Murphy's Multiverse

Author: Joseph Aberl

  • Taika Waititi Currently Not Involved With ‘Thor 5’

    Taika Waititi Currently Not Involved With ‘Thor 5’

    Taika Waititi offered his unique sense of humor to reinvent the character of Thor just as Chris Hemsworth hinted that perhaps he was slowly done with the character. Yet, there was some backlash with the release of Thor: Love and Thunder given that it fully embraced its Flash Gordon inspiration and offered a full-on comedy even for Marvel Studios’ usual comedic standards.

    So, there’s been a big push for someone else to take over the franchise, as it’s also the only one from the original Phase 1 hero still going on with his own franchise. While we still don’t know if they are actively working on a sequel, it does seem like Taika Waititi isn’t likely to be part of if, as he reacts to rumors of a fifth entry.

    I wouldn’t know if that’s accurate. I know that I won’t be involved…I’m going to concentrate on these other films that I’ve signed on for.

    Taika Waititi

    He goes on to state that he’s already signed up for the next six or seven years, such as the Star Wars film he’s still busy working on that he states is “still marinating.” Yet, he also shares that he loved working with Marvel Studios and if he doesn’t return for Thor there might be another project for him.

    So that’s six, seven years gone. I’d imagine another ‘Thor’ would be a lot sooner than that…But I love Marvel, I love working with them. I love Chris.

    Taika Waititi

    It’ll be interesting to see what the future holds for Thor, as we don’t know when we might see him return or even what role he might have in the future of the franchise. As he’s become a father, he might be off somewhere in space trying to raise his daughter Love and won’t return until the right pieces fall into place.

    Source: Variety

  • Marvel Studios is at a Crossroads

    Marvel Studios is at a Crossroads

    Marvel Studios’ has faced its worst opening weekend with The Marvels. Is it a simple discussion surrounding superhero or Marvel fatigue? Going by just how varied the discussions are online, it’s very likely not as simple as anyone wants it to be. One could discuss the impact of the last few years, a rough 2023 box office for blockbusters, the SAG as well as WGA strikes, and many more factors. So, there might simply not be a singular reason and just a lot of elements coming together.

    Of course, these kinds of numbers establish the expected “end” of Marvel Studios’ discussion online. Articles have dropped announcing that the films are no longer events which is why no one is watching them. Certain subsections proclaim the end of Marvel due to “wokeness” and whatever personal reason one has when leaving the franchise behind as “it should’ve ended with Endgame” echoes throughout the dark corners of the web. For years, the discussion was that superhero movies would go the way of the Western and if that point has been reached, we’ll likely see a very different Marvel Studios moving forward.

    As such, it seems like the perfect time to discuss what exactly the future might hold for Marvel Studios and likely the results that’ll come from this blow at the box office. We have no insight into what Marvel Studios will truly do moving forward but there are already some minor hints that may tease what the future has in store and what we can expect from the studio that reinvented blockbusters for over 15 years. We’re at a crossroads and potentially the beginning of a new era moving forward.

    First Signs Exist in 2023

    Bob Iger returned as the CEO of Disney, which saw Bob Chapek try his best to figure out what exactly they would be doing during a pandemic. He carried over the Disney+ goals that were started by his predecessor only to buckle under the weight and get replaced. Yet, Iger’s run since hasn’t been something one would describe as a “return to form” but he has pointed out that a reduction of releases is something they are definitely going to review the future.

    At the time the pandemic hit, we were leaning into a huge increase in how much we were making. And I’ve always felt that quantity can be actually a negative when it comes to quality, and I think that’s exactly what happened. We lost some focus.

    Bob Iger

    2023 was still a big push from all studios to make bank after a rough pandemic, but it has led to many films fizzling out. As much as we want to point to Barbenheimer and Super Mario Bros. Movie as a showcase of how strong the year was: it simply wasn’t. Many films have bloated budgets due to filming during COVID and subsequently were never going to truly make their money back outside of some massive numbers. Prices are on the rise and with a cost of living crisis affecting people’s decisions, it becomes clear that people are far more selective than they’ve ever been (a reason it’s not as simple as just fatigue).

