Murphy's Multiverse

Category: News

  • Taz Skylar Shows Off His Sanji Kicking Training

    Taz Skylar Shows Off His Sanji Kicking Training

    A long time ago, before Netflix’s live-action One Piece series even started production, we got a good look at Sanji actor, Taz Skylar, showing off his skills kicking. It’s one of the character’s iconic aspects besides his ability to turn anything into a delicious meal. Many wondered how they’d attempt to bring his moves to life, especially in how flashy they are showcased in the original manga by Eiichiro Oda. A new video from Skylar highlights just how far his training has come.

    In a new video as shared by @OP_Netflix_Fan on Twitter, we get a good look at just how far his training has come along. Skylar has actively shared how he’s prepared for the One Piece role, such as attending kitchen courses alongside training with his stunt doubles. We sadly still haven’t gotten a good shot of him in costume, and how they might tackle his moves cinematically, but the dedication showcased is definitely praise-worthy.

    We haven’t seen much on how the training has come together for Zoro actor Mackenyu, but there was a leaked production image that hinted at these the three-sword style. One Piece continues to shape up as a promising project that’ll hopefully set a new direction for live-action manga adaptations. With many promising practical sets and some visually stunning designs, the only thing we haven’t gotten a glimpse at from the project is their costumes. so, we’ll see if they might give us our first look once they’ve wrapped production and entered the post-production phase.

    Source: Twitter

  • Duffer Brothers Hope for a Shorter ‘Stranger Things’ Final Season

    Duffer Brothers Hope for a Shorter ‘Stranger Things’ Final Season

    One of the major talking points coming out of Stranger Things Season 4 has been the gargantuan length of the season. The season ultimately clocked in with a run-time of just under 13 hours, including the final two episodes running for quite the extended runtime. However, The Duffer Brothers seemingly intend to keep the show’s final season shorter than this current one though still on the longer side compared to the first three entries of Stranger Things.

    We thought Season 4 was going to be eight [episodes], and they were going to be regular length. So if you had interviewed us before four, that’s what I would’ve said. I think we’re aiming for eight again. We don’t want it to be 13 hours. We’re aiming for more like 10 hours or something. I think it’s going to be longer than Season 1 because we just have so much to wrap up, but I don’t think it’s going to be as long as Season 4.

    Matt Duffer

    The Duffer Brothers further elaborated on some of the narrative rationales for a slight change of pace between seasons four and five.

    This season, for instance, it was two hours before our characters even realized the monster was killing people in Hawkins. They know what the threat is now, and so that will help speed it up.

    Ross Duffer

    This certainly will be music to the ears of those that felt this latest season of Stranger Things was too arduous in length and scope to fully appreciate. Even still, it very likely would still be necessary for Stranger Things‘s next season to hold a slightly extended runtime as a means to ensure everyone in the vast main ensemble has a proper resolution to their arcs. And then also being able to immediately jump in and know what the threat will be alongside the character especially has the potential to engage fans more optimally.

    Stranger Things is currently available to watch in completion on Netflix after the release of its second volume of episodes on July 1st. You can find our own review of this final batch of episodes by clicking here. 

    Source: Collider

  • Disney+ Japan Adjusts ‘Spider-Man: Far From Home’ MCU Timeline Placement

    Disney+ Japan Adjusts ‘Spider-Man: Far From Home’ MCU Timeline Placement

    In 2019, Spider-Man found himself far from home, and according to Disney+, he was also a little further down the Marvel Cinematic Universe timeline than fans initially believed. A new update to the streaming service in Japan has revealed that Spider-Man: Far From Home, the second installment in Jon Watts‘ trilogy, actually takes place after the events of 2021’s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. This means that, although the plot plays out only a handful of months after Avengers: Endgame, it’s actually now chronologically the fifth project to occur after the infamous Snap. WandaVision, the first season of Loki, and the animated What If…? are also all set before Far From Home.

    This implies that the year immediately following Endgame in the MCU was quite the busy one for superhero activity. The Scarlet Witch’s takeover of Westview, the fall of the Time Variance Authority, Ultron’s attack on the multiverse, and the fight to wield Captain America’s shield all ensued before Peter Parker even had a chance to go on his school field trip. Interestingly, the curious new timeline placement may help to solve one problem fans had with Falcon and the Winter Soldier.

