Murphy's Multiverse

Category: Features

  • THEORY: ‘Deadpool 3’ Will Adapt ‘Deadpool Kills The Marvel Universe’

    THEORY: ‘Deadpool 3’ Will Adapt ‘Deadpool Kills The Marvel Universe’

    Well, folks, it’s finally happening. Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds are officially teaming up as Wolverine and Deadpool for the latter’s long-awaited third solo film, which is now set to hit theaters on September 6th, 2024. The reunion will be the first time the duo comes together on the big screen since 2009’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and while fans likely have their hopes up for a more comic-accurate pairing than that film offered, it’s still unknown exactly how the story will allow for a meet-up to happen as it is. Jackman famously retired from his signature role following the character’s death in 2017’s Logan, and while nothing is confirmed, it doesn’t seem very probable that he sticks around for the Marvel Cinematic Universe long-haul following Deadpool 3‘s release. So, how could the Deadpool threequel simultaneously bring back the Aussie actor’s Wolverine for “one last time” and set Reynolds up as a member of the MCU going forward? A surprising comic may hold the answer.

    In 2011, Marvel began publishing a new Deadpool limited series from writer Cullen Bunn and artist Kaare Andrews. Titled Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe, the brief arc quickly became a popular run with fans of the character. The plot was pretty simple and spelled out pretty efficiently in the title itself. Set in an alternate timeline to the mainstream Earth-616, the story begins with Wade Wilson being sent to a mental institution, against his will, by a concerned group of X-Men. Little do the mutants know, however, that the doctor at the hospital is actually Psycho-Man – a tiny mad scientist who originates from the Microverse – piloting a human-sized robot body. His plan is to brainwash as many villains as possible and create his own superhuman army, but when he tries to indoctrinate Deadpool, his devices have an unexpected effect. Wilson’s brain is already so discombobulated with voices and varying personalities, that Psycho-Man is unable to put him under his control. Instead, the voices in Deadpool’s head become increasingly violent, sending him on a murderous rampage through the entirety of the Marvel Universe.

    After squishing Psycho-Man, the out-of-control Merc With a Mouth sets out to systematically put an end to Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. He kills the Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, Ghost Rider, the Avengers, and even Howard the Duck. He steals Reed Richards’ gadgets to slay Uatu the Watcher, and uses Pym Particles to crush Thor with a giant version of his hammer Mjolnir. After a while, when all hope seems lost, the relatives of Marvel’s deceased heroes pool their money together to hire the only person they feel can actually put a stop to Deadpool’s killing spree: Taskmaster. Tasky then trails Wilson as he goes up against Charles Xavier and the X-Men. Of course, Deadpool succeeds in wiping the last superteam off the map, manipulating Xavier’s telepathy to help him in his goal and share what he knows to be true with the world. It turns out, Wilson is killing everyone because he knows they exist in a comic book, and suffer purely for entertainment. He only wants to stop the cycle.

    After finishing off what’s left of the Marvel Universe, ranging from galactic entities like Galactus to street-level heroes like Daredevil, his mission brings him face-to-face with Man-Thing and the Nexus of All-Realities. Before he can conclude his business, though, Taskmaster swoops in and the duo duke it out in one climactic last stand. After beating Taskmaster, with Man-Thing’s help, Deadpool uses the Nexus of All-Realities to jump to the real world and slaughter the writers who created him and his series in the first place. Now, as crazy as it may sound, a loose version of this story could be exactly the thing Deadpool 3 needs to accomplish all of its objectives. Many fans are under the assumption that Deadpool 3 will be the first entry in the franchise set within the MCU, but what if, possibly, it actually tells the tale of how Reynolds‘ unkillable mercenary makes it from his original timeline to the mainline MCU instead?

    In theory, Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe could work on the big screen as Deadpool Kills the X-Men Universe – or, something like that. Doing this would allow for Marvel Studios to stay true to Deadpool’s typical R-rated fashion while creating a definitive end for Fox’s former cinematic universe and giving fans their Wolverine/Deadpool meet-up all at once. The beginning of the story could remain the same, with the X-Men finally having their fill of Wade Wilson and sending him off to a mental asylum. There, he could be brainwashed by Psycho-Man, who in the film version could be from the MCU’s Quantum Realm as opposed to the comic Microverse. After all, Deadpool 3 will be released not long after Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. The first major difference could also occur here, with Wilson going berserk not because he realizes everyone is in a comic book, but because he realizes himself and the other mutants are living in the wrong Cinematic Universe. He becomes aware of the MCU, perhaps through Quantum means, and decides he’d like to end the Fox-Verse so he can switch gears and join the more popular franchise.

