Murphy's Multiverse

Category: News

  • ‘She-Hulk’ Star Teases Disney+ Series as the “Antithesis” of Superhero Narratives

    ‘She-Hulk’ Star Teases Disney+ Series as the “Antithesis” of Superhero Narratives

    There’s been quite the discussion surrounding the release of the She-Hulk trailer. While one part of thee internet enjoyed its humor and promise of a legal comedy through the eyes of a superhero world, many others were mainly focused on the CG. Still, the Disney+ series has a massive star at the forefront with Tatiana Maslany, who offered a tease of what’s heading our way with the latest addition to Disney+’s growing repertoire.

    She highlights what makes She-Hulk’s story so interesting is how she’s an “antithesis of most superhero narratives” Maslany teases that the two personalities will be at odds, especially as Jennifer Walters tries to deny the Hulk within her subconscious.

    She really is the antithesis of most superhero narratives. There’s this great element of denial in her that’s relatable. For me, it was about rejecting what’s happened for as long as I could, as that’s what causes the fun tension between Jennifer and She-Hulk.

    Tatiana Maslany

    There actually was some merchandise that teased that the upcoming series may explore their dual personality which is very likely at odds throughout its showrun. So, some of the comedy may come from her losing control while She-Hulk enjoys her new freedom. Perhaps we even get to explore the concept of the Green Door or generally what is the true cause for the Hulking transformation. It’s all just speculation but with Ms. Marvel slowly coming to an end, eyes are already shifting towards the next project.

    Source: Empire

  • James Cameron Reveals Runtime for ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’

    James Cameron Reveals Runtime for ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’

    Audiences should prepare for another long-form entry in the return to the Avatar franchise at the end of this year. Avatar: The Way of Water is currently slated to have a run-time of around three hours according to director James Cameron. This comes after the original 2009 film held a run-time of approximately two hours and forty minutes. And with this gargantuan length to the project, Cameron has been very opinionated in being firmly antagonistic towards those who feel negative about this.

    I don’t want anybody whining about length when they sit and binge-watch [television] for eight hours. I can almost write this part of the review. ‘The agonizingly long three-hour movie…’ It’s like, give me a fucking break. I’ve watched my kids sit and do five one-hour episodes in a row. Here’s the big social paradigm shift that has to happen: it’s okay to get up and go pee.

    James Cameron

    And despite the original film being the highest-grossing of all time (unadjusted for inflation) having earned $2.84 billion at the box office, James Cameron also has gone out of his way to be vocal in his ardent disdain towards those who generally have a negative perception of the original Avatar film.

    The trolls will have it that nobody gives a shit and they can’t remember the characters’ names or one damn thing that happened in the movie. Then they see the movie again and go, ‘Oh, okay, excuse me, let me just shut the fuck up right now.’ So I’m not worried about that.

    James Cameron

    Ultimately, it remains to be seen whether or not Avatar: The Way of Water will successfully shut down the “trolls” or if Cameron is simply just providing more ammunition for those that disagree with his perspective.

    Avatar: The Way of Water opens in theaters on December 16, 2022, and stars the likes of Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver and Kate Winslet.

    Source: Variety 

  • ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’s Tessa Thompson on How Stan Lee Inspired Her Valkyrie

    ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’s Tessa Thompson on How Stan Lee Inspired Her Valkyrie

    All eyes have been on Natalie Portman and Chris Hemsworth as the leading Thors of Love and Thunder. Yet, we also have the returning Tessa Thompson as the wonderful Valkyrie. After taking over kingship following thor’s travel into space, she’s been quite busy and we’ll see a new version of the character. Thompson offered some insight during the official press conference into how she approached the character going in and what it means to be a hero.

    It’s been really fun.  I mean, the thing that I’ve really enjoyed about these films, and certainly I think something that Stan Lee talked a lot about, whether it’s a villain or a hero. The thing sometimes that connects them to their power, whether it’s used for good or bad, is actually their trauma. 

    Tessa Thompson

    She also relates this approach when we first met Valkyrie in Thor Ragnarok, where she was down on her luck.

    And so, when we first met Valkyrie, she had a tremendous amount of it, and she was dealing with that by drinking a lot.  And for Taika and I, we talked a lot about, like, upending what it looks like…what a female superhero looks like. That you sort of have this moment where she comes out, and you think it’s gonna be sort of that badass thing.  And then, she immediately falls over.  

    Tessa Thompson

    She also highlights how the biggest challenge was bringing this character to life and letting a former soldier become a hero; even comparing herself to how Chris Hemsworth tackles it with Thor.

