Murphy's Multiverse

Author: John Sabato

  • ‘The Mandalorian’: The Siege of Mandalore (Third Times the Charm)

    ‘The Mandalorian’: The Siege of Mandalore (Third Times the Charm)

    The dust has settled and Din Djarin has finished what he was tasked to do by the Armorer in season 1. But just like his bounty hunting past, when one job ends another one is waiting just beyond the blast doors. Towards the end of the finale, Din and Gideon finally came face to face with an epic duel ensuing. Following Din’s victory against the Moff came yet another task, this one on a much grander scale: ensuring the future and the way of the Mandalorians.

    Din being the one to defeat the Moff in battle means that he would now be the one to wield the Darksaber. Even after attempting to hand the blade over to Bo, who’d been in search of it for a while now, he couldn’t. It doesn’t matter if you have the blade; it’s the story behind how you got it that matters.

     

     

    When Tarre Vizla, the first Mandalorian Jedi, met his end, his blade was kept within the Jedi Temple during the days of the Old Republic. Towards the end of the Old Republic, House Vizla ransacked the Jedi temple to reacquire the blade and in doing so, returned to Mandalore and for a period of time reunited the clans, such as clan Wren and clan Saxon. Their reign would come to an end after the Mandalorian civil war in which Clan Kryze came to power. Quite recently we saw the Siege of Mandalore in the animated Clone Wars series we saw Ahsoka Tano lead the 501st legion into battle alongside Bo-Katan and the Nite Owls to overthrow Darth Maul, who’d come into power after the murder of Satine.

    After that brief history lesson, the time has come for Mandalore to be restored to its former glory. With Din now in possession of one of the most powerful items in the galaxy, it’ll be his job to unite those lost from the path and reunite to take back Mandalore from any that occupy it. Based on what we know of future projects in the pipeline, I believe it’s safe to say the crossover event teased by Kathleen Kennedy will be that of a Siege of Mandalore. I believe what remains of the Empire resides on Mandalore and that’s where we will find Grand Admiral Thrawn, roping in the New Republic, the Mandalorian, and Ahsoka Tano.

     

     

    While we do not know what the future of The Mandalorian is for season 3, and with The Book of Boba Fett on the way, it’s possible we could be taking some time away from Din while he and the Nite Owls rally what’s left of the Mandalorians throughout the galaxy, in order to muster a force great enough to take back their homeworld.

  • “Peacemaker” Expands Cast Ahead of Production Start

    “Peacemaker” Expands Cast Ahead of Production Start

    The cast of Peacemaker continues to grow as production will commence in Canada within a matter of weeks. Deadline announced a few new faces are joining Jennifer Holland, Chris Conrad, and Danielle Brooks, who got announced late last month. With story details still under wraps, all we know is that this series will serve as a prequel to the upcoming Suicide Squad sequel. It focuses on the character of Peacemaker, who is played by John Cena. The cast has grown a bit more today, as four additional actors are jumping into the fray for the upcoming HBO Max original series.

    Lochlyn Munroe, Annie Chang, Christopher Heyerdahl are joining as recurring guest stars. Chukwudi Iwuji will take on the character known as Clemson Murn, who is set to be a series regular. Munroe will play Larry Fitzgibbon. Annie Chang is taking on the role of Detective Sophie Song, and Heyerdahl is Captain Locke. Many of these characters do not have comic counterparts, so they could genuinely be original characters created for the series. Knowing Gunn and the choices he made for The Suicide Squad, there’s always a chance he popped his head into the unknown corners of the DC universe and picked a few oddballs to join his roster.

    Peacemaker currently has no set release date, but the premiere will be sometime next year. Of course, the series will most likely debut sometime after The Suicide Squad has hit theaters and HBO Max. Gunn is returning as writer and director for the series before he starts work on Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.

    Source: Deadline

  • RUMOR: Willem Dafoe and Thomas Haden Church in Talks to Return for ‘SPIDER-MAN 3’

    RUMOR: Willem Dafoe and Thomas Haden Church in Talks to Return for ‘SPIDER-MAN 3’

    Just in this past month, the cast of Spider-Man 3 has grown exponentially, with reports of actors such as Andrew Garfield, Kirsten Dunst, Alfred Molina and even Charlie Cox set to reprise their respective roles from Marvel’s past, exciting fans across all social media platforms. It was recently announced by the man himself, Kevin Feige, that Spider-Man 3 would tie directly into what transpires in the events of WandaVision and Doctor Strange in The Multiverse Of Madness, so it seems incredibly likely that the multiverse plays a key role in the story of this third film. Basically, all plot details have been kept under lock and key, with the film noticeably absent from the Disney Investor presentation, likely because of the ties the film has to Sony. It seems some old dogs may be jumping back into the fray, with a few more Raimi era characters rumored to be on their way.