    Admittedly, Ryan Reynolds‘ take on Deadpool has been much softer than the comic version, with romantic plotlines and found family scenarios turning him into more of a hero along the way. It’s entirely possible Marvel and Reynolds find a way to incorporate this into the film while adapting this excruciatingly dark plot. Maybe, as Wade makes his way through every mutant in the universe (goodbye to James McAvoy‘s team of merry misfits), characters like Zazie Beetz‘ Domino or Julian Dennison‘s Firefist try to stop him but ultimately join him on his mission as they realize what’s really going on. Either way, the baseline story arc remains, and it only needs a few tweaks to continue working surprisingly well. Partway through the movie, where Taskmaster would have come into play in the comic, Jackman‘s Wolverine could step in as the theatrical replacement hellbent on ending Deadpool’s reign of terror.

    With his specific abilities – tracking, healing factor, adamantium claws, etc. – Logan could be the one hunting Wade throughout the movie, resulting in the epic final duel fans have waited years for on film. The ending, hypothetically, could also be the same as the book, with Man-Thing (who is set to make his MCU debut in October’s Werewolf by Night) and the Nexus of All-Realities allowing Wade to finally make his jump to the MCU with the Fox-Verse all but dust behind him. Feige and company could also engineer the ending to include whatever Fox-based characters they’d like to have in the MCU with their original actors.

    This theory is currently pretty baseless, but it is fun speculation, and if true, would tie Deadpool 3 in perfectly with the Multiverse Saga. If they really want to have fun with it, they could even include other formerly Fox-owned properties in the film to show their demise as well. John Krasinski joked about appearing alongside Jackman and Reynolds as Reed Richards on Twitter, which perhaps implies that he’s been contacted to perish on screen once more as the official Fox-Verse variant of Mr. Fantastic. That would be a wonderful running gag, and, along with really this entire theoretical pitch, is something that feels incredibly up Deadpool’s dark, twisted, sardonic alley.

  • ‘She-Hulk’ Case Files: Who Is Man-Bull?

    ‘She-Hulk’ Case Files: Who Is Man-Bull?

    Court is now in session and Jennifer Walters is here to reprsent the defendant in the matter of Superhuman law. She-Hulk: Attorney at Law has finally hit Disney+ as the next installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and seems to be one of the studios most unique projects yet. With it comes a whole slew of C-listers and D-Lister heroes and villains that have found themselves in legal trouble.

    The Prosecution Calls To The Stand: Man-Bull!

    Before he was the monstrosity he is now, William Taurens, also known as Bull Taurus, was a goon that worked for Mr. Kline, an android known as MK-9 sent from the future to stop an impending apocalypse posing as a mob boss. Kline had tasked Taurens and his partner in crime, Itch to kidnap random people off the streets to be used as subjects in his testing trials. William and Itch were stopped by Daredevil, but due to their failure, were subject to MK-9’s test themselves in which William Taurens was transformed into the malignant mammal we know today.

    This punishment didn’t stop him, however, as Taurens hit the streets yet again, intent on kidnapping more victims. Of course, Daredevil stopped him once more, and he reverted back to his human form.

    When in Man-Bull form, Taurens possesses some pretty basic superhuman abilities such as strength, invulnerability and endurance. When in a state of intense rage his adrenaline pushes him into an unstable mood that actually allows him to control bovines through psionic means.

    Mann-Bull made his live-action debut in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, now streaming on Disney+.

  • ‘She-Hulk’ Case Files: Who is The Porcupine?

    ‘She-Hulk’ Case Files: Who is The Porcupine?

    Court is now in session and Jennifer Walters is here to reprsent the defendant in the matter of Superhuman law. She-Hulk: Attorney at Law has finally hit Disney+ as the next installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and seems to be one of the studios most unique projects yet. With it comes a whole slew of C-listers and D-Lister heroes and villains that have found themselves in legal trouble.

    The Prosecution Calls To The Stand: The Porcupine!

    First appearing in Tales To Astonish #48 in July of 1963, Alexander Gentry worked for the United States military as a weapons designer. Gentry began developing a porcupine-based battle suit, working long nights to make breakthroughs on his project. As he finally completed the suit he quickly became concerned that the US government would not properly compensate him for his hard work and believed he would be much better off using the suit himself as a means for monetary gain.

    Gentry made his debut as the quilled criminal during the grand opening of a supposed “burglar-proof” bank where he went toe-to-toe with Giant-Man and The Wasp. Porcupine faced off against the two heroes a few more times but would eventually be defeated when he attempted to grow to Giant-Man’s size after stealing some of Hank Pym’s growth pills, realizing too late that he’d actually swallowed shrinking pills.

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    The Porcupine battlesuit allowed its wearer enhanced strength and durability as well as an array of trick quills. Some of the quills were just basic sharp projectiles that could be fired from the suit but others consisted of lasers, rockets, sleeping gas, smoke bombs, tear gas, torches, electricity blast, and concussion bombs.