    And that was really fun to both try to inhabit the spirit and the kind of physicality that it takes to be a hero, which is its own skill. It’s like, Chris is so tremendous at it. And you’re right. It’s not an easy thing to do. And that also, to allow her to be fun and sort of goofy. And it’s just been really nice. 

    Tessa Thompson

    “Fun and sort of goofy” sounds exactly like what one can expect from a film directed by Taika Waititi. It’s definitely going to be interesting to see where her journey leads her and the trailers have offered a promising tease of what the future might have in store for Valkyrie as the King of Asgard.

  • Full Creative Team Assignments Behind ‘Andor’ Revealed

    Full Creative Team Assignments Behind ‘Andor’ Revealed

    With Obi-Wan Kenobi now behind them, Star Wars fans have begun to focus on the next project headed to Disney Plus: Andor. Set to serve as a prequel to the events of Rogue One, the series will follow Diego Luna’s Cassian Andor as he navigates the galaxy in the early days of the Rebellion.

    The first trailer for the 12-episode season got fans stirring about the grungy look of the series and given the time period in which it is set, fans have also had a blast speculating about which characters may show up for a surprise appearance. All those decisions, of course, rest in the hands of the creative team behind the show, and while Tony Gilroy oversaw its development as showrunner and served as one of the writers, he wasn’t alone. Now, thanks to an official release from Disney (via Bespin Bulletin), the full team of writers and directors has been revealed, along with an official synopsis.


    The “Andor” series will explore a new perspective from the Star Wars galaxy, focusing on Cassian Andor’s journey to discover the difference he can make. The series brings forward the tale of the burgeoning rebellion against the Empire and how people and planets became involved. It’s an era filled with danger, deception and intrigue where Cassian will embark on the path that is destined to turn him into a rebel hero.

    While the directors and writers of the series have been known for some time, the official release gives us a clear picture of how they split up the 12-part first season.

    Episodes 1-3

    • Written by Tony Gilroy
    • Directed by Toby Haynes

    Episodes 4-6

    • Written by Dan Gilroy
    • Directed by Susanna White

    Episode 7

    • Written by Stephen Schiff
    • Directed by Benjamin Caron

    Episodes 8-10

    • Written by Beau Willimon
    • Directed by Toby Haynes

    Episodes 11 and 12

    • Written by Tony Gilroy
    • Directed by Benjamin Caron

    Taken by groups of episodes, it presents an interesting window into how the series might shape up. While Lucasfilm has done a fine job of using multiple directors on projects so far, it does seem to fall into line that directors get to work through their own stories and, seemingly, work on episodes that play to their strengths. With that in mind, it’s interesting to see Caron listed on Episode 7, but then not return until the final two episodes while Toby Haynes is listed on 1-3 and then returns for 8-10. Something to keep an eye on when the series debuts on August 31st.

    Source: Disney

  • EXCLUSIVE: ‘Ms. Marvel’ Director Teases More Reveals About the Clandestines

    EXCLUSIVE: ‘Ms. Marvel’ Director Teases More Reveals About the Clandestines

    Since first meeting Najma and the Clandestines, the audience (and Kamala Khan) have learned an awful lot about the other-dimensional beings…and not all of it has been good. They’ve gone from a stranded family to a group of exiled refugees willing to destroy Earth in order to return home. The audience has heard their side of the story; the audience has heard Waleed’s side of the story. With Aisha’s side of the story still yet to be told, we asked director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy if we could close the book on the Clandestines as villains, or if there might be more to the story.

    I think you have a lot left to uncover about who these people are and what their desire is and what they want to do. I will say this, that it was so important for us to sometimes look at villains as people of circumstances and that not all villains are black and white, that there are shades of grey in that. I think that with the Clandestines, there is a lot of grey.

    Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy

    As with any good villain(s), allowing the audience to empathize with them can go a long way. By drawing parallels between the Clandestine and the millions of people displaced in the Partition, the team of directors behind Ms. Marvel is creating a fascinating bit of cognitive dissonance in the audience and forcing them into some uncomfortable places.

    Episode 5 of Ms. Marvel, which will likely resolve some of the untold bits of the Clandestine’s story, will stream on Disney Plus tomorrow.

  • Chris Pratt Praises James Gunn’s Work on ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’

    Chris Pratt Praises James Gunn’s Work on ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’

    One of the most surprising successes of the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been the studio’s ability to draw from the far reaches of their intellectual property and turn those characters into household names. Perhaps the best example of this is the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise, which has spawned into one of the most well-known groups in pop culture.

