Murphy's Multiverse

Category: News

  • Frank Grillo Doubts a Crossbones Return to the MCU, Hints at DCU Future

    Frank Grillo Doubts a Crossbones Return to the MCU, Hints at DCU Future

    There’s always a discussion surrounding how villains are treated in any comic book cinematic franchise. Most commonly, they survive for mostly one film and those that make it out alive aren’t around for too long. So, while the heroes continue to get some development, outside of Loki, most villains end up one-dimensional due to the lack of screen time.

    As it turns out, Crossbones actor Frank Grillo feels the same. His character was seemingly set up for a long future with the Marvel Cinematic Universe but faced an untimely end during Captain America: Civil War. One might argue that without his character, the events of that entire film wouldn’t have taken place but it seems Grillo wasn’t a fan of how his character was treated, and seemingly confirms he’ll appear in an upcoming DC project.

    They never told a story [about Crossbones]. The mythology of the MCU and just what Marvel has in its pool of characters, it’s so deep. Crossbones was there for a minute, but he was supposed to be there longer, then they went the direction they did. I think Crossbones serves a purpose, but I think the interesting thing is that if you see how many people around the world have responded to Crossbones, and again, he’s on the screen for a very f–king short amount of time, I think there’s more there. I think there was more meat on the bone. I was disappointed, which is why I went over to DC.

    Frank Grillo

    It’s certainly a bit strange as he probably had more screen time than any villain in the MCU. Plus, he also returned for two projects even after his character died, as he returned in Avengers: Endgame and even voiced Crossbones again in What If…?. So, he wasn’t a character that was completely sidelined and it would’ve been great to see him return especially with future multiversal storylines. But going by his comments, that ship has sailed.

    Source: ComicBook.com

  • ‘Thunderbolts’ Director Jake Schreier Joins Impressive List of ‘Skeleton Crew’ Skippers

    ‘Thunderbolts’ Director Jake Schreier Joins Impressive List of ‘Skeleton Crew’ Skippers

    Though the project has long since completed filming and is now in post-production, the Star Wars streaming series Skeleton Crew continues to sound more promising by the day. Billed as an Amblin-esque adventure set in the Galaxy far, far away, Skeleton Crew has assembled quite the group of directors. Now a new report suggests another hot name has joined the list.

    According to One Take News, Jake Schreier directed an episode of the series for Lucasfilm. Schreier Joins The Daniels and David Lowery on an impressive list of talented directors who have worked with creator Jon Watts behind the camera.



    Skeleton Crew tells the story of four kids who find themselves lost in in the vastness of the galaxy trying to find their way home.

    Official synopsis of Skeleton Crew via Lucasfilm

    A year ago, Schreier was known more for his work on music videos than major projects. That all changed when Marvel Studios selected him to direct the 2024 film Thunderbolts, which will begin production this Spring. Schreier’s first major project, the streaming series Beef, hits Netflix soon and has already been the subject of a lot of positive critical buzz. Interestingly enough, Thunderbolts will serve as a bit of a Beef reunion for Schreier with star Steven Yeun and screenwriter Lee Sung Jin joining him on the Marvel Studios project.

    Lucasfilm has not officially confirmed the team of directors for Skeleton Crew. However, it’s expected that the project will be a part of the upcoming Star Wars Celebration presentation on April 7th in London.

    Source: OTN

  • Great Scott! Chapter 22 of ‘The Mandalorian’ Rocks Out with a Trio of Juicy Cameos

    Great Scott! Chapter 22 of ‘The Mandalorian’ Rocks Out with a Trio of Juicy Cameos

    Bryce Dallas Howard returned to direct Chapter 22 of The Mandalorian and she brought some big names along with her. The episode, titled Guns for Hire, saw Din Djarin, Grogu and Bo-Katan head to the planet of Plazir-15 where they looked to enlist Axe Woves, Koska Reeves and their team of Mandalorian mercenaries into their quest to reclaim Mandalore. While the series Mandalorian leads found who they were looking for, they also met a trio of new faces who made surprising cameos in the episode.

    The grandiose world of Plazir-15 is new to the Star Wars universe which gave Howard and creator Jon Favreau room to get creative and they did exactly that. Shortly after landing on the planet, Din, Grogu and Bo-Katan were escorted to a rather extravagant party. And who invited the Mandalorians to have a seat at the table, take a load off and sip on secretions? The planet’s rulers, The Dutchess and Captain Bombardier, played by Lizzo and Jack Black, respectively.

