Murphy's Multiverse

Author: John Sabato

  • REVIEW: ‘The Witcher’ 2×2, ‘Kaer Morhen’

    REVIEW: ‘The Witcher’ 2×2, ‘Kaer Morhen’

    The first episode of The Witcher Season 2 set the story off to a bit of a slower start, picking up right where Season 1 ended. Before making their way to Kaer Morhen, Geralt and Ciri head towards an old friend of Geralt’s to wait out a violent blizzard. The two meet a now cursed Nivellen, who appears as a hybrid of a bear and a pig, Geralt is instantly on edge at what stands before him. The episode ends with Geralt freeing Nivellen of his curse, but learning about what bound him to it in the first place.

    The episode begins with Geralt and Ciri arriving at Kaer Morhen, something that’s been built up since Season 1. This is where Ciri can finally begin her training, learn to hone her abilities, the ones that would randomly pop up throughout the first season. This episode, while it’s a bit fast, feels a whole lot like the first episode, which is really just a lot of sitting around until the end when the monster reveals itself and Geralt springs into action and leaves Ciri behind to “protect her.”

    Arriving at Kaer Morhen, the series introduces many characters that should be familiar to fans of both The Witcher games and books like Vesemir, Eskel, Lambert, and Coën. and while the series gets most of these characters right or at least pretty accurate, Eskel is only the character in the name, an absolutely massive departure from who the character truly is.

    First of all, these are people Geralt grew up with and trained alongside on the path to becoming Witchers. While, for the most part, you can feel those years together in Geralt’s interactions with them, Eskel is the weakest link. Eskel is supposed to be like Geralt, calm and collected, as well as one of Geralt’s closest friends and basically a brother. Eskel is stripped of all that and made to be the black sheep of the family who acts as the rebellious teen, a complete douche essentially. This is furthered by him hiding his Leshy infection that’s slowly turning him into a tree monster, quickly succumbing to it and attacking the castle.

    Perhaps the best part of the episode is when we’re able to see Geralt and Vesemir work together as protege and master, father and son. The fight scene that ensues is quite well done, but the series tries to make you feel sympathy for Geralt in this situation in which he’s pitted against Eskel. This is someone whose supposed to be quite close with Geralt, and when he’s eventually forced to kill Eskel, there’s just no emotional weight attached to that moment.

    The absolute weakest part of this episode, and so far this season, is whatever path they’ve set Yennefer on because it honestly feels like they’ve got no idea what to do with her. This is probably because, in the story they are attempting to adapt, Yennefer really does not play a part. She is still presumed dead by Geralt, who moved on to watch over and train Ciri, but her entire arc feels like it has no end goal right now, she spends a majority of this episode caught in a dream-like state with a forest witch. It again feels like it has sent her nowhere, especially as she finishes out this episode screaming in the woods.

    The Witcher Season 2 seems to have finally found a bit of its footing with Geralt and Ciri arriving at Kar Morhen and I hope to see some solid development for the two of them. The season still teeters on the edge with it not knowing what to do with Yennefer, though. After a fantastic first season arc for the character, she deserves more than what she’s being given.

  • Top 5 Candidates For The New Justice League

    Top 5 Candidates For The New Justice League

    Recent rumors have sent fans of the DCEU into a bit of a crisis, pun intended. At the center of recent controversy is the fate of the Justice League within the shared universe and just what the team roster will look like in future appearances. Luckily the DC Extended Universe continues to grow and offers plenty of prime candidates who’ve joined the team in the pages of the comics and could eventually become a member in live-action.

    Honorable Mention: Hawkgirl

    The only reason Hawkgirl did not make the actual list is due to the uncertainness surrounding the character in the DCEU. The existence of Carter Hall, aka Hawkman, would point to Shiera Sanders Hall existing somewhere within the greater DC Universe. The character is a current member of the Infinite Frontier Justice League line-up and played a prominent role in the Justice League The Animated Series in which she was quite the fan-favorite character.

    5. Simon Baz and Jessica Cruz

    Both cuts of Justice League confirm that Green Lanterns do indeed exist in the DCEU however the corps has been AWOL and yet to make an appearance in the present day. Both Simon Baz and Jessica Cruz will make their live-action debuts in the upcoming Green Lantern series on HBO Max, and while the status of the series canonicity in the DCEU is still up in the air, the two would make great additions to the league. The pair joined the league in the place of Hal Jordan and Jon Stewart upon the beginning of DC’s Rebirth storyline and have been present in the DC Universe ever since.