    It’s being reported that Spider-Man and stars Willem Dafoe and Thomas Haden Church are currently in talks to reprise their roles from the original films that saw Tobey Maguire star as the titular character. The two played the previous antagonists of the web-slinger films with Dafoe making an iconic performance as Norman Osborn and Church playing the role of Sandman in the third and final installment in the franchise. Both characters met their fate at the end of their respective films so it’ll be interesting to see if they’re indeed from the multiverse or will be in a similar situation to that of J.K.  Simmons, who reprised his iconic role of J Jonah Jameson for Spider-Man: Far From Home.

    Spider-Man 3 will be directed Jon Watts and will feature the return of Tom Holland as Peter Parker who’s presumably on the run considering how we last left him in Far From Home. Peter won’t be alone however as Benedict Cumberbatch will lend a hand to peter in his time of need. Spider-Man 3 is set to release on December 17th, 2021 however most dates set these days should be taken with a grain of salt considering the current state of the industry.

    SOURCE: Illuminderi

  • ‘BLACK ADAM’: Who is Cyclone?

    ‘BLACK ADAM’: Who is Cyclone?

    Black Adam is quite possibly one of the most anticipated DC movies in development and is already living up to the hype with the addition of some of DC’s most iconic characters. With such a rich library to pick from, the film will introduce those from the Justice Society and the Black Marvel Family. The hierarchy of power in the DC universe is about to change and Black Adam won’t let anything stand in between him and protecting the kingdom that he’s called home for thousands of years.

    Created by Alex Ross, Mark Waid, Geoff Johns, and Dale Eaglesham, Cyclone would make her first appearance back in 1996’s Kingdom Come storyline as an unnamed Red Tornado who could be seen near Ma Hunkel in certain panels. The character would eventually receive a name a new design, being dubbed Maxine Hunkel, granddaughter of longtime JSA member Ma Hunkel, Aka the original Red Tornado. Maxine is a very energetic and bubbly person who excelled at school with a 4.0 GPA, yet she was a very talkative and was a bit of a know it all, resulting in being left out and abandoned by her peers, leading her to suffer from depression. Maxine was invited to join the JSA by Mr.Terrific and Powergirl and lives up to her nature by almost immediately accepting while talking their ears off, Maxine eventually becomes friends with another young girl on the team, that off Stargirl.

    Maxine did not always have her powers and began showing signs of meta abilities when she sneezed and blew part of her grandmother’s home away. Maxine has the ability to fly with her wind manipulation as well as sound wave control. Maxine takes on the name cyclone as an homage to her Grandmother and her sidekicks, the cyclone kids, aka her aunt Amelia and Uncle Mortimer.

    Cyclone has yet to make a live-action appearance but is set to join the ranks of the newly formed JSA in Black Adam and will be played by Quintessa Swindell

  • Quintessa Swindel Cast as Cyclone in ‘BLACK ADAM’

    Quintessa Swindel Cast as Cyclone in ‘BLACK ADAM’

    With delays setting production back and the film’s release date being removed from the calendar, many wondered what was going on with the Black Adam. Recently the Rock took to Instagram to once again tease his intense training for the role and also happened to confirm that the project would begin production in the Spring of 2021. The film was supposed to begin filming mid-to late-2020, but due to the ongoing pandemic filming was delayed significantly as the Rock had prior commitments to projects like Red Notice and Young Rock. Black Adam is now rounding out its cast and looks to be filling the ranks of its JSA with recent casting confirmation on that of Cyclone.

    Today it was confirmed that Quintessa Swindel had been cast as JSA recruit, Maxine Hunkel, aka Cyclone. The character is the granddaughter of former JSA hero, Red Tornado, who’s also set to appear in the upcoming film, this time reimagined as a transgender character and the caretaker of Hawkman’s museum. Swindell previously appeared on the Netflix original series Trinkets, which only ran for one season. Previously it was reported that actresses Isabelle Moner and Leslie Grace were atop the studio’s wishlist for the character, but they obviously decided to go down an alternate path altogether.

    Black Adam currently has no set release date but is set to be directed by Jaume Collet-Serra and will star Dwayne Johnson in the title role, alongside Aldis Hodge as Hawkman, Noah Centenio as Atom Smasher, and Sarah Shahi as Adrianna Tomaz. The film will tell the story of Kahndaq legend that is Teth-Adam and how he came to wield the power of the wizard and how he will do anything to protect his home, even going up against the might of the Justice Society of America.

