Murphy's Multiverse

Category: News

  • ‘Multiverse of Madness’, ‘Love and Thunder’ Top Fandango’s Most Anticipated List

    ‘Multiverse of Madness’, ‘Love and Thunder’ Top Fandango’s Most Anticipated List

    While Summer isn’t exactly just around the corner, the Summer movie season is and 2022 is shaping up to be quite the season. The long-awaited sequel to 1986’s Top Gun, another Jurassic Park film and the Buzz Lightyear origin story you didn’t know you needed are among the choices audiences will have this Summer, but according to a poll by Fandango, it’s a pair of Marvel Studios’ films that have audiences most excited.

    Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (May 6th) and Thor: Love and Thunder (July 8th) were the top two choices in a poll that was voted on by over 6,000 moviegoers. Jurassic Park: Dominion and Top Gun: Maverick were right behind, followed by two animated films in Pixar’s Lightyear and Dreamworks’ Minions: The Rise of Gru. Elvis, Jordan Peele’s Nope, Bullet Train and Downton Abbey: A New Era rounded out the top 10, all of which should be incredibly successful at the box office.

    Even in a Summer where Tom Cruise’s return as Maverick is in the cards, it’s not surprising to see two Marvel Studios’ projects top the list. The Doctor Strange sequel’s perceived connection to the story of the wildly successful Spider-Man: No Way Home has driven advance ticket sales; meanwhile, the mystery surrounding the fourth Thor film hasn’t taken away interest. Even as critics continue to pump out think pieces about superhero fatigue, superhero films still top the list for audiences.

  • How ‘Lightyear’ Became a Time Travel Story

    How ‘Lightyear’ Became a Time Travel Story

    It’s hard to imagine how an in-universe movie in the Toy Story world would work, let alone one that is centered on time travel. But that’s how Lightyear, the film that inspired the toy that Andy would one day buy, posits itself.

    Pixar was kind enough to showcase to Murphy’s Multiverse the first 30-minutes of the film which unveiled the film’s core time travel mechanic. Described as time dilation by director Angus MacLane, the concept sees Buzz Lightyear undertake a recurring mission that brings him several years into the future unaged while his headquarters gets older and older.

    MacLane explained to the press that the decision to make it a time travel story had to do with their experiences working on individual Pixar movies for years on end while the world around them changes.

    So, we have a story where Buzz would be traveling rapidly through time because of his job.  And because of that, it would separate him from society and his loved ones. This felt like a natural fit for Buzz.  The hero lots of times is a well-worn story for the science fiction genre.  The idea felt like fertile ground for both our own personal experiences and the core-defining character trait of Buzz Lightyear.  So Buzz is a fish out of water story.  It’s like Rip Van Winkle trapped in a future he doesn’t recognize, desperately trying to get back to the past to correct the mistake of his youth.  A hero out of his own time.

    Having seen the 30-minute footage, it’s awe-inspiring to see the makers of Lightyear take a huge swing for an iconic character even if the time dilation concept quickly skips past a lot of potentially good character work. It’ll be interesting to see how the concept affects the larger scope of the narrative.

  • Disney+ Netherlands May Hint at a June Release for Daredevil & Co. in Europe

    Disney+ Netherlands May Hint at a June Release for Daredevil & Co. in Europe

    Only a few weeks after the Marvel Netflix series left their original service, they found. new home on Disney+. Yet, international viewers sadly missed out as some select markets didn’t receive the update. Some believed that it could be due to the Star branding becoming the go-to for most of Marvel’s more mature offerings like Logan or Deadpool. So, we’ve been anxiously awaiting any news on when we might expect these series. Luckily, it seems that a new e-mail from Disney+ Netherlands, as shared by Twitter user @heli5m, hints that the Netflix series are getting a June 29th release after all.

    https://twitter.com/heli5m/status/1517138529301590016

    When we first learned about the Disney+ series getting added to the service in the US, it came through an e-mail provided by Canadian subscribers. It’s unsure why exactly there’s such a delayed release for specific markets, as they also have access to the Star branding. There’s a chance that some song licenses had to be renewed for those markets, or there were some aspects of the international markets that made the complete transfer of the rights a bit more complicated.

    We can’t fully take this as a confirmation, but it is our first hint at a release within those markets that has been sorely lacking. When the first news dropped for the US release, there was radio silence on their expansion, especially with something that seemed like an easy thing to release worldwide. Still, we might get an official trailer or announcement in the near future to confirm.

    Source: Twitter

  • RUMOR: Laura Donnelly May Be Playing Elsa Bloodstone in the Untitled ‘Werewolf by Night’ Halloween Special

    RUMOR: Laura Donnelly May Be Playing Elsa Bloodstone in the Untitled ‘Werewolf by Night’ Halloween Special

    It’s still weird to think that Marvel Studios has already started work on their Werewolf by Night Halloween special but still hasn’t officially announced the project in any capacity. The Disney+ special will see composer Michael Giacchino take on directing duties for the project. It has gone silent since, as Marvel Studios tries to keep as much a secret as possible. Yet, a new rumor seems to hint that actress Laura Donnelly, famous for her work on The Nevers, has joined the project in a role that comic fans will be happy to hear about.

