Murphy's Multiverse

Author: Torbjorn Frazier

  • ‘Wakanda Forever’ Producer Discusses Talokan and the Threat of Namor

    ‘Wakanda Forever’ Producer Discusses Talokan and the Threat of Namor

    Namor the Sub-Mariner is one of the few remaining marquee Marvel characters to never appear on the silver screen but now Tenoch Huerta is prepared to introduce the character in a major way as the antagonist of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Wakanda Forever afforded Ryan Coogler the ability to build another civilization into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While speaking with ScreenRant about the upcoming project, producer Nate Moore discussed this concept and how connections between Wakanda and Talokan (the Mayan-influenced version of Atlantis) play a major role in the sequel.

    Because there’s such an interesting contrast between Talokan and Wakanda, that’s [what] I think drew Ryan as a storyteller to Namor in the first place. Obviously, there’s a history in publishing of Namor and Atlantis and the Black Panther and Wakanda being at loggerheads because they’re both such powerful nations that have such autonomy. But to also tell the story of colonization through the perspective of two people who’ve experienced it so differently made for a really interesting collision of ideologies.

    Nate Moore

    The themes of colonization and cultural identities are right within the wheelhouse of Ryan Coogler as a filmmaker. If he can keep the momentum that he brought with the original Black Panther (alongside his other directorial triumphs), then Wakanda Forever has all the earmarks to be another resonant classic. In that line of thinking, the Black Panther sequel could certainly match the quality of the first with another villain on the level of Michael B. Jordan’s Killmonger. Early reviews of the film seem to indicate he’s hit the mark with Namor. Nate Moore further elaborated on the idea of Namor being a major threat and how that plays into the infrastructure of Wakanda.

    Namor’s such a powerful character. It’s hard to think of anybody who could challenge Wakanda, right? It’s the most technologically advanced nation in the world. At times, it has a Black Panther, if not the Dora Milaje. Man, who’s going to scare these guys? That is a very short list. And all of a sudden they’re faced with somebody who’s more powerful than anybody they have, and it forces them to respond in a different way than any other person would, really. Namor is such an important character that you have to commit time to get to know him. So, it’s not like you can throw him into an ensemble and say, “Also this guy.” You want to take the time to build out that world. Hopefully, we were able to achieve that with the same love and dedication to the details as we did with Wakanda in the first movie.

    Nate Moore

    It certainly will be interesting to follow the audience’s response to the character and see if Namor will have the longevity of other notable antagonists of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever opens exclusively in theaters on November 11, 2022.

    Source: ScreenRant

  • Netflix to Adapt ‘Gears of War’ for Feature Film and Animated Series

    Netflix to Adapt ‘Gears of War’ for Feature Film and Animated Series

    Another marquee video game franchise has officially found its streaming home. It has been revealed that Netflix has acquired the media rights to produce projects based around the Gears of War video game series. This comes after what has been described as a competitive negotiation process over the past number of months. The franchise had gradually become one of the most successful for the Xbox consoles. The announcement comes on the 16th anniversary of the franchise launch.

    After coming out as the victors in the bidding war, Netflix has high aims for Gears of War to become a stalwart for the service, including the production of a live-action feature film based on the franchise. This will then be followed by transitioning the intellectual property into an adult-animated series. No creative member has yet to be attached to either project. If both the film and the animated series go well, then Netflix would then plan to further expand the franchise. Video game adaptations have tended to be a mixed bag for the film industry, and with that in mind, it would be wise to not get too far ahead of expectations for this new acquisition by Netflix when there’s still a great deal of time before the release of the first project.