    Spider-Man not reacting to the mayhem happening in New York City during the Disney+ series’ finale was a debated topic at the time it aired. However, that was at a time when fans were under the impression the hero had already fought Mysterio and returned to the United States. Now it’s possible Parker was still in the process of adjusting to existence again, or committing more fully than previously thought to the idea of sometimes letting other Avengers deal with catastrophe so he can focus on being a kid. After all, that was one of the major themes the character dealt with in Far From Home. There’s also the slight possibility the two projects overlap, and Spidey was just getting started across the pond when the Flag Smashers were doing damage to his home turf.

    Source: The Direct

  • Update on Timeline for ‘Stranger Things’ Writers Room

    Update on Timeline for ‘Stranger Things’ Writers Room

    With the recent release of the now complete fourth season of Stranger Things, questions are already being asked about the timeline for when fans can expect to watch the fifth and final season of the series. Unfortunately, fans will most likely have another relatively long wait to see how the hit Netflix series comes to an end. In an interview with Collider, series creators The Duffer Brothers provided a timeline for when the new season’s writing process would begin.

    We’re going to take a little vacation in July. And then we’re going to come back. I know that the writer’s room is going to start in that first week of August.

    The Duffer Brothers

    Between August marking the beginning of the official writer’s room and the expansive production time that has now gone into Stranger Things, fans should temper their expectations on the show having its ultimate resolution in the near future. Though a potentially optimistic sign for the speed of this writing process is The Duffer Brothers also revealing that the overall planning for the final season is slightly ahead of schedule than if it was to be just written cold turkey beginning at the start of August.

    We had all the scripts before we started shooting, so we could look at the whole thing as a whole. And we outlined all of five. So it really is four and five or like of a piece, and this was due to the six-month hiatus that we had due to the pandemic. So we don’t typically have as much time. It usually feels like the train is going down the tracks and Ross and I and our writers are just throwing down track as we’re going, once we’re halfway through the season. And for the first time ever, we were able to look at it globally, not just Season Four, but Season Five as well.

    The Duffer Brothers

    It certainly will be interesting to see how Stranger Things wraps up with the attention of the watching world around it. Essentially all that’s known at this point is that there will be some sort of time jump between the ending of the fourth season and the beginning of the fifth. This is very likely a wise decision with the young cast rapidly aging out of the high school-age characters they’re portraying, and will especially be the case with it still being a ways away from actually entering production.

    Stranger Things 4 is now available to watch in completion on Netflix after the release of its second volume of episodes on July 1st. You can find our own review of this final batch of episodes here. 

    Source: Collider

  • Disney+ Changes ‘Jessica Jones’ Title

    Disney+ Changes ‘Jessica Jones’ Title

    In a move only Krysten Ritter‘s private investigator could get to the bottom of, Disney has seemingly changed the title of Jessica Jones on Disney+. The series, which was created by Netflix and initially ran for three seasons from 2015 to 2019, was only recently added to the Disney+ library. All of the “Defenders Saga,” as it’s now being called, was brought home to join the rest of Marvel’s live-action lineup after the streaming rights were lost by the series’ original owner. Now, several weeks later, Disney is making a few alterations.

    As of today, Jessica Jones is being shown on Disney+ as A.K.A. Jessica Jones. The title is only present within the actual episodes themselves, and the show is still referred to by its original name on the service’s home screen. Interestingly, A.K.A. Jessica Jones was the name being used for the project when it was still in development at ABC, a nod to the source material’s Alias naming convention without copying the Jennifer Garner series of the same title.

    The curious move comes just after Disney used its social media to promote the show and its brother projects, using the caption “it’s all connected” and causing a stir that Marvel Studios may have plans to bring the Netflix characters back sooner than later. Charlie Cox‘s Matt Murdock has already made his grand reentrance to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and this suspicious platform activity could be an indicator Ritter‘s Jones is soon to follow. This is pure speculation, but perhaps the name change is to align the show with an incoming reboot rebranding to further disconnect the series from its time on Netflix. It could also mean nothing. Only time will truly tell.

