Murphy's Multiverse

Author: Torbjorn Frazier

  • The 5 Best Villains in the Marvel Cinematic Universe

    The 5 Best Villains in the Marvel Cinematic Universe

    Chris Hemsworth and the cast of the film have been ever busy with promoting Marvel Studios’ latest project, Thor: Love and Thunder. In that process, Hemsworth has described Christian Bale’s Gorr the God Butcher as his “favorite villain” to work against in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. 

    This quote from the lead actor has stirred me into thinking who would qualify as my personal favorite villain within the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. With this being a truly daunting task, I’ve thought up a list of my five favorite villains from the MCU. Before getting into this specific list, I want to make it specifically clear that this is a list of my favorite villains and not necessarily the best villains (in whatever metric you may qualify that to be). These are five characters whose film appearances resonated the most with me for a plethora of reasons, and I encourage the notion of thinking up which five would be your favorites.

    Willem Dafoe as Norman Osborn / Green Goblin

    5) Norman Osborn / Green Goblin (Earth-96283) – Spider-Man: No Way Home

    The argument could be made that Willem Dafoe’s portrayal of the classic villain is technically an MCU villain due to him coming from the universe of the Sam Raimi-directed Spider-Man films, but Green Goblin’s now intrinsic ties to the life of Tom Holland’s Peter Parker should qualify him as a definitive MCU antagonist. Having grown up with said Raimi-directed films, the absurdist camp of Dafoe chewing scenery in his descent into madness left a large imprint on myself and specific turns of phrase were in my lexicon well before Spider-Man: No Way Home. Though with the news of his return into this role in the 2021 blockbuster, I held some reservations that he (and the other returning characters) would feel too incongruous with the more slightly subtle tones of what the Marvel Cinematic Universe had done with Spider-Man. Though fortunately, not only did this version of Norman Osborn fit in extremely well with Holland, I’d argue the campiness of the character enhanced the performance. Willem Dafoe adeptly balanced both sides of the sympathetic figure of a man trapped by a demon inside of him and the sinister villain who killed this universe’s Aunt May and drove Peter into nearly becoming a killer. He was the perfect type of villain to help transition Holland’s Spider-Man into the seemingly more adult version that will continue into the future.

    Daniel Bruhl as Helmut Zemo

    4) Helmut Zemo – Captain America: Civil War

    What makes Daniel Brühl‘s portrayal of Helmut Zemo such a memorable villain for me in the history of the MCU is the distinct lack of physical action we see him undertake. Whereas essentially every other villain from the Marvel Cinematic Universe made their claim for power through overt action, Zemo got what he wanted through acting in the shadows and through the power of words. This Machiavellian approach felt extremely fresh at the time of Captain America: Civil War’s release and he still remains one of the most unique villains from the franchise. And then of course, there’s the worthwhile discourse that Zemo is arguably the most effective villain in the MCU thanks to being the catalyst of the Avengers disassembling through only a few distinct actions. 

    Michael B. Jordan as Killmonger

    3) N’Jadaka / Erik Stevens / Killmonger – Black Panther

    For a film like Black Panther, its primary villain is what moves the film from a really strong entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe to an all-time classic. The strong working relationship between director Ryan Coogler and actor Michael B. Jordan is ever present in how much the movie is carried by the actions and motivations of Killmonger (though I certainly don’t mean that as a slight on anyone else involved in the strong ensemble cast). For me, watching Killmonger throughout Black Panther is akin to watching a Shakespearean performance of King Richard III in his titular play or Iago in Othello. There will always be something exciting and intriguing seeing a villain being able to strategically navigate the world around him and end up in ultimate power, only to have a dramatic fall by the end of their story. And what especially makes Killmonger a majorly compelling character is having justifiable motivations for his actions in the world around that has genuinely unfairly wronged him. Some of the most interesting villains to watch are those that have the right moral justifications, but carry them out immorally.