    James Gunn‘s 2014 film has become a staple in the MCU and characters like Star-Lord and Gamora have played huge roles in the building of the universe. To say anticipation is high for the third installment, set to be released on May 5, 2023, is an understatement.

    The ending of the trilogy has been teased by the cast and director as being quite emotional for some time now. Chris Pratt, who plays Star-Lord, was asked by Digital Spy in an interview about his thoughts on the third film while promoting his new Amazon series, The Terminal List.

    Pratt had high praise for Gunn:

    It’s fantastic. [Director] James Gunn just watched a rough assembly the other day. I called him yesterday. We Facetimed, and he’s very, very proud of the work that everyone’s done. He said it’s the best work all of us have ever done. He feels very, very confident. The script was amazing.

    Chris Pratt

    But Pratt didn’t stop there. He went on to make a bold claim about the upcoming film as well:

    And I can say with utter confidence that he’s made a true masterpiece, and I just cannot wait for people to see it. It’s James Gunn. He did all three movies, which is really rare and really special in the world of big box-office trilogies.

    Chris Pratt

    What do you think? Will Vol. 3 be able to outrank the previous films? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.

    Source: Digital Spy

  • The Morning After Huddle: July 5, 2022

    The Morning After Huddle: July 5, 2022

    Welcome to your Tuesday edition of The Morning After Huddle where the jokes are made up and the points don’t matter anyway! If you caught that joke, you are my kind of person. We knew OBJ was a special talent, but apparently, the guy is a cyborg.

    Here’s what you need to know:

    • Odell Beckham Jr., revealed via Twitter, that he played the back half of last season with a torn ACL. If you remember, Beckham went down in the Super Bowl and never returned. We assumed that it was his ACL, but perhaps it was a knee. The answer is yet to be revealed, but I’m thoroughly impressed that the man put up 25 catches, over 300 yards, and 2 TD’s in the postseason on a bum knee. That, folks, is a cyborg.
    • Longtime ESPN NFL reporter Hank Goldberg has passed away. Goldberg’s family reported that he passed away yesterday on his 82nd birthday. Goldberg was .500 or better in 15 of 17 NFL seasons while predicting games at ESPN. He made appearances on NFL Countdown and ESPN Radio and contributed to the network’s thoroughbred racing coverage.
    • With Training Camps on the horizon, Bleacher Report is taking a look at players at every position who will blossom this season. Gary Davenport details his predictions including Trey Lance, J.K. Dobbins and more.

    Thanks for breaking down the Huddle with us today! We’ll see you tomorrow for more news you want to know!

    ICYMI: Saturday – July 2, 2022 Edition

  • EXCLUSIVE: Farhan Akhtar on Waleed’s Past

    EXCLUSIVE: Farhan Akhtar on Waleed’s Past

    The good news was that Marvel Studios cast Bollywood star Farhan Akhtar in a key role in Episode 4 of Ms. Marvel, “Seeing Red.” The bad news is that, barring a miracle, Akhtar’s Waleed doesn’t seem to have much of a future.

    However, Akhtar’s character made a big impression in a short time, giving Kamala Khan a bit of a history lesson on the Clandestine’s Noor Dimension and sacrificing himself to save her and Kareem. Akhtar inhabited Waleed with such gravitas and authority, however, that it was clear the actor knew much more about the character. In an exclusive interview, Akhtar credited the creative team behind Ms. Marvel with giving him everything he needed to know about the character’s past.

    Honestly, a lot of the hard work on this was done by the writers and by the creative producer. I mean they really came and gave me a really good sense of Waleed, explained to me Waleed’s past, where he probably met Aisha for the first time-since he refers to her, he knows about her-what experience he has with the bangle, how does he know the Clandestines, when did he first meet them, when did he first battle them, how did he get that scar on his face.

    Farhan Akhtar

    As the authority figure of the order of the Red Dagger, Waleed certainly gave off the impression that he had been through some things that a young hero like Kamala might not understand. There’s also the currently unanswered question of how he knew Kamala’s great-grandmother, Aisha, and why he didn’t seem to lump her into the same category as the villainous Clandestines. According to Akhtar, he simply tapped into the history of the character as given to him by the team.

    So we had all these conversations. So by the time we came into these scenes, I had all that history with me. I could tap into all that and I had that understanding of who this guy is. When he’s sharing stuff with Kamala, the kind of authority that he speaks with, that he’s had these experiences, that is something that the writers and producers shared with me and I’m very thankful for that.

