Murphy's Multiverse

Author: Joseph Aberl

  • ‘THE GOOD PLACE’S” William Jackson Harper to Narrate ‘Black Panther’ Audio Series

    ‘THE GOOD PLACE’S” William Jackson Harper to Narrate ‘Black Panther’ Audio Series

    We’ve talked about video games, films and comics so far. Now, it’s time to explore a completely new part of the media multiverse, audio dramas. Marvel is no stranger to these kinds of projects. They’ve created a series focused on everyone’s favorite Wolverine titled Wolverine: The Lost Trail. There also is an audio drama focused on the king of Wakanda, T’Challa. The story Black Panther: The Young Prince explored his childhood.

    It seems that they aren’t quite done yet with the cat-friendly superhero, as they are expanding with one more titled Marvel’s Black Panther: Sins of the King. It will be released in January, as it follows the T’Challa facing a reality where his father was accidentally brought back to life. Now, it was revealed that The Good Place‘s William Jackson Harper will be narrating the story. He shared his enthusiasm in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter.

    “I remember seeing Black Panther in the theatre and just being giddy about how many kids like me will have this be one of their first and formative sci-fi experiences, and how open they will be to seeing all kinds of people inhabiting these worlds as they grow older, which is why I am thrilled to be a part of this project.”

    It’s always great to see companies branch out and try new approaches to reach audiences. Stories that focus on characters like Black Panther are especially important to share, as Harper points out. DC has also started exploring the world of audio drama with its recent release of The Sandman on Audible. Hopefully, this could also kickstart Harper‘s chancing of joining the upcoming sequel to Marvel Studios’ Black Panther. He was amazing in The Good Place and would make a great addition to that film’s cast. Either way, it will be exciting to hear his narration once Marvel’s Black Panther Sins of the King releases.

    Source: Wolverine Podcast, Penguin, The Hollywood Reporter, Audible

  • Kathleen Kennedy Talks ‘Star Wars’ Future

    Kathleen Kennedy Talks ‘Star Wars’ Future

    Star Wars’ journey has been quite turbulent. It has established its place in animation through shows like Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Rebels. Then founder George Lucas sold the company to Disney. They tried to kickstart a new trilogy. that explores the galaxy far far away after the events of Return of the Jedi. After the last entry of the new trilogy, Rise of Skywalker, was released to a mixed reception, they decided to take a step back to re-evaluate their next move. Everyone was waiting to find out what the future would hold. The franchise has started expanding more into long-term storytelling, especially after its success with The Mandalorian on Disney+ and many other shows in the pipeline.

    According to the President of Lucasfilm Kathleen Kennedy, they are still planning out how they will move forward. She highlighted that they want to try and expore the 25,000 years of history in this universe. They are also not trying to be bound by one medium, as they expand their projects into books and games. Their goal is to continue what George Lucas started. One interesting thing to note is that she did point out in her interview with The Wrap:

    “That’s what we’ve been doing, and we’ve been having a great deal of fun doing it, and meeting with lots of different filmmakers and talent. There’s so many fans out there and so many filmmakers that have been influenced by Star Wars for so long that it’s a fantastic opportunity to get a sense of who wants to be a part of this. So that’s what we’ve been doing.”

    So far, we know that a film is in development with Taika Waititi, who also direct episodes on The Mandalorian. We are still anxious to find out what kind of story he will tell in the Star Wars universe. This also means that we might get more standalone films moving forward. There were rumblings of them potentially exploring the Old Republic to take a unique look at Jedi history. She also highlighted that TV will be an integral part for the franchise’s future.

    “I do. And I’ve already seen evidence of it. The ability to be very character-driven, with extended storytelling and connected storytelling, I think this space offers us a great opportunity to do that.”

    It’s an exciting time to be a Star Wars fan. There are a lot of stories to explore in the galaxy far far away. Kennedy‘s last statement also fits their current approach to the brand. We’ve mainly heard many various shows being announced, like the untitled Cassian Andor and Obi-Wan Kenobi shows. They also created a spin-off from The Clone Wars titled The Bad Batch. One thing is for sure, we won’t be running out of Star Wars content anytime soon.

