Murphy's Multiverse

Author: João RP

  • ‘Rangers of The New Republic’

    ‘Rangers of The New Republic’

    Premiere: TBD

    The series was announced on December 10, 2020, during the Disney Investor Day presentation. As with The Mandalorian and Ahsoka, it will be developed by Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau. It will be set during the events of both these series, and a major crossover event is scheduled for when its narratives are brought together down the line.

    Following the firing of Gina Carano, the tentative series lead, the show’s future was in limbo, and following a trade report in May 2021, it was learned that five months after its initial announcement the show wasn’t yet in active development. This does mean that it has been canceled, with Lucasfilm perhaps giving themselves a bit more time to figure out what the show will be all about.

  • The Acolyte

    The Acolyte

    Premiere: June 4, 2024

    Variety reported in April 2020 that a new Star Wars live-action series was in development by Emmy-nominated writer Leslye Headland. Headland will serve as showrunner, producer, and writer on the show.

    During the Disney Investor Day on December 10, 2020, we got confirmation of the title of the show, The Acolyte, and that it will be set during the late High Republic era. This could mean that the events of the series might be set a mere 50 years before The Phantom Menace, making it possible for several characters known to be alive at this time to make an appearance.

    Production will be eyeing a February 2022 start, making it a fair assumption to expect a late 2023 release, even if nothing has been officially confirmed on that front. In June 2021 a trade report revealed that writer Matthew Robinson was working on the project as well as the fact that it was eyeing a December 2023 release.

    In a Vanity Fair interview in May 2022, Leslye Headland confirmed a couple of interesting details about the show: It will take inspiration from martial arts films and it will explore the rise of the Sith during the High Republic era.

    Following some speculation in December 2021 regarding Amandla Stenberg joining the show’s cast, there was official confirmation of exactly that on July 2022 with the actress signing on to play an, as of then, undisclosed role. Further names were added to the feature’s cast in September 2022, with Jodie Turner-Smith (Queen and Slim), Lee Jung-Jae (Squid Game), Manny Jacinto (The Good Place), and Charlie Barnett (Russian Doll) all signing on.

    Cast

    • Amandla Stenberg as Mae
    • Dafne Keen as Jedi Padawn Jecki Lon
    • Jodie Turner-Smith as Mother Aniseya
    • Lee Jung-Jae as Jedi Master Sol
    • Manny Jacinto as Qimir
    • Charlie Barnett as Jedi Knight Yord Fandar
    • Carrie-Anne Moss as Jedi Master Indara
    • Joonas Suotamo as Jedi Master Kelnacca
    • Dean Charles Chapman as Jedi Master Torbin
    • Rebecca Henderson as Jedi Master Vernestra Rwoh
    • Margarita Levieva in an unknown role
  • ‘THE MANDALORIAN’ CHAPTER 13: It truly is all about the journey

    ‘THE MANDALORIAN’ CHAPTER 13: It truly is all about the journey

    The previous twelve chapters of The Mandalorian have made several things clear. From the fact that no character seems to be off-limits (as long as the timeline fits) to how the storylines keep branching out over time. But one of the most obvious ones seems to be how it cherishes a slower pace when the story requires it. Being a TV show that, unlike the movies, has a greatly extended runtime, it makes the most of it in various ways, instead of just doubling-down on the usually fast-paced theatrical experience. We’ve already talked about how the show fights instant gratification, going into how even the most apparently innocuous episodes tend to introduce something of importance down the line. And now Chapter 13 all but spells out how the show’s endgame, one that everybody wanted to figure out right from the start, is being molded by all the twists and turns, the main and side-quests, the major and minor characters we’re meeting along the way.

    Din Djarin’s journey to bring The Child to someone who can care for him gets consistently sidetracked, and, more than that, it does seem to run into a lot of dead ends. One might argue that they could have easily bypassed many of the planets and characters along the way, making for a more streamlined route towards whatever is waiting for them at the end. But besides taking all the fun out of what everybody wants to be a series focusing on the fascinating possibilities the Star Wars universe has to offer, it would make the heart of the show devoid of any real meaning. To put it simply: Din’s constant effort to do what’s best for The Child and the Child’s appreciation and growing affection towards Din is both the path in which the story is finding ways to grow and the show’s endgame intertwined together.