    One thing is clear though: we’ll see fewer releases moving forward. We already saw the reduction of output in 2023 with only two Disney+ series hitting the streaming service with quite a bit of time between each release; even if Secret Invasion didn’t quite help matters. The Marvels was pushed from July to November, which ended up hurting it due to the actor’s strike heavily hampering its promotion build-up. So, we’re already in the middle of a transition phase for the studio.

    New Disney+ Strategy

    Actually, there is one new highlight I ended up leaving out and that is Marvel Spotlight. Out of nowhere, Marvel Studios unveiled an entirely new banner just for their “grounded” stories that aren’t necessary for the major storyline being told throughout the phases. It was a strategic move that definitely left some ripples alongside a strong first impression with Echo’s trailer. Ever since there’s been a bit more positivity in the air that was definitely needed for the franchise that has been. Of course, outlets were still ready to say it’s too late or won’t fix any of the issues it’s facing. Head of Streaming, Brad Winderbaum, shared the inspiration for this new brand:

    Marvel Spotlight gives us a platform to bring more grounded, character-driven stories to the screen, and in the case of Echo, focusing on street-level stakes over larger MCU continuity. Just like comics fans didn’t need to read Avengers or Fantastic Four to enjoy a Ghost Rider Spotlight comic.

    Brad Winderbaum

    It’s unclear if this might just become the de facto banner for the Disney+ shows and the way it is being described is to ease viewers into it. The fact of the matter is: there’s a lot of debate about Disney+ and the film’s connections potentially muddling viewership a bit, especially with The Marvels that technically ties into multiple stories. While many have been quick to point out that every Marvel film quickly introduces elements from these shows and doesn’t require audiences to do the homework they complain about online, it’s a clever way to just visually create a distinction and ease audiences in.

    Still, one thing that the Disney+ shows should do is focus primarily on becoming the venue of exploring either side stories from movie characters or simply setting up its own subset within the grander universe. In a way, they could take the Defenders approach from Netflix and simply have its own little build-up with various characters that can bleed into Avengers releases that tie the entire Phase together. Small references here or there could ease viewers in but not lead to discussions of: “why is Ms. Marvel headlining a movie, does it mean I need to watch her show to know who she is?”

    Daredevil and Echo could become the grounded, street-level heroes on Disney+ that are visually and much more distinct from what they do with the movies. That would also help make the films stand out more, as these shows are no longer just as bombastic and expensive as their main counterparts. Agents of SHIELD worked as a complementary series that looked like it was part of the universe but distinctively is a TV series.

    New Cinematic Strategy

    2024 will only give us Deadpool 3 and that likely is mainly due to the writer’s strike but also potentially a deliberate choice to restructure next year. The only question is if they will stick with their 2025 schedule, which now includes three releases as is the usual norm for the studio. Yet, we might see them move away from that once they start reshuffling moving forward.

    The biggest problem that plagues these films is the production costs that have ballooned since COVID. The Marvels marks the final production that occurred during that time with everything heading our way in the coming years once again being under somewhat normal production rules for the studio moving forward. Though the SAG and WGA strikes are definitely going to show their thorns with Captain America: Brave New World which is getting extensive reshoots and Deadpool 3.

    Still, it would seem wise to perhaps pull back a bit going into 2025. Once again rolling out three films and who knows how many Disney+ series might just set them right back to where they are currently. Perhaps going back to the days of two releases a year to slowly build up momentum again might be the best way forward.

    Hell, if they do it right they could have one major event release per year with a bigger budget behind it, something we might see with Captain America 4, and then try to focus on a smaller project in that same year which can make back its money with even a softer release. Blade is rumored to have a $100M production budget and would perfectly fit that very bill. Once things “normalize” we might see the old MCU budgets back in action, as the current ones are definitely not intended. That way they can build up relevance and still given minor characters a spotlight even if they carry a bigger box office risk.