    The Porcupine made his live-action debut on She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, streaming every Wednesday on Disney+.

  • ‘She-Hulk’ Case Files: Who Is El Aguila?

    ‘She-Hulk’ Case Files: Who Is El Aguila?

    Court is now in session and Jennifer Walters is here to represent the defendant in the matter of Superhuman law. She-Hulk: Attorney at Law has finally hit Disney+ as the next installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and seems to be one of the studio’s most unique projects yet. With it comes a whole slew of C-listers and D-Lister heroes and villains that have found themselves in legal trouble.

    The Prosecution Calls To The Stand: El Aguila!

    First appearing in Power Man and Iron Fist #58, Alejandro Montoya was a mutant born in Spain who kept his abilities a secret until he took up the identity of the vigilante El Aguila. Inspired by his childhood hero, Zorro, Montoya hit the streets of New York as a modern-day swashbuckling Robin Hood, fighting crime and taking down mob bosses to redistribute the money to the poor of the city. These late-night heroics eventually lead Aguila right to the Heroes for Hire, Power Man and Iron Fist. Ultimately, Montoya teamed up with the duo to save Jeryn Hogarth from would-be assassins.

    Aguila’s mutant abilities give him the power to generate electrostatic charges and discharge up to 100,000 volts. He harnessed this power through his rapier as the vigilante was a skilled swordsman as well as an acrobat and master of hand-to-hand combat. Currently, the character remains depowered as a direct result of the M-Day event, losing his abilities due to Scarlet Witch’s altering of reality.

    El Aguila made his live-action debut in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, now streaming every Wednesday on Disney+.

  • ‘Blade’: Five Directors Who Could Replace Bassam Tariq

    ‘Blade’: Five Directors Who Could Replace Bassam Tariq

    The news is out! Blade, the long-awaited cinematic reboot of Marvel’s resident vampire hunter, is now without a director. Bassam Tariq, who had been attached to the project since the summer of 2021, relieved himself of his duties after multiple delays in production forced the film past his range of availability. Marvel Studios is said to already be in search mode for a new filmmaker to take over Mahershala Ali‘s much-anticipated bloodsucking debut, but with relatively short notice and a tight schedule to work with, it might not be easy to lock a creative down. Luckily for Kevin Feige and the folks at Marvel, Murphy’s Multiverse has a few suggestions that just might do the trick.

    When thinking of a potential new director, it’s important to keep in mind that Marvel will need somebody who can step in quickly and pick up the reigns of production with ease. It’s very likely the studio will reach out to talent they already know, and keep to names that likely won’t demand a total restart of the creative process once they’re on board. This narrows down the list considerably, but also provides an excellent list of helmers that would be sure to make the best Blade film possible.

    Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah

    Adil & Bilall

    When one thinks of directors who’ve worked with Marvel Studios in the past and recently had their schedule pretty cleared up, one thinks of the duo Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah. The creative pairing have had a rollercoaster year, and essentially all of it has been within the realm of live-action superheroism. Adil and Bilall spent the last couple years directing the first and last episodes of the Disney+ series Ms. Marvel before moving on to make DC’s Batgirl film. As has been widely reported in recent months, only one of those two projects actually released. At one point, the team was supposed to take over Eddie Murphy‘s Beverly Hills Cop IV, but that job has also since fallen through.

    The point being made here is that, despite an immense amount of talent between the both of them, Adil and Bilall are not currently tied down to any known movie or series. Following the loss of Batgirl, Marvel boss Feige sent the duo an apologetic email that implied he hoped to work with them again soon, and their previous directing credits (namely Bad Boys For Life) suggest they’d be a perfect fit for the action-packed world of Blade. The biggest setback in this plan would be if Feige prefers they return for a potential second season of Ms. Marvel instead, but since that project is merely a rumor and not officially in the cards, the betting man would be smarter to put it all on Blade and hope for the best.

    Antoine Fuqua

    Antoine Fuqua

    Similarly to the previous entry on this list, filmmaking veteran Antoine Fuqua is currently without an immediate project. The director, known for his work on films like Training Day and The Equalizer, recently lead production on a Will Smith-starring movie titled Emancipation for Apple TV+. However, controversy surrounding the actor’s now-infamous Oscar’s slap and a handful of filming delays have caused Emancipation to be put on the back burner. Couple that with the fact Fuqua supposedly met with Marvel Studios about the potential of directing something back in 2018, and there may be cause to believe the filmmaker could be on the list of talent being sought out by Feige at this very moment. While it has been a long time since that widely-reported meeting took place, Marvel is well-known for their ability to circle back around to creatives and concepts that didn’t work out in the past. At the very least, Feige has Fuqua‘s phone number, and the latter’s notable filmography of gritty, action-based plots with plenty of real-world symbolism would mix perfectly with a take on Blade that has Mahershala in the titular role.

