Murphy's Multiverse

Category: News

  • Live-Action ‘One Piece’ Series May Be Preparing for Season 2

    Live-Action ‘One Piece’ Series May Be Preparing for Season 2

    Shortly after the writer’s strike came to an end, the writing staff for the second season of Netflix’s live-action One Piece series unveiled its writer’s team. There were hints that they may have started working on some of the episodes already ahead of the strike; hints even exist that they may have finished most of the drafts already. Yet, we have no exact timeline on when we could expect the second season to start getting the cameras rolling again.

    A new post from Nami actress Emily Rudd may have given us a hint on when we can expect production to start. Of course, this doesn’t necessarily give us a true timeline but it does seem that we can expect production on the second season to be earlier than initially expected next year. In a now-deleted Instagram story, Rudd shared a gift she received for the holidays with a highlight that it is for the “season 2 prep”.

    This alone doesn’t necessarily make a case that production is going to start up just as soon as the new year comes rolling in, but preparations are a hint that we’re definitely getting closer. Plus, it might be a better hint that some kind of casting news may be underway in the coming weeks to prepare us ahead of production.

    There’s also the hint from Brashaad Mayweather, the actor who played Patty in the first season sharing that he’s already hearing sets being built for next year’s filming. As such, they may already be getting ready to start as soon as they can and will likely require quite a few more out-there sets when compared to the first given the nature of the story that is going to be told and the many more islands they’ll explore.

    We’ll probably have to wait at least until later before we get an update, as we did get some casting announcements ahead of time before production started in January last year. Though, it’s also quite a bit different given that this is the second season of a recurring show that may handle things a bit differently. Still, here’s hoping that this is a sign that updates are just around the corner.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘What If…?’ Writer on Creating Captain Carter

    ‘What If…?’ Writer on Creating Captain Carter

    Season 1 of What If…? introduced the novel idea of Peggy Carter becoming the test subject of Project Rebirth rather than Steve Rogers. The result, of course, was Captain Carter, a Union Jack-wearing Super Solider who led the Allied Forces against Hydra in an alternate universe in “What If…Captain Carter Were the First Avenger?”, the first episode of the animated series. Carter went on to be one of the main characters of Season 1, joining Uatu’s Guardians of the Multiverse, and a Variant of the character made her live-action debut in 2022’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. The original Captain Carter is back for Season 2 of What If…? and as the ending of the Carter-centric Episode 5, “What If…Captain Carter Fought the Hydra Stomper?” teased, she’s going to continue to play a large role in the Multiverse. As Captain Carter creator and What If…? head writer A.C. Bradley explained, there are some compelling reasons why the character is the centerpiece of the series.

    “Captain Carter holds a special place in my heart. I’ve never loved a fictional character as much as I love her,” said Bradley. “When season one was happening, a colleague asked me if I’d researched the treatment of women during World War II. As a woman in Hollywood, I’ve got plenty of my own stories to draw from.” It’s safe to say that this alt-universe Variant of Carter, voiced by Haley Atwell who has portrayed the live-action version of the character since 2011’s Captain America: The First Avenger, has become one of the most popular and transcendent characters from the series.

    For me, Captain Carter stands tall not just due to her physical strength or her combat abilities—it’s her undeniable presence, her capacity to take charge and command respect, or at the very least, equal treatment.

    A.C. Bradley

    As the MCU continues to introduce new heroes, fans continue to have more and more options from which to draw inspiration. To that end, Carter has certainly made quite a few fans, including one near and dear to Bradley’s heart. “I have a two-year-old daughter,” says Bradley. “She walks into [daycare] with her foam Captain Carter shield. That I could give her that role model, that symbol of strength and feminism—I’ve never been prouder as a mother or writer.”

    The first 6 episodes of What If…? are now streaming on Disney Plus with a new episode debuting daily through December 30th.

  • ‘Fantastic Four’ Production Update Keeps the Film on Track for 2025

    ‘Fantastic Four’ Production Update Keeps the Film on Track for 2025

    Despite an October statement by director Matt Shakman indicating the production on Fantastic Four was set to kick off in Spring 2024, recent misinformation had fans confused. A bogus report about a January start of principal photography caused fans to believe that the lack of casting news in recent weeks meant the film would not start on time and that it would be delayed. Alas, this is the world in which we live where starting on time powers a tsunami of bullshit. Nonetheless, a new report from a reliable insider has smoothed the rough waters for now.

