a risk, and we certainly took some heat for it. But I am willing to bet that we are going to root for a guy that we’ve seen stumble and fall, much like Chris Claremont’s Magneto from those X-Men comics. That guy loses a lot, and we see how much pain he’s been through. And so by the time he really unleashes that rage, we’re on his side and we kind of get it. So I think we’re allowed to have a villain that takes a few shots along the way as [Kang the Conqueror or his variants] make their rise.

    Jeff Loveness

    He also compares it to Loki’s journey, who would become one of the most popular antagonists/anti-heroes in the MCU. He wants to ensure that “his defeat was a way to showcase his humanity and his unending passion.” The most interesting quote is that “Kang is not a guy that you can beat once; he is an existential problem” and highlights just how dangerous he will be in the future.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • ‘Quantumania’ Writer Reveals His Pitch for Kang and Ant-Man’s Connection

    ‘Quantumania’ Writer Reveals His Pitch for Kang and Ant-Man’s Connection

    Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania does something quite interesting by taking what was seen as a “palate cleanser” franchise and forcing its small-time hero to take on the biggest villain they have yet to face in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Jeff Loveness took on the daunting task to bring this new film to life alongside Marvel veteran director Peyton Reed.

    In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Loveness actually reveals how he may have gotten the job and that was his pitch that established the connection that would tie Ant-Man and Kang the Conqueror together, the loss of time.

    What probably helped me get the job was drawing the connection between Scott Lang and Kang the Conqueror. I’m a die-hard comics fan, but I don’t think they’ve ever had a conversation together in the comics. So, in the room, when I found out about Ant-Man 3 and that they were considering Kang as a villain, an idea just popped into my head of like, “Oh yeah, Kang the Conqueror is a time god. He’s this time pharaoh who’s lost more time than Scott Lang in the MCU.” And so that helped me put a very personal touch on it. 

    Jeff Loveness

    He goes on to highlight that he pretty much “had a blank canvas” going into the project, but did highlight that Peyton Reed did have some ideas that he could eventually build the entire plot around; especially the visit of the Quantum Realm and a “more epic scale.”

    That was pretty much it. When I walked in, I had no idea what to expect, but we basically had a blank canvas, so you just laid it out like it was. Peyton really wanted to do a tonal shift for this movie. He wanted it to be a more epic scale. He wanted it to be set primarily in the Quantum Realm, and Kang the Conqueror was on the table. So that was pretty much where I jumped off of, and it just seemed too good to pass up.

    Jeff Loveness

    He highlights the joy of tackling a big-budget “action-adventure movie” and the challenge of trying to balance the tones. With his comedy background, he saw it as a fun venture to tackle something this unique within a connected universe like the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • ‘Ant-Man 3’ Wanted to Add ‘The White Lotus’ Star Jennifer Coolidge as Hank Pym’s Ex-Fling

    ‘Ant-Man 3’ Wanted to Add ‘The White Lotus’ Star Jennifer Coolidge as Hank Pym’s Ex-Fling

    Jeff Loveness is seemingly on a promotional tour to talk all things Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. While the film was critically mixed, the film still apparently worked for some going by Rotten Tomatoes’ Audience Score. and left an impression with the introduction of Jonathan Majors‘ Kang the Conqueror. Now that enough time has passed, the writer has a chance to share some insights into what may have been.

    In an interesting reveal, it seems that the film may have almost featured The White Lotus star Jennifer Coolidge as Hank Pym’s fling, Linda. As we uncover what exactly Janet van Dyne was up to in the Quantum Realm, we would’ve also found out about the failed relationships of Hank Pym. Sadly, it seems they never got “beyond a Zoom” call before the idea was scrapped.

    I don’t think it even made it into pages, but we wanted Jennifer Coolidge to be Linda for a brief moment. It never reached beyond a Zoom between ourselves, but I had some good ideas there. We’ll save her for next time. I’m sure she’ll wind up in the MCU, sometime. She can be Doctor Doom.

    Jeff Loveness

    Coolidge has been getting quite a bit of attention since her standout role in The White Lotus, and her comedic chops would’ve made for a fantastic addition to the Ant-Man franchise. So, it’s a shame it never got together but it would be quite exciting to see her return in another Marvel Cinematic Universe project. While we highly doubt she’ll be Doctor Doom, there’s definitely a role out there that is perfect for her.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • ‘Mortal Kombat 12’ Confirmed for 2023 Release

    ‘Mortal Kombat 12’ Confirmed for 2023 Release

    There’s been a long silence on what exactly NetherRealm Studios is currently working on. As we just had the release of Mortal Kombat 11, most assumed we’d see the third entry to Injustice finally make its way to modern consoles but it turns out, they are developing a direct sequel to Mortal Kombat after all.

    During the Warner Bros. Discovery earnings call, they talked about the future of their major releases, especially highlighting what they have planned for 2023. Among them, they talked about the Suicide Squad game that was just showcased during the PlayStation State of Play and confirmed that 2023 will see the release of Mortal Kombat 12.

    The shocking reveal does hint that we’d see an official announcement or teaser in the coming weeks, but it is bizarre to think it was just randomly dropped in an Investor’s call of all places. The fact it’s also eyeing a 2023 release means we’ll likely get a first look sooner rather than later, but if it’s a Holiday release we may have to wait a bit until E3 or any other gaming event later this summer.