    Gina Prince-Bythewood

    Gina Prince-Bythewood

    A name that’s currently hot in Hollywood, Gina Prince-Bythewood could be an incredible sleeper pick for Blade if her schedule allows it. The director has spent the last couple of years building an impressive resume in the action genre, adapting The Old Guard graphic novel to positive reviews in 2020 before releasing The Woman King to critical acclaim just this past month. Both projects were praised for their fight choreography and story elements, putting Prince-Bythewood at the top of the list of people who could likely handle what Blade requires.

    Not only that, but the former Love & Basketball filmmaker has a history with Marvel projects, having worked on Freeform’s Cloak & Dagger in 2018 before developing the unmade Silver & Black for Sony’s Spider-Man universe. With Sony and Marvel Studios now so friendly, it seems plausible that Feige could have a standing relationship with Prince-Bythewood that leads to her taking over directorial duties for Blade. The creative already passed over directing The Old Guard 2, so the next few months might be open enough for her to slide in and make her mark on the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

    F. Gary Gray

    F. Gary Gray with Vin Diesel

    Bringing it all the way back to 2015, when F. Gary Gray topped Marvel Studios’ shortlist of possible directors for the megahit Black Panther. Obviously, he didn’t take the gig, which ultimately went to Ryan Coogler with Gray helming Universal’s The Fate of the Furious instead. However, the fact Marvel was so high on the filmmaker at that point could mean he’s still on their radar nearly a decade later, with his only upcoming project being the undated Kevin Hart heist film Lift. The creative has a history of crafting movies with over-the-top action scenes, and has worked with major studios on summer blockbuster-style products on many occasions. All of this could make Gray the perfect veteran presence to step in and course-correct Blade in an efficient manner.

    Regina King

    Regina King

    The least likely name on this list, but one that could be a lot of fun. Best known for her stellar acting career, Regina King has spent the last decade dabbling with work behind the scenes as well. She’s been directing episodes of television since 2013 and made her feature film debut with One Night in Miami… in 2020. According to showrunner Cheo Hodari Coker, the iconic creative almost directed an episode of Marvel’s Luke Cage during its two-season run, and although she’s since denied it, King was once listed as a name in contention for DC’s Superman reboot. Her busy schedule may not permit it, but if she could find the time to fit Blade in, it could make for one of the most exciting and original directing choices Marvel Studios has ever made.

    Source(s): CBR, Collider, Entertainment Weekly

  • ‘She-Hulk: Attorney at Law’ From Page to Screen: Episode 6

    ‘She-Hulk: Attorney at Law’ From Page to Screen: Episode 6

    Welcome back to yet another From page to Screen focusing on She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. In the show’s first week, we looked at the differences between the comics’ and series’ versions of Jennifer Walters’ origin story. The following week, viewers got a live-action introduction to Jen’s new legal job, taken straight out of Dan Slott’s and Juan Bobillo’s 2004 She-Hulk run—Goodman, Lieber, Kurtzberg & Holliway (GLK&H). Episode 3 introduced a reimagined version of comic book villains and in its fourth week, the show decided to focus on Jen’s love life and, the following week, on Jen’s nemesis, Titania.

    Episode 6 presented itself as a tricky one when it came to finding a strong enough connection to She-Hulk comics. Both Mr. Immortal and Intelligencia had a somewhat meaningful presence in it but were already the focus of a couple of features from the past week. It was then time for something different. And much like Jen herself stated, in the starting sequence, that episode 6 was a “self-contained wedding episode”, why not try and make this a self-contained P2S feature? If an engagement featured in a She-Hulk comic can also be referenced, then that’s enough to justify the option. Let’s go with that.

    Marvel Studios’ She-Hulk: Attorney at Law Episode 6
    Marvel Studios’ She-Hulk: Attorney at Law Episode 6

    In 1989 Marvel published a two-part story entitled She-Hulk: Ceremony, that focused on Jen and Wyatt Wingfoot getting engaged. In the midst of it all both also had to help stop a madman attempting a mystical world conquest. Much as She-Hulk: Attorney at Law tries to focus on the comedic side of the character, this was a story that was initially intended to be a romantic comedy. But what began with the best of intentions turned out to be one of Marvel’s most clumsy attempts at giving feminism a much-needed spotlight. 

    She-Hulk: Ceremony #2 (1990)

    The basic plot goes a little something like this:

    While watching a TV soap opera, She-Hulk feels the need to become a mother. She decides to look for something to fill that “void she has discovered in her life” because she “feels empty.” In a baffling decision, she somehow sees her ex-boyfriend Wyatt Wingfoot (who she briefly dated when She-Hulk was a member of the Fantastic Four) as the only one who can help her. Wingfoot, a native American, is just beginning his legal education while still residing in the Baxter Building and is utterly shocked by being approached by Jen and being asked to father her children out of the blue.

