Murphy's Multiverse

Category: News

  • ‘The Marvels’ Will Impact the Avengers Films…But Nobody Knows How

    ‘The Marvels’ Will Impact the Avengers Films…But Nobody Knows How

    As Marvel Studios has rolled out its post-Endgame slate, it’s become more and more obvious that while there’s a plan in place that gets the MCU to Avengers: Secret Wars, the finer details of that plan haven’t quite been worked out yet. It would seem that there’s a lot of “that’s the next guy’s problem to solve” as projects are handed off from one team to the next (you can’t convince me that anyone knows if Kang the Conqueror is really alive or dead following the events of Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania…and that’s just fine) but it’s not something that’s been talked about…until now.

    In the latest issue of Total Film, The Marvels director, Nia DaCosta, and executive producer, Mary Livanos, both came clean on the subject. While they both admit that the story of The Marvels will result in something that the Avengers will ultimately have to deal with, they also make it clear that neither of them are quite sure what that will mean. And if those two–who know more about the film than anyone–don’t know…it’s quite possible nobody does.

    “It definitely leads to plentiful opportunities for the future of the MCU, whatever the Avengers and Secret Wars teams may want to do with them,” said Livanos of the conclusion of The Marvels, which will see Kree villain Dar-Benn, played by Zawe Ashton, look to unlock the full power of Kamala Khan’s bangle by reuniting it with its rightful paired partner. Though nobody’s saying it quite yet, those bangles sure seem like they might be the MCU’s versions of the Quantum Bands and may just have some sort of connection to the Multiverse Saga’s big bad, Kang. But do they?

    Zawe Ashton as Dar-Benn in Marvel Studios’ THE MARVELS. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. © 2023 MARVEL.

    “That’s a question for [Marvel boss] Kevin Feige,” says DaCosta of how The Marvels fits into the larger shared narrative of the Multiverse Saga. “I have lots of thoughts. But I actually have no idea what they’re going to do in the Avengers movies. I do know that those guys who are doing that watch the films, see what we’re doing. I have things I really want [to happen]. But I’m not sure.” And that means it’s the “next guy’s” problem which Livanos explained.

    “The plot [of The Marvels] deals with some fluctuations in time and space, and there’s definite danger afoot that could affect the multiverse,” said Livanos. “Where it all leads is a bit of a spoiler, and exactly how it’ll all pan out in an Avengers movie is currently being figured out right now. But we’re definitely ending our characters in places that allow for plentiful opportunity.” Who is figuring it all out? At one point, it was definitely in the hands of Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania writer Jeff Loveness, who was hired to pen Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, but there have been relentless rumors that he’s since left the project after completing a portion of the script. Will the next writer start from scratch and get left solving whatever problem the ending of The Marvels leaves for the Avengers? Or will the ending of The Marvels become the next 616 Mordo and never be seen or heard from again?

    Source: Total Film via Games Radar

  • ‘Ahsoka’ Release Schedule, Runtime of Two-Episode Premier Revealed

    ‘Ahsoka’ Release Schedule, Runtime of Two-Episode Premier Revealed

    The next entry in Dave Filoni’s New Republic era of stories, Ahsoka, is now less than two weeks away from its Disney Plus premiere. The series, which will see star Rosario Dawson reprise the role of the former Jedi, will not only move the Mandoverse story ahead but also serve as a sequel to Star Wars Rebels. Ahsoka will feature the live-action debuts of Rebels characters Hera Syndulla, Sabine Wren, Ezra Bridger and Grand Admiral Thrawn and could also pull off any number of surprises so needless to say, there’s a lot of story to tell. It looks like Lucasfilm is happy to give the story room to breathe as it’s not only an eight-episode series but also has a very generous runtime for its two-episode debut.

    According to Cryptic4KQual, a Twitter account that has a well-established track record for reporting accurate runtimes of Disney Plus projects, the two-episode premiere will run for a total of 1 hour and 36 minutes including credits and just shy of 90 minutes without. Feature films such as Zombieland (87 minutes), Attack the Block (88 minutes) and Stand By Me (89 minutes) made 90 minutes feel like plenty of time to tell a compelling story and these two episodes are just the opening act for Ahsoka.

    https://twitter.com/Cryptic4KQual/status/1689410104100069376?s=20

    Following the two-episode debut, Ahsoka will continue to release on a weekly basis for the next six weeks with the final episode streaming on October 4th as Lucasfilm is sticking with Wednesdays for their Star Wars releases.