    According to insider Daniel RPK, cameras are set to roll on Fantastic Four beginning in May. The project, which was originally announced at SDCC ’19 with Jon Watts as director, has been a constant source of rumors and speculation, especially around the cast. As of now, no members of Marvel’s First Family have been announced though rumors persist that Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn and Ebon-Moss Bachrach will fill the roles of Reed Richards, Susan Storm, Johnny Storm and Ben Grimm, respectively.

    The unfounded concerns about a delay in the start of production have led to internet buzz that the film will be unable to make its May 2nd, 2025 theatrical debut. While that may come to pass, there’s nothing at the moment that is cause for concern. Given now long the project has been in development and that Shakman has been on board and working with writers Jeff Kaplan and Ian Springer for well over a year, there’s no telling how much VFX work may have already been done that might allow for post-production to take place both concurrently with filming and speed up the process after.

  • Writing ‘What If…?’ Episode 4 Was a Dream Come True for AC Bradley

    Writing ‘What If…?’ Episode 4 Was a Dream Come True for AC Bradley

    After the first season of What If…? streamed in 2021, one episode that didn’t stream got nearly as much press as the ones that did. That episode, which became known as The Lost Gamora Episode, featured Tony Stark ending up on Sakaar. Even though it spawned a Lego set, the episode–written by AC Bradley–ended up being destined for Season 2 of the animated adventure. Now that it’s finally streamed, Bradley has opened up a bit about it.

    It turns out that while Bradley wrote the episode in 2019, it had been gestating for far longer. “Seeing Iron Man in 2008 was a game-changer for me,” she said. “I’d just graduated from USC Film School, was working as an assistant at a management company, writing every morning but still trying to find my voice. What did I want to write? What did I even have to say? Then one Saturday, a friend texted me—we ended up catching Iron Man at the Arclight.“

    That fateful showing, it turns out, set Bradley on the path to being a major part of the creative team of What If…? as it opened her eyes to what a comic book movie could be. “I remember walking out of the theater and telling her that this is it—I want to write Iron Man—or rather, stories like that: action-adventure, but with heart and humor. Telling a very human, personal story, but wrapping it in superheroics and, of course, killer explosions.”

    https://twitter.com/TheAshBradley/status/1550593591763877889?s=20

    After serving as the head writer for the first two seasons of What If…?, Bradley announced that the second season would be her last project with Marvel Studios. With another season of the Multiversal series confirmed, it will be someone else’s turn to turn their dreams of working on comic book projects into a reality.

  • ‘What If…?’ Writers Speak Out on Happy Hogan’s Big Night

    ‘What If…?’ Writers Speak Out on Happy Hogan’s Big Night

    Episode 3 of the second season of What If…? was quite the Christmas Eve gift. “What If…Happy Hogan Saved Christmas?” proved to be one of the funniest episodes of the series to date, allowing Jon Favreau‘s sidekick the opportunity to step into the spotlight and Freak out. With an infinite number of potential stories to tell, having Hogan defend Avengers Tower against Justin Hammer probably wasn’t on many peoples’ wish lists; however, it proved to be a worthy inclusion in the anthology. According to series writers Matt Chauncey and AC Bradley, the unlikely story–and its unlikely hero–came out of a desire to put together a holiday special and a request by Favreau.

    “AC and I grew up loving all those holiday specials and Christmas episodes that come back on year after year, and I think selfishly, we really just wanted a chance to write one of our own,” said Chauncey. “Something that might have a shot at becoming an annual tradition that gets revisited every holiday season. The challenge and the fun became figuring out who would be the least likely team of would-be heroes to rise up to save the day when the real Avengers are off doing other things,” he added.

    “[We’re] creating this sweet, meta-narrative where these characters who usually play the sidekick role in the movies finally get to step into the limelight and be the heroes of the story,” Chauncey continued. “It’s about flipping the script and giving these fan-favorite characters their moment to shine, which also felt like a fitting theme straight out of one of those classic holiday specials we wanted to emulate.”

    So how did they land on Happy Hogan? In a serendipitous turn, Favreau had been hoping to have Hogan take center stage in an episode and that gave the writers exactly what they were looking for. “First, let’s all agree that Jon Favreau is just an incredible talent and person. He was awesome when he came in to record for season one,” said Bradley. “Then for season two, he had one request—he wanted to headline own episode! Knowing that Happy Hogan was going to lead the charge on this one, Matt and I had a blast adding in all these Favreau touches.”