    Source: The Wrap via Comic Book

  • New ‘Wonder Woman 1984’ Poster Teases Trailer at DC FanDome

    New ‘Wonder Woman 1984’ Poster Teases Trailer at DC FanDome

    We all were wondering how big DC FanDome was going to be that we underestimated how much they’d do to promote it. Rocksteady promoted their upcoming Suicide Squad game. Matt Reeves released the logo for The Batman alongside some key art. WB Games Montreal has been teasing their upcoming game with cryptic tweets. It has been an insane week and DC FanDome is already tomorrow. Now, Warner Bros. has also released a brand new poster for Wonder Woman 1984.

    Now that is what I call a beautiful poster. Wonder Woman has really embraced the 80s aesthetic. They also are highlighting that amazing new costume for Wonder Woman that makes me think of Saint Seiya every time I see it. It is also exciting to think we will get a new trailer as well. We still do not know when the film will release with all the delays but WB seems to be sticking to their guns with the “only in Cinemas” tagline. They might be trying to gain some points while Disney is exploring VOD options with Mulan.

    Hopefully, the upcoming trailer will give us our first good look at Cheetah. We did get some teases of Kristen Wiig’s Barbara Minerva in the last trailer. Sadly, we are still waiting to see a fully transformed Cheetah in action. It will be interesting to see how her character plays into the story. I’ll be honest, if the trailer is anything to go by I am just really excited to hear the soundtrack they have planned for this film. Cannot wait to explore the DCEU’s 80s in WW84.

    Source: Twitter

  • Thor Confirmed for ‘Fortnite’ Season 4

    Thor Confirmed for ‘Fortnite’ Season 4

    Fortnite somehow has become the center of all pop culture. The game has just ended it’s fourth season Splash Down. Players got the chance to unlock Aquaman as a skin in the game. He isn’t the first hero to join the free-to-play giant. The game already includes various pop culture icons like Joker, Batman, Catwoman, Deadpool, Captain America and many more.

    They had an event where one person got to play as Thanos. If a player found the Infinity Gauntlet on the map, he would become the mad titan. Just recently, anyone who plays through Marvel’s Avengers beta even can unlock unique weapons from Hulk and the Hulkbuster. Looks like Marvel isn’t quite done yet as they revealed that the God of Thunder will arrive for the game with an announcement coming later this month.

    No matter how one feels about Fortnite, the game has grown at an astounding rate. Personally, never got into it but did love the way it handled world building. Every season leads into the next and is teased throughout the previous one. This announcement also confirms the leaks that Galactus will show up at one point. It is uncertain if he will be a skin or just part of that seasons’ storyline. The reveal of Thor also confirms that he will be wearing his latest design. Will point out though, that there is a still a chance that we get his more iconic costume. Still, this might be a way for Marvel to get more people interested in checking out his latest series. Also, it may have some tie-ins to the upcoming release of Avengers.

    Source: Epic Games, Twitter, Forbes

  • ‘New Mutants’ Originally Pitched as a Trilogy With Potential Crossovers

    ‘New Mutants’ Originally Pitched as a Trilogy With Potential Crossovers

    New Mutants had quite a rough journey. They finished filming while Fox got purchased by Disney. As a result, it constantly got delayed. Then, it finally seemed like it would see the day of light until the pandemic hit. Once again, the potentially last Fox X-Men entry was on hold. It is unsure how it will fit into the new structure, as Marvel Studios continues its MCU expansion. We still do not know if this will become part of the MCU or just be treated as the ending of another world. Director Josh Boone offered some insight into what the original plans were.