    By trying to appease the usual rom-com structure and conflicts, the story also ended up following the same clichés the genre usually features. She-Hulk thus ended up being portrayed as extremely bashful and uneasy about sharing her thoughts, very much unlike her usual honest, straightforward, and forthright character when it comes to her emotions. Another characterization that seems incredibly outdated is how the comic shows Jen as being very ambivalent regarding the right to choose to have an abortion or not, something she clearly states following a bomb threat at a local abortion clinic. This sort of tactlessness when it came to her character perhaps only came second to the disrespect towards native American culture with it being depicted in the most stereotypical fashion, filled with mystical nonsense, reducing it to a caricature.

    She-Hulk: Ceremony #1 (1989)
    She-Hulk: Ceremony #1 (1989)
    She-Hulk: Ceremony #1 (1989)
    She-Hulk: Ceremony #2 (1990)

    In the end, and after finally defeating the big bad, Carlton Beatrice, Jen and Wyatt realize that they weren’t really in love with each other. They become aware that their engagement was (at least primarily) a result of a mystical basket (the story’s McGuffin) connecting them. They choose to separate with Jen making use of her legal expertise to assist in recovering Wyatt’s Keewazi Reservation which had been affected by the entire ordeal.

    What does this have to do with She-Hulk: Attorney at Law? Not much. There’s Jen, there’s She-Hulk, there’s the idea of a wedding, there are fights and lots of nonsense (both the good and the wrong kind). But what ultimately sticks when revisiting such a story is just how much She-Hulk eventually evolved into a proper Marvel feminist icon, and how the Marvel Studios’ show manages to address several of the same issues in a much more respectful and gracious manner. With the show having such a strong sense of self-awareness, explicitly criticizing the misogynistic trends that, particularly on social media, surround female superheroes and female-led initiatives, She-Hulk has indeed come a long way in what it can add, as a character, to not to what comics and TV are concerned, but more importantly to the general discourse.

    Marvel Studios’ She-Hulk: Attorney at Law Episode 6
    Marvel Studios’ She-Hulk: Attorney at Law Episode 6

    The first six episodes of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law are now streaming on Disney+.

  • Debating Whether Hugh Jackman Could be the MCU’s Wolverine

    Debating Whether Hugh Jackman Could be the MCU’s Wolverine

    In what has been one of the largest blindsides of major Marvel Studios news, it’s been revealed that Hugh Jackman is returning as Wolverine for the upcoming Deadpool threequel. Naturally, fans are incredibly curious about what this may mean for the upcoming film and with Secret Wars looming, potentially beyond. Arguably the most notable talking point will be what this means for the character of Wolverine as a whole between the Hugh Jackman variant and the hypothetical future version in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While the surface-level take would be to assume they’ll bring in a new actor down the road to portray some version of the character, the case can be made for Marvel Studios to actually keep Hugh Jackman in the role for a specific purpose. Let’s take a look at the cases for why and why wouldn’t Jackman become the Earth-616 version of Wolverine.

    Hugh Jackman in X-Men: Days of Future Past

    Why Hugh Jackman Wouldn’t be the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Wolverine

    There are ample reasons why Hugh Jackman wouldn’t work as the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s main timeline Wolverine. While the star has been synonymous with the character for over two decades, Marvel Studios would likely want to make room for a new interpretation of Wolverine. From the get-go, it would create the opportunity for the character of Wolverine to go in a different direction from the “Logan” moniker into predominately James Howlett. It’s certainly not the most important element but is emblematic of Kevin Feige’s potential desire to bring a more comic-inspired version of Wolverine to the big screen. In a world where the X-Men universe of characters will need to be distinct to stand apart from the original film adaptation, removing Wolverine’s “leading man” energy would be an easy place to start. Having Wolverine be the shortest and hairiest version possible would be a welcome change to a number of fans. 

    With that in mind, having a new actor in the role would provide significantly more creative freedom. Wolverine is someone with a rich history that hasn’t been fully told yet (even with Jackman’s many portrayals of the character) and going with a younger actor would ultimately bring more narrative opportunities for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Wolverine is one of the most popular characters in the Marvel pantheon and having longevity for the role could be something paramount for Kevin Feige to consider.

    In addition, having Hugh Jackman as the mainline version of Wolverine might take away from what could be a compelling multiversal story with his character. Having an actor with the cache of Jackman returning would presumably necessitate a compelling story arc for his character. Returning for at least Deadpool III could open the door for this version of Wolverine to have a new satisfying concluding arc to him that would maybe be muddled by staying in the Marvel Cinematic Universe afterward.

