Murphy's Multiverse

Category: News

  • Angela Bassett Says ‘Black Panther’ Sequel Will Be Better Than The Original

    Angela Bassett Says ‘Black Panther’ Sequel Will Be Better Than The Original

    Black Panther: Wakanda Forever has seemed to have had far more hurdles in its pre-production and production processes over the past couple of years than its predecessor or even its fellow MCU films. Between the tragic passing of star Chadwick Boseman and lengthy delays, the Black Panther sequel has persevered.

    With some fans worried about the franchise’s future, Queen Ramonda actress Angela Bassett has declared that Wakanda Forever will be even better than Academy Award Best Picture nominee Black Panther, and she went on to praise director Ryan Coogler:

    It’s going to be amazing. It’s going to top [the first] one. Can I say that? Marvel, can I say that?…[Ryan Coogler] was such an example, such a leader, an amazing talent — we all know that. Big heart, great intellect, and we just hope to raise his standard. It will be amazing. Our director Ryan Coogler. Writer. Director. Perfect leader.

    Angela Bassett

    To give a film such high praise nearly 8 months out from its release is certainly a big statement, especially when the film is being compared to the incredibly successful Black Panther. Some may be skeptical of Bassett’s declaration, particularly given the fact that the MCU’s current Black Panther, T’Challa, will not be in the film. Wakanda Forever is expected to significantly expand the roles of Letita Wright’s Shuri and Winston Duke’s M’Baku among others, and introduce major new Marvel characters to the MCU such as Tenoch Huerta’s Namor and Domique Thorne’s Ironheart.

    The film is certainly set to be larger in scale than Black Panther considering the fact that it is introducing Namor and Atlantis and paving the way for so many future MCU stories. Fans will have to wait and see how Black Panther: Wakanda Forever stacks up to Black Panther when the film is released on November 11, 2022.

    Source: The Direct

  • Ethan Hawke Says ‘Moon Knight’ “Could Be the Origin Story of a Larger Thing”

    Ethan Hawke Says ‘Moon Knight’ “Could Be the Origin Story of a Larger Thing”

    Despite the fact that the next Marvel Studios project, Moon Knight, arrives soon, fans are already wondering if or when they will see the titular character in future Marvel Cinematic Universe stories. Star Oscar Isaac has already confirmed that the Disney+ series is in fact a limited series, suggesting that a second season isn’t likely.

    Even if Moon Knight ends its run after six episodes, that probably has little bearing on whether the vigilante will be a part of more stories in the MCU down the line. The character already has plenty of momentum to join the Avengers or be a part of a potential future Midnight Sons team. Now, actor Ethan Hawke, who plays Moon Knight villain Arthur Harrow, has indicated that the character of Moon Knight may very likely be a part of something “larger” in the future:

    The good news is that it’s possibly both. It lives and breathes on its own merits, it functions as a limited series – and if people are engaged and excited by it then it could be the origin story of a larger thing.

    Ethan Hawke

    Hawke’s phrasing is certainy interesting as he not only suggests that Moon Knight’s future in the MCU could hinge on audience engagement, but also clearly believes that the character’s future could lie in something larger. This could be somewhat disocuraging news for anyone hoping to see Moon Knight extend the character’s solo adventures, but fantastic news for all those excited to see Marc Spector team-up with other characters in exciting new ways in the MCU’s future.

    Moon Knight’s first episode will premeire on Disney+ on March 30.

    Source: The Direct

  • Oscar Isaac Says Marvel Originally Wasn’t Sure His Take on ‘Moon Knight’ Would Work

    Oscar Isaac Says Marvel Originally Wasn’t Sure His Take on ‘Moon Knight’ Would Work

    Ahead of Marvel Studios’ Moon Knight Disney+ series, star Oscar Isaac has been open about how the titular role was one of the biggest challenges of his career. The actor has also shared that he had a large amount of input and influence when it came to developing the character of Moon Knight for the series. He recently told RadioTimes.com:

    [W]hat was amazing about Kevin [Feige] and everyone at Marvel is that there was a lot of faith and a lot of trust in my opinions about it, and my feelings about it…So like talking to [director] Mohamed [Diab] about where we wanted the story to go, getting Ethan [Hawke] to be part of it. And already, it started to become a very personal story.