    The Gears of War video games are set on a planet in the midst of a societal collapse due to the arrival of the Locust, a species of creatures from the underground that have taken control of above. It is then the responsibility of the Delta Squad and their leader Marcus Fenix to lead the last hope for humanity.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • Daniel Kaluuya to Voice Spider-Punk in ‘Across the Spider-Verse’

    Daniel Kaluuya to Voice Spider-Punk in ‘Across the Spider-Verse’

    The ensemble of the animated Spider-Verse is expanding even more for the upcoming sequel. It has officially been announced that Academy Award-winning actor Daniel Kaluuya will be playing Spider-Punk in 2023’s Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. While many of the characters in the film are Peter Parker Variants, the Spider-Punk mantle is a Variant of a character named Hobie Brown. He joins an already stacked voice cast including Shameik Moore, Hailee Steinfeld, Oscar Isaac, Jake Johnson, Issa Rae, and Jason Schwartzman among others. The film is being directed by the trio of Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, and Justin K. Thompson.

    Not much is known about what the sequel will entail, but it is confirmed that it will follow Miles Morales (Moore) on a new multiverse-traversing mission with a new team of Spider-people. These include reuniting with Spider-Gwen (Steinfeld) and Peter B. Parker (Johnson) while meeting the likes of Jessica Drew’s Spider-Woman (Rae), Spider-Man 2099 (Isaac), and now Daniel Kaluuya’s Spider-Punk. It has also been confirmed that Spot, played by Jason Schwartzman, will be the main antagonist of the project.

    Hobie Brown/Spider-Punk, a homeless teenager who fights to represent the oppressed citizens of New York City in his universe, was created by writer Dan Slott in 2014. Having an actor with the stature of Daniel Kaluuya voicing the role seems to indicate a major role for Spider-Punk in this upcoming sequel. Kaluuya is best known for his Academy Award-winning performance in Judas and the Black Messiah alongside his lead roles in both of Jordan Peele’s Get Out and Nope.

    Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is scheduled to release theatrically on June 2, 2023.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • ‘Andor’ Season 2 Revisit a Familiar Planet

    ‘Andor’ Season 2 Revisit a Familiar Planet

    As Andor continues to build momentum in its strongly performing first season on Disney+ eyes have begun to shift towards the future the new Star Wars streaming stalwart. As the writer’s room for the show developed new ideas for season two, new information has been revealed about what audiences should expect. While sitting down with Collider, series creator Tony Gilroy discussed the inclusion of new writer Tom Bissell to the writer’s room and a classic Star Wars location that will debut in the series down the road.

    Tom Bissell is a really cool and really, really interesting, versatile, really good writer. But also a very, very, very big Star Wars fan, which we really wanted to make sure we had another pro because we’re going into Rogue [One], and we’re going to Yavin, and then we’re going into places where we eventually need to really weave our way back to the source. So Tom came in, and he’s been great. So he’s got some episodes too.

    Tony Gilroy

    This bit of news should be interesting for Star Wars fans as it could potentially provide a new distinct angle for a key component to the original films. Yavin was a primary location for the climax of A New Hope, and getting time to further establish the locale can help enrich the classic films from George Lucas in a new light (much like Rogue One and Andor have done thus far). In addition, the interview confirmed that production for the second season is set to begin on November 21st of this year.

    Andor stars Diego Luna in the titular role of Cassian Andor alongside a deep ensemble cast of supporting characters. The tenth episode of Andor is set to arrive on the Disney+ streaming platform on Wednesday, November 9.

    Source: Collider

  • Tenoch Huerta on Whether or Not Namor is the Villain of ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’

    Tenoch Huerta on Whether or Not Namor is the Villain of ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’

    With Black Panther: Wakanda Forever having its World Premiere last night, the world now waits in anticipation for its turn to see the Marvel Studios sequel. One of the major standouts from the early reactions has been Tenoch Huerta, who portrays film’s main antagonist: Namor the Sub-Mariner. While talking with Variety during the premiere’s red carpet, this is what Huerta, disagreed with the notion that he’s the villain of the film.

    This is a guy who protects his people, his culture, every meaningful thing in his kingdom. From my perspective, everyone around the world can identify with this. So I don’t know if he’s a “villain” or is just a guy trying whatever the cost is to protect.

