Murphy's Multiverse

Category: News

  • Scrapped ‘WHAT IF…?’ Storylines Included Captain Hydra, Worthy Loki, and More

    Scrapped ‘WHAT IF…?’ Storylines Included Captain Hydra, Worthy Loki, and More

    Marvel Studios kicked off the What If…? animated series with a strong episode exploring a timeline where Peggy Carter received the Super Soldier serum. The first season consists of nine episodes that’ll take a unique perspective on the multiverse. Luckily, there’s also a second season heading our way, but Head Writer A.C. Bradley offered some insight into episodes that were left behidn ont he cutting room floor.

    What If….Steve Rogers Joined Hydra

    Marvel Comics Asks Fans To Be Patient With Captain America/Hydra Story

    The first idea is one we recently saw realized in the Secret Empire storyline. We are introduced to a version of Captain America that ends up as a minion of Hydra. It seems the idea was on the table, as they wanted to explore a version that became a minion of the evil organization and evne hold the title of Captain Hydra.

    My idea was, if Steve fell off the train, we would jump forward in time,” Bradley says. The Steve Rogers version of Winter Soldier would not slyly operate in the shadows, but instead aggressively and openly pursue the cause of his new evil overlords.

    The story would’ve had a big twist with former enemy, the Red Skull, joining forces with Peggy, Howard, and Bucky to take down the man that ended up replacing him at the top of Hydra’s food chain. She reveals this was the pitch that got her the job in the first place.

    What If … Tony Stark Was Indiana Jones

    How They Made Tony Stark Younger in Captain America: Civil War - IGN

    It looks like Bradley also was curious about the estranged relationship between Tony and his father. At one piont, she considered creating a story inspired by The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles. She wanted to explore how their relationship would’ve been shaped throughout the years and show the sparks flying between them.

    At the end of the day, Tony Stark is the guy who was never supposed to be the hero, becoming the hero,” she says. The real promise of this alternate storyline might have been showing us who Tony was before he put on the cynicism that became his very first, unseen armor.

    What If…Loki Was Worthy

    LOKI wields Thor's Hammer - DELETED SCENE from THOR 2 - YouTube

    Bradley highlighted that they wanted to avoid giving characters a focus who already are getting their own spin-off series, but there was a fun Loki pitch in the works. At the time of the initial pitch, this rule wasn’t known and showcased Loki wielding Mjolnir. It’s similar to the deleted scene from Thor: The Dark World where Loki imagined himself wieldign the hammer. They’re only concern was that it might change teh character too much from what made him standout.

    What If… Spider-Man Turned Into a Spider

    We know that Spider-Man will appear as part of the mysterious zombie episode due to his naming as the Zombie Slayer. Yet, it seems they had a much darker story planend for him, as they were inspired by Franz Kafka’s novella The Metamorphosis. Yet, it seems a David Cronenberg-esque body horror was too much for Marvel to sign off on. Yet, they said okay to zombies.

    If would have been hard-R for a show that probably your kids will end up watching. It was a little too dark. So I was like, okay, that’s fine. Can I do zombies? And they said, yes, you can do zombies

    What If…Tony and Pepper Travelled Through Space

    Avengers 4 theory: Do Tony Stark and Pepper Potts reunite in Avengers 4? | Films | Entertainment | Express.co.uk

    It looks like love is in the air, as one of the pitches would’ve seen Tony Stark and Pepper Potts spending their time travelling through space. It seems they wanted to include all kinds of characters with them jokingly including Star Wars characters. Earlier on they also reference taht the original pitch even included Rocketman making an appearance.

    I would pitch Star Wars characters. That was me half the time having a joke, and also just really liking Mark Hamill, having worked with him on Trollhunters. Sometimes you would push the crazy ideas just to see if there was any movement.

    It seems they truly tested what was possible with Marvel Studios, and the ideas vary quite a bit in fun ways. I think the Cronenberg-inspired story would be a great storyline to explore in the mainline MCU at some point. Captain America turning into a Hydra agent would be a great story to explore, as we got glimpses of a “What If Hydra won” storyline in Agents of SHIELD. Who knows, maybe these ideas get a chance to return with a potential third season.

    Source: Vanity Fair

  • Alan Taylor Shares His Original Plans for a More Magical ‘THOR: THE DARK WORLD’

    Alan Taylor Shares His Original Plans for a More Magical ‘THOR: THE DARK WORLD’

    Marvel Studios may be huge on creative vision now, but that wasn’t always the case. The production giant’s second phase of films was plagued by conflicts between directors and Marvel’s now-defunct creative committee. These disagreements famously led to Edgar Wright departing Ant-Man, and had a huge impact on the final product of the MCU’s first Thor sequel.