    The series has already built some significant buzz and looks to be a pivotal chapter in the ongoing Mandoverse narrative.

    Set after the fall of the Empire, Star Wars: Ahsoka follows the former Jedi Knight Ahsoka Tano as she investigates an emerging threat to a vulnerable galaxy.

  • ‘One Piece’ Creator Was “Tough In the Beginning” on Netflix’s Live-Action Adaptation

    ‘One Piece’ Creator Was “Tough In the Beginning” on Netflix’s Live-Action Adaptation

    At this point, it’s no secret that mangaka Eiichiro Oda took a very proactive role in the development of the live-action One Piece series, which is set to hit Netflix later this month. And it looks like co-showrunner Matt Owens was quite nervous about tackling a series he loved dearly, as he shares that he’s never “been more nervous for anything in my entire life” when tackling this series.

    I don’t think I’ve ever been more nervous for anything in my entire life. Here was this person who has created this story I hold so much love and reverence for, and I’m asking him to trust me with his baby.

    Matt Owens

    Though, he does highlight that Oda needed some to warm up. It seems that this wasn’t the first attempt at a live-action adaptation, which led to him being a bit worried going into the production. Though Owens highlights that “once he realised we were coming from the right place” everything seemed to start falling into place.

    I’m not going to lie, he was tough in the beginning – this wasn’t the first attempt at a live-action One Piece, and we weren’t the first people to try to express it in a new way. But I think once he realised we were coming from the right place – trying to protect this series and create a new avenue for even more people to fall in love with it – he started to trust us.

    Matt Owens

    His goal to make more people fall in love with the series is the right approach; though quite a task when considering just how big One Piece already is just based on sales. Oda has shared quite a few messages of his thoughts on the production and that they did make changes here or there. It’s not uncommon with adaptations and while things will likely not be exactly the same, it’ll lead a new generation into exploring the manga and the journey many of us started over 25 years ago.

    Source: SFX via GamesRadar

  • New BTS ‘One Piece’ Image Confirms Nami’s New Look Inspired by Unused Concept Art

    New BTS ‘One Piece’ Image Confirms Nami’s New Look Inspired by Unused Concept Art

    One Piece is only a few more weeks away and we’re slowly getting more and more teases of what’s to come. Netflix’s live-action adaptation of the popular manga will not only take inspiration from the original but even go beyond to take elements from Eiichiro Oda’s 25+ years of work on the series and its complex world.

    We saw that most of the Straw Hats’ outfits will be taken from various sources such as One Piece’s color illustrations as well as the various manga covers. A new behind-the-scenes post from the official One Piece Twitter account has seemingly given us a confirmation that we can expect a rather interesting costume design for Nami that might be familiar to those that have been with the series since its early days.

    Emily Rudd’s outfit with the orange-striped legging is inspired by the early design of the character of Nami before she was introduced into the manga. Early concept art featured her with similar black jeans, the orange-striped legging, and a white top. She even had her hair tied back but we won’t be getting the giant axe anytime soon.

    These kinds of teases showcase just how deep the love for One Piece is for everyone involved with the production. Even small things as the costumes are taken from Oda’s work. The fact they even found a way to include the concept art feels like a great way to let some of his earlier ideas finally make it into the story. Here’s hoping the show can live up to that love and go on for many more seasons.

    Source: Twitter

  • The MCU’s Watcher Set to Make His Next Move in a Most Unexpected Place

    The MCU’s Watcher Set to Make His Next Move in a Most Unexpected Place

    Marvel Studios’ first canonical animated adventure, What If…?, introduced one of the most powerful and enigmatic characters in Uatu the Watcher. A member of a race of nigh omnipresent and omnipotent aliens, Uatu lived in the Nexus of All Realties where he was tasked with observing the Multiverse while swearing an oath never to intervene. That oath was tested and ultimately broken in Season 1 of What If…? when Uatu gathered a team of heroes, the Guardians of the Multiverse, to take on Ultron after the AI became aware of the presence of the Watcher.

    That team, comprised of alternate reality versions of Peggy Carter, T’Challa, Doctor Strange, Gamora, Thor, Black Widow and N’jdaka, took on and ultimately defeated the Infinity Stone-powered Ultron and Uatu returned to the Nexus of All Realities to await whatever came next. Now, thanks to a new trailer, Uatu’s next MCU appearance has been revealed and it’s certainly not what anyone expected.

