Murphy's Multiverse

Author: Jared Kirschenbaum

  • 5 Potential ‘What If…?’ Episodes Inspired by MCU’s Phase 4

    5 Potential ‘What If…?’ Episodes Inspired by MCU’s Phase 4

    We’ve long been waiting for what the second season of What If…? has to offer, especially after a rather interesting first entry.. Not every episode was perfect, but overall the show did some really cool things. And with the recent news that fans will be treated to a first look at season 2 during Marvel Studios’ animation panel at SDCC, now is as good a time as any to take a look at what the future may hold for What If…?. As such, let’s take a look at five ideas for new episodes of pertaining to phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

    What If… Wanda’s Hex Took Over The Tri-State Area?

    This episode would act as a continuation of WandaVision. As Wanda’s hex expands, it takes over more and more land, which leads to more of the world being dragged into the ‘TV-Verse’ that Wanda created. It takes over the whole tri-state area, which would also include all of New York. As such, characters that live in the city like Doctor Strange, Wong, Spider-Man, and more would get dragged into this fictional world. While WandaVision played around with sitcoms, the hex’s expansion could open it up to embracing other TV genres. They can pay homage to big TV shows like Lost, Game of Thrones, The Sopranos, Westworld, The Walking Dead. Hell, they could even get meta and take some inspiration from The Mandalorian. Either way, more characters get involved and they have to figure out a way to stop Wanda.

    What If… Loki Won The Tour de France?

    In Loki, there’s a Variant that wears what appears to be a cyclist’s uniform and is holding a trophy. So, why not explore that very story on What If…? Instead of becoming Earth’s ruler by invading with an alien army, this Loki takes a different approach: gaining favor and popularity by winning the Tour de France. The episode plays out like a sports documentary, where Loki, an up-and-coming racer, has entered the race, but is unknowingly cheating using magic. And the heroes who will become the Avengers figure this out and decide they must stop him. This is how the Avengers form in this universe.

    But they can’t fight Loki because he’s too popular, so they all join the Tour de France, hoping they can beat him. Captain America fairs pretty well against Loki, however, he and the Hulk get disqualified, due to “steroid usage”. Thor is also disqualified for riding his father’s 8-legged horse, Sleipnir. Iron Man builds a really good bike, but – similar to Ultron – it turns evil and fights everybody, so he’s out. Black Widow ultimately does the best against Loki, who resorts to brainwashing Hawkeye to take her out. In the end, Loki wins and uses his popularity to become Earth’s ruler.

    What If… Wenwu Invaded Wakanda?

    Shang-Chi‘s Wenwu is a very wealthy, knowledgeable, and worldly man, who is constantly exploring ways to expand his empire. He probably knows about Wakanda – especially if guys like Klaw will just tell you – and that it has some sort of connection to the afterlife via the Ancestral Plane. In this version of the story, Wenwu aims to conquer the country to get his wife back through the Ancestral Plane. One of the things that season 1 of What If…? did so well was that the fight scenes were terrific, especially when there was cool hand-to-hand combat. So, it would be super cool to see the Black Panther, the Dora Milaje, and all the Black Panther characters fight Wenwu, Razor Fist, and the rest of the Ten Rings army. It may be light on story but the spectacle would make up for it.

    What If… Sylvie Grew Up To Be A Valkyrie?

    There’s a theory out there that in Loki, Sylvie’s nexus event was that instead of wanting to become a ‘Loki’, she wanted to be a Valkyrie. Young Sylvie is shown to be playing with Valkyrie toys and that didn’t go with He Who Remain’s plan. In this version of the story, Sylvie gets to fulfill her dream of becoming a Valkyrie, where she also befriends Tessa Thompson‘s Valkyrie. They form a new team of intergalactic super viking-warriors; one that is able to successfully vanquish Hela when the time comes. Jane Foster could be the third member of the team when she becomes the Mighty Thor, especially because in the comics, Jane Foster is currently the leader of the Valkyries.

    What If… Jimmy Woo Became Sorcerer Supreme?