    Josh Brolin as Thanos

    2) Thanos – Avengers: Infinity War

    While Thanos serves as the main antagonist for both Infinity War and Endgame, I particularly want to focus on why the former portrayal of the character is especially one of my favorite MCU villains. The level of nuance that Thanos brings to the table on his quest for all six Infinity Stones was a pleasant surprise for some audience members (including myself). This was a character that very easily could’ve been portrayed as an ultimate “man in the chair” that orchestrates his villainous scheme from a distance while focusing on the large Avengers roster before a large final battle. However, Infinity War gives Josh Brolin some substantial material to work with in terms of character development by making him essentially the protagonist of one of the highest anticipated major blockbuster films. When Marvel Studios could have simply made Thanos the personification of pure evil, they instead made him a complicated figure that truly believes he is acting for the good of the universe (even though his actions clearly show that he isn’t). It was a genuinely risky decision by Marvel Studios, and I greatly appreciate that risk and how well it ended up playing out for them. And on the point of risky decisions, the most critical component for making him one of my favorite cinematic villains is him ultimately being successful in his resoundly defeating Earth’s mightiest heroes destroying half of the universe’s life. While it was obvious in the moment that the killed heroes would rise again by Endgame the following year, it still remains one of the most bold endings to a major studio film and solidified this film as the Star Wars: Empire Strikes Back of this generation. And Avengers: Infinity War would certainly have not reached that status without the all-time great portrayal of Thanos.

    Jake Gyllenhaal as Mysterio

    1) Quentin Beck / Mysterio – Spider-Man: Far From Home

    While generally well received by audiences as an enjoyable villain, I certainly expect this to be considered to be an at least unconventional #1 pick for favorite Marvel Cinematic Universe villain. However, Jake Gyllenhaal gives an all-time great and multi-layered performance as Mysterio that consistently rings in my mind a favorite character from this decade-plus long cinematic saga. While I certainly feel strongly about nuanced characters with complex motivations (as seen in my entries of Zemo, Killmonger, and Thanos), I can find equally great enjoyment out of a villain who has essentially no real redeeming qualities. Quentin Beck is simply an absolute irredeemable villain in his vain attempt to enter the world of celebrity and total willingness to outright murder a teenager. Plus his showmanship is extremely memorable, between his iconic revealing monologue and multi-layered illusion on Spider-Man in Berlin. What I find most interesting with Mysterio is Gyllenhaal’s master-class in acting with this role. Quentin Beck is played as a fairly wooden and generic superhero for the first half Far From Home, and it reaches the point that one could think it’s just an outright bad performance on a first viewing. However, the turn at the midpoint of the film is both extremely fun to watch and recontextualizes his entire role in the film as part of his master scheme (which makes this film extremely rewatchable in my book). Jake Gyllenhaal looks like he’s having the time of his life as an unhinged, vapid Hollywood-esque, mustache-twirling lunatic. And of course Mysterio is responsible for providing this version of Spider-Man with my favorite live-action action scenes with the character throughout the third act. Then of course comes the notion that Mysterio is the catalyst for the status-quo breaking events for Peter Parker, which places him in my pantheon of enjoyable villains that at least semi-successfully achieve their goals.

    Of course, this whole thought experiment is ultimately subjective, and I’m very certain any reader of this will have their own variations on a “Top Five Favorite Marvel Cinematic Universe Villain” list. That in itself has been critical in making Marvel Studios as successful as it has been. And hopefully we will be able to see new villains that could be included on these types of lists in the near future as Phase Four continues.

  • Steven Yeun Reuniting with Bong Jo Hoo for New Film

    Steven Yeun Reuniting with Bong Jo Hoo for New Film

    Star actor Steven Yeun will be reuniting with director Bong Jo Hoo from the film Okja for a new feature with Warner Bros. While currently untitled, the project will be based on the Edward Ashton dystopian science fiction novel Mickey7. In addition to Yeun, the film is set to also star Robert Pattinson, Naomi Ackie, Mark Ruffalo, and Toni Collette.

    Bong Jo Hoo is set to write, direct, and produce the film under his production company Offscreen. This will be Hoo’s first project since 2019’s genre-blending film Parasite, which found large amounts of critical acclaim including being bestowed the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival and a massive array of Academy Award victories. These included best International Feature Film, Best Original Screenplay, Best Director, and the first non-English language film to win Best Picture.