    4. Shazam

    Billy Batson is probably one of the most beloved characters in the DCEU with one of the best films; of course, he’s a viable candidate for the Justice League, especially with how the Shazam! ended. Rumors surrounding the future of the team state that he could very well indeed be one of the newest members. The character has been a come-and-go member of the team since the launch of the New 52 and has been a popular addition ever since.

    3. Zatanna

    Zatanna is in a similar situation to Hawkgirl, but we actually know for a fact that the character is coming with a solo film in the works from academy award-winning screenwriter Emerald Fennel. While the character will most likely be a member of the Justice League Dark, this doesn’t exactly keep her from the Justice League. If Constantine leads the JLD and Doctor Fate represents magic on the JSA, Zatanna should have a place on the JL as she’s quite a powerful magic user and the league lacks someone that specializes in that.

    2. Martian Manhunter

    A character who was there at the very beginning, Martian Manhunter is a founding member of the Justice League and should be a member of the team. He possesses a variety of different abilities and powers that make him worthy of a spot on the team. In recent years, the character has taken a bit of a backseat, with Cyborg taking his spot on the team when the New 52 came around. The character was only revealed to exist and be General Swanwick in Zack Snyder’s Justice League which isn’t technically canon to the mainline DCEU, but the character could still find a place in the DCEU and on the League in a post-Flash universe.

    1. Black Canary

    Jurnee Smollett’s debut as Dinah Lance in Birds of Prey was praised by fans for her portrayal of the character, and people instantly craved more of the character. Jurnee is set to return as the character in her own solo film, as well as rumored to appear in Batgirl. The character is usually seen on the team alongside Green Arrow, who has yet to make an appearance in the DCEU, but existence is sure due to a graphic image featuring Lexcorps corporate rivals listing Queen Industries. What we’ve seen from Dinah so far has proved she can hold her own and harnesses a killer canary cry. With Jurnee wracking up a few more appearances and quickly becoming a prominent character in the DCEU, a spot on the league is what she deserves.

    The DC universe is vast and full of plenty of diverse and beloved characters and while things may feel familiar it’s also important to welcome a bit of change. The Justice League is a team that’s gone back decades and featured an ever-expanding and transitioning roster of characters so these additions wouldn’t feel out of the ordinary.

  • RUMOR: Viola Davis Will Return as Amanda Waller in ‘Peacemaker’

    RUMOR: Viola Davis Will Return as Amanda Waller in ‘Peacemaker’

    Viola Davis just recently made her return as Amanda Waller in The Suicide Squad, where she assembled yet another Task Force X for a mission into Corto Maltese. Davis is considered one of the best parts of the first Suicide Squad film, praised for her performance in bringing the character to life, and without her, there really is no squad. So, many were wondering if we might see her return sooner rather than later.

    According to leaker MyTimeToShine, Davis will reportedly return to the DCEU in Peacemaker, reprising her role as Amanda Waller, but the extent of her role is unknown. She is the one who Assigned John Economos and Emilia Harcourt to Peacemaker on an all-new top-secret mission, due to their insubordination in defying her orders to extract the Squad from Corto Maltese.

    Not much is known about the plot of Peacemaker aside from this new Task Force of presumably ARGUS agents working together to take down an alien threat known as the Butterflies. Shine also reveals that Peacemaker will presumably take on a massive worm in the series. There’s a chance it may be connected to the main threat in some way. The series could see Waller dealing with the fallout of the Suicide Squad since her team was caught on camera fighting Starro, and Bloodsport was able to get away with dirt on her.

    Source: Twitter

  • RUMOR: Supergirl and Batgirl May Become Part of the DCEU’s New Trinity

    RUMOR: Supergirl and Batgirl May Become Part of the DCEU’s New Trinity

    Two of the biggest mysteries in the past few years have been the future of Batman and Superman in the DC Extended Universe. The characters are pillars of the comics alongside Wonder Woman and, most frequently, Harley Quinn, but their future live-action appearances within the DCEU seem to be ending a bit sooner than many had hoped.

    Henry Cavill and Ben Affleck were reportedly set to leave their roles a few years ago, but since then things have gotten a bit foggy. MyTimeToShine, who has been on a DC hot streak as of late, is now reporting that both characters will effectively be wiped from canon in the DCEU. Yet, the big development lies in the fact that they already have characters ready to take over their original roles in the new canon.