     “When we sold it originally, we conceptually sold it as a trilogy, with the second one being an alien invasion movie set in Brazil where Roberto is, where his dad is, who is part of the Hellfire Club. Then, the last one was hopefully going to dovetail with the X-Men movies and we were going to do Inferno, that crossover, which had all these supernatural, satanic horror elements. The idea was to try to do a different genre, subgenre, of horror movie with each of these movies. That was the idea, but it wasn’t something we thought much about because of the merger and everything else.“

    The concept sounds amazing. Each film would’ve been focused on a different horror genre? That sounds like a great concept to explore. It also is quite the selling point for the New Mutants that it dives into horror rather than stick to superhero conventions. As the article by CBM points out, this also means we would’ve gotten Darkchilde at one point. This is the final transformation of Magik, who played by Anya Taylor-Joy. Plus, the potential of crossovers is always a bonus. The potential of seeing X-Men from other movies stuck in a horror story is quite enticing.

    It will be interesting to see how the film performs and what it will mean for the future of the Marvel franchise. We know that Kevin Feige has plans for the X-Men within the MCU at one point. At the same time, we might see the introduction of the Inhumans through the Disney+ show Ms. Marvel. They could also use the multiverse concept teased for the next Doctor Strange installment to connect the worlds as a final tribute to the bygone era of the Fox X-Men.

    Source: ComicBookMovie.com

     

     

  • Usman Ally and Jolene Andersen Talk Voicing A.I.M. Villains in ‘Marvel’s Avengers’

    Usman Ally and Jolene Andersen Talk Voicing A.I.M. Villains in ‘Marvel’s Avengers’

    Marvel’s Avengers is building up to its release in around two weeks. We are about to enter the final week of Beta testing. They’ve spent quite a lot of time focusing on A-Day since the reveal at E3 2019. Sadly, it felt like they were holding back. It being a service-based game didn’t quite help the popular consensus online. Let’s not forget the controversy that certainly didn’t help. Still, the game was performing well in top pre-order charts. Now, we also get our official full look at the game’s main antagonist MODOK.

    We also got the reveal that Usman Ally is voicing the iconic brainiac in the game. He actually has some history with Marvel, as he played Vincent on Agents of SHIELD.

    Alongside his tweet he also talked about how George Tarleton slowly turns into the big brained man we see below. It sounds like there is more to the transformation into MODOK than just him being an evil scientist stereotype.

    “In terms of how George becomes this creature, this thing and how so much of it is driven by his ambition to help people, I think there is a genuine belief that what he is doing is for the betterment of human beings and that strong, strong sense of self and his position in society, wanting to do more, is what continues to drive him. I found that to be some of the really fascinating stuff and how that gets blasted with one’s ego or one’s own insecurities coming to the fore. He’s a very complex character.”

    It also gives us our first look at Monica Rappaccini, who was the focus of a Hulk-specific mission in the Beta. She is voiced by Jolene Andersen, who also just recently appeared on SHIELD‘s seventh season as Olga. She also talked about her character in an interview with Comic Book.

    “She has this one-track mind in a way and that’s what I feel is her strongest point, and what makes her so powerful. Also her drive, her ability to manipulate everything around her. She is a perfect specimen of a person which makes her a perfect villain, I like that, and she comes in an unassuming bottle at the same time, I love all of that nuance with her and I don’t know if that’s her in a nutshell, but that’s how I feel about her.”

    An interesting tidbit is that they also provided the voice actors with comics to prepare for their roles. Ally pointed out that they weren’t forced to but were provided with the necessary comics if they asked for them. Makes me want to start working there if I get access to their large library on comics. The team at Crystal Dynamics also offered a short look at AIM in a video on the official Marvel channel.

    Source: Twitter, Comic Book, YouTube

  • ‘Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War’ Announced

    ‘Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War’ Announced

    Call of Duty is quite the giant in the gaming industry. They just recently released Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. In addition, they also added a battle royale spin-off subtitled Warzone.  The latter might be one of the largest games ever with 214 GB total download. Modern Warfare just released last year. Yet, that didn’t stop Activision. They are now starting their marketing campaign for the next entry in the Black Ops series. This entry being titled Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War. Yeah, it’s quite the mouth full. They have released a post that includes key art to confirm that the next entry will once again takes place during the Cold War.

    https://twitter.com/CallofDuty/status/1296504199425884160?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1296504199425884160%7Ctwgr%5E&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gematsu.com%2F2020%2F08%2Fcall-of-duty-black-ops-cold-war-key-artwork