    Meanwhile, for Steven Yeun, he is recently coming off of his critically acclaimed and award-nominated performance in Minari. In terms of other upcoming projects, Yeun notably is part of Jordan Peele’s latest horror project Nope alongside Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer, which is slated to open in theaters on July 22. As well later this year, the actor will star opposite Ali Wong in the Netflix and A24 co-produced series Beef.

    In terms of this film project, the novel Mickey7 is based around the concept of Expendables, who are disposable employees on a quest to colonize the ice world of Niflheim. From there, the novel chronicles the dangerous and death-inspiring journey the titular Mickey7 and others go on. Though as is the case with Bong Jo Hoo adaptations, there is certainly the chance that the acclaimed directors takes liberties from the source material. It certainly will be interesting to see if this project can join the pantheon of high-quality projects from both Hoo and Yeun.

    Souce: Deadline

  • Duffer Brothers Working on Multiple ‘Stranger Things’ Spinoffs

    Duffer Brothers Working on Multiple ‘Stranger Things’ Spinoffs

    As Stranger Things 4 remains in the cultural zeitgeist for some more time past its recent release, news is beginning to circulate about new projects within the universe that will be in the works down the road. Firstly, The Duffer Brothers are officially launching Upside Down Pictures, a subsidiary production company under Netflix. The notable duo has hired experienced television executive Hilary Leavitt to run the organization. In a statement, The Duffer Brothers discussed their excitement for her to have an active role in their company.

    It didn’t take long into our first meeting with Hilary, where we bonded over films like Jaws, Home Alone and Speed, to know we had found a kindred spirit. Hilary’s passion for storytelling is perhaps matched only by her passion for the storytellers themselves, for whom she is fiercely protective. No wonder so many writers and directors are drawn to working with her. She is a rare talent indeed, and we feel extremely grateful to have her at our side as we build Upside Down Pictures.

    The Duffer Brothers

    With the formation of this production company, news of the first batch of projects under their banner is being unveiled. Namely, a live-action Stranger Things spinoff series also created by The Duffer Brothers is in development. Not much is known about who and what will be covered in this new series. And with the large ensemble of characters still around, it’s hard to determine main contending options (assuming that the series will directly follow any of the current main cast of characters).

    As well, Upside Down Pictures will follow the footsteps of the Harry Potter franchise, as a stage play set within the world, and the mythology of Stranger Things is currently in the works. Director Stephen Daldry of The Crown, Billy Elliot, and The Reader fame will be helming this project. It certainly will be fascinating to see if this universe and franchise can be successfully transposed into the stage medium. And overall, it will be a story worth following to see if these ancillary Stranger Things projects will have legs to stand on, especially when the series ultimately reaches its near conclusion.

    Source: Deadline, The Hollywood Reporter 

  • James Cameron Reveals Runtime for ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’

    James Cameron Reveals Runtime for ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’

    Audiences should prepare for another long-form entry in the return to the Avatar franchise at the end of this year. Avatar: The Way of Water is currently slated to have a run-time of around three hours according to director James Cameron. This comes after the original 2009 film held a run-time of approximately two hours and forty minutes. And with this gargantuan length to the project, Cameron has been very opinionated in being firmly antagonistic towards those who feel negative about this.

    I don’t want anybody whining about length when they sit and binge-watch [television] for eight hours. I can almost write this part of the review. ‘The agonizingly long three-hour movie…’ It’s like, give me a fucking break. I’ve watched my kids sit and do five one-hour episodes in a row. Here’s the big social paradigm shift that has to happen: it’s okay to get up and go pee.

    James Cameron

    And despite the original film being the highest-grossing of all time (unadjusted for inflation) having earned $2.84 billion at the box office, James Cameron also has gone out of his way to be vocal in his ardent disdain towards those who generally have a negative perception of the original Avatar film.