    For more on the character, make sure to check out her character profile right HERE!!

    SOURCE: Hollywood Reporter

     

  • Maggie Q Eyed for Key Role in HBO Max ‘PEACEMAKER’ Series

    Maggie Q Eyed for Key Role in HBO Max ‘PEACEMAKER’ Series

    With production on Peacemaker rapidly approaching, slated to being production early next year if all goes to plan. Peacemaker is set to act as a prequel to the upcoming film The Suicide Squad and focus on the character of Peacemaker with John Cena set to reprise the role. Recently casting breakdowns have made their way out and have teased the inclusions of other Charlton characters such as JudoMaster and Sarge Steele, two characters who were included in the purchase of Charlton when DC eventually bought out the company in the mid-’80s. Now it seems that another character from Charlton could be on her way to the DCEU.

    Recently it was reported that actress Maggie Q was being eyed for a role in Peacemaker and could quite possibly be playing that of Detective Vivian Song, Described as a “tough and witty detective” and set in a recurring role in the series. Now at first this is much to go on and is honestly just a stretch but I think some dots may have been connected with some previous breakdown details. With Sarge Steele, another detective character from the comics and a previous leader at the CBI or The Central Bureau of Intelligence. Now based on speculation and what we’ve seen, it’s quite possible that Detective Vivian Song could be a version of the Charlton comics character Eve Eden, aka Nightshade. Nightshade has worked with Sarge Steele in the past under the CBI and it’s even possible that the two could be working together on the show as detectives, and Gunn has been no stranger to tweaking characters to help them better fit within a story.

    Seeing Gunn pull from what seems like C-list characters is not something that would shock anyone either, someone who reinvented the Guardians of The Galaxy and made them all household names would have no problem picking up some lesser-known heroes and making them work. Peacemaker currently has no set release date but is set to release exclusively on the HBO Max streaming service, the show is written and produced by James Gunn with him even sitting in the director’s chair for a few episodes.

     

    SOURCE: Illuminerdi

  • “Peacemaker”: Casting Breakdowns Tease Sarge Steele and Judo Master

    “Peacemaker”: Casting Breakdowns Tease Sarge Steele and Judo Master

    The production of HBO Max’s Peacemaker will begin early next year in Canada. James Gunn already started work on the series before cameras get rolling. The project is set to film under the codename “Scriptures” and will film from January 11th to June 9th. We still have no release date, but it’ll most likely release sometime after Gunn‘s The Suicide Squad. This show will serve as a prequel focusing on the character of Peacemaker, played by John Cena, who is reprising the role.

    New casting breakdowns have hinted at Peacemaker joining some characters from his days at Charlton Comics once again. Charlton went bankrupt in 1986 and lost the rights to a variety of its characters such as  Peacemaker, Blue Beetle, Captain Atom, The Question, Nightshade, Sarge Steele and Judo Master. A few of these characters have come to be quite popular and staples within the DC Universe, while others have faded into obscurity.

    According to the report, the production is looking for a character with the puny name Marshall Artist. They are looking for a male, who is 20-40 years old. His description states he is small with knowledge in martial action. It is pointing to a lot of fight scenes with him. It wasn’t easy to figure out who it is, but it seems Gunn could be adapting the character of Judo Master. He is a former Charlton Comics character who served in the military during World War II. After rescuing a Pacific Island chief’s daughter, he was taught the ways of Kung-Fu. While this character is obscure and hasn’t seen the pages of a comic book in a while, that’s all about to change with him joining the newest line-up of the suicide squad following next year’s Future State event.

    The next Charlton character that may be joining the series is Sarge Steele. The production is looking for a male in the ’50-’60s age range to play a “strong, tough leader.” Gunn seems to be eyeing Lance Reddick to play the role, who seems like a perfect fit for the character. Once a private-eye, Steele would quite literally lead with an iron fist. He was involved with multiple government agencies that dealt with keeping an eye on superhuman activities, one of which is that of the CBI (Central Bureau of Intelligence).

    These characters seem perfect for the vibe Gunn is known for and the characters he chooses to put into his stories. From his past endeavors and additions, it wouldn’t be crazy to see these two pop up, especially since they once stood side by side with Peacemaker back in the days of Charlton Comics.