    No Single Solution

    Even making these examples and ideas of how Marvel Studios could move forward; mostly based on what signs are already there; there’s no true single solution to it all. Every franchise will eventually end up in a slump and the box office developments between The Marvels and previous projects are still showcasing a distinction. The current slump may remain an anomaly due to multiple factors affecting its release and the question will be if Deadpool 3 can draw in a crowd given where Marvel stands.

    Going into 2024, I wouldn’t expect many more releases outside of Echo and perhaps one more Disney+ series. There’s a chance the binge model works for them so they do make use of it to avoid the series occupying too much time and potentially not leading to the consensus of overwhelming audiences. Yet, this year has proven that they can have a massive success like Loki’s second season and a mild reception like Secret Invasion.

    The clear thing is: that once they show more consistency moving forward for audiences as they build toward Avengers: Secret Wars, we might see audiences once again return to theaters to not miss out on the latest Marvel movie. The studio is at a crossroads rather than an immediate stop. Whatever happens, moving forward depends on how they react to this current status and how they decide to build upon it moving forward.

    Source: The Verge, CNBC, Deadline, Variety, ComicBookMovies.com

  • ‘Loki’ Season Finale Grows to 11.2M Views

    ‘Loki’ Season Finale Grows to 11.2M Views

    While all eyes are on the demise of the MCU with The Marvels‘ disappointing opening due to a variety of reasons strongly affecting the market, it does look like their Disney+ series is showing that there’s a chance there’s, as expected, more to this story. The series finale for Loki has seen an increase from its initial viewership according to Disney+. It’s not a massive jump but it did see a jump from 10.9M in its premiere episode to 11.2M in its final entry.

    That is not the biggest ending for a series in 2023 on Disney+ however, as the series was just behind The Mandalorian’s third season. Still, what is quite impressive is that Loki had a strong consistency throughout its six-episode run by pulling in an average of 11M. It should be noted that it’s difficult to compare streaming services’ viewership the success so we can only compare it to other series on the streaming service.

    Loki remains one of the strongest entries on Disney+ for Marvel Studios and is likely a template for future projects moving forward. Of course, we don’t know what their future has in store exactly but it’s interesting to see these two sides to what Marvel Studios currently stands at. It further highlights that the box office performance represents a crossroads rather than the norm.

    Source: Deadline

  • ‘Loki’ Directors Preparing for ‘Daredevil’ Disney+ Series

    ‘Loki’ Directors Preparing for ‘Daredevil’ Disney+ Series

    Some time ago, it was revealed that Marvel Studios is pulling back on the upcoming Disney+ series Daredevil: Born Again. They restarted the project with an actual showrunner in the form of former The Punisher’s Dario Scardapane, who likely will bring his previous work to influence the series to be a bit closer to the version many are hoping to see revived from the original Netflix series.

    That isn’t all, as Justin Benson and Aaron Moorehead, who have proven they are some of Marvel Studios’ best gets after Moon Knight and Loki Season 2, are also involved with the series. In an interview with The Wrap, they revealed that they have yet to start work on the project but are already diving deep into the franchise, comics, and Netflix series included.

    It is day zero. We’re currently just consuming Daredevil content, not just the Netflix show but all the possible material. We’re just making our stew of information nice and thick.

    Aaron Moorehead

    They will be directing the remaining episodes from the series and it’ll be interesting to see if they have any involvement in getting the previous entries going as well. There’s a lot we don’t know about the adaptation just yet given that it’s taking a completely new direction. Very likely a bigger sign of Marvel Studios reshuffling their future releases.

