Murphy's Multiverse

Category: News

  • First Look at Mindy Kaling’s ‘Scooby-Doo’ Spinoff ‘Velma’

    First Look at Mindy Kaling’s ‘Scooby-Doo’ Spinoff ‘Velma’

    Many were surprised when Mindy Kaling was working on a Scooby-Doo spinoff that would mainly focus on the character of Velma Dinkley. It would act as a prequel series, but still include the usual mystery format that made the franchise so popular. During Warner Bros. Discovery’s TV Upfront event, creator Mindy Kaling came on stage and offered the first look at the series, which you can see here:

    https://twitter.com/Variety/status/1526950560716533762

    It certainly is going to offer something more mind-blowing than we may have anticipated, as the series has been known to focus on a more adult audience even if animated. Still, no one probably would’ve guessed to see someone with their head chopped open and their brain missing. So, we might expect quite a lot of violence and murder in this spinoff series.

    It’s unclear but the redhead could be Daphne Blake, as its uncertain if the rest of the Mystery Inc. gang will appear in the series in some capacity. Plus, they may also be reimagined such as Velma being South Asian in this series, which is a nice change of pace similar to how the Scoob! movie also being Hispanic, where she was voiced by Gina Rodriguez. The first look is promising and it’ll be interesting to see just what the series has to offer.

    Source: Twitter

  • Lucasfilm Has No Plans for Indiana Jones Films without Harrison Ford

    Lucasfilm Has No Plans for Indiana Jones Films without Harrison Ford

    With star actor Harrison Ford nearing the age of 80, questions could be asked about the future of the franchises he’s long been involved with. At least when it comes to Indiana Jones, it’s been confirmed that Lucasfilm doesn’t have the intention to recast the role. In an interview with Vanity Fair, Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy confirmed as much.

    We would never make Indiana Jones without Harrison Ford. Having just finished the fifth movie, I can tell you, there wasn’t a day I wasn’t on set where I wasn’t like, ‘Yes — this is Indiana Jones.’

    Kathleen Kennedy

    This is congruent with the sentiments of Kennedy to avoid recasting legacy characters in the Star Wars franchise as confirmed in the same interview. Many questions have been raised about the direction of the Indiana Jones franchise moving forward, especially with the long delays between the fourth and upcoming fifth installments. This news confirms the notion that we are probably nearing the end of seeing the titular character on the big screen; however, there certainly is room for new characters to be created that would fill the role as a spiritual successor down the road.

    Indiana Jones 5 is naturally set to star a returning Harrison Ford as Doctor Henry Jones, Jr. As well, the likes of Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Mads Mikkelsen, Toby Jones, and Antonio Banderas are set to join the franchise in undisclosed roles. The James Mangold-directed project wrapped production in February of 2022 and is currently scheduled to be released on June 30, 2023.

    Source: Vanity Fair

  • Warner Bros Discovery Reveals Why ‘The Wonder Twins’ Was Canceled

    Warner Bros Discovery Reveals Why ‘The Wonder Twins’ Was Canceled

    Just a few weeks ago, word began to spread via The Hashtag News that the Wonder Twins film had been scrapped just before it was set to begin filming. The project was quickly put together with Black Adam writer Adam Sztykiel set to direct the film with KJ Apa and Isabel May set to star as the titular twins, Zan and Jayna. While the cancelation was never officially confirmed, Warner Bros Discovery has officially announced by the studio, the project was confirmed as dead following the studio’s Upfront panel today.

    It has been confirmed that David Zaslav and the new leadership at Warner Bros. Discovery have already begun undoing some of the previous executive’s strategies, like their goal to produce multiple films a year solely for release on HBO Max. The previous plan was for a few of those films to be DC projects to continue to grow their brand and expand the DC Extended Universe.

    The company confirmed that The Wonder Twins met an early demise after David Zaslav deemed the $75 million-plus budget way too high for a film that would make a very limited return and just too high of a budget for a streaming film. Zaslav is instead interested in increasing the number of films that studio releases theatrically, reportedly aiming to release 20-25 movies a year, with the theatrical movies actually performing better on HBO Max following a theatrical run.

    Sadly, fans are gonna have to wait to see The Wonder Twins make their big-screen debut for now as they don’t seem to fit in the new leadership’s plans for the DCEU.