    Oscar Isaac

    After wrapping up the series, Isaac is glad he got involved with the project and is happy with the result. But the actor says it was a major risk, and it took him quite some time to agree to Moon Knight. He went on to say “it was all reservations”:

    It was months of smashing my head against a stone wall like, ‘Is this the right thing to do?’ I thought, ‘I shouldn’t do it. Maybe maybe…I had just kinda got out of the whole, you know, big machinery of Star Wars. And I was like, ‘I just really want to do character studies. And I don’t know’…That’s the risk, sometimes you have an idea of what you want to do. And then something comes to you. And I just kept thinking about it.

    Oscar Isaac

    Interestingly enough, Isaac explained that his own take on the main character of Steven Grant differed significantly from Marvel’s original script. Not only that, but Isaac believes that Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige felt like he was taking a risk on Isaac’s interpretation of the character:

    It wasn’t necessarily written that way at all. And so I thought, ‘OK, well, let me see what Kevin says about this.’ And so I had a meeting with Kevin, I said, ‘This is how I’d want to do it.’ And he said, ‘Yeah, OK, go for it. And it’s funny, because afterwards he told me they didn’t know what the hell I was doing. And they weren’t sure it was going to work at all. But you know, in the end I’m glad we did that, because everyone says it kind of makes the show.

    Oscar Isaac

    It is certainly interesting that Isaac noted that, for many, his portrayal of Steven Grant–which differs drastically from the comics–“makes the show.” Moon Knight’s and Isaac’s Grant seems to be a sort of awkward, British character, while the Grant from the comics is more of a classic millionaire playboy-type. The risk-taking on both Isaac’s and Marvel Studios’ sides definitely shows that the parties had faith in one another and thought working together would create something special. 

    Moon Knight’s first episode premieres on March 30 on Disney+.

    Source: RadioTimes.com

  • ‘Crazy Rich Asians 2’ Sets Amy Wang as New Writer

    ‘Crazy Rich Asians 2’ Sets Amy Wang as New Writer

    The sequel to 2018’s hit Crazy Rich Asians is moving ahead with a new writer.

    The news comes courtesy of Deadline with the outlet revealing Amy Wang will take over writing duties on the long-awaited sequel. Wang replaces Peter Chiarelli and Adele Lim, who were part of a controversial pay parity in 2019 when it was revealed Chiarelli was set to earn $800,000 to $1 million for the first two films, while Lim was only set to make $100,000. Lim ended up walking away from the planned sequels, with director Jon M. Chu fully supporting her decision. Wang will take sole writing credit on the Crazy Rich Asians sequel.

    Wang has served as the story editor for Netflix’s Brothers Sun, and she has also worked on the Netflix title From Scratch. She has also directed an episode of Starz’ Blindspotting, as well as 2019’s The Birch for Facebook. Wang is currently attached to write and direct a horror feature for Paramount.

    Crazy Rich Asians, based on the hit novel of the same name, raked in $238 million worldwide in 2018. Two sequels were announced shortly after its successful debut, however, they’ve been slow-moving. Crazy Rich Asians 2 does not yet have a release date.

    Source: Deadline.

  • Marisa Tomei Wants to Play Aunt May in the Multiverse

    Marisa Tomei Wants to Play Aunt May in the Multiverse

    Marvel fans might have thought they’d seen the last of Marisa Tomei‘s May Parker, but the acclaimed actress isn’t ready to hang in the towel just yet. During the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home, the character met her tragic end at the hands of Willem Dafoe‘s Green Goblin. Her death served as an integral turning point for Tom Holland‘s titular hero, and Aunt May isn’t known for having any super resurrection abilities, so a return in the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s main timeline is probably out of the question. Luckily for Tomei, other timelines are exactly the sort of thing the MCU will be focusing on going forward.

