Murphy's Multiverse

Category: News

  • Zooey Deschanel Almost Played the Wasp in 2012’s ‘Avengers’

    Zooey Deschanel Almost Played the Wasp in 2012’s ‘Avengers’

    It’s always fun to take a look back at what could’ve been. Many films go through a variety of scripts before they settle on the one that makes it into cinemas. It looks like Avengers almost was a completely different story, as the new book The Story of Marvel Studios: The Making of the Marvel Cinematic Universe confirmed that Joss Whedon‘s Avengers film was originally going to center on the Wasp. Not just that, they were eyeing New Girl‘s Zooey Deschanel for the role, as highlighted by producer Jeremy Latcham.

    It was all about The Wasp. He wanted to cast Zooey Deschanel. [Wasp] was the funniest character in the whole movie, and well-written.

    Jeremy Latcham

    They go into detail about how the production ended up including Wasp in a major role. It seems after Iron Man 2, no one knew if Scarlett Johansson would return and so they needed to fill the role that was originally meant for Black Widow. Whedon decided to add in Wasp. A quote by Whedon highlights that once Johansson was back on board, they had to rewrite the entire script, especially as they realized the Wasp character took over the story.

    The Wasp happened because there was a short period where it looked like we weren’t going to be able to get Scarlett [due to scheduling conflicts], so I was panicking. I thought, ‘Hold on, we could do The Wasp.’ Then I fell in love with that. But we did get Scarlett, and then I realized I had written this entire movie about The Wasp. Oops. I overcompensated there.

    Joss Whedon

    It’s certainly a little peek behind the curtains and exploring what could’ve been. Deschanel would match a more bubbly version of Janet van Dyne, which some may be familiar with from the animated Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes series. Of course, the character took quite a different route as Evangeline Lilly‘s Hope van Dyne would take on the iconic mantle. They turned the title into a legacy story, as she took over the role from her mother, who was cast as Michelle Pfeiffer in Ant-Man and the Wasp. Still, it’s crazy to imagine if Johansson didn’t find time, the MCU we are now experiencing might’ve been quite a bit different. Perhaps the adventure into the multiverse opens up the possibility for her to tackle the role after all.

    Source: The Story of Marvel Studios via ComicBook

  • REPORT: ‘She-Hulk’ Will Set Up a ‘World War Hulk’ Movie, Eyeing 2022 Production Start

    REPORT: ‘She-Hulk’ Will Set Up a ‘World War Hulk’ Movie, Eyeing 2022 Production Start

    We’ve long wondered if Hulk would ever get his solo project. Especially with the announcement of She-Hulk’s Disney+ series, it seemed like the Green Goliath was going to continue his run as a supporting character. Yet, it seems that the time has finally come for Hulk to take the spotlight, as Geeks World Wide has shared that Mark Ruffalo is set to return in his feature film inspired by the World War Hulk storyline. It looks like it’s also been planned for some time as it’s eyeing a late 2022 production start. There is also the hint that this is the first of many potential Hulk films.

    The aspect of this that truly stands out is that it confirms Disney and Marvel Studios have regained the rights to Hulk. As GWW points out, for a long time it seemed that the rights were in the hands of Universal. Yet, the moment we heard that Namor would potentially appear in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, it opened the floodgates. The character was also famously owned by the competition, but still no word on any Hulk project. This report might be our first hint that they truly regained all the rights.

    If this is indeed the next project, it opens up the question of how She-Hulk may set up this story. Of course, the story might be quite a bit different from what we are used to from the comics. Plus, it makes you wonder if She-Hulk has a role in this story. There’s a lot of potential in their take on the story.

    Source: Geeks World Wide

  • Warner Bros. TV Strikes Back at Ruby Rose’s ‘Batwoman’ Claims

    Warner Bros. TV Strikes Back at Ruby Rose’s ‘Batwoman’ Claims

    Just earlier today, actress Ruby Rose publicly talked about her experience on the set of Batwoman. She even went as far as to call out specific names that affected her experience and led to leaving the project. It looks like Warner Bros. TV has not wasted any time and is hitting back at the actress to publicly discuss complaints and workplace behavior concerns as the reason her work on the series was discontinued before the second season started production.

