Murphy's Multiverse

Category: News

  • ‘Quantumania’ Writer Jeff Lovenes Shares Unusual Source of Inspiration for MODOK

    ‘Quantumania’ Writer Jeff Lovenes Shares Unusual Source of Inspiration for MODOK

    Having worked as a writer on Rick and Morty for two seasons, Jeff Loveness is no stranger to alien landscapes, strange creatures and pulling from off-the-wall references. In that regard, Loveness must have felt right at home while scribing Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania, which takes the heroes to the Quantum Realm and introduces them to an array of peculiar creatures. Though the Ant-Family finds themselves in another dimension, it’s a creature with ties to their own that has caught the eye of audiences in the latest trailer and who will pose problems for the protagonists for MODOK’s time has come.

    As seen in the new trailer, MODOK is played by Corey Stoll, whose Darren Cross was gruesomely dispatched into the Quantum Realm in the final act of 2015’s Ant-Man. The character, who has a fairly comic-accurate design, plays a major role in Quantumania and according to Loveness, is also responsible for his “favorite moments” in the film.

    MODOK is maybe my single favorite thing that I got in the movie. Obviously, we are very faithful to the comics with the design and the look, but then there is a little bit of extra we put into him. Maybe I’ll get fired off The Kang Dynasty when people see it, but some of my favorite moments come from MODOK and the dynamics there.

    Jeff Loveness

    While MODOK’s look is comic-inspired, Loveness had to come up with a brand new take on the character given his new origins. In doing so, he took inspiration from a late 80s off-beat, cult classic comedy, A Fish Called Wanda.

    I’ll just say he was inspired by Kevin Kline in A Fish Called Wanda and Frank Grimes in an old Simpsons episode – this really put-upon, selfish, entitled but then also deeply sad, insecure man who knows that he got a shit deal in life and is trying to make the best of it. His ego will crumble the second he’s challenged but then also like Kevin Kline in A Fish Called Wanda, he’s pretty good at killing people.

    Jeff Loveness

    A Fish Called Wanda is a wacky heist film with a number of betrayals and double-crosses, many of which include Kline’s Otto, a role for which he won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. Like its successors, Quantumania appears to be a heist film, so should the script of Quantumania have taken a bit of inspiration from A Fish Called Wanda, fans will have their share of twists and turns to track, which is part of the fun of heist films.

    Loveness explains that MODOK is “a real loose cannon character and I had a great amount of fun with him,” while adding that he played a key role in finding the tone for the threequel. “We cracked MODOK as a character“, said Loveness, “and the movie just became so fun.” Fans don’t have long to find out just how much fun Quantumania is as it is set to hit theaters on February 17th.

    Source: SFX Magazine via Games Radar

  • RUMOR: ‘Captain America 4’ Adding Serpent Society Member Diamondback

    RUMOR: ‘Captain America 4’ Adding Serpent Society Member Diamondback

    The more rumors make the rounds, the wilder Captain America: New World Order is starting to sound. Anthony Mackie is set to reprise his role as Captain America from the Diseny+ series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier to lead the new entry in the franchise. Now, a new rumor is making the rounds hinting at one new villainous addition to the film.

    According to insider Daniel Richtman, it seems that we’ll see a female villain join the cast. She’s rumored to be the character known as Diamondback, who is a prominent member of the Serpent Society; something @CanWeGetToast seems to also highlight. There is also a hint that the character may potentially be a love interest for Mackie‘s Sam Wilson.

    Serpent Society is a fitting addition to the film and would also make for a nice callback to the fact that Marvel Studios CEO once jokingly revealed the third entry of the franchise would include the villains before unveiling it was actually an adaptation of Civil War. The recent casting of Xosha Roquemore has also been highlighted as a potential casting for this very role.

    The addition of the Serpent Society could also fit nicely into the themes of a Sam Wilson-led project. Given their history, there’s a lot of potential in bringing them to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The inclusion of Diamondback may also hint at other members potentially appearing in the film, and perhaps they also have a connection to the returning Tim Blake Nelson, who is reprising his long-awaited role as the Leader.