    Farhan Akhtar

    Though Waleed certainly seems dead, there’s no reason we couldn’t see Akhtar in the role again, whether that be in the upcoming fifth episode or in another season of the show via flashbacks. Fans of the show would definitely welcome more of the character and given the way Akhtar has spoken about his time with the show, it seems he might too.

    Ms. Marvel is now streaming on Disney Plus.

  • EXCLUSIVE: Farhan Akhtar Explains What Drew Him to ‘Ms. Marvel’

    EXCLUSIVE: Farhan Akhtar Explains What Drew Him to ‘Ms. Marvel’

    Episode 4 of Ms. Marvel, “Seeing Red”, put a new spin on Kamala Khan’s ally, Kareem, making him one of an order of Red Daggers who serve to protect the people of Pakistan from unseen threats. In establishing the Red Daggers as an organization, Marvel Studios was able to give Kareem a mentor in the form of Waleed, played by Indian multi-hyphenate legend Farhan Akhtar.

    Akhtar stays unbelievably busy writing and producing, but seems fairly selective when it comes to acting. In an exclusive interview, Akhtar recalled how he came into the role of Waleed and why it was so important for him to be a part of Ms. Marvel.

    When my agent reached out and said that Marvel is looking to cast people from India for this new show that they are doing, I was immediately interested. Firstly, it’s Marvel which is a big deal, you know we are all fans of what they make. Their films are entertaining and are always made on this amazing scale that has something for everyone. So I was immediately interested.

    Farhan Akhtar

    Akhtar’s interest in the role grew when he found out that Marvel Studios was hoping to find a role for him in Ms. Marvel, a show Akhtar saw as groundbreaking. According to the actor, he had a feeling early on that he was joining a very special production.

    And then when we found out more, we realized it’s Ms. Marvel, it’s a show about the first Pakistani-Muslim girl superhero, it speaks about the Asian community in the U.S., it travels all the way to this part of the world, it taps into the culture of this place, the folklore of this place, the history of this place. So it immediately felt like Marvel was treading new ground here, you know, in doing something that hadn’t been done before. And then they had people like Sharmeen on board-like Sana as a creative producer, so it really seem like this was going to be special. That’s what it felt like. And I wanted it. So I just said, “Listen, please whatever it is just call me and I’m gonna do it.” And after that, of course, we discussed Waleed and we discussed that character and all that more.

    Farhan Akhtar

    Fans fell immediately in love with Akhtar’s Waleed who, unfortunately, seems to have met his end saving young heroes Kareem and Kamala. Whether we see Waleed again in the future or not, it’s safe to say Akhtar made his mark in his limited role and that his feeling he was going to be part of something special was spot on.

    The first four episodes of Ms. Marvel are now streaming on Disney Plus.

  • ‘Falcon and Winter Soldier’ Almost Featured a Wakandan Shield Upgrade for the New Captain America

    ‘Falcon and Winter Soldier’ Almost Featured a Wakandan Shield Upgrade for the New Captain America

    It looks like the development team behind Falcon and the Winter Soldier have gone through quite a few ideas on how to support Sam Wilson’s new role as Captain America. Unlike his predecessor, he doesn’t have the same Super Soldier serum to give him an edge in battle, which hints at him being more dependent on his wits and weaponry. To counteract that, it seems they have considered giving his shield a new Wakandan upgrade that would’ve created a dome energy shield, as shared by development concept illustrator Wesley Burt.

    He goes on to highlight how he approached the idea, as their team was tasked with thinking up new ways that Sam could use the shield in creative ways, which ended up leading to the results you can see above.

    Ryan [Meinerding] asked some of the [Visual Development] department to take a little bit of time and think up some new ways that Sam could use the shield, more specific to him and his own physicality with it… when I was thinking about the tech rim piece, I was looking for a way to minimally add an element to the shield so as not to distract too much from the shield itself but still make it feel like it could have a believable tech addition and hint at the Wakandan upgrades before you see them used

    Wesley Burt

    While the concept hasn’t made its way into the Disney+ series, it doesn’t mean they may revisit the idea at a later point. We still don’t know what Sam may owe Wakanda given they help create his design and him carrying it is fitting with the shield being made from Wakandan Vibranium. Perhaps they may further explore its ties to the country and how it connects to Sam Wilson’s new role given his own background, especially the way his country views him.

    Source: The Art of Falcon and Winter Soldier via The Direct