Murphy's Multiverse

Category: News

  • Tom Holland Wants Spider-Man to Fight Morbius Next

    Tom Holland Wants Spider-Man to Fight Morbius Next

    There is absolutely no shortage of villains in the next big Spider-Man film. No Way Home will see the famed web-slinger take on the likes of Doctor Octopus, Green Goblin, Electro, Lizard, and Sandman, but it’s a bad guy we won’t see that star Tom Holland wants to face off against next. In a recent interview with Fandango, the British heartthrob reveals it’s Jared Leto‘s Morbius, the Living Vampire, that he wants Spider-Man to battle on the next film. Holland cites the terrifying nature of Leto‘s character as part of his attraction to the potential future battle. Check out his full explanation in the following tweet posted to Fandango’s feed:

    Holland must enjoy a good fright, considering it’s also the reason he lists Willem Dafoe‘s Goblin as one of his favorite antagonists to film with thus far. Although Morbius is a natural fit for Blade’s rogue’s gallery, the character actually originates from the pages of Spider-Man. Morbius has been a recurring foe for the wall-crawling hero over the past several decades and was famously featured in a large role on Spider-Man: The Animated Series. 

    Fans will get their first live-action glimpse of the Living Vampire’s full power when Morbius drops in theaters on Jan. 28, 2022. The Daniel Espinosa film follows the story of Leto‘s Dr. Michael Morbius, a talented medical professional who gains vampire-like abilities after a dangerous attempt at curing his own rare blood disease.

    Spider-Man: Far From Home hits theaters later this month.

    Source: Twitter

  • Lucasfilm Eyeing Amandla Stenberg to Lead Disney+’s ‘The Acolyte’

    Lucasfilm Eyeing Amandla Stenberg to Lead Disney+’s ‘The Acolyte’

    We’ve been hearing quite a bit more from Star Wars‘ upcoming Disney+ series, especially their The Mandalorian spinoff, Ahsoka. Well, it looks like a bit more has been happening with their other project, The Acolyte. We know very little about this upcoming project outside of the fact it is eyeing an early 2022 production start. There have been a few rumors surrounding the project led by Leslye Headland. Luckily, The Illuminerdi might have gotten their hands on something interesting.

    According to them, Lucasfilm has already set its eyes on its potential leading star. For a while, they’ve been focused on hiring a woman of color in their late teens. It seems that they might have decided that The Hunger Games‘ Amandla Stenberg would be perfect for the role. Stenberg, who identifies as non-binary, has gone on to star in The Hate U Give, Where Hands Touch, and they recently appeared in Dear Evan Hansen.

    UPDATE: Variety has confirmed Stenberg is in talks to star in The Acolyte. Per the outlet, details regarding their role are not known.

    Source: Illuminerdi

  • REVIEW: ‘Cowboy Bebop’ 1×09 “Blue Crow Waltz”

    REVIEW: ‘Cowboy Bebop’ 1×09 “Blue Crow Waltz”

    What is it with Western shows and their pre-season finale flashback episodes? It’s a funny trend that continues in Cowboy Bebop. Yet, in a way, the timing is perfect as Spike’s fight with LeFou knocked him out land Vicious unleashed his wrath. So, once again we move away from the trio that is supposedly at the forefront of the series and explore Spike’s time as Fearless and what lead to his new identity. Is it worth the detour, or are we just treading water until the show comes to an end?

    COWBOY BEBOP Recap: (S01E09) Blue Crow Waltz

    John Cho carries the show once again, but Alex Hassell does continue to have some fun with the role this time around. It feels like we get more of the unhinged version at times that we were given a glimpse of during the last episode. It does add a lot of weight to this interpretation of Vicious, who is described as mostly unhinged and childish. It’s definitely the character we’ve seen in the past episodes, but it does seem like a more cliché approach given how little he changes across the season’s runtime.

    Julia also gets more character development, as we find out how exactly she met our two Syndicate members. I’ll be honest, the romance feels a bit rushed here, especially when you consider how strong it was in “Binary Two-Step.” Elena Satine gives a good performance but having to know how she became a singer didn’t seem like a necessary addition to this story. Her introduction through the song may have been more efficient as it adds a layer of mystique to her that is gone, especially given what happens in the finale.