    Dr. Strange Supreme & The Watcher in Marvel Studios’ WHAT IF…? exclusively on Disney+. ©Marvel Studios 2021. All Rights Reserved.

    During the trailer for Season 2 of I Am Groot, the Watcher was spotted overseeing the feisty sapling taking off in the Guardians’ ship. While rumors of his appearance in the show had circulated a while back, the trailer is the first confirmation of the surprising return of the character who is voiced by the talented Jeffrey Wright. What could Groot be up to draw the attention of Uatu? Will the events of Season 2 of I Am Groot be tied to the events of Season 2 of What If…? ? Answers to those questions will be answered soon as five new I Am Groot shorts will hit Disney Plus on September 6th!

  • Eiichiro Oda had Two Demands for Netflix’s ‘One Piece’ Series

    Eiichiro Oda had Two Demands for Netflix’s ‘One Piece’ Series

    We’ve known for some time that One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda has been heavily involved with the production. He had a big hand in choosing who would portray the iconic Straw Hat pirates and had the final say if they would release the show. We would later find out that he even asked them to reshoot a few sequences to ensure they stayed true to his original vision as much as possible but were still open to some changes.

    Matt Owens, the co-showrunner for the series, has revealed in a new issue of Shueisha that Oda had quite a few requests for the development but highlighted two very distinctive ones. The first is that the character’s backstories are not to be touched and remain as their core motivation, which Owens seemingly fully agrees with.

    They’re so pivotal to who they are as people, what their dreams and motivations are, and how Luffy digs into that as he meets them and helps them rediscover those dreams.

    Matt Owens

    The second aspect is that they would focus on the different abilities of the characters. Even if that likely was going to be a big challenge in a live-action setting, they definitely wanted to stick to the moves and devil fruits that are an iconic aspect of the entire franchise.

    Specific devil fruit powers and other skill sets were all carefully crafted by Oda and a lot of imagination went into what different people can do and what the rules are with that.

    Matt Owens

    Going by the trailers, it seems that they definitely stayed true to those requests and went all out to ensure the Devil Fruits get the love they deserve. In an era that is scared of showing off a body stretching, such as with Ms. Marvel recently, they fully embraced that aspect and made sure to show it off even in the first teaser. So, here’s hoping we get a lot more once the series releases and potentially gets multiple seasons to fully embrace the wacky world that is One Piece.

    Source: ComicBook.com

  • ‘Stranger Things’ Season 5 Will Focus More on Noah Schnapp’s Will

    ‘Stranger Things’ Season 5 Will Focus More on Noah Schnapp’s Will

    Stranger Things remains one of Netflix’s best releases, as it combines horror and 80s nostalgia in an unlikely mismatch. The Upside Down also became a rather fascinating mythology element that had many returning to this world every new season, as we slowly uncovered more of this world. Though, one big change throughout the seasons was that Noah Schnapp, who was a major player in the earlier seasons, seemed to take quite the backseat with each new season.

    Luckily, it seems that the upcoming fifth season will likely return to Schnapp’s Will having a bigger part in the story that slowly became more and more about Millie Bobby Brown’s Eleven. In an interview, co-creator Ross Duffer seemingly confirms he will take “center stage again” in the upcoming fifth season and teases that he’ll be “coming into his own as a young man.”

    Will really takes center stage again in 5. This emotional arc for him is what we feel is going to hopefully tie the whole series together. Will is used to being the young one, the introverted one, the one that’s being protected. So part of his journey, it’s not just sexuality — it’s Will coming into his own as a young man.

    Ross Duffer

    We don’t know how they will handle the fact that they won’t be filming for some time and the cast already looks far older than the ages they are supposed to play. The writer and actors’ strike have currently halted productions across Hollywood as they are fighting for a livable wage. So, we’ll see if some elements might get adapted

    Source: Variety

  • New Rumor Reveals One of the Villains of ‘Deadpool 3’

    New Rumor Reveals One of the Villains of ‘Deadpool 3’

    With the ongoing WGA and SAG strikes, interesting news about Marvel Studios productions has been hard to come by. Even the rumor mill has seemingly stalled out with recycled fancasts passing for the most interesting thing on the internet these days. However, several online scoopers have come together to reveal one of the more interesting rumors in recent memory.

