Murphy's Multiverse

Category: News

  • Anson Mount on Returning as Black Bolt in ‘Doctor Strange 2’

    Anson Mount on Returning as Black Bolt in ‘Doctor Strange 2’

    It must’ve been hard for many of the actors that appeared as part of the Illuminati in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness to stay silent. That especially goes for Anson Mount, who was able to return to the role of Black Bolt, which he only briefly got to play in the ill-received 2017 Inhumans series. Now that enough people are talking about the big moments in the film, Mount has taken to his Twitter account to share his enthusiasm for returning to the role, as well as confirm that it was Marvel Studios CEO Kevin Feige that invited him back to return to the role.

    It definitely was a great surprise and a deep cut for those that remembered the failed ABC series, which only ran for one season. Multiverse of Madness managed to not only bring him back to the role but even update his costume to be a lot closer to that from the comics. Yes, he even had his iconic fork on the mark, which Doctor Strange was quick to make fun of. He even went out in the most gruesome way, and it seems he had a lot of fun working with director Sam Raimi on bringing the character to life.

    We even got a comic-accurate version of his powers, which were given a very memorable visual flourish to stand out from the effect used on the ABC series. We’ll see if this brief appearance might also build up to more in the future, as not much is known about where the Inhumans fit within the MCU.

    Source: Twitter

  • New ‘Multiverse of Madness’ Concept Art Offers a Closer Look at Scarlet Witch Design

    New ‘Multiverse of Madness’ Concept Art Offers a Closer Look at Scarlet Witch Design

    There is no denying that Elizabeth Olsen‘s Scarlet Witch is one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s most powerful characters. Her recent turn to the side of chaos in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness cemented her as a terrifying force of nature in the eyes of many fans, and a new piece of concept art from visual developer Andy Park reflects this perfectly. The longtime Marvel Studios artist often uses social media to promote his previously unreleased artwork for the company’s shows and feature films, and it delivers every time. Most recently, Park has revealed a new look at Wanda Maximoff’s suit from the Doctor Strange sequel:

    The image displays Maximoff in all her scarlet glory, highlighting the immense amount of power she has gained from fully embracing the use of dark magic. Park comments that the intention of the new design was to stay true to WandaVision‘s grand finale outfit while also giving the character a “darker” spin overall. It would appear the artist was able to do just that, with the help of the film’s Visual Development Supervisor Ian Joyner and the rest of Marvel Studios’ talented concept team. Park started his career designing creatures and characters for the acclaimed God of War franchise, before moving over to Marvel in 2010. Since then, he has worked on a number of films including The Avengers, Captain America: Civil War, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, and Ant-Man and the Wasp.

    Source: Twitter

  • Samuel L. Jackson Teases Nick Fury’s Evolution in ‘Secret Invasion’

    Samuel L. Jackson Teases Nick Fury’s Evolution in ‘Secret Invasion’

    All eyes are on Ms. Marvel and She-Hulk as the next Marvel Studios releases on Disney+. Yet, they’ve also been really busy working on other shows such as the Samuel L. Jackson-led Secret Invasion. Nick Fury finds himself at odds with a Skrull invasion and it looks like the series will take the character to places that we haven’t seen from him yet.

    In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, he talked about learning new things about Fury, and also giving him the chance to “explore something other than the badass-ery” sounds like a promising direction for the series.

    There are things that even I really didn’t know about Nick Fury that I just found out, that the minds behind what happened during the Blip are fantastic. That’s part of what we’re uncovering when we do this series now. The place that Nick Fury is in, the evolution of his story, or the devolution of his story, as maybe we wind it down or maybe we crank it up. It’s kind of hard to tell. But, giving me an opportunity to explore something other than the badass-ery of who Nick Fury is. I’ve had a good time doing that, and I’m looking forward to people sharing that aspect of who he is when this series does happen.

    Samuel L. Jackson

    It definitely sounds like a promising direction for the series, as it was unclear if it’ll act as an ensemble piece or further develop Nick Fury, who has been the guiding light of the franchise since his first appearance back in 2008’s Iron Man. Jackson‘s excitement to continue playing the character also pushes him to be the currently longest member of the MCU and we’ll see just what is heading his way once we get a first look at the series trailer.