    In this version of the story, Jimmy Woo is recruited to Kamar-Taj by Wong after showing him a card trick. However, not long after, the entire sorcerer population is decimated by Mordo in his quest to eliminate all magic-users. But since Jimmy Woo’s ‘magic’ is just sleight of hand, he goes unnoticed by Mordo. With no one left to protect the Earth from mystical threats, he assumes the role of the Sorcerer Supreme. It’s a silly idea, but one of the great things about the What If…? comics is that at the end of the issue, there would be like a silly three-page story that wouldn’t make sense for a real book. A great example of this is ‘What If Ben Parker’s Nephew Was Galactus?’ from What If Vol. 2, #3. Something like that can be done here where Jimmy Woo is Sorcerer Supreme and he does close-up magic instead of actual sorcery.

  • Taron Egerton in Talks with Marvel Studios, Interested in Playing MCU’s Wolverine

    Taron Egerton in Talks with Marvel Studios, Interested in Playing MCU’s Wolverine

    Kingsman: The Secret Service and Rocketman‘s Taron Egerton has actively talked about his hope of joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe one day. Amid fans casting him as the MCU’s new Wolverine, Egerton expressed excitement in taking up the reigns from Hugh Jackman. Luckily, The New York Times had the chance to sit down with the actor during his press tour for the Apple TV+ series Black Bird, where he revealed that he has indeed met with Marvel Studio executives, including Kevin Feige himself. Egerton also explicitly mentions Jackman, adding to the rumors that the talks might’ve been for the role of Wolverine.

    I don’t think it would be wrong to say that. I’d be excited but I’d be apprehensive as well, because Hugh is so associated with the role that I’d wonder if it’d be very difficult for someone else to do it. But hopefully if it does come around, they’ll give me a shot.”

    Egerton has been a popular pick to take on the role of Wolverine, but it’s not 100% confirmed if these talks were for the role, or a different character in the MCU. However, with a film career as eclectic as his, Egerton has proven that he has the range to succeed Jackman as Wolverine. Not to mention that Egerton stands at a not-all-that-tall 5 feet 9 inches; a perfectly acceptable height for an actor playing Wolverine. Here’s hoping the conversations between Egerton and Marvel Studios come to fruition sooner rather than later.

    Source: New York Times

  • Disney+’s ‘Percy Jackson’ Series Expands Cast by 3

    Disney+’s ‘Percy Jackson’ Series Expands Cast by 3

    According to Deadline, Dior Goodjohn and Charlie Bushnell have joined the Disney+ series Percy Jackson and the Olympians in recurring roles, while Olivea Morton is set to guest star. They join series lead Walker Scobell in the small screen adaptation of the beloved book series. Also starring alongside Scobell in the series are Aryan Simhadri and Leah Sava Jeffries, as well as recently announced cast members Virginia Kull, Glynn Turman, Jason Mantzoukas, Megan Mullally, and Timm Sharp.

    Goodjohn, best known for her role as Robyn Rook in the Head of the Class reboot on HBO Max, will be portraying Clarisse La Rue, the child Ares. She is a determined and aggressive fighter and is feared as a bully at Camp Half-Blood. Bushnell, who appeared as Bobby Cañero-Reed in Diary of a Future President on Disney+, will play Luke Castellan. The character is the son of Hermes and a head counselor at Camp Half-Blood, as well as an expert swordsman and all-around cool guy.

    Morton, who has appeared in the short film And Yet They Speak, will play Nancy Bobofit, a sixth-grade classmate of Percy Jackson. Portrayed as a bit of a kleptomaniac in the first book of the Percy Jackson series, Nancy enjoys picking on Percy, but ends up the first victim of Percy’s demigod powers.

    Production on the live-action series is underway with the author of the original Percy Jackon book series Rick Riordan serving as the writer of the pilot, alongside Jon Steinberg. James Bobin of The Muppets and Dora and the Lost City of Gold fame is directing the series for Disney+, which currently is without a release date.

