Murphy's Multiverse

Category: News

  • Jack Mulhern Joins ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Season 3 as Mystery Villain

    Jack Mulhern Joins ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Season 3 as Mystery Villain

    With principal photography on Season 3 of Daredevil: Born Again set to get underway this month, the first bit of news about the new batch of episodes has emerged and it may well tie to one of the most prominent theories about what to expect from the third season.

    According to Nexus Point News, 31-year old Jack Mulhern (Painkiller, Mare of Easttown) has joined the cast as a character named Phillip.

    While NPN’s own speculation is that the character–who is described as “a smart and scrappy New Yorker who’s sweet and lovable with a hidden rageful side”–might be one of Wilson Fisk’s children, another interesting option might be considered.

    Though he’s hardly one of Daredevil’s primary antagonists, Phillip Sterling caused plenty of problems for the character after being introduced in  Daredevil #39 (1968). While it’s unlikely showrunner Dario Scardapane would choose to directly adapt the character, whose comic book resume is full of some odd bits that won’t fit at all with the studio’s vision for Daredevil: Born Again, one particular arc featuring Sterling would  match well with the anticipated direction of Season 3.

    Sterling had a long standing field with The Man Without Fear and went by a few aliases, including Death-Stalker, and was one of the few early Daredevil villains to know the heroes true identity. It’s been widely theorized that Season 3 will involve Murdock being exposed as Daredevil in an adaptation of Ed Brubaker‘s “The Devil in Cell-Block D.” Sterling also has comic book ties to both Karen Page, whom he kidnapped.

    Scardapane recently revealed that fans should expect an abrupt narrative shift in Season 3, and introducing a villain like Sterling (if they stay away from his more…unusual powers) would make for a nice transition back to the street-level story the showrunner has teased.

    Source: NPN

  • ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Showrunner Teases Jessica Jones “Next Chapter”

    ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Showrunner Teases Jessica Jones “Next Chapter”

    The return of Krysten Ritter as Jessica Jones in the upcoming second season of Daredevil: Born Again has generated serious hype and, truthfully, did so long before the actress’s return was confirmed. Ritter‘s performance as the streetwise smart ass was a highlight of the Netflix Defenders-verse series and there always seemed to be room for her to grow, especially considering the last two seasons of Jessica Jones were minimally inspired by the character’s adventures in the pages of Marvel Comics.

    Season 2 of Daredevil: Born Again will see Jones once again team-up with Matt Murdock, this time facing Wilson Fisk’s corrupt takeover of New York City. It sounds as though that won’t be the last we see of Ritter in the role, however, as both she and Marvel’s streaming skipper Brad Winderbaum have teased that there’s more to come, with the latter teasing that whatever they have in mind will be “coming sooner than you think.”

    There’s a lot of stuff that I’ve felt there was room to explore, and Brad and I talked and I am not going to say any of it, because we’re going to be doing it.

    Krysten Ritter

    Now, Daredevil: Born Again showrunner Dario Scardapane has added fuel to the fire in an interview with SFX Magazine, discussing where Jones picks up when we meet her again in the upcoming season and what the future has in store.

    “One of the things we’ve leaned into is that time has passed between the end of the Netflix show and the beginning of ours,” Scardapane explained. “We’re acknowledging that. These characters have matured, they’ve gone through life. And Jessica Jones, bourbon-swilling smartass – what’s it like for her to mature seven years?“

    Scardapane also revealed that he was a fan of the first season of Jessica Jones and immediately pitched her return to Marvel when he boarded Daredevil: Born Again. And it turns out he has some ideas in mind for her further adventures, based– believe it or not–on Marvel Comics.

    “…what Melissa Rosenberg did with Season 1 of Jessica Jones is some of the finest superhero television work ever. When I first came talked to Marvel I was like, ‘We’ve got to bring Jessica Jones back!‘,” Scardapane said. “I don’t feel that her story ended. If you read the comic books, you’ll know that there’s a next chapter of her life that I thought was super interesting.”

    As jarring as it is to hear a Marvel Studios creative reference being inspired by the comics, Jones’ interactions with the larger Marvel Universe seem unlikely to end up translating to the MCU, leaving her brief stint as Knightress, her time at the Daily Bugle and the family she and Luke Cage have as the only other options to mine for narrative ore.

  • ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Showrunner Teases Narrative Shift Ahead in Season 3

    ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Showrunner Teases Narrative Shift Ahead in Season 3

    With annual releases becoming a priority for Marvel Television and Daredevil: Born Again serving as the studio’s flagship streaming series, production follows a pretty annual cadence and it’s just about time for cameras to roll on Season 3. As was the case with Season 2, that might mean fans can glean information about the third season of the series before they’ve seen all of Season 2, especially with much of the series filmed in and around New York City.

    Moving forward our priorities have shifted. We’re making shows as shows that can exist as annual releases, more like television.

    -Brad Winderbaum

    Videos and photos from the NYC sets were plentiful while Season 2 was in production, revealing a city under siege by Mayor Wilson Fisk and his anti-vigilante task force; however, as prep for Season 3 begins, showrunner Dario Scardapane has revealed fans should not expect more of the same.

    In an interview with SFX Magazine, Scardapane reveals that the series will be moving away from the Mayor Fisk story, opting to steep the new season in the street-level sauce of one of its iconic creators.

    According to Scardapane, after a pair of politically-charged seasons, Daredevil: Born Again will be changing course, with the noir-stylings of Frank Miller as inspiration.

    “The playbook is pretty well established, so when we were writing this stuff we were like, ‘Here’s what he does.’ The anti-vigilante task force is part of the comics. We built them and costumed them based on the comics. There are a few sequences that were shot a year ago that could be off the news, and it’s weirding all of us out,” explained Scardapane.

    “Stan Lee once said that he wanted to make his comic books a reflection of the world you saw outside your window. Then I also believe that what’s fun about the genre, and definitely fun in working with superheroes, is you’re dealing with huge archetypes, almost mythological characters, and that’s fun writing,” Scardapane continued, foreshadowing a significant change of pace for Season 3.

    “Getting into the realm of politics, New York politics, the Game of Thrones intrigue behind the scenes… okay, that’s fun too, but as it becomes almost too topical it feels like it’s going away from the large, mythological genre stuff,” he explained before adding that Season 2 will put a bow on the Mayor Fisk arc.

    So as we finish up the Mayor Fisk run with season 2, as that storyline comes to its inevitable conclusion, what we’re doing going forward feels more like a return to the [Frank] Miller-era comics. So yeah, it was fun to play in the realm of politics but I like something a little more street level, personally.

    -Dario Scardapane

    Though he only wrote 30 issues of Daredevil, Miller’s work redefined the book by introducing Elektra and The Hand, and focusing on a more cynical and fatalistic approach to comics. With little to mine from Miller’s work, it certainly seems possible that rumors of the return of Elektra to the series, perhaps this time as an adversary to Daredevil, seem increasingly plausible.

  • First ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ Synopsis Reveals When the Film Is Set, Teases “Web of Mystery”

    First ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ Synopsis Reveals When the Film Is Set, Teases “Web of Mystery”

    As the wait for the first trailer for Spider-Man: Brand New Day drags on, a new synopsis for the film has made its way online courtesy of a Penguin Random House book.

    The synopsis of “The Art of the Movie” published in association with Marvel Studios. Assuming its accurate, the most interesting tidbit to be gleaned from it is that the events of the fourth installment in the Spider-Man franchise will be set in 2028.

    Four years have gone by since we last caught up with our friendly neighborhood hero. Peter Parker is no more, but Spider-Man is at the top of his game keeping New York City safe. Things are going well for our anonymous hero until an unusual trail of crimes pulls him into a web of mystery larger than he’s ever faced before. In order to take on what’s ahead, Spider-Man not only needs to be at the top of his physical and mental game, but he must also be prepared to face the repercussions of his past!

    According to the book, Spider-Man: Brand New Day will take place four years after the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home which was set in 2024. With the MCU’s current events as seen in Captain America: Brave New World and Thunderbolts taking place in 2027, the newest Spidey film will be the furthest out narrative thread.

    The synopsis also teases a “web of mystery” and a test to Peter’s “mental game” which may well hint at the identity of Sadie Sink’s character.

  • Mhor Thor: Chris Hemsworth Teases Life Beyond the Multiverse Saga for the Odinson

    After a series of projects took everything away from him, Thor saw the tide begin to turn in the final act of Thor: Love and Thunder. Though he lost Jane Foster following a brief reunion with his old flame, the God of Thunder found a renewed purpose, choosing to watch over Love, the daughter of Gorr, as his own.