    The trolls will have it that nobody gives a shit and they can’t remember the characters’ names or one damn thing that happened in the movie. Then they see the movie again and go, ‘Oh, okay, excuse me, let me just shut the fuck up right now.’ So I’m not worried about that.

    James Cameron

    Ultimately, it remains to be seen whether or not Avatar: The Way of Water will successfully shut down the “trolls” or if Cameron is simply just providing more ammunition for those that disagree with his perspective.

    Avatar: The Way of Water opens in theaters on December 16, 2022, and stars the likes of Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver and Kate Winslet.

    Source: Variety 

  • Duffer Brothers Hope for a Shorter ‘Stranger Things’ Final Season

    Duffer Brothers Hope for a Shorter ‘Stranger Things’ Final Season

    One of the major talking points coming out of Stranger Things Season 4 has been the gargantuan length of the season. The season ultimately clocked in with a run-time of just under 13 hours, including the final two episodes running for quite the extended runtime. However, The Duffer Brothers seemingly intend to keep the show’s final season shorter than this current one though still on the longer side compared to the first three entries of Stranger Things.

    We thought Season 4 was going to be eight [episodes], and they were going to be regular length. So if you had interviewed us before four, that’s what I would’ve said. I think we’re aiming for eight again. We don’t want it to be 13 hours. We’re aiming for more like 10 hours or something. I think it’s going to be longer than Season 1 because we just have so much to wrap up, but I don’t think it’s going to be as long as Season 4.

    Matt Duffer

    The Duffer Brothers further elaborated on some of the narrative rationales for a slight change of pace between seasons four and five.

    This season, for instance, it was two hours before our characters even realized the monster was killing people in Hawkins. They know what the threat is now, and so that will help speed it up.

    Ross Duffer

    This certainly will be music to the ears of those that felt this latest season of Stranger Things was too arduous in length and scope to fully appreciate. Even still, it very likely would still be necessary for Stranger Things‘s next season to hold a slightly extended runtime as a means to ensure everyone in the vast main ensemble has a proper resolution to their arcs. And then also being able to immediately jump in and know what the threat will be alongside the character especially has the potential to engage fans more optimally.

    Stranger Things is currently available to watch in completion on Netflix after the release of its second volume of episodes on July 1st. You can find our own review of this final batch of episodes by clicking here. 

    Source: Collider

  • Update on Timeline for ‘Stranger Things’ Writers Room

    Update on Timeline for ‘Stranger Things’ Writers Room

    With the recent release of the now complete fourth season of Stranger Things, questions are already being asked about the timeline for when fans can expect to watch the fifth and final season of the series. Unfortunately, fans will most likely have another relatively long wait to see how the hit Netflix series comes to an end. In an interview with Collider, series creators The Duffer Brothers provided a timeline for when the new season’s writing process would begin.

    We’re going to take a little vacation in July. And then we’re going to come back. I know that the writer’s room is going to start in that first week of August.

    The Duffer Brothers

    Between August marking the beginning of the official writer’s room and the expansive production time that has now gone into Stranger Things, fans should temper their expectations on the show having its ultimate resolution in the near future. Though a potentially optimistic sign for the speed of this writing process is The Duffer Brothers also revealing that the overall planning for the final season is slightly ahead of schedule than if it was to be just written cold turkey beginning at the start of August.

    We had all the scripts before we started shooting, so we could look at the whole thing as a whole. And we outlined all of five. So it really is four and five or like of a piece, and this was due to the six-month hiatus that we had due to the pandemic. So we don’t typically have as much time. It usually feels like the train is going down the tracks and Ross and I and our writers are just throwing down track as we’re going, once we’re halfway through the season. And for the first time ever, we were able to look at it globally, not just Season Four, but Season Five as well.

    The Duffer Brothers

    It certainly will be interesting to see how Stranger Things wraps up with the attention of the watching world around it. Essentially all that’s known at this point is that there will be some sort of time jump between the ending of the fourth season and the beginning of the fifth. This is very likely a wise decision with the young cast rapidly aging out of the high school-age characters they’re portraying, and will especially be the case with it still being a ways away from actually entering production.