    Daniel RPK, KC Walsh and CWGST have separately shared some fascinating news about Emma Corrin‘s Deadpool 3 villain and it’s not a name that had been tossed about before. According to the scoopmeisters, Corrin will be playing Cassandra Nova, the wildly evil twin sister of Charles Xavier. In the comics, Charles attempted to kill Cassandra in the womb after sensing her true nature through his already active psychic abilities. Though stillborn, Cassandra survived and came after Charles and his X-Men decades later.

    Though production on Deadpool 3 has been put on pause, some details about the Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman team-up have emerged; however, this is the first indication of who Corwin would be playing. While unexpected, the choice to use Charles’ sister is a pretty bold step for the studio. Though there are no hints as to what Cassandra’s role would be in the film, her goal in the comics has been to wipe mutantkind from the Earth. It’s not too far fetched to believe that Deadpool and Wolverine run into Cassandra on an alternate Earth where she may have been successful.Though the films is currently slated for a May 2024 release, fans may have wait longer than that to learn exactly what Cassandra is up to as the ongoing strikes look to be placing that current release date in jeopardy.

  • Netflix’s ‘One Piece’ Adds ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’s Ian McShane

    Netflix’s ‘One Piece’ Adds ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’s Ian McShane

    While there are still some characters that we don’t know if they’ll appear in the first season of One Piece, we still have quite the cast of characters. We will meet many familiar faces from East Blue across the (hopefully) first season. Though, there’s a surprising addition that we may have not considered making the transition from manga to live-action. It seems the mysterious narrator will remain a fixture in this adaptation of One Piece.

    The big surprise is that the narrator will be played by probably the most well-known actor in the cast. Netflix’s press release includes the mention of Ian McShane voicing the role. The iconic actor marks the first Pirates of the Caribbean addition to the cast, as he famously played Blackbeard in On Stranger Tides. He also is quite famous for his role in the John Wick franchise and Deadwood.

    We will see just how big his role might be, as there’s a chance the narrator only appears in the opening if it replicates the original series. Though, they may have him be a recurring voice throughout, as the narrator tended to appear at random times throughout the manga’s run. It definitely is a great addition and an easy way to have a very recognizable addition to the cast without having to fly him in to shoot scenes. Perhaps they also know who the narrator is at a later point.

  • Emma Corrin Confirms Villainous Role in ‘Deadpool 3’

    Emma Corrin Confirms Villainous Role in ‘Deadpool 3’

    In February, the internet learned that Deadpool 3 has added The Crown actress Emma Corrin in an unknown role. There were quite a few rumors making the rounds on who exactly she might be playing with some ranging from quite abstract comic characters to various Marvel Cinematic Universe connections one can imagine.

    In an interview with Variety, Corrin doesn’t reveal who they are playing but confirms that it will be a villainous role. Though, they highlight that when they met with director Shawn Levy, famous for his work on Stranger Things, they had zero idea what the role was because Marvel was keeping quite a tight grip on actual details, as per usual.

    I feel really excited to play a villain. I haven’t done that, and it’s an itch I want to scratch. I’d heard about the project but, classic Marvel, they couldn’t tell me anything about it. Absolutely nothing. Zilch. So I met [Shawn] being like, ‘I don’t know what this is about.’

    Emma Corrin

    They go on to highlight that they’re not much of “a Marvel person” but has had some history with Spider-Man and Black Panther. Though, they do go on that she believes “it’s amazing” and seemed to love the self-awareness of Deadpool.

    Hands up, I’m not a Marvel person. I’ve watched ‘Spider-Man’ and ‘Black Panther.’ I was like, ‘Look, you’re gonna have to debrief me into this.’ It’s such an intricate world. There’s so much to it, it’s an absolute mindfuck. All the language and the Easter eggs, and this person is related to that person who did this, and this person came back and this person’s dead… it’s amazing. I really understand why it means as much as it does to so many people. It’s a phenomenon, and I feel really lucky to be part of it. Especially ‘Deadpool,’ because I love the fact that it’s self-aware, and critical of its own inner-workings.

    Emma Corrin

    We’ll have to wait quite a bit longer until we find out who they are playing, especially with the SAG and WGA strikes going on due to studios not paying their talent the money they deserve for the work they invest. It’s unclear when or how much they finished from production. As the director’s guild isn’t striking, Levy might be currently busy working on post-production and waiting to finish filming they didn’t get around to.

    Source: Variety