    Despite the revisionist history that Ruby Rose is now sharing online aimed at the producers, the cast and crew, the network, and the Studio, the truth is that Warner Bros. Television had decided not to exercise its option to engage Ruby for season two of Batwoman based on multiple complaints about workplace behavior that were extensively reviewed and handled privately out of respect for all concerned

    It’s certailny a PR statement to cover their base given the allegations made by Ruby Rose. They don’t go into specifics and highlight they aimed to keep it private, but are now publicly confirming it. There’s a likelihood that the actress might also make another statement in the near future, but it’s uncertain if this might lead to any legal ramifications.

    Source: Deadline

  • Ruby Rose Opens Up on Why She Left CW’s ‘Batwoman’

    Ruby Rose Opens Up on Why She Left CW’s ‘Batwoman’

    Batwoman surprised many when Ruby Rose left the project after one season. She played the show’s main protagonist Kate Kane, who would take on the mantle of Batwoman after Bruce Wayne suddenly vanished from Gotham. Suddenly, the second season announced that she’d exit the project with Javicia Leslie taking over. Her character even made a return later on but got recast with Wallis Day taking on the role. Rose has been quiet for quite some time in her absence but that came to an end. She took to Instagram to share he displeasure with working on the project and especially calling out showrunner Caroline Dries in the process.

    I’m going to tell the whole world what really happened on that set. I will come for you so what happened to me never happens to another person again. And so I can finally take back my life and the truth. Shame on you.

    Ruby Rose

    It seems that one of Warner Bros. TV’s former head Peter Roth forced her to return to production even after sustaining her injury. In her statement, she highlights that she was blackmailed, as her not returning to set would get the whole crew and cast fired. Seemingly, she was even investigated by a PI hired by Roth after leaving the production. It’s one of the reasons she goes on to talk about the fact that she isn’t happy with people hoping she returns to the project, as she refuses to do so.

    I wouldn’t return for any amount of money nor if a gun were to my head. NOR DID I QUIT. I DID NOT QUIT. They ruined Kate Kane and they destroyed Batwoman, not me. I followed orders, and if I wanted to stay I was going to have to sign my rights away. Any threats, any bullying tactics, or blackmail will not make me stand down.

    Ruby Rose

    Deadline highlights that Rose was also facing allegations for her behavior by the studio which ended up with them parting ways. The public statement of leaving the show being her decision is a common PR practice within the industry. It’s certainly not a good look for the series and Warner Bros. We’ll see if something comes of this in the near future.

    Source: Instagram via Deadline, ComicBook.com

  • DC FanDome Tripled Its 2020 Viewer Count

    DC FanDome Tripled Its 2020 Viewer Count

    DC once again held its fan event DC FanDome. Unlike last year, however, they took a different route by shortening the event and not providing a full-on schedule for multiple different events. Luckily, it seems that it worked out for the streaming event as Deadline is reporting they managed to triple their viewership numbers from last year. It was available in 220 countries in 12 languages. There were 50 available live streams across Social Media, as people clocked in. WarnerMedia Studios and Networks CEO Ann Sarnoff shared their excitement for the digital event’s success with the following statement:

    With triple the fan traffic of last year, DC FanDome 2021 exceeded all of our expectations. We continue to innovate across the company in service of our fans, and I cannot overstate the creativity and hard work that went into this highly curated, global digital event. We gave fans what they wanted – the very best of all things DC – and their engagement and response have been fantastic. We’re as excited as they are to deliver on all the great content DC FanDome highlighted.

    Ann Sarnoff

    As of now, the event pulled in 66M viewers worldwide. It’s also a testament to DC’s decision to downsize the event in their favor. Instead of investing in countless panels with hosts, special guests, video editing, and so much more, they kept it to a few hours to push out reveals at a steady rate. Given its success, there’s a good chance we’ll get another release next year as they continue to expand the DCEU moving forward.