    Favreau clearly had a blast doing the voice work for Hogan and his alter-ego, the Freak. And as great as he was, the return of Sam Rockwell as Justin Hammer, who served as the Hans Gruber to Favreau’s John McClane in the Die Hard riff, put the bow on the wonderful animated gift. New episodes of What If…? will continue to debut daily through December 30th.

  • Marvel Studios Unveils Synopses for the Remaining Episodes of ‘What If…?’ Season 2

    Marvel Studios Unveils Synopses for the Remaining Episodes of ‘What If…?’ Season 2

    To date, three episodes of the second season of Marvel Studios canonical animated series What If…? and so far, critics and audiences alike have given them a thumbs up. With 6 more episodes set to roll out daily until December 30th, the studio has given everyone a pretty interesting present to open on Christmas Eve: spoilery synopses of the remaining episodes. Proceed at your own risk…

    Tony Stark/Iron Man in Marvel Studios’ WHAT IF…?, Season 2 exclusively on Disney+. © 2023 MARVEL.
    Episode 4: What If… Iron Man Crashed Into The Grandmaster?

    After his gambit to destroy the Chitauri Fleet during the battle of New York strands him on the planet of Sakaar, Tony Stark’s efforts to overthrow The Grandmaster lead to a ceremonial, grand prix-turned-demolition-derby—a death match that could land Tony on the Sakaarian throne.What If… Captain Carter Fought The Hydra Stomper?

    Episode 5: What If… Captain Carter Fought The HYDRA Stomper?

    After the long-lost Hydra Stomper is recovered, Captain Carter’s mission to save her old flame, Steve Rogers, sets her on a collision course with new enemies.

    Episode 6: What If… Kahhori Reshaped The World?
    Kahhori in Marvel Studios’ WHAT IF…?, Season 2 exclusively on Disney+. © 2023 MARVEL.

    After conquistadors lay siege to her tribe, a young Mohawk woman ventures into the Tesseract-powered waters of the legendary Forbidden Lake to recruit the forces of Sky World to help save her people.

    Episode 7: What If… Hela Found The Ten Rings?
    (L-R): Xu Wenwu and Hela in Marvel Studios’ WHAT IF…?, Season 2 exclusively on Disney+. © 2023 MARVEL.

    Growing weary of Hela’s bloodlust, Odin opts to teach his daughter a lesson by stripping her of her powers and banishing her to Earth. But when she lands in ancient China, the seductive lure of the Ten Rings threatens to reawaken the Goddess of Death’s villainous appetite.

    Episode 8: What If… The Avengers Assembled In 1602?
    1602 Wanda Merlin in Marvel Studios’ WHAT IF…?, Season 2 exclusively on Disney+. © 2023 MARVEL.

    When Captain Carter is transported to an Elizabethan-era locale that’s populated by modern day MCU figures, she’ll have to uncover the cause of the temporal anomaly that’s mysteriously stranded so many familiar heroes and villains in the year 1602.

    Episode 9: What If… Strange Supreme Intervened?
    Strange-Supreme in Marvel Studios’ WHAT IF…?, Season 2 exclusively on Disney+. © 2023 MARVEL.

    When Captain Carter teams up with an old friend to hunt down vicious Universe Killers terrorizing the Multiverse, she finds the greatest threat to all existence may be closer to her than she realizes.

    Episode 9’s description is especially spoilery to anyone who has been following along throughout the Multiverse Saga. While Universe Killers sounds like a big deal, MCU fans know who the true threat to existence is…

    About What If…? Season 2

    The Watcher returns to season two of Marvel Studios’ What If…? when the animated series
    begins streaming on Disney+ on Dec. 22. And in the spirit of the holiday season, fans are
    invited to unwrap a new episode nightly for nine nights.

    With a new episode debuting nightly beginning December 22, season two of What If…? continues the journey as The Watcher guides viewers through the vast multiverse, introducing brand new and familiar faces throughout the MCU. The series questions, revisits and twists classic Marvel Cinematic moments with an incredible voice cast that includes a host of stars who reprise their iconic roles. Featuring fan-favorite characters this season like Nebula, Hela and Happy Hogan, episodes are directed by Bryan Andrews (eps 2-9) and Stephan Franck (ep 1) and written by AC Bradley (eps 3, 4, 5, 8), Matthew Chauncey (eps 1-3, 7, 9) and Ryan Little (eps 6, 8). The animated series is executive produced by Brad Winderbaum, Kevin Feige, Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Bryan Andrews and AC Bradley. 