    Source: Deadline

  • ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ Runtime Rumored to be Among MCU’s Longest

    ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ Runtime Rumored to be Among MCU’s Longest

    After Taika Waititi revitalized the Thor franchise back in 2017 with Thor: Ragnarok, hype has slowly been building around its follow-up Thor: Love and Thunder. On top of forming the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s first quadrilogy, the film is poised to become one of the most unique MCU films of all time, with Waititi describing the film as a romantic comedy.

    Set to star Chris Hemsworth as Thor, God of Thunder, Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie, King of Asgard, and Waititi as Korg, the film also marks Natalie Portman’s long awaited return to the MCU as Jane Foster, who has now become the Mighty Thor. Not only that, but the film also features Christian Bale as the film’s villain, Gorr the God Butcher, and cameos from the Guardians of the Galaxy. With all of that going on, it is easy to think that the film could have a particularly long runtime and rumored runtimes have been making their way around the internet for months. Now, another one has surfaced.

    According to Showcase Cinemas, Thor: Love and Thunder will clock in with a reported runtime of 2 hours and 30 minutes. If this is true, it makes the film one of the top three longest MCU movies. At 150 minutes, it would beat out the run time of Avengers: Infinity War by 1 minute, but be shorter than Eternals and Avengers: Endgame.

    While a film’s runtime tends to spark curiosity as to the contents of the film, it’s worth noting that a two-and-a-half-hour-long superhero flick is no longer seen as particularly long. However, this runtime does place Thor: Love and Thunder as the longest Thor film, surpassing Thor: Ragnarok by a full 20 minutes.

    Fans can feel the love – and the thunder – when Thor: Love and Thunder is released in theaters on July 8.

  • ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ Disney+ Release Includes IMAX Extended Format

    ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ Disney+ Release Includes IMAX Extended Format

    According to the Disney+ app, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, one of the biggest films of the year, will be streaming in the IMAX format when it releases on the streaming service. This latest installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe has led theater audiences on an exciting journey across the multiverse and grossed over $800 million at the box office. Now, the Doctor Strange sequel will bring all of that signature Marvel action, and spectacle to your home in a larger format.

    Recently, Disney confirmed in an official press release that Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness will debut on Disney Plus on June 22nd. The film joins 14 other Marvel Cinematic Universe films now streaming in IMAX ratio on Disney Plus, which gives viewers more to enjoy from their favorite entry. What stands out is that this was added to the service on their very first Disney+ Day last year. It was a new selling point for select films getting the addition, as it also was made available with Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings‘ release on the platform.

    The IMAX format makes for a nice extra on the platform, even if it’s not exactly the same experience without the giant screen to enjoy it on. Different formats add to the streaming experience to ensure that we have options and even new ways to enjoy the projects that we’ve seen years ago. Multiverse of Madness also gaining the IMAX format seems like a good hint we can expect the same from future additions.

    Source: ComicBook

  • A Look Back at ‘Speed Racer’, a Misunderstood Masterpiece

    A Look Back at ‘Speed Racer’, a Misunderstood Masterpiece

    With the recent news that Apple is working on a live-action Speed Racer series, set to be produced by J.J. Abrams, now is as good a time as any to take a look back at the Wachowski’s 2008 film adaptation of the iconic anime. Not only was the film critically panned, but it also bombed at the box office; however, Speed Racer is better than you remember. In fact, it’s much better than you remember.

    All that’s wonderful about Speed Racer can be explained by a look at the film’s best scene: the interaction between Speed and the film’s villain, E.P. Royalton. Royalton is the business magnate in charge of ‘Royalton Industry’, a company that manufactures cars and does lots of other things. Royalton is essentially Jeff Bezos, except with way more style. Bezos wishes he could rock a cravat like Royalton. At first, Royalton charms the Racer family, but after Speed thinks about Royalton’s deal, he declines, leading to one of the greatest villain monologues in history. But why is this interaction so amazing?