    Source: Twitter via The Direct

  • Kathleen Kennedy Discusses Star Wars Hiatus From Theatrical Releases

    Kathleen Kennedy Discusses Star Wars Hiatus From Theatrical Releases

    The Star Wars franchise is in the midst of its relaunch into cultural prominence with the upcoming release of Obi-Wan Kenobi on Disney Plus the next big step. In an interview with Vanity Fair, President of Lucasfilm Kathleen Kennedy discussed the turning point for how the company managed their franchise with a mass hiatus from films in 2019 after the release of The Rise of Skywalker.

    We all recognized, every single one of us, that this was a new chapter for the company and that we needed to all work together to create the architecture for where we were going.

    Kathleen Kennedy

    Before the hiatus, Star Wars was in an era of releasing annual big blockbuster films such as the sequel trilogy in addition to spin-off films Rogue One and Solo. While it was reaping Lucasfilm with some strong financial benefits at the box office, this time served as some of the most critically divisive for the franchise. Kennedy felt that a reset was in order to recalibrate the future of the franchise. In addition to creating a new architecture, a focus on committing to the franchise was firmly established.

    Anyone who comes into the Star Wars universe needs to know that it’s a three-, four-, five-year commitment. That’s what it takes. You can’t step in for a year and shoot something and then walk away…. It requires that kind of nurturing.

    Kathleen Kennedy

    This is certainly in reference to some of the issues pertaining to the sequel trilogy that lacked a singular direction throughout its run in flip-flopping the director chair between JJ Abrams and Rian Johnson. At least on a surface level, it appears Lucasfilm is prepared to learn from past mistakes when it comes to further establishing this universe. With the hiatus past them, it will be a story worth following whether or not this reset ended up being fruitful for the future of the Star Wars franchise.

    Source: Vanity Fair

  • Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni Had Heated Debates Over ‘The Mandalorian’s Grogu

    Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni Had Heated Debates Over ‘The Mandalorian’s Grogu

    The Mandalorian was the series to not only kick off Disney+ but also redefine Star Wars storytelling. With Jon Favreau at its head, the same man who kickstarted the Marvel Cinematic Universe, we’ve started to see a new expensive network of shows all based around this series, such as last year’s The Book of Boba Fett and Dave Filoni‘s upcoming Ahsoka.

    In an interview with Vanity Fair, Lucasfilm CEO Kathleen Kennedy talks about what it’s like working with him and how ended up developing The Mandalorian.

    I knew that Jon Favreau was always deeply interested in Star Wars. He was the first person I went to. He said, ‘Not only would I have an interest, I have an idea.’ What’s unique about Jon is his commitment. He’s had a sole focus pretty much on this for the last several years. That’s been a godsend.

    Kathleen Kennedy

    She reveals that after they met in her office in Santa Monica, Favreau already started working on the series. He ended up writing up around four episodes even though he didn’t even have a contract at the time. Interestingly enough, there were multiple conflicts when he started developing the series based on a Mandalorian. Not only was James Mangold originally developing a Boba Fett-centric film, but Dave Filoni also had plans for it.

    So, Kennedy had a simple way to remedy this issue, as while Mangold went on to tackle Indiana Jones 5, she simply had Filoni and Favreau sit down and talk about their visions. Once they started exchanging ideas, they started combining them into what would eventually become The Mandalorian.

    “They got along instantly, like gangbusters,” Kennedy revealed but there was one element they couldn’t fully decide on. It seems that Favreau’s idea of Grogu, who many dubbed Baby Yoda early on, was quite a ferocious discussion point between the two. Yet, she highlighted this as them trying to challenge each other to truly refine the concept and it led to us getting the series that became a staple of Disney+.

    Source: Vanity Fair

  • Marvel Studios Confirms ‘Echo’ Cast

    Marvel Studios Confirms ‘Echo’ Cast

    Production on Marvel Studios’ Echo is currently underway in Atlanta, and in order to announce the new, Marvel Studios has shared a brand-new image from production.