    Do Julia and Spike End Up Together in Cowboy Bebop?

    The strength of the episode, however, lies in Fearless’ storyline. We finally find out what the references for what he blames himself for were all about. It’s a strong moment that punctuates a well-done action sequence, but it adds one point of confusion. He has his affair with Julia, who Vicious is dating at the time, but also goes out of his way to save his “best friend.” While I get why he wants to leave the Syndicate and it’s a rushed action out of love, it still seems like the build-up to that moment was a bit, lacking. That’s kind of the drawback of telling this entire story in an episode, just in time to highlight the eventual meeting of everyone involved in the finale.

    While a lot happens in this episode, it feels like there’s not that much to talk about. We mostly get some clarifications on some smaller elements that were built up, but it felt like it could’ve been also scattered through flashbacks by Spike. I liked the idea to use the new storytelling structure to build up the mystery of our protagonist’s time with the evil corporation, but it’s not the strongest landing. Most revelation or story elements were already hinted at, which makes most of the “bigger revelations” less impactful s they could’ve been. It’s a competently made episode with some strong moments but a bit forgettable overall. Here’s hoping the finale can continue where episode eight left us off on.

  • Spider-Man Was Going to Face Off Against Kraven in ‘No Way Home’ At One Point

    Spider-Man Was Going to Face Off Against Kraven in ‘No Way Home’ At One Point

    We’ve all been wondering what exactly happened to Spider-Man: No Way Home. Early on, it seemed like the film was heading in a very specific direction, but it seemingly took a different route at one point in development. Our very own Charles Murphy shared some tidbits he heard on the project, such as Joel Kinnaman being considered for a role that might’ve ended up being Kraven the Hunter. Suddenly, the multiverse opened up and we got a very different film and some doubt was cast on the original vision.

    Luckily, Tom Holland confirmed that the Kraven storyline was their original plan for No Way Home. While he doesn’t give away any exact information, in the hopes that they might revisit the concept in a sequel, it does feel like a relief to finally get a confirmation on what the vision was for this film. Yet, the interesting aspect was that this version was their Plan B, as “things weren’t working out” at the time. His full quote states that:

    For a long time, there was going to be a Kraven movie that was going to be the third movie because things weren’t working out and all sorts of different stuff. Jon pitched me this Kraven movie, which actually was really cool. I don’t want to talk about it in case that movie ends up happening down the line, but it was fun.

    Tom Holland

    There was even a time that the Spider-Slayers would’ve had a role of some kind in one version of the film’s draft. It’s not uncommon for things to change, and it seems that the many contractual goals they’ve set were able to come together to bring us the multiversal film we’re getting next week. So, we’ll see if he might still get a chance to face off against Kraven in a sequel, as Kraven’s Last Hunt would make for an amazing film.

    Source: Collider

  • EXCLUSIVE: Fra Fee on a Potential Romance Between Kazi and Maya

    EXCLUSIVE: Fra Fee on a Potential Romance Between Kazi and Maya

    Last week’s episode of Hawkeye gave us two new characters in the MCU; Maya Lopez and Kazi Kazimierczak. Both key players in this Christmas crime tale, the episode explores the two lieutenants’ relationship, dating back to their childhood days up until the present, where Kazi serves as Maya’s interpreter in the Tracksuit Mafia. The episode has left fans wondering about a potential romance between the two characters.

    We sat down with Kazi himself, Fra Fee, for a couple of minutes and asked about the character’s relationship with Maya Lopez.

    It’s interesting what we’ve actually seen so far: Kazi is acting as Maya’s interpreter but then there’s quite a bit of friction. But yes, you’re right. They are loyal to each other and have known each other for a long time. Whether that is something romantic or more in line with a brotherly and sisterly companionship is something I will allow you guys to watch yourselves. I know what I was thinking with what I wanted Kazi to feel but it would be unfair to reveal that [laughs].

    Should there be a romance between them, this week’s episode certainly puts that in jeopardy as Clint makes clear the pitfalls of Maya’s quest for vengeance. Now, with an actual Black Widow in the mix of things, things will only get harder for Maya and ergo, Kazi. The final two episodes will be an amazing watch as the show reaches its climax. Let’s hope Kazi finds a way to survive whatever ordeal awaits the characters at the end.

