Murphy's Multiverse

Author: Joseph Aberl

  • Warner Bros. Discovery Head Teases DC Studios’ New co-CEOs “United Creative Approach”

    Warner Bros. Discovery Head Teases DC Studios’ New co-CEOs “United Creative Approach”

    Warner Bros. Discovery has been quite the powder keg in the industry. Its new CEO David Zaslav has not left a good impression with the axing of Batgirl and pulling various projects from HBO Max for no apparent reason besides saving on taxes. Yet, there’s also some excitement with the newly founded DC Studios that’ll be spearheaded by co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran.

    During Warner Bros. Discovery’s earnings call, Zaslav gave a few insights into recent developments. While he did give a shoutout to some productions in the near future for DC, he also highlighted his excitement for the work that Gunn and Safran are going to accomplish and promises a “more unified creative approach” to the DC Cinematic Universe.

    I’ve spent a lot of time over the past few months with James and Peter. They have a powerful vision and blueprint that will drive a more unified creative approach that will enable us to realize the full value of one of the world’s most iconic franchises.

    David Zaslav

    There still is some uncertainty about whatever Zaslav is trying to accomplish with WBD; many signs hint at them mostly preparing for a resell to another company later down the line. Still, there’s a lot of potentials that with the producer and director spearheading the new division we might still see some tighter world-building in the DC moving forward. For now, we can only hope and we probably won’t see the first results for their ventures by 2025.

    Source: Hollywood Reporter

  • REPORT: Marvel Studios Eyeing ‘Better Call Saul’s Bob Odenkirk for ‘Wonder Man’

    REPORT: Marvel Studios Eyeing ‘Better Call Saul’s Bob Odenkirk for ‘Wonder Man’

    It seems that the casting for the Wonder Man Disney+ series is in full swing, as not too long after Yahya Abdul-Mateen II was revealed to be in talks for the leading role, it seems they may already be trying to fill another key role. According to a new report by Illuminerdi, they have also set their sights on Bob Odenkirk joining the production in a key role as Wonder Man’s manager.

    Odenkirk would definitely be a great addition to the MCU, as the actor has made quite a splash as of late with his work on Better Call Saul, the long-running Breaking Bad spinoff exploring the early days of his character Saul Goodman. He’s also proven himself as an action star with his role in Nobody. So, whatever direction they take with his character, he’s definitely going to offer us a memorable performance.

    There’s a lot of hope for the Wonder Man project, especially with how it may potentially explore Hollywood in a world filled with superheroes. Not only that, but perhaps it opens up the window for Marvel to also explore its journey as a production company. There could be a lot of meta-takes with this project; not something they are new to either.

    Source: Illuminerdi

  • ‘Loki’ Concept Illustrator Offers Insight Into Sylvie’s Comic Inspirations

    ‘Loki’ Concept Illustrator Offers Insight Into Sylvie’s Comic Inspirations

    Sylvie was one of Marvel Studios’ most interesting additions to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Sophia DiMartino takes on the role of a multiversal counterpart of Loki, who has lived her own life and ends up developing a deep connection with the version we first met in Avengers: Endgame. Yet, when she was first teased many believed she was the Enchantress before the series revealed her true role.

    Yet, our theories on her Enchantress routes from the comics were dead on the money according to concept illustrator Wesley Burt. In the official Art of book fo the disney+ series Loki: The Art of Series, The Direct shared an interesting segment from Burt where he reveals that the character was initially just a fusion of Enchantress known as Sylvie Lushton and the iconic Lady Loki, who had a major role in the comics.

    When I started out working on concepts for Sylvie, I knew very little. Before I was able to read the script, I knew she was going to be a variant of Loki, that it was going to draw upon both Lady Loki and Enchantress Sylvie Lushton from the comics. And so the first pass of stuff I did was really focused on just seeing what I could pull from the comic book references and build from there. Then I was able to read the entire story to get a feel for who she is, what she is after, and what her personality is like.

    Wesley Burt

    While the name in her series gave it away, it’s quite interesting that early concept arts did pull from these comic influences to establish a brand new take on a well-established take. Once we met a younger and older version of Loki, the connection of her being this Disney+ series’ take on Lady Loki made sense but it opened the question if the Enchantress comparison was just a coincidence. Either way, they still wanted to make her stand out on her own terms as well.

    Even though she’s a variant of Loki, she’s a different person in certain ways. And from there, you get the sense that she’s on a mission. So I wanted to make sure her costuming was functional; it wasn’t going to slow her down. She could fight in it; she could run and do whatever she needs to do because all that she cares about is ‘completing her mission.

    Wesley Burt

    DiMartino is set to reprise the role of Sylvie in the second season, and it’ll be interesting to see if we see many more influences from her comic counterparts creep in. There still is the possibility that they explore Enchantress as her own character in the MCU, as elements from her were also used in the new take on Hela in Thor: Ragnarok. So, we’ll see if she might actually make her MCU debut at some point.