    As the plot of the episode moved ahead, it turned out it had one more surprise cameo in store. Before Din and Bo-Katan would be allowed to meet with their fellow Mandalorians on Plazir-15, they had a small task to complete for the Dutchess and Captain Bombardier. Plazir-15, as it turned out, had recently experienced some unpleasant business with some rogue droids. To get to the bottom of the matter, Din and Bo-Katan met with the planet’s head of security, Captain Helgait, played by the iconic Christopher Lloyd. Though Helgait was revealed to be behind the droid attacks and exiled from the planet, he did live to see another day.

    It’ll be interesting to follow both the reaction to the trio of cameos and any forthcoming information from Lucasfilm about them. For his part, Black has created a few social media videos expressing his fandom for Star Wars and, in particular, The Mandalorian. His 2022 May the Fourth Be With You and Revenge of the Fifth Tik Toks made quite a splash.

    Chapter 22 of The Mandalorian is now streaming on Disney Plus.

  • Morena Baccarin Talks ‘Deadpool 3’ and Her Possible Return

    Morena Baccarin Talks ‘Deadpool 3’ and Her Possible Return

    Production on Deadpool 3 is set to begin over the summer, and while the cast continues to fill out, there are plenty of characters from the first two movies that have yet to be confirmed to return. Morena Baccarin, who played Vanessa in the first two films, is one name that has not been attached to the project. At least, not yet. Of course, while Vanessa technically died in Deadpool 2, the fact that Deadpool 3 is set to be a multiverse story set within the Marvel Cinematic Universe allows for plenty of possibilities.

    While appearing on the Inside of You podcast, Baccarin briefly talked about Deadpool 3 and noted that she has been approached about the movie. However, as of now, she has not officially joined the cast of Deadpool 3. “I have to be very diplomatic about what I say here,” she explained. “I’d like to be in it. They have called me about being in it. Right now, we have not agreed on terms, and everybody’s trying their best, and doing their best. It may or may not work out.”

    Deadpool 3 will see Ryan Reynolds‘ titular anti-hero team up with Hugh Jackman‘s Wolverine. Joining the duo in the film are Karan Soni and Leslie Uggams, who are returning as Dopinder and Blind Al, as well as Emma Corrin and Matthew Macfadyen. Shawn Levy, a frequent collaborator of Reynolds, will direct the film from a screenplay by Zeb Wells, Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese.

    Deadpool 3 will hit theaters on Nov. 8th, 2024.

    Source: Comicbook.

  • ‘John Wick’ Spinoff, ‘Ballerina,’ Set for 2024 Release

    ‘John Wick’ Spinoff, ‘Ballerina,’ Set for 2024 Release

    As John Wick: Chapter 4 continues to dominate at the box office, Lionsgate is moving ahead with its plan to expand upon the franchise. Ballerina, the first spinoff film in the franchise, has finally been given a release date. The Ana de Armas-led film will hit theaters on June 7th, 2024.

    Ballerina was first announced as being in development back in 2017. That’s when Lionsgate purchased the rights to the spec action script with the hopes of turning it into a spinoff of its John Wick franchise. The story centers on “a young woman raised as an assassin who must hunt down the other assassins that murdered her family.” Along with Ballerina, Lionsgate is also developing a prequel television series titled The Continental. That series will debut on Starz and is set to star Colin Woodell, Mel Gibson and Peter Greene among others.

    Len Wiseman directed the film from a screenplay by Shay Hatten. Anjelica Huston, Gabriel Byrne, the late Lance Reddick, Catalina Sandino Moreno, and Norman Reedus star alongside de Armas. Also appearing in the film are Ian McShane and Keanu Reeves.

    Source: THR.

  • ‘Shrek 5’ in the Pipeline at DreamWorks with Original Cast

    ‘Shrek 5’ in the Pipeline at DreamWorks with Original Cast

    Following the impressive–and perhaps unexpected–response to DreamWorks Animation’s Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, the production company is heading back to the well again. In an interview with Variety, Illumination founder and CEO Chris Meledandri revealed that talks have already begun to bring back the original voice cast of Shrek for a fifth film.