  • ‘Superman and Lois’: First Official Look at Tyler Hoechlins New Suit

    ‘Superman and Lois’: First Official Look at Tyler Hoechlins New Suit

    Since his first appearance on Supergirl, Tyler Hoechlin’s Clark Kent has sported the same suit with one exception. He was allowed to wear a black variant in the Elseworlds crossover, but that was technically Doctor Destiny pretending to be Clark via the Book of Destiny. Never the less, he was bound for an upgrade sooner or later. Now, the first season of Superman and Lois is set to hit the CW early next year as the newest addition to the Arrowverse. Hoechlin also is finally getting the suit upgrade.

    The CW officially revealed Clarks newest look for the upcoming spin-off series. We finally got a good look at what was seen in leaked set photos that made their rounds a while back. This new look is almost identical to the outfit that Clark wears in the current Rebirth comic runs that feature the character. He finally dumped those dreaded cape clips that had plagued the suit since his debut in Supergirl. Also, they finally added a much better belt to what seems to be a much stiffer bodysuit. I think it might just be how the arms are positioned, but it looks tough to move in that, especially forearms.

    Superman and Lois is currently in production and is set to debut early next year on the CW network. It will have a 13 episode run, unlike other CW’s network show. The show will feature the iconic comic couple juggling their everyday lives while raising their children. It is part of the fallout that resulted from the Crisis event that shook the Arrowverse to its core, rebooting the multiverse into something much bigger and brighter. Superman and Lois are one of a few new projects at the CW with shows like Wonder-Girl and Naomi.

  • ‘Stargirl’: Sportsmaster and Tigress to Return for Season 2

    ‘Stargirl’: Sportsmaster and Tigress to Return for Season 2

    At the end of Stargirl‘s first season, we saw the downfall of the Injustice Society at the hands of the new Justice Society of America. Among those members were the standouts Sportsmaster and Tigress. The last time we saw them, they were lying unconscious within the ISA base after a shattering defeat at the hands of Hourman and Stargirl. It was never made clear if the dangerous duo had been arrested or was able to escape. Well, it looks like we’ll soon find out, as both Tigress and Sportsmaster will make a brief return in the sophomore season of Stargirl.

    Sportsmaster actor, Neile Hopkins, took to Instagram to confirm that he and Joy Osmanski were both returning to set for what might be a single episode. They aren’t suited up, so they might get interrogated for information on the latest enemies, Eclipso and Shade. So, it could be just a brief appearance. Hopkins also confirms that director Lea Thompson would be returning to direct the upcoming season. It is unclear if she will only be working on one episode, but a return is nonetheless exciting, as her work on the previous season was nothing short of great.

     

     

    Stargirl‘s second season is still in production with no set release date. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see it release around the same time, as its first season. It made its debut around mid-May, which would seem like a fitting estimate. The second season will see the team face the might of Eclipso after Cindy Burman accidentally released him from his crystalline prison. He will be working alongside veteran ISA member Shade to keep the newly established next-generation JSA on their toes.

    SOURCE: Instagram

  • Ava DuVernay Adapting DC’s ‘Naomi’ as a CW Series

    Ava DuVernay Adapting DC’s ‘Naomi’ as a CW Series

    The Arrowverse has gone through quite the shakeup in the past year. Recently, we’ve seen reports almost weekly on shows getting canceled, such as Black Lightning, while brand new ones already being in development. One of those being Wonder Girl, based on Yara Flor. Well, now it seems the CW will be adding yet another DC comic book property to its roster with Ava DuVernay jumping into the world of DC yet again.

    The report states that she will develop a live-action series based on the hero Naomi. She was born from two of the twenty-nine people who received god-like abilities after some form of radiation broke through her Earth’s shattered ozone layer. Naomi traveled to Earth-Prime to hide from Zumbado, one of the twenty-nine’s most sinister members. He sought to end the child so that he could prove his strength. The series is produced by DuVernary and her production company, Array. Former Arrow writer and executive producer Jill Blankenship will write the story.

    The character of Naomi is pretty new, as she made her debut just last year in her very own solo title by the same name. She was created by comic book vet Brian Michael Bendis, who responsible for characters like Miles Morales, Jessica Jones, and Iron Heart. This property is not DuVernay‘s first venture into the DC Universe, as she is currently working on an adaption of DMZ, as well as co-writing a New Gods film alongside Tom King. She will also direct the blockbuster and has been very enthusiastic about tackling the iconic characters created by Jack Kirby. This show also seems to be one of the first DCTV Properties not to fall under Greg Berlanti, who’s pioneered the superhero television genre since the beginning of Arrow.

    Source: Variety