    As seen in one of four teasers for Avengers: Doomsday, that relationship looks to be central to Thor’s arc. The prayers said by Chris Hemsworth‘s character in the short look at the upcoming film have led to fans theorizing that the upcoming film will be the final chapter for the MCU’s Thor, however, a new interview with Hemsworth would seem to offer some hope for further adventures.

    “I was talking to Kevin Feige about it, and he said it’s cool because the audience now expects dramatic turns with the character,” Hemsworth told the SmartLess podcast. “And whatever we do next—we’ve got some ideas to do something pretty unique again and hopefully be [different].“

    While it’s certainly far from official confirmation that Thor 5 will ever make it to the big screen, Hemsworth seems to be fully invested in finding a way to continue on in the role, adding that after the critical and fan response to Thor: Love and Thunder, he’s learned “you need to be careful” with the direction of any new projects. However, given how much of Thor’s comic book history has yet to be explored in the MCU, Hemsworth and whoever comes on board to write and direct any further installments, will have plenty of material from which to choose.

  • Scorpion’s Mech Suit Revealed as ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ Leaks Continue

    Scorpion’s Mech Suit Revealed as ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ Leaks Continue

    Nine years after teasing Mac Gargan’s vengeful vendetta against Spider-Man, Michael Mando is returning in Spider-Man: Brand New Day and it looks like hell is coming with him!

    Following recent leaks which teased Gargan’s Scorpion suit, a fully detailed look at Mando in his new gear has finally emerged online.

    Though it’s not an exact replica, the suit looks to have taken some inspiration from the one worn by the character during the “Big Time” arc of Dan Slott‘s Amazing Spider-Man. Following his time as one of Norman Osborn’s Dark Avengers, Gargan was serving a prison sentence on the Raft. He was broken out by Allistaire Smythe and given an all-new, all-different Scorpion suit and turned loose with other newly-created Spider Slayers to take down J. Jonah Jameson. And of course, Spidey intervened…

    Notably, Gargan’s Brand New Day mech suit is represented here without a helmet but rumors and reports that came before the leaked image indicated that one will indeed be present when the character is fully suited up in the film.

  • First Look at Several ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ Villains Emerge Ahead of Rumored Trailer Release Date

    First Look at Several ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ Villains Emerge Ahead of Rumored Trailer Release Date

    Without even having seen an officially released trailer, fans are starting to believe Spider-Man: Brand New Day will be something special.

    It’s long been known that the fourth installment in Marvel Studios and Sony’s collaborative Spider-Man franchise will feature a multitude of villains but in recent days, merchandise and promotional art for the project has emerged, providing first looks of various quality for some of the key antagonists. A backpack teased the designs of Boomerang, Scorpion and the Hulk–all present as shadowy background figures behind a clear look at Spidey. Now, new art has been uncovered, providing a more detailed look at many of the film’s baddies.

    Possibly the most impressive reveal comes from what looks to an unfinished shot from the film, providing the first look at  Tombstone, played by Marvin Jones III. Though fans are skeptical, multiple accounts are standing behind its legitimacy.

    Additonally, artwork for Brand New Day surfaced revealing the designs for Tarantula, Boomerang and the new-look Hulk, who will reportedly become a big problem for the Webhead.

    In other news, fans won’t be waiting too much longer for the first teaser, according to director Destin Daniel Cretton. “I think it’s so funny how people really want a trailer. Of course it’s gonna come. It’s gonna be really good when it comes. It’s coming,” said Cretton in an interview with Majic 102.1.

    When will then be now? Insider Cryptic HD Quality, who has long been a reliable source of intel on trailers, shared that he’s heard rumblings of a March release for the teaser.

    Spider-Man: Brand New Day is slated to swing into theaters on July 31, 2026.

  • Hi-Res Look at Merch Provides First Look at Troublesome Trio from ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’

    Hi-Res Look at Merch Provides First Look at Troublesome Trio from ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’

    With just over five months until the release of Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Sony has yet to release so much as a teaser trailer for the all-new, all-different fourth installment in the franchise. Fans have been treated to plenty of photos and videos from the set, however, and now as retailees begin to prepare for merchandise hitting their shelves, a first look at three of the film’s characters has found its way online.