    Supergirl and Batgirl are set to make their DCEU debut this year with Sasha Calle aiding Barry in The Flash. Leslie Grace’s Batgirl will presumably take place in the post-Flash universe, with Michael Keaton set to play Batman in the film. Calle and Grace will reportedly take over as the main universe “Super” and “Bat” representatives, as the DCEU heads in an interesting new direction with its characters.

    This news will surely confuse and upset many fans, but it’s best to keep an open mind as these are still purely rumors and we haven’t seen a finished project just yet. If these rumors are indeed true, it would mean Calle and Grace would join Gal Gadot in the new DCEU trinity. Along with being a member of the trinity, it seems likely that Leslie Grace could also join the Justice League, which is rumored to get a revival in The Flash. Whatever happens, we have a lot to look forward to.

    Source: Twitter

  • RUMOR: ‘The Flash’ Might Set Up a New Justice League

    RUMOR: ‘The Flash’ Might Set Up a New Justice League

    The Justice League can be considered the crown jewel of the DC Universe, where some of its greatest and most popular characters brought together as its definitive team. In live-action, however, they’ve struggled making that a reality. 2017’s Justice League was a testament to that struggle, and it’s been a long road until we got Zack Snyder’s Justice League. With so much up in the air, fans are wondering just when and where we might see the team return again to the big screen, and if rumors are to be believed, The Flash may have the answers.


    Take this as a spoiler warning, while it is still a rumor, it may give away important plot details of the upcoming The Flash film. So, only continue at your own risk.

    Leaker MyTimeToShine recently took a quick break from sharing info on Marvel Studio’s projects to dish out some info on the upcoming The Flash film, and gave away how it’ll reinstate the popular superhero team into the universe after it was left open-ended since the initial release of the Justice League film.

    As such, we may expect an all-new Justice League once the film ends its runtime. With the events of the previous films, most noticeably any Snyderverse entry, supposedly erased from the timeline, this would mean the team never came together to fight Steppenwolf and Barry would be the only one with knowledge of that battle. Here in this new universe, Barry will reportedly bring together a team with the first members being Supergirl and Shazam. Geeks Worldwide’s KC Walsh further backed up these claims:

    https://twitter.com/TheComixKid/status/1477348535876026369?s=20

    It’s still unclear just who the rest of the roster will be but it seems likely that both Aquaman and Wonder Woman will most likely return. It’ll be interesting to see if this is a “first time” for these characters or they also will remember being part of a previous iteration of the Justice League. We’ll see what this means for the future of the DCEU

    Source: Twitter

  • RUMOR: ‘The Flash’ May Soft-Reboot the DCEU and “Erase” The Snyderverse

    RUMOR: ‘The Flash’ May Soft-Reboot the DCEU and “Erase” The Snyderverse

    Continuity in the DC extended universe has been a bit loose these past few years with a lot of factors up in the air. It’s been tough for many fans who just wanted solid answers on the future of beloved characters like Batman and Superman, two pillars of the franchise throughout many mediums. We’ve known for a while now that Affleck was basically out the door, and Henry Cavill’s future is still very much up in the air. Some recent reports seem to point us in the direction of where the DCEU will be heading and the future of the extended universe.

    MyTimeToShine, who made a name for themselves with stories based off of Marvel Studios’ upcoming projects, recently shared some details on The Flash, and just what effects the film will have on the shared universe. By the sounds of it, it’s not going to be good for long-time fans of Zack Snyder‘s additions to the franchise, who was the person that initially kicked off the new rendition of the franchise.

    As such, The Flash may effectively “erase” the events of Man of Steel, Batman Vs Superman, and Justice League. Along with the films, Flash would also be erasing both Affleck and Cavill from the DCEU timeline entirely with the return of Michael Keaton cementing him as the new Bruce Wayne. Of course, it’s uncertain how the film will accomplish this and with the multiverse, it may simply end up redefining the mainline timeline like in DC’s famous Crisis events.

    This news, if it pans out, will undoubtedly upset many fans as the films made by Zack Snyder that started it all are quite beloved by parts of the fandom. Cavill also never really got his dues, and didn’t get another chance to prove that he could be the definitive live-action Superman that many fans knew he had the potential to be, but the actor still stays booked and busy.

    Source: Twitter

  • RUMOR: Black Bolt Will Appear in ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’

    RUMOR: Black Bolt Will Appear in ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’

    Following the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home, we finally have our first glimpse into the multiverse within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The upcoming sequel to 2016’s Doctor Strange will dive deep into a realm of infinite possibilities with the return of Benedict Cumberbatch as Stephen Strange. No Way Home featured quite a few multiversal cameos from characters like Willem Dafoe‘s Green Goblin, Tobey Maguire‘s Spider-Man, and even Jaime Foxx‘s Electro. With the multiverse open, it is unsurprising to think many more could pop up soon, one of which is rumored to be quite a popular Inhuman. 