    Along with the image, the studio has announced a slew of cast members set to join Alaqua Cox’s Echo. As previously mentioned, the series will also star Devery Jacobs (ReservationDogs) and Graham Greene. Joining them will be Chaske Spencer (The Twilight Saga), Tantoo Cardinal (Wind River), Cody Lightning (Four Sheets to the Wind), and Zahn McClarnon (Reservation Dogs), who will undoubtedly reprise his role as Maya’s dad, Willie Lopez.

    Fans will surely note that both Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio are not listed as being a part of the cast. It is of note that the above cast more than likely only teases a fraction of the show’s cast. And let’s not forget, Marvel Studios never announced D’Onofrio or Cox would return for Hawkeye or Spider-Man: No Way Home, respectively, so it’s entirely possible the rumors of their returns are accurate.

    Echo, a spinoff series from Hawkeye, will see the character forced to face the consequences of her ruthless behavior in New York City. As she tries to face her past, the character will need to reconnect with her Native American roots and embrace the meaning of family and community if she plans on moving forward.

    Echo will premiere exclusively on Disney+ sometime in 2023.

  • Sydney Freeland and Catriona McKenzie to Direct ‘Echo’

    Sydney Freeland and Catriona McKenzie to Direct ‘Echo’

    As production has finally started on the Hawkeye spinoff Echo, we’ve finally gotten a first look and hint at what’s to expect from the upcoming Disney+ series. That is not all, as it also gave us a confirmation that Reservation Dogs‘ Sydney Freeland is indeed directing, which she technically indirectly confirmed back in March, and she’ll be joined by Catriona McKenzie.

    Now, a big part of the upcoming Disney+ series is about Alaqua Cox‘s Echo retracing her Native American roots. As such, a big part of the series is also dedicated to exploring the meaning of cultural heritage and one’s Indigenous roots. McKenzie is an Indigenous Australian director, who is Gunaikurnai. She’s worked on a variety of series such as How to Get Away With Murder, Supernatural, and The Walking Dead.

    Sydney Freeland is of Navajo descent and has worked on a variety of projects, which includes Rutherford Falls, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, and Fear the Walking Dead. She’s also one of the creative minds behind FX’s Reservation Dogs, which included all Indigenous writers and directors.

    It’s great to see the talent they are pulling in for this project, especially with the series making it an important push for the representation given its main character’s background. It’ll be interesting to see how it might tie to her upbringing under Wilson Fisk and how visiting her hometown might change her way of looking at her past and future.

  • Disney+ Plans to Release 3 ‘Star Wars’ Series a Year

    Disney+ Plans to Release 3 ‘Star Wars’ Series a Year

    Disney+ is continuing to expand at a rapid rate. While its subscriber numbers have slowed down, there are expectations it could pass Netflix within the next few years. As they grow, so is also their need to keep content pumping out at a considerable rate. In the new Star Wars special from Vanity Fair, they have unveiled that Disney+ is expecting “three separate Star Wars shows within a year.”

    It’s unclear if that includes releases that move into the new year, such as The Book of Boba Fett which is technically a December 2021 release but premiered its finale this year. With uncertainty surrounding The Bad Batch and The Mandalorian Season 3 releasing this year, it would still match their strategy if that spinoff series counts alongside Obi-Wan Kenobi in a few weeks and Andor later this summer.

    Of course, the statement that they demand three does not mean they are open to having more releases within a year. The question remains what else might release next year, as the only production confirmed for a 2023 release is Ahsoka. If The Mandalorian finds its way to Disney+ in that same year, it would mean that the animated series The Bad Batch also perfectly fits to match that demand.

    The Acolyte seems to still be in very early development and is likely not going to release until 2024. No definite release window has been stated, but it does seem like we shouldn’t expect it until then. For now, whatever project starts production soon is very likely going to be the next 2023 release, but we may find out more during the Star Wars Celebration.