    It was in January when we learned that she joined Gael Garcia Bernal in the series, who will play Jack Russell or the famous Werewolf by Night. At the time, she was believed to be Russel’s niece Nina Price who was a vampire and werewolf hybrid. Now, Cosmic Circus is reporting that she may be playing a different character altogether. According to them, she’ll play the famous monster huntress Elsa Bloodstone, a popular character fans have been hoping to see join the Marvel Cinematic Universe at some point.

    It does beg the question of which one of the two rumored characters she might end up playing. We have to keep in mind that the Halloween special currently has no official title and Werewolf by Night was simply attributed due to the lack of one and it focuses on Russel. So, we might get a better picture once they do officially announce as the project is currently still eyeing a release this Halloween. Bloodstone does make a good choice as we start to explore the darker, Universal Monster-inspired side of the universe and it’ll be interesting to see if the special is also there to set up the seeds for the Midnight Sons moving foward.

    Source: Cosmic Circus

  • New ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ Merch May Confirm Mighty Thor’s Comic-Accurate Origin

    New ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ Merch May Confirm Mighty Thor’s Comic-Accurate Origin

    When it was first announced that Natalie Portman would take on the role of Mighty Thor in the Thor: Love and Thunder, it not only had many cheering but also raised some questions. Given the heavy subject matter of her storyline in the comics, it did raise the question if the Marvel Cinematic Universe would also explore her battle with cancer. It seems that a new piece of merchandise may have given us the answer to that very question.

    The Mighty Thor’s Helmet (Thor: Love and Thunder) Replica | Marvel Movie Museum

    Eagle Moss shared a replica of Mighty Thor’s helmet. While the collector’s item already stands out on its own, what caught our eye was the description included. Not only does it give us our first glimpse into her storyline and how Mjolnir is restored, but also confirms that Jane Foster is suffering from cancer in the upcoming film. The description is as follows:

    Suffering from cancer, astrophysicist and Thor’s ex-girlfriend, Jane Foster, visited New Asgard and her life was changed forever. Mysteriously, the broken pieces of Mjolnir, the hammer of the thunder god, transformed her into the Mighty Thor and gifted her the superpowers of Thor, to battle threats internal and external. Wielding Mjolnir herself, she had become a godly protector and a new hero was born!

    So, it seems they are following the comic storyline quite closely. It does make you wonder how they’ll tackle it and how it may intertwine with Thor’s story of trying to retire from superhero-ing. Perhaps their paths cross and we uncover just what may have affected the growth inside her. Given that the Aether used her as its host, they may tie that storyline back to Thor: The Dark World and Thor takes a certain responsibility for what happened to her. Perhaps the next trailer offers a few more teases of how that plot line will come together, or even if they tease who is behind the mask.

    Source: EagleMoss

  • ‘Madame Web’ Film Scheduled For 2023

    ‘Madame Web’ Film Scheduled For 2023

    Morbius is still biting his way through theaters, but Sony is already looking ahead. The studio has set an official release date for Madame Web, revealing the title character will make her live-action debut on July 7th, 2023. This puts the premiere of the movie, which reportedly takes place within Sony’s Universe of Marvel Characters, a solid seven months after that of its predecessor, J.C. Chandor‘s Kraven the Hunter. It also puts the project in competition with several other highly anticipated summer blockbusters, like Mission: Impossible 7 and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, which release later that same month.

    Madame Web will adapt the story of Spider-Man’s one-time comic book spiritual guide. Although it has not been confirmed which version of the character will headline the plot, it has been reported that Sony is looking to make Madame Web their world’s version of Doctor Strange. S.J. Clarkson, known for her work on television shows like Dexter and House, will direct a script from frequent Sony collaborators Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless. Up-and-coming actress Sydney Sweeney recently boarded the film to star alongside Dakota Johnson. It is not known who either of the thespians are portraying, but it’s likely the studio would want such popular talents as leading faces of their franchise.

    The move to give Madame Web a release date comes at the same time Sony revealed it would be delaying it’s sequel to Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. With so many upcoming projects based on their most iconic intellectual property, it’s at least nice to have a good idea when they will all arrive in theaters.

    Source: Twitter

  • Sony Delays Release of ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,’ Sets Date For Sequel

    Sony Delays Release of ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,’ Sets Date For Sequel

    It would seem fans are going to have to wait a while longer for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. It’s being reported by Jeff Sneider that Sony has delayed the release of the highly anticipated sequel by around eight months. Originally set to debut on October 7th of this year, Across the Spider-Verse (Part One) will now hit theaters on June 2nd, 2023. On the bright side, the third installment in the popular animated franchise, which will presumably be titled Across the Spider-Verse (Part Two), now has an official release date. That adventure will swing through the big screen almost a year later on Mar. 29th, 2024.

