Murphy's Multiverse

Category: News

  • Super Bowl to Feature Disney Trailers for ‘Raya and the Last Dragon’, ‘Falcon and the Winter Solider’ And Potentially More

    Super Bowl to Feature Disney Trailers for ‘Raya and the Last Dragon’, ‘Falcon and the Winter Solider’ And Potentially More

    The Football event of the year is just around the corner. Everyone has their eyes on the Super Bowl for different reasons. Some are there to cheer on their team, while others can’t wait for those exclusive trailers. Well, after a year-long pandemic, some are wondering if anyone will risk the investment. According to Deadline, we will see a smaller line-up than in the past few years. Many streaming services like HBO Max, Peacock, Apple TV, and Netflix will skip this year. Luckily, it seems that Disney is willing to take the risk. They plan to release at least two to four trailers that will be on par with previous years.

    Raya and the Last Dragon is a safe bet to be one of the trailers, as they want to test out their second Premier Access film that releases next month. Last year, Disney+ made a major splash with their first official teaser for their Disney+ slate. It was a short trailer that showcased Falcon and the Winter Soldier, WandaVision, and even Loki. None of these series got a release date at the time, but it certainly left an impact when it initially aired. So, there is a good chance we will get another trailer that teases their 2021 Marvel slate. Deadline does not rule out a possible trailer for Black Widow, which is still set to release May 7th. They highlight that you shouldn’t expect a sudden announcement that the film will be made available on Disney+ during the event.

    It is crazy to think that Black Widow released a trailer last year and was only a few months away from release. If they do end up including the upcoming Marvel film, there is a good chance we might not see another delay. They could be waiting out to see how Raya performs before making any decisions. It is understandable after Mulan underperformed last year on the service. The release of Pixar’s Soul saw a massive increase in app downloads. However, it probably was nowhere near as profitable as a regular cinematic release. Well, no matter which direction they end up going. There is no competition this year, and Disney will be able to dominate the post-game buzz with anything they decide to release.

    Source: Deadline, Digital TV Europe, Deadline (Soul)

  • McGregor Confirms Late Spring Production Start for ‘Kenobi’ using StageCraft Tech

    McGregor Confirms Late Spring Production Start for ‘Kenobi’ using StageCraft Tech

    Ewan McGregor was a guest on Eddie Izzard‘s final A Run For Hope marathon (you can donate right here), and his upcoming Star Wars Obi-Wan Kenobi series was briefly discussed. After several news outlets reporting that the show would shoot in places like Boston, MA, or even in the UK, McGregor confirmed that the show will actually be filming in Los Angeles, starting this spring, around May/June. This could eventually mean that we could be looking at an early to mid-2022 release date.

    When it was initially confirmed that he would indeed be returning to the role he last played in 2005’s Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, McGregor talked about how excited he was to go back to a galaxy far, far away as it would probably mean he could be using the StageCraft technology that those behind The Mandalorian developed. This was also basically confirmed by McGregor and so being choosing LA was a no-brainer. With this technology being an essential part of the success achieved by the first live-action Star Wars series, the head of Lucasfilm Kathleen Kenedy has since confirmed that new stages are being set up in the US, the UK, and Australia. In the meantime, the LA location used by The Mandalorian remains the only operational sound stage featuring StageCraft, and so it makes sense for McGregor to be confirming that principal photography on the show will take place in the City of Angels.

    Obi-Wan Kenobi will see the return of both Ewan McGregor, as the titular character, and Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker. It will be directed by Deborah Chow who directed two episodes of The Mandalorian‘s first season.

  • Kevin Feige Breathes New Life into ‘AGENTS OF ATLAS’ Rumors

    Kevin Feige Breathes New Life into ‘AGENTS OF ATLAS’ Rumors

    Later this month, Disney Plus will finally launch in Singapore, making over 500 films and 15,000 episodes of streaming content available in the country where 6 of the top 10 highest-grossing films of all time, including the top 3, are Marvel Studios films. Ahead of the launch, Disney held a press junket yesterday via video chat and Marvel Studios One-Above-All, Kevin Fiege, gave an overview of his studio’s offerings and took a few questions, one of which led to an exciting bit of news when asked if it was “high time we get a Southeast Asian Marvel superhero on Disney+.” Feige replied, “I think it is. And I think you won’t have to wait there very long at all. We’ve announced a number of shows and we’ve got more in the works.”