    Tenoch Huerta

    The concept of relatability has been a generally consistent factor with some of the best Marvel Cinematic Universe villains, and it certainly is an exciting notion to hear about this trait with Namor. One of the most compelling elements of Namor and the whole of Talokan in Wakanda Forever is the heavy influence of Mayan culture on their civilization. It provides Ryan Coogler with the opportunity to world-build another historically-based culture into the Marvel Cinematic Universe made up of generally underrepresented peoples in the film industry. This is a concept that Huerta has definitely appreciated when it comes to this film.

    It’s important for the people to see themselves in the movies in this way. It was made with a lot of respect for the Mesoamerican culture, especially Mayan culture. It’s the root of almost everybody Latin American. We have indigineous roots, we have black roots, and a few white roots. But it’s fantastic to be here and represent this kind of movie.

    Tenoch Huerta

    Black Panther: Wakanda Forever opens exclusively in theaters on November 11. You can take a look at a collection of first impressions of the film here. 

  • Bob Chapek Teases More Adult-Oriented Content for Disney

    Bob Chapek Teases More Adult-Oriented Content for Disney

    As Disney further continues into the era of Bob Chapek serving as their CEO, more changes to the creative structure of the company appear to be on the way. It looks like one change that the head of Disney would like to see further discussed is for the company to broaden its programming into more adult-oriented content. Chapek went on record on the topic in relation to the company’s history of leaning more toward family-friendly content while talking with The Wall Street Journal.

    I want to respect what this brand is. But at the same time, I know that we may be even more precious about what is ‘Disney’ than the consumer base is. If the consumer base has more elasticity, we probably ought to listen to our audience, which means we have more degrees of freedom than we probably thought.

    Bob Chapek

    This new direction from Chapek flies in the face of the old mentality of Bob Iger, his immediate predecessor. Ultimately, a shift to including more mature content would be a relatively rare concept in the history of Disney as a company. In terms of whether this will be an effective creative business strategy, it will of course come down to the quality of the projects themselves. The concept of making R or TV-MA-rated content has often been a false equivalence to “high quality” to some fans. For instance, a project like Andor has successfully been covering many serious themes in a mature way without pushing the needle toward a more explicit rating.

    It will be interesting to follow if this loose edict will have any effect on future Marvel Studios projects. As of now, the only true “adult-oriented” content on the way from them includes Deadpool 3’s theatrical release in 2024 and the Marvel Zombies animated series heading to Disney+.

    Source: Wall Street Journal

  • ‘Never Let Me Go’ Lands Series Order at Hulu

    ‘Never Let Me Go’ Lands Series Order at Hulu

    Never Let Me Go has officially been given the greenlight to be adapted as a series on Hulu. This comes after a previous film adaptation of the Kazuo Ishiguro science-fiction novel that starred Carey Mulligan, Keira Knightley, and Andrew Garfield. The Nevers writer Melissa Iqbal is set to pen the pilot, be an executive producer, and serve as showrunner. Marc Munden is set to direct and also serve as an executive producer. The series will be produced by DNA Productions.

    The Nevers, Viola Prettejohn is set to play the lead character in the new series. She will be portraying a character named Thora, a rebellious teenage clone from a mysterious boarding school alongside various other clones. After escaping and entering the outside world, her presence will be the catalyst for a revolution and ask questions about what it means to be human.

    Alongside Prettejohn, the cast is set to include Tracey Ullman and Kelly Macdonald in lead roles. As well, they’ll be joined by an ensemble cast of Aiysha Hart, Spike Fearn, Shaniqua Okwok, Gary Beadle, Kwami Odoom, Susan Brown, Keira Chanse, and Edward Holcroft.

    In a press release announcement about Never Let Me Go, this is what FX Entertainment president Gina Balian had to say about the new series.

    Never Let Me Go is a modern science fiction classic that Melissa Iqbal and the creative team have brilliantly adapted for FX as a drama exploring timely and unsettling themes on life and the ethics of technology. We are honored to partner with Andrew (Macdonald) and Allon (Reich) at DNA Productions, Searchlight Television, Alex Garland, Marc Munden, Kazuo Ishiguro and the incredible cast on this exciting new project.