    As an animated franchise, Speed Racer is well-known for its transitions: heads, action lines, and cars, all present in this movie. However, there’s a pretty specific difference in the energy of these edits depending on what emotion the audience is expected to feel. In the middle of a tense race: quick transitions, blurs and lines that simulate speed. But when the scene has low-energy, the audience gets calm transitions, fades and a slow pan. The conversation between Speed and Royalton featured mostly the latter.

    Part of what is so brilliant about this interaction is that the conversation is a framing device for the race that follows. Royalton reveals that he is in complete control of the World Racing League and tells Speed that the Grand Prix is fixed and has been forever. Then he offers Speed a choice: sign or lose. Speed refuses, and then Royalton tells one last story.

    When Royalton tells Speed about the Fuji race, the camera shifts and Royalton materializes a transition that we have only seen before in races, the races controlled by Royalton. It’s his world, and the Wachowski’s use the editing technique to demonstrate that. The screen becomes a blur that ends with Speed in the cockpit of the Mach 5, concerned and uncomfortable. Royalton is able to put Speed in a difficult position because of how much control Royalton has over the race.

    Royalton’s speech to Speed about Carl Potts, the racer he’d never heard of who was actually part of a complicated business maneuver can be jarring. After all, this would be tough to follow in The Wolf of Wall Street, and at least in that movie, every so often we’d recognize a ‘Lehman Brothers’ or ‘Macy’s’. The specifics of the sales mergers associated with Carl Potts and the ’43 Prix are borderline nonsense. We don’t know what ‘Iodyne fuel cells’ are or why they are valuable. But Royalton does, and that’s the point. If Royalton is going to win, it is because he understands this world in a way that we and Speed fundamentally don’t. And no matter how well Speed races, the business behind it all will always keep him from winning. We see this issue come up earlier when Rex was killed during the Casa Cristo Rally race by mobsters that were fixing the sport. And then later, Taejo Togokahn will betray Speed so that his company could drive up the price for their own merger. This world is just too complicated for Speed, and Royalton’s tone while explaining these business dealings spells that out for us.

    Every good villain serves as a dark reflection of the hero. The ‘how’ is super vague, but they usually share some trait or value. Spider-Man and Vulture are both working men. Spider-Man and Doc-Ock are both scientists. Spider-Man and Lizard are both experiments/urban legends. At first blush, it seems like Speed and Royalton have pretty much nothing in common. Sure, they both have ties to the racing industry, but what’s so interesting about Royalton is that he’s actually way more like Speed than almost any other character in the movie. Royalton wants one thing at the end of the day: to win. Not just the race, although that’s part of it, but Royalton views the collection of money as a competition. Royalton talks about being in the gains record book; “the only record book that matters.” And he describes the specifics of the company buyouts that led Iodyne Industries to corner the market on air travel the same way the Racer family talks about building a car. Racing is Speed’s life, his religion. And for Royalton, racing is a part of his life, a tool for his religion. After all, the race isn’t really anything more than an advertising opportunity for Royalton. Interestingly, Royalton doesn’t have anything specific he wants to do with it or have any rivals he wants to destroy with the money he wins. He’s been taught by a lifetime of keeping up with the sport and the business world that the real game is capitalism. He views the financial and legal forces that control Speed and his family as part of his own gain.

    Speed and Royalton are both fierce competitors who are playing different games, but with the same intensity. We never find out what Royalton’s values are that brought him to this point, or what family tragedy or father figure set him on this path, because we understand that sponsors and owners control sports in the real world. And in the end, it might not be that complicated. Speed wants to drive to win the race because he loves the race, and Royalton is Royalton for the love of the game, and his game is capitalism.

