Murphy's Multiverse

Category: News

  • RUMOR: Dr. Doom Will Not Be ‘Fantastic Four’ Villain

    RUMOR: Dr. Doom Will Not Be ‘Fantastic Four’ Villain

    When Marvel Studios regained the rights to Fox’s roster of characters in 2019, speculation began to run rampant. Starting with its fourth “Phase,” the Marvel Cinematic Universe would be able to include everyone from the X-Men to the Silver Surfer in its films and series, and fans couldn’t wait for their favorite heroes and villains to be introduced. At the top of most people’s wish lists, however, was perhaps the greatest villain ever to grace the page. In the minds of fans, Dr. Victor Von Doom, played by Julian McMahon and Toby Kebbell in previous failed attempts at bringing the baddie to life, had a shot at big screen redemption in the next Fantastic Four. Unfortunately, if the latest rumor from Jeff Sneider is true, that won’t exactly be the case.

    In the latest episode of Sneider’s video series Hot Mic, the insider claims that Dr. Doom will not be the antagonist in 2025’s reboot of Marvel’s first family. Instead, he says, Doom will be introduced in the film’s mid-credits scene, setting the villain up for a bigger role in the future of the franchise. If correct, that kicks the door open for a brand-new villain to take the reigns as the Fantastic Four’s initial challenge. Doom has been used as the main threat in both previous live-action origin stories, although he was not part of the group’s first outing in the comics. That honor belonged to the Mole Man, who has yet to appear on film. Perhaps this will be the classic villain’s chance to nab the spotlight, or maybe Kevin Feige and Matt Shakman will opt for something a little crazier – like a trip to the Negative Zone and a bout with Annihilus. Fans will have to wait and find out.

    Source: Hot Mic

  • RUMOR: Marvel Studios Developing a ‘Vision Quest’ Series

    RUMOR: Marvel Studios Developing a ‘Vision Quest’ Series

    As Marvel Studios readies for the release of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the studio seems to be looking ahead to its future. A new rumor from Jeff Sneider suggests that Marvel Studios is developing a Vision Quest series. He dropped the news while on The Hot Mic with John Rocha. Sneider also revealed that Marvel Studios is set to open a writers’ room for the series beginning next week.

    “I’m told that next week, Marvel will be opening a writers’ room for a Vision show titled ‘Vision Quest’.”

    Sneider

    When asked whether or not the series will follow the comic storyline of the same name, Sneider seemed uncertain. It could simply be another case of Marvel Studios using a title from the comics for a loose adaptation.

    Earlier this year, we explored how Vision Quest could be the perfect follow-up to one of Marvel Studios’ best television shows, WandaVision. That series offered up the perfect jumping off point, following White Vision as he came to accept his true identity. The original comics storyline hailed from John Byrne and introduced a kidnapped and memory-wiped version of the Synthezoid.

    As of now, a head writer/showrunner hasn’t been announced for Vision Quest.

  • RUMOR: ‘Blade’ May Have Found its New Director

    RUMOR: ‘Blade’ May Have Found its New Director

    It’s safe to say that Blade has had quite a turbulent pre-production. Shortly before production was set to start it lost its director Bassam Tariq, who is still attached as a producer, and rewrites had started on its script, which was initially written by Staci Osei-Kuffour. Moon Knight and X-Men ’97 head writer Beau DeMayo seemingly took over writing duties to get the script just right as the search for a new director started.

    While there’s still no official announcement, a new rumor is making the rounds that they may have already found their new director. If the report is true, Elegance Bratton may have taken on the task to bring the iconic vampire hunter to life. He only recently made his directorial debut with The Inspection, which premiered at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival.

    It’s not new for Marvel Studios to pull from a talented pool of indie directors, even some that just started getting their name out there. Blade isn’t a small project with its main star, Mahershala Ali, having been attached for quite some time and as the driving force for the project. So, they may want to get their hands on some new talent that can lend a unique voice to the project.

    Some believed the recent release of Werewolf by Night may have reopened up the possibility of newcomer director, and long-time composer Michael Giacchino taking over, but he took himself out of the race before rumors could spread. We’ll see if we get a director announcement soon, as Marvel Studios hopes not to lose too much time after already having to put the production on pause.

    Source: My Cosmic Circus

  • Marvel Studios Wanted to Adapt Namor for 18 Years

    Marvel Studios Wanted to Adapt Namor for 18 Years

    Namor is finally making his Marel Cinematic Universe in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. While the character is known as one of the first ever introduced into the Marvel canon, it still took Marvel Studios some time to finally get the right project together that would introduce the character to the world. As it turns out, Marvel had the character on their list for almost 18 years and was hoping to get the character to live-action even in the days before the current MCU was formed.

    Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige doesn’t go into details during the red carpet event for Wakanda Forever but does highlight that they’ve been trying to find the right idea to bring the character to life. Luckily, it seems that Ryan Coogler already pitched the idea of a war between kingdoms during the first Black Panther film and went on to develop the more culturally distinct take on the character for this sequel.