    Source: Loki: The Art of Series via The Direct

  • ‘Ironheart’ May Have Wrapped Filming

    ‘Ironheart’ May Have Wrapped Filming

    It’s been quite a few busy weeks for the upcoming Disney+ series Ironheart. Not only did we get quite a few set photos teasing key characters and additions to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but there were also been a few casting announcements while the series’ was busy filming. Dominique Thorne is also set to make her MCU debut next week with the release of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, which has recently been confirmed to set up her story in the upcoming spinoff Disney+ series.

    Yet, a new Instagram story by Jalen Marlowe, who works as a still photographer for the Disney+ production, has shared that they seemingly wrapped work on the production. So, it seems that they are slowly winding down the filming of the series. The series. was teased to release later next year, and there’s enough time for reshoots as well as the post-production process if they are currently wrapping up production. It would also match with first wrap gifts being revealed a few days ago.

    Ironheart looks to be one of the MCU’s most promising new series. Not only is Ryan Coogler actively producing, but it also will merge two very distinct worlds as Riri Williams has to use her technology against more magical-based characters. So, we’re not getting the tech-on-tech action we may have initially expected but are exploring that very melding of two worlds that Thor talked about all the way back in the first film when he compared science to magic.

    Source: Instagram, IMDb

  • ‘The Sandman’ Officially Renewed for a Second Season

    ‘The Sandman’ Officially Renewed for a Second Season

    After accidentally leaking in a tweet by DC Comics earlier today, the official announcement has finally dropped that Neil Gaiman‘s adaptation of The Sandman is indeed returning for a second season. The wait has been a long one, as there was some uncertainty due to how exactly Netflix determines what show returns and what doesn’t. The series has pulled in an impressive 69.5M hours viewed in its first week and even went on to double it in its second. With those numbers and the series even getting a surprise episode, it did seem strange that Netflix wasn’t moving forward already with an announcement.

    Funny thing is, DC Comics still hasn’t tweeted out the official announcement that leaked earlier. So, we might have to wait for whatever visual was prepared for the original announcement. Netflix hasn’t shared an official tweet either, which is curious given that normally they time these official announcements. Either way, it’s great to see that our time with Morpheus will continue and who knows if we might get another bonus episode the second time around.

    Netflix did only recently start sharing information on how these projects perform, but sadly it doesn’t truly give us an idea of what is and isn’t worth a renewal. With their hope to push subscriber growth alongside ensuring their retention, the balance has become tough with many shows getting lost in the amount they release on a weekly basis. Whatever may lead to them renewing projects, here’s hoping it keeps The Sandman going for quite a few years moving forward.

    Source: Deadline

  • CONFIRMED: Aubrey Plaza Joins ‘WandaVision’ Spinoff, First Character Details

    CONFIRMED: Aubrey Plaza Joins ‘WandaVision’ Spinoff, First Character Details

    Well, it looks like that didn’t take long to follow-up on the initial report from Illuminerdi, as Aubrey Plaza has just been confirmed to have joined the upcoming production of Agatha: Coven of Chaos. The WandaVision spinoff will further explore the character played by Kathryn Hahn and while plot details still remain tightly under wraps, it seems that Plaza will be playing a villain. Though who exactly still remains a mystery and it’s unclear if this might be a one-time role specifically for this project or maybe becomes a bigger player in the wider Marvel Cinematic Universe.

    Coven of Chaos is definitely going to be a curious project among the various series from Marvel Studios. Not only is it focused on a just recently introduced character, but it’s the first time they’ve started a project focused primarily on a fan-favorite character. Perhaps at some point, the project was originally going to be quite a bit different before they realized the potential of now only featuring more Kathryn Hahn in the MCU but also giving the magical corner a bit more attention.

    Plus, the “coven” aspect does seem like a promising hint at what we can expect and who knows if the series might even add a bit to the original WandaVision. We’ve learned that Dottie actress Emma Caulfield was set to return, who was theorized to potentially be another witch. We got a glimpse at Agatha Harkness’ backstory and who knows if she had a contingency set in case her plans didn’t work out as planned.

    Source: Variety, Deadline

  • REPORT: Aubrey Plaza Joins the MCU in a Mystery Role for ‘Agatha’ Disney+ Series

    REPORT: Aubrey Plaza Joins the MCU in a Mystery Role for ‘Agatha’ Disney+ Series

    Here’s a big surprise but shortly after the casting announcement has dropped that Joe Locke has joined the upcoming WandaVision spinoff Agatha: Coven of Chaos, it seems we may have news on another major addition. Illuminerdi has shared that Aubrey Plaza has seemingly joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe in a mystery role for the upcoming Disney+ series.