    Hugh Jackman in Logan

    Why Hugh Jackman Would Work at the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Wolverine

    Alternativly, Hugh Jackman’s portrayal of Wolverine could really work within the framework of the main Marvel Cinematic Universe. The main crux of this though would be the notion that the Logan version of the character is more of a supporting character to a different primary Wolverine: Laura Kinney. She has been distinctly popular with fans for a considerable amount of time, especially since Dafne Keen’s portrayal in Logan. In recent years has been seen as a marquee character in X-Men comics as an official Wolverine. Marvel Studios would be smart to at least consider striking while the iron is hot and bring in the currently-17-year-old actress to reprise her role for the long-term future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. 

    It would be a massive creative gamble by Marvel Studios to have Laura Kinney be the primary Wolverine of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (perhaps their largest creative risk), but it doesn’t feel like it would be completely out of the realm of possibility. It certainly guarantees an entirely new vibe from the X-Men that would be massively different from the original film adaptations by Fox. Jackman’s version of the character loomed large over essentially every project and moving him to a distinctly supporting role would allow different characters to shine on the silver screen. And if there remains a desire to see Logan in his prime, de-aging technology in film continues to advance and seeing what would appear to be a younger Hugh Jackman in action via CGI grows more possible, if it isn’t already.

    A second option for bringing in Hugh Jackman is a bit more niche, but would still drum up excitement with fans. A World War Hulk film adaptation has long been rumored to be in the offing, and it’s a film that would feel like a logical endpoint for the character of Bruce Banner in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. With that in mind, some of the most seminal stories for both Hulk and Wolverine that haven’t been adapted is their epic showdown in the comics. And unless there is a surprise casting of a new Wolverine in the relatively new future, Jackman would in theory be the best chance at seeing Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk fight against a Wolverine on the big screen.

    Conclusions

    With every point and counterpoint to consider, it would be very likely that Hugh Jackman wouldn’t return as Wolverine for any other projects besides Deadpool III (and potentially a cameo role in Avengers: Secret Wars). Jackman is currently 53 years old and presumably wouldn’t want to make that sort of long-term commitment, even if it was for more of a supporting role. In addition, Kevin Feige and company would likely be interested in creating their own take on the character that is distinct from what came before. Even still, it would not be entirely shocking if Marvel Studios decided to make other types of radical and unexpected differences to make their version of the X-Men stand out from the original cinematic versions.

  • EXCLUSIVE: Genevieve O’Reilly On Mon Mothma’s Home Life in ‘ANDOR’

    EXCLUSIVE: Genevieve O’Reilly On Mon Mothma’s Home Life in ‘ANDOR’

    Mon Mothma is one of the iconic Star Wars characters making their return in Andor. Played by Genevieve O’Reilly, the show explores Mon Mothma’s early days in the Rebellion, giving insight into how she navigated the Empire’s political landscape.

    This week’s episode, in particular, reveals the life she had at home away from all the politics. It is revealed that her husband is in cahoots with some of the Empire’s most questionable personnel, much to her frustration. We spoke with O’Reilly, and asked what she thought of this brand new examination of such an important Star Wars character:

    Isn’t it interesting that we usually see Mon Mothma surrounding by rebels in a bunker? Where we meet her now is so polar opposite to any position we’ve seen her in before. She’s living and working within the imperial senate but not only that, her husband is clearly a card-carrying paid-up member of that Empire. We know that she’s been a senator since she was 16 years old. That comes with some serious constructs. We know her has a woman with a voice and an advocate for democracy. But really, how much of a voice did you have at 16? What is the structure of the life you stepped into as a senator at 16? What choices did she have? What’s interesting in Tony’s version when we meet her in her home life is you go, “What choices has this woman ever had?”

    It’ll be interesting to see just how Mon Mothma’s home life plays out given how she eventually rises to lead the Rebellion a couple of years from Andor. Her husband’s fate will be one to watch out for when he realizes his wife is working for the Empire’s enemy. Will he rat Mon out? How will he find out? One of Andor’s biggest strengths is its willingness to ask these questions and that makes for incredible Star Wars storytelling.

  • ‘House of the Dragon’-Episode 6 Recap

    ‘House of the Dragon’-Episode 6 Recap

    Finally! The time jump I’ve been promising you all has come. It’s been 10 years since we last saw Rhaenyra, Viserys, Alicent, and company, and they’ve been busy in the meantime. Let’s get into it.

    Rhaenyra and Alicent’s Children

    Another promise delivered! The opening scene is Rhaenyra giving birth to her third son, Joffrey, named after Laenor’s old boyfriend who got rendered to a pink mist last episode by Criston Cole. Her other two sons, Jacaerys and Lucerys, are also shown in this episode. They look vastly different from Alicent’s children, in part that they lack the Targaryen silver-platinum hair. Instead, they have darker hair, and look quite similar to someone who has only been in the background of the first 5 episodes-Harwin Strong, who is their real father. It seems like this is a pretty open secret, as Criston Cole goads Harwin into attacking him after setting the older Aegon on Jacaerys in the practice yard, and very obviously not training Rhaenyra’s boys with nearly the same enthusiasm as he is Alicent’s. If people did not have suspicions about the Crown Prince’s lineage, there are certainly questions now. This forces Rhaenyra to send Harwin away, back to his family seat of Harrenhal with his father, who resigns as Hand. Sadly we only got one episode of Harwin being a major character, as the castle was torched and both he and his father perished in the flames, all orchestrated by the other son, Larys the Clubfoot. The Curse of Harrenhal and all of that.

