Murphy's Multiverse

Category: News

  • ‘Halo’ Actor Pablo Schreiber Has Had Talks With Marvel, Including For Wolverine

    ‘Halo’ Actor Pablo Schreiber Has Had Talks With Marvel, Including For Wolverine

    In the age of competing intellectual properties and streaming services, the Microsoft video gaming brand Xbox is gearing up to bring one of its most iconic properties to live-action with Halo on Paramount+. American Gods actor Pablo Schreiber is set to star as Master Chief in the series. Like any leading role in an action project, Schreiber has been fancast in plenty of Marvel roles.

    Perhaps some good news for fans of the actor, apparently a Marvel role for Schreiber is not too far-fetched to dream about. During an interview with the Bingeworthy podcast, the Halo actor has has “a bunch of discussions” with Marvel over the years:

    Yeah. You know I’ve seen things pop up a lot. I’ve had a bunch of discussions with Marvel at different points in my career. We’ve never been able to find the right thing at the right time, but I’d certainly be open to that. But yeah it’s just staying open to the right path and I don’t know exactly what that is, but I’ll know it when I see it.

    Pablo Schreiber

    Schreiber, who is Canadian, even expressed interest in playing the MCU’s Wolverine. Notably, the actor mentions that he and Marvel “flirted” with the idea of that casting:

    Oh goodness yeah, well we flirted with that one for a while. That’d be fantastic, that would certainly be a dream casting. He’s actually my favorite hero, from a child he was always my favorite comic book. So I’ve had a long flirtation with that guy, so you know obviously that’d be a dream

    Pablo Schreiber

    Whether Schreiber is speaking about talks with Marvel for Wolverine purely in the past tense or not is not entirely clear, but it definitely notable that he speaks so highly of the potential role and implies he and Marvel have had somewhat of an ongoing relationship with Marvel throughout his career.

    While Wolverine is still very much viewed as Hugh Jackman’s character, X-Men characters are expected to make their way into the MCU now that Disney owns the film rights to the characters. Who exactly will take on the iconic role is unknown at this time, but Marvel clearly has been working on casting for some time. Schreiber will make his debut as Master Chief in Halo on March 24 on Paramount+.

    Source: Bingeworthy via The Direct

  • ‘Red Notice’s Rawson Marshall Thurber to Direct Live-Action ‘Voltron’ Movie

    ‘Red Notice’s Rawson Marshall Thurber to Direct Live-Action ‘Voltron’ Movie

    Voltron will make its way to live-action as a bidding war has sparked over who has the distribution rights to a new live-action feature. Red Notice director Rawson Marshall Thurber is set to tackle the project as multiple streamers are in talks to get their hands on the project. The series has picked up in popularity since the release of the animated series Voltron: Legendary Defender. Surprisingly though, Netflix is currently not in the running, which is surprising given they distributed the animated series and have been on a hot streak with Anime adaptations.

    It seems that around two weeks ago, the film was pitched with a teaser reel by Thurber. He also co-wrote the script with Ellen Shanman. Todd Lieberman and David Hoberman are currently attached to produce alongside World Events Productions’ Bob Koplan, who currently hold the rights to the property. If the current rumors are to be believed, it may find a home by the end of the week.

    The popular animated series started back in 1984 with a simple concept. What happens if multiple lion bots fused together to become a giant robot. It originally was created by Toi Animation and has gone through many different iterations throughout the years including Lion Force Voltron, Vehicle Team Voltron, Voltron Force, and many more.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • Nicolas Cage Denies a Potential Return as Ghost Rider in ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’

    Nicolas Cage Denies a Potential Return as Ghost Rider in ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’

    Marvel Studios’ upcoming sequel, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, is rumored to have just about every former Marvel actor making a cameo appearance. However, it sounds like fan-favorite star Nicolas Cage will not be among them. The eccentric performer famously portrayed Johnny Blaze, a stunt driver who makes a deal with the devil and transforms into the demonic Ghost Rider, through two films in the pre-MCU era. Ghost Rider and Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance were disliked by both audiences and critics upon release, but have grown a cult following since they dropped in 2007 and 2011, respectively.