    Source: Vanity Fair

  • First Look and Synopsis for ‘Hawkeye’ Spinoff ‘Echo’, Eyeing a 2023 Release

    First Look and Synopsis for ‘Hawkeye’ Spinoff ‘Echo’, Eyeing a 2023 Release

    Marvel Studios has been busy working on its various spinoff series to further explore the different corners of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. They’ve just recently started work on some of their next productions, such as the Hawkeye spinoff series focused on Alaqua Cox’s Echo. The deaf former gang leader has made peace with what happened to her father and the events that transpired at the hands of Clint Barton as Ronin, as she now visits her hometown. There, she must face her past and reconnect with her Native American roots, as she learns what it means to be part of a family and community once again.

    The Disney+ series is confirmed to release in 2023, but no exact time window has been given. With Secret Invasion already wrapping up work, it’s very likely it might take the summer spot going by what is currently in production. Yet, that also depends on when we might expect the next season of the animated What If…? series, which we’ve heard very little about in the past few months. We also got a first look from the series, giving us a look at Echo back at home, seemingly helping out.

    Image

    It’s definitely going to be interesting to see how they tackle this series, as it may be similar to Moon Knight, as it may exist in its own little pocket. The small town location is also a nice change of pace with most Marvel stories taking place in cities or across the world. So, getting to not only spend time with a smaller and more intimate cast of characters but also sticking to one location could benefit the story pacing, which has been some criticism put against the Marvel Studios productions.

  • Star Wars: The Evolution of the ’Obi-Wan’ Project

    Star Wars: The Evolution of the ’Obi-Wan’ Project

    When Disney acquired Lucasfilm in Oct. 2012 for $4 billion, it was clear the Mouse House had the intent to revamp the franchise. What no one could imagine at the time was how expansive the Star Wars universe would become… on the small screen.

    With The Force Awakens, Lucasfilm looked to kickstart a new story within the beloved franchise by bringing back some of the core cast members of the original trilogy. While the latest trilogy hasn’t necessarily been the rest-received, Lucasfilm has had better luck on the small screen thanks to The Mandalorian. Now, the studio is looking to explore characters we’ve come to know before whether it be through the films or animated series. One of those projects is the long-rumored Obi-Wan, which brings back both Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensenfrom the prequel films. As exciting as their returns to the franchise might be, the stars haven’t always had the best reaction to being a part of the Star Wars universe – and rightfully so.

    In a new interview with Vanity Fair, McGregor explains how the poor reception to 1999’s The Phantom Menace affected the cast and crew knowing there were still two more installments ahead. “It was hard because it was such a huge decision to do them, such a big event. It was quite difficult for all of us to deal with that, also knowing you’ve got a couple more to do.”

    For the actor, getting to put Star Wars behind him was exactly what he needed. Then in 2017, he was invited to introduce a film as part of a marathon of every Star Wars film. It was this that essentially reignited his love of the character, so when he was later asked if he would ever return to the role, McGregor’s answer was much different than before. The actor was willing to return, but it wasn’t until Kathleen Kennedy approached him to be sure he truly meant yes that things began to fall into place.

    At the time, the plan was to make Obi-Wan Kenobi a feature film which would’ve been directed by Stephen Daldry(Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close). McGregor was on board to not only star in and produce the project, but after the project morphed into a television series for Disney+, Daldry exited the project which then brought Deborah Chow on board. It was important that the series considered whether or not it wanted to bring back characters from the prequels, which eventually resulted in Chow sitting down with Christensen about reprising his role as Anakin Skywalker. Much like McGregor, Christensen hadn’t had the best experience with the prequels, but Chow assured the actor that the series would “would add a new dimension that could ultimately reframe the way fans look at their classic duel in the original movie.”

    For Christensen, part of the appeal was getting to explore a new layer to his character. “I was originally hired to play a very specific portion of this person’s life. Most of my work was with Anakin. And now I get to come back and explore the character of Darth Vader.”

    Fans will get to see the two characters battle it out once again when Obi-Wan premieres later this month on Disney+.

    Source: Vanity Fair