Murphy's Multiverse

Category: News

  • Alison Brie Wants to Play a Marvel Villain

    Alison Brie Wants to Play a Marvel Villain

    Actress Alison Brie has made a name for herself among fans through her charismatic and varied roles in projects like Community, GLOW, and Mad Men. Her popularity naturally leads to many wondering if or when the actress might make a jump into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In the lead-up to Marvel Studios’ upcoming Disney+ series She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, Brie has opened up about her desire to join the MCU.

    Years ago, early She-Hulk news reported that the series sought an “Alison Brie-type” as the titular character. Obviously, the role ended up going to Tatiana Maslany, but the idea of Brie in the MCU did not die with that casting. The actress has collaborated with Marvel as a filmmaker for Marvel’s 616 and will be voicing a role in the animated Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur. But when asked by Comicbook.com if Brie had her eye on any live-action character, the actress mentioned that her fantasy is playing a villain:

    Nothing specifically that I have set my sights on, no, and I think that would be a mistake, because clearly you can’t really dictate. Marvel’s going to do their thing, as they should. I think there’s a fantasy deep in my mind that one day I would get to play a great Marvel villain, but I don’t know which one that would be. People, fans, send me some ideas so I can start the campaign.

    Alison Brie

    While the actress made it clear that there are no characters or projects she is setting her sights on—or at least none that she is willing to share—it seems likely that Marvel Studios would be interested in having Brie join the MCU in some capacity. Whether the studio would want her for a superhero, like She-Hulk, or a supervillain as the actress hopes for is unclear. With the entireties of Phases 5 and 6 to play out, including several unannounced projects, fans may find out where Brie does or does not fit within the MCU in the relatively near future.

    Source: Comicbook.com

  • Jordan Elsass Exits ‘Superman and Lois,’ Jon Kent to Be Recast

    Jordan Elsass Exits ‘Superman and Lois,’ Jon Kent to Be Recast

    The days of the Arrowverse look to finally be coming to an end as only a handful of shows remain, with The Flash, the longest running of the current series set to make a speedy exit with Season 9. Superman and Lois is one of the newest and few surviving DC series left on the CW and it’s unknown just what its fate will be with the shakeups at Warner Brothers Discovery. However, while its future remains unclear, it seems the series has some more immediate issues to consider as one of the show’s leads looks to have made an unannounced exit. 

    Deadline reports that Superman and Lois star Jordan Elsass will be leaving the series in the upcoming third season, with the role of Jon Kent set to be recast. There is currently no word on who will be playing the son of Clark and Lois but with filming looking to kick off soon, it might not be long before news breaks. It is unknown as to why the Elsass is leaving the series with the only details being provided were that is was due to a “personal matter.” Elsass reportedly did not return to Vancouver by the deadline given to cast and crew ahead of the start of production on the third season. 

    “Jordan Elsass has notified the Studio that he will not be returning to Superman & Lois for season three due to personal reasons. The role of Jonathan Kent will be recast”

    Warner Bros. TV

    Elsass played a very different version of his comic book counterpart, showing no signs of having Kryptonian abilities like his father and brother. Elsass himself has yet to release an official statement regarding his sudden departure from the series.

    SOURCE: Deadline

  • ‘She-Hulk’s Head Writer Teases Abomination’s Original Multi-Episode Trial

    ‘She-Hulk’s Head Writer Teases Abomination’s Original Multi-Episode Trial

    Any project goes through various drafts before the camera ever start rollinig. Sometimes things come together as the original pitch is being reworked or when other writers offer input to further develop these projects. She-Hulk: Attorney at Law‘s head writer, Jessica Gao, reveals that she always had planned to include Emili Blonsky in some form, but reveals he originally had a bigger role early on.

    My pitch for the show is pretty close to the show that you’re watching. All the kind of key foundational elements were there: Emil Blonsky/Abomination was always in the pitch. Bruce was always in the pitch. I didn’t know if I could use them. I didn’t know what their relationship was to Abomination anymore. But I thought, you know what? This is what I want — so I’ll just pitch it. Thankfully, they liked all of it.

    Jessica Gao

    It does seem like not too much changed from the original pitch, yet she goes on to highlight that Blonsky’s trial was changed the most, as it originally was going to take part across multiple episodes before they realized the difficulty of keeping a trial interesting for that long.