    Before Game of Thrones’ Alan Taylor boarded the project, it had already lost a director in the form of future Wonder Woman helmer Patty Jenkins. We’ve known for a while that The Dark World didn’t end up looking as Taylor originally intended, but now we have a clearer idea of what it was supposed to look like. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, he offered a glimpse of his vision.

    The version I had started off with had more childlike wonder; there was this imagery of children, which started the whole thing. There was a slightly more magical quality. There was weird stuff going on back on Earth because of the convergence that allowed for some of these magical realism things. And there were major plot differences that were inverted in the cutting room and with additional photography — people [such as Loki] who had died were not dead, people who had broken up were back together again. I think I would like my version.

    Alan Taylor

    It would seem Taylor’s original plans included keeping Tom Hiddleston’s Loki dead. The big reveal is the plan on ending the relationship between Thor and Jane Foster earlier than expected. While it would have been interesting to see what direction these changes might have taken the MCU, it is worth noting that keeping these developments in the film would likely have prevented Loki from happening. We might not have even gotten Taika Waititi’s Thor films that redefined the character. Sometimes, the universe is give-and-take.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • Sony Delays Venom Sequel Again

    Sony Delays Venom Sequel Again

    Sony Pictures has formally delayed Venom: There Will Be Carnage for a fourth time. The film, originally set to debut in October of 2020, is now set for release on October 15, 2021 in U.S. theaters.

    Carnage Takes Center Stage In New 'Venom 2' Trailer

    A report by Variety indicates that the “rocky film landscape” caused by a surge in the delta variant of COVID-19 weighed heavily in Sony’s decision to move the film. Sony remains committed to making sure the film debuts exclusively in theaters and is, apparently, hoping that things will clear up significantly over the next couple of months. At this point, it seems equally likely that this is just another place holder for the film and another movie is possible.

    The move also calls into question whether or not Sony’s other major Marvel release, Spider-Man: No Way Home, will be delayed as well. To this point, the film’s first teaser trailer hasn’t been officially released to the public, causing fans quite a bit of consternation about what might happen with the Spidey threequel.

    Source: Variety

  • Samuel L. Jackson Hints at Nick Fury Appearing in ‘THE MARVEL’s

    Samuel L. Jackson Hints at Nick Fury Appearing in ‘THE MARVEL’s

    All eyes are on Samuel L. Jackson right now, as he recently teased the return of Nick Fury’s iconic mustache. The only question was which project is he included, as we know he’ll have a starring role in Disney+’s Secret Invasion. Yet, there have been inklings he’d also join the upcoming The Marvel‘s film, which will see the team-up of Brie Larson‘s Carol Danvers, Teyonah Parris‘ Monica Rambeau, and Iman Vellani‘s Ms. Marvel. Larson recently confirmed that production has started with director Nia DaCosta. As if they timed it perfectly, he released his Instagram post with the iconic beard confirming he is currently filming a project.

    It wasn’t until his second Instagram post that he tagged The Marvel‘s film and potentially confirmed his appearance in the film. There’s still little information that leaked from the project, but it seems possible he’s also working on Secret Invasion, as the projects could potentially interconnect due to the strong inclusion of the Skrulls. They had a prominent role in the first Captain Marvel film and the sequel might continue telling that story, as there are also rumblings of Jude Law‘s Yon-Rogg making a return.

    The exciting aspect about these two projects filming around the same time is the implications for the story. We still don’t know how true the Secret Invasion series will be to the comics. So, there might be some curious twists that also tie into the film, as they’re still is no word on who their main antagonist might be. Perhaps we’ll witness the Skrull-Kree War that ended up getting continued on Earth much to our hero’s dismay.

    Source: Instagram (Beard), Instagram, Comic Book

  • Sony Considering a ‘VENOM: LET THERE BE CARNAGE’ and ‘HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA: TRANSFORMANIA’ Delay

    Sony Considering a ‘VENOM: LET THERE BE CARNAGE’ and ‘HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA: TRANSFORMANIA’ Delay

    It looks like Sony is having quite a bit of trouble with their upcoming cinematic releases. According to Deadline, they are considering pushing Venom: Let There Be Carnage and Hotel Transylvania: Transformania back. There has been no final decision been made, but current developments surrounding the Delta Variant have the production company weighing out their options moving forward. It seems they are considering a delay for the Venom sequel into October 15th, which would align with the recent New Zealand release. The article also states they have even considered a January as a potential new date, which would mean Morbius gets pushed back again.