    Source: Patreon via The Direct, Twitter

  • Alden Ehrenreich Teases a “Very Personal” ‘Ironheart’

    Alden Ehrenreich Teases a “Very Personal” ‘Ironheart’

    Marvel Studios is still hard at work on its upcoming Disney+ projects that are set to release in 2023. While they revealed their plans back during San Diego Comic-Con, a lot has changed since, and who knows when we can truly expect any of the series to drop. While we continue to wait on an update for Secret Invasion, which would be the next in line to release, it seems we’ll have a little update on Ironheart to tie us over.

    In a brief interview with Solo star Alden Ehrenreich, the actor got a chance to tease what it was like working on the Disney+ series. He doesn’t give away any details, as per usual, but he does hint that this story is “big” but still feels “very personal.

    Ironheart is big but also feels very personal. I really appreciate that about it. And it was fun, it was nice to go back and do a big one like that.

    Alden Ehrenreich

    From set leaks and rumors, we know that the series will tackle a very different kind of storyline, as the tech-based hero will face some rather magical enemies. So, there definitely might be a big-scale action if we’ll see young Riri Williams fly around in her latest suit of armor to take on enemies that have some dangerous abilities at their fingertips.

    There’s also the question of who exactly Ehrenreich might be playing and if he might be on the technological or magical side of this Disney+ series’ story. We might have to wait a little bit longer to find out, but perhaps he has a bigger role beyond just this series as well.

    Source: Twitter

  • Marvel Comics Writer Confirms Monica Rambeau’s Superhero Name in the MCU

    Marvel Comics Writer Confirms Monica Rambeau’s Superhero Name in the MCU

    There’s been a lot of discussion on what exactly the name will be for the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s take on Monica Rambeau. We were first introduced to her during WandaVision played by Teyonah Parris. Surprisingly, she even received her iconic powers during her mission to save the town of Westview from the hands of a grieving Wanda Maximoff. Yet, this only left us with questions on what it might mean for her future in the MCU, as she’ll have a major role in the upcoming The Marvels film.

    In the comics, Monica Rambeau has gone by many different names as a hero. For some time she was Captain Marvel, but she was also better known as Spectrum for quite a long time. That name stuck for many years, but comic writer Eve L. Ewing got the chance to revisit the character in the comics in the comic Monica Rambeau: Photon. It surprised many that she seemingly went with another name and it seems there’s more to this than we at first expected.

    As part of the Black Comic Lords Live!, Ewing revealed that she did not choose the name Photon. She reacted to a question in regards to her being called Spectrum in the MCU to which she highlighted that she “did not choose for her to be called Photon in this comic.” Indirectly, this confirms that the character will likely adopt that name in the film adaptation, which would also match their usual attempts to at least keep a synergy between the latest comics and cinematic releases.

    Ewing does highlight that these divisions don’t usually coordinate but highlighting that she had no choice in the name pretty much gives away that this was something that was decided, especially as the decision on naming her Photon was very likely due to her upcoming appearance in The Marvels. We’re still a couple of months away, but perhaps we’ll officially hear her name spoken in the eventual trailer release for this film.

    Source: Black Comic Lords Live via Twitter

  • ‘Doom Patrol’ Season 5 Renewal in Doubt After New Post by DC Series Star

    ‘Doom Patrol’ Season 5 Renewal in Doubt After New Post by DC Series Star

    DC Studios is the new future of all projects under the DC Comics banner for Warner Bros. Discovery. We knew that there will be a selection of what projects currently in development remain canon to the ambitious goal of establishing a new DC Cinematic Universe under new leadership. Yet, this exciting new direction won’t come without some sad losses along the way. It was just unclear how much would remain and what won’t, but a recent Instagram story shared by actress Diane Guerrero may have shed a dark light on the future of Doom Patrol.

    The series followed a group of unlikely characters that would end up working together to solve whatever chaotic mess was heading their way. They weren’t really superheroes in the classic sense, but they definitely were a family worth following. There was hope that the series may still get a fifth season to wrap up any potential plotlines or get one last hurrah even as the DC universe is being reshuffled.

    Sadly, Guerrero posted an image in her Instagram stories with an image from Doom Patrol featuring her character Jane. While that isn’t unusual, the inclusion of the words “Goodbye my beloved” raises some concerns that they have already canceled the show and informed those involved with the production.