  • Most Anticipated Comics from Marvel’s August 2022 Solicitations

    Most Anticipated Comics from Marvel’s August 2022 Solicitations

    Over the past week, Marvel has released their monthly solicitations for their August 2022 comics. Here’s a brief look at what books have me most excited and are sure to end up on my pull list, if they’re not already there:

    A.X.E.: DEATH TO THE MUTANTS #2 (OF 3) KIERON GILLEN (W) • GUIU VILANOVA (A) • Cover by Esad Ribić

    VARIANT COVER BY HUMBERTO RAMOS The Celestials said “Correct excess deviation.” Now the hour of judgement is upon the Eternals. Have they done enough? And does overcompensating at this late hour make it better, or make it worse? 32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99

    Kieron Gillen has been absolutely knocking it out of the park at Marvel, with his runs on Uncanny X-Men, Young Avengers, and more recently, Eternals. I’m a bit late to the Kieron Gillen hype-train, but ever since reading his inventive run on the Eternals, Gillen has become a favorite. If Gillen writes it, it’s a must read. Aside from Gillen’s involvement, and Guiu Vilanova’s stunning artwork, what intrigues me the most about A.X.E.: Death to the Mutants #2 is the pairing up of Cyclops and Kro: a team-up you never knew you needed until now.

    IMMORTAL X-MEN #6 KIERON GILLEN (W) • MICHELE BANDINI (A) Cover by MARK BROOKS

    Quiet Council Variant Cover by PHIL NOTO BEYOND AMAZING SPIDER-MAN VARIANT COVER BY CAFU STAND FOR JUDGMENT – AN A.X.E. TIE-IN! Judgement comes and the Quiet Council grows suspiciously quiet. An exception: Do you think a man so devoted to the Hellfire cares one jot? Let’s find out. 32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99

    I couldn’t choose just one Gillen written solicit, now could I! Beginning back in March, Gillen’s Immortal X-Men run has since become my favorite mutant-related book currently running, and my main source of hype for Marvel’s upcoming “Judgement Day” event. Gillen has crafted a plethora of characters that are both complicated AND relatable; what more could you want from a mutant series! Marvel, here’s a little word of advice: just give Kieron control over everything pertaining to mutants.

    DAMAGE CONTROL #1 (OF 5)
    ADAM F. GOLDBERG, HANS RODIONOFF & CHARLOTTE FULLERTON (W) WILL ROBSON & JAY FOSGITT (A) • COVER BY CARLOS PACHECO

    Variant Cover by WILL ROBSON
    FROM THE CREATOR OF TV’S THE GOLDBERGS!
    Marvel’s Unsung Heroes finally get sung! After the mega-powered battles and Hulk-level catastrophes, Damage Control is always there to clean up the mess and get things back to normal. But Damage Control is much more than just a glorified cleanup crew, and this new series will pull back the curtain and reveal the secret inner workings that were previously only available to people with Clearance Level Eight. And we’ll witness it all through the eyes of Gus: a fresh-faced, eager newcomer to the company who has no idea how chaotic his life is about to become.
    ADAM F. GOLDBERG (TV’s The Goldbergs) and HANS RODIONOFF team up with WILL ROBSON to take you into the secret labyrinth of Damage Control, where it’s totally common to run into familiar faces like Moon Knight! Nightcrawler! She-Hulk! And more!
    Plus: A second story by DAMAGE CONTROL creator Dwayne McDuffie’s McSpouse, Charlotte Fullerton, as the Damage Control crew must clean up after the Infinity Gauntlet!
    40 PGS./Rated T+ …$4.99

    A group of individuals that have to deal with the aftermath of superhero-related disasters will always be an idea with unlimited potential in the Marvel Universe. This new Damage Control series seems like an interesting way to explore dynamics between different characters that wouldn’t necessarily interact under normal circumstances. The possibilities are endless. Knowing that Marvel loves its corporate synergy, and with the return of Damage Control in the MCU with Spider-Man: No Way Home, and seemingly Ms. Marvel, could a Damage Control show á la “The Office” possibly be in our future? Well, with an obvious choice like Adam F. Goldberg to helm the project, it seems like a no-brainer – but only time will tell.