  • ‘X-Men ’97’: Original Rogue Actress Already Started Recording Episodes

    ‘X-Men ’97’: Original Rogue Actress Already Started Recording Episodes

    It would seem that production on Marvel Studios’ animated X-Men ’97 revival series is already well underway. Lenore Zann, the voice actress known for bringing Rogue to life in the original seasons of X-Men: The Animated Series, has revealed she’s already started work on her dialogue for the first three episodes of the new show. The news would indicate that X-Men ’97 is not only done being written but is already a good chunk of the way into the recording stage. It also double confirms that Zann will return to her iconic role, re-joining a cast that is mostly comprised of her fellow X-Men alumni, after earlier reports stated that most of the surviving Animated Series line-up would be back for more mutant mayhem.

    Outside of playing Rogue in numerous Marvel projects, Zann is best known for her vocal work on animated series like Rescue Heroes, Animal Mechanicals, and the short-lived Avengers: United They Stand. She has also spent time as a politician in her home country of Canada, serving as a Member of Parliament for the riding of Cumberland-Colchester in the House of Commons of Canada.

    X-Men ’97 does not currently have an official release date but is rumored to be dropping on Disney+ sometime in 2023. The series will pick up where X-Men: The Animated Series left off, just after team leader Charles Xavier leaves Earth with the Shi’Ar Empress Lilandra. It remains to be seen just how big a role Zann will play in the series, but it’s now safe to say she’ll be in at least the first three episodes.

    Source: Facebook

  • RUMOR: Corey Stoll to Become MODOK in ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’

    RUMOR: Corey Stoll to Become MODOK in ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’

    It was recently reported that the Marvel Studios’ third size-changing adventure, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, might feature classic Marvel villain M.O.D.O.K. as one of its major threats. Now, we may know who will play the big-headed menace on the big screen. Early reports indicated that Marvel was interested in comedy legend Jim Carrey for the role, but a new rumor suggests that former Yellowjacket actor Corey Stoll may make his grand return to the MCU as the character instead. If true, it would mean that fans would most likely be getting a very different interpretation of M.O.D.O.K. than they’re accustomed to seeing.

    Traditionally, M.O.D.O.K. is portrayed as an A.I.M. scientist named George Tarleton. Upon creating the Cosmic Cube, the head thinkers at A.I.M. use it to turn Tarleton into M.O.D.O.C., a Mental Organism Designed Only for Computing. However, a malevolent Tarleton quickly takes control of the organization and switches “Computing” to “Killing”. This version of the antagonist is the one seen in countless video games and animated series, including the recent M.O.D.O.K. show on Hulu where the character is voiced by Patton Oswalt.

    The last we saw of Stoll was at the end of 2015’s Ant-Man, where his character Darren Cross was being sucked into the Quantum Realm limb-by-limb. If the West Side Story actor is playing the same character, it’s very possible that this ugly process is part of what turns him into the oddly sized monstrosity that is M.O.D.O.K. Long-term exposure to the Quantum Realm could also have played a role in his descent to madness. The multiversal shenanigans of Marvel’s Phase 4 might make it possible Stoll is playing a variant of Cross from another timeline. After all, we were shown a giant Yellowjacket helmet in the timeless void of this year’s Loki series. Ultimately, the options for how the character is re-introduced into the MCU are endless, and we’ll have to wait and see how Quantumania plays out before we know anything for sure.

    Source: GWW

  • EXCLUSIVE: Tara Strong on Bringing Coral to Life on ‘Crossing Swords’

    EXCLUSIVE: Tara Strong on Bringing Coral to Life on ‘Crossing Swords’

    Perhaps one of the most notable voice actresses working in the industry today is Tara Strong, who is best known for her work as Raven, Harley Quinn, Batgirl, Ben 10, and even Bubbles from the Power Puff Girls. But with all of her roles, she’s rarely taken on one as raunchy as Coral, the ruthless pirate sister of our protagonist, Patrick the squire.

    Ahead of the release of Season 2, we recently spoke to Strong about her character’s return in the upcoming second season of Crossing Swords. One question we couldn’t help but ask Strong was how she brings the swashbuckling maiden, Coral, to life.