    Stranger Things 4 is now available to watch in completion on Netflix after the release of its second volume of episodes on July 1st. You can find our own review of this final batch of episodes here. 

    Source: Collider

  • ‘Avatar’ 4 and 5 Might Not be Directed by James Cameron

    ‘Avatar’ 4 and 5 Might Not be Directed by James Cameron

    The Avatar franchise is preparing to go full force in terms of expanding its presence on the cinematic landscape. Following more than a decade since the 2009 release of the original film, director James Cameron is bringing his vision back to the big screen with Avatar: The Way of Water releasing in December of this year. The sequel will be followed by another, untitled sequel scheduled for 2024. This is all part of Cameron’s lofty vision of creating a multi-film saga set in the same universe. 

    Though the team behind the franchise is hopeful for being able to produce the conclusion of this saga in the near future with fourth and fifth films being produced together, it may not be James Cameron helming these two installments. When speaking with Empire about the imminent release of Avatar: The Way of Water, the renowned director discussed the possibility that he might pass the reigns to another filmmaker for the next two-film chapter.

    The Avatar films themselves are kind of all-consuming. I’ve got some other things I’m developing as well that are exciting. I think eventually over time – I don’t know if that’s after three or after four – I’ll want to pass the baton to a director that I trust to take over, so I can go do some other stuff that I’m also interested in. Or maybe not. I don’t know.

    James Cameron

    This feels like a surprising revelation based on how passionately James Cameron has spoken about and worked in the world of Avatar. Especially with it being the hypothetical end of the franchise, it’s hard to not see Cameron be the one to direct this conclusion. Even if he does step away from the director’s chair, Cameron would remain greatly passionate for what these films mean to him and would very likely still have large amounts of control over this world.

    Everything I need to say about family, about sustainability, about climate, about the natural world, the themes that are important to me in real life and in my cinematic life, I can say on this canvas. I got more excited as I went along. Movie four is a corker. It’s a motherfucker. I actually hope I get to make it. But it depends on market forces. Three is in the can so it’s coming out regardless. I really hope that we get to make four and five because it’s one big story, ultimately.

    James Cameron

    Avatar: The Way of Water stars Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Kate Winslet, and Sigourney Weaver. The film is slated to open exclusively in theaters on December 16, 2022.

    Source: Empire Online 

  • Ms. Marvel Co-Creator on How They Approached Kamala’s New Powers in the MCU

    Ms. Marvel Co-Creator on How They Approached Kamala’s New Powers in the MCU

    As Marvel Studios’ latest series Ms. Marvel continues its run on Disney+, critics and fans alike have held near-universal praise for how much Iman Vellani’s portrayal as Kamala Khan has felt like she was just ripped from the comic pages. While some still hold questions as to why her power-set was switched from polymorphing to being able to create cosmic light constructs and why they’ve seemingly removed any connections she’s had to the Inhumans, the reception has been overwhelmingly positive.

    In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Sana Amanat, who co-created the character in the comics, discussed her role in helping shepherd the character from the comics to the screen and some rationale for changing some of the specifics of her backstory.

    I came on for this project, specifically to shepherd it into production, and work with the writer’s room that [head writer] Bisha [K. Ali] and her team put together. They were trying to steep the story in a different kind of mythos that was one linked to larger MCU stories, but also linked a little bit to the lore of Islamic and Asian mythology. My first thought when I came in was, “well, people are going to be really mad we changed these powers.”

    Sana Amanat

    She goes on to highlight how they wanted to use the show to explore an aspect that didn’t get as much focus in the comics.

    I was very aware of what we were walking into. But supervising producer Jenna Berger understood that the show needed to have a balance of what made the comic so special and unique, while at the same time evolving it and making it a true adaptation. That was Kevin’s first challenge to me. He was like, “can you adapt this? You’re so close to the comic, do you think you can adapt this?” I think I took up to that challenge of saying, “Okay, well, the thing that captivates me the most was this story about Kamala and her lineage and her past.” There were only a few issues that were done about it in the comics. I told Bisha, “no matter what we do, the story of the show is this lineage,” which we didn’t really delve into in the comics. Yet, there’s a lot of things that they did pull from the comics that, so the essence of the comics are in the show. I think that’s really how we found that balance.