    DAREDEVIL #3
    CHIP ZDARSKY (W) • RAFAEL DE LATORRE (A) • Cover by MARCO CHECCHETTO

    Variant Cover by ALEX MALEEV • PROMO VARIANT COVER BY PAULO SIQUEIRA
    DAREDEVIL SAVES THE WORLD!
    With more ambitious and aggressive goals than ever before, DAREDEVIL has started putting together a team — but not everyone wants to be a part of Matt Murdock and Elektra Natchios’ vision of the future. As Matt and Elektra grow increasingly distant from the super hero community and closer to one another, DAREDEVIL will once again be at odds with heroes and villains alike…
    32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99

    After concluding his acclaimed Daredevil run with the Devil’s Reign event, Chip Zdarsky’s new run on the Man Without Fear looks to explore the ramifications of this event of the Marvel Universe. With the world believing him to be dead, Matt Murdock is able to focus completely on being Daredevil, and, along with Elektra Natchios, is assembling a team to defeat the Hand for good. What’s exciting about the 3rd issue of Zdarsky’s new series is the prospect of bringing some of Marvel’s most underused street level heroes into the spotlight as members of Daredevil’s new team. And with the Punisher now leading the Hand, Daredevil and Elektra will certainly need all the help they can get.

    EDGE OF THE SPIDER-VERSE #3 (OF 5)
    DAN SLOTT AND MORE! (W) • MARK BAGLEY AND MORE! (A)
    Cover by JOSEMARIA CASANOVAS • Variant Cover by KRIS ANKA

    Design Variant Cover by KRIS ANKA
    IN THIS ISSUE! SPIDER-MAN: INDIA! AND NIGHT-SPIDER!
    Wait, WHO IS NIGHT-SPIDER?!
    48 PGS./Rated T+ …$4.99

    Dan Slott’s greatest contribution to Marvel Comics is the Spider-Verse, of which Spider-Gwen was the breakout character. Spider-Verse and Dan Slott fans everywhere can now rejoice, because Slott is returning to the Spider-Verse with a new Edge Of The Spider-Verse series (which is where Gwen Stacy original appeared as Spider-Woman). Edge of the Spider-Verse #1 or #2 – which tease the return of Spider-Gwen, Peni Parker, Araña, and Spider-Man Noir, as well as a new female Spider-Man UK (Spider-Woman UK, if you will) – could easily be on this list in place of Edge of the Spider-Verse #3. However, #3 stands out as it teases a potential breakout star: Night Spider, a.k.a. Felicia freakin’ Hardy.

    AMAZING FANTASY #1000
    NEIL GAIMAN, ARMANDO IANNUCCI, JONATHAN HICKMAN, DAN SLOTT, HO CHE ANDERSON, KURT BUSIEK, ANTHONY FALCONE, RAINBOW ROWELL AND MORE! (W)
    JIM CHEUNG, OLIVIER COIPEL, MICHAEL CHO, GORAN PARLOV AND MORE! (A)
    Cover by JOHN ROMITA JR.

    WRAPAROUND VARIANT COVER BY JOE QUESADA
    VARIANT COVER BY J. SCOTT CAMPBELL
    VIRGIN VARIANT COVER BY J. SCOTT CAMPBELL
    RETRO VARIANT COVER BY J. SCOTT CAMPBELL
    VARIANT COVER BY STEVE MCNIVEN
    VARIANT COVER BY TAURIN CLARKE
    VARIANT COVER BY PEACH MOMOKO
    The comic that brought you SPIDER-MAN hits issue #1000!
    We’re going big to celebrate in this, our thousandth issue of AMAZING FANTASY! An ALL-STAR roster of creators are coming together to celebrate Peter Parker and Spider-Man’s birthdays!
    72 PGS./ONE-SHOT/Rated T …$7.99

    New Spider-Man stories by Neil Gaiman, Armando Iannucci, Jonathan Hickman, Dan Slott, Ho Che Anderson, Kurt Busiek, Anothony Falcone, Rainbow Rowell, etc (WHO ISN’T A PART OF THIS?!?)!?! Just inject this into my veins right now!!!

    This is just a glimpse of what’s available out there and just scratches the surface of what I’ll be ordering for the month of August.