Murphy's Multiverse

Category: News

  • ‘WANDAVISION’ Confirmed as a 9 Episode Series

    ‘WANDAVISION’ Confirmed as a 9 Episode Series

    Disney Plus Media Relations has confirmed what the Murphy’s Multiverse team was first to share with you some time back: Marvel Studios first Disney Plus streaming series, WandaVision, will indeed consist of 9 episodes. The following email from D+ relations has been confirmed to be legitimate by a Disney rep.

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    This news, along with the news from Disney Latino that the series will conclude Season One on March 5th, would seem to indicate that we will get two episodes of the series when it streams next Friday, January 15th. Even though we haven’t seen it yet, I think we all know more WandaVision is a good thing!

  • RUMOR: Elijah Richardson Joins ‘THE FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLDIER’ as Eli Bradley

    RUMOR: Elijah Richardson Joins ‘THE FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLDIER’ as Eli Bradley

    It looks like we might be able to check another member of the Young Avengers off the already growing list as actor Elijah Richardson has joined the cast of Marvel Studios upcoming Disney Plus streaming series, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier. According to his IMBD filmography, the 18-year old Richardson will play Eli Bradley, aka The Patriot, in 2 episodes when the show begins streaming this March. We will note here that we are well aware that IMDB can be edited anonymously, but there have been rumblings about the Bradleys being in the series before and, contrary to popular opinion IMDB is not ALWAYS wrong. We attempted to confirm the casting with two sources but were unable to do so.

    Elijah Bradley was first introduced as the leader of the Young Avengers in Young Avengers #1. A couple of issues later, he revealed to Captain America that he was the grandson of Isaiah Bradley, the Black Captain America. After originally leading his teammates to believe his powers came from a blood transfusion from his grandfather, Eli was caught injecting mutant growth hormone. Ashamed, Bradley quit the team but showed his true heroism when he was seriously injured taking a bullet to protect Captain America. That injury led to the need for a blood transfusion from Isaiah which lead to Eli becoming a true super soldier himself.

    Richardson’s Bradley would join Kathryn Newton’s Cassie Lang and Hailee Steinfeld’s Kate Bishop as members of the original Young Avengers team. It seems a safe bet to assume that Billy Kaplan and Tommy Shepherd will be a part of the team as well after being introduced in some capacity in WandaVision. That leaves only Teddy Altman, aka Hulking, and Iron Lad to go to round out the OG squad in the MCU. Xochitl Gomez will debut as America Chavez who joined a later iteration of the team, in Doctor Strange: In the Multiverse of Madness. A Young Avengers project is in the works and believed to be headed to Disney Plus, perhaps as early as 2023.

  • ‘WW84’ Suffers a 67% Box Office Drop In Its Second Week

    ‘WW84’ Suffers a 67% Box Office Drop In Its Second Week

    In our last look at the Box Office, it seemed that Wonder Woman 1984 was doing fairly well alongside its HBO Max release. It looked like nothing was standing in the way for Warner Bros. 2021 strategy to premiere its films simultaneously in theatres and on its new streaming service. Now, the only question was if the film would have legs to compete with Tenet‘s numbers when it launched back in September. Well, it looks like the true test revealed the negative influence of the streaming service, as WW84 domestic gross dropped by 67% in its second week. It is in stark contrast to the original Wonder Woman‘s 43% drop. It is closer to that of Batman v Superman and Suicide Squad. As such, the film has earned $28.5 million in ten days.

    With these numbers, it seems unlikely the film will pass Tenet‘s domestic cume of $58M, but it could still grab the second spot, which is held by The Croods: A New Age‘s $34M. This stark drop may be connected to the availability via HBO Max, as even with a strong opening there is no reason to return to theaters once you’ve seen it. So, those few that are willing to visit a cinema within the current pandemic might not be as willing to do so. Of course, WB may be more interested in the long-term gain with how many additional subscribers they gain, which could counter the stark drop.

    The film still has time to make a comeback, but at this point, it seems unlikely until Disney’s Raya and the Last Dragon by March. That film will be made available in theaters and Disney+’s Premium Access. We will see if the $30 additional costs will have a lessened effect on the film’s performance. It is difficult to really pinpoint any development given the current situation, so as Forbes points out, the usual Christmas legs may not apply after such a drop. The film’s discourse is also rather mixed, so that may have left an imprint. For now, WB may be questioning their 2021 film release plan.