     

     

    When Ahsoka mentions she cannot train The Child it can be something that is justified by her own journey trying to find Thrawn on her way to reaching her long-lost friend Ezra Bridger. But it is also because she understands how much Din Djarin and The Child have grown close to each other, a “strong attachment” as she puts it, and how that changes the way to deal with his future training. She makes it obvious that The Child’s future wouldn’t be the same without Din’s presence, and we’ve noticed how Djarin has grown since Chapter 1 to realize this is something that works both ways. It is at times like these that we are reminded of the quote often attributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson: “Life is a journey, not a destination.” And The Mandalorian is proving to be just that. It sort of parallels how raising a child sometimes is. Oftentimes you long for a time when you understand each other better when your relationship is a bit more complex, but it’s often in the small moments along the way that true happiness is found and built upon. The Mandalorian has also managed to build upon the small things, making for a more relatable storyline. So being, the adventures these characters have taken us on and the worlds they have taken us to have proven to be such a bright light in the troubled times we live in that no matter how it all ends, that’s what it will be remembered by. The journey itself. Good times!

  • ‘THE MANDALORIAN’ Chapter 13 Could Introduce a Surprise Character Alongside Ahsoka

    ‘THE MANDALORIAN’ Chapter 13 Could Introduce a Surprise Character Alongside Ahsoka

    In less than a day Chapter 13 of The Mandalorian will become available, and we will finally get our first look at Ahsoka Tano‘s live-action introduction to the Star Wars universe. Her appearance is welcomed by fans not only because many fell in love with the character through her The Clone Wars years, but also due to her connections to several other characters that also haven’t yet debuted in a live-action Star Wars project. This could then mean that there could be more than one character being introduced on tomorrow’s episode or that there could be at least some type of reference to some familiar name, just as Bo-Katan referenced Ahsoka herself in Chapter 11.

    The latter is probably the more likely since we’ve come to notice that even though we’ve been introduced to a number of new characters this season, each had it’s own episode to itself, not allowing for any sort of overshadowing to occur.

    So being, here is a list of characters that might get referenced in Chapter 13 “The Jedi.”

    Rex

    Captain Rex and Ahsoka first met when Anakin Skywalker was both Rex’s General and the then young Togruta’s Jedi Master during The Clone Wars. Throughout the conflict, Ahsoka and Rex grew closer, developing a friendship based on the respect shared between the two. When Emperor Palpatine issued Order 66, killing most of the Jedi, it was Rex that helped Ahsoka escape when her troops turned on her. A few years later they would meet again, before the events of A New Hope, as they both fought beside the Spectres in Star Wars Rebels in the events leading to the Battle of Yavin where the first Death Star was destroyed. Rex would then continue to fight with the Rebel Alliance up until the climactic Battle of Endor, which saw the (first) death of Emperor Palpatine. We know that sometime after the Empire was defeated, Ahsoka went looking for her friend, Ezra Bridger, that had disappeared while fighting Grand Admiral Thrawn a few years earlier. It isn’t clear if this was before or after the events of The Mandalorian (something Chapter 13 could shed a little light on), but either way, it would be fair to think that Rex could still be in contact with the former Jedi.

    Sabine Wren

    From the events at the end of Star Wars Rebels we know that both Sabine and Ahsoka remained in touch with each other after their adventures throughout the series. We also know for sure that Sabine joined Ahsoka on her search for Ezra. If The Mandalorian is indeed set after the beginning of their journey, and if Ezra is still missing, it would make sense that Sabine would still be with Ahsoka as both kept looking for clues as to where to find their missing friend. The other possibility is that Ahsoka has yet to reach out to Sabine, and the female Mandalorian is not with her but given Din Djarin’s armor Ahsoka could direct him to her, as she is both a Mandalorian and has her own connections to the Jedi. And the Darksaber for that matter.

    Thrawn

    When Ahsoka left to find Ezra, one of the paths to finding her friend would be to look for the other person that disappeared alongside him. Grand Admiral Thrawn. As we’ve seen in past episodes of The Mandalorian, the Empire is still not vanquished, and there might still be a number of officers left alive that might have played a part in trying to retrieve the missing Grand Admiral, at the request of the Emperor. If they managed to succeed, looking for Thrawn could bring Ahsoka one step closer to find Ezra. If Thrawn was still missing, all the clues gathered by the Empire could prove invaluable in reaching the missing Jedi.

    Ezra Bridger

    I sincerely doubt we’d find Ezra standing beside Ahsoka in this or any other The Mandalorian episode. Her journey to find her missing friend deserves it’s own series, be it an animated or live-action one. But there is no reason for Ahsoka not to mention the Jedi, as her life would have been somewhat dedicated to finding him after the promise she made. Although, if the events of The Mandalorian are set, not only after Ahsoka and Sabine left to retrieve their friend, but also after they find him, we shouldn’t expect any reference at all since that would be spoiling what is sure to be a great series, when Lucasfilm finally decides to tell the story of The Search for Ezra Bridger.