  • Marvel Studios 2024 Slate Officially Revealed

    Marvel Studios 2024 Slate Officially Revealed

    In July 2022, Marvel Studios One Above All, Kevin Feige, unveiled a significant portion of the Multiverse Saga slate. At that time, 2023 was set to be the studio’s most ambitious year yet with 8 live-action projects set to roll out in theaters and on Disney +. The best-laid plans and all that and as 2023 comes to a close, 2 of those projects, Echo and Ironheart, have yet to stream and one of the films, Blade, has yet to begin production. As those projects began to get moved out of 2023, the shuffle was on and 2024’s took on a whole new look as well.

    As originally presented at SDCC ’22, Marvel Studios 2024 slate included 4 films and 5 live-action streaming series. At the time, no dates were announced for any of the studio’s animated series. Things have certainly changed dramatically since then. In an official release from Disney, Marvel Studios entire 2024 slate is now composed of only 5 projects and only 3 of them (1 film and 2 streaming series) are live-action.

    (L-R): Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool/Wade Wilson and Hugh Jackman as Wolverine/Logan in Marvel Studios’ Untitled Deadpool movie. Photo by Jay Maidment. © 2023 MARVEL.

    As per the official release, the studio’s year will kick off when all 5 episodes of Echo stream on January 9th. The untitled Deadpool sequel will be Marvel Studios’ theatrical release of 2024, debuting in theaters on July 26th. The final live-action project of the year, Agatha: Darkhold Diaries, is officially set to stream at some point in the Fall which lines up with earlier reports of a September 19th target date.

    Marvel will also roll out three animated streaming series over the course of 2024. The newly announced Eyes of Wakanda, produced by Ryan Coogler’s Proximity Media, X-Men ’97 and the recently retitiled Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man are all on the docket for the new year though no release windows were provided by Disney.

    As becomes more evident every year, the slate is very fluid. Projects could be moved in or out of 2024 as any number of variables dictates.

  • Lucasfilm’s 2024 Streaming Slate Officially Revealed

    Lucasfilm’s 2024 Streaming Slate Officially Revealed

    As Hollywood prepares to slow down for the holiday season, studios have begun rolling out information about their 2024 slates. With so many high-profile brands under its umbrella and its own streaming service, Disney is always one of the busiest studios in the business. Following an extended work stoppage in Hollywood, 2024 won’t be quite as busy as expected for the studio but there’s still quite a bit to look forward to, especially if you’re a Star Wars fan.

    Lucasfilm will roll out four Star Wars streaming series on Disney Plus over the course of 2024. While Disney did not reveal release windows, they officially revealed that The Acolyte, Season 3 of The Bad Batch, Season 2 of Tales of the Jedi and Skeleton Crew will hit the streaming service at some point.

    Recently, The Bad Batch and Tales of the Jedi were left off an official release by Disney UK, prompting reports that the two animated series might end up being delayed until 2025. While that’s not the case, it does seem that Season 2 of Andor, one of Lucasfilm’s most well-received Star Wars streaming series, will not release in 2024. Release slates rarely hold true, however, so anything from cancellations to delays to projects not currently listed ending up in 2024 is on the table.

    About Star Wars: The Bad Batch

    Star Wars: The Bad Batch follows the elite and experimental clones of the Bad Batch (first introduced in The Clone Wars) as they find their way in a rapidly changing galaxy in the immediate aftermath of the Clone War. Members of Bad Batch—a unique squad of clones who vary genetically from their brothers in the Clone Army— each possess a singular exceptional skill that makes them extraordinarily effective soldiers and a formidable
    crew.

    Star Wars: The Bad Batch is executive produced by Dave Filoni (The Mandalorian, Star Wars: The Clone Wars), Athena Portillo (Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels), Brad Rau (Star Wars Rebels, Star Wars Resistance), Jennifer Corbett (Star Wars Resistance, NCIS) and Carrie Beck (The Mandalorian, Star Wars Rebels) with Josh Rimes (Star Wars Resistance, Star Wars: Visions) and Alex Spotswood (Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels) as producers. Rau is also serving as supervising director with Corbett as head writer and Matt Michnovetz as story editor.

    About Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi

    Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi is an anthology of six all-new animated shorts produced by Lucasfilm Animation and created by Dave Filoni (Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels). Based on Star Wars and characters created by George Lucas, the series is set during the prequel era and spotlights important moments in the lives of fan-favorite characters Ahsoka Tano and Jedi-turned-Sith Lord Count Dooku as they embark on respective paths toward heroism and villainy. Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi features the voices of Ashley Eckstein as Ahsoka Tano; Corey Burton as Count Dooku; Janina Gavankar as Ahsoka’s mother, Pav-ti; Micheál Richardson as young Qui-Gon Jinn; TC Carson as Mace Windu; Ian McDiarmid as Darth Sidious; Liam Neeson as Qui-Gon Jinn; Phil
    Lamarr as Bail Organa; Clancy Brown as Inq.