    Source: Deadline

  • ‘Marvel’s Avengers’ Adds Comic-Inspired Capwolf Skin for Halloween

    ‘Marvel’s Avengers’ Adds Comic-Inspired Capwolf Skin for Halloween

    Here’s a fun surprise. Crystal Dynamic’s work on Marvel’s Avengers has been continuing throughout the year as they work on the game’s core system. There has been a lack of content or updates from the developer, but they did continue pushing out new skins. Most of their focus was on bringing the Marvel Cinematic Universe designs into the game. Many have hoped for more comic-inspired skins and that wish just came true with a little Halloween twist. The official Twitter account has shared a new skin inspired by Steve Rogers’s transformation into Capworlf back in 1992.

    This news is great as it means we’ll get more comic-skins that are also treated like the Marvel Cinematic Universe-skins were. Plus, it opens the floodgates to more seasonal content like holiday-inspired skins like Thor wearing a Santa outfit. As it’ll get added to the marketplace, it’ll be at a cost. The game does offer its challenge cards as a way to earn enough in-game to purchase them but there’s a ceiling to it. We’ll see if there’s an opportunity to earn credits in the game with other manners in the future.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘Agent of SHIELD’s VFX Supervisor Passed on ‘Ghost Rider’ Due to Hulu’s Budget Constraints

    ‘Agent of SHIELD’s VFX Supervisor Passed on ‘Ghost Rider’ Due to Hulu’s Budget Constraints

    Agent of SHIELD‘s Ghost Rider project was quite the mystery project. It was the first successful attempt for the series to expand its universe. It already seemed like a miracle that they pulled off the effects in a broadcast network like ABC. So, an entire show featuring the Spirit of Vengeance would be quite costly.

    It seems sadly that very fact played a role in why Agents of SHIELD‘s VFX supervisor Mark Kolpack also didn’t join the production. In an interview with ComicBook.com’s Adam Barnhardt, he revealed that he opted not to continue his work on the character’s design that he brought to life in SHIELD’s fourth season due to budget constraints set by Hulu.

    I had to pass on it because I couldn’t get into a situation, as I told them, where I’m struggling with the budget to try to do the creative and we’re trying to pare the creative down. And it was really unfortunate because Gabe wanted me to do it. I wanted to do it. I wanted to direct some. All this stuff. But I felt I couldn’t do my best with not as large a budget. So I had to regretfully decline and that was sad because I wanted to do it, Marvel wanted me to do it, Gabe wanted it. It was a logical process that I would have, but then it didn’t happen anyway

    Mark Kolpack

    While not confirmed, it most likely played a role in why the series didn’t continue. Without the proper team to bring the effects to life, it wouldn’t have been an easy rode to bring the character to life. Especially considering Kolpack already managed to make it possible on ABC’s network restraints. However, he also confirmed that it ate up quite a bit of their overall budget, hinting as much as half of each Agent of SHIELD‘s episodes investment went into that flaming skull.

    Marvel Studios seems willing to make that investment, as there are enough hints at him potentially joining the MCU in the near future. We’ll see if Gabriel Luna also gets a chance to take on the role, or they try to return to the character’s roots before expanding the mythology. It’s disappointing that the Hulus series didn’t get a chance to move forward, but Luna is currently busy working on The Last of Us for HBO, while Kolpack is continuing his work on the series Raising Dion.

    Source: ComicBook.com, IMDb

  • Charlie Cox on Possible ‘DD’ Return: “A reimagined, upgraded version of the character”

    Charlie Cox on Possible ‘DD’ Return: “A reimagined, upgraded version of the character”

    Charlie Cox continues to be a gentleman as the press endlessly asks him about his return to his famed take on Daredevil while promoting his new show Kin. In an interview with Sirius XM, Charlie was unsurprisingly quizzed about a hypothetical return to the role, to which he responded interestingly:

    What happens in the comics is a writer and an artist will team up for a run of a comic, so they’ll do 10 issues, 20 issues. If there was an opportunity for me to come back as Daredevil, whatever that would look like, I imagine it would be a reimagining of the character and the show. If they choose me to do it, there are going to be some elements that are of course the same. But I imagine it would be like the upgraded version of the character.

