Murphy's Multiverse

Category: News

  • ‘The Penguin’ Adds ‘Runaways’ Alum

    ‘The Penguin’ Adds ‘Runaways’ Alum

    HBO Max’s The Penguin series has added a Marvel alum. Variety revealed on Monday that Rhenzy Feliz has joined the cast. Feliz, who previously headlined Marvel Television’s Runaways for Hulu, will join the previously announced Cristin Milioti who will star as Colin Farrell. They’ll both star alongside Colin Farrell who is reprising his role as the titular character following The Batman. Details regarding Feliz’s character are currently unknown.

    Feliz starred as Alex Wilder on Hulu’s Runaways which ran for three seasons on the streaming service. Since then, he has appeared in American Horror Stories, The Tender Bar and The Same Storm. Feliz also voiced Camilo in Disney’s Encanto. Other credits to Feliz’s name include MTV’s Teen Wolf series, Kevin (Probably) Saves the World and Casual.

    The eight-episode series is expected to take place following the events of The Batman. Lauren LeFranc is the writer, executive producer and showrunner on the series, which is also being executive produced by The Batman‘s Matt Reeves. Craig Zobel, who is also an executive producer on the series, will direct the first three episodes.

    Source: Variety.

  • ‘The Batman’s Gotham PD Spinoff May Be in Development After All

    ‘The Batman’s Gotham PD Spinoff May Be in Development After All

    The DC Cinematic Universe is about to unwind in a new direction, but that doesn’t mean that Matt Reeves‘ corner of the DC Multiverse is going away anytime soon. Luckily, the new Elseworld branding gives them the opportunity to expand The Batman franchise. Just recently we are finally seeing some movement on the Penguin-focused spinoff with Rhenzy Feliz joining the project. Yet, there’s an interesting detail tucked away.

    For a while, there was a Gotham PD-focused series in development for HBO Max. Yet, that project eventually ended up becoming something entirely different with the focus now set on Arkham Asylum. While we only know that the project is being spearheaded by Antonio Campos, it seems that a Gotham PD series is in development. Variety points out that it’s one of the three The Batman spinoffs Matt Reeves is using to expand his unique corner of the franchise.

    It’ll be interesting to see how Matt Reeves maps out these projects, as we won’t have the sequel to The Batman until 2025. So, we might have these series to bridge us until then. Gotham PD was originally going to be Batman’s Year One but that may have changed. If Arkham Asylum took over that timeline, this may be something that’ll be used to explore the aftermath of the events from the first film.

    We can only speculate and there’s no word about who might be involved with the project. There’s a good chance that it simply is still on the table while the main focus relies on the Arkham Asylum series, which still has no title. Actually, even the Penguin-focused spinoff doesn’t have a title quite yet. So, we’ll have to see what’s heading our way once Matt Reeves gets a chance to share what his universe plans are.

    Source: Variety

  • Kevin Feige Details Bucky’s Role in ‘Thunderbolts’

    Kevin Feige Details Bucky’s Role in ‘Thunderbolts’

    One of Marvel Studios’ most talked about upcoming projects is the 2024 theatrical release Thunderbolts. The team’s roster was revealed at D23 and while it certainly doesn’t resemble any particular iteration from the comics, its composition raised the collective eyebrows of fans. Serving as a quasi-sequel to Black Widow, Thunderbolts will see Florence Pugh, David Harbour and Olga Kurylenko reprise their respective roles as Yelena Belova, Red Guardian and Taskmaster. They are set to be joined by Hannah John-Kamen‘s Ghost, Wyatt Russell‘s U.S. Agent and the film’s MCU old-timer, Sebastian Stan’s Bucky Barnes.

    Julia Louis-Dreyfus‘s Valentina Allegra de Fontaine has been busy assembling the titular Thunderbolts throughout the first phase of the Multiverse Saga, collecting Yelena and John Walker along the way. While some of the other characters set to join the team don’t come as a surprise, Bucky’s arc in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier didn’t seem to leave him in a place to be a “joiner.” In an interview with EW, Marvel Studios head honcho Kevin Feige talked about the team of what he calls “barely heroes” and Bucky’s surprising inclusion.