    During a recent interview with the magazine GQ, Cage was asked if there were any plans for him to reprise the role for Marvel’s Doctor Strange follow-up. While expressing his desire to come back for another round alongside Benedict Cumberbatch, the actor did confirm that he won’t be in the film:

    Oh, I don’t think so. I don’t think they’re casting me. I mean, I would do it. It would be fun. I’d love to work with Cumberbatch, but I don’t think that’s happening.

    Nicolas Cage

    Multiverse of Madness is currently on the back end of filming reshoots. It seems likely that, should Marvel want Cage to appear, they would have already contacted him about it. The film will see most of its main cast return from the first installment, with new addition Xochitl Gomez playing the multiverse busting America Chavez. With a plot taking place across multiple universes, it’s possible that any character could make a surprise resurfacing. One name that’s been making the rounds is Patrick Stewart‘s Professor Charles Xavier, who has the potential to finally bridge the gap between the MCU and Fox’s long-running X-Men franchise.

    Fans can find out for sure when the next Doctor Strange lands in theaters on May 6th.

    Source: Variety

  • ‘Moon Knight’s Mohamed Diab Shares His Thoughts on ‘Wonder Woman 1984’s Portrayal of Egypt

    ‘Moon Knight’s Mohamed Diab Shares His Thoughts on ‘Wonder Woman 1984’s Portrayal of Egypt

    The Egyptian director Mohamed Diab has been quite vocal in his thoughts about how other productions have depicted his home country. While he’s about to make his Hollywood premiere with the Disney+ series Moon Knight, he has been openly discussing his thoughts on other projects during the press tour. He first shared his thoughts on Black Adam‘s and now has gone on to share his thoughts on the sequence in another DC project, Wonder Woman 1984. The director had the following to say on how his country is portrayed in the film:

    I remember seeing Wonder Woman 1984 and there was a big sequence in Egypt and it was a disgrace for us. You had a sheik – that doesn’t make any sense to us. Egypt looked like a country from the Middle Ages. It looked like the desert.

    Mohamed Diab

    When the film was released, there was already quite a stir regarding the racist depiction of Egypt. Not only did it seem to mostly focus on stereotypical takes on the people from that nation, but even went as far as to portray the 80s version of Egypt in a questionable way. It makes sense for the director to share that sentiment, which has sparked quite the controversy quite some time ago.

    Source: SFX via CBR, National News

  • Nicolas Cage Disagrees With Scorsese and Coppola’s Views on Marvel’s Success

    Nicolas Cage Disagrees With Scorsese and Coppola’s Views on Marvel’s Success

    Nicolas Cage is speaking out on Marvel’s behalf, even if he doesn’t really need to. The enigmatic actor was recently interviewed by GQ and took the time to voice his support for the recent upward trend of comic book adaptations. Superhero projects, and Marvel films especially, have been the subject of much debate over the last few years. Acclaimed director Martin Scorsese started a movement against the popularity of such movies in 2019 when he claimed the genre wasn’t “true cinema.” Since then, multiple other industry titans, such as Cage‘s uncle Francis Ford Coppola, have also come forward to state their opinion that the MCU is doing damage to the moviegoing experience.

    Cage openly disagrees, explaining to GQ when the topic was brought up that he doesn’t think the event-style films are responsible for killing audience interest in smaller productions:

    Yeah, why do they do that? I don’t understand the conflict. I don’t agree with them on that perception or opinion. I think that the movies that I make, like ‘Pig’ or ‘Joe,’ are not in any kind of conflict with Marvel movies. I mean, I don’t think the Marvel movie had anything to do with the end of the tweener. By tweener, I mean the $30 to $50 million budget movie. I think movies are in good shape. If you look at ‘Power of the Dog,’ or if you look at ‘Spencer,’ or any of Megan Ellison’s movies. I think that there’s still Paul Thomas Anderson.