    There was some expectation that the current HBO Max shows would get canned, especially the live-action ones like Titans and Doom Patrol, but given their popularity could at least still get a final additional season. This post doesn’t confirm that the show is truly over, but it does seed some thoughts of concern about the series making an eventual return. Here’s hoping that an eventual positive update follows.

    Source: Instagram via The Direct

  • Early ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’ Box Office Projections Eyeing Trilogy’s Best

    Early ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’ Box Office Projections Eyeing Trilogy’s Best

    It’s become more and more difficult to truly project just how much money a film will make at the box office. Most of the 2020 holdovers were the only ones to beat early projects going into last year with Top Gun: Maverick and Minions: Rise of Gru. Still, Marvel films remained reliable box office performers even as they hit a sophomore slump, not too surprising with a franchise event like Avengers: Endgame that would normally wrap up any other franchise.

    Still, there are some early projects coming in on how their first Phase 5 entry may perform at the box office. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is only a few more weeks away for hitting theaters and early projects seem to have the film potentially earning between $96M to $131M in its opening weekend. with their usual performance of a strong drop in its second weekend, there’s a chance the film could end between $249M to $347M in its domestic run.

    With good word-of-mouth, the film may become the first $100M+ opener for the year and that’s in a strong February market. The film has the advantage of no real competition until Shazam: Fury of the Gods in March though Creed 3 has the potential to take the top spot in the domestic market. There’s also the Dungeons & Dragons film hitting theaters in late March.

    It should be noted for those ready to call this a potential bust for Marvel Studios, the film would still have the biggest domestic gross for any part of the Ant-Man franchise if it hits the lower end of the projections. Ant-Man managed to pull in $180M while its sequel had a slight boost to $216M. Plus, the last entry was five years ago and the main antagonist of the current Multiverse Saga might make it a “don’t miss” for fans that will check out the film early on.

    Also, its opening may double the initial opening weekend at the domestic box office, which was around $57M. It’s sequel opened to $75M, which makes this the potential biggest opener for the franchise. It’ll also have the biggest budget for an Ant-Man entry, which means the expectations are higher. The February release also opens up some questions on how it’ll perform but Marvel could still prove to be a reliable performer at the box office going into its fifth phase.

    Source: Box Office Pro

  • ‘Avatar 2’ Swims to Earn $2 Billion at the Worldwide Box Office

    ‘Avatar 2’ Swims to Earn $2 Billion at the Worldwide Box Office

    James Cameron is one-of-a-kind in how his films have a hold on the box office. After the groundbreaking success of his CG paradise with Avatar, he returns after a long hiatus to continue the franchise. All bets were off hoping for Avatar: The Way of Water to make as much money as it can at the box office, proving that there’s a lot more to get out of this film. Even Cameron was openly anxious about the risk going into the film’s release.

    Yet, now the film has managed to pass the $2 billion mark and now is only the sixth in film history to do so. It joins the ranks of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the last two Avengers films, and his own last two projects, Avatar and the Titanic. The film has seen a tremendous performance internationally and managed to pull in this accomplishment even with a subdued Chinese release.

    As of now, it’s expected to pass The Force Awakens and Infinity War at the box office, which would push it beyond $2.07B. The last Avatar film stands proudly at $2.9B while Avengers: Endgame is at $2.79B. It’s still unclear just how far Avatar: The Way of Water may go but there’s a chance it’ll pass Titanic‘s $2.19B.

    As of now, The Way of Water pulled in $598M domestically and $1.4B internationally. It’ll continue to dominate the box office until its first real competition arrives with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania which is sure to leave its own imprint on the box office.

    Source: Variety

  • James Gunn Opens Up on Potential Recasting ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ Actors for DC

    James Gunn Opens Up on Potential Recasting ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ Actors for DC

    James Gunn is now the new co-CEO of DC Studios. After the franchise was coming apart at the seams with various dramas happening behind the scenes, there was hope that this would finally push the project forward. The long-established actor has also built up a network of actors he tends to work with on various projects, which has led to some concern that he’ll primarily rely on familiar characters.

    Luckily, Gunn has been no stranger to openly reacting to statements on Twitter to offer some insight into how he is approaching this daunting task. When people shared their concern about simply recasting Guardians of the Galaxy actors, Gunn pointed out that his true focus is to ensure that “the actor fits the role and they’re easy to work with” when he’ll cast someone new or familiar in the DC Studios project.