    Source: ComicBook.com

  • ‘Suicide Squad’ Game Will Add More Playable Characters

    ‘Suicide Squad’ Game Will Add More Playable Characters

    Is anyone else getting a feeling of déjà-vu? During the latest PlayStation State of Play, we finally got a good look at the upcoming game by Rocksteady focused on Task Force X. Suicide Squad Kill the Justice League will let you play as four members of the iconic group but it seems more are already in the pipeline.

    Similar to Marvel’s Avengers, the new Suicide Squad game is promising that more content is set to release even after the game finds its way into shelves in May. They will have a different system though with a confirmed Battle Pass heading our way. So, it would be safe to assume that characters are only purchasable with a battle pass.

    The only question remains: who would they join and can we expect more story elements? It does seem unlikely they’ll add a lot more to the story. So, they may have an endgame structure already mapped out, which was one of the biggest criticism against Marvel’s Avengers, which had a repetition issue with reused missions.

    This also opens up the possibility of other iconic members of the Suicide Squad getting added to the game. It seems safe to assume that almost everyone will make use of gunplay one way or another. So, we might see characters like Bloodsport or Peacemaker get added at some point, especially with their newfound popularity in the recent film adaptation by James Gunn. For now, we’ll have to wait and see what heads our way.

    Source: YouTube

  • Rocksteady’s ‘Suicide Squad’ Set 5 Years After ‘Batman: Arkham Knight’

    Rocksteady’s ‘Suicide Squad’ Set 5 Years After ‘Batman: Arkham Knight’

    Rocksteady has been quite busy with the development of their next Arkhamverse game. Instead of returning to the Batman formula they perfected, they decided to take a different route. This time around, they are focusing on the smaller villains of the DC universe with Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. During the latest State of Play from PlayStation, we also got some more details on when exactly this new entry takes place.

    According to the developer Rocksteady, it seems this game will be a direct sequel to Batman: Arkham Knight. To be exact, it’ll take place around five years after that film ended with Batman seemingly retiring his cape. We know that he’ll return in this game and will once again be voiced by Kevin Conroy, which adds to the connection between these games.

    It does raise an eyebrow on how exactly they’ll try to explain Batman’s return given how Arkham Knight ended, but they may play a little loose with the canon. Gotham Knights were not part of the Arkhamverse and acted as its own spinoff using elements from the iconic Arkhamverse. Plus, it’s from a different developer who did create the Arkham Origins prequel game that was part of the universe.

    We don’t know more about what exactly the story will be outside of Task Force X, the iconic Suicide Squad’s official designation that will take on brainwashed Justice League members. It does seem a bit sour to potentially have to kill Batman after Kevin Conroy‘s tragic passing in this game, but maybe they have a secret up their sleeve.

    Source: YouTube

  • Warner Bros. Developing New ‘Lord of the Rings’ Films

    Warner Bros. Developing New ‘Lord of the Rings’ Films

    It looks like Embracer Group has found the home for their newly acquired Lord of the Rings rights, as they are moving forward with the development of new films with Warner Bros. and New Line. They have finalized a multi-year deal that allows them to develop films based on J.R.R. Tolkien‘s iconic books.

    The announcement comes from the investor call. CEO David Zaslav has already hinted at this potential move, as he looked back to the studio’s “glory days” in the early 200s with franchises like Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, and The Dark Knight Trilogy. Though, Embracer Group holding the rights left a few questions if they could bring the franchise back.

    There’s no word on what exactly they hope to achieve with these rights, as they might simply rehash a story that was already done extremely well by Peter Jackosn, but studio heads Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy highlighted they aren’t here to retread familiar ground.

    Twenty years ago, New Line took an unprecedented leap of faith to realize the incredible stories, characters and world of The Lord of the Rings on the big screen.  The result was a landmark series of films that have been embraced by generations of fans.  But for all the scope and detail lovingly packed into the two trilogies, the vast, complex and dazzling universe dreamed up by J.R.R. Tolkien remains largely unexplored on film.  The opportunity to invite fans deeper into the cinematic world of Middle-earth is an honor, and we are excited to partner with Middle-earth Enterprises and Embracer on this adventure.

    De Luca actually has a history with The Lord of the Rings, as he was the president of production for New Line when the first movie, Fellowship of the Ring, was in development but ended up being let go before it was released. We’ll see if he’ll still be around when they revive this franchise.

    .Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • ‘Hogwarts Legacy’ Passes 12 Million Units in Just 2 Weeks

    ‘Hogwarts Legacy’ Passes 12 Million Units in Just 2 Weeks

    It seems that people have been truly itching for a true Harry Potter experience, as Warner Bros. Games’ recent release of Hogwarts Legacy has seemingly already sold 12 million units within its first two weeks. As such, the game has already earned a whopping $850M in global sales across PlayStation 5, XBox Series X, and PC.

    As such, it is the biggest launch ever for Warner Bros. Discovery’s gaming division, as it has also set a new record on Twitch with 1.28M peak concurrent viewers during its launch window. The game already has shown quite the player engagement at 280 hours played since its launch. With so much discourse surrounding Hogwarts Legacy, it also had a strong effect on other Wizarding World products according to WBD.

    Additionally, there has been an increase of global franchise fan engagement overall with Wizarding World Digital garnering 300% higher traffic over the normal monthly unique visitor average for the first 10 days of February.

    Avalanche Software had the honor of developing the game and is likely already fast-tracking its next entry in the Hogwarts Legacy franchise, as a sequel seems quite definite at this rate. Of course, the discourse should also not ignore the PR nightmare that is J.K. Rowling‘s very public anti-trans rhetoric as the franchise continues to try and distance itself from its original creator.

    Source: Variety