    Source: Forbes

  • Grey DeLisle-Griffin Lends Her Voice to ‘WandaVision’

    Grey DeLisle-Griffin Lends Her Voice to ‘WandaVision’

    Just when you think WandaVision couldn’t possibly get any bigger, now the cast makes space for one of the most revered voice-actress in all of the mainstream media. Yesterday, Grey DeLisle-Griffin confirmed via her Twitter that her voice, in some shape or form, will be heard during the upcoming Marvel Studios series WandaVision. Check out the tweet below:

    https://twitter.com/greydelisle/status/1345135779396288512?s=21

    She is no stranger to working with Marvel, as she played the role of Captain Marvel, Betty Brant, Black Widow, Ms. Marvel, Enchantress, Elektra, Emma Frost, and many more in several Marvel TV shows and video games. You also might know Grey DeLisle-Griffin for many iconic roles she’s played over the years, which includes Daphne Blake from Scooby-Doo, Azula from Avatar: The Last Airbender, Vicky from The Fairly OddParents, Mandy from The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy, Catwoman from the Batman: Arkham franchise, and Injustice games, Frankie Foster from Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends and the list goes on. Now, this begs the question of what her role could be in the upcoming series. There are a number of possibilities. DeLisle-Griffin could be portraying a CGI character during the series or an eerie voice in Wanda’s head. Anything is possible, but there’s a particular theory that comes to mind that might fit Grey DeLisle’s involvement in WandaVision. She could be playing a character in an animated episode of WandaVision.

     

     

    Fellow writer Julia Delbel theorized in her Theory Thursday article that WandaVision could include an animated section in the show, whether it be an animated intro in the stylings of Bewitched or even paying homage to classic animated sitcoms, such as The Flintstones and The Jetsons. Just imagine it’s Saturday morning at the Wanda and Vision household. Wanda’s kids decide to watch cartoons, and there’s an entire episode based on that. If the show does include some animation sequence, it would be the perfect opportunity to incorporate Grey DeLisle-Griffin‘s vocal talents into the mix when WandaVision rolls around in 2 weeks.

  • ‘WW84’ Passes $100M Worldwide; ‘Soul’ Dominates Streaming

    ‘WW84’ Passes $100M Worldwide; ‘Soul’ Dominates Streaming

    Wonder Woman 1984‘s release was a huge test to see if Warner Bros. HBO Max’s strategy would work while also trying to ensure the cinema’s future. Of course, it also faced some major competition with Pixar’s Soul getting released on Disney+. Now that both films had some time in the public eye, let’s take a look at what the future of cinema and television might hold.

    WW84 has now passed the $102 million mark worldwide since its launch. The international markets proved the most stable, as it garnered around $80M, even if China was behind expectations with $25M. Its Box Office global split seems to be similar to that of Tenet, which managed to garner $363M in its run since September. According to Forbes, the film may only garner what its predecessor did in its domestic gross. So, the numbers aren’t too different from Christopher Nolan‘s latest release. The only thing hurting WW84‘s legs is the negative discourse and its availability through HBO Max, as there is no reasoning for a repeat viewing in cinema directly.

     

     

    Soul has been doing quite well in China, as the Pete Docter and Kemp Powers‘ film tripled its $5.5M opening weekend. It now stands strong at $16.9M. Western releases are facing some challenges, as China has been dominating its local market through locally-produced films, such as Red Flower breaking records with a $76M opening. Mendelson highlights in his article that this confirms that not every tentpole blockbuster will see a similar success in China like it did in local markets. They seem to embrace our crazier and out-there stories, which may also be why Mulan did not sit well with Chinese audiences.

    Overall, the true victories were in the streaming market. WW84 increased HBO Max’s app downloads by 554K. Disney+, however, managed to increase the download count by 2.3M, which was a massive win for the streaming service. These minds do not include downloads on the smart TV App, Amazon or Roku. We don’t have a total subscriber count either, but these numbers are still quite impressive. Plus, the subscription costs for the different services also play a role in the download difference. Still, it looks like the Box Office will need time to get to where it once was. It is uncertain if 2021 will offer that or if it may take until 2022 to reach that point once again.