    The key art is revealed in the small video above. The ripped newspapers tease the confrontation between Russia and the States. Black Ops always added some rather interesting single-player stories. Sadly, it was left out in Black Ops 4 that focused on solo missions for the character’s backstory. The original Call of Duty: Black Ops was a personal favorite back in the day. This entry is once again in development by Treyarch and Raven Software. Sadly this is all we currently have available but there will be a major reveal on August 26th. Most likely we’ll get a trailer for the story and gameplay. As this returns to this specific franchise’s roots, maybe this will feature a story that ties into that of the original. Hard to believe this is already the seventeenth entry in the Call of Duty franchise. It certainly isn’t going to slow down anytime soon either.

    Source: PC Gamer, Gematsu, Twitter

  • Disney+ May Expand to Include Non-Family-Friendly Content

    Disney+ May Expand to Include Non-Family-Friendly Content

    Disney+ is an interesting addition to the streaming service market. Even though it’s a rather new addition to the market, it has already reached 54.5 million subscribers. That is almost near the minimum forecast they wanted to reach by 2024’s fiscal year. Don’t forget that Disney also owns Hulu and ESPN+. The latter getting its name in 2017 long before Disney+ was revealed. Unlike Netflix, it does have one limitation and that is the Disney branding. We associate specific values with the word and they are naturally very keen on keeping it that way. So, we won’t see any adult-themed stories on their streaming platform anytime soon. Well, at least that is what we assumed.

    Those wondering, Hulu is Disney’s more adult-themed channel. It has no direct ties to Disney’s branding and has fewer limitations. One only has to think back at the move for Disney+ to move Love, Victor to Hulu. This was mainly due to the show feeling “more adult” and made it unsuitable from a branding perspective for the family-friendly service. It’s also a reason that a large part of the 20th Century or Touchstone Pictures library still hasn’t been included. The Mandalorian included some darker moments but still manages to balance the family-friendly content. Marvel isn’t innocent either if you just think of some of the gruesome deaths characters go through. Yet, the service felt the need to “fix” some elements in other films and shows to make sure their family-friendly brand remains consistent.

    This won’t work long-term for the service. Netflix has no limitations on its content. Sometimes even embracing the more R-rated stories as a sign of little restriction they face. Disney+ tried to counter this by creating bundle offers. You can get a subscription that includes ESPN+ and Hulu to make up for the lack of content. This is great for anyone who lives in the U.S. but not international viewers. There were plans to launch Hulu internationally back in February by 2021 but there seems to have been a change in goals. Disney CEO Bob Chapek announced at the beginning of August that they would be launching a brand new Star-branded streaming service for international markets. His statement was as follows:

    “In terms of the general entertainment offering internationally, we want to mirror our successful Disney Plus strategy by using our Disney Plus technical platform, bringing in content we already own and distributing it under a successful international brand that we also already own, which is, of course, Star.”

    There is no word if Star will only be made available internationally while Hulu remains in the U.S. market. Plus, Disney Star Studio is already known overseas as it was taken over as part of Disney’s Fox deal. It originates from an Indian media conglomerate known as Star India. It made sense to use a well-known brand in key markets to expand internationally instead of working from scrap with Hulu. Yet, it’s a waste to not expand Disney+ which is the main international streaming service for the brand. Well, it looks like there might be more to this story. Bill Hunt, the founder of Digital Bits, shared a tweet about some potential developments:

    This opens up a whole can of worms. The timing couldn’t be more evident as Star will likely be integrated into Disney+. In the quote I added earlier, Chapek clearly states “using our Disney+ technical platform”. So, the expansion could mean that when starting Disney+ you have the option to switch to the family content or the Star-branded adult content. The brand is called Disney Star now, so its a fitting inclusion. Hunt‘s tweet does mention a pin code access, which would act as the parental controls similar to what Nintendo does in their eShop.