    Luke Skywalker

    The Mandalorian is set 9 years after the Battle of Yavin (ABY). We know that Luke’s Jedi academy (the one we saw burning in The Last Jedi) was already open in 15 ABY (when Ben Solo started his training), although it’s not clear when it started operating. But given that five years had passed since the Empire was defeated in the Battle of Endor, it would be fair to think that Luke was already at least welcoming the idea of opening a school to continue the Jedi legacy. Ahsoka is sure to know of the existence of Luke, her former Master’s son, and by being focused on the search for Ezra might ask Din Djarin to deliver The Child to him, so his training could continue/begin.

    Cal Kestis

    This one is a bit of a stretch. But The Mandalorian has, so far, already introduced a number of characters to the live-action Star Wars universe. We’ve got Cobb Vanth (a character from a novel), Bo-Katan and Ahsoka (from the cartoons), Boba Fett (from the Original Trilogy) as well as Snoke (Sequel Trilogy) and midi-chlorian references (Prequel Trilogy). One thing that could be in the cards is a reference to Cal Kestis, a character introduced in the 2019 videogame Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. There we followed Cal as he fought the forces of the Empire a mere five years after the events of Revenge of the Sith. By the time of the events of The Mandalorian Cal would still be in his forties, making him a valuable ally in whatever journey a fellow Jedi (or former Jedi) would find herself in.

  • ‘THE MANDALORIAN’: Chapter 13’s Runtime Might be Shorter Than Expected

    ‘THE MANDALORIAN’: Chapter 13’s Runtime Might be Shorter Than Expected

    The expectations surrounding Chapter 13 of The Mandalorian are probably as high as they’ve ever been after Ahsoka Tano got name-dropped in Chapter 11. The latest episode’s cliffhanger just added to the suspense. This hype all started before season 2 even premiered, when we learned that Dave Filoni would be directing the 13th installment of the Disney+ hit series. Considering the Ahsoka rumors had been building up for quite a while, it became rather obvious that everyone’s favorite Togruta would be making her live-action debut on November 27, 2020.

    As if we needed even more confirmation, a recent leak that had this week’s episode titled “The Jedi” made it clear that Din Djarin and he Child won’t have to embark on another sidequest before reaching Corvus, which Bo-Katan mentioned. Around the same time, reports came out stating that the episode’s runtime would be close to an hour, making it the longest one yet. But we are now hearing, through the FSK (the german Self-Regulatory Body of the Movie Industry) that the runtime of Chapter 13 will be closer to 45 minutes (similar to the season one finale’s 46 minutes), with Chapter 14 clocking in at a mere 32 minutes.

    The incredible episode that introduced Bo-Katan was just 31 minutes, so we shouldn’t be too concerned as The Mandalorian has managed to deliver even in the episodes with the shortest of runtimes. Luckily, the wait won’t be long anymore as the episode will finally air this Friday. It will be interesting to see our first live-action adaptation of the iconic character, especially after they translated Bo-Katan so well from one medium into another.

    Source: FSK

  • Naomi Scott Could Be Joining the Star Wars’ ‘KENOBI’ Series

    Naomi Scott Could Be Joining the Star Wars’ ‘KENOBI’ Series

    After the resounding success of The Mandalorian, Disney is ramping up the other live-action Star Wars shows already announced. Diego Luna is already in London getting ready for the unnamed Cassian Andor series, and now the yet-untitled Obi-Wan series is looking for a co-lead to star beside Ewan McGregor. In a recent report by The Illuminerdi, they stated that three actresses are going to enter the second round of the casting process. They are looking to cast a character that’s “A female BIPOC whose character details are being kept under wraps” mostly due to how a more specific description might be a bit too spoilery.

    The three actresses are Thuso Mbedu (Shuga), Anula Navlekar (What the Folks), and the more high profile Naomi Scott who recently worked with Disney in the Aladdin live-action remake. Some might also recognize her as the Kimberly Hart in the 2017 Power Rangers film. 

    The same report affirms that there are three other roles currently being cast, who are supporting characters with ages ranging from the late 20s to early 40s. With the number of characters from other Star Wars properties that The Mandalorian has been bringing into the spotlight, it’s perhaps likely that Lucasfilm will continue to do the same with both the Cassian and Kenobi series. Yet, at the same time, it would be unlikely any of them become series regulars, as their status might ask for something more substantial down the line, keeping them as more of a sort of connecting tissues between different projects for the time being. So expect these three roles to be for new characters, similar to Greef Karga and Cara Dune in The Mandalorian.