    It’s not surprising that a director would also want to bring on actors he has a past with to join a franchise he’s supervising. He’s worked with a variety of actors throughout his career and very likely has an idea of who might be perfect for a specific role. Plus, it’s not like he hasn’t already brought in new actors like with John Cena taking on the role of Peacemaker.

    There’s also the aspect that once they find directors to tackle the various projects they are working on. Once more creatives join the franchise, they’ll have more opinions exploring how their take on a classic DC character may require a different type of talent. So, once things truly take shape, we’ll get a better picture of what the future has in store.

    Source: Twitter

  • New ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ Storyboard Reveals Mysterio’s Original Role

    New ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ Storyboard Reveals Mysterio’s Original Role

    Spider-Man: No Way Home may have gone through some of the most changes throughout its production. A multiverse storyline featuring former Spider-Man villains was strongly dependent on actor availability that could make the film work. Plus, some may have only joined later in the pre-production schedule which may have also led to many last-minute changes to make it work.

    Somehow the film still managed to pull it off and offer a nostalgic but very personal storyline about loss. Storyboard artist Phil Langone has shared a new storyboard from the film’s earliest days that reveals Jake Gyllenhaal‘s Mysterio originally had a role in the film. It seems that he was going to be responsible for the death of Aunt May, which would eventually carry over to Willem Dafoe‘s Green Goblin in the final product.

    The mention of “one of” further hints that there may have been quite a few more different potential scenarios on how this sequence came to be. There’s also a chance that they were creating different scenarios to ensure that not every detail would manage to leak online, as the film was surrounded by quite a few leaks building up to its release.

    Still, there’s a lot of potential for knowing that there are plans for Mysterio potentially to return. Of course, this could’ve also been a version from another dimension, as it would’ve been fun to see Sam Raimi‘s original vision for the character with Bruce Campbell in the role. Perhaps we’ll see if some concepts return in the inevitable fourth entry.

    Source: Instagram

  • Kevin Feige Discusses Future Plans for Namor

    Kevin Feige Discusses Future Plans for Namor

    Black Panther: Wakanda Forever has been a multi-faceted success for Marvel Studios as they close the fourth phase of projects. Ryan Coogler and company have been lauded by audiences for their ability to memorialize Chadwick Boseman’s portrayal of T’Challa and continue the enriching narrative of Wakanda. Though one new element from the sequel that’s been met with the same level of praise is the introduction of Tenoch Huerta Mejía’s portrayal of Namor.

    The classic Marvel Comics character made his silver screen debut that came with a highly applauded new origin to boot. Huerta Mejía’s portrayal quickly joined the ranks of the best Marvel Cinematic Universe villains and has left audiences excited about a potential return for the character in the future. And according to Kevin Feige, the wait might not be too long before Namor and the rest of Talokan re-emerge in a future project.

    You know, people who read the comics know that there’s 80 years of stories with Namor that we can tap into. So, where and when, we’ll keep to ourselves for now. But, we think that this is an incredibly iconic character that’s being introduced. Probably, to most people, most movie-goers for the first time. And we expect them to want to see more.

    Kevin Feige

    The events of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever provides ample room for Namor to be a major player in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Projects such as Captain America: New World Order and Thunderbolts have long been rumored to further the global-political turmoil existing in this universe. The events of these two 2024 projects can easily provide the impetus for Namor to wage war on the surface war as he threatened in Wakanda Forever, something that has occurred previously in the Marvel comic lore.

    To lean further into Feige’s quote about Namor’s comic history, there are even more exciting territories Namor can explore in the future. Namely, it wouldn’t now be a surprise to see Namor continue his anti-heroic tendencies as a foil for the Fantastic Four. His long-standing feud with Reed Richards could further culminate in the two joining an Earth-616 iteration of the Illuminati, a concept introduced in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and something that would make sense with Avengers: Secret Wars coming in the near future. And beyond that, Kevin Feige placing Namor as a figure in the X-Men corner of the universe is a tantalizing possibility.

    Though regardless of where Namor shows up next in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, audiences should be excited to have more of Tenoch Huerta Mejía portrayal in the near future.

    Source: Comicbook.com