    Well, whenever you’re doing a different character its a completely different headspace, because you are coming at these characters from an actors perspective, so you have to put yourself in their bodies, in their universe. So, the process is pretty similar but the spaces are all unique to their world and certainly Coral is part of a world that is much more irreverent and adult then most of the other shows that I do. So, to get to be in a studio and swear and talk about highly sexualized experiences is unique to anything else that I’m doing right now, but its a lot of fun.

    Tara Strong

    Following up on that previous question, we asked if there were any previous roles from her ever-expanding roster of voicework that she pulled from to bring Coral to life. Unsurprisingly, Strong noted that each character is its own creation, so she tries to approach them as their own entities, rather than drawing on her previous work.

    That’s a good question, I don’t think so. I don’t know that its a past character. You know, whenever there’s a new audition or new character they’ll give the actor a drawing of the character, a small character description, sides from the show, and maybe a show bible to let you know who they’re talking to in the world that they exist in. Then I create that character based on the information I’m given and what I think production would most like that character to sound like, so she’s really her own entity that only exists in this world.

    Tara Strong

    Fans of both Strong and Crossing Swords can catch more of Coral when Season 2 hits Hulu this Friday.

  • First Look at Hulu’s ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ Sequel Series ‘Dragons: The Nine Realms’

    First Look at Hulu’s ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ Sequel Series ‘Dragons: The Nine Realms’

    Hulu and Peacock have been busy working on the next major project for DreamWorks Animation. The much-beloved How to Train Your Dragon series is getting a new sequel that’ll switch things up in an interesting way. No longer are we exploring the times of the Vikings, but will not set out 1,300 years into the future, when dragons are now nothing more than legends. The first trailer has dropped for the series alongside a synopsis of what we can expect from the newest entry titled Dreamworks Dragons: The Nine Realms.

    Set 1,300 years after the events of How To Train Your Dragon, dragons are now just a legend to the modern world. When a geological anomaly opens up an immense, miles-deep fissure in the Earth’s surface, scientists from all over the world gather at a new research facility to study the mysterious phenomenon. Soon a group of misfit kids, brought to the site by their parents, uncover the truth about dragons and where they’ve been hiding — a secret they must keep to themselves to protect what they’ve discovered.

    The concept of going into the future is a promising one, but it’s shame we won’t revisit some of our beloved characters. Yet, the trailer does hint at one of Toothless’ offspring still living in the modern age and will be joined by a new group of dragons that become friends with these kids. The series will continue the CG-animation style from the original and bring a new adventure to life later this month.

    The series will premiere December 23rd and includes Voltron: Legendary Defenders‘ Jeremy Shada, 10 Things I Hate About You‘s Julia Stiles, Marcus Scribner of Black-ish fame, Aimee Garcia from Lucifer, Fuller House‘s Ashley Liao, Lauren Tom from The Joy Luck Club, as well as The Good Place‘s D’arcy Carden, One Day at a Time’s Justina MachadO, and Keston John, who some might recognize from She-Ra and the Princesses of Power.

  • EXCLUSIVE: ‘Diary of a Wimpy Kid’ Author Details How the Disney + Adaptation Differs From the Book

    EXCLUSIVE: ‘Diary of a Wimpy Kid’ Author Details How the Disney + Adaptation Differs From the Book

    The animated film Diary of a Wimpy Kid debuted on Disney Plus last week and fans of the book have noticed it wasn’t exactly a beat-for-beat adaptation of the original novel, nor an animated remake of the 2007 film. According to author Jeff Kinney, who also wrote and served as an executive producer on the new, animated film, that was intentional. Kinney used the animated retelling as way to beef up the emotional impact of the story, as he explained to our Arlyn Murphy.

    We’re really trying to tell an emotional story. Like my first book is just a bunch of jokes, really, with a thin story and this is a more meaty story where you really come to care for Greg and Rowley.

    Creators are famously never satisfied with their works and often tweak and revise things endlessly. In Kinney’s case, this new film gave him a chance to slide a little bit of empathy into the film, something Murphy noted in her review. As Kinney told us, he hopes to adapt all of his Wimpy Kid series’ books into animated films for the streaming service (in fact, Rodrick Rules is already in the works and headed to D+ next year), so it’ll be fun to follow how he continues to tweak the stories of each of his works moving forward.