    For more details about this and other Star Wars projects, be sure to check out our feature What to Expect from the Star Wars Universe and When to Expect it.

  • ‘THE MANDALORIAN’ CHAPTER 12: A Lowkey Essential Installment

    ‘THE MANDALORIAN’ CHAPTER 12: A Lowkey Essential Installment

    One of the fundamental components of what makes Star Wars… well, Star Wars, is its Jedi mythology, the lightsabers, the whole Force component. This is what many people want to see in a Star Wars property. Yet, in late 2018 when Jon Favreau revealed the first details on The Mandalorian, this facet of the Star Wars universe wasn’t alluded to at all, focusing more on how the show would “follow the travails of a lone gunfighter in the outer reaches of the galaxy far from the authority of the New Republic”.

    However, when the series finally premiered it didn’t take long before unveiling how the Force would actually take center stage in the story they would be telling. After that Chapter 2 reveal, it took another six episodes for the Jedi to be mentioned by name by The Armorer, making their presence in the show was all but assured by having Din Djarin’s search for them a central part of the plot. Chapter 11 brought Din almost within striking distance of his goal when Bo-Katan disclosed the location of Ahsoka Tano, finally setting the stage for a reunion that a year ago no one knew they wanted but that now everyone seems to need.

    As we’ve written before, The Mandalorian isn’t about instant gratification and Djarin’s journey would get sidetracked one more time, delaying that Ahsoka Tano live-action debut for one more week. But as the show has proven to us time and time again, there’s always something deeply relevant to the plot hiding in plain sight in these apparent sidequests Djarin and The Child find themselves in every other week. Speaking of this season alone, Chapter 10 “The Passenger” also seemed a bit unnecessary, but that was until we realize that it was that episode that, in the end, made the Razor Crest have to go back to Nevarro for repair work, thus setting the stage for Chapter 12. And it was in this last episode that, even though we didn’t see Din getting any closer to his end goal, we got what is sure to be regarded as one of the most plot-heavy episodes of the entire series when it’s all said and done, adding to the overarching storyline that few have done before. And ironically, the Force was a huge part of that. Again, we got what we needed, even though we didn’t even know we wanted it in the first place.

    By veering away from the main storyline, by not immediately giving us the elements Star Wars is mostly known for, by delaying an appearance by the Jedi that will bring together (at least) two force-sensitive characters, by giving us what is easy to refer to as a simple “filler episode”, the future of the series became all the more clear, the stakes in the inevitable clash between characters were enhanced and the following episode, probably the most anticipated chapter yet, is now seemingly even more crucial as the show seems to be getting into its stride, with a more clear endgame. The tables are now most definitively set, the chess pieces are in place, and the second half of the season promises to become more than we expected, more than we wanted, but perhaps just what Star Wars needed.

  • ‘THE MANDALORIAN’ CHAPTER 12: An Ode to Fan Inclusion

    ‘THE MANDALORIAN’ CHAPTER 12: An Ode to Fan Inclusion

    For over forty years, Star Wars has managed to capture the imagination of various generations and different types of fans. A few of us grew up with the Original Trilogy, while others with the prequels or the sequels. Some are just into the movies, while others are into their cartoons, novels, or comics. The result is that, since everybody seems to be looking for something different to get out of the franchise, there are very few facets of it, besides John William‘s scores, that are unanimously well-received by everybody.

     

     

    But ever since The Mandalorian premiered a little over a year ago, it seems to be succeeding in tapping into a bit of everyone’s favorite type of “Star Wars” while making it all seamlessly fit into the story it’s trying to tell. Besides the obvious callbacks to the movies and cartoons (and even to the 1978 Star Wars Holiday Special with Din’s phase-pulse blaster), it has introduced relevant story elements and characters from many corners of the Star Wars universe, components integral to moving the plot forward. And so, every side of the fandom seems to have been able to find something in the show that makes them smile as if it was personally directed at them.

    Season 2 has been prolific in this regard. After Cobb Vanth (a character from the novels) and Boba Fett (from the OT), we got Bo-Katan, and an Ahsoka name-drop (both from The Clone Wars and Rebels), as well as the beginnings of what is sure to become the sequel trilogy’s First Order in Moff Giddeon’s army/fleet. And Chapter 12 is a sort of microcosm of all of this, as in less than forty minutes, it manages to bring together several periods of Star Wars history.

