Murphy's Multiverse

Category: News

  • ‘NEW WARRIORS’ Showrunner Debuts Look at Squirrel Girl, Talks Cancellation

    ‘NEW WARRIORS’ Showrunner Debuts Look at Squirrel Girl, Talks Cancellation

    UPDATE: Biegel has since deleted his tweets.

    In April 2017, Freeform ordered New Warriors straight to series. Unfortunately, despite assembling a promising young cast and filming a pilot that received rave ratings, the series never moved forward at Freeform. Since then, fans have curiously awaited an answer as to why the show was not retooled or even moved to a different service. It would seem showrunner Kevin Biegel (Enlisted, Cougar Town) is ready to unveil details regarding the stalled project, including exactly what caused its sudden cancellation.

    Before Marvel Studios overtook Marvel Television, Marvel Comics’ teen heroes had overtaken the small screen thanks to Hulu (The Runaways) and Freeform (Cloak & Dagger). Which is why New Warriors seemed to be a great addition to the line-up when it was first announced. Unfortunately, as things would go, the series would not move forward despite having been ordered to series, and the rumored stellar pilot would go forever unseen. Thanks to Biegel, however, we at least have a chance to see what could have been.

    There’s a show we wrote a few years ago

    It was very very proudly gay

    A SINGULAR power that be killed the show.

    Because it was too gay.

    A rich, straight, Brentwood turd.

    He got fired for being vile at his company.

    We, on the other hand, live. #newwarriors

    In a late-night thread on Twitter on Wednesday, Biegel briefly hinted at why the show did not move forward, careful not to unveil any specific names. While Ike Perlmutter would seem to be the likely culprit, there’s also the possibility of Biegel’s comments being in reference to Jeph Loeb, who ran Marvel Television until Kevin Feige disbanded the division.

    In recent years, Loeb has been accused of inappropriate conduct, including racist behavior, as cited by Daredevil actor, Peter Shinkoda. The Nobu actor revealed Loeb’s racist remarks during a #SaveDaredevil appearance last year stating, “He said, ‘Nobody cares about Chinese people and Asian people.” Loeb, of course, was let go after Marvel Television dissolved with Kevin Feige overtaking the television arm.

    Biegel also shared a look at Milana Vayntrub as Doreen Green, aka Squirrel Girl, with Tippy-Toe atop her shoulder.

    While it’s doubtful the pilot will ever see the light of day, we at least have a sneak peek at what could have been. It’s just unfortunate we’ll never get to see his take on New Warriors ever truly realized.

  • ‘DOCTOR STRANGE’ Sequel Wraps Production on Reshoots

    ‘DOCTOR STRANGE’ Sequel Wraps Production on Reshoots

    It looks like Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness has wrapped production on its reshoots, as makeup artist Tricia Sawyer took to her Instagram to share that they’ve wrapped up production and aren’t “Strange anymore.” Kevin Feige hinted that the original production ended back in April. So, they must’ve entered production on reshoots at some point in the last few months and just finished up. Whatever they may have adapted, the Scarlet Witch is definitely involved.

    In the photo, she’s standing next to Elizabeth Olsen as they celebrate the production’s end. The film is set to premiere in March and after Shang-Chi‘s recent success, it seems unlikely they’ll postpone any future releases. It’s ending now gives the film plenty of time to work on the special effects ahead of its release. The film will explore potentially a variety of dimensions that may offer very unique designs. We can’t wait to see how it mixes things up once Strange explores the very multiverse he may have had a hand in creating.

    There’s still a lot of question surrounding the project. Marvel Studios has been keeping a tight lip on the film’s production, especially with Doctor Strange’s appearance in the near future. What If…? only recently explore an alternative dimension version of the character, who might even potentially appear in the live-action film. He’ll also appear in Spider-Man: No Way Home and had a very prominent role in the first trailer. It’s uncertain how that’ll fit into the ever-expanding multiverse but here’s hoping we get a tease sooner rather than later.

    Source: Instagram, ScreenRant

  • Disney’s ‘HAUNTED MANSION’ Reboot Adds ‘LOKI’s Owen Wilson

    Disney’s ‘HAUNTED MANSION’ Reboot Adds ‘LOKI’s Owen Wilson

    It looks like Owen Wilson has eyed a few more projects together with Disney, as Hollywood Reporter revealed that the Loki actor will star in the upcoming reboot of Haunted Mansion. It’ll join another popular adaptation of one of Disney’s popular theme park rides. Director Justin Simien is famous for his work on Dear White People and Bad Hair Day, but the upcoming horror-comedy will be his first big-budget adaptation. It’s our first update on the film since LaKeith Stanfield and Tiffany Haddish joined the project back in July.

    The story still remains under wraps, but it’ll not venture too far away from the 2003 film featuring Eddie Murphy. It’ll explore a family that moves into the titular mansion that is being, you guessed it, haunted. It’s eyeing an October production start in Atlanta. Disney just recently had a successful launch with Jungle Cruise and seems to be eyeing various theme park attractions. They just recently greenlit a sequel and we might see many more get adapted.