    Source: The Wrap

  • Warner Bros. ‘Coyote vs. Acme’ Shopped to Other Studios After All

    Warner Bros. ‘Coyote vs. Acme’ Shopped to Other Studios After All

    Warner Bros. did it again. They shelved Coyote vs. Acme to make a tax return just like they did with Batgirl and the Scoob Christmas special last year. Yet, now we’re entering a new era that has seemingly led to some actual consequences this time around. Surprisingly, Warner Bros. is now allowing director Dave Green to shop the live-action and animation hybrid film to other buyers. It seems that Amazon is one of the contenders interested in buying; though it would be great to see this get a theatrical release given the entire history.

    The big development, however, is that the decision to cancel Coyote vs. Acme has revealed that this wasn’t a one-time strategy and has now been leading to some real consequences for the once-major studio. If a film that was tested multiple times in the 90s was going to get axed, many expected that their film had no chance of surviving. It seems a text chain opened due to this tax-cutting decision by the studio which had many creatives questioning their future with the studio.

    This time around, Warner Bros. couldn’t make up the story that it was to protect a brand or that the film wasn’t good, which they hurtfully did with Batgirl. It also seems like creatives are canceling their meetings with Warner Bros. as a result of this action, and we might be seeing CEO Dave Zaslav’s hands slowly destroying one of the few remaining legacy studios just as it is trying to celebrate 100 years. They even tried to kill the TCM department which was only reinstated after big names forced their hands. If you want to know what studio is in shambles, this is a much more telling sign.

    Source: Hollywood Reporter

  • RUMOR: Marvel Studios “Likely Moving Away” from Original Kang Storyline

    RUMOR: Marvel Studios “Likely Moving Away” from Original Kang Storyline

    There’s been much debate online over the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Many have already called it the end of an era after their first film in a while had a lower opening than even their 2008 release, but that doesn’t mean the production company is just going to sit around. The biggest challenge was that Jonathan Majors‘ Kang the Conqueror was going to be the main focus of the Multiverse Saga but as it turns out, they may be heading in a new direction.

    Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania writer Jeff Loveness is seemingly no longer involved with the first Avengers film, Avengers: The Kang Dynasty. A podcast episode of The Ringer’s House of R features writer Joanna Robinson who made the recent MCU book exploring the inner makings that made the studio what it is today. In it, she seemingly hints that Marvel Studios might be moving away from its original plans.

    As this hasn’t been officially confirmed, it’s something we should take with a grain of salt but Loki definitely kept it open how they decide to move forward. They still have many options in how they tackle the entire storyline moving forward and there’s also a chance that they simply retitle the first Avengers film, or perhaps just jump straight into Secret Wars‘ storyline. They could turn whatever happened to the multiverse into a mystery film as these characters try to unravel what happened to their reality.

    Source: Spotify

  • ‘The Marvels’ Debuts With Disappointing $110M Worldwide

    ‘The Marvels’ Debuts With Disappointing $110M Worldwide

    The Marvels is off to a slower start across all markets as the film has pulled in $63.3M internationally and a disappointing $47M domestically. That puts the latest Marvel Cinematic Universe outing at a total opening weekend of $110.3M, which marks the lowest the franchise has ever faced. Sadly, the film hasn’t had any momentum throughout the weekend and ended up on the lower end of Saturday’s estimates, but it hasn’t crashed as hard as some expected going in with the Thursday preview numbers.

    Still, it’s a far cry from the $70M predicted a few weeks ago and initially set for around $80M worldwide. So, we didn’t quite make the jump to the $140M. The social scores seem quite decent but the lack of urgency to check out the movie in theaters is hurting it. That B CinemaScore is not helping matters and it seems the film might fizzle out around the same The Flash did earlier in the year; though that had the promotion from its cast marking this a very different situation.

    Variety states that audiences “flat-out rejected” the film but don’t back it up on why this is a fact. However, the problem remains with its $220M budget and $100M marketing costs (likely cheaper given they didn’t have to organize a lot for the cast involved). Though Variety also seems to have a bone to pick with the studio ever since they dropped that debunked article. Though as CNBC points out there’s hope that legs could still carry the film closer to breaking even with the Thanksgiving holidays don’t he horizon.