    When I went in, it definitely skewed a lot more heavily towards Blonsky’s trial. In my original pitch, it was an actual trial and it spanned multiple episodes. When we got into the writers’ room, inevitably things change as you’re developing the show and as you start writing. And one thing that we all realized very slowly was none of us are that adept at writing, you know, rousing trial scenes.

    Jessica Gao

    Now, there’s already a reaction to this honesty from Gao downplaying the value they brought to creating a law comedy. She’s not saying they couldn’t bring together a lawyer show but rather that they were likely struggling to keep the Abomination trial interesting across multiple episodes. Poor wording does make it look rather negative which is easy bait for the usual online discourse.

    Plus, it would’ve restricted them in a corner so they rather focused on their strengths, a show that’s more about a persona balancing their life who happens to be a superhero and lawyer. An important lesson here: always play to your strengths rather than forcing something.

    Source: Variety

  • ‘One Piece Film: RED’ Becomes Franchise’s Highest-Grossing Film in Just 10 Days

    ‘One Piece Film: RED’ Becomes Franchise’s Highest-Grossing Film in Just 10 Days

    Now that’s quite the record. It seems that One Piece Film: RED has already become the highest-grossing film in its cinematic counterpart within just 10 days. Eiichiro Oda‘s iconic manga is no stranger to releasing films and it seems that the return of Shanks has led to the latest entry overtaking One Piece Film Z‘s position in a record time.

    The film’s official Twitter has shared that it already passed 5 million tickets sold and earned around 7 billion yen, which is equivalent to $52.9M. to put that in perspective, Z managed to pull in 6.87M during its run back in 2012. There is speculation that the film’s use of music and topping worldwide charts helped boost the film’s popularity. It’s also not available in all international markets, which will also add to its growth and we’ll see just how big the franchise with a live-action adaptation on the way from Netflix and Tomorrow Studios.

    Of course, there’s also the fact that this sees the return of fan-favorite Shanks in a much bigger role than he’s probably had throughout the entire series’ 25-year run. The announcement of One Piece entering its final saga definitely also shook some fans to their core given just how long it has been going. Perhaps the timing was perfect. As of now, the film is likely going to make around 15 billion yen, which would be ahead of Jujutsu Kaisen 0‘s run but it does seem unlikely it’ll pass Demon Slayer: Mugen Train.

    Source: Crunchyroll

  • Latest Live-Action ‘One Piece’ Castings Hint at Syrup Village Arc

    Latest Live-Action ‘One Piece’ Castings Hint at Syrup Village Arc

    It looks like some small news is trickling out for the live-action Netflix adaptation of One Piece. Matt Owens and Steve Maeda have been busy bringing one of manga’s most iconic stories to life. with the uncertainty surrounding past adaptations, it’s no wonder that some are cautiously optimistic but the set videos and castings have been quite promising. We knew that a shorter runtime would lead to fewer stories being included but it does seem like we’re definitely going to get a flashback for Usopp and the iconic battle of Syrup Village.

    As first shared by @OP_Netflix_Fan first, actress Bianca Oosthuizen has seemingly revealed that she will be taking on the role of Sham, a member of the Kuroneko Pirates. The character might not be as memorable as the many others we meet along the Strawhat’s voyage, but it definitely confirms that we’ll see the Kuroneko pirates make their live-action debut in the series. That is not all, as Chanté Grainger has also seemingly been confirmed as Usopp’s mother, Banchina.

    It should be noted that Oosthuizen also notes that she worked on an episode directed by Emma Sullivan. This reveal adds an interesting question, as we know that she was responsible for the Baratie episode as well. It does seemingly hint that these two arcs may take up an episode each. We don’t know if Baratie could also get split up into two episodes due to how much it covers but we’ll probably have to wait quite a bit longer before we find out.

    As such, it’s safe to say that Syrup Village will be given some time during the show’s runtime. It does make you wonder how they might adapt some elements of Usopp’s origin and how he joins the crew, as it’s one of the lesser liked arcs in the storyline. Still, their addition does keep us tied until we get some more official news whenever we get our next major casting announcement for some big roles.