    Another interesting dynamic in this episode is that Aegon is relatively friendly with Jace and Luke, and even pulls a prank on Aemond (who everyone hates) with the two boys, promising Aemond that they have a dragon for him and bringing out a pig. Aemond is desperate to have a dragon, whining to Alicent that the boys are picking on him. That’s when we see Alicent’s third child, a daughter by the name of Helaena. Helaena appears to have what Targaryens call “Dragon Dreams,” which are prophetic visions. Pay attention to her words during Aemond and Alicent’s conversation. Later, Aegon was confronted by Alicent about the prank, and he’s pretty quick to throw Jace and Luke under the bus, knowing that Alicent will believe him without hesitation. Alicent warns Aegon that if Rhaenyra comes into power, Aegon would not live. He must be ready to take the crown, by force if necessary, which leads us to the surrounding drama in the King’s Court.

    Drama in King’s Landing

    From the opening sequence, we can see that the rivalry between Rhaenyra and Alicent has grown exponentially. Alicent demanding that Joffrey immediately be taken to her after the birth is a pure power move, and Rhaenyra deciding to take Joffrey herself is an answer back that she won’t be bullied. Alicent can’t help but make a remark to Laenor to keep trying, maybe one of these children will look like him. She’s both alerting Rhaenyra that she knows her secret, as well as she is hoping to get a reaction for the King to see. Speaking of which…

    King Viserys Targaryen I, also known as the Westerosi Rickety Cricket, is in rough shape these days. His left arm is gone, hair is falling out, teeth look grotesque, and he’s getting wheeled around everywhere. Iron Throne wounds are not to be taken lightly it seems, and this decade has been hard on him. This does not stop him from being elated for a new grandchild, as well as watching his sons and grandsons practicing in the courtyard. He’s hoping that if they all grow up and play together, this will make them closer. I wish you were right, Viserys.

    The most important scene in this episode was the small council meeting. There are various concerns, notably a Bracken and Blackwood conflict (remember the boy proposing to Rhaenyra and got laughed out? The boy was a Blackwood, the man he killed was a Bracken. LORE), and the Stepstones are being taken over again. Alicent brushes these off, and in turn the king does as well, but Rhaenyra raises objections, again highlighting their rift and different leadership styles. After this, Rhaenyra proposes to Alicent that Jace and Helaena be betrothed, combining the two houses. While it does seem like a very good match, it would all but eliminate Aegon’s claim. It seems like everyone but Viserys sees this, who is blissfully ignorant in his grandsons’ parentage. Even if he knows, he does not care. They are his daughter’s children, and she is a Targaryen. What’s the problem?

    After the refusal, Rhaenyra decides to wash herself of King’s Landing and go back to Dragonstone, leaving her father in Alicent’s clutches.

    Daemon and Laena

    Everyone in this episode seems to have aged up except Daemon, who will live at this age forever it seems. Daemon and Laena Velaryon have wed, had two daughters, and another is on the way! They’re chilling in Pentos across the Narrow Sea, and Daemon is happy to play bodyguard for the host they’re staying with. It seems like Daemon has turned a page, going from a warrior to a dutiful husband and father. Sure does spend a lot of time in the library, though. Wonder what he’s trying to find about the old dragon riders of Valyria.

    Unfortunately, this all came to a full stop. Laena talked about her wanting to go back to Westeros, to not die old and fat but as a dragon rider. She received her wish maybe a little earlier than expected. While in labor with her child, she was unable to push the baby out, and as both the maester and Daemon start speaking of a c-section, the same operation that killed Viserys’s first wife in the opening episode of the season, Laena escapes out and to her dragon, Vhagar, demanding that it burn her alive to end her suffering. Metal as hell.

    Thoughts Moving Forward – Spoilers

    I wouldn’t expect any more time jumps this season, though I would expect that Viserys will die in the next couple of episodes, acting as the catalyst for the Dance of Dragons. Helaena having dragon dreams is an awesome addition, specifically muttering that “He’ll have to close an eye”, and “The last ring has no legs at all. He has eyes, but cannot see.” The first quote can apply to multiple characters in the full Westeros timeline, but the second is a little more specific. Who is the last king in Westeros? He wouldn’t happen to not be able to use his legs, right?