    Despite posting the lowest domestic debut for the MCU, ‘The Marvels’ proved once again the importance of the international marketplace for the Marvel brand. The film will now rely on Thanksgiving holiday corridor moviegoing to help move the big budget superhero film closer to profitability and help to determine the film’s ultimate success at the box office.

    Paul Dergarabedian, Senior Media Analyst (Comscore)

    One thing is clear: there’s a lot of debate online on what exactly happened here. While it got the usual lower CinemaScore, online chatter has been on the uprise since the film was released in theaters. The fact that they had a last-minute debut for Brie Larson on a talk show the day after release isn’t going to randomly sway things even if some are pointing to “promotion taking place anyway.” There’s also the discussion of “being good” not being enough for a film to do well at the box office nowadays as they have become more selective.

    Some are pointing to Oppenheimer and Barbie taking place during the strikes and making bank, but those films were released on July 21st and the SAG AFTRA strike started on July 14th. So, they technically had all the momentum already built up going into the release, and isn’t a fair comparison given that the actors were only able to start after it was in cinemas. Just odd to see that comparison as momentum was definitely carried into the film once it was made available.

    There’s also the streaming factor that has plagued Marvel releases since Disney trained audiences they can always wait 45 days before checking it out if it’s not a “must-see” event similar to Barbenheimer or Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. There has been a slow pushback on it but it’ll take time to allow audiences to adapt to this new normal once again. Something highlighted by Five Nights at Freddy’s continuing to just drop as fast it can at the box office with another 53% drop domestically, but it still managed to pass the $250M mark internationally.

    One thing that also stands out is that the box office is in such a state that even with such a disappointing opening for Marvel’s standards it remains at the top spot given how low others are performing. As mentioned in the last analysis, the “bomb” that was Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania also remains the tenth highest-grossing film of the year. It’ll likely be analyzed for many years to come and the big question is what is Marvel’s future once 2024 rolls around.

    CNBC’s article shares a curious statement from Shawn Robbins, chief analyst at BoxOffice.com, that highlights that as much as this snag will hurt Marvel Studios: it may be just the changing point from everything it had to endure moving forward:

    If any IP has the depth and capability to do that, it’s Marvel under the leadership of Kevin Feige and his teams. This is certainly a crossroads moment from a creative and business standpoint. Perhaps the relative slowdown in Marvel content next year will provide a healthy and necessary buffer for the studio, for Disney, and for audiences.

    Shawn Robbins

    Source: Deadline, Variety

  • ‘The Marvels’ Heading for MCU’s Worst Opening Weekend

    It’s been an uphill battle for the MCU throughout the last few years. Negative consent has started arousing a certain perception throughout 2023 which has been quite damaging overall with only a few releases making bank and the blockbuster releases burning up before they even got a chance. Continuing that trend is Marvel Studios’ latest The Marvels.

    The film has pulled in $21.5M on its Friday and is likely heading to a weekend gross of $47M to $52M. With a B CinemaScore, it likely is looking at a below $50M. That is slightly higher than the lowest estimate from Box Office Pro, which was at around $45M but there are a lot of different factors at play here (some even believed it would be as low as $35M as the tracking on this film was quite chaotic in the last few weeks).

    Deadline makes a strong case that this isn’t really the fatigue discussion, as people will watch a film they believe is going to be great; Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania still had a grand opening all things considered but lost its legs quickly but it remains in the Top 10 for 2023 (which says a lot about the year). And there’s the entire discussion surrounding Disney’s strong pre-pandemic push to promote its streaming service by milking its cash cow as dry as it could. The pandemic certainly didn’t help.

    In addition, this release isn’t like Captain Marvel which dropped between two of the biggest Avengers releases of the years. I do believe that the assessment of Killers of the Flower Moon’s low box office shouldn’t still be assessed if $200M is truly worth to “advertise” a film on a streaming service while making an additional buck, especially given any MCU film also benefited from a strong streaming surge once available. So, the discussion in those comparisons can be twisted however one would want depending on the result one is looking for, as what is or isn’t successful on streaming is still the biggest question mark in the industry.