    Dave Filoni is the creator, supervising director, executive producer, and writer of five of the six shorts: “Life and Death”; “Justice”; “The Sith Lord”; “Practice Makes Perfect”; and “Resolve.” Charles Murray and Élan Murray are the writers of “Choices.” Nathaniel Villanueva directs “Life and Death”; Charles Murray directs “Choices”; Saul Ruiz directs “Justice”; “The Sith Lord”; “Practice Makes Perfect”; and “Resolve.” In addition to Filoni, Athena Yvette Portillo and Carrie Beck are executive producers; Alex Spotswood and Josh Rimes are producers.

  • Dave Filoni on What’s Next for Thrawn

    Dave Filoni on What’s Next for Thrawn

    As the Season 1 finale of Ahsoka wrapped up, Grand Admiral Thrawn found his way back from his exile. Thrawn’s return from Peridea to the familiar confines of the galaxy far, far away comes at a time when the Imperial Remnant’s Shadow Council’s plans are coalescing and Thrawn’s long-awaited homecoming will likely provide them enough confidence to emerge from the shadows. Of course, when they do there will be a group of heroes ready to oppose their efforts which means a war is coming to the Star Wars universe.

    Lucasfilm’s Disney + Star Wars streaming series The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett and Ahsoka have nicely set up the coming war under the watchful eye of the studio’s newly named Chief Creative Officer Dave Filoni. That war is expected to unfold on screen in Filoni’s “Heir to the Empire” film but there’s still plenty of work to do before then with the live-action series Skeleton Crew (streaming sometime in 2024) and a fourth season of The Mandalorian (likely streaming in 2025) likely to continue to set the stage for Thrawn’s strategic strike. In an interview with Empire, Filoni teased what’s ahead for Thrawn and who will likely take the lead in opposing him.

    “We set up Captain Pellaeon in The Mandalorian, and that’s a character that goes with Thrawn, so I’d love to see the two of them together,” said Filoni, referring to a character from Star Wars Legends that was introduced into canon in 2018 in Star Wars Rebels and made his live-action debut, played by Xander Berkeley, in Chapter 23 of The Mandalorian. Pellaeon was Thrawn’s right-hand man, remained loyal to him for years after he disappeared aboard the Chimaera and will certainly be by his side as the Heir to the Empire attempts to reestablish Imperial rule across the galaxy. But as teased in the closing moments of Ahsoka, one of Thrawn’s craftiest opponents will be ready to stand in his way.

    While Ahsoka and Sabine were trapped on Peridea in the Ahsoka finale, Ezra Bridger was able to escape and reunite with the members of the Rebels crew now working with the New Republic, including Mary Elizabeth Winstead‘s Hera Syndulla who has proven to be a thrown in Grand Admiral Thrawn’s side. From what Filoni says, it sounds like that’s something that’s going to continue in the New Republic era stories yet to unfold. “His foil throughout Rebels was Hera“, said Filoni. “Pitting the two generals against one another is something that I find interesting.” And something Thrawn will no doubt enjoy.

  • The Truth Is Out There: Ryan Coogler’s ‘X-Files’ Revival Confirmed

    The Truth Is Out There: Ryan Coogler’s ‘X-Files’ Revival Confirmed

    In March 2023, X-Files creator Chris Carter indicated that Black Panther franchise director Ryan Coogler was working to “remount” the sci-fi drama. “I just spoke to a young man, Ryan Coogler, who is going to remount ‘The X-Files’ with a diverse cast,” said Carter in an interview with Variety. “He’s got his work cut out for him, because we covered so much territory,” added Carter. Since that interview, word on the project has been kept locked up tightly in the basement office of the FBI but now, Bloomberg has confirmed the reboot is in the works.

    According to the site, Coogler, whose Proximity Media signed a 5-year overall deal with Disney in 2021, will produce the new version of the beloved series. The original series ran on Fox for nine seasons from 1993 to 2002 before two additional seasons ran in 2016 and 2018. Two films, The X-Files and The X-Files: I Want to Believe, were also produced.

    What ties, if any, the new series will have to the original, is unknown. Carter’s Fox series developed a deep and sprawling mythology in a world of unimaginably vast conspiracies…which sounds an awful lot like modern times.

    Source: Bloomberg