    Nicolas Cage

    Cage is known for a variety of oddball roles throughout his career, which include comic book adaptations like the Ghost Rider films and an attempted Superman movie. He is also a known advocate for nerdy lifestyles, having lifted his stage name from Marvel character Luke Cage and naming his son, Kal-El, after the Man of Steel. In the middle of a bit of a comeback, it’s possible fans see Cage in another comic book project someday, especially with the positive things he has to say about Marvel Studios:

    Marvel has done a really excellent job of entertaining the whole family. They put a lot of thought into it. I mean, it’s definitely had a big progression from when I was doing the first two ‘Ghost Rider’ movies. Kevin Feige, or whoever is behind that machine, has found a masterful way of weaving the stories together and interconnecting all the characters. What could be wrong with wholesome entertainment that is appealing to the parents and the children, and gives people something to look forward to? I just, I don’t see what the issue is.

    Nicolas Cage

    Cage‘s next film, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, releases on April 22nd.

    Source: Variety

  • Nicolas Cage Hints That His Superman May Live After All in a Potential Cameo

    Nicolas Cage Hints That His Superman May Live After All in a Potential Cameo

    All the way back in 1997, Tim Burton almost ditched Gotham City to catch some sun over in Metropolis, as he’d begun development on a Superman film titled Superman Lives. The film would’ve featured Nicolas Cage in the titular role of the last son of Krypton but the project was eventually scrapped.

    During a recent segment on GQ’s Actually Me, the actor took some time to answer some burning questions from his fans. One, in particular, focused on Cage‘s role as Superman and asked if they could just make it happen now. The actor’s answer was a bit surprising, as he seemed to hint at a potential return to that role after all.

    “Would it matter how much time I appeared as the character? There might still be a chance.”

    Nicholas Cage

    If Cage was to hypothetically make a cameo as the Man of Steel in any upcoming project, The Flash would seem like the most likely outcome. The multiverse angle of the plot could see Flash traveling through many versions of Earth. One could just so happen to be the one Superman Lives would’ve taken place.

    Superman Lives would’ve been quite the movie as it was set to pit Kal-El up against the likes of Lex Luthor, Brainiac, and Doomsday with a script from Wesley Strick and Dan Gilroy. The project was eventually scrapped due to WB suffering many box office bombs and the film just didn’t make the cut. Maybe one day we could see the story told in some shape or form, or even Cage suiting up just one time.

    Source: Youtube, ScreenRant

  • First Look at Nicolas Cage as Dracula on ‘Renfield’ Set

    First Look at Nicolas Cage as Dracula on ‘Renfield’ Set

    Today is the day for set photo leaks, as right after a first look dropped for the live-action One Piece series, we now also got our first look at the upcoming Universal Monsters reimagination of Dracula titled Renfield. The story will focus on Dracula’s long-time assistant as he has a bit of a falling out with his former lord. Nicholas Cage was cast as Dracula, and People magazine got its hands on a first look at the film take on the iconic vampire.

    Image
    Image

    His design looks great, especially the whitened skin and you can clearly see he has some sharp nails. The red felt suit is a nice touch, as it feels like a modernized take of his outfit from Gary Oldman‘s taken the character. We know the series takes place in the modern-day, and it’s uncertain how big his role might be in the film. The blue lips are a fun addition to his design to highlight that he’s definitely a walking corpse.

    The casting of Nic Cage is still a perfect choice for a comedic take on classic vampire stories. He always brings energy to his projects that make him stand out no matter what. With the right director, he’ll definitely give a great performance, and the look is definitely promising a great role in Cage‘s future.

    Source: People

  • Latest Leaked ‘One Piece’ Set Photos Offer First Look at Garp’s Ship

    Latest Leaked ‘One Piece’ Set Photos Offer First Look at Garp’s Ship

    One Piece is the series that keeps on giving, as more set photos have leaked online. This time around, we get a good look at another new ship under construction. While only parts of the ship are finished, the figurehead is quite telling on what they are working on. While we only see half, you can clearly recognize the dog’s ears and nose. Plus, we also get the spiked collar as part of its design. The only part that is unsure if it makes it into live-action would be the bone the dog head is holding in its mouth. The images come courtesy of @OP_Netflix_Fan.

    The biggest aspect of this reveal is that it further solidifies that the cover stories from the East Blue, most notably the one involving Helmeppo and Coby, are going to be part of the upcoming series. The upcoming live-action adaptation of One Piece will likely take liberties with how it approaches the original story. They may try to connect some story points to the overarching narrative, as they will adapt it to Western storytelling in some regards.