    Source: The Direct

  • EXCLUSIVE: Aramis Knight on the Future of Red Dagger

    EXCLUSIVE: Aramis Knight on the Future of Red Dagger

    Aramis Knight’s Kareem stepped immediately into action in Episode 4 of Ms. Marvel and, for much of the episode, didn’t get a chance to slow down. The formidable Pakistani hero played a large role in Kamala’s trip to Pakistan, both in the books and in the series, but with the nearly non-stop action in the episode, the audience didn’t really come to know much about Kareem. In an exclusive interview, Knight talks about what he’d like explore about the character in the future and his budding relationship with Ms. Marvel.

    I would love to see Kareem’s training regimen. I just think that’d be super interesting. He comes in as a hero who is powerless so to be able to keep up with these people who do have powers he has to train every single day of his life and I think seeing parts of that-seeing things that he does to become the superhero that he is-I think that would be super interesting. I would also love for people to meet Kareem’s family.

    Aramis Knight

    Marvel Studios has certainly shown a willingness to go beyond the source material in developing the characters in their shared cinematic universe. They’ve already taken a step in that direction with Kareem by making him part of an order of Red Daggers, so it wouldn’t be surprising if they continued to do so if the character returns for another season. Though Kareem played a pretty major role in his time in the comics, he’s only had a few appearances so there’s room for the Ms. Marvel creative team to work. And according to Knight, he hopes that part of that work is taking on a mentor role with Kamala.

    Even more than that, I become a great ally for Kamala and, in a way, I become somewhat of a mentor in that she’s a newfound superhero to someone who’s kind of worked his whole life with this organization so there’s a lot for her to learn from him. And I think I do take on that mentor role a bit, although there’s also the banter, you know, the bit of flirtation, it kind of all plays into it, I think.

    Aramis Knight

    Fans are certainly hoping for a second season of the hit streaming series and given the path Kareem’s character follows in the comics, there is certainly room for him to return to help Kamala and complicate things a little for her as well.

    The first four episodes of Ms. Marvel are now streaming on Disney Plus with Episode 5 debuting Wednesday, July 6th.

  • ‘Avatar’ 4 and 5 Might Not be Directed by James Cameron

    ‘Avatar’ 4 and 5 Might Not be Directed by James Cameron

    The Avatar franchise is preparing to go full force in terms of expanding its presence on the cinematic landscape. Following more than a decade since the 2009 release of the original film, director James Cameron is bringing his vision back to the big screen with Avatar: The Way of Water releasing in December of this year. The sequel will be followed by another, untitled sequel scheduled for 2024. This is all part of Cameron’s lofty vision of creating a multi-film saga set in the same universe. 

    Though the team behind the franchise is hopeful for being able to produce the conclusion of this saga in the near future with fourth and fifth films being produced together, it may not be James Cameron helming these two installments. When speaking with Empire about the imminent release of Avatar: The Way of Water, the renowned director discussed the possibility that he might pass the reigns to another filmmaker for the next two-film chapter.

    The Avatar films themselves are kind of all-consuming. I’ve got some other things I’m developing as well that are exciting. I think eventually over time – I don’t know if that’s after three or after four – I’ll want to pass the baton to a director that I trust to take over, so I can go do some other stuff that I’m also interested in. Or maybe not. I don’t know.

    James Cameron

    This feels like a surprising revelation based on how passionately James Cameron has spoken about and worked in the world of Avatar. Especially with it being the hypothetical end of the franchise, it’s hard to not see Cameron be the one to direct this conclusion. Even if he does step away from the director’s chair, Cameron would remain greatly passionate for what these films mean to him and would very likely still have large amounts of control over this world.

    Everything I need to say about family, about sustainability, about climate, about the natural world, the themes that are important to me in real life and in my cinematic life, I can say on this canvas. I got more excited as I went along. Movie four is a corker. It’s a motherfucker. I actually hope I get to make it. But it depends on market forces. Three is in the can so it’s coming out regardless. I really hope that we get to make four and five because it’s one big story, ultimately.

    James Cameron

    Avatar: The Way of Water stars Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Kate Winslet, and Sigourney Weaver. The film is slated to open exclusively in theaters on December 16, 2022.