    Alicent presentation as an outright villain is problematic. She has very real concerns about Rhaenyra, and about her ability to be a monarch, and she’s been fed lies from her father to fear for her children’s safety. One of the best parts of this story is that there are no good sides, and each will do horrific things to the other. I really, really hope that they don’t try to influence the audience to choose Rhaenyra OR Alicent’s side.

    One last fun fact. Every single Targaryen that has been named king or queen and sat the Iron Throne (Until Robert Baratheon. LORE) had silver-platinum hair. Something to ponder.

  • ‘Werewolf By Night’ May Be Paving the Way for Marvel Studios ‘Legion of Monsters’

    ‘Werewolf By Night’ May Be Paving the Way for Marvel Studios ‘Legion of Monsters’

    While it’s already been screened by select members of the media, fans around the world are just more than a week away from being able to stream Marvel Studios’ first Halloween Special, Werewolf By Night. Starring Gael García Bernal as lycanthrope Jack Russell and Laura Donnelly as monster hunter Elsa Bloodstone, the nearly hour-long live-action special has been described as a love letter to monsters by director Michael Giacchino. Filmed in black and white and intended as an homage to the Universal monster movies of the 1930s and 40s, Werewolf By Night has been racking up monster reviews from those who have seen it. According to Giacchino, this special is just “peeling back the corner of monsters in the MCU” and fans can expect them to “pop up again.” And though Giacchino stopped short of revealing when and where they might pop up again, there’s one interesting potentiality with connections to several of the project’s characters: The Legion of Monsters.

    One of Giacchino’s goals with the project was to establish that “for centuries there have been monsters within the world of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and they’ve been being tracked or hunted or kept at bay by these hunters.” Those monster hunters, including Bloodstone, are heavily featured in the trailer for the project and, from what can be gleaned from the footage, end up hunting and capturing Russell, who seems to be attempting to hide in plain sight amongst them. Giacchino also noted that there are “different species and types” of monsters, some of whom are also featured in the project either as trophies or in the artwork found on walls within the monster hunter mansion. As pointed out by Maximillian Marvel, one such creature may have made the briefest appearance in the trailer, though the identity of the monster may not be the one many have come to believe.

    Seen in the briefest of glimpses, the creature in the screenshot above has yet to be properly identified but a popular theory making its way around is that the unidentified creature is Marvel’s Nosferatu, a powerful and ancient vampire who would potentially link Werewolf By Night to Blade, Marvel Studios next “monster” project. And while that may indeed by Nosferatu, it’s worth adding another name into the mix of possibilities: Manphibian.

    Co-created in 1975 by Marvel horror master Marv Wolfman, X-Men legend Dave Cockrum and Tony Isabella and first introduced in Legion of Monsters #1, Manphibian is essentially Marvel Comics take on the classic Universal monster the Creature from the Black Lagoon. In that sense, Manphibian would make a nice trophy in a tank in a project inspired by Universal Classic Monsters (Creature from the Black Lagoon was produced and released by Universal in 1954), whereas Nosferatu is not associated with Universal. Given it’s just the briefest of glimpses, it’s hard to discern exactly who the character might be, but the creature does seem to have Manphibian’s trademark big, round eyes and a mouthful of teeth other than the two sharp teeth of Nosferatu. This is far less about “who is right and who is wrong”, however, and much more about what is possible.

    Interestingly enough, if it is Manphibian rather than Nosferatu, the character would join Werewolf By Night, Elsa Bloodstone and Man-Thing, who is said to play a key role in the project, as members of comic book Legion of Monsters who appear in the project. In a recent interview with One Take News, Giacchino name dropped another member of the team: Frankenstein’s monster. With Giacchino also insisting that Werewolf By Night is just the tip of the iceberg for Marvel monsters joining the MCU, perhaps it’s possible that rather than building up to a Midnight Sons project, as so many assume, Giacchino and Kevin Feige are planting the seed for a Legion of Monsters adaptation.

    As is the case with most of Marvel Comics “teams”, the roster of the Legion of Monsters rotated over the years as did their purpose. One potential pathway from the comics to a Legion of Monsters MCU project, however, could be the team’s pact to protect monsters from hunters out to kill them. Obviously this would have direct ties to Werewolf By Night and could even go so far as to explain why Jack Russell is posing as a hunter in the first place. WIld speculation, to be sure, but with Giacchino keen on brining more monsters into the fold and Marvel Studios loving its team ups, this one can’t necessarily be counted out. If, as Giacchino stated, monsters have inhabited the MCU for centuries there’s no reason that other Marvel monsters such as Frankenstein’s monster, N’Kantu the Living Mummy and even Simon Garth/Zombie couldn’t “pop up” and everyone is already expecting Dracula. Let’s just hope it’s not too late for poor Manphibian!

    Source: Interview with Michael Giacchino courtesy of The Direct