    Gina Balian

    No official word has been made for a timeline on when to expect Never Let Me Go to arrive on Hulu.

    Source: Deadline

  • Ryan Condal Discusses ‘House of the Dragon’ Finale, Future of the Series

    Ryan Condal Discusses ‘House of the Dragon’ Finale, Future of the Series

    With House of the Dragon having aired its season finale, speculation has begun about how the Dance of the Dragons will be adapted onto the screen in the second season and beyond. After spending a season chock full of time jumps to build to this moment, it was the murder of Lucerys “Luke” Valeryon at the hands of Aemond Targaryan that officially launched the war that will tear Westeros in half. This is something that has been confirmed by showrunner Ryan Condal to always be the climactic event of the first season’s finale, though the nature of the events which occurred changed significantly in relation to the original book by George R.R. Martin, specifically the culpability of Aemond in Luke’s death. The series adaptation showcased more regret and anguish over Aemond’s rash decision. While discussing the finale with Variety, this is what Condal had to say about the change.

    Historians have told us that Aemond intended to kill Luke, but I don’t think any of them could purport to know what was going on in Aemond’s head at the time. And I would also dispute the word “accident” a bit. I mean, Aemond got on his giant dragon and chased his nephew on his much smaller dragon through the clouds screaming and yelling at him, incensing his dragon and starting a fight. He didn’t know how Arrax or Luke were going to respond, and it ended in tragedy. I don’t think that was what Aemond intended when he threw his leg over the saddle, but he did a horrible, dangerous thing. That is the point: This is a war of many cuts that lead to a really, really bloody wound. It adds complexity and nuance to the character that’s potentially interesting. There’s lots of runway to go on with Aemond as a character and the story of the Dance. This is his first act as a dragon rider and a warrior and it’s gone very wrong. Now what happens as a result, and how does he respond? Those are the questions I’m interested in as a dramatist.

    Ryan Condal

    The change comes after the first season of House of the Dragon has taken some mild creative liberties from the original source material (with varied responses to them). A major component for the future of the series is the potential to travel to more realms of Westeros. After remaining relatively isolated into a select few locations, the showcase of the map in the finale certainly has illuminated interesting possibilities for fans to ponder. Ryan Condal had the following to say about what to expect from the show moving forward in terms of new locations.

    The show definitely has to expand its scope in the second season. Just as the original “Game of Thrones” grew in scope and expanse as it went, so, too, will ours. We’ve lived a good bit in three different worlds through this show: King’s Landing, Dragonstone and Driftmark. I think those will continue to be the home bases for the show. But a war is coming that requires allegiances from different kingdoms and armies all over the map of Westeros. I don’t think we’re going to get quite as vast as the original “Game of Thrones” did in its final analysis. But there are definitely many more new worlds to come, and new worlds that you haven’t necessarily seen in the original show, either. Rest assured, plenty of scope to come.

    Ryan Condal

    The finale of the first season of House of the Dragon is available to watch on HBO and HBO Max. Production for the second season is said to begin at the start of 2023, though no official word has been said as to when it will air.

    Source: Variety

  • ‘Black Adam’ Director Jaume Collet-Serra Talks Creative Partnership with Dwayne Johnson

    ‘Black Adam’ Director Jaume Collet-Serra Talks Creative Partnership with Dwayne Johnson

    After being announced over a decade ago, Black Adam has finally had its theatrical release. With that, director Jaume Collet-Serra has spoken about the creative process behind making the film and the collaborative process with Dwyane “The Rock” Johnson. While in the process of making last year’s Jungle Cruise with the A-lister, Collet-Serra was quickly brought on board by Johnson and his team to helm the anti-hero project before the pandemic slightly slowed down the production process. From there continued the impassioned working relationship between the actor and director in the former’s passion project. This is what the director had to say about how he was brought onto the film and his process of familiarizing himself with the character.