    Source: Empire Online 

  • ‘Love and Thunder’s Chris Hemsworth on the Qualities of Thor He Finds Most Relatable

    ‘Love and Thunder’s Chris Hemsworth on the Qualities of Thor He Finds Most Relatable

    Taika Waititi certainly took Thor in a very different direction from Thor: Ragnarok. While some weren’t too pleased with the more comedic direction, it does seem like it reinvigorated the cast and crew to continue telling the story of the God of Thunder. Thor: God of Thunder will even be the first time that one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe franchises gets the fourth entry.

    Chris Hemsworth got a chance to share why he continues to return to the role during the official press conference for the MCU sequel and what he finds so relatable to this new version of Thor.

    Yeah, no, definitely, especially since Taika got involved.  He brought out the immature, young, adolescent quality that I embody.  And so does Thor now, which he didn’t in the original films, which was exciting and new and fresh. And that’s, you know, always the sort of North Star is about having fun, you know. 

    Chris Hemsworth

    He goes on to highlight how they developed this project and started embracing what these characters all inherently should represent: fun.

    Embodying this space as a child would and enjoying all of it and being caught up in the wonder and the fascination of all of it. And not getting bogged down in the serious sort of nature that we can when making films, you know. Personally, with these kind of films, it’s got to be fun, and that’s what we’ve done.  That’s what I’ve related to. That’s what Taika’s kind of insisted upon, and it’s been fun.

    Chris Hemsworth

    He has stated that he ran out of energy with the character at a point. If it weren’t for Taika Waititi, we may have not seen Hemsworth in the MCU for as long as we did. And it seemingly also led to Hemsworth finding the part of himself that built a better connection with the character moving forward as he may still have some energy left to continue his journey through the franchise.

  • ‘Andor’ Creator Explains Series’ Unique Timeline Structure

    ‘Andor’ Creator Explains Series’ Unique Timeline Structure

    The next big live-action series from Lucasfilm’s Star Wars universe is Andor, the Rogue One prequel starring Diego Luna as Rebel spy Cassian Andor. An origin story of sorts, the show will span five years of the titular character’s life, finally giving viewers a look into Andor’s adventures with the growing Rebellion and leading directly into his final days stealing the Death Star plans. However, with Andor already confirmed to last just two seasons, many fans have found themselves wondering how those five years will be broken up and explored in so few episodes.

    Speaking with Empire Magazine, series creator Tony Gilroy explained that the first season, due in August, will focus solely on the first of those five years, while the second batch of episodes will cover the next four in blocks:

    The scale of the show is so huge. Directors work in blocks of three episodes, so we did four blocks [in Season 1] of three episodes each. We looked and said, ‘Wow, it’d be really interesting if we come back, and we use each block to represent a year. We’ll move a year closer with each block.’ From a narrative point of view, it’s really exciting to be able to work on something where you do a Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and then jump a year.

    Tony Gilroy

    So, to translate, that means Andor Season 2 will consist of 12 episodes, with each set of three taking place in a different year. It’s a unique storytelling tactic that should help to keep audiences on their toes and diversify the content of the season in really exciting ways. Early rumors for the project had indicated it would last a full five seasons, with each telling the tale of a year in Andor’s life. This may not have turned out to be true, but the reality of the situation will hopefully make for a more streamlined experience all around.

    Andor debuts on Disney+ on August 31st.

    Source: Empire

  • Video Shows Tom Hiddleston, Owen Wilson Reuniting on Set for ‘Loki’ Season 2

    Video Shows Tom Hiddleston, Owen Wilson Reuniting on Set for ‘Loki’ Season 2

    Photos from the set of the second season of Loki seemed to indicate a movie theater would play a key role in scenes currently being filmed in London. Now, a behind-the-scenes set video has leaked out that confirms the importance of the theater and shows the series’ dynamic duo back together.

    Tom Hiddleston and Owen Wilson are filming a scene together at the theater and given the black suit and tie and fanfare seen in other set videos, it seems that Loki and Mobius are attending a movie premiere. The two came formed quite a bond in Season 1, but as the season ended and Loki made his way back to TVA headquarters, it was heartbreakingly revealed that the Mobius from an apparently new timeline had no knowledge of who Loki was or of the other Mobius’ friendship. Having to start over again leaves all kinds of room for interesting stories to develop and it looks like while the two are working together here, Loki’s hands may actually be restrained. We’ll have to wait for a better look to determine exactly what’s happening, but it’s great to see the two stars back together!