    How Marvel's first featured Pinoy superhero can save society | ABS-CBN News

     

    With WandaVision now streaming on Disney Plus, fans have gotten their first taste of how Marvel Studios plans to use the streaming service to expand its Marvel Cinematic Multiverse over the next several years. The studio has a dozen or more properties on its slate over the next few years and, according to Feige, more that we don’t know about including one that will potentially include a Southeast Asian hero. Interestingly enough, 2019 saw Marvel Comics relaunch an old team with a brand new look in Agents of Atlas. The book, written by Greg Pak, saw Jimmy Woo (played wonderfully in the MCU by Randall Park) assemble a team of Asian heroes, including Filipino hero Wave. Just about a year ago, rumors circulated that Marvel Studios was looking to develop the property as a Disney + series. The return of Woo in WandaVision along with the debut of Shang-Chi later this year and this response from Feige could be signs that the studio is indeed headed in that direction.

    Sources: Variety, nme.com

  • ‘Peacemaker’ Series adds Elizabeth Ludlow and Rizwan Manji

    ‘Peacemaker’ Series adds Elizabeth Ludlow and Rizwan Manji

    Peacemaker, the upcoming HBO Max spin-off for The Suicide Squad is now in production and continues to add more members to its cast. The show follows the character of Peacemaker, a man who seeks to achieve peace no matter the cost, even if means breaking someone’s arm. The project is set to serve as a prequel for the character and will dive into the origins of the character with other plot details remaining under wraps. It’s highly possible that the project will see writer and director James Gunn adapt another John Ostrander story, the Janus Directive, a story that plays almost perfectly into what we know about Peacemaker.

    Today, Gunn confirmed the addition of two more members to the production’s cast, with Elizabeth Faith Ludlow and Rizwan Manji joining the film. The initial report doesn’t clarify who the actors will be playing and mentions that their roles are being kept under wraps but it’s highly likely that Ludlow will be playing the role of Keeya. She is described as a Black Female, in her late 20’s to early ’30s, gay supportive but tired wife, reluctantly dealing with her wife’s new government job and the secrecy it requires. For Manji it’s possible that he could be playing a character known as Jose, described as someone 20-40 and a hospital janitor who reluctantly gets pulled into a discussion with a hospital patient. Both actors fit quite well to that get ranges for the characters and fit the descriptions given.

    https://twitter.com/JamesGunn/status/1356374554705231874?s=20

    Peacemaker currently has no release date but was written by James Gunn who will also be jumping behind the camera for a number of episodes. The show will see John Cena reprise his role from the upcoming film The Suicide Squad. Cena will be joined by Chris Conrad, Jennifer Holland, Danielle Brooks, and Annie Chang.

    SOURCE: Illuminerdi

  • ‘Black Panther’ Director Ryan Coogler Developing a ‘Wakanda’ Disney+ Series

    ‘Black Panther’ Director Ryan Coogler Developing a ‘Wakanda’ Disney+ Series

    Black Panther has become one of Marvel Studios’ flagship franchises. Even after the tragic passing of Chadwick Boseman, the story and its social relevance will be continued in his honor. The sequel is still in development and will most likely not release until 2023 at the earliest. Well, it looks like Ryan Coogler has some other plans for the franchise, as Deadline just reported that a new drama based on the Kingdom of Wakanda is now in development for Disney+. It is part of a larger deal that the director has made, where he will have a five-year exclusive contract with Disney Television. He gave the following statement regarding the deal and project:

    We look forward to learning, growing, and building a relationship with audiences all over the world through the Disney platforms. We are especially excited that we will be taking our first leap with Kevin Feige, Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso and their partners at Marvel Studios where we will be working closely with them on select MCU shows for Disney+. We’re already in the mix on some projects that we can’t wait to share

    It seems that this untitled Wakanda series might just be the first of many projects he and his production company Proximity Media will be involved with. The director has seen quite the rise to stardom after his success with Fruitvale Station put him and Michael B. Jordan on the map. It will be interesting to see what other projects he is teasing, so perhaps supporting characters from the iconic series will get their time in the spotlight. There is no mentioning that he is only restricted to a specific IP, so we might see him involved in a variety of Disney+ series in the future. It seems Marvel Studios has some major plans moving forward.

    Source: Deadline

  • Topps Cards Reveal John Walker’s Captain America Look

    Topps Cards Reveal John Walker’s Captain America Look

    A new digital card collection featured in the MARVEL Collect! by Topps® app has unveiled new looks for Falcon, Bucky, Zemo, and Wyatt Russell‘s John Walker.

     

    Unlike the other three, Walker is set to make his MCU debut this March on the Disney+ series, with a shield in hand (notice how it is heavily featured on his card). Even if Steve Rogers meant to pass on the Captain America shield, along with the mantle itself, to Sam Wilson at the end of Avengers: Endgame, the government seems to have a very different opinion on the matter. John Walker is given that role, agreeing to the oversight the added responsibility comes with, and the events of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier will show us if he’s the right man for the job or not.

    The Falcon and The Winter Soldier is set to stream on Disney Plus beginning March 19th.