    That’s another one. We’ve got a lot of things that start shooting relatively soon. What’s fun about that, and I sort of said this at D23, is that they are barely heroes. None of them would consider themselves heroes. When your de facto leader is Bucky Barnes, that’s sort of all you need to know. That’s the trickle down. But again, it goes to the amazing work that [casting director] Sarah Finn has done across the whole MCU. You’ve got David Harbour and Florence Pugh and these people who are at the top of their game and popping in everything they’re doing. They’re already here and established in the MCU, and we get to build the movie around them.

    Kevin Feige

    So what is Bucky doing on a team of non-heroes? It’s a great question and one that might have its answer in the character’s deep ties to Wakanda. He certainly isn’t in their good graces at the moment so perhaps some time as the White Wolf of Wakanda is in order.

    Thunderbolts is scheduled to hit theaters in July 2024.

    Source: EW

  • Newly Leaked ‘One Piece’ Set Props Tease Iconic Locations

    Newly Leaked ‘One Piece’ Set Props Tease Iconic Locations

    After a long wait, we finally got our first look at the upcoming live-action adaptation of One Piece. While the posters only give us a glimpse, it means we’re about to see more from it as the months go by for this adaptation. People are still nervous, as with any live-action adaptation of a popular manga or anime, but there is something promising about this offering, especially how enthusiastic the already existing fanbase is.

    @OP_Netflix_Fan and @OPLAfandom have seemingly uncovered a variety of set props that hint at different locations that’ll be featured in the live-action adaptation. Among these various props, the one that stands out the most is the Tangerine signs for Nami’s hometown, Coco Village. In the anime, it was known as Cocoyasi Village but shortened to Coco Village in the VIZ manga adaptation and the infamous 4Kids dub. It may still be named Cocoyasi but shortened for the adaptation.

    The next are two signs that are supposedly from Loguetown. One is a caffé and a pizzeria. The interesting thing here is the name “Dei Nuovi Inizi” which translates to “Of New Beginnings” fitting for Loguetown which acts as a prologue and epilogue to those journeying from and to the Grand Line.

    Last but not least, we have a familiar location already teased during last year’s Geeked Week. We saw the neon sign for Party’s Bar situated in Windmill Village, the hometown of Luffy. It’s run by Makino and plays a big part in Luffy’s origin story. While the image of the Cocktail menu doesn’t reveal anything, if you look closely you’ll see they are using the Berry symbol, which confirms it’ll keep the in-universe currency for the adaptation. It’s a bit hard to make out but you can see the top of the same symbol used in the manga.

    It’s definitely exciting to get a little glimpse behind the scenes as we continue the build-up toward the official release. We’ll have to see how long the wait will be until we get another glimpse at the project, but you can explore our feature on when the promotion might truly kick off by clicking here.

    Source: Twitter

  • Kamala Khan Set to Steal the Show in ‘The Marvels’

    Kamala Khan Set to Steal the Show in ‘The Marvels’

    After Avengers: Endgame marked the end of the road for many of the MCU’s key heroes, Phase 4 introduced a number of new heroes who look to be headed for big things in the Multiverse Saga. One such character, Kamala Khan, will be spinning out of her own show, Ms. Marvel, and into July’s Captain Marvel sequel, The Marvels, where she’ll share the screen with Monica Rambeau, another of Phase 4’s new heroes, and Carol Danvers.

    In an interview with EW, Marvel Studios One Above All, Kevin Feige, was asked to reflect back on the success and challenges of Phase 4 and used the opportunity to gush about Kamala Khan and her role in The Marvels.

    Kamala Khan, for instance, is a great new character in the pantheon. I’m very proud of the Ms. Marvel show. I also know — and this is a spoiler — she essentially steals The Marvels, which is coming out.

    Kevin Feige

    Feige was also asked about the dynamic between the film’s three leads: Carol, Kamala and Monica. “That’s what the entire movie is about,” explained. “There are fun cosmic elements to it. Marvel comic fans will recognize elements of the Kree-Skrull war. And it’s picking up directly after the end of Captain Marvel 1, not in timeline but in story,” he said of the sequel. “But there’s something immensely powerful about seeing Monica and Kamala and Carol together in a frame,” Feige continued about bringing the heroes together. “To me, it’s only akin to the first Avengers movie and seeing the six of them together in a frame. It’s chill-inducing. They’re so great together, and they all have different histories with one another.”