    “We anticipate the cast coming back,” said Meledandri. “Talks are starting now, and every indication that we’ve gotten is there’s tremendous enthusiasm on behalf of the actors to return.” While it wasn’t immediately clear just how many of the original cast members were approached, Variety indicated that Mike Myers, Eddie Muphy and Cameron Diaz were among those in talks.

    As DreamWorks began the process of rebooting the Shrek franchise, Meledandri realized that the original voice cast needed to be a part of whatever plans were hatched. “It’s not that dissimilar to the process that we went through with ‘Mario,’ where you look at what the core elements are that audiences have loved, and you do your very best to honor those core elements,” he said, referring to The Super Mario Bros. Movie which releases on April 5th. “And then you’re hard at work to build story elements and new characters that take you to brand new places. The original cast is a huge part of that.”

    Meledandri’s comments come on the heels not only of the success of the Puss in Boots threequel but also interest from Murphy in reprising the role of Donkey. “If [DreamWorks] ever came with another ‘Shrek,’ I’d do it in two seconds,” said Murphy. “I love Donkey. They did ‘Puss in Boots’ movies. I was like, ‘They should have done a Donkey movie.’ Donkey is funnier than Puss in Boots. I mean, I love Puss in Boots, but he ain’t funny as the Donkey.” Melendari told Variety that he was “excited” by Murphy’s comments, adding he believed a Donkey spinoff would “without question” be successful.

    Source: Variety

  • Latest ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ Trailer Includes an MCU Reference

    Latest ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ Trailer Includes an MCU Reference

    Sony’s upcoming animated film, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, is one of the most anticipated superhero films of the year. The sequel to the wildly successful 2018 Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse will introduce Miles Morales to a team of Spiders who seek to protect the existence of the Multiverse. And, as the new trailer for the project reveals, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is part of the Multiverse!

    Among those aforementioned Spiders out to protect the Multiverse is the prickly Miguel O’Hara, voiced by Oscar Isaac. As the trailer explains, the network of Spiders was brought together by O’Hara and he does NOT want Miles sniffing around telling him, “you can never be part of this“; however, Miles isn’t the only Spider who isn’t welcome. After bluntly telling Miles to take a hike, O’Hara says “Don’t even get me started on Doctor Strange and the little nerd back on Earth-199999!” in a clear reference to the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home.

    As shocking as this reference to the events of a movie set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe might be to some, it’s important to remember that Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios collaborate on the MCU-set Spider-Man films and that this isn’t the first time one of Sony’s projects shared some connective tissue with the MCU. Spider-Man: Now Way Home‘s post-credit scene revealed that Tom Hardy‘s Eddie Brock was one of the characters to jump to the MCU during the film and while he jumped back, he left a piece of his symbiote behind.

    After reuniting with Gwen Stacy, Brooklyn’s full-time, friendly neighborhood Spider-Man is catapulted across the Multiverse, where he encounters a team of Spider-People charged with protecting its very existence. However, when the heroes clash on how to handle a new threat, Miles finds himself pitted against the other Spiders. He must soon redefine what it means to be a hero so he can save the people he loves most.

    Synopsis for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

    There’s no telling what other plans Sony has in store for the Multiverse introduced in their animated Spider-Verse films. The upcoming live-action film, Madame Web, could certainly play with some of the Multiversal themes introduced in these projects and the studio would certainly like to see Spidey star Tom Holland share the screen with Hardy’s Venom at some point. We’ll only have to wait just a bit longer to see if there are any other MCU Easter eggs or references to Sony’s live-action films as Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse hits theaters on June 2nd.

  • Amazon’s ‘The Lord of the Rings’ Series Only Finished by 37% of its Domestic Viewers

    Amazon’s ‘The Lord of the Rings’ Series Only Finished by 37% of its Domestic Viewers

    Here’s a rather shocking reveal, but it seems Amazon’s gamble with The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power may have not paid off as initially hoped. The series is one of the most expensive productions out there and already has a second season on the horizon, but new internal data has revealed that the first season was only finished by 37% of its viewers domestically. Internationally, it’s not too far off at around 45% with 50% usually considered a “solid” performance.

    There’s a bit of irony to this story, as the series is not viewed as a failure, even if it didn’t even become a major awards contender either. The series had the biggest debut for the streaming service and that does mean its smaller finish rate still would rival any other series on the platform. Up until now, The Boys seems to remain their biggest release (throwing another wrench into the superhero fatigue blender) and Amazon Studios chief seemingly views The Rings of Power quite a bit more positively.