    A new rumor from Fandomwire states that the ruler of Attilan himself, Black Bolt, will be making his MCU debut in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. The character is believed to be a variant from within the multiverse working alongside the rumored multiversal Illuminati. Currently, there’s no name attached to the role, and it’s unknown if this Black Bolt will be the one we saw a while back in ABC’s Inhumans series, which ran for one season before being canceled by the network. If that was the case, then perhaps we could see Anson Mount reprise the role, but the Inhuman’s future in the Marvel cinematic universe is still up in the air. 

    Doctor Strange in The Multiverse of Madness is currently set to release in theaters on May 6, 2022. The film was directed by Sam Raimi and stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Benedict Wong, Elizabeth Olsen, Rachel McAdams, and Xochitl Gomez.

    SOURCE: Fandomwire

  • REVIEW: ‘Cobra Kai’ Season 4 is the Best Season Yet

    REVIEW: ‘Cobra Kai’ Season 4 is the Best Season Yet

    The hit follow-up series to the Karate Kid film franchise is thriving in its newfound home on Netflix following the streamer’s acquisition of the series with Season 3. Now, Season 4 is here and the show looks ready to kick some more butt. With the return of a few familiar faces and the future of karate in the valley on the line, Cobra Kai is back and it might be better than ever with an absolutely enthralling fourth season that will have you on the edge of your set the entire time. 

    The season picks up right where Season 3 left off, with Miyagi-Do and Eagle Fang Karate coming together to defeat Cobra Kai at the All Valley and shutdown Cobra Kai for good. This is one of the season’s most interesting dynamics as both sides have their very obvious and glaring differences, it leads to some intriguing conflicts and interactions that you would never think would happen.

    The latest season of Cobra Kai does an excellent job of tackling character relationships. Developing new and old relationships is something Season 4 does quite well. It’s Daniel and Johnny’s rivalry that sticks out the most this season, while both men try to hold onto the father/son relationship they’ve developed over the past few seasons with Miguel and Johnny. We also get to delve deeper into the relationship between John Kreese and Terry Silver, and seeing how their relationship fluctuates over the course of the ten episodes is thrilling; it’s well-written with plenty of moments that’ll keep you guessing. For the first time on the series, these two men feel like more than merely “villains,” which makes their “big, bad” moments all the more terrifying.

    But the absolute for-sure highlight of this season is the return of Thomas Ian Griffith as Terry Silver. When we first meet him, he wants absolutely nothing to do with Cobra Kai or Karate, as the season progresses, however, he slowly begins to become obsessed with it once more. Griffith becomes an absolute menace the second he steps back into the dojo and becomes a serious threat, and not just in the world of Karate. Terry Silver is even more ruthless than John Kreese and doesn’t have the same soft spot for Johnny as Kreese does, as he looks to right many mistakes they made in the past and will not stop at anything to get things done. 

    The extent of Silver’s influence and antagonist development can be seen in the introduction of a new character named Kenny, played by Dallas Dupree. Robby was actively trying to help Kenny stand up to his bullies through karate as the series looks to redeem Robby and eventually bring him and his father together. Unfortunately, though, the introduction of Silver to Cobra Kai turns Kenny into a product of Silver’s malicious and violent nature, pivoting a once kind and promising student into a killing machine. 

    While the character development is a strong point this season, the show looks to have kicked it up a notch on the nature of the show, with what seems to be some of its most violent and mature fights yet. The excellent fight choreography is on full display during the All Valley tournament, with each of the kids truly getting a chance to shine.

    Overall, Season 4 of Cobra Kai may just be the best installment yet of the beloved series. It’s smart, well-written with plenty of stunning fight choreography. At a time when many shows are lucky to tell a cohesive story over multiple seasons that doesn’t falter, Cobra Kai proves it still has plenty of moves left to unleash as it readies for a fifth season. A tight, cohesive season that manages to successfully take the series in a new direction for Season 5? It’s hard not to enjoy this latest return to the Karate Kid franchise.

    The fourth season of Cobra Kai is set to premiere on December 31st, only on Netflix. The show’s fifth season has already wrapped production, but a release date has yet to be revealed.