    Source: WSJ, That Hashtag News

  • ‘The Wheel of Time’ Wraps Production on Season 2

    ‘The Wheel of Time’ Wraps Production on Season 2

    It was announced today that production on the second season of The Wheel of Time has officially wrapped. The Amazon Prime original was renewed for this second season months before the first season had even been released. However, it ended up being a logical decision based on the generally positive response from audiences towards the fantasy series. As well, there is ample ground for the franchise to cover thanks to the 14-novel series written by Robert Jordan that the series is based upon.

    The first season of the show followed the tale of Moiraine Damodred (portrayed by Rosamund Pike) on her quest to find the Dragon Reborn, who is prophesied to either save the world from the evil that currently consumes it or be the harbinger of its destruction. In addition to Rosamund Pike, the series stars Daniel Henney, Zoë Robins, and Madeline Madden among others. Dónal Finn will be replacing Barney Harris in the role of Mat Cauthon in season two. As well, it was previously announced that Killing Eve’s Ayoola Smart would be joining the cast for the second season. Rafe Judkins serves as the showrunner and executive producer. 

    While it is not officially announced when the second season will air, the first season concluding production in May 2021 could lead to the assumption of a return to a November release for Wheel of Time Season 2.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘Deadpool 3’: New Image Teases “Update” and Ryan Reynolds Easter Eggs

    ‘Deadpool 3’: New Image Teases “Update” and Ryan Reynolds Easter Eggs

    Fans of one of Marvel’s most charismatic characters are eagerly awaiting the eventual return of Deadpool to the big screen. It has been four years since Deadpool 2 was released, and Deadpool 3 still has no release date. Disney’s acquisition of 21st Century Fox certainly changed the game for the franchise, but Ryan Reynold’s Deadpool is still set to make his highly-anticipated return in the Marvel Cinematic Universe this time around.

    So far, we know that Free Guy‘s Shawn Levy will direct the Deadpool threequel, and Deadpool’s original writers are returning to help pen the script. Little else is known about the film, but the official Deadpool Movie Twitter account recently teased a “Deadpool 3 update.” The image features actor Rob Delaney’s character Peter in a room full of Ryan Reynolds-related easter eggs. The post states: “We’ve nailed down brand integrations. Story, character, and script next!” See the full post below:

    The easter eggs certainly highlight Reynolds’ many business ventures. Peter is shown wearing a Mint Mobile jacket, a bottle of Aviation Gin is shown on the table, Maximum Effort, MNTN software, and a poster referencing the football club Wrexham AFC, which Reynolds co-owns. While there is not much to go on in terms of actual updates about Deadpool 3, it could potentially be a sign that more information is coming soon.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘She-Hulk’s Old Logo Design Lives on Through Her Law Agency

    ‘She-Hulk’s Old Logo Design Lives on Through Her Law Agency

    Here’s a cute surprise, but it looks like the last She-Hulk logo design that we saw is still present in the series. While they went for a more modern take on the classic logo, especially with the new “Attorney at Law” addition, it seems that they still had some use for the logo that was revealed during Disney+ day. If you look closely in the background during the trailer, you can spot that the agency she works for is still Goodman, Lieber, Kurtzberg & Holliway. While the name isn’t stated directly, you can clearly see the initials in the background with GLKH.

    It looks like they repurposed the old logo as the design for the law agency. While not world-breaking in the Easter egg department, it’s fun to see that this might’ve been the original inspiration for that design before they went with the current one. It definitely felt like they were taking cues from law firms and procedural law series as the inspiration, but decided to stick to the comic book design after all.

    Marvel Studios has had this interesting tendency to change their logo designs throughout their entire ad campaign. It’s been a bit jarring how many versions they go through with some projects, such as Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness receiving a new one only weeks before its release. Still, it does become a fun game of which one they might decide is the one that best represents their final project.

  • The Morning After Huddle: May 18, 2022

    The Morning After Huddle: May 18, 2022

    Welcome to another edition of The Morning After Huddle where we report on the “X’s”, the “O’s” and everything in between. The Cleveland Browns offseason has been filled more twists and turns than your favorite show’s season finale and it’s about to get more intense.

    Here is what you need to know:

    • Ed Werder reports the first direct meetings between the NFL’s investigative team and Browns QB DeShaun Watson began yesterday. The league will determine if he violated its Personal Conduct Policy and whether discipline could be handed down. The Browns, aware of this situation, configured Watson’s contract to be backloaded, with Watson only making just north of a $1M salary for 2022. (More details here)
    • According to Beyoncé, girls run the world and in the world of sports betting, women are definitely making some noise. According to Global Wireless Solutions, more than 4.6 million women joined sports betting apps in 2021. Diving deeper, a staggering 1.7M women joined FanDuel and an additional 900,00 women joined DraftKings.
    • Rounding out today’s news is your Key Signings Roundup: Former Bears RB Tarik Cohen has been attempting to make a comeback since 2020. Unfortunately, during his workouts yesterday, he suffered what appears to be a serious injury. (we will not share the video) Hours later, the injury was confirmed to be a torn achilles. We wish Tarik a speedy recovery!