    Sana Amanet

    At least from the first four episodes of the series, there is no denying that the concept of lineage is ever-present by focusing heavily on Kamala’s distant relatives and the bracelet that connects to both her powers and her heritage. And this has generally been well received by the show’s audience, even with its deviation from the original source material.

    It certainly can be argued that tying the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Kamala Khan towards Islamic mythology is more emotionally resonant than connecting her with the Inhumans, a concept that hasn’t been established within the universe beyond the critically panned television series (that very likely will be decanonized, if it hasn’t been already). The debate about whether or not it was worth making these changes to Kamala Khan’s powers will continue (and will likely continue for the foreseeable future), but if nothing else, Sana Amanat and the team behind the Ms. Marvel series certainly have their reasoning for it.

    Source: EW

  • ‘Dune: Part Two’ Faces Slight Delay, Eyeing November 2023 Release

    ‘Dune: Part Two’ Faces Slight Delay, Eyeing November 2023 Release

    Fans of the Dune franchise will have to wait slightly longer for the second installment of the film series. It has officially been announced today that Dune: Part Two will be moving to a new release date of November 17, 2023. This however is only a one-month shift as the highly anticipated sequel was originally scheduled to release on October 20, 2023. There is no official confirmation for the reason for the delay, but having that much more hypothetical time to work on any post-production visual effects can only serve to make Dune: Part Two that much better.

    The first Dune film of this new franchise released in 2021 covers predominantly the first half of the 1965 classic science fiction novel by Frank Herbert. In it, the story of Paul Atreides (portrayed by Timothee Chalamet) is told as he navigates the sand planet of Arrakis, manages the socio-political landscape of the world around him both on-planet and in the surrounding universe, and comes to terms with being destined for great leadership as a messiah-type figure. Alongside Chalamet, the original film stars the likes of Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgard, Dave Bautista, Jason Mamoa, Javier Bardem, and Zendaya.

    Director Denis Villeneuve is returning to helm the second part of this film series after directing the 2021 adaptation. In addition to the return of numerous cast members in the first part, the sequel is set to introduce Florence Pugh as Princess Irulan, Austin Butler as Feyd-Rautha, Christopher Walken as Emperor Shaddam IV, and Lea Seydoux as Lady Margot.

    Source: Variety

  • ‘Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery’ Set to Premiere at Toronto International Film Festival

    ‘Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery’ Set to Premiere at Toronto International Film Festival

    The highly anticipated Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) has just added one more reason to be excited about the event. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery is slated to have its world premiere at TIFF. The event is scheduled to run in full form after the pandemic forced it to a smaller scale affair last year from September 8 through September 18. However, it is unknown at this time which specific date the film will be showcased. This release will follow the precedent established with the first Knives Out, which debuted at the 2019 version of TIFF.

    With the world premiere date for the sequel being slated for the Toronto International Film Festival, the assumption could be made that Glass Onion will follow suit with the original Knives Out and have its official release on Netflix in mid-November of this year. This would in theory be in line with the announcement of the “holiday season” release for the film with the title reveal teaser.

    The news of the official premiere date will be exciting for fans as more information about the sequel project has been released. The title of Glass Onion came out earlier this month along with writer and director Rian Johnson explaining that this film (and any other future installments in the franchise) will be a different type of variation on the mystery genre, much like the classic stories by Agatha Christie.

    Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery is written and directed by Rian Johnson, who also helmed the original film in the franchise. The film will see the return of Daniel Craig into the role of detective Benoit Blanc as he solves a new mystery with a new ensemble of characters around him. The all-star supporting cast for the project consists of the likes of Edward Norton, Janelle Monae, Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr, Jessica Henwick, Madelyn Cline, Kate Hudson, and Dave Bautista. It will certainly be interesting to continue to learn more about what this highly anticipated film has in store in the coming months before its release.

    Source: Variety