    Source: Pursch Artistes, Spotlight

  • ‘She-Hulk’: Mark Ruffalo Teases Tatiana Maslany’s Return in Next ‘Avengers’ Film

    ‘She-Hulk’: Mark Ruffalo Teases Tatiana Maslany’s Return in Next ‘Avengers’ Film

    We’re only a few days away from Tatiana Maslany premiering as She-Hulk on her new Disney+ series. She’ll be joined by Mark Ruffalo‘s return as Hulk, who has been a fixture throughout the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s runtime. It seemed like a no-brainer that he’d continue to keep the role alive and maybe even appear in a future Avengers film, but he has now accidentally also confirmed that Tatiana Maslany is definitely going to appear in the one of the two upcoming Avenger movies.

    He doesn’t really give away which one it’ll be, but he goes on to highlight that “there’s not going to be another Avengers without her,” which would hint at a potential return to the role in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty that will release in 2025. There’s also the already confirmed sequel of Secret Wars which is set to follow just a few months later; though things can always change until then.

    It’s fun how Mark Ruffalo continues to stay true to his leaking ways. Almost a shame Tom Holland wasn’t around to help him and add a few more casting confirmations. Still, it does make sense that they’d set her up to return in an upcoming project like Avengers. We might even see her in other shows, as introducing a heroic lawyer does open up many ways of bringing her into the fold. Whatever the case might be, the MCU is continuing to open up in interesting ways.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • ‘Hawkeye’ Directors to Tackle Big Thunder Mountain Movie for Disney

    ‘Hawkeye’ Directors to Tackle Big Thunder Mountain Movie for Disney

    The theme park adaptations continue as Disney has set their eyes on bringing the classic attraction of Big Thunder Mountain to life. Not only that, it seems they already have two directors attached, which are Bert and Bertie. They’ve both recently worked with the House of Mouse on the Marvel Studios’ Hawkeye series, where they offered some of the series’ best.

    They are also set to write the script with Scott Free and LuckyChap Entertainment in a producing role. It’ll create a story around the 1979 Disneyland ride, which is set to have a new version released. It features a mine cart ride through a mining town on the search for gold, it is probably one of their most iconic theme park rides to date.

    There isn’t a word exactly on how they will try to wrap a story around this simple premise, but the studio has done it before. Pirates of the Caribbean is definitely the standout franchise from this theme park adaptation wave, but they also recently had a hit with Jungle Cruise and are working on another attempt at The Haunted Mansion. It’ll be interesting to see how they’ll bring the project to life and what Bert & Bertie bring to the table of this adaptation.

    Source: Deadline

  • ‘She-Hulk’ Writer is the Reason Marvel Put Abomination in ‘Shang-Chi’

    ‘She-Hulk’ Writer is the Reason Marvel Put Abomination in ‘Shang-Chi’

    Tim Roth is currently pulling off one of the most unexpected comebacks in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but he couldn’t have done it without writer Jessica Gao. The She-Hulk: Attorney at Law creative recently sat down with Comic Book’s Phase Zero podcast to discuss the debut of her new series, and revealed in the process that she is the reason for Roth‘s return to the Marvel fold. Before Gao boarded the upcoming Disney+ project, the British actor’s Gamma-irradiated baddie was a bit of a one-off character in the franchise. He opposed Edward Norton‘s Bruce Banner in 2008’s The Incredible Hulk, and though he survived the events of the film, he has mostly been disregarded by Marvel Studios in the years since. That changed with Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, last year’s surprise hit that featured the Abomination in a quick cameo appearance.

    According to Gao, it was actually her She-Hulk pitch to Marvel that sealed the deal on Emil Blonsky becoming a player in the MCU once more. She explained to Comic Book that she had envisioned Blonsky as part of her series from the very beginning, but was worried Marvel might turn the idea down after so much time away from the character:

    So Abomination, Emil Blonsky, was in my original pitch and at that point, the last time we saw him was in 2008, The Incredible Hulk. I had no idea what their relationship to this character was anymore. I don’t know if they had any plans but it was a story I wanted to tell so I just put it in there. What’s the worst that could happen? I don’t get the job. Look, I have not gotten the job so many times at Marvel it was like old hat to me. I had no more fear. I was like Daredevil. I was the woman with no fear now.

    Jessica Gao

    She then dropped the intriguing tidbit that Marvel Studios was so on board with her concept, they added Abomination to Shang-Chi just to remind audiences of his existence before She-Hulk‘s release. Gao elaborated:

    Because he was built in to be such a big part of the show in that original pitch and in the writer’s room, we really like, we were creating this whole story for him. Because everything in Marvel is connected, that was actually why he then was put in Shang-Chi, because he was in our show. That way, it was kind of to seed him so that people can get excited but also remember him and it kind of forced people to go, ‘Oh, I should go back and check in on him and remember who he is and what all of that was about.’