    Thanks for jumping into the huddle with us today! Catch us tomorrow as we break down more news.

    ICYMI: Tuesday – May 17, 2022 Edition

  • First Look at MCU’s Wrecking Crew May Have Been Spotted in First ‘She-Hulk’ Trailer

    First Look at MCU’s Wrecking Crew May Have Been Spotted in First ‘She-Hulk’ Trailer

    There have been quite a few discussions last night as the first trailer dropped for She-Hulk. Many have focused on the CG work for Tatiana Maslany‘s transformation into She-Hulk but also the vibe it is seemingly going for, as it may give us the first Disney+ series that’s full-on comedy. A press release confirmed that we can expect Benedict Wong‘s return to the MCU right after Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, but there’s one aspect that may have gotten overlooked in all the chaos.

    Early in the trailer, we can see a group of people that are wielding crowbars. While they seem like an unassuming group of thugs but this may be our first look at the MCUs take on the Wrecking Crew. We’ve heard rumors back in July of 2021 that the group of Thor villains would appear in the series, and this might be our first look at them.

    It definitely is a different take on the team, as they aren’t wearing their over-the-top costumes from the comics, but them all wielding wrenches seems like the dead giveaway that it’s them. Of course, they may all get powers at a later point and this is just our first introduction to them. So, we’ll see if they’ll also embrace the concept from the comics and we get some magically enchanted crowbars. Either way, they may be a group of recurring villains throughout the show’s runtime and it’ll be interesting to see how they balance the comedy with their usual superhero action.

  • Kevin Feige Confirms ‘Loki’ is Marvel Studios’ Most-Watched Disney+ Series

    Kevin Feige Confirms ‘Loki’ is Marvel Studios’ Most-Watched Disney+ Series

    So far, we’ve been strongly dependent on external analysis to see just how successful the various Disney+ series have been. Yet, most have pointed to Loki potentially being their most-watched series so far, and luckily during Disney’s Upfront conference, Kevin Feige confirmed that this was indeed the case. The timing is also perfect as they are about to start production on the second season in a few weeks. So, expectations might be high for the continuation to build upon the momentum of the first.

    We’ve seen from SambaTV’s analysis that this was most likely the caste, but as it’s a third-party analysis it doesn’t work as a definite confirmation of where the viewer ratings lie. Plus, it’s unclear what exactly Disney+ is focused on when it comes to what makes a show successful, as the subscriber count is their main draw to further grow their income for the service. So, they may be looking at multiple factors at play, especially as their projects are a bit more sprayed out.

    Now, the question remains what might be the series to dethrone it moving forward. She-Hulk just dropped its trailer and has some positive buzz around it besides some concerns about the CG. Still, with quite a few interesting projects heading our way, you never know what project might draw in the most attention and potentially take Loki‘s throne as Marvel Studios’ most-watched Disney+ series.

    Source: Twitter

  • Benedict Wong Confirmed to Appear in ‘She-Hulk’

    Benedict Wong Confirmed to Appear in ‘She-Hulk’

    Here’s a rather big surprise, while all eyes are on the trailer for She-Hulk which included a few glimpses at the supporting cast and villains Tatiana Maslany‘s version of the character will face. Yet, there’s one little additional casting tucked away in the official casting list. It looks like fresh off of his appearance in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Benedict Wong will return once again to the MCU in the She-Hulk Disney+ series.

    The series will run for nine episodes similar to WandaVision. It’s a shorter runtime than initially expected, as comedies were rethought to have around ten episodes while drama’s focused on six. It seems that plan has shifted since the release of their first series, which had to shorten its episode count due to the pandemic. Considering the budget involved with a fully CG Hulk, She-Hulk, and Abomination, it might’ve ballooned quite a bit while VFX houses are also struggling to keep up.

    For now, the series looks like a lot of fun and has an Ally McBeal feeling going for it combined with some superhero action. There’s a lot we don’t know yet about the series and it’s unclear if it’ll have an overarching structure or go with a weekly case concept. For now, we can only wait and see as more information arrives and the next trailer gives us a better look at how they bring the character to life.