    It’s no secret that while the Daredevil Netflix show was excellent in quality, it had certain limitations with how they could push certain aspects of the character such as the suit and the radar sense. In addition to Spider-Man: No Way Home, Daredevil is rumored to appear in Disney+ shows Hawkeye, Echo, and She-Hulk, all of which have substantially larger budgets. Charlie openly talking about his hypothetical, upgraded return is indicative of the talks he’s had with Marvel Studios about a Daredevil reprisal.

    Source: Sirius XM

  • Gabriel Luna’s Canceled ‘Agents of SHIELD’ Spinoff Was Going to Feature Classic Ghost Rider Villains

    Gabriel Luna’s Canceled ‘Agents of SHIELD’ Spinoff Was Going to Feature Classic Ghost Rider Villains

    Sometime before Marvel Studios ventured into Disney+, there were plans for Agents of SHIELD to get a variety of spinoffs. Their first attempt never got an order but their second attempt caught everyone’s attention. Marvel TV was eyeing a Hulu series featuring Gabriel Luna as Ghost Rider. While Helstrom moved forward with the streaming service, the Marvel TV and Marvel Studios merger made Luna‘s project its first sacrifice. Little was known about the project at the time. Well, that was until now.

    In an interview with ComicBook.com’s Adam Barnhardt, Luna discussed what would’ve been with the Ghost Rider project. Not only did the actor share his excitement to potentially return to the role one day, but also on what they had originally planned. They wanted to include many of Ghost Rider’s classic villains with Lilith getting highlighted. He even goes on to highlight that they wanted her as the main antagonist for a The Defenders-inspired crossover.

    I remember when I was pitching stuff, I had a really awesome idea that would have kept Robbie in L.A. and that would have pitted us against classic Ghost Rider villains. And I think it would have led up to her being the big bad of what we were initially trying to start, which was this four-show, very Defenders-esque thing that was going to happen.

    Gabriel Luna

    The mother of all demons would’ve certainly made for an interesting threat, especially as they embrace the supernatural part of the Marvel franchise. Of course, Marvel Studios is doing something similar with Moon Knight and the rumored Werewolf by Night project. There are even some hints that Ghost Rider might make a return as part. We’ll see what the future has in store for the spirit of vengeance.

    Source: ComicBook.com

  • Gabriel Luna on Playing Robbie Reyes in a Future MCU Project

    Gabriel Luna on Playing Robbie Reyes in a Future MCU Project

    The future of the MCU may rest on the shoulders of its spookier properties as evidenced by the greenlighting of properties such as Blade, Werewolf By Night, and by association, Moon Knight. But one Marvel horror property that fans have long been asking for in the MCU is Ghost Rider.

    Last we got a live-action Ghost Rider was in the Agents of SHIELD show, which in all fairness, was a substantially good portrayal of the modern-day Spirit of Vengeance, Robbie Reyes. Actor Gabriel Luna‘s take on the character was so beloved that Marvel TV quickly put together plans for a spin-off show that eventually found its way into Hulu. Unfortunately, plans eventually fell through once Marvel Studios dissolved Marvel TV, leaving Luna out of a Marvel job.

    Luna spoke to our buddy Adam Barnhardt at Comicbook and shared his thoughts on possibly reprising the role down the line.

    I try to stay in the moment. This is interesting, in talking to you, it’s the first time I’ve done some recollection of the experience. You never say no. You always say that it comes down to the story. If it’s a great story and it makes sense and if I still feel the way I felt when I was reading for Jed and Moe that first day with Sarah Finn, it was a few years back, if I still feel it’s just like breathing, that’s what I felt with the character previously, then absolutely.

    In the meaty interview, Luna didn’t hesitate to express his wistfulness over the show not coming to fruition. Seeing his passion for the character and the personal lengths he took to try to bring the spin-off to life, it’s hard to blame him. Luna certainly is one of the few Marvel TV actors that would make sense to bring given his show-stealing take. Luna also happens to namedrop major MCU casting director Sarah Finn as the one who booked him the gig so there’s that too.

    Source: Comicbook