    This desire to paint the show as anything less than a success — it’s not reflective of any conversation I’m having internally. That’s a huge opportunity for us. The first season required a lot of setting up.

    Jennifer Salke

    Netflix dominates the Nielsen ratings and there’s quite a bit of difficulty in truly pinpointing a series’ success. The service with the highest viewership seemingly also sets the highest bars of what makes a successful series. Amazon also seemingly has a problem in that there’s “no vision of what an Amazon Prime show is” which stands in an interesting juxtaposition to just how easy it is to figure out if Netflix or Disney+ is behind the wheel on a project.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • DC Studios co-CEO Weighs in on Competing with Marvel Studios

    DC Studios co-CEO Weighs in on Competing with Marvel Studios

    Marvel vs. DC is seemingly half of what makes the Internet the Internet. There’s always been a competition on who has the coolest hero, the best character developments, the most iconic moments, and whatever a nerdy brain can think up. Yet, it’s a very different picture for those involved in trying to make these companies and their projects a success.

    Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige has very openly stated that he hopes to see DC succeed, as he believed it was beneficial to everyone. And now DC Studios co-CEO, James Gunn, has echoed those same words. He believes that “every movie Marvel has is sort of an advertising for comic-book films, and vice versa.”

    I think it’s the opposite. To be frank, I think the better Marvel movies do, it’s better for DC, and the better DC movies do, it’s better for Marvel. When people see bad movies, they don’t want to spend more money on seeing more movies. So you want good movies to happen, especially since we’re making two or three movies a year at DC. So every movie that Marvel has is sort of an advertising for comic-book films, and vice versa. And you don’t want to scare off people from going to the theater. And if we’re both making good movies, that’s the best of all situations, which keeps the ball bouncing back and forth. At that point, we can talk about rivalries, and it’d be fun.

    James Gunn

    It’s also fitting that the director of a Marvel and DC film feels this way, as his belief isn’t far-fetched from reality. We’ve seen all these films at their best when others succeed, as there’s a certain boost from one project going into the next. As such, these projects need each other to offer something unique to make them stand out, while also boosting their success. Here’s hoping whatever dragged the last two films down is about to take a different direction.

    Source: Rolling Stone

  • ‘Guardians of the Galaxy 3’s James Gunn Believes in Superhero Fatigue

    ‘Guardians of the Galaxy 3’s James Gunn Believes in Superhero Fatigue

    Superhero fatigue has been all the rage right now. Mostly due to some pointing out that they’ve seemingly reached their limits and reading too much into box office performances of two distinct projects earlier this year. Shazam: Fury of the God couldn’t pull in an audience and opened with a depressing $30M while Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania lost steam surprisingly fast after a bombastic opening.

    While there’s more to this given just how superhero films performed last year, James Gunn gave his thoughts on the topic and seemingly believes that there is such a thing. Yet, he points out that it’s not as simple as “superhero movies” but rather spectacle films that lack the heart that really drags us into these stories.

    I think there is such a thing as superhero fatigue. I think it doesn’t have anything to do with superheroes. It has to do with the kind of stories that get to be told, and if you lose your eye on the ball, which is character. We love Superman. We love Batman. We love Iron Man. Because they’re these incredible characters that we have in our hearts. And if it becomes just a bunch of nonsense onscreen, it gets really boring. But I get fatigued by most spectacle films, by the grind of not having an emotionally grounded story. It doesn’t have anything to do with whether they’re superhero movies or not. If you don’t have a story at the base of it, just watching things bash each other, no matter how clever those bashing moments are, no matter how clever the designs and the VFX are, it just gets fatiguing, and I think that’s very, very real.

    James Gunn

    It’s not completely wrong, as many spectacle films sometimes can overshadow the heart of the story. Ant-Man‘s third film is quite a bit “bigger” than the previous and perhaps just went overboard on what defined the franchise initially. Even Shazam‘s sequel seemingly started going in a bigger direction and there’s no surprise that the first two very family-centric franchises may have struggled a bit earlier this year.

    Of course, the topic of superhero fatigue is also quite a bit important for James Gunn, as he’s the head of the newly formed DC Studios. With him set to also direct the next Superman film that’ll define a future new cinematic universe, he’ll put a lot of weight into ensuring that fatigue doesn’t take away their opportunity to build this franchise.

    Source: Rolling Stones