    While no details are shared on what role she has, she is seemingly going to be part of “a group of supporting female characters,” which likely hints at her being part of the coven mentioned in the title. The Parks and Recreation star has been a long-time favorite to get cast in a role and it would be a shame if this is just a one-and-done for the actress.

    Still, Agatha is slowly turning into a very interesting project. Ever since the “early days” of Marvel Studios’ Disney+ venture, we’ve been seeing them evolve and adapt with each new series. Most of the ones released so far, including Secret Invasion, were produced around similar times and future projects might look a bit different as they start learning from those experiences.

    The fact that Agatha and a potential Vision Quest project are in developmental as spinoffs from WandaVision, opens up the question of what they might help build up towards. The Multiverse Saga is still going but there’s no direct bridge with the overarching narrative besides Wanda’s ability to warp reality at her will. Perhaps they are laying the groundwork for her return to the MCU.

    Source: Illuminerdi

  • Disney’s Live-Action ‘Hercules’ to be Inspired by TikTok

    Disney’s Live-Action ‘Hercules’ to be Inspired by TikTok

    While the Russo Brothers aren’t going to make a return to Marvel anytime soon, it doesn’t mean they won’t be working together with Disney on other projects. They have been quite busy taking on a producing role on various projects, such as Guy Ritchie‘s upcoming live-action adaptation of Hercules. We’ve seen many iterations of the Greek demi-god throughout the years, but this new take might be the strangest yet.

    In an interview with Variety, the producing brothers revealed that they are definitely taking a different direction with this live-action adaptation. They confirmed it will be a musical, which isn’t always a definite with the live-action remakes from Disney, and they are taking some inspiration from TikTok.

    There are questions about how you translate it as a musical. Audiences today have been trained by TikTok, right? What is their expectation of what that musical looks like & feels like?

    Russo Brothers

    Some may raise an eyebrow at how effective this approach might be, especially with TikTok’s entire format being primarily based on six-second videos. It’s not a bad idea to modernize the take to the current landscape but there is the question of how far can you push that concept. The screenplay by David Callahan will have a really big challenge ahead if it’s trying to introduce some modern elements into this story.

    The original Disney animated film already took quite the liberty with the mythos for the sake of making a modern commentary on sports promotion. So, we’ll see just how far they’ll try to push this adaptation and if we’ll have to suffer through TikTok dances in musical form.

    Source: Variety

  • ‘Red Sonja’ Casts Veronica Ferres as Heroine’s Mother

    ‘Red Sonja’ Casts Veronica Ferres as Heroine’s Mother

    It looks like Red Sonja has found its next major addition in the form of Veronica Ferres. The German star famous for Salt & Fire, Crisis, and more will take on the role of Red Sonja‘s mother and the Goddess of Ashera. The upcoming adaptation is closer inspired by Robert E. Howard‘s comics for Marvel rather than rebooting the original film starring Brigitte Nielsen and Arnold Schwarzenegger from the 80s.

    The title role will be carried by Matilda Lutz, who is joined by Wallis Day, Michael Bispring, Robert Sheehan, Manal El-Feitury, Katrina Durden, Martyn Ford, and Eliza Matengu, who round out the cast. Silent Hill: Revelation director M.J. Bassett is taking on directing duties for the production and is replacing Joey Soloway, who is still attached as an executive producer. It’s been filming in Millenium’s Nu Boyana studio in Bulgaria which already teased us earlier last month with Lutz‘s design as the titular heroine.

    Ferres is quite well-known in the German market for her work on TV series and movies but has also started expanding internationally throughout the last few years. She definitely makes for an interesting addition to the cast and it’ll be interesting to see just how big her role is, especially with the use of Goddess of Ashera in the story. While we still know very little about the story direction for the adaptation, it still looks quite promising.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • RUMOR: ‘The Boys’ Spinoff Adds Clancy Brown

    RUMOR: ‘The Boys’ Spinoff Adds Clancy Brown

    Clancy Brown has become a fixture throughout any giant IP in the market, as he’s appeared in The Mandalorian, Marvel’s The Punisher, Marvel Studios’ Thor: Ragnarok, still actively voices Mr. Krabs in Spongebob Squarebob and so much more. So, what difference does it make if he adds one more tentpole franchise under his belt, according to One Take News, Brown has now also joined The Boys. Well, it’s an upcoming spinoff Gen V to be exact.

    The spinoff series is currently in production and will focus on a new group of young Supes that are just starting out to make their mark to one day become part of the Seven. Given the series’ usual staples of sex and violence, hormonal teenagers are definitely going to push that to new levels.

    They have no details on what role Brown might be playing, but that he will appear in at least one episode of the season. In a college setting, it’s very likely that he’s either someone’s parent or could even be playing a professor. So, it’ll be fun to see if he has any powers of his own, which he’d definitely have a lot of fun with given the chance.

    Source: One Take News