    After low-res photos of a backpack made the rounds recently, Twitter user @JuanEditzs provided a higher-resolution look at the bag, which provided clear-but-shadowy first looks at a trip of characters set to cause trouble for Peter Parker in the upcoming film.

    Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk, Michael Mando’s Scorpion and Boomerang–recently rumored to be played by Tom Holland‘s brother, Harry–can all be seen by zooming in on the pack.

    Mando‘s Mac Gargan–who will return to the series for the first time since Spider-Man: Homecoming–has been rumored to be sporting a suit that’s a mix of the classic comic book Scorpion suit and the one seen in Insomniac’s Spider-Man video game franchise. The tail on the suit from the film can clearly be seen to have some significant mechanical structure to it.

    The appearance of Boomerang on the bag confirms the character will appear after he was first reported to be in the film in May 2025. It will be interesting to see if first-time franchise director Destin Daniel Cretton has chosen to the recent relationship dynamic between Parker and Boomerang that saw the two as roommates with Boomerang unaware of Parker’s alter ego.

    And as for the Hulk, it’s long been reported that Brand New Day will feature a more savage Green Goliath doing battle with Spidey. A recent Lego set leak seems to have confirmed this and the shadowy appearance of the character on the bag, where he looms behind Spidey, hardly makes the case he’ll be a hero.

    Spider-Man: Brand New Day will hit theaters on July 31st!

  • ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ Promo Provides Detailed Look at Doom’s Iconic Mask

    ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ Promo Provides Detailed Look at Doom’s Iconic Mask

    Soon, Marvel Studios’ stars will be back in London preparing for additional photography on Avengers: Doomsday ahead of the film’s December release. A series of short, character-driven teasers for the film successfully built much-needed hype, though fans are still eagerly awaiting a true teaser trailer.

    As much as we run at fun in terms of what these films can be, we also run at the complexity and difficulty of what these movies can do at a narrative level. I think we’ve found a new level of that in Doomsday.

    -Anthony Russo via Empire Magazine

    Despite the lack of said teaser, fans have had ample opportunity to get a peek at the film’s villain (and protagonist), Victor Von Doom, played by Robert Downey Jr. And with just 10 months until the film hits theaters, those opportunities will continue to increase as marketing begins and merchandise hits shelves. And right on cue, a new piece of promo art for the film has provided a detailed look at Doctor Doom’s iconic mask.

    According to reports, the mask will be hiding a disfigured Victor whose look was inspired by “classic Universal monster movies.” In an interesting twist, it’s been rumored that Earth’s Mightiest Heroes will not see Doom’s face, though the audience will, keeping a potential reveal to the Avengers in place for the follow up film, Avengers: Secret Wars, which will hit theaters in December 2027.

    Avengers: Doomsday is set for release on December 18, 2026.

  • New Rumors Add Even More Baddies to the Cast of ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’

    It’s clear that Tom Holland‘s Wall-Crawler will have his hands full in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Michael Mando will be suiting up as classic Spidey villain Scorpion and Tramell Tillman will be heading up Damage Control’s as the mutie-hating William Metzger, providing plenty of problems for Peter Parker. Throw in crime bosses Tombstone and Fredrick Foswell, Tombstone, Boomerang and Ramrod, along with a rampaging Hulk and, of course, Frank Castle punishing scum and it becomes clear that Brand New Day will be a very different film from any of its MCU predecessors.

    First-time franchise director Destin Daniel Cretton looks to be building an entire world around the Webslinger unlike anything that’s been done in the genre to date. And in doing so, he may be preparing to introduce one of the most comic book locations in all of Marvel Comics: The Bar with No Name.

    A slew of rumors made the rounds over the weekend, all of which claimed that the already impressive roster of villains in the new film would be further filled out than fans had been less to believe. Baddies such as The Enforcers, Miles Warren–aka the Jackal–and 8-Ball were each name dropped by industry insiders, adding to an already impressive cast of rogues. And with Cretton reportedly sticking close to the comics, The Bar with No Name is the perfect establishment to bring them all together while they lick their wounds.

    Though it first appeared in Captain America #318, The Bar with No Name has frequently been seen in the pages of Spidey comics. While rumors of a montage of Spidey fighting villains have circulated for some time, it would be FAR more entertaining to see the hero track one of his foes to the bar only to find himself battling dozens of his enemies.