    Source: Forbes, Bloomberg

  • Official ‘Uncharted’ Pictures Teases Tom Holland’s Globe-Trotting Adventure

    Official ‘Uncharted’ Pictures Teases Tom Holland’s Globe-Trotting Adventure

    2021 will be quite a busy film year. We will be seeing a wide variety of new films getting released alongside 2020 productions that were delayed due to the pandemic. Among them, there is the first cinematic adaptation of the popular Uncharted franchise. The film centers on a young Nathan Drake, who is just finding his footing as the adventurer we all come to love in the games. Ruben Fleischer, who recently directed Zombieland: Double Tap and Venom, will tackle the project alongside Tom Holland as Drake and Mark Wahlberg‘s Victor Sullivan. We are still anxiously awaiting what the future may bring, as it aims to premiere in July. We might still have to wait for a bit for the first trailer, but that didn’t stop the official Twitter account to tease what we can expect from the film:

    It certainly looks like they aren’t losing focus on the globe-trotting adventure that makes the franchise so iconic. Our first official look at Holland‘s Drake seemed to combine elements of his clothing from across the games, so it was uncertain if they are adopting a specific story from the games, or creating their own. When the original voice actor for Drake, Nolan North, shared a picture from his set visit, he teased a few interesting artifacts. It seems like the story was going to explore the history surrounding Fernão de Magalhães, or also known as Ferdinand Magellan. During his heyday, he led a Spanish expedition through the West instead of the East, only to die in battle once he reached the Philippines.

    The objects being teased seem to fit that storyline. The map doesn’t include Australia but does include the Philippines. Most of their adventures surround a McGuffin, which means that the golden cross will act as a gateway to uncovering the pieces that will help them on their journey. Also, that statue in the third picture may actually be based on Magellan, or at least a captain of his expedition. The series has also dabbled with supernatural elements, so anything is possible with the direction of the film. It is great to get a tease and hopefully, we will see a trailer in the next few months to build up to its July release.

    Source: Twitter

     

  • ‘WandaVision’ Character Posters Released

    ‘WandaVision’ Character Posters Released

    Marvel Studios and Disney+ are starting their marketing campaign for the upcoming release of WandaVision. Finally, after a long wait and many delays, we are entering the new year with brand new Marvel Cinematic Content. It almost seems surreal that we are actually getting the first Disney+ series from Marvel Studios after everything that had happened. Originally, Falcon and the Winter Soldier was going to kick-off the studio’s venture into long-form storytelling but 2020 proved nothing is truly set in stone. Luckily, Marvel Studios cemented the show’s upcoming release with a new set of character posters.

    We know that various other characters are included in the show but they are focusing on those that were heavily featured in the trailers. So, we get some character posters on our two leads Wanda and Vision, alongside Agnes, and Monica Rambeau. There is no sign of Jimmy Woo or Darcy Lewis for now, but they may be taking the same route that The Mandalorian‘s second season did. After every major character introduction, the episode would then get a character poster to tie us over until the next one released. So, there is a good chance they are going a similar route here. Yet, the show won’t release until January 15th, so who knows if we see them shortly before the premiere.

    Now, the concept of various TVs is a great idea to build up the mystery and tie into the Vision aspect of WandaVision. There are some interesting small hints here, such as Agnes having a string in one of her televisions, which could be hinting at her true nature. It also looks like Monica will premiere in an earlier episode of the show, as it seemed she would only show up in the 70s era sitcom. It could also hint at the show not following a linear format, as we jump from one sitcom era to another. The biggest hint once again is that Wanda seems to have a new costume. We’ve seen bits and pieces of it in previous posters, but it made its return here. As the show features Halloween costumes that are tributes to the original comic designs, it would be interesting if they manage to pull off a modern adaptation of her iconic outfit.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘The Flash’ Eyeing Early 2021 Production Start

    ‘The Flash’ Eyeing Early 2021 Production Start

    The Flash is the best example of development hell. Since its announcement, the film has seen countless directors and screenwriters tackle the project. It finally settled on It director Andrés Muschietti and Birds of Prey screenwriter Christina Hodson. The film will see the return of Ezra Miller in the role of Barry Allen. Inspired by the Flashpoint storyline, we will join the Scarlet Speedster as he makes his way through the multiverse. He will team up with Michael Keaton‘s Batman. This marks his first return to the role for the first time since 1992. Not just that, it will also see the return of Ben Affleck’s as the Batman, who got introduced n Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.

    The film was going to enter production in March, but it looks like it will now start a month later. It will film at the Warner Bros. Leavesden studios, but no further details are available if they will primarily film at this location. Sound studios will be the primary filming location as long as the pandemic could interrupt production at any point. Backstage also states that the project has also picked up casting directors Rich Delia and Kate Ringsell.

    The Flash is currently set to release on November 4th, 2022. Ezra Miller, Billy Crudup, Ben Affleck, and Michael Keaton are confirmed to return. It is unknown if Kiersey Clemons will return to reprise her role of Iris West. We might see some casting announcements and information on returning actors from the DCEU once we near production in April.