    While appearing on Jimmy Fallon‘s late night show, the former My Cousin Vinny star was asked about No Way Home‘s exciting multiverse elements. While she admitted to not fully understanding how Marvel’s many universes work, she did state that she would love to use them as an excuse to play May again:

    Yeah, I would love to come back and be a part of that. I want to be. There’s history there, too. May Parker hooks up with Ant-Man in one of the – well, I mean she’s a stand-alone character, of course. But there are more avenues to explore.

    Marisa Tomei

    While a quick search didn’t turn up any information on a version of Aunt May getting involved with Ant-Man, it did reveal an issue of Marvel’s What If…? from 1982 where May becomes Ant-Man. Perhaps Tomei could lend her voice to a future episode of What If…? on Disney+, or maybe she already has. Believe it or not, Spider-Man’s mother figure has quite a few alternate variations scattered across the multiverse. So, if not an adaptation of Ant-May, maybe we’ll see a live-action version of that time she became a Herald of Galactus? One can only hope.

    Source: The Tonight Show

  • ‘One Piece’ Twitter Teasing a Potential First Look at Netflix’s Live-Action Series for Next Week

    ‘One Piece’ Twitter Teasing a Potential First Look at Netflix’s Live-Action Series for Next Week

    The live-action adaptation of One Piece has started production some time ago after a long wait, but we’ve only gotten our real first look at the production through some leaked set photos. While we did get a first look at the Marines, the main cast has been hidden quite well so far. Many have been hoping to see what the cast would look like in their costumes, especially with how they’d tackle bringing their designs to live-action. Perhaps the latest tease by the official One Piece Twitter account may hint at some reveal heading our way.

    It first started off with a cryptic tweet stating “confidential” and the date of March 28th. While it didn’t say anything else on it, most speculated it might connect to the recent reveal from chapter 1043, as Luffy seemingly awakened his fruit to a new form. Speculation went wild on what exactly it might be, such as a potential figurine on Luffy’s new design or maybe something connected to it, as the date would match with the usual reveal.

    That all changed when a second tweet dropped. Not only did it confirm we are probably getting daily updates, as it is advertised as the second of six tweets, but also what it’s about. If you look closely, we have a picture of a real straw hat alongside what seems to be a part of some kind. Eagle-eyed fans were quick to point out that the location shot is definitely from South Africa, where the series is currently filming.

    While we may only get brief glimpses as the rest of these tweets release, it seems like we might get our first look at the series or maybe even the cast in their costumes by March 28th. The timing seems fitting, as 2022 marks the 25th anniversary of the series, and it would make sense to build up the production with a first look at the cast. It may also be the first “selling point” for many doubting the project and how faithful it might be to the original series. It’s unclear what exactly they might reveal, and it could also just be the first look at Iñaki Godoy‘s Luffy. Whatever it may end up being, it’s going to be fun to speculate as the week goes on.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘The Batman’ Crosses $300 Million Domestically

    ‘The Batman’ Crosses $300 Million Domestically

    The Batman is continuing to dominate the box office.

    The Caped Crusader managed to take the top spot for the third weekend in a row, bringing in an additional $36 million this weekend. This helped to push the film past $300 million stateside. More impressively, though, the film only saw a 45% percent dip over the weekend, which, of course, was helped by there being no other major releases to serve as competition.

    Along with hitting $300 million domestically, the film is nearing the $600 million mark at the global box office. The Batman took in $49.1 million from international marks, which includes $12.1 million from China. The Batman should successfully cross $600 million worldwide by Monday.

    The Batman is in theaters now.

    Source: THR.

  • First ‘Kraven The Hunter’ Set Footage Teases Car Chase

    First ‘Kraven The Hunter’ Set Footage Teases Car Chase

    Sony continues to expand their universe of Marvel characters without Spider-Man with upcoming projects like Morbius, Madame Web, and Kraven The Hunter. Morbius is finally hitting theaters soon, while Madame Web is still casting, but it looks like Kraven The Hunter is officially in production as some footage from the set has made its way online.

    Twitter account KravenSource has shared footage from the set in London where production is underway. From the footage, it looks like Kraven is hanging off the side of the vehicle and attempting to break into it while also barefoot.