  • Michael Keaton Returning in ‘Batgirl’

    Michael Keaton Returning in ‘Batgirl’

    For a while now there’s been a lot of back and forth regarding just who would be donning the cape and cowl as the main universe Batman. Ben Affleck is set to reprise the role, for what’s believed to be a brief cameo in The Flash, while Michael Keaton will co-star alongside Ezra Miller and Sasha Calle in the film. The big question is just what actor will continue on forward in the DCEU following The Flash and Warner Brothers 2022 press release may have given us the answer we were waiting for.

    Warner Brother released a slew of tidbits on upcoming DC projects, including Batgirl. In the press release for the film, Warner Brothers has officially listed Michael Keaton in the cast, seemingly confirming that he will be the Bat to stick around following the events of The Flash. A while back the directors of Batgirl confirmed that Batman would indeed appear in the film, but when asked who would only disclose that it was “The Real Batman.”

    The DCEU will definitely be taking an interesting path forward with Keaton reportedly taking on a ‘Nick-fury type’ role following his return in The Flash.

    Batgirl currently has no set release but with a Christmas theme in many of the photos, it does seem like it could indeed be a December 2022 release. The film will be direct by Bilall Fallah and Adil El Arbi with Leslie Grace starring in the titular role.

    SOURCE: Twitter

  • REVIEW: ‘The Witcher’ 2.01, ‘A Grain of Truth’

    REVIEW: ‘The Witcher’ 2.01, ‘A Grain of Truth’

    After an incredibly popular first season, The Witcher Season 2 has finally hit Netflix, continuing the story of Geralt, Ciri and Yennefer. When we last left the continent, we witnessed Yennefer join the fight against the Nilfgardians in the battle of sodden, using every ounce of chaos to conjure a blaze so strong it sends Nilfgard into retreat. The biggest moment comes when Geralt is stumbling through the woods, injured by a beast, and finally meets the one he’s been sworn to protect, Princess Ciri.

    This season picks up right as the battle of Sodden concludes, and the battlefield lays riddled with corpses, Yennefer is nowhere to be seen. Ciri and Geralt are continuing onward but get caught up in a storm, and decide to detour an old friend of Geralt’s, and head to Nivellens Manor.

    A dynamic many were looking forward to being introduced is brought to life here, with Ciri and Geralt finally united. It’s a promising and much-needed addition to the series. Ciri offers a great opposite to Geralt’s steely and stone-cold demeanor, but she’s also able to relate to him, with her proving that Geralt’s got a bit of soft-side, even if he’s bound by an oath to protect her.

    Henry Cavill’s dedication to the role of Geralt is another shining gold star for the series, with absolutely stellar casting. While he may seem a bit one-note, this season looks to explore the layers of the character, with Freya Allan’s Ciri playing a pivotal role in that.

    Nivellen is quite the eccentric and welcoming host, with Kristofer Hivju delivering a magical, Tormund-Esque, performance under all those prosthetics. However the entire thing just feels off, it feels like Nivellen is hiding something, no matter how many magical tricks he can pull to distract Ciri, you feel as if Geralt never really trusts him, as Nivellen’s cursed appearance really put him on edge, this wasn’t the same Nivellen he’d met all those years ago.

    The series is very obvious in its mistrust of Nivellen, with the cursed man harboring a Bruxxa named Vereena, responsible for countless deaths. For his crimes, he was cursed to never be able to love, presumably turning him into that beast once he’d fallen for Vereena, but he didn’t care cause she’d loved him either way. This felt like an obvious play on Beauty and the Beast, except the roles are swapped and this time around both of them were the beast. It’s not until the curtain is pulled back and Nivellen’s curse is broken that it really works, when it’s revealed that Nivellen was cured due to raping a priestess, it’s hard to sympathize with a man who’d just lost the one thing that loved him, and it feels like a callback to earlier in the episode when Nivellen had asked Geralt how he was not heartbroken following Yennefer’s presumed death, with Geralt responding, “Who says I’m not?” It feels like Geralt is beginning to scratch the surface of showing emotion, having lost the good person he’d once seen in Nivellen and considered a close friend.

    Perhaps the weakest part of this episode is whatever they’re trying to do with Yennefer. All we see is her locked up in chains under the watch of Fringilla and a few surviving Nilfgardians. Where episode 1 leaves Yennefer promises something surely more interesting than her just pacing around the woods for an hour.

    While this was a bit of a slower start to what will, hopefully, be an eventful season, it was a good starting point for our characters. I look forward to seeing the relationship between Geralt and Ciri progress, and how Ciri learns to hone her abilities. I hope to see storylines come together by the end of the season, with Yennefer and Geralt finally reuniting.