    Source: Backstage

  • First Look: Leaked ‘ETERNALS’ Lego Sets

    First Look: Leaked ‘ETERNALS’ Lego Sets

    With the film originally set to release this past November, Marvel’s Studios Eternals was another film that was hit hard by the delay due to the ongoing pandemic. Considering its previous release date, much of the merchandising for the film was prepped and put into production long before the delay, which means most could be sitting on shelves in warehouses waiting for the green light to hit stores around the world. Recently, more leaks surfaced focusing on more of the film’s merchandise, this time offering us a closer look at the film via Legos. Lego sets have a pretty mixed history as to just how accurate they depict the events of the film, so it’s best not to expect these to be direct adaptations of the events of the film.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CJZKMpxp-In/

    The first set, titled ‘Eternals Aerial Assault’, offers a look at Ikaris and Sprite as the two engage in combat with a winged Deviant. This set offers our first look at a different form of Deviant, as we’ve already seen previous leaks of Kro.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CJZKBT-JRSt/

    The second set, titled “Rise of The Domo”, gives us our first look at the Eternal’s ship, which we assume is named Domo after one of the minor Eternals from the Kirby run. The set includes figures for Phastos, Thena, Druig, Sersi, Makkari and Ikaris as well as two Deviants, one of which is likely Kro based on the description and his hands, which look much like the Marvel Legends leak we saw earlier.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CJZJ39mJUe9/

    The third set titled ‘Deviant Ambush’ features yet another form of Deviant, as well as figures for Gilgamesh, Thena, and Makkari

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CJZJ7mJJQxp/

    The final set is titled ‘In Arashem’s Shadow’ and gives us a good look at the Celestial known as Arishem. The leader of all four Celestial hosts on Earth, as he makes his way to Earth. The set also includes another Deviant as well as figures of Ajak, Kingo, Ikaris and Sersi

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CJZL7UvpC3J/

    Marvel Studios Eternals is currently set to release in theaters on November 5, 2021. The film is directed by Chloe Zhao and features an all-star cast that includes Richard Madden, Salma Hayek, Kumail Nanjiani, Ma-Dong Seok, Gemma Chan, Barry Keoghan, Lauren Riddof and Kit Harrington.

    Source: Nino Leaks IG

     

  • ‘Eternals’ Character Descriptions Released Online

    ‘Eternals’ Character Descriptions Released Online

    Just yesterday, we got an early leak revealing some details for Marvel Studios’ upcoming Eternals film. Director Chloe Zhao is going to introduce the world to a whole new race of forgotten superpowered individuals. The alien race was created a long-time ago by the Celestials to protect Earth. Now, it looks like the Indian retailer Redwolf is prepping for the film’s upcoming merchandise. According to their site, they share licensed merch from Marvel, so they are getting everything ready. A variety of the Marvel Legends has been leaked online, so the merchandise seems ready to go. We still don’t know when they will release it, as the film got delayed by an entire year. So, let’s take a closer look at some of the tidbits included for the characters.

    Ikaris is the leader of the Eternals, who is also known as the strongest. He can shoot cosmic energy from his eyes and must lead the Eternals once more to face the monstrous Deviants, who have returned. He is the love interest of Sersi, who supports him in this mission. She has an affinity for humans, so she remained on Earth as a museum curator. Her abilities allow her to manipulate matter.

    Their spiritual leader Ajak can heal humans and Eternals, so she a valuable asset in their upcoming conflict. The Eternals have left their imprint on humanity throughout history, such as Phastos using his ability to develop Earth’s technology from the shadows. There is also Makkari, who is the fastest woman in the universe, who scouts out planets. She is the only one who is deaf, so she isn’t affected by the sonic booms she creates.

     

     

    Quite a few of the Eternals have gone down their own paths, such as the Kingo, who’s been living as a Bollywood star on Earth. He loves wealth and fame a bit too much. Sprite’s time on the planet hasn’t been that nice, as everyone keeps thinking she is a child since she looks like a 12-year old girl. She can cast illusions, who will play a vital role in their battle against the Deviants. Of course, there are also Gilgamesh and Thena, who we covered in the previously-mentioned leak. Lastly, there is Druig. He disagreed with the others’ way of handling their interaction with humanity and may tread the line between friend or foe.

    These are just general descriptions that tease their various abilities and what we can expect from them. There is a surprising lack of Dane Whitman a.k.a. Black Knight. He may only have a minor role in the film. There were early talks of a love triangle, so it seems that Sersi is going to have to decide between Ikaris and Dane. It makes for an interesting dynamic, as she must decide between her Eternal heritage or her love for humanity. 

    Source: Redwolf