    Of course, the bigger aspect of these potential delays is that it’ll also affect Spider-Man: No Way Home, which is currently eyeing a release in December. If they continue to delay their releases, it may also join 2022. The studio is currently considering putting the fourth entry in their Hotel Transylvania film on a streaming service, which would be difficult for their other projects. Right now, it seems that all eyes are on the theatre-only release of Free Guy to get a feeling if the market will sustain non-digital releases moving forward.

    They might be mapping out multiple delay dates just in case the earliest can’t be met. So, the January one seems unlikely for now but it’s not unsurprising that they’re considering it. The only thing that is still up in the air is if they’ll push Morbius back by multiple months as well. So, only the coming months will give us an inkling what the future holds for cinemas.

    Source: Deadline

  • Netflix’s ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ Finally Confirms Showrunner and Finds its Cast

    Netflix’s ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ Finally Confirms Showrunner and Finds its Cast

    It looks like the long wait has finally come to an end, as Netflix is moving forward with their live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender series. Not only that, but they also found their core cast and creative team for the project. Sleepy Hollow’s Albert Kim has joined the project as showrunner, executive producer, and writer. It’s the first confirmation of his involvement since Illuminerdi dropped the rumor back in February. He’ll work alongside fellow executive producers, Dan Lin, and Lindsey Liberatore. Goi Roseanne Liang and Jabbar Raisani join the project as directors.

    They also found their cast with Gordon Cormier playing Aang, the “fun-loving twelve-year-old who just happens to be the Avatar, master of all four elements.” The waterbending siblings’ Katara and Sokka will be played by Kiawentiio and Ian Ousley. Finally, the firebending prince of the Fire Nation, Zuko, also joins the cast in the form of young actor Dallas Liu, who some might know from PEN15. Kim had the following to say in a blog post on the importance of this series heading into live-action:

    A live-action version would establish a new benchmark in representation and bring in a whole new generation of fans. This was a chance to showcase Asian and Indigenous characters as living, breathing people. Not just in a cartoon, but in a world that truly
    exists, very similar to the one we live in.

    It hasn’t been an easy road for the project, as it originally included the creators of the Nickelodeon animated show before they left due to creative differences. The Last Airbender ran for three seasons before it got a sequel in 2012 titled The Legend of Korra. Nickelodeon is currently looking to expand the franchise, with the creators starting a new studio, which will develop films and series for Paramount+. It’ll be interesting to see how the live-action version will adapt the original series, and how different the paths will be from the new studio.

    Source: Deadline, Netflix

  • Gabriel Iglesias Calls His ‘Space Jam’ Speedy Gonzales Casting a “Big Brown Shield”

    Gabriel Iglesias Calls His ‘Space Jam’ Speedy Gonzales Casting a “Big Brown Shield”

    Space Jam: A New Legacy brought back an iconic franchise that saw the Looney Tunes reunite with a famous basketball player. While Michael Jordan didn’t return, LeBron James took center stage and played a game with the famous cartoon characters against a group of unlikely foes. In the case of the Loony Tunes, they did continue the classic voices of many characters, with Eric Bauza continuing to voice characters like Bugs Bunny.

    LeBron James und Bugs Bunny im Basketballfilm: Warum „Space Jam 2“ kaum zu ertragen ist - Kultur - Tagesspiegel

    Yet, they did end up recasting some members such as Zendaya taking over the role of Lola, which recently got reinvented by Kristen Wiig on The Looney Tunes Show. Another new casting was in the form of famous comedian Gabriel Iglesias as Speedy Gonzales. He recently appeared on The Late Show and discussed his role in the film with Stephen Colbert, where he revealed some curious decisions made for his casting as the iconic character. First off, he didn’t have to audition for the role, and they offered him to change the iconic voice of the character.

    I thought that was pretty awesome that they would give me that power. And I said ‘No. When people think of Speedy Gonzales, I don’t want them to think of me, I want them to think of Speedy Gonzales.’

    Gabriel Iglesias

    He goes on to reveal that even though he was already cast as the character, they weren’t sure if he could to an impression of him. It was a rather surprising inquiry as he already got the part before someone revealed that:

    The question was asked, ‘Can you do Speedy Gonzales?’ And I’m like, ‘How did I get the part? Oh, they needed a big brown shield.’

    Gabriel Iglesias
    Gabriel Iglesias Tickets | Event Dates & Schedule | Ticketmaster.com

    It’s a curious way for Warner Bros. to handle the casting, but there have been many controversies surrounding the character and the stereotypes he portrayed. Iglesias did go on to make the joke after they loved his performance that “I have been Mexican a long time.” before he showed off his vocal performances on the show. He also highlighted the fact that he and his family loved growing up with the character.