    I mean it was towards the end of Jungle Cruise. I would hear it sort of in the background, like they would be working on what the angle was of the script and the story for a long time. So, until they were satisfied with the story they wanted to tell, they didn’t bring me in. You know what I’m saying? I mean, that’s like finally when there was a script that they were ready to share then they gave it to me and they asked me what I thought. I basically said, “I think this has a lot of potential, but do I need to read every comic book ever written about Black Adam?” It’s almost like I read the script first and then I needed to learn about [the character], and then obviously I did.

    Jaume Collet-Serra

    The notion of deeply immersing himself into the character certainly provides a strong passion that had the potential to match that of Johnson’s. It isn’t necessarily surprising with the high praise the star actor has given to Jaume Collet-Serra as a creative partner. In the interview with Deadline, Collet-Serra also took some time to talk about the professional chemistry he was able to develop and using that to enhance Black Adam.

    There was a synergy between me and DJ (Dwayne Johnson)during Jungle Cruise. When you’re in sync, you just feel it. I got to know him as a person, which I think it gives me the tools as a director to be able to bring out some aspects into the Black Adam world. As a director, you normally meet an actor or you go to have a coffee, lunch. You agree to work together, but you’re really meeting the person during the process. At the end of the day, you cannot separate the actor from the person, so you have to use the person as a tool as well.

    Jaume Collet-Serra

    After watching the film, one of the major takeaways is how Dwayne Johnson feels very in control of the character he’s spent over a decade developing. While many can debate if the end-product of Black Adam was the strongest film it could have been, it likely can’t be denied Collet-Serra successfully played into the best strengths of its lead actors.

    Black Adam currently is playing exclusively in movie theaters.

    Source: Deadline

  • Brandon Perea Interested in Portraying Human Torch in ‘Fantastic Four’

    Brandon Perea Interested in Portraying Human Torch in ‘Fantastic Four’

    Following his breakout performance in Jordan Peele’s thriller Nope, Brandon Perea has his hopes set on joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The actor hasn’t been quiet on social media or in interviews about wanting to join one of the most successful film franchises in history. While discussing the topic with Comicbook.com, Perea played it coy about if has met with Marvel Studios and his hopes on being part of the franchise.

    If I did, I wouldn’t be able to talk about it anyway. And if anything, I’ve learned from other people’s mistakes in the Marvel Universe of letting things out. Even with this, I’ve learned so much from Nope, of there’s a laser on your forehead at all times when it comes to revealing things. I’d say this: I’ve put it out there in the universe, we’ll see what happens. I’ve been keeping my eyes out of what fans are saying of those universes, as well, of what they attract to, what they would like, and yeah, it’s cool to just get that input.

    Brandon Perea

    It certainly is an interesting strategy to follow if putting the interest out into the ether will be fruitful for the young actor. While Perea has listed a wide variety of roles he’d be interested in playing previously, one has very quickly become a standout for him in his self-fancast.

    Well, the thing I’ve been intrigued in recently, and I didn’t even bring this idea up, I started seeing it from fan casting. Johnny Storm, man. That was something that was very intriguing. I think my performance in Nope really highlights that. I’d have to bring some more swagger into it for sure for that Johnny Storm, but to be able to sit across from Tom Holland or something, like that best friend feel, I think, well, especially after watching the latest Spider-Man, we’d knock some scenes out of the park, man. It’d be so fun and it’d be a blessing.

    Brandon Perea

    Joining the cast of Marvel Studios’ Fantastic Four is definitely going to be a top prize for Hollywood in the coming year. Casting rumors are already abound with the recent revelation that star actor Adam Driver has met with Marvel Studios to discuss portraying an undisclosed role for the film (assumedly either Mister Fantastic or Doctor Doom). Perea certainly fits a strong age range for the character of Human Torch, especially if they want to have him be a contemporary to Peter Parker in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. With more acting credits under his name, there could be a strong case for Perea to ultimately portray one of the most exciting characters in Marvel history. Ultimately though, it will likely be a while before any concrete news on casting Marvel’s First Family with production not set to begin until the Fall of 2023.

    Source: Comicbook.com