     

     

    We get Return of the Jedi with the Scout Troopers on their speeder bikes. We see The Last Jedi‘s DJ with the reference to “slicing” when at the Imperial research base (or is there an even bigger reference to the Sequel Trilogy and that’s an early version of Snoke in the tanks?). And then we get something that is sure to take the show to new heights as it references the Phantom Menace when Doctor Pershing mentions “M-count” which is an obvious reference to… Midi-chlorians. It builds on Chapter 3 when Din Djarin rescues Baby Yoda (who we knew to be force-sensitive) from a laboratory. This small mention is a confirmation that the show is bringing back one of the most controversial aspects of the Prequel Trilogy in what can only be described as one of the most monumental choices made in the shows’ entire run. Nonetheless, it’s a choice that validates that specific Prequel Trilogy side of the fandom, making everyone feel embraced. The Mandalorian has evolved into a show that welcomes new fans by being a great starting point into the Star Wars Universe but also pays tribute to what came before. It delivers on the magic and quirkiness of the original movies, it made everyone fall in love with Baby Yoda and even managed to unite three generations of fans under a single banner: their love of Star Wars.

  • Tentative ‘THE MANDALORIAN’ Chapter 13 Title Hints at Ahsoka’s Appearance

    Tentative ‘THE MANDALORIAN’ Chapter 13 Title Hints at Ahsoka’s Appearance

    Ever since it became known that Dave Filoni would be directing Chapter 13 of The Mandalorian, the idea that this would mark Ahsoka Tano’s live-action introduction established itself as an almost certainty. We’ve all been anxiously waiting for her appearance on the show. Bo-Katan’s mention of her just made the wait even more difficult, as we never got an official announcement when we can expect her. Disney’s approach to marketing this weekly release has been surprisingly subtle with the episodes carrying the weight of what may be to come. Today, after the release of Chapter 12, the TV listings over at OSN.com gave us yet another hint that this should really be the case, as Chapter 13 seems to be titled “The Jedi”.

     

     

    One week from today we’ll all know for sure, but everything from the director to the storyline seems to be in place for the debut of everyone’s favorite Togruta on November 27. Ahsoka has become a staple of the Star Wars franchise ever since her debut on The Clone Wars. The last time we saw her was in Rebels, which took place before the original trilogy. It will be interesting to see her reaction to the Child. Din Djarin, our titular Mandalorian, also seems to have no knowledge of the Jedi Council that existed long before the Empire ruled the galaxy. Her addition could also hint at many more iconic characters from the extended franchise making an appearance, such as Rebels Ezra Bridger and Sabine Wren. Hopefully, we only have to wait one more week until she finally makes her The Mandalorian debut and, just maybe, find out more about the Child’s origin.

    Source: OSN

  • ‘MS. MARVEL’: Shedding Some Light on Today’s Set Pictures.

    ‘MS. MARVEL’: Shedding Some Light on Today’s Set Pictures.

    We finally got our first look at Iman Vellani in character as Kamala Khan through some set pictures that seem to cover different scenes from the upcoming Ms. Marvel Disney+ show.

    In these pictures, we get to see Kamala riding a bike, her go-to mode of transportation, while displaying her Carol Danvers love by wearing a Captain Marvel helmet. But the more interesting set is the one where we see her at night, with a friend (most likely Bruno Carrelli, that ended up being the only of Kamala’s friends that knew of her Ms. Marvel secret identity), on what should be her parent’s house doorstep.

    The first thing we notice is that both are wearing costumes. Kamala a Captain Marvel one, while Bruno looks an awful lot like Bruce Banner. The helmet he is seen wearing seems a bit out of character, but since Kamala also has her’s attached to her backpack, the explanation should be a simple one: They both were out with their bikes. And why would two highschool kids be out at night? The costumes seem to indicate that this scene should be set during Halloween which makes them being out understandable – and could we be looking at a Halloween 2021 release date? – and it also takes us to a cool reference from Ms. Marvel #1 from 2014.

    The Halloween perspective is interesting. It helps to immediately set up Kamala’s personality, how she loves Carol, and also makes her connection to Bruno an easy one to understand – they both love the Avengers -. It also gives Kamala a reason to stay up late, breaking the curfew her strict parents usually impose on her.

    And that’s what we see Bruno helping her with on the following set pictures. She’s trying to get to her room through her window so as not to compromise herself by using the front door. Could this be the night where she gets her powers? In the comics the night she gets exposed to the Terrigen Mist, which gives her polymorphic powers, she was alone. She had left Bruno behind and got home looking like Captain Marvel as she was still getting used to her powers. So, unless her powers now only surface overnight, like in 2002’s Spider-Man, these shots should be from an earlier night, that might set up the night she gains her powers. Kamala always tried to respect what her parents asked of her, but once she broke curfew there was little stopping her from doing it again. So maybe an honest mistake on Halloween is what made her stay out late later or, as she began her journey as Ms. Marvel.