    Jessica Gao

    It seems Hulk’s former rival will have a lot to do when She-Hulk: Attorney at Law hits the small screen on August 18th. Gao‘s comments may also indicate The Incredible Hulk will have a more important role in the grand scheme of the MCU going forward. After all, the writer’s final comment implicates Marvel boss Kevin Feige as the perpetrator behind seeing Abomination back into the mainstream so seamlessly. When asked whose idea it was to put the monster in Shang-Chi, Gao replied:

    It’s Kevin. All roads lead to Kevin.

    Jessica Gao

    Source: Comic Book

  • ‘Star Wars Visions’ Producer on Going Beyond Anime With Volume 2

    ‘Star Wars Visions’ Producer on Going Beyond Anime With Volume 2

    Many were relieved when it was announced that Star Wars Visions would return for a second season. The animation anthology became quite the hit with its unique take on the iconic franchise. Not only did it offer small stories that each brought something new to the table, but it also included some truly fantastic animation. Many were surprised when the announcement dropped that the second volume would go beyond Japan, but it seems that is exactly the intention of executive producer James Waugh.

    The first anthology is anime because we all loved the style of it, but personally my intention for Visions was to always let it be a more broad palette, because there’s so much great animation work going on in the world. There’s so many interesting voices in all sorts of other mediums that are really focused on animation right now. And we really wanted it to be, in a way, a “sub-brand” that allowed for different creators to come celebrate Star Wars from their own unique cultural perspective.

    James Waugh

    The animation varies from country to country, and opening up the possibility of other countries contributing does add something that’ll make the next season stand out.

    And so Visions volume two is sort of a global tour of some of the most interesting animation studios on a global level. We have studios from Africa, Chile, England, Ireland, France, India… and the guiding light there was that we wanted their storytelling to be a reflection of what Star Wars meant in their culture, but also a reflection of the myths and stories that could only come out of their cultural context. Spring next year is currently where we’re targeting and I think it’s an absolutely beautiful anthology.

    James Waugh

    Luckily, spring isn’t too far away anymore and it’ll b exciting to see what stories will get explored, especially how the individual mythologies play into the storytelling approach. It also opens up the possibility of many more new stories to join the anthology over many years to come, which is always an exciting prospect for this varied galaxy far far away.

    Source: Deadline

  • Jameela Jamil Previews Titania in ‘She-Hulk: Attorney at Law’

    Jameela Jamil Previews Titania in ‘She-Hulk: Attorney at Law’

    She-Hulk: Attorney at Law had its official premiere last night, with the social media embargo lifting shortly thereafter. With many calling it the best Marvel Studios series to date, anticipation is building for audiences as they wait to see how all the new characters being introduced will come into the fold of the series and the greater Marvel Cinematic Universe. Unfortunately, though, fans of the villainous Titania will apparently have to wait a bit longer into the run of the show for her to be a major presence. While being interviewed on the red carpet for the series premiere, actress Jameela Jamil previewed what audiences should expect from her character and when.

    Episode five and six is when I really start to come around and ‘fork shirt up’ as the way we would say it on ‘The Good Place,’ and I bring mess and chaos and trouble to She-Hulk. And I really test her limits…she talks a lot in the show about ‘a woman’s patience’ and I think I know all of her buttons to press, and I do it with perfectly manicured fingernails.

    Jameela Jamil

    The preview of the character Jamil provides seems to set in place that Titania will become a fairly late-game major antagonist for the series. This would certainly be in line with other Disney+ series produced by Marvel Studios such as WandaVision and Hawkeye in how they introduced primary antagonists in Agatha Harkness and Kingpin, respectively. As well with this quote, it will be interesting to follow the dichotomy between Tatiana Maslany’s portrayal of She-Hulk and the social media influencer inspiration that’s seemingly been taken with Jameela Jamil’s Titania. If done right under the writing supervision of Jessica Gao, the dynamic between the two could become a largely memorable pair of rivals in the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

    The first episode of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law premieres exclusively on Disney+ on Thursday, August 18.

    Source: Deadline