    The news is somewhat shocking, considering that the production of the next Spider-Verse film seemed to be chugging along at full speed. No reason was given for the delay, but it could be anything from strategic marketing timing to the animators simply needing a little more time. Either way, the push back is probably a good thing, giving animators more time to work on the movie as needed. Across the Spider-Verse (Part One) will see Shameik Moore, Hailee Steinfeld, and Jake Johnson return to their roles as multiversal Spider-People, only this time they’ll be joined by Oscar Isaac as Spider-Man 2099 and Issa Rae as Jessica Drew’s Spider-Woman.

    Not much is known about the plot, but the project’s first teaser revealed audiences would see Moore‘s Miles Morales dueling with Isaac‘s Miguel O’Hara. Unfortunately, the true reason for this won’t be known until the summer of 2023.

    Source: Twitter

  • Don’t Expect Johnny Depp to Ever Return to ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’

    Don’t Expect Johnny Depp to Ever Return to ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’

    Johnny Depp is currently on a trial with Amber Heard due o the allegations made against the actor years ago. It dragged down his image and led to him losing quite a few roles, which included getting replaced in the Fantastic Beasts: Secrets of Dumbledore and even a sixth Pirates of the Caribbean film. At one point, it was rumored that Margot Robbie joined the franchise but we haven’t gotten an update on that in quite some time. He states that the film hasn’t been produced and is in “dangle mode” since he was dropped from the project by Disney.

    He went on to highlight that even though they’ve distanced themselves from the actor, it never stopped the company from using the character he played in their various merchandise and rides. In last year’s E3 event we even got the reveal of Jack Sparrow and elements from Pirates of the Carribbean being added to the popular pirate game Sea of Thieves, which he certainly had no say in considering he brought the character to life.

    They didn’t remove my character from the rides. They didn’t stop selling dolls of Captain Jack Sparrow. They didn’t stop selling anything. They just didn’t want there to be something trailing behind me that they’d find.

    Johnny Depp

    It definitely left some deep scars, especially with the general effect these allegations have had on his career. When asked if he’d return to work on a new entry if Disney offered him “$300 million and a million alpacas” he’d still refused to return to the franchise. It’s a harsh statement but an understandable one given the way how the events unfold. For now, if Disney decides to move forward with the franchise, they won’t be able to rely on Jack Sparrow to keep the boat afloat.

    Source: Variety

  • Marvel Studios’ ‘Echo’ Seemingly Starting Production Tomorrow

    Marvel Studios’ ‘Echo’ Seemingly Starting Production Tomorrow

    There have been quite a few hints that Echo is going to start production soon. We learned some time ago that they would start production under the working title “Grasshopper” and their location scouts were quite busy back in March. Earlier this month, it was seemingly confirmed that Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio would join the project. Last year, it was hinted that the series would start production in January but it looks like they are already preparing to start production tomorrow.

    Echo actress Alaqua Cox took to her Instagram account to share a story. In it, she reveals that she received some flowers as a celebration ahead of their production start. It’s uncertain if we’ll get any photos from the set as a way to celebrate the start, but while she doesn’t mention what project exactly, it’s safe to assume that it’s Marvel Studios’ next Disney+ series.

    It’s great to see the project pick up steam finally, and it seems we can expect it to release in 2023 if it starts production now. To this day, it’s still really impressive to think that Hawkeye, which introduced viewers to the character and her connection to Vincent D’Onofrio‘s Kingpin, was her first role ever. Now, she’s left such an impressive performance that she’s getting her own spinoff moving forward. So, we’ll see what direction they’ll take, especially with the freedom they have with a character like Echo.

    Source: Instagram

  • Duffer Brothers on Potential ‘Stranger Things’ Spinoffs After Season 5

    Duffer Brothers on Potential ‘Stranger Things’ Spinoffs After Season 5

    Stranger Things is set to end with its upcoming fifth season. It’s been quite the ride and while we still have some time before the final episodes arrive, we still know an end is on the horizon. They split up the fourth season into two parts but knowing that the series will soon end feels like the end of an era. For the actors that joined the project, it’ll be the end of a big part of their childhood of bringing these lovable characters to life. So, it’s not been an easy task for Duffer Brothers to decide when to let go.

    In an interview with SFX, they talk about how ending it with Season 5 still feels “a little early” but they still felt like it was “the right move.” Yet, it seems that they may already be thinking about the future, as they do hint that they have some kind of plan but nothing concrete enough that Netflix isn’t even aware of where the journey will go moving forward.

    We haven’t told anyone our plans! Not even Netflix! We have some ideas. In terms of if we were to do any sort of a spin-off, or any continuation of Stranger Things, for us the bar was always, ‘Is the idea exciting enough that we feel the pull of wanting to do it again?’ I want to feel the pull of, ‘God, I really want to do this. I feel really, really excited about this.’ So that’s why we’re being careful about what that is and whether we move forward with it or not.

    Matt Duffer

    As we still have some time until the fifth season releases, we might see their visions become clearer as we near its release. So, we’ll see what they may have planned for us moving forward and if the finale may even give us a clearer look at where Stranger Things will move after its wrapped up the series that started in 2016.

    Source: SFX