  • ‘THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER’ Set Photo hints at Toothgnasher and Toothgrinder

    ‘THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER’ Set Photo hints at Toothgnasher and Toothgrinder

    After a few sets of Thor: Love and Thunder behind the scenes photos surfaced overnight, a closer look at a particular photograph seems to hint at the first appearance of Toothgnasher and Toothgrinder in an MCU project. The animatronics don’t seem complete even though we seem to be able to see where the horns will go as they are set up for the shoot.

     

    Based on Tanngrisnir and Tanngnjóstr, the goats that pull Thor’s chariot in Norse mythology, Toothgnasher and Toothgrinder are heavily featured in Jason Aaron’s Mighty Thor books, a run that we already knew to be inspiring the fourth Thor project. With Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) becoming the Mighty Thor, and Christian Bale portraying Gorr, The God Butcher, Toothgnasher and Toothgrinder are yet another interesting addition to Taika Waititi’s feature. And considering the Kiwi’s iconic brand of humor, the comic relief these mystical goats could bring to the table is huge.

  • New ‘WANDAVISION’ Mid-Season Trailer Arrives

    New ‘WANDAVISION’ Mid-Season Trailer Arrives

    With Episode 4 behind us, fans now have a much better idea of what is going on in Marvel Studios first Disney Plus streaming series, WandaVision: it’s all Wanda! After giving us a little glimpse into their mystery box, Marvel Studiso has now released a brand new mid-season trailer that helps fans set expectations for what we’ll see over the next 5 episodes, which we all know will culminate in some major action!

    For those who have been avoiding TV spots, this trailer recaps much of what we’ve seen and seems to hint at a full on S.W.O.R.D. invasion and a rift between Wanda and her synthezoid husband! Looks like plenty of big stuff to come over the next month!

  • First ‘THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER’ Set Photos Confirm the Return of Hot Thor and a Thunderstrike Costume

    First ‘THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER’ Set Photos Confirm the Return of Hot Thor and a Thunderstrike Costume

    There’s been no shortage of Thor: Love and Thunder production news these past few weeks as stars of the film traveled to Australia to commence production. Today, the very first set photos of the highly anticipated fourth film have arrived revealing the titular character’s return to his superhero physique and some of his Guardians of the Galaxy cohorts. Check out the images courtesy of the Daily Mail.

     

     

     

    So as you can see, Hot Thor is back which will surely draw some very interesting reactions from people who grew to love the chubby version of the character we last saw in Avengers: Endgame. It must be Casual Friday for the God of Thunder because in one photo he’s donning a totally 80’s look with his white tank top tucked into his blue jeans and in another, he’s sporting a sleeveless leather jacket that is clearly a nod to the Marvel Comics character Thuderstrike. The fact that he’s going casual while Star-Lord and the rest of the Guardians are in their space suits already makes it hilarious. It’s also nice to see Karen Gillan and Sean Gunn suit up in their respective costumes. Hopefully, we see an actual shot of Natalie Portman as Thor in the next coming weeks too.

    Source: Daily Mail

  • RUMOR: ‘Raya and the Last Dragon’ Premier Access to End in June

    RUMOR: ‘Raya and the Last Dragon’ Premier Access to End in June

    Marvel Studios is about to enter its next test to see if their upcoming release of Raya and the Last Dragon could turn profitable. The film will release in March. Kelly Marie Tran is tackling the leading role alongside Awkwafina, who will be the titular dragon. The first official trailer was released just a few days ago to kick-start the marketing of their next attempt at this streaming model. Now, the big question on everyone’s mind was if Disney might take a different approach with Premier Access this time around. Shortly before Mulan was released, they announced that the film is free for all Disney+ subscribers. It was made available three months after its initial paid release, and it seems that Raya and the Last Dragon might follow a similar model. According to Streaming Buffer, they discovered the planned release date in the source code.

     

     

    It looks like the film might be eyeing a release on June 8th for all Disney+ subscribers for free. Yet, some interesting stipulations may go against this. First off, June 8th is a Tuesday, which is uncommon for a streaming release. Disney+ commonly aims for a Friday, which was the case for Mulan. The three-month difference does sound reasonable, but it is uncertain after Mulan’s underperformed if they would stick to the same release window. Also, we tried to cross-reference the source code within Disney+, but there is currently no specific menu for the upcoming film.

    As such, we weren’t able to replicate the availability of this data. It currently is not available in either the US or German service. The only thing we were able to confirm is that there is a. link for /rayainfo that links back to the help center. So, there could be some validity to the showcased data. For now, we can only take it with a grain of salt until some more evidence gets revealed. There is a chance this is also just a placeholder once the page is made available in the service.

    Source: Business Insider, The Streaming Buffer, Disney+ Help Center