    Forever it’s been on our list. I remember 18 years ago putting together a list, I think we even commissioned a script 18 years ago. And the timing was never right and the idea was never right. Ryan Coogler on the first movie started pitching wars between kingdoms. And if you actually added a cultural specificity to Namor, and that’s certainly what he has done in this movie. It’s not Atlantis, it’s Talokan.

    Kevin Feige

    It definitely seems like the wait was well worth it, as it both only did it lead to a very distinct take on the character but a powerful performance by Tenoch Huerta going by early reactions. We still have to wait a little longer for the film’s release but it’s definitely going to be quite the experience once it hits theaters on November 11th and who knows what the future has in store for the character moving forward.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ Star Teases How They Shot Underwater

    ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ Star Teases How They Shot Underwater

    Expectations are high on what Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will deliver. The first reactions from the film’s premiere are definitely quite positive; especially with the film’s emotional arc but they also tease the excitement for the newcomer, Namor the Submariner. Tenoch Huerta takes on the role of a leader of a long-sunken Mayan civilization.

    With the film taking place under water, there’s no surprise that a big part of it will also feature its stars floating about but it was unclear if they’d actually film underwater or mostly rely on CG. According to actor Alex Livinalli, who plays Attuma in the film, they filmed quite a bit underwater and it seems like they had a lot o fun with the challenge.

    We had the training underwater. Don’t get me wrong, it was hard, it was a lot of hard work but it was so exciting. Everything that we shot underwater was on one breath; meaning that everyone–the whole crew, the actors–were at the surface, then everyone took a breath, we went down and shot for as long as [until] the first person came up, then we all came up. In what other project would you get to do something like that?

    Alex Livinalli

    It definitely sounds like it was a challenge to film as much as you could with everyone holding their breath for as long as possible. There is a fun irony in the mention of “what other project would you get to do something” like Wakanda Forever with Avatar: The Way of the Water on the horizon, but it’s great to see the technology being used to full effect this year.

    Source: Deadline

  • ‘Hocus Pocus 2’ is Nielsen’s Biggest Recorded Opening Weekend for a Movie

    ‘Hocus Pocus 2’ is Nielsen’s Biggest Recorded Opening Weekend for a Movie

    It looks like the Sanderson sisters put a hex on Disney+, as the Nielsen ratings have revealed that Hocus Pocus 2 has become Nielsen’s biggest-ever recorded opening. The film was watched a whopping 2.7 billion minutes after its September 30th premiere on the Disney-owned streaming platform. Not only is it quite a testament to the cult status of this film, but it also reveals that people were just waiting for a fun Halloween special. It does make you wonder if this is another proof of the power of legacy sequels in the modern market, or perhaps the urge for something different on the platform.

    That isn’t the only record that was broken from the week of September 26th to October 2nd. Ryan Murphy‘s Jeffrey Dahmer series, Monster, once again took the top spot in the Nielsen Top 10 ratings with 4.4 billion minutes viewed. Not only is it a massive success for Netflix; even with the controversies surrounding the project, but it managed to break the previous record and is now the seventh most-streamed program within a single week.

    It looks like it was a great week for the streaming market. Some have been pushing ongoing online wars on what “series is winning” the various weeks; most notably with the House of the Dragon and The Lord of the Rings debates, as well as people trying to prove personal beliefs on if She-Hulk: Attorney at Law‘s a success. Yet, direct comparisons between streaming services with unique viewership demographics and various KPI basis makes any direct comparisons nothing more than personal discussions rather than

    Source: Variety

  • James Patterson’s ‘Alex Cross’ Series Adds ‘Black Adam’ Star

    James Patterson’s ‘Alex Cross’ Series Adds ‘Black Adam’ Star

    Black Adam‘s Hawkman is set to return. Well, at least Aldis Hodge is, as he has already nabbed his next high-profile project in the adaptation of James Patterson‘s Alex Cross. Amazon Prime Video has ordered the adaptation to the series with Hodge attached as its main lead. It’ll be titled Cross and has seemingly been in the works since January 2020. Amazon’s Head of Global Television, Vernon Sanders, shared his excitement about the series.

    James Patterson is among the best at captivating audiences with his undeniably enthralling novels and we are confident that with Ben Watkins’ artistic vision, Cross will do the same for our global customers. We are proud to work with James and Ben alongside Paramount Television, Skydance, and the extremely talented Aldis Hodge, who we know will do an exceptional job of bringing Alex Cross to life.

    Vernon Sanders

    Ben Watkins is attached to write and executive produce the series as its showrunner. Hodge is not only taking on the leading role but is also set to act as a producer. Patterson joins as executive producer alongside Sam Ernst, Jim Dunn, and Craig Siebels. Skydance Television is set to produce with Paramount Television Studios and James Patterson Entertainment attached.