    Comparisons to prior big-time MCU films kept coming from Feige as he couldn’t contain his excitement for the project, especially when it came to describing how in-universe MCU superfan Kamala Khan fits in. “The great thing about Kamala in her show, and now in this movie, is that she’s not unlike Tom Holland’s Peter Parker in Civil War,” said Fegie of Iman Vellani’s character. “She can’t believe she’s with these other heroes, and can’t believe that she finds herself in these places. And that’s fun because we want to be that. I want to be that.“

    It sounds like Vellani‘s trajectory toward stardom will get another major boost this summer!

    Source: EW

  • Kevin Feige on Moon Knight’s MCU Future

    Kevin Feige on Moon Knight’s MCU Future

    Marvel Studios D+ streaming series Moon Knight was well-received by critics and fans, leaving the latter hungry for more adventures with the character. Star Oscar Issac and director Mohamed Diab seem ready to spin more stories as well, but nearly a year after the conclusion of the first series, the future of the character has remained a mystery…until now.

    In an interview with EW, Marvel Studios’ biggest decision maker, finally gave some insight into what’s next for Moon Knight. “I think there’s a future for that character as we move forward,” Feige said of Marc, Steven and apparently Jake. Whether that means a second season of the show or simply a continuation of his story told in theatrical projects is unclear, but with Marvel Studios looking to cut back a bit on the number of streaming projects and their pacing, Season 2 of Moon Knight might be YEARS away. In that case, the Fist of Khonshu might turn up as a powerful ally to the Avengers in a film or two before the end of the Multiverse Saga!

    Source: EW

  • ‘Ant-Man 3’ Joins ‘Eternals’ With a Rotten Rating

    ‘Ant-Man 3’ Joins ‘Eternals’ With a Rotten Rating

    Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania did not open to considerable fanfare on Rotten Tomatoes with most of the review scores landing it at around 63%. As usual, it tends to go down slowly and as it already was on the border of being a “Rotten” score, it has not passed that limit with 95 reviews to a score of 58%. As such, it’s only the second MCU film to receive this type of rating after Eternals’ ended up with 47% on 406 reviews.

    Is it the end times of the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Probably not, and it’s still on course to make quite an opening. There’s also the fact that general moviegoers are analyzed through a separate CinemaScore that could go either way. Eternals had the franchises’ first B score and it’s uncertain if the same will be true for Quantumania. Even the Venom films have a B+ score with a 30% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes critics. Ironically, that film has an 80% audience score, which we won’t see until the end of the weekend for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.

    The film’s biggest problems according to critics might play in its favor for those fans just waiting to see the franchise expand again. Phase 4 was known for being a bit more individual with its projects without a proper “endgame” which this film adds to the franchise’s next two phases. So, who knows where it might end up with audiences but it’s hard to say.

    Source: Rotten Tomatoes

  • Marvel Studios President Confirms Thunderbolt Ross’ Important Role in ‘Captain America 4’

    Marvel Studios President Confirms Thunderbolt Ross’ Important Role in ‘Captain America 4’

    We’ve entered Phase 5 and while Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania has opened to a soft 63% on Rotten Tomatoes, it doesn’t mean that there’s a lot of exciting developments in the near future. We know that we’re about to enter a new era for Marvel Studios, as they leave the pandemic behind and its limitations but also some creative new projects that might push the projects into new directions.

    Among them is Captain America: New World Order, which builds upon Sam Wilson’s lesson to becoming Captain America from The Falcon and the Winter Solider in a globe-trotting adventure. He will face some new and familiar villains with the confirmed return of Thunderbolt Ross. Sadly, William Hurt tragically passed away but cinema icon Harrison Ford is set to take over the role. And it seems that Kevin Feige is quite excited about having him on board.

    We start filming relatively soon. I’m sure anyone you’ve ever talked with about Harrison Ford says this, but it’s unbelievable that we get to meet and talk with him and that he’s embracing this role. He’s tireless with the amount of work that he does. This is certainly a big part for Thaddeus Ross.

    Kevin Feige

    The big reveal, however, is that he confirms that Thunderbolt Ross has moved on from Secretary of State to President in the upcoming fourth Captain America film.