    It’s a shame though to see the film open this low given the fun it provides. Most are pointing to a weak word-of-mouth with the B rating but one could wonder if Five Nights at Freddy’s A- rating is also bloated by fans making sure they check out the first installment that had a very impressive $80M opening but quickly floundered the week after. Plus, that film unlike The Marvels didn’t really require much promotion from its cast given it’s a first-time adaptation of a very young audience.

    There’s also the depressing aspect of the current climate that the film releases. Brie Larson and the “Captain Marvel” brand has been hounded ever since that film released and was the butt of many people’s jokes online. So, a negative reception existed, and with a seemingly lack of advertising push in its key demographics but didn’t go out of its way to reach the other side to attract the actual core demographic of this film. Though, the anti-Disney and anti-Marvel sentiment throughout the year also definitely is showing its fangs.

    Is it the end of Marvel? Probably not as next year’s release schedule has been drastically cut down and likely something that was going to happen eventually anyway. One thing is for sure: Marvel Studios is going to be looking internally to restructure their approach which already started with Marvel Spotlight to create a bigger distinction between releases (or more likely their Disney+ outings).

    What is a bit bizarre is the current “downward trend” some are pointing out like Variety, who released an article that actually got debunked by quite a few in the past few weeks but also highlights the way MCU is being discussed. The only “soft” spot it had was during the pandemic when it made more money than most releases and this is the first below $100M opening in a long time for the brand. The bigger question is this going to be a one-time low before a swing back up or just the baseline for future entries needing lower budgets.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter, Box Office Pro, Deadline, The Numbers, Variety

  • Merged Disney+ and Hulu Beta App to Launch Next Month

    Merged Disney+ and Hulu Beta App to Launch Next Month

    The time has finally come. Since the first merger of STAR as its international replacement for Hulu originals on Disney+ in key markets, the company has finally decided to pay up the rest to take complete control of the streaming service. Disney will purchase the remaining share from Comcast for $8.61B and it seems they already have set their eyes on how to best utilize it.

    In a statement, Disney CEO Bob Iger has highlighted their goal of establishing a unified app for the domestic market with a beta version already expected to launch in December. The official launch is set for Spring 2024 and it’s uncertain if this domestic rollout will also come with a new design for Disney+ moving forward.

    We remain on track to roll out a unified one-app experience domestically.

    Bob Iger

    Out of all the apps, Disney+ would do good with a design overhaul, and integrating Hulu may be the best direction to take it instead of waiting out a redesign that is more costly down the line. One aspect of this move is also to ensure an increased engagement for the app and build up greater ad revenue and lower churn rate of viewers. So, we’ll get a better feeling of what the streaming future for Disney looks like once the beta is first revealed.

    Source: Variety

  • Wes Ball to Direct Live-Action Adaptation of ‘The Legend of Zelda’

    Wes Ball to Direct Live-Action Adaptation of ‘The Legend of Zelda’

    You read that right, it has finally been announced. Nintendo is developing a live-action adaptation of The Legend of Zelda. After the success of their animated adaptation of Super Mario Bros. many expected them to stick to their deal with Illumination. Yet, it seems they are going live-action with one major Nintendo franchise after all.

    In the official announcement, the film will be produced by Shigeru Miyamoto and Avi Arad, who is most famous for his work on the Spider-Man films. It seems they also have a director in Maze Runner’s Wes Ball, whose next major release Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes just recently got its first trailer.

    According to Miyamoto, he’s already been working on this adaptation for many years with Avi Arad and it is now officially starting development. So, this isn’t a first kick-off announcement but the confirmation that they are getting ready to start progressing on the project. However, they still highlight that it’ll take time until it is finished and until we’ll likely get the next update on the film.

    Source: Nintendo, Twitter