    If you are interested, you can check out the original interview here:

    Source: Complex, YouTube via Hollywood Reporter

  • Marvel Studios’ Future Animated Projects Will Connect

    Marvel Studios’ Future Animated Projects Will Connect

    Marvel Studios has been continuing to expand more and more. First, they expanded into long-form storytelling through Disney+, and with the release of What If…? they even joined the animation market. There have already been hints at them wanting to explore more projects through the medium. The only other project confirmed so far is the photo-realistic animated series exploring the adventures of Baby Groot in I Am Groot. There’s also the question if they would continue to build upon the Marvel Cinematic Multiverse or explore unique avenues through animation.

    In an interview with Variety, Brad Winderbaum may have offered some insight into their approach. He confirmed that all projects will be under Marvel Studios and produced by Kevin Feige. As such, he proclaims they’ll “be born of the same stuff that makes the rest of our content.” He also goes on to tease the following, as Variety highlights these projects will be connected:

    How will they be connected? Time will tell as the story of the multiverse unfolds.

    So, it’s likely that any future ventures will play into the multiverse concept that got set up by Loki’s final episode. It’s the perfect way to revisit already established characters while still keeping them within canon in some way or another. Their animation’s “unique aesthetic” got developed together with independent animation studios. Flying Bark Prods, Squeeze Animation Studios, and Blue Spirit were involved in the process. They would be open to work alongside Pixar and Disney Animations to expand their repertoire. Still, no matter what animation style they follow, it’ll be interesting how these projects will interconnect as they explore new approaches with each one. Marvel Studios has a bright future ahead, and we can’t wait to see what animated projects might be heading our way in the future.

    Source: Variety

  • Dave Bautista’s Exclusion from ‘WHAT IF…?’ May Be Due To Miscommunication

    Dave Bautista’s Exclusion from ‘WHAT IF…?’ May Be Due To Miscommunication

    Marvel Studios’ first foray into animation with What If…? featured a wide cast of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Around 85% of the cast returned to reprise their iconic roles with some noticeable absentees. There has been some uncertainty why they weren’t invited or what would’ve led to actors like Brie Larson, Chris Evans, and more not reprise the roles they played for so many years. Dave Bautista then took to Twitter to announce that he wasn’t even approached to reprise the role, which added even more confusion. Well, it seems there might’ve been some miscommunication, as the new head of Marvel Studios’ animation department, Brad Winderbaum, just revealed that they’ve reached out to everyone in some form or another.

    I saw that, too. It’s my understanding that everybody was asked in some way, shape or form, either through their agents or directly. I don’t know really what happened behind the scenes there, but certainly, we would have loved for him to be in the show. So there’s probably some miscommunication somewhere.

    It’s unclear if it truly was just a miscommunication that led to his absence, but given how many names returned, it would’ve been odd not to invite him. He’s set to return as Drax the Destroyer in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. So, it’s not like his time with the character has come to an end with the franchise. Bautista is known to be outspoken on Twitter. So, he might openly discuss if it truly was a case of miscommunication, which can happen in such a large industry. Still, if the character returns in a second season, it would be great if they’d let him join the project after all.

    Source: Variety

  • ‘I AM GROOT’ to Explore a Different Animation Style From ‘WHAT IF…?’

    ‘I AM GROOT’ to Explore a Different Animation Style From ‘WHAT IF…?’

    Marvel Studios has just released its first venture into animation. The 3D style of What If…? makes it feel like a comic book come to life. Each episode focuses on a different universe that splintered off from the Sacred Timeline. It won’t be the only venture into animation for the studio, as they already started the first steps to expand. There is one other animated series we do know about, and that is the I Am Groot shorts. We haven’t heard anything on the project since its initial announcement during Disney’s Investors Day. But, we may have finally gotten our first tease of what to expect with the project.

    Variety had a chance to sit down with Brad Winderbaum, who got promoted to Marvel Studios’ Head for Streaming, Television, and Animation. He was the producer behind the What If series and will help the company continue to expand. In the article, Variety also offers our first insight into what type of animation style we can expect from the I Am Groot spin-off. It seems it won’t take the cartoon-inspired style, but rather explore “photo-real” animation. This approach would imply that the series will build upon the design we saw in Guardian of the Galaxy Vol. 2, as it’ll follow the baby version of Groot.

     

    Kinostart für „Guardians Of The Galaxy 3” steht fest

     

    So, it might be an animated project purely on the basis it won’t include any actors in it. There was the tease that we’ll meet some new and unusual characters, which might not be human. It also gives us our first confirmation that Marvel Studios will explore different animation styles rather than stick to the one introduced with What If…?, which is a great direction to take. Animation offers a lot of potentials to explore different takes to add a unique personality to the story. It would be a shame not to bank on that while diversifying the Marvel Cinematic Multiverse.

    Source: Variety, Twitter