    He’s the president of the United States in the film. And with Harrison, you think about Air Force One, and you think about some of his confrontations with the president in Clear and Present Danger. There’s a dynamic between President Ross and Sam Wilson. They have a history together, but in this film, we’ll be seeing the dynamic between Captain America and the president of the United States in a way that is just incredible.

    Kevin Feige

    It certainly sounds like they found a perfect person to carry on the mantle that also pays tribute to the direction of the character. Ford is no stranger to playing presidents, which makes his addition quite fitting and who knows if we’ll see the President of the United States join in the action in Captain America: New World Order.

    Source: Entertainment Weekly

  • Kevin Feige Says ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Will Have More Standalone Episodes

    Kevin Feige Says ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Will Have More Standalone Episodes

    It’s no secret that one of Netflix’s biggest selling points is the binge format it popularized wherein audiences get to watch full seasons of their favorite show in one weekend instead of waiting for it spread over several weeks. The format has allowed filmmakers behind the shows to get creative with their pacing and storytelling.

    For the Marvel-Netflix shows, this meant packaging their content in a prestige serialized format where seasons functioned as lengthy movies where cliffhangers bookended episodes. It didn’t always work out for them as criticism over pacing and episode count was constantly lobbied whenever a season would premiere. Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Kevin Feige addressed Marvel Studios’ desire to do the opposite of what Marvel-Netflix did saying:

    Yes. I mean, cliffhangers are great, and I like watching a show where you should go to bed, but you see the cliffhanger and you just have to watch the next episode. You certainly want to keep people engaged. But I’m a big Star Trek fan, and I still find it soothing to watch an episode of Next Gen with a beginning and an end. So, I think we’re going to keep experimenting with that going forward.

    When the conversation inevitably shifts toward Daredevil: Born Again, Feige shares his excitement in experimenting with the aforementioned episodic standalone format of storytelling.

    It’s Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio, and they’re amazing actors and storytellers in their own right. That’s sort of what I was talking about with the fun of episodic television: That’s really where we’re experimenting with that, with Daredevil in particular.

    Given the whopping 18-episode length of Born Again, it makes complete sense for Marvel Studios to pace out the season in a reasonable manner. If Andor was any indication of how future Disney+ shows can handle longer seasons (by clustering storylines into 2-3 episodes), Born Again should be in a good spot.

    Source: EW

  • ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’ Set for Trilogy’s Best Opening Weekend

    ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’ Set for Trilogy’s Best Opening Weekend

    2023 is definitely looking to be a much stronger year at the box office with quite a few releases going all the way to September. It’s getting kicked off by Marvel Studios’ latest, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania which is already eyeing a franchise-best opening weekend. It’s currently set to track $120M over a four-day period to use the Presidents Day holiday. The minimum expectation is $95M over three days with a conservative $105M to $110M by the end of the weekend.

    While some may complain it won’t rival the recent releases, it’s a franchise-best as it’s 25% higher than Ant-Man and the Wasp‘s $75.8M opening in 2018. It’s also eyeing a $160M global start, which may include a long-awaited Chinese release between $35M to $55M. That would put it at a global launch at around $280M, but there is definitely potential. As it now opened to rather mixed to positive reviews with 63% on Rotten Tomatoes going by 70 reviews, it’s uncertain if that may impede its success a bit.

    Though, many are looking forward to seeing who the “next Thanos” is going to be in Jonathan Majors‘s long-awaited arrival as Kang the Conqueror. There’s a chance the film may still score a positive A- CinemaScore and even the last B entries weren’t affected too negatively. Eternals was more of an indie film that may not work for everyone (especially with its long runtime and slow pacing), Thor: Love and Thunder took a very comedic direction even for Marvel’s standard and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness dipped its toe enough in the horror genre that may have general audiences a bit squeamish (going by general horror reception).

    The film is currently tracking 15% behind Thor: Love and Thunder opened to $144.1M over three days last year and still went on to make $760M on a B+ CinemaScore. It might seem like a $700M run is possible for the film but that also depends on how frontloaded it is; which is not uncommon for any of these types of films. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever also managed an impressive $828M global run, so even as Marvel Studios remains quite experimental, they aren’t slowing down at the box office quite yet. Only time will tell as we enter Phase 5 and its comparably bigger projects.

    Source: Deadline