    Garp’s casting did make some waves in the community, as he is a character that doesn’t have a real role in the East Blue Saga. Plus, he doesn’t become that relevant to the story of One Piece until the Post-Enies Lobby arc, where his identity and connection to Luffy are revealed. It’ll be interesting to see if they will hint at it, or be a bit more straightforward with his role in the story. The inclusion of his ship does hint that there are definitely are some plans.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘Moon Knight’ Head Writer On Series’ Violence And Pushing the PG-13 Rating to its Limit

    ‘Moon Knight’ Head Writer On Series’ Violence And Pushing the PG-13 Rating to its Limit

    Now only a week away, anticipation for Marvel Studios’ Moon Knight is at an all-time high. The series is expected to be a fairly unique installment of the MCU for several reasons. Notably, the series will take on mental illness with the titular character’s dissociate identity disorder, and Kevin Feige has suggested Moon Knight will be darker than the MCU at large.

    One particular aspect of the show that has been hinted at by Moon Knight’s creators has had fans on the edge of their seats for quite some time: violence. In some comic book iterations of the character, Moon Knight is abundantly brutal. Moon Knight head writer Jeremy Slater had some interesting things to say about the violence of the series at the red carpet premiere for Disney+’s MCU outing. Speaking to Variety, he stated:

    But I was like: ‘Let’s get as PG-13 as we possibly can, let’s give people some goosebumps, let’s have some violence in there that you may have never seen before in an MCU thing. And Marvel was so supportive of that. They were so cool about it.

    Jeremy Slater

    The fact that Moon Knight may have violence “never seen before in an MCU thing” is certainly an encouraging statement for those hoping the character refuses to pull punches. Still, the MCU has always been “PG-13”, and Slater also noted that the series is “appropriate for all ages“:

    I think it’s definitely appropriate for all ages, that was important to us. We didn’t wanna make something that was inaccessible to a big chunk of the MCU fan base. And we know that people watch these shows with their kids and with their families, and that’s important to people.

    Jeremy Slater

    It is a little confusing that Slater suggests that Moon Knight is appropriate for kids while also apparently bolstering violence that stands out in the MCU. It is not particularly surprising that Moon Knight would not be the first “R-rated” outing in the franchise, especially given the fact that Disney+ has only recently treaded into the water of trying to balance its family-friendly image while including some of its more mature properties on the streaming service.

    Fans can see just how violent Moon Knight is when the first episode premieres on March 30.

    Source: Variety via The Direct

  • ‘Supernatural’ Star Misha Collins Joins ‘Gotham Knights’ as Harvey Dent

    ‘Supernatural’ Star Misha Collins Joins ‘Gotham Knights’ as Harvey Dent

    It looks like one major CW star is staying in the network’s family. Misha Collins, best known for longtime role on Supernatural, is joining the upcoming DC pilot Gotham Knights as famed Batman character Harvey Dent. The series, written by the Batwoman creative team of Chad Fiveash, James Stoteraux and Natalie Abrams, will focus on the events in Gotham City following the tragic murder of Bruce Wayne. His rebellious son, played by Oscar Morgan, forms a team with the children of Batman’s iconic rogues gallery when they’re all framed for killing the Caped Crusader. Despite sharing creatives, the series will not take place in the Batwoman universe, and has no ties to the upcoming video game of the same name.

    Collins took to Twitter to comment on his casting. His joke caption is referring to his well-known role as the angel Castiel, who he portrayed on Supernatural for 12 of 15 seasons. He joins a cast that also includes the aforementioned Morgan, playing an original character named Turner Hayes, as well as Olivia Rose Keegan, Navia Robinson, Fallon Smythe and Tyler DiChiara. The actor is the first major Batman villain announcement for the series, as his character Dent famously becomes Two-Face during the vigilante’s career. It’s unknown if Collins‘ Dent will already be Two-Face when audiences meet him, but whenever it happens, he’ll join a stable of respected actors who’ve inhabited the role, including Billy Dee Williams, Tommy Lee Jones, and Aaron Eckhart.

    Gotham Knights does not currently have a release date.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter, Twitter