    This way they can also push their other owned brands like MGM, Fox, or Tombstone Picture. These are well-known brands that could be highlighted in the service similar to how Disney+ handles Marvel, Star Wars, or Pixar. Plus, if they keep the Disney branding with Star, they will diversify the “only family-friendly” image of their content. It is an exciting prospect because the recent purchase of very adult-themed brands forces Disney to explore new ventures. We’ve already seen this with the expansion of a Premium Section for Mulan– They could potentially break free from their iron-clad image to showcase what they’re capable of.

    Looking at the Pirates of the Caribbean films with their dark pirate-filled world, it feels like they’ve been trying for some time. Now with 20th Century’s library, they can focus on more adult and R-rated content without the shackles of the past. It was even an important promise made by Disney in their 2019 investor’s call when talking about films like Deadpool. If handled right, this could be a turning point not just for the streaming service but for the Disney brand overall. They’ve grown to such an extent they can’t hide behind family-friendly forever. It’s time to expand and show that Disney more than just the sum of its parts.

    Source: CNBC, AdWeek, Hollywood Reporter, Variety, TechCrunch, CNBC (Strategy), Verge, Medianama, Variety (Mulan), Nintendo, Variety (2019)

  • ‘The Batman’ Logo and Teaser Poster Revealed

    ‘The Batman’ Logo and Teaser Poster Revealed

    Told you the build-up to DC FanDome is going to be crazy. In a week filled with teases and rumors, we probably got something we didn’t expect this early. Director Matt Reeves took to Twitter to offer us our first look at The Batman logo with a key visual showing Jim Lee‘s rendition of the full Batman suit.

    This looks amazing. Love the unique aspect of using red for the visuals. It symbolizes a lot and might also be a tease for the potential of an R-rating. We’ve had so many distinctive versions of Batman that this color will make this incarnation stand out. Especially if you compare it to the more yellow or gray versions that came before. The Bat logo is also part of the naming, which is a great touch. We know that the new version is the gun that killed his parents. So, it’s very appropriate to highlight in the logo. It feels like this logo highlights how ingrained it is with why Batman is who he is in this story.

    That key visual is beautiful. Amazing artwork as always by Jim Lee. It showcases how much detail is in this new suit and cannot wait to get a closer look at it in live-action. Plus, we do get a bit of Gotham that seems to dive a bit more into its Gothic origins. The Dark Knight Trilogy focused more on a realistic depiction of the city in the modern age. This feels like a combination of the that, the original comics, Batman 1989 and elements from Arkham games. Hopefully, the city’s own mythology will play a major role within the story as we explore this new version of the dark knight. I cannot wait to see what else they have in store for us at DC FanDome.

    Source: Twitter

  • Disney+ Explores the Story of the First Astronauts in ‘The Right Stuff’ Trailer

    Disney+ Explores the Story of the First Astronauts in ‘The Right Stuff’ Trailer

    Disney+ has a very unique approach to pushing its streaming service. The main focus relies on family-focused entertainment. It is filled to the brim with shows that many are nostalgic for. Also, it’s getting unique content for major brands like Pixar, Star Wars, and Marvel. There is, however, one important additional brand that is kept to the same level of importance.

    When you open the streaming service, you are also welcomed by the National Geographic logo. There is a good reason it is included. They have produced some amazing documentaries over the years. It would be a waste not to use this catalog. They are even producing original content for the brand like The World According to Jeff Goldblum. It was the perfect fit to include various documentaries alongside Disney’s own Disneynature brand. Now, a trailer for an original scripted shows The Right Stuff may change our perception of the brand.

    Yes, National Geographic is venturing out. This series is based on the 1979 book of the same name by Tom Wolfe. The author had spent a lot of time to explore the story of the Mercury Seven, who established the astronaut profession. This addition is an important key factor for the streaming service. With this brand, they can expand into more adult stories that explore real-life or fictional history. This way they can expand their portfolio without having to create an entire new branding line for stories. This feels like the first step to diversify the overall Disney branding. It also takes away the limitations of our expectations that NatGeo will just include documentaries. If this show pulls in an audience, we might see a lot more of original scripted shows under this umbrella. It also is exciting to see Disney venture out and see what implications this might have.

    Source: Twitter