    In Variety’s announcement, they teased that the series’ take on Cross hints at him being “brilliant, flawed, and full of contradictions. A doting father and family man, Cross is single-minded to the point of obsession when he hunts killers. He is desperate for love, but his wife’s murder has left him too damaged to receive it.”

    It’s great to see the actor nab a big project after one of fall’s biggest releases. There’s still no word if we can expect a Black Adam sequel starring Hodge in the near future, or if Hawkman might get his own spinoff at some point, but the actor will certainly be quite busy moving forward.

    Source: Variety

  • Peacock’s ‘Girls5eva’ Returns for Season 3 on Netflix

    Peacock’s ‘Girls5eva’ Returns for Season 3 on Netflix

    It looks like Peacock’s series Girls5eva is getting a new home, as it was announced that its third season is now heading to Netflix. It seems the third season will only be available on the streamer while the previous two entries remain on Peacock but also join Netflix for those that haven’t had a chance to check out the series.

    It’s a surprisingly bittersweet addition, as this marks a reunion for creator Meredith Scardino alongside producers Tina Fey, Robert Carlock, and Jeff Richmond. Fey and Carlock famously worked on the Netflix smash hit Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, where Scardino worked as a writer. Richmond also served as a composer in addition. They had the following to say in a joint statement:

    Our deepest thanks to Peacock for bringing ‘Girls5eva’ to life and supporting us creatively at every turn since the first pitch. And we are endlessly grateful to our partners at NBCU for their boundless commitment. Today, we are thrilled to announce that our reunited girl group will be re-reunited at Netflix. We are so thankful to everyone at the streamer who fell in love with our music-filled comedy. We cannot wait to introduce Dawn, Wickie, Summer, and Gloria to the global Netflix audience. Well, not fully introduce, if you look closely, ‘Girls5eva’ can be seen in the background of the Woodstock ’99 documentary setting a porta potty on fire

    Girls5eva is the story of a one-hit-wonder girls’ group that reunites since their success from the 1990s faded. It’s not a new concept but certainly, one that offers some fun ideas to play around with for everyone involved. It’ll be interesting to see if the show will go through some changes when it starts production for its new home.

    Source: Variety

  • Tenoch Huerta on Whether or Not Namor is the Villain of ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’

    Tenoch Huerta on Whether or Not Namor is the Villain of ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’

    With Black Panther: Wakanda Forever having its World Premiere last night, the world now waits in anticipation for its turn to see the Marvel Studios sequel. One of the major standouts from the early reactions has been Tenoch Huerta, who portrays film’s main antagonist: Namor the Sub-Mariner. While talking with Variety during the premiere’s red carpet, this is what Huerta, disagreed with the notion that he’s the villain of the film.

    This is a guy who protects his people, his culture, every meaningful thing in his kingdom. From my perspective, everyone around the world can identify with this. So I don’t know if he’s a “villain” or is just a guy trying whatever the cost is to protect.

    Tenoch Huerta

    The concept of relatability has been a generally consistent factor with some of the best Marvel Cinematic Universe villains, and it certainly is an exciting notion to hear about this trait with Namor. One of the most compelling elements of Namor and the whole of Talokan in Wakanda Forever is the heavy influence of Mayan culture on their civilization. It provides Ryan Coogler with the opportunity to world-build another historically-based culture into the Marvel Cinematic Universe made up of generally underrepresented peoples in the film industry. This is a concept that Huerta has definitely appreciated when it comes to this film.

    It’s important for the people to see themselves in the movies in this way. It was made with a lot of respect for the Mesoamerican culture, especially Mayan culture. It’s the root of almost everybody Latin American. We have indigineous roots, we have black roots, and a few white roots. But it’s fantastic to be here and represent this kind of movie.

    Tenoch Huerta

    Black Panther: Wakanda Forever opens exclusively in theaters on November 11. You can take a look at a collection of first impressions of the film here. 

  • INTERVIEW: Michaela Jill Murphy Talks ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ and More

    INTERVIEW: Michaela Jill Murphy Talks ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ and More

    We had the chance to sit down with Toph voice actress, Michaela Jill Murphy, to talk about Avatar: The Last Airbender and the app, Hyype Space, where she posts challenges for fans to partake in. Along with discussing the challenge-based social media platform, Murphy also discussed her time voicing Toph and her feature endeavors.

    If you haven’t already, be sure to give Hyype Space a chance. The most recent challenge from Murphy had fans re-creating their favorite bending scene. The winner, determined by the most claps, ended up winning $300 cash, a signed Book 2 poster, a handpicked personalized rock from the Blind Bandit, and a personalized Metalbending Academy comic or a Toph Funko pop. While the second-place winner took home $200 cash and a personalized Rock and comic and the third-place winner took home $100 cash and a personalized rock. Hyype Space is available through the App Store and Google Play now.