    That is not actually Aaron Taylor-Johnson, who will be playing the titular character, but a stunt double. It’s likely that the second unit has begun to film the stuff that does not directly require the cast of the film to be present.

    It looks like production will be picking up again on March 26th through March 29th at the London Wall. Due to a listing in production weekly, we know that Kraven is filming under the working title of “Spiral.”

    The film is presumed to follow the origin of the famous Spider-Man villain, Kraven the Hunter, a famous big game hunter and explorer who has found himself at odds with the webhead multiple times, most famously in the storyline Kraven’s Last Hunt.

    Kraven The Hunter is currently set to hit theaters on January 13th, 2023 with director J.C. Chandor at the helm. The film is set to star Johnson alongside Ariana DeBose, Russel Crowe, Fred Hechinger, Christopher Abbot, and Alessandro Nivola.

    SOURCE: Twitter

  • ‘Morbius’ Director Teases the Film’s Spider-Man

    ‘Morbius’ Director Teases the Film’s Spider-Man

    Spider-Man has had a presence in the marketing for Morbius since the first trailer dropped. The film, which takes place in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe alongside Venom and it’s sequel, clearly features a poster of the web-slinger with the word “murderer” thrown on top of it. What’s less clear, however, is which Spider-Man actually exists in the same timeline as Dr. Michael Morbius and Eddie Brock. Images we’ve seen thus far appear to be of Tobey Maguire’s original wall-crawler, but other universal elements also hint towards this world’s Peter Parker being the MCU’s Tom Holland or even cult favorite Andrew Garfield.


    In a recent interview with CinemaBlend, Morbius director Daniel Espinosa was finally asked outright whether there’s a Spidey active in the background of his film, and if so, which one it could be. His response is a bit of a tease, but an interesting tease at that:

    Of course! I mean, in almost all Spider-Verse or, you know… the Marvel string theory, if you would call it that. It’s very related to, if you remember, the alternative Seinfelds. You have a world where you have the same characters, and it’s ALL of the characters, but they are slightly different. So in almost all verses, you have Spider-Man, or a Fantastic Four, or a Tony Stark, or a Morbius. But they will be different in tone. That’s not quite the way that the Marvel Cinematic Universe (is) approaching the idea, but they’re remaining to some core truth.

    Daniel Espinosa

    The director continued his explanation to include a specific piece of lore from Marvel comics:

    Then you have the second kind of legend, which is about the totem. Which is that, in all universes, there is a spider totem. Which means that in all universes, there has to be a Spider-Man. Or a Spider-Woman.

    Daniel Espinosa

    It would seem Espinosa has done his research, and while he didn’t really clear up which hero we might see in Morbius, he did leave the door wide open for anything. Morbius finally hits theaters, and answers questions, on April 1st.

    Source: CinemaBlend

  • ‘Reservation Dogs’ Director Sydney Freeland Confirms Involvement in Marvel Studios ‘Echo’

    ‘Reservation Dogs’ Director Sydney Freeland Confirms Involvement in Marvel Studios ‘Echo’

    In December, we connected the dots and speculated that Reservation Dogs director Sydney Freeland might be attached to direct Marvel Studios streaming series Echo. It seems now that there’s no doubt that Freeland is attached to the show as she has spread the word of a casting search via her Instagram account.

    The post, which calls for background actors with a focus on Native American, First Nations and Indigenous Peoples, confirms that the streaming series is prepped and ready to begin production next month in and around Peachtree City, Georgia. With that start of production just a month away and no news on who will direct the series, Freeland remains THE top candidate, especially now that she’s confirmed her involvement. Marvel Studios has used multiple directors for some projects, so it’s not clear if Freeland will be the project’s only director.

    Echo will flesh out the story of Maya Lopez, who first appeared in the MCU in 2021’s Hawkeye. The series has been looking to fill nearly a half-dozen lead role with Native American talent, such as Graham Greene, who recently joined the project, and it’s expected to see Lopez spend some time in a small town while tangling with some mid-level thugs. The series has yet to be given a release date, but a mid-2023 debut seems likely.