    There’s also the Pirates of the Caribbean reboot that’s been in production for some time, which was announced back in June 2020. Margot Robbie and Christina Hodson joined the project and will revive the popular franchise that may have been their most successful adaptation of a park ride-themed film. It’ll be curious if Haunted Mansion‘s success might also see potential sequels moving forward.

    Source: Hollywood reporter

  • RUMOR: Netflix Rebooting ‘POKÈMON: DETECTIVE PIKACHU’ To Tie Into New TV Series

    RUMOR: Netflix Rebooting ‘POKÈMON: DETECTIVE PIKACHU’ To Tie Into New TV Series

    Here’s a curious rumor. In July, Lucifer‘s Joe Henderson was hired by Netflix to develop a live-action adaptation of Pokémon for the streaming service. It looks like they may have some bigger plans, as Illuminerdi shared the news that they’re also looking to develop a film that interconnects with the ongoing series. They do not go into detail but they do word that it won’t be a continuation of the popular Detective Pikachu film but act like a reboot. It’s uncertain if this means it’s an actual reboot of the 2019 film, or rather simply meant as a reboot of the franchise overall as they also highlight that no continuation of the Warner Bros. film by Rob Letterman is planned.

    It makes sense they’ll reboot the franchise from scratch. However, it seems unlikely the film will release ahead of the TV series. It seems like a safer bet to establish the world, as they might try to include hints at a bigger picture. It would be great if they utilize these films as highlights of side characters arcs, or even as the tournament to end a seasonal arc on a high note.

    It won’t be cheap adapting this unique world filled with creatures that state their own name in repetition. The film did an amazing job selling a living and breathing world filled with Pokémon and it’ll be interesting if Netflix takes a different direction to make it stand out from the previous entry. The combination of realism with the cartoon designs worked surprisingly well but they might take a very different direction. It’ll join a variety of Netflix series eyeing a live-action adaptation of Anime and it won’t be the last.

    Source: Illuminerdi

  • ‘MARVEL’S AVENGERS’ New Roadmap Offers First Glimpse at Spider-Man

    ‘MARVEL’S AVENGERS’ New Roadmap Offers First Glimpse at Spider-Man

    It’s been a long wait but Crystal Dynamics finally dropped the updated roadmap that teases what is heading our way in the coming months. Not just that, we even got a full State of the Game blog that updates us on where exactly the game is. In the roadmap, we got the tease that the Spider-Man update will release alongside the game’s first Raid which will see your team of Avengers face off against Klaw one more time. It’ll include a new enemy type called Echoes and a Power Level increase. Now, the big takeaway here is that this will come alongside the long-awaited release of Spider-Man, who even has a brief tease in the roadmap.

    An image showing our upcoming content roadmap.

    @PlayAvenger was able to get a high-res version of the brief tease he has in the image facing off against Klaw. It’s curious that the character is titled as a “New Hero Event” and is not getting his own focus like in the past.

    https://twitter.com/PlayAvenger/status/1435650150538653698

    The first thing that catches our eye is that Spidey has his classic suit. So, that’s likely his base design staying true to what made the character iconic. Of course, he’ll likely release with some minor story elements, but the naming does highlight that this is only on PlayStation and probably gets a special focus as a result of it.

    Now, let’s get to the rest of the roadmap. It’s a bit slim overall, as we have no mention of Patrol Mode or even the mysterious Cloning Labs. The only mention is that news will follow once they have something concrete. Still, it seems they finally will give us our first Raid in the form of a mission titled “Discordant Sound.” It’ll also act as a final arc in his story from War for Wakanda expansion. New enemy types known as Echoes will spawn from the big bad. The blog highlights that this will also give us our first real glimpse at what the future of the game has in store for us.

    2022 will have a stronger focus on cinematic content, but they remain vague on what they have in store. The big focus is the rework of their base structures that includes gear, resources, and earnable comestics. It’s great they are setting a clearer focus, but it does feel a bit empty in comparison to the last roadmap without any actual months. Still, the Disney+ Nameplate challenge for Hawkeye would hint that these elements are eyeing a November release alongside the show’s premiere.

    Source: Play Avengers, Twitter

  • ‘SECRET INVASION’ Began Filming Last Week

    ‘SECRET INVASION’ Began Filming Last Week

    The Skrull Invasion is on its way. Film London is reporting that the Samuel L. Jackson-led alien espionage series, Secret Invasion, has already started filming in London, with a start date that can be traced back to the first of September.

    The news comes just a few weeks after Kevin Feige himself confirmed the then-upcoming production start during the Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings red carpet premiere. Jackson also took to social media to reveal his return to the Nick Fury makeup chair not too long ago, so the man is pretty busy.

    Source: Film London

  • EXCLUSIVE: ‘SHANG-CHI’ Producer On That Trevor Slattery Comeback

    EXCLUSIVE: ‘SHANG-CHI’ Producer On That Trevor Slattery Comeback

    Wherever you’ve landed on the Iron Man 3 villain twist that saw the menacing and powerful “Mandarin” turn out to be an eccentric and incredibly goofy actor named Trevor Slattery, one thing was never in doubt: Ben Kingsley’s portrayal of Slattery was an absolute gem. Given the popularity of Kingsley’s Slattery, the character’s counterfeit connection to the Ten Rings, and the recent marketing of his All Hail the King one-shot on Disney+, fans were overjoyed to see Trevor Slattery return to the Marvel Studios big screen in Shang-Chi as the same lovable, strange, and hilarious character we met back in 2013.

    Fans weren’t the only ones happy about Kingsley’s return. When asked about the actor’s comeback, Shang-Chi Producer Johnathon Schwartz had this to say:

    “We love having him back. He’s an amazing actor, he’s an amazing presence. And he was just sort of a cool, funny, unique character who just fit organically in the story we were trying to tell. We always sort of wanted to bring him back and bring him back in maybe a bigger role than maybe people initially imagined he might be…I think was very exciting.”

    Kingsley’s triumphant return to the MCU highlights Marvel Studios’ ability and potential to tell long-running stories with characters from extremely different properties and time periods. The fact that Shang-Chi was able to pull off Trevor Slattery’s reintroduction with such ease and joy is a fine tribute to Marvel’s attention to detail, as well as its love and appreciation for all of its work both past and present.

  • Sony Moves ‘VENOM’ Sequel One Last Time

    Sony Moves ‘VENOM’ Sequel One Last Time

    Following the surprising box office success of Marvel Studios Shang-Chi, Sony has chosen to move Venom: Let There Be Carnage one more time, this time moving it forward to an October 1st release.

    The sequel has moved several times over the past year and change, recently moving to October 15th from a planned September 17th release. The new October 1st date puts the film’s release almost exactly one year from it’s initial October 2, 2020 target date. The new date also means the sequel will debut exactly 3 years after the original which opened to over $80M, an October record at the time.

    Tickets for the Andy Serkis-helmed sequel will go on sale this Wednesday. Venom: Let There Be Carnage will see Tom Hardy’s Eddie Brock face off with Woody Harrelson’s Cletus Kasaday who, after biting Brock, becomes one of Marvel’s most unhinged characters: Carnage.

    Source: Deadline

  • Connecting Imaginary Dots: Mohan Kapur Reprising Role as A Yusuf Khan in ‘The Marvels’

    Connecting Imaginary Dots: Mohan Kapur Reprising Role as A Yusuf Khan in ‘The Marvels’

    The upcoming sequel to 2019’s Captain Marvel will bring together the Marvel family. Teyonah Parris and Iman Vellani will reprise their roles as Monica Rambeau and Kamala Kahn, respectively, joining Brie Larson Unlike Parris, Vellani has yet to make her live-action debut and will do so in Ms. Marvel, an upcoming Disney+ original series that will explore the origins of Kamala Khan as she becomes the titular hero. However, it seems Kamala may not be the only returning character from the Disney+ series.

    A recent listing on IMDB may hint that actor Mohan Kapur will return as Yusuf Khan, Kamala’s father. Kapur’s stunt double, Sonny Louis, is currently listed as his stunt double on the upcoming film. While IMDB listings are never confirmation, Kapur’s return seems likely as Kamala Khan takes on a larger role.

    Although Sonny Louis is not currently listed as a stunt double for Mohan Kapur on Ms. Marvel, he appears to be taking on the stunt double role for The Marvels. Kapur’s return as Yusuf Khan could suggest some danger may be coming for Kamala’s family – potentially explaining what ends up bringing Captain Marvel and Kamala Khan together.

    Ms. Marvel currently has no set release date but should debut sometime early next year on Disney+. The Marvels will hit theaters on November 11th, 2022. The film was written by WandaVision writer Megan McDonnell and will be directed by Nia DaCosta, picking up the reigns from Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck.

    SOURCE: IMDB

  • ‘Shang-Chi’ Shatters Labor Day Record With $89.2 Million Opening

    ‘Shang-Chi’ Shatters Labor Day Record With $89.2 Million Opening

    Marvel Studios’ Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is off to an impressive start at the box office. While Disney is reporting an estimated $83.5 for the four-day weekend, industry experts are expecting the film to nab $89.2 million over the holiday weekend.

    The latest Marvel Studios entry opened to an estimated $71.4 million for Friday-Sunday. That includes the $29.6 million opening day total, with 37% of that total coming from large-format and/or 3D screens. It is, however, expected to near $90 million as moviegoers continue to hit theaters this holiday weekend. While Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings had a lower opening than Black Widow‘s $80.4 million, the film did beat out the likes of Fast and the Furious 9 and A Quiet Place 2.

    “Shattering Labor Day box office records with an origin story new to many fans, Shang-Chi delivers an emphatic statement: people really want to get back to the movies,” said Rich Gelfond, CEO of Imax in a statement released to the press. “It’s clear that great filmmaking plus an exclusive theatrical release is a winning formula at the box office, and this groundbreaking film has successfully launched an exciting new cinematic journey for Marvel and a strong fall blockbuster slate for the industry.”

    Internationally, Shang-Chi took in an estimated $56.2 million. Bringing the movie’s opening weekend to a projected $145.4 million, including the four-day estimates.

    Shang-Chi and the